Pretending To Be Affectionate [Transmigration] - Chapter 36

The old lady’s funeral was held three days later.

The burial site was chosen at Dongshan Cemetery.

It was raining lightly on the day of the burial.

Ling Yu followed the Xu family’s juniors through all the rites.

As they were about to head down the mountain, Old Mr. Xu, with his white hair and a cane, turned and waved to Ling Yu.

“Yuyu, walk with Grandpa.”

The temperature in Yuncheng in winter was lower than in Jiangcheng. Many trees on the mountain were barren, with only branches left.

Ling Yu only walked a few steps with the old man before stopping.

The old man had a pacemaker installed three months ago, and his heart wasn’t good. Compounded by the exhaustion over the old lady’s death, he was frail.

Ling Yu didn’t dare let the old man overexert himself. She faked a cough and joked, “It’s so cold, Grandpa. If you keep walking, you won’t have this granddaughter anymore.”

The old man had been serious all his life. Even as he grew old, the second and third generations of the Xu family were accustomed to being careful and cautious around him.

Only Ling Yu was the exception, a clever and familiar ghost.

Ever since she woke up from a car accident a few years ago, whether she had changed or something else had happened…

Her personality had gradually improved. She not only got rid of her bad habits but also loved to act spoiled around Old Mr. Xu.

Watched by his granddaughter’s adoring and fearless gaze, Old Mr. Xu kept a straight face, but a rare tenderness showed in his eyes.

He lightly scolded her, “Always messing around.”

Even though he said that, he didn’t continue walking.

Ling Yu curved her lips, her smile unwavering. She wrapped her arm around the old man’s arm and pouted, “Only in front of you, Grandpa. I wouldn’t do this in front of anyone else.”

His granddaughter was straightforward and charming, and she wasn’t afraid of him.

Old Mr. Xu had never been so close to a sweet, soft granddaughter.

His frown relaxed, and he didn’t try to maintain his composure anymore. A small smile, the first in days, appeared on his lips.

Xu Miao was watching them from the top of the mountain. From a distance, Ling Yu saw her give her a thumbs-up.

She clearly mouthed the words, “Awesome.”

Ling Yu put her hands behind her back and made an “okay” gesture.

The one who was suffering the most from the old lady’s death was Old Mr. Xu.

But no one dared to step forward and console the old man. On the mountaintop, Xu Miao had given Ling Yu a meaningful look.

Ling Yu, burdened with the expectation of two generations of the Xu family, wore a smile and naturally held the old man’s arm, pouting, “Grandpa, did you call me out alone to tell me something?”

Old Mr. Xu gave a soft “mm.”

In recent years, Ling Yu had become much more composed in her dealings. Although she seemed unruly on the outside, Old Mr. Xu knew that it was all to deal with Ling Taiguo and his wife.

“Yuyu.” Old Mr. Xu contained the melancholy in his eyes and looked at Ling Yu, asking casually, “When do you plan to go abroad?”

The old man’s tone was a statement, not a question.

Ling Yu raised her eyebrows and feigned confusion, “The ticket you booked for me last time is for January 25th. I was thinking…”

Old Mr. Xu’s drooping eyelids suddenly lifted: “After your great-grandmother’s first seven days, Grandpa believes there’s no need for you to stay in Yuncheng any longer.”

Ling Yu opened her mouth.

But Old Mr. Xu didn’t give her a chance to speak and said without room for doubt, “Don’t say anything more. Grandpa will give you ten days at most.”

“But why so sudden?” Ling Yu’s eyes narrowed, and she gave a bitter smile, “You have to give me a reason.”

The grandfather and granddaughter’s eyes met, staring at each other for several seconds.

Old Mr. Xu sighed helplessly and only mentioned one thing: “Jiang Boquan called me a few days ago…”

Ling Yu’s eyes darkened, and she immediately fell silent.

The old man didn’t tell her the content of the conversation, but Ling Yu had already guessed most of it.

The Jiang family and the Xu family had never had much contact. Jiang Boquan’s base was in Hong Kong City.

The Xu and Jiang families were not partners in investment cooperation.

Furthermore, Old Mr. Xu had retired from the public eye for years, and few people could get his phone number.

Forget about Jiang Boquan calling him; even if he invited him personally, he would need a powerful intermediary.

