Making Three Heartless Woman Go Crazy for Me - Chapter 32

Under Qi Lanshi’s emotionless gaze, the man named xxx practically fled in disarray, his confession abruptly cut short with no follow-up.

Qi Lanshi had anticipated his reaction, so she wasn’t surprised in the slightest. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she walked out with her books in her arms. After only a few steps, she spotted her secretary waiting outside.

“Long time no see,” Qi Lanshi said with a smile. “I didn’t expect you to be the one picking me up. I thought you might refuse this assignment.”

After all, during their last encounter, the secretary had practically worn the words “avoid conflict of interest” on her face.

Qi Lanshi understood. She had deliberately flirted with the secretary, who hadn’t realized it but had already sensed her own feelings crossing a line.

Compared to that fleeting emotion, Luan Hua’s generous salary was undoubtedly more worth clinging to. Thus, the secretary’s reaction was perfectly reasonable.

“Work assigned by the Boss must be completed, of course,” the secretary replied with a smile. “This is all for Miss Qi’s safety. If you encounter any unwelcome harassment in the future, please contact me immediately, and I’ll handle it for you.”

“Thank you,” Qi Lanshi replied, “but I don’t consider what happened earlier to be harassment. It was just a minor incident in life.”

After all, the man had been quite polite. He had simply left dejectedly after the shock, without doing anything inappropriate or saying anything offensive.

The car had been parked outside the school gate for a long time. Qi Lanshi sat in the passenger seat, the air conditioning quickly dispelling the summer heat clinging to her skin. She leaned back, closing her eyes to rest.

“Luan Hua sent you to pick me up because she’s afraid others wouldn’t be able to handle me, right?” she asked.

Qi Lanshi was known for refusing to give anyone face when she was displeased. Given her recent encounter with Madam Luan, Luan Hua likely feared she might refuse to cooperate if upset, hence the special arrangement to send the secretary who had dealt with her many times before.

The secretary hummed in acknowledgment, and a long silence settled in the car.

But while waiting at a red light, she couldn’t help but glance at Qi Lanshi out of the corner of her eye. Recalling Qi Lanshi’s earlier words and actions, her gaze grew increasingly complex.

Without warning, Qi Lanshi spoke up. “If you have a question, just ask. We’ve known each other for so long. At least with you, I won’t hold back.”

After a moment’s hesitation, the secretary finally asked, “Why did you say those things just now?”

A woman like Qi Lanshi must have been showered with confessions her entire life. She could have handled the situation with far more tact, yet she chose to deepen the stain on her reputation with her words.

“I only spoke a few truths,” Qi Lanshi countered. “Why does everyone seem so unable to accept them? Besides, Luan Hua should be quite pleased with this outcome, don’t you think? Today’s news about me being kept will spread even further, and no one will bother approaching a woman like me—someone who can’t even be brought into polite society.”

The secretary’s mouth opened and closed, her disapproval evident. But… it wasn’t her place to interfere.

Though she remained silent, Qi Lanshi smiled and continued, “Thank you for caring about me. You’re truly the only normal person around Luan Hua. You’re the only one I like.”

The secretary’s expression remained unchanged. “Miss Qi, please refrain from making such jokes. If the Boss were to hear you, you might get away with it, but I would certainly suffer the consequences.”

Qi Lanshi knew she had her limits. She wasn’t just teasing NPCs out of boredom; every word and action served a purpose.

As the car pulled up to the mansion’s gate, she added, “Actually, when I saw it was you picking me up, I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness it wasn’t someone else.”

Without further explanation, she pushed open the car door and stepped out.

Since quitting her job at the convenience store, Qi Lanshi’s life had been filled with leisure time. Fortunately, the mansion offered a variety of entertainment facilities to help her pass the time.

Of course, these methods of amusement were only relevant before the White Moonlight’s return. Now that Bai Jiao was back, her entertainment naturally centered around Bai Jiao herself.

However, today Qi Lanshi discovered that her source of amusement had vanished before she could even begin to enjoy it.

Luan Hua hadn’t returned from work yet, so she asked a nearby servant, “Where did Miss Bai go?”

