A Goddess’s Visit and a Hectic Clean-Up

May 8th, Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.

“I understand!”

“Sister, you definitely don’t understand. If I give you another problem, can you still solve it?”

“Let me try… It’s too difficult. I give up.”

“Doesn’t that mean you don’t understand at all?”

My gaze fell upon the thick stack of study guides on the desk, and I couldn’t help but shiver.

Ling Chen had mentioned tutoring me yesterday, but I hadn’t taken it seriously. Yet, when I was roused early this morning, I discovered he had already prepared a complete set of materials for me.

While it was somewhat unusual for a young boy to tutor a high school student, Ling Chen’s educational prowess was undoubtedly far superior to that of expensive private tutors.

Ling Chen first instructed me to grasp his original materials on my own, only asking him if I truly couldn’t comprehend something. To my embarrassment, I couldn’t even recall where we were in the curriculum, but following Ling Chen’s materials, I actually understood new concepts without attending class. I could even extrapolate, and most of the time, I figured out the knowledge points by myself without needing to ask him.

Although I couldn’t claim Ling Chen’s original materials were better than those compiled by renowned teachers, they were incredibly targeted, perfectly suited to address my current academic weaknesses and shortcomings.

When I asked him why he had prepared study materials for me, he responded:

“Sister wishes to balance both studies and entertainment, which in this fiercely competitive era, can only be described as a delusion. Aside from naturally gifted students, others can only bridge the gap with true academic elites through efforts filled with tears and sweat.”

“If Sister wants to pursue the Goddess, she must at least strive for excellence herself. Sister’s Goddess consistently ranks in the top three; Sister should at least aim for the top ten. Sister already knows the Goddess’s aspirations. If Sister, as a first-year high school student, doesn’t work hard now, the gap between Sister and the Goddess will only widen.”

“Sailing against the current means moving forward or falling behind. Even if Sister remains stagnant, she is still falling behind.”

“Compiling suitable materials for Sister is a shortcut in studying, but I hope Sister doesn’t rely on external aids. Instead, she should learn through self-discipline. I can help Sister achieve high scores within the standardized education system, but life offers no shortcuts. Until Sister finds her own goal, I will temporarily assist her using this method.”

I raised my hand to ask a question: “Since I can’t gain the nourishment I need from the current standardized education, can you just give me the exam answers?”

“Dream on.”

Ling Chen was right; I had been drifting. Yet, I still possessed a certain sense of crisis.

Though I often felt inferior due to a lack of confidence, a tiny flicker of pride remained within me. The fact that I could still outperform so many others despite my lackluster studies wasn’t too terrible; I was certainly not the best, but far from the worst.

If I were to lose that pride, I would become even more disinclined to study. This sense of crisis was, in fact, a fear of falling behind.

Gritting my teeth, I completed the homework Ling Chen had assigned. I put down my pen and stretched, arching my back.

“Can I rest for a bit?”

Ling Chen checked the time and nodded.

“Alright, Sister has been quite diligent today. You may rest now.”

“Hooray!”

I hastily opened my computer. I still hadn’t finished the games I bought during the last game store promotion!

Before I reached the point of thinking, ‘I already spent money, why am I still playing games?’, I needed to make good use of my leisure time.

“Wait.”

Ling Chen stopped me.

“What is it?” I asked, puzzled.

“Sister, have you forgotten the message you received last night?”

“Message?”

I tried to recall. I had gone to bed very early yesterday, sleeping by ten o’clock. But before falling asleep, I seemed to remember the Goddess sending me a message.

I slapped my forehead, exclaiming in surprise: “The Goddess is coming to see me today?”

Ling Chen nodded. “This is the first time a girl has come to visit Sister, you know.”

I glanced at my dirty, cluttered room, my brow furrowed. Biting my nails, I murmured:

“No, I can’t let the Goddess see what a slob I am!”

Ling Chen picked up an empty soda can from the floor and tossed the scattered tissues into the trash, retorting:

“I think everyone around Sister probably already knows she’s a messy shut-in.”

“Seeing is believing, hearing is not. If the Goddess sees how terrible my home is, it will create an even worse impression of me.”

After a moment of thought, I made a difficult decision.

“Ling Chen, let’s do a thorough cleaning.”

