Chi Qiushui's step backward only deepened the smile on Ouyang Xiuming's face.
He couldn't help but recall his days of endless cycles. When did he first realize he was trapped in a loop? It was during university, wasn't it?
Back then, after being rejected by Zhuge Mo'er, he had already stopped attending school much. After all, as the heir to the Ouyang family, what he needed to learn couldn't be taught in a classroom. A degree was just a layer of gilding for people like him.
The Nangong family had already shifted their business focus overseas. Since Zhuge Mo'er chose to be with Duanmu Xiu, collaboration between their two family companies was inevitable, and the Nangong family's market share would surely be squeezed.
Ouyang Xiuming was a responsible heir. So, while Duanmu Xiu and Zhuge Mo'er were breaking up and making up over their relationship drama, he devoted himself to building the business. By the time the two families came to their senses, the Ouyang family had already snatched away most of the business from the Zhuge and Duanmu families.
Just as the Ouyang family was about to wrap things up, darkness clouded Ouyang Xiuming's vision, and he found himself back in his high school years. Years of effort wasted, back to square one in an instant. At that time, Ouyang Xiuming didn't even know how he managed to pull through.
After calming the stifling frustration brought by his rebirth, he regrouped and continued targeting the Duanmu and Zhuge families. With the memories from his previous life, Ouyang Xiuming achieved the same results in even less time.
But just like the first life, right as he was about to succeed, he was reborn again. This pattern repeated itself over and over. Through so many cycles, he discovered that as long as he didn't touch the Duanmu and Zhuge families, nothing happened. But the moment he acted against them, causing them substantial harm, he would inevitably be reborn.
He had also tested it; leaving Zhuge Mo'er and Duanmu Xiu would also trigger a rebirth.
In other words, he had to stay by Zhuge Mo'er and Duanmu Xiu's side, and even occasionally cast a tender, loving gaze at Zhuge Mo'er. Ouyang Xiuming truly did not want to be reborn again.
For some, rebirth might be a sweet treat, but for Ouyang Xiuming, it was no different from poison. That monotonous, unchanging life was enough to make him sick. The feeling was like someone used to plain porridge suddenly tasting braised pork, finding it delicious, then eating it every single day until even hearing the dish's name made them nauseous.
So, when this unchanging life suddenly produced a variable like Chi Qiushui, and especially when he woke up the next day without being rewound back, heaven knew how thrilled Ouyang Xiuming was.
He spent the afternoon like he was ticking off tasks, staying by Zhuge Mo'er and Duanmu Xiu's side, before rushing straight to this urban village—a place he had never set foot in, no matter how many times he had been reborn.
Heaven knew how tightly he had frowned yesterday when he followed Duanmu Xiu and the others into this place. But today, Ouyang Xiuming arrived with a smile on his face.
During the several dozen minutes he waited for Chi Qiushui, Ouyang Xiuming thought about many, many things. And in the several dozen minutes he spent observing her from behind, his hands were trembling with excitement.
"What nonsense are you talking? You're insane." Chi Qiushui said as she stepped around Ouyang Xiuming and walked forward. Simultaneously, she retrieved a pill from her spatial pouch and swallowed it. It was a Strength Pill she had obtained from Chu Qianmo.
It was said that after taking this Strength Pill, one's physical strength would be enhanced for three days.
The original host's physical fitness was quite good, and before her transmigration, her parents, worried she might be bullied, had her learn some martial arts. As long as her strength was boosted, Chi Qiushui wasn't afraid of confronting Ouyang Xiuming.
Ouyang Xiuming didn't chase after her. He stood where he was, watching Chi Qiushui go upstairs. Then he took out his phone. "Buy No. 38 in Qinghe Village for me. And while you're at it, knock through the walls between units 202 and 204 on the second floor."
Ouyang Xiuming hung up the phone and got into a black Bentley parked at the entrance. Sitting in the car, he rested his head on his hand and thought back to his first life. Back then, he had genuinely liked Zhuge Mo'er.
