Bai Qingting couldn't sleep, so she simply gave up on trying. She sat up, hugging her jade pendant as she sent messages in the group chat.
She vented a storm in the group, and everyone agreed the situation was utterly absurd. But with something like transmigration already a reality, running into such idiots wasn't impossible. Everyone chimed in with their condemnation, which finally helped Bai Qingting's mood settle. They were right; there were fools every year, and novels had a special abundance of them. If she really got angry at them, wouldn't she just be killing herself with rage?
[Immortal World Bai Qingting: You're all right. Anyway, I've figured it out now. With these two damned male and female leads, their love only sacrifices other people. They are the ones who must survive no matter what. The main theme is that no matter who or what, everything must make way for their love.]
Bai Qingting's statement earned everyone's agreement. After chatting for a while longer, Lin Xi said: [Earth Girl Lin Xi: I've noticed there are more and more transmigrators into books in our group. Could it be that transmigrating into books is becoming trendy these past couple of years?]
Lin Xi did a quick count and realized that among the recent newcomers to the group, transmigrators into books were indeed increasing. Including Bai Qingting, there were already four.
[Primitive World Ah Huahua: I think it's possible. Speaking of which, I really wish I could transmigrate into a book too; at least I wouldn't be so completely in the dark, right? @Earth Girl Lin Xi @Domineering CEO Villainess Ye Bingbing, sisters, winter is approaching here. The winters here are very cold, and the whole tribe is stockpiling supplies. I need cold-weather gear.]
The climate in the Primitive World was different from other planes. Out of the year, nine months were summer, and winter lasted three months, but these three months were exceptionally cold. From what Ah Huahua understood, every winter, everyone in the tribe would gather together to get through it.
Ah Shuishui said that once winter arrived, snowflakes would drift from the sky. A single snowfall could last for ten days to half a month without stopping. Food would become scarce, and there were no effective ways to keep warm or heat shelters. With many people suffering from the cold, illness would follow. In an era where healing relied solely on shamans who only knew a little about herbs, once an illness became severe, many wouldn't live to see summer.
The Primitive World was dangerous, especially in winter when cold-resistant beasts roamed outside all day looking for food. They had no concept of territory, and the cave she lived in was quite low. Who knew if a starving beast might come? Therefore, Ah Huahua had no plans to live alone outside during winter.
For communal living, in the cold winter without electricity and without exposing her origins from the future or her space, the first heating method Ah Huahua thought of was burning coal. Lately, she had been less active in the group because she had been going out with the tribe to gather food and firewood for winter. Unfortunately, even after scouring several mountains around the tribe, she still hadn't found any trace of coal.
Since she couldn't find coal in the natural environment, she could only turn to her friends in the group for help.
[Earth Girl Lin Xi: I can get coal here, but with so many people in your tribe, I'm afraid what I can get won't be enough.] Ah Huahua had mentioned her tribe had about one to two hundred people. As far as she knew, in the north nowadays, heating a home for a year required two to three tons of coal, and that was with modern heating systems. In Ah Huahua's situation, simply burning two or three tons definitely wouldn't be enough to get through winter.
Furthermore, inside a cave, they would have to guard against carbon monoxide poisoning. So, they could only burn it near the entrance, which would drastically reduce the heating effect.
[Domineering CEO Villainess Ye Bingbing: Don't worry about that, I can handle it from my end. But Ah Huahua, I need gems from your side.]
Ye Bingbing was now a state cadre, and the money she earned was a fixed salary. Coal wasn't cheap now, and Ah Huahua's demand was large. She needed to use gems to exchange for some money. She could apply for state assistance, but the state's finances weren't limitless either.
[Primitive World Ah Huahua: That's only fair. Tomorrow I'll pick out a few of the best ones for you. Also, I need some cold medicine, herbal medicine, not pills.] Lin Xi had given Ah Huahua Western pills before. Those pills were okay for emergencies, but she didn't plan to distribute them to the tribe. It was the same principle: she was already too different from the tribe members in many ways and had to maintain a certain balance. Otherwise, she was afraid she might end up tied to a stake and burned one day.
