Thank you to chamana_digital for the ko-fi~
Zhao Xiaokui took a glance and nodded, confirming that she had not made a mistake. “It’s her, exactly the same.”
“Then I should know who the girl you’re talking about is.” Shen Zhifei opened the search bar, entered a name, and soon, a charmingly smiling picture popped up.
Although the girl in the picture had lively eyes and an elegant smile, looking nothing like the dull and foolish woman in the dilapidated residential building, Zhao Xiaokui still immediately recognized that the woman in the photo was the same girl she had seen.
“She is the only daughter of the Bai family. Just two months ago, she returned from studying abroad. Recently, she disappeared near her villa, and the Bai family has been frantically searching for her.”
“Wow…”
Zhao Xiaokui was reading about Bai Jingru, the only daughter of the Bai family. In the lengthy list of competition prizes in the Baidu Encyclopedia, numerous dazzling details were present. There were also many photos taken at award ceremonies, where she looked confident, elegant, and poised.
It’s the kind of style that is very likable, the type that would be revered as the campus goddess.
And such a delicate girl, at this moment, has fallen into a residential building, becoming the plaything of a lecherous man…
Zhao Xiaokui couldn’t help but shake her head as she thought about the scene she witnessed. She said, “I think I should know the purpose of that device now.”
“What is it?”
“It’s not a brainwashing device, it’s a memory eraser.”
…
After understanding the function of the device, Zhao Xiaokui quickly figured out the reason for her spiritual disappearance.
The spiritual power she released was, in essence, a kind of energy that exists everywhere in the world. She just used a special method to mark it as her own eyes.
To sever the connection between her and her spiritual power, besides erasing this spiritual power, there was another way – directly removing the mark on this spiritual power, letting it transform back into the purest energy and return to the world.
In the extraordinary world, discovering someone peeking with spiritual power, who wouldn’t respond assertively and directly counteract? Who would think of launching a “one forgets, all is empty” attack on the air?
That device that was developed seemed to be a product with a wide range of effects. When the lecherous man was using it, he inadvertently injured her spiritual power from a distance.
“…” Thinking about the distance between her spiritual power disappearance and the lecherous man’s house, Zhao Xiaokui suddenly felt a bit sorry for the residents living nearby.
She wondered how they had been doing lately.
In the entire vicinity of Wangjiang Road, strange incidents had indeed been occurring frequently.
Every now and then, people would suddenly faint on the ground. They were rushed to the hospital for examination, but there was nothing wrong, except for a vague memory before they passed out.
Everyone’s memory seemed to be deteriorating together. There were frequent cases of people waking up and forgetting their carefully planned affairs, reaching a historic high in tardiness, and forgetting to submit assignments.
Rumors of haunting began to circulate among the neighbors in the building.
People in every household burned incense and worshipped Buddha. Even those who didn’t visit graves during the Qingming Festival lit a brazier and went to the temple to seek peace symbols, trying to find peace of mind.
Nightwalkers naturally noticed the anomalies here at the first sign of mysterious events.
In Huaxia, temples were excellent places to collect extraordinary information. If the frequency of people praying and worshipping suddenly increased in an area, and legends of ghosts and gods became popular, there was likely an extraordinary being or creature causing trouble. It was almost always accurate; even if they didn’t catch an extraordinary creature, they could catch those who pretended to be spirits to deceive people for money or pleasure. In any case, they wouldn’t lose out.
After investigating for a few days, nobody found out what was happening. Instead, their investigators encountered one problem after another.
Now they could only speculate that there was an awakened extraordinary being or creature in the residential building, and the mass unconsciousness and amnesia were likely caused by the overflow of its power.
No one thought about the possibility of their missing memory eraser.
As for whether to save people, until Zhao Xiaokui got out of the car with Shen Zhifei, the two couldn’t reach a conclusion.
Zhao Xiaokui wasn’t the type to kick someone when they were down, but to say she was extremely compassionate would be an exaggeration.
She would rescue Shen Zhifei without knowing the strength of the enemy because she had helped her, and she was the first person she had met after returning to human society, creating a fledgling bond.
But Bai Jingru, who was she?
She was indeed pitiable, and the white-haired parents of the Bai family deserved sympathy. However, showing a little sympathy and pity for them didn’t mean Zhao Xiaokui would risk exposing herself for the sake of these emotions.
After all, she couldn’t explain why she knew that Bai Jingru was hidden in that place.
Shen Zhifei’s thoughts were not much different from hers. Although she wanted to save Bai Jingru and gain the Bai family’s gratitude, she was only willing to help casually, not rushing to offer a favor.
Entering the underground parking lot with Zhao Xiaokui, they took the elevator directly to the floor of Shen Entertainment. Hence, none of the Shen employees who were idly strolling and buying coffee downstairs noticed the arrival of Zhao Xiaokui and Shen Zhifei.
However, when they reached the floor of Shen Entertainment, Zhao Xiaokui’s appearance inevitably caught the attention of Shen’s employees.
Today, she wore a black silk long skirt that reached her knees, sleeveless, revealing two slender and graceful arms. The dress had a small V-neck, showcasing delicate collarbones, a hint of sexiness mixed with playfulness. She wore a comfortable pair of cloth shoes, making her steps feel like walking on cotton. On her head was a fisherman’s hat, and a pair of large sunglasses sat on her nose, revealing only a small and delicate mouth and a finely sculpted nose.
The gossip about Zhao Xiaokui living with Shen Zhifei had spread throughout Shen Entertainment on the day Zhao Xiaokui started her live broadcast.
