But….
“There isn’t a single word of truth coming out of your mouth. How do you expect me to believe you?” Lin Sheng argued righteously.
Yu Keqing’s tears wouldn’t stop. She laughed through her tears, her expression a mix of self-deprecating mockery and sheer grievance. “I don’t tell the truth?”
When she had first transmigrated into this book, she had been scared out of her wits and desperately wanted to go back. Because of that, she had immediately explained everything to Wen Man. She didn’t know if Wen Man actually believed her or not, but in the end, Wen Man accepted her apology and they became close friends.
Her confession to Lin Sheng, however, happened after their marriage. When she discovered that the person Lin Sheng actually loved was Wen Man, and that marrying her was nothing more than an act of revenge, she grew terrified. So, she told Lin Sheng the absolute truth, hoping Lin Sheng would show some mercy and let her leave, considering she was just an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.
Yet, Lin Sheng hadn’t believed a single word. Instead, her attitude grew even worse. She humiliated Yu Keqing, claiming she was a compulsive liar who would concoct such a pathetic excuse just to shirk her blame.
Seeing her cry like this made Lin Sheng’s chest ache sharply. She reached out and carefully wiped away the tears, her thumb brushing against Yu Keqing’s reddened eyes. Leaning in, she kissed away a stray tear that was still hanging on, her tone carrying a slightly awkward sense of compromise.
“Stop crying. Let’s just never bring up the past again, okay? You’re unhappy, and I’m unhappy too. Think about it this way, the only reason I didn’t believe you is because I care about you. If I didn’t care, why would I give a damn whether you’re telling the truth or a lie? What would it have to do with me? It’s precisely because I care too much that I mind whether you’re lying to me. I care about you this much, so you should be happy. Why are you acting so aggrieved instead?”
Yu Keqing was so shocked by this shameless speech that she completely forgot to cry. For a long time, she couldn’t utter a single word.
Lin Sheng didn’t think there was anything wrong with her words at all; after all, that was just the truth to her. However, seeing Yu Keqing’s face turn pale with anger, her heart began to waver a bit. She gave a soft cough, attempting to ease the awkward atmosphere.
Placing her hand around Yu Keqing’s slender waist, her red lips drifted along Yu Keqing’s neck. “What’s wrong? Still angry?”
Yu Keqing felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen solid. It was terrifyingly cold.
“So, what you’re saying is that all your cruelty toward me was just because you cared? Am I supposed to be grateful to you then?”
Tears fell uncontrollably. She had endured endless grievances and humiliations, only for it to be turned around now as her being ungrateful. What a bitter irony.
Lin Sheng frowned. She thoroughly disliked Yu Keqing’s current tone, it felt as though she was blaming and mocking her.
“I didn’t mean it that way. I’m just telling you that I care about you a lot, so I want you to stop constantly angering me. You know I have a bad temper and easily lose control when I’m mad. Yet, you still keep provoking me. Last night too, you did it on purpose. I was practically driven crazy by you, but didn’t I choose not to stay genuinely mad at you today? So, Keke, stop dwelling on the past, alright? Let’s just drop it.”
Yu Keqing was trembling with rage. Suffocated by Lin Sheng’s shameless ability to twist black into white, her chest felt incredibly tight. Raising her voice, she cried out. “You are the one who keeps dwelling on the past! It has always been you, never me! Lin Sheng, can you stop being so utterly shameless? I have nothing to say to you. Let go, I want to go upstairs to rest. You can go out now.”
“You’re not allowed to leave. We’re going to clear this up.” Lin Sheng pressed her back down onto the sofa, pinning her down completely. Her narrowed, fox like eyes gleamed dangerously.
Yu Keqing’s face was deathly pale, her chest heaving violently from sheer rage. She pushed against Lin Sheng with all her might, but her strength was easily dismissed. Lin Sheng grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her head against the back of the sofa, while the hem of her shirt was dragged upward in the process.
“With this tiny bit of strength, what do you think you can achieve? Save your breath.”
