Chapter 26 There is no wood that can't catch fire, only flames that aren't strong enough.

Zuo Qinghuan hung up the phone but remained absentmindedly holding it. Han Shibin would surely make Qin Wanshu fulfill her duties as a wife, right? After all, Qin Wanshu looked so alluring, and even if she were frigid, she would still ignite a desire in anyone to touch her. They were husband and wife, so wasn't it only natural for them to do such things? Would Qin Wanshu refuse? Just thinking about Qin Wanshu under Han Shibin made Zuo Qinghuan feel agitated—she hated imagining that scene.

Shaking her head to stop her wandering thoughts, Zuo Qinghuan dialed Li Xin's number.

"Are you home?" Zuo Qinghuan asked.

"Yes," Li Xin answered weakly.

"Are you okay?" Zuo Qinghuan noticed something off in Li Xin's voice. Could it be that Li Xin had been dumped? It seemed like something serious had happened.

"Not really, I'm going to sleep now," Li Xin replied listlessly, hanging up the phone. She just wanted to sleep away her pain, as she did every time she experienced a breakup.

Zuo Qinghuan grabbed her car keys and drove to Li Xin's house. Sometimes Li Xin was quite forgetful, so Zuo Qinghuan had a spare key.

Upon entering the house, she found it filled with empty alcohol bottles and a complete mess. This was unlike anything she had seen before, as Li Xin was normally so clean to the point of obsession.

Zuo Qinghuan searched the bedroom but didn't find Li Xin. After a quick round of the house, she found her curled up in a corner of the sofa.

"Get up and go to bed if you want to sleep," Zuo Qinghuan frowned and nudged Li Xin's body. This woman looked nothing like her usual seductive self; she was so haggard she resembled a ghost.

"Even if I died here, no one would notice," Li Xin said with a bitter laugh, her smile filled with endless sorrow.

"How long has it been since you last ate?" Zuo Qinghuan asked. If she hadn't come, who knows what Li Xin would have done to herself?

"One day or maybe two, I can't remember..." Li Xin held up one finger, looking completely lost.

"Does degrading yourself like this feel good? Yan Ruowen won't see it, and even if she did, she wouldn't care. Can you stop being so pathetic for once? Do you think you'll die without love?" Zuo Qinghuan shouted angrily at Li Xin. Li Xin was the kind of woman who thrived on love—when she had it, she blossomed with beauty and charm, but without it, she wilted like a flower dying in fast forward.

"Sometimes I really do feel like dying..." Li Xin muttered tearfully. She hated herself for being this way. She had abandoned all her dignity to beg Yan Ruowen, yet she still left without a second thought.

"If you die, will she remember you? Look at yourself! If I were Yan Ruowen, I'd leave you too!" Zuo Qinghuan thrust a mirror in front of Li Xin's face.

Li Xin stared blankly at her reflection—a pale face that resembled a ghost, hair in complete disarray. She looked so dirty and disheveled that even she felt disgusted.

"So, what do I do?" Li Xin asked, her heart aching unbearably.

"What you need to do now is live better than her. You need to make yourself so beautiful and irresistible, find a woman better than her, and flaunt it in her face. Blind her with your success, make her regret ever leaving you. She'll never find someone who treats her better than you did," Zuo Qinghuan said, feeling like she could be a relationship therapist.

"Yes, I'll live better, make myself even more beautiful, and find a woman better than her. I'll make her regret it. I have to make her regret leaving me!" A spark of life appeared in Li Xin's previously dead eyes, suddenly filled with determination.

"But is there really anyone better than her?" Li Xin asked, her resolve wavering as she thought that no one could tug at her heart like Yan Ruowen had. She slumped back into despair.

"There are over six billion people on this planet, half of them women. Are you telling me that out of three billion women, you can't find another Yan Ruowen? And if you can't, then change yourself. Stop being the little lamb waiting at Yan Ruowen's feet. Become the unrivaled, captivating Li Xin. Make Yan Ruowen fall at your feet, conquer her instead of waiting for her to conquer you!" Zuo Qinghuan had never seen what was so special about Yan Ruowen. Finding another Qin Wanshu might be difficult, but another Yan Ruowen? Please, that was easy. Still, she painted a grand picture for Li Xin, even if it was unlikely to come true—it was better than her current state.

Conquering Yan Ruowen. This was something Li Xin had never dared to dream of. But now, with Zuo Qinghuan's words, she suddenly felt empowered, like a burst of energy coursing through her. Yes, if Yan Ruowen didn't want to conquer her, then she would conquer Yan Ruowen. In that instant, Li Xin transformed from a withering flower into a weed, full of life and fight.

"I, Li Xin, will conquer Yan Ruowen!" Li Xin declared with conviction.

