Chapter 35

After the words left her mouth, Yuan Bai gave a soft cough, dropped her head to avoid Sheng Huaixi’s gaze, and hurriedly waved a hand, her fingertips hooked over the sofa.

“No, no, you don’t need to answer me... Right, just tell Jiang Chao about this later.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Yuan Bai dumped the mess she’d made on Jiang Chao to clean up; her eyes flicked toward the kitchen, and she shrank back guiltily.

Forgive her, Jiang Chao. She really didn’t want to discuss such a dangerous topic with Sheng Huaixi.

To Yuan Bai’s surprise, Sheng Huaixi, whom she had expected to be aggressive, said nothing after hearing her question.

When Yuan Bai looked over, Sheng Huaixi’s fixed gaze met hers head-on, neither flinching nor avoiding it; her slender fingertips tapped slowly against her cheek as if she were lost in thought.

The two of them held each other’s gaze, each with her own thoughts.

Only Jiang Chao suffered for it, hiding in the kitchen and trying her best to peek, only to find the two of them locked in silence; she couldn’t hear a single word.

“What are they doing..."

Jiang Chao nervously bit the edge of her thumbnail and crouched in a dead corner of the kitchen to watch the living room.

She looked carefully for a long while and could clearly see the two of them speaking; it seemed they really had been discussing something, but after a short while, it had turned into the silence they were in now.

“Did Sheng Huaixi say something outrageous..."

Unease flickered in Jiang Chao’s heart. She leaned out slightly and quietly swept her gaze over Sheng Huaixi’s face.

She tried to hear whether the two of them were speaking in low voices through the crack by the kitchen doorway, but the result was—she heard nothing at all.

Sheng Huaixi and Yuan Bai were just sitting on their respective sofas, staring at each other in silence.

The unknown was scratching at Jiang Chao’s curiosity so badly that she even wanted to rush out and ask them what on earth they were talking about.

But the look of hesitation and conflict on Yuan Bai’s face ultimately made Jiang Chao give up on the idea.

Especially since Yuan Bai would occasionally glance toward the kitchen; that only made Jiang Chao more certain they were talking about her.

And if it was about her, then there was only one possible topic: the rumor that she and Sheng Huaixi were dating.

Jiang Chao let out a soft breath; her eyes relaxed into a faint smile.

The whole reason she had asked Yuan Bai to come today was to get her to drop the idea that Jiang Chao was dating Sheng Huaixi. Now that Sheng Huaixi had taken the initiative to talk to her about it—

Yuan Bai would give up, wouldn’t she!

That would also save her the trouble of worrying later whether Yuan Bai might slip up at home and accidentally mention her and Sheng Huaixi.

If that happened, she would definitely have to deal with all the trouble that came from her family side.

Still, Jiang Chao was a little curious; how exactly had Sheng Huaixi explained their relationship to Yuan Bai?

She couldn’t have just told Yuan Bai everything they’d been through, word for word... could she?

Her ears twitching, Jiang Chao caught the movement of Yuan Bai’s lips; faint sounds drifted out from the living room.

She had meant to keep listening to what the two of them were saying, but she glanced at the time and realized it would be too late if she didn’t start cooking. She had no choice but to give up.

Forget it. She’d ask Sheng Huaixi later tonight what they’d talked about.

Jiang Chao patted her cheeks, turned back to heat the pan and pour in oil, and focused on preparing the last dish.

After frowning in knots for quite a while, Yuan Bai stared at Sheng Huaixi’s expression and finally spoke.

“Sheng Huaixi, let me ask you one last thing. Have you ever lied to Jiang Chao about anything?”

Sheng Huaixi did not answer; she only watched Yuan Bai gloomily, the look in her eyes deep and obscure.

She gave no answer, but everything was already understood without words.

Yuan Bai had not actually wanted to hear her answer. Looking at her cool expression, she leaned back against the sofa, the corners of her eyes carrying a faint smile.

“I’ll give you a word of advice: if you want Jiang Chao to love you, then don’t lie to her.”

