XH 145

 

With a lotus bun in one hand and another chewing in her mouth, Xiao Hua makes her way to Long Lian’s courtyard, guided by the map drawn by Tian Zi. In her judgment, Long Lian would be the one in more danger. Heise was older than Long Lian and was experienced with the dangers in a relationship if what he said about him having plenty of exes could be trusted.

 

Beautiful and slowly blooming Long Lian was just an innocent girl. It was proved to be an irresistible allure as a certain hungry wolf noticed her one day decided he wanted to eat red riding hood! Or else why would he court Long Lian?

 

Xiao Hua will be the hunter, scaring the big bad wolf away with her whip!

 

“It’s all because of her that everyone is wary of us, maidservants!” 

 

“Quiet down Ben Li! She is a princess consort now and not someone we can offend or bad mouth about.”

 

Two female voices were coming ahead of her around the rounding corner. It was an automatic reaction when she chooses to plaster herself over the wall, trying to hide and keep the angry people’s line of fire away from her. 

 

But the two maids did not continue walking, allowing Xiao Hua to hide and listen to their chatter longer.

 

“Do you see how Minister Yan’s wife looked at us? It was as if she was waiting for us to seduce her husband when an opportunity arises! Who would want to seduce that lump of meat that’s covered with disgusting sweat? I will rather seduce other princes than that pig!”

 

“Ben Li!”

 

But Ben Li’s fire was burning away, no longer able to die down until it finishes burning! “Yao Si, I don’t know how you can still be her friend when she ruined our respectable image! What would happen when everyone no longer wants to hire maidservants? We will have nowhere to go!”

 

Xiao Hua slowly inched herself closer and peeked over the corner, curious about how they looked like. There was no sympathy in her for them because she does not feel guilty to receive the Third Prince's kindness and affection for her. She might feel bad for those innocent maids, but Le XiaoTing honestly thought those young masters should be wary of beautiful maids. They were sly and opportunist, eager to do almost anything to climb up in the social ladder.

 

That was what Le XiaoTing concluded after reading plenty of paragraphs of heroine slapping maid cannon fodder's face for seducing her hubby!

 

“Hghsf?” Her eyes immediately landed on something white hovering at mid-air instead on the two maidservants. Her bun that was in her mouth dropped onto the ground with a soft plop, for she was gaping in shock upon seeing the most futuristic thing in this world for the first time.

 

A floating white Rubik cube was rotating around with two round black dots working as its eyes and a matching black dot as its mouth. It seems to be following the two chattering maidservants with meal boxes in their hands.

 
“The Fourth Prince and Fourth princess consort fell in love with each other. That’s why they had gotten married. It’s not her fault that this happened.”

 

Ben Li sighed noisily. “I’ve heard the same thing more than a thousand times. They say they love each other but is that the truth? The Fourth Prince might love Chen Miao, but is she really?”

 

“Ben Li-”

 

“I don’t care about it anymore, but I dislike how we are treated! It’s annoying to be suspected of something I did not do!”

 

“It will pass, Ben Li.”

 

“Oh, it was supposed to, but not anymore when it was the Third Prince’s turn to fall for his maid, and our treatment gotten worse! What is wrong with the princes? They should be marrying noble ladies or princesses! And that shameless maid! To dare seduce the Third Prince and not aware of her own position! The marriage of Fourth Prince and Chen Miao had corrupted other maids’ thinking!”

 

“Ben Li, not every maid act like that. Both of us aren’t. Come, we are going to be late.”

 

After a lot of coaxing and harsh words, they finally leave, walking straight ahead. They were too preoccupied with their thoughts that they did not notice Xiao Hua. But Xiao Hua was no longer interested in them. She noticed the Rubik cube had not followed them and so she looked around for it.

 

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she suddenly found it right before her. 

 

“Iyah! Shocked me! Can she see me?” 

 

Xiao Hua wanted to stare at the Rubik cube, but its words decided for her not to. She pretended to look around lazily without a goal in mind as she shoves the other bun in her hand into her mouth to avoid sounds escaping from her mouth to avoid exposing herself. 

 

Its voice was digitalized, very much like Hatsune Miku’s style, except the gender of the voice could not be clearly identified. “Of course not! No one can see me except for the host! Iyah, this silly girl dared to frighten this lord, what a cruel witch!”

 

Xiao Hua: ‘...’ Isn’t that a bit too much hate you have towards a stranger you have never met before?

 

But her heart jumped in excitement upon hearing ‘host’. Could it be a system world she had read from Chinese novels? And the white Rubik was a system?

 

“Iyah, she looks so stupid.” The white Rubik cube flew in front of Xiao Hua’s face, its digital black mouth curled into a mocking sneer. “Eating like a pig!”

 

Xiao Hua: ‘...’ Can I kill this annoying thing?! ψ( ' ∇ ´ )ψ

 

Chewing her bun a little harder than necessary, she controlled her anger and slowly started walking again. Much to her delight, the Rubik cube followed her.