Zuo Qinghuan, however, thought that Li Xin was just a paper tiger. If Yan Ruowen as much as beckoned, Li Xin would undoubtedly rush back to her. Deep down, Li Xin was a very submissive woman, always waiting to be conquered. But for now, even if Li Xin was lying to herself, it was better than having no hope at all. Sometimes, people need to deceive themselves to find a way out.

Zuo Qinghuan, now feeling relieved, said, "Alright, go clean yourself up. You're a total mess right now." She didn't hold back her criticism—this woman had just gone from a wreck to her usual seductive self in the blink of an eye.

Li Xin glanced at her reflection once more and let out a scream. Zuo Qinghuan quickly covered her ears; this woman had an overwhelming amount of energy when she was back to her old self.

In record time, Li Xin rushed into the bathroom. After a flurry of noise, she emerged as her usual enchanting self, radiating the aura of a woman who was anything but demure, though her complexion was still somewhat pale.

Watching her, Zuo Qinghuan felt like Li Xin could change faces faster than a Sichuan opera performer. But at least she felt reassured now.

"Sis, I haven't even had dinner yet. I came to check if you were dead or not. Go make some food—I'm starving," Zuo Qinghuan ordered, not bothering to be polite. She always thought Li Xin had masochistic tendencies, which is why she loved bossing her around.

"Not sure if there's anything in the kitchen..." Li Xin said, used to being bossed around, and headed to the kitchen. Before long, she returned with two bowls of delicious fried rice.

Although Zuo Qinghuan despised the simple fried rice, considering Li Xin's excellent cooking skills, she started eating.

"By the way, where have you been running off to lately?" A now-recovered Li Xin asked curiously.

"I've been getting closer to Qin Wanshu lately." Zuo Qinghuan and Li Xin had always been open with each other. She couldn't deny that Li Xin's cooking was far superior to her own; even a simple bowl of fried rice tasted so good. It was truly a loss for Yan Ruowen not to want Li Xin. After all, Li Xin could both handle the kitchen and the bedroom—skills that were hard to come by. Where could you find a woman like that?

"You're not serious about Qin Wanshu, are you?" Li Xin, although always hoping Zuo Qinghuan would bend and join her on the other side, felt a bit concerned about Qin Wanshu. As the daughter of a wealthy family, Qin Wanshu would likely have many concerns. She wasn't as carefree as they were, able to love openly and freely.

"I'm not sure. I just really enjoy the dynamic between us, and I'm pretty interested in seducing that seemingly ascetic woman into bed." Zuo Qinghuan had never been in love, so she didn't know what it felt like, but she did know she was very intrigued by Qin Wanshu.

"What about Han Shibin?" Li Xin couldn't help but think that Han Shibin wasn't one to be underestimated. Li Xin still believed that Zuo Qinghuan was playing with fire, but her twisted sense of humor found the situation exciting.

"Who cares," Zuo Qinghuan replied nonchalantly.

"Speaking of, what's Qin Wanshu's attitude?" Li Xin was extremely curious about that outstanding woman's stance. Could such a woman be swayed by someone like Zuo Qinghuan, who only appeared innocent on the surface?

"It's unclear. She seems to be playing hard to get. You tell me—if she let me kiss her, she must have some feelings for me, but then she didn't react at all. What do you think that means?" Zuo Qinghuan asked Li Xin. Even though Li Xin had made a mess of her own love life, she had been in a few relationships and might have some insight.

"Wow, she let you kiss her? How did it feel?" Li Xin asked excitedly.

"She didn't react, so what could I feel?" Zuo Qinghuan gave Li Xin an annoyed look.

"Even if she didn't react, you should've felt something. Come on, what did it feel like?" Li Xin asked with excitement.

"Answer my question first!" Zuo Qinghuan grumbled in frustration. She had finally decided to share such personal details with Li Xin, not for her to gossip, but to get some analysis.

"There are two possibilities: either that woman is entirely ascetic, with complete control over her body, or she really has no desires. The other possibility is that she's just not into you. But then again, why would someone like her let you kiss her? Especially considering your current relationship..." Li Xin said, still finding the whole situation fascinating.

Zuo Qinghuan rolled her eyes again. Li Xin's response was practically useless. She shouldn't have even brought up Qin Wanshu with her.

"Do you really think there are people in the world with no desires?" Zuo Qinghuan asked Li Xin.

"There's no firewood that won't burn, only flames that aren't hot enough," Li Xin replied with a mischievous smile. Luckily, Zuo Qinghuan had long since built up immunity to her seductive ways, or her bones might have turned to jelly.

Hmm, the smile of Athena could probably ward off such demons, Zuo Qinghuan thought to herself.

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