"So, wouldn't that make Hu Chengyu your business rival?" Xia Yuqing asked, raising an eyebrow.
Yan Rouxi snorted, unable to hold back her laughter. "Business rival?" She scoffed, shaking her head. "His company is notable in the media world, sure. But if we're being honest, comparing it to mine is like calling a tortoise to race a jet plane. It's not even in the same league."
She paused, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Wait... since you got fired from his company, why don't I just hire you instead?"
"Hire me?" Xia Yuqing was confused.
Yan Rouxi's face lit up with excitement. "Think about it. You are starting a new life. Once you are healed, you will need money to survive in this world. So, you can work as a reporter just like the original owner was."
"Join my company. Not only will you be getting paid, but you'll also be rubbing it right in Hu Chengyu's face. Imagine this: being blacklisted, yet working for one of the biggest media empires. Oh, the look on his face when his precious authority gets a good slap from the woman he tried to frame."
"That humiliation... he won't be able to swallow it," she chuckled.
Xia Yuqing thought for a moment, her mind racing.
Yan Rouxi was right. If she wanted to survive in this world, she'd need a job. And a reporter's life? It would allow her to expose Hu Chengyu and get justice for the original owner. Plus, it would provide a steady income.
But, being a reporter.... she needed time to think about it.
Seeing the thoughtful look on Xia Yuqing's face, Yan Rouxi's smile deepened. "Hey, if being a reporter isn't your thing, there are so many other ways to earn money. You could be an actor, a singer, a chef, a secretary, an assistant... the list goes on."
Xia Yuqing looked at her sideways. "What about... something I was good at in my past life?"
Yan Rouxi's eyes sparkled at the idea. "Oooh... that's a great idea. What skills are we talking about?" she asked, thinking more along the lines of being good at ancient dance, cooking, tea-making skills, and so on...
"Killing people." Xia Yuqing deadpanned.
Yan Rouxi: "...."
Killing people? Is that even a skill to be used? What career was she trying to have? Being a murderer? A hitman?
"Uhhh... how about we leave that skill in the past?" she asked.
Xia Yuqing nodded slowly.
"What else?" Yan Rouxi asked, trying to steer the conversation away from the murderous territory.
Xia Yuqing's lips curled into a faint smile. "I know how to make poison."
Yan Rouxi: "....."
"Next," she said ruthlessly.
"Kidnapping," Xia Yuqing named another skill.
"Next."
"Torturing prisoners," she added flatly.
"Next!" Yan Rouxi snapped, exasperated.
"Using weapons to...." She wasn't even finished when Yan Rouxi ruthlessly cut her off.
"Next."
Xia Yuqing blinked, her mind flashing back to her old life. Well, there was one less dangerous skill. "Disguise and pretending to be someone else."
"Next."
Xia Yuqing pursed her lips, not speaking.
Yan Rouxi sighed, holding her head. "Weren't you also an empress? Don't you know any normal skill you can use to make money?"
"I-I... I am good at slapping stupid concubines," she said slowly.
Yan Rouxi: "...."
Oh my God!!! If it isn't killing people, then it poisoning them, and if that doesn't work, then slapping people... what kind of life did this person live? And why was one skill more useless than the other?
Before Xia Yuqing could open her mouth and name another unsettling skill, Yan Rouxi stood up. "How about this? You sit here and think of something, while I will go and make us some breakfast." And, before Xia Yuqing could say something, she rushed toward the kitchen and turned on the gas.
Xia Yuqing pouted.
How could the skills that she was most proud of turn useless in the modern world?
There has to be some sort of work she could do with her skills.
While her mind raced with different ideas, another thought flashed through. She paused, looking back at Yan Rouxi who was chopping something and adding seasoning to the pot. "Rouxi, what are the legal steps of getting a divorce in this world?"
Yan Rouxi barely spared her a glance, her attention fully on the dish she was preparing. "Divorce? Uh, well, there are two types. One's mutual consent, the other's contested. If one person disagrees, you have to prove they're at fault... but hold on—" She paused.
She looked up, brow furrowing in suspicion. "Why are you asking about divorce?"
"I am married."
The knife in Yan Rouxi's hand dropped. She froze, staring at Xia Yuqing as if she had grown two heads. The seconds stretched painfully long as her brain tried to process the information. And then—
"You're WHAT?!" Yan Rouxi shouted, voice high with shock.
"Married," Xia Yuqing repeated, her tone dry.
"When? How? To whom?" Yan Rouxi fired one question after the other.
Xia Yuqing sighed, explaining the bizarre situation: the ex-boyfriend, the contract marriage, the whole mess.
Yan Rouxi let out a dramatic sigh. "Wow... the original owner's life was like a soap opera. You know, she'd make the perfect female lead for one of those romance novels—Contract Marriage with the Cold Billionaire. By the way, who's the lucky guy?"
"Lu Jinchen."
Yan Rouxi blinked, her eyes widening comically. "Lu Jinchen?" she repeated slowly as if testing the name in her mouth. "You mean THE Lu Jinchen? The billionaire? The cold, heartless CEO who's basically been crowned the most eligible bachelor in the country?"
"And You're telling me he's married to you?!! That guy?!" her voice cracked as if she couldn't' the sudden revelation.
Xia Yuqing nodded slowly. "Yes."
"Oh my God!" Yan Rouxi muttered, her excitement reached a new level. "The bachelor of the century is married?! This is GOLD! A perfect headline material. I could make a fortune selling this news. Just imagine the heartbreak it would cause among all the women out there... "
"But wait, why did he marry you? I mean, why a contract marriage?" she asked, her eyes confused yet intrigued.
Xia Yuqing shrugged. "I don't know. There's nothing in my memory about it."
Suddenly, Yan Rouxi gasped, her eyes widening as if she had struck upon some hidden truth. "Wait, what if it was to hide something?"
Xia Yuqing frowned. "Hide what?"