Chapter 034
Chapter 34: Wan Yan Qian’s Greeting Gift
Watching Ye He Qi’s playful gaze, Shi Zi Chu couldn’t help but lift her eyebrow slightly.
[Did I really guess right?]
This protagonist aura of Chu Zhi Rou’s was truly frightening!
“She doesn’t love you,” Shi Zi Chu spoke bluntly, but feeling it sounded inappropriate, quickly added, “I meant your mother doesn’t love you.”
As soon as the words left her lips, Shi Zi Chu felt she had just dug herself an even deeper hole.
“Was that intentional?”
Without waiting for Shi Zi Chu’s reply, Ye He Qi lowered his eyes gently and murmured, “Seems I’m truly someone no one favors.”
Seeing the handsome man so gloomy and melancholy, Shi Zi Chu decisively returned the two words he’d given her at breakfast: “Very fake.”
Ye He Qi raised his eyes, peach blossom-shaped and curved beautifully with amusement, and asked, “Was my acting really that bad?”
“Yes,” Shi Zi Chu nodded.
Now she understood how he felt when watching her exaggerated pretense at breakfast.
“She put a Gu on you just to pave the way for Chu Zhi Rou?” Shi Zi Chu raised a hand to her chin, studying Ye He Qi thoughtfully.
“What do you think?” Ye He Qi countered without answering.
Shi Zi Chu’s guess sounded utterly absurd, yet it matched part of the truth he had discovered.
Liu Cui Yu indeed loved her daughter deeply, enough to poison her own biological son with a Gu for her sake.
Shi Zi Chu smiled suddenly, “The enemy of my enemy is a friend. Why not form an alliance?”
She was sincerely grateful to Liu Cui Yu for pushing Ye He Qi into her camp, aligning their interests!
Ye He Qi lifted his hand and tapped the shared life and death talisman behind his ear, smiling faintly, “Haven’t we always been allies?”
“…” Shi Zi Chu smiled gently, choosing not to expose him.
“If you were me, what would you do?” Ye He Qi gazed thoughtfully at Shi Zi Chu.
Shi Zi Chu was undeniably beautiful, her delicate features striking yet gentle. Her oval face softened her sharp edges, making her appear gentle and harmless.
Yet some, though appearing harmless, carried the deadliest venom of all.
Shi Zi Chu tilted her head slightly upward and sighed, “In my life, family bonds have always been thin—it’s lonely at the top.”
Ye He Qi laughed softly.
Having a kindred spirit wasn’t such a bad thing after all—so long as their interests never clashed.
“You aren’t asking me to help you kill her, are you?” Shi Zi Chu gave Ye He Qi an assessing look.
“Why would I use a great sword to kill a mere chicken?” Ye He Qi shook his head slightly.
Using someone as powerful as Shi Zi Chu for such petty tasks was truly a waste.
Shi Zi Chu calmly watched Ye He Qi.
If it wasn’t murder or arson, nor contacting Jiang Wan Sheng to remove the Gu, what exactly would he need her for?
“No rush,” Ye He Qi replied mysteriously. “I’ll need you very soon.”
The City Lord’s manor had discovered a spirit stone mine outside Supreme Virtue City, and all seven clans desired it.
In three days, the City Lord’s manor would invite prominent families for an auction.
If Ye He Qi wanted that mine, he’d undoubtedly need Shi Zi Chu, the direct disciple of Venerable Xing Lan, to help him.
“All right,” Shi Zi Chu replied, flipping open the cultivation manual again. “But I have one condition—find a young lady in the Ye Clan who closely resembles Chu Zhi Rou.”
Ye He Qi nodded in agreement.
By the time Shi Zi Chu had finished reading, Wan Yan Qian arrived.
She returned the cultivation manual to Ye He Qi and left to meet Wan Yan Qian.
Inside the luxurious carriage, Wan Yan Qian gazed admiringly at Shi Zi Chu, who wore a soft-blue dress, her eyes sparkling with appreciation.
Unlike last night’s vibrant and glamorous beauty, today Shi Zi Chu was simple and fresh-faced. Her natural beauty highlighted her gentle charm, making her even more likable.
“She suits both heavy makeup and natural beauty perfectly,” Wan Yan Qian generously praised her, saying, “Your face is truly beautiful.”
