After Transmigrating Into a Book, I Was Played by the Black Lotus – Chapter 31

And Danger.

The next day, after Lin Xingzhu arrived at the company, she pondered for a moment before deciding to have her assistant investigate Hurricane Studio again.

She believed that Bai Xiying was not one to speak without reason. Since she had mentioned that Lin Xingzhu should reconsider, there must be a reason for it that she was unaware of.

But this unsubstantiated matter was not the most important thing at the moment.

Finding the nameless Fourth Gong from the original text was Lin Xingzhu’s current priority.

She sighed. Thinking of this, she decided to attend the wedding of the Su family heir three days from now.

However, in that case, she might have to trouble Bai Xiying to be her female companion for the day.

With this in mind, Lin Xingzhu invited Bai Xiying to have lunch together that noon.

During the meal, Lin Xingzhu took the opportunity to mention the matter to Bai Xiying.

She knew that Bai Xiying was currently preparing for the ASHY Design Competition and wasn’t sure if she would have the time to accompany her on this trip.

“If you’re busy, I’ll just go alone,” Lin Xingzhu said after musing for a moment. “It’ll be a good chance to show that we’ve already broken up.”

Bai Xiying was slightly taken aback. If Lin Xingzhu hadn’t reminded her, she would have almost forgotten about this matter.

The ‘girlfriend’ status between her and Lin Xingzhu couldn’t have felt more fake.

But those gradually blurring memories of the past seemed to become clear again with those two words.

Bai Xiying lowered her head and joked, “Are you that eager to get rid of me and go back to being single?”

Lin Xingzhu shrugged playfully. “You can’t wrong me like that.”

Clarifying the breakup was good for both her and Bai Xiying, or at least for both of their future romantic prospects.

However, thinking of the few future figures who would still flock around Bai Xiying, Lin Xingzhu held back the sentence, “If you don’t want to be in a relationship, I can act as your shield.” Perhaps someone else might have said it, but after some thought, Lin Xingzhu kept her mouth shut.

This was enough. To continue any further would violate her original intention of avoiding excessive intimacy.

Bai Xiying said, “I’ll go with you.”

She looked up at Lin Xingzhu and said with understanding, “Is it because of what your father needs?”

Lin Xingzhu didn’t deny it.

Father Lin had indeed instructed her to bring Bai Xiying along, but as Lin Xingzhu was focused on finding the so-called Fourth Gong, she still felt that she would have more to gain by being with Bai Xiying.

After all, the Su family was a prominent local family, and most of the guests attending the banquet would be well-known figures, with no shortage of heirs from other wealthy families.

Bai Xiying smiled and said considerately, “I’ll accompany you this one time. It’ll be a good chance for me to broaden my horizons. As for the breakup, it won’t be too late to deal with it after the banquet.”

After talking about this, Bai Xiying lowered her eyes and fell silent for a moment.

Lately, aside from her plans for Mu Muqing, she had also been pondering over Xie Yunya’s cousin, whom she had run into at the KTV several days ago.

She had previously hired a private investigator to look into it and had found something fishy, but since Bai Xiying had never dealt with such things in her past life, she was a bit unsure for the time being.

She guessed that perhaps Lin Xingzhu might know something?

After all, Lin Xingzhu seemed to possess this body’s memories, and the original Lin Xingzhu had frequented such venues, so she might have some knowledge.

“Do you know of any famous bars in the city?” Bai Xiying asked tentatively. “The kind that are well-known in a specific circle. Or not just bars, entertainment venues would also work.”

“Huh?” Lin Xingzhu was stunned for a moment.

Although she didn’t know why Bai Xiying had suddenly asked this, Lin Xingzhu still searched through her memories.

Since Bai Xiying said it was famous within a specific circle, and factoring in the background of this world, Lin Xingzhu quickly had an idea of what kind of entertainment venue she was looking for.

“…I don’t know.” After a moment of deep thought, Lin Xingzhu had practically ransacked the original body’s memories but still hadn’t found any clues.

Bai Xiying was a little disappointed. “Is that so.”

Lin Xingzhu glanced at her discreetly but didn’t ask any questions.

Although it was strange for someone in Bai Xiying’s situation to be specifically asking about such an entertainment venue, Lin Xingzhu figured that even if she asked, Bai Xiying wouldn’t tell her the truth.

She changed the subject, asking with concern, “By the way, Mu Muqing hasn’t been giving you a hard time recently, has she?”

Hearing her mention Mu Muqing, Bai Xiying came back to her senses, a small smile playing on her lips.

“It’s been alright. I can still handle it,” she said with a relaxed posture.

Mu Muqing had clearly been losing her patience recently. Thinking of her increasingly blatant words, an aura of delight emanated from Bai Xiying.

She wanted Mu Muqing to lose her patience, to make her gradually feel that she could no longer control her, that she couldn’t even restrain her through work. Only then would Mu Muqing gradually peel off that hypocritical skin and reveal her true face.

Bai Xiying was not worried at all that Mu Muqing would lose interest in her.

In her past life, amid the scorching-hot haze of fresh blood, she had long understood what kind of people those madmen were, and just how bizarre and strange this world was.

To this group of madmen, her existence was like an addictive poppy, luring them to throw themselves at her.

Lin Xingzhu nodded, and the two’s lunch ended amidst casual conversation.

From start to finish, her gaze nonchalantly avoided the small rose-red mark on the side of Bai Xiying’s neck.

