After Encountering My Deceased Wife, I Became the Male Lead's Love Rival - Chapter 35:

Chapter 35: Bargaining Chip

If her hands hadn’t been held firmly by Fang Ziyue, Ling Qiu would have slapped her without hesitation.

“You’re too close.” The dark-faced woman turned her head away, as if dodging something filthy.

“Mm-hmm?” Fang Ziyue narrowed her eyes at the sight. Her wife was habitually duplicitous; if she truly wanted her gone, with Ling Qiu’s current power, she could have thrown her out of Z City forever.

“Alright, I was wrong. Blame my big mouth.” The sight of this woman, who had been forced to be strong for so many years, always made her heart ache. Fang Ziyue gave Ling Qiu a way out, sighing helplessly: “Your body is your own; you should cherish it. You’re so young what will happen if you ruin your health now?”

Ling Qiu’s eyelids twitched violently. To be honest, why did Fang Ziyue sound like a nagging mother?

“I’m just the ’emperor who isn’t worried while the eunuch is anxious.’ If you don’t care about your own body, why should I be worried?” The woman who had been sharp a moment ago suddenly softened into a laugh: “Why should I bother with all that concern?”

Looking at Fang Ziyue’s fake smile, Ling Qiu felt a rare pang of guilt. Fine anyway, if she kept the person around, she wasn’t the one losing out. However, Ling Qiu still refused to yield too much.

“I have a specialized doctor looking after me. It’s enough for you to do your own duties.” This was already the maximum tolerance Ling Qiu could show. Anyone else would have been thrown out of the manor today. Fang Ziyue’s unique sense of “authenticity” had earned her major points.

“Gratitude?” However, the woman who had spent a long time acting weak and self-deprecating was very dissatisfied. She had said so much, and her wife only gave her this attitude?

“What else?” Ling Qiu’s temper was rising again. Who exactly was the servant here?

“I am extremely satisfied!” Fang Ziyue’s face changed in a second. She curled her lips happily and slipped away with the glass. Her wife was in a fit of rage; she’d better not provoke her. If she triggered a volcanic eruption, she wouldn’t be able to handle the aftermath.

Leaving the room, Fang Ziyue rubbed her brow with some distress. In her previous life, her wife had pampered her so much that she had almost forgotten that Ling Qiu suffered from neurasthenia and irritability due to insomnia.

And this insomnia was partly her fault. Back then, she was only fourteen or fifteen but dared to step into the business world, hoping to make a name for herself. But her family was tied to the Ling family; some people couldn’t touch the Lings, so they targeted her instead.

Ling Qiu’s father was a man who cared only for profit. He wouldn’t even spare a glance for a housekeeper’s child, let alone help. It was Ling Qiu—who had just gained a foothold in the Ling Corporation who spent her days battling old fogies in the company and her nights working overtime to shield Fang Ziyue from the jackals eyeing her.

Fang Ziyue hadn’t known any of this. While she was smug about earning her first pot of gold, Ling Qiu had collapsed in her office and was diagnosed with neurasthenia. Only then did she realize the Eldest Miss was under immense pressure and had made herself sick with chronic insomnia.

At that time, Ling Qiu couldn’t control her temper, and Fang Ziyue had even thought that since she could make money on her own, she shouldn’t stay at the Ling house. Why be a housekeeper for a short-tempered mistress?

Looking back now, Fang Ziyue wanted to travel back in time and kick her fourteen-year-old self to death. What a brainless thing!

Inside the room, Ling Qiu also rubbed her brow and closed her eyes in annoyance. In her anger with Fang Ziyue, she had completely forgotten to bring up the matter of making her the housekeeper.

But forget it… Ling Qiu looked at the milk on the table and let out a light tsk. This person was just an ordinary servant and already dared to manage her so much; if she were the housekeeper, she’d probably stand on her head and try to manage the whole world.

Unaware that she had missed a major opportunity, Fang Ziyue spent her time catching people to ask about Ling Qiu, especially her health. Through bribes and intimidation, within three days, Fang Ziyue’s nickname among the servants changed from “shameless traitor” to “deadly freak who’s seen a ghost.”

Now, when Fang Ziyue appeared, people wanted to walk around her. Some reported this to Ling Qiu, but Ling Qiu just gave a vague response with no follow-up, leaving the reporters anxious and making others even more afraid to cross Fang Ziyue. Seeing the Miss didn’t handle her despite all the trouble she caused, who would go looking for a bad time?

