The Cold Heroine Turned Into a Yandere After Being - Chapter 30

Throwing Herself into Your Arms

Mo Zhu watched as Ji Shubai tried her hardest to maintain a calm facade, though she couldn’t hide the slight tremor in her eyes. Following her lead, Mo Zhu obediently closed her eyes.

Once her sight was stripped away, her other senses were instantly magnified.

She could clearly hear Ji Shubai hold her breath for a split second. She could feel the fingertips cupping her cheeks; they were slightly cool, a quiet indicator of the other woman’s underlying nerves.

The air was thick with the faint scent of iodine and ointment, but more distinct was Ji Shubai’s own fragrance that crisp, pleasant and uniquely “her” scent.

Ji Shubai’s approach was slow.

She didn’t drop the kiss immediately. Instead, a light, gentle wisp of warm breath brushed against Mo Zhu’s lips first.

It was a soft, silent prelude.

Even though they had just kissed earlier, Mo Zhu’s heart still skipped a beat before hammering against her ribs with newfound vigor.

Mo Zhu felt the hands cupping her face tighten slightly. Then, a soft sensation descended cautiously onto her lips.

It was light, shallow, and brief.

Ji Shubai lingered for a mere second—perhaps half a second, maybe less.

Just as Mo Zhu instinctively tried to chase that softness and deepen the kiss, Ji Shubai pulled away.

The gentle contact vanished, replaced by a rush of cool air, leaving only a fleeting sense of damp softness on Mo Zhu’s lips.

The hands on her face were withdrawn as well. Mo Zhu opened her eyes and looked at her. “Miss Ji, what does this mean?”

Ji Shubai had already straightened up. She turned slightly to pack away the ointment and cotton swabs, tightening the cap of the medicine. Only after she finished did she cast a sideways glance toward Mo Zhu.

From Mo Zhu’s vantage point, those eyes were half-lidded and naturally upturned at the corners. Her long, thick lashes looked like sharp ink strokes, casting small, feather-like shadows beneath her eyelids.

She propped one hand on the desk, her slender neck tilted slightly, her shoulder line flowing in an arrogant curve. A few stray hairs fell against her cheek, the jet-black contrast making her skin appear even paler.

The side-lighting from the lamp cut across the bridge of her nose, dividing her face into two realms.

One realm was stern and inviolable; the other was lost in the shadows of ambiguity, inadvertently inviting curiosity.

“Interest,” Ji Shubai said, her lips pressed into a faint, knowing smile.

Such a look on anyone else might have seemed flirtatious or shallow, but on her, it was perfectly measured.

Realizing she’d been teased, Mo Zhu let out a low chuckle, a wave of genuine amusement rippling through her eyes.

In her heart, she thought: I hope Miss Ji never gives me the chance to catch her, because I’ll be demanding that interest back tenfold.

Right on cue, Ji’s mother’s voice rang out from the living room, asking if they were done with the medicine because dinner had arrived.

Ji Shubai finished tidying up and waited for Mo Zhu to fix her clothes before they walked out. Before leaving the room, she didn’t forget to remind Mo Zhu to maintain her “silent and unsociable” persona.

When they emerged, they found Ji’s mother had already laid out the food on the dining table.

After washing their hands, the three sat down to eat.

Throughout the meal, Ji’s mother practically doted on Mo Zhu. However, that excessive warmth was mixed with too many other unspoken feelings, making Ji Shubai feel a nagging sense of unease.

Mo Zhu, on the other hand, was perfectly at ease. She occasionally chatted with Ji’s mother despite Ji Shubai’s warning glares, though she skillfully dodged any questions about the true nature of their relationship.

After dinner, Ji Shubai stood up immediately. Citing Mo Zhu’s need for rest, she ushered her back into the bedroom.

Not long after Mo Zhu entered, Ji Shubai followed, having finished helping her mother clear the table. She pulled a set of pajamas out from the wardrobe for Mo Zhu.

