The Cold Heroine Turned Into a Yandere After Being - Chapter 11

A Chaotic Kiss

Once inside the car, Mo Zhu tossed her rain-dampened coat aside and handed a dry towel to Ji Shubai.

“Dry yourself off.”

Ji Shubai had been standing close to the edge of the shelter earlier; her trouser legs were splattered with raindrops.

“Thank you.” She took the towel and pressed it against the damp fabric.

The car’s heater filled the space, and Mo Zhu noticed the color slowly returning to Ji Shubai’s pale lips.

“How did you happen to be here today?”

Mo Zhu delivered her rehearsed line smoothly. “I was just passing by.”

Ji Shubai turned to look at her, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Mo Zhu leaned her head against the window, her peach-blossom eyes fixed on the other woman with blatant, mock sincerity. “Really. If I’m lying, I’m a puppy.”

The professional driver remained silent, focused on the road. Outside, the streetlights blurred into fluid streaks of light against the rain-streaked glass.

Ji Shubai’s fingers mindlessly traced the embroidery on the towel. She looked away just before Mo Zhu finished her sentence.

Watching her profile, Mo Zhu’s thoughts began to drift. Sensing the gaze, Ji Shubai’s movements originally quite natural, seemed to slow down.

“Aren’t you going to ask me why I was here?”

The corners of Mo Zhu’s lips curved into a shallow arc. “It’s pouring, and you didn’t have an umbrella. Naturally, you were taking cover from the rain.”

It was an unexpected answer, but because it came from Mo Zhu, Ji Shubai found it strangely logical. A faint, almost absurd smile flickered in her eyes.

“Did I guess wrong?” Mo Zhu added.

Ji Shubai looked down and gave a soft hum of affirmation. “I was taking cover.”

The car fell silent, the only sound being the muffled rhythmic tapping of rain against the roof. The atmosphere invited lethargy, and Mo Zhu, who hadn’t slept well the night before, felt a wave of exhaustion hit her.

Still, she forced herself to speak. “You haven’t had dinner yet, right? I made a reservation at a restaurant Assistant Xiang recommended.”

Ji Shubai had no appetite, but she didn’t refuse.

The rain had snarled the traffic, stretching the commute. By the time they reached the restaurant, it was nearly nine o’clock. Inside, the lighting was soft, and the air carried a delicate fragrance. They were led to their seats by a waiter.

As they sat down, Mo Zhu noticed Ji Shubai’s gaze flicker briefly toward something behind her. Her expression faltered for a fraction of a second before she lowered her eyes to the menu.

“Would you like some wine?” Mo Zhu asked casually.

“Sure.”

This made Mo Zhu blink in surprise. She had only asked because she wanted a drink herself; she hadn’t expected Ji Shubai to agree.

“Are you surprised?” Ji Shubai caught the look on her face.

Mo Zhu propped her chin on her hand, her posture relaxed to the point of being improper. “A little. I always pictured Miss Ji as someone who lived on morning dew and moonlight, rather than wine.”

Ji Shubai’s lips twitched slightly. “President Mo, I am just a normal person.”

While waiting for their food, Mo Zhu searched for topics to keep the conversation going.

“Have you found anything difficult to adjust to since moving in?”

“No.”

“How are things at your university?” Mo Zhu asked, feigning ignorance about the fact that Ji Shubai had already suspended her studies.

Ji Shubai paused. “I just finalized my leave of absence.”

“That’s good. You can take this time to rest. You might find yourself in a better state of mind when you return,” Mo Zhu remarked.

To Ji Shubai, these words felt almost laughable. However, she said nothing, merely playing along with the young heiress’s narrative.

“By the way, the study at home isn’t locked. You can use it whenever you like. There’s a storage room next to it—would you like me to knock the wall down and turn it into a small studio for you?”

Mo Zhu knew that her design work required a lot of sketching.

“There’s no need for that much trouble. Right now,” Ji Shubai hesitated for a second, “I don’t have the time.”

The conversation was largely a monologue by Mo Zhu, with Ji Shubai providing only sparse responses. Mo Zhu thought to herself that no one played the role of a “Gold Master” quite as charitably as she did.

Fortunately, the main course arrived, putting an end to their one-sided chat.

Ji Shubai ate quietly, her slow, deliberate movements reflecting a refined upbringing. Mo Zhu recalled that before these tragedies struck, Ji Shubai’s life had been free and comfortable. Her biological father might not have acknowledged her, but he never let them lack for money, and her mother had managed to grow those funds through investments.

Halfway through the meal, Mo Zhu heard the sound of a chair being pushed back behind her. A moment later, Ji Shubai set down her cutlery and excused herself to the restroom.

The smile vanished from Mo Zhu’s face the moment Ji Shubai was out of sight. She watched as Ji Shubai walked toward the back, following a slightly older figure.

“Who is that?”

That’s the university mentor who introduced the female lead to that party, Xiao Ta replied.

Mo Zhu had never met the person, but she knew this mentor held Ji Shubai in high regard. After the rumors of the “arrangement” between her and Ji Shubai spread, the mentor had been deeply disappointed. Bringing her here today had been a whim, so meeting the professor was an unfortunate coincidence.

Are you going to help her?

Mo Zhu remained silent for a long while. “No.”

Her appetite was gone. She kept a watchful eye on the direction Ji Shubai had gone, eventually standing up and heading toward the restroom herself.

“I know you are having difficulties, but what kind of trouble could possibly drive you to trample on your own dignity like this?”

“Shubai, you are talented and hardworking. You could have been the brightest star in jewelry design on your own merit. Why did you choose such a shortcut?”

