“Please kill me now.”

Cheng Xiao, like all people present, was simultaneously puzzled and frightened. More so because this… SeolA, was it? Had just entered her house uninvited. And why was she acting like that with Eunseo? They clearly knew each other, but the latter’s discomfort was very evident.

“Uh, excuse me…” She started, politely.

As she did, SeolA turned her unblinking eyes straight to hers, moving her neck in a frighteningly mechanical way. Gee, she was scary alright. At least it seemed like Eunseo was finally breathing again.

“Who are you?” The black-haired woman asked first.

“Uhm… This is my house. My name is Cheng Xiao Xiao. May I ask if I can help with something?”

“Ah! You. THE Cheng Xiao. Of course. So nice to meet you.” SeolA’s frightening smile turned even wider as she bowed to Cheng Xiao. “I’m Kim SeolA.”

Everyone reluctantly bowed back, but nobody said anything else. They hadn’t been exactly enlightened on who she was except for her name either. And what did she mean with ‘THE Cheng Xiao’ anyway?

“So… will you mind telling me what this good-for-nothing is doing here instead of… HANDING HER MANUSCRIPT ON TIME?!” As SeolA yelled the last few words, she threateningly turned her stare back to Eunseo, way too close to her face. Everyone jerked in surprise.

Eunseo stopped breathing again and went back to laughing nervously.

“Heh… I can explain unnie… You know, later, like, not right now?”

“LATER?! You think you can do ‘later’?! Do you happen to keep track of how many extensions you’ve asked for? Because you were uninspired?! Or some other crappy excuse you made? Look, this isn’t all about you. I’m your editor, and I also have people I have to answer to, for you. I am the one who has to take responsibility for you in front of the publisher, and I am SICK, completely SICK of having to take their crap because YOU can’t uphold deadlines. There’s too much at stake here, Son Eunseo. If this drags on, we’re going to lose your deal. The board may be babying you because of your previous bestsellers, but your luck is going to run out someday. Now what are we going to do about it? What are YOU going to do about it?! Do you even have anything to give me?!”

SeolA was shaking, as she was spitting the harsh words in Eunseo’s face. Her whole face was red and tense, her fists clenched beside her body. Eunseo, on the other hand, was looking away from her, clearly trying to keep her cool and hold back her tears, but she was failing at it. Her eyes had become bloodshot, her cheeks red, her lip quivering, as tears involuntarily fell from the corners of her eyes.

Everyone else’s mouths were hanging open, not sure of what to do. Cheng Xiao couldn’t imagine what it was like to be Eunseo at that moment. Those words stung her own heart, even though they hadn’t been directed at her. To hear that sort of things, and on top of that, in front of all of them, mostly people she barely knew. What was this Kim SeolA thinking, doing that in public, as if it wasn’t humiliating enough already? That was too much.

This was her turn to comfort Eunseo, after all she had already done for her already, after the times she had already muffled her cries, only in one day. But neither nor her body seemed to move, to find the right thing to do or say. It was as if Eunseo was out of reach.

Someone had an idea in mind, though.

“Excuse me, miss Kim.” Exy stepped in. “If you could allow us to finish our business here and wait patiently for a few minutes while we try to gather some final information, we’d be very grateful to you.”

“Wait patiently. Wait patiently?! I CAN’T AFFORD TO WAIT ANYMORE! Who the hell are you even and what ‘business’ do you have with Eunseo? I’m pretty sure it can wait. Stay out of this.”

Exy locked her jaw and pulled out her badge.

“Miss Kim, we are conducting an investigation here. Please do allow us to ask a few more questions and then you’ll be free to discuss whatever you have to discuss.”

“Oh, a cop. What kind of a cop are you, if you can’t even protect yourself and just go and stumble on people?!” SeolA stiffened, slightly taken aback. “And what kind of trouble did you get in Eunseo?! That cops are ‘investigating’ you? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?! If you ruin your reputation, YOU’RE FREAKING SCREWED!! YOU WON’T SELL.”

SeolA was the one that seemed to have lost her mind, though, as she again tried to dash towards Eunseo, who was still sobbing loudly. It took both Dayoung and Bona to hold her down and try to tell her to calm down, to no avail. She was still angrily spitting words out.

“I’m going to have to ask you to calm down, miss Kim. Please cooperate with our investigation. I am not going to ask you again.” Exy continued fronting.

“Or what?” SeolA grunted between clenched teeth, releasing herself from the girls’ grip, facing Exy with the same threatening look she had used with Eunseo earlier. “Are you gonna arrest me? What for? Yelling? Please.”

SeolA rolled her eyes and scoffed, collecting herself. She didn’t want to show any sign of being intimidated by Exy’s demeanor, but it was clear she was toning down.

As the others observed the situation in shock, Exy maintained a straight face and pulled a pair of handcuffs from her belt, dangling them above her head, closing the distance between her face and SeolA’s.

“No. But I can and I’d be willing to arrest you for disrespecting an authority.” She smirked. “I must confess the sight of you in handcuffs isn’t unpleasant in the slightest.” Exy’s eyebrows raised as she eyed SeolA from head to toe.

A collective gasp was heard. Cheng Xiao sort of feared for Exy’s life, and she had a feeling that was exactly what was going on in everyone else’s heads… except for the officer’s.

The black-haired woman was fuming. There was no way her face could be any redder, that she could be any stiffer, that her eyes could widen even more. She was quickly moving her stare up and down Exy, and then between all of the others, without saying a word. Her face was unreadable. Finally, she rested her stare on Eunseo.

“I’ll be back in an hour.”

She was barely heard, as she had spoken too fast and started to dash away just as quickly.

As she was in the elevator, gone from everyone’s sight, both Exy and Dayoung started laughing out loud and high-fiving each other.

“OOOOOOOOOOH BOSS!!!! That was genius! Just as expected from you!”

“There you go Dayoungie. Dealing with people is all about finding their weakness without them even realizing it. Someday you’ll know.”

Even Bona was giggling slightly at what had just happened.

Eunseo had the corners of her lips raised, to go along with them, but her face wasn’t one bit convincing. Cheng Xiao was cursing herself for having frozen while Eunseo was looking like that. She was pretty sure if she was in her place, Eunseo would have known exactly what to do.

Having finished their work for the time being, Exy and Dayoung left, asking the three girls to contact them should they find or remember something that could be relevant, and also that they remain reachable should the officers need them in any way.

That led them to remember the fact that Cheng Xiao still didn’t have a phone or any other way to be reached.  

Bona had a lot she had to do at the company, with all that happened with the CEO and all the pending business about the expansion and the failed meeting. Even so, she insisted she would personally be back as soon as possible with a new phone for her. Meanwhile, and much to her dismay, she insisted Cheng Xiao remained with Eunseo until she came back, so the latter could keep an eye on her and serve as a means of communication.

Cheng Xiao really, really liked the idea, as she did not want to have to spend one more minute in that dark, putrid environment, and have to think it was her house. She did not have any physical or mental strength to fix it for the time being.

And most importantly, she would be staying with Eunseo. She was very sure she was going to be in good hands.

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A/N: Hello everyone! Here's another update :) I hope you didn't have to wait too long. But who doesn't love some y ? :D Hehe. As you could probably tell by the end of the chapter, you can expect some Eunxiao developments up next.

Thank you so much for your continued support, with comments, subs and votes. I really enjoy reading about your theories and what you have to say. Seems like a lot of you are looking forward to Xuan Yi's appearance. I promise she will appear as soon as it makes sense! And also, I did not forget Mei Qi... you'll see. :)