Young Master Chen used the Sales Manager's earlier words to brush off Shuxuan. Knowing Xiangyi's true identity made Shuxuan even more conflicted. After thinking it over, she said, "Then please wait a moment, Young Master Chen. I'll confirm with her."
As she spoke, Shuxuan smiled and pulled Xiangyi into an office, then quickly locked the door.
Xiangyi looked a little confused. "Sister Shuxuan, are you trying to stop me from going?"
Shuxuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She said bluntly, "He's obviously interested in you. Since your aunt entrusted you to me, of course I have to protect you."
Xiangyi laughed. "But if I go, wouldn't that give you more leverage in the contract negotiations?"
Shuxuan's expression grew even more serious. She corrected her, "Xiaoyi, although your appearance can indeed be a powerful bargaining chip, you must never let it make you careless. Do you know how many people have been taken advantage of because of their looks? And how many have gone down a path of no return because they believed looks were everything?"
Shuxuan's scolding was severe. She didn't want Xiangyi to use her looks as a weapon. Relying too much on her beauty would sooner or later get her into trouble.
"But you saw it yourself. I represent the company right now, so refusing would look bad. Besides, this isn't just a meal. Maybe he's a beast in human clothing and has his eye on you, too."
Xiangyi emphasized her point. Shuxuan was a little stunned. She'd been so focused on Xiangyi's situation that she'd forgotten she might be in danger herself. Now Xiangyi was lecturing her instead, and she felt conflicted.
Xiangyi smiled and took Shuxuan's hand. "Sister Shuxuan, if I come to dinner with you, we'll have each other for safety. I've heard of Young Master Chen. He seems refined, but there are plenty of unsavory rumors about him."
Xiangyi continued to warn her. In truth, Young Master Chen was above reproach, but Xiangyi deliberately made him sound awful so Shuxuan wouldn't become too emotionally invested in him.
Besides, the Qin family had a respectable standing in Ocean City, which made Xiangyi's words seem more credible. Shuxuan was torn. She'd already seen what Xiangyi could do. She didn't know what trick Xiangyi had used to appear so easily inside a heavily guarded company, but that only made her more certain Xiangyi was someone she could trust.
"Don't overthink it. It's better for both of us to go than for you to go alone." Xiangyi could tell from Shuxuan's expression what her answer would be, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
Shuxuan stopped resisting and agreed. "All right, but remember: no matter what, you can't use your abilities."
She reminded Xiangyi again, having finally given in to her enthusiastic suggestion. Xiangyi readily nodded, then followed Shuxuan out. Young Master Chen and his secretary were still waiting. When they saw the two women emerge, anticipation showed on their faces.
"So, have you decided? Will you two lovely ladies have lunch with me?" Young Master Chen smiled even more brightly. Shuxuan nodded and said, "Yes, but Young Master Chen, Xiaoshuang just joined the company recently, and she's rather shy. I hope you'll be patient with her."
Shuxuan gave him a warning in advance, remembering how Xiangyi really acted around strangers. If things went quiet later, no one would enjoy themselves.
"That's all right. I'm not exactly outgoing myself. I just want to make friends with Xiaoshuang." Young Master Chen was eager and made no attempt to hide his intentions. Shuxuan felt helpless and was about to say more, but Xiangyi tugged at her, signaling her to stop explaining on her behalf.
"All right, this way, ladies." Young Master Chen smiled at their interaction, then led the way. They went down to the underground parking garage, took two cars, and drove to a nearby restaurant.
The restaurant was a very elegant place, with a quiet interior. Young Master Chen booked a private room and handed the menu to the two women. Xiangyi stayed quiet throughout. Whenever Young Master Chen asked her a question, Shuxuan seemed even more nervous than she did.
Young Master Chen remained polite and refined, but Shuxuan's thoughts were focused on Xiangyi, so they barely discussed the contract.
As for Xiangyi, she had eyes only for the dishes in front of her. She knew Young Master Chen didn't like people who put on airs, so she tried to act like herself and ate naturally.
Young Master Chen became even more eager to befriend her. If that desire didn't include pursuing her, Xiangyi would have been even happier.
They'd barely eaten a few bites when Young Master Chen got a phone call and hurriedly excused himself. He'd already paid the bill, but Shuxuan still felt a headache coming on when she saw the table full of food.
"Should we get the rest packed up?"
