Pretending To Be Affectionate [Transmigration] - Chapter 1

“You think we’re breaking up just because you said so? Did I ever agree to it?”

Jiang Song slammed his fist onto the table. The vintage coffee table shook, causing the round, plump mug sitting atop it to topple over. It rolled in a circle before rumbling to a stop beside Ling Yu’s hand.

Ling Yu’s fingers paused slightly.

The furious man standing before her had blue highlights in his hair and the sort of handsome, bad-boy face currently in fashion.

His long brows were raised in anger, and one hand was braced against the table. Like a mountain, he blocked the sunlight in front of her.

The threat in his posture was unmistakable.

Ling Yu clicked her tongue, freed one hand, and calmly righted the fallen mug.

When Jiang Song failed to see the fury he had expected from the wealthy Miss Ling, he simply raised his voice. “You—”

“Shh.”

Ling Yu held a finger to her lips, lifted her lashes, and cast a pointed glance around them.

This was an elegant café with a quiet, refined atmosphere.

Since it was situated in the heart of Yuncheng’s business district, it was surrounded by upscale office buildings. Directly across the crosswalk stood the office building of Kaihe Law Firm.

Thus, even though it was a weekday, plenty of white-collar professionals and highly paid executives had come here to discuss business.

Every seat in the café was occupied. A European-style standing record player at the front played soothing music, while the upside-down wind chime by the entrance rang crisply whenever customers came and went.

Ling Yu was seated in an inconspicuous corner beside the window. She had originally intended to keep a low profile, but Jiang Song’s roar had already drawn several curious gazes in her direction.

“We’re in public.”

Ling Yu lightly tapped the table. Her peach-blossom eyes curved into crescents as she gave him an extraordinarily considerate look, reminding him not to go too far.

Fragments of light spilled into her foxlike eyes, making them appear veiled in a mist of tender affection.

She wore a low-cut, openwork knit sweater layered beneath a short, cream-colored puffer jacket. Her high-waisted jeans rose past her navel, emphasizing a waist slender enough to encircle with one hand.

Instead of letting her long black hair cascade over her shoulders as usual, she had woven it into a fishtail braid.

The end of the braid brushed lightly against her slender neck. The intermingling of black and white created an indescribably striking visual contrast.

A trace of amazement flashed through Jiang Song’s eyes.

This was the first time he had seen that vixen Ling Yu abandon her usual style. Her simple, pure, and unpretentious outfit made her palm-sized face appear even smaller, highlighting a youthful beauty that lay somewhere between sweetness and seduction.

Jiang Song stared blankly for a moment, and the question already on the tip of his tongue was forcibly swallowed back.

He cautiously turned his head and glanced out the window.

Yuncheng was in the depths of winter. Fine snow fluttered through the air. Through the drifting flakes, Jiang Song looked toward the office building of Kaihe Law Firm across the street.

The person he was meeting had not yet finished work.

Jiang Song secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He had personally traveled from Jiangcheng to Yuncheng this time not for entertainment, but because he genuinely needed someone’s help.

The person he had arranged to meet was Attorney Gu from Kaihe Law Firm.

For Jiang Song to make the trip himself, she was naturally no ordinary person.

Although she had yet to formally appear in court as legal counsel, her personal record was already more impressive than those of many veteran senior attorneys.

In particular, there had been a financial fraud case six months ago that had shocked the entire country. Fighting alone and relying on her exceptional counter-investigation skills, Attorney Gu had turned the tide during the final appeal and completely overturned the predetermined outcome.

Nearly half of Kaihe Law Firm’s performance achievements this year could be credited to her.

Jiang Song had spent six whole months on the waiting list before Attorney Gu finally granted him a meeting.

It was a rare opportunity, especially since it happened to fall one month before Gu Qing graduated with her master’s degree and officially became qualified to appear in court.

Before coming here, Jiang Song had even thoughtfully inquired about Gu Qing’s personality and preferences.

He had selected a well-tailored suit and arrived at the café an hour early to wait for her.

He simply had not expected to encounter the wealthy Ling Yu here…

Everyone in their social circle knew that Ling Yu was always lavish toward her ex-boyfriends. She was the only wealthy woman in Jiangcheng’s social circle who exclusively dated playboys and even paid them after breaking up.

There was only one rule: once they had broken up, Ling Yu would show no mercy or recognition when they met again.

Thinking of his breakup fee, Jiang Song raised his wrist and looked at his watch. After repeatedly confirming that there was still half an hour before his appointment, he decided that although time was tight, he could still settle this quickly and avoid any overlap.

He observed Ling Yu from the corner of his eye.

