The classmate with a worried expression turned around upon hearing the voice. When he saw the rather terrifying grin on Qian Qi’s face, his tightly furrowed brows twitched a few times.

Oh no, Mom, Qian Qi has set her sights on me!
I might not make it to the second grade!

In that instant, Little Liu had already imagined his entire future: after being targeted by Qian Qi, every magical plant he grew would be trampled into a pulp as soon as it sprouted. He would have to pay extra to buy meals for Qian Qi every day until he was left penniless. He would then leave the Awakener University with a failing cultivation report, forced to enter dungeons to make a living. There, he would be hired by Awakeners to identify the weaknesses of dangerous magical plants, only to be used as a human shield and meet a tragic end at the hands of magical beasts or plants, living out his life in poverty and obscurity!

How could Liu Dabao, who had always lived an upright and humble life, end up with such a tragic fate?
A tear of sorrow rolled down Little Liu’s cheek.

Qian Qi stared at the classmate, scratching her head in confusion. “What’s wrong with him? He looks so hopeless.”

[…Can’t you pay attention to your own expression?]

“What’s wrong with my expression?” Qian Qi touched her face. Wasn’t she smiling warmly?
[…] Was she really unaware, or was she pretending?

The system’s silence left Qian Qi momentarily puzzled, but she quickly brushed it off. She patted Little Liu’s back reassuringly, “Classmate, don’t be afraid. I saw you looking so troubled, so I came over to see if you needed any help.”

Little Liu snapped out of his daze and quickly shook his head. “No, no, I really don’t need any help. Qian Qi, you go ahead with your business. Don’t worry about me!”

“How could you not need help?” Qian Qi said sincerely. “Look at your magical plant. It’s almost dead.”

“You must have worked so hard to cultivate it. It must be really frustrating to see it like this. Don’t you want it to grow strong and healthy?” Qian Qi coaxed gently. “After all, this is related to your final exams. If you fail, you’ll have to pay 4,500 yuan in tuition next year!”

At the mention of tuition, Little Liu’s face instantly darkened. “Yeah… if I fail, it’s over…”

“I actually have a solution,” Qian Qi pressed on, seizing the opportunity. “But I’m not sure what you think about it.”

“What solution?” Little Liu asked, though he didn’t trust Qian Qi, he still held onto a sliver of hope.

“Have you heard that Senior Li Shuyun successfully cultivated a Fire Qilin Lotus?” Qian Qi, well-versed in the art of communication, first presented her notable achievement to boost the other party’s trust. “Not only that, but it also bore three Fire Qilin Fruits!”

“Huh?” Little Liu was confused. “Wasn’t that already done a while ago? And it only bore one Fire Qilin Fruit.”

This was something all the students in the Magical Plant Department had known about two weeks ago. The teacher had even mentioned it in class.

“Tsk, see, you’re behind on the news!” Qian Qi put on a mysterious expression. “A week ago, Senior Li’s Fire Qilin Lotus was hacked to pieces, and the fruit was stolen. Senior Li was so heartbroken!”

Little Liu glanced at Qian Qi, feeling that the culprit was none other than Qian Qi herself.

Qian Qi didn’t notice Little Liu’s look. She deliberately lowered her voice and said, “At that time, someone appeared and promised to help her plant the Fire Qilin Lotus within a week. Guess what happened?”

Without waiting for Little Liu to respond, she exclaimed dramatically, “It actually worked! Not only was it planted, but it even bore three Fire Qilin Fruits! If you don’t believe me, you can ask Senior Li. This is absolutely true!”

Little Liu scratched his face. Qian Qi was known for spouting nonsense, so he really didn’t believe her.

Seeing Little Liu’s disbelief, Qian Qi dragged him over to Li Shuyun. Fortunately, Li Shuyun was still tinkering with the Fire Qilin Lotus in the field. Qian Qi cheerfully called out, “Senior! Tell him, wasn’t this Fire Qilin Lotus planted just last week?”

Li Shuyun, who was busy taking samples, turned around and saw Qian Qi holding a student by the collar.

The student looked timid, his face filled with panic and misery, clearly “forced” to come with Qian Qi.

Li Shuyun didn’t quite understand why Qian Qi was asking this, but she still answered, “Yes, it was planted just last week.”

Little Liu believed Li Shuyun’s words, especially since he could now see the three bright red Fire Qilin Fruits in the experimental field with his own eyes.
He immediately became excited. “Senior, who did you get to plant it? Can I ask for their help too?”

Li Shuyun glanced at Qian Qi and sighed. “It was Qian Qi who planted it.”

Little Liu: …
Little Liu: ???
Little Liu turned to look at Qian Qi.

Qian Qi proudly puffed out her chest. “That’s right, it was me!”

Little Liu turned back to Li Shuyun, his expression saying, “Senior, you’ve changed. You’re actually colluding with someone like Qian Qi.”

Li Shuyun: …
“Junior, I’m not lying.” Although she hadn’t seen the specific process, there was no denying that this Fire Qilin Lotus was cultivated by Qian Qi.

“She destroyed the Fire Qilin Lotus I had grown before, and this is her way of making up for it. Thanks to her, I’ve gathered a lot of new data.”

Seeing Li Shuyun’s certainty, Little Liu felt a bit confused. After all, Li Shuyun was the granddaughter of the Magical Plant Department’s dean. She wouldn’t lie about something like this out of fear that Qian Qi would ruin her field, unlike poor students like them.

“See, I wasn’t lying to you,” Qian Qi patted Little Liu’s shoulder, smiling. “I’m a bit short on money lately, so I’ve decided to charge for tutoring your cultivation assignments. If you give me 45 yuan, I can help you revive your magical plant!”

Little Liu’s previously confused expression instantly turned into one of “I knew it.” He had known all along that Qian Qi’s long-winded buildup was just to get money!

And once it started, there would be a second time, a third time!

“I don’t have any money,” Little Liu felt that he couldn’t escape the clutches of fate. He resigned himself to his doom and said, “Sorry, Qian Qi, you should go help someone else. I’ll manage on my own.”

With that, Little Liu turned and ran away.

Qian Qi stood there, stunned. After a while, she turned to Li Shuyun and asked, “Senior, what kind of person was I before?”

In her memories, the original owner often used her roommates’ toilet paper, shampoo, and laundry detergent without asking. The more scummy behavior included frequently getting into fights with some boys.

But that was all in the first semester. In the second semester, she hadn’t gotten into many fights, right?

Li Shuyun looked at the confused Qian Qi, unsure if she was pretending or not. After some hesitation, she finally said carefully, “Well… you were probably someone who really hated magic plants.”

Qian Qi was even more confused. “I hated magic plants? Why do you say that?”

“Didn’t you?” Li Shuyun glanced at the back mountain. “Weren’t you always destroying the magic plants that others worked so hard to grow in the experimental fields? I thought you hated magic plants.”

Qian Qi: …
Qian Qi: ???
Holy crap, was “she” really such a jerk?!

—

Qian Qi truly had no idea that her smile was actually terrifying.

Because ever since she arrived in this world, she hadn’t looked in a mirror ^v^~