Canned Souls 3

Yan Xianchuan set down her chopsticks, feeling no urge to learn anything about the woman named Inola appended to the message.

She checked her identity information and, sure enough, her marital status had changed to married.

How could a person be so despised by their family that they were cast out, stripped of any say over their own life?

Even if that were the case, she had no right to judge another's life—but now she was the one stuck with this mess.

She found herself facing a dilemma. If she took the initiative and solved the problem, it would mean using every advantage she had to shed the label of a good-for-nothing, gain real influence, and raise her standing.

Yan Xianchuan had no roots in this world; everything would start from zero, from nothing, facing countless difficulties, tedious interpersonal entanglements, and possibly plenty of armed conflict.

After all, once she made a move, she was bound to cut into someone else's share of the pie.

Or she could do nothing—let things drift, go with the flow. After all, no one in the family checked on her, and no one would hold her accountable for whether she played the part of a proper spouse or lived a perfect married life.

Her marriage partner probably wasn't thrilled about this arrangement either. They could simply leave each other alone, and as for the future—well, put it off until later.

Weighing the trouble of the former against the ease of the latter, Yan Xianchuan collapsed onto the bed, wanting nothing more than to slack off. Her limited energy and interest couldn't sustain such a grand undertaking.

Actually, doing nothing sounded pretty great. Yesterday she'd read online that this city was famous for its food culture. Why not just enjoy life? With so much to eat and do, why go looking for trouble?

Changqing City was a beautiful place, twin city to the neighboring Neverwinter City, and together they boasted the highest greenery coverage in the entire alliance.

If viewed from the sky, the two cities sat on opposite sides of Sunset Lake, connected by three bridges that spanned the river like a great balance.

After catching up on sleep, Yan Xianchuan opened the window and saw the never-ending stream of vehicles, the ever-burning advertisement projections, and the ever-busy medical teams.

She watched clearly as a red-and-white medical airship scraped past an advertising balloon mid-air, tearing its yellow skin, and the several-stories-tall red banner dangling below fell like a kite with a snapped string, causing a commotion on the ground.

That behavior was even less reasonable than a hooligan's.

Yan Xianchuan stood there, letting the wind blow over her for a while, her reason and emotions once again arguing in her head.

One said: You should go out and feel the charm of your new life.

The other said: Too tired, too troublesome—better to lie in bed and scroll through the SkyNet.

Yesterday, reason won, and Yan Xianchuan had a very unpleasant experience, which made her hesitant now.

Go, said the voice in her head. You can't stay in bed forever. Don't you want to try the grape-roasted chicken?

That made sense—it was the city's signature dish. Even if it didn't blow her mind, it would definitely wash away the unpleasantness of last night.

Going out only required two steps: first, move your legs; second, open the door.

The elevator doors slid open silently, and Yan Xianchuan stepped in. As the doors closed, a small TV on the side wall played the news.

"Regarding the airship attack at Liuli Mountain, thanks to the efforts of the Investigation Bureau, the culprit has finally been found. The attack was carried out by the Mechanical Pure Land. This notorious terrorist organization has committed several major crimes recently. The Director of the Investigation Bureau stated they would spare no expense to dismantle them and protect the public's safety."

"Danyou Media will collaborate with Director Berg..."

"Arc Light Technology announced that next month they will hold a new product launch, reportedly something of great significance..."

Yan Xianchuan stepped out of the elevator, crossed the corridor, pulled sunglasses from her pocket, and put them on before stepping into the blazing sun.

The shops weren't too far from the residential building, and since she wasn't in a hurry, she could walk.

A person not under pressure moves entirely differently from the other pedestrians on the street. She was relaxed, looking around, stopping now and then to eavesdrop on gossip, buy a snack, or even squat down to watch a stray cat licking its fur.

Yan Xianchuan fed the roasted sausage in her hand to the cat.

After idling away the afternoon, well-fed and satisfied, she returned home. As she stepped out of the elevator, she saw a woman in a hat and sunglasses standing at her door.

She wore a sleek silver gown that shimmered like flowing water, with thin straps resting on her shoulders and a pink pearl hanging between her collarbones.

Seeing Yan Xianchuan, she took off her sunglasses.

Her face held a striking exotic beauty with high nose and deep-set eyes, yet also soft, delicate bone structure—flawless, like a piece of translucent mutton-fat jade.

If all the seas in the world were gathered and the two deepest, clearest handfuls were taken to form a single drop, it would be her eyes.

"Hello, are you Miss Yan Xianchuan?"

She spoke, her voice like morning dew dripping into a spring, like a plucked harp, mixing crispness with gentleness, as if it were a nightingale's final song. Whenever she spoke, people would stop to listen.

Yan Xianchuan found her face vaguely familiar, as though she'd seen it in an advertisement in the elevator.

Yan Xianchuan: "No, you've got the wrong person."

The visitor chuckled softly, her lips curving like a flower about to bloom.

"Miss Yan, you're joking. I'm Lu Mingqiu, your marriage partner."

