Qin Zixin carefully wound the watch to its full extent. A radiant joy illuminated her face as she blissfully toyed with it in her hands for a while. She first fastened it to her own wrist, her satisfaction growing with each glance. A moment later, she removed it, pressing the watch close to her delicate ear, listening intently to the rhythmic ticking of its intricate mechanism.
This delight sent her rolling around on the bed, much like a puppy overjoyed with a meaty bone.
[Are you happy now? This watch wasn’t cheap. Its case is solid 14k platinum, the movement features a micro-rotor and a hidden tourbillon, and the case back is solid gold officer-style. Inside, you’ll find cloisonné enamel artistry, and every single movement component has been meticulously polished and beveled. However, this watch is not waterproof, so remember to take it off when you shower. With the meager savings you have, you certainly couldn’t afford to repair this item.]
[Alright, alright, alright, alright!]
While Qin Zixin might not have understood the intricacies of movement polishing, she certainly grasped the significance of a platinum case, a detail that only amplified her joy. She continuously breathed onto the watch, then meticulously polished it with the corner of her father’s old shirt. Her hand no longer ached; her usually expressive almond eyes, brimming with affection, now narrowed into playful foxy slits from sheer delight.
[Several more packages will arrive tomorrow, filled with clothes and shoes. I’ll forge the invoices to reflect a cost of three thousand seven hundred and forty-four yuan, which will provide a plausible explanation for Tang Yuyu. Play for a bit, but then go to bed early. You haven’t done any pre-reading these past few days, so I’m eager to see how you perform on your exams.]
[System, you’re the best!]
Qin Zixin promptly dismissed any mention of pre-reading; the System always sounded like an old man, and she had grown accustomed to it. Just as she was about to put the watch on her wrist, she paused, then carefully tucked it beneath her pillow instead. She intended to continue playing games, and wearing the watch would undoubtedly hinder her performance. Someone in her group had recently shared a cracked version of Civilization IV, and she was utterly engrossed in it. As for her account being reported and banned by the System, that was now entirely forgotten.
****
August 30, 2013.
Fang Shicheng’s 3D-printed figurines had found a buyer—a notoriously unscrupulous middleman. Qin Zixin had conducted several transactions with him; he typically ordered small batches of custom packaging boxes to easily disguise items as imported Japanese goods. Now that the final payment had been received, after deducting the eighty percent transferred to Fang Shicheng, she still had a little over three hundred left. Combined with her previous savings, Qin Zixin’s private stash had swelled to a substantial sum, nearly two thousand yuan—specifically, 1974.5 yuan, with change. For her, this was a considerable fortune!
Although a vast segment of memory resided within her mind, it felt to her merely like watching a 3D movie. No matter how triumphant the ‘he’ in those memories might have been, it remained an unrealistic, fleeting dream to her; only her current, humble life felt real.
Qin Zixin was too lazy to go out and convert all her money into cash. With over seven hundred yuan still in her bank account, she estimated the price and contacted a computer parts reseller named Zhou Anguo. She transferred 680 yuan to him, acquiring a used 1366×768 resolution LCD screen. Before LCD screens were fully localized for domestic production, their brand-new prices were quite exorbitant. Zhou Anguo was something of a fan of hers, quite active in her resource-sharing group. They were quite familiar with each other from online chats, and many of her computer parts were second-hand items bought from him. Naturally, the two had never met in person. One lived in Nanling, Jiangsu Province, and the other in Tangshan, Hebei Province; they were merely online acquaintances who conducted some transactions. No one would travel specifically to meet a mere online acquaintance. Qin Zixin only knew his real name because he was something of a celebrity on Tieba, often assembling computers for people at low prices, earning him the moniker “Brother Zhou” among users. Furthermore, he posted computer assembly tutorials and gameplay videos on video-sharing sites, making him a minor internet personality.
After settling the requirements with Zhou Anguo, Qin Zixin lay on her bed, engrossed in her tablet, which she had assembled herself from second-hand parts. In 2013, tablets on the market were either prohibitively expensive or utterly underperforming. Lacking the funds for an Apple tablet but unwilling to settle for electronic junk, Qin Zixin simply collected parts and painstakingly assembled her own tablet, then flashed it with an Android system. With the System’s guidance, she gradually debugged it, achieving surprisingly excellent results.
When Tang Yuyu entered the room to tidy her clothes, she found Qin Zixin sprawled on the bed like a corpse. Qin Zixin lay spread-eagled, her normally exquisite, jade-like face now bore an expression of utter stupor as she watched anime. Instantly, Tang Yuyu’s temper flared. She slapped Qin Zixin’s rear and began to scold her.
“You don’t have an ounce of ladylike grace!”
