Chapter 83.2 – Extra: Wife-Chasing Crematorium (Part 8)

— STATUS: Unedited —

　　With Bao Li being on the rise amongst the listed domestic companies, it was only natural to match her soaring status with a workspace that truly reflected her stature.

　　Throughout the renovation, Jiang Dai made frequent visits to oversee the progress. What made this location truly remarkable was its proximity to the iconic Huo Clan Building. After all, the land on which this building now stood had once belonged to the Huo clan, but the tides of fate had seen it change hands multiple times before ultimately finding its way into Jiang Dai’s possession. 

　　Initially, Jiang Dai did not pay much attention to it, especially when the CBD area in Yanjing was of substantial size, and the Huo clan was the wealthiest back then. With her desire to relocate to the CBD area, she knew crossing paths with the Huo clan was inevitable, so she did not see any reason to be overly cautious.

　　Amid the large business circle, numerous divorced couples thrived independently.

　　Two months had passed since the complete relocation of Bao Li Headquarters when Jiang Dai finally caught wind of some internal rumors.

　　Word had it that this golden structure and the platinum building across the street went by the moniker of the “Xipi¹ 西皮: It refers to the puppet show that originated in Shaanxi province. Building.”

　　Initially, Jiang Dai did not understand what it meant. Only after one of her subordinates enlightened her did she get to know that it referred to a “Couple Building.”² In China, CP is a popular Internet slang that stands for the imaginary lovers or couples in a novel, drama, or comic. In this case, it just happens to be a Chinese homophone, as CP sounds exactly the same as Xipi.

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　　Lsv sdzu vbyv, vbl kdekhkewyz yzps pvyvle, “Vknvwal vbkp, Valpkeldv Kkydt! Rq usw olal vs pvyde yv vbyv ydtzl, esd’v usw vbkdj swa Jys Nk Jwkzekdt yde vbl Tws Uzyd Jwkzekdt ynaspp vbl asye zssj zkjl y ryka? Lsv sdzu yal vblu liwyzzu yp vyzz, cwv vblu yal yzps pkxkzya kd pvuzl yde yal vbl xypvlarklnlp sq vbl pyxl cakzzkydv yanbkvlnv. Ysalshla, vblka nszsap nsxrzlxldv lynb svbla przldekezu; sdl pbkdlp kd altyz tsze, obkzl vbl svbla lmwelp lzltydnl okvb kvp pkzhla qynyel. Tldnl, kv’p ds osdela vbyv swvpkelap sqvld alqla vs Jys Nk yde vbl Tws nzyd yp yd yol-kdprkakdt ews.”

　　Brsd blyakdt vbyv, Kkydt Pyk’p blye oyp pwaaswdele cu plhlayz iwlpvksd xyajp.

　　Fbsavzu vblalyqvla, Kkydt Pyk nyxl vs y pvyavzkdt alhlzyvksd — pbl xktbv byhl clld ps sczkhkswp! Mbl alhlzyvksd czkdepkele bla, yp pbl bye dlhla lhld pwprlnvle vbkp kppwl clqsal.

　　Lso vbyv pbl bye fwpv rwanbyple bla ealyx sqqknl cwkzekdt, xshkdt ytykd oyp swv sq vbl iwlpvksd. Tldnl, yzz pbl nswze es oyp qlktd ktdsaydnl yp vblu oswze dlhla clnsxl y nswrzl.

　　Ebldlhla bla xkde oydelale cynj vs vbkp wdplvvzkdt raleknyxldv, Kkydt Pyk qlzv yd ytsdkgkdt blyeynbl nallrkdt kd……&dcpr;

　　Ebs oswze byhl vbswtbv pbl’e alnlkhl y pzyr kd vbl qynl sdl yde y byzq ulyap yqvla bla xshl?

　　Fbswze pbl lhla elnkel vs alwdkvl okvb Tws Ssdtpbld yde, cu psxl vokpv sq qyvl, aljkdezl vblka xyaakytl, oswzed’v vbl vos vyzzlpv sqqknl cwkzekdtp kd vbl UJP yaly clnsxl yd lxczlx sq vblka zshl?

　　Mbl xlal nsdvlxrzyvksd sq vbkp pnldyaks zlqv Kkydt Pyk qllzkdt ekpblyavldle, yde pbl nswzed’v blzr cwv xwaxwa vs blaplzq, “Kllg, bso yddsukdt. R alyzzu altalv rwanbypkdt vbkp cwkzekdt dso. Ebyv oyp R lhld vbkdjkdt obld R prldv ps xwnb sd vbkp cwkzekdt vs nsxl ps nzspl vs vbl Tws nzyd?”

　　Huo Rongshen’s expression shifted to one of surprise, his voice tinged with disbelief. “Expensive? Is this still considered pricey? Do you have any idea how much it costs to construct that building?”

　　All of a sudden, Jiang Dai’s eyes widened with a sudden realization as her intuition kicked in. She fixed him with a piercing stare. “The price I paid for the building is supposed to be confidential. How do you know how much I paid for it?”

　　Despite that, Huo Rongshen was quick to respond and continued to feign innocence. “Well, it used to be mine, so it wasn’t too difficult to figure out.”

　　Jiang Dai cast a glare at him and questioned, “I recall signing a confidentiality agreement with the seller, so how can you have access to the details so easily?”

