DEG - Chapter 37
Chapter 37: Extra 2
After sending a suitor away, Luo Nanqiu turned around to find Jiang Xun gone.
Looking up, she saw that Jiang Xun, seemingly afraid of disturbing the confession atmosphere between her and the suitor, had taken it upon herself to hide in a nearby tree. The dense leaves concealed most of her figure.
Sensing Luo Nanqiu's gaze, Jiang Xun pushed aside the branches, her fair, jade-like face emerging from the lush greenery.
"Nanqiu!" Jiang Xun called out with a smile, her gray eyes filled with warmth. She jumped down from the branch and came to Luo Nanqiu's side.
Although Jiang Xun had tried to stay out of the way, she had heard the entire confession and naturally knew that Luo Nanqiu had rejected the person without hesitation.
Luo Nanqiu pouted, irritably picking a leaf from Jiang Xun's hair. She was very dissatisfied with Jiang Xun's complete lack of reaction to her being confessed to.
Because it once again made her realize that the bond between them, their childhood friendship, had yet to change for Jiang Xun.
-Jiang Xun didn't like her.
A trace of annoyance filled her heart. Luo Nanqiu said irritably, "You got to watch the show again."
But the murmur was tinged with a bit of complaint, making it sound all the more intimate and familiar.
"What show was that?" Jiang Xun blinked. "It's just that my Eldest Miss is too popular!"
She took the fallen leaf from Luo Nanqiu and carefully tucked it into her pocket.
Luo Nanqiu glanced sideways at Jiang Xun, wanting to analyze her expression, desperate to know if Jiang Xun was even a little bit jealous.
But no matter how much she observed and analyzed Jiang Xun, Luo Nanqiu could never guess what was on her mind.
She probed with a complaint, "How come fewer people have been confessing to you lately?"
Fewer?
Jiang Xun was taken aback. To be honest, she didn't pay attention to such things.
After Nanqiu's reminder, Jiang Xun vaguely recalled that she had indeed been stopped less often recently.
But as for the reason-
"They probably all know I was accepted into the military academy and suspect I've had a falling out with you and the Luo Family. Getting close to me won't get them close to the Luo Family," Jiang Xun quickly concluded.
"Do you really think all your suitors are taking an indirect route, pursuing you just to get to me?!" Luo Nanqiu couldn't hide her shock, almost wanting to shake the water out of Jiang Xun's brain.
But seeing Jiang Xun's earnest expression, she was momentarily speechless.
Ahhh, Jiang Xun is just so dense!
Luo Nanqiu was on the verge of a breakdown, thinking of her sister who coveted Jiang Xun and the classmates who had their eyes on her.
Suddenly, she felt that Jiang Xun being dense wasn't so bad after all.
It's just...
"Ah Xun, what kind of person do you even like?"
"Me?" Jiang Xun was also a little lost. Honestly, she had never considered the question.
Perhaps she felt her emotional life was already complete. For kinship and friendship, the Eldest Miss alone was enough to satisfy her.
Although there were many people in the world, the Eldest Miss filled her entire world to the brim.
"Yes, what kind of partner would you like?!"
Luo Nanqiu hoped Jiang Xun would answer, but she hoped even more that Jiang Xun would question her: Why are you asking this? Do you have improper intentions toward me?
The former would be good, but the latter would mean Jiang Xun had finally gotten a clue.
But Jiang Xun scratched her chin, thought for a long while, and said in frustration, "I really can't think of anything."
"Why must there be romance in life?"
"As long as I have Nanqiu with me, that's enough!"
Her tone was cheerful. Luo Nanqiu's heart skipped a beat. Even though she knew Jiang Xun was completely clueless, still...
"That's not for sure. Maybe you'll meet someone at university, someone you like, and your whole life will revolve around her."
"How is that possible?!" Jiang Xun was incredulous.
"First of all, that's impossible. Actually..."
Luo Nanqiu didn't want to hear these useless words. "Actually, you don't have to worry about me when you find a partner. As long as you and she are happy, just leave a place for me in your lives."
