Those who had been watching the commotion nearby suddenly gasped in surprise and instinctively gathered around.
Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, Xiao Qicai quickly shouted, "This is my last bottle of asthma medicine! Are you really going to snatch it?"
Oh, so it was just asthma medicine. The onlookers, initially eager for drama, gradually lost interest and dispersed.
Meanwhile, the little girl was overjoyed, hugging her now-conscious mother tightly.
Xiao Qicai hadn’t expected the effect to be so remarkable—a single bottle of medicine had completely cured the woman’s illness.
Not only had her skin become smooth and flawless, but the chronic weakness from long-term toxin exposure had also vanished. The woman herself could feel the change and stood up in disbelief, embracing her daughter as tears streamed down her face.
"Xinxin, Mommy’s better now. Don’t be scared, Mommy’s really okay. I can protect you again!"
Mother and daughter clung to each other, weeping uncontrollably.
After a long while, the mother finally composed herself, her face flushing with embarrassment as she knelt before Xiao Qicai, still holding her daughter.
"Young lady, you are our savior. I can’t even imagine what would have happened to my poor daughter if I had died. You didn’t just save me—you saved her too!"
She kowtowed heavily, so hard that her forehead even bled. Startled, Xiao Qicai quickly helped her up.
"It’s nothing, just a small favor. As long as you’re better now, that’s what matters. Take good care of your daughter—she was truly heartbroken earlier. If she hadn’t cried so desperately, I wouldn’t have woken up."
"A small favor? There’s no such thing as a small favor in this world—it’s just your kindness! If not for you today, I would have died, and my daughter would have been left all alone. Thank you! I’ll never forget this debt of gratitude!"
She moved to kowtow again, but Xiao Qicai stopped her.
"That’s really unnecessary. How do you feel now?"
"I’ve never felt better in my life. Since coming to this planet, this is the first time I’ve felt so light and healthy!" She even jumped a few times while holding her daughter. "Benefactor, what kind of miracle medicine did you give me? How could it work so well?"
"As long as it helped, that’s all that matters. I came across this medicine by chance, and this was the last bottle. Now that you’re both fine, I should go rest."
Xiao Qicai didn’t expect anything in return from the mother and daughter, so she tried to brush it off and return to her rest, preparing for her school enrollment the next day.
But to her surprise, Wu Xiu grabbed her arm.
"If I don’t repay you, I won’t be able to live with myself. I don’t have a single star coin left, but I noticed a couple of days ago that you were preparing for the actuary exam for the 48th Advanced Academy. If you have any study-related questions… maybe you could ask me."
Xiao Qicai’s eyes widened in shock.
Had she just stumbled upon a hidden master?
Ordinary people knew nothing about actuaries, let alone dared to offer guidance on the subject.
Wu Xiu gave a bitter smile.
"Don’t be surprised. To be honest, I actually hold an actuary license, so I might be able to help you in some way."
"You have an actuary license? Then why are you here? How did you end up like…?"
How did she end up in such a situation? Every actuary was a treasure-level figure for the United Government, with corporations and institutions practically fighting to hire them. How could she have fallen so far as to end up in a shelter?
Could it be an unfortunate marriage? She frowned, recalling the little girl's earlier words about her father beating her mother to death.
"Because my actuary license has been revoked," Wu Xiu sighed.
It turned out she had once been a Class C citizen but was framed and made to take the blame for someone else's economic crimes. She was sentenced and exiled here, and on top of that, her actuary license was confiscated.
Here, without any professional certification, alone and without connections, she had struggled for a long time but couldn't find stable work. Kicked out of public housing, she had no way out. In the end, she had no choice but to marry a man who had saved her life.
Little did she know, this would be the beginning of her nightmare.
At first, the man complained about her weak constitution and inability to bear children. Later, he resented her for giving birth to a daughter. Then he scorned her for not earning money, calling her delicate when she developed respiratory illness.
Not long ago, the man became infatuated with a woman from the red-light district, vowing to use all their family assets to buy her freedom and marry her. Thus, Wu Xiu—his sickly, original wife—became an obstacle. One night, he even tried to strangle her in secret, wanting to kill her to make way for the other woman.
Miraculously, she survived and fled with her daughter in desperation.
She didn't dare apply for government housing again, both because she had no job and out of fear that the man would track her down.
In the end, she had no choice but to take her daughter to the shelter, where at least they could receive free nutrient solutions to keep from starving.
