Nian Ueno

Jiang Weixi was stunned for a moment.

Mr. Liu usually contacts her after 10 p.m., so why does he want to hear a bedtime story in the middle of the day?

Before she could think any further, the screen vibrated, and the other party made a voice call.

Jiang Weixi lowered her voice and answered the phone, "Feed..."

Mr. Liu Liu never speaks; he communicates only by typing on the screen.

She suspected that the other person might be mute, perhaps unable to speak.

A message popped up on the screen.

[Mr. Liu Liu: Go ahead and say anything, anything will do.]

He just wanted to hear her voice.

Jiang Weixi switched her phone screen, randomly searched for a healing bedtime story, and immediately got into the mood.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Liu Liu. Today I'm going to talk about 'The Little Mermaid'."

She read it aloud in her unique voice.

"The most beautiful voice the prince had ever heard came from the deep sea. Every evening, the Little Mermaid would sit on the rocks and sing, and the prince would stand at the highest window of the castle to listen. His heart was pulled out of his chest by that pure, moon-like voice..."

"He vowed to possess that voice forever, so he went to the sea witch..."

Ji Dongxun sat in the bathtub, his phone on speakerphone. Listening to the girl's unhurried voice, he stopped scratching his arm, and his heart gradually calmed down with her gentle tone.

Her voice is unique, sweet but not cloying, with a special flavor that is hard to describe.

A person's voice changes when doing different things.

For example, when telling stories, singing, or reading English, the voice may sound different from when speaking normally.

Jiang Weixi is like that; she speaks normally most of the time, but she'll slip in some quirks when telling stories.

Her voice becomes somewhat distorted when transmitted through a mobile phone.

"The witch told the prince about a forbidden technique: if the Little Mermaid's vocal cords were completely removed and soaked in tears collected on the night of the full moon, they could be transplanted into another person's throat."

The prince smiled, rowed his little boat to the reef, and deliberately capsized it, falling into the sea. The kind little mermaid swam over and rescued him. The little mermaid had never been to land and had never seen a human with legs, so she fell in love with the handsome prince at first sight.

"After the prince woke up, he said he wanted to repay the little mermaid for saving his life and proposed to her. The little mermaid agreed and was willing to give up everything for him."

"The wedding took place on the beach, and just as the Little Mermaid opened her mouth to say 'I do,' the prince suddenly grabbed her by the throat; the blade was cold and swift."

"She didn't turn into bubbles; she was locked in a dry well beneath the castle, losing her tongue and her vocal cords."

"And the prince stood on the reef that once belonged to her, opened his mouth, and the song of a mermaid flowed from his throat, like moonlight, like tears. Along the shore, all the mermaids who heard the song swam over. One, one, and another..."

After Jiang Weixi finished reading, she realized that something seemed off.

[Mr. Liu Liu: Are you talking about "The Little Mermaid"?]

Jiang Weixi skimmed through the story and immediately felt embarrassed.

This isn't a healing bedtime story; it's clearly a depressing one!

It's all her fault for not seeing clearly and accidentally reading a dark version of "The Little Mermaid".

[Gentle Little Rabbit: Hehe, I was talking about the new version of "The Little Mermaid".]

[Mr. Liu Liu: So the prince loved the Little Mermaid's voice and wanted to possess it forever, so he cut off her vocal cords?]

[Gentle Little Rabbit: Ouch... The prince is so mean...]

[Mr. Liu Liu: I love your voice, so how can I have it forever?]

[Gentle Little Bunny: (Little bunny trembling emoji)]

[Gentle Little Bunny: Don't hurt the bunny.]

[Mr. Liu Liu: So how can I have your voice forever?]

Jiang Weixi felt that this Mr. Liu Liu also had a dark side. Could it be that he really couldn't speak? And he envied her voice? Wanted to possess her?

Ji Dongxun got out of the bathtub, wrapped himself in a bathrobe, and lay down on the bed, asking questions earnestly.

Because her voice was a cure for him; he desperately needed it.

[Gentle Bunny: If you like my voice, feel free to reach out to me anytime. I'd love to talk to you!]

[Mr. Liu Liu: Is it always possible?]

[Gentle Bunny: Of course! Bunny will always stay with you~]

[Mr. Liu Liu: What if one day you don't want to do this anymore?]

