After Encountering My Deceased Wife, I Became the Male Lead's Love Rival - Chapter 63

Chapter 63: The Price

When that wealthy sucker arrived, the system followed Fang Ziyue’s instructions and let him in. However, to prevent anyone from discovering the vegetables she was growing, Fang Ziyue had exchanged her points with the system for a protective shield.

“Rest assured, Host. System-produced goods are guaranteed,” the system promised with full confidence. It had used the points earned from Fang Ziyue to upgrade itself by one level; currently, the products it could exchange are undetectable by modern technology.

From the looks of it, the effect was excellent.

After the merchant was let in, he first detected weapons in the courtyard. Taking advantage of the owner’s absence, he had his butler use a device to jam the operation of those weapon systems. Having dismantled Fang Ziyue’s home security and confirmed there were no other dangers, the man began to stroll around as if he were in his own backyard.

The front yard, the backyard, and even the bottom of the pool—they checked it all. After an hour of such meticulous searching, the middle-aged man’s patience ran out.

They found nothing in this house!

“Where is she?” the man asked with a frown, looking at the butler who had just come down from the second floor. He had been waiting outside for nearly two hours. What was wrong with this woman named Fang? Did she dare to neglect him? Did she not want the money?

The butler stopped and replied, “Master, we only found one locked room on the second floor. There is someone inside, but the door won’t open.”

Knocking was useless; the room was likely equipped with a noise-canceling system. His subordinates had even tried kicking the door, but it didn’t seem to affect the person inside.

Hearing this, the man’s expression turned ugly. If she hadn’t come down after all the commotion they made, she was clearly asleep. How could that idiot sleep when an esteemed guest was at her door?!

“Go knock again!” the man gritted his teeth. “If it won’t open, blast it open. Just keep the woman alive; she’s a worthless thing anyway.”

“Yes, Master.” The butler bowed. His flat expression suggested that killing or harming people was a commonplace occurrence for him.

With the man’s tacit approval, his men used a lethal weapon to blast Fang Ziyue’s bedroom door. After a loud boom, the thick smoke cleared, but the seemingly flimsy door remained completely unscathed.

The butler’s eyes widened, and the men who frequently performed such tasks were equally stunned. This… such a high-quality door existed on this Desolate Planet? Or rather, such a powerful defense system?

Hidden in mid-air, the system wobbled up and down proudly. Heh heh~ System-produced, quality guaranteed!

Before going to the Gobi, Fang Ziyue had specifically spent a lot of points to renovate the bedroom to provide Ling Qiu with a safe environment. The defense system alone had cost nearly half of her points. The only silver lining was that the system was reusable across different worlds.

The people outside the door continued to blast it relentlessly, yet the two people sleeping in each other’s arms inside were dead to the world. The little mermaid was huddled tightly in Fang Ziyue’s embrace, her face buried in the other’s neck, occasionally nuzzling against her. Her lower half, however, because she was sleeping so soundly and dreaming of pummeling a sea monster, had transformed into a fish tail.

The end of the tail, like transparent gauze, wrapped tightly around Fang Ziyue’s legs, subconsciously protecting this fragile human. Her upper body was clad in a white T-shirt, which she had pulled up high due to the heat, vaguely revealing a glimpse of soft, fair skin.

Fang Ziyue had been on the move for two days without rest and finally slept her fill. When she woke up, it was already the evening of the next day.

The little mermaid, who had long since woken up, was sitting beside her with a box of strawberries, eating while guarding the human. She could sense the people hiding outside the door; their emotions were thick with malice and anger. There were even two people staying downstairs.

Those two were the middle-aged merchant and his butler. To prevent Fang Ziyue from escaping with anyone in the middle of the night, the man had simply slept on her sofa. He lay on an expensive, soft blanket brought by the butler and had even changed into comfortable pajamas. Every action screamed his intent to “occupy the magpie’s nest”—assuming the role of the master.

However, it was clear that this “master” was losing face.

After waking up, Fang Ziyue first stole a “fragrant” kiss on the little mermaid’s puffed-out cheek, then opened the window and stretched. She looked out at the deep night and the cool breeze; after a while, her eyelids nearly closed again. If Ling Qiu hadn’t pinched a strawberry and placed it against her lips, she probably would have fallen back asleep.

Thoroughly awakened by the sweet and sour taste of the strawberry, the woman lamented that “returning to sleep” was always like this—hard to wake up from.

“The people outside won’t leave. Do you want me to drive them away?” The malice of the outsiders made the little mermaid very uncomfortable. Had it not been for the increasingly lucid Ling Qiu knowing she mustn’t kill people to avoid causing trouble for Fang Ziyue, she would have dealt with them before Fang Ziyue even woke up.

“No need.” Fang Ziyue shook her head. She tapped Ling Qiu’s nose and smiled, “They are here to give us money. We can’t let such a big, fat sheep get away.”

“Give money?” The little mermaid tilted her head, confused. Why would someone giving money have such great malice? In her understanding, it seemed more like they were there to collect a debt.

