The Cold Heroine Turned Into a Yandere After Being - Chapter 21.2

Ji Shubai kept her gaze down. After taking a small breath, she looked up, trying to keep her tone flat despite a trace of hesitation.

“Where are you sleeping tonight?”

Mo Zhu stopped and looked at her.

Ji Shubai seemed to realize that asking this now carried a lingering, unavoidable ambiguity.

She tried to explain, but her mouth opened and closed without knowing what to say.

Mo Zhu’s gaze traveled over Ji Shubai’s slightly tense face. “Where does Miss Ji want me to sleep?”

Ji Shubai avoided her gaze. “Up to you.”

With that, she turned as if to leave the uncomfortable conversation.

However, the moment she turned, the teasing smile on Mo Zhu’s face quietly faded.

Her gaze fell on Ji Shubai’s slender back. Her slightly damp hair rested against the soft fabric of her robe, revealing a pale, fragile stretch of neck.

The kiss in the pool that had spiraled out of control, the shivers of delicate skin beneath her fingertips, Ji Shubai’s clumsy but real response, and her face when she was enduring the bitter medicine… all the images flashed through her mind like shards.

A strange and surging emotion caught her off guard, hitting her heart fast and hard. Mo Zhu instinctively clenched her fingers, the pressure making her palm ache slightly.

She suddenly realized her heart was beating far too fast.

It wasn’t just because of the teasing. It was something else… something more uncontrollable.

If she stayed in the same space, looking at Ji Shubai like that, she wasn’t sure if she could maintain her usual effortless facade.

Everything that happened tonight had already exceeded her usual sphere of control.

“I’ll sleep in the guest room.”

Mo Zhu’s voice sounded, with less of a joking tone than usual.

Ji Shubai stopped. It seemed she hadn’t expected her to make that choice so quickly.

Mo Zhu’s tone became light, even carrying a touch of deliberate distance. “I won’t disturb Miss Ji’s rest then.”

Ji Shubai didn’t turn around. She looked down quickly and then up again. “Up to you.”

Mo Zhu watched her enter the room and stood there for a moment before leaving.

At this hour, Xiao Ta had already entered its automatic sleep mode. She actively woke it up to ask about the favorability level after this plot point.

I thought you didn’t care.

Mo Zhu wondered if she was imagining the sarcastic tone. “Cut the chatter.”

Current favorability level is 63. You have two more queries remaining today.

It passed the passing grade.

Mo Zhu felt she should be happy, but.

“Are you sure there’s no error?”

Please rest assured. We have strict monitoring mechanisms; the error rate is extremely low.

“So there is a possibility of error.”

That’s true, but you can trust us. The probability is infinitely close to zero.

Mo Zhu didn’t speak. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to suppress the nameless emotion in her chest.

Whatever. Go to sleep.

Yet thirty minutes later, she opened her eyes not a trace of sleepiness in them and sat up.

What was that supposed to mean? They kissed like that, and the favorability was only 63?

It seemed she still hadn’t done enough.

The next day, Mo Zhu was fine, but Ji Shubai seemed unwell after last night’s antics; she looked a bit drained.

They were originally scheduled to return today, but Mo Zhu made a snap decision to stay one more day.

“Didn’t you take the medicine? Why didn’t it work?” Mo Zhu looked at Ji Shubai, who was reclining on the bed, and leaned in. “Surely you didn’t spit it out behind my back after going to your room?”

Ji Shubai, who was drinking water, choked slightly at her words. She gave the other woman a somewhat speechless look. “President Mo, I am not a three-year-old child.”

“Is that so? Then who was it that lied to me about taking medicine?”

Aware she was in the wrong, Ji Shubai looked down and resumed sipping her water.

“Miss Ji, I feel that your constitution is a bit weak. You feel light as a feather. When we get back, I’ll sign you up for some fitness courses.”

She had wanted to say it yesterday when she was holding her in the pool; she felt weightless.

As if she had heard her inner thoughts, Ji Shubai put the cup down again. “President Mo, getting sick is an occasional occurrence. Besides, there is buoyancy in the water.” Even if not much.

“Oh? Should I try holding you right now to test it?”

Ji Shubai refused decisively. “No need.” After speaking, she felt it was strange. The distance she had felt from Mo Zhu last night had vanished again, as if it had been a mere hallucination.

Mo Zhu laughed and stood up. “I’ll go tell the others. You rest in the room for now.”

Ji Shubai wanted to say it wasn’t necessary—she was only slightly uncomfortable but Mo Zhu didn’t give her the chance before leaving.

Most of the wedding guests left that day, with only a few remaining.

After Mo Zhu told Mo Tang the reason they were staying another day, Mo Tang immediately called a local doctor to check on Ji Shubai. Upon learning it wasn’t anything serious, the doctor simply prescribed some medicine.

