Chapter 1: The Month-End Spender 1
In the waiting room, the bride, Liang Yan, sat on the sofa in a pure white gown, her palms faintly sweating.
Zhao Qianqian teased, “The wedding hasn’t even started yet, and the bride can’t wait any longer?”
“I’m so nervous, and you’re still laughing?” Liang Yan shot her best friend a glare and scolded, “Quick, help me check if my makeup is ruined.”
Zhao Qianqian scrutinized her for a moment and then gave a reassuring answer, “No, it’s perfect. You look beautiful.”
“That’s good.” Liang Yan felt a little more at ease.
To ease her nerves, she started chatting with her friend, “After we graduated from university, you went back to our hometown, and I stayed here to build my career. We haven’t kept in touch for a long time. When I sent out wedding invitations, I thought you wouldn’t come.”
“You’re my friend,” Zhao Qianqian said seriously. “If you’re getting married, of course, I have to come.”
Liang Yan’s heart warmed. She knew she was telling the truth.
You could tell from the amount of the red envelope.
Many of their university classmates were attending the wedding today. Those with an average relationship gave 300, and those closer gave 500. But this silly girl handed her 5000 at once!
Liang Yan was both touched and helpless.
After graduation, the two of them lived in different cities. When she thought about it, it had already been three years since they last met.
She had thought that even with a good relationship, there would still be a gap, but Zhao Qianqian’s action surprised her.
At that moment, her mind went back to their college days.
“You always were like this, so generous.” Liang Yan’s face showed a trace of nostalgia. “As long as you came, why did you have to be so polite?”
Zhao Qianqian said proudly, “It’s my best friend’s wedding! I’m happy for you!”
Before Liang Yan could say anything else, Zhao Qianqian quickly cut in, “With our friendship, what’s wrong with giving a 5000 yuan red envelope?”
“That’s not what I meant…” Liang Yan was about to persuade her when someone knocked on the door and peeked their head in, “The lucky time is almost here, bride, are you ready?”
Liang Yan instantly forgot what she was going to say.
Zhao Qianqian quickly took the opportunity to greet her and exit, “I’ll wait for you in the hall.”
Before Liang Yan could respond, Zhao Qianqian dashed off, clearly afraid of being scolded.
Liang Yan couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s been years, and her temper hasn’t changed at all.”
She didn’t understand the joy of Liang Yan saving every penny, and Liang Yan couldn’t comprehend Zhao Qianqian’s pleasure in spending freely. In the end, after all the arguments, neither of them could convince the other. On a joyous day like this, why argue?
Thinking this, Zhao Qianqian entered the restroom to adjust her clothes.
As soon as she turned on the faucet, an unfamiliar female voice whispered in her ear, “You’re going bankrupt.”
Zhao Qianqian was startled.
She looked up at her reflection in the mirror and saw a small figure, no bigger than the size of a palm, sitting on her shoulder. The figure had fair skin, delicate features, and was dressed in a suit, looking both elegant and capable, almost like a finely crafted doll.
…But the sudden appearance of the small figure and its sudden speech made Zhao Qianqian feel as if she were in a horror movie.
“Who are you?!” She suppressed her inner fear and demanded.
“My name is Yun Luo.” The small figure, sitting calmly on her shoulder, spoke in a detached tone. “I appeared to help you through this crisis.”
Zhao Qianqian instinctively reached out, trying to push the strange figure away. But to her surprise, the figure didn’t move at all, and her hand went right through it—she could see Yun Luo in the mirror but couldn’t touch her!
The next second, Yun Luo disappeared into thin air, and her voice echoed directly in Zhao Qianqian’s mind, “Binding complete. It cannot be undone. Please remain calm.”
Zhao Qianqian clenched her teeth, “Rogue software!”
“You are about to go bankrupt. I’m here to help,” Yun Luo explained.
“I don’t need it!” Zhao Qianqian replied coldly. “Only business people go bankrupt. I’m just a regular office worker.”
Yun Luo brought up Zhao Qianqian’s profile, “Zhao Qianqian, 26 years old, works as a saleswoman at a car dealership, with a monthly salary of 4,000 to 5,000 yuan.”
