Survival Guide After Accidentally Kissing a Demon - Chapter 371

Extra — IF: Cassius (3)

After having her injuries treated, Beili returned to her accommodation.

She sat on the edge of her bed, looked at the phone on the table that had gone on strike after its screen shattered, and let out a long sigh.

Having such an old model repaired in London would probably cost more than she had paid for the secondhand Apple in the first place.

Yet in her current circumstances, getting by without a phone was nearly impossible.

Beili did some calculations on a sheet of scrap paper. She would probably have to find another part-time job at the department store, this one on the morning shift.

She needed to earn enough both for a new phone and for the materials to make the garment.

Beili opened her laptop.

Just as she was about to search part-time job sites and local forums for temporary morning work, a notification for a new email suddenly popped up.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she opened it.

**From:** C
**Subject:** Regarding Your Phone

> Dear Miss Beili,
>
> Your communications device has been damaged. To ensure that your studies and daily life are not affected, a new phone has been prepared for you. It comes with a UK number and sufficient prepaid credit. It is expected to be delivered to your accommodation at ten o’clock this morning.
>
> Please watch for its arrival.
>
> Best regards,
> C

As she read the message on the screen, Beili became certain that C was Mr. Cassius.

At around ten that morning, the doorbell to her accommodation rang as expected.

Beili hopped over on one foot and opened the door.

A deliveryman stood outside.

“Good morning, miss. I have a parcel for you. I need your signature.” Smiling, the deliveryman handed her a signature pad.

Beili signed her name, accepted the box, and closed the door.

She returned to the table and opened the package.

Inside was the latest iPhone.

Beneath it lay a pure white card bearing familiar handwritten Chinese:

> I hope this will make things more convenient for you.

The phone was brand-new, and even its language had thoughtfully been set to Chinese.

She pressed the power button. The screen lit up and took her straight to the home screen, without requiring any setup at all.

Beili picked up the phone, its cool metal casing fitting neatly against her palm.

She looked at the empty contact list, then signed in to her email. The email address labeled “C” sat there in silence.

After hesitating for a long time, she closed everything after all.

Beili felt that C—that Cassius—was far too good to her.

It had gone well beyond charity.

She knew that, with a little effort, she might be considered pretty, but she was by no means stunning.

So Cassius could not have seen the ID photo on her application and decided that he wanted to keep her as his mistress.

The female customer from last night was plainly much more beautiful. After accepting the phone, Beili spent some time setting it up, checked the hour, then gathered her things and left.

Although her injured foot had not fully healed, temporary workers could hardly ask for leave.

So she left earlier than usual and limped out of the college, intending to catch the bus.

The snow had stopped today, and there were far more pedestrians outside the college.

Beili glanced around casually and suddenly noticed a familiar car.

The black Bentley stood quietly by the road outside the college, its understated yet luxurious finish gleaming beneath London’s gray sky and the falling snowflakes.

Beili’s footsteps faltered slightly.

This was the car that had taken her back to her accommodation, and its owner was the generous benefactor who had made her dream of studying possible.

Beili quickly looked away, lowered her head, and pretended not to see it as she continued limping toward the bus stop.

But as she passed the front of the car, the window on the driver’s side rolled down.

The person behind the wheel turned his head.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that he was wearing a dark turtleneck today. His short golden hair had been swept loosely back, and his emerald eyes were like gemstones immersed in a cold spring.

His voice traveled through the frigid air, still carrying that elegant British accent.

“Miss Beili, your injured foot needs rest.”

Beili had no choice but to stop. She felt as though she had been nailed to the pavement.

“I need to go to work.”

She tried to keep her voice calm, but her eyes strayed elsewhere of their own accord, unable to meet his gaze for long.

Cassius inclined his head slightly, his expression calm and gentle. “I understand. But the buses are very crowded at this hour, which will hinder your ankle’s recovery. Please allow me to take you.”

His words were filled with concern, and his reasoning was perfectly sound.

“There’s no need to trouble yourself, Mr. Cassius. I can take a taxi,” Beili said.

Of course, once he left, she would still choose the more affordable bus.

Cassius watched her silently for two seconds. Beili felt as though those eyes could see straight through her embarrassment.

“Miss Beili, you have put so much effort into my gift that you are even working with an injury. I cannot stand by and watch you suffer further inconvenience because of it.”

He spoke again, his tone gentle. “Please get in. This is no special treatment, merely the most basic courtesy of a gentleman.”

He had mentioned the gift.

He had even guessed that she was working part-time to buy the fabric for the clothes she was making him.

