After Trying To Pursue The Cold, Elegant Beauty. I Ended Up Being Flirted With Instead - Chapter 57

“This is your beloved delicate little flower.”

Wen Zhu thought for a long time but found herself completely lost.

Although she knew Sister Zhi liked girls, she couldn’t be sure if Li Zhiyun liked them too.

Li Zhiyun was very good to her, but what was the root of this kindness?

Was it the affection from those few games of chess when they were young, or was it because…

Wen Zhu didn’t dare to think further. She was afraid that a single misstep would offend Li Zhiyun and make her lose even the chance to stay by her side now.

Perhaps… she should try to test the waters again.

While she was lost in thought, the car slowly stopped at the entrance of the residential area.

The bodyguard opened the car door and respectfully handed over the car keys.

Li Zhiyun, however, did not immediately get out. Instead, she asked Wen Zhu, “Want to go buy groceries?”

Wen Zhu was stunned.

Honestly, hearing the words “buy groceries” come from Li Zhiyun’s mouth felt incredibly surreal.

In her perception, a privileged daughter like Li Zhiyun was an untouchable celestial being who did not concern herself with the mundane details of life.

Take Pei Xiubai, for example, after twenty years in the Pei family, she likely didn’t even know where the kitchen door was.

Even less so for Qiao Yu. She had a dedicated nutritionist and housekeeper, and meals were served to her with calories precisely calculated.

Qiao Yu even believed the smell of cooking oil and smoke would ruin her expensive clothes. If anyone let her catch a whiff of it, the housekeeper would certainly be scolded.

Later on, Qiao Yu became obsessed with vegetable salads seasoned only with salt and olive oil, as if only such an unadulterated, non-smoky food was worthy of her status.

That was why Wen Zhu was genuinely astonished a couple of days ago when Li Zhiyun asked her why she always bought takeout instead of cooking her own meals.

Li Zhiyun then informed her that she had taken home economics classes in junior and high school and knew how to cook simple dishes.

Only then did Wen Zhu realize that not every privileged daughter lived a life where she never had to lift a finger.

Tonight’s dinner was still undecided. Wen Zhu glanced at the lowkey yet luxurious interior of the Maybach. “Let’s just walk there.”

Li Zhiyun glanced thoughtfully at the car keys in the bodyguard’s hand but didn’t take them.

She softly said, “Alright.”

The supermarket wasn’t far; it took less than ten minutes for the two of them to walk there side-by-side.

As they passed a seafood shop, there were several large basins out front filled with fish balls.

Wen Zhu couldn’t help but stop. She remembered that Li Zhiyun’s profile picture was a simple little fish ball. She asked, “Boss, are these really handmade and freshly made?”

The vendor thumped his chest to assure her, “Absolutely! Don’t you worry, miss! If they’re not authentic, they’re free!”

Wen Zhu checked the color and elasticity of the fish balls, which looked indeed excellent. She bought some, thinking she could make fish ball noodles for Li Zhiyun.

She turned around, intending to ask Li Zhiyun what else she wanted to eat, only to see Li Zhiyun standing in front of the live seafood tank next to her, staring intently at the fiercely brandishing claws of the large hairy crabs in the cage.

Then, Wen Zhu saw Li Zhiyun extend one finger and cautiously poke the waving claw of one of the crabs.

The crab reacted instantly, snapping its claw shut.

Li Zhiyun was equally quick, withdrawing her finger just in time.

Far from being afraid, a hint of amused interest appeared on her usually cool face.

Watching the scene, Wen Zhu’s lips unconsciously curved upwards.

Who would have thought?

The hands that had stirred up the tides on the chessboard and sealed victory thousands of miles away that afternoon were now here, amusingly playing with a crab.

She walked closer to Li Zhiyun, who was still grappling with the crab, and said, “How about we have this for dinner tonight?”

Li Zhiyun turned around, the childish fascination not entirely gone from her face, and nodded.

Wen Zhu asked the vendor to scoop up a few of the fattest female crabs and also picked up a small piece of ginger.

