Accidentally Sold Myself (Rebirth) - Chapter 22

22: A Chance Encounter

Gu Xi didn’t sleep well last night because she had been outmaneuvered again. Sleeping with a stunning beauty every night was fine as long as she fell asleep without thinking, listening, or looking too much. For someone like her, a self-proclaimed “mosquito coil girl” (a playful term implying she’s impervious to romantic distractions), it wasn’t a big deal.

But last night, she was too excited, completely unable to sleep. Luo Ningshuang’s occasional teasing only made things worse, tormenting her both physically and mentally. Gu Xi couldn’t help but suspect that Luo Ningshuang was doing it on purpose.

As Gu Xi trudged downstairs, she felt groggy and unsteady. To distract herself last night, she had stayed up updating her novel, managing only two hours of sleep. She muttered, half-exhausted, “If this keeps up, I’ll drop dead in two days.”

“Drop dead? Luo Ningshuang really doesn’t know how to hold back, does she? Overdoing it isn’t good for your health.” Lan Qingxue said knowingly, sipping her porridge slowly at the dining table as she noticed Gu Xi’s unsteady gait.

Gu Xi: “…” No, sister, she could explain, but the more she said, the worse it might sound. She could only swallow her tears in silence.

Since moving into this house, Gu Xi hadn’t slept in her own room even once. Every morning, she had to trek back to her room to grab her clothes. Sighing, she asked, “Where’s Luo Ningshuang?”

“She’s at the company. She’ll be busy these next few days. Hurry up and eat. We need to leave soon. You can catch up on sleep in the car or on the plane,” Lan Qingxue said, glancing at her watch and then at Gu Xi’s pale face with a hint of concern.

Aunt Lan pulled out two suitcases and said, “Everything’s packed. I’ve also prepared some common medicines for you.”

Gu Xi nodded. She could sleep in the car, but on the plane? No way—she wanted to see the view from the sky! After quickly finishing her meal, the two set off with their luggage.

As expected, Gu Xi passed out cold in the car. Lan Qingxue called her several times, but she didn’t stir. If it weren’t for the rise and fall of her chest, Lan Qingxue might’ve thought she’d slept herself into oblivion.

Gu Xi was in a daze, but thankfully, the reliable Lan Qingxue was there to guide her through check-in procedures, practically carrying her onto the plane.

“How did Luo Ningshuang manage to wear you out like this? She’s got no sense of restraint. I’ll have to talk to her later.” Lan Qingxue said, seeing Gu Xi’s near-lifeless state and feeling, for the first time, that Luo Ningshuang had gone too far.

Meanwhile, at a company meeting, Luo Ningshuang sneezed out of nowhere. She touched her nose, wondering if she’d caught a cold from having the blankets stolen in the middle of the night.

As soon as Gu Xi stepped onto the plane, her grogginess vanished, replaced by excitement. She found her seat and waved enthusiastically at Lan Qingxue. “Over here, Sister Qingxue! I found it!”

Lan Qingxue shook her head helplessly, pulling Gu Xi into her seat. Gu Xi’s seat was by the window, so she pressed her face against the glass, marveling at the view outside.

She looked left, right, and everywhere, utterly engrossed. When the plane began to take off, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow, we’re flying! Flying!”

Her outburst drew some annoyed reactions.

“Where’d this country bumpkin come from?”

“Ugh, what a weirdo. Sweetie, Mommy says to stay far away from people like that.”

Lan Qingxue quickly covered Gu Xi’s mouth. “Gu Xi, you need to be quiet on the plane. Don’t disturb others.”

Gu Xi mumbled, “Oh…” feeling a bit wronged.

The woman seated in front of Gu Xi turned around after hearing her outburst. She blinked and tentatively asked, “Are you Gu Xi?”

Gu Xi and Lan Qingxue both looked at her. The woman appeared to be around 30, with short hair, a polished and professional demeanor, a pretty face, gold-rimmed glasses, and a gentle voice.

Gu Xi tilted her head, feeling a sense of familiarity but unable to place her. She nodded and said, “Yes, I’m Gu Xi. And you are…?”

“I’m Cheng Zixi. It’s normal if you don’t remember me. You were just a kid back then. I used to volunteer at your orphanage. You were so young but acted like a little adult, so I loved teasing you.” Cheng Zixi said, her voice tinged with nostalgia.

Cheng Zixi? Gu Xi thought hard. When she was about seven, there was indeed a pretty older sister who loved to tease her. She remembered calling her “Sister Xi.”

What a coincidence to run into an old “acquaintance” like this! Just like when she was a kid, Gu Xi said, “I remember now, Sister Xi! I can’t believe you still recognize me after all this time.”

Cheng Zixi hadn’t expected Gu Xi to remember her after all these years. Delighted, she said, “Your eyes are so distinctive. And look at you, all grown up! Since fate brought us together, want to exchange contact info?”

“Of course!” Gu Xi swapped phone numbers with her, then glanced sheepishly at Lan Qingxue, realizing she’d nearly forgotten her.

