Lu Xuanxuan raised her head, staring intently into Bai Song’s eyes as she reluctantly asked, “What about Tong Yao? You’re this sick, why isn’t she here with you? Is it because of your illness that she—”
The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, almost wishing she could drag Tong Yao over by the collar right then, beat her up, and make her kneel by Bai Song’s hospital bed to apologize.
“No, no, no, it’s not like that!” Bai Song shook her head frantically. To her, Tong Yao was a nightmare. Now that she had finally managed to break free, even if only temporarily, she wanted a couple of days of peace before figuring out what to do next.
A flicker of panic flashed through Bai Song’s eyes.
But how could it escape Lu Xuanxuan, who had been watching her closely? She pieced everything together instantly.
“If she doesn’t want you, I do. Song, no matter what happens to you, I’ll always want you. I’ll get you treatment, and once you’re better, we’ll get married. No, we’ll get married before the treatment. I love you. You know I love you. Please believe me.”
The overwhelming fear of losing Bai Song drove Lu Xuanxuan to desperately cling to her, needing to see her every day to feel at ease.
“!” Why were girls these days so intense? That possessive “you’re mine, and only mine” look in their eyes was downright terrifying.
“It’s not what you think. Don’t jump to conclusions.” Bai Song was so frightened her soul nearly left her body. She had just escaped the tiger’s den was she about to be thrown into a lion’s den now? “She didn’t abandon me. I just… I just…”
Thinking of the fact that she was indeed leaving Tong Yao, Bai Song quickly improvised to prevent Lu Xuanxuan from sending her back: “I’m sick.”
Lu Xuanxuan froze, filling in the heartbreaking gaps of the story herself.
No wonder Tong Yao had returned to the Tong family’s corporation.
It wasn’t that her parents had relented, it was because the two of them had broken up.
And the reason for the breakup must have been Bai Song leaving on her own.
Tong Yao had been her childhood friend, and Lu Xuanxuan knew her well.
She knew Tong Yao’s love for Bai Song wasn’t some fleeting whim or a search for novelty and excitement. She was serious, she truly loved Bai Song.
Bai Song had that kind of magic, drawing people to her effortlessly.
And Bai Song herself?
That went without saying.
She had rejected Lu Xuanxuan for Tong Yao.
And now, it must be because of this damned illness that she had chosen to leave the woman she loved so deeply.
Lu Xuanxuan stared into Bai Song’s eyes, seeing not just sorrow but immense pain and heartache and indignation on Bai Song’s behalf.
Still unwilling to give up, she asked, “Does Tong Yao really not know? Not even a little? If she knew, how could she let you?”
“No, she doesn’t know!” As if unable to bear anyone speaking ill of Tong Yao, Bai Song denied it firmly. She hurriedly explained, “Don’t tell her. I don’t want her to be sad. I just want to leave quietly.”
“What are you saying?!” Fury surged through Lu Xuanxuan’s head, and she nearly yanked Bai Song out of bed to shake some sense into her. “How could you not discuss something this serious with her? Stomach cancer not gastritis! Do you even realize, do you?” Tears streamed down her face as she choked on her words.
“I know, I could die.” Bai Song forced a faint smile, though her trembling voice betrayed her fear.
But what she feared wasn’t death it was returning to the real world afterward, only to lose her mind.
Terrifying.
“Tsk…”
In her excitement, Lu Xuanxuan grabbed Bai Song’s shoulder, accidentally touching the wound she had gotten from falling off the wall.
Bai Song let out a low cry of pain and pulled her hand back.
Lu Xuanxuan’s pupils constricted as she remembered the bruises on Bai Song’s body, her eyes reddening even more. “How could you faint on the street? And your injuries…”
The rest of her words died in her throat as she took in Bai Song’s flushed cheeks and embarrassed expression.
Bai Song’s gaze flickered nervously, her hands tightly gripping the edge of the blanket.
Her reaction was clearly abnormal, and Lu Xuanxuan immediately pressed, “Did someone hurt you? Tell me, I’ll make sure they—”
“No!” Bai Song cut off her baseless speculation. “It was Yaoyao.”
“!” Lu Xuanxuan’s eyes widened. “How could she do that to you?”
Bai Song shook her head, forcing a bitter smile. “No, it’s my fault. I messed up.”
“I cheated. Many times.” Bai Song lowered her eyes, fingers twisting the blanket in shame. “Yaoyao was furious. She locked me up. This time… I escaped.”
Lu Xuanxuan gave her a complicated look before finally saying, “Song, have you been watching too many dramas? Do you actually believe in that cliché where someone with a terminal illness thinks leaving their lover is an act of love?”
Bai Song: “?” Was that even a possible interpretation?
