Shuxuan seemed to appeal to her emotions as she took her hand, her expression quite sorrowful. "Sorry, I can't help you."
The sadness had been stirred up. Even if they avoided talking about it, the facts were the facts, and nothing could change them. The atmosphere fell silent. Xiangyi was trying to figure out how to bring up the kiss when Shuxuan suddenly reached out and clasped her hand tightly. She said earnestly, "But I'll do everything I can to help you."
Xiangyi looked at Shuxuan, a woman she didn't know at all, and suddenly felt that she was being a little mean. For now, she set aside her plans to trick Shuxuan and continued building up the persona of Xiangyi.
"It's all right, Sister Shuxuan. But I beat Prince Qin into this state. What are you going to do as his fiancée?"
Shuxuan pressed her lips together, seemingly reminded of something that made her sad, but in the end she managed a smile. Her smile seemed to say that they were both in the same boat. Yet Shuxuan didn't blame Xiangyi—in fact, she had even chosen to help her. That just showed how thoroughly Xiangyi had made Prince Qin detestable as a villain.
The atmosphere fell silent again. The news was still playing on TV, but no one was watching...
Time passed in a flash. It was almost six when Shuxuan turned off the TV and said to Xiangyi, "Come on, let's go out to eat."
It was still late August, and the weather was hot. Shuxuan wore a simple shirt and casual clothes, with denim shorts that showed off her beautiful legs without reserve. Xiangyi, by comparison, looked much more plain and scholarly. With her glasses adding a touch of understated charm, she looked like an ordinary high school student.
Shuxuan drew the eyes of the men around them, especially with Xiangyi beside her as a contrast. They walked along the pedestrian street, taking in the rows of brightly lit shops as they searched for somewhere to eat that evening.
"Have you decided what you want?" After they'd browsed for about half an hour, Shuxuan asked Xiangyi what she thought.
Xiangyi was still a little hesitant. She didn't know Ocean City well, nor did she know what kind of food the original Xiangyi liked. She was even more worried that Shuxuan knew the original Xiangyi's preferences. But they'd been walking around for a long time, so Xiangyi had to give her an answer.
After thinking it over, Xiangyi pointed to the barbecue restaurant up ahead. "Let's have barbecue."
Shuxuan looked a little surprised. Just from that expression, Xiangyi could tell she'd broken character.
But Xiangyi didn't panic. Pretending to be puzzled, she asked, "Sister Shuxuan, why are you making such a strange face?"
Xiangyi's calmness seemed to make Shuxuan wonder if her own memory was at fault. Looking puzzled, she asked, "I thought you only ate vegetarian food."
"You must be remembering wrong. Maybe one of your other friends doesn't like meat." Xiangyi casually brushed the subject aside. Seeing how normal Xiangyi looked, Shuxuan stopped doubting her and instead laughed at herself. "I guess I really have been so busy lately that I can't even remember what my little sister-in-law likes."
Xiangyi smiled and walked into the restaurant first, so Shuxuan wouldn't come up with any more questions. But Shuxuan seemed even more wistful and said, "You've really changed a lot, Xiaoyi."
Xiangyi paused. She realized that even this action went against the original Xiangyi's personality in this world. But she'd already made mistake after mistake, and she was tired of pretending. She said helplessly, "Times change, and people's hearts are hard to keep steady."
Shuxuan smiled, seeming to agree. "That's true. When my parents left, I felt like my whole world had collapsed. I even thought about hurting myself. Looking back now, I was so foolish."
As she recalled her past, she thought about how those events had changed her life and made her an independent, strong woman. Looking at Xiangyi, she seemed to see a little of her younger self in her, which made Shuxuan feel both close to her and nostalgic.
Unfortunately, they were still different at their core. Xiangyi had awakened as a Chosen One and stood out from the crowd, rising above ordinary people. No matter how independent and strong Shuxuan was, she was still just an ordinary person.
Shuxuan's eyes dimmed. Suddenly, the meat in her mouth didn't taste as good. Fortunately, both of them were busy eating barbecue, so they didn't have to keep up the awkward small talk.
The server tending the grill was also very diligent, making sure they couldn't even chat while they ate.
