Suddenly Popular? / This Darned Kindness ...

Suddenly Popular?

"So you're that interested in me." Unwilling to back down, Xiangyi deliberately made the atmosphere between them even more ambiguous and took a few more steps toward Xia Shang.

Xia Shang smiled. Her dark eyes once again glimmered with gold. Xiangyi dodged to the side and felt something whiz past her ear. Xia Shang then calmly put on a pair of sheer gloves. The symbol on them aligned with the spot where the Chosen One mark was, and shone even brighter.

It was a signal to fight. Xia Shang's special nature meant she could fight at any time. But Xiangyi hadn't expected her to strike so readily.

Shaoyao: Master, she's very strong. You're no match for her. Let me handle this!

Shaoyao warned her and moved to stand in front of Xiangyi, but Xiangyi stopped her.

Xiangyi: We'll have to fight sooner or later. Only by fighting will I know where my strength stands. If I hide behind you all forever, how can I be the Flower Master? I might as well be a mere leaf.

Shaoyao was baffled. She didn't understand why Xiangyi had suddenly brought up leaves. Hua Nu still wore that inscrutable smile and added leisurely,

Hua Nu: As the old saying in Heaven Country goes, green leaves set off red flowers.

Shaoyao understood at once. In the blink of an eye, she saw Xiangyi remove the hair clip holding her hair in place. It was an ordinary hair clip, but in Xiangyi's hands, it became as deadly as a hidden weapon. Throughout all this, Xiangyi's Chosen One mark remained dark.

Xia Shang watched, frowning slightly. She'd seemed to be merely testing Xiangyi's strength, but she'd suddenly realized that her opponent's power was strange. Xiangyi's movements and posture weren't relying on a Chosen One's abilities at all. Rather, her attacks seemed to come naturally from her own strength.

Xia Shang had to take the fight more seriously. She gathered her power in her hands through the gloves, and a nearby trash can flew toward Xiangyi. Just as Xiangyi thought Xia Shang was nothing special, the trash can rapidly split into countless pieces before her eyes.

"Telekinesis and illusion?" Xiangyi stared at the trash cans multiplying before her. After only a few turns, she could no longer tell which were real. In the blink of an eye, the trash cans sprouted arms and sharp, angular edges, transforming into something like a meat grinder.

She couldn't tell whether they were real or part of the illusion. Faced with such an attack, Xiangyi was completely bewildered. Hua Nu and Shaoyao hurried forward to protect her, but a cold voice abruptly rang out.

"Third row, second column." The voice came out of nowhere. It had to be Huangquan, the taciturn Flower God. Without hesitation, Xiangyi flung her hair clip toward the spot. At the same time, two cards struck it as well.

The illusion vanished, and the targeted trash can dropped to the ground. The hair clip and two cards were lodged firmly inside it. Just as Xiangyi wondered whether Xia Shang had reinforcements, she spotted the twin siblings she'd met briefly earlier.

Qin An and Qin Ren walked over and blocked Xia Shang's path.

"Professor Xia, would you spare this young lady for our sake?" The whole story had gone completely off script. More shocking still, members of the Qin family had actually spoken up on Xiangyi's behalf.

Shaoyao: What on earth is going on? Flower Master, have they recognized you?

Shaoyao was just as flustered. Xia Shang was already hard to deal with, and now there were two more twins whose allegiance was unclear. Shaoyao grew even more anxious.

Xiangyi was equally baffled. She had no idea where these people, who weren't in the script, had come from. Seeing the siblings protect her only made things harder to understand, so she patiently waited for an explanation.

"Qin An, Qin Ren, do you know her?" Xia Shang lowered her guard, but was just as curious about the twins' relationship with Xiangyi. A moment later, she seemed to realize something and smiled. "I see. How could I have forgotten?"

As she spoke, Xia Shang removed her sheer gloves and glanced at Xiangyi once more.

"Remember this. You won't be so lucky next time." After speaking, Xia Shang instinctively adjusted her glasses, then quickly turned and left.

Qin An and Qin Ren let out a sigh of relief. They walked up to Xiangyi and spoke in unison. "This is what we looked like when we saw you back then."

Xiangyi was even more confused. She remembered how Qin An and Qin Ren had reacted when they saw her at the reception, as though they'd seen a ghost, and the inexplicable things they'd said. Now the twins were continuing that conversation. When they saw Xiangyi didn't understand, they both smiled and held out their hands.

