Pretending To Be Affectionate [Transmigration] - Chapter 1

“You say we’re breaking up, but did I agree to it?”

Jiang Song slammed his fist on the table. The vintage coffee table shook, and the chubby mug on it tipped over, rolling with a “glug-glug” sound to Ling Yu’s side.

Ling Yu’s fingers paused. The furious man in front of her had dyed blue streaks in his hair and the look of a popular “cool guy” of the moment.

He scowled, resting one hand on the table, blocking the sunlight like a mountain. The message was clear: a threat.

Ling Yu clicked her tongue and used a hand to right the fallen mug.

Not seeing the explosive anger he expected from “Rich-and-Powerful Ling,” Jiang Song raised his voice, “You…”

“Shhh.” Ling Yu placed a finger to her lips, raising her eyelashes to subtly scan their surroundings.

This was an elegant, quiet coffee shop located in the heart of Yuncheng’s city center. It was surrounded by high-end office buildings, and a crosswalk away was the office of Kaihe Law Firm.

Even on a weekday, the place was packed with white-collar professionals conducting business.

The shop was full. Soothing music played from a European-style record player, and a wind chime hanging by the door jingled as people came and went.

Ling Yu was in a discreet corner by the window, intending to keep a low profile. However, Jiang Song’s angry shout had already drawn a few curious glances her way.

“Public place.” Ling Yu lightly tapped the table. Her eyes, shaped like peach blossoms, curved into crescents as she gave him a perfectly understanding look, a clear warning to stop.

The light scattered on her face, making her foxy eyes seem to shimmer with a hazy, affectionate mist.

She wore a mixed-media outfit: a low-cut, hollow-knit sweater underneath a beige, short puffer jacket. Her high-waisted jeans sat above her navel, accentuating her slender waist.

Her long, flowing black hair, unlike her usual style, was braided into a fishtail. The braid’s end brushed against her delicate neck, the contrast of black and white creating an indescribably striking visual.

Jiang Song’s eyes held a flash of surprise. It was his first time seeing the “vixen” Ling Yu in such a simple, pure style. The easy-going outfit made her small, palm-sized face look even smaller, giving her a fresh beauty that was somewhere between sweet and seductive.

He was momentarily dazed, and the angry words he was about to say died in his throat.

He cautiously glanced out the window. It was the middle of winter in Yuncheng, with fine snow flurrying in the air. Through the snowy mist, Jiang Song could see the office building of Kaihe Law Firm across the street.

The person he was meeting hadn’t left work yet.

Jiang Song breathed a silent sigh of relief. He hadn’t come all the way from Jiangcheng for fun; he was here for a serious favor.

His contact was a senior lawyer at the Kaihe Law Firm. For him to have traveled here personally, the person was clearly no ordinary individual.

Even before she had officially argued a case in court, her personal achievements were already more outstanding than many veteran high-level lawyers.

In particular, a nationwide financial fraud case half a year ago had made headlines. Lawyer Gu, acting alone, used her superior counter-investigation skills to turn the tide in the final trial, reversing a predetermined verdict.

The vast majority of Kaihe Law Firm’s revenue this year was thanks to her.

Jiang Song had been on a waiting list for six months to get a chance to meet with Gu Qing.

The opportunity was rare, and it coincided with the month before Gu Qing’s master’s degree graduation and her official promotion to litigator.

Before coming, Jiang Song had even made sure to ask about Gu Qing’s personality and preferences.

He picked out a well-tailored suit and arrived an hour early to wait at this coffee shop.

He never expected to run into the rich Ling Yu here…

Everyone in their circle knew that Ling Yu was always generous with her ex-boyfriends. She was the only rich woman in Jiangcheng’s social circle who only dated “players” and even paid them when they broke up. There was one catch: once they broke up, when they met again, Ling Yu would act like she didn’t know them.

Thinking about his breakup fee, Jiang Song checked his wristwatch. He confirmed he had a good half hour before his appointment. It was a tight schedule, but he could resolve this quickly and still be on time.