“Jiang Chao hates being deceived. Very, very much.”

“No matter how good you were to her before, or how gentle she was with you, once she finds out you lied to her, all of that good will between you will vanish.”

After a pause, Yuan Bai added, “This is something I’ve seen with my own eyes.”

Sheng Huaixi stared at the smile on Yuan Bai’s face for a long time; the curve of her lips carried an air she found infuriating.

What Yuan Bai said was the truth, and it was also one of the reasons she believed Sheng Huaixi could never be with Jiang Chao.

Out of Jiang Chao’s sight, Sheng Huaixi had concealed things about herself; even in the way the two of them got along, perhaps there had been even more dishonesty and deception.

“Is that so...” Sheng Huaixi lowered her lashes, her fingertips unconsciously tapping against her thigh as the scene from the last time she had lied and been discovered by Jiang Chao surfaced in her mind.

That time, she had used self-harm to suppress the anger Jiang Chao felt at being deceived, but faintly, she could tell how much Jiang Chao cared about lying.

If deception meant losing her, then everything she had now from Jiang Chao would be taken back.

Her heart gave a hard tremor. Sheng Huaixi lowered her eyes to the lines of her palm; the mottled grooves really were etched into her skin, and no matter how hard she washed them, they would not come off.

After looking at those clear lines for a moment, fear flashed through Sheng Huaixi’s heart.

If one day Jiang Chao discovered the things she had hidden, the lies she had told... what would she do?

Yuan Bai watched the changing expressions on her face, resting her chin in her hand as she said rather bluntly, “So if you want Jiang Chao to like you, then lie less. Like that last team-building event.”

Sheng Huaixi stilled slightly. Lifting her eyes, she swept a glance over Yuan Bai’s expression; a bit of resentment and dissatisfaction spilled from the depths of her eyes.

It was completely intentional; those words were aimed at her.

Crossing her legs, Sheng Huaixi narrowed her long lashes dangerously. A sliver of cold light flashed through her eyes as she said, “Then as payment, I’ll tell you something about Fang Yunxi.”

Yuan Bai’s body stiffened; the ease that had just settled over her vanished in an instant. After a moment, she looked at Sheng Huaixi with anger in her eyes.

So that was it. No wonder Fang Yunxi had managed to catch her so precisely several times before; it had all been Sheng Huaixi feeding her information in private.

Thinking of it that way, on the morning after that night with Fang Yunxi, Fang Yunxi had even specially asked her whether she knew Sheng Huaixi...

So her guess had been completely right all along; Sheng Huaixi really was black-hearted.

Sheng Huaixi smiled lightly, her hands folded elegantly over her thigh, utterly unconcerned by the anger in Yuan Bai’s eyes as she stated the information she knew with simple clarity.

“She doesn’t like whips.”

As the last sound left her lips, Yuan Bai froze completely; her throat reflexively tried to force something out, but the words caught there and wouldn’t come.

Nothing came out.

“So, she won’t like you the way you are now.”

Sheng Huaixi lifted her eyes and, for the first time tonight, showed Yuan Bai a beautiful, soft smile.

The smile slowly spread from the depths of her eyes, tugging up the corners of her eyes and lips in turn; those cool, exquisite features softened with a trace of tenderness at that moment.

To Yuan Bai, that bright smile was taunting her and kicking her while she was down from every angle.

Tit for tat.

At this moment, Yuan Bai clearly understood what those four words meant.

Because she had just said Jiang Chao would not like her, and stabbed at Sheng Huaixi’s heart; Sheng Huaixi had become unhappy and angry.

So Sheng Huaixi used the same method to stab back at hers.

“Thanks for the reminder. Still, I think I can give her up; but what about you, Director Sheng? Are you willing to give up Jiang Chao’s feelings?”

Neither of them was willing to lower her head. Point against point; each held a sharp spike and drove it hard into the other’s heart, cruelly insisting on twisting it once it went in.

Neither one felt good.