“We’ll steam them and eat them with ginger and vinegar dipping sauce,” she arranged naturally. As the words left her mouth, she realized her tone was so familiar, as if they had been living together for many years.

This thought made Wen Zhu’s cheeks flush slightly. She subconsciously glanced at Li Zhiyun, wanting to see her reaction.

Li Zhiyun merely watched her quietly, her expression unchanged, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.

Wen Zhu felt a small wave of disappointment.

She looked at the things she was holding in both hands, and an idea suddenly popped into her head.

She cleared her throat, held out the bags in her hands toward Li Zhiyun, and forced a natural smile, “Miss Li, could you please help me carry these? I need to reply to a message.”

But Li Zhiyun did not immediately take them.

She suddenly turned her head, leaned forward slightly, and moved closer.

The distance between the two instantly closed, and Wen Zhu could even smell the fresh, pleasant scent emanating from her.

Li Zhiyun was a little taller than her, and at this moment, she looked down at Wen Zhu, her gaze focused.

Just as Wen Zhu thought the other party was about to ask her something, Li Zhiyun’s thin lips parted, and she spoke two words in a low voice.

“Zhiyun.”

“Hmm?” Wen Zhu blinked, failing to catch on immediately.

Li Zhiyun looked at her and repeated, “You should call me Zhiyun.”

Boom. Wen Zhu’s cheeks instantly caught fire.

She was completely flustered. The shopping bags clattered noisily as they were swapped from her left hand to her right, and then back to her left.

Seeing her fumbling, a faint smile flickered across Li Zhiyun’s eyes. She reached out and took all the bags from Wen Zhu’s hands.

“That should be enough shopping. Let’s head back,” she said normally, as if she hadn’t noticed Wen Zhu’s thoroughly reddened face.

Li Zhiyun paid with her phone, picked up the bags, turned, and walked away.

Wen Zhu followed closely behind her, head bowed.

The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became—she was so useless!

She had planned to use the moment she handed over the bags to casually brush her fingertips against Li Zhiyun’s and test the waters.

Yet, one sentence from the other woman had completely thrown her off, making her forget the little move she had planned.

Finally, they arrived home.

The moment they entered the door, Wen Zhu quickly spoke, “I’ll go cook. I’ll steam the crabs.”

As she spoke, she reached out to take the shopping bags from Li Zhiyun’s hand.

But the moment her hand touched the bags, she realized she couldn’t take them.

Li Zhiyun hadn’t let go.

Wen Zhu lifted her head, meeting those beautiful yet cool eyes.

Li Zhiyun just stared at her quietly, not speaking or moving.

There was an undeniable, inexplicable stubbornness in her stance.

The air in the room seemed to freeze.

Wen Zhu felt her heart was about to leap out of her throat. Never in her life, not even during her time with Pei Xiubai, had she been this nervous.

She bit her lower lip until it turned white.

After an unknown period of stalemate, she finally mustered the courage and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.

“Zhi… Zhiyun, give it to me.”

Li Zhiyun’s fingers relaxed. After a few seconds, an ineffable wave of lust surged in her eyes.

She answered with an exceptionally deep, hoarse voice.

“Good.”

Hearing that word, Wen Zhu suddenly realized the profound double meaning of her own words.

A heat spread from her neck all the way to her earlobes. She felt like a boiled shrimp.

She practically snatched the bags from Li Zhiyun’s hands, turned, and rushed into the kitchen, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Leaning against the cool door, she forgot to put down the groceries, covering her burning face with both hands.

Give it to me…

Wen Zhu! What nonsense are you talking about?!

Outside the kitchen, Li Zhiyun was still standing in the same spot.

She watched Wen Zhu’s near-fleeing back for a long time, unable to move.

Wen Zhu’s wet, slightly panicked eyes had practically seared through her, leaving her momentarily unable to think.

If she wasn’t mistaken…

Qingqing was just now testing her?