Tang Yuyu then launched into a litany of all the unladylike things Qin Zixin had done at home during the holidays. Qin Zixin, having fully mastered the art of shamelessness, simply mumbled “Mhm, mhm, mhm” in response, without moving an inch. When she grew tired of listening, she shifted to a supine position, her plump, fair buttocks gleaming like the finest white porcelain, or freshly made silken tofu, their tender whiteness dazzling the eye.
Tang Yuyu, exasperated, decided it wasn’t worth bothering with her and continued tidying her clothes.
“Mom, that shirt is too small. Don’t bother mending it anymore; the ones I bought online are more than enough.”
The System’s clothes had arrived on the morning of the 28th—a huge package filled with truly beautiful garments, including five pairs of shoes. Qin Zixin loved them at first sight but was too lazy to wear them, merely tidying them away. These past few days, she had only wanted to stay home, playing games and watching anime, with absolutely no desire to go out. Seeing Tang Yuyu folding a small blouse she had made for herself, Qin Zixin leaned her head against the pillow and spoke, her eyes still glued to the tablet screen.
“Can’t you look at the clothes that actually fit you? Your chest has grown to an absurd size! If you ask me, you should eat less. You’re constantly munching from morning till night like a big rat, and the yogurt in the fridge is empty every few days.”
“Mhm, mhm, mhm.”
Qin Zixin pretended not to hear, remaining utterly unconcerned. By the time Tang Yuyu finished tidying the clothes, she found her incorrigible daughter still looking like an internet-addicted girl, though now she was playing games instead of watching anime. Qin Zixin’s slender, jade-like fingers continuously glided across the screen, controlling the character within. Her delicate face was flushed with concentration and excitement, a beautiful sight to an outsider, but to Tang Yuyu, it was simply begging for a slap. Amidst Qin Zixin’s protests of “Hey, hey, hey!”, Tang Yuyu snatched the tablet, placed it on the computer desk, and gave her prominent rear a sharp pinch.
“Get your butt up and go wash yourself, now!”
Reluctantly, she climbed out of bed, stood with her hands on her hips in a subservient manner, and mumbled.
“‘Adaptable! Adaptable!'”
Tang Yuyu was amused despite her anger. Ignoring her daughter’s antics, she continued chatting and laughing with her mother for a while before Qin Zixin finally and reluctantly went to wash up. Her tablet hadn’t been returned yet, as Tang Yuyu also wanted to play with it later that evening. Noticing it was past eight o’clock, she began her pre-reading. Tomorrow was the start of the school year at Nan Shi High. She had originally planned to cram all day for the entrance exam, but after a quick glance, she deemed it not difficult. Convinced she already knew the material, she succumbed to laziness once more. The System had urged her several times to study properly, but she was too lazy even to give a perfunctory reply, which thoroughly exasperated it. She continued reviewing Yang Qichao’s “key points” until past eleven, feeling it was sufficient. She then went to bed to play on her phone, finally falling asleep past one in the morning.
And the System?
It was busy flirting online with Tang Yuyu, who, in the adjacent room, was blushing crimson from the System’s overtures. The System had connected with Tang Yuyu long ago, masquerading as a familiar acquaintance. Tang Yuyu couldn’t quite place who it was, but the System was humorous, witty, and offered sound advice for all her problems, even seeming adept at investments. This invigorated Tang Yuyu’s heart, which had been dormant for years.
The System possessed few moral boundaries; in its previous life, it was a beast, or it wouldn’t have ruined the innocence of so many young women. In this life, it had incurred divine wrath, becoming deeply bound to a ‘female imp’—its hardware gone, but its software remained. It also coveted Tang Yuyu, its ethical “daughter-in-law.” If its hardware were still intact, it would have long harbored incestuous thoughts. Previously, it had other matters to attend to. Now that Qin Zixin had been admitted to a prestigious high school, her safety was largely guaranteed, which allowed the System to breathe a significant sigh of relief. Public opinion in China was both highly developed and incredibly sensitive. If something happened to a student from a key school, the entire society would be shaken. If that student also happened to be very beautiful, the ensuing public outcry would be impossible to control, no matter the efforts. Much like the unmentionable incident at Baicheng Medical College in a certain alternate dimension—which was merely a vocational school—the sheer volume of “cyber Lu Xuns” had charged forward with unsubstantiated evidence, simply because the individual involved had uploaded a few heavily edited, beautified photos online. At least for now, Qin Zixin’s appearance wasn’t a major problem. While she had many admirers, most were of decent character. Even if some self-proclaimed ardent suitors relentlessly pursued this ‘female imp,’ Qin Zixin held them in utter disdain. Now that its host had entered Nanling’s best public high school, the hands of ill-behaved powerful figures would not dare to meddle carelessly. Even if something went wrong, it could use public opinion to escalate the matter, but the subsequent cost would be Qin Zixin being forced into fame, likely pushed into a pit of fire.