Xia Yitian was quite happy to hear the news. After all, she had finally managed to escape her sister’s clutches; she had planned to stay a few extra days anyway.

Ji Shubai’s constitution wasn’t as weak as Mo Zhu claimed. After taking the new medicine and sleeping for the morning, she was visibly better.

Mo Zhu nestled on the bedroom sofa, handling some company affairs online.

In the afternoon, Mo Tang came by to invite them for dinner.

Ji Shubai was in much better shape, though her voice was still a bit husky.

The two changed into comfortable clothes and headed out.

The restaurant was outside the hotel, right by the beach.

The spacious wooden structure opened toward the sea. The salty, warm sea breeze blew in without hindrance, mixing with the rich aromas of grilled seafood, spices, and alcohol.

The background music was a light Reggae style; the drumbeats and bass thrummed through hidden speakers. It wasn’t deafening, but enough that a conversation required raising one’s voice slightly.

When they arrived, the others were already seated around a long wooden table laid with colorful cocktails and small appetizers.

Seeing Mo Zhu and Ji Shubai approaching one after the other, Mo Tang was the first to wave with a smile.

“Over here! We saved spots for you.”

Mo Zhu naturally pulled out a chair for Ji Shubai, right next to Mo Tang, while she sat between her and Xia Yitian.

Xia Yitian’s eyes sparkled as she looked between the two. She leaned toward Mo Zhu and whispered teasingly, “You don’t look like you ate gunpowder today.”

Mo Zhu gave her a sidelong glance, took a sip of iced water, and hooked her lips into her usual smile. “Why? Want some?”

Xia Yitian scoffed. “My brain isn’t broken.”

“How are you feeling, Miss Ji?” Mo Tang asked politely from across the table.

“I’m fine now, thank you for asking.” Her voice was still slightly husky, but her tone was calm.

Ye Wanqing, sitting beside Mo Tang, kept looking over at Ji Shubai after she sat down. “Miss Ji must be the junior sister Qiao Ying was talking about?”

Ji Shubai nodded.

“I’ve long heard Qiao Ying praise her very talented and beautiful junior. I didn’t expect to meet you here,” Ye Wanqing said with a smile.

“Yes, it’s quite a coincidence.” As Mo Zhu spoke, she reached out and intercepted the drink in Ji Shubai’s hand. “I haven’t had the chance to congratulate you in person. Happy wedding.”

But the moment she raised the glass, it was pressed back down. Mo Zhu replaced the cocktail in her hand with a glass of what looked like fruit juice.

Under the warm yellow lights of the restaurant, Ji Shubai’s complexion wasn’t as flushed as usual and her lips were pale, but her eyes were clear. She had her usual sense of distance, yet when she met Mo Zhu’s eyes, they flickered almost imperceptibly.

This small movement was caught by the person across from them. Although there was surprise, it wasn’t shown too obviously.

“It seems President Mo is quite a good boss,” Ye Wanqing teased kindly.

Mo Zhu raised her glass toward the newlyweds. “As I should be. Happy wedding.”

The small interlude quickly passed. Everyone chatted casually about work or life.

Eventually, the conversation turned to how the newlyweds met, and everyone was quite supportive.

Ji Shubai listened to their story—how the two had overcome countless difficulties to be together, especially the gap in social status. It wasn’t a distance that could be bridged simply with a “I like you.”

She suddenly thought of what she had said to Mo Zhu before—that people like Mo Zhu wouldn’t do anything that “damaged” their own interests, like “repaying a debt with one’s body.” Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but look at Mo Zhu beside her.

Mo Zhu was turned, talking to someone. A smile played on her lips, and her features looked exceptionally vivid under the restaurant’s blurred lights. Occasionally, she would laugh at someone’s joke, her neck tracing a smooth, beautiful line.

She seemed completely integrated into the noisy, relaxed atmosphere—effortless and radiant.

She seemed like a different person from the predatory one in the pool who almost devoured her, or the one who forced her to take medicine then turned distant over a question of where to sleep.

Ji Shubai stared, slightly dazed.

Until Mo Zhu seemed to sense her gaze and suddenly turned her head.

Their eyes collided without warning in the noisy air.

The music just happened to reach a crescendo, the electric guitar wave suddenly intensifying.

Ji Shubai’s heart jumped violently as if hit by the sound. She instinctively wanted to look away but found herself caught by those laughing, probing eyes. For a moment, she couldn’t move her gaze.

Mo Zhu didn’t speak either. She just looked at her, the smile at the corners of her mouth seemingly deepening or perhaps not.

Her finger, resting on the back of the chair, very discreetly brushed the ends of Ji Shubai’s hair that was draped over her back.

It was a tiny, infinitesimal movement—through the hair, it might have even been accidental.

Yet Ji Shubai felt the small patch of skin that was touched suddenly burn. Even the tips of her ears began to feel hot.

