After thoroughly venting her frustration, Miss Su Yue casually used a fire talisman to reheat the cold fried chicken. She devoured every last piece Chen Yan had bought—meant for two—and patted her little tummy with quiet satisfaction.
Dusk had fallen; the narrow alley lay pitch black. She pulled out a modified fire talisman again and murmured, "Lumos."
A soft glow illuminated a three-to-four-meter radius around her. She set the talisman on the small table, unfolded a collapsible plastic basin from her travel kit, and filled it with water using a modified water talisman.
"Fire!"
The talisman burst into flame, shot into the basin, and vanished instantly. The cool water warmed gently.
Su Yue retrieved a towel, toothbrush, and cup, then began washing up.
Oddly, though she hadn’t bathed in four days—and had once reeked from rummaging through trash cans—the odor vanished after changing clothes. She touched her smooth, dewy cheeks. Not a trace of sweat.
"Do Bloodkin even need to wash?" Su Yue wondered aloud. Her body had warmth, hunger, metabolism… yet no need for restrooms, no body odor. *Maybe it’s magic.* In her past cultivation world, spiritual energy cleansed the body. Perhaps the Bloodkin evolved it into a passive trait.
Still, she soaked the towel in warm water, wrung it out, and pressed it to her face. The soft, fragrant cloth felt soothing. She rubbed her cheeks firmly—a quiet delight.
*A Bloodkin who loves warmth… am I weird?*
After packing the talismans into the cardboard box, she shifted the small table off the sleeping bag and crawled inside. The bag was roomy but drafty. Tucking half her face deep within, she pulled the drawstring tight.
"Good night," she whispered, eyes closing.
She slept soundly.
...
At dawn, Su Yue packed the table, sunshade umbrella, and talismans into a box and carried it across the alley to the pedestrian plaza.
Chen Yan hadn’t come with breakfast. A flicker of irritation stirred—*See? My guess was right.*
"He’s definitely off chasing some other gullible non-human girl!"
*But whatever. Miss Su Yue isn’t mad. Miss Su Yue wants cash.* She steadied her mood and set up shop.
She erected the umbrella, unfolded the table, arranged modified talismans by type, and propped up a sign cut from her old cardboard shelter: *Magic Toys – Three Yuan per Sheet* (written boldly in cinnabar ink for visibility). Waste not, want not.
Plopping onto the spare box, she waited eagerly for her first customer.
Monday morning rush hour. Commuters hurried past—some glancing curiously at her stall, others stealing extra looks at her pretty face—but none stopped. *Not my crowd anyway.* Her eyes scanned the crowd… then lit up. *Customers!*
A cluster of elementary school boys strolled by in uniforms and backpacks.
"Hey, boys! Want to see magic toys?" Su Yue stood, waving brightly.
A stout boy with a tough-looking face glanced over, intrigued by the strange papers. He beckoned his friends and swaggered forward—the group’s ringleader.
"What’re you selling?" he demanded, looming over her with zero politeness.
Su Yue tilted her head up, bewildered. *Wait… all of them are taller than me?* She stood at 160 cm! Tentatively: "You’re… elementary students?"
*Do uniforms differ here? Are they actually high schoolers?*
"Yeah? Don’t I look it?" His chubby cheeks jiggled. At nearly 170 cm, he was intimidating—*especially to Su Yue*. Back in her pre-reincarnation life, sixth graders barely hit 160 cm.
"N-no! Very mature-looking!" She waved dismissively.
"Tch. Auntie, you talk too much. What *are* these 'magic props'? Real magic? I heard that stuff’s government-regulated. Scam us, and me and my buddies won’t go easy on you."
*Auntie?!* Irritation flared. Her fists clenched tight—then slowly loosened.
*Harmony brings wealth. Harmony brings wealth. Don’t stoop to a kid’s level.*
"Of course it works. Watch." She pinched a wind talisman, aimed at him, and chanted: "Wingardium Leviosa."
A gust swirled beneath his feet, lifting him gently ten centimeters off the ground—a height she’d carefully calibrated.
"Whoa! I’m flying!" The ringleader gaped at his hovering feet, wriggling excitedly. His friends gasped.
"Hey—don’t thrash! You’ll fall!"
Too late. He tried spinning. His weight rolled; the weakened talisman sputtered with a mournful *whoosh* and vanished. He tumbled down—*thump*—landing squarely on his butt.
"Ow! My butt!"
"Boss!"
*Oh no.* Su Yue facepalmed. *Are they gonna gang up on me? If I fight back… does assaulting a minor count extra?*
