“This thing of yours…” Qian Qi revealed a troubled expression.

Seeing her expression, Zhang Feng felt as if the sky had collapsed.

Could it be that Old Zhang really couldn’t be saved? Was there really no way at all? He had already chosen to shamelessly believe in Qian Qi, the academic underachiever, but even so, could Old Zhang still not be saved?

“…You’ll have to pay more,” Qian Qi said slowly.

Zhang Feng: …

Zhang Feng: ???

“Wait? Does that mean there’s still hope?” Zhang Feng reacted, but he didn’t care about the money issue. It was as if he had grabbed the last straw while drowning, and he hurriedly asked, “How much do you want? As long as Old Zhang can be saved, I can give you my entire week’s meal money!”

Old Zhang was a dicotyledonous magical plant he had worked so hard to cultivate. He didn’t want to give up!

“Ah~ We’re classmates after all. How could I bear to see you go hungry for a week?” Qian Qi patted Zhang Feng’s back reassuringly and extended two fingers. “Two weeks’ worth.”

Zhang Feng: …

What happened to not bearing to see me go hungry!!!

Reluctantly transferring 182 yuan, Zhang Feng glanced at “Old Zhang” and placed his last hope on Qian Qi.

Qian Qi took a look at the information she had just obtained using her analytical skill.

[Magical Plant Name: Man-Eating Red Grass (Sick)
Grade: E-level

Case Analysis: Multiple leaf loss syndrome caused by hunger and lack of microorganisms

Treatment Method: Feed 1kg of magical beast meat to replenish nutrients, change the humus soil every 15 days, and regularly feed 2kg of pork weekly.]

“Be mentally prepared,” Qian Qi kindly reminded. “If you want to save Old Zhang, you’re probably going to have to spend a lot.”

Zhang Feng misunderstood her meaning. “What do you mean? Do I have to pay more?”

“No, no, no~” Qian Qi pointed at the Man-Eating Red Grass’s large mouth-like plate. “It has a big appetite. You’ll need to prepare a kilogram of magical beast meat to fill it up.”

“Then change the humus soil twice a month. Do you know what humus soil is? It’s nutrient-rich soil formed from decomposed and fermented plant leaves by microorganisms. You can find it where there are trees on the back mountain. If you really can’t find it, buy it online.”

“After that, regularly feed it two kilograms of pork every week~” After rattling off all this, Qian Qi prepared to leave.

“Wait!” Zhang Feng was completely confused. “Why do I need to feed it magical beast meat and pork? What’s the principle behind this?”

“This is a man-eating grass, a carnivorous magical plant,” Qian Qi shook her head and snorted. “Without meat to eat, it can only absorb nutrients from the soil. Once the nutrients are depleted, the leaves naturally fall off.”

“Remember to feed it on time. Long-term feeding can help build a bond, and maybe one day it won’t eat you.”

After saying this, Qian Qi glanced at the Man-Eating Red Grass with a hint of regret. It was a pity that the Man-Eating Red Grass was a non-mobile magical plant; otherwise, it could have become a walking weapon of mass destruction!

Beside her, Zhang Feng suddenly understood. He had always focused on cultivating Old Zhang but had never fed it any food. If the leaves were falling due to hunger, it made perfect sense.

“Classmate Qian Qi, how did you figure all this out?”

Zhang Feng found it quite strange. After all, in his and everyone else’s eyes, Qian Qi never attended classes or cultivated magical plants. So what kind of opportunity had she encountered that allowed her to diagnose the illness and find the corresponding treatment just by looking at the magical plant a few times?

“Could it be that you’ve awakened some incredible superpower?”

Zhang Feng’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Qian Qi expectantly.

Qian Qi’s body stiffened slightly.

A moment later, she suddenly hoisted her hoe and placed one hand behind her back.

Zhang Feng instantly tensed up, cursing himself inwardly.

Damn it, he had been careless! He shouldn’t have asked so much!

Was Qian Qi going to take this opportunity to beat him up?

