Fate Trading System – Chapter 182

Plan A

Spirit Alliance 23

Deep Affection

When Su Xin came to this body, she was struggling to suppress the body’s instincts. Things that were hard for hamsters to accept were actually novel to Su Xin.

For example, being able to live with others.

Back when the hamster stayed with Yangyang, the two didn’t live in the same place. Yangyang dug deep rat tunnels and usually lived deep inside, while Miss Hamster lived near the entrance, not conflicting with each other.

Rats are social animals – sometimes seeing one rat means you’ll see a whole group of them, but hamsters are different.

There’s another instinct: hamsters fear water, and might even die from bathing.

Although hamsters can swim, they live in plains and desert regions and fear water. Su Xin thought she had overcome this biological instinct because when bathing, whether showering or soaking, she had no problems. But when her body was tied up and fell into the lake, as the icy water submerged her legs, she felt terror.

The water temperature was indeed freezing, but that wasn’t the main reason for her fear.

Su Xin found it strange – she had no reaction looking at the frozen lake surface earlier, but once she entered, this happened.

Someone was screaming in the system space.

“Ahhhhh, it’s too scary! I-I-I get water sick! Mr. Nice Voice, call me again after this part is over!”

Miss Hamster covered her eyes and even turned her back to avoid looking at the big screen.

This was why she’d rather stay dirty than bathe in clean water – it was truly terrifying.

After falling into the lake water and letting out a cry, Su Xin quickly grabbed the sharp ice surface. Blood seeped from her hands, her expression pale and frightened, as she shot an angry and startled glare at the person looking down at her.

Though Su Xin wasn’t afraid mentally, her body inexplicably showed signs of cowering and retreat, gripping the ice tighter and tighter until veins bulged on both hands.

That person seemed frightened by her glare and unconsciously stepped back, then, realizing something, revealed a smug smile.

The director nodded approvingly from behind the camera, this performance was perfectly executed, making viewers instantly feel her fear and anger.

The anger was Su Xin’s acting, but the fear was her body’s uncontrollable instinct.

“Jiejie, how could you be so careless to fall into the lake? Let me pull you up.”

The beautiful young woman was her biological sister, or more precisely, this body’s biological sister.

Sibling brutality couldn’t be worse than this – she must have been blocking her path.

Since arriving in this other world, she had walked carefully as if treading on thin ice, wanting to calculate everything in her mind. She avenged grievances and settled scores, washing away the original owner’s past humiliation. Although this younger sister had been very cold to the original owner and never offered help in times of crisis, she was still a sister by blood, so she maintained a lukewarm, neither close nor distant relationship with her.

Unexpectedly, after they both entered the palace, this sister viewed her as an enemy, even trying to end her life at this moment – utterly foolish.

What relationship could be closer than blood ties? She had thought that even if her sister wouldn’t be close to her, she would still stand on her side for their common interests, since they shared the same father’s household. But she never expected her to be so muddleheaded, actually helping outsiders eliminate her.

If she was fortunate enough not to die here today, she wouldn’t let her off – what did it matter if they were biological sisters? What did it have to do with her, or more precisely, what did it have to do with her soul?

“Pull me up, and I can overlook today’s incident.”

No matter what she thought inside, she wouldn’t show it on her face. She controlled her expression while speaking to her blood sister.

“Jiejie, you should understand, some actions can’t be undone. You should know these tactics better than I do. Therefore, I can only send you to hell.”

They were extremely close, and her voice was very soft, so those around couldn’t hear. Perhaps some did hear, but what of it?

Several consorts gathered around. The young woman on the ice carefully crouched down, her hand tightly gripping the hand that held the ice edge, but rather than pulling her up, she smiled while slowly prying open her fingers one by one.

Though her hands moved thus, her face still showed anxiety, her voice carrying worry.

“Jiejie, use your strength! Hold my hand tight, don’t let go no matter what!”

The woman’s face carried mockery, watching her younger sister perform her self-absorbed act, like an ugly character [丑角 | chǒu jué | comic role in traditional opera] talking to themselves on stage, inspiring contemptuous smiles.

Finally, she couldn’t hold on anymore, and after losing external support, she fell into the water with a splash.

“Good, cut!”

Just as Su Xin’s body had completely submerged, she was pulled up the next second.

The assistant quickly came over with a towel, then supported her as they walked toward the shelter.

Su Xin’s face was as pale as a ghost, her clothes completely soaked from the ordeal. Although she’d been in the water for seven minutes, the submerged parts felt numb, as if they’d lost sensation.

