Chapter 4: So what?

“Okay~”

Xia Mengrou agreed and gracefully climbed into bed.

But she didn’t lie on the pillow. She lay directly on Song Yao’s arm.

“Sister Rou, you should sleep properly on the pillow.”

“No!”

Xia Mengrou whined like a child.

Song Yao had no choice.

Looked like she was in for another left-arm paralysis experience card.

“Xiao Yao, come a little closer, okay?”

Xia Mengrou looked up. Her usually authoritative eyes now sparkled with a child’s longing for a mother’s affection.

Closer?

Wouldn’t that mean sleeping together?

Her poor heart couldn’t handle that stimulation!

But it was the client’s request. She couldn’t refuse.

It definitely wasn’t because she wanted to cuddle with a rich, generous, beautiful, gentle big sister!

“Mm.”

Song Yao nodded and lay down beside her pillow.

Xia Mengrou wasted no time, diving into her arms and nuzzling. “Mommy…”

Song Yao was long used to this title.

But she had always been curious about one thing.

“Sister Rou, if I may ask, do you play games?”

“No. Why do you ask?”

“Nothing. I just think there’s a game that would suit you perfectly.”

“I’m so busy every day. Where would I find time for games? Mommy, Rou Bao worked so hard today. Praise Rou Bao…”

Xia Mengrou hugged Song Yao tightly. The immense “pressure” pinned her down. Her rationality evaporated with time.

This was a client. Taking small advantages was fine, but anything more would be self-destruction.

“Rou Bao is good. You did great today. Mommy loves hardworking Rou Bao the most…”

Song Yao immediately switched to baby-soothing mode.

After half an hour, Xia Mengrou’s breathing steadied. She had fallen asleep.

Song Yao carefully lifted her head and placed it on the pillow. Then she slipped out from under the covers and tiptoed off the bed.

After tucking Xia Mengrou in, she left the bedroom.

She gently closed the door and let out a long breath.

That half hour had been torture.

Resisting the temptation of a rich beauty big sister while monitoring her state constantly.

But it was worth the 10,000 monthly pay.

It was late. The school dorm was long closed.

Good thing Xia Mengrou let her use the guest room; otherwise, she’d have to pay for a hotel.

She couldn’t bear that.

After a quick tidy-up, Song Yao went to bed early.

It wasn’t discipline; she just had an 8 a.m. class tomorrow.

Who invented 8 a.m. classes? Utterly inhumane.

And Xia Mengrou’s place was so far from school…

The next morning, Song Yao was jolted awake by her alarm.

6 a.m. Dawn was just breaking.

After stretching in bed, she started work.

Preparing breakfast for her dear client.

This was a fixed service whenever she came to Xia Mengrou’s.

She didn’t get it. A rich woman like Xia Mengrou could eat lobster and abalone for breakfast but preferred her simple porridge and steamed buns.

An hour later, breakfast was ready.

Xia Mengrou wasn’t up yet. Song Yao left a note and hurried off.

Xia Mengrou’s morning temper was no joke. After getting slapped for waking her last time, Song Yao had scratched wake-up service from her terms.

Shortly after Song Yao left, Xia Mengrou stretched and emerged from the bedroom.

She had slept well for the first time in days, sweeping away her fatigue.

A faint aroma wafted through the living room. She glanced at the table and spotted the two simple dishes, plus a note held down by a cup of hot milk.

Sister Rou, I tried adding a bit of sugar to the porridge. Hope you like it. —Your Xiao Yao

She smiled faintly, scooped a small spoonful of porridge, and savored it. Happiness flickered in her beautiful eyes.

Getting closer to Mommy’s taste.

…

“Class is finally over…”

As soon as it ended, Song Yao flopped onto her desk like a dead fish.

One thought only.

Back to the dorm for a nap.

Renting out as a girlfriend seemed easy but was no less taxing than a 996 job.

Constantly reading client needs and providing emotional value was skilled labor.

Not physically tiring, but mentally exhausting.

But just as she was about to leave the classroom, she spotted a stunning figure at the door—like a walking landscape.

No way, big sis. Blocking the door now?

Song Yao hunched her shoulders, lowered her stance, and planned to sneak out the back.

But before she took two steps, Chen Siyu spotted her and walked straight over.

“Yao Yao, do you have time now?”

Song Yao’s heart tightened.

“I-I have something. Sorry, President!”

She refused quickly.

If the Chen family’s spies saw this, she’d be done.

“You’re lying.”

