Chapter 33.1

Fortunately, it had only been a false alarm.

Although the rock python was huge, it was actually very docile. When the staff carried the python down, Cheng Lingxue even curiously touched it.

Seeing that the other girl was not afraid at all and that the python was not dangerous, Xie Shuyun also realized she had made a fuss over nothing. She scratched her head in embarrassment, then lightly touched the python’s head too.

It felt cool and smooth to the touch, a very strange sensation.

It also proved what the staff had said. This python was very gentle and had no intention of hurting anyone at all.

They wandered around the building for a while longer. When it was almost three o’clock, the two finally went to pick up Pai Pai and brought him with them to the place for afternoon tea.

The afternoon tea here truly did not disappoint, especially the limited-edition desserts.

Pai Pai’s was a realistic-looking ice cream cake that dogs could eat. It was even designed like those cartoon bone-in meats.

In front of Xie Shuyun was a little black cat cake shaped like a cat playing with a ball of yarn. The cat lay on its back, Read on BaiLianTalesall four limbs propping up the ball of yarn, and it even had a swaying black tail.

As for Cheng Lingxue, placed before her was a glass cup. Inside was a tiny golden retriever puppy made of ice cream, surrounded by a circle of strawberry slices and chocolate sundae. The design was exquisite and adorable. Just looking at it made one reluctant to eat it.

“Do you like it? Does it meet your expectations?”

Xie Shuyun’s eyes curved into crescents, her tone carrying a little pride.

Cheng Lingxue swept a glance over it but did not immediately answer. Instead, a smile that was not quite a smile appeared on her face.

Under Xie Shuyun’s gaze, she slowly picked up the spoon, scooped off the ice cream puppy’s right ear, and lightly put it into her mouth. At the same time, her beautiful eyes wandered over Xie Shuyun’s face and the top of her head.

Xie Shuyun subconsciously touched her head and immediately felt the fluffy sensation in her palm.

Looking toward Cheng Lingxue, she seemed to notice Xie Shuyun’s gaze. The girl pulled the spoon from her mouth and licked her lips.

“Not bad.”

Hiss…

She kept feeling like the other girl’s words carried some hidden meaning.

Xie Shuyun shivered, no longer daring to be so smug. But she looked at the decorative desserts, then looked at Cheng Lingxue, and in the end, she still could not help asking,

“Do you want to take a photo and show Mom?”

As she spoke, she took out her phone and waved it.

When Cheng Lingxue heard Xie Shuyun actually suggest taking a photo, her first reaction was to refuse. But thinking that the person it would be sent to was Xie Yun, she fell silent for a moment, concealed the complexity in her eyes, and finally nodded slightly in agreement.

But when she looked at the ice cream that had already been ruined by herself, her brows furrowed lightly as she said,

“But I’ve already eaten mine.”

“It’s fine. I haven’t touched mine yet.”

Xie Shuyun had already prepared herself to be rejected. She had not expected Read on BaiLianTalesCheng Lingxue to actually not refuse. She quickly pushed her own dessert in front of Cheng Lingxue and looked at the other girl expectantly.

What else could Cheng Lingxue say?

She had already agreed.

She moved the cake in front of herself and watched Xie Shuyun fiddle with her phone. Then the camera was aimed at her.

But after looking for a while, Xie Shuyun seemed somewhat dissatisfied. She scratched her cheek with one finger and spoke with a little hesitation and embarrassment.

“Can you hold the cake up a little closer to your face?”

A trace of unnaturalness appeared on Cheng Lingxue’s face, but she still cooperated and picked up the plate, bringing it closer to her face.

A cold and beautiful black-cat-eared young girl held a little black cat cake playing with a yarn ball in her hands.

Hiss…

This scene was too impactful.

Even the hand Xie Shuyun used to hold her phone trembled slightly. She could not control herself and pressed the shutter several times. In her heart, she could not help sighing.

As expected of the female lead O. This destructive power was freaking strong.

“Is it done?”

Perhaps because she was embarrassed, Cheng Lingxue’s fair face was stained with a faint redness as she opened her mouth and asked softly.

“Mm, done, done.”

Looking at the photo, Xie Shuyun quickly replied. Then she lowered her head and sent the photo to Xie Yun.

Unexpectedly, Xie Yun replied very quickly.

Very nice. Have fun, but be careful and stay safe. Protect Lingxue well. If you need anything, call the housekeeper and she will handle it.

“Mom replied!”

Xie Shuyun showed the phone to Cheng Lingxue.

There was not much reaction, but Xie Shuyun’s sharp eyes noticed that the ear tip faintly peeking out from between the girl’s hair seemed to be a pale pink.