Her head was lowered, and none of her usual aggressive manner could be seen. She looked elegant, quiet, harmless, and amiable, as if she had no intention of causing trouble.

If she took the initiative to compensate him, everyone would naturally be happy.

A calculating gleam passed through Jiang Song’s eyes before he obediently murmured his agreement.

However, one second passed, then two, then three…

A full minute went by.

The compensation he had expected never appeared.

Ling Yu merely used the back of her hand to push up the rimless glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. Her fair, rounded fingertips returned to the keyboard of her laptop. She had no intention of paying him any attention and focused entirely on completing her internship application.

Having been thoroughly ignored, Jiang Song could no longer maintain his composure. As the seconds continued to pass, he drew a slightly hurried breath and raised his voice once more.

“Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you have some filthy money. We hadn’t even been dating for a month when you disappeared. I worked tirelessly to find you for three whole months. After everything I went through to track you down, you’re now breaking up with me unilaterally. Ling Yu, we’re both adults. Can’t you show a little conscience? I’m only asking you for a reason. That isn’t too much, is it?”

“You really want a reason?”

Ling Yu lifted her eyelids slightly. She carefully reviewed the internship résumé displayed on her laptop. After confirming there were no typographical errors, she clicked to submit it.

Only after finishing did she tilt her head and spare Jiang Song a glance.

“You said it yourself…”

Ling Yu looked at him from beneath half-lowered eyelids and spoke unhurriedly.

“I have some filthy money. What if I don’t give you a reason and give you money instead?”

Her complexion was naturally fair. The scattered light above fell across her face like a layer of porcelain glaze, making her skin appear luminous and translucent.

Jiang Song stared at her in a daze, momentarily forgetting his original purpose.

As though possessed, his gaze settled on Ling Yu’s smooth, slender neck. He took two steps forward and unconsciously leaned closer.

…

The man’s scent suddenly pressed in on her.

The gentle mask on Ling Yu’s face immediately vanished. Her slender fingers casually clasped the coffee cup, and her wrist moved between them.

Leaning forward slightly, she pressed the rim of the cup against Jiang Song’s chest, which was now only inches away.

A hint of warmth entered his eyes.

Ling Yu took in his infatuated expression. All emotion faded from her own eyes as she met his gaze.

Their eyes locked.

Then her fingers abruptly loosened.

Clatter.

The coffee cup slipped from her hand and fell to the floor. The rich, fragrant coffee inside spilled down the front of the man’s immaculate, sharply pressed suit.

“Baby, you’ve crossed the line.”

Ling Yu’s voice was low. Her clear black-and-white eyes drifted lightly over him, yet the look pierced like a needle, sending an inexplicable chill down Jiang Song’s spine.

A second earlier, Jiang Song had still been acting aggressively and trying to seize the upper hand. Now, it was as though an entire bucket of ice water had been dumped over him, instantly clearing his head.

No matter how harmless Ling Yu dressed, she was still Ling Yu.

Her rules had always been laid out openly, and many people in their social circle were afraid of her.

Miss Ling’s status was one reason, but more importantly, Ling Yu herself was not someone to be trifled with.

Although she had a slender figure and a waist narrow enough to encircle with one hand, her fighting skills were exceptionally formidable.

Jiang Song knew perfectly well that he could not defeat this woman.

Seeing a humiliating little puddle of coffee collecting on his custom-made leather boots after running down his suit, he cursed inwardly. He hurriedly pulled out a thick wad of tissues and, avoiding Ling Yu’s gaze, wisely retreated to a safe distance.

Ling Yu lazily narrowed her eyes. Disgust spread through her clear, obsidian-like pupils.

She had unexpectedly inhaled the perfume on the man’s body when he approached her earlier. Her stomach churned violently, and the nauseating surge of acid had yet to subside.

Based on past experience, if she had allowed Jiang Song to come any closer, everything she had eaten that day would probably have ended up all over him.

Suppressing her nausea, Ling Yu took out a wet wipe and repeatedly scrubbed the fingers that had been contaminated by the man’s presence.

[He is…]

Ling Yu replied, [An ex.]

The electronic voice inside her mind fell silent for a moment.

[Didn’t Host say that the man in the floral shirt you encountered yesterday was also…]

Ling Yu hummed without changing her expression.

[He was also an ex.]

[…]

Her words could not have made it any more obvious. The aura of a shameless playgirl practically washed over the system, leaving it completely speechless.

Two months ago, while the Main System was inspecting the operational energy of different worlds, it discovered that the heroine of a female-lead novel with no romantic pairing had been deeply affected by the resentment of its readers. As a result, she had developed the insane desire to destroy the world.

