Chapter 116: Truly Selfish and Cold-hearted

When it came to her "targets," Qin Fang felt incredibly aggrieved. She wanted to complete her missions early, too, but reality simply wouldn't allow it.

"It takes me ten to fifteen days just for a letter to reach Qin Zonghan; my heart is willing, but my circumstances are not. And then there's Qin Zongwu—he claims I’m his most cherished person, yet the moment he turns around, he’s dating someone else. If I hadn't schemed to break them up, his heart would have flown off to that wretched woman long ago. And those two old fossils in the Qin family—I’ve been targeting them for three years, saying every sweet word imaginable, yet their favor toward me is barely passing."

Speaking of the elder Mr. and Mrs. Qin, Qin Fang was so frustrated she nearly cried. On the surface, those old vultures treated their grandsons and granddaughters the same, but in reality, they were deeply misogynistic. The best food and drink were always saved for the grandsons. When they gave her anything, it felt like an act of charity; they would repeatedly emphasize their own kindness and constantly remind her to be filial and to support her brothers. They even spouted nonsense about how a woman couldn't survive without her natal family’s backing, claiming she would be bullied otherwise. They insisted that even after marriage, she had to support her brothers so that she could live a good life once they were successful.

*Pah!* Was that even human logic? If she dedicated herself to helping her natal family, her in-laws would despise her. How would she ever live a good life that way?

Even her own parents were only slightly better, and even then, when forced to choose between a daughter and a son, the son always came first. In their eyes, a daughter was an outsider who would eventually marry off, and her greatest utility was forming a strategic alliance through marriage.

"You know what the Qin family is like. Once they found out my father was a spy, their favor plummeted. They only treat me well on the surface, still acting as if I’m their daughter, but in truth—" Qin Fang sniffled, "—they regret not kicking me out of the house years ago. They even regret cutting ties with Xu Lin. But they are elders; they couldn't possibly lower themselves to reconcile with her. Of course, the main reason is that they think Xu Lin is too low-class and beneath them. They’re afraid that if she came back, she would disgrace and blacken their family name... If it weren't for Su Liang hanging around, I would have been cast out and disowned by the Qin family long ago."

Listening to Qin Fang’s rant, Xu Lin couldn't help but exclaim internally. She even slowed her rhythmic slapping. She hadn't realized the Qin family was truly like this; all their affection was conditional. *Heh*, how selfish and cold-blooded.

Now, Xu Lin understood why they could remain indifferent in her past life even when they knew she was suffering. It was because they never saw her as their own flesh and blood; all they ever saw were interests.

"Fine, even if the Qin family are all rotten, what about the Su family? It’s been three years—why haven't you captured them yet?" the System retorted. It clearly wasn't satisfied, and its voice was just as filled with resentment as Qin Fang's.

"The Su family is even worse! They talked a big game about us getting engaged as soon as we turned eighteen, but the moment they heard I was a spy's daughter, they flipped their faces immediately. Their favor toward me plummeted, nearly dropping to zero!" Qin Fang grew more aggrieved as she spoke, covering her face and sobbing. She felt truly miserable. She had a System, she had the power of foresight—she should have been able to stay a step ahead of everyone else, so why was her life in such a shambles? Why did her biological father have to be exposed? If his identity had remained a secret, she would still be a guest of honor at the Su household.

Now, the only person she could cling to was Su Liang—he was the only source of leverage she had left—but his favor toward her had stalled. It had been stuck at eighty points for the longest time, which infuriated her. She had even let him take plenty of liberties, yet his favor still wouldn't budge. Thinking of those favor points made her want to cough up blood. She finally realized that Su Liang wasn't a good person either.

"Young lady, that’s enough. Look how miserably she’s crying; stop hitting her," a voice interrupted. Xu Lin, who had been enjoying the show, felt a tug on her arm and realized a crowd had gathered to watch the spectacle. Perhaps because Qin Fang’s crying looked so genuine, the onlookers urged Xu Lin to let her go. Xu Lin, being a very agreeable person, didn't push her luck and complied.

Qin Fang’s crying was truly pathetic. Xu Lin hadn't expected that being a spy's daughter would impact Qin Fang so heavily, effectively rewriting her entire life. In her previous life, before the truth about Xu's father being a spy came out, Qin Fang’s life had been smooth sailing—she had everything she wanted. If she wanted to promote someone, it was just a matter of a single word. She had even managed to push a waste like Xu Kun to the top.

*Heh*, Xu Lin was looking forward to seeing how far Qin Fang could go with the System's help. She wanted to strip the System away at the moment Qin Fang was most triumphant. Having traveled through thousands of planes, Xu Lin was confident in her knowledge of systems, and she was certainly not short-sighted.

She could never be unprepared for a system, so she had been quietly searching for ways to deal with them. It was the same in the metaphysical planes and the cultivation planes, though unfortunately, the skills she’d acquired in the cultivation world hadn't persisted. No matter—her metaphysical skills would suffice. Systems, *heh*, they were hardly god-like existences.

Xu Lin couldn't bring herself to destroy the System that had been with her all along, but she could be ruthless toward others' systems.

With a glimmer of anticipation, Xu Lin released Qin Fang and returned to her stall to continue selling the remaining rice and flour. She took a moment to explain why she had beaten Qin Fang, and once the crowd heard that Qin Fang had been selling her rice for one-fifty a jin, they began to curse, saying the beating was too light. A black-hearted profiteer like that deserved to be thrashed. One-fifty a jin? Was she trying to commit highway robbery?

The crowd turned their gazes toward Qin Fang like blades. Some even flashed greedy looks—rice was a precious commodity, and they were tempted to snatch it. Qin Fang, having finally scrambled to her feet, found herself surrounded by accusatory, greedy, and mocking eyes. She realized immediately that things had gone south. She wouldn't be able to sell any more rice today.

*Pah!* What rotten luck. She had spent ten points to redeem a hundred jin of rice, and hadn't sold a single bit. She didn't dare continue; she knew she had incited public outrage. Without another word, she decided it was time to leave.

Watching Qin Fang flee with her basket on her back, Xu Lin chuckled and closed her stall as well. By now, her own rice and flour had sold out. After exiting the black market, Xu Lin followed Qin Fang from a distance. When she saw a few thugs eyeing Qin Fang, she was happy to watch the show.

Under the System's warning, Qin Fang sensed the people behind her and began to run without a second thought. The sound of footsteps behind her grew faster and louder. Qin Fang’s throat burned as she ran, regretting ever coming to the black market. Thinking back to her former life, she had never once had to worry about money. *Humph*, no more. She would never come to the black market to make money again. She decided she would just be a law-abiding citizen from now on.