Before that, she made sure to change the bedsheets and pillowcases. Since Mo Zhu had been leaning against the bed in her outside clothes earlier, Ji Shubai’s germaphobia wouldn’t let it slide.

Because of her injured arm, Mo Zhu was ordered to sit on the side and watch her work.

Finally, Mo Zhu’s dead phone was plugged into the charger Ji Shubai provided.

Once it powered back on, Assistant Xiang—who had been frantic with worry after losing contact with her boss finally let out a sigh of relief.

Halfway through, Ji’s mother stopped by to suggest she keep watch over Mo Zhu tonight, but Ji Shubai naturally declined.

After the bed was made, Ji Shubai took her own pajamas and stepped out, giving Mo Zhu space to change.

Mo Zhu picked up the sleepwear. They were a similar build, and the soft cotton pajamas fit her quite comfortably.

The room didn’t have an attached bathroom, and because of her wound, she couldn’t take a full shower. She finished washing up in the main bathroom and returned to the room.

Mo Zhu grabbed her partially charged phone and reclined on the bed, checking for new messages.

A moment later, Ji Shubai re-entered the room, now in her own pajamas.

Mo Zhu looked up, reflexively moving to give her space, but Ji Shubai stopped her.

“You have a wound on your left arm. I’ll sleep on the inside,” Ji Shubai said, fearing Mo Zhu might roll over and press on the injury.

The bed was pushed against the wall. To get to the inside, one had to either climb over Mo Zhu or get in from the foot of the bed.

Mo Zhu arched an eyebrow, watching Ji Shubai stand by the bed without moving. A faint, playful smile played on her lips as if she were waiting to see what the other woman would choose.

Ji Shubai’s gaze darted between the foot of the bed and Mo Zhu. Without much hesitation, she made her decision.

She propped one hand on the edge of the mattress beside Mo Zhu, leaning over. One knee pressed into the bed as she prepared to climb over Mo Zhu to reach the other side.

But Mo Zhu wasn’t about to let a chance for mischief go to waste. As Ji Shubai moved to cross over her, Mo Zhu subtly bent her leg beneath the covers, catching the inside of Ji’s knee.

The force was light almost silent—but it was enough to break Ji Shubai’s balance.

Ji Shubai reached out to steady herself, but she wasn’t as fast as someone with a mischievous plan.

Mo Zhu set her phone aside and reached up to “catch” her.

A faint, clean fragrance filled Mo Zhu’s arms, mixed with the warm humidity of a post-shower glow.

Caught in the embrace, Ji Shubai was forced close to the crook of Mo Zhu’s neck. Their hair tangled together, making it impossible to tell whose was whose.

“Miss Ji, why are you throwing yourself into my arms?” Mo Zhu teased, sounding mock-surprised.

Ji Shubai lifted her face to see Mo Zhu’s eyes crinkling with success.

“Childish,” she muttered. She tried to push herself up with her hands, but Mo Zhu’s arm on her waist kept her pinned. “If you don’t want to sleep on the bed, you can sleep on the floor.”

“So fierce, Miss Ji,” Mo Zhu said, slightly loosening her grip.

Ji Shubai immediately pushed herself up. This time, she chose an absolutely safe method to crawl to the inner side of the bed. She turned her back to Mo Zhu and pulled her side of the quilt tight.

Looking at her sulking back, Mo Zhu’s smile deepened, but she chose not to provoke her further.

She picked up her phone again, her thumb sliding across the screen.

“Miss Ji.”

Ji Shubai didn’t turn around, only letting out a soft, questioning “Mm?”

“Want to see a photo of the cat? Assistant Xiang took it today; she got home before us.” Mo Zhu tapped the photo and tilted the screen toward Ji Shubai.

Ji Shubai hesitated for a few seconds, but curiosity eventually won.

