Joining A Dating Show With Five Exes - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: You Better Be Able to Fool Me Forever, Don’t Let Me Find Out

Xie Zhiqing couldn’t help but frown.

What a coincidence?

One person reads the message but doesn’t reply, and the other simply turns off her phone?

And someone, unable to read her mood, chose to add fuel to the fire at that moment:

“Tsk, putting so much effort into the welcome ceremony only to be beaten to the punch? Little CEO Xie, are you going to lose again?”

Xie Zhiqing took a deep breath, only to hear the production team announce, “A guest has already completed the welcome ceremony. All other failed groups please gather in the VIP area.”

Wang Shu and Ji Sheng soon appeared in her line of sight—

In the gathered VIP area, the one person she most wanted to see, Cheng Shiyuan, was conspicuously absent.

A bad premonition came true.

Xie Zhiqing couldn’t stop herself from masochistically imagining the scene of Cheng Shiyuan and Chen Chuxing’s long-awaited reunion.

She reached her limit, for the first time abandoning reason and patience, and strode toward the backstage, dialing her bodyguard’s number.

In her mind, she could already hear Cheng Shiyuan, knowing she wanted to control her whereabouts at all times, jumping up and calling her a control freak.

The self-mocking thought was abruptly interrupted by her bodyguard’s frantic shout:

“CEO Xie! Miss Cheng… Miss Cheng is missing!”

As expected.

Amid the anxious gazes of others who looked over upon hearing the commotion.

Only Xie Zhiqing’s eyes showed a sudden, mocking smile, carrying a sense of calm, as if the dust had settled.

—For Cheng Shiyuan, as long as she could find an opportunity to escape control, she would choose to cooperate with someone else without hesitation.

Especially with the one she once loved the most, Chen Chuxing?

Xie Zhiqing was mentally prepared. Maintaining a cold clarity, she was about to calmly put an end to this farce.

But in the next second, as someone nearly collided with her, she realized something was wrong:

The performance had long been over. Why were there still so many people in the venue? This area was clearly empty just a moment ago.

The sound system, which had been turned off, suddenly blared:

“Announcement! Announcement! Due to the temporary closure of some exits, please evacuate in an orderly fashion through the other channels. The emergency exit has been opened. Please do not push or shove to avoid a stampede…”

A startled scream came from somewhere.

From the corner of her eye, she saw the usually lazy “Summer Talent” almost bump into someone, only to be shielded by her niece.

—Something is not right.

Amidst the noisy, emotionally charged crowd, Xie Zhiqing’s mind was clearer than ever.

Given Cheng Shiyuan’s nature, even if she chose to rekindle old flames with Chen Chuxing and elope from the show on the spot, she would never cause a scene to this degree.

“I am a person… I learned some professional ethics from my idol. We dislike people who don’t care about their fans’ lives the most…”

The lovely, mumbling voice echoed in her ear. The hint of warmth that had just appeared in Xie Zhiqing’s eyes quickly turned icy at the sight of the chaotic scene.

She thought coldly and mockingly:

Shiyuan, the idol you like doesn’t seem to be as moral as you thought.

The moment she realized that this audience riot had nothing to do with Cheng Shiyuan, Xie Zhiqing instantly regained her normal thinking capacity.

The other end of the phone was still noisy, confirming that the crowd led there was a deliberate trap set by Chen Chuxing for her bodyguards.

And the people now rushing to the VIP channel were meant to stall for time.

Even if she successfully made it to the backstage lounge, the clues that professional bodyguards couldn’t find would likely be of no use to her.

…Shiyuan, where were you taken?

The more calmly her reason analyzed the situation, the more she struggled to control her anxiety when that name was involved.

Overcome with worry, images of Cheng Shiyuan kept flashing in her mind.

Finally, they settled on a playful, younger, and more naive voice:

“Zhi Zhi, we’re both from such wealthy families. What if one day we encounter one of those kidnapping cases specifically targeting children of the rich? What should we do?”

If the person who took her really was Chen Chuxing—

Xie Zhiqing took one final, deep look at the backstage area where Cheng Shiyuan had disappeared, then turned her direction without hesitation.

