Transmigrated as a White Lotus Heroine, but I’m Pursuing the Cold Villain - Chapter 31

Lin Qinglian, her lips still tingling from Rao Jinqing’s touch, looked up with wide, bewildered eyes.

Rao Jinqing finally realized what she had done and quickly withdrew her hand.

As she retracted her finger, she could still feel the warmth of Lin Qinglian’s lips lingering on her fingertip. Even though she hadn’t directly touched her, and Lin Qinglian’s entire body radiated a cool temperature, her lips were surprisingly hot. The heat seemed to bypass the distance, transferring directly to Rao Jinqing’s fingertip.

Rao Jinqing took a sip of water, then glanced down at her fingertip.

It was completely clean, with no trace of warmth remaining.

Unconsciously, she wanted to clench her hand into a fist—the best way she could think of to preserve the warmth.

Lin Qinglian had been about to tell Rao Jinqing that she had changed companies, but Rao Jinqing’s question caught her off guard. She blurted out, “Ah?”

What’s this about a quote? she thought in a panic. I don’t even know what that is! Does dating Rao Jinqing mean I have to learn finance?

I’m doomed. I hate math.

Lin Qinglian swallowed hard, pursing her lips to appear less foolish. She then sat up straight and proper, hoping to deceive Rao Jinqing with this demure posture.

But Rao Jinqing wasn’t buying it.

Her slender, pale fingers rested on the cup, tapping rhythmically against its side—a silent, hypnotic rhythm.

Is Lin Qinglian too embarrassed to be direct? Rao Jinqing thought. Then I’ll be more subtle.

Lin Qinglian found herself mesmerized by the sight of Rao Jinqing’s fingertips tracing the cup’s rim. Those long, graceful fingers moved with a delicate strength, caressing the porcelain with each tap. As she watched that pale hand, the faint tap-tap-tap of fingertips against the cup echoed in her mind.

After a moment’s pause, Rao Jinqing spoke slowly, “If you were buying something and had three options: one expensive but with high-quality parts that will last a long time; one moderately priced with average quality that might cause delays; or one slightly lower quality but cheaper. Which would you choose? Or would you choose…”

Lin Qinglian stared intently at Rao Jinqing, watching her lips move as she spoke.

For some reason, she found herself constantly drawn to Rao Jinqing today, unconsciously gazing at her exposed hand or her red lips opening and closing.

Even after Rao Jinqing stopped speaking, Lin Qinglian remained lost in thought. It took her a moment to snap back to reality.

Rao Jinqing was looking at her earnestly, awaiting her response.

“Ah, if it were me, I’d choose the slightly lower quality option that’s cheaper,” Lin Qinglian replied, speaking from the perspective of someone perpetually broke.

Rao Jinqing nodded thoughtfully and hung up the phone.

Only then did Lin Qinglian notice that Rao Jinqing’s hand, which had been covering the phone’s earpiece, had relaxed.

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding surged through her.

Before she could analyze the source of this unease, Rao Jinqing smiled softly.

Lin Qinglian stared at her, her eyes widening in shock. Her mind went blank, forgetting how to think.

Rao Jinqing is so beautiful, she thought.

At that moment, she still had enough strength to struggle, trying to recall the thoughts that had just slipped away from the recesses of her mind. But then a pair of chopsticks was placed in her hand.

She reached out and took them. Rao Jinqing’s striking features loomed large before her, filling her vision. The rich aroma of the food filled her nostrils.

Feeling self-conscious, she lowered her head and murmured, “I’ve transferred to your company.”

Rao Jinqing asked, “What were you humming about earlier?”

Didn’t she hear me?

Lin Qinglian had been about to hum again, but then she wondered: If I suddenly show up at the company, would that be a surprise?

So she kept her mouth shut and shook her head gently.

“Hungry?” Rao Jinqing asked. “Let’s eat first.”

Rao Jinqing pressed the call button, and a waiter promptly appeared.

Holding a menu, the waiter glanced at the two women, quickly confirmed their table number, and glided over to the woman in the red mermaid dress.

The woman was wearing a fishtail dress, exactly like the new fashion item she had seen while scrolling through her phone the day before.

