Foolishly Flirting with the White Moonlight Leads to Being Marked - Chapter 13

Song Qingre was sitting extremely close to her. Yan Qingqiu’s legs slipped off the mattress several times, but she kept hoisting them back up, nudging herself further into the corner of the bed to shrink away. Song Qingre recalled pensively, “Speaking of which, during the first two days after I came back, you kept stripping off your clothes in your sleep… Did something go wrong with you?”

Yan Qingqiu ceased her struggles. She was equally curious about what had transpired during those two days.

Song Qingre murmured, “I have a way to make you feel just as comfortable as you did during those two nights.”

Fearing she wouldn’t survive the feverish night, Yan Qingqiu had deliberately dressed in very light, breezy attire before sleeping—a tiny tank top and short shorts. As she squirmed and tossed, almost all of her skin was exposed.

Song Qingre tapped her slender, scallion-like finger against the pillow, saying, “It’s not as if I haven’t helped you before. You used to strip off your clothes in the dead of night and crawl all over me. Do you genuinely have zero recollection?” She leaned down, narrowing her eyes to examine Yan Qingqiu’s expression.

Yan Qingqiu actively avoided her gaze. “…None.”

“Don’t you want to experience it clearly for yourself?”

Yan Qingqiu pressed her forehead against the pillow and let out a muffled groan. The stifled fire burning in her throat finally fizzled out, and she exhaled heavily.

An adult’s resistance is usually just a token gesture.

When she lay there limply without moving, the other party instantly understood.

Song Qingre stood up, circling around from one side of the bed to sit on the other. She placed her fingers against Yan Qingqiu’s shoulder. The moment her skin brushed past, she could feel the scorching heat radiating from her body. Gently tracing her skin with a precise, measured touch, she murmured, “Don’t hold yourself so tense for so long. Press your head down.”

The person slumped on the mattress let out a soft groan, slowly and gradually lowering her head. The cascade of golden hair draping across her shoulders was brushed aside, and cool fingers rested against the back of her neck, gently kneading that small patch of tender skin.

“Have you seen a doctor at the hospital?” Song Qingre inquired.

Yan Qingqiu wanted to hum an ascent, but fearing someone would discover she was faking her Alpha status, she simply pretended not to hear, keeping her forehead pressed flat against the pillow.

Another half hour slipped away. Song Qingre asked in a tender whisper, “Has your susceptibility period truly arrived?”

The sweltering heat had coaxed a layer of sweat out of her, and she was on the verge of falling asleep.

Yan Qingqiu muttered groggily, “Otherwise, what else could it be?”

“It feels different from mine,” Song Qingre remarked.

Yan Qingqiu’s heart gave a violent jolt. Fortunately, her face was buried deep in the pillow, keeping her expressions hidden perfectly. She asked with feigned composure, “What do you look like when you’re in heat?”

Suddenly, she felt a soft stroke against her skin.

It felt like a feather gliding across, tracing her contours.

So comfortable.

Yet, a second later, it felt like nothing was there, leaving behind a bizarre sense of emptiness.

Song Qingre was crossing a line, but… but… she liked it.

She’s touching me, she’s touching me…

Time ticked by at a sluggish pace. The exquisite comfort radiating through her body caused her eyes to flutter shut as she drifted off to sleep. In the midst of her daze, she felt a cool sensation against her neck. Reaching her hand back to investigate, she felt something pressed against her nape and immediately tried to peel it off—the doctor had explicitly warned her that since she wasn’t a true Alpha, she couldn’t afford to use certain medications recklessly.

“What are you panicking for? It’s just a cooling patch.”

Song Qingre’s voice echoed from behind her.

Stunned, she twisted her head around to follow the line of sight. Song Qingre was standing by the window, the scattered fragments of white moonlight falling across her shoulders. She held a syringe, touching it against her long, slender neck. Her eyes were rimmed with red, looking exactly like a wild beast that had cast aside all logic and reason.

The way they looked when their cycles hit was indeed vastly different.

Pressing her thumb against the plunger, the needle pierced a specific spot on her neck. She injected the fluid directly into her glands, her eyes narrowing slightly. Her brows knit tightly together until the liquid was completely drained.

