The Witch Empire was a god-level civilization that spanned three main universes.
The planet where Su Ling lived was an ordinary residential planet in the First Universe of the Witch Empire called Azure Star.
Like other planets in the Witch Empire, Azure Star was divided by social class.
The filthiest and most dilapidated area was known as the Lower City, while the rest were collectively referred to as the Upper City.
To those living in the Lower City, the Upper City was like heaven.
Sister Jing had sent Su Ling an address located in the Upper City, saying that Ji Lingyuan would pick her up there.
It made sense; anyone who could shell out 10,000 a day to hire a girlfriend had to be from the Upper City.
Sitting on a decrepit bus, Su Ling hugged her backpack and watched the scenery race past the window. Her heart was a mix of anxiety and anticipation.
‘That’s the Upper City… the true heart of the Witch civilization.’
The level of civilization and technology in the Lower City was extremely backward compared to the rest of the empire.
For instance, the bus she was currently riding even used a diesel engine that was countless versions out of date.
In the Upper City, she had heard that transportation involved spatial travel, just like science fiction movies on Earth. How could Su Ling not look forward to that?
Of course, what Su Ling looked forward to most were the beautiful and delicious desserts in the Upper City.
She had once seen a Witch from the Upper City post photos of desserts online and was immediately captivated.
‘Miao Miao would definitely love those delicate sweets. I’ll buy a piece for her once I’m done today. Hehe, she’ll be so happy.’
Thinking of this, Su Ling actually let out a small giggle.
Girls naturally loved sweet things.
Food in the Lower City was generally greasy and filling, designed primarily to satisfy hunger; appearance and texture were not things a Witch from the Lower City could afford to consider.
The bus wasn’t slow, but the journey still took over one hour.
By the time it arrived, Su Ling felt like her body was about to fall apart from the bumpy ride.
Her initial excitement had gradually faded into drowsiness.
Just as her small head was about to bump into the seat in front of her, the bus came to a halt, jolting her awake.
She had reached her destination.
The address Sister Jing provided was a platform on the outskirts of the Upper City.
Quite a few people were standing there.
Following the crowd off the bus, Su Ling shook her head to clear the grogginess, which helped her feel much better.
It was already midday.
The sun was high in the sky, and Su Ling’s stomach began to growl.
Su Ling: “Sister Jing, I’ve arrived.”
She took out her phone and sent a message to Sister Jing.
Suddenly, a figure appeared behind her.
“Su Ling, right?”
A cool, clear voice came from behind, accompanied by a faint, chilly fragrance that drifted into her nose.
Su Ling was startled and instinctively turned around. When she saw the newcomer, she froze.
The woman had a sharp mullet-style haircut.
The short hair traced cold lines against her neck, while the longer strands in the back added a touch of unruly boldness.
She was tall and upright, wearing a long black trench coat that draped down to her calves.
As she walked, the hem swept across the ground, carrying an intimidating aura that warned others not to approach.
The profile of her face was sharp, and a permanent coldness sat between her brows.
When she looked up, her gaze was as indifferent as frost.
Yet, she possessed a pair of slender, porcelain hands with distinct joints.
Whether they were tucked in her pockets or lightly brushing her coat, they exuded an air of effortless, mature elegance.
Those hands…
Su Ling’s face instantly flushed.
She had a deep impression of those slender, bony fingers. Not long ago, those hands had…
The woman was her employer for this job, Ji Lingyuan.
Ji Lingyuan watched Su Ling’s blushing face, and a slight ripple of emotion stirred in her heart.
Su Ling stood there with her head bowed, her waist-length white hair spilling over her shoulders like moonlight.
The tips of her hair brushed against her skin, accentuating her small, petal-like face that was tinged with a faint crimson.
Her cherry-pink eyes were hidden behind long lashes, their gaze timid like a cherry blossom bud wet with morning dew—pure and inexperienced. Even her fingertips were slightly curled in girlish shyness.
‘Pure? Shy?’
Ji Lingyuan felt like laughing.
She didn’t know how she could associate those words with the girl in front of her.
She knew exactly what kind of person Su Ling was.