Beili drew in a breath, letting the icy air fill her lungs and calm her heart, which had fallen out of rhythm.

Her benefactor was right there before her. Refusing once was polite; refusing twice would be discourteous.

“Then, thank you.”

Beili could only reply softly before walking around to the passenger side.

Before she opened the door, the man inside had already moved his coat to the back seat.

Beili got in.

Once she was settled, Cassius started the car.

It was warm inside.

The same woody fragrance that clung to his coat filled the cabin.

But an awkward silence was spreading there as well.

Beili sat straight-backed and stared ahead, both hands wrapped around the backpack on her knees. Her expression was calm, but inwardly she was nervous.

After quite some time, Cassius broke the silence first.

“Is your job still at that department store?”

“Yes,” Beili answered instinctively.

Only then did she suddenly realize that her benefactor always addressed her with elegant courtesy, in his emails as well as in person.

His phrasing was somewhat old-fashioned, almost as though he came from the previous century.

The car fell silent once more.

Beili did not want to leave her benefactor with the impression that she was dull and taciturn. She hurriedly arranged her words in her mind and asked with equal politeness and caution, “Have you had lunch yet?”

Cassius paused slightly, his grip on the steering wheel tightening for an instant.

He turned and glanced at Beili. The faintest hint of surprise crossed his emerald eyes, as though he had not expected her to initiate such an ordinary conversation.

“Not yet,” he replied, a gentle note of amusement entering his voice. “I usually dine a little later.”

Beili nodded in acknowledgment, and the car went quiet again.

She continued turning over suitable things to say in her mind, but felt as though she had already missed the moment when she could have carried on the conversation naturally. Damn it, how could anyone be this bad at chatting?

“And you, Miss Beili? Have you had lunch?” Cassius asked in return.

“A little.”

Beili gave a vague answer. In truth, she had merely wolfed down a slice of bread before leaving.

His emerald gaze briefly left the road to sweep across her profile, and he gave a small nod.

Only after the car stopped in the department store’s temporary drop-off area did he say gently, “It is important to take in sufficient energy before work.”

Beili assumed that he was merely offering a reminder before bringing their brief journey to an end.

She was about to nod her thanks and open the door when she saw from the corner of her eye that Cassius had unfastened his seat belt first.

“One moment, please.”

As he spoke, he reached into the back seat.

The next moment, a brown paper bag appeared in his hand.

He held it out to Beili.

“What is this?” Beili froze.

Her gaze lowered slightly. She could just make out the square outline of a food container inside.

“Only a simple sandwich and some warm milk. Please accept them. Working on an empty stomach is bad for your health.”

Cassius smiled as he spoke, his expression and tone entirely natural.

Beili looked at the paper bag, then raised her eyes to Cassius.

The morning light outlined his flawless profile and golden hair. His emerald eyes calmly met hers as he waited.

Had he originally bought this for himself?

That seemed unlikely. His car had plainly been waiting for her outside the college.

Beili hesitantly reached out. As she accepted the paper bag, her fingertips accidentally brushed Cassius’s hand.

His fingers were cold, as though chilled by the snowy weather.

Yet the heating in the car was more than sufficient.

Never mind. Beili opened the door, bent down, and said softly, “Thank you for lunch, Mr. Cassius.”

“You are welcome. I hope work goes smoothly today.”

Inside the car, Cassius smiled, his emerald eyes curving into a beautiful arc. He did not mind in the slightest that she kept slipping between more and less formal forms of address.

Holding the brown paper bag, Beili watched the black Bentley glide soundlessly into traffic and soon disappear.

It felt as though her heart had been filled with London’s heavy fog.

Since she had arrived earlier than expected, Beili sat on a roadside bench and finished the sandwich and warm milk before entering the department store.

“Beili, I saw that…”

The moment she stepped behind the counter, the saleswoman teased her with a smile. “Coming to your part-time job in a Bentley—are you here to experience how ordinary people live? Wealthy girls from the East seem rather fond of that.”

Beili realized that the woman had happened to see her getting out of the car. She could only respond with a dry laugh. “I just happened to hail a Bentley as a taxi…” As if that were possible.

Seeing that Beili would not say anything, the saleswoman chuckled to herself and changed the subject. “That Miss Green from last night came back first thing this morning to exchange the design!”

“I guessed wrong.” The saleswoman gestured toward her ring finger. “Miss Green was wearing a wedding ring. She’s married, and her husband is very likely that handsome, generous gentleman from last night!”

The dry smile on Beili’s face instantly froze.