Was Cheng Lingxue shy?

How rare!

This trip to the amusement park could be considered smooth. Compared to their last two-person outing, the result was already a hundred times better.

It also allowed Xie Shuyun to finally talk about it with Shang Yan at school in a rather good mood.

“So, did you two hold hands?”

Shang Yan struck while the iron was hot and quickly asked.

“Why would we hold hands? Lingxue still had to hold the dog leash.”

This question made Xie Shuyun feel completely baffled, and she raised her brows slightly.

“No… that’s not…”

Looking at Xie Shuyun, Shang Yan felt that the two of them were basically speaking different languages.

What did holding hands have to do with holding a dog leash?

Didn’t people have two hands?

“Ah, right. I even took photos… You…”

Smiling as she spoke, Xie Shuyun picked up her phone and tapped it. But when she saw Cheng Lingxue in the photo, she instantly no longer wanted to show Shang Yan.

She was so cute. She would rather admire it herself.

“What? Did you two take a photo together?”

Seeing Xie Shuyun’s movement stop, Shang Yan raised her brows. As she voiced the guess in her heart, her eyes lit up, and she wanted to lean over to look.

“We didn’t take one together.”

“If you didn’t take a photo together, why are you guarding it so tightly?”

Shang Yan snorted, expressing disdain at a certain someone going back on her word.

Suddenly, she snapped her fingers and took something out of the drawer.

“I forgot to ask you. Have you thought about what major you want to choose? I want to choose electrical engineering.”

Students from their rocket class had an eighty percent chance of entering Z University. As the second-place student, Xie Shuyun would likely enter without any surprise.

So Shang Yan was very direct and pushed the Z University department introduction book in front of Xie Shuyun.

Xie Shuyun casually flipped through it.

The first few pages were all the most popular departments, and the finance department was prominently among them.

She could not help sweeping a glance from the corner of her eye at the young girl quietly reading.

That was the department the other girl would choose in the future…

At that time, she would also meet the female lead A there.

Thinking of this, Xie Shuyun’s hand, which was clenched into a fist, tightened slightly. She lightly pressed her lips together and flipped through a few more pages without much interest, then stared blankly at the page.

She remembered that the original body had chosen the same major as Cheng Lingxue.

After all, since she was going to take over the Xie family in the future, naturally she had to choose a finance-related major.

Xie Shuyun did not know why Cheng Lingxue had chosen finance, but in the future, she and the female lead A would be known as the new twin stars of the financial world.

A faint sourness rose in her heart, and bitterness spread in her mouth.

Xie Shuyun lowered her eyes. She did not know whether she should follow the original body’s path.

But…

If she had to see Cheng Lingxue and the female lead A together every day, just imagining it made her feel a little uncomfortable and stuffy.

At that moment, a palm waved in front of Xie Shuyun’s eyes, and Shang Yan’s voice came over.

“Yunzi? Yunzi? What are you spacing out for? Don’t tell me you actually want to study fine arts. Would Auntie Xie agree?”

Fine arts?

Xie Shuyun froze.

Then she looked at the page she had been staring at. It was indeed an introduction to the fine arts department.

A trace of nostalgia flashed through her eyes.

Before she transmigrated into the book, she had also had pretty good talent in art. Unfortunately, art supplies were too expensive. To her, they had been an expense she could not afford.

As an orphan, she naturally could not take out that kind of money, so she had changed to another major.

At that time…

she had also felt it was such a pity…

Hm?

Who had felt it was a pity…?

Furrowing her brows slightly, Xie Shuyun felt that the longer she stayed in this book world, the blurrier her memories of reality became.

“Yunzi? Yunzi! Your complexion doesn’t look very good. Are you uncomfortable?”

Shang Yan’s call brought Xie Shuyun back to herself, and she quickly waved her hand.

“I’m fine. As for the major… I’ll think about it some more.”

“Really? If it’s fine arts, Auntie Xie spoils you so much. She probably wouldn’t stop you, right? Z University’s fine arts department isn’t bad either. It’s among the top in the country…”

Shang Yan looked at the introduction for the fine arts department and muttered to herself.

Not paying attention to Shang Yan’s words, Xie Shuyun propped her cheek on her hand and looked at Cheng Lingxue’s back.

She wondered what the other girl would think.

Xie Shuyun had originally planned to think this matter through over the next few days, but her thoughts were interrupted by an incident.

Sitting on the sofa, secretly searching up information related to the fine arts department behind Cheng Lingxue’s back, Xie Shuyun muttered to herself,

“There are so many things… Can I learn all of this? But it feels really interesting. Still, I also have to take an art skills exam. With only one year left, can I cram at the last minute?”