The little mermaid didn’t understand these twists and turns, and Fang Ziyue wasn’t willing to let a blank sheet of paper be stained with ink. She patted the mermaid’s back and told her, “Stay in the room and don’t come out. I’m going down to handle them.”

Ling Qiu’s beautiful brows furrowed immediately, her dark blue eyes flashing with disapproval. Humans were so fragile; how could she face that malice alone? She grabbed Fang Ziyue’s arm, her small face solemn and serious: “They are very evil. You shouldn’t go.”

Let me go instead. She had sharp teeth, claws, and spiritual power those people couldn’t hope to reach. Moreover, a mermaid’s song could bewitch them, making them kill each other or surrender and be killed by her.

Fang Ziyue knew her wife’s protective instinct was flaring up again. Suppressing the sweetness in her heart and the smile on her lips, she whispered, “We agreed you would trust me.” She pulled Ling Qiu close, imprinted a kiss on her forehead, and promised, “I absolutely won’t get hurt. I’ll come back completely unharmed, okay?”

This person is a big liar. The little mermaid wrinkled her nose. The word “No” was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t say it. She seemed… she always seemed unable to refuse this human’s requests. Just as the other respected her wishes, she wanted to respect her too.

Unbeknownst to her, the little mermaid had become much more lucid, and her attitude toward Fang Ziyue had become increasingly reliant—even a form of “liking” she hadn’t yet realized.

Seeing the little mermaid still frowning and unhappy, Fang Ziyue held her and coaxed her a bit longer. There was no rush to go down; dealing with those people wasn’t nearly as important as comforting her wife.

Meanwhile, the man sitting on the sofa—already striking a pose, eating exquisite snacks made by his butler, and drinking expensive tea—was growing darker and darker in the face.

When Fang Ziyue woke up, she hadn’t suppressed her spiritual power at all; her spiritual tentacles permeated the entire estate. The middle-aged man, who had already lain down as night fell, was instantly startled awake. Like a herbivore encountering a natural predator, his whole body tensed up, and he immediately dressed to prepare for the upcoming negotiation.

Why was it a “negotiation” and not an “interrogation”? It can only be said that only those with high-level spiritual power have the right to set the rules. Now, Fang Ziyue was the rule-maker.

The fact that her spiritual power had been active for so long while she delayed coming downstairs was likely intended as a “show of strength.” As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake; the man did not want to go head-to-head with Fang Ziyue. He just frowned, unable to understand how Fang Ziyue’s spiritual power had suddenly become so formidable. If she had shown such power back on the Imperial Star, she would have been recruited by major factions long ago. Why would she suffer on a Desolate Planet just for selling fake nutrient solutions?

The man pondered for a long time until a sudden spark of light flashed in his eyes. Could it be… she was faking it before?

Indeed, some people would rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. With such powerful spiritual energy, she could easily be a local warlord on the Desolate Planet. But… her reputation here didn’t seem great; many people even insulted her openly. If she didn’t resist, was she a masochist? Surely not?

Fang Ziyue’s sudden change made the man unable to gauge her depth, so he could only wait for her to come down and see what she wanted.

After waiting for about another hour, just as the man was getting drowsy, Fang Ziyue finally came downstairs, dragging him out of a good dream. The middle-aged man had anger he didn’t dare vent; he guessed she was deliberately retaliating because they had annoyed her by blasting the door while she was sleeping. But none of that mattered—the most important thing was the mermaid.

“Miss Fang, I have heard much about you,” the man began with a polite formality.

Fang Ziyue nodded, not even bothered to snap back at him. However, the man’s attitude was very calm, even considering her behavior natural. People with high-level spiritual power possessed significant privileges in this world because the power increased geometrically with every level crossed. Furthermore, people with exceptionally high levels were rare. Against certain lethal star beast threats, only they could act, so they were naturally pushed into high positions.

For those at the S-level, some weapons were simply useless. Unless they could be killed while completely off-guard, the spiritual riot of their death throes was enough to level an entire planet. No one dared gamble with their lives.

The middle-aged man lowered his stance and asked, “Miss Fang, did you previously take in the young lady from the Liang family? Is she still here with you?”

“No,” Fang Ziyue replied without even looking up, her answer completely half-hearted.

The butler standing behind the man understood instantly. He quickly opened a light-computer and displayed the balance of an account, placing it before Fang Ziyue. It was a substantial asset, but to demand a person from a high-level spiritual user with just that—the greed was a bit unsightly.

The man was betting that because Fang Ziyue had been away from the Imperial Star for so long, she no longer understood the rules of the Imperial Star. But just because the original owner didn’t understand didn’t mean Fang Ziyue didn’t.

She gave a light scoff and leaned back. That cold, arrogant posture alone made the man break into a cold sweat. He hurried to signal the butler: Add more money.

How much? Multiply it. He didn’t want to be killed here just because of her displeasure!

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