"I... I can still walk."
"We still don't know if you've been poisoned, so don't move around, Sister Shuxuan." Xiangyi's expression was serious. Shuxuan, who had been reluctant to let her help, immediately stopped moving, looking somewhat anxious.
Xiangyi began explaining as well. "My beast is a little unusual. I guess that collision just now temporarily paralyzed you. I'm not familiar with it either, so let's check your condition first." Seeing how serious Xiangyi looked, Shuxuan clearly believed her. She clung to Xiangyi a little tighter, frightened.
Hua Nu, who had been watching the two of them interact, couldn't help showing an approving expression. Shaoyao was even more dumbfounded, unable to believe Xiangyi could get away with such an absurd explanation.
Xiangyi remained completely unruffled. She carefully laid Shuxuan on the sofa, then knelt in front of her and examined her injuries thoroughly.
It had to be said that Shuxuan was top-notch in both figure and appearance. At 1.7 meters tall, she had the graceful, sexy figure of a woman. Xiangyi deliberately examined her very closely. Her fingertips seemed to be searching for wounds and the like, but she was really just taking advantage of her.
Shuxuan had no idea. She nervously clenched her fists, her whole body tensing up even more. But soon, she seemed to notice that Xiangyi's touch was a little strange.
"Xiaoyi." Shuxuan began to suspect Xiangyi was messing with her on purpose. But when Xiangyi looked up, Shuxuan saw her clear eyes and immediately pushed the thought from her mind.
She felt she'd become so cynical from spending too long in the workplace that she saw the worst in everyone. Setting aside whether there was even anything on her worth touching, Xiangyi was a woman, and so was she. That alone ruled out anything romantic happening between them.
"Um, am I okay now?" Shuxuan put aside her jumbled thoughts and asked Xiangyi anxiously about her condition. Xiangyi smiled and nodded. "It's a good thing it didn't bite you. Otherwise, you'd probably have been laid up for several days."
Shuxuan's body stiffened again. She said excitedly, "That absolutely won't do. I have a very important meeting tomorrow."
After saying that, Shuxuan realized she'd let her emotions show again. An apologetic look appeared on her face. Although she didn't dislike having Xiangyi around, truthfully, it was still hard to get used to suddenly having another person in her life.
In fact, when Xiangyi said yesterday that she was staying at Muning's home, Shuxuan had been a little happy. But when Xiangyi didn't come back, she'd spent another uneasy night. It was as if once Shuxuan let someone into her life, she found it hard to let go of them.
"Sister Shuxuan, relax. From what I can tell, standing in high heels for too long may have caused your muscles to stiffen, briefly affecting your ability to move. On top of that, you haven't been eating regularly lately, and you're up early and home late. All those factors added together have made your body sound the alarm." Hua Nu offered a reminder from the side. Xiangyi followed Hua Nu's explanation and kept feeding Shuxuan a string of nonsense.
But Shuxuan really had been doing those things, so the explanation made her take the matter seriously. Xiangyi knew she'd fooled her again and smoothly changed the subject. "It hasn't caused any serious problems yet. As long as you keep a regular schedule and eat healthy food, you'll be fine. Look, it's already ten at night. Why don't I finish the housework while you go to bed, Sister Shuxuan?"
Xiangyi showed off the advantages of having just the two of them there. Besides, she was staying under Shuxuan's roof, eating and living there for free, so she really ought to do something in return.
"No, you're a guest... Ah!"
Before Shuxuan could finish speaking, Xiangyi scooped her up again. Xiangyi's embrace gave her a comforting sense of security. After thinking it over, Shuxuan agreed, then reminded her a little awkwardly, "Then please put away the snacks we bought today. And absolutely don't do my laundry."
Although Shuxuan emphasized it so strongly that Xiangyi was puzzled, she still agreed. She carried Shuxuan into the bedroom and let her rest comfortably. Xiangyi then tidied up the snacks, arranging them according to Shuxuan's habits, before retreating to the living room to watch TV.
If she could, Xiangyi would have preferred to spend the whole night in the Flower God Ring instead of pretending to sleep with Shuxuan.
But...
When she saw that it was already midnight, she still went into the bedroom.
Shuxuan had already gone to sleep, leaving a large space for her. Xiangyi climbed in as quietly as she could. She'd meant to pretend to sleep for a while, but the exhaustion from practicing inside the Flower God Ring the night before had already caught up with her. Her brain began to shut down, and she soon drifted off...
Xiangyi slept straight through until morning, when Shuxuan's phone alarm woke her. She opened her eyes groggily and saw Shuxuan changing clothes with her back turned.