Ling Chen nodded. “My room is already clean. I bought groceries for lunch for Sister when I went out to print materials this morning. We have plenty of time, so let’s work hard!”

I rolled up my sleeves, full of fighting spirit. “Throw away everything useless!”

Ling Chen pointed to my embarrassing figurines and some imported doujinshi.

“Should these be thrown away?”

“Well… just hide them.”

Ling Chen picked up a doujinshi I had bought from Toranoana, asking with a hint of confusion: “Does Sister still need these things?”

“None of your business!” I snapped.

Ling Chen gave a wry smile. “Alright, I’ll help Sister hide them.”

“Alright! Next time, I’ll have to properly showcase my cooking skills to the Goddess.”

I carried the last dish to the dining table, took off my apron, and took a deep breath.

I scanned my surroundings once more, checking every corner for any lingering dust. It was hard to believe that my previously chaotic dog kennel had been tidied up so meticulously, transforming from a junkyard into a five-star hotel.

Although my home wasn’t large, after Ling Chen disposed of years of accumulated junk, the house suddenly felt spacious, almost refreshingly new.

However, the drastic change made my own home feel somewhat unfamiliar, and surprisingly, I found myself missing the feeling of being surrounded by clutter.

It wasn’t that I cherished those useless odds and ends, but rather that a cramped space provided a sense of security. The current emptiness, conversely, left me feeling a little lost.

Was I perhaps destined for a life of squalor?

Perhaps past memories had cast a dreamy filter over my small home; the beautiful recollections it brought me were immeasurable by money.

Though housing prices had consistently risen over the years, in my heart, this house was also family. No matter how high prices soared, I would keep it, never selling it…

Wait, did you say a wealthy tycoon wants to buy my house for a hefty sum?

Tycoon, please come this way. Our apartment layout is…

Yes, if you buy it, I can pack up and move out immediately, clearing the space for you at once.

Hey, what are you all staring at? It’s not that I don’t cherish beautiful memories; it’s just that they’re offering too much money.

Isn’t it true that money is what creates beautiful memories in the first place?

Hmph, though my stance is that of the proletariat, I am a spiritual capitalist. Money truly is the most wonderful thing!

With money, people will eagerly clamor to be your family!

Ling Chen: “Why do I feel a chill down my spine? Hmm, I wonder if Sister is thinking about how much I could be sold for.”

Having finished the busy work, I felt a certain lightness in my mood.

The Goddess was coming to my house!

Just thinking about it made my heart pound.

Would she find my home too small?

She’d never been to my house before; would she get lost?

She…

Ahhh, I was so nervous! I’d had only a handful of times alone with the Goddess, so her coming to my house felt like a head of state inspecting my home—it was overwhelming.

Does the Goddess like me?

No, I’m just dreaming.

She’s probably visiting as a friend.

But…

I’m still so happy!

Ahhh, I’m dying!

“Ding-dong…”

The crisp knock on the door made me instinctively check the time. It was exactly twelve-thirty. The Goddess, who was always busy, shouldn’t be visiting at noon.

So, Ling Chen came back so quickly?

But hadn’t I already given him a key?

My joy was interrupted by that guy, Ling Chen, which annoyed me greatly.

I flung open the door, fuming, to see what mischief that kid was up to.

“Don’t you have a key?”

Responding to me was not Ling Chen’s voice, but a clear, feminine tone, colder than cold yet imbued with a familiar, burning emotion—a voice I knew all too well.

“Eh?”

The moment I pushed open the door, I saw a silver-haired girl in our school uniform standing at the entrance. Her long eyelashes fluttered like butterflies, and a flicker of confusion crossed her purple eyes.

When the girl clearly saw my appearance, a small gasp of surprise appeared on her exquisite face. She pressed her lips together, seeming to want to speak but hesitating.

“Ling Jiu?”

Though our school uniform was as ugly as could be, the girl before me somehow wore the hideous sports uniform with the grace of a goddess, like a honeysuckle blooming proudly in a world of snow and ice.

No matter how many times I gazed at her, I was always deeply captivated by her aura. My soul felt like a dead, withered branch entwined around her, willing to burn itself to warm her and ward off the boundless cold.

I stood frozen, uttering in a lost voice:

“An An?”