Xiangyi was thoroughly enjoying her food when Shaoyao popped out again, staring at the meat with longing in her eyes.
"Flower Master, give me a bite."
Shaoyao started begging sweetly. Remembering how badly she'd behaved that day, Xiangyi's pettiness got the better of her. Not only did she refuse to share, she deliberately ate with great relish.
Shaoyao looked even more envious and tugged at Xiangyi's arm. "Just one bite."
Xiangyi ignored her and pulled her arm away, to keep anyone from noticing that her arm seemed to be caught by someone.
"Please, Flower Master. I'll behave and let you kiss me for the next few days." Shaoyao still wouldn't give up. She shook Xiangyi's arm, nearly letting the server tending the grill see. Xiangyi hastily used her connection to stop Shaoyao from acting up.
Honestly, she'd lost count of how many times she regretted writing the original flower spirit to be like this.
But without Shaoyao, Xiangyi was sure she'd have gone crazy after spending too long with the other two women.
The ethereal-looking Flower God Huangquan—or the Flower Slave, who had nothing but dirty thoughts on her mind—was dangerous. Shaoyao was the only one who felt somewhat approachable. That was why Xiangyi kept trying to get close to her whenever she had nothing else to do, while also raising her well and preparing to use her as her first attack tool.
Seeing that Shaoyao was even willing to sacrifice her charms, Xiangyi said helplessly, "Fine. Eat discreetly, and don't let anyone see you."
As she spoke, she picked up a piece of grilled meat and lowered it. Shaoyao immediately pounced, leaning across Xiangyi's lap and biting down on the meat, a happy smile on her face.
"Flower Master, I want more!"
After getting a taste, Shaoyao wanted a second bite. Seeing that the server wasn't paying attention, Xiangyi did the same thing again.
Shaoyao maintained her position and took another bite. This time, the server seemed to notice something strange. Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth, unsure how to describe the odd scene she'd just witnessed.
"What's wrong, miss?" Xiangyi spoke first, trying to bluff her way through with confidence.
The server froze, then shook her head. "Maybe I'm just tired. I could've sworn the meat flew up by itself."
Even Shuxuan, across the table, laughed at that. But while she was laughing, she saw a piece of meat silently float past her eyes, then vanish into thin air.
In that instant, Shuxuan turned pale with fright. She shot up from her seat and lunged toward Xiangyi.
"Sister Shuxuan, what's wrong?" Xiangyi wrapped one arm around Shuxuan's waist and glared at Shaoyao with the other. She'd known Shaoyao was a troublemaker, but she hadn't expected her to be so bold as to steal food right under Shuxuan's nose.
Now both the server and Shuxuan had seen it. Xiangyi couldn't even pretend she hadn't noticed.
"My... my barbecue just disappeared into thin air," Shuxuan explained, still frightened. Since Chosen Ones existed in this world, there were plenty of strange tales too. Some demon beasts from the Demon Realm could even turn invisible.
But unlike Heaven City, a city of fierce battles, demon beasts rarely appeared in Ocean City, let alone high-level ones with the ability to turn invisible.
Realizing how serious the situation might be, Shuxuan took out her phone to call the local Chosen One Alliance. Xiangyi nearly panicked and hurriedly stopped her. "Sister Shuxuan, don't panic yet. Let me explain."
Shuxuan was still shaken, but Xiangyi didn't seem afraid at all, so she patiently waited for her to finish.
Xiangyi glanced at the server, who was still trembling in the corner, and explained apologetically, "You don't need to be afraid, either. What you saw was my ability."
Helpless, she decided to reveal a little, so she wouldn't be sent back to the station for a few more days after just getting out of the sanatorium. Shuxuan looked a little calmer, remembering why Xiangyi had been sent to Baichi Sanatorium.
"My awakened ability is summoning. I can summon a very weak demon beast. That was the one that ate your barbecue just now." Xiangyi made up a story with a perfectly straight face. The flower spirits were indeed a bit like her summoned creatures, so she felt no pressure telling the lie.
Shaoyao didn't like being called that, but since she was at fault, she didn't argue. She waited to see what Xiangyi would do next.
