[But if she doesn't receive the set from Lancome, she'll think I gave it to someone else.] [Why did you let her see it!!!!]
Through these messages, Liang Xiao could feel the anger behind the team leader's words. He felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, unable to explain himself. But deep inside his heart, he felt a sense of relief.
Keeping a low profile wasn't the biggest issue. The problem was playing the role of lovers with Diya. The reason given from above was that they used to be lovers, and they had to play their parts better than ordinary colleagues, making it less likely to arouse suspicion.
Moreover, Diya was originally meant to be bait for the target. However, to safely bring her in front of the target, she couldn't appear on her own. It would be too eye-catching and raise suspicion.
Doubtful people don't believe what others say; they only believe the facts they investigate themselves. Therefore, Diya had to be passively brought into the target's line of sight.
So, their first step in the plan was for Liang Xiao to sign up for that cooking training class, to attract the attention of Bai Wenwen. Once they triggered the target's curiosity, he would naturally investigate Liang Xiao's identity.
Then, as Diya's girlfriend, she would also appear in his line of sight, and their first goal would be achieved.
Next, Diya would continue to interact with Bai Wenwen, becoming friends. When the time was right, they would stage a breakup, creating an opportunity for the target to take advantage.
It could be said that the plan was initially perfect, but because of his negligence, an irreparable loophole appeared... Liang Xiao sighed and continued, "I think since the goal is just to make her happy, the brand doesn't really matter, right?" It didn't matter who his girlfriend was as long as they achieved their objective.
The team leader remained silent for a while, then displayed a burst of anger through emojis before saying, "Alright, but if there's another incident, I'll put you on the blacklist, okay?" Okay, he dealt with that situation. Liang Xiao looked at Hai Baihe and felt that this side might not go smoothly either.
"Ahem." He cleared his throat, lowering his voice to explain the situation to her, "That woman is my contact."
Hai Baihe gave him a horrified look. "Are you interested in married women? You're so immoral. Being a third party is wrong."
"...It's work-related," Liang Xiao paid attention to her expression, "She 'knows' I have a girlfriend, but..."
The alcohol had numbed Hai Baihe's reflexes. It took her a few seconds to react, taking a few steps back. "Darling, this isn't my problem. I won't take the blame!"
"Please help me," he deliberately lowered his posture, clasping his hands together as if in prayer, "If I mess up, I'm done for."
Hai Baihe was cautious. "Are you telling me that you weren't planning to say goodbye to me forever just now?"
"Because I've been assigned a girlfriend." Liang Xiao's voice lowered, he had doubts about this relationship, but he hadn't considered ending it immediately. Whether it was reluctance or self-deception, he hadn't deeply thought about it, but he certainly didn't want it to end. "The script says I need to be a good man, so..."
Hai Baihe had to admit that she was a little happy. Her eyes regained their sparkle. "A good man? What does that mean?"
Liang Xiao sighed. It was a losing deal.
"It means that regardless of my personal desires, I have to improve myself and be with my 'girlfriend.'"
How lucky! Hai Baihe was overjoyed. She couldn't have imagined such a turn of events. Pretending to be a girlfriend was inconsequential to her. True love wasn't so easily obtained. Just having him was enough. "So, being a girlfriend doesn't require any improvement?"
"That's right." Liang Xiao was helpless. "I know you're a bit angry. What conditions do you have?"
Hai Baihe smiled mischievously. "Any conditions are fine?"
"Any conditions I can fulfill are fine." Liang Xiao smiled at her. "Is it okay? Please help me."
When he smiled at a woman, it was hard for anyone to resist his charm, especially when Hai Baihe already had some interest in him. Now, she felt dizzy and captivated... When Hai Baihe snapped out of her dizziness, Liang Xiao was holding her and gently patting her back. "Feeling better? Do you want to vomit?"
"I'm fine." The remaining intoxication had completely dissipated. She took out her phone and checked her surroundings. The supermarket was still the same, which relieved her greatly.
At least they had something to eat.
Liang Xiao didn't know the significance of her action. He simply said, "The power went out, there might be a problem with the circuit."
Hai Baihe didn't know the situation, so she remained still, frowning and staying silent.
Liang Xiao thought she was still feeling unwell. He put the basket down and embraced her, gently patting her back. "You drank too much. Are you feeling uncomfortable now?"
"I didn't drink too much." She weakly replied. "I'm emotionally exhausted. Do you understand?"
For the first time, Liang Xiao doubted his own charm. "Are you so unwilling to pretend to be lovers with me?"
"I have a question for you." Hai Baihe looked at him and wanted to ask him if he would be able to handle the consequences if they took their act too far.
Liang Xiao seemed to have an extraordinary sensitivity to this matter. He looked at her without changing his expression. "What's your question?"
As if they had a telepathic connection, Hai Baihe instantly changed her mind. "Does that mean I have to temporarily play the role of an actor at a specific time, or does it mean that you belong to me temporarily?"
"Um, theoretically, both options are possible. The former is safer for you, but personally, I prefer the latter." Liang Xiao knew she agreed, and a smile slowly spread across his face. "But the choice is yours."
Hai Baihe murmured, "Of course, I choose the latter. Otherwise, it would be pointless to act. You won't even pay me a salary, compensation for my efforts."
