VBNWDW - Chapter 18
Chapter 18
"There are clean clothes in the bedroom. You can go in and rest for a bit. I'll conduct the guidance after I finish looking through these urgent documents."
Perhaps because of what had just happened, her usually cool, clear voice was laced with a breathless quality, struggling to maintain its composure.
"Tell the driver he might have to wait a little longer. We'll finish up as quickly as possible, and then he can take you home."
The reply came in an equally breathless voice, lazy and soft. "What if I don't want to go home?"
The office fell silent for a moment. Xi Zhoulu lowered her gaze to the woman in her arms, her tone becoming obscure. "Are you sure?"
"Can't I?" Luo Yueqing looked up at her, her peach-blossom eyes veiled in a layer of mist, looking both languid and alluring.
"You can."
With that, Xi Zhoulu patted the other woman's waist, urging her to stand up. "There are new toiletries in the bathroom. The makeup remover is in the left cabinet."
The night deepened. The round moon hid behind dark clouds, and the distant skyscrapers were eroded by blackness. Their lights blurred, leaving only vague silhouettes. A car drove out of the underground garage and vanished in the blink of an eye.
The soft office chair creaked, followed by the rustling of pages.
From the room sealed by the door, faint sounds could be heard intermittently, followed moments later by the patter of running water.
For some reason, the usually focused woman suddenly stopped and turned her head toward the closed door.
Her pale, grayish-blue eyes, veiled by the night, were filled with an unreadable emotion. The brilliant, gem-like orbs finally reflected a worldly scene—even if it was just a closed door, and the light seeping through the crack beneath it.
She paused for a moment, raised a hand to touch her open collar, but ultimately decided not to button it.
The pages continued to turn, much faster this time.
In the other room, Luo Yueqing, having dried her hair, stood before the wardrobe. As she lazily picked out clothes, she chatted with the System.
"I told you you were useless, and you wouldn't admit it. You don't even have a conquest progress bar."
Perhaps stung by the insult, the System's voice grew even colder. "This system's primary mission is to prevent the villainess from turning to darkness and to maintain the peace of this parallel world. It is not a romance guide."
"So what's our method for saving the world?" Luo Yueqing retorted.
"…To have a perfect romance with the villainess, to heal her and win her over."
"Then why isn't there a romance progress bar?"
The System suddenly fell silent.
Luo Yueqing changed the subject. "So, what counts as a successful mission?"
The System breathed a sigh of relief and quickly answered, "At the point when the original world was destroyed, the villainess does not have any extreme, destructive thoughts or ideas."
"Tsk…" Luo Yueqing nodded, picking up a freshly ironed white shirt. She then asked, "After the mission is successful, will I leave this world? What happens to Xi Zhoulu?"
"The Host can choose to stay temporarily to accompany the villainess through the following days, then have her memories wiped before heading to a new world for a new mission. Or, she can proceed directly to the next mission."
Luo Yueqing was a little confused. "The second option doesn't require a memory wipe?"
The System explained, "Correct. Staying for too long can severely affect the Host's behavior and way of thinking, so a memory wipe is necessary. Leaving immediately after mission completion indicates that there has been no such influence."
"Are those the only two options?"
"Those are the only two options."
Luo Yueqing asked no more questions and casually closed the wardrobe door.
When Xi Zhoulu came in, half an hour had passed.
A watery mist scented with roses filled the entire room. For some reason, this room, meant only for temporary rest, suddenly felt different.
"Are you done?" The woman sitting sideways on the edge of the bed looked over, the faint light from the wall lamp falling on the white shirt she wore and nothing else.
Xi Zhoulu didn't push her wheelchair forward. Instead, she stopped where she was and answered, "I'm done."
She then asked, "Why are you dressed like that?"
The shirt was thin, and Luo Yueqing was the type who refused to button things properly. Aside from her lower abdomen, which was covered by a corner of the thin blanket, everything else was visible to anyone who cared to look.
"It's hot. It's cooler this way," Luo Yueqing answered quickly, as if she had no ulterior motives whatsoever.
It was already early autumn. Although the summer heat hadn't completely dissipated, it wasn't so hot as to warrant this.
Xi Zhoulu pressed her lips together, not exposing the lie. Her lowered gaze unintentionally drifted upward, landing on that slender ankle.
Old folks always said you couldn't have it all. If you were smart, your looks might be lacking. Or if you had a pretty face, your figure might be less than perfect.
But Luo Yueqing was different. She was the best in every aspect—beautiful face, great figure, and perfect proportions. When she stood next to others, even her legs looked longer.
Even her ankles, a detail most people would overlook, were exquisitely formed. They were a small circle that could be encircled by one's thumb and forefinger, and beneath the delicate skin was a hint of bluish-purple, like the masterful stroke that brings a landscape painting to life.
"Xi Zhoulu, are you tired? You worked all day and still had to come here for overtime. Why don't we do the treatment tomorrow?"
What she had just called an urgent matter could now suddenly be postponed until tomorrow.
Unfortunately, Xi Zhoulu was a workaholic. Anything planned for today would never be dragged out until tomorrow.
So she shook her head and refused. "It's fine. I'll go wash up first. Please wait for me a little longer."
Luo Yueqing didn't try to stop her. She suddenly became obedient, not even going into the bathroom to cause any trouble while Xi Zhoulu was washing up.
