Pretending To Be Affectionate [Transmigration] - Chapter 44

Ling Yu had originally intended to tell Q that she would soon return home.

However, their conversation somehow drifted toward jewelry appraisal.

Just as they were about to finish talking, Ling Yu casually asked:

[Do you work in jewelry appraisal?]

Q: [No.]

It was the answer Ling Yu had expected, so she was not surprised.

The rare jewelry-appraisal manuscript Q had produced that night was extremely useful for her writing.

Having benefited from someone else’s generosity, Ling Yu could hardly say goodbye immediately. That would make it seem as if she were tossing Q aside the moment she had finished using her.

After thinking briefly, Ling Yu showered her with praise.

[Sister, you’re incredible. You’ve never formally studied jewelry appraisal, yet you seem to know everything. What did you do before? You’re so knowledgeable that I can’t help admiring you.]

There was no reply for quite some time.

Ling Yu did not feel awkward. She raised her wrist and checked the time.

It was still early for her, but it was already two in the morning where Q lived.

Ling Yu felt slightly guilty.

They were merely online friends who had never met. Keeping someone from sleeping was genuinely inconsiderate.

She stood and stretched, preparing to say good night.

Then another message appeared.

[Take a guess.]

Guess what?

Ling Yu looked completely bewildered.

She glanced at the chat window again. Against the pale blue background, Q’s messages were concise. None of them contained many words, yet every line addressed the key point with precision.

Ling Yu spent three seconds reviewing the context before the corner of her mouth twitched.

Q wanted her to guess her profession.

This was the first time their conversations had touched upon private information.

Instead of answering immediately, Ling Yu opened a drawer, took a strawberry-flavored hard candy from the candy box, unwrapped it, and slipped it into her mouth.

After deliberately dawdling for an entire minute, she replied:

[Sister, you probably aren’t married.]

[Judging by the way you speak, you’re mature and considerate, with profound ideas and extensive knowledge of virtually everything. I’d guess you’re around forty.]

Gu Qing spat the coffee she had just swallowed all over her keyboard.

Her?

Forty?

Gu Qing narrowed her eyes.

[Smiling.jpg]

Seeing the smile on her screen, Ling Yu assumed she had guessed correctly and pressed onward.

[Based on your age and usual manner of speaking, I’d guess you’re a highly respected university professor. Or perhaps a scientist at a top research institute.]

Ling Yu thought her answer was exceptionally tactful.

In reality, she suspected a gentle, tolerant, profoundly wise woman like Q had to be over fifty.

After all, certain kinds of knowledge could only accumulate over time.

But Ling Yu could hardly make her sound that old.

Moreover, a woman in her fifties was old enough to be her aunt. It would be inappropriate to keep calling her Sister.

That was why Ling Yu had deliberately reduced her estimated age. It would not sound like blatant flattery, yet it subtly complimented Q for having a youthful outlook.

The “old woman” whose youthful mindset had just been praised stared at the dazzling words forty years old on her screen, speechless for a long time.

After chatting briefly about everyday matters, Ling Yu finally said goodbye.

[It’s getting late. Drink a glass of milk and go to bed early, Sister.]

Ling Yu sent that same reminder about drinking milk every time.

In the past, Gu Qing had been young and ignorant and failed to understand its meaning.

Now she understood.

Ling Yu was worried that Q was getting old and that staying up late would accelerate her aging.

After all, Gu Qing was forty in her eyes!

Gu Qing switched off the computer screen and went to the bathroom.

The washroom was spacious. A woman’s reflection appeared in the full-length mirror.

Long legs, a slender waist, and an excellent figure.

Compared with two years ago, Gu Qing had lost considerable weight. The softness had vanished from her oval face.

She had high brow bones and an elegant bone structure. Her mixed-race features made her a strikingly cold beauty at first glance.

Because she had spent the past two years staying up late to chat with Ling Yu, faint shadows often lingered beneath her phoenix eyes.

Gu Qing scooped up a handful of water and splashed it over her face.

Droplets rolled down her forehead and the bridge of her nose before settling on her dry lips.

She examined herself in the mirror for a long time.

Aside from the large dark circles beneath her eyes, she found no signs of aging.

Compared with two years ago, the only change was that she had become even colder and more distant.

When Ling Yu left, she seemed to have taken away the few emotions Gu Qing had possessed.

