CHAPTER 1
No one willingly becomes bait unless forced by circumstances. And the current Shengqing dynasty faces just such a dilemma.
"That thing is so weird, I dreamed about it again last night." Qin Feiyu, who was sitting opposite Sheng Qing, started complaining after eating only a few bites of food.
Sheng Qing shuddered involuntarily as he recalled the scene, exchanged a glance with Qin Feiyan, and nodded in agreement.
"Good heavens, more than a dozen, who can keep an eye on all of them?" Qin Feiyu exclaimed dramatically, even putting down his chopsticks and gesturing with his hands.
"I'm not a monster, how could I have so many eyes..." Qin Feiyu's complaints suddenly subsided, sounding like a knee hitting a table leg.
Sheng Qing looked up and saw that he looked as if he was facing a formidable enemy, so he lowered his head and started eating.
Huh? Why is Qin Feiyan also engrossed in eating?
Just as I was wondering, a voice came from behind me.
"Is this seat empty?" A meal was then gently placed on the empty seat to Sheng Qing's left. The person who came was Meng Yunxi.
"Captain!" The Qin siblings looked up and greeted him, then turned their attention back to the food in front of them.
I've only ever heard of the saying "there are houses of gold in books," but judging from how focused the two of them are, could there be some in this food as well?
Sheng Qing inwardly scoffed, then turned to Meng Yunxi beside him and asked, "Is there something you need?" It had been several days since they last met outside the secret realm.
"Something came up." Meng Yunxi glanced at the person opposite her and didn't continue.
"We've finished eating, you two can continue your conversation." The Qin siblings stood up to say goodbye in unison, and Qin Feiyu, who always loved to show off, also left without hesitation.
Looking at the food that the two of them had barely touched, Sheng Qing silently thought to himself, "The 'Clean Plate Campaign' probably hasn't even started here yet."
Sheng Qing quickly ate a few more bites before putting down her chopsticks and asking, "What's wrong?"
"Let's eat first." Meng Yunxi was no longer in a hurry and slowly picked up her chopsticks.
"..." Sheng Qing frowned slightly, and just as he looked up, he saw the Qin siblings disappearing into the cafeteria entrance as if fleeing.
What is it that is so important that you have to send them away before you can tell them?
"You'll thank me for sending them away early," Meng Yunxi said calmly, seemingly noticing Sheng Qing's confusion.
Sheng Qing didn't buy it and opened his mouth to refute it.
"Is this how you treat your savior?" Meng Yunxi put down her chopsticks and looked at Sheng Qing's slightly embarrassed face. "And why should I keep your secret?"
"My benefactor, please eat first. We can talk after we finish eating, okay?" As if she had been touched on a sore spot, Sheng Qing forced a smile in frustration.
Meng Yunxi seemed quite satisfied and refocused her attention on the food, strictly adhering to the principle of not speaking while eating.
While Meng Yunxi was eating, Sheng Qing tried to mentally reconstruct the entire incident.
First of all, it's true that he saved my life, but do I really have to go to his door to give him gifts to express my gratitude? Let alone the fact that this was originally a mutual assistance.
Secondly, as for the so-called keeping secrets, what's the point? It's true that I sometimes emit a strange fragrance, but so far it only works on monsters. What does it mean if Meng Yunxi smells it?
I was clearly the one keeping his secret and bearing the burden for him. And he, instead of being grateful, actually wanted something in return?
Thinking of this, Sheng Qing's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and a smile even appeared on the corner of her mouth.
"I heard Ning Xianyu threw you into the freshman training camp." Meng Yunxi had finished eating and was getting ready to leave. "You seem quite content being with a bunch of teenagers?"
Sheng Qing recalled Ning Xianyu, the woman he had only met a few days ago. She seemed weak and helpless, claimed to be his aunt, but was actually the captain of the Thirteenth Team of the Extraordinary Investigation Team under Queen Victoria.
