The Stand-in is Exceptionally Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The CEO and Her Canary

◎”She Is Hostile Toward You.”◎

Lou Bianxia was working on a document when a message suddenly popped up on her computer screen.

“Sister, can I come find you now?”

It was her new little stand-in.

Lou Bianxia frowned slightly. She had no intention of replying and just pretended not to see it. She didn’t want her employees to think she was the kind of person who mixed business with pleasure, bringing her mistress to the company.

But immediately after, Jian Ke sent another message. “I was just bullied.”

It was followed by two identical animated GIFs of a cute little white puppy whimpering and crying for attention, looking exceptionally soft and adorable. It was exactly like Jian Ke last night.

Lou Bianxia’s thoughts involuntarily drifted to the night before.

She had asked Jian Ke to get a mole removed because Shu Yu didn’t have one. Without that mole, they would look more alike.

But Jian Ke had refused. The little lover was curled up in the blanket, as if she had been deeply wronged. Her eyes were red, and her voice had a crying lilt. “Sister… can I not remove it?”

That made Lou Bianxia feel a little helpless. Seeing the deep sadness in Jian Ke’s eyes, her heart softened. “What’s wrong? Don’t cry.”

Jian Ke raised her hand to touch the mole, and several hot tears rolled down her cheeks. The sight was heartbreaking. “My grandma had the exact same mole here. My mom always said it was a gift from my grandma.”

“I was raised by my grandma. We were very close, and even though she… passed away five years ago, I want to keep this gift forever.”

“Sister, is that okay?” Jian Ke’s tone was so sincere that no one could bear to push her further.

Lou Bianxia had no idea there was a story like that. Her heart completely melted. She went to the bed and gently embraced the girl who was silently wiping away her tears. “Okay, don’t remove it… It’s a very beautiful mole. You should keep it.”

“You’re a grown woman, but you’re still sniffling.” She stroked Jian Ke’s hair. She knew she had brought up a painful memory and felt very guilty.

Now, seeing that familiar emoji, Lou Bianxia paused before replying.

“I’ll inform the front desk. You can take the special elevator straight to my office.”

Jian Ke replied instantly. “Thank you, Sister!”

Lou Bianxia rested her chin on her hand, looking at the screen. She still couldn’t quite wrap her head around the fact that she was keeping Jian Ke. In the past, this would have been unthinkable. How ridiculous—she wasn’t a child, yet here she was, looking for a stand-in. Even Cen Ming, the assistant she had instructed to find the person, had been surprised and confirmed the request with her several times.

But when she had seen Jian Ke’s short dance video on her phone, Lou Bianxia had watched it dozens of times. She had only one thought in her mind: find the person. Her rationality only returned slowly after she sent Cen Ming on the task. When Jian Ke appeared before her, she had scrutinized her with a critical eye, trying to convince herself to let go of her obsession.

Jian Ke, however, had surprised her. Her clear eyes reflected starlight and a soft ripple. She had said she would serve her well with a straight face, yet she was so good at acting cute. Perhaps in the coming days, her peaceful, uneventful life would become noisy and troublesome.

So… who had bullied her little one? Who dared to bully her person?

…

The headquarters of Suimu Group was in the most prosperous part of the city center, a pair of connected twin towers. Its height was second only to the nearby television tower. After reporting to the front desk, Jian Ke took the elevator to the top floor.

Stand-in System 520: “You lied to the female lead last night. Aren’t you afraid of being exposed later? It’s just a mole. You could get extra capture points by removing it. Didn’t you say you didn’t want to be a miserable worker? The standard for being a top star isn’t objective. Once you gain some fame, you can use the intimacy points to reach the passing grade, and this phase of the mission will be over.”

Jian Ke’s tone was flat. “Will it add a lot of points?”

Stand-in System 520: “Yes, it will. It directly increases your resemblance to the white moonlight and boosts the female lead’s affection for you. It’s worth more than you doing ten or twenty announcements. Otherwise, becoming a top star in a short time is just a pipe dream.”

Jian Ke sighed, rubbing her forehead. “What’s wrong with this world? Why is the aesthetic so downgraded? Why do I have to lower my looks just because the female lead’s taste is bad? If she looks at me more, she’ll get used to it, and her aesthetic standards will naturally improve.”

“This is my bottom line. I will not budge.”

“The mission just says to become a top star. It doesn’t restrict how you become a top star or for how long.”

Stand-in System 520 was confused. “What do you mean?”

Jian Ke said, “Isn’t being a top star for one minute still being a top star? If I go viral just once and my traffic exceeds that Qiao Jingjing, the system can count my mission as complete.”

520 thought for a moment and then conceded. That was indeed a good idea. “So, has the host already thought of a brilliant plan?”

Jian Ke tapped her chin. “I’ve got about ten or twenty of them. Whether they’re effective or not remains to be seen. I’ll only know for sure after I start working.”

The top floor was a vast space with a large conference hall and several offices. Jian Ke wandered around for a bit before she saw the sign for the CEO’s office.

“Who are you looking for?” A woman in a business suit holding a coffee cup came out of the CEO’s assistant’s office. She glanced at Jian Ke’s backpack and canvas shoes, and her tone suddenly became much colder. “How did you get to the top floor?”

Jian Ke answered openly, “I’m here to see CEO Lou. She told me to wait for her in her office.”

The woman pursed her lips. “I see. Then go ahead. The CEO is in a meeting in the next room, and it might take a while.”

Jian Ke thanked her and entered the office. The hostile gaze from behind made her frown as she turned.

Jian Ke: “Did you feel that…”

Stand-in System 520: “She is hostile toward you.”

Jian Ke: “…I don’t know her. Why would she be hostile toward me?”