"No need. Shaoyao can take care of it." Xiangyi waved her hand and glanced toward Shaoyao. After all, it was inconvenient to keep calling her a magical beast. The magical beast Xiangyi had created needed a name.
"Shaoyao—is that the magical beast's name?" Shuxuan immediately realized who Xiangyi meant. Still, it seemed strange to give a magical beast such a refined girl's name.
"Yes." Xiangyi nodded. As she spoke, Shaoyao sat down across from her without a hint of hesitation and picked up her chopsticks to start eating. She had a hearty appetite, though flowerfolk could actually survive on nothing but sunlight and water. Flowerfolk like Shaoyao, who enjoyed human food, were extremely rare.
From Shuxuan's perspective, the food was disappearing at an alarming rate. Worried, she asked, "Xiaoyi, Shaoyao eats so much. Aren't you afraid she'll bankrupt you?"
Shuxuan thought of Xiangyi's current predicament. The Qin family gave her a regular allowance, but having a magical beast to support was a different matter entirely.
"It's fine. I'll find a job when I get to Heaven City. Besides, Shaoyao doesn't actually need to eat. She just can't resist food when she sees it." Xiangyi patiently explained the unusual nature of her "magical beast." At last, Shuxuan smiled with relief.
Now that the bothersome Young Master Chen was gone, they could speak freely.
"That's good. Otherwise, I really would worry about your future. But your aunt was truly harsh this time. She actually sent you to Heaven City alone." Shuxuan thought of Zhang Mou, the mother of Prince Qin. Her name might have sounded casual, but she was anything but casual in how she did things.
"There's nothing I can do. I'm not related to her by blood. But if necessary..." Xiangyi gave a cold smile, then realized how wicked she sounded and hurriedly pretended to focus on her food.
Shuxuan didn't understand what she meant, but she noticed Xiangyi's cup was empty and poured her another cup of tea. Then she said solemnly, "Xiaoyi, you really went through a lot today."
Xiangyi accepted the cup and smiled. "It was nothing. I did it for you, after all."
Shuxuan's expression turned a little strange, probably because she remembered what Xiangyi had told Young Master Chen earlier. A moment later, she decided she was overthinking things. Even if Xiangyi really liked women, that had nothing to do with her.
Besides, Xiangyi had been locked up in Baichi Sanatorium because of her school's campus belle. There was no way the person she liked could be her, her future sister-in-law.
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Shuxuan's distracting thoughts faded, but for some reason, she felt strangely empty inside.
Although she'd only spent a few days truly getting along with Xiangyi, she felt that Xiangyi gave her a long-missed sense of security.
Shuxuan's gaze drifted toward Xiangyi again, only to find that Xiangyi was looking at her, too. But the moment their eyes met, Xiangyi looked away and turned her attention to the floating chopsticks.
Shuxuan felt a little pleased. At least if Xiangyi did like women, she wouldn't rank too low in Xiangyi's heart.
That thought gradually lifted Shuxuan's mood, and the two continued chatting naturally. Not long after, her phone rang. Shuxuan jumped, thinking the Sales Manager had come to hassle her again. But when she saw the caller ID, she realized it was Auntie. Her expression turned complicated, and she glanced at Xiangyi.
Xiangyi had also seen the caller ID. She drank her tea without a care. Her movements were elegant, and the teapot floating in midair poured tea into her cup by itself. She was so graceful she hardly seemed to belong to this world. Shuxuan felt a little dazed. If the phone hadn't kept ringing, she felt she could have watched Xiangyi like this all day.
Unfortunately, the phone's persistent noise brought Shuxuan back to reality. Reluctantly, she answered, and Zhang Mou, Prince Qin's mother, spoke from the other end.
"Xiaoxuan, are you done?"
Zhang Mou asked how Shuxuan was doing, her voice polite. She hadn't put the call on speaker, but Xiangyi could still hear the conversation clearly. Shuxuan didn't try to step away. She gave a brief affirmative, then asked, "Auntie, I'm done now. Where are you?"
"I'm outside your company, but they won't let me in." Zhang Mou sounded helpless. Shuxuan stood up at once to go meet her, but then remembered she couldn't leave Xiangyi alone. She sat back down and said, "Then I'll come get you, Auntie."
"No need. I drove here. Where are you? I'll come find you, and then take you to ask the company for time off." Zhang Mou replied, then made a new request.
Shuxuan looked even more confused. "Time off? What for?"
