Chapter 29

Song Qingre lifted her out of the bathtub, water splashing everywhere. She set Yan Qingqiu on the floor and began drying her off with a towel.

Yan Qingqiu looked at Song Qingre's fingers again—they weren't trembling at all now, unlike earlier when she'd touched her, those knuckles vibrating with such intensity.

"Did you choke my neck red?" Yan Qingqiu asked.

Her golden hair hung wet and dripping. Song Qingre twisted a handful of it, squeezing out the water in droplets.

She draped the towel over Yan Qingqiu's head and dried her hair. "Don't say things like that to tease me," she said. "I can tell you're doing it on purpose."

When her hair was half-dry, Song Qingre picked her up and laid her on the bed. Yan Qingqiu lay flat for a moment, then started burrowing under the thin blanket. She left a spot open for Song Qingre.

Song Qingre didn't come up for a long time. Yan Qingqiu secretly lifted her arm and sniffed—there was a faint fragrance, even a little sweet...

When Song Qingre finally lay down beside her, she turned to stare at the young lady. After a moment, she placed her hand on Song Qingre's thigh.

Song Qingre didn't respond. Yan Qingqiu bit her tongue, then moved Song Qingre's hand onto her own thigh. "Touch me."

The two were pressed close together, their breaths overlapping slightly.

The light was off. Yan Qingqiu kept wetting her lips, biting them until they hurt.

After a while, Yan Qingqiu shifted onto her side, letting out a muffled sigh as she stared at the stirred curtain. She felt like her own breathing had moved it.

Song Qingre was behind her, her breath landing on Yan Qingqiu's ear. Yan Qingqiu wanted to shift away because her ear was being scalded over and over until it ached.

Yan Qingqiu swallowed. "I want to ask you something."

Song Qingre didn't answer. Yan Qingqiu felt like she talked too much, but if she didn't use her mouth to speak, she'd only be gasping for air. She breathed out hotly. "I was so awful to you before. Why are you still..."

"Good to me?" Song Qingre finished her sentence, her tone heavy.

Yan Qingqiu felt a pinch. "We've seen each other bare now, and you're still... still... hiding things! What's the point of that!"

Yan Qingqiu felt she was the most honest one here. On a night like this, with this kind of atmosphere, people should speak from the heart. Everyone should be open.

"I mean, I was so bad to you. Why are you still good to me?" Yan Qingqiu asked. "And you sold everything you had to lend me a hundred million."

Even if Song Qingre stayed silent, Yan Qingqiu could sense her heavy breathing. Song Qingre's restraint was obvious—and the more she held back, the more dangerous she became.

This was beyond what a normal person would do.

Song Qingre teased her like this, but it didn't seem like she simply wanted to sleep with her. Otherwise, that time she was drunk, she could have made her life a living hell.

It was a long time—so long Yan Qingqiu thought she wouldn't speak at all—before Song Qingre finally said softly, "Because I wanted... to wait until you were older, even older, and had tasted the warmth and cold of the world. I thought maybe then you'd be warmer to me."

Yan Qingqiu thought about it.

After tasting the world's warmth and cold, people grew colder, crueler.

In real life, people became especially numb.

"Qiuqiu..." Song Qingre pressed closer, calling her name.

What was that saying?

She felt like when Song Qingre called her "Qiuqiu," it was like saying "please, please"—

Please, after you've tasted the cold world and realized I treated you best, be a little warmer to me.

Yan Qingqiu blinked, her not-fully-dried hair curling slightly. She thought her role as the vicious supporting female lead was just too fitting.

The moment a transmigrator came in, everything started becoming vicious.

Taking over someone else's body, enjoying someone else's privileges.

Both of their breathing rose and fell together. Yan Qingqiu closed her eyes, opened her lips, and called out:

"Song... Song Xiaore..."

Song Qingre's fingers stopped. "What did you say?"

Her voice was too heavy. Yan Qingqiu clutched the bedsheet hard, terrified she'd get kicked off the bed. "Nothing... nothing. I said I hiccupped."

Their movements stopped right then. Yan Qingqiu closed her eyes and went to sleep, feeling great after the release of pressure. Song Qingre behind her was grabbing tissues. Yan Qingqiu pressed her face into the pillow and let her help. She thought: I was born to be waited on!