This realization made Li Zhiyun’s heart pound violently. A fire seemed to ignite in her chest, warming her limbs.

She hadn’t been this excited in a long time.

Except for those nights when she occasionally relied on thoughts of Qingqing just to fall asleep.

Just as Li Zhiyun was about to raise her hand to press against her racing heart, her phone vibrated at an inappropriate moment.

She tapped the screen; it was a message from Wu Lanyin.

When she saw the attached surveillance video, the faint smile that had been in Li Zhiyun’s eyes instantly cooled.

Wu Lanyin’s message followed immediately.

Didn’t I tell you to quickly bring Zhishu and Jiaojiao back? Why did they vanish the moment you left Yancheng?

All you ever do is make me investigate things for you. Be careful, I’ll tell your sister!

Li Zhiyun selectively ignored the complaint. After two seconds of contemplation, her fingers quickly typed on the screen.

Send the video to this phone.

Wu Lanyin’s side sent a string of ellipses, a silent protest.

Li Zhiyun ignored her, put out her phone screen, and looked at the closed kitchen door, her gaze deep.

Meanwhile, in a private room at an exclusive club in the city, decadent music filled the air.

Many young ladies from Yancheng’s elite families were gathered, each with a new female companion in her arms, clinking glasses and having a lively time.

Only Pei Xiubai was huddled alone on a corner sofa, downing one glass after another.

Someone couldn’t stand it and leaned over her shoulder, “I say, Miss Pei, you’re being no fun. You call us out, but you don’t say a word, just drinking sulkily.”

“Where’s your little star? You used to treasure her so much and brought her out for us to see every day. Why no sign of her lately?”

Another joined in, egging her on, “Xiubai, what’s really going on between you and Yan Tingyu? We heard your two families have been fighting fiercely recently, but when we ask Yan Tingyu, she refuses to say.”

As the words fell, someone else chuckled ambiguously, “The word’s all over the circle they say you two were fighting over a woman? Is that true? And that woman is Wen Zhu?”

The person spoke, looking at Pei Xiubai maliciously, “Xiubai, didn’t you say that orphan girl was just a plaything? Why are you actually getting serious about her”

Before she could finish, a dark shadow, whistling through the air, slammed into her.

“Bang!”

The wine glass accurately hit the person’s forehead. Red wine mixed with blood flowed down her face.

“Ah!” The person screamed. Her companion beside her turned pale with fright and quickly helped her to tend to the wound.

The private room instantly fell into a dead silence.

No one expected Pei Xiubai to suddenly strike. Everyone sat up straight, not daring to even breathe heavily.

Pei Xiubai slowly stood up, her bloodshot eyes scanning everyone present. Her voice was icy cold.

“If I ever hear you speak ill of Qingqing again, I won’t spare any of you!”

The people around her were struck dumb with fear.

Everyone knew the power of the Pei family. How would they dare to say another word?

They only complained silently in their hearts that Pei Xiubai’s change of heart was too sudden.

After all, she was the one who personally called Wen Zhu a “plaything” just two months ago…

Pei Xiubai ignored the silence and tension around her, her chest heaving violently as she sat back down on the sofa.

Just then, her phone screen lit up.

She irritably picked it up, expecting it to be Jiang Xinxin.

Jiang Xinxin had been sending her messages for the past few days, asking when she could see her, and if she could come to find her.

Pei Xiubai had initially bothered to placate her with a few replies, but now she couldn’t even be bothered to look.

Was Jiang Xinxin this clingy before?

She was so clingy it annoyed her. Why couldn’t she be more like Qingqing?

Just as she was annoyed and considering blocking Jiang Xinxin, she realized the message was from an unknown number.

A video was attached below.

The video quality was a bit blurry, and the setting was unfamiliar, but after just one glance at the figure’s back, Pei Xiubai jolted upright on the sofa.

Her hands trembling, she clicked on the video

After watching it, her whole body went stiff, her blood slowly turning cold.

She felt like a joke, a complete and utter joke.

