.
### "Now what do I do?" Xiangyi's gaze shifted as she searched for another way in. For instance, she could use someone else's belongings to get inside, like she had before. But that carried far more risk than going to the company that morning, so Xiangyi gave up on taking the chance.
She paused. The waiters seemed to have noticed the missing list and were looking toward the table. Fortunately, Shaoyao had put it back. Xiangyi, wearing glasses, had little presence and hadn't aroused anyone's suspicion.
Xiangyi was about to ask Hua Nu whether there was another way to get inside directly when she suddenly remembered the Disguise Technique she had copied from Shaoyao.
Shaoyao's Disguise Technique was only the most basic R-class kind, and Xiangyi didn't have any materials on hand. Still, it could alter the impression someone gave off. If Xiangyi took off her glasses and changed her appearance a little, she should be able to fool people who had seen her face before.
Though she regretted not making a dazzling entrance, Xiangyi's goal was to have more contact with influential people. She didn't need to make a deep impression on them the first time they met.
Having made up her mind, Xiangyi had Hua Nu bring out a Little Grass. The loli-version of Little Grass stood only about a meter tall. She had a pair of beautiful, wide eyes and looked a little mixed-race, but her intelligence was no different from that of an ordinary child, and she wasn't particularly strong in battle.
At Xiangyi's instruction, Little Grass nodded and immediately threw herself at the woman Xiangyi had pointed out, wrapping her arms around the woman's leg. The sight was so cute that Xiangyi felt a warm glow in her heart. Just as she was thinking that Little Grass really was the cutest creature in the world, the adorable Little Grass suddenly opened her mouth wide and swallowed the woman in front of her whole.
Then Little Grass transformed into the woman's likeness. Unlike the woman, however, she now had four blades of grass on her head, marking that the possession had succeeded.
Little Grass: Master, possession successful.
Little Grass smiled sweetly, while Xiangyi managed only a strained smile. According to the system, though all the lolis were called Little Grass, their true forms had nothing to do with the ordinary grass found by the roadside. They were actually man-eating flowers.
Man-eating flowers were stunningly beautiful, their blooms shaped like the sun. What was interesting was that they behaved much like animals. They needed to devour ten living beings before they could bloom. And that wasn't all: ten man-eating flowers had to be continually nourished by various living creatures before they could bear fruit.
Looking at Little Grass now, she seemed to have inherited the man-eating flower's strengths. Their memories and powers were shared, which didn't seem all that useful, but Xiangyi had a feeling that Little Grass might become the strongest fighter in the future.
A sense of anticipation suddenly welled up inside Xiangyi. Her gaze toward Little Grass grew fervent. Shaoyao noticed and, displeased, jabbed her with a finger.
"Flower Master, you're not thinking of kissing Little Grass too, are you?"
For a moment, Xiangyi wore a strange smile. Shaoyao couldn't help feeling that her words had given Xiangyi the reckless courage to do something completely unhinged.
"Mm, you're right. Why shouldn't I try kissing her?" Xiangyi considered the idea seriously, then summoned the system and checked Little Grass's profile to see whether she had any skills worth copying.
Name: Little Grass.
Copyable active skills: Locked; insufficient intimacy.
Copyable passive skills: Harmless R-class
Overall rating: R.
Though she knew Little Grass was probably an R-class card, Xiangyi still felt disappointed by what she could get.
She'd thought she might at least learn something like a skill for copying people, but the R-class limitation made the skill just as useless. As for the passive skill, Xiangyi didn't think it would be of much use, but she checked the description anyway.
Harmless R-class: Reduces the user's presence by 30%.
Harmless SR-class: Makes the user go unnoticed for a certain period of time.
Harmless SSR-class: Conceals the user's aura for a certain period of time; can evolve into a UR-class invisibility card.
When she saw that this R-class card could actually level up, Xiangyi suddenly decided that Harmless was a pretty good skill.
Since there was still some time before the event began, she found a corner and immediately entered the Flower God Ring to greet the Little Grasses.
"Little Grass, don't be scared. Let Mommy give you a kiss." Xiangyi beamed. The Little Grasses were terrified by the look on her face and scattered, but with Xiangyi's speed and strength, they obviously couldn't escape her.