She turned around slowly. Her expression had returned to normal, though she pointedly avoided Mo Zhu’s gaze, focusing instead on the phone screen where a cat took up a third of the frame.

It was a Ragdoll cat, much larger than average, covered in fluffy fur. The fur on its tail was a bit messy, and its bright blue eyes were startlingly large, looking at the camera with a shy, innocent expression.

Despite its aristocratic appearance, it looked a bit dazed.

“That’s Xiao Ta?” Ji Shubai’s gaze was captured by the kitten, her tone softening with an undetectable tenderness.

In the lamplight, the lines of her profile seemed to soften as well.

Mo Zhu rubbed her nose and said without blinking, “Yes, that’s her.”

Even if she had only been “Xiao Ta” for a few days, she was still Xiao Ta.

Ji Shubai was entranced, not even noticing that she was leaning closer to the screen.

“Is she pretty?” Mo Zhu asked, watching her intently.

“Mm. Her eyes are beautiful, and her profile is very cute,” Ji Shubai answered softly.

“You’re right,” Mo Zhu said, watching Ji’s focused profile with a smile. “Her profile actually looks a bit like a certain someone when they’re trying to act calm.”

That was exactly why she had chosen this specific cat.

Ji Shubai snapped out of it, immediately realizing the teasing nature of Mo Zhu’s words.

She looked up, meeting Mo Zhu’s smiling eyes. She quickly averted her gaze and turned back around, presenting her back to Mo Zhu once more. She dropped a single, stiff sentence:

“Time to sleep.”

“The doctor said to monitor me overnight. How can you monitor me if you’re facing the other way?” Mo Zhu asked, looking at her back.

After a moment, Ji Shubai turned back around and met Mo Zhu’s eyes. “Is this okay?”

“It’s perfect.” Mo Zhu put her phone away, dimmed the bedside lamp to its lowest setting, and lay down.

She wanted to reach out and pull the woman into her arms, but Ji Shubai caught her hand and pushed it back. “Don’t move that arm.”

Mo Zhu wanted to say it wasn’t that serious, but remembering her previous performance, she kept her mouth shut. She lay flat on her back, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

---

The next morning, Mo Zhu was awakened by the loud sounds of singing and dancing outside the window.

She woke up with a face full of “morning grumpiness.” Beside her, Ji Shubai was awake too, looking slightly dazed as she usually did upon waking. She blinked when she saw Mo Zhu turn over, then propped herself up.

“How is the wound?” Ji Shubai leaned over, brushing Mo Zhu’s messy hair aside to inspect her temple.

Mo Zhu was too tired to move and let her look with her eyes closed.

“Do you feel sick anywhere?” Ji Shubai asked again.

“Nowhere.” Mo Zhu rolled onto her side, hooked her arm around Ji’s waist, and pulled her straight into her chest.

“Mo Zhu!” Ji Shubai struggled briefly, then remembered the other woman’s arm and didn’t dare use too much force. “What are you doing?”

Mo Zhu exploited that moment of softheartedness to pull her into a full embrace.

With her eyes closed, her chin brushed against Ji Shubai’s soft hair. Her voice was muffled and groggy. “Miss Ji, let’s sleep a little longer.”

Ji Shubai stiffened in her arms. She could clearly feel the strength of the arm around her waist and the warmth of the body pressed against her back.

The morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, outlining the two silhouettes huddled together.

Seeing that struggling was futile and fearing she might actually hit the wound, Ji Shubai finally gave up.

Listening to Mo Zhu’s steady breathing, her body slowly relaxed. The noisy sounds outside didn’t seem so grating anymore.

Instead, the sound of her own heartbeat became clear, one thud after another.

Ji Shubai slowly closed her eyes, thinking: I’ll give myself this small moment of indulgence. Just for a little while.

They finally woke up an hour later only because Ji’s mother, worried they would be late for work, knocked on the door.