People who had previously criticized Zhao Xiaokui for interfering in the boss’s feelings felt indescribably complicated at this moment.
Some sincerely exclaimed while looking at the figure beside Shen Zhifei, “She’s really fair, seems like she’s about to shine. Her figure is also good…”
Some held their coffee, dumbfounded as Zhao Xiaokui and Shen Zhifei suddenly appeared. About to collide with Zhao Xiaokui, one person, without waiting for her to dodge, extended a hand and pulled her to the side.
When dragging her away, Shen Zhifei was still talking to her assistant, not even turning her head, and the action seemed as natural as if she had grown an extra eye.
“Hey hey.” Zhao Xiaokui staggered into her arms, her long hair tucked under the hat spilled out. She reached over and ruffled it.
Shen Entertainment employees witnessing all this: “…”
They silently shifted their gaze to the headlines of the gossip newspapers a few days ago: “The entertainment industry is really chaotic! Zhao Zijin’s charm is unmatched, first fishing for the fiancé, then hooking the fiancée!”
Those who had previously vehemently refuted the gossip now thought, ‘Damn, this CP is really sweet.’
A pair of editors sitting in a corner silently put away their phones, then expressionlessly, like an octopus, crazily typed on the keyboard.
[I’ve bumped into real people!]
[Today, Shen Zhifei brought Zhao Zijin to the company. Just as Zhao Zijin was about to be hit by my colleague with coffee, she directly pulled her into her arms! What a heavenly couple, a beautiful love story that makes me cry.]
[Shen Zhifei and Zhao Zijin, this CP is so addictive!]
A group of lurking fish burst out with this sensational news.
They were all CP fans who spontaneously gathered online after Zhao Xiaokui and Shen Zhifei’s candid photos were posted on the internet.
However, since Zhao Xiaokui terminated her contract, she has not attended any events, and Shen Zhifei was not a public figure. Without access to any photos, they had long been disheartened.
Now, this piece of news revitalized them, and each one became more spirited than the other.
[Ah, ah, ah—request for photos!]
[No photos, no story.]
[Wuwuwu, I finally got some content. The CP I’ve been a fan of is finally producing content before I starve to death…]
A junior editor hesitated; she wanted to show off to her fellow fans but was afraid that the candid photos might be leaked online. From the perspective shown in the photos, it would be easy to identify her workspace.
After struggling for a while, she couldn’t resist the earnest requests of her fellow fans. After repeatedly emphasizing not to share them publicly, she shared a flash photo with the group.
In the photo, Zhao Xiaokui, who was embraced by Shen Zhifei, lifted one foot, with a slightly open mouth, wearing a confused expression on her face.
Shen Zhifei, in professional attire, didn’t turn her head, revealing only one-third of her face. On her, there was a charm unique to professional women.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
What else is there to say? Just enjoy the moment.
Zhao Xiaokui was still unaware that she had become the subject of a fanatical cult CP among Shen’s employees. Even if she knew, she would probably just smile it off. Various CPs in the entertainment industry were too common – whether it’s same-sex or opposite-sex, as long as two people appear in the same frame, fans can find sweetness, and if two people collaborate, it’s almost equivalent to getting married.
Shen Zhifei’s office wasn’t large, at least not like the ones she had seen on television before – those huge, seemingly square-dance-worthy spaces of over a hundred square meters, appearing vast and empty. The decoration style was similar to her home, primarily in black and white tones, modern, simple, and neat. Zhao Xiaokui was placed on the sofa in the reception area. After looking around, she finally set her gaze on Shen Zhifei, who was working.
They say that people who work earnestly are the most charming, a sentiment that holds true anywhere.
Shen Zhifei working and Shen Zhifei in front of Zhao Xiaokui seemed like two completely different individuals.
When with Zhao Xiaokui, she appeared more like a gentle and meticulous older sister. Zhao Xiaokui could sense the warmth, consideration, and care emanating from her very bones. However, during work, she transformed into a sharp-minded, calculated robot. Every move and gesture seemed deliberately planned. Flipping through documents with the same posture, she could maintain it for more than half an hour. When speaking, her tone was calm, not rushed, but exceptionally firm and powerful.
It’s hard to say that no girls have ever fantasized about becoming a woman like Shen Zhifei.
Even Zhao Xiaokui, who was dedicated to being a singer, had fantasized about becoming a powerful woman who walks with the wind while watching urban dramas in her childhood.
However, after careful consideration, she realized that if she were to follow this career path, instead of sitting in this office giving orders, she would more likely become the person outside the office secretly stashing snacks under the desk, continuously munching when the boss isn’t paying attention – she had already heard three people secretly eating chips.
“Hungry?” Shen Zhifei asked without lifting her head.
Shen Zhifei at work appeared colder than usual, but Zhao Xiaokui didn’t mind her aloofness. She shook her head, indicating that she wasn’t hungry, and casually picked up a newspaper from the nearby table.
For young people of her age, the time spent on smartphones far exceeded that spent reading newspapers. Over the years, apart from English learning materials teachers required her to buy, this was the first time Zhao Xiaokui had voluntarily opened a newspaper.
Her eyes immediately landed on the colored photo accompanying the headline, and she smiled.
There’s nothing better than giving a pillow when you’re napping1a Chinese idiom that figuratively suggests helping someone while pretending to be asleep or acting oblivious. It implies providing assistance or support subtly without drawing attention to one’s actions. The idea is to offer help discreetly or indirectly, creating a positive impact without making it obvious or seeking recognition. It often conveys the notion of doing good deeds selflessly and modestly..
