Wait, I Got in the Wrong Car (GL) - Chapter 22

Kong Rulan was so startled by Mo Ying’s cry that he dropped his phone. In a panic, he quickly picked her up and placed her into the swimming pool. Then he realized something was off and hurried to gather his scissors, white gauze, needle, and thread.

After slipping into the water, Mo Ying touched her belly. The baby fish remained still, which immediately calmed her down.

When Kong Rulan turned around, he saw Mo Ying lying on the edge of the pool with wide eyes, curiously staring at him. Her golden tail shimmered as it swayed cheerfully. A little yellow duck, which squealed whenever squeezed, got flicked into the air by her tail and landed with a loud squeak, as if it was about to break from overuse.

“You… are being… naughty again.”

“Second Brother, what is it like to give birth to a baby fish?” Mo Ying asked, then muttered to herself, “Second Brother and Fourth Sister don’t know. Do you think Eldest Brother or Third Brother might know?”

“Don’t… don’t be afraid… Second Brother… is here.”

“The baby fish doesn’t seem ready to come out just yet.” Mo Ying revealed a half-open flower blooming on her belly. She poked it gently with her finger, but there was no reaction. “Second Brother, the experts online say mother fish usually give birth after three months. Does that mean the baby fish can’t wait to meet us after three months?”

A series of questions bombarded Kong Rulan. Dazed, he reached for his pocket and found his phone lying on the ground. He picked it up and began typing rapidly as if texting someone.

“Three months… It’s already been two… so only one month left!” Mo Ying did not wait for his reply. She had already begun matching herself to the online results. The more she read, the more excited she became. “Just one more month!!!”

“May… maybe… not…”

“Second Brother, I’m hungry. I want to go home!”

Kong Rulan took Mo Ying back to the villa. He had wrestled with that uncertain answer the entire ride, yet still could not bring himself to say it aloud. As he watched Mo Ying bounce her way back inside, his gaze wandered to the neighboring villa. Its structure and appearance were almost identical to Mo Ying’s house.

With his uniquely keen design sense, Kong Rulan realized the two villas looked like one complete unit from the outside. Curiously, he leaned out to observe, only to lock eyes unexpectedly with Lou Anran, who stood at the window holding a wine glass. He instinctively gave her a slight nod, and she politely raised her glass in return.

It wasn’t until he had reversed the car for some time that Kong Rulan suddenly hit the brakes.

Lou Anran and Xiao Wu were neighbors?

His long fingers tapped against the steering wheel for a while before he turned it and drove away down another path.

Back in her own house, Mo Ying soaked in the bathtub for a while as usual, scooping water and scattering flower petals.

“Baby fish, be good. You have to wait until Lou Xiaohei is asleep.”

This hunt had been going on for quite some time. Mo Ying was experienced. She knew when was the best time to strike and when she could only pitifully wait by the door for the tiniest bit of comfort.

When a strip of purple-red energy teasingly slipped through the door crack, Mo Ying licked her lips and lightly patted her belly. “Baby fish, we can get ready now.”

Feeding time was always brief. Sometimes it lasted three minutes. Sometimes just one. It all depended on the emotional fluctuations of the food provider.

The moonlight was enchanting as it streamed clearly through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the room that should have been cloaked in darkness. Mo Ying silently pushed open the door. She watched the fluttering colored ribbons inside, not in a hurry to feed, but first observed the room’s owner.

Lou Anran’s long, black hair spread freely across a white pillow. The light cast soft shadows on her sharp features, concealing the sharp edges she always displayed during the day. She looked so peaceful, like a child.

Mo Ying dared not get too close. She had been caught once before. Cautiously, she leaned forward at the edge of the bed, inhaling the familiar cool scent of mint from the woman before her.

Her hand gently caressed her belly as she thought, “Baby fish, just one more month…”

Suddenly, the shadowy figure on the bed opened her cold eyes like a fierce beast. A hand shot out from under the covers and grabbed the intruder with deadly precision.

Oh no!

Lou Xiaohei was pretending to be asleep!

Mo Ying, in a panic, tried to jump away but failed. The grip on her wrist was strong enough to crush bones.

“Lou Xiaohei, are you trying to trick me again?”

Lou Anran trembled with anger at the accusation. She flipped the lights on and yanked Mo Ying onto the bed.

“You sneak into my room in the middle of the night to tempt me. What is the meaning of this, huh?”

She hadn’t expected the sight that met her eyes.

Mo Ying froze under the intense, bloodshot stare. Then she nervously glanced at the swirling colored ribbons floating through the room. The purple-red ones were most common, but there were also gray ones, even dark gray and black ones, full of malice, clawing at her as if ready to devour her.

“It wasn’t me. It was the baby fish who wanted to see you.”

