“Qingqing, don’t be afraid, I’ll be gentle.” Lu Yunan’s affectionate voice sounded.
Sheng Qing’s eyes flew open, her pupils contracting sharply.
She… wasn’t she dead?
She remembered clearly—Lu Yunan pressing the detonation button without mercy.
It had been a trap. She was the bait, meant to lure Qin Shi in.
Sheng Qing didn’t believe that a man as calculating and deep as Qin Shi would fall for it, nor did she believe he would risk himself for her.
Because Qin Shi hated her.
But in the end, he still came. Amid the danger, he kicked open the cabin door and walked straight to her.
On that deep, chiseled face was a barely concealed ferocity: “Didn’t I tell you that this Lu bastard is trash?”
Sheng Qing was dazed.
Why are you here?
Why are you here!
Her whole body trembled, tears streaming down like an out-of-control flood.
“Stop crying, damn it.” The man glared at her with fierce eyes. “Are you still going to stop me from dealing with that trash? Are you going to listen to me or not?”
I’ll listen.
I’ll listen to everything you say from now on.
Go now!
But her vocal cords had long been destroyed—she couldn’t make a single sound.
The explosion rang out. The last image in her memory was him pulling her into his arms.
His hoarse, dry voice was at her ear: “Be good. Close your eyes.”
…
Lu Yunan’s burning fingers undid her collar. “Relax.”
Sheng Qing kicked him hard.
“Bang!”
Lu Yunan’s head hit the floor. He lay motionless.
Sheng Qing got up, grabbed her coat, and fled quickly.
She could still feel it—the sensation of her face pressed against Qin Shi’s chest when the explosion went off.
And the cold, sharp scent of him.
This is a dream, right?
If it’s a dream, then grant her one more wish—let her see that man with her own eyes.
…
Qin Residence.
Sheng Qing ran back to the Qin family home, but no one was there.
Breathless, she grabbed a servant and asked, “Is Qin Shi here?”
“The Second Young Master isn’t here.”
“Then… where is everyone else?”
“The General went to the hospital to get his wound bandaged.” The servant looked impatient.
Sheng Qing froze for a moment, then remembered.
A couple of days ago, she had cut Qin Zhen’s arm. Her sister must have accompanied him to the hospital.
At this time, Sheng Qing was rebellious, disobedient, and constantly causing trouble.
From the servants below to the masters above, everyone hated her.
Qin Shi was no exception.
Did she still have a chance to make Qin Shi like her?
Sheng Qing sat on the sofa, waiting anxiously.
Before she knew it, she curled up on the sofa and fell asleep.
In her dream, Lu Yunan used cruel methods to destroy her vocal cords and strapped bombs all over her body.
She dreamed that Qin Shi came.
A man in fitted combat gear, amid the blazing firelight, kicked open the door and came to her.
Sheng Qing shook her head desperately, wanting him to leave.
But it felt like a wad of cotton was stuffed deep in her throat—she couldn’t make a single sound.
“Wake up.”
A familiar voice was right by her ear.
Sheng Qing’s eyes flew open.
The first thing she saw was a face with deep, striking features, right in front of her.
Thinking she was still dreaming, she stared at him blankly.
Tears streamed down silently.
Qin Shi frowned. “What are you crying about? Did I bully you?”
Sheng Qing suddenly sat up and threw herself into his arms, her slender arms locking tightly around him.
“Who told you to come? I told you to leave! Why didn’t you listen! Wuwuwu! Don’t die for me—I want you to live!”
Qin Shi: “…??”
It was, just, very sudden.
He had just returned from visiting his elder brother at the hospital when he saw her lying on the sofa, trembling all over.
Just as I was about to yank her up and demand what she was thinking—why she had to hurt someone again—she threw herself at me first.
“Let go.” Qin Shi patted the little ingrate’s arm. “If you don’t want me to throw you off, act normal.”
“No. I won’t let go.”
“…”
Sheng Qing sobbed breathlessly, her mind still tethered to the dream. “Qin Shi, I’ll listen to you from now on. I won’t rebel anymore. I’ll be very, very good.”
“…”
“I’m sorry, Qin Shi. I was wrong, wuwuwu. From now on, whatever you say goes.”
“…”
There was simply no way to have a normal conversation with her.
Qin Shi’s brows furrowed as he reached out and touched the back of her neck.
Like grabbing a kitten by the scruff, he pinched that soft spot of flesh and applied a slight pressure, pulling her body away from him.
A faint sting washed over her like a tide, and Sheng Qing froze, her sobbing stopping abruptly. “Qin Shi?”
Qin Shi narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze probing her. “Still crying?”
Sheng Qing’s tear-filled eyes were half-dazed, half-confused. “Am I… dreaming?”
“Just a dream?” Qin Shi raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. “Not trying to take advantage of me?”
…Sheng Qing’s brain rebooted.
In an instant, she realized—this wasn’t a dream!
She had survived. She was at the Qin residence, waiting for Qin Shi to return, and she’d fallen asleep.
And now, she was sprawled across Qin Shi’s chest, head tilted up, arms still loosely wrapped around his neck.
On his white shirt were suspicious damp marks she’d left behind—whether tears or snot, she couldn’t tell.
With a “boom,” Sheng Qing’s face flushed crimson. She shoved him away, scrambling to grab the blanket and pull it over herself.
Let her just die on the spot.
This level of embarrassment was enough to dig out a whole castle.
Surprise flickered in Qin Shi’s eyes.
What was she doing?
Being shy?
And her behavior just now—it was far too unusual.
Looking at the lump curled up under the blanket, Qin Shi tapped the coffee table with his slender, well-defined fingers. “Come out.”
No movement.
Qin Shi’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. “Didn’t you say you’d listen to everything I say?”
