Her phone buzzed. Song Nanyin glanced down at the screen. Her thoughtful phone assistant had sent today’s weather: all clear, everything auspicious.

Auspicious my ass. She cursed inwardly as she walked from the parking lot toward the elevator, scrolling through her phone out of sheer boredom. She wasn’t watching her step and stepped in coffee someone had spilled on the floor, staining the edge of her brand-new shoes an ugly coffee brown.

WCRR Corporation had always been famous for its cleanliness. The odds of getting your shoes dirty at the company were almost lower than every stock price on the board turning red, an event rarer than once in a hundred years, yet today she had managed it…

Damn Mercury retrograde. Song Nanyin thought. She bent down to wipe the stain off her shoe, tossed the wet wipe into a nearby trash can, and finally got into the elevator.

It was exactly rush hour, so the elevator held a fair number of people, though thankfully it wasn’t overly crowded. When Song Nanyin came in, colleagues who knew her nodded in greeting, and the friendlier ones struck up conversation.

“Team Leader Song, you’re in to work. I heard you took sick leave these past few days. Are you feeling better?” A male colleague spoke up with a feigned look of concern.

He was holding breakfast in his hand, steamed buns from some shop, giving off that peculiar smell unique to steamed buns, one Song Nanyin didn’t care for.

The enclosed space was stuffy to begin with, and Song Nanyin had been running a fever for two straight days, her nose bothering her too. She had neither the strength nor the mood for unnecessary social interaction, and she seemed listless and languid all over.

“Mm, fine, thanks.” Song Nanyin pressed her red lips together and replied flatly. The male colleague was deflated and stepped back a little awkwardly. The colleagues around him looked at him with obvious mockery in their eyes.

The elevator stopped on the first floor, and the air that rushed in when the doors opened made Song Nanyin feel a bit better. She subtly shifted to the other side, and at that moment a familiar light fragrance drifted over.

Song Nanyin glanced sideways and, sure enough, saw Liu Zhaoran standing beside her. The woman was dressed as immaculately as ever, her long black hair simply pinned up on top of her head, revealing a slender, fair neck. A collarbone chain hung across her collarbones, a limited edition from some luxury brand.

White fitted blazer, white blouse, matching pencil skirt, and her usual three-centimeter heels. The outfit looked the same as always, yet every detail was full of calculated little touches. Her lipstick had been swapped for a new shade, and a new brooch was pinned at her collar.

Song Nanyin rolled her eyes inwardly, convinced that today was even unluckier than usual. Compared to running into Liu Zhaoran first thing in the morning, stepping in coffee had been a stroke of luck.

“Team Leader Song, good morning. This is the first time I’ve run into you this early. Are you feeling any better?” Seeing Song Nanyin, Liu Zhaoran asked with a light smile.

Catching the implication that she rarely came in this early and always clocked in at the last minute, Song Nanyin smiled too, and setting her physical discomfort aside, immediately summoned one hundred percent of her energy. A bout with the Black-Hearted Lotus meant that one careless slip would lose you the whole game.

“Yes, it’s rare to run into you at this hour, Director Liu, since you usually take General Manager Zhang’s private elevator.” Song Nanyin raised an eyebrow. She noticed that after she spoke, quite a few colleagues glanced curiously at Liu Zhaoran, and she laughed inwardly.

Ha, as if she didn’t know how to be snide too.

The brief exchange ended as the elevator reached Song Nanyin’s floor. She was the planning department team leader, on the twenty-first floor of WCRR, while Liu Zhaoran was on the thirty-sixth floor, in the director’s office.

Song Nanyin turned sideways to step out of the elevator, and at that moment her head spun into a brief fog, her vision darkening along with it for a few seconds.

Song Nanyin staggered, wearing heels a full eight centimeters high. She could imagine what an exceedingly dramatic scene it would be if she fell right now. She could tolerate a hundred people seeing her fall, but she did not want Liu Zhaoran to be among those hundred.

Just then, a hand pulled her back from behind, and she tumbled into the other person’s arms by momentum. Song Nanyin meant to say thank you, but when she turned around and found Liu Zhaoran’s half-smiling face, the word “thanks” lodged in her throat like a bone, refusing to come out.

“Team Leader Song, are you all right? Is something wrong with your health?”

Up close, Song Nanyin had to admit Liu Zhaoran truly did have a good-looking face. She wasn’t the type to stun at first glance, but the kind who grew more pleasing the longer you looked, beautiful from every unforgiving angle.

The woman, relying on her good skin, cunningly wore a bare-faced makeup look that seemed almost like she had nothing on at all. But don’t think she didn’t know: every one of Liu Zhaoran’s cosmetics was painstakingly chosen, and her perfume almost never repeated two days in a row.

If one had to describe Liu Zhaoran with a flower, she was undoubtedly a white lotus, of the kind whose heart was rotten black to the core. Seeing the mockery barely concealed in Liu Zhaoran’s eyes, Song Nanyin frowned hard and pushed her away without ceremony.

