Ning Yichu’s grand ambitions made He Shixia laugh, “That’s pretty good. But if all the wealth ends up in your hands, and the Ning and He families continue to live the rest of their lives in poverty, watching us… wouldn’t you feel more satisfied seeing us in such a miserable state than if we were dead?”
Ning Yichu’s face fell, “Are you mocking me?”
“No,” He Shixia couldn’t help but reach out and touch Ning Yichu’s face again. He said gently yet firmly, “This is what we owe you. You can have whatever you want… If this is what you want, then give me a chance to make it up to you, let me help you fulfill your wish, okay?”
Ning Yichu looked at him indifferently, “He Shixia, do you think that even if I notice something’s wrong, I can’t do anything to you, so you don’t even bother to hide it?”
He Shixia was taken aback, “Ah Ning…”
Ning Yichu brushed away the hand on his face, climbed off him, and, too lazy to get up and move, simply sat down beside him. As the weight lifted off him, He Shixia only felt regret, not wanting Ning Yichu to leave. He restrained the urge to pull Ning Yichu back into his arms and sat up on the carpet.
Ning Yichu lowered his eyes, fiddling with the bloodstains on his sleeve, casually reminding He Shixia, “Did you forget? Today, after you brought me back to the He family, you warned me, ‘You’ve already got what you wanted, so if you want anything else, just say it directly, don’t go seeking death and causing trouble’…”
He Shixia’s heart skipped a beat.
Ning Yichu’s voice was flat, “And now you’re acting like this… with such a big change in attitude, aren’t you worried I’ll get suspicious? Or do you think even if I do, I’ll just happily accept your ‘compensation’?”
He Shixia reached out his hand but didn’t know where to place it, so it hovered in the air, trembling slightly, “Ah Ning, I… if I told you, I came back from a few years later… would you believe me?”
Ning Yichu found He Shixia’s cautious tone amusing and couldn’t help but laugh.
He Shixia thought Ning Yichu didn’t believe him, hence the sneer. But unexpectedly, Ning Yichu nodded at him and said lightly, “I believe you.”
He Shixia was stunned, suddenly recalling how Ning Yichu had just suddenly said he wanted him, the Ning family, and the He family to all die…
In the previous life, Ning Yichu at this time wouldn’t have been so “sincere” in revealing his true feelings.
“I also know you died in front of my grave,” Ning Yichu slightly tilted his head, looking at He Shixia in front of him. As if recalling something particularly interesting, he continued with interest under He Shixia’s trembling pupils.
“After I died, you suddenly realized, ‘Oh, I actually liked him,’ and then wanted to help me get revenge on those who were bad to me before. As a result, you provoked public anger, were stalked by Ning Zeshu’s admirer, and got stabbed to death while sweeping my grave. Before you died, you even wanted to touch my portrait, how touching… You liked me so much, huh? Then why did I never feel it when I was alive?”
Ning Yichu’s tone was relaxed, even carrying a smile with his words, while He Shixia’s heart was trembling with mixed emotions. Realizing that Ning Yichu also had memories of the past life, the feeling of “lost and found” became even stronger, making He Shixia almost want to recklessly pull Ning Yichu into his bones and blood.
But Ning Yichu’s demeanor at this moment was so relaxed, so distant, warning He Shixia to recognize his identity, wrapping his restless heart in thick ice and snow, making him dare not act rashly.
He had no right to act rashly.
Ning Yichu reached out, touching the bite mark on He Shixia’s neck, his fingertips lightly brushing against the skin, making He Shixia shiver. Although Ning Yichu had bitten hard earlier, he stopped as soon as he tasted blood, so the injury wasn’t as scary as it seemed. The wound on He Shixia’s neck had already stopped bleeding.
With slender fingers moving lightly, tracing the red marks left by the blood, Ning Yichu touched He Shixia’s collar.
“Coming back to life, the first thing you want is to sleep in the same room with me…” Ning Yichu was amused, “What do you want to do?”
He Shixia seemed to hear the sound of his blood vessels bursting, restraining himself as he answered, “No… I really didn’t expect you to come back too… But I didn’t want to do anything to you who didn’t know anything, I just… wanted to be closer to you, Ah Ning.”
Following the fabric of the collar, Ning Yichu unbuttoned the first button of He Shixia’s pajamas. The action was very suggestive, but his eyes were as clear as ink, looking at He Shixia with only a hint of mockery in his gaze.
He Shixia’s throat rolled slightly, instinctively wanting to say something else, “In the last life, after you… passed away, was your soul always there, so you could see what I did afterward?”
Ning Yichu’s fingertips paused, he blinked.
So, although He Shixia was also reborn, he didn’t know about the existence of the original novel’s plot?
Was this something he alone knew?
This realization made Ning Yichu’s emotions surge again.
He suddenly pounced on He Shixia, biting his neck once more.
He Shixia raised his head, holding Ning Yichu’s slender waist, letting him bite.
Until he noticed Ning Yichu tugging at his clothes, He Shixia pursed his lips, struggling to grasp Ning Yichu’s wrist.
There was a scar on Ning Yichu’s left wrist, which, according to this life’s timeline, hadn’t healed for long, and the scar was very noticeable to the touch. He Shixia, feeling alarmed, almost lost his grip on Ning Yichu’s hand.
He pursed his lips, calming himself before speaking softly, as if stating a fact, or reminding them both, “Ah Ning, you don’t like me… you hate me.”
Ning Yichu released his bite, lifting his face with a smile, his black eyes and the small red mole at the corner of his eye sparkling, “Don’t you want to do it? I thought you came over specifically to make up for a ‘wedding night’ with me.”
