After Disabled A was Reborn, She Got Scummed Again - Chapter 21

“Mm.” Qin Xiao responded faintly, a gentle smile flickering in her eyes.

“Well… I won’t bother you then.” Chu Qiyan gave a polite nod and turned to head upstairs.

“Still not used to having someone new in the house…” Liu Xinmin sighed, her curved eyes fixed intently on Qin Xiao.

“You’ll get used to it.” Qin Xiao withdrew her gaze, ignoring the teasing hidden in Liu Xinmin’s tone.

After a pause, she suddenly asked, “Are there any people with the surname Fei in the capital?” Her expression cooled as her eyes lowered.

“Fei? That’s a rare surname… I don’t think so,” Liu Xinmin said thoughtfully.

Qin Xiao’s long, dark lashes lifted, her eyes glinting with chill. “Look into the owner behind Moyun Tower. And also their head chef, Fei Yin.”

“Moyun Tower? It’s just a restaurant. Is that really necessary?” Liu Xinmin replied nonchalantly. But as the thought struck her, a playful smile slowly curled on her lips.

“Are you jealous?” she asked with amusement.

“…No.” Qin Xiao glanced at her lazily. “Just curious.”

“Moyun Tower has been open for a few years now, but no one’s ever seen the owner. There’s only ever been that one chef. They said that the boss is very mysterious and not from the capital. Some say the place is backed by one of the four major families.”

“Mm.” Qin Xiao rhythmically tapped her slender, pale fingers on the table.

“What about the Chu family?” Liu Xinmin asked cautiously. Qin Xiao had shown interest in Chu Qian not too long ago, and now she had brought Chu Qiyan home. Although they were distantly related, considering everything the Chu family had done—and Chu Qian’s scheming nature—they were clearly not easy to deal with.

“We’ll wait and see. Let’s see what she intends to do,” Qin Xiao said.

Liu Xinmin chuckled knowingly. “She,” of course, referred to Chu Qiyan. It seemed this Miss Chu held some weight in Qin Xiao’s heart.

“Alright then.” She replied with a slight shrug.

They chatted a bit more before Qin Xiao returned to her room. Glancing at the soft light glowing from the room next door, she raised her brows slightly. She hadn’t expected Aunt Liu to arrange for Chu Qiyan to stay right there.

“Master Qin, everything’s been settled for Miss Chu,” Aunt Liu added from behind.

Qin Xiao didn’t respond, heading directly into her room. Aunt Liu had already been upstairs earlier—turned on the lights, filled the bathtub and laid out fresh clothes for her.

After finishing her nightly routine, Qin Xiao finally checked her phone. A message from Xu Chanmian had arrived.

“Chu Qiyan’s physique isn’t particularly special. Just that her scent type only appears in 3% of the global population. Quite rare.”

Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow and replied with a simple: “Got it,” before locking the screen.

Living life a second time gave her foresight, which made many things easier. But her body was still in its same crippled state. Whether Chu Qiyan was the cure she needed—only time would tell.

Lost in thought, Qin Xiao lay down on the soft, wide bed. At some point, her eyes closed, and sleep gently overtook her. A warm yellow light glowed gently beside her from the floor lamp near the head of the bed.

Meanwhile, in the adjacent room, Chu Qiyan was tossing and turning in the unfamiliar setting. Reflecting on everything that had happened recently stirred a vague unease on her. Things had moved far too fast. She had just become Qin Xiao’s fiancée, and now they were already living under the same roof…

Still, the way Qin Xiao treated her brought a small sense of comfort. Conflicting emotions—security and apprehension—twisted inside her heart until she slowly slipped into sleep. A soft smile curved her lips, her delicate face glowing gently in slumber.

And just before consciousness faded completely, a fleeting thought crossed her mind—

Did Qin Xiao like her?

And… had she started liking Qin Xiao too?

*****

The next morning, Chu Qiyan was woken by Aunt Liu calling her down for breakfast.

When she came downstairs, what greeted her was an odd scene: Qin Xiao and Liu Xinmin were already seated at the dining table, having breakfast together. It felt strange—after all, Liu Xinmin had always been the one standing behind Qin Xiao’s wheelchair. That image was hard to shake.

“Have a seat,” Qin Xiao said calmly, giving her a brief glance.

“Come, Miss Chu,” Aunt Liu added warmly as she sat down beside Liu Xinmin, joining them.

Still groggy, Chu Qiyan’s body moved on slowly. She sat down across from Qin Xiao, beside the head of the table where Qin Xiao sat.

The table fell silent as everyone ate. Being new to the household, Chu Qiyan kept her head down and focused on her food. She glanced around occasionally—everyone was composed and elegant, exuding a kind of innate nobility.

Even Aunt Liu had that same quiet grace. Suddenly, Chu Qiyan found herself slowing her movements, becoming self-conscious and a little stiff.

“Relax. We don’t stand on ceremony here,” Qin Xiao said, looking up at her mildly as she calmly set down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth.

“Y-yes, okay,” Chu Qiyan nodded and quickly looked down after meeting her eyes.

A faint blush crept over her pale cheeks. Her heart had given a sudden, violent thump the moment Qin Xiao looked at her. Flustered, she averted her gaze and stared into her bowl.

