After Transmigrating into a Redemption Novel as the Evil Stepmother - Chapter 22

Ming Jiayue prided herself on not being the kind of elder whose temper was good enough to offer patient, painstaking guidance to others.

This time, Ming Jiayue hit far harder than she had when she beat Zhou An’an.

The whack-whack-whack of the ruler cutting through the air followed in rapid succession.

Before Ji Shuangci could even recover from the shock of being dragged and pressed onto the coffee table by Ming Jiayue, a sharp pain exploded from the peaks of her backside. And it wasn’t a pain that required only a moment’s endurance; it was a sustained barrage.

Ming Jiayue gave her absolutely no time to catch her breath.

Cries of pain were choked off in her throat by the even sharper agony that followed.

Her vision blurred instantly, and tears splashed into the carpet. It hurt—it really hurt too much. Ji Shuangci was in so much pain she couldn’t even groan; she instinctively twisted and struggled, but the hand on her back was like an iron chain, pinning her down firmly.

“It hurts…”

A weak, muffled whimper escaped her.

Seeing that she was truly struggling violently, Ming Jiayue stopped. After giving Ji Shuangci a thorough lesson, a tiny curve rose at the corner of her lips, carrying infinite mockery and playfulness.

“Still dare to like me?”

Ji Shuangci had never expected things to develop this way. She was in so much pain she had lost the ability to think, yet she managed to muster some bravado purely out of instinct.

“Liking is liking. Even if you beat me to death, I’ll still say I like you.”

“Heh.”

With a cool, light sneer, Ming Jiayue said no more. From hips to waist, then to shoulders and back, thighs, and calves—Ming Jiayue took turns “caring” for almost every place that could be hit.

Beads of sweat rolled down. Ji Shuangci no longer had the strength to struggle; she endured in silence, but she absolutely would not take back her words.

She was the most stubborn person Ming Jiayue had ever seen in her life.

Ming Jiayue was so exhausted she broke into a sweat. She couldn’t actually beat the girl until something serious happened, so when she truly had no other options, she stopped.

“You…”

Ming Jiayue took a deep breath, walked to the side to pour a glass of warm water, brought it back, and lifted Ji Shuangci’s chin with zero gentleness to press the glass to her lips.

With snot and tears flowing together, Ji Shuangci instinctively tried to hide, but then forced herself to endure and took a few sips of water.

Because she had exerted herself, two red clouds bloomed on Ming Jiayue’s cheeks. From Ji Shuangci’s perspective, her jawline was superior, her thin lips were slightly pursed, and her eyes held a faint sense of disdain; the overall atmosphere was soft and delicate, beautiful like a masterpiece oil painting.

Ji Shuangci stared for a few extra moments, then lowered her head, trying to steady her heavy breathing caused by the pain.

Her vision flickered with black spots. The process of being beaten was unbearable; more than once, she wanted to go soft and run away, yet she had actually endured through Ming Jiayue’s forceful coercion. A spontaneous sense of satisfaction and thrill flooded her entire body.

The places where she had been hit didn’t even seem to hurt that much anymore.

Ming Jiayue didn’t leave. She stood right in front of Ji Shuangci, scrutinizing her embarrassment, her dishevelment, and her stubbornness from a high-and-mighty position.

Ji Shuangci did not admit defeat. In her current state, she looked very much like a cat—a stray cat that had survived a hundred battles.

A complex look appeared in Ming Jiayue’s eyes. She suddenly gave a very soft laugh, knelt down halfway, and picked up a few stray hairs near Ji Shuangci’s face, slowly gathering them.

A dull pain came from her scalp, and Ji Shuangci tilted her head accordingly.

Their eyes met. Ming Jiayue looked at her with a calm gaze. “What do you like about me?”

When Ming Jiayue had no expression, it was the most terrifying time. The dim background blurred behind her. Ji Shuangci saw a fine line at the corner of her eye; it didn’t just signify the passage of time—instead, it gave her a sense of quiet majesty and a temperament that could see through the human heart.

Her thin shoulders stiffened, and Ji Shuangci did not answer the question immediately.

Tracing Ming Jiayue’s features with her eyes, Ji Shuangci recalled many moments from the past. The hardships that occupied the vast majority of her life were as clear as carvings; only the time after Ming Jiayue appeared held some modicum of warmth worth remembering.

After a long silence, Ji Shuangci looked back with an uncharacteristic calmness.

She did not address her as “President Ming” or “Sister,” but called her by her full name.

“Ming Jiayue, I was born poor, destined to suffer a lot. My father was a gambler, my mother was seriously ill, and I grew up alone.”

“Since middle school, I often had thoughts of suicide. But I couldn’t; I had to stand out, I had to earn money to support the family and pay for my mother’s treatment. I felt so tired, but they all only praised me for being sensible; no one cared if I was tired or not.”

“Not everyone is born with a will of iron. I’m not brave at all. It was day after day of hunger, countless cold glares and beatings, and self-esteem crushed time and again… it was those things that forced me to be strong and brave. Many times, the feeling you give me is like a soldier charging alone—very lonely, very powerful. You are the kind of powerful person I want to become.”

“When a gray, bottom-tier person like me encounters someone like you at the top of the pyramid in a desperate situation—someone who bends down, lowers their head, respects me, cares for me, and pours money into me that I probably couldn’t earn in a lifetime without asking for anything in return… while also attracting me with your charisma and being incredibly good to me as an elder… am I not allowed to like you?”

“Ming Jiayue, you can dislike me, or even hate me or be disgusted by me, but you cannot… you cannot make me stop liking you.”

…

Ji Shuangci narrated very calmly, and even her chest, which had been heaving from the pain, steadied.

Ming Jiayue’s brow jumped. It seemed even she hadn’t noticed that the gaze she cast upon Ji Shuangci again was quietly filled with heavy emotions.

Ming Jiayue shifted her position, receding into the darkness so her expression couldn’t be seen.

Her tone remained calm.

“Ji Shuangci, it’s just an imprinting complex. You have your own mother; she loves you. You are an adult now and have your own life; you can pursue the life you want to live, instead of being trapped in a narrow topic like love or its absence.”

Ji Shuangci did not argue, staring fixedly in Ming Jiayue’s direction, her eyes moving slightly.

“No, Ming Jiayue. Aside from you, no one will love me.”

“My mother, as early as the summer after my senior year, recovered and was discharged. She coaxed away all the money I had and remarried her ex-husband.”

When she said these words, Ji Shuangci was as still as a pool of dead water; only by throwing a stone in could a brief ripple be produced.

Ming Jiayue was slightly stunned. She didn’t know about this.

No wonder…

When the mother was seriously ill, the mother and daughter depended on each other; the young daughter took on the entire burden of the household. Yet once recovered, she abandoned her daughter…

Ji Shuangci had a sensitive personality; after experiencing this, it would be strange if her psychology didn’t have issues!

For a moment, Ming Jiayue was quite at a loss. She replied dryly.

“Do you know about the suspension bridge effect? In the future, you will meet someone you truly like. You cannot like me.”

Ji Shuangci heard the pity in Ming Jiayue’s words. A deep look flashed in her eyes, her gaze locked onto Ming Jiayue’s, as she slowly but firmly shook her head.

“No. If you have the guts, then beat me to death.”

Ming Jiayue: !!!

Such a stubborn person! Still talking back just to spite her!

Ming Jiayue’s fingers moved, but the system suddenly spoke up.

“Don’t hit her anymore. If you keep hitting her, you’re just letting her enjoy it!”