Even with her long curls loose around her shoulders, Gu Qing did not appear particularly alluring.

She had been born with an imperious air—ethereal, aloof, and seemingly incapable of affection.

Gu Qing clicked her tongue at her reflection, thoroughly bored, her mood indescribable.

She repeatedly warned herself that it did not matter what kind of person Ling Yu believed her to be.

Her only purpose was to serve as a careful listener whenever Ling Yu needed one.

She would never casually step into Ling Yu’s life again, nor would she voluntarily appear before her and bring her unnecessary trouble or disaster.

As long as Gu Qing did not approach her or investigate every detail of her life, she could probably control her constant, shameful desire for her.

Just like now.

Ling Yu would not reveal her address to an online friend named Q, nor would she tell Q what occupied her every day.

All their conversations revolved around problems Ling Yu only partially understood.

Gu Qing thought that was enough.

Perhaps her sole virtue was her ability to suppress herself.

As long as she remained sufficiently clearheaded, Ling Yu would remain safe.

Gu Qing did not have much time to stare blankly into the mirror. In the middle of the night, her phone rang sharply from the bed.

“Attorney Gu, the Zong family’s case involves an export-data list from Michael Corporation… I’m currently in Country M, but I can’t obtain it.”

Wei Minjun sounded hesitant.

As one of the elite attorneys on QY Law Firm’s gold-medal team, she ordinarily would not need the firm’s owner to intervene personally in a financial case as minor as the Zong family’s.

Their legal team could easily handle it themselves.

However, the case involved international exports, making the collection of evidence exceptionally difficult because the exporting company was not located domestically.

Even after spending an entire week in Country M, Wei Minjun had failed to establish the necessary connections or obtain the export list.

With the trial rapidly approaching and no other options remaining, she finally called her boss, Gu Qing.

Gu Qing frowned and gave a quiet acknowledgment.

“I understand.”

On the evening news of July 8, 2022, the presenter delivered the latest stories as usual.

During the final five minutes, two reports aired consecutively.

“According to this station’s sources, on July 7, the Ministry of Education announced reforms to compulsory-education textbooks. International student lin’s Annotations on the History of Human Development is expected to be incorporated into secondary-school history textbooks.”

“Gu Zongping, Asia’s wealthiest man, is critically ill and is currently receiving emergency treatment. According to reports, the vast Gu family fortune will soon be inherited by his eldest son, Gu Zeming.”

Ling Yu was watching the news when she unexpectedly received orders to return home ahead of schedule.

Three hours later, she completed her course requirements overnight, dragged her suitcase behind her, and boarded a flight home.

According to her original plans, she would not have returned until the end of the month.

Several copyright contracts had recently come her way. Not long ago, her book Annotations on the History of Human Development had been adopted by multiple countries for inclusion in junior-secondary textbooks.

Ling Yu published her academic work under the name lin, and over the past two months, she had become renowned both at home and abroad.

She had been overwhelmed with work recently. Because copyright issues were involved, the contracts had remained unsigned.

Ling Yu had originally planned to consult a local attorney and resolve everything before returning home.

Unexpectedly, Ling Taiguo was in such a hurry that he booked her flight in advance.

Ling Yu had called Old Master Xu the night before.

Over the past two years, Ling Taiguo had developed the Ling family business considerably. Encouraged by Yu Xin, he was now expanding into the Gangcheng market.

While he was preoccupied with opening a new market, Yu Xin secretly joined forces with Ling Taiguo’s special assistant—the very man who had cuckolded him—and began devouring the company piece by piece.

Of course, this was only the beginning. The amounts involved were not yet substantial.

Old Master Xu wanted her to wait another month.

But Ling Taiguo was too impatient.

He had poured all his ambition into Gangcheng. Eager to expand his network, he practically ordered Ling Yu over the phone to return home.

Ling Yu had spent five years pretending to be a brainless, spoiled rich heiress in front of Ling Taiguo and his wife. At such a crucial moment, she naturally would not refuse openly.

The moment Ling Taiguo called, Ling Yu packed her belongings and left without delay.

Country M’s airport had been expanded the previous year.

It was enormous. Following the signs, Ling Yu spent several minutes retrieving her two large suitcases from the conveyor belt before turning toward the counter to check them in.