He snuck a glance at her. Ling Yu had her head lowered, without her usual aggressive demeanor. She looked gentle and harmless, as if she didn’t want to cause any trouble.

If she offered to compensate him, that would be a win-win.

A hint of calculation crossed Jiang Song’s eyes, and he obediently grunted in agreement.

However, a second, two seconds, three seconds… a minute passed.

The expected offer of compensation never came. Ling Yu simply adjusted the frameless glasses on her nose with the back of her hand. Her fair, rounded fingertips returned to the laptop keyboard. She had no intention of engaging with him and was instead focused on filling out an internship application form.

Completely ignored, Jiang Song’s face fell. Seeing time tick by, he took a hurried, deep breath and raised his voice again, “Don’t think that just because you have a little money you can do whatever you want. We were a couple for less than a month before you disappeared. I spent three whole months tirelessly looking for you. Now that I’ve finally found you, you’re breaking up with me unilaterally. Ling Yu, we’re adults. Can you be a little more considerate? Is it too much to ask for a reason?”

“Do you really want a reason?” Ling Yu lifted her eyes. She carefully reviewed her resume on the laptop screen, made sure there were no typos, and then clicked “submit.”

After that, she tilted her head and gave Jiang Song a look. “You said it yourself…”

Ling Yu’s eyes drooped as she eyed him, her tone languid. “I have a little money. Instead of a reason, how about I give you money?”

Her skin was fair. The light from above made her face glow as if it were coated in porcelain.

Jiang Song was a little mesmerized and momentarily forgot his original purpose.

As if possessed, he stared at Ling Yu’s fair, slender neck, took two steps forward, and leaned in closer without thinking.

…

The man’s closeness was sudden and unwanted. The gentle mask on Ling Yu’s face fell away. She elegantly held the coffee cup with her slender fingers, using her wrist to block the space between them. She tilted her body forward slightly, pressing the rim of the cup against Jiang Song’s chest.

His eyes had a certain warmth to them.

Ling Yu took in his obsession look, the emotion in her own eyes fading. Meeting his gaze, she suddenly let go of the cup.

With a “thud,” the coffee cup rolled to the floor. The rich, aromatic coffee streamed down the man’s neat, straight suit.

“Sweetheart, you’re overstepping.”

Ling Yu’s voice was low. Her distinct black-and-white eyes settled on him, feeling like a pinprick. A shiver of coldness inexplicably ran down Jiang Song’s spine.

The once-aggressive, preemptive Jiang Song instantly sobered up, as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him.

No matter how harmless Ling Yu appeared, she was still Ling Yu. Her rules were always laid out on the table, and many in their circle were wary of her.

Her background as “Miss Ling” was one thing, but more so, Ling Yu had a certain… knack.

Even though she had a slender figure and a waist you could encircle with your hands, it didn’t stop her from being exceptionally skilled in a fight.

Jiang Song knew he couldn’t win against this woman. Seeing the puddle of embarrassing liquid staining his custom leather shoes, he cursed under his breath, hurriedly pulled out a handful of napkins, and, avoiding Ling Yu’s gaze, wisely retreated to a safe distance.

Ling Yu squinted lazily. Her clear, obsidian eyes held a layer of disgust. She had unexpectedly inhaled the scent of the man’s cologne.

Her stomach churned, and the sour feeling of nausea hadn’t faded.

Based on her past experience, if she had let Jiang Song get any closer, all the food she’d eaten today would likely have ended up on him.

Ling Yu held back the nausea, pulled out a wet wipe, and scrubbed at her fingers that had come into contact with the man’s scent.

[He is…]

Ling Yu: [My ex-boyfriend.]

The electronic voice in her mind was silent for a moment. [Didn’t the host say the man in the floral shirt you met yesterday was…]

Ling Yu: [He was also an ex.] She said it without batting an eye.

[…] The message was so clear, the aura of a “player” so strong, that the system was at a loss for words.

