Lu Yun’an asked Sheng Qing to meet him at a café.
Sheng Qing messaged him: “Let’s go to the place where we first met. It means something to us.”
Let it begin there, and end there, too.
They had first met three years ago by the river.
Back then, she’d had a falling-out with the Qin family and sat by the river all day. Lu Yun’an had sat with her the whole time.
At last, she asked him what he wanted.
He’d said, “You’ve been staring at the river and crying. I was afraid you’d kill yourself, so I stayed with you all day. Don’t worry—I’m not a bad person.”
Sheng Qing closed her eyes, a cold smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
Not a bad person.
In her previous life, she’d believed him.
And in the end, she’d died without even a whole body left behind.
…
When she reached her stop, Sheng Qing got off and walked the rest of the way.
Lu Yun’an had arrived before her and was already waiting by the river.
“Qingqing!” He hurried over as soon as he saw her, taking several long strides and reaching out to embrace her.
Sheng Qing dodged him and asked coldly, “What do you want?”
Lu Yun’an didn’t notice how unlike herself she was. He warily looked over her shoulder. “Did you come alone?”
“What, were you hoping someone else would come?”
“Didn’t anyone from the Qin family come with you?”
The coldness in Sheng Qing’s eyes was almost impossible to suppress. “What are you planning to do to the Qin family?”
“What could I possibly do to the Qin family?” Lu Yun’an suddenly snapped. “It’s those bastards in the Qin family who are trying to do something to me! Qingqing, did you know Qin Shi came to see me yesterday?”
“He threatened me and told me to break up with you. He said if I didn’t do what he wanted, he’d go after the Lu family!”
Sheng Qing’s face remained expressionless. “So my Second Brother told you to leave me, and you came running to tell me all about it?”
Lu Yun’an froze, finally noticing that something was off.
She was much colder than before.
It was as though she’d become a different person.
“Qingqing, did I scare you at that little hotel last time?”
That had happened after Sheng Qing’s rebirth. Lu Yun’an had tried to sleep with her, and she’d kicked him off the bed. He’d passed out on the spot.
“I was wrong. I was too impatient that day. I scared you, didn’t I?” Lu Yun’an reached for her hand.
Sheng Qing avoided him in disgust. “Come take a walk with me.”
Lu Yun’an watched Sheng Qing’s back, frowning as he followed. “I haven’t been in touch these past few days. Did something happen?”
“What could have happened to me?” Sheng Qing walked on, looking around them. “My Second Brother told you to break up with me. What do you think about that?”
“Don’t worry, Qingqing. I’d never abandon you.”
“Then aren’t you afraid my Second Brother will come after you again?”
Lu Yun’an shuddered. “Doesn’t the Qin family care about you? Ask them to give us a chance. Tell them we truly love each other. Maybe they’ll accept me.”
Sheng Qing stopped and turned to look at him. “I may not have the Qin name, but after all these years with the Qin family, I’m practically one of them. If you’re with me, you’ll have the Qin family—a towering tree—to rely on, won’t you?”
Lu Yun’an gave an awkward laugh. “Of course not. I’m not that calculating.”
“Really? Then why haven’t you broken up with me?”
“Because I love you. Qingqing, what’s gotten into you today? Are you still angry with me…?”
Sheng Qing suddenly laughed. “Lu Yun’an, I remember—you can’t swim.”
Lu Yun’an stared at her. “What?”
“Don’t worry. It won’t be very painful. There’s no one around, and I picked a blind spot with no cameras.”
“Sheng Qing, what do you mean?!” Lu Yun’an’s expression changed.
Sheng Qing smiled faintly, then moved swiftly, shoving him hard backward.
Lu Yun’an toppled backward.
With a splash, he plunged into the river.
Sheng Qing stood on the bank, watching him struggle with icy indifference.
Were you afraid?
Not as afraid as I was with bombs strapped all over my body.
Were you in pain?
Not as much pain as I endured while I was tortured and had my vocal cords destroyed.
What he was suffering now wasn’t even one ten-thousandth of what she had gone through.
The despair I endured in my last life—this time, you can take your time experiencing it.
Sheng Qing turned and walked away.
Suddenly, two figures came running over. “Young Master Lu!”
Sheng Qing jolted, panic surging through her.
Lu Yun’an had brought bodyguards with him?!
“Over there!”
“Quick! Young Master Lu’s in the water!”
**
At the Qin Residence.
A scout reported what had happened.
When he finished, Qin Shi furrowed his brow. “You’re saying Sheng Qing pushed him into the river?”
The scout nodded. “She deliberately picked an empty spot, a blind spot with no cameras. If Lu Yun’an hadn’t brought bodyguards who pulled him out in time, things could have ended badly.”
Qin Shi’s gaze deepened as he listened.
Would people who were truly in love resort to such a cruel thing?
This Little Ungrateful Brat was becoming more and more impossible for him to understand.
Qin Shi said, “Don’t report this to my Elder Brother.”
“Yes, sir.”
The scout left. Not long afterward, the study door opened.
Qin Zhen came in from outside. “That girl looked pretty unhappy when she got back. She shut herself in her room.”