The blanket soon began to squirm, and a fluffy head poked out.
Sheng Qing’s large, clear eyes were moist and glistening. “I’m out.”
Well, that was… quite obedient.
Like a little kitten.
The phone in his pocket vibrated, and Qin Shi stood up.
Sheng Qing instinctively reached out and grabbed the hem of his shirt. “Where are you going?”
Qin Shi looked down. “To take a call. Let go.”
“Oh.” Sheng Qing obediently released her grip.
Qin Shi walked off, but after two steps, he turned back to look at her, pointing at his head. “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong up here?”
Sheng Qing: “…”
Qin Shi went out to the balcony.
Sheng Qing lay back down on the sofa. It was truly miraculous—she’d been given a second chance at life.
She closed her eyes and silently set a goal in her heart.
Sheng Qing, be good in this life. Protect the people you want to protect.
And… listen to Qin Shi.
**
The sound of hurried footsteps approached. “Sheng Qing, it really is you.”
Sheng Qing opened her eyes and saw Feng Xiaojing coming down the stairs.
In her previous life, Sheng Qing had hated everyone in the Qin family, except Feng Xiaojing.
But Feng Xiaojing had been the most treacherous of them all.
Feng Xiaojing’s brother had been the Qin family’s cook. Feng Xiaojing had lived at the Qin residence since childhood, and after her brother passed away, she’d stayed on.
And Sheng Qing and her sister weren’t Qin family members either.
Five years ago, Qin Zhen had been injured during a mission, and her sister had saved him.
Nearly two months of tireless bedside care had stirred a covetous desire in this powerful man for her sister.
Her sister had a husband and a family, yet Qin Zhen, disregarding morality and ethics, forcibly brought her back to the Qin family.
This was also the reason Sheng Qing had always despised the Qin family.
And because Feng Xiaojing had been stirring up trouble in front of her, Sheng Qing’s aversion to the Qin family only grew with each passing day.
Later, instigated by Lu Yunan, she even pressured her sister into poisoning Qin Zhen.
Qin Zhen’s health deteriorated day by day, until he lay in the hospital, tubes running all over his body.
The military high command was furious, vowing to find the poisoner.
But Qin Zhen suppressed the matter with a single hand.
It turned out he had known all along that the two sisters were poisoning him, yet he turned a blind eye.
On his deathbed, he said to her sister: “You hate me this much, so I’ll give you this life of mine. After this, can you stop hating me?”
Her sister sat before this man, trembling all over, without uttering a single word.
That night, after returning home, she ended her own life.
Less than an hour later, Qin Zhen’s heart also stopped beating.
Her foolishness in her past life had killed everyone who truly cared about her.
Meanwhile, those with malicious intentions were still alive and well.
One of them was Feng Xiaojing.
Feng Xiaojing felt that Sheng Qing was acting a bit strange. “Qingqing, why are you looking at me like that?”
Sheng Qing said, “Then how else should I look at a shit-stirrer?”
Feng Xiaojing was shocked and bewildered. “What did you say?”
“Can’t understand?” Sheng Qing mimicked Qin Shi’s mannerism, pointing at her head. “Is there something wrong up here?”
Although Feng Xiaojing was furious, she still had to hold it in. “Didn’t you run away? Why are you back?”
Two days ago, when Qin Zhen and Sheng Xue had a conflict, Feng Xiaojing had told Sheng Qing about it.
She knew that hot-tempered Sheng Qing would definitely lose it.
Sure enough, the moment Sheng Qing returned, she slashed Qin Zhen.
Feng Xiaojing thought she could use this opportunity to drive the two Sheng sisters out of the Qin family.
Unexpectedly, Sheng Qing had come back on her own.
Feng Xiaojing pulled at her. “Brother Qin Zhen is very angry and has people looking for you everywhere. Sheng Qing, hurry up and leave, hide far away. Once Brother Qin Zhen isn’t so angry anymore, I’ll put in a good word for you.”
Sheng Qing shook off her hand. “Don’t pull that act with me. Feng Xiaojing, you’d better not provoke me. I dare to hurt even Qin Zhen—aren’t you afraid that one night while you’re asleep, I’ll slit your throat?”
Feng Xiaojing trembled in fear. “You… you wouldn’t dare!”
Sheng Qing just smiled. “You can try.”
Feng Xiaojing glared at her. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Second Brother Qin what vicious things you just said?!”
Glancing at Qin Shi on the balcony, who had his back to her while on the phone, Sheng Qing lazily sank into the sofa. “Go ahead, I don’t care. But if you do tell him and I haven’t actually done anything, he’ll definitely think you’re lying and framing me.”
“Then I’ll play the victim a little, say you’re slandering me. If he feels guilty, maybe he’ll treat me a bit better.”
Feng Xiaojing was dumbfounded. You could play it that way?
Sheng Qing shot her a cold glare. “Lost your nerve? If you don’t have the guts, then get lost.”
“Who says I don’t have the guts!” Feng Xiaojing stood up to go find Qin Shi. “Second Brother Qin—mmph!”
Sheng Qing clamped her hand over Feng Xiaojing’s mouth and shoved her back into the sofa. “You really think I wouldn’t hit you, huh?”
This lunatic was always getting into fights outside. Feng Xiaojing was scared out of her wits, thinking Sheng Qing was about to slap her, so she bit down hard on Sheng Qing’s wrist.
Sheng Qing let go in pain.
Feng Xiaojing let out an “ow” and sprang up to run.
Sheng Qing, looking fierce and menacing, grabbed her hair in one go: “You motherfu—”
Suddenly meeting the dark, brooding eyes from the balcony, Sheng Qing: “—fu… brother, are you done with your phone call?”
Feng Xiaojing: “??”
Qin Shi: “…”