Chapter 23: Domineering CEO’s Fierce Love

Xia Lingyu walked closer, wanting to see what was happening.

Pushing through the crowd, she saw a woman lying on the floor with a dagger lodged in her body. Blood pooled beneath her. Nearby, another woman was weeping.

But all their faces were blurred and indistinct. She couldn’t make out their identities at all.

Xia Lingyu stared blankly at the scene. Suddenly, she felt a strange familiarity with the woman who had been stabbed.

Seeing her like this, it felt as if a piece of her own heart had been carved out. The pain was unbearable.

She stepped forward, wanting to see the woman’s face clearly, but tears welled in her eyes, making everything blurrier.

“Xiao Luo, Xiao Luo—”

Though she couldn’t see who it was, she still screamed Xiao Luo’s name, her cries heart-wrenching and desperate.

But the scene before her grew more and more illusory. Before she could even touch the woman in front of her, the dream shattered into pieces. She jolted awake from the nightmare.

It was the middle of the night. She was drenched in a cold sweat.

Yet in an instant, she couldn’t remember what she had been dreaming about. She stared blankly at the ceiling, her eyes hollow. It took her a moment to slowly gather her senses. She glanced at the person beside her.

Xiao Luo still had one arm draped over her waist, holding her as she slept soundly.

Xia Lingyu breathed a subconscious sigh of relief. She tucked the blanket properly around Xiao Luo, then went back to sleep.

Early the next morning, Xia Lingyu pulled back the covers and urged her bed-loving girlfriend to get up. But Xiao Luo remained glued to the mattress, clinging to a large pillow and refusing to let go for dear life.

A bit helpless, Xia Lingyu still coaxed gently, “Baby, you have to go meet that other woman this afternoon. You have to keep me good company this morning, alright?”

“Fine, then.” Xiao Luo got out of bed and went to wash up.

After breakfast, they got into the car. As Xia Lingyu fastened Xiao Luo’s seatbelt, she asked casually, “Did you two agree on a place to meet?”

Xiao Luo shook her head. “Not yet. It was a last-minute decision.”

A vague unease settled over Xia Lingyu. She rubbed her temples. She felt like she’d had a dream last night… but what was it about?

“What’s wrong? Didn’t sleep well?” Xiao Luo noticed her odd behavior and asked softly.

Xia Lingyu replied, “It’s nothing. I just feel like I’ve forgotten something. Can’t remember what.”

…

Xiao Luo spent half the day with Xia Lingyu at the company, and then they went out for a meal together.

At two in the afternoon, Ji Yao sent her a message asking if she’d thought of a place to meet.

“Not yet. You just pick a place,” Xiao Luo replied, unconcerned.

Ji Yao: “Alright. Can we meet at a coffee shop?”

She sent over an address.

Xiao Luo typed back: “Okay. I’ll head over now.”

She got up to leave. Xia Lingyu called out to her from behind. She turned back and asked, “What is it?”

Xia Lingyu forced a smile. “Nothing. I just hate to see you go, that’s all.”

The feeling of heart palpitations grew stronger and stronger. Watching Xiao Luo’s retreating figure, her unease suddenly spiked to an unbearable extreme. What was going on?

Xiao Luo assumed she was uncomfortable because of the meeting with Ji Yao. She smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll be back very soon.”

She walked out and got into the car driven by the chauffeur Xia Lingyu had arranged. She pulled up the address and told the driver to go there.

She arrived at the place Ji Yao had sent. It was a coffee shop with considerable style, decorated in a rustic and minimalist fashion. There were still many customers inside.

Some were enjoying the pleasant moments of afternoon tea, some were conducting business negotiations, and others were gathered with companions.

She went up to the second floor and saw Ji Yao sitting at a table by the window, waving at her. So she walked over and sat down opposite Ji Yao.

Today, Ji Yao had changed into a white dress and wore delicate makeup. She looked radiant and full of energy.

“Xiao Luo, you came?” Ji Yao offered her a bright smile.

Now that her mother was close to a full recovery, she no longer had to run around frantically for surgical fees. A heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She felt light from the inside out.

Xiao Luo nodded and smiled. “So, how do you plan to pay me back?”

Ji Yao thought about it seriously. “I can work many jobs in a day. I can earn twenty thousand a month. Twelve months in a year makes that two hundred forty thousand. In a few years, I can pay it all off…”

“Ah, I still haven’t factored in interest.” Ji Yao frowned. As she spoke, she looked up and saw Xiao Luo’s gaze resting on her face, eyes seeming to smile yet not.

