After Rebirth, I Discovered the Whole World Wants to Harm Me [GL] - Chapter 27

Late Night.

Tang Xiaoran had insisted on staying over in Xiao Shixin’s master bedroom. Perhaps the intense crying from earlier had consumed too much of her energy, or perhaps it was the sheer relief of finally getting her wish, but she had originally intended to wait up for Xiao Shixin. However, when President Xiao emerged from the shower, she found the girl already fast asleep.

The woman, dressed in a white bathrobe, walked to the bedside. She brushed aside the hair that had fallen across the girl’s face—nearly blocking her breathing—and carefully tucked the quilt around her.

Then, she picked up her phone from the table and turned to go into the study.

Only a single desk lamp was lit in the study. Xiao Shixin pulled a file from the bookshelf, turned back, and sat down at the desk with the envelope. The warm yellow light cast her long shadow against the back wall, but she remained oblivious, pulling out the report and staring at the final column of text in a long, heavy silence.

Diagnostic Result: “Based on current psychological test results, the consultant’s symptoms have shown significant aggravation this month. It is recommended to begin medication to prevent further deterioration. Additionally, it is advised that the consultant maintain a peaceful state of mind to help reduce the frequency of symptomatic episodes.”

She closed her eyes and leaned back against the chair, her hands folded over her lap in a meditative posture. On her cold, elegant face, her eyelids hid her dark eyes, making it impossible to discern what emotions were flickering within.

The study window was open. A midnight breeze gusted in, blowing coolly against her, causing her to snap her eyes open and look toward the window. A sudden impulse to go over and close it surged in her heart; anything was better than sitting here motionless.

With a cold expression, she ignored the internal urge and remained seated steadily in her chair.

Just then, her phone vibrated on the desk, sounding exceptionally loud in the quiet room. She picked it up to see a text message:

“Boss, new info. One of the target’s mistresses went to the Second Hospital for a check-up today. The result is positive for pregnancy.”

Her narrow black eyes stared at the message until the screen light faded. Her breathing quickened for a few beats before she made the unprecedented choice to dial the number back.

The man who answered was initially stunned. He checked the time several times—confirming it was past midnight—before asking in a voice full of confusion: “…Hello? Boss?”

Is this really his ‘freeze-you-to-death’ big boss?

Was her phone stolen?

“Keep an eye on the situation. Do nothing unnecessary,” Xiao Shixin’s voice, almost devoid of warmth, traveled through the receiver, leaving the agent completely baffled.

Unnecessary things?

Of course not! Unless you pay extra!

Confused as a monk scratching his head, he replied blankly, “Understood.”

As for “keeping an eye on the situation,” wasn’t that what he had been doing all along? He muddled over the big boss’s words for a long time, deciding there must be some profound hidden meaning he hadn’t yet grasped. The one paying is the boss, and the boss is always right.

He was still mentally bracing himself when he heard another sentence: “Also, regarding the domestic psychiatric experts I mentioned before—send me their profiles tomorrow.”

“Understood, Boss. By the way, there’s a relevant seminar in S-City soon. Do you need the time and location?” Adhering to the professional code of treating the client like a king, he felt his response was exceptionally professional.

“Send it all tomorrow,” Xiao Shixin said before hanging up.

Left alone on the other end, the man stared at his home screen. For some reason, he felt tonight’s call was very strange. But as a professional, he knew not to ask about things he shouldn’t know, so he dismissed the feeling a few seconds later.

Xiao Shixin stared at the phrase “suggest keeping a peaceful state of mind” on the report for a long time. The emotions in her dark eyes were hidden deep, with only the occasional flash of fleeting irritability that was quickly suppressed.

A peaceful state of mind?

Thinking of everything that had happened tonight, she felt that term was worlds away.

After staying in the study for a few more minutes, she stood up and turned off the desk lamp. She set her phone to silent and walked back to the master bedroom. There, feeling the excitement in her cerebral cortex, she maintained a motionless sleeping posture until five in the morning.

Tang Xiaoran was woken up by a delicious aroma. When she fumbled for her phone and saw it was 6:50 AM, she thought she was still dreaming.

But why was the scent in this dream so rich? It felt like the smell of fried rice noodles, char siu buns, soy milk, and fried dough sticks were all surrounding and enticing her.

