After that, as expected, Qi Xinlei became a source of amusement for Shu Fu and her companions along the way.
Though she was spoiled, arrogant, and tactless, she at least lacked any malicious cunning. As long as one ignored her nonsense, she was harmless—a mere mascot.
As Shu Fu put it: "I love how you dislike me yet can’t do anything about it. It’s delightful, uplifting even."
In short, it was pure entertainment.
They strolled down the commercial street, with Qi Xinlei trailing behind them, grinding her teeth in frustration. Yet, she didn’t dare snatch things as she had before, fearing another trick from Liu Ruyi.
Earlier, the stout shopkeeper had stubbornly refused to admit he sold fakes. Despite her forced smiles, threats, and even invoking the "I’ll tell my father and have your shop shut down" tactic, she failed to get a refund. Left with no choice, she swallowed the loss, fuming and plotting to complain to her father once home.
Shu Fu and Liu Ruyi, on the other hand, shopped with ease—freely browsing, happily trying things on—while Qi Xinlei stood stiffly to the side, her face flushed red. She hesitated a hundred times, wanting to stir trouble but afraid of backlash, ultimately choking on her own frustration.
And so, under Qi Xinlei’s seething but silent glare, the two indulged in a satisfying shopping spree.
Liu Ruyi had a sharp eye and haggled fiercely, picking out high-quality magical artifacts at bargain prices. Shu Fu, unwilling to accept gifts without merit, insisted on paying for her own selections. She carefully chose a few favorites and even picked up some items for Fangfei, who had stayed behind at the inn, returning with a full haul.
Among them, Shu Fu’s favorite was a jade butterfly hairpin—a translucent green butterfly that seemed to flutter amidst her hair, lifelike, casting a soft, warm glow under the sunlight.
"This hairpin bears a protective talisman from the Tianyan Sect, capable of warding off spells. It’s always been popular among female cultivators," Liu Ruyi explained, admiring it as she helped Shu Fu try it on. "Exquisite indeed. Shu Fu, did you know? Every artifact crafted by the Tianyan Sect is designed by their disciples, with materials and craftsmanship strictly overseen. Each piece must be reviewed by their elders before mass production—not a single shoddy item slips through. They excel at this."
...At what? Developing sect merchandise?
Shu Fu was speechless, once again stunned by the modern cultivation world’s business scope.
"Perfect, that settles it," Liu Ruyi declared, having adorned Shu Fu like a glittering Christmas tree. She exhaled in satisfaction, then announced grandly, "Shopkeeper, we’ll—"
"Pay! I’ll pay!" Shu Fu cut in hastily.
"Wait!"
At last, Qi Xinlei, who had been stewing the entire time, seized her chance. She stepped forward eagerly, pointing at the jade butterfly hairpin. "I want that! Shopkeeper, no matter what they offer, I’ll pay double!"
The shopkeeper was torn. Both sides were lovely young women, and he felt like a guilty scoundrel caught between his wife and mistress. "This humble shop struggles to make ends meet. Please don’t make things difficult..."
"How am I making things difficult?" Qi Xinlei glared, indignant. "I’m offering you more money—what’s the problem?"
—You’re giving me money, but I fear others might take my life!
The shopkeeper screamed internally.
He had a keen eye; he could tell Shu Fu’s sword and Liu Ruyi herself were extraordinary—perhaps even disguised figures of great influence.
The Qi family was beyond his reach, but so were these two travelers. What could he do? He might as well stew himself in a pot.
In mere moments, the poor man was drenched in sweat, feeling like a scoundrel whose wife and mistress were both pregnant.
He glanced around nervously, praying one side would suddenly embrace the wisdom of "endure a little for peace, step back for boundless skies" and let the matter drop.
Unfortunately, all three present lived by the same motto: "Endure a little and suffocate; step back and drop dead."
As the standoff continued, the beaded curtain clattered abruptly, and a tall, elegant figure parted the strands to enter.
Shu Fu turned toward the sound, but before she could get a clear look, Qi Xinlei cried out joyfully, "Brother Yuxuan, you’re here!"
Shu Fu: ???
Wait, isn’t this male lead’s entrance a bit too casual???
The (original) male lead, oblivious to the absurdity, took his place beside his cousin. With the refined demeanor of a noble scion, he bowed slightly to Shu Fu and Liu Ruyi.
"I am Qi Yuxuan. Greetings to you both."
Qi Yuxuan and Jiang Ruoshui had often played together as children, practically childhood sweethearts. But after Chu Xiao rose to power, he confined Jiang Ruoshui at home, cutting off all contact.
Now reunited, both had changed—one a dashing young man, the other a graceful maiden. Qi Yuxuan, already devoted to another, paid no mind to this "fiancée" handed to him on a platter, failing to recognize her entirely.
