"Who are you?"
Su Ci asked with just the right amount of confusion.
Under the Eye of Investigation, the young girl's information panel had long been laid bare before her.
[Name: Lin Xiaoxiao, Appearance: 95, Charm: 93, IQ: 86, Physical Fitness: 6, Luck Color: Red, Favorability: 30]
"My name is Lin Xiaoxiao. I'm a child from this Orphanage and a student at Haicheng University."
Lin Xiaoxiao stepped closer, introduced herself, and then politely extended her right hand toward Su Ci.
As the girl approached, a faint milky scent wafted toward her.
It reached Su Ci's nose, feeling like a delicate cream cake where every bite brought delight to the mind.
The corners of Su Ci's mouth curled up slightly from this hint of pleasure. She reached out to shake Lin Xiaoxiao's hand, their hands parting as soon as they touched. "Su Ci, from Changsheng Biotechnology."
The girl's warm little hand was tender and soft, her slender fingers as pink and moist as winter plum blossoms, truly adorable.
While Su Ci was immersed in the pleasant scent the girl brought...
Lin Xiaoxiao couldn't help but tilt her head slightly to examine Su Ci's face.
Her exquisite features were flawless; even the stars on television paled in comparison to the person before her.
The pure white shirt she wore, paired with black trousers, and that refreshing herbal fragrance drifting into her nose...
...gave the Su Ci before her a sense of aggressive beauty.
Thinking this, Lin Xiaoxiao spoke unconsciously, "So... so beautiful!"
No one would reject a compliment on their looks from another beautiful girl. Su Ci's smile became even more radiant.
"I'll take Miss Lin's compliment."
Su Ci's soft words brought Lin Xiaoxiao back to her senses, and a blush quickly spread across her face.
Heavens! She had actually been mesmerized and caught in the act.
At this moment, Lin Xiaoxiao was so ashamed she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
However, as a child of the Orphanage, she couldn't let a guest stand at the door forever. She raised her head, recalling Su Ci's self-introduction.
She silently repeated in her heart: "Su Ci, Changsheng Biotechnology."
"Wait!!!"
Lin Xiaoxiao cried out in surprise, staring at Su Ci with eyes full of disbelief, not daring to move an inch.
Su Ci was also puzzled by Lin Xiaoxiao's reaction.
Why is this female protagonist so jumpy? Did she lose something?
But looking at the way Lin Xiaoxiao kept staring at her, it didn't seem like it!
"What's wrong? Is something the matter?"
As soon as the question was asked, Su Ci saw Lin Xiaoxiao point her index finger at her and stammer incoherently, "You... you... you, are you Su Ci, the President of Changsheng Biotechnology?!"
Lin Xiaoxiao's innocent eyes were full of seriousness.
Su Ci became even more confused. What was wrong with her identity?
To make Lin Xiaoxiao make such a face...
It shouldn't be!
It was only yesterday that her identity as the President of Changsheng Biotechnology was mentioned in the Financial Daily.
Su Ci still remembered the headline: "Shocking! Su Ci, the Elusive President of Changsheng Biotechnology, Appears at the Lan Family Head's Birthday Banquet."
The newspaper only had a silhouette; given the newspaper's style, they would wait a couple of days to whet the audience's appetite before publishing the actual photos.
Even so, logically speaking, as a college student, Lin Xiaoxiao shouldn't be paying attention to financial news.
Su Ci nodded honestly. "That's right, I am the President of Changsheng Biotechnology. Is there a problem?"
Receiving Su Ci's confirmation, Lin Xiaoxiao's face grew even redder. She grabbed Su Ci's arm, so excited she didn't know what to do, repeatedly saying, "It really is you... it really is you..."
"..."
Three question marks appeared over Su Ci's head. She reached out her free hand to touch Lin Xiaoxiao's forehead. "She doesn't have a fever either?!"
Such a lively and beautiful female protagonist, yet she seems to have something wrong with her head.
Could she fool her a bit to make her favorability skyrocket?
