Jiang Qiehuo, who was currently wincing in pain as she pulled a gold coin from her pocket to buy a carrot-vegetable pancake, suddenly had a strange feeling.
It was a strange sensation of being watched maliciously.
As she waited for her carrot-vegetable pancake, she kept glancing around from time to time.
A bustling array of divine creations and Candidates passed before her eyes, but Jiang Qiehuo really couldn't spot anyone who looked suspicious.
It must be my imagination, she reassured herself.
“Candidate, your carrot-vegetable pancake is ready.”
Jiang Qiehuo thanked the vendor and took the carrot-vegetable pancake, then found an empty bench in Fountain Square and sat down.
She had been starving all day. It had taken a lot of effort to find a job in town painting for an Age-Rind Turtlekin.
Fortunately, the Age-Rind Turtlekin was kind-hearted, and seeing how pitiable she was, paid her an extra two gold coins.
She had earned eight gold coins today, spent three to rent the shabbiest place to stay, and just spent one on the carrot-vegetable pancake, leaving her with only four gold coins.
Jiang Qiehuo let out a long sigh, stuffed a huge mouthful of carrot-vegetable pancake into her mouth, and subconsciously reached toward her pocket.
Whenever she got gold coins, she couldn't help patting her pocket, terrified that they would vanish if she wasn't careful.
Her hand slipped inside, touching the familiar fabric, but no matter how she felt around, she couldn't find those familiar, hard, cool, reassuring gold coins!
That's right!!
They were gone!!!
Her gold coins were missing!!!!
Jiang Qiehuo's heart sank into icy depth.
Ignoring the pancake in her hand, she set the carrot-vegetable pancake down on the bench, buried her head, and pried open her pocket, practically trying to shove her entire head inside to double-check.
They really were gone!!!!
They were still there when she bought the carrot-vegetable pancake!!!!
But just now, the gold coins vanished!!!!!
Jiang Qiehuo screamed silently. She kept reassuring herself: maybe the gold coins were still in her pocket and she just hadn't reached in the right way?
She searched the pocket more than ten times like this, and even checked every other pocket on her body, before finally accepting the reality that her gold coins were gone.
Had she been picked by a thief?
She suddenly recalled that strange feeling of being watched.
There was a thief?
Startled, Jiang Qiehuo subconsciously reached out to grab the carrot-vegetable pancake she had placed on the bench, preparing to get up and leave.
However, her hand touched only the cold bench—she didn't feel the warm carrot-vegetable pancake at all.
Jiang Qiehuo was in complete disbelief. Unable to accept it, she stared wide-eyed at her side.
The carrot-vegetable pancake that had been sitting on the bench beside her was ALSO! GONE! AGAIN!!!!!
So that thief was right beside her just now!!!!!
“AAAARGH!!!!” Jiang Qiehuo roared. She shot to her feet with a whoosh, her eyes sternly scanning every face passing by in the surroundings.
Until a face popped directly into her field of vision.
Fang Yuan was chewing on a savory crepe, her face completely taking up Jiang Qiehuo's line of sight.
She was standing far too close.
Jiang Qiehuo subconsciously tried to step back, but then suddenly realized something. She grabbed Fang Yuan's collar with a snap, standing on tiptoe so her face was practically pressed against Fang Yuan's chin.
Fang Yuan blinked at her, swallowed the crepe in her mouth, leaned her head down slightly, and rested her chin against Jiang Qiehuo's forehead:
“I'm not into girls. Don't lean in to kiss me.”
Jiang Qiehuo: “?”
She only felt a wisp of green smoke curling up from her head—from pure rage.
“Was it you who stole my four gold coins and the carrot-vegetable pancake I took a bite of?!”
As she roared, Fang Yuan leaned back slightly, shielding Tuantuo behind her head.
“I'm not into girls, and I don't eat pancakes covered in your spit.”
Tuantuo scrambled to finish her own crepe, wiped her mouth with a tiny hand, and with a whoosh, flew right between Fang Yuan's chin and Jiang Qiehuo's forehead.
“I can testify! Little Sister Hammer Star was with me the whole time! Plus, she isn't a poor wretch, so she wouldn't steal your four gold coins!”
Jiang Qiehuo: “?”
Meaning she was a poor wretch?
So what?
Was it a crime to be poor??
Jiang Qiehuo's suspicious gaze swept across Fang Yuan's face before she let go of her collar.
True enough, if Fang Yuan had really stolen it, she definitely would have pulled them out to casually show off in front of her, and then mocked her sarcastically.
Yes.
That was exactly the kind of person Fang Yuan was in Jiang Qiehuo's heart.
“Munch munch munch. Hey, Persimmon, want me to introduce you to a job with room and board included?”
Fang Yuan swallowed the last bite of the crepe in her hand and asked while Jiang Qiehuo looked on, unable to stop herself from swallowing her saliva.
Suspicion arrived faster than joy. Jiang Qiehuo pulled a hair tie off her hair. Strung on the hair tie was an extremely tiny blue-purple bottle that emitted faint specks of light.
“You wouldn't be so kind.”
It was a statement, not a question.
Fang Yuan gave her an odd look. “I'm not being kindhearted. Where did you hear any kindness in that?”
Jiang Qiehuo: “?”
Once again, she was on a completely different wavelength from Fang Yuan.
“A job with room and board—how is that not a good thing?”
Fang Yuan raised a single eyebrow. “Did I ever say you'd get paid wages?”
Jiang Qiehuo: “...No... Are you trying to scam me?”
“Of course! Why wouldn't I scam you? We aren't close sisters who hold hands, sleep, and eat together, so what are you so surprised about?” Fang Yuan answered as a matter of course.
Jiang Qiehuo: “...” That makes so much sense, I'm speechless.
“Jiang Qiehuo.”
Fang Yuan's voice sounded, striking like a heavy hammer slamming hard against her chest.
“You will do nicely according to my request, won't you?”
Before coming to the Crucible, the mental suggestion she had planted in Jiang Qiehuo had not been removed.
Jiang Qiehuo's eyes turned somewhat blank, though her expression remained active.
She didn't know why, but the moment Fang Yuan uttered those words, she subconsciously wanted to do whatever Fang Yuan said.
A suggestion was not as direct as hypnosis, but getting Jiang Qiehuo to take the initiative to ask for a job at Huo Duoduo's store was still no problem at all.
“You will definitely go. Walk toward Jingle Street—there's a 'Has-It-All' General Store there. You really, really want to go work there.”
Jiang Qiehuo: “...I really want to go work there... Yes, I do want to go. Since you recommended it, take me there.”
That was precisely Fang Yuan's intention as well.
After all, Huo Duoduo had promised that once she found two workers, she would tell her the location of the Divine Relic that could snatch Blessings.
And so, Fang Yuan reached out an index finger to rub Tuantuo's head. “Big Sister Tuantuo, I'm taking her to her workplace now. You should head back to the post office early too; I'm still waiting for you to teach me properly tomorrow.”
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