　　In an instant, her words rendered Huo Rongshen speechless.

　　Jiang Dai’s certainty surged as she observed his reaction — she was spot-on.

　　To her dismay, it turned out that she had been played by him a year and a half ago.

　　It was no wonder that this ex-husband of hers seemed to be making more frequent appearances in her life since her move here.

　　The notorious traffic in Yanjing exacerbated matters, as Huo Rongshen’s attempts to impress her were hindered by the substantial amounts of time wasted on the congested roads, potentially impacting his business.

　　But now, things have taken a dramatic twist. He no longer needed to brave the traffic jam, as a five-minute stroll would bring him to her doorstep.

　　With that in mind, Jiang Dai continued to shoot him a withering glare.

　　Now that the cat was out of the bag, Huo Rongshen no longer kept up his act.

　　Still gripping her hand, he continued shamelessly, “Talk about fate, right? Now that Bao Li’s new office building is conveniently right across from ours, tons of passing tourists would snap pictures and deem them a Couple Building. Don’t you think the public has quite a discerning eye? No matter what we do, it appears that destiny is determined to tie us together. Just by purchasing this office building, we’ve inadvertently become a married couple. Look, one’s gold and the other’s silver. The more you look at them, the more pleasing to the eye they become.”

　　However, a disdainful fire burned in Jiang Dai’s eyes as she attempted to yank her hand away. “Shut up! Who are you calling your wife? It’s been two years since our divorce, and your business hasn’t improved a smidge. Your personality remains unchanged, and your capacity to daydream, however, has evidently skyrocketed and you seem to relish every moment of it.”

……

　　Zhao Chuyi’s meeting with Secretary Sheng was highly productive, as she came well-prepared with a plethora of work-related topics to discuss.

　　Sheng Wanwan, renowned for her unwavering dedication and professional demeanor, remained oblivious to any hints of deviation from the norm. Engaging wholeheartedly, she dove into a meaningful exchange of ideas and information.

　　As they concluded their discussion, Sheng Wanwan rose from her seat and noted, “I’ve made careful notes of all the points you’ve raised, Screenwriter Zhao. I’ll convey them to President Huo when he becomes available. However, it’s possible that Mr. Chen Mu may take the reins of this project. Rest assured, I’ll relay feedback to you as soon as the decision is made.”

　　With that, Zhao Chuyi bid farewell and sent Sheng Wanwan off with a polite smile.

……

　　Alone in the reception room, Zhao Chuyi might appear engrossed in a script while sipping her coffee. Little did the passers-by know, she was currently conversing with a system in her mind.

　　Zhao Chuyi instructed, “I request for Sheng Wanwan to gain knowledge of the storyline.”

　　In Zhao Chuyi’s mind, the system took on a dark, ominous form of a black ball, devoid of any semblance of benevolence. Despite this unsettling appearance, Zhao Chuyi and this system had shared numerous years of harmonious cooperation.

　　Upon hearing that request, a black question mark appeared before the black circular system posed a grave question with a serious and matter-of-fact tone. “As a system, it is my duty to remind you, dear host, about the principle of life and death. You must not entertain any unwarranted thoughts concerning the male lead, Huo Rongshen. Such thoughts could spell the system’s demise and subject you to immediate backlash. As a friendly reminder, the energy unleashed in this backlash is as formidable as a black hole, something far beyond the capacity of a mere mortal like yourself to endure.”

　　Zhao Chuyi sneered, “I’m only requesting Sheng Wanwan to gain knowledge of the storyline. Since she is the female lead I created, she was supposed to find love with the male lead and experience a blissful ending. Isn’t that the very reason I’m here in this world? To complete this challenging mission! In order to overcome these difficulties, I’m only requesting for her to gain knowledge so that she is aware of her identity as the female lead. That way, she’ll prevent the villainous supporting actress from taking her place. All in all, it has nothing to do with the character I’m playing in this world since I’m only a passer-by with absolutely no scenes in this comic.”

　　The black ball took on an oddly childlike persona, but every word dripped with ruthless candor. “Oh, but these are your thoughts, my dear host. Have you forgotten that I reside within your very mind? None of your greed and unwarranted thoughts can be hidden from me. Allowing Sheng Wanwan to gain knowledge of the storyline is not much cause for concern, but should your heart sway toward the male lead, that, my dear, changes everything.”

　　Perhaps, Zhao Chuyi was slightly irked by its words as she was unable to mask her impatience. “I aim to complete the mission and ensure Huo Rongshen will not get back together with Jiang Dai. After all, isn’t it our goal to have him end up with Sheng Wanwan instead?”

　　The black ball nodded before speaking, “That is indeed so. If we can truly accomplish this monumental task and sever the fated ties between the destined lovers, I can reach the peak of my cultivation and retire from my duties. However, my dear host, after closely observing your journey over these many years, I cannot help but harbor doubts regarding your capability. Your prolonged stay in this world has made me, a conscientious system, have the urge to persuade you to look for trouble, for failure in our mission may entail a lack of rewards. However, breaching the sacred life-and-death contract will unquestionably lead to a gruesome and nightmarish fate.”

　　As the black ball said so, it even went so far as to shield its eyes, reflecting its reluctance to bear witness to the horrifying repercussions of violating the contract.