"Inola?" Yan Xianchuan remained unmoved by beauty, asking calmly.

"Inola Bolov is my birth name." Lu Mingqiu blinked slowly, her eyes showing curiosity. "Won't you invite me in?"

No one would impersonate this identity just to approach someone with no standing in her family.

Yan Xianchuan studied her quietly for a moment, then stepped forward and pressed her palm to the door frame. The palm print recognized, and the lock clicked open.

Lu Mingqiu followed her inside, her gaze sweeping the living room quickly and naturally.

Her legal spouse followed Yan Xianchuan to the sofa, watching her all the while.

Those eyes—they'd look at a dog with deep affection.

Yan Xianchuan had no intention of being gentle. She decided to take the offensive and spoke directly: "About this marriage, I assume you're not satisfied either. So, let's set some ground rules..."

The other listened quietly, with no sign of interrupting. Yan Xianchuan continued, "First, we don't interfere with each other. I have no intention of bothering you, and I hope you feel the same."

"Second, we don't interfere with each other."

"Third..."

"Don't interfere with each other, right?" Lu Mingqiu smoothly finished her sentence, not at all upset or angry at her cold rejection.

She maintained a proper smile, making Yan Xianchuan seem like an unreasonable bully.

Yan Xianchuan showed no expression and no apology. "I'm glad you understand my meaning."

"For me, that might be a bit difficult." Lu Mingqiu's voice was soft, speaking slowly. "My job is rather unique—I can't avoid public contact."

"The media pays close attention to my life. To maintain my image, I'm afraid there will be times I need your cooperation."

"After all, you are my legal partner."

"But I understand your thoughts. I won't disturb you much, and I'll try not to affect your normal life."

"Understood."

Yan Xianchuan had long been mentally prepared; you couldn't go from single to married and still live exactly as before.

She just wanted to make her stance clear, regardless of whether she'd get dirty looks for it.

"In that case, I won't bother you any longer." Lu Mingqiu rose with a smile, her skirt shimmering as if moonlight had been poured onto it.

After exchanging contact info, this 'unexpected guest' turned and left, and Yan Xianchuan remained on the sofa, not even bothering to see her off.

In her view, after what she'd said, there was no need for the two of them to keep up polite pretenses.

They were just pawns pushed out by their families, all caught in circumstances—there was no need to act.

The door slammed shut, and Yan Xianchuan withdrew her gaze, instructing D to turn on the ventilation.

Lu Mingqiu had no scent of pheromones—she must have used a suppressant—but she also wore perfume, very light, yet still obvious to Yan Xianchuan's nose.

Yan Xianchuan searched the name 'Lu Mingqiu' online, and a long list of entries quickly popped up.

She clicked into the encyclopedia and was slightly taken aback by the titles attached to the woman: "Youngest Film Queen in Entertainment," "Controlling Shareholder of Danyou Media," "Three-time Best Actress at the Golden Pond Awards," "Designated Spokesperson for GR," "Most Popular Female Film Star," "Ranked First on the Most-Wanted-Omega List for Five Consecutive Years," "Most Influential Actress in the Federation," "Charity Ambassador"...

She was actually a public figure; no wonder she'd seen her in an ad.

Even as a pawn, someone like her would be a weighty one. Even just by reputation, she shouldn't have been reduced to an arranged marriage with her.

So there had to be some unknown hidden reason.

Yan Xianchuan's instinct for investigation surfaced reflexively, and ideas for probing scrolled through her mind. After thinking for a while, she suddenly froze, then slumped back onto the sofa.

This wasn't a dungeon—she didn't have to rush to uncover hidden truths. She wasn't going to die anyway. Let it be.

Yan Xianchuan tilted her head, her gaze landing on the projected plant by the balcony, staring at its bluish leaves in a daze for a long while, then said slowly, "D, add another pot—red one."

"A plan has been prepared for you. Please choose..."

****

Lu Mingqiu returned to Nanjin City in the dead of night. Danyou Media was located here, and she owned an apartment in the city center.

As soon as she got home, Su Hong, her manager and personal assistant, came to greet her, asking softly, "How did it go? Smooth?"

At this moment, Lu Mingqiu showed no trace of her gentle demeanor; her expression was calm and cool as she said slowly, "Actually, she's not what the rumors say."

The scenes from their meeting replayed in her mind. "Unexpectedly independent, a bit forceful, but not a big problem."

"Her mental fluctuations are weak—not an esper."

Su Hong helped her remove her jewelry, feeling a sense of relief at the news. "That's good."

"If necessary, I'll control her. She won't interfere with our plans." Lu Mingqiu looked into the mirror as she took off her earrings, her eyes as cold as a frozen sea.

"The sustained-release medication is on the coffee table," Su Hong said.

"Good," Lu Mingqiu said. "What's the progress on the Dongye family? What exactly is that so-called new product?"

"No leads yet," Su Hong said gravely.

Lu Mingqiu knitted her brows. "Work faster." After a few seconds of thought, she stood up. "I'm going to the branch office. The brain-computer has been transferred, right? Let's interrogate him once more."