Tong Jiahui stood up, leaning across the table to close in on Bai Song. She lowered her head and sneered coldly into her ear, “Bai Song, never imagined, did you? That the stray dog you once toyed with and discarded at will would one day grow into a hound and return for revenge.”
“Bai Song, this is just the beginning. This time, the game is entirely mine to control!”
A flicker of panic flashed in Bai Song’s eyes as she tilted her head back slightly, desperately trying to avoid the scorching breath that Tong Jiahui exhaled onto her face. Her voice trembled, “Jiahui, I was wrong. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I beg you spare my parents. They’re innocent.”
“Innocent?” Tong Jiahui reached out and lightly brushed her fingers across Bai Song’s cheek, trailing down to her vulnerable throat before suddenly tightening her grip. Her tone was icy and merciless. “How could they be innocent? Raising a child like you was their failure. Who knows how many people they’ve harmed? They’re getting exactly what they deserve!”
“You!” Bai Song’s face twisted momentarily, but when she met the disgust in Tong Jiahui’s eyes, she took a deep breath and forced herself to steady. Slowly, she spoke, “I won’t agree to this. My parents would never accept money earned by selling myself.” With that, she stood up to leave.
Tong Jiahui didn’t stop her. Instead, she sat back down and let out a soft laugh.
Bai Song’s steps faltered.
“Bai Song, after all these years, you’re still so selfish.” Always thinking only of yourself, no matter how others pour their hearts out for you, you’d never feel a thing.
To her, whether it was familial love or romance, everything was just a tool to serve her own interests.
The moment her benefits were threatened, she could cleanly discard it all without a shred of hesitation.
Did she even have a heart? If she did, how could she not care about her own flesh and blood?
Tong Jiahui wondered, just what kind of… creature had she fallen in love with?
Bai Song, you’re truly terrifying.
A cold glint surfaced in Tong Jiahui’s eyes. Letting someone like her run rampant would only lead to more naive young souls being ruined.
Unconsciously, the corner of her lips curled up. A strange excitement surged in Tong Jiahui’s chest rather than letting Bai Song wreak havoc outside, why not lock her up herself? She needed to learn that toying with others’ emotions came with a price.
Tong Jiahui tossed a file onto the table. “I think you should take a look at this before deciding.”
Bai Song only knew it was related to her family’s company’s recent activities, but the specifics were beyond her after all, she was just a spoiled, ignorant heiress.
She flipped through the pages quickly, her eyes filled with confusion.
Tong Jiahui watched her with a chilling gaze and “kindly” explained, “If you don’t reconsider my proposal carefully, the next time you see your parents might be in prison.”
Bai Song’s expression finally shifted. She looked up in fury. “Impossible! My parents would never do anything illegal! You framed them! This is slander!”
“Slander? Framing?” Tong Jiahui let out a mocking laugh, as if she’d heard something amusing. She looked at Bai Song with disdain. “Whatever I did, what matters now is what they’ve done, isn’t it?”
“You!” Bai Song trembled with rage. She took a deep breath. “What exactly do you want?”
“What do I want?” Tong Jiahui retorted, “Don’t you already know?”
She stared at Bai Songhao for a long moment, a mocking smile curling at the corners of her lips. Her thin lips parted slightly as she spoke, “Just a bit of fun, really. Life’s been dreadfully dull lately, so I thought I’d buy myself a little pet to spice things up.”
“Don’t tell me you actually believed your charm was so irresistible that I’ve been pining for you all these years, willing to resort to force just to have you? Put away that laughable vanity of yours!” Tong Jiahui sneered, the disdain in her eyes so palpable it seemed to drip like venom. She tapped a finger lightly on the table and lifted her eyelids lazily. “Though, I suppose you do have some reason to be proud.”
She licked her lips, her gaze slithering over Bai Song’s body like a cold, venomous snake. “Over the years, I’ve seen plenty of beautiful men and women,” she said flippantly, “but Miss Bai’s looks and figure are truly unforgettable more intoxicating than the top courtesan at Zui Xuan.”
