Chapter 8

◎Level-One Penalty Imminent.◎

The garish green luxury car pulled up along the curb at Cloud Summit Tower. Liang Shi unbuckled and glanced at Xu Qingzhu.

Xu Qingzhu said quietly: “I gave you my word, and I’ll keep it.”

Her eyes were cold as she fixed Liang Shi with a stare.

Liang Shi: …

It felt like a pointed remark.

She coughed lightly. “I’ll contact you once I’ve talked to her. Wait in the car for a bit. I’ll be as quick as I can.”

“Understood.” Xu Qingzhu closed her eyes. Her lashes trembled faintly. Even with makeup on, the exhaustion showed. “Go ahead.”

//

Liang Shi called Xu Qingya again to get her exact location.

“I’m at the KFC on the first floor.” Xu Qingya asked: “Liang Shi, do you want anything to drink? I’ll order for you.”

“No need.” Liang Shi said. “Stay there. I’m on my way.”

“I see you. I’m at the third table from the door.” Xu Qingya volunteered her position.

“Okay.”

Liang Shi ended the call and immediately spotted Xu Qingya through the spotless KFC glass.

She was easy to identify. The only girl in the entire KFC holding a phone.

Liang Shi hurried a few steps, pushed open the KFC door, and Xu Qingya waved at her.

The moment she got a clear look at Xu Qingya’s outfit, Liang Shi suddenly understood how the original host and Xu Qingya had gotten along so well.

Their aesthetics were on the exact same wavelength!

Xu Qingya wore her hair in dreadlocks, ripped denim shorts exposing her long legs to the air, and a tight off-shoulder tee. Glitter dusted her collarbone, and her makeup was just as heavy.

She looked nothing like Xu Qingzhu.

Through the thick layers of makeup, her features bore a passing resemblance to Xu Qingzhu’s at best.

A fifteen-year-old girl who looked twenty-something, dressed in a maturity far beyond her years.

“Liang Shi!” Xu Qingya flashed a sweet smile, then asked guardedly: “You came alone, right?”

Liang Shi sat down across from her with some discomfort and nodded, changing the subject directly: “What do you need the money for?”

“I told you. My dad froze my card.” Xu Qingya huffed. “I have nowhere to stay, so I’ll get a hotel.”

“Why did your father freeze your card?” Liang Shi asked.

Before meeting Xu Qingya, Liang Shi might have assumed the Xu parents were the problem, perhaps too authoritarian or something.

But after seeing Xu Qingya in person, she wondered if she’d been biased.

“My dad threw away all of my Xuanxuan’s merchandise and tore down Xuanxuan’s posters.” Xu Qingya’s eyes brimmed with tears at the mere mention. “I spent every last bit of my allowance collecting that stuff. It’s so unfair.”

Liang Shi: …

Another obsessive fan, then.

“Why don’t you want your sister to know?” Liang Shi probed gently. “Does she oppose your fandom too?”

Xu Qingya scoffed. “My sister doesn’t care. She’d just take our parents’ side and think I’m being unreasonable. She’s their perfect little daughter.”

Then Xu Qingya looked at Liang Shi with pleading eyes. “Liang Shi, you’ll help me, right?”

She batted her heavily lined eyelashes.

Liang Shi had seen plenty of stage makeup, but this was even heavier.

Xu Qingya was clearly a novice. The makeup was caked on and a bit greasy.

“I can help you,” Liang Shi offered first, and Xu Qingya lit up with joy. But then Liang Shi added: “On one condition. Wash that makeup off, change your clothes, and come with me to see your sister.”

Xu Qingya’s face fell instantly.

“Liang Shi, you weren’t like this before.” Xu Qingya deflated. “You always just gave me the money directly. This time…”

She paused, suddenly alert. “Did my sister force you?”

Liang Shi shook her head. “I married your sister, so we respect each other. There’s no forcing involved.”

Xu Qingya looked absolutely certain. “I don’t believe you.”

Liang Shi: “…?”

“Your sister is so gentle. What kind of misunderstanding do you have about her?” Liang Shi didn’t understand.

The Xu Qingzhu she saw was cool and distant, yes, but that was because the original host had hurt her so badly, nearly killed her. It was natural for her to keep her guard up.

But Xu Qingzhu was warm and gentle with Zhao Xuning and Bai Weiwei.

She even greeted Cheng Ran politely.

She clearly cared about saving face.

This gentleness came from deep within.

Liang Shi admired that kind of warmth in a person.

Now it was Xu Qingya’s turn to be shocked. “You think my sister is gentle? What kind of misunderstanding do you have about her?”

Liang Shi: …

Time was tight, so Liang Shi didn’t go into a deep discussion about whether Xu Qingzhu was gentle or not.

Besides, she always trusted what she saw with her own eyes over what others said.

She preferred to judge a person only after getting to know them.

“I can give you the money,” Liang Shi said. “But you have to listen to me.”

Xu Qingya frowned. “Forget it. I’ll find someone else.”

“Who?” Liang Shi asked.

“A friend,” Xu Qingya replied casually, then jabbed: “You’re not giving me the money anyway. What does it matter who I go to?”

