Transmigrated as a White Lotus Heroine, but I’m Pursuing the Cold Villain - Chapter 29

Lin Qinglian clutched the doll tightly in her palm, her heart churning with turbulent emotions. The horrifying truth she had just confirmed sent tremors through her hands.

The doll’s soft cheek brushed against her palm, feeling like a gentle caress. Gradually, her heart began to calm.

System, she called out softly in her mind.

The System materialized instantly, its eyes transforming into glittering stars. Have you changed your mind? Are you going to target the Female Supporting Character’s younger brother again?

Lin Qinglian coldly rejected it. No, I need to talk to you.

The System sighed wearily. Go ahead.

Lin Qinglian: Besides me, are there any other Targets in this world?

The System immediately replied, Of course not! Our quick-transmigration department guarantees exclusive service!

Lin Qinglian: Then why did you insist I target Rao Songning? Aren’t Targets supposed to be chosen by the Target themselves?

The System sputtered, hesitating before answering. Well, you did choose your Target, but I didn’t expect you to choose a female Target. I thought you preferred men?

Lin Qinglian’s usually soft, dewy eyes suddenly turned cold, a stark contrast to her usual demeanor.

Lin Qinglian: “I don’t recall ever saying I liked men.”

The System stammered for a long moment before falling silent, eventually shutting down completely and feigning death. Lin Qinglian called out twice, but when it didn’t respond, she stopped trying.

After that exchange, she was certain.

This He Qing, with her eighty percent success rate, was also a Target. Her mission likely involved Lin Qinglian and Chi Jiheng, possibly to bring them together.

This aligned with the System’s final mission for her: to ensure a happy ending and a beautiful journey with the Male Lead, teaching the arrogant, womanizing male leads of countless novels how to truly love.

Lin Qinglian had always followed instructions. Knowing she couldn’t understand others’ emotions, she chose compliance. But compliance didn’t mean she was powerless to act.

She lowered her long lashes, her eyes reflected in the polished floor, their depths utterly cold.

She realized she might need to change her mission.

She hated deception. It implied a lack of trust, and she loathed being distrusted.

When Lin Qinglian returned home with her belongings, Dianming informed her that they couldn’t accept her transfer because her personnel file was still with Xunjun.

She picked up her phone and dialed a number.

Since calling anyone else would be futile, she had only one person to turn to.

“Teacher He, have you eaten yet?” Lin Qinglian asked warmly.

“Yes, I have,” He Qing replied cheerfully. “What’s up?”

“I can’t access my information file. Do you know why?” Lin Qinglian asked.

The smile in He Qing’s voice faded noticeably.

This confirmed Lin Qinglian’s suspicions: He Qing feared she and Chi Jiheng were working together.

“I don’t know either,” He Qing said. “What’s wrong? If you trust me, tell me everything. I’ll do my best to help.”

Lin Qinglian sighed dramatically. “Oh, Teacher He, I won’t hide it from you. I’ve gotten together with someone from my company. But he’s still engaged, and the Young Master disapproves. I have to lie low for a while. I never expected I wouldn’t be able to access my information file—I can’t even leave! And he can’t make things too obvious, or my identity will be exposed and others will target me.”

“Ah, I don’t know about that,” He Qing said. “You two have really been through a lot. You must keep going! Try not to argue with him. When things calm down, I’ll see what I can do to help.”

Lin Qinglian responded sweetly, “Thank you, Teacher He.”

As she had suspected, He Qing’s mission was indeed to reconcile her and Chi Jiheng, and it was highly likely that the ultimate goal was to eliminate the Crematorium project altogether. Every time He Qing spoke to her, she urged Lin Qinglian to submit to Chi Jiheng’s will.

Her current problem, however, was how to transfer Xunjun to Dianming.

She drifted into a daydream, wondering if she would be happier at Dianming. After all, she deeply disliked Chi Jiheng.

Perhaps then she could finally forgive Rao Jinqing.

Though Lin Qinglian still didn’t understand what she had done wrong, if Rao Jinqing said she was wrong, then she must be.

She imagined surprising Rao Jinqing after her transfer to Dianming went through.

After hanging up, Lin Qinglian tossed her phone onto the bed and collapsed onto it. Her pale face pressed tightly against the fluffy duvet, her expression serene yet detached, like someone observing from the outside.