[Gentle Bunny: I won't leave, I promise!]

How could she refuse such a good opportunity? As long as the other person was willing to listen to her, she could keep talking.

Mr. Liu Liu did not reply for a long time.

Jiang Weixi saw that the other end of the voice call had ended, so she got up and got dressed.

Gu Wanyi just messaged her, asking her to go to the garden for a barbecue.

Ji Dongxun posted an anonymous message online.

[Seeking help: I ​​found a girl online who I really like for chatting. I enjoy her voice and listening to her stories. I want to hear her talk every day, but I don't want to meet her or let her know who I am. How can I maintain contact with her?]

[1L Eating melon seeds without spitting them out]: First comment. Another person scammed online.

[2L's IQ is out of credit, please recharge]: Give her money, a monthly subscription. Once you've given her enough money, she'll naturally talk to you every day.

[3L of cilantro is too smelly]: Be her exclusive listener; she'll tell you stories, and over time, she'll get used to you. Habit is more terrifying than liking.

[Nephew of Old Wang next door in 4L]: I'll set up this "I don't want to meet" flag for you first, and you can remove it yourself later.

[5L Mental Hospital Escapee]: OP, I understand you. I also prefer online; offline is too scary.

[NL's Random Thoughts]: Upgrading to online dating, online dating has a higher loyalty rate than online chat.

Ji Dongxun quickly glanced through the netizens' replies.

Assistant Xiao Zhou came in to report the investigation results.

"Sir, we've retrieved the surveillance video from last night."

Ji Dongxun saw two videos.

One scene shows Jiang Weixi talking to a waiter and handing him something from a corner.

Another scene shows Jiang Weixi taking the initiative to enter his room.

It seems the girl deliberately tried to seduce him by having the waiter add something to her drink.

Ji Dongxun's expression was cold and aloof: "Investigate this girl's background."

"Sir, we've checked. This girl has no overseas background; she's a native of Z City and currently studying at R University. She's Miss Gu's cousin and shouldn't have any connection to those people."

The last sentence is the key point.

Ji Dongxun is currently investigating an economic case involving foreign forces, and any "accidents" that occur around him must first pass through this sieve.

"Okay." Ji Dongxun nodded, indicating that he understood.

Xiao Zhou went out.

Ji Dongxun put the girl out of his mind and didn't take her seriously anymore.

He leaned back on the sofa, one leg slightly bent, staring blankly at the chat interface.

I sent a message to Gentle Little Rabbit without even realizing it.

Want to date online?

Jiang Weixi took out a plain-colored long dress from the closet and put it on. She poured herself a glass of warm water and looked at her phone while drinking it.

The sudden message startled her.

[Gentle Bunny: Huh? You want to have an online romance with me? (The bunny has a surprised expression)]

[Mr. Liu Liu: Hmm.]

Jiang Weixi hesitated. The other party was really unpredictable... Why would they suddenly make such a request?

This reminds me of the story of the prince and the little beauty I just told.

[Gentle Little Rabbit: The prince tricked the Little Mermaid into coming ashore under the guise of love, and then cut off her vocal cords...]

[Mr. Liu Liu: ...]

[Mr. Liu Liu: I have no magic, I don't need your vocal cords, don't worry.]

[Gentle Bunny: So...why did you suddenly decide to have an online relationship? (The bunny has a curious face)]

[Mr. Liu Liu transferred 10000 yuan (a voluntary donation).]

[Mr. Liu Liu: Is that alright?]

Jiang Weixi's eyes widened slightly when she saw the transfer notification on her phone screen.

I want so much money; my greed is kicking in.

She swallowed hard, trying to stay calm, but her hands reacted faster than her brain.

[Gentle Little Rabbit has received the red envelope]

[Mr. Liu Liu: 10,000 yuan a month, and I'll have an online relationship with you.]

Jiang Weixi thought about it and felt there was no harm in it, so she agreed.

Ten thousand a month? What kind of part-time job can earn ten thousand a month?

Anyway, he wouldn't know who she was, and he couldn't force her to do anything.

Let's get it first and figure things out later.

At worst, when we absolutely have to meet, I'll just delete the account and run away.

[Gentle Little Rabbit: Okay.]