Stand-in System 520: “Most of the time, bosses’ subordinates don’t have a good impression of the boss’s mistress. They’re afraid you’ll cause trouble or something.”

Jian Ke shrugged helplessly. “I’m just a stand-in lover. What kind of trouble can I cause? She’s overthinking it.”

Stand-in System 520: ‘…It looks like you’ve already caused plenty of trouble, though?’

…

The meeting finally ended as the sky outside had darkened. Lou Bianxia massaged her sore shoulders and got up to leave the office. Her assistant, Chen Chang, came over, took the documents from Lou Bianxia’s hands, and began to report on tomorrow’s schedule.

Lou Bianxia interrupted, “When did Jian Ke leave?”

Chen Chang paused. “…Um, she should still be in the CEO’s office.”

Lou Bianxia said, “The meeting was long. I told you to send her home in the middle of it, didn’t I?”

“I apologize, CEO Lou. It was my oversight,” she said, bowing her head slightly. “When I went to inform her, she was already asleep on the sofa.”

“Just send tomorrow’s schedule to me via email. You’ve worked hard. You can go home now.”

Chen Chang said, “…Yes, CEO Lou.”

Lou Bianxia pushed open the office door and saw Jian Ke curled up in an awkward position on the sofa. The small sofa clearly couldn’t accommodate her long, pale legs. The scene looked a bit sad, but Jian Ke was sleeping soundly, with her backpack as a pillow. Her fair, flushed face, her even breathing, and her long, lowered eyelashes gave her a peaceful and relaxed look. It was hard to see any sign of sadness from being bullied.

Lou Bianxia pinched her nose and mentally scolded her as a “little liar.”

Jian Ke’s eyebrows furrowed, and the lack of air immediately pulled her from her dream. Lou Bianxia’s smiling face was the first thing she saw. Just waking up, she seemed a bit dazed. Lou Bianxia pulled her to a sitting position, but she slumped lazily into her arms as if she had no bones.

Jian Ke squinted, rubbing her head against Lou Bianxia’s shoulder like a lazy cat. Her voice was low and soft. “Why did you take so long? I fell asleep waiting for you.”

Lou Bianxia felt a ticklish sensation as Jian Ke nuzzled her. Half of her shoulder was tingling. She suppressed the warmth on her face.

“Sorry, an emergency meeting came up. Are you angry?”

Jian Ke sat up straight in Lou Bianxia’s arms and yawned, then rubbed her eyes. “If you take me out for dinner now, I won’t be angry anymore.”

After dinner, the two of them went home together. The low-profile black sports car cut through the night, a line of light in the darkness. The window was rolled down, and the slightly cool autumn air blew in, carrying the unique scent of the night. Jian Ke closed her eyes and leaned against the window, letting the wind blow her hair.

Lou Bianxia asked her about being bullied during the day. Jian Ke only gave a few simple, evasive details, leaving out the part where she had threatened Qian Jiao. “I really was so angry I almost cried…”

Stand-in System 520: “…Nice.”

“Haha!” Lou Bianxia suddenly laughed out loud. Her tense expression softened, and in the dim light, she looked especially gentle. “So you really cried? I couldn’t tell.”

Jian Ke blinked, a little stunned for a moment. She hadn’t expected Lou Bianxia to make a joke. It seemed she was a little more human than when they first met.

“Aren’t you supposed to take my side?” she pouted, pretending to be angry.

Lou Bianxia suppressed the smile on her lips. “You should be going to the company tomorrow. I’ll make sure they arrange the best resources for you.”

Jian Ke: ‘?? Why are we suddenly talking about work?’

‘Wait a minute! Did Lou Bianxia think I was using this as a way to ask for resources??’

‘That’s not it at all! I just wanted some comfort and some more capture points! I don’t want resources!’

Jian Ke felt like she had shot herself in the foot.

520’s timely comfort came through. “It’s okay, host. You earned some capture points while eating dinner.”

Jian Ke was crying internally, but on the surface, she had to act happy. “You’re so good to me, Sister.”

The car drove into the garage, and Jian Ke got out, her spirits low as she walked ahead. Lou Bianxia got out right behind her. Seeing Jian Ke’s dejected back, the smile in her eyes faded, and she reverted to her serious, cold self. She pulled out her phone and sent a text to Cen Ming.

“Investigate Qian Jiao, the new hire at Huanqi Entertainment.”

Lou Bianxia had arranged a room for Jian Ke on the second floor, a master bedroom similar in size to her own, with a study, living room, and a large walk-in closet. The clothes in the closet were neatly arranged. She had chosen brands she herself often wore. Since time was limited, most of Jian Ke’s clothes were the same styles as Lou Bianxia’s, just in different colors and sizes.

But Jian Ke followed Lou Bianxia all the way up to the third floor, into the master bedroom. She still looked a little unhappy, her cheeks puffed out.

Lou Bianxia took off her shirt and pants and walked toward the bathroom. “I’m going to take a shower. You should go back to your room to rest.”

A slender wrist was stopped, and a pair of arms wrapped around Lou Bianxia’s waist from behind. Jian Ke’s skin, which was delicate and smooth, gleamed in the light. She gave a light kiss to Lou Bianxia’s rounded shoulder. Her voice was husky. “Sister, let’s shower together.”

The steam fogged up the mirror, and a single drop of water slid down, wiping away a clear streak and reflecting a seductive, rippling gaze.

By the time the shower was over, it was well into the early morning. Lou Bianxia was tired and leaned against Jian Ke, who securely carried her to bed.

She turned her head to look at Jian Ke, who was beaming with joy, then closed her eyes, unable to fight off her sleepiness.

Lou Bianxia: ‘My little one’s performance tonight… wasn’t it a bit too good?’

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