"I'm the older sister, Qin An."

"I'm the younger brother, Qin Ren."

"We look forward to getting along with you."

They introduced themselves with smiles, as if they wanted to be friends with Xiangyi.

"Let's skip the introductions. I have nothing to discuss with the Qin family." Xiangyi didn't understand what was going on, but chose to be cautious in the face of their sudden friendliness.

"Then what's your name, Sister?"

The two of them remained just as warm toward her. Only then did Xiangyi notice that the Chosen One marks on their arms were strange. A Chosen One mark had been split in two, so each twin had received half the power.

These twins had originally been bit-part characters meant to be humiliated. It seemed that Xiangyi's changed position had changed theirs as well.

"Sister, what's your name?"

The two repeated the question, waiting eagerly for Xiangyi to answer.

But Xiangyi hadn't even thought of a name for her other identity. Under their expectant gazes, she desperately tried to come up with something.

"My name is Hua... Hua Linglong." The moment she said it, Xiangyi regretted it. After all that thought, she'd chosen a truly awful name.

Hua Linglong was a painfully common name, one that appeared all the time in novels. But she couldn't use a name generator now, so she'd just have to make do.

"That's a lovely name. Can we call you Sister Hua?"

Without her glasses, Xiangyi looked more mature. With her outfit, she seemed like a beautiful woman in her twenties. Xiangyi nodded, and the two pulled out their phones, asking her to add them on WeChat.

Xiangyi was stumped again. Of course she couldn't add them using the WeChat account that belonged to Xiangyi's original identity. If she did, it would only take a little digging to discover the connection.

After thinking it over, Xiangyi held out her hand. "My phone's broken. Write your WeChat IDs on my hand, and I'll add you when I get back."

The two didn't seem suspicious at all. They readily took out their pens to write their IDs, but then noticed the phone number already written on Xiangyi's hand.

Whose handwriting was this? Mrs. Zhang's?

What was surprising was that the two seemed to realize who the phone number belonged to as soon as they saw it.

Xiangyi found it unbelievable and asked, "How did you know?"

The twins smiled without answering. They moved a little farther apart and carefully wrote their WeChat IDs on her hand, adding their names too.

"Mrs. Zhang wanted us to be friends with her child. I was practicing that day, so she wrote the number on my hand." Seeing Xiangyi's gaze, Qin An finally explained.

Qin Ren nodded. "That's right. I watched her write it on my sister's palm, so I remembered it. I just didn't expect that soon afterward..."

Qin Ren seemed about to mention how Xiangyi had turned Prince Qin into a vegetable, but Qin An stopped him with a look. Xiangyi found this even stranger, but pretended not to care as she memorized the two WeChat IDs written on her hand.

She was only just starting out in this world, and these bit-part twin siblings might prove even more useful than she'd imagined.

"Sister Hua, be sure to add us!"

"That's right. We're both pretty useful, especially once you get to Heaven City."

Qin An and Qin Ren emphasized it once again, then nodded slightly to Xiangyi and soon left with smiles. Xiangyi found the whole thing harder and harder to understand. She asked Hua Nu and Shaoyao what they thought, but neither of them could offer a definite explanation.

Xiangyi thought of Huangquan, the Flower God who'd helped her just now by accurately identifying how to break the illusion, and decided to ask.

Xiangyi: Huangquan, why do you think those two are approaching me?

One second passed, then two. Huangquan didn't answer. Xiangyi thought that was normal enough. Huangquan's personality was that of a cold, aloof snow lotus, and there was no way Xiangyi could melt the ice just yet.

She sighed in disappointment, but then Huangquan's voice drifted lazily into her mind.

Huangquan: They can foresee the future.

After saying that, Huangquan no longer replied, no matter how many times Xiangyi asked. But those words were enough for Xiangyi to imagine the truth behind Qin An and Qin Ren's approach.

They'd glimpsed a corner of the future, so they'd come to curry favor with Xiangyi ahead of time. In other words, Xiangyi would still have entanglements with the Qin family in the future.

Xiangyi smiled at the thought. Even she found it unrealistic, but for now, she couldn't think of any other explanation. One thing was certain, though: she wasn't so charming that the two would be completely captivated by her.

Seeing that the camera was still recording everything, Xiangyi looked up again and smiled calmly at the camera that had been pointed at her the whole time, as if greeting the person on the other end.

