After Transmigrating Into a Book, I Was Played by the Black Lotus – Chapter 6

What a Coincidence

To gnaw on their bones and eat their flesh¹.

When Bai Xiying came out, Lin Xingzhu had just stuffed the sofa cover into the washing machine.

Noticing where Bai Xiying’s gaze landed, she said, somewhat trying to hide the obvious²: “The sofa cover was dirty.”

A few strands of hair on Bai Xiying’s forehead were damp and stuck together. Her face was flushed a deep red, and her eyes were moist and sparkling, exuding an ambiguous sense of satedness. Lin Xingzhu glanced at her quickly before looking away.

Bai Xiying knew perfectly well³ why the sofa cover was dirty.

Her constitution was different from others. If someone else had been drugged with that kind of aphrodisiac, even if they experienced similar aftereffects, they wouldn’t have such intense physiological reactions. But when it happened to her, it seemed anything was possible.

Bai Xiying had long since gotten used to all this.

But being used to it didn’t mean she didn’t detest it.

The expression on her face was one of shame, annoyance, and avoidance, yet her soul observed coldly from the sidelines.

“I…” Bai Xiying opened her mouth, seeming to realize something.

Lin Xingzhu practically bounded off the balcony in a few quick steps, stopping at a suitable distance from Bai Xiying. She almost rudely interrupted what Bai Xiying hadn’t finished saying.

“Have you considered moving to a different place?”

Bai Xiying’s attention was instantly diverted. “Huh?”

Lin Xingzhu said in a low voice, “Frankly, your current living conditions aren’t great.”

The residential complex had no security guards on duty or a security system. The door of her rented apartment looked old and in disrepair. Inside this small house, even though it was clear Bai Xiying had tried her best to make it look cozy, a missing corner of wallpaper revealed mottled, old, yellowish-brown stains.

Everything here was old, and everything screamed insecurity.

And Lin Xingzhu couldn’t guarantee she’d be able to arrive so promptly next time.

The flush on Bai Xiying’s face slowly faded; she had clearly thought of this too.

She opened her mouth. “I’ll start looking for a new place tomorrow.”

Lin Xingzhu sighed.

In the original novel, Bai Xiying’s family background wasn’t particularly good. She had studied diligently all the way through university graduation. Now, without a job yet, how much savings could she have to rent a place with good security?

Even if her current savings were enough, what would she do after spending that money when she needed it for daily expenses or unexpected job changes?

She had also just remembered that in the company Bai Xiying was about to join, there was still an “original gong.”

Lin Xingzhu turned around, looked at the few lit-up apartments across from the balcony, and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Her voice was heavy, hiding an almost imperceptible concern. “If you don’t mind, I have a few properties with decent security systems. I can rent one to you for now.”

Lin Xingzhu didn’t offer to let Bai Xiying move in directly because she knew that for someone as independent and strong-willed as Bai Xiying, it would undoubtedly be like breaking her backbone⁴—crushing her pride.

Especially since they had such a terrible history between them.

Bai Xiying looked at her back, her eyes flickering, her emotions unreadable.

After a long moment, her tone was light and cool. “Thank you.”

Lin Xingzhu mentally let out a sigh of relief.

She turned around, her gaze sweeping over the mess on the living room floor. “You should stay at a hotel tonight.”

Afraid Bai Xiying might be scared, Lin Xingzhu added, “If you’re afraid, I can get a room next to yours and watch over you.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Lin Xingzhu realized what she had said.

Actually, shouldn’t she be on the list of people Bai Xiying should be afraid of?

A miscalculation.

Bai Xiying didn’t overthink it. She hesitated slightly. “Is that okay?”

A glint flashed in her eyes. Bai Xiying said, “Let’s consider everything that happened today as your compensation.”

Over the past week, Lin Xingzhu had mentioned compensation multiple times, but Bai Xiying had never given a direct answer. Now, unexpectedly, she brought it up.

She was slightly stunned. “There’s no need.”

“Criminals should be punished by everyone⁵. Any normal person would help out in a situation like this. This doesn’t count as compensation.”

These were Lin Xingzhu’s sincere thoughts.

No matter who had encountered these things today, even if it were a complete stranger, as long as they asked for help, or if Lin Xingzhu came across it, she wouldn’t stand by and do nothing⁶.

Bai Xiying murmured, “Any normal person would help out?”

Lin Xingzhu said without hesitation, “Yes.”

As soon as she said it, Lin Xingzhu realized again that this was the world of an erotic novel⁷. They probably would help, right? she thought uncertainly.

Fortunately, Bai Xiying didn’t ask further. It seemed this sentence had given her immense courage. Her beautiful eyes brightened considerably, appearing even more radiant in the small living room.

Seeing this, Lin Xingzhu’s mood also couldn’t help but improve a little.

Lin Xingzhu waited for Bai Xiying to go into her room and pack a few changes of clothes for the next day. She also took the washed sofa cover out of the washing machine and hung it up before driving Bai Xiying to a hotel.

At the hotel, Lin Xingzhu did as she said and booked two adjoining rooms for them.

“If anything happens, just call me or knock on my door,” Lin Xingzhu instructed.

Bai Xiying nodded.

Seeing this, Lin Xingzhu then opened her door and went in.