Zhuge Mo'er had always been kind and innocent since childhood, completely different from the other wealthy heiresses he knew. Because their family backgrounds were well-matched, they grew closer. When did he start liking Zhuge Mo'er?
Ouyang Xiuming tapped his thigh with his other hand. It was a question he still couldn't figure out to this day. While he felt fondness for Zhuge Mo'er, calling it love was pure nonsense.
He himself didn't understand why he believed he was deeply in love with Zhuge Mo'er, nor why this supposedly deeply-in-love version of himself, after being rejected by her, would magnanimously declare that as long as Zhuge Mo'er was happy, nothing else mattered.
It was completely insane. And even after so many rebirths, sometimes when he looked at Zhuge Mo'er, he still felt that deep love.
It was utterly absurd. The phone beside him rang, and Ouyang Xiuming swiped to answer.
"Young Master, Miss Zhuge is here. She is waiting for you at home." The butler's voice came through the receiver, slightly distorted. Ouyang Xiuming's relatively good mood instantly turned cold.
He remembered. At this time, Zhuge Mo'er had had a fight with Duanmu Xiu. Never one to tolerate anger since childhood, Zhuge Mo'er immediately turned to him, crying about how awful and overbearing Duanmu Xiu was. And he, like a lovesick fool, would comfort her with all his might.
Ouyang Xiuming had already experienced this plotline many, many times.
It was truly detestable. Ouyang Xiuming lowered his head, and even his gentle, magnetic voice turned icy at this moment.
On the other side, Chi Qiushui had already returned to her rented room. She didn't even have time to contact Lin Xi, instead reaching out directly to Lin Duxi and Yao Xiran in the group chat. In the entire group, only they two could procure firearms.
This world was different from the one before her transmigration. The chaebols held the economic lifelines and could cover the sky with one hand. Over the mountains, in the castles of several families, even the security guards were armed with guns.
If it weren't for that madman Ouyang Xiuming dancing right in front of her, she wouldn't have even remembered this fact.
Seeing Chi Qiushui's message, Lin Duxi and Yao Xiran immediately sent over their available weapon stockpiles.
After the transfer via Lin Xi, Chi Qiushui looked at the arsenal in her spatial storage, and her heart finally settled.
She sent the press-on nails she had made earlier to calm her bad mood to Lin Xi. Lin Xi was already on a plane back home. Upon receiving the nails, she took them out to look.
The color palette of the press-on nails was a soothing milky green. Each finger had a different design, utilizing the lotus flower motif to its fullest.
The ring and index fingers featured transparent accent nails. Each nail was painted with a vivid lotus flower, adorned with transparent water droplets, making one immediately think of the morning dew condensing on a lotus blossom.
Chi Qiushui took a photo of the press-on nails and sent it to the group chat, immediately causing a wave of astonished exclamations. Xu Huanhuan and others kept tagging Chi Qiushui.
Seeing her work being liked by others, Chi Qiushui was especially happy. After chatting in the group for a while, she shared what had happened to her in the chat.
[Wealthy Family Eldest Daughter-in-law Ji Xinyu: My world can serve as a reference for you. The reason my world keeps experiencing rewinds is because Ren Pingzheng, the original host, and this body failed to give birth to the Child of Destiny. You can think about what role this Ouyang Xiuming plays in the plot of your world.]
[The Switched-at-Birth Real Heiress Qin Suyuan: What Sister Yu says makes a lot of sense. The reason Ouyang Xiuming keeps being reborn must be because that Mary Sue world has something it wants him to do. He probably abandoned his duties later on, which is why he's stuck in this endless cycle of reincarnation.]
Regarding what Ouyang Xiuming said, Chi Qiushui didn't doubt it. The crazed excitement in his eyes when he was speaking to her just now wasn't fake, and she also didn't believe Ouyang Xiuming would lie to her.
After all, in the plot, he was the only one among the F4 who could be considered somewhat decent.
Just think about it: there was the cringe-inducing human grease stain Duanmu Xiu with his "Woman, you've successfully caught my attention" lines, followed by the legally-challenged Zhuge Shan who incited others to bully people, and sandwiched in between was Zhuge Mo'er who embezzled servants' property.
