Chapter 10

Beyond the carved wooden doors, the first thing that caught the eye was the crystal chandelier hanging from the high ceiling of the living room.

A set of light-brown velvet sofas occupied the center of the room, while a floor lamp stood beside them, casting a warm golden glow.

Xiao Qi reclined against the sofa, her figure outlined by the moonlight.

Hearing them enter, she raised her eyes. Her gaze resembled glass submerged in water, beautiful and seemingly indifferent.

“You’re here?”

Wei Xia smiled and nodded.

“Good evening, Miss Xiao.”

Xiao Qi had changed into comfortable clothes for the evening.

She wore a loose white knitted sweater with the sleeves casually rolled up, revealing slender, fair forearms that seemed to glow beneath the floor lamp.

Her hair had been loosely gathered behind her head, making her look even more languid and relaxed.

An open book with a red leather cover rested on her lap. She raised a hand and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Without makeup or elaborate styling, this easy beauty—something never seen in front of the cameras—was somehow even more captivating.

“Have you eaten dinner?”

Wei Xia paused.

“…Yes.”

Since they had needed to cross two provinces, they had been afraid of arriving too late and disturbing Xiao Qi’s rest. They hadn’t had time for a proper meal and had only bought a few pieces of bread by the roadside to eat in the car.

Xiao Qi nodded, then turned to Housekeeper Lin.

“Aunt Lin, please make her a bowl of noodles.”

“Thank you,” Wei Xia said without pretending to refuse.

Shi Ye spoke up.

“What about me…”

Xiao Qi smiled at her.

“Oh, right. You too. Aunt Lin, please make two bowls.”

Shi Ye: “…”

Was that something a human being would say?

Aunt Lin remained perfectly composed, her smile never fading.

“Of course, Miss.”

Once everyone had taken their seats in the dining room, the noodles were soon served.

Xiao Qi had called them simple, but the bowls were generously filled with ingredients.

Wei Xia had spent the entire day packing, moving, and sitting through a seven- or eight-hour drive. Now she finally had something hot to eat.

Only after Wei Xia finished did Xiao Qi bring up work.

“You’ve read the contract.”

Wei Xia nodded.

“Yes. I’ve read all of it. Honestly, I feel extremely fortunate to receive so much consideration from you, Miss Xiao.”

Xiao Qi rested one elbow on the table and propped her chin on her hand. A smile entered her languid gaze.

“Since there are no problems, we can resolve your current contract over the next two days.”

“It would be better to sign the variety show contract after the termination is settled. What do you think?”

Wei Xia could offer no suggestion other than nodding.

She still knew too little about this world, and even less about the entertainment industry.

The things Xiao Qi was helping her with were completely beyond her own ability to resolve.

Xiao Qi seemed to find this unusual.

She looked Wei Xia up and down and murmured, “So even something like this can leave you helpless.”

Wei Xia: “???”

Did she hear herself?

Wei Xia had practically been ready to kneel before the company and beg for her freedom.

Xiao Qi clearly realized that she had let something slip.

She cleared her throat and continued, “I’ve already had someone speak with President Ke.”

“The final figure for your existing debt will remain three million yuan, but he has agreed to waive the interest.”

“The termination penalty will be reduced to eight million. The missing two million can be considered his apology for what happened with Qu Yue’ai.”

“What do you think?”

“I think it’s excellent,” Wei Xia answered.

As long as she could terminate the contract early, it was good news.

At night, Xiao Qi seemed softer than she did during the day.

She smiled gently.

“My company’s legal department has already drafted a formal Settlement Agreement for the Termination of an Artist Management Contract and sent it to President Ke.”

“Once he has reviewed it, if there are no issues, we’ll meet with him to sign and stamp the agreement.”

“After the payment is settled, you’ll be free.”

The contract that had cost Wei Dong her life—the same contract that had made Wei Xia feel as though she had begun this new life in an impossible situation—had been resolved so simply in Xiao Qi’s hands.

Wei Xia remained frozen for a long moment.

Only then did she finally understand that Xiao Qi had never been joking.

She had truly worked to fulfill what she had promised.

Whatever Xiao Qi wanted from her, the fact remained that she had genuinely helped her.

Wei Xia’s voice became slightly hoarse with emotion and gratitude.

Still, she spoke each word clearly.

“I’ll write you an IOU. I’ll repay everything I owe you.”

Xiao Qi froze, as though the thought had never occurred to her.

She answered vaguely, “Whatever you like.”

Shi Ye immediately became agitated.

“What do you mean, whatever she likes? She absolutely has to write one! That’s eleven million yuan, not eleven!”

Xiao Qi silently looked at her.

Shi Ye instantly fell quiet.

She understood that Xiao Qi was displeased.

However, Xiao Qi merely smiled with a hint of warning.

“Sister Ye, aren’t you going home?”

Shi Ye: “…”

Fine.

Shi Ye could only look uneasily toward Wei Xia.

The moment Wei Xia caught her gaze, she immediately raised a hand and promised, “Don’t worry. I won’t do anything improper.”

Xiao Qi: “…”

After hearing that promise, Xiao Qi slowly turned her gaze back toward Shi Ye, looking strangely aggrieved.

Shi Ye: “???”

Why did she suddenly feel as though her precious cabbage actually wanted to be eaten by the pig?

Since it was already late, Xiao Qi asked Aunt Lin to send Shi Ye and Jiang Yiran home.

Jiang Yiran was immediately alarmed.

Did she still have to drive all the way back?

