When Cen Lingqiu entered, Wen Zhi was in the middle of a game. Hearing the sound, she glanced over.
“Holy shit—” Wen Zhi leaped up from the sofa. “What happened to your face?”
She walked over to Cen Lingqiu’s side. “And your neck. Did someone try to assassinate you?”
Cen Lingqiu smiled. “It’s nothing like that. Can you help me treat the wound on my face? My right hand is inconvenient.”
“Oh, oh, okay.”
Wen Zhi took out the first-aid kit from her home and helped her apply medicine.
She was incredibly curious. “What on earth happened to you? Did Yu Mingjiao do it? Did you bully someone?”
“Which of these many questions should I answer?” Cen Lingqiu said helplessly. “I didn’t bully anyone.”
“Then what happened to your neck?” Wen Zhi frowned. “This looks like someone was trying to kill you.”
Cen Lingqiu was evasive. “A situation came up. It’s nothing serious.”
Wen Zhi’s expression was hard to describe. “Lin Qiu, what are your thoughts on Yu Mingjiao now? You used to detest her so much, and now you’re having me keep an eye on her. What exactly are you trying to do? I really don’t understand you anymore.”
Cen Lingqiu’s eyes were placid. She said nothing.
Of course Wen Zhi wouldn’t understand. It was likely that no one in this world could understand.
Nor could she tell them that the person in this body had already changed, that everything she did was for her own sake.
None of this could be said.
Yu Sui’an was, after all, still a high school student with a busy academic schedule, so she had no extra time to find Yu Mingjiao. Coupled with the unpleasantness from their last encounter, she had also gotten angry and stopped looking for her.
Cen Lingqiu continued to interact with Yu Mingjiao as usual, but the relationship between the two had inexplicably turned cold and stiff.
Cen Lingqiu hadn’t changed; the problem was with Yu Mingjiao.
She had become even more withdrawn. Before, when Cen Lingqiu spoke to her, Yu Mingjiao would at least reply with a few “mm”s, but now there wasn’t even a single syllable—just silence.
She even began to intentionally or unintentionally resist Cen Lingqiu’s gestures of goodwill.
When Cen Lingqiu served her food, she wouldn’t eat it. When it rained and Cen Lingqiu offered to drive her to school, she would rather take a taxi.
Cen Lingqiu was baffled.
Had she done something wicked again?
Cen Lingqiu didn’t think she had done anything bad these past few days. She wasn’t even angry about the fact that Yu Mingjiao had nearly choked her to death, so how could this child be the one who was unhappy instead?
Cen Lingqiu didn’t understand.
She pulled out the System again.
“What is Yu Mingjiao’s self-destruction index right now?”
System: “Seventy-five percent. It has decreased by five percent.”
This was even stranger. Yu Mingjiao’s emotions were relatively stable, and she hadn’t developed any overly extreme thoughts. So where did this odd behavior of hers stem from?
Cen Lingqiu was completely perplexed. Since her abnormality hadn’t caused any negative ripples, she decided not to focus on it anymore.
She attributed Yu Mingjiao’s strange behavior to the willfulness of youth.
Today, after she finished the translation documents she was working on, she returned to the original owner’s home.
The original owner’s parents were in the construction industry, the long-standing leaders in Lancheng’s construction sector. They also had various other business developments under their name, making them a bona fide upper-class family.
After parking the car and just as she approached the living room, a well-maintained middle-aged woman walked up, took her hand, and said warmly, “Xiao Qiu, has work been very busy lately? It’s been so long since you’ve come to see Mom.”
Cen Lingqiu rarely experienced this kind of warmth from elders, so she was very unaccustomed to the original owner’s mother’s concern.
“A little,” Cen Lingqiu smiled slightly. “I’m sorry, Mother.”
“Oh, my, why are you apologizing to Mom?” The woman was named Zhang Li, her face gentle and radiating wealth. She patted the back of Cen Lingqiu’s hand. “Just take good care of yourself. Come, let’s eat. Your younger brother was let out by your grandfather today.”
Cen Lingqiu followed Zhang Li to the table. When Lin Dong saw her, he called out to her stiffly, “Big Sis.”
His expression was foul, and his cheeks were a bit thinner. It seemed that the days of being forced by his grandfather to face the wall and reflect had been very unpleasant.