Afterward, Song Qingre leaned against the headboard for a long time without moving. Yan Qingqiu pressed her hand to her chest, trying to suppress her wild heartbeat.

Why had she let her nickname slip out just now?

You're so bold!

That night, Yan Qingqiu slept with wet hair. She dreamed she was back at the orphanage, staring blankly at her surroundings. Everything was pitch black, and in the middle of the courtyard stood a thick wutong tree.

The tree was withered, its leaves all yellow.

Many children ran around, laughing and playing games. One child ran over and accidentally tripped over her leg. She squeezed her fingers, feeling pain—and if it hurt, it wasn't a dream. That made her even sadder. She tucked her little shoes inward, and everyone curiously ran over to look at her.

"Why doesn't she play with us?"

"She said her daddy would come pick her up."

"Oh, maybe she doesn't know yet. We're all abandoned kids. How did she get here? Does anyone have candy to give her?"

The little girl sat quietly, her eyes always full of tears. She said in a panic, "Daddy will come pick me up..."

"I want to go home."

More and more people gathered around. Many things in dreams were upside down—people came and went. Someone crouched in front of her. "Why don't you want to go? That uncle's family is quite well-off. Didn't he buy you a doll?"

Yan Qingqiu shook her head, kept shaking. She didn't like dolls.

I'm waiting for Daddy to come pick me up.

"But... do you know why you're here?" the person said gently. "If you go with them, you'll have a new daddy. And... your old daddy might not come anymore."

"But... then... then... will she come pick me up?"

She thought hard, hoping to come up with a name, but it was so hard to remember. She looked up and could only shake her head. It wasn't the person she was waiting for.

"Is it your mom?"

"I don't know. She'll come pick me up. She definitely will."

She repeated over and over that she wasn't abandoned, that someone would come for her...

As long as she waited, it would happen eventually. As long as she stayed in one place, one day they'd notice she was missing and come back to find her. She had to be good.

The dream was chaotic. Suddenly she was grown, an adult, forced to leave the orphanage. The ground was covered in withered yellow wutong leaves, and the flower bed around the tree had gotten dirty. She wanted to rest but couldn't find a place to sit.

As she turned to leave, she heard those words again: "Daddy will definitely come pick me up..."

She picked up a leaf and turned around, but saw nothing.

It was a nightmare.

In the quiet night, a car horn sounded. At first it was just one blast, but when Yan Qingqiu turned over, it sounded again—this time noticeably louder, as if someone was pressing it repeatedly in frustration.

Yan Qingqiu was woken up. She gasped for air.

Her mind was blank, her temples throbbing along with her head. She raised her hand to rub her temples, then bit her finger hard. It felt like she was forgetting something.

Her eyelashes fluttered.

How did I end up in the orphanage... Was I abandoned?

Her thoughts were muddled, her mind not clear. She was pulled back into sleep, and this time she dreamed someone was gently patting her arm, soothing her to sleep.

The person lying beside her propped themselves up, and when Yan Qingqiu woke, they got out of bed and walked to the window. They looked out, then pulled out a phone and shone its light around, before closing the curtains.

Walking back, their gaze fell on the small notebook on the bedside table. The temptation was overwhelming. Even after once or twice, they still weren't used to it, still worried that someone might suddenly wake up and see their true face.

··

Yan Qingqiu slept deeply that night, dreaming a lot. When she got up, it was past ten. She was well-rested and in good spirits. She changed and came out, looking down to see Song Qingre sitting in the living room downstairs, doing something.

Song Qingre was holding a needle, threading it by the door.

The sun wasn't bright today; the sky looked gloomy. Next to her hand was a box, and she was stringing loose white pearls into a bracelet.

Oh, it was the bracelet that had broken yesterday.

Yan Qingqiu leaned on the railing, propping her chin on her hand, quietly watching downstairs. Miss Song knew how to do so many things. Her hands were so nimble.

Song Qingre was very focused, especially the way her fingers pinched the pearls, like she was toying with something, wanting to put it in her mouth.

Yan Qingqiu thought she could hold a pearl on the tip of her tongue, then she lifted her chin and said, "Come on, string it well for me."