All the love-hate entanglements of others seemed irrelevant to her; she was merely a spectator, even though she was clearly a part of it all.

Lying on the bed, Lin Qinglian felt drowsy. Lately, she had been feeling unusually tired. One moment she would be full of energy, and the next…

Perhaps she hadn’t been resting well lately. She yawned.

Lin, during this time, her information has been stuck at Xunjun and can’t be retrieved or transferred to Dianming. Xunjun is treating her absence as unauthorized leave.

Qing, you’ll just have to tough it out with Chi Jiheng.

Lin Qinglian swiped her finger across the screen, her long eyelashes curving downward.

He Qing: I contacted Human Resources, and they said it was President Chi’s arrangement. Qinglian, tell me, did you two have a falling out?

Lin Qinglian: Thank you, Teacher He. No, it’s just some personal matters. Don’t worry.

Lin Qinglian stared at her reflection on the screen, slowly drifting into a daze.

She didn’t regret tricking Chi Jiheng that day, but she couldn’t understand it.

Since starting her mission, she hadn’t harmed anyone. He Qing had been kind to her, yet constantly tried to push her back into the original plot. Did He Qing even realize how miserable her fate was in the original story?

Why would someone be both kind and cruel to her?

Without realizing it, she tapped on a WeChat profile with a cat avatar—Rao Jinqing.

The cat’s golden eyes were wide open, its slightly curved mouth agape, staring blankly at the camera with an utterly adorable expression.

Forget it, she thought. I haven’t even accomplished this task yet. What would be the point of contacting Rao Jinqing?

She tried to picture Rao Jinqing’s expression.

Probably expressionless, arms crossed, watching me with those calm, clear eyes, and then turning away.

The thought left her feeling unexpectedly disappointed.

She was puzzled by her own disappointment.

Then it struck her: Maybe it’s because, after all this time, she’s the first person who’s ever taken me to an amusement park without any resentment.

Even her own mother had only reluctantly brought her to the amusement park as part of a task.

I don’t ask for much, Lin Qinglian thought.

I just want someone who’s always willing to spend time with me without complaint. Is that really too much to ask?

Just then, her phone chimed.

Lin Qinglian jumped. It was a message from Catcat.

Rao Jinqing: What’s wrong?

Lin Qinglian suddenly remembered: if you open someone’s WeChat profile and place your hand on the keyboard, it shows the other person is typing. Rao Jinqing must have noticed.

But there was no notification, so Rao Jinqing wouldn’t have noticed. Was she looking at her phone? And specifically at their chat interface?

Why would she be staring at their conversation?

Lin Qinglian’s heart suddenly leaped, like when walking on a suspended log and sensing her foot about to slip, her heart pounding for no apparent reason.

She also had a vague premonition, like an apple suffocating under plastic wrap—unable to escape, unable to sink, stuck in limbo.

Yet she couldn’t articulate what that premonition meant.

Clutching that suspended heart, she slowly typed, each character popping up one by one.

She pondered each word for a moment.

Then Lin Qinglian suddenly felt a strange sense of being cherished and valued.

Before she could dismiss this odd feeling, a message arrived from the other end:

Rao Jinqing: I’ve been waiting ages for your reply. What’s wrong? Are you embarrassed to talk to me?

Lin Qinglian lay sprawled on her bed, slowly typing. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating her pale face, where the faint blue veins were clearly visible beneath her translucent skin.

Lin Qinglian: No, not at all. Catcat peeking emoji

Rao Jinqing’s slender fingers tapped the table, her crimson nails striking the solid wood with a dull thud.

This was her way of showing impatience.

Had Lin Qinglian secured the bidding amount? Only two days remained.

Secretary Song stood beside her, respectfully holding a stack of documents without making a sound, awaiting her instructions.

Rao Jinqing stared at the financial reports, already showing a deficit, and a knot of anxiety tightened in her chest.

Lin Qinglian: I’d like to treat you to dinner the day after tomorrow. How about it? ^O^

Rao Jinqing slowly exhaled.

After a long moment, her slender fingertip lightly tapped the screen.

If she’s suggesting we meet on the day of the bidding, this deal is likely sealed. According to my sources within Xunjun, Lin Qinglian and Chi Jiheng had a major falling out the day before yesterday.

