Chapter 37

What childbirth? How many kids!

Yan Qingqiu shot to her feet, her cheeks flushing red in an instant. She stood up, lips parting, "Dad, what are you thinking about!"

"Huh?" Yan Fu was equally puzzled. "Isn't this a normal thing to imagine? You two have to consider this step at some point."

"No need to consider it!" Yan Qingqiu was terrified Song Qingre might overhear, and she hurriedly said, "Keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear you!"

"Oh, Qiuqiu is shy." Yan Fu laughed.

"..."

Yan Qingqiu felt like crying.

She said dolefully, "Dad, if you keep this up, I'm going to run away from home in a huff!"

The butler chuckled along with them, then brought over a string of keys, saying gently, "Sir, stop teasing the young lady." He handed the keys to Yan Qingqiu, who took them and immediately moved as far away from Yan Fu as she could, putting on a show of being upset.

Yan Fu shook the newspaper in his hand twice, laughing heartily at her. "You're all talk and no courage. Don't think I don't know—you've definitely thought about it deep down."

Yan Qingqiu shook her head vigorously. "No, absolutely not!"

Song Qingre came down the stairs, looking at them curiously, and asked, "What's going on? You're all laughing so happily."

"Yan Qingqiu just told a joke and cracked me up."

Yan Qingqiu snorted. The one telling jokes was her dad, wasn't it? She clarified again, "Anyway... I really didn't."

Yan Fu was about to speak, and she shot him a glare. Yan Fu pressed a finger to his lips, signaling he was sorry and wouldn't bring it up again.

The butler stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "So, shall we get ready to eat?"

Yan Qingqiu walked over to the butler and said warmly, "You're the one who loves me the most, hmph, they're all making fun of me."

The butler was flattered by her words, and said, "Thank you, miss. Then allow me to serve your dishes; I wonder if I might have the honor..."

"I suppose so," Yan Qingqiu said.

The family wasn't too formal about things. The butler invited her to the table, and Yan Qingqiu, clutching the keys and afraid of losing them, ran upstairs to get her small crossbody bag, put the keys inside, and kept it hanging at her waist.

Song Qingre glanced at her and smiled along.

The butler placed the food beside her, and Yan Qingqiu asked him to sit down too.

Yan Qingqiu ate daintily, hinting to the butler that she wanted a copy of the house's address later.

The butler nodded, acknowledging he understood.

Song Qingre asked the butler, "What is she preparing?"

The butler, who was eating, said mysteriously, "Sorry, this is a secret between me and the young lady. I'm afraid I can't divulge her secret."

Song Qingre nodded.

After the meal, Song Qingre tidied herself up, ready to head out.

Yan Qingqiu, sitting at the dining table, called out to her, "It's Saturday, you're still going to work?"

Song Qingre said, "... The boss doesn't have Saturdays off."

"Wait for me." Yan Qingqiu grabbed a tissue to wipe her mouth, got up, and followed her to the door. "Oh, right, Song Qingre, I'm inviting you to watch Kiki's Delivery Service."

"Hmm?" Song Qingre looked at her, surprised, her hands in her trench coat pockets. "So giving me clothes was a way to invite me to a movie?"

Yan Qingqiu had told many lies since arriving here, so one or two more wouldn't matter. She nodded firmly. "Let's go, taking you to see a movie... No, actually, I've been wanting to revisit some old movies lately."

Song Qingre stood there looking at her, and Yan Qingqiu frowned and said impatiently, "Hurry up, you have to come today. You're always busy with work—what's so busy about work! Stop dawdling."

Song Qingre said, "I didn't say I wouldn't come. Hang on a moment, let me wrap up a bit of work so the partner doesn't say I'm not punctual."

Yan Qingqiu nodded.

Song Qingre made a call to her business partner, and Yan Qingqiu watched her from the side, curious to see how Song Qingre would lie. But Song Qingre was very direct; she simply said to the partner, "I'm accompanying a kid to a movie. If I don't take her, she'll throw a tantrum. I'm really sorry. I'll get back to you after the movie. My apologies."