Lan Qingxue finally understood why Luo Ningshuang doted on Gu Xi so much. Those big, watery eyes, especially when she looked aggrieved, were like a puppy denied its milk—impossible to stay mad at.

“Stop looking at me like that. I’m not Luo Ningshuang.” Lan Qingxue teased, pinching Gu Xi’s cheek with a smile.

“And this is…?” Cheng Zixi asked, looking at Lan Qingxue.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce her! This is my good friend, Lan Qingxue.” Gu Xi said, quickly grabbing Lan Qingxue’s arm.

“Hello!”

“Hello!”

The two exchanged polite but cool greetings, not particularly familiar with each other.

“Hey, can you all keep it down?” a passenger snapped, clearly fed up with their chatter disrupting the flight.

Gu Xi stuck out her tongue apologetically and waved her phone at Cheng Zixi, signaling they’d talk later.

As the plane took off, Gu Xi, who had been so excited, suddenly felt unwell—dizzy, nauseous, and disoriented. She had no idea what was wrong.

Noticing her discomfort, Lan Qingxue, thankful for Aunt Lan’s foresight, got a bottle of water from a flight attendant and said softly, “Gu Xi, you’re airsick. Take this medicine and sleep it off.”

Ugh, how frustrating. She couldn’t even enjoy the flight. Someone once told her that learning to drive cures motion sickness—did that mean she’d have to learn to fly a plane to fix this? That seemed unlikely. She took the medicine and obediently lay back to sleep. After staying up all night in excitement, she hadn’t even gotten to enjoy the flight before wilting.

Seeing Gu Xi asleep, Lan Qingxue cast a subtle, wary glance at Cheng Zixi. The encounter felt too coincidental, and she couldn’t help but stay on guard.

Meanwhile, Luo Ningshuang finished her meeting and returned to her office, only to find Luo Lingxi giving Mo Yuze a pep talk. Surprised, she said, “Sis, what are you doing here?”

Luo Lingxi turned at her voice, smiling warmly. “What, shouldn’t you first ask how your sister’s doing?”

“You look radiant. Asking would be pointless.” Luo Ningshuang teased, stepping forward to hug her.

Luo Lingxi sighed dramatically. “Still as unlovable as ever. I flew in, got over my jet lag at the hotel, and came straight to see you. Where’s your wife? I brought her a gift.”

Luo Ningshuang pointed skyward. “She just left for B City. I bet you came to see her, not me. Since you brought her a gift, where’s mine?”

“You’re not short on cash. Buy your own gifts.” Luo Lingxi said, rolling her eyes.

“But seriously, with your personality, how’d you get married so quietly? Tell me, this isn’t one of those cheesy contract marriages from novels, is it?” Luo Lingxi pressed.

Luo Ningshuang faltered, searching for words, but her sister cut in. “No way, really? That’s so childish. You’re not young anymore. If Gu Xi’s a good person, just settle down. Don’t be so picky.”

As expected of her sister, always seeing through her. “I’m not sure what I feel yet. We haven’t known each other long. Don’t worry, Sis, I’m not a kid. I know what I’m doing.”

“Hey! Have you all forgotten about me? Lingxi, weren’t you just helping me with my love life? How’d you ditch me so fast?” Mo Yuze complained, feeling like the odd one out.

“You’re not my sister. Of course I’m focused on Ningshuang—and my sister-in-law.” Luo Lingxi shot back.

Mo Yuze grew even more dejected. Just yesterday, she’d decided not to tag along, and now she regretted it. Luo Lingxi’s arrival had given her hope, but she’d barely said two words to her before moving on.

“Surprise!” A tall, blonde, blue-eyed woman with fair skin burst in, rushing toward Luo Ningshuang and speaking in slightly broken Chinese.

Luo Ningshuang hadn’t expected Clarice to arrive so soon. She dodged as Clarice tried to hug her, but Clarice still managed to wrap her arms around her.

Clarice had planned to plant a kiss but, seeing Luo Ningshuang’s icy glare, thought better of it. Letting go, she looked around at the familiar faces and asked, “Where’s that btch?”

Mo Yuze answered first. “In the sky.”

Clarice’s eyes widened in disbelief. “She died that fast?”

Everyone: “…”

Luo Ningshuang coughed, glaring at Mo Yuze. “She’s fine, alive and well. She’s just on a trip to B City.”

“What a pity. I was planning to, uh, mess her up.” Clarice said angrily.

Everyone: “…”

“Wait, who taught you to talk like that?” Luo Lingxi asked, barely holding back laughter as she noticed her sister’s frosty expression.

“My brother taught me to say it.” Clarice said earnestly. “He told me that if you want to defeat someone, you have to pin them down and… mess them up.” Clearly, she didn’t understand what “mess them up” implied.

“Pfft, haha!” Mo Yuze burst out laughing.

Luo Ningshuang said coldly, “You should find a new teacher.”

“Hmph, you heartless liar! Clarice huffed. “Why should I listen to you? Back then, you tricked me by saying that if you ever got married, you’d definitely marry me. Liar!”

Luo Ningshuang: “…” Back then, she’d thought she’d never get married in her lifetime, so she just made up an excuse to trick Clarice into returning to the country.