After Transmigrating, I Joined a Dating Show with the Fake Heiress Actress - Chapter 34

Realizing the reason behind Bai Man’s offer, Su Qingwan immediately agreed, “Okay.”

 

The words had barely left her lips when she remembered she would have to share a bathroom with Bai Man. Her face flushed crimson, and she couldn’t bring herself to meet Bai Man’s gaze.

 

Bai Man, who wasn’t accustomed to sharing personal items, initially wanted to refuse. But when she noticed the faint blush on Su Qingwan’s earlobes, she swallowed back the refusal that had been on the tip of her tongue.

 

If it’s Su Qingwan, it’s not entirely out of the question.

 

Returning to their room, Bai Man placed her suitcase in a corner and walked toward the study, saying to Su Qingwan, who was following behind, “You can shower first. I need to handle some urgent matters.”

 

She needed Wu Xi to amplify the online buzz, letting it ferment to its maximum potential. Only then, when the news broke that Shunyang had pressured the banks to squeeze the Bai Family, would public outrage erupt.

 

Wu Xi, a computer science major, had collaborated with the Tiansheng Group. In just half an hour, they had made the Hengjie Garment Factory’s bankruptcy—and the banks’ premature demand for repayment—the top trending news across all major websites.

 

Closing her laptop, Bai Man glanced at her wristwatch. Leaving the study, she looked toward the bathroom. Why hasn’t Su Qingwan come out yet?

 

Half an hour had passed.

 

Su Qingwan, squatting in the bathroom and agonizing for what felt like an eternity, gripped her hand tightly at her side. “Bai… Bai Man, are you there?”

 

Bai Man immediately responded.

 

“I… I forgot my towel. Could you… could you hand it to me?” Su Qingwan closed her eyes. “It’s in the suitcase.”

 

She had finished showering and reached for a towel when she realized she hadn’t brought one. The only towel in the bathroom was Bai Man’s. The thought of sharing a towel with Bai Man made her blush furiously.

 

Bai Man moved quickly, finding the towel in Su Qingwan’s suitcase and hurrying to the bathroom door. “I’ll leave it on the doorknob. Can you grab it yourself?”

 

“Okay.”

 

Hearing the reply, Bai Man glanced at the bathroom door before turning to leave. After taking several steps, she still hadn’t heard the door open.

 

Just as she stopped, a muffled groan came from inside the bathroom.

 

She immediately turned back, a hint of urgency she hadn’t even realized she possessed in her voice. “What’s wrong?”

 

“My… my foot’s gone numb.”

 

A numb foot could be a minor inconvenience or a serious risk, especially in the still-damp bathroom. One wrong step could lead to a fall.

 

With that thought, Bai Man’s hand was already on the doorknob. “Shall I come in and help you?”

 

Su Qingwan glanced down at herself, her eyes darting nervously. “No, no need,” she stammered.

 

She tried to stand, tried to shift her weight, but the tingling numbness made her gasp sharply, a film of tears welling in her phoenix eyes.

 

This time, Bai Man didn’t heed her protests. She pressed down firmly on the doorknob, grabbed a bath towel, and stepped inside.

 

Knowing Su Qingwan’s shyness, Bai Man averted her gaze, using her peripheral vision to locate where Su Qingwan was crouched. She knelt down and draped the towel over Su Qingwan’s shoulders.

 

With the towel in place, Su Qingwan’s embarrassment eased somewhat, though her cheeks remained flushed. The red mole on her nose seemed to glow even brighter, and her lightly bitten lower lip appeared particularly rosy.

 

The herbal scent of the bath gel mingled with the lingering steam in the bathroom, constantly invading Bai Man’s senses.

 

The woman she loved was right before her eyes—vulnerable yet alluring, still carrying her favorite herbal fragrance. The suppressed excitement deep within Bai Man surged to life, every fiber of her being now fully awakened.

 

A sinister voice echoed in her heart: Kiss her. Make her completely yours.

 

Driven by this voice, her body leaned closer to those rosy lips.

 

Su Qingwan’s mind was in a daze, her ears filled only with the thunderous pounding of her heart. She didn’t dare look at the woman whose mere gaze could steal her entire soul.