But today, she wasn't wearing work clothes. She had on a casual-style blouse, and her makeup was light. She'd carefully dressed herself from head to toe. The moment Xiangyi saw her, alarm bells rang in her head, and she could practically picture some sleazy guy appearing out of nowhere to steal Shuxuan's first kiss.
Her sleepiness vanished, and she hurriedly sat up.
Shuxuan, who'd been focused on changing, was startled and quickly covered herself. But when she saw that Xiangyi was awake, her expression turned a little helpless.
"Xiaoyi, could you make some noise when you wake up? You scared me." As she spoke, Shuxuan continued getting dressed. Her black lace-trimmed lingerie appeared, perfectly complementing her alluring figure. She had no excess weight, and her knee-length skirt made her legs look longer. Her high-heeled sandals showed off her pretty feet.
"Sorry, Sister Shuxuan. Are you getting ready for a date?" Xiangyi apologized awkwardly, then hurried to ask the question on her mind.
She could practically see her thousand Spiritual Energy drifting farther and farther away. If she'd known things would turn out like this today, Xiangyi would never have worried about acting like a proper lady. She would've just kissed Shuxuan by force first and worried about everything else later.
But the atmosphere was already so delicate. To keep the slightly tipsy Xiangyi from falling out with Shuxuan, she had no choice but to casually ask about Shuxuan's plans for the day.
"Of course I'm going to work. But my aunt's coming to see me at noon, so I dressed up a little." Shuxuan explained why she'd made herself look this way. Xiangyi said, "Oh," while wondering which aunt Shuxuan meant, and why she'd made such a careful effort to dress for her.
But Xiangyi couldn't ask any more. She'd already done too many things that didn't fit Xiangyi's persona.
Thinking of that, Xiangyi joked, "You scared me. I thought you were dressed like that to go on a date with some handsome guy."
Shuxuan glared at Xiangyi, displeased. "Prince Qin is still alive, isn't he? I'm meeting my aunt at noon. Do you really think I want to die?"
"So you mean, if Prince Qin had been killed by me back then, you would've..."
Xiangyi looked as if she'd suddenly understood. Shuxuan's expression darkened, and she suddenly stepped forward and pinned Xiangyi down. The unexpected move left Xiangyi thoroughly confused. She asked nervously, "Sister Shuxuan, did I say something wrong?"
"Xiaoyi, even though you're a Chosen One now, don't take killing lightly."
"Huh?"
Xiangyi understood. Shuxuan had taken her joke seriously. But seeing how stern Shuxuan was, Xiangyi quickly promised she wouldn't kill anyone.
"Don't worry. I'm a pacifist. If I ever hated someone that much, I'd only turn them into a vegetable." Xiangyi explained seriously. Shuxuan finally breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing she was pinning Xiangyi down.
Looking again at Xiangyi's breathtakingly beautiful face beneath her, Shuxuan hesitated, then reached out to touch it, as if to make sure what she was seeing was real.
The gesture seemed involuntary. Xiangyi didn't resist. She even prayed that this face might lead to more unexpected gains, but Shuxuan's phone rang again at the worst possible moment.
Shuxuan snapped back to her senses and sprang up. She grabbed her bag and hurried out of the room.
Xiangyi was a little baffled. She touched her own face, then walked over to the mirror and looked at her impossibly beautiful features.
If Shaoyao's looks scored 100 and Hua Nu's scored 150, then Xiangyi's face had also reached a new level, thanks to the changes in her constitution and bearing.
But since it was her own face, Xiangyi couldn't judge it calmly and objectively. So she tentatively rated herself around 150, putting her on roughly equal footing with the great beauty Hua Nu.
Suddenly, Hua Nu's figure appeared in the mirror. Xiangyi, who'd been admiring her own looks, jumped in fright and guiltily glanced over at Hua Nu.
"Hua Nu, why are you showing yourself?"
"I saw Flower Master looking in the mirror, so I wanted to see what I look like in one, too." Hua Nu leaned against the dressing table, radiating charm. But Xiangyi might have been imagining it; ever since she'd said "Withered Wood Meets Spring" yesterday, Hua Nu seemed to keep making sarcastic remarks.
"I see. Take your time looking in the mirror, then. I'll go train in the Flower God Ring." Xiangyi refused to keep making awkward small talk with Hua Nu. She slipped into the ring and continued practicing the Falling Leaves Plucking Flowers Sword Art that Hua Nu had taught her.
After all her effort in the Flower God Ring these past few days, Xiangyi could now control the sword completely. But no matter how skillfully she wielded it, taking it out in the modern world still looked strange.
