Pretending To Be Affectionate [Transmigration] - Chapter 54

Ling Yu had just emerged from the private gym at home when she heard muffled shouting from downstairs.

In the first-floor living room, Ling Taiguo snatched up a freshly poured cup of hot tea and hurled it at the man standing nearby with his head bowed.

The scalding tea drenched the man’s suit, and the cup tumbled down his trouser leg.

“Ah!”

The man didn’t cry out. Instead, it was Yu Xin, standing beside him, who covered her mouth.

As if she had lost her mind, she rushed forward in a panic and grabbed the suited man’s arm.

“Ah Song…” Yu Xin called him without thinking.

The next instant, the man shot her a sidelong glance and firmly withdrew his arm.

He coughed sharply, the sound carrying a pointed warning.

Yu Xin froze, then lowered her lashes.

Because both of them had their backs to Ling Taiguo, he didn’t see that brief exchange.

Yu Xin breathed a sigh of relief. It took her three seconds to conceal the panic in her eyes.

Steadying her voice, she asked, “Assistant Song, were you hurt?”

The man glanced politely at his thick suit. “Thank you for your concern, Madam. I’m dressed warmly, so it’s nothing serious.”

Though he claimed it was nothing, the skin on the back of his hand had been scalded bright red.

Pain flickered through Yu Xin’s eyes, but she asked no further questions. Instead, she turned toward the furious Ling Taiguo.

Pretending nothing had happened, she walked over with a basket of freshly picked flowers looped over her wrist.

“Honey, sit down and talk things through. Why get so angry? You’ll only damage your health.”

She set the flower basket on the coffee table, walked behind Ling Taiguo, and thoughtfully stroked his back to calm him.

Her hand pressed a little too hard, however, and a closer look would have revealed the distracted indifference in her eyes.

Fortunately, Ling Taiguo was too enraged to notice. The veins bulged on both his hands as he snatched up a stack of documents from the coffee table and flung them into Assistant Song’s face.

“Did you know about the three hundred million Taikang Hospital laundered for the Zong family’s trading company?”

Ling Yu raised her brows.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead with a dry towel, leaned against the red velvet railing, and looked down.

Assistant Song stood with his head lowered, looking like an extraordinarily restrained man. Despite Ling Taiguo’s abuse, he remained respectfully bowed, displaying neither displeasure nor resistance.

“President Ling,” Song Heng said, raising his head. “I knew nothing about the disgraceful acts committed by the procurement director. However, I personally promoted Wang Kang two years ago. Now that he has committed this crime, I cannot escape responsibility.”

He paused, then pulled a resignation letter dampened by the hot tea from his suit pocket and offered it to Ling Taiguo.

Yu Xin’s gaze shifted from Song Heng to Ling Taiguo. Seeing that the latter still had no intention of letting the matter go, she linked her arm through Ling Taiguo’s and intervened.

“Honey, you spent the past few months traveling to Gangcheng on business. Assistant Song managed everything at the company while you were away. Even if he didn’t achieve anything remarkable, he still worked hard. Besides, strictly speaking, what happened at Taikang Hospital has nothing to do with him.”

Ling Taiguo’s brows drew tightly together. He was clearly still furious, and his tone remained hostile.

“Do you understand that his poor judgment brought a scourge like Wang Kang into Taikang? Now I’m being forced to divert funds from the parent company to cover the hospital’s losses and the enormous fines we’ll face. The company’s market value will fall several points as well. Who is going to take responsibility for those losses?”

Yu Xin was rendered speechless.

After thinking for a moment, she caught sight of Ling Yu upstairs from the corner of her eye and suddenly had an idea.

She stroked Ling Taiguo’s back again, soothing him gently as she apologized in a soft voice.

“I’m sorry, honey. I don’t understand these things. I was just thinking—since the company has such a large shortfall, shouldn’t we hurry and bring in investment from Gangcheng?”

Ling Taiguo said nothing, but at least he stopped raging.

Yu Xin clung to his arm and tested the waters.

“Honey, don’t be anxious. Didn’t you say before that you wanted to cooperate with the Gu family? Why don’t we speed up the plans for Yu Yu’s marriage alliance?”

Ling Taiguo glared at her. “Do you think arranging a marriage alliance is that easy? They’re a century-old family!”

“Then why don’t I go with you?”

Ling Taiguo’s eyes brightened. He hadn’t expected Yu Xin to agree.

Naturally, it would be best if she accompanied him. As a man, it would be inconvenient for Ling Taiguo to take Ling Yu to banquets organized for wealthy wives and socialites. With Yu Xin there, however, things would be much easier. They were all women, after all.

Yu Xin spent some time placating Ling Taiguo before finally behaving as though she had just remembered Song Heng was still in the room.

She returned to the subject with a troubled sigh.