However, Qian Qi simply lifted the back of her leather jacket and, with great effort, pulled out a textbook titled “Magical Plant Studies” from her waist.

“Read more books, Class Monitor!” Qian Qi waved the textbook and said earnestly, “Books hold golden houses and beautiful women. If you read as much as I do, you’ll naturally know these things!”

Zhang Feng looked at the brand-new textbook: …

How could he possibly believe that Qian Qi actually read books???

Moreover, he had practically flipped through this book eighty times. Why hadn’t he thought of these treatment methods?

“Well then, Class Monitor, good luck! Your Old Zhang is starving. If you don’t feed it soon, it might just eat you~” After establishing her book-loving persona, Qian Qi stuffed the textbook back into her waist, hoisted her hoe, and ran off with a swaggering gait.

She left Zhang Feng standing there in a daze for a while.

After a long while, he turned back to look at Old Zhang, which was now bald except for its mouth, and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you really hungry?”

A gust of wind blew by, and Old Zhang’s large mouth swayed slightly, as if it were answering his question with disdain:

If you know, then hurry the hell up and feed me!

…

That night, it was another quiet, deserted night.

Climbing up the back mountain of the Magical Plant Department again, Su Xingle wasn’t as scared as before. Perhaps this was thanks to the girl walking ahead, carrying a textbook and a hoe, who inexplicably gave him a sense of security?

When they reached the experimental field, Su Xingle opened a plastic box and said to Qian Qi, “Junior, I managed to get a low price from a senior. I even haggled a bit more—30 yuan per catty!”

This was undoubtedly a godsend for Qian Qi, who was overjoyed. She sincerely promised Su Xingle, “Good brother, if you ever fall on hard times, I’ll definitely help you!”

Su Xingle: …

This promise might as well not have been made! How could I possibly fall on hard times!

Sitting on a small stool nearby, Su Xingle noticed that there were many more bottles and jars around. Qian Qi was squatting in the field, burying seeds and looking very busy.

He couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Junior Qian Qi, why are you planting so many magical plants?”

He had heard that students in the Magical Plant Department only needed to successfully grow one magical plant to pass, but from what he observed, Qian Qi seemed to have planted no fewer than ten types of magical plants.

“Of course, it’s because I love learning!” Qian Qi pulled out the textbook she had tucked under her arm and deliberately waved it in front of Su Xingle.

Su Xingle thought back to the rumors he had heard and glanced at Qian Qi with some doubt.

“Loving learning is the way to bring glory to the school!” Qian Qi patted her chest again. “Believe me.”

Su Xingle: … “Alright, I believe you.”

Qian Qi nodded in satisfaction. Good, her persona as a studious learner was now established!

As for why she was planting so many magical plants, one reason was to add more credibility to her image as a smart and knowledgeable person, and the other… was to create confusion.

Qian Qi thoughtfully stroked her chin. Once she developed the hemostatic magical potion, there would definitely be people secretly investigating the formula. But as clever as she was, how could she let them succeed?

How exciting…

Qian Qi raised a shiny, oversized pair of scissors and snipped the air twice, letting out a sinister laugh.

Su Xingle, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but shiver.

Strange, why did it suddenly feel so cold?

Was it the night wind that was too chilly, or was the girl in front of him just too terrifying?

Two days later, Qian Qi received a transfer from Li Shuyun—a full 60,000 yuan.

“It’s money! System, look! It’s money!” Qian Qi looked at the 60,000 yuan in her account and was moved to tears.

Qian Qi was finally no longer poor!

[Just 60,000 yuan, and you’re this happy (;￢＿￢)]

“What do you mean, ‘just’? Do you know how long it takes an ordinary person to save 60,000 yuan?” Qian Qi snorted. “You don’t! Just like you don’t know that when a whale poops, its butt has to open really wide, and after it’s done, it takes a long time to close, which is very painful. You don’t know, because you only care about yourself!”

System: [???]

System: Thanks, but I really didn’t need to know that!