Transmigrated as a White Lotus Heroine, but I’m Pursuing the Cold Villain - Chapter 13

Lin Qinglian was very conscientious. “Mm-hmm, thank you for the clothes, Elder Sister.”

“Do you understand what this means?”

What does it mean?

Lin Qinglian looked utterly bewildered, but as she glanced up, she met Rao Jinqing’s gaze.

Rao Jinqing stared coldly at her, her expression impassive but her tension palpable.

So fierce…

Lin Qinglian’s heart instinctively fluttered, and she nodded involuntarily.

Rao Jinqing panicked. “You…”

Lin Qinglian opened her mouth in confusion. “Me?”

Rao Jinqing’s tone turned aggressive. “The clothes or dinner with me—you can only choose one.”

Lin Qinglian: “???”

Lin Qinglian’s mind raced.

Rao Jinqing wants to give me clothes and have dinner with me?

Wow.

Seeing Lin Qinglian frozen in place, Rao Jinqing reached out, and the bag containing the clothes landed on her slender fingers.

In the midst of Lin Qinglian’s bewildered silence, Rao Jinqing immediately sensed something was amiss.

She doesn’t mean it at all? If she doesn’t mean it, then there’s no harm in teasing her.

Rao Jinqing crossed her pale hands. “If you don’t want to have dinner, then I’ll just take the clothes back.”

Lin Qinglian first caught a fragrant breeze, followed by the sight of a slender, fair arm.

“Huh?” Lin Qinglian blurted out.

But she quickly recovered and immediately said, “I’ll go with you.”

Rao Jinqing regarded her with amusement, a smile playing in her eyes. “Go with me… where?”

Under that gaze, Lin Qinglian lowered her head, her eyes darting awkwardly at the pristine white floor. “To eat.”

She sensed something was off, but the cheerful aura radiating from Rao Jinqing bolstered her confidence.

What could be wrong?

Rao Jinqing must really like her. When Lin Qinglian eventually wanted to become Rao Songning’s sister-in-law, Rao Jinqing would surely approve of the match.

With this thought, Lin Qinglian felt remarkably clever.

Since she couldn’t find a weakness in Rao Songning’s defenses, she would target Rao Jinqing first. Conquer the sister, then conquer the brother.

As for the other, unsettling details…

Well, it’s time to eat first.

The restaurant was a rustic farmhouse courtyard, decorated with natural wood and adorned with flowers and greenery. A shallow artificial stream separated the courtyard from the interior.

Humans are the same.

Lin Qinglian stared across the narrow river at Rao Jinqing, her expression a question mark.

Perhaps her confusion was too obvious, because Rao Jinqing asked, “What’s wrong?”

Just then, a delicate dish served in a seashell floated down the winding stream from above.

Lin Qinglian: Stare

As the dish drifted toward her, she swiftly extended her chopsticks. But the moment Rao Jinqing spoke, her hand trembled.

The exquisite dish slipped from her chopsticks and vanished into the water.

Lin Qinglian barely noticed the lost food, her head snapping up in alarm.

Rao Jinqing’s usual warm smile had vanished, leaving her expressionless. Only four words could describe her now:

Beautifully chilling.

Rao Jinqing gazed into Lin Qinglian’s round, slightly panicked eyes.

She realized she had forgotten to smile.

For some reason, a hollow feeling settled in her chest.

So Lin Qinglian is just like everyone else, she thought. They all prefer someone docile, obedient, and easy to control.

She forced a smile.

But the next moment, Lin Qinglian abruptly stood up.

Rao Jinqing: ?

A seashell, as large as her palm, landed in Rao Jinqing’s bowl with a crisp clink against the porcelain.

Lin Qinglian blinked her large, watery eyes. “Do you want to eat this?”

For some reason, she felt as if someone had suddenly filled the emptiness in her heart.

She picked up the contents of the shell with her chopsticks.

It was a square piece of meat, golden-brown with a slightly crispy, caramelized surface, drizzled with savory sauce. It looked utterly delicious.

She gently pressed her chopsticks into the center, and the meat immediately split in two.

Lin Qinglian gazed expectantly above the stream, waiting for the next offering from the Food God.

Thinking about the mouthwatering meat she had just tasted, she secretly swallowed hard.

Just then, a perfectly marbled piece of meat, radiating an irresistible aroma, landed precisely in front of her.

Lin Qinglian looked up.

Her eyes and mouth widened in stunned surprise as the meat was placed directly into her mouth.

Rao Jinqing leaned slightly forward, resting her cheek in one hand while holding chopsticks in the other.

A drop of sauce clung precariously to the tips of her chopsticks, threatening to fall.

The crystal-clear artificial stream below served as their source of food.

Lin Qinglian’s mind went blank. She leaned forward, sticking out her tongue to lick the sauce from the chopsticks.

As if burned, Rao Jinqing abruptly withdrew her hand.

Lin Qinglian’s expression remained unchanged. “What’s wrong?”

What am I doing?

The question flashed through Lin Qinglian’s mind.

Did I just lick her chopsticks?

Does she look disgusted with me now?

What should I do? What should I do?! What if she hates me now?! Then my mission…

Lin Qinglian couldn’t even discern Rao Jinqing’s mood, yet she felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

Rao Jinqing reached out to pick up some food. “It’s nothing,” she said.

She calmly ate the food she had picked up, her expression unchanged.

That must mean it’s really nothing, right…? She ate with chopsticks I used!

Ah!!!

“Have you ever kissed Chi Jiheng?”