She sat up quite awake. She was the only one in the massive bed. She glanced at the bathroom—no one. The fragrance didn’t dissipate.

The excitement from last night’s confession hadn’t faded, but she felt there was now a more important matter to investigate. Slipping into her slippers, she rubbed her eyes as she walked out of the bedroom. When she saw the lavish breakfast spread on the table, exactly as she had imagined, she turned blankly toward the kitchen.

The cold-eyed woman was currently chopping celery. Beside her, the fragrance of white rice porridge bubbled from a clay pot. Amid the swirling steam of domestic life, the coldness on the woman had been entirely masked, leaving only a serene, gentle beauty.

Tang Xiaoran could hardly believe her eyes. Looking at the full table of breakfast, she thought in a daze:

Did I… did I find myself a mod—model partner???

“Sister Xin, I remember your position… usually doesn’t involve holidays?” What was going on? What time did Xiao Shixin have to wake up to start making all this?

Hearing her, Xiao Shixin only slightly raised an eyebrow and replied, “Wash up. Pick what you like to eat.”

Tang Xiaoran still hadn’t recovered. She gave a silly “Oh” and walked mechanically to the bathroom. She tore open a new toothbrush package and began washing her face and brushing her teeth with rigid precision.

She still felt like she hadn’t woken up from this dream.

9:00 AM.

Gaosheng Group.

Tang Xiaoran went to her family company to attend a temporary meeting for the cooperation project signed with the Xiao Group. Although the October holidays had begun yesterday, there was an emergency with the project. A group of production line managers had lugged themselves back to discuss a plan, hoping to finish and return to their holiday.

Before the meeting, she charged into the CEO’s office on the top floor.

“Big Brother, Big Brother! I have a question to ask you!” Tang Xiaoran pushed the door open forcefully, her voice arriving before she did.

Tang Xiaozhang put down his documents and looked up. His first sentence was: “Uncle Zhao says you didn’t come home last night?”

Standing in front of the desk, Tang Xiaoran was slightly out of breath from her brisk walk. Hearing her brother’s question, her mind went blank for a second.

Then, she flashed a perfect smile and said, “Uh… that’s a good question. Let me explain my way out of this.”

Why didn’t I come home last night?

Because! I’m someone with a partner!

A tiny person in her heart stood up proudly and boasted.

She mentally smacked that tiny person down, cleared her throat, and licked her lip. “It’s like this: I went to see Sister Xin to discuss company business yesterday. Then I saw it was quite late, and you know, her place is quite far from ours… so I stayed there for the night.”

Tang Xiaozhang felt relieved.

To some extent, the name “Xiao Shixin” provided a immense sense of security to a guardian. As for Tang Xiaoran’s so-called “discussing company business”—he could selectively ignore that utterly unreliable detail.

“What was the question you wanted to ask?” Tang Xiaozhang finished reading the document in front of him with lightning speed, signed his name in the corner, and asked calmly.

The girl clapped her hands, her attention pulled back. The doubt she had been holding all morning burst out: “It’s like this: Big Brother, after you and Brother Gu Heng got together, did you wake up super early the next morning to make a huge table of breakfast for him?”

Tang Xiaozhang was choked by the topic of cooking.

A few seconds later, he continued looking at his documents as if nothing had happened, but his voice was lower than before, sounding subtly weakened: “…I don’t know how to cook.”

Tang Xiaoran was shocked! She looked at her brother with utter disbelief.

Aren’t you guys from the same training class?

How can you not know how to cook?

Xiao Shixin can, but you can’t?

After the shock, Tang Xiaoran realized this wasn’t the point. She shook her head and switched the question: “Then does Brother Gu Heng wake up early to cook for you? Or among people you know, is there anyone who gets so excited after getting a partner that they make a breakfast spread they can’t possibly finish?”

Tang Xiaozhang found the question bizarre.

However, his IQ was always online. From his sister’s string of abnormal questions, combined with her staying out all night, he discovered something.

And this discovery made the heart he had just put down leap back up.

Under Tang Xiaoran’s anxious, urging gaze, he moved the documents to the finished area of his desk. Retracting his hand, he raised his eyes and asked steadily:

“The ‘partner’ you’re talking about… is it Xiao Shixin?”

Tang Xiaoran: “…!!!”

How do you know! Are you literally Sherlock Holmes?!