“We’re not entirely sure, but we know she moved out,” the cook said with a smile. “After all, this isn’t Miss Bai’s home. It’s only natural she might feel uncomfortable staying here. It’s understandable she left.”

Qi Lanshi chuckled. “Auntie, that’s a funny way to put it, as if this were my home. Aren’t we all just thick-skinned guests here?”

“How can you compare yourself to them?” Luan Hua’s voice came from behind. “I invited you here. Who would dare call you thick-skinned?”

Qi Lanshi glanced at the time before turning around. “Why are you home so early today?”

Luan Hua would never admit she had rushed back specifically to find Qi Lanshi.

Although Bai Jiao had said she was leaving and had packed her bags, Luan Hua still worried the two women might cross paths. She had hurried home today to prevent that.

How could I let that woman know? She’d pretend not to care while secretly laughing at me, Luan Hua thought.

She had accurately gauged Qi Lanshi’s mindset.

Qi Lanshi would indeed laugh.

“Do I need to announce my return to my own home?” Luan Hua scoffed. “Just go to school and come home on time every day. Wait for me obediently.”

“How would I dare question CEO Luan’s movements? I just find it a bit odd,” Qi Lanshi said, feeling bewildered. “Did Miss Bai really leave just like that?”

The White Moonlight is a crucial figure in substitution romance narratives. For Bai Jiao to exit the stage so quickly, before even causing much trouble, seemed premature.

“This isn’t her home,” Luan Hua said, genuinely perplexed. “She was only staying temporarily. What’s the problem with her leaving?” She added, “Besides, I didn’t just kick her out and abandon her. She’s living at the Luan Family’s ancestral estate with my parents.”

Qi Lanshi nodded at this.

Logical. Perfectly logical.

Bai Jiao’s retreat was strategic. She couldn’t compete with Qi Lanshi in this opulent mansion, but could she really lose at the Luan Family’s ancestral estate?

As Luan Hua’s childhood sweetheart, with the endorsement and support of Luan Hua’s parents, Bai Jiao might lack official status, but what difference would that make compared to a fiancée sitting at home?

In contrast, Qi Lanshi, who had never been particularly presentable, now seemed more like a mistress kept on the side.

Which, to be fair, she was.

And if Bai Jiao had returned to the ancestral estate, it was inevitable that new plot developments would unfold there.

So Qi Lanshi asked, “Will you need to return to the ancestral estate in the next few days? Perhaps for your parents’ birthdays or some other family occasion?”

Luan Hua’s brow furrowed even deeper. “How did you know? Next week is my parents’ wedding anniversary.”

“Hmm…” Qi Lanshi began to ponder seriously how to explain how she knew.

Before she could come up with a plausible explanation, Luan Hua had already figured it out herself, needing no further explanation. “You’ve been secretly investigating me behind my back.”

This woman, who appeared so quiet and indifferent on the surface, as if she didn’t care about Qi Lanshi at all, had been secretly investigating her, even uncovering her parents’ wedding anniversary.

Qi Lanshi couldn’t read Luan Hua’s thoughts, but she could see the woman’s delight and satisfaction in her expression.

Qi Lanshi: “……”

Fine, whatever this woman is imagining, let her keep thinking that way. Just consider it making her happy.

“You’re coming with me next week,” Luan Hua finally declared.

Although Qi Lanshi knew this plot point was inevitable, she still voiced her confusion. “Why would I go to your parents’ wedding anniversary? What role would I even play? Isn’t that inappropriate?”

What normal person brings their substitute mistress to their parents’ wedding anniversary?

Luan Hua once again offered her own twisted logic. “I wasn’t planning to bring you at first, but since you brought it up yourself, it means you want to go.”

How could she possibly refuse such a small request from her little darling?

Qi Lanshi: “……”

This blame game had come full circle, landing squarely on her shoulders. By their wedding anniversary, she would be the one who couldn’t recognize her place, shamelessly begging Luan Hua to take her along—a complete embarrassment.

But Qi Lanshi didn’t care. The plot had to progress anyway, her image was already set, and attending the anniversary would only add insult to her already tarnished reputation.

