After the Strategy Failed, the Heroine Turned into a Crematorium - Chapter 37

Although Mi Yue’s voice wasn’t loud, everyone present heard her words clearly and shot her exasperated looks.

“Be serious,” Bian You gritted her teeth slightly. She was close with Mi Yue, but she didn’t want others to think she was just as frivolous!

“How am I not serious? Those are spiritual nourishment, greatly enriching our inner worlds!” Mi Yue pouted, aggrieved. Everyone kept telling her to behave, yet they clicked on those stories without hesitation!

Bian You: “…”

“I’ll secretly send you the edited version later,” Mi Yue whispered again.

Bian You’s expression immediately stiffened. She glanced at Qi Zhie, feeling awkward yet inexplicably unable to refuse Mi Yue.

Su Qinran raised an eyebrow slightly, watching Mi Yue’s pitiful and distressed expression before smiling. “Those popular fanfics about me and Chi Qiu online were they written by you?”

Just how much free time did this young lady have? Enjoying shipping couples was one thing, but going to the trouble of writing fanfiction?

At those words, Mi Yue faltered, even avoiding Su Qinran’s gaze guiltily, her eyes darting around like a small animal.

Her reaction alone was confirmation enough. Su Qinran chuckled. “I haven’t even scolded you for using my name in those stories, and here you are blaming me instead.”

The words inexplicably made Mi Yue feel guilty, and she no longer had the nerve to sulk at Su Qinran.

Qi Zhie remained silent on the sidelines, not joining their conversation. Even when Mi Yue’s earlier remarks involved her, she showed no reaction.

After chatting for a while, the auction was about to begin. Bian You had her eye on a set of gemstone brooches designed by a renowned master jeweler, their exquisite craftsmanship made them hard to resist.

She thought those brooches would suit Qi Zhie perfectly. Only Qi Zhie could wear them without overshadowing their brilliance.

Qi Zhie, however, didn’t see anything she particularly wanted. But since it was a charity auction, she couldn’t leave empty-handed. In the end, she bid on a few decent items.

When Bian You started bidding on the brooches, Qi Zhie couldn’t help but glance at her, puzzled.

After all, Bian You disliked cumbersome accessories she rarely wore any jewelry. Yet now, she was willing to spend a fortune competing for this set.

The brooches, crafted by a master, were not only flawlessly designed but also embedded with top-quality gemstones, their luster smooth and radiant.

The starting bid was set relatively low at five million, but after several rounds of bidding, the price had already soared past sixty million.

Qi Zhie watched calmly as Bian You raised the bid to seventy million, her emotions unruffled.

Seventy million might seem excessive for a set of gemstone brooches, but for someone of Bian You’s wealth, it was a small price to pay for her happiness.

However, there were quite a few people who also wanted this set of gemstone brooches. But when the price reached 80 million, most had already given up, leaving only one person still competing with Bian You.

Bian You turned her head to look and locked eyes with a woman in the distance. She was momentarily stunned before quickly averting her gaze and raising the bid to 85 million.

She didn’t recognize the woman, but there was a strange sense that the woman knew her and didn’t seem to have a favorable impression of her at all.

She was deliberately driving up the price.

What Bian You noticed, Qi Zhie, sitting beside her, naturally noticed as well. After Bian You looked away, Qi Zhie met the woman’s gaze and could clearly see the cold indifference in her eyes.

With a detached expression, Qi Zhie withdrew her gaze. When the price climbed to 100 million, as Bian You’s “girlfriend” especially with her sitting right there, Qi Zhie felt it was her duty to ask.

“What do you plan to do with this?” There was genuine puzzlement in her voice. Spending sixty or seventy million for fun was one thing, but with the price now at 100 million and the other party showing no signs of stopping, it was hard to predict how high this could go.

Yet the moment she finished speaking, Bian You’s sparkling eyes brimmed with excitement.

“Don’t you think this set of brooches is beautiful? They’d suit you perfectly!”

Her tone was almost like a big, eager dog proudly presenting a bone it had fetched.

Qi Zhie was momentarily taken aback. Was Bian You so determined to get these because she wanted to give them to her?

For a moment, she couldn’t quite describe the emotions stirring inside her. But she couldn’t just sit back and watch Bian You throw away huge sums of money in this bidding war.