"So that's what it is..." Shuxuan's expression relaxed further, and she even smiled. Xiangyi couldn't help feeling that Shuxuan had come up with all kinds of strange ideas on her own.
Xiangyi's explanation finally put Shuxuan at ease. Seeing the barbecue in front of them ready again, she lifted it with some hesitation, seeming to want to make friends with Xiangyi's "demon beast."
"Pathetic human. You think you can buy me off with a single piece of meat?" Shaoyao scoffed, but she didn't stop her mouth from moving. She leaned forward and unceremoniously ate the meat.
Xiangyi could see Shaoyao, but Shuxuan couldn't. All she saw was the meat on her chopsticks disappearing. Looking surprised, she fed the "demon beast" a few more pieces, and Shaoyao, doing her best to play the part, ate them all. Shuxuan relaxed quite a bit and soon began chatting and laughing with Xiangyi.
The topics were all things Xiangyi couldn't join in on: studies, work, friends. Every one of them gave her a headache. She could only respond vaguely, occasionally having Shaoyao pretend to be a demon beast to help cover for her.
"But this demon beast can actually turn invisible. Once it grows up, it'll have a bright future."
The conversation turned back to the "demon beast." In Xiangyi's eyes, invisibility was a ridiculously overpowered ability, so she'd made it a rare skill. Even among the seven Chosen Ones, only a few could turn invisible.
And she'd gone wild adding this ability to the flower spirits, too. They could turn invisible, fly, and burrow underground—anything they needed. Of course, she hadn't done it to make the flower spirits seem powerful, but because their looks could attract danger, so she gave them all kinds of escape skills to keep them out of trouble and spare readers' hearts.
Naturally, Xiangyi couldn't say any of that out loud. Even after dressing up the whole novel premise as something grand, she was still mortified. She forced a smile and kept repeating to herself, They're all just tools, lest she end up dying of anger at the world she'd created.
Seeing how enthusiastically Shuxuan praised her, Xiangyi could only keep smiling and act unconcerned. "It's all right."
Shuxuan was even more exasperated. "Xiaoyi, you sound like you're asking for a beating. This is an invisibility skill!"
Xiangyi smiled. Shuxuan's attitude was more interesting: she claimed to hate Chosen Ones, yet seemed to know everything about them. Xiangyi's gaze dropped as she considered how to get a kiss from Shuxuan.
Shuxuan had no idea. Noticing Xiangyi staring at her lips, she nervously asked, "Is it in front of me now?"
Xiangyi nodded along. Shuxuan grew even more curious and cautiously reached out, trying to find the demon beast.
"Where is it?" she asked again, looking almost excited. Xiangyi saw her chance. The barbecue was nearly over, so she moved to Shuxuan's side and took her hand.
"Over here."
As she spoke, she guided Shuxuan's hand through the air, testing how much Shuxuan trusted her.
"It won't bite me, will it?"
"No."
"How come I can't feel anything? Can't it stop being invisible?"
Shuxuan kept asking questions. This time, Xiangyi signaled to Shaoyao to reach out. Shaoyao was a little unhappy, but to help make the lie convincing, she extended her hand.
Wearing a traditional red robe, she mischievously brushed her smooth sleeve against Shuxuan's hand.
The moment Shuxuan felt herself touch something, she jerked her hand back in fright. Xiangyi took the opportunity to wrap an arm around her. Unfortunately, Shuxuan turned her head the wrong way, or Xiangyi would have completed her task by now.
Xiangyi lamented the missed chance. She was willing to do anything to stay alive. Shuxuan looked both excited and frightened, and noticed how close Xiangyi had suddenly gotten, but her attention was still on the "demon beast."
"I think I really touched it. It felt a little smooth, and I could smell something like flowers." Shuxuan described what she'd felt. Her words left Xiangyi a little bewildered.
Usually, when the flower spirits were invisible, they blocked all five senses, let alone giving off a scent. But after thinking it over, Xiangyi decided that perhaps Shuxuan's being recognized by the system as a flower fairy was why she could sense something from the flower spirits. She didn't dwell on it.
