Transmigrated as a White Lotus Heroine, but I’m Pursuing the Cold Villain - Chapter 16

A figure stood at the doorway, clad in a deep green silk gown that reached just above her ankles. The fabric shimmered in the sunlight, its luminous green draping softly against her snow-white legs.

Rao Jinqing winked playfully at Lin Qinglian from the doorway, her eyes teasing as she slowly uttered a single word from her crimson lips: “Me?”

Her tone was light, yet carried an indescribable undercurrent of meaning that made the haughty noblewoman beside her turn her head slightly, her suspicious gaze sweeping between the two women.

Lin Qinglian’s soul, still reeling from the shock of Rao Jinqing’s beauty, slowly drifted back to reality.

She had been wrong before. Rao Jinqing actually suited green quite well.

Rao Jinqing nodded gently at Lin Qinglian under the noblewoman’s watchful gaze.

The noblewoman finally withdrew her gaze.

She had always heard that Rao Jinqing had no preference for men or women. Just now, she had almost thought the two women had caught each other’s eye.

What a pity.

Rao Jinqing turned to the noblewoman and said, “I have other matters to attend to, Madam Chi. I must take my leave.”

Madam Chi’s heart tightened. If Rao Jinqing didn’t go inside, all her efforts today would be for naught. “Won’t you go in and see A-Chi?”

The woman smoothed the sheer fabric of her designer dress, worth hundreds of thousands, and spoke as if Lin Qinglian weren’t there. “After all, you two will be husband and wife someday. As I always say, couples shouldn’t hold grudges overnight. Besides, no matter how beautiful the scenery along the road, he’ll always come home in the end.”

Rao Jinqing replied coolly, “I’m going back now.”

Her expression remained calm, but her tone left no room for argument. The wealthy woman reluctantly fell silent.

After all, Rao Jinqing wasn’t yet her daughter-in-law, and she couldn’t push the matter further. More importantly, if Rao Jinqing actually took her advice, that would be disastrous.

As Lin Qinglian was leaving, Chi Jiheng received a phone call. He went upstairs to answer it and descended the spiral staircase after finishing the call. As he reached the bottom, he saw someone sitting gracefully in the living room, leisurely sipping tea.

His face instantly darkened.

Lin Qinglian wasn’t exaggerating—it truly turned black.

It seemed the Male Lead hated his stepmother even more than in the original novel.

Despite Lin Qinglian’s feigned confusion, she knew exactly what was going on.

This woman was the Male Lead’s wicked stepmother, responsible for half of his trauma. But the stepmother wasn’t supposed to appear until the mid-to-late stages of the story. Why was she here so early, and with the female supporting character?

The stepmother frowned and slammed the porcelain coffee cup, worth fifty thousand yuan, onto the table.

“This coffee is so bitter! Are you trying to poison me?”

Lin Qinglian retreated pitifully, tears trembling in her eyes. She glanced at the chipped glaze on the porcelain cup, feeling a pang of sympathy. The moment that sympathy struck, her emotions surged.

She began, her voice choked with sobs, “I…”

“Do you have something to say? If not, you’d better not come here again.”

A voice cut through the air from their left. Lin Qinglian, who had been watching her out of the corner of her eye, slowly lowered her head, afraid she couldn’t hide the smile tugging at her lips.

This scene took on a completely different meaning in Chi Jiheng’s eyes.

When did anyone get the right to scold my people? he thought coldly. Even if I want to beat or scold them, that’s my prerogative. Who does this woman think she is?

His expression darkened further as he snapped, “What? Do I need to escort you out myself, Mrs. Chi?”

Madam Chi’s heart instantly turned cold. This little brat’s mother had died young, and Madam Chi had married into the family shortly after. When she first saw the five- or six-year-old boy, she had indeed considered killing him and having her own child.

But fate had other plans. The boy proved remarkably resilient, and his elder brother was ruthlessly cunning, preventing her from conceiving again. With both brothers holding compromising information against her, she dared not make any rash moves. Moreover, every underhanded scheme she’d attempted along the way had been thwarted.

She could only watch helplessly as the boy grew, gradually transforming into the man she feared. Originally, she wouldn’t have dared to compete with them, but then…

She gently touched her abdomen, straightened her spine, which had stiffened with fear, and spoke softly.

“Jiheng, don’t misunderstand. Old Chi mentioned sending someone to discuss the marriage with the Rao Family. I’ve been feeling cooped up lately, so I thought I’d come and discuss the wedding date with you. When do you think would be a good time?”

Chi Jiheng replied coldly, “I have no intention of marrying her. Get out.”

Madam Chi hastily rose to her feet. “Alright, alright, I’ll leave right away. Don’t be angry.”

As she bowed her head to retrieve her purse, a fleeting smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

She certainly hadn’t come to help Chi Jiheng gain the Rao Family’s support, making him even more powerful.

She was simply here to confirm and ensure that Chi Jiheng’s desire to break off the engagement remained unchanged.

Chi Jiheng had an elder brother. If she gave birth to a boy, both would become formidable rivals. Now, eliminating one of them was a victory.

With this thought, she lowered her head and gently stroked her belly, murmuring to herself, “Don’t worry, child. Mommy will secure a bright future for you.”

In her current state of euphoria, she completely forgot the diagnosis from years ago that had declared her unable to conceive again. Her entire world now revolved around the tiny life growing within her.

Rao Jinqing slowly walked back to the car, where her secretary had been waiting patiently.

Secretary: “President Rao, you have a meeting at eleven today, followed by a company discussion on the tech proposal at three this afternoon. At five, there are thirty documents requiring your approval…”

Rao Jinqing pinched the bridge of her nose. “Postpone them.”

