High School Student with Immortal Race System

Yang Shen and Xu Bamboo walked slowly out of the school gate.

"How did you know I was here? You didn’t even call."

Xu Bamboo pursed her lips. "I went to your apartment complex to wait for you... A little girl asked if I was looking for her brother, then told me he’d gone to school."

Yang Shen grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And then? Usually in that situation, you’d just go upstairs and wait for me, wouldn’t you?"

Xu Bamboo gave an embarrassed smile. "I... I wasn’t ready."

Running into the little girl was one thing, but going upstairs meant meeting Yang Shen’s aunt.

’Don’t I have to bathe, change my clothes, and pray to the heavens before making such a formal visit?’

She wasn’t in her most perfect state of mind, and the mere thought of meeting Yang Shen’s aunt made her calves—usually as firm as steel rebar—tremble uncontrollably.

In the past, Xu Bamboo had always been evasive, never daring to meet the Yang Family. It all boiled down to the fact that she didn’t feel she was her own person.

She wasn’t a fool. She knew that meeting them would create certain expectations from the Yang family elders—expectations the old Xu Bamboo couldn’t possibly meet. Back then, she couldn’t even face her own desires.

Things were different now... If anything, her expectations were running wild.

Which only made her more nervous.

As they walked, the two chatted about what they had been up to for the past ten days.

Yang Shen didn’t really have much to report—just cultivation and exam prep—but Xu Bamboo had plenty of stories to tell.

She had been taken by people from the "trust fund" to the Gaokao Center in the Jianghuai City District. Every one of her needs was met there. Despite the dramatic turn her life had taken, the looming Gaokao forced her to focus.

For the past ten days, she’d been at the Gaokao Center, pushing herself to the limit for the final sprint.

While she wasn’t a monster like Yang Shen, who had broken through to Late-stage Marrow Refining, she had still made significant progress.

It turned out that Ye Qingyao’s presence had actually been suppressing Xu Bamboo’s talent. Now, after her "Breaking the Cocoon and Rebirth," both her Martial Arts Comprehension and her mental state had undergone a fundamental change.

From now on, she would live for herself.

Thus, she had barely left the center for ten days. It was only for the Gaokao itself that she was chauffeured back to Jinshui District to take the tests.

The mess left in the wake of Ye Qingyao’s death had also been sorted out with the help of the trust fund.

The inheritance, the handling of the Jinshui Villa property, and all the medical and legal arrangements were proceeding in an orderly manner.

Yang Shen asked a crucial question. "The Xu Family... I mean, have those people contacted you?"

Xu Bamboo shook her head. "Not so far..."

’Alright, this sounds like it’s still very complicated.’

"So what are your plans for the house?"

Xu Bamboo replied, "A moving company has already taken anything useful to a temporary storage unit. As for the house, I plan to sell it."

Yang Shen figured she’d have to sell it at a steep discount.

’After all, it has too many soul rings...’

Yang Shen didn’t ask about the specific value of Ye Qingyao’s inheritance, nor how much money Xu Bamboo would receive from the trust fund.

’She’s definitely got way more money than I do, that’s for sure...’

"Where will you live after this?"

Xu Bamboo answered immediately, "I was just back these last two days to check on the house. I was planning on renting a place near you."

"Don’t bother renting," Yang Shen said. "We’re about to move. We’re starting the search this month."

A knot of anxiety tightened in Xu Bamboo’s chest. "Are you moving over by Jiangti? I’ll just rent a place there, then."

But as soon as the words were out, she felt a wave of apprehension.

’Will Shenzi think I’m being clingy?’

’Will he think I’m one of those super needy girls?’

’We’re just... classmates. We don’t even sit next to each other anymore. Is this too shameless?’

Just as she was hesitating... she heard Yang Shen’s calm voice.

"How about... we live together?"

CRACK!

Xu Bamboo subconsciously gripped a concrete utility pole by the road. The pole cracked, her slender white fingers sinking an inch deep into the concrete.

Xu Bamboo’s face flushed red. "Isn’t... isn’t that a bit inappropriate? Us, living together...? And your aunt and uncle..."

’Is this... what it feels like to be a child bride?’

Yang Shen nudged her with his shoulder. "It’s not the ’under one roof’ situation you’re imagining. I’m actually planning to rent a huge place."

After confirming his new main quest yesterday, Yang Shen had been thinking about a lot of things.

Moving is a huge hassle, and he didn’t want the quest to get stuck for years, so he wanted to get it right the first time.

At the very least, he had to ensure ten years of peace and stability for his family.

That meant he had to find a place with enough room to operate, even if it cost a bit more.

He was even willing to be a little far from Jiangti. If he had his own space to expand his Spirit Plant cultivation, he’d make the money back sooner or later.

It would just mean a longer commute, that’s all.

With this plan, the "Yang Family Ancestral Residence" wouldn’t be a three-bedroom apartment, but more like a house with a courtyard. Having Xu Bamboo move in wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.