With the anniversary still a week away, Qi Lanshi had no scripted scenes to perform or crucial milestones to reach. So she decided to… create her own drama.

After all, the livestream was still running, and audience engagement was paramount. While Qingbei’s lectures were excellent, viewers weren’t tuning in for academic content alone. She needed to find something substantial to do.

The bullet comments section gradually erupted into a frenzy:

Ohohoh! Lanlan’s earlier props are finally going to come into play!

I’m already getting excited!

Seeing this, I almost feel sorry for the CEO. She’s become so much more normal lately, even sending away the White Moonlight.

First of all, the White Moonlight wanted to leave herself. Second, she only moved from the CEO’s house to the CEO’s ancestral mansion—how is that “leaving”?

I agree with the previous comment! Don’t lower your standards for your other half, everyone!

Shh, no arguing! Watching Lanlan is what matters most!

Qi Lanshi remained oblivious to the near-brawl erupting in the bullet comment stream. She had been attending school peacefully in the game for several days when, without warning, she suddenly started acting up on the weekend.

At this point, the secretary had no idea what she was about to face. She arrived as usual to pick up Qi Lanshi after school, but today, the usually well-behaved Qi Lanshi suddenly refused to cooperate.

“It’s not that I don’t want to go with you,” Qi Lanshi said, her tone conciliatory. “I just have something I need to take care of. It won’t take long. Please, just help me out.”

The secretary frowned, her resolve unwavering. “My job is to take you home, Miss Qi. It’s you who should be asking me not to make things difficult.”

“I only need half an hour—just half an hour,” Qi Lanshi pleaded, her voice tinged with desperation. “I know I’m putting you in a tough spot, but… if someone else were here to pick me up, I wouldn’t ask you for this favor.”

The unspoken implication in her words was too tempting to resist. The secretary’s refusal died on her lips, replaced by: “If it weren’t me, what would you do?”

“I’d just run away,” Qi Lanshi declared, her voice unapologetically firm. “I wouldn’t care about anyone else’s life or death.”

The secretary was speechless.

If Qi Lanshi had continued pleading or trying to charm her, the secretary might have momentarily softened before firmly refusing. But her words took an unexpected turn.

After a moment of silence, the secretary said, “Then I’ll take you myself. You have exactly half an hour.”

Seeing Qi Lanshi’s reluctance and sensing she was about to protest, the secretary’s tone immediately hardened. “This is the absolute limit. I won’t risk my professional ethics or high salary for this.”

“Fine,” Qi Lanshi finally agreed with a nod.

Qi Lanshi went to the cemetery plot Luan Hua had bought for her.

“I’ll go in alone. Can you wait outside?” Qi Lanshi gestured with her hand, indicating a small space. “I just need this tiny bit of private space. Just a little is enough.”

In the end, the secretary couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

Ever since arriving at the cemetery, Qi Lanshi’s mood had been off. Shortly after she got out of the car, the weather turned gloomy, and a light rain began to fall.

The secretary watched from a distance as Qi Lanshi stood with her back straight, yet looking as if she might collapse at any moment.

The wind was too strong, as if just a little more force could break her.

It was only at that moment that the secretary gradually understood why Qi Lanshi wanted a burial plot: she wasn’t planning to bury herself; she had someone she wished to commemorate.

Who could it be? the secretary wondered silently.

She had personally investigated Qi Lanshi’s background. Three sheets of paper were enough to summarize the young woman’s past, which was strikingly simple. Qi Lanshi had always been utterly alone. After being targeted by Luan Hua, her situation had become unbearably pitiful.

The pitiful and fragile Qi Lanshi was currently complaining to the System: “What’s with this weather? It’s way too perfect! The atmosphere is maxed out, but it’s freezing.”

She exhaled a puff of breath as she spoke, stubbornly standing in the wind and rain.

System: …

Once she felt the moment was right, she laid out all the items she had drawn in the past few days. The stationery for writing love letters was placed at the very bottom.

“I’m so sorry, but I have no choice,” Qi Lanshi said, pressing her palms together in a sincere apology. “Besides you, I can’t think of anyone else worthy of having my name on a love letter. I know you’re still alive and well, but please bear with me for now.”

