Giving You Dawn and Dusk - Chapter 12

Lin Xingcan stared at her friend. “Who else could she be but Liang Shi?”

Her friend looked innocent. “Maybe transmigration? Into a novel? A TV drama? Soul possession? Anything is possible.”

The atmosphere immediately solidified.

Everyone stared at the speaker—Su Meiqi, the daughter of Haiwei Jewelry, who loved reading novels.

Especially since the news had mentioned an impending “Century Nine-Star Alignment.” She had found a novel with a female protagonist sharing her name, stayed up three nights reading and memorizing the whole thing, convinced she could create her own era.

The result was… the alignment had passed long ago, and Su Meiqi was still here.

Because of this, Su Meiqi was often mocked at socialite gatherings.

“Are you possessed?” Lin Xingcan rolled her eyes. “You believe something that outrageous?”

“Why not believe it?” Su Meiqi shrugged, uncaring. “You think she’s changed, don’t you? And Cheng Ran even posted a passive-aggressive update about her. It’s probably related to her change. In this situation, what’s more plausible than transmigration?”

“Then what did she transmigrate into?” Lin Xingcan sneered. “A book? A TV drama?”

“Transmigration into a book is more likely,” Su Meiqi said, her eyes glowing when discussing this. She wished she could run over to Liang Shi and demand to know the great art of transmigration. “Based on all her behavior, she seems very much like a transmigrator. But…”

She stopped.

No one picked up her thread of conversation.

After a few seconds, she said with a tone of regret, “Current transmigrating heroines are usually very smart and never go OOC. Her OOC is too severe; it deviates seriously from Liang Shi’s persona. Her intelligence doesn’t seem very high.”

Everyone fell silent.

A few seconds later, Su Meiqi asked seriously, “Am I wrong?”

Lin Xingcan shook her head and walked forward. “That’s too ridiculous. I’m going to ask Aunt Liang what’s going on.”

One friend patted Su Meiqi’s shoulder. “I know Zhao Xuning. Why don’t you go get a brain scan?”

Another friend sighed. “Meiqi, this is a sickness. You need treatment.”

Su Meiqi: “…”

She was being serious!

//

Liang Shi and Xu Qingzhu returned to the hotel.

Xu Qingzhu still maintained a ‘do-not-approach’ demeanor. In the elevator, they stood far apart, not even exchanging glances.

Liang Shi wanted to explain the situation from earlier to Xu Qingzhu but felt there was nothing to explain.

What she did just now… must have been the behavior of a perfect lover, right?

But Xu Qingzhu had no reaction.

It must be as she said before: she didn’t like her anymore.

So, she didn’t care if there were other women around her, nor did she care what reaction she made.

Even if Liang Shi hadn’t been there, Xu Qingzhu could have handled it perfectly well.

She had a strange, inexplicable trust in Xu Qingzhu.

The elevator reached the top floor. Xu Qingzhu checked her phone, frowning slightly, but as the elevator doors slowly opened, she leaned closer.

Liang Shi stepped slightly to the side, creating distance again.

“Play along with me,” Xu Qingzhu said. “It won’t take long, and it won’t waste much of your time.”

Liang Shi felt somewhat relieved. “Okay.”

Then she asked, “How do you need me to cooperate?”

She didn’t want to anger Xu Qingzhu again by saying the wrong thing and then suffer the System’s unreasonable punishment.

It was truly… bad luck.

Xu Qingzhu pondered for a moment, then shook her head. “No need. Just be a backdrop.”

“Okay.” Liang Shi thought for a moment and still advised, “Speak nicely to your sister. After all, she’s still young, and having her idol merchandise torn up must make her very angry. Young girls are like that. Just soothe her first. I can always find someone to compensate her with new items. It’s really not worth falling out with family over these things.”

If Liang Shi had family, she would definitely cherish her relationship with them.

But she didn’t anymore.

So, she envied Xu Qingzhu’s family.

A kind mother, a father who provided support, and a sister who might not always be obedient but was occasionally very compliant and someone she could confide in.

“Why does that sound like you’re talking about wanting to care for your parents when they’re gone?” Xu Qingzhu looked at her, pressing the password while whispering. “That doesn’t sound like something Liang Shi would say.”

Liang Shi: “…”

She inexplicably felt tested again.

“No,” Liang Shi wanted to explain, but Xu Qingzhu said, “I remember you had a big fight with Uncle Liang just last month because you didn’t get the villa in the North City.”

Liang Shi: “…”

Really?

She couldn’t tell if Xu Qingzhu was testing her or just teasing her, as she had no memory of that incident.

Fortunately, Xu Qingzhu didn’t dwell on it.

When they entered, Xu Qingya was lying on the sofa with Bluetooth headphones on. The trousers she had changed into were still very short, exposing her long, fair legs. Liang Shi turned away, not looking anymore.

Xu Qingzhu walked over and patted her leg, signaling her to get up.

Xu Qingya reluctantly took off her headphones. “What?”

“You must be hungry,” Xu Qingzhu said gently, all traces of her previous sternness gone. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

Xu Qingya looked confused. “Huh?”

