I Transmigrated into a Novel as a Villain, and My System Refreshes Randomly - Chapter 37:

Chapter 37: I’m Also Your Girlfriend

The sudden voice was cool yet carried an almost unnoticeable urgency, instantly breaking the intimate atmosphere behind the stone pillars.

To Tang Manshuang, it was like being struck by thunder. She opened her eyes wide in shock, just like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She first saw her elder sister, Tang Manbing, hurrying out from the moon gate not far away, her face full of anxiety. Then, her gaze instinctively fell back onto Qin Xiao’s face, so close to hers.

Just now… what had she done?! Eyes closed? Lips puckered? Waiting for him… to kiss her?!

A rush of indescribable heat surged from her toes straight to her head, making her mind go completely blank except for a buzzing sound. Then came a wave of shame so overwhelming she wished she could vanish on the spot.

She jumped back in a flash, moving so abruptly that she nearly lost her balance. Her pretty face was now as red as it could get, from her cheeks to the tips of her ears and down her neck, as if it might bleed.

“Sister, what are you doing here?”

Tang Manbing’s voice was gentle, her gaze moving between her sister and Qin Xiao with a hint of curiosity.

“S-Sister… I… I didn’t…” Tang Manshuang stammered, at a loss for words, not knowing what to explain.

Her mind spun quickly. To hide her earlier embarrassment, a glint of mischief flashed in her eyes. She suddenly lifted her leg and swept it toward Qin Xiao’s calf with a swift kick.

“Ouch!”

Qin Xiao cooperated perfectly, letting out a cry of pain and stumbling slightly, though his face carried a helpless yet indulgent smile.

Tang Manshuang immediately placed her hands on her hips and huffed at her sister. “Sister! I’m teaching this big pig trotter a lesson!”

“He bullied me just now!”

Tang Manbing glanced at her sister’s exaggerated, not-so-convincing display, then at Qin Xiao’s “pained” expression. A knowing smile flickered in her eyes, but she didn’t expose it.

“Alright, little sister, don’t make a fuss,” she said softly. “Mother is calling us over. She says we have a guest.”

Guest?

Qin Xiao’s heart stirred. Judging by the timing, it was most likely that Dragon King Ye Chen, with his own BGM and brain-cell-reducing aura, had arrived.

He had no desire to run into Ye Chen face-to-face right now, at least not when he was unprepared. “Since it’s a guest of the Tang family, it might not be appropriate for an outsider like me to join,” Qin Xiao said mildly, straightening up and brushing nonexistent dust from his trousers. “I’ll wait somewhere else for a while.”

Tang Manbing nodded gently. “That works. Go rest in the side hall for now. We’ll come find you when we’re done.”

Following the two lively little girls through winding corridors, Qin Xiao arrived at an elegant side hall. Inside, the arrangement was simple, and a faint scent of sandalwood lingered in the air.

At the doorway, Tang Manshuang turned back and gave a proud little snort. “Don’t wander off from here! We’ll come back later to settle accounts with you!” She then pulled her sister away quickly.

Qin Xiao shook his head with an amused smile. These two little girls…

He picked a rosewood chair by the window, sat down, and took a delicate osmanthus cake from the table, eating it slowly. The sweetness was light and melted in his mouth—proof that even the Tang family’s cooks were extraordinary.

But after only two bites, the side hall door was pushed open again.

Tang Manbing had returned, still in her white cloak, her small face faintly flushed in a way different from usual. She walked quickly to Qin Xiao, tilted her head up slightly, and looked at him with a mix of shyness and unexpected seriousness.

“Brother Qin Xiao…” Her voice was soft and a little nervous. “You might have forgotten… but actually… I’m also your girlfriend!”

Before Qin Xiao could react, she rose on her toes and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

A soft, warm sensation brushed past, accompanied by a faint “pop.” Then, like a startled rabbit, she turned and ran, leaving behind only a white blur and a faint trace of a young girl’s fragrance in the air.

Qin Xiao touched his cheek, feeling the lingering warmth, both amused and slightly helpless. These two little girls really were innocent and adorably lively.

Still, the Tang family’s waters seemed deeper than they appeared.

He steadied his mind and called inwardly, “Yun Yiyi, time to work.”

[Ding! Your cute and charming system assistant Yun Yiyi at your service!]

Along with the playful sound effect, Yun Yiyi’s silver-haired, big-eyed, slightly clumsy virtual image appeared in Qin Xiao’s mind.

“Check the Tang family’s current combat strength. What are their odds against that jerk Ye Chen?”

He needed to assess the current situation.

Yun Yiyi hurriedly flipped through a massive virtual book taller than herself, the pages rustling quickly.

[Report, Host! Based on the incomplete data in this system, the Tang family’s known experts are mostly at the mid-stage Dark Force level.]

[However, this is the Tang Sect we’re talking about. You know—mechanisms, poisons, hidden weapons. With combined tactics, taking on a late-stage Dark Force opponent shouldn’t be a problem!]

Mid-stage Dark Force… enough to fight late-stage?

Qin Xiao frowned. This was impressive against ordinary families, but against the Dragon King…

“What’s Ye Chen’s strength now? Didn’t he absorb some ancient jade before?” Qin Xiao clearly remembered certain key events from the original plot.

Yun Yiyi flipped through the book even faster, accidentally tearing a few pages.

[Ah! Host, as for Ye Chen’s exact strength… since he’s the Child of Destiny, with fortune protecting him, the information is heavily shielded. I can only vaguely sense that after absorbing the jade, his strength definitely increased greatly. But the exact level? For now, I can’t pinpoint it!]

[However…] Yun Yiyi’s tone shifted, her small chest puffing out proudly.

[Your current martial arts realm is solidly at the Grandmaster level! Purely in terms of realm, you’re absolutely above him!]

Grandmaster level?

Qin Xiao’s mind eased slightly. It seemed the Luck Plunder and certain system boosts had raised his strength considerably.

But Yun Yiyi quickly poured cold water over him.

[However! You need to be careful! According to Dragon King Law Article N, the Child of Destiny has a high probability of triggering “breakthrough during battle,” “locked-health counterattack,” or “serious injury upgrade” passive skills when fighting a strong enemy!]

[If you fight him head-on now, there’s a big chance that mid-battle, he’ll level up on the spot and reverse the fight, pinning you to the ground!]

As she spoke more excitedly, Yun Yiyi even waved her little fists to mime the act of grinding someone down.

Qin Xiao’s mouth twitched. Damn this Dragon King halo.

As a “villain,” there was no playing by normal rules with the Child of Destiny. Lying low, developing, and striking from the shadows—that was the true path.

Just as he was thinking over his strategy, a commotion drifted faintly from the direction of the main hall, breaking the side hall’s quiet.