Her boss’s gaze was peculiar.
Even though she wasn’t particularly sensitive to such things, and the man opposite her was usually adept at concealing his true emotions, Bai Xia still picked up on it.
She couldn’t quite pinpoint *what* was strange, only that it felt intensely so. If she had to describe it, it was as if he were looking *through* her, observing… ‘some kind of rare animal?’
It was a bizarre sensation, to say the least.
Though his gaze was ostensibly on her, it felt as though he were looking at someone else entirely. Moreover, he kept adopting a hesitant, ‘about to speak but holding back’ expression, making it impossible for Bai Xia to simply ignore him.
So, after tidying up her underwear and panties, Bai Xia finally couldn’t resist. Turning to Qin Zheng, who leaned against the doorway, she subtly furrowed her brow and asked, “Boss, do you need to pee? If you’re urgent, the restroom is just out the door and to your right.”
“…Where did you get the idea I need to pee?” Qin Zheng choked, a hint of exasperation in his voice.
“Because you look like you’re holding it in.”
“…”
Though not for the same reason, Qin Zheng genuinely felt a sense of suppression at that moment.
He wanted to ask something, but Bai Zhen’s earlier words resurfaced in his mind. Unaware of the exact reasons, he could only swallow the questions that had risen to his lips.
Yet, not asking left him utterly perplexed.
This back-and-forth gave Qin Zheng a headache, making Bai Xia’s gaze upon him even more peculiar.
“Boss, did you eat something bad?”
“No.”
“Then is it kidney deficiency?”
“…Is your backside itching again?”
Seeing Bai Xia’s increasingly absurd remarks, Qin Zheng could only temporarily suppress all the doubts in his heart. Though, he immediately realized something else—
If Bai Xia was Bai Zhen’s daughter, then it meant he had been foolishly trying to pursue *that* big shot’s daughter!?
In that instant, he suddenly understood why the other man had looked at him as if he wanted to encase him in cement and sink his body to the bottom of the sea, erasing all traces forever.
Viewed this way, had he perhaps just walked a tightrope between life and death?
Qin Zheng felt a pang of discomfort, then realized that as Bai Zhen’s only daughter, everything of his would obviously belong to Bai Xia eventually. Which meant—
This “legal loli” didn’t need him to come to her rescue at all, because she was clearly an invisible super-rich heiress? She might even become his future boss!
At this thought, the man no longer felt a mere pang of discomfort, but rather as if his balls were shattering.
“What in the hell is going on here! If his parents found out he was trying to woo their direct superior’s daughter, wouldn’t they just break his legs?”
‘Tsk… He had only intended to find someone he felt good about and start a relationship, but now it felt like it could easily turn into a “life-or-death romance.” Qin Zheng’s emotions were exceptionally complex.
Meanwhile, Bai Xia, watching him shake his head and sigh, was utterly bewildered.
After all, he had been fine just moments ago; how had he suddenly become like this? Had he taken the wrong medicine? Unable to understand, and sensing he didn’t want to explain, she shook her head and simply ignored him.
‘Men, like women, have their “off days” every month.’
****
As they finished packing and departed, Bai Xia gazed through the car window at the house, her expression somewhat complex.
It wasn’t that she was reluctant to leave, but rather that this neighborhood was the only place she felt somewhat familiar with in this world. To suddenly depart from it now evoked a subtle, almost wistful feeling.
Lost in her observations out the window, she didn’t notice the man beside her watching her with an equally complex gaze.
Fortunately, Qin Zheng had more or less accepted the premise of Bai Xia being a “runaway young lady.” While he still harbored many questions, he at least wouldn’t show any outward signs of strangeness anymore.
Withdrawing his gaze, the man looked forward once more.
Undeniably, Bai Xia’s identity had indeed astonished him. Nevertheless, he harbored no thoughts of backing down. Even if he sensed a slight aversion from her, and even now, knowing her true identity, his resolve remained unchanged.
For this was not about her background or anything else; it was simply pure affection.
Being with Bai Xia always made Qin Zheng feel comfortable. While he couldn’t yet determine if this was romantic love, he certainly liked Bai Xia on some level. Otherwise, why would a person foolishly give so much to someone they didn’t like?
And if he liked someone, he would pursue them—this had always been Qin Zheng’s motto.
Hesitation and retreat were not words in his dictionary. If he wanted something, he would go for it. After all, how could he know if he could achieve it without trying?
Based on Bai Xia’s current demeanor, pursuing her might lead to failure, but not pursuing her would guarantee he gained nothing at all!
Of course, pursuit didn’t mean coercion. Qin Zheng simply wanted her to reciprocate his feelings; he wouldn’t force her to like him.
She was, of course, free to like someone else. However, not only would he not allow such a thing to happen, but even if it did, he would still reject *him*.
