She Became The Black Lotus’s Pure, Untouchable Love - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The scenery outside the window retreated in a blur of lush green as the white Rapide sped from the desolate suburbs straight into the heart of the city.

Before them loomed a skyscraper topped with a massive neon sign—a cyberpunk-style advertisement for a game center.

Ning Xiangxiang stole a glance at Huo Xingyu, who was calmly turning the steering wheel and reversing into a parking spot. To think that Fourth Miss Huo—the woman who usually only frequented galas and high-end auctions—had actually been successfully “kidnapped” by her into an arcade.

Regarding Huo Xingyu’s reputation for being a woman of her word, Xiangxiang used to think it only applied to her meticulous score-settling and petty vengeance. She hadn’t expected that when Huo Xingyu said she’d take her out to play, she actually meant it.

Even more surprising was that after telling Xiangxiang to pick the place, Huo Xingyu hadn’t complained once—though her expression was as dark as the sky before a blizzard. The car’s audio was no longer playing that emotional radio station, but was instead looping a familiar old song.

Ning Xiangxiang had chosen this place after careful consideration. It was in the city center, very close to her meeting spot with Aunt Chen. If she accidentally provoked the temperamental Fourth Miss, she wouldn’t be stranded.

Most importantly, given Huo Xingyu’s usual lifestyle, she was bound to be uncomfortable here. One of the things Huo Xingyu hated most was noise. By bringing her here, Xiangxiang wasn’t just subtly lowering her “impression points” in Huo’s eyes—she was betting that Huo Xingyu wouldn’t be able to stand it. Within minutes, she’d surely deem it a waste of time and speed away.

Two birds, one stone, Xiangxiang praised her own brilliant plan.

The Rapide cut its engine. Huo Xingyu stepped out with her long legs and, moments later, appeared at the passenger door with the wheelchair ready. She pulled the door open with fluid, natural grace, propping one hand on the seat and wrapping the other around Xiangxiang’s slender waist.

The warmth of her neck and that faint, familiar cold fragrance mixed together. Up close, the proximity felt scorching. Facing such intimacy, Xiangxiang instinctively tried to shrink back, as if Huo Xingyu’s heat might actually burn her.

Huo Xingyu held her firmly, applying just enough strength to move her steadily into the wheelchair. Seeing a corner of the silk dress hitch up during the transfer, revealing a glimpse of pale skin on the inner thigh, Huo Xingyu reached out. Her slender fingertips lightly brushed against Xiangxiang’s skin as she smoothed the fabric down.

Only after fixing the dress did she begin pushing her toward the elevators.

Xiangxiang was unsettled by this sudden attentiveness. This wasn’t the Huo Xingyu she had known for ten years. Tucking in someone’s dress? Helping someone out of a car? These behaviors shouldn’t exist in her repertoire.

And her frequent appearances lately… those ambiguous words she couldn’t quite decipher.  If you want to know something, ask me directly. Don’t look at rumors. I’ll take you out to play. 

Was this really the cold-faced woman who usually scrutinized people with sharp eyes and said, “Who do you think you are? Don’t waste my time”?

This Black Lotus is wrong. Very wrong.

A bizarre theory flashed through Xiangxiang’s mind. Huo Xingyu couldn’t be… interested in me, could she? Did she actually like rebellious girls who rubbed her the wrong way and danced on her nerves?? After all, being gentle and obedient in her past life never got her this kind of treatment. In this life, she was setting off firecrackers in Huo’s minefield, and in return, she was getting “tender care”?

Xiangxiang fell silent. Was the reason Huo Xingyu had no interest in love all these years simply because no one had dared to annoy her before? The thought made her skin crawl.

They stepped out of the elevator into the game center. Heavy blackout curtains blocked the natural light, leaving the spacious room illuminated only by chaotic, neon mood lighting. Intense rhythms blared from the speakers, a mix of background music and game sound effects. It was so loud you could hardly hear yourself speak.

Looking at the neon-lit dark room, Xiangxiang peeked back at Huo Xingyu. The woman’s face was visibly grim.

Since rubbing her the wrong way gets a weirdly positive response, maybe I should try being nice? Xiangxiang thought. Maybe she only finds submissiveness boring?

Just as she was about to launch into the “gentle and sweet” performance she had perfected over ten years, the wheelchair moved.

Huo Xingyu carried a natural aura of authority. Her cold, exquisite face, her high-end dress hugging her tall curves, her wealth, IQ, and ruthlessness—everything about her made everyone else a mere accessory. With the grim determination of a soldier heading to the front lines (or a CEO heading to the New York Stock Exchange), Huo Xingyu pushed her into the arcade.

