She's Crazy, I Love Her - Chapter 1

Qi You returned to the private room and saw her being coaxed into drinking the glass of wine.

The banquet was nearing its end, the atmosphere boisterous, with voices raised in high spirits after a satisfying meal.

Her fair complexion was now flushed with a delicate, ambiguous blush, and fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead. Her temples were slightly damp, and the graceful curve of her neck, pale and slender, revealed a distinct “beauty tendon” as she swallowed.

She drained half the glass in one gulp, her lips glistening a deep, moist red.

Frowning, she set down the glass and murmured to the person beside her, “Is that enough?”

Qi You circled around and sat down, leaning back in his chair, his gaze fixed on her.

“President Qi,” someone asked, “are you alright?”

It took Qi You a moment to register the question before turning his head.

It was his assistant, He Wen, who was startled by his pale complexion.

Qi You shifted his gaze. The woman had already returned to her seat, still frowning slightly, her head bowed. The light from the crystal chandelier above cast a soft glow on her jet-black hair.

She remained mostly silent, while the man and woman behind her engaged in animated conversation, occasionally exchanging knowing glances over her shoulder. She seemed completely oblivious.

In the entire room, she was the most beautiful.

But she was prey.

“President Qi.”

Someone else approached—the woman behind her, in her thirties, wearing a light gray business suit with heavy makeup. She smiled at Qi You and said, “I’m so sorry, Chi Yue’s had a bit too much to drink. I’ll take her to rest now. We’ll make sure to keep President Qi company properly next time.”

As she spoke, she glanced at Chi Yue before turning back to Qi You. The forced smile on her face was exaggerated, and her heavily lined eyes narrowed into thick slits, concealing a deeper meaning within.

Qi You’s mental anguish had stretched her reflexes to their limit. By the time she registered the woman’s presence, the woman’s smile was nearly collapsing. She cautiously asked again, “President Qi?”

Qi You slowly remembered who she was.

Liu Yifang, Chi Yue’s manager.

Liu Yifang: “President Qi, are you…?”

Qi You hummed in acknowledgment.

Satisfied with her response, Liu Yifang turned back to Chi Yue and whispered something in her ear. Chi Yue looked visibly surprised, as if realizing that leaving first might be inappropriate. Liu Yifang then said something else, her gaze darting quickly over Qi You.

Chi Yue immediately turned to look at her.

Chi Yue offered her an apologetic smile, like a spring flower slowly blooming.

Qi You’s face remained expressionless.

Undeterred by her indifference, Chi Yue stood up, swaying slightly. She steadied herself by gripping the table.

Liu Yifang reached out to help her, but Chi Yue shook her head in refusal. After a moment, she straightened up again.

The two women bid farewell to the others at the table.

Everyone smiled.

Perhaps because Qi You had been watching her intently, the entire private room fell into an inexplicable silence as Chi Yue turned to leave. The room only regained its boisterous atmosphere after the door closed behind them, as if someone had pressed the play button on a paused recording.

Tonight’s gathering wasn’t particularly upscale, drawing people from all walks of life. Qi You, the youngest among them, already held the highest status.

Someone came to offer her a toast.

This private room was truly soundproof—no noise could enter or escape. The clamor of wine, women, wealth, and ambition rose like steam in an airtight steamer.

Noticing Qi You’s darkening expression, He Wen quickly stood up to intercept the toasts one by one.

Qi You was indeed feeling unwell. Her body had just purged in the restroom, leaving her throat and esophagus burning like fire. It felt as if a million tiny rodents were crawling through her bones, gnawing frantically at her limbs and every part of her body.

Crunch, crunch, crunch—

Loud yet silent.

Painful yet untraceable.

Perhaps it was just a hallucination.

She closed her eyes, her consciousness slipping into a vast void.

“—President Qi, please rest well. My room is downstairs. If you need anything, just call me.”

Qi You opened her eyes. “What time is it?”

He Wen glanced at his phone. “9:47.”

Qi You didn’t reply.

He Wen waited awkwardly, unsure whether to leave. After a moment, he tentatively asked, “Should I go now?”

Qi You stared at him for a moment before saying, “Mm.”

He Wen left, closing the door behind him.

The central air conditioning in the hotel suite hummed silently, leaving the room feeling icy.

Qi You leaned back on the sofa, motionless as a statue.

After a long while, she glanced at her wristwatch. It was a quarter past ten. Finally, she stood up, feeling as if lime were flaking off her body in a soft rustle.

Qi You pushed open the door, stepped into the elevator, and pressed the button for the twenty-first floor.

The elevator doors closed, and silence enveloped her. She stood in the center, facing her reflection in the mirror-like stainless steel walls.

She should have been intimately familiar with herself, having witnessed her own myriad forms. Yet none of those shadows truly represented the person she was now.

She stared at the face across from her—a young face, but one in poor condition. The harsh overhead fluorescent light cast a sallow pallor on her skin, revealing dark circles beneath her eyes and an aura of visible exhaustion and numbness.

Qi You tugged at the corners of her lips in a forced smile, only to watch her stiff face crack open down the middle.

A beat later, the elevator’s “ding” announced its arrival.

Snapping back to awareness, Qi You stepped out.

The elevator was positioned in the middle of the corridor, flanked by wide, inverted V-shaped angles and partially obscured by tall screens. This arrangement prevented a clear view of the entire hallway.