Chen Siyu’s face was cold. “I just checked. You have no more classes today.”

Song Yao froze.

She came prepared!

Before Song Yao could think of an excuse, Chen Siyu’s questions came like rapid fire.

“Yao Yao, I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong. Why did you block me on WeChat? Who were you with yesterday?”

Song Yao’s head spun.

Big sis, are you the 100,000 Whys?

With people around, to protect her still-warm 100,000 yuan, she grabbed Chen Siyu and dragged her out of the building to a secluded grove.

“President, what are you doing? I really have something urgent!”

Song Yao just wanted to bolt.

She could tell Chen Siyu was off.

No, she’d been off for the past six months!

“You’re in a hurry? To rendezvous with that woman?”

Chen Siyu sneered.

A bad feeling hit Song Yao.

How did she know?

She had hidden her rented girlfriend identity deeply from Chen Siyu.

Chen Siyu was a client, but through a third party. She had to maintain a pure image and not let her know about other clients.

How had she found out despite all that hiding?

To avoid trouble, she played dumb.

“President, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

“Still playing dumb…”

Chen Siyu pulled out her phone and shoved a photo in her face.

Her knuckles were corpse-pale from gripping too hard.

The screen’s cold light illuminated her face from below, like cracked porcelain over exquisite features.

In the photo, Song Yao stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Xia Mengrou, smiling dazzlingly, leaning together intimately.

“Explain?”

Chen Siyu’s voice was still clear and sweet, but the ending trembled like saw teeth.

The air filled with the sticky scent of burnt strawberry candy.

Song Yao was stunned.

Wasn’t this from last night at the Michelin three-star restaurant?

Chen Siyu was there too?

Major miscalculation. Huge!

No answer came.

Chen Siyu lowered her head. Her bangs cast web-like shadows over her eyes. She let out a soft laugh.

The sound was like a broken music box—gears grinding, clinking out sharp iron filings.

“Not talking?”

She looked up. Red threads veined her eyes like cracks in snow. “Is that woman really that good? Good enough for you to block all my contacts?”

Facing the interrogation, Song Yao went all in.

“So what?”

Green tea mode: activated!

She had planned a gentler exit from Chen Siyu, but which client demanded she leave immediately?

Perfect chance to make Chen Siyu give up completely.

She tilted her body, pouted. “You didn’t really think I was genuine friends with you these six months, did you? I was just after your money, naive little miss!

Too bad you never gave me a cent. Why waste more time on you? Let’s part amicably. From today, I’ll cross my single-plank bridge, you take your sunny path, okay?”

One sentence, like a nail through the eardrum.

Chen Siyu tilted her head. Her earrings glinted like something shattering in her skull.

Three seconds of silence. Then she laughed.

It started girlish and clear, twisting into a scratched record’s screech—higher and higher, like tearing her throat to rags.

“Just money…”

She nodded. Her eyes were terrifyingly dry, yet she traced Song Yao’s brows gently with her fingertip—chillingly tender. “You should have said so. I have plenty.”

Wrong. Nine points wrong out of ten!

Song Yao instinctively stepped back twice.

Chen Siyu had always been off, but today was worse.

“Yao Yao, why back away? Am I scary?”

She advanced step by step, her expression growing grotesque and sick.

Song Yao nodded furiously.

Scary? I’m afraid you’ll eat me next second!

Chen Siyu grabbed her collar suddenly.

I want to run, but I can’t.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Chen Siyu tiptoed close, voice low like whispering love poetry. “I won’t hurt you… You want money? I’ll take you to my family’s vault. Count until your hands cramp—but only I know the code.

I’ll give you the softest mattress, the priciest steak… on a gold platter~”

She paused. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks. “Of course, you can never leave.”

A breeze rustled the leaves. Midday sun warmed the skin, but Song Yao felt only endless cold.

How had she only now realized…

This campus belle, haloed in glory, was a full-blown yandere!

“Uh… well, I-I really have something urgent. I won’t bother you. Bye…”

Song Yao turned and ran.

Yandere was fine, but she couldn’t handle it!

But after two steps, her head took a heavy blow. Consciousness blurred. She collapsed.

In the haze, she vaguely saw two figures approaching.

“Miss, what do we do with her?”

“Take her to the basement. No one approaches without my permission.”

“Yes.”

Chen Siyu, you two are shameless!

Tricking, ambushing a 19-year-old like me!

Is this fair?

No.

But what could Song Yao do?

Her eyes rolled back. She lost consciousness.