Capítulo 8: The Male Lead's Rich Supporting Character Friend
Leslie was bored staying inside the bedroom without anything to do. Even though she really wanted to explore the manor, she had to hold herself back.
"Don't wander outside this room. I'll show you around the place later."
Those were Calix's words before he walked out of the room.
Like her who needed time to think about how to voice out that important request, he also required moments to accept her strange presence.
Right now, Leslie was floating above Charlene's body. She intently took in the little details of the latter's appearance, the one reflecting her new physical traits.
"She's a beauty," Leslie whispered softly. She still remembered her short meeting with Charlene before, "But... why did she look so hopeless back then?"
A desperate Leslie was easily persuaded by Charlene when the latter kept telling her to transmigrate into her body.
"Take my body, use it to find your child and live a new life with her."
"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."
When Charlene was coaxing Leslie, she showed no signs of regrets. Her intention was clear. She no longer wanted to be bound to her own life.
Frowning, Leslie shifted her eyes to Mimo. The fox toy was sitting on a couch facing the bed.
"Hey, Mimo... Her soul is still in there, right? She's still breathing. But, what happens after I enter her body? When will she go?"
Mimo lifted its head. Its eyes, which were simply round black beads met Leslie's.
|It's up to her. She might wander between worlds or, settle in another with a new identity.|
"You don't know or can't tell me?" asked Leslie again. This time, she brought up the points she needed to know.
Mimo paused momentarily before replying, |Both. There are certain things I can't tell you. And, I don't know everything either.|
Its answer was vague. Even though it was not helping, Leslie didn't want to force anything out of the fox toy. Perhaps, Mimo was bound with some rules unknown to her.
"It's okay, Mimo. I'm just wondering about it."
What happened today had mentally and physically drained Leslie. A wave of exhaustion started hitting her.
"It's night already."
Leslie glided in the air, heading to the closed French doors. Once she passed through the curtain and solid glass panels, the soft ray of moonlight basked upon her.
Lifting both of her hands, Leslie spread out her palms. A smile was carved on her lips.
This was so nice. Even though she was without a physical body, she could still feel the coolness of the night spring breeze. Her luscious dark locks tousled behind her.
Hovering near the railing, an idea struck Leslie's mind. She quickly sat on the top of the white balcony railing. The passing wind gently brushed against her feet.
'Poppy, Mama misses you.'
Not a day had gone by, but Leslie longed for her precious daughter. Calliope was her only light when darkness loomed over her life after losing her lover.
No matter what, Leslie wanted to be reunited with Calliope. She didn't mind if Calix told her to live in hiding after successfully finding her daughter. She just needed her dearest Calliope.
To Leslie, her life kind of mirrored Charlene's. Even though the latter came from a wealthy background, her life was not easy.
Because CEO Xu and Charlene Li were supporting characters in the book, the information related to them was not much. The side plot of them getting married also happened much later.
'Mimo, will I get all of her memories? How about the information of her life?'
In the next second, Mimo's voice echoed in Leslie's mind, answering her telepathically.
|Unless the original host suppresses the memories, they will be triggered once you come across anyone or anything important.|
Leslie let out a helpless chuckle. Shrugging, she murmured, "Seems like it won't be easy ah. I still need to find something for her."
Being given this second chance was already miraculous enough.
Leslie told herself that not everything would be served in a platter. She needed to use her wits if she wanted to find Calliope and survive here.
Also...
To fulfill Charlene's wishes.
With her gaze thrown around the spacious yard of the mansion, Leslie took her sweet time enjoying the aesthetically pleasing scenery. Even though this whole compound was huge, the area was well taken care of.
The petals of the blooming flowers danced in the air, fluttering along the passing of the breeze. Colors pink, red, yellow and white formed various floral clusters on the garden of greenery.
Uncle Raymond was the only gardener here but, it didn't mean the entire place was tended by him. A group of specialist gardeners would come twice a month.
"I think the novel mentioned there's a small lake here."
This was Leslie's first time being in a grand mansion like Graceville Manor. The feeling was real enough until she forgot this was a world crafted by an author inside a book.
The scent of the flowers was carried by the breeze, helping to expel some of her distress. In the tranquility of the night, she tried to remember some details from the book.
