My Paranoid Girlfriend Asks Me to Be Her Kept Woman (Rebirth) - Chapter 7

What happened?

Everyone looked dazed and confused.

“Xiao Qi!” That was Zhao Chengye, who was closest to Zhao Qi.

“Xiao Qi!!” That was Zhao Chengzhe’s voice.

Zhao Chengye grabbed the dazed attacker holding the knife.

“Chengzhi?!”

Zhao Chengzhe helped the two girls on the ground up.

“Are you all right?!” The man was still shaken, and his usual gentleness and calm had vanished completely.

“Where are you hurt?” He grabbed Zhao Qi’s arm and looked her over.

“I’m fine, Brother.” Zhao Qi’s gaze was still lowered toward Lin Yi, who was clinging to her and refusing to let go.

Lin Yi was gripping the clothes at both sides of Zhao Qi’s waist tightly. Zhao Qi could feel her hands trembling uncontrollably.

She was terrified.

What was she afraid of?

Zhao Qi’s gaze remained calm as she gently pulled Lin Yi away a little.

“I’m fine.” She said it again, this time for the person in her arms to hear.

Lin Yi was still in a daze.

Only when she lifted her head and met the woman’s calm face did she finally loosen her grip.

Zhao Chengzhe let out a breath of relief beside them.

“As long as you’re all right. As long as you’re all right.”

“Is this young friend okay?”

Lin Yi’s gaze was still fixed on Zhao Qi. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Only then did she realize that her voice had suddenly disappeared, her throat dry and painfully hoarse.

Zhao Qi held Lin Yi’s elbow and turned her around once.

“She’s not injured,” she replied.

“Mm.” Only then did Lin Yi force a syllable out of her throat.

Hearing that sound, Zhao Qi’s heart softened a little. She squeezed the girl’s elbow and comforted her again, “I’m fine.”

As soon as those words came out, Lin Yi’s eyes immediately turned red.

She raised her arm and wiped the corner of her eye. “I know.”

I was just very scared.

In that instant, Lin Yi’s mind had contained nothing but the cold flash of that knife.

She knew this incident would not take the woman’s life. After all, in the future of her previous life, they had met, and the woman had even used this very incident to comfort her.

But she was still very scared.

Scared of losing Zhao Qi.

Zhao Chengye, who had caught the attacker, had a fierce look in his eyes. He stared terrifyingly at the knife-wielding man, as if looking at some kind of monster.

The butler passed through the panicked guests.

“Master.”

Zhao Chengzhi held the knife, his eyes blank. “Eldest Brother.”

How am I here?

Wasn’t I here to celebrate my younger sister’s return?

He wore a white shirt and suit pants, still looking like that charming young man from back then.

Zhao Chengye took a deep breath and suppressed the irritation in his stomach.

“Take Third Young Master away.”

“Yes.”

The guests in the hall were quickly calmed down.

Only a few people nearby had seen a few clues. The others still did not know what had caused the commotion.

Zhao Chengye said a few words, and the music in the hall began playing gracefully again.

Zhao Chengzhe was entrusted by his elder brother to go check on their third brother and investigate what had happened.

Zhao Qi and Lin Yi stayed in a room upstairs.

Listening as the commotion below quickly settled, Zhao Qi slowly closed the door.

She was still calm in the face of change, her face as indifferent as usual.

Only now did Lin Yi finally recover.

“Thanks.” Zhao Qi walked over and crouched in front of Lin Yi.

Lin Yi’s hand moved slightly, and the woman held it tightly.

“Why did you come save me back then?” she heard the doubt in the woman’s voice.

That was natural. Counting it up, they had only known each other for a few days. Their relationship was nowhere near that point. Anyone would find it hard to understand.

Lin Yi struggled to hold the woman’s hand in return. Zhao Qi’s hand was still so dry and warm.

She slowly leaned closer and placed the woman’s hand against her cheek.

“I like you.”

Zhao Qi’s expression did not change at all, as if she were not the person being confessed to.