A few days ago, when she went out with the tribe to trade for salt, she heard that in a large tribe near the salt lake two forests away, someone had broken out in a rash from an allergy. Their tribe's shaman believed he was being punished by the Sun God for wrongdoing. The shaman declared his rash was contagious and had him burned alive. It was utterly terrifying, and Ah Huahua felt immensely grateful she lived in a small tribe without a shaman.
Otherwise, given her condition when she first transmigrated, she would have been done for. Thankfully, she later got her space! Thankfully, she had Gu Nuanyang's experience as a cautionary tale and knew how to hide herself!
The conversation ended there. Bai Qingting, reading their exchange, felt her heart settle too. She joined the chat: [Immortal World Bai Qingting: I have Immortal Spring water here that can cure all ailments. You can come to me if you need it @Primitive World Ah Huahua.]
[[Dog Bro] Wife-Slaying Path to Enlightenment Chu Qianmo: @Immortal World Bai Qingting, sister, look at me, look at me! I need that spirit spring water too!]
When Chu Qianmo saw "spirit spring," he really couldn't walk away. Missing out on Gu Nuanyang's fingertip spirit spring last time had bothered him for ages. Now, he wanted Bai Qingting's spirit spring water!
For no other reason than he wanted to try if fruits and vegetables watered with spirit spring would taste even more delicious.
Chu Qianmo's restaurant had been open for quite a while now. His restaurant specialized in Sichuan cuisine and braised dishes. When mealtime came, the aroma of his Earth-style cooking filled the entire Zemeng City.
Chu Qianmo wasn't short on money, and though he loved cooking, he didn't want to work too hard. So, he limited service to twenty tables a day, with the menu entirely based on his mood.
Surprisingly, once he set this limit, his restaurant was packed every day.
Because he was short-handed, Chu Qianmo hired several people, all ordinary residents of Zemeng City without much talent for cultivation.
As for the original host's ex-wives, because he came from that mountain and bore some resemblance to the original host, he was constantly under surveillance.
Chu Qianmo was absolutely certain he shared none of the original host's minor habits. If they wanted to keep watching, let them. He was this handsome; being stared at a few more times wasn't a loss.
[Immortal World Bai Qingting: @Wife-Slaying Path to Enlightenment Chu Qianmo: Sure, I'll get you a bottle later.] In the Immortal World, spirit spring water really wasn't a rarity. In Bai Qingting's Qingqiu alone, there were several springs.
Receiving Bai Qingting's reply, Chu Qianmo was as happy as a fool. It was mealtime again. As he finished cooking today's dishes and brought them to the table, he saw several very familiar figures and was utterly speechless.
His former wives from the original owner's life were sitting there. It was truly strange. He released reservations daily, only twenty per day. Most people couldn't snag one, yet these women managed to get one every single day!
Their incredible luck made Chu Qianmo, who had been unlucky since childhood, feel envy, jealousy, and an inexplicable urge to cry. Chu Qianmo often thought, this must be how all non-legendary players feel when they see legendary players.
"Boss Song, today's dishes are repeats from yesterday," Princess Huyang said, picking up her chopsticks and eyeing the stir-fried chicken with a critical look.
Chu Qianmo forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes: "If the customer isn't satisfied, they can choose to leave."
The rules of Chu Qianmo's shop were clearly posted, written in large characters on the wall. Dissatisfied customers could return their dishes, but afterwards, Chu Qianmo would no longer accept orders from that customer.
They wouldn't even be allowed to enter the shop. Of course, having been open for a while, he had encountered tough customers before. But with firearms in hand, he felt invincible.
A burst of bullets combined with spiritual power locking could finish someone off completely. Although he paid hefty fines afterwards, it served as a deterrent to many, and Chu Qianmo found it worthwhile.
