Transmigrated as a White Lotus Heroine, but I’m Pursuing the Cold Villain - Chapter 14

If the situation weren’t so strange and unsettling, Lin Qinglian would have genuinely wanted to thank him for his uncanny foresight.

Good heavens, how could anyone understand her so well?

But she couldn’t.

She hadn’t yet captured Rao Songning’s heart, nor had she officially triggered the Crematorium arc.

So she could only lower her gaze and obediently agree.

The phone went dark after the call ended, refusing to turn back on no matter how hard she tried.

The simple-minded Comrade Lin Qinglian believed that all devices could be fixed with a good tap.

But when her almost universally effective method of slapping the phone left and right failed to revive it, she reluctantly abandoned her struggle against this cruel fate.

Whatever. Could things get any worse than facing that overgrown child tomorrow?

She resolved to face the storm head-on.

Having given up resisting, Lin Qinglian retrieved her clothes from the wardrobe, took a shower in her clothes, and was about to go to bed when her phone screen suddenly lit up.

Overjoyed, she lunged toward the phone, leaning eagerly over the edge of the bed.

But the message flashed across the screen for only a split second.

In that fleeting moment, she barely managed to make out the name “Rao Jinqing” before the screen went dark again.

And with that, her five-year-old phone finally breathed its last, peacefully entering its final resting place.

Normally, Lin Qinglian would never have allowed things to reach such a dire state. But her “pure white flower” persona demanded a touch of tragic flair.

To maintain her image as a resilient, pure-hearted “white lotus,” Lin Qinglian insisted on working part-time to repay her debts, determined to show the Male Lead that even in abject poverty, she possessed an indomitable spirit.

Moreover, to uphold her persona, she had to play the role of a pitiful woman whose entire world revolved around him.

Lin Qinglian stared at her reflection on the screen, her mind split between two conflicting impulses.

One voice urged her to go find the phone repair shop ten kilometers away. This was a contact sent by the sister of her mission target—her only connection since she hadn’t yet secured the target. She should be the sister’s devoted lapdog, sending daily morning, noon, and evening greetings. But…

They had only just met. Did her replies even matter to Rao Jinqing? Would Rao Jinqing even be expecting her messages?

The secretary noticed President Rao’s distracted demeanor that evening.

One moment, Rao Jinqing was intently focused on the computer screen, listening to her report. The next, her gaze had drifted to the phone beside her.

Though separated by a screen, the secretary sensed something was amiss from this subtle shift in attention.

Rao Jinqing strictly enforced the company rule requiring phones to be silenced during meetings, and she herself led by example, never bringing her phone into the conference room, let alone checking it during such sessions.

Perhaps President Rao had another important contract to negotiate today.

Eager to show her attentiveness, the secretary proactively asked, “Should I make a restaurant reservation in advance?”

Rao Jinqing’s gaze finally returned to the computer screen, her eyes radiating the usual coldness she displayed when focused.

The secretary instinctively clamped her hand over her mouth.

Damn, I think I said the wrong thing.

Yet, to her surprise, their typically decisive CEO remained in thought for two full minutes.

Rao Jinqing: “A couples’ restaurant.”

Secretary: “?!”

“Understood, President Rao.”

So she’s dating someone? No wonder she’s been so preoccupied with her phone today.

Wait a minute!

As the secretary replayed the conversation in her mind, the realization struck her:

Is the Chi Family’s heir catching her cheating?

The secretary finally let out a heartfelt sigh: “This elite circle is such a mess.”

Looking up, she suddenly remembered she was still on a video conference with her boss.

“I-I-I…”

Rao Jinqing didn’t seem to notice her stammering. “Did you send Lin Qinglian the message?”

The secretary cautiously glanced at Rao Jinqing’s expression, hoping she hadn’t heard.

“Yes, I sent it as you instructed.”

“Good. Your bonus will be halved this month.”

Damn, the boss heard everything.

Rao Jinqing hung up the video conference, pinching the bridge of her nose wearily.

Her phone remained silent; Lin Qinglian still hadn’t replied.

The Brit wouldn’t budge, and Chi Jiheng was out of the question—they were competitors, after all. Rao Jinqing had hoped to find an opening through Lin Qinglian.

After all, that girl was so naive and so infatuated with her, even publicly embarrassing Chi Jiheng for her sake.

Chi Jiheng valued his pride above all else. Rao Jinqing wondered how coldly he would treat Lin Qinglian afterward.

But wouldn’t Chi Jiheng’s coldness be her opportunity?

As her phone screen went dark, her sharp, coldly beautiful features reflected clearly in the glass.

In that brief moment, she had already devised a plan: If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain.

Opportunities must be seized. Everything she had achieved so far had been earned through her own efforts. What good would waiting do?

The next morning, Lin Qinglian woke up at the first alarm. For her, nothing mattered more than completing her tasks.

She grabbed a knee-length white dress from her closet—a generic, two-hundred-yuan purchase, but its soft, comfortable fabric made it one of her favorites.

After two bus transfers and a ten-minute walk through the villa district, Lin Qinglian arrived at Chi Jiheng’s residence. It was exactly 9:30 AM, around the time he usually woke up.

Chi Jiheng was a man plagued by flaws: a volatile temper coupled with an obsessive need for cleanliness. He typically lived alone in his villa, relying on regular housekeeping services.

Today wasn’t the housekeeper’s scheduled visit, so Lin Qinglian had no choice but to wait for Chi Jiheng to answer the door.

After ringing the doorbell, Lin Qinglian clasped her hands over her lower abdomen and stood at the entrance, tilting her head back as she waited.

Chi Jiheng stomped downstairs with a dark expression to open the door. He had drunk too late the night before and was still half-asleep when the doorbell rudely awakened him, leaving him seething with irritation.

As he stormed toward the door, he completely forgot what he had done in his drunken stupor the previous night.

Chi Jiheng flung the door open with a scowl, and a chilly morning breeze rushed inside.

His face instantly darkened.

In that brief gust of wind, his hangover-addled mind cleared slightly. A young woman stood obediently at the entrance, gazing up at him.

Her watery eyes clearly reflected his image, radiating complete and unwavering dependence.

Chi Jiheng’s expression softened slightly, though his mood remained sour. He strode inside without a word.

Lin Qinglian followed instinctively, slipping shoe covers over her shoes with practiced ease and placing her handbag in the entryway.

Chi Jiheng spoke with an air of entitlement: “I want something light for breakfast.”

Why don’t you choke on it?

Lin Qinglian smiled. “Of course.”