After the Black Moonlight’s "Death Escape" Failed [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 51.2

Chapter 51.2: Taking Her Home

Otherwise, why else would she be feeling so frequently thirsty today?

“Childish,” she said, though her hands were honest, reaching out for the thread.

Perhaps it was psychological, but as she watched the gold line shift between her and Jiao Qingyin’s hands, Wen Fengyue felt the pain in her stomach subside. That burning, searing sensation dissipated quite a bit.

When Manager Ji and Manager Li stepped onto the ship while discussing work, they were greeted by the sight of two artists—who supposedly didn’t know each other—sitting in the same row playing cat’s cradle.

The moment she saw outsiders, the softness on Wen Fengyue’s face vanished instantly. she stopped playing and turned to stare out the window.

Manager Ji and Manager Li exchanged a look. The latter spoke first: “It seems you two are getting along well. We won’t bother changing seats; Ji and I will take the second row.”

The cruise ship provided by the company was large, with three rows. The first was for the autopilot robot, the second was currently empty, and Jiao Qingyin and Wen Fengyue sat in the very back.

Wen Fengyue did something unprecedented—she actually acknowledged the manager she usually despised with a curt, “Mm.”

The ship taxied to the deck’s takeoff pad. After a roar of engines and a surge of G-force, Jiao Qingyin looked out to find them already amidst the sea of stars. Looking at the shifting nebulae and high-speed space stations, Jiao’s gaze eventually fixed on a cratered planet.

“That’s the Mock Moon,” Wen Fengyue said, answering Jiao’s silent, curious gaze. “It’s a pseudo-star created by humans to mimic the ancient Moon. They say in ancient times, the Moon was the satellite of Earth—Earth being the name for Old Planet Blue.”

Jiao Qingyin’s eyes widened slightly. She wanted to ask more, but Manager Ji interrupted.

“Little Jiao, we’ll drop you home first. There’s a livestream tomorrow that will be filmed at your house, so remember to look over the script.”

Manager Li chimed in: “Don’t worry if you can’t memorize it; staff will be there to help.”

Their attitude toward Jiao Qingyin was excellent, bordering on fawning. Jiao Qingyin stopped playing with the thread and looked over. “Drop Teacher Wen home first. I recall she lives closer.”

A sudden, awkward silence filled the car. Jiao Qingyin sneered inwardly but maintained a facade of ignorance. “What’s wrong?”

Manager Li replied, “Teacher Wen has another event tonight. I’ll take her home after that.”

“What event?” Jiao Qingyin pressed.

Li hesitated for a few seconds. “Just a private function, nothing high-profile…”

“A drinking party.”

Wen Fengyue’s cold voice shattered the tip-toeing atmosphere. Manager Li shot her a look of annoyance. She was already frustrated that Wen Fengyue refused to lower her guard to please the elites, and now the woman was blurting out the “drinking party” so bluntly.

However, since the person sitting there was the daughter of a company shareholder, Li held back her temper. “These gatherings are unavoidable. That’s just how society works…”

“Whose party is it?” Jiao Qingyin asked.

Manager Li choked, wondering why Jiao Qingyin had so many questions today. She eventually gave the name of a mining company president. Jiao Qingyin immediately looked up the name on her device. Seeing the image of a greasy, bloated man, she let out a cold laugh.

Manager Li felt a chill down her spine. Before she could smooth things over, Jiao Qingyin spoke again: “I have a drinking party, too. I’d like to invite Teacher Wen.”

“What party?” Li asked instinctively.

“A party organized by your boss’s daughter.”

Li thought she was joking. “Little Jiao, if you want—”

“My parents call me Little Jiao. Who are you?”

Manager Li froze. Even someone as dense as her realized Jiao Qingyin was deliberately making things difficult. But why? This morning Jiao had been all smiles… Li’s gaze shifted to Wen Fengyue, who was staring fixedly at Jiao Qingyin. Could it be…?

“If you don’t speak, I’ll take that as a yes.”

Manager Li, seeing Jiao was serious, had to bite the bullet. “That depends on Teacher Wen… she might not be free.” She signaled Wen Fengyue, but Wen Fengyue ignored her completely and nodded. “I can go.”

Jiao Qingyin smiled, weaving the thread into an incredibly complex pattern.

On the way back, Manager Li was on pins and needles. Eventually, she could only stay quiet and listen to the two in the back chat intermittently. When they passed Wen Fengyue’s house, Jiao didn’t call for a stop, and Wen Fengyue simply closed her eyes, either sleeping or pretending to.

Soon, they arrived at Jiao Qingyin’s villa.

“Little… er…” Manager Ji turned to call Jiao but tripped over the name.

“Just call me Little Jiao,” Jiao Qingyin said, displaying her “original” sunny personality. “People close to me can call me that.”

Manager Li’s face twitched, while Wen Fengyue opened her eyes, a shadow of suppressed emotion in her expression. Only Manager Ji sighed in relief. “Little Jiao, let me help you out, it looks inconvenient—”

Before she could finish, the car door was opened from the outside. Wen Fengyue had already stepped out and was extending a hand to Jiao Qingyin.

“Thank you.” Jiao Qingyin took her hand.

Smiling at me again, Wen Fengyue thought, her gaze drifting. Every time Jiao smiled, she couldn’t help but notice her dimples.

