After the Strategy Failed, the Heroine Turned into a Crematorium (GL, ABO) - Chapter 4

“You came.”

Bian You watched as the other person unwrapped a small cake and happily started eating it. She placed the bouquet she was holding on the desk and began trimming the flowers.

“Missed you,” Mi Yue mumbled through a mouthful of cake, eyeing Bian You’s meticulous flower-trimming with curiosity. “Who sent you these? Are they blind?”

Bian You: “I bought them myself. They’re the ones I didn’t get to give away.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” Mi Yue plucked a cherry from the cake and popped it into her mouth, squinting at Bian You. “If I were Qi Zhi’e, forget refusing your flowers, I wouldn’t even let you in without having someone throw you out first.”

Bian You chuckled softly, focusing on trimming the stems. “That just proves Qi Zhi’e has better manners than you.”

Mi Yue puffed her cheeks indignantly. “What’s the point of manners like that? Wouldn’t punching someone be more satisfying than holding it in?”

Bian You didn’t respond, instead wondering how the original owner of this body had interacted with Mi Yue.

Mi Yue clearly knew about the original’s crush on Qi Zhi’e, and their interactions were so natural, with no trace of fear from Mi Yue. At the very least, it seemed the original had treated Mi Yue well.

Noticing Bian You’s silence, Mi Yue pouted. “Why are you being such a wet blanket again? You’ll never win anyone over like this! Who’d fall for someone so dull?”

Bian You smirked. “And with all your chatter, have you found yourself a partner?”

Despite Mi Yue’s cute appearance, she was undeniably an Alpha, even her pheromones carried the bold, intense scent of whiskey.

Mi Yue scowled, slamming a fist on the table. “So annoying! I don’t get it, I’m cheerful and optimistic, so why does no one like me?!”

This was utterly baffling to her. She had a decent personality, no bad habits aside from her obsession with shipping couples, and she took great care of herself. Yet, after all these years, she hadn’t sparked even a hint of romance with anyone!

Listening to her complaints, Bian You barely held back a laugh.

It’d be a miracle if Mi Yue ever found someone. The moment a decent person appeared, she’d immediately start shipping them with someone else, gleefully digging up so-called “sweet moments” between them.

Even if two people were sworn enemies who couldn’t stand each other, she’d twist it into some “love-hate” dynamic.

With that kind of attitude, who could possibly put up with her?

Imagine liking someone, only for them to think you’re into someone else and then enthusiastically try to set you up with that other person. Not losing your temper would be a feat in itself.

“Maybe if you shipped fewer couples, you’d have better luck,” Bian You said, arranging the trimmed flowers into a vase.

Mi Yue rolled her eyes, stuffing more cake into her mouth. “Where’s the fun in that? The joy of life is watching others be sweet together!”

Bian You held up the finished bouquet for Mi Yue to see. “Pretty?”

Mi Yue glanced over, the soft green roses looked fresh and elegant, instantly catching her eye. “Gorgeous! I didn’t even know roses came in green!”

She’d never noticed before!

“Mhm.” Bian You smiled, setting the vase down and snapping a few photos from different angles. Then, she sent them to Qi Zhi’e.

As expected, Bian You chuckled at the sight of the red exclamation marks before putting her phone away, wondering how to get herself removed from the blacklist.

Mi Yue, who had been observing her every move, remarked thoughtfully, “Youyou, why have you suddenly become so composed?”

The old Bian You would never have considered sending flowers, let alone calmly bringing them back after being rejected, trimming them, arranging them in a vase, and meticulously photographing them from the perfect angle, none of which aligned with her usual demeanor.

She was so gentle now that it felt unfamiliar!

Hearing this, Bian You paused briefly while adjusting the flower petals before replying naturally, “Qi Zhi’e didn’t like how I was before, so I thought I’d try changing.”

Mi Yue’s face lit up with realization, and she patted Bian You’s shoulder approvingly. “Good, you’re making progress. It’s great that you’re willing to change.”

The old Bian You would never have admitted fault, if someone didn’t like her, it was always their problem, never hers.

Bian You chuckled softly and poured her a cup of tea. “Alright, what’s the real reason you came to see me?”

“Heh, you know me too well.” Mi Yue scooted closer, blinking eagerly. “So, I’ve recently become a fan of this rising star, and after digging into her past work, I realized she’s really hardworking and talented, but she just never gets the right opportunities. She doesn’t have many resources either.”

At this point, Bian You already knew what she was hinting at and sighed. “You switch favorites every other day. If I helped them all, wouldn’t that just create chaos?”

The Bian Group had a fully-owned subsidiary specializing in entertainment, which had been performing well over the years and held considerable resources.

“I may change favorites often, but I only bring the truly talented ones to you!” Mi Yue raised her hand as if swearing an oath.