Lin Qinglian’s mind went blank. Her ears automatically blocked out external sounds, her eyes fixed on Rao Jinqing’s vividly red lips moving rhythmically. She could only see Rao Jinqing seemed to be asking something.

Rao Jinqing put down her chopsticks, wiped her lips with a napkin, and said indifferently, “It’s nothing.”

Rao Jinqing knew the answer from Lin Qinglian’s brief silence.

The weight in her chest remained, heavier than before, pressing down with a dull ache.

The lipstick had been wiped away, revealing her natural lip color—a pale hue that complemented her cool, distant features.

Then Lin Qinglian noticed a palpable aura of unhappiness radiating from Rao Jinqing.

Rao Jinqing set down the napkin, rinsed her mouth with lemon water from the table, and finally stood up. “I have other matters to attend to. I’ll be leaving now.”

The moment Rao Jinqing stood up, Lin Qinglian sprang to her feet as well. A strange intuition told her that if Rao Jinqing left now, they might never cross paths again.

Ignoring the movement behind her, Rao Jinqing pulled out her phone to check her schedule.

Just as she did, a burning hand gripped her arm.

She turned with a displeased expression.

The sound of a guqin filled the air, followed by the mournful notes of a xiao. Yet the combined melody was strangely cheerful, rather than sorrowful.

A server in a qipao approached, carrying two glasses of wine and a single rose.

The aroma of wine and flowers mingled in the air.

The impeccably made-up server glanced at the two women as she approached. It was the first time she’d seen two women in a couples’ restaurant.

After a moment’s hesitation, she placed the rose and both glasses of wine in front of Rao Jinqing.

“This is a complimentary gift from the restaurant,” the server said. “We wish you both a pleasant meal and a lifetime of happiness together.”

This is a couples’ restaurant?!

Rao Jinqing wanted to leave even more. “I’m leaving now.”

Lin Qinglian tightened her grip on Rao Jinqing’s hand, as if she hadn’t heard the server’s words. She blinked innocently. “Aren’t you going to finish your meal first?”

What is this woman’s obsession with eating?

Rao Jinqing felt a headache coming on, barely managing to maintain her composure. “This is a couples’ restaurant,” she said, her voice tight.

Lin Qinglian tilted her head, feigning innocence. “Oh? Are non-couples not allowed to dine here?”

A waitress, who hadn’t gone far, immediately clacked back on her heels. “Our restaurant welcomes all couples—same-s3x, opposite-s3x, even paper couples! We also welcome anyone secretly in love. We’re renowned as a matchmaking restaurant, after all.”

Lin Qinglian pressed, “But you didn’t say friends couldn’t dine here, did you?”

The waitress’s lips twitched, but then she remembered the exorbitant dining fees each guest paid upon entry. Her lips curved into a practiced smile. “No, Miss.”

Lin Qinglian beamed. “Then we can eat here!”

The waitress stared at the pair, speechless.

It’s time for the music to get more intense, she thought. These two are practically glued together, yet they insist they’re just friends. This is ruining the reputation of our couples’ restaurant!

Rao Jinqing gazed at Lin Qinglian.

If she had a tail, it would be wagging furiously right now.

She closed her eyes, feeling utterly drained.

Why am I even arguing with this fool?

She already adores me so much. I should just play along and let her willingly help me get what I need. But now she’s changed her mind. Besides the item, she wants something else too.

Rao Jinqing opened her eyes, which were deeper and more intense than most, and her nose was more sharply defined, giving her an exceptionally striking appearance.

A smile curved her lips, instantly dispelling the cold, aloof aura that had lingered moments before. “Just some company matters,” she said, adding a soft, helpless laugh.

The lighting technician’s spotlight shifted away, plunging their corner into shadow.

Under the dim light, Rao Jinqing pinched the bridge of her nose, two faint lines creasing her brow. An unspoken weariness seemed to envelop her.

Lin Qinglian remained quietly attentive, waiting for Rao Jinqing to sigh before asking, “What’s really wrong? Can you tell me? It’s okay if you can’t.”

Rao Jinqing tilted her head back, her raven hair cascading like a waterfall over the chair’s back.

This posture exposed her vulnerable neck—slender, snow-white, and seemingly so fragile it could snap with the slightest pressure. If someone were to place their hand there, a gentle squeeze…

It was a pose reserved for moments of absolute trust.

“It’s nothing much, really,” Rao Jinqing said. “The company’s recent fundraising efforts have hit a snag. Our cash flow might dry up.”

She looked up with a wry smile. The dim light avoided her face, instead illuminating her profile like a túmí flower blooming in darkness—wild, alluring, and carrying a fatal allure that drew others closer despite the danger.

Rao Jinqing: “Speaking of which, the funding chain disruption wasn’t due to anything else, but… never mind. Let’s go.”

That evening, after returning home, Lin Qinglian sent a message to the secretary who had added her for easy communication.

She couldn’t quite understand why Rao Jinqing’s secretary had added her for convenience.

After pondering for a while, she blinked and thought:

Could it be that Rao Jinqing is often out of reach? Based on her days of diligent stakeouts, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Rao Jinqing strictly adhered to company rules, clocking in and out precisely on time every day. She even stayed late after everyone else had left, making her a diligent and hardworking workaholic.

Just then, her phone suddenly vibrated violently. Startled by the sudden vibration, her hand jerked, sending the phone arcing gracefully through the air before crashing to the floor.

Before Lin Qinglian could even worry about her phone, it automatically answered the call.

The frantic vibrating finally stopped.

A chilling voice replaced it, echoing in the small room: “If you don’t come here tomorrow, you might as well never come again.”