The next day.
It was Song Zhili’s last day at Deer Manor.
Early in the morning, Shen Lingxi opened the curtains.
“Lili, come look. The weather is perfect today.”
The garden was a riot of reds and greens, with hardy flowers blooming in abundance, their rich fragrance wafting through the window and brushing against her face.
Shen Lingxi stood by the window, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
When she opened them again, a black Audi RS7 sped over and stopped in front of the villa.
The driver’s door opened, and out stepped a young man in full camouflage gear and military boots.
He was tall, with a powerful stride, yet his face was surprisingly fair and gentle—like someone who should have pursued a scholarly path but had instead chosen the military.
He walked straight into the villa.
Shen Lingxi, ever the admirer of good looks, couldn’t help but think to herself: If Fu Jinglan’s friends were put on the market, every one of them would be top-tier material.
In private, they were intense and arrogant—like Mu Suizhou.
Tan Zongxing—you could criticize him for being a playboy, but you couldn’t call him ugly.
And this camouflage guy—you’d have to force-feed him alcohol, and if he refused, you’d grab him by the neck and slap him until his eyes turned red and he begged for mercy.
“But,” Shen Lingxi said aloud, “Fu Jinglan doesn’t keep simple people around him.”
“They’re definitely not the type you can figure out at a glance.”
Song Zhili stood nearby, wiping her glasses. “Like the one just now. Who knows what filthy things he does in private—the most despicable, the darkest, the most unscrupulous.”
Shen Lingxi couldn’t help but turn to look at Song Zhili.
She sounded so serious, so specific.
“Lili, do you know him? Did he bully you?”
Song Zhili put on her freshly polished glasses, adjusted her expression, leaving no trace of emotion.
“No, Axi. I don’t know him. I just really dislike men who look like that.”
Really don’t know him?
Bo Yuesheng.
Hard to recognize with clothes on.
But if he took them off, Song Zhili knew him all too well—she could recognize him even with her eyes closed.
His breathing rhythm, the games he liked to play, the way he looked at the end…
Even though Bo Yuesheng wasn’t around, the places he had kissed on her body still ached faintly, as if reacting to the memory.
Song Zhili said she was going to take a shower and left the balcony.
Shen Lingxi looked out the window again and saw Fu Jinglan and the camouflage guy leaving the villa together.
As if something urgent had come up, Fu Jinglan was still fastening his wristwatch before getting into the car.
His overcoat wasn’t on; it was draped over his arm.
Just before getting into the car, Fu Jinglan actually turned back.
How terrifying—his sculpted face was completely dark as he stared directly at Shen Lingxi in the second-floor window.
What now, my dear Fu?
Shen Lingxi reacted quickly, raising her arms above her head to form a big, sweet heart shape.
“Good morning, gege!”
Her voice was sweet and coquettish, her bare face clear and beautiful, her pale pink nightgown fluttering in the morning breeze and sunlight.
But Fu Jinglan acted as if he were deaf, ignoring her.
He even slammed the car door shut with a loud “bang.”
Who are you slamming it at?
Shen Lingxi made a fierce little fist at the back of the car.
Bad guy. Fu Jinglan, this big bad wolf, is the worst—so ruthless when it comes to quality control.
Yesterday, she was left half-dead, almost unable to get out of the car.
She kept pounding on Fu Jinglan’s shoulders. “It’s slow, not m-a-n, wuwuwu…”
And Fu Jinglan pretended to be innocent. “Oh, sorry, baby. My mistake—I misheard.”
Life is so hard. Today, she still has to face his dark expression.
Screw him!
Shen Lingxi decided not to wear skirts anymore.
She wouldn’t give Fu Jinglan any convenient opportunities.
It was just too easy for him, really.
After breakfast, Shen Lingxi planned to go out with Song Zhili to enjoy the sun.
So, she spent a good while carefully selecting the most inconspicuous pair of blue flared jeans.
She wore a beige tweed jacket on top.
A very simple outfit.
Shen Lingxi turned in front of the full-length mirror, feeling a bit listless. “Let’s go, baby. You’ll be sent out of the manor this afternoon.”
She was already feeling lonely in advance.
After leaving the room, the two of them first went to the garden to take some photos.
While resting on a bench, Song Zhili lit a cigarette and began looking around.
“Ah Xi, how come we’ve never run into Jiang Qingyan? It’d be best if she went back to Nanzhou, so she won’t bully you again.”
