System Only Gives Me Useless Gifts

Lu Suyin and the other apartment residents sat around a large work table n Wang Li’s and stitched together purple colored silk fabric. The decorations were all for Wang Li son Fatty Fang and Mu Lian's wedding, scheduled for the summer. Rather than buying the items online, the residents of the apartment thought it was more fun to create all the decorations. The events were always an elaborate excuse to chat and gossip.

"Are you concerned about Wu Bin?" Lu Suyin asked her older sister Lu Xu as they sewed the seat covers.

"Yeah, you know he's already thirty, but he still hasn't found anyone else after Jia Lia disappeared," Lu Xu responded. "I told him to go on dates, but he hasn't been able to connect with anyone."

"It must be tough though, losing someone that way, it would be hard to find someone else afterward," said Wang Li.

"Mom, what happened to sister Lia?" Wu Ling asked.

"Oh, right, you were pretty young at that time," said Lu Xu. "When your brother was in college, he was engaged to his girlfriend. They were both psychology majors, so they spent a lot of time together even during their freshman year. However, a few days before graduation, she disappeared."

"Did they ever find out what happened?"

"Unfortunately, she's still listed as missing."

"Why are you retelling her such a sad story when we are getting ready for a marriage? It's bad luck," Lu Suyin scolded the mother and daughter. "Rather than looking back, why not have Little Ling help out your son? She probably knows a lot of young and beautiful college age girls, right Little Ling?"

"Well, most of my close friends are my age, so I don't think he would be interested," Wu Ling responded. "Especially An Zhang Mi since he was her homeroom teacher before, so that is a definite no. Li Ching doesn't want to date yet."

"How about your friend Zhu Ah Nin?" Lu Xu asked.

"She's already dating Ju De."

"Oh, the little sweet little boy named Ju De who hangs out with Li Yun?" Lu Suyin had already meant him a few times. "Do you know if his sister is still unattached?"

Wu Ling turned to Mu Lian as she didn't know Ning Xuxu too well.

"Xuxu is still unattached, but she's in Magic City," Mu Lian replied. "She's going to be my maid of honor."

"Oh!” Lu Suyin suddenly remembered Li Yun had visited to Magic City during Spring Festival. “Didn't Little Yun visit Magic City awhile back? He had this glow when he came back."

Mu Lian looked a bit amused that Lu Suyin thought something was going on between Xuxu and Li Yun. Xuxu always dated older guys and Li Yun always dated someone from out of town. Xuxu’s relationship always frizzled and Li Yun’s girlfriends always had higher aspirations outside of their small city. 

"Xuxu was in Yide when Li Yun went to Magic City," Mu Lian clarified.

"Ah, that's too bad," Lu Suyin responded with a bit of disappointment.

Her son was still young, but he had an uncanny ability to read people. Such ability often scares people away. Although she knew her son dated, she never thought he was particularly serious about anyone.

"How about Song Meilin? Don't you go out to eat with her often?" Asked Mu Lian.

Wu Ling thought about it. "Hm… Now that you mentioned it, brother did say she looks cute. I think he became a fan and started to watch her broadcast."

Lu Xu's eyes suddenly lit up. "Is that the friend you normally go out to eat with?"

"Yeah, she's coming by to pick me up today," said Wu Ling. "But still, she's probably too young for him and a bit too devious."

Everyone quickly told Wu Ling to invite her friend up when she arrived. Lu Suyin also thought that even if she was too young for Wu Bin, she was a good age for Li Yun.

At that moment, Rouxi was talking to a customer as Li Yun studied the gou ji, a type of fern root used for cold damp knee pain. Rouxi felt her phone vibrant, but waited until after she finished checking out the customer.

As the customer walked away, she looked at her phone. Rouxi wondered why Wu Ling suddenly asked her to come up to the apartment. She normally just waited by the car.

"Is there something going on in your apartment?" Rouxi asked.

Li Yun looked up, but paused when he saw that his cellphone was still recording a livestream. Although it was just eight random people, Li Yun didn't want to talk about his family in front of strangers. Rouxi approached the phone and turned it off.

"I think they are gathering to prepare decorations for Fatty Fang and Mu Lian's wedding," Li Yun replied. "Fatty didn't think it was necessary, but everyone wanted to chip in. Lian also thought it was a good way for her to become familiar with everyone. Fatty Fang's family is huge, they are practically half of the apartment. Why?"

"Lingling just asked me to pick her up from there."

Li Yun thought his mother was also there, but it should be fine to introduce her as Wu Ling's friend.

Later that day, Rouxi arrived to Ms. Fang's apartment. The door was already open, so she didn't have to knock. Walking inside, it looked like some sort of wedding factory. There were purple and yellow decorations everywhere.

"Meilin, you’re here," Wu Ling got up and approached her. "My family wanted to meet you, so I thought I'd introduce you to them."

"Hello everyone, I might not remember everyone, but it's nice to meet everyone," Rouxi greeted with a bow.

"You probably met Sister Lian before?" asked Wu Ling.

"I've seen Sister Lian around, but I don't think we have met," Rouxi replied as she gave a polite bow to her seniors.

"Ah, Ms. Song, are you seeing anyone right now?" Lu Xu directly asked.

"I am already dating someone," Rouxi responded.

"You are? When did that happen?" Wu Ling suspiciously asked; she wondered if Rouxi was lying to avoid matchmaking.

"A little over three months."

"That's too bad, another good one already taken," Lu Xu said, but she wasn't too disappointed. She thought Rouxi was a bit too young anyway.

After dinner, Wu Ling explained to Rouxi that her mother wanted to introduce her to Wu Bin. Rouxi had a good laugh. If Li Yun found out, he would probably think it was funny.

"Are you really dating someone?" asked Wu Ling in a skeptical tone. "This better not be boyfriend #5."

"Of course not. I don't think he has any exes who is out to get him," Rouxi responded. "I think most of his exes dumped him for being a workaholic, in a way."

"So he's like your first serious boyfriend? Is that why you haven't said anything?"

"Maybe."

"How do you label him on your phone?"

"He's just person #8."

"You labelled your boyfriend, person #8?"

"Yes, is that a problem Ms. Lingling?"

Wu Ling rolled her eyes, only Song Meilin would put in such a random descriptor.

"Him being dumped by his exes sounds like my cousin."

"Your cousin sounds like a decent guy. Even if he's a workaholic, at least he treated them right."

"You don't know my cousin, so you don't know how scary he is sometimes I think he has ESP. He even knows my cellphone's password!"

"Ms. Lingling, your password is probably either your brother's birthday or your mom's birthday. It's not that difficult to figure out."

"You! Well, I'll use my dad's birthday next then!" Wu Ling was partially joking, and it was likely she would use her grandparent's birthday next. It wasn't like she had anything to hide. "Anyway, I think there is something else I want to look at for the detective club."

"Oh, there's a case you want to look at?"

"Yes, but I don't know if Bu Tao has authorization to look into missing person cases at Sheng University."