Chapter 10: The Boss And Her White Little Lotus
There seemed to be something wrong.
Yao Yishu's voice lowered. "Qingwu."
Yu Liuxue stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Lin Qingyin felt it.
Her arm around Yu Liuxue's shoulders gripped just slightly. Protective. Possessive. Controlled.
Yu Liuxue didn't look up.
She only spoke softly against Lin Qingyin's shoulder. "Brother Yishu… I'm tired."
The words were simple.
But her fingers gripped the back of Lin Qingyin's coat as if she were holding onto something solid in a storm.
Yao Yishu stepped forward unconsciously.
Lin Qingyin shifted, placing herself half a step in front of Yu Liuxue without making a scene of it.
Subtle.
But unmistakable.
"Master Yao," Lin Qingyin said calmly, "Qingwu's condition isn't suitable for conversation."
Her eyes were steady.
Not aggressive.
Just unyielding.
The tension in the room stretched tight.
Yu Liuxue inhaled slowly, her nose brushing lightly against the fabric at Lin Qingyin's shoulder. She could feel Lin Qingyin's heartbeat beneath her cheek — steady, even.
Strong.
Why does this feel… safe?
Her arms tightened instinctively.
Lin Qingyin lowered her head slightly. "Can you stand?" she murmured softly near Yu Liuxue's ear.
The proximity made Yu Liuxue's breath hitch.
Her ear tingled where Lin Qingyin's breath ghosted across it.
"I can," Yu Liuxue whispered back.
But she didn't let go.
Not immediately.
The small pause, the lingering closeness, made something flicker behind Yao Yishu's eyes.
"Qingyin," he said carefully, "this is between me and Qingwu."
Lin Qingyin's lips curved faintly.
"Is it?" she replied.
Her tone wasn't sharp. It was almost amused.
Yu Liuxue felt it — the subtle edge beneath the calm surface.
And suddenly, inexplicably, she wanted to laugh.
Instead, she sniffed softly and leaned her weight even more shamelessly against Lin Qingyin.
"I feel dizzy," she murmured faintly.
Lin Qingyin glanced down at her.
Yu Liuxue's eyes were still red, lashes damp, lips slightly parted. She looked pitiful enough to make anyone soften.
But Lin Qingyin knew better.
She could feel the deliberate weight, the calculated closeness.
And yet —
She didn't push her away.
Instead, she adjusted her hold, one hand sliding to support Yu Liuxue's waist properly.
Her palm rested there, warm and firm.
Yu Liuxue's breath stuttered again.
She's really holding me.
Yao Yishu exhaled slowly.
The roses in his hand seemed heavier now.
"I didn't come to cause trouble," he said quietly. "I just wanted to check on her."
Yu Liuxue finally lifted her face slightly, though she remained tucked against Lin Qingyin.
Her voice was small. "Thank you, Brother Yishu."
Polite.
Distant.
Lin Qingyin's gaze flickered to her briefly.
Something unreadable passed between them.
Yao Yishu studied the two women.
The closeness.
The way Yu Liuxue instinctively leaned into Lin Qingyin.
The way Lin Qingyin's hand rested securely at her waist.
It wasn't dramatic.
It wasn't loud.
But it was intimate.
And that intimacy didn't look like an accident.
"There seems to be something wrong," Yao Yishu murmured under his breath.
Lin Qingyin heard it.
Her fingers flexed once at Yu Liuxue's waist before relaxing.
"Master Yao," she said calmly, "please take care."
It was a dismissal.
Clear.
Yu Liuxue peeked sideways through her lashes, watching Yao Yishu's expression shift — confusion, pride, reluctance.
Then finally —
Resignation.
He placed the bouquet gently on the table.
"Rest well," he said.
Then he left.
The door clicked shut.
Silence flooded the room.
For a few seconds, neither of them moved.
Yu Liuxue was still holding Lin Qingyin tightly.