She glanced at her watch again. The minute hand was almost vertical. She turned right and had taken only two steps when she heard faint footsteps ahead.

The screen beside the elevator was openwork, and through the slender green plants, she could make out a blurry figure approaching. It wasn’t until the person was very close that she recognized Chi Yue.

Chi Yue looked disheveled. Her once-neat bun had come undone, her thick, dark curls were tangled, some strands clinging to her flushed cheeks. She was drenched in sweat, and one shoulder strap of her dress had slipped off, revealing her smooth, pale shoulder. She wasn’t even wearing shoes.

She stumbled toward Qi You and collided with her.

“Help…” she gasped. “Help me…”

Her breath came in ragged gasps, and she kept glancing back, her terror almost palpable.

Anyone witnessing such a scene in a hotel corridor would immediately jump to unpleasant conclusions.

Yet Qi You’s expression remained unchanged. She lowered her gaze to Chi Yue, whose hand was clamped tightly around her arm. Chi Yue’s grip was so fierce that her nails dug deep into Qi You’s shirt, piercing the fabric and sinking into her flesh.

Qi You noticed a smear of red on Chi Yue’s pale blue shirt.

It must be bl00d from Chi Yue’s hand.

Qi You grabbed her wrist.

Chi Yue looked up and met her gaze. The fleeting moment of clarity allowed her to recognize Qi You. Her lips moved, forming the name, “Qi—”

Her body went limp, unable to support itself. Whether it was the sudden release of tension upon seeing Qi You or something else, she began to collapse.

Qi You reached out, wrapping an arm around Chi Yue’s shoulders and waist. Her waist was remarkably slender, her body so pliant it felt boneless. Pressed close, Qi You could feel Chi Yue trembling violently.

Qi You stepped back, pressing the elevator’s upward button.

Chi Yue’s voice shook so badly it was barely audible. “Someone… someone… wants to hurt me…”

Qi You remained silent.

Chi Yue, completely unguarded due to their shared gender and familiarity, clung to Qi You like a drowning person clinging to a floating raft.

Her body burned with fever, her cheeks and lips scorching hot. The ragged, uneven breaths escaping her mouth and nostrils brushed against Qi You’s neck, carrying an overwhelming sense of desperation.

Her heart pounded wildly, thudding against her ribs as if it might burst from her chest.

The elevator finally arrived.

But when the doors opened, two men in suits were already inside.

Qi You glanced at them, her gaze lingering on the man in the middle for two seconds.

“It’s okay now,” Qi You finally said, lowering her head and whispering softly to the woman in her arms. “It’s just the elevator.”

Chi Yue flinched violently, darting a quick glance at the elevator before Qi You’s turning figure blocked her view.

Qi You guided her inside.

The elevator doors closed, and the car began to ascend.

Chi Yue struggled, trying to pull away from Qi You’s embrace.

Qi You patted her back gently, and she stilled.

The elevator car was spacious, leaving plenty of room even with four occupants. The transparent walls reflected their images: two women and two men standing distinctly on opposite sides, each silent, their gazes meeting only in the mirrored reflections.

Chi Yue was held by the waist, her back encircled by Qi You’s arm. Her hair cascaded down, framing a pair of slender legs beneath her dress.

She was standing far too close to Qi You, well beyond the normal safe distance. Barefoot, her toes were pointed, her pale arches brushing against Qi You’s black stilettos—a deliberately provocative pose.

The scene was undeniably alluring, causing the other two elevator passengers to lower their eyes, glancing subtly.

Chi Yue remained oblivious, her vision narrowed to a small area filled entirely by Qi You’s half-open collar and exposed collarbone. A delicate gold necklace rested against that collarbone, while the collar itself was made of smooth, soft cyan silk.

Her lips pressed against the fabric, feeling its cool smoothness and Qi You’s faint fragrance, mingled with lingering traces of alcohol—like fermenting lime, thin, dense, and misty.

She swallowed her suppressed breaths, forcing the mist down into her stomach.

She was on the verge of moaning.

As if sensing Chi Yue’s torment, Qi You gently rubbed her chin against the top of Chi Yue’s head in a soothing gesture.

Chi Yue tightened her embrace, her lips suddenly pressing against the skin above Qi You’s collarbone.

Qi You didn’t flinch. Instead, she gently pinched Chi Yue’s nape and murmured, “We have company.”

Her voice was soft and ambiguous.

Chi Yue loosened her grip slightly and bit down on Qi You’s collar.

An eerie silence fell over the elevator.

Locked in an embrace, they appeared to onlookers as if Qi You were comforting a drunk friend or girlfriend.

Yet, what completely contradicted Qi You’s gentle actions was the way her eyes remained fixed on the man reflected in the elevator wall—staring intently, unblinking, almost offensively so.

The man, puzzled, glanced at them twice before frowning.

Soon, the elevator stopped at the thirty-second floor.

Qi You moved first, scooping Chi Yue into her arms and carrying her out horizontally. She turned right, following the directional sign.

There were only four rooms on the thirty-second floor, with 3203 located to the right of the elevator.

The room card touched the sensor, emitting a pleasant electronic chime.

At the same moment, a sharp electronic warning blared in Qi You’s mind:

Warning! Warning! Warning!

Critical plot deviation detected! Host, correct immediately!

Critical plot deviation detected! Host, correct immediately!

Critical plot deviation detected! Host, correct immediately!