Category: After I Abandoned the Protagonist [Quick Transmigration]

Chapter 162: The Cannon Fodder Who Can’t Survive Three Chapters (5)

The class left Bei Xing mentally drained, all her energy focused on suppressing any reaction to the ghost’s torment. Her pen scribbled meaningless lines on her textbook, her head lowered, her face flushed.

Tears even welled up, her eyelashes damp.

The moment the bell rang, she grabbed her books and hurried towards Chu Yinxi’s classroom, no longer caring about her own classes—

After all, if Su Mingxiu continued like this, she would die, and what was a final exam compared to her life?

But as she turned a corner, she felt a sudden drop, a familiar sensation that made her heart lurch. And her premonition was confirmed as she saw that flash of red.

Even as a ghost, Su Mingxiu was breathtakingly beautiful, more alluring than any fox spirit in those stories. But Bei Xing wasn’t fooled this time.

The lingering pain in her chest was a constant reminder of the ghost’s public humiliation.

Her wariness was evident. Su Mingxiu, seeing her tense posture, raised a finger and traced Bei Xing’s chin, her voice a soft sigh as Bei Xing shivered from the ghostly touch. “Why are you so disobedient?”

She had been told to stay away from Chu Yinxi, yet she clung to the protagonist like a lifeline.

Although Bei Xing didn’t know why Su Mingxiu was wary of Chu Yinxi, her experience at the Chu residence had proven that only the protagonist’s aura could protect her.

Su Mingxiu, seeing her silence, raised an eyebrow, her finger moving lower, as if to repeat her earlier torment, making Bei Xing’s scalp tingle. She instinctively raised her textbook, a futile attempt to shield herself—

“Tsss…”

A wisp of black smoke.

Both of them froze, their gazes lowered. Bei Xing watched as the ghost’s blood-red nail touched her textbook, Mao Gai (Mao Zedong Thought), required reading for all majors. She had planned to stay close to Chu Yinxi during this class,

But it seemed…

Besides the protagonist’s aura, Mao Gai also offered protection.

As black smoke curled from the ghost’s fingertip, Bei Xing, as if just realizing what had happened, clutched the textbook tightly, her voice filled with concern. “Are you okay?”

Su Mingxiu: “…”

She chuckled, withdrawing her hand, her gaze fixed on Bei Xing. “What do you think?”

Bei Xing wasn’t sure, she even wanted to wave the textbook at Su Mingxiu again, to test her theory, but she didn’t dare.

After a moment of thought, she looked at Su Mingxiu, her voice full of regret. “Chu Chu already talked to me, I understand now, we’re from different worlds, this kind of love has no future, you should be reincarnated, don’t worry about me, I’ll find you in your next life and love you again.”

—Not a chance.

She thought, If I can get rid of this ghost, I’ll celebrate with fireworks for three days and nights, and cleanse myself with pomelo leaves for a week.

Su Mingxiu, seeing her clutching the textbook, didn’t try to touch her again. “Stay away from Chu Yinxi,” she said, “if you don’t want to get hurt.”

Then, she sent Bei Xing back to the real world.

Bei Xing, still holding the textbook, stood there, dazed, feeling a strange unease. She scratched her head, thinking that this ghost was… odd, as if it had seen through her lies, yet had no intention of harming her.

Just then, she felt a sharp pain in her chest, the fabric of her shirt rubbing against the bruise. She froze, realizing that she had been blinded by beauty.

Chu Yinxi deliberately sat beside Bei Xing during the Mao Gai lecture.

Perhaps because the large classroom was warm, Bei Xing instinctively tried to roll up her sleeve, revealing the bruise on her arm. Chu Yinxi, noticing it, grabbed her wrist. “What happened?”

Bei Xing, remembering the ghost’s actions, quickly pulled down her sleeve, then, remembering Su Mingxiu’s warning, she lied: “It’s nothing, I bumped into something this morning.”

Chu Yinxi looked at her skeptically, remembering Bei Xing’s earlier class, and leaned closer, whispering: “Are you still involved with her?”

“No!” Bei Xing hugged her textbook tightly, wanting only to survive, not to make enemies, and denied it quickly.

But Chu Yinxi felt the ghostly aura around Bei Xing intensifying, the bead pendant around her neck burning hot, a warning.

The professor was taking attendance. Chu Yinxi grabbed Bei Xing’s wrist. “It seems we can’t wait for the field trip, I’ll contact our driver, we’re going to Bei Mang Mountain after school.”

Bei Xing: “?”

Seeing Chu Yinxi texting her family, she mumbled: “See, it’s not me, it’s her, she’s the one who’s clingy.”

It was Chu Yinxi who insisted on protecting her!

Bei Xing clutched her Mao Gai textbook, thinking about their upcoming trip, and took out her phone, searching online for protective items: five emperor coins, peachwood swords… She also ordered several burner phones and copies of Buddhist scriptures, Mao Gai, Marxist Principles, and Modern Chinese History.

Later that afternoon, Chu Yinxi met her at the school gate, her delicate features contorted in surprise as she saw the mountain of books before her.

“What is all this?”

Bei Xing, having just put two burner phones in her pockets, looked at the books, then grabbed her suitcase and started packing them.

If she had time, she would have done some tai chi and qigong to boost her yang energy.

“Just some study materials,” she mumbled, her head lowered.

Chu Yinxi: “…” Her beautiful face was filled with confusion.

But she didn’t say anything, only watching as Bei Xing, in the car, placed her Mao Gai test paper on top of the Diamond Sutra and started studying diligently, until they reached the foot of Bei Mang Mountain.

As she got out of the car, Bei Xing glanced at the darkening sky, the sun setting behind the mountain, and quickly retreated. “Maybe… we should come back another day?”

Chu Yinxi had seen through her intentions!

She knew Bei Xing still wanted to be with Su Mingxiu and had brought all these things to dissuade Chu Yinxi, now trying to cancel the trip. Bei Xing is doomed, she’s under Su Mingxiu’s spell! Chu Yinxi thought, her worry growing.

“No!”

Chu Yinxi, her initial hesitation gone, insisted that Bei Xing get out of the car, even taking her suitcase, as if she, in her frail state, would carry those books up the mountain. Bei Xing could only follow her, pulling her suitcase reluctantly.

Looking at the overgrown stone steps, she had a bad feeling: “Aren’t we going through the main entrance?”

Chu Yinxi looked back. “The main entrance is for tourists, it’s closed now, we can reach the temple in half an hour this way.”

Looking at the dilapidated steps, Bei Xing thought…

… She now understood why Su Mingxiu had warned her to stay away from Chu Yinxi.

Because the protagonist, besides plot armor… also had countless dangerous encounters and fortuitous opportunities. And for an ordinary cannon fodder character, these encounters were usually fatal.

As expected…

Half an hour later…

They stood under the dark sky, looking at the stone steps disappearing into the overgrown bushes, no end in sight.

Bei Xing sighed, hadn’t expected such a price for a simple amulet.

Chu Yinxi, the bead pendant burning hot against her chest, her expression anxious, grabbed Bei Xing’s hand. “I think I took the wrong path—”

Before she could finish,

She tripped, pulling Bei Xing down with her. The ground beneath them cracked open, swallowing them whole. The suitcase, filled with books, lay abandoned on the steps.

Chu Yinxi screamed, and Bei Xing, startled, her own scream caught in her throat, felt herself falling, then a force caught her around the waist.

The falling stopped, her feet landing on solid ground. A cold breath by her ear, and just as she reached for her pocket, she heard a mocking chuckle. “What did I tell you?”

She relaxed slightly, even apologizing sincerely. “I was wrong, I should have listened to you…”

Before she could finish,

A soft, golden light.

It caught their attention. Chu Yinxi, enveloped in the gentle light, floated down, her screams silenced, having fainted perhaps.

Following the light, Bei Xing’s gaze froze.

As Chu Yinxi landed, the surroundings became visible, a square chamber with carved walls and ceiling. But even more striking was the figure standing across from them—

Identical to the ghost, but with red, vertical pupils, a cold, otherworldly gaze, dressed in ancient Chinese clothing, the intricate patterns unfamiliar.

As Bei Xing looked at her, the figure’s gaze also fell on her. And beneath the hem of her long robe, a flash of black.

Like…

…a tail?

Bei Xing was stunned, unable to process the situation.

Just then, the ghost, hidden in her shadow, also saw the figure, a strange attraction, and Su Mingxiu realized that the missing piece, the answers she sought, were right there.

[Please retrieve your companion.]

A mechanical voice echoed in the figure’s mind.

She frowned, annoyed by the command, then replied “Understood,” her red eyes fixed on the ghost behind the mortal, a strange allure.

Suddenly, she moved with lightning speed, appearing before Bei Xing, her hand reaching towards Su Mingxiu—

She didn’t even acknowledge Bei Xing, as if intending to reach through her, to grab the ghost.

But a cold hand stopped her.

Su Mingxiu, holding Bei Xing’s waist, pulling her aside, stepped into the light, revealing herself, her gaze sweeping over the figure, as if unfazed by their identical appearance. “A snake demon?” she said casually.

The snake demon frowned, disliking the term. But remembering the strange sensation from their brief clash, she suppressed her annoyance and looked at the mortal Su Mingxiu was protecting, then offered a sincere piece of advice: “She’s just an ordinary mortal, not worthy of either of us.” She flicked her sleeve towards Bei Xing.

Bei Xing: “?”

Is she hitting on me?

Su Mingxiu felt an instinctive urge to devour the snake demon, her ghostly power surging, the black mist thickening. She hesitated, then, giving in to her instincts, she gathered her power and struck.

Under the faint golden light emanating from Chu Yinxi, Bei Xing witnessed the “I’m fighting myself” battle, not having time to lament her role as a catalyst for chaos, but looking for an escape route.

Unfortunately, there was none.

And it seemed the snake demon was winning. Remembering the two attacks earlier, she felt the need to offer Su Mingxiu some long-range support.

Before she could find anything useful, a grey mist enveloped her, Su Mingxiu, realizing she couldn’t defeat the snake demon yet, changing her plan, wanting to take Bei Xing away.

As she was pulled upwards, she heard Su Mingxiu’s calm voice: “Do you have anything that can stop her from following us?”

Bei Xing nodded firmly.

She threw something down.

A moment later, the entire chamber trembled. Su Mingxiu, carrying her, reached the foot of the mountain, seeing that the snake demon hadn’t followed, looked at Bei Xing curiously. “What did you throw?”

“My phone.”

“Hmm?”

“My phone… playing thunder sounds?”

It was a burner phone with a loud speaker, a three-dimensional surround sound experience in that enclosed space, helping the snake demon overcome its fear of thunder, a must-have item for overcoming inner demons.

Su Mingxiu: “…”

She chuckled, amused by the little one’s ingenuity.

Bei Xing looked at her, then took out another burner phone from her pocket, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I have another audio clip, want to hear it?”

Su Mingxiu, looking at this seemingly treacherous child, raised an eyebrow. “Planning to play Buddhist scriptures and send me to the afterlife?”

“Of course not.”

Bei Xing pressed play, and the rousing melody of the “March of the Volunteers” echoed through the mountains. Seeing the ghost freeze, its expression changing, Bei Xing, satisfied with her experiment, jumped down from Su Mingxiu’s arms.

As the ghost vanished, she took out her regular phone and dialed.

“Hello? I’d like to report a missing person, my friend got lost on Bei Mang Mountain—”

Chapter 161: The Cannon Fodder Who Can’t Survive Three Chapters (4)

“What… what do you want?” Bei Xing asked, her heart pounding, but her expression remaining calm. Like a traveler encountering a tiger, knowing escape was impossible, she still tried to maintain a fierce gaze, delaying the inevitable, even if it was pointless.