She couldn’t help but pray in her heart that Cheng Shiyuan remembered every word she had said, even as a joke.

Because, at this moment, she had desperately taken it as truth.

However, there was someone even more distraught than Xie Zhiqing at that moment.

Detected contact with ‘Lifeline Character: Chen Chuxing.’ Character unlocked successfully! Friendly reminder: The life-prolonging effect will disappear if the host and the character are more than one meter apart!

In the system notification, Cheng Shiyuan, who was forcibly brought back to consciousness, smelled the familiar, detestable scent of disinfectant before even opening her eyes.

And when she unbelievingly opened her eyelids, she saw the cold white hospital walls and heard the beeping of instruments beside her.

All her hopes were dashed.

Staring at the glaring, prominent life countdown above her head, she licked her lips, which had been secretly kissed to unlock the system notification, and found some dark humor.

Good news: at least she’s still awake to see the words.

Bad news:

The remaining time she had painstakingly accumulated to over 100 hours had plummeted back below three digits due to today’s solo welcome ceremony and Chen Chuxing’s malicious act of sedation.

Cheng Shiyuan felt like a beggar who had finally gotten a valuable hundred-dollar bill, only to have the wind blow it away before she could even be happy!

But the system seemed to think the wind blowing away her “money” wasn’t strong enough.

Congratulations, Host, you have successfully unlocked four ‘Lifeline Characters’!

The system has deducted 99 hours of your remaining time for a forced upgrade!

[Upon successful upgrade, the life duration increase will no longer be limited by distance! The system will also enable the ‘Emotional Fluctuation’ conversion function, which will capture ‘Emotional Fluctuations’ from ‘Lifeline Characters’ toward you and convert them into corresponding life duration.]

Cheng Shiyuan: “?”

She watched helplessly as the previously abundant number above her head, from [99 hours 36 minutes 55 seconds], plummeted to [36 minutes 55 seconds].

Overwhelmed by the intense shock, she lost her ability to manage her facial expression.

Until a concerned voice came from beside her:

“Are you awake? Don’t rush to sit up; you might feel a little dizzy—”

“I was going to wait until the drugs in your blood had metabolized so the test results would be more accurate, but you would never…”

The gentle words were cut short.

Her collar was seized by a hand filled with rage.

Chen Chuxing froze for a moment, then gracefully lowered her head.

Even though she didn’t know how the little cat would vent its anger, she instinctively went along with her force, voluntarily presenting her dazzlingly beautiful face up close.

In the next instant.

Her lips were angrily bitten.

The person who used to be addicted to her sexy lips, sucking and licking them, no longer showed any mercy.

The tenderness was torn apart by a sharp pain. Chen Chuxing endured the pain, even tasting her own blood.

Instead of avoiding it, she offered herself forward more actively, like a sacrifice.

But her sacrifice did not receive pity from the deity. It was as if she had been chewed and found tasteless; this time, even her sweet, soft lips were unhesitatingly rejected.

“Are you satisfied now? Are you happy?”

Cheng Shiyuan expressionlessly let go of her.

The peach blossom eyes, which usually looked affectionate even at a dog, were now uncharacteristically cold and indifferent, as if it wasn’t her who had just made the intimate gesture.

“Was it that big of a deal that I didn’t kiss you in the lounge earlier, to cause such a scene?”

If Chen Chuxing hadn’t done such a radical thing, she wouldn’t have nearly undergone the forced upgrade of all four characters without her knowledge while she was unconscious.

What if her remaining time had dropped below 99 hours while Chen Chuxing was kissing her?

With the system’s deduction, would she have just died?

Cheng Shiyuan was furious. At that moment, she also discovered a cotton swab pressed against the inner side of her other elbow, which Chen Chuxing had been holding.

When she didn’t hesitate to sharply push her hand away and saw the glaring needle mark on her blue vein—

Cheng Shiyuan felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

She couldn’t help but imagine: What would the result of the blood that was just drawn look like?

She had a strange life-prolonging system on her. Would her blood show some unique state that would make her appear abnormal? Would she be taken away for research?