Qin Shi leaned back casually in his chair and lit a cigarette. “She’s just a young girl dealing with a breakup. She’ll be fine in a couple of days. Don’t worry too much.”
Qin Zhen sighed. “That Lu kid was probably her first love. I’m worried she won’t be able to accept it.”
“Whether she can accept it or not, she has to.”
“…”
His younger brother looked refined and handsome, but he was colder than any soldier.
And when it came down to it, he didn’t care enough about that girl.
Unlike him—he was practically worried sick.
“She may not be your real sister, but she’s still practically one of the Qin family. A scumbag deceived her, and you still have the nerve to make sarcastic remarks?”
“…” Qin Shi was at a loss. “What do you want me to do? Kiss her and pick her up over my head?”
“Every girl meets a few scumbags when she’s young. She has to get through this herself. No one can do it for her.”
It made sense, but Qin Zhen was still furious. “If you can’t help, that’s because you’re useless! Get out, get out! Stop standing there and getting in my way!”
Qin Shi was so exasperated he laughed.
…
That evening, Steward Zhong carried the untouched meal out of the bedroom and sighed. “She still hasn’t eaten a bite.”
Qin Zhen was worried sick, his expression grim. “She didn’t eat lunch, and now she still won’t eat? Is she trying to starve herself to death?”
He finished speaking, his face set, and was about to go in himself.
Sheng Xue was startled. “She’s already like this, and you still want to scold her?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. I’m going to persuade her to eat something!”
“Qingqing said she doesn’t want to eat. She has no appetite. Why are you forcing her? Just like you forced me—do you want to drive her to her death?”
Qin Zhen stiffened.
His huge palm clamped around her slender arm and pulled her right in front of him. His eyes were practically spitting fire. “You’d still dare try to kill yourself?!”
During Sheng Xue’s first two years at the Qin Residence, she had tried to kill herself. At the time, Qin Zhen had nearly been driven mad with fury.
He’d thought that after all these years, she wouldn’t try to kill herself again. He hadn’t realized she still had such thoughts!
Qin Zhen glared at her through gritted teeth. “I swear, I’ll have to break both your arms and legs before you’ll behave!”
All the color drained from Sheng Xue’s face. She trembled uncontrollably, her eyes full of fear.
Steward Zhong was beside himself with worry.
The General had such a hot temper. Whenever he got worked up, all he ever did was make threats.
Then, after making them, he’d stew in silence for half the day.
Just like now—Qin Zhen was nearly driving himself mad again. “Stop shaking! Am I a wolf or a tiger? Go back to your room and sleep. I’ll keep watch here!”
“I’m not going back…”
“Sheng Xue, I’m already furious. Don’t test my limits.”
Xiaoxue clutched her clothes tightly. “Why do you have to be so domineering? If you hadn’t tried to separate her from Lu Yun’an, she wouldn’t have ended up like this…”
Qin Zhen frowned. “Lu Yun’an is a bad person. I did all this for her own good.”
“For her own good? Have you ever thought about whether she wants the kind of ‘good’ you’re giving her?”
“Qingqing used to tell me about Lu Yun’an all the time. Whenever she mentioned him, her eyes were full of shy affection.”
“And you stepped in and gave her nothing but pain.”
Those words struck Qin Zhen as if she were talking about herself and Dong Changping.
His expression turned utterly grim.
**
At that very moment, Sheng Qing lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, deeply frustrated.
Who could have imagined that Lu Yun’an would bring bodyguards to meet her?
If Lu Yun’an reported her to the police, she’d be charged with attempted murder.
If the Qin family found out she’d tried to kill someone, would they think she was utterly wicked, a venomous-hearted woman?
She’d thought about it so much that Sheng Qing couldn’t eat at all.
She had no idea how worried the Qin family was about her.
Then, once Feng Xiaojing heard about it, she even came over, putting on a false show of concern that made Sheng Qing sick. “I heard you’re not eating. What’s going on?”
There was a glint of excitement in her eyes.
She was probably hoping Sheng Qing would starve to death.
Sheng Qing rolled her eyes. She didn’t have the energy to deal with her, so she pointed at the door. “Get out.”
Feng Xiaojing swayed out. “You really are a dog biting Lu Dongbin—you can’t tell good from bad.”
**
The next day.
When Qin Shi returned, Steward Zhong sighed. “The General and Xiaoxue had another argument. He’s been smoking in the study ever since. Second Young Master, perhaps you should go talk to him.”
Qin Shi’s long fingers tugged at his tie. “He’s only smoking? He hasn’t torn the house apart?”
“Oh. I suppose he hasn’t. He didn’t lose his temper this time.”
“Then it’s nothing. He’ll be fine in a couple of days.”
Qin Shi pushed open the study door and stepped inside. The smoke was so thick he nearly thought someone had filled the room with dry ice.
Qin Zhen kept his head down, smoking. He knew Qin Shi had come in, but didn’t even look up as he said,
“I’ve thought about Lu Yun’an. I think we should let the two of them get back together.”
Qin Shi’s expression darkened. “What do you mean?”