After that, Xiangyi followed her earlier memory to the staff changing room and successfully changed back into her own clothes. Once she put her glasses on, she was back to her ordinary, carefree self.

She left the changing room, this time avoiding the cameras and ensuring there was no evidence that Xiangyi had ever been there.

But reality played a joke on her. Before she'd even gone a few hundred meters, she ran into Xia Shang again.

Unlike before, when Xia Shang had treated Xiangyi cruelly after she'd taken off her glasses, she seemed rather friendly toward the ordinary-looking Xiangyi now.

"Xiangyi, why are you here?" Xia Shang looked her over as if Xiangyi were an interesting experimental subject.

Even though her attitude had changed, Xiangyi still felt uneasy. Xia Shang's thoughts were even harder to guess at.

"I... heard the Qin family was holding a gathering," Xiangyi replied. She reacted in the opposite way from before, lowering her head and nervously rubbing her hands together to show Xia Shang just how uneasy she was around her.

"But from the look of you, you weren't invited, were you?" Xia Shang said with a small sound of surprise. She moved closer to Xiangyi, as if checking something. It made Xiangyi tense up, worried she'd left behind some trace that would let Xia Shang discover the truth.

Hua Nu: Flower Master, I've already removed the scent that lingered on you. Xia Shang won't be able to detect it. Even if she does, you can't face her head-on, but I can easily assassinate her.

Those words reassured Xiangyi a little, though she also thought Hua Nu was far too fond of killing people. Still, she had no interest in complaining. Xia Shang was the most frightening enemy she had to face, and might also be the hardest target to win a kiss from in the future.

Xiangyi relaxed and replied, "I know, but I still wanted to have a look."

"Mm. Is there someone here you care about?" Xia Shang heard the implication. She still wasn't wearing her glasses, and without them, her eyes looked somewhat aggressive.

Perhaps Xia Shang knew that she herself had an intimidating presence, which was why she used glasses as a shield. She leaned forward slightly, making her exquisite features even more striking from that angle. She was an incredibly elegant woman, but her gaze sent chills through Xiangyi. Xiangyi felt as if she couldn't hide anything from her.

Xiangyi's mind raced. She restrained her body's instinctive reaction and said softly, "Mm, there is someone I care about."

Xia Shang's aggressive demeanor eased a little. It seemed she'd finally realized she'd once again treated Xiangyi like one of the criminals she interrogated in prison. Xiangyi felt the intense pressure disappear. Xia Shang was once again the elegant and charming Professor Xia, not the woman criminals feared.

"Would you like me to help?" Xia Shang asked again. She thought Xiangyi really had someone she liked in the family and wanted to sneak a look at her sweetheart before leaving.

"Better not... I'm just wandering around. Aunt Zhang is... terrifying." Xiangyi lowered her voice even further. Though she said Mrs. Zhang was frightening, what she was thinking of was the scene in the dim little room earlier.

If she'd really been alone with Mrs. Zhang back then, who knew how thoroughly she might have been devoured?

"It's all right. Your aunt isn't as scary as you think." As she spoke, Xia Shang tried to touch Xiangyi. Xiangyi recoiled several steps, terror plain on her face.

It wasn't an act. She really had been frightened.

"Sorry, I really don't want to see Aunt Zhang." Xiangyi hurried to apologize. Xia Shang seemed to have predicted she'd react this way, and then slowly continued, "In that case, how about taking a walk with me?"

Xia Shang seemed to be deliberately using Xiangyi's fear of Mrs. Zhang to get her to walk with her.

Xiangyi grew even more nervous. Every woman chosen to become a Flower Spirit had a dark side. That darkness was the nourishment that activated the Flower People. Seeing how interested Xia Shang was in her, Xiangyi began to worry about her own safety instead.

Judging by the way various works portrayed it, people who studied psychology were either geniuses or criminals. The script Xiangyi had created contained only character introductions; everything else depended on how the world unfolded. She didn't know whether changing the script would raise the already tenfold difficulty of surviving to a hundredfold.

"What, are you afraid of me? Didn't you say yesterday that you really liked me?" Xia Shang noticed Xiangyi hesitating and reminded her again.

"I'm... afraid I'll run into them." Xiangyi slipped both hands into her pockets, hiding her overly visible emotions. But the gesture also showed Xia Shang that she was uneasy, in the hope that Xia Shang would take pity on her and let her go.