The person on the other end was stunned for a moment, then laughed. "No problem, go ahead, go ahead."

After hanging up, Song Qingre looked at her and said, "Alright, let's go. Thank you, Qiuqiu, but this film... it doesn't seem to be showing in theaters."

"I know." Yan Qingqiu had booked a private theater. She showed Song Qingre her phone—the order she'd placed online last night. Song Qingre saw the booking time: it was in the early hours of the morning.

Yan Qingqiu showed her and put the phone away. "I've always wondered why the witch in Kiki's Delivery Service works so hard to wander far from home but never goes back. Do you know?"

Song Qingre shook her head. "I've never thought about it."

Yan Qingqiu asked, "Then what do you think about?"

Song Qingre recalled, saying, "I think about how cute little Qiuqiu looked riding a broom as a kid."

"...Oh." Yan Qingqiu nodded.

"Then why don't you understand why she doesn't go home, yet you still want to watch it again?"

"Because... she has magic, so she can go home anytime, anywhere, and she also has the courage to wander. You know, a person dares to go out and wander mostly because they have a home. No matter where they wander, there's always a destination. But those who don't have a home don't dare to wander."

By the time Yan Qingqiu finished speaking, she didn't even know what she was saying anymore, but she let out a sigh of relief. Normally, she wouldn't dare say such things—afraid of slipping up and exposing herself, or having people see through her inner cowardice.

"Where are your bunny ears?" Song Qingre suddenly asked.

Yan Qingqiu said, "They stopped glowing this morning. Why? Do you want them?"

Song Qingre shook her head. "No, I just think you'd look like a rabbit that's become a spirit wearing them." Her tone was gentle. "It'd be adorable."

"Oh."

Song Qingre found the navigation and drove according to the address. Yan Qingqiu didn't fight her for the wheel—she'd stayed up late and couldn't drive anyway.

They arrived at the private theater with half an hour to spare.

Yan Qingqiu had booked the whole afternoon. She bought a lot of chips and cookies from the convenience store downstairs. Upstairs, there was popcorn for sale too, and she caught the sweet, milky scent of caramel butter. She asked, "Is there anything you want to eat? Want some milk tea?"

Song Qingre said anything was fine, whatever she chose.

Yan Qingqiu hated it when people said that. She didn't really drink milk tea herself, so she bought a fruit tea, and got one for Song Qingre as well. She carried a bit herself and had Song Qingre take the rest.

She asked, "How did we watch it before?"

"We watched it on the computer at home," Song Qingre said. "Back then, you were obsessed with buying stickers. When you saw the little witch riding her broom, you said you loved it. After school, I'd search for it on my dad's computer, and we'd watch it together. At night, you'd sleep next to me and tell me you wanted to eat the bread from the little witch's part-time job shop."

"...Oh."

How heartwarming.

"I was eleven then, and you were ten."

"... We were that young."

"That was the first time we watched it. Later, we watched it again—I was fifteen, you fourteen. After that, I watched it once alone. This is the fourth time."

Song Qingre asked her, "What about you? How many times have you watched it?"

They walked upstairs together, pushed the door open, and were stunned.

This private theater was decorated so romantically. Inside was a heart-shaped bed with only a thin blanket, meaning the two of them would have to lie together to watch the movie.

A smile tugged at Song Qingre's lips. "Nice service."

She turned on the light, revealing a ceiling painted like a blue starry sky. "Very atmospheric. Thank you, Qiuqiu, for bringing me to a romantic theater."

"Don't talk nonsense."

Yan Qingqiu placed the snacks on the bed, sat down without a hint of awkwardness, and reclined back. She grabbed the remote to find the movie, saying, "I've watched it many times."

Song Qingre closed the door and unbuttoned her coat, looking at her in surprise.