She didn’t look at Yan Qingqiu once.

Yan Qingqiu kept her eyes fixed on the profile of her face. The woman possessed a stark coldness beneath her usual gentleness as she stood silently by the window. A moment later, she pulled out a tissue to dab away the single bead of blood oozing from the puncture wound.

A gentle ripple stirred the waters of Yan Qingqiu’s heart.

“Go to sleep early.” Song Qingre lowered her hand holding the syringe, stepping away from the window. Her silhouette was stretched long by the moonlight, extending all the way to the door.

The door clicked open and shut. The woman was gone, yet Yan Qingqiu’s eyes remained glued to that direction.

It felt so suffocating, yet incredibly miraculous.

At this moment, she couldn’t help but wonder: if she were to use this body to engage in something intimate with Song Qingre, what would that mean for her, for the original “her,” and for Song Qingre?

But… she truly wanted to do it.

Help.

The weather remained as sweltering and humid as ever. The gardener had sprayed the courtyard early in the morning, soaking the grounds to elevate the estate’s comfort levels to a whole new tier. A few sparrows seeking relief from the heat settled along the picket fence, chirping frantically throughout the morning.

Yan Qingqiu woke up feeling exceptionally energized, her entire body brimming with vitality.

Today marked the final day of the art exhibition. Yan Qingqiu intended to drop by one last time to tally up how much money Song Qingre had made, so she could demand her repayment when the time came.

Yan Qingqiu inquired in her mind: [How much time is left before the plot point triggers?]

System: [The plot point hasn’t been triggered yet, Host! Don’t be nervous, just pass this period safely and everything will be fine. Oh, right, let me share some good news: your plot exploration progress has currently accumulated to 42%. You only need another 8% to earn a reward!]

Yan Qingqiu wasn’t particularly anxious about exploring the plot; in fact, she possessed zero desire to dig deeper right now. What if she accidentally discovered that so-and-so was an absolute psychopath, or stumbled face-first into the branch involving cutting out her glands?

Heh. No thank you.

Letting things take their natural course to cross that 8% threshold sounded perfectly fine.

Yan Qingqiu grabbed her bag and packed a few cosmetics. The butler downstairs had just hung up the phone, turning around to inform her, “The Master just called.”

Yan Qingqiu’s footsteps halted, a wave of panic settling into her chest. “Why did he call?”

“He asked if you were short on cash. He said it was incredibly embarrassing that you went to an art exhibition to pick a fight and didn’t even manage to win,” the butler conveyed truthfully.

Yan Qingqiu felt deeply displeased. Why couldn’t this father just tell her things directly instead of constantly routing messages through the butler? What infuriated her even more was that word of this incident had actually spread far and wide—it was definitely Luo Xi’s doing.

The butler added, “The Master said he’s wiring you two million yuan to spend for now. Is that enough?”

Yan Qingqiu’s eyes lit up instantly, and her irritation vanished into thin air the moment money entered the equation. She snorted softly, “Dad still loves me after all. I’ll begrudgingly make do with this two million for now.”

As the butler handed the card over, he caught sight of Yan Qingqiu biting her lip, looking so ecstatic she could practically fly. The butler remarked, “You should call the Master yourself to say thank you. He definitely feels bad for you. Try to cause him less grief in the future, understand?”

“Understood.” Yan Qingqiu tucked the card away. She was just about to press a celebratory kiss against the plastic when she remembered what had happened last time—she had kissed her card, only to hand it straight over to someone else before it could even warm up in her pocket.

Hmm~ Bad juju.

The butler handed her another sheet of paper. “Today’s update is complete.”

Yan Qingqiu clutched the paper and jogged out the door, calling back a promise of a reward as she ran. Her entire being radiated joy, and her bouncy, cheerful steps were incredibly therapeutic to watch.

It wasn’t until the car drove off that the butler snapped out of it, dialing a number to schedule a home visit with the family doctor. When Miss Song left this morning, she had explicitly instructed him to schedule a physical checkup for the young miss.

When she arrived at the venue, Su Xingjie—whom she had scheduled to meet—had already arrived.

Su Xingjie walked over, sizing her up from head to toe with a suspicious look. “Did you come over today to help Song Qingre sell paintings again?”