Graceville Manor was located in one of the wealthiest residential neighborhoods in City S, Mapleview Hills. Calix's private residence rarely made appearances in the story, unlike the male lead's.
"His mansion is this grand. I can't imagine Xander's place. Sigh, being the male lead's rich supporting friend is good enough already."
Leslie propped both hands on the railing, arching her body forward. It was hard not to be envious of these characters' wealthy lives when hers was full of struggle.
Well, perhaps she could ask Calix to give her a job recommendation later. She still needed money to raise Calliope.
With CEO Xu's influence, Leslie was positive that she could get a good one. Bitterness flashed in a second as she remembered her previous life.
Despite struggling to take care of Calliope alone, Leslie was able to graduate with flying colors. Her soft skills also were exemplary.
Yet, more often than not, the positions she was aiming for went to people who came through the backdoors. Fortunately, she was able to secure a teaching position at an elementary school.
"Hurm... I think even this world has..."
A loud scream cut off Leslie's words.
"ARGH! What are you doing there? It's dangerous!"
"...?! Ack!"
"Ow!"
In the momentary confusion, Leslie felt sturdy arms pull her by the waist. Before she could register what was happening, she already fell against a hard surface.
Just...
The solid thing was not the marble floor. It was a certain young CEO's six packs.
Caught in a daze, Leslie slowly understood what had just occurred. Seemed like Calix was shocked seeing her sitting on the balcony railing. In a reflex, he dragged her down.
Fortunately, they didn't fall to the floor. If not, the young CEO would be the one who suffered more.
Calix anxiously looked at Leslie. Both of his arms were still around her waist.
"What did you think? What if you fell down? Do you have a death wish?"
Leslie blinked.
"...do you forget what am I?"
"..."
Clamping his mouth shut, Calix swiftly released Leslie from his unintentional embrace.
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Capítulo 9: Not CEO Xu, He's Cook Xu
Taking a step back, Calix covered his mouth with a fist, "C-cough! Sorry... I didn't mean to pull you like that."
Leslie didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Even though it was an unexpected move, Calix only did that for a good reason. He thought she would fall from the balcony, hence his abrupt action.
"Don't be sorry. It's not like you're intentional," Leslie let out faint laughter. She looked at the young CEO from head to toe, "Are you already ready for bedtime now? What time is it?"
Calix had changed out of his three-piece suit.
Instead of an outfit that accentuated his broad chest and tapered waist, he wore a baggy sweater. He also put down his hair, the bangs slightly covered his forehead.
CEO Xu was already a devilishly handsome young man yet, the two moles under his left eye added more charm to his appearance.
Leslie inwardly shook her head, forcing herself to return to reality.
"Almost ten," replied Calix quietly.
After being nagged by his grandmother through the phone call earlier, Calix immersed himself in his work. He postponed reviewing a few documents in order to complete his marriage registration with Leslie.
As Calix finished his work for tonight, an image of Leslie flashed in his mind. He remembered that he told her not to step out of the bedroom even though no one else could see her.
Caught in guilt, Calix hurriedly headed to Leslie's bedroom. He was surprised to see only her body was there. Feeling skeptical, he didn't believe that her soul had returned to the shell.
It turned out, she was leisurely sitting on the balcony railing!
Leslie parted her lips, hesitating before she closed them. Calix barely noticed that she was in a battle with herself.
Wondering what she wanted to say, Calix asked, "Is there anything?"
Leslie laughed awkwardly. She slowly put her hands over her tummy, "The thing is... I'm quite hungry ah. Can I get some food?"
Leslie didn't realize how famished she was until Calix appeared. She assumed she was only sleepy. Her stomach began producing the not-so-melodious sound.
"...you still have to eat?" asked Calix dumbfoundedly. His gaze on Leslie changed, flickering with incredulity, "Even in this state?"
Heat crept on Leslie's cheeks. She nodded once, "I have to eat and sleep. Sleeping isn't a problem, but... I can't eat if you're not nearby."
Staring at Leslie with a deadpan look, Calix let out a long 'huh'. It was so obvious that he couldn't believe what she had just said.
"..."
Leslie swore she could hear a crow cawing in the background, reminding her of a children's show adored by Calliope.
