I Want Both Fish and Bear's Paw! / Let's Try Again in a Different Position ...

WeChat — Zhang Mou: You're the first, but I hope you'll be the last, too.

WeChat — Xiangyi: But any hotel would do. Why do we have to go to your place?

WeChat — Zhang Mou: What, are you scared? My husband passed away a long time ago, so I'm the only one at home.

Zhang Mou's tone was teasing, and Xiangyi could picture what she looked like right now. Even so, Xiangyi still couldn't understand why they had to go to Zhang Mou's home.

WeChat — Xiangyi: Of course not. I checked my schedule. I can only come in the evening.

To prevent anything unexpected from happening, Xiangyi decided to keep the visit short. Once she got her second kiss, she'd make a run for it, as if she'd vanished off the face of the earth.

WeChat — Zhang Mou: What a pity. I'd hoped we could have a drink together and spend our last days relaxing.

WeChat — Xiangyi: You make it sound like something's going to happen to you. Don't worry, there's still plenty of time ahead.

Xiangyi hinted at what she meant. Zhang Mou sent a smiling emoji, as if she was pleased with the answer. Then she asked if they could have a video call.

WeChat — Xiangyi: Sorry, I'm in the dorm right now. It's a little inconvenient.

This time, she chose to refuse. Sister Shuxuan was right beside her, and she really couldn't sneak off to the balcony or the bathroom again. Sister Shuxuan would think she was up to something she shouldn't be.

Zhang Mou didn't press the issue. They chatted about the delicious food they'd eaten over the past few days and the lives they'd been living, as if Zhang Mou were treating Xiangyi like an old friend. Their relationship felt so strange to Xiangyi. It was as if Zhang Mou had all sorts of needs, and once Xiangyi accepted them, Zhang Mou kept wanting more.

Although she was forty and had become much more mature and composed, at heart Zhang Mou was still human. As long as she had emotions and desires, she could lose control, feel lonely and yearn to love and be loved.

Though Xiangyi understood that Zhang Mou's needs were behind all this, she still found it unbelievable. She couldn't help asking what Zhang Mou was thinking.

WeChat — Xiangyi: Can I ask you something?

WeChat — Zhang Mou: That depends on whether I can answer it.

WeChat — Xiangyi: Why did you choose me? You're beautiful, you seem rich, and you have plenty of other options.

Xiangyi found it strange. She'd only met Zhang Mou once and helped her out, but that didn't seem enough to make a woman who usually seemed as prickly as a hedgehog lower her guard and choose her.

WeChat — Zhang Mou: Hmm, that's a little hard to answer. Just think of it as me being attracted to you because you're beautiful.

Xiangyi had expected Zhang Mou to say something sweet to win her over. The answer left her a little dazed. She stared at it for a while, and Sister Shuxuan's gaze beside her grew sharper, as if she sensed something off between Xiangyi and the person she was messaging.

Xiangyi instinctively hid the chat, then continued typing.

WeChat — Xiangyi: I don't think that explanation is convincing at all.

WeChat — Zhang Mou: Then do you want to hear what I really think?

Zhang Mou asked tentatively. Xiangyi thought it over, then decided to ask. If she knew what Zhang Mou was really thinking, she could run away without feeling guilty.

WeChat — Xiangyi: I do.

WeChat — Zhang Mou: You're beautiful, smart, and sweet. You have a good temper, too. Most importantly, you're a girl. Being with you doesn't come with any extra burdens.

Then, as if that still wasn't enough to reassure her, Zhang Mou typed another line.

Zhang Mou: You're a girl, so I don't have to worry about pregnancy, and I won't have to worry about you trying to take everything away from me.

That last point was probably the most important reason Zhang Mou had chosen Xiangyi. Her reply was so rational that Xiangyi almost felt as if they were negotiating a business deal.

WeChat — Zhang Mou: Of course, if you need it, I can pay you a monthly allowance to keep you. If you need a lot of money urgently, I can lend you a large sum, too. All you have to do is keep me company every day, and you can't flirt with anyone else.