When Jiang Chao came out of the kitchen carrying two dishes, what she saw were two nearly identical cold faces. She reflexively rubbed her arms.

“You two stop glaring at each other and come eat.”

Jiang Chao moved quickly; by the time the two of them got up and walked over, she had already served and neatly arranged the bowls and chopsticks for all three of them.

Sheng Huaixi naturally pulled out a chair for Jiang Chao first, then sat down beside her.

“Our hardworking Chef Jiang, you’ve had it rough. I’ll behave and wash the dishes later.”

Jiang Chao sat down, and a soft face immediately leaned against her shoulder; Sheng Huaixi spoke in a low voice beside her.

The tender voice made Yuan Bai on the opposite side nearly grind her teeth, her expression turning ugly as if her throat had been stuffed full of cotton candy.

So good at acting.

Yuan Bai stared gloomily at Sheng Huaixi’s gentle smile; the cold, icy face from just a moment ago had somehow disappeared.

“I’ll wash them. Director Sheng’s hand is injured, isn’t it?” Yuan Bai’s gaze shifted as she curled her lips into a sweet smile at Jiang Chao. “Sis, keep me company later, okay? We can wash dishes and chat at the same time, just like back home before.”

Holding her chopsticks, Yuan Bai deliberately stressed the last sentence, a faint show of force hidden inside it.

Her brows lifted proudly as she looked at the dark, chilly look in Sheng Huaixi’s eyes without the slightest fear.

Her courage had already reached its peak when she asked Sheng Huaixi that question just now.

Since she had already said something like that, what was this now?

Besides, Yuan Bai felt that her current identity was not as Shengjing’s intern, but as Jiang Chao’s younger sister sitting at this table.

In that case, she had even less reason to be afraid.

“Sure; it’s rare for you to take the initiative like this.” Jiang Chao was busy taking a photo of today’s results and posting it, not noticing the silent, intense exchange of looks between the other two at the table.

Putting down her phone, Jiang Chao looked at the two of them, both silent and merely staring at each other, and a flicker of confusion passed through her eyes. She took the initiative to pick up the first piece of meat and put it into her own bowl.

“Give me a piece, Jiang Chao.”

“Give me a piece, sis.”

Their voices rang out one after the other.

The corner of Jiang Chao’s mouth twitched helplessly; her body stiffened, unable to deal with the words both of them had thrown at her, and her gaze darted between them.

Even if she were slow, at this moment she could still see the sparks crossing between Sheng Huaixi and Yuan Bai; bright and urgent, as if they were fighting back and forth in the air.

She had only cooked a few dishes; what exactly had those two said outside? Why had things turned into this...

The meal had only just begun, yet the way they spoke to each other was already full of veiled barbs.

Yuan Bai was displeased with Sheng Huaixi; Sheng Huaixi was displeased with Yuan Bai.

What made Jiang Chao feel even worse was this; she had become the platform for the two of them to battle on.

Before she could think any further, the sudden touch made Jiang Chao jerk violently, and the chopsticks in her hand almost slipped from her fingers.

Her head turned, and Jiang Chao looked over in shock at Sheng Huaixi.

A faint itch had crawled up her calf, scattering her thoughts; the cool brush of skin against warm flesh, their body temperatures mingling, made Jiang Chao’s breathing tighten, and the tips of her ears burned uncontrollably red.

What on earth was Sheng Huaixi doing now?

Yuan Bai was still here, and they were at the dining table; and yet Sheng Huaixi was actually—

Secretly rubbing against her calf beneath the table.

Jiang Chao dodged, Sheng Huaixi pressed closer, repeating the process over and over.

“Sis, does standing for too long make your legs uncomfortable? Why do you keep moving?” Yuan Bai asked in confusion. Lowering her head, she reached to lift the tablecloth and look underneath.

Jiang Chao froze instantly; her pupils widened in alarm, her breathing turning hurried and chaotic. Her lips parted.

“Don’t—”

Her and Sheng Huaixi’s legs were still pressed together!

TL Note:

black-hearted (黑心肝) = very scheming or mean-spirited