Pretending To Be Affectionate [Transmigration] - Chapter 26

When Ling Yu returned to the old residence, the housekeeper had not yet left, probably because Xu Miao had instructed her to stay.

Auntie Wang had prepared several healthy snacks at short notice and left nourishing soup simmering on the stove.

The white and green snacks were arranged across the dining table, still steaming.

Ling Yu ordinarily avoided eating heavily after nine at night.

She had been staying at the Xu family’s old residence for some time, so Auntie Wang knew her habits. Every snack on the table was light, and the soup simmering on the stove had been prepared for its health benefits.

Ling Yu glanced at the shabby insulated lunch box in her hand, then looked toward the delicate snacks on the table.

Compared with Auntie Wang’s cooking, Ling Yu had very little confidence in the food Gu Qing had casually thrown at her.

She tossed the lunch box onto the table, thanked Auntie Wang, and went to take a shower.

When Ling Yu returned, several exquisite dishes had appeared on the table.

She glanced over them.

Small porcelain plates with lotus-leaf-shaped rims held sweet-and-sour spare ribs, cabbage with chestnuts, and stuffed tofu.

The portions were small, precisely enough for one person. Their colors looked exceptionally appetizing.

The moment their fragrance entered her nose, Ling Yu suddenly realized she was genuinely hungry.

She picked up her bowl and chopsticks, selected a caramel-glazed spare rib, and began eating unhurriedly.

She had intended only to sample the food.

Unexpectedly, the flavor suited her tastes perfectly.

When Ling Yu finished, Auntie Wang emerged from the kitchen.

She looked at the empty plates, and the smile gathering on her face suddenly stiffened.

Ling Yu noticed nothing unusual and praised her generously.

“Auntie Wang, I never realized that you weren’t only talented at making snacks. Your home cooking has improved tremendously too.”

Standing nearby, Auntie Wang became even more embarrassed.

Her lips moved before she hurriedly explained, “Miss Ling, I didn’t make that food.”

She produced the freshly washed lunch box from behind her and handed it to Ling Yu.

“Here. Those were the dishes you brought home yourself.”

Ling Yu raised her eyelids.

“What?”

Auntie Wang was from the north. Whenever she spoke quickly, traces of her local accent emerged.

Assuming Ling Yu had failed to understand her, she took a deep breath and repeated:

“I prepared only the snacks. The remaining dishes were all inside the lunch box you brought home.”

Ling Yu did not continue questioning her.

She lowered her eyes and stared at the shabby lunch box beside her. Auntie Wang had washed away every trace of oil.

Perhaps because it had recently been heated, a thin layer of mist covered its transparent sides.

It did not look quite as old and damaged as Ling Yu had imagined.

Seeing Ling Yu staring blankly at the insulated container, Auntie Wang looked uneasy.

“Miss Ling, if you enjoy this style of home cooking, could you tell me which of your friends prepared it? I can learn from them and make it for you every night in the future.”

Ling Yu could not answer immediately.

Instead, she asked, “How can you be certain it wasn’t ordered from a restaurant?”

Ling Yu frequently ordered takeaway herself.

The dishes inside the lunch box Gu Qing gave her were among the most delicious home-style foods she had tasted.

Auntie Wang patiently explained with the confidence of someone experienced.

“Restaurant dishes contain a great deal of oil and salt. To make the colors more attractive, the cooks usually thicken the sauce with starch before serving.”

“Miss, the food you brought back was definitely homemade.”

Ling Yu froze, and her expression became somewhat dazed.

What possible reason would Gu Qing have for giving her food she had personally cooked?

That woman had always avoided Ling Yu as though she were filth. Whenever Ling Yu approached, Gu Qing practically became ready for battle and looked as though she wanted to slap her to the floor.

What could she possibly want?

After imagining nonexistent affection so many times, Ling Yu still did not entirely believe Auntie Wang’s confident conclusion.

She responded perfunctorily, took out her phone, and sent a message to “Kaihe Law Firm Gu.”

Yuyu: [Thank you for tonight’s dinner. It didn’t look particularly appetizing. Sorry, but I threw it into the trash.]

The other person did not respond for a long time.

Ling Yu did not take it seriously.

After washing up, she went online and checked the academic paper she had recently published overseas.

Just before she went to sleep, Gu Qing finally replied.

Kaihe Law Firm Gu: [Oh.]

Ling Yu narrowed her eyes and insincerely asked:

[You aren’t angry?]

This time, two messages arrived quickly.

Kaihe Law Firm Gu: [?]