In three days, Fang Ziyue got a general grasp of Ling Qiu’s affairs. But she also found many things suspicious. Logically, the Ling family currently had twelve heirs, each developing their own power and fighting for Ling Qiu’s position. In contrast, Ling Qiu not only didn’t care but actually encouraged them to fight? Thinking of her wife’s grim and gloomy appearance, was that seat really so comfortable to sit in?

According to the original plot described by the system, the female lead, Ling Nianyao, with the help of the male lead, Qu Haoyu, would seize power from the “capricious female secondary lead” Ling Qiu. Ling Nianyao had long been in love with Qu Haoyu, and after taking over, they married quickly. As for Ling Qiu, who had tried to steal Ling Nianyao’s sweetheart, she was naturally purged from the family and eventually committed suicide in a river.

Fang Ziyue narrowed her eyes. She didn’t think for a second her wife would let them succeed so easily. She could clearly feel that in this world, her wife was awake. As for when that clarity started, she didn’t know yet. She needed to develop her own power quickly and investigate this thoroughly…

“Why aren’t you sleeping? You’re tired, aren’t you?” the woman in the mirror said expressionlessly. “Go to sleep.”

Ling Qiu looked at the “self” in the mirror an unknown thing that had followed her like a shadow since her father broke her legs when she was twelve.

“The sun is high, why sleep?” Ling Qiu, who usually ignored it, unexpectedly snapped back today. “Your head is full of nothing but eating and sleeping; what use are you alive?”

She didn’t care about others, but this “Ling Qiu” made her very unhappy. Her insomnia was caused by this thing. Whenever she fell asleep, her dreams were filled with that waste Qu Haoyu, inviting her on dates and buying her food. There was even a wedding in the dream where a greasy Qu Haoyu reached out to invite her to walk the red carpet.

Ling Qiu scoffed. Her legs had been ruined long ago; she would spend her life in a wheelchair. This dream couldn’t even lie well.

“Isn’t everything in the dream what you want? Why not accept them?” Wearing her face, the thing appeared on the mirror’s surface. Ling Qiu was contemptuous. She knew this thing was likely trying to confuse her and brainwash her once she immersed herself in the dream. Just like her dead father, who tried to brainwash her about how good Qu Haoyu and Ling Nianyao were.

It was as if she were born to be a stepping stone for them, to have her everything plundered while they enjoyed the fruits of her labor over her cooling corpse. Everything in this fake world served them—except her, Ling Qiu. From the moment she woke up at twelve, she was destined to fight this fake world and Qu Haoyu to the end.

But those two were like the “children of destiny.” No matter what she did, the world favored them. They could dodge all disasters and receive help from everyone. Conventional methods couldn’t bring them down.

“Just as you think. This world is fake, and everyone will betray you. No one cares about you, so why not trust me?” The ghost wearing Ling Qiu’s face began a soft-sell policy: “I am you. Don’t resist me, come accept me.”

“And then let you control my body to suck up to that ‘human grease-trap’ Qu Haoyu?” Ling Qiu sneered. She would sooner fly to a volcano and jump in than let Qu Haoyu touch her!

“Aren’t you all-knowing?” The cold, haughty woman suddenly curled her lips. She said, “The person who cares about me just went out. You wouldn’t happen to not know that, would you?”

Regardless of whether Fang Ziyue’s kindness was true or what her goal was, using it to shut this ghost’s mouth made Ling Qiu feel refreshed. The figure in the mirror flickered and returned to a normal reflection. Looking at her normal self, Ling Qiu felt bored. A coward who only knows how to run.

For the next period, Fang Ziyue didn’t go to Ling Qiu. Instead, she took time to leave the Ling house and stayed out for a long time.

“Miss, that Fang Ziyue is going too far,” the housekeeper, who had scurried back to work, started reporting again. Ling Qiu looked at the date; this was the eighth time this week.

“Control over Fang Ziyue is in my hands. In other words, her direct superior is only me. I have said this many times.” Ling Qiu looked up lazily, but her gaze was as terrifying as a snake’s tongue. “Uncle Liu, are you dissatisfied with me as the Family Head?”

Having stayed up all night, the woman who had almost quit coffee under Fang Ziyue’s nagging picked up the cup again. The thick bitterness made her fragile nerves even more unstable. If not for the fact that he still had some value, she would have thrown him into prison by now. Stealing antiques from the manor alone was enough to put him away, let alone trade secrets.

Cold sweat soaked the housekeeper’s shirt. He bowed in terror: “No, no, Miss, you misunderstand! How could I dare?”

“I’m just worried Miss Fang can’t complete her work in time, so I hoped you would move her to an easier position.” He peeked up after speaking, only to meet a pair of eyes full of mocking laughter. His heart skipped a beat, and his legs went weak. Deep in fear, he lowered his head, not daring to look at her again.

