After Marrying the Villain with Seven Personalities [Transmigration into a Book]) - Chapter 15

The majority of the gala guests were gathered in the main hall. The back door of the villa, situated to the side and rear of the spiral staircase, was exceptionally quiet. However, in the dim shadows of the stairs, a woman in a form-fitting cocktail dress leaned lazily against the doorframe.

Yi Yanbai had only come here to try her luck; she hadn’t expected to run into Shi Ji.

In an instant, her brows knit together, her lips pressed into a tight line, and her mind went blank.

But Shi Ji—the woman who was usually so composed as long as she stayed sober—suddenly let out a sharp gasp and hurried toward the gravel path leading to the backyard.

Yi Yanbai hesitated for a few seconds before ultimately deciding to follow.

The pool!

Shi Ji had almost forgotten—in the original book, Lin-zi had died by drowning.

As she hurried toward the fork in the road in her high heels, the slight chill of the wind against her cheeks brought a sudden wave of clarity.

Oh, right. We learned to swim together when we were little.

She realized she was overreacting. They were supposed to be enjoying their happy lives now; how could there be any “accidents”? She let out a sigh of relief and slowly turned down the path lined with two rows of Mandevilla vines. Just as she was nearing her destination, a low voice suddenly reached her ears.

“Stay away from Yi Chenqing. You can only be mine. Do you hear me?”

So dominant?

Shi Ji crouched down, her gossip-loving heart nearly bursting. She cupped her hands over her ears to listen better. Unfortunately, the sound had faded.

Though she didn’t know when they had become involved with Yi Chenqing, “Boss Hong” was right about one thing: staying away from Yi Chenqing was the right move.

Feeling cheerful, she eagerly parted the flower bushes. Under the dim yellow light, she saw the wet tiles surrounding the pool.

Xu Linqiu, her long dress clinging to her skin, was kneeling over the woman on the ground. Their wet, hanging hair obscured their faces, leaving only the sight of their pressed heads moving slowly against each other. Even from this distance, the atmosphere of intimate longing was palpable.

My Lin-zi really is the “CEO type”!

Shi Ji didn’t bother hiding the ecstatic grin on her face; she was so excited that tears even began to well in her eyes.

This is great! I’m shipping them so hard!

But then, a heavy, unavoidable footstep sounded behind her. Shi Ji pulled back her smile and looked up. There stood Yi Yanbai, radiating a cold aura in her beige suit.

With those long, straight legs, Shi Ji found it exhausting just to crane her neck to look at her face. Sensing that Yi Yanbai was about to speak, Shi Ji quickly grabbed her hand, pulled her down, and urgently covered her mouth.

Feeling the soft touch of Yanbai’s lips against her palm, Shi Ji belatedly retracted her hand. She put a finger to her own lips in a “shhh” gesture. Seeing that Yi Yanbai seemed confused, she leaned in and whispered into her ear: “There’s nothing to see here. Go away, don’t interrupt your Big Sis.”

Her eyes were watery and the warm breath brushed against Yanbai’s ear. Yi Yanbai felt a stir in her heart but didn’t leave. She watched as Shi Ji turned back to carefully part the bushes again, peering at the pair by the pool.

The deep blue and pale blue outfits seemed to melt together under the warm yellow lights.

Is that… Sister Linqiu and my sister?

Her sister had said she was going to get some water and rest; she hadn’t expected her to be here… doing “big things” in total silence. She felt a twinge of envy.

Yi Yanbai found the situation hard to describe. She glanced at Shi Ji, her eyes filling with a touch of pity. No wonder Sister Shi Ji looks so heartbroken.

Aware that the person beside her hadn’t left, Shi Ji was about to turn and scold her when the pair by the pool finally broke apart.

Xu Linqiu sat up straight and said, “If I said I was just giving you CPR… would you believe me?”

The woman below propped herself up. When Shi Ji caught a clear look at the woman’s profile, her eyes widened in shock.

Crap!

Why is it Yi Chenqing! Where is Boss Hong?!

Shi Ji shook her head and blinked, but the reality remained unchanged. The scenes from that night at Hongxun flooded her mind, causing her heart to plummet to the bottom of an abyss.

She had personally pushed Lin-zi right into the villain’s arms and even encouraged the match. This villain was truly calculating—to have disguised herself as a bar owner just to get close to Lin-zi!

She gripped her kneecaps, teeth clenched, wanting nothing more than to rush out. But she knew she couldn’t.

She turned and stood up crossly, heading back the way she came. Because she had been crouching so long, her legs were numb, and she nearly stumbled. Yi Yanbai reached out to steady her.

“Thanks,” Shi Ji muttered, no longer bothering to hide her voice. Once she regained her footing, she stomped away in her high heels, her heart full of frustration.

What a disaster!

Yi Chenqing’s deep brown eyes were devoid of emotion as she propped herself up on her hands and stared at Linqiu for a long time. Water from her wet hair dripped into her V-neck collar—chillingly cold.

Xu Linqiu felt restless until a familiar voice came from behind the bushes. It was Shi Ji.

Yi Chenqing glanced at the bushes, which had gone silent again, and then looked back at the soaked woman before her.

“I believe you.”

Her eyes were full of sincerity. She was thinking that perhaps this woman simply liked her too much and couldn’t control herself, leading to that deep kiss. The sweet taste of cream still lingered in her mouth; she swallowed inconspicuously, deciding that the lingering friction after she woke up wasn’t bad at all. She didn’t mind it.

Xu Linqiu paused for two seconds. Once the realization hit, her lips curved into a smile. Remembering something, she glanced toward the pool and saw her phone resting at the bottom.

“I’ll get your phone for you first.”

She stood up. With the wet dress clinging to her, her graceful figure was fully revealed. Yi Chenqing politely looked away. “I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all.” With her eyes crinkling, Linqiu descended the ladder into the water. Her lightweight dress billowed on the surface like a blooming lotus. She swam toward the phone.

Yi Chenqing slowly stood up. She couldn’t resist standing by the pool’s edge to watch her. She took off her jacket and began to wring out the water. As she did, she spoke in a neutral tone:

“I should call you ‘Sister,’ shouldn’t I?”

Xu Linqiu grabbed the phone and broke the surface, brushing her wet hair back to look up at her. She nodded with a smile, water droplets trembling on her long lashes like a hibiscus emerging from a pond.

Yi Chenqing met her gaze. Outwardly composed, she continued: “I was probably drunk that night and don’t remember much, but I will take responsibility.”

“And how do you plan to do that?” Linqiu swam back to the ladder, her voice full of amusement.

Chenqing walked over to the ladder. As Linqiu stepped onto the last rung, Chenqing gentlemanly bowed and extended her hand.

“Marry me. I have a lot of money; I can give you anything you want.”

Xu Linqiu paused mid-motion. She instinctively took the hand and stepped onto the deck, suddenly laughing. “I owe a lot of money.”

“I’ll pay it back for you.” Yi Chenqing’s indifferent facade showed no flaws, but Linqiu noticed the slight flush on the tips of the ears hidden behind the wet hair.

How beautiful, Linqiu thought.

Her smile deepened. She released Chenqing’s hand and handed her the phone. “No need. I think marriage is a bit premature. Perhaps we could try dating first?”

“Besides,” Linqiu added, “aren’t you afraid that I approached you with ulterior motives just for your money?”

Yi Chenqing replied, “What’s done is done; I must take responsibility. You can deceive me however you like; you won’t be able to spend all my money anyway.”

She took the phone and added with a serious face: “As long as you don’t cross my bottom line.”