Hearing her mother’s voice, Ji Shubai felt as if the embrace had turned boiling hot. She snapped her eyes open and scrambled out of Mo Zhu’s arms.

Her breathing was slightly erratic as she quickly straightened her messy pajama collar, answering her mother with forced composure.

Mo Zhu’s arms felt empty. She frowned in dissatisfaction and slowly opened her eyes.

“Get up,” Ji Shubai said, avoiding her gaze. She was the first to get out of bed, walking toward the door with hurried steps.

Mo Zhu moved much more slowly. By the time she walked out, she saw a spread of breakfast on the table. Ji’s mother was watering a few plants on the windowsill.

Seeing Mo Zhu, she put down the watering can and asked carefully how she had slept and if the wound still hurt.

After hearing Mo Zhu’s reply, she urged her to go wash up so she could eat.

Mo Zhu found the bathroom empty; Ji Shubai must have gone to her mother’s room to get ready.

Looking in the mirror, she lifted the hair from her temple to examine the wound. It was a bit swollen, and the scratch had already scabbed over.

She rolled up her sleeve. The bruise on her arm had turned from light to a deep, somewhat scary-looking purple.

Good morning! I haven’t seen you for one night—where did you go to get into a fight?

Xiao Ta’s voice was full of shock.

“I was hit by Ji Shubai’s mother,” Mo Zhu replied.

Xiao Ta thought for a moment before asking tentatively, was it because you were ‘stealing the cabbage’ and got caught by the mother?

“You’re much more pleasant when you’re in sleep mode.” Mo Zhu pulled out her toothbrush. “Check the favorability.”

Current favorability is 68.

Mo Zhu frowned. “Too slow.”

The growth was still sluggish. She felt that she couldn’t wait for Ji Shubai to be the one to speak up; she had to take the initiative.

After all, the woman was proud and thin-skinned.

“She needs a bit of a stimulus. That photo might work.” The photo she had previously obtained from Xia Yitian… it was time for it to make an appearance at the right moment.

There’s still plenty of time. Your favorability is already at 68. I think if you just keep going as you are, you’ll definitely succeed in winning her over.

“I want the result, and you want the result. As for the process. does it matter?”

Aren’t you afraid of being found out?

Mo Zhu brushed her teeth while looking at herself in the mirror. In her features, she could almost see a blurry shadow of Ji Shubai.

She turned on the faucet, rinsed her mouth, and splashed cold water on her face.

The chill made her feel cold and alert; the wound on her temple stung slightly when it touched the water.

She looked at herself again and let out a faint smile, returning to her usual nonchalant self.

“It’s fine as long as I don’t let her find out.”

When Mo Zhu walked out, Ji Shubai had taken over her mother’s task, watering the plants with a look of serious concentration.

Ji’s mother emerged from the kitchen and saw Mo Zhu standing there, her gaze fixed on her daughter. She froze for a second, then called Mo Zhu over for breakfast.

Ji Shubai put down the watering can and came to the table. She pulled a chair out for Mo Zhu before sitting down herself.

The three sat around the table.

Ji Shubai ate quietly, rarely looking up. Opposite her, Ji’s mother looked like she had something on her mind.

Mo Zhu spent her meal sending messages. By the time Ji Shubai finished, Mo Zhu had barely touched her porridge.

Seeing Ji Shubai finish, Mo Zhu put down her spoon.

“Why did you eat so little?” Ji’s mother asked, seeing that Mo Zhu had barely eaten.

“Thank you, Auntie. I’m full,” Mo Zhu said.

Ji Shubai stood up immediately. “Mom, we have to leave early for some business.”

Ji’s mother opened her mouth as if to say more, but in the end, she just nodded. “Alright. Be careful on the road.”

Before leaving, Ji Shubai looked at Mo Zhu’s high heels. “Do you want me to find you a pair of flats?”

“No need,” Mo Zhu said as she put on her shoes. “I have a spare pair in the car. How else do you think I drove here?”