Compared to such an conspicuous weapon, hidden weapons were better suited to Xiangyi's wish to keep a low profile. After thinking it over, she walked to the peach tree beside the wooden house in the Flower God Ring. She was about to pluck a few leaves for practice when the trunk suddenly moved under her touch.
The next moment, the peach tree turned its head and revealed a face that looked human. Even Xiangyi had never realized the peach tree was alive. She froze in fright. The tree glanced at her, then frantically burrowed into the soil, as if it had completely forgotten it was a peach tree.
Hua Nu came in from outside just then. When she saw the peach tree digging, she tried to hold back her laughter, then introduced it to Xiangyi.
"By the way, this is your first time seeing Yao Yao, right?"
"Yao Yao?"
"Yes, Yao Yao from 'The peach tree beams with blossoms.' That's this peach tree's name. Isn't it tacky?" Hua Nu said, not forgetting to complain about how poor the namer's taste was.
Xiangyi hadn't even thought about the peach demon's name. Instead, she thought of something terrifying. There wasn't any peach demon character in the novel she'd created. Besides, the peach demon seemed a little unhinged, as if she imagined herself to be a mole. She was still frantically digging over there.
"Yao Yao is introverted, but she wasn't this extreme before. It was only after she met someone that she became afraid of everyone. That's why this old servant always left her out when introducing you to everyone." Hua Nu explained why nobody had mentioned the peach demon, even though she'd been there all along. But Xiangyi still felt something was off. There had to be something special about the peach demon that made Hua Nu deliberately leave her out.
"Oh, is it really that simple?" Xiangyi asked, turning back to her. Hua Nu narrowed her eyes and said, "Does Flower Master think I'm hiding something?"
Xiangyi shook her head. "No. I just think none of you are here without a reason. Even if someone's just a peach tree, there must be a reason she exists."
Xiangyi spoke more gently. Hua Nu was already smiling. She pointed toward the Little Grass who were diligently tending the fields over there, trying to hint that there were plenty of useless things around as well.
Xiangyi thought about all the Little Grass she'd created by kissing the Flower God Huangquan, who were completely useless except for being cute, and fell into a long silence.
### A Special Event Has Arrived~
A moment later, Xiangyi looked at the peach tree again. After thinking it over, she gave up on the idea of using its leaves and said to Hua Nu behind her, "I'll go outside and get some leaves instead."
Hua Nu looked very puzzled. "Why do you need leaves?"
She didn't understand what leaves had to do with practicing, so Xiangyi explained her idea for the Falling Leaves Plucking Flowers technique.
In this world, although there were Chosen Ones, carrying weapons required a license, and attacking anyone also required a Chosen One certificate. Except for law enforcement officers and members of the Chosen One Alliance, no one was allowed to attack others under any other circumstances.
Since the system was still incomplete and incidents of Chosen Ones injuring people kept happening, public opinion about Chosen Ones was divided. As a result, the restrictions on them kept growing stricter.
"I see. These days, you even have to apply for permission to spar. The world really isn't what it used to be." Hua Nu sighed with feeling. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Then how about this? Pick some leaves and bring them back. I'll teach you the real Falling Leaves Plucking Flowers."
Xiangyi was grateful that Hua Nu agreed so readily. She soon left the Flower God Ring again. She'd been about to go out right away, but when she saw she was still wearing pajamas, she changed into a black hoodie that was more suitable for exercise.
Trees were everywhere, but for some reason the security guard had been circling around her as if he had it in for her. Xiangyi didn't dare pick leaves in the residential complex, so she went outside and found a nearby park.
It was a workday, and the weather was hot, so the park wasn't crowded. Xiangyi nimbly climbed the trees and picked a few leaves from each one.
She wouldn't upset the ecological balance, but it still wouldn't be good if someone saw her.
Hua Nu guided her from the side, telling her what kind of leaves to choose.
Hua Nu: Try to choose leaves that are slender and smooth. Other things could work too, but compared to leaves, which are inconspicuous, they'd stand out too much.
Xiangyi agreed. Being too conspicuous would only get you killed faster. If she became famous too early, who knew how much trouble might come knocking? Xiangyi wasn't strong enough yet; she had to keep her abilities hidden. But that didn't mean she had to be passive. She had to make sure she was never caught off guard.
After picking for a while, Xiangyi had already gathered a basketful of leaves. She sent them straight into the Flower God Ring and was just about to climb down when she saw several elderly people who were out practicing pass by. They chatted and laughed, dressed in neat practice uniforms. They looked like they were out doing their morning exercises.