Perhaps because Cen Lingqiu had been unconcerned about the matter he had entrusted to her last time at the police station, Lin Dong held a grudge against her and didn’t give her a pleasant look.
Cen Lingqiu noticed but couldn’t be bothered to deal with him.
The meal was eaten without much care. Cen Lingqiu’s mind was preoccupied with whether Lin Dong would cause trouble again later. Yu Mingjiao’s self-destruction index had finally dropped a little, and she was truly afraid that Lin Dong’s appearance would, like that child Yu Sui’an, cause Yu Mingjiao to break down.
She couldn’t help but get a headache.
Why was Yu Mingjiao surrounded by such a troublesome bunch of people?
Zhang Li placed a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs in Lin Dong’s bowl and asked casually, “Xiao Dong, I heard that President Li’s daughter heard you were free these few days and wants to come over to play Go with you. You’ve played Go with her before, right? Find some time for the two of you to get together.”
Lin Dong was impatient. “I don’t know how to play Go. Tell her to play by herself.”
Zhang Li shot him a glare. “You child, that young lady is so wonderful. She’s pretty and talented, and most importantly, she’s able-bodied. Why must you be so fixated on that disabled girl? What’s so good about her?”
Lin Dong turned his face away, ignoring Zhang Li, and said coldly to Cen Lingqiu, “Big Sis, has Mingjiao seen anyone recently?”
Cen Lingqiu ate her food quietly, not even lifting her head. “How would I know?”
“Big Sis, why do you always avoid questions about her?” Lin Dong was puzzled. “You weren’t like this before.”
“You’re overthinking it.”
Cen Lingqiu was as perfunctory as ever.
“Big Sis!” Lin Dong’s tone grew heavy. “You’ve been very strange lately. Why aren’t you telling me about her affairs like you used to?”
Cen Lingqiu regretted not being able to resist Zhang Li’s request to come back for dinner. Whenever she had to face the male lead, she got a headache.
“There’s nothing worth saying.”
Lin Dong’s expression was dark and gloomy; he was very unhappy.
Zhang Li put down her chopsticks and let out an exasperated sigh. “What is wrong with you two siblings? Making a fuss here over a useless disabled woman. What kind of magic does that girl have?”
Neither Cen Lingqiu nor Lin Dong spoke.
The meal ended in this stiff manner. Cen Lingqiu chatted with Zhang Li for a while. Before she left, Zhang Li held onto her and said earnestly, “Xiao Qiu, help Mom keep an eye on your brother. Don’t let him have any more contact with that girl. Whenever he’s with her, something bad always happens to Xiao Dong.”
Cen Lingqiu thought to herself: When those two are together, the unfortunate one is Yu Mingjiao.
If she actually dared to say that, Zhang Li would probably subject her to a lengthy lecture.
So, she was perfunctory again. “Mm, I know.”
Zhang Li: “Good. Remember to go to Yue Ju for dinner next week.”
Only after leaving the villa could Cen Lingqiu breathe freely again.
She truly disliked returning to the original owner’s home.
She was unaccustomed to Zhang Li’s excessive enthusiasm and annoyed by the male lead’s sullen demeanor.
Cen Lingqiu checked the time. It was almost time for Yu Mingjiao to get out of school, so she decided to pick her up on the way.
During the last class, Yu Mingjiao propped up her forehead and stared at the blackboard while An Wu, beside her, kept poking her arm.
Yu Mingjiao’s gaze didn’t move; she had no intention of paying attention to An Wu’s little actions.
An Wu didn’t get angry either, patiently poking her elbow with a pen until Yu Mingjiao couldn’t stand the annoyance anymore. She pressed down on An Wu’s pen with her hand and said flatly, “What is it?”
Seeing that she was finally getting a response, An Wu giggled a few times and whispered, “Mingjiao, it’s my birthday next week. Can you come to my birthday party?”
Yu Mingjiao was merciless. “No.”
“Aiya.” An Wu tugged at her sleeve again. “I don’t have many friends at university, and you’re one of them. Please come. I’ll be very sad if you don’t.”
Yu Mingjiao disliked gatherings; she hated crowded places.
Her refusal was cold. “I’ll get you a gift, but I won’t go.”
“I don’t want your gift. You know I don’t lack anything. I just want someone to celebrate my birthday with me. Please just come.”
Yu Mingjiao’s expression was impassive and resolute. She still wouldn’t go.
