Scummy Alpha CEO Keeps Courting Death [Transmigration into a Book] - Chapter 18

After dinner, Chu Liruo belatedly noticed the changes in the room.

“Your bed…?” Chu Liruo pointed to the empty space by the window where the bed should have been.

“My bed was moved over there,” Lu Xibie gestured for Chu Liruo to see.

The bed was now placed against the wall of the inner room. Without that wall, the two beds would have been right next to each other.

This was entirely to satisfy Lu Xibie’s own selfish desire, but she still sought Chu Liruo’s opinion: “Is it okay if I put the bed there? If you don’t want me to, I’ll move it back.”

Chu Liruo didn’t know why Lu Xibie did this, but the action didn’t bother her, so she went along with it: “It’s fine, leave it there. Is that convenient for you?”

“It is,” Lu Xibie’s eyebrows slightly curved up after getting Chu Liruo’s approval.

This meant she could get a good night’s sleep every night.

“Are you happy too?” Chu Liruo blinked at Lu Xibie.

Lu Xibie: “Yeah.”

Chu Liruo: “What are you happy about?”

Lu Xibie thought for a moment: “I can sleep well.”

“Mm,” Chu Liruo nodded thoughtfully: “You’ve got a point.”

She could also get a good night’s sleep from now on.

The days passed in an orderly fashion, and a month flew by.

Lu Xibie and Chu Liruo went to the holographic training room every day. Yan Feikun repeatedly mentioned Chu Liruo as a new role model in his classes.

The post titled [How to Get Dan Ruojing’s Attention] gradually sank to the bottom.

The post titled [Little Tyrant Lu Xibie and Her Wife’s Affection Archive] received new updates daily, with photos, videos, and holographic images captured by students who ran into Lu Xibie and Chu Liruo.

Unlike what everyone thought was a loving relationship, Lu Xibie felt that Chu Liruo probably only saw her as a decent friend right now, or maybe not even that.

Thinking about Chu Liruo’s experiences in the novel, this kind of relationship wasn’t bad.

The Golden House had been quiet for almost a month without giving new plot points, but since she was by Chu Liruo’s side every day, the time wasn’t difficult to bear. The idiotic voice in her head, while still appearing from time to time, no longer affected her life.

Lu Xibie finally waited for the day the arena opened to first-years.

Sometimes, her life at the Zhigu Military Academy made her feel like she was a part of it, taking classes with the other A-Class Talent students and watching the lively Chu Liruo every day.

But whenever she recalled the figures around her pausing in time when she spoke to the Golden House, she was reminded again of what kind of world this originally was, and an unavoidable sense of detachment would occur.

“First-year, Lu Xibie, signed up.”

“Number 267.”

Lu Xibie took the glowing plaque from the teacher at the arena’s outer window, undid the swivel clasp, and affixed it to her chest.

Chu Liruo had a class today, so Lu Xibie messaged her on her optical brain and came alone.

The arena was a brilliant blue barrel-shaped building. In the sunlight, the outer glass curtain wall showed a dreamy color, like a giant blue crystal gem. Floating elevators inside constantly shuttled, transporting students to various floors for challenges.

The automatic glass door opened in front of Lu Xibie. She entered the first floor of the arena, the only floor her first-year clearance allowed her to access.

“It’s the first day the arena is open to first-years. Who will be the first to appear on the scoreboard?”

“Why even ask?”

“Dan Ruojing! No one in the first-year class has broken her record in the holographic training room yet.”

…

Pushing open the wooden door to the first floor, a wave of noise flooded Lu Xibie’s ears. She looked down at the plaque on her chest and found her waiting area.

The brown cubicles were arranged like a bar. The transparent grids on the wall were neatly lined with various recovery agents, but the prices in points were marked below each grid.

“Lu Xibie?!”

Lu Xibie sat down on a red leather chair and looked in the direction of the voice.

Shang Le’an, who was standing next to Dan Ruojing, was swinging a silver chain in his right hand, making an oval shape in the air.

Lu Xibie looked up: “Something wrong?”

Her gaze stayed on Shang Le’an, ignoring Dan Ruojing standing next to him.

Shang Le’an turned his head to look at Dan Ruojing. He still remembered what she had said in the holographic training room.

But the way she was staring straight at Lu Xibie didn’t seem like she was uninterested at all.

“Ahem,” Shang Le’an glanced at Dan Ruojing again and said to Lu Xibie: “Nothing.”