Over the past two years, Ling Yu seemed to have grown more beautiful rather than older.

Perhaps because she had spent so much time cultivating her mind, she now carried the air of an artistic young intellectual.

The summer heat was intense, so she had deliberately chosen a loose, sleeveless linen dress with a round neckline. Her long, straight black hair was gathered casually into a ponytail, revealing her graceful swanlike neck.

The neckline sat relatively low, exposing a broad expanse of fair skin around her collarbones that gleamed like glazed porcelain beneath the scattered light.

Ling Yu could hardly be blamed for dressing so simply.

Her appearance had grown increasingly seductive over the years, especially her eyes. Even a casual glance could be mistaken for flirtation.

To suppress the allure of her foxlike eyes and avoid unnecessary trouble, Ling Yu even wore rimless, gold-trimmed glasses every day.

They gave her a little of Gu Qing’s… pretentious intellectual air.

From the moment she entered the airport, she attracted extraordinary attention.

Countless gazes gathered upon her. Many people appeared eager to carry her luggage, but because Ling Yu was using the premium VIP lane, most could only watch from a distance.

Accustomed to such attention, Ling Yu walked toward the VIP lounge without looking sideways.

At the next corner, her suitcase was stopped by a beautiful woman with two tiny canine teeth and a particularly radiant smile.

The woman wore a baseball cap, leaving only half her face visible.

In mangled Korean with a heavy Chinese accent, she said:

“Annyeonghasaeyo!”

“Obasan!”

“Jal… mida… kamnida.”

…

Ling Yu raised her eyelids, the corner of her mouth twitching.

The woman looked utterly frustrated.

“Damn it. What am I supposed to do when I don’t know Korean?”

She took out her phone and tapped around, apparently searching for a translation.

Then she looked at Ling Yu and declared, “Saranghaeyo.”

After speaking, she glanced down and finally saw what the phrase meant.

Her face instantly turned bright red.

Ling Yu was amused.

Had women’s methods of flirting become this advanced?

After watching the spectacle for long enough, Ling Yu laughed unkindly.

“I’m Chinese.”

Hearing that, the beautiful woman’s expression stiffened further.

Her eyes darted around as she gave a dry laugh.

“Beautiful lady, would you like some help with your luggage?”

Ling Yu had intended to refuse.

But when she saw the fresh-faced, innocent beauty staring at her so eagerly, she avoided the hand reaching toward her and smiled politely.

“Thank you.”

Ling Yu had never possessed much resistance to beautiful women.

After checking in her luggage, she went to the VIP lounge with the other woman.

They were on the same flight, and both were traveling first class.

Only after introducing themselves did Ling Yu learn that the woman was an actress named Luo Huihui.

According to her own boastful account, she was a two-time Best Actress winner.

Ling Yu did not follow celebrities. After glancing at Luo Huihui’s student-like face, she did not take the claim seriously.

Dreams were important, after all.

Perhaps one day they might even come true.

There were no paparazzi inside the VIP lounge. Luo Huihui removed her baseball cap and used a small mirror to fill in her eyebrows.

“Xiao Yu, take a look. Are my eyebrows uneven?”

“They’re fine.” Ling Yu lounged lazily against the sofa and gave her only a single glance.

Luo Huihui pouted.

“That isn’t how you’re supposed to look. Come closer and inspect them properly…”

Ling Yu wondered why she was being so troublesome.

Still, she felt too embarrassed to reject the sweet, delicate woman. Luo Huihui had carried both her enormous suitcases earlier, huffing and puffing the entire way.

Ling Yu had tried to take them herself, but Luo Huihui had refused.

Clearly, she was a sincere and helpful person.

Ling Yu leaned an inch closer.

At such a short distance, she could see the light scattered across Luo Huihui’s carefully made-up cheeks, turning the fine, translucent hairs golden.

She belonged to the sweet and pretty type.

Ling Yu silently assessed her before smiling.

“They look perfect.”

The moment she finished speaking, Luo Huihui suddenly smiled slyly. She grabbed Ling Yu’s hand and pulled it toward her curled lashes.

Ling Yu raised an eyebrow.

At such close range, she immediately understood the woman’s intentions.

She pulled her hand back. Her slender fingers pressed against Luo Huihui’s shoulder, traced a small circle, then exerted enough force to push her politely away.

