I Transmigrated into a Novel as a Villain, and My System Refreshes Randomly - Chapter 35:

Chapter 35: The Tang Family Sisters

(Author’s Note: All female characters in this novel are over 18 years old, so read with peace of mind.)

The one-eyed butler glanced at the darts embedded deep in the bluestone slab, his weathered face full of helplessness and a wry smile. 

“Second Young Lady, Young Lady, enough playing around. Young Master Qin has come a long way…” His voice carried the indulgence of an elder toward juniors, clearly used to this kind of “welcome ceremony.”

Before he finished speaking, two petite figures stepped out from the shadows of the porch.

The one in front wore her hair in a playful ponytail tilted slightly to the left. 

She was dressed in a fitted black short outfit with a matching short cape, the dark color making her already fair skin stand out even more. Her arms were crossed over her chest, chin tilted slightly upward. 

Her lively eyes brimmed with mischief and open provocation, her lips curling with playful amusement, as if those three deadly darts just now had been nothing more than a harmless joke.

Behind her stood another young woman with a neat ponytail tilted slightly to the right, wearing a simple white short outfit and matching cape. 

Her features were almost identical to the first girl’s, but her temperament was completely different. She stood quietly, half a step behind her sister Tang Manshuang, her gaze clear with a trace of subtle restraint. 

When she looked at Qin Xiao, there was a faint curiosity and scrutiny, but her eyes quickly lowered, making her seem gentle and reserved.

The left-ponytailed girl—Tang Manshuang—spoke first. Her eyes moved up and down over Qin Xiao, her tone full of open appraisal and a barely noticeable awkwardness. “Hmph, I heard from Manbing that you’ve changed a lot lately, not as annoying as before.” She paused, then pouted. “Seeing you today, you really don’t look like that useless playboy who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun.”

Qin Xiao silently thanked his luck. Those three darts earlier had been lightning-fast and vicious. If not for the system’s strengthening after his transmigration—his reflexes far beyond normal—he might have really been finished here.

Before he could respond, the right-ponytailed girl—Tang Manbing—took a step forward and bowed slightly, her voice soft and apologetic. “Sorry, Brother Qin Xiao. My sister… she didn’t mean any harm.” 

She gave Tang Manshuang a quick glance before adding quietly, “She actually… missed you.”

“I didn’t!” Tang Manshuang instantly exploded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her delicate face flushed red, and she stomped her foot in protest. “Sister, don’t talk nonsense! I don’t miss this philandering, two-timing radish at all!”

She shook her little fists at Qin Xiao, puffing her cheeks in anger, yet her round eyes glistened with moisture, as if she might burst into tears at any second. “You liar! Jerk! Big pig’s trotter!”

Looking at her face—both familiar and strange—and that tsundere expression of caring but refusing to admit it, Qin Xiao felt an odd tug in his heart.

He gave a faint smile, leaning forward slightly and deliberately slowing his words, his voice probing. “We… knew each other before? Were we close?”

He wanted to test their reaction; the way these two girls behaved didn’t quite match the plot he remembered.

That one question was like a match tossed into a barrel of gunpowder.

Tang Manshuang’s watery eyes instantly filled to the brim. She looked as though she’d been wronged beyond belief, and fat tears began rolling down her cheeks. Suddenly, she flung a handful of multicolored powder straight at his face!

“Waah—!”

With a loud wail, she turned and ran deep into the estate without looking back, her retreating figure radiating heartbreak.

The strangely fragrant poisonous powder filled the air, but Qin Xiao didn’t even blink, nor did his breathing change.

[Permanent Constitution · Poison Immunity MAX (theoretically immune to 99.9999% of known and unknown toxins)] quietly took effect.

The Tang Sect’s secret powder, so bright and colorful, settled harmlessly on his skin and clothes, raising nothing more than a faint dust. He didn’t feel the slightest discomfort.

[Host, this poison isn’t lethal, but it would’ve made your face swell and fester until you looked like a toad. I blocked it for you to protect your looks—impressive, right?]

“Fine, fine. Just don’t mess around with the lucky draws again,” Qin Xiao replied absently.

He brushed the colored powder off his shoulder, staring after Tang Manshuang with a hint of confusion. 

She… cried? And ran? 

What kind of move was that? 

That’s not in the script at all!

Before he could say anything, Tang Manbing’s eyes reddened too. Her tears hovered stubbornly in her eyes as she glared at him with grievance and accusation. “Brother Qin Xiao, you… you’re too much! Big bad guy!”

She stomped her foot, then ran after her sister, leaving Qin Xiao and the one-eyed butler staring at each other.

“What… just happened?” Qin Xiao truly didn’t understand. What were those two little girls up to?

The butler hurried forward, looking him over to make sure he was unharmed before sighing in relief. His expression grew complicated, and he let out a sigh. “Young Master Qin, do you… really not remember anything?”

His gaze grew distant, as if recalling something from long ago. “When you were young, you adored Miss Manshuang and Miss Manbing. You often came to the estate to play—climbing fruit trees on the back hill, stealing bird nests, catching fish and shrimp in the front stream. You made such a ruckus the whole place was in chaos… and the master and madam could do nothing about you.”

His tone held both nostalgia and a trace of sorrow. “The two young ladies saw you as an elder brother—perhaps even… something more. Now, to see that you seem to have completely forgotten them, of course they’d feel angry and hurt.”

Qin Xiao was dumbfounded. 

What the hell? 

The original plot never mentioned a childhood sweetheart relationship!

In his mind, he shouted for Yun Yiyi. “Hey! What’s going on? Since when did Qin Xiao and the Tang sisters have this history? Why don’t I remember this at all? Did you sneak in some modified plot again?”

[Ah, Host! This… this might be because the original author’s setting was rough, and many supporting characters’ backstories weren’t fleshed out! Or maybe it’s a small, positive ‘butterfly effect’ from the world merging! Either way, it’ll definitely help with pursuing the female leads! I don’t know the exact details either!]

Her voice sounded both guilty and eager to please. [And! Stop calling me ‘hey’! I have a name—it’s Yun Yiyi!]

Qin Xiao’s temple twitched, but he decided not to argue with a system that always failed at critical moments. Looked like he’d have to rely on himself.

Steadying his mind, he asked the butler, “Then… when Miss Manshuang is angry or upset, where does she usually go?” He’d better find her first.

The butler thought for a moment, then pointed toward a rockery deep in the courtyard. “When they were young, the young ladies loved playing hide-and-seek behind the ‘Diecui Peak.’ Especially the Second Young Lady—whenever she was upset, she’d hide there alone.”

Qin Xiao nodded his thanks and headed toward the rockery…