Chapter 15: Unexpected Revelations and Hidden Secrets

Bai Mengqi immediately found herself unable to resist arguing with Zi Yanran.

Witnessing this scene, Wang Lei, who stood nearby, found himself utterly speechless.

A blend of helplessness and amusement flickered in his eyes as he mused, ‘This Bai Lao Er and his girlfriend are truly a pair of lively characters. Their dynamic is certainly… distinctive.’

To Wang Lei, age was never a significant concern. After all, he firmly believed that as long as two people shared a deep enough connection, age would simply cease to be an impediment.

“Sister-in-law,” Wang Lei began, a playful grin spreading across his face, “this guy is an absolute idiot, so just ignore him. But tell me, I’m dying to know, when did you two actually meet?” His eyes gleamed with an irrepressible curiosity, eager to unearth some juicy gossip.

Upon hearing this, Zi Yanran immediately shot Bai Mengqi a sharp glare before pointedly ignoring her.

She began to wander around the residence with a keen interest, as if she were already its mistress. All the while, she calmly, yet unhurriedly, answered Wang Lei’s question.

“Roughly four years ago, one particular night,” she stated blandly, “this fellow and I had a one-night stand.”

Zi Yanran’s voice remained utterly serene, as though she were recounting the most mundane of everyday occurrences. Yet, the moment her words left her lips, they detonated like a bombshell dropped into a tranquil lake.

“What?! No way! Lao Er, you’re incredible! You had a girlfriend back in high school? I’m utterly floored, absolutely speechless!”

Wang Lei’s eyes instantly bulged, his face a canvas of exaggerated astonishment.

As he spoke, he swiftly moved to Bai Mengqi’s side, then clapped her shoulder with a forceful, almost bone-jarring impact.

It was as though he intended to transmit the full extent of his inner shock directly into Bai Mengqi with that single, powerful pat.

Bai Mengqi, meanwhile, felt her face flush a deep crimson, as if it had been scorched to the bottom of a pot. The sheer vexation swirling within her was utterly beyond description.

‘This woman! How can she say anything and everything? Can’t she show a little more restraint? How am I supposed to explain this to my brothers?’ Bai Mengqi’s thoughts raced, despairing. ‘I’ve always told them I was still a virgin!’ She felt on the verge of tears.

She could already envision the ‘warm greetings’ she would undoubtedly receive from her other brothers later that evening.

Her days ahead promised to be incredibly challenging. First, she had suddenly acquired a pair of children, and now, a girlfriend. These were all circumstances entirely new to her, leaving her utterly bewildered as to how to navigate them.

Her sole wish now was for everything to swiftly return to a state of calm. Yet, judging by the current trajectory, that seemed an increasingly distant prospect.

****

As for Zi Yanran, she had, by now, already sauntered into Bai Mengqi’s room with an air of complete disregard for her surroundings.

Bai Mengqi’s room was, in truth, remarkably spartan. At a glance, it bore no resemblance whatsoever to a space typically inhabited by a young woman.

The walls were a plain, unadorned white, devoid of any decorative paintings or embellishments. The furniture consisted of the most basic models, arranged with an almost haphazard indifference.

There was simply no other option. To her acquaintances, Bai Mengqi had always presented herself as a man, thus it was only natural that her room wouldn’t be adorned in a particularly flamboyant style.

Zi Yanran began to inspect every corner, rummaging through items with an utter lack of self-consciousness, as if she were already an intimate part of the household.

“Hey, don’t just go rummaging through my things!” The moment Bai Mengqi saw Zi Yanran open her wardrobe, her face instantly paled with alarm. She scrambled over in a desperate rush, slamming the cabinet shut with a resounding thud.

A surge of panic gripped her. Her wardrobe, after all, contained certain ‘unspeakable’ items. If Wang Lei were to catch a glimpse, it would lead to an utterly mortifying situation, one for which she’d have no plausible explanation.

She had absolutely no desire to reveal her deepest secrets in front of her friends.

Wang Lei, meanwhile, stood casually to the side, a wide, amused grin plastered across his face as he observed their every interaction. His expression suggested he was thoroughly enjoying a captivating farce, all the while pondering what other amusing events might unfold.

“This fellow, honestly!” Wang Lei murmured, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he watched Bai Mengqi’s flustered reaction, shaking his head ever so slightly.

****

Meanwhile, at the spot where Zi Yanran had parked, the atmosphere had grown subtly eerie. A man, cloaked in a baseball cap and mask, appeared. He had meticulously concealed himself, leaving only his eyes visible, which, even then, conveyed an unsettling air of mystery.