 

“Tsk tsk. What is this way of walking? Not graceful at all! Looking at every part of you, you are just so-so, nothing nice at all. No wonder the Third Prince does not like you!”

 

A flash of pain hit her heart, and her steps faltered. But she quickly regained her composure and continues walking, at a faster pace now that she was sure the Rubik cube has the intention to follow her.

 

Control your emotions and be patient. Get more information from its loose mouth before going for the kill!

 

Every time a group of servants passed by her, they could not see the Rubik cube. They paid Xiao Hua respect before continuing their way, never once their eyes landed on the Rubik cube. 

 

“Where are you going witch? To find your beloved Second Prince? Iyah, the same kind always flocks in the same group after all!”

 

Xiao Hua frowned slightly. Why would she go and find ‘beloved Second Prince’? 

 

“Hmph! My great and powerful host will tear off your two-faced mask and expose your true self to Third Prince!” The Rubik cube’s laughter was ear grating! “I can’t wait to see your punishment play!”

 

The Rubik cube was too immersed with its arrogance and imagination that it did not notice the danger until it was too late. A slender hand covered with inner energy grabbed onto the Rubik cube and proceed to tighten its grip.

 

‘Beep Beep. No. 999, your right side is damaged 28% and your left side 15%.’

 

It was the notification of its own health that broke the Rubik cube out of its shocked state.

“Iyah! Iyah! Iyah! What are you doing?! Stop!” 

 

“Oh?” A lazy, indifferent yet filled with cold anger voice let the Rubik cube know it was in huge trouble. “That’s interesting. What would happen if I continue crushing? Can you die after being crushed into pieces, and in such an ugly way too? Or you will survive but had to spend the rest of your artificial life in a crushed appearance?”

 

“NOOOOOOO! STOP IT! HALT! BERHENTI! SISTE! PARE! Arrêtez!” 

 

No. 999 system’s main weakness was actually vanity. It thinks itself as the most handsome system ever, and always cleans itself thrice every day. That was how it maintained its sparkly white and spotless appearance!

 

Xiao Hua giggled sadistically with her eyes gleams like the devil in the dark, with shadows looming behind her thanks to the sun’s position that helped her to look more threatening.

 

“Rubik cube always frustrated me. I’ve never able to make all surfaces with the same colour. So I always thought to dismantle it and put it back in the same colour but sadly, I never get the chance to. Who would have thought fate favours me, allowing me to release my years of pent up frustration on a Rubik cube that is hard to be destroyed? Ooooh, I’m soooo delighted!” 

 

‘Beep Beep. NO.999, your right side’s damage increased to 51%, and your left side’s damage is increased to 43%.’

 

“No! Please stop! What do you want?!” The Rubik cube asked in panic as it’s released red light on and off from the seams that usually allowed the player to rotate to group the colours. It could have used its emergency escape method, but this girl had used her energy to surround its body, preventing it from escaping or attack, as the energy would repel the attacks back to it!

 

What bad luck! It had been threatened by its previous hosts before, but they would never harm it because it was the only ticket for them to return to their original world! Unfortunately, it had nothing on this crazy girl to threaten her with!

 

“What’s the identity of your host is currently?” 

 

“How did you know about host- Chotto Matte, baka! Stupid! I will die if you keep on crushing me! I will tell you! It’s the Legendary Doctor Bai!”

 

“Legendary Doctor Bai, huh?” Xiao Hua could feel her headache coming like a fierce tsunami. 

 

“Please stop crushing me!”

 

‘Beep Beep. No.999, your right side’s damage increased to 65% and your left side’s damage increased to 59%.’

 

Ops. I feel bad, but this young lady is reluctant to ease my grip.

 

She had tightened her grip on the Rubik cube due to annoyance, but she knew that if she truly crushed it, there might be a problem popping out later, like the Rubik cube’s supervisor or something appears to punish her. 

 

Very reluctant, she eased her grip on the Rubik cube that was making crying sounds that had copied from a ghost’s cries from TV.

 

“Can’t you fix yourself?”

 

“Wuwuwu~ I can but I will need to spend a lot of points ah, stupid girl!”

 

“Why do you dislike me?” Xiao Hua was not at all sympathetic to the robot Rubik cube. She could only see her dented finger marks on its side, but since it could be fixed, there’s nothing to be sorry about.

 

Besides, it needs to pay for insulting her. ←~(Ψ▼ｰ▼)∈

 

“I can’t tell you!” The Rubik cube yelled tearfully, its eyes dripped digital black tears. Iyah! The devil will hurt me again!

 

However, the pain did not arrive. But it was tossed inside a spatial dimensional! 

 

“Oh, I can store it inside my bracelet,” Xiao Hua noted in relief. She could continue holding it in her hand, but she would not be able to cover its ears and eyes to prevent it from knowing too much. 

 

It was tricky to interrogate a system, so she will have to find her partner in crime to join forces with her!