It cost 6.88 million yuan.

“Madam, here’s our menu. Please take a look and see if you’d like to add any dishes?”

To her surprise, she had mistaken the woman. The woman in the red dress waved her hand dismissively.

It was a forceful gesture of rejection. Though the woman’s face still held a smile, the waitress instinctively felt that the smile was cold and chilling.

The black lace and scattered diamonds adorning the woman’s chest shimmered under the restaurant’s dim lighting, reflecting a dazzling light as if she were a corpse.

The waitress noticed that the woman’s neckline was slightly disheveled. Fortunately, the form-fitting dress covered her completely, otherwise she wouldn’t have known how to discreetly point it out.

The woman’s voice: “Just order whatever you like. I’ll eat whatever you choose.”

Rao Jinqing couldn’t help but laugh. She readily accepted Lin Qinglian’s suggestion, wondering, “Why would I refuse? Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

The usually cold and aloof server suddenly seemed genuinely happy.

“I’m easy to please,” Lin Qinglian said. “I’ll eat anything.”

“Don’t come crying to me if I order something you don’t like,” Rao Jinqing teased, her eyes peeking over the menu as she watched Lin Qinglian feign annoyance, her tone more playful than angry.

It was indeed Rao Jinqing’s own preconceived notion. Subconsciously, she had assumed that someone as delicate as Lin Qinglian—whose wrist flushed at the slightest touch—would likely tear up pitifully over food she didn’t enjoy.

Rao Jinqing continued her interrogation: “Beef?”

Lin Qinglian’s urge to probe further vanished instantly. She nodded obediently. “Yes.”

The waiter sighed inwardly.

Goodness, if only my two daughters could get along this well. These sisters are truly wonderful together.

“Lamb? Cilantro? Green onions?” Rao Jinqing pressed.

Lin Qinglian, now thoroughly tempted by the aroma wafting through the slightly ajar door, had lost all pretense of coyness. She swallowed hard. “No cilantro. Not too spicy. That’s all.”

She’s really easy to take care of, Rao Jinqing thought. Looking after her in the future will be a breeze.

Rao Jinqing quickly ordered several dishes, instructing the waiter, “For all the dishes, absolutely no cilantro. Use garlic and ginger for flavor, but make sure they’re not visible in the food. No skin, fat, or any parts above the neck or below the hips.”

She spoke quickly and evenly, yet the waiter understood every word perfectly.

He didn’t complain, knowing that the restaurant’s exorbitant service fee justified such a lengthy and specific request.

Lin Qinglian silently took note of everything.

This person is a bit picky, she thought, but I’m easy to please. Together, we balance each other out perfectly.

After finishing her order, Rao Jinqing produced a black card from seemingly nowhere.

“Deduct the service fee from this,” she said.

Lin Qinglian, suddenly stripped of her chance to treat, protested, “Wasn’t I supposed to pay?”

“I’ll cover the service fee,” Rao Jinqing replied. “Is that alright?”

“Okay,” Lin Qinglian agreed.

Maybe Rao Jinqing just isn’t used to letting others treat her, Lin Qinglian thought.

But she could never have imagined the real reason.

This restaurant offered excellent value for money, but its star rating came from the exorbitant service fees that left diners speechless.

The service charge alone likely had five zeros after the decimal point.

The waiter couldn’t help but feel envious.

The sisters clearly shared a genuine bond, even vying to pay the bill.

And the elder sister was truly generous, covering the lion’s share of the cost.

They finished their meal in under an hour, but Rao Jinqing remained silent until the very end.

Lin Qinglian, growing anxious without an answer, finally asked in a soft, whiny voice, “So… have you forgiven me?”

Rao Jinqing found her soft, whiny tone rather endearing, like a guilty kitten rubbing against her leg.

“I’ll think about it,” Rao Jinqing replied, glancing at the time.

It was 12:15 PM, nearly two hours since they’d started. If no major issues had arisen, the negotiations should have concluded by now.

After four rounds of talks, the deal had finally been finalized today.

The original deadline was noon sharp, but Rao Jinqing had deliberately waited longer, fearing unexpected complications. Now, it seemed the matter had reached a satisfactory conclusion.

