After Marrying the Villain with Seven Personalities [Transmigration into a Book]) - Chapter 25

Xu Yushan shot a surprised look at Fang Fengyu, gesturing for her to stay calm. Then, she turned a serious gaze toward her daughter. “What did you just say? This is a major life event; you can’t just joke about it.”

“I’m not joking,” Yi Chengqing replied. She caught Xu Linqiu’s eye before expertly shifting the target: “Besides, Yanbai said she’s going to register her marriage with Shi Ji tomorrow, too.”

“What nonsense is this child spouting?” Lin Congwan, who was used to such antics, gave a half-hearted scold while drawing a mahjong tile. With her other hand, she began dialing Shi Ji’s number.

Behind the steering wheel of her car, Yi Yanbai’s heart skipped a beat.

Shi Ji picked up the phone instantly. Before her mother could even ask, she cut in with a casual tone: “Yeah, that’s right. We’ll talk when I get back.”

Click. She hung up.

The mahjong tile in Lin Congwan’s hand dropped to the table with a clatter.

Xu Yushan, barely suppressing her inner joy, laughed and tried to smooth things over. “Well, we don’t know the specifics yet. Let’s wait until they get here.” Inside, she was cheering for Yanbai. To pull off a move like that in one word? Impressive.

She winked at Yi Yaodu, who had been pulled in just to make a fourth for the game. He took the hint, set down his tiles with a sage-like air, and spoke slowly: “How about we invite the Xus over? We can all have dinner at my place tonight.”

He was moving fast—straight to the “meeting of the parents” phase. Fang Fengyu had no choice but to stand up and head home to gather her family. She sighed inwardly; her daughter, Linqiu, always acted on a whim. It was never a dull moment.

Still, she reflected that despite her “condition,” Chengqing was an exceptional catch in every other regard.

The Arrival and the Reveal

Yi Yanbai dropped Xu Linqiu’s group at the Xu residence before heading to the Shi household. Yi Chengqing insisted on carrying all the gifts they had bought along the way, while Xu Linqiu led the way inside, holding Yi Hehe’s hand.

The courtyard layout and the house hadn’t changed in years. As they reached the door, they bumped into Fang Fengyu and Xu Pingxin, who were just about to leave.

Fang Fengyu froze. Her gaze traveled from Yi Chengqing to the curious little girl, Yi Hehe.

“Hello, Grandpa! Hello, Grandma!” Hehe chirped in a sweet, soft voice.

“Hello, Uncle Xu. Hello, Auntie Fang,” Yi Chengqing added with polite formality.

The two elders stood in stunned silence. “This child is…?” Xu Pingxin finally managed to ask.

Fang Fengyu snapped out of it and ushered them inside to drop off the gifts. “We were just heading to your place. Let’s go together; you can explain the child on the way.”

The “explanation” wasn’t as scandalous as the parents feared. Xu Linqiu simply claimed she loved Hehe so much she couldn’t stand the thought of her suffering in the orphanage, so she had her grandfather adopt the girl on her behalf for the time being.

Since Hehe was so well-behaved and adorable, the parents accepted it easily—mostly because it was far less shocking than the alternative (that one of them had secretly given birth).

The Dinner Negotiation

The dinner at the Yi residence was a lavish spread of five-star takeout. The atmosphere in the dining room was quiet until Fang Fengyu looked at the couple. “Have you both really decided?”

“Yes,” Xu Linqiu and Yi Chengqing replied in perfect unison. Beside them, Shi Ji also nodded for no apparent reason.

Lin Congwan shot Shi Ji a look. “Yanbai is a good girl, but we just want to make sure you’ve thought this through. This shouldn’t be a game or an act of spite. You and Linqiu have years of history together; we don’t want things to end messily.”

“It’s not like that! I really, truly love Yanbai!” Shi Ji blurted out. To prove her point, she reached over, grabbed Yi Yanbai’s head, and planted a loud, wet kiss right on her cheek before letting go. “See? I adore her~”

The kiss left Yi Yanbai frozen in place, two bright red spots blooming on her cheeks like a blushing bride. Shi Ji had to kick her under the table to wake her up, giving her a secret “thumbs up” for the performance.

