The Amnesiac Drama Queen Is Crashing the Live Stream - Chapter 23.2

Pei Luoqing played along perfectly, letting out a soft laugh. “I’m just afraid that if I miss this chance, it’ll be hard to get Her Highness to agree again.”

Xia Xingtang’s gaze lingered on Pei Luoqing, her emotions complex.

The originally spacious bed suddenly felt cramped.

Although they had been more intimate before, Xia Xingtang still wasn’t used to being this close to Pei Luoqing.

Especially since she didn’t want Pei Luoqing to notice the warmth creeping up from the base of her neck.

She instinctively leaned back, creating some distance.

But unexpectedly, Pei Luoqing leaned forward and closed the gap again, taking over Xia Xingtang’s task of rubbing her legs. She straightened the numb calf and placed it on her own knee, her expression turning slightly serious. “Don’t move. Let me massage it for you.”

The sunlight by the window cast a faint golden glow on her hair, softening her usually cool and aloof features.

She radiated a gentle warmth.

Xia Xingtang had been trying hard to hide the numbness in her leg, thinking she could just endure it.

But the moment Pei Luoqing took over, her resolve crumbled, and she suddenly didn’t want to endure it alone.

Her eyes, which had just returned to normal, began to sting again.

“It’s all your fault,” she said, her voice trailing off like a little hook, tugging at one’s heart.

Pei Luoqing chuckled softly. “Yes, it’s all my fault.”

“Of course it’s your fault,” Xia Xingtang replied, emboldened by the indulgence. “If you hadn’t come to Shili Fangfei, I wouldn’t have fallen into the water, and I wouldn’t have wasted my entire afternoon.”

Pei Luoqing’s fingers massaged her leg with just the right pressure, not too light, not too heavy.

Xia Xingtang thought to herself that Pei Luoqing was quite considerate, taking the initiative to speak up and spare her the embarrassment.

Besides, it was she who had been captivated by Pei Luoqing’s looks back at the hospital, and it was she who had been mesmerized by that beauty underwater.

What’s done is done, and the person is hers now.

Perfect.

Hearing this, Pei Luoqing laughed lightly and casually remarked, “There should be a banquet later. You haven’t accompanied me to such events since we got married. But now things are different. If you can walk, would you like to go down and take a look?”

Xia Xingtang was momentarily stunned before she realized that the “different” Pei Luoqing referred to was their current relationship.

But she hadn’t officially agreed yet, okay?

How could he just assume like that?

Couldn’t he ask one more time and let her say yes?

But after all, they had been married for three years. She decided not to be overly fussy about it.

Then, Pei Luoqing tactfully added, “So, may I sincerely invite Your Highness to attend with me?”

This time, Xia Xingtang’s carefully maintained composure finally crumbled, and her face flushed red bit by bit. She replied in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum, “Mm.”

Pei Luoqing reached out and ruffled Xia Xingtang’s hair with the hand that had just massaged her feet.

Infuriated, Xia Xingtang retaliated by kicking him hard with her calf.

It wasn’t too harsh, just like a little cat puffing up in anger.

Even when hurting someone, she remembered to retract her claws, leaving only the soft, pink paw pads.

With a few hours left before the evening banquet, Xia Xingtang, feeling too embarrassed, shooed Pei Luoqing out of the room.

Although they usually treated each other with respect, Pei Luoqing always gave her a sense of elusive detachment.

So, even after their intimate moment in the water, she still avoided addressing the issue.

After all, she had a delicate, crystal-like heart, being rejected would just be too awkward.

Locking the door and throwing herself onto the bed, Xia Xingtang rolled around fiercely a few times before finally snapping out of the joy of “being in a relationship.”

She secretly vowed to herself not to let Pei Luoqing get too smug, after all, dating could still lead to a breakup!

But now, there was something even more important: as Pei Luoqing’s partner, this would be her first time attending a business banquet. Out in the suburbs, she couldn’t even dress up properly, and Pei Luoqing hadn’t mentioned anything about outfits or styling…

Xia Xingtang felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head. Deflated and listless, she suddenly didn’t feel like going downstairs anymore.

Just then, a WeChat notification popped up on her tablet’s home screen.

Xia Xingtang pouted, initially not wanting to respond, but the sender seemed relentless, sending several more messages in a row.

Curious to see who was so unlucky as to invite a scolding at a time like this, she saw that it was none other than her “scapegoat” sister, Xia Qingyue, who had sent:

[Voice message: 60”]

[Voice message: 42”]

[Voice message: 57”]

[Voice message: 53”]

Xia Xingtang: Suddenly, I’ve lost all desire to listen.

She simply initiated a video call instead. Xia Qingyue answered, but all that was visible was a tense chin.

Immediately afterward, a torrent of scolding could be heard.

From the relentless stream of reprimands, Xia Xingtang roughly deduced the identities of those being yelled at, likely the black-suited bodyguards Xia Qingyue had sent to chauffeur her.