The man first fixated on Zi Yanran’s car for a considerable period, his gaze seeming to probe for something unseen. Then, without uttering a sound, he slipped into the residential complex, his figure vanishing swiftly into the stairwell. His purpose remained unknown, leaving behind a subtle, unsettling apprehension.

****

After a period of introductions and exchanges, Bai Mengqi finally reached her limit with the chaotic scene unfolding around her.

She exerted considerable effort to finally usher Wang Lei back into his own room, then slammed the door shut with a resounding ‘bang’. Turning, she fixed Zi Yanran with a look of undisguised displeasure.

“Hey!” she exclaimed, her voice laced with frustration. “I told you, our relationship needs to progress one step at a time! You’re moving far too quickly; I can’t keep up with your pace. What happened to ‘adapting,’ as we agreed?”

Bai Mengqi’s face was etched with a mixture of helplessness and resentment. She felt that Zi Yanran’s approach to everything was far too impetuous, completely disregarding her feelings.

Upon hearing Bai Mengqi’s words, Zi Yanran finally ceased her sweeping gaze around the room. She surveyed Bai Mengqi’s small, single-person window and the cramped side bedroom, a flicker of discomfort stirring within her.

The room was undeniably minuscule. While it might barely suffice for a single occupant, it would undoubtedly become excessively cramped with two people.

“Alright, alright, my apologies, I was indeed too hasty. I’ll slow down,” Zi Yanran said, attempting to placate her. “However, this place of yours might prove a bit problematic for two people to live in. Perhaps we could rent an apartment within this complex, or even next door? That way, it would be much more convenient if you ever wished to revert to your female form.”

Observing Bai Mengqi’s slightly vexed expression, Zi Yanran swiftly moved to soothe her, simultaneously offering a suggestion she believed to be quite excellent.

After listening to Zi Yanran’s proposition, Bai Mengqi pondered it for a brief moment before delivering a retort that left Zi Yanran utterly speechless.

“I don’t have any money,” Bai Mengqi stated, crossing her arms with an air of absolute entitlement. “If you want to rent a place, you’ll have to pay.” She mused internally, ‘Zi Yanran is so wealthy anyway, what’s a bit of rent to her? I certainly don’t have the spare funds for such an expense.’

Zi Yanran was on the verge of offering a sharp retort, but then, recalling her recent conversation with Bai Mengqi, she managed to restrain herself.

She understood that Bai Mengqi could, at times, be remarkably blunt. Arguing with her over this particular matter would likely only provoke further displeasure, rendering the entire exchange entirely counterproductive.

“Did I say I’d make you pay?” Zi Yanran sighed, a hint of helplessness in her tone. “Honestly, there’s no need to get so agitated, is there?” she added softly.

Having said her piece, Zi Yanran promptly retrieved her phone and placed a call. Given her standing, resolving the housing issue was an utterly effortless task; she wouldn’t even need to personally involve herself in any of the arrangements.

All she had to do was issue a few brief instructions over the phone, and naturally, everything would be meticulously arranged by others.

“There she goes again, ordering people around,” Bai Mengqi muttered under her breath, a hint of exasperation in her tone. “Such a princess.”

Watching Zi Yanran’s utterly entitled demeanor as she commanded others over the phone, Bai Mengqi couldn’t help but inwardly grumble with annoyance.

After concluding her call, Zi Yanran pocketed her phone, checked the time, and then, without a hint of urgency, stated, “Let’s call it a day here. Once everything is finalized tomorrow, we can move in. For now, let’s head back to the company; you still have your onboarding process to complete.”

With those words, she rose to her feet, preparing to exit the room.

However, just before she left, she paused, as if a sudden thought had struck her. She abruptly returned to Bai Mengqi’s wardrobe, opening it without a moment’s hesitation. After rummaging through a concealed section for a while, she finally produced a set of women’s lingerie.

Yet, this particular lingerie seemed… rather audacious. Its style was exceptionally flamboyant, and the colors were strikingly vivid, clashing entirely with Bai Mengqi’s typically understated aesthetic.

“Oh? You harbor such a particular preference in private? I never would have guessed!”

Zi Yanran held up the lingerie, gesturing with it towards Bai Mengqi, her expression a subtle, knowing smirk.

Internally, however, she mused on just how many more such unexpected little secrets Bai Mengqi might possess in her everyday life.

The moment Bai Mengqi saw Zi Yanran produce the lingerie, her face instantly flushed a furious scarlet. She wished desperately that the earth would simply swallow her whole.

A wave of mortifying regret washed over her. ‘I should have hidden that lingerie more discreetly,’ she lamented. Now, with Zi Yanran having discovered it, the embarrassment was utterly overwhelming.