Transmigrated as a White Lotus Heroine, but I’m Pursuing the Cold Villain - Chapter 17

Rao Jinqing asked, “Are you complimenting me or yourself?”

Lin Qinglian blinked, confused. “Huh?”

Seeing her blank expression, Rao Jinqing smiled knowingly. “Take a closer look.”

Only then did Lin Qinglian recognize something familiar about the dress. This… this seems like…

I made this.

That wasn’t entirely accurate, since Xunjun’s designs were the result of collaborative efforts by multiple designers. However, this particular dress could be considered Rao Jinqing’s solo work.

She had modified it, following Lin Qinglian’s original sketches. The lower half had initially been a plain skirt, jointly decided upon by two designers, with only a string of white pearls dangling from the hem.

Lin Qinglian had felt this was a gaudy addition that overshadowed the design, but since that section was under the other designers’ jurisdiction, she had no grounds to object.

Now, the skirt flared dramatically from its figure-hugging silhouette, blossoming like a flower as the wearer moved, creating a graceful sway.

Lin Qinglian suddenly realized what had happened. Her gaze traveled from the flawlessly altered hem to Rao Jinqing’s knowing, amused eyes.

In that instant, her face flushed crimson, the blush spreading down her pale neck.

Why would she go to such lengths to restore this dress to match my original design? Lin Qinglian wondered, feeling somewhat lost. She had never experienced genuine emotions before; it was only after the System materialized them that she could truly understand them.

She had transformed from a socially inept fool, as others had described her, into the Lin Qinglian she was now—a naive and sweet female lead who, at least, knew when to advance and retreat.

Rao Jinqing reached out, her hand gradually approaching Lin Qinglian’s. Thinking she was about to take her hand, Lin Qinglian instinctively flinched.

A bag was draped over her wrist.

It was light, yet carried a certain weight—much like Lin Qinglian’s heart at that moment.

Lin Qinglian blinked, feeling utterly out of place. Apart from her mother, no one had ever given her a gift. Even her mother had stopped giving gifts after Lin Qinglian turned eighteen.

Is this a gift?

Rao Jinqing: “Want to take a look?”

Under Rao Jinqing’s smiling gaze, Lin Qinglian hesitantly opened the bag. Inside was a brand-new smartphone, still in its unopened box—the latest model from a certain brand.

Lin Qinglian: “This…”

Rao Jinqing: “Aren’t you going to thank me?”

With a single sentence, Rao Jinqing dispelled the awkward, bitter feeling in Lin Qinglian’s heart, replacing it with a bewildered sense of being overwhelmed by someone’s kindness.

Lin Qinglian silently carried the bag.

Just moments ago, she had instinctively flinched away, thinking Rao Jinqing was about to take her hand.

For some reason, Rao Jinqing’s teasing expression vanished. She simply said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you out to have some fun. Don’t look so downcast—it doesn’t suit you.”

Startled, Lin Qinglian snapped out of her thoughts. Her hand unconsciously moved to touch her face, still wondering if she really looked so dejected.

When she looked up, she caught Rao Jinqing’s mischievous grin.

This woman is so improper, Lin Qinglian thought, detecting amusement in that smile.

She shook her head earnestly. “Chi Jiheng will be back soon. He asked me to wait for him at home.”

“Don’t worry,” Rao Jinqing replied. “He won’t be back for a couple of days. Just come with me for some fun, okay?”

In the end, Lin Qinglian found herself in Rao Jinqing’s car. She told herself it was only because of the phone, but when she caught the meticulous secretary’s gaze in the rearview mirror, she felt an overwhelming urge to flee.

How did things end up like this?

She lowered her head, pretending to be looking at something on the ground, her gaze fixed downward. In reality, her toes were curling so tightly they were practically digging through the floor.

The System, like a prisoner on yard time, had slipped out again at this moment.

Its tone dripped with exasperation: Because your will is weak, girl.

Lin Qinglian replied coldly, “Out of juice again?”

The System twisted, indignant, then fell silent.

Finally, it conjured a small, tearful emoji.

I only came to tell you that the Male Lead’s Capture Value has stabilized. But the System only has two months of power left. If you can’t capture him within that time, we’re both done for. You might as well pick out your tombstone now.

Lin Qinglian didn’t ask why, merely hummed softly in acknowledgment.

The System wiped away nonexistent cold sweat, suddenly appreciating this Host’s peculiar merits.

Most people would demand an explanation for such sudden changes, but she wouldn’t.

In her eyes, nothing seemed worth questioning, nothing truly mattered.

Unable to comprehend others’ emotions, she naturally felt no curiosity.

This is perfect, the System thought silently. Now I don’t even need to come up with an excuse.

Rao Jinqing sat nearby, speaking fluent and precise English. The old man on the other end of the line chattered away, his words unintelligible.

Rao Jinqing’s expression remained icy. Finally, as the old man finished speaking, she slammed down the phone.

After hanging up, Rao Jinqing leaned back wearily, her usually ramrod-straight posture betraying her exhaustion.

Lin Qinglian watched her for a long time, sensing her displeasure.

But why am I feeling displeased?

At that moment, the secretary turned around from the front seat. “President Rao, that Brit is always like this. Don’t waste your energy on him.”

Rao Jinqing’s expression remained cold as she ignored the secretary. Instead, she turned to Lin Qinglian and offered her a weary smile.

