"The young mistress has changed completely."
Liu Qingyue muttered to herself as she stepped outside, holding a bus card in her hand. She could sense that her mistress's demeanor had undergone a complete transformation. Previously, she had always exuded an icy, unapproachable coldness, but now, there was a gentleness about her that made her seem more approachable.
And then there was the matter of sending Cornelia back to her home country—something Liu Qingyue still couldn’t quite wrap her head around.
But since the young mistress had given the order, she would handle it. It wasn’t particularly difficult anyway—just a matter of applying diplomatic pressure on the relevant officials to arrange a reassignment.
Right now, though, the most pressing matter was the fact that the young mistress had instructed her to take the bus. Everything else could wait.
"Is it because of whatever was inside that ring…?"
At this thought, she raised her hand and examined the bus card. It was an ordinary one, granting access to any public bus across the city.
"Will I change too, once I use it?"
Puzzled, she returned to her room, shed her maid uniform, and changed into casual clothes. She then applied light makeup in front of the mirror.
Naturally elegant and refined, the touch of makeup only enhanced her youthful charm, making her look like a high school student out for a casual stroll—fresh and innocent.
Stepping out of her bedroom, she decided to first visit the bus service center to check the frequently used routes for the card.
After all, the city had hundreds of bus stops and thousands of buses running daily.
If she had to test them one by one, it would take ages to find the specific bus the young mistress had mentioned.
"The young mistress has instructed me to take you to your destination."
Just as she reached the staircase, Liu Qingyue was met by Ji Qingyi’s personal chauffeur, who had been waiting for her.
The moment she saw the driver, she knew the situation was far more serious than she had imagined.
Ji Qingyi had even lent her own private car for this task—proof of how urgent this matter was to the young mistress.
"Thank you for your trouble," Liu Qingyue said politely with a slight nod.
The chauffeur smiled. "Please follow me."
Liu Qingyue trailed behind her, and soon, the two were on their way.
After a long while—
The car stopped beside a bus stop. Stepping out, Liu Qingyue glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings, a trace of confusion flickering in her eyes. "I don’t feel anything out of the ordinary."
Her voice carried a hint of disappointment. But since Ji Qingyi had been so adamant about her taking this bus, there must be a reason. Maybe she just needed to board and see for herself?
"Wee-woo wee-woo wee-woo—"
Just as Liu Qingyue was lost in thought, the blaring siren of an ambulance suddenly pierced the air, snapping her back to reality. She looked up to see an ambulance speeding out of a nearby apartment complex, racing toward her.
From the flashing emergency lights, it was clear this was a critical case.
At the same time, a bus slowly pulled up to the stop.
With a soft click, the front doors slid open.
Without hesitation, she stepped aboard and moved to the card reader.
Beep—
"Card not activated."
The machine’s voice gave her pause, but the driver kindly suggested, "Try swiping again."
She did, but the result was the same.
"Just pay with coins for now. Your card needs activation," the driver said, his tone gentle, as if worried she might take it the wrong way.
Liu Qingyue nodded and rummaged through her bag for change—only to find she had nothing but large bills, no coins or small notes.
Meanwhile, several young male passengers had already begun digging into their pockets, eager to pay for her fare.
After all, helping her out would give them an excuse to exchange contact details later—a perfect opportunity none of them wanted to miss.
But one quick-witted young man in the front row beat them all to it, dropping a coin into the fare box without a second thought.
Clink—
The sound of the coin was accompanied by the shattering of hopeful hearts, as Liu Qingyue didn’t even acknowledge the gesture. Instead, she pulled out a large bill and stuffed it into the fare box before turning and heading straight for the back of the bus. She took the corner seat by the window and placed her bag on the adjacent seat to deter anyone from sitting beside her.
"…………"
The young men fell into an awkward silence.
"Ha ha ha."
The driver couldn’t help but chuckle. "This girl’s got character. Clearly doesn’t like owing favors. Though, I can’t give you change for that bill."
"Keep it as the fare," Liu Qingyue replied flatly, ignoring the stares from the other passengers. She pulled out her earphones, tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and closed her eyes, feigning sleep to avoid conversation.
Normally, she might have indulged in a bit of mischief to amuse herself, but right now, she just wanted to focus. She didn’t have the luxury of wasting time.
Yet, her aloof demeanor only deepened the admiration of those around her, who marveled at how someone could be so strikingly beautiful and so fiercely independent at the same time.
As the bus started moving, Liu Qingyue kept her eyes closed, enjoying the breeze from the window—but beyond that, she felt nothing unusual.
Frowning, she opened her eyes and looked outside.
The bus had already left the previous district, and the buildings outside were becoming increasingly familiar.
"School?"
Recognizing the gates of Flame City Private Academy, she was mildly surprised but nothing more.
She didn’t dwell on it, nor did she get off. Instead, she kept her gaze fixed on the passing scenery.
And so—
An hour later, the bus reached its final stop.
Still, she had gained nothing from the trip.
With a sigh, she briefly explained her situation to the driver and waited for the bus to make its return journey.
Another hour passed.
She disembarked at the original bus stop.
"If I go back empty-handed, the young mistress will scold me, won’t she?"
Liu Qingyue sighed, staring at the bus card in her hand. Returning without any answers would surely disappoint Ji Qingyi.
So, she decided to ride the bus one more time.
Just then, another bus pulled up beside her. The doors opened with a click, waiting for her to board.
But as she was about to step on, her gaze was drawn to a figure in a hospital gown pedaling past on a shared bicycle.
"Huh? Is that Su Cheng?"
Her attention captured, she paused mid-step, watching as the boy sped past her. She was certain—it was Su Cheng, this year’s new student.
"Miss, are you getting on or not?"
The bus driver’s impatient shout snapped her back to reality.
"My apologies—"
Just as she was about to offer an awkward but polite reply, a sharp screech cut through the air—
SCREECH—
The screech of sudden brakes was sharp and violent, like a sledgehammer slamming against the long-sealed door of memory.
It seemed to tear through the thin veil of time, instantly hurling her back into fragments of the past.
Unfamiliar recollections surged like a torrent from a bicycle chain, scenes of bygone days flashing through her mind, as jarring as the brake noise that seeped into her ears and shook the depths of her heart.