Chapter 9

Chapter 9

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For these early plot points, the original text defines them as background, not part of the main storyline, thus they are only briefly mentioned.

Ye Chengxing felt alternating chills and heatwaves—chills at how vile and disgusting this threat was, and heat from sheer fury.

The video ended quickly, and Linque's still-amused voice sounded again: "Miss Ye, to be frank, this is Li Jia's first proper appearance in the public eye. Have you seen the comments from netizens? Everyone is praising her and saying they like her. What a promising future she has. Since you care so much about her, surely you wouldn't want her reputation to plummet because of these nude photos and videos."

"You know," Linque said, seeing that Ye Chengxing remained silent, laughing without restraint, "what the consequences would be if this video were to leak. No one would dare to work with an artist involved in such a scandalous, sexual incident."

Ye Chengxing suddenly looked up at Linque when she heard this.

At this moment, she could hardly... imagine what Li Jia had gone through.

As soon as Linque met her gaze, she dramatically clasped her shoulders, as if afraid, but her smile grew wider: "Miss Ye, please don't look at me like that, and tell your bodyguards to back off. If I get scared, I might just send out those photos and videos."

Ye Chengxing discreetly pinched her palm, feeling her fingertips tingle from a mix of anger, disgust, and other emotions.

...Don't act impulsively.

She repeated this phrase in her mind, remembering the recording device in her pocket. When she looked at Linque again, she actually smiled.

Linque was a little frightened and panicked by Ye Chengxing's smile, but then remembered what she held in her hands and regained confidence. Even if Ye Chengxing wanted to do something now, she would have to consider those photos and videos.

Moreover, how many of these rich and powerful people truly cared? They were here now, driven by novelty, but it was only temporary. After this phase passed, what then? Now they were protective, but once the novelty wore off, they would likely forget even the other person's name and move on to their next love interest.

Linque didn't think this was a big deal. In time, Ye Chengxing might grow tired and ask her to find someone else, and everything would be harmonious again.

With this in mind, the Beta spread her hands and shrugged: "Miss Ye, I understand the novelty of having a beautiful pet for the first time. Maybe she cries and you'd do anything for her, to win her smile. I get it. But don't forget who you are, and who she is. You can have anyone you want, so why make a scene with me? Is it worth ruining our relationship? We're true friends, Miss Ye..."

Ye Chengxing didn't listen further, getting up and standing.

Linque stayed seated, unmoving.

"Li Jia isn't my pet; she's a person," she said, looking down at Linque. Despite being a Beta, Linque felt suppressed by the Alpha's presence. "I'm taking this contract. I hope you can keep smiling like this in the coming days and not ruin yourself."

Having recorded what she needed, Ye Chengxing turned off the recording device. She said this casually, picked up the contract on the table, and left the meeting room with her bodyguard.

Linque watched her leave and, after a moment, laughed even louder.

She had heard rumors that Miss Ye had changed, but hadn't fully believed them. Even when Ye Chengxing confronted her today, she thought it was all an act. She never expected it to be real, especially since Ye Chengxing had said, "Li Jia isn't my pet; she's a person." It seemed she was truly smitten.

After laughing for a while, Linque finally stopped, but still found the situation amusing. She immediately sent a message to several second-generation heirs she often contacted.

Such a funny thing should not be kept secret.

...

After leaving Star Flash Entertainment, Ye Chengxing's face remained cold.

The accompanying bodyguards dared not speak, except for a new one – one of the bodyguards who had entered the meeting room with Ye Chengxing – who angrily spoke up: "Miss Ye, that scum will get what's coming to him."

Before Ye Chengxing could respond, the other bodyguards, who had been with the Ye family longer and knew how different she was inside and out, shuddered.

Saying something like that would surely upset the young miss. They couldn't help but worry for the new bodyguard.

Some of the bodyguards tried to signal the newcomer.

The new bodyguard understood their hints but, fueled by anger, couldn't control herself and condemned Linque further. Besides, even if she did, the young miss was a good person, not as scary as they made her out to be.

Ye Chengxing listened to the new bodyguard and sighed softly. The other bodyguards feared the newcomer wouldn't survive the night. However, Ye Chengxing then said, "That kind of scum will definitely get what's coming to him. If there's no retribution, I'll make sure he gets it."