"A-ahem! Anyway, I'm hungry," Leslie quickly broke the awkward silence, "So, can I go out of this room? When will you show me around the house?"
Calix scratched the back of his neck. His other hand rested on his waist. His impassive look was replaced with a troubled one.
"Sigh... if you put it like that, it sounds like I'm keeping you hostage here ah. Come. Let's go to the kitchen now."
Leslie grinned, "Thank you."
Calix suddenly exclaimed, "Walk, don't float. I wanna keep my mind in peace. What if I dream of ghosts tonight?"
Leslie almost choked. Holding back from gritting her teeth, she quickly agreed, "Yeah, yeah. I'll walk ah. You won't dream of any ghosts."
Calix narrowed his eyes. Despite doubting Leslie's words, he complained nothing.
Thus, a happy Leslie followed the apologetic Calix out of the bedroom.
Mimo didn't follow. It lay on the couch and told Leslie to enjoy her meal. She promised to return as soon as she could.
As Calix led Leslie down the hallway, he began telling her about the manor. He kept his tone as usual instead of lowering it down, seemingly unafraid of people hearing him talking by himself.
It turned out, there was a good reason why.
"There's only me and two staff here. They are husband and wife. Uncle Raymond is the gardener and driver. His wife, Aunt Wendy acts as the cook and housekeeper. Usually at eight-thirty, they'll retreat to the annex where they live."
Calix continued talking as he and Leslie descended the staircase. Warm yellowish light brightened the hallway, allowing her to see the opulence of the mansion.
"This is the second floor. My bedroom's also here. This mansion has three floors above ground and two-level basements. The third floor has a swimming pool. If you like exercising, you can go to the first basement. There's a gym there."
As Leslie quietly listened to Calix, a thought struck her mind.
This guy loved talking, didn't he? Calix didn't look as afraid and uncomfortable with her as before even though not a day had passed.
Was it because this world was inside a book?
The characters were supposed to have the same level of rationality as real humans. But, perhaps there were unwritten rules about them being able to accept ridiculous things easily.
Soon, they reached the kitchen. Leslie inwardly sighed, thinking the place was bigger than her whole apartment unit in her previous life.
Everything was put in an orderly manner, expressing how meticulous Aunt Wendy was. Leslie would love to meet the older woman.
"Sit down. Choose any stools," said Calix without looking at Leslie. He headed toward the wide double-door refrigerator, "I told Aunt Wendy not to cook for me tonight so, there's no leftovers."
"I can have some toast," Leslie pulled out one of the stools, still standing next to it, "If you want, I can cook for you."
Cooking for him, meant bribing him with food.
Leslie wasn't one to boast but, her cooking skill was excellent. Her maternal grandmother taught everything she knew as Leslie inherited her knowledge. Yet, she mostly used cheap ingredients to save costs.
Calix's next words surprised Leslie.
"No need. I'll cook. How about egg fried rice? You can eat that, don't you?"
"...huh?"
Did he say... he would cook?
That CEO Xu?
Startled, Leslie eyed Calix in disbelief. Her lips formed a small round shape.
Calix rolled his eyes. His lips curled up with a hint of a smirk, "What? Do you think I can't cook? I'm a good cook, okay? You'll surely like it."
Ignoring Leslie, Calix brought out a bowl of white rice. Aunt Wendy always kept some inside the fridge. The refrigerated rice was perfect to be transformed into simple yet delicious egg fried rice.
Aside from the white rice, Calix also grabbed three eggs, garlic, a carrot and scallions.
"This is just a simple dish. I'll let you taste more complex ones later."
"Yes..."
In the end, Leslie sat on the stool. She quietly watched Calix frying rice using a wok. His movement showed no awkwardness.
Right now, instead of CEO Xu, he should be called Cook Xu.
Leslie stifled her laughter.
Well... not a day had passed yet she already learned new sides of this young CEO Xu.
Soon, a delicious fragrance spread in the kitchen. Calix seasoned the fried rice with some salt and pepper before he gave it a few quick tosses.
"I think we have more things to talk about," Calix reached out for two clean bowls, getting ready to serve the dish, "Let's chat over supper."
Leslie's heart skipped a beat.
What would his questions be?
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