Xiangyi stared at the message with a complicated expression. She was witnessing a real-life rich woman offering to keep someone all over again. Zhang Mou might only be part of the Qin family's collateral branch, but she still belonged to high society. And with her social skills, she'd earned the company a great deal. The Qin family's main branch treated her very well.

Xiangyi went over the details in her head, then quietly took a screenshot. If she could, she wanted to post anonymously about how terrified she was after suddenly being offered an allowance.

But Sister Shuxuan coughed beside her, reminding Xiangyi that she didn't have the freedom to let loose yet. She reined in her expression and saw Zhang Mou type another message.

WeChat — Zhang Mou: Did I scare you? I've always been a realist. Maybe that's why I don't even have any friends. If you can't accept this kind of relationship, we can say goodbye today.

Zhang Mou was decisive. If Xiangyi said no, the relationship would end right there, and there'd be no chance of getting what she wanted from Zhang Mou. Xiangyi started to feel anxious. Whatever happened between them later, she needed to get the most important thing first.

WeChat — Xiangyi: I don't need you to keep me. I can work for myself. But things are moving too fast, and I don't know if I can stay with you for the long term.

Xiangyi softened her wording, letting Zhang Mou know that she might run off at any time. Rather than make empty promises, she'd rather be honest about everything.

Zhang Mou sent a handshake emoji. Xiangyi almost felt as if she'd successfully negotiated her salary with a boss.

In any case, they agreed on a time and place. Zhang Mou even sent Xiangyi some spending money in advance, which left her feeling conflicted.

Zhang Mou was a beautiful woman, but she was also Xiangyi's adoptive mother, at least on the surface. That strange combination made Xiangyi feel even more excited.

WeChat — Xiangyi: Let's leave it there for today. We'll meet tomorrow and talk properly.

WeChat — Zhang Mou: All right. See you tomorrow.

As they chatted, Zhang Mou sent a kissing emoji. Xiangyi had never seen a woman this good at acting cute. But she couldn't bring herself to send an equally cutesy emoji, so she simply sent a rose in return, as a way of showing affection to an elder.

After she'd done all that, Xiangyi put her phone down and suddenly thought of something even more terrifying.

Tomorrow was Sunday. Sister Shuxuan wouldn't be working and would be home all day. What excuse could Xiangyi use to convince her she was spending the night somewhere else?

Xiangyi was at a loss, but she kept pretending to look at her phone as she secretly switched to another WeChat account.

It was an Android app that let her run two WeChat accounts at once. Xiangyi was afraid that carrying two phones would be too conspicuous, so she'd downloaded the app instead. Now that she'd switched to the account she used normally, she saw several messages from Muning, as well as a few shares about Heaven City.

Muning had been feeling down, but perked up when she found out Xiangyi was going to Heaven City, too. Xiangyi didn't know if what she'd done was right, so she chatted with Muning about this and that to pass the time.

When she finally looked up, Sister Shuxuan was sitting beside her with a stern expression. She seemed angry.

"Sister Shuxuan, tomorrow I want to go with Muning..." Xiangyi decided to use Muning as a cover and create an opportunity to spend the night at Zhang Mou's place.

"No."

Sister Shuxuan refused immediately. Then, as if she realized she'd sounded too harsh, she softened her tone. "I have to buy you a few more things tomorrow. You're leaving on Monday, so you can't go anywhere."

Xiangyi gave her a troubled look. "But I already made plans with Muning."

Sister Shuxuan didn't hesitate. "Then invite her over."

She really didn't want Xiangyi spending time alone with Muning. She seemed determined to make sure it didn't happen, even as she watched the two of them interact.

Xiangyi felt a little frustrated. Then an idea came to her, and she started acting pitiful.

"But Muning and I are about to part ways. I don't know when we'll see each other again."

Xiangyi grew more and more sorrowful as she spoke. She'd thought Sister Shuxuan was softhearted enough to give in if Xiangyi wore her down, but Sister Shuxuan refused even more firmly.