She repeated the words she had repeated a thousand times before, so familiar it was as if her body spoke them by instinct.
But her tone grew more and more dejected, and a sour feeling spread through her heart.
So sour.
So strange.
She used to be so magnanimous.
She used to think that it didn't matter who Jiang Xun's girlfriend was.
"Mhm." The crucial part was that Jiang Xun even nodded. "I will follow the Eldest Miss's teachings. My girlfriend will always be number one here, equal in status to the Eldest Miss!"
She sounded like a player. What was even more infuriating was that Luo Nanqiu herself had instilled this concept in her, and now Jiang Xun was just quickly summarizing what she was about to say.
Luo Nanqiu, furious, gave Jiang Xun a hard pinch.
Jiang Xun pretended to grimace in pain, but in reality, the Eldest Miss's pinch wasn't hard at all.
Luo Nanqiu didn't understand how she had fallen in love with Jiang Xun either.
They were childhood sweethearts, once even on the same household register. Logically, such a deep bond should have most easily developed into familial affection.
Luo Nanqiu used to think so too.
Jiang Xun was the most important thing in her life, her most important family member. She wanted to spend her whole life with her.
That's what she had naively thought as a child.
In truth, she had liked her from the very first glance.
Although through the glass, she thought her new stepsister was a bit silly, seeing how she later helped her deal with the gardener, she wasn't that silly after all.
So Luo Nanqiu allowed Jiang Xun to come find her again and again.
Luo Nanqiu was not an active child. She was like a lazy cat, composed and thoughtful from a young age. But Jiang Xun was different; she was a dog, happy every day without a single worry.
Every day, she would grab the cat by the scruff of its neck and start a day of play.
Luo Nanqiu felt there was a sense of salvation in her relationship with Jiang Xun.
Jiang Xun saved her. With her optimism and cheerfulness, she repeatedly rescued the gloomy girl from fire and water, sparing her from years of torment from overthinking and pessimism.
Jiang Xun was the most important thing in her life.
So when did she realize she was in love with Jiang Xun?
It must have been not long ago, right after she agreed to let Jiang Xun apply to the military academy. Her "plastic" sister had suddenly come over to ask her.
"You're actually letting her go to such a dangerous place." The tone seemed to mock their relationship as being nothing special, as if to say, Look, you're sending Jiang Xun there, pushing her into a pit of fire.
Luo Nanqiu knew she had always liked Jiang Xun.
"So?" Her brows furrowed, and her pale pink lips curled with a hint of coldness.
"Since her position in your heart is nothing special, then of course I'm going to pursue her and make her mine."
She gave Luo Nanqiu a wink. "For the sake of our superficial friendship all these years, how about we make a deal? Let Jiang Xun go on a date with me."
At that time, Luo Nanqiu still naively believed that she and Jiang Xun were just friends-though with the qualifier that she was the most important person to Jiang Xun.
She knew many people liked Jiang Xun, but she never cared, because she knew with absolute certainty that Jiang Xun's mind wasn't on such things. Jiang Xun wouldn't accept anyone's confession, wouldn't date anyone, wouldn't hold hands or kiss anyone...
That's why the old Luo Nanqiu had always been incredibly magnanimous, so much so that she could entertain hypothetical situations where Jiang Xun had a girlfriend other than her.
But now, that hazy curtain had been suddenly ripped away. This person had rudely barged in, telling her to inform Jiang Xun-that she wanted to date Jiang Xun.
She wanted to be Jiang Xun's girlfriend. She wanted to hold hands with Jiang Xun, kiss her...
Luo Nanqiu's heart inexplicably seized.
"Why should I be the one to relay messages for matters between you two?" Luo Nanqiu feigned indifference, glancing at the person, the coldness in her eyes impossible to conceal.
But the person just smiled, not caring at all.
"I get it. You've given your permission."
Luo Nanqiu's "plastic" friend was named Liu Si. Her family had some business dealings with the Luo Family, so she was able to exchange a few words with Luo Nanqiu.