Su Mingxiu had also recovered some fragmented memories from this soul’s life, but they were meaningless, offering no clues about her death.

She looked at the girl lying on the pile of gold ingots, her eyes blinking rapidly to hide her fear, remembering how Bei Xing had encouraged the Su family to shower her with gold.

Although she hadn’t been hit directly, it had still been annoying, and now she wanted to settle the score.

So she remained silent, only leaning closer, enjoying Yu Nian’s struggles to maintain her balance on the unsteady surface, her arms and legs flailing, her face contorted in pain as she bumped against the hard metal.

A ghost’s yin energy was harmful to mortals, even a slight touch could cause illness, or worse.

Bei Xing, knowing this, tried to avoid Su Mingxiu’s touch, her movements surprisingly agile in this ghostly realm.

Seeing the red marks on her arms, Su Mingxiu finally stopped teasing her, her voice calm and steady. “Stay away from Chu Yinxi.”

Her voice was melodious, not the raspy, terrifying voice Bei Xing had expected,

Almost making Bei Xing think that this ghost was more rational, more composed than a living person.

But her blood-red dress was a stark reminder not to be fooled.

“Why?” Bei Xing asked, her body covered in sweat, her muscles tense as she maintained her balance on the edge of the golden mountain, her eyes meeting Su Mingxiu’s, a flicker of defiance in their depths.

Why?

Su Mingxiu, remembering her inability to approach Bei Xing when Chu Yinxi was present, felt a surge of irritation, perhaps amplified by her ghostly form.

And she had sensed a strange aura from Chu Yinxi, both alluring and repulsive. Until she understood it, she didn’t want Bei Xing near her.

But she hadn’t figured out the situation yet, the missing piece in her memories, she could only protect those she could.

“Didn’t you say you loved me deeply?” the ghost asked, her blood-red lips curving into a smile, a tempting invitation.

Bei Xing’s gaze was drawn to her lips, tracing their perfect shape, as if mesmerized, as Su Mingxiu leaned closer…

“If you love me, how can you sleep in someone else’s bed?”

Bei Xing: “…”

She cursed inwardly.

Under the ghost’s intense gaze, she felt like she would be devoured if she didn’t give a satisfactory answer.

Her sweaty palms clenched, she forced a lovesick expression, a mix of heartache, tenderness, and despair.

“Of course I love you…” she said, her gaze fixed on Su Mingxiu’s, “but I’d rather you have a peaceful afterlife, be reincarnated, and live a better life, Susu, than be selfish and keep you here with me.”

In short—

Don’t stay, it’s pointless.

If she weren’t in a ghost’s realm, she would have chanted scriptures and struck a wooden fish, guiding Su Mingxiu towards reincarnation.

Su Mingxiu, seeing the sweat on her collar, almost believed her, but then, her smile fading, her expression turning cold and dangerous,

The grey mist surrounding them trembled, the ground shaking!

Bei Xing felt herself being lifted—

She sat up in bed.

Warm sunlight streamed through the window, making her instinctively close her eyes, but before she did, she saw golden lines, shimmering like a spiderweb, on the walls and floor.

As her eyes adjusted to the light, the golden lines vanished, as if it had all been a dream.

Her phone vibrated.

She reached for it, seeing the bruise on her arm, a faint red mark in the ghostly realm, now a dark purple, as if she had been abused.

“Hello?” she answered, distracted.

She was certain the golden lines hadn’t been a dream. The Chu family must have some way to ward off evil spirits. She walked towards the bathroom, looking at her reflection in the mirror as she took off her pajamas, listening to the voice on the phone.

It was Chu Yinxi.

“Xingxing, are you awake?”

The protective array buried beneath the Chu residence had been triggered, and someone had contacted them. Chu Yinxi had initially thought it was an accident,

But remembering Bei Xing’s confession at the funeral, and what her family had told her about such things, she wondered if it was related.

Bei Xing, looking at the bruises on her body, knew that those who didn’t know would think she had been… intimate with someone.

She pulled her pajamas closer, certain that interacting with ghosts was dangerous.

“Yes,” she replied listlessly.

Chu Yinxi, unsure how to explain these supernatural occurrences, since she herself didn’t understand them, asked tentatively: “Did you… sleep well last night?”

“No.”

Between the supporting character and the protagonist, Bei Xing decided to stick with the protagonist. Besides…

After her experience in that ghostly realm, she realized that the Chu family and Chu Yinxi offered her a sense of safety.

But she couldn’t stay with Chu Yinxi forever.

As she was thinking, she sighed, forcing a melancholic expression, and said: “I dreamt of Susu.”

“In my dream, she told me to stay away from you.”

Chu Yinxi was silent for a moment, wondering whether to tell her to stop grieving or to explain that she and Su Mingxiu hadn’t had that kind of relationship.

She decided to explain—

“I know,” Bei Xing interrupted, her expression a mix of sadness and understanding, as if hearing Chu Yinxi’s explanation of her past with Su Mingxiu. “She… she cared about me too, but… I’ve lost my chance to be with her.”

“Xingxing, I wanted to tell you yesterday, since she’s gone, the best we can do is to move on, so she can rest in peace,” Chu Yinxi said.

But she also knew that the fact that her family had been contacted meant that Su Mingxiu’s spirit wasn’t ordinary, it must be powerful, even dangerous.

After a pause, she continued: “Didn’t you ask about getting a protective amulet? My parents told me where to get one, it’s at Bei Mang Mountain, our department is having a field trip there in a few days, do you want to come with me?”

Bei Xing, eager for protection, readily agreed. “Okay.”

Bei Xing stayed at the Chu residence for the weekend, then went to school with Chu Yinxi. If they had been in the same department, she would have followed Chu Yinxi everywhere.

Sitting in the small, cramped classroom, her elbow bumping against her classmate’s, she opened her textbook, and her classmate leaned closer.

“Hey, have you heard?”

“What?”

Bei Xing was about to reply when she felt a sudden chill, her throat tightening. Unable to leave, with classmates on both sides, she froze.

“I heard someone from the next department was in a car accident a few days ago, that beautiful, alluring girl you also know…”

Her classmate’s gossiping voice reached her ears.

Bei Xing’s body stiffened. She instinctively raised her hand, as if to protect herself, but under her classmate’s curious gaze, her hand only hovered over her shoulder, a strange, protective gesture.

Her classmate: “?”

Why is she acting like I’m going to attack her?

Bei Xing’s face flushed red, but she couldn’t explain. She stood up abruptly. “I haven’t heard anything. Excuse me, I need to—”

“Ring, ring, ring!”

The bell rang, and the professor entered, his gaze sweeping over the class. “Class has begun, please return to your seats and take out your textbooks.”

Bei Xing, trapped: “…”

She sat back down, as if seeing the red-clad ghost before her, toying with her like a mouse.

She swallowed nervously and looked down at her textbook, but before she could focus, she felt a burning pain in her left chest.

“Ah!” What kind of ghost is this? A lustful demon?

She could only endure the pain silently, her grip on her pen tightening, then loosening. She thought this was the worst of it, but then the pain shifted to her right side, then back to her left, making her squirm in her seat, her shoulders trembling, her lips bitten, the class stretching endlessly before her.

Chapter 160: The Cannon Fodder Who Can’t Survive Three Chapters (3)

Knowing that panicking would only encourage the vengeful spirit, like a cat playing with a mouse, Bei Xing calmly put the coins back in her pocket and returned to the game room.

“You’re so slow…” her friend, who had already rearranged the tiles, said, her boredom momentarily dispelled. She pointed at the rows of tiles on the table. Bei Xing sat down, not bothering to sort her tiles, picking them up in stacks and slowly flipping them over.

Lost in thought, she still seemed distracted. But as she arranged the tiles, she suddenly straightened up.

“White Dragon,” Chu Yinxi, the winner of the previous round, discarded a tile.

The person on her right followed: “Nine of Bamboo.”

Everyone looked at Bei Xing, who was still arranging her last two tiles, her expression serious, a deep frown on her face.

“Bei Xing, hurry up…” the girl on her other side urged impatiently.

Chu Yinxi, eager to practice her newly acquired mahjong skills, also looked at her expectantly, her gentle eyes fixed on Bei Xing.

Bei Xing, ignoring their expectant gazes, revealed her tiles: Seven of Bamboo, Eight of Bamboo, Nine of Bamboo—

Then, from right to left, she pushed down the other tiles: Six of Bamboo, Five of Bamboo, Four of Bamboo…

Fourteen tiles, all Bamboo suits.

And…

A winning hand.

“Holy shit.”

Her friends stared at her in disbelief, wondering how she had managed to draw a “concealed hand” right from the start, a legendary hand in mahjong.

Even Chu Yinxi’s earlier winning streak hadn’t surprised them this much. Beginner’s luck was common, but this?

A concealed hand from the initial draw?

They had only heard of it in theory.

Bei Xing herself was stunned.

She stared at the tiles, her gut feeling telling her that this was related to the coins in her pocket… This kind of luck, bestowed by a vengeful spirit, wasn’t something she wanted.

She shuffled the tiles, her voice slightly strained. “I must have washed away the bad luck earlier, let’s play again.”

Chu Yinxi smiled faintly, touching the bead pendant around her neck.

The bead was ordinary, like a cheap trinket, perfectly round, a thin string passing through it.

Bei Xing glanced at it, then quickly looked away.

But for some reason, she heard a faint “tsk,”

As if laced with disdain.

She almost jumped out of her chair, her nerves already frayed from her sudden arrival in this world. She forced herself to remain calm and picked up her tiles.

One of Characters.

Two of Bamboo. Three of Bamboo. Four of Bamboo.

After just one stack, her composure crumbled.

She didn’t want to draw another winning hand. She clutched her stomach and slumped onto the table, her brow furrowed, her teeth biting her lower lip, a convincing portrayal of a sudden stomachache.

“Xingxing? What’s wrong?” Chu Yinxi was the first to approach her. A maid, who had just brought in a plate of fruit, also hurried over to help.

Bei Xing, her face pale, shook her head weakly. “It’s nothing… I probably left in a hurry this morning and forgot to eat, my stomach is acting up.”

With one player incapacitated, the game couldn’t continue.

A maid helped Bei Xing to the dining room downstairs, where she was given a warm, sweet soup and some pastries. Chu Yinxi instructed the chef to prepare some congee.

The sweet aroma from the kitchen wafted through the air.

Bei Xing, pretending to have a stomachache, sat at the table, a cup of hot water in her hand, more for warmth than for drinking.

She looked at the rain outside the window, the lightning and thunder, usually a source of fear, now strangely comforting.

Lightning was pure yang energy, what demons and ghosts feared most. Even though many horror stories featured ghosts appearing during thunderstorms, their figures illuminated by lightning…

…ghosts, beings of yin energy, were actually afraid of thunder.

And with Chu Yinxi nearby, Bei Xing felt safe, even with the four coins in her pocket.

Although she didn’t know the vengeful spirit’s intentions, if it was giving her good luck, it probably wouldn’t kill her… but this ill-gotten gain was unsettling, she didn’t want it.

She quickly ordered takeout with the money she had won and shared the snacks with Chu Yinxi and her friends.

—Like a child who had found money on the street.

Chu Yinxi was listening to Bei Xing’s friends recount the events at Su Mingxiu’s funeral, including Bei Xing’s dramatic display of grief.

She was surprised, glancing towards the dining room, finding it hard to believe.

But then, she remembered how Bei Xing had always tried to get Su Mingxiu’s attention, and she was strangely convinced.