"I watched it in secret. There was a period when I was under a lot of pressure, and I just stumbled across it, and it healed me. The little witch bravely sets out on her own, and watching her work alone, ride her broom to make deliveries, and then that rainy day when she loses her magic, and then starts to find it again—I just thought she was so brave. Before I knew it, I was crying, and I kept crying, thinking I needed to find my own magic too."

As she spoke, Yan Qingqiu looked at her seriously. "I'm only telling you this. Don't go spreading it around."

Song Qingre nodded. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

She sat down beside Yan Qingqiu, leaning close to her.

They watched for a while, and then came the sound of soft sniffles.

Song Qingre turned her head. Yan Qingqiu's eyes were red, and she turned her body away, not wanting to be seen. Song Qingre opened a bag of chips and handed them to her.

Yan Qingqiu was about to say something more, but Song Qingre's fingers covered the top of her head, gently rubbing it, her palm resting there.

Yan Qingqiu forgot what she was going to say and asked, "Want me to take you to get some bread later?"

Song Qingre thought her ears must be playing tricks on her. After a long moment, she hummed in response. It had been so long that her memories had grown hazy.

It seemed that the first time they watched the movie, Qiuqiu had asked her: Do you think it's good?

Song Qingre didn't quite understand the story, but afraid of not having anything in common to talk about, she'd said, "It's good. The bread looks really nice, seems delicious."

"If you like it, you like it. If you don't, you don't."

Song Qingre hummed. Back then, she often couldn't figure out what she really liked. If Qiuqiu said she liked something, she would like it too.

Qiuqiu said, "I think... I'd like to see you wearing an apron and baking bread. It would probably be so warm."

After the movie, they didn't rush home. Yan Qingqiu took her to a bakery and bought a big bag of honey buns. She tore one open and handed a piece to Song Qingre. "You eat."

Song Qingre looked at her, a brow slightly raised. She took the bread and asked, "You're acting strange. Why are you suddenly being so nice to me?"

"I'm just bored."

Yan Qingqiu carried the bread to the car, got in, and buckled her seatbelt without looking at her. "I'm driving back."

Song Qingre walked over to the car and chuckled softly, asking, "But with your driving skills, do you dare to drive alone?"

"..."

"Of course I do!"

Who was she kidding? Tomorrow, she'd be the queen of the racetrack.

Song Qingre tapped on her window, looking at her and said, "Alright, whatever you say goes. I'll listen to you, okay?"

"Huh?" Yan Qingqiu was caught off guard by her sudden softness, biting her lip and humming as she asked, "Really? Then meow like a cat right now."

Song Qingre rested her hand on the window frame and said, "Meow~"

"!"

Yan Qingqiu felt she could be even bolder. She turned her head to look at Song Qingre. The sun was warm today, cascading over Song Qingre's trench coat. She looked like a gentle big cat, lazily leaning on the windowsill—not aloof at all, but incredibly soft. Her tail seemed to sway teasingly, as if on purpose.

"The way you meow is... passable, but I think it's mediocre. It's missing something to support it. Not sexy enough."

Yan Qingqiu nearly gave her a live demonstration of how to be sultry right there. Song Qingre really knew how to bait her; luckily, she slammed on the brakes in time.

She had become very composed, and said, "Let me see pictures of your parents."

Soon, she watched Song Qingre's smile fade, her lips still curved in a restrained arc. It looked like a smile, but it wasn't as warm.

Song Qingre stood up straight and asked softly, "Then may I ask what Miss Yan wants their photos for?"

"Just to look at them, what else? Lately, I've been thinking about a lot of childhood memories, and I want to see your parents' photos."

Song Qingre paused for a few seconds, then said thoughtfully, "Before, Qiuqiu would just throw them away directly. The ones she didn't want to throw away, she burned. Would Qiuqiu still do that? If that's still the case... I'm sorry, but I don't think I could bear that."

Yan Qingqiu hadn't planned to say anything, and she wouldn't have been so reckless before for fear of slipping up.

But this time was special, and she didn't want to take the blame for the burning. "At that time, my brain was waterlogged and not working right. By the time I came to my senses, it was already done. I... I mean, I won't do that now. I just want to look."

