[Quick Transmigration] I Cried After Scumming the Little Puppy - Chapter 20

After spending an hour purchasing nearly twenty outfits, the shopkeeper was beaming from ear to ear. He offered to deliver the clothes to her residence free of charge—a suggestion Fang Yu welcomed with open arms. She had just been wondering how on earth she was going to lug all those bundles back.

With the air of a pampered lord, she patted Ren Xingxian’s shoulder. “Xian’er, pay the man.”

Once they stepped out of the shop, Fang Yu struck up a conversation: “Why is it so crowded today?”

Ren Xingxian’s gaze pierced through her veil, looking at Fang Yu as if questioning her humanity. “Today is the first of the month. People from all over the county come for the market. You only slept for a few days under my knock-out drug; has it truly wiped away your common sense?”

Fang Yu: “I.”

Fang Yu scrambled for a way to explain away her momentary lapse in intellect. Then, she caught a glimpse of a faint, fleeting smile hidden beneath Ren Xingxian’s veil. Inspiration struck.

“You smiled!”

Ren Xingxian’s smile vanished instantly. She froze.

“You haven’t smiled once since we saw Aunt,” Fang Yu said softly. “You’ve been so quiet on the way here. I was just wondering what I could do to make you feel a little better.”

“I’ve finally seen you brighten up.”

Ren Xingxian felt a flicker of warmth in her chest, like a hairline fracture appearing in a stone wall—slight, but offering a glimmer of hope that the barrier might eventually break.

“You did that on purpose,” Ren Xingxian murmured.

Fang Yu simply looked at her without a word, then jogged off toward a nearby street stall.

“Here! A sugar-man for you. Eat up!” Fang Yu returned a moment later, holding a popular candied syrup figure. Under the sunlight, the sugar was crystal clear, the intricate carving appearing vivid and lifelike.

Ren Xingxian didn’t take it. She asked curiously, “Why did you have them carve a monkey for me?”

“Monkeys are lively! People feel happy just looking at them—just like how you used to be.”

Used to be?

Ren Xingxian could no longer remember what she used to be like. Her happiest memories were of practicing martial arts with her seniors at the escort agency, or studying the tedious Four Books and Five Classics alongside Fang Yu in the private school.

“I don’t eat sweets.”

“Ah, what a waste then. Bi He, this is for you. Make sure you finish it.” Having received a gift, Bi He thanked her politely.

Another person suddenly flickered through Fang Yu’s mind. She remembered that the target she had to reform in the previous world didn’t like sweets either. What a coincidence.

The weather was fine, and Fang Yu wasn’t ready to head back yet; Ren Xingxian didn’t mention going home either. They wandered aimlessly through the streets until they turned a corner into another bustling thoroughfare. Just as Fang Yu was looking for something interesting, a sudden force yanked her into a dark alley.

“Fang Yu!”

Ren Xingxian’s cry was swallowed by the roar of the crowd.

A rain of tiny fists pelted her body, leaving Fang Yu dazed. Does the sky drop punches instead of luck these days?

“You heartless bastard!”

“Sister Lian Rui was killed because of you! Give her back, give her back! Waaaah.”

Fang Yu raised her arms to block the blows, finally getting a clear look at her assailant. It was a young girl dressed in bright red sleeves. Her face was buried under heavy makeup—so thick her original features were unrecognizable—now ruined by streaks of “black-red” tears.

“Speak clearly,” Fang Yu demanded, “or I’m reporting you to the authorities for assault.”

“Tui!” The girl spat, her anger flaring even higher. “If anyone’s going to the authorities, it should be you!”

“In the Drunken Flower Pavilion, only Sister Lian Rui was kind to me. You lords live your carefree lives with no idea of our suffering! After the County Vice-Magistrate’s daughter took you away that day, someone came for Sister Lian Rui.

I was passing her room and heard her screaming. That’s when I realized they were sent by the Vice-Magistrate’s daughter. Because Lian Rui was a gifted zither player, they severed her tendons. Because she was skilled at poetry, they, they poisoned her mute. Cruelty beyond measure!”

“Sister Lian Rui relied on those two talents to be the courtesan of the house, but that woman destroyed her future. Once the Madam saw she was worthless, she threw her out. She’s half-dead now.”

“Your petty squabbles have destroyed my sister!”

The accusations made Fang Yu’s brow furrow. “Wait for me here tomorrow. I’ll come back.”

She sensed Ren Xingxian was closing in.

[Fang Yu:] 018, can you save people other than me?

[System:] It is possible, but it will cost Experience Points.

[Fang Yu:] I should have some XP from completing the last world, right?

[System:] Host has 100,000 XP. Using system abilities on an outsider costs 10,000 XP and can only be done once per world.

One-tenth. She could afford that.

[Fang Yu:] Use it on Lian Rui.

“Fang Yu! Did you see who took you?” The sound of fluttering robes approached, carrying a faint trace of urgency.

Fang Yu rubbed her arms and stood up. “No. She just said she grabbed the wrong person and dumped me here. I knew Xian’er would find me, so I didn’t move.”

Ren Xingxian gave a scoff of disbelief. “It’s getting dark. Let’s go home.”

“Fine by me.”

When it came time for bed, Fang Yu dismissed Bi He and Lan Xiang, claiming she didn’t want them disturbing their sleep. On the surface, she appeared to have Ren Xingxian under her thumb, but in reality, she couldn’t even get into Ren Xingxian’s bed.

The Thunder-Thorn Whip proved surprisingly convenient to have in the room. Ren Xingxian gripped the handle and gave the bed—right next to where Fang Yu was lying—a sharp crack.

Fang Yu flinched as the cotton in the quilt compressed under the force. Ren Xingxian had restraint; she didn’t hit Fang Yu directly, but struck a spot barely two centimeters away.

“Are you getting down or not?”

“No.”

Ren Xingxian’s eyes darkened. She reached out, tapped Fang Yu’s pressure points to paralyze her, and kicked the girl, quilt and all off the bed. She pulled the bed curtains shut, sealing herself off.

“If you stay still, the seal will break in six hours. If you struggle and mess with your circulation, there’s no telling when you’ll move again.”

Wrapped in the quilt like a silkworm cocoon, Fang Yu’s voice muffled from the floor: “I just wanted to hold you. I wasn’t going to do anything.”

“Do you want me to add another hour to that seal?”

“Sweet dreams!”

Fang Yu truly stayed in that exact position all night, retreating into the System Space to rest. She scrambled back onto Ren Xingxian’s bed just before the maids came in to serve them, striking an intimate pose. By now, the maids didn’t dare pull the curtains back too quickly, fearing they’d see something that would make them blush.

After washing up, Fang Yu used the excuse of visiting Jiashu to send Ren Xingxian away. She left the house alone, without a single servant. Ren Xingxian didn’t suspect anything; Fang Yu had never been keen on bringing her “home” anyway.

She navigated the familiar path back to the dark alley. The girl was already there, leaning against the wall and dozing off. It looked like she had been waiting a long time.

Fang Yu glanced up. It was early morning, and the main streets were bathed in the glow of the rising sun. Yet this alley remained dim. Fang Yu had a whimsical thought: This really is the perfect place for a shady deal.

She woke the girl, who was currently sporting a bit of drool on her lip. The girl startled awake, looking confused for a moment before remembering why she was there.

“Follow me,” the girl said.