Three days passed by very quickly at work. It felt like the blink of an eye, and it wasn’t until her assistant reminded her that Lin Xingzhu remembered she had a banquet to attend on her schedule today.

At this thought, she gave Bai Xiying a call. The two agreed on a time, and Lin Xingzhu waited at the 12th-floor elevator entrance to drive her to get their styling done.

At the styling salon, considering that she and Bai Xiying would be appearing as a couple, Lin Xingzhu deliberately chose a pair of matching couple’s dresses that suited Bai Xiying’s aesthetic.

They were two shimmering starlight dresses. The hems were a gradient of deep blue, glittering magnificently under the indoor lights, exceptionally beautiful.

Bai Xiying fell in love with them at first sight.

The dresses looked grand and elegant from the front, but a turn revealed a hidden marvel¹.

Lin Xingzhu had also just discovered this.

She extended her slender fingers to flick at the thin straps on the back. Her eyes deepened, and she suddenly smiled.

“Since you like it, let’s go with this set.”

The two went into the changing rooms together to put on the formal dresses.

When Bai Xiying lifted the curtain and walked out, standing before the massive floor-to-ceiling mirror, Lin Xingzhu was leaning against the side of the changing room, staring fixedly at her.

Her eyes flickered.

…As expected, it’s very sexy.

Her back exposed a large expanse of snow-white skin. Thin straps were tied across her waist, the dark color contrasting with the snowy white, not only failing to provide any cover but making her entire graceful, slender waist appear even more alluring.

Lin Xingzhu realized she could even faintly see the dimples of her waist.

She lowered her gaze, slowly walked forward to stand behind Bai Xiying, and unobtrusively blocked the faint, astonished gazes from others.

The huge floor-to-ceiling mirror revealed the two figures, one in front of the other.

Bai Xiying focused on the mirror, her pair of enchanting eyes looking at—it was unclear whether it was herself, or the other person a step behind her.

After a moment, she suddenly said, “We match so well.”

Lin Xingzhu subconsciously looked over.

In the mirror, their figures seemed to overlap, intimately close. The fluttering hems of their skirts layered over each other, making it impossible to tell whose was whose. And from this angle, it looked as if she were holding her tightly, the person before her embedded in her embrace.

Lin Xingzhu’s eyes contracted, and her heart suddenly leaped.

As if unable to control her body’s reaction, she took another small step forward.

The moment her foot landed, she was jolted awake.

“Is it pretty? If you think it’s pretty, then we’ll finalize it,” Lin Xingzhu said, using a gentle tone and posture to cover up the inappropriate impulse that had leaked out for a moment.

Bai Xiying didn’t notice anything amiss, or perhaps, her bright, colorful eyes had caught the small movement of the person behind her, yet she chose to let it be.

Although she didn’t know why.

“Let’s go with this set.” Bai Xiying’s lips curved. “I like it a lot.”

She looked at Lin Xingzhu with an appreciative gaze, a sense of pleasure rising in her heart.

The driver was already waiting outside. This time, Lin Xingzhu sat in the back seat with Bai Xiying.

Other than the whooshing sound of cars passing by the side of the road, the car was filled with silence.

Lin Xingzhu was slowing her breathing, resting with her eyes closed.

But the quieter it was, the harder it became to ignore the other person’s presence.

Lin Xingzhu had never felt that sharing a space with Bai Xiying could be such an ordeal.

Her pride-and-joy self-control was on the verge of collapsing completely² under the other’s light, sweet scent.

The image of that moment of losing her composure in the styling salon still lingered in her eyes, constantly reminding and mocking her.

She had clearly made so many vows, and she clearly knew that their current situation was neither appropriate nor possible, yet her reason was unable to stop her emotions, allowing them to spread through her chest, through her limbs and bones, through her scalding blood, and then take root.

How absurd.

The hands resting on her knees clenched and unclenched, red marks appearing on her well-defined knuckles.

Lin Xingzhu suddenly opened her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

Bai Xiying was woken by her movement, opening her eyes sleepily.

“It’s nothing,” Lin Xingzhu said faintly. “We’re almost there.”

Hearing this, Bai Xiying sat up straight and slowly began to wake up.

She had stayed up late last night working on a design draft, had gotten up early this morning, and although she only had to sit still and let the makeup artist work during the styling session just now, it was still quite tiring. So, as soon as she got in the car, she had unknowingly fallen asleep.

Bai Xiying lowered the hand she used to rub her eyes and looked sideways at Lin Xingzhu, who sat beside her with a calm and gentle aura.

They were wearing extremely similar dresses, with only some differences in the details and colors, yet on their bodies, they exhibited completely different temperaments.

Take Lin Xingzhu at this moment, for example.

Even while wearing such a uniquely sexy formal dress, her entire being still exuded a calm, gentle, and graceful aura like that of the vast ocean.

The two should have been mutually exclusive, but because the person wearing it was Lin Xingzhu, it was imbued with a mysterious quality like that of a starry night sky.

—No, perhaps there was also danger.

The ocean is broad and calm, its waves light and pure, but the deep sea symbolizes the silent, dark currents of the abyss.

Erosion, consumption, danger.

Bai Xiying’s eyes shifted slightly as she suddenly realized something was different.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, lost in thought.

In the short journey while she was resting, what on earth had happened that could suddenly add such an indescribable quality to a person’s aura?

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