“Nope.”

Su Xingjie let out a breath of relief.

Yan Qingqiu said gleefully, “I came to buy paintings.”

Su Xingjie’s mood turned incredibly complex. She felt like she had anticipated this, yet at the same time hadn’t. She murmured, “Alright then. I’ve prepared some funds. Go inside and buy whatever you like later. Song Qingre’s artwork is actually quite valuable, so buying one or two pieces isn’t a bad idea…”

She fished a card out of her bag. “There is one million yuan inside. Take it and use it first.”

“!”

Am I the golden child of this world or what?

Yan Qingqiu felt rather self-conscious. Looking around to ensure no one was watching, she lowered her voice and said, “My dad just gave me two million yuan, so I can spend freely. We can buy whatever we want once we go inside.”

But what exactly are you gaining from all this?!

The look Su Xingjie directed at her grew even more suspicious.

Yan Qingqiu said, “No need to give me cash. I haven’t earned it.”

Su Xingjie whispered, “You never used to act like this.” In the past, the two of them had always spent money seamlessly on each other; Yan Qingqiu had taken an untold amount of cash from her over the years.

Realizing it wasn’t safe to discuss large sums of money at the entrance, the two began to walk as they talked.

Su Xingjie said, “Let’s do this: take the money anyway. I need to shoot a campaign for our new seasonal apparel line soon. Come and help me with the shoot.”

Yan Qingqiu felt a bit tempted. “But I have zero modeling or photography experience.”

“You’ll be the model. I’ll give you a fifty-thousand-yuan deposit first.”

Yan Qingqiu couldn’t mask the shock in her eyes. Modeling pays this well?!

Su Xingjie reached out to play with her hair, hooking a finger around a golden lock. “Yes. Come to my company the day after tomorrow, and we’ll shoot a set of promotional photos. Take the money for now; won’t your pockets be completely empty anyway once you finish buying art?”

Being pampered by a sugar-mama best friend felt exactly like a dream, and Yan Qingqiu was deeply tempted. However, she stubbornly shook her head, refusing the card. “Give me the cash after the photos are taken. Let’s leave it for now. My dad gave me money anyway, but if you genuinely need my help for the shoot, I’ll definitely show up. Work is important; there’s no need to alter your corporate budget for me.”

Su Xingjie looked bewildered, failing to comprehend her mindset.

How could she possibly know that fifty thousand yuan was an absolute fortune to a former corporate slave like Yan Qingqiu, who used to earn a meager three thousand a month? She simply didn’t dare engage in advanced consumer spending. In her real life, borrowing five hundred yuan from someone when times were tough meant she’d have to slash her budget from the next month’s salary to settle the debt, ruining her quality of life for the next one or two months. If she suffered a streak of bad luck on top of that, she wouldn’t even be able to afford meals.

Su Xingjie thought it over, then asked, “Is Song Qingre still staying at your house?”

Yan Qingqiu nodded. “My dad ordered it. It’s an absolute nightmare.”

Su Xingjie stared at her in shock. Given Yan Qingqiu’s past temperament, her immense hatred for Song Qingre should have driven her to kick the woman out immediately.

“How about this… come to my company the day after tomorrow, and then come stay at my place for a few days. We haven’t hung out together in ages anyway, and I’ll cover all your expenses. As for the drama between you, Fu Ye, and Song Qingre, wait until your dad gets back before addressing it. You’ve offended quite a few people over the past couple of days; I’m genuinely worried you’ll get jumped the moment you step out the door—especially by Luo Xi. I asked around, and she spent a whopping five million yuan here.”

Su Xingjie flashed five fingers when she suddenly felt a piercing, freezing gaze locking onto her from behind. Initially, she assumed Luo Xi had overheard them, but when she twisted her head around, she discovered it was actually Song Qingre.

Song Qingre was standing on the second-floor balcony, flashing a pristine smile at them. Yet, beneath her long lashes, her eyes were淬ling with a dangerous cold light. While her face wore a smile, the warning contained within her gaze was absolute.

If she hadn’t known these two were sworn love rivals who had fought tooth and nail over a man in the past…

She would have suspected Song Qingre’s gaze was telling her: “Stay the hell away from my woman.”