"Like something possessed your body?" Song Qingre suddenly asked.

Yan Qingqiu was startled. How could she guess that directly?

Was she that perceptive?

Song Qingre looked at her, as if casually remarking, "An evil spirit entering your body?"

Yan Qingqiu wanted to agree, but at this moment, she was more like the evil spirit herself.

Before the System could beep, she spoke first: 【This wasn't me hinting at her, okay. She figured it out herself. This woman is really something.】

The System was speechless. It spoke in a deep voice, warning, 【Host, please quickly change the subject, or I will have to punish you. This is your final warning.】

"I'll take you to visit the graves tomorrow," Song Qingre suddenly said.

That seemed okay too. Yan Qingqiu needed to calculate the time. This identity of hers had done something terrible, and by all rights, she should pay her respects once.

Yan Qingqiu pushed the car door open. "Get in. If you stand in the sun any longer, I'm afraid the sun will feel too ashamed of itself and turn the clear sky overcast."

Someone walked past the car and stared at them.

Song Qingre walked around and sat beside her, then said, "The cemetery is on Xijiang Road. Better to do it today than to keep putting it off. How about today?"

Yan Qingqiu wanted to go but was afraid, and Song Qingre said, "I haven't been to see my parents since I came back this time."

Yan Qingqiu said, "I won't go this time. Sigh, life is like that—there are bound to be some regrets."

Song Qingre didn't insist and nodded. "I have photos at home. Let's go back first."

Hearing her mention that house, Yan Qingqiu shook her head, a chill running down her spine. "Why do you keep wanting to go back there to stay?"

"That's my home. Even though no one's there anymore, I still need to go home."

Those words touched Yan Qingqiu, and she hummed softly.

"Besides, isn't it about finding a wife? I need to have a wedding house, right?" Song Qingre said with a smile.

This woman said she talked too much, but clearly, Song Qingre talked the most.

Yan Qingqiu didn't know how to answer that, so she kept driving. Whether it was because she was too timid about driving or just used to going slow, even now she was still creeping along, taking twice as long as normal.

The two snuck back without alerting anyone in the household. Song Qingre entered the code into the electronic lock, then used a key to open the door. The weeds in the yard had been cleared, and the corners were full of roses and briars, many of them black or deep crimson, with petals that shimmered with bright specks. When the sunlight hit, the yard seemed to darken.

These flowers didn't look newly transplanted.

Song Qingre said, "My mother planted these when she was alive. They're very rare—she struggled to keep even a few alive through repeated cultivation. I never expected the whole yard to fill up now."

The outside of the house had been tidied.

But in the living room, many things were covered with dust cloths, and even though the windows had been open for ventilation, a faint musty smell lingered.

A cold wind crept up from the soles of her feet.

She felt her body tremble. Wasn't Song Qingre afraid living in such a big house alone? Hiring a maid just to serve one person would cost even more. Then she thought, once Song Qingre had a wife, there'd be another person here, and it wouldn't feel so empty.

Ah, she'd just been poor for too long; everything seemed like an expense. Wasn't the point of having money to enjoy it?

Song Qingre led her upstairs and handed her a pair of gloves. "The room is dusty. Just look around casually, and don't get your clothes dirty."

She took Yan Qingqiu to her parents' bedroom. After Song Qingre's parents died, Yan Fu had taken her into the Yan household for a long time. Because she couldn't bear to let the traces of her parents' lives disappear, everything was covered with dust cloths.

But too much time had passed, and even the best protection would fade with time.

What was meant to be ruined would still be ruined. Time showed no mercy.

"Since I'm not good at housework, I only wiped down the photos," Song Qingre said, pointing at the wall.

It was her parents' wedding portrait. Her father was handsome and tall. Compared to Yan Fu's refined looks, he was more imposing, dressed in a white suit. Her mother was gentle, wearing a black wedding dress. Song Qingre resembled her mother about a quarter. They stood in front of a flower shop named "Hua Re."