By the time Shaoyao and Hua Nu came in too, they found that Xiangyi had already nibbled on several Little Grasses.
"This... This is beyond the pale! Flower Master, you've gone too far!" Shaoyao was trembling with anger. She tried to stop Xiangyi from bullying the Little Grasses, but Hua Nu held her back.
"Look at the Flower Master's expression first."
"What expression? It's appalling..." Shaoyao wasn't in the mood to look. She only felt as though Hua Nu had jabbed her with a needle. The sting made Shaoyao suck in a sharp breath, but it also helped her calm down.
As she focused her gaze, she realized that Xiangyi was kissing the Little Grasses, but her movements were very gentle. She merely brushed their lips lightly, as if searching for some special feeling among them.
Seeing Shaoyao calm down, Hua Nu hinted, "Don't you think it's strange? After the Flower Master kissed you so many times, she learned all the moves you're good at."
Hua Nu had once discussed the matter with Shaoyao in private, asking whether she had taught Xiangyi assassination techniques. Shaoyao was absolutely certain she hadn't—not to mention that she had never even used them in front of Xiangyi. Now this scene seemed to remind Shaoyao of how her martial arts had been learned.
Shaoyao's expression turned grim. "Are you saying the Flower Master has some kind of special ability, and that's why she keeps kissing me?"
Hua Nu nodded. "It's possible. Otherwise, why would she only kiss you?"
Shaoyao still felt that something was off. "But the Flower Master kissed Lady Huangquan too, and Lady Huangquan didn't lose any techniques."
Hua Nu sneered. "Don't you think she learns techniques too quickly? Falling Leaves Plucking Flowers was something I begged Peach Blossom Immortal Venerable to teach me for ages. Look at me—I spent years learning it, while she mastered it in just a few days inside the Flower God Ring. I even suspect she already knew the technique and was deliberately making a fool of me."
Though Falling Leaves Plucking Flowers was the simplest technique in the Flower Cherishing Record, it was still hard for an ordinary person to learn. Xiangyi had mastered it effortlessly, which was one of the main reasons Hua Nu suspected that damn Peach Blossom Immortal Venerable had come back to toy with her again.
"This..."
Shaoyao didn't know how to answer. Hua Nu went on to her second point.
"Besides, look at how different she appears with her glasses on and off. Those glasses must be some kind of magical treasure that hides her face. Humans have all sorts of good stuff these days, but nothing this clever. It makes me think this Flower Master is pretending to be harmless while hiding her true strength."
Hua Nu continued analyzing the situation, but Shaoyao grew even more confused. "Then tell me, Hua Nu: if that's really the case, what exactly is the Flower Master doing among us?"
Hua Nu's expression grew even more serious. "I think she wants our bodies. Shaoyao, remember to be careful of the Flower Master's sweet talk. Don't let her have her way with you... Wait, have you already...?"
She seemed to remember the time Xiangyi had pulled Shaoyao into a little wooden hut and kept her there for a while. At the time, Hua Nu hadn't thought much of it. As long as she wasn't the flower person being sacrificed, she didn't care. But now that she knew Xiangyi might have ulterior motives toward them, Hua Nu suddenly felt that sacrificing Shaoyao had been a terrible deal.
"No... We only kissed in there. She wasn't as awful as you say." Shaoyao blushed as she defended her innocence with Xiangyi. But when she thought of how that had been their last kiss, she realized Hua Nu's theory might well be right.
Every time Xiangyi kissed her, her gaze had been so clear and innocent, as if she were merely carrying out some kind of ritual.
But...
"Lady Hua Nu, I still want to beat her up!" Seeing Little Grass on the verge of tears, Shaoyao rolled up her sleeves and tried to rescue the Little Grasses from their plight.
"Oh, but I don't think you'll be able to..." Hua Nu hadn't finished speaking when Shaoyao charged in with her bare hands, intent on rescuing Little Grass.
Xiangyi noticed her and reacted quickly. With a trick like a golden cicada shedding its shell, she restrained Shaoyao, then grabbed another Little Grass and kissed her.
System: Congratulations, user has obtained the R-class Harmless skill.