Shen Lingxi had been raised like a delicate golden branch, growing up in a honey jar.
After kneeling in punishment last time, her knees even scarred a little.
“Look, she’s over there.”
Shen Lingxi gestured with her chin. “The one in the black coat, that’s Jiang Qingyan.”
Song Zhili looked over. In front of a villa, Jiang Qingyan was standing beside someone who looked half-dead.
“Who’s that skinny one?”
Shen Lingxi: “Pangpang.”
Song Zhili: “?”
Soon after, Pangpang was taken away, heading toward the manor exit.
As Jiang Qingyan watched Pangpang leave, she received a call from her father.
“Qingyan, how are things going with Fu Jinglan?”
Jiang Qingyan lowered her head, poking the ground with the tip of her shoe.
“Dad, I caught the flu the day I arrived at the manor. My throat just recovered enough to speak. Jinglan is very busy; I hardly ever see him.”
On the other end of the line, the Governor of Nanzhou’s face immediately darkened.
“If a man cares about a woman, no matter how busy he is, he’ll find opportunities to see her.”
“Jiang Qingyan, if you can’t capture Fu Jinglan’s heart, I’ll send your younger sister Qingyi instead.”
Jiang Qingyi, that sister still in her freshman year of college.
Young and adorable.
Jiang Qingyan tightened her grip on the phone. “Don’t worry, Dad. Fu Jinglan will like me.”
Just drive Shen Lingxi away, and it’ll be fine.
“Jiang Qingyan, you’ve never been good at studying since you were little. Your only asset was your striking beauty, but now it seems even that isn’t much use.”
With that, the other end hung up directly.
Jiang Qingyan stood frozen, phone in hand.
Her father had three daughters, each from a different wife. She happened to be the middle child—with an older sister above and a younger sister below—the least favored second daughter.
So, Jiang Qingyan used arrogance and aggression to mask her inner sensitivity, overthinking, and constant fear of loss.
When the pressure became too much, she would buy herself little toys.
She bought so, so many.
When everything felt dull and nothing seemed hopeful, Jiang Qingyan saw Fu Jinglan.
She smiled bitterly, speaking to the long-ended call, “Goodbye, dear Dad.”
Only then did she lower the phone from her ear.
Turning her head, she happened to see Shen Lingxi in the garden.
She hadn’t curled her hair; it hung straight and smooth, gleaming like satin under the sunlight, radiating a dazzling, vibrant glow.
“Did I come across that brat online before?”
Jiang Qingyan suddenly remembered a photo she had once seen.
It was a side profile of a girl buying food in a school cafeteria, showing only her side face and the long black hair cascading over her shoulders and back.
The caption read: The world’s strongest black long hair.
However, that photo had suddenly gone viral, only to vanish just as quickly.
Never mind. Jiang Qingyan clicked her high heels, “tap-tap-tap,” and strode straight toward Shen Lingxi.
Why did her face look even clearer, rosier, and more beautiful?
Jiang Qingyan had lost a lot of weight after her illness.
Stopping right in front of Shen Lingxi, she stomped her foot hard, nearly losing her balance and stumbling.
Jiang Qingyan pretended not to be embarrassed. “Little wildcat, while I was sick these past few days, you weren’t spending all your time with Fu Jinglan, were you?”
Asking this again. But yesterday probably didn’t count, right?
Fu Jinglan’s wound had split open again.
But the big bad wolf had plenty of ways to cause trouble, baring its fangs and claws.
Yet Shen Lingxi didn’t respond, her expression calm and detached, as if it had nothing to do with her.
Jiang Qingyan grew impatient. “Shen Lingxi, I’m Fu Jinglan’s fiancée. At best, you’re just a doll to amuse him!”
Such harsh words!
Song Zhili stubbed out her cigarette and was about to stand up to argue with Jiang Qingyan.
“Let me tell you first, I’m not someone to be trifled with!”
In the past, it had always been Axi protecting her. This time, she would protect Axi.
But then, Shen Lingxi firmly pressed Song Zhili back down.
“Forget it, baby. You only look tough when you wear your glasses, but in reality, you’re the easiest to mess with.”
Song Zhili’s aggressive demeanor deflated by half. Axi’s words weren’t entirely unreasonable.
Shen Lingxi leaned calmly against the bench, pretending outright not to know Jiang Qingyan.
“Yufen? Yes, is that Yufen?”