Chapter 18

Bo Ranying didn’t believe Nan Qi was serious until she got out of the car.

Through the car window, she raised a smiling face, about to complain to Nan Qi that her joke was truly clumsy and not funny at all.

But before she could get the words out, the roar of the engine sounded.

She watched in stunned silence as Nan Qi didn’t pause for a moment. With crisp, decisive movements, Nan Qi spun the wheel, turned the car around, and sped away from the area.

All that was left was a trail of billowing white exhaust, proof that she had been there.

Bo Ranying stood frozen in place, shrouded in the drifting fumes. She didn’t move even after the car’s taillights vanished from sight.

Nan Qi drove down one street and turned into an intersection, pulling the car slowly to the curb.

She stared blankly at the Cinnamon Dog Ashtray, her eyes as clear as winter snow losing focus. A tumult of emotions filled her heart—irritation, anger, exhilaration, bewilderment, dejection… They churned inside her, robbing her of peace.

She recalled the scenes from moments before. In her peripheral vision, Bo Ranying’s cute smile lingered, her cherry lips parting as if she had something to say. Nan Qi had deliberately ignored it. To avoid any entanglement, she had turned the wheel and driven off.

Her posture had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with Bo Ranying, and her departure had been swift. Through the rearview mirror as she U-turned, Nan Qi had caught a glimpse of Bo Ranying’s wide-eyed shock.

Even after Nan Qi merged onto the road, Bo Ranying remained rooted in place, her gaze following the car until it shrank to a tiny black dot. Only after Nan Qi rounded the corner did it disappear.

To her surprise, Nan Qi felt a spark of exhilaration.

But after that brief thrill came a deeper void.

It was like a long-dormant illness, seizing the chance to stab at her unexpectedly.

She opened the center console compartment and rummaged through the neatly arranged small items, pulling out a pack of Ai Xi cigarettes. She took one out—these were all things Bo Ranying had organized for her.

Nan Qi’s hand trembled as she held the cigarette.

Bo Ranying had infiltrated every corner of her life. Her traces were everywhere, like a spider’s web, with Nan Qi as the prey caught in its strands, tightly bound until death.

To break free, she would have to pay with severed limbs and spilled blood.

It would hurt.

But after the pain came rebirth.

A new world—that was what she truly yearned for.

Her gaze flicked to the business card Bo Ranying had casually left behind. Nan Qi’s calm face twitched. She picked it up slowly, her fingers tracing the embossed name.

The raised texture felt familiar under her fingertips, as if she were meeting the person for the first time.

Nan Qi murmured the woman’s name.

A bewitching smile curved her lips. She flicked open the lighter with a click. A blue flame leaped up, casting shadows across her face. Her profile, bathed in the flickering firelight, made her smile look profoundly sinister.

She brought the cigarette to her lips. The slender stick ignited, releasing fragrant smoke that blurred the world before her eyes.

Her fingertip lifted from the name as the ember advanced. Soon, it scorched the spot where “Tang Lian” was printed, the spark spreading until it burned a hole through it. Nan Qi watched impassively, a cold detachment gleaming in her narrowed eyes.

The enclosed space filled with too much smoke.

Nan Qi hunched over again, coughing violently.

“Ranran Jie! What are you doing just standing here?”

Bo Ranying was still lost in a daze on the spot, her mind replaying the scene of Nan Qi storming off in a huff. That distant, cold attitude had looked genuinely furious. She pondered how to make amends, oblivious to the traffic rushing by.

A loud, nearby female voice snapped her out of it.

Bo Ranying turned, her bewildered eyes clearing of worry as a smile bloomed. “Xingyu.”

It was her colleague from the Dance Troupe, Ye Xingyu.

Two years younger than her, they had always gotten along well.

They would soon embark on the National Tour together, performing Romeo and Juliet.

Ye Xingyu bounced over, her gaze landing on the bouquet in Bo Ranying’s arms. She teased, “Flowers from your boyfriend?”

“No.” Bo Ranying blinked blankly.

“Oh~” Ye Xingyu’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Then it must be from that super close friend of yours!”

Bo Ranying fell silent, tacitly accepting Ye Xingyu’s guess.

“Ranran Jie, you’re here so early today. I actually spotted you a while ago, but I didn’t dare say hi. You always arrive at the exact same time.”

Ye Xingyu spoke quickly and candidly, voicing her puzzlement.

When she had approached earlier, she hadn’t seen that distinctive Tesla. She had only noticed Bo Ranying lingering oddly by the roadside. After a moment’s hesitation, she had come over to greet her.

Ye Xingyu’s innocent words stung Bo Ranying like a quick nibble from an ant—fleeting discomfort.

“I wanted to get here early to practice. The performance is coming up soon, so I figured more preparation couldn’t hurt.” Bo Ranying brushed it off, swiftly changing the subject. Linking arms with Ye Xingyu, she headed to check in at the Dance Troupe.

Ye Xingyu grew tense at her words and quickened her pace. “If even the principal dancer is this diligent, I can’t afford to slack off~”

Bo Ranying went to the changing room first to slip into her dance skirt and shoes. She ran into many colleagues and instructors along the way, all greeting her with smiles.

“Ranran Jie, morning!”

“Haha, Little Ran looks extra gorgeous today. Prettier than those flowers in your arms.”

“Maybe it’s the glow of love.”

“You’re all teasing me for being single. You wouldn’t get a single dog’s joy~”

“Ranran, have you tried on your wedding gown yet? The engagement is coming up—time to prep the photos, invites, favors, and all that. Your guy from the Qiao Family has been away on business so long; he should be back soon to sort it out with you.”

“Rich families are on another level. They’re making the engagement as grand as a full wedding, with everything top-notch.”

“What do you know? It shows how much the Qiao Family values Little Ran. They’re giving her the best of everything. That’s a blessing.”

News of Bo Ranying’s upcoming engagement to the Qiao Family Second Young Master had spread through the entire Dance Troupe. Everyone knew and wholeheartedly blessed her romance, marveling at her success in both love and career.

Bo Ranying’s cheeks flushed pink as she responded to each one. “All you gorgeous ladies praising me like this is making me shy! The flowers are from a friend… I was thinking of trying on the wedding gown this afternoon; nothing’s set yet. Qiao Xiuyu gets back on Wednesday, so I’ll have him prepare favors you’ll all love.”

“Then we’ll be waiting to attend Ranran Jie’s engagement banquet!”

The Qiao parents were kind and approachable, never lording it over her for her ordinary family background. They were quite pleased with her. Bo Ranying was certain that marrying into the Qiao Family wouldn’t bring the vicious mother-in-law drama from those novels. Life might be uneventful, but it would be free of headaches.

That was her future married life: steady, predictable, visible to the end—and the envy of others.

Bo Ranying held no grand expectations, but she saw nothing wrong with it.

The group wrapped up their chatter and changed into dance skirts and shoes, tying up their hair before heading to the rehearsal hall.

Bo Ranying lingered at the back. Using a delivery app, she ordered some cold medicine sent to Nan Qi’s Law Firm address. Then she slipped her phone back into her locker.