Chapter 26: Get off the bus

Liu Qiu’s cheeks were still flushed, droplets of water clinging to her face.
She lightly bit her lip.
“You can’t just hit people.”
“If something really happened, you’d have to pay for it.”

Bai Qingqing had thought she would be waiting for Liu Qiu to beg for forgiveness.
Instead, this was what she got.

“Liu Qiu, are you still blaming me even now?!”

Bai Qingqing felt like she was about to go mad with anger.
She had waited at her seat for a long time—so long that the one surnamed Song had already left, yet Liu Qiu still hadn’t returned.
That was why she had gone to look for her.
And what did she find?
Liu Qiu pressed beneath someone else, head to head, her entire body steeped in another person’s scent.

“Didn’t I say that omega was fine? She said herself that she was fine.”

Bai Qingqing stared at Liu Qiu.
Her eyes were dark and heavy, so deep they sent a chill down one’s spine.

Liu Qiu lowered her head.
Bai Qingqing’s anger was obvious.
Her voice was small.

“I just—”

“Enough!”
“Liu Qiu, you really make me see you in a new light.”

“So that dull and wooden act of yours was all fake, wasn’t it?”
“You were on my bed last night, and tonight you’re out seducing someone else?”
“Liu Qiu, are you that desperate?”

Bai Qingqing had never been someone with a good temper.
The gentleness she showed in front of Liu Qiu had only been for the sake of using her more conveniently.

But Liu Qiu kept disobeying her, again and again, going off to interact with others.

A vicious gleam surged in Bai Qingqing’s eyes.

“I’ve told you countless times—don’t interact with other people.”

And now she was covered head to toe in someone else’s scent.
It was disgusting.
She had even taken the initiative to pull that person into her arms just now.

In Bai Qingqing’s mind, she and Liu Qiu were not the same kind of existence.
She was of the demon race, while Liu Qiu was human—born to be her prey.

Prey should obediently listen to its master.

She had already given Liu Qiu countless chances.
She had been more than tolerant enough.

Liu Qiu said she loved her.
Yet she couldn’t even refuse others.
Humans really were disgusting.

A deep disgust surfaced in Bai Qingqing’s eyes.

Liu Qiu raised her head, her gaze slightly dazed.
She had always known that Bai Qingqing didn’t like the original host.
But it seemed she had completely messed things up.

In the original host’s memories, Bai Qingqing had never gotten angry before.
Yet now she had angered Bai Qingqing to this extent, made her say such things.

Liu Qiu reached out and grabbed the hem of Bai Qingqing’s sleeve.
Her tone was uneasy.

“W-wife, I… I’m sorry.”
“Can you listen to me explain?”

Bai Qingqing curled her lips.
She slapped Liu Qiu’s hand away.
Her smile was dazzling, but there was no warmth in her eyes—only a coldness like a blade of ice, sharp and indifferent.

“I was wondering why you kept staring at those disgusting humans.”

“So that’s it.”
“I wouldn’t let you kiss me, so you went to find someone else?”

A deep sense of powerlessness surged up inside Liu Qiu.
Did Bai Qingqing looking at her like this mean that, compared to the original host, she was even more detestable?

Sure enough, even wearing the original host’s identity, two different people would never be the same.

At the very least, Bai Qingqing had never shown the original host this kind of expression, nor spoken such words.

[ I really messed up, System. I’m sorry to the original host. ]

The original host liked Bai Qingqing.
If she had been treated like this by Bai Qingqing, how heartbroken would she have been?

The system replied faintly:
[ It’s fine. The original host won’t come back. Host doesn’t need to feel sorry. ]

Liu Qiu knew the original ‘Liu Qiu’ would never return.
But she still felt deeply apologetic.

Anxiousness crept between her brows.
Even her glasses couldn’t hide the unease in her eyes.
She looked at Bai Qingqing, her gaze filled with dejection.

“…W-wife.”

Bai Qingqing merely avoided her eyes lightly.

“I told you already. Acting cute is useless.”

Then she turned and walked away unhurriedly.

The streetlights and nightfall reflected nothing within Bai Qingqing’s pitch-black eyes.

Sure enough, she should never have placed any hope in humans.

Bai Qingqing walked quickly.
Liu Qiu jogged to catch up.
Perhaps because she was too anxious, she didn’t notice the small step under her feet and stumbled.

Her palm scraped against brick, pain shooting through her skin.
Her knee hurt badly.
She didn’t get up immediately.
Seeing Bai Qingqing’s back as she turned away, Liu Qiu called out softly,

“W-wife.”

But in the next second, Bai Qingqing flagged down a taxi and got in.

The car window completely separated the two of them.