Rao Jinqing flipped her phone face down, meeting Lin Qinglian’s pitiful gaze. Just as she was about to speak, her phone began to ring incessantly.

Her brow twitched violently.

She answered immediately.

“President Rao,” her secretary’s voice was steady on the other end.

This must not be anything major.

“Xunjun’s bid was significantly higher than our projections, and without any equipment advantages, Robert ultimately chose Xunjun. Our company lost the bid.”

Rao Jinqing closed her eyes briefly.

While the outcome was devastating, bidding wars never guarantee a hundred percent success rate. Victory and defeat depend on luck and confidence. What truly concerned her was the unspoken meaning in her secretary’s words.

“What else?”

The secretary, hearing her boss’s unusually calm tone, hesitated, unsure how to gauge her reaction.

If Rao Jinqing cared, she wouldn’t be so composed. But if she didn’t care, why had she spent months, burning the midnight oil, just to reach the negotiating table?

As for the remaining news, the secretary struggled to find the right words.

She cautiously probed, “The board is considering removing you from your position.”

Rao Jinqing: “Reason?”

Secretary: “Misjudgment, resulting in significant financial and time losses for the company. And your previous wager…”

Rao Jinqing calmly replied, “I understand.”

Secretary: “?”

That was it?

She had been expecting her boss to lead a counterattack.

Rao Jinqing: “I’ll return immediately. Stabilize the staff first. Ignore the board for now.”

Secretary: “Understood.”

Rao Jinqing hung up, placing her phone face down on the table. A sharp pain had erupted in her head the moment the phone rang, as if someone had struck her skull with a heavy object.

This is a lesson, she thought coldly.

Across from her, Lin Qinglian still waited expectantly for her response.

An inexplicable surge of anger flared from her fingertips, rising to her wrists.

She rubbed her wrists fiercely, trying to suppress the anger and disgust.

From the beginning, she should have remained as she always had been—trusting no one.

Even in this moment, she hadn’t forgotten her composure.

She turned to Lin Qinglian, who had been gazing at her expectantly, and asked, “How do you plan to get back?”

Lin Qinglian blinked, her eyes wide and innocent. Since Rao Jinqing had asked, she assumed she wanted to return together. “Can I go back with you?” she asked, her eyes fixed on Rao Jinqing, radiating a docile and guileless air.

Yet, seeing her like this, Rao Jinqing felt an inexplicable irritation rise within her.

She lied to me, and she still acts this way?

Rao Jinqing nodded indifferently, not waiting for Lin Qinglian. As soon as the waiter opened the door, she strode out.

Lin Qinglian scurried after her, sensing something was amiss. She stared intently at Rao Jinqing, trying to discern what was wrong, but found nothing.

Rao Jinqing’s aura was devoid of color, indicating her mood was unusually calm today.

Lin Qinglian continued to watch her, desperate to penetrate her thoughts.

Rao Jinqing strode forward with long, purposeful strides, the hem of her skirt swaying like floral shadows.

She walked coldly onward, her mind now crystal clear.

She had already prepared for two scenarios, as she always maintained a skeptical attitude toward people.

Since the path with Lin Qinglian had reached a dead end, she had no choice but to take the second route. Though more challenging, it wasn’t without its possibilities.

The board’s earlier wager stipulated that if she lost, she would resign and withdraw from Dianming. But who said she had lost?

He was already growing impatient.

The driver opened the car door, waiting for her to enter. She stepped inside, with Lin Qinglian following closely behind.

Lin Qinglian: “Sister, don’t send me to the wrong place again this time. You did it before, and I’ll be really upset if you do it again.”

Rao Jinqing responded with a cold hum. “Uncle Liu, change the destination.”

Her icy tone made Lin Qinglian hesitate. This was unlike Rao Jinqing’s usual attitude toward her.

Normally, when Rao Jinqing spoke coldly, it was just to tease her, to see her flustered. But today…

Just moments ago, she had been perfectly fine. Why would she suddenly get angry for no reason?

Lin Qinglian scooted over from one end of the seat to the other. “What’s wrong?”

