5

Cen Lingqiu noticed that Yu Mingjiao hadn't come downstairs, so she brought the food up to the second floor.

As she opened the door, she saw that Yu Mingjiao had already moved herself from the bed to her wheelchair, staring blankly out the window with her dark eyes.

"What are you looking at?" Cen Lingqiu asked as she set the food on the table. Considering Yu Mingjiao's weakened state, she had prepared something light: millet porridge, some simple dishes, dumplings, and a bowl of chicken soup.

Yu Mingjiao remained silent, not even glancing at her.

Following her gaze, Cen Lingqiu looked out the window.

Outside, the rain was pouring down relentlessly. A large sycamore tree, its dense leaves soaked in sticky green, stood in the yard. Among the thick branches sat a small bird, shivering as it clung to the wet bark, its feathers plastered tightly to its frail body.

Raising an eyebrow, Cen Lingqiu teased, "Do you feel sorry for that little bird? Should I catch it and bring it inside so it can escape the rain?"

Finally, Yu Mingjiao gave her a reaction, a cold glare that seemed to mock her words.

Cen Lingqiu could easily read the disdain in her eyes, but she merely smiled lightly, not taking it to heart.

"Come eat," she said. "You haven't eaten in a long time."

Yu Mingjiao glanced at the food on the table, her voice icy as she refused, "I'm not eating. Get out."

Her mouth was stubborn, but unfortunately, her stomach wasn't. Right after she spoke, her belly let out a soft growl.

"…"

Cen Lingqiu kindly refrained from laughing, instead, she gently pushed Yu Mingjiao's wheelchair to the small table. "The porridge is getting cold. You should eat a little."

Yu Mingjiao couldn't remember how long it had been since she last ate. Sometimes, the maid and Lin Qiu deliberately withheld food, and with her legs crippled, it was difficult for her to get to the kitchen. But more than that, she had lost her desire to eat.

Eating is something humans do for enjoyment and survival, but she didn't need either, so food had lost all meaning to her.

Her stomach was already feeling the deep pangs of hunger, her gut aching, but she had grown used to ignoring it.

Hunger had been a constant companion throughout her life.

She didn't want to eat, especially not Lin Qiu's food.

Who knew what she might have done to it?

More importantly, Lin Qiu was sitting right across from her.

She hated eating with anyone else.

Yu Mingjiao remained completely still, like a puppet in her wheelchair, her cold gaze fixed on the food.

Cen Lingqiu sat across from her. When she noticed Yu Mingjiao wasn't moving, she spoke softly, "What's wrong? Does my presence make you feel sick?"

Yu Mingjiao blinked slowly, then answered in a low voice, "Yes."

Cen Lingqiu lowered her gaze, her calm face holding an inexplicable chill.

She gently squeezed her fingers together, her voice cool as water, "Alright then, take your time eating. I have something to talk to you about after."

Without any hesitation, she got up and left the room.

Cen Lingqiu went downstairs, tidied up the kitchen, and after waiting for a while, she headed back up. She knocked on Yu Mingjiao's door, and when there was no response, she let herself in.

Yu Mingjiao hadn't moved, still sitting in her wheelchair, staring lifelessly out the window, as if she were a withered tree in the dead of winter.

Cen Lingqiu assumed she hadn't eaten, but when she approached the table, she saw that the food had been touched, though only slightly.

Yu Mingjiao had only finished half the porridge and a few dumplings. The rest remained almost untouched.

"Was it that bad?" Cen Lingqiu asked, puzzled.

She had always been confident in her cooking skills. In her previous life, cooking had been a daily task, and she had honed her abilities over time.

Yu Mingjiao didn't answer, her tone impatient as she asked, "What did you want to talk about?"

Cen Lingqiu decided not to press the issue. She leaned against the window, the position allowing her to face Yu Mingjiao directly.

"I want you to leave this place," she said.

Yu Mingjiao's dark, brooding eyes shifted slightly, as if she thought she had misheard.

What was this woman saying?

That she could leave this place?

It was absurd.

Lin Qiu had always doted on her brother, watching over Yu Mingjiao and ensuring she didn't leave the estate. She was locked up here for over a month, with no idea how long she would be kept.

She was completely alone. No one cared about what happened to a crippled woman who had been missing for a month.

No friends, no lover, no family.