… Perhaps it’s true?

Had Bei Xing always been in love with Su Mingxiu?

Chu Yinxi, the object of the original Bei Xing’s affections, considered this, a faint smile on her lips, then walked over to the dining table, wanting to check on Bei Xing.

Bei Xing grabbed her skirt.

“Can we talk?”

Chu Yinxi sat down beside her, a calming sandalwood fragrance surrounding her.

The original Bei Xing wouldn’t have recognized the scent, but now, she knew it instantly.

But she wasn’t interested in the fragrance, her gaze fixed on Chu Yinxi. She had thought about it, an object capable of warding off evil spirits had to be worn constantly. In the original owner’s memories, Chu Yinxi had always worn that bead pendant, so…

It couldn’t be an ordinary trinket.

“What do you want to talk about?” Chu Yinxi asked patiently. Since learning about Bei Xing’s true feelings, she had become more relaxed around her.

“I remember you saying that you were always sick as a child, then your family got you a protective amulet, and you got better, is this bead your amulet?”

Chu Yinxi nodded after a moment of thought.

Bei Xing reached out curiously. “Can I see it?”

Just as her fingers were about to touch the bead, Chu Yinxi pulled back slightly, a look of apology on her face. “I’m afraid not, amulets can’t be touched by others, sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Bei Xing didn’t mind, her expression still curious. “Where did you get it? You know… because of Susu, I’ve become interested in these things, about life and death… it feels like knowing more can somehow… make up for it… do you understand?”

Chu Yinxi nodded.

But she still looked hesitant. After a while, she said: “My parents got it for me, they’re on a business trip right now, in a different time zone, I can ask them when they return, okay?”

She seemed genuinely clueless.

Bei Xing, observing her expression, gave up on trying to get information from her, guessing that the protagonist would probably encounter some supernatural event later on, leading her to learn more about the other world.

“Okay,” she agreed.

That evening…

Bei Xing, feigning illness, only had a bowl of sweet porridge, which, surprisingly, she finished, the chef’s skills impressive.

After dinner, her two friends went to the home theater to watch a movie, Chu Yinxi was studying, and Bei Xing, pretending to study, stayed with her in the study.

She checked a class group chat on her phone, her mood plummeting as she saw the numerous English PDF files, then a new notification: the final exam would be entirely in English.

Bei Xing: “…”

Maybe Su Mingxiu should just kill her now.

She put down her phone, then, glancing at Chu Yinxi’s advanced calculus problems, decided not to disturb her.

She stared blankly into space.

9 PM.

Chu Yinxi finished studying and left the study. Bei Xing quickly followed. “Are you going to have a late-night snack?”

“It’s late, I’m going to bed,” Chu Yinxi shook her head.

But it’s only 9 PM?!

Bei Xing, staring at the disciplined school beauty, could only follow her, borrowing her bed and her bathroom, then lying in the soft bed at 10 PM.

She couldn’t sleep.

But she didn’t dare to leave.

Only after Chu Yinxi was asleep did she take out her phone, dimming the screen, and started scrolling aimlessly online, until 3 AM.

She pulled the blanket closer, snuggled up to Chu Yinxi, and closed her eyes, feeling safe.

Half an hour later—

She opened her eyes.

Confirming that there was nothing unusual in the room, she finally fell asleep.

The consequence of staying up so late was that she couldn’t wake up the next day, especially after hearing that Chu Yinxi was going to the Su residence to pay her respects. Bei Xing didn’t want to go.

She didn’t want to have anything to do with that vengeful spirit.

Besides…

The weather was beautiful, the sun warm and inviting. She pulled the blanket closer and continued sleeping, enjoying the safety of the Chu residence.

1 PM.

The hottest part of the day. Bei Xing shifted in bed, seeking a cooler spot.

Then, she felt a sudden falling sensation.

She opened her eyes, surrounded by grey mist, the warmth of the sun replaced by a bone-chilling cold.

She was wide awake now.

What’s going on? Just being in the Chu residence isn’t enough, I have to be right beside Chu Yinxi?

How can this ghost withstand sunlight?

As she looked around, a force pushed her, and she fell, her hands landing on something hard and uneven, almost twisting her wrists. Her back also hit something hard, and she saw a flash of gold, like…

Gold ingots.

Why am I falling onto a pile of gold?

Then, a vibrant red filled her vision, a color so ominous that it froze her in place. She watched as the red figure approached, the vengeful spirit’s face now before her—

Unlike the crudely made-up face in the coffin, this face was flawless, no bloodstains, no disfigurements.

Her eyes darker than night, her lips redder than blood.

But undeniably… beautiful, even more stunning than in the original owner’s memories.

Bei Xing stared, mesmerized, as the figure leaned closer and closer—

Until…

Cold lips pressed against hers.

A shiver ran down her spine.

Bei Xing snapped back to reality, her eyelashes fluttering, her lips trembling. After a long moment, a single thought:

Oh no.

This ghost wants to steal my yang essence!

Chapter 159: The Cannon Fodder Who Can’t Survive Three Chapters (2)

Before the morgue…

The relentless rain intensified the funeral parlor’s chill. Narrow partitions separated the coffins, obscuring their contents from casual glances.

But as Bei Xing followed Su Mingxiu’s family and friends, her gaze couldn’t help but sweep over the other compartments, a sense of unease settling in her heart.

Because she knew… ghosts were real in this world.

Images from horror movies flashed through her mind, and she edged closer to the hallway wall, as if the rain was less terrifying than the proximity to the dead.

They stopped before Su Mingxiu’s coffin.

To avoid triggering her own death flags, she had chosen to come at the time of the cremation, positioning herself in the middle of the group.

The mortician had applied makeup, and Su Mingxiu’s relatives, their faces etched with grief, filed past for a final glimpse.

Finally, it was Bei Xing’s turn. She instinctively recoiled, wanting to look away, but that single glance surprised her.

… The makeup was… different from the portrait.

The woman’s long, dark hair framed her face, thick white powder masking her features, the cheap lipstick smudged.

Bei Xing retreated into the crowd, finally exhaling, her gaze fixed on the rain outside. The makeup, almost unrecognizable, was… a waste.

But even like this, Su Mingxiu still looked better than the other corpses.

Her friend, shivering in the cold, whispered in her ear, urging her to leave, but Bei Xing stood rooted to the spot.

Although she knew the funeral would proceed smoothly, she wanted to see the coffin enter the furnace with her own eyes.

Just then—

A funeral parlor attendant handed out coins to the Su family members, one or two each. As Bei Xing reached out, the coin meant for her slipped from her grasp and rolled away.

The attendant apologized, but Bei Xing’s gaze followed the coins as they rolled towards the coffin, stopping at its edge.

She swallowed nervously, pretending not to see them, not wanting to approach the coffin. The attendant hurried over, retrieved the coins, and placed them in her hand.

Four coins in total.

Bei Xing didn’t want them, wanting nothing to do with this vengeful spirit, who knew what the consequences would be?

But the attendant was already chanting prayers for the deceased, and she could only join the silent mourning, the four coins clutched in her hand. She prayed silently,

Hoping that Su Mingxiu’s spirit, if it could hear her, would leave her alone, after all, she was just an imposter, not the original Bei Xing.

Her prayer was unusually sincere.

Putting aside the穿越 (transmigration) aspect, until she figured out how to return to her own world, she wanted to live.

After the chanting, the coffin was carried away towards the crematorium. Bei Xing, not a family member, wasn’t allowed to witness the cremation. She breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the hall, now filled with paper offerings: houses, servants…

She glanced at them, then her friend leaned closer, whispering: “This funeral parlor is so stingy, only giving out one mao? Are they treating us like beggars?”

Bei Xing: “…”

She raised an eyebrow, exasperated, seeing the portrait facing them, wanting to silence her friend, to prevent her from provoking the dead.

“These are for warding off evil spirits and attracting good fortune. After the ceremony, they represent the deceased’s gratitude and blessings. In ancient times, they used five emperor coins, now, with copper coins less common, they use ordinary coins. The more you receive, the more blessings and fortune you’ll have.”

She knew this because her thesis was on folklore. She had been researching when she had decided to take a break and read that trashy novel, only to end up as a cannon fodder character.

“Oh…”

Her friend, impressed by her knowledge, even more convinced of her love for Su Mingxiu,

Casually put the coin in her pocket, then said: “I noticed, no one else got as many as you, you have four, maybe Su Mingxiu heard your heartfelt confession and wants to bless you.”

Bei Xing: “…”

Please, just kill me now.

Blessing from a vengeful ghost? Wasn’t she afraid of being taken away by Su Mingxiu?

A ghost, with only a fragment of its soul remaining, wasn’t as rational as a living person.

It was said that the living shouldn’t grieve too much for the dead, because during the soul’s return on the seventh day, if it sensed excessive attachment, it might linger, even causing harm.

A ghost’s emotions were frozen at the moment of death, and if provoked, whether loved or hated in life, they could harm the living. And Su Mingxiu, a vengeful spirit, was even more dangerous.

Bei Xing closed her eyes, then opened them, tears streaming down her face, as if overwhelmed by grief, a convincing performance.

Her friend didn’t dare to speak anymore.

When it was time to burn the paper offerings, Bei Xing, looking at the stacks of joss paper, went to the funeral parlor staff and bought stacks of yellow paper and gold foil.

As the Su family burned the joss paper, she sat nearby, her fingers flying, folding the yellow paper into countless ingots, then carefully wrapping them in gold foil—

She didn’t know if Su Mingxiu’s ghost needed money, but the saying “money can make the devils turn millstones” must have some truth to it.

Regardless of what Su Mingxiu thought, she would play the role of the devoted admirer perfectly.

She tossed the ingots into the burning barrel, whispering auspicious words, the flames flickering, not even touching her hair or clothes.

Meanwhile…

The woman in red, who had been watching her with amusement, suddenly dodged to the side, a shower of golden ingots falling where she had been standing, each one larger and heavier than the ones Bei Xing had made, as if transformed into real gold.

If she had been slower, she would have been buried under them.

But as she moved, the rain of gold followed her, wherever she went.

By the burning barrel, Bei Xing’s movements became faster and more skillful, a mountain of gold ingots quickly accumulating, then being tossed into the flames.

The Su family and her friends were stunned.

They hadn’t expected her to be so dedicated, ignoring the stacks of joss paper and meticulously folding gold ingots…

“B-Bei Xing?” her friend whispered, approaching her. “There’s still so much joss paper left, you don’t have to work so hard—”

Bei Xing, seemingly unaffected by the heat, her hands still moving, replied: “It’s useless, the denominations are too large, it will cause inflation, they don’t use that kind of money down there.”

“Really?”

Her friend, impressed by her knowledge, seeing the gold dust on Bei Xing’s hands, started helping her.

Soon, the entire Su family was gathered around, learning how to fold gold ingots.

Su Mingxiu, watching the ever-increasing rain of gold: “…”

Many hands made light work.

By the time the Su family snapped out of their ingot-folding trance, it was already afternoon. They realized they had participated in a gold ingot folding competition, stopping reluctantly, deciding to continue on Su Mingxiu’s seventh day.

Bei Xing, checking the weather forecast, taking advantage of the lull in the thunderstorm, left the funeral parlor with her friends, driving towards the school beauty’s house. She even called her, informing her of their arrival.

“Why are you suddenly going to Chu Yinxi’s house?”

Chu Yinxi.

The protagonist of this yuri novel.

Although Bei Xing had only read two chapters, the author’s clumsy writing had revealed the entire plot in the two-thousand-word synopsis.

