The Domineering CEO, but a Crybaby! - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Human Emotions

In the huge room, only a floral-shaped floor lamp in the corner was on. A small circle of warm yellow light fought against the darkness.

Although it was not bright enough, it was enough for people to see what was happening in the room.

Two figures, one sitting and one standing. The sitting one was rigid, and the standing one was casual.

Cen Qianyi crossed her arms and looked down at the person sitting on the sofa. Her gaze finally landed on her eyes, which were as calm and lifeless as the night.

Just a second ago, these eyes were as wide as a frightened deer. Now they had returned to their natural long and narrow shape, but Cen Qianyi still felt a little uncomfortable looking at them.

It was a strange feeling. She didn’t know why she felt this way.

It seemed that she neither wanted the person in front of her to look at her with that panicked expression she had just now, nor did she want her to have no emotions at all, like she was now.

There was not much difference between her and a sculpture, a statue, or a wooden post.

Thinking of this, Cen Qianyi uncrossed her arms, bent down, and lifted the woman’s chin with her hand. She turned it left and right to get a better look.

The most distinctive feature of this face was probably these eyes. Cen Qianyi thought of how these eyes looked when they cried. The eyes would be red, and big tears would sometimes fall before the eyes were full, like a rushing stream, full of life.

Cen Qianyi looked at these lifeless and unfocused eyes again. Without these lively eyes, this face was like a painting that had lost its color. It was like a once-vibrant flowering tree had become a scene in a painting, no matter how lifelike and realistic, it had lost its soul.

She let go of her hand, feeling a rare sense of unease.

She didn’t know what she was thinking just now… When she saw the fear in those eyes, she felt inexplicably annoyed. She didn’t know why this person was always so afraid of her.

When she came to her senses, she had already hypnotized the person. Now, the person’s eyes were no longer filled with fear, but her annoyance had not decreased at all.

It seemed that she didn’t want to see her like a statue…

Cen Qianyi straightened up, took a step back, and spoke to the person: “Get up.”

The person who received the command did so immediately, but her movements were not very agile, like an old person in their twilight years.

He Shu stood up. Her body, which had been covered by Cen Qianyi’s shadow, became much brighter, and her eyes also took in some bits of light, making her look a little more vibrant.

When she stood up straight, she was a little taller than Cen Qianyi. When she looked straight ahead, her gaze was a little off from Cen Qianyi’s.

The light source hadn’t changed, but as the person moved, the light and shadow on the ground also moved.

Cen Qianyi’s eyebrows raised slightly. She felt that after the person stood up, she looked even more like a statue, a wooden statue at that…

The question she was about to ask was put on hold. After feeling that talking in these two positions was too awkward, Cen Qianyi turned and walked toward the bed.

At the same time, she gave a new command to the person.

“Follow me.”

This command seemed to have put a string on the wooden post. He Shu upgraded to a marionette and followed the person pulling the “string” forward.

She walked very slowly and stiffly. From a distance, she looked like a not-very-intelligent robot.

Cen Qianyi stopped by the bed. He Shu arrived a little later and stood still next to the person.

Cen Qianyi went forward, lifted half of the blanket on the bed, and patted the bed.

“Go up and lie down.”

As soon as the words landed, He Shu turned around in a very standard and slow motion and sat on the edge of the bed with her back to the bed. After she was seated, she turned her body sideways and put her legs on the bed.

After both legs were on the bed, she fell backward stiffly.

Cen Qianyi glanced at the person’s head, which didn’t even touch the pillow.

“Move up.”

After the person’s head was on the pillow, she saw that the person was lying so close to the edge of the bed that she could fall off if she turned over.

Cen Qianyi frowned: “Move in.”

Just like that, as if she were calibrating an unresponsive robot, Cen Qianyi adjusted He Shu’s position to a suitable one.

She covered the person with the blanket. Cen Qianyi went to the other side of the bed and got on.

A standard one-point-eight-meter-wide bed with people on both sides didn’t feel crowded, but it did feel filled up.

Cen Qianyi didn’t know why, but she felt a little more comfortable than when it was half-empty.