Their builds seemed mismatched, yet they surprisingly suited each other.

Yan Qingqiu asked, "Are there no others? Like photos of me and them?"

"I put them away. I figured you wouldn't want to look at them. They're all in the basement and storage room," Song Qingre said.

Yan Qingqiu stared blankly, not knowing what to say.

When they came out, Yan Qingqiu gave all the bread to Song Qingre. "From now on, when you're sad, eat more sweets. That's what I do."

"Mm? Mm."

Song Qingre said thank you.

·

The whole day, Yan Qingqiu was busy to the point of flying. After watching the movie with Song Qingre, in the evening she immediately had the butler take her to see the house.

The 850-square-meter house was huge. Since no one lived there, it looked empty and terrifying. Yan Qingqiu walked behind the butler, who held a flashlight and told her that once she hired servants, she wouldn't be scared anymore.

"Then will you come along?" Yan Qingqiu asked, feeling dumb as soon as the words left her mouth. She wasn't going to live here herself; it was for her wives. After inspecting, she concluded the place was big enough for all of them.

"Butler, you've told me so many stories. Let me tell you one too," Yan Qingqiu said softly, looking at him.

"Go ahead," he said, looking like he was all ears.

"There was a stray rabbit who wandered around endlessly. One day, she found a burrow, but it belonged to someone else. She could only stay there temporarily, and one day she'd have to leave. But she'd grown attached to it, and she wasn't willing to go," Yan Qingqiu said.

"Where did you see this story?" the butler asked curiously.

"Oh, it was a short film that won an award. It's about the rabbit feeling the warmth of home, but knowing this was only—"

【Host, please do not reveal the secrets of the game world. If you do, the game will crash, and this world will cease to exist. I believe I've warned you many times.】

The System's tone was impatient, disliking her habit of always testing the waters with secrets. Yan Qingqiu sneered. How annoying.

Yan Qingqiu: 【Got it. You're so annoying.】

The butler was still waiting. "Miss, what about the rest of the story? What happened next?"

Yan Qingqiu said, "The rabbit woke up and realized it was all a dream—a dream from summer to autumn."

"That story is truly sad. But miss, don't watch stories like that anymore. It's not a fairy tale; it's just sad for the sake of being sad." The butler remarked, then said, "I doubt they deserved that award. It's not as good as what I could write. If you like fairy tales, I'll write some for you."

She snorted twice, got in the car, and headed home, thinking the butler was so good to her.

Yan Qingqiu held up her phone to check messages. Su Xingjie had invited her over to her place. Come to think of it, she'd never been to Su Xingjie's home before.

She sent a voice message: "I'll come find you after I'm done."

Ah, who knew if she'd even get the chance.

Su Xingjie asked, "What are you doing right now?"

Yan Qingqiu took a photo and sent it, saying, "Looking at my dad's property. He said he'd give me a house, hehe. You should come over and party at my place later."

"Ok ok. Then you go do your thing. Give me a call when you're coming to my place."

"Alright."

The people in this world must really miss Miss Yan.

Ah, she had to admit, she wanted to meet Miss Yan too.

Yan Qingqiu took out the stack of photos again.

That night, Yan Qingqiu lay in bed clutching her little notebook, feeling she should record some things. Some things she wanted to write, others she didn't dare.

She wanted to write:

【This whole wife-exchanging thing feels really dangerous. I don't know if I'll make it out alive.

But thank you all—thank you, Xing Xing, for being such a good friend and always standing by my side. Thank you, Dad, for spoiling me unconditionally. And thank you, Song Qingre, even though you're a bit annoying... but I'm sorry.】

【But if I can exchange for the original Miss Yan... I think it's worth this fleeting dream. Bye-bye, Yan Qingqiu from Earth, signing off.】

There were also words for the System, kept in her heart.

I believe in science: It's a good thing there's no afterlife. I never asked for happiness when I came into this world, and I don't think I'd fare better in the next. I thought death was just death.