According to the synopsis, Chu Yinxi had received a protective amulet as a baby, warding off evil spirits.

Although Bei Xing hadn’t caused any trouble at the funeral and had even burned money for Su Mingxiu, unsure of a vengeful spirit’s habits, she decided to stay with the protagonist until the seventh day had passed.

As she drove, she replied in a melancholic tone: “Chu Chu was the person Susu spent the most time with, besides me. Being with her, talking about Susu, it makes me feel… like she hasn’t left us.”

Her friends were also close to Chu Yinxi, who was not only the school beauty but also from a wealthy family.

So when they arrived at the Chu residence, they all decided to stay the night.

Before getting out of the car, Bei Xing paused, then took out the four coins and the empty red envelope from the funeral parlor, placed the coins inside, and left the envelope on the car seat.

Chu Yinxi’s name suited her—

She had a delicate, fragile beauty. Born frail, her family had given her the amulet for protection. In the original owner’s memories, Chu Yinxi had said that the amulet had improved her health.

But her delicate aura remained.

In her white lace dress, she looked like a fragile lily in the wind, a delicate pendant dangling from a thin chain around her neck.

“Xingxing…”

Seeing Bei Xing approach, she handed her umbrella to a servant and walked over, her expression worried. “I heard… something happened to Su Mingxiu, is it true?”

“Yes,” Bei Xing replied softly, her eyes lowered.

Chu Yinxi’s expression turned even more somber, her pale lips parting slightly. “We were classmates, I wanted to visit her, but something came up… I didn’t expect to miss her funeral.”

Bei Xing comforted her. “It’s okay, the Su family will be holding memorial services for a while, you’ll have other opportunities.”

“Okay,” Chu Yinxi smiled faintly.

Bei Xing, not interested in their past relationship, her mind focused on survival, as Chu Yinxi led them inside and showed them to their rooms, suddenly grabbed Chu Yinxi’s sleeve. “I want to sleep with you.”

“This…”

Chu Yinxi, knowing Bei Xing’s past feelings for her, blushed slightly, but before she could refuse, Bei Xing continued: “I used to be so mean to Su Mingxiu, now that she’s gone, I… I can’t get used to it, I thought… we could talk about her tonight, you must be sad too, right?”

“I…”

Chu Yinxi hesitated, studying Bei Xing’s expression, as if trying to confirm something, then nodded. “Okay.”

Bei Xing’s shoulders relaxed, as if reassured, she breathed a sigh of relief.

In the game room…

The four girls were playing mahjong. Bei Xing, watching her friends teach Chu Yinxi how to play, was fiddling with a tile, flipping it over and over.

“Xingxing?”

Chu Yinxi, seeing that it was her turn, called out to her.

“Hurry up, hurry up,” her other two friends urged. “Are you going easy on Chu Chu? You’ve been losing for half an hour, you’re usually not this bad.”

Chu Yinxi also looked at her, her gaze innocent and confused. If it were the original Bei Xing, she would have been overthinking it.

But…

Bei Xing simply discarded a tile. “Nine of Bamboo.”

“Did… did I win?” Chu Yinxi asked softly, looking at her tiles. Her two friends, after checking, started teasing Bei Xing for her mistake.

Bei Xing, not interested in the game, excused herself, saying she needed to use the restroom, and left.

The sound of running water…

Bei Xing washed her hands slowly,

Thinking about how to ask Chu Yinxi about her amulet tonight.

If possible, she would get one for herself, constantly following the protagonist wasn’t a viable long-term plan.

The cold water chilled her hands. She dried them, then, as she was walking back, she instinctively put her hands in her pockets.

Although the original owner’s jacket was thin, it offered some protection from the sun and rain.

But as soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, her hand in her pocket, she stopped.

The second floor was quiet, no servants in sight.

The usual tranquility of the Chu residence now felt… ominous.

Her hand in her pocket clenched, then relaxed…

Finally…

She pulled out four silver coins from her right pocket, their shiny surfaces gleaming in the hallway light.

Chapter 158: The Cannon Fodder Who Can’t Survive Three Chapters (1)

The relentless rain shrouded Xicheng, reducing visibility to near zero. Early spring’s chill permeated the air, especially at the Xicheng West Suburban Funeral Parlor, where even the burning joss paper couldn’t dispel the damp coldness. Mourners shivered, their breath misting in the air, the white condensation on the black and white tiles adding to the somber atmosphere.

The funeral parlor, where death was the great equalizer, had received a VIP client last night. The generous red envelopes had secured the largest hall,

And even a renowned master to determine the most auspicious time for the funeral. As a result, the bodies that arrived later had to be prepared and queued in the morgue.

Outside, in the open-air parking lot…

A bright yellow Ferrari, its door flung open, a young woman struggling to get out, then remembering something, she reached back in and retrieved a wilting bouquet of chrysanthemums, its petals drooping, waterlogged. A raindrop struck a flower, snapping its stem, the blossom falling into a puddle.

The girl holding the flowers yelped, jumping into the arms of her friend, who was holding an umbrella. “Couldn’t we have come another day? The Su family isn’t poor, the funeral will last for days, why come to this depressing place?” she complained, waving the damaged bouquet.

Her shoe landed in a puddle, splashing muddy water onto the flowers and the pants of another girl standing nearby, a baseball cap shadowing her face. The girl, holding a transparent umbrella, frowned. “If you don’t want to be here, go back yourself.”

She snatched the flowers, a cruel smile twisting her lips, a hint of malice in her youthful face. “I want to see if she’s still so alluring, even lying in a coffin.”

Her two friends exchanged glances and silently followed her.

‘Never offend Bei Xing.’

‘She even holds grudges against the dead.’

…

Their shadows stretched long in the rain.

But as they moved away from the puddle, another figure appeared in its reflection, a vibrant red, yet casting no shadow.

Inside the funeral parlor, droplets of water dripped from their umbrellas.

The two girls, seeing Bei Xing suddenly stop at the entrance to the hall, walked over. “Bei Xing? What’s wrong?”

“Scared?”

Bei Xing, her body trembling slightly, looked around as if just waking up.

“Bei Xing?”

Her two friends, curious about Su Mingxiu’s appearance in death, looked at her, confused. She had been so eager earlier, why was she hesitating now?

Unbeknownst to them, Bei Xing was even more confused. She looked at the funeral banners and wreaths, the rain dripping from the eaves, and wondered, What’s going on?

She had been working on her thesis in her dorm room, reading a trashy novel, then she had dozed off, and now she was here?

Her friend poked her in the back, her voice a whisper. “Come on, didn’t you want to see how ugly Su Mingxiu looks in death? I asked, she hasn’t been cremated yet, we can still catch her in the morgue—”

Bei Xing: “?”

She caught the name “Su Mingxiu.”

Familiar.

Like the character in the trashy novel she had been reading.

Trashy, because a character with her name had died in the second chapter.

Reader Bei Xing: (Fine.)

Trashy author, trashy novel.

Now, looking at the grey, rainy sky, she recalled the first two chapters: the character Bei Xing had a rival named Su Mingxiu, who was superior to her in every way except for family background. So Bei Xing, jealous, had wanted to teach her a lesson.

She had planned to lure Su Mingxiu to a bar with some friends, but Su Mingxiu hadn’t shown up, then news of her death had spread.

Cannon fodder Bei Xing, frustrated at not having gotten her revenge, had decided to cause trouble at the funeral, taking flowers from other graves, even burning Su Mingxiu’s joss paper elsewhere—

Six days later, she had died a gruesome death, her body mangled.

The novel was called Tales of Ghosts and Demons, and Su Mingxiu’s name was listed as a supporting character.

Bei Xing, remembering the plot, looked down at the wilting chrysanthemums in her arms, their petals stained with muddy water.

The thought of bringing these flowers into the funeral hall made her shudder. She was looking for a trash can when a group of middle-aged people emerged from the hall, looking at them curiously.

Just then, her friend spoke up: “Hello, uncles and aunties, we’re Su Mingxiu’s classmates, we just heard the news from our teacher, so we came to pay our respects.”

“Boom!”

A thunderclap, and a flash of lightning illuminated the funeral parlor.

Bei Xing flinched, thinking that even the heavens couldn’t stand the original owner’s behavior. But her friend was pushing her towards the hall, and she had to take a few steps, then she looked up—

And saw the portrait on the wall.

Even in black and white, the woman’s beauty was undeniable. Or perhaps, precisely because of the stark contrast, the lack of color, her exquisite features were even more striking.

Bei Xing was stunned. Could such a beautiful woman exist?

Her friend, covering her mouth, whispered that she would go check the way to the morgue, leaving Bei Xing alone.

Bei Xing stood there, holding the wilting flowers, her gaze fixed on the portrait, then she shivered.

The temperature seemed to have dropped.

She thought, the original owner’s death was six days later, that would be Su Mingxiu’s seventh day, the day the soul returned home. And for a vengeful ghost like Su Mingxiu…

Bei Xing looked away from the portrait, a sudden chill.

Su Mingxiu is watching you.

But…

She remembered that vengeful spirits were usually confused, disoriented, how could Su Mingxiu remember and seek revenge so quickly?

“Little girl?”

One of the middle-aged people approached her, looking at her curiously.

Su Mingxiu hadn’t mentioned her parents much in the original owner’s memories, and none of the people here resembled the woman in the portrait. They must be relatives. But that wasn’t important, what was important was…

She couldn’t bring herself to place these flowers before the portrait.

Bei Xing stared at the picture, her eyes widening, then reddening, her lower lip trembling, her face pale, as if in disbelief.

Then, she threw the flowers on the floor, her voice choked with emotion. “No… I don’t believe it… this can’t be real…”

She stumbled, almost falling, startling Su Mingxiu’s uncle, who wanted to help her but hesitated. “My dear… you and Mingxiu were so close… she would be sad to see you like this.”

No wonder she had been hesitant to enter.

She couldn’t accept her friend’s death.

Tears streamed down Bei Xing’s face, her body shaking with sobs, as if about to faint.

“I still… had so much to say to you… why… why didn’t you give me a chance?”

Her grief seemed deeper than that of an ordinary friend.

And if asked why she was acting like this, she could only say, because this Tales of Ghosts and Demons was a yuri novel.

The original owner had been in love with the school beauty, who, also a beauty lover, had been more interested in Su Mingxiu.

The role of a heartbroken admirer suited her better than that of a friend. As for how to convince her two friends…

She would worry about that after surviving the second chapter.

Beside the portrait, unseen by anyone…

A woman in a vibrant red dress, her arms crossed, her face identical to the one in the portrait, but even more alluring, stood there, watching.

She remembered Bei Xing’s conversation with her friends by the puddle.

If it weren’t for the thunderstorm that had trapped her here, she wouldn’t have witnessed this dramatic performance.

Her gaze fell on the discarded chrysanthemums. Bei Xing and her friends had been the first to arrive, and Su Mingxiu’s relatives, realizing their oversight, had quickly ordered fresh flowers.

Su Mingxiu had thought the carnations were the most inappropriate gift, but now…

…chrysanthemums.

She smiled faintly, then her expression turned thoughtful.

She felt like something was missing from her memories.

But she could clearly recall every encounter with the protagonists in each world, the images vivid, as if they had just happened yesterday.

But…

She touched her head, a nagging feeling that something crucial was missing.

“Bei Xing? What’s wrong?”

Her two friends, returning from the morgue, saw Bei Xing’s red eyes and were startled, thinking she had offended the Su family. But she was sitting there quietly, seemingly unharmed.

After all, funerals were somber occasions, anyone causing a disturbance would have been removed.

They sat beside her and asked softly.

