Pretending To Be Affectionate [Transmigration] - Chapter 50

When Ling Yu returned home, Yu Xin was tending the flowers in the garden.

They had not seen each other for two years. Yu Xin’s figure had grown somewhat fuller, and she had received hyaluronic-acid injections. Although her expressions now appeared stiff, at least her chin no longer looked quite so sharp and spiteful.

It was four in the afternoon, but the sun remained vicious, baking the ground as though it might burst into flames.

Aunt Wu followed behind Yu Xin with a parasol. She was the first to recognize Ling Yu entering through the front gate.

“Madam, Miss Ling has returned.”

Yu Xin said nothing.

Standing beside the flower bed, she held a watering can in one hand and concentrated on caring for the plants before her.

She acted as though she did not care.

Ling Yu could not help smiling.

Yu Xin had always behaved like this—one face in public and another in private.

By putting on airs and refusing to acknowledge Ling Yu, she was trying to establish her authority.

She wanted every servant in the household to see who the true mistress was.

If Ling Yu approached and greeted her first, she would appear weak, like a dependent living under someone else’s roof. It would tell everyone in the Ling household that Yu Xin held the final authority.

If Ling Yu ignored her, Yu Xin could later complain to Ling Taiguo about her behavior and inevitably earn Ling Yu a scolding.

In short, Yu Xin’s skill at manipulation had grown considerably over the years.

Ling Yu glanced toward the chubby little boy playing football with a nanny nearby.

Her lips suddenly curved into a sweet smile as she released the handle of her suitcase.

The suitcase rolled forward and, by a spectacular coincidence, collided with the football the boy had kicked.

It toppled with a loud crash.

Startled by the tremendous noise, the little boy let out a childish scream.

Hearing her son’s frightened cry, Yu Xin instantly dropped the watering can and hurried over in several strides.

She crouched and carefully examined him. Distress appeared on her carefully maintained face.

“Where are you hurt? Tell Mommy.”

The chubby boy shrank his neck and glanced at Ling Yu. His large, dark eyes contained the mischievous curiosity natural to a child his age.

Instead of answering Yu Xin, he stared curiously at Ling Yu before calling in his childish voice:

“Sister.”

Children naturally liked beautiful people.

Ling Yu walked gracefully through the flower garden, looking even lovelier than the flowers themselves.

Simple affection filled the boy’s eyes.

Yu Xin’s filthy schemes had nothing to do with a young child. Ling Yu had always judged matters fairly rather than blaming innocent people, so she winked at him and returned his smile.

Yu Xin had just confirmed that her son was unharmed when she turned and caught the exchange.

Disgust flashed through her eyes.

She handed the boy to Aunt Wu and signaled for her to take him away.

“Mommy, I want to play football with Sister…”

Yu Xin bent down.

She possessed far more patience with her biological son than with Ling Yu and answered gently, “Your sister is tired. Songsong is a big boy now, so you must let her rest.”

Without waiting for Ling Song to plead, she glanced impatiently at Aunt Wu.

“Why haven’t you taken the young master inside?”

Ling Yu took in Yu Xin’s expression—wanting to erupt yet having nowhere to vent her anger.

Without the slightest humanity, Ling Yu continued adding fuel to the fire.

“Aunt Yu, Songsong wants to play with me, so I’ll accompany him. He’s my biological brother, after all. Blood is thicker than water. I missed him terribly during my two years abroad.”

Missed him, my ass.

Veins bulged on Yu Xin’s forehead.

Ling Yu had not voluntarily called home once in two years. Even her father, Ling Taiguo, was nothing more than an ATM to her.

How could a spoiled wastrel like her possibly miss Yu Xin’s son?

Besides, Ling Yu shared none of her exceptional son’s genes. Spending time together would only corrupt him.

A cold gleam passed through Yu Xin’s eyes.

When she raised her head again, however, she wore a proper smile and addressed Ling Yu gently.

“Songsong is always at home. You can play together tomorrow. Xiao Yu, your father is waiting in the study. Why don’t you hurry over and see him? He’s getting older and talks about you every day.”

Ling Yu did not argue.

She smilingly agreed, walked over to Yu Xin, and high-fived the chubby boy.

“I’ll play with you tomorrow, all right?”

His eyes lit up.

Under his mother’s tightly guarded stare, he nodded happily.

“You have to keep your promise. Pinky swear…”

Yu Xin’s face turned green.

After Ling Yu went upstairs, Yu Xin suddenly slapped Aunt Wu across the face in front of the child.

“Take the young master inside.”

There was little for Ling Yu and Ling Taiguo to discuss.

He merely informed her of the arrangements he had made following her return.

From beginning to end, Ling Yu had almost no right to speak.

Ling Taiguo was an intensely chauvinistic man.