Mo Zhu arrived just in time to catch the tail end of the lecture.

“I’m sorry, Professor. I let you down,” Ji Shubai’s voice sounded muffled and heavy.

“If you know that, then stop this madness now. Come with me.”

“I’m sorry, Professor.”

The conversation ended with a faint sigh from the teacher a sound that seemed sharper and more painful than any blade.

When the professor stepped out, she was startled to see Mo Zhu leaning against the wall. She glanced back at Ji Shubai, then fixed Mo Zhu with a decidedly unfriendly look before walking away.

Mo Zhu suddenly felt like she shouldn’t have come; she was now in an awkward position.

“Sorry, just heading to the restroom,” Mo Zhu said with a practiced smile, gesturing toward the door.

Ji Shubai’s face was pale. She stepped aside to let Mo Zhu pass and returned to the table alone.

Having come all this way, Mo Zhu had no choice but to go in and wash her hands. She stared at herself in the mirror, feeling a twinge of regret for her impulsiveness. She wondered if witnessing such a humiliating moment would result in more “negative points” in Ji Shubai’s heart.

However, since the system hadn’t issued a warning, she figured there was still hope.

She waited a few minutes before returning to the table. When she sat down, she saw that Ji Shubai had barely touched her food, but her wine glass was nearly empty. The wine they had ordered was almost gone, and the waiter was struggling to keep up with the pace of her drinking.

Finally, Mo Zhu reached out and pressed her hand over Ji Shubai’s, taking the glass away. “If you like it that much, we’ll come back another time.”

After settling the bill, they headed out into the continuing rain. The restaurant entrance wasn’t convenient for parking, so Mo Zhu didn’t call the driver over. Instead, she opened the umbrella provided by the restaurant and turned to Ji Shubai.

“Let’s go. This time, we’re really going home.”

Ji Shubai walked silently under the umbrella. They were close, their shoulders and arms brushing occasionally. The pitter-patter of the rain above was clear, yet they were shielded within their shared space.

Mo Zhu summoned every ounce of “gentlemanly” grace she possessed, tilting the umbrella significantly toward Ji Shubai. Ji Shubai kept her eyes fixed straight ahead. Mo Zhu felt a bit of pity for herself all this effort was likely being wasted on someone who wasn’t even looking.

At one point, to guide their way, she switched the umbrella to her other hand. Her fingers lightly brushed against the back of Ji Shubai’s hand to signal a turn.

That fleeting contact caused Ji Shubai’s step to falter for a split second, though she masked it well enough that Mo Zhu didn’t notice.

Once in the car, the wine began to take effect on Mo Zhu. She felt drowsy and didn’t wake up until they reached their destination, looking somewhat dazed and lazy.

In the elevator, Mo Zhu leaned against the wall like a boneless creature, her eyes fixed on Ji Shubai.

“You drank quite a bit today. How are you feeling?”

“Thank you for your concern, but my tolerance is actually quite high.” Unlike Mo Zhu, Ji Shubai stood perfectly upright, though her voice had lost its usual crispness.

The floor numbers ticked upward.

“Don’t you have anything you want to ask?” Ji Shubai said suddenly.

Mo Zhu straightened up slightly. “Ask what?”

Ji Shubai watched the glowing numbers, her focus elsewhere. “Sometimes I don’t understand. What exactly do you want from me?”

“We have an agreement. You should know exactly what I want, Miss Ji.”

“Right. An agreement,” Ji Shubai murmured. Something seemed to snap in her; she took a step back against the elevator wall, a mountain of exhaustion suddenly visible in her eyes.

She could have had a brilliant future. She might not have been as wealthy as the people in these elite circles, but she would have lived well. If she had a choice, she never would have taken this path.

Mo Zhu realized that the other woman was indeed drunk otherwise, she would never have shown such vulnerability.

Ji Shubai lowered her head and whispered something Mo Zhu couldn’t catch.

Mo Zhu leaned in closer. “What did you say?”

Ji Shubai looked up, nearly bumping into her. Mo Zhu dodged just in time. “I don’t like owing people too much,” Ji Shubai said clearly this time.

Mo Zhu let out an “Oh” and leaned in even further, as if teasing her. “Then how does Miss Ji plan to pay me back?”

The air between them was thick with the scent of wine and their mixed perfumes, creating a dizzying, unsettled atmosphere. Ji Shubai’s eyes were shimmering, brighter and deeper than usual.

Mo Zhu’s playful smile was still hanging on her lips when, a second later, a familiar scene replayed itself.

She instinctively raised her hand to push her away, but she froze the moment she made contact.

The moment those warm, wine-scented lips pressed against hers, only one thought surfaced in Mo Zhu’s mind:

They really are very soft.

Ji Shubai’s kiss was entirely without technique, possessed of a clumsy desperation fueled by alcohol. She simply pressed her lips firmly against Mo Zhu’s.

Mo Zhu looked at the other woman’s tightly shut eyelashes. Acting on some inexplicable impulse, she wrapped an arm around Ji Shubai’s waist, trying to pull her even closer.

Ding.

The elevator chimed as it reached their floor.

As the doors slid open, they revealed Assistant Xiang, who was there to deliver urgent documents. He froze, his face a mask of pure horror.

Secretary Han, standing beside him, saw his expression and asked out of concern, “Assistant Xiang, what’s wrong? Have you suffered a sudden medical emergency?”

In response, the “stricken” Assistant Xiang grabbed Secretary Han and yanked her in front of him.

Secretary Han stared at the two women in the elevator, her professional “elite” composure twisting into a look of sheer shock.

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