"Alright, alright, I just mentioned it, it's not a big deal," Princess Huyang muttered unhappily.
As a princess of a nation, Princess Huyang had eaten many delicacies since childhood. The imperial chefs in her palace gathered the best cooks from across the land.
In the past, she thought the food was good. After her death and rebirth, Princess Huyang and her sisters spent their days together plotting revenge. While they had appetites, simple meals could satisfy them. After all, the cultivation world was different from the mortal one. If you were willing to spend money, ingredients infused with spiritual energy wouldn't taste too bad even with the most basic cooking methods.
But now, Princess Huyang felt that ordinary restaurant food could no longer satisfy her. This Song Ergou might look like that beast, but he possessed culinary skills that the beast never had.
As a foodie, Princess Huyang thought that if that beast had possessed Boss Song's cooking skills, even if she died a miserable death, she might hate him a little less. What a pity, what a pity. That beast held himself in higher regard than she did. Not only would he never cook, he even considered getting close to the kitchen as getting tainted by something dirty.
Chu Qianmo rolled his eyes. Considering she was the original owner's ex-wife, he said nothing and turned to leave.
Among the five women, the strategist, the fourth sister Zhu Yiren, watched Chu Qianmo turn and walk away, saying to the eldest, Du Ruoruo, "Have you noticed? This Boss Song is especially tolerant towards us."
Du Ruoruo understood Zhu Yiren's meaning: "I've tested him. He is not Chu Qianmo."
Du Ruoruo grew up with the original owner as childhood sweethearts and had loved him deeply, so she knew him best. She had tested him, both overtly and covertly. This Boss Song didn't seem to be the man they were looking for.
The fifth sister, Zhou Yuyan, ate the dish on the table called "wolf tooth potatoes," her gaze profound.
Late at night, after cultivating for a while, Chu Qianmo opened his eyes and saw Zhou Yuyan leaning against the window, drinking.
It was no exaggeration to say that in that instant, Chu Qianmo's scalp went numb. Once again, he condemned the original owner in his heart. What kind of scoundrel was he? For the sake of a cultivation manual, he first disguised himself as an ordinary person to become a disciple at their manor.
After becoming a disciple, he didn't live peacefully with them. He first killed her, then slaughtered her entire manor.
Chu Qianmo instinctively pulled the quilt over himself. This cultivation world was truly unsafe! Someone could even break into a man's room at night.
Zhou Yuyan took a sip of wine. In a flash, she was by Chu Qianmo's side. She suddenly leaned in close to him. Her light breath brushed against Chu Qianmo's face.
In his previous life of over twenty years, Chu Qianmo had devoted most of his time to the kitchen. When his eyes were open, he thought about how to chop vegetables faster and better. When they were closed, he pondered how to measure seasonings more precisely.
Women had never been in his sight. Although the original owner had five wives and had done everything countless times, Chu Qianmo had never accessed those memories.
How should he put it? Recalling them felt weird and especially disrespectful towards the women.
So, when he had the cultivation method, Chu Qianmo immediately sealed away that part of the memory.
Now, suddenly being this close to a woman, Chu Qianmo's face flushed bright red instantly.
Zhou Yuyan's expression remained faintly indifferent, but her eyes were fixed intently on Chu Qianmo.
"Boss Song, disturbing you so late at night," Zhou Yuyan spoke.
Her voice made Chu Qianmo's scalp tingle again. Good grief, what normal person could resist a cool, mature sister's voice?
The faint, floral scent of wine wafted over. Chu Qianmo unconsciously shifted his buttocks back a little: "Fairy Zhou, what brings you here so late?"
In Zhemeng City, it was always correct to address any woman walking on the street, cultivator or not, as "Fairy."
Zhou Yuyan noticed Chu Qianmo's movement. She straightened her back, standing tall and straight: "Boss Song, I wanted to ask if you still have any of that ripple-patterned dish from your shop today. Drinking at night requires some snacks."