She adjusted the position of the pillow, bent her arm, rested her elbow on the pillow, and propped her head up to look at the person on the other side of the bed.

He Shu was lying on her back, stiff as a corpse. Her eyes were open and lifeless, and she blinked slowly after a long while.

Cen Qianyi: …

Perhaps it was because she had never hypnotized someone and had them lie next to her like this. It was only now that she realized how strange it was.

“Turn over.”

This simple command from Cen Qianyi was difficult for He Shu, who was in a hypnotic state. She stiffly rubbed against the bedsheets and flipped over several times to get on her side, but she couldn’t control it and was about to flip all the way over.

Just as the person’s face was about to bury into the pillow, Cen Qianyi helped her.

A smile flashed in her eyes: “Why are you so stupid?”

She was like a stiff caterpillar. Cen Qianyi pursed her lips. It was only now that she realized that this was a little fun.

The person had turned over, but her body was still stiff, as if a wooden post had been placed on its side.

Cen Qianyi couldn’t help but smile at the corners of her lips.

If He Shu were awake, she would probably be surprised. It turned out that the main villain could also smile.

And she was laughing at her.

But soon, Cen Qianyi’s smile disappeared. Looking at this stiff body… This rigid appearance gave people a feeling that even though she was in bed, she was resisting it with her whole heart.

Although she knew this was due to the hypnosis, she thought of just now when she had left a spot for her, but she had acted as if she hadn’t seen it and had gone to the sofa. Cen Qianyi felt that even if the person were awake, she would probably be the same, with her whole body writing “resistance.”

Cen Qianyi put her hand down, lay on the pillow, and turned her face to look at the person.

“What’s wrong? You don’t want to sleep with me?”

He Shu’s eyes were unfocused. She was just looking forward. When she heard the question, she answered without thinking.

“No.”

As expected… Even though she had guessed the answer, Cen Qianyi wasn’t happy about it. Her pale purple eyes were even more stained with the black of the night.

She held a corner of the pillowcase, and her nail scraped against it. The gray silk fabric was instantly split in two.

“Oh. Then who do you want to sleep with?”

As soon as this question left her mouth, Cen Qianyi was also stunned… She was surprised that she had just asked a question like that.

But since she had already asked, she didn’t plan to take it back. The person wouldn’t remember it anyway.

There was a look of confusion in He Shu’s dazed eyes, as if she didn’t know how to answer this question. There was no sound for a long while.

If she were awake now, she would have said that she didn’t want to sleep with anyone. She just wanted to have a good night’s sleep by herself!

Wasn’t it great to have a big bed all to herself?

When Cen Qianyi saw that the person couldn’t answer, she grunted, knowing that she didn’t have a specific person in mind.

It had nothing to do with her anyway. She had just asked casually.

Moving on from this question, Cen Qianyi thought of the question she had wanted to ask before.

Since the person was already hypnotized, it was the perfect time to ask.

“Did you want to exchange me for someone?”

“No.”

He Shu should be so grateful that Cen Qianyi asked this question now. If she had asked when she had the idea of exchanging her, she would have been doomed. But now, she had already analyzed the pros and cons and no longer had that thought.

When she heard the answer, Cen Qianyi let go of the corner of the pillowcase that she had been playing with. It was now a tuft of fringe.

She didn’t know what she was thinking, but even though she knew the person was in an unconscious state, she still opened her mouth and lightly said, “Hmm,” as if to say that she knew.

She had probably misunderstood her before. Cen Qianyi turned over, faced up, and looked at the ceiling.

There was only one unlit lamp there. The hanging decorative crystals flashed with a little bit of light from a few angles. Cen Qianyi blinked, and the light danced in her eyes.

Just as she was about to ask the next question, her arm felt heavy. He Shu’s stiff body couldn’t stay on its side and fell, pressing down on her arm.

Cen Qianyi helped her up. This time, she simply turned her over so she was also lying on her back.

The two of them looked at the ceiling together. From a distance, this posture looked very much like people who were still out on the beach, lying down and looking at the stars.

Cen Qianyi continued her questions: “Before at the restaurant, you said you wanted to eat me. How were you planning to eat me?”