But these past few days, her medicine had run out, and with no money, she could only endure while desperately searching for work—any work. Yet nothing turned up, not even odd jobs. By today, her illness had worsened to the point where she felt she was already dead. Yet against all odds, she had survived.
Wu Xiu's story was, in truth, the fate of most women exiled alone to this planet.
Men were expendable, but women had reproductive value—often treated as commodities, coveted by local thugs, ostracized from employment, and left without support. Survival meant enduring humiliation.
Xiao Qicai listened to the woman's story, anger flashing in her eyes.
She understood all too well. Bai Yushan had been driven to her death not long after arriving. Even if He Xinmin hadn't sent people after her, she might have ended up like Wu Xiu—especially with her beauty, which could have led to an even crueler fate.
The suffering of the underclass, it seemed, existed in every society.
She patted the little girl's head, thanked Wu Xiu, and transferred her 10,000 starcoins:
"Thank you for your kindness, but I've been accepted by the school, so I won’t need help for now."
"No, no, I can't accept your money!" Wu Xiu flustered, hastily raising her terminal to return the transfer.
Xiao Qicai shook her head and disabled the receive function. "It's fine. I still have money, and the school covers food and lodging. This is enough for me—you take care of your child."
After repeated refusals, Wu Xiu could only accept with gratitude.
"Then consider this as me borrowing from you. I'll definitely repay you when I have the chance. I shared my story not to gain your sympathy, but to encourage you to study hard and leave this wretched place someday."
"I never expected you'd already passed the exams! I always knew kind-hearted people were capable. Though the actuary certification is challenging, you can come to me if you need help. I'll probably be staying at the shelter most of the time."
"I will, but someone with your skills is wasted here."
Xiao Qicai suddenly had an idea: "I might be able to offer you a job, though the workplace is somewhat dangerous. Of course, I'll ensure your safety. Would you be interested?"
"What!" Wu Xiu was stunned. What incredible luck was this? First being rescued, then given money, and now a job offer—was Xiao Qicai some kind of philanthropist? The sudden fortune made her suspicious of hidden motives.
But upon reflection, Xiao Qicai had no reason to harm or scheme against her. Recognizing this rare opportunity, she eagerly accepted, "I'll endure any hardship as long as it's a proper job!"
At least with employment, they could apply for subsidized housing and provide their daughter a stable home.
Xiao Qicai nodded:
"I'm preparing to start a company—the location is already secured. If you need shelter, you can stay there. I'll arrange accommodations. The official position will begin after about two weeks when renovations finish. Let's exchange contacts first. Regarding your husband... if he comes looking—"
"I can handle that!" A determined glint flashed in Wu Xiu's eyes. "Our terminals are actually linked—I can calculate his movements and guarantee we won't cross paths."
A true actuary indeed.
"Good. Stay cautious—avoid unnecessary outings or conflicts. Those troublemakers seem fierce but won't act recklessly. If you're free, you could supervise the renovations... Actually, I'll assign you as a site supervisor. That way, no one will question your presence."
Xiao Qicai thoroughly explained the current situation, leaving the final decision to Wu Xiu.
Upon hearing "East Strip District," Wu Xiu hesitated momentarily. But learning of Xiao Qicai's connection with Xi Yuanche—whose workers would be staffing the site—she firmly nodded: "I've heard of Xi Yuanche. His people are well-disciplined, especially under your management. I believe we'll be safe. I accept!"
She knew opportunities like this were once-in-a-lifetime. For her daughter's sake, she'd take this gamble.
Though East Strip was chaotic, Xi Yuanche's territory meant security—perhaps even safer than their current situation.
Moreover, the allure of formal employment was irresistible. She could endure shelter life indefinitely, but her daughter deserved better.
Seeing her resolve, Xiao Qicai contacted the foreman—the curly-haired Sun Juan—dispatching funds to arrange accommodations for mother and child.
After receiving the payment and hearing that the supervisor was an educated man, Sun Juan repeatedly assured her that their safety would be guaranteed.
Xiao Qicai finally felt at ease and returned to her corner to rest.
What she didn’t know was that Wu Xiu had been staring in her direction for a long time, tears welling up in her eyes as she silently made a certain resolution.
——
The next day was the start of the school term.
Xiao Qicai arrived early, but the school gate was already crowded—some were parents, but most were journalists jostling at the entrance.
The moment they spotted Xiao Qicai, they surged toward her.
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