Chapter 27.2
But just seeing that scene made one’s heart jump. Xie Shuyun could not help saying,
“Qin Yu, if you’re tired, why don’t you rest first today? The gifts can just be left there and organized tomorrow. They won’t disappear.”
“No need, Eldest Miss. I’m not very tired. I just tripped a little by accident earlier. There’s no problem.”
Qin Yu smiled without smiling.
Xie Shuyun opened her mouth slightly, not understanding why so many people were speaking to her in such a strange tone today. Shang Yan was like that, and Qin Yu was too.
But before she could think about it carefully, her hand became light. Turning her head back, she saw that Cheng Lingxue had already taken the gift Shang Yan had given.
The porcelain-white wrapping paper contrasted with the snow-white skin beneath it. Her fingertips pinched the red ribbon on top and lightly pulled. The ribbon came undone. When she opened the lid, inside, the box was lined with fine, soft black velvet, and a silver fountain pen lay in the middle.
Judging from the color and material, it was definitely expensive. A small card was tied to the pen with a thin red string. On it was a simple blessing written by Shang Yan:
School Beauty, I don’t know what you like, but you seem to like reading a lot, so I’m giving you a pen. I hope you like it.
That straightforward and blunt style was very much in line with Shang Yan’s way of doing things.
Unexpectedly, Cheng Lingxue flipped the card over. There was still writing on the back, but it was not for Cheng Lingxue. It was for Xie Shuyun…
Yunzi, I knew you’d open the gift with the school beauty. Don’t I have amazing foresight, leaving you a message? With that wooden head of yours, hurry up and give her a gift!
At the end of the writing, there was even an angry emoji drawn, making Xie Shuyun feel a little awkward. She scratched her head and found that she really could not refute it.
Everyone else had given a gift. Only she had not.
But just now, Cheng Lingxue’s emotional change was…
Xie Shuyun turned to look at Cheng Lingxue, but the other girl had already moved her gaze away and lifted the tea on the table to take a light sip.
She had probably been overthinking it. How could Cheng Lingxue possibly be waiting for her to give a gift?
Even so, a gift still had to be given.
“Wait for me.”
After saying that, Xie Shuyun stood and ran upstairs, not noticing that the moment she got up, Cheng Lingxue’s gaze shifted toward her and followed her back until it disappeared.
Quite a while passed. Cheng Lingxue had already finished a cup of tea before Xie Shuyun slowly came back down.
But her hands were behind her back, making her walking posture look a little awkward. Whatever she was hiding was concealed very tightly, so Cheng Lingxue could not see what she was holding.
After shuffling over to Cheng Lingxue, Xie Shuyun gave a dry cough. A brilliant smile appeared on her face.
“Lingxue, this is for you!”
As she spoke, she took out the thing she had been hiding behind her.
In an instant, Cheng Lingxue’s gaze met a pair of watery big eyes.
The owner of those eyes was an extremely beautiful golden puppy that was clearly purebred at a glance. It had probably only recently been weaned and was only a little bigger than a palm. Its fluffy golden fur was slightly curly, but it had been combed very neatly. There was even a red bow around its neck.
“Aowu!”
The little golden retriever seemed to still not understand what was going on. Its small body had been hooked up beneath its armpits by Xie Shuyun, making it look innocent and adorable.
It stared at Cheng Lingxue with big eyes, curiously looking at her while sticking out its little pink tongue. Then it let out a milky cry.
“Last time at the pet shop, you seemed very interested in the little golden puppy. I remember you used to have a golden retriever before. Unfortunately, there was no way to bring that one here, so I bought you another one. I hope you like it.”
By the end, Xie Shuyun sounded somewhat uneasy.
She was afraid of stirring up Cheng Lingxue’s sad memories. That was not what she wanted.
Cheng Lingxue slowly reached out. Her fingertip lightly touched the little golden retriever’s nose. It felt soft, a little damp, warm, and both familiar and unfamiliar.
The puppy dodged its head in confusion. After realizing there was no danger, it immediately barked happily again. Its little pink tongue licked Cheng Lingxue’s fingertip, and it even rubbed its fluffy cheek against her a few times.
Its short limbs waved around, looking as if it wanted to hug Cheng Lingxue’s wrist. Its bean-sized black eyes looked at Cheng Lingxue, full of joy.
“It looks like it really likes you.”
The little golden retriever’s behavior made Xie Shuyun feel a bit jealous.
After all, she had asked someone to buy this little golden retriever and had treated it like a little ancestor, holding it carefully out of fear that one careless move might hurt the little thing. Yet unexpectedly, the moment it saw Cheng Lingxue, it betrayed her immediately, showing no attachment at all to the former owner who had taken care of it for two weeks.
Unlike Xie Shuyun’s conflicted feelings, Cheng Lingxue had already fallen into her memories.
