Xiao Qi carefully tidied up her small living space.
This government-built welfare housing was provided free of charge to every citizen—even those with the lowest social status could apply.
However, these public housing complexes were notoriously poor in quality. Each individual was allotted only ten square meters of space, equipped with a basic washroom and a single bed. Family units were slightly larger, but allocations were still based on household size.
The buildings were densely packed, cramped, and devoid of even basic greenery.
But for Xiao Qi, ten square meters was more than enough.
Back on Earth, during her toughest times, she had slept under bridges and rented tiny rooms barely big enough for a 0.9-meter-wide bed.
At least here, the place was clean and relatively safe. After all, everyone in this neighborhood was dirt-poor—hardly a target for thieves or robbers.
Bai Yushan had been exiled here with all her assets confiscated. All she had were two old sets of clothes and a newly issued low-tier terminal. The last 20 star credits in her account had been spent on a cheap loaf of bread.
The United Government provided three free nutrient packs daily to minors without guardians or those from impoverished families—enough to sustain basic bodily needs, though far from palatable.
On her very first day on Planet 4628, Bai Yushan had an allergic reaction and vomited after consuming the government-issued nutrient solution. So, she spent her last remaining credits on bread instead.
She had never considered the future, blindly believing her fiancé, Luo Meng, would rescue her from this misery.
Today was her first day as a legal adult—her 18th birthday. Overjoyed, she dressed in her cleanest outfit, convinced the Luo family had sent someone to retrieve her.
But the moment she stepped outside, two thugs cornered her, locked her in that tiny room, and forced her to sign an annulment agreement.
Heartbroken and in disbelief, she clenched her teeth, refusing to give up her engagement. In the end, to defend what she saw as her purity, she smashed her head against the wall and died.
Recalling Bai Yushan’s tragic fate, Xiao Qi sighed. This poor girl had likely died without ever realizing her fiancé was unreliable. Her death wouldn’t earn her a reputation of loyalty—just oblivion.
Still, Xiao Qi had doubts. According to the legal statutes she had just reviewed, Bai Yushan’s family had been convicted of financial crimes. While their assets were seized and the primary stakeholders imprisoned, minors without shares—like Bai Yushan, who hadn’t even turned 18 when the verdict was issued—shouldn’t have been affected.
Dropping her citizenship status several levels and exiling a minor alone to a remote, Class-D planet was practically a death sentence—especially when Bai Yushan herself had committed no violent crimes.
This suggested more than just the meddling of Miss He Xinmin, who wanted the engagement broken. There had to be other hidden motives.
Regardless, now that she occupied Bai Yushan’s body, Xiao Qi was determined to uncover the truth behind her death and deliver justice.
Just as she was planning her next steps, the doorbell suddenly rang.
002 reacted even more intensely than Xiao Qicai, letting out a panicked voice in her mind.
"Master, run! It must be Xi Yuanche coming to settle the score with you. Given his temperament, he’ll definitely silence you for good! Hurry and run—I don’t have enough energy to cloak you right now!"
Xiao Qicai took a deep breath.
"Shut up."
With that, she opened the door.
Three people had arrived. The leader, a refined-looking young man, gently knocked on the door before politely stepping inside.
"Miss Bai Yushan, there are some details regarding our boss, Xi Yuanche, that I’d like to discuss with you."
"Fine. But this place is a bit cramped—only one person can sit."
Xuan Chen nodded and turned to the two burly subordinates behind him. "Wait outside."
Without complaint, he then sat on the makeshift stool Xiao Qicai had fashioned from a cardboard box.
An old bedsheet cushioned the top, but it was still just a cardboard box. Xuan Chen lowered himself carefully, almost crushing the stool beneath him.
Fortunately, Xuan Chen was extremely good-natured. He even apologized and offered to stand instead, promising to compensate her for the stool later.
"No need. The stool I ordered online will arrive soon," Xiao Qicai replied calmly, showing no embarrassment.
And so, the two of them stood awkwardly in the cramped room, facing each other in front of the bed as they began their conversation.
Thankfully, 002 had finally shut up.
"Miss Bai Yushan, I believe you’re aware of the effects of the potion you gave our boss. I just want to ask—how can we restore him to his original form?"
As he spoke, Xuan Chen’s tone carried a hint of frustration, though there was also a strange undercurrent of suppressed amusement.
Thankfully, only he and Xi Yuanche had been present at the time. Otherwise, he couldn’t imagine the chaos that would erupt if their subordinates saw their fearsome boss suddenly transformed into a fair-skinned, delicate-looking young woman.
Though, judging by Xi Yuanche’s reaction—alternating between fury and confusion—that face must have been an exact replica of the Miss Ali he held in his heart. That was probably the only reason he had restrained his murderous impulses and sent Xuan Chen to investigate instead.
"It’s like this—that potion is a secret formula developed by my family. When consumed, it temporarily transforms the drinker into the likeness of the person they care about most."
Xiao Qicai spun her lies effortlessly, her expression perfectly composed.
"The duration of the effect depends on the depth of their obsession with that person. The stronger the obsession, the longer the transformation lasts."
"What?!" Xuan Chen’s expression finally shifted. "You mean to say our boss might be stuck with that face for the rest of his life?!"
Having followed Xi Yuanche for over a decade, Xuan Chen knew just how deeply his boss clung to the memory of Miss Ali—so much so that he had repeatedly risked his life for impossible hopes, including this very potion.