Even if there were no anomalies, if her serious illness were exposed, with the possessiveness of the people around her, she would certainly not be able to live freely and record the show as she was today. She might even have to spend the rest of her life in a hospital, under their pitying eyes.

She didn’t want that!

Cheng Shiyuan, who had always been so at ease with anyone on the show, finally couldn’t help but stare at the person she once loved most, her voice laced with a near-breakdown sob:

“Why you? Why did you have to be the one to do this to me?!”

“Chen Chuxing, I hate you! I hate you more than anyone in the world!”

It was a mix of fear of the unknown consequences, anger at her disrupted plans, and perhaps a bit of resentment toward Chen Chuxing—

It was like a child, accustomed to being loved and taking it for granted, who had just experienced the most unforgivable betrayal.

Even the rationality of acting and trying to salvage the situation was suppressed. Cheng Shiyuan spoke almost incoherently, pouring all of her negative emotions, even those suppressed for a long time, onto the person in front of her.

The moment her tears fell, she rushed toward the door recklessly!

She had to destroy those blood samples! Absolutely, absolutely must not let them be sent for testing!

However, the woman who was heartbroken beyond belief by her words, almost mercilessly, hugged her waist from behind and dragged her back to the bed.

A helpless kiss, full of apology and love, landed soothingly on her hair and cheek.

“Sister was wrong, it’s my fault. Sister is so sorry, Xiao Shi…”

“When the results come out, no matter what they are, I’ll be with you, okay? I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

System upgrade successful!

Captured Chen Chuxing’s emotional fluctuation. Converted to life duration: 40 hours.

Cheng Shiyuan suddenly froze. Staring at the massive number floating before her eyes, she abruptly lost the strength to struggle.

If this were before, 40 hours would have required her at least two days of efforts and cooperation.

Cheng Shiyuan closed her eyes. No longer trying to distinguish between Chen Chuxing’s guilt and love, she suddenly relaxed her body, silently allowing herself to fall into the arms of the person behind her.

This appearance, like a shattered doll, made Chen Chuxing even more heartbroken. She could only continue to promise her, “No matter what the problem is, I will devote everything to helping you with treatment. Please, please trust Sister, Xiao Shi…”

It was clear that the healthier of the two was Chen Chuxing.

But now, just by listening to their voices, the more fragile one seemed to be Chen Chuxing.

Captured Chen Chuxing’s emotional fluctuation. Converted to life duration: 5 hours.

From an angle Chen Chuxing couldn’t see, Cheng Shiyuan stared at the system notification, raising an eyebrow thoughtfully.

After the system upgrade, her efficiency in converting life duration seems to be higher?

As if she had managed to gather her thoughts in those few short minutes, she raised a fingertip and wiped away the tear marks from the corners of her eyes.

“So, you’re not going to let me go today, no matter what, is that it?”

Chen Chuxing held her tightly, afraid she would do something foolish in her impulsiveness.

She now slightly relaxed her grip and softened her tone, but still didn’t give in: “If there’s nothing wrong, I’ll leave with you.”

—Meaning if there was something wrong, she, Cheng Shiyuan, wouldn’t be able to leave this hospital, is that right?

Understanding her subtext and realizing she couldn’t escape the current predicament on her own for now.

Cheng Shiyuan acted as if she was suddenly exhausted from her emotional outburst.

Her eyebrows drooped wearily, and she said mockingly: “Well, Chen Chuxing, are you planning to reenact a live-action captivity plot with me?”

With that, she flopped onto the hospital bed, adopting a defeatist attitude, and pulled the blanket over herself.

“Fine. The main characters in those novels who are held captive wake up every day in a five-hundred-square-meter mansion.”

“I won’t even mention the environment here. But you can’t tell me there won’t even be good food and drinks, right?”

“I suddenly want to eat the braised chicken frame from that century-old shop near my elementary school. I also want to drink the signature herbal jelly milk tea from the milk tea shop next to it. And it would be best if you also bought me a Haagen-Dazs from the nearby mall…”

She squinted at Chen Chuxing, raising her eyebrows.