Among this pile of trash, Ouyang Xiuming, firstly, didn't order others to bully classmates; secondly, didn't casually tell others "The weather is turning cold, the Wang family shall fall"; and thirdly, wasn't in heat all the time. Picking the tallest among dwarfs, he was considered good, wasn't he?
At the very least, Ouyang Xiuming didn't participate in bullying other students. Sometimes, when Duanmu Xiu and Zhuge Shan went too far, he would even try to talk some sense into them. Being from the same social circle, Duanmu Xiu and Zhuge Shan would listen to him a little.
[Mary Sue Minor Cannon Fodder Chi Qiushui: From the plot I know, Ouyang Xiuming loved Zhuge Mo'er to the bone. In the latter half of the plot, the Zhuge family faced a business crisis and was on the verge of falling out of the ranks of the Four Great Families. It was Ouyang Xiuming, who had already inherited the Ouyang family, who turned the tide, using 80% of his own family's resources to support the Zhuge family, saving them from the crisis.]
[Primitive World Ahuahua: What happened next? The follow-up? I love this kind of plot, say more, say more!] Winter in Ahuahua's world hadn't ended yet, and Ahuahua was bored out of her mind. In just over a month, all the women in her tribe who could get pregnant had gotten pregnant.
Only she, the single dog, didn't have a single man. Lately, everyone had been looking at her strangely. Ahuahua hid in the small cave she had dug out every day, either browsing the group chat, sleeping, or sneaking some good food to eat.
[Mary Sue Minor Cannon Fodder Chi Qiushui: The follow-up was that the Ouyang family's assets shrank drastically because of helping the Zhuge family. The simp Ouyang Xiuming received a teary "good person card" from Zhuge Mo'er.]
[In the extra storyline, Ouyang Xiuming never married in his entire life. He recognized Zhuge Mo'er and Duanmu Xiu's son as his godson. Upon his death, all his property went to that child.]
[Reborn Transmigrator Gu Nuanyang: Wow, what a sucker!]
[Whole Family Transmigrated to ABO World Wen Wan: Classic! So classic! I need to jot down this character archetype. I have the character for my next trashy dogblood novel.]
[Primitive World Ahuahua: Why don't such good things happen to me? If Ouyang Xiuming was willing to leave his company to me, I'd gladly call him daddy.] Ahuahua was just talking big. What modern young man or woman hasn't dreamed of a long-lost rich dad falling from the sky?
In the group, everyone chuckled at this comment.
[Period Novel Stepmother Xu Huixin: @Mary Sue Minor Cannon Fodder Chi Qiushui, According to what you said, Ouyang Xiuming, as the second male lead, is supposed to dedicate his entire fortune to Zhuge Mo'er. Could his repeated cycles be precisely because of this?]
[Earth Girl Lin Xi: I think Huixin's analysis is very on point. Qiushui, think about it, yesterday when those four came looking for you, what was Ouyang Xiuming's attitude towards Zhuge Mo'er?]
Chi Qiushui carefully recalled.
[Mary Sue Minor Cannon Fodder Chi Qiushui: He glanced at Zhuge Mo'er, his gaze very gentle. But, how should I put it... that gentleness seemed somewhat exaggerated.]
[Wealthy Family Eldest Daughter-in-law Ji Xinyu: That's very problematic. Having been reborn who knows how many times, how could he still harbor such love for Zhuge Mo'er? You have to know, love can fade. That's why many deeply in-love couples, after marriage, see their romantic love dissipate and slowly transform into familial affection.]
[After being reborn so many times, would romantic love still remain?]
Ji Xinyu's analysis made everything click for Chi Qiushui.
[Earth Girl Lin Xi: So, is it possible that in one of the worlds Ouyang Xiuming was reborn into, he didn't follow the predetermined fate set by the "Heavenly Dao," just like the original host in Xinyu's world? That's why he's stuck in infinite cycles, forced to move towards the predetermined fate line?]
