Chapter 5

Nanjing Villa.

Xi Keqing arrived at Gu Yizhen's home alone.

Even just standing outside and taking it in, Xi Keqing couldn't help but gasp in awe.

What a beautiful villa.

It felt much more stunning and had a far better environment than the one she'd just finished filming Give an Inch in.

The entire villa complex, from the entrance to the interior, was like a park—unbelievably beautiful.

I can't believe such a wonderful place exists so close to the city center.

Beside her was Xiao Li, the assistant who had driven her here. Gu Yizhen, on the other hand, had already parted ways with her at the Civil Affairs Bureau, having another driver take her to the company.

Apparently, she had a meeting to attend and wouldn't even have time to eat lunch with her.

Since they'd already agreed to live together, Gu Yizhen simply told her to come here and eat.

This was a clause written into their marriage agreement, which was supposed to take effect the moment they received their marriage certificate. Gu Yizhen had immediately started managing Xi Keqing's meals.

As for moving in, although a moving company could handle the entire process, there was no rush. Gu Yizhen had only said they would do it together when they both had some free time.

But Xi Keqing was already allowed to move into the villa ahead of her.

Someone was already waiting at the entrance. Xiao Li stepped forward and introduced, "Housekeeper Ye, this is Ms. Xi."

Hearing the voice, Xi Keqing lowered her gaze from the sky and looked at the middle-aged woman with a kind smile. The woman said softly, "Ms. Xi, welcome home."

Xi Keqing tilted her chin up slightly. "Hmmph."

Housekeeper Ye froze for a moment, glancing at Xiao Li beside her. Seeing Xiao Li's helpless, wry smile, she turned back and smoothly regained her smile. "Ms. Xi, this way, please."

Xi Keqing followed.

Housekeeper Ye walked ahead. "Lunch is ready and waiting for you, Ms. Xi. The room the young mistress ordered has also been prepared. You can rest after your meal."

Xi Keqing offered a vague response, her large eyes still darting around.

The exterior was so beautiful; she had been eagerly anticipating what the interior would be like.

But the moment she stepped inside, Xi Keqing understood the true meaning of disappointment.

It wasn't that it wasn't beautiful—the decor was indeed lovely.

However, the vast villa contained nothing but the most essential furniture. The entire place was so cold, clean, and tidy that it rivaled an uninhabited show home.

No, it was even worse than a show home. It was far more barren.

Xi Keqing's eyes swept over the room again and again. It didn't feel like anyone actually lived here.

With this thought, she grabbed Housekeeper Ye's arm. "Does Gu Yizhen really live here? It's so... empty."

She used Gu Yizhen's full name.

Housekeeper Ye paused, placed the tray of food in front of Xi Keqing, and glanced at the diamond ring on her finger. She smiled. "Yes, the Young Mistress usually lives here."

He offered no explanation for the home's stark emptiness.

Xi Keqing let go of Housekeeper Ye, simply assuming Gu Yizhen preferred this minimalist style. After all, Gu Yizhen herself was a cold and distant person; on second thought, it wasn't surprising at all.

With all the food served, Xi Keqing said nothing more, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat.

Am I hungry?

No.

The meal she'd eaten the night before still left her feeling full, but the variety of dishes before her was impressive, and they smelled delicious—even better than restaurant food.

Housekeeper Ye had explained that since she wasn't sure of her tastes, he'd asked the chef to prepare a wide selection.

As Xi Keqing chewed on a perfectly stewed lamb chop, she was surprised to realize there was a fourth person in the house.

Herself, Housekeeper Ye, Xiao Li, and the elusive chef.

After the meal, Housekeeper Ye led her upstairs.

They took the stairs instead of the elevator, allowing her to get a clear view of the villa's layout. The first floor was for daily activities, the second floor held guest rooms that weren't in regular use, and then there was the third floor.

Before Xi Keqing could look around, Housekeeper Ye had already pushed open the door to a side bedroom. "Ms. Xi, this is your room."

Xi Keqing's gaze, which had been wandering, snapped back to the room's interior. As expected, it was the same clean, minimalist style with little decoration.

But it was clearly not Gu Yizhen's room.

Xi Keqing glanced around and asked directly, "Where does Gu Yizhen live?"

Housekeeper Ye pointed to the master bedroom, which was noticeably larger and located on the other side. "That is the Young Mistress's bedroom and study. Ms. Xi, please do not enter without permission."

Xi Keqing followed her gesture. It seemed her room and Gu Yizhen's were separated only by a study.

Pretty close. Convenient for getting a meal, she thought.

Xi Keqing nodded in satisfaction, completely ignoring the second half of Housekeeper Ye's warning about not entering without permission.

Soon, she bid him farewell and entered her room alone.

After closing the door and waiting a moment until she heard Housekeeper Ye's footsteps fade away, Xi Keqing blinked and threw herself onto the bed with a dive.

Thump!

Her succubus tail and horns instantly materialized.

The long, slender tail lashed back and forth behind her, its heart-shaped tip slapping against the duvet with a satisfying smack, smack.