She was just a little curious.

If those two hadn’t come, what would this person have done?

Every time she called her “baby”… she would do something strange.

She stared at the ceiling and waited for a while but heard no sound. She turned her head to look.

He Shu’s eyes were open, and she was still in a hypnotic state.

Cen Qianyi asked again.

He Shu’s mouth opened and closed as if she were speaking, but Cen Qianyi didn’t hear a single sound.

It wasn’t the first time she had encountered this situation. Cen Qianyi lowered her eyebrows. She still couldn’t understand why, or if there was a pattern.

If He Shu knew what she was thinking, she would have told her to give up. She would never understand. If she could figure out that the system was muting her, then what was she doing being the main villain? She would have become a god!

Cen Qianyi was sure that she couldn’t hear the answer to this question, so she changed the question. The person had run away after she had asked it before.

“You don’t want to eat me anymore?”

This time, she could hear the answer, and the other person answered very quickly.

“No.”

“Why?”

“It doesn’t taste good.”

Cen Qianyi was very surprised by this answer. She sat up in surprise and looked down at the person on the other side of the bed.

“It doesn’t taste good?”

“Hmm.”

Cen Qianyi reached out and pinched the person’s face: “Why?”

The muscles under her hand trembled, and her red lips opened and closed. Cen Qianyi didn’t hear a single sound again.

She tightened her hand on the person. Looking at the mouth that seemed to be speaking, but she couldn’t hear a sound, a feeling of uncontrollable anger surged from the bottom of her heart.

She lowered her head and bit the person’s face hard to vent the frustration that was clogging her heart.

It was quite surprising. This woman’s facial features looked sharp and defined, but she didn’t expect the flesh on her cheek to be so soft.

Cen Qianyi looked at the tooth marks left on it, and the frustration in her heart miraculously disappeared by half.

She lightly patted the face.

“You’re the one who doesn’t taste good.”

She lay back down. Cen Qianyi gave up on asking questions. She closed her eyes and thought about why she couldn’t hear any sound. She recalled some of the previous questions.

She wanted to start with the questions and see which ones would cause this situation where she could see the person’s mouth move but hear no sound.

Outside, a bird made a few clear and continuous calls, which attracted some insects to respond.

The sound of the wind also joined in at this moment, a rustling of leaves.

These sounds passed through the glass window and became much lighter in the room. Cen Qianyi felt that they were not as present as the breathing sound next to her.

She opened her eyes and turned to look. The person next to her had already closed her eyes, and her tense muscles were noticeably relaxed.

Cen Qianyi raised an eyebrow. The hypnosis time was up, and this person had seamlessly transitioned into sleep again.

She was really something. She could really sleep.

She seemed to feel that the pillow wasn’t in a suitable position, and she nudged her head a few times to adjust to a comfortable position, and then she fell completely asleep. Soon, her breathing became very regular and slow.

Cen Qianyi watched for a while and also felt a wave of sleepiness. She was no longer surprised by this. She was sure that this person had a way of making her fall asleep.

She took the pillow away and threw it to the side, squeezed into He Shu’s arms, and put the person’s right hand under her neck as a pillow. The other person naturally hugged her, and her other hand rubbed the back of her neck out of habit.

It was a tingling sensation.

Cen Qianyi leaned against the person’s chest and heard He Shu’s steady heartbeat.

Thump–thump–thump–thump…

Unlike hers.

Thump thump thump thump…

It was a little fast. It was probably because she hadn’t fallen asleep yet. It wasn’t until sleepiness swept over her and she lost consciousness that Cen Qianyi felt that the two hearts, which were close together, finally approached the same frequency.

In the quiet room, the two breathing sounds also became synchronized.

In the light, on one pillow, black and white hair was intertwined.

In the quiet room, there were only occasional dream words, accompanied by the sound of a hand gently patting a back.

“Qianqian, be good.”

…

The night was as cool as water, and the stars and moon moved across the sky.

Cen Qianyi was very surprised that she was dreaming.

It wasn’t that she didn’t dream. She often had dreams all these years, but they were always the same nightmare.

