Daily Survival After Inheriting a Harem (GL) - Chapter 28

After being wiped clean and dried, Qiu Qi finally gained the right to get into bed.

Feeling that the little wings on her back were uncomfortable being pressed down, she wiggled her butt and laboriously turned herself over, choosing to lie on her stomach.

“Madam.”

She spoke softly, leaning toward Pei Yuqing’s ear in the tone of someone sharing a secret.

“Let me discuss something with you.”

Pei Yuqing glanced sideways at her.

“Speak.”

“I want to accept that S-rank order from the Green Island Guild.”

Qiu Qi pawed at her claws and stuffed that draft paper into Pei Yuqing’s arms.

“Look.”

Pei Yuqing put down the book in her hand and held up the paper to distinguish the handwriting. It was still just as messy as before, but the way the information was conveyed was also as simple and crude as usual. As long as one could understand a few key words, one could know what Qiu Qi was thinking.

“You spent so long messing around in the study tonight, and it wasn’t to draw your booklet?”

Pei Yuqing was somewhat surprised. She had originally thought that in the afternoon at Zu Mianmian’s place, Qiu Qi had only casually agreed, and that afterward, at most, she would ask Yan Wan to lead her to Heyang House once.

Yet in the end, she had actually spent an entire evening carefully organizing this matter. The last time Pei Yuqing saw her put this much effort into something was when she helped remove the Mystic Ice Rings.

Thinking of this, Pei Yuqing’s fingers holding the paper tightened slightly. Her heart also seemed to be squeezed by an invisible hand, and for a brief moment, she could not breathe.

She lowered her eyes and asked as if unintentionally,

“My lord, why are you so concerned about Mianmian’s matter?”

“Mm?”

Qiu Qi thought for a moment.

“There isn’t really any reason. If I have to say one, I think she and her younger sister are a bit pitiful. And if she reunites with her family, she might not stay here anymore, so I can save one monthly payment. Also, Madam, you were the one who said it first. The bounty for this order is ten thousand gold.”

The force in Pei Yuqing’s hand loosened somewhat. She nodded.

“Mm.”

Seeing that she had softened, Qiu Qi pressed the advantage and asked,

“Then if I accept that order, Madam, you think it’s feasible, right?”

“To accept the order, you need to sign a life-and-death agreement. Does my lord still remember that?” Pei Yuqing asked.

“Ah… I remember.”

Pei Yuqing turned around and looked at the furry ball in front of her. If Qiu Qi went out to carry out a mission in her current state, the only attack power she probably had was that her cry sounded a little fierce.

“Then does my lord also know that, in your current state, never mind actively walking into the tiger’s den like a sheep—even obediently staying in the estate is already extremely dangerous?”

Pei Yuqing added weight to her fear.

“It is not only the danger of the mission. There is also the demon realm’s bounty order for you. Your head, in other people’s eyes, is also an extremely tempting bounty.”

Qiu Qi’s voice lowered, carrying unconcealable disappointment.

“Then are we not going to help Zu Mianmian and her younger sister?”

That was true. If Pei Yuqing was unwilling to let her go, it was normal. After all, if something happened to Qiu Qi by accident, Pei Yuqing would also die because of the restriction of the Servant Contract.

This was also why Qiu Qi had asked Pei Yuqing for her opinion before accepting the order. The two of them were now a community of shared fate.

“What I mean is, my lord, you must first learn to protect yourself.”

Qiu Qi’s eyes lit up.

“I will. I especially cherish my life.”

Pei Yuqing’s gaze lightly landed on her, and one sentence extinguished her excitement.

“You cannot even freely change between beast form and human form. What self-protection are you talking about?”

When Pei Yuqing initially said she could recover human form in three days, that was the average recovery time for beastmen. Who knew Qiu Qi would remain like this for half a month, wandering around every day with that pair of ears on her head, not knowing how to be anxious at all?

“I can use other methods to protect myself…”

Pei Yuqing picked up the Soft Hedgehog Armor that had fallen to the ground because Qiu Qi had shrunk into beast form.

“Relying on this?”

Qiu Qi hugged her head with her paws and tested,

“Maybe… I can try practicing my escape speed?”

Pei Yuqing sighed and placed her palm over Qiu Qi’s chest.