Bian You rubbed her temples, amused.

The matter wasn’t particularly significant, but if word got out that she was personally providing resources to someone, rumors of an unspeakable relationship might spread, which could cause unnecessary trouble.

“If she’s really as good as you say, I’ll have the company sign her. She’ll get the opportunities, it’ll be up to her to seize them.” After some thought, Bian You agreed.

It wasn’t a big deal, and if it had been the original host, she probably wouldn’t have refused Mi Yue’s request either.

Mi Yue’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she threw an arm around Bian You’s shoulder and shook her happily. “You won’t regret helping her, I promise!”

“Alright, alright!”

Bian You laughed and gently pushed her away, neither confirming nor denying her words.

“You helped me, so I’ll help you too!” Mi Yue suddenly grinned mischievously, pulling out her phone and glancing around the office furtively before lowering her voice. “I’ve got some intel for you. If you take advantage of this chance to be extra attentive, you might just win Qi Zhi’e over!”

At the mention of Qi Zhi’e, Bian You’s expression flickered briefly before she asked calmly, “What’s this intel of yours?”

Mi Yue unlocked her phone, scrolling as she muttered, “I ran into Qi Zhi’e at the hospital yesterday! Her assistant was with her, and she didn’t look too well.”

“When a woman is sick, she’s at her most vulnerable. If you show concern at this time, she’ll definitely be moved to tears! At least that’s how I’d react!”

Bian You didn’t pay attention to Mi Yue’s words, her gaze fixed tightly on her phone screen. The video was somewhat blurry, but even though Qi Zhi’e was wearing a mask, her distinctive features were too recognizable. Anyone slightly familiar with her could identify her under such circumstances.

Had Qi Zhi’e actually needed to go to the hospital yesterday?

Bian You’s face turned pale, feeling utterly wretched. It was all her fault in the first place, yet she’d ended up leaving Qi Zhi’e alone in the end.

Her chest burned with anxiety. Without another word to Mi Yue, she stood up and hurried out.

What exactly was Qi Zhi’e’s condition now?

Had she really hurt her that badly? Had she caused her too much pain?

Bian You was filled with remorse. Despite having no experience, she’d lost control and done such a thing.

“Hey? Hey!”

Mi Yue stared blankly at her retreating figure, completely baffled. Finally glancing at the still-playing video, she shrugged and deleted it.

Probably rushing off to fawn over her, she thought.

Pouting slightly with hurt, she muttered under her breath, “Didn’t even ask why I went to the hospital.”

When Bian You arrived at the Qi Corporation in record time, it happened to be the end of the workday. Unable to contact Qi Zhi’e, she could only wait outside.

But…

When she watched helplessly as Qi Zhi’e’s car drove straight out from the underground garage and left, she froze momentarily before cursing herself for being an idiot, how could she have forgotten that Qi Zhi’e could leave directly from the garage?

Feeling incredibly foolish, Bian You followed Qi Zhi’e’s car dejectedly in her own vehicle. Qi Zhi’e clearly noticed her and made several attempts to shake her off.

Eventually, Qi Zhi’e pulled over on a relatively quiet stretch of road and stepped out, staring coldly at the black coupe Bian You was driving.

Seeing her stop, Bian You hastily pulled over as well. The moment she laid eyes on Qi Zhi’e in person, her gaze swept over her from head to toe. Though she couldn’t spot anything wrong, her heart remained uneasy.

Bian You opened her mouth to ask about her condition, but the moment she tried to speak, she froze, unsure how to address her.

Calling her “Miss Qi” would seem too distant, especially after what had happened between them. But addressing her directly as “Zhi’e” might come across as overly familiar, she worried Qi Zhi’e wouldn’t like that at all.

“What do you want?” Qi Zhi’e’s expression was icy, her gaze devoid of warmth.

She hadn’t even settled the score with her yet, and here she was, constantly forcing her way into her presence.

Did she think this life was too comfortable?

Seeing her speak first, Bian You felt slightly relieved, but the coldness in her demeanor still made her uneasy.

“I heard you went to the hospital yesterday. Are you feeling unwell?” Bian You’s voice was quiet, clearly lacking confidence.

She’d already concluded in her mind there was no other reason besides her having hurt Qi Zhi’e.

Qi Zhi’e’s expression shifted slightly, her eyes shooting daggers. If looks could kill, Bian You would have died countless times over.

A cold smirk curled at the corner of her lips.

“Then what do you think is making me uncomfortable?”

Qi Zhi’e’s eyes were filled with gloom. She had thought Bian You would be wiser after being reborn, yet he remained just as foolish as ever.

Biting his lip, Bian You cautiously glanced at Qi Zhi’e’s expression.

“Was my technique too poor? Did I hurt you?”