In the dream, she was back in that helpless time, being treated as an experimental subject in that laboratory.

This time, she still dreamed of that laboratory, but unlike before, this time she dreamed that she had escaped.

The sun was shining brightly, and she saw a person in the distance opening their arms to her.

The person smiled and shouted to her: “Qianqian, come here.”

In the dream, she excitedly ran toward the person and threw herself into her arms.

Then, she saw her paw on the other person’s face.

White, furry, paw?

Cen Qianyi instantly opened her eyes, took the hand that was on her body away, sat up, and took a deep breath.

What was that? What kind of dream was she having?!

She had dreamed that she had turned into a dog!

She turned her head to look at the person who had frowned after she had taken her hand away… It must be because of her!

Cen Qianyi lightly slapped the person. It was all because of what this person had said before, daring to treat her like a dog.

In her sleep, He Shu seemed to feel something crawling on her face and reached out to scratch it.

Cen Qianyi looked at the person’s actions, ground her teeth, and felt that it wasn’t enough. She lowered her head and bit the person’s face.

After biting, her movements froze.

Her behavior was a little too… good thing no one saw it.

Cen Qianyi put a hand on her forehead. She had become stupid from dreaming… She reached out and lightly slapped the person again.

It was really a nightmare. She looked up at the clock on the wall next to the desk. In the dim yellow light, the hour hand had just reached three.

Three in the morning. The time was just right.

Cen Qianyi got up, took He Shu’s phone from the head of the bed, entered the program, and checked the location. It wasn’t far.

After changing her clothes and returning to the bed, Cen Qianyi looked at He Shu with hesitation. Should she give her an injection to make sure the person wouldn’t wake up?

After thinking about the person’s excellent ability to sleep, Cen Qianyi decided that it was better not to waste these things.

…

As expected, an hour later, when Cen Qianyi returned to the room, the person was still fast asleep.

Cen Qianyi watched by the bed for a while, but the person didn’t show any signs of waking up. She even wanted to pinch her. She had said something about being wary of the unknown… Did this person have any sense of wariness…?

If someone were to come, they could easily take care of her in her sleep.

After reaching out, Cen Qianyi found that there was still bl00d on her hand. Forget it. She didn’t want to get it on the person’s face.

She tiptoed to the bathroom and carefully washed her hands. Looking at the dress on her body, the material of this clothes was really good. It was indeed waterproof, and there was no stain on it at all.

Thinking that it was the clothes that the woman who was sleeping like a pig outside had specially prepared for her, Cen Qianyi pursed the corners of her lips.

For the sake of the clothes, she had also done a good deed for her.

After tidying herself up, Cen Qianyi returned to the bed. Just as she was about to squeeze into the person’s arms, He Shu seemed to have been disturbed. She hugged her and put her leg on her leg.

“Qianqian, stop messing around. Sleep for a little longer.”

Cen Qianyi had thought the person was awake. When she heard these words, she knew that this was an unconscious action in her sleep.

Besides “baby,” there was also this “Qianqian.” These were not names she would normally call her.

She turned to look at the person.

“Who gave you permission to call me that?”

With her hands trapped, Cen Qianyi used her mouth and bit the person’s chin.

“Mm, stop messing around. We can play when it’s light.”

Cen Qianyi grunted and adjusted her position to continue sleeping.

When it was light, this person might not be in the mood to play.

…

The next morning, as day and night transitioned, the sky was dim.

He Shu was awakened by a sudden phone ring.

When she opened her eyes, she naturally saw the woman in her arms.

A lamp was on in the room. It wasn’t bright, but it was enough for her to confirm that the woman in her arms was Cen Qianyi.

They were sleeping together again… again, and again.

He Shu’s heart was calm, only filled with confusion and doubt. Her brain was still booting up after waking up, and she couldn’t remember what had happened.

How did they end up sleeping together again? And in an even more intimate position than last time…

She pulled her hand away and found that a tuft of her hair was being pressed down by Cen Qianyi. She gently lifted her head and pulled her hair back.

She moved and found that her clothes were also being pulled. She quickly pulled her clothes back and successfully got out of bed. The phone ring was still going on.

