Sitting Beside a Beauty / Allow Me to Show Off ...

Of course, most of her things were still in the Flower God Ring. She had only taken out a suitcase to make the scene look better.

"Mm. Then let's go." Zhang Mou glanced around and headed for the door again. She seemed a little impatient, which struck Xiangyi as strange.

"Sister Shuxuan, do you think Auntie's angry?"

"I don't think so. From what I know of her, she probably just thinks we've wasted too much time. I can't go with you for the rest of the way. Do your best when you get there, and keep in touch whether anything happens or not." Xiangyi and Shuxuan each carried a suitcase as they walked behind the others. Shuxuan was the more reluctant to part, and Xiangyi nodded, feeling a little melancholy about the farewell as well.

Chapter 122: 23, Sitting with a Beauty

There was so little time. If she'd had a few more days, she might even have been able to win Shuxuan over. Xiangyi thought helplessly as she kept up her usual pace. But when she glanced back, she saw that Shuxuan had fallen behind. She was walking so slowly, as if taking her time could somehow keep Xiangyi from having to leave.

They were already in the underground parking garage. Even if they didn't walk, Zhang Mou's car would soon be driving over.

"Sister Shuxuan, it's not like we're never going to see each other again." Xiangyi walked back, unsure how to express the complicated, helpless feelings inside her. But she didn't share a deep bond with Shuxuan, so she couldn't understand why Shuxuan was so reluctant to part.

The world was vast, but no gathering lasted forever. Even if Xiangyi was leaving now, Heaven City wasn't very far from Ocean City. If Shuxuan wanted to see her, she could even visit on the weekends.

"I know... It's just that thinking about my parents..."

Shuxuan's face had gone pale. The scene of their parting reminded her of the car accident that had taken her parents. Only then did Xiangyi understand. She crouched down too and spoke gently. "Sister Shuxuan, it was an accident no one wanted. And this time, nothing like that will happen. When I get to Heaven City, I'll call you right away, okay?"

Xiangyi felt as if she were soothing a child, but considering her own age, she really was a few years older than Shuxuan. At last, Shuxuan's expression softened, and she stood up again.

"Mm, you're right... Let's go. We should join Auntie." Xiangyi watched Shuxuan take a deep breath, her eyes clearing again. Xiangyi followed her onward and added something to the other flower people in her mind.

Xiangyi: It'll take two hours to get to Heaven City. Unless something really serious happens, don't come out during the trip.

The flower people all nodded. Shared memories had also let Oleander learn how perceptive Xia Shang was. Even if the flower people could turn invisible, Xia Shang might still sense that something was off.

Hua Nu: Then call us if you need anything, Flower Master. I've had some insights lately, so I'm planning to go into seclusion for a while.

Shaoyao: I want to see how I've changed after evolving, too.

Finally, Oleander said: I want to see if I can figure out how to hit someone without killing them.

Huangquan, naturally, said nothing. Xiangyi had gotten used to not asking her anything. She watched as the car pulled out. The butler, Little Grass, was driving, with Zhang Mou in the front passenger seat and Xia Shang in the back.

"Miss, please put the suitcases in the trunk," the butler, Little Grass, said politely. He wanted to get out and help Xiangyi himself, but with Zhang Mou there, he couldn't act as if the two of them were close.

Xiangyi answered with a soft "Mm." The trunk opened, and she and Shuxuan put the luggage inside. Then Xiangyi got into the back seat beside Xia Shang.

Would the dead Xiangyi have been happy enough to climb out of the underworld if she saw this dreamlike scene? The Xiangyi here, though, still felt very uneasy.

Xia Shang gave her a polite smile, but seemed like the quiet type. That suited Xiangyi just fine. In any world, talking less and working more was clearly the best rule for survival.

Seeing Shuxuan still standing there, Zhang Mou assumed she didn't want to part with her and reminded her, "Xiao Shuxuan, you should head back. I'll get Xiangyi settled over there and then come back."

"All right, Auntie." But Shuxuan kept sneaking glances at Xiangyi as she waved goodbye.

The butler, Little Grass, started the car, and Xiangyi rolled down the window and waved to Shuxuan too. The car started moving. Shuxuan grew smaller and smaller in the distance, but she kept watching, still seeming very worried.

Worried that the same thing would happen again. Worried that she would lose someone else who mattered most to her.