The parents were speechless. Xu Linqiu glanced at the blushing Yanbai, then at the stoic Yi Chengqing. Who would believe such a performative display? she thought.

“I think society is very open nowadays,” Xu Linqiu said calmly. “If we like each other, there’s no harm in trying out marriage.”

The parents still looked skeptical. Sensing the mood, Xu Yushan turned to her daughter. “Chengqing, there’s a pot of soup in the kitchen. Go bring it out.”

Once Yi Chengqing was out of the room, Xu Yushan took her seat and grabbed Xu Linqiu’s hand. “Linqiu, I know you want to help Chengqing, but don’t be impulsive. Don’t gamble with your marriage, especially since Chengqing’s situation is… a bit dangerous right now.”

Xu Linqiu smiled gently and squeezed the older woman’s hand. “Auntie, I’m a Taekwondo red belt. Some places in France are quite rough, so I trained for self-defense.”

The room went silent. Then, Xu Yushan’s voice filled with maternal desperation. “Linqiu, please help my Chengqing! Regardless of how it ends, I’ll give you anything you want. If you ever want a divorce, I promise I will make it happen instantly.”

“Don’t worry, Auntie. I will do my best,” Xu Linqiu promised solemnly.

The other parents eventually relented. “Fine, you young people do what you want. As long as you’re happy.”

Shi Ji’s father added, “If things get tough, ask Linqiu for help. But remember, once you’re married, you aren’t just friends—you’re sisters-in-law. Also, get back to work the moment the honeymoon is over. Everyone my age is retired and traveling, and I’m still stuck here dealing with your nonsense!”

The Painting on the Wall

After dinner, Xu Linqiu returned to her childhood home with Hehe. Everything was as she left it, but she was shocked to see a massive landscape painting hanging in the living room. It was signed Xu Yun—her own professional pseudonym—complete with her private seal.

It was a piece she had sold for a record-breaking price years ago.

As she stared at it, Fang Fengyu panicked, thinking her daughter would be upset seeing another “successful” artist’s work. She hurriedly told her husband to take it down.

“I’m telling you, I hate those ‘noble’ artists who get famous and then claim all their future work is for charity,” Fang Fengyu rambled, trying to protect Linqiu’s feelings. “Our Linqiu is pure; she only has art in her heart. I only bought this because of a bet with Auntie Yi. I hate this painting!”

Xu Linqiu suppressed a smile. “You’re right, it should be put away. It’s definitely not worth that much money.”

The Big Day

The next morning at the Civil Affairs Bureau, the hall was nearly empty. Shi Ji slumped into a chair, exhausted. “You guys go first. No need to be polite; you earned the first slot.”

She leaned her head onto Yi Yanbai’s shoulder. “Lend me a shoulder.”

Xu Linqiu smiled and led Yi Chengqing to the window. The process was smooth. In their marriage certificate photo, even the corner of Yi Chengqing’s mouth curled into a tiny, rare arc.

Meanwhile, Shi Ji pulled a contract out of her bag for Yi Yanbai. “Sign this. The terms are very strict.”

Yanbai signed it without hesitation.

“I’ll give you your copy once we move in together,” Shi Ji said, tucking the papers away. “And don’t try to use this to expose me if we fight. I have zero ‘entertainment value’ for the tabloids.”

By sunset, the moving process was complete. Since Yi Chengqing was technically the “head of the household” but had no place of her own, she officially moved into the “matrilocal” arrangement at the Xu-Yi residence.

As the four of them gathered in the large house, hunger set in.

“My sister can cook,” Yi Yanbai said, pointing to Chengqing as she hung up her coat. “It’s delicious.”

Two hungry gazes landed on the CEO. Yi Chengqing unbuttoned her top collar and looked at them. “None of you know how to cook?”

They all shook their heads.

“Neither do I,” Chengqing said blankly. She frowned. It seemed her dream of “coming home to a wife’s home-cooked meal” was still a long way off.

Yi Yanbai leaned over to Xu Linqiu and mouthed: Xiao Cheng knows how. (Referring to one of Chengqing’s other personalities).

She then blocked Chengqing from going upstairs. “Sister, you should try. Who knows? It might be great.”

“Do you think I’m some kind of genius?” Yi Chengqing replied with a wooden face.