For the first time in his life, Li Chengyi saw his sister cry.

He stood in the kitchen, holding a glass of water, watching Li Chengjiu tremble, overcome by tears, lost and bewildered.

“It’s alright, I’m going back. Everything will be fine,” Marianne gently patted Li Chengyi on the back.

“Everything will be okay…”

She released Li Chengjiu, sighed, and turned to leave.

As she passed the kitchen, she gave Li Chengyi a small smile.

*Bang.*

The security door closed with a dull thud.

Holding the glass, Li Chengyi realized there was no need to bring it over anymore.

He looked at his sister, who stood there, her whole body shaking with sobs, then raised his head and drank the water in one gulp.

As for Li Chengjiu, she had always been selfish, domineering, self-centered, ignoring their parents and neglecting the family, only caring about what she could take from them.

Both he and his former self held a very low opinion of her.

So, even seeing her cry now stirred no particular feelings in him. The recent conversation might hint at some hidden reason behind her behavior, but his former self knew his sister well—if she had secrets, they were unlikely to be anything good or noble.

What really struck him, however, was the sudden surge of malice that had come out of nowhere.

He’d gone to Song Ran outside for help in dealing with some thugs, and even then, the malice he accumulated had only added a few points.

But just now, in those few seconds, his malice level had shot up from 89% to 100%!

Such a terrifying rate was beyond anything he’d seen before, only comparable to what happened when he encountered Meng Dongdong.

But back then, Meng Dongdong had been backed into a corner, generating intense, murderous intent toward him before he ultimately absorbed her malice upon killing her.

This time, however, Li Chengyi felt as though he’d gained it effortlessly.

‘For malice to be absorbed, it has to be generated first and then immediately extinguished. So, in that brief moment just now, someone directed powerful malice toward me, only for it to disappear completely a second later?’

Li Chengyi set down the glass, left the kitchen, walked past Li Chengjiu, and sat at the dining table to continue his breakfast.

He began to suspect that the source of the malice was, perhaps, Marianne.

An initial thought of malice toward him that then quickly vanished as her feelings changed.

That was certainly possible.

Reflecting on the recent events, Li Chengyi slowly peeled his egg, taking small bites.

‘Anyway, the first evolution of the Wisteria Flower Scale Armor is finally complete. Next, I should be able to start the second evolution. Perhaps...’

However the malice came about, he’d absorbed it all, and that was enough—a perfect outcome.

The next step was completing the second evolution, which would allow him to unlock a new flower deity slot.

‘Evolution complete. Flower Scale Armor upgraded. Flower language upgraded.’

Suddenly, a new stream of information flooded Li Chengyi’s mind, and the “Flower of Malice” on the back of his right hand began to emit a faint purple glow.

A second segment, adjacent to the Wisteria slot on the twelve-part grid, also started to glow with a new purple-black light.

‘Complete one evolution, and a new flower deity slot unlocks. The second evolution adds no further upgrades, only the ability to integrate external armor.’

‘Unlocking the second flower deity slot...’

‘Slot unlocked. Please select a new flower to fill it.’

Li Chengyi was just about to peel his second egg when his hand froze.

He had assumed two full evolutions were needed to unlock a new flower deity slot.

He hadn’t expected that the second evolution’s sole purpose would be to merge with external armor.

*Bang.*

The loud closing of the front door snapped Li Chengyi out of his thoughts.

Returning to his senses, he realized he was alone in the house—his sister had left, though he didn’t know where she’d gone.

He didn’t care. Instead, he was filled with anticipation for the new flower deity slot.

What kind of flower should he choose for the second slot, and what kind of flower language would it grant? This was what excited him the most at the moment.

For a moment, countless flower language abilities he had researched and collected over time flashed through his mind.

After quickly finishing his second egg, he downed some milk and stuffed a few cookies into his mouth. He then got up, grabbed his charger and power bank, and hurried out the door.

He took the elevator, called a cab, and headed straight to the nearest botanical garden.

---

About twenty minutes later, he arrived at the entrance of Wanhe Botanical Garden.

Li Chengyi opened the car door, paid the fare via his phone, and looked up at the garden’s entrance.

The golden characters for “Wanhe Botanical Garden” stood out against a backdrop of gray-white tiles.

The botanical garden was set up much like a zoo, with a ticket booth at the entrance.

The main gate was a two-story trapezoidal stone structure. A small entrance with simple white railings and a ticket-checking attendant served as a fast lane.

Looking over, he saw over a dozen people already lined up at the entrance.

He stepped forward and glanced through the fast lane, where he saw a long, winding white path beyond.

The path, about five meters wide, was bordered with flower beds planted with seasonal blooms—pansies, yellow chrysanthemums, and similar flowers.

A colorful display of yellow, red, purple, and white stretched as far as he could see. A gentle breeze made the blossoms quiver, creating a breathtaking sight.