Although the Xu family was now divided, Old Mr. Xu’s position was unshakable.

For Jiang Boquan to get Old Mr. Xu’s number and negotiate with him.

He either had something powerful to rely on or a huge network of connections behind him.

Ling Yu was an intellectual. She naturally couldn’t completely sort out the intricate business network.

But she wasn’t unintelligent. Unless it was absolutely necessary, with how the old man usually indulged her, he wouldn’t force her to leave so hastily.

Ling Yu’s eyes darted around. She tested him: “Grandpa, my dad is acting a bit strangely this time. He didn’t even call to stop me from interfering in the Jiang Wei case?”

Old Mr. Xu was amused by her sharp question: “Of course he knows. Why do you think Yu Xin told you a month ago to take care of her cousin’s daughter?”

Ling Yu was stunned.

Li Juan?

Damn it.

She thought Yu Xin had introduced Li Juan to her because she had heard she was a lesbian…

But what was the old man implying?

Ling Yu’s eyes suddenly opened: “Grandpa, what do you mean by that?”

Old Mr. Xu gave her a meaningful look.

“The case of that little animal from the Jiang family started trending online a few months ago. Jiang Boquan quickly found a public relations team. They’re seasoned professionals in handling such matters and quickly came up with a countermeasure. As for Ms. Li, she was part of their plan to flip the case. Your recent meetings with Ms. Li and your secret little actions have all been noticed by Jiang Boquan.”

“What does that have to do with Yu Xin?” Ling Yu couldn’t figure out why Yu Xin would think she would help Li Juan.

Old Mr. Xu patted Ling Yu’s hand. Thinking of Yu Xin’s underhanded tactics, a fierce glint flashed in his cloudy eyes.

“You giving money to Li Juan… that move put you on the Jiang family’s watch list. As long as Yu Xin made Jiang Boquan hate you, she succeeded halfway. Yuyu… Grandpa has told you many times that your mother couldn’t beat that mistress because Yu Xin is full of nasty tricks.”

The grandfather and granddaughter walked back while talking, not realizing they had covered some distance.

Ling Yu listened respectfully to the old man’s instruction. Before the old man got into the car, he turned and repeated to Ling Yu, “Grandpa is giving you ten days. Go abroad first.”

“Leave everything else. After the Xu family rises again in two years, we’ll settle accounts with them all at once. Yuyu, can you promise Grandpa?”

The old man looked at Ling Yu with intense, earnest eyes, full of care for her. Under such a sincere gaze, Ling Yu couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

She nodded almost by reflex.

[Host!] 008 reminded her anxiously: [Your mission is not complete!]

Ling Yu lifted her eyelids: [I know.]

[I must remind the host that if the mission is not completed, you don’t even have a year left to live.]

Ling Yu was very clear about her situation. After she died in her previous life, she became a wandering spirit and transmigrated into this world.

The original host had died in a car accident before she arrived.

Her spirit, by some strange twist of fate, had forcibly taken over this body.

However, this didn’t mean she would live. Due to the mismatch between her soul and body, her organs would gradually fail.

In short, if she didn’t complete the mission given by the system, there was only one outcome: death.

008 was so anxious it could have bitten its nails.

Ling Yu didn’t interrupt it and let it list the drawbacks for a while.

Only then did she speak: [It’s not a big deal. As long as I complete the remaining 1% within ten days, the mission will be complete.]

[That’s true.] 008 paused and poured cold water on her enthusiasm: [However, the last time your mission progress went from 0 to 99% was entirely by accident. Even you were completely confused. How can you guarantee that you’ll complete the remaining 1% within ten days?]

[…] Ling Yu was silent for a moment and then said calmly: [Get with her again? Since it’s a side-character mission, if you take it literally…]

008: [But…]

[Boss, I don’t have a choice right now. The child in Yu Xin’s belly isn’t Ling Taiguo’s, and to avoid future troubles, she will definitely hurry up and get rid of me. Going abroad is my best option right now.] Ling Yu murmured: [But the mission has to be done. To survive, getting with Gu Qing once is fine, and getting with her twice is fine too.]

Ling Yu took a few days off. When she went back to the law firm the next day.

She found that her employee card was invalid. She stood outside the employee entrance and called Sister Wang.

