CHAPTER 241: CHAPTER 241: SHI YA SENDS A FRIEND REQUEST

What’s up with this old man?

Is he trying to drive the students to their graves?

Definitely!

The old geezer is too tricky!

Ji You clenched her teeth and hummed: Next time, I, Ji You, will definitely make you truly convinced, personally admitting that Ji You is outstanding, better than any student from the Material Department!

It’s a challenge!

She won’t consider herself a person until she achieves this goal!

Just like that.

As Ji You was about to sleep, she suddenly received a friend request notification. When she opened it, she saw a brief four words: [I am Shi Ya.]

In an instant, Ji You’s heavy heart cleared up completely.

It’s Senior Shi Ya!

She...

She really gave me her contact number.

After Ji You accepted, she felt a flood of thoughts buried in her heart, wanting to share everything with Senior Shi Ya, but at the last moment, she felt too embarrassed.

A bit shy to start talking.

Because—after adding Senior Shi Ya, Shi Ya didn’t send a single word.

Thinking about Senior Shi Ya’s cold demeanor, Ji You thought she must be someone who doesn’t like talking, probably doesn’t like chatty people either. If I’m too chatty, will it make Senior Shi Ya dislike me?

Ying Ying Ying~

Please no.

Thinking about losing Senior Shi Ya’s affection, Ji You couldn’t bear it.

So—

She held back!

She clenched her teeth hard, telling herself not to talk too much, and after much thought, repeatedly edited several times, finally sent a very polite greeting to Senior Shi Ya: [Hello, Senior Shi Ya, I am Ji You from the 131st self-funded class. I’m glad you added me.]

After sending it, Ji You was conflicted; she missed something, she should have added [Senior Shi Ya, I really like you.].

Unfortunately—

The message had already been sent, and it couldn’t be recalled.

Ji You stared at the chat box, full of regret.

But—

Just after 2 seconds, Ji You received a reply from Senior Shi Ya: [I’m also very glad.]

Ji You: "Huh?"

Although the sentence seemed very formal and flat, Ji You was inexplicably happy. She didn’t care whether it was formal or not; the thought that it was personally replied by Senior Shi Ya made her ecstatic.

Also—

Could Senior Shi Ya really be my sister?

The kind that’s lost out there?

Ji You had been puzzled for a long time about why Senior Shi Ya always favored her when serving meals, but she couldn’t figure it out, and couldn’t hold it in anymore, so she couldn’t help but send a message asking: [Senior Shi Ya, may I boldly ask why you always give me preferential treatment when serving meals?]

If it wasn’t just her, Ji You wouldn’t overthink, but Senior Shi Ya is cold to everyone, showing no favoritism, but towards Ji You, even though her attitude is cold, what she gives to Ji You is clearly better than to others.

So—

Ji You really wanted to know.

However, after sending this message, there was a long delay with no reply from Senior Shi Ya.

minute.

minutes.

minutes.

...

Seeing that 10 minutes have passed, Ji You couldn’t stay calm anymore, she felt a bit anxious inside. Did she touch on a sensitive topic that shouldn’t be asked?

Or?

Thinking it over, Ji You, with a bit of trepidation, sent another message to Senior Shi Ya: [Senior Shi Ya, if this question is inconvenient to answer, it’s okay not to reply. I really don’t mind.]

After sending the message.

Ji You waited anxiously.

Here.

Sitting on the windowsill, gazing at the stars outside the house, Shi Ya was startled when she saw Ji You’s question and her expression became a bit dazed. Her mind was dragged back into the grief she was unwilling to revisit.

Shi Ya was born on Bella Star, a very poor and chaotic place with scarce resources and rampant pirates. Ordinary citizens going out alone might risk losing their lives at any moment. Later, the planet was afflicted by a Star Beast Group. That year Shi Ya had just turned 3 years old, the same year she lost her mother. They thought their whole family would perish, but fortunately, the Alliance Legion arrived just in time to save them.

Shi Ya and Mr. Shi, as disaster refugees, were temporarily relocated to Shelter 101 on the garbage planet.

Though Garbage Planet 101 had harsh conditions, at least there were no safety worries and the cost of living was much lower than other planets. Mr. Shi, who had no talent, could not engage in high-paying work on other planets. After much consideration, he decided to settle on Garbage Planet 101 with Shi Ya.

The life of the father and daughter duo, though tough, was filled with warmth.

Shi Ya herself had low talent, and it took considerable effort from Mr. Shi to nurture her spiritual power and Physical Strength to Level C, but Shi Ya didn’t wallow in self-pity; instead, she strove hard to learn.

Then, through her own efforts, Shi Ya got admitted to the Mechanical Manufacturing System at Lanyue Star Military Academy, which made Mr. Shi very happy.

After enrolling, she studied diligently and, with her minimal talent, became an excellent student in the Manufacturing System.

Initially—

Shi Ya thought that getting into Lanyue Star Military Academy was the turning point of her fate, as well as her family’s. Everything was developing in a good direction. As long as she worked hard, she would definitely make her father’s life better in the future.

However—

Shi Ya didn’t know that her father, to let her study peacefully without worries about food and clothing, had silently made many sacrifices, even risking his life to collect resources, gather garbage, and hunt for useful Star Beast Materials...

One day during a holiday when Shi Ya had just returned home, she learned her father was planning to collect Iron Pear Wood in the wild again behind her back. Worried, she insisted on going with him, and although her father eventually agreed, he only allowed her to stay on the outskirts.

Later, when it was time, she waited at the rendezvous point for a long, long time.

—

Her father never came back.

Then—

The bad news arrived.

No remains were found.

Her father truly vanished from this world, his flesh and blood lost to the mouth of a Star Beast...

Shi Ya didn’t remember how she managed to get through it, nor did she recall how she managed to return home. Even now, she still couldn’t accept this reality.

Her father was gone.

The father who had given her life, held up a large umbrella for her, shielding her from the storm, was gone.

Gone.

Forever disappeared from this world.

She once thought that once she graduated smoothly, found a good job, and became a Mechanical Manufacturing Master, she could take her father away from Garbage Planet 101. The Alliance was vast, there were many stable places, and they could settle on any peaceful planet.

If only—she tried a bit harder.

Just a bit harder.

She could do it.

But...

Unknowingly, sitting by the window, looking at the sky full of stars, Shi Ya, tears quietly began to fall.

These tears, disobedient, suddenly broke through all at once.