Chapter 450: Interest?

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

“…”

Xiang Wan looked at her tear-stained face and just stood there quietly.

“I know I shouldn’t have done that today.” Du Landuo continued to sob. “But I swear, all those smearing threads have nothing to do with me… Now everyone is targeting me. What they say is too hurting… I can’t take it anymore; I really can’t take it anymore… Could you please…”

“I can’t!” Xiang Wan interrupted her, “I’m sorry. Whatever is happening to you has nothing to do with me!”

Du Landuo bit her lower lip. She cried sadly while wiping her tears as she talked. “I know… but they did that to defend you. As long as you’re willing to step out and say something to do me justice… the rumors will stop…”

Words that do justice?

Xiang Wan laughed. “Why should I do that?”

This was a good example of how Du Landuo used morality and ethics to pressure Xiang Wan to do her bidding, and if she didn’t, they would label her as someone cruel, evil, cold-hearted, and the like…

On what basis must she forgive her?

On what basis should the perpetrator gain someone’s forgiveness immediately once she became the victim?

“Xiang Gongzi, can’t you just take it as you’re doing a good deed?” Du Landuo cried uncontrollably. “I’ve already apologized to you and that still isn’t enough?”

“Hur!” Xiang Wan showed a half-smile. “My apologies, but we’re not familiar with each other! I’ve never deliberately tried to harm you in any way, and I have no obligation to go to that extra mile for you! Please excuse me and move out of my way!”

Du Landuo looked at her in a daze; the tear stains on her face was still clear to see.

The group of authors looked at Xiang Wan with a stupefied look on their faces.

Even though she had stated an objective fact, for the people who were accustomed to accepting the “perfect victim”, they could not accept her cold-bloodedness at all.

After keeping silent for a few seconds, Du Landuo started to wail in grief; she squatted down and cried on a chair!

Countless people went to console her.

As for Xiang Wan, she walked past Du Landuo expressionlessly while she held her trophy and her certificate on her hand like a proud queen…

The gazes that followed her back felt like knives.

However, she was not afraid; she even walked with her back straight and firm.

There was no point trying to make Du Landuo see her point when one did not see eye to eye with another.

…

“You’ve changed!”

When they left the place, Fang Yuanyuan said that to Xiang Wan.

“Huh?” Xiang Wan turned around to look at her. “What changed?”

“… I can’t tell exactly what it is.” Fang Yuanyuan looked afar at the small groups of people who were walking up ahead. “In the past, when you encountered such stuff, you won’t handle it this way… Maybe you’ve changed in your thinking and become tougher? I like it though! In this way, others won’t bully you anymore…”

“I didn’t change. It’s the world that changed.” Xiang Wan gave a bitter snort then held Fang Yuanyuan’s shoulders. “If you’re the one who got hurt, I won’t sit still and do nothing!”

“I know!” Fang Yuanyuan smiled so happily that her eyes turned into the shape of a crescent moon. “You won’t leave me alone since you would also join in to ‘stab me’!”

“Haha, my Yuanyuan understands me the most…”

After a pause, she puffed a sigh after staying quiet for a moment.

“What I can do for her is to not speak ill of her. I feel that this is already enough, right?”

Fang Yuanyuan gave her a sidelong glance. “That’s enough. You’re already good to her!”

“That’s what I think too.”

…

Most authors took the arranged transport—a coach, back to the hotel.

Xiang Wan and Fang Yuanyuan were standing by the roadside.

Both of them were from Jin City; they need not return to the hotel with the rest of the authors. They were waiting for Bai Muchuan to pick them up…

However, before he could arrive, a black car slowly stopped by them.

When the car window rolled down, they saw Ye Lun’s good-looking face with a half-smile. That sight was very eye-catching.

“Teacher Xiang, can I give you both a lift?”

Xiang Wan was a little surprised. “It’s alright, thank you!”

The moment the car stopped before them, there were already people turning to look at her direction… She didn’t have the guts to relate herself with celebrities and appear on hot news.

She rejected Ye Lun’s offer but there was no sign of him leaving. His expression did not change too.

“We can get Xie Wanwan and your legendary author boyfriend for a gathering tonight if you like?”

However, that was not the problem here. Were they close enough to do this in the first place?

Xiang Wan felt that Ye Lun’s words were laughable.

