The Cold Heroine Turned Into a Yandere After Being - Chapter 13

The air seemed to freeze, leaving only the sound of their uneven, tangled breathing.

Mo Zhu pressed closer. The dull ache in her temples made her vision blur slightly, yet every minute shift in Ji Shubai’s expression remained agonizingly clear.

Ji Shubai leaned back as far as she could, trying to escape that sweltering breath, but to little avail. Mo Zhu’s gaze fixed on her beautiful eyes before drifting down to her full lips.

She leaned in slowly.

“Mo Zhu!”

Ji Shubai’s voice was sharply urgent, causing Mo Zhu’s lips to pause just at the threshold of contact. At this proximity, something in the air felt pushed to its breaking point—ready to snap, or perhaps… to explode.

Seconds ticked by, but Mo Zhu didn’t take the final step. She looked at Ji Shubai; the lamp cast fine shadows of her long, thick lashes over her cheeks, but her half-closed eyes still held a stubborn, restrained defiance.

“Forget it. I won’t hold it against you today,” Mo Zhu said, her voice laced with exhaustion.

If she indulged in a moment of impulsive power now for a fleeting thrill, what then?

The hand Mo Zhu had been holding at the back of Ji Shubai’s neck slid down, her arm encircling that slender waist as she pulled them both back onto the bed. It was a movement that brooked no refusal.

A sudden sense of weightlessness hit Ji Shubai. She widened her eyes instinctively, but her back had already sunk into the soft mattress. Mo Zhu held her in a half-embrace, pinning her close.

Recovering from her shock, Ji Shubai immediately propped up an elbow to create distance, like a startled cat that had been suddenly snatched up.

“You  let go ” Her protest came in short gasps as she twisted, trying to break free from the sudden confinement.

“Miss Ji” Mo Zhu’s voice s ounded right above her head, raspy and low. She tightened her arm around the woman’s waist, pressing her more firmly into her chest. With her other hand, she gently covered Ji Shubai’s flailing hand, interlacing their fingers and pinning her palm down without a word.

“Stop struggling,” she murmured, her voice deep and carrying a lazy hoarseness. “Be good.”

It wasn’t a command; it sounded more like a hypnotic, soothing persuasion. Mo Zhu tilted her head slightly, resting her chin against the top of Ji Shubai’s head, as if comforting a restless little animal.

Ji Shubai felt her struggle dissolve within that warm embrace. However, after less than ten seconds of silence, she tried to pull away again.

Mo Zhu let out a soft sigh. She was starting to understand why the other woman had shoved her off the bed earlier. Resigning herself to the situation, she forced her eyes open and gathered her mental strength.

“That Miss Wen. She was a blind date arranged by my family. We saw each other for a while; Secretary Han met her a few times.” She felt the tension in the body she was holding begin to soften. “As for Xiao Ta”

She frowned, her sluggish brain scrambling for an excuse. “It’s a cat my family keeps. His name is Xiao Ta. I’ll bring you to see him next time.”

The Ji Shubai in her arms finally grew quiet. Mo Zhu breathed a small sigh of relief, her tone lightening. “I’m sorry, Miss Ji. I have a bit of a temper when I fall out of bed. Did I scare you just now?”

She waited a long time but received no answer. However, she felt the softness and a hint of compliance in her arms. She lightly brushed her thumb over the back of Ji Shubai’s hand, as if rewarding her for being obedient.

Soon, sleep claimed her. The long-term exhaustion made Mo Zhu fall into a deep, heavy slumber, like a dream shrouded in thick fog.

She vaguely felt someone calling her name. Later, a cool, soft hand checked her forehead and neck. Occasionally, she heard the faint sound of footsteps and the muffled clink of objects being moved carefully. But her perception remained blurred, her consciousness unable to fight the pull of sleep.

When she woke the next morning, Mo Zhu’s eyes felt incredibly dry, and her throat burned with a parched sting. She realized she must have run a fever during the night, though it seemed to have broken now.

Turning her head, she realized the other side of the bed was empty. For a moment, she wondered if everything from last night had been real or just a hallucination brought on by the illness.

Mo Zhu propped herself up on her hands, only then noticing a figure sitting by the right side of the bed.

Ji Shubai was seated in a chair, arms crossed, her head bowed slightly. There were faint blue shadows under her eyes, her long hair was somewhat disheveled, and her breathing was light. Even in sleep, her brow was slightly furrowed.

Mo Zhu looked at the nightstand. There was a glass of water next to an open box of fever reducers. The torn packaging lay nearby, alongside a forehead thermometer.

It seemed last night wasn’t a hallucination. But—

Mo Zhu glanced at the medicine. She wondered how Ji Shubai had found it. Usually, the first place anyone would check was the nightstand drawer. but the drawers were all closed tight, showing no signs of being tampered with.

To soothe her throat, she reached for the water. The slight movement startled Ji Shubai.

The woman opened her eyes, her initial daze quickly giving way to clarity. She lowered her arms and sat up straight.

Mo Zhu sipped the warm water while watching her. After half a glass, the dryness in her throat subsided.

“Thank you for taking care of me last night, Miss Ji,” Mo Zhu said, her voice carrying a hint of nasal congestion. She glanced at the medicine on the nightstand. “I wanted to look for medicine myself last night, but I couldn’t find it.”

“When Assistant Xiang brought me here, she told me the first-aid kit was kept in the living room cabinet.”