You sent me to this world for some reason, but sadly, I don't have time to figure it out.

I don't believe in science: If you let me get killed by 365 wives this time, I'll come back as a vengeful spirit and haunt you, making you break down every single day. How dare you drag me into this world, only to let me be blown away like the wind.

So sentimental. So sentimental.

Yan Qingqiu couldn't stand her own melodrama. What kind of nonsense was she thinking? She quickly lay down to sleep, then opened the notebook again.

Sigh.

As she thought, her body grew warm. She got up and took a shower.

Soaking in the tub, she thought: Although I've been here so long, and the heat has lingered this whole time, I haven't used your body for anything weird, you know.

Occasionally, I've wanted to off myself, but I've been very restrained—I just rolled around on the floor.

Saying that, her face stung a little. Song Qingre had given her plenty of massages! And she'd enjoyed them thoroughly, never once refusing, not even pretending to be modest.

Yan Qingqiu got out of the bathtub and dried off with a towel.

As she dried herself, she thought.

What if she could exchange for the wife Song Qingre wanted?

Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, it was worth trying.

Yan Qingqiu thought: One day, I should do a survey. People would ask, "Have you ever fought tooth and nail for your OTP?"

She'd answer: I've truly worried myself sick for my OTP. I might even lose my life over it.

··

In the morning, Yan Qingqiu ate at home, frantically shoveling food into her mouth. She ate quickly, then stared at the people at the table.

The butler said, "Miss has been running around a lot these past few days. You must be starving."

Yan Qingqiu didn't answer him. She grabbed the car keys and said to everyone, "I'm heading out."

At the door, she turned back to look at Yan Fu. "Goodbye, Dad."

Yan Fu, who was drinking porridge, paused, then smiled back at her and asked, "Aren't you having any porridge?"

"Goodbye, Butler."

"Goodbye, Song Qingre."

The people at the table all froze. What was she doing?

Yan Fu didn't think much of it. "Maybe she thinks the house is really suitable and can't wait to move out." He sighed again. "Ah, daughters grow up and can't stay."

He kept looking at Song Qingre, who didn't understand what he was getting at. Her gaze lingered on Yan Qingqiu's retreating figure.

Her thoughts suddenly turned less optimistic. Yan Qingqiu had seemed off since yesterday.

"Little Re isn't busy today, right?" Yan Fu asked, intending to have her come along to see if she liked the future wedding house, but afraid of revealing Yan Qingqiu's secret.

Song Qingre said, "Mm, nothing much today. I'll leave it to my secretary."

Yan Qingqiu ran off after saying her goodbyes, fetching a convertible sports car. Driving in the early morning, the cold wind whipped against her, her face flushing with heat.

It took her a while to realize she was so nervous she'd forgotten which button raised the roof...

Driving against the cold wind, Yan Qingqiu drove the car toward the villa. Her mind was a mess; her fingers were sweating from nervousness. She was terrified of crashing, but even more afraid of something else—what if she died?

Because she was so tense, she kept circling around the villa district. The System urged and scolded her, but she didn't hear a word, too scared to die.

During that time, a car passed by her. She didn't recognize the driver, but the driver recognized her.

Luo Xi got out and entered the villa across the street. She went upstairs and stood on the balcony, taking out binoculars. "What is Yan Qingqiu doing? Is she deliberately trying to annoy me, knowing I'm staying nearby today, and she comes to show off?"

"I don't think so. Lately, she's been coming here constantly. She's already been here a few times since yesterday," the maid said. "I heard she's preparing a wedding house... I heard it from the master and mistress last time. The mistress told me not to tell you!"

"Oh great! So this blonde little bitch is up to something!"

Luo Xi frowned, very angrily asking, "She's not plotting something, is she?" Yan Qingqiu was especially good at causing a scene. Every time she said she'd given up on Fu Ye, she'd turn around and pull some dramatic stunt. Last time, she drank so much she ended up in the hospital, and her Fu-gege's heart softened and he immediately got engaged to her. Luo Xi really couldn't understand what there was to soften about.