“Yuyu, didn’t you resign?”

Ling Yu: …

She had been fired without knowing it.

Ling Yu suppressed her emotions and went to the HR department to ask for an explanation.

The HR director didn’t hide anything.

“Here’s the situation, Miss Ling.”

“A new witness appeared in the Jiang Wei case, and the second trial is coming up. But before the second trial, we discovered that you had significant financial dealings with the new witness, Ms. Li, within the last month.”

The HR director shrugged helplessly: “Our documentation department is responsible for organizing all major case files. Considering the privacy of the case, we apologize, but you have been temporarily dismissed.”

Ling Yu maintained a polite smile: “Can I know who made the decision to dismiss me?”

The HR director hesitated for a moment: “Lawyer Gu.”

Ling Yu narrowed her eyes.

If it was Gu Qing, the goal wasn’t hard to guess. Gu Qing had said that night that she wanted her to completely stay out of the Jiang Wei case.

Kicking her out of the law firm was the first step.

That woman always knew how to leverage other people’s weaknesses. The law is fair, and involved parties cannot participate in the trial.

Ling Yu had nothing to say. She maintained her smile and nodded at the HR director.

After leaving the HR office, she turned and headed for the top floor.

Ling Yu’s employee card was demagnetized, so she had to take the fire escape stairs.

But to her surprise, when she reached the twentieth floor, she heard faint crying from the stairwell.

As she got closer to the top floor, the crying became more noticeable.

“I never thought you were this kind of person.”

Ling Yu stopped. She looked up suspiciously at the top of the stairwell.

Gu Qing was standing by the railing, her back turned. Ling Yu could only see the woman’s chestnut-colored hair that reached her waist.

Gu Qing was wearing a three-piece work suit today. The well-fitted skirt hugged her skin, clearly outlining her slender waist.

Ling Yu stepped up another floor, and then she could clearly see the person standing opposite Gu Qing.

Li Juan was wearing heavy makeup, which was slightly smudged from crying.

Her expression was somewhat strained as she blocked Gu Qing’s path.

She screamed, “Why would you help a rapist instead of me? You’re a lawyer, a lawyer who speaks for justice.”

Gu Qing scoffed: “What era are we in? You’re talking about justice. Do you think you’re watching a melodramatic youth anime?”

Li Juan looked at Gu Qing as if she didn’t know her, wiped her tears, and opened her mouth, but couldn’t say a single word.

If Gu Qing’s refusal to Ling Yu was cold, her rejection of others was a callous indifference, like spreading poison.

Look at her words—she was practically a human toxic perpetual motion machine.

If this were Ling Yu, she would have slapped her already.

However, Li Juan clearly still held onto some hope for Gu Qing.

“I know you’re being threatened by Jiang Wei, just like me, and you’re afraid of the Jiang family’s power. But… you’re not alone. I’m willing to stand up and bring the villain to justice with you…”

Li Juan suddenly fell to her knees with a “thud,” looking pleadingly at Gu Qing: “Just let me beg you.”

Gu Qing seemed to be inherently lacking the emotion of empathy to understand others. She spoke in her usual detached, cold voice: “Get up.”

“If you don’t agree, I’ll stay kneeling.”

Gu Qing scoffed, completely unmoved.

Ling Yu was not surprised by Gu Qing’s reaction.

The enemy was Jiang Boquan, and the partner was Li Juan.

This combination looked unreliable in every way.

Ling Yu thought Gu Qing’s indifference was a rational move.

Li Juan was too unpredictable. She was terrified of Jiang Wei on one hand, and felt guilty toward her best friend on the other.

All her decisions were like a swinging scale. She was someone whose resolve could break at any moment.

She was clearly not a good partner.

On the other side, Gu Qing, as Ling Yu had expected, pushed Li Juan’s arm away.

She said coldly, “Then keep kneeling.”

Li Juan’s lips trembled, and she started sobbing again.

Gu Qing didn’t pay any attention to her. Instead, she suddenly turned her head and looked down the stairs.

Ling Yu’s gaze unfortunately met Gu Qing’s downward glance.

She felt a little awkward. Her expression stiffened, and she forced a smile at Gu Qing.