She scarcely heard the saleswoman go on to lament why all the best men in London married so young.

A sense of absurdity and an icy chill raced up Beili’s spine.

Mr. Cassius was C, and he was married.

That made the purpose behind everything he had done for her painfully obvious.

His generous kindness suddenly became tainted, and revulsion seized her.

The sandwich and milk she had just consumed churned violently in her stomach.

“What’s wrong? You’ve suddenly gone so pale.” The saleswoman beside her noticed something amiss and asked in concern.

“It’s nothing.”

Beili forced a smile, her voice flat.

The saleswoman’s words hung over her like a bank of dark clouds.

Behind the counter, Beili maintained a faint smile. Her feelings were tangled, and a nameless anger flared and died within her, only to die and flare again.

As she turned it over and over in her mind, time flew by.

Soon it was eleven at night.

Beili slowly walked out of the department store and immediately saw the black Bentley parked quietly in its usual spot by the road.

Her steps halted, and she almost turned around at once.

But the Bentley’s rear door opened.

Cassius stepped out.

His golden hair shone with a cool luster beneath the department store’s neon lights. He walked around the rear of the car and came straight toward her.

Beili instinctively retreated half a step.

His emerald eyes caught the resistance and tension in hers, and Cassius stopped several paces away.

His brows drew together almost imperceptibly. He seemed a little puzzled, yet still extended the invitation.

“Miss Beili, your injured foot should not endure prolonged standing, much less walking. Please get in.”

He was her benefactor.

Even if he was married, she had no way to refuse his gestures of goodwill or his attempts to draw close.

The moment he withdrew his sponsorship, her life would plunge back into its bleakest depths.

She gave a small nod and said quietly, “Thank you for the trouble.”

Cassius stepped aside and opened the rear door for her.

Beili lowered her lashes, avoided his gaze, and climbed into the car.

The vehicle merged smoothly into traffic.

Beili sat pressed against the far door, hugging her backpack tightly against her chest.

Silence spread through the cabin.

“You seem to be in low spirits today. Did something unpleasant happen at work?” Cassius asked.

His voice was as gentle as ever, but carried a note of inquiry.

“No. I’m only a little tired from standing.”

Beili found an excuse, then said softly, “I’m sorry, Mr. Cassius, but I would like to sleep for a little while in the car.”

Cassius’s gaze rested on her profile for an instant.

Something stirred in his emerald eyes, but they quickly returned to calm.

“Of course. Please rest well.”

Apart from gentleness, his voice betrayed no emotion.

He raised a hand and signaled to the front.

The driver understood immediately and dimmed the lights in the cabin, leaving only a faint glow around their feet.

Beili closed her eyes at once and turned her face slightly toward the window. Curling up in the broad seat, she tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.

The moment the car stopped outside the college, Beili immediately “woke” and sat upright.

“Thank you, Mr. Cassius. Goodbye.”

She spoke quickly, without looking at him even once, and reached for the door.

She hurried out of the car.

Cassius remained seated inside and did not move.

He watched her nearly fleeing silhouette disappear rapidly into the darkness. In the dim cabin, his emerald eyes resembled a lake shrouded in dense fog.

He did not look away for a long time, until the driver asked softly, “Sir?”

Only then did Cassius withdraw his gaze.

“Let’s go back.”

After returning to her accommodation, tidying up, and spending some time catching up on her studies, Beili finally lay down on her bed.

She opened the mailbox in which C was saved as a contact and edited her message again and again, torn between apologizing and demanding an explanation.

In the end, however, the sponsorship money won out.

With the profound respect due to her benefactor, she composed a string of insincere words. If this would make him happy, so be it.

She still had no idea what he could possibly find attractive about her.

Perhaps rich men grew tired of endless delicacies and suddenly craved some Chinese fast food, she thought helplessly.

The email read:

> Mr. Cassius, I should have spoken with you in the car, but I remained silent for the entire journey. I apologize and hope that I did not put you in a poor mood. In addition, my injured foot has already recovered and I can walk normally now. Thank you for your concern. Good night.
> Beili

The notification confirming that the email had been sent popped up. Beili immediately tossed the phone aside and fell back onto the bed, feeling hollow inside.

*Ding.* An email notification sounded.

She picked up the phone and opened it.

**From:** C
**Re:** Apology

> Miss Beili,
>
> You need not apologize for your silence. Rest is your right.
>
> However, the swelling in your ankle has not fully subsided, and your balance still shifts when you walk. It appears that “recovered” is not an accurate description.
>
> The car will be waiting at the same time tomorrow.
>
> Good night.
>
> C

Despite the thoughtfulness and gentleness of the email, Beili felt somewhat angry.