Finally, Song Qingre tied a knot on the bracelet, making it look almost like before. She looked up at Yan Qingqiu. "Put it on yourself, or should I bring it up..."

Before she could finish, Yan Qingqiu ran down the stairs and stuck out her hand. Song Qingre pulled the cord and helped her put it on.

Yan Qingqiu raised her wrist, pressing her fingers against it and turning it around.

She'd found this bracelet in her jewelry box, thought it was pretty, and had been wearing it since. She flicked a few pearls and asked, "Have you eaten?"

Song Qingre nodded, tidying up the needle and thread.

The butler sent a maid to bring the meal. Yan Qingqiu sat at the table eating, then asked a few concerned questions about Yan Fu. Yan Fu had worked overtime at the company yesterday and hadn't come home.

As she ate, Yan Qingqiu sneezed, her nose itching badly. The butler asked, "Catching a cold?"

Yan Qingqiu nodded. "Seems like it."

The butler picked up the phone to book her a doctor's appointment. Yan Qingqiu rubbed her nose. "No need to go through all that trouble. Just get me some cold medicine."

The butler insisted on making an appointment. Now that she was a little Omega, how could they be so careless? The butler said seriously, "What if it's rhinitis? The seasons are changing now. Sneezing isn't a small matter."

Yan Qingqiu was shocked. She did have seasonal rhinitis—she sneezed every time the seasons changed, especially when autumn came. If it was really rhinitis, she'd better get it treated early. She didn't want to feel miserable all day.

"I'll take her on my way to work today," Song Qingre spoke up.

"Alright." Yan Qingqiu nodded, then sneezed again. "Still feeling a bit off," she muttered.

Wiping her fingers while eating, Yan Qingqiu pulled out the small notebook and looked at it. Yesterday she'd had Luo Xi organize the contents, and today she'd push the timeline further. She could almost map out the plot.

In her first year of high school, she and Song Qingre were still close—she even liked Song Qingre. In her second year, she met Fu Ye, who pursued her, but she treated him unpredictably (why unpredictable—unclear). In her third year, she started tormenting Song Qingre, hurting her beyond repair. Meanwhile, she chased after Fu Ye, but he no longer liked her (his true nature revealed, but why? Just because of a fight with Luo Xi? That didn't make sense. And if it did, Fu Ye never liked her that much to begin with!).

Combining what Su Xingjie and Ye Sichun had said, in the summer after her third year, she'd dyed her hair—was it before her final year, or after graduation?

But regardless of Fu Ye's identity, according to Luo Xi, "she" and Miss Song were publicly acknowledged as a couple. Fu Ye cut in and messed things up. If he hadn't shown up, the two of them might have even had kids by now.

She muttered quietly: homewrecker.

Yan Qingqiu felt indignant on behalf of the couple. She sent a message to Su Xingjie asking. Su Xingjie quickly replied: 【After high school graduation, you said college meant you had to look more mature, so you went to dye your hair】

Yan Qingqiu replied with an OK.

She had a rough idea now. Something must have gone wrong with the hair dyeing, but whether it was part of the original setting, she couldn't tell.

There had to be something else mixed in.

She asked again: 【Didn't Song Qingre say anything?】

Su Xingjie: 【She was hospitalized then.】

Yan Qingqiu: 【Why hospitalized?】

Su Xingjie was silent for a long time, stuck on "typing..." for ages without sending a reply.

Finally, she sent a "?" and then a message that deserved some thought: 【How could you forget something like that?】

Yan Qingqiu was afraid she'd slipped up again, so she quickly changed the subject: 【I'll see if I go to ER today. I've got a cold, so I'm heading to the hospital first.】

Su Xingjie replied instantly: 【I'll go with you. Which hospital are you going to?】

Yan Qingqiu: 【It's fine, Dong Shu will be with me.】

As she typed, Yan Qingqiu got annoyed. She planted her feet on the chair. Honestly, why did it always feel like "she" did things as roughly as a wild boar?

Why would she hurt others without thinking about the consequences?

What else had "she" done that was even worse than burning the painting?

Yan Qingqiu pressed her temples. Before everything surfaced, before she understood the mechanics of this world and the full script of the game, she had to be careful not to leak too many secrets. She had to be cautious. This game truly had enemies everywhere.