She began to focus on the drink in her hand what looked like juice but was actually a fruit wine as if finding a temporary refuge from her panicked emotions.

She sipped at the low-alcohol wine until the glass was nearly empty.

Perhaps because the sweet and sour taste made it easy for the alcohol to go to her head, she ended up drinking quite a few glasses, one after another.

When dinner was over, the waiters cleared the plates and brought out dessert and more drinks. The rhythm of the background music became more distinct and driving, carrying a certain undeniable invitation.

Someone at a neighboring table started it a few enthusiastic guests stood up and began to move rhythmically to the music on the sand by the tables.

This was like a stone cast into a still pond. Soon, more and more people joined in. Mo Tang was laughed into standing up by Ye Wanqing, and Xia Yitian was already on the side, cheering them on.

Laughter, cheers, and driving music intertwined, making the air feel like it was boiling.

Mo Zhu looked at Ji Shubai. Under the warm yellow light, the lines of her profile were soft and her eyelashes were low. Her cheeks were flushed with a layer of red, looking exceptionally moving in the hazy light.

A thought suddenly flashed through Mo Zhu’s mind, carrying an undeniable temptation.

Mo Zhu leaned in, her voice melding into the music. “Miss Ji, want to join?”

Ji Shubai looked up. “I don’t really know how.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Mo Zhu stood up and naturally extended her hand toward Ji Shubai. Her eyes were exceptionally bright in the flickering light. “I can teach you.”

Ji Shubai looked at the hand in front of her—the fingers were well-defined and neatly groomed.

She looked up at Mo Zhu, who had a smile on her lips, waiting patiently.

Perhaps the alcohol had slowed her reactions, or the music was too bewitching, or perhaps Mo Zhu’s gaze was simply too focused.

She hesitated, but finally placed her hand lightly in Mo Zhu’s palm.

Mo Zhu satisfiedly closed her fingers, pulling her up. Instead of heading into the center of the crowd, she led her around to a relatively quiet corner on the side of the open space.

The light was dimmer here, with only the blurred glow from the restaurant’s interior reaching them. The noise also felt a layer away.

“Fewer people here, so Miss Ji doesn’t have to feel embarrassed,” Mo Zhu whispered with a laugh. Her other hand rested lightly on the side of Ji Shubai’s waist.

Ji Shubai’s body stiffened instantly. Through the thin fabric, the warmth and presence of that palm were far too clear.

“Relax,” Mo Zhu’s voice was close, her breath brushing the shell of her ear. “Just follow me.”

When Ji Shubai said she didn’t know how, she really meant it. She accidentally stepped on Mo Zhu’s feet several times.

“It seems Miss Ji didn’t lie to me this time.” Mo Zhu was only thankful she wasn’t wearing high heels; otherwise, she could have kissed her feet goodbye.

Mo Zhu looked down at her. The other woman had her eyes lowered, long eyelashes casting small shadows. Her cheeks were crimson, her usual coldness blurred by the alcohol and the current atmosphere, revealing a rare, almost innocent softness.

“Did you sneak some wine?” she asked.

“The one you gave me was fruit wine. I drank it openly,” Ji Shubai retorted with dissatisfaction. “Besides, the alcohol content isn’t high.”

Mo Zhu listened and said, “Drinking even while sick? So Miss Ji is a little drunkard.”

Ji Shubai gave her a look of disagreement but didn’t speak; after all, she had been drinking.

As they moved to the music, Mo Zhu’s guidance was no longer limited to dance steps. The hand on Ji Shubai’s back would occasionally move a tiny, almost imperceptible stroke, appearing accidental yet feeling deliberate.

The world around them seemed to fade and blur. The noisy music and the laughter of others became distant background noise.

The music shifted at that moment, the rhythm slowing down into a soft, romantic melody.

In the dim light, the air seemed to become thick and cloying.

Mo Zhu stopped leading her through the steps. The hand at the small of Ji Shubai’s back shifted into what was essentially an embrace.

Ji Shubai didn’t push her away. Perhaps because the alcohol had numbed her reason, or the atmosphere was too enchanting, or perhaps she simply didn’t want to.

Mo Zhu could hear their heartbeats becoming increasingly clear. Through their pressed bodies, she could even feel the subtle vibration of the other’s chest.

It was that strange feeling again. Mo Zhu felt as though she were being slowly roasted over a low flame. Her reason was melting bit by bit, and a strange sensation spread through her entire body.

A sense of retreat sparked within her. Mo Zhu prepared to let go, intending to use distance to cool herself down.

But Ji Shubai seemed to sense her intention. She wrapped her arms around Mo Zhu’s waist.

Mo Zhu’s movements halted. She looked down at her.

“You want to run again?” Ji Shubai’s tone seemed to carry a hint of indignation.

Mo Zhu felt her reason completely dissolve in that moment.

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