The moment Yan Qingqiu made her grand appearance, the attendees inside the exhibition hall were thoroughly surprised.

Since she hadn’t shown up yesterday, everyone assumed she had chickened out.

Yan Qingqiu marched inside with large, sweeping strides, her arrogant demeanor projecting a fierce comeback.

The crowd immediately shifted their eyes to look at Luo Xi. Luo Xi hadn’t intended to come today, but since Fu Ye was present, she had reluctantly dolled herself up and tagged along.

This time, when the two love rivals faced each other, the tension was far more explosive than before.

Yan Qingqiu clutched her card, her chin tilted high as she looked down on everyone in the room. Fu Ye kept his eyes glued to her, sending his secretary over to speak to her.

“Miss Yan, our CEO says that since it’s the final day of the exhibition and the media is present, it would be best if you didn’t cause a scene today. Whichever painting you fancy, take it directly—everything will be billed to his account. If you’re short on funds, just name a figure.”

“…” Another one offering free cash?

Unfortunately for him, Yan Qingqiu didn’t appreciate the gesture, sending him back with a few choice phrases instead.

The secretary trotted back with a thoroughly bizarre expression. Fu Ye maintained his haughty posture, asking, “Does she realize her mistake? Did she offer me an apology?”

“No… Miss Yan told you to scram. She said you’re a toad leaping out of a well, trying to feast on swan meat without looking in a mirror. She said she feels nauseous just looking at you, and that she wishes she could slap her past self for ever liking you. She said anyone who likes you must have a cognitive defect, and advised you to get an IQ check at the hospital. She added that men who play fast and loose with three or four women will sooner or later tear their groins apart and get struck down by divine retribution. Furthermore, she said a disgusting man who tries to sabotage an art exhibition deserves to have his glands cut out, and cursed you to go bankrupt over and over. Oh, and she also had a message for Miss Luo…”

The secretary delivered the lines with dramatic flair, taking a deep breath before continuing: “Luo Xi, a brainless romantic like you deserves to be tricked by a scumbag. A man that even dogs wouldn’t want is a prize only you would fight for!”

“Alright, enough!”

Fu Ye was absolutely livid, his head throbbing with rage, yet his eyes couldn’t help but drift back to Yan Qingqiu.

This woman is playing hard-to-get again. I’ve had enough!

Luo Xi had been riding a high over the past couple of days, but a few clear-headed friends around her had already pointed out that she was being played. She hadn’t believed them initially, but hearing these insults almost made her cough up blood.

She realized now that she had walked right into Yan Qingqiu’s trap, but it was already too late to back out—she couldn’t exactly go around announcing to high society that she had been outsmarted by Yan Qingqiu.

What was even more infuriating was that no matter where she looked, she could see that golden-haired b*tch in the crowd engaging in a massive shopping spree, her every gesture appearing far grander and more dignified than her own.

Since Yan Qingqiu was buying, Luo Xi felt compelled to buy even more. The media was currently hunting for news angles, and aside from Song Qingre’s artwork, the fierce bidding war between the daughters of the Luo and Yan families became a major highlight.

Song Qingre hadn’t intended to sell every single piece during the exhibition; she needed to reserve some paintings to serve as the face of her studio, providing promotional material once operations officially launched.

Consequently, the two women kept buying until the staff had to announce that the remaining pieces were strictly not for sale.

Yan Qingqiu headed home in a grand, triumphant manner, already brainstorming the perfect humble-brag caption for her social media feed.

Song Qingre remained busy wrapping up the exhibition and processing contracts. Listening to her assistant describe the battle between the two young misses, she said, “Go deliver the painting titled ‘Golden Hair’ to Miss Yan.”

“But isn’t that piece marked as not for sale?” the assistant inquired.

“Just give it to her. The exhibition managed to achieve such spectacular sales largely thanks to her efforts.”

Not only did they sell a massive volume of art, but several pieces were driven up in bidding wars, selling at figures several times higher than their original valuations. Art was just like that—when no one paid attention, it was worth less than straw by the wayside, but the moment a dispute erupted, it could fetch astronomical prices.