“This scene is done. There’s another underwater scene coming up. Can your body handle it? If so, let’s start filming the next scene directly.”

In the TV drama, this scene would definitely be used as a cliffhanger, becoming an episode ending, because this creates suspense and generates sufficient discussion.

“Alright, no problem.”

“Xin jie, your hand – I’ll go get some bandages now.”

The assistant called out worriedly and hurried to the car.

Su Xin’s palms were already bleeding from gripping the sharp edges. Actually, she didn’t need to hold on so tightly and hurt herself, as she was secured by safety equipment and couldn’t really fall.

“Your work attitude is very serious, but you really don’t need to grip so hard.”

“I’m aiming for visual effect. It’s fine, just a small wound. My body can handle it. Director, we can film the next scene directly.”

The next scene would show the protagonist sinking to the lake bottom, eyes open, watching the world above water. Just as she’s about to close her eyes, someone desperately swims toward her and rescues her – that person being the Third Prince. Then the Third Prince carries the female lead in his arms and hurriedly walks toward her palace.

“Are you ready?”

After seeing Su Xin was okay, the director turned to ask the actor playing the Third Prince.

“I’m fine.”

Safety was guaranteed. This actor had specifically learned swimming for this drama. With good luck, they should be able to get it in one take.

She sank to the lake bottom, holding her breath while trying desperately to swim up, unwilling to die like this. Heaven had given her a chance at rebirth – she had died in her original world and awakened in this strange one. If she lost everything again, she might never have another chance to live.

She couldn’t accept it! Couldn’t accept it!

But what could she do? She couldn’t swim, neither in her previous life nor this one. Was she really going to die here? No matter how she tried, she couldn’t swim up, only watching helplessly as she drifted further from the opening.

Hatred.

But unexpectedly, just when she thought she had no hope of survival, a figure swam toward her – a familiar face, the one who had face-slapped her at the beginning. This man was actually quite cute, just somewhat self-righteous and extremely condescending, looking down on the original owner’s apparent madness. But wasn’t this a common illness of the royal family? Many people looked down on the original owner, but they weren’t as direct as this prince – perhaps because he was annoyed by her persistent pursuit.

She breathed fresh air again, escaping from the icy lake water as someone pulled her up, then fell into a cold embrace, being hurriedly carried away.

The instigator showed a worried face, though her expression remained somewhat unnatural, turning to gritted teeth when the camera panned away.

The Third Prince’s face showed anger, but he said nothing else, just carried her princess-style while striding toward the distance.

“Good, cut!”

The male actor didn’t immediately put her down, but instead turned and carried Su Xin princess-style back to the shelter, setting her down on a chair. Su Xin’s assistant quickly came to help remove her headdress and bring hot water.

The male actor’s assistant also came over with towels, hot water, and to help remove his head crown [发冠 | fā guān | traditional male headpiece].

“You’re still shivering. You should hurry back to the hotel and rest, take a hot bath.”

The male actor’s expression was forthright, showing concern.

“It’s best to get these scenes in one take. You both performed well. Let’s wrap up for now, we’ll film indoor scenes this afternoon. Xiaosu and Xiaolin, quickly go back and take hot baths. Assistants, prepare some ginger tea for them to drink. In this weather, you absolutely must not catch cold.”

“Alright.”

Getting sick would be troublesome, although Su Xin would soon need to act in a scene where she’s ill.

Su Xin first went to the changing room to remove her costume and change into her own clothes, wrapping herself in a thick military coat. She got into her car, and the driver immediately drove back to the hotel. Upon arrival, the assistant went to run the bath first, and Su Xin eagerly went in to take a hot bath.

This body was really strange – if it feared water, why wasn’t it afraid of showering or soaking in the bathtub, but only feared lakes?

Could it be thinking that one couldn’t die from bathing or soaking, but could drown in a lake?

Come to think of it, that seemed to be the logic – even as a spirit, how could one be such a coward?

Su Xin held a bowl of ginger tea, brought to the right temperature, not hot enough to scald her mouth, but the taste was rather peculiar. After drinking it, Su Xin felt a lingering taste in her mouth and popped in a candy. She hadn’t caught a cold, and wasn’t prone to catching them anyway.

New Year’s was approaching soon. She’d been here for almost a month and a half, with about 20 more days until New Year’s Eve. The film crew would probably have a few days off then, and she could go back to see that person, or that person could come see her. Though if possible, she would definitely be the one going back, because that was their shared home.