But she wasn't interested in this overly calculating Eldest Miss. Instead, it was the happy little puppy by the Eldest Miss's side; Liu Si knew just by thinking about it that being with her would surely be fun.
It was just a pity she was too loyal to Luo Nanqiu. How strange. You two are sisters, aren't you? How did you end up living like conjoined twins who have to stick together?
In any case, Liu Si had asked Jiang Xun out on a date once, but was rejected with the excuse, "I have to study flower arranging with the Eldest Miss."
Really, what was there to study about flower arranging?
Liu Si didn't think Jiang Xun was the type of person who had the patience to arrange flowers with Luo Nanqiu.
She'd be better off going on a date with her.
After a few more rejections, Liu Si began to suspect that for either of them to leave the other's side, they probably needed the other's permission.
Liu Si started to think Jiang Xun wasn't so great after all.
If she got together with her, wouldn't she immediately gain a cyber mother-in-law?
Luo Nanqiu was so annoying.
But she still asked Jiang Xun out in Luo Nanqiu's name.
"About this date, I've already told her, you know," Liu Si said, her gaze resentful.
"I was even going to have her tell you about it."
Jiang Xun felt something was strange, but seeing Luo Nanqiu standing not far away without refuting Liu Si's words, she knew Luo Nanqiu had tacitly approved.
Even stranger.
Jiang Xun thought, but Liu Si gave her no chance to hesitate, grabbing her hand and saying, "Let's go. I've been looking forward to this for a long time!"
To be honest, even before the date began, it didn't feel real to Jiang Xun.
She was even able to send messages to Luo Nanqiu from Liu Si's car.
"Nanqiu, be careful. The business partners you're meeting this afternoon, their family doesn't have clean hands."
"I strongly suspect they're involved in organized crime. Plus, he had a failed deal with your dad once, so I suspect they might be looking for revenge. Be extra, extra careful when dealing with them. It would be best to bring a few more bodyguards."
When Luo Nanqiu saw the message, she pursed her lips, but her mood suddenly improved a lot.
"Just go on your date!"
Although she sent it indignantly, Luo Nanqiu felt she was being particularly magnanimous.
Luo Nanqiu didn't think she would have any safety issues. Although this company had a failed business deal with her dad once, the proposal they submitted this time was full of sincerity.
But just as the contract was about to be finalized and Luo Nanqiu bent down to shake hands, the partner's face suddenly turned vicious.
"Damn woman, you blood-sucking capitalists who skin people alive! Why aren't you all dead yet!"
Luo Nanqiu's Ability flared in an instant, but the other person was too close. Before Luo Nanqiu could control her, she was knocked unconscious by an elbow strike.
The place she woke up in seemed to be a prison cell.
Her Optical Brain was completely disconnected. The other party probably knew her Ability was useless and had no offensive power, so they didn't even bother to use an ability-suppressor on her.
So Luo Nanqiu could still sense Jiang Xun's status.
Healthy, still active on the Capital Star.
Still on a date.
Luo Nanqiu thought, her face expressionless.
She felt her neck must be swollen, otherwise it wouldn't hurt so much.
In the nearly sealed room, Luo Nanqiu stood up and looked at her guard. Though she had no ability to protect herself, her posture was still upright, neither servile nor overbearing, not at all like a prisoner. "I don't understand."
"Are you trying to destroy the contract?"
Her guard was a woman who must have lived on the edge in the underworld, giving her a scruffy yet sharp aura.
"Eldest Miss, you truly are an Eldest Miss who doesn't know the suffering of the common people. In our cooperation with you, most of the profits go into the Luo Family's pockets. The pittance we earn by risking our lives isn't as much as we'd get from kidnapping you."
Luo Nanqiu looked at them coldly. She did her own calculations in her head, and after estimating their potential profits from the deal, she said coldly, "You're lying."
"You're just angry that my father made you lose face, so you want to use me to make my father lose face."
"For mercenaries who live on the edge, is the money from a stable partnership less stimulating than wading through mountains of corpses and seas of blood?"