Should she confront him?

Or were these wealthy people simply curious to see how a poor girl on the other side of the ocean would react when they showered her with money?

Beili stared at the email for a long time and decided that she should confront him.

Because that was her most honest reaction.

Her email read:

> Mr. Cassius, you are as perfect as an angel descended from heaven, and I am immeasurably grateful for your generous sponsorship. However, I have no wish to cause trouble in your marriage, nor do I wish to hurt your wife.
> Beili

The email was sent.

Beili’s heart suddenly began hammering inside her chest.

Before her emotions had time to settle, the email notification sounded again.

Beili opened the new message.

**From:** C

> Who told you that I was married?

The message was extremely brief, almost hasty, entirely at odds with his usual precision and restraint.

Beili stared blankly at the line. All her previous defensiveness and accusations shattered before that one question.

He was not married?

Had Miss Green been a misunderstanding?

Before she could reply, the email notification sounded once more.

**From:** C
**Re:** Regarding Miss Green

> Miss Beili,
>
> Miss Green represents a maker from whom I commission high-end handcrafted tools. Taking her to select a piece of jewellery was my way of thanking her for expediting the production of a Christmas gift. Nothing more.
>
> I hope this explanation resolves your misunderstanding.
>
> C

As she read the email, Beili realized that she had woven an entire drama from a saleswoman’s gossip and a single ring, then gone so far as to self-righteously warn her benefactor.

She had every reason to believe that, in his eyes, she had probably become a fool who made baseless insinuations.

Intense heat rushed into her cheeks, burning all the way to her ears.

Mortified, Beili buried her face in the blankets.

She wanted nothing more than to buy a plane ticket to the other side of the planet that instant and never face this man again.

Just as she wished she could disappear on the spot, the phone gave another *ding*.

Beili hardly dared to look, yet she could not stop herself from peeking at the screen.

**From:** C
**Subject:** Tomorrow

> The car will be waiting on time tomorrow. Good night.

Beili’s face stayed red all night!

That was no exaggeration.

She had to wash it several times with cold water before it improved.

When she walked out of the college the next day, she saw the black Bentley parked by the road, clearly waiting for her.

Beili’s steps paused. Then she drew a deep breath and walked over.

The passenger-side window rolled down. Cassius smiled at her from behind the wheel. “Please get in, Miss Beili.”

He was gentle and courteous, as though yesterday’s painfully embarrassing confrontation by email had never happened.

“Good morning, Mr. Cassius.”

Beili spoke softly, then opened the door and got in.

She kept her gaze obediently fixed ahead, trying not to let her expression appear too stiff.

“Good morning.”

Cassius returned the greeting, and there seemed to be an extra note of pleasure in his voice.

The car merged into traffic.

She had spent the entire night holding back this apology. She had to make it in person.

Beili rehearsed the wording again and again in her mind. When she finally found the right moment, she said apologetically, “Mr. Cassius, I am very sorry about the email I sent yesterday. I heard some false information and made groundless assumptions about you, then said something terribly discourteous. Please forgive me.”

Cassius’s hands seemed to pause slightly on the steering wheel.

He turned to glance at her, then smiled.

“It was a harmless misunderstanding, nothing more. It is already behind us, so please do not dwell on it.”

His voice sounded even gentler than before.

Beili nodded in acknowledgment. Still embarrassed, she said nothing more.

The car stopped outside the department store.

“Miss Beili.” Cassius’s voice sounded again, successfully halting her hand as she began to open the door.

Beili turned and saw Cassius retrieve another paper bag from the back seat. It was identical to the one that had held yesterday’s sandwich. He offered it to her.

“Your lunch,” he said, looking at her. “I hope it will be to your taste again today.”

Beili pressed her lips together, reached out to take the bag, and said softly, “Thank you.”

“You are welcome. I hope you have a pleasant day.”

The temporary job was for two weeks, and today was Beili’s final day.

Her shifts usually ended at eleven at night, but today the manager paid her wages and let her leave early at nine.

After receiving the money, Beili walked excitedly out of the department store.

She wanted to see whether the fabric shop was still open. At the same time, she took out her phone, intending to email Mr. Cassius and let him know so that he would not arrive at eleven, her usual finishing time, and wait for nothing.

But the moment she stepped through the department store’s brightly lit glass doors, she saw the black Bentley parked quietly by the road.

Both her steps and her thoughts came to a halt.

It was only nine.

