Just Kidding-Who's Lusting After Whose Body? / This Little Lolita's a Bit of a Firecracker

At first, Xiangyi had found the situation pretty awkward, but she'd gotten used to the awkwardness by now. Seeing Huangquan finally prove useful, she hurriedly opened the map to find the nearest textile factory and buy some fabric.

Buying a dress would've been quicker, but even ordinary dresses cost tens of thousands. Xiangyi simply didn't have the money for one. Besides, rather than wear a dress that looked much like everyone else's, it made more sense to wear something no one else had.

The trip to buy fabric went smoothly. The supplier mistook Xiangyi for a purchasing agent and readily sold her some fabric at retail price. Xiangyi then went to a nearby shop to buy the tools needed for cutting and quickly entered the Flower God Ring.

She set everything down, and Hua Nu and Shaoyao followed her inside. They were both curious to find out what Huangquan meant by "knowing a little."

But after Xiangyi had put everything down for a while, Huangquan still showed no sign of getting up from her chair. Xiangyi was left feeling awkward. Of the three women, Huangquan was the one she least wanted to chat with. Ice-cold beauties might be popular, but they could also be intimidating.

"Huangquan, you can start now."

At Xiangyi's call, Huangquan finally moved. She set down the Children's Encyclopedia she was reading, but didn't get up. She looked at Xiangyi. "What kind do you want?"

Xiangyi was a little stunned. She hadn't expected Huangquan to let her choose. After thinking it over, she went online and found a few outfits that seemed to suit the fabric. The designs were simple, and the tools on hand should be enough to make a rough version.

As for anything she couldn't manage to make, Xiangyi planned to rely on her looks without her glasses. Even if she didn't attract everyone's attention, at least no one would realize how cheap her outfit really was.

"These are the ones. See which you can make... But I should warn you, we only have a few days." One hour in the Flower God Ring was roughly equivalent to more than a day. After the run to the fabric supplier and all the negotiations, there were only a little over three days left before the evening banquet.

Making a dress was complicated, and Xiangyi had prepared for both possibilities. If Huangquan couldn't do it, she would have to bite the bullet and buy one.

Huangquan shook her head. Xiangyi thought there was no hope, but then Huangquan said, "The fabric humans make these days is so crude. I'll use my own instead."

As she spoke, Huangquan slightly spread the fingers of one hand, and a bolt of cloth appeared. It shimmered with Spiritual Energy; just looking at it, Xiangyi could tell it was priceless.

But Huangquan still made no move to get up. She took a dagger from her Cosmic Bag.

The dagger had an unusual design, like some kind of old-fashioned tailor's scissors. As soon as it appeared, it flew into the air and whirled wildly around them. Rather than a knife, it was more like a magical treasure with a mind of its own.

A small gust of wind followed wherever it went. Huangquan raised the fabric slightly, and the dagger darted over to cut it. Its cuts were neat and precise, as though it knew exactly what it was meant to make. Huangquan then calmly took out something that looked like a needle and thread.

But unlike ordinary needle and thread, each piece seemed to have a will of its own, flying wildly through the air. They moved incredibly fast, stitching with impeccable precision. The thread was as strong as steel wire, yet soft and supple. Somehow, this contradiction was exactly what made it possible to join the fabric together.

In just fifteen minutes, Xiangyi saw the rough shape of the dress she wanted. The pieces continued refining it, bringing it into being right before her eyes. At first, Xiangyi thought the tools themselves were magical. But when she looked closer, she realized Huangquan was controlling them with her mind.

Everything in the world seemed to move in sync with Huangquan. And Huangquan still had no intention of leaving her seat. Lying back lazily, she casually finished the dress.

By the time Xiangyi's head was spinning from watching, the dress had floated lightly into her hands. She knew the moment she touched it that it could hardly be called a dress. It was a genuine piece of protective gear.

"Try it on," Huangquan reminded her, recalling the magical treasures as she slowly rose. Xiangyi murmured assent and thought about changing in the wooden hut. But then she remembered that everyone in the Flower God Ring could see every part of her life. There was no point in hiding while she changed, so she took off her clothes without hesitation.

The dress had a somewhat complicated design, and Xiangyi was clumsy putting on an evening gown for the first time. But Huangquan, who was supposed to be from ancient times, seemed to know more about clothes than she did. Huangquan came close, and the scent that wafted over made Xiangyi hold her breath in fright. Even so, she accidentally breathed in a little.

Even that tiny hint of floral fragrance left Xiangyi feeling tipsy.

Xiangyi pinched herself to stay calm. She couldn't help thinking of Huangquan's human-shaped Harem Harvester design. Her saliva could be used to make Spring-Return Medicine, and her scent could make people feel... aroused. Her body was the most perfect in the world.