“Raised in a single-parent family, living with her retired mother.”
“Three years into her job, she spends all her salary every month without any savings. The only time she has some extra money is when she receives her year-end bonus. But within a month, she spends it all again.”
“Upon hearing about your college friend’s wedding, you took time off to attend. Coincidentally, your company paid out the year-end bonus in advance, so you prepared a very generous red envelope and planned to spend the rest of the bonus on a vacation in this city after the wedding.”
“So what?” Zhao Qianqian raised her guard. “I’m still young, I don’t have a boyfriend, and I have no family burdens. The money I earn is mine to spend however I want. Is that a problem?”
“Your paid annual leave has been used up, and you took personal leave. Your salary will be deducted based on the number of days you’re absent.” Yun Luo reminded. “I suggest you give up the vacation plan and return early.”
“I don’t want to.” Zhao Qianqian stubbornly refused. “I decide how I live. No one else has the right to interfere!”
Just then, someone entered the restroom. Hearing Zhao Qianqian’s declaration, they were startled, gave her a strange look, and quickly walked away.
Yun Luo’s voice came again, “No need to be agitated, Host. I only give advice. Whether you follow it is up to you.”
“When residing in the host’s mind, I can communicate telepathically to avoid raising suspicion from others.”
“Bankruptcy refers to an individual or company being unable to repay debts or having insufficient assets to cover liabilities. The system’s definition is broader and includes, but is not limited to…”
“I just hope you can shut up and pretend you don’t exist.” Zhao Qianqian thought to herself.
After a brief silence, Yun Luo promised, “Unless the host summons me, I won’t speak again.”
“That’s more like it.” Hearing the emcee in the hall announce that “The wedding is about to begin,” Zhao Qianqian hurriedly rushed out.
—
The groom is handsome, the bride is beautiful, and the atmosphere at the wedding was full of joy and harmony.
Zhao Qianqian wasn’t a bridesmaid, she only had to drink a couple of glasses with the newlyweds during the toasts, and then enjoy herself eating and drinking the rest of the time. She was having a great time.
But while her face remained composed, she was actually quite troubled inside.
Why did the system choose her?
She worked seriously when at work, and relaxed when she had time to enjoy herself. Where had she gone wrong? Why did it want her to cancel her leave and return early?
And what was all this nonsense about going bankrupt? It made no sense at all. She didn’t run a business and didn’t owe anyone money. How could she go bankrupt?
After thinking it over, Zhao Qianqian decided that either the system had picked the wrong person, or it was just a piece of junk software talking nonsense.
With that thought, she felt relieved, and her expression softened.
—
After the wedding, Zhao Qianqian followed her plan and enjoyed three carefree days in the area.
By the time she only had 100 yuan left in her wallet, she was still not ready to leave but decided it was time to head back.
Three days had passed, and nothing had happened. Zhao Qianqian gradually put the strange incident from the wedding out of her mind—so long as that trashy system kept quiet and didn’t try to draw attention to itself, she could pretend it didn’t exist.
The return journey would take more than three hours.
When she arrived home, Zhao Qianqian was carrying several bags. Although physically exhausted, she felt mentally satisfied.
“Mom, I’m home.”
No one answered.
“Did you go out for a walk?” Zhao Qianqian mumbled to herself as she went into her room to unpack.
Just as she was opening her suitcase, she suddenly received a phone call. “Hello, this is the First People’s Hospital. Are you a relative of Ms. Wang Yan?”
A sense of unease rose in Zhao Qianqian’s chest as she hesitated and replied, “Yes, I’m her daughter.”
“It’s like this. Ms. Wang came to the hospital for a check-up and suddenly fainted.”
“After initial examination, the hospital suspects that a benign tumor in her brain is pressing on her nerves, causing the fainting.”
“In this case, we recommend immediate surgery. We’ve already arranged her hospitalization. Would you be able to come over now?” the person on the phone asked.
Tumor? Fainting? Surgery? Zhao Qianqian was instantly stunned.
She didn’t have time to gather her things and urgently asked, “Which room is she in? I’ll be there right away!”
—
At the hospital.