Ji Shubai didn’t say anything more.

The two headed downstairs. Once they were in the car, she asked Mo Zhu where they were going.

“To the company.”

Ji Shubai drove, though she wasn’t familiar with the way to Mo Zhu’s office and had to use GPS.

The car was quiet, save for the occasional directions from the navigator.

Mo Zhu turned her head to look at Ji Shubai, who was focused on the road. “What are Miss Ji’s plans for today?”

Ji Shubai tapped her fingers lightly on the steering wheel. “Nothing much.”

“I see…” Mo Zhu drawled. “Then I’ll find something for Miss Ji to do.”

“What?” Ji Shubai slowed to a stop at a red light and turned to look at her.

“Come to the company with me.”

Ji Shubai frowned. “What for?”

“You are my personal assistant, after all. My hand is still hurting today, so I probably can’t flip through files or carry coffee. I need someone to lend a hand.”

Ji Shubai opened her mouth, but she was speechless.

Perhaps because Mo Zhu had been acting so little like a “boss” lately, and she so little like an “assistant,” she had momentarily forgotten about their official arrangement.

“Understood.”

Under Mo Zhu’s guidance, Ji Shubai successfully parked the car in the underground garage. They walked together toward the private elevator.

When they passed Assistant Xiang’s desk, Mo Zhu paused to give her some instructions, ending with a request for two identical coffees to be brought to the office.

Assistant Xiang was a bit surprised to see her boss walking in with Ji Shubai, but she was a professional and didn’t let it show.

Ji Shubai followed Mo Zhu into the spacious, bright office with its incredible view.

Outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows was the city skyline. The interior was decorated in a modern minimalist style—mostly cool tones with sharp lines. It radiated efficiency and rigor, a far cry from what Ji Shubai had imagined.

The heater was on in the office, making it feel a bit stifling in their coats.

Mo Zhu took off her coat and hung it on a rack, then naturally took Ji Shubai’s and hung it up as well.

“Miss Ji, you can sit over there. I have some things to handle.” Mo Zhu pointed to the sofa in the lounge area.

Ji Shubai nodded and sat down, watching Mo Zhu walk straight to her large desk and sit down.

She felt that once they entered this space, the lazy, teasing aura around Mo Zhu had somehow vanished.

Not long after, there was a knock on the door. Secretary Han appeared, carrying the two coffees Assistant Xiang had requested. When she saw Ji Shubai, she gave a distant nod before placing one coffee on the table in front of her.

Secretary Han returned to Mo Zhu’s desk, set down the coffee, and went straight to business, reporting on the project’s progress.

Ji Shubai sat quietly on the sofa, her gaze drifting toward Mo Zhu.

She watched as Mo Zhu listened to Secretary Han’s briefing while quickly flipping through the documents that had just arrived. Her fingertips slid across the pages, occasionally pausing as she asked a question or two.

In the pale morning light, her profile looked a bit stern. Her brow was slightly furrowed, and when she interrupted Secretary Han, she would tap her knuckles against the desk in a rhythmic, measured way.

This version of Mo Zhu was someone Ji Shubai had never seen before.

This wasn’t the rogue who would oversleep and hold her tight, or the one who would tease her about “throwing herself into her arms.”

The person before her spoke with a steady, clear tone, her eyes focused and sharp. She radiated an unquestionable sense of authority and… distance.

As Ji Shubai watched, she felt a bit dazed.

She suddenly realized that she probably knew far less about Mo Zhu than she thought.

Had her previous prejudices been too much? After spending these days together, Mo Zhu really did seem different from the impression she’d had back in high school.

While talking to Secretary Han, Mo Zhu was also keeping an eye on Ji Shubai. When the work meeting ended, she saw that Ji Shubai was still dazed, though her gaze had shifted.

She looked as if she were lost in deep thought.

