Chapter 24: Task 9 Part 3

Meng Chuning frowned slightly. “You can smell it from that far away?”

It wasn’t that far now; there was only half a step between them.

“I can. It suits you perfectly, Sister.” Jiang Xiaoyi didn’t lean in any closer. Any nearer, and they’d be pressed together.

“…” Meng Chuning bit softly at the inside of her cheek.

Jiang Xiaoyi’s gaze swept over Meng Chuning’s face. She noticed her sister seemed a little disappointed. Had she upset her somehow?

Saying it smelled good without even getting close did seem insincere.

Jiang Xiaoyi took half a step forward, leaning in and tilting her head to sniff at Meng Chuning’s neck. A faint fragrance wafted over—sweet but not cloying.

Meng Chuning froze at the sudden closeness, her neck tingling from the warm breath. As she turned her face slightly, her lips accidentally brushed against Jiang Xiaoyi’s.

“Xiaoyi…” Meng Chuning’s heart softened. She adjusted the angle just a bit, turning the graze into a proper kiss.

The instant their lips met perfectly, Jiang Xiaoyi froze. Her mind went blank. She’d only wanted to smell the perfume—how had she ended up kissing Meng Chuning?

“I… I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to smell the perfume…” Jiang Xiaoyi pulled back, touching her lips. Remembering last night’s kiss, she grew flustered and tongue-tied, desperate to flee.

Meng Chuning reached out to grab her hand, but a voice interrupted them.

“Xiaoyi, what took you so long?” Lu Xi had grown impatient waiting outside and came looking. She jumped in surprise at the sight of the two. What was President Meng doing here? And what were they up to—both of them with flushed cheeks?

“Sister, I have to go.” Jiang Xiaoyi turned and hurried away. Lu Xi quickly followed. “What’s wrong? Your face is so red.”

Jiang Xiaoyi touched her cheek; it was indeed hot. “Maybe I haven’t fully recovered. Where’s Director Zhou?”

“Director Zhou’s still busy with work. The boss took her back first.” Hearing that Jiang Xiaoyi had been ill, Lu Xi didn’t press further. “Should I take you home to rest?”

“Sure.” Jiang Xiaoyi felt her body heating up again. Ever since today, something felt off whenever she saw Meng Chuning.

It had to be that Face-Bury Big Waves Task from System PP’s fault. How was she supposed to face Meng Chuning confidently after this?

And the worst part was…

When Jiang Xiaoyi got home and was about to sleep, she received an urgent call from Lu Xi.

“Xiaoyi, are we doomed?!” Lu Xi felt like she’d seen a ghost. “Did you really transfer me seven hundred thousand?”

At the mention of money, Jiang Xiaoyi bolted upright. “What happened?”

Lu Xi was panicking. “It’s short by one hundred thousand, but there’s no record of any spending or transfers. I was afraid you wouldn’t believe me, so I called the police.”

“Huh?” Jiang Xiaoyi knew it was System PP deducting it. “How are you holding up now?”

Lu Xi sounded hopeless. “The police just recommended a place for me to check out.”

Jiang Xiaoyi asked, “What place?”

Lu Xi truly wondered if she was losing it. “The city hospital’s neurology department.”

“…” Jiang Xiaoyi rubbed her hair, smiling awkwardly. “I only transferred you six hundred thousand, not seven.”

Lu Xi paused in a daze. “Really?”

“Yes. Go home and get some sleep.” Jiang Xiaoyi reassured her. “You must be exhausted today—your memory’s all jumbled. You’ll be fine after a good rest tomorrow.”

Lu Xi hesitated. “…Really?”

After hanging up, Jiang Xiaoyi flopped onto the bed. The deduction had come from her account, and now Lu Xi was the one going crazy.

This approach wouldn’t work. If she kept failing tasks, Lu Xi really might end up at neurology. Jiang Xiaoyi hurriedly messaged her.

Xiao Yi: 【Sister Lu Xi, mature adults should learn to control their spending urges. I’ve decided to manage my own money.】

Lu Xi immediately transferred the scorching-hot six hundred thousand back: 【That’s more like it.】

Another sleepless night.

With her face buried in the pillow, Jiang Xiaoyi mentally shouted at the System: 【How about a deal? Swap the task?】

System PP popped up: 【No swaps allowed. You violated the task rules, so you need punishment.】

Jiang Xiaoyi went silent: 【…】

It really was a PP-stripper—no humanity at all.