[Ancient World Xu Huanhuan: Giving Little Xi a thumbs up. I think this is the truth.]
After saying this, Xu Huanhuan sent Lin Xi a packet of knockout drugs as her contribution to supporting Chi Qiushui.
After receiving the drugs, Chi Qiushui instantly felt much more confident.
She privately messaged Lin Xi: [Since that scumbag He Jiantao hid my bank card, he must have secretly figured out my PIN. I've heard that entering the wrong password multiple times can get a card urgently frozen. Little Xi, can you help me try?]
As she spoke, Chi Qiushui directly sent over her bank card number, along with her Alipay and WeChat account details.
Lin Xi logged into Chi Qiushui's account via online banking. Because it required facial recognition, she directly sent her phone over to Chi Qiushui via the transfer function. After completing the facial scan, Chi Qiushui looked at the message on the phone screen saying the account was frozen, and tears instantly streamed down her face.
She returned the phone to Lin Xi and explained the situation.
Lin Xi told her: [It was probably your aunt who gave your parents the idea. Don't worry too much, your parents won't let He Jiantao's family succeed.]
Chi Qiushui nodded. Her aunt was the only golden phoenix that had flown out of their family. She ran a transfer warehouse in the county town and had helped their family a lot over the years. Most of the money for her martial arts training as a child came from her dad, who got it from her aunt.
Looking at the gene repair solution Lin Duxi had included with the weapons in her storage space, Chi Qiushui thought for a moment and forwarded it to Lin Xi, asking her to give the repair solution to her aunt and her parents.
Lin Xi accepted her request and also sent her own remaining half bottle of gene repair solution to Chi Qiushui, with only one note: Health is the foundation of revolution.
In the Mary Sue dimension, Chi Qiushui drank the genetic repair solution and sat in the specially chosen spot in her living room to begin today's work. She was already skilled at doing nails; press-on nails were even more convenient than doing them on a real person. Under the bright fluorescent light, she worked from nightfall until three in the morning, barely finishing three sets.
She had just fallen asleep not long ago when the sound of renovation came from outside. Chi Qiushui found some cotton to plug her ears and went back to sleep. After waking up, she continued grinding away and finally, by the afternoon, had finished over ten sets, just enough for one set each for the girls in the group chat.
So, in the group chat, it was time for everyone to show off their beautiful press-on nails. Chi Qiushui also posted these photos online, clearly marked the prices, and quietly waited for customers.
Her first customer came very quickly, booking an appointment shortly after Chi Qiushui had stocked up on snacks, drinks, and decorative items.
It was a white-collar worker dressed head-to-toe in designer brands. She sat on the manicure stool while Chi Qiushui did her nail prep, and they chatted idly.
"You have no idea, miss, how pleasantly surprised I was when I saw your nail designs, especially the lotus flower one. It just struck a chord in my heart instantly. As soon as I saw there was a booking slot, I came right over," the customer said. Money wasn't an issue for her; she changed her nails monthly.
But after changing her nails so many times, she had grown increasingly disinterested. After all, switching back and forth between similar styles had long since become tiresome. That's why she was so amazed when she saw Chi Qiushui's designs.
Of course, there are hand-painted nail designs nowadays, but most of those are just little flowers and plants. Someone like Chi Qiushui, who turns a set of nails into a complete painting, is absolutely unique. So, she rushed right over.
She had spent a thousand yuan on manicures before; as long as the craftsmanship was good, she had no problem with it.
She also chose the lotus flower design, but Chi Qiushui redesigned it slightly based on her hand shape, which pleased the customer even more. After it was done, the customer didn't leave immediately. Instead, she spent some time in Chi Qiushui's living room, taking numerous photos from various angles before finally posting them on her social media.
The arrival of this customer seemed to flip a switch. From then on, Chi Qiushui had a steady stream of customers. Doing work she loved brought Chi Qiushui indescribable happiness.
During this time, Lin Xi had already returned to Lotus Village. She received a call from Chi Qiushui's parents as soon as her plane landed. They were immensely grateful to Lin Xi and promised they would definitely repay the money.
