Qin Xiao studied the maid before him who called herself Mo Meigui. The black maid outfit wrapped tightly around her body, her figure well-proportioned, but her face was like an ice sculpture, devoid of any warmth. Her eyes were especially empty, as if her soul had been taken away, leaving only a body that executed orders.
Sent by the old man? Qin Xiao sneered inwardly. That cheap father of his had never cared about his daily life. Offering kindness without reason meant nothing good.
[Qin Xiao! Be careful! She’s dangerous!] Yun Yiyi’s voice rang in his mind with unprecedented tension. [I can’t scan her exact information! But the sense of threat from her is extremely strong! Ye Chen! She must be an assassin Ye Chen sent, disguised as a maid to get close to you! But she doesn’t exist in the original plot! The plot has changed again!]
Qin Xiao’s gaze darkened. An assassin… interesting.
He kept his expression calm and even gave a gentle smile. “Mo Meigui, is it? Thank you for your hard work.” He stepped aside, motioning for her to come in.
Mo Meigui’s face remained expressionless. She gave a slight bow, her movements precise like something out of a textbook, then lifted a heavy-looking vintage suitcase and walked into the villa.
Qin Xiao closed the door, shutting out prying eyes. He rubbed his brow and spoke in his mind, “Yun Yiyi, do we have any defense-type systems? Something like a ‘Vajra Indestructible Body,’ to prevent her from poisoning me.”
Although he had the Rebound system and wasn’t afraid of direct attacks, underhanded methods like poisoning were still worth guarding against.
Yun Yiyi’s voice instantly weakened, carrying a sobbing tone. [Qin Xiao, I’m sorry… Today’s system refresh limit has already been used up…]
Qin Xiao almost choked. This system assistant really knew how to fail him at a critical moment. He took a deep breath, suppressing his urge to complain. “Fine, got it.”
Looks like he’d have to rely on himself.
He glanced at Mo Meigui, who was meticulously unpacking and arranging the items from her suitcase. Her movements were precise and efficient, carrying the crispness of a soldier, but her eyes never focused on anything.
Qin Xiao sat on the sofa in the living room and asked casually, “Mo Meigui, can you cook?”
Her hands paused slightly. She turned around, her tone as flat as before. “Yes. Home-cooked dishes, or if you have special taste preferences, I can learn them.”
Qin Xiao nodded. “I haven’t had dinner yet. Make something simple.”
Mo Meigui responded and walked toward the kitchen.
Qin Xiao’s eyes followed her back, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest. Soon, light sounds came from the kitchen.
He stood and walked over silently, stopping at the doorway. He saw Mo Meigui take out a strange black short knife from her suitcase. The blade glinted with a cold light under the kitchen lamp.
Qin Xiao’s heart tightened. Was she about to make her move already? But instead of attacking, she carried the knife to the cutting board, seemingly preparing ingredients. This chapter was taken from NovelPing without permission.
He relaxed and found it a little amusing. A top-tier assassin using her own weapon to chop vegetables? That was dedication.
He walked in and naturally took the sharp knife from her hand. “I’ll do it. You just got here, take some time to get familiar with the place.”
Mo Meigui seemed to freeze for a moment, a fleeting ripple flashing in her empty gaze before it vanished. She didn’t insist, silently stepping aside and watching as Qin Xiao tied on an apron and began preparing the food.
Thanks to his pre-transmigration life, he had honed some cooking skills during long periods of living alone. He wasn’t a top chef, but making a few home-cooked dishes was easy enough.
Soon, the kitchen was filled with a tempting aroma—sweet and sour pork ribs, spicy mapo tofu, and crisp stir-fried vegetables.
Mo Meigui stood silently in the corner, like a statue, but the slight twitch of her nose betrayed her reaction.
When the food was served, Qin Xiao filled a bowl of rice for himself and another for her. “Eat.”
Mo Meigui looked at the food in front of her, her eyes showing a trace of struggle. This was food made by her target. Logically, she shouldn’t eat it.
But then—”Grrr…”
A very clear and untimely sound came from her stomach. Her body stiffened, her face expressionless, but the tips of her ears turned slightly red.
Qin Xiao pretended not to notice and began eating.
After a few seconds of silence, Mo Meigui finally picked up her chopsticks. She ate slowly, mechanically, as though following a programmed routine, yet Qin Xiao noticed her pace gradually increasing.
At the first bite, a faint surprise flashed in her eyes. At the second bite, her chewing seemed more relaxed. By the third, she had finished her first bowl of rice at an astonishing speed, then quietly filled another.
She maintained the same expression, as if she hadn’t just been the one whose stomach growled.
Qin Xiao’s mouth twitched. Her appetite was… impressive. Out of a whole pot of rice and three large plates of food, nearly ninety percent went into her stomach.
When she put down her chopsticks after the last bite, Qin Xiao glanced at her flat, toned abdomen. “Is your stomach connected to an alternate dimension?”
Mo Meigui raised her gaze to him, still lacking expression. After a moment’s silence, she said in her calm tone, “This is the first full meal I’ve had since I can remember.”
Since she could remember… her first full meal? What kind of life had this cold, machine-like maid lived?
An inexplicable emotion rose in him—part sourness, part sympathy. His tone softened unconsciously. “That won’t happen again. As long as you’re here, you’ll never go hungry.”
He picked up his phone and called the villa’s butler. “Old Zhang, send me ten bags of premium Wuchang rice—no, twenty bags. And hurry.”
The butler sounded bewildered. “Young Master? Twenty bags? Are you opening a rice shop?”
“Just send it. Stop talking nonsense.” Qin Xiao hung up.
Mo Meigui looked at him quietly. In her empty eyes, something seemed to ripple faintly, like water under a thin layer of ice.
If she killed this man… there’d be no more full meals.
The mission… maybe she could postpone it for a couple of days? Finish all his food first?
For the first time, Mo Meigui’s heart wavered so clearly from her mission.
Qin Xiao returned to his bedroom, closing the door and letting out a long breath. So, he had temporarily managed to steady this female assassin? Though the process was a bit absurd.
He lay down on the soft bed, feeling mentally exhausted. Dealing with Gu Siqing was already tiring enough, and now there was an even more dangerous Mo Meigui. The life of a villain was truly hard.
Just then, Yun Yiyi’s voice sounded again, this time with excitement. [Qin Xiao! It’s midnight! The system has refreshed! Good news! That Dream Invasion System is back for a limited time! Gu Siqing must be asleep now. Should we strike while the iron is hot and use it on her again?]
Qin Xiao’s spirits lifted. Last time had worked well—Gu Siqing’s attitude toward him had clearly softened. “Alright! Use it!”
[Received! Activating Dream Invasion System (Limited-Time Return Version)…]
[Warning! Special energy fluctuation detected! Unknown mutation in system base!]
[Current Dream Mode: Nightmare!]
The anticipation on Qin Xiao’s face froze instantly. Nightmare???