Thinking that, she glanced sneakily at Song Qingre. Song Qingre was looking at her phone, apparently working. Yan Qingqiu drew a heavy question mark in her notebook.

Yan Qingqiu grabbed her spoon and shoveled rice quickly. She called out to the butler, "I want to drink cola. Why has everything at home been so bland lately? Is the head chef slacking off again?"

Because this was an Omega differentiation meal, that's why!

The butler brought her coconut milk instead. It was already a special case that she'd had seafood yesterday; now she needed something light to recover. He reassured her, "Don't you love coconut milk the most?"

"Drinking it too long gets boring." Yan Qingqiu took a sip, feeling unsatisfied. Looking at the message on her phone, she comforted, "Don't worry about me. Bye babe, mwah≈"

After eating, Yan Qingqiu went to fetch Song Qingre. Out of curiosity, she glanced at her phone and immediately panicked, reaching out to cover it.

How could Song Qingre write that at home!

"Turn it off! What if someone sees it?"

Song Qingre turned off her phone, then pulled a small device from her pocket and pressed a button. Everything she'd written was printed out.

Yan Qingqiu stared at the paper titled "Little Slave Rules."

Kill me.

"I want to enjoy the perks of being master while I can," Song Qingre said, sitting on the sofa and turning to look at her. "When I was your mistress, you had me doing this and that. I'll do the same to you."

Yan Qingqiu felt like she'd lost her memory. She didn't remember any of what Song Qingre said. "What did I even do? I went out of my way to avoid you every day."

"Gave you massages, upgraded to premium service. That time you were in heat, I was the one who touched you the..."

"Okay, okay!" Yan Qingqiu cut her off immediately. But thinking about it, she felt a bit aggrieved—she'd also spanked her, hadn't she?

Seeing the butler coming with the car keys, she reached out to cover Song Qingre's mouth. "Stop talking. I'll touch you there too, then!"

She felt like she'd come out ahead!

Yan Qingqiu moved her hand away. Song Qingre seemed to add reluctantly, "I didn't roll over eighteen male models, though."

Was this never going to end?

"Let's go, miss."

The butler sat in front driving. Yan Qingqiu curled up in the back, hands in her pockets. Today's clothes didn't have very deep pockets.

Yan Qingqiu stayed quiet, sneaking out Song Qingre's note. Song Qingre had written: 【1: Yan Qingqiu drives Song Qingre to and from work, 2: Yan Qingqiu must answer Song Qingre's calls 24/7, 3: No matter whose side Yan Qingqiu is on, one call from Song Qingre and she must come immediately, 4: Yan Qingqiu cannot have intimate behavior with anyone other than Song Qingre, 5: During the duration of the arrangement, Song Qingre can add conditions freely, 6: When necessary, Yan Qingqiu must eat, drink, and sleep with Song Qingre】

Yan Qingqiu laughed out loud. She couldn't help it—she laughed every time she read it.

Song Qingre tilted her head in confusion. "What's wrong?"

For a hundred million, these conditions weren't about toying with a little slave—she wanted to... keep her as a little slave, didn't she?

Who wouldn't say she'd hit the jackpot?

She couldn't hold it in anymore. "You even wrote 'when necessary'? You've got no experience at all."

As she spoke, she kept glancing at the butler, afraid he'd hear.

Song Qingre countered, "Then how should I write it? This is already pretty bad, isn't it?"

Looking at her serious questioning face, Yan Qingqiu felt she had to overturn everything she knew about her. She said, "Keep your voice down... As the master, you should have the little slave on the bed..."

"Can't hear you," Song Qingre sighed, then called out to Dong Shu in front. Yan Qingqiu, startled, reached out to grab her. Song Qingre said, "Dong Shu, put up the soundproof panel."

"Oh..." Yan Qingqiu withdrew her hand. Now that the front couldn't hear, she grew bolder. "You even counted eating and drinking in there. Are you looking for a maid? Maids and little slaves are different."

Song Qingre seemed a bit embarrassed by what she said and retorted, "Oh, I was thinking since you're so afraid of pain, I'd be gentler with you. Honestly, I'm quite twisted."

