Arc 1: Nursery Rhyme Requiem Town
Chapter 4: Domineering CEO Zuo Chu
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
Feeling the swift wind brush past her ear, Qin Dongwan clenched her fists and chose to trust Luo Shu in that critical moment. Just as the dagger precisely cut off a lock of her hair, the nail fragment that fell to the ground rapidly burrowed into the sewer entrance bizarrely, vanishing without a trace.
"This thing escapes pretty quickly."
Luo Shu retracted her small knife and scoffed disdainfully.
Although this was a beginner level with increased difficulty, the ghosts were still limited in many ways. The ghost just now had tried to use the nail fragment that fell on Qin Dongwan's hair to catch her off guard and slash her head, but it was discovered, and had to flee in disgrace.
"Thank you."
The discomfort vanished from Qin Dongwan's body, and her heart finally settled down. She breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Luo Shu.
"Is that how you simply thank your savior, huh?"
Luo Shu's voice was slightly sweet, with a gentle upward lilt at the end, like a little tiger retracting its claws and softly scratching someone's itch.
But a tiger is still a tiger. Even if it temporarily retracts its sharp claws, it can still instill fear.
Qin Dongwan tugged at the corner of her mouth and adjusted her slightly slipping collar, revealing a genuinely pleasing smile: "Then what does Master Luo Shu want? I am, of course, at your service."
The door was wide open, and the steamy mist gradually dissipated. Luo Shu looked down at Qin Dongwan sitting on the floor.
The silk pajamas half-covered and half-revealed the girl's delicate collarbone and smooth curves. Luo Shu was not one to lust after beauty, so she quickly looked away.
"Since you used points to find out where I came from, you should know I am not a beginner. Dealing with someone like me—"
The suddenly drawn-out tone and its implication were fully revealed on the girl's playful face. Qin Dongwan swallowed, feeling her smile was about to become rigid. She needed to come up with a solution quickly.
As she saw the little devil pendant on Luo Shu's pale earlobe swaying closer and closer, the suffocating feeling of death rushed into her mind along with her memories.
Recalling the experience of nearly being strangled to death when they first met, Qin Dongwan instinctively pushed against Luo Shu's shoulder to stop her from getting any closer.
At this moment, her heartbeat felt like an erratic drumbeat, and her heart was entirely filled with fear. Maybe others would be fearless like newborn calves, but as a thorough fan of Luo Shu, she certainly knew Luo Shu's combat prowess and some of her preferences very well.
"How about this, I'll take care of your life for the next few days, like cooking and all the other things, and then you just do a little bit of work and protect me until the end, how about that?"
Of course, Qin Dongwan thought carefully before saying it. According to her recollection, no one in the castle would be kind enough to come and provide meals for everyone, but there was food and tableware.
As the saying goes, people are iron, and food is steel*. If they don't eat even one meal, they will starve. Villains are also people, and they can't escape this law.
*It means that people need to eat to be energetic, just as iron needs to be tempered into steel to become strong.
Looking at Luo Shu's delicate white hands, Qin Dongwan did not believe they had any other main use besides fighting.
When Luo Shu heard the words, she thought seriously for a moment. The light yellow light was filled with water vapor and floated in front of her eyes, making her overly aggressive eyes become slightly softer in this atmosphere.
After a brief moment of eye contact, Luo Shu slowly straightened up and then gently hooked her fingers on Qin Dongwan's hand. Though it was only a fleeting touch, it was enough to show a rare gesture of friendliness.
She let out a soft hum and said, "I'm in a good mood today. After this, it depends on how you perform."
With that, she motioned for her to leave the bathroom to make way for her to take a bath.
Light corresponded to stability, while darkness signified danger. With the horrifying scene in the bathroom lingering in her mind, Qin Dongwan found it difficult to sleep. The chaotic thoughts from the day now tangled together, turning into mush that filled her entire brain.
She furiously questioned her bound system with three consecutive queries: "When can I get out of here? Is the task really to save this person? Can you give me a cheat?"
"Dear, the task is to save the villainess you like. As for getting out, it means leaving this game, and I'll arrange it for you when the time comes. What kind of cheat do you need?"
The last few words instantly ignited the fire of hope in Qin Dongwan's eyes: "Can you give me a luck buff, like the one given to Ji Yun?"
She remembered that Ji Yun could always be perfectly rescued by a male supporting character or the male lead whenever she encountered danger in the early stages. Even if she was in the same scenario as Luo Shu, she could luckily pass by unscathed. If she had such good luck, surviving the escape game would not be a problem.
"Dear, the warehouse shows there's no luck buff available," the system said cautiously, "But we do have a lot of free books for you to consult, such as 'How To Chase a Villainess In Style' and 'One Hundred Ways To Conquer A Goddess’."
"I’m not chasing her. What use are these to me?!"
Qin Dongwan was furious and nearly despairing over the unhelpful system.
On the other side, the girl in a light sleep was abruptly awakened by the sudden noise, instantly shaking off her drowsiness. Seeing Qin Dongwan suddenly sit up, she immediately fell silent, with only her deep brown eyes showing an innocent expression, fully embodying the word "coward."
"Who are you trying to chase?"
