Chapter 161

Words : 1242 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Ji Nian panted as she placed the bottles she had collected on the ground, then stood with her hands on her hips, exhaling deeply. "Is it enough? If not, I can go find more." The afternoon sun stretched their shadows long across the ground. Ji Nian stood before He Xiang, her fair face flushed from exertion, a few strands of black hair clinging to her cheeks. Her emerald-green eyes, tinted orange by the sunset, were more beautiful than any scenery He Xiang had ever seen. "It's enough." "...Thank you." There were so many things he wanted to thank her for. For the first time, He Xiang looked into her eyes as he spoke. Ji Nian waved her hand dismissively and pointed toward the chattering crowd taking photos nearby. "Everyone helped, you know." He Xiang sincerely thanked each person. In truth, many of the students were just following the trend, unaware of what the empty bottles were even for. But He Xiang's earnest gratitude moved them, making them feel as though they had done something truly important. "No ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍problem! It was fun." "So it was you who needed these bottles? No big deal, we elementary students have plenty of energy to spare!" "Next time, let's hang out again! Too bad someone snatched the iced tea bottle I had my eye on." "...Mimi shrimp-flavored drink? Who even found this bottle? It's so weird." Ji Nian watched He Xiang standing among the crowd and took off her now dirty gloves. Yang Xinyu, with his impeccable timing, sidled up to her. "Boss, you're so smart! You even thought to bring gloves. Why didn’t I think of that? I got scratched by a branch while picking bottles in the bushes." He held out his scratched hand, waving it in front of her. Ji Nian glanced at it, then pulled a bandage from her pocket and handed it to him. "Here, use this. Be more careful next time." Yang Xinyu: !!! A bandage bestowed by the Chicken God!!! Would carrying it around grant immunity to all poisons and ensure I’d never be kidnapped? Ji Nian had no idea what he was thinking and instead found herself worrying about how to move all these bottles. Meanwhile, Gu Xiuyuan, who was packing up his bag after class, was sternly dealing with a group of classmates surrounding him. "My mom said the new product from the Gu Corporation..." "It's my birthday this Sunday. Will you come? My dad really hopes you can make it." "Gu Xiuyuan! Someone's here to see you." A sudden voice interrupted the conversation. Gu Xiuyuan looked up and saw a little girl in a tracksuit standing at the door, looking his way. His serious expression softened slightly. "Sorry, someone’s here for me. We’ll talk about this later." He gestured like a mature little adult, signaling the end of the discussion. To adults, it might have seemed amusing, but to his peers, it came off as impressively grown-up. Gu Xiuyuan quickened his pace as he walked out, starting to say, "What are you doing here—" "Come on, Student Council President, I need your help!" Before he could finish, Ji Nian grabbed his hand and pulled him away. "Wait, my bag! My bag’s still in there!" Ji Nian skidded to a stop, let go of Gu Xiuyuan, and dashed into his classroom. In front of everyone, they saw a first-grader sprint to the front row, grab Gu Xiuyuan’s bag, and bolt back out. "Got it, let’s go!" She slung the bag over her shoulder and pulled Gu Xiuyuan along as she ran. "Don’t run in the hallway—" Gu Xiuyuan’s annoyed voice floated into the classroom, followed by Ji Nian’s casual reply, "Okay, okay, I know." The kids in the classroom whispered among themselves. "Is that Gu Xiuyuan’s girlfriend?" Another kid gasped, "We’re only in second grade!" The first one shrugged. "So what? Haven’t you heard? There’s a first-grader named Ji Nian who’s apparently dated ten people!" "Wow, that’s so rebellious and cool." "So, is she Gu Xiuyuan’s girlfriend or not?" "I don’t think so. I asked Gu Xiuyuan before, and he said they’re just a cow and a human." "...What does that even mean?" "No idea..." ... Ji Nian, still holding Gu Xiuyuan’s hand, ran breathlessly toward the gymnasium. Before they even got close, they saw the towering pile of plastic bottles. He Xiang stood nearby, looking thoroughly distressed. Gu Xiuyuan tilted his head to look at Ji Nian. She blinked innocently at him. "Oops, I might have collected a few too many." Gu Xiuyuan met her gaze, his fingers trembling slightly. "Are you saying..." "You grabbed me without washing your hands after picking up trash?" Ji Nian: "......" The little girl twitched her lips, her face full of disdain. "Why’d you have to pick up Ji Tingzhou’s cleanliness obsession? Couldn’t you learn something better?" Hearing Ji Nian casually drop her father’s name, Gu Xiuyuan felt an inexplicable twinge in his behind. "...Let’s not talk about your dad. Why are there so many bottles?" Ji Nian briefly explained the elementary school plastic bottle frenzy that had erupted earlier. "Now He Xiang has a lot of bottles, but the problem is, how do we get them out of here?" The young Gu Xiuyuan sighed deeply. Under Ji Nian’s expectant gaze, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Send a truck to the school." "Yes, near the tennis courts at Gymnasium No. 1." Ji Nian thought to herself, *This future tycoon sure is smooth.* **[You could do that too.]** Ji Nian maintained a polite smile. **[And have Wei Yang roll up in a tank to haul plastic bottles?]** The system: **[......]** Honestly, if Ji Nian asked for a truck, Wei Yang might just go all out to make sure she didn’t lose face. So the system wisely decided to change the subject. **[These bottles won’t sell for much. His grandmother has kidney disease and needs a lot of money. What you’ve done is just a drop in the bucket.]** Ji Nian ignored it. She had her own way of doing things. The Gu family worked quickly, and soon a truck arrived, with He Xiang tagging along. He Xiang knew Gu Xiuyuan. He had seen him on his first day of school, when the teacher introduced him as the student council president. Though he had no idea what a "student council president" actually did. "Thank you." Knowing that Gu Xiuyuan had helped him transport the bottles to the recycling center, He Xiang politely expressed his gratitude. Wei Yang was waiting for Ji Nian at the school gate, so she couldn’t go with them. She entrusted He Xiang to Gu Xiuyuan, saying, "The student council president’s job is to help students in need, so don’t be shy, He Xiang." Gu Xiuyuan, standing nearby: "......" Fine. Whatever. When the truck pulled up to the recycling center, the workers were stunned. They’d seen plenty of trucks before. But... Who drives a Freightliner to a recycling center?! Then, everyone watching witnessed the Freightliner’s doors open and unload— a pile of plastic bottles. In the end, the bottles collected by the students of S City’s First Elementary School sold for 400 yuan. It was the first time He Xiang had ever received such a large amount of money. He stared at the four red bills in his hand for a long, long time. Finally, he pressed them close to his heart.

Chapter 161

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