 

Sensing Bai Man’s approach, she clutched the corner of the bath towel tightly, a shameful yet desperate anticipation rising within her.

 

As the distance closed, Su Qingwan’s delicate face gradually filled Bai Man’s vision, her ragged breaths piercing her ears. This jolted Bai Man back to her senses. She straightened her back, forcing herself to turn away from the alluring woman who tugged at her heartstrings. Her voice, tinged with huskiness, asked, “Which foot is numb?”

 

Her words snapped Su Qingwan out of her reverie. The anticipation in her heart swiftly turned to disappointment. Not wanting Bai Man to notice, she immediately lowered her head, refusing to answer, and shifted her numb leg.

 

Perhaps her movement was too abrupt, for the tingling numbness caused her to lose her balance. Her hand flailed wildly, grabbing onto Bai Man’s body for support.

 

Bai Man took two more steps toward her, wrapping her arm around Su Qingwan’s body and pulling her close. With her free hand, she gently pressed down on Su Qingwan’s thigh, saying, “Relax your body and lean all your weight on me.”

 

Su Qingwan’s body proved more honest than her words, and she leaned fully against Bai Man.

 

She looked up at Bai Man’s profile, her exquisitely refined features instantly capturing her attention. When she noticed a faint blush coloring the tip of Bai Man’s ear, she tentatively reached out and lightly touched the reddened tip.

 

The sensation caused Bai Man’s movements to pause. “Don’t touch me,” she warned.

 

Su Qingwan’s actions were already testing her self-control. This touch threatened to shatter it completely.

 

For some reason, the usually obedient Su Qingwan had started touching her ear again.

 

And not just that, but…

 

“Bai Man, your Dao…”

 

I can’t be the only one humiliated every time, Su Qingwan thought resentfully. I’m dragging you down with me.

 

Bai Man took several deep breaths, furious at Su Qingwan’s audacity.

 

She placed her hand on Su Qingwan’s still-numb calf and pinched it hard. Su Qingwan immediately let out a muffled groan.

 

“Still acting up?”

 

Su Qingwan shook her head vigorously, tears welling in her eyes, her face a mask of grievance. “You’re bullying me,” she accused.

 

Seeing her like this, Bai Man felt a surge of tenderness, but even more, she wanted to truly bully her, to imagine what Su Qingwan would look like, her face like a pear blossom drenched in rain.

 

She’d be even more pitiful than she is now.

 

But now wasn’t the time. It wasn’t appropriate.

 

Bai Man forcefully suppressed the dark thoughts rising within her, shifting her attention to Su Qingwan’s legs.

 

Yet she had overestimated her willpower. Even without looking at Su Qingwan, her mind was flooded with images of the woman, her face like a pear blossom drenched in rain, begging her to stop. What truly tormented Bai Man was the woman’s whimpering and trembling. She knew it was just the tingling numbness, but her bl00d still churned, and the darkness within her heart festered and spread.

 

Just as she was about to lose control, Su Qingwan’s cat-like voice finally reached her ears: “It’s… it’s okay now.”

 

Bai Man was suffering, but Su Qingwan was faring no better. Those cherry-red lips, which held an irresistible allure for Bai Man, drew her closer with every passing second.

 

Yet the increasingly palpable aura of danger radiating from Bai Man filled Su Qingwan with dread. Her gaze felt like it wanted to tear her apart, bone by bone, and devour her whole.

 

Bai Man withdrew her hand, helped Su Qingwan steady herself, and, once she confirmed Su Qingwan could walk, hurried out of the bathroom.

 

If she stayed any longer, she didn’t know what she might do.

 

Su Qingwan watched Bai Man’s retreating figure, her lips parting slightly, but no sound came out.

 

Only after finishing a full glass of water did Bai Man’s rationality return.

 

She kept glancing back at the bathroom. Just as she decided to go back, Su Qingwan slowly opened the door and emerged.

 

Seeing Su Qingwan was wearing a silk nightgown, Bai Man immediately averted her gaze and walked toward the door. “Let’s have a late-night snack.”

 

“But you haven’t showered yet.”