“If neither of us is home, and the only person we trust—Assistant Song—has been dismissed, we truly won’t have anyone reliable to manage the company.”

Ling Taiguo’s taut expression eased. At last, he spared Song Heng a glance and said stiffly, “There had better not be a next time.”

The illicit funds discovered at Taikang Hospital were merely the tip of the iceberg.

Ling Yu knew this perfectly well, but knowing was one thing. Producing evidence was another.

Assistant Song was an exceptionally cautious man. Old Master Xu’s people had investigated him and discovered that he belonged to an organization.

People like Assistant Song were merely mid-level members. He had undergone layer after layer of screening and professional training. Every scrap of historical evidence connected to the illicit funds that had passed through his hands had long since been thoroughly destroyed.

Had the Zong family’s trading company in Gangcheng not fallen under investigation, allowing the authorities to follow the trail back to Taikang Hospital, Ling Taiguo would never have discovered that his private hospital had a problem.

Seeing that the conversation downstairs was no longer on the verge of exploding, Ling Yu watched Ling Song curl up beside Song Heng and assemble building blocks.

Yu Xin arranged flowers while smiling at the man and child.

Meanwhile, Ling Taiguo sat in an armchair on the other side, utterly unaware of the green hat hovering over his head. His face was stern as he scolded them about something, looking rather comical as though he were directing the affairs of the nation.

Ling Yu smiled with interest, then lazily looked away.

“Miss.”

Just as Ling Yu was preparing to return to her bedroom and take a shower, a figure appeared behind her.

“Madam asked me to come upstairs and ask whether you’d like to go down and greet the guest.”

Ling Yu lifted her eyelids and glanced at Aunt Wu.

This woman had served Yu Xin for years. Ling Yu had stayed at Splendid Garden for five days, and Aunt Wu had followed her around for all five of them.

Ling Yu gave a playful chuckle and tossed her sweat towel into Aunt Wu’s arms.

She shot her a sidelong glance, then lowered one slender finger toward Song Heng.

“A guest? Him?”

Thinking Ling Yu didn’t recognize him, Aunt Wu conscientiously introduced him.

“That is the executive assistant from the parent company. He’s extremely capable and highly valued by your father—”

Maintaining her spoiled-heiress persona, Ling Yu interrupted her disdainfully.

“You said it yourself. He’s merely an assistant. What makes him important enough for me to greet personally?”

She gave Aunt Wu a meaningful glance.

“Go downstairs and pass a message to my stepmother. I mingle with second-generation heirs, and my guests are people like Fang Jia. If every stray cat and dog can become an honored guest of mine, I’ll only lower my standing in the circle.”

Ling Yu turned away at an unhurried pace.

She had just finished exercising, leaving her fair cheeks delicately flushed. The workout clothes emphasized her long legs and slender waist. Despite her lazy manner, every step displayed elegant posture and graceful allure.

It was the arrogant, composed bearing cultivated from childhood in a wealthy heiress.

Aunt Wu choked, unable to respond.

Ling Yu had deliberately irritated Yu Xin that morning. As expected, by afternoon, Yu Xin had complained about her to Ling Taiguo.

At the dinner table that evening, Ling Taiguo found fault with everything about Ling Yu and subjected her to a vicious tirade.

Ling Yu switched on a voice recorder and lowered her head, pretending to be aggrieved. Meanwhile, she slipped one hand into her pocket and recorded every insult from her biological father for her evidence folder.

Only after Ling Taiguo had nearly finished did Ling Yu speak.

“Dad, I bought an apartment near the University of Gangcheng.”

At those words, Ling Taiguo’s fading temper surged again.

“So now I’m not even allowed to scold you? All you ever think about is escaping from me!”

The corner of Ling Yu’s mouth twitched. Lowering her eyes, she feigned dejection.

“Your villa in Gangcheng can’t accommodate that many people.”

Ling Yu was telling the truth.

Yu Xin would accompany Ling Taiguo to Gangcheng. Ling Song was only three, so naturally, he would go with them. For convenience, they would need at least two housekeepers as well.

With so many people, the small villa Ling Taiguo had previously bought in Gangcheng would be too cramped.

Ling Yu raised her eyes past Ling Taiguo’s shoulder and cast Yu Xin a meaningful glance.

“Isn’t that right, Auntie? Our social circles can’t overlap, after all. It wouldn’t be appropriate for us to live together.”

The rebuke already on Ling Taiguo’s tongue became lodged in his throat. He turned toward Yu Xin.

Uncharacteristically, Yu Xin didn’t object.

She was usually extremely calculating, presenting one face in public and another in private. She preferred keeping Ling Yu beneath her nose so she could monitor her.

But after Ling Yu had used Song Heng to provoke her that afternoon, Yu Xin had been so angry that her liver hurt.