If she came for food and not for him, then Chu Qianmo wasn't scared. He sat back up: "Fairy Zhou, the ingredients for that dish are quite special, and I don't have much left. If Fairy Zhou wants to eat it, you'll have to wait for the next batch."
Chu Qianmo also grew potatoes, but not many. He had just harvested some yesterday and used them all today.
He not only served them in the shop but also, catching the tail end of the Spring Festival, sent a portion to his group chat friends. The next batch of potatoes needed more time to mature. Even if he had some left, he didn't plan to sell them.
Although he was a chef with no experience in operations, he understood the concept of scarcity marketing.
Zhou Yuyan's fondness for wolf tooth potatoes made Chu Qianmo view her favorably. After all, this was also Chu Qianmo's favorite snack.
Could someone who loves wolf tooth potatoes be a bad person? Absolutely not.
Zhou Yuyan was also quite pitiful. She married the original owner following her family's wishes. Because of her aloof nature, she wasn't favored by the original owner. Most of the time they spent together, they each did their own thing.
Because her nature was too indifferent, to provoke a reaction from her, the original owner not only killed her but, before killing her, slaughtered everyone in her manor.
Thinking of this, Chu Qianmo restrained his urge to move further back. After such a huge tragedy, although Zhou Yuyan still appeared indifferent on the surface, she had actually gone mad long ago.
She had been the main force in killing the original owner. Although it's still that same old line—the original owner deserved to die—who asked her to have transmigrated into the original owner's body?
The sins committed by the original owner were now on his back!
"So that's how it is. Then I'll trouble you." Zhou Yuyan had already figured out Chu Qianmo's temperament very well. The shifts in his expression earlier were as transparent to her as those of a three-year-old child.
However, Zhou Yuyan couldn't muster any desire to tease him, and she wasn't in a hurry about the 'Spicy Potato' matter. By keeping a close eye on Chu Qianmo, she would eventually find out where this dish and its recipe came from.
Zhou Yuyan flipped out and left. Not long after, she returned to her room next door. Sounds came from outside the door, but Zhou Yuyan pretended not to hear them.
After Zhou Yuyan left, Chu Qianmo let out a long sigh of relief, then took out his jade pendant to complain about the incident in the group chat.
He could remain calm about other things, but when it came to the original owner's ex-wives, he truly couldn't stay composed. After all, these were his creditors and also the greatest threat he faced since arriving in this cultivation world. If he accidentally revealed that he was Chu Qianmo, he'd probably be killed outright.
Everyone was still awake. Seeing his message and learning that the original owner's ex-wife had gone to his room, they were all very worried about him, asking one after another if he had slipped up. Mentioning this, Chu Qianmo started boasting again. He hadn't told anyone: the surname Song was his mother's surname. When he was little, because his luck was so terrible and he was so unlucky, his mother had a fortune teller divine for him, who actually gave him the nickname "Er Gouzi" (Second Dog). Due to his mother's unique surname, the fortune teller suggested simply calling him Song Er Gou.
Chu Qianmo had heard this name for many years, so now when others called him by it, he could react quickly. Otherwise, after being watched by these five powerful ex-wives for so long, he would have been done for long ago.
Learning that Chu Qianmo was also an unlucky fellow made Bai Qingting, who had been feeling gloomy, feel a bit better.
She put down the jade pendant and slept. After waking up, she summoned Qingzhu and told her to inquire about Yu Xiao's whereabouts.
Given that Yu Xiao is the male lead and that Tang Jin is the female lead, and that later the White Fox clan would be wiped out with not a single one left, and very few demons from the entire demon race would survive, she could not possibly allow this so-called male and female lead to grow up.
Speaking grandly, it's for the demon race; speaking selfishly, it's for herself. Neither Yu Xiao nor Tang Jin could be left alive.
Among the demon clans attached to the White Fox clan, there was a group of Scout Mice who made a living by gathering information. Not long after Qingzhu sent out the request, someone in a grey fur coat came to report.