Assistant Yudian’er [雨点儿 | yǔ diǎn er | literally “raindrops”] held the empty bowl but didn’t leave immediately, looking at Su Xin with worried eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

Su Xin was lying in bed under the covers playing with her phone, and seeing her assistant hadn’t left, she questioned.

“Boss, are you feeling unwell? Should we go to the hospital for a check-up?”

The assistant didn’t know that Su Xin and Chu Qiu were lovers, only thinking they were close relatives, perhaps like sisters.

“No, I’m perfectly fine. Although I was in cold water today, I just had ginger tea so it shouldn’t be a big problem. I’ll just sleep under the covers. My constitution has always been good, I won’t catch cold. Don’t worry, I don’t need to go to the hospital, get an IV, or take medicine.”

Although Su Xin’s body feared water, there weren’t any major issues after leaving that lake.

“No… it’s been a month and a half, and you… haven’t had ‘that’ yet.”

This was a rather private topic, and Yudian’er spoke embarrassedly, but caring for her boss’s health was her duty, down to the smallest detail.

Su Xin understood what Yudian’er was implying. Before, at home, Chu Qiu would just throw clothes in the washing machine, and no one would pry into their lives, so some secrets would never be exposed. But after coming here, that secret might be harder to keep.

But animals don’t have menstruation… this was quite awkward.

Su Xin’s status meant she couldn’t possibly wash her own clothes. The dirty clothes she changed out of daily were washed by her assistant in the laundry room. Since she spent most time filming, she mostly wore costumes, but the undergarments beneath the costumes were her own and needed daily changing.

This was a problem for the ages. Because tomorrow, her assistant would need to get things from her bathroom, and everything in the toilet would be clearly visible. It couldn’t be blamed on the cleaning lady, since the assistant came to collect clothes early every morning.

Even if she bought sanitary pads, she couldn’t fake blood on them. Using her own blood was impossible. Outsiders wouldn’t ask questions and didn’t need to be deceived, but how could she hide this from someone so close to her daily life?

Chu Qiu never had such concerns before. After all, as a proper CEO, who would dare pry into her private life? Moreover, her assistant was a spirit, and so was the assistant’s lover, so there was nothing to worry about.

“Mine isn’t very regular, and sometimes it comes every two months. Maybe because my puberty isn’t over yet?”

Su Xin said in a light, humorous tone. Yudian’er wouldn’t dwell on such matters – naturally, whatever the boss said must be true. She took the empty bowl, said goodnight, and left the room.

Tsk, troublesome.

If she never got it, the assistant would inevitably have strange thoughts. For a girl her age, if she never got her period, there would only be one assumption – pregnancy?

Just as Su Xin was about to open her phone for a video call with a certain someone, that person’s video call request arrived first.

“Are you still feeling unwell now?”

Chu Qiu clearly knew everything about Su Xin’s life, aware of all her activities.

“Not anymore. We don’t really get sick, to be clear. My body has always been good, just somewhat afraid of water, so I felt uncomfortable in the lake. I’m fine now, nothing’s wrong.”

“That icy water must have been very uncomfortable, and isn’t your hand injured too? Has it been treated?”

“Already taken care of.”

Su Xin waved her palm at the camera, showing a bandage on it. There were only small scratches – after the ice melted, it wasn’t much, just needing a bandage. Spirits had powerful self-healing abilities.

“Give me a kiss. It’ll be over 20 days before I can see you. I’ll pick you up at the airport then.”

“Alright, I want good food.”

“No problem, order whatever you want from the menu.”

“I’m facing an awkward situation here – how do I explain to my assistant why I haven’t had ‘that’ for a month and a half… you know, we don’t have that thing.”

Chu Qiu on the other end seemed amused by this question. She thought for a while but couldn’t come up with an excuse.

“I’ll ask the pheasant about it. She should have experience dealing with such situations. If I find out, I’ll call and tell you.”

“Okay!”

“Speaking of the pheasant, do you remember that person who tried to forcefully keep her as a mistress?”

“Still fresh in my memory, very impressive. What about it?”

“She came to my office a few days ago to discuss some matters. But the key point isn’t what we discussed – after our meeting, she gave me a document. It was a plan, a plan for pursuing Ji Yu. Her expression was so serious, it was quite amusing.”

Chu Qiu smiled, remembering that beautiful girl’s serious expression and solemn attitude, as if she wasn’t handing over a plan but something on the level of world peace.

“Oh?”

“She asked me to check her plan for any flaws or unreasonable points, to point them out for her. It’s the first time I’ve seen someone pursue someone this way – utterly rational to the extreme, but completely unromantic.”

