Wait, I Got in the Wrong Car (GL) - Chapter 42

Yu Xuan was afraid of history repeating itself. She forced herself to be patient and closely observed Mo Ying’s daily routine around the filming site. Mo Ying mostly kept to a rigid pattern, going back and forth between the private viewing room and her own quarters. It was repetitive and predictable.

However, the list of people that needed to be ruled out was far too long.

After circling through all the suspects, Yu Xuan found that none seemed more suspicious than Lou Anran. She had already suspected Lou Anran to be venom-tongued and ruthless, unlike ordinary people. Now, she only found her more despicable. That woman had been toying with them all along.

After three days of surveillance, Yu Xuan had personally witnessed Lou Anran sneaking into her Xiao Wu’s room a full thirty minutes before the others returned. Mo Ying and the other B-group trainees would then head back to their rooms. Then the next morning, Lou Anran would wait for all the other trainees to leave before quietly stepping out herself, avoiding everyone with meticulous timing.

At least, aside from Lou Annie, who had unexpectedly stumbled on their relationship outside the villa last time, no one else had discovered this manipulation of time.

Ye Moli asked, “That’s Lou Anran?”

Yu Xuan glanced sideways at him. “Why are you skulking behind me instead of using your shameless seduction tricks?”

Ye Moli ignored the barbs in her tone. “Truly pitiful. Being played like that by a human. Not really your style.”

Yu Xuan’s anger boiled over the moment he said it. The thought of Lou Anran made her want to strangle someone. All she could picture was throwing that woman onto some remote shoreline and letting her rot. “Says the one who’s been using his charms on Lou Annie. How’s that working out for you?”

Ye Moli rubbed his fingers together and shook his head. “Boring.”

They were leaning against the corner wall when they noticed the light turn on in the room across from them. The curtains shut out any view from outside.

“Why does our Xiao Wu call her ‘Lou Xiaohei’?”

Yu Xuan sneered. “Probably because her heart is pitch-black.”

Lou Anran, who had been the topic of their conversation, suddenly sneezed twice. Mo Ying glanced at her with confusion. “What’s wrong with you?”

Lou Anran rubbed the back of her neck where the hair had stood on end. “Nothing. I might be catching a cold.”

Mo Ying remembered what her third brother had said, that humans were terribly fragile and could die from something as minor as a cold. She immediately climbed off the couch. “Lou Xiaohei, you have to live a very long life.”

Lou Anran nearly laughed at how serious that advice was. “Don’t worry. I’ll live a very long time. But thinking back to the last two times your stomach suddenly hurt, was there any kind of pattern you noticed?”

Lou Anran had been turning that question over in her mind for days. Unfortunately, both episodes had occurred without any predictable triggers.

Mo Ying flopped back onto Lou Anran’s lap. “As long as you don’t get mad randomly, and as long as there aren’t any people around me that I really dislike, I’ll be fine.”

Her stomachache was just an excuse. She had actually felt nauseated. Ever since she became pregnant with the baby fish, she had to be extremely careful with food. Eating the wrong thing made her sick.

Lou Anran frowned. “Did I get mad randomly?”

Mo Ying nodded vigorously, her little fish head bobbing like a pecking chick. “Every time you see Lou Annie, you get mad. Super mad. Mad enough to eat her. But Lou Xiaohei, eating people is bad. It would scare the baby fish.”

Lou Anran gazed down seriously at the drowsy little one in her arms. She thought back. Indeed, at least twice, Mo Ying had been present for her near-explosive confrontations with Lou Annie.

Was it fear that caused her reactions?

Before she could dig deeper, Mo Ying’s legs gave a playful kick. Her golden tail slapped against the sofa, creating a harsh scraping sound as scales rubbed against fabric. It clearly made her uncomfortable.

Mo Ying sprawled out lazily. “I’m going to sleep.”

Lou Anran gently tapped her nose. “You really are something.”

She carefully lifted Mo Ying. The little one didn’t look heavy, but the combined weight of her and the baby inside her was not light at all. Although her frame was slender and her skin was smooth and tight, the girl possessed surprising strength.

Lou Anran placed her carefully into the bathtub. Her hands trembled slightly as she clenched them to steady herself.

Mo Ying twisted her body like a fish in water and leaned against the edge of the tub, tossing out a baited line. “Lou Xiaohei, do you want to sleep with me?”

Lou Anran declined the offer. Spending the night soaking in the tub would leave her pale and possibly send her to the hospital with a chill.

Mo Ying did not push further. She splashed her tail in the water, and the sound of gentle waves echoed through the bathroom for a few minutes before quieting.

The next day, just as Lou Anran opened the door, Yu Xuan was there blocking her path.

“What a coincidence, Fourth Sister.”

“Not a coincidence. I came here on purpose.”

Yu Xuan gave her a light shove and pushed her back into the room. She took her time looking through both the inner and outer areas. “No one else has been in here, right?”

