Chapter 40 Chapter 40 The Young Master'S Tactics!
Chapter 40 The Young Master'S Tactics!
Grabbing a bottle of mineral water from a roadside stall, Chi Xiaocheng quickly arrived at the Moonlit Cafe.
Her head was still wrapped in gauze at the time, a discreet disguise concealed by her brown hair. It resembled a headscarf, adding a spirited air to her usually sweet and adorable self.
Her hoodie from yesterday, stained with blood, had been sent for washing. Chi Xiaocheng had no suitable clothes for the cooling autumn weather, so she had no choice but to wear a sailor uniform, and to keep warm, she wore a T-shirt underneath.
Already adorable, this sailor uniform seemed to drape her in a layer of starlight, making it impossible to look away. Truly, she prioritized cuteness over warmth.
As she entered the cafe, she saw Chen Qian waiting anxiously.
After a quick glance, she greeted Chu San behind the counter. "Good morning, Uncle Chu San, I'm here for work."
Chu San smiled. "Our cafe's prices are quite steep. Even though we're right next to the school, we don't get many customers in a day. Miss Chi, feel free to find somewhere to relax. I'll take care of things here."
Sure enough, Dongfang Yang sent her here just to idle away the time. Twice now she had been to the cafe, and both times she hadn't seen a single customer.
Chi Xiaocheng glanced at the price list. Good heavens! The cheapest cup of coffee was over 100 yuan!
She had less than 300 yuan on her. If she bought winter clothes, she wouldn't even have money for food.
Sighing inwardly, Chi Xiaocheng walked towards Chen Qian.
She sat down opposite Chen Qian and handed her the mineral water. "Drink," she said.
Chen Qian looked at this familiar-looking bottle of water and instinctively flinched. "Is this the antidote?"
"You'd better speak softly," Chi Xiaocheng said calmly. "I've checked, there are no cameras here, but speaking too loudly isn't wise."
Chu San was Dongfang Yang's man, after all. If it weren't for the elegant background music, even their quiet whispers might be heard.
Chen Qian swallowed hard and meticulously examined the bottle of mineral water. The cap was sealed. The label hadn't been tampered with. Even the production date was clearly visible. It looked exactly like a bottle of mineral water fresh from a convenience store.
"Is this really the antidote?"
Chi Xiaocheng replied, "It's temporary. This is a two-week supply. Just drink half a bottle at a time. It's disguised, just like last time. If you don't believe me, try the taste."
Chen Qian was still half-skeptical, but she unscrewed the cap and took a sniff. There was no discernible smell. She took a sip.
"A little sweet?"
It tasted like grape juice. The poison she'd drunk last time was bitter. Tasting a different flavor, Chen Qian no longer harbored doubts. She guzzled down half the bottle. Only then did she let out a long sigh of relief.
She wasn't sure if it was a placebo effect, but she truly felt a little better, and less sleepy.
Seeing her finish, Chi Xiaocheng asked, "Tell me about Su Tao and Si Chen."
Chen Qian nodded, already accustomed to being an informant for a week now. "Last night, they only spoke on the phone for ten minutes, and I don't know what they discussed. But I saw Su Tao leave early this morning; she might have gone to see Si Chen."
At the words 'leave home,' Chi Xiaocheng's eyebrows rose. "Did she get dressed up carefully?"
"Um..." Chen Qian didn't understand why Chi Xiaocheng asked this, but she answered honestly, "Not really. She just put on a down jacket and left."
"Then it seems it wasn't a date." Chi Xiaocheng murmured to herself. She was genuinely afraid Su Tao would go on a date with one of the male leads. In her eyes, Su Tao was already hers. She absolutely wouldn't allow any of those male leads to lay a finger on her.
But her unconscious murmuring made Chen Qian look at her strangely. She didn't dwell on it and continued, "Besides last night, Su Tao also had lunch with Si Chen the day before yesterday. When she returned to the dorm, I subtly probed her about it. She said Si Chen had also studied psychology, and she was just asking him a few questions."
Hearing this, Chi Xiaocheng's sense of alarm immediately surged! At this crucial juncture, and Si Chen also had the advantage of his psychology studies. She must have been asking about topics related to her yandere tendencies!
She hastily asked, "And then?"
"After that, I don't know." Chen Qian pursed her lips. "Although I followed your instructions to stay as close to her as possible, when she interacts with those young masters, I have no chance to follow her. She and I aren't in the same social circles."
That was indeed a problem. Chen Qian couldn't access the upper echelons of their society. If it weren't for her own connection to Su Tao, Dongfang Yang likely wouldn't have even bothered to glance her way. As an informant, she was useful, but limited.
"Has anything else happened this week?"
Chen Qian furrowed her brow in thought for a moment, then suddenly recalled something. "I almost forgot. There is something that concerns you."
"What?"
"It was something I found out when you were hospitalized. I was going to tell you once you were discharged, but I nearly forgot," Chen Qian said slowly. "I heard you provoked Ye Liang and ruined her banquet. To apologize, Su Tao agreed to be Ye Liang's maid for three days. It's scheduled for the 15th, a Wednesday."
Chi Xiaocheng: "?"
Her already reddish eyes suddenly deepened into an unnerving darkness. "Taotao is going to be Ye Liang's... maid?"
For some reason, Chen Qian found Chi Xiaocheng particularly terrifying at that moment. She swallowed hard, then nodded. "According to Su Tao, it seems she caused Ye Liang to lose face at that banquet, and then Ye Liang aggressively demanded she serve as her maid for three days."
"Also," she added, "it seems Su Tao also said this would appease Ye Liang and stop her from targeting you."
"Hah... hahahah..."
Chi Xiaocheng let out a cold laugh. No wonder Ye Liang hadn't come looking for her all these days. So this was why. This scene wasn't in the original novel. Her own 'butterfly' wings were flapping faster and faster.
Given her own condition, Su Tao would certainly never tell her about this. Even others who knew would be warned by Su Tao not to tell her. If not for Chen Qian, Su Tao might have been completely exploited by Ye Liang, and she wouldn't have even known!
Chi Xiaocheng pondered, then reached into her pocket. She pulled out a small pill and tossed it to Chen Qian. "You did well. This is your reward."
"What is this?" Chen Qian picked up the small pill.
Chi Xiaocheng's face remained expressionless. "It's a black technology product that can remove blackheads from your nose. Results in half a day."
"Really?!"
Chen Qian's skin wasn't very good, and she always had to apply thick foundation every time she put on makeup to go out. She had already witnessed Chi Xiaocheng's capabilities. If this thing was real... With a look of delight, she wasn't afraid Chi Xiaocheng was tricking her, and promptly swallowed the pill.
[Detected: Supporting character Chen Qian has generated gratitude towards the Host.]
[Emotion Value +7]
"This..." An unexpected bonus, indeed. This pill alone was worth 30 Emotion Points in the system. Chi Xiaocheng used it to win people over.
She had forgotten, however, that in the system's settings, any named character from the original novel, whether protagonist or supporting role, could generate Emotion Points! And Chen Qian, as it happened, was a relatively significant cannon fodder character.
She had been fretting over her lack of a trump card against Ye Liang. If that were the case...
Chi Xiaocheng pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts. Slowly, she tapped on the ID noted as 'My Invincible Big Brother.'
Just you wait, Taotao. I will definitely rescue you from Ye Liang's clutches.
You are mine!
You can only like me!
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