Reborn As A Doomsday Villainess-Chapter 161: Jiong Jiyao

"Alright. I have your size."

The elevator opened and they stepped out, the girl noticed, there was only one suite on this floor.

"Must be for the best of the best." She thought to herself.

The 40th floor.

"What’s your name?"

"Huh..err Jiong Jiyao."

Qingran nodded as she punched in the code, the suite door opened with a whiff, Qingran stretched as she got in.

Placing the car keys on the counter, she collected a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Use the bathroom. I’ll get someone to make some food for you.." she paused retrieving some clothes from her space.

"You can wear this when you’re done."

Jiyao nodded quickly, clutching the clean clothes Qingran handed her. She stepped into the bathroom, closing the door softly behind her. The faint sound of running water followed a few seconds later.

Qingran exhaled and rolled her shoulders back. Now that they were alone and safe in the suite, the tension she’d carried all day finally had somewhere to go. Her gaze swept across the room—clean, spacious, with soft lighting and a calming neutral palette. The kitchenette gleamed in the corner, untouched since morning.

She set the bottle of water down on the coffee table and moved toward the kitchen, opening the cabinets and the compact fridge built into the suite. The hotel had done a good job stocking essentials—sealed boxes of rice, dried noodles, vacuum-packed meals, a few preserved side dishes, and bottles of purified water. The fridge even had a few fruits and pre-boiled eggs, clearly meant for someone who might not have time to go down for meals. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

"No room service, huh?" she muttered under her breath. "Fine. Not like I trust anyone else to season things properly anyway."

She pulled out a pack of soft tofu, some pre-cut vegetables, and a container of white miso paste. A quick, warm bowl of miso soup with rice and a side of fruit would do for a recovering appetite. Something gentle, easy to digest.

She moved with practiced efficiency, filling a pot with water and setting it on the induction burner. As it began to heat, she set the rice cooker with a scoop of white rice, letting the soft hum of appliances fill the otherwise quiet suite.

From the bathroom came the muffled sound of splashing water, followed by silence. A minute later, Jiyao emerged in the fresh set of clothes—an oversized pale grey shirt with soft drawstring pants. They hung a little loose on her frame, but her skin looked cleaner, less pale, and her eyes had lost some of that skittish fog.

Qingran glanced over from the kitchen. "Better?"

Jiyao nodded, running a towel through her damp hair. "Much better. Thank you."

"Sit down," Qingran said, gesturing toward the barstools by the kitchen counter. "Food’s almost done."

The girl hesitated a second, then settled in quietly, folding her hands on her lap.

"I didn’t expect you to be the one cooking," Jiyao admitted, glancing around. "I thought... I don’t know, someone as strong as you would have people doing that."

Qingran let out a short laugh, stirring the soup. "If I waited on people to do everything for me, I’d starve."

She ladled the miso soup into a bowl, topped it with tofu and seaweed, then passed it across the counter with a bowl of steaming rice and a peeled tangerine on the side.

Jiyao stared at the food for a moment before whispering, "It smells so good."

"Eat. Slowly."

The girl didn’t need to be told twice. She picked up the spoon and took a cautious sip of the soup—her eyes widened slightly at the warmth and flavor. She ate in silence, her shoulders gradually easing with every bite.

Qingran leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms. Watching someone else find even a little peace in the middle of all this chaos felt strangely grounding.

When the food was half gone, Jiyao paused and looked up. "Will you really go back tomorrow? For the others?"

Qingran nodded. "Of course."

"But it’s so dangerous..."

"That’s why I’m going." Her tone was even, not sharp, but certain. "No one else can handle it. Not like I can."

Jiyao looked down at her bowl again, quiet.

After a moment, Qingran added more gently, "You don’t need to worry about that. Your job is to rest, recover, and be ready when it’s time to move again."

The girl nodded slowly.

As she finished the last of her meal, Qingran moved to clear the dishes, rinsing them in the sink with quick, efficient motions.

"Come on," she said once she was done. "You can stay in the extra room tonight."

Jiyao looked surprised. "You’re letting me stay up here?"

"You said you didn’t want to be alone, didn’t you?"

The girl stood, bowing her head quickly. "Thank you. Really."

Qingran led her down a short hallway off the suite’s main area. One of the doors opened into a modest guest room—single bed, desk, and thick curtains pulled tight against the city lights. She switched on the bedside lamp.

"You’ll be safe here," she said. "If anything happens, I’m just down the hall."

Jiyao stepped inside slowly, then turned. "Goodnight, Qingran-jie."

Qingran blinked at the sudden familiarity, but didn’t correct her. "Goodnight."

She left the door cracked slightly as she returned to the main room, finally letting herself sink into the couch with a long sigh. Her muscles ached.

Her mind still reeled with the map of the school, the locations of the remaining survivors, and the dangerous clusters of infected they’d have to bypass.

[All in the days work. You’ll be fine host. I’ll relay the mission completion reward’s tomorrow. ]

"..."

"Just give it to me straight.."

["..."]

[Please get some rest, your body seriously needs it. I’ll tell you earliest tomorrow when you wake up. For now, your vitals are low and you’ll be in a critical state tomorrow.]

"..."

Qingran sighed, she guessed if Lingquan was being persistent then she had to really relax.