“Where do you want to go?”

It was a smile reserved solely for Lin Qinglian, stingily withheld from others.

Lin Qinglian watched the two women as if observing a play from the sidelines. After a moment, she suddenly snapped back to reality.

The System training hadn’t covered how to handle this situation. Recalling the secretary’s words, Lin Qinglian simplified her response: “Sister, what’s wrong?”

Rao Jinqing seemed about to say something, the words already on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back.

Finally, she said to the secretary, “Take me to the cinema.”

The abruptness of her words was perfectly timed. While Rao Jinqing outwardly stared straight ahead, she secretly glanced sideways out of the corner of her eye.

Lin Qinglian lowered her lashes, gazing downward, her thoughts unreadable.

Rao Jinqing wasn’t entirely satisfied with this reaction, but it was close enough.

Many accused her of using underhanded tactics, but Rao Jinqing always felt:

They all acted of their own free will. I never forced anyone to sacrifice anything for me. Are they just so agitated because they couldn’t get what they wanted?

When they arrived at the cinema, Rao Jinqing opened the car door and stepped out first. She leaned back in to say to Lin Qinglian, “I’ll go get the tickets. Wait here a moment.”

At this distance, the crisp, clean scent still relentlessly invaded her nostrils, as if vying for dominance.

“I’ll be right back,” Rao Jinqing said.

Lin Qinglian, already corrupted by bourgeois decadence, watched the secretary sitting in the front seat.

The secretary felt Lin Qinglian’s gaze like thorns on her back, momentarily convinced she had been discovered.

But how could that be possible?

The secretary stared at the steering wheel, seizing this perfect opportunity to wait for Lin Qinglian to speak.

Three minutes passed.

Five minutes passed.

The car remained silent.

Though the car was well-insulated, Lin Qinglian had lowered the windows slightly. The sounds of car horns, couples laughing, and tires grinding against the pavement drifted in with the breeze, breaking the suffocating tension inside the vehicle.

In her eight years since graduating, six of which she had spent as Rao Jinqing’s secretary, she had never witnessed such a scene.

Suddenly, Lin Qinglian lifted her gaze, revealing a pair of round eyes beneath her long, delicate lashes. Their pale irises seemed almost cold in the dim light.

The secretary’s spirits lifted, nearly moved to tears. The strange atmosphere in the car instantly dissipated.

But Lin Qinglian merely glanced at her before shifting her gaze back out the window.

The secretary steeled her resolve and, forcing a sudden change in demeanor, bravely spoke up.

“President Rao will be back soon,” the secretary said, trying to reassure Lin Qinglian. “There’s no need to worry.”

Lin Qinglian gave a faint hum of acknowledgment.

The secretary racked her brains for something to say. “You’re the first person President Rao has ever brought to the movies.”

The secretary cringed inwardly at her own awkwardness, but surprisingly, once she’d broken the ice, the words flowed more easily.

She continued, reciting the lines she had rehearsed a thousand times in her mind.

“I’ve never seen President Rao care so deeply about anyone. She even postponed the company’s annual conference, which she’d been preparing for years, just to take you out and help you relax.”

Lin Qinglian gave another soft hum.

The secretary glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror, trying to gauge her expression.

Lin Qinglian’s lashes were lowered, veiling her eyes and making it impossible to read her thoughts.

This must be her way of showing concern, the secretary thought.

“But I think President Rao needed to unwind herself too,” the secretary continued. “That Brit was all set to sign the contract with us, but then he suddenly changed his mind, catching us completely off guard. After lengthy negotiations, we managed to turn it into a fair bidding process.”

The secretary sighed dramatically. “President Rao… she’s such a pitiful person.”

Lin Qinglian kept her eyes lowered for a long moment before finally murmuring a soft “Mm.”

The secretary fell silent, having said enough. With even a little effort, Lin Qinglian could easily learn that Xunjun was the company competing with Dianming for the collaboration.

The secretary wasn’t sure if Lin Qinglian would help Rao Jinqing, but her boss was certain. Thinking of her boss, she couldn’t help but silently mourn for her own salary.

Lin Qinglian only snapped back to attention after the secretary had finished speaking.

What did she just say?

She felt a flicker of confusion, but seeing the secretary’s solemn expression and sensing her sorrowful mood, Lin Qinglian decided it was best not to ask.

She wasn’t good at comforting people, nor at empathizing. It was better to leave it alone.

Just then, someone knocked on the car window beside her. A person stood expressionlessly by the car, arms crossed.

Seeing Lin Qinglian turn her head, the person raised something between slender, pale fingers—two thin, brightly colored sheets of paper.

The person’s skin was so fair it glowed with a soft, jade-like radiance in the sunlight.

Suddenly, the sounds and colors of the outside world flooded into the car.

It was like a theatergoer, previously detached from the play, suddenly drawn in by the actors’ laughter, anger, and tears, involuntarily mirroring their emotions.

For the first time, Lin Qinglian felt the full weight of reality in this day’s events.

As she reached for the door, it was already being opened. The person stood at the car door, watching her with a detached expression.

But as Lin Qinglian stepped out, the person’s lips suddenly curved into a smile.

Lin Qinglian tilted her head, bewildered. All the sounds and colors seemed to converge on that smile, focusing on the person’s vividly red lips.

They all seemed to gather in the eyes that were fixed intently on Lin Qinglian.