Chapter 21

The next morning.

Bai Manruo was woken up by the alarm she set last night. She wanted to keep sleeping, but suddenly remembered that the boss was personally driving her today, so she scrambled out of bed.

Ji Yingqing was already sitting at the dining table waiting for her. Bai Manruo gave a radiant smile: “Miss Ji, morning~”

Ji Yingqing looked up at her and pushed the breakfast toward her. “Did you sleep well last night?”

As Bai Manruo sat down, Ji Yingqing lightly swept a glance over her neck, her gaze lingering for half a second.

Hearing the boss’s concern, Bai Manruo said happily, “Mm-hmm! When I was at the hotel, I really missed the castle bed. The original bed is still the most comfortable.”

Her words clearly pleased Ji Yingqing. The corners of Ji Yingqing’s mouth curled up slightly as she took a bite of breakfast. “That’s good. I’ll drive you there after we eat.”

Seeing that the boss had developed the healthy habit of eating breakfast, Bai Manruo felt happier than she would if she had received the three million yuan today. Remembering the boss’s previously thin frame, a pang of heartache showed in her eyes. Eat more, Boss, so next time I hold you, you won’t feel so bony.

After breakfast, Bai Manruo sat in the passenger seat. This was the first time she was going out with the boss, and she felt an inexplicable surge of excitement. Looking at the luxurious interior, she thought the car must be worth a fortune, though to a boss who gives away priceless bracelets on a whim, it probably wasn’t much.

Suddenly, the car’s audio system played the opening theme of the dating show, though it only flashed for a few seconds.

Bai Manruo turned to Ji Yingqing, who was driving, and asked in surprise, “Miss Ji, do you watch this show too?” She had assumed the boss wouldn’t follow entertainment variety shows.

Under her unblinking gaze, Ji Yingqing nodded slowly. “I watch it occasionally.”

“I see. If Miss Ji had to pick one of the six guests to date, which one would it be?” After asking, Bai Manruo felt a strange nervousness, holding a sliver of expectation for the answer.

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds. Bai Manruo felt the question might have been a bit too bold. Suddenly, the car slowed to a halt.

Amidst the loud music blaring from the mall entrance, Bai Manruo only saw Ji Yingqing’s lips move, but couldn’t hear what she said. Just as she was about to ask for clarification, she saw Ji Yingqing lean in close. The words got stuck in her throat.

This gesture was identical to Xu Huanxin’s from the previous night, and Bai Manruo felt momentarily dazed. But she clearly felt that ​stolen content​this time, her heartbeat was uncharacteristically frantic.

Ji Yingqing unbuckled her seatbelt and looked up at her. “We’re here.”

As she spoke, her gaze landed on Bai Manruo’s fair neck, a flash of satisfaction crossing her eyes. Bai Manruo accidentally met her gaze; those deep eyes were easy to get lost in.

Flustered, she opened the car door and nodded. “Ah, okay. Drive safely, Miss Ji.”

The low-profile yet luxurious black car parked by the roadside drew glances from passersby, but the windows were tinted opaque; no one could see the person inside.

Xu Huanxin happened to see Bai Manruo getting out of the car. Her brow furrowed as she stared intensely at the dark windows.

Bai Manruo touched her neck as she got out. Was that an illusion? Why did it feel like the boss was looking at my neck? Seeing Xu Huanxin standing at the entrance, she ran over, dismissing the thought and pulling her collar up slightly.

Xu Huanxin walked over, inspecting her up and down with concern. “Were you okay last night? Why didn’t you reply to my messages this morning?”

As Xu Huanxin spoke, her gaze kept drifting toward the car on the roadside. Bai Manruo also noticed that Miss Ji hadn’t ​read the original at bailiantales.com​left yet. For some reason, even though she couldn’t see through the windows, she felt Miss Ji was watching her at this very moment.

Bai Manruo instinctively distanced herself from Xu Huanxin and explained, “I’m fine. I was in such a rush this morning that I didn’t see your messages.” She checked her phone and saw several unread texts from Xu Huanxin.

Xu Huanxin watched the car slowly drive away and smiled at Bai Manruo. “Haha, it wasn’t anything important anyway. Let’s go, the show is about to start.”