Lin Qinglian clutched her phone, her eyes half-closed, drowsiness creeping back. A sudden image flashed through her mind:

A pair of long, slender hands pulling her along, stuffing cotton into a dark, round ball.

The sky was a brilliant blue, and soft sunlight bathed the person’s face. Lin Qinglian stared intently at their features.

Until the person chuckled softly and held the finished doll up to her cheek.

The person’s muffled voice said, “All right, Little Cat Lin.”

Lin Qinglian immediately retorted, “I’m not a cat! Are you looking for a replacement?”

Suddenly, the person seemed overcome with sorrow. Lin Qinglian couldn’t see her face clearly; it appeared only as a luminous halo. Yet she could feel the woman’s grief, a sorrow that seemed to radiate outward, reaching Lin Qinglian’s heart.

A pang of bitterness surged through Lin Qinglian’s chest, her eyes reddening as she gazed at the woman.

The woman raised a hand to gently touch Lin Qinglian’s cheek, wiping away her tears. Her red lips moved, forming words Lin Qinglian couldn’t hear. She could only stare blankly, trying to decipher the silent message.

Just then, a sudden ding shattered the illusion. Everything before her shattered into countless shards of glass, which swirled like a tornado, engulfing the entire space.

Lin Qinglian’s eyes snapped open. She found herself staring at the illuminated screen of her phone.

Only then did she realize tears were streaming down her face.

She wiped her face carelessly, ignoring her reddened eyes, and unlocked her phone with her fingerprint.

A message she had been eagerly awaiting lay on her phone.

Rao Jinqing: Okay.

Lin Qinglian immediately sent back an emoji.

Lin Qinglian: Catcat stretching its paw.jpg

With tomorrow being her last day, she could finalize her departure arrangements at Xunjun and surprise Rao Jinqing the day after.

She had nearly completed her handover with Dianming’s Personnel Manager, who was more than willing to wait for her, given her impressive resume.

Clutching her phone, she waited for a while, but no reply came.

A sudden tightness gripped her heart.

Realizing she was actually waiting for a message, she panicked and switched off her phone.

She had always thought she wasn’t particularly fond of using her phone. Yet today, she had been cradling it, grinning foolishly for ages, just waiting for Rao Jinqing’s reply.

This isn’t good. How did I suddenly become addicted to my phone?

She neatly placed her phone on the bedside table, pulled the thin blanket over her head, and tried to sleep.

The moment she closed her eyes, she wondered if Rao Jinqing might suddenly send her a message.

She reached out from under the covers to grab her phone, her hand halfway there.

Suddenly, she heard a notification from her phone and quietly withdrew her hand from under the covers.

She lay on the bed with her eyes closed for a while.

Just one peek, she told herself. This time, her hand finally reached the bedside table.

She turned on her phone, but the screen was empty.

Unable to describe her feelings, Lin Qinglian dimmed the screen, placed the phone back on the table, and finally closed her eyes.

The next day, Lin Qinglian woke up after ten in the morning.

She hadn’t set an alarm; she simply woke up naturally.

According to Xunjun’s rules, once a resignation letter was submitted and signed by a supervisor, the employee could leave immediately, without needing to set foot in the office again. After all, in such a large company with so many people coming and going daily, who had the time to pay attention to one individual?

Lin Qinglian had planned to do just that.

She wanted to slip away before anyone noticed, ensuring Chi Jiheng wouldn’t even know she was gone.

But things had gone completely wrong at every turn.

However, if she submitted her resignation again, even if Chi Jiheng tried to stop her, he wouldn’t be able to hold her back.

After all, it was just a resignation application. How could anyone possibly be denied their resignation?

He Qing stared at Lin Qinglian’s resignation application.

She had pulled strings to obtain this document.

She glanced at the resignation report, then scrutinized it thoroughly, starting from the first line of reasons and reading all the way to the bottom.

At the very bottom was Lin Qinglian’s slender handwriting. Perhaps because it was written with a stylus, the characters appeared softer than her usual sharp, angular script.

After reviewing the report, He Qing stood up and fed the paper into the shredder on her desk.

She had always trusted only half of Lin Qinglian’s words. Since she couldn’t trust Lin Qinglian’s words, she wouldn’t allow Lin Qinglian to escape her control.