Nevertheless, ‘one does not slap a smiling person.’ She should not be rude to someone who did nothing to her.

“Well, I have to say no since we wanted some alone time together tonight!”

“Alright then!” Ye Lun seemed disappointed. “I happen to have two bottles of good wine and wanted to have dinner with you all. We can talk about the common experiences we have been through and chill out together… Seems like I won’t be able to have a gathering with all of you tonight.”

Common experiences…

Xiang Wan raised an eyebrow. “The case’s closed. I have nothing else to say about it!”

The corners of his lips lifted upwards; his pair of long, narrow eyes were also smiling. “Teacher Xiang is a really interesting person!”

After that, the car window rolled up slowly, without waiting for Xiang Wan to respond.

“Goodbye!” Ye Lun said, “We can arrange something again next time.”

“…”

Ye Lun’s smiling face disappeared before them.

In less than three minutes, Bai Muchuan’s car arrived.

It was the one he put in his garage in Jin City. It had been washed and polished clean, which made Fang Yuanyuan made a heartfelt remark.

“Second Young Master Mu, thanks for the lift. Please send me back first so you both can have some alone time together!”

She did not call him Captain Bai, but his pen name instead.

There was a great deal of banter in it, and a little dissatisfaction since they had kept her from the truth.

Xiang Wan got that and laughed. “Not coming to dinner with us?”

Fang Yuanyuan let out a yawn. “No, I’m exhausted! I only want to go home and sleep.”

The editors were the ones who did the most work for the Annual Awards Ceremony. They were running around and making sure everything was alright. It had been a long time since Fang Yuanyuan handled something like this. Xiang Wan understood her and did not persuade her further. Bai Muchuan dropped her off at the entrance of the neighborhood and left.

“Did you miss me?”

That was Bai Muchuan’s first question now that they were alone.

Xiang Wan chuckled in amusement. “What’s with this talk of missing you when you didn’t even leave me for long?”

“You little heartless thing!” Bai Muchuan puffed a sigh as he shook his head. “You want to go to my place or the hotel?”

“Your place!” Xiang Wan was still a thrifty person. Although her royalties had increased a lot and there was no problem for her to live her days, she still stood by the rule that she should not waste the expenses she could save.

Besides, staying at home was certainly more convenient than staying at a hotel.

“Sure! The house has been empty for a while now though. We might need to do quite a lot of cleaning.”

“No problem, I can do it myself!”

“No need for that. How can I trouble my goddess?”

Xiang Wan tilted her head and observed him seriously for a moment. “Well, why did your words earlier sounded so fake?”

“Hahahaha…”

It was already quite late after they had dinner.

They cleaned up the house, including the bedroom and the bathroom, which took more than an hour. By the time they finished doing so, it was already late at night.

“I’m so tired!”

Tidying up the house together with the man whom she loved actually felt good. It was just that both of them perspired all over and laid on the sofa with their limbs stretched out weakly. Xiang Wan totally did not have the mood to continue staying up with him anymore.

“About my promise tonight, can I pay back another day?” she asked with a smile.

“…” Bai Muchuan looked over lazily at her eyes and pinched her cheeks. “No problem!”

He agreed so readily…

Xiang Wan felt that her past attitude toward him might have been too cruel?

“But you gotta pay an interest…” He suddenly added.

“…” As expected, things were not so simple!

Xiang Wan looked at him innocently with her eyes wide open. “Interest?”

“I would accumulate interest based on the number of days you didn’t pay me up; there will be no limit to this too!”

“… You’re a loan shark!” Xiang Wan frowned and sat properly, no longer leaning against the sofa. “Forget it, no credit, no debt! I’ll take a bath now!”

“How can I let you bathe by yourself?” Bai Muchuan immediately came over to her.

This man was agile like a leopard. Before Xiang Wan could respond, her feet had already left the ground as she watched him carry her into the bathroom.

“Aye!” Xiang Wan sighed.

This man seemed to have endless energy. No matter how tired or how difficult a period he was going through, one would seldom see him in a slump. Hence, being with him had one such advantage… one would not feel depressed or lazy! The one whom he pampered would feel that she was being loved to the fullest…

Both of Xiang Wan’s hands circled around his neck like she was weak and soft.