The weather outside was unpredictable. The moonlight, bright as flowing silver, poured down and reflected on the girl's cascading long hair, giving it a faint, dreamy sheen.
Luo Shu's back was turned to Qin Dongwan, making it impossible to see her expression from the current angle. However, Qin Dongwan caught a hint of mild anger in her calm tone.
It's over.
Qin Dongwan took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with the nervousness she felt. "No, no, I was just dreaming about chasing my dog."
Luo Shu nodded in response and then turned to smile. Her crescent-shaped eyes seemed to be filled with tiny sparkling diamonds, gently swaying like wine in a glass, making Qin Dongwan inexplicably think of the phrase: "a feast for the eyes."
She was also wearing a silk pajama, but it gave off a completely different feeling from her own. The bright moonlight falling on her only made her beautiful face appear even more alluring. Especially from her current angle, even the curve of her chin seemed to carry an air of arrogance, like an untamable wildcat.
Before she could continue her admiration, her stomach betrayed her with a growl, starting to play the empty fort strategy.
"Are you hungry too?"
Hearing Luo Shu's voice again, Qin Dongwan immediately responded with an "mm" to acknowledge. Since she had been inexplicably transported here, she had not eaten a single thing. It had been almost ten hours, and not only was she extremely hungry, but she hadn't even had a sip of water.
With her response, Luo Shu, who had been sitting on the bed as if trying to relieve her drowsiness, immediately threw off the covers and got out of bed, not looking as lazy as before.
The reason Qin Dongwan had been able to sleep so soundly here before, apart from knowing that monsters would not appear again shortly after making an appearance according to the rules, was because she had a powerful boss by her side.
Seeing this, she quickly lifted off the quilt and followed. Outside, it was eerie and gloomy, with occasional strange noises from the wind rustling the treetops. She dared not stay alone here.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
Luo Shu quickly changed back into her original black dress in the bathroom, which was the most ostentatious nightwear Qin Dongwan had ever seen. When she went out, she had to put on the cumbersome Snow White outfit, making the two of them seem like they were attending a midnight ball, only missing the makeup and rouge.
Qin Dongwan felt a bit uneasy but found it slightly amusing to see the girl in front moving swiftly. This time, she wasn't wearing high heels but instead wore the slippers from the room, making her appear significantly shorter than Qin Dongwan, though her presence was still commanding.
Their room was at the innermost part, and the walk was mostly silent. The quiet night always evoked thoughts of many ghost tales and strange things, and having a living person ahead made it much more reassuring.
Qin Dongwan had never been very brave, especially as an ordinary person who had just crossed into this world. She followed Luo Shu cautiously, passing through the rose-patterned corridors, and eventually, they truly found their way to the kitchen.
The kitchen was just around the corner on the first floor, right at the base of the stairs. However, the lighting here was noticeably dimmer, requiring a candle to see clearly.
Qin Dongwan was originally groping for a candle to light when the smell of disinfectant once again filled her nose, this time mixed with a faint hint of cologne, though it seemed to be a men's fragrance.
"Who is there?!"
As she strained to smell, a deep male voice suddenly sounded not far away. Although the voice was deliberately lowered, it was still clearly heard by both Qin Dongwan and Luo Shu.
The sound of leather shoes scraping against the floor gradually grew louder, each step like a drumbeat on their hearts. At this moment, anyone approaching could either be a possessed ghost or someone with a formidable presence, so they could not be underestimated.
Although she did not manage to light the candle, the row of lights in the hallway still illuminated the area somewhat. Qin Dongwan quickly grabbed a knife from the table and hid it behind her. If that person dared to approach, she could not rely solely on Luo Shu for protection.
As the saying goes, "A hand that takes is short*." Although she had indeed mentioned making a deal with Luo Shu before, it was merely a delaying tactic.
*from 吃人嘴软拿人手短 (Chī rén zuǐruǎn ná rén shǒuduǎn) - A man who eats the food of others will be soft-hearted and who takes the food of others will be short-handed— meaning since you already got help/bribe, you will feel indebted to them and won't be able to go against them.
People can be timid, but there must be a limit. It's okay to be a bit timid in front of the big villainess Luo Shu, but when facing this person, of course—
Just as she raised the knife in front of her, Qin Dongwan's movements halted. At the same time, she subtly shielded Luo Shu, trying to hide her small figure.
The dim light outlined the man's sharp features, and his cold eyes seemed to carry a natural aura of superiority as he looked down at the two girls huddled together.
He was very tall, much taller than Qin Dongwan, who was just over 1.7 meters. As he got closer, she had to look up to see him.
Inside his straight suit was a spotless white shirt. The black-and-white contrast made him look even more imposing.
One hand was in the pocket of his branded suit pants, while the other hand was twirling a pen. Facing the two girls who looked weak and helpless, he appeared completely at ease. After giving them a slightly contemptuous glance, he coldly threw out a barbed remark:
"Two little girls sneaking out in the middle of the night, either up to no good or planning to steal something."
Author's Note:
[Character Card]
Name: Qin Dongwan
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Height: 172.5 cm
Weight: 112 jin*
*56kg
Strength: Medium
Intelligence: Excellent
Description: A wise college student, Qin Dongwan is exceptionally calm in certain situations due to reading numerous infinite flow novels. She appears youthful and energetic but has some secrets?
