Volume 2 Chapter 37
by Need_More_SleepVolume 2 + Chapter 37: Xiao Liu’s Secret Talk With Ouyang Qianxue
“Stop… stop! If you keep hitting him… he’ll die. You’ll get into serious trouble.” Only after hearing Ouyang Qianxue’s voice did Bai Yuxuan move her bloodied fist away from Lin Tianyu’s face, which by now was swollen to the size of a pig’s head.
“Young Master! Are you both alright?” It was only after the situation was resolved that Bai Yuxuan’s subordinates rushed in from outside. Bai Yuxuan had been afraid that if she had brought people in to forcibly take Ouyang Qianxue from Lin Tianyu, Ouyang Qianxue might have come to harm. So she had ordered them to stand by until she gave the command.
“You should first check on that girl, Ouyang Qianxue. The blow she took earlier was not light.”
So, Bai Yuxuan’s subordinates helped Ouyang Qianxue up and took them both to the hospital for a check-up. The results showed that Ouyang Qianxue’s injuries had not damaged any internal organs and were therefore not serious. Bai Yuxuan, however, had sustained minor fractures in both her forearms. Only after her fractures were reset and her arms were put in casts did the two of them return together by car to Sakura Dormitory.
Although they sat in the same row of the car on the way back, an invisible distance seemed to separate them. Bai Yuxuan kept her gaze fixed out the window, while Ouyang Qianxue hung his head somewhat awkwardly.
Ouyang Qianxue occasionally stole glances at Bai Yuxuan, his expression seeming like he wanted to say something to her, but each time the words died on his lips. Finally, as the car was about to arrive at Sakura Dormitory, Ouyang Qianxue mustered his courage and spoke to Bai Yuxuan.
“Thank you for saving me.”
“Don’t thank me. This time, Lin Tianyu was originally targeting me. You were only dragged into it because of me, so I’m the one who owes you. Saving you was just to settle the debt.” Bai Yuxuan’s expression was icy as she spoke, still looking out the window.
“And about what happened on my birthday…!” Ouyang Qianxue tried to continue, but Bai Yuxuan didn’t give him the chance.
“We’re here. Get out!” With that, Bai Yuxuan opened the car door and pushed against Ouyang Qianxue’s back, trying to shove him out.
“Wait!” Ouyang Qianxue braced his hands against the door frame.
“I just wanted to…” But before he could finish, Bai Yuxuan kicked him squarely on the backside, sending him tumbling out of the car.
Then, Bai Yuxuan ordered the driver in the front seat to drive away quickly.
“What the…! I just wanted to apologize for what happened on my birthday, that’s all,” said Ouyang Qianxue, standing by the roadside and rubbing his backside.
“Ouyang Qianxue, may I have a moment of your time?” A voice came from behind him.
Meanwhile, in the back seat of the departing car, Bai Yuxuan curled herself into a tight ball. The reason she had been in such a hurry to get Ouyang Qianxue out of the car was that she had been desperately holding herself back ever since being near him.
(Even though I had decided to have no more involvement with her… even though she said those things to me… why… why can’t I help but want to stay by her side, to talk to her more, to feel that warmth of her again…)
At this thought, Bai Yuxuan couldn’t help but sigh.
“What kind of expression do I have right now? Is it joy at finally being able to talk to Ouyang Qianxue again after so long? Or is it sorrow at the thought that we’ll go back to being strangers from now on…” After saying this, Bai Yuxuan buried her face in her chest.
Back with Ouyang Qianxue…
“It’s you?” Ouyang Qianxue said in surprise, looking at the woman before him.
“That’s right, it’s me.” The visitor was none other than Bai Yuxuan’s personal secretary and confidante, Xiao Liu.
“I’d like to have a private word with you. May I?”
“Alright.” Since the other party had also assisted Bai Yuxuan in rescuing him during the incident, Ouyang Qianxue didn’t refuse.
The two of them went to the rooftop of a building. Looking down from the top, pedestrians and cars appeared as tiny as ants.
(If someone fell from here, they’d surely die without a doubt.)
Thinking this, Ouyang Qianxue grew a little nervous.
“Don’t be afraid, Ouyang Qianxue. I won’t harm you. Because you are a very important person to the Young Master. Besides, even if I wanted to push you off, I’m no match for you in a fight,” Xiao Liu said with a smile, noticing Ouyang Qianxue’s expression.
“I’m just curious why we had to come to a place like this just to talk.” After saying this, Ouyang Qianxue discreetly sized up Xiao Liu. Although they had met once before, his attention had been entirely on Bai Yuxuan at the time, and he hadn’t paid her much mind. Now, seeing her up close, this woman gave an impression of mature steadiness, reliability, and competence.
(As expected of Bai Yuxuan’s secretary, I guess.)
Ouyang Qianxue mused to himself.
“The reason I invited you here is because what I’m about to discuss involves some important secrets. For safety’s sake, I brought you to this location,” Xiao Liu said seriously.
“So, what exactly do you want to tell me?”
“Don’t rush. Before we get to the main topic, I’d like you to hear a story.” And so, Xiao Liu began her tale.
It turned out that Xiao Liu was originally a poor child from an impoverished mountain region. Through her own efforts, she tested into a key university and eventually became an accountant under Bai Yuxuan’s father. Due to her outstanding personal abilities, she quickly gained her superior’s appreciation, which in turn aroused the dissatisfaction of her colleagues. To frame her, they took advantage of her absence to secretly add an extra decimal point to a financial report she had submitted to the company. That one tiny decimal point caused massive losses for the company.
Upon learning of this, Bai Yuxuan’s father was furious. Not only was he going to fire her, but he also intended to put her name on the internal blacklist shared among enterprises in Xijiang City, ensuring she could never find work in Xijiang again.
Hearing Bai Yuxuan’s father’s words, Xiao Liu’s face turned pale. If she lost her job, her elderly parents back in the impoverished mountain region would have no one to care for them. They had scrimped and saved just to put her through university. Thinking of this, Xiao Liu fell to her knees with a thud before Bai Yuxuan’s father, pleading desperately for forgiveness as she explained her difficult situation.
“All I care about is how much value you can create for me. Who cares about your personal troubles?” However, Bai Yuxuan’s father’s heartless words shattered her last remaining hope.
It was at that moment that Bai Yuxuan, who was just a child at the time, stopped her father.
“Father, I think it’s a shame to dispose of someone with her abilities just like that. Why not hand her over to me?” And so, due to Bai Yuxuan’s earnest request, Xiao Liu was appointed as her assistant to help with her studies and handle some company affairs.
When she first began working with this young master, Xiao Liu was astonished. She never imagined a child still in elementary school could accomplish things many adults might not be able to do.
However, after spending some time with Bai Yuxuan, Xiao Liu discovered that his heart was icy cold, and he maintained an indifferent attitude towards everything. Only when occasionally reprimanded by his father or upon seeing other children playing with their parents would he reveal a fleeting look of sadness and loneliness. Yet, as time passed, even these expressions of sorrow became increasingly rare for Bai Yuxuan.
If things continued this way, the day would eventually come when he would lose his true self and become nothing more than a human-shaped machine for managing and ruling the Bai family.
“But even so, the Young Master is my benefactor. Even if he ends up becoming a machine, I will remain by his side to serve him and repay his kindness.” From that moment on, Xiao Liu worked tirelessly, eventually becoming Bai Yuxuan’s most capable and trusted aide.
[Author’s Note: PS: The reader group number has been pinned in the comment section, so please stop asking me for it.]
[Translator’s Note: It would be nice to see some comments from the readers, to see how many are currently reading this web novel.]
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