However…
Ji Lingyuan tilted Su Ling’s chin up.
This slightly aggressive move caused Su Ling’s heart to skip a beat.
‘This face is truly beautiful.’
Ji Lingyuan had to admit that this face alone was worth the 10,000 she was paying.
“Um… hello. I’m Su Ling.”
Ji Lingyuan was simply too overbearing.
During their first meeting a week ago, the woman had taken absolute control, leaving a profound impression on Su Ling.
At the same time, Su Ling felt a lingering fear of her.
“Yes, I know.”
Ji Lingyuan lowered her hand, her fingertips rubbing together slightly.
The lingering smooth sensation made her want more.
“Let’s go.”
Ji Lingyuan didn’t seem to be much of a talker.
As she spoke, she grabbed Su Ling’s hand and led her away from the platform.
Su Ling was filled with curiosity.
‘Where are we going? There’s no car.’
Before she could think further, she saw Ji Lingyuan take out a fist-sized, glittering polyhedron from her pocket.
Following a flash of blinding white light, Su Ling couldn’t help but close her eyes.
When she opened them, the scene had completely changed.
Towering buildings, bustling crowds, and numerous aircraft whistling through the sky.
They appeared to be on a commercial street lined with shops, and Witches were laughing and chatting in front of the entrances.
“A Space Anchor. It’s very convenient,” Ji Lingyuan explained, noticing Su Ling’s confusion.
‘Holy crap, spatial travel?’
Su Ling stared at the Space Anchor Ji Lingyuan was putting away, her eyes burning with excitement. Before she had transmigrated, she had been a graduate student in engineering, so she knew the sheer value of this level of technology.
As expected of the Witch Empire that occupied three main universes; even this kind of god-level tech was available for civilian use.
Comparing Earth to the Witch Empire wasn’t even like comparing an ant to an elephant; it was more like a single-celled organism compared to a god.
“Let’s eat first. Do you have any dietary restrictions?”
Ji Lingyuan asked, still holding Su Ling’s soft little hand as if she couldn’t bear to let go.
“I don’t… well, as long as it’s not too spicy,” Su Ling said cautiously.
In such an unfamiliar environment, she felt like a country bumpkin entering the big city, and a sense of inferiority naturally welled up.
Though, technically, she was a country bumpkin entering the big city.
“Fine. Let’s go to Wandering Bubbles, then.”
Ji Lingyuan didn’t say more.
She pulled out her phone, and a holographic map appeared before them.
‘Ugh, they’re both phones, so why is the gap so huge?’
Su Ling’s eyes were full of envy.
Thinking about her own cracked, broken phone, she felt a bitter tang in her heart.
Ji Lingyuan found the location on the holographic map.
With a tap of her finger, another familiar white light flashed.
‘No way, again?’
When Su Ling opened her eyes again, she realized they had indeed performed another spatial jump.
“The Mo Neng 9, the company’s latest model. It has the Space Anchor functionality built-in,” Ji Lingyuan explained indifferently.
Su Ling gave an awkward smile.
Why bother explaining it to her?
She couldn’t afford it anyway.
The “company” Ji Lingyuan mentioned was the Witch Interstellar Company, an unimaginably massive commercial and technological giant.
Su Ling couldn’t even afford the cheapest product they made.
The broken phone she used now was a hand-me-down from her mother, Bai Wei, and it could only browse the internet—it had none of this high-tech wizardry.
Pulling Su Ling along, Ji Lingyuan pushed open the door.
The shop called Wandering Bubbles was highly rated in the Upper City.
Once they were seated, Ji Lingyuan handed the menu to Su Ling.
“Order whatever you like.”
Despite the offer, Su Ling’s heart nearly stopped when she saw the prices.
‘What the hell? This dish called “Night Piercing Your Hand”… is it just seaweed and pig trotter? 8,888? Is this pig trotter made of gold? Or some cosmic beast?’
‘And this “Gilded Phoenix Egg”… is that just a boiled egg? 999? For half of one?’
Su Ling’s pink eyes were practically spinning in circles.
A single dish was almost worth her entire daily fee.