Yu Keqing’s waist was very slender, lacking much muscle. She was just thin, with only a delicate layer of skin and fat. Previously, Lin Sheng could easily trap Yu Keqing against the headboard just by using her legs, leaving her completely immobile to be bullied however she pleased. Lin Sheng actually quite enjoyed watching Yu Keqing cry while she pinned her down and did whatever she wanted to her body; it felt exhilarating.
Yu Keqing shivered under her touch, twisting her body to dodge. This only triggered Lin Sheng’s mischievous streak. Pushing Yu Keqing down into the corner of the sofa, she leaned over and left several lipstick marks across her waist and abdomen.
Yu Keqing struggled desperately. “Let me go, Lin Sheng! Let me go!”
Lin Sheng lifted her head, looking down at her from above with a sly smile. “Mm, I’ve let go. What can you do to me anyway? Lock me up?”
She seemed to harbor absolutely no remorse for her actions. On the contrary, she deeply enjoyed this sense of control. She even licked her full, red lips, fantasizing that it might be pretty thrilling to lock her up and do it one day. She and Yu Keqing hadn’t tried anything that stimulating yet.
Yu Keqing’s heart, however, sank inch by inch. She should have known long ago that Lin Sheng was incapable of feeling regret.
Seeing her silence, Lin Sheng grew even more smug. She hummed, “And you still claim you don’t love me. If that’s true, what is all this? If you didn’t love me, would you be getting this angry with me? Deep down, you clearly still care, you just refuse to admit it. You just want me to coax you, right? Fine then, I forgive you.”
Lin Sheng possessed her own twisted logic, and within that framework, no one could defeat her. She was invincible.
Exhausted to her core, Yu Keqing closed her eyes tiredly. “I am truly exhausted. Let go.”
Lin Sheng had played around enough and originally intended to let her be, but she changed her mind at the last second. “Come out with me.”
Her lipstick had smudged, so Lin Sheng pulled a small mirror from her bag to touch up her makeup.
Using the back of her hand, Yu Keqing vigorously wiped her own lips and refused, “I’m not going.”
Lin Sheng grew displeased again. Turning her head, she knitted her brows and studied her, coming to a conclusion. “I shouldn’t have let you go out to work that lousy job. Your temper has become so stubborn. You’re not obedient at all and keep opposing me. Did you learn this from Wen Man? Her personality is incredibly stubborn too.”
She blamed Wen Man for ruining Yu Keqing. Yu Keqing used to be so gentle and compliant, but now she was like a cactus covered in thorns. She didn’t like it; this version of Yu Keqing wasn’t cute. She still preferred the gentle Yu Keqing from before.
Despite her immense reluctance, Yu Keqing was ultimately dragged out the door by Lin Sheng.
The chauffeur focused intently on driving, not daring to lose concentration for even a second. Meanwhile, in the back seat, Yu Keqing was dragged into a forced kiss by Lin Sheng. The lipstick that had just been touched up before leaving was smudged once again. The hand that had slipped under Yu Keqing’s clothes was highly restless, sparking fires everywhere and causing Yu Keqing’s fair skin to flush with layers of light pink. A refined scent of sandalwood filled the car, nearly getting overwhelmed by the fragrance of roses onto the car seat.
By the time they reached their destination and got out of the car, Yu Keqing’s lips were remarkably red and swollen. Anyone could tell at a glance what she had just experienced.
Xiao Zhiyu’s gaze couldn’t help but shift toward Lin Sheng. Oh? You actually parted with her and brought her out?
Yu Keqing had been dragged out abruptly by Lin Sheng and hadn’t even changed her clothes. She was still wearing the same white T-shirt and jeans from this morning, simple, pure, looking just like a college student.
In the past, people thought she was too ordinary, lacking any highlights. Now, just standing there quietly was enough to make Lin Sheng restless, making her want to drag her back into the car to continue.
“Hello, I am Xiao Zhiyu. We’ve met a few times before, do you remember me?” The grand designer, Xiao Zhiyu, proactively extended her hand to Yu Keqing, her smile bright and incredibly friendly.
She was the only person in Lin Sheng’s social circle who had never looked down on Yu Keqing. She had even advised Lin Sheng multiple times to treat Yu Keqing better, and had stepped in to bail her out whenever others mocked, ridiculed, or played pranks on her. Consequently, Yu Keqing had always held a good impression of her and felt genuinely grateful for her past interventions.