Kaihe Law Firm Gu: [Assistant Wang ordered it from a restaurant. I threw it at you, so what you do with it has nothing to do with me.]

The smile on Ling Yu’s lips deepened, though it did not reach her eyes.

[Is that so? But it tasted homemade. (⊙o⊙) Wow! Gu Qing, has lying become this competitive now?]

The other side remained silent for ten full seconds.

Just as Ling Yu assumed Gu Qing would not answer, her phone suddenly rang.

Gu Qing was smoking. A slim cigarette seemed to be held between her lips, making her speech slightly indistinct.

Her voice was somewhat hoarse.

“Ling Yu.”

“Hmm?”

“Was it delicious?” Gu Qing asked. “The food.”

Late at night, separated by the phone connection, Gu Qing’s voice was exceptionally low.

She enunciated every word slowly, each syllable emerging from deep within her throat like an electric current.

It sounded extraordinarily seductive.

Ling Yu raised an eyebrow.

“Want to know?”

Faint noises came from the other end of the call. Loud punk music traveled through the receiver.

Even Gu Qing’s breathing seemed covered in shifting, multicolored light.

Several seconds passed before she answered.

She spoke more slowly than usual. There was less confrontation in her tone, though it could not be described as gentle.

“Since you retrieved the discarded lunch box and tasted the food, there’s no need to apologize. I’ll thank Assistant Wang on your behalf when I go to work tomorrow.”

Mocking amusement entered Gu Qing’s voice.

After speaking, she laughed softly and coldly.

The small trace of curiosity Gu Qing had finally awakened within Ling Yu was completely destroyed.

Ling Yu glanced at the phone screen and scoffed.

“What the fuck are you laughing at?”

In the next second, Gu Qing ended the call without explanation.

Why had she called in the middle of the night?

Was there something seriously wrong with her?

Ling Yu’s anger lodged in her chest, unable to rise or fall.

The phone’s glow reflected in her eyes, creating an intimidating darkness.

She was about to call Gu Qing back and demand an explanation when another message appeared.

“Yuyu, I’ve arrived in Yuncheng. Have you been well?”

Sender: Fang Jia.

Ling Yu’s gaze froze.

She stared at the sender’s name for three additional seconds.

Then she reopened the conversation and typed several words.

“Why did you come to Yuncheng?”

Fang Jia swiftly replied:

“Baby, I missed you. I missed you terribly.”

Ling Yu closed her eyes.

“Aunt Fang, could you stop behaving this way? I remember rejecting you very decisively. We aren’t suitable for each other.”

“Yuyu, speak to me properly.”

“You rejected me because you said you didn’t like women.”

“If I lost because of my sex, then I had nothing more to say. But Yu Xin recently told me that you do like women.”

“If that person isn’t me, then who is she?”

Ling Yu looked at the string of interrogating messages and rubbed her aching head.

She swiftly replied with a single word:

“Lunatic.”

After sending it, she hesitated while looking at Fang Jia’s number.

Remembering the woman’s refusal to give up, Ling Yu blocked her without further consideration.

008 cautiously asked:

[Host…don’t tell me this woman is also your…]

Ling Yu anticipated what it intended to say and decisively interrupted.

[She isn’t.]

008 released a breath of relief and laughed.

[Ha ha! I didn’t think so either. I understand you. No matter how much of a player you are, you would never harm a gentle woman. Who was that person? Your friend? Best friend? An aunt?]

“How should I explain this? I used to think she was.”

008 made a confused sound.

Ling Yu expressionlessly turned off her phone, her foxlike eyes half-lowered.

“Fang Jia is the president of the Fang family’s jewelry empire in Jiangcheng. She gained control of the family business at only thirty-five.”

“When I met her three years ago, Ling Taiguo was forcing me to attend a blind date with her nephew, Fang Shu. But less than a month later, she personally destroyed our relationship.”

008 opened its mouth in astonishment.

“Something like that happened? Why?”

Ling Yu tugged at the corners of her lips.

“Two months ago, I assumed she had realized I had no interest in an arranged marriage and had conveniently helped me solve the problem.”

“But later… Oh, right. Before I came to Yuncheng, Fang Jia confessed to me.”

008 went numb.

What the hell? This was outrageous.

The aunt had stolen her nephew’s prospective bride.

Why did this feel so outrageous?

Completely outrageous.

Utterly absurd.

As though Ling Yu’s extensive romantic history were not already enough, she had also become entangled with a powerful and influential woman…

008 was so shocked and angry that it nearly fainted.

Ling Yu’s insincere reassurance sounded beside its ear.

“Relax. It isn’t a serious problem. Don’t take it too deeply to heart.”