She'd drunk so much for Fu-gege, drowning her sorrows night after night—why didn't he ever pity her?

The maid was used to speaking bluntly and said, "Maybe she's allergic to alcohol, while you're a bottomless cup."

Luo Xi glared at her fiercely. "So it's my fault for being able to hold my liquor?"

"No, no, it's that blonde little bitch who's better at pretending."

Luo Xi said, "Blonde little bitch!"

·

Yan Qingqiu drove around for a long time before pushing the door open and walking in. The villa was spacious enough, big enough for her to exchange all her wives.

【How can you be such a coward?】

The System was disappointed: 【Hurry up.】

Yan Qingqiu pulled out her little notebook, took out a photo, and stared at it for a long time. Cowardly but resolute, she said, 【Should I write a will or something? What if every one of my wives is desperate and comes at me? If they do this and that to me and I die from it, what then?】

The System said nothing.

Yan Qingqiu slowly walked around the perimeter. She didn't enter the house; she planned to find a place to hide first. If anything went wrong, she'd run.

If the game crashed, so be it. If it was going to die, they'd all die together.

System: 【If you don't exchange soon, it'll expire in three minutes.】

Yan Qingqiu hummed twice. 【Among all these wives of mine, are there any non-humans with superpowers? Any ghosts?】

The System's tone was hesitant: 【You'd even dare to take a ghost?】

Yan Qingqiu: 【I'm just curious what a legendary seductive ghost looks like. I'm not reckless enough to sleep with just anything...】

The System paused for a moment: 【Then probably not... Two minutes left.】

Yan Qingqiu's heart pounded. She took another step toward the door, her mind aching. 【Then... will there be tentacles?】

The System fell silent, then said, 【Shut up. One minute left.】

Yan Qingqiu tried to calm herself, but her feet had a mind of their own. She ran madly toward the exit, pulling out the photo as she ran. Hurry, hurry. Exchange for the original Miss Yan.

She stared at it intently, committing it to memory.

She was so focused that she ran headfirst into the door.

System: 【Detected host's strong exchange desire. Have exchanged 365 wives for the host.】

A mechanical voice rang in her head: 【Three, two...】

Yan Qingqiu's mouth went weak: 【No.】

【One. Exchange successful.】

Yan Qingqiu's steps froze, her body stiffened, and her throat slowly went dry. It felt like 365 pairs of eyes were all fixed on her. There was a faint sting at her forehead, and her back felt like it was pierced by dozens of needles. Why was it so terrifying?

Like a predator chasing its prey, and she was the prey.

She was facing away from her 365 wives. How was she supposed to greet them?

All she could see were the trees and grass, the iron gate mere steps away. She hadn't been ready at all, hadn't actually intended to exchange... Waa.

She knew the System would play dirty and force her to do it.

The scene before her grew chaotic, bizarre, like a computer infected with a virus, the screen flashing purple-blue light. She didn't know what people looked like in extreme terror. But she knew one thing: her mind was racing. She pinched the photo between her fingers and took a deep breath.

Then she slowly backed away.

But prey was prey. Once the chaotic lights before her faded,

Yan Qingqiu turned around.

The scene before her grew clearer. The yard was packed with people, densely packed. No... damn, there wasn't a single normal one among them. The woman closest to her wore a Western-style coat, holding a long, thin pointer, the lenses of her glasses gleaming white, the eyes behind them sharp and intelligent... As she walked, she lightly tapped the pointer against her palm.

Step by step: "Student Qiuqiu, being disobedient. That deserves punishment."

"Hand, or bottom?"

And behind her stood a translucent woman with pink skin, white cloth covering her eyes. Her hair was pink jellyfish tentacles, and her hands pressed down on her skirt.

The woman lifted her skirt, and underneath were long, translucent tentacles.

The jellyfish drifted toward her, ready to embrace her into suffocation.

