An Unexpected Encounter in Linzhou City

Linzhou City.

At nine in the evening, Chen Ran prepared to leave work and head home.

First, she tallied the day’s earnings at the convenience store, tucking all the cash from the register into her pocket.

Then, she began to inspect the inventory in the storage room and the shelves, while also giving the place a quick clean.

Though the convenience store was small, the back-and-forth tasks took up at least half an hour.

At that moment.

The transparent glass door reflected Chen Ran’s image.

With a short, ordinary hairstyle, Chen Ran appeared neither striking nor unremarkable, but her face was strikingly handsome. Her brows carried an air of vigor, befitting someone at the prime of their youth.

Yet, her overall demeanor was calm and composed, her deep black eyes lowered and her fair skin giving off an aura of distant coldness.

Chen Ran wasn’t an unapproachable person; she just didn’t say much, often giving the impression of being aloof and untouchable.

At sixteen or seventeen, an age when most were in school, Chen Ran was working at a convenience store, not to supplement the family income, as one might expect.

It’s a long story.

About two months ago, Chen Ran left home to attend a rigorous boarding school in a neighboring city, famous for its intense preparation for college entrance exams.

During the journey on a high-speed train, she fell asleep.

Upon waking, Chen Ran found herself not on the high-speed train anymore, but on a light rail or something similar.

The train weaved through fields and cities, and the empty carriages held no passengers.

When the train finally stopped, and the doors opened, Chen Ran stepped out into a strange city.

Chen Ran was sure that ‘Linzhou City’ didn’t exist in her original world, with its unfamiliar countries and different global map, which was entirely distinct from her memories.

Even when she dialed the numbers labeled ‘Father’ and ‘Mother’ on her phone, the voices that answered were completely foreign, telling her she had dialed the wrong number.

About half a day later, Chen Ran accepted the reality of her situation: she had crossed over into another world.

Thankfully, this world wasn’t odd or archaic, but nearly identical to her modern one, with only slight differences—like the people’s hair colors.

Here, people had a variety of natural hair colors: red, pink, yellow, blue, and white, among others.

A mature, kind, and beautiful woman took Chen Ran in, and since she had two adopted daughters, Chen Ran naturally became her ‘sister.’

Thinking of this, Chen Ran’s head began to ache. It felt like she had somehow ended up in a bizarre parallel universe, with a ‘mother’ and two ‘sisters’ straight out of an anime trope.

The classic setup was almost too perfect to be true.

But reality, like a meteor, doesn’t pause until it reaches its end.

Regardless of what Chen Ran thought, life continued, and she found herself living with them, helping out at their convenience store.

As Chen Ran was cleaning, she noticed the store’s last remaining customer: a high school girl.

The girl wore a school uniform with a light blue blouse tied with a deep red bow, a black knee-length pleated skirt, white socks, and small leather shoes.

Her rare black hair reached her waist, with a small ponytail on one side, revealing her small, rounded ears.

From her profile, Chen Ran could tell the girl was exceptionally beautiful, worth at least nine out of ten on any scale.

Her large, brown eyes sparkled, and her slightly immature, oval face made her appear even more endearing.

Her thin lips, fair skin, and aquiline nose were flawless, and even her developing figure, barely visible under her white blouse, was already enviable by many adult women.

Despite her beauty, Chen Ran only glanced at her and turned away, hoping the girl would leave soon so she could close the store.

It was common for customers to be in the store as it closed, but just as Chen Ran was about to return to the cash register, she noticed the girl had taken a lipstick from the shelf and placed it in her bag.

The lipstick wasn’t expensive, but the girl had clearly stolen it right before Chen Ran’s eyes.

Chen Ran paused briefly, then silently approached the girl, standing before her and speaking in a low voice.

‘Excuse me, I saw you take something from the store.’

‘What about it?’ the girl replied, turning to face Chen Ran with a smiling gaze, as if the situation were reversed.

‘May I see your student ID, please?’ Chen Ran asked.

‘Oh, sure~’

The girl cheerfully took out her student ID from her bag.

Chen Ran saw that the ID photo matched the girl’s beauty, and the details read:

‘[Holy Angel Academy]’

‘Name: Lin Qingqing’

‘Grade 1, Class 3’

‘Do you want to call the police?’ Lin Qingqing asked playfully, seemingly unfazed.

Chen Ran shook her head. Calling the police was too much trouble, and though the surveillance cameras would provide evidence, the theft was only a lipstick, which might result in a mere scolding.

Moreover, Chen Ran would have to assist with the investigation, possibly delaying her return home well into the night.

‘Should I call your parents?’ Chen Ran asked, to which Lin Qingqing shook her head again.

Holy Angel Academy was a prestigious private school attended mostly by wealthy families, so Lin Qingqing’s parents were likely affluent.

Chen Ran wondered if the girl had a peculiar fetish for stealing, which might make informing her parents pointless.

‘Do you want to call my school?’ Lin Qingqing inquired with a smirk, still unconcerned.

Chen Ran shook her head. What he wanted was simple: for Lin Qingqing to return the lipstick and leave the store.

This was the easiest solution, but before Chen Ran could express his thoughts, he saw Lin Qingqing squint, her usually pure and beautiful face taking on a ‘wicked’ expression.

With a dismissive and flirtatious look, she said, ‘Or perhaps, if I show you my underwear and bra, you’ll let it slide, huh~’