But if someone couldn't resist the temptation and gave in, it wouldn't be a happy romance. Huangquan would drain them completely, leaving not a drop of blood or a shred of soul behind. No one was an exception.

Ultimately, it was all because an author named Xiangyi had written herself into such a dangerous situation, making Xiangyi instinctively afraid of the Harem Harvester.

Huangquan still didn't realize how terrifying her allure was. She was helping Xiangyi put on the dress, and her fingers occasionally brushed Xiangyi's skin. Xiangyi's face was red from holding her breath. She finally let out a sigh of relief when Huangquan said she was done.

But Xiangyi soon realized Huangquan hadn't left. It seemed she still had something to say. Looking over, Xiangyi saw Hua Nu openly giving Huangquan a meaningful look, reminding her that it had been a while since she'd absorbed Spiritual Power to create flower people.

Huangquan seemed reluctant, but still said coldly, "Flower Master, it's been several days since we last transferred Spiritual Power."

She treated transferring Spiritual Power as a duty, but deep down, she was even more resistant to the process than Xiangyi.

Xiangyi nodded and forced a smile. "I've been so busy lately that I forgot. By the way, do you remember our deal? We ask one question for every kiss... Today's question is: aside from tailoring, what else can you do, Huangquan?"

Xiangyi took a small step back, giving herself a chance to catch her breath.

"A little of everything," Huangquan answered simply. Thinking of how her supposed "little" skill had produced a dress like this, Xiangyi figured Huangquan was just being modest. She was probably a well-rounded, straight-A student.

"I see. Is there anything you want to ask me?" Xiangyi realized their conversation had stalled again, so she asked what Huangquan wanted to know.

Huangquan shook her head, apparently about to say she had no questions for Xiangyi. But then she caught Hua Nu's gaze.

After a pause, Huangquan asked, "Why are you afraid of me?"

"How could I possibly be afraid of you?"

How could Xiangyi tell Huangquan that she wasn't scary—she was just too beautiful and too alluring? If Xiangyi fell for her, she'd be done for.

"Answer me."

Huangquan insisted. It seemed this was her only question for the moment. She could also tell that Xiangyi was clearly wary around her, as if afraid Huangquan might eat her.

"Well... how do I put this? Huangquan, you're very alluring. I'm afraid I might fall for you." In the end, Xiangyi thought of the simplest answer. Faced with Huangquan, who could attract men and women alike, she truly felt she might not be able to resist the temptation.

After saying that, she walked over to Huangquan, and their lips met again. The ritual for transferring Spiritual Power was completed, but all it produced was Little Grass.

"Looks like we still have a long road ahead of us," Xiangyi joked. She planned to make a quick escape as soon as the kiss was over, before the awkwardness could drag on.

But just then, Huangquan grabbed her and asked coldly, "Could it be that you don't consider me your Dao companion?"

Xiangyi was completely baffled. She swore she'd never written any melodramatic setup like that. Had this world made up another story in its head?

"What do you mean?" Xiangyi turned around, though this time she looked to Hua Nu, who was comparatively more talkative.

Hua Nu smiled. "This old servant forgot to mention that the Flower God Ring was also the keepsake exchanged by the Peach Blossom Immortal Venerable and the Mother of the Heavenly Dao. Since the Flower God Ring chose you, that means Heaven chose you too. You are the other half destined for Lord Huangquan."

Hua Nu's smile was radiant, but Xiangyi felt she had deliberately kept this from her. Since Xiangyi was a woman, Hua Nu had been afraid to scare her off. But now Xiangyi was clearly questioning her own sexual orientation, and Hua Nu was overjoyed. Xiangyi stared open-mouthed, feeling that this was both perfectly logical and completely unexpected.

She quickly calmed down and said, "I'm helping Huangquan because I'm not after her body. I just want to survive."

Xiangyi was sincere. In her design, Huangquan had been proposed to so often that she'd grown resistant to romance. She'd even developed a fear of falling in love and getting married. Someone like Huangquan should prefer being alone, not being forced into a relationship with anyone just to regain her former glory.

She was a true woman of strength, and the character Xiangyi had put the most care into creating. But now Hua Nu's words made Xiangyi feel as though she'd ended up with her own favorite character. It was a strange feeling.

Hua Nu deliberately looked disappointed. "What a pity. If you became Lord Huangquan's Dao companion, not only would Lord Huangquan be yours, but all of us flower people would be yours too, if you wanted."

As if she thought that wasn't tempting enough, Hua Nu smiled and guided Xiangyi's hand toward her body.

Xiangyi felt it without surprise and couldn't help swallowing. Hua Nu was curvy, and every part of her looked like the perfect work of a creator. She might seem a little evil, but that didn't stop Xiangyi from appreciating her objectively.