"No means no! You're not going anywhere tomorrow. You're staying with me!" Sister Shuxuan raised her voice at Xiangyi, sounding almost like an overbearing CEO. Only after she'd snapped did she realize she might have gone too far.

When she looked at Xiangyi, she saw that she seemed frightened. Sister Shuxuan rubbed her temples, trying to calm herself down. But even now, she didn't understand why she was angry. She just didn't want to give Xiangyi time alone with Muning.

"Sorry, Sister Shuxuan." Xiangyi could only apologize for now as she thought about what else she could try.

She was going to Zhang Mou's home that evening, of course. She couldn't scare Zhang Mou a second time; that would only make things more complicated.

Seeing Xiangyi lower her head, Sister Shuxuan tried to explain why she'd lost her temper.

"Xiaoyi, I don't know what your relationship with Muning is, but my feelings for you are just as strong as hers. You're both so reluctant to part, but I can't bear to be without you either. Yet the way you're acting now makes it seem like she matters more to you than I do." The more she explained, the more she realized something still felt off, as if she was just jealous of Muning and didn't want Xiangyi going out because of that.

Their last evening together should belong to her and Xiangyi, not to Xiangyi and Muning.

Xiangyi felt a little dazed as she listened. She knew girls could be possessive, but Sister Shuxuan's possessiveness seemed rather intense. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond or what expression to wear.

"I'm sorry, Sister Shuxuan. It's my fault." For now, Xiangyi chose to apologize. She didn't know what she'd done wrong, but calming Sister Shuxuan down came first.

Sister Shuxuan's mood finally improved. "How about this? We'll pack in the morning, and in the afternoon you can go out with Muning, but you have to be back before dinner."

Xiangyi laughed helplessly. There was no way she could get Zhang Mou to change their date. If she'd known things would turn out like this, she would've asked Sister Shuxuan first, then arranged the rest of her plans with Zhang Mou.

Maybe she'd have to try the same trick as before again?

Xiangyi was torn. She couldn't bear to leave Zhang Mou's lips, but Sister Shuxuan was someone she couldn't afford to offend. She couldn't split into two people to handle both situations at once.

'Split... split...'

Suddenly, Xiangyi thought of Little Grass's ability. If she possessed someone, she could turn an ordinary person into a puppet. All she had to do was have Little Grass find an excuse to trick Sister Shuxuan into going to the company to work overtime. Then Xiangyi could pretend she'd stayed home that night.

Even if Sister Shuxuan really came home, Little Grass could notify Xiangyi remotely right away.

Once she'd settled on the plan, Xiangyi pretended to play with her phone while using her thoughts to contact Little Grass. She told her to notify the three Little Grasses she'd possessed before.

Little Grass: Flower Master, what are your orders?

Xiangyi explained her idea to the three Little Grasses. They were troubled and told her that none of them worked in sales. On top of that, Sister Shuxuan was a manager, so they didn't have the authority to order her to work overtime.

Little Grass: But everyone knows the sales manager has it in for her. How about you have another Little Grass possess the sales manager, Flower Master? Then you could send Sister Shuxuan to the company. Given their relationship, Sister Shuxuan wouldn't suspect anything. She'd just think it was retaliation over Young Master Chen's contract last time.

Xiangyi's eyes lit up. Little Grass had a point.

As long as she found the sales manager tomorrow afternoon, her plan would work. With Muning as a cover, Sister Shuxuan would never notice anything strange about her actions.

Once she'd settled on her plan, Xiangyi's mood improved. She reached out and hugged Sister Shuxuan. "Sister Shuxuan, I knew you were the best!"

Sister Shuxuan, who'd been watching Xiangyi sit quietly, was a little stunned. But when Xiangyi hugged her, she felt flustered all over. She instinctively pulled away, apparently remembering the way she'd secretly kissed Xiangyi last night.

Xiangyi pretended not to know and accepted the schedule Sister Shuxuan had proposed. Then she pretended to bargain for more time with Muning.