She was also a female demon, with delicate features but an extremely weak presence. She stood among the magnolia trees, and if Bai Qingting didn't look at her, she would forget she was there.
"Xiao Ping, your hiding skills are getting better and better." Bai Qingting couldn't help but sigh. The Scout Mice were truly formidable when it came to gathering information, almost in an unrivaled state. But they were also very easy to kill because their magical power was far too weak. This Xiao Ping had grown up with Bai Qingting. Over the years, Bai Qingting had given their clan many life-preserving items, which was precisely why they were so loyal to the White Fox clan. In the book, after the White Fox clan perished, their Scout Mouse clan was also directly exterminated.
At that time, because of this, the male and female lead even expressed great admiration for their clan's loyalty.
Suppressing her excitement, Xiao Ping gave Bai Qingting a slight smile. "Thank you for your praise, Princess."
After thanking Bai Qingting, she solemnly reported her findings: "Princess, after receiving Lady Qingzhu's message last night, my clansmen scattered to gather information. An hour ago, a clansman returned to report that the Heavenly Tribe's Crown Prince, Yu Xiao, was taken away by the Divine Lord Xu Wang from Mount Xuwang."
Divine Lord Xu Wang was not old and his combat power was not low, but because he was obsessed with cultivating the Dao, he did not involve himself in the affairs of the Heavenly Court.
Even his residence wasn't in the heavens like other Heavenly Tribe members; instead, he chose a mountain peak by the Wei River as his abode.
Bai Qingting quietly tapped her fingers. In that book, it wasn't explicitly stated who took Yu Xiao away, only that it was a subject loyal to the Heavenly Emperor and Heavenly Empress.
However, in the later parts of the book, this so-called Divine Lord Xu Wang was a villain no less significant than Chi Yan. The difference was that Chi Yan led the demonic race, while Divine Lord Xu Wang led the demon race.
Right up until this so-called Divine Lord Xu Wang died in battle, the book never explained why he saved Yu Xiao earlier but later became an antagonist opposing Yu Xiao. Nor did it explain why a member of the Heavenly Tribe came to lead the demon race.
Bai Qingting wasn't angry. After all, given that the book featured things like several lifetimes of tragic love where the main couple wasn't really the ones suffering—it was all the common people who got tormented—she held no hope for the author's brain.
"Xiao Ping, order your clansmen to keep a close watch on Mount Xuwang. As soon as that Divine Lord sends that former crown prince down to the mortal world for his tribulation, we will follow." Bai Qingting decided to make her move while Yu Xiao was undergoing his mortal trial.
Bai Qingting felt not a shred of guilt. Speaking of which, the principle of picking on the weak was something she learned from Yu Xiao and Tang Jin. The motto "Kick a man when he's down" was truly mastered by that male and female lead pair.
To vent anger for his woman, Yu Xiao went around attacking the demon clans who had previously refused the Heavenly Tribe's marriage proposal. To appease the sulking male lead, Tang Jin killed anyone she saw, always targeting those weaker than herself.
Bai Qingting wasn't clear about what kind of person Divine Lord Xu Wang was, but she understood all too well the family Yu Xiao would be reincarnated into for his tribulation. Losing one son wouldn't be a big deal for that family; they'd be sad for a while and then move on.
Just like when he insisted on marrying Tang Jin, who had no father, mother, or maternal family, and his parents' opposition proved ineffective, they simply washed their hands of him and started cultivating other sons instead. They had plenty of backup options—sons from the legal wife, sons from concubines, more than enough. Of course, that pair of parents didn't fare well later either; Yu Xiao directly framed them for treason and colluding with the enemy and had them executed. The reincarnated Yu Xiao used this act of "placing righteousness above family" as a merit and directly became a rising star in the court.
Xiao Ping placed her hand over her chest and bowed to Bai Qingting. Then, Bai Qingting added, "Assign someone to closely monitor the movements on the demonic side. If the former Heavenly Emperor and Heavenly Empress die, who kills them and how they die must be spread throughout the Three Realms."