When he married the original owner’s mother, he lacked power of his own. His company depended on the Xu family for support, forcing him to lower himself and swallow his resentment for many years.

That was why he officially married his mistress only a year after Xu Qian’s death.

Yu Xin was a manipulative green tea who knew how to endure and please men. Before Ling Taiguo, she was always gentle, virtuous, and soft-spoken.

Over the past several years, Ling Taiguo’s chauvinism had been thoroughly satisfied.

No matter whom he spoke to, he tolerated no dissent and forcibly imposed his decisions upon them.

Ling Yu yawned lazily and leaned against the study sofa, responding only occasionally.

When the conversation was finally ending, she asked carelessly, “Dad, would the children of Gangcheng’s super-rich families really be interested in me?”

Her expression clearly said:

They’d have to be blind. How else could a spoiled wastrel like me—a toad—hope to eat swan meat?

Ling Taiguo said nothing.

In truth, he had not told Ling Yu that wealthy heirs her own age certainly would not want her.

However, marrying his daughter to a widowed heir around fifty years old might be possible with sufficient planning.

His gaze swept over Ling Yu.

She lounged bonelessly on the sofa with her legs crossed and a piece of candy between her teeth.

Seeing her hopelessly unambitious demeanor, Ling Taiguo’s expression darkened.

Yet he did not reprimand her.

Her lack of ambition was beneficial to him. Someone of Ling Yu’s limited ability could never scheme away much of the fortune Xu Qian had left her.

His greatest problem now was using Ling Yu in a marriage alliance to establish connections in Gangcheng.

Gangcheng was nothing like Jiangcheng.

Its economy had already surpassed Jiangcheng’s current level five years earlier. Its wealthiest families were listed among Asia’s richest.

Although he called it a marriage alliance, Ling Taiguo already had a preferred partner in mind.

The Gu family.

He wanted to arrange for Ling Yu to marry the Gu family’s fifth son—a promiscuous older widower.

Ling Yu was beautiful. Ling Taiguo did not worry that Fifth Uncle Gu would reject her appearance.

However, entering the Gu family required first receiving Old Master Gu’s approval.

The Gu family followed strict traditions. Even the partners from the least prominent backgrounds still came from respected scholarly families.

Ling Taiguo studied Ling Yu, then suddenly had an idea.

“Xiao Yu, if I remember correctly, you studied world history abroad?”

Ling Yu nodded with an ambiguous smile and clicked her tongue inwardly.

What a wonderful biological father.

She had studied far more than world history. There was also classical literature, modern literature, modern and contemporary literary history, jewelry appraisal…

“Have you considered finding stable work in Gangcheng?”

That was precisely the question Ling Yu had been waiting for.

The corner of her mouth curved almost imperceptibly.

First she displayed surprise, then raised her eyelids and nodded.

“I’ll follow your arrangements, as long as the job isn’t too demanding. Those powerful Gangcheng families all prefer women from scholarly backgrounds. Why don’t you arrange for me to become a history professor at the University of Gangcheng? One or two classes a week would be the perfect workload.”

Ling Yu grinned, her eyes shining when she mentioned teaching only once or twice a week.

Ling Taiguo threw a cushion at her.

She caught it with a grin—the perfect smile of an idle wastrel.

Ling Taiguo was rendered speechless.

After a moment of careful consideration, however, placing Ling Yu in the University of Gangcheng actually seemed like an excellent idea.

“You think you can simply enter the University of Gangcheng whenever you want?”

Ling Taiguo possessed money, but few connections in Gangcheng.

His influence could not reach the university.

“I might have a solution.”

While Ling Taiguo racked his brains, Ling Yu tossed another milk candy into her mouth and smiled at him.

“Aunt Fang has many connections in Gangcheng. But…”

Ling Yu paused and gave him a troubled, hesitant smile.

Ling Taiguo gestured for her to continue.

Ling Yu rubbed her thumb against her fingers.

She wanted money.

Ling Taiguo: “…”

After hesitating and remembering the enormous share of Gangcheng’s market awaiting him, the flesh on his face trembled.

“How much?”

Suppressing her laughter, Ling Yu raised five fingers.

Ling Taiguo nodded. “Fifty million is manageable.”

Ling Yu lowered her head in disappointment.

“No. Fifty million is far too little. To have Aunt Fang open the necessary doors, I’ve heard the starting price is at least five hundred million…”

Yu Xin entered with a tray of fruit just in time to hear Ling Yu’s outrageous demand.

The tray crashed heavily to the floor.

Her exquisitely made-up face shifted between pale and green. Forgetting all dignity, she interrupted:

“Impossible! The company doesn’t have that much available cash.”

Ling Yu looked at Yu Xin, then at Ling Taiguo.