Two months ago, the main system was checking the energy flow of different worlds when it discovered a world based on a novel with a powerful, single female lead. The protagonist’s deep-seated resentment from her readers was causing her to become unhinged and develop a desire to destroy the world.

To save the plot, the main system dispatched the “Love-Healing System 008” to find a host and complete the mission of being the “devoted supporting character.”

The main data system matched with Ling Yu. To the system’s surprise, Ling Yu was a wandering soul whose spirit didn’t fully match her body, giving her a lifespan of only one more year at most.

008 thoroughly explained the difficulty of the mission and the reward of dying a natural death upon completion. With their goals aligned, the system and Ling Yu bonded with almost no persuasion needed.

But it never expected Ling Yu to have such… complicated conditions.

008’s voice was laced with despair. It asked with what little hope it had left, [There won’t be another ex-boyfriend, right?]

Ling Yu shook her head seriously. [Be more confident. You can multiply that by ten times over.]

[…] 008 was struck dumb. It took a deep breath. [When I signed the contract with you, why didn’t you mention your “player” history? The contract requires both parties to be honest to accurately assess the mission’s difficulty.]

The more 008 spoke, the angrier it got, its voice thick with a nasal sniffle. [You’re making this very difficult for me. Our target is a cold, ruthless, and vengeful protagonist from a “no-romance” novel. The host can’t possibly love her wholeheartedly, care for her, be unconditionally devoted, and shamelessly shower her with affection. How can we possibly complete the mission of “reforming” Gu Qing?]

A flash of Gu Qing’s cold, detached, and jaded face crossed Ling Yu’s mind, and she frowned.

She had been in Yuncheng for two months, using her connections to get into H University and into the same dorm as the protagonist.

Yet, Gu Qing rarely came back to the dorm.

Growing up, Ling Yu was always a social butterfly, but meeting Gu Qing was a major reality check.

These days, she had been throwing herself at the mission, doing everything she could. She was on the verge of becoming a sycophant, someone who licks the boots of another until they have nothing left.

But Gu Qing’s gaze toward her hadn’t changed. The woman was stingy and indifferent, with almost no emotion. Her eyes only saw money, and her empathy was practically non-existent.

To be honest, trying to get through to a person like that was a bit intriguing.

Ling Yu smoothed her hair and let out a laugh. [Don’t worry…]

[How can I not worry?] 008’s voice was frantic. [Not only do you like men, but you also have a pond full of fish… Your ex-boyfriends are countless. How can a fickle straight woman like you love the female lead?]

008’s processors were overheating. Ling Yu cut it off with a laugh. [I don’t like men.]

When a man got close, she would feel sick.

But Ling Yu didn’t like women either. She liked herself the most.

At this, 008 wasn’t comforted. Instead, it sounded like it was about to cry. [Oh my… You don’t like them, but you frequently have boyfriends… I never thought you were this kind of person, a heartless swindler.]

008 got more and more worked up, its mind full of scandalous thoughts.

Ling Yu gave it a thumbs-up and cut it off with a fake smile. [That’s some wild imagination. But too much of it will leave you with nothing. I suggest you drink a few buckets of that brain-boosting supplement.]

The system let out a sob. [Huh?]

Ling Yu was completely serious. [For your brain.]

There was a moment of silence in her mind. After teasing the incoherent system, Ling Yu seemed to have a change of heart and finally got to the point. [I have a skin aversion to the opposite gender.]

The system let out a small “ooh,” and Ling Yu spread her hands. [You’ve seen the symptoms before. What can a person with this kind of disability swindle?]

008 was choked up as it recalled their time together. For two months, Ling Yu had indeed maintained a necessary social distance from all men. Despite her flirtatious tone, her actions were always conservative.

[If you don’t care about their looks or their money, why do you act like a player?]

Ling Yu glanced at Jiang Song, who was taking off his suit jacket. The smile on her lips faded, and a coldness came into her eyes as she thought of Ling Taiguo. [Don’t ask. The answer is I have too much money…]

System: […]