To save the plotline, the Main System dispatched Love-Replenishment System 008 to select a suitable host on the spot and complete the mission of becoming “the devoted supporting female character who gives everything without receiving anything in return.”

The main database selected Ling Yu.

What surprised the system was that Ling Yu was a wandering soul from another world. Her soul and body were incompatible, leaving her with no more than a year to live.

008 had carefully explained the difficulty of the mission and the reward of living out her natural lifespan upon its completion. Since their goals aligned, it had taken almost no persuasion before the human and system formed a binding contract.

It simply had not expected Ling Yu’s circumstances to be this terrible…

Despair seeped into 008’s voice. Clinging to its last shred of hope, it asked:

[There won’t be another ex, will there?]

Ling Yu shook her head earnestly.

[Have more confidence. You can multiply that number by more than ten.]

[…]

008 went rigid as though struck by lightning. It drew a deep breath.

[When we signed the contract, why didn’t you tell me about your history as a playgirl? Both parties are required to be completely honest so the difficulty of the mission can be accurately assessed.]

The more 008 spoke, the angrier it became. Its voice grew thick, hoarse, and nasal.

[You’re making this extremely difficult for me. The target we need to reform is the cold-blooded, heartless, misanthropic, corrupted heroine of a novel with no romantic pairing. Host is utterly incapable of loving her wholeheartedly, caring about her, giving everything to her unconditionally, and shamelessly showering her with affection from every conceivable direction. How could the mission of reforming Gu Qing possibly succeed?]

The image of Gu Qing’s cold, heartless, refined, world-weary face flashed through Ling Yu’s mind, making her frown.

She had arrived in Yuncheng two months ago. By employing certain methods, she had gained admission to H University and been assigned to the same dormitory room as the heroine.

Yet throughout all that time, the number of times Gu Qing had returned to the dormitory could be counted on one hand.

Ever since childhood, Ling Yu had been a “central air conditioner,” radiating warmth and charm toward everyone wherever she went. Her social skills were exceptional.

However, when she encountered Gu Qing, she suffered the greatest defeat of her life.

Over the past several days, Ling Yu had treated herself like a stone, moving wherever she was needed.

She had exhausted every trick she possessed. The only thing she had yet to do was become a true bootlicker and lick someone’s boots until she had nothing left.

Yet the way Gu Qing looked at her had never changed.

That woman was harsh and indifferent, possessing almost no emotion. She cared only about money, and her capacity for empathy had practically been fed to the dogs.

Trying to win over someone like that was, frankly, rather interesting.

Ling Yu smoothed her hair and suddenly laughed.

[Don’t worry…]

[How am I supposed to stop worrying?] 008 cried emotionally. [Not only do you like men, but you also keep an entire fishpond full of them! Your ex-boyfriends are as numerous as fish crossing a river. How could a fickle straight woman like Host ever love the heroine?]

008 was so anxious that its processor was beginning to overheat.

Amused, Ling Yu interrupted it.

[I don’t like men.]

Whenever a man approached her, she became nauseated and wanted to vomit.

However, Ling Yu did not like women either.

She preferred herself.

Instead of comforting 008, this revelation nearly made it burst into tears.

[Good grief… You don’t even like men, yet you constantly date them? I truly never expected you to be this sort of person—a morally bankrupt woman who deceives men into sleeping with her.]

The more 008 spoke, the more agitated it became, its mind overflowing with obscene thoughts.

Ling Yu gave it a thumbs-up and interrupted it with a smile that did not reach her eyes.

[Impressive imagination. Too much of it will drain you dry. I suggest drinking a few buckets of Brain Platinum.]

The system hiccupped through its tears.

[Huh?]

Ling Yu answered with perfect seriousness.

[To nourish your brain.]

Silence filled her mind.

After bullying the loose-tongued system, Ling Yu appeared to discover her conscience and finally behaved like a decent human being.

[I suffer from opposite-sex skin-rejection disorder.]

The system whimpered.

Ling Yu spread her hands.

[You’ve already seen the specific symptoms. With a disability like mine… how could I possibly trick anyone into sleeping with me?]

008 choked.

Thinking back over the two months they had known each other, it realized that Ling Yu did indeed maintain the necessary social distance from every man she encountered. Although her tone was often flirtatious, she was extremely conservative in her actions.

[If you’re not after their bodies or their money, why did Host become a playgirl?]

Ling Yu glanced at Jiang Song, who had taken off his suit jacket. The smile on her lips faded slightly.

At the thought of Ling Taiguo, a trace of coldness entered her eyes.

[Don’t ask. If you must, just say I have too much money…]

The system replied:

[…]