After all, Xiangyi's current goal was to kiss pretty girls and create flower spirits until Flower God Huangquan grew powerful enough for her to cling to her. Then, even if the gods in the heavens came looking for trouble, she'd be fine.
She'd been in this world for nearly a month, yet she had only one flower spirit and had met two flower fairies. Xiangyi was very worried about her situation.
So she leaned in more eagerly, trying to make the kiss look accidental. But then she remembered that her ridiculous requirement was to kiss someone for a full minute, and gave up for now. She moved a little farther from Shuxuan and casually continued answering her questions.
"Maybe it's because she's pretty cute."
"Cute? I've heard many low-level demon beasts look adorable to fool humans, but what kind of cute creature smells like flowers?" Shuxuan asked, baffled. Her hand was still groping blindly through the air, trying to feel the demon beast again.
Xiangyi began describing the cute creature she had in mind. "It's a flying teddy bear with wings like a bat's."
As soon as Xiangyi said it, she could picture the bear in her mind. Before coming to this world, she'd happened to see a story about a princess who brushed its fur until it escaped its cage.
The realistic description made Shuxuan believe Xiangyi even more. She continued asking, "Can it stop being invisible? I want to see it."
Xiangyi looked toward Shaoyao in the distance, hinting at the answer. "She hasn't been tamed yet, so she can't control her ability. I'll show her to you another time, Sister Shuxuan."
Shuxuan understood, and even looked a little embarrassed. "I got so excited that I forgot you went to Heaven City to learn how to control your Chosen One ability."
Xiangyi smiled without answering. She breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that she'd finally talked her way out of it.
Shaoyao seemed to have found a legitimate excuse to cause trouble. She sprinkled chili on Xiangyi's barbecue, then picked up a spoon nearby and helped herself to the food. Fortunately, they were in a private booth; otherwise, Xiangyi couldn't imagine how much of a commotion it would've caused.
Still, perhaps because Xiangyi had revealed that she'd awakened an ability, Shuxuan seemed friendlier toward her.
Can you guess which bear it is?
After eating their fill, it was already past eight in the evening. After leaving the barbecue restaurant, Shuxuan wanted to take Xiangyi shopping again. Xiangyi had wanted to refuse, but the moment Shaoyao heard they could look around, she grabbed Xiangyi's other arm and acted pitiful.
Neither the Flower God nor the flower spirits could leave the Flower God Ring's range. On top of that, Xiangyi had been sent to Baichi Sanatorium as soon as she arrived in this world, so Shaoyao was clearly curious about many things here.
Xiangyi was helpless. In her mind, being indoors offered more chances for a kiss than being outside. Rather than waste time shopping with Shuxuan, she might as well find a chance to kiss her first.
Hua Nu: Flower Master, Sister Shuxuan has a lot of clothes in her room. She must enjoy shopping.
Hua Nu's voice suddenly came from inside Xiangyi's mind, sounding as if she'd joined a voice chat room.
She chatted and bickered with Shaoyao, while Hua Nu occasionally chimed in from the sidelines. Flower God Huangquan was always watching in secret, yet somehow still had a strong presence.
Hearing Hua Nu speak, Xiangyi thought she seemed more reliable than Shaoyao. But a few seconds later, she realized something.
Xiangyi: Hua Nu, you want to look around too, don't you?
Hua Nu laughed. Since Xiangyi couldn't see her expression, she could only hear the unruffled voice calmly reply: "Flower Master, I'm only trying to help you."
Xiangyi had thought Hua Nu was a little more reliable, but from the way she spoke, Xiangyi could tell she was just as bad as the others.
But since two flower spirits were already interested in seeing the place, Xiangyi didn't refuse. She told Shuxuan that she wanted to buy a new phone and get a new SIM card.
Her family had confiscated her phone when she was admitted to the sanatorium, to monitor whether Xiangyi was contacting anyone for help. So for the past month, she'd been truly cut off from the world, learning about it only through television and books, and even then, only in bits and pieces.
Now that she was going to Heaven City, she should at least get in touch with the school beauty, Muning, and reclaim her second kiss. A phone was essential.
Before you continue