She had no way to contact the outside world. This place was isolated, and she had tried to escape.

But how far could someone in a wheelchair go? She hadn't made it past the gate before Lin Qiu caught her and reported her attempt to her brother.

What had that bastard done afterward?

Ah, he had taken away her wheelchair, leaving her on a bench in the garden. There were so many insects in that garden, and she was terrified of bugs. She wanted to flee, but without a wheelchair, she couldn't go anywhere.

And that man stood on the second floor, silently watching her struggle, trying to force her to realize her mistake.

She spent the night in that garden. The temperature difference in the mountains was vast, and that summer night was not only plagued by disgusting bugs but also a bone-chilling cold.

From that night on, she knew her freedom had been buried in the cold, damp earth of that garden.

And now Lin Qiu was saying what?

That she could leave this place?

Yu Mingjiao didn't believe her for a second. She thought this woman had come up with a new way to torment her.

"What's the point?" she asked softly, tilting her head, her beautiful peach blossom eyes clouded with icy disdain. "When did you start spouting such meaningless nonsense? If you've thought of a new way to torment me, just do it already."

She seemed genuinely confused, her delicate brows furrowed in what looked like innocent bewilderment. On her stunningly beautiful face, it made her look like a young girl puzzling over a difficult problem.

"Or, if you find me so repulsive, just kill me already." A slightly manic smile tugged at her lips. "It wouldn't be hard for your family to make someone disappear, right? Tell me, how do you want me to die? I'm fine with anything. I can die any way you like."

Yu Mingjiao's mind was stretched taut, like a thread ready to snap. Her rationality and will to survive were drowning in the dark, damp depths of her childhood and adulthood, and Lin Qiu, along with her brother, was pushing her down further into that abyss.

She could no longer breathe.

So she had given up on herself, wallowing in self-loathing, numbness, and madness.

Living or dying—what difference did it make?

Outside, the rain continued to pour, tapping rhythmically against the windows. The room was silent.

Cen Lingqiu could feel the crazed self-destruction and despair emanating from Yu Mingjiao, a sensation akin to an early winter rain in the middle of summer—a cold that was unnaturally chilling.

Cen Lingqiu had felt this kind of cold long ago.

And she hated it.

Without thinking, she stepped forward, crouching in front of Yu Mingjiao, meeting her gaze directly.

"I don't want to do anything to you," she said slowly. "I just want you to cut ties with my brother."

To make her reason sound more believable, she softened her usual calm tone with a hint of the original character's sharpness. "You and my brother aren't a good match. You're too different. Our family would never accept you, so the sooner you leave him, the better."

That seemed somewhat plausible. Yu Mingjiao quietly studied her with slightly more attention.

Cen Lingqiu noticed the slight flicker of belief in her eyes, but it was still clouded by deep suspicion, a result of her prolonged torment.

Cen Lingqiu wasn't trying to deceive her. After all, the female lead was her mission target, and crucial to earning her points.

If she completed this task, she would accumulate enough points.

Every employee at the Book Transmigration Bureau worked to earn points. With enough points, they could be reborn in their original world.

Cen Lingqiu was laid-back by nature. While she did want a second chance at life, she wasn't as desperate or fanatical as others. She approached her tasks with a relaxed attitude, often taking long breaks between them. As a result, despite her years of work, she still hadn't amassed enough points.

But with this task completed, she would finally have enough. Cen Lingqiu, having come this far, wasn't about to give up now.

So she genuinely cared about this task and, by extension, the female lead.

To reduce Yu Mingjiao's self-destructive tendencies, she needed to address the root cause.

One major trigger for Yu Mingjiao's despair was her lack of freedom.

Cen Lingqiu's first step was to get Yu Mingjiao out of this stifling environment.

"You're still a student, right?" Cen Lingqiu asked, noticing how Yu Mingjiao's bangs had become a bit disheveled. Feeling compelled to fix them, she reached out. Yu Mingjiao turned her head away, dodging the touch.

Ignoring the small act of defiance, Cen Lingqiu swiftly adjusted her bangs before continuing, "Students should be doing what students do—going to class, studying, and living a normal life."

Standing up, she added, "Don't waste your life stuck here."

The word "student" triggered something in Yu Mingjiao. The reality of her situation suddenly hit her—she was a university student majoring in fine arts, a young woman who once had a future filled with potential.