Gu Qing looked at her condescendingly. Ling Yu didn’t know if it was her imagination, but she saw a hint of inexplicable helplessness and annoyance in the other person’s eyes.

But when Ling Yu looked closer, it was gone, as if it were a figment of her imagination.

Gu Qing frowned and stared at her with her eyes that seemed to carry the scent of seaweed. Three seconds later, she gave a cold, slow scoff, and pulled away.

Ling Yu’s sixth sense told her that Gu Qing looked like she wanted to eat her.

Ling Yu felt speechless.

What had she done for Gu Qing to look at her like that?

Li Juan waited for a long time in the hallway and still didn’t get a response. She finally accepted the reality, stood up in disappointment, and took a step back: “Gu Qing, I hope you don’t regret this!”

Gu Qing stood against the light in the distance: “Why would I regret it?”

Her voice was extremely slow. She told Li Juan in a very flat tone, “Being a lawyer is my profession. The firm took on Jiang Wei’s case. As an employee, it’s my job to be diligent and secure the maximum legal leniency for him. You shouldn’t impose your morals on me.”

Li Juan clenched her hands: “You know very well…”

“Yes. So what?” Gu Qing nodded: “Ms. Li, as an important witness in the case, your act of deliberately blocking me before the trial suggests you are attempting to coerce a lawyer.”

Li Juan was stunned, and her eyes quickly turned red.

Gu Qing looked away, put her hands in her pockets, and walked out. When she reached the corner of the stairs, her peripheral vision caught the sight of a camera in the right corner.

This was Jiang Boquan’s final test of her. Gu Qing’s long eyelashes lowered. With an expressionless face, she called security downstairs.

“We have an intruder on the top floor.”

…

“Send two people up to escort the person out.”

…

Li Juan glared fiercely at Gu Qing’s retreating figure, screaming repeatedly, “You’ll regret this! Gu Qing, you will definitely regret this!”

[Host, why don’t you go comfort her?]

008 reminded her cautiously: [You usually care so much about Li Juan. Seeing the female lead being so cruel to her must make you angry.]

[Sigh, you have to keep your composure. You’re about to ask the female lead to get intimate with you. You can’t start a fight with the female lead over Li Juan again.]

Ling Yu lifted her eyelids: [You think I’m…]

008 let out a surprised sound.

Ling Yu said word for word: [Mary Sue.]

[No, but the way you acted toward Li Juan… how should I put it? Hmm…] 008 gave her a hesitant look: [Last time, when you told Li Juan that you wanted to seek justice, you actually… Hahahaha, you didn’t think you sounded like a justice warrior from a melodramatic shojo manga, did you?]

Ling Yu said, “Oh.” Thinking she heard wrong, she repeated: [Melodramatic?]

She grew up under the red flag and lived in a lawful society.

There was nothing wrong with pursuing legal fairness.

If a person like Jiang Wei lived in her world, he would have been firmly dealt with a long time ago.

Who would have thought that in a fictional world, taking down a rapist would be incredibly difficult?

She didn’t take down Jiang Wei years ago, and now she was watching him continue his evil deeds. Ling Yu couldn’t reconcile with this.

That’s why she spoke up when she saw injustice, but that didn’t mean she was a saint.

Not everyone was worth her full effort to protect. Taking down Jiang Wei was one thing; sticking up for Li Juan was unnecessary.

Li Juan’s betrayal the last time almost sent Ling Yu right into Jiang Wei’s bed.

Ling Yu could understand Li Juan’s character, but when she used her weakness as a weapon, constantly swaying and hurting others.

How could Ling Yu still take care of her? If she really went to reconcile with Li Juan, she would be causing trouble for herself.

Besides, Gu Qing was cold-blooded, hateful, toxic, and perverted—all of which were bad traits.

But at least Gu Qing wouldn’t go back on her word. She was always cunning and wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible.

Since she promised to pay the “prostitution fee,” she would definitely make sure Jiang Wei died.

Furthermore, there was a camera in the stairwell. Ling Yu noticed it, and she believed Gu Qing was not an idiot either. Jiang Boquan had always been suspicious and had sent people to monitor her, so he must have been testing Gu Qing as well.

Ling Yu leaned against the wall. She waited a few minutes, watched Li Juan being escorted away, and then casually rushed into Gu Qing’s office.