Chapter 36

“Would it be more reassuring if it carried the scent of her pheromones?”

Hearing Li Jia say that, Ye Chengxing froze for an instant before nodding haphazardly, as if she had just caught up.

“Got it…”

She wasn’t sure if Li Jia had picked up on the unnatural edge in her emotions. The omega simply met her gaze, those pale amber eyes shimmering like they were filled with spring water, clearly reflecting Ye Chengxing’s figure within them.

Such intense focus.

A strange feeling stirred in Ye Chengxing’s chest all at once, and her face inexplicably grew a little warm.

She cleared her throat, worried that Li Jia might say something else to unsettle her further, and hurriedly tugged the other girl downstairs to start breakfast without another word.

But when they reached the bottom and Li Jia began retrieving breakfast from the smart storage compartment, Ye Chengxing couldn’t help but silently cover her face in her mind.

…Seriously, how had she completely forgotten that this world had smart storage compartments?

In hindsight, her excuse about breakfast getting cold if they didn’t eat soon was utterly lame—lame enough that anyone would see right through it.

Luckily… Li Jia probably hadn’t noticed. Otherwise, Ye Chengxing would have wanted to crawl into a hole.

Li Jia took the breakfast items out one by one from the smart storage compartment. Ye Chengxing glanced around and, noticing no sign of Xiao Bai, casually asked, “Where’s Xiao Bai?”

The air seemed to still for a second or two after she spoke. Li Jia’s expression didn’t change, her lips still curved in that pleased arc, and her voice remained soft. “Sister hasn’t spent much time with me lately, let alone having breakfast together. Right now, I don’t really want anyone else interrupting us.”

Ye Chengxing blinked and murmured an acknowledgment.

Truth be told, she wanted to point out that Xiao Bai hardly counted as “anyone else”—or more accurately, probably couldn’t even be called human.

But in that moment, she inexplicably felt it was best not to say anything unnecessary.

In the end, all she managed was, “Alright, just the two of us then.”

Li Jia’s smile deepened noticeably at her words.

The omega plopped down happily across from her. “Sister, try some. These are all new recipes I experimented with, and I thought they tasted pretty good.”

Ye Chengxing was amazed at how much Li Jia’s cooking had improved since last time—it was like she’d leaped forward overnight.

She had planned to compliment it casually, but after one bite, she couldn’t resist another. With genuine admiration, she said, “This is seriously delicious. Our Xiao Li is amazing.”

Li Jia’s skin was already fair, so the faint flush blooming across her cheeks like peach blossoms stood out vividly, her shy demeanor plain as day. “As long as Sister likes it.”

Ye Chengxing’s heart jolted as if scalded. She quickly averted her gaze, feeling thoroughly off-balance.

Still, this situation was far better than she’d feared. She’d worried that her cold avoidance over the past few days might have created a rift between them.

But not only was there no distance now—Li Jia seemed even more intimate and natural with her than before. Ye Chengxing figured things were pretty good this way.

It was just that sometimes, meeting Li Jia’s eyes left her feeling oddly embarrassed. It wasn’t that she was shy about eye contact; it was the way the other girl looked at her that made her cheeks heat up.

Was this the charm of someone with beautiful eyes?

They could make anyone flustered just by looking.

But thinking about it that way felt strange too. She hadn’t reacted this oddly to Li Jia before. Maybe it was because they’d grown truly close now. Back at the start, Li Jia hadn’t looked at her like that anyway.

Ye Chengxing ate her breakfast while listening to Li Jia chat about little everyday things during the pauses.

They were minor details, but far from boring or trivial. Even her tone and pace were perfectly comfortable.

In one fleeting moment, Ye Chengxing felt like she and Li Jia were incredibly in sync.

The rhythm matched exactly what she liked.

Breakfast ended on a pleasant note. Li Jia didn’t call Xiao Bai to clean up but moved to handle the dishes herself. Seeing this, Ye Chengxing didn’t question why and simply got up to help, fully cooperating.

As they tidied, however, Li Jia raised a hand to stop Ye Chengxing’s movements. With a bright, earnest smile, she said, “It’s mostly done. Leave the rest to me. Sister, have a seat. I have a gift for you in a bit, but you can’t follow.”

Ye Chengxing let out a soft huff, not getting a chance to ask before being pressed back into her chair. Recalling that “you can’t follow,” she nodded helplessly. “But why a gift for me?”

Li Jia was heading for the door but turned back at the question. A shadow flickered in her eyes, inscrutable, though the playful curve of her lips turned it into feigned mystery. “I’ve wanted to give it to Sister for a while, but it never felt quite right before. Now I realize… some gifts are best given sooner rather than later.”

Half-joking, half-serious, Li Jia finished and stepped out. Ye Chengxing sat there, staring after her for a couple of seconds as she processed.

She hadn’t expected a gift at first, but on second thought, it was probably Li Jia feeling indebted for all the help and wanting to return the favor somehow.

With that in mind, Ye Chengxing sighed again.

In the plot, Li Jia was the story’s biggest villain. Yet from their interactions so far, Ye Chengxing only saw a kind-hearted girl with a gentle personality and a deep love for life. Nothing villainous about her at all.