Lin Xi took the opportunity to ask about Chi Qiushui's situation and received the reply that everything was fine.
Lin Xi relayed this to Chi Qiushui, and during a break, Chi Qiushui thanked Lin Xi once again.
Time passed like this. April arrived quietly in the Earth dimension. The lotus buds were forming in Lotus Village, the rapeseed flowers planted across the village were blooming all over the mountainsides, the village's tourism entered its peak season, and Lin Xi promptly adjusted the prices at her homestay.
In the Mary Sue dimension, Chi Qiushui's life also settled into a routine. She could handle at least two clients a day, earning two thousand yuan daily, which satisfied her greatly.
One day, as she was seeing off a client and preparing to go downstairs to buy groceries, she ran into a resident from the opposite unit. Looking up, she was stunned.
"Ouyang Xiuming?" Chi Qiushui was genuinely surprised. In this Mary Sue world, where Mary Sues demand nothing but the finest in food and lodging, for Ouyang Xiuming to live in this kind of urban village?
This also made Chi Qiushui firmly believe the analysis from her group chat friends. The reason Ouyang Xiuming was stuck in infinite reincarnation must be because he had awakened, breaking free from this world's predetermined fate.
"Classmate Chi, we're neighbors now. Let's get along well in the future," Ouyang Xiuming said, then opened his door and went inside. In that instant when the door opened, Chi Qiushui caught a glimpse of the interior decor.
She frowned. In this world, the Mary Sues' aesthetics were all similar. They disliked both European and Chinese styles; what they loved was a gaudy, opulent, nouveau-riche style.
The original host had visited the Ouyang family many times with Zhuge Mo'er before. The Ouyang family's decor was much the same, even Ouyang Xiuming's toothbrush mug and water glass were gold and studded with diamonds. Yet, his current decor was a minimalist black-and-white theme?
This greatly surprised Chi Qiushui, so she immediately shared this news in the group chat, sparking another round of discussion.
Ouyang Xiuming's arrival seemed to realign the ordinary world with the Mary Sue world again. So, when she saw that her next booked client was Zhuge Mo'er and the new assistant arranged for her by the Zhuge family, Chi Qiushui wasn't surprised at all.
Zhuge Mo'er was wearing a pink princess dress covered with an excessive number of bow elements. Chi Qiushui recalled again from her dream—in all the places where the original host had been treated gently by Situ Ying, Zhuge Mo'er was always wearing a pink princess dress, albeit in different styles.
It was as if the color pink was permanently welded onto her.
Zhuge Mo'er sat on the manicure stool Chi Qiushui had prepared and extended her delicate, pale hand.
"I'm attending a ball in two days. You must do a perfect job on my nails. If you don't, don't even think about keeping your shop open," Zhuge Mo'er said, her gaze toward Chi Qiushui filled with thick malice.
Those round, deer-like eyes, synonymous with innocence in the plot, now held not a trace of purity or clarity.
Chi Qiushui looked at her. After Situ Ying paid the original host's years of salary on behalf of Zhuge Mo'er, Zhuge Mo'er clearly felt Chi Qiushui no longer posed any threat to her.
And Chi Qiushui also believed that since she and Zhuge Mo'er had already torn off the polite facade, there was no need for pretense.
Chi Qiushui smiled: "Alright then, I'll be waiting for you, young mistress, to make sure my shop can't stay open."
Chi Qiushui wasn't afraid. Just as she had said, Zhuge Mo'er gained the adoration of so many people based on the labels the public gave her. The words Zhuge Mo'er had just spoken were practically handing leverage right to her.
After all, she had installed a camera in her living room—Blu-ray, high-definition, with built-in audio recording!
The smile on Zhuge Mo'er's face faded slightly, and the malice in her eyes lessened a bit. She had already been warned by her family not to mistreat or provoke Chi Qiushui again. Especially her mother, who, despite paying Chi Qiushui's salary on her behalf, was deeply disappointed in her.