An Wu continued to persuade her, clinging to Yu Mingjiao even after class was dismissed.
The words went in one ear and out the other. Yu Mingjiao ignored her pleading, pushing her wheelchair forward with a placid expression.
An Wu huffed, a little unhappy. “Mingjiao, I’m sincerely inviting you. Don’t just keep ignoring me.”
Yu Mingjiao’s pushing motion paused for a moment. The words Cen Lingqiu had said on the night of the power outage inexplicably came to mind.
That woman had said that ignoring people was impolite and would make them unhappy.
She raised her eyes to look at An Wu, tilting her head slightly, her eyes innocent yet cold. “Are you unhappy?”
An Wu pouted. “Anyone would be unhappy.”
Yu Mingjiao: “…”
But that woman wouldn’t be unhappy.
As Yu Mingjiao left the school gate, An Wu was still chattering incessantly, chirping like a cicada.
She even grabbed her and wouldn’t let her go.
Yu Mingjiao couldn’t take it anymore. She pulled her hands back from her grasp. “I know.”
“Send me the location.”
An Wu beamed. “Okay.”
“Hey, Mingjiao, isn’t that your sister?” An Wu had sharp eyes and spotted Cen Lingqiu walking towards them.
Cen Lingqiu had picked Yu Mingjiao up from school a few times, so An Wu had seen her before. Cen Lingqiu told others that she was Yu Mingjiao’s older sister.
Yu Mingjiao lifted her eyelids.
Cen Lingqiu was wearing a white satin shirt paired with flowing, dark gray suit trousers and black stiletto heels. Her long, curly chestnut hair was casually draped over her shoulders. There was a band-aid on her left cheek, and perhaps having forgotten to wear her contact lenses, she wore a pair of silver-framed glasses.
She was looking down at her phone. The band-aid did nothing to detract from her beauty; her fair and elegant features remained serene and cool, possessing a coldness distinct from the late summer, giving her a unique aura.
An Wu remarked with admiration, “Mingjiao, your sister has such a great aura. She feels completely different from everyone around her.”
Yu Mingjiao recalled that this woman used to favor gaudy colors, wearing revealing, seductive clothing that looked extremely ugly.
“She is not my sister,” Yu Mingjiao clarified for what felt like the umpteenth time.
An Wu didn’t care. “Mhm, mhm, I know. Sometimes the term ‘sister’ is just a bit of fun.”
Yu Mingjiao: “…”
What on earth was she talking about?
Cen Lingqiu put away her phone, saw Yu Mingjiao, and walked towards her.
“Let’s go home,” she said.
“I’ll go back by myself.”
Cen Lingqiu grabbed her wrist. “Why? It’s on my way.”
Yu Mingjiao didn’t look at her. “I want to go back by myself.”
Cen Lingqiu narrowed her eyes at her.
Although her tone was as emotionless as ever, this time it was tinged with a stiff, cold rejection.
Cen Lingqiu felt that Yu Mingjiao was pushing her away even more than before.
Why?
Seeing the strange atmosphere between them, An Wu spoke up to ease the tension. “Um, Big Sis, how about I take Mingjiao home? We were just about to go shopping anyway.”
Seeing that Yu Mingjiao didn’t refuse, Cen Lingqiu didn’t insist. “Mm.”
After the two left Cen Lingqiu’s sight, An Wu couldn’t contain her curiosity anymore. “Mingjiao, did you have a fight with that sister?”
“No.”
“Then what’s wrong with you two? Your relationship seemed so strange today. It’s like you didn’t really want to see her.”
Yu Mingjiao pressed her lips together.
She indeed did not want to see Cen Lingqiu.
Ever since the thought of gratitude towards her had arisen in her heart that day, she had begun to feel terrified.
She realized that she seemed to be gradually forgetting the pain Cen Lingqiu had brought her, instead immersing herself in her companionship and kindness, getting lost time and again in the memory of her pulling her out of predicaments.
This was terrifying.
She no longer dared to believe in anyone’s concern, whether it was her father, Yu Sui’an—those closest to her were all insincere.
Let alone this woman.
She didn’t want to be deceived and toyed with, didn’t want to repeat the pain of the past, didn’t want to betray herself.
It was all hypocrisy.