Shi Zi Chu smiled playfully, her eyes curving gently, “How do you know I haven’t taken any Face-Altering pills?”
Wan Yan Qian laughed softly, “If there really was a Face-Altering pill that effective, I’d buy dozens or even hundreds of bottles!”
Shi Zi Chu’s beauty was clearly natural. One more bit would make her overly enchanting, one bit less would leave her plain—right now, she was perfectly balanced.
The two women exchanged glances and laughed in unison.
When the carriage stopped, the maid respectfully announced, “Eldest Miss, we’ve arrived.”
The carriage halted before a shop called the Silken Grace Atelier. Wan Yan Qian gracefully led Shi Zi Chu inside.
The shop was quiet, without many guests.
“Oh my! Isn’t this Eldest Miss Wan Yan?” the shopkeeper greeted enthusiastically, then turned toward Shi Zi Chu, visibly amazed.
“You’ve brought a friend today, Eldest Miss? She’s truly a peerless beauty!”
His compliments flowed effortlessly, as if they cost him nothing.
Shi Zi Chu smiled pleasantly, seeming quite happy.
Wan Yan Qian waved her hand casually and said, “I’ve brought her here for some custom-made dresses as a greeting gift. Do you have any recommendations?”
Shi Zi Chu glanced at Wan Yan Qian thoughtfully.
Custom-made. No wonder this shop had few guests despite its prime location—the prices must be truly extravagant.
The shopkeeper’s admiring eyes swept Shi Zi Chu up and down, overflowing with praise.
“Eldest Miss, your friend would look splendid in anything,” he exclaimed, then added thoughtfully, “But she’s slightly thin. If she gained just a bit more weight, she’d be perfect—balanced and impeccable!”
Shi Zi Chu lightly touched her slender waist, her voice soft and warm as a spring breeze, “I really am a bit thin. I’ll try to eat more.”
Chu Zhi Rou had always been delicately slim, like a fragile willow. Thus, the Female Villain System had awkwardly forced Shi Zi Chu’s body into harsh diets, trying to mimic that delicate form, ending with an awkward imitation.
The shopkeeper called a maid to measure Shi Zi Chu, smiling, “We’ll make it a little looser at first, Daoist, so it’ll fit perfectly after you’ve gained some weight.”
Shi Zi Chu nodded politely.
Considering Shi Zi Chu would look beautiful in anything, the shopkeeper suggested dresses in red, purple, blue, and white.
Wan Yan Qian grandly ordered all four sets.
After discussing Shi Zi Chu’s preferences and styles, the shopkeeper quoted the price:
Six million five hundred and eighty thousand spirit stones.
Over a million spirit stones per dress!
Wan Yan Qian casually paid with her card.
Seeing Shi Zi Chu’s wide-eyed shock, Wan Yan Qian laughed lightly, “You think this is expensive? Some of my dresses cost tens of millions of spirit stones!”
Shi Zi Chu blinked, then pulled out her gold card to transfer the amount back to Wan Yan Qian.
“A greeting gift is a greeting gift,” Wan Yan Qian pushed her card away, adding, “You don’t have any decent hairpins or jewelry, either. Let’s go buy some.”
Before Shi Zi Chu could respond, Wan Yan Qian whisked her away.
On the way to the next shop, Shi Zi Chu curiously watched Wan Yan Qian and asked, “Does Eldest Miss Wan Yan like me this much?”
Seeing the perfectly measured curiosity on Shi Zi Chu’s face, Wan Yan Qian’s eyes shone with admiration, “Beautiful and clever, plus you’re Venerable Xing Lan’s disciple. Who wouldn’t like you?”
Last night, anyone could see clearly which disciple Venerable Xing Lan favored most.
Being close to Shi Zi Chu was beneficial—and also pleasing to the eye.
Shi Zi Chu’s eyes curved in a smile.
She liked Wan Yan Qian’s straightforward nature—not pretentious or hypocritical at all.
“You probably don’t know the story between Chu Zhi Rou and me, right?” Wan Yan Qian suddenly said.
Shi Zi Chu nodded softly.
Indeed, she was curious about their history.
Wan Yan Qian appeared pampered and proud, but never humiliated others publicly without cause.
If she held a grudge against Chu Zhi Rou, there must be a reason behind it.