My Paranoid Girlfriend Asks Me to Be Her Kept Woman (Rebirth) - Chapter 8

Always being so mysterious.

Lin Yi shook her head and laughed.

Wuming had already withdrawn.

It came without a sound and left just as silently.

Lin Yi carefully examined the lotus petal in the mirror again.

It was like a brand growing from her heart, very beautiful. If she looked at it for too long, it made her slightly dazed.

Shaking her head, Lin Yi decided not to think about it anymore. When the boat reached the bridge, it would naturally straighten itself out.

She had already died once. Being able to return this time was already great fortune. What was real was what she could grasp in her hands.

After Zhao Qi left the room, she carried Zhao Zinuo and soon ran into a panicked servant.

The servant cried out in alarm, “Young Master, where did you run off to?!”

Zhao Qi put Zhao Zinuo down from her arms.

The servant held the little boy’s hand, but the child slipped away at once and hugged Zhao Qi’s calf, refusing to let go.

“Big Sister.”

“Pretty Big Sister.”

“Don’t go.”

The little boy spoke like he was popping jelly beans, one word at a time.

“Miss?” The servant looked at Zhao Qi awkwardly.

Zhao Qi pulled the little one out from behind her and patiently crouched down so her eyes were level with his.

“Why don’t you want to go back with Auntie?”

Zhao Zinuo’s eyes were watery. “Like, like, Big Sister. Mommy won’t let.”

“Zhao Zinuo.”

With a cold face, Fang Fang found her son and pulled him over.

“This is your little aunt.” She looked down at Zhao Qi from above. “How can you be so rude?”

“Mommy…” Zhao Zinuo shuffled over.

Fang Fang held her son’s hand. “How did Mommy teach you?”

She was still looking at Zhao Qi, but her words were directed at her son.

“Little Aunt.” This time, the three-year-old child completely wilted.

Zhao Qi stood up, her face calm and unruffled. She nodded to Fang Fang in greeting. “Sister-in-law.”

Fang Fang turned around with her son. “You must understand rules in the future, got it?”

Zhao Zinuo twisted his body reluctantly to look back at Zhao Qi, but Fang Fang turned him back around.

“There are rules for how one walks, rules for how one sits. It’s the same as being a person—one must have rules.”

…

The figures of mother and son gradually moved farther away. Only then did the servant standing nearby like an invisible person softly call, “Miss.”

Zhao Qi stood in place, lost in thought. After a long while, she came back to herself.

“Oh, oh. Go back to your work.”

The servant quietly withdrew. Zhao Qi let out a soft sigh, and for no reason, a wave of exhaustion surged into her heart.

**

Time passed in the blink of an eye. Lin Yi was summoned to the station twice more, and finally, the day of the first court hearing arrived.

She had not been idle these days either. She had been preparing the contract and evidence in her hands, intending to sue Jianming Entertainment Media for exploiting artists, signing dual contracts, and other such matters.

On the day after the Zhao family banquet ended, the eldest Zhao brother had thanked her very much. After learning that she was deeply caught in an artist contract dispute, he said their family’s legal department could step in. After discussing it with Zhao Qi, Lin Yi contacted Zhao Group’s legal department and prepared to take the initiative to free herself from trouble.

She had to thank Li Junhao’s mother for that phone call. Otherwise, she might not even have remembered that eight years ago, she had signed such a thing.

In her previous life, she had been an insignificant pawn. Although she had created a large number of popular songs, apart from Lin Xiaolu and her manager, who had known? Moreover, she had been full of gratitude toward them for giving her creations an outlet. She had argued a few times when Lin Xiaolu took the credit for her work, but under Lin Xiaolu’s excuses, it all came to nothing.

On top of that, she had always felt that she and Lin Xiaolu were family. If family divided things too clearly, it would only make them distant…

Thinking of all the stupid things she had done in her previous life, Lin Yi gripped the documents until they creaked.

What exactly had blinded her mind back then, making her unable to see Lin Xiaolu’s malice?

