"Darling, I'm not afraid of you infecting me..." Xu Xinyi’s refusal was interrupted. Seeing Xiao Wenqiang’s earnest eyes, she swallowed her words and instead said considerately, "Alright, I know you care about me. I’ll go make the bed for you first!"
The original host, Dong Zhenhua, cherished this about Xu Xinyi the most: her gentleness and consideration, never making others feel awkward. Xiao Wenqiang also appreciated this virtue of hers now, saving her the trouble of further persuasion.
After Xu Xinyi made the bed, Xiao Wenqiang went to the guest room to wash up. After a few days of adaptation, she could now treat her current male body without blushing or a racing heart. However, while getting dressed, she couldn't help but nag at the system, "86365, next time you pick tasks, can you pay more attention? Can we try to take on roles as female supporting characters if possible?"
[Oh dear, Wenqiang, you're adapting quite well now, aren't you? You know, there are more and more systems in the Time and Space Administration. If we wait for assignments, we might not get a task for a long time.]
"Then, when possible, can we try to choose female wish-granters? Okay?"
[Alright, I'll pay attention next time.]
"Okay, thank you!" Xiao Wenqiang was satisfied.
After washing up, as Xiao Wenqiang stepped out of the bathroom, toweling her hair, she heard a knock on the door.
"Zhenhua, aren't you feeling a bit under the weather? I made you some cold medicine. Drink some before bed!" Xu Xinyi stood at the doorway with a cup of a dark brown liquid that smelled strongly of medicine, smiling.
Xiao Wenqiang took it and returned her smile, "Okay, my dear, I’ll drink it in a moment. I have some documents to review tonight, so you should get some rest. Goodnight!"
Xu Xinyi nodded but smiled at her without speaking. After waiting for a moment and seeing no reaction, she suddenly bit her lower lip, quickly pecked Xiao Wenqiang on the cheek, then ran away with a blush, her "goodnight" dissipating into the air.
...At this moment, only these ellipses could express Xiao Wenqiang’s mood.
Once she confirmed Xu Xinyi had entered her room, Xiao Wenqiang secretly tiptoed downstairs, found an unopened bottle of mineral water, and then quietly returned to the guest room.
[Wenqiang, what are you doing?] 86365 asked, puzzled.
Xiao Wenqiang first poured the mineral water from the bottle into a cup, then poured the cold medicine Xu Xinyi had prepared back into the mineral water bottle. "Wasn't Dong Zhenhua poisoned? And Xu Xinyi and the others don't know when they poisoned him. I need to be careful."
[But didn't you eat the noodles she made earlier?]
"The noodles were cooked in the same pot, and I watched her wash the bowls together before using them, so it should be fine. However, this cold medicine was prepared when I wasn't looking. It's better to be cautious!" Xiao Wenqiang screwed the cap tightly back on and then put the entire bottle into her briefcase.
That night, as she lay in bed, ready to fall asleep, Xiao Wenqiang suddenly sensed a fluctuation from a soul artifact. It turned out Xu Xinyi could no longer hold back and was making a phone call.
"Hello, are you asleep?" Xu Xinyi’s voice, muffled by the covers, sounded even more gentle.
The man, seemingly woken by the call, still patiently replied, "It's okay, Xinyi. Is something wrong that you're calling so late?"
"A Liang, what if Dong Bin got photos of us coming out of the hotel together that day?" Xu Xinyi bit her lip anxiously.
Sun Liang scratched his head, sat up, and turned on the light, now fully awake. "Xinyi, don't worry. Dong Bin hasn't told Dong Zhenhua yet, has he?"
"Not yet, but he's threatening me. He wants me to give him a million dollars within a month, and he wants us to cut ties. He even wants to bully me..." Xu Xinyi sobbed softly on the other end of the line.
"That scoundrel!" Sun Liang cursed angrily, wiping his face. He continued, "Xinyi, stop crying. How about I find someone to teach him a lesson and warn him not to meddle in our affairs again?"
"It's useless, A Liang. If Dong Bin leaks this to his father, our entire plan will be ruined," Xu Xinyi stopped him.
"Then what do you plan to do? Xinyi, I can handle anything else, but I can't stand seeing you being wronged!" Sun Liang's voice was full of heartache.
"A Liang, I know you're the best to me. But we've already sacrificed so much. It's too much of a loss to give up now." Xu Xinyi was deeply touched. "I'll stall Dong Bin for now and see if I can get a million dollars from Dong Zhenhua!"
"This Dong Bin is really something. If he wants money, why doesn't he ask his father? Instead, he's targeting you, his stepmother!" Sun Liang gritted his teeth. "And this Dong Zhenhua, how stingy is he with his own son? He won't even give him a million!"
"You can't blame him for that either. You don't know how much of a disappointment Dong Bin is. Zhenhua is also extremely troubled by this son!" Xu Xinyi defended Dong Zhenhua.
Sun Liang clearly sensed it and asked with a hint of jealousy, "Xinyi, you're defending him so much, have you actually fallen in love with that Dong Zhenhua?" His tone noticeably lowered. "It's okay, Xinyi. If you've truly fallen for him, I'll leave silently. Let's just pretend what we discussed never happened. You can be a wealthy wife from now on, and we won't keep in touch."
"Sun Liang, what are you saying! I'm doing all this for you. How could you doubt my feelings for you?" Xu Xinyi became distressed. "If I were the kind of woman who craved luxury and wanted to marry a rich man, I wouldn't have been with you in the first place!"
"Okay, okay! Xinyi, it's my fault. Don't get upset. I just feel that Dong Zhenhua is treating you very well, so I hope you can enjoy a good life and don't have to suffer with me..." Sun Liang quickly soothed her when he saw she was angry.
Xu Xinyi, covering her stomach that was now aching from the excitement, said petulantly, "It's all your fault. Don't say such things to upset me again. You made my stomach hurt."
"Why is your stomach suddenly hurting? Have you seen a doctor?" Sun Liang asked with great concern. "Maybe I can accompany you tomorrow?"
"I don't know. I haven't had much appetite lately. Maybe it's indigestion from dieting!" Xu Xinyi became happy again upon hearing Sun Liang’s continued concern. "Tomorrow won't work either. Dong Zhenhua is home, and I have to accompany him."
"Alright then! It's very late. Xinyi, you should get some rest. Getting enough sleep is also important when you're not feeling well." Sun Liang glanced at the clock; it was past 1 AM. "Call me immediately if anything happens, and I'll rush over."
"Mmm, you get some rest too. Goodnight!" Xu Xinyi hung up the phone sweetly.
The two of them were still happily chatting, unaware that this phone call had long been intercepted by Xiao Wenqiang using a self-made soul artifact, the "eavesdropping chip."
She touched the stubble growing on Dong Zhenhua's chin and said, "It looks like I need to create an opportunity for them!"