Unlike the mixed-fur puppy she had played with at the pet shop before, this lively little golden retriever made Cheng Lingxue involuntarily recall the time her parents had bought her a golden retriever puppy.
Back then, when she received the puppy, she had been so happy. Her parents’ gazes had been full of affection and indulgence.
At that time, her mother had held the little golden retriever in front of her just like Xie Shuyun was doing now, letting her try to touch it.
That scene seemed to overlap with the present.
…Unfortunately, it was not only the dog.
The people who had given it to her were both gone too.
Everything had long since changed.
Logically speaking, no one should have given her a dog.
That was right…
There should have been no one.
All the variables were because of the person before her.
Her change was like a small stone thrown into the surface of a calm lake. The ripples it created were tiny, yet they had greatly changed Cheng Lingxue’s life. Everything was developing in a better direction.
This was not the first time Cheng Lingxue had sighed like this.
Every time her life changed, she would immediately think of this point.
Sometimes, she felt a little unwilling. It was because of a certain someone that she could now walk more smoothly.
But at the same time, this was a gift from heaven. It was compensation after pain. This was something Cheng Lingxue firmly believed.
Those people who had shattered her peaceful life and made her experience so much suffering—she would absolutely not let them go.
Even after returning here, it was still engraved into her body and mind, reminding her at all times how deeply hatred had sunk into her bones, how unforgettable it was. Some things simply could not be changed.
“Do you want to give it a name? You’ll be its owner from now on. It should have a name, right?”
Xie Shuyun gently shook the little golden retriever. The puppy barked, its little tail wagging nonstop like a fan, as if it were looking forward to Cheng Lingxue speaking.
The gazes of the big one and the small one seemed to have been carved from the same mold.
However, Xie Shuyun’s smile carried a trace of worry.
The corner of Cheng Lingxue’s mouth curved, revealing a smile even brighter than the one she had shown upon receiving Xie Yun’s gift.
She raised her hand, but did not first go to hold the little golden retriever. Instead, she gently pinched up a strand of hair that had fallen against Xie Shuyun’s face.
Whether intentionally or not, her fingertip rubbed against that slightly stunned face.
A little of the blackness in her eyes faded, and an attractive light shimmered within them.
Before Xie Shuyun could come back to herself, that soft fingertip had already been slowly withdrawn by Cheng Lingxue.
Reaching out, Cheng Lingxue gently took the little golden retriever and held it in her arms. Her gaze met the puppy’s eyes, and her fingertips lightly scratched its chin. Feeling the puppy’s small paw pads weakly pat her fingertips, she said softly,
“Let’s call him Pai Pai.”
This name carried the peaceful life of the past.
It held memories of family who loved her, a mischievous beloved dog, and beautiful days where she did not need to worry about life, schemes, or conflicts of interest.
At the same time, it was also a shackle.
It reminded her not to be confused by the beauty before her eyes. The road she needed to walk still had to be walked.
Only…
Perhaps because of a humble wish deep in her heart, Cheng Lingxue hoped the person before her would never change.
She hoped that in the future, Xie Shuyun could continue staying by her side like today.
Even if Xie Shuyun’s main personality returned in the future to seize the body, she would definitely think of a way. No matter what price she had to pay, she would keep the current Xie Shuyun here.
The distinction between main and secondary personalities could be influenced by external factors, could it not?
As this thought flashed through her mind, the ink-black color in Cheng Lingxue’s pupils gathered again, even showing a trend of becoming darker and darker.
Unaware that Cheng Lingxue had so many thoughts, Xie Shuyun merely watched the scene of Cheng Lingxue smiling while teasing the dog.
The little golden retriever lay on its back across the girl’s lap, while the girl gently rubbed its pink little belly until the puppy was stimulated into nonstop milky cries. Its pink tongue flopped around continuously, and all four limbs launched puppy punches at the fingers causing trouble on its belly.
However, they were useless. It was directly suppressed by the girl. Rather than pushing her away, it looked more like it wanted to hold the girl’s fingers in its arms.
“Aowu… wu…”
Pai Pai let out a whimper. It looked like it had been bullied badly. Its big black eyes were actually misty with tears, pitiful yet making people want to bully it even more.
“Heh…”
A soft laugh sounded from the girl’s mouth.
Her cold aura disappeared. At this moment, she had gained a trace of the liveliness a girl her age should have. The scene was like a painting, making Xie Shuyun feel that she had indeed given the right gift.
Unfortunately, there was no way to take a photo and preserve this moment.
And for some reason, when Cheng Lingxue said the name “Pai Pai,” she had clearly been smiling, yet there had been deep sorrow within it.
Xie Shuyun felt her vision blur.
She seemed to see the girl who had built high walls to protect herself. Now, cracks had appeared in those walls, as if she wanted to accept someone else.
But only when one walked inside would they realize that the girl within was like a fragile glass doll.