System PP shrugged invisibly: 【Just complete the task obediently, Host. Don’t scheme like this anymore, okay?】

Nearly suffocating, Jiang Xiaoyi lifted her face. 【So, what’s the punishment?】

System PP cleared its throat: 【Punishment One: Deduct six hundred thousand from Host all at once. Punishment Two: Video call with Meng Chuning while showering tonight (no blocking the camera). Which one?】

Heh heh heh.

Jiang Xiaoyi wanted to cry: 【Do I even have a choice?】

Pick one, and she’d be broke. Pick two, and she didn’t even want to imagine.

【I’ll take 2.】 Jiang Xiaoyi thought cleverly and added: 【But if Sister hangs up midway, it doesn’t count as my failure.】

System PP grinned and bargained: 【If you hang up midway, the System auto-deducts six hundred thousand.】

Utterly defeated, Jiang Xiaoyi snarked: 【You sure you’re a romance system and not an edge system?】

System PP: 【…】

After steeling herself thoroughly, Jiang Xiaoyi opened her chat with Meng Chuning and typed with trembling fingers.

Xiao Yi: 【Sister, you asleep?】

A few seconds later.

M replied: 【Not yet. What’s up, Xiaoyi?】

Not asleep—perfect. Jiang Xiaoyi’s face heated and her heart raced. She decided to be direct.

Xiao Yi: 【Want to video call.】

On the other side, Meng Chuning stared at those words in a daze. Confirming she hadn’t misread, she turned off her phone’s projection connection and put on her Bluetooth earbuds.

Halfway through an overseas meeting, President Meng picked up a personal call, leaving the video conference room in stunned silence.

Shen Ling thought something urgent had come up. “President Meng, the meeting’s still going.”

Meng Chuning said calmly, “Keep reporting. Shen Ling, you take the minutes.”

Shen Ling was perceptive. “Yes, President Meng.”

The monthly overseas work report was usually dull, but Meng Chuning always listened attentively, summarizing insights at the end to bolster group management.

Today, though, Shen Ling sensed President Meng wasn’t focused—too happy to concentrate on work, perhaps.

Meng Chuning muted her meeting microphone. Shen Ling sat diligently beside her, taking notes.

When the video call connected, Jiang Xiaoyi was so nervous her phone shook. Then Meng Chuning’s beautiful face appeared on screen.

In the frame, Meng Chuning wore minimal makeup—clean, translucent skin, naturally curled lashes, and low-saturation lip gloss that looked enticing.

A perfect “plain water” look: pure yet tempting.

“What’s wrong?”

Only when Meng Chuning spoke did Jiang Xiaoyi snap out of her daze. She’d been captivated by her sister’s beauty.

“I…” Jiang Xiaoyi recovered but struggled to speak.

Watching Jiang Xiaoyi’s cheeks gradually flush on screen, Meng Chuning chuckled softly. “What do you want to say?”

Her voice came through the phone’s speaker, warm and tender. Jiang Xiaoyi rubbed her ear, stumbling over her words. “I… feel dizzy. I want to take a shower…”

“Dizzy and you want to shower?” Meng Chuning said gently. “You just recovered from being sick and then drank. Of course your head’s spinning. Wait for me—I’ll come take you to the hospital.”

“No, no, Sister!” Jiang Xiaoyi blurted when she heard Meng Chuning was coming over. “I mean, I’m worried I’ll get dizzy while showering, so I want to…”

As long as it wasn’t dizziness, Meng Chuning asked patiently, “Want to what?”

Jiang Xiaoyi squeezed her eyes shut and went for it. “Video call with you while I shower.”

Silence. Quiet.

“…………”

“It’s safer this way,” Jiang Xiaoyi added in a trembling voice.

She chanted inwardly: Reject me. Reject me hard. Hang up without mercy.

Then the System couldn’t count it as a failure.

A few seconds later, Meng Chuning cleared her throat lightly. “Okay.”

“Huh?” Jiang Xiaoyi opened her eyes, choking. “You agree?”

Meng Chuning had already lost interest in work. “Mm. Go ahead and shower.”

“…” Jiang Xiaoyi had expected a firm no to her outrageous request.