Li Chengyi suppressed his excitement, maintaining a calm expression as he quickly headed toward the fast lane.

After a five-minute wait, he reached the front.

Following two elderly women taking photos together, he received a garden brochure and a map.

“This way, over here, everyone in Group 3, gather here!” A young guide in a red cap shouted into a loudspeaker under a large tree near the entrance path.

“Group 3 members, gather here! If anyone needs the restroom, go now, as it’ll be a while before the next one.”

The guide handed out armbands as the group gathered around.

Li Chengyi bypassed the group, walking along the right side of the flowerbed.

The flower beds were mainly filled with variously colored pansies and chrysanthemums.

He’d previously checked pansies.

However, the ones here seemed slightly different, so he extended a cautious hand, thinking he might stumble upon a new variety.

‘Yellow Pansy: moderately hardy, prefers cool, sunny environments. Exposure to sunlight significantly affects its blooming. Medicinally, it has antibacterial properties and can treat acne, pimples, and allergies. Bloom period: April to July.’

‘Flower Language: Bittersweet Emotions (Activating flower language will provide a two-sided coin that, when flipped, will grant temporary good fortune if it lands heads-up or bad luck if tails-up.)’

‘Flower Scale Armor Collection Rate: 1%, Evolvable Once.’

A useless ability.

Li Chengyi withdrew his hand with a sigh.

Currently, his top choice remained gladiolus. He had searched through many flowers, most associated with love, which he found irrelevant.

Only the gladiolus’ flower language of “resilience” intrigued him.

As its meaning suggested, it could temporarily enhance his physical and mental resilience, making him immune to external forces or internal turmoil.

If used well, it would be a powerful skill. His only concern was the unknown magnitude of the enhancement.

Taking his eyes off the pansies, Li Chengyi continued deeper along the path into the botanical garden.

The park was vast, with a distant view of a small lake, a hillside, and wooden bridges—a perfect tourist attraction.

Perhaps due to funding issues, many of the park’s basic facilities were worn down, with some corners left unrepaired.

Li Chengyi touched various flowers as he walked. Although he had checked many of them before, he meticulously re-examined each one to ensure he didn’t miss any rare varieties.

His slow pace meant that, while others had already disappeared down the trail, he was still at the entrance, lingering and inspecting every few steps.

Though he mostly encountered repeat flowers, he continued to enjoy the process.

Soon, a patch of white-petaled flowers with an orange-yellow center caught his attention.

These tiny flowers grew among the weeds at the base of the flowerbeds, likely missed due to their modest appearance.

He thought they were chrysanthemums, as he’d encountered many before, but he extended his hand to touch them just to be sure.

‘Spring Erigeron: A herbaceous plant of the daisy family. Young shoots can be used as green manure, and its leaves have diuretic properties. Highly resilient, it can sprout within three days in suitable conditions, or within two days in optimal warmth.

Bloom period: March to May. The flowers close at night, with blooms lasting one to one and a half months.’

‘Flower Language: Adaptability (Passive ability. Quickly adjusts the body to match environmental conditions, granting stronger survival skills from surroundings. Adaptation period: two days.)’

‘Flower Scale Armor Collection Rate: 1%, Evolvable: Unknown.’

Adaptability?

Li Chengyi was taken aback.

This was the first time he’d encountered a flower language like this, one that allowed him to adapt to his surroundings within two days and gain enhanced survival skills.

What did “survival skills” encompass?

He was intrigued.

Based on the resilience of Spring Erigeron, its seeds could sprout within two days of planting—an impressive speed indeed.

Reflecting on the adaptability and resilience of the Spring Erigeron, Li Chengyi thought, “Just two days for seeds to sprout in the soil—this speed is truly remarkable.”

‘Still, it’s already July now, past its blooming season. These little flowers must be remnants that haven’t wilted yet, likely hanging on due to the temperature.’

The idea of acquiring such an impressive adaptive ability was tempting. If he could obtain it, it might give him a solid survival advantage even in perilous environments.

Though the adaptation period was a bit lengthy—two full days—it could still evolve. Moreover, wearing the Flower Scale Armor would amplify the flower language's capabilities…

‘Based on what I’ve read, not all dead-end environments are merely inconvenient. Some are highly dangerous, lacking air, with high pressure, intense radiation, and other extreme conditions. Without sufficient preparation, it would be nearly impossible to survive… In situations like that, the adaptability granted by the Spring Erigeron’s flower language would be invaluable.’

What a pity…

Li Chengyi withdrew his hand, feeling a pang of regret. If he hadn’t been so focused on preparing for the Gleis Parking Lot, he might not have missed out on this unique ability.

He recalled that just recently, these little Spring Erigerons had been everywhere along the roadside, in plentiful supply. If he could only choose this flower as his second flower deity and make it his primary flower, perhaps…

But, as he reminded himself, there were no “what ifs” in reality.