“Oh,” she said dejectedly. “It was only a suggestion. Whether the money should be spent is naturally up to Dad…”

Ling Yu paused and looked at Yu Xin again, immediately correcting herself.

“No, I suppose it depends on what Aunt Yu says. She makes the decisions in this family, after all.”

Ling Taiguo’s expression immediately turned ugly.

His chauvinism was extreme.

He allowed Yu Xin to act spoiled and throw tantrums, but she had no right to make decisions about company affairs.

With a dark expression, he gave Yu Xin a quiet warning glance.

Then he walked around the desk and wrote Ling Yu a check on the spot.

“Use the extra hundred million to buy several outfits. You’ll need jewelry as well. When you attend those events, don’t embarrass the Ling family.”

Ling Taiguo issued the instructions while pretending to possess greater wealth than he did.

Yu Xin’s nails nearly dug through her palms.

She stormed out and slammed the door.

Ling Yu smilingly accepted compensation for the scheme the couple had used against her two years earlier.

She had always believed that a woman who failed to avenge a grudge was no woman at all.

Wonder Bar was called a bar, but it had long since evolved into a full nightclub.

It stood on Jiangcheng’s infamous Decadence Street.

At night, multicolored neon signs illuminated the narrow and broad streets alike, filling the area with a hazy, suggestive atmosphere.

Ling Yu arrived in Xu Miao’s car.

She had spent the day at the Xu family’s old residence drinking tea with Old Master Xu.

The moment she stepped out, she only wanted to find somewhere to escape to the bathroom.

Unexpectedly, Meng Ke, who had been waiting outside the club, blocked her path.

First came:

“Wife, you’ve finally returned. Day after day I yearn for you without seeing you, though we drink from the same river…”

Then:

“When will the spring flowers and autumn moon end? How much of the past do we know?”

…

Ling Yu kicked her in the shin.

“Are you ever going to shut the hell up?”

Meng Ke let out a theatrical cry of pain.

Her beautiful eyes traveled repeatedly over Ling Yu’s body. Only when they met Ling Yu’s pitch-black gaze did she finally abandon the deliberately melodramatic air surrounding her.

Grinning, Meng Ke pulled Ling Yu’s arm away from Xu Miao.

“Sister, I was worried that after two years of absorbing foreign culture, you might’ve become too sophisticated for disreputable friends like us.”

Ling Yu raised her eyelids and tilted her head.

“Have you finished testing me?”

Her eyes were extremely dark.

Multicolored lights reflected within them, casting fragmented shadows. When her gaze swept across Meng Ke, it possessed a breathtaking, almost frightening beauty.

Meng Ke shuddered and cursed inwardly.

What a seductress.

Then she clung even more tightly to Ling Yu’s arm. Standing on tiptoe, she brought her lips close to Ling Yu’s ear and breathed suggestively:

“Could I test you a little more?”

The next moment, Meng Ke was pushed against the wall like a crab, Ling Yu’s hand pressed against her chest.

Ling Yu had reserved Wonder Bar for the night.

Everyone present was a socially adept rich heir. When the guest of honor arrived and immediately pinned Meng Ke against the wall, nearly everyone began cheering.

“Whoa! As expected of our Xiao Yu. Even her greeting gifts are this exciting!”

“No fair! Why does only Meng Ke get that treatment? Every brother and sister here deserves the same!”

A red-haired troublemaker tossed aside his beer bottle, planted one foot on a table, and shouted:

“Share the rain and dew equally! Am I right?”

“Yes!”

“Absolutely!”

No one knew how much these people had already drunk. Their words were beginning to slur.

Explosive club music shook the room, and lights crossed chaotically.

Ling Yu had not actually touched Meng Ke. But with one hand braced against the wall beside the woman’s shoulder, the shifting lights made it appear as though she had pinned her there.

The people behind them had minds filled with filth and immediately began making suggestive comments.

Ling Yu rarely attended gatherings like this.

Too many people meant too many loose mouths, and some harbored ulterior motives.

For example, Yu Xin’s grandniece was among the crowd, clearly there to monitor whether Ling Yu behaved promiscuously.

Ling Yu displayed the smile expected of a shameless lecher and lazily glanced back at everyone.

Just as she prepared to remove the arm braced beside Meng Ke, her peripheral vision met a pair of glasslike eyes.

She really came!

Ling Yu’s gaze traveled lasciviously over Gu Qing, openly assessing and evaluating her.

From beginning to end, Gu Qing did not look away.

She sat as still as a bell while their gazes met in midair.

Ling Yu could sense the fury Gu Qing was suppressing.

Was this really necessary?

Ling Yu was only examining her with the gaze of one woman appreciating another—looking at her face, her chest, her waist, and her reasonably shapely backside.

