When The Harem Novel’s Heroine Meets The Tragic Heroine - Chapter 22

Her snow-white shoulders were held up by thin, light blue spaghetti straps. Damp strands of hair, glistening with water droplets, meandered across that fair skin, creating a striking visual impact.

The lines of her waist were far too beautiful. As she moved, the hem of her skirt swayed above her knees, shimmering with a faint glow. Those long legs had been impossible to look away from even when clad in trousers; now that they were exposed to the air, they were enough to make one’s blood boil.

Bei Qiuqiu swallowed hard, quickly lowering her eyes to hide her unusually fiery gaze. With slightly frantic steps, she clutched her change of clothes and scurried into the bathroom.

She was wearing too little—the least she had ever worn since she could remember.

Yu Qingling felt incredibly self-conscious. With a stiff back, she walked to the window and pulled the curtains shut. Habitually, she moved to sit cross-legged on the ledge, but the moment she did, she felt a cool draft beneath her skirt and immediately stood back up.

Looking down at her bare legs, she tried to tug the hem of the dress downward, but this only caused more skin to be exposed at her chest. Her eyes dropped, staring at the curves visible beneath the thin fabric, feeling immensely embarrassed.

Feeling helpless and distressed, Yu Qingling thought to herself that she would never wear a dress again for as long as she lived.

When Bei Qiuqiu emerged from the bathroom shrouded in mist, wearing a nightgown just as breezy as Yu Qingling’s, she saw the sexy beauty standing by the windowsill looking conflicted, her expression and posture stiff with awkwardness.

The beauty’s hair was still wet, and a small patch of the thin silk fabric at her chest had been dampened, revealing a captivating hue beneath the deeper blue.

Bei Qiuqiu quickly averted her eyes, fearing that if she looked for even a second longer, her ulterior motives would be exposed. She turned back to the bathroom, grabbed a hairdryer, and walked over. “Sister, let me help you dry your hair.”

Yu Qingling froze. She was gently pressed down into a seat, followed by the buzzing sound of the dryer and a warm, powerful breeze. Soft fingertips occasionally brushed against her scalp.

The sensation was strange; she couldn’t help but straighten her back even further.

Perhaps it was because she had always been self-reliant in her daily life—no one had ever helped her like this before.

Once the hair was dry, Bei Qiuqiu took a thin, light blue quilt and spread it on one side of the large bed. Then she hopped onto the other side, yawning as she said softly, “Sister, you sleep on this side. I’m so sleepy, I’m going to bed now.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she had already ducked under the covers and closed her eyes.

Yu Qingling stood for a moment longer before silently getting into bed, wrapping herself tightly to cover every inch of exposed skin.

In the quiet room, the breathing of the two girls gradually became deep and steady.

During the night, Bei Qiuqiu had a nightmare. In the dream, she had returned to the moment just before she transmigrated into the book. The pain of a cold, sharp dagger slicing through her throat seemed to linger on her neck.

She jolted awake in terror, drenched in sweat, clutching her throat and gasping for air.

Yu Qingling opened her eyes, got out of bed, and handed her a bottle of water.

Bei Qiuqiu’s eyes were rimmed with red, her voice thick with a nasal tone. “Sister, I’m scared.”

Yu Qingling had never comforted anyone before, especially not a soft, delicate young girl. She hesitated before reaching out to gently pat the girl’s shoulder until her breathing steadied.

In the pitch darkness, Bei Qiuqiu’s eyes shimmered with tears, looking pitiful. “Sister, can I hold your hand while I sleep?”

Yu Qingling nodded, thinking to herself: She really is so weak and pampered.

As they climbed back into bed, a soft, smooth hand slid into her palm—a stark contrast to her own calloused fingertips.

That strange sensation crept into her heart again, especially as the small hand in her palm moved around until their fingers were tightly intertwined.

The sense of oddness in Yu Qingling’s heart grew stronger.

Try as she might, she couldn’t figure out why. She lay there thinking until dawn began to break, at which point she decided to get up for her morning workout.