Lou Anran saw how tightly she clutched her belly and gave a cold laugh. She felt an even greater urge to strangle Mo Ying. Baby fish?

She collapsed onto the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.

“Leave. From now on, do not step into my room without my permission. I never want to see you again.”

Mo Ying, seeing her distracted, quickly began feeding. But when she heard Lou Anran’s words, she pitifully begged, “Please… just give me one more month. Once the baby fish is born, I won’t come again.”

Lou Anran, furious, grabbed Mo Ying’s hand and bit it hard.

She thought Mo Ying would cry. That would be enough.

To her surprise, pain flared in her own arm. She looked up in shock to find Mo Ying biting her back, drawing bl00d. It was as if the girl might tear away a chunk of her flesh.

Mo Ying tasted the thick metallic flavor and instinctively licked her lips. She met Lou Anran’s stunned gaze and quickly looked away. “You bit me first, hmph.”

…

The unpleasant incident faded from Mo Ying’s mind quickly. Her good mood lasted until her call with Ni Xinyu.

Ni Xinyu was getting an IV at the hospital but still called her. The first piece of news she delivered was that all candidates for the preliminary round must live on-site for the next few months.

That would not be a problem for most, but for Mo Ying, a pregnant mermaid, group living was risky.

First, what if someone discovered she was a fish? She couldn’t even imagine the consequences. Second, the accommodations would be basic. They certainly wouldn’t have a pool as nice as the one at home.

Ni Xinyu had no idea Mo Ying was a fish. Her biggest concern was… the pregnancy.

Mo Ying did not want to give up her chance to stockpile food. But she had no immediate solution to Ni Xinyu’s problem. She sprawled on the sofa for an entire afternoon, feeling listless, until hunger struck her again.

She decided to wait until Lou Xiaohei fell asleep to go hunt for food. Clearly, she had already forgotten about the biting incident the night before.

She waited patiently, deep into the night when all was quiet.

A tempting purple ribbon slid through the door crack like a hook, stirring her anticipation. Mo Ying pressed herself against the door, waiting until she could no longer resist and finally pushed.

Push—

The door didn’t budge.

Stunned, she paused and then summoned the strength only a little mermaid capable of lifting a whale would have. She pushed again.

Still nothing.

The hidden door between the rooms seemed sealed shut. No matter how hard she tried, it would not move. Frustrated, she began pounding on it.

“Lou Xiaohei! Open the door!”

Lou Anran sat silently by the glass window, listening to Mo Ying’s distinctive voice float through the door crack. She gave a cold snort.

She had just poured herself a glass of wine, but the bandages on her wrist reminded her of what the girl had done.

“That wound is too deep. What bit you? Let me disinfect it. No alcohol, no spicy food, and avoid seafood for a while.”

“That bite mark looks strange. What kind of animal did that?”

“A fish that bites.”

“A fish that bites people?”

Lou Anran drained her wine in one gulp, poured another, and sat listening to the knocking, banging, and pleading from next door.

The next day, Chu Shu came to visit. She found the room filled with empty bottles. The curtains were drawn, and everything was shrouded in darkness.

“Boss, didn’t the doctor tell you not to drink for a while?”

Lou Anran’s eyes were bloodshot, the alcohol stinging on her breath. She pointed to the hidden door. “You call this sealing a door? She kept me up all night. Get someone to seal the sound too.”

Chu Shu hesitated. “You really want it sealed shut? What about the little beauty—”

Lou Anran kicked a wine bottle across the room. It shattered against the wall.

“Don’t mention her again. I don’t want to hear that name. Understood?”

Chu Shu zipped her lips and got to work cleaning. As she tidied up, she sighed. History really does repeat itself. Years ago, when Ni Xinyu found out her fiancée had cheated, she locked herself at home and drank herself into the hospital.

Now it was the boss’s turn.

Does misfortune really cycle through their circle like this?

Chu Shu shuddered and made a mental note to visit a temple soon.

Mo Ying was not happy. The next day, she saw Chu Shu leading a group of construction workers into the villa. They moved back and forth but never once did she see Lou Xiaohei.

Before long, Mo Ying heard hammering and drilling from her own room. She pushed the door to the hidden passage, but it did not move at all.

Chu Shu, directing the workers, turned and saw Mo Ying leaning against the wall with her neck stretched, her whole body tilted forward.

“…Little Beauty!”

Mo Ying looked around curiously. “What are you all doing?”

Chu Shu was at a loss for words. She couldn’t exactly say the boss was so furious that she wanted the villas completely cut off from each other.

She forced a smile and instinctively glanced at Mo Ying’s flat belly. Honestly, she still had no idea if the little beauty was really pregnant. The boss wearing a green hat… was almost too much to bear.

