Chapter 131 – You’re the Butterfly That Set Off the Butterfly Effect

“You’ll support me?” Lin Xi smiled faintly. “Miss Shanshan, time to pay this month’s ‘friendship fee.'”

Yang Shanshan immediately presented her wallet with both hands.

“There’s a hundred thousand yuan in the bank account linked to this card. If that’s not enough, I can ask my little sister for more.”

Lin Xi was speechless.

“Miss Shanshan! Did it seriously not occur to you that I was joking?!”

“Also, aren’t you way too rich?”

Yang Shanshan tilted her head. “This much? You call that rich? My sister says a hundred thousand is basically nothing.”

After all, as far as Yang Tongtong was concerned, if her big sister wanted it, the entirety of Z City could be hers in minutes.

Compared to the whole of Z City, a hundred thousand yuan was merely a drop in the ocean.

Yang Shanshan wasn’t the King of Greed. Money didn’t interest her, as long as she had enough to get by.

If she ran short, she could always ask her little sister. It was admittedly a little shameless for an older sister to ask her younger sister for money, but her sister didn’t mind and gave her an enormous sum every time.

Yang Shanshan only ever took one percent of it. She had no use for that much money anyway.

She didn’t like money. She liked Lin Xi.

If Lin Xi liked money, then she could give Lin Xi lots of it.

Yang Shanshan’s logic was just that simple.

Lin Xi did like money, but she would never ask a friend for it. She had only been making a harmless joke.

“Miss Shanshan, even if you’re rich, you need to learn not to flaunt your wealth.”

“You’re far too innocent and trusting. Good thing I’m not a bad person trying to scam you out of your money and seduce you.”

“Scam me out of my money and seduce me?” Yang Shanshan lowered her head slightly. “Miss Lin Xi, whatever tricks you have, feel free to use them on me!”

Lin Xi was speechless.

She silently turned back around.

Asking Yang Shanshan whether she was popular had been just as pointless as asking Zhao Xinning.

They were both far too biased in her favor, Lin Xi thought. Asking Su Xiangxue would be pointless too.

She practically worshipped her…

Then someone came to mind: their homeroom teacher, Huang Haiyao.

There would definitely be no problem asking Ms. Huang!

Ms. Huang had said during a previous homeroom period that students should come to their teachers whenever they had a problem.

Lin Xi couldn’t agree more.

…

After school that afternoon, once band practice ended, Lin Xi sought out Huang Haiyao alone.

“Ms. Huang, could I take up a little of your time?”

“I’d like to ask you for some life advice.”

Huang Haiyao had the warmth of a kind older sister. “Of course, Miss Lin Xi. Why don’t we take a walk around the track while we talk?”

The two of them went to the athletic field. The horizon glowed with the colors of sunset, and the evening breeze carried a slight chill.

Walking side by side with Huang Haiyao, Lin Xi said, “Ms. Huang, something’s been bothering me lately.”

“What’s bothering you?”

“I seem to be very popular.”

“No humblebragging, Miss Lin Xi. You’ll make your teacher feel inadequate.”

Lin Xi was speechless.

“Hahaha, I’m only joking.” Huang Haiyao smiled gently. “Being popular isn’t a bad thing. In fact, I’d love to ask you for the secret to getting along with people.”

“Ask me for the secret to getting along with people? Ms. Huang, I might as well have ‘socially anxious introvert’ plastered across my forehead.”

Huang Haiyao couldn’t see even a trace of this supposed “socially anxious introvert” in Lin Xi.

“Ms. Huang, I used to be practically invisible in class, didn’t I?”

“Mm.” Huang Haiyao conceded the point. “You did pretend to be invisible before. But now, ‘The three-year deadline has arrived. We respectfully welcome the return of the Dragon King.’ You’ve stopped pretending and revealed your true nature as an invincible heroine.”

Lin Xi gazed wistfully at the distant sky. Seeking life advice from Ms. Huang had indeed been the worst decision she’d made all day.

“Hehehe. I was just joking again, Miss Lin Xi. Please don’t take it to heart.”

“Ms. Huang, you make an awful lot of jokes.”

“Sorry.” Huang Haiyao grew serious. “I believe I’ve more or less ‘diagnosed’ your ‘condition.'”

“You went from being a nobody to suddenly becoming this popular, and it all feels surreal to you.”

“You actually enjoy the attention, but you’re also anxious about losing it all.”

“That’s why you want to know what made you so popular, so you can stay that way.”

“You care too much about what others think of you, Miss Lin Xi. It’s a classic case of a people-pleasing personality.”

Lin Xi exclaimed, “Listening to you speak is like listening to… words. Wait, no-it’s worth ten years of study!”

Huang Haiyao continued counseling her. “You never consciously changed yourself, so you can’t understand why you suddenly became popular.”

“But everything happens for a reason.”

“You merely fluttered your ‘butterfly wings,’ unaware that you may have stirred up a ‘hurricane’ in someone else’s heart.”

“Miss Lin Xi, you are the butterfly that set off the butterfly effect.”

“You may not think you’ve changed, but the effect has already taken hold. Your newfound popularity is the hurricane you created.”

“Ms. Huang!” Lin Xi asked earnestly. “How should I face this hurricane?”

Huang Haiyao replied, “Keep flapping your wings.”

Lin Xi: “???”

“Wouldn’t that create an even bigger hurricane?”

“Wouldn’t that be more dangerous?”

“Who cares?” Huang Haiyao said. “This is the golden age of your life. You’re allowed to have all kinds of extravagant dreams. You can love, you can feast, you can turn into a cloud in the sky, half-bright and half-dark, all in the blink of an eye. Anything is possible.”

“Ms. Huang, I finally understand.” Lin Xi smiled.

Lin Xi’s anxiety and hesitation had all stemmed from her identity as a witch.

Now, she understood.

Even if I’m a witch, I still have the right to like someone-and to be liked in return!

“Miss Lin Xi, I’m glad my words helped you,” Huang Haiyao said. “Now, could you teach me how to become popular with everyone?”

“You must be joking again, Ms. Huang.”

“No, I’m serious.”

“Uh…” Lin Xi paused. “Everyone already likes a gentle, beautiful woman like you.”

“Huh??? They do??? Really???”

“Of course. It’s just that you’re our teacher, so it’s hard for us to express those feelings. But we all carry you in our hearts.”

“Miss Lin Xi, do you carry me in your heart too?”

“Of course.”

“Do you like me too?”

“Of course I do.” Lin Xi suddenly felt that there was something strange about the way that sounded.

The blush on Ms. Huang’s face made it seem even stranger.

“I’ll go buy us a couple of drinks from the vending machine over there.” Huang Haiyao abruptly hurried away. “Miss Lin Xi, what would you like?”

“Anything is fine.”

“You can’t say that. It’s rude.”

“Then I’ll have the same thing as you.”

“Huh???!!!”

Lin Xi was completely baffled. What was so shocking about wanting the same drink?

In the end, Lin Xi got to try a kind of sweet tea she’d never had before.

It was very sweet.

Huang Haiyao said she loved this particular tea.

It was just like her mood at that moment-delightfully sweet.

Lin Xi thought it was a little too sweet, but it wasn’t bad. In fact, it was quite tasty.