Zui Xuan was a high-end club akin to a paradise on earth, and the nature of its “top courtesan” was self-explanatory.
Bai Song’s face flushed crimson with rage. With a loud smack, she slammed her hands on the table and stood up. “You’re going too far!” she spat, trembling with fury as she turned to storm out.
“I guarantee,” Tong Jiahui said leisurely, without a hint of urgency, “if you walk out of this shop today, your parents will be in prison by tomorrow. Even if you don’t care about familial bonds, they’ve at least been your meal ticket all these years. If they’re locked up, your family’s assets will be seized. Miss Bai, perhaps you should pack some desserts from here save yourself from going hungry tomorrow?”
Bai Song’s raised foot froze mid-step. She turned back, glaring at Tong Jiahui with reddened eyes, her teeth clenched in hatred.
How agonizing it must be.
To have your fate toyed with by someone else, powerless to resist, it must feel worse than death.
Tong Jiahui watched Bai Song’s furious expression, her own eyes icy and devoid of sympathy. Instead, waves of exhilaration surged through her, electrifying her mind.
The little voice inside her reveled in Bai Song’s humiliation and indignation, thrilled beyond measure. Years of pent-up frustration and resentment burst forth like a breached dam, flooding her with satisfaction.
A faint, enigmatic smile played on Tong Jiahui’s lips as she leaned in slowly, her gaze locking onto Bai Song’s reddened, tear-filled eyes. Her voice was low and melodious, though a keen ear might detect the undercurrent of excitement. “Be my pet, and I won’t let you end up homeless or starving.”
Bai Song’s lips trembled. “Jiahui… why…?”
“Why?” Tong Jiahui arched a brow, her tone frigid. “Why was it me back then?”
Bai Song stared at her blankly, lips parting as if to speak, only to swallow her words.
Married couples divorce all the time, what’s so unusual about breaking up when they were only dating? Still, Bai Song knew cheating had been wrong. She had gone too far back then, and though she’d tried to find Tong Jiahui afterward, she’d failed.
If this was truly about revenge, wasn’t the retaliation a bit excessive?
She looked at Tong Jiahui pleadingly. “Jiahui, I’m sorry. I really did love you back then.”
“True feelings? Hah?” Tong Jiahui’s eyes were icy cold, her lips curling into a chilling smile. She had truly underestimated Bai Song’s despicableness. Never did she imagine that the pain and torment which kept her tossing and turning through countless sleepless nights could be brushed aside so casually with a single indifferent remark.
Bai Song, do you even have a heart?
Your so-called sincerity is cold, black, and rotten!
Your love is nothing but a cruel game.
Tong Jiahui’s dark eyes were fathomless and shadowed. An apology? If I were still that weak, pushover girl from back then, I probably wouldn’t even have gotten this apology.
If I weren’t now in control of Bai Song’s finances, she probably wouldn’t even spare me a glance me, the dull person she once heartlessly discarded.
She gripped Bai Song’s chin with one hand, forcing her to lift her head slightly.
Bai Song’s face was pale with pain as she met Tong Jiahui’s pitch-black eyes in alarm. The turbulent gaze flickered, the brutality in their depths like a caged beast, struggling to break free at any moment.
Tong Jiahui looked at her as if she were the filthiest trash in the world, her eyes brimming with hatred and disgust.
So, the breakup back then had truly been a devastating blow to Tong Jiahui. So, she actually hated her this much that gaze was so cold and merciless, as if she wished Bai Song would drop dead right then and there.
No, she would make sure Bai Song lived a fate worse than death!
Fear flashed in Bai Song’s eyes. She struggled slightly but couldn’t break free from the restraint.
Tong Jiahui’s voice abruptly turned icy. Impatience flickered in her eyes as she stood up abruptly. “If you don’t want anything to happen to your parents, come with me.”
Watching Tong Jiahui’s resolute retreating figure, Bai Song’s last shred of hope sank little by little.