Lost in these thoughts, Ye Chengxing felt her phone vibrate. Her assistant had sent over the compiled info.

She opened it and, sure enough, saw that Lin Que had made his move—

Starting at 7:52 that morning, a major influencer had dropped dirt on some up-and-coming young actress with an L-surname in the entertainment industry, claiming a messy private life. The photos were censored with mosaics, which only made them more tantalizing.

The post rocketed straight to the top of Star Net’s trending list, views skyrocketing.

[This feels off… Isn’t there only one rising L-surname actress lately, and she’s the little sister type?]

[If I recall right, that sister’s still school-age, right?]

[? Don’t tell me it’s who I think it is.]

[Why mosaic? Just post it so we can all see!]

The comments devolved into chaos. Fans who followed Li Jia’s Star Net were frantic.

[Your guesses are way off base. @StarflashEntertainment, this is straight-up slander. Come out and debunk it!]

[What’s wrong with Starflash Entertainment? Letting rumors hit this hard?]

Half an hour later, Starflash Entertainment posted a clarification—but it was ambiguously worded.

[Due to personal issues with Miss Li Jia, our company has initiated termination proceedings.]

Personal issues?

That phrase ignited even wilder speculation, practically confirming it.

As Ye Chengxing scrolled, another message popped up: an official notice that her XXX81 card had been restricted from use.

At the same time, a voice message from an unknown sender.

She played it. The voice was distorted beyond recognition, but the tone and address were chillingly familiar.

[Miss Ye, I get that you want to play the hero. Felt pretty noble just now, huh? But you’re still too young. It’s not too late to back out.]

Ye Chengxing knew that card well—it was the one the Ye Family had given the original owner, topped up regularly.

Though issued to the original, control ultimately rested with the Ye Family.

None of this surprised her; if anything, it felt like the other shoe had finally dropped.

Lin Que’s confidence made sense from his perspective. To him, “Ye Chengxing” was just a spoiled, idle rich girl living off luxury and family money. Cut the card, and she’d fold.

Then any plans or schemes would grind to a halt, ripe for manipulation.

Too bad for them. Ye Chengxing barely used that card; when she did, it was only to buy exorbitant luxuries periodically, staving off suspicion from the Ye Family.

She couldn’t wait to see those smug faces when they realized the tables had turned—and they were the ones flipping.

Ye Chengxing shook her head at the thought.

What a bunch of scum. Utterly vile.

After messaging her assistant, she locked her phone screen and glanced out the window. She wondered why Li Jia hadn’t returned yet. It had probably only been a few minutes, but it felt much longer.

That was the scene Li Jia walked in on, necklace in hand.

The alpha’s posture wasn’t exactly relaxed; she had a habit of sitting straight and proper, even alone. Her long, wavy hair cascaded loosely down, like a magnolia standing tall against the chill spring breeze—its faint, elegant fragrance reaching out before she even approached.

At first, Ye Chengxing had been gazing out the window. Whether it was the clear glass reflecting Li Jia’s approach or simply because she’d been thinking of her so intently, Ye Chengxing turned her head abruptly before Li Jia could speak. With a beaming smile, she said, “I was just wondering when you’d be back, and poof—there you are. How about that?”

The still scene sprang to life with her movement and voice.

Li Jia’s grip slipped in her daze, and the butterfly necklace tumbled to the floor, mirroring the erratic beat of her heart.

“Hm? Is this my gift?”

Seeing Li Jia freeze again, Ye Chengxing chalked it up to shyness and chuckled softly as she stepped over, picking up the silver-white chain.

The butterfly was lifelike, exquisitely beautiful to a fault. Regrettably, it was only half.

Ye Chengxing racked her brain for a moment. “Is this from some story or legend?”

Li Jia shook her head. “No, the other half is with me. I made the necklace myself.”

As she spoke, she stepped forward, gently brushing aside a lock of Ye Chengxing’s long hair to clasp it around her neck.

Once done, Li Jia led Ye Chengxing to the mirror.

“Only when Sister and I both wear them does the butterfly become whole and beautiful.”

Ye Chengxing looked into the mirror. Sure enough, the once-incomplete butterfly was now perfectly complete.

She grew more and more curious about this magical phenomenon. Reaching out to touch it, she discovered that the sensation felt entirely real. “That’s so amazing. How did you pull it off?”

Li Jia watched Ye Chengxing’s movements but didn’t answer her question.

Smiling, she gazed at the scene reflected in the mirror.

Ye Chengxing was peering down curiously at the necklace, fiddling with it. “Xiao Li, you’re really incredible.”

Li Jia blinked, looking utterly bashful. “I thought Sister might disdain it and not want to wear it. I’m just glad that’s not the case.”

Hearing this, Ye Chengxing quickly shook her head in denial. “How could I? I like it so much I can hardly stand it. Don’t worry—I definitely won’t just casually take off this necklace. I’ll treat it like a priceless treasure.”

“Is that so? That’s wonderful, then.” Li Jia’s eyes curved into happy crescents.

This way, no matter which corner of this world Sister fled to, the butterfly would ensure they never lost contact.