Liang Shi said nothing.

As Xu Qingya headed for the door, Liang Shi followed at an unobtrusive distance.

She had already changed out of her hospital clothes before leaving, opting for a light hoodie and jeans. Casual and comfortable. With her physical stamina, she easily kept pace with Xu Qingya.

From the corner of her eye, Liang Shi spotted Xu Qingzhu in the car.

She was watching intently from across the way.

Liang Shi stopped Xu Qingya. “When I said listen to me, I didn’t mean go home. I just want us to sit down and talk.”

“Talk about what?”

“I’ll get you a room. How about you meet with your sister first?” Liang Shi said. “She hasn’t seen you in a while. She misses you.”

“So… my sister is here?” Xu Qingya latched onto the key point instantly.

Liang Shi nodded. “Yes.”

Xu Qingya’s fiery energy deflated like a popped balloon.

“Getting the money is the easy part.” Liang Shi softened her approach. “Family can’t stay estranged like this forever. See your sister, and she’ll help you.”

Xu Qingya wavered.

Liang Shi pressed on: “I’ll find you a hotel and give you the money. For as long as you don’t want to go home, I’ll support you.”

The temptation was too great.

Xu Qingya finally gave in and nodded.

//

The hotel Liang Shi chose was simply one of the Liang family’s properties.

Simply stating the name Liang Shi granted access to a luxury suite.

While the Liang family hadn’t yet found their real heiress, she could still enjoy certain privileges.

In the original novel, Liang Shi wasn’t actually a daughter of the Liang family. She had two older brothers and one younger sister. The brothers had originally been doting older siblings, but because of the original host’s appalling behavior, they couldn’t be bothered with her and stopped spoiling her.

Once the real heiress was acknowledged, the family gave her everything: money, fame, resources, all heaped at her feet.

The fake Liang Shi became a stray.

Right now, Liang Shi’s predicament was overwhelming. Stranded in an unfamiliar world, saddled with a System demanding Luck Values, her Romance Target was completely guarded against her.

She only knew the main plot and key characters from the novel. All subplots were a mystery.

The situation was far from friendly.

She had no choice but to lean on the Liang family’s resources for now.

Once her life settled down, she would return to her old profession. With her acting skills, she could carve out a place in the entertainment circle. Even with slightly bad luck, she could make a living.

At that point, she would distance herself from the Liang family and divorce Xu Qingzhu.

According to the original plotline, Xu Qingzhu would later meet an Alpha who treasured her deeply. Liang Shi was merely cannon fodder.

She would follow the storyline and exit gracefully.

Of course, all of this was contingent on her actually gaining control of this body.

If she couldn’t get 80 Luck Points in three months, she would die young.

Talk was cheap.

Liang Shi brought the Xu sisters to the luxury suite in two trips. She took Xu Qingya first and told her to wash off the makeup and change clothes. When she brought Xu Qingzhu over, she also reminded her to speak gently, since Xu Qingya seemed a bit rebellious.

Xu Qingzhu nodded. When Liang Shi opened the car door for her, she thanked her politely.

She maintained that polite distance throughout.

Inside the suite.

The sisters hadn’t seen each other in a while and felt a bit awkward at first.

But with her face washed clean, Xu Qingya bore a five-point resemblance to Xu Qingzhu. They sat in silence until Liang Shi intervened to lighten the mood: “You two must be hungry. What would you like? I’ll go get something.”

“No need,” Xu Qingzhu said. “I’m not hungry.”

“I’m not hungry either.” Xu Qingya sat on the sofa, poking at her phone.

“When are you planning to go back?” Xu Qingzhu sat across from her and asked in a low voice. “Why did you fight with Dad again? Didn’t you promise me you wouldn’t argue with him anymore?”

“He started it.” Xu Qingya was irritable. “He threw away my idol’s merchandise and tore down the posters.”

“Is your idol more important or is Dad more important?” Xu Qingzhu frowned. “Dad was so angry at home he…”

Before she could finish, Xu Qingya hurled her phone onto the sofa and screamed: “My idol! Fine?! Are you happy?!”

“Xu Qingya!” Xu Qingzhu’s voice cut sharp. “Have you forgotten what your last name is?”

“Stop bossing me around!” Xu Qingya shot back. “You’re married. Stay out of family business.”

“Then why did you go to Liang Shi?” Xu Qingzhu said coldly. “Because she’s married to me.”

“I…” Liang Shi couldn’t help stepping in to mediate. “Both of you, calm down.”

“From now on, you are not to go to Liang Shi.” Xu Qingzhu’s tone brooked no argument.

Liang Shi, worried the sisters would completely fall out, tried to smooth things over: “It’s fine. If you need help, you can always come to me.”

Xu Qingzhu shot her a glare, and Liang Shi rubbed her nose sheepishly.

As they say, even an honest official can’t settle family disputes.

The sisters remained locked in a standoff.

Liang Shi stood there at a loss. Just as she was about to do something, a sharp pain lanced through her chest, and a cold, mechanical voice rang out in her mind:

【Bad Luck Value +8. Level-One Penalty imminent.】

Liang Shi: ?