"Bullshit. Last night your little sister cried so pitifully, and you didn't even help comfort her." Yan Qingqiu couldn't help being a little naughty, and she felt embarrassed saying it out loud. Look at me—I'm the twisted one.

Song Qingre was briefly silent, clearly choked by her words. She gave Yan Qingqiu a once-over and said, "You looked so mortified, I was afraid if I went too far, you'd jump out the window in anger... But you didn't make a sound either. If you'd said 'good sister, I'm crying, I want my sister to kiss me,' I would have helped you. But you didn't say anything."

"Besides... didn't I already stop your tears for you? Ugh, this is so embarrassing to talk about. I can't write it down anyway."

Embarrassing, embarrassing.

Yan Qingqiu bit her lip, staying silent. She felt a slight regret—being stubborn with words didn't mean she couldn't communicate. She wasn't that rigid. Some things she could accept.

Yan Qingqiu crossed her legs, curling her toes.

Song Qingre took in this little detail.

"Qiuqiu is still the same as before," Song Qingre said with a slight smile.

Yan Qingqiu huffed, then glanced at the note in her hands. Song Qingre had rewritten a couple of conditions based on what she'd said: 【Following a scientific formula, drink eight glasses of water a day, water provided by Yan Qingqiu】

Yan Qingqiu's kidneys clenched. "No, no, no—don't start trying to push limits right away. We should ease into it. Who can handle eight times a day?"

Song Qingre looked at her and said, "Then here's what we'll do: today we'll follow my rules, tomorrow yours. You write it yourself—however you want me to treat you, I'll treat you that way."

"...Ah?" Yan Qingqiu was dumbfounded. "I was just kidding. I thought masters were supposed to have some self-awareness, that they'd all be dirty-minded. I didn't expect you to be so innocent."

"It's fine. What you said is good. I think we can adopt it all."

Song Qingre said, "I'll write some, you write some, we'll combine them. Then I'll add massage."

"...The kind of massage where you're naked?" Yan Qingqiu probed.

Song Qingre paused her pen, then added in front: "What you said—that works."

Yan Qingqiu wanted to complain. This woman's brain wasn't flexible at all. She'd get swindled out of all her money sooner or later. She couldn't even play with beautiful women, let alone date later on.

Thinking that, her hands got itchy again, and she added a few more pointers.

The System: 【Pfft.】

The System said: 【You really don't know when to quit.】

Its voice was a bit loud, startling Yan Qingqiu. She said, 【What do you mean I don't know when to quit? I just can't stand seeing someone so innocent and not saying a few words.】

The System: 【An innocent person gives you oil massages?】

"...That makes sense," Yan Qingqiu said.

"Hm?" Song Qingre looked at her. "You think so too? Then let's upgrade the oil massage to full body. I remember you said last time the two of them could get each other going. I think that sounds great."

"..."

The System said slowly: 【What if she's playing you? Letting you get all flustered first, so when you resist later, she can say you chose it yourself?】

No way.

Song Qingre's note was all messed up by now. Finally, she said, "One more thing. I didn't dare mention it before, but can I say it now?"

Yan Qingqiu looked at her warily. "Go ahead."

"The novel you wrote last time was really good. Work is kind of boring, but I wanted to take it out and read it when I'm tired, for inspiration."

"..."

Crazy.

"Thank you for your trouble." Song Qingre tucked the revised note into her hand. Yan Qingqiu didn't want it, but Song Qingre pressed it into her palm bit by bit. "Don't crumple it, okay?"

Yan Qingqiu pushed the paper back, not wanting it. The butler stopped the car up front. "Miss, we've arrived."

He circled around to open the door for her. The note was about to fall, so she quickly snatched it back. Damn it.

She stuffed it in her pocket and bent down to get out of the car.

The butler handed her a mask. "Miss, put this on. The hospital has a lot of mixed smells, and I'm afraid you can't handle it. Also, you're something of a celebrity now—I'm worried someone might recognize you."

"Mm." Yan Qingqiu didn't refuse. Following the butler's advice, she should probably have worn a hat. She put on the mask and glared fiercely at Song Qingre.

Song Qingre said unhurriedly, "Rule nine: Yan Qingqiu may not lose her temper at Song Qingre, nor yell at her."

"Hehehehe, I'm laughing so happily," Yan Qingqiu said.