She had assumed that Cassius would follow her usual hours and not appear for at least another hour.

Had he learned that she would finish early, or had he been waiting all along?

The passenger-side window slid soundlessly down.

Mr. Cassius sat behind the wheel. Turning toward her, he curved his lips into a captivating smile.

“It appears you finished rather early today. Get in, Miss Beili.”

Beili’s heart sped up uncontrollably for several beats.

She walked over, opened the door, and got into the car.

“How did you know I would finish early today?”

Unable to hold back, she asked the question after all.

“Intuition.”

Cassius’s reply carried a gentle smile. He then added naturally, “Besides, temporary changes to part-time work schedules are common at the end of term.”

Beili did not press him. She knew she would get nothing more from him.

Keeping his eyes ahead, Cassius asked, “Are we returning to your accommodation?”

Beili hesitated before saying, “Mr. Cassius, if possible, could you take me somewhere? It is nearby. I know the address.”

Beili gave him the address of the fabric shop.

Cassius nodded and changed direction at the next intersection without asking why she was going there.

Before long, the car stopped outside a beautifully dressed shop known for its expensive fabrics.

Fortunately, the lights were still on.

“Thank you, Mr. Cassius. I will only be a moment.” As she spoke, Beili prepared to get out.

“Would you like me to accompany you?” Cassius asked.

“No! Thank you!” Beili refused almost immediately.

She did not want him to see her carefully agonizing over the choices for his coat, or perhaps even haggling—though the odds of haggling successfully were slim.

Cassius said nothing and gave a nod.

Beili walked briskly into the fabric shop.

Amid the warmth and the mingled scents of fine textiles, she headed straight toward a particular shelf.

The deep-space-gray wool was neatly wrapped around a bolt and displayed in a prominent position.

Its texture, drape, and color all matched her vision perfectly.

She glanced at the price tag.

The price was higher than it had been when she last came to see it? During the sale season!

Even with every penny she had earned over the past two weeks, she was still short by nearly a third.

Beili froze and stood there, looking at the fabric.

The shop assistant had already turned a polite, questioning gaze toward her.

Beili’s expression immediately returned to calm. Just as she braced herself to ask whether there might be a discount, the bell above the door gave a clear chime.

At some point, Mr. Cassius had gotten out of the car. He pushed open the glass door and walked inside.

Beili had no idea how to describe the scene before her.

Mr. Cassius—a man who drove a Bentley, whose clothes and visibly expensive watch were worth a fortune, and whose every breath seemed to carry the elegance of high society—was now calmly haggling in his elegant, fluent London accent.

All to bring the cost down to its original price.

Yes, he even knew what the fabric had originally cost.

“As I recall, this was not the listed price of this fabric two weeks ago. Has there been a recent adjustment? To my knowledge, the batch has not changed.”

“Sir, our prices change according to the market—”

“I understand. However, clearance sales are also your shop’s usual practice as the end of the season approaches. At the original price, this would be a reasonable transaction for both parties.”

Standing behind him, Beili stared at his broad, straight back and felt that her mind had stopped working altogether.

The assistant was a middle-aged woman, and she was clearly no match for him, especially when the man before her so plainly was no ordinary customer.

After a moment’s hesitation, she finally nodded. “You are right, sir. I must have remembered the batch incorrectly. We will charge the original price.”

“Thank you very much. Then please wrap it up.”

Cassius turned slightly to look at Beili, who was still lost in a daze. His voice softened. “Miss Beili?”

Beili came back to herself and stepped forward, taking pounds from an envelope to pay.

A short while later, Beili followed Cassius out of the fabric shop with an elegant shopping bag in hand.

As the car pulled smoothly away from the curb, she hugged the paper bag containing the fabric against her chest.

She stole a glance at the man in the driver’s seat.

“How did you know the original price?” Beili could not resist asking.

Cassius kept his gaze on the road. One finger tapped lightly against the steering wheel, as though he were weighing his words.

“I merely happened to remember it.”

That answer was the same as no answer at all.

But Beili was still delighted to have bought the fabric and buttons she wanted.

The car stopped outside the college. She thanked him, then, after getting out, remained beside the door and leaned down. Her eyes curved with her smile as she said to Cassius,

“Mr. Cassius, your gift will be ready in the next couple of days. Thank you for the rides. Goodbye.”

Her smile seemed to send some emotion flashing swiftly through the depths of his emerald eyes.

Cassius inclined his head slightly.

“I look forward to it. Take care on your way in. Good night, Miss Beili.”

There was a distinct note of pleasure in his voice.