He Shu saw the person on the bed frown, as if she was about to be woken up. She quickly walked to the desk and answered the phone.

It was the temporary butler, Leah.

When she heard the other person say that one of the resort villas in their area was on fire, He Shu’s not-yet-fully-booted brain was a little dazed.

“Ms. He, you don’t have to worry. The call is just a reminder. Because the fire is not far from you, we want to prevent any accidents. Don’t worry, we are doing our best to put out the fire. We believe it will be under control soon.”

He Shu’s brain was finally fully awake after hearing this.

She said she understood. Just before hanging up, she suddenly thought of something and asked one more question: “Whose house is on fire?”

The other person also didn’t care about privacy and said directly: “It’s Ms. Qin Mengyu’s.”

As expected. He Shu hadn’t guessed it was her, but she had a subconscious feeling that this phone call wouldn’t be completely unrelated to her… She just felt that it would be someone she knew.

It was like a detective TV show. When the protagonist heard, saw, or noticed someone, that person would most likely be doomed.

It was a kind of unwritten rule that wherever she went, something bad would happen.

But the problem was, she wasn’t the protagonist or a detective…

Why did she have this unlucky physique now?

After hanging up the phone, He Shu didn’t go back to sleep. She opened the door and went to the roof of the backyard, and sure enough, she saw a house not far away engulfed in flames.

Such a big fire!

He Shu was very surprised. She had heard Leah’s calm tone just now and thought it was a small fire. With such a big fire, what about the person? Had she gotten out safely?

She hadn’t even asked. She looked into the distance. Black smoke was billowing, and the staff on the island were trying their best to put out the fire. She couldn’t see anyone going in or out.

He Shu watched for a while. The fire seemed to be under control and was slowly decreasing.

Perhaps the staff had notified everyone. She saw several people coming out of different houses.

Looking at the fire getting smaller and smaller, He Shu saw many people heading toward the fire.

She hurried down from the roof and also went in that direction.

By the time He Shu arrived, the fire was almost out. Fully armed firefighters rushed into the blackened villa.

He Shu suddenly had a bad feeling.

Not long after, she saw two “people” being carried out of the house…

Discussions and some cries rose from the side.

“It must be Ms. Qin and the person she brought. I talked to her yesterday. I didn’t expect…”

“How did the fire start for no reason? This is too ridiculous!”

“It doesn’t feel simple.”

…

Everyone around was discussing and a little incredulous. How could a fire start for no reason? And this house was only one story. How could they not escape a fire that started so suddenly…

He Shu watched as the staff carried the two “people” closer. In her panic, she made way and accidentally caught a glimpse… They were unrecognizable…

Her vision went black, and her footsteps stumbled back. He Shu’s legs went weak, and she was about to fall to the floor!

Just then, a hand on her waist caught her just in time!

He Shu turned her head and met a pair of pale purple eyes that seemed a little displeased.

“If you’re scared, why did you look?”

Cen Qianyi looked at the person’s lifeless face. Her brows were tightly furrowed. Without waiting for a reply, she led the person back to their place.

He Shu was still a little dazed on the way back. She was the same in the room and fell directly onto the sofa.

“Did you get scared silly?”

Cen Qianyi looked at the person and poured a glass of water for her.

He Shu had been thirsty since she arrived. She got up and shakily took the glass. After drinking it, she felt a little better, but her mind was still a little hazy: “How could this happen? Everything was fine yesterday. How could people just… just…”

She couldn’t say the word.

Cen Qianyi looked at the person’s sad expression and realized that she was not only scared but also sad.

“What’s wrong? Are you sad?” She said as if she had thought of something, and she looked directly at He Shu, “Do you regret it? If you had agreed to the exchange yesterday, she might not have died.”

It was self-evident who “she” was. Cen Qianyi felt that He Shu shouldn’t be sad for that Qin Mengyu.

He Shu’s eyelids twitched, and she looked at Cen Qianyi abruptly, her eyes filled with emotions.

She looked at the person who didn’t look surprised at all and had an idea.