First, people from the Qin family might show up at any moment. It would be awkward if they saw her. Xiangyi just wanted to get to Heaven City in peace and didn't want anything more to do with the Qin family.

Second, Xiangyi was worried Xia Shang might be even more frighteningly clever than she'd imagined. Until she knew more about Xia Shang, Xiangyi didn't dare spend too much time with her.

"Don't worry. They don't know about the place I'm going." Xia Shang smiled faintly and took a few more steps toward Xiangyi. Yesterday, she'd seemed distant, but today, for some reason, she was so warm toward her. Xiangyi still had plenty of questions, but obediently followed Xia Shang.

She was still wearing the same evening gown, elegant as a swan. Her back was straight, her bearing exceptional. She looked as if she'd once studied dance or something similar, with a poise far beyond that of an ordinary beauty.

If Xiangyi's looks were measured on a scale, Xia Shang was at 120 percent right now. Normally, she was at 100 percent.

Everything about her outfit and demeanor was perfectly on point, giving Xiangyi the impression that she'd been born for the stage. Yet Xia Shang had chosen to work with criminals.

Although Xia Shang was a character Xiangyi herself had created, when she thought about that beautiful face dealing with such hardened criminals, she couldn't help feeling that Xia Shang must be in danger every day.

"What are you looking at?" Xia Shang noticed Xiangyi was walking slowly, so she slowed down too and walked beside her, asking why Xiangyi was looking at her.

"I was just wondering, wouldn't a beautiful woman like Professor Xia be afraid?"

The question seemed to confuse Xia Shang. She didn't appear to understand what Xiangyi meant.

"I mean, Professor Xia, you're always dealing with criminals. Once they've seen your face, they'll never forget it. Then they'll keep pestering you and creating all kinds of trouble." Xiangyi explained more clearly what she meant by being afraid. She wondered if even a woman like Xia Shang, someone who seemed to belong up in the heavens, felt fear like an ordinary person.

Xia Shang's smile deepened. She tilted her head to look at Xiangyi, then said, "I've met many people and taught many students. They've asked all sorts of strange questions, but you're the first person to ask me something like that."

She really seemed amused by Xiangyi's question, remarking on how unusual it was.

"Well... it just feels like beauty comes with danger, especially for someone as beautiful and capable as you, Professor Xia. A lot of people would even see it as a challenge." Of course, much as she didn't want to, Xiangyi would be one of the people who challenged Xia Shang in the future.

"You're half right. Good looks can certainly bring some advantages, but the disadvantages far outweigh them. Still, I'm very interested in criminal psychology. Even coming into contact with dangerous criminals can't shake my love for this field." Xia Shang didn't elaborate or brag about how many people pursued her and all that nonsense. She spoke plainly and sincerely. It was clear that beneath her elegance, she still held to her principles and her sense of justice. That was why she'd reacted so strongly to Xiangyi's other identity earlier.

"Even if it could make your life dangerous?"

"Yes. So, Miss Xiangyi, are you afraid?" Xia Shang asked, tossing the question back to Xiangyi. Xiangyi was confused and looked at her questioningly.

Only then did Xia Shang continue, "Your aunt told me you really like reading mystery and detective novels."

Xiangyi remembered that the campus beauty, Muning, had also mentioned that Xiangyi liked mystery and detective novels. If that was the case, then Xia Shang definitely wasn't a stranger in the original Xiangyi's world. And judging by Xia Shang's attitude, she'd only grown a little friendlier toward Xiangyi after meeting Mrs. Zhang. It made Xiangyi think that perhaps the original Xiangyi had been a huge Xia Shang fan.

Though Xiangyi didn't know just how devoted a fan she'd been, the fact that Mrs. Zhang had invited Xia Shang showed that even after the protagonist changed, Xiangyi still held an important place in the story, perhaps even serving as the key to driving everything forward.

"I'm sorry. I didn't tell you I knew your aunt when I saw you earlier." Seeing Xiangyi remain silent, Xia Shang apologized again, clearly thinking she'd been frightened by what she'd said.

"No, it makes sense. You're an authority in your field, and you're my idol. I was just a little surprised." Xiangyi hurried to explain, her voice gradually growing softer. Thankfully, Xia Shang wasn't someone from her real life but an outsider. If Shuxuan had been replaced by Xia Shang, Xiangyi felt she would've exposed herself as not being the original Xiangyi in no time.