35

After that day, He Hanzhou started calling Cen Lingqiu every few days, but she didn't pick up.

Today, she was relaxing at home with Yu Mingjiao. Yu Mingjiao's hair had grown long, reaching down to her tailbone. It was straight and jet black.

Cen Lingqiu loved Yu Mingjiao's hair, but it was getting too long and becoming inconvenient. Her bangs had also grown too long, almost covering her eyes, and she refused to go to a salon. Cen Lingqiu offered to trim it for her.

Cen Lingqiu was very careful as she trimmed the bangs, concentrating to avoid making any mistakes.

Yu Mingjiao sat quietly, her eyes fixated on Cen Lingqiu's serious expression.

She thought Cen Lingqiu looked beautiful when she was this focused.

After trimming the bangs, Cen Lingqiu cut a bit off the ends of Yu Mingjiao's hair. When she was done, she stepped back to admire her work.

The bangs were cut just right, revealing Yu Mingjiao's stunning eyes and highlighting her exquisite features, now free of the previous gloominess.

Yu Mingjiao picked up a strand of her hair from her shoulder. "It doesn't seem like you cut much."

Cen Lingqiu hadn't cut much, leaving the length around her waist. She smiled and explained, "It would be a shame to cut it all off. Your hair is so beautiful."

Yu Mingjiao murmured, "You really like my hair, don't you?"

Cen Lingqiu admitted as much.

Yu Mingjiao felt a surge of pleasure. She grabbed Cen Lingqiu's hand and placed it on her hair, tilting her head slightly.

"You can play with my hair whenever you like."

Something inside Cen Lingqiu's heart skipped a beat.

For some reason, even though it was an innocent statement, coming from Yu Mingjiao, it carried an undercurrent of subtle, intimate meaning.

It felt like an expression of a deeper emotion.

Cen Lingqiu had touched Yu Mingjiao's hair before, but it had never made her feel this fluttery.

Perhaps it was because Yu Mingjiao's eyes were so captivating, gazing at her with such clarity, like thawing winter ice meeting the petals of spring cherry blossoms, transparent and stunning.

Those eyes were solely focused on her.

Cen Lingqiu's heart began to race. For a moment, she forgot the turmoil she had been feeling lately, her mind filled only with Yu Mingjiao's face.

Yu Mingjiao noticed the reaction she had hoped for, her lips curving into a faint smile.

Then, the ringing of a phone shattered the intimate moment. Cen Lingqiu snapped back to reality, realizing she had once again been drawn in by Yu Mingjiao. She pulled her hand away and went to find her phone.

Yu Mingjiao bit her lip, her eyes darkening.

Cen Lingqiu found her phone and frowned when she saw the caller ID.

It was He Hanzhou again.

He had been calling her frequently over the past few days. Cen Lingqiu wasn't familiar with him and, knowing about his involvement with Yu Mingjiao in the original plot, instinctively felt repelled by him.

Out of personal reasons, she didn't want He Hanzhou to have any connection with Yu Mingjiao. The plot was already off track, so she didn't care about the original male lead and female lead's relationship.

For these reasons, Cen Lingqiu didn't want any entanglement with him and had been avoiding his calls.

But he was persistent. Even after she blocked his number, he would call from a new one.

Frustrated, she decided to answer and find out what he wanted.

"Lin Qiu, you finally picked up," He Hanzhou's lazy voice came through the line.

The living room was quiet, and his voice was clear enough for Yu Mingjiao to hear. Her grip on the wheelchair tightened, her eyes dark and cold.

Cen Lingqiu's tone was indifferent, "What do you want?"

"Nothing much. We used to play together as kids. How about having a meal together?"

"Sorry, I'm busy with work. I don't have time." Cen Lingqiu, annoyed that it was such a trivial matter, wasn't interested in dragging out the conversation and was about to hang up.

But He Hanzhou quickly added, "Wait, I have something that might interest you—"

"Not interested," Cen Lingqiu cut him off and hung up without bothering with any further pleasantries.

"Who was that?" Yu Mingjiao asked, her voice calm, seemingly devoid of any emotion.

Cen Lingqiu replied, "No one important."

After a moment's thought, she asked tentatively, "Jiao Jiao, do you remember the man who was with Lin Dong the other day?"

Yu Mingjiao's fingers curled slightly. The fact that Cen Lingqiu had taken note of a man made her inexplicably irritated. She didn't want to hear any man's name coming out of Cen Lingqiu's mouth.

"Why?" Yu Mingjiao's voice was restrained, her eyes showing a hint of cold amusement, "Are you interested in him?"