Qi Lanshi knew her apology wouldn’t reach the person it was meant for, but she still felt compelled to say it.

Just telling myself that to feel better.

When everything was over, Qi Lanshi hurried through the wind and rain, yanked open the car door, and climbed inside. “It’s freezing…” she said. “It couldn’t have been more than half an hour, right?”

Only after speaking did she notice the secretary was on the phone.

“Miss Qi wanted to see the Boss’s purchased burial plot. We’re just about to head back.”

The secretary’s words were perfectly crafted, conveying all the necessary information without revealing anything she shouldn’t… Of course, from her perspective, she genuinely seemed to know nothing.

“Why didn’t you tell me and just take her there?” Luan Hua’s voice was deep and stern. Even through the phone, Qi Lanshi could sense her displeasure.

The secretary offered no excuses, immediately admitting her mistake. “My apologies. It was my oversight.”

Luan Hua said something else on the other end. The secretary hummed in acknowledgment, said “Understood,” and hung up.

“I’m sorry for getting you involved,” Qi Lanshi said. “I didn’t realize she was investigating me so thoroughly.”

The secretary desperately wanted to ask, “Didn’t you really expect this?”

But the moment Qi Lanshi agreed, the matter was settled. No amount of arguing would change anything. So she simply handed Qi Lanshi a towel. “Dry off quickly to avoid catching a cold.”

Qi Lanshi took the towel and thanked her politely.

“The Boss is investigating so thoroughly because she booked a restaurant for dinner with you tonight. It was my mistake that you got drenched, so I’ll take you to buy some dry clothes now.”

The secretary’s words made Qi Lanshi pause. “Did you know Luan Hua had booked a restaurant?” she asked.

“Yes, I made the reservation.”

The bullet comments erupted with “ohohoh” spam.

As expected of Lanlan! She’s already won someone over without even trying.

Did I miss something? Why is the secretary suddenly so supportive of Lanlan?

What else could it be? It’s Lanlan’s irresistible charm! She’s been charmed!

What was obvious to the Livestream viewers was equally clear to Qi Lanshi.

She silently dried her hair until the secretary brought her to the mall. Only then did she speak, “You can go back now. You don’t need to pick me up or drop me off anymore.”

The secretary’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise.

Qi Lanshi didn’t bother explaining and strode straight into the mall.

She could already guess what the Bullet Comments were thinking: Why would she just abandon such a useful NPC like the secretary?

“There’s no real reason,” Qi Lanshi explained. “To put it bluntly, I just don’t see the point. Miss Bai is just a working woman; there’s no need to drag her into my drama with the CEO. Besides… her choice earlier made me feel a little guilty.”

“Deceiving someone’s feelings always comes with a price.”

Qi Lanshi left it at that, sending Luan Hua her location: Come pick me up.

Luan Hua replied with a question mark.

Qi Lanshi: I sent Miss Bai away. No one’s paying for me now.

Luan Hua: ……

Luan Hua: Wait there.

Luan Hua genuinely felt she owed Qi Lanshi. She had just given Qi Lanshi a sum of money, and when Qi Lanshi asked her to come pay the bill, she actually showed up.

By the time Luan Hua arrived, Qi Lanshi had already selected several outfits. Despite not having paid yet, she was being treated exceptionally well, sitting on a sofa sipping coffee and chatting playfully with the sales assistant beside her.

“Your hands are so small and white,” Qi Lanshi said with a smile. “If I were a man, I’d use this moment to compare hand sizes and flirt with you, then ask what hand cream you use.”

“But since I’m a woman, I’ll ask you very seriously: what hand cream do you use?”

Compliments from someone of the same gender often feel more genuine and gratifying, especially when they come from a stunning woman like Qi Lanshi who clearly meant what she said. The sales assistant’s smile grew even brighter and more sincere. Just as she was about to answer, she suddenly sensed a shift in the atmosphere.

A woman with a wolf-tail haircut, wearing a white shirt and fishtail skirt, stood beside her with a hostile expression. “What hand cream?” she demanded. “Let me hear too.”