008 closed its eyes, laughed bitterly, and shut its mouth.

Its host always told it not to take things seriously.

Every single time, they ended up trapped in another romantic battlefield.

Even its mind had gone numb.

At Canghai Club—

Fang Jia threw down her phone and nudged Gu Qing, who sat immovably beside her, with one slender leg.

The cold, beautiful woman had lowered her head and was staring at a WeChat conversation.

She had maintained that posture for quite some time.

Perhaps because she had been drinking, her cheeks were no longer covered in their usual frost.

A slim cigarette rested between her lips. Smoke curled around her cold, exquisite features, making her resemble a fallen false immortal.

When Gu Qing remained motionless, Fang Jia clicked her tongue and took advantage of the situation to lean closer.

“Who are you chatting with?”

A shadow suddenly approached from beside her.

As though she possessed eyes on the back of her head, Gu Qing withdrew her fair wrist and leaned away.

Her long, straight leg abruptly extended, nudging Fang Jia’s heel.

Then her phoenix eyes slanted toward Fang Jia with an unmistakable warning.

Punk music thundered before them.

It was already late, and most of Canghai Club’s customers had nearly finished drinking.

Lights swayed across the dance floor, covering Fang Jia’s face with a drunken flush.

She swept her shoulder-length hair behind her ears and prepared to mock Gu Qing.

Another graceful figure approached their booth.

Fang Jia had already lost count of how many women had come to flirt with Gu Qing that night.

The approaching woman possessed excellent bearing, with a slender neck and narrow waist. She carried a glass of red wine as she walked elegantly toward them.

Fang Jia glanced at Gu Qing.

“Enough. What’s the point of staring at your WeChat conversation? Time to work. Look—the woman behind you was obviously lured over by you.”

Gu Qing pulled out a tissue and glanced indifferently at Fang Jia.

Then she looked back at the beautiful woman and silently formed several words with her lips:

“I’m straight.”

The graceful woman met Gu Qing’s cold gaze from three meters away.

A moment later, she admitted defeat. Her footsteps stopped, and her previously eager expression collapsed.

She had approached enthusiastically and returned in disappointment.

Fang Jia clicked her tongue and laughed without sparing Gu Qing’s dignity.

The fine lines around her eyes did not make her appear old. Instead, they gave her the accumulated elegance of a mature woman.

“What is wrong with you? So many beautiful women have approached you, yet you insist on staring at your phone without moving.”

Gu Qing gave a faint response.

“I don’t like women.”

Fang Jia’s smile stiffened.

The words reminded her of the little thing who had just blocked her.

She had protected Ling Yu for years, only for everything to end without beginning because her confession frightened the woman away.

Fang Jia unhappily stared at the dark liquor before her, its surface covered in shifting light.

“Don’t speak so absolutely. When a woman doesn’t like men, there are usually only two possibilities.”

Gu Qing extinguished her cigarette and took a sip of liquor.

Seeing her lack of interest, Fang Jia had not intended to continue.

Unexpectedly, Gu Qing set down her glass and asked:

“Hmm?”

Fang Jia froze.

She suspiciously examined Gu Qing before casually answering, “Either she’s sexually dysfunctional, or her orientation has already bent into the shape of a mosquito coil.”

Fang Jia’s tone changed as she leaned closer and smiled suggestively.

“Honestly, Gu Qing, you look exceptionally gay. If you don’t believe me, I could help you test it…”

Fang Jia and Gu Qing had known each other for three years, and their relationship was relatively good.

When the Fang corporation’s legal-consulting team encountered a problem, Gu Qing, who was only in the first year of her master’s program, had provided Fang Jia with tremendous assistance.

One lived in Jiangcheng and the other in Yuncheng.

However, their personalities were compatible. Both had reached the summit of their respective fields, creating a mutual appreciation between talented equals.

Fang Jia had always been attracted to women.

When she first met Gu Qing, she had briefly considered keeping her as a lover.

After getting to know her, however, she discovered that similar people sometimes repelled each other.

Frankly, Fang Jia considered Gu Qing the leading representative of the Forever-Alone Homophobia Sect.

Therefore, she never made a move on her.

Instead, their mutual admiration for each other’s abilities turned them into close friends.

Gu Qing had never wasted words.

Under ordinary circumstances, she would never respond to Fang Jia’s teasing.

Fang Jia lowered her eyes toward the phone beside Gu Qing’s hand and remembered the complicated softness that had appeared on her face.

Women were always most capable of recognizing changes in other women.

Understanding dawned, and Fang Jia curved her lips.