The beauty mark beneath her eye made her even more attractive. Hua Nu's smile was radiant, but Xiangyi couldn't tell just by looking how much of it was genuine.

Xiangyi pulled her hand away and repeated her answer.

"I told you, I'm helping you because my situation is just as miserable as yours. I only want to survive. And you flower people really shouldn't say things like that. Now that you've finally gained your freedom, you should do what you want instead of following those antiquated rules."

Xiangyi sounded half-serious, and even she almost believed she was turning a pure wrestling novel into something positive and uplifting. Hua Nu arched an eyebrow and teased her. "Oh, is that why you touched me a few extra times just now?"

Xiangyi froze and tried to remember what she'd done, but she was certain she hadn't done anything inappropriate. Hua Nu seemed intent on breaking down Xiangyi's defenses, but a force pulled Xiangyi away even faster. When Xiangyi looked, she assumed Shaoyao was getting involved with Hua Nu's jealousy tactics.

But when she turned around, she saw that it was Huangquan who had grabbed her by the waist. Her expression was still cool, but her presence brooked no refusal.

"You should go out now," Huangquan reminded her, clearly unwilling to let Xiangyi linger. Xiangyi nodded, and the hand released her. The faint floral scent was still as alluring as ever. Once she was done, Huangquan returned to her seat and picked up the Children's Encyclopedia.

To a modern person, the scene might have seemed ridiculous. But to someone from ancient times, it was a sign that Huangquan wanted to integrate into modern life. Or perhaps Huangquan did want to go out. It was just that her soul was sealed inside the Flower God Ring, and she no longer had enough power to leave.

If she really wanted to go out and explore, she still needed help from Xiangyi, the Flower Master. Huangquan's action didn't seem to have any special significance. Once she'd confirmed that, Xiangyi thanked her and hurried away.

As soon as Xiangyi left, Hua Nu started scolding Huangquan.

"Lord Huangquan, isn't spoiling her like this against the rules?"

Thinking of how Huangquan, as the Flower God, had personally made a dress, Hua Nu couldn't help but wonder. In an ancient dynasty, what emperor would personally help a minister make clothes, much less go out of her way to help Xiangyi out of a difficult situation?

"It's too early to talk about that. She hasn't accepted us at all," Huangquan said, as if she'd already seen through everything. She didn't say much because talking was such a hassle, but she clearly wasn't as cold as people imagined. She watched Xiangyi and found her very interesting.

Xiangyi's fresh reactions made Huangquan feel she was different from everyone else. As for what she'd just said about being Dao companions, that was only a joke.

"Well... If you know it's too early, why joke with her about being Dao companions? What if she takes you seriously?" Hua Nu sounded even more exasperated. She might have looked like a stunning beauty, but she had the nagging habits of an old woman and could never seem to shake them.

Huangquan lowered her head to read, acting as if she hadn't heard. Hua Nu grew even more exasperated and said, "I can't tell if you're more like Lord Peach Blossom or the Mother of the Heavenly Dao."

Huangquan didn't respond. Hua Nu's words couldn't disturb her in the slightest. Seeing that, Hua Nu grew even more irritated, feeling thoroughly aggrieved.

She'd spent years being ordered around by that person, and that would've been bad enough. Then, after finally getting together with that person, she'd still ended up dragged into the Flower God Ring by Huangquan. Now Hua Nu couldn't leave; her soul was bound to the Flower God Ring just like Huangquan's.

Whenever she thought about that coincidence, Hua Nu suspected that person had done it on purpose. The more she thought about it, the more she ground her teeth, and she started picking on Little Grass.

Meanwhile, outside the ring, Xiangyi was chatting with Shuxuan on WeChat. Shuxuan was completely off guard. Thinking Xiangyi was feeling down, she even called her to chat for a while. Xiangyi continued playing the victim and asked about more details. Following the various clues, she found where the Qin family gathering was being held.

It wasn't at the Qin family villa, but at Ocean City's most famous hotel, the Ocean Hotel.

In most cities these days, any hotel bold enough to take the city's name was one of the best. After confirming the location, Xiangyi started navigating toward the hotel.

Xiangyi drew plenty of attention as she ran at full speed, making her feel awkward. She realized running all the way there wasn't going to work.

Xiangyi: Hua Nu, when can I learn Sword Flight?

Xiangyi thought of one of the coolest moves for an immortal cultivator: Sword Flight. It could be used as transportation, and it wouldn't make her stand out too much.

Hua Nu: Flower Master, since you've learned Falling Leaves Plucking Flowers, you should be able to use Spiritual Energy to control a sword. But you said a sword would be too conspicuous. Why not find some kind of board to use instead?