Rao Jinqing’s mind raced, and as it did, her irritation surged uncontrollably.

And then there was Lin Qinglian.

If she lowered her gaze, she could see Lin Qinglian cupping her face, leaning in close to the crook of her arm, her eyes fluttering as she looked up at her.

Why had she gotten so close to her in the first place? Rao Jinqing had once thought Lin Qinglian liked her, but now she realized that “like” came with quotation marks.

She felt an almost uncontrollable surge of irritation.

At that moment, she clearly recognized a truth she didn’t want to admit:

She couldn’t remain calm around Lin Qinglian.

The frustration erupted from her heart like a geyser.

Why is she asking me? Doesn’t she already know? Isn’t this all her fault?

Yet on her face, she merely offered a faint smile before saying, “Nothing.”

The smile was so perfect, so manufactured, that it felt like you could lean in close and smell the factory settings.

Seeing Rao Jinqing smile, Lin Qinglian felt reassured.

It must have been my imagination, she thought. Rao Jinqing seems perfectly fine.

But Rao Jinqing hadn’t yet forgiven her.

Lin Qinglian turned her head to see Rao Jinqing resting with her eyes closed.

Against the backdrop of the city’s dazzling lights, Rao Jinqing’s pale, cool profile stood out.

Her striking features and captivating beauty contrasted sharply with the aloofness she projected.

She was a walking contradiction, leaving Lin Qinglian perpetually scratching her head, utterly bewildered.

Just then, Rao Jinqing suddenly opened her eyes. Lin Qinglian’s eyes curved into a warm smile as she looked at her.

Still half-asleep and lingering on her earlier thoughts, Rao Jinqing instinctively returned the smile, a habit ingrained over the past few days.

Lin Qinglian’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at her.

They were sitting so close that if Rao Jinqing leaned down slightly and Lin Qinglian tilted her head up, their lips could have brushed.

Just like in the hotel earlier.

System, she called out softly in her mind.

But this time, the System didn’t appear with its usual whoosh.

Instead, it slowly woke up, looking dejected and droopy.

Lin Qinglian: “What’s wrong?”

System QAQ: I’m running out of energy! Unless you tell me right now that you summoned me today to bind your new Target, I’m going to die!

Lin Qinglian pondered briefly. “Well, you might as well stay alive.”

Two ears suddenly popped up on the System’s screen. System QAQ: I knew it! Host, you’re the best! You care about me so much!

Lin Qinglian ruthlessly stabbed it with a follow-up: “But how else am I supposed to get back?”

The newly appeared ears drooped instantly. System: So you don’t actually care about me? Humans are so fake.

Lin Qinglian: “Still, I do need to bind my new Target.”

The System, shedding its earlier weakness, shot into the air. Its virtual eyes swiveled over Rao Jinqing, still clinging to hope.

System: The villainess?! Are you sure?

Lin Qinglian hummed in confirmation. “I’m sure.”

System: But the villainess is the ruthless character from the original story who kidnapped you three times for the Male Lead and broke four or five of your bones! And she’s a woman!

Lin Qinglian asked coldly, “So what? Is there some kind of discrimination against same-s3x relationships? Where’s the report button?”

The System immediately backed down. I was wrong (＞﹏＜), but has the Host truly met the Capture Value requirement for the Target? If not, the binding will fail, and the System’s remaining energy will be completely depleted, forcing it into hibernation. You’ll be unable to return to reality.

Lin Qinglian: “I have.”

The System was somewhat astonished. Human emotions were truly baffling. After knowing someone for barely a month, she was already willing to entrust her life to them.

It couldn’t help but ask, What if the Capture Value isn’t sufficient for the binding?

Lin Qinglian replied with unwavering certainty, “Impossible.”

Seeing her unwavering confidence, the System decided to trust its Host. After all, this Host was the best it had ever guided. Initiating binding… Binding progress: 80%… Verifying Capture Value… Capture Value: …

At this point, the System’s voice faltered, as if it had hit a snag.

Lin Qinglian: “What’s wrong?”

The System’s voice grew fainter and fainter. Capture Value: 1%.