Like a haughty swan picking and choosing from a shabby pile of straw.

“Surely you wouldn’t even have these things, Sis-ter?”

The word “Sister” that Chen Chuxing thought she would never hear again in this lifetime suddenly appeared at this moment.

She deliberately used the exact same tone as before, but there was no trace of the past’s sweetness and warmth on her beautiful face.

Chen Chuxing, deceiving herself, turned her eyes away.

This way, she couldn’t see the huge rift of reality that separated them.

She knew there was something fishy about the sudden calm that followed Cheng Shiyuan’s outburst.

But she could only hear her own unprincipled indulgence: “Okay. I’ll give you whatever you want.”

Her body instinctively reached out, as it used to, to caress that lovely face.

Halfway there, she suddenly realized what she was doing and abruptly stopped in mid-air—

Chen Chuxing’s eyelashes trembled, and she opened her eyes.

A forced smile was already on her face.

But in the next instant, she saw the person leaning against the headboard glance at her.

Then, Cheng Shiyuan moved lazily, pulled her hand over, and placed it against her face.

Embodying the professionalism of a sugar baby, she even narrowed her eyes, completely shedding her dignified Miss persona.

Like a spoiled cat, she actively rubbed her cheek against her palm.

Captured Chen Chuxing’s emotional fluctuation. Converted to life duration: 5 minutes.

Upon hearing the sound, Cheng Shiyuan expressionlessly shook off the hand on her face.

The look in her eyes as she stared at Chen Chuxing was one of disappointment, as if looking at a miserly person.

Taken aback by her mercurial emotions, Chen Chuxing’s face only showed helplessness.

Although she didn’t know what she had done to displease her Miss again, it was her fault to begin with, and she took all the blame without complaint.

She even actively offered her lips, which had already been bitten, trying to let Cheng Shiyuan vent her anger once more.

Slap!

Cheng Shiyuan casually pushed her face away, refusing to reward her.

Then, staring at the intoxicating flush that appeared on her pale white cheek, she licked her lips.

She suddenly felt that even if Chen Chuxing’s contribution to her lifespan was stingy, she could at least accumulate it little by little. Anyway, there was nothing she could do but wait right now—

“I have a character here that I can’t quite grasp. How about you help me run a scene, Sister?”

Thinking of the failed prank earlier, she deliberately chose a terrible script that had been rejected.

It featured a tragic actress who was sold to a troupe as a child. Unable to bear the troupe leader’s harsh abuse, she begged a high-ranking official on the first day of their meeting to save her.

Cheng Shiyuan expressionlessly chose the scene where the official was teasing the actress in the beginning.

Chen Chuxing, who started as a child star, had an exceptionally solid foundation in her acting skills and had played countless roles.

Even while holding her phone to read the script, she lightly took a step, arched her fingers, and as she slowly extended her hand, her eyes were already filled with tender emotions.

The moment Cheng Shiyuan was struck by her gaze, her heart, in a truly uncooperative manner, skipped a beat.

But her face remained unfazed, and she lazily half-closed her eyes.

She was the one being held captive here, yet at this moment, it was as if she had deigned to close the cage herself, allowing its owner to go to great lengths to please her.

Cheng Shiyuan, following the script, lifted her chin condescendingly, as if calling a dog: “Come.”

“You sway your body beautifully, but it’s hard to see from a distance. Come closer and let me take a look?”

The actress, with graceful steps, moved closer, her face filled with charming allure.

But her eyes held a glimmer of hope, a hope that seemed to come from Chen Chuxing herself.

When she timidly sat on her lap, Chen Chuxing couldn’t help but search for a familiar sentiment in her eyes.

A flutter of the heart, or pity.

But there was nothing there, only frivolous mockery.

And in the next second, she was mercilessly pushed away by a burst of force.

Looking at the person who sat on the floor beside her, utterly disappointed and silent, Cheng Shiyuan’s voice was full of surprise: “Why aren’t you continuing, Sister? Should we do it again?”

A moment later.

“I think your movements here were a bit off, let’s try again?”