[Mr. Liu Liu: Hmm.]

On the first day of their online relationship, the two ended their conversation in a lukewarm manner.

Loud laughter came from the garden downstairs.

Ji Dongxun stood at the third-floor window, one hand in his pocket, casually glancing over.

A group of young men and women in their early twenties sat on the lawn under the shade of trees, eating barbecue.

Just as I was about to look away, a girl walked along the path.

As if sensing something, the girl suddenly looked up and gazed at him from afar.

Beyond the lush foliage of the large tree, their eyes met in the air.

Caught off guard by a pair of eyes as cold as an icy pool, Jiang Weixi instinctively shuddered.

On a bright, sunny day, why did a chill creep up my back?

Remembering what she had done last night, she hurriedly looked away, afraid that Ji Dongxun would come after her.

She had heard all the rumors about Ji Dongxun.

Everyone says he hates women and keeps everyone at arm's length. She didn't believe it at first, but after what happened last night, she's starting to believe it.

When Gu Wanyi saw Jiang Weixi arrive, her eyes flickered slightly, and she waved to her.

"Xixi, come sit here."

They sat in outdoor chairs, forming a circle on the grass.

Jiang Weixi walked over with her head down, and was about to sit down next to Gu Wanyi when she heard several sarcastic remarks.

The girl in the pale yellow floral dress pinched her nose, frowned, and exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, "Oh dear, I was wondering why there's such a dusty smell in the air when it's not raining. Turns out, the country folk have arrived..."

After saying that, she deliberately moved her chair to the side, as if Jiang Weixi really had some kind of stench.

Another girl in a white Chanel suit next to her laughed, her disdain undisguised: "That's right, Baishan County, isn't it? I heard there isn't even a Starbucks there."

"Haha, in a small place like that, you're lucky if there's even a small shop..."

The group burst into laughter, all the pent-up sense of superiority they had been holding back directed at Jiang Weixi.

Jiang Weixi's fingers stiffened for a moment, gripping the edge of her skirt so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Gu Wanyi wore a faint smile, neither supporting her friend nor speaking up to defend Jiang Weixi, as if she were uninvolved.

After they finished laughing, Gu Wanyi tugged at Jiang Weixi's hand, "Hurry up and sit down."

Jiang Weixi lowered her head, her slender swan neck slightly bent, her posture gentle and obedient.

She picked up the chair and silently walked to the edge of the crowd to sit down.

By suppressing aggression and projecting an image of vulnerability and innocence, one can significantly lower others' guard.

Those girls were right, she really did come from a small county.

The higher up a circle is, the more exclusive it is.

Jiang Weixi didn't argue, but her determination to climb the social ladder only strengthened.

One day, she will climb to the top and shatter their sense of superiority.

Wisps of white smoke rose from the oven, and the servants neatly arranged the grilled skewers on a silver platter.

Jiang Weixi sat next to the barbecue grill, silently eating the skewers handed to her by the maid.

Now that I'm full, I don't need to eat dinner, which saves me the cost of a meal.

She quietly glanced up at the third floor.

The window was empty; Ji Dongxun was no longer there.

She doesn't like to cause trouble, but she can't help it when some people keep coming to provoke her.

A boy, having broken the chair in his lap, strode over to her, looked down at her, kicked the chair she was sitting on, and commanded, "Get up."

Jiang Weixi frowned and looked up.

It's that annoying guy Xie Ziheng again.

Xie Ziheng had been targeting her for a year, seizing every opportunity to cause her trouble.

This is so annoying.

"Are you deaf?" Xie Ziheng said impatiently, raising his voice.

He kicked the chair leg with his toe, causing the chair to shake and Jiang Weixi's body to sway.

Others were used to it and just watched the spectacle.

Her gaze swept over the strong muscles on his arm. Not wanting to get into a fight, and knowing she couldn't win, she stood up and gave up the chair.

Xie Ziheng hooked the chair frame with his toes, casually lifted it with his fingers, and turned to walk back, saying sarcastically, "Looks like a poor beggar no matter where he sits."

Jiang Weixi held back for a long time, but couldn't help but retort, "I didn't eat your food."

Xie Ziheng suddenly turned around, narrowed his eyes, and curled his lips into a smirk: "Tsk, you've even learned to talk back?"