“Ah, okay.” As Bai Manruo walked inside, she couldn’t help but steal one last look toward the road. The black car had disappeared; it seemed the boss was gone. She turned back, feeling an inexplicable emptiness in her heart, but reminded herself that filming would end tonight, and she could finally get a good night’s sleep.

In the dressing room, Bai Manruo picked up the prepared recording outfit. It was a French vintage white dress that revealed her delicate, fair collarbones. Paired with exquisite makeup, she exuded an aura of noble, icy beauty.

When Xu Huanxin saw her walk out, she froze for a few seconds. Snapping back to reality, she approached, her gaze landing on Bai Manruo’s pale neck. Her brow furrowed. There were several faint red marks on the delicate skin of the nape. Though not obvious, they stood out against her cold, white skin.

Xu Huanxin hesitated for a few seconds before she couldn’t help but ask, “Manruo, why is your neck red?”

“Huh? I don’t know.” Bai Manruo reached up to touch her neck and leaned into the mirror to look closely. Seeing the marks, she rubbed her neck. “Oh, that. These are mosquito bites from last night. It’s happened before.”

Mosquito bites? Hearing this, Xu Huanxin’s tension relaxed, though a hint of doubt [stolen content]remained. But since there were no other signs of injury, she figured she was overthinking.

Due to yesterday’s unexpected incident, the netizens were all focused on Bai Manruo. Consequently, the cameras were glued to her, turning the dating show into a personal interview for Bai Manruo.

The host kept asking about the white jade bracelet, using leading questions to dig out who gave it to her. However, Bai Manruo keenly detected the traps and skillfully diverted the topics. Throughout the entire interview, she didn’t reveal a single detail about Ji Yingqing.

Once the recording ended, Bai Manruo declined invitations to other shows. She was afraid of another incident; the boss clearly didn’t want to be in the media, and since her own status as an employee in the castle was unique, she didn’t want to cause trouble for her.

In the restroom, Gu Ran stopped beside Bai Manruo. She looked at Bai Manruo in the mirror and sneered, “So you hooked up with a sugar daddy? Why the act of mystery? Do you think no one knows?”

“I saw that luxury car drop you off this morning. You’re only staying quiet because you’re afraid your ‘kept woman’ scandal will be exposed.”

Bai Manruo chuckled, not bothering to address the fabrications. She had already promised to treat Xu Huanxin to dinner after the show.

Gu Ran blocked her path with a malicious smile. “The more you try to hide it, the more I’ll dig it out. I’ll make sure everyone sees that the person they like is actually just a mistress who can’t see the light of day.”

Bai Manruo’s steps slowly came to a halt. The pheromones she bailiantales.comemitted grew increasingly intense, their aggressive nature undeniable.

Being a fellow Alpha, Gu Ran couldn’t stop herself from trembling under the pressure of a top-tier Alpha’s pheromones. She clenched her fists tightly, a poisonous look hidden in her eyes as she looked down.

Bai Manruo’s black eyes were bottomless as she spoke slowly, “If you want to seek death, I won’t stop you.” Her tone carried a fleeting flash of ruthlessness.

Footsteps echoed from outside the restroom, followed by a familiar voice: “Manruo, are you in there?”

The intense pheromones filling the room instantly dissipated. Bai Manruo unhurriedly pulled out a paper towel to dry her hands.

Xu Huanxin opened the door. “There you are. I saw you hadn’t come out for a while and thought you’d left early.” She gave Gu Ran a nod as a greeting. Because of Manruo, she had no liking for Gu Ran, but she had learned to maintain superficial politeness from a young age.

Bai Manruo gave Gu Ran a deep look, walked past her, and tossed the used paper into the trash. Seeing Gu Ran’s wary little movements, Bai Manruo suddenly felt it was beneath her.

She walked toward Xu Huanxin. “How could I? Didn’t I say I’d treat you to dinner?”

Xu Huanxin smiled and walked beside her. Her gaze drifted toward the restroom, her brow furrowing slightly in read the original at bailiantales.comconfusion. Why does Gu Ran smell like Manruo’s pheromones?

A fleeting suspicion flashed through her mind but was quickly dismissed. Impossible. She had investigated the relationship between the two before, so that scenario was out of the question.