After the Strategy Failed, the Heroine Turned into a Crematorium - Chapter 36

Seeing Qi Zhie’s exasperated expression, Bian You’s shoulders slumped. She tugged at Qi Zhie’s sleeve and said softly, “Didn’t you promise me a day where I could do whatever I wanted? I just wanted to try the feeling of freeing up both hands.”

“I can do it, and your hands will still be free,” Qi Zhie retorted with a sidelong glance.

This time, not just her shoulders Bian You’s entire face fell as she looked at Qi with a pitiful expression.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t accept Qi Zhie taking charge, but this woman was truly wicked! Normally so gentle and soft-spoken, yet when it came to that moment, no matter how much Bian You pleaded, Qi never relented!

“Just indulge me this once~” Bian You begged, though deep down, she also had a little naughty thought.

With both hands free, she could do so much more!

No, no, don’t think too deeply about it. The moment she did, Bian You felt her body heating up unbearably.

Qi Zhie silently stared at her.

Under that gaze, Bian You’s face grew increasingly dejected until she finally hung her head in defeat.

Fine, if Qi Qi doesn’t want to, then she doesn’t have to. I’ll just have to keep my hands extra busy later.

Qi Zhie pinched her sulky little face and said with a sardonic smile, “If the system knew you were using its functions like this, it’d wake up from sheer rage.”

Her face still pinched, Bian You looked even more innocent as she mumbled, “It’d be great if it did wake up.”

What difference did it make whether she had the system now or not?

Qi Zhie released her face and turned away, lying back down with exhaustion lacing her voice.

“Sleep. Recover your energy.”

They hadn’t slept long earlier before hunger woke them up, and now Qi Zhie was too drained to speak much.

“Oh.” Seeing her like this, Bian You had no choice but to suppress all her mischievous thoughts. She lay down and wrapped her arms around Qi Zhie.

Honestly, just holding her like this was more than enough.

When Bian Lian woke up and saw the message Bian You had sent her in the middle of the night, her face nearly turned green. She was starting to suspect Bian You was deliberately causing trouble at this exact moment.

Why, of all times, did her heat cycle have to flare up right before the business trip?

But no matter how much she doubted, she couldn’t exactly go verify whether Bian You was truly in heat especially since, during their last joint hospital check-up, the doctor had mentioned Bian You’s pheromones were still unstable.

Her expression darkened, but there was no way she could just dump Bian You abroad in this state. If another sudden heat wave hit overseas and wasn’t handled properly, causing a scandal, wouldn’t that be handing their enemies ammunition?

The thought made Bian Lian curse inwardly useless when it counts, always dropping the ball at the worst possible moment.

In the end, Bian Lian had no choice but to make the trip herself. By the time Bian You found out, it was already a done deal.

After falling asleep, Bian You and Qi Zhie were roused again by the heat. By the time they finally managed to drift off once more, an insistent ringtone shattered their rest. Qi Zhie was barely holding back her irritation.

Glancing at the caller ID, Qi Youli her expression shifted slightly. Suppressing a sigh, she sat up, massaging her temples before shooting a look at the drowsy Bian You. Finally, she answered the call.

Seeing her like this, Bian You tactfully remained silent, simply smiling as she watched Qi Zhie.

“Hello.” Qi Zhie answered the call, her voice somewhat cold.

The person on the other end clearly didn’t mind her tone, calmly asking, “I heard your uncle urgently needs a large sum of money recently. Do you know why?”

Just as expected.

The moment she saw the caller ID, Qi Zhie had guessed the purpose of this call.

“He didn’t tell you?” Qi Zhie countered.

There was obvious silence on the other end.

Qi Zhie curled her lips slightly, her gaze turning cold as she said, “If he didn’t even tell you, why would he tell me?”

This person clearly knew full well about her irreconcilable differences with Qi Youqun, yet still thought to ask her.

In the end, Qi Youli hung up without another word. Listening to the dial tone, Qi Zhie’s expression remained unchanged as she set down her phone, meeting Bian You’s concerned eyes.

After a moment’s silence, she casually explained, “My father. Just asking about something. It’s nothing.”

Seeing Qi Zhie like this, Bian You’s heart ached for her, but she didn’t dare show it, afraid Qi Zhie might think she was pitying her.

Gently squeezing her hand, Bian You tentatively asked, “Shall we go back to sleep?”

“Mmm.” Qi Zhie responded softly. As she was about to lie down, seeing the hopeful sparkle in Bian You’s bright eyes, she ultimately chose to turn and face her as she settled down.

Bian You’s smile widened as she reached out to pull Qi Zhie into her arms.

This sensitive period had essentially given Bian You free rein for an entire day, except for not allowing her to use “alternative fingers.” Even after it ended, Bian You couldn’t help but reminisce, occasionally breaking into silly grins.

Every time Qi Zhie saw that expression, she would fall silent, eventually choosing to ignore it and busy herself with work at the company, while also sending Bian You out to prevent her from staying home.

Naturally obedient to her wishes, Bian You now in better spirits after learning Bian Lian had gone abroad in her stead began keeping regular office hours, handling work methodically without issues, earning even greater respect from the board members.

After clocking out punctually each day, Bian You would head to Qi Zhie’s company, waiting for her to finish work while using the time to mentor other technicians. The busy days felt quite fulfilling.

For Qi Zhie, who had already received the substantial funds from Qi Youqun, progress was exceptionally smooth. Although their website initially faced skepticism and resistance, the massive investment in marketing and after-sales support gradually won over more users, daily active users were now a full 30% higher than in her previous life.