Then he looked at the plaque on his chest and said to Dan Ruojing, who was still looking at Lu Xibie, “Let’s go over there.”

He then walked ahead toward a cubicle on the right.

Dan Ruojing’s eyelashes fluttered: “Something’s wrong.”

Lu Xibie tilted her head slightly and watched as Dan Ruojing sat down across from her.

Dan Ruojing: “Is anyone here?”

Lu Xibie: “Yes.”

Dan Ruojing’s lips curled into a smile: “You don’t welcome me?”

Lu Xibie pointed at the sign on the glass partition of the cubicle: “Seating is according to the number on the plaque. Someone is indeed supposed to be where you’re sitting.”

Dan Ruojing: “So you do welcome me?”

Her voice was as vibrant as liquid sloshing in a wine bottle.

Lu Xibie looked at Dan Ruojing expressionlessly. She began to doubt her memory.

In The Omega’s Path to Evolution, shouldn’t Dan Ruojing not remember a person like Lu Xibie at all? Why was she now actively sitting across from her and saying all sorts of strange things?

Was she already coveting Chu Liruo’s talent from this point on?

Lu Xibie’s eyes narrowed slightly: “Miss Dan, you should take your assigned seat.”

Shang Le’an sat down according to his plaque number and then realized Dan Ruojing hadn’t followed, so he went back out to look for her.

Dan Ruojing: “Nobody’s come for the seat across from you yet, have they?”

Lu Xibie looked at Dan Ruojing, then lowered her head and slightly shrugged.

“Why are you sitting here? Our seats are over there,” Shang Le’an said to Dan Ruojing from the doorway of the cubicle.

Dan Ruojing looked at the silent Lu Xibie with her head down: “I just wanted to sit here.”

“But you’re…” Shang Le’an blurted out, but fell silent when Dan Ruojing turned her gaze to him.

Shang Le’an’s burly figure blocked the cubicle doorway completely.

Fragrant—So fragrant.

She—her.

After parting ways with Chu Liruo, the voices in her head had grown more and more intense, reaching a peak when Dan Ruojing sat across from Lu Xibie.

Chaotic, noisy voices fought in her head. A spicy, rich scent spread through the air.

Lu Xibie looked up at Dan Ruojing, finding it difficult to connect this smell with the one described in the novel.

Because they had merged with mutated creatures, the pheromones of Abnormals weren’t as intense as those with talent skills. But in The Omega’s Path to Evolution, Dan Ruojing’s scent was unforgettable, a pure, refreshing fragrance.

Fragrant—I like it.

Lu Xibie gently rubbed her temples. Fragrant?

Or was there something wrong with her sense of smell?

Dan Ruojing watched Lu Xibie gently sniff. After merging with her Mandrake mutated creature, a strange fragrance lingered around her, which could unknowingly charm others and make them long for her.

Dan Ruojing: “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Lu Xibie took another sniff and shook her head. She remembered the smell was different the last time she saw Dan Ruojing, after the Elemental Summoning class.

A pale blue light screen appeared before Lu Xibie’s eyes, and the mechanical voice of the Golden House was heard in her ears again.

“Plot Point Five has been activated. You must lose to Dan Ruojing in the arena duel. Reward: 100 Evolution Points.”

A light purple screen appeared with it.

“Lu Xibie, who dazzled in the arena and rendered several opponents helpless, surrendered after learning her next opponent was Dan Ruojing, and directly confessed her love…”

Lu Xibie’s eyebrows slightly furrowed as she looked at the text on the screen. She ran a hand through the ends of her hair. How come she didn’t remember this plot in The Omega’s Path to Evolution?

The original “Lu Xibie” had never even been to the arena.

Had the plot changed???

As Lu Xibie was struggling, she lost a small amount of control over her body and leaned forward. When she came back to her senses, Dan Ruojing’s face was very close.

She had a pair of eyes like brilliant gems, with a faint pink haze that made one want to get lost in them. Lu Xibie’s body jerked back, putting distance between herself and Dan Ruojing.

Dan Ruojing lightly licked her lips, a playful expression on her face: “I’m not a mutated creature, why such a big reaction?”

Almost—just—a—little.

She—her.

…

The close proximity to Dan Ruojing had likely caused the “Lu Xibie” in her mind to riot. Lu Xibie had to use all her mental energy, gripping the leather chair tightly to hold herself in place. Her throat bobbed, and she didn’t answer Dan Ruojing.

Seeing Lu Xibie’s expression, the curve of Dan Ruojing’s lips deepened. Was this self-restraint after marriage, or a feigned disinterest for a long-held infatuation?

