After Marking a Paranoid CEO [Transmigration] - Chapter 31

Mu Huayue’s fingers hovered over the “Vibrate” option, ready to punish the disobedient little cat. But just then, the host’s voice boomed from the screen, calling the contestants to the stage. Her fingers swiped across the screen, closing the app and opening Green Chat. Her already furrowed brow deepened.

Xia Weixi hadn’t sent her a single message.

Before every competition, that little cat would bombard her with emojis, alternating between crying and pleading, begging her to watch the show. Yet this time, not a single message?

She scrolled up and down, but the screen remained stuck on the line of small text: “Missed call from last night.”

No messages at all—not even a complaint or a thank you.

Spoiled and disobedient, then?

Mu Huayue glanced at the live stream. On screen, the little cat was smiling and waving to the audience as producer Chi Yi introduced her. She curved her fingers into a heart shape near her face, beaming. The comments section flooded with “So sweet!” but one comment slipped through: “No wonder she captivated Captain Guan and Sibe.”

Mu Huayue’s newly calmed mood felt like a stone had lodged in her chest. She picked up her water glass and took a sip as Guan He’s voice echoed from the screen: “Our group’s successful performance this time is largely thanks to Yousey. She guided us with the patience of a teacher, especially me. I’m terrible at dancing and always struggled to keep up with the group, which made me feel unworthy of my role as Captain. In my opinion, Yousey is more like the true Captain of our group. She already possesses the qualities of a professional idol—her skills and character are both exceptional. I hope everyone will ignore those rumors and support her.”

The comments section initially flooded with “kswl” (a Chinese internet slang term for “I’m dying of cuteness”), but the final sentence left many confused.

What rumors?

Never mind, I’m shipping them!

It’s probably about Yousey being forced to withdraw from the competition.

To the person above, please explain!

Before the popular science content could even appear on the public screen, Guan He, standing on stage, cut off Xia Youxi’s polite remarks. Gripping the microphone with a solemn expression, she declared, “To prevent certain events from repeating themselves, I hereby solemnly announce that regardless of tomorrow’s ranking results, I, Guan He, am withdrawing from the competition!”

“From now on, I will transition from being a contestant to being a fan of the contestants. I will vote for Yousey and my supportive teammates. Thank you all for your unwavering support. See you on the island.”

!!!

???

What’s going on?

Why is Guan He withdrawing?

Tonight’s really lively!

The comments surged across the screen, quickly filling it. Mu Huayue, holding her water glass, quietly watched the flood of text. On the screen, the little cat was squeezed into a narrow gap, leaving only a few visible lines. She couldn’t discern its expression. Though she could easily clear the obstruction with a tap, she remained silent and motionless.

After a while, the commotion on the screen subsided, as if another group of contestants had taken the stage. Mu Huayue set down her water glass, opened the “Cute Pet Diary” app, and tapped on “Pet’s Heartbeat.”

From the small phone came a familiar, anxious voice.

“You performed so well tonight. Why are you withdrawing from the competition?”

Guan He replied calmly, “I only came here to get my name out there. With these stiff limbs of mine, dancing would be a real embarrassment. Don’t worry about it. Didn’t I promise you? I won’t let anything like those incidents happen again.”

Mu Huayue’s brow furrowed slightly. On her phone, her virtual cat was still thanking her: “So you were the one who helped me yesterday. Thank you so much.”

“It’s nothing. I was the one who caused the trouble in the first place. There are too many people around now. I’ll talk to you properly after it’s over.”

Xia Youxi: “Okay.”

The app fell silent.

Mu Huayue stared at the “Teach a Lesson” button on the screen, her expression darkening ominously. She closed the live stream page and leaned back calmly on the sofa, her eyes half-closed. The room was utterly still, save for the ambient noise from the venue filtering through the speaker.

Minutes ticked by. The speaker crackled with chatter as the contestants discussed Guan He’s withdrawal, their voices overlapping in a cacophony that grated on her nerves. Yet she didn’t turn off the speaker, remaining still with her eyes closed.

After a while, the voices grew clearer.

“Finally got out of there. They never cared about me before, but now that I’ve withdrawn from the competition, they’re suddenly all over me. What a pain.”

Mu Huayue imagined Guan He holding Xia Youxi’s hand as they hurried through the outer room. Her grip tightened on the armrest as she heard Xia Youxi ask, “Captain, why did you withdraw from the competition?”

“It’s fine,” Guan He replied candidly. “If I didn’t withdraw, they’d just keep bothering you. I told you before, my motives for joining the competition weren’t entirely pure.”

“Huh?” Xia Youxi sounded confused.

Guan He explained, “Besides singing, my other passion is chasing idols. I especially love following them, but every idol I stan ends up getting canceled. What a curse.”

“To avoid repeating that pattern and to get my name out there, I decided to join the competition. More than debuting, I wanted to personally scout for the perfect idol to support. But who could have predicted my family would think I wanted to debut? They even used their connections to fake votes. What a mess.”

“So, the news about you withdrawing was…”

“Yes, I’m really sorry. I was afraid they’d keep harassing us and disrupt the competition. Yousey, don’t worry, from now on, you’ll be my exclusively cherished idol. I’ll get you back to your original ranking, and…”

Exclusive favoritism?