The book clearly stated that before Yu Xiao even descended to the mortal world, the Heavenly Emperor and Heavenly Empress died at Tang Jin's hands. Their deaths were said to be extremely gruesome.
The reason was simply that after Tang Jin ascended to the heavens, her humble origins often made her the target of sarcasm and punishment from the Heavenly Emperor and Empress. Now that these two had fallen into Tang Jin's hands, with her needle-point pettiness, would she let them die a quick and easy death?
By the time Yu Xiao learned that her parents had died at Tang Jin's hands, it was already the later stages of the book. This event served as a minor climax, but no matter how climactic it was, Yu Xiao had already lived through several lifetimes. Parents had come and gone, one set after another, so her feelings for this particular Heavenly Emperor and Empress weren't that deep anymore.
After all, anything becomes precious when it's scarce. Having only one set of biological parents in a single lifetime feels completely different from having several sets across multiple lives. And since this Heavenly Emperor and Empress were just the first set, even after spending hundreds of millions of years with them, how could that compare to the soul-consuming, life-after-life passions of a love-struck fool like Yu Xiao?
Bai Qingting was particularly curious: if this landmine were detonated early, could the male and female leads still achieve a happy ending? Could they still join hands to quell the chaos caused by Chi Yan and become the new Heavenly Emperor and Empress?
Xiaoping didn't understand Bai Qingting's intentions, nor did she intend to ask. As a subordinate, one simply follows orders. Asking too many questions would only bring trouble upon herself. She acknowledged the order and turned to leave.
Today, it was Qingzhu again attending to Bai Qingting. She didn't pry into Bai Qingting's affairs, merely refilling Bai Qingting's teacup which had run dry.
Bai Qingting's scheme was hidden from many, but she kept no secrets from the group chat. After reading the messages, Lin Xi replied with a few lines and then went out to attend to her own business.
It was the second day of the Lunar New Year. Her family had no relatives to visit. Chi Xiangping's parents had long passed, and her siblings had also died one after another in recent years.
Her nephews and nieces were fine, but Chi Xiangping hadn't returned to her maiden home for several years now.
Auntie Three from Grandaunt's house arrived early, stayed there for a while, and then came over to Lin Xi's place. As the hostess, Lin Xi had to entertain the guest.
Two sugarcane stalks were roasting on a tripod over the charcoal stove. Roasted sugarcane tasted much sweeter than raw, and being warm, it wouldn't chill the stomach when eaten.
Auntie Three particularly enjoyed eating it this way.
Once the sugarcane was lightly roasted, Lin Xi used a knife to chop it into small segments, placing them on a large enamel tray for everyone to easily pick up.
Chi Xiangping chatted about daily life with Auntie Three, while Lin Xi and Yao Yuran busied themselves in the kitchen. Following the custom of previous years, their family and Grandaunt's family would eat together for this day's meal.
On this day, Lin Xi's family would always prepare the dishes and then bring them down to Grandaunt's house. In their local dialect, this way of sharing a meal was called "da huo" (joining together).
Once this time came around, Lin Xi had little time to check the group chat.
It wasn't until after finishing the noon meal at Grandaunt's house that she finally looked at the group.
The group chat was buzzing with lively conversation. Everyone online was chatting except for her and Lu Shen from the Stratagems world.
Lin Xi thought for a moment, then opened his private chat window and sent him a message.
After exiting, she saw Qin Suyuan announcing in the group that she had received an acceptance letter from a top international university for jewelry design. Everyone in the group was very happy for her.
Qin Suyuan was still staying in that small hostel that didn't require ID registration.
During her time back in the "True and False Heiress" world, aside from running to the embassy for interviews, she spent most of her time holed up in her room designing jewelry.
In this regard, the group had been a great help to her.
The friends in the group would often post photos of jewelry from their respective dimensions. The styles from each world were different.