The butler went to find the doctor. They stood in the hallway waiting. Meanwhile, Yan Qingqiu's phone kept buzzing—photos from Su Xingjie, asking her to look them over. She'd already posted promotional photos on Weibo.

Yan Qingqiu replied with an OK and logged onto Weibo to check. The official account's tagline praised the concept of the work and the models' artistry.

Su Xingjie reposted from her personal account, showering her with praise: 【Thanks to Qiu Bao for helping. Clearing the company's models in one go is a huge deal. Thanks to Qiu Bao for bringing my models to the livestream, and for stepping up when ER was in trouble, shooting all these promotions without asking for money. Love you, Qiu Bao.】

Yan Qingqiu felt a bit embarrassed—she was the one who'd borrowed the models, after all. She liked the post, and not long after, the Yan family's Weibo account liked and reposted it too, thanking ER for their help.

Fans of the two companies finally stopped looking down on each other, and no one was calling Yan Qingqiu a lovesick fool anymore. Hooray.

Moreover, fans were all calling for her to debut.

Yan Qingqiu really hadn't considered acting or anything—she knew her own limits. But people urging her to was a recognition of her beauty, and she was happy to see it.

ER had picked a good moment. The photos went straight to trending. It was a hit. Not just gossip accounts but big artists and influencers were reposting, even drawing fan art of her.

Su Xingjie sent her screenshots of the data: 【Qiu Bao, have you ever thought about being a model? Why don't you come to my company? I'll promote you.】

Yan Qingqiu was a little tempted. She twisted the pearl bracelet on her wrist, held the phone out to Song Qingre, and first said, "Thank you."

"Mm." Song Qingre didn't react much.

Yan Qingqiu was quite grateful to her. Without Song Qingre, she'd have been forced to marry Fu Ye by now. "Tonight, when Dad comes back, I'll ask him when he can pay you back. I'll return it directly then."

"No rush. Uncle needs the money right now." Song Qingre wasn't worried. The butler called Yan Qingqiu in for her checkup. Song Qingre stood up. "I haven't even enjoyed the little slave's perks yet."

Yan Qingqiu gritted her teeth.

She entered the exam room and pulled down her mask. Whatever the butler had told the doctor, the doctor examined her nose, then felt her gland, and finally scanned her with an instrument. "Allergy, plus a cold. Nothing serious, but the medication is a bit complicated. I'll write you a prescription—go buy them."

The butler said okay. Yan Qingqiu pulled her mask back up, waiting for the butler to return. Her phone buzzed many more times. Just as she was about to check, the butler came back with a bag in his hand.

Yan Qingqiu's eyes were sharp—she immediately spotted the box labeled 【Omega sensitivity medication】. She quickly grabbed the bag and asked, "You... have you looked at the medicine?"

The butler frowned. "Not yet. Why? Did they give me the wrong one? Let me see."

"No!" Yan Qingqiu put the medicine behind her back, then glanced at Song Qingre. "I'm fine now. You should go to work."

"Okay, take care of yourself." Song Qingre pulled off the spray's cap and leaned over to spray it for her. Yan Qingqiu immediately saw the label "Omega Nasal Clear." Her eyes widened, terrified Song Qingre might notice, then quickly glanced at the butler. The butler was focused on his phone.

So close!

"Done!"

"Mm." Song Qingre said. "Don't glare at me."

Yan Qingqiu changed her tone. "Oh my, thank you so much~"

Song Qingre lifted her head, her lips twitching. Yan Qingqiu quickly grabbed the medicine, stuffed it into the bag. "You can go now."

"Good." Song Qingre smiled.

Yan Qingqiu felt she'd made a huge mistake—she shouldn't have brought both of them to the hospital together. And she hadn't brought a bag today. How was she supposed to hide it?

She looked at the butler. "Dong Shu, let's go home!"

The butler pushed up his glasses. "Coming."

The three of them took the elevator down together. Yan Qingqiu kept a firm grip on the bag, afraid they'd notice. Reaching the ground floor, Song Qingre didn't rush to the car. She said she was craving snow-capped hawthorn balls sold in paper bags. Because she bought a lot, the vendor gave her an extra bag.

Yan Qingqiu took the hawthorn balls. "I'll eat these."

