After Marrying the Villain with Seven Personalities [Transmigration into a Book]) - Chapter 27

Xu Linqiu didn’t expect Yi Chenqing to wake up so quickly. Just as she draped a blanket over her, Chenqing’s eyes slowly fluttered open.

“Are you still dizzy?” Linqiu asked with concern.

Yi Chenqing shook her head and sat up. Her first question was: “Where’s the rice?”

“…” Linqiu hadn’t expected her to worry about the food the moment she woke up. She pressed her lips together to hide a smile.

Over at the dining table, Shi Ji and Yi Yanbai were setting out the bowls and chopsticks. Shi Ji, her cheeks slightly puffed as she chewed, laughed and explained, “You fell asleep just now, so we spent some money to hire a private chef to come over and cook. It’s delicious!”

“Come and eat.”

The two joined them at the table. The egg fried rice was perfect in color, aroma, and taste. After the first bite, Yi Chenqing raised an eyebrow and asked calmly, “Which restaurant did the chef come from? The flavor is quite good.”

“Yes, it’s wonderful,” Xu Linqiu quickly covered for them with a smile. “But I heard that chef doesn’t come out of retirement easily. Shi Ji had to pull a lot of strings to get them here today. We’ll look for them again if there’s a chance.”

“Yes, yes, exactly,” Shi Ji chimed in.

Only when Yi Chenqing stopped questioning and began to eat seriously did the matter finally pass.

After dinner, while Shi Ji and Yi Yanbai did the dishes, Xu Linqiu sent Yi Chenqing to shower first while she curled up on the sofa to watch TV. A moment later, Shi Ji walked over and gave her a mysterious wave.

Xu Linqiu turned off the TV and followed her upstairs to the study. The room was small to begin with, and because Yi Chenqing had moved in today, her art supplies and paintings were piled everywhere, making the space feel cramped and cluttered.

Shi Ji didn’t even close the door—she likely just wanted a quiet spot. She pulled Linqiu over to the bookshelf. “The registration for Elites of All Circles opens tomorrow. Let’s go together for the auditions.”

She blinked. “We can earn some extra cash during the holiday.”

“This is supposed to be my marriage leave,” Xu Linqiu said, though she began to consider it seriously.

Shi Ji curled her lip. “What, are you planning to become a pampered house-wife?”

“Not exactly.” Xu Linqiu sighed. “Fine. I’ll mention it to Qingqing later. I need to pay off my debts eventually.”

“Good. Your debt isn’t that large anyway,” Shi Ji added. “I asked the director—since it’s a new type of variety show, our pay is linked to the ratings. If the show does well, you could clear your debt in a single season. It might be a bit grueling, though.”

“That’s fine. I’ll treat it as looking for inspiration.” Once Xu Linqiu agreed, Shi Ji began listing all the things to watch out for when filming variety shows.

By the time Linqiu’s legs felt sore from standing, Shi Ji finally changed the subject. “By the way, where’s the painting you promised me for when I got married?”

Linqiu habitually leaned back against the bookshelf behind her. “I just didn’t expect you would—” Before she could finish, she noticed a stack of paintings she had left on the top shelf starting to slide. She quickly stepped forward to block them.

A heavy bundle of packaged paintings slammed directly into her waist. Rubbing the sore spot, Xu Linqiu grabbed Shi Ji’s hand and pulled her back. “Don’t lean on that.”

“Are you okay?” Shi Ji frowned and moved behind her to check her waist.

“I’m fine~” Linqiu picked up the paintings. When she looked up, she saw Yi Chenqing standing in the doorway. She was wearing long cotton pajamas buttoned all the way to the top. The light in her eyes flickered with an indescribable sense of heartbreak. The moment their eyes met, Chenqing turned and walked away.

“You should go to sleep too. I’ll go check on her,” Xu Linqiu said, placing the paintings on the desk and hurrying after her.

As she pushed open the bedroom door, a sudden force pulled her inside. The door slammed shut with a “bang,” and soft lips were instantly pressed against hers.

Xu Linqiu saw Yi Chenqing’s thick, trembling eyelashes. The mole under her eye seemed to emphasize the bitterness of this desperate kiss as a warm tongue tried to force its way in. Linqiu lowered her gaze and let her mouth yield, wrapping her arms around the other woman’s waist and responding actively, letting their different scents intertwine.

The soft grinding of lips, accompanied by light sucking and biting, sent them into a daze of passion within moments. After a long while, Yi Chenqing—her eyes flushed red—licked Linqiu’s lips and hooked her finger into Linqiu’s collar.

It was only then that Xu Linqiu realized: this was Yi Chenhong (Red).

“I don’t care what you do with the other personalities anymore; the final winner will be me,” Yi Chenhong whispered, a hint of danger leaking into her gaze. She suddenly bit Linqiu’s lip. Her fingertips slid like a feather from the collarbone down to Linqiu’s heart. “But you must stay away from Shi Ji! Otherwise…”

She ground her teeth against the corner of Linqiu’s mouth. “Otherwise… I’ll work you to death in this bed.”

“I understand.” Xu Linqiu frowned slightly and pulled back, seriously licking the spot where she had been bitten. “I’m going to shower first. Wait for me obediently on the bed.”