Lin Qinglian heard the System’s tiny voice in her mind with perfect clarity. At that moment, a massive screen materialized before her eyes.

The screen flickered before her eyes.

Binding failed. Reason: Capture Value too low. The System is about to enter hibernation. For the remainder of your journey, Host, please pack your bags and explore independently.

Before the System could explain further, the Main System’s massive screen suddenly appeared and forcibly shut it down.

In that split second, darkness engulfed its vision. Through the intermittent static of a faulty connection, it heard a voice say, I am now granting you authorization. You may continue your capture attempts and initiate binding independently.

With that, the voice abruptly cut off, and the System was forcibly ejected.

Back in the Main System, the System’s eyes snapped open.

The Main System’s central processing unit loomed before it. Glancing up, it immediately saw the numerical values displayed:

Target: Lin Qinglian

Capture Target: Rao Jinqing

Current Progress: 10%

Neither too much nor too little—precisely the Capture Value required for binding. Did this mean the Host had succeeded in binding?

But why had the Main System declared the capture a failure and forcibly severed its connection with the Host?

The System immediately closed its eyes, attempting to return to the small world. It burrowed its head, contorting itself into a bullet-like shape.

The System’s intelligence and resourcefulness were now its greatest assets. If the Main System had deliberately severed its connection, it knew it wouldn’t be able to re-enter the small world easily.

It spun its digital mind rapidly, disguising itself as a component of the small world’s structure in an attempt to slip past unnoticed.

But the moment it touched the small world, it was immediately repelled.

The Main System had granted it only basic permissions!

Lin Qinglian felt as if she’d been doused with a bucket of ice water on a warm spring day, her limbs growing numb with cold.

Capture Value: 1%. What does that mean?

The System couldn’t answer, but she understood the implications perfectly.

Though the sun blazed overhead, she felt as if she’d fallen into an icy abyss.

This meant that in the past month, Rao Jinqing hadn’t developed any romantic feelings for her.

She wondered numbly, What was that hug between them? What were those kisses?

Just formal greetings between business partners?

The driver called from the front, “President Rao, we’ve arrived.”

She suddenly realized that, in Rao Jinqing’s heart, she might mean nothing at all.

Feeling her way to the front of the car, she slid open the partition separating the interior.

Rao Jinqing, who had been resting with her eyes closed, suddenly found her vision blocked. She opened her eyes warily.

Lin Qinglian’s face loomed before her, magnified several times.

Lin Qinglian’s eyes were rimmed with red, and the delicate skin around them was flushed.

Bent over in the car, she watched Rao Jinqing open her eyes. Her lips parted, but tears streamed down her face before she could speak.

Lin Qinglian tried to control herself, but for some reason, the tears kept flowing uncontrollably.

She felt a surge of anger.

Even her own body was betraying her!

She glared fiercely at Rao Jinqing, huffing as she roughly wiped away the tears with the back of her hand.

Her hasty, forceful wiping left a red mark on her cheek.

It hurts.

Perhaps the pain was too much. Fresh tears streamed down her face, which she had just wiped clean.

Waves of stinging pain washed over her face. Never one to tolerate pain well, she was now overwhelmed with sorrow, unable to speak, only sobbing uncontrollably.

Suddenly, a piece of paper appeared before her. She lifted her tear-blurred eyes, exhausted from crying, and saw Rao Jinqing watching her with detached indifference.

Clutching her face, desperate to hide her tear-streaked appearance from Rao Jinqing, she cautiously reached for the paper.

Rao Jinqing lowered her gaze as Lin Qinglian slowly extended two fingertips to delicately grasp a corner of the paper. Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, Lin Qinglian’s fingers brushed past the paper and climbed upward, firmly gripping the hand Rao Jinqing was about to pull back.

Rao Jinqing raised her lashes to meet Lin Qinglian’s gaze. “Let go.”

Lin Qinglian froze, startled by her icy expression, then tightened her grip on the pale hand. Her small face radiated stubborn defiance.

“I won’t,” Lin Qinglian declared.

Rao Jinqing’s expression turned sharply cold. With no time for games, she was about to wrench her hand free when a warm, wet drop landed on the back of her hand.