Ling Qiu leaned back and clapped for her “powerful” housekeeper. The slow, rhythmic applause was exceptionally loud in the empty room, hitting the housekeeper’s heart like a drum. By the end, the housekeeper’s face was distorted and red; he wanted to turn and run.

But Ling Qiu stopped right at his breaking point, her raspy voice carrying an unidentifiable meaning: “Uncle Liu, what job in the Ling family do you think is easiest?”

The housekeeper breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the Miss was moving past it. He looked up and said tentatively: “I think the gardener’s tasks are very easy.” Trimming branches and growing flowers was the lowliest work in his eyes.

“Is that so?” Ling Qiu scanned his clothes, which were strained to the point of bursting. She swirled the cup in her hand, her smile not reaching her eyes. She leaned forward slightly: “But the way I see it, Uncle Liu, isn’t your position the easiest one to sit in?”

The housekeeper’s face changed. His fat, sweaty face stiffened into a smile: “Miss, what are you saying? I’ve been in the Ling family for so many years; you’ve seen my work. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

When a person self-deceives for long enough, they believe it. The housekeeper grew more confident as he spoke, straightening his back in a way that was laughably self-righteous.

“Not easy?” Ling Qiu folded her hands and signaled the bodyguard to give the housekeeper the materials. The bodyguard shoved a stack of documents into his hand, recording his crimes in black and white. Looking at the documents, he couldn’t maintain the strength in his legs and fell to his knees with a wail.

“What? Is Uncle Liu going to cry again about having elderly parents and young children who can’t live without you?” Ling Qiu cut him off. She glanced at the scattered papers, looking at him coldly. “You sold so much information to Ling Nianyao and Qu Haoyu. The money they gave you is enough for your family to spend for several lifetimes, isn’t it?”

“Miss! Miss, I was forced!” The housekeeper didn’t want to go to jail. He crawled forward on his knees, trying to grab her pant leg to beg for mercy. But the bodyguard hauled him up and threw him aside.

Ling Qiu waved her hand to have him thrown out of the manor. The bodyguard complied, dragging away the wailing and eventually cursing housekeeper.

The Ling household was silent as a winter cicada. Even Auntie Wang didn’t dare speak; she even felt a sense of “the fox mourning the death of the rabbit.” Uncle Liu had been there longer than her, yet the Miss cut ties the moment she chose. What if it were her? Auntie Wang’s mindset began to change.

This, of course, didn’t escape Ling Qiu. She watched the busy servants outside and Auntie Wang, who had taken over the housekeeper’s duties and was beginning to act like a second Uncle Liu. This was the fake world.

Nothing she did was right; she was like a villain, her every move serving to highlight the kindness of Ling Nianyao and Qu Haoyu. The housekeeper she kicked out was taken in by Ling Nianyao. The servants didn’t know the filth behind it, so they admired Nianyao for her “kind heart.” They thought Ling Qiu was irritable and had discarded Uncle Liu just for breaking a coffee cup.

Many servants resigned under the housekeeper’s secret persuasion and went to Ling Nianyao. Ling Qiu wasn’t worried; this was the effect she wanted. However…

“Find Fang Ziyue. Tell her if she isn’t at my door by 8 AM tomorrow, she can choose whether to leave an arm or a leg behind.” The old housekeeper was gone; it was time to use people. How long did that idiot woman plan to stay out? She refused to kneel but wanted to be a servant. Fine, she allowed it. And now she wasn’t even being a good servant?

It was a rare moment where Ling Qiu’s emotions were so rich.

The subordinates searched the city but couldn’t find her. Unexpectedly, before they could finish a round, Ling Qiu called them back because Fang Ziyue had returned on her own.

“You actually remembered to come back?” Ling Qiu sat in her wheelchair clutching a glass of milk, looking at the woman with an unfriendly expression.

“I was just trying to share the Madam’s burdens.” Fang Ziyue cleaned the room and peeled an orange for Ling Qiu.

“Share my burdens?” Ling Qiu didn’t appreciate it. “My people couldn’t even keep track of you. Who knows if you secretly met Qu Haoyu to plot my murder again?”

“Of course not.” Fang Ziyue handed her a USB drive. Before taking the empty milk glass out, she reminded: “Don’t get angry after reading it.”

Ling Qiu ignored her and began looking through the files. There were many, investigating everyone related to the Ling family. Ling Qiu wasn’t angry; she actually found it funny. The cold white light of the screen made her look pale and listless. Everyone in the family had been in contact with Ling Nianyao, her nominal cousin. It would be strange if someone didn’t betray her.