But it felt so distant now.

Could she really leave this place? Or was this just another cruel trick?

Yu Mingjiao clenched the arms of her wheelchair, her lips pressed into a tight line. The distrust was still strong—she couldn't bring herself to believe that Cen Lingqiu's sudden change in attitude was genuine.

Seeing the doubt in her eyes, Cen Lingqiu raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think I'm lying to you?"

Yu Mingjiao's gaze remained cold and suspicious, not offering a word in response.

This girl's trust issues were deeply rooted, understandable given everything she had endured. Cen Lingqiu had always been good at reading people, and she could see that Yu Mingjiao was teetering on the edge of both hope and despair.

"I'm not lying," Cen Lingqiu assured her, leaning in slightly, her voice firm. "If I'm lying to you—"

She paused for effect, then added, "—may I be hit by a car."

Yu Mingjiao blinked, taken aback by the suddenness of the statement. She didn't expect Cen Lingqiu to make such a blunt vow.

Cen Lingqiu straightened up, her expression sincere. "You deserve to live freely, not be trapped here like this. I'm going to help you leave, whether you believe me or not. But you have to be ready to take that step."

For a moment, silence hung between them, the sound of rain outside the window the only noise in the room. Yu Mingjiao's mind was racing, torn between wanting to believe and fearing another betrayal. The promise seemed too good to be true, especially coming from someone who had caused her so much pain.

Yet, there was something different in Cen Lingqiu's demeanor—an authenticity that Yu Mingjiao couldn't completely ignore. Could this really be her way out? Was Cen Lingqiu sincere in her offer to help?

"Why are you doing this?" Yu Mingjiao finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper, still laced with doubt.

"Because keeping you here is pointless," Cen Lingqiu replied, her tone straightforward. "My brother doesn't care about you the way you think. He's just using you to fill a void. You deserve better than that."

She paused, letting the words sink in before continuing, "I'm doing this because you need to get out of this place before it destroys you."

Yu Mingjiao's defenses began to falter, her eyes softening slightly as she weighed Cen Lingqiu's words. The clarity in her voice, the directness—these weren't traits of someone playing a cruel game. They were the words of someone who might actually be trying to help.

But could she really trust her?

Seeing the uncertainty still lingering, Cen Lingqiu decided to push a little further. "I know it's hard to believe me, but at least give yourself a chance. If I'm lying, you'll find out soon enough. But if I'm not, then you have a shot at getting your life back."

The room fell into silence again as Yu Mingjiao processed everything. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions—anger, fear, hope, doubt—all colliding within her.

Finally, she spoke, her voice tinged with the slightest hint of vulnerability, "And if I go with you… What then?"

Cen Lingqiu offered a small, reassuring smile. "Then I'll take you wherever you want to go. Back to school, to a safe place, anywhere but here. You'll be free to make your own choices."

Yu Mingjiao's grip on her wheelchair tightened, her resolve beginning to waver. The idea of freedom, of leaving this nightmare behind, was so tempting, yet the scars of her experiences made it difficult to fully embrace the possibility.

Cen Lingqiu waited patiently, knowing that this decision wasn't an easy one. She could see the battle raging in Yu Mingjiao's eyes, the struggle between her instinct for survival and the deep-seated fear of further betrayal.

But she also knew that if there was even a sliver of hope, Yu Mingjiao would reach for it.

After what felt like an eternity, Yu Mingjiao finally nodded, a small, tentative movement that signaled her willingness to take the risk.

"Okay," she whispered, her voice shaky but determined. "I'll go with you."

Cen Lingqiu exhaled quietly, a sense of relief washing over her. This was the first step—small but significant. Now, all she had to do was make sure that Yu Mingjiao got out of this place and began to heal from the damage that had been done to her.

"Good," Cen Lingqiu said, her tone gentle but firm. "We'll leave soon. Just trust me a little longer."

For the first time in a long while, Yu Mingjiao allowed herself to feel a flicker of hope, albeit guarded. She didn't fully trust Cen Lingqiu yet, but she was willing to see where this would lead.

As Cen Lingqiu began to plan their escape, the rain outside finally began to taper off, a symbolic end to the storm that had been raging both outside and within.

It was time for a new beginning.