****
Today was August 31, 2013, the official start date for the first-year students at Nan Shi High. As her alarm rang, Qin Zixin, still hazy from sleep and savoring the sweet aftertaste of her dream of instant riches, had absolutely no desire to get out of bed.
Tang Yuyu had already prepared breakfast. Hearing the alarm, she entered the room, first pulling back the curtains, then throwing off the duvet covering Qin Zixin. Seeing her still sprawled out like a dead fish, Tang Yuyu slapped her rear, urging her to get up quickly. No matter how unwilling Qin Zixin was, her lips pouting enough to hang a kettle, she grudgingly got up under Tang Yuyu’s imposing presence. The moment she sat up, Qin Zixin noticed a change, feeling that the fullness in her chest seemed even larger. However, having just woken up, her mind was still foggy, and even if she fully realized it, she remained indifferent. She had grown accustomed to the development of her breasts and buttocks over the past year or so. Qin Zixin sat upright, her breasts swaying playfully.
She finally brought herself to take off her father’s old, decades-old clothes, carelessly tossing them onto the floor, knowing her mother would tidy them up. As she chose her outfit for the day from the wardrobe, she picked up a familiar bra and tried it on, only to find it too tight.
[System! It doesn’t fit anymore!]
Whenever trouble arose, the ungrateful girl habitually called for the System, just as one would shout “Mom!” if something was lost.
[Wear the new ones. The ones I sent a few days ago are in your current size.]
The System was annoyed; it had hoped to cultivate a lady, yet it had personally raised a little devil—not only ill-tempered but also thick-skinned.
[Hehe.]
Qin Zixin put on one of the newly arrived black bras. These were similar in pattern and fabric to her previous ones, fitting perfectly. Once worn, they appeared even fuller, like succulent honey melons, looking incredibly sweet beneath her snow-jade skin. Her slender waist below further accentuated their impressive size. Qin Zixin preened in front of the full-length mirror, twirling around. Although she was only wearing underwear, she carried herself as if adorned in a haute couture gown. As it was the first day of school, she still wanted to leave a good first impression on her classmates.
Qin Zixin didn’t casually splash water on her face; this time, for an unprecedented change, she used facial cleanser, which left her face feeling a little sore afterward. Gazing at her reflection, Qin Zixin meticulously checked for any residual cleanser foam. The captivating beauty in the mirror was both pure and alluring, ethereal and mischievous. The perfect and subtle blend of innocence and seduction, nobility and charm, created an allure unmatched by any mere “femininity.” Her pearly neck and jade-like arms shimmered enchantingly, her fragrant shoulders soft and smooth as ice, her snowy skin radiant and lustrous as jade. Her curves were long and graceful, her rear beautifully rounded and pert, and her pair of straight, slender, snow-white legs appeared dreamlike in the dim bathroom light. The snow-white, jade-like mountains, lustrous and translucent, were vaguely discernible beneath the black bra, like a pipa half-hidden by its player, their delicate texture akin to the finest white porcelain. Truly, her hanging jade wrists seemed boneless, and her vermilion lips, reflected by the leaves, resembled blooming flowers. Qin Zixin gazed at the mischievous beauty in the mirror, her jade-like cheeks, still faintly flushed from sleep, radiant as morning clouds. Her affectionate eyes sparkled with playful mischief, shimmering like rippling water.
[System, have my breasts gotten bigger again?]
[You’re still growing, it’s normal. Stop dawdling and go eat. If you keep procrastinating, Tang Yuyu will probably beat you.]
Qin Zixin clicked her tongue in disdain. The System was even more annoying than her mother, like a garrulous old man. Throughout her development, the System had played not only the role of her absent father but also that of a mischievous friend and a confidante. Although the young girl’s emotions were somewhat slow, and she often disdained the System’s overly cowardly behavior, she still regarded it as her warmest comfort. She tied up her somewhat messy, beautiful hair. She tried to create a complex hairstyle but her hands were clumsy, so she settled for the simplest ponytail. Observing her unadorned, hibiscus-like face in the mirror, she tried to lightly enhance it with the System’s cosmetics, but feeling the effect was unsatisfactory, she washed it off again.
Qin Zixin returned to her room to choose clothes after finishing her meal. She selected a lotus-root-colored mulberry silk blouse that exuded purity. The shirt was slightly sheer, allowing a faint glimpse of the bra beneath. For her bottom, she chose a light blue ramie high-waisted pair of trousers. Although the style was simple, it possessed a distinct sense of design. Just as she was about to leave, she remembered she hadn’t put on her watch. Retrieving her treasured item from beneath her pillow, she carefully fastened it to her wrist.