'The Grumpy CEO Chases After His Glamorous Wife'
It was a popular CEO romance novel. Leslie's colleague, Teacher Sang lent it to her a few weeks ago. She hadn't read much of it.
Leslie remembered who Charlene Li was. The latter was a side character, being in a comatose state.
Despite falling into a long coma, Charlene would be married to the handsome male lead's friend. Of course, the friend was also a young and rich CEO surnamed Xu.
In the story, CEO Xu's grandmother kept nagging him because of his unwillingness to get married. He skillfully dodged the blind dates arranged by his grandmother yet, he failed when his grandmother used her secret weapon.
"Second Uncle, Mia wants a new auntie~ Can't you bring her to me?"
"Mia is so pitiful ah~ My friends have aunties but, Mia doesn't."
"Second Uncle doesn't love Mia anymore?"
CEO Xu's hardened resolve shattered in front of his beloved niece. In the end, he picked Charlene among the many candidates.
CEO Xu's reason was simple.
Charlene Li was in a coma. She wouldn't be able to pester the young CEO for love yet, she could deter other women from approaching him.
As the second most eligible bachelor after the male lead, CEO Xu was always targeted by the young ladies and the madams who had daughters of marriageable age.
In Leslie's opinion, the young CEO's character was funny. He was not the same cold one as the male lead, his best friend.
Leslie hadn't finished the book. She had just reached the part when CEO Xu told his personal assistant to contact Charlene's father. They would discuss the marriage soon.
So...
Was the woman standing opposite her the comatose lady, Charlene Li?
In a daze, Leslie stared at the young woman. In her eyes, the latter was much alive as if she was not merely a character inside a book.
"What do you mean... by giving your body to me?"
Leslie's question was met with a faint smile from Charlene.
"It's the literal meaning. Take my body, use it to find your child and live a new life with her."
"...what? Do you really want my soul to occupy your body?"
Charlene nodded. When she spoke again, firmness laced her tone.
"I want to be free. You need to get into a body if you want to find your daughter. Why don't you just transmigrate into my body and live my life? Of course, I won't take it back from you."
Perplexed, Leslie's brain stopped working for a moment. Wide-eyed in surprise, she couldn't take her eyes off Charlene.
Was this woman tricking her?
Why did she talk as if she didn't want to live anymore?
Even though it was a world of a book, shouldn't her life still be precious to her?
Leslie shook her head, forcing herself to face the current situation. Even though she was deadly worried about Calliope, she needed to solve this problem first.
"What do you mean by that? Are you serious? Do you really want me to live your life? Perhaps, changing it altogether?"
Charlene smiled faintly at the sight of Leslie panicking. She nodded once but, enough to convey her wish.
"I'm tired of everything. I don't mind what you want to do with my body and your new life. Use it to look for your child."
The mention of Calliope struck Leslie with a sense of helplessness. She needed to get the best way possible to find her dear daughter.
Leslie shifted her gaze toward Mimo. Yet, before she was able to ask anything, the fox toy already had the answer.
|You either transmigrate into her body or vanish into nothingness. I'm sorry. Anything else is beyond my ability.|
"But..."
Charlene reached out for both of Leslie's hands. The former's coldness seeped under her skin. A jolt of enlightenment shook her mind.
"I want to be free," whispered Charlene, her tone laced with sorrow, "So, live a beautiful one for my sake, will you? Enjoy the future with your daughter."
Leslie shivered. Out of nowhere, a tear rolled down her face.
This young lady didn't need to persuade Leslie with more words. The sadness exuded from her voice and eyes was enough to convince her. The coldness of the former's touch brought along despair.
"You... do you have any wishes? I'll fulfill them for you."
Charlene nodded.
"I have two wishes. First, please look for my lost pendant. The one who pushed me down the stairs have it. And, please find my..."
As she heard the end of the woman's request, Leslie's eyes flickered with recognition.
No wonder...
"Yes. I'll find them. I promise."
Charlene's graceful smile carried her appreciation.
"I wish you well. Farewell."
A gust of wind came out of nowhere. Leslie instinctively closed her eyes, faintly hearing Charlene thanking her.
**********
When Leslie opened her eyes again, she saw none of the white void. Charlene also had disappeared. Her surrounding was changed into a bedroom, a pristine and opulent one.
The bedroom seemed to come straight out of a magazine. But, that was not Leslie's main priority right now.
Leslie was floating next to the bed. Disbelief flickered in her eyes as she looked at the young lady lying on the mattress.
Wasn't that Charlene's body?
"Hey, Mimo... why am I here instead of inside that body?"
Mimo was sitting on top of Leslie's head. Its attention was also on the body.
|Seems like... an error has occurred. You can't enter the body yet.|
"What?" Leslie was appalled, "Do you mean... I'm a ghost now?"
A soul without a body... wasn't it the same with a ghost?
|...yes. But! Only because the original host's body is recuperating. You'll be able to enter it once she heals further.|
Mimo's sudden enthusiasm was met with a skeptical look from Leslie. Shaking her head, she told herself not to panic, fearing losing her main goal.
"Mimo, didn't you say I need to find Poppy? Can you... can you sense where she is? How about her condition?"
The bloody image of Calliope's body impaled by the rod still frightened Leslie. She failed to protect her precious child in their previous life. How could she bear repeating the same thing again?
Mimo jumped from Leslie's head. She quickly caught the fox toy. Her eyes met the latter's beady ones.
|I'm sorry. I want to meet Poppy too. I don't know where she is but, I know she's in good condition. She's not suffering! I assure you!|
Leslie's lips curled up, smiling in relief. Strangely enough, Mimo's words managed to calm her erratic heart.
"So, what should I do now? What's my first step?"
A chuckle came from Mimo. He playfully replied, |Use the CEO to the fullest! Let him find Poppy!|
"...what?"
A thought struck Leslie's mind. She needed to know if there were dos and don'ts as a soul. If she knew what her abilities were, it would be easier to make plans.
"Mimo, what can... eh?!"
Leslie's ears caught the faint sound of people approaching the room.
"We need to hide!"
|Ack! L-Leslie!|
Out of reflex, Leslie quickly hid behind the nearest wooden shelf. She covered Mimo's face as if afraid it would speak.
In the next second, the door was opened from the outside. Two young men entered the bedroom, seemingly to be in a conversation.
"...won't keep quiet. So, what? I've registered my marriage with her. Isn't that what she wants, right, Edward?"
A tall man in a light gray suit and a pastel blue shirt exhaled a deep sigh. Lifting up one hand, he ran his fingers through his dark hair.
"The old madam is just worried about you, Boss Xu. The list of the blind dates is still long."
The second man addressed as Edward was almost as tall as the first one. He suddenly stopped when the man called Boss Xu paused from walking.
He was Calix Xu, the male lead's best friend!
Grinning, Calix threw a meaningful look at Edward. He pointed at his face.
"What a pity. I have a wife now. Blind dates are no-no. Do you think this is the look of an adulterer?"
"...no, Boss Xu."
Still hiding next to the shelf, Leslie was dumbstruck by what she saw now.
Was that really the CEO Xu?