Bei Xing covered her face with her hands, her sobs echoing in the hall, then, as if finally giving up on hiding her true feelings, she looked at the portrait, her voice trembling. “You always teased me for being jealous… I thought she would notice me one day, but…”

Her friends: “?”

They were stunned, wondering if they had misheard.

But Bei Xing’s grief seemed so genuine. Unable to imagine her lying, their worldviews crumbled. “So you weren’t here to mock her?”

“I just can’t believe it…” Bei Xing looked down, as if still in shock. “She was so young, so full of potential, how could her life end like this…”

Because of her secret love, she had always paid attention to Su Mingxiu.

Because of her secret love, seeing Su Mingxiu’s indifference, she had turned her love into hate, causing trouble, acting like a clown to get Su Mingxiu’s attention.

And because of her secret love, she hadn’t wanted to buy those funeral flowers, couldn’t accept that her unrequited love had ended before it even began.

“So you wanted to come before the cremation… to see her one last time?” her friend asked, understanding dawning.

Bei Xing shuddered.

The show must go on, she thought, nodding, her voice hoarse. “Take… take me to see her.”

Meanwhile…

Bei Xing, radiating an aura of “I’m not hiding it anymore, I love her,” didn’t know that the vibrant red figure had left the portrait’s side and was now standing before her, leaning closer, their noses almost touching.

The woman in red, her lips as vibrant as her dress, smiled faintly, raising a hand to touch Bei Xing’s tears, her fingers passing through them.

But Su Mingxiu didn’t mind. Her smile didn’t falter as she observed Bei Xing’s performance.

As the only unseen audience member, she offered her review: “Your script is getting worse.”

“Little liar.”

Chapter 157: The Toyed-With Goddaughter (End)

“Don’t you like this gift?” the woman behind her asked, her hand still on Yu Nian’s back, a comforting weight.

But she didn’t give Yu Nian a chance to answer, her hand moving to cover Yu Nian’s lips, her voice a low murmur by her ear: “Do you think one pen is too thin?”

Yu Nian: “!”

She shook her head frantically, even turning her head slightly, her amber eyes glistening with tears, pleading with Su Mingxiu to stop.

Her clear eyes, usually a sign of innocence, now, combined with the memory of their earlier intimacy, were incredibly alluring.

Su Mingxiu kissed her eyes, catching a stray tear, her breath warm against Yu Nian’s skin. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“It makes me want to make you cry even harder.”

Yu Nian, flustered by the blatant desire in Su Mingxiu’s words, looked at her with a hint of委屈 (grievance, feeling wronged), as if Su Mingxiu was the one who should be apologizing.

She gently bit Su Mingxiu’s finger, their playful struggle easily broken. She blinked back her tears. “Let’s go back, I don’t want to stay here anymore.”

Mainly because being back at the apartment would limit their activities, unlike Su Mingxiu’s office, with its… possibilities.

“Go back?” Su Mingxiu, watching her try to suppress her desire, her tone casual, “Alright, but you have to promise me one thing.”

A loud, obnoxious ringtone…

Yu Nian stirred, her fingertips aching, then, hearing voices nearby, she opened her eyes, finding herself in a warm bed.

Her fingertips ached because Su Mingxiu, remembering her earlier bites, had retaliated, leaving marks all over her body.

Her fingers hadn’t been spared.

Remembering her promise last night, in the darkened villa, pressed against the floor-to-ceiling windows… then the dining table, the sofa… she turned over, thinking she would probably die in a peony-filled fantasy.

But then she realized the ceiling was different, not Su Mingxiu’s villa, nor her own home. She turned her head and saw a figure changing clothes, a silver-trimmed black bathrobe concealing her back—

Only her long, dark hair, cascading down, matched the silk of the robe.

She reached for the phone on the nightstand, and just then, she heard a familiar voice: “I’ve consulted someone, June next year is the best time. I’m booking a wedding planner, you should start planning your schedule.”

It was Yu Wanru.

But…

What date? What planner?

Yu Nian, confused, pulled back the covers, about to speak, when Su Mingxiu turned around. Perhaps because she was distracted, or perhaps because of the assumed privacy of the room, her bathrobe was loosely tied, the collar slipping open, revealing a glimpse of her fair skin.

“Awake?”

Su Mingxiu sat beside her, placing the phone on the nightstand. “Your mom is planning our wedding, listen in.”

Yu Nian: “?”

She wondered if she had been… thoroughly loved for an entire month last night. Otherwise, how could she have woken up in an unfamiliar place,

With her wedding to Su Mingxiu already being planned? Had someone cast a time spell on her?

Still in a daze, she heard Su Mingxiu say to Yu Wanru: “Thank you for your concern, Ms. Yu, but Niannian and I will discuss the arrangements ourselves, you don’t have to trouble yourself.”

Yu Wanru, annoyed by her nonchalant tone, said to Yu Nian: “Niannian, before we register the marriage, I’ll have our lawyer prepare a prenuptial agreement.”

Yu Nian: “??”

She looked at Su Mingxiu, then at the phone, a headache forming. Not because she was worried about Su Mingxiu, but because she was afraid that after helping Su Mingxiu, Yu Wanru would end up back in the ICU.

She grabbed the phone and, after a few noncommittal responses, pretended to have a bad signal and hung up.

Then, she sat on Su Mingxiu’s lap, demanding an explanation. “Why are we here?”

Su Mingxiu leaned back, letting Yu Nian straddle her, a smile still in her eyes, unfazed by Yu Nian’s hanging up on Yu Wanru. “You said you didn’t want me to live in a Tianyan property anymore, that you would take me to your place, and that we would enjoy the hot springs together, have you forgotten?”

Yu Nian vaguely remembered having said that, in her eagerness to limit Su Mingxiu’s contact with the other contestants, even offering her own properties.

Like the one at One Mansion, where Heartthrob was filmed. She knew Su Mingxiu had liked the hot springs there, but she hadn’t had a chance to enjoy them before leaving the show.

The villa they had used for the show, although spacious, had a small hot spring pool, mainly for decorative purposes.

But Yu Nian’s villa, “The House of Rising Sun,” was different. It was the “crown jewel” of the complex, the most luxurious unit with the best view.

Not only was the interior exquisite, but the outdoor hot spring was also grand, a taijitu-shaped pool, large enough for several people, with partitions for privacy, and options for herbal baths, milk baths, flower petal baths… a luxurious experience.

“So you brought me here… this morning?”

While she was still asleep.

“Yes,” Su Mingxiu nodded, confirming that the hot springs were indeed excellent. She had already enjoyed a soak while Yu Nian was still asleep.

Yu Nian: “…”

She tugged at Su Mingxiu’s bathrobe. “I get it now, your true love is the hot springs.”

Su Mingxiu: “?”

To prove her wrong, she pulled Yu Nian into the pool, the warm water enveloping them, Yu Nian’s rationality melting away, her protests lost in the steamy embrace.

Two months later…

Yu Nian, having taken over Wanda’s investment projects, sold the land in Northern Europe at a loss and, after carefully analyzing the domestic market, outsourced some of Wanda’s less profitable projects in smaller cities, using the recovered capital to focus on major developments, pulling the company back from the brink of collapse.

Although Wanda’s operations had scaled down, this focused approach was more suitable for their current situation, prioritizing stability over expansion.

One day, after work, Yu Nian was about to visit Su Mingxiu at XU Studio when Su Mingxiu arrived at Wanda’s headquarters, and they were both summoned by Yu Wanru to a nearby five-star hotel.

Today’s agenda: Choosing flowers for the wedding.

Yu Nian donned a mask of suffering.

She accompanied Su Mingxiu to the banquet hall, filled with a dazzling array of flowers, both local and imported. Before she could recover from the sensory overload, Yu Wanru waved them over.

“Mom.”

“I’ve already looked, for the ceremony, we need large, vibrant flowers. There are many types of roses suitable for your wedding…”

Here we go again.

Yu Nian closed her eyes, counting down: Three, two, one—

“Wait,” Su Mingxiu interrupted with a smile. “You like roses, don’t you? There are many other options, I think carnations are nice too.”

Yu Wanru: “?”

Yu Nian opened her eyes, meeting Su Mingxiu’s gaze, remembering her first gift. As Yu Wanru looked at Su Mingxiu with a “Are you crazy?” expression, Yu Nian poked Su Mingxiu’s waist and whispered: “Are you still on about this?”

Su Mingxiu, touching her chin, her words both a challenge to Yu Wanru’s control and a playful tease towards Yu Nian, “I think carnations are… meaningful.”

Meaningful?

A symbol of this forbidden love?

Yu Nian was speechless. As she remained silent, Yu Wanru and Su Mingxiu started arguing, from “who knows more about weddings” to Su Mingxiu’s subtle jabs at Yu Wanru’s business decisions, then, Yu Wanru, losing face, turned her anger towards Yu Nian.

“And those jewelry pieces you chose for the wedding photos are unsuitable, especially that Serpenti set, is Miss Su short on cash after that big project? I have two tickets for the XV Auction on the 15th, Niannian, take my card and buy whatever you like, don’t use such cheap trinkets.”

Su Mingxiu chuckled and, bringing up Wanda’s stalled project, asked if Yu Wanru was having trouble securing loans again, offering to put in a good word with the bank.

Before their argument escalated further, Yu Nian quickly intervened. “Mom… I chose the Serpenti set, I like it.”

Yu Wanru looked at her. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Su Mingxiu pulled Yu Nian slightly behind her. “I think it’s perfect.”

Surprisingly, despite their constant bickering, the wedding preparations proceeded smoothly.

The day before the wedding…

Yu Nian was writing wedding invitations, the gold ink shimmering against the paper.

Su Mingxiu was helping her tie her hair, glancing at Yu Nian’s phone. “Dong Lin is asking what dress she should wear, she sent over a dozen pictures.”

“Hmm…” Yu Nian, carefully writing Sheng Qian’s invitation, looked up. “I’ll reply later. By the way, where’s your… former agent? I haven’t seen him recently.”

“Oh, he’s grounded,” Su Mingxiu replied casually. “He claimed to have found a once-in-a-century acting genius and almost got tricked into being trafficked to Southeast Asia. Sheng Tianheng was so embarrassed that he grounded him for three months and enrolled him in a bunch of anti-scam classes. He probably won’t be allowed out without an anti-fraud app on his phone.”

Yu Nian, messing up the last stroke of Sheng Qian’s name, put the invitation aside and asked to switch places with Su Mingxiu.

A few minutes later…

Su Mingxiu, sitting properly, glanced at Yu Nian’s reflection in the mirror, her expression unchanging. “Causing trouble again?”

Yu Nian, eager to see the jewelry she had designed on Su Mingxiu, a replica of the flower necklace she had made, now adorned with precious stones and diamonds, a dazzling display of luxury that only someone like Su Mingxiu could carry, had pulled down Su Mingxiu’s dress from behind.

In the mirror, it looked like a precious bird being adorned with jewels.

Yu Nian felt a surge of satisfaction, even hugging Su Mingxiu from behind, her head resting on Su Mingxiu’s shoulder, admiring her work.

The sound of the brush being placed on the brush rest brought her back to reality.

Su Mingxiu, turning her wrist, asked calmly: “Done playing?”

Yu Nian, pretending to consider it, nodded, then quickly slipped away.

But as Su Mingxiu grabbed her waist, she wondered how Su Mingxiu had managed to stand up and turn around so quickly.

Does this woman have superpowers?

Pinned against the bed, she heard Su Mingxiu’s amused voice above her: “My turn now?”

Yu Nian, thinking quickly, put on a serious expression, pushing against Su Mingxiu’s shoulders. “Actually, I have another question—”

“Hmm?”