Hua Nu's voice sounded in her mind, explaining that Xiangyi could now try learning Sword Flight. Xiangyi was delighted, but thought that flying on a board would still be too conspicuous.

Her gaze roamed around, and she spotted some children skateboarding in the park. A new idea came to her. If she didn't want to draw attention by using Spiritual Energy to control a sword, she could pour her power into a skateboard. It would look like an electric skateboard and wouldn't attract too much attention.

Once she'd settled on the idea, Xiangyi navigated to a nearby sports shop and chose the most basic skateboard. The shop assistant kindly asked if she wanted to learn a few basics first, but Xiangyi politely declined.

Then Xiangyi carried the skateboard to a quiet spot and carefully stepped onto it. She felt her center of gravity shift, but quickly adjusted her body and regained her balance. Xiangyi tried moving a few times, but controlling the skateboard wasn't as easy as she'd imagined.

Still, it was enough to put on a show.

Once she was sure she could keep her balance, Xiangyi called Hua Nu out.

"Flower Master, focus your power beneath your feet and try to let the True Qi flow out slowly, wrapping around the skateboard." Hua Nu began teaching her. Hua Nu was also standing on something, but it was a thin twig too narrow for anyone to stand on.

Even so, the twig carried Hua Nu into the air with ease, as if she were standing on a sword rather than an ordinary branch.

"The trick is to use a real object and gather your True Qi inside it. Then you can achieve the same effect as controlling a sword with your energy." Hua Nu continued explaining. Xiangyi patiently considered what she meant. In an instant, she felt the skateboard shift beneath her feet.

But she hadn't controlled her True Qi properly, and the skateboard shot straight into the air. If Xiangyi hadn't already mastered her balance, she would've fallen.

"Good. But you have to feed it True Qi slowly. If you do it too fast, you won't get the effect you want. Of course, you can also pour in a lot of True Qi if you want to fly on the skateboard. But remember, you've only just begun cultivating. Your True Qi isn't abundant yet, so you'll get exhausted after flying for a little while." Hua Nu explained patiently and carefully. Xiangyi thanked her, and once the skateboard had settled back down, she slowly fed it True Qi.

The skateboard began carrying Xiangyi along. She steered it by shifting her body, and after a few laps she quickly got the hang of it. She could even keep it looking as if it were rolling along the ground, when in fact it was flying through the air.

That way, the skateboard could move faster without slowing down from resistance. More importantly, even at high speed, Xiangyi could stop it in time and avoid an accident.

After another fifteen minutes or so, Xiangyi had become quite skilled. She seemed to have a natural talent for learning, but Hua Nu thought that Xiangyi might be that person's reincarnation, so she wasn't surprised at all.

She watched silently. Only when Xiangyi turned to look at her did she clap.

"As expected of the Flower Master. You learn everything quickly."

"That's only because you helped improve my constitution so successfully. If I hadn't spent thirty months in the Flower God Ring, I might not even know how to release True Qi." Xiangyi was being modest. This time, she rose a little higher, several meters above the ground. It looked as if someone had lifted her up.

Fortunately, there were no security cameras nearby to catch this strange sight.

Once she was sure she could make the trip without any problems, Xiangyi carried the skateboard out of the alley. She followed the road ahead and came back to the sports shop where she'd bought it.

As luck would have it, the shop assistant was taking out the trash. When he saw Xiangyi standing stiffly on the skateboard, he looked like he wanted to laugh. But then he noticed the skateboard making an S-shaped turn all by itself. Xiangyi stood perfectly still on it, as if the skateboard had a mind of its own.

But the shop assistant knew his own products. He watched in confusion as Xiangyi flashed him a smile and left only a dashing silhouette behind.

Using the skateboard was obviously much better than running. When people saw her coming, they even moved aside to give her plenty of room. Xiangyi wore a hat and mask, giving the city no unnecessary chance to record her face.

By the time she reached the Ocean City Hotel, it was already past five. Xiangyi snuck into the underground parking lot and took the elevator upstairs. She soon found the room where the Qin family was holding its banquet.

The event officially began at eight in the evening. Xiangyi wasn't late at all; if anything, she was early. Several waiters were chatting nearby, and the guest list lay carelessly on a table with no one guarding it.

Xiangyi quietly had Shaoyao bring over the roster. Then she used her Eidetic Memory to memorize everyone's names and search for the big shot.

She looked through the list, but apart from Chen Haowen, Shuxuan, Xia Shang, and Zhang Mou, not a single name looked familiar. The big shot wasn't on the list. Xiangyi also realized that this was a gathering you could only enter with an invitation.

There was no way she could make a dazzling entrance at the door. Even if Xiangyi walked right in, there was nowhere nearby to hide, leaving her in a difficult position.