Chapter 183: Meeting the Future Xu Again

Zhao Yicheng lifted his head.

On the seat, Xu Yinsheng sat with reddened eyes, head lowered, her long hair cascading down to her chest, revealing a slender, fair neck as white as snow.

He stared at her, a bit entranced, his hand unconsciously clenching tight.

“Sorry, I scared you just now.”

Zhao Yicheng raised his hand, wanting to gently stroke the girl’s delicate head, but the silver thread on his index finger made him stop mid-movement.

In the end, he could only give up, withdrawing his hand and speaking softly:

“Actually… broccoli and bitter melon are good for your health. I just wanted you to eat a bit more.”

As soon as he said this, Zhao Yicheng wanted to slap himself.

Could anyone really say something like that? No one would believe it.

Mental illness is like this, acting crazy feels good for a moment, but afterwards… sigh, you’re left to clean up the mess.

You can’t just give up completely—doing so would only widen the gap between him and Xu Yinsheng.

The girl on the seat hugged her knees with both hands, curling up like a little shrimp, her head buried in her legs.

A long while passed before Xu Yinsheng’s muffled voice sounded: “Next time, can you put in more meat?”

Zhao Yicheng was stunned, then quickly nodded.

“Of course. Whatever filling you want.”

Xu Yinsheng actually believed him?

A bit surprising.

Right, he was a mental patient.

Oh, then that’s fine.

After all, he was a mental patient—no matter how strange he acted, it wouldn’t seem odd to the person involved.

It took Xu Yinsheng a while to catch her breath.

She looked up, eyes still glistening with tears.

Zhao Yicheng felt a pang of guilt seeing her like that, but for reassurance’s sake, he continued:

“Next, let’s talk this over properly, all right?”

“To be honest, I hope you won’t lie to me, okay?”

Zhao Yicheng tried to comfort her with the brightest, sunniest smile he could muster.

But in Xu Yinsheng’s eyes, the man before her, with his gentle yet insincere smile, seemed to be threatening her.

The oiled leather belt in his hand was a silent warning of the cost of lies.

When Zhao Yicheng asked about her purpose here, Xu Yinsheng answered that she was worried this schemer would hurt Jiang Shilai.

Zhao Yicheng raised an eyebrow.

When he asked when she found out, Xu Yinsheng sniffled and replied that she discovered it from a private detective at the company.

The corner of Zhao Yicheng’s lips curled up.

When he asked why she didn’t take the chance to confess to Jiang Shimo and run, Xu Yinsheng clutched her head and answered honestly: she was scared and lacked confidence, so she didn’t dare to escape.

A forced smile squeezed from Zhao Yicheng’s gloomy face.

After a round of honest, heartfelt questions, Xu Yinsheng sat hugging her knees on the chair, head buried, saying nothing.

A large hand gently ruffled the top of the girl’s head.

Neither spoke, communicating in this quiet, wordless way.

After yesterday’s incident, Xu Yinsheng was given a two-day “vacation”—though it was really just being locked in a villa by a certain man.

Although Zhao Yicheng said he wasn’t angry, his actions made it clear he didn’t trust Xu Yinsheng.

He even typed a Core Directive into the control panel: Without permission, you may not step out of / leak any personal information outside the villa.

With nothing to do, Xu Yinsheng went online and bought an Altar Set, delivered by the trendiest drone service.

As for the money?

Zhao Yicheng’s secondary card was right in her hand.

If Xu Yinsheng liked branded handbags and lipsticks, she could easily spend several million a day.

***

Friday, living room.

“Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, Tai Shang Lao Jun, please show your power.”

“Merciful and compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva…”

“Praise the Sun God…”

“Feathered Serpent Ancestor, keep me safe.”

“Mazu, please protect me…”

“In the beginning, heaven and earth were chaos…”

“Holy fire burns bright, holy fire meow meow…”

“The World was created by the Flying Ramen God…”

Xu Yinsheng knelt on a cushion, looking extremely devout.

On the altar table before her sat a small Incense Burner, with several Candles burning inside.

In the breeze, their flames danced, sending faint blue smoke swirling through the air.

Once, Xu Yinsheng had been a steadfast Materialism devotee, believing that “the World is made of matter, matter composes the World.”

Until… a certain casual comment online led to being gender-swapped by a Vine God.

Now, Xu Yinsheng had become a staunch God-ism believer.

How devout?

She worshipped every god she could, perfectly practicing the essence of “casting a wide net.”

As the saying goes, use magic to fight magic.

Likewise, only gods can fight other gods.

Xu Yinsheng pressed her palms together, praying with deep sincerity.

“Great gods, can you lift the curse on me? If you can, I promise to build golden statues and temples for you, with incense and offerings every year.”

“If not, can you at least let me transform into a stronger character next time? I won’t ask for Superman, Wonder Woman, or a battleship girl—just a martial arts grandmaster, is that okay?”

“If you still can’t, can you shave some of Zhao Yicheng’s lifespan? If that’s not possible, then as a last resort, make him completely insane so the Mental Hospital locks him away for decades.”

Xu Yinsheng rattled off her prayer in one long breath, a little nervous inside.

This was practically cursing someone behind their back—back in the Han dynasty, her whole clan would be wiped out for this.

Suddenly, a low and pleasant chuckle echoed by her ear: “So, what price are you willing to pay?”

Why did that voice sound so familiar?

A sudden thought flashed through her mind, but Xu Yinsheng didn’t have time to ponder it. She pressed her palms together and closed her eyes devoutly.

“Great god, I’ll pay any price—just don’t let me die, that’s all I ask.”

“Then—”

The voice paused, the god stifling laughter as they continued: “Let your * become a thousand times bigger.”

“Huh?”

Xu Yinsheng’s eyes flew open, locking with a pair of beautiful amethyst eyes.

The owner of those amethyst eyes let out a few awkward laughs, blinking her large, sparkling eyes.

“Surprised? Didn’t expect this, did you?”

“Why is it you?!”

Xu Yinsheng’s face instantly darkened.

The woman before her was none other than her future self—the “big” Xu Yinsheng.

Only now, she sat astride a mysterious Magic Broom, dressed in bizarre clothes with a pointy hat, her deep purple eyes glinting with mischief, her delicate face cold yet capriciously whimsical.

“Why wouldn’t it be me?”

The future Xu Yinsheng—now also called Witch Xu Yinsheng—wore a wicked smile.

“I can take you to the future, so of course I can come to the past. Well? Isn’t my latest form cool?”

She raised her long, curled lashes, and the mischief in her eyes was replaced with a radiant pride.

Xu Yinsheng’s face turned even darker.

She pointed to the living room door, unceremoniously ordering the purple-eyed witch before her: “You—get out!”

“Don’t be so hasty. As they say, isn’t it a joy to have friends visit from afar?”

Witch Xu Yinsheng grinned and, acting like she owned the place, hopped off her Magic Broom and plopped down on the sofa, crossing her slim, fair legs in utter laziness.

“So, how’s life treating you? Plenty to eat and drink, and a sex life too—isn’t it a hundred times better than before?”

It would have been fine if she hadn’t brought that up, but as soon as she did, a vein pulsed on Xu Yinsheng’s forehead and her anger surged!

Damn it, you have the nerve to mention that!

It hadn’t been long since her whirlwind “future tour” ended, and she’d already had a falling out with Zhao Yicheng.

Then… that lunatic Zhao Yicheng went off the deep end, locked her in a cat cage, and even set fire to the villa.

And you call this life “wonderful”?!