Xiangyi let out a sigh of relief, released Little Grass, and then set Shaoyao down from her arms. "All right, I just suddenly thought these Little Grasses were really cute. I've kissed enough of them for now. I should head out."
As she spoke, Xiangyi returned from the Flower God Ring. Shaoyao, who had just been completely unable to fight back, stared at her in disbelief. She felt humiliated that she, a proper assassin, had been subdued so easily.
The smile hadn't yet faded from Hua Nu's face. She patted Shaoyao on the shoulder and said, "Don't be upset. There'll be plenty more days like this when you get bullied."
Shaoyao, who had already been close to breaking down, burst into tears. She'd clearly taken a severe beating, both physically and emotionally. Xiangyi had no idea, though. She had found the Little Grass who had possessed the waiter and was explaining her plan.
"Little Grass No. 4, take me to your changing room and get me a set of your uniforms. Also, come with me later. If I do anything wrong, you have to help me."
The Little Grass possessing the waiter was like a parasite living in a human body. Apart from the human's ordinary daily routines, she felt nothing but absolute loyalty to Xiangyi. In time, Little Grass and the waiter would also form a symbiotic relationship, lasting until the human host died.
Intoxicating Fragrance
Though possession was effective, each Little Grass could possess only one person, so Xiangyi had to use them carefully to avoid running out.
The waiter possessed by Little Grass immediately began following orders and helped Xiangyi change into a waiter's uniform. Xiangyi thought it would be more low-key to keep her glasses on. But this was a gathering hosted by the Qin family, and Zhang Mou and several other members of the Qin family, who had always disliked her, would be there. No matter what, Xiangyi couldn't ruin her public identity as the Qin family's discarded daughter.
As for her face without the glasses, it was so beautiful that she looked like a completely different person. The Harmless skill she had just obtained from Little Grass came in handy, but when Xiangyi looked at herself in the mirror, even with her presence reduced by 30%, she still stood out too much.
After thinking it over, she searched around. With the waiter's help, she eventually found a pair of non-prescription glasses for fashion. She also styled her hair like the waiters' and applied some makeup to give her skin a more tanned look.
She still looked like a beauty at first glance, but she wouldn't be recognized quite so easily.
"R-class Disguise Technique really isn't good enough. I wonder when I'll find a flower person with a better one." Xiangyi looked at herself in the mirror, feeling that she could still be recognized easily. But even if she was, she was the Qin family's discarded daughter; it wasn't that strange for her to sneak into the gathering.
Once she was sure that being recognized wouldn't cause any serious problems, Xiangyi calmed herself down and joined the other waiters.
But she still stood out too much, and the head waiter questioned her. Hua Nu lightly pricked him with a needle. The drug sent him into a daze, and he did exactly as Hua Nu directed.
"I remember now. I hired her as a temporary replacement because I knew today would be busy. Do your best, everyone. This is a truly grand event, so don't make any mistakes." After Hua Nu prompted him, the head waiter came back to his senses and began giving the others their instructions.
Because Xiangyi looked good, she was assigned to greet guests at the entrance. The job didn't involve wearing a qipao, though; she had to check invitations and make sure each person was allowed in.
That put Xiangyi on her own, separated from Little Grass, the waiter. Xiangyi was a little lost and asked Hua Nu if she could do it again and switch Little Grass, the waiter, over to her. That way, Little Grass could guide her, and she wouldn't make any mistakes.
Hua Nu: This is Intoxicating Fragrance. It's poisonous. If someone uses it repeatedly within a short period of time, it'll turn them into a vegetable like Prince Qin.
Xiangyi: I see. So Prince Qin can't recover?
Hua Nu: A quack doctor certainly couldn't help him.
Hua Nu didn't sound completely certain. Xiangyi said, "Oh," but still had Hua Nu use Intoxicating Fragrance to replace the waiter who had been assigned to work with her with Little Grass, the waiter.
Little Grass, the waiter, had already begun telling her what she knew. Xiangyi listened closely, though she was still a little nervous. In her previous life, she had never attended gatherings of the rich, much less worked as a waiter. As a result, every mistake she made drew more attention from the others.
Xiangyi's real aim was to watch the show, so keeping a low profile was still her priority...
At 6:03 p.m., everyone in the Qin family's main branch had arrived, except for the old master. Xiangyi belonged to a collateral branch, so Zhang Mou and Shuxuan weren't among this group.