So happy!

Her stomach was full, her diamond ring was sparkling, and her clothes were gorgeous.

Ah.

I have to take a picture to show it off!

Xi Keqing shot upright, smoothed her hair, and whipped out her phone. She opened the camera and posed her hand—the one wearing the diamond ring—next to her face. Just as she was about to press the shutter, she froze.

Oh no, my tail and horns are out!

But...

She reached up to touch her small horns. They felt slightly larger than before.

Her horns and tail were both black. The horns grew from her forehead—tiny, triangular, with smooth, rounded tips. They felt firm to the touch and had always been easy to hide in her hair.

But now, a small point clearly poked through, making them harder to conceal.

Xi Keqing lowered her gaze and picked up her tail to examine it closely.

After staring for a long time, she couldn't see any changes.

It was still a long, thin strip covered in soft, fine fur. The heart-shaped tip fit perfectly in her palm, feeling plump and fluffy.

Xi Keqing flicked her tail.

Could it be an illusion from not letting my tail and horns out last night?

She'd almost lost control and let them out several times.

But she'd fought the urge, making sure Gu Yizhen didn't see!

After a moment's thought, Xi Keqing decided to stop hiding them.

She turned the camera around, flashed the diamond ring on her finger, and snapped a photo of the distant villa through the window, with the bright red marriage certificate held up. Then, she sent it to her agent on WeChat.

Sister Donkey, Sister Donkey, I'm married~

The next second, her phone erupted with an incoming call.

Seeing it was a voice call, Xi Keqing answered without hesitation. "Sister—"

She was cut off before she could even finish. Sister Donkey's roar already filled the receiver.

"You! Stop right there! Don't move! Don't post it on Moments, don't post it on Weibo, don't post it anywhere! Don't tell anyone about this!"

Xi Keqing let out a small "Ah." "I can't tell anyone?"

"Right, absolutely no one."

Her tone had turned chillingly calm.

"Now, tell me what's going on. Every single detail, don't leave anything out! Everything!!!"

After hanging up the phone, Xi Keqing's ears were practically numb.

Even though she had repeatedly pulled the phone further and further away, Sister Donkey's roar still echoed like thunder. She couldn't believe a human could possibly be that loud—and sustain it for so long.

It wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Back then, she'd simply thought Sister Donkey was impressive. Now, she was absolutely certain.

Sister Donkey was beyond impressive!

Of course, if Sister Donkey herself ever heard this thought, she'd probably faint from fury.

Was this about being impressive? This was a total breakdown!

She still didn't know how Xi Keqing had even managed to break into the entertainment industry. No background, no talent, not even a degree. All she had was raw strength and a mouth that ran nonstop, earning her a reputation for being a disaster across the entire internet.

Ever since she started working with Xi Keqing, Sister Donkey's first instinct every morning was to check if Xi Keqing had said something stupid or gotten blacklisted.

Poor Sister Donkey wasn't even born with the surname Donkey, nor did her name have anything to do with donkeys. It all started one day when she'd complained to Xi Keqing, "Hah, even a donkey could work harder than me. I might as well change my name to Donkey." Xi Keqing had taken it literally, and from then on, she was simply "Sister Donkey."

It was a truly bloody and tearful history.

Meanwhile, the little succubus, completely oblivious to this, gently wagged her heart-shaped tail and opened her chat window with Gu Yizhen.

The chat still showed the marriage agreement Gu Yizhen had sent her that morning, with no new messages.

Of course, Xi Keqing hadn't told Sister Donkey everything that had happened. She couldn't reveal that she was a succubus or that she needed to "eat."

She simply said she'd met an Omega and they got married.

The story was so heavily condensed it was almost absurd.

And indeed, Sister Donkey's roar here was louder than anywhere else.

But when Sister Donkey started firing off questions—Who is she? What's her job? What's her family like?—Xi Keqing couldn't answer a single one.

"Is that really important?" she asked, puzzled.

Sister Donkey roared, "Of course it's important! Do you want to get scammed again? Go find out, or else get a divorce!!!"

Xi Keqing opened the input method, but just as she was about to type, a message suddenly appeared from the other side.

Z: Is the food good?

Xi Keqing glanced at the screen. Her fingers immediately shifted, completely ignoring the previous question. Her slender tail flicked sharply again.

Qingqing the Superstar: It's delicious! When are you coming back?

Z: Tonight.

Setting her phone aside, Gu Yizhen looked up at her assistant, Xie Changxun, who was staring at the diamond ring on her finger with a strange expression. "What's wrong?" she asked coolly.

Xie Changxun's tone was purely professional. "I don't understand. Why does it have to be marriage?"

Xie Changxun had been the one to investigate Xi Keqing's background. He knew all too well that her records were riddled with suspicious gaps, and her online reputation was abysmal.

Gu Yizhen couldn't have missed these red flags, yet she had still married that Alpha.

Gu Yizhen turned her wheelchair to face Xie Changxun. Her pale amber eyes, usually cool and distant, now held only resolute determination.

"You don't need to understand," she said.