Jiang Ruoshui’s lingering affection had been wasted, her longing met with indifference—though not entirely. In the end, they still got their happy ending.
Recalling that outrageous conclusion, Shu Fu shuddered, instinctively stepping back to put three zhang between herself and the male lead.
Qi Yuxuan had clearly overheard their dispute. Without beating around the bush, he clasped his hands politely. "My apologies, ladies. My younger sister has always been willful. Once she sets her eyes on something—be it food or trinkets—she must have it. I’m afraid she’s troubled you."
His words were gracious and courteous, prompting Shu Fu to study him more closely. Was this really the same male lead who had once driven her to rage-eating her keyboard?
He seemed... oddly normal?
Then came his next sentence:
"Might I ask you to humor me and yield the hairpin to Xinlei? She’s childish—to you, it’s just an accessory, but to her, it holds sentimental value. Given that you’re both older, I trust you’re magnanimous enough to overlook such a trivial matter."
...Never mind. He was definitely the same guy.
The only difference was, Shu Fu no longer wanted to eat her keyboard—she wanted to grind his face into it.
How could a cultivation novel’s male lead sound exactly like those entitled adults who whine, "That doll/toy/figurine can’t be worth much—just give it to my kid!"
She felt like she was suffocating!
Liu Ruyi parted her lips to speak, but Shu Fu, a veteran victim of such entitled behavior in her past life, stepped forward first. Her words struck Qi Yuxuan’s face like nails:
"Lord Qi, the deep bond between you and Lady Qi is truly touching. But she is your sister, not mine. Why should I indulge her the way you do?"
"This..."
"In the future, when you take a wife, must I also mirror your devotion—harmonious as lute and zither, raising children early? Should I raise your children? Serve your parents? Are your kin now the kin of all under heaven?"
"That... naturally not—"
"Lady Qi calls you 'brother,' but she has never called me that. I'm not unreasonable. If she calls me 'brother,' I’ll let bygones be bygones and treat her as my own sister. If she calls me 'father,' I might even take her as my daughter."
"You—you go too far!"
Qi Xinlei’s delicate face flushed crimson as she spat in fury, "Pah! You dare presume to be my father? You’re not worthy!"
"Fair point."
Shu Fu nodded with utmost sincerity, "As the ancients said, 'A child’s faults reflect the father’s failures.' Why would I take on such blame? No, let your father keep that burden."
"You!!"
Qi Yuxuan, seeing her unyielding, sighed and shook his head. "Since you insist on being unreasonable, friend, then I..." In a flash, he appeared before Shu Fu, pressing his hand against her shoulder acupoint. Her jade hairpin clattered to the ground. "I must apologize for this discour— ugh!!"
What kind of temper did Shu Fu have? She could endure pain and hardship, but never injustice. If someone made her unhappy, she’d make sure they couldn’t be happy either.
The moment Qi Yuxuan’s hand touched her shoulder, she sensed danger. Instinctively, she shifted her weight and drove her forehead straight into his perfectly straight nose.
"Ugh!! Wh-what are you—?!"
Shu Fu channeled all her spiritual energy into her skull. Qi Yuxuan, caught off guard, staggered back from the headbutt.
Before he could steady himself, a ghostly figure in red robes drifted behind him, a delicate hand resting atop his crown.
"Lord Qi, this is quite improper."
A faint, floral scent brushed his nose as a voice as soft as willow tendrils whispered by his ear, "We were having such a lovely argument. How could you resort to violence?"
"..."
A cold sweat trickled down Qi Yuxuan’s temple, mingling silently with the blood from his nose. "Friend, I believe you misused a word just now. Let’s talk this out—or argue, if you prefer. Just... release me first."
To Qi Xinlei, however, her cousin’s perilous predicament painted a far more romantic scene: "Hey! Let go of Brother Xuan! Don’t take advantage of him by standing so close!"
"..."
Liu Ruyi’s gentle, elegant smile cracked instantly, as if personally insulted to the core. He even wrinkled his nose in exaggerated distaste.
With a swift step back, he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Shu Fu, hands clasped behind his back, and said coolly, "Rest assured, I would never set my sights on your brother."
"Why should I believe you?"
"Simple. Two reasons."
Liu Ruyi placed a hand over his heart, long lashes lowering in a pitiful, heartrending pose—yet his words were anything but.
In a slow, deliberate tone, he declared:
"First, I have no interest in men. I adore women, and I adore dressing as one. There’s no contradiction."
"Second, your dear brother simply doesn’t measure up. Ah, what does he even have to offer? He’s not as beautiful as I am, not as considerate toward ladies, and I daresay he’s probably smaller where it counts."
"..."
"..."
"..."
And then, the world fell into silence.
Amid the deathly hush, only Shu Fu blinked in bewilderment, a single syllable tumbling from her throat and shattering against the floor tiles.
"…………………………………What?"
