Qin Jiujiu narrowly escaped death for the time being. On the night she was supposed to be strangled by the second male lead in the original book, she chose to cling to the female lead.
Although Qin Jiujiu had deliberately targeted Bai Qianluo, both openly and secretly, out of jealousy in the past, as long as she had enough thick skin, none of that would matter.
She believed in the importance of latching onto powerful figures and felt she displayed great magnanimity. Naturally, she paid no mind to the awkward situation when she asked to sleep with the female lead.
Despite the awkwardness, seeing Qin Jiujiu’s pitiable state, as if she were truly afraid of the fox spirit returning, the magnanimous female lead in the novel eventually agreed. Thus, Qin Jiujiu, with her thick skin, clutching a pillow and wrapped in a thin blanket, entered the female lead’s room. Qin Jiujiu instantly felt safe by the female lead’s side and slept exceptionally well that night, solidifying her resolve to cling to the female lead’s leg from then on.
In Qin Jiujiu’s heart, the generous and righteous female lead was a living talisman. The female lead’s image in the novel became even more vivid in her mind. Qin Jiujiu was determined to hold onto the female lead’s leg. With the female lead's protection, she, at least, wouldn't die so soon, right?
The next day, the Qin mansion appeared calm on the surface, but only the main characters and a few of the Qin family's elders knew the extent of the hidden dangers beneath this tranquility. Although the fox spirit was severely injured, it needed to absorb a large amount of human essence in a short period to recover its strength. Moreover, foxes were adept at disguise. Once it possessed a human body, ordinary people would be unable to detect any flaws, which became its advantage in harming others.
Qin Jiujiu secretly surmised that the fox spirit was undoubtedly still hidden within the Qin mansion, and she had no idea who it had possessed.
According to the original plot, the fox spirit was at its last gasp after inhabiting Azi's body and needed to find the next suitable body to possess. Although this fox spirit possessed great power, it was inherently ugly. However, it had a particular fondness for the beauty of young women, thus it constantly sought out bodies that were as beautiful as flowers and compatible with its soul. Ordinary human bodies could only endure for three years before their essence was depleted and their beauty faded.
This was why it continuously searched for the next suitable body.
This time, it had set its sights on the female lead, Bai Qianluo's body. But precisely because it was Bai Qianluo, it would never succeed, and would ultimately be eliminated along with Qin Yunwan by the second male lead. The power of the plot was quite formidable. Therefore, Qin Jiujiu guessed that even though she had now alerted them and was severely injured, with no real advantage against the main characters, she would not give up on the female lead easily.
The next day, when Qin Jiujiu woke up in Bai Qianluo’s room, she found that the female lead was already gone. It was normal for the protagonist to be busier than herself. So, Qin Jiujiu, a food enthusiast, slept until she woke up naturally before returning to her own room to wash up and eat.
She had been worried about her own safety in the female lead's absence, as she constantly remembered a certain perverse villain coveting her neck. She didn't know if it was her own fear, but she always felt a chill on her neck.
However, Qin Jiujiu soon dismissed her doubts because she learned about the main characters' whereabouts for the day en route.
Before dawn that morning, several bodies were discovered in the wilderness south of the city. Upon investigation, the main characters discovered that the bodies exhibited symptoms consistent with human essence being absorbed by a fox spirit. Thus, they rushed to the scene without delay.
On one hand, Qin Jiujiu felt something was amiss. According to her speculation, the fox spirit should have remained in the Qin mansion, waiting for an opportunity to seize the female lead’s body. Why had it gone to the south of the city? Qin Jiujiu exclaimed that something was wrong, but her system was nowhere to be found, no matter how she called out. This was a willful system that only appeared when it wanted to. Qin Jiujiu had even given it a name: "Stubborn System!"
Qin Jiujiu felt she should clarify the matter with Xie Yun and Bai Qianluo. However, she was quickly reminded of her own hungry stomach and instantly put aside her thoughts. For now, enjoying food was paramount.