Given that level of obsession, by Xiao Qicai’s logic, Xi Yuanche might never revert to his original form.
It's almost unimaginable—could they really end up with a cross-dressing boss? Or would Xi Yuanche never be able to show his face again, forced to live in disguise forever?
This was... utterly absurd!
At this thought, even Xuan Chen felt a faint flicker of killing intent toward Xiao Qicai.
Sensing it immediately, Xiao Qicai swiftly changed her tone:
"Don't worry, though. The effects of this serum last at most a month. It's just a small dose of genetic modification—not enough to alter someone's appearance permanently."
Hearing this, Xuan Chen finally relaxed slightly and pressed on patiently:
"Is there any way to revert him to his original form immediately?"
"There should be, but it’s complicated now that the research team has disbanded. You’ve probably investigated—the Baiyu family’s assets were all seized, and every lab and company under our name was shut down. The workers and staff were either imprisoned or fined. Getting my hands on an antidote would be difficult. Of course, with enough funding, I could try reaching out to the former project lead."
Xuan Chen frowned at this:
"So it’s impossible. Securing that much funding and time would likely take longer than a month. Miss Bai Yushan, our boss thought taking this serum would only induce hallucinations—letting him see Miss Ali. He never expected to become a cross-dressing icon. Given this mess, what do you propose we do now? He’s the leader of the entire Dark Star. Do you really think it’s acceptable for him to walk around with that face?"
The reproach in Xuan Chen’s voice was unmistakable—he was convinced Xiao Qicai had done this deliberately.
This little schemer was far more cunning than he’d imagined. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have offered a hundred million to hire his boss as her bodyguard amid a den of kidnappers. Now, with his boss’s protection declared, every underground faction in District 4628 had been notified of her safety. Yet, so far, they’d only received ten million.
If not for the boss’s good mood and his connection to Miss Ali, blood would’ve been spilled already.
Still, her business acumen was impressive.
"Of course it’s acceptable! That’s the face of the woman he loves! After over twenty years, I figured if not for my serum, he might’ve even forgotten Miss Ali’s face. Now he gets to see it day and night—shouldn’t he be overjoyed?" Xiao Qicai feigned innocence, countering with wide-eyed naivety.
Xuan Chen’s lip twitched—overjoyed, indeed.
"Besides, if he were truly furious, you wouldn’t be here talking to me. You’d have shot me dead the moment I opened the door."
Now Xuan Chen understood—this girl saw everything crystal clear.
"At most, it’s just a month. And next month, he can come see me. Tell him I have another way to reunite him with Miss Ali—besides this one."
"Another way?"
"Exactly. But I’ll only discuss it with your boss, not you. It’s my secret, after all. Besides, by next month, I’ll owe him another ten million for his bodyguard services, won’t I?"
Xuan Chen finally stopped speaking, scrutinizing Xiao Qicai carefully.
"Fine, it seems I underestimated you. We'll wait another month then. However, the boss truly has no intention of taking your life, but don’t you think it’s only fair I collect some compensation for my mental distress today?"
He was determined to teach Xiao Qicai a lesson. Since she had money, naturally, she’d have to pay a hefty price to appease him—he never walked away empty-handed.
"Of course, that’s only fair," Xiao Qicai agreed with a nod, though she feigned ignorance, pretending not to realize he was after money.
Instead, she handed Xuan Chen a small vial of medicine. "This potion shares some similarities with the one your boss drank, but its effects are entirely different. Drinking this will help your body detoxify naturally and even grant immunity to the polluted air here. I noticed you have some acne on your face, likely due to the toxins in the air that your body can’t expel."
"See these breakouts on my face? They’re caused by the terrible air quality on this Class-D planet. I was planning to use this potion to fix it, but since you’re here, I’ve decided to offer it to you—free of charge! No need to thank me. Consider it compensation for your mental distress!"
Her expression was so sincere it almost seemed like she was giving him a priceless gift.
So, was this a tribute or compensation for his distress? The little fox was clever indeed.
But looking at the girl’s pitiful demeanor and the barren little room she lived in, Xuan Chen ultimately decided not to press further. He’d let it serve as a warning.
Soon after, Xuan Chen left with the vial in hand—so distracted that he even forgot his original purpose for coming.
002 hadn’t expected Xiao Qicai to resolve the crisis so effortlessly!
But then it realized something.
"Wasn’t that potion meant to treat your allergic acne? Why did you give it to him?"
"Using it on me would be a waste. But on him? That’s a different story."
"What do you mean? Are you trying to restore his face to a fair, delicate complexion? Do you actually like refined, scholarly men?" 002 asked, puzzled.
Xiao Qicai rolled her eyes. "Can you stop obsessing over romance for once? I just splurged on so many online purchases, already spending the future fees from Xiyuan Ce’s employment. Don’t you think I need to earn money?"
"Earn money? But if you can make Xiyuan Ce fall for you within these ten months, you’ll never have to worry about money again! You won’t even need to pay his future fees!"
"That’s exactly why I say you’re stupid, 002. I don’t know how your programming works, but relying on a man’s money is nowhere near as fulfilling as earning it yourself."
At this point, 002 still didn’t understand.
Wasn’t living off a man’s wealth easier than working hard for your own?
Xiao Qicai didn’t bother explaining further to this love-obsessed system.
She had money—she was Xiyuan Ce’s employer.
But if she had none, even as his woman, she’d only ever be his dependent.
And she had learned long ago that only what you hold in your own hands can bring true security.
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