Transmigrated as a White Lotus Heroine, but I’m Pursuing the Cold Villain - Chapter 18

Lin Qinglian suddenly felt her heart skip a beat.

No, not skip a beat—for a dead person, it should have suddenly surged by two hundred beats.

This racing heartbeat gradually calmed as they entered the movie theater together.

It was noon, and the theater was nearly empty. They sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the back row, watching a bizarre, genre-bending film.

The movie began with a tender opening, its gelatinous prologue slowly revealing the story’s core.

By the end of the film, Lin Qinglian realized she hadn’t grasped a single plot point. She had been too distracted by the restless energy radiating from Rao Jinqing beside her. Glancing sideways, she saw Rao Jinqing’s profile hidden in shadow, her expression unreadable, yet radiating an icy chill.

Rao Jinqing’s face was expressionless, her striking features turning cold and severe when devoid of emotion. She sat rigidly upright, staring straight ahead.

After the movie, Rao Jinqing hurried out. Her secretary had already left, and the driver waited patiently in the shade of a tree.

Rao Jinqing opened the car door. “Where do you want to eat?”

Lin Qinglian didn’t know how to react to this odd situation. She watched Rao Jinqing’s barely concealed impatience as she calmly discussed restaurant options.

Lowering her gaze, Lin Qinglian suggested a five-star restaurant.

Upon hearing this, the driver immediately canceled the navigation.

Rao Jinqing got into the car behind Lin Qinglian. After they had been driving for a while, Rao Jinqing suddenly said, “You don’t need to be so reserved with me.”

Lin Qinglian studied her carefully, sensing genuine sincerity.

So she replied with equal sincerity, “Then can I sleep at your place tonight?”

Rao Jinqing nearly lost control of her expression. She closed her eyes and finally said, “Yes, you can.”

Does she like me that much?

So much that she can’t wait?

Well, Rao Songning will be there too. She probably won’t do anything.

Rao Jinqing nodded expressionlessly.

Lin Qinglian thought, Congratulations! I finally get to see my target again.

He was a mission target with a heart of stone.

If you stood before him, he would simply walk around you.

And the worst part? He was a high school senior.

Lin Qinglian suddenly glanced at the person beside her, whose back was ramrod straight.

Better looking than the Male Lead, better personality than the Male Lead, and their family wealth is about the same.

Why couldn’t she be my mission target?

Rao Jinqing had assumed that given Lin Qinglian’s background, she would prefer the so-called “street food” options. After all, Lin Qinglian had even used all her post-graduation salary to repay debts, all for the sake of the financial aid Chi Jiheng had given her and the supposed “equality in love.”

This was for the best, though. At least she wouldn’t have to eat those dirty roadside snacks.

The so-called “informality” wasn’t about making Lin Qinglian feel more comfortable; it was about giving her the freedom to act decisively once she knew certain things.

Rao Jinqing had seen plenty of people like this. Give them a flimsy rope to dangle from, dangle some sweet rewards, and they’d start taking matters into their own hands, convinced they were acting on their own initiative.

They always thought they were unique.

Rao Jinqing despised these “climbing the ladder” types. She demanded that everyone in the world keep their distance, just as she did, and that they reciprocate her warmth with equal fervor when she showed it.

If Lin Qinglian had known Rao Jinqing’s true thoughts at that moment, she would have thought she was insane.

But right now, Lin Qinglian believed Rao Jinqing was a good person.

She’s inviting me to her home!

The driver weaved through the city streets, eventually stopping in front of a lavishly decorated restaurant.

Rao Jinqing stepped out first and circled around to open the car door for Lin Qinglian.

With one arm crossed over her chest, Rao Jinqing smiled briefly, then quickly composed herself. “Please,” she said coolly.

The smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared, like a siren’s song in a fairy tale, luring sailors to their doom on the rocks.

Her radiant smile stirred Lin Qinglian’s heart, leaving her dazed and following behind like a puppet.

It was clear Lin Qinglian hadn’t grasped one crucial point: water demons lure sailors to their doom on the rocks. But what was Rao Jinqing’s motive?

The open-air restaurant, perched by the sea, featured floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides. The interior was predominantly decorated in blue, complementing the vast expanse of the azure ocean visible through the windows. The overall effect was a sophisticated yet warm, icy ambiance.

The two women settled by a floor-to-ceiling window, where warm sunlight streamed through, illuminating the light blue glass tabletop.

A waiter glided silently to their table, maneuvering around a human-sized ornamental tree, and placed two drinks and their pre-ordered seafood dishes within reach.

The restaurant was eerily quiet, with only a handful of patrons. The portions in their bowls were equally meager.

As Lin Qinglian picked up a thumb-sized piece of seafood, a cold voice cut through the silence, its sharpness amplified by the stillness of the room.

“The profit-sharing agreement was settled long ago. Now you’re trying to back out? Do you value your reputation in the industry at all? What exactly are you trying to pull?”

Lin Qinglian was initially surprised to hear business being discussed in such a place, but she leaned in to listen more closely.