"Hello, please sign in." Little Grass, the waiter beside Xiangyi, had already stepped forward, apparently thinking they were guests.
Hearing her, a frivolous middle-aged man laughed. "Do you people not recognize faces? I've been at the venue all day."
Little Grass, the waiter, looked embarrassed and quickly said, "Sorry. We have day and night shifts, so we don't know what's going on inside."
The man laughed and took the clipboard. "I know. It's just that you're both so beautiful. How could I forget something so important?"
As he spoke, he reached out as if to touch Little Grass, the waiter. She froze, then felt herself being pulled away. When she looked over, she saw that Xiangyi had protected her.
Little Grass, the waiter, gave her a grateful smile. Although she had become instinctively loyal to Xiangyi, she was still human. Xiangyi's action had helped her avoid the man's wandering hands.
The middle-aged man noticed Xiangyi and marveled at her beauty.
"Beautiful, are you sure you're really a waiter?"
"Sir, I am indeed a waiter. A hotel waiter." As she spoke, Xiangyi maintained a polite distance, giving the man no opening.
The man looked disappointed and was about to keep chatting her up when the woman behind him kicked him. The kick sent him yelping. He turned around angrily, ready to demand who had dared to act so brazenly, but the moment he saw her, his face fell and he gave her an ingratiating smile.
"Wife."
"You do remember I'm your wife. If I catch you flirting again, I'll cut it off and make you a eunuch." The fierce woman said this as she grabbed him by the ear and dragged him toward the entrance.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the couple, lowering Xiangyi's presence again. They chatted and laughed as they wrote their names on the clipboard. Xiangyi took the opportunity to match each name to a face. The Qin family also left two people at the entrance with Xiangyi and Little Grass, the waiter.
Compared to the middle-aged man, these two younger guests were much better behaved. A young man and woman, both under twenty, they were handsome and pretty, and the Qin family was pushing them as its two leading heirs.
They seemed very nervous, though. They kept their heads down, studying a little note as if memorizing lines. They looked as if they'd put a lot of effort into preparing for this moment.
Xiangyi looked closer out of curiosity and noticed that the big shot on their note had the surname Ye.
Everyone called him CEO Ye, and the flattery they'd prepared was truly endless. Xiangyi couldn't imagine anyone enduring such sycophancy, let alone whether this CEO Ye was really all that important.
None of her female protagonists had the surname Ye, but this man shared the surname of the protagonist, Ye Fan. That made Xiangyi wonder whether CEO Ye was a new antagonist, brought in to replace Prince Qin.
She couldn't yet think of a reason they would happen to share a surname, and now she was too busy to dwell on it.
Reality Was So Harsh.
After the Qin family's main branch arrived, the other guests began showing up one after another. Xiangyi's mind was busy memorizing every face she saw, and she could barely keep up.
Even if Xiangyi's life would eventually have nothing to do with the Qin family, remembering these people's faces could only benefit her.
A short while later, people from the Qin family's collateral branches arrived. Xiangyi naturally spotted Zhang Mou and Shuxuan.
The two looked like black-and-white beauties. Zhang Mou wore black from head to toe, with bright red lipstick. Even though she was a pretty woman, her flamboyant look covered up her natural radiance.
Or perhaps Zhang Mou had dressed this way on purpose to draw everyone's attention to Shuxuan. Xiangyi's gaze shifted to Shuxuan, who wore a little white dress that made her look all the more elegant.
Though Shuxuan had once been a fallen heiress, she had always had an exceptional air about her. Her appearance had already scored 95 points, and now, with her careful styling, she was unquestionably a perfect ten. Everyone's attention gathered around her, but when their eyes shifted to the waiter, Xiangyi, they immediately felt Shuxuan was nothing special.
Xiangyi's appearance had already scored 180 points. Even after reducing her radiance by 30% and adding a waiter's uniform and non-prescription glasses, she was still prettier than Shuxuan. On top of that, her simple outfit made her even more eye-catching than Shuxuan in her finery. The contrast was striking.
"This..."
Zhang Mou was dumbfounded. She felt that this waiter had shown up just to ruin the Qin family's event.
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