Zhao Qianqian’s mother, Wang Yan, was peacefully asleep, while Zhao Qianqian was in the room with the doctor, trying to understand the situation.
“When did my mom find out she had a benign tumor in her brain?” Zhao Qianqian’s voice was strained.
The doctor replied, “About six months ago, Ms. Wang started experiencing blurred vision and had difficulty seeing things clearly, so she came to the hospital for a check-up.”
“At that time, we discovered that her vision impairment was caused by the tumor pressing on the optic nerve.”
“Since it’s a benign tumor, we recommended early surgery to remove it. However, Ms. Wang insisted on conservative treatment and didn’t want to take any risks.”
“Actually, with today’s medical advancements, Ms. Wang is in her 50s, which is not considered old. If her physical condition allows, surgery would be the best option.”
“Moreover, the cost is not high. The surgery and hospitalization fees together would be around 50,000 to 60,000 yuan. After the tumor is removed, with some rest, the patient can return to normal life.”
“Generally speaking, benign tumors don’t become malignant. But if the surgery is delayed, there is a risk that the benign tumor could develop into a malignant one.”
Her mother wasn’t worried about the danger—she was clearly concerned about the surgery costs!
With each piece of information, Zhao Qianqian’s face grew paler. By the time she heard the last part, her face had turned as white as paper, and she trembled as she asked, “…What happens if it turns into a malignant tumor?”
The doctor replied frankly, “Even if the tumor is removed, it may relapse multiple times.”
Zhao Qianqian covered her mouth.
“It’s important to treat any illness early to prevent small problems from becoming bigger ones. Don’t worry, there’s still time to perform the surgery in the next few days,” the doctor reassured her.
Zhao Qianqian took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “I’ll discuss it with her when she wakes up.”
“We’ll talk about the surgery once the patient is awake,” the doctor nodded. “Please make sure to go to the counter to pay the hospitalization fee.”
Zhao Qianqian’s nails dug into her skin, and she responded politely, “Okay.”
After going over the important points, the doctor left.
Zhao Qianqian entered the room and leaned against the wall, slowly sinking to the floor. Her eyes were empty—there was only 101.5 yuan in her wallet. How was she going to pay for the hospitalization?
For a moment, her mind went blank, and she couldn’t think of anything.
After a while, Zhao Qianqian calmed herself down. She grabbed her phone and decided to call Liang Yan.
A few days ago, she had just given 5,000 yuan as a wedding gift, and now she was calling to ask if it was possible to get back 1,000 or 2,000 yuan. Just thinking about it made her face burn with embarrassment.
But what else could she do other than ask for the money back? Her bank account was empty, her wallet had no money, and she couldn’t even afford the hospital room, let alone the surgery!
With her mother still in a coma, Zhao Qianqian threw her pride aside and braced herself to call her friend.
“Hello, the number you dialed is turned off…”
Zhao Qianqian’s heart sank.
She suddenly remembered that Liang Yan had mentioned she and her husband would be going on a two-week honeymoon after the wedding. To avoid work interruptions, they had turned off their phones.
In other words, she wouldn’t be able to reach Liang Yan during the honeymoon.
Realizing this, Zhao Qianqian felt a wave of dizziness.
In fact, she had been in a similar situation before—spending all her money until there was only 100 yuan left. She’d just go home after work, wait for the next paycheck, and go back to her carefree ways.
But this time, with her mother falling ill, it had pushed her to the brink.
Staring at her contacts list, Zhao Qianqian steeled herself and decided to borrow money from a colleague.
However—
“My year-end bonus just came in, and I’ve invested it in wealth management. I can’t withdraw any large amounts right now, I only have five or six hundred left for meals.”
“I borrowed money for the down payment on a house, and now I’m buried in debt. I don’t have any extra cash. Sorry, I can’t help.”
“Borrow money from me? Are you joking? I don’t have anything! The day my year-end bonus arrived, I spent it all on the latest phone and computer at the mall!”
Some didn’t even answer their phones—Zhao Qianqian wasn’t sure if they were unavailable or if they were just avoiding her.
Her hands and feet turned cold, and she felt like she was falling into an icy pit. Before this, she had never imagined that she would be in such a desperate situation, all because of just 1,000 yuan.