Even though a series of accidents, crises, and the Gaokao had kept them busy, the two of them still hadn’t crossed that final line in their relationship...

But she was his girl; was he supposed to just push her away?

"You can wait until we’ve found a place and check it out before you decide. We’re both going to Jiangti anyway, so living in the same place would be convenient."

Xu Bamboo nodded, patting her burning cheeks.

’The nervousness is real...’

’But... it also feels so secure.’

This life of absolute freedom had come on too fast. It felt wonderful to be back with someone familiar.

"Then... I’ll pay the rent..."

Yang Shen waved his hand. "Don’t be ridiculous! You don’t have to do that."

’Renting in the first place was already kind of exploiting a system loophole.’

’If someone else paid the rent on top of that, the system would think I’m trying to pull some abstract nonsense on it!’

Thinking of the 600,000-worth of inventory on his Celestial Platform, and the explosive wealth he’d generate once things were up and running, Yang Shen was confident he could make a name for himself, even without becoming the Gaokao Champion Scholar.

Yang Shen said in a serious tone, "Don’t worry. I have money."

Xu Bamboo nodded without pressing the issue, mainly because she didn’t have a clear idea of what this "ancestral residence" Yang Shen was talking about entailed.

"Where are you planning to go now?"

Yang Shen checked his watch. "I’m heading to the herb market to figure out the sales channels for my future products. Want to come with?"

Xu Bamboo suddenly remembered that "dog woman" who’d been in frequent contact with Yang Shen recently...

’Oh... wait, the woman with a dog for her profile picture.’

She immediately said, "Sure. I’ve got nothing else to do now that I’ve graduated."

——————

A little over ten minutes later, Yang Shen brought Xu Bamboo to the herb market.

Xu Bamboo was curious about everything here. It was her first time in a place like this.

On the way over, Yang Shen had briefly explained his plans for the herbs. With the future explosive yield from the Celestial Platform Spirit Field, he would definitely need a new sales channel.

Lin Yuebai... he would probably have to cut her loose, but it wasn’t like he owed her anything.

Still, he was curious about how Lin’s Pharmacy was doing and wondered if it was even still in business.

So he led Xu Bamboo in that direction.

From fifty meters away, they saw Lin Yuebai on the ground, clinging to a middle-aged woman’s leg.

"Landlady! Please, just give me a few more days! I’ll figure something out!"

The middle-aged woman had a classic barrel-shaped figure and big, curly hair. The thick layer of foundation on her face couldn’t hide her wrinkles. With a cigarette dangling from her lips, she said nonchalantly,

"I already gave you an extension. Business is business. The deal you made with the last tenant is between you two; it has nothing to do with me."

The woman glanced at the shop, so empty a mouse would starve in it, and clicked her tongue. "With business this bad, why even bother? Couldn’t you be doing anything else?"

Lin Yuebai wailed, "But... I don’t have a Martial Certificate! I can’t find a good job."

The landlady shook her head. "I’m not talking about a regular job. Listen, kid, you’re pretty. You need to be more resourceful. Find a rich man, and you can have anything you want, can’t you?"

Huh?

Lin Yuebai’s eyes went wide. "What are you trying to say? You want me to be a sugar baby?!"

"No, no, no. It’s called ’short-term mating strategy.’ Just be a little more open-minded. You put in the work for a few years, and you’ll be set for life, won’t you?"

The landlady’s expression suddenly softened, and she gently pulled Lin Yuebai to her feet.

"Look at me. I don’t have a Martial Certificate either, so how did I end up owning several rental properties? It’s because I learned to think outside the box when I was young!"

"If you’re willing, I can introduce you to a few of my old clients. Their tastes are... consistent. As one of them says, ’When I was twenty, I liked twenty-year-olds. Now that I’m fifty, I still like twenty-year-olds.’"

"In fact, he was here casing the joint a couple of days ago and took a real liking to you. Forget about rent money—what’s buying you a whole shop to a man like that?"

Lin Yuebai froze. She’d only had one customer in the past few days... a man in his sixties...

Stunned, she realized the landlady had grabbed her and wasn’t letting go!

’No, no, no, the landlady’s trying to sell me!’

’I won’t be sold off like this! I have to revive the Lin Clan! I will make the Lin Family great again!’

She frantically looked around for help, her face lighting up with relief when she spotted Yang Shen.

"President Yang! President Yang!"

Yang Shen: -_-?

Lin Yuebai scurried over and hid behind Yang Shen.

"I can’t, ma’am! I... I’m already being kept! That’s right! By him!"

Seeing such a dashingly handsome young man, the landlady hesitated.

Lin Yuebai clung to Yang Shen’s arm, finally feeling a sense of security. She knew he was a tough fighter!

’My President Yang is super fierce!’

CRACK...

’What was that sound?’

Lin Yuebai turned around in confusion, only to see an unfamiliar girl standing beside them.

’Huh? Why are the paving stones under your feet all cracked?’