“I’m fine. I’m going.” Song Nanyin couldn’t be bothered to keep fencing with Liu Zhaoran and chose a less than graceful exit. As she stepped out of the elevator, she vaguely heard someone inside muttering, probably one of Liu Zhaoran’s “supporters.”

“Director Liu, why do you think Team Leader Song goes out of her way to target you like that? It’s not like you snatched the NOZC Corporation deal from her. She lost it because she wasn’t capable enough and took sick leave. Ever since you brought it back to the company, she hasn’t given you a single decent look.”

What the other person thought was a quiet mutter was a loud, obvious conspiracy to Song Nanyin’s excellent hearing.

“Don’t spread rumors. Team Leader Song and I get along very well. She’s just not feeling well and lacks energy. It might also be that I hurt her when I helped her up just now.”

Liu Zhaoran’s explanatory voice came from the elevator. Song Nanyin paused in her step, then gave a light scoff, and click-clacked away on her heels.

Rotten luck, running into Liu Zhaoran first thing in the morning.

The moment Song Nanyin stepped into the office area, the colleagues who had been chatting fell silent. She straightened her back, swept her gaze over the vaguely familiar faces, then pushed open the door and walked into her office. No sooner was she inside than she sat down, somewhat drained of strength.

Whether because of the high fever these past few days, Song Nanyin felt hollowed out all over. She was already exhausted, and on top of that she had just been sparring wits with Liu Zhaoran in the elevator. At this point she only felt sleepy enough to collapse.

Song Nanyin yawned, wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes with her fingers, and decided to brew a cup of coffee to perk herself up.

WCRR had a dedicated café for employees, complete with equipment for brewing your own coffee. Song Nanyin had deliberately bought some coffee beans, and every so often she would go brew herself a handcrafted cup.

She went into a small alcove and quietly ground her beans in the coffee machine. Just then, several people walked in from outside; judging by their conversation, they were a few men from the sales department.

“Hey, did you hear? Kaleidoscope came to work today.”

One of them spoke up, his voice coarse, an unpleasant rasp. From the opening line it was a textbook setup, and gossip was sure to follow. Song Nanyin pricked up her ears, curious about who Kaleidoscope was. The nickname was rather distinctive.

“Yeah, I heard she took sick leave, but she doesn’t look sick at all, dressed just as flashy as ever. Did you see it? Today’s skirt is so short her fake tits are almost falling out.”

At that, Song Nanyin was momentarily at a loss for words. She suddenly understood what it meant to be enjoying some gossip and then find out it was about you. She looked down at her real breasts, still sitting properly in her bra, and felt angry and speechless at the same time.

What did he mean, fake tits? These were the real thing, honest-to-goodness D cups. Fake my ass.

Her irritation sent the coffee grinder into a loud whir, and the conversation outside clearly wasn’t over.

“Exactly. Who knows if she comes to work or to walk a runway. She’s used that face of hers to get plenty of perks from General Manager Zhang. I think she’s always had her eye on him. Those two must have something going on, or how else would she have become team leader?”

“But now that Director Liu is here, she has no chance. Everyone knows General Manager Zhang likes Director Liu. He stopped paying attention to Kaleidoscope long ago. That’s why Kaleidoscope is always making things difficult for Director Liu. I heard she even shoved her in the elevator today.”

“That intense? Well, I suppose it figures. Kaleidoscope can’t match Director Liu at anything, so she’s bound to be jealous. But credit where it’s due, Kaleidoscope really does have a great figure. If her personality weren’t so awful, I’d want to pursue her.”

“With that stuck-up look of hers, eyes practically on top of her head, you think she’d ever take a fancy to you?”

“Don’t say that, Brother Wang. Look at the way she acts, who knows…”

Listening to the men outside getting more and more out of line, Song Nanyin felt as if a swarm of maggots were crawling at her feet, disgust churning in her stomach. She instantly lost all interest in coffee and was about to walk out and demand an explanation when a voice cut in.

“Don’t gossip about other people’s private matters. Is this what your work hours are for?” Liu Zhaoran walked in from the doorway, scolding in a low voice.

She was usually gentle and agreeable with everyone, and few had ever seen her put on a stern face. On top of that, their remarks really had crossed the line, so the men, afraid Liu Zhaoran would hold them accountable, said nothing and quickly slipped away.

Song Nanyin made no move to slip away either. She simply carried her freshly brewed coffee out and stood at the counter. Seeing that Song Nanyin was there too, Liu Zhaoran was briefly taken aback, then quietly began making tea as if she hadn’t noticed her.

Song Nanyin looked up at herself in the mirror, also letting some of her gaze fall on Liu Zhaoran. The two of them gave off completely opposite vibes. If the former was gentle and elegant, then Song Nanyin was the type whose beauty stunned at first glance.

Song Nanyin’s great-grandfather had been English, though the old man had passed away when she was very young, and Song Nanyin had little memory of him. But her relatives always said she resembled him the most; she had had the face of a beautiful mixed-race child since she was little.

Her features were deep and naturally striking: skin white as snow, eyes emerald green. Even without makeup, her delicate features carried a powerful impact. As a result, many people who saw Song Nanyin felt her beauty was almost too intense, carrying a hint of something restless and unsettled.