“We…” Shang Le’an couldn’t help but speak. In the past, Lu Xibie used to cling to Miss Dan every day, but Miss Dan never gave her a second glance. So what was going on now?

Dan Ruojing’s smile didn’t fade. She looked at Shang Le’an and placed her index finger on her lips: “Shhh—”

“…Excuse me, student.” Zhao Qingqi carefully checked the number on her chest plaque, then poked Shang Le’an’s waist.

Shang Le’an turned around and saw Zhao Qingqi in a sailor suit: “Hmm?”

Zhao Qingqi was completely shrouded in Shang Le’an’s shadow. She carefully pointed to the inside of the cubicle: “I… I’m supposed to be in here.”

Shang Le’an looked at the Omega, who looked like she was about to cry from just talking, and moved aside from the cubicle doorway.

Zhao Qingqi hesitantly walked into the cubicle, staring at Dan Ruojing.

In just one month since the school year started, Dan Ruojing’s name was known to every first-year at Zhigu Military Academy.

Lu Xibie looked at Zhao Qingqi walking in: “Your seat is here.”

Due to her efforts to restrain her body’s movements, her voice was slightly unsteady, like a bronze bell struck by raindrops.

Dan Ruojing stared at Lu Xibie’s eyes. The corners of those cold eyes were now tinged with red.

Does she really not like me anymore?

Zhao Qingqi nodded woodenly in agreement: “…Right, right.”

Lu Xibie: “She’s here. You should go to your seat.”

Dan Ruojing looked at Lu Xibie: “Are you chasing me away?”

Shang Le’an’s eyebrows jumped, and a look of shock crossed his eyes. In all his time following Dan Ruojing, he had never heard her speak to anyone like this.

“Beep, beep, beep—”

The plaque on her chest let out a loud sound, informing the participants that they should follow the guide to the arena.

Hearing the sound from the plaque, Lu Xibie was as if she had received a great pardon. She quickly stood up, threw out a “It’s my turn,” and walked out of the cubicle.

Dan Ruojing looked in the direction Lu Xibie left: “Running away, are we?”

Zhao Qingqi stood in place, clutching the strap of her backpack, and pursed her lips.

Shang Le’an spoke again: “Let’s…”

“Let’s go.” Dan Ruojing stood up and smiled at Zhao Qingqi, nodding: “Sorry about that, for sitting in your spot for a bit.”

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing, please, sit,” Zhao Qingqi made a gesture with her hand.

“Thank you,” Dan Ruojing smiled sweetly and held Zhao Qingqi’s hand.

“You’re welcome, you’re welcome,” Zhao Qingqi shook her head.

The arena was a square area enclosed by a protective barrier. Lu Xibie followed the guide from the right-side tunnel.

After leaving Dan Ruojing, the turmoil in Lu Xibie’s mind eased significantly, but she had become accustomed to the “quiet” she felt when Chu Liruo was around, and she began to feel irritable.

“First-year, Talent-Skills Department, Lu Xibie, number 267.”

“Vs—”

“First-year, Talent-Skills Department, Ren Feicheng, number 158.”

“Both sides, prepare!”

The broadcast sound echoed above the arena. There were many first-year, second-year, and third-year spectators in the stands, making a lot of noise.

“3!”

“2!”

“1!”

A circle of ice spikes instantly enveloped Ren Feicheng and flew toward Lu Xibie.

Lu Xibie stood her ground, neither dodging nor avoiding. Her eyebrows were tightly furrowed as she recalled the recent plot summary.

…rendered several opponents helpless, that meant she would win all her matches before meeting Dan Ruojing…

But she had come to the arena to end all of this—

Realizing this, Lu Xibie felt a momentary frustration.

Not even the arena would work?

“Why isn’t she moving?”

“What about her skill?”

“Pfft, you…” Zhu Xiaotao bit a piece of pig trotters and explained to the person next to her: “Her skill is a passive defense. It doesn’t need to be activated at all.”

…

“Passive defense?”

“Yeah, Lu Xibie! You know Lu Xibie, right?”

“The one from the ‘Affection Archive’ post?”

“Huh?” Zhu Xiaotao took a bite of her pig trotters. It seemed she hadn’t checked the school forum in a while.

“Bang—”

A shocking impact sound resonated in the arena. The dust settled, and Lu Xibie stood perfectly fine in the same spot.

She frowned and folded her arms, as if she were dissatisfied with the force of Ren Feicheng’s attack.