Every time Qin Suyuan saw those jewelry photos, inspiration would surge forth.
In between designing, she also enjoyed going to the library.
As for the affairs of the original Qin family, she never bothered to inquire or find out. And unless an ordinary person specifically sought out such information, they wouldn't know about the happenings of so-called high society.
She paid even less attention to the fake heiress's mother, the woman who had swapped them but never treated her well. Whether that woman lived or died was unimportant to Qin Suyuan.
But Qin Suyuan thought, given the ruthless character the fake heiress had now, that woman's life probably wasn't easy either.
After sharing her good news in the group, Qin Suyuan happily took her acceptance letter, packed her things, and headed to the embassy.
As soon as she entered the embassy, Susan, who had been her main contact, greeted her with a smile: "Su, your visa has come through."
Qin Suyuan wasn't naive. This Miss Susan might seem like an ordinary embassy staffer, but her status wasn't simple. She was the mistress of the person in charge here.
To expedite her departure, after learning this information, Qin Suyuan had gifted her a necklace set with amethysts. It was dazzlingly beautiful. Worn on Susan's fair, slender neck, it was said to have captivated the person in charge on the spot.
With her help, Qin Suyuan's application process became much smoother. At the very least, Susan would tell her directly what documents were needed, unlike with others, where requirements were doled out piecemeal, and getting a single stamp might require three or four trips.
"Really? Thank you so much, Susan!" Qin Suyuan excitedly stepped forward to hug Susan. As they separated, a bracelet matching the necklace's color scheme found its way into Susan's pocket.
The weighty sensation made the smile on Susan's face grow even brighter.
"Susan, I also have good news to tell you. I've been accepted into Samwell University." Samwell University was ranked among the top ten in the world, and its design program was particularly prestigious.
People often said that setting foot in Samwell University meant stepping over the threshold into the top tier of the design world.
"Wow, congratulations, congratulations!" Upon hearing this, Susan was even more delighted and immediately took Qin Suyuan to see the person in charge.
She knew now that the necklace she wore was designed by this young girl. With her admission to Samwell University, her future prospects were limitless. Perhaps she could even rely on this necklace to buy a house in this vast, resource-rich country someday.
She loved this peaceful country, free from war and racial discrimination, far too much.
Thanks to Susan and her Samwell University acceptance letter, Qin Suyuan's visa was processed exceptionally smoothly. When the embassy stamp finally came down, Qin Suyuan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled.
She parted ways with Susan with a smile, hailed a taxi directly back to the small hostel. The room held nothing but an ancient, barely functional laptop and a few changes of clothes.
She left those things in the room as a cover. Her truly valuable possessions were all stored safely in her space.
That necklace made for Susan, she had directly contacted Ye Bingbing in the group chat, asking Ye Bingbing to have it processed in her world. But to make the origin of this necklace more plausible and to plug the loopholes on this side, she specifically spent money to have one made on a certain website that boasted "only what you can't think of, nothing we don't sell." To ensure decent quality, she spent over a thousand bucks.
The room she rented was on the top floor. This small hotel cost only thirty yuan a day. You get what you pay for; this hotel had no elevator.
Qin Suyuan hummed a tune as she climbed the stairs. Then, her happiness came to an abrupt halt upon seeing several police officers at her door.
The leading officer appeared to be in his forties. He showed his identification to Qin Suyuan with a serious expression.
"Are you Ms. Qin Suyuan? The Haibin City Public Security Bureau requires your cooperation in an investigation."
Qin Suyuan's heart sank bit by bit. "May I ask what case it is?"
"The kidnapping case of Ms. Zhou Suxia." Zhou Suxia was the biological mother of the fake rich heiress Qin Susu and also Qin Suyuan's adoptive mother.
Hearing this, she fell silent and followed the police officers to the station.
From the original host's memories, she knew that when the kidnapping happened, it wasn't just her who was taken; Zhou Suxia was too. Therefore, playing dumb now was useless.