"The Qin family is holding a grand gathering tonight. You'll be my daughter-in-law, so naturally you should make an appearance." Zhang Mou explained, prompting Xiangyi to remember what Young Master Chen had said earlier about a Qin family gathering.
She hadn't expected it to be hosted by Xiangyi's own family. And given Young Master Chen's status, he had no need to attend some local rich people's gathering. In other words, there had to be something special about this one to make him show up.
"A gathering? Is some important person coming?" Shuxuan had the same question. Zhang Mou smiled mysteriously but didn't tell her who the guest was.
"Yes. Someone completely unexpected. All my friends begged me to bring them, but I refused and only invited you. So take the afternoon off. I'll make sure you're dressed up properly. We can't let the Qin family lose face." Zhang Mou sounded rather pleased with herself. She treated Shuxuan, her future daughter-in-law, better than Xiangyi, her daughter in name only. There were just a few things about Shuxuan that made her uncomfortable.
"Then, Auntie, should I tell Xiaoyi about this?" Shuxuan watched Xiangyi out of the corner of her eye, finding it difficult to bear.
Zhang Mou raised her voice angrily. "Her? She's not my daughter! Old Qin is dead. All I have is my son, and she turned him into this. It's only because I'm merciful that I haven't beaten her to death!"
Shuxuan had wanted to cover the phone, but Zhang Mou's words came through loud and clear. Shuxuan looked awkward. She'd thought Zhang Mou would at least pretend to be nice, but she hadn't expected her hatred for Xiangyi to run so deep.
After thinking it over, Shuxuan decided she would go back to the company to meet Zhang Mou and ask for time off. As for Xiangyi...
"Xiaoyi, what are you going to do?" Shuxuan noticed that Xiangyi looked surprised, yet perfectly calm, as though she hadn't heard any of that.
"Maybe I'll look around for a while. I'm leaving in a few days, after all." Xiangyi answered with a smile, then poured Shuxuan some tea, as though Shuxuan were the one who had been hurt and upset.
Shuxuan found Xiangyi even harder to read. Her eyes held a steadiness that seemed both dangerous and alluring. Shuxuan couldn't help looking at her for a few more seconds. Finally, she realized how strange she was acting and turned away. "I'll drop you at the station, then head to the company."
"Okay."
Xiangyi didn't refuse. In truth, she wanted to go with Shuxuan to the company and deal with the three living people still inside her Flower God Ring. But she didn't want to run into Zhang Mou and risk an awkward scene.
The two left the little restaurant. Shuxuan dropped Xiangyi at the station and drove away. Xiangyi then hurried back to Shuxuan's company and released the three people from the Flower God Ring.
Their eyes were cloudy, as if they were still under someone's control. But strangely, each of them had a little blade of grass growing on her head, as if she'd been placed under some additional spell.
Xiangyi was about to turn and ask Hua Nu what it meant, but Hua Nu's voice had already sounded in her mind.
Hua Nu: Thank you for your help, Flower Master. I really was muddled to have forgotten something so important.
Huangquan, the Flower God who barely seemed to be there, had planted little blades of grass in the humans' brains—and Hua Nu was thanking her?
Xiangyi was a little baffled. Hua Nu saw her confusion and explained in detail.
Hua Nu: These are the little blades of grass you and the Flower God created together.
Xiangyi: Yes, I could tell just by looking at them. But what's with the grass...
Hua Nu: Because of the time difference inside the Flower God Ring, a few hours outside can amount to several days inside. If ordinary humans went in, they'd die without food or water. So the Flower God planted little Grass to make sure they wouldn't be affected by the passage of time in the Flower God Ring.
Xiangyi suddenly understood. She realized that the world had filled in yet another detail she hadn't written down.
Hua Nu: Little Grass can possess people and absorb their nutrients. They can also control humans and use them as slaves. Even if these people wake up now, they'll obey your every command.
As she spoke, Hua Nu snapped her fingers. The three people came out of their daze. They seemed perfectly normal, but the moment they saw Xiangyi, their expressions turned respectful, as if the Flower Master's mark had been branded onto their souls and they had become her true slaves.
In that instant, Xiangyi suddenly felt an urge to raise a whole lot of little Grass and conquer humanity by this method.
Hua Nu seemed to see what Xiangyi was thinking and added:
Hua Nu: Flower Master, little Grass can only possess ordinary humans.