Yu Mingjiao couldn't bear to hear Cen Lingqiu confirm such a thing.

Her heart was already churning with unease and anger.

That inner beast was starting to roar again, the nameless fury almost overwhelming her.

If she really gave that answer...

"Hmm?" Cen Lingqiu was puzzled, "Why would you think that?"

She explained, "I'm asking because I don't want you getting too close to him. No matter how he tries to approach you, just ignore him."

He Hanzhou was a sly fox, and in the original novel, he always presented a friendly, respectable front to Yu Mingjiao, but in reality, he was a controlling maniac who would restrict Yu Mingjiao's freedom at any given moment.

He was far from being as carefree as he seemed.

Cen Lingqiu didn't want anyone with bad intentions near Yu Mingjiao. She just wanted to ensure that after she left, there wouldn't be anyone around who could bring her pain.

That was what Cen Lingqiu thought.

Yu Mingjiao didn't understand her reasoning and was slightly puzzled. "Do you think he'll like me?"

Cen Lingqiu: "…It's just a guess. Just giving you some advice."

"Do you want me to be with him?" Yu Mingjiao suddenly asked.

"…"

If she were honest, Cen Lingqiu would naturally say…no.

But that thought was too personal, too inexplicable to express. She just smiled and said, "That's up to you. My opinion doesn't matter."

"It does," Yu Mingjiao whispered.

She spoke so softly that Cen Lingqiu didn't hear her clearly.

That night, Yu Mingjiao insisted that Cen Lingqiu sleep with her. Recently, Cen Lingqiu had been avoiding her for some reason, and they hadn't been sleeping together as much.

Tonight, Yu Mingjiao had to use a mix of persuasion and pressure to get Cen Lingqiu to agree.

Yu Mingjiao was actually quite unhappy. She hated that Cen Lingqiu was distancing herself, hated the coldness, and hated that someone else was pestering her.

She hated a lot of things, making it hard for her to be happy, almost driving her to the brink of madness.

Before going to sleep, Yu Mingjiao suddenly asked, "Lin Qiu, am I important to you?"

"Mm," Cen Lingqiu, drowsy and barely awake, forced herself to respond.

"If someone hurt me, made me suffer, would you hate that person?"

"Who hurt you?"

"If someone did?"

Cen Lingqiu was so sleepy she didn't even know what she was saying, murmuring half-asleep, "…Mm, if you want me to hate them, I'll hate them."

"You must despise them."

"Alright, alright," Cen Lingqiu patted her back, "Now sleep."

Sleeping together was already a common occurrence for them, so much so that Cen Lingqiu's own bed was almost redundant.

After saying that, Cen Lingqiu quickly fell asleep. Yu Mingjiao, however, stayed awake, quietly watching her sleep.

As her relationship with Cen Lingqiu grew closer, Yu Mingjiao's fear deepened. She was terrified that Cen Lingqiu would leave her again, just like before.

Even when they were together, Yu Mingjiao couldn't shake the feeling that Cen Lingqiu might vanish from this world at any moment, as if she had never been here.

She was too afraid to sleep.

All she could do was stare at Cen Lingqiu's face, like a mouse afraid of losing its precious cheese.

Cen Lingqiu's phone rang a few times, but she was sleeping so soundly that she didn't hear it.

Yu Mingjiao, without a trace of guilt for invading someone else's privacy, picked up Cen Lingqiu's phone and unlocked it. Cen Lingqiu had given her the password a long time ago.

A series of messages were from the same phone number.

Yu Mingjiao checked the call history and saw that all those messages were from He Hanzhou.

They were filled with meaningless small talk, none of which Cen Lingqiu had responded to.

Yu Mingjiao scrolled through the messages, feeling increasingly annoyed and angry.

It was like someone was coveting her favorite toy, and her extreme possessiveness made her want to make this thief disappear.

Her eyes darkened in the night.

She smirked coldly and began typing a message.

The response came quickly with a "Got it."

Yu Mingjiao then deleted the conversation, as if nothing had happened.

—

Cen Lingqiu had a work appointment today, and after she left home, Yu Mingjiao also went out. But instead of heading to work, she went to a secluded, elegant café.

There wasn't a single other customer in the café. When the waiter asked for her name, Yu Mingjiao gave the name Lin Qiu.

The waiter understood and respectfully led her to the second floor, which was even more elegantly decorated than the first. The place seemed to have been specially arranged, with roses everywhere.

The meaning was obvious, anyone could see it.

Yu Mingjiao casually picked a rose and squeezed it lightly. The thorns quickly pricked her delicate skin, and red blood beaded out.

Her gaze remained calm, indifferent to the pain.