Maybe it was the poor sleep from the night before, but her thoughts were a mess. She was beginning to think Qin Xiao was… beautiful. Ethereal, like a cool breeze brushing past the clouds. That glance she just gave—calm and reserved—was oddly captivating. She looked so good even in something as simple as a casual suit.

Was she… falling for Qin Xiao?

From across the table, Aunt Liu smiled faintly while Liu Xinmin raised an eyebrow, shooting Qin Xiao a teasing look and letting out a soft, amused “tsk.”

Qin Xiao gave her a light glance, then quietly shifted her gaze to the girl beside her.

Chu Qiyan’s long, dark hair was tucked neatly behind one ear, her features were gentle and refined. The tips of her ears were flushed red.

Lowering her gaze, Qin Xiao’s sharp phoenix eyes softened for just a moment—so fleeting that it was nearly imperceptible.

“Later, take her with you,” she said to Liu Xinmin.

“Understood, President Qin.” Liu Xinmin’s almond-shaped eyes curved slightly, her expression playful but respectful. Her usual polished, elegant work persona slipped back into place.

Chu Qiyan looked up curiously, but didn’t ask anything. Her ears were still tinged pink, and her eyes flickered uncertainly, as if she couldn’t bring herself to look directly at Qin Xiao.

Still dazed, she changed clothes, put on light makeup, and climbed into the car with Qin Xiao and Liu Xinmin.

“What’s wrong? No need to be nervous,” Qin Xiao said, looking straight at her. Her cool voice paired with those rare gentle words carried an oddly soothing tone.

It hit Chu Qiyan’s heart like a hammer. Thump thump—her pulse surged uncontrollably.

“Ah? Nothing’s wrong,” she answered with a faint smile, but quickly turned her gaze to the window.

“You’re not feeling well?” Qin Xiao asked, noticing something off. Chu Qiyan’s fair face was unusually flushed, and her smile looked forced. She also seemed to be avoiding eye contact.

“No, I’m fine.” Chu Qiyan turned back to her, blinking wide almond-shaped eyes filled with confusion and surprise. “Why would you ask that?”

“Your face is a little red,” Qin Xiao replied honestly.

“…Oh, that’s… just blush make up,” Chu Qiyan stammered, then quickly composed herself and gave a strained smile before looking away again.

Qin Xiao didn’t respond. She just stared quietly at her.

Something was off. She was acting strange… and her ears were definitely even redder now.

Still, it was kind of cute. Silly, even. Qin Xiao thought absentmindedly as she turned her gaze away, a faint smile ghosting across her lips.

******

They soon arrived at Qinlang Group, and as usual, Qin Xiao was the center of attention, surrounded by a cluster of people.

Chu Qiyan, walking beside her, could feel the intense gazes coming at her from all directions. She shivered instinctively but kept a steady pace and upright posture, following Qin Xiao closely.

Once they reached the top-floor office, everyone got busy. Liu Xinmin brought over several contracts to Qin Xiao, while Chu Qiyan, now officially Qin Xiao’s secretary, just stood aside, a little lost watching people bustle in and out.

“In a bit, I’ll be taking the boss to a meeting. You head down to the design department and pick up the proposal,” Liu Xinmin instructed.

“Okay,” Chu Qiyan nodded. Before she could say more, Liu Xinmin was already pushing Qin Xiao out the door, followed by a few assistants.

Left alone, Chu Qiyan glanced at the ID badge around her neck with the word “Secretary” printed on it.

Then she quietly asked around about the design department’s location and headed for the fifth floor.

“Hello,” she knocked on the manager’s door.

“Come in.”

Pushing it open, she saw two Alphas inside—one seated behind the desk and the other was lounging carelessly on its edge.

“Hi, has the design proposal for the XX project been finalized?” she asked politely.

“Yes, it has,” the manager glanced at her badge and quickly gathered a stack of papers. “I was just about to send it up.” “Thank you.” Chu Qiyan accepted it and turned to leave.

“Wait… You’re Chu Qiyan, aren’t you?” the slouched Alpha approached her, holding a cup of coffee.

“Yes. Can I help you?” Chu Qiyan met her gaze, seeing the playful, mocking glint in her eyes.

“No reason. So you’re my cousin’s fiancée, huh… How did you manage to hook Qin-jie?” she sneered with disdain curling at her lips.

Chu Qiyan swallowed, turned to leave and not bothering with someone like her.

“Hey, don’t go yet.” The Alpha grabbed her arm, her grin turning nastier. “Come on, tell us, little Miss Chu.”

“Let go of me,” Chu Qiyan said coldly, her lips pressed into a line. She tried to shake her hand free but she couldn’t break from the other’s grip.

The manager stood abruptly, walking over to mediate. “Qin Lin, you should let go of Secretary Chu…”

“Hah… You’re from a tiny family, what are you so afraid of? Why would Qin-jie look at someone like you? Just a pretty ornament.” Qin Lin scoffed, her tone full of contempt.

“Alright, alright, I’ll let go. Don’t be such a baby.” She finally released her, but as she did, the coffee in her other hand splashed all over Chu Qiyan.

“Oops, my hand slipped,” she said with deliberate mockery, striding out of the office without a care.