She had privately combed through every gynecology record in all the hospitals, and even third-rate clinics were not spared. Yet there was absolutely no trace of the little beauty being pregnant. Still, the boss insisted it was true.

If the pregnancy was real, and all the women related to the little beauty were ruled out, that left only the men.

She had even secretly gone to the prison to interrogate the scumbags near Annie Plaza from back then. They all swore they had never laid a hand on her, not even so much as a single finger.

Then… whose child was the little beauty carrying?

Pointing to Lou Annie and then to the boss… was it all just to find someone to raise the child?

When Mo Ying noticed the constant glances directed her way, she instinctively placed a protective hand over her belly and immediately retreated into her courtyard, waiting quietly for nightfall.

Chu Shu, having reached another conclusion, felt like she had been blind. She had genuinely thought the little beauty was as pure as snow, but now it looked like the boss had truly been played for a fool… a total patsy.

Lou Anran refused Chu Shu’s post-work “thoughtful services.” She hurled a bottle of liquor, scaring the timid assistant into fleeing while holding her head. Lou Anran chuckled under her breath. “Coward.”

“Heh. Actually, I am a coward too.”

She kept drinking into the deep silence of the night. When she heard a rustling sound outside the window, Lou Anran first thought it was an illusion. But when the sound came a second time, her dazed eyes opened wide. Feeling dizzy, she grabbed a golf club from behind the door. She tested its weight in her hand. The haze in her eyes began to clear.

Click.

The bathroom door slowly opened from the inside.

Lou Anran pressed her back against the wall. A sharp glint flickered in her eyes. As the intruder tiptoed out, she swung the club hard at the back of their head.

“Ah!”

“Damn.”

Bright lights illuminated the room. The two stared at each other wide-eyed.

Mo Ying huffed, puffed up with anger as she held up the club that had nearly struck her head. She glared back with adorable fury. “Lou Xiaohei!”

Lou Anran frowned slightly, then suddenly let out a cold chuckle. “You really love throwing yourself at me, don’t you?”

That remark brought back the memory of their first meeting.

What a coincidence. Back then, she had also “thrown” herself into her arms.

She used to believe their encounter had been fate. With her back turned, Lou Anran curled her lips into a smile tinged with amusement. “Since you enjoy delivering yourself to me so much, I’ll gladly accept.”

Mo Ying found Lou Xiaohei a little strange lately. Something about her felt off. She seemed to be exuding even more dark energy than usual. But the baby fish inside her belly was fond of it.

“It wasn’t me. It was baby fish who wanted to come here,” she explained.

Thinking of this, she tapped her belly lightly with frustration. “Traitor. Always thinking of ways to defect every single day. Hmph.”

Lou Anran listened to her childlike muttering with a faint smirk as her lips gradually curled into a sneer.

She bent over and tapped a series of numbers on the safe. With a click, the door sprang open.

Inside was a string of vividly colored bl00d tridacna.

Lou Anran’s hand froze briefly. Then she quickly shoved it deep into the safe, hiding it out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind.

She rummaged a bit, pulling out a box from the bottom layer. Inside were rows of brightly colored, fashionable accessories. There was one row of ear studs, another filled with rings, and a third neatly arranged with pendants. The styles were all quite similar and neatly arranged.

Anyone who saw this might think she had a collecting obsession.

Lou Anran placed the box on the bed. Her fingers slid over the cold surface of the trinkets.

“I told you I’d give you a gift that day. Unfortunately, I never got the chance. But you gave me a grand one instead. Today, you reminded me. Come here and see which one you like. I’ll give it to you.”

Mo Ying tiptoed closer, peeking over Lou Anran’s shoulder. Her eyes lit up when she saw the colorful accessories. She picked up a ring and glanced at it, then tossed it aside. The same fate met the ear studs and pendants.

“No, thank you. I have plenty of these little stones.”

Little stones?

Yu Xuan’s arrogant and veiled remarks echoed again in Lou Anran’s mind. Her temple throbbed.

She clenched her teeth. “Then why did you even… Miss Mo, what exactly do you like?”

Mo Ying poked a finger into the box. Her eyes sparkled.

“So you’re the one who likes these? How about I gift you a box next time? Sound good?”

Lou Anran replied through gritted teeth, “No.”

The word seemed to squeeze out of her like air through clenched teeth. Meeting the little one’s clean and hopeful gaze, she nearly melted. Instead, she slammed the lid shut and gave it a hard pat.

“Forget it. If you don’t want it, don’t. So picky. You’re spoiled.”

Mo Ying didn’t care. She bounced over to the secret door, pressing her ear to it and knocking around like a maintenance worker inspecting door frames.

“Is it broken? Why won’t it open?”