“We’re going in. You can leave now,” Jiao told the managers. She didn’t give Manager Li a single glance. As Li tried to follow, she was suddenly surrounded by several security robots. She had been blacklisted by the villa’s security system.

Jiao Qingyin led Wen Fengyue inside. The villa was empty, as the original owner hated how quiet it was.

“There isn’t much here, don’t mind it,” Jiao said as she opened the door with her fingerprint.

Inside, Wen Fengyue reflexively scanned the foyer. Only one size of shoes, no distinct styles, and only one pair of house slippers—this confirmed the owner lived alone.

“Stranger detected. Master, how should I register this individual?” a small robot asked.

“Friend.”

“Information recorded. Welcome, Friend of Master.” The robot brought out a pair of standard, white hotel-style slippers.

“Wait.” Jiao Qingyin stopped Wen Fengyue and knelt to reprogram the robot. Two minutes later, the robot produced slippers with a fluffy white decoration.

“Is this a dog?” Wen Fengyue asked.

“…” Jiao Qingyin made a strange face before correcting her. “It’s a wolf.”

Jiao put on her own black-and-white snow leopard slippers and walked into the living room. Wen Fengyue had no choice but to follow in her wolf-head slippers. In the kitchen, Jiao began taking natural ingredients out of the fridge. On Planet Blue, natural food was incredibly expensive—a head of cabbage could be traded for six months’ worth of nutrient solution.

Wen Fengyue watched her for a moment before calling out, “Jiao Qingyin.”

Jiao looked up from a basket of strawberries.

“Tell me now. Why are you constantly showing me such kindness? What is it for?” Wen Fengyue stared into her eyes, trying to peel back the facade. She didn’t believe in unconditional kindness, especially in the entertainment industry.

Jiao Qingyin didn’t answer directly. Instead, she asked, “What do you think?”

Wen Fengyue’s face darkened. “Is it a company strategy… to use me for a fake ‘bundled’ romance?”

She looked menacing, but Jiao Qingyin simply smiled. “I told you before. I am pursuing you.”

“—I fell in love with you at first sight.”

[Main Quest 1: Confess to the Protagonist (Wen Fengyue) and declare your pursuit—COMPLETED.]

[Main Quest 2: Ensure 30% of entertainment-focused Star-Net users know you are pursuing the Protagonist.]

Jiao’s expression didn’t change as the system chirped. She was playing a villain who used fake love to deceive Wen Fengyue, but behind the acting was a feeling that wasn’t faked at all.

But Wen Fengyue didn’t believe her. Her face turned cold, and the goodwill Jiao had accumulated today was instantly wiped out. She turned to leave. She loathed people who used “love” to extract profit.

Just as she turned, Jiao Qingyin laughed.

“I’m kidding,” Jiao said, tossing a strawberry toward her. “Did you forget? That’s your character’s line.”

Wen Fengyue instinctively caught the fruit. She had smoked countless strawberry-flavored cigarettes, but this was her first time seeing a real one. She looked at it, stunned.

She didn’t like being an actress, but she was responsible. Even for this drama, she had memorized the script. “I fell in love with you at first sight” was indeed her line.

Wen Fengyue stood there, unable to move. She didn’t realize that her subconscious actually wanted to stay a little longer.

“Eat some fruit and nutrients tonight. I’ll cook tomorrow morning,” Jiao said, turning back to the fridge. Her nonchalant attitude made Wen Fengyue believe the “script” excuse even more.

“You can cook?” Wen Fengyue asked, stepping closer. She didn’t realize Jiao’s words implied she was staying the night.

“Mm, it’s okay.” (In reality, her cooking was good enough to make a person cry).

They shared the strawberries on the sofa. “Real strawberries are better,” Jiao commented sleepily. Having used much energy for the “transmigration,” she was getting drowsy.

Wen Fengyue, hungover and finally having eaten, was even more tired. She was usually alert, never sleeping in strange places, but for some reason, being near Jiao Qingyin made her feel safe. She fell asleep before Jiao did.

In the early hours, Jiao woke up feeling a bit chilly. She and Wen Fengyue were leaning against each other on the sofa, having slept for hours. She checked her device.

Manager Ji: “Little Jiao, your dress looked wrinkled yesterday. If you don’t like it, just throw it away.”

“No need”, Jiao typed with a smirk. “It has sentimental value.”

Ji was still awake. After a long pause, she sent: “Little Jiao, you and Teacher Wen…”

Jiao Qingyin replied: “We just slept together.” (Leaving out the ‘innocent’ part).

“What time is it…” A sleepy voice came from behind. Jiao closed her screen and turned to the mirror, nodding to the reflected Wen Fengyue. “Gurgle.”

“What… oh, you’re brushing your teeth.”

Wen Fengyue looked much less sharp today. With messy hair and a slow, dazed expression, she looked almost… cute.

Jiao Qingyin finished rinsing and wanted to grab a towel. She reached out her hand toward Wen Fengyue, who was standing near the towel rack. “Gurgle.”

Wen Fengyue stared at Jiao’s upturned palm blankly for a moment. Then—

She rested her chin on Jiao’s palm.

Like a big dog who sees its owner’s hand and automatically nuzzles in.