Pretending To Be Affectionate [Transmigration] - Chapter 14

The rest of the lunch went by without Gu Qing saying another word to Ling Yu. Ling Yu was happy with the peace and quiet and chatted with 008.

[I think you should explain everything to the protagonist immediately. You have nothing to do with Li Jun; you only like Gu Qing,] said 008.

Ling Yu responded lazily, [Do you think Gu Qing would believe me?] As a “no-romance” protagonist, Gu Qing was careful and observant. Li Jun’s liking for Ling Yu was so obvious. The more she tried to explain, the more it would seem like she was hiding something.

008 let out a sigh and sounded dejected. [But you can’t let the protagonist continue to misunderstand you! It took so much effort to get close to her… you can’t throw it all away for a man…]

Ling Yu laughed softly. [Don’t worry.]

Li Jun leaned over with a pair of serving chopsticks and picked up a sweet and sour pork rib. “Yu Yu, I remember you like sweet things. Try this…”

Ling Yu gave a noncommittal response. She glanced at Gu Qing from the corner of her eye. The woman’s plate had the same kind of ribs on it. He was giving them both his attention. Li Jun was still the same Li Jun. Even after two years of treatment, he hadn’t changed at all, still dreaming of having both women and showing it in his eyes. She wondered if he would still be so affectionate and serve her food like this when he found out she was his love rival.

The smile on Ling Yu’s face grew wider. She watched as Li Jun’s chopsticks reached the edge of the dish. Ling Yu was quick and picked up her bowl, avoiding his descending chopsticks.

“Don’t you like it?” Li Jun looked a little embarrassed. He said with a forced smile, “What do you like? I’ll get it for you.”

“Don’t do that,” Ling Yu interrupted him. She raised her chin toward Gu Qing with a half-smile, saying meaningfully, “Young Master Li, it’s been two years. I thought you would have let me go.”

Li Jun’s pursuit of Ling Yu back then was relentless. He used various tracking methods and was extremely controlling. Not to mention serving her food, he would even try to hug her from behind while they were walking. When Ling Yu finally got fed up, she publicly exposed his mental illness report. Since they had met today, Ling Yu had been nice to him, which made Li Jun forget about her unpredictable nature.

Now, her smiling mention of two years ago rang an alarm bell for Li Jun. If he continued, with Ling Yu’s old temper, she would mercilessly expose him in front of Gu Qing. Thinking about this, Li Jun’s face turned pale. He awkwardly looked away, slumped back into his chair, and managed to compose himself. When he looked up, Gu Qing had her head up. The original color of the deep sea filled her blue eyes as she stared at him with an inquiring look. When she saw him looking back at her, her pale lips curled into a slight smile, revealing a row of frighteningly white teeth.

For a moment, Li Jun felt a murderous intent spread from his tailbone. He looked at her in shock, but Gu Qing had already nonchalantly looked away. She put down her chopsticks and wiped her lips. She raised her wrist and glanced at her watch.

“You have ten minutes to talk about the case.” Her patience was gone. She went straight to the point. “How far does the Jiang family want me to resolve the Jiang Wei case?”

The topic changed too quickly. Li Jun was stunned for a moment, then he forgot about the murderous intent. His expression became serious, and he blurted out, “An acquittal.”

Hearing this, Gu Qing didn’t say anything immediately. She gave him a strange look, then a hint of a cold smile appeared on her lips. “You guys sure dream big…”

The Jiang Wei case had been a hot topic online for two months. The evidence in the hands of the victim’s family was enough to convict him. Following the normal legal process, his crime of rape and causing the death of the victim’s daughter would at least be a life sentence. Gu Qing wouldn’t normally even spare such a case a second glance. But…

“I know it’s difficult, but you’re the only one who can calm the public’s anger,” Li Jun praised her. “The Jiang family said money isn’t an issue.”

Li Jun secretly looked at Gu Qing and saw that she was unmoved. He steeled himself and said painfully, “If you can help us with this, the ten-year employment contract you signed with Kaihe Law Firm will be void. Please, Xiao Qing, help me out for old times’ sake.”