"You know I still need to improve my use of elemental power. Diligence can make up for lack of talent, so it's never a bad thing to learn more," Sheng Qing said casually, but in his heart he was thinking that he had learned enough and it was time to find something serious to do.
Or try asking this aunt if she has any connections. If all else fails, you can only try your luck at the agency hall.
"So, you're very dissatisfied with my teaching?" After a long silence, Meng Yunxi stopped and raised an eyebrow in displeasure.
However, Sheng Qing, whose thoughts had already wandered, had no time to pay attention to anything else, and was engrossed in the scene of his first meeting with Ning Xianyu.
Sheng Qing, who had just been dug out from under the rubble at the exit of the secret realm, was lying on a simple wooden bed.
He looked at the woman in front of him, who claimed to be his aunt, with a rather helpless expression. She was a charming woman who was now crying her eyes out, looking pitiful.
So is she an aunt or an older sister?
Sheng Qing, afraid of being exposed, didn't dare to ask where this title came from.
The woman's every move, even her expression, bore a striking resemblance to a certain two-character female celebrity who was known for having "princess syndrome" before she transmigrated.
It's even more than that, but in a positive sense, that "more" is a compliment.
So that's probably why men and women cast concerned and curious glances at me from time to time.
Some of the bolder ones would come over openly, introduce themselves, and ask if they could help.
First, they would casually inquire about the state of the Qing Dynasty, and then inevitably display their personal charm in terms of economics and energy.
Of course, in the end, they will inevitably pretend to casually mention that they are currently single.
The woman was moved but refused, thanking them one by one.
Elegant, so incredibly elegant.
Sheng Qing didn't remember anything else, only the praise everyone gave to the woman's name.
Ning Xianyu? What a wonderful name! The person lives up to the name, making a striking and refreshing impression. And so on.
Sheng Qing was so tired of hearing this that his ears were practically calloused.
"Sheng Qing? Or should I call you by your new name, Ning Ruyin?" Meng Yunxi asked expressionlessly, a cold glint in her eyes.
"What?" Sheng Qing came to her senses and realized that she had actually followed Meng Yunxi for quite a distance.
I've been feeling really dazed lately; it must be because Bubu has been resting her head on her heart again in the middle of the night.
That dog has no sense of proportion; I'll have to give it a good talking to when I get home tonight.
"What's wrong with you? How can you get distracted while we're talking?" Meng Yunxi asked, her expression displeased. "It seems you don't care whether your secret will be made public."
“I’m keeping it under control. As long as you don’t say anything, no one will know.” With that, Sheng Qing looked around, realizing they had somehow found themselves in a secluded spot. There was no one in sight; it was safe.
"Then what benefits would I get?" Meng Yunxi asked matter-of-factly.
"I will keep your secret." Sheng Qing said confidently.
"Oh, tell me about it?" Meng Yunxi asked, looking quite relaxed.
"You can smell that strange fragrance that only monsters can smell, so you must have something wrong with you too. But I will never mention it to anyone." As she spoke, Sheng Qing quietly pulled away from the two of them, then made a sewing motion with her hand near her mouth.
Seeing this, Meng Yunxi also took a step forward and stood closer to Sheng Qing.
"What do you want?" Sheng Qing glanced around warily; there was no one there. This wasn't good! Her tone softened instantly. "You...you're not thinking of killing me to silence me, are you?"
Meng Yunxi twitched her nose slightly and said coldly, "I didn't smell anything. Do you think others will believe you or me?"
"Of course, I've got it under control." Sheng Qing couldn't help but feel a little proud; this was a method she had figured out during a crisis.
"No, I think I can smell that strange fragrance again." As she spoke, Meng Yunxi's body moved uncontrollably closer to Sheng Qing.
"Impossible!" Sheng Qing retorted, taking a step back. But that method had only worked once; would it really? So she pressed on uncertainly, "Really?"
“I have a solution that will satisfy both your personal safety and your abilities,” Meng Yunxi said, avoiding the question and instead bringing up another topic.