Xiangyi immediately crouched down to avoid drawing attention. Just as she thought she could get through the moment safely, her phone rang without warning.
That startled not only Xiangyi but the elderly people as well. They looked toward the source of the sound in confusion. When Xiangyi saw she'd been spotted, she worried they'd remember her face, so she quickly pulled up her hood and darted through the trees to escape.
She was extremely fast. Even from the corner of her eye, she could see the elderly people's stunned expressions. Then, as if they realized what was happening, they began calling the police, thinking another Chosen One was causing trouble.
When Shaoyao heard that, she felt Xiangyi had it rough and turned to ask, "What should we do? It looks like they're going to get the authorities involved."
Xiangyi told Shaoyao not to worry. Looking down at the incoming call, she saw that it was from Shuxuan. She made a shushing gesture and answered.
"Sister Shuxuan."
"Xiaoyi, sorry to bother you."
Shuxuan's voice held a note of apology and sounded a little awkward, as if she felt very embarrassed about calling.
"Sister Shuxuan, did something happen?" Xiangyi could tell there was something up and asked why Shuxuan had called.
"Yeah, something did happen. I left a very important file behind, but I don't have enough time to go back and get it. Could you please bring it to my company? This is really important to me, so I'm counting on you!" Shuxuan explained why she was calling. Her voice was very anxious.
"Got it. Where did you leave the file, and what's your company's address? Send me the address and I'll head out right away." Hearing that Shuxuan needed her, Xiangyi knew this was her chance to make a good impression.
Every crisis was an opportunity to create more chances.
"It's a document in a brown paper folder. Once you find it, open it and take a photo so I can check it. I'll text you the address now." Shuxuan sounded relieved, then quickly told Xiangyi what to look for.
Xiangyi said yes and ran back to Shuxuan's place as fast as she could. She soon found the folder Shuxuan had mentioned. It had originally been on the bed, but when Shuxuan pinned Xiangyi down earlier, it had fallen to the floor. Shuxuan had been so embarrassed at the time that she'd completely forgotten about it and hurried off to work.
After confirming the file with Shuxuan, Xiangyi quickly headed out with it and hailed a taxi. Although she could run faster than a taxi, she chose this more inconspicuous method to avoid attracting any more attention.
On the way, Xiangyi passed the park she'd visited earlier. Several police officers who'd responded to the call were searching for traces of a Chosen One there. But Xiangyi was sure that even if they used the instruments made by Shuxuan's company, they wouldn't find anything. What she was doing was genuine cultivation, completely different from those Chosen Ones who relied too much on their abilities.
Xiangyi hid the smile at the corners of her mouth and lowered her head to look at her phone...
Time flew by. By the time she reached Shuxuan's company, forty minutes had passed. Traffic had been backed up because the police were apprehending a criminal Chosen One, so Xiangyi had eventually turned on her navigation app and run the rest of the way to Shuxuan's company.
Chosen One Manufacturing Branch.
From the plain sign, it was obvious the company had something to do with Chosen Ones. As soon as Xiangyi walked in, she could tell there was a lot to learn here.
Hua Nu: This is interesting. People in this era actually know the Eight Trigrams and the Five Elements.
Hua Nu's voice came from inside Xiangyi's mind. She curiously looked around at everything, which was both familiar and unfamiliar to her. Shaoyao was even more curious, but her gaze was fixed on the women at the counters. She didn't seem to understand why they wore black stockings on their legs.
Why did they stay so impeccably dressed in weather this hot?
Xiangyi couldn't be bothered with the two curious flower people, so she called Shuxuan. Shuxuan immediately hung up, and after Xiangyi waited a few seconds, she saw a message from Shuxuan.
### The meeting has already started. Can you get it to my office without anyone noticing?
This meeting was too important to Shuxuan. She didn't want anything unusual to happen. Xiangyi felt a little helpless, but for the sake of getting Shuxuan's kiss, she decided to throw caution to the wind.
She was about to take the elevator upstairs, but discovered she needed an employee card to use it. With no other choice, Xiangyi asked the reception desk, but the two women there smiled and refused to let her go up.
As they spoke, the two women at the desk instinctively rested their hands on a certain button, as if worried Xiangyi might suddenly produce something terrifying, like a bottle of acid.
Looking more closely, the desk was brand-new, but that didn't hide the broken section underneath it. What was more, a sign warning people to beware of Chosen Ones stood nearby. It seemed to be telling her that the company was often attacked by Chosen Ones, which was why it had set up so many defensive measures.
Before you continue