Having failed on the first strike, Ren Feicheng shouted. Layer after layer of ice spikes covered his hands, making him look like a giant ice ball from afar.

“This is useless for him!” Zhu Xiaotao said in between chewing on the pig trotters.

“Ren Feicheng is one of the top students in the first-year Talent-Skills Department. He’s in the top ten for A-rank completions in the holographic training room.”

“Lu Xibie’s skill…” Zhu Xiaotao recalled the scene of her battle with Lu Xibie, then shrugged and shook her head.

“Bang—”

After another violent impact, Lu Xibie was still standing in the same spot. She looked at Ren Feicheng impatiently: “Are you even trying?”

Provocation!

This was absolutely provocation!

Two gigantic snow peaks appeared in Ren Feicheng’s hands. He jumped high and smashed them forcefully toward Lu Xibie.

The snow peaks crumbled like poorly constructed tofu, causing a heavy snowfall that covered the arena.

Lu Xibie reached up and scratched the back of her head: “Did you not eat?”

Why couldn’t he put more force into it?

“How arrogant!”

“This is way too arrogant!”

“First she asks if he’s trying, now she asks if he’s eaten.”

“If I were Ren Feicheng, I’d be furious! I’d definitely be furious!”

“Ugh!!!” As one of the top ten A-rank completers in the holographic training room, Ren Feicheng had never been spoken to like this. He leaped up furiously, wildly activating his Core. A giant phantom appeared behind him, a white eagle. With its augmentation, the snow in Ren Feicheng’s hands became sharp and tough, finally converging into a sword as white as snow.

“Eagle-Snow Strike!” Ren Feicheng roared and descended from the sky.

The snow sword, which contained all his power, broke into several pieces, like an icicle hitting a hard object.

“Incredible!”

“Lu Xibie’s skill is incredible!”

“No wonder she said that to Ren Feicheng.”

“She’s been standing in the same spot the whole time, without moving an inch!”

…

“Ren Feicheng can’t even break her passive defense.”

Lu Xibie meant no harm. After being separated from Chu Liruo, the voices in her head were tormenting her nerves like a storm. She just wanted to end all of this quickly, which was why she asked if he was trying and kindly cared about whether he had eaten. If he hadn’t, he should eat more so he would have the strength to try again.

Each participant in the competition had one chance to call a timeout to replenish their supplements.

Lu Xibie looked at Ren Feicheng, who was heavily panting. She walked up to him and asked: “Can you still go on? Do you have any strength left?”

“Haaah—”

“Huuuh—”

Ren Feicheng’s heavy breathing instantly turned into a howling blizzard. Various snowballs assailed Lu Xibie’s face.

“Ren Feicheng is furious!”

“You can’t blame Ren Feicheng; Lu Xibie is clearly provoking him!”

“I’ve never seen a blizzard of this intensity even from inside the protected area!”

…

Lu Xibie subconsciously closed her eyes. Besides hearing the wind and snow whistling past her ears, she didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary, not even the slight coolness of snowflakes on her skin.

“Whoa—”

“It’s completely useless.”

“Lu Xibie is still standing there. At such a close distance, she hasn’t changed at all.”

“That’s not completely true. I just saw a layer of light appear naturally around her, blocking all the attacks.”

…

“How come I didn’t see anything?”

“My skill is ‘Eagle Eye’.”

“No wonder!”

Ren Feicheng looked at Lu Xibie, who was less than a meter away from him. He could have just thrown a punch and bruised her face, but despite using almost all his strength, she looked the same as she did before entering the arena, not even a single hair out of place.

“Are you tired?” Lu Xibie asked with a concerned frown.

Hit—hit—

Hit him—

The “Lu Xibie” in her mind was screaming, and her fists were itching, as if they wanted to perform an act of violent aesthetics. But Lu Xibie suppressed this impulse, looking at Ren Feicheng with a hopeful thought.

What if—

What if someone in the arena could break her absolute defense?

Ren Feicheng felt his internal energy draining and looked warily at Lu Xibie: “What do you mean?”

“Do you want to call a timeout and get some supplements?” Lu Xibie reminded him.

Ren Feicheng looked at Lu Xibie, sensing a bit of impatience from her tightly furrowed brows: “I may not be as skilled, but you don’t need to humiliate me like this!”

Ren Feicheng raised his right hand and made a fist, signaling to the referee in the middle of the arena: “I forfeit.”

“No, don’t,” Lu Xibie took a few steps forward: “I wasn’t humiliating you.”