The doubt in Mo Zhu’s heart was cleared. She felt relieved.

“Last night…” Ji Shubai turned her face away slightly, as if finding it difficult to speak. “I’m sorry for pushing you off the bed.”

“So, I’ve been ‘exonerated’?” Mo Zhu asked with a smile. “Well, to hear a sincere apology from Miss Ji… I suppose the fall was worth it.”

Ji Shubai’s brow furrowed deeper at those words. She turned back, looking as if she wanted to say something, but the words died in her throat when she looked at Mo Zhu.

Mo Zhu’s fever had just broken, leaving a faint, lingering flush on her otherwise pale face. When she smiled, her eyelids drooped halfway, her lips curling into a soft, distinct arc. It was a faint smile, possessing the lazy, fragile weakness that follows a high fever.

It was her usual improper demeanor, yet currently imbued with a vivid touch of vulnerability.

As Mo Zhu continued to smile, Ji Shubai suddenly stood up. Mo Zhu looked at her inquisitively.

“What do you want for breakfast?” Ji Shubai looked away, pausing before adding, “I’ll order it for you.”

Mo Zhu’s smile widened, and she couldn’t help but cough twice. “Miss Ji, usually in this situation, one would say, ‘I’ll make it for you.'”

“I don’t really know how.” Ji Shubai had rarely done housework growing up, let alone cooking. Rather than wasting time on a breakfast that might not be edible, she felt that ordering in was the more rational choice.

Seeing her about to leave, Mo Zhu reached out and grabbed her hand. “Assistant Xiang is coming today. I’ll have her bring two portions of breakfast.”

She released Ji Shubai’s hand and found her phone. After calling Assistant Xiang, she briefly explained she was feeling unwell and wouldn’t be coming into the office today.

While Mo Zhu was on the phone, Ji Shubai quietly touched her own wrist—the spot where she had just been held. When the call ended, she dropped her hand as if nothing had happened.

Mo Zhu put her phone down and, noticing the dark circles under Ji Shubai’s eyes, told her to go back to the guest room to rest. Ji Shubai didn’t refuse, though she went out to refill Mo Zhu’s water glass before leaving.

Left alone, Mo Zhu felt the sticky, uncomfortable residue of fever-sweat on her skin.

Detection: The female lead’s favorability toward you has returned to a positive value!

Mo Zhu received the news without much fanfare. She felt like she was finally starting to understand the “trick” to this. You couldn’t be entirely forceful with Ji Shubai; you had to use a mix of the carrot and the stick.

Before heading to the bathroom, Mo Zhu remembered something. She picked up her phone and sent a message to Assistant Xiang.

Assistant Xiang, I have a cat named Xiao Ta at home.

After sending it, she went to shower.

On the other side of town, Assistant Xiang—who had just gotten into her car read the message and sighed. The driver, who was on good terms with her, asked with a smile, “What is it, Assistant Xiang?”

She replied gloomily, “Nothing. I just feel like this household would fall apart without me.”

When Assistant Xiang arrived at the door with breakfast, Ji Shubai was the one who opened it.

“Good morning, Miss Ji.”

“Good morning.” Ji Shubai took some of the bags to help lighten the load.

Once inside, Assistant Xiang asked with concern, “How is President Mo? Does she need a doctor?”

“She should be fine. Her fever broke in the early hours.”

A flash of surprise crossed Assistant Xiang’s eyes, but she didn’t pursue the topic. Instead, she laid out the breakfast on the table. “Some of these items need to be pre-ordered. I was in a rush today, so I could only get these on short notice.”

The breakfast was from a famous private kitchen in the city. It was highly sought after and always in short supply. Ji Shubai knew the place; it was delicious, but the prices were pure “capitalist.”

As they were talking, Mo Zhu emerged from the bedroom, fresh from her shower.

Ji Shubai noticed her damp hair and frowned. “You took a shower?”

Mo Zhu shrugged. “Yeah. I was covered in sweat. I’d stink otherwise, wouldn’t I?”

Ji Shubai bit her lip and looked down, saying no more.

Mo Zhu didn’t stay outside for breakfast. Instead, she went into the study with Assistant Xiang to go over some work matters. Thanks to Mo Zhu’s hard work over the past few days, there was nothing urgent, and most tasks could be postponed.

However, before leaving, Assistant Xiang mentioned that there was one event the day after tomorrow that couldn’t be avoided. Mo Zhu needed to represent the Mo family at her cousin’s wedding.

Congratulations Host! You have triggered a plot mission. You must take the female lead to this wedding. At the wedding.

Mo Zhu cut Xiao Ta off. “I know. According to the plot, I will humiliate her in front of everyone and make her a laughingstock.”

She saw Assistant Xiang out and didn’t return to her room. Instead, she pulled out a chair at the dining table.

Host, have you thought of a way to handle this?

Mo Zhu propped her cheek on her hand, looking at Ji Shubai across the room. Ji Shubai was sitting on the sofa, buried in her tablet, sketching something.

Sensing the gaze, Ji Shubai looked up. The sunlight from the window caught her features, adding a sense of finely carved realism to her beauty. It was a beauty that radiated from within—not flashy, yet impossible to look away from.

Mo Zhu had intended to say, “Fortune favors the bold,” but the words that left her lips were:

“She really is beautiful.”

Xiao Ta: Huh?

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