“Can you feel the heat source here?”

Of course she could feel it. She fought against it every day, Qiu Qi thought inwardly.

“Mm.”

“Try spreading this heat source outward and sending it to every part of your body.”

“I’m scared.”

Qiu Qi looked at her carefully.

Pei Yuqing was not wearing gloves right now, so of course she knew what Qiu Qi was thinking, and also knew what she was worried about.

“Do not be afraid. I am here. I will not let you lose control.”

Her tone gave people a great sense of security, but Qiu Qi sniffled sadly.

Yes, after all, this was a woman who could make the decisive call and knock me unconscious with one hand chop.

Since things had reached this point, Qiu Qi began trying to control the power inside the Beast Core Pearl.

“Do not move too much at first. You cannot control it. Do it bit by bit. First begin extending from the areas closest to the heart,” Pei Yuqing patiently explained.

Qiu Qi nodded, took a deep breath, and began controlling that heat source.

It was indeed as Pei Yuqing said. As long as she transferred it in small amounts multiple times, this power became much easier to control. After she tried a few times and became familiar with it, she seemed to feel that the strength in her whole body could be mobilized at will. It was different from the feeling before, when she had acted like a reckless fool and only used brute force.

“Good. Now draw that power back. In your mind, imagine your human form. The more detailed, the better.”

Drawing it back was much easier than releasing it. Almost in an instant, Qiu Qi felt her chest become hot again. Then her vision lit up, and a burst of strong light emerged from her body.

The light chilled the entire room. After it faded, the one lying on the bed had already become a human girl.

Qiu Qi blankly raised her own hand and looked at that smooth, fair arm, unable to stop feeling pleasantly surprised.

“It really worked.”

She sat up and threw herself at Pei Yuqing.

“Madam, Madam, did you see?”

Pei Yuqing watched as that bare person pounced on her. After pouncing, she hugged and rubbed against her like a milk cat. Pei Yuqing’s fingers moved, but reason stopped them, leaving them hanging by her side.

“Wait…”

After her excitement passed, Qiu Qi began to feel that something was not right. But before she could dig a hole on the spot and crawl into it, a sleeping robe had already been thrown over her head. Pei Yuqing’s cold voice followed from above.

“Put it on.”

Even if you didn’t say it, I would put it on!

…

Qiu Qi, who had mastered the technique of changing beast forms, was as happy as the foolish child next door. The next morning, she got up before even the roosters crowed and wandered around the garden.

She wandered until she estimated that Zu Mianmian should be awake, then ran toward the western courtyard.

On Zu Mianmian’s side, the sun had also risen from the west today. For the first time, she had not slept until noon. She had gone to visit Xu Zishe.

Xu Zishe was lying comfortably on a chair, watching over her little vegetable garden. She was too lazy to even give Zu Mianmian an extra glance.

“What are you here to find me for this time?”

Zu Mianmian chuckled and held up the plate in her hand, speaking in a good tone.

“Can I return this?”

Xu Zishe also curved her lips at her, though that smile was somewhat fake.

“What do you think, little sister? Even if it were still sealed and untouched, I wouldn’t accept a return, let alone when you’ve already made the medicine into this state.”

“I wasn’t… wasn’t I just… trying to trick her into eating it?”

Zu Mianmian flattened her mouth.

“Sister Xu, I’ll call you sister for life. Be kind and refund me. That ten gold is my coffin savings.”

A few days ago, Zu Mianmian had come to Xu Zishe to buy medicine. Back then, she had come intending to kill. And because Qiu Qi had a constitution immune to all poisons, the only requirement for the medicine she needed was that it had to be extremely lethal, preferably the kind that could poison someone to death in one dose—though that was impossible.

The original body’s constitution of being immune to all poisons was not entirely without solution. The principle was that she had eaten too many poisons in the past, and over time, had formed antibodies. But if the poison was strong enough, the dose large enough, or if it was a rare poison, it could still take effect.

Xu Zishe was also an expert in using poison. Zu Mianmian knew that if she wanted to find what she wanted, she could only beg Xu Zishe.

But Xu Zishe also had her own rules. Once the money was paid, the goods were delivered. Once the medicine was given, the person would be removed. Even the cheapest medicine in her place cost at least one gold, and she did not allow items of equal value to be exchanged for it. She was a proper slave to gold.