But when it came time for the guidance…
The wheelchair was discarded to the side. Xi Zhoulu lay flat on the edge of the bed. It wasn't that she was deliberately wary of the person next to her; it was just her usual habit.
Back in the hospital room, Luo Yueqing had seen it several times. No matter how large the bed, CEO Xi could make it seem as narrow as her own body. The key was that the woman was a still sleeper. She would be in the same flat, edge-hugging position when she woke up as when she fell asleep. Her sleep etiquette was impeccable.
Right now, however, it was proving a bit inconvenient for Luo Yueqing.
So she had no choice but to lift the covers and crawl from the left side to the right.
Her palms and knees pressed into the mattress, creating small indentations. The slightly tight shirt clung to her winding curves, revealing the perky shape beneath its hem.
Luo Yueqing would naturally not choose the same plain undergarments as Xi Zhoulu. And CEO Xi's personal secretary was very thoughtful, having prepared a variety of styles in the drawer, which conveniently gave Luo Yueqing options.
The black, flimsy material with its hollowed-out pattern, even hidden beneath the shirt, offered a tantalizing, indistinct glimpse of color.
As she moved forward, her soft, slender waist moved in concert, and a lock of her loose hair fell, obscuring her collar.
Even Xi Zhoulu herself didn't know her own shirt could be worn with such allure.
"Luo Yueqing," she said suddenly, her gaze shifting to the ceiling.
"Hm?" The other woman seemed completely oblivious, her eyes filled with confusion.
"You don't have to come over like this." In the end, Miss Xi was no match for this rogue and couldn't hold back any longer.
The person being addressed didn't get angry. Instead, she laughed and said teasingly, "Then how should I come over? Walk over? Roll over?"
Her beautiful peach-blossom eyes darted, and she added, "I haven't even climbed on top of you. What are you so afraid of?"
Xi Zhoulu couldn't win against her. She could only cast a cool, indifferent glance from her pale, grayish-blue eyes at the smiling woman.
Luo Yueqing reined in her smile and lay down beside her. Her body moved faster than her mind, and she habitually said, "Don't be nervous. Take a deep breath and relax. Don't consciously resist."
The room fell silent for a moment. The words would have been fine under normal circumstances, but now, with the two of them lying in the same bed, legally married wives…
Xi Zhoulu paused, then turned her head to the side.
Luo Yueqing raised a hand to touch her nose and explained with an awkward laugh, "I really didn't mean anything by it."
If the earlier events hadn't happened, that statement might have been somewhat believable. But now, even Luo Yueqing herself felt inexplicably guilty.
As the night deepened, the bustling city grew quiet. Even the sound of car horns disappeared, and a cold mist rose from the treetops.
Xi Zhoulu suddenly spoke again. "Luo Yueqing, have you really thought this through?"
The question was out of the blue, but Luo Yueqing understood. She replied, "Xi Zhoulu, why do you keep asking me that over and over again?"
Xi Zhoulu frowned, her obscure tone hiding too many emotions, which finally hardened into coldness. "I'm just reminding you that I might not be what you imagine."
Luo Yueqing raised an eyebrow and gave the other woman a thorough, undisguised once-over before asking, "Have you had plastic surgery?"
Xi Zhoulu had no idea where that train of thought came from, but she found she was actually getting used to it. She could even answer, "No."
"Then are you not actually of the Xi family bloodline, and you'll be kicked out if you're discovered?"
This was even more absurd than the last question. Xi Zhoulu gritted her teeth, maintaining her last shred of patience. "You should read fewer novels."
Luo Yueqing, far from backing down, continued, "Then you're not really a high-grade Omega, and you just used some unknown method to temporarily raise your grade to inherit the family business."
The questions were getting more and more ridiculous.
Xi Zhoulu couldn't help but furrow her brow, reminding her with a cold face, "Has Miss Luo never performed Mental Guidance on me before?"
The higher an Omega or Alpha's grade, the stronger their mental power. This was something that couldn't be faked by any means.
Luo Yueqing, who had posed all these bizarre questions, felt no remorse. Instead, she retorted righteously, "Then how are you different from what I imagined?"
"Good-looking and rich, and you're going to be even richer," Luo Yueqing nodded, praising, "I have good taste."
The person next to her didn't know what to say. Her lips parted and closed, the anger stuck in her throat. Finally, she managed to force out, "Don't you regret this."
"Fine, fine, I won't regret it," Luo Yueqing said, throwing up her hands.
"This is my final warning to you."
"I hope it's the last time."
For the first time, Xi Zhoulu wished her legs were more nimble. At least then she could immediately turn over and face away from this person. Out of sight, out of mind.
But she couldn't. All she could do was close her eyes and take a deep breath.
But then that shameless Alpha actually dared to scoot closer, her hand brushing against hers as she chuckled teasingly, "Xi Zhoulu, do you know how amusing you look every time you're angry but have to hold it in like this?"
Xi Zhoulu: …
Luo Yueqing still wouldn't stop. She leaned down and murmured, "I want to kiss you again."
This time, CEO Xi uttered just one faint word: "Scram."
The nonsense finally ended. A moment later, the faint scent of roses began to spread, pulling along with it a hint of burning charcoal, enveloping the entire room. The guidance, delayed for so long, had finally begun.
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