Pretending To Be Affectionate [Transmigration] - Chapter 11

The unattainable white moonlight desired by one of Ling Yu’s many former contractual boyfriends was the very woman Ling Yu was currently pursuing relentlessly…

Even television dramas would not dare write something this absurd.

Ling Yu no longer knew what to say.

Ahead of her, Li Jun was exchanging pleasantries with Gu Qing, though his eyes kept drifting toward Ling Yu.

Li Jun possessed the clean, refined appearance uncommon among men. His wandering gaze did not make him appear vulgar. Instead, his eyes seemed filled with lingering tenderness.

Unfortunately, the affection on his face was divided between two women.

When looking at Ling Yu, he displayed his feelings openly and boldly.

When facing Gu Qing, however, he was habitually cautious, concealing nine-tenths of his affection.

“When did you return?”

Gu Qing narrowed her eyes and quietly stepped forward twice, positioning herself in front of Ling Yu.

She casually glanced at the man standing two meters away and asked the question as though it hardly mattered.

When his view was blocked, Li Jun instinctively frowned.

Only after Gu Qing looked toward him did the tension between his brows slowly ease.

It was the first time Gu Qing had voluntarily expressed concern for him. Li Jun appeared flattered, and delight filled his voice.

“Last week.”

“Then your timing is fortunate. You’ve heard about the Jiang family’s case, haven’t you? A month ago, Old Mr. Li accepted this criminal case on the firm’s behalf under your name. The trial begins in two days. Since you’re here, we should hold a meeting.”

Gu Qing’s explanation was seamless.

By mentioning Li Jun’s father, she gave him no opportunity to object.

Li Jun’s expression became serious. He finally remembered that he had rushed back to Yuncheng because of Jiang Wei’s rape case.

After Gu Qing’s unexpected reminder, his romantic thoughts were temporarily suppressed.

Li Jun coughed and glanced toward the department heads watching him eagerly from nearby.

As the founder of Kaihe Law Firm, Li Jun had barely visited the firm during his two years abroad.

Whenever an important meeting occurred, he usually participated through a video call.

Today marked his first inspection of the company in two years.

The firm’s senior managers, who had previously stood with lowered eyes and pretended not to notice anything, immediately covered their faces with delighted smiles when his gaze passed over them. One after another, they bowed and hurried forward to greet him.

The entire group surrounded them.

Ling Yu had been standing with her head lowered, boredly pretending to be dead.

Suddenly, she sensed a mixture of masculine scents approaching from behind. Frowning, she instinctively stepped aside.

Unexpectedly, the HR director was hurrying toward Li Jun from the right rear while carrying a cup of tea.

When Ling Yu tilted her head, she happened to collide with the cup in the woman’s hand.

“Careful!”

Li Jun raised his voice in warning and instinctively pushed through the crowd, attempting to pull Ling Yu toward him.

However, he was one step too late.

The steaming tea tipped from the HR director’s hand and splashed toward Ling Yu’s chest.

Ling Yu lowered her eyes and halted her step. Twisting her body aside, she prepared to drop into a rather inelegant roll across the floor to evade the danger.

Suddenly, a hand appeared around her waist.

Gu Qing’s cool fingers closed firmly around her slender waist.

Ling Yu’s evasive movement paused.

Following the force with which Gu Qing pulled her in, she expertly fell into the woman’s soft embrace.

Everything happened too quickly.

Li Jun watched Gu Qing catch Ling Yu before he could. Since they were both women, even pressed together, they merely created an exceptionally pleasing sight—as though two beautiful scenes had overlapped.

Li Jun’s gaze wandered, and his heart began pounding wildly.

Afraid that Gu Qing might discover his sordid desire to enjoy the love of both women, he carefully examined Ling Yu. After confirming that she was unharmed, he turned and furiously berated the tactless senior managers who had recklessly crowded around him.

Gu Qing’s faint, cool fragrance entered Ling Yu’s nose, dispersing the overwhelming mixture of masculine scents.

The nausea in Ling Yu’s stomach subsided.

She tilted her head, rubbed against Gu Qing’s shoulder, and inhaled again.

Thinking about how Gu Qing had just rescued her, the corners of Ling Yu’s lips rose. She leaned close to Gu Qing’s ear and whispered, “Why did you catch me? Hmm…?”

Gu Qing lowered her eyes.

