Chapter 27: Why Does She Look So Disheveled?

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At first, she had not been mentally prepared. Later, she had been so busy making money that she forgot all about it.

It seemed it was time to see what the original owner had looked like.

As Qian Qi was thinking this, the middle-aged woman on the other end of the call fell silent for a moment before asking hoarsely, “Qiqi, how have things been in your department lately? Has anyone... died?”

Qian Qi froze. Thinking the woman was simply concerned about her, she replied, “No. The Magical Plants Department has been very safe lately.”

“I see...” the middle-aged woman murmured softly. “That’s good, that’s good. Then... has anyone died there before?”

Qian Qi raised an eyebrow, sensing that something was off.

If the woman was merely asking after her well-being, there was no need to ask whether anyone had died in the past, was there?

After all, the answer was obvious.

She tapped her index finger silently against the tabletop and asked, “There have been some cases. Why?”

“Ah, it’s just...” The middle-aged woman hesitated. “Do you know anything about the person’s family situation? For example, whether they wanted to adopt a child or something.”

A faint pain pricked Qian Qi’s temple. She felt as though some memory had flashed past, yet she could not recall anything.

Her fingers flew across her photobrain as she searched. After a while, she asked, “Why are you asking? I’ve never heard of an orphanage taking the initiative to contact someone and ask whether they want to adopt.”

The middle-aged woman stammered wordlessly. Qian Qi had no idea what tone the original owner had used when speaking with her in the past, but seeing the woman’s gentle, timid appearance, she decided to take a tougher approach.

“If something’s wrong, just say it. Aren’t you my family? What is there to be afraid of?”

Somehow, those words struck a nerve. The middle-aged woman choked back two sobs before hesitantly saying, “Qiqi, the land-use rights for our orphanage are about to expire. Renewing them will cost five hundred thousand. They said that if we can’t come up with the money, we’ll have to send the children away.”

“So I was thinking that, before the orphanage is disbanded, we should find the children somewhere to go. If even one of them can be adopted, that’s one less child left without a home.”

Qian Qi slapped a hand against her forehead.

Now she understood why the system had told her to take it easy just moments ago.

So she had only just earned five hundred thousand, and now she had to hand it all over again?

Qian Qi flipped through her class schedule and magical-plant cultivation records before finally making up her mind. “I’ll come back tomorrow.”

Since the original owner had grown up in the orphanage, she ought to shoulder some responsibility. She would go back first to see what the Bright Orphanage was really like, then decide what to do.

“Good. You can come back whenever you want. As for the adoption matter...”

“...I’ll come back first. We can discuss that tomorrow.”

She ended the call and could not help rubbing her temples.

【Still happy? ✧(≖◡≖✿】

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Qian Qi: ...

Qian Qi gnawed furiously at the system panel.

The system panel, now covered in saliva: 【...@#￥% Beep—@#￥*】

Qian Qi’s mood instantly improved. She stood up, intending to take a look at her own face. Leaning toward the mirror on Chen Miaomiao’s desk, she carefully examined her new appearance.

Hmm... how should she put it?

Qian Qi stroked her chin. It definitely was not her own face, but if she had to describe it in the language of the Central Continent, she would find it difficult to put into words.

It was not exactly ugly. It was just...

Qian Qi smiled, then immediately frightened herself.

“Damn!” She nearly jumped. “Is my smile really that terrifying?”

【You finally figured it out! ✿✿ヽ(°▽°)ノ✿】

The system responded with a cheerful flower-scattering expression, nearly choking Qian Qi with rage. She worked hard to contort her features in front of the mirror, hoping to produce a gentle, tender expression, but after ten minutes, she was exhausted to the point of facial paralysis.

“This face is so strange.” Qian Qi felt utterly drained. “It isn’t ugly, so why does it look so terrifying whenever I make an expression?”

Her individual features were not particularly exaggerated, but the moment she made a facial expression, everything became a chaotic mess.

Only when she remained expressionless did she look ordinary, with merely a hint of cold-blooded indifference.

Still...

Her smile really was quite well suited to the persona of a scoundrel and a shameless rogue.

Having quickly grown accustomed to her new appearance, Qian Qi once again began admiring herself in the mirror with great satisfaction.

【...You really are a pervert...】

Just then, Chen Miaomiao returned from outside the dormitory. Seeing Qian Qi making faces at herself in the mirror, she was rendered speechless.

But then she thought of something, and the smile on her face instantly became radiant. She shot Qian Qi a triumphant look, then burrowed into her bed, activated her photobrain, and began humming happily.

“Why is she so happy?” Qian Qi glanced suspiciously at Chen Miaomiao on the bed.

It was not that she disliked seeing her smile. On the contrary, she rather treasured Chen Miaomiao’s foolish, silly smile now.

After all, who knew whether one day Chen Miaomiao might never be able to smile again?

...

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The Bright Orphanage was located on the outskirts of Yancheng. Qian Qi had looked it up in advance, and the subway ride would take two and a half hours.

The moment she left the school gates, Qian Qi was stunned by the technological sophistication of this world.

The dungeons and magical plants had made her feel as if she were living inside a fantasy game. But the swiftly moving hovercars before her, the roller-coaster-like aerial tracks, and the countless luminous advertisements finally made her truly realize that she had crossed into a new “future world.”

She lifted her head and gazed at the dazzling hovercars overhead, a trace of envy flashing through her eyes. “System! I’m going to buy one someday too!”

【One costs three hundred and seventy-eight million.】

Qian Qi: ...

“Walking is healthier.” Qian Qi decisively turned around and headed toward the subway.

There were plenty of poor people in this world, and plenty of wealthy people as well.

The appearance of dungeons and monsters had created many new professions. It had also allowed quite a few ordinary people with courage and foresight to seize opportunities and amass enormous fortunes amid risk and challenge.

But such people could only be called wealthy.

Those truly known as tycoons were the business families whose bloodlines had passed down Class A Awakeners from generation to generation. And those regarded as both rich and powerful, the true elite at the top of society, were the generation of Awakeners who, from the day the dungeon disaster appeared, had fought their way through countless bloody battles to carve out a place for humanity to survive and had ultimately built the new world with their own hands.

Only the inheritors who carried on their bloodlines and their will possessed the qualifications to control the future direction of this world.

It was a height ordinary people could never hope to reach.

And the insignificant Qian Qi was currently crouched in front of a subway payment machine, scratching her head and fiddling with it until she finally managed to board the train.

After two and a half hours on the subway, Qian Qi stood before the Bright Orphanage.

The orphanage occupied a fairly large area, and its exterior looked exactly like the orphanage where she had lived in her previous life. A sense of familiarity immediately rose in her heart. Tightening her grip on the bag of fruit in her hand, she took a deep breath and walked inside.

The grounds were kept very clean. Rows of racks stood on either side of the spacious front courtyard, displaying clean, warm quilts and children’s clothing. Several older children were washing clothes.

The water was still cold in spring, and their small hands were frozen red, yet not a trace of reluctance appeared on their childish faces.

Qian Qi had no memories of this orphanage and did not know how to find the director’s office, so she gave a light cough, attempting to draw the children’s attention.

The children washing clothes immediately looked up at the sound.

In the next second, Qian Qi witnessed something truly astonishing: twenty different expressions changing within fifteen seconds.

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