The police car was parked in the alley in front of the small hotel. Qin Suyuan had been too excited on her way back to notice it. If she had seen it earlier, she definitely would have run.
Now it was too late for anything.
At the police station, Qin Suyuan was placed in one of the interrogation rooms. A female officer brought her a cup of water. Qin Suyuan didn't drink it but held it to warm her hands.
This world was also in winter at this time. Haibin City was inland, its geographical location roughly similar to Shencheng from before her transmigration. Winters were still cold here, and there was no central heating.
The cold in the south was a bone-chilling cold, and indoors felt even damper and colder. The police station, with its high, small windows, was especially chilly.
Qin Suyuan didn't have to wait long before two officers entered.
They sat opposite her. "Don't be nervous. We're just conducting a routine inquiry."
"Name, age, place of origin."
Qin Suyuan steadied herself. "Qin Suyuan, 18, No. 3, Erhu Alley, Dongzhou District, Haibin City."
The day after returning from the Earth dimension, the age on Qin Suyuan's ID card had reached adulthood.
Otherwise, applying to foreign schools wouldn't have been so easy.
The officer taking notes asked again, "Ms. Zhou Suxia was kidnapped from her home on November 12th. Are you aware of this?"
"Yes. Because the people who kidnapped her also kidnapped me. She was taken before I was."
"How did you get out? And since you got out, why didn't you report it to the police? Instead, you chose to hide in a small hotel and applied to go abroad?"
Hearing this, Qin Suyuan knew her activities over the past days had been thoroughly investigated by the police.
She decided to drop the act. "Officer, since you know I was also kidnapped, you should know how much harm I suffered during that time. I don't want to recall what happened during that period, and because I resent Zhou Suxia, I chose not to report it. Officer, is it illegal to not want to report a crime after being harmed?"
Qin Suyuan wasn't afraid of being investigated. When she transmigrated back, she was still wearing the clothes she escaped in. She had deliberately found a place with surveillance cameras to change out of them.
The clothes she changed into were easy to find; she stole them from a residential area. She also had injuries on her body. Those injuries were obtained by exchanging them with Chu Qianmo for delicious local Haibin City food.
After eating those things, old injuries would appear on the body. It didn't hurt, but it looked extremely terrifying. That pill was called the Scar Pill, specially formulated by that "Kill Wife to Prove the Dao" fellow for clients with certain peculiar tastes.
After careful consideration, Qin Suyuan still felt uneasy, especially with Ye Bingbing's precedent right there.
Her preparations weren't in vain. As Qin Suyuan willed it, a pill appeared in her hand. Pretending to retch, she covered her mouth and directly swallowed the pill.
This kind of stress reaction was common among many people who had suffered beatings or assault.
She retched violently. The two officers exchanged a glance. The older one stood up and pushed the water cup closer to Qin Suyuan.
Qin Suyuan pretended to drink, but actually poured the water into her space.
She meant no offense; she just didn't want to drink water that someone else had given her, already opened.
After Qin Suyuan recovered, the officer in charge of questioning continued, "Do you know who kidnapped you?"
Qin Suyuan let out a cold laugh and nodded. "Yes. Qin Susu, the daughter of the Qin family in Haibin City."
The two officers looked at each other. "Do you know the reason?"
"Yes. Because Qin Susu isn't a member of the Qin family. She is Zhou Suxia's biological daughter. Back then, Zhou Suxia worked as a maid for the Qin family and suffered mistreatment from the then Mrs. Qin. Later, when she gave birth, she discovered the woman in the next bed was Mrs. Qin, who also had a daughter. So, she directly switched the babies."
"That Miss Qin already knew about this. Afraid the truth would come out, she directly hired people to kidnap both me and Zhou Suxia. Oh, I'd like to ask, is Ms. Zhou Suxia still alive? Is she about to die?" Qin Suyuan's voice was exceptionally calm.