To her, Liang Xiao was her prey. To him, directly exposing their intentions was like a hunter openly telling the prey, "I'm going to eat you, run away if you can. I'll chase you, and if I catch you, we'll have fun~"
That approach wouldn't work at all. It was better to gradually raise the heat like boiling a frog. As it simmered, it became more comfortable. Even if they knew the danger, they had to accept it.
To fall in love first and then address the psychological barriers—by then, they might have already found a solution. The best way to heal emotional wounds was to start a new relationship.
Their current game of pretending to be lovers was an opportunity that came just in time. It provided her with determination and an excellent chance.
The
sweet and rosy time didn't last long. The commotion in the distance caught their attention.
A panicked supermarket employee ran over. "Run, run!"
But no one moved, and even more people crowded towards the entrance to watch the spectacle.
Hai Baihe, like everyone else, didn't immediately react. Despite horror movies teaching us that in such situations, we should listen to advice and run, in reality, people's feet don't move until they face imminent danger.
Hai Baihe asked, very considerately, "What's happening?"
"Flood... A flood!" Unexpectedly, it wasn't monsters, ghosts, or zombies. It was a flood??
Hai City was a coastal city with a river flowing through it. During a direct hit from a typhoon, a minor flooding wasn't a big deal. At most, it would reach the thighs, and that was outdoors. They were on the second floor, so it shouldn't reach them... Hai Baihe was thinking, but she suddenly noticed rushing water pouring in. It happened so fast that in the blink of an eye, it submerged her lower legs.
"Run!" The spectators instantly scattered. Fortunately, it was close to the end of the workday, and there weren't many people in the supermarket. Otherwise, they would either drown or be trampled to death.
This was the underground first floor. If it was flooding here, then... the ground floor must have already been flooded. It was unrealistic to rush upstairs using the elevator, especially in the darkness.
Liang Xiao pulled her and said, "This way!"
They hadn't run more than a few steps when the water reached their waists. Floods didn't develop this quickly. It was more like the sinking of the Titanic.
Something floated towards them, and Hai Baihe quickly grabbed it. Upon closer inspection, she was pleasantly surprised. "A bathtub!"
It turned out to be a baby bathtub sold downstairs. It wasn't big, but it was enough for them to use as a buoy. More and more items were overturned by the flood, and floating objects not only obstructed their path but also became attackers in the darkness.
Someone was hit by a floating object and fell into the water with a splash. Liang Xiao reached out instinctively. "Are you okay?"
"Cough, cough, I'm fine." The water was shallow, so the person surfaced after choking on water for a moment. "Mr. Liang?"
"Miss Bai?" Liang Xiao couldn't see her clearly, but he supported her to his side. "Hold onto this."
Bai Wenwen felt for the edge of the bathtub and held on. She felt slightly relieved. "Is the exit over there?"
The supermarket had a limited area. With this delay, the water had already reached chest level, making it difficult to move. Bai Wenwen became even more panicked. "I... I can't swim."
"Lift your head higher and hold onto this." Hai Baihe wasn't worried in the water. "Follow us."
Whoosh! Another wave of water rushed over, completely submerging them. Luckily, they held onto the floating object, allowing them to stay afloat.
Liang Xiao's mind raced. Without Bai Wenwen, he could have swum ahead, but if she died, their mission would be at a standstill... Even if she wasn't the target, he couldn't just let a vulnerable woman die without helping.
He supported Bai Wenwen. "I'll take you with me. When I say breathe, you breathe. Don't panic, relax, or your muscles will cramp."
Bai Wenwen weakly nodded. She still felt uneasy and turned to look at Hai Baihe, who smiled and said, "I'm
good in the water. I'll settle the score with him later."
Liang Xiao chuckled. Hai Baihe was quick to get into character. But now wasn't the time to talk. Liang Xiao took Bai Wenwen and started swimming forward. Hai Baihe was much more agile than him, clearing the floating objects in their way.
Then... she was grabbed by a middle-aged woman clinging to a plastic board. "Save me!"
Hai Baihe glared at her. "Let go!"
"You can swim, so you have to save me!" The woman justified herself, "Don't you understand respecting the elderly and caring for the young?"
"???" Hai Baihe doubted her ears, "What did you just say?"
"Come on," the middle-aged woman struggled on the plastic board, "hurry up."
Hai Baihe nodded. "Let's go." With one of her free legs, she kicked the woman's hand that was grabbing her, causing her to let go. Like a fish, Hai Baihe slid away.
Liang Xiao saw this and silently took a detour. He couldn't carry another person, and Bai Wenwen bit her lip, saying nothing. If she didn't know Liang Xiao, she probably wouldn't have been saved. When their lives were at stake, who cared about such extreme characters?
Hai Baihe swam a distance and turned back to them. "Turn around, let's go inside. The water level outside is higher, and the pressure is too great. We can't pass."
"Did the water come in from outside?" Liang Xiao was genuinely surprised. "How?"
It had been a clear day when they entered the supermarket. They could see the moon, and there was no wind or rain. How did it suddenly flood?
"That's just how it is. Everything is flooded." Hai Baihe wasn't surprised by this outcome. She determined the direction. "This way. There's an atrium. If we're lucky, we can survive there."