Seeing Su Ling’s reaction, Ji Lingyuan was a bit puzzled.
She had specifically chosen this relatively low-end place to accommodate Su Ling.
After all, Wandering Bubbles was well-regarded for being economical and affordable.
“Sigh, forget it. I’ll order.” Ji Lingyuan sighed softly and casually ordered several dishes.
Su Ling’s face was beet red.
“I’m sorry…”
‘Ugh, I’m so useless. I have no worldliness at all.
I didn’t even dare to order a dish.’
“It’s fine,” Ji Lingyuan said, shaking her head.
She didn’t say anything else, she just stared at Su Ling.
‘Hah, she really is alluring. It’s a bit of a shame, though…’
‘Such a top-tier beauty, yet she’s just a Fuli Ji from the Lower City.’
Ji Lingyuan’s heart was full of pity.
Even though Su Ling was dressed simply and modestly, that face was top-tier even in the Upper City.
When she had first seen Su Ling in the Lower City, her first thought was that it was impossible.
Such a beautiful girl, looking like a piece of art carved by a goddess, shouldn’t exist in a place like that as a Fuli Ji.
‘And yet, here I am spending 10,000 to hire someone like her as my girlfriend. Heh, I must be crazy too.’
Ji Lingyuan popped a cherry, provided by the waiter, into her mouth while she ruminated.
Opposite her, Su Ling had just tasted a cherry, and her eyes lit up.
However, she kept glancing at Ji Lingyuan as if she wanted to say something.
“It’s fine. You can take them back with you. They’re free anyway,” Ji Lingyuan said, reading Su Ling’s mind.
Su Ling felt embarrassed at having her thoughts exposed.
Nevertheless, she picked out the reddest, plumpest cherries and wrapped them in a napkin as if they were treasures before putting them in her bag.
Even though they were free, these cherries were truly delicious—sweet and tart.
They were the best cherries she had ever eaten.
She wanted to bring some back for Miao Miao to taste.
Ji Lingyuan watched Su Ling’s behavior, and a hint of disdain flashed in her heart.
‘Typical Lower City person. Well, whatever. She’s just a toy. I’ll throw her away when I’m done playing.’
Although she looked down on Su Ling’s status as a Fuli Ji, she truly couldn’t resist Su Ling’s body.
After the experience they had one week ago, she found herself still lingering on the memory even now.
“Hello, your orders are ready.”
The waiter arrived with the food.
The dishes were exquisite, each with its own poetic name.
The aroma and presentation were so perfect that Su Ling didn’t even dare to pick up her chopsticks.
Fortunately, Ji Lingyuan started eating first.
Only then did Su Ling cautiously pick up a piece of green vegetable and put it in her mouth.
The sweet, fresh taste exploded on her tongue, and Su Ling’s eyes widened.
‘Is this even a vegetable? Holy cow, how can a vegetable be this good?’
‘Too bad I can’t pack this up.’
Su Ling felt a pang of regret for Miao Miao.
At the same time, a spark of desire ignited in her heart.
‘Dammit, I have to make a lot of money! Once the debt is paid, I’ll work hard to save up and bring Miao Miao here so she can eat food like this every day!’
Watching the girl across from her act this way over a single piece of vegetable, Ji Lingyuan’s disdain grew deeper.
Simultaneously, a sense of superiority welled up within her.
‘How should I play with her when we get back? A toy like this doesn’t matter if it gets broken.’
Ji Lingyuan rested her chin on her hand, looking at Su Ling with an air of indifference as she calculated her plans for later.
She completely failed to notice a figure rapidly approaching her from behind.
“Ji Lingyuan!”
Su Ling, who was busy marveling at the food, felt her body tremble when she heard someone shout Ji Lingyuan’s name.
She looked up to see a pink-haired girl storming toward them, looking furious.
The pink-haired girl reached their table and froze for a moment when she saw the stunned Su Ling.
Then, an irrational rage flared up in her eyes.
“So this is why you wanted to break up with me! You found someone new!”
“Fine! Very well, Ji Lingyuan! You’re unbelievable!”