Transmigrated as a White Lotus Heroine, but I’m Pursuing the Cold Villain - Chapter 19

She racked her brains for a moment before replying, “I think mine tastes better.”

To avoid sounding too insincere, she added, “Would you like to try mine sometime?”

After saying this, she fell silent, likely out of guilt.

“If you think I’m being too…”

Before she could finish, Rao Jinqing readily agreed, “Sure.”

Lin Qinglian’s carefully prepared line was cut short. She had intended to say, “If you think I’m being too forward, please don’t be angry.”

This approach would have almost certainly secured Rao Jinqing’s agreement.

Oh no, will she make me download an anti-fraud app now?

She paused for a moment. Whether her cooking was actually good was beside the point; at least she could cook, right?

Then she looked up, her round lashes curving sweetly, her eyes brimming with sincerity.

Rao Jinqing’s hand, which had been wiping her hands, faltered at her smile.

Who wouldn’t like someone like this? she wondered. So genuine and passionate, as if they would devote their entire being to the person they’re looking at.

But Rao Jinqing wasn’t moved.

What a waste—a flirtatious wink thrown at a blind man.

Lin Qinglian stood up abruptly, offering Rao Jinqing an embarrassed, bashful smile as their eyes met.

At the same moment, Chi Jiheng shot to his feet, his face dark with anger as he kicked his chair violently.

The waiter beside him watched, hesitating to speak.

The restaurant had only one exit, and Lin Qinglian and Rao Jinqing were seated at the table nearest the door, the only way out.

If he tried to leave, he would inevitably see them.

This isn’t good.

If he were discovered now, would he subject her to domestic violence ahead of schedule?

Yes, Lin Qinglian had collectively labeled the male lead’s later obsessive behavior—including his penchant for locking her in rooms—as domestic violence.

What else could you call the act of arbitrarily imprisoning and abusing someone?

Lin Qinglian’s mind raced, searching for a way to escape immediately.

Blinking her large, fluttering eyes, she asked hesitantly, “Then… shall we go?”

Rao Jinqing slowly wiped her hands, the napkin draped across her pale, delicate hand, gliding over the faint blue veins that showed through her translucent skin.

Chi Jiheng’s footsteps echoed through the quiet, spacious hall.

At that moment, Lin Qinglian bitterly regretted the restaurant’s lack of private rooms.

The sound grew louder, approaching rapidly until it was almost upon them.

Lin Qinglian leaned forward abruptly, seizing Rao Jinqing’s hand.

She clutched Rao Jinqing’s soft hand tightly in her own.

Her eyes welled with tears, making her appear deeply hurt. “Don’t you want to eat what I made?”

The sound, like a death knell, hammered behind them, tap-tap-tap, urging them onward.

Just as Lin Qinglian was about to drag Rao Jinqing into a run, Rao Jinqing gave a subtle nod.

Rao Jinqing understood the importance of knowing when to stop. Only by training her this way would she achieve the results she desired.

Almost the instant Rao Jinqing nodded, Lin Qinglian yanked her forward and bolted out the door.

Rushing too hastily, Lin Qinglian crashed into a chair with a loud clang, leaving no time to right it. She could only murmur an apology to the waiter who hurried over at the sound.

Then, as footsteps echoed behind them, she dragged Rao Jinqing out the door.

The waiter, who was just two steps from the table, blinked in confusion.

What was that blur that just flashed by?

Oh, it’s the Boss and Boss Lady.

Chi Jiheng, who had been striding purposefully toward the exit, abruptly halted.

He frowned at the fleeting figure. His pace slowed unconsciously.

A faint sense of familiarity stirred within him.

Who was that?

Lin Qinglian’s legs churned furiously, pulling Rao Jinqing out the door in one breathless surge.

The scenery blurred past Rao Jinqing’s eyes as she was dragged backward, her hand gripped tightly in Lin Qinglian’s. She was hauled into the car as if demons were nipping at their heels.

Amid this frantic speed, Rao Jinqing discovered one of Lin Qinglian’s greatest strengths.

She could really run.

The driver handed them tissues as soon as they got into the car.

Rao Jinqing took the tissues calmly and tore off half for Lin Qinglian, who was still dizzy.

Lin Qinglian wiped her face casually and crumpled the tissue, ready to toss it into a trash can when the car passed one.

But then she noticed Rao Jinqing folding the tissue she had just received.

Rao Jinqing hadn’t actually sweated; she merely dabbed the tissue against her face symbolically. Then she carefully folded it into a neat square. Just as she finished the last fold, a hand naturally reached out.

Lin Qinglian instinctively opened her palm.

Her long, slender fingers stretched out from beside Rao Jinqing, pale and delicate.

“No need,” Rao Jinqing said. “I can throw it away myself.”

Lin Qinglian looked at her with wide, innocent eyes, as if genuinely puzzled. “It’s no trouble at all. Is there a reason you’d rather do it yourself, Sister?”

Of course there was a reason—a very uncomfortable one.

Rao Jinqing nearly got goosebumps.

She had long been accustomed to doing everything herself. Now, suddenly, someone was cooking her meals, serving her, and even feeding her.

How could she possibly adjust to that?

Rao Jinqing had previously maintained seemingly close relationships, but she always remained emotionally detached. On the surface, they appeared intimate, but in reality, they were forever separated.

