Beast World: From Villainess to Cub-Raising Chef

With that, he turned to Bai Su. "Stick close to me in a little while. Don’t go off on your own."

Bai Su shrank back. "You go on. Good luck."

Lu Tingyan: "?"

Bai Su patted his shoulder. "I’m so weak I couldn’t even truss a chicken. I can’t carry anything heavy. I’d only get in your way."

’This is ridiculous,’ Lu Tingyan thought. And yet, coming from Bai Su, it somehow made perfect sense.

He’d assumed that since they had planned this operation together and the Little White Wolfman was trapped inside, she would be desperate to charge in.

He had even considered how he would keep her safe once they got inside.

He had already run through several scenarios in his head, figuring out how to guarantee her maximum safety with minimal physical contact.

But he never expected that she...

...would be so self-aware.

The corner of Lu Tingyan’s mouth twitched. "Fine. Wait out here."

With that, he led his men and charged inside.

Bai Su, squatting in the bushes, was quickly spotted by Bai Xue from the helicopter.

Following Bai Xue’s directions, the Federation Commissioner led a team of Beastmen over and apprehended Bai Su without a word.

The media furiously snapped photos of the scene.

Bai Su: "?"

Bai Xue’s eyes glinted with excitement as she rushed to the front.

In front of the crowd, she suppressed the excitement in her eyes and put on a righteous facade. "Sister, how could you be involved in human trafficking? You’ve disappointed us all so much! I will absolutely not cover for you!"

Bai Su stared at her as if she were an idiot. "And which one of your eyes saw me trafficking people?"

Bai Xue scoffed, "Still trying to deny it? Isn’t there a deal happening inside right now?"

"You’re completely out of control! Did you think no one would find out just because you acted in the middle of the night?"

"Do you really think Major General Lu would cover for you? The Federation Commissioner is here today on Major General Lu’s orders."

"Give it up! Major General Lu will never like you!"

Bai Su: "..."

’How could someone so idiotic be the female lead?’

’Is this some kind of ditzy, naive heroine from an old-school romance novel?’

’One of those who stands on a moral high horse while causing disaster after disaster, only for countless male leads to jump in, clean up her messes, and highlight her "truth, goodness, and beauty"?’

Bai Su pictured Lu Tingyan being all lovey-dovey with Bai Xue and couldn’t help but break out in goosebumps. She just hoped all the commotion outside wasn’t affecting the operation inside.

Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted from the fur factory.

Everyone jumped in fright. They turned toward the sound and saw figures moving about inside.

Bai Xue looked at the Federation Commissioner. "You should hurry over. You should be in time to catch them red-handed. I can watch things here."

Naturally, the Federation Commissioner wasn’t going to miss a chance to earn some credit, so he hastily led a portion of his team and charged into the fur factory.

The surrounding media snapped picture after picture of Bai Xue and Bai Su. Some were even live-streaming the news.

A Cat Beastman reporter aimed a microphone at Bai Su. "Miss Bai Xue tells us that you’ve been engaged in human trafficking activities abroad, and that you opened an orphanage to facilitate selling children for money. Is that true?"

Bai Su’s face darkened. "Of course not."

Bai Xue gloated from the side, "Sister, stop denying it! The matter has already been thoroughly investigated. What’s the point of arguing?"

Bai Su stared at her, an uncontrollable wave of disgust rising in her heart. Bai Xue’s smug, triumphant expression was the spitting image of her own sister’s from her past life, whenever she had succeeded in winning their parents’ favor.

’It was just as nauseating. It made her want to vomit, to claw that face to ribbons!’

In her last life, Bai Su had swallowed her anger and suffered in silence, and all she got in return was being burned alive in a dressing room on her wedding day. Having been reborn, she refused to suffer the same fate again!

Bai Su turned to the reporters. "Can’t you all see what’s happening? My sister is in love with Major General Lu, and because he’s devoted to me, she’s trying to slander me out of jealousy!"

She turned to Bai Xue, speaking before her sister could retort. "Sister, I already did what you wanted and left the Bai family. I’m not going to fight you over the inheritance, so why can’t you just leave me alone?"

"Is it just because Major General Lu likes me and not you? Even when you stripped down to seduce him, he wasn’t interested. Is it my fault he follows me around all day?"

"You know better than anyone why I left the Bai family all those years ago! What more do you want from me? Do I have to die before you’ll finally be satisfied?!"

Hearing such an explosive scoop, the reporters’ cameras flashed manically. The live broadcast immediately focused its shot squarely on Bai Su.

But Bai Su’s acting skills weren’t good enough for her to actually cry, so she just pretended to break down, covering her face in anguish.

All thunder, no rain.

But in the chaos of the late-night scene, it was convincing enough.

Bai Xue was so furious her nose was practically crooked. "What nonsense are you spouting?" she yelled. "Who’s fighting with you?"

"You’re the one trafficking people! You’re the villain here!"

"You’re the one who seduced Major General Lu! He doesn’t like you at all!"

"He doesn’t like you one bit! Don’t you dare try to use the media to force a connection with him!"

Bai Su looked at her, sniffling. "I told you I’m not trafficking people. Why are you so insistent on framing me?"

"What does it have to do with me that Major General Lu likes me? He whispers sweet nothings to me every day, says he can’t live without me, and insists on eating my cooking. He says he loves me so much he can’t control himself, that he’d die without me. Is it my fault I’m just too charming? What am I supposed to do about it?!"

Lu Tingyan, who had just walked out and heard that entire speech: "..."

Bai Su shot him a guilty glance, then pretended to be very busy counting her fingers.

When Bai Xue saw Lu Tingyan, she rushed over to him. "Major General Lu, tell them! You obviously don’t like this woman. Aren’t you angry that she’s dragging your name through the mud like this?"

’Major General Lu had always been a man of integrity. She had seen it in her prophecy. Both before and after he recovered his strength, there were never any flirtatious women around him.’

Lu Tingyan looked calmly at Bai Su. "Whispering sweet nothings to Miss Bai every day? Can’t live without you?"

While shielding her face from the cameras, Bai Su secretly mouthed to him, "I’ll make you something good when we get back."

Lu Tingyan: "..."

’This woman...’

’She really knows how to get to me.’

Bai Xue looked at Lu Tingyan expectantly, waiting with bated breath for him to refute Bai Su’s claims.

For once, Lu Tingyan cleared his throat, his lips pulled into a tight line. "Well... she’s not wrong."

Bai Xue’s face fell instantly. "Major General Lu, you shouldn’t indulge her and let her tarnish your name just to save her own face! She’s a human trafficker!"

Only after she had spoken did she see the Federation Commissioner being escorted out from behind her, under guard.

"This..." She was dumbfounded, looking at Lu Tingyan in a daze. "What’s happening?"

Lu Tingyan stated flatly, "Obstruction of a military operation. Suspected of malicious interference and aiding the escape of a criminal organization."

Bai Xue shrieked, "How is that possible? The Federation Commissioner didn’t know anything! I was the one who called him here!"

Lu Tingyan raised an eyebrow. "You were?"

Bai Xue nodded emphatically. "That’s right!"

Lu Tingyan glanced at the officer beside him. "Arrest her, too."

And just like that, Bai Xue earned herself a new pair of silver bracelets.