Oh, This Wonderful World
"Yiyi?" Jing Shuxuan called uncertainly, as if she barely recognized Qin Xiangyi.
The look in her eyes was like seeing the neighbor's little pig suddenly turn into a stunning beauty. Qin Xiangyi shouldn't have described herself that way, but she could tell how astonished Jing Shuxuan was.
"Yeah, Sister Shuxuan. Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" Qin Xiangyi began to wonder if something was wrong with her face. She wanted even more to see what she looked like now.
"It's just that you look like a completely different person without your glasses... Let me find a mirror. There should be one around here." The calm, capable woman seemed a little embarrassed, but she quickly found one.
Qin Xiangyi thanked her, then saw a beautiful woman in the mirror.
The woman was so strikingly beautiful that it was almost excessive. With her glasses on, Qin Xiangyi had seemed like an entirely different person. Even if wearing glasses counted as a makeover, the unbelievable beauty revealed when she took them off was still hard to accept.
Qin Xiangyi finally understood why Jing Shuxuan had been startled. Even she wondered whether something had happened to her face or if the glasses had some special power.
She thought for a moment, then touched the glasses and heard the system's notification.
System: A low-profile pair of glasses. Description: Glasses enchanted with a spell. Wearing them conceals your aura and appearance.
Qin Xiangyi found it even harder to understand. Why would Qin Xiangyi, the villain's little sister, have a pair of glasses like these? Could this world's imagination have turned her into someone powerful?
Qin Xiangyi had even more questions now, but she knew too little about this world to do anything but keep her curiosity to herself and seek the answers little by little.
"Xiangyi, I heard from your aunt that she's sending you to Heaven City." Jing Shuxuan kept driving, but abruptly changed the subject. Her expression was strange, and she seemed to have grown even gentler after seeing Qin Xiangyi's face.
Good-looking people did get treated better, but the change in attitude was so dramatic that Qin Xiangyi found it hard to get used to. She also couldn't understand why the prospect of sending her to Heaven City had shocked Jing Shuxuan so much.
"What's wrong with Heaven City...? Oh, I remember. Heaven City is the heart of Heaven Country, and it also borders the Demon Realm."
Qin Xiangyi recited the information she'd written back then. Jing Shuxuan smiled as she listened. "So now you're starting to worry. Heaven City is right next to the Demon Realm. You know those demon-worshippers eat people without even spitting out the bones. No one knows if they'll live or die in Heaven City. Looks like your aunt really hates you."
Thinking of Prince Qin's deranged expression earlier, Qin Xiangyi sneered inwardly. Her response was anything but polite.
"Of course she does. I made sure her son can't get back up again."
A villain was someone people hated with a vengeance. Thinking of Zhou Muning's miserable state, Qin Xiangyi felt she might have gone too easy on Prince Qin.
But she couldn't bring herself to do anything too violent. It would go into her record and affect her chances of surviving in Heaven City later.
"Xiangyi, you've really... changed." Jing Shuxuan drew in a sharp breath, her expression turning strange. She couldn't imagine that the kind, stiff, quiet Qin Xiangyi she'd once known could think like this.
Still, Jing Shuxuan had to admit she liked Qin Xiangyi's outlook now much more than the twisted one she'd had before.
In this world, intelligence couldn't solve everything. It was a world ruled by Chosen Ones, where power meant everything.
"I was too naive before. But after what happened to my classmate, I started to see things differently." Qin Xiangyi answered calmly, trying to draw out information about Qin Xiangyi's old persona so she wouldn't act too much like herself and give away that she was an impostor.
It wouldn't matter much if she was found out, but Qin Xiangyi really didn't want to worry about something so trivial.
Jing Shuxuan looked relieved, then said with a smile, "Take it from your big sister: if you go to Heaven City, keep a low profile. You can't solve everything there just by doing what's right. And don't take your glasses off lightly. With your looks, you'll probably attract plenty of criminals."
Jing Shuxuan began advising Qin Xiangyi. She clearly knew a lot, despite saying she hated those Chosen Ones. Qin Xiangyi still had plenty of questions and wondered what secrets Jing Shuxuan might be hiding, but she nodded and thanked her.
"I understand, Sister Shuxuan. I'll wait until I'm stronger before causing trouble."