She pulled her hand back and stood up, then coldly lifted Lin Yi’s chin and looked down at her in scrutiny. Slowly, she lowered her head and leaned close to Lin Yi’s lips, her breath brushing against them.

“Do you know what you’re saying?”

“Do you know what I want?”

Lin Yi suddenly smiled, thinking of the confession Zhao Qi had made beside her sickbed in her previous life.

Now, it seemed the tables had turned.

“I don’t know. I only know that I like you.”

“Do you like me?”

Her answer was earnest, and her question was sincere. Her gaze flowed slowly toward Zhao Qi like water.

Zhao Qi rubbed heavily against Lin Yi’s chin several times. An ambiguous red mark immediately appeared on the girl’s fair, tender skin.

Her gaze lingered on that patch of skin. Then she slowly leaned in and gently bit and nibbled at it.

Lin Yi lifted her chin and passively accepted it.

Her voice was muffled and unclear, mixed with the sticky intimacy between them.

“We can… try.”

Lin Yi let out a sigh of satisfaction and held the person making mischief against her.

“Okay.”

Anything is fine, as long as you let me stay by your side and watch over you.

**

The evening banquet ended, and the guests were sent off.

Zhao Chengye entered the study with a dark face.

Beside him, Fang Fang sneered, “This show was truly wonderful.”

“The Wang family were the first to leave.”

“I’m afraid your dear second brother’s marriage is going to be canceled.”

Zhao Chengye rubbed his temples. “Can you act normal?”

“Aren’t you tired of being so sarcastic every day?”

Fang Fang was silent for a long while. Then she gave a cold laugh and left behind one sentence.

“I’m going to check on my son.”

Only after his sister-in-law came out did Zhao Chengzhe push the door open and enter.

“Eldest Brother.”

Zhao Chengye asked, “Did you find out? Who let Chengzhi into the banquet hall?”

Zhao Chengzhe said, “Third Brother has been doing well recently. He’s been taking his medicine actively, and the doctor also suggested that we could slowly let him return to normal life.”

“This time, it was… it was I who let Chengzhi come. I wanted to give Xiao Qi a surprise.”

Bang!!

Zhao Chengye slammed the desk with a loud crash.

“Absurd! Did you get my approval as your eldest brother?!”

“Did you seriously consider this matter?”

“If Xiao Qi had been hurt this time, which one of you—Second or Third—could bear it?”

“Not only would all of Third Brother’s difficult treatment have gone to waste, but you—could you bear responsibility for Xiao Qi’s life?”

Zhao Chengzhe felt extremely guilty. “I didn’t think it through properly. I just wanted Xiao Qi to be a little happier.”

Zhao Chengye said harshly, “Then why did Chengzhi relapse?”

“Someone provoked him.”

“I checked the surveillance footage. I found that after someone said a few words to Chengzhi, they stuffed the knife into his hand.”

“So he went mad just like that?” Zhao Chengye clenched his fist and cursed, “Useless thing!”

“And you too.”

Zhao Chengzhe knew he had handled this matter improperly. He had not expected that after all these years, the hidden hand in the dark was still watching them and refusing to let go. He had been careless.

“Is Xiao Qi all right?” Zhao Chengye asked, his tone easing slightly.

“Xiao Qi is fine. It’s all thanks to that little girl seeing it in time.”

“As long as she’s fine.” Zhao Chengye sighed. “We need to properly thank her.”

Over here, the Zhao brothers were just discussing how to properly thank Lin Yi, while the person who had been saved, Zhao Qi, was already personally repaying Lin Yi through action.

On the sofa in the room, the two of them were wrapped around each other. Zhao Qi lingered over Lin Yi’s delicate lips, licking and biting.

Lin Yi turned around and pressed herself over Zhao Qi, letting out soft whimpers, only for Zhao Qi to seal her lips again.

After an unknown amount of time, as if time itself had fallen into a black hole, Zhao Qi finally spoke in a hoarse voice and patted Lin Yi.

“Get down.”

Lin Yi looked at Zhao Qi hazily, her lips alluringly flushed.