Lin Qingyin was still supporting her waist.
Their breathing gradually slowed.
"Are you done acting?" Lin Qingyin asked quietly.
Yu Liuxue blinked.
Then she burst into a soft laugh against Lin Qingyin's shoulder.
"I wasn't acting entirely," she said, voice muffled.
Lin Qingyin arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Yu Liuxue finally pulled back just enough to look up at her.
Up close, Lin Qingyin's features were sharp and elegant. Her coat framed her collarbones cleanly. A few loose strands of dark hair brushed against her cheek.
Yu Liuxue swallowed.
"You looked very handsome just now," she admitted shamelessly.
Lin Qingyin's fingers tightened faintly at her waist.
"Handsome?" she repeated.
Yu Liuxue nodded earnestly. "Very."
A beat passed.
Then Lin Qingyin sighed lightly, though the corner of her lips betrayed her.
"Stand properly," she said.
Yu Liuxue did not.
Instead, she leaned back in again, cheek brushing against Lin Qingyin's collarbone deliberately this time.
"You held me first," she argued softly.
Lin Qingyin looked down at her.
Her gaze softened.
Just slightly.
"Qingwu," she said, voice low.
Yu Liuxue's heart skipped.
The fire from earlier hadn't gone out.
It had only shifted.
And in the quiet aftermath of roses and rivalry, with no audience left —
The space between them felt smaller than ever.
Fortunately, Lin Qingyin quickly picked her up and took her back into her arms. Lin Qingyin's voice revealed neither joy nor anger as she said evenly, "Since you are not in good health, just stay on the bed."
Her tone was calm, but the strength in her arms was unmistakable. One slender hand supported Yu Liuxue's back, the other curved beneath her knees.
Even through the thin fabric of their clothes, Yu Liuxue could feel the steady heat of Lin Qingyin's body — firm, controlled, infuriatingly composed.
Yu Liuxue hurriedly hummed a few times in response, soft and obedient on the surface. She allowed herself to be placed back on the mattress, her fingers instinctively catching the front of Lin Qingyin's coat before reluctantly loosening.
She was helped into a sitting position. Lin Qingyin remained standing in front of her, looking down with an inquiring gaze that lingered for several breaths too long.
That gaze was sharp.
Measured.
Dangerous.
Yu Liuxue's expression nearly cracked under it.
Inside, however, her eyes sparkled.
Aifei, she called sweetly in her mind.
What now? the system replied, already sensing trouble.
I've decided something, Yu Liuxue said, her mental voice turning sly. I'm going to tease the heroine a little more.
There was a pause. Define "a little."
Just enough, she hummed inwardly, to make sure she hates Yao Yishu even more. If I act generous… if I praise him… she'll get annoyed, right?
You're provoking her on purpose, Aifei stated flatly.
It's strategy, Yu Liuxue corrected innocently. If Qingyin dislikes him already, I'll just… help the feeling grow. A little jealousy never hurt anyone.
Host, Aifei warned, though there was faint amusement beneath the tone, don't overplay it.
Relax, Yu Liuxue replied smugly. I know exactly how far to go. I'll look pitiful, kind, selfless… and she'll burn for me.
You are incredibly mischievous, Aifei concluded.
And effective, Yu Liuxue added proudly.
Outwardly, her lashes flutter as if she were holding back tears. She quickly forced her lips into a pale smile.
She quickly forced her lips into a pale smile. "Qingyin, in fact, brother Yishu is a very good person…"
Her voice was soft, almost self - sacrificing — the perfect white lotus tone — even as she waited, almost eagerly, to see whether Lin Qingyin's expression would darken.
The temperature in the room dropped.
Lin Qingyin's cold gaze pressed the rest of the sentence back into Yu Liuxue's throat before it could fully form. No raised voice. No dramatic reaction. Just that icy, penetrating stare that made the air feel thin.
Yu Liuxue swallowed.
Why is she angry?
Is she jealous?