Her sister really was too kind—not treating her like a pervert. Jiang Xiaoyi was grateful to tears, but really, she didn’t need to indulge her this much.

Standing in front of her closet, phone in hand, Jiang Xiaoyi dawdled picking out pajamas. Was she really doing this? Showering meant undressing. And no blocking the camera—how was she supposed to position it?

“The one on the far right.”

“Hm?”

Seeing Jiang Xiaoyi frozen in front of the closet, Meng Chuning assumed she couldn’t choose. She glanced and said, “The one on the far right looks comfy.”

“…Okay.” Clutching the pajamas, Jiang Xiaoyi shuffled to the bathroom like a snail. She noticed the projection behind Meng Chuning. “Sister, where are you?”

Meng Chuning stepped out of the conference room. “In the office.”

“The office?!” Jiang Xiaoyi clapped a hand over her mouth, then said, “Working so late?”

Meng Chuning replied, “Nine o’clock overseas meeting tonight.”

Not just the office—an ongoing meeting.

Jiang Xiaoyi felt like she’d hit the jackpot.

“If you’re busy, don’t mind me, Sister…” She’d hinted so obviously now. Big Boss Sister could hang up.

“Not busy.”

Meng Chuning’s two words snuffed out her hopes.

“Th-then great.” Jiang Xiaoyi’s head throbbed again. She bit her lip and propped the phone on the bathroom rack.

“…” Meng Chuning watched as Jiang Xiaoyi adjusted the angle on screen, face red. Once it was set, Jiang Xiaoyi stood and slowly unbuttoned her clothes.

Jiang Xiaoyi’s bathroom was small but spotless. The phone was positioned close to her body; in landscape mode, the screen only captured a glimpse of her pale, slender waist.

Wait… hold on. Screenshot first.

Meng Chuning had imagined a voice-only video call—not one where she could see her body.

A slim yet toned waist and slender fingers appeared on the screen at the same time. A flush crept across Meng Chuning’s cool features, and she couldn’t resist taking another screenshot.

“Xiaoyi?” Meng Chuning suddenly called out.

Jiang Xiaoyi had only slowly undone a few buttons in that languid motion and hadn’t even started washing up yet. Was Meng Chuning thinking it was too risqué and about to put a stop to it?

“What’s wrong, Sis?” Jiang Xiaoyi’s face, brimming with a playful smile as she squatted down, came into view on the screen.

Meng Chuning blinked, momentarily dazzled by the smile. After a brief pause, she murmured softly, “Your waist looks beautiful.”

Not a rebuke, but praise.

Jiang Xiaoyi couldn’t see how she appeared on the screen, nor did she want to reveal her damp face mid-bath. If their eyes met by chance, she might get so embarrassed that she’d end up hanging up first.

In the end, Jiang Xiaoyi settled on a safe angle, showing only her waist.

But Meng Chuning’s unexpected compliment caught her off guard, leaving her face burning bright red. “Th-thank you…”

Jiang Xiaoyi’s blush was plain as day, and Meng Chuning felt a twinge of guilt, as if she’d been teasing the girl. Still, that waist really was stunning.

They held each other’s gaze in silence for a few seconds. Jiang Xiaoyi’s flush deepened, spreading to her collarbone and neck. Finally, she lifted a hand to cover her face. “Sis, don’t look at me…”

Meng Chuning let out a soft chuckle. “Alright, I won’t.”

Jiang Xiaoyi immediately regretted her words—they felt so unreasonable. She’d been the one to angle the camera that way, after all, and now here she was telling her sister not to look.

No sooner had Meng Chuning promised not to look than Shen Ling’s voice drifted from the video call. “President Meng, the meeting’s wrapping up soon. Everyone’s waiting for you.”

“Got it,” Meng Chuning replied.

The screen jolted and went dark. Jiang Xiaoyi blinked in surprise. It felt like Meng Chuning had tucked her phone into a pocket.

If she was so busy, why not just hang up?

Unable to end the call herself, Jiang Xiaoyi seized the moment to get on with her bath. She stood, debating whether she really needed to strip completely. After all, no rule said you had to bathe naked.

She peeled off only her shirt, then twisted the faucet for hot water.

Suddenly, Meng Chuning’s low voice emanated from the phone. “Xiaoyi, are you taking a bath without undressing?”