“Someone’s knocking.”

Lin Yi softened and rolled to the side, picked up a throw pillow from the sofa, and pressed it against her face as she panted.

Zhao Qi straightened her clothes, and her expression quickly returned to normal.

She opened the door, and a tiny little thing tumbled in.

Zhao Qi looked at the little one sprawled on the ground. With one lift of her hand, she picked him up.

“Nuonuo, why are you here?” The one who had been knocking was her eldest brother’s son, Zhao Zinuo.

Zhao Zinuo treated his young aunt like a pole. With both arms, he hugged Zhao Qi’s arm and clung to it, then opened his mouth in a milky voice.

“Big Sister.”

“Little Aunt,” Zhao Qi corrected seriously, looking at the child.

“Big Sister,” Zhao Zinuo insisted.

“Little Aunt,” Zhao Qi repeated patiently.

“Pretty Big Sister,” Zhao Zinuo said in his childish voice.

Zhao Qi was the first to surrender. She put the little one down and ruffled his soft hair into a mess.

“How did Nuonuo find his way here?”

“Climbed stairs.” The little boy pointed at the steps, which were even taller than his short little legs. “This tall.” He gestured animatedly with his hands and feet.

“Do your dad and mom know?”

The little boy looked at Zhao Qi innocently, his black eyes clear like two agates.

Seeing this standard innocent expression, Zhao Qi knew the little one must have snuck out without the adults knowing. She had no idea how he had managed to feel his way over here.

With the house so chaotic today, and with an incident having occurred, once they discovered the child was missing, the servants looking after him were probably going frantic.

She bent down and, with a little effort, picked the child up in her arms.

“Little Aunt will take you to find Mommy.”

“Big Sister.”

Zhao Qi looked at Zhao Zinuo. The little boy was sucking on his finger.

“Big Sister,” he called again.

Zhao Qi no longer corrected him. “Don’t run around next time.” Her expression was serious as she instructed him.

“Looking for Big Sister,” the little boy insisted.

The moment he first saw this pretty big sister, he liked her very much. Unfortunately, Mommy would not let him get close, so he secretly ran over to see her. Big Sister was indeed fragrant and soft, just like Mommy.

The little boy’s brows furrowed, as if he had thought of something difficult.

“Mommy is bad.”

Zhao Qi let the little boy hold onto her neck, freeing one hand to ruffle him again.

She turned and reminded Lin Yi, “I’m going to send the little guy back.”

Lin Yi had already recovered from the earlier mood. She met the curious little boy’s eyes and smiled as she waved.

The little boy seemed to grow shy and immediately buried his head against Zhao Qi’s shoulder, leaving only a fluffy little head facing Lin Yi.

“Go quickly,” Lin Yi said with a smile.

“Mm.” Zhao Qi nodded, then carried the little boy out the door.

After Zhao Qi left, Lin Yi stared blankly for a long while.

Wuming’s voice popped up again.

Look at your chest.

What?

Lin Yi blinked.

Were you here the whole time?

Don’t worry. I only came after you two finished.

Then how do you know what we were doing?

Wuming: …

Look at your chest first.

Lin Yi found a mirror and pulled open the front of her clothes. The lotus that had previously been waiting to bloom over her chest had already opened one petal.

Looking carefully, she saw that the lotus stamen now seemed to glow faintly red.

This is hatred.

Once you collect love, hatred, anger, obsession, greed, evil, and desire, the lotus petals will bloom again, and you will return to the human world, Wuming said faintly.

Lin Yi gently stroked that lotus petal, feeling as if something had appeared in her heart.

Her lips parted softly as she said, I keep feeling like this is very familiar.

Wuming’s lotus petals swayed lightly. Through Lin Yi’s field of vision, it looked at the lotus petal gradually blooming on her chest.

Its voice was gentle. It was originally part of your body.

Part of my body? Lin Yi was puzzled.

Wuming did not answer. When the time comes, you will naturally know.

Again with that.

Lin Yi could not help raising a brow.