Her voice also sounded sweet. “I shall put myself in Sir Little Bai’s good hands then…”

Bai Muchuan smiled as he carried her into the bathroom and put her on the washstand before filling the bathtub with water. After testing the water temperature, he came over and help her undress slowly.

“Fine, leave it to me. I’ll make sure you’ll be happy with my service!”

“Mm!” Xiang Wan raised an eyebrow like she was like a queen.

She stared at him, not batting an eyelid and unmoving as well.

Bai Muchuan suddenly looked up at her and met her gaze. They had a little staring contest for a while which he lost and he pinched her nose lightly.

“Did I pamper you too much?”

“… Is it not good?” Xiang Wan asked in return.

Bai Muchuan placed both of his hands on the washstand and let out a soft sigh.

“I’m afraid of getting hurt too…”

“…”

In a relationship, the one who invested more tend to get hurt easier. This seemed to have become a common occurrence with many examples which people could easily prove. That was also one reason why she was careful with Bai Muchuan and was worried about taking a step further at the beginning…

His gaze seemed deep, yet they also felt like they were gleaming.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.” Xiang Wan scrutinized his face and said this in a serious expression while putting her arms around his waist. “At the very most… when you did not do a good job, I’ll kick your ass!”

“Hur! Little Xiang Wan, don’t you know that it’s to your disadvantage when you provoke a man?”

Provoke? Xiang Wan looked at him in confusion.

“How could I… not do a good job?” A half-smile hung on his face; Bai Muchuan grunted and asked her dotingly. “Tell me, when did I not do a good job?”

“…”

I’m not referring to that, Mister! Xiang Wan dissed in her head.

She seriously felt that this guy was trying to twist her words. Thus, she spoke softly at his ear.

“… I don’t believe that there won’t be a time that you just might not.”

“Just wait and see then!”

“I’m waiting. I have been waiting all this while, haven’t I?”

Those red lips, her whispers and a provoking gaze.

Bai Muchuan looked at the woman before him. For an instant, his head went blank, and he felt a numb feeling at his spine. There was a rush of adrenaline within him… he knew that it was worthwhile to come here and do all these for her.

“Woman, tonight, you’re dead meat!” he laughed.

His smile looked like it was enchanted by magic. He was so charming that Xiang Wan even felt her bones softening.

“I don’t think so… I’m not afraid of you!”

“You nymph!”

…

The nightlife in the city was basically filled with people dousing themselves in drinks and revelry.

It was midnight. The weather started to feel colder.

A karaoke nightspot in the city was still particularly lively.

There were more than 10 men and women in a large karaoke room.

Some were singing, and some were drinking while some were tapping along with the music.

At a corner, Du Landuo was sitting on the sofa while holding her head. She seemed to have drunk a lot. Her eyes were red from all the crying earlier; she seemed to have difficulty opening them too.

Suddenly, she rose from her seat while her body swayed a little. “I need to go to the ladies!”

“Are you alright…?”

Everyone knew that she was not in a good mood and drank a lot. Because of that, they were worried about her.

“Do you need help?”

“No need. I’m alright… You guys continue…” Du Landuo supported herself by holding the edge of the sofa and ambled out. She even waved at her friends. “I’m feeling vexed. I want to go out… for some air. It’s too stuffy here!”

The air in the karaoke room was indeed not well-ventilated.

Since she already said so, no one else tried to persuade her further.

As Du Landuo walked to the door, her eyes glanced through the smiling faces that passed by her, and this annoyed her very much.

There was an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. She closed the door of the karaoke room and asked the staff for the directions of the restroom. She then walked over with her steps staggering slightly…

She threw up on the toilet bowl for a while. After flushing the toilet bowl, she staggered over to the sink and turned on the tap, slapping her face with the cold tap water as much as she could.

“Don’t be a disgrace! Be more clear-headed, don’t be a disgrace anymore!…”

Her brain was numb and her lips were numb. Du Landuo murmured to herself and suddenly realized that there was another person in the mirror…

That person was standing quietly behind while looking at her.

Du Landuo broke out in a cold sweat at that realization. She stared hard at that image in the mirror for a second and wanted to turn around when suddenly she saw that person lift a hand.

“Umm…” She wanted to shout but was stopped.

That person’s voice felt chilly, like the cold winter winds that rushed through her ears.

“A garbage like you is a waste of food if you continue living! Just be good and die…”

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