The car soon left the parking garage, and the people behind them finally disappeared from view. Xiangyi rolled up the window and felt the cool air inside the car.

For an ordinary person, the temperature was pleasantly refreshing in the summer heat. But Xiangyi noticed that Xia Shang seemed unable to handle the cold. Out of politeness, Xia Shang didn't say anything, so Xiangyi silently redirected the air vent in the back seat.

But that did little to ease the chill. For anyone who felt cold easily, air-conditioned rooms were practically torture.

Xiangyi looked down at the sun-protective jacket she was wearing. After a moment's thought, she took it off and asked tentatively, "Professor Xia, would you like to wear this? The sun's really strong over there."

Rather than ask Xia Shang if she was cold, Xiangyi had pointed to the sun and brought up sun protection. Xia Shang looked at the jacket in her hands, thought it over, then accepted it with a nod. "Thank you."

It seemed Xia Shang found the sun harder to bear than the cold. She actually put on Xiangyi's jacket and unconsciously leaned a little closer to her.

Was it the jacket that had brought them closer, or was Xia Shang simply trying to stay out of the sun?

"Professor Xia, would you like to switch seats? I don't mind getting a tan." Xiangyi continued to show her concern. Xia Shang looked at her white clothes and skirt, then at Xiangyi dressed all in black, like a crow in the dark, and shook her head. "Black absorbs heat. You could get heatstroke. Let's just stay like this."

Compared with the hostility Xia Shang had shown toward her as Hua Linglong, she was much gentler with Xiangyi. She was as elegant and approachable as ever, and even a faint smile made her seem like a spring breeze.

The butler, Little Grass, focused on driving, while Zhang Mou stared at her phone. Xiangyi even heard the phone vibrate and knew Zhang Mou must have sent a message to her Hua Linglong identity. But Xia Shang was sitting beside her, so Xiangyi wasn't bold enough to flirt and banter with Zhang Mou in that setting.

Still, Xiangyi was bored. Remembering that she had books in her bag that she'd brought back from the Qin family home, she opened it and took one out. It was wrapped in a book cover, and the content looked old, but judging from its well-worn condition, it had been a favorite of the previous Xiangyi.

Now, bored in the car, Xiangyi set about finding out why.

The book was titled Criminal Psychology Profiling. It had been published long before Xiangyi was born, and its contents were all professional material.

How to infer a person's personality and methods from the traces they left at a crime scene; how to estimate a criminal's height and age from their methods; and how to analyze criminals.

Xiangyi read very quickly. After just a few glances, her brain automatically built a database, committing everything to memory as if scanning the pages. She turned through the book page by page and finished it in no time, then took out a second book and began flipping through it.

Chapter 123: 24, Let Me Show Off a Little

Xia Shang seemed bored too. Xiangyi's book looked interesting, so she asked, "Could I borrow the book you were just reading?"

Xiangyi readily handed it to her and started memorizing the second book.

Xia Shang had intended to start reading right away, but noticed that Xiangyi was flipping through the pages strangely. She couldn't help reminding her, "You shouldn't read a book like that."

"I've already memorized it. I was just looking it over to reinforce what I learned," Xiangyi explained, then lowered her head and continued reading the second book.

Xia Shang was a little stunned. Even she couldn't perform the feat of Eidetic Memory. After thinking it over, she opened the book in her hands and picked a random question for Xiangyi.

The answer surfaced in Xiangyi's mind, along with detailed information. Her memories even filtered themselves, sorting out the useful information for her to choose from and memorize. It was as if Xiangyi's brain had turned into a supercomputer.

After asking a few more questions and hearing her answers, Xia Shang began to believe everything Xiangyi had said. That look of delight returned to her eyes.

"Xiangyi, have you decided what you want to study at university?" Xia Shang even took the initiative to ask about Xiangyi's future, as if she wanted to build a closer connection with her.

"Of course I want to study criminal psychology, but my grades are a little low, and the university entrance requirements are high." Xiangyi tactfully told her what she wanted to study. Given how much Xiangyi admired Xia Shang, she definitely wanted to work in the same field as her.

"Oh? But with your Eidetic Memory, exams should be a breeze." Xia Shang grew even more interested, then added, "But it's strange. Your grades weren't outstanding before, and you were pretty introverted and rarely spoke. Why have you changed so much since awakening?"