Secretary: “Huh?”

Rao Jinqing: “Move the morning meeting online. Postpone the afternoon meeting. I refuse to concede any further ground.”

The secretary nodded with professional composure.

Though she couldn’t quite understand why President Rao, who had been spinning like a top with work all morning, insisted on bringing Madam Chi, whose car had broken down halfway, to a villa far from the company.

Now, with a meeting waiting for her, Madam Chi remained seated in the car, as if waiting for something.

But the secretary was a professional.

She nodded. “Very well.”

Lin Qinglian dawdled, pouring out her meal under the Male Lead’s impatient gaze.

Chi Jiheng: “Come home with me tomorrow to meet my father.”

Lin Qinglian: “?!”

So soon? Isn’t this supposed to happen much later in the story? Could my mission progress be too high?

No! What am I going to say to Rao Songning after this?

What if his high school moral standards are too high?

“I…”

Just then, her old phone chimed.

Lin Qinglian immediately sighed in relief, pulled out her phone, and answered the call.

She had brought her phone today intending to get it repaired when she had time later. She never expected the broken thing to suddenly work again at this crucial moment.

It saved my life!

Feeling guilty and eager to escape the situation, Lin Qinglian picked up her phone with a feigned urgency, yet deliberately slow movements.

She didn’t even have time to glance at the screen before the cold, clear voice rang in her ear.

She froze instantly.

The voice, carrying the magnetic quality unique to phone calls, resonated directly against her eardrum.

Chi Jiheng asked impatiently, “Who’s calling?”

He hadn’t expected Lin Qinglian to be so brazen. Ignoring him completely, she answered someone else’s call right in front of him.

This made him extremely displeased.

The voice pressed against Lin Qinglian’s ear said calmly, “Come outside. I’m at the door.”

On the other end, Chi Jiheng, his face icy, demanded to know who it was.

An eerie silence filled the room.

For a moment, Lin Qinglian’s legs went weak, and the world seemed to spin around her.

This isn’t good, she thought. I feel so guilty, like I’ve been caught stealing.

But why? She couldn’t understand.

Was it because Rao Jinqing was her future sister, and she was involved with another man?

Even though she hadn’t successfully captured Chi Jiheng’s heart yet, she was already imagining her success.

A strange unease stirred within her.

And with the System’s golden finger, she could only sense Chi Jiheng’s displeasure.

Lin Qinglian gave up struggling.

One was her current target, already conquered. The other was a potential target, waiting to be bound and conquered.

Even a fool would know which to choose.

Clutching her phone, Lin Qinglian stammered, “I…”

Before she could formulate an excuse, a piercing ringtone cut through the air. Lin Qinglian instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

Chi Jiheng answered the call with a dark expression, then hurried to his car in the underground garage and drove off.

As he left, he said grimly, “Wait for me to return this afternoon.”

Lin Qinglian seethed inwardly. Who wants to wait for you to come back?!

What arrogance!

As Chi Jiheng drove out of the garage, he noticed a familiar car parked on the wide road within the villa complex.

A flicker of doubt crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

It couldn’t be her, could it?

Lin Qinglian, clutching her now-black phone, hurried outside. This damn phone won’t even turn on now.

What perfect timing for this call.

But when she stepped outside, there was no one in sight. Just as she began to wonder, a fragrant breeze drifted from behind her.

The scent was like pine and cypress from a snow-covered mountain—cold and crisp, yet with a subtle, alluring hint of fragrance.

Lin Qinglian turned around as the almost omnipresent scent invaded her nostrils.

Rao Jinqing, who had just stopped walking, smiled casually, her lips curving into a slight smirk. “What a coincidence.”

Her dress was a simple, ordinary slip dress, but the waistline was cinched so tightly that it emphasized Rao Jinqing’s slender waist. The flared hem swayed gracefully with each step, creating a captivating silhouette.

Lin Qinglian stared at her for a full two seconds before snapping out of her momentary daze.

Huh? What did she just say?

Rao Jinqing offered a bag she had been carrying all along, though Lin Qinglian hadn’t noticed it until now.

Lin Qinglian murmured involuntarily, “Beautiful.”

Rao Jinqing leaned closer, her face suddenly filling Lin Qinglian’s vision.

That cold yet alluring fragrance rushed into her nostrils.

As Rao Jinqing’s face drew nearer, Lin Qinglian’s legs felt weak. She instinctively leaned back slightly.

Rao Jinqing paused. “What was that?”

Only then did Lin Qinglian realize what she had said. Her ears flushed belatedly.

Before transmigrating into the novel, Lin Qinglian had always blushed easily, her ears turning red first, followed by a faint pink flush spreading across her cheeks. She never imagined this would still be the case after transmigrating.

Rao Jinqing stared at the delicate pink tint beside Lin Qinglian’s pale cheek, saying nothing.

Lin Qinglian found herself involuntarily drawn to the eyes of the person so close to her. The slightly lowered lashes veiled the emotions within those eyes.

She’s so close… she smells so good, Lin Qinglian’s mind exploded with a thousand thoughts the moment Rao Jinqing leaned in.

Ignoring Lin Qinglian’s near-death experience, all her thoughts surged to the surface at once, leaving her utterly overwhelmed and unable to prioritize them.

“I… I said your outfit looks really nice,” Lin Qinglian finally managed to murmur after a long silence, her voice barely audible.

Her inner turmoil threatened to twist her into a living replica of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” yet she forced herself to maintain an outwardly composed and upright demeanor.

Rao Jinqing let out a soft, ambiguous chuckle through her nose, adding it to the earlier one.