The system suddenly had an epiphany: “Oh! That way, your ‘scumbag’ behavior would have a legitimate reason! You could redeem yourself, and Tong Yao’s blackening value might drop!”
“But the mission might fail. Still, better than being trapped in this world, right?”
Bai Song’s eyes lit up, this seemed like a great idea.
Inspired by Lu Xuanxuan’s words, Bai Song felt she had found a way out, and joy surged in her heart.
Her eyes darted around before she quickly adopted a wounded expression. “It’s my fault. I never should’ve dragged her into this twisted path. She was actually quite straight before… She even talked about getting married. I—”
Bai Song couldn’t continue, covering her face with trembling hands.
System: “…” Bad acting, but the gestures helped.
Lu Xuanxuan bit her lower lip, wanting to comfort Bai Song but unsure how.
After all, she wasn’t the one Bai Song truly loved.
In a sudden burst of impulsiveness, Lu Xuanxuan blurted out, “Choose me instead!”
Bai Song lowered her hands, staring at her blankly.
Lu Xuanxuan grabbed her hands, locking eyes with her. “If you need to deceive Tong Yao, you can use me!”
She tried to persuade her. “Song, I’m the best candidate, aren’t I?”
No, no, you’re not.
Bai Song’s eyes were full of resistance.
Lu Xuanxuan pretended not to notice. “If you say you’ve fallen for me, how could Tong Yao not let go? What right does she have to stop you from pursuing your happiness?”
Bai Song thought Miss Lu was being naive.
Tong Yao didn’t need rights, she was a psycho.
You couldn’t apply normal logic to a psycho’s mindset.
Besides, Bai Song wouldn’t use Lu Xuanxuan to provoke Tong Yao.
First, she didn’t want to drag Lu Xuanxuan into this mess. Second, she was done playing emotional games.
She was a complete weakling in this regard. From Lu Xuanxuan’s words and expression just now, it was clear this girl genuinely liked her.
She didn’t want to give her any false hope that wouldn’t be fair.
And! This girl! Seemed to have blackening potential too!
Danger levels off the charts!
Bai Song believed that one of the best decisions she had ever made was to keep her distance from Lu Xuanxuan out of fear for her background never flirting with her or playing her.
Otherwise, she might as well be dead by now.
Meeting Lu Xuanxuan’s sparkling, expectant gaze, Bai Song opened her mouth to refuse her.
Suddenly, the door was violently slammed open with a heavy thud followed by clattering sounds as if parts had fallen to the ground. The entire door swayed precariously, on the verge of collapsing.
A woman in a tailored black suit and eight-centimeter stiletto heels stood at the doorway, her crimson eyes locked onto Bai Song, it was Tong Yao.
It was unclear how much she had overheard. Under Bai Song’s shocked and fearful gaze, the sharp clicks of her heels struck the floor with an unrelenting rhythm as she advanced step by step.
Tong Yao had just arrived. The moment she received news of Bai Song’s escape, a cold smirk had barely formed on her lips before she was hit with the update that Bai Song had been hospitalized. Panic instantly set in.
She stood up so abruptly that she knocked over the coffee cup on the table. The thick brown liquid spilled over the documents, but she didn’t even glance at them, nor did she care about the stains splattered on her white blouse. Without grabbing her coat from the chair, she stumbled her way to the hospital.
Her heart in her throat, she arrived only to hear her former romantic rival confessing to Bai Song.
The fury in her chest flared like oil doused in flames.
“Bai Song!” Tong Yao ground her teeth, glaring between Lu Xuanxuan and Bai Song. She wanted nothing more than to throw Lu Xuanxuan out, lock the door, and teach Bai Song a harsh lesson.
Bai Song’s face paled instantly, her eyes filled with panic. She nearly leaped off the bed in fright, her heart pounding wildly as if death itself were approaching.
Lu Xuanxuan, who hadn’t even stopped crying, was also startled. Her tears froze mid-fall, and her sobs turned into hiccups.
Lu Xuanxuan’s lips parted, but before she could speak, Bai Song urgently shot her a look and cut in, “Yao Yao, let her leave first.”
Bai Song’s brain had limited capacity, she couldn’t handle too many things at once and needed to focus.
Getting caught after escaping was a serious matter. If she wasn’t careful, she might be chopped up and turned into dumpling filling. She had to muster every ounce of concentration to deal with this.
As for Lu Xuanxuan, staying here would only complicate things.
“You’re protecting her?” Tong Yao’s icy gaze bore into them, her hatred so palpable it felt suffocating.
“Do you even know what she is? A whore who spreads her legs for anyone!” Tong Yao viciously slandered Lu Xuanxuan, wanting her to taste the bitterness of betrayal.
Lu Xuanxuan froze, staring at Bai Song in shock.
Before the smugness in Tong Yao’s eyes could fully surface, a heavy fist came flying straight at her face.