Yu Keqing lowered her gaze, her eyelashes trembling slightly. She reached out to shake Xiao Zhiyu’s hand, her voice faint but sincere as she said, “I remember. Miss Xiao has helped me out of tight spots before. Thank you.”
“No need to be so polite, just call me Zhiyu.” Xiao Zhiyu’s tone was relaxed, as if speaking to an old friend. She even began introducing the site to Yu Keqing, “By the way, you probably don’t know this yet, but Lin Sheng bought a whole building here. Look over there, it’s already undergoing renovations. It’s a gift she wants to give you. To achieve a result she’s satisfied with, she even personally came to my door to beg me to handle the interior design. Mind you, the only reason I agreed to help her out was for your sake.”
It was a building facing the street, occupying a prime location. It was currently cordoned off, with the clanging sounds of construction echoing from within.
Yu Keqing was utterly shocked. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked at the brightly smiling Xiao Zhiyu, and then at Lin Sheng, whose expression looked rather uncomfortable.
“A gift… for me?” She pointed to herself, unable to believe her ears.
“Yeah, she’s really putting her heart into it this time. The design blueprints were revised over and over again because she kept worrying you wouldn’t like this or wouldn’t like that.”
Yu Keqing still couldn’t believe it, her lips tightening into a tense line. “Miss Xiao, please don’t play this kind of joke on me.”
“How is it a joke?” Xiao Zhiyu pushed Lin Sheng forward. “Go ahead and ask her if it’s a joke.”
Lin Sheng adjusted the sunglasses on the bridge of her nose and glared at the talkative Xiao Zhiyu, silently reprimanding her for speaking too much.
Xiao Zhiyu shrugged and threw her hands up. You already brought the person here, how could you possibly keep it a secret?
“Ahem,” Lin Sheng looked toward Yu Keqing, making several small, restless movements to mask her awkwardness. “It’s true. Haven’t you always wanted to open your own bakery? And you’ve been envious of Wen Man. I’ll open one for you, ten times… no, a hundred times larger than Wen Man’s.”
Yu Keqing slowly withdrew her gaze. The shock on her face gradually faded away, leaving behind nothing but a blanket of peaceful coldness.
“No need. I don’t require your self-righteous kindness.”
This marriage with Lin Sheng was nothing but a massive act of revenge. She was already covered in scars, how could she possibly dare to accept Lin Sheng’s grand gestures? Every act of kindness from Lin Sheng came with an ulterior motive. She couldn’t afford it, and she didn’t dare to want it. If she touched even a fraction of it, she would be swallowed alive.
Xiao Zhiyu swallowed hard and took a step back, removing herself from the blast zone.
Lin Sheng’s face darkened instantly, the atmosphere around her dropping to a terrifying low.
Taking a step forward, she Broke past all boundaries to wrap her arm around Yu Keqing’s waist, forcefully dragging her toward a secluded spot. She had originally intended to give Yu Keqing a pleasant surprise, but now that her pride had been publicly wounded, there was no way her mood could be good.
“Have you thrown enough of a tantrum? Are you intentionally trying to humiliate me in public? If you keep being this ungrateful, I’m going to get genuinely angry.”
Her threatening tone caused Yu Keqing’s body to stiffen. Before Yu Keqing could resist further, Lin Sheng pinched her chin and bit her lips punitively, making her already red and swollen lips look even worse.
Once she finished kissing her, Lin Sheng pressed her thumb against Yu Keqing’s lips. It’s fine, they’re just swollen, not split. The last time she bit her, the scab had taken several days to fall off, which was quite severe. She had also regretted treating Yu Keqing so brutally, but she had been utterly driven mad by anger at the time, losing all reason. It wasn’t intentional, and she simply wouldn’t do it again in the future.
She caressed Yu Keqing’s cheek. This face was as plain and tasteless as plain water, yet it possessed an extraordinary capacity to quench her thirst. She loved it so much.
“If I’m giving it to you, then it’s yours. You’re not allowed to reject it. Isn’t being your own boss better than working for someone else? Are you addicted to being a laborer?”