Lou Anran had originally intended to set a time to talk with her. She hadn’t expected Yu Xuan to come first. “You can rest assured. I’ve taken all necessary precautions. Until Mo Ying decides to make our relationship public, I will not reveal it.”

Yu Xuan’s expression tightened. “So since the two of you got together, you’ve been in my Xiao Wu’s room every day?”

Lou Anran smiled faintly. “Isn’t that normal for a couple in love?”

If the situation allowed it, she would already be living with her.

Yu Xuan’s voice shot up. “A normal relationship? You really think you and my Xiao Wu began with the usual courting and mutual affection?”

Seeing her so agitated, Lou Anran tilted her head thoughtfully. “So you want to hear our love story. It’s a long one. How about we sit down and have some tea first?”

Yu Xuan nearly exploded from rage. “I don’t want tea. If you want it, drink it yourself.”

Unbothered, Lou Anran took a bottle of red tea from the fridge, brewed herself a cup, and sipped it calmly. She ignored the cloud of fury radiating from Yu Xuan. “Fourth Sister, Mo Ying has been feeling unwell lately. Do you know why?”

Yu Xuan, caught off guard, sat down on the nearest couch. “She’s not feeling well?”

Lou Anran had now switched fully into a business-like demeanor. Her brows furrowed lightly. “It’s happened at least twice. Once she suddenly clutched her stomach and said it hurt badly. Another time, just a few days ago, she said she wasn’t feeling well. I considered contacting you, but then she suddenly recovered. I couldn’t figure it out. Maybe we should get a gynecologist to examine her thoroughly?”

Yu Xuan snapped, “No need.”

Seeing Lou Anran’s surprised look, Yu Xuan couldn’t help raising her voice. “I’m her Fourth Sister. You think I would just let her keep feeling sick without doing anything?”

Lou Anran nodded. “That’s true. I got overly anxious. Then do you know any specialist? Maybe today, we could arrange for a full checkup. I’m really worried about her and the baby.”

Yu Xuan rubbed her forehead as a strong headache came on.

Mermaids didn’t have doctors. Their kind had extremely resilient bodies and rarely fell ill. Even when they bled, they usually recovered through instinct alone. They had never dealt with symptoms like Mo Ying’s before and had no experience at all.

Pressed by Lou Anran, Yu Xuan stammered, “Just… leave this to me. I’ll take care of it.”

Lou Anran took another sip of tea, hiding her small smile behind the cup. “Since that’s settled, please let me know once you find the right doctor. I want to be there for Mo Ying. You must tell me.”

Yu Xuan’s headache worsened. “Fine, fine. Weren’t you going out? Then go already.”

Lou Anran stood, picked up her bag, and smiled. “Don’t forget, Fourth Sister. I’m counting on you to let me know.”

Yu Xuan waved her off, no longer in the mood to argue. As soon as Lou Anran left, she couldn’t sit still and rushed to find Mo Ying. The girl had been watching others compete, and when called out, she looked utterly confused.

“Fourth Sister?”

“You’ve been feeling stomach pain lately. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Mo Ying blinked. “How did you know, Fourth Sister?”

Yu Xuan tapped her gently on the head. “Now that you’ve got a little girlfriend, you forget your Fourth Sister exists. You tell Lou Anran everything but nothing to us. Don’t you know we worry? You’re pregnant! You have to be more careful.”

Mo Ying dodged her finger jabs, retreating step by step. “But, Fourth Sister, even if I told you, it wouldn’t help.”

Yu Xuan fumed. “So telling Lou Anran helps? You really have no loyalty! You’ve changed, Xiao Wu.”

Mo Ying declared boldly, “I have.”

Yu Xuan’s frustration peaked. “Changed, huh? Is Lou Anran really that pretty?”

Mo Ying thought about it seriously. Lou Xiaohei had a repressed, refined charm most of the time. But underwater, she was something else entirely. “Of course my little girlfriend is beautiful. What did you drag me out here for?”

Yu Xuan asked, “Why the stomach pain?”

Mo Ying scratched her head. “Probably ate something bad. I’ve become super picky with food lately.”

Yu Xuan grew more anxious. “Why would you eat something bad?”

Mo Ying answered, “I avoid the things I don’t like now, but sometimes it still affects me. The baby fish has preferences. If I eat the wrong stuff, I get nauseous. Thankfully, Lou Xiaohei’s presence makes it all better.”

Yu Xuan immediately grasped it. “So Lou Xiaohei is the baby’s mommy, isn’t she?”

Mo Ying gave a startled hiccup, her face full of guilty panic.

Yu Xuan saw her reaction and felt even more certain. “Xiao Wu, you’ve got guts now. You dare to lie to me.”

Mo Ying let out a yelp and bolted, dashing back to her private room and slamming the door shut.

Yu Xuan stood frozen.

Well done.