 

Bai Man’s eyes darkened. She turned to Su Qingwan. “Don’t test my patience.”

 

Going into the bathroom now would undoubtedly mean encountering lingering steam.

 

Su Qingwan shrank back, afraid to speak. Only after Bai Man had walked away did she dare take a step.

 

Xu Mengjie immediately noticed something was off between Su Qingwan and Bai Man, especially Su Qingwan, who wouldn’t even look at Bai Man.

 

She turned to Bai Shanheng, silently asking with her eyes. He shook his head, indicating he didn’t know either.

 

Bai Man picked up her spoon only after seeing Su Qingwan take a bite of her wontons.

 

As she gazed at the plump, round wontons in her spoon, the scene from the bathroom flashed through her mind again.

 

Noticing Bai Man wasn’t eating, Xu Mengjie asked, “Don’t you like them? Or are they not good?”

 

Su Qingwan swallowed her wonton and praised, “They’re delicious.”

 

Bai Man gave her a complex look before putting a wonton in her mouth, her tone meaningful as she said, “They are quite good.”

 

Su Qingwan belatedly realized what Bai Man was implying, her face flushing visibly.

 

Seeing the increasingly awkward atmosphere between the two women, Xu Mengjie exchanged a glance with Bai Shanheng, and they moved aside.

 

Xu Mengjie glanced back at Bai Man and Su Qingwan as she asked, “Why are they acting so strange?”

 

“Don’t worry,” Bai Shanheng reassured her. “Manman is different from… her. She won’t get defensive.”

 

The mention of “Bai Man” silenced Xu Mengjie, who nodded absently.

 

Bai Man had just finished her wontons when Su Qingwan took her bowl. “Go upstairs and take a shower.”

 

Bai Man murmured in agreement. As soon as she returned to her room, she received a call from Director Xu.

 

“Bai Man, considering the recent troubles in your family, the Production Team is willing to grant you a leave of absence. This will allow you to settle your affairs at home.”

 

Bai Man scoffed coldly. “If you want to kick me off the show, just say so. No need to beat around the bush.”

 

Director Xu choked on his words. “Bai Man, your initial entry into the group was already… special. And your constant troublemaking on the show has made things extremely difficult for the Production Team!”

 

Special? He might as well have said she’d bribed her way in through connections.

 

Bai Man pulled out a chair and sat down. “Ask the netizens if they believe that.”

 

“Then what do you want?” Before Bai Man could reply, Director Xu’s voice cut in again. “Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll refund half of your initial payment to help you with your immediate crisis. But you must post a Weibo statement voluntarily withdrawing from the show.”

 

“That’s a bad deal. If I become famous—”

 

“I’ll refund the entire amount,” Director Xu said through gritted teeth. “Think carefully, Bai Man. Three million yuan is no small sum. If you plead with the bank, you might be able to delay things for a while.”

 

“I’ll withdraw, but I won’t post on Weibo,” Bai Man replied firmly. She didn’t truly believe the three million yuan would buy Hengjie Garment Factory any real time, but she had other urgent matters to handle.

 

Director Xu, who had been trying to get Bai Man to withdraw from the start, gritted his teeth and said, “Fine.”

 

The higher-ups had instructed him to do whatever it took to minimize the impact on the production team, as long as Bai Man voluntarily withdrew.

 

Under what circumstances would those higher-ups loosen their grip on their money? Naturally, for the promise of even greater profits.

 

Just two minutes after hanging up, Bai Man received a bank notification confirming the successful deposit of three million yuan into her account.

 

She had previously learned that Hengjie Garment Factory owed the bank twelve million yuan. With the five million yuan Shangguan Yu had given her for the room purchase, she now had eight million yuan. She could also withdraw some funds from the platform, leaving her not far short of the twelve million yuan.

 

After a night of explosive public discussion, the situation had reached a fever pitch. As public sympathy for Hengjie Garment Factory surged and criticism of the bank’s broken promises intensified, another trending topic suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

 

#Bank’s Betrayal Exposed: Shunyang’s Scheme Revealed#

 

#Shunyang Little Princess Drives Hengjie Garment Factory to Ruin in Revenge#

 

#Shunyang Indulges Little Princess’s Reckless Behavior#

 

#Shunyang’s Monopoly: A Hand That Covers the Sky#

 

As these trending topics erupted, Shangguan Fu, the general manager of Shunyang Group and Shangguan Yu’s elder brother, swiftly ordered the Public Relations Department to suppress the news.