Li Jun’s tone was almost pleading. He and Jiang Wei were not on the same side, but for the sake of his family’s interests, he had to do this, even if it meant giving Gu Qing her freedom. The Li family’s foreign trade business had been facing obstacles in recent years. They finally had the opportunity to be approached by Jiang Bochuan himself to help with something. The other party promised that if they helped resolve Jiang Wei’s mess, the Li family would become friends with the Jiang family of Hong Kong. That was why Li Jun was called back to the country by Li Kai. Only he could appeal to Gu Qing’s emotions and ensure a flawless outcome for the Jiang Wei case.

Gu Qing lowered her eyes and was silent for a long time. Just as Li Jun thought she was going to refuse, Gu Qing pursed her lips and said plainly, “Add another billion.”

[Holy crap…]

[Why is Gu Qing like this? She’s the protagonist of this world. Why is her morality so twisted?]

[Is the plot and character development starting to fall apart here? Is it collapsing?]

…

008 started babbling endlessly like a crying monster. After a full minute of rambling, it saw that Ling Yu had remained silent the entire time. It suppressed its fear, tried to calm itself down, and asked, [Host, why aren’t you saying anything?]

Ling Yu poked a vegetable leaf in her bowl and said lazily, [Did you give me a chance to talk?]

[…] 008 laughed awkwardly. [Sorry, I thought you were scared…]

[Why would I be scared?] Ling Yu said calmly and dismissively. [Is Gu Qing committing murder or arson right now?]

The system said, [No, she’s not.]

Ling Yu shrugged. [See? She’s not doing anything.]

[…But I just feel like you’re not in a good mood,] 008 said. After a moment of silence, it dared to argue, [Actually, anyone would be worried about their own safety if they knew the protagonist had this kind of personality. Host, it’s okay. Just say it. We can stick together…]

Ling Yu was amused. […I am a little worried.]

[I knew it,] said 008. [Host, tell me what you’re worried about.]

Ling Yu smiled. [An ex.]

[Babe, I think I’ve run into another ex.]

008’s smile froze.

Ling Yu continued, [You probably don’t know who he is. I just remembered. Jiang Wei.]

008 was speechless. This damn ex-boyfriend. Ling Yu hadn’t remembered who Jiang Wei was before because she didn’t remember the name of every ex. Jiang Wei was the only son of Jiang Bochuan, a major figure in the Hong Kong foreign trade industry. Back then, Ling Taiguo, being stubborn, had arranged a blind date for her, and she had spent a week with Young Master Jiang. As for why they broke up, it was because Jiang Wei was an S&M enthusiast.

The last time they met, that pervert Jiang Wei locked her in his private darkroom. Of course, a strong and pure woman like Ling Yu could easily take down a monster. She knocked him to the ground. Ling Yu was furious. She had always believed in not messing with people who didn’t mess with her. Seeing the photos of all the victims in the darkroom, Ling Yu put on a pair of rubber gloves and used all the tools in the darkroom on Jiang Wei. That night, Jiang Wei was both excited and ecstatic, screaming so loudly that he attracted Jiang Bochuan. As a result, Ling Yu was forcibly driven out of Hong Kong.

It was said that for a while, Jiang Wei went crazy looking for her, but Jiang Bochuan personally confiscated his passport to make him stop. Gu Qing helping Jiang Wei with his case meant that Jiang Wei, as the client, would be coming to the law firm. Once they met, revenge would be a matter of time. Ling Yu couldn’t help but frown. After thinking about it for a moment, she looked up at Gu Qing, trying to awaken a sliver of conscience in her. “Sister, won’t taking on a case that’s already a sure thing affect your personal reputation?”

“What? Are you scared?” Gu Qing retorted. Her deep blue pupils were hidden in the light. Her delicate oval face had a cold, sickly pallor. She seemed to have expected Ling Yu’s reaction and let out a soft snort. With a noble and aloof expression, she looked at Ling Yu and said disdainfully, “I’ve told you before, stay away from me, little girl. I’m not a good person.”

Little girl?

Ling Yu was angered by Gu Qing’s contemptuous term. She smiled absurdly, finally noticing that something wasn’t right. According to normal practice, a third party shouldn’t be present when Gu Qing and Li Jun discussed a case. Not to mention a case like Jiang Wei’s, where he had no morals. Yet, Gu Qing brought up the case in front of her.