Yu Mingjiao continuously stuffed her mind with the cotton of hatred. Two vastly different emotions tore at her sanity, and the only thing she could do was remain indifferent.
Just like at home, expecting nothing, rejecting everything, silently and solitarily guarding herself.
So she began to distance herself again, with more coldness and exclusion.
And at the root of it all was the fact that she still didn’t truly trust Cen Lingqiu.
An Wu’s birthday party was held at Yue Ju, a very famous restaurant and clubhouse. Its ingredients and seasonings were all of high quality and flown in, making it expensive. People who pursued high quality were frequent patrons here.
An Wu’s birthday party was in a private room at the end of the corridor. Her parents were doing business abroad and couldn’t come back, so this birthday party consisted of only some relatives and friends.
Yu Mingjiao was the last to arrive. The moment she entered, the chattering in the private room fell into a strange silence.
She pushed her wheelchair, ignored the crowd, and said to An Wu, “Where do I sit?”
“Here.” An Wu quickly ran over. “Sit next to me.”
“Mm.” Yu Mingjiao gave her the gift.
“Wow, thanks.”
Yu Mingjiao settled into her seat.
The room began to regain its noise. Some people who had never seen Yu Mingjiao couldn’t help but whisper secretly.
“Damn, she’s so beautiful.”
“Is this skin for real? So fair.”
“She’s so thin.”
“This face is just incredible. Like a heroine from a manga, you know, the beautiful and gloomy female ghost type.”
“Can’t you talk properly? What female ghost? So rude.”
Yu Mingjiao’s hearing was excellent, so she could naturally hear these faint whispers. She ignored them all.
“But, she’s disabled, right?”
A soft male voice suddenly interjected, “Look at her in that wheelchair. What a pity. Such a stunning face, but she’s disabled in both legs.”
The boy who spoke wore glasses. He had been drinking, and his face was flushed as he whispered to the person next to him.
The person next to him immediately covered his mouth and whispered, “Shut up, what nonsense are you spouting?”
He subconsciously glanced at Yu Mingjiao and met her gaze, which was as cold and sinister as a snake’s.
An Wu began to liven up the atmosphere. “Alright, everyone’s here. Let me introduce you all. This is my friend, Yu Mingjiao.”
Yu Mingjiao gave them a cool nod, which served as a polite response.
Gatherings of peers were all about drinking and having fun. In the middle of it, there were inevitably people who wanted to drink with Yu Mingjiao, but they were either blocked by An Wu or scared away by her cold and serene expression.
Just as that voice had said, Yu Mingjiao was like a beautiful, gloomy female ghost. She wore a black dress that made her skin look snow-white and her lips ruby-red. Because she had been inexplicably sulking these past few days and not eating properly, her chin appeared particularly sharp.
Therefore, even though she had a stunningly beautiful face, she was too cold and gloomy, so not many people came over to talk to her.
Yu Mingjiao disliked the boisterous atmosphere; it was too noisy.
She hated noisy environments.
After telling An Wu, she went out.
Yu Mingjiao wanted to go to the restroom to wash her hands. She had only taken a few steps when she ran into the person she least wanted to see.
Lin Dong was having a family dinner at Yue Ju today with his parents and grandfather. He had come out for a smoke when he saw Yu Mingjiao.
He still remembered how Yu Mingjiao had schemed to get him into the police station. That was the most humiliating moment of his life, being questioned by the police, huddled in a detention cell like a broken dog.
After his grandfather bailed him out, he had one of his ribs broken by his grandfather and was forced to face a wall in contemplation for a month. His rib still hurt even now.
All of this was thanks to Yu Mingjiao.
He had underestimated this delicate and beautiful woman.
“What a coincidence, Mingjiao.” Lin Dong slowly walked towards her.
Yu Mingjiao knew that escaping now was impossible, so she simply stayed put to see what he wanted to do.
“Thanks to you, I have a broken rib and was locked up for a month—” Lin Dong leaned down, a sinister, cold smile playing on his lips. “Are you satisfied now, Mingjiao?”
“Of course not.”
Yu Mingjiao looked straight into his eyes, word by word.
“Because you’re not dead yet.”
“Only when you’re dead will I be satisfied.”
Veins popped on Lin Dong’s forehead, and his smile grew colder and colder.
He grabbed her wheelchair, pulled her directly into an adjacent, uncleaned private room, slammed the door shut, and locked it from the inside.