For instance, when to invite her to dinner, what gifts to give, what flowers, what meaning the flowers should convey – everything listed in precise detail. These romantic gestures, when spelled out in black and white, lost their original charm and became rather dull.

Life needs surprises – even small gestures. If everything is rigidly listed and pursued in such a formulaic way, it looks like executing a mission. Where’s the flavor of love in that?

“It seems so. If I imagine someone making such a schedule, planning all my time, binding their time with mine – it would make me very unhappy. Of course, you’re the exception. I mean strangers. To Miss Ji, she’s probably not even a friend yet, just a familiar stranger.”

“So I criticized her approach to pursuit and returned the document. Her expression was quite dejected.”

Chu Qiu remembered the girl’s helpless expression. She was a business mogul, an undisputed investment genius, never expecting her meticulously crafted plan would be returned. Her disappointment wasn’t just about the plan’s rejection, but more about not knowing what to do when what she thought was right was denied.

“I admit I don’t know how to pursue her, so I referenced many guides to create this plan.”

That young lady pressed her lips together, her usually sharp gaze filled with confusion.

“Sometimes love should develop naturally, understand? Not through deliberate pursuit. You’re very thoughtful, and for an emotional girl like her, she might be moved by your initial romance. But if she learns about your step-by-step plan, she might lose that feeling.”

“Is that so… then what should I do? If I follow my heart instead of these plans, I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself. I might try to bind her to my side, but that would repeat past mistakes. She wouldn’t like that, I know, but I don’t know what she does like.”

“Then you should study her.”

“How to study?”

“Do you know what she likes to eat, drink, what brand of clothes she prefers, what brand of bags, what kind of outfit combinations?”

“Yes, I know. I’ve learned her preferences through all channels. I know what she likes to eat and drink… but I don’t know how to make her like me… She wants to run away when she sees me, but if I don’t forcefully stay in front of her, she’ll run off somewhere I don’t know.”

“That does sound troublesome. But no one likes feeling forced. My only advice would be the boiled frog approach [温水煮青蛙 | wēn shuǐ zhǔ qīng wā | gradual approach]. Never provoke her dislike. If you’re asking me to teach you how to pursue her, that might not be realistic, as I don’t know her very well either.”

Chu Qiu interlaced her fingers, expression gentle.

“President Chu, do you have a lover?”

“Of course.”

“Then how did you pursue your lover?”

Chu Qiu showed a troubled expression, not answering immediately.

Su Xin was puzzled seeing Chu Qiu’s conflicted expression on the video.

“What’s wrong? Why suddenly quiet? Did she ask something difficult to answer?”

“She asked how I pursued you. I struggled with that question, not knowing how to answer, because I realized I never really properly pursued you. We just naturally came together, seemingly without any pursuit process.”

“That does seem to be the case.”

Su Xin reflected, finding no fault with that assessment.

Not long after they met, they accidentally ended up in the same bed, then made a deal, becoming long-term platonic bedmates [棉被纯聊天 | mián bèi chún liáo tiān | literally “cotton blanket pure chatting”]. The other gradually infiltrated her life, and she too left deep traces in the other’s life.

They just naturally came together, as if it was meant to be this way since long ago. Perfect.

“So I told her I fell in love with you at first sight, and so did you – no pursuit needed, we just came together.”

“You’re lying! I didn’t fall for you at first sight. It was clearly love that grew over time.”

Su Xin pouted, she would never fall in love at first sight, and didn’t believe in such things.

Instant judgments too easily blur perception. Rather than love at first sight, Su Xin believed more in feelings that develop over time, because only through long-term companionship can you know what kind of person someone is, their flaws and merits, and whether they’re truly compatible.

Life is mutual adaptation, and love even more so. Not impulsive crashes, not passionate flames, but rather firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea [柴米油盐酱醋茶 | chái mǐ yóu yán jiàng cù chá | meaning daily life]. The person you love will shed their public facade before you, you’ll discover their flaws, but you’re willing to accept them.

“Besides, you didn’t fall for me at first sight either. When you first met me, you didn’t feel anything special.”

“No, actually I secretly had feelings for you. If I hadn’t received your call at the club that day, things would have been different.”

“Ah…”

Su Xin felt an inexplicable pain in her heart, coming and going swiftly.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Rest well tonight, I’ll tell you the results of my inquiry tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Chu Qiu hung up contentedly and started dialing Ji Yu’s number.

I don’t necessarily need to let you know how much I love you, even controlling myself, not letting emotions flow too strongly, because too intense, it surpasses life itself.

I never want my love to become your burden.

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