Zhuge Mo'er had seen that look of disappointment many times, both openly and behind her back. But why should Chi Qiushui receive her mother's gentleness? Her mother had given the little gentleness she possessed throughout Zhuge Mo'er's entire life to Chi Qiushui. Why? Why?
The more her mother acted this way, the more Zhuge Mo'er hated Chi Qiushui, and the more she felt compelled to torment Chi Qiushui. So, she tricked Chi Qiushui out of her salary, demanded that Chi Qiushui learn this and that, leaving her no time for her own studies, and turned a blind eye when Zhuge Shan instigated others to bully Chi Qiushui.
Yet, precisely because of all this, her mother would still be disappointed in her because of Chi Qiushui. Zhuge Mo'er didn't understand why.
Zhuge Mo'er believed she deserved the very best things in the world. She felt everything about her was perfect: a top-tier family background, superior looks, handsome childhood sweethearts, and elders who indulged her every whim.
Zhuge Mo'er felt the only flaw in her entire life was that her mother liked Chi Qiushui more than her.
"Chi Qiushui, did you know? Your parents got a bonus a couple of days ago, and they bought so many nice things for your brother." Having said this, Zhuge Mo'er settled back comfortably to watch Chi Qiushui, waiting for her to break down.
Chi Qiushui didn't look at her, focusing instead on doing her nails. Getting sad or anything like that was impossible for Chi Qiushui.
Even the original host had stopped getting angry or upset upon seeing her parents' blatant favoritism. Why be disappointed over something you never had in the first place?
Seeing her utterly placid expression, Zhuge Mo'er found it particularly boring and finally stopped trying to provoke her. She felt the current Chi Qiushui was like a stone, an impervious rock.
"Chi Qiushui, I am still your client, after all. What do you mean by not saying a single word? Are you still angry about me not giving you your salary? But you know my spending habits. I exceed my limit every month! I have so many things to buy each month. If you needed money, why didn't you ask me? How was I supposed to know you were short!" Zhuge Mo'er's expression remained one of pure innocence.
Only the slight curl of her lips and the malicious glint in her eyes let Chi Qiushui know she was saying all this just to provoke her.
Chi Qiushui really wanted to stand up and slap this bitch who was getting more and more brazen right across the face. But thinking of her plan, she kept telling herself: patience in small matters prevents great plans from being ruined.
She acted out an enraged response: "So what? Should I thank you? I've been by your side since I was three, walking and talking. By the time I was five, you said you wanted me to be your assistant and proposed paying me a salary."
"You 'borrowed' my salary for three years, and in the end, you just started collecting it directly on my behalf. What, am I not allowed to be angry? I'm supposed to work like an ox or a horse for you, without getting a single cent?"
"Don't you know how difficult you are to serve? You want crab roe buns and soup dumplings in the morning. Before bed, I must wipe the floor on my hands and knees—mopping won't do. You sleep at one or two in the morning and get up at four. I eat worse than a pig, sleep later than a dog, and rise earlier than a rooster, with not a single day off all year."
"I'm at your beck and call anytime, anywhere. Sometimes if you crave something, even at two in the morning, I have to run all over the city to buy it or make it for you. My monthly salary is just that little bit. Don't I deserve it? You have plenty of money for bags, for supercars, but no money to pay my measly salary?"
"You want the horse to run fast, yet you don't let it graze. Miss Zhuge, Princess Zhuge, aren't you being a bit too unreasonable? If you want to get my shop shut down, go ahead. I'm the one with nothing to lose; what do I care about those wearing shoes?"
Chi Qiushui delivered this tirade without a single stumble.
It took Zhuge Mo'er a good while to find her voice again: "Didn't our family already pay you your back wages? All your salary from when you were eight up to this month, every cent has been given to you. What more do you want?" Zhuge Mo'er was getting flustered and exasperated.
She felt that in her whole life, aside from that big secret, this was the only leverage Chi Qiushui had over her.
Hearing Zhuge Mo'er's words, Chi Qiushui felt a huge wave of relief inside. She flung Zhuge Mo'er's hand away: "Someone as precious as Princess Zhuge isn't for the likes of me to serve. As for your manicure today, please find someone else to do it."