Outside the door, a cleaning staff member knocked anxiously.
Lin Dong was oblivious, his hands braced on either side of the wheelchair’s armrests. “Mingjiao, you are truly full of surprises.”
Yu Mingjiao’s response was a cold smile.
“I originally planned to keep you at the manor, preferably for a lifetime, but I never expected my sister to actually take you away.” Lin Dong couldn’t understand his sister’s actions at all. He narrowed his eyes. “My sister seems to be treating you quite well recently. She doesn’t even tell me your whereabouts or anything about you anymore.”
In the past, that woman had been the one to monitor Yu Mingjiao. No matter what she did or where she went, Lin Qiu would tell Lin Dong with embellishments, which would make Lin Dong angry and start one of Yu Mingjiao’s ordeals.
But now, Lin Dong was saying that this woman had stopped this vile and foolish tattling behavior. She was no longer monitoring her.
In the past, Yu Mingjiao truly hated being watched by her, as if she were a dog that needed to be monitored.
Now, had she given up this foolish behavior?
Yu Mingjiao slowly blinked, her eyes lowered, lost in thought.
Lin Dong was still curious. “I’m very curious, Mingjiao, what did you do to my sister? My sister is not someone who softens easily.”
“Why is that?”
Yu Mingjiao casually tapped her cheek with her finger, as if she too was puzzled, and then she curved her lips into a sinister smile.
“If you jump from here, I’ll tell you.”
Lin Dong’s eyes darkened as he pinched her chin.
“Yu Mingjiao, know when to stop. Do you think my sister is genuinely good to you? Don’t even think about it. If you didn’t bear some resemblance to Ning Jia, neither I nor my sister would have paid you any mind.”
He smiled maliciously again, his words ruthless and selfish. “You should be glad you look like her. Otherwise, I would definitely make you taste a pain that’s like being dead while still alive.”
“Ha—”
Yu Mingjiao suddenly covered her mouth and started laughing, her eyes curving deeply, her head bowing as if it was hilarious, her shoulders trembling slightly.
She was clearly laughing out loud, yet there was no trace of mirth. Because of the exaggerated movement, it had a rather chilling quality.
Lin Dong’s face was expressionless. “What are you laughing at?”
Yu Mingjiao half-covered her lips, her eyes slightly curved, and spoke softly, “I’m laughing at how pitiful you are.”
“Seeking the shadow of a dead person in a living one, aren’t you pitiful?”
She tilted her head, her speech very slow.
“And I heard that Ning Jia jumped into the sea and died because she didn’t want to marry you.”
Yu Mingjiao lifted her head, looking directly at him, and said in a calm, questioning tone, “She would rather die than be with you. What are you being so devoted for?”
Her clear, pleasant voice stabbed straight into his bones like a sharp blade. He looked as if a nerve in his body had been struck, his eyes widening as he bit down hard on his teeth.
“Madwoman.”
He raised his hand, but before the motion could fall, the door was opened.
A group of people stood at the entrance: the cleaning staff, An Wu, and a few of An Wu’s friends. Standing at the very front was Cen Lingqiu.
Cen Lingqiu stood at the door, running a hand through her hair in annoyance. “Lin Dong, what are you trying to do now? Do you think Grandpa’s beating was too light?”
“Big Sis.” Lin Dong regained his senses. “You—”
“Father and Grandpa are looking for you.”
Cen Lingqiu pointed outside. “Get back there.”
Lin Dong didn’t move.
She added, “Grandpa is angry.”
Lin Dong was truly terrified of being beaten by the Old Master. Plus, with a group of cleaning staff and a few student-looking people watching them outside, Lin Dong had no face to lose and could only leave first.
Before he left, Yu Mingjiao called out to him very softly.
Lin Dong looked at her.
Yu Mingjiao’s voice was soft and slow.
“My life has long been as painful as death.”
She said.
No matter what else he did, her life would just be this painful.
Lin Dong’s pupils constricted slightly.
Yu Mingjiao had already moved past him. As she passed by Cen Lingqiu, she seemed to pull on Cen Lingqiu’s sleeve in a hidden gesture, looking at her with a calm gaze, as if asking, “Are you okay?”
Yu Mingjiao’s movement of pushing the wheelchair paused for a fraction of a second.
In that brief interval, Cen Lingqiu seemed to sense a kind of unspoken hesitation from Yu Mingjiao.