Fortunately, it was a false alarm.

Xiao Qi simply asked Shi Ye to take Jiang Yiran with her.

As Aunt Lin escorted them to the door, Shi Ye asked in confusion, “What exactly is Xiao Qi thinking?”

Aunt Lin smiled kindly.

“Whatever Miss intends, you only need to follow her instructions.”

Shi Ye frowned.

“I always have. But if it weren’t Wei Xia…”

Jiang Yiran, standing nearby, looked slightly guilty.

Aunt Lin’s smile remained unchanged.

“You only need to follow Miss’s instructions.”

Shi Ye: “…”

Shi Ye knew how loyal Aunt Lin was.

Realizing she would receive no support from her, she could only dejectedly prepare to leave with Jiang Yiran.

Unexpectedly, after stepping outside, she heard Aunt Lin speak again behind her.

“Perhaps it is precisely because she is Wei Xia.”

Shi Ye froze.

The heavy wooden doors had already closed.

---

The night had grown late.

The weather was becoming warmer by the day, but evenings before summer remained pleasantly cool.

Once everyone else had left, Aunt Lin led Wei Xia toward the bedroom.

The villa was vast and luxurious. Even the spiral staircase resembled a ribbon of gilded silk winding upward, with a polished dark-wood railing covered in delicate carvings.

Wei Xia followed behind Aunt Lin, looking around like a country grandmother entering the Grand View Garden for the first time.

Ke Ren had been right.

Xiao Qi was clearly far more than an ordinary employee.

Every part of the villa radiated wealth. A regular salaried worker could never afford to live somewhere like this.

“This will be your room.”

Aunt Lin brought her to a carved wooden door at the end of the second-floor corridor and pushed it open.

The room faced south.

The first thing Wei Xia saw was the glass door leading from the bedroom to the balcony.

Although it was night, the glass had been polished so clean that she could vaguely make out the large balcony beyond it, complete with a table and chairs.

Farther away, tree shadows swayed in the darkness.

Wei Xia turned her attention back to the bedroom.

The lighting was warm and subdued. Unfamiliar landscape paintings hung on the ivory walls, adding an elegant touch.

As she stepped across the solid-wood floor, she saw the two-meter-wide bed.

A cloudlike white rug lay beside it.

A vanity near the headboard was covered with cosmetics Wei Xia didn’t recognize.

The sight made her pause.

A night breeze carrying the scent of grass from the garden drifted inside.

Wei Xia came back to her senses and turned around in confusion.

“You prepared cosmetics for me too?”

Aunt Lin smiled.

“Miss Wei, you misunderstand. Those all belong to Miss.”

Wei Xia needed a full three seconds to process that.

Then every hair on her body stood on end.

“This is… Miss Xiao’s room?”

“Of course.”

Wei Xia’s face lost its color.

“Then why did you bring me here?”

Aunt Lin lowered her eyes, her voice perfectly calm.

“Why did you move here?”

“Naturally, I brought you here for the same reason.”

Wei Xia: “…”

Right.

She had almost forgotten.

They needed to become familiar with one another and prepare for the program.

“I don’t watch many variety shows,” Aunt Lin continued, “but even I understand that it would look inappropriate if the two of you emerged from separate bedrooms during filming.”

Wei Xia coughed.

“…You’ve thought of everything.”

“You flatter me, Miss Wei.”

Wei Xia: “…”

She had no response.

Seeing Wei Xia’s expression, Aunt Lin nearly laughed, but quickly restrained herself.

She stepped forward.

“Allow me to help arrange your luggage.”

“No need,” Wei Xia hurriedly said. “I only brought two sets of clothes.”

A meaningful look passed through Aunt Lin’s eyes.

In the end, she merely said, “Very well. I’ll take my leave.”

“If you need anything, press the call bell.”

Wei Xia nodded.

Only after Aunt Lin left did she release a breath of relief.

Before she had even finished exhaling, Xiao Qi walked in.

She carried the thick book with the red leather cover.

Seeing Wei Xia inside didn’t surprise her in the slightest.

She merely said calmly, “Wash up and get some rest.”

Wei Xia’s heart jumped.

She asked nervously, “We’re sleeping together?”

Xiao Qi looked amused.

“What else would we do?”

“Why did you come here?”

“If filming starts and you react like this, the fans will expose us within minutes.”

Wei Xia didn’t fully understand the expression she used, but she understood the point.

Had Shi Ye not repeatedly reminded her to maintain proper boundaries, Wei Xia probably wouldn’t have cared much.

In her original world, whenever she went out for sports, she often shared tents with other people.

She certainly wouldn’t have improper thoughts about another woman.

But after being reminded so many times, her mentality had somehow changed.

More importantly, they had legally registered their marriage.

In Wei Xia’s heart, a marriage certificate was something sacred.

That meant Xiao Qi, whose name appeared beside hers on the same certificate, was now different from everyone else.

Seeing her standing there foolishly, Xiao Qi laughed.

“Don’t worry. I won’t eat you.”

Wei Xia hurriedly shook her head.

“That’s far too serious. It would be my honor.”

Xiao Qi pressed her lips together to hide a smile.

She didn’t say anything else.

Instead, she took a set of pink pajamas and headed into the bathroom.

“I’m going to wash up. Put your clothes away.”

Wei Xia nodded.

Then she heard Xiao Qi’s voice faintly through the bathroom door.

“You’ve been tired all day too. Get some rest early tonight.”

Wei Xia: “…”

They were really sleeping together already?

Shi Ye was going to kill her.