The guard's face fell instantly. She sneered, "Since the Eldest Miss understands everything, why bother asking us? Are you perhaps trying to find out what your dear father's attitude is toward your kidnapping? Want to know how much he's willing to pay to ransom you?"
As the guard finished speaking, the next words came from both of them almost simultaneously, only one was abnormally calm, and the other was flustered and exasperated.
"To your disappointment, your father has not yet responded."
The guard looked at the person in the cell in astonishment, noticing Luo Nanqiu's terribly gloomy expression. Her hands were tightly clutching the hem of her dress, but the resentment filling her eyes faded in an instant, replaced by the cynical and matter-of-fact look of someone who had expected this all along.
"How embarrassing. You should know, I'm just a piece of trash, so my father never had high hopes for me.
"Even though this deal fell to me, it's only because, in my father's eyes, I'm more useful, more convenient to use."
It was something she had known since she was a child, but after her father abandoned her without hesitation, Luo Nanqiu still found it absurd.
"Because I'm a child grown in an artificial womb. My father can have countless children like me if he wants. What's more, I'm a good-for-nothing whose Ability is useless. Keeping me around, he even has to worry that I might one day gain a powerful subordinate who could help me take over the Luo Family completely."
Luo Nanqiu sneered.
Seeing Luo Nanqiu so easily lay out her own situation, the guard's brain could barely function.
"Wait." She quickly contacted her superior.
Honestly, she had originally thought Father Luo was just playing hard to get by ignoring their threats and not ransoming Luo Nanqiu.
But looking at Luo Nanqiu now...
It didn't seem like it.
After relaying the information to her superior, the guard couldn't help but threaten her viciously, "Don't you act for me. If you keep acting and your dad ends up paying, I'll chop off one of your arms."
Luo Nanqiu let out a cold laugh.
Before long, the guard learned from her boss that they had used Luo Nanqiu to threaten Father Luo for ransom, saying they would kill the hostage if he didn't pay. Father Luo had remained completely indifferent. They even faked the killing, and Father Luo had shed a couple of crocodile tears, saying, "My poor child."
The guard's gaze toward Luo Nanqiu was now tinged with pity.
"Why don't you just join me? Bring along that childhood sweetheart of yours who got into the military academy, and I guarantee we'll live a free and happy life."
"Don't look down on us for being a gang. We live very happily."
"The governor of that planet has to treat us with the utmost respect. On that planet, we're practically first-class nobles, not much different from how you live at home." The guard clicked her tongue, as if savoring the wonderful life.
Luo Nanqiu lowered her eyes, her long lashes casting a shadow on her eyelids.
She sneered inwardly.
A bunch of rats who fawn on the powerful and bully the weak also wanted her to work for them.
The more the guard spoke, the more she felt it was a viable idea. Who in the entire galaxy didn't know that Luo Nanqiu was a brilliant businesswoman? She was even the most legitimate heir to the Luo Family.
A pity about that Ability of hers; she had no way to protect herself.
Luo Nanqiu sat down, somewhat dejected, and clutched the amethyst necklace she wore. "Let me think about it first."
Luo Nanqiu was considering the possibility of her own escape.
Jiang Xun always thought she was too weak, that her surroundings were too dangerous. Even after giving Luo Nanqiu many things for self-defense, she always felt it wasn't enough and constantly protected her personally.
Luo Nanqiu just hadn't expected that after being separated from Jiang Xun for only a short while, the very thing Jiang Xun worried about would happen.
She tightened her grip on the necklace.
It was a precious item, an 18th birthday gift from Jiang Xun. It was also the result of Jiang Xun's long search for a way to seal her bug-like Ability inside the necklace, making it convenient for the Eldest Miss to carry for self-defense.
This was Luo Nanqiu's current method of self-preservation.
But Luo Nanqiu hoped she would never have to use it.
Because it was a very meaningful gift from Jiang Xun.
Luo Nanqiu opened her eyes again, her gaze clear. "I want to talk to your leader."
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