Ling Yu had been curious about Gu Qing’s strange behavior today. It turned out that the main event was here. From the beginning, Gu Qing’s goal was to show Ling Yu her ruthless side and scare her away. As expected of Lawyer Gu, who was known for her meticulousness, she could kill without spilling blood. No one was better at exploiting a person’s fragile psyche. She would trample on her weakest moral boundaries and break down the bloody truth for her to see. She would quietly crush any “little girl’s” admiration for her.

But unfortunately, Ling Yu was not a “little girl.” And she was offended by the term. Holding back the urge to hit her, Ling Yu took off her high heels. Using the table as a cover, she lifted her foot and nudged Gu Qing’s skirt.

“Sister,” Ling Yu said, her eyelashes fluttering. Her cherry-red lips curled into a shy smile. “I’m an adult.”

As she spoke, her toes climbed higher. Gu Qing’s expression froze. Her usually cold, angelic face couldn’t hold up and cracked. She put both hands on the table and stood up with a rustle.

Li Jun next to them looked over in surprise. “What’s wrong?”

Gu Qing’s eyes, filled with the scent of seaweed, stared at Ling Yu. This was a sign that she was furious. Ling Yu fearlessly met her gaze with a smile. She took a sip of warm water, pretending to be clueless. “Why are you standing? Hurry up and eat.”

Ling Yu’s toes slid down the woman’s thighs. This action once again completely enraged the woman. A cold haze filled her eyes, and her gloomy gaze enveloped Ling Yu’s face. Ling Yu met her defiant stare, with “You said I wasn’t an adult, so I’ll show you” written all over her face.

Gu Qing clearly understood Ling Yu’s brazen retaliation. She squeezed out a vague, hoarse, and absurd sound from her throat. Her chest heaved, and she kicked Ling Yu’s foot away. Gu Qing pulled the chair away with a screech. She stepped over the chair and walked away.

Meanwhile, Li Jun felt the temperature around him drop. He looked at Ling Yu as if he had sensed something, and she returned his gaze with a puzzled look. He then stammered to Gu Qing, “Is the chair unstable? Waiter…”

“Don’t bother,” Gu Qing interrupted him. She tucked her long, curled hair behind her ear, her hair neatly covering her face. She glanced at her watch and said flatly, “I have to go… I’ll take my leave first.”

She hadn’t finished her sentence when Gu Qing caught a glimpse of Li Jun’s fawning face. She changed the subject. “You…”

“Come back to the firm with me.”

Li Jun didn’t know about the interaction under the table. He nodded unsuspectingly, then looked at Ling Yu with hesitation. “Yu Yu, I’m sorry. I have to go with Lawyer Gu.”

Ling Yu saw Li Jun awkwardly shrink his neck. His face was filled with a loving smile, and he was trying to please both of them. It was a pathetic and ridiculous sight. Looking at him was like looking at a green meadow. Ling Yu looked at him with pity. She then smiled and made a gesture for him to go. “It’s fine. I’ll go back by myself.”

When she looked up again, Gu Qing had already reached the door. She had given her coat to Ling Yu, so she was only wearing a thin undershirt. Her face, as cold as ice, was now a light shade of red in the wind and snow. She was as beautiful as an autumn chrysanthemum or a spring pine. She was so beautiful she seemed otherworldly. Her two long, straight legs stood in the snow, perfect in their proportions. This made a person want to see the beauty of her legs folded as she knelt. Ling Yu’s gaze lingered on her slender legs for a moment.

“Your face is red again. Are you getting a fever? No, it’s too cold outside. Wear my coat.” Li Jun said, reaching to unbutton his coat. The next second, Gu Qing took a step away, took out a cigarette from her bag, and put it in her mouth.

“It’s been years, and you still talk so much nonsense.” Disgust flashed in her eyes. She then walked into the wind and snow with her long, straight legs.

Ling Yu was stunned for a moment, then she let out a soft laugh. She looked back and sent a text message to Gu Qing. “Sister, did you like it when I acted that way?”