Jing Shuxuan was speechless. Qin Xiangyi seemed to have become the complete opposite of who she'd been before. But how could she know it wasn't that Qin Xiangyi wanted to cause trouble? Her accursed setting was to blame. Once she had the Flower God Ring, disaster would never stop coming.
But Qin Xiangyi couldn't say that. She could only pretend she was going through a rebellious phase and make the most of having someone around to learn more about this world.
About half an hour later, Jing Shuxuan stopped the car. They'd arrived at an apartment complex.
The security guard saw Jing Shuxuan and didn't even bother to come out. He continued reading his newspaper, looking perfectly at ease.
Qin Xiangyi glanced at it curiously and saw a huge headline: "Cultivators Crushed by Ability Users—Are Cultivators Doomed?"
If an ordinary world like Earth held the Olympics, then the sport in this world was the Chosen Ones' show. Chosen One tournaments of all sizes were held every year. The international tournament took place once every four years, and in Qin Xiangyi's setting, the cultivators always lost. They were the weakest of all the Chosen Ones.
She'd made cultivators weak before to highlight the male lead's aura. Now that Qin Xiangyi had inherited the cheat ability, that great mission had clearly fallen to her.
Thinking of all the powerful, twisted opponents she'd created and would have to face, Qin Xiangyi wished she hadn't come up with so many events in the first place.
Unfortunately, no matter how much she screamed, Heaven wouldn't hear her. She could only work hard herself. Maybe one day, she'd actually be able to punch Heaven and demand to know why she'd been sent into this world.
Qin Xiangyi let out a quiet sigh. Jing Shuxuan seemed to notice and said apologetically, "Sorry, I'm used to living alone, so I don't have a spare room. You'll have to share a bed with me for the next few days."
They'd already arrived at Jing Shuxuan's home. Qin Xiangyi had been a little worried, but her eyes lit up at the offer. Realizing her expression was too obvious, she hurriedly said, "No, I'm only staying a few days. You don't need to prepare too much, Sister Shuxuan. I'm the one who should apologize for making you look after me."
Jing Shuxuan smiled and ruffled Qin Xiangyi's hair. "Don't say that. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be standing here safe and sound."
The Old Driver's Here to Help
Qin Xiangyi almost showed her curiosity, but she managed to keep her emotions in check to avoid slipping up and exposing herself as an impostor.
Luckily, Jing Shuxuan wasn't paying attention to her. She seemed to have spotted something, hurried over, and stuffed it into a cabinet. Her movements were so smooth that Qin Xiangyi hadn't even seen what she was holding before Jing Shuxuan led her around to look at the different rooms.
Qin Xiangyi looked around distractedly, recalling the backstory she'd given Jing Shuxuan.
Her parents had both died, and her family had been deep in debt. Even selling the house hadn't been enough to pay it off, but then the Qin family had stepped in and cleared the debt. Grateful to them, Jing Shuxuan had later been fooled into becoming Prince Qin's fiancée by his mother, Zhang Mou.
But Jing Shuxuan had still made her own way in the world, becoming the deputy manager of a publicly listed company through her own abilities. Because she was beautiful, she'd faced constant harassment at work. With no other choice, she'd toughened up her once-gentle nature and become the woman she was today.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?" Jing Shuxuan still wasn't used to Qin Xiangyi looking at her like a stranger.
If she hadn't seen Qin Xiangyi just last year, she might have wondered whether someone had switched her out. Or perhaps she'd failed to awaken and the process had damaged her brain, causing some bizarre changes.
Qin Xiangyi realized she'd been staring and smiled. "No. I just think you look even prettier, Sister Shuxuan."
Jing Shuxuan was even more bewildered. She looked Qin Xiangyi up and down, her face full of disbelief, then teased, "Have you been possessed by your brother? You're so smooth with your words. You can flatter me all you want, but I still can't do anything about you being sent to Heaven City."
Jing Shuxuan took the remark at face value, assuming Qin Xiangyi didn't want to go to that frightening place and was trying to sweet-talk her. Qin Xiangyi nodded along, then jumped when a voice suddenly rang inside her head.
"Flower Master, you're flirting with such an ugly woman?"