If Gu Qing could not tolerate even that, why had she followed her here?

Tonight, Ling Yu would show her what the real world of temptation looked like.

With that thought, Ling Yu raised an eyebrow and wrote the challenge openly across her face.

Beneath the hazy lights, her seductive foxlike eyes swept over Gu Qing before withdrawing.

Lights shifted across the space ahead.

Ling Yu kept one hand braced beside Meng Ke.

They stood extremely close.

Ling Yu lowered her head and leaned forward, stopping an inch from Meng Ke’s ear. In a soft voice, she murmured:

“Sweetheart, you won’t do. See the woman upstairs? She’s prettier than you.”

Meng Ke instinctively raised her chin.

Under the crossing lights, they appeared to be kissing.

The cheers around them grew louder, and several people whistled.

“Ling Yu, you never disappoint!”

“You’ve only just returned, and you’re already making things this exciting?”

A cigarette hung between Gu Qing’s lips.

She flicked open her lighter and silently brought the flame closer, igniting its tip.

During that brief moment, Fang Jia, who had been sitting opposite her, discarded her glass and strode downstairs in her high heels.

Gu Qing bit down hard on the cigarette, her back teeth clenching.

Colorful lights descended across the elegant contours of Gu Qing’s face.

For the first time, she lost control of her gaze and stared fixedly at Ling Yu as she laughed intimately with someone else.

She watched that woman stand amid the crowd like a moon surrounded by stars.

Fang Jia tried to approach but could not force her way through.

Gu Qing remained silent.

When Ling Yu entered the dance floor and the lighting brightened, Gu Qing finally saw her clearly.

Tonight, Ling Yu wore a black lace slip dress.

Two thin straps stretched tightly over her shoulders, looking as though they might snap at any moment.

Below them lay soft, generously developed curves.

Her waist was slender, and her long, fair legs gleamed as though polished with wax.

Ling Yu smilingly greeted the rich heirs dancing around her.

Someone invited her to dance, but she only smiled lazily and did not move.

Strangely, she still blended effortlessly into the crowd, calmly trading familiar banter with every rich heir who approached.

Someone shouted from among them:

“Ling Yu, you aren’t being a good sister!”

“You used to dance the opening number with us. How did two years abroad change you this much?”

Ling Yu smilingly kicked the speaker.

“You said it yourself—an opening dance. A shabby nightclub like this isn’t prestigious enough!”

Light spilled across her cheeks.

Untamable arrogance and wildness shone in her eyes.

She was obviously impossibly spoiled, yet everyone below stared at her in fascination before bursting into laughter.

She chatted with them, her expression bold and radiant.

Then someone suddenly asked:

“Damn, Xiao Yu. I heard that during your two months in Yuncheng, you relentlessly pursued Attorney Gu—the one from QY Law Firm.”

The atmosphere quieted slightly.

Standing nearby, Xu Miao frantically signaled at the tactless rich heir.

Ling Yu, however, remained utterly calm.

She did not mind at all and nodded without hesitation.

“It was a long time ago. I think something like that did happen.”

Ash fell from Gu Qing’s cigarette and landed on her fingers, instantly scorching a broad patch of her cool white skin red.

Biting the cigarette, she uncontrollably waited to hear Ling Yu’s answer.

The woman merely smiled carelessly.

Her friend laughed in surprise.

“So it really happened. How ridiculous.”

“Seriously, Xiao Yu—after liking a cold, devastatingly beautiful woman like Gu Qing, won’t everyone else seem dull to you from now on?”

“Her type?”

Ling Yu dropped her wineglass onto a passing server’s tray.

Her tone was languid.

“You mean the stingy straight-woman type? I’ll tell you after I actually fall for her.”

“Fuck. You mean you never liked Gu Qing at all?”

The friend who had spoken looked enlightened and burst into laughter.

“I knew it! How could our Xiao Yu ever fall for a single woman?”

Gu Qing watched Ling Yu shrug noncommittally.

She removed the cigarette from her lips and crushed it viciously into the ashtray.

The next moment, before she could react to her own decision, she rose and walked downstairs, one measured step at a time.

Fang Jia was circling the edge of the crowd. When she saw Gu Qing, she called to her.

Gu Qing ignored her and walked straight out of the club.

One minute later, the nightclub’s hazy lights suddenly went out.

The dance floor plunged into darkness.

“Fuck! The power’s out!”

“What the hell is happening?”

“Where’s the manager?”

…

Panic spread through the crowd.

Ling Yu had lazily retreated to lean against a wall when a hand suddenly seized the collar of her dress from behind.

A woman carrying a cool fragrance suppressed the rise and fall of her chest as she half dragged, half carried Ling Yu out of the dance floor.

Ling Yu raised an eyebrow.

“Let go!”