She reached out, picked up a piece of fruit, and put it into her mouth. As she chewed, she propped her cheek on her hand, feeling somewhat distressed.

At this moment, footsteps came from upstairs.

Xie Shuyun raised her head and saw Cheng Lingxue walking out from the stairs.

“Lingxue, do you want some frui—”

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Shuyun was interrupted by the cold expression on Cheng Lingxue’s face.

Her gaze moved downward.

The other girl was holding Pai Pai in her arms?

His right front leg seemed to be injured, with blood scabs clinging to it. This situation made Xie Shuyun’s brows furrow slightly, and she immediately walked over.

“What happened? How did Pai Pai get hurt?”

Cheng Lingxue’s black eyes stared closely at Xie Shuyun, as if confirming whether the worry in her expression was real.

She lowered her eyes slightly and recalled the situation when she had returned to her room just now.

===

Pushing open the door, Cheng Lingxue casually turned on the light.

Just as she was about to place the schoolbag in her hand on the main desk, her footsteps into the room paused slightly. She furrowed her brows and looked around.

The room was the same as when she had left, but the atmosphere had changed. There was an uncomfortable feeling.

Her gaze carefully checked the room. There was no one hiding inside.

Her hand tightened around the schoolbag handle.

Cheng Lingxue first calmly came to the desk and gently put down her bag. Then she opened her drawer.

Computer, notebooks…

There were no signs that they had been touched.

Then…

“Wu… wuwu…”

The faint whimpering made Cheng Lingxue’s hand pause as she closed the drawer. She warily looked around, and finally, her gaze landed on the giant blue shark lying on her bed.

Step by step, she walked over. Cheng Lingxue gently lifted the only place where something could hide—the shark’s mouth.

There, she saw Pai Pai curled up into a ball.

“Aow… aowu…”

Pai Pai seemed to have been frightened. His fur had all stood up, his tail was tucked, and he kept backing away, wanting to retreat deeper into the shark’s mouth. Unfortunately, he was already at the very back, with no way to retreat any farther.

“Pai Pai, it’s me.”

Seeing Pai Pai like this, even the calm Cheng Lingxue could not help furrowing her brows lightly. She reached out toward Pai Pai and spoke softly.

Perhaps recognizing Cheng Lingxue, Pai Pai sniffed the tips of her fingers. Only then did he slowly approach and rub his fluffy cheek against Cheng Lingxue’s hand.

This movement immediately made Cheng Lingxue notice that something was wrong with him.

Pai Pai’s right front leg seemed to be injured. He hopped as he walked, looking very strained. Cheng Lingxue immediately picked him up.

“Pai Pai… what happened to your leg?”

“…Wu…”

Pai Pai naturally could not speak. He only whimpered, but his trembling little body clearly conveyed his fear to Cheng Lingxue.

Damn it…

Lightly biting her teeth, Cheng Lingxue swiftly stood with Pai Pai in her arms and quickly walked out of the room. When the door [read the original at bailiantales.com]was about to close, she looked back inside.

Her eyes were filled with endless coldness and deep darkness.

===

Cheng Lingxue took a deep breath and finally calmed her emotions slightly. She did not immediately explode. Looking at the worried Xie Shuyun with her black eyes, she slowly said,

“Someone broke into my room.”

“Broke in?”

Xie Shuyun’s eyes widened slightly. She found it hard to believe that someone could break into the Xie family residence.

But Cheng Lingxue would not lie. Moreover, this might have something to do with Pai Pai’s injury. So she immediately called Qin Yu over.

After understanding the current situation, Qin Yu quickly called over all the maids who had been on duty today.

After asking them questions, Qin Yu came to Cheng Lingxue’s side, where Cheng Lingxue unauthorized copywas accompanying Pai Pai while the veterinarian treated him.

“Miss Cheng, I’ve asked around. No one saw any suspicious outsiders enter today. We also checked the surveillance cameras in the garden, and there were no suspicious individuals. Also, there were no visitors today.”

“I’m not talking about outsiders.”

Cheng Lingxue swept Qin Yu a glance. In the end, her gaze landed on the dozen or so maids.

She spoke faintly,

“Who entered my room today?”

The words were calm and gentle, yet they inexplicably made people’s backs chill.

The maids looked at one another. No one stepped forward.

Seeing this, Xie Shuyun felt somewhat displeased. She exchanged a glance with Qin Yu and scolded the maids,

“Lingxue is asking you. Who entered her room today?”

“Do you need me to pull up the surveillance footage?”

Qin Yu also spoke coldly.

Her gaze wandered over the maids, somewhat unable to believe it. To enter the Xie family residence, one had to go through layer after layer of screening. Even their birth backgrounds would be investigated clearly.

