"The plane is about to arrive at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport. Ground temperature is thirty degrees..." As the plane slowly touched down, Jack Young arrived in the Land of Abundance. Carrying a travel backpack and wearing sunglasses, Jack was traveling light. He’d originally wanted to take the train—sure, it’s slower, but he wasn’t in a rush. Plus, he could enjoy the scenery along the way. So chill. But thanks to Sophie Soo’s relentless pestering, Jack had no choice but to hop on a flight to Chengdu.
"Hey Mom, I’ve landed. All safe." This trip had official approval, so naturally, every move had to be reported in detail.
"You be careful out there. Your uncle says things have been sketchy lately, especially with those drug dealers running wild. He’s been up to his ears in trouble. I heard the border narcotics bureau has swapped out several directors, but nobody can figure out how those dealers keep sneaking drugs into the country. Don’t eat anything from strangers, and if someone’s acting weird, stay alert—don’t trust people too easily!" As the saying goes, a mother worries no matter how far her child travels. No matter how old you get, Mom’s always got a checklist of reminders. "And don’t bully Sophie! Take good care of her."
"No problem, no problem! I came fully prepared—to be the muscle and the designated sucker."
Yep, based on years of experience, whenever Sophie Soo is this desperate for his help, you can bet it’s nothing good. Every time Jack reads those novels about cousins who are all lovey-dovey—like Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, or Murong Fu and Wang Yuyan—he just wants to tear the book in half and flip the table. Real life cousins aren’t like that at all!
Well, maybe that’s a bit harsh. Somewhere on Earth there might be a sweet, adorable cousin out there. But in Jack’s world—especially in the Soo family—the girls all seem to have a fiery temper!
Jack remembered two years ago, when Sophie was in her senior year of high school. Maybe it was the looming college entrance exams, but she was downright explosive. Not only did Derek Soo tiptoe around her, even Jack gave her the nickname "Little Menopause"—meaning, young but already acting like she’s going through The Change.
No idea what she’s like now. Honestly, it’s been ages since he last saw her.
Sophie said she wouldn’t come pick him up, but given her history of dumb surprises, Jack had a sliver of hope. Maybe she wanted to pull off a surprise? He glanced around the exit—nope, the brat really didn’t show!
Not even a hint of drama. Zero points!
“Jack!” With a sweet shout and a waft of perfume, Sophie launched herself at Jack, hugging him tight and nuzzling her face into his chest like a spoiled cat. Jack stayed stoic—he’d already spotted a boy in the distance looking like he’d just been struck by lightning. “C’mon, Cousin, play along!” Sophie whispered, pinching Jack’s side.
Jack instantly switched to a look of excitement, nostalgia, longing, and affection, wrapping Sophie in a big hug. He lifted her by the waist and spun her around three times before gently setting her down—a move that drew plenty of stares from nearby students, watching this perfect couple show off.
“Little Menopause, just wait—you’ll pay for making me your human shield!” Jack kept a sweet smile, but hissed the threat through clenched teeth.
“Old Menopause, while you’re in Chengdu, eat and play all you want—your Empress has got it covered!” Sophie grinned just as brightly, putting on a textbook-perfect show of ‘looks sweet, but totally scheming.’
“That’s settled, then.” Helping his cousin ditch a clingy admirer was all in a day’s work for Jack. He wrapped an arm around Sophie’s waist and strode confidently into campus. Secretly channeling his Titan Spirit Method and Insight Technique, Jack’s whole body radiated energy—his eyes sharp, his presence so intense that people instinctively made way for him.
Sophie, tucked under Jack’s arm, felt it most. She stared at him in amazement, eyes sparkling. “Not bad, not bad! Haven’t seen you in a while and you’ve gotten even more handsome. Good thing you’re keeping up my reputation—scaring off those useless losers is exactly what I needed.”
Just then, they reached the boy frozen in shock. Sophie immediately turned on her sweetest voice: “Darling, you’re finally here! I rented a place outside, so we’ll be living together—mwah!” With a loud smack on Jack’s cheek, the poor guy shattered into emotional rubble.
And so, Jack began his long journey.
Chengdu International Airport is southwest of the city, way out in the suburbs. Sophie’s school? All the way up north, also in the suburbs. Jack took in the cityscape as the bus rolled along—low buildings, narrow streets, and surprisingly, barely any traffic. Everyone strolled around at a chill, laid-back pace.
It was Jack’s first time here, but he was sure this was the perfect place to retire. So many tourist spots—Wuhou Shrine, Qingyang Palace, Wenshu Monastery. Sure, it’s a bit hot, but look up: the sky’s full of clouds, no blazing sun at all, even though it’s early summer. Perfect for staying pale! They say the food here doesn’t make you fat—maybe it’s a good spot to lose weight. That’s it, Jack decided—he’s gotta live here for a few years someday.
Following the almighty Baidu Maps, Jack finally arrived just before noon. He got off the bus and stood at the entrance to a university. Long time no see, college life! Watching the fresh-faced students coming and going, Jack felt like he’d stepped back in time. Maybe he should visit his old school someday—he’d count as a success story, right?
He pulled out his phone: "Hey, Sophie, I’m at the spot you said. The location’s right, but the school name’s off. You said you study at ‘Linwan Village Men’s Railroad Tech College,’ but the sign says ‘Southwest Jiaotong University’? I even see an old train engine on the lawn—so this is the place, right?"
“Yep, that’s the place!” Turns out Linwan Village Men’s Whatever College is actually here—learn something new every day. “I’m over here, I can see you already!” Jack heard Sophie’s voice both through the phone and in real life. He hung up and turned around—sure enough, there she was, running straight at him.
Seeing her, Jack instantly got three anime-style sweat drops on his forehead.
It’s not that there’s anything wrong with her looks. In fact, she’s tall, fair-skinned, with a killer figure. Her round face and big eyes make her look super trustworthy. And it’s not her outfit either—Jack may be clueless about fashion, but he could tell she’d put effort into her look, making those long legs stand out even more.
Basically, she’s the kind of girl you could snap a photo of and upload without any Photoshop—and she’d rack up a ton of likes online.
What got Jack sweating—why’s she so dressed up? Where’d the old, clumsy Sophie go? Is it true girls change as they grow up? Plus, her run toward him had all the drama of a TV romance reunion. And knowing Sophie, Jack could see the scheming glint behind that excited face...