When Zu Mianmian thought about how she had already boasted in front of everyone, even if she had to go bankrupt, she had to make the plan happen. Who knew so many things would happen later? Her assassination plan had simply come to nothing.

Xu Zishe closed her eyes, looking somewhat sleepy.

“I see you are quite good at escaping death and can still live a few more years. With such a little coffin savings, if you live for a few more months, you can save it back.”

“So you’re saying you won’t refund me, right?” Zu Mianmian said weakly. “Even so, I have nowhere to use this thing. I can’t just throw it away.”

To make it deceptive, she had specially added over a dozen spices into the pastries and made the color very pretty. They looked quite appetizing. If some innocent beggar picked them up from the trash and ate them, wouldn’t that be another life gone?

“You can also keep it and use it next time,” Xu Zishe suggested. “Persistence is victory.”

“Who… who is persisting to victory with you?”

Zu Mianmian frowned.

“I’ve thought it through. Even if I really want to take her life, I can’t do it with such sneaky, underhanded methods. It’s unfair to her and unfair to me.”

Xu Zishe let out a mocking laugh.

“Yo, when facing an enemy, you’re talking about fairness now? Is this still the Zu Mianmian I know?”

Zu Mianmian’s face turned red with anger.

“You’re not allowed to mock me!”

Xu Zishe narrowed her eyes.

“You say I’m not allowed, so I’m not allowed? Why should I listen to you?”

Zu Mianmian clenched her little fists tightly. She wanted to curse back, but she could not beat Xu Zishe’s mouth. She forcibly angered herself into a pufferfish spirit.

“Mianmian?”

A voice came from behind. Qiu Qi had seen a familiar figure from far away and walked in.

“It really is you. When did your relationship with Xu Zishe become so good that you’re even skipping sleep to come see her?”

This really could not be blamed on Qiu Qi being nosy. She did not know much, but she did know that Xu Zishe’s popularity in this courtyard was comparable to the original body’s.

First, it was because she rarely went out and interacted with people very little. Second, it was because she was arrogant, and that mouth of hers was like it had been smeared with poison. The moment she opened it, she could poison you mute.

Zu Mianmian bit her lip. Where was her relationship with Xu Zishe good? She just could not bear to part with her coffin savings!

Hearing Qiu Qi’s voice, Xu Zishe slowly opened her closed eyes.

“Did my lord come to find her, or me?”

Qiu Qi hurriedly pointed at Zu Mianmian, thinking: I came to find you on purpose? Do I not fear death?

“What are you looking for me for?”

Zu Mianmian jumped, thinking Qiu Qi had found out something. But then she remembered that she had already told Qiu Qi everything.

Qiu Qi handed her a piece of paper.

“Regarding your younger sister’s matter that we discussed yesterday, I went back and made a detailed analysis. Take a look. If there are clues to add, add them. If there are no objections, I’ll go to the guild tomorrow and accept the order.”

Zu Mianmian’s brain did not turn fast enough. Holding the pastry box in her hands, she asked blankly,

“What does my sister’s matter have to do with the guild?”

“You’ll know once you read it.”

Qiu Qi saw that her hands were inconvenient because she was holding something, so she took the box from her and handed the paper to her.

“I listed the clues one by one.”

Zu Mianmian unfolded the paper. The tiny bit of emotion that had originally begun brewing mostly vanished when she saw the crooked handwriting.

But she still forced herself to finish reading it. Only then did she connect Zu An’an’s disappearance with the guild’s serial disappearance case that had remained unsolved for decades.

“Last night in the study, you were writing this the whole time?”

Zu Mianmian raised her eyes to look at her. The thorns in her tone had completely softened.

“Since I already promised you, I might as well make it quick.”

Qiu Qi looked like she did not care much about this matter. Instead, she was very interested in the pastry box in her hands.

“What is this? It looks pretty good. Can I have a bite?”

“Ah?”

Zu Mianmian’s gaze followed Qiu Qi. Seeing that Qiu Qi had stretched out her hand and really looked like she was about to pick one up and eat it, Zu Mianmian instantly panicked.

“Don’t! This isn’t good! It’s a failed product I was going to throw away.”

Qiu Qi stopped, her expression a little blank.