But judging from Miss Cheng’s expression, could there really be an insider among them?

If that was true…

Qin Yu’s gaze turned slightly cold.

Better to wrongly kill a hundred than let one slip through.

Unexpectedly, even after both Xie Shuyun and Qin Yu had spoken, no one was willing to come forward and admit it.

This situation was surprising.

At this, Cheng Lingxue merely swept her gaze over the maids. Then she turned around and slowly sat on the sofa, gently picking up Pai Pai, whose bandaging had already been completed and who had been placed on a soft cushion.

Her snow-white, slender fingers lightly scratched him.

Her deep eyes carried coldness, and her gaze had no emotional fluctuation. It seemed as if she were speaking to everyone, and also as if she were speaking to herself.

“I’ve heard that when small animals are hurt, they will absolutely remember the one who committed violence against them, and from then on, they will hold vigilance and aggression toward that person.”

Her tone was soothing and refreshing to the ear. But at the same time, with each word, it gave people an increasingly heavy pressure.

The young girl’s gaze turned faintly, looking at certain people whose eyes flickered slightly because of her words. She memorized those faces in her heart and slowly spoke.

“All of you come closer and let him see you. Whoever causes Pai Pai’s mood to become abnormal is the biggest suspect.”

She deliberately emphasized the final sentence.

The oldest maid was the first to step forward. Seeing her move, the Read on BaiLianTalesothers also came forward one by one.

They approached Pai Pai on Cheng Lingxue’s lap one by one. Some merely looked at him from close range, while others crouched down and affectionately called Pai Pai’s name.

Without exception, aside from Pai Pai being somewhat wary at first, he quickly relaxed and even stuck his tongue out at these maids.

Until the final two, whose pupils flickered strangely and who were also the two Cheng Lingxue had focused on, slowly walked over.

At that moment, Pai Pai, who was on Cheng Lingxue’s lap, changed from his previous gentle appearance. The moment he noticed the two approaching, he immediately let out a low growl. Even his little body, which had been lying down, shakily stood up, revealing teeth that had not yet fully grown sharp.

One of them, a sharp and mean-looking female beta, actually took another step forward.

Immediately, intense barking came from Pai Pai’s little mouth.

“Aow! Aow aow aow! Aow aow!”

Before Cheng Lingxue could say anything, that maid had already helplessly spread her hands and sighed softly.

“Ah… Miss Cheng, I’m truly sorry. As for me, I’ve never been able to get along well with small animals. I’m very sorry for alarming your beloved dog. I Read on BaiLianTales really want to get along with small animals too. My dream was even to raise a few cats to keep me company when I grow old. But because of this, that wish might never come true.”

By the end, the maid even sounded a little choked up.

It’s really a pity this person didn’t enter the entertainment industry to act…

Xie Shuyun thought speechlessly.

She moved to sit beside Cheng Lingxue and took Pai Pai from the other girl’s hands, keeping him away from those two.

Then she poured a cup of water and pushed it in front of Cheng Lingxue with her fingertips, saying softly,

“You said a lot. Are you thirsty? Do you want some water to moisten your throat?”

Although Xie Shuyun’s action was out of place at this moment, it was clearly enough to anger certain people.

Cheng Lingxue reached out. By accident, her hand touched Xie Shuyun’s fingertips before Xie Shuyun could withdraw them.

One cold, one hot.

The two temperatures immediately blended together, indistinguishable from each other.

Before she could move, Xie Shuyun was the first to withdraw her hand. Her head turned to look elsewhere, not daring to glance here at all.

But perhaps because she turned too quickly, her hair scattered, revealing the ear hidden within. A faint blush stained it.

Seeing this, Cheng Lingxue’s stifled anger lessened slightly.

She leisurely picked up the cup and took a small sip. From the corner of her eye, she saw the brows of the two young maids twitch faintly, and her mood seemed to improve a little more.

Searching through her memory, Cheng Lingxue remembered the names of the two female betas.

The sharp, mean-looking one was called Ah Hua.

The one whose eyes flickered with mercenary light was Ah Xiu.

They were actually only around twenty-three or twenty-four years old and [read the original at bailiantales.com]had been in the Xie family for about three years. They counted as part of the younger batch of maids.

And in Cheng Lingxue’s impression, they were also the most ambitious.

She was not sure how the Xie family selected maids, or how such maids with improper thoughts had slipped in.

But truthfully speaking, without some kind of opportunity, these people would not dare act recklessly.

As for that opportunity…

Cheng Lingxue already had an answer in her mind.

She could not touch that person yet.

But these dogs that had been released, no matter the reason, she would kill every one she saw.