Hearing this, the new bodyguard clenched her fist: "The young miss is right! We must make sure he gets what he deserves!"

The other bodyguards took a few seconds to process Ye Chengxing's words, then looked at each other, even more frightened.

Was the young miss so enraged that she planned to silence all the bodyguards??

******

Once they got back in the car, Ye Chengxing calmed down, mainly because she received a message from her assistant. In summary, it meant:

Many people protected Linque, making investigation difficult.

She stared at the message for a while before closing the screen.

Indeed, this matter wasn't easy.

Clearly, Linque had done this sort of thing before, and both parties had become intertwined in these transactions. It would be challenging for Ye Chengxing to investigate Linque and expose everything.

But no matter how hard, she had to try her best.

These people must pay for their actions.

Ye Chengxing narrowed her eyes, planning her next steps.

The recording was undoubtedly evidence, but it wasn't enough. She needed to turn the passive situation into a completely active one.

As she thought, Ye Chengxing heard a faint sound growing louder. She realized it was raining outside.

The rain was quite heavy.

The new bodyguard had gone to another car, so this one was very quiet, almost to the point where breathing could be heard.

The bodyguard, acting as the driver, noticed the heavy rain and had to say, "Miss Ye, what should we do next...?"

Ye Chengxing rubbed her temples. Her thoughts were too chaotic, and she couldn't organize them clearly. She decided to go back and carefully plan each step before acting.

Just as she was about to say "back to the villa," she suddenly thought of the similar-tasting nutrient liquids and bland dishes.

Over the past few days, she had come to understand the food in this world.

Dishes that she found commonplace in her world were ancient delicacies that had been lost to time here. Apart from the nutrient solutions that could be mass-produced by setting the proportions and ingredients, the few meals that could still be freshly prepared were very simple.

Even though these dishes were simple and easy to make, very few people could prepare them. Those who could make these simple foods were almost entirely monopolized. Recipes were strictly encrypted and only prepared for the upper echelons of society. The few available dishes for sale were exorbitantly priced. Thus, more people opted for nutrient solutions, which were convenient, quick, and inexpensive.

In this world, gourmet food—or even just ordinary food—had become an extravagant rarity, something that was hard to come by no matter how much one paid.

With this in mind, Ye Chengxing altered her words at the last moment: "Let's not go back to the villa yet; let's buy some things first." She really didn't want to eat those pre-made meals anymore. It would be better to buy some ingredients and cook herself.

The bodyguard acknowledged her request and changed their route at the next intersection, heading in another direction.

Despite the heavy rain, there was still a fair amount of traffic on the roads. By the time they finished buying the ingredients and cooking utensils and returned to the villa, it was nearly afternoon.

An umbrella was always kept in the car, so despite the sudden downpour, Ye Chengxing wasn't drenched when she got out of the vehicle. Even so, she still picked up a bit of moisture on her clothes.

However, the moment she stepped through the front door, the moisture was quickly dried by Xiao Bai, who had eagerly rolled over to welcome her home. Xiao Bai even tried to help her take off her coat.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable with this, Ye Chengxing removed her coat herself and handed it to Xiao Bai.

She looked towards the staircase not far away, her thoughts involuntarily turning to Li Jia and wondering what she was doing at that moment.

At this hour, the tutor should have already left.

As Ye Chengxing pondered this, she turned around and headed toward the stairs. But before she could step onto them, a pleasant voice came from above the stairs: "Sister, you're back."

Li Jia still held a pen in her hand, its cap removed. The Omega's eyes curved slightly, conveying unbridled joy at seeing Ye Chengxing return home. Her happiness was completely unmasked.

Seeing Li Jia, the serious expression that had formed between Ye Chengxing's brows during her contemplation instantly dissipated, replaced by a gentle smile: "Yes, I've just returned."

When facing Li Jia, she didn't want to appear too solemn or let Li Jia sense anything deeper. After Li Jia had emerged from her previous situation, it had taken effort for her to regain her smiles. Ye Chengxing wanted these smiles to linger as long as possible, ideally forever.

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