“Oops, I wasn’t careful and used too much force. Are you hurt?”

Cheng Shiyuan asked carelessly, not even bothering to pretend.

She was never one to let herself suffer a loss. Through this acting scene, she had already squeezed several hours of life duration from Chen Chuxing.

Tilting her head, she looked at the seemingly about-to-break Chen Chuxing. Cheng Shiyuan was still not satisfied.

She didn’t owe Chen Chuxing anything, but Chen Chuxing owed her quite a bit.

Cheng Shiyuan licked her lips, considering how to manipulate this heart that had voluntarily presented itself to her.

But the next moment, the system’s voice rang out again.

Captured Xie Zhiqing’s emotional fluctuation. Converted to life duration: 7 minutes.

Did she go too far? Sister looks really sad… Wait, why is it Xie Zhiqing?!

As if to confirm her confusion, the door to the room was suddenly knocked on loudly, startling them both.

“Knock, knock!”

That cold and imposing figure had, at some point, found her way here, appearing at the hospital room door.

“Lao Xie! Why did you take so long?”

Cheng Shiyuan immediately forgot about the game in front of her and spoke with a joyful tone.

The words of blame were actually filled with the trust of a spoiled child.

Because of the appearance of a second ‘Lifeline Character,’ the range for life-prolongation expanded to twenty meters. Cheng Shiyuan, like a bird regaining its freedom, flew toward the tree she favored most at that moment.

But Xie Zhiqing’s dark eyes still held the glaring memory of the sweet scene she had just witnessed.

The “victim” who was “kidnapped” looked to be still deeply in love with the “kidnapper,” even about to rekindle their old flame.

It made her previous worry seem so unnecessary.

But she had no intention of letting go of the person who had dared to use such methods to take someone from right under her nose, and was now openly challenging her.

Shielding the person she had retrieved behind her with one hand, she held her phone to her ear with the other. Xie Zhiqing’s tone was nearly ruthless:

“Hello, I have found the missing person, but I have also found the kidnapper this time. I would still like to report it—”

“Wait, wait, wait!”

Cheng Shiyuan was stunned. Without hesitation, she jumped up to try and snatch the phone from her.

But Xie Zhiqing held her head back with a single hand, her tone seemingly gentle as she soothed the “victim” who had been charmed by the “kidnapper’s” tenderness:

“Don’t worry, it won’t take up much of your time. You just need to cooperate with the police statement, and the lawyers will handle the rest.”

She took it for granted that her arrival was to assist Cheng Shiyuan in sending the culprit of this “kidnapping” to court.

Cheng Shiyuan was enraged. She tugged at her collar, almost grinding her teeth as she called out to her: “Xie, Zhi, Qing.”

She stood on her tiptoes, softening her voice and coaxing her in her other ear: “Do you want me to become the laughingstock of the entertainment industry? Attacked in the morning, kidnapped in the afternoon. What production crew would ever dare to hire this high-risk actress in the future?”

“Hang up the phone and listen to me first. Things aren’t what you think, okay?”

They were at odds, but Chen Chuxing, the focus of their argument, just watched them in a daze from the side.

She seemed not to care about her own crazy ending, only watching the light that she regarded as her salvation, both on and off-screen, who had now left the stage on her own to illuminate another person.

Only she was left, forever stuck in the play, foolishly worrying about an ending that might never be her rescue.

She gave a self-mocking laugh and smacked her forehead with her hand.

She didn’t even ask how Xie Zhiqing had found this place—

She just spoke to herself, as if she already had the answer but was still unwilling to give up, needing to confirm it with her sweetheart:

“Those food and drinks you wanted just now were all meant to lure her over, right?”

Reason told Chen Chuxing.

These two had known each other since kindergarten. It was no surprise that they had made some kind of youthful promises in a past she wasn’t a part of.

But at this moment, she truly and honestly felt jealous that Xie Zhiqing had exclusive ownership of that period of her youth.

Sensing her bitter gaze, Xie Zhiqing’s brow twitched.