“It’s…” Yu Nian’s eyes darted around. “If I hadn’t liked you first, would you have liked me?”

She had considered this question before. Now that she had trapped the system, she didn’t have to risk Yu Nian’s reputation with this forbidden love. She could play the role of the perfect Little Mom, always there for Yu Nian, but never crossing the line.

But there were no “ifs” in this story.

After a moment, she smiled. “Whether you like me or not, I love you.”

A love that allowed her to be by Yu Nian’s side in any form: as family, as a friend, as a mentor, as a mother…

Whether Yu Nian reciprocated her feelings or not, no matter their predetermined ending, as long as Yu Nian sent out a signal, she would respond.

Her love for this person… could be summarized in:

As long as you need it, as long as I have it, I’ll give you everything I can, everything I have.

Chapter 156: The Toyed-With Goddaughter (31)

Entering the hospital elevator, Yu Nian felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. As they walked out of the building, Su Mingxiu turned to her and asked, “Do you think I shouldn’t have confronted her?”

“No,” Yu Nian touched her nose. “Mom has always been domineering, and… your relationship is complicated. You can treat her however you want, don’t let me influence you.”

After all, Su Mingxiu and Yu Wanru had been married.

But then, the image of Su Mingxiu in bed last night flashed through her mind… had others seen that side of her too?

She quickly banished the thought, her face flushing, deciding not to dwell on it.

Just then, Su Mingxiu sighed. “I could before, but not anymore. After all, being with you… complicates things.”

Ex-wife turned daughter-in-law, it was awkward.

Yu Nian, her mind still on their earlier intimacy, didn’t quite grasp Su Mingxiu’s meaning. “How about we each address her differently?”

“Hmm?”

“I call her Mom, you call her Yu Wanru.”

Su Mingxiu chuckled, amused by her suggestion. They reached the parking lot, and Su Mingxiu, unlocking her car, noticed Yu Nian’s blush in the flashing lights. “What are you thinking about?” she asked.

“Ah?”

Yu Nian quickly got into the car, fastened her seatbelt, and adjusted her hair and clothes. “N-nothing,” she replied, trying to appear nonchalant.

“Nothing? Then why the strange expression?”

Su Mingxiu leaned closer, her elbow on the steering wheel, her fingers tracing her chin as she observed Yu Nian. “Do you want to tell me, or should I… extract the information?”

Extract it how?

That was Yu Nian’s first thought, then she mentally scolded herself for her increasingly dirty mind.

She finally confessed: “I was… going to ask about you and Mom… but never mind, I don’t really care, I don’t mind your past…”

Su Mingxiu traced Yu Nian’s chin with her finger, a smile in her eyes. “I was wondering when you would finally ask.”

Yu Nian instinctively tried to lean back, then realized she was already pressed against the seat. She cleared her throat, trying to appear indifferent again.

Su Mingxiu leaned closer, her scent, a mix of grass and bamboo, filling the car. “I think you’re not just curious about Yu Wanru, are you? Anyone else? Sheng Tianheng, perhaps?”

Surrounded by her scent, Yu Nian’s mind hazy, she confessed honestly: “I want to know everything… about your past, everything.”

To Yu Nian, Su Mingxiu was like a complex perfume, her scent ever-changing, her actions unpredictable, a constant source of surprises.

She stared at Su Mingxiu’s snowflake-shaped earring, not feeling its coldness, but a strange urge to melt it—

She gently nibbled on the earring as Su Mingxiu leaned closer.

Su Mingxiu, feeling the tug on her earlobe, leaned in further, amused by Yu Nian’s childishness. “It was all for show, I never treated them like I treat you.”

“Neither emotionally, nor physically.”

Yu Nian, instead of biting, now kissed the earring, then Su Mingxiu’s earlobe, her warm breath tickling Su Mingxiu’s skin.

She seemed to think this was a good opportunity, the car parked in a secluded spot. “Then what did you mean when you said you liked me earlier than I thought? Since our first meeting?”

Su Mingxiu didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, she held Yu Nian’s waist, pinning her against the seat. “Are you taking advantage of being in public, thinking I won’t punish you, deliberately provoking me?”

She leaned closer, their bodies pressed together, and kissed Yu Nian, silencing her.

With the car door slightly ajar, Yu Nian felt a thrill of danger, pushing against Su Mingxiu, but her struggles only intensified the desire.

Even her protests sounded like invitations.

But Su Mingxiu released her, leaned back, and adjusted her hair in the rearview mirror, then finally answered Yu Nian’s question.

“Just consider… the me after the divorce as the real me. Before that, it was all… a blur, another person, not truly me.”

Yu Nian, her mind still reeling from the kiss, barely registered Su Mingxiu’s words, only nodding absently. As Su Mingxiu drove, Yu Nian opened the window, shifted in her seat, then, when they reached their destination, she asked: “Should we… buy you a new outfit?”

Yu Nian: “Huh?”

She remembered the clothes they had bought earlier, wondering why Su Mingxiu was bringing this up again, thinking she had a shopping addiction.

Then, she heard Su Mingxiu’s teasing voice: “I’m afraid you won’t be able to sit through dinner with your wet pants.”

Yu Nian blushed furiously, knowing that Su Mingxiu had noticed her fidgeting.

She bit Su Mingxiu’s hand, her voice a mix of embarrassment and playfulness. “It’s your fault!”

Su Mingxiu, seeing the teeth marks, didn’t say anything.

Two hours later—

Yu Nian, sitting in Su Mingxiu’s office chair, her eyes wide, realized that Su Mingxiu was still holding a grudge, intending to take revenge.

“Su-Susu… don’t… please…”

Even though she knew there was no one else at the studio at this hour, she was still nervous, her fingers gripping the armrests, her clothes rumpled as she pushed against Su Mingxiu’s shoulders, her voice trembling.

“Will you bite me again?” Su Mingxiu asked, a smile in her eyes.

Yu Nian shook her head frantically, saying no repeatedly. Only after several marks appeared on her neck did Su Mingxiu release her. Yu Nian quickly escaped to the sofa, hiding her face behind a magazine, trying to calm down.

She gritted her teeth, wanting to bite Su Mingxiu again, but remembering Su Mingxiu’s skills in bed, she gave up.

After a while, she put down the magazine and looked over at Su Mingxiu, who had bumped into some of her employees and decided to do some work, catching up on the tasks she had neglected while visiting Yu Wanru.

Su Mingxiu, her profile illuminated by the office lights as she reviewed documents, looked incredibly beautiful, almost mesmerizing.

Yu Nian stared, lost in thought, until Su Mingxiu, feeling her gaze, looked up. “Am I that beautiful?”

“Yes,” Yu Nian nodded seriously. “Very beautiful.”

Her sincerity made her forget all the flowery words she had read in books.

Su Mingxiu chuckled and patted her lap, inviting her closer. Yu Nian walked over, sat on her lap, and kissed her cheek,

Then her neck.

“I told you to come closer, not to seduce me,” Su Mingxiu said, her gaze still on the documents, her voice indulgent. “Provoke me again, and I won’t let you go, even if you say no.”

Yu Nian simply hummed in response and, after behaving for a while, glanced at the document, an investment assessment report, then quickly looked away, not wanting to mix business with pleasure.

Her gaze fell on the computer, and after asking Su Mingxiu, she opened it, intending to play a card game, but she saw an email notification.

The sender:

Shao Chen.

Seeing the subject line, a legal consultation request, she couldn’t help but ask: “This Shao Chen… is she the one from the show?”

“Yes,” Su Mingxiu glanced at the computer. “She’s a partner at the law firm and a consultant for Tianyan, so we have a working relationship.”

Su Mingxiu, finding the pen too heavy, put it aside and opened a drawer, taking out a regular pen.

But Yu Nian picked up the discarded pen, its ceramic body still warm from Su Mingxiu’s touch.

Tracing the pen’s smooth surface, she held it against Su Mingxiu’s neck, the cool, hard object trailing down her skin, making her shiver.

Su Mingxiu stopped writing and, turning to Yu Nian, a playful smile on her lips, asked: “Jealous?”

Yu Nian, twirling the pen around Su Mingxiu’s waist, her tone like an interrogator’s, said: “I realized you weren’t very thorough with your explanation earlier—”

“Now, let’s go through them one by one.”

“What kind of relationship do you still have with these… former ‘ambiguous partners’?”

Su Mingxiu leaned back in her chair, a smile on her lips, her eyes half-closed, watching the pen in Yu Nian’s hand, its tip dangerously close. Her voice, although still casual, held a warning: “I can explain, we can talk all night, but I suggest you don’t move that pen any lower, little one.”

“Or you might not be able to leave this office tonight.”

Yu Nian: “?”

So defiant even after being caught?

A few minutes later, Yu Nian was pinned against the desk. She blinked, about to speak, when Su Mingxiu leaned closer:

“Shh.”

“I forgot to mention, the others just went out for dinner, they might come back to work overtime, if you’re too loud, you’ll attract attention.”

Yu Nian: “??”

She whimpered softly, her voice much less convincing than before, more like a coquettish plea. “I believe you, I believe you, really, just let me go.”

Su Mingxiu ignored her. “Where were we? Oh, right, Dr. Tang from the show, there’s really nothing between us. She’s a surgeon, who goes to the hospital for fun? Next—”

“Mmmph!”

Yu Nian covered her mouth, her body wriggling against the cold desk, her eyes reddening, her legs trembling. Unable to endure Su Mingxiu’s teasing any longer, she whispered through her fingers, using the nickname Su Mingxiu loved most:

“Little Mom… please…”

Su Mingxiu paused.

Then, a chuckle came from behind her, followed by a soft, almost affectionate voice: “Good girl.”

But her words sent shivers down Yu Nian’s spine. Then, she heard Su Mingxiu’s voice, a playful threat: “Here’s your reward, a pen.”

“Go back and study hard.”

Su Mingxiu patted her back, helped her up, and even straightened her clothes, but Yu Nian was trembling even more now.

A clatter on the carpet.

Yu Nian swallowed hard, even without looking down, she knew… it was the pen, the one Su Mingxiu had just “rewarded” her with, now stained, no longer pristine.

Chapter 155: The Toyed-With Goddaughter (30)

“Earlier than you think,” Su Mingxiu finally replied.

Yu Nian, pondering this answer, went to work. Perhaps because of her newfound resolve, she now faced her responsibilities with a sense of calm, her heart at peace, focused on catching up to Su Mingxiu.

As if having found a home.

The memory of their passionate encounter in the bathroom was still vivid. During a work break, Yu Nian thought about Su Mingxiu’s intense desire, feeling both overwhelmed and…

…a strange sense of wanting more, a mix of anticipation and fear.

Perhaps fueled by this newfound intimacy, she worked efficiently, finishing her tasks by 4 PM, then started messaging Su Mingxiu, asking if they could meet tonight.

Su Mingxiu replied quickly:

“I’ll be done around 9:30 PM, you have dinner first, then send me the address, I’ll pick you up.”

Yu Nian, looking at the clock, felt the next five hours stretch endlessly before her.

But she waited patiently, even taking on extra tasks, finishing the urgent ones, leaving the rest for tomorrow.

5:30 PM.

The second the clock’s second hand reached 12, she jumped up from her desk, ignoring her colleagues’ surprised glances, and left, a champion against corporate exploitation.

But at the company entrance, she was met by familiar figures in black suits.

“Ms. Yu.”

They greeted her politely, but their actions were less so, forming a wall, blocking her path.

Yu Nian frowned, then said, not wanting to waste time: “Tell my mom that if she wants to see me, she can just call, no need for this.”