He Shixia awkwardly avoided his gaze, “Whether you believe it or not, but I really…”
“Whether I believe it or not, I’m very interested right now,” Ning Yichu was eager, “Or are you not up to it? Without being drugged like the first time, you can’t get it up? Then get lost, I’ll go find He Rulin, he’s been trying to hook up with me for a long time…”
He Shixia pressed Ning Yichu, who was trying to get up, back into his arms.
“Ah Ning…” He Shixia sighed, “You’re pregnant.”
Ning Yichu frowned, finally finding an outlet for his overflowing emotions, not wanting to change his mind.
“Then be careful,” Ning Yichu said indifferently, “Or be reckless and get rid of this child, it’ll save trouble.”
He Shixia lowered his eyes, looking at Ning Yichu’s indifferent expression, feeling an overwhelming sense of sadness and guilt.
“Like you, I just came back to life, my mind is in turmoil, full of emotions I want to vent, I understand you want to relieve and vent through that kind of thing,” He Shixia said gently, seemingly trying to soothe Ning Yichu with a gentle tone, also reminding himself not to act recklessly, “But Ah Ning… sleeping with someone you hate, I’m afraid you’ll regret it when you wake up.”
He Shixia’s words seemed heavy and sincere, paired with his current physical state, Ning Yichu found it quite amusing.
He bent his knee, grinding against He Shixia below, mocking, “So understanding and superior… then why are you excited? You’re in my way.”
He Shixia frowned, unable to suppress a heavy sound from his throat, like a mix of pain and the thrill of a forbidden drug.
“…Because I want you too, I admit I want you too,” He Shixia closed his eyes.
Ning Yichu, however, lost interest due to the disappointment, deliberately pressing on the wound on He Shixia’s neck to leverage himself up, “Forget it…”
Then he was pressed back down by He Shixia, holding his waist.
Ning Yichu frowned, anger rising again, “Are you sick? Can you just die?”
“It’s still too early, I’ll go when it’s time,” He Shixia’s words made him seem not quite normal either.
Ning Yichu looked at him coldly.
He Shixia continued, “But before that, we’re still legally married, you can’t go find someone else to sleep with… Ah Ning, that’s cheating.”
Ning Yichu realized that He Shixia took his words about going to find He Rulin seriously, thinking he was getting up to find someone else to sleep with.
He tilted his head slightly, “You don’t like being cuckolded? Then I’ll help you wear a few more hats, desensitize you.”
He Shixia didn’t answer.
They quietly stared at each other for a while, then He Shixia lowered his head, trying to kiss Ning Yichu’s lips.
Ning Yichu frowned, turning his face away to avoid it, “Don’t kiss me.”
He Shixia paused, “…Okay.”
He continued to lower his head, kissing Ning Yichu’s slender and fragile neck, then picked him up and placed him on the bed.
Ning Yichu’s wrists were pressed against the pillow, he slightly turned his head, looking at the scar on his left wrist.
He thought…
Of course, he cut it himself.
Three months ago, the Ning family held a graduation and 22nd birthday banquet for the young master Ning Zeshu, inviting many guests, including the He family, and He Shixia attended as well.
That night, Ning Yichu and He Shixia had an unexpected encounter.
Ning Yichu, naturally weak, was tormented by drugs and He Shixia, and subsequently fell ill, sleeping for three days.
When he woke up, he learned that others had already concluded—Ning Yichu was scheming, drugged He Shixia, climbed into his bed, and let others catch them in the act the next morning, spreading the news.
Why were they so sure?
Because a pillbox slipped out of Ning Yichu’s clothes pocket on the floor.
When Ning Yichu first woke up and learned the reason, he tried to explain, “The pillbox is mine, but the pills inside are just vitamins and glucose tablets, I didn’t drug you.”
At that time, He Shixia, who was taking care of him in the ward, didn’t react much, as if he believed and didn’t believe, ambiguously nodding, only asking if he felt uncomfortable anywhere else.
Ning Yichu understood then, no one believed him.
The Ning and He families thought he was lying, believing he was using his habit of carrying a pillbox to feign innocence and frame others.
Others mocked him coldly, and He Shixia’s attitude was considered “better” among them.
He didn’t directly say he didn’t believe, still took care of him until he recovered, and asked what compensation he wanted.
Still the same high and mighty.
Recalling He Shixia’s face from the previous life, and looking at the person on him now, Ning Yichu only found him repulsive, losing all interest.
“Get lost,” Ning Yichu pushed He Shixia away forcefully.
He didn’t bother to put on the almost completely removed pajamas, turning to the side of the bed to dry heave.
He Shixia was stunned, quickly leaning over, gently patting Ning Yichu’s back.
“Don’t touch me!” Ning Yichu didn’t lift his head, just pushed him away with his hand.
He Shixia awkwardly withdrew his hand, “…Sorry.”
He Shixia got off the bed, poured a glass of water, and brought it to the bedside, wanting to hand it to Ning Yichu, “Ah Ning…”
Ning Yichu didn’t vomit anything, but after dry heaving, his face turned even paler.
Taking the glass, Ning Yichu didn’t drink, directly throwing it at He Shixia’s face, “Get out—”
He Shixia didn’t dodge, the rim of the glass hit his brow, water splashed on his face and body, the bloodstains on his neck were washed away.
He caught the rolling glass, went to change it, and poured another glass of warm water for Ning Yichu.
Ning Yichu no longer felt like dry heaving, he turned over, leaning against the headboard, coldly watching He Shixia.
He took the water He Shixia handed over this time, sipping slowly, then looked down at his flat stomach, his tone much calmer, “Let’s get a divorce, I’ll go get rid of the child, just compensate me with money.”
Author’s Note: