Pretending To Be Affectionate [Transmigration] - Chapter 32

Ling Yu’s condition had gone far beyond simple drunkenness. Roughly an hour had passed since Li Juan drugged her.

The drug had already begun taking effect while she was still inside Jiang Wei’s room.

Ling Yu barely managed to support herself as she left Scenic View Hotel. A dense layer of fine perspiration soon covered her forehead.

Her body felt unbearably hot. Unconsciously, her fingers tugged at the coat draped around her shoulders.

But no matter how many times she pulled at it, she could not remove it.

A hand beside her tirelessly drew the windbreaker back around her shoulders each time.

After this happened several times, Ling Yu finally stopped resisting. She closed her eyes in exhaustion, rested her head in the hollow of Gu Qing’s shoulder, and murmured, “Thank you.”

Gu Qing’s footsteps faltered.

From beginning to end, her gaze never turned toward Ling Yu.

As though desperately suppressing something, she stared into the thick darkness of the night.

After a brief silence, she finally spoke. Ling Yu’s feverishly warm body was pressed against her side, and for once, a hint of disorder entered her ordinarily cold voice.

“Ling Yu, don’t fall asleep.”

Ling Yu’s eyelashes trembled upon hearing that. She tightened her grip around Gu Qing’s arm.

She waited a full ten seconds, but Gu Qing stopped walking.

Ling Yu felt helpless.

Was this really necessary? She merely wanted Gu Qing to take her somewhere safe.

The possibility that Gu Qing might once again stand aside and let her fend for herself made Ling Yu frown.

She had confronted Gu Qing too many times, and every time, the woman’s actions managed to astonish her.

Gu Qing seemed to possess an instinctive and profound aversion toward her.

Ling Yu did not doubt for a second that Gu Qing might abandon her outside the hotel right now.

In her present condition, she could not safely leave alone.

If Gu Qing truly intended to abandon her, even Ling Yu could not predict what would happen next.

Thinking of Gu Qing’s cold and heartless nature, Ling Yu narrowed her eyes and shamelessly pressed her entire softened body against her.

She raised one eyelid halfway. Because of the drug, a lush, glistening mist veiled her black-and-white eyes.

She spoke very slowly, every breath carrying feverish heat.

“Gu Qing, I’m a little sleepy.”

Gu Qing’s back stiffened slightly.

She neither agreed nor refused.

Ling Yu simply took her silence as consent.

Shamelessly closing her eyes, she endured the burning restlessness in her body and forced herself to sleep.

Despite the extreme discomfort, Ling Yu knew that sleeping through it was the only way to avoid making too much of a spectacle of herself.

The winter night wind was bitterly cold. Ling Yu wore nothing but her evening gown beneath Gu Qing’s windbreaker. The sections of skin still faintly exposed to the air quickly turned red from the cold.

Cold sweat continued seeping from her forehead, droplets running down the smooth contours of her pale face.

With her eyes closed, Ling Yu failed to notice that Gu Qing’s deep gaze had settled on her face from the moment she pleaded for help.

Gu Qing’s phoenix eyes were half-lidded. Her gaze slowly followed the bead of perspiration rolling down Ling Yu’s cheek.

It finally stopped on Ling Yu’s straight, slender neck.

Ling Yu’s skin was exceptionally fair and delicate.

The transparent droplet reflected the dim yellow streetlights as it rested atop a blue-green vein that pulsed beneath her skin.

Gu Qing’s eyes darkened.

She stared unwaveringly at Ling Yu’s vulnerable blood vessel, seemingly examining and evaluating it.

After watching for a long time, her thin lips suddenly curved strangely.

“Ling Yu, I’m the most dangerous person here.”

At those words, the supposedly sleeping Ling Yu lowered her head and nuzzled around until she found a comfortable place in Gu Qing’s arms.

Only then did she stop moving.

In the silent night, dim yellow light fell into Gu Qing’s quiet, lifeless eyes. She stood perfectly straight, her long, slender legs planted in the evening wind.

She remained motionless like a clock tower for an entire minute.

“I’ve told you not to come near me—many times.”

As though responding, Ling Yu frowned and wrapped her arms around Gu Qing’s waist.

“Mm. Be good, baby. Stop making noise.”

Ling Yu called her “baby” with such practiced ease that Gu Qing was reminded of her ability to attract admirers everywhere she went.

Standing in the cold wind, Gu Qing gave an incredulous laugh. She looked at Ling Yu as though staring at a suicidal mouse that had deliberately provoked her.

A dark-red light flashed through her profound eyes.

Following her instincts, she bent down, slid one arm beneath Ling Yu’s knees, and—with some effort—lifted her horizontally into her arms.

In the darkness, Gu Qing’s chestnut curls tangled with Ling Yu’s black hair, weaving together in a striking contrast of colors.

Ling Yu did not sleep well.

Her body alternated between burning heat and freezing cold.

She felt as though she had been immersed in sweat. Even breathing gradually became difficult.

The physical discomfort slowly dispersed her drowsiness.

