Chapter 70: 070 In the Bathroom

Song Guiya stood alone in front of the sink, gazing at her reflection in the mirror. Her lips curved into a manic grin, and Huo Yao’s words echoed in her ears. Even after splashing cold water on her cheeks, the flush on her face showed no sign of fading.

Naughty droplets leaped from her temple into the serene lake of her heart, sending out ripple after ripple of joyful arcs.

From her past life to this one, no one had ever so openly and straightforwardly told her just how much Xi Tongyue liked her.

Joy bubbled in Song Guiya’s heart even as her determination to grow stronger solidified further.

Even in this world, where Xi Tongyue wielded more than enough power to protect her, Song Guiya had never been the type to live like a pampered canary, basking in unearned luxury.

Xi Tongyue had come to this world first, enduring untold hardships before climbing, step by step, to a pinnacle beyond anyone’s reach—all so that one day, she could shelter Song Guiya securely beneath her tough, dense wings.

Song Guiya’s own burning desire to grow stemmed from her wish to become someone truly worthy of Xi Tongyue—and even more, to help her realize her dreams.

In their previous life, Xi Tongyue had been backed into a corner overnight by the shifting tides of fate. Forced to vie for the Imperial Throne, she had never become the free-spirited jianghu wanderer she had dreamed of since childhood.

Now, after finally being reborn into an era of peace and prosperity, how could Song Guiya bear to let her dreams go unfulfilled?

The hurried clatter of high heels sounded at the door, snapping Song Guiya from her reverie. She casually dabbed the water from her face with a paper towel and strolled out as if nothing were amiss.

At the same time, two women with flawless makeup pushed through the door, deep in conversation.

Song Guiya glanced their way and spotted one she recognized—a fellow actress from the company who had crossed paths unpleasantly with the body’s original owner. To avoid any needless drama, she slipped past them silently on lightness skill.

Lost in their chat, the pair didn’t notice her at all.

The bathroom door swung shut once more. Song Guiya turned to leave, only to catch the faint mention of “Xi Tongyue” from inside.

She hesitated a moment before heading down the corridor.

Yet their voices seeped through the wooden door like the whine of summer mosquitoes, burrowing into Song Guiya’s ears. She almost wished her hearing weren’t quite so keen.

“Teacher Xi is so thoughtful. Last time, after we were done, she worried I might feel off and had Chi Yu bring over some medicine.”

“So Sister Hanyi wasn’t pulling my leg. She said Teacher Xi knew she hated walking far after meals, so she booked the hotel room right at the restaurant. Eat and head straight up to bed.”

“I wonder when it’ll be my turn. I want Teacher Xi to dote on me too.”

“Don’t worry. You’ve only just joined the company, but you’re so gorgeous… It’s bound to happen eventually.”

“…”

The two gossiped freely inside the bathroom. By then, Song Guiya had returned to Huo Yao’s office, her face a mask of neutrality.

Huo Yao looked up. “Took you long enough. Feeling under the weather?”

Song Guiya shook her head lightly to show she was fine. She was about to tell Huo Yao she was heading out when the office door flew open with a bang. A striking figure burst in.

She latched onto Huo Yao at once, demanding breathlessly, “Yaoyao, where’s Sister Xi?!”

Huo Yao startled, then relaxed upon seeing it was Xue Yin. “Out on a location shoot. What’s got you riled up now?”

Xue Yin’s face crumpled into a pout of pure misery. “She’s blocked me again and won’t answer my calls. I haven’t reached her in days.”

Huo Yao’s heart skipped a beat. She shot a discreet glance at the woman on the sofa.

This ancestor—please don’t get the wrong idea.

Song Guiya kept her composure, appraising Xue Yin from the moment she entered.

A cascade of long, curly, dyed-blonde hair framed a lithe figure and refined features so perfect she could have been a living Barbie doll—the kind modern girls obsessed over. Delicate fingers toyed with oversized sunglasses that masked half her face. Every outfit and accessory reeked of luxury, and her every movement carried the effortless poise and noble confidence of a true heiress.

And yet… she didn’t seem especially bright.

After unleashing her torrent of words, Xue Yin noticed Huo Yao’s distracted air, her eyes drifting elsewhere. Curious, she followed her gaze and turned.

The look on her face—which hadn’t struck anyone as particularly sharp to begin with—grew even more vacant.

Song Guiya? Why was she here too?!

When did she even show up?!

Damn it. Xue Yin had originally planned to one day appear as Xi Tongyue’s most trusted friend, hoping to befriend the legendary heroine general who guarded the nation’s rivers and mountains. But now…

She came off like a massive, unwanted resentful spirit.

Wait—the words she’d just said… the Little General wouldn’t misunderstand them, would she?!

Xue Yin and Huo Yao inexplicably found themselves worrying about the exact same thing. Xue Yin quickly plastered on what she thought was a perfectly natural smile and beamed at Song Guiya. “Hello, Miss Song. I’ve heard so much about you. Nice to meet you. Let me introduce myself—I’m Sister Xi… Xi Tongyue’s good friend. My name is Xue Yin.”

She laid extra emphasis on “good friend,” just in case Song Guiya hadn’t heard clearly.

Song Guiya rose politely and shook Xue Yin’s outstretched hand, her gaze calm and even. “I know. You’re the friend who got blocked for sending short videos to Teacher Xi.”

After that long heart-to-heart talk they’d shared that night, Xi Tongyue had brought it up, worried Song Guiya might overthink things. She’d even mentioned Xue Yin’s existence.