To her astonishment, the familiar voice belonged to none other than her nominal… and utterly clueless… partner.

Lin Qinglian instinctively glanced across the table.

Rao Jinqing was calmly chewing her food, her expression serene and unchanging.

Across the table, a voice, clearly lowered, spoke in halting Chinese: “Mr. Chi, I’d like to ask what you mean by this. You know I detest seafood, yet you bring me to a place like this for business? Do you think this is appropriate? Let’s discuss business after we finish eating.”

Chi Jiheng had regained his composure. He knew he’d chosen the wrong venue, but why had the food selection gone wrong too?

“Mr. Robert, didn’t you say you enjoyed seafood?”

“I don’t know where you heard that, but I loathe seafood! As for our collaboration, are you going to threaten me like Rao? I’ve already explained that the price increase was a unanimous decision within the company. There was no need to arrange this private meeting; I can’t change it.”

The Brits were notoriously shrewd. Business success mattered less than maintaining proper decorum and personal relationships.

Whether a deal could be struck was secondary; meals had to be eaten, and drinks had to be shared. Yet today, he had bluntly told Chi Jiheng, “No, I can’t do it.”

This went completely against his character and had nothing to do with his supposed gentlemanly conduct. It severed any possibility of future collaboration, even though their companies were about to embark on a long-term partnership.

By any rational measure, his reaction was utterly illogical.

There must be a hidden reason behind this, and that reason was crucial to the success of their cooperation.

In his twenty-odd years, Chi Jiheng had always been treated with utmost deference, even by those who disliked him. This was the first time anyone had dared to defy him so openly.

Since he was being so direct, there was no need for further pleasantries.

Chi Jiheng set down his knife and fork, the sharp clang of metal against the empty porcelain plate piercing the air.

A new waiter, seeing this, was about to approach and remind him of the restaurant’s strict policy of silence.

The manager grabbed the waiter by the arm.

“Do you know why the restaurant is so empty today?” the manager asked.

Curious, the waiter replied, “Why?”

“Because he reserved the entire place.”

“Then…” The waiter hesitated, glancing at the two figures seated by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating their faces. One was strikingly beautiful, with a cold aura that made her seem unapproachable. The other girl sat with her back to the waiter, radiating a gentle, almost fragile warmth.

The restaurant’s winter theme, featuring bright sunlight over the sea, was maintained even in summer. The air conditioning was turned up so high it felt chilly, while the special glass minimized heat and glare, allowing the sunlight to fall perfectly on the diners.

The waiter stared at the pair, momentarily lost in thought.

Although the restaurant catered to high-end clients, its usual clientele consisted of fresh-faced twenty-year-old girls paired with potbellied men in their fifties or sixties.

This was the first time he’d seen such a well-matched couple.

“That’s our boss,” the manager said. “Remember both of their faces from now on.”

“And who’s the woman next to him?”

“Probably the boss’s wife. This is the first time he’s brought someone here for a meal.”

The waitress’s romantic fantasies vanished instantly, like a dog’s tail between its legs.

Her manager always gave her the impression of an NPC from a novel. Perhaps she should have directed that remark to the Boss Lady instead.

The waitress forced the standardized smile she’d practiced during training.

“Understood.”

Robert’s face turned ashen the moment Chi Jiheng dropped his cutlery.

In his country, where etiquette was deeply ingrained, this was considered extremely rude.

Robert shot to his feet. “Mr. Chi, I have no particular preferences. If you do, you can find someone else.”

With that, he turned and strode away.

Chi Jiheng remained seated for a moment, only realizing the reason for Robert’s abrupt departure after a pause.

Immediately, he called his secretary, his voice icy as he gritted his teeth. “Who arranged tonight’s restaurant selection?”

The secretary stammered for a long time, unable to give a clear answer.

Chi Jiheng snapped his jaws shut, delivering his final ultimatum: “Find out within two days, or you’re fired.”

Rao Jinqing looked up when she noticed the man put down his utensils and asked softly, “Are you full?”

Lin Qinglian nodded, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at Rao Jinqing. “Mhm, I’m full.”

She was trying to evoke Rao Jinqing’s pity, hoping she would let her go and take her away from the Male Lead, who clearly had some serious mental issues.

A chill ran down her spine as she suddenly remembered commenting on this restaurant on a social media app. This might have triggered the secretary’s misunderstanding.

She couldn’t bear to listen any longer, fearing she would tremble more violently than a cloth flapping on a rooftop.

Though she didn’t understand the connection between the restaurant and the departure of the blond, blue-eyed old man, the restaurant’s location seemed to be her fault.

Rao Jinqing watched Lin Qinglian’s stiff smile and frantically blinking eyes, inexplicably reminded of a butterfly.

Both of them loved to flutter their beautiful wings.

They struggled desperately.

Rao Jinqing slowly picked up her silver fork. “What’s wrong?”

Lin Qinglian didn’t realize she was being teased and genuinely thought Rao Jinqing was asking out of concern. A strange sense of guilt even crept into her heart.