“What are you standing around for?” Xu Qingzhu said. “Change your trousers, and let’s go out to eat.”

“What do you mean?” Xu Qingya frowned. “You’re not planning to call Mom and Dad during dinner, are you? I’m telling you, I won’t let this go. He threw away my idol’s merchandise. Do you know how hard those albums are to find? They were limited editions. I can’t even buy them second-hand now.”

“No, Mom wants you to stay outside to relax,” Xu Qingzhu said. “Both you and Dad need to cool down. I won’t lecture you; we’re just going to eat. Liang Shi and I both have things to do, so we’ll leave after dinner.”

Although Xu Qingya was doubtful, she was indeed hungry. She put her headphones into her backpack, pointed at Xu Qingzhu, and said, “Sis, you can’t lie to me.”

“When have I ever lied to you?” Xu Qingzhu said.

Xu Qingya scoffed and didn’t say anything more.

//

Liang Shi wasn’t familiar with the restaurants in the area and didn’t know where the good food was.

Fortunately, Xu Qingzhu didn’t make her choose. As soon as they got into the car, she handed her phone over. The destination was already set; all Liang Shi had to do was follow the navigation.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Liang Shi went to park first, letting the Xu sisters go in ahead of her.

The parking lot was quiet. She sat in the driver’s seat for a while, only leaving when she felt slightly more rested.

It was an elegant Western restaurant. Xu Qingzhu had already ordered for her in advance. She politely thanked Xu Qingzhu when she walked in.

Xu Qingya looked up at her. “Sister Liang Shi, you are…”

Liang Shi: “Hmm?”

Xu Qingya clicked her tongue. “A bit of a wife-slave, aren’t you?”

“Am I?” Liang Shi awkwardly rubbed the tip of her nose. She had only said thank you out of politeness.

How did that get twisted into being a wife-slave?

“Totally, totally,” Xu Qingya nodded frantically. “Everyone who knows you knows that Miss Liang Family Second is arrogant, disrespectful to her elders, and completely unrestrained.”

Liang Shi: “…”

Ah, well.

“That’s enough.” The food arrived just in time, and Xu Qingzhu interrupted appropriately. “Okay, let’s eat.”

Xu Qingya shrugged indifferently. “It could just be rumors, you know. I think Sister Liang Shi has always been pretty nice.”

Xu Qingzhu glared at her. “Eat.”

“If you thought she wasn’t nice, why would you marry her?” Xu Qingya scoffed, then looked at Liang Shi with adoring, fan-like eyes. “Sister Liang Shi is so gentle to you.”

Liang Shi felt undeserving just hearing that.

Perhaps no one in the Xu family knew the extent of Xu Qingzhu’s predicament before.

After all, the original host was adept at pretending in front of the Xu family.

She had even knelt in the Xu family living room for an entire day to convince Mr. Xu to let her marry Xu Qingzhu.

The scariest thing is when everyone thinks someone treats you well.

Only you know the living hell you’re going through.

Liang Shi looked at Xu Qingzhu, her heart suddenly aching.

For a moment, she felt a profound sense of empathy.

It was like how everyone thought she was bright and dazzling, standing under the spotlight without parents or supervision.

But no one knew how lonely she was when she returned alone to her empty house, afraid to date, with no one to confide in.

Xu Qingzhu noticed her gaze, looked back, and curved her lips. “Why are you looking at me? Eat.”

Liang Shi forked a piece of foie gras from her plate and handed it to her. “You eat this first. Eat more.”

“A little public display of affection, are we?” Xu Qingya teased.

At that moment, Liang Shi’s phone rang. She looked at the screen; it was Cheng Ran.

She frowned and hung up.

Xu Qingya asked, “Why didn’t you answer?”

Liang Shi blocked the number. “It’s someone I don’t like.”

//

On the other side of the city, at the Cris Bar.

The beautiful Alpha sat at the bar, drinking glass after glass of wine, dialing a number.

But the mechanical electronic voice came through the receiver: “Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off.”

The wine glass in her hand instantly flew out and shattered into transparent fragments.

Cheng Ran pressed her temples, unable to stop herself from swearing. “Fuck me.”

“Liang Shi is absolutely insane,” Cheng Ran took another gulp of wine. “She’s breaking up with me just because of Xu Qingzhu? Besides, I didn’t even touch Xu Qingzhu! Who was the one bullying Xu Qingzhu all this time? I swear. Trash. Why is she suddenly acting like a desperate dog?”

She cursed and ranted for a while, then let out a light breath. “No, I need to know what happened to that dog.”

“Could Xu Qingzhu have threatened her?” Cheng Ran said, dialing another number. The call was quickly answered.

Cheng Ran pressed her temple and drunkenly commanded, “Help me investigate someone.”

“Who?”

Cheng Ran said, “Liang Shi.”

Then she added, “Also, Xu Qingzhu, and the Xu family’s current financial situation.”

A few seconds later, she added, “Most importantly, what exactly happened to Liang Shi at the hospital yesterday and today. I need to know every single detail.”

She didn’t believe that Liang Shi had changed overnight.