When Ling Yu regained consciousness, before she could open her eyes, she felt something cold against her neck.

It resembled the point of a needle scraping across her carotid artery.

In the confined space, danger pressed closer.

008’s shrill alarm sounded inside her mind.

[Danger! Danger! The host’s life is under threat. Immediate evacuation is recommended.]

Ling Yu frowned.

[Stop shouting. You’re making my head hurt.]

[The female lead—she’s—she’s having an episode with you…]

008’s voice carried a sob.

[The system cannot guarantee your safety. Think of something and escape immediately!]

Its repeated warnings gave Ling Yu a headache. She interrupted impatiently:

[How am I supposed to escape?]

Ling Yu did not know where Jiang Wei had obtained the drug. After sleeping for a while, the heat inside her body had not subsided. Instead, it had grown increasingly intense.

Tonight, she had only two options: find someone to relieve her physical needs, or keep everyone away, submerge herself in cold water, and wait for her body to process the drug.

But her current circumstances clearly permitted neither.

Ling Yu raised her eyelids.

The first thing she saw was Gu Qing’s smooth, silken back. She was wearing champagne-colored ice-silk pajamas. The fabric had slipped down slightly, exposing her beautiful shoulder blades.

The light beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows was dim. Moonlight fell across her skin, revealing its unhealthy, icy pallor.

Ling Yu’s hands rested around Gu Qing’s waist.

The two women were lying face-to-face, embracing each other.

At such close range, Gu Qing’s cool fragrance entered Ling Yu’s nose, carrying a faint chill that slightly eased the burning heat inside her.

Gu Qing did not seem to notice that she was awake.

Her gaze remained fixed on Ling Yu’s carotid artery.

It was as though the pulse of life beating there excited her.

Ling Yu had initially assumed that Gu Qing’s needle would stab down as cruelly as Gu Ting had described.

In reality, Gu Qing was even more unhinged than she had imagined.

After staring at Ling Yu’s artery for a long time, Gu Qing finally managed to pull her gaze away.

Then she suddenly reached out, seized the hem of Ling Yu’s gown, and slowly unfastened the meager clasps holding it together.

The long gown was soon lowered to Ling Yu’s ankles.

Cold air spread across Ling Yu’s body, dispelling a fraction of the heat and returning some strength to her limbs.

Without revealing her intentions, Ling Yu bent one leg beneath the cover of darkness and quietly gathered her strength, preparing to resist at any moment.

But Gu Qing made no further move.

Second after second passed.

The woman breathed heavily, like a beautiful monster admiring its meal.

Sweat covered Ling Yu’s back, but because it was pressed against the sheets, Gu Qing did not notice it.

Yet every instinct in Ling Yu’s body repeatedly warned her of danger.

The room fell deathly silent.

Dark crimson filled Gu Qing’s eyes.

The needle in her hand descended beyond her control.

The tip drew a drop of blood.

At that instant, Gu Qing’s pupils contracted, and a trace of struggle flashed through her eyes.

She forcibly restrained her trembling hand and drove the needle into her own thigh instead.

Ling Yu heard a sharp snap.

The syringe that had been pressed against her neck broke into two pieces in Gu Qing’s hand.

Gu Qing was drenched in sweat. Unlike Ling Yu’s feverishly warm perspiration, hers was icy cold.

A droplet fell onto Ling Yu’s shoulder.

Ling Yu froze, shock passing through her eyes.

At the same moment, Gu Qing laboriously shifted her gaze away.

The unclothed body before her had a slender waist, long legs, and skin as pale and smooth as porcelain.

Every inch of Ling Yu’s body seemed to glow with pearlescent light. At that moment, it attracted Gu Qing even more powerfully than her neck had.

Excitement and struggle intertwined in Gu Qing’s eyes.

She closed them briefly, her fingers unconsciously pressing into the sheets. Then she suddenly touched Ling Yu’s unnaturally heated skin.

Suppressing her emotions, Gu Qing withdrew her gaze.

She reached for the phone beside the pillow and called Jiang Wei.

“What exactly did you give her?”

…

“Speak!”

…

“Jiang Wei, I’m suddenly beginning to regret something.”

…

“I should have made certain you could never produce children tonight.”

An obscure murderous intent clouded Gu Qing’s cold, beautiful eyes.

Ling Yu could not hear Jiang Wei’s answer, but she roughly understood her situation.

She was so hot that even if Gu Qing stabbed her to death with the syringe tonight, Ling Yu could only accept her fate.

What surprised her was that although she could sense every cell in Gu Qing’s body trembling with feverish excitement, Gu Qing had ultimately snapped the syringe.

While Ling Yu pondered suspiciously, Gu Qing suddenly released her.

The woman knelt on the bed and looked down at Ling Yu.

This time, her gaze was no longer confined to Ling Yu’s porcelain-smooth neck. Instead, it traveled across every feature of her face.

“I’m not interested in women,” Gu Qing said faintly.

It was impossible to tell whether she was trying to convince Ling Yu or herself.

Her deep-blue eyes carried their usual oceanic hue and initially showed little emotion.