Those men and women were merely captivated by the beautiful illusion she had created.

But today, Lin Qinglian became the exception.

She tore through that barrier, reaching out as if to replace Rao Jinqing’s own limbs.

This is truly terrifying.

Rao Jinqing refused to accept this horrifying reality. She crumpled the paper into a small ball and shoved it into her pocket.

Lifting her head, she flashed a flawless smile. “I don’t seem to have anything to throw away.”

If Lin Qinglian had any sense, she would have obediently withdrawn her hand and pretended nothing had happened.

But this was Lin Qinglian—a woman incapable of reading social cues, relying solely on her System BF to interpret emotions.

Lin Qinglian stood there, hand outstretched, her eyes curved into a guileless smile.

Rao Jinqing: “……”

She still needed Lin Qinglian. Fine. She’d dealt with similar situations before; usually, she’d just tell them to get lost.

But she had a feeling that if she said that to Lin Qinglian, those curved lips would likely twist downward, and those dewy, glistening eyes would mist over.

Never mind.

She’d probably cry.

After a moment’s thought, Rao Jinqing reached out and gently placed the crumpled ball of paper into Lin Qinglian’s hand.

This was no easy feat for her. This wasn’t just trash; it was a habit.

She was accustomed to doing everything herself. Ever since being sent to England, she’d had to fend for herself. Throwing tantrums like a spoiled young lady got her nowhere—no one recognized her, no one cared.

From then on, she learned to do everything herself. This habit had stayed with her ever since, and today, someone was probing at the edges of her comfort zone, trying to pry open the seams and whisper, “You can entrust things to me.”

Oh.

Rao Jinqing’s first reaction was: So, were the eight years I spent in England all for nothing?

Don’t rely on others. Don’t let yourself become weak. These were the lessons she had learned over those eight years.

In her first year, she still clung to a foolish hope, calling her mother to ask if she could come home.

What had her mother said then?

Rao Jinqing lowered her gaze, staring intently at the seat in front of her, her thoughts drifting back to the end of that phone call.

Her mother had said casually, “You’re an adult now. You need to learn to be independent.”

At that moment, the sound of a crying baby had erupted in the background—her newborn brother.

Her mother had hurriedly hung up, telling her to be a good girl.

Be a good girl.

In a foreign land, in the early hours of the morning, a ten-year-old girl stood alone on the street, all by herself.

After an hour of standing in the cold wind, Rao Jinqing had accepted this truth.

But her second reaction was: I can lie through my teeth. It wasn’t difficult; she’d done it countless times since returning to China.

Lin Qinglian, carrying the trash, casually approached a trash can and tossed it in with a forceful throw.

The trash followed a perfect arc, landing squarely in the bin.

Lin Qinglian leaned forward visibly, turning back to the car with sparkling eyes.

“That was so far! Am I amazing?”

Rao Jinqing gazed at her, her eyes curving into crescents, brimming with joy. “Amazing,” she replied.

To reassure Lin Qinglian, she repeated, “Very amazing.”

This was genuine. Rao Jinqing had never met anyone who could find such joy in such a small thing.

Ninety-nine percent rare.

Lin Qinglian, as if realizing she had been too exuberant, straightened her clothes and sat up properly.

She felt she might have gotten carried away.

But seeing Rao Jinqing visibly brighten, the moment of abandon seemed entirely justified.

She couldn’t maintain a perfect facade forever. Rao Jinqing was already perfect enough—whether in the thin pages of a book or through their weeks of interaction, she remained flawless.

A perfect person wouldn’t offer help to another perfect person, but they would to someone imperfect.

Perhaps sensing her thoughts, the System panicked and scrambled out in that instant.

It frantically fluttered its large, round, European-style double eyelids, trying to win her over with cuteness. Alas, its Host had a heart of stone. W-watashi, my adorable Host, are you serious?

Lin Qinglian scoffed. “Am I putting on an act for you? Isn’t she the best candidate?”

Under her gaze, the System’s voice grew fainter. W-would you consider Rao Songning instead?

Lin Qinglian: “I’m still considering, but she seems to like me. Isn’t that much better than starting from scratch with Rao Songning?”

The System made one last desperate attempt. But… you’re both women.

It quickly shut its mouth under Lin Qinglian’s clearly disgusted glare.

Lin Qinglian: “What era are you living in? Are you homophobic?”

The System lowered its head in shame. When will you bind with her?

Lin Qinglian: So I can bind with her, right?

O>*

Lin Qinglian: You always believe me. What can I do?

The System protested softly, You treacherous humans! I thought you really wanted to switch bindings right now.

Rao Jinqing didn’t take her back to the villa in the city center but to a detached house in the suburbs.

A whole house.

Lin Qinglian, who got out of the car first, stood awkwardly in front of the entire building.

The driver had already gotten out ahead of time to open the door.

Rao Jinqing stepped out behind her and smiled at Lin Qinglian, who was waiting at the entrance.

“Make yourself at home,” Rao Jinqing said, her smile radiant and warm against the sunlight.

The vast expanse of light behind her seemed to part for her, as if the sun itself were making way for her.

She seemed to glow.

Strands of light filtered through the gaps in her thick, silky black hair, illuminating Lin Qinglian’s face. Lin Qinglian unconsciously widened her eyes, staring at her in a daze.