Then, she looked past them. “Where’s the car? Let’s go.”

City Hospital, VIP ward.

Unlike her previous passive visits, Yu Nian now entered the room, checking the caregiver’s work, then Yu Wanru’s condition, which seemed to have improved. She walked to the bedside. “Mom,” she said softly.

Yu Wanru was on a video conference with overseas partners. She glanced at Yu Nian, silencing her with a look.

The meeting ended half an hour later.

She looked at Yu Nian, who was peeling an apple. “I don’t like apples,” she said suddenly.

Yu Nian paused, put down the apple and the knife, and reached for another fruit, but Yu Wanru spoke again: “You’re so patient today, aren’t you afraid of being kept here, unable to see your… sweetheart?”

“You can keep me here, but you can’t stop her,” Yu Nian replied calmly, wiping her hands with a tissue.

“Are you so sure she’ll come for you?” Yu Wanru’s voice was mocking, as if she had already foreseen their tragic ending.

She seemed to want to test Yu Nian’s faith in Su Mingxiu’s feelings.

But Yu Nian replied quickly: “I’m not sure, I just… hope so.”

“Tsk,” Yu Wanru scoffed.

But Yu Nian didn’t try to argue, her light-colored eyes calm and mature beyond her years.

She even initiated a conversation. “Mom, you can’t dismiss all similar relationships just because yours failed.”

This was the most rebellious thing she had said in years.

Yu Wanru’s face hardened. “Do you think I’m preventing you from being with Su Mingxiu because I failed, so I want you to fail too?”

Yu Nian, usually defiant, paused, then continued: “I just don’t understand… you had such courage when you were young, why won’t you let me be brave with my own feelings now?”

“You not being with my mother… wasn’t your fault, it was because she was afraid of—”

“Shut up!”

Yu Wanru had been able to listen calmly when Yu Nian talked about her, but mentioning her birth mother was a line she wouldn’t allow Yu Nian to cross.

There was nothing special about their story. They both knew the truth, it wasn’t difficult to uncover. Yu Nian’s mother, in a time when same-sex marriage wasn’t legal, had been in love with Yu Wanru.

But she had succumbed to societal pressure and married a man, the heir to a company similar in size to Wanda.

And this marriage had been celebrated.

After the wedding, Yu Wanru had cut off all contact, but Yu Nian’s mother had been unhappy.

Her husband had cheated during her pregnancy, and Yu Nian’s birth had been difficult. Suffering from postpartum depression, she had committed suicide.

Upon hearing this, Yu Wanru had been both shocked and furious. Wanda, under her leadership, was thriving, and she had used all her resources to target that company, forcing them to name Yu Nian as the heir.

But since Yu Nian was a girl, they had only agreed superficially, secretly trying for a son, a true heir.

Yu Wanru, discovering this, had fought for custody.

And then, Yu Nian’s father had died in a car accident, his family in turmoil, making it easier for Yu Wanru to take Yu Nian. To protect her from gossip, she had initially left Yu Nian with her parents, only bringing her home later, to prepare her for the company.

Upon returning to the Yu residence, Yu Nian, still young, had been shocked to see Su Mingxiu—

If Yu Wanru loved her mother so much, why was there another woman in her life?

Later, she had wondered why her mother hadn’t chosen Yu Wanru.

And now…

Yu Nian finally understood. Her mother had been a victim of societal pressure, one wrong step leading to another.

And Yu Wanru’s feelings towards her mother were probably a mix of guilt and regret, perhaps wondering, in those sleepless nights, what if she hadn’t given up…

So she had closed off her heart, offering marriage as a form of repayment to the Su family, not as a symbol of love.

But these were just Yu Nian’s guesses.

Now, she didn’t mention her mother again, only saying, glancing at the time: “You should have your dinner now.”

She thought Yu Wanru, still angry, wouldn’t continue the conversation. But Yu Wanru, calming down, asked: “Have you ever thought about… my past relationship with Su Mingxiu? If you insist on being with her, what will people say?”

“I have,” Yu Nian replied, her eyes lowered.

“As long as she’s not afraid, I don’t care.”

This wasn’t the first time Yu Wanru had brought this up.

But it was only now that Yu Nian understood her mother’s repeated objections. Yu Wanru seemed to be afraid that Yu Nian’s stubbornness would mirror her own, and that Su Mingxiu would eventually…

…abandon her, like Yu Nian’s mother. It was in this moment that Yu Nian realized how much she resembled Yu Wanru.

When she had been taken from her original family, she had known how lucky she was to become Yu Wanru’s daughter, she had always strived to be like her. But the motherly love she had received wasn’t as warm as in those stories.

But whether in her original family, with Yu Wanru’s parents, or even later at the Yu residence, she had thought this was what family was like, until she met Su Mingxiu—

While calling her “Little Mom,” she had also felt that Su Mingxiu’s care was too intimate, different from her understanding of a mother-daughter relationship.

So she had thought it was love, then, with those repeated “Little Mom” addresses, had swayed back towards familial affection.

Yu Nian had felt both motherly love and something else from Su Mingxiu, her feelings uncertain, until the events on the dating show, fueled by jealousy and possessiveness, and Yu Wanru’s opposition, had pushed her firmly towards love.

Now, if asked when she had fallen in love, she wouldn’t know.

But having acknowledged her feelings, she would continue on this path.

After all…

She wanted Su Mingxiu to stay by her side forever.

“If I still insist, if you choose to be with her, you can’t inherit Wanda, and you must sever all ties with me, do you still want to be with her?” Yu Wanru asked, her gaze intense.

This time…

Yu Nian knew how to answer. “You will always be my mother, I’m happy to help you, but even if I can’t inherit Wanda, I’ll still work hard. When you’re old, when you need me, I’ll be there for you—”

“And I’ll still remember my mother, whether you allow me to visit her grave or not.”

Hearing this, Yu Wanru suddenly realized that her child had truly grown up.

She couldn’t keep an eagle caged forever, it was destined to fly, to soar through the storms. She could control Yu Nian’s actions, but not her heart.

“Knock, knock.”

A knock on the door.

Yu Nian, thinking it was the doctor, looked over, then stood up, surprised. “Didn’t you say you had to work overtime?”

The person at the door was Su Mingxiu.

Her sunglasses perched on her collar, she looked at Yu Wanru, then at Yu Nian, thinking that the little one was clearly outmatched—but it didn’t matter, she could teach her.

“Ms. Yu requested my presence, I have to show some respect,” she said, addressing Yu Nian, then turned to Yu Wanru, guessing her intentions. She straightened up, her usual playful smile gone, her expression serious.

“If you want a guarantee, Yu Wanru—”

“I can only say, if it weren’t for your interference, I wouldn’t have to give up easy money as a model and work so hard as a CEO.”

This was her answer.

Yu Wanru looked at her for a moment, then looked away. “You’ve changed, but that’s not important. I just want you to know, Su Mingxiu, she’s my only child.”

Anyone who knew Su Mingxiu’s past would agree that she was a different person now.

Although Yu Wanru hadn’t paid much attention to her before, she could still sense the change, and… it wasn’t just her demeanor.

“You might not believe this…” Su Mingxiu also looked away, her gaze softening as she turned to Yu Nian, “but she’s more important to me than you can imagine.”

Yu Nian, feeling Su Mingxiu’s gaze, wanted to hug her, but Yu Wanru was there.

The temperature in the room seemed to rise slightly.

Su Mingxiu didn’t want to argue with her “ex-wife.” She patted Yu Nian’s head. “It’s almost dinner time, let’s go eat.”

Yu Nian glanced at Yu Wanru hesitantly.

“What are we having?” she asked softly.

Su Mingxiu replied casually: “Everything your mom can’t eat, you can be a filial daughter and try it for her.”

Yu Nian: “…”

She felt a shiver of apprehension, even wanting to hold Su Mingxiu’s hand for reassurance. She wouldn’t dare to provoke Yu Wanru like this.

But Su Mingxiu took her hand and led her towards the door. As they reached the exit, Yu Wanru spoke again.

“I think I owe you an apology—”

For offering her marriage, then abandoning her.

“It’s okay,” Su Mingxiu said, not turning around. “The people who deserve your apology and gratitude… aren’t here. The Su Mingxiu before you is just… your future daughter-in-law.”

Yu Wanru: “…”

Chapter 154: The Toyed-With Goddaughter (29)

“Ms. Yu.”

Late at night, in the VIP ward of the city hospital…

Yu Wanru was eating the bland hospital food, slowly, listening to a report.

“Speak.”

“Miss Yu has made contact with the target. They went to Guose Xianjing, a Tianyan property. We didn’t follow them inside, but they haven’t left yet.”

It was already 11 PM. Yu Wanru, waking up hungry, her heart rate and blood pressure spiking then stabilizing, listened to the report on speakerphone, then said “Understood” and hung up.

She looked out the window at the city lights, her thoughts hidden, the night stretching before her.

For Yu Nian, the night was also long, but for different reasons.

She had assumed that Su Mingxiu’s repeated restraint was due to a lack of desire. Even if Su Mingxiu had the upper hand now, it wouldn’t last.

However…

She was wrong.

Su Mingxiu seemed determined to prove her otherwise, or perhaps simply to settle the score, their passionate encounter moving from the bedroom to the windowsill, then… Yu Nian’s earlier shower had been in vain. Su Mingxiu carried her to the bathtub, the warm water enveloping them. Yu Nian’s gaze was fixed on Su Mingxiu’s neck, the bite marks already gone.

Seeing the marks on her own collarbone, Yu Nian felt a pang of possessiveness, reaching for Su Mingxiu’s shoulder, wanting to leave her own mark.

Just as her teeth were about to sink in, the water rippled, Su Mingxiu’s expression turning blank, as if she had forgotten what she was doing. Then, after a moment, she gently nibbled on Yu Nian’s shoulder.

Su Mingxiu wasn’t annoyed, only amused by the increasing force of Yu Nian’s bite. She chuckled softly, her voice echoing in the small bathroom.

She tucked Yu Nian’s hair behind her ear. “Keep biting,” she whispered, her voice seductive.

“The harder you bite, the harder I’ll… The more you bite, the more we’ll…”

Yu Nian: “…”

She surrendered, releasing Su Mingxiu’s shoulder, even licking the bite mark apologetically. But the next moment, she gasped, looking up at Su Mingxiu in disbelief.

“Do you even want to sleep tonight? Are you trying to seduce me?”

Yu Nian: “??”

Niannian feels wronged, Niannian is suffering.

Confused and helpless, her eyes reddening, her fingers tightening then loosening on Su Mingxiu’s shoulder, her usually calm and innocent face now flushed with desire.

“Can we…” she whispered, her voice pleading, “can we sleep now…”

This inexperienced, sensitive child, having opened the door to a new world, felt overwhelmed, wanting only to escape.

But Su Mingxiu, her desire only piqued, kissed Yu Nian’s swollen lips, her voice a gentle murmur. “You sleep.”

Yu Nian, unable to hold on, the water sloshing around them, even reached for the edge of the bathtub. “Then why are you…”

Why aren’t you stopping?

She soon understood Su Mingxiu’s answer: You sleep, I’ll sleep with you.

Yu Nian didn’t remember how she was carried out of the bathtub, her memories a blur of splashing water.

She only remembered being pushed to the peak again and again, then gently caught, her body exhausted, yet instinctively clinging to Su Mingxiu, the source of both her pleasure and her pain.

The moonlight disappeared behind the clouds.

Until dawn.

Sunlight streamed through the curtains, warming Yu Nian’s foot. She stirred, wanting to turn over, but she was trapped, unable to move. She opened her eyes and met Su Mingxiu’s gaze.