Zhao Qi hugged Lin Yi’s slender waist from behind. Today, she was wearing a professional black suit and had sprayed on a cold, heavy pine fragrance. She was like a steady pine tree in a snowy forest—covered in white snow, yet always standing silent and upright.

“What are you thinking about? I saw you standing here for a while.”

Lin Yi turned her head and pecked Zhao Qi.

Zhao Qi raised a brow. “I just put on lipstick.” And yet you came to provoke me.

“Then put it on again,” Lin Yi murmured.

Zhao Qi lowered her head and intertwined with the person in her arms. The two exchanged each other’s breath as the hands of the clock moved second by second.

“If we don’t leave soon, I’ll be late,” Zhao Qi said beside Lin Yi’s ear.

“Assistant Li is probably getting impatient.”

Lin Yi’s eyes were red as she wrapped her arms around Zhao Qi’s neck, reluctant to let go.

“Be good,” Zhao Qi coaxed. “Once I’m done with this busy period, I’ll stay with you.”

Lin Yi leaned in and pecked her again. “Go quickly.”

Zhao Qi took lipstick from her handbag, touched up her lips in front of the full-length mirror near the door, then took out a cushion compact and lightly fixed the makeup that had rubbed off at the corners of her mouth.

Lin Yi leaned against the doorway, smiling. “I’ll go move my luggage over today, by the way.”

Zhao Qi closed the cushion compact. “There are still two empty rooms on the east side. Put your things wherever you like.”

“Okay.”

“I’m leaving.”

“Be careful on the road.”

“Mm.”

Lin Yi leaned against the wall and watched the woman leave. Only after the front door closed before her eyes did she stretch lazily and go change clothes.

Today was going to be busy.

Just thinking about having to see those disgusting people later made her unable to eat, with no appetite at all.

She carried the breakfast on the table into the kitchen, made herself a cup of coffee for courage, then changed her shoes, picked up her bag, and went out.

Zhao Qi got into the car, and Assistant Li handed her a file.

“Miss, this is the information you requested.”

She took it and opened it. The first thing that entered her eyes was Lin Yi’s youthful face.

Zhao Qi stared at the portrait in the file, lost in thought.

At that time, Lin Yi had only just entered university not long ago and still had the green innocence of a young girl. Her brows curved like a stream, her eyes were clear, and she was looking at the camera with a quiet, shy smile.

This was a photo taken for ten yuan at the school print shop. The photographer’s skill could not be called particularly high; it stood out entirely because of the beauty of the person being photographed.

The Lin Yi of that time had eyes like water and carried the unique charm of a Jiangnan woman. She looked very thin in the photo, and the aura of a delicate beauty too frail to bear the weight of her clothes seemed to leap from the paper. She was extremely clean.

That was Zhao Qi’s first impression when she saw the photo.

Thinking back to their meeting, Zhao Qi brushed her finger over it.

She finished reading Lin Yi’s file on the road, then asked calmly, “What’s the latest progress?”

Assistant Li knew what matter his boss was asking about.

He answered respectfully, “Miss Lin is currently preparing to terminate her contract with her agency. Today is the preliminary hearing where she will appear as a witness.”

Zhao Qi asked, “Has Jianming been publicly prosecuted by the court as part of a drug-trafficking-related interest group?”

Assistant Li replied, “No. Chairman Li has pacified his wife and made his son, Li Junhao, take full responsibility.”

Zhao Qi did not speak.

Just as Assistant Li was still waiting for a reply, the car jolted. They had arrived at their destination.

Zhao Qi closed the file on her lap and finally instructed, “Have Fan Texi start working on signing Lin Yi. Didn’t he keep shouting that he had nothing to do?”

“Yes, Boss.”

Upstairs, in the meeting room, after Assistant Li relayed the boss’s words, Fan Texi let out a howl.

“Who is Lin Yi? I want to poach Jin Xia and Liu Chang from Jianming!”

“Those two are both potential stars I have my eye on!!!”