Qin Jiujiu ordered her personal maid, A'ruan, to prepare a breakfast spread and savored it leisurely in her room. After all, with the main characters gone, she was not at risk of being strangled by the second male lead, nor were there any plot developments. She should enjoy her life comfortably now. After all, such times were likely few, and she didn't know when she might have her throat slit. She should seize the moment.
But soon, her comfort was shattered by a maid from her elder brother's room.
"Miss, the eldest young madam has woken up. The eldest young master is calling for you."
Qin Jiujiu touched her already full stomach and looked at the maid from Qin Mosheng, the eldest young master's room, with annoyance. Just as she was about to lie down, the plot struck again. Qin Jiujiu mused that when she read the book, there weren't so many details. The novel revolved around the protagonists, but in their absence, the minor characters were still living their lives. It was then that Qin Jiujiu truly felt the reality of this world.
But she was too full to move. Just as she was about to refuse, she detected a hint of coldness in the maid's eyes. However, when she looked again, the feeling vanished.
It must have been an illusion. Yes, an illusion. She must have eaten too much.
"Miss, the eldest young master is in a hurry. The master is not in the mansion. Please go quickly!"
Qin Jiujiu thought that at such a time, shouldn't they be looking for a doctor? Why were they looking for her? However, this was also an opportunity to see her sister-in-law, Azi. So, Qin Jiujiu mustered her spirits and followed the maid to the eldest young master's room.
As they walked, Qin Jiujiu began to feel dizzy. Had she really eaten too much? Eating too much made one drowsy, but this symptom seemed too severe.
The previous second, Qin Jiujiu was innocently wondering about the cause of her drowsiness. The next second, the maid stopped. Qin Jiujiu found that not only had her body lost its strength, but her vision was also gradually blurring. In her daze, the figure stopped in front of her gradually magnified in her eyes. She was approaching her.
"Miss… Miss…" Qin Jiujiu heard the maid calling her intermittently, but she had completely lost her strength and only wanted to fall to the ground. The maid then made a move to support her. Qin Jiujiu felt her body lean against something. She painstakingly tried to look at the person supporting her, as she had sensed something was wrong. In her daze, she seemed to see a strange smile appearing on the maid's lips.
Qin Jiujiu knew something was wrong and sighed, thinking she was doomed, before completely losing consciousness and fainting.
After fainting, her soul floated in mid-air. Because the original body was unconscious, her soul was freed.
Qin Jiujiu followed the maid and the original body into a secluded courtyard. It was a dusty house that looked like it hadn't been lived in for a long time, likely an abandoned courtyard in the Qin mansion. The maid supported Qin Jiujiu directly into a room in the courtyard. Qin Jiujiu, now a soul, was quickly drawn in by a force. It seemed she couldn't be too far from this body.
After the maid placed Qin Jiujiu on the bed in the room, she reached out and touched Qin Jiujiu's face, appearing quite satisfied. Normally, Qin Yunwan dressed too gaudily, wearing makeup that was unsuitable and clothes that were too flamboyant, which concealed seven-tenths of her naturally pretty face. But today, due to Qin Jiujiu's transmigration from the 21st century, she had changed her usual demeanor. Her unadorned face was fair and radiant, with delicate features. She could be considered a very charming beauty, no less attractive than the female lead, Bai Qianluo. The difference was that one was a cold beauty and the other a vivacious young woman.
The lone soul, Qin Jiujiu, silently watched this woman with peculiar behavior dote on touching her face. Influenced by BL culture, Qin Jiujiu now had some indescribable thoughts. However, this novel was pure romance. At least, she hadn't noticed any such preferences from the author when she read it.
But the dramatic Qin Jiujiu then considered that perhaps her transmigration had caused some character attributes in this book to change. After all, this maid's part was not present in the original book.
Right, this maid didn't appear in the book. Qin Jiujiu quickly thought of something, and soon the maid confirmed her suspicion.