Receiving Qi Youqun’s funds naturally meant Qi Zhie had completely severed ties with the Qi family. This eventually reached Qi Youli’s attention, but when he questioned her decision, Qi Zhie simply said it was no longer his concern.

Qi Zhie knew perfectly well there was no need to curry favor with Qi Youli. He had never cared for her, and she was certain he would never bequeath anything to her. There was truly no point in pretending to be a devoted daughter.

Everything she does now is solely focused on whether her goals are achieved. As for everything else, she doesn’t particularly care.

She’s like the bright moon hanging high in the sky visible to all, even allowing people to feel its cool radiance, yet remaining forever out of reach for everyone.

Being excessively cold-hearted often proves beneficial, as it reduces the likelihood of being hurt. However, the same coldness can wound those who truly love her.

The current Qi Zhie doesn’t understand this, nor does she care to understand.

By mid-May, as the weather grew increasingly hot, Bian You and her companions were invited to a charity gala. On the evening of the event, they walked the red carpet together in matching black and gold evening gowns before entering the venue.

Naturally, many celebrities attended this charity gala. However, compared to those who controlled capital, the seating arrangements alone revealed the hierarchy, the front rows were occupied by various financial tycoons, while the celebrities sat further back.

The gala was a scene of clinking glasses and lively conversation. Bian You smiled as she dealt with those who approached her to chat, her face nearly stiff from forced smiles.

Compared to Bian You, Qi Zhie appeared much more at ease.

To outsiders, Qi Zhie always maintained an aloof demeanor. Even when she didn’t smile at those who approached her, no one found it odd, it seemed perfectly natural.

Moreover, since leaving the Qi Corporation and establishing her own company, despite its promising growth, some couldn’t help but treat her slightly coldly, believing she had lost the backing of the Qi family tree.

Many likely thought that without the Qi Corporation, she was nothing.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Bian You pulled Qi Zhie aside to rest in a corner, sighing softly, “I hate these kinds of events the most.”

For Bian You, such socializing was nothing but a burden.

Hearing this, Qi Zhie merely took a sip of wine and smiled faintly. When had she ever liked such occasions either?

Bian You looked up and spotted Mi Yue in the distance. Mi Yue was currently blushing shyly at a strikingly beautiful and alluring woman, whose soft, fox-like smile danced at the corners of her eyes.

Bian You recognized her, Su Qinran, the recent triple-crown-winning actress, currently the most prominent figure in the entertainment industry.

Had Mi Yue switched her allegiance to Su Qinran? Otherwise, why would she be acting so bashful?

“Miss Mi, you flatter me. It’s all just publicity, don’t take it seriously,” the woman’s honeyed voice was like a little hook, tugging uncomfortably at one’s heartstrings.

Yet to Mi Yue, this melodious voice was nothing short of a bolt from the blue. She stared blankly at Su Qinran, her lips trembling. “Publicity? You’re saying it was all just publicity?!”

After shipping this couple for so long, analyzing every subtle detail and sweet moment, only for the actual couple to tell her it was all fake! Just publicity! How was a shipper supposed to survive this?!

And she had just finished writing an explosive fanfiction that she hadn’t even posted yet. Now, with this revelation, how was she supposed to face all those steamy scenes she’d written?!

Su Qinran looked at this alpha who didn’t behave like one at all, her mischievous smile deepening like a cat who’d successfully pulled off a prank, her eyes brimming with smug satisfaction.

Mi Yue gave Su Qinran a pained and resentful glance before turning to Bian You to pour out her grievances.

Bian You listened to her choked sobs, momentarily at a loss for words.

Back then, Mi Yue had asked for her help to sign one of her favorite idols to her company. Coincidentally, during that period, the idol’s on-screen pairing with Su Qinran had exploded in popularity largely due to their undeniable chemistry in a movie they had co-starred in, which sent fans into a frenzy.

Truth be told, Mi Yue’s idol was indeed talented and knew how to seize opportunities. Riding on the wave of collaboration with Su Qinran, the idol had skyrocketed to fame.

Mi Yue had always held a favorable opinion of Su Qinran, and when she noticed that the chemistry between Su and her idol seemed genuine, she embraced it wholeheartedly even enthusiastically creating fan content.

But now, the ship had sunk!

Qi Zhie, standing nearby, quickly grasped the source of Mi Yue’s distress. Wasn’t this just like a fan’s worst nightmare, their favorite pairing turning out to be fake? And worse, the crushing blow had come straight from one of the stars themselves.

Just then, Su Qinran approached. Though not an artist under Bian Corporation, she knew better than to offend someone like Bian You, who held significant influence in the entertainment industry.

After exchanging greetings with Bian You and the others, Su Qinran glanced at Mi Yue, who had buried her forehead against Bian You’s shoulder, still visibly upset and making no effort to acknowledge her presence.

With a light chuckle, Su Qinran said, “Miss Mi, there’s no need for this, is there? While Chi Qiu and I aren’t actually dating, the outcome has been quite favorable, hasn’t it?”

She had willingly played along with Chi Qiu’s CP marketing, a strategy that had primarily benefited Chi Qiu. As an established actress, Su Qinran had no real need for such publicity stunts.

Mi Yue sulked. Of course, she knew the results had been great. But the thrill had been in the ambiguity, the tantalizing possibility that it might be real. Having it confirmed as fake was a bitter pill to swallow.

She lightly bumped her head against Bian You’s shoulder and muttered, “A-You, what if I rewrite their fanfics with your names instead?”

“They may be fake, but you two are the real deal!”

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