Chapter 26: Naïve Schemes

When Qiao Duoduo found Su Ning, she was carefully cutting fabric.

“Brother Su, are you making clothes?”

“Yeah. I recently opened an online shop. It’s quite profitable—market equipment is in short supply, and this one is a custom piece.”

Su Ning genuinely enjoyed this work: it was good practice for sewing, allowed her to level up her crafting, and earned some silver—why wouldn’t she like it?

“That sounds great. How much can this piece sell for?”

“4 silver coins. The main value is the +5 attribute bonus.”

“Five points? This clothing adds five points?”

Qiao Duoduo was amazed. Five points—that was the same as a green-quality ‘Exquisite Headband’!

“Of course. My crafting has improved, so the clothes I make now are green quality. Once my skills are fully trained, I plan for us to wear matching best-friend outfits—from head to toe.”

Su Ning recalled the times when they had often worn matching best-friend outfits before. Because of their similar looks, people often thought they were sisters, and sometimes even asked if they were twins.

Those were truly happy, carefree times. Looking at Qiao Duoduo now, Su Ning felt things were still good—both of them were still free-spirited, and things would continue to be fine. Even the world would get better.

“Then we’ll wear matching styles, just different colors,” Qiao Duoduo suggested, thinking that different colors would help distinguish them.

“Not yet. I can’t learn dyeing right now,” Su Ning replied.

“Useless,” Qiao Duoduo teased.

“I’m not useless! I am useful. Oh, I wanted to show you this,” Su Ning said, taking out a card for a pulling-step bed (a kind of portable ancient bed).

“Here, take a look yourself.”

“Wow! Brother Su, what amazing luck you have! Isn’t this that ancient-style pulling-step bed?”

Qiao Duoduo was thrilled. If Brother Su could get one, how far behind would she be?

“Brother Su, with this you could live outdoors and save on rent. If this luck continues, maybe we’ll even get a villa!”

Qiao Duoduo thought it was possible, but probably she wouldn’t get that lucky—mostly dependent on Su Ning’s incredible fortune.

“That’s possible, but likely a bit far off. Our next target should be an apartment, or an independent public restroom with a shower. I’ve seen a simple stove appear before. With these, we could live outdoors long-term.”

“Then it’s up to you, Brother Su! You’ve got to work hard! I’m your cutest little helper. Here’s the card back.”

Qiao Duoduo placed the pulling-step bed card on the table and remembered the main issue.

“Seriously, during today’s monster fight, Ma Shangting acted strange. I feel like she did it on purpose—like she wanted to kill me.”

“Kill you?” Su Ning put down the fabric, suddenly serious.

Qiao Duoduo recounted everything that had happened.

Analyzing it together, they wondered: had Ma Shangting gone dark? But they hadn’t even acted aggressively yet—was it really possible for her to turn this quickly?

“Not likely. I haven’t even had a chance to target her yet. Maybe she’s just a fragile little girl,” Su Ning said, turning to sit down, trying to dismiss the theory.

Qiao Duoduo also sat on the bed, hands behind her, admittedly in an ungainly posture.

“But if the roles were reversed, and Ma Shangting liked Huoyang, my existence would be in the way.”

“Still, the first incident should be considered an accident. She didn’t show hostility at first, but we can’t rule out cunning.”

“Let’s assume the first incident was accidental. She’s young; if she were truly cunning, she’d be patient and finish me off first. After all, I’m your ‘extra life.’ Even if I died today, could she and her brother really calm Huoyang? And you? How would you handle it?”

“How would I handle it? That’s a real problem—use the ‘handsome-man trick’?” Su Ning genuinely couldn’t think of a way. If Qiao Duoduo died outdoors, how could the Ma siblings possibly mollify her?

“Ma Shangfei is already perfect—handsome, high-level wolf demon, righteous. Huoyang was willing to pair them at first.”

“Even so, she’s still young,” Su Ning said, glancing at the doorway, deep in thought.

“Maybe she saw something…”

“Saw what?” Qiao Duoduo quickly asked.

“That I rejected Ma Shangfei. Twice.”

Su Ning raised two fingers.

“Brother Su, tell me.”

Gossip was always irresistible. Even after nearly being harmed, Qiao Duoduo was eager to hear about it.

Su Ning smiled wryly.

“The first time was the first night they rented a room. Ma Shangfei tried to enter my room and add me as a friend—I refused both times.”

“Refused to add a friend?”

“It was dark. A man you just met knocks on your door saying he wants to come in—who does he think he is?” Su Ning recalled angrily.

“Definitely excessive. And the second time?”

“This morning, Huoyang sent me a message. I had just gone to bed. Ma Shangfei came again, saying I shouldn’t be willful or act like a spoiled girl. If I wasn’t sick, I should go fight monsters and level up.”

Su Ning shrugged, thinking the guy was hopeless.

“If Ma Shangting heard all this, plus the breakfast incident, your whole character would be so enviable,” Qiao Duoduo said.

“My character?” Su Ning was curious—just a few days, and she already had a reputation?

“Lucky, nanny job.

Rich, rents at the tavern.

Show-off, recommends breakfast.

Unreasonable, rejects Ma Shangfei.

All summarized—I almost want to poke you.”

“Then it means after you die, there’s no need to appease me. I’m a doomed person,” Qiao Duoduo said.

“Then the first incident might not have been accidental either, since Huoyang never stopped you and even removed Ma Shangfei in the morning.”

“That fits perfectly.”

“But it’s all speculation. Tomorrow, we’ll figure out a way to test reality.”

Qiao Duoduo wanted solid evidence. After all, if a teenage girl were falsely accused, it would be hard to clear her name. No one here was merciful.

“Does Huoyang know?”

No matter what, the Ma siblings were under Huoyang’s protection. He wouldn’t let them be treated casually.

“Heh,” Qiao Duoduo said angrily.

Her boyfriend was a good person, but unless he saw things firsthand, he was naive, kind, stubborn, and indulgent. If he knew she and Su Ning were plotting against Ma Shangting, he’d never agree. She could only sigh and say:

“Seeing is believing. If he knew we judged her just by guesswork, he wouldn’t agree. He might even force a confession. Never mind. At least Ma Shangfei’s harassment—you saw that. Use it to control the little girl.”

“Good.”

“I’ll leave first. Tomorrow, you observe carefully, then strike decisively.”

After Qiao Duoduo left, Su Ning stayed alone, thinking about Ma Shangting.

What a pity.