On the other side of the bed, Bei Qiuqiu was sleeping soundly. Yu Qingling carefully released her hand, tucked the covers around the girl, and went downstairs after washing up.

Not long after Yu Qingling left, Bei Qiuqiu woke up. After confirming the room was empty, she noticed the phone and bag were still on the nightstand, meaning she would likely be back soon.

She sat on the bed, hugging the quilt, lost in thought.

When the incident happened last night, it triggered her tragic memories. Fear had made it hard for her to stay calm.

Now that she thought about it carefully, the inconsistencies became clearer.

Starting from when that annoying love rival, Xiao Qingtian, showed up to be a third wheel, Yu Qingling’s attitude had suddenly become abnormal.

There was clearly disgust in her eyes, yet she tolerated him staying.

And then there was what happened near the small woods. Why did Yu Qingling tell her to find a hidden spot? Did she know from the start that someone was going to move against Xiao Qingtian?

Did she intentionally lead him to the woods to make it easier for the attackers?

Bei Qiuqiu’s heart raced; she took two deep breaths.

But then, why did she save Xiao Qingtian?

Unable to make sense of it, Bei Qiuqiu got out of bed and pulled open the curtains. Sunlight flooded in, and she squinted to adjust. On the balcony hung that light blue nightgown, water still dripping from the hem.

Standing on the balcony, she had a perfect view of the Bei family’s small athletic field. A familiar figure was practicing boxing on the open ground.

Bei Qiuqiu leaned against the railing and watched for a while. Yu Qingling’s boxing style was fluid, a perfect blend of strength and grace. Every move carried an aura of power—she was so cool!

She screamed internally for a good while before estimating the time and heading downstairs to prepare a “heartfelt” breakfast.

Over the past two days, Bei Qiuqiu had spent all her free time improving her culinary skills.

After many attempts and practices, she felt her cooking was improving rapidly. Making a simple breakfast would certainly be no problem.

At this hour, the servants of the Bei manor had already begun their day’s work.

In the kitchen, the auntie in charge was busy. She wasn’t surprised to see Bei Qiuqiu and asked, “So early today? What dish are you planning to practice today?”

Bei Qiuqiu rummaged through the fridge for ingredients. “I’m making Zhajiangmian (Noodles with Soybean Paste).”

Auntie Li, the cook, let out a surprised “Eh?” and curiously stopped her work to lean over, speaking in her accented Mandarin. “Second Miss, you’re not making a big fancy dish today?”

Bei Qiuqiu hummed in affirmation.

Auntie Li felt a bit regretful. “I was planning to show you one of my signature dishes today.”

Bei Qiuqiu turned around with a beaming smile. “Auntie Li, I’ll learn your signature dish from you properly at lunch.”

Auntie Li immediately broke into a wide grin. “Alright then!”

At the same time, she thought to herself: The Second Miss is such a good child—polite and considerate of us servants, unlike that Eldest Miss who joined halfway and always looks down her nose at everyone.

She set down her work. “Second Miss, do you need any help?”

Bei Qiuqiu shook her head. “For this Zhajiangmian, I have to do every single step myself.”

Auntie Li was surprised. “Why is that?”

Bei Qiuqiu’s cheeks flushed pink. “Because that’s the only way to show true sincerity.”

Auntie Li nodded and went back to her own tasks.

Bei Qiuqiu found some fresh meat in the fridge, choosing a piece with a good balance of fat and lean. She washed it, marinated it, and minced it into a paste.

She then picked fresh eggplants from the vegetable garden, peeled them, diced them, and deep-fried them until they were golden brown.

Next, she cleaned some fresh wild termite mushrooms that had been air-freighted in, chopped them up, and fried them until the whole room was filled with their aroma.

Finally, she stir-fried the meat paste until the moisture evaporated, added seasonings, and tossed in the prepared eggplant and mushrooms.

When Yu Qingling returned from her morning exercise, she smelled an alluring fragrance the moment she stepped into the foyer. Instantly, her mouth began to water.

Following the scent to the kitchen, she saw Bei Qiuqiu wearing an apron, lifting the springy noodles from the pot and topping them with a large ladle of the freshly made sauce.