“Then if you don’t want it anymore, it should be fine for me to eat a bite, right?”

Qiu Qi was the type who remembered food and not beatings. When she was little, she had once eaten something picked up from the ground and gotten diarrhea. Afterward, she still maintained the “good” habit of superstitiously believing in the three-second rule. She was so greedy that even when the old lady next door was boiling medicinal paste, if she passed by and smelled it, she would curiously want to taste it.

Her mother had even complained that if she had not watched her closely, Qiu Qi would probably have been casually abducted by a passerby with one lollipop.

So Zu Mianmian’s “it doesn’t taste good” could not attack Qiu Qi’s appetite at all.

“I think it looks pretty tasty.”

Qiu Qi’s fingers picked up a pink piece that looked like cherry blossom flavor.

“I just so happen to have some research on food. I can give you some suggestions.”

“Eh! Don’t—”

Zu Mianmian raised her hand to stop her.

“Zu Mianmian, you’re this stingy?”

Xu Zishe raised her eyelids with interest, looking at Qiu Qi and then at Zu Mianmian. Her eyes were filled with the leisure of someone watching a show.

Zu Mianmian did not know why, but after being looked at by her, she suddenly became prideful.

“Fine… eat it.”

Zu Mianmian lowered her hand again.

She had not expected that after all her preparations failed, she would still smoothly complete her plan? Even pies falling from the sky would not fall in this posture.

It was probably because Qiu Qi’s body was strong. Something that would make an ordinary person foam at the mouth after one bite was forcibly eaten by her for half a plate, and she was still lively and energetic.

And while eating, she did not forget to dutifully evaluate it for Zu Mianmian.

“When kneading the dough, you need to add more water. After steaming, don’t lift the lid. Let it sit in the pot for a while longer. This is too dry…”

As she spoke, she suddenly bent over and clutched her stomach.

Zu Mianmian held her breath, looking a little nervous.

“W-What’s wrong?”

Qiu Qi waved her hand.

“My stomach hurts. Maybe the hotpot I ate for late-night snack yesterday was too spicy.”

Xu Zishe smiled lazily and fanned the fan in her hand. Anyone with even a little awareness could tell that there was something wrong with the pastries, right?

She had never seen such a brainless fool.

“Then I’ll help you go rest.”

Zu Mianmian felt a little guilty. She had very impolitely added an entire bottle’s worth, and Qiu Qi had eaten so boldly. It could be seen that she really trusted her very much.

And… this person had helped her before, put An’an’s matter so much at heart, and was even willing to accept a mission requiring a life-and-death agreement for her.

Zu Mianmian turned toward Xu Zishe helplessly, wanting to ask whether she had an antidote or something, only to see the other woman make a gesture to her as if they shared one heart.

Ten gold.

“You’re robbing money!”

Xu Zishe: “Take it or leave it.”

Qiu Qi spent the whole day soaking in the latrine. By evening, her whole body had already gone weak from diarrhea. She curled up on the bed, looking like a lifeless little pitiful thing.

Xu Zishe blocked her on the way to the latrine for the thirteenth time.

“Do you still have the bottle I gave you before?”

“I do. Why?”

“Eat it. That medicine can cure a hundred poisons.”

Considering Qiu Qi’s intelligence problem, Xu Zishe spoke in a clearer direction.

Who knew the other woman did not look surprised at all? Qiu Qi pushed away her arm and crouched into the latrine. A voice carrying smell came from inside.

“If I eat it, won’t all my efforts go to waste?”

The moment she took the first bite of that pastry, she felt something was wrong. The spice flavor was heavy, and the texture was hard. It should have been pastry that had been left for a long time.

Adding spices was to cover up the original taste. This method was exactly the same as the school cafeteria trying to use enough Sichuan peppercorns to kill someone to cover up stale meat. Qiu Qi had suffered deeply from this when she was in school.

With this understanding, plus Zu Mianmian’s extremely nervous “there is no silver buried here” behavior, and then moving her brain a little, she could guess what the pastries on that plate were. But she did not choose to expose Zu Mianmian on the spot and instead chose to let nature take its course.

She understood the original body’s constitution better than anyone and knew she would not die that easily. If she ate these pastries, nothing serious would happen to her, and she could also win Zu Mianmian’s sympathy. Invisibly, she would solve—conquer—one threat. Why not?