But she still said nothing and moved past her to leave.
The back of Cen Lingqiu’s hand was brushed by Yu Mingjiao’s long hair.
It tickled a little.
Yu Mingjiao first went to the restroom and fiercely washed her chin where Lin Dong had touched it several times. After An Wu saw that she was done, she immediately pushed her back into the private room, anxiously worrying, “What was with that man just now? Why did he lock the door? Did he do anything to you?”
Yu Mingjiao shook her head. “Just a fool. I’m fine.”
An Wu sighed in relief. “That’s good. You were gone for so long, I was scared to death. Luckily, I saw that sister, and she pulled me along to look for you.”
She grew puzzled again. “But, that man seems to be related to your sister.”
Yu Mingjiao took a sip of lemon juice and corrected her for the umpteenth time, “She is not my sister.”
The lemon juice was very sour, and she couldn’t help but furrow her brows.
She put down the cup and held the spot on her wrist where Cen Lingqiu had secretly grabbed her, her fingertips slowly caressing it.
Cen Lingqiu and Lin Dong walked into the private room. Inside sat Zhang Li, and a man with resolute features and a dignified expression, who was the original owner’s father.
In the main seat sat an old man with a gaunt face and no expression.
Undoubtedly, this was the original owner’s grandfather, the person Lin Dong feared most.
Besides them, several other people were sitting at the table, all family relatives.
The original owner’s family liked to have irregular gatherings, which were equivalent to family meetings, and they were always held here at Yue Ju.
Just now, Lin Dong had gone out for a smoke and hadn’t returned for a long time, so Cen Lingqiu was sent to find him. Cen Lingqiu then saw An Wu and learned that Yu Mingjiao was also here, so she guessed that Lin Dong might run into her. Cen Lingqiu then quickened her pace to find them, and luckily, she ran into the cleaning staff and found them.
As soon as Lin Dong entered, the Old Master scolded him a few times, saying that he could even stir up trouble just by going out for a smoke, that he was nothing but a menace.
He hung his head, looking very dejected, and didn’t reply. As soon as he sat down, he started drinking.
Cen Lingqiu listened to her relatives’ ideas about corporate management and couldn’t help but feel bored.
She propped up her chin, but her thoughts were with Yu Mingjiao.
Just now, Yu Mingjiao’s eyes had clearly wanted to say something to her.
What did she want to say?
Was she still being willful?
Did Lin Dong say something bad to her?
She couldn’t help but ask the system about her self-destruction index again.
The answer was still the same, and it had even dropped by two percent.
She was even more curious.
Cen Lingqiu really wanted to know what was causing Yu Mingjiao’s abnormal behavior during this period. She couldn’t guess at all.
An Wu’s birthday party finally ended. Yu Mingjiao arrived at the entrance, planning to wait for a car to go back. She lifted her eyes and found Lin Dong leaning against a car, head down, smoking a cigarette.
Yu Mingjiao was beyond annoyed.
He was like a lingering ghost.
Lin Dong’s voice was a bit hoarse. “Mingjiao, get in the car.”
An Wu and her group of friends also came out.
Lin Dong raised an eyebrow. “You probably don’t want me to use forceful means to carry you into the car in front of your friends, do you?”
Yu Mingjiao lowered her brows, her gaze sweeping over the glass door, then she lowered her eyelids and pushed her wheelchair to the car.
Lin Dong let out a soft chuckle.
“Aren’t you going to ask where I’m going?” Lin Dong couldn’t help but ask when he saw that she had been silent ever since getting in the car.
Yu Mingjiao sneered. “Does it matter?”
Lin Dong had drunk a lot of alcohol, and his consciousness was already very unclear. He didn’t get angry at Yu Mingjiao’s sharp question.
“I’m going to Ning Jia’s grave.”
She scoffed. “Bringing a substitute like me, are you planning to anger her back to life?”
“Shut up.” Lin Dong was drunk, his words jumbled. “I’m… taking you to apologize to her. She liked me, you were wrong, go apologize…”
A layer of mocking, icy meaning surfaced in Yu Mingjiao’s eyes.
What a fool.
Lin Dong drove down a deserted road. There were no traffic police along the way, which allowed a drunkard like him to drive for so long.