She quickly released her, grabbed her pajamas from an unpacked suitcase, and bolted into the bathroom, leaving a slightly confused Yi Chenhong behind. Was my threat not scary enough?

When the hot water hit her injured waist, Xu Linqiu realized the severity of the situation. Sharp pain radiated from her lower back to her limbs, making it nearly impossible to stand straight. Between her long hours of sitting for her artwork and this new blow, her back felt like it was ready to give out.

Draping a towel over her wet hair, she limped out of the bathroom. “My back hurts too much,” she lamented. “Anything intense is out of the question. Maybe if I rest for a bit, we can just do something… conservative.”

Yi Chenqing, who was sitting on the sofa by the bed reading a book like a prim and proper official, looked up. Xu Linqiu met a pair of eyes that were as calm as still water.

The room fell into a mysterious silence. After a few seconds, Linqiu laughed to break the awkwardness. “My waist… it really hurts.” She flopped face-down onto the bed. The mattress dipped, making her cry out in pain, and she buried her face in the sheets.

The personalities switch too fast! she thought. I just embarrassed myself.

Seeing her lying there with a towel on her head, Yi Chenqing frowned slightly. She set down her book, climbed onto the bed, and knelt beside her. Before Linqiu could look up, she felt the towel being moved as Chenqing began to gently dry her hair.

Her movements were tender, the pressure just right. Xu Linqiu squinted in comfort and reached back to rub her sore lower back. In her relaxed state, she suddenly heard Chenqing’s cool voice:

“Even though we are currently married in name only, I will do my best to cultivate feelings with you in the time we have left. I will respect you as much as possible, and I hope you will do the same.”

“Mm,” Linqiu hummed softly.

“Do you need me to massage your waist?” Chenqing asked. “Or if it hurts that badly, we should go to the hospital.”

“No need for the hospital. I’ve seen a doctor before; they said it’s fine, just from sitting too long. They gave me some ointment and told me to massage it.” Linqiu pointed toward her suitcase. “The cream is in there. Could you help me with it?”

Once her hair was half-dry, Yi Chenqing went to the bathroom to hang up the towel and returned with the ointment. Because Linqiu was wearing a nightgown for convenience, she felt a bit shy. She took a deep breath, lifted the hem of the gown to expose her lower back, and closed her eyes. “I’ll trouble you then.”

The white cream was slippery, and Chenqing’s hands felt like polished jade as she began to knead the muscles as gently as possible. Yi Chenqing focused intently, trying to block out distractions, yet she could still hear her own heartbeat accelerating. Linqiu’s skin was too fair, her waist looking slender and delicate under the lamplight.

With the nightgown bunched up just above the area, Chenqing didn’t dare look any lower. Her ears burned like fire as she forced herself to focus on the massage.

Xu Linqiu let out a sigh of comfort. The cool fingertips and gentle pressure greatly relieved the tension in her back. As time passed, she began to drift off to sleep.

Suddenly, a heavy weight pressed down on her waist, pinning her down. A soft, high-pitched voice rang in her ear:

“How bold! As a mere subject, you dare to make Us massage your waist?”

Xu Linqiu bolted awake. She looked up to see the woman sitting astride her lower back. The woman looked indignant, her cheeks puffed out as she looked down from her “lofty” position. She let out a cold sneer:

“Oh, Grand Preceptor, Grand Preceptor… you never dreamed you would fall to such a state, did you?”

Xu Linqiu: “…”

Utterly dazed, she quickly realized what was happening and whispered, “Your Majesty… this subject has… lost her memory. I don’t remember much. Could you explain?”

“Hmph, don’t play that game with Us!” The Empress patted Linqiu’s back with her palm and tilted her head haughtily. “You didn’t think about the consequences when you seized all power after the late Empress’s death and turned Us into a mere puppet, did you?”

“We will never forget how you forced yourself upon Us when We were but a young girl, forcing Us to beg for your favor beneath you every night!” Her face flushed red with anger at the memory. “Raising Us just to humiliate Us every night… you enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

“You animal!”

Xu Linqiu: “…”

She didn’t reply, waiting to see what else this persona would say. As expected, this personality seemed “very young,” her speech laced with a certain childishness.

“Fortunately, heaven is just. Though it brought Us to this world where We understand nothing, it gave Us a superior status and turned you into a dependent underling!”

When did I become an underling? Linqiu thought, wanting to cry. Suddenly, she felt a chill on her back. The little Empress angrily pushed the nightgown higher, her palm resting on Linqiu’s bare back.

“Today, We shall let you experience what it feels like to be humiliated! And it shall be every night! We will keep you beneath Our feet forever!”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Sensing a hand moving toward her front, Xu Linqiu closed her eyes and shouted, “May I ask how old Your Majesty is this year?”

“We have reached the age of fifteen (ji ji), and We have secretly learned horse riding and archery!” The Empress shifted her weight on Linqiu’s waist and sneered, “You sickly Grand Preceptor, you didn’t expect that, did you?”

She added fiercely, “Don’t even think about resisting today. Lie flat for your Empress!”

Xu Linqiu felt like her waist was about to snap. Fifteen? This is a bizarre personality!

As she felt a soft touch, she panicked and shouted, “You give Us—”

Wait, she rubbed off on me.

“Get off me right now! Or I’m going to get rough!”