"But you could just invite Muning over. Wouldn't that save time? I won't disturb you." Sister Shuxuan asked curiously. She didn't understand why Xiangyi was being so secretive, as if she were sneaking around or going on a date, insisting on spending time one-on-one with Muning. There was a hint of suspicion in her gaze, as if she still doubted the relationship between Xiangyi and Muning.

On top of that, Xiangyi had said she liked girls while deceiving Young Master Chen earlier. Thinking about Muning made Sister Shuxuan feel even more conflicted.

"Talking one-on-one is better than having three people together. Sister Shuxuan, you may be trying hard to hide it, but I can tell you don't like Muning, right?" Xiangyi continued her attempt to persuade her. Sister Shuxuan didn't deny it. She honestly nodded.

"If all three of us would be miserable, then it's better to spend time one-on-one."

Xiangyi gave her answer with a straight face. Sister Shuxuan gently touched the tip of her nose and said, "You sound just like a heartbreaker. I'm worried you'll turn bad when you get to Heaven City."

Sister Shuxuan wore a helpless expression, but she had no idea Xiangyi was already well on her way to turning bad. Xiangyi laughed guiltily and kept talking until she finally changed the subject.

They watched more TV. When it was almost midnight, they went to bed. Sister Shuxuan seemed unable to sleep, and with their separation so close, she chatted with Xiangyi again. Xiangyi could feel how much Sister Shuxuan cared about her, but no matter how wonderful someone was, she was still just a passerby in this story...

A little over an hour later, Sister Shuxuan fell asleep while she was talking. Xiangyi tucked her in, then, still worried, used some incense to put Sister Shuxuan into a deep sleep. Only then did she enter the Flower God Ring.

Ever since Oleander had been activated, the Flower God Ring had been far too quiet. If Xiangyi hadn't been with Sister Shuxuan, she would've gone inside to check on things long ago.

Now that the situation in the real world was finally taken care of, she entered the Ring's special space and was met with a strange sight.

The ground was covered in craters, with signs of fighting everywhere. The peach blossom demon called Yaoyao cowered in a corner, trembling. Flower Goddess Huangquan sat leisurely on the only undamaged patch of ground, while Little Grass still maintained a defensive formation and kept watch over the area, as if waiting for an enemy to show up.

"Did the heart demon come again?" Xiangyi asked in confusion, thinking of the heart demon that appeared when Shaoyao evolved.

Little Grass shook her head frantically. She was too busy trying to protect herself to pay Xiangyi any attention. The more Xiangyi looked, the less she understood. She started toward Flower Goddess Huangquan, but Huangquan, who'd been reading on a chair, suddenly vanished.

By the time Xiangyi noticed her again, Huangquan was beside her, pulling her right into her arms. Xiangyi found it stranger by the second, but then she realized something was wrong with her clothes. Her perfectly intact outfit suddenly turned to shreds, and Xiangyi hurriedly covered herself.

Then she saw who'd flown past. It was none other than the newly activated Top-tier Flower Person—Oleander. She was still tiny, and held a long sword in her hand. Her sharp gaze swept over the surroundings, as if she were searching for someone.

Oleander soon seemed to realize what she'd just done. She hurried over to Xiangyi to apologize.

"Flower Master, I deserve to die for my crime!" Oleander said gravely, dropping to her knees in midair to beg Xiangyi's forgiveness.

Xiangyi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but when she thought about the state she was in, she decided she should find something else to wear first. She'd just turned around when new clothes suddenly appeared on her. Then Xiangyi saw who had given them to her: Flower Goddess Huangquan.

Her gaze was still icy, but she continued to stand beside Xiangyi. Xiangyi couldn't read her feelings, but she didn't seem as cold as Xiangyi had imagined.

Xiangyi hurriedly caught the ancient-style outfit and pulled it on.

The red outfit was ornate and looked very heavy, yet it felt light and delicate when she put it on, almost like air. What was more, it felt strangely alive.

"Thank you, Huangquan." Xiangyi felt even more grateful. But the instant she said it, the outfit seemed to sense her emotions. It began to spread over her body, then devoured the extra clothes she was wearing. When Xiangyi looked down again, she found herself dressed in a complete ancient-style outfit.