Lu Yunan asked Sheng Qing to meet at a coffee shop.
Sheng Qing sent a message: “Let’s go to the place where we first met instead. It has sentimental value.”
Where it began, there it shall end.
The two had first met by the river three years ago.
Back then, she’d had a falling out with the Qin family and sat by the river all day. Lu Yunan had sat with her the entire day.
Finally, she asked him what he wanted.
He said: “You kept staring at the river 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 curling at the corner of her lips.
Not a bad person.
In her last life, she’d believed those words.
And it had ended with her dying without even a complete corpse.
…
After arriving at the station, Sheng Qing got off and walked over.
Lu Yunan had arrived earlier than her and was already waiting by the river.
“Qingqing!” Seeing her appear, Lu Yunan strode over in a few big steps, reaching out to hug her.
Sheng Qing dodged, saying coldly, “What do you want?”
Lu Yunan didn’t notice anything unusual about her. He glanced warily behind her: “Did you come alone?”
“What, were you expecting someone else?”
“Did the Qin family not follow you here?”
The coldness in Sheng Qing’s eyes was barely contained. “What do you plan to do to the Qin family?”
“What could I do to the Qin family!” Lu Yunan suddenly became agitated. “It’s those bastards in the Qin family who want to do something to me. Qingqing, do you know Qin Shi came to see me yesterday?”
“He threatened me, told me to break up with you. If I don’t listen to him, he’ll make a move against the Lu family!”
Sheng Qing’s face was expressionless: “So my second brother told you to leave me, and you came running to expose him?”
Lu Yunan froze, sensing something off about her.
Her reaction was far colder than before.
It was like she’d become a different person.
“Qingqing, is it because of what happened at that small inn last time? Did I scare you?”
That was something that had happened after Sheng Qing was reborn. At the time, Lu Yunan had tried to sleep with her, and she’d kicked him off the bed. He’d passed out on the spot.
“It was my fault. I was too impatient that day. I must have scared you.” Lu Yunan tried to take her hand.
Sheng Qing stepped away in disgust: “Walk with me up ahead.”
Lu Yunan stared at Sheng Qing’s back, frowning as he followed: “I haven’t contacted you these past few days. Did something happen?”
“What could happen to me?” Sheng Qing walked while looking around. “My second brother told you to break up with me. What do you think about that?”
“Qingqing, don’t worry. I won’t abandon you.”
“Then aren’t you afraid my second brother will come after you again?”
Lu Yunan shuddered: “Doesn’t the Qin family value you quite a bit? Go plead with them, tell them we’re truly in love. Maybe they’ll accept me.”
Sheng Qing stopped walking and turned to look at him. “I may not carry the Qin surname, but after all these years in the Qin family, I’m practically half a Qin already. If you’re with me, you’re basically latching onto the Qin family’s towering tree, right?”
Lu Yunan gave a dry laugh: “Of course not. I wouldn’t be that mercenary.”
“Is that so? Then why not break up with me?”
“Because I love you. Qingqing, what’s wrong with you today? Are you still angry with me…”
Sheng Qing suddenly smiled: “Lu Yunan, I remember—you can’t swim.”
Lu Yunan froze: “What?”
“Don’t worry, it won’t be too painful. There’s no one here. I even found a blind spot—no surveillance cameras.”
“Sheng Qing, what do you think you’re doing?!” Lu Yunan’s expression shifted.
Sheng Qing smiled faintly, then in a flash, shoved him hard backward.
Lu Yunan’s body toppled back.
With a splash, he plunged into the river.
Sheng Qing stood at the bank, watching coldly as he struggled.
Afraid?
Not as afraid as she was when her body was strapped with explosives.
In pain?
Not as pained as she was when she was tortured and her vocal cords destroyed.
What he’s enduring now isn’t even a ten-thousandth of what she suffered.
The despair I bore in my last life—now it’s your turn to savor it slowly.
Sheng Qing turned and walked away.
Suddenly, two figures rushed over: “Young Master Lu!”
Sheng Qing’s heart jolted, panic flooding through her in an instant.
Lu Yunan had actually brought bodyguards?!
“There he is!”
“Hurry, Young Master Lu fell into the water!”
**
At the Qin residence.
A scout reported the situation.
After listening, Qin Shi furrowed his brow: “You’re saying Sheng Qing pushed him into the river?”
The scout nodded: “She even picked a secluded spot, a blind spot for surveillance. If Lu Yunan hadn’t brought bodyguards who fished him out in time, something serious could have happened.”
Qin Shi’s eyes deepened as he listened.
If they truly loved each other, would she strike so ruthlessly?
This little ungrateful wretch—she was becoming harder and harder for him to read.
Qin Shi said, “No need to report this to my elder brother.”
“Yes.”
The scout left, and moments later, the study door opened.