In any case, regardless of the outcome, the key was to strive with all his might while he was young.
And even if he truly failed, wouldn’t it be a unique kind of flavor to look back on and savor in his old age?
Naturally, the future he currently envisioned definitely included Bai Xia.
As for what the true future held? Only the future itself would know, for humans were creatures who always lived in the present.
What Qin Zheng intended to do was create the future he desired.
Regardless of success, regardless of failure.
On the other side, Bai Xia was clearly not privy to Qin Zheng’s thoughts at the moment.
She certainly had a good impression of this man who had helped her numerous times, but for various reasons, this goodwill was clearly not romantic in nature.
If she were to consider him a boyfriend, the feeling she got from him was more akin to a dorm brother from her school days. Fooling around occasionally was fine, but anything more intimate felt somewhat unacceptable to her.
In fact, Bai Xia herself was quite conflicted. On one hand, she knew he harbored feelings for her; on the other, she found herself unable to resist the various “temptations” he offered.
Her feelings became even more subtle, especially when Qin Zheng adopted the demeanor of a “super simp,” essentially saying, ‘You don’t have to like me, as long as I like you.’
Emotion was the most wondrous thing: sincere effort from one side would inevitably touch the other, provided there wasn’t too much malice involved, differing only in degree.
Bai Xia didn’t believe she could be “conquered” by a man, yet she had to admit that occasionally, the thought of such a scenario didn’t seem so bad.
It wasn’t about romance, but a state of living.
Bai Xia quite liked her current life. Initially, she had felt lost, insecure, and abandoned by the world, but once she experienced certain things more, she realized they weren’t so terrifying. In fact, she found them far more exciting and interesting than her past!
This world was like that for Bai Xia. Perhaps she didn’t feel a strong sense of belonging, but it was genuinely fascinating—both in its events and its people.
Thus, she didn’t want to disrupt it, didn’t want to break this comfortable life she had found.
————
————
Moving didn’t have too significant an impact on Bai Xia. Even if there was an impact, it wasn’t necessarily a negative one—for example, the house being too large, the bathtub too large, the dining table too large, and so on.
Due to the move and the various tasks of organizing her new room, Bai Xia hadn’t logged into her game for two days. That evening, after everything was settled and she had eaten dinner, she took a shower and promptly dove into her new home, launching the game.
Although the real world outside had already grown dark, the game world remained vibrant.
Upon logging in, Bai Xia found that Qian Qiao and Dream Butterfly hadn’t gone out to farm in the wilderness. Instead, they were waiting for her in their usual private room at the tavern. Just as she pushed open the door and stepped inside, a pair of hands immediately wrapped around her neck.
Qian Qiao, eyes squinted, pressed Bai Xia onto a nearby chair, her face alight with a peculiar smile. “Honestly tell your big sister, what have you been doing all this time without logging on?”
“First of all, chronologically, I’m older than both of you. And you should already know about the trouble I ran into, right?”
To prevent others from speculating, Tian Zheng should have already explained Bai Xia’s situation to them, if she wasn’t mistaken. So, Qian Qiao’s sudden question left Bai Xia somewhat bewildered.
The girl’s smile grew even more sinister as she whispered into Dream Butterfly’s ear, “I’m not asking about your move, of course. I’m asking about *other* things.”
“Other things?”
“Of course! Look, you moved, Little Xia, but Tian Zheng hasn’t logged on for a long time either. So… are you two perhaps living together?”
Had Tian Zheng *really* explained everything to them? Bai Xia paused, stunned, but then wriggled free from the girl’s grip. “How could that be? Boss just found me a new place and took me to see it, that’s all.”
“So, nothing interesting happened between you two?”
Interesting things? If she thought about it, a lot had indeed happened in just two days, like getting drunk and such.
But these things clearly couldn’t be told to others. Otherwise, she wouldn’t know where to put her face; Bai Xia’s skin was actually quite thin.
Thus, facing the red-haired girl’s gossipy gaze, she quickly and emphatically shook her head.
“No!”
“Really? I feel like your eyes are a bit shifty, Little Xia…”
Just as Qian Qiao was about to dig deeper, she was silenced. After a moment, Dream Butterfly raised a hand and tapped her on the head. “You need to know when to stop!”
“Eh-heh.”
The girl tilted her head, playfully feigning cuteness, then, as if suddenly remembering something, excitedly exclaimed, “Oh, right! There’s one thing I almost forgot to tell you all!”
“What is it?”
Bai Xia, having freed herself from Qian Qiao’s arm, paid little mind as she prepared to sit on a nearby chair. However, the next words from the other girl made her foot slip, nearly sending her sprawling onto the floor—
“I’m getting married next month!”