Seeing the elite-looking Huo Xingyu, in her black pencil skirt and swaying hips, walking back through the “thump-thump” of the techno music while carrying a massive basket of game tokens, Xiangxiang felt a mental disconnect. The contrast between Huo’s temperament and this place was so jarring that people were constantly turning to whisper.

Huo shoved the full basket into Xiangxiang’s hands. Her narrow phoenix eyes scanned the room. “I heard the prize is a bear. Where do we start? Are you familiar with this?”

Xiangxiang nodded. Familiar? I’m an expert. Before being brought back to the Ning family, she was just an ordinary girl. She knew arcades inside out. Usually, these places had a “clearance mode”—reach a certain score in every game, and you’d win a human-sized pink bear.

But seeing Huo Xingyu looking like a fish out of water, Xiangxiang pointed to the dart boards. “Let’s do darts.”

Darts were difficult, so they didn’t cost much, and if you were good, you could actually win tokens back. It was perfect for a “newbie” like Huo Xingyu.

After Huo returned with a handful of darts, Xiangxiang explained: “The numbers are the points. The outer ring is double, and that small inner ring is triple. Hitting the triple 20 is the best.”

As soon as she finished, Huo Xingyu picked up a dart, aimed with a flick of her wrist, and let fly.

The red-feathered dart thudded firmly into the tiny red ring under the 20. The display flashed “60,” and the machine spat out two tokens.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Xiangxiang’s eyes lit up. “Just like that! Keep it up! Let’s get that bear!”

“You want the bear that much…?”

“Of course! Who comes to an arcade and doesn’t want a stuffed animal!”

As Huo’s darts continued to land in the triple-20 ring with mechanical precision, the excitement on Xiangxiang’s face slowly froze. Looking at the mountain of tokens spitting out of the machine, she sank into thought.

Unfamiliar? This is “God-tier Mastery.” She started to wonder if Huo Xingyu was blessed by the God of Wealth. Who comes to an arcade and actually makes a profit??

“I didn’t realize you were so good at this,” Xiangxiang admitted.

Huo glanced at her. “I’m the record holder for the 12-year-old bracket of the National Youth Darts Competition. I didn’t mention it earlier because I am humble.”

“Uh…” Seeing the smugness on that arrogant face, Xiangxiang fell silent. If humans had tails, Huo’s would be wagging so hard it would hit the ceiling.

“Next? What do you want to play?” Huo threw the last dart and turned back.

“King of Fighters.”

Xiangxiang cracked her knuckles. It had been years, but online fighting games were her specialty. She smiled and opened two machines. Secretly beating up a ‘chicken’ in a game is one thing, but beating up her avatar to her face? That’s catharsis.

She was eager to see Huo’s defeated expression. But as she turned to invite her, she saw Huo looking at her buzzing phone. Huo saw her expectant gaze and said, “I have to take this. Don’t wander off.”

Xiangxiang waited, switching through characters on the screen as the neon lights spun. Suddenly, a voice came from behind.

“A round?”

Xiangxiang blinked and saw someone sit down in Huo Xingyu’s seat. It was a girl with a sharp mullet, smiling at her with sickly pale skin and a full-sleeve tattoo extending to her fingers.

Xiangxiang looked toward the door where Huo was still on the phone and nodded. “Sure. Just one round.”

The two fought intensely for a while. Finally, Xiangxiang found an opening, landing a brutal combo that ended in a K.O. She smirked proudly. “How was that?”

“Not bad. Not many in this arcade can beat me. Again—” The mullet girl’s voice trailed off. Her gaze shifted past Xiangxiang, and her entire aura changed instantly. Like a wild leopard sensing a predator, she straightened up.

“Yo? If it isn’t Huo Xingyu?” she laughed, looking at the figure behind Xiangxiang. “I wondered why it suddenly felt so chilly. It’s a miracle to see Fourth Miss Huo in a place like this.”

Xiangxiang turned around and froze. There stood Huo Xingyu, radiating a “do not approach” aura, her face icy, holding a massive pink stuffed bear.

Huo’s eyes were murderous as she stared at the girl. “It seems you’re just physically weak, Chi Jing, if you feel a ‘chill’ on a day this hot.”

Chi Jing gritted her teeth, feigning a relaxed smile. She pointed at Xiangxiang. “Is this your girlfriend?”

“No.”

“Oh? Then perfect. She’s just my type. Since you don’t want her, why don’t you lend her to me for a bit?”

Chi Jing reached out a tattooed hand toward Xiangxiang’s shoulder, but Huo Xingyu caught her wrist mid-air. The tension was electric.

Huo Xingyu leaned down, pulling Xiangxiang toward her like a lion guarding its territory. Her red lips curled as she spoke:

“She’s my fiancée.”