Xiangyi looked disappointed, though she thought it made sense. She gave the three people orders to protect Shuxuan while carrying out their regular duties.
The three nodded in agreement, their expressions unchanged. They soon left Xiangyi's sight. As for Xiangyi, she began considering her plans for the afternoon.
"Shaoyao, Hua Nu, what do you think? Should I go cause trouble, or go cause trouble?" All she could think about was what Zhang Mou had said earlier. It made Xiangyi feel that she had to sever her ties with the Qin family completely—so completely that even if she became successful one day, they wouldn't shamelessly cling to her.
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"Flower Master, do you really have a choice?" Shaoyao answered. She truly didn't understand why Xiangyi had asked such an obvious question.
Xiangyi smiled. "I'm just making up my mind. Causing trouble takes a lot of preparation. If I just rush in without thinking, I'll probably end up dead."
Xiangyi was used to planning ahead. Of course, she was also certain that without her glasses, she could use her second identity as Xiangyi. That way, she could keep Xiangyi's everyday life safe while hiding herself in the shadows.
Most importantly, she wanted to find out what kind of important person could make Zhang Mou so eager that she'd even take Shuxuan out of work to prepare all afternoon.
She closed her eyes slightly, and names of the female leads she'd set up appeared in her mind. There were quite a few who fit the bill, but since Ocean City was only a temporary stop, she couldn't be sure where any of the female leads would be.
"But I think that woman we met today, Xia Shang, might go, too. Flower Master said she'd be a tough opponent. Are you sure she won't recognize that you're the same person?" Hua Nu asked calmly, reminding Xiangyi to be careful.
"True. I remember she said one reason she came here was because of me. Then her other reason might be the Qin family gathering. Zhang Mou spoke to her yesterday, perhaps because of Prince Qin—or maybe she was trying to win Xia Shang over." The more Xiangyi thought about it, the more she felt she had to see this mysterious important person. Even if she didn't speak to them, the system could identify a flower fairy as long as she was within a certain distance.
Once she confirmed the flower fairy's identity, the system would upgrade after she reached Heaven City, allowing it to track the location of every discovered flower fairy. Then, no matter how important the person was, Xiangyi would have a way to find them.
But...
Xiangyi looked down at her clothes, then thought about the clothes she had at home. She didn't seem to have anything suitable for this kind of gathering.
Even if she did, the Qin family would probably recognize the clothes. That made finding something to wear the most troublesome problem at the moment.
"Hua Nu, are you good at sewing? I want to make a dress."
Xiangyi thought of another solution: buy a few bolts of fabric from a clothing factory, then make a dress inside the Flower God Ring. But she didn't know how to sew, and she was sure someone must be good at it.
"Uh, I'd be fine if you asked me to kill or save someone. They both involve needles, but my sewing skills are terrible." Hua Nu shook her head. Shaoyao shook hers even more vigorously, though Xiangyi hadn't been asking her in the first place.
Every flower person had their own strengths. Unfortunately, one of these two was good at assassination and the other at medicine, but neither was a craftsperson.
As for Flower God Huangquan, she didn't look like the sort who was nimble with her hands, either.
Shaoyao felt a little resentful at being dismissed, but then she thought of something. Her voice rose as she said, "Oh, right! Lord Huangquan is good at sewing."
Hua Nu immediately glared at her for telling the truth. "How dare you! How could the Flower God do something as vulgar as sewing? Her hands should be..."
Hua Nu had just started to say what those hands should be doing, when she suddenly realized there was no particular task they needed to be doing at all.
Xiangyi was the most surprised of all. Sewing and Lord Huangquan seemed like a completely mismatched combination. It was hard to imagine Huangquan also possessed the traditional virtues of a refined young lady.
The more Xiangyi thought about it, the more amazed she felt. Still, she cautiously called out.
Xiangyi: Huangquan, can you sew?
Huangquan: A little.
Xiangyi: Then how about I buy some fabric and you give it a try? I need a dress. If I don't have one, I won't be able to attend the gathering tonight and look for a new flower fairy.
Xiangyi made a point of emphasizing "flower fairy." She knew Huangquan must be even more eager than she was. If she used that as her reason, neither Huangquan nor Hua Nu could refuse.
Huangquan: All right.
Huangquan replied, as terse as ever. Since Xiangyi hadn't given Huangquan any Spiritual Energy, the two of them hadn't spoken for a while. They were like strangers.
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