It wasn’t until the sound of Secretary Han closing the door reached her that she snapped out of it.

Ji Shubai realized Mo Zhu was watching her and instinctively looked away, picking up the coffee Secretary Han had brought to hide her lapse in composure.

“What is Miss Ji thinking about?” Mo Zhu closed some files, her gaze fixed on her.

“Nothing.” After answering, Ji Shubai’s mind remained tangled in that fleeting daze.

“I have a meeting to go to in a moment. You’ll be okay here by yourself, right?”

Ji Shubai nodded, but then she suddenly remembered something and called out to Mo Zhu, “Wait.”

“What is it?”

Ji Shubai pulled the ointment from her bag. “We haven’t applied today’s medicine yet.”

Mo Zhu stood up and walked over to her. “Then let’s do it now.”

On the other side of the door, Secretary Han walked over to Assistant Xiang’s desk with a look of confusion.

Assistant Xiang, who was about to go remind her boss about the meeting, looked at her strangely. “Something wrong?”

“President Mo is very strange today.” Secretary Han frowned as if facing a major crisis.

“Huh?”

“Usually when I report to her, she looks like she wants to finish as fast as possible so she can leave. But today…” Secretary Han’s frown was deep enough to hold a file. “It’s like she’s a completely different person.”

“Cough, maybe it’s because Miss Ji is there,” Assistant Xiang suggested.

“What does that have to do with Miss Ji?” Secretary Han asked, not understanding.

Assistant Xiang sighed and patted Secretary Han’s shoulder. “Secretary Han. you should just go back to work. Work suits you better.”

She walked around the desk and headed for the office. she knocked and opened the door. “President Mo, the meeting is in ten minutes—”

She stopped when she saw the scene inside.

Her boss was leaning over the sofa, one hand propped on the backrest as she hovered over the woman sitting there.

“Sorry.” Assistant Xiang closed the door with lightning speed, her expression pained.

Secretary Han, who hadn’t left yet, walked over. “What happened?”

Assistant Xiang took a deep breath. “I’m wondering if I can keep my job.”

This time, Assistant Xiang had a shred of conscience left and didn’t drag Secretary Han into the abyss. she gave a silent wave, signaling her to leave quickly.

Before Secretary Han could leave, the office door opened.

Mo Zhu looked at Assistant Xiang, who looked like she wanted to die. “Assistant Xiang, come in and wait. Miss Ji is helping me with my medicine.”

Hearing this, Assistant Xiang felt a bit of life return to her. She looked at her boss with surprise. “President Mo, were you injured?”

“Just a minor accident.” Mo Zhu turned and walked back inside.

Assistant Xiang followed, leaving Secretary Han standing there alone, completely baffled.

Inside, Ji Shubai had switched to a new cotton swab. Mo Zhu pulled up her sleeve as she walked, revealing the bruise.

Ji Shubai’s brow furrowed at the sight, and her movements were meticulous.

Assistant Xiang was also shocked. She had thought it was just a small scratch; she hadn’t expected it to look so bad.

She repented for her earlier “dirty” thoughts. Truly, to the impure, everything is impure.

Knowing Mo Zhu had a meeting, Ji Shubai worked quickly. After finishing, she made Mo Zhu wait a moment for the ointment to dry before letting the sleeve down.

She even helped Mo Zhu fix her hair so that it covered the wound on her temple.

Assistant Xiang tactfully turned her back.

Once ready, Mo Zhu and Assistant Xiang left the office and headed for the conference room.

The dull meeting lasted almost all morning. By the time it ended, it was already lunchtime.

On the way back, Mo Zhu asked Assistant Xiang if she had ordered lunch, but she was told that Ji Shubai had already taken care of it.

“Miss Ji messaged me near lunchtime to ask which restaurants you usually frequent,” Assistant Xiang said, noticing a smile spread across her boss’s face.

Mo Zhu’s pace quickened. she pushed open the door to see Ji Shubai looking over.