Even though she had lowered the phone in response to Cheng Shiyuan’s force, she still pulled her further behind her. Her tall figure completely shrouded Cheng Shiyuan before she looked at the person in the room:

“I warned you to stay away from her.”

“It seems the big star didn’t take my words to heart and has even escalated the situation.”

“According to the law, unlawfully depriving a person of their freedom and detaining them can lead to a prison sentence of up to three years. Are you prepared to retire from the entertainment industry starting today?”

Chen Chuxing remained silent, as if she had no intention of defending herself.

Although Cheng Shiyuan couldn’t stand Chen Chuxing’s tendency to act without consulting her and overly interfere in her affairs, she was the one who wanted to avoid a public scene the most.

Opening an entertainment app, she already saw that Chen Chuxing’s concert-related topics were trending on social media.

Leaving Xie Zhiqing’s overprotective shield, she held up the phone she had snatched to Chen Chuxing.

“Now, have your team start damage control immediately. Release an apology statement and put a lid on this matter.”

Noticing that Chen Chuxing still had no reaction.

She frowned slightly, “Sister, are you going to disappoint me?”

The question was loaded.

Chen Chuxing couldn’t bear to see even a hint of grievance in her eyes. How could she bear to disappoint her?

She had no choice but to send a message to her manager, Sister You, right in front of her, and then show her the screen without reservation.

After the Miss had checked every single word of the plan her team had proposed, she didn’t forget to look up at her:

“My welcome ceremony was a success, right?”

Chen Chuxing realized what she meant. The downcast, defeat-like look in her eyes just moments ago now sparkled again.

She unconsciously nodded, then nodded again.

Cheng Shiyuan declared with a righteous air: “Then when you report to the show tonight, remember to tell the production team that I am the winner.”

Chen Chuxing stared at her blankly, as if she had received some unique signal, and a smile broke through again.

So she hadn’t lost her qualification in Xiao Shi’s eyes!

She opened her mouth to say something, but Cheng Shiyuan had already turned her head to chase after the Xie Zhiqing who had compromised but was still clearly annoyed.

She jogged over, poking the other’s back, and said in a low, placating murmur:

“Thank you, our CEO Xie, for your excellent memory, even remembering a joke I made as a child. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to save me. I don’t know how to repay such a great kindness—”

Xie Zhiqing’s footsteps paused.

Her shoe soles made a sharp scraping sound against the hospital’s smooth floor.

She turned around expressionlessly, looking at the person who was smiling and carelessly joking with her.

“Do you think this is very fun?”

“Cheng Shiyuan, if you provoke two more of these mad dogs, I won’t have to waste my energy trying to save you anymore. I’ll just buy a coffin and wait to collect your body.”

Knowing that she was worried about her safety and disliked Chen Chuxing’s behavior.

But Cheng Shiyuan, who used to take the scolding when she was in the wrong, couldn’t help but raise a hand and pinch her mouth.

Half-jokingly, half-seriously, she instructed: “I don’t like hearing words like that. Don’t jinx me; it’s very unlucky.”

Xie Zhiqing didn’t say anything.

Cheng Shiyuan looked at this cold beauty. This morning, she had to take time off work to clean up her mess. And tonight, even just attending a concert, she was dragged into chaos because of her.

Rarely feeling a pang of guilt, she let go of her hand and softened her voice to coax her: “I know I was wrong. Next time, I’ll definitely keep your bodyguards with me and never make you worry again, okay?”

After all, as long as she wanted to, she had plenty of ways to shake off these human monitors.

But on the surface, Empress Cheng showed sincere repentance.

She considerately lifted her head to rebutton the shirt that she had pulled open inside Xie Zhiqing’s suit jacket.

She knew Xie Zhiqing cared about these small details.

Xie Zhiqing looked down, watching the restraints that had been personally torn open now being fastened perfectly back on her.

For a moment, she felt like a dog who had been released from its leash and was now terrified of being abandoned.

Instead of longing for freedom, she voluntarily held the leash in her mouth, only feeling at ease when she saw it back in her owner’s hand.

And this illusion became even more pronounced when Cheng Shiyuan casually pulled a tie out of her pocket.