Xia Shang gave Xiangyi that look again, as if she were a research subject. Xiangyi realized that Xia Shang really had grown fond of her, but only because she wanted to study her.

People who awakened at Xiangyi's age were extremely rare. That was probably why Xia Shang was so interested in her. In fact, the reason she was in this car was to investigate Xiangyi and find out whether someone who awakened so late had anything special about her.

"I don't know either. It just feels like all this information suddenly became easy to understand. My brain works so much faster. Like when I recited the title of your paper, Professor Xia, I'd just happened to read it once in the library." Xiangyi naturally followed the conversation, doing her best to keep Xia Shang curious about her.

Xia Shang looked even more interested, then glanced at the Chosen One emblem on Xiangyi's arm. "In that case, you should be a Mental System Chosen One, like me."

Xia Shang offered an explanation. Since Xiangyi's memory had improved, her ability was probably related to the mind too.

"That would also explain why Prince Qin became a vegetable. He had no injuries except for that small hole in his body." Xia Shang continued her train of thought. She figured Prince Qin had originally been fine, but Xiangyi had transmitted something through her thoughts that had left him like a living corpse.

"Is that so? That's wonderful. Then I'm just like you, Professor Xia." Xiangyi ignored the subject of Prince Qin and gave a delighted smile. Xia Shang smiled back, but didn't seem inclined to continue talking. She returned to her book, and the atmosphere settled into silence again.

Xiangyi didn't disturb her. The two of them sat quietly in their shared space, each occupied with her own things...

Time flew by. When Xiangyi heard a rumbling sound and looked up, she realized the scenery around them had changed. Heaven City had once been the imperial capital in ancient times, so many historical relics remained. The city had a strong Chinese style, and women in qipaos could be seen walking everywhere.

After entering the city, they registered and left the car in a parking garage. Several tricycle drivers were calling out to them, inviting them to ride. Xiangyi looked around curiously and spotted hovercars floating along tracks overhead—a collision between the modern and the ancient.

Unfortunately, they didn't have a hovercar, so they couldn't experience traveling through the air. According to the butler, Little Grass, Heaven City's technology was far more advanced than anywhere else.

The three of them waited for a little while, then the butler, Little Grass, returned after parking the car. He took the two suitcases from Xiangyi and asked where they were going next.

Zhang Mou thought it over, then said, "Professor Xia, you've helped me so much. I have to treat you to a meal. But I don't know Heaven City very well, so why don't you pick a place?"

Even though Xiangyi was the focus now, Xia Shang's presence seemed more important. Zhang Mou had also noticed Xia Shang's attitude toward Xiangyi, so she deliberately tried to create another opportunity for them to interact.

"If we're going to eat, I recommend the Flower Garden. It's affordable and, most importantly, safe." Xia Shang gave them a name, but her last remark carried a subtle implication.

"Safe? Is public order still that bad in Heaven City?" Zhang Mou's face fell a little. As an ordinary person, she found it hard to adjust to life around Chosen Ones.

"It's improved a lot, but there are still plenty of dangerous places." Xia Shang continued to explain. She took a business card from her pocket and handed it to Xiangyi. "If you run into a problem you can't handle, you can call me."

Then she handed another card to Zhang Mou and added apologetically, "As much as I'd like to keep talking with you both, I just got a notice that I have to leave."

Zhang Mou looked disappointed, but didn't press her. She watched Xia Shang walk away. Xiangyi tucked the card away too, confident she would eventually be able to unlock Xia Shang's heroine route. As for now, she clearly had no way to make any progress with Xia Shang.

Xiangyi watched her retreating figure for a few more moments. Zhang Mou brought her back to the matter at hand. "In that case, let's go check in at the hotel we booked first. We'll find somewhere nearby to eat lunch."

Once their guest, Xia Shang, had left, Zhang Mou began to relax. Xiangyi nodded, unconcerned, and the three of them soon left on a tricycle.

There were no cars on the streets. Robots handled the street cleaning, and with no cars around, pedestrians wandered wherever they pleased. Shop after shop lined the streets, covered in all sorts of notices.

Watch out for monsters at all times.

Cherish your life. No fighting in public.

Chosen Ones were easy to spot, too. Everyone wore something like a wristband, and some even flew through the air.