She sat down beside Ji Shubai and watched as she opened the containers of food.

Before eating, she tried to get Miss Ji to feed her, but she was met with a heartless refusal.

In the afternoon, Mo Zhu worked on her computer while Ji Shubai curled up on the sofa with her tablet, working on her sketches.

Mo Zhu had mentioned introducing clients to her, and a few people had indeed contacted her directly rather than through the studio.

She needed the money and wasn’t about to turn it down.

Deep in their respective work, the two didn’t notice how fast the time was passing.

When Mo Zhu finally looked away from her files, she rubbed her aching neck and looked out the window. She realized the sky had turned completely dark.

The city’s neon lights were flicking on, casting colorful shadows against the sky. She instinctively looked toward the sofa.

Ji Shubai had stopped drawing at some point, and her tablet lay forgotten by her legs.

She was curled up on the large sofa, her chest rising and falling evenly. She was fast asleep.

Mo Zhu put down her files and stood up quietly, walking over with soft steps.

She crouched beside the sofa and watched her for a moment.

Ji Shubai was sleeping deeply, not even noticing someone was near.

The warm yellow light traced her peaceful face. Her long lashes cast soft shadows beneath her eyes. The usual coldness and distance had vanished, replaced by total relaxation and vulnerability.

Mo Zhu’s gaze moved from the slight frown between her brows to the faint dark circles under her eyes, her heart softening.

Sleeping on the sofa like this would surely be uncomfortable after a while.

Mo Zhu reached out carefully, one arm sliding under Ji Shubai’s knees and the other around her shoulders careful to avoid her injured arm, relying mostly on her right arm and core strength.

She tried to lift her steadily. Ji Shubai was lighter than she looked, but she was still a warm, solid weight in her arms.

However, just as she prepared to lift her off the sofa, Ji Shubai seemed disturbed by the movement. She shifted unconsciously and let out a soft, groggy hum.

Her long lashes fluttered and slowly lifted.

Ji Shubai’s eyes were misty with lingering sleep as if she were lost between dreams and reality.

She stared blankly at Mo Zhu’s face so close to her own. It seemed she couldn’t process the situation; she just blinked instinctively, her gaze pure and innocent, like a kitten that had been suddenly awakened.

“Mo Zhu?” her voice was muffled and slurred, with that unique rasp of someone who had just woken up a far cry from her usual cold tone.

Mo Zhu looked down at her sleepy face, her voice softening automatically. “Did I wake you?”

Ji Shubai seemed unable to distinguish between reality and a dream. She looked up at her; the office lights were a bit bright, so she squinted slightly, reaching up a hand to touch Mo Zhu’s face. “Why did you get so old?”

Mo Zhu felt the heat of the palm against her face, but hearing her words, she slowly narrowed her eyes. “Old?”

The touch seemed to wake Ji Shubai up. She tried to pull her hand away, but Mo Zhu caught her wrist, holding it firmly against her face.

“How am I old?”

The last of the sleepiness vanished from Ji Shubai’s eyes. Her shoulder was pressed against the back of the sofa; she had nowhere to retreat.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Ji Shubai closed her eyes, looking a bit distressed. “I think… I was dreaming about high school.”

“Oh?” Mo Zhu showed no sign of letting go of her hand. “What did you dream about?”

Ji Shubai only remembered it was about high school; when she tried to recall the details, she couldn’t. “I don’t remember.”

“I actually remembered something,” Mo Zhu said with a smile. “Do you want to hear it?”

Ji Shubai instinctively felt it wouldn’t be anything good and shook her head.

“You want to hear it that much?” Mo Zhu said, ignoring the refusal.

“…” Ji Shubai accepted that she couldn’t beat this woman’s shamelessness.

Mo Zhu leaned in, looming over her. “I remembered that I am actually ‘older’ than you, Miss Ji. So… what should you be calling me?”