A man leaned against the second-floor railing, his back to her. When he heard her, he turned around, his face lighting up with surprise before his expression soured. He smiled without warmth, "Why is it you?"

"How tacky," Yu Mingjiao crushed the white rose, letting the juices mix with her blood before tossing it aside like garbage. She raised her cold eyes, her smile twisted. "How could you let her see such a disgusting, boring thing?"

Her words were pointed, and He Hanzhou caught on.

He quickly pieced together the truth. "Ah, so you were the one who replied to my invitation to coffee."

Yu Mingjiao showed no shame in having been caught, tilting her head slightly as if to say, "Yes, so what?"

He Hanzhou found her intriguing. He pulled out a chair and sat across from her, narrowing his eyes in a smile. "Your relationship with Lin Qiu seems quite good. But didn't Lin Dong say you two used to be on bad terms?"

Yu Mingjiao's expression remained serene. "Do you want to know?"

"Of course."

"Too bad," Yu Mingjiao's lips curled into a malicious smirk, "I'm not telling you."

He Hanzhou pretended to be disappointed, "Is that so?"

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Yu Mingjiao asked bluntly.

"Stay away from Lin Qiu," Yu Mingjiao's eyes were like ice, cold and sharp.

"Why?" He Hanzhou chuckled, "What are you to her? You're just friends. Can you really control her love life?"

Yu Mingjiao's face remained unsettlingly calm, devoid of any visible anger. "What do you want with her?"

He Hanzhou chuckled, "Isn't it obvious? I'm interested in her, so I want to pursue her."

"To pursue?" Yu Mingjiao murmured, "And what does that involve?"

"What do you think?" He Hanzhou didn't see the harm. "If she likes me back, we'll date, hold hands, kiss, and then—"

He Hanzhou deliberately taunted her, mouthing the words "sleep together."

Yu Mingjiao understood immediately.

He said it would end in bed.

With just that phrase, Yu Mingjiao's expression turned sinister and dark, a vein throbbing on her forehead as she clenched her teeth, a frigid smile forming on her lips.

"She will never like you."

"You can't say that for sure," He Hanzhou continued to provoke her. "She's single, I'm single. Why wouldn't it happen?"

Yu Mingjiao's heart pounded with rage, the thought of what he described driving her to the brink of madness.

She couldn't accept it.

She wouldn't accept it.

That woman belonged by her side and no one else's!

She was consumed by a deep hatred for this man who had nothing to do with her.

All because of that woman.

She dug her nails into her wounded palm, using the pain to suppress the jealous rage.

Her phone buzzed with a message.

Yu Mingjiao glanced at it—it was from Cen Lingqiu.

Before leaving, she had messaged Cen Lingqiu, asking her to pick her up later at the café.

By now, she should be on her way…

"She will never like you," Yu Mingjiao said, eyeing the mango cream pancake on the table. The café was famous for its desserts, especially the mango cream pancake, which was a must-try.

He Hanzhou had ordered it long ago, and it was sitting on the table.

He Hanzhou was curious, "Why are you so sure?"

Yu Mingjiao took a small bite of the pancake, her gaze growing distant, "Because she only likes me."

He Hanzhou felt there was something off about her statement, "What do you mean?"

Yu Mingjiao's face began to flush. She had eaten most of the mango pancake and was now sipping water. Her expression was hard to read as she replied.

"Because she likes me so much, she'll hate anyone who has ever hurt me."

Her words seemed baseless, and He Hanzhou was still pondering their meaning when he noticed Yu Mingjiao's face turning bright red. Hives were breaking out across her skin, and her breathing became labored, as if she couldn't catch her breath.

Cen Lingqiu had just managed to get past the café's staff. The café had been reserved, and she had to argue with them to be allowed in.

Moments before, Yu Mingjiao had messaged her, saying she was feeling unwell and wanted to go home. Cen Lingqiu rushed over immediately.

When she reached the second floor, she saw Yu Mingjiao struggling to breathe, clutching her chest, while He Hanzhou sat across from her, looking puzzled.

"Jiao Jiao—"

Cen Lingqiu hurried over, supporting Yu Mingjiao's back as she assessed her condition. Her eyes were glazed, her neck covered in hives, her breathing rapid and shallow.

Cen Lingqiu's eyes fell on the mango dessert on the table. She turned to He Hanzhou, her tone icy, "Jiao Jiao is severely allergic to mangoes. Didn't she tell you?"

He Hanzhou opened his mouth to reply, but Yu Mingjiao, clutching Cen Lingqiu's sleeve, tried to say something. Before she could, she fainted, collapsing into Cen Lingqiu's arms.