“Sweetheart, I don’t like women…”

Luo Huihui had met countless people. Most women she took an interest in were attracted to women.

But when it came to someone like Ling Yu, she honestly was not certain.

Her gaze landed on Ling Yu’s soft, seemingly boneless hand.

Though unwilling to give up, Luo Huihui understood boundaries.

She clicked her tongue, leaned against the upholstered sofa, and deliberately yawned in boredom.

“I was only joking…”

Ling Yu gave her a light glance that seemed half warning and half indifference.

The corners of her alluring eyes tilted upward like hooks, drawing people in.

Luo Huihui thought:

Forget it. This woman is far too perfectly suited to my tastes.

Meanwhile, in a booth at the corner of the VIP lounge, Wei Minjun returned to her seat carrying a cup of coffee.

She handed it to Gu Qing.

“Boss, time to take your medicine.”

Wei Minjun jokingly called coffee poison, while Gu Qing’s habit of drinking two cups every day was known as taking her daily dose.

Gu Qing did not respond.

A damp, seaweed-like darkness spread through her blue eyes. Her pupils contracted as she stared fixedly at a booth in the distance.

Wei Minjun called her again but still received no answer.

Following Gu Qing’s gaze, she looked over.

Two women sat together in a booth not far away, their faces so close that they appeared about to kiss.

Wei Minjun froze.

First she made a puzzled sound, then turned and studied Gu Qing. Seeing her frowning at the pair like a strict school administrator, Wei Minjun thought:

As expected of Attorney Gu. She can’t accept homosexuality herself, but does she really need to police everyone else too?

With that thought, Wei Minjun reminded her, “Hey, stop staring at those young women. It’s only two ladies kissing. Homosexuality isn’t illegal. It’s perfectly normal.”

As Wei Minjun spoke, she continued glancing in their direction.

Then her voice abruptly halted.

“Wait. Gu Qing, doesn’t the woman in the baseball cap look familiar? She looks like the award-winning actress Luo Huihui!”

Wei Minjun pricked up her ears and listened. The two women had already begun chatting.

“Ling Yu, let’s add each other on WeChat. I’m holding a fan meeting in Gangcheng next month. Come see me—I’ll sing for you.”

…

“What brand of lipstick are you wearing? I want to buy it too.”

“I’m not wearing any makeup.”

The woman in rimless, gold-trimmed glasses smiled sweetly. Her voice was soft, as intimate as a whisper directly against one’s ear.

Unsurprisingly, the woman in the baseball cap flushed faintly despite sitting an arm’s length away.

Wei Minjun clicked her tongue in admiration.

“Damn, the woman in glasses is incredibly charming too. Attorney Gu, she’s the only woman I’ve ever seen whose beauty can rival yours.”

After delivering the flattery, Wei Minjun turned around with a grin.

Half of Gu Qing’s face was concealed in shadow. She had taken out a cigarette and was biting it between her lips, evidently in a foul mood.

Sensing that something was wrong, Wei Minjun tactfully shut her mouth.

Attorney Gu’s temperament had always been impossible to predict.

When she said nothing, one should never approach and invite disaster.

Gu Qing pulled her long curls forward to conceal the emotion slipping across her face.

She wanted to smoke, but this was a nonsmoking area. Her slender fingers held a lighter, repeatedly flicking it open and closed to disguise the absurd fury inside her.

On the other side, Luo Huihui had introduced countless topics.

Ling Yu continued smiling, answering every probing question flawlessly without revealing a single crucial detail, yet never allowing the conversation to become awkward.

Luo Huihui lowered her head in frustration.

Catching sight of Gu Qing’s table from the corner of her eye, she asked Ling Yu, “Xiao Yu, would you like something sweet? Look, that table has coffee and cake. I’ll get some for you from the counter.”

“I don’t need anything,” Ling Yu replied without interest.

“Just look,” Luo Huihui coaxed with a pout.

Ling Yu had absolutely no resistance to beautiful women acting spoiled.

She believed every soft and lovely woman deserved to be treated gently, which was why she had behaved with exceptional courtesy today.

But if Luo Huihui continued pestering her, Ling Yu could not guarantee that she would refrain from grabbing the woman by the collar and throwing her out.

Deciding to give Luo Huihui one final chance at a friendly interaction, Ling Yu followed her gaze and slowly turned around.