Beauty Snake - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Three-Quarters of the Vinegar Jar Overturned…

Ji Yunfei was already lying in bed with a tangled mess of thoughts, so when she heard movement, she instinctively poked her head out from under the covers.

With that one glance, her eyes seemed bound by an invisible rope, unable to pull away for even a second.

She felt her breath hitch; it was as if an invisible hand had suddenly squeezed her heart. Her heartbeat lost its rhythm instantly, starting to pound frantically and uncontrollably.

Thump-thump— Thump-thump—

In the silent space, Ji Yunfei’s heartbeat was as deafening as a war drum.

Xie Yin stepped out of the bathroom with her damp hair draped loosely behind her. Due to the rising steam, her face was tinged with a delicate pink. Her dark eyes held a faint, watery mist.

Most importantly…

“What is wrong with this Xie Yin!! Can a black camisole even be considered pajamas??”

“AAHHH— See no evil, see no evil!!!”

Having seen Xie Yin’s attire, Ji Yunfei felt the blood rush to her head, and her already burning ears grew even hotter. She watched Xie Yin cautiously, finding that the woman was focused entirely on drying her hair and hadn’t noticed her. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

She quietly retracted her head, shut her eyes tight, and pretended to be in a deep sleep. Before long, the sound of a hairdryer filled her ears…

At some point, the hairdryer stopped, and the room fell into a heavy silence. Ji Yunfei felt her senses magnifying infinitely…

She clearly heard Xie Yin’s footsteps drawing closer and closer until they reached the bedside, where they suddenly stopped. Next came a sigh, so faint it was almost inaudible.

The duvet was lifted slightly, creating a small gap. A sudden gust of cold air rushed in, nearly making Ji Yunfei break her “sleeping” character. Then, the mattress dipped slightly as a warm body settled in, making the small space under the covers cozy once again.

Ji Yunfei controlled her breathing, lying on her side with her back to Xie Yin. It wasn’t until she heard the other person’s breathing become steady and even that she dared to turn over and lie flat.

However, before she could relax, she felt a sudden weight on her leg…

Then, the person beside her tangled around her like an octopus, clutching her so tightly she couldn’t break free. Ji Yunfei realized she was now a giant human body pillow… the Xie Yin Special Edition.

With the warm body pressed against her, Ji Yunfei felt her own temperature soar. Her heart rate was now completely off the charts. She tried to push the woman away slightly, but Xie Yin only clung tighter. Helpless, Ji Yunfei decided to just let it be—after all, it wasn’t like she was the one losing out…

With that thought, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Gradually, drowsiness washed over her, and she fell into a dreamland.

It was a night of peaceful sleep…

“Mmm—”

“AAHHH—”

“My arm is sore, sore, sore… it’s totally numb!!”

The first rays of morning light filtered through the curtains, falling on the two people huddled together on the bed. The chirping of birds woke Ji Yunfei… but the dense, tingling soreness in her arm was making it hard for her to stay composed.

She looked down at Xie Yin, who was snuggled deeply in her arms, and abandoned the plan to pull her arm out. Fine, whatever. She could suffer a bit… as long as Xie Yin slept well…

She simply lay there in a daze. After an unknown amount of time, Xie Yin’s eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. Still groggy from sleep, her eyes held a trace of confusion. She knitted her brows as if trying to adjust to the bright light.

When she finally realized she was at “zero distance” from Ji Yunfei, Xie Yin jerked back suddenly, fully awake.

“Oh? What’s with the big reaction, CEO Xie?”

“Last night you were clinging to me like an octopus and wouldn’t let go…”

Seeing Xie Yin looking startled, Ji Yunfei felt the urge to tease her again. She propped herself up on one arm and looked at Xie Yin with a smirk.

“Don’t laugh. Laugh again and I’ll dock your year-end bonus…” Xie Yin wasn’t so easily flustered. After regaining her composure, she countered with a “threat.”

“Augh— the evil capitalist!!!” Ji Yunfei’s heart was weeping, and her face fell into a pout. She looked at Xie Yin with pitiful eyes. “CEO Xie, your heart is so cruel… You hugged me all night… and now you want to dock my bonus… I’m being wronged—!”

Getting carried away with her performance, Ji Yunfei grabbed a nearby pillow to pull over her head, but Xie Yin caught it mid-air.

“That’s enough…”

“Consider your debt repayment progress at 1/2. Happy now? ^v^”

Seeing Ji Yunfei’s “life-or-death” drama, Xie Yin felt a bit guilty, even though she knew it was just an act. She figured she should give this fragrant human body pillow a little reward… after all, she needed to think about “sustainable development.”