Ji Yao’s face flushed red. She murmured, “Xiao Luo, why are you looking at me like that?”

Her heart was pounding.

Xiao Luo took a sip of coffee and said, “No rush. It’s not like I urgently need this money. And I don’t want you running yourself ragged trying to repay me like before. That would actually make me feel guilty. So, just pay me a tenth of your monthly salary. Any more, and I won’t take it.”

Ji Yao’s eyes shimmered with deep emotion. “Xiao Luo, why are you so good to me?”

She couldn’t help but reach out and clasp Xiao Luo’s hands, rubbing them affectionately. Her admiration was written all over her face. She looked at Xiao Luo as if she were looking at an angel.

She must have done good deeds in her past life to have met someone like Xiao Luo, right?

Unfortunately, the angel didn’t belong to her.

At this thought, a trace of sadness flickered in Ji Yao’s eyes.

Xiao Luo said, “I’m no kind angel. No need to be this moved. I just feel a connection with you, that’s all.”

But no matter what Xiao Luo said, Ji Yao had already decided that Xiao Luo was the angel destined to be in her life.

Xiao Luo glanced down at the time, then asked, “If there’s nothing else… I’ll be going now, okay?”

“Ah, so soon?” Ji Yao felt a pang of regret.

“Yeah. My girlfriend is waiting for me.”

Ji Yao saw the smile on her face. Her chest felt sour and tight. She struggled to keep her composure and even offered a blessing. “Then, you and Miss Xia must be very happy together.”

Xiao Luo nodded. “Thank you.”

She had assumed this was nothing more than a simple, everyday appointment. But on her way back, the system’s notification chime rang out:

【Mission Trigger — Si Nanyan has escaped from the high-security detention center. He has entered the coffee shop armed with a knife and is preparing to commit an attack. He is about to make a move on the female lead. Stop him at once!! If the female lead is successfully assassinated, the Host will be forcibly expelled from this spacetime!!!】

【Reiterating: This mission cannot be interfered with by the system. The Host must resolve this independently!!】

The expression on Xiao Luo’s face instantly froze. She immediately ordered the driver to turn the car around while pulling out her phone to call Ji Yao. But the other party’s phone seemed to be switched off.

…

Inside the café, a disheveled man charged out from some filthy corner, heading straight for Ji Yao. He pressed a dagger against her neck.

Ji Yao went pale with terror.

The other patrons were also frightened. Someone spoke up: “Sir, put the knife down first. Everything can be negotiated.”

“Yes, what trouble could be so bad? This young lady looks like a reasonable person. Whatever conflict you have, you can talk it out properly. Why resort to a knife?”

Si Nanyan swept a vicious glare across the surrounding crowd. “Everyone irrelevant, get lost! If anyone dares call the police, I’ll kill her right here on the spot!”

Then, he hissed through gritted teeth right next to Ji Yao’s ear, “Despicable woman, remember me?”

Ji Yao was paralyzed with fear, speechless.

Si Nanyan let out a chilling, low chuckle. “Seems like you and Xiao Luo really are connected. She’s come to protect you time and time again, hasn’t she? Hmm? But I wonder if she’ll come this time…”

Just as he was speaking, a figure appeared in the doorway.

He keenly sensed the arrival, slowly looking up to cast a bizarre, twisted smile at Xiao Luo.

“Oh~ So the wretch did come. Looks like there’s definitely something linking you two.”

Ji Yao stared wide-eyed at Xiao Luo and screamed, “Xiao Luo, run!”

Si Nanyan said to Xiao Luo, “If you dare leave, I’ll kill her.”

Xiao Luo stood at the very front of the crowd, meeting Si Nanyan’s gaze without flinching or turning away. She said, “What do you want?”

Seeing Xiao Luo’s demeanor, Si Nanyan suddenly burst into wild laughter. “Hahahaha, so that’s it. Your entire purpose is to protect this woman. That’s why you always arrive so timely…”

The onlookers watched him laugh maniacally, casting puzzled and confused looks his way.

Xiao Luo frowned. This was tricky.

Si Nanyan stopped laughing, his gaze still fixed on Xiao Luo with chilling intent. “You want to save her, right? I’ll give you a chance. You trade places with her and be my hostage. How about it?”

Ji Yao cried out, “No!”

“Shut up! You have no right to speak here!” Si Nanyan pressed the dagger a cun deeper into her neck. Blood trickled out, making the crowd recoil in fright.