She stared for a moment, then kissed the small mole near Su Mingxiu’s eye, her voice hoarse with sleep. “Morning.”

Su Mingxiu chuckled. “Morning.”

Yu Nian, looking at Su Mingxiu’s profile in the soft light, suddenly asked: “When did you start liking me?”

Chapter 153: The Toyed-With Goddaughter (28)

While waiting for their food, Yu Nian tried several times to retrieve her foot from Su Mingxiu’s grasp, but failed. Her posture awkward, she shifted in her seat, then whispered: “Susu…”

Su Mingxiu smiled. “Want me to let go?”

Yu Nian nodded, and Su Mingxiu continued, her voice unhurried: “I can, but you have to come closer.”

The restaurant’s dim lighting, warm and inviting, made it difficult for Yu Nian to look away, even from a distance. If she got closer… she might not be able to eat anything tonight.

She swallowed nervously and agreed, then, as Su Mingxiu’s grip loosened, she quickly scooted back, the chair scraping against the floor, and stood up.

Not even glancing at the red mark on her ankle, she excused herself and hurried towards the bathroom, a clear escape.

Su Mingxiu knew she would run, but she didn’t pursue her. She waited patiently, and only when the first dish arrived did Yu Nian return.

Su Mingxiu stood up gracefully, walking towards Yu Nian, who looked at her with wide, uncertain eyes.

Yu Nian heard her own heartbeat.

Unable to predict Su Mingxiu’s actions, every move was a surprise, a mix of anxiety and excitement.

She didn’t move, waiting. Su Mingxiu walked right up to her, but before Yu Nian could imagine anything further, Su Mingxiu brushed past her, leaving behind a different fragrance.

Yu Nian’s mind went blank, she turned instinctively. “Where are you going?”

They hadn’t even started eating.

“Washing my hands,” Su Mingxiu raised an eyebrow, turning slightly, her words laced with a double meaning. “What, do you want to join me again?”

Yu Nian blushed,

Embarrassed by her own thoughts.

When Su Mingxiu returned, most of the dishes had arrived. She picked up her chopsticks, glanced at Yu Nian, who had barely touched her food, her gaze fixed on Su Mingxiu, and chuckled softly. “Disappointed that I didn’t do anything to you just now?”

“Ah!” Yu Nian denied it instinctively. “No.”

“You’re lying,” Su Mingxiu said, her eyes sparkling with amusement, seeing through her.

Yu Nian’s hand trembled, and the piece of tofu she had just picked up broke in half, falling back onto her plate.

Speechless, unable to even offer a convincing denial, she could only focus on her food,

Her movements hurried, as if eager to finish and move on to other things.

Su Mingxiu, however, ate slowly, even pushing some dishes towards Yu Nian. When Yu Nian finally put down her chopsticks, seemingly relieved, Su Mingxiu asked: “Couldn’t wait any longer?”

Yu Nian, flustered by Su Mingxiu’s teasing, wished she could choke on her rice and escape this torment.

She rubbed her face, her cheeks burning, and pleaded: “Stop teasing me.”

Su Mingxiu knew the child couldn’t handle it, if she pushed her too far, Yu Nian’s youthful impulsiveness might lead to… unpredictable consequences.

“Okay,” she said, then, after they finished, she paid the bill, pushing Yu Nian’s phone away as she tried to pay. Yu Nian, a smile on her lips, didn’t insist.

The mall was crowded, but the luxury stores were less so. As they walked downstairs, Su Mingxiu turned to Yu Nian.

“Want a gift?”

Yu Nian paused, wondering if there was a special occasion.

Su Mingxiu, remembering their lack of contact recently, wanted to make up for the missed gifts. She didn’t explain, only leading Yu Nian into a store.

The store sold ready-to-wear clothing, the current season’s designs quite stylish. Su Mingxiu browsed the racks, then looked at Yu Nian.

Yu Nian wasn’t really interested. Yu Wanru always received the latest catalogs and chose Yu Nian’s clothes for her, even her pajamas, so she had no interest in new clothes.

She only wanted to be with Su Mingxiu.

But remembering that this was a rare occasion, she walked over and picked a random outfit: a top, a camisole, and a skirt.

Being a teenager, rebelling against her parents’ preference for bright colors, she favored simple black, white, and grey.

Su Mingxiu didn’t mind her choices, but seeing the skirt, her expression changed slightly as she followed Yu Nian to the fitting room.

Sitting on the plush sofa in the waiting area, she browsed a fashion magazine.

A few minutes later…

The fitting room door opened, and Yu Nian peeked out, looking around. “Where’s the sales assistant?”

“Wrong size?” Su Mingxiu closed the magazine and stood up. They weren’t regular customers,

Even with their spending, the staff wouldn’t be constantly at their beck and call.

Yu Nian, also knowing this, held out the skirt. “Wrong style.”

“Hmm?”

Under Su Mingxiu’s curious gaze, Yu Nian unfolded the skirt. “Too short…”

She didn’t like this style, it felt too revealing.

The skirt actually matched the top Yu Nian had chosen. Su Mingxiu estimated its length. “Try it on, I want to see.”

Yu Nian: “?”

She was about to insist on changing it, but after a moment of staring at Su Mingxiu, she changed her mind. “Okay,” she said, and closed the door.

A few minutes later, she emerged, tugging at the hem of the skirt self-consciously, as if trying to make it longer.

She was wearing a black tweed jacket with small embellishments, paired with the matte leather skirt. But the most eye-catching feature was her long, slender legs, so pale they seemed to glow.

The skirt ended well above her knees. Yu Nian looked down, then, seeing Su Mingxiu’s gaze on her, she suddenly didn’t mind the short skirt anymore. She even walked over to Su Mingxiu and twirled slightly. “Does it look good?”

Su Mingxiu hummed in approval.

Actually, she thought there were better options for Yu Nian. But seeing the girl’s eagerness to leave, she simply smiled and followed her to the cashier.

Yu Nian didn’t even bother changing back into her original clothes, having the tags removed and walking out of the store. Su Mingxiu, following behind, seeing her small leather shoes, couldn’t resist teasing her further and took her to a shoe store.

Her long legs, now encased in grey knee-high boots, were mostly hidden, but the effect was even more alluring.

Yu Nian, initially tired of shopping, noticing that Su Mingxiu seemed to enjoy buying things for her, patiently accompanied her, until the mall closed. They returned to the car, each carrying several shopping bags.

Su Mingxiu, sitting in the driver’s seat, turned to Yu Nian. “Home, or my place?”

Yu Nian, hearing the second option, puffed out her cheeks, then replied: “Your place.”

Su Mingxiu had already repaid Yu Wanru for the apartment at Xiangjiang Huafu.

But she still didn’t feel comfortable living there. So she drove to a villa complex developed by Tianyan Group.

As they parked in the garage, Yu Nian asked: “Tianyan’s designs are so tacky, especially those apartments in the city, the layout is terrible, why do you like their properties?”

Su Mingxiu chuckled, wanting to say that it was because Yu Wanru was stingy, unlike Sheng Tianheng.

But that wouldn’t make Yu Nian happy. She saw Yu Nian open the door and, touching her seatbelt, raised an eyebrow. “Huh, this seatbelt seems to be stuck.”

Yu Nian, about to check, then decided it was too much trouble and walked around to the driver’s side. As she leaned in, her hand on the seatback, the seat suddenly reclined, startling her.

“Click.” Su Mingxiu caught her, then released the seatbelt. Only the dim garage lights illuminated the car’s interior.

Yu Nian, lying on top of Su Mingxiu, their breaths mingling, was about to speak when Su Mingxiu kissed her, silencing her.

The temperature in the car rose, her complaints and coquettish words lost in the intoxicating mix of their scents and Su Mingxiu’s perfume.

When Su Mingxiu finally released her, Yu Nian realized that her jacket had slipped off her shoulders, and her short skirt had ridden up, bunched around her hips.

Her hair, now loose, cascaded around her. She looked at Su Mingxiu, dazed, trying to sit up, but Su Mingxiu pulled her back down. This time, when she was released, she didn’t even have the strength to sit up.

Su Mingxiu caressed her nape. “Alright, let’s go upstairs.”

“Or do you want to stay here?”

Yu Nian: “?”

I didn’t want to stay here!

If it weren’t for Su Mingxiu’s trick with the seatbelt, and the kiss that had left her breathless, would she still be in the car?

Her response was to leave a row of bite marks on Su Mingxiu’s neck.

Yu Nian preferred showers, quick and efficient, but thinking about Su Mingxiu’s love for baths, she hesitated, wondering if this was the end of their night.

She turned off the water, drying herself absentmindedly. The shower hadn’t cooled her down, the unfulfilled desire only intensifying, like waves gathering strength.

After changing, she saw Su Mingxiu heading towards the bathroom and followed her for a few steps, then, embarrassed by her own eagerness, turned and went to the bedroom, deciding to read.

Su Mingxiu, unaware of her thoughts, came out of the bathroom and saw Yu Nian lying on the bed, reading. She glanced at the cover—

Tao Te Ching.

“Hmm?” She chuckled, amused, and took the book from Yu Nian. “This is what you want to read in my bed, at night?”

Yu Nian, her expression calm and innocent, nodded firmly, as if she had transcended all worldly desires and was no longer affected by Su Mingxiu’s presence. She even moved aside slightly and asked: “Are you going to sleep?”

Su Mingxiu slowly untied her bathrobe, a smile on her lips. “Yes.”

As their skin touched, the warmth under the covers rekindled the fire.

Yu Nian took a few deep breaths, feeling that her reading had been in vain. She rolled over and straddled Su Mingxiu, thinking she shouldn’t suffer alone.

Then, in the next second, she was flipped over, Su Mingxiu pinning her hands above her head, her voice teasing. “Weren’t you reading the Tao Te Ching? Isn’t this… inappropriate?”

Yu Nian, tilting her head back, bit Su Mingxiu’s lip.

As Su Mingxiu gasped, Yu Nian pushed her down, silencing her teasing words.

They wrestled playfully, the sheets and blankets rumpled. Until Yu Nian suddenly grabbed Su Mingxiu’s wrist. “Wait!”

Su Mingxiu raised an eyebrow, looking down at her.

Yu Nian, always quick to act cute, and to protect her “top” status, said softly: “Susu, please…”

“Call me something nicer.”

“Hmm?” Yu Nian hesitated, then said: “Wife?”

Su Mingxiu’s smile deepened, surprised by her boldness. As Yu Nian was about to try a third time, Su Mingxiu broke free and, as she had intended, took the lead—

Yu Nian could only let out a soft moan.

Her hand, which had been gripping Su Mingxiu’s wrist, now clutched the fabric of Su Mingxiu’s bathrobe.

She seemed confused, her brow furrowed, as if complaining about Su Mingxiu’s sudden action.

Su Mingxiu leaned closer, her gaze fixed on Yu Nian’s slightly swollen lips, her voice low and husky. “Call me Little Mom.”

Yu Nian: “!”

In this intimate moment, the forbidden title was like a bucket of cold water, making her freeze.

Sensing her body stiffen, Su Mingxiu chuckled. “I knew you liked that.”

“Now, call me whatever you want, let’s begin.”

Yu Nian: “?!”

Her grip on Su Mingxiu’s shoulders tightened, her voice firm. “I don’t like it.”

“Really?”

Su Mingxiu looked at her intently, then, after a moment of thought, she raised her left hand, gently prying Yu Nian’s hand from her shoulder, and guiding it towards the opening of her bathrobe. “But your…”

“other mouth… seems to be saying something else.”