Noticing the cold and stiff person involuntarily bending down to cooperate, Cheng Shiyuan couldn’t help but curve her lips.

Realizing the big wolfdog’s mood had improved, she quickly took the opportunity:

“Actually, she did it for my own good. She heard I was going to the hospital for a cold and was worried something was wrong with my body, so she wanted to bring me here for a check-up.”

“Her methods were a bit extreme, but her intentions were good. Of course, I don’t like being forced to get a medical check-up like this—why don’t you come with me to talk to the doctor and cancel those tests so the results don’t come out?”

Xie Zhiqing narrowed her eyes.

Initially, she thought Cheng Shiyuan was incorrigible, daring to bring up another person to rub salt in the wound right in front of her.

But listening further, she realized something was wrong.

She suddenly let out a very soft laugh.

Her cold face, for a moment, melted like ice and bloomed with the warmth of spring.

Maintaining her lowered, eye-level gaze, she looked directly into the eyes of the person in the world who understood her best:

“Shiyuan.”

Her tone was playful, as if she had discovered something interesting in her youth and was about to share it with her:

“Have I ever told you…”

“…that whenever you’re feeling guilty around me, you get especially chatty?”

Cheng Shiyuan: “?”

She suddenly remembered that a simple blood test report usually comes out in five minutes.

Prioritizing the matter at hand, Cheng Shiyuan immediately dropped her playful facade.

She could only smile, pushing the neatly tied knot of the tie to the point of suffocating Xie Zhiqing, and blinked innocently: “Did I?”

Losing her patience, she let go of the tie and glanced away: “Anyway, I just don’t like people interfering with my wishes. If you’re not going with me, fine, I’ll go myself.”

Xie Zhiqing stood up straight again.

She placed a long finger on her collar, slightly loosening the overly tight tie.

It was only when Cheng Shiyuan turned to leave that she nonchalantly dropped a sentence:

“When I came in, I happened to run into the person taking your blood samples for testing. I’ve already had them stopped.”

Before Xie Zhiqing even finished her words, she saw the person who had been walking away without a second thought turn around and return to her with a smile.

Her eyes fluttering, as if she held great admiration and affection for her:

“I knew you were the best to me. What would I have done today without you, Xie Zhiqing?”

Xie Zhiqing was amused by how quickly she could change her expression.

Her dark eyes meticulously scanned the beautiful face. For a long while, she found no trace of deception.

But in her heart, she thought of Cheng Shiyuan’s many abnormalities since their abrupt reunion in the park.

For example, she was clearly extremely sensitive about topics related to life and death.

Yet she kept doing dangerous things, like deliberately provoking her ex-lovers one after another.

It was as if she was afraid of not dying fast enough, intentionally leading all of them to this show.

“An ordinary physical condition doesn’t seem to warrant others going to such great lengths to trick you into a check-up, does it?”

“Shiyuan, is it because your personal charm is so unique that you always attract people with extreme methods, or—”

“Are you hiding something from me?”

As the lingering question hung in the air, she saw Cheng Shiyuan’s pupils suddenly contract.

Seeing the other party take a deep breath in front of her, about to use her honeyed words again.

Xie Zhiqing cut her off mercilessly.

The smiling cold beauty had a more powerful presence than when she had a stern face, and she exuded a heart-stopping sense of danger.

“Think carefully before you answer.”

Xie Zhiqing stared into Cheng Shiyuan’s eyes as she warned her, then her gaze slid down to her soft and sweet red lips that were also the most skilled at seducing people.

She bent down. Their lips were almost a thin sheet of paper apart, but they never touched.

Their breaths exchanged, bringing a tingling warmth.

But every one of Xie Zhiqing’s words was like ice fresh from the deepest cold, soaked in frigidity.

“I’m not sending this blood report for testing for now because I trust you and want to hear you explain it yourself. But if you betray that trust and dare to lie to me again…”

Xie Zhiqing smiled.

Her voice was very light. It wasn’t an aggressive threat, but more like a kind warning, a final ultimatum:

“—Shiyuan, you’d better be able to fool me forever. Don’t let me find out.”