Assistant Li stood at the long table with a smile, organizing his work notes.

Fan Texi clutched his head and cried bitterly, “Did I anger the boss yesterday? Assistant Li, the boss is punishing me, right?”

Assistant Li finally finished organizing everything. Only then did he say leisurely, “This is clearly a sign of trust.”

Fan Texi widened his eyes and rushed in front of the man, excitedly placing both hands on Assistant Li’s shoulders.

“Could this person have some outstanding point? Or talent?”

“Is she especially good-looking? Or is her acting very good?”

As he spoke, he became puzzled himself. “No, that’s not right. If so, how come I’ve never heard of her?”

“If she’s that outstanding, there should at least be some rumors.”

Assistant Li calmly brushed Fan Texi’s hands away, then slowly patted both of his own shoulders before saying, “None of those.”

Fan Texi was going crazy. “Then stop beating around the bush!”

“This person saved our boss.” He deliberately dragged out the end of his sentence with deeper meaning.

Fan Texi shuddered, and the only image that appeared in his mind was of being forced to study alongside the crown prince.

Immediately, he covered his face and grimaced. “I definitely offended the boss.”

Lin Yi still did not know that Zhao Qi had already arranged for someone to prepare to sign her. With a cold face and an aura that warned strangers to stay away, she walked out of the courthouse.

Behind her, someone called weakly, “Big Sister.”

Her steps paused slightly, but she still left without turning her head.

Lin Xiaolu looked haggard. Her hands twisted in front of her as she stared viciously at Lin Yi.

“Xiaolu.” Someone called softly.

Her face lit up, and she cried out in surprise, “Brother Chang~ Why are you here?”

“Shh.” The newcomer wore sunglasses. “I came to see you.”

Lin Xiaolu acted coy. “You really came to see me?”

“Of course I came to see you,” the man promised with a low laugh. “If not to see you, would I have rushed over here right after getting off the plane?”

“Brother Chang only just got off the plane?” Lin Xiaolu pretentiously covered her mouth. “Then hurry and rest. I’m fine.”

“No. I won’t feel at ease unless I see you. After all, such a huge thing happened to you, and you had to face it alone.”

“I wasn’t by your side. It must have been really hard on you.”

Lin Xiaolu was moved. She threw herself into the man’s arms and hugged his waist.

“I knew Brother Chang treated me best.”

The man’s body stiffened, then relaxed. He patted the woman’s back twice.

“Let go quickly. It’s not safe here.”

“Okay.” Lin Xiaolu obediently let go.

The two walked while talking and soon disappeared at the end of the road.

“Brother Chang, don’t worry. I guarantee there won’t be any problem with your album.”

“With Xiaolu here, of course I’m not worried.”

…

Someone suddenly emerged from the bushes. Fan Texi stroked his chin thoughtfully.

That person just now seemed to be Liu Chang from Jianming Entertainment?

Wasn’t he filming in Xishan City? Why had he come back already?

Was Liu Chang going to release a new album again?

He pushed aside the green leaves above his head and patted his head.

Ah! What was he thinking about? Wasn’t he here to observe the newcomer?

Right! Where was the newcomer?!!!

Fan Texi twisted left and right, only then realizing that because he had been listening to gossip, he had lost track of the newcomer…

“Hey! What are you doing over there?!”

The security guard patrolling nearby had long thought this person looked suspicious. He was wearing a punk leather jacket, his hair dyed in all kinds of colors. Just now, he had clearly still been in front of the entrance, but then disappeared in a flash. Now he had popped out from who knew where, looking all disheveled. He definitely was not a proper person!

The more the guard thought about it, the more he felt this person might be a criminal. He pulled out his electric baton and ran over.

Fan Texi, who was neither a proper person nor unlike a criminal, felt his ears go numb. A bad premonition came over him.

He turned his head and saw the patrolling security guard running in his direction with an electric baton.

His ears grew more and more numb, as if electricity were running through them.

He turned and ran, shouting as he ran, “I’m here to find someone!”