She casually refilled Gu Qing’s empty glass.

“What? Have you fallen for someone?”

Gu Qing laughed incredulously.

“You’re imagining things.”

She calmly picked up the glass before her and lightly swirled it toward Fang Jia.

“Sister Fang, come. Have a drink.”

Gu Qing had organized the gathering that night, but she spoke very little.

Most of the time, Fang Jia had been the one encouraging her to drink while chattering endlessly.

Now that Gu Qing voluntarily proposed a toast, Fang Jia naturally gave her the courtesy of accepting.

She tilted her head and took a sip.

Perhaps she had genuinely drunk too much.

When she looked at Gu Qing, bitterness could not be concealed in her eyes.

“If there is someone, hurry up and win her over. Don’t end up like me. I protected that little thing for three years, yet just as I was preparing to harvest the fruit, she escaped…”

Gu Qing glanced sideways and silently handed Fang Jia a cigarette.

“The little treasure you met two years ago?”

Fang Jia nodded and tossed her shoulder-length hair.

Even with a cigarette between her fingers, she did not appear vulgar.

After elegantly exhaling smoke for a while, she smiled bitterly.

“Back then, I kept thinking she was too young. I wanted to wait until she grew up. But after waiting and waiting…”

Fang Jia threw away the wineglass in her hand.

“Look. She slipped right out of my grasp!”

Gu Qing leaned against the back of the sofa and slowly moved the glass between her cold, fair fingers.

She raised her lashes and glanced toward Fang Jia, whose mood had visibly declined.

After accompanying her for another two or three drinks, Gu Qing set down her glass.

In truth, she was not particularly addicted to alcohol or cigarettes.

She had only been exceptionally irritated recently, so she occasionally indulged. Even then, she would never drink herself into numbness.

Fang Jia clearly intended to continue until she was completely drunk, but Gu Qing had no intention of accompanying her to the end.

When most of the alcohol on the table had been consumed, Gu Qing finally stood and seized Fang Jia’s arm.

“Stop drinking. She’s only a woman…”

A woman capable of upsetting Fang Jia this deeply?

Thoughtfulness appeared in Gu Qing’s eyes.

She changed the subject.

“What’s her name? Invite her out sometime. I’ll help you ask what she’s thinking.”

Fang Jia laughed in anger and patted Gu Qing’s shoulder.

“Forget it. You should deal with the disasters already in your own hands.”

At the mention of serious business, Gu Qing noticed Fang Jia had finally put down her glass.

She asked, “Sister Fang, how many people can you lend me?”

“How many do you need?”

Gu Qing raised two fingers.

Fang Jia patted her chest confidently.

“Fine. I can easily provide two people. I’ll send them over tomorrow.”

Gu Qing interrupted her.

“No. I need twenty.”

Fang Jia raised her head.

“What? Why do you need so many bodyguards?”

Gu Qing’s fingers tapped irregularly against the table.

She lifted her chin toward Li Juan, who was moving seductively across the dance floor.

“To protect her.”

Hesitation appeared in Fang Jia’s eyes.

“Who is she?”

Fragments of light fell into Gu Qing’s deep eyes, giving them a shifting, iridescent glow.

She answered faintly:

“The witness who reversed the situation in Jiang Wei’s case.”

The booth fell silent.

Fang Jia glanced worriedly at Gu Qing.

“You…offended Jiang Bochuan this severely. Have you considered what will happen after the case?”

Gu Qing laughed and gave no direct answer.

“Someone insists that Jiang Wei must go to prison. Personally, I think that punishment is far too gentle.”

“Jiang Wei certainly deserves to die, but there’s also no need for the Jiang family to continue existing…”

Fang Jia’s eyes widened in astonishment.

She did not understand who the “someone” Gu Qing mentioned was.

She was simply shocked that the ordinarily unempathetic Gu Qing had said something that directly conflicted with her financial interests.

Moreover, Gu Qing seemed to be planning an attack against the Jiang family itself.

Fang Jia was so stunned that she missed her best opportunity to ask further questions.

“Jiang Bochuan decided to hold his mainland investment event in Yuncheng. All of us came here out of respect.”

“But you probably don’t know that they’ve already selected their mainland business partner. It’s the Li family. As the Li family’s chief legal adviser, you’ll attend, won’t you?”

Gu Qing pushed her long curls aside and answered coldheartedly:

“No.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

Fang Jia removed the cigarette from her lips.

“I had planned to introduce you to my little treasure. There isn’t much difference between your ages.”

“You call me Sister, yet somehow she gets to call me Aunt. Tsk.”