Liu Qiu was at a loss.
Had she really gone too far?

Her knee and palm throbbed.
She was grateful there weren’t many people around.
She was already this old and still tripping while walking.
How embarrassing.

After resting for a moment, she slowly pushed herself up from the ground.

“Liu Qiu.”

A voice called from behind.
Liu Qiu turned slightly, her eyes widening.

“President Song… Ciyu.”

She was no longer an employee, so it really wasn’t appropriate to keep calling her Director.

The night air was cool.
Song Ciyu wore a thin white shirt.
Black hair, pale skin—her delicate features were almost excessively beautiful under the night.

There was no smile on Song Ciyu’s face.
She stepped closer and immediately grabbed Liu Qiu’s wrist, lifting her hand.

Liu Qiu tried to pull her arm back but couldn’t.

Song Ciyu lowered her eyes slightly.
Her long curled lashes cast shadows beneath them.

“Liu Qiu, your palm is bleeding.”

Bai Qingqing had been the one angry, but in the end it was Liu Qiu who got hurt.

There was no pleasure in Song Ciyu’s heart.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

Embarrassment surfaced on Liu Qiu’s face.
She shook her head.

“It’s fine. I’ll just wipe it with tissues. I have disinfectant wipes.”

Song Ciyu had never shown a forceful side in front of Liu Qiu before.
But this time her tone was firmer.

“Wet wipes aren’t suitable for cleaning wounds.”
“Liu Qiu, we’re going to a hospital or a clinic.”

Not far away—

Bai Qingqing stared at the two figures holding hands in the night.
The emotions swelling inside her pushed her irritation to the extreme.

How many people was Liu Qiu planning to flirt with?
She should have—should have changed prey long ago instead of keeping her attention fixed on Liu Qiu.

Now her emotions were so easily stirred.

Bai Qingqing’s gaze was so dark and sinister that the driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror and shuddered, swallowing the question he had been about to ask.

[ Green Hat Value +5 ]

The notification of task progress rang out.
Liu Qiu looked around instinctively.
Bai Qingqing was nowhere to be seen.
She was baffled.

Bai Qingqing had clearly left angrily in a taxi.
Why was the Green Hat Value still increasing?

It couldn’t be that she had already run into the target person so quickly, could it?

Back in the restroom, when Bai Qingqing saw her intimate posture with Shi Ran and the notification sounded, Liu Qiu had already been a little suspicious about whose Green Hat Value it actually was.

But now Bai Qingqing wasn’t even nearby, and the notification still rang.
That dispelled her doubts.

Song Ciyu was here with her.
Shi Ran was still performing.
That only left Liu Xia?

But Liu Xia lived far away from here.

Maybe it was just… attraction.

Liu Qiu didn’t think too much about it.
As long as the task progress increased, it was good for her.

“Liu Qiu, let’s go. Even if we’re no longer colleagues, we’re still friends.”

Song Ciyu’s voice filtered gently into her ears.

Liu Qiu’s gaze fell on the slender fingers wrapped around her wrist.
She nodded.

“Let go of me first.”

Song Ciyu’s lips curved slightly into a faint smile.

“Mm. I’m glad you’re still willing to talk to me.”

She released Liu Qiu’s wrist.

“My car is just up ahead.”

“Okay.”

Her knee hurt, so Liu Qiu walked slowly.

“Do you need me to carry you?” Song Ciyu asked.

Liu Qiu shook her head.

“No need.”

Song Ciyu didn’t press the matter further.

Measured and courteous.
Aside from the abrupt wrist-grabbing at the beginning, her behavior didn’t make Liu Qiu feel uncomfortable.

After getting into the car, Liu Qiu said,

“Thank you.”

Song Ciyu slowly turned the steering wheel.
Her voice was gentle and low.
Her natural tone was already pleasant, but when she lowered it like this, it carried a hazy sensuality.

“No need.”
“I was just worried about you.”

Streetlights streamed in through the car window.
Liu Qiu kept her head lowered, feet together, hands resting obediently on her knees.
Her loose curls hid most of her face, leaving only her high nose bridge and black-framed glasses visible.

While waiting at a red light, Song Ciyu took in her state from the corner of her eye.
Her throat moved slightly.

“Liu Qiu, the omega scent on you is very strong.”

Liu Qiu pressed her lips together.

“Do you also think I did something with an omega?”

Song Ciyu had arrived so quickly—she must have been nearby.
The voices between her and Bai Qingqing hadn’t been quiet.
It was normal to have overheard.

“No.”

She didn’t believe Liu Qiu had the courage to do something to betray Bai Qingqing.

The one who spent every day with Liu Qiu was clearly Bai Qingqing, yet she couldn’t even offer this basic trust.