“Hehe… CEO Xie is truly wise~” Mission accomplished. Ji Yunfei tossed the pillow aside and hopped out of bed to change, full of energy.

“Little dummy…” Watching Ji Yunfei’s silly joy, Xie Yin laughed softly. What could she do? She just liked this little ditz way too much. If she was being played, so be it. She was willing.

Despite the morning’s interlude, the atmosphere between them remained harmonious and relatively awkward-free. Once dressed, they even had the leisure to enjoy a lavish breakfast at the second-floor buffet before boarding the car to the exchange.

“Xie? Finally, I see you again!”

As they reached the entrance of the exhibition hall, a cry of surprise rang out. Ji Yunfei saw a doll-faced woman with blonde hair and blue eyes running toward Xie Yin. Then, she lunged into Xie Yin’s arms, hugging her tightly and refusing to let go.

Hmph… In a “dark corner where no one noticed,” Ji Yunfei clenched her fist. The air seemed to turn a bit sour.

“Rika, long time no see.” Xie Yin maintained her usual calm smile, showing no major reaction. However, her hands weren’t idle; she gently pulled Rika off her and took a step back, subtly creating distance.

“Xie, why have you become so cold? You weren’t like this before~”

“Is it because of her?” Seeing Xie Yin pull away, Rika frowned with slight displeasure and noticed Ji Yunfei standing beside her.

As Rika threw an appraising glance her way, Ji Yunfei was already rolling her eyes internally. “Excuse me? Did I offend you too?”

Growing impatient, Ji Yunfei was about to speak when Xie Yin stepped in front of her. “Don’t you already know my personality? This is… a very talented employee of mine… Come on, let’s go in. If you want to catch up, we can talk at the party tonight…”

Xie Yin stood firm in front of Ji Yunfei, shielding her from Rika’s unfriendly gaze. She brushed Rika off with a polite smile and then gently took Ji Yunfei by the wrist to lead her into the hall.

“Oh, wow, ‘a very talented employee’~”

“So in CEO Xie’s heart, I’m just a talented employee~”

“There are plenty of talented employees. Do you tell every one of them you ‘like’ them, Xie Yin?”

“Scumbag!”

“I’d rather like the Beauty Snake than you!”

Ji Yunfei followed obediently as she was led by the wrist, saying nothing, but her internal monologue was relentless. She didn’t even realize that three-quarters of her “vinegar jar” (jealousy) had already overturned.

“Next, we invite CEO Xie of Sanshi Jewelry to introduce their new products for this quarter—”

“Hello everyone, I am Xie Yin of Sanshi Jewelry…”

“Our new products this quarter represent the hard work and ingenuity of the entire Sanshi team…” Standing before the display stage, Xie Yin spoke with a clear voice and a confident smile.

She picked up the first piece, a pink diamond necklace. The rose gold chain was polished to a brilliant shine. The pink diamond was pure in color and near-perfect in clarity. Using a snowflake setting, tiny white diamonds surrounded the main stone like frost, creating a noble and romantic look.

Ji Yunfei sat in the audience, watching the Xie Yin on stage—full of charisma and professionalism. Her eyes became a bit “infatuated.” She’s glowing…

Clap clap clap— Thunderous applause snapped Ji Yunfei back to reality. She looked back at the stage to find Xie Yin had finished her presentation and was stepping down. As their eyes met, she saw the smile in Xie Yin’s gaze. Flustered, she looked away and joined the crowd in clapping.

“Still got your head down?” “Was my speech that bad? Couldn’t even keep you interested?”

The teasing voice sounded right in her ear, and then someone sat in the empty seat next to her. A weight landed on her head… Ji Yunfei looked up to see Xie Yin leaning back in the chair, one hand ruffling her hair.

“Of course not! CEO Xie’s presentation was naturally…” Thinking of Xie Yin on stage, Ji Yunfei’s eyes sparkled with excitement. But before she could finish, a shout interrupted her.

“Xie!!”

“You were so dazzling on stage just now!”

“Thank you…”

Rika cut in, sitting in the seat on the other side of Xie Yin. She grabbed Xie Yin’s arm and began gushing about her thoughts, her eyes full of undisguised fervor. Xie Yin didn’t seem to notice anything wrong, chatting smoothly back and forth with Rika.

“Why are you everywhere!!!”

“Look at that infatuation in your eyes!!”

“Are you some kind of evil sasaeng fan?!!”

“Xie Yin!! Why aren’t you pushing her away!!”

Watching the two of them chatting so warmly, Ji Yunfei unconsciously ground her teeth… while the little person in her heart was now tearfully biting a handkerchief.

“Fine, fine… you’re all having a great chat…”

Three-quarters of the vinegar jar had officially overturned.

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