Early the next morning, Lin Xingzhu pushed open her door and knocked on the adjacent one, but there was no response for a long time.

Lin Xingzhu’s heart tightened slightly, and many bad thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant.

“I’m here.” A clear, bright female voice sounded from behind her.

Lin Xingzhu turned around, and Bai Xiying, looking refreshed and radiant, appeared right before her eyes.

This was the first time Lin Xingzhu had truly seen Bai Xiying looking so “positive and upbeat.” A strange feeling quickly flickered through her heart.

Lin Xingzhu lowered her arm and looked Bai Xiying up and down. “Up so early?”

Bai Xiying walked around her, swiped her room card to open the door, placed two sets of breakfast she had bought on the dining table, and gestured for Lin Xingzhu to come over.

As she took the items out, she said, “I’m a light sleeper in unfamiliar places. I couldn’t sleep this morning, saw it was about time, and got up.”

Lin Xingzhu picked up a cup of soy milk. It was still warm, and steam rose before her eyes. She saw Bai Xiying, with her back to her, pull open the gray curtains that blocked the early morning light. Golden sunlight shone on her fluffy hair, making it gleam.

“I haven’t basked in such warm sunlight for a long time,” Bai Xiying said, squinting at the distant sun, as if sighing with emotion.

Lin Xingzhu subconsciously glanced out the window.

It was currently summer. Even the morning sun would feel scorching on the skin, a stark sensory contrast to the “warmth” Bai Xiying described.

Lin Xingzhu’s gaze shifted from the azure sky to Bai Xiying’s slender back. Then, she unhurriedly took a sip of soy milk. It was very fragrant.

“Let’s eat breakfast. Later, I’ll drive you to see the house. If you like it, you can decide on it.”

At the dining table, the two sat opposite each other, unhurriedly eating their respective breakfasts.

Suddenly, Lin Xingzhu’s phone, which was placed beside her hand, rang.

“Du du—”

Lin Xingzhu’s long eyelashes fluttered. Her gaze flicked to it for a second, and when she saw the name displayed for the incoming call, she mercilessly hung up.

Bai Xiying swallowed her last bite of food and said, “If you have something to do, just give me the address of the house. You can go attend to your business.”

Lin Xingzhu shook her head. “It’s nothing important.”

What could Shang Cengrou want with her? Nothing more than some eating, drinking, and merrymaking.

Bai Xiying lowered her head, took a sip of the cloyingly sweet soy milk, and said casually, “I remember you and Shang Cengrou were very close. Did you have a falling out?”

Lin Xingzhu glanced at her. It seemed Bai Xiying hadn’t heard their conversation outside the hospital room that day; otherwise, she wouldn’t mention Shang Cengrou’s name so calmly.

Lin Xingzhu wiped her mouth with a napkin, frowning almost imperceptibly, then said, “People with different principles cannot make plans together⁸. As for being close, that was back in our school days.”

Bai Xiying nodded. “You’re right. No matter how good friends are, when the environment changes, friendships can change too.”

She seems quite experienced in this, Lin Xingzhu thought. But then, considering Bai Xiying’s upbringing, it became understandable.

Bai Xiying put down her empty soy milk cup and looked up at her. “I’m ready.”

At this moment, she stared at Lin Xingzhu, looking as if she had noticed something. “Do you have a mole on your face too?”

A trace of bewilderment appeared on Lin Xingzhu’s face. She subconsciously touched the corner of her eye.

Bai Xiying looked as if she had discovered a new continent, touching the outer corner of her own right eye, somewhat surprised. “Yours is at the corner of your left eye.”

Her gaze lingered on Lin Xingzhu’s face, full of curiosity.

Lin Xingzhu couldn’t see it, but when Bai Xiying spoke, she immediately knew where she was referring to.

Because before transmigrating into the book, Lin Xingzhu indeed had a small mole there on her face. It was easy to overlook if one didn’t look closely.

Since transmigrating, Lin Xingzhu hadn’t carefully looked in a mirror. Apart from a quick glance in the hospital bathroom that night, when she found that her original appearance was identical to this body’s, she hadn’t paid any more attention to it.

After all, people might easily remember large or unique marks on their bodies but often overlook small, faint traces, especially tiny moles that hadn’t been there before but suddenly appeared at some unknown time.

Therefore, Lin Xingzhu had assumed this body originally had it too.

She lowered her arm and said, “It is quite a coincidence.”

Bai Xiying was still smiling, but her gaze gradually deepened.

It is quite a coincidence.

The suddenly appearing mole, the drastic change in temperament, the completely opposite way of behaving and handling things… each one was quite a coincidence, quite interesting.

Lin Xingzhu was like the key that opened Pandora’s Box⁹. Everything started because of her. From the moment she drugged her, the gears of her own destiny seemed to start turning, as if an invisible giant hand was manipulating everything. Madness and sinful desires rushed in all at once, overwhelming her.

This face, Bai Xiying would never forget it even in death.

Every inch of skin, every contour, would be repeatedly scourged by her in the dead of every past night. Bai Xiying wished she could gnaw on her bones and eat her flesh.

After all, if it weren’t for her, it seemed none of this would have happened.

Bai Xiying blinked and slowly smiled. “Actually, I’ve discovered you’re quite a good person. So, about what happened at the bar that day… was there perhaps a misunderstanding?”

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