“I don’t like them. If I did, I’d bid for them myself,” Qi Zhie replied coolly.

Truthfully, she wasn’t particularly interested in them. The brooches were indeed beautiful, but they required the right outfit to match something Qi Zhie couldn’t be bothered with.

Bian You’s hand, about to raise the bidding paddle, froze. She turned to look at Qi Zhie, pressed her lips together, and, seeing the distant indifference on her face, stubbornly called out 120 million while staring straight at her.

“If you don’t want them, can’t I keep them for myself?!”

Bian You felt a pang of hurt. She had long planned to win these brooches for Qi Zhie, only for her to say she didn’t like them. All her efforts had gone to waste.

Of course, Qi Zhie had every right not to like her gifts, but Bian You couldn’t help feeling disappointed and wronged especially when someone else was making things difficult for her.

Perhaps sensing the tension between them, the woman who had been driving up the price finally backed off. In the end, Bian You secured the gemstone brooches for 120 million.

But even after winning, neither of them was happy.

By the time the auction ended and it was time to leave, Bian You and Qi Zhie were still caught in what seemed like a cold war. Mi Yue, noticing the situation, didn’t dare approach.

But while Mi Yue hesitated, someone else didn’t.

“Bian You.”

The icy tone made it immediately clear there was bad blood between them. Yet as Bian You studied the woman’s face, she remained certain she didn’t know this person at all.

As for whether this was someone the original host had known and offended, Bian You wasn’t entirely sure. After all, this woman wasn’t mentioned in any of the relationship networks the system had provided.

To avoid exposing herself, Bian You maintained a silent demeanor, neither speaking nor asking about their supposed connection.

The woman stepped closer, stopping before them. Her gaze flickered between Bian You and Qi Zhie beside her, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

“To think that after everything, the two of you are still together.” She turned to Qi Zhie with a derisive laugh. “Miss Qi, your tolerance is truly remarkable willing to stay with the person who raped you.”

The moment those words left her mouth, Bian You’s expression darkened. Her fingers stiffened at her sides as a storm of shock and fury raged within her.

How did she know about that?

Qi Zhie, however, remained unshaken. Even in the face of blatant contempt, not a trace of anger or humiliation surfaced on her calm features.

Her composure only seemed to provoke the woman further, sharpening her words.

“Or is it that Miss Qi actually enjoys being treated like this? Are you really that shameless?”

“Shut your mouth!” Bian You stepped protectively in front of Qi Zhie, her face twisted with fury. “I won’t let you speak to her like that!”

She could insult her all she wanted but not Qi Zhie.

The commotion drew curious glances from passersby, though the woman seemed uninterested in airing their dirty laundry. With one last scornful look at Bian You, she turned to leave.

Suddenly, a hand caught her arm. She turned to meet Qi Zhie’s cold, breathtakingly beautiful face.

“Miss Ren,” Qi Zhie said evenly, “sometimes, when you lack full understanding of a matter, it’s best not to jump to conclusions.” Her tone betrayed no hint of agitation, as if the woman’s words had never touched her.

Ren Shuliu frowned, studying Qi Zhie with growing unease. There was something unnervingly inscrutable about her.

With a sharp jerk, she freed her arm and strode away.

Bian You’s eyes met Qi Zhie’s, and for some reason, beneath that calm, fathomless gaze, she was struck by the unsettling realization that she might never truly understand her.

She didn’t know Qi Zhie couldn’t even tell whether her indifference to the woman’s words was genuine or feigned.

Every emotion was buried so deep that even as lovers, Qi Zhie’s heart remained closed to her.

A lump formed in Bian You’s throat as a wave of helplessness crashed over her. For the first time, she saw with painful clarity that their relationship had always been steered by Qi Zhie. Every moment of happiness, every illusion of intimacy, it had all been carefully orchestrated by her.

She had never truly known Qi Zhie.

Only now, emerging from the euphoria of being accepted, did Bian You realize how swiftly and smoothly things had progressed between them. She hadn’t even had the chance to let Qi Zhie truly know her before they’d become entangled like this.

“Let’s head back first,” Qi Zhie said.

“Okay.”

Bian You’s response was somewhat absent-minded. Sitting in the car, she opened the system panel, the affection meter displayed 45%, not even reaching the passing mark.

And she had never once said she loved her.

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