As the staff member prepared to head down, she added another line, “Just tell her she was the one who bought it.”

The moment she arrived home, Yan Qingqiu instructed the butler to hang all the paintings along the walls. She snapped a flurry of photos, settled onto the sofa, and began composing her post:

[Just got home and realized the entire house is completely plastered with paintings. Truly speechless. Why does my dad always insist on hanging museum pieces along our walls? It’s not trendy at all. I told the butler to tear them all down and replace them with fresh decor, but the butler actually tried to argue that a single piece is worth over a hundred million yuan. If I didn’t know he was a Harvard graduate who also happens to excel at martial arts, I’d seriously consider sending him to an art school for further studies. Buying art is just for a bit of personal amusement anyway. The one thing I have an absolute abundance of in this life is cash; I just needed a bit of contemporary oil art to soak up the atmosphere. So annoying—he actually tried to measure artistic value using a few hundred million yuan.]

It felt incredibly intoxicating. She needed to attach a photo.

The moment she posted it, an immediate like flashed on her screen.

It was from Song Qingre.

Song Qingre even left a comment: [Well said. @Uncle Dong·Butler]

Yan Qingqiu’s face instantly flushed hot, her toes curling into the floorboards. Feeling that Song Qingre was teasing her on purpose, she immediately typed a reply underneath: [Please return my money.]

The moment she hit send, she realized it wasn’t a good idea. Everyone belonged to the same social circle, so if others caught sight of this… emmmmm… a private message would definitely be a better option.

Shouldn’t Song Qingre be the one actively reaching out to her anyway?

But, after calculating the math over and over…

Yan Qingqiu realized that she was, in fact, a living Bodhisattva.

Fortunately, a message from the other party flashed across her screen, accompanied by a transaction notification: [Song Qingre has transferred 10,000 yuan to you.]

Yan Qingqiu immediately tapped to accept the funds, and the saintly aura radiating from her body instantly lightened by a significant margin.

Song Qingre: [Shall we pick up from our last topic and discuss how to settle the debt? If you don’t want cash, you can still treat me like this or like that—I’ll comply with whatever you wish.]

Yan Qingqiu definitely didn’t want to drag this out. Keeping Song Qingre as a sugar baby was an absolute trap, and almost two weeks had slipped away by now!

In truth, the cash wasn’t the main issue; the real problem was that she felt her body was becoming increasingly unstable.

Song Qingre: [You should also be aware that the paintings sold at the exhibition are tied up in contracts. Some funds clear quickly, while others clear slowly, and there are several remaining accounts that need to be finalized. Let’s do this: once the cash hits my account, I’ll extract 20% of the profits to repay you. When times are good, I’ll return two hundred thousand; under special circumstances, I’ll return one hundred thousand. Calculating the timeline… I should be able to clear the debt within a week at the earliest.] Song Qingre sent a voice note.

Her voice was incredibly sultry.

It possessed a rich, comforting gentleness, and Yan Qingqiu listened to the audio twice in a row.

Yan Qingqiu typed back: [And what happens if you can’t afford to pay it back?]

If her physical condition hadn’t forbidden it, she would have definitely, absolutely commanded Song Qingre to serve her. Thinking about how she had been constantly dodging Song Qingre because of her glands felt like an absolute loss; once this plot point cleared, she really ought to keep the woman one more time.

Song Qingre fell silent for a brief moment. [I can take on a part-time gig doing some handiwork to write off the interest.]

“!” This sounds fantastic. The handiwork yesterday hadn’t resulted in a disaster.

Song Qingre’s tone dropped a fraction lower through the phone speaker, her soft chuckle carrying an alluring quality: [You can calculate how much cash that handiwork can deduct. I’ll just deduct it from my end for now.]

Yan Qingqiu had never indulged in a professional massage before. In her past life, whenever she passed by blind massage parlors on her way home from work, she would glance at their flyers. Although Song Qingre’s technique had merely lingered on the surface without delving deep into her inner core, she absolutely possessed the allure and proficiency of a gold-medal therapist.

Yan Qingqiu typed back the absolute highest valuation she could think of: [198 yuan!]

Fearing the woman would get conceited, she quickly tacked on another line: [And you are strictly not allowed to get arrogant!]