Mu Huayue chewed on the words, a cold smile surfacing on her face. Then she heard Xia Youxi say, “Thank you, Guan…”

“Call me ‘Sister’,” Guan He interrupted Xia Youxi. “I think you’re more of a ‘sister’s little darling’ type. From now on, I’ll be your ‘sister fan’.”

“Sister?”

The word pierced through the air and into Mu Huayue’s ears, jolting her senses. Her closed eyes snapped open, ignoring the teasing surprise in Xia Youxi’s voice. She reached up and cranked the electric vibrator to its highest setting.

“Ah—!”

On the island of Coconut City, Xia Youxi felt a searing pain in her chest. This wasn’t the usual minor discomfort; it was a sudden, intense electric shock, the kind that could knock someone unconscious. If she hadn’t instinctively adjusted her posture, she might have collapsed completely.

“What’s wrong?” Guan He, standing nearby, leaned in when she saw Xia Youxi suddenly drop to her knees, her face pale and panicked. She reached out hesitantly, but when her hand brushed Xia Youxi’s chest, she felt a faint electric current prick her skin and quickly withdrew. “Tsk, what’s this?”

The electrical current in her chest seemed to subside slightly. Xia Youxi quickly explained, “Phew, it’s nothing. Just, just an old condition acting up.”

“You have a heart condition?” Guan He stepped forward to help her up, but Xia Youxi pushed her away. “It’s okay, I just need a moment to catch my breath. I’ll be fine.”

Guan He frowned, scrutinizing her. “As a singer-dancer idol, a heart problem is no joke. Your health comes first. My family knows top cardiovascular doctors. Let me take you to see one.”

The electrical current intensified again. Xia Youxi clutched her chest in pain, but couldn’t escape the searing sensation. Her hand hovered in the air, opening and closing weakly as she gritted her teeth and refused, “N-no, I’ll be fine in a moment. Just… phew… I’ll be fine.”

Xia Youxi’s labored breathing and pale complexion were anything but “fine.” Guan He frantically patted her pockets, wanting to call for help, but the Production Team had confiscated their communication devices. “Damn it!” she cursed.

“What’s going on here?”

A thick Northeastern accent suddenly boomed from behind them. A burly man rushed over, his towering frame blocking the light and casting a shadow over the two women. “Oh my god, girl, your face looks terrible! Are you about to pass out?”

Xia Youxi didn’t need to look to know it was Sibe.

It was miraculous. The moment Sibe spoke, the electric shocks in Xia Youxi’s chest stopped. She suspected Mu Huayue had panicked, fearing she might actually electrocute her.

She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or not.

Xia Youxi took several deep breaths, sat on the ground to recover, and prepared to stand up. The two women immediately rushed to support her, bickering as they helped her up.

Guan He snapped at Sibe, “Why are you acting like a dog? All you do is cling to Yousey!”

“Hey, watch your mouth, sis!” Sibe retorted, her face twisting in displeasure. “Who are you calling a dog? You’re pretty close to Yousey yourself—are you a dog too?”

“You—!” Guan He sputtered, defeated.

Xia Youxi couldn’t help but chuckle at their antics. But she knew all too well that her hot-tempered Sister Mu was eavesdropping. One wrong move and the shocks would intensify. It was as if the “Thunderbolt King” himself was on the other side of the line, her life hanging by a thread in his fingertips.

How pathetic, she thought.

Now, being alone was the safest option.

She bid farewell to the two women. “I’m fine now. I’ll go rest. Everyone’s had a long day—get some rest. Sister Guan, let me know when you’re leaving the island. I’ll see you off.”

“Okay, I’ll take you back,” Guan He said.

Sibe chimed in eagerly, “Sis, I’ll walk you too!”

The two enthusiastically escorted Xia Youxi to the villa building. Guan He frowned at the dark, silent structure and suggested, “This isn’t good. You’re not well; you should move in with me. That way, I can look after you if anything happens.”

Alarm bells rang in Xia Youxi’s mind. Before the electroshock could trigger, she waved her hands frantically. “No, thank you. Actually, I have a condition—the Production Team gave me a private room because I… sleepwalk.”

“Huh? Isn’t that dangerous? Sis, why don’t you sleep with me?” Sibe offered casually.

Guan He shot her a withering glare. “Are you out of your mind? An Alpha inviting an Omega to live together? What are you planning? Let me tell you, you’re not going to mess with our Yousey. Come on, let’s get you back to the Alpha dorms!”

“Huh? How’s an Omega like you so strong?” Sibe, being dragged away, still managed to call back, “If you need anything, just shout, sis! I’ll be there in a flash!”

“Just go!”

The two comical figures gradually disappeared into the distance. Xia Youxi lowered her waving hand, pushed open the door, and leaned against it with a sigh.

He didn’t come to rescue me last night, and today he didn’t even say a word before shocking me. Does he really just see me as a pet?

If so, Mu Huayue is a terrible owner.

Xia Youxi slowly climbed the stairs, gripping the handrail. In the bathroom, she removed her shirt and glanced in the mirror. Mu Huayue had been truly ruthless; the shocks had already burned a red mark across her chest. If not for her innerwear, the skin might have broken.

She glanced at the drawer where she hid her bracelet, then lowered her head to examine the burn. After a moment’s thought, she picked up the platinum pendant. “So much bl00d… it hurts so much… sniffle… the flesh is all charred…”

The young woman in the mirror wore a detached expression, yet her voice trembled with tears. Just listening to her, one would feel her pain, but the final words carried a chilling indifference.

“I h-hate you, Sister.”