Zhuge Mo'er sprang to her feet. Seeing the fire in Chi Qiushui's eyes, she stamped her foot and left. Chi Qiushui snorted, disinfecting and putting away the manicure tools.
Zhuge Mo'er's new assistant gave Chi Qiushui a meaningful look, then stood up and hurried after Zhuge Mo'er. By the time she got downstairs, Zhuge Mo'er had already driven off in her pink supercar.
Fuming, Zhuge Mo'er returned home. Xu Cuiping, the family nanny who had raised Zhuge Mo'er, saw her and immediately put on a doting smile, going to greet her.
"You're back, Miss? Are you hungry? Shall I have the kitchen prepare something for you?" Xu Cuiping's tone was almost like one used to coax a two or three-year-old child.
Looking at Xu Cuiping's face, Zhuge Mo'er's expression twisted for an instant.
"I'm not eating." With that, Zhuge Mo'er went upstairs. She was afraid if she stayed there a moment longer, she might slap Xu Cuiping.
Xu Cuiping watched her walk away with affectionate eyes. An old man with a cane, wearing a coffee-colored beret, white suspender pants, and a coffee-colored shirt came in from outside.
All the servants in the living room stood at attention, bowing respectfully: "Good day, Master."
The old man, Zhuge Yan, gave a stern 'hmm' and handed his cane to the butler who came forward: "Is the young master at home?"
"Young Master just returned from the company and is currently in the greenhouse with the Madam."
"Hmm. Have the documents ready and tell him to come to the study." Zhuge Yan went upstairs. Not long after, a middle-aged man around forty hurried towards the study.
In the group chat, Chi Qiushui had already mentioned Zhuge Mo'er coming to get a manicure. Everyone praised her for being both bold and magnanimous. If it were some of the other girls in the group, they probably wouldn't have stopped short of tearing Zhuge Mo'er's head off.
To this, Chi Qiushui replied as follows:
[Mary Sue Minor Cannon Fodder Chi Qiushui: I helped her with her manicure for no other reason than to record a video of her threatening me. Although I got the back pay and compensation from the Zhuge family, this matter isn't actually over.]
[How can Zhuge Mo'er, who has done such vicious things, get off so easily and retreat unscathed? Her mask should be torn off for everyone to see.]
Chi Qiushui's strategy was simple but would deliver the biggest blow. However, the Zhuge family held immense power in this era, and Duanmu Xiu adored Zhuge Mo'er. So, if someone really tried to smear the Zhuge family online, the Duanmu family would most likely not stand by idly.
Although Chi Qiushui had withdrawn from Oliston, she could still access the school's forum. During this period, the posts floating at the top of the homepage were mostly about Duanmu Xiu being absent from school due to family matters, with his admirers waiting for his triumphant return.
Every time Chi Qiushui logged into that forum, she lamented the insult to her intelligence.
About ninety percent of the people at Oliston School came from good families, and there was even a university section, so how could the forum be so absurd?
It was either gushing about how handsome Duanmu Xiu was again, or talking about how cute and kind Zhuge Mo'er was, interspersed with praises for Ouyang Xiuming's gentleness and Zhuge Shan's elegant demeanor.
Those idiotic remarks made Chi Qiushui feel that the upper class of this world combined couldn't muster a single brain cell.
If the second generation of the wealthy were all like this now, they were truly doomed.
"Knock, knock~" The door was knocked. Chi Qiushui thought it might be a client or that Zhuge Mo'er had returned. She went to open it and found Ouyang Xiuming standing outside.
He smiled at Chi Qiushui: "Classmate Chi, are you interested in cooperating with me?"
Ouyang Xiuming leaned slightly closer, his voice carrying an indescribable allure.
"What do you want to cooperate with me on?" Chi Qiushui's hands were in her pockets, ready to pull out a thermal weapon at any moment.
Ouyang Xiuming's smile grew even gentler: "You want to expose Zhuge Mo'er, don't you? Coincidentally, I have evidence of Zhuge Mo'er exploiting you, and also videos of Zhuge Shan inciting others against you. Do you want them?"