Thinking this, she chuckled. And this bitter-meat trick could kill two birds with one stone. If she acted a little in front of Pei Yuqing later, maybe she could even get a kiss or hug or something.

Xu Zishe pinched her nose, her face ashen. It was unknown whether she had been smoked by the smell or angered by Qiu Qi.

“Fine. In any case, I’ve already done all I can. If you don’t fear death, try it.”

“Oh, I’ll try it then.”

When Qiu Qi came out after finishing this round, Xu Zishe had long since disappeared. Weakly, she supported herself against the wall and dragged her two trembling legs back onto the bed.

Pei Yuqing had gone out during the day, saying she was going to some Xuanning Academy… That was the academy human spiritual practitioners attended. When the headmaster learned that the Mystic Ice Rings on Pei Yuqing had been removed and her spiritual power had recovered, he impatiently sent an invitation letter wanting her to go teach water spiritual arts. According to Yan Wan, the salary was not small either.

“Sigh, when is she coming back?”

Qiu Qi turned over and pressed her stomach beneath herself. At this moment, her resentful expression made her look exactly like a little wife waiting for her husband to return late.

After a while, Qiu Qi, who had not gotten Pei Yuqing, instead waited until Yan Wan came knocking. She lay there especially weakly and answered, telling the other woman to open the door herself.

“My lord, this is ginger tea. Drink some.”

Yan Wan held a tray with both hands.

“Put it there.”

Qiu Qi had no interest in the ginger tea at all.

“Where is my madam? When will she come back?”

Yan Wan lowered her head and answered,

“Madam Pei has already returned.”

“Mm?”

Qiu Qi sat up.

“She’s back, so why hasn’t she come to see me? Did you not tell her I’m sick?”

“I did. This ginger tea was cooked by Madam herself, and she instructed me to bring it to you.”

Yan Wan answered,

“Madam said you likely kicked off your blanket last night and caught a chill. Drinking some ginger tea to warm your body will make you feel much better.”

A smile instantly appeared on Qiu Qi’s face.

“Really? Then hurry and call her to see me. I’m already much better now. I just want to see her.”

“Madam said she will come in a while. My lord, would you like to have dinner first?”

“Oh…”

Hearing that Pei Yuqing was not coming, Qiu Qi became like a deflated balloon again.

“Then I’ll still wait until Madam comes before eating. Steward Yan, thank you for making this trip. Bye-bye.”

When Yan Wan withdrew, she raised her eyes and looked at Qiu Qi, who was still lying on the bed and completely indifferent to the ginger tea. She said nothing and silently left.

Two incense sticks earlier.

Pei Yuqing, who had just returned, was grabbed by the sleeve by Zu Mianmian. The other girl was frantic but could not say a complete, logical sentence.

“Mianmian, organize your words first before speaking. Get straight to the point.”

“Aiya! It’s that great demon. She ate the pastries I poisoned, and now she’s about to die!”

Zu Mianmian stomped her foot, hating her own clumsy mouth.

The strength in Pei Yuqing’s hand gripping hers instantly increased.

“What did you say?”

“It’s that I originally wanted to teach her a lesson, but later I regretted it. So I wanted to find Xu Zishe to return the medicine money, and then…”

Zu Mianmian could not raise her head under Pei Yuqing’s gaze.

“In the end, the moment she saw those pastries, she got greedy and wanted to eat them, and she even ate the whole plate at once.”

“Where is she?” Pei Yuqing quickly asked.

“In the latrine.”

“I mean Xu Zishe.”

“Oh, oh, oh. Where else could she be? Nesting in that little vegetable garden of hers.”

Zu Mianmian curled her lips.

Pei Yuqing released her hand, her gaze chilly.

“I will go find her.”

Zu Mianmian followed her in small running steps.

“Then I, then can I do anything? I really didn’t do it on purpose. I wasn’t even planning to poison her anymore. Who knew she would deliver herself right up… Sister Pei, Sister Pei, don’t ignore me.”

“Three months of monthly pay will be deducted. Then go back to your own room and stay there quietly. Not causing me trouble is your greatest contribution.”

After Pei Yuqing finished speaking, she did not look back. She directly flew into the air and threw Zu Mianmian behind her.