Her gaze stopped on Ling Yu’s glossy lips and remained there for three full seconds before she seemingly moved it away with casual indifference.

“Did I have a choice?”

Gu Qing’s voice was extremely low. Beneath her cold, composed exterior, she appeared to be desperately suppressing a restlessness on the verge of emerging.

The emotion made her blue eyes look as though they had been coated in fresh lacquer.

Ling Yu innocently shrugged, utterly disregarding the threat in Gu Qing’s eyes.

Fearlessly courting death, she wrapped an arm around Gu Qing’s shoulder and pressed most of her weight against her.

Her hand rested against Gu Qing’s satin-smooth back. Her fingers slowly caressed the delicate contours of the woman’s shoulder blades.

Gu Qing’s spine became rigid once more.

Ling Yu curved her lips, amusement spreading through her eyes.

008 anxiously warned her:

[Host, what exactly are you trying to do? You keep provoking the female lead again and again. Do you understand that she’s an unhinged lunatic who wants to destroy the world and could become violent at any moment? Completing the mission is certainly important, but your personal safety should also come first.]

Ling Yu lowered her eyes and slowly hummed.

Originally, she merely needed to devote herself wholeheartedly to Gu Qing and reform her through love, making her abandon her desire to destroy the world. Then her mission would be complete.

However, Gu Qing was cold and heartless. She had already lost the last trace of empathy within her.

No one’s reflection could be seen within those beautiful phoenix eyes.

Ling Yu had spent two months trying to win her over.

Frankly, her patience had run out.

Ling Yu herself had always been exceptionally arrogant. If she continued pretending and suppressing herself, all her true emotions would eventually burst through the garbage bag she had stuffed them into.

[Don’t worry.]

Ling Yu smiled.

[Gu Qing lusts after my body…]

At the same moment, Gu Qing’s cool breath brushed beside her ear.

“Even if I hadn’t caught you, Li Jun would have. Or were you hoping he would catch you?”

Ling Yu raised her eyelids.

Gu Qing lifted her chin toward Li Jun in the distance, then patted Ling Yu’s shoulder.

“Ling Yu, you’re a young woman. Stop constantly throwing yourself into people’s arms with such an obvious motive. We’re all adults. Everyone understands what you’re doing. Show yourself some respect.”

Her tone was casual.

Then she casually looked away.

Ling Yu could not deny that she felt humiliated at that moment.

She watched as Gu Qing coldly removed her troublesome fingers before mercilessly pushing her away yet again.

A furious, intrigued smile lingered at the corners of Ling Yu’s lips.

When she raised her face, however, her expression had already changed into one of deep hurt.

After spending two months together, Ling Yu knew precisely where Gu Qing’s boundaries lay.

“Does liking you mean I have no self-respect?”

Ling Yu stood delicately within the shadows. Tears shimmered in her clear black-and-white eyes, while her lashes fluttered rapidly, yet not a single tear fell.

Ling Yu usually cried so easily in front of Gu Qing. Now, with tears suspended in her eyes but refusing to fall, she resembled a cotton-rose hibiscus growing at the edge of a cliff, fearlessly enduring the wind and frost.

The sight made one’s heart ache.

Gu Qing’s pale lips pressed into a straight line. The fingers concealed beside her body dug into her palm.

Her lips moved, but ultimately, she said nothing.

Instead, she turned away with unusual discomposure.

“Notify every department. We’ll hold a meeting in the second-floor conference room in ten minutes.”

With a frigid expression, Gu Qing delivered the indisputable order to Cai Dong and the others.

Over the past two years, Gu Qing had gradually become the core of the law firm’s team. Her word had always been final.

Even with Li Jun present, he still had to show consideration toward Gu Qing, who had already secured her position within the legal profession.

More importantly, she was the unattainable white moonlight he secretly loved.

Li Jun cautiously glanced at Gu Qing’s businesslike expression. After coughing lightly, he kicked the HR director beside him.

“Didn’t you hear Attorney Gu?”

The HR director hardly dared breathe. She repeatedly nodded to the two senior bosses, then turned and hurried away.

After giving her instructions, Gu Qing turned and strode toward the exit in her high heels.

However, when she reached the doorway, her footsteps abruptly stopped.

Li Jun’s voice sounded behind her.

“Yuyu, why are you here? I haven’t seen you in several years. Have you been well?”

“I came for an interview.”

Ling Yu stepped back and looked at Li Jun from beneath lowered eyelids.