Seriously? Just because she fell into the water, so many people got implicated?

Once Xia Qingyue had finished venting, she turned back to the camera with a gentle, concerned smile.

Her face-changing skills were so swift they could be considered a national treasure.

“Tangtang, how are you feeling now? I heard the doctor has already been by. Are you still feeling unwell? A family doctor can only do so much. How about I take you to the hospital for a full check-up, okay?”

Xia Qingyue’s concern seemed entirely genuine, making Xia Xingtang feel a bit embarrassed in return. “I’m fine, sis.”

“It’s all my fault. I was also invited to that summit. If I had gone with you, I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you.” Xia Qingyue set a few documents aside. “Should I come over to see you now?”

“No… no need, sis. I’m really fine now.” Xia Xingtang grew increasingly embarrassed by the conversation.

Driving into the lake on such a large lawn, it was truly humiliating to even mention.

Pei Luoqing had promised to retrieve the car discreetly, but if Xia Qingyue made a special trip over, the incident would surely become impossible to conceal.

She still had her pride.

On the other end of the video call, Xia Qingyue sighed. “It’s because I didn’t want to bother attending. Don’t be mad at me, Tangtang. I remember Porsche held a launch event recently, right? I’ll help you get one in the next couple of days, okay?”

Hmm, a limited-edition sports car with a market price of 60 million.

“You were frightened by the fall into the water, but Tangtang, swimming is an essential survival skill. You mentioned before that you wanted a yacht, didn’t you? Once you learn how to swim, I’ll bid on the Ocean 370 for you, okay?”

Oh, the private yacht on display at the auction house, with a starting bid of 120 million.

“Sis!” Xia Xingtang pinched her thigh hard. The tears she had held back for so long in front of Pei Luoqing finally welled up, trembling on the brink of falling.

She choked back a sob. “When I was in the water earlier, I really thought I was going to die, that I’d never see you again, wuuu…”

“I was so scared, sis. I missed you so much!”

“You’re the best, sis!”

What use was pride? Wasn’t it normal to be terrified after falling into the water?

Xia Xingtang continued to pinch her thigh, making her expression even more genuine and heartfelt.

The world at twenty-three was terrifying.

And being wealthy at twenty-three was even more terrifying.

Seizing the opportunity, Xia Xingtang tearfully mentioned that she still had to attend a banquet later.

Xia Qingyue promptly took care of her styling arrangements with a wave of her hand.

“One who eats another’s food is softened; one who takes another’s gifts is weakened.”

Xia Xingtang chatted with Xia Qingyue for a long while, fully satisfying her sister’s doting instincts and soothing every last one of her nerves.

In the end, Xia Qingyue hung up the phone feeling refreshed and invigorated.

Xia Xingtang felt she could practically publish a guide titled “108 Ways to Pamper Your Sister.”

Xia Qingyue was highly efficient. Almost as soon as she hung up, she contacted the necessary people. In less than half an hour, there was a knock on the presidential suite’s door.

Xia Xingtang glanced at her now-composed expression and shuffled over in her slippers to open the bedroom door.

Pei Luoqing, having heard the knocking as well, emerged from another room.

She studied the little princess, whose eyes and brows radiated delight, and asked, “Did you call for someone?”

“Yeah.” Just as Xia Xingtang was about to open the main door, her wrist was grabbed from behind. She turned back in confusion. “What?”

Pei Luoqing’s gaze drifted downward as she reached out to carefully adjust Xia Xingtang’s clothes. Xia Xingtang could clearly count Pei Luoqing’s eyelashes and see her own reflection in those eyes.

The shared scent of their shower gel intertwined and lingered in the air, making her slightly dazed.

It wasn’t until Pei Luoqing spoke that her thoughts returned: “All done.”

“Mm, thanks.”

Xia Xingtang motioned for Pei Luoqing to step aside and opened the door.

At the entrance of the presidential suite, a team of over a dozen stylists carrying bags and suitcases suddenly appeared. They filed in with practiced efficiency, followed by a row of brand-new custom-made gowns.

Pei Luoqing asked, “What is this?”

The Second Miss Xia lifted her chin and strode confidently to the center sofa, sitting down with her hands resting on either side.

The spot was perfectly lit, offering a clear view.

From Pei Luoqing’s perspective, the collar of the young lady’s dress, which had just been adjusted, had slipped slightly again. Beneath her slender, fair neck, strands of her hair swayed gently in the breeze from the window.

Her long, delicate fingers casually picked a cherry from the coffee table. She took a bite, and the rich juice instantly filled her mouth, leaving a faint red stain on her lips.

Her smiling, peach-blossom eyes glanced over with a subtle allure, captivating without a single word, like a tempting piece of candy.

She replied matter-of-factly, “Do you even need to ask? Of course, I’m here to back you up.”