463. Li Na’s Plan
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By the time they returned to school, it was already noon the next day.
After parting ways at the bus stop, Lin Nan wearily made her way back to her rental apartment.
She hadn’t slept well the night before.
Even though she hadn’t finished watching that horror flick Ju-on, the entire night was filled with nightmares. Clearly, a film that sets the mood like that is more memorable than one that just throws jump scares at you.
Sporting dark circles under her eyes, she flopped onto the sofa and began yawning non-stop.
About ten minutes later, Chen Yao came back to the apartment, juggling two bags of takeout while being followed by a girl he hadn’t seen in ages.
“Li Na?” Lin Nan looked at her with curiosity. “What brings you here?”
“I ran into Chen Yao on the way home from school,” Li Na said with a cheerful grin as she edged closer, “It’s been ages since I’ve seen you, so I thought I’d drop by!”
She opened her mouth to say more, but as she glanced over Lin Nan, her expression shifted to one of surprise, and then furrowed her brow in a worried frown as she plopped down on the sofa, continuing her scrutinizing gaze at Lin Nan.
Lin Nan felt uneasy under that stare. Trying to play it cool, she accepted the takeout box that Chen Yao had handed her and dug in.
Chen Yao studied the two curiously, confused about what was going on. Li Na’s previously bright smile seemed to have turned into a thundercloud.
What on earth had happened between them?
He felt a nagging sense that Li Na was angry about something.
After ruminating for a moment, Chen Yao was about to pull up a stool to eat at the coffee table when Li Na suddenly commanded, “You go eat in your room! I need to talk to Lin Nan about something.”
“What secrets are you hiding from me?” he grumbled as he strode into the bedroom with his lunch.
Lin Nan felt a bit anxious. Li Na looked like she was genuinely upset, but she had no clue what she had done to tick her off.
“What’s wrong?” she cautiously asked, lifting her head.
“Why are you with Chen Yao…” Li Na sighed dramatically, resting her chin on her hands, “You talk about how great it is to date a girl, and yet you choose him? What a waste!”
Hearing this made Lin Nan’s cheeks turn a light shade of red as she whispered, “Well, we’re engaged, so it’s bound to happen sooner or later.”
And who said dating girls doesn’t have its drawbacks too?
“Men are all big, clumsy idiots! Isn’t dating a cute fairy better?” Li Na huffed as she affectionately smacked Lin Nan on the head. “You’re supposed to be Lilith’s backup body! How can you just throw that away?”
That was in the past!
Lin Nan knew Li Na had always viewed her as a backup for Lilith, which made her possessive. When she initially got together with Chen Yao, Lin Nan even feared that Li Na would lash out at him out of jealousy.
Now that Lilith had been revived and transformed into a slightly more normal woman, it seemed there were still no signs of a budding yuri romance with Li Na.
Lin Nan figured out the root of Li Na’s discontent was then, pure and simple: possessiveness.
She rolled her eyes at Li Na. “So, what do you need me for?”
When it came to business, Li Na’s smile returned, and she leaned in closer, “I opened a shop and I want you to be a waitress!”
“Me?” Lin Nan looked up at her, puzzled. “I still need to tutor on the weekends.”
“Just come work after school until eight or nine.” Li Na’s smile grew even sweeter, as if she’d forgotten all about being upset.
Lin Nan found this a little strange but couldn’t quite pin down why. After a moment of thought, she asked in confusion, “Where’d you get the money to open a shop?”
“I do magic.”
Well, that explanation was top-tier.
If Lin Nan wanted to, she could become rich in no time using some magic tricks.
Just find a 30 to 50-year-old office worker, use magic to control them briefly, then have them transfer all their money to Lin Nan. Easy peasy.
But that was illegal, and she was a law-abiding citizen!
This was a newly unlocked spell Lin Nan hadn’t tried yet. She hadn’t really had any issues lately as a university student, so there had been no use for such a mind-control spell.
“Are you not planning on going back? Running a shop sounds like a hassle.” Lin Nan tossed her empty lunch container into the wastebasket.
Li Na shook her head and explained, “I’ll go back occasionally to handle things; this world is pretty nice.”
“When I go back, I’ll just be a saint, and here I’ll be a pretty shop owner! And I hope Lilith doesn’t get sent back either; it’ll be great if she just watches the shop.”
“……”
Li Na placed her hands on her hips defiantly. “Otherwise, what if she goes back and regains her powers? Who knows, she might turn back into that witch! I’m sacrificing the rest of my life to keep Lilith trapped here on Earth! Being a saint really is an admirable cause~”
No, you just don’t want Lilith to retain her powers and escape your clutches.
But this is a good outcome; at least if Lilith runs away, she won’t start aiming for Lin Nan next.
“So, what about salary?” This was Lin Nan’s biggest concern.
“Are we really going to talk salary when we’re such good friends?” Li Na exclaimed in disbelief. “How about this? Once my store goes public, I’ll give you ten percent of the shares! Let’s just skip the salary talk.”
“You’ll come in as the store manager! Overseeing the entire place—all without a salary! Just think about the future!”
“Will my store not thrive? Right?!”
Why did it feel like she was trying to lure Lin Nan into free labor with grand promises?
Lin Nan stared, somewhat dazed, as Li Na rambled on about the fabulous convenience of opening a shop with magic. She boasted that in a year they’d franchise, go public in three years, and expand global franchises within five years. After all that, Lin Nan would be the oldest employee, somehow becoming the CEO of this giant conglomerate, enjoying the peak of her life…
No matter how many promises were laid out, Lin Nan was still realizing she wouldn’t have a salary before all that.
The more she listened, the more it sounded like Li Na was trying to con her!
Lin Nan was a pragmatic person. After listening carefully, she shook her head. “But I want a salary; I don’t want any shares.”
However, opening a shop using magic did sound quite promising.
“Imagine enhancing the flavors with magic, crafting spells to make passerby subconsciously walk in and spend…”
“We’re such good friends! Does talking money really help our bond?” Li Na wrapped an arm around Lin Nan’s shoulders, beaming. “Think about it—if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be you! If not for me reviving Lilith and guiding you, who knows, you’d probably be six feet under by now.”
But you’re only saying that because you have plans for Lilith’s resurrection using my body, right?
“But I still want money…” Lin Nan pouted, pushing Li Na’s arm off her shoulders.
“You’ve got it all wrong! You’re still a student! You should have a broader perspective! Stop focusing on immediate gains; think long-term! At your age, growth and learning are what you really need!”
Sounds reasonable and wise.
Lin Nan felt her resolve waver.
“Well… should I give it a try?”
After all, it was just a short gig helping a friend out as a waitress. It wasn’t like it was the worst idea ever.
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Recently, I’ve been having insomnia, and my overall state has been a bit off. Updates will be unstable—let’s see if I can get another one out tonight!