Chi Qiushui looked at him: "And your condition?"
"No particular condition. I just want to see if someone else can bring down the Duanmu and Zhuge families." When Ouyang Xiuming said this, the smile on his face faded, and the softness vanished from his eyes.
Looking at Ouyang Xiuming, Chi Qiushui inwardly marveled at his speed of changing expressions; he really had a natural talent for Sichuan opera.
He might even become a new-generation intangible cultural heritage inheritor.
"Oh, aren't your four families united as one? What, do your parents know you want to deal with those two families?" Chi Qiushui subtly tried to fish for information, glancing at her phone and secretly opening the dimensional live stream.
Ouyang Xiuming glanced at Chi Qiushui: "You're quite naive. In this world, there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests. Duanmu Xiu and Zhuge Mo'er, as heirs, have zero capability."
"One only knows how to find fault with this and that at school, showing no concern whatsoever for his own family's company. What qualification does he have to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me?"
"The other has been incompetent at everything since elementary school; in first grade, she could calculate one plus one equals three. From a young age, all she knew was running after boys—first Nangong, now Duanmu Xiu. She probably doesn't even know which way the door to her own family's company opens, does she?"
"These two utterly useless fools, if I don't swallow up the Duanmu and Zhuge families, I'd be unworthy of my surname. They're so stupid that I'd feel like an idiot, a brain-dead moron if I let them off." Ouyang Xiuming's resentment was palpable.
Duanmu Xiu and Zhuge Mo'er were just too foolish. Since they were that stupid, why shouldn't he seize their family businesses?
"Zhuge Shan does have some brains, but it's a pity he's also a fool whose mind is only filled with romance. If I were him, I would have taken control of the Zhuge family long ago. Once you have the Zhuge family in your grasp, what couldn't you get? Even if he locked Zhuge Mo'er up at home, who would dare say a word?"
Chi Qiushui looked at Ouyang Xiuming with appreciation in her eyes: "I never expected... I never expected you to be the only one with a brain. Alright, since that's the case, let's do it."
"Send me the evidence, pay to buy trending topics, and I'll send Zhuge Mo'er to the top right now." Chi Qiushui had installed a small camera on her door, so she wasn't afraid of Ouyang Xiuming double-crossing her.
Ouyang Xiuming gave Chi Qiushui an approving look and sent her all the evidence he had prepared. He had long known what Chi Qiushui wanted to do and had been gathering evidence in his spare time.
His cooperation with Chi Qiushui was a test—just as she was testing whether he would betray her, he was testing whether, using Chi Qiushui's hand, he could bring down the Duanmu and Zhuge families.
Whether he would still be reborn if she brought down the Duanmu and Zhuge families—this was truly extremely, extremely important to him!
Chi Qiushui directly uploaded the videos and the evidence provided by Ouyang Xiuming to Weibo. With a few phone calls from Ouyang Xiuming, this information shot to the top of the trending searches in minutes.
The roar of car engines came from downstairs, and soon, a group of people surrounded Zhuge Yan and others as they walked up.
Situ Ying walked at the forefront, her eyes glistening with tears as she looked at Chi Qiushui: "My daughter, my Qiushui, come quickly to your mother."
Chi Qiushui was in the middle of battling Zhuge Mo'er's die-hard fans on her phone for three hundred rounds. Hearing these words, she was utterly dumbfounded.
What the heck? Was it really like the group chat said—a switched-at-birth trope?
"Qiushui, I formally notify you that you have passed the family's test for you. From now on, you are the eldest young lady of the Zhuge family. Zhuge Mo'er will return to her original status." Zhuge Yan looked at Chi Qiushui with admiration in his gaze.
"Wait a minute. So you're saying all the past events were the Zhuge family's test for me?"
"Correct. This test was decided the moment you were born."
Chi Qiushui didn't understand. She was greatly shocked, then her red lips parted slightly: "Are you idiots? Or did you leave your brains in your mothers' wombs when you were born? Is this any way to test someone?"