That was why Song Ciyu had said Liu Qiu would eventually be driven away.

Still, Bai Qingqing clearly cared too much about Liu Qiu.

Song Ciyu’s eyes darkened.
The light turned green, and the car began moving slowly.

“Liu Qiu, you wouldn’t.”

Her tone was calm, yet unwavering.

Liu Qiu removed her glasses and wiped away her tears.

“Thank you.”

Her voice was small, thick with nasal congestion.

“But you don’t have to comfort me.”

“I’m not comforting you.”

Liu Qiu lifted her head and turned to look out the window.
Blurry night lights streaked past her eyes.

“Didn’t you also believe the company rumors?”

She wasn’t stupid.
There had been so many rumors at the company.
Even if she didn’t know the specifics, Song Ciyu, as a superior, certainly would have.
Yet she hadn’t stopped them.

That meant she had believed them too.

Liu Qiu didn’t resent Song Ciyu.
She thought it was normal to believe them.
As a boss, Song Ciyu had already treated her well.

She just felt that after personally hearing the things Bai Qingqing had said, saying she believed her now was no different from comforting her.

Song Ciyu’s fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
She sounded puzzled.

“Liu Qiu, what are you talking about?”

After a long silence, Liu Qiu said softly,

“Actually… thank you very much.”

The car stopped.
Liu Qiu turned to look at Song Ciyu.
Her large eyes were filled with sincere gratitude.
She pressed her lips together and gave a small smile.

Her eyes were red and swollen.
Her cheeks were dirty.
Yet in her moist eyes, it seemed as though countless stars were embedded.
Her smile was pure and beautiful.

“Song Ciyu, you’re very good to me.”

“Everyone else talks about me. Only you didn’t.”

Maybe her intentions weren’t entirely pure.
But her actions were real.

Liu Qiu’s frame was slender.
Her cheeks small.
Her hands small.
She spread her palm open, blood mottling the skin.

“Look. The first thing you did was take me to treat my wound.”

She lowered her long lashes.

“You’re the fourth person who’s been good to me.”

In the original host’s life, the first had been the orphanage director who picked her up.
The second was Liu Xia.
The third was Bai Qingqing.

Now she was ‘Liu Qiu.’
Being kind to her counted as being kind to ‘Liu Qiu.’
So Song Ciyu was the fourth.

Song Ciyu’s fingers clenched tightly.
Her heart felt unbearably bitter.

“I’m… good to you?”

Liu Qiu nodded firmly.

“So you don’t have to worry about my feelings.”
“It’s okay if you don’t believe me.”

“You’ve already been very good to me.”

There was no shadow in Liu Qiu’s smile.
Only a hint of shyness.
Perhaps this was the brightest smile Liu Qiu had ever shown.

Only by deeply analyzing the original host’s personality and growth could one understand that when faced with people who showed her kindness, she had never been stingy with smiles or words—even if those smiles were stiff.

The original host had been gentle and kind.

Just now, Liu Qiu had said far more than the original host’s withdrawn and taciturn personality would allow.
Yet nothing had happened to her.
That meant her guess was correct.

A protagonist was a protagonist for a reason.
How could the world consciousness not favor the protagonist it created?

Unfortunately, no one had ever been willing to understand ‘Liu Qiu.’
Extreme malice had forced her to curl up entirely within her own small world.

Her gloomy, plain appearance and her gender had given everyone a poor first impression.
Very few were willing to offer kindness.

Liu Qiu spoke softly.

“Really… thank you.”

Her gratitude was sincere.
Song Ciyu looked at her, emotions slipping beyond her control.

The result had been achieved.
Liu Qiu had accepted her calculated kindness.
But she wasn’t happy.

The emotion swelling in her heart wasn’t joy.
It was something else—sharp and aching.

Song Ciyu blinked.
Her voice was hoarse.

“Get out. We’re at the clinic.”

Liu Qiu took a glasses cloth from her small bag and wiped her dirty lenses before putting them back on.

Song Ciyu’s face became clear in her vision.
Liu Qiu hesitated.

“Did what I said just now make you unhappy?”
“You look kind of fierce.”

Song Ciyu slowly curved her lips.

“No.”

Liu Qiu let out a breath of relief and opened the car door.

Song Ciyu followed behind her, watching her thin back.
Her fingers clenched into fists.

In a hoarse voice, she said,

“Liu Qiu, can you add me back?”

Liu Qiu turned around.
The light traced the outline of her profile.
Her smile was still shy.

“Okay.”

In Song Ciyu’s dark eyes was reflected Liu Qiu’s smiling face.
Even the blaring car horns couldn’t drown out the thunderous beating of her heart.