However, Ling Qiu only now learned that her reputation for being “harsh, irritable, and cold-blooded” was spread by Auntie Wang. This was more uncomfortable than the fact that Auntie Wang had colluded with Qu Haoyu to slowly poison her for the sake of her son’s career abroad. Years ago, Uncle Liu and Auntie Wang really were like parents to her… but that was in the past.

The woman returned with a large platter of cut fruit, piled high like a mountain. Ling Qiu took one look and refused: “I’m not eating.” She didn’t like fruit.

“Don’t like it?” Fang Ziyue was slightly stunned. Right the world was different, so her wife’s personality and tastes had changed. Fang Ziyue unceremoniously pulled the platter to herself and began eating happily.

Hearing the crisp sound of fruit being bitten, Ling Qiu’s gaze drifted from the documents to the platter, stealing glance after glance. Fang Ziyue noticed, suppressed a smile, and pretended not to see, eating even more enthusiastically.

But when she picked up a grape, she saw her wife’s brow knit. Fang Ziyue paused imperceptibly and switched to a seeded orange; sure enough, Ling Qiu’s frown deepened. Fang Ziyue tried other fruits and concluded: her wife was afraid of sourness and effort. A little pampered thing…

Ling Qiu, seeing Fang Ziyue eating so happily, grew sulky. She felt her hints were obvious enough she had gone from peeking to staring openly. How could Fang Ziyue keep eating?! The angry Family Head wanted to flip the table, but for the sake of her status, she had to be steady. Wait, wasn’t she “irritable and prone to rage”?

Then flip it!

The moment her wife moved, Fang Ziyue knew what she was doing. She quickly stuffed a peeled, deseeded grape into Ling Qiu’s mouth. She did it a bit too fast, and Ling Qiu didn’t react, causing the juice to run down her small chin and stain her cream shirt.

The woman, who had a bit of a cleanliness fixation, saw the stain and the veins on her forehead bulged. She gripped the corner of the table so hard her knuckles turned white, trying to flip it. Fang Ziyue quickly pressed down on the other corner. The two struggled one trying to revolt, the other to suppress.

Ultimately, Ling Qiu—who rarely exercised and had a poor diet and sleep schedule lost. Fang Ziyue thought to herself: Good grief, my wife really is working hard to ruin herself.

Fang Ziyue took the initiative to sigh and lectured: “See? No going out, no sun, no exercise, and no sleeping on time. You can’t even lift a table.”

Ling Qiu was so angry her heart hurt. She gnashed her teeth: “If you’re so capable, take your hands off the table.” Dog woman, hypocrite!

“Then I’m not capable.” Fang Ziyue was always good at being thick-skinned. She sighed: “You know I’m just a straw man; I have no other skills.”

Ling Qiu’s lips turned pale with rage; she was shivering. It wasn’t entirely from anger she hadn’t eaten a bite all day and was starting to fail.

“You didn’t eat on time again!” Fang Ziyue’s face changed. Like Doraemon, she pulled chocolates and candies from her pockets, tore them open, and fed them to her wife. Ling Qiu couldn’t control her body; she kept shaking, and though the chocolate was at her lips, she didn’t even have the strength to open her mouth.

In a panic, Fang Ziyue found a vial of glucose. She snapped the glass with her hand, poured it into her own mouth, held Ling Qiu’s neck, and passed it over. The lips pressed against hers were soft and hot. Ling Qiu, trembling all over, felt her long lashes quiver. Her breathing grew rapid, and her fingers gripped Fang Ziyue’s sleeve so hard the tips lost color.

After confirming her wife had swallowed the glucose, Fang Ziyue reluctantly grazed Ling Qiu’s lips before pulling away. The ambiguity between their teeth left a mouth full of sweetness. Ling Qiu leaned back against the wheelchair, panting, looking incredibly fragile.

Fang Ziyue was heartbroken. She crouched before Ling Qiu, placed her hands on her knees, and looked up at her. Her voice, usually pleasant and clear, carried a hint of raspiness as she made a serious plea to her beloved: “Let me take care of you, alright?”

From now on, you don’t have to carry everything alone. I can shield you from the wind and rain.

Having recovered her breath, Ling Qiu’s trembling fingertips dug into her palms. The slight sting made her realize what had just happened. Neither was a child; they both understood that wasn’t just “passing glucose.”

The chip Fang Ziyue offered was indeed tempting. But it wasn’t enough; she hadn’t seen Fang Ziyue’s full value yet. The woman, whose lips were red from the kiss, looked at her with eyes full of clarity and coldness. She reached up to touch her slightly aching lips.

She let out a low laugh: “No.”

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