Before she could recover from the immense feeling of absurdity, the same number sent another message.

This is your beloved delicate little flower.

In a hotel suite in Ancheng, Jiang Xinxin was staring intently at her phone screen.

On the chat interface, the dozen messages she had sent had all fallen into a black hole; Pei Xiubai hadn’t replied with a single word.

She had been sending messages to CEO Pei every day for the past few days.

But CEO Pei’s replies became increasingly perfunctory, and lately, she hadn’t even bothered to reply…

Since leaving the hospital that day, Pei Xiubai had never reappeared.

Her lower leg was still wrapped in thick bandages. The doctor had told her not to move it, so she could only stay here, recovering, and waiting for Pei Xiubai to visit her.

Fear drowned her like a tide.

Was Pei Xiubai completely tired of her? Was she really going to abandon her?

Tears slid down uncontrollably, splashing onto the phone screen.

“Sister Xinxin, please don’t cry.” Ju Zi, sitting nearby, carefully wiped her tears with a tissue, her eyes full of distress. “Please don’t cry over that woman, she’s not worth it.”

Since being rescued from the police station by Jiang Xinxin, Ju Zi’s gaze toward her had become increasingly intense.

It was a fervor mixed with admiration and love.

She hated Wen Zhu and even more, she hated Pei Xiubai for making Sister Xinxin cry.

Jiang Xinxin shook her head, her voice tearful, “You don’t understand… I truly love her.”

The thought that Pei Xiubai might be with Wen Zhu, that useless woman, instead of replying to her, made jealousy and resentment gnaw at her heart.

She had given up her thriving career for Pei Xiubai, cut her wrist for her, and even got a permanent, non-removable scar on her lower leg to save her.

Had Pei Xiubai forgotten all of this?

Why was there still only Wen Zhu in her heart, that completely worthless woman!

Just as she was consumed by hatred and resentment, her phone screen suddenly lit up.

Pei Xiubai finally replied!

Overwhelming joy swept away her rationality. She excitedly tapped the message open, barely glancing at the content.

It was a booking confirmation for a flight ticket from Ancheng to Yancheng, scheduled to take off in two hours.

Below it was a single, brief, and cold sentence.

I need to see you tonight.

Tears welled up again. This time, however, they were tears of joy.

She knew it; CEO Pei did care about her!

She loved her so much; how could she possibly abandon her!

“Ju Zi! Quick! Book a car to the airport!”

Jiang Xinxin completely forgot about the injury on her leg, struggling to get out of bed.

Ju Zi looked at her ecstatic appearance. All her worries and attempts to dissuade her were stuck in her throat. In the end, she could only grit her teeth bitterly and frantically make arrangements.

Two hours later, the plane landed at Yancheng Airport.

Jiang Xinxin sat in a wheelchair, pushed by Ju Zi, her heart full of anticipation at the thought of seeing her beloved.

But the moment she exited the gate, she froze.

Countless camera flashes and microphones instantly surrounded her. Reporters and fans, having gotten the news from who knows where, blocked the exit entirely.

“Miss Jiang! Why are you in a wheelchair? Are you injured?”

“The internet says you attempted suicide for love and stalled the progress of the entire The Grand Saga crew. Is this true?”

“The associate director has already hinted about you on Weibo. Do you have any response?”

Sharp questions were thrown at her one after another. Jiang Xinxin struggled to keep the smile on her face.

These people had chosen precisely this moment to show up!

She squeezed out a delicate smile, her voice sounding pitiful, “It was just a minor accident. I’ll be fine soon. As for the other matters, I cannot comment for now”

Before she could finish, the crowd was forcefully pushed aside.

A few people in uniform walked up to her with expressionless faces.

“Miss Jiang Xinxin, we are the Yancheng Police.”

The female officer leading the group had a sharp gaze. Under the deluge of camera lenses, she flashed her badge at Jiang Xinxin, her voice devoid of any warmth.

“You are a suspect in a case of intentional harm. Please come with us.”