Xiangyi happened to see one of the flying Chosen Ones collide with a hovercar.

Chapter 124: 25, Even More Humble Company

The hovercar didn't budge, but the person fell and, by pure coincidence, crashed onto the roof of a shop. The shopkeeper yelled at the Chosen One, who looked very embarrassed and raised a wristband to scan and pay.

"Hmph, since you apologized, I'll charge you a little less this time! I just don't understand you people. There are cars in the sky already, so why do you still insist on flying?" The shopkeeper grumbled, looking as if he was used to people dropping out of the sky.

The Chosen One replied proudly, "Because flying is a man's romance! But I don't understand why they're all hovercars."

The shopkeeper looked at him with disdain, but still explained, "You wouldn't get it. So many of you keep falling down, and there aren't many flying monsters. To prevent casualties, of course we need hovercars. They stop you people from hopping around on the ground and strolling through the sky, and they reduce injuries too. I just wish my application for bulletproof glass would hurry up and get approved. This is the third time this week!"

The shopkeeper kept grumbling, sounding both annoyed and exasperated. When he turned back to say something else, the Chosen One had already flown away. Grinding his teeth, the shopkeeper yelled after him, "Number 9241, is it? Just wait till I report you!"

Having witnessed the whole thing, Xiangyi was even more baffled. Zhang Mou's voice came from ahead.

"What are you standing around for? Come on in." Xiangyi looked over and realized that everyone else had already entered the hotel. She followed them inside, and the flower people came out of the Flower God Ring to look around. They stared at everything, as curious as country folk seeing a town for the first time.

"Hello. How can I help you?"

"We booked two rooms here. The identification code is..."

Zhang Mou started checking in. Xiangyi had been lost in thought, but when she heard there were two rooms, she whipped around to look at Zhang Mou, worried that things might once again take a strange turn.

Hua Nu: Flower Master, Zhang Mou must know you're Hua Linglong and wants to pick up where you left off.

Xiangyi: Don't joke around. There's no way she knows!

Xiangyi answered firmly. Hua Nu seemed disappointed that she couldn't fool Xiangyi, then looked around at the furnishings.

Hua Nu: This hotel feels a little like an inn from our time, but everything inside is much more advanced.

Shaoyao: Much more? It's far more advanced. This place must cost a fortune, Flower Master. Could your family actually be rich? Even when I was an assassin, I wouldn't have dared stay at an inn like this.

The flower people looked around as if they were touring the place, seeming fascinated by everything. Xiangyi gave a helpless smile and pretended not to hear them. Then she followed the other two, and soon they arrived at the room where she would be staying with Zhang Mou that night.

She opened the door and froze. There was a large bed, not two separate small beds.

Xiangyi was stunned. Zhang Mou's expression was a little odd too, but she still explained, "The room with the big bed was discounted."

"Mm."

The explanation made Xiangyi think that, sure enough, even ordinary events in this romance novel would take an ambiguous turn. Fortunately, she was Xiangyi now, not Hua Linglong. Nothing like that could happen.

Xiangyi let out a sigh of relief and put her luggage down. Zhang Mou set down her small suitcase too, then sat on the sofa and took a pair of high heels out of her luggage to change into.

Xiangyi was confused. Usually, someone would switch into comfortable flats, but Zhang Mou was doing the exact opposite, as if she wanted to dazzle everyone later with a beautiful pair of legs and a pair of heels.

"Mm? Is something wrong?" Xiangyi had been staring for a little too long, so Zhang Mou asked.

Xiangyi shook her head. "No. I was just wondering, Auntie, why you're changing into high heels."

Zhang Mou narrowed her eyes as if she thought Xiangyi was picking a fight, but still replied crossly, "We're going out to eat later. Of course I have to dress up."

Xiangyi asked, puzzled, "But didn't you say we were going to look for a place for me to stay after we eat? It doesn't seem like a good idea to dress up for that."

Zhang Mou froze. She'd been about to argue, but after thinking it over, she changed back into her flats. Then, even more dramatically, she changed her whole outfit. Now she looked like a beautiful woman under thirty, stylish and radiant. Next to Zhang Mou, Xiangyi, with her glasses on, looked like an ugly duckling—more and more pitiful by comparison.

Just then, the butler, Little Grass, who hadn't shown up in a while, finally knocked on the door.