The A4 sheet slid smoothly into the shredder. He Qing stood before the machine, pondering for a moment before pressing the shred button.

Then she sat back down at her desk.

By coincidence, just as she settled into her chair, there was a knock at the door.

She instinctively glanced at the shredder, which had already devoured more than half the paper.

Earlier, one of her junior colleagues had mentioned that the machine was prone to glitches and often shredded documents very slowly.

“Teacher He,” Lin Qinglian called out with a bright smile as she hurried over, her floral dress making her look lively and radiant.

Her eyes instinctively swept the room the moment she entered—a habit born of her growing distrust of He Qing.

A person who can’t be trusted must be watched closely.

As a powerful figure, He Qing had a private office where no one was allowed to enter without her permission. The room was eerily quiet, the only sound the rhythmic crunch of the paper shredder, a stark contrast to the bustling activity outside.

In this silence, even the slightest noise seemed jarring.

Lin Qinglian couldn’t help but glance at the shredder, a sense of foreboding creeping over her as she stared at the machine.

He Qing nodded with a smile. She knew exactly why Lin Qinglian had come.

But Lin Qinglian had no evidence, no connections, and no real fighting spirit.

After this, she’ll just obediently return to her place, won’t she?

Lin Qinglian consciously sat down across from He Qing. “Actually, I came to say goodbye.”

He Qing said with a hint of resignation, “Since you’ve already made up your mind, I can’t stop you. I’ll just have to let you go.”

Lin Qinglian couldn’t help but scrutinize He Qing.

He Qing’s eyebrows were delicate, her nose straight and refined. Despite her age, only a few fine lines crinkled at the corners of her eyes. Her gaze was fixed on Lin Qinglian with an expression of concern.

If Lin Qinglian hadn’t known the truth beforehand, she might have genuinely believed He Qing was a teacher who cared for her well-being.

A sudden wave of nausea washed over Lin Qinglian, a sickening feeling rising within her. She forced a smile. “Teacher He Qing, do you know where my resignation application is? I just went to Dianming Human Resources, and they said you took it.”

She no longer wanted to play games with He Qing. Now that she knew what she needed to know, she refused to prolong the charade.

He Qing seemed genuinely surprised.

After all, Lin Qinglian had always been, in her eyes, a stubborn, awkward, and timid child with no independent thought and poor social skills.

He Qing hadn’t expected anyone to help her this time.

He Qing pushed up her glasses, her eyes behind them remaining calm. “No, they must have just misremembered.”

Her hand moved to her phone. “Should I help you check?”

She looked at Lin Qinglian with a confident air, expecting her to refuse out of a desire not to trouble others.

To her surprise, Lin Qinglian replied, “Okay, thank you.”

He Qing’s smile froze on her face, but she was now in a position she couldn’t back down from.

Lin Qinglian showed none of her previous consideration. “Just call the Personnel Manager.”

She’s changed, He Qing thought, her heart churning with mixed emotions.

The feeling was no different from discovering that the string of a kite she held in her hand had snapped the moment she tried to pull it down from the sky.

He Qing took out her phone and scrolled through it for an unusually long time.

“Here it is.”

He Qing whirled around, only to find Lin Qinglian standing beside her, having approached unnoticed.

Lin Qinglian looked at her with her moist, curved eyes and pointed to the name He Qing had just quickly scrolled past.

He Qing forced a smile. “Right…”

Does she know something?

But…

He Qing glanced up at Lin Qinglian’s completely unreserved smile and immediately dismissed the thought as impossible.

Lin Qinglian’s heart was smaller than the eye of a needle. How could she possibly tolerate being deceived without causing trouble?

Her fingertip hovered over her phone screen. Seeing Lin Qinglian standing beside her, smiling and watching, He Qing gritted her teeth and tapped the name.

The screen instantly changed, and He Qing froze.

What am I going to say? This is so humiliating! I’ve always presented myself as an intellectual elite. After this comes out, I’ll lose all face.

Just then, Lin Qinglian’s pink-nailed fingertip lightly tapped the screen, instantly switching it to a blank white page.

He Qing instantly exhaled in relief.

Lin Qinglian said casually, “Never mind, I’ll be going now.”