“Has your illness been cured? You were able to return home so soon?”

Having his hidden condition exposed made Li Jun tug unnaturally at his lips.

He was even more afraid than Ling Yu that others might discover their history together.

More importantly, his psychological condition had not been cured before his return. He remained unable to stop loving two women simultaneously.

In truth, he did not want to change.

Before returning home, Li Jun had already made his decision.

Since he could not forget either of them, he might as well enjoy the love of both.

Therefore, Ling Yu and Gu Qing could not learn about one another’s existence.

Ling Yu was less concerning. She had always been open-minded and easy to negotiate with.

Gu Qing was an entirely different matter.

Li Jun had suffered an enormous emotional setback because of her, leaving him with a lifelong psychological shadow.

As a result, he loved her—and feared her.

Li Jun secretly glanced at Gu Qing several times. After confirming that she had not turned around, he lowered his voice and asked, “An interview? What kind of interview?”

Ling Yu had little patience to continue chatting with him.

She tilted her head toward the group of senior managers behind him and considered her answer.

“Archival intern…”

After speaking, Ling Yu helplessly tugged at the corners of her lips.

“Your company’s HR department rejected me just now…”

“I thought it was something serious.”

Li Jun laughed.

Although he could not understand why a wealthy young lady of Ling Yu’s status wanted to intern at a law firm, this was an opportunity to show off before a beautiful woman and make Ling Yu owe him a favor.

Naturally, Li Jun was happy to help.

He raised his head and cautiously glanced toward Gu Qing at the doorway, assuming she had stopped to wait for him.

Romantic delight suffused Li Jun’s features. He laughed brightly, then turned toward Cai Dong.

“Department Head Cai, please retrieve Ling Yu’s application. She’s hired.”

Cai Dong first looked toward the doorway. When Gu Qing said nothing, he smiled and nodded.

“Yes, of course.”

“Yuyu, you don’t have anything planned for lunch today, do you? Would you have a meal with me? I know that back then—”

Li Jun lowered his voice significantly, but Gu Qing, standing at the doorway, still heard him clearly.

Ling Yu felt the woman’s gaze stabbing into her back.

She scoffed and interrupted Li Jun carelessly.

“Sure.”

Li Jun made a surprised sound.

“You agreed that easily?”

Ling Yu rewarded him with an exceptionally gentle smile.

“Consider me the sort of shameless woman who has no self-respect, throws herself into people’s arms, and will do anything to achieve her goals…”

Her words were clearly directed at someone else.

Gu Qing stood at the doorway, her expression dark.

She endured it for a moment before restrainedly sweeping her long curls behind her and striding away.

Yet when lunchtime arrived and Ling Yu met Li Jun for their meal, Gu Qing appeared again.

“Would you mind adding another person?”

Li Jun looked awkwardly toward Ling Yu.

“I would mind quite a lot,” Ling Yu replied.

Gu Qing met her gaze.

Their eyes locked, and Gu Qing suddenly curved her lips.

Without saying anything, she turned aside and handed a stack of documents to Li Jun.

“There are certain matters concerning Jiang Wei’s case that aren’t convenient to discuss at the firm…”

Li Jun froze, then his eyes brightened.

“Xiao Qing, have you already thought of a solution?”

Gu Qing nodded. Her sharp gaze swept toward Ling Yu.

“My recording pen is the solution. Would you mind having lunch together?”

“What would you like to eat?” Li Jun counted the options on his fingers. “French cuisine? Japanese cuisine…”

Ling Yu had assumed Gu Qing did not care. Unexpectedly, Gu Qing suddenly tilted her head toward her.

“The homemade lunch you delivered last time—which restaurant did you order it from?”

Ling Yu scoffed and answered decisively, “I made it myself.”

Gu Qing fell silent for a moment before calmly responding, “It tasted very similar to Shiwei’s food.”

Ling Yu shamelessly replied, “Thank you for the compliment. My cooking skills are merely average.”

Gu Qing looked at her arrogant expression, amusement spreading through her eyes. The corners of her pale lips formed the faintest curve.

“The lunch box you brought last time had Shiwei Restaurant’s logo on it, so I mistakenly assumed you had ordered takeaway. My apologies…”

008 burst into laughter.

[That’s so embarrassing! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!]

Ling Yu stared unwaveringly at Gu Qing’s flawless, radiant face and sneered.

[What the fuck are you laughing at?]