But when her gaze swept over Ling Yu’s trembling eyelashes, Gu Qing’s expression stiffened.

Suppressing her emotions, she gave a cold snort.

“If you’re awake, say something.”

Expressionlessly, she covered Ling Yu with the quilt. After considering the matter for a moment, she said:

“If you want to find a man tonight, I can help you…”

Ling Yu laughed in anger and slowly opened her eyes.

Their gazes collided.

A furious crimson haze filled Ling Yu’s foxlike eyes.

Perhaps it was the drug’s influence. Or perhaps Gu Qing’s perpetually aloof, cold, and indifferent face was simply too infuriating.

Ling Yu pulled Gu Qing’s head down and used the momentum to turn them over, pinning her against the dark-blue sheets.

She stared into Gu Qing’s ocean-blue eyes, breathing heavily as she smiled provocatively.

“Sister, if you truly want to help me, then I only want you.”

Beneath the moonlight, Gu Qing narrowed her eyes. Her pale lips abruptly pressed into a straight line.

Without drawing attention, she pushed one finger against the broken needle buried in the sheets, puncturing it until a bead of blood emerged.

The pain restored her eyes to their normal color.

Suppressing her emotions, Gu Qing said hoarsely, “Get off me.”

“Too late, Gu Qing.”

The colder Gu Qing became, the wider Ling Yu’s smile grew.

She pressed her elbow against the woman’s shoulder.

A lie left her lips effortlessly.

“I like you. You’re the only person I can accept. No one else will do.”

Gu Qing rigidly straightened her waist. Her fists clenched, but she remained motionless.

The image of the white mice in her laboratory, their bodies riddled with needle marks, flashed before her eyes.

Then she looked at Ling Yu’s innocent black gaze.

Gu Qing looked away in disarray, her long eyelashes abruptly lowering.

Steadying her emotions, she reached out and attempted to push Ling Yu aside without expression.

But her hand stopped three inches from Ling Yu’s shoulder.

It could move no farther.

Ling Yu’s hot breath brushed Gu Qing’s ear, fragrant and enticing.

She did not possess much strength. The drug had left her soft and weak. Gu Qing could have thrown her off with the slightest resistance.

Yet perhaps because Gu Qing was simultaneously losing control—or perhaps for some other reason—although her gaze remained filled with aversion, she did not reject Ling Yu’s audacity.

Ling Yu stared at the woman’s cold, unfeeling phoenix eyes. The longer she looked, the more absurd she found the situation.

At that moment, she clearly saw herself reflected in Gu Qing’s eyes as something filthy that would never be worthy of acknowledgment.

No matter how hard she tried to pull Gu Qing from the darkness, Gu Qing rejected her entire being the moment she extended her hand.

Fine.

Then she would be filth.

During the two months she had acted like a devoted fool, Ling Yu believed she had never truly troubled Gu Qing. She had carefully maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

She had always believed that even if Gu Qing could not accept her forcing her way into her life, they were at least friends.

Only tonight did Ling Yu understand that she had been wrong.

Gu Qing did not see them that way.

She wanted to find a male escort for her.

Ling Yu remembered the day Gu Qing had told her she was as repulsive as Gu Ting.

Apparently, Gu Qing had not been lying.

Her disgust came from the depths of her heart.

Clenching her teeth, Ling Yu lowered her head and viciously bit at the corner of Gu Qing’s frost-filled eye.

“Don’t you find me annoying? I can make myself even more annoying.”

Since Gu Qing had become deranged enough to find her a male escort to solve tonight’s problem, Ling Yu no longer dared hope that she would kindly throw her into a tub of ice water instead.

She might as well discard her mask completely.

Ling Yu entwined all four limbs around Gu Qing, intending to beat her first and consider everything else afterward.

But perhaps her position was wrong.

Or perhaps her gritted, provocative words finally infuriated Gu Qing beyond endurance.

Neither could tell who moved first.

Gu Qing’s cold lips pressed against Ling Yu’s collarbone, while Ling Yu’s teeth sank fiercely into Gu Qing’s shoulder.

Perhaps Gu Qing had finally reached the limit of her disgust and could no longer endure her.

The moment they rolled over together on the bed, Ling Yu felt fireworks exploding into the sky, covering her vision in dazzling colors.

That night, the dark-blue quilt slipped from their shoulders.

Beneath the moonlight, the deep blue of Gu Qing’s eyes gradually transformed into a myriad of colors.

She was like a city encased in ice.

Ling Yu stood beyond its walls, extended her hand, and stained Gu Qing’s carefully constructed city with gold, silver, and rouge.

They struggled against each other again and again.

Chestnut curls spread across the sheets and intertwined with straight black hair, as though becoming permanently entangled in resentment and inescapable ties.

By the time it ended, Ling Yu was too exhausted to keep her eyes open. She buried herself in the soft sheets and fell asleep.

At the instant her eyes closed, the system’s mechanical voice abruptly sounded.

[Congratulations, Host. The devoted supporting female character mission is now ninety-nine percent complete.]