He Qing had no interest in continuing the conversation. As she watched Lin Qinglian’s figure gradually fade out the door, a word suddenly flashed through her mind:

Teasing.

After leaving the room, Lin Qinglian headed straight for the Personnel Department.

Of course, she wasn’t close enough to He Qing to risk offending her by revealing a friend’s information.

She was simply bluffing.

But He Qing’s reaction made everything clear.

He Qing’s mission must be to prevent the Male and Female Leads from enduring a prolonged three-year long-distance relationship. The moment Lin Qinglian mentioned resigning, He Qing immediately tried every means to keep her from leaving.

In the original novel, after resigning, the Female Lead fled to the countryside to avoid the Male Lead, driving the now-regretful Male Lead to search for her with bloodshot eyes.

Lin Qinglian could only think:

What a stupid plot! What a stupid author!

These Male and Female Leads shouldn’t be together, let alone with her now embodying the Female Lead.

She had her own plans, her own personality, and she was an independent individual.

Upon reaching the Human Resources Department, Lin Qinglian resubmitted her resignation letter.

In front of the entire HR team, Lin Qinglian’s direct supervisor, barely suppressing a triumphant grin, signed the document with relish.

Lin Qinglian happily left with her signed resignation contract in hand.

On the way home, she immediately pulled out her phone and finalized her start date with Dianming Human Resources. Given her exceptional resume and the fact that she had been poached from a competitor, Dianming’s HR department readily agreed to waive the probationary period if she passed the interview.

As soon as she got home, she set up her computer for the online interview. The computer whirred sluggishly for several minutes before the desktop finally stuttered to life.

The moment the computer booted up, a video call invitation popped up at the perfect moment. Lin Qinglian had previously linked her social media accounts to the computer, so the video call invitation appeared automatically, which was quite convenient.

The Personnel Manager, bored out of her mind, clicked to connect with the next candidate. She had been conducting interviews for a week straight, but today was the final day. Thinking of this, she perked up slightly and began reviewing the applicant’s resume more carefully.

The email she received looked like this: a cover letter with a large header followed by a brief introduction including the applicant’s name and school.

Including a profile picture was optional, but most applicants chose to include one to make their applications stand out—a sort of unspoken rule.

Her hand paused as she clicked on the next applicant.

Apart from the name, the rest of the profile was blank.

Who is this? So arrogant?

Just as she was about to skip it, she suddenly remembered this person—someone she had chatted with before. Their resume was exceptionally impressive, so outstanding that among these hundreds of applicants, they ranked among the top tier.

Fine, I’ll take a look.

She clicked the video call request. The screen flickered, and a figure appeared in the center of the blurry image.

Even the heavily pixelated, low-resolution video couldn’t diminish the person’s striking features.

She had seen countless people, including her own boss, a rare beauty. Yet this person possessed a distinct, equally captivating charm.

Their eyes were round and luminous, radiating unwavering determination. Their features were delicate and beautiful, and their aura was remarkably pure.

Her eyes lit up instantly, then she instinctively lowered her gaze.

At the top of the resume was her name: Lin Qinglian.

A name that perfectly matched the person.

“Has it started?”

The person tilted their head, waving a hand with a hint of confusion.

The Personnel Manager realized she had been daydreaming. “Ahem, yes, it’s started. Please begin your introduction.”

Lin Qinglian spoke calmly and clearly, “Hello, my name is Lin Qinglian. I graduated from XX University in 2010. During my time there, I won first place in Qingfeng, Hongchun, and Lin Chou.”

The Personnel Manager stared in disbelief as Lin Qinglian rattled off a long list of competition names familiar to anyone in the industry, followed by the SCI journals she had published during her graduate studies.

The manager knew one of those SCI journals well—it was still listed on the first page of their design department’s publications.

After finishing, Lin Qinglian took a sip of water from her cup.

The manager breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she was done.

Thank goodness, it wasn’t as exaggerated as I feared.

But then Lin Qinglian, after finishing her water, added, “During my graduate studies, I published…”

Oh no.

The manager’s vision blurred as the sudden memory of being dominated by her genius roommate during graduate school resurfaced.

“Hello, Manager Zhou, are you still there?”

Zhou Ying snapped back to attention, noticing the applicant’s attractive brows furrowed slightly.

“Yes, yes, congratulations! You’re hired. When can you start?”