Lou Anran tapped her fingers on the box, her face stormy.

“Yes. It’s broken.”

The first time, she had only sealed the door. She didn’t want to be fooled a second or third time. This time, she had blocked it completely. No way back. No more escape.

Mo Ying said with regret, “Can we get someone to fix it? Climbing over from the other side is so inconvenient.”

Lou Anran nearly burst a vein. Her eyes fell on the golden bracelet wrapped around the girl’s ankle.

“Fine. If you want the door fixed, pick one piece from the box and wear it. I’ll have my assistant fix the door.”

Mo Ying didn’t quite understand Lou Xiaohei’s insistence. Still, if it meant reopening the connection between their doors, she hesitated, then carefully selected a teardrop-shaped pendant.

It was blue. The same blue as the sea.

She casually placed it over her head, letting the pendant rest against her forehead. Her bright eyes danced as she twirled.

“Do I look pretty like this?”

Lou Anran was momentarily stunned.

Mo Ying already had an extraordinarily beautiful face. Her clean and unique aura, combined with the sea-blue pendant, made her look ethereal and almost otherworldly.

But Lou Anran felt a flicker of frustration. These pendants she had painstakingly designed did not seem worthy of the girl. They looked cheap now. No wonder she had turned them down.

“Beautiful. Stunning. From now on, unless absolutely necessary, don’t take it off.”

Mo Ying tried to sway her head, but the silver chain snagged her hair. Several strands were yanked out, and her scalp stung. She panicked and spun around Lou Anran.

“Lou Xiaohei, it’s caught in my hair. Help me take it off.”

Lou Anran, “….”

They stood so close. She could once again catch the faint, intoxicating scent drifting from the back of Mo Ying’s neck. It was heady and bewitching. Her head started to swim.

Lou Anran pinched her side, trying to stay clear-headed. She didn’t want to get swept up again.

“How can you be so clumsy? Even wearing a necklace is hard for you. It’s meant to be worn around the neck, not the forehead.”

Mo Ying winced. “It hurts. It really hurts.”

Lou Anran noticed the girl’s delicate skin had turned red. She instinctively softened her grip.

“You really are fragile. Can’t handle the slightest pain.”

Mo Ying leaned into the moment. She nestled into Lou Anran’s arms and crossed her legs casually.

“If you hadn’t let me wear it, I wouldn’t have gotten my hair caught.”

Lou Anran tensed all over. She was caught between pushing her away or giving in to this blurry, ambiguous connection. In the end, she moved faster, carefully untangling the chain.

“There. Done.”

Suddenly losing her balance, Mo Ying collapsed backward onto the bed. She rolled herself up in Lou Anran’s blanket, her emerald green eyes blinking up like a curious cat.

“Lou Xiaohei, why have you been so unhappy lately? And why are you thinking about such dark things?”

Even now, gray-black ribbons swirled through the room.

Lou Anran’s hand trembled. Her heart did too.

“You don’t know why I’m upset?”

Mo Ying rolled around, soothed by the lingering scent in the blanket. Her baby fish in her belly was calmed, too. She stroked the edge of the quilt.

“No idea.”

Seeing her acting so carefree, Lou Anran wanted to yank her off the bed. The anger simmered deeper.

“You really don’t know? You’re the reason I’m so miserable.”

Mo Ying sat up abruptly. “Me?”

Lou Anran stepped onto the bed, looming over her.

“Why did you say the child in your belly belonged to Lou Annie? You know how much I hate that woman!”

Was the book right after all?

Did Lou Anran and Lou Annie have a bl00d feud over a murdered mother?

Mo Ying shrank back, her fishy brain reeling.

“I just happened to see her. If you didn’t want to help raise baby fish, what was I supposed to do?”

Lou Anran spoke coolly. “So the baby isn’t Lou Annie’s.”

Mo Ying wasn’t sure why she asked such a question. She pulled the quilt over her legs, curling up like a silkworm.

“Of course not. I’m carrying your baby fish. Did you forget already, Lou Xiaohei?”

A storm of emotion washed over Lou Anran’s face. She grabbed Mo Ying’s shoulders and shook her.

“Mo Ying, even now you’re still lying to me? Tell me, how could two women make a child?”

Mo Ying nearly blacked out from the shaking. She could see the dark ribbons swirling from Lou Anran again.

“Baby fish doesn’t like it when you’re like this. Lou Xiaohei, I’m a little mermaid. Of course, I can carry baby fish.”

Lou Anran felt her mind spinning. “You really think you’re a mermaid? Always going on about baby fish.”

Mo Ying kicked off the blanket, revealing her smooth, slender legs. She puffed her cheeks and planted her round, cute feet on Lou Xiaohei’s thighs.

“I am a mermaid. See? This is my fish tail.”