 

The Public Relations Department director wiped his brow repeatedly. “Mr. Shangguan, it’s the same situation as yesterday—there’s resistance.” He raised his hand. “We’ve mobilized the entire department this time. We should be able to suppress it soon.”

 

Shangguan Fu was dissatisfied with this response. “Have you identified who’s behind this?”

 

The director lowered his head even further, afraid to meet Shangguan Fu’s gaze. “T-Tiansheng Group.”

 

Shangguan Fu slammed his hand on the table. “So it was him.” He pointed toward the window. “I don’t care what methods you use—these trending topics must be suppressed. And that Bai…” He paused. “…Bai Man. Investigate any connections between these two.”

 

The Public Relations Department director acknowledged the order and hurried away without lingering.

 

Just as the trending topic’s heat began to subside, it rebounded within half an hour, drawing even more netizens into the fray. The number of shares alone surged past ten million.

 

Such a sensational story immediately alerted all media companies in Suzhou. They besieged not only the Shunyang Group but also Hengjie Garment Factory, leaving no stone unturned.

 

At Jiayue Studio, Su Qingwan, who had been busy since returning, checked her phone and saw the trending topic. She immediately prepared to leave.

 

Su Qingyue walked in from behind. “Going to see Bai Man?” she asked. Qingwan nodded. “Good. If you two appear together, it might help salvage your image.”

 

Qingwan froze. Yesterday, when Yu Meng mocked Bai Man, Qingwan’s “neutral stance” had drawn criticism from some netizens, who accused her of ingratitude for distancing herself from her adoptive parents’ company during its crisis.

 

She felt she deserved the criticism. At the time, she had indeed hesitated due to the development of her studio.

 

She hadn’t instructed the Public Relations Department to suppress the negative comments, nor had she heeded her sister’s advice to issue an explanation.

 

She turned to Su Qingyue. “You used to call Bai Man ungrateful, saying she’d forgotten Dad and Mom’s kindness in raising her. But what about you? What do your words now make of me?” She raised her hand. “Don’t tell me you’re doing this for the sake of the studio.” She clenched her fist and looked away. “Is this studio mine alone?”

 

Su Qingyue took a step back, her eyes wide with disbelief. She couldn’t believe her sister had said such things.

 

In her memory, her sister had always been understanding and responsible, never uttering such harsh words.

 

Why was she acting like this now? Was it because of Bai Man?

 

Forcing a smile, Su Qingyue reached out to take Su Qingwan’s hand, but Su Qingwan evaded her touch. Awkwardly withdrawing her hand, Su Qingyue explained, “I know you’re blaming me for making you stand by and watch, but Sis, what choice did we have? The conglomerate behind Shangguan Yu is so powerful. A single word from them can make a bank president break his promise. Destroying our little studio would be child’s play for them.”

 

Seeing that Su Qingwan remained unmoved, Qingyue pressed on, “Sister, this studio has cost you so much bl00d, sweat, and tears. Would you really let it be destroyed because of your principles?”

 

“Qingyue, you’re not just naive, you’re greedy,” Su Qingwan said, her disappointment palpable. She turned to leave, but paused, adding, “Don’t ever say such things again. This isn’t the sister I know.”

 

The sister she remembered was mature, rational, and driven by clear goals, but never so self-serving.

 

When Su Qingwan arrived at the Hengjie Garment Factory, a crowd of reporters had already gathered outside. She pulled her baseball cap low, trying to avoid them, and was about to slip in through a side entrance when the main gates suddenly swung open, and Bai Man emerged.

 

The first reporter to react shoved a microphone in Bai Man’s face. “Bai Man, Love Knock Knock Knock released a statement at dawn claiming you voluntarily withdrew from the show. Is that true? How do you plan to handle your family’s debt? Do you regret provoking the Shunyang Little Princess?”