Now, meeting Ling Yu’s challenging gaze, she snorted coldly.

Keeping this little beast nearby would only cause her more aggravation. If they didn’t live together, Yu Xin might enjoy several extra years of life.

With that thought, Yu Xin scratched her long nails beneath the chin of the Persian cat in her arms and gently consoled Ling Taiguo.

“Honey, you’re overthinking it. Living near the university doesn’t mean Yu Yu no longer acknowledges you as her father. She’ll be working at the university, so living nearby will be more convenient. Besides, I’ve heard that the people living in school-district housing are all highly educated. The academic atmosphere is strong. Perhaps some of it will rub off on her. That may not be a bad thing.”

The implication was clear: a useless parasite like Ling Yu could only acquire a veneer of respectability by living near a university.

Ling Yu lowered her head, amusement flashing through her eyes.

Completely unconcerned by the mockery in Yu Xin’s words, she calmly finished the rice in her bowl.

Ling Yu’s flight was on the seventh, yet by the eighth, she still hadn’t managed to report to the University of Gangcheng.

The reason was the apartment Fang Jia had found for her.

“Why are you in my home?”

Ling Yu pushed open the bedroom door.

Fang Jia stood inside wrapped in a bath towel, apparently fresh from the shower. Water dripped from her shoulder-length hair and trailed down her fair neck.

“Sorry, Yu Yu,” Fang Jia apologized without the slightest sincerity. “I forgot to tell you that this is actually my home. Your apartment is over at Taicheng Xiujing, and it won’t be handed over for another year.”

Ling Yu stared at her with sleep-heavy eyes.

The next moment, Fang Jia walked right up to her without the slightest reservation, revealing the seductive butterfly tattoo beneath her collarbone, just above the soft curves of her chest.

The emotion faded from Ling Yu’s face.

Just before Fang Jia could press against her, Ling Yu turned her head away.

“Weren’t you afraid of getting sick from tattooing something like that?”

Fang Jia paused. “What?”

“Aunt Fang, you’re thirty-eight this year, aren’t you?”

Ling Yu’s gaze swept over the fine lines at the corners of Fang Jia’s eyes. Her fox eyes curved like flower petals as she smiled sweetly.

“I’ve heard tattoo ink contains carcinogens. At your age, aren’t you worried about getting breast cancer?”

Fang Jia choked.

She could hear the casual anger beneath Ling Yu’s words.

After all, Fang Jia had orchestrated the deception that brought her here. The little thing had a temper of her own, and Fang Jia understood that better than anyone.

Shamelessly, she loosened the sash around her waist.

The edges of the towel slackened with it. Avoiding the previous subject, she casually asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”

Ling Yu glanced at Aunt Fang. “Terribly.”

Puzzled, Fang Jia prepared to step forward and examine her.

The next instant, Ling Yu slammed the door in her face.

Fang Jia stared at the tightly shut door and irritably raked a hand through her hair.

Ten seconds later, she called Gu Qing.

“If a young person around your age—or perhaps slightly younger—can’t sleep well at night, what might be causing it?”

“I don’t have that problem,” Gu Qing replied.

“Different question. If you and I lived together, apart from everyday necessities, would I need to prepare anything else for you? Milk, perhaps? Face masks?”

“I would never live with you.”

Fang Jia was speechless.

She assumed Gu Qing would end this pointless call. Instead, Gu Qing abruptly asked, “Tell me. Who are you living with?”

“My little darling. Who else?”

On the other end of the line, Gu Qing’s hand abruptly froze around her fountain pen.

The tip carved a long scratch across the signature line.

The client sitting opposite her looked up in surprise.

“Attorney Gu?”

Sunlight streamed diagonally into the room. In an instant, Gu Qing’s beautiful, cold face appeared covered in a layer of frost.

After locking the bedroom door, Ling Yu’s first reaction was to open a rental app.

She was moving out.

Ling Yu considered her options. She had very few trustworthy friends in Gangcheng. Apart from Fang Jia and Gu Xiu, there was also Q.

But ever since their last conversation, Q hadn’t appeared for quite some time.

Ling Yu hesitated for several seconds. In the end, she felt too embarrassed to trouble Q yet again, so she sent Gu Xiu a message instead.

[Have you returned to the country?]

Xiu Xiu: [Yu Yu?]

[It’s me. I’m in Gangcheng. Are you free to have dinner?]

The moment Ling Yu sent the message, three messages from Q appeared in the chat window.

[Are you there?]

[Could you help me look over some rental listings?]

[I’m planning to rent a place soon. Help me.]

Ling Yu opened the conversation and immediately received a long string of property links.

After seeing the addresses and surroundings, the corners of her lips lifted.

[All right.]

This Sister Q truly was an angel.