Song Qingre didn't stop her. She got in the car, and the butler first drove Song Qingre to her studio, then took Yan Qingqiu home.

The seat beside her was empty. Yan Qingqiu let out a heavy breath. What kind of day was today? She was either on the verge of flipping over or already flipping over. She leaned heavily back in her seat. This Alpha was exhausted!

Yan Qingqiu's nose still itched a bit. She sniffed, lowered the seat back, and lay down. She popped a hawthorn ball into her mouth—sour and sweet. She was still chewing when the car suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" She sat up and asked.

"The car seems to have broken down," the butler said reassuringly. He didn't try to start it again, got out first, and opened the door for Yan Qingqiu. "I'll call someone to fix it. Sorry about this, miss."

Great, now the car was broken too. At least she wasn't flipping over.

"It's fine." Today had been cursed from the start. Yan Qingqiu quickly got out, handed the hawthorn balls over. "Have one."

The butler ate one and said, "You dropped something."

He was about to bend down to pick it up. Yan Qingqiu looked—it was her "Little Slave Rules." She hurriedly bent over and snatched the paper from the car first. This time she saw the back of the rules, and there was another line there.

【7: Only call Song Qingre 'master,' 'baby,' 'darling'—all terms of endearment are exclusive to Song Qingre, and no one else may use them】

See? Not innocent?

So innocent it made her teeth ache. Ouch, ouch.

Yan Qingqiu got out of the car, holding the hawthorn balls and medicine, and laughed as she pulled out her phone, ready to take a photo to mock Song Qingre. Just then, her phone rang—an unknown number. She frowned and hung up, then several more numbers came in. Damn it, had Fu Ye lost his mind?

"What's wrong, miss?" the butler asked.

"Fu Ye's been harassing me. If you have time, help me switch my number," Yan Qingqiu said.

The System in her head popped up. 【I don't recommend the Host change numbers. If you stop using this number, it's tied to an important plot point. You could fail your mission.】

Yan Qingqiu said, "I have dual SIM, dual standby!"

Just then, a message came in.

It read: 【I heard from Xiao Xi that you were asking about high school? If you want to know, why not ask me directly? I know more than she does.】

Yan Qingqiu didn't want to reply, was about to turn off her phone, when another message came: 【What Xiao Xi says might not be true. Wouldn't it be clearer to ask me?】

That made some sense. But wasn't it just that one thing?

She and her had fought over a man, and the man chose to support his own good sister.

Yan Qingqiu replied: 【I think I've got a rough picture already. If you have anything to add, I don't mind.】

She sent it, and Fu Ye's reply came quickly: 【Can you come see me at the hospital? I'm sick. I can't do anything to you.】

Yan Qingqiu thought: what a coincidence, I just left the hospital.

But it was only one street away now. She didn't want to go—she hadn't even gotten revenge on Fu Ye for last time. She replied: 【Whatever you have to say, say it directly. Don't pull that act. Thanks. If I see you, it'll be your death day.】

Yan Qingqiu was still curious about this whole thing. What if there was something hidden?

But she wouldn't fully trust Fu Ye either.

Maybe even her car breaking down was engineered by someone. Every time Fu Ye wanted to see her, she absolutely had to go. It was weird.

Fu Ye: 【I really miss you.】

Reading that cringey line, Yan Qingqiu felt it sounded familiar, like she'd seen it somewhere... In those "chasing the wife to cremation" dramas, the male lead said it in his most pathetic, humble voice.

Her teeth nearly melted from the sweetness.

At that moment, Fu Ye was lying in the hospital bed, typing out words one by one. The nurse had come in several times to remind him to rest, but he kept shaking his head.

Soon, he received a message.

【Miss me? Miss me enough to fuck off! Say it or don't, but if you don't, I'll call the police and report you for harassment.】

Yan Qingqiu's tone didn't sound like a joke. The more she acted like this, the worse Fu Ye felt. In just a few days, everything had changed dramatically. He dialed her number back—one second, two seconds... on the twentieth second, the call connected.

Yan Qingqiu's voice was impatient. "Speak. If you're going to spout cheesy nonsense, I'm changing my number."

Fu Ye quickly brought the phone to his ear. "Back then, when you and Xiao Xi fought, I actually knew about it from the start. It wasn't that I happened to pass by. It's just that I didn't want to admit you'd do something like that, so..."