Her unfocused, lifeless eyes and the mottled cracks across her body all showed the pain she had endured.
It made one feel both sour and heartbroken. Anyone who saw such a scene would want to hold her in their arms, comfort her, and give her strength.
This thought made Xie Shuyun forget Cheng Lingxue’s taboo against physical contact. She stretched both arms toward the girl and embraced her just like that.
Soft fragrance and warmth entered her arms.
The milky scent carrying coconut fragrance that spread near her nose made her feel refreshed. At the same time, it swept away all the exhaustion from the entire banquet.
“What are you… doing?”
Cheng Lingxue’s whole body stiffened. The expression on her face cracked, and negative emotions such as disgust and wariness flickered in her eyes.
Yet she was somewhat greedy for that warmth.
Especially the faint, sweet lime wine fragrance that came to her nose. It made her tense nerves relax even more.
When she came back to herself, she gritted her teeth.
Recently, Xie Shuyun seemed to be becoming more and more impudent with her.
She could not help recalling that before, she had not only allowed the other party to carry her on her back and hug her, but even touch her calf…
Cheng Lingxue’s eyes lowered slightly, and her fingertips curled faintly.
Perhaps it was not that the other party had become too impudent, but that she herself was becoming more and more tolerant toward Xie Shuyun.
She reached out, wanting to pull this person’s arms away, but Xie Shuyun’s murmur sounded beside her ear.
“Don’t worry… I’ll stay by your side…”
Those words made the girl’s eyes instantly turn red.
The hand that had wanted to pull Xie Shuyun away changed to lightly tugging at Xie Shuyun’s sleeve. Her white teeth bit tightly into her thin lips, making the originally rosy color turn pale.
Cheng Lingxue took a deep breath and forcefully pressed down her surging emotions.
Although she was becoming more and more concerned about the person beside her, she still did not allow herself to reveal her weakest side.
She was just about to speak when the door suddenly opened.
Xie Yun walked in, lightly tugging at her tie. A faint smell of alcohol clung to her body, and the fatigue in her expression was difficult to conceal. It seemed dealing with those people who wanted to climb up to the Xie family had taken quite a bit of effort.
But when she saw the situation in the living room, her footsteps paused.
Sensing Xie Yun’s gaze, Xie Shuyun instantly stiffened.
Then, when she lowered her head, she also met Cheng Lingxue’s gaze.
There was anger inside it, as well as many complicated things she could not understand. No matter which one it was, it made her face turn red. She hurriedly loosened her arms and stepped back several paces.
“S-Sorry… I didn’t mean to…”
She looked like a big dog that had done something wrong, uneasily looking at Cheng Lingxue with a pitiful expression.
This made Cheng Lingxue somewhat speechless.
Shouldn’t the one blushing be herself?
Why did Xie Shuyun act as if the one who had been taken advantage of was not Cheng Lingxue, but her?
Raising her hand to smooth out the clothes Xie Shuyun had wrinkled, Cheng Lingxue glared sideways at Xie Shuyun. Only then did she hold Pai Pai and nod toward Xie Yun.
“Auntie Xie, thank you very much for your gift. It is very important to me. I’ll go upstairs and rest first.”
“Mm. Go on.”
“Wait… wait, Lingxue, just now…”
Xie Shuyun quickly chased after her, wanting to explain, but she did not know what to say.
She could only circle behind Cheng Lingxue, scratching her ears and cheeks, and in the end, she watched helplessly as Cheng Lingxue walked into her room and closed the door.
Ignored, Xie Yun touched her chin.
Looking carefully, the two children’s appearances actually matched quite well.
It was not as if she could not accept Cheng Lingxue becoming her daughter-in-law.
After all, from her observations, Cheng Lingxue was both beautiful and outstanding. There was nothing to criticize.
At the end of the staircase, Xie Shuyun accidentally turned her head and saw Xie Yun’s thoughtful gaze. She could not help shivering, and a bad feeling rose in her heart.
Why was Xie Yun’s gaze becoming stranger and stranger?
It was just like Shang Yan’s!
Although she did indeed quite like Cheng Lingxue, it was the kind of liking between friends. Besides, Cheng Lingxue already had someone meant for her!
Thinking this, Xie Shuyun became a little dejected.
Her heart grew even more annoyed with the female lead A, who had the greatest chance of being together with Cheng Lingxue in the future.
She clearly had not appeared when Cheng Lingxue needed her most.
What right did that person have?
But Cheng Lingxue’s tragic experiences seemed to have all been caused by this body of hers. Even if Cheng Lingxue did not end up with the female lead A, could she possibly be with Xie Shuyun, this scumbag A?
…Sigh…
Thinking up to this point, Xie Shuyun became even more wilted.
Even the desire to explain things to Cheng Lingxue vanished completely.
What kind of person would Cheng Lingxue like in the end?
Comments 0
You must be logged in to comment.
No comments yet. Be the first!