Every flower person was exceptionally beautiful. If you measured someone's looks on a scale of a hundred, Jing Shuxuan would score around eighty-five, while Shaoyao would get a perfect score.
At her peak, Huangquan, the Flower God, had scored a thousand.
Even now, Huangquan's looks would rate around two hundred. Because of that ridiculous setting, Qin Xiangyi still wasn't used to looking at Huangquan's face. But Shaoyao's delicate, movie-star looks still made her feel a little uneasy.
While Jing Shuxuan wasn't paying attention, Qin Xiangyi muttered under her breath, "Looks aren't the issue. What matters is that she's a flower person. Since you're so free, go look around and see how I can get her to kiss me twice."
Qin Xiangyi was working hard to build a good relationship with Jing Shuxuan, while Shaoyao sat back and made snide remarks. It was infuriating.
It was her own fault as the author, really. She'd made Shaoyao jealous, so she was always getting worked up over nothing. Judging by Shaoyao's current attitude, she was probably already boiling inside and getting ready to cause trouble. To stop a disaster before it started, Qin Xiangyi decided to strike first.
"Yes, Flower Master." Thankfully, Shaoyao still took her actual job seriously, despite being so jealous. She began inspecting everything in Jing Shuxuan's home, gathering useful information to make Qin Xiangyi's job easier.
As Shaoyao flew off, Qin Xiangyi sat down in a chair nearby. She'd only been sitting for a little while when Jing Shuxuan returned with a plate holding several apples and a few bunches of grapes.
"Here. You must be hungry after the trip. Have something to eat. We'll go out for dinner later." Jing Shuxuan explained why she'd brought fruit. Qin Xiangyi thanked her, picked up a washed apple, and took a bite as she watched TV. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shaoyao brazenly carrying out a pair of panties.
Qin Xiangyi choked on her apple.
Jing Shuxuan couldn't see Shaoyao, but she'd see her panties floating through the air. It would be absolutely terrifying.
Luckily, Qin Xiangyi's coughing distracted Jing Shuxuan.
Qin Xiangyi: Shaoyao, what are you doing with Jing Shuxuan's panties?
Shaoyao: My specialty is Information Theft. These are made of such little fabric—I wondered if they might be hiding some kind of mechanism.
Qin Xiangyi was so angry she almost threw the apple in her hand. She'd forgotten that Shaoyao had only just awakened. She could read now, but she didn't know enough about different objects. Seeing this bright red little thing, she'd probably assumed it was suspicious.
At the same time, Qin Xiangyi understood something else. Shaoyao had the Information Theft skill, but it was only an R-class skill, so its effect was probably pathetic. If she sent the unreliable Shaoyao out, she might rummage through Jing Shuxuan's entire home and still come back with nothing useful.
Qin Xiangyi fell silent, then took another dissatisfied bite of her apple. As far as she could tell, apart from being cute, Shaoyao was completely useless.
Since men and women looked at things differently, Shaoyao seemed especially inconvenient to Qin Xiangyi. After thinking it over, she decided to move on to the next plan.
Qin Xiangyi: Hua Nu.
At her words, Shaoyao vanished into thin air, replaced by Hua Nu, who gracefully picked up the fallen panties, a knowing smile on her face.
Qin Xiangyi silently thought, View information, and Hua Nu's details appeared at once.
Name: Hua Nu Occupation: Flower Person, Apothecary, Physician Level: 99 Copyable active skills: Old Driver — SSR-class SSR-class temporarily unavailable SSR-class temporarily unavailable Copyable passive skills: SSR-class temporarily unavailable Overall rating: SSR
If Shaoyao was a pit, Hua Nu was an even bigger one. Aside from poisoning and stabbing people, she had no combat ability. Worst of all, Qin Xiangyi had originally created Hua Nu to drive a wrestling plotline. Whenever Hua Nu appeared, she was either wrestling or on her way to wrestle.
This world had become much fuller now that it was real, but seeing all those temporarily unavailable skills, Qin Xiangyi knew Hua Nu might always be out of reach.
In any case, Qin Xiangyi wasn't planning to do anything to Hua Nu. She wanted Hua Nu to do something to Jing Shuxuan.
Hua Nu: Flower Master, what does this old servant's master require?
