Chapter Sixteen: I, Zhang Feng, Would Rather Die Than Beg Qian Qi—Hmm, It Smells So Good

Today, Xiao Liu was especially happy.

His nearly dead magical plant had finally revived!

Not only that, the plant looked vigorous, its swinging leaves able to toss him more than two meters into the air. Although he landed hard on his two bruised buttocks, Xiao Liu was thrilled.

“Hey! Liu Dabao, you actually managed to grow your Burning Cloud Grass successfully?” a classmate named Xiao Zhang exclaimed in surprise as he passed by. “Didn't you say it was dying?”

“Heh, I brought it back to life again,” Liu Dabao said cheerfully. “I borrowed some magical beast manure from the Beast Control Department, trimmed the stem and leaves, soaked them in hydrogen peroxide for two hours, and surprisingly, it really worked.”

“Magical beast manure? Seriously? How did you even think of that?” Xiao Zhang was amazed. At most, they’d use chicken or duck droppings, and maybe make their own fertilizer if they couldn’t afford any, but magical beast manure? That was unheard of!

“Well…” Liu Dabao glanced around, then leaned close to Xiao Zhang’s ear and whispered, “Actually, Qian Qi taught me.”

“What?!” Xiao Zhang was even more stunned. “Are you crazy? That lunatic? And you actually dared to try her method?”

“I had no other choice,” Liu Dabao scratched his head. He couldn’t think of any other way, so he reluctantly tried what Qian Qi suggested.

He was so embarrassed about the contract he signed with Qian Qi that he didn’t dare tell anyone.

Getting blackmailed for 45 yuan was one thing, but to trust that scatterbrained underachiever’s crazy advice? Only a complete fool would do that.

That’s probably why, despite Qian Qi signing many contracts, most classmates didn’t know about it — it was just too embarrassing to admit!

It would be laughed at for all four years of university!

“Just a lucky break,” Xiao Zhang said, refusing to believe Qian Qi had such miraculous skills. Even if he, Zhang Feng, were desperate or facing failure, he would never risk trying that lunatic’s method!

He shook his head. “Anyway, as long as it’s cured, that’s what matters. Otherwise, it’s another month wasted.”

Liu Dabao nodded in agreement.

Patting Liu Dabao on the back to comfort him, Xiao Zhang continued up the hill. Passing by somewhere, he spotted a classmate and exclaimed in surprise, “Hey, Lao Li, you revived your magical plant too?”

“Yeah,” the boy called Lao Li chuckled sheepishly. “I got some nitrogen-potassium compound fertilizer, mixed it with a few pounds of raw seaweed to nurture it for a day, then…”

Xiao Zhang’s mouth dropped open. “Wait, what? Raw seaweed? How did you think of using raw seaweed?”

Lao Li looked around cautiously, then whispered to Xiao Zhang, “Actually… Qian Qi taught me.”

---

Xiao Zhang: ???

Xiao Zhang: Why does it always have to be Qian Qi?

Puzzled, Xiao Zhang continued walking up the hill, only to run into another classmate who had told him a few days ago that his magical plant was dying. That classmate excitedly told him the plant had been saved, and…

“Qian Qi told you, right?” Xiao Zhang sighed in disbelief.

The classmate slapped his palm and gave Xiao Zhang a knowing look. “You signed a contract with her too?”

Xiao Zhang: ??? What contract?

After some questioning, Xiao Zhang finally understood what Qian Qi had done. It shook his worldview to the core. It was hard to believe someone like Qian Qi—the underachiever who loathed magical plants—could have saved so many classmates’ magical plants.

This was beyond just a lucky coincidence.

But… Qian Qi? The troublemaker underachiever? She really could…?

Xiao Zhang was utterly baffled. When he reached his experimental field, his face suddenly turned pale, and he slid on his knees in front of his magical plant.

“Old Zhang!” Xiao Zhang mourned. “Why are you bald? Why have all your leaves fallen off? What happened? The books didn’t say you’d lose leaves!”

Seeing the magical plant he’d painstakingly grown go bald at such a critical moment, Xiao Zhang frantically searched for solutions, desperately trying to save the increasingly listless Old Zhang. But no matter what he tried, it was all in vain.

What could he do?

He was so close to finishing his planting report!

Amidst his confusion, a “fateful” name suddenly echoed silently in his ears.

Xiao Zhang: “...”

Maybe…

I should ask Qian Qi?

…

…

Qian Qi was tinkering with her own plot when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

“Qian Qi, are you busy?”

She turned around to see a student standing awkwardly behind her. After a moment, she recalled this was their class monitor, Zhang Feng.

“Oh~ So it’s the honorable class monitor!” Qian Qi wiped the dirt off her hands and extended a warm smile. “Hello, hello.”

Zhang Feng was a bit thrown off by her overly familiar and polite manner. Nervously, he also shook her hand. “Uh… hello.”

Qian Qi withdrew her hand and asked curiously, “What’s up?”

“Well…” Zhang Feng cleared his throat. “My Old Zhang—uh, I mean, my magical plant—suddenly has a problem. I wanted to see if you could help…”

“Oh~ I got it, I got it~” Qian Qi suddenly looked all-knowing.

Wearing flip-flops, she turned and swaggered over to a stone, pulled out a contract from underneath, and slapped it down in front of Zhang Feng. “45 yuan. Transfer the money, and I’ll fix it right away!”

Seeing the legendary contract, Zhang Feng lowered his head, curiously reading it.

Qian Qi sat down nearby, a blade of grass dangling from her mouth, smiling as she studied Zhang Feng.

She seemed to recall Zhang Feng was the top student in their class.

Such a smart and diligent student would be perfect as a little team leader at her place!

After signing, Zhang Feng looked up to find Qian Qi staring at him with a strange expression—almost satisfied. He suddenly felt a chill on his scalp. “Qian Qi, is there a problem?”

“No problem, no problem!” Qian Qi smiled brightly, pocketed the contract, hoisted her hoe, and said, “Let’s go, lead the way!”

Following Zhang Feng to his experimental field, Qian Qi found a solitary “giant mouth” plant growing there. She studied it for a long while but couldn’t tell what kind of magical plant it was.

“What is this…?” Qian Qi asked, gesturing with her eyes.

“It’s a Carnivorous Red Grass,” Zhang Feng quickly replied.

Qian Qi’s mouth opened in shock as she glanced at the plant. “Your leaves… have fallen off a bit too baldly.”

Carnivorous Red Grass was a magical plant similar to a pitcher plant. It had a dozen large, rough red leaves emitting a faint sweet fragrance, concealing a flat giant mouth lined with teeth. Small magical beasts attracted by the scent would fall into the digestion liquid-filled trap and become the plant’s food.

Usually, if a Carnivorous Red Grass got sick, it might lose a few leaves at most. But this one had lost so many it was left with only the trapping mouth.

“Is there still hope for my Old Zhang?” Zhang Feng asked anxiously.