Chapter One: The Scheming Green Tea Reborn

"She's your sister! How could you be so heartless and cruel to hurt her like this?" The shrill, grating voice suddenly pierced the room, so noisy that Shen Qingli impatiently dug at her ear. Who would have thought that after three thousand years of cultivation to finally take human form, she, a little green tea spirit, would accidentally get swept into a battle between immortals and demons during her travels in the mortal world—only to be slain by the Supreme Immortal Lord in one strike.

She believed she would be reincarnated and enter the cycle of rebirth, but when she opened her eyes, she found herself inhabiting this body, becoming the eldest daughter of the Shen family.

The handsome man before her was none other than Lu Ziyi, her nominal fiancé.

Shen Qingli couldn't be bothered with this blockhead. Ever since Father Shen brought back his illegitimate daughter, Shen Jingrong, half a year ago, the girl had been so adept at playing the innocent that she’d bewitched him into blindly favoring her all this time.

This time, Shen Jingrong had thrown herself down the stairs, split her head open, and it had nothing to do with her.

Shen Qingli got up to leave, but he seized her arm forcefully. "Where do you think you're going? Go to the hospital and apologize to Rongrong!"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes, instinctively wanting to cast a spell, only to remember she was no longer a spirit. Maintaining the original host's domineering ways, Shen Qingli yanked her arm back and glared at him in feigned outrage. "I'm your fiancée. Why is it that you only have eyes for Shen Jingrong?"

Her face, as fair as frost and snow, was bewitching and enchanting, but her overbearing attitude only made Lu Ziyi grow more disgusted the longer he looked.

"A vicious woman like you could never be worthy of me. Rongrong is still lying in the hospital—you're going, whether you want to or not!" Lu Ziyi grabbed her harder, dragging her toward the door.

Men in the mortal world really were irritating from every angle. Since he insisted, she wouldn’t be polite.

Shen Qingli narrowed her eyes, aimed carefully, and kicked him without hesitation.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the room. Lu Ziyi’s face turned the color of pig’s liver, twisted in pain as he clutched himself.

She dusted off her hands with a bright smile, her voice melodious. "Men in the mortal world are just asking for it."

No sooner had she spoken than a cheerful voice sounded in her mind.

"Ding-dong—Congratulations, Host! Life Winner System has been activated. I am your system, Verdant Parsley."

What in the world?

Shen Qingli frowned and quickly glanced around.

Verdant Parsley’s sweet voice chimed, "Rest assured, Host. I exist only in your mind and mean you no harm!"

"Additionally, your first side task has been activated: slap Lu Ziyi in the face. Each successful task earns you five to twenty face-slapping points. For every twenty points, you can exchange for a prize. The higher your points, the rarer the reward."

She had traveled through many eras among mortals, but this was the first time she’d heard of anything like this.

However—

"What if I refuse to cooperate?" Shen Qingli muttered. "It’s a clever design, but I’m not interested."

Verdant Parsley immediately produced the ultimate temptation: "If you complete all tasks, you may return to the Demon Realm and ascend to immortality on the spot."

Shen Qingli’s eyes, bright as freshly washed grapes, sparkled. "Really?"

"Of course! I’m here to help you succeed and become a winner in life!" Verdant Parsley replied gleefully.

"As a newcomer, please accept your welcome gift: a Fainting Pill." As soon as the words fell, a chocolate-colored pill appeared in her hand, and her eyes cleared.

"You crazy woman!" Lu Ziyi, having recovered a little, glared at her furiously.

Shen Qingli pocketed the pill, crossed her arms, squatted down, and curved her lips. "This is crazy?"

She twisted her wrist. Though she was just a little green tea spirit in the Demon Realm, she did have some talent for fighting.

Lu Ziyi panicked. "What are you doing?!" If he weren’t in so much pain, he would never let her have her way.

Without another word, she punched him squarely in the face.

Twin streams of blood gushed from his nose.

"You, you..." Lu Ziyi was stunned. He knew she was unreasonable, but she had always treated him with deference. Now, she was hitting him—again and again!

The thought of the humiliation the original host had suffered at his hands over the past six months made Shen Qingli all the more satisfied. She was about to deliver another punch when she suddenly heard footsteps outside.

Her brows arched, and every cell of her green tea spirit nature came alive.

With a “click,” the door opened.

Huddled in the corner, Shen Qingli raised tear-filled eyes, a fleeting brilliance passing over them.

The man who entered wore a long black coat, his tall, upright figure accented by it. His face was strikingly handsome—so much so it bordered on the divine—especially those finely sculpted phoenix eyes, enough to make anyone lose themselves at a glance.

Damn, she’d seen countless spirits in the Demon Realm, but none as beautiful as this mortal!

Well, except for that Supreme Immortal Lord she’d glimpsed during the celestial-demon battle. But she’d always held him in disdain.

If not for that Immortal Lord, she wouldn’t have died so young in spirit years.

"Ding-dong—Host has triggered the main storyline: please ensnare Lu Ziyi’s archrival. The conquest points and face-slapping points are identical in rewards."

Shen Qingli couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

Lu Ziyi, the favored grandson of the Lu family, had tried many times to inherit the family business, but had never succeeded because of Xie Jinchuan. He’d nursed resentment for years, scheming behind the scenes to bring his rival down.

As his third uncle, Xie Jinchuan—who took his mother's surname—was now the head of the Lu family. His unpredictable temperament and unmatched skill made him a man at the pinnacle of power.

If these two clashed, and she fanned the flames, wouldn’t there be a great show to watch?

"What’s going on?"

Xie Jinchuan’s voice was cool and oddly chilling.

Looking thoroughly disheveled, Shen Qingli’s tears fell in streams. With reddened eyes and a choked voice, she said, "Uncle, I didn’t push Shen Jingrong. He… for Shen Jingrong, he… he…" She bit her lower lip pitifully, as if she could barely keep herself together.

The red marks on her white neck stood out starkly.

Lu Ziyi hadn’t expected her to twist the facts so quickly, diving into the act with such skill. His eyes burned with rage. "You were the one who hit me first!" At this point, he didn’t care about his dislike for Xie Jinchuan—he pointed at his bloody nose. "What, do you think I did this to myself?"

Xie Jinchuan’s deep gaze swept coolly over his face, then fell on Shen Qingli, her hair tousled and clothes in disarray.

A flicker of subtle, unreadable emotion passed through his phoenix eyes.

"I… I was just defending myself," she stammered, trembling as if truly bullied, all trace of her usual arrogance gone.

Lu Ziyi was so angry at her performance he slammed his hand on the table, gritted his teeth through the pain, and lunged to grab her collar. "You hurt Rongrong and now you’re slandering me—you…"

His furious words had not yet faded when Shen Qingli’s face went deathly pale and, without warning, she fainted dead away.