So he needed my help, and he deliberately made it sound so intimidating. How come I never noticed this cunning side of him before?
"By the way, what were you doing for the past two years? There's no record of it in your file." Meng Yunxi's expression returned to normal, her tone flat. "Your teachers all spoke highly of you, so how come you couldn't even perform a spell to summon an earth elemental?"
What is this all about, that you even need to access your own file?
Sheng Qing knew his face must look extremely ugly, but he couldn't tell the other person that he had transmigrated and didn't have the memories of this body. He even had a hard time figuring out how to summon the power of fire and water elements.
"Is this how the captain of the Zero Team bullies people?" Sheng Qing didn't intend to answer directly, and besides, she couldn't really explain it anyway.
"No, I just looked at the information of a few more candidates when recruiting new members. And your name just happened to be on the backup list." Meng Yunxi keenly noticed Sheng Qing's abnormality, but seemed unwilling to let her off the hook.
“Of course, I’m referring to the name Ning Ruyin.” Meng Yunxi emphasized her words.
"I personally quite like your name, Sheng Qing. However, I did a quick search, and unsurprisingly, there were no matching results. Can you tell me why?"
"Or would you prefer me to go directly to your aunt, Ning Xianyu, and ask her?" Meng Yunxi said, then pointed to a building not far away. "My office is over there. I'll be there for the next couple of days. Come and talk to me when you've thought it through."
It wasn't until Meng Yunxi's departing figure disappeared from sight that Sheng Qing realized that the change in his attitude towards her had already been hinted at the moment he heard someone call her Ning Ruyin.
What exactly did he misunderstand?
Forget it, there's no point in thinking about it anymore. I still have two days to make a decision.
Sheng Qingzhao arrived at the recruit training camp and completed the day's tasks step by step.
As soon as he got home, Bubu appeared silently, snuggled up to Sheng Qing's legs, and stretched.
Seeing that it hadn't attracted its owner's attention, Bubu meowed, strongly expressing its dissatisfaction.
"Bubu, be good. Let your sister wash her hands first. There are too many germs outside, and we can't let them get on you." Sheng Qing explained patiently, completely forgetting her plan to give it a good scolding during the day.
Sheng Qing, half-reclining on the sofa, skillfully stroked the cat named Bubu with one hand while eating some snacks she had casually bought on the way back with the other.
He looked quite relaxed, but he was actually very troubled, thinking about how to negotiate with Meng Yunxi.
Sigh, there's absolutely no chance of winning.
Fortunately, Bubu was there to keep me company, which was some consolation.
Bubu was someone Sheng Qing met at the exit of the secret realm. She was pure white with a pair of dark green eyes that seemed to possess a captivating charm.
At first, Sheng Qing didn't want to take it in, but this cat was extremely intelligent and always managed to find its way back after being abandoned.
Meeting is fate, and Sheng Qing decided to keep it as a companion.
I originally wanted to name it Xiaobai, but it seemed quite dissatisfied, protesting with meows.
"In that case, let's call it Black." Sheng Qing said on a whim, but then realized that this world probably didn't have such a language, so he picked out a name that combined the first syllables.
"Bubu~"
Meow~
Both the person and the cat are very satisfied.
After washing up, Sheng Qing lay on the soft bed, her mind filled with complicated thoughts. How exactly did she offend Meng Yunxi?
Or perhaps he has a dual personality, one that appears aloof and indifferent, and the other that is cunning and treacherous.
When they first met, he was quite polite to her. Although it wasn't exactly a good relationship, at least they treated each other with respect.
The phrase "treat each other with the respect due to a guest" is usually used to describe a couple who treat each other with the same respect as if they were guests.
This obviously cannot be used to describe the relationship between Sheng Qing and Meng Yunxi, but Sheng Qing felt that he had not used the wrong word.
In fact, this word perfectly describes the situation when the two first met.
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