But how could that be… Even if she wanted to deal with the person with the surname Qin, she shouldn’t have also dealt with the other one…

He Shu didn’t know why she suddenly had this thought, feeling that this fire might be related to Cen Qianyi… This part wasn’t in the original novel.

Thinking of this, He Shu remembered what had happened last night. Oh, right. Last night, she had suddenly lost consciousness again and had no memory after that!

This was also unexpected. Why had Cen Qianyi suddenly hypnotized her?

“System, come out, come out quickly. What’s going on? What happened last night?”

“Host, you were hypnotized.”

“I know that. And then what? What happened after I was hypnotized?”

“Cen Qianyi asked you a few questions, and then you went to sleep.”

“Sleep?!”

He Shu looked down at the pajamas she was wearing and nervously grabbed her collar. This was the one she had changed into last night, and it didn’t look different.

She then looked at Cen Qianyi, recalling that when she woke up before, this person was also wearing her pajamas.

Cen Qianyi looked at the hand that was suddenly gripping her collar. Her fingers were so tight that they were white. She frowned and said: “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Was she scared just now? Is she starting to feel physically unwell now? Thinking of how this person could faint just from seeing a dead body before, she was worried that she was about to faint again.

He Shu looked at Cen Qianyi with a look of horror. They had slept together last night?!

She couldn’t believe it. Was the system joking? “I slept with Cen Qianyi?”

“Yes. You slept while hugging each other.”

When she heard the answer in her mind, He Shu almost spit out a mouthful of bl00d. This idiotic system meant this kind of sleeping…

“Can you be more specific next time, you stupid system!”

The system immediately fulfilled the host’s request.

“Okay, Host. Last night, you were tightly pressed against each other. You were hugging her, and she was hugging you. You also pinched her hand and rubbed her neck. You…”

He Shu immediately slapped herself: “That’s enough. Just keep it simple. You don’t have to be so detailed. What happened after that? Did Cen Qianyu do the thing with Qin Mengyu?”

“I don’t know.”

Cen Qianyi looked at He Shu, whose expression changed several times. She didn’t say anything, and she became even more confused: “What’s wrong with you?”

He Shu waved her hand: “I’m fine. I just need some time.”

Cen Qianyi frowned. She realized that the person’s face seemed a little more normal, but her eyes were very heavy: “Are you very sad?”

He Shu didn’t know how to describe this emotion.

“It’s just so unexpected… How could she just…” She still couldn’t say the word. “…disappear? We just saw each other yesterday.”

Cen Qianyi grunted with an unclear meaning: “It sounds like you are sad.”

“Shouldn’t I be sad? One day a person is fine, and the next day they’re gone?”

Cen Qianyi’s eyes sank: “What does it have to do with you?”

“I’m a human too. If I suddenly disappeared, would you…” He Shu suddenly stopped speaking. She was stupid. If she suddenly disappeared, how could Cen Qianyi be sad?

She was a cold-blooded and ruthless killer.

Cen Qianyi heard the person’s sudden pause: “Would I what?”

“Nothing.”

He Shu lowered her head, calming her heartbeat. The shock she had received this morning was too great.

Cen Qianyi looked at the person who wasn’t speaking. The person seemed to have an answer. It was funny. Did she know her that well?

“If you suddenly died, I wouldn’t be sad.”

He Shu looked up and felt that those eyes were extremely cold.

Cen Qianyi: “Would being sad help?”

She might as well get her revenge first.

He Shu looked at the person: “I would be sad. If one day, you suddenly died.”

This was the truth. Even though she knew this person would kill her in the future, with so many things happening these past few days, if she suddenly found out that she had died, like today, she would be sad.

That’s what humans were. Humans had emotions.

Unlike this killer.

He Shu didn’t know how she had gotten on this topic with Cen Qianyi, but it was clear that the two of them were not on the same page.

She wanted to get up and wash her face to calm down, but just as she was about to, a weight landed on her shoulder.

Cen Qianyi pressed the person down and pinched her jaw before He Shu could resist.

He Shu’s face suddenly hurt.

She covered her face and looked at Cen Qianyi with a look of shock.

“Why did you bite me?!”