After several days of testing the waters, even Zhang Yemiao had to admit one thing: even if her own fondness for Wang Qi had reached the required level, his feelings for her clearly hadn’t.
He probably still saw her as a nuisance deep down—after all, she’d been holding him back. But wasn’t it Wang Qi himself who’d decided to hide away and avoid adventures?
*Need to find a way to boost Wang Qi’s affection… Wait, am I moving too fast?*
Finally calming down, Zhang Yemiao realized she’d been rushing things. Wang Qi would never accept that, would he? Even if he did something under her coaxing, their relationship would change fundamentally.
So it was wrong. Her earlier thoughts had been too simplistic. Most importantly—Wang Qi just wasn’t biting.
Zhang Yemiao felt like a failure. She’d done embarrassingly intimate things yet received no reciprocation. Back when she was a guy, she’d never had a girlfriend. Now she was at the confession stage, but success wasn’t guaranteed—just like how Wang Qi refused to take the bait.
*If I weren’t weaker than him, I’d just tie him up and force myself on him already.*
She’d leveled up—from Beginner Tier 1 to Mid Tier 1. Her stats had increased slightly, and so had the effects she could imbue…
"Wang Qi, take this hoe to till the fields. According to my talent, it gives a 1% yield bonus. It’s not much, but to get rich, you’ve got to squeeze every drop from the little things."
Wang Qi took the ordinary-looking hoe. *A 1% yield bonus… If it were 5%, that’d be impressive. But 1%…*
From his expression, Zhang Yemiao knew exactly what he was thinking. She proudly placed her hands on her hips. "Hmph! Foolish human! Though the hoe only gives 1% yield bonus, there’s more!"
Wang Qi looked at his Dorm Leader in surprise as Zhang Yemiao dashed into her room and returned with an armful of items.
"Hmph~ Behold! A 1% yield bonus straw hat! 1% bonus gloves! 1% bonus boots, shirt, pants, necklace, and bracelets!" Zhang Yemiao beamed with pride. "Add your hoe, and I call this the *Goddess of Harvest Set*! An 8% total yield boost! For a one-time payment of 998 gold, it can be yours—*yowch!*" She rubbed her head after Wang Qi flicked her forehead for running off the rails.
Still, Wang Qi was genuinely impressed. "This set is insane. I thought you could only enchant items forged in your furnace?"
"Hmph! This is a *talent skill*—endless possibilities!"
"You could make a ring and earrings for the set to hit 10%," Wang Qi suggested suddenly.
Zhang Yemiao shot him a glare. "I wish! Those require *gems*! Rings and earrings made from ordinary stones aren’t legit!"
"Then what about this pendant…?"
"I’d prefer you call it a *charm*."
Wang Qi paused at her words. A soft smile spread across his face. "Good job, Dorm Leader. With this 8% boost, we’ll start accumulating surplus wealth."
Honestly, this "Goddess of Harvest Set" would barely qualify as white-tier gear in a game—abysmal base stats, only a niche effect with low bonuses.
But it was the best Zhang Yemiao could manage. She’d worked late into the nights crafting these pieces while Wang Qi sold farm tools by day. Only items she personally forged carried stat bonuses before her enchantment skill unlocked.
She couldn’t have done it before reaching Mid Tier 1. Thankfully, her stat growth made it possible.
*What next? After the Goddess of Harvest Set… obviously a combat set.*
Zhang Yemiao recalled games from her Earth days—magic damage reduction, true damage, armor penetration…
Even with just 1% per item and a single effect, stacking enough accessories could reach 10%—just like her harvest set.
She returned to her room, opened a cabinet, and pulled out a wooden box. Inside lay their assets: gold, silver, and copper coins. Zhang Yemiao managed their finances, just like back in school.
*An iron hoe sells for about one silver coin… Iron’s expensive here. Copper’s more common, but iron tools last longer. Bronze Age vs. Iron Age, after all.*
Lost in these thoughts, she began hammering metal.
"*What shape should a sword be…?*"
Recalling diagrams from Wang Qi’s books, she attempted her first weapon in this world.
Weapons could be synthesized at Tier 2, but the system never said she couldn’t forge manually.
*Relying on the system won’t get us far. We must stay ahead of it.*
*Clang!* The iron piece warped under her hammer.
*Back to the furnace. Add carbon powder. Try again.*
Weapons were far harder than hoes. Precision mattered—sharpness without sacrificing durability.
"*No hydraulic press to test tensile strength… this is troublesome.*"
*Should I apprentice at a city smithy? But looking like this… might attract unwanted attention.*
She shook her head. *No. Fail once, try again. With extended lifespans from leveling, I’ll master this eventually.*
As she raised her hammer again, she wondered why Wang Qi wasn’t helping. Since her breakthrough to Mid Tier 1, he’d been selling goods in town daily.
*"You draw too much attention, Dorm Leader. I’ll handle sales until our smithy gains fame."*
But Zhang Yemiao worried. What if he ran into Li Pingtian preaching again…?
She didn’t dislike Li Pingtian—he was genuinely kind. *That’s* why she felt uneasy.
Still, she wasn’t overly concerned. Wang Qi and Li Pingtian were friends, but not *that* close. Li Pingtian’s affection for him couldn’t possibly match her own obsessive level.
*Besides… Wang Qi shares everything he learns about this world when he returns.*
*If Li Pingtian can preach openly, her church status must be high. Meanwhile, we’re just peasants. In a world where power rules, clergy rank above farmers.*
*Clang!* Another crooked piece of iron.
She sighed, setting down her tools. Wang Qi had promised never to abandon her, yet he still went to town alone. He’d be back by afternoon, but the solitude frightened her.
Stepping outside, she gazed at the garden and farmland. *Maybe this world isn’t so bad? Like Wang Qi said—I don’t want to return to Earth either.*
*It’s too hard.*
Not everyone could cling to a goal. Most just drifted with the current. Zhang Yemiao knew she was one of them.
*Must we go back just because we came here?*
That’s why she couldn’t connect with Li Pingtian or Zou Moan—those two had unshakable wills. She was just… weak.
*What about Wang Qi?*
She had to admit: she didn’t truly know him. He claimed to want a quiet life, and he lived it…
But Zhang Yemiao wasn’t naive.
She’d noticed the extra insect meat he took on the plains. The nights he slipped out, returning just before dawn to wash up.
She didn’t think he was doing evil. But if he truly wanted seclusion… why train so fiercely in secret?
She’d seen it all. That’s why she’d crafted the harvest set. *Will he understand…? After all my flirting, he didn’t take the hint. He probably missed my meaning entirely.*
*Is this what being a woman does to you?*
She smirked wryly. Since becoming a girl, she’d grown needlessly complicated. Once carefree, now she overthought every action—wondering what *he’d* think.
*What a troublesome guy.*
*Does he find me annoying?*
*Even I think I’m troublesome… yet I don’t want him to think so. How troublesome.*
Dizzy from her own thoughts, Zhang Yemiao almost punched herself.
Then—her frown vanished. She beamed toward the path. "You’re back?"
"Yeah. I’m back."