Qin Zhen entered from outside: “That girl came back looking pale and locked herself in her room.”
Qin Shi lounged casually in his chair, lighting a cigarette: “Just a girl going through a breakup. She’ll be fine in a couple of days. No need to worry too much.”
Qin Zhen sighed: “That Lu kid was probably her first love. I’m just afraid she won’t be able to get over it.”
“Whether she can get over it or not, she has to.”
“…”
His younger brother looked refined and handsome, but he had a colder heart than any soldier.
But in the end, he just didn’t care much about this girl.
Unlike him, who was worried sick.
“Even if she’s not your biological sister, she’s still half a member of the Qin family. She got tricked by a scumbag, and you still have the nerve to make snide remarks?”
“…” Qin Shi was speechless: “Then what do you want me to do, hug her and carry her around?”
“Every young girl runs into a few scumbags in her youth. She has to get through this on her own—no one can help her.”
The logic made sense, but Qin Zhen was still furious: “If you can’t help, then you’re useless! Get out, get out—stop cluttering my sight!”
Qin Shi laughed in exasperation.
…
That evening, Butler Zhong brought the meal out of the bedroom untouched, sighing: “Still hasn’t taken a single bite.”
Qin Zhen was anxious, his face dark: “She didn’t eat at noon either, and now she won’t eat? Does she want to starve herself to death?!”
With that, he stormed forward, ready to go in himself.
Sheng Xue was startled: “She’s already like this—are you still going to scold her?”
“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? Like you force me—do you want to force her to death too?”
Qin Zhen’s body jolted.
His hand, as big as a winnowing fan, grabbed her slender arm and yanked her in front of him, his eyes nearly blazing with fury: “You still dare to seek death?!”
In the first two years after she came to the Qin family, Sheng Xue had attempted suicide, and it had nearly driven Qin Zhen mad with rage.
He’d thought that after all these years, she wouldn’t try such things anymore—but she still harbored such thoughts!
Qin Zhen gritted his teeth and glared at her. “I think I’ll have to break your arms and legs before you’ll behave yourself!”
All the color drained from Sheng Xue’s face, her body trembling uncontrollably, her eyes filled with terror.
Butler Zhong stood by, anxious and helpless.
The General had such a hot temper—whenever he got angry, he only dared to make harsh threats.
After making those threats, he’d brood alone for a long while.
Just like now, Qin Zhen was nearly about to infuriate himself to death. “Stop trembling! 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 very angry. Don’t test my limits.”
Sheng Xue clutched her clothes tightly with both hands. “Why do you have to be so overbearing? If it weren’t for you separating her from Lu Yunan, she wouldn’t have ended up like this…”
Qin Zhen frowned. “Lu Yunan is not a good person. Everything I’m doing is for her own good.”
“For her own good? Have you ever considered whether she wants the good you’re giving?”
“Qingqing used to talk to me about Lu Yunan often. Every time she mentioned him, her eyes were full of shyness and affection.”
“But you barged in and only brought her pain.”
These words landed on Qin Zhen’s ears, as if they were speaking of herself and Dong Changping.
His expression turned extremely grim.
**
At that moment, Sheng Qing lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, utterly dejected.
Who could have imagined that Lu Yunan would actually bring bodyguards to meet her!
If Lu Yunan called the police, she’d be charged with attempted murder.
If the Qin family found out she wanted to kill someone, would they think she was utterly evil, with a heart as venomous as a snake’s?
She was overthinking everything, and Sheng Qing couldn’t eat a thing.
Little did she know the Qin family was worrying themselves sick over her.
And to make matters worse, when Feng Xiaojing found out, she came over with fake concern to disgust her. “I heard you’re not eating? What’s wrong?”
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
She was practically hoping Sheng Qing would starve to death.
Sheng Qing rolled her eyes. She had no energy to deal with her, and pointed at the door. “Get out.”
Feng Xiaojing swayed her hips as she left. “What a waste of good intentions on an ungrateful wretch.”
**
The next day.
Qin Shi returned, and Butler Zhong sighed heavily. “The General and Miss Sheng Xue had another fight. He’s been smoking in the study the whole time. Second Young Master, please go talk to him.”
Qin Shi’s slender fingers lightly tugged at his tie. “Just smoking? He hasn’t torn the house apart?”
“Huh, that’s right—this time he didn’t fly into a rage at all.”
“Then it’s fine. He’ll get over it in a couple of days.”
Qin Shi pushed open the study door and stepped inside. The room was so thick with smoke he almost thought someone had set up a dry-ice machine.
Qin Zhen kept his head down, smoking, and didn’t even look up when he knew Qin Shi had entered.
“About the Lu Yunan matter—I’ve been thinking it over. Maybe we should let them get back together.”
Qin Shi’s face darkened. “What do you mean?”