So from the moment Xue Yin had walked in—no matter what she’d said—Song Guiya had felt only curiosity toward her. There wasn’t a shred of hostility.

Xue Yin: …

Sister Xi had even told the Little General about something like that?

Then her image must have been ruined from the start!

The memory of sending those short videos to Xi Tongyue that night—complete with a bunch of sleazy emoji packs—made Xue Yin want to slam her head into Huo Yao’s desk and end it all.

But the usually sharp Huo Yao seemed oblivious to Xue Yin’s death wish. She leaned in and asked, “What short video?”

“It was just…”

“Yaoyao! I just remembered—when I came up earlier, I saw one of your artists downstairs getting into it with security. You should go check it out!”

Song Guiya hadn’t even finished before Xue Yin cut her off.

Huo Yao blinked in surprise, then shot Xue Yin an exasperated look. “Miss Xue, even if you want to get rid of me, you don’t have to use such a lame excuse. Do you really think I’m that easy to fool?”

Xue Yin wanted to cry.

Right then, Huo Yao’s phone rang. She answered, and whatever was said on the other end made her face fall. She snatched up her jacket and bolted for the door. Before she left, though, she shot Xue Yin a glare and mouthed four words.

Dirty ones.

Xue Yin: ???

Once Huo Yao was gone, the office held only Song Guiya and Xue Yin. The air grew a touch awkward.

Xue Yin snuck a glance at Song Guiya. Her face was cool and crystalline, utterly pristine, untouched by the grime of the world. Her eyes were clear black and white, bright and limpid. Her expression was leisurely and detached, amplifying that faint aura of otherworldly purity. It was the kind of face that could hold its own in the tightest close-up without a speck of makeup.

Unlike the image of a battle-hardened general who dominated the field, Song Guiya was tall but slender, her skin like snow. Standing there in silence, she exuded a cool detachment but nothing of a killer’s menace. Instead, she seemed gentle and dependable—someone who naturally drew people in.

And so Xue Yin let her inner extrovert loose. “What did Yaoyao mouth before she left?”

Song Guiya’s hearing was sharp; of course she’d caught it. But she couldn’t repeat it outright, so she softened it. “She said you jinx things.”

Xue Yin didn’t even register if it was three words or four. She zeroed in on the jinx part and blinked in confusion. “Why?”

Song Guiya explained calmly, “The call was about one of Sister Huo’s male artists fighting with security. Brick to the head—security’s in the hospital now.”

Xue Yin’s eyes went wide in disbelief, a spark of excitement lighting them up. “I have that kind of power?!”

Song Guiya: …

Suddenly, it all made sense—why Xi Tongyue was friends with her.

That little interruption shattered the awkwardness between the two near-strangers.

Xue Yin came from a prominent family, but she was a natural social butterfly. With people she liked, she dropped all pretense.

And this “like” went beyond romance.

Family, coworkers, friends, even friends of friends—as long as someone caught her fancy, even after just three minutes of knowing them, she’d bare her soul.

To some, people like her were just gullible fools. But to Xi Tongyue and Song Guiya, that kind of pure-hearted openness was rare and precious. The real villains were never the ones who gave freely and purely—they were the ones who exploited that innocence or mocked its sincerity.

It was clear that Xue Yin’s family background had given her more than enough confidence to cultivate such a bold personality.

After basking in her own smugness for a moment, Xue Yin felt a twinge of guilt at leaving Song Guiya hanging there. She glanced around the office to confirm no one else was present, then asked curiously, “Since you know why Teacher Xi blocked me… did the two of you watch that little video together that night? How was it?”

Song Guiya: …

Silence hung in the air like mist over the Cam.

Seeing Song Guiya’s expression shift ever so slightly into silence, Xue Yin belatedly realized that the topic might be a touchy one.

After all, General Song was still a woman from ancient times. It wouldn’t do to dive straight into such forbidden gossip. Xue Yin hurriedly changed the subject. “Haha, I was just kidding. Don’t take it to heart.”

But no sooner had the words left her mouth than Xue Yin’s sharp eyes caught sight of the faint, almost invisible bite mark on Song Guiya’s neck. A knowing auntie’s grin spread across her face.

“Though, to be fair, Teacher Xi has endured centuries of celibacy, waiting all this time for you to arrive in this world. If her needs in that department are a bit… overwhelming, just try to understand and go easy on her.”

“…”

Song Guiya froze, her expression one of genuine surprise.

She truly hadn’t expected Xue Yin to know that she didn’t belong to this world—though she supposed Teacher Xi must have told her. Even more shocking was that Teacher Xi, after decades entangled in the struggle for the Imperial Throne, could trust someone so completely.

Yet after the surprise came a spark of delight.

If Xue Yin said Teacher Xi had remained celibate all this time, then the words Song Guiya had overheard in the restroom must have been a misunderstanding.

Wait.

Replaying Xue Yin’s words in her mind, Song Guiya suddenly latched onto something amiss.

Teacher Xi had once said that after dying of old age in the Da Yin Empire, she had opened her eyes in this world.

Even if Teacher Xi had been reborn here with all her memories intact—from infancy, no less—that still amounted to less than a century when added to her seventy years from her previous life.

Song Guiya paused in thought for a moment before lifting her gaze to meet Xue Yin’s eyes, which burned with insatiable gossip-fueled flames. The mild warmth in her own gaze turned abruptly cold.

“You’re saying… centuries?”