"Just tell me who told you," Yan Qingqiu pressed straight to the point.

Fu Ye said, as if it were hard to say, "I can't tell you that..."

"Then what's the point of telling me this... if you won't say who?" Yan Qingqiu was about to hang up.

"It was Qingre," Fu Ye said.

Yan Qingqiu's fingers stopped. "Huh?"

She looked at her phone. "Sowing discord like that isn't a good look. Do you think I'd believe you?"

"She really told me... that you were planning to bring thugs to rape Xiao Xi. That's why I rushed over. At first, I didn't believe it. I just thought you were angry that Xiao Xi tore up your books and wanted to teach her a lesson. But then you did all sorts of crazy things, and I believed it."

"Why would I ever send someone to mess with your precious sister? Was I insane?"

"But... Qingre wouldn't lie either..."

Yan Qingqiu wanted to say the same thing. Fu Ye said over the phone, "In that situation, I couldn't help but think that way. Qingre had a good relationship with you too. But I really did see you bring people over."

"Enough. Don't say any more. This isn't figured out yet..." Yan Qingqiu couldn't make sense of the whole thing. She wouldn't do something like that. But if "she" wanted to mess with Luo Xi, and Song Qingre found out and told her brother, that would make sense...

No wait, that still didn't make sense. If Song Qingre told Fu Ye, wouldn't that damage "her" reputation? Song Qingre's personality wouldn't do something like that, especially since she cared about "her" so much.

Fu Ye said, "There's a lot more. All from high school. You were cold and distant toward me for a while, then warm, then cold again—just like you are now. It's like you became a different person. What's going on with you? Did something happen?"

"Nothing happened. I just don't want to like you anymore. Stop suspecting I've changed as a person. Just because I don't love you doesn't mean I've changed. Why don't you wonder if I changed when I loved you so much afterward? ...I'm tired of this conversation. I'll contact you when I'm ready. You think about what you really want to say to me." Yan Qingqiu then hung up.

She handed the phone to the butler, and the hawthorn balls in her arms were about to spill.

She kept thinking about this matter, and asked the butler beside her. The butler had basically heard everything. He shook his head. "I wasn't aware of what happened at school. When you were in your third year, Miss Song was a freshman in college. During that time, she didn't focus much on her studies; she was always dealing with your issues."

"Oh? Did anything important happen at home then? Did I fight with her?"

The butler thought for a moment, then nodded. "Actually, yes... But do you really want to hear it?"

Yan Qingqiu took a deep breath, and sneezed again. Her nose was so itchy. She wasn't mentally prepared yet—she wanted to hear it but was afraid to.

"Or should I write it down?" the butler asked.

"No, no, no." Yan Qingqiu thought about the butler's writing style, and that she couldn't handle it. She said, "Just don't write anything too angsty in your updates lately. Write more about kissing and stuff. Skip the heartbreak."

"Then what do you want to hear now?" the butler asked.

"Just... go ahead. Tell me. I can take it."

"You called her a freak, a damn homosexual... said she was a bitch, fake on the surface and rotten inside, that you'd already seen how disgusting she was."

Yan Qingqiu's blood pressure spiked; the blood rushed to her head. She stomped her foot hard, then felt inspired again—ideas for a new fanfic. She pressed her temples.

Hearing it made her furious. How could she have said those things?

The butler also asked, "Miss, to be honest, I'm also curious. Why did you say those things about Miss Song? The homosexuality part is especially hard to understand. I know AA relationships might be a bit inconvenient, but basically no one discriminates. I've thought about it for a long time too." He was genuinely puzzled, like he had more to say but held back because of her status.

Miss, why were you so vicious back then?

Yan Qingqiu didn't know either. She didn't even know the full story. Song Qingre couldn't be some kind of pervert, right? "She" discovered something, which created a conflict between them?

She opened her mouth, about to speak, when a "ding" sounded in her head.

The System seemed to have been waiting. It cut in quickly: 【Congratulations, Host, on successfully deducing 50% of the first stage's plot points. You are now the fastest host to complete the deduction!】

【We will exchange for you the gift you want most, the gift you desire deep down! Double!】