Lin Qinglian was surprised by the company’s relaxed hiring process.

Lin Qinglian looked slightly bewildered. “Shouldn’t there be some more questions?”

Oh right, I forgot.

Zhou Ying immediately tried to recover. “Why do you want to join our company? Miss Lin, you majored in design throughout your undergraduate and graduate studies, correct?”

Lin Qinglian replied, “Because I believe your company’s philosophy of ‘grounded in truth, pursuing excellence’ aligns perfectly with my own values. Although my primary focus is design, I understand your company’s upcoming strategic shift towards technology. I believe technology also needs a human touch, and it’s this human touch, expressed through aesthetics, that truly resonates with consumers. First impressions matter, and they shape the entire product experience. I’m confident that I can leverage my design expertise to embody this human touch in tangible ways.”

She spoke slowly but steadily, without pausing, until she finished.

Then she noticed the Personnel Manager’s unfocused gaze, as if lost in thought. Only after she finished speaking did the manager nod.

Zhou Ying: “Congratulations, you’ve passed the interview.”

Finally, it was over. Lin Qinglian felt a wave of relief wash over her.

That night, as she lay in bed, Lin Qinglian stared at the motionless WeChat window on her phone. After a moment’s hesitation, she sent a cat emoji.

Lin Qinglian: Catcat peeks out.

After waiting a long time, the other person remained silent.

She must be so busy. Is she still working overtime?

Lin Qinglian glanced at the notification badge in the upper right corner of her phone and realized it was already 1 AM. What she thought had been just a few restless moments had actually stretched into several hours!

As she stared at the message she’d sent yesterday, a sudden realization struck her:

She hadn’t sent the time and location.

She quickly attached the location with the time and sent it.

The reply came almost immediately: Okay.

Lin Qinglian couldn’t resist asking: Are you still awake?

The screen went dark, but no response arrived.

Fine, if she doesn’t want to reply, she doesn’t have to. Who cares if she’s asleep or not? I’m going to bed right now!

Lin Qinglian fell into a deep sleep. Perhaps it was because He Qing’s gaze had haunted her all day, but she had a dream for the first time in ages.

Her mother, Madam Chen, stood before her, clutching Lin Qinglian’s sketchbook and interrogating her relentlessly.

Lin Qinglian was initially disoriented, but her mind cleared when she saw the drawings in the book.

Madam Chen, her face streaked with tears, gripped the corner of the sketchbook tightly. When Lin Qinglian remained silent, she trembled and screamed, “Say something!”

Lin Qinglian lowered her head, staring at the floor without a word.

Her father entered the room, his smile instantly freezing when he saw the drawing in his wife’s hand. He turned to Lin Qinglian, his eyes filled with disappointment.

But he said nothing, instead placing a hand on his wife’s shoulder and saying, “Let’s go outside and let her calm down.”

His wife slapped his hand away, her voice growing shriller. “Get out! Get out! When have you ever cared about us? Every time something happens, it’s always ‘calm down’! How am I supposed to calm down?!”

Lin Qinglian looked up blankly. Her mother’s voice faded into the distance, and she could only see her mouth moving without understanding the words.

In the end, her father managed to pull his wife out of the room.

Lin Qinglian stood alone in the room, frozen in place for a long time.

Only when the sunlight streaming through the window warmed her face did she slowly lift her head.

The blinding sunlight pierced her eyes, making her amber irises glow brightly. She blinked belatedly, finally registering the warmth on her skin.

It wasn’t until the water soaked her neck that she realized she was crying.

Just then, a chime rang out from somewhere.

Lin Qinglian instinctively opened her eyes.

She gasped for air, like a drowning person clinging to driftwood, desperately sucking in the precious oxygen.

After a long moment, she finally calmed down enough to sit up. She brushed her sweat-drenched hair behind her ears before glancing at her phone.

Another chime sounded—a message from Rao Jinqing.

Rao Jinqing: Okay.

Lin Qinglian checked the timestamp. The reply had been sent last night, and the recent notification was Rao Jinqing saying she had arrived.

Lin Qinglian: ?!

Thinking she was late, she frantically grabbed clothes from the closet while glancing at the time.

The phone displayed 10:00 AM.

She immediately relaxed. Only ten?