Behind her followed a siren with a purple-black fish tail, its long hair covering her bare chest.

Yan Qingqiu screamed, unable to believe her eyes. "System, what the hell did you exchange? What are these things?! You really do want me dead!"

There was even a woman with a fox tail, posing sideways with her rear raised, her figure seductive, her long fluffy tail swaying.

The System wasn't at all pleased. Its voice was panicked too. After a dazed moment, it burst into curses: 【You idiot! What were you thinking?! You pervert!!!! Weren't you thinking of people? Didn't you fill in stepmother, stepsister, swimming coach, and a bunch of other random things before?】

Yan Qingqiu was furious. "That's because you only gave me a few options! I was just being tactful at the time, but I also said I could handle anything—my appetite's huge!"

The System's voice became garbled with rage: 【What are you thinking about all day?! You sick freak!】

"You're the sick freak, you bastard! Didn't you conjure these things up?! And you swore they were all to my taste! You get these—beauties and beasts—out of here now!"

Everyone was walking toward her. Yan Qingqiu didn't want to argue with the System anymore. She saw a woman in a swimsuit hugging a float, and another wearing an apron. Their faces looked familiar—no, everyone's faces looked familiar.

Once she got a good look, her eyes went wider than before. Wait, why was it her...

But Yan Qingqiu honestly felt she didn't have the fortune to enjoy this. Her whole body went cold, her legs went weak, and she backed away.

She turned and scrambled to open the yard gate, trembling as she pulled at it. The headmistress looked somewhat normal, but the others were far from it.

But it was too late...

Someone reached her from behind—cold and hard, not human.

A black Maybach drove in, and Luo Xi hid on the opposite path watching. As she was about to get out, she heard a loud bang, like something slammed against the door, and suddenly saw a very familiar face.

Then... a semi-mechanical arm appeared behind Yan Qingqiu first. Its fingers were silver metal. She stood behind Yan Qingqiu, silver fingers gripping the iron gate, another hand landing on Yan Qingqiu's cheek, slowly sliding to her neck, then gradually moving down, the metallic finger bones tracing along her skin to Yan Qingqiu's collarbone...

Lips covered by a black muzzle leaned close to her ear, whispering something.

"!"

Luo Xi was shocked.

Isn't that Song Qingre? Is this how artists play?!

Then, Song Qingre's metallic body was revealed.

Her silver body was fluid and streamlined, her rear pert, like a work of art hammered out by hand. Her long legs pressed against the gate frame.

Purple fluorescent light lined the edge of her black leggings.

Light fell across her body. Her chest was full against the iron gate, and the high heels on her feet glinted silver.

When other people did kinky roleplay, these two were doing a metal... something.

"Oh my god, damn..." Luo Xi's lips moved. Was her eyesight failing, or was that metal Song Qingre about to bend the gate out of shape?

This Alpha... had incredible strength!

Was she in heat?!

"Drive, drive." Luo Xi was terrified; only after speaking did she remember she was the only one in the car, and hurriedly turned the wheel to get out of there. She did not want to witness an A-O marking scene right here.

It took Luo Xi a while to calm down, about three or four minutes. She pulled the car back, took a deep breath, and remembered she'd forgotten to call Fu Ye, and also forgotten to take a photo...

Yan Qingqiu and Song Qingre were together!

And they were into that kind of kink? She really knew how to enjoy herself.

Luo Xi's face burned. She looked back again, and an even more familiar figure appeared at the entrance of the neighborhood.

A black car drove past her from the entrance, the window half-rolled down, the face inside perfectly clear. Luo Xi was stunned and murmured, "Wait, is she a magician?!"

Teleporting?

Wasn't she just dressed all provocatively and metallic...?

Now she was in a suit and white shirt?

Damn, she still looked hot in that.

Maybe because she was in a rush, Song Qingre had one button of her shirt undone. Her expression was dark, her fingers gripping the steering wheel as she sped past Luo Xi's car, dust trailing behind. She was moving fast, heading straight toward Yan Qingqiu...