Chapter Thirty-Seven: Lily?

By the time he returned home, it was already eleven o’clock. As he opened the door, Chen Hongxu looked at Bingling and Xue Xi, the two women, blinked several times, then swallowed and muttered, “I see nothing, I see nothing…”

The more he tried to cover things up, the more suspicious it became. Xue Xi withdrew the hand that had been spanking Bingling’s upturned bottom, remaining astride her, and snapped, ashamed and angry, “It’s not what you think.”

Bingling lay silently on the sofa, her cheeks flushed deep red. For once, she seemed genuinely embarrassed.

“Ahem!” Chen Hongxu cleared his throat, cast a glance at Xue Xi’s barely-there attire, an awkward smile flashing across his face. He quickly closed the door and hurried back to his room without looking back, saying, “My clothes are dirty. I’ll go change first.”

Recalling Chen Hongxu’s sly smile just now, Xue Xi grew furious. She raised her hand and gave Bingling another smack, scolding, “This was all your terrible idea. Now look, he’s misunderstood! He must think I’m some wicked woman. Why couldn’t you be on top instead…”

Bingling’s eyes sparkled with mischief, but she quickly put on a serious face and replied, “You can’t blame me for this. You’re the one who said you wanted to force your way tonight. I’m just your practice partner. Besides, we’re both women—what is there to be afraid of?”

“Yuri, huh…” Xue Xi touched her suddenly feverish forehead, privately doubting whether Bingling truly understood that word.

“It’s so late, the flower shop must be closed by now,” Bingling added, feigning ignorance—clearly, she had no idea what it meant.

“I knew it…” Xue Xi wilted like a deflated balloon, slumping listlessly. Gritting her teeth, she began to explain the meaning of ‘yuri’ to Bingling.

As Xue Xi went on, Bingling’s face lit up with sudden realization. “Oh, so that’s how it is. And then what?”

“And then?” Xue Xi became anxious. “After something like this, even if we were just practicing and nothing happened, he’ll definitely think I’m impure now.”

“There’s nothing impure about it. Neither of us has the necessary equipment to attack,” Bingling scoffed, lips curling disdainfully.

“Hey, you’re right!” The light returned to Xue Xi’s eyes. She leaned down and gave Bingling a sweet kiss. “Sis, you’re a genius…”

Bingling was looking smug and self-satisfied, but her triumph was short-lived. Another polite cough from Chen Hongxu—now changed—interrupted them.

Xue Xi, perhaps too nervous to notice she’d come out, stood there flustered. Bingling, on the other hand, seemed to have her own ulterior motives.

If all this had been Xue Xi’s idea alone, Chen Hongxu wouldn’t have believed it. After all, it takes two to tango. Besides, if not for Bingling’s frequent exclamations, he might have thought they were just horsing around. But combined with Xue Xi’s attire and Bingling’s cries, it was hard not to imagine otherwise…

He glanced at Bingling, who was still lying there as calm as ever, and asked curiously, “What kind of serial drama are you two rehearsing lately?”

“After our trip to Japan, I’ve become deeply interested in their culture. If you think about it, Japan’s earliest origins trace back to the people Emperor Qin Shi Huang sent out with Xu Fu in search of the elixir of immortality. So…” Bingling was clearly eager to launch into a lengthy exposition.

But Chen Hongxu didn’t give her the chance. At the mention of Japan, coupled with Bingling’s expert imitation, he realized what she’d been watching lately. Raising a hand to stop her, he shot a glance at Xue Xi’s lace-edged outfit and said, “She’s lost her mind lately. Try to keep your distance. Put your clothes on, or you’ll catch a cold.”

Xue Xi obediently agreed, and immediately sold Bingling out. After getting dressed, she kept her distance from Bingling, feigning unfamiliarity. Clinging to Chen Hongxu like a housekeeper, she wrinkled her nose and sniffed him, frowning, “Such a strong scent of blood?”

Surprised, Chen Hongxu lifted his hand and sniffed. “Is it? I just took a shower.”

Xue Xi scrutinized him, then nervously pulled up his shirt, checking him front and back. Finding no wounds, she patted her chest in relief. “I’ve always had a keen sense of smell. If it’s someone else’s blood, that’s fine. I knew you wouldn’t get hurt—you’re too capable.”

Her concern was genuine, and Chen Hongxu smiled gently. “I killed quite a few people tonight.”

Bingling’s eyes were full of meaning; Xue Xi shuddered. Turning her head, she looked at Chen Hongxu nervously. “Where did it happen? I’ll send someone to handle it. Did anyone see you? If so, we can pay hush money. If not, we’ll silence them by other means…”

Seeing her so agitated, Chen Hongxu’s smile deepened. He was truly happy, and told himself that all of this was worth it.

Patting Xue Xi’s back, he reassured her, “No need. The police are already at the scene.”

All her usual composure vanished. In a panic, Xue Xi released his hand and began pacing, muttering, “If the police are involved, this is serious. We can’t suppress it. We’ll need a scapegoat, then have my father reinvest and build relationships with the higher-ups. That should be enough to cover things up…”

Watching her so distracted, Chen Hongxu suddenly wrapped his arms around her, holding her gently. “Listen to me. It’s fine. Only a dozen or so people died.”

Xue Xi’s face went instantly pale. She stammered, lips trembling, “A dozen people? That’s not nothing! No, I have to get my father to invest more…”

With that, she struggled and wept, but Chen Hongxu held her tightly. Once she’d calmed down, he said seriously, “It really is fine. And this isn’t something money or investment can solve—the real target was probably you.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Xue Xi buried her face in his chest, hands gripping his waist tightly, repeating the words over and over.

A shrewd woman like Xue Xi had already guessed the root of the incident. Otherwise, how could a nobody like Chen Hongxu have attracted such a storm? In today’s world, everything has a price. To stage such a production for someone as insignificant as him would be a terrible loss.

Now, she was just a frightened woman, her composure shattered, taking Chen Hongxu’s words as mere bravado, as masculine posturing.

“Your boyfriend is one of a kind, unmatched in all the world. You really think I can’t handle a little thing like this?” Chen Hongxu said, exerting just enough internal energy to jolt her back to her senses.

“Really?” Xue Xi, eyes brimming with tears, rested her chin on his chest and asked.

Chen Hongxu nodded resolutely. He took something from his pocket, waved it before her, then pulled her to the sofa. After shoving Bingling aside, they began discussing their next steps.