Lin Dong couldn’t drive in a straight line; the car swerved crookedly. Fortunately, this road had few people, so he didn’t hit any cars, but even so, there were several times he almost hit a streetlight.
Yu Mingjiao looked out the car window.
Will I die here today?
If I die, will it be a very ugly death?
Will my body be torn apart?
Ah.
She didn’t want to die with Lin Dong.
Yu Mingjiao bit her lip, her gaze fixed on the rearview mirror.
A car slowly caught up on the dim road.
That car got closer and closer, and soon, Yu Mingjiao could see the license plate number.
A hue of satisfaction, born from a successful guess, rose in her stagnant pupils.
Lin Dong’s vision was a bit blurry, and his grip on the steering wheel was gradually becoming unstable.
The car was swerving badly.
The car behind them accelerated, swiftly overtook them, and then made a sharp, clean turn. Just as Lin Dong’s car was about to plunge off the cliff, its front end quickly blocked Lin Dong’s car, ramming it to push it away from the cliff.
The impact threw Yu Mingjiao forward, but the seatbelt restrained her. Meanwhile, the jolt of pain from the collision sobered Lin Dong for a few seconds. He quickly slammed on the brakes and stopped the car.
All of this happened in a flash.
The only fortunate thing was that Lin Dong had lost much of his strength towards the end, so the car’s speed had slowed down. During the collision, the deployed airbags also blocked the damage, so neither of them had any major injuries.
Lin Dong’s head was hit, and he passed out after stopping the car.
Yu Mingjiao’s forehead was struck by a shard of glass, and red blood slowly trickled past her eyelashes and down her pale cheek.
Cen Lingqiu quickly got out of the car and first had someone take the unconscious Lin Dong to the hospital.
She then walked over to Yu Mingjiao’s side and opened the car door.
“Yu Mingjiao.”
Yu Mingjiao lifted her eyelids and looked at her calmly.
She was so calm it was baffling. The blood from her forehead flowed ceaselessly, soon staining half of her face red, while the other half remained pale and beautiful.
Cen Lingqiu tore off a bunch of tissues to press against the wound, her tone a bit urgent.
“Besides your forehead, are you hurt anywhere else?”
“Does your body feel uncomfortable anywhere else?”
Yu Mingjiao didn’t answer her questions, asking one of her own, “Did you chase after us because I was in the car?”
The sight of the glaring blood on her face annoyed Cen Lingqiu—she really hated blood—so she didn’t notice Yu Mingjiao’s strange tone.
She frowned. “What else? Lin Dong was drunk. If you stayed in his car, you would have died.”
Speaking of this, Cen Lingqiu couldn’t help but get angry again.
“Yu Mingjiao, what were you thinking? You clearly knew he was drunk, so why did you still get in his car? Don’t you know you could die doing that? Are you that foolish?”
When Cen Lingqiu was seeing Zhang Li out, she had seen Yu Mingjiao about to get into Lin Dong’s car.
She immediately thought that Lin Dong had just been drinking, and driving now would be extremely dangerous. The two of them also didn’t get along, so if they started arguing, an accident was bound to happen.
If both the male and female leads died, how could this world continue?
She settled Zhang Li and then quickly had someone drive to chase after them.
She lifted Yu Mingjiao up and placed her in the passenger seat of another, undamaged car.
“I’m taking you to the hospital.”
Yu Mingjiao sat in the passenger seat, her hand pressing the wound on her forehead, her face turned towards the window.
Of course she knew everything Cen Lingqiu said.
She also knew that Lin Dong was drunk and that she might die if she got in his car.
But she did it on purpose.
Yu Mingjiao had seen Cen Lingqiu walking towards the entrance through the glass door, and she had confirmed that Cen Lingqiu had seen her.
She wanted to know, if she got into her brother’s car, would she chase after them?
Didn’t she keep saying she wanted to compensate her?
If she died, or was injured, and all of it was because of her dear brother, what would her reaction be?
Would she be remorseful and sad because she died, or would she be indifferent as long as her brother was still alive?
Yu Mingjiao just really wanted to know if this woman was a hypocrite or sincere.
It was a very boring game.
If she lost, she would just die together with Lin Dong.
She didn’t care about living anyway.
If she won.
Then she won.
And Cen Lingqiu’s intense, angry reaction seemed to be telling Yu Mingjiao…
That she might have guessed right.
Huge thanks to Sawtooth for the support!
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