Before meeting Liu Zhaoran, Song Nanyin had never felt there was anything wrong with her overall effect. But after the two of them developed some inexplicable interactions, Song Nanyin felt she had been forcibly cast as the vicious supporting female character next to her.

Standing together, it was as if one was the goddess and the other the seductive slut.

Song Nanyin and Liu Zhaoran had never gotten along, before and now alike. She disliked playing at pleasantries, so she wore her aversion openly on her face.

“Sometimes when I’m off, I like to take walks in the park. There are white lotuses growing in the pond. Some grow beautifully, but others, when you peel back their petals, are rotten from the root, black to the core.”

Song Nanyin said softly, her bewitching peach-blossom eyes narrowing as she cast a glance at Liu Zhaoran beside her. She knew she was being somewhat snide, but toward Liu Zhaoran, she really couldn’t produce any kind words.

“I never knew Team Leader Song had a taste for appreciating lotuses. You must like them very much. But your health has only just recovered. I hear a severe fever can damage the brain and cause physical behavior beyond one’s own control, so perhaps it’s best to stay away from the lakeside.”

Liu Zhaoran answered with a smile, and that lukewarm attitude made Song Nanyin’s anger flare with nowhere to go, yet she couldn’t find the right words to say.

“Are you overthinking things? When did I ever say I like looking at lotuses?” Song Nanyin bristled, itching to ask directly: how long are you going to keep up the act? But the words reached her lips and were swallowed back down.

Song Nanyin couldn’t be bothered to say another word to Liu Zhaoran at that point. She simply raised her coffee, gave a cold snort, and left.

As a result, Song Nanyin was miserable at every turn for the rest of the day. At the company meeting, Liu Zhaoran was praised for securing the major deal, and after the meeting, Zhang Kai even came to find her alone. The gist of it was that handing the deal over to Liu Zhaoran had been unavoidable, and he would find an opportunity to make it up to her later.

Zhang Kai was 32, 182 centimeters tall, and had become general manager at a young age. He had good credentials, solid work ability, and a decent personality. Song Nanyin had indeed been somewhat interested in him at first, had deliberately flirted with him a few times, and felt he had taken the bait.

But the good times didn’t last. After Liu Zhaoran transferred to the company, the man’s attitude toward her changed. Now, hearing him talk about compensation, Song Nanyin was about to speak when Liu Zhaoran happened to push the door open, a document in her hand.

“General Manager Zhang, sorry to interrupt. There’s an urgent document here that needs your signature. I heard from a colleague that you were here, so I came over.” Liu Zhaoran walked in with a smile. At the sight of her, Zhang Kai immediately stepped back a few paces, as if afraid she might get the wrong idea about him and Song Nanyin.

Song Nanyin watched Zhang Kai’s movement and rolled her eyes inwardly. Ha… a man’s words really were that untrustworthy.

Listening to the two of them brazenly start discussing work right there in her office, Zhang Kai eagerly inviting Liu Zhaoran to lunch as they walked out, Song Nanyin packed up her things in speechless exasperation. Only then did Zhang Kai seem to remember she existed and turn back around.

“Um… Nan, uh… Team Leader Song, I heard you haven’t been feeling well lately. Would you like Director Liu and me to drive you home?”

The man asked softly, his face plainly saying he hoped she would refuse. Song Nanyin naturally wouldn’t meddle in that, because just looking at Liu Zhaoran’s face disgusted her, and seeing Zhang Kai only doubled the disgust.

“No need, General Manager Zhang. I’ll drive myself back.” Song Nanyin finished with a smile, and Zhang Kai couldn’t wait to leave with Liu Zhaoran. Watching their retreating backs, Song Nanyin cursed the pair of dogs under her breath, grabbed her bag in a huff, and drove home by herself.

She wasn’t feeling well and had no appetite, so she simply ate some fruit to fill her stomach, lay down on the bed, felt the world spinning around her, and started running a low fever again.

“Damn it… it’s all that White Lotus Liu Zhaoran’s fault. Why does she have to provoke me for no reason? My head is so dizzy… ugh… I hate this so much.”

Wrapped in her blanket, Song Nanyin felt not just dizzy, but also a tingling heat spreading through her body, especially… in her private place, which was also a little itchy, strangely uncomfortable.

She couldn’t understand why dizziness would come bundled with some kind of discomfort down below. She drifted into a dazed unconsciousness, and when she opened her eyes again, it was already noon the next day.

Song Nanyin didn’t know how much she had sweated that night. She only knew that after waking, her throat ached terribly, parched as if she had swallowed a ton of sand. She sat up from the bed with difficulty and immediately noticed something strange about her body.

She slowly moved her legs, pressed them together, parted them again, then pressed them together once more.

Then, as if doubting something, she slowly reached her hand down.

Where it had been smooth between her legs, there was suddenly a strange thing… soft, and a little warm? She tugged at it, and it wouldn’t come off?

Song Nanyin numbly lifted her nightgown, staring at the faint bulge beneath her underwear. In disbelief, she pulled the little panties aside. Then, looking at the extra part that had appeared, she gasped in shock.