Chapter 2: Aren't We Friends Too?
Her palm-sized face was dusted with two faint patches of pink. The redness at the corners of her eyes hadn’t faded yet, standing out against skin like white porcelain.
She pressed the back of her hand to her burning cheeks, her gaze dropping to those lips, slightly swollen from kissing. The little dip in the center still gleamed, moist and glossy.
Pretty.
Ke Miantang had always thought she was very pretty.
And not just her face.
She tilted her head. The light-colored knit sweater slipped off her shoulder, baring a wide stretch of creamy white skin. The soft rise and fall below her collarbone showed faintly through the fabric.
She turned sideways. Her waist was slender enough to wrap a hand around. Lower down, the round curve of her hips stretched the pleats of her skirt, tracing a breathtaking line.
Ke Miantang belatedly hunched her shoulders, murmuring something in a soft, sticky voice that even she didn’t catch.
Remembering something all of a sudden, she called the System out again.
“Let me ask you, did I transmigrate into a book or travel through time?”
「Please do not ask questions beyond your clearance level.」
“Can’t you just say something I want to hear?”
「149 days, 23 hours, and 58 minutes remaining. Have a pleasant day.」
“Shut up.”
Ke Miantang snorted, pacing barefoot across the carpet for a few rounds. Halfway through, she started feeling sleepy. She’d been gaming until three in the morning last night.
She was a gamer. After transmigrating here, she found out she could still connect online and play on the national server. And the internet speed here was absurdly fast—latency never went above 10ms.
“System, I’m going to sleep for a bit.” She yawned.
「Rong She is estimated to return in at least two hours. The Host may rest, but please refrain from drooling on the sofa.」
Ke Miantang couldn’t be bothered to respond, throwing herself onto the soft sofa.
The sofa was huge. Curled up, she only took up a third of it.
She rolled onto her side, burying her cheek in the cushion. A faint, cold pine scent brushed her nose—Rong She’s smell.
That scent made her feel awkward for a split second.
But the drowsiness hit too fast.
Thirty seconds later, she was already fast asleep.
Two hours later.
Ke Miantang woke up to the instinctive feeling of being watched.
Someone was beside her. She could feel the warmth of their breath.
She frowned, eyelids twitching. Her lashes fluttered open a crack, revealing a patch of darkness.
Rong She was back. He sat on the edge of the sofa, spine slightly curved, elbow propped next to her. He tilted his head, watching her in a posture that was both utterly relaxed and dangerous.
His shoulders were broad, taking up nearly all the space on that side of the sofa. Like a dark wall, caging her in shadow.
Ke Miantang’s brain processed the information slowly: how long had he been watching her like this?
Then her gaze landed on his face, and she couldn’t look away.
Rong She’s bone structure was sharp, almost aggressive. High brow bones, straight nose bridge. Those peach-blossom eyes carried affection even when he wasn’t smiling, yet his pupils were so deep they added a layer of pressure.
The corner of his mouth hooked up, but the smile held no warmth. The shadow of his nose fell beside his lips, giving his entire face an obscure, refined quality.
Too good-looking.
So good-looking that her heart felt like someone had flicked it with a finger—a dull thud, then a sudden acceleration.
This man had a face that shouldn’t exist in reality.
Every time she looked, it was an unexpected critical hit to her vision.
Ke Miantang sat up slowly. A tuft of bangs stuck up on her forehead, and the cushion had left a faint red mark on her cheek. Her lips parted slightly, making them look even softer and glossier.
Rong She slid his fingers into her messy hair, tucking those unruly strands behind her ear.
His knuckles were defined and strong. Even his fingers were cool and beautiful.
Ke Miantang instinctively nuzzled into his palm, her voice thick and sticky from sleep: “Hungry.”
Rong She chuckled low, the sound rolling out from his throat: “I know. I’ll feed you full soon.”
His tone was lazy, and he put heavy emphasis on the words “feed you full.”
Ke Miantang froze for a second. The tips of her ears flared hot, and her pale fingers quietly clenched the hem of her shirt.
She turned her face away, lashes trembling lightly.
They were just normal words. Why did they sound so wrong coming out of his mouth?
Ke Miantang scrambled upright on the sofa, bending down to reach for her shoes.
The moment her toes touched the soft carpet, a distinct, long-fingered hand beat her to it and picked up her flats.
Her eyelid twitched instantly.
Rong She knelt on one knee on the plush rug, gently resting her foot in his palm.
Her feet were truly beautiful, like jade soaked in milk. The top was thin enough to show faint blue veins, and her five toes were round and pink, curling perfectly into his palm.
“I-I can do it myself.” Ke Miantang pulled her foot back, trying to dodge, but he caught her heel and tugged it back, not too hard, not too soft.
Ke Miantang melted another fraction, her breath slowing by half a beat.
Watching him lower his eyes to carefully put her shoe on, she thought, how could someone go this far?
No wonder the original female supporting character went crazy later. Once a man like this bowed down to hold your foot, what woman could handle it?
Soon, he stood up, wearing that same gentle, smiling expression, as if what he’d just done was nothing worth mentioning.
“Let’s go.”
Rong She took her hand again, interlacing their fingers naturally.
The light fell on his face. His eyes rippled with soft light, a faint smile on his lips. He really looked like a gentle, considerate boyfriend.
Ke Miantang let him lead her out of the office, suddenly wondering—did this guy really have antisocial personality disorder?
The System spoke up right on cue: 「Host, please do not be deceived by appearances. In the original work, before Rong She was exposed, he was like this with everyone. Attentive to every detail, endlessly gentle, making you feel like he was the best person in the world. And out of all those people, half are already gone.」
A chill ran down Ke Miantang’s back: “What do you mean, gone?”
「Literally.」
Ke Miantang’s steps abruptly stiffened. Her hand tightened unconsciously inside Rong She’s palm.
Rong She noticed the change and glanced over: “What’s wrong?”
His voice was gentle, his lowered eyes full of concern.
Ke Miantang stared at that flawless smile, chills crawling up her spine one after another.
She forced out a smile: “Nothing.”
She told herself in her head: Survive! Survive! Survive!
-
The place Rong She took her to was called “Deep in the Clouds”.
The car drove for twenty minutes, heading north from downtown Lingzhou City, passing through several quiet streets before stopping in front of an iron gate that required an iris scan to open.
Behind the gate was a long avenue of ginkgo trees. It was July, so the leaves weren’t fully yellow yet, but the setting sun pierced through them, scattering broken gold across the ground.
When the wind blew, those spots of light swayed along with it, like countless tiny golden butterflies dancing on the ground.