She and Rao Jinqing had agreed to meet at 11:30 AM. There was still plenty of time.

I knew it! Even with my messed-up sleep schedule, I couldn’t have slept through the entire morning.

But why was Rao Jinqing being so proactive?

Though Lin Qinglian was oblivious, she couldn’t help but notice Rao Jinqing’s strange attitude toward her.

Just out of reach, sometimes warm, sometimes cold.

This was the first time Rao Jinqing had been so proactive with her. Before, Rao Jinqing had always maintained a reserved and aloof demeanor.

Whenever they were together, Lin Qinglian felt like a celestial being was gazing down upon her. Anyone else would have felt honored yet uneasy, but Lin Qinglian simply thought:

Her cold expression is strangely beautiful.

She must really like me, otherwise she wouldn’t keep trying to seduce me, only to act like nothing happened afterward.

Is this… mutual affection?

It must be, right?

Lin Qinglian grew increasingly uncertain, but the fact that she had chosen Rao Jinqing from among all the System’s candidates was surely a form of reciprocation.

At least in my heart, Rao Jinqing is my unwavering choice!

With that thought, her self-doubt vanished like smoke.

She rummaged through her closet and pulled out a halter-neck dress with a pink-to-white gradient. The outer layer was a thin, silk-like chiffon in pale pink and white, deliberately draped in undulating waves that shimmered with every step.

Lin Qinglian had designed this dress herself. The moment she saw Rao Jinqing wearing that particular dress, she immediately remembered this one, which she had kept tucked away at the bottom of her trunk.

During her university years, Lin Qinglian majored in design. With limited resources and no job for a year, she often made dresses for herself from leftover fabric scraps from her designs and sold her design assignments to students at the Academy of Fine Arts.

The term “handmade custom” had become a coveted label among certain students at the Academy, some even willing to pay exorbitant prices for Lin Qinglian’s creations.

Through this method, combined with part-time jobs during summer and winter breaks, Lin Qinglian managed to sustain herself relatively comfortably for five years.

After changing into her dress, she grabbed her phone and headed to the restaurant.

Rao Jinqing listened intently through her earpiece as her secretary reviewed the draft document’s contents.

Secretary Song calmly recited all the key figures again, ensuring their accuracy.

Rao Jinqing acknowledged each figure, confirming their correctness.

“But…” Secretary Song hesitated.

Rao Jinqing tapped the stone tabletop lightly, the dull thud echoing in the room. She slowly counted the reverberations, using the rhythmic sound to suppress her growing impatience.

“Speak,” Rao Jinqing commanded.

“What should the final investment amount in our document be?” Secretary Song asked.

At that moment, a brusque male voice cut in from beside her: “If you ask me, we should just fill in the amount now. Leaving it blank like this will only make Mr. Robert accuse us of malicious competition.”

The secretary snapped the document shut, maintaining a polite yet icy smile. “Director Qian,” she said, her tone respectful but detached, “wasn’t the board supposed to stay out of this round of financing? What brings you here?”

Rao Jinqing recognized the visitor’s identity from the secretary’s reminder: Qian Yuan, a shareholder holding 16% of the board’s shares and the relative of the man she had suppressed just days earlier.

Rao Jinqing’s measured voice carried through the phone, her naturally cold tone losing even its faint human warmth in the transmission.

“Director Qian, I doubt you need to concern yourself with how we conduct our affairs.”

Qian Yuan hadn’t expected Rao Jinqing to be on the line, and his earlier outburst had been exposed to her. He forced a laugh. “Miss Rao…”

Rao Jinqing’s voice turned glacial. “Who do you think you are, calling me ‘Miss Rao’? The only people who address me that way are the maids and drivers. Which category do you belong to?”

Qian Yuan’s tone shifted. No matter how much he resented Rao Jinqing, he couldn’t move against her until she was ousted from her position.

He forced another laugh. “President Rao.”

Rao Jinqing: “If you have business, wait until I return and discuss it with me. If not, please leave. Secretary Song and her team are currently engaged in a confidential operation.”

Qian Yuan was publicly reprimanded by a girl who looked at least a decade younger than him, right in front of the entire office. His face darkened visibly.

But when he glanced at the contract, still half-finished, a thought struck him.

Even if I leave now, Rao Jinqing will never secure this deal with so much left to complete.