Su Ci immediately dismissed the thought as soon as it occurred to her.
That would be like tricking a fool.
Lin Xiaoxiao soon snapped out of her excitement. Realizing what she had done, regret and self-reproach filled her chest.
She immediately let go of Su Ci's hand, hurriedly smoothed Su Ci's messy sleeve, and bowed frantically. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I... I was just too excited."
She looked like she wouldn't stand up unless she was forgiven.
Su Ci waved her hand dismissively. "Alright, tell me what's going on. Why are you so excited after learning my identity?"
Seeing that Su Ci had forgiven her earlier rudeness, Lin Xiaoxiao stood up straight, hands behind her back. She gazed into Su Ci's eyes, and seeing Su Ci's completely oblivious look, she couldn't help but feel a bit lonely. "Have you... forgotten?"
Su Ci met those disappointed eyes, and a wave of guilt washed over her heart.
It was as if she were some scumbag who had played with the girl's feelings.
Bah!
Who's a scumbag? She had only met Lin Xiaoxiao once.
Even if there was a scumbag, it would be the Original Owner.
But she searched her mind, and the Original Owner didn't have a single memory of contacting Lin Xiaoxiao.
Could it be that the memories provided by the system were incomplete?
Su Ci then asked, "Have we met before?"
To her surprise, Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head. "No."
Hearing this, Su Ci's eyes widened slightly.
Wait, if you haven't met, then what's with that disappointed expression?
It made her heart skip a beat for a moment.
"I am your..."
Lin Xiaoxiao paused, her eyes darting away, not daring to meet Su Ci's gaze. An unnatural blush appeared on her face, and her body language became bashful.
"You are my..." The sudden pause and Lin Xiaoxiao's movements couldn't help but make Su Ci overthink.
Her heart grew a bit heavier. Could this female protagonist have a hidden plotline, like a secret crush on the Original Owner?
Wouldn't that mean she had to shoulder another romantic debt for the Original Owner?!
While Su Ci was undergoing a mental brainstorm...
Lin Xiaoxiao continued, "I am a recipient of your sponsorship. You've been sponsoring me since my third year of high school until now. My current goal is to join your company and work for you."
Sponsorship?
This made Su Ci realize the truth. She felt relieved but also a bit disappointed.
So she's a sponsored student!
And here I thought she was a'sponsored' student.
When the Original Owner founded Changsheng Biotechnology, she inherited the Su Clan Group's tradition of charity and established a Foundation primarily to help students in difficulty complete their studies and address medical issues.
Su Ci didn't expect that one of the Original Owner's sponsored students was Lin Xiaoxiao, one of the female protagonists.
"But it seems Miss Su doesn't remember me."
As she spoke, Lin Xiaoxiao unconsciously lowered her head.
Seeing the girl's dejected look, Su Ci patted her shoulder in a sophisticated manner. "Lin Xiaoxiao, you must understand that Changsheng Biotechnology sponsors hundreds, if not thousands, of students every year. You are just one of them. I cannot possibly remember someone with whom I have only the slightest connection."
Su Ci spoke her true thoughts.
The greater the hope, the greater the eventual disappointment.
A white lie is still a lie in the end.
Perhaps she could boost favorability this way, but if any disagreements arose later, it would only turn a small snowball into an avalanche.
She hadn't forgotten that the female protagonist before her was Ye Chen's childhood friend.
Her feelings for Ye Chen were incomparable to those of Lan Wanting or Qin Shiyao, female protagonists who had only recently come into contact with him.
She stood on the opposite side of Ye Chen. If Lin Xiaoxiao ever met Ye Chen...
...Lin Xiaoxiao's fake favorability toward her would likely plummet.
Hearing this, Lin Xiaoxiao lowered her head even further, as if she were dying of shame.
She regarded Su Ci as a beam of light, yet that light told her she was merely one of the many corners it illuminated, and she had never even been remembered.
She couldn't help but mock herself: Lin Xiaoxiao, oh Lin Xiaoxiao, look at you, she didn't even remember you!