Arc 1

Ye Jin sat on her bed, staring at her phone, her finger hovering over the WeChat app. It had been hours since she became friends with Mei Yun on WeChat, and she couldn't shake the nervousness gnawing at her.

Why hadn't Mei Yun messaged her? Or was Mei Yun waiting for her to text first?

Ye Jin couldn't deceive herself. She felt nervous and scared. Mei Yun was the first real friend she had made ever since she arrived in this world. It was a huge step for her and the original owner of the body. However, the thought of starting a conversation felt daunting.

Every hour, Ye Jin found herself picking up her phone, checking for any messages, and putting it down, trying to focus on the book she was reading.

"Aagh! I'm just going to text her," Ye Jin said resolutely, picking up her phone again.

She opened the WeChat app, staring at the only friend she had on WeChat.

Ye Jin froze.

What if she said the wrong thing? What if Mei Yun didn't want to chat with her?

Ye Jin then paused. Though she was quite excited about making a friend, she ought not to be nervous.

Noticing her thoughts, GMS 005 said, [It's the original memory that is affecting you. She was quite timid and had low self-esteem.]

"Ohh," Ye Jin said softly, her thoughts unknown. She then sighed and tapped on the keyboard of her phone.

CuteYe6666: Hi Mei Yun 😊

Immediately, a message from Mei Yun appeared on her screen. Ye Jin's heart fluttered with excitement.

CallMeMeiMei: Hey Ye Jin. How is your evening going?

A smile spread across Ye Jin's face. She quickly typed back.

CuteYe6666: It's going well. Just studying. How about you?

CallMeMeiMei: Crying stickers. You're so serious, Ye Jin. I wish I could be like you.

CuteYe6666: Hahaha, real funny . I'm pretty sure you're done reading. Who do you want to deceive? This great elder cannot be deceived. I know my fellow slackers, and you aren't one of them.

CallMeMeiMei: I'm serious though. I wanted to read, but I remembered that I hadn't finished watching What's Wrong with Secretary Kim. I really wanted to see if they would end up together.

CuteYe6666: Ohh. Don't forget to read.

CallMeMeiMei: I won't. Good night, Ye Jin. I really need to finish this series if I'm going to read tonight.

CuteYe6666: Good night.

Ye Jin put her phone down, feeling happy. She looked at her books, then decisively closed them. She needed to watch What's Wrong with Secretary Kim.

Mei Yun loves it, so it must be good, right?

The Next Morning

Ye Jin walked down the road, her eyes sleep-deprived as she had spent the whole night watching What's Wrong with Secretary Kim. She was so tired that she only made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast.

As she walked, a sleek black Rolls Royce pulled up beside her. The window of the back seat rolled down, revealing Gu Yan.

"Get in," he commanded, a playful smile on his lips.

Without thinking twice, Ye Jin opened the door and slid into the seat next to him. She shot him a look of gratefulness. "Thank you."

Gu Yan was truly God-sent. Maybe she could sleep in his car before they got to school.

Gu Yan's eyes slid to the lunch pack she was carrying.

"Did you pack lunch for me?" he asked, recalling the food she gave him the previous day. While it couldn't compare to the top chefs his parents had employed, it was still quite delicious.

Ye Jin shook her head. "No, I only packed for myself, and it's peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

Gu Yan pouted. "I only gave you a free ride because I thought I would be getting free food. You have to compensate me."

Ye Jin raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on her lips. "Compensate you? How about this?" She showed him her empty hands, then reached behind Gu Yan's ear and pulled out a coin. "Tada!"

Gu Yan's eyes widened, a hint of amusement in them, his lips tilting into a childlike smile. "How did…"

Ye Jin laughed softly. "I made you smile; does that count as compensation?"

Gu Yan snorted, though still smiling. "That doesn't count as compensation."

"Why not?" Ye Jin asked, confused. "I made you amused, happy, and you smiled."

Gu Yan placed his finger on his lips, adopting a thoughtful expression. "Hmm, well, that's right. I do like it when I'm happy."

"What about when others are happy? Do you like that too?" Ye Jin asked, trying to keep the conversation going, though she wasn't much of a conversationalist.

"Hmm, I really don't care about when others are happy. Why should I? It doesn't benefit me in any way," he said, then with an innocent expression, he asked Ye Jin, "Isn't that how everyone is?"

Ye Jin considered his question carefully. "Not really. I like it when the people I love are happy. And though you say this, I'm pretty sure you are happy when your friends are happy, even if you may not realize it—unless you don't have anyone you truly care about."

The car became silent, and Gu Yan's playful demeanor faded. He gazed at her, a glint of confusion in his eyes.

Who did he truly care about? Did he need to truly care for anyone?