If she fails to secure this deal, she’ll lose her bet with the board of directors.

At that thought, Qian Yuan’s smile became genuine.

She’s just a greenhorn. We only let her sit in that chair out of respect for the former chairman. Does she really think she’s someone important?

No matter. She won’t be in that position for long.

Qian Yuan: “Ah, you know how it is—concern can cloud judgment. I’ll leave right away. I’ll leave right away.”

Rao Jinqing: “Wait.”

Qian Yuan: “What is it?”

Rao Jinqing: “Secretary, please ensure Director Qian has plenty of tea. Don’t let him leave until our eighth round of negotiations concludes.”

Her words were utterly blunt, treating Qian Yuan, who had held high positions at Dianming for years, as if he were just another ordinary employee.

Qian Yuan’s smile remained unchanged.

Having navigated the corporate world at Dianming for so long, he had developed a thick skin.

“Of course, President Rao,” Qian Yuan replied smoothly. “I’m not entirely ignorant of basic etiquette.”

Secretary Song whispered instructions to two junior clerks nearby, directing them to take Qian Yuan for tea.

Only after the noise subsided did Rao Jinqing speak. “We’ll finalize the final version later. For now, let’s confirm the remaining details according to our previous agreements.”

“Understood,” Secretary Song replied.

Just then, a server gently knocked on the private room door.

Rao Jinqing’s irritation flared instantly.

She slowly exhaled.

“Come in,” Rao Jinqing said.

The server, hands clasped demurely in front of her, opened the door with a polite smile.

A figure emerged slowly from behind her.

The woman wore a mid-length halter dress, its fitted waist accentuating her figure before the skirt flared into a graceful, arched hem.

The pale pink fabric complemented her already porcelain-like complexion, giving her skin a luminous, almost ethereal quality.

Lin Qinglian stepped forward briskly as soon as she entered.

She sat across from Rao Jinqing, tilted her head to look up at her, and winked playfully.

Lin Qinglian’s thick eyelashes fluttered like tiny fans, sweeping rapidly before her round, dewy eyes met Rao Jinqing’s.

So obedient, so adorable.

The moment Lin Qinglian lowered her head, Rao Jinqing cupped her chin in her hand.

“Why did you suddenly look at me like that?” Rao Jinqing asked.

Lin Qinglian couldn’t lower her head in time and was forced to keep looking at her. She rubbed her chin against Rao Jinqing’s palm and said playfully, “Because I wanted to. What’s wrong with that?”

Now that the days of trembling before the male lead were over, she felt free to be herself.

The warm, soft flesh brushing against her palm warmed even the hand that had grown chilly in the air-conditioned room.

Rao Jinqing pinched Lin Qinglian’s cheek.

As if realizing something, Lin Qinglian’s face flushed crimson. “What are you doing?”

Rao Jinqing chuckled, watching her with amusement. “I haven’t even said anything yet, but you’ve already finished talking.”

“But your hand is pinching my cheek!”

Tears welled in Lin Qinglian’s eyes. “I know it! You think I’ve gotten fat, don’t you?”

Rao Jinqing first wiped away her tears with a hand on her cheek. “No. I never said anything like that.”

Lin Qinglian shivered at the touch of Rao Jinqing’s cool hand. “How long have you been waiting here?”

Rao Jinqing lowered her hand. “Not long. I arrived around nine.”

Of course, she wouldn’t admit she’d actually arrived closer to eleven, afraid of making Lin Qinglian feel sorry for her. But who was to blame if Lin Qinglian was late?

Lin Qinglian glanced down at her phone.

11:15.

That meant Rao Jinqing had been waiting for at least an hour and a half.

Lin Qinglian had assumed Rao Jinqing was still at home, not even dressed yet.

An indescribable warmth spread from her chest to her limbs.

This was the first time someone had valued her so deeply, and the first time she had cared so much about someone else.

Lin Qinglian cautiously extended a finger and gently hooked it around Rao Jinqing’s hand on the table, gazing into her eyes with a playful blink. “So, this is why you didn’t come at the agreed time, right?”

Rao Jinqing was already accustomed to Lin Qinglian’s occasional habit of touching her hand. Moreover, physical contact fostered intimacy between them, so she tacitly allowed Lin Qinglian’s gestures.