Hua Nu wore a flirtatious smile. Her voice was so alluring that people would overlook her calling herself an old servant and simply see a beautiful, alluring woman.
The beauty mark beneath her right eye was striking, adding a touch of bewitching allure. Yet behind her shifting gaze, there was something worldly about her charm; she seemed more human.
"Flower Master?" Hua Nu called Qin Xiangyi again when she saw her staring blankly. Qin Xiangyi came to and spoke to her through their connection. "You heard my conversation with Shaoyao just now, right?"
Hua Nu nodded, a faint smile on her lips. Qin Xiangyi didn't know what she was smiling about. She was beginning to get used to Hua Nu's personality and figured she was imagining some ridiculous scenario again. She continued explaining what she wanted her to do.
"I want you to use your own methods to find out what Jing Shuxuan likes. Otherwise, I won't have a reason to ask her for two kisses and boost your workforce." Qin Xiangyi shared her plan. Hua Nu listened, her smile growing wider.
"'Boost your workforce'? What an interesting way to put it."
"After all, the number of flower people determines how strong the Flower God is and how large the Flower God Ring's space becomes." Of course, that was all in the setting. Qin Xiangyi was just repeating what she'd written. She hoped to use everything she'd written early in the story, before reaching Heaven City, so she wouldn't say goodbye to this world after just a few chapters.
"The Flower Master understands us so well." Hua Nu smiled, but her expression soon changed. She moved closer and sat on Qin Xiangyi's lap, one arm around her neck. Qin Xiangyi was terrified. Jing Shuxuan was sitting right there, and Hua Nu was already getting handsy.
Qin Xiangyi had given Hua Nu the Old Driver skill, but she hadn't expected her to put it to work with the wrong person.
"Hua Nu, what are you doing?"
"Nothing. I just hope that next time, you'll say 'us' instead of 'you'. The way you put it makes it sound like we're strangers, and that hurts." Hua Nu sounded a little dejected. An ordinary person would have wanted to lavish affection on her, but to Qin Xiangyi, the situation was a nightmare.
With Jing Shuxuan in front of her and Hua Nu throwing herself at her from behind, anyone would lose their composure, regardless of gender. Especially when Hua Nu had deliberately made the move. Qin Xiangyi went rigid, while Hua Nu lowered her head to look at the Flower God Ring and continued, "Did you see that, Lady Huangquan? If you do this, no one will be able to keep their composure."
Qin Xiangyi froze. She'd thought Hua Nu was so thirsty she went for both men and women, but now she realized Hua Nu was only demonstrating some tricks to help the passive Flower God, Huangquan, learn how to seduce people.
But then something didn't add up. "Wait. You said no one would be able to keep their composure?" Qin Xiangyi felt her competitive spirit flare at those words. She was only an ordinary mortal. How could she possibly resist a thousand-year-old Hua Nu?
"Hehehe. Whoever answers is the one I mean..." As she spoke, Hua Nu had already left, passing through the wall and entering Jing Shuxuan's room. Qin Xiangyi glared in that direction, and after a few more glances, she noticed Jing Shuxuan suddenly move beside her.
"Xiaoyi, are you tired? You've been looking around a lot." Jing Shuxuan asked why Qin Xiangyi's gaze kept wandering. She had no idea about the struggle Qin Xiangyi had just had with Hua Nu. Qin Xiangyi was sweating behind her—not from excitement, but from sheer terror.
Flower people were beautiful, but they were covered in thorns. Before you'd raised their affection enough, making a move on one could cost you a limb or two—or even your life.
Sorry, but that was just my twisted sense of humor as an author. I thought a smooth ride would be boring, so I gave every flower person a butcher-knife streak. Step on the wrong nerve, and they'd take a knife to the Flower Master and turn her into a human stump.
That was why I gave her both the Flower God Ring and the system as cheat abilities. But the system was obviously still in its most useless stage. Every day, it was little more than a flower-fairy tracker, and not a very helpful one.
"Ah..." Qin Xiangyi sighed, suddenly realizing she hadn't answered Jing Shuxuan's question. She quickly forced a smile and said, "Sister Shuxuan, I'm just worried about my future."
Qin Xiangyi meant every word. She was worried she wouldn't be able to adjust to the perilous life in Heaven City.
Before you continue