After Marrying the Villain with Seven Personalities [Transmigration into a Book]) - Chapter 33

“Did your sister… have someone she liked in the past?”

“Yes,” Yi Yanbai replied, her voice hesitating. “And I suspect her illness might be related to that…”

Xu Linqiu had been deeply confused by the connections between the different personalities. Once the livestream ended, she pulled Yi Yanbai aside to question her.

However, upon hearing that definitive “yes,” her heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand. Her breathing grew shallow.

No wonder, she thought. Perhaps Yi Chenqing had been deeply wounded by a past love, or perhaps she—Xu Linqiu—bore a striking resemblance to that person. That would explain why “Hong Xun” and “Xiao Hong” were so proactive, and why the other personalities treated her as a character in their own stories.

They saw her as a substitute—a “stand-in” for the person Qingqing once loved. If viewed this way, everything finally made sense.

Yi Yanbai continued, “Sister Linqiu, actually, that person is…”

“You don’t need to say it. I understand. Goodnight.”

Xu Linqiu didn’t want to know who it was. Whether she was a substitute or not didn’t matter right now. She tried her best to ignore the bitter ache in her chest. She knew she was escaping the truth, but knowing more would only add to her troubles. Her priority was curing Qingqing. Once the illness was gone and her memories returned, they could talk properly.

Regardless of the outcome, what mattered were her feelings in the present.

Despite her resolve, she found it impossible to face each personality with her usual composure. In fact, just moments ago, she had impulsively entered into a bet with “Xiao Lü” (Little Green) that she already regretted.

To win this bet, Xu Linqiu desperately suppressed her desires. But the scent of magnolia on the woman was intoxicating. The woman’s lips were soft and supple, her teeth grazing Xu’s lips before sucking gently, her skillful tongue flickering like a serpent’s against the seam of Xu’s mouth.

The woman breathed like an orchid, her soft body rising and falling against Xu’s chest. Xu Linqiu kept her eyes tightly shut, reciting ancient poetry in her head to distract herself.

Seeing Xu Linqiu acting like an unmoving block of wood, the corners of Yi Chenlü’s mouth curled into a smirk. She deepened the kiss. The sound of wet, rhythmic swallowing filled the room as the woman pressed her weight fully onto Xu. She took Xu’s hand, guiding it downward, then began to kiss and suck on Xu’s fingers one by one.

Small, kitten-like whimpers escaped her throat. She followed her instincts—sucking, lingering, and swaying with a rhythmic grace.

Yet, Xu Linqiu only breathed a bit heavier, remaining otherwise motionless.

Refusing to lose, the woman began unbuttoning Xu’s shirt. She let out a soft, teasing hum. “It seems you’re not up to the task~” When that didn’t work, she softened her tone piteously: “Can’t you help me? I’m so uncomfortable…”

Her waist was as supple as a snake. Her lips slid down to Xu’s neck, grinding her teeth gently against the skin. Xu Linqiu didn’t even dare to swallow, fearing the movement of her throat would signal her defeat. She opened her eyes slightly to see the woman’s flushed face through her cascading curls. The woman’s eyes were misty and seductive.

After a long time, the woman grew exhausted. Her arms were sore, while Xu Linqiu’s breathing had become steady, as if she had fallen asleep. This indifference insulted Yi Chenlü’s pride. In a fit of pique, she bit Xu’s neck—though not hard enough to break skin—before finally collapsing onto her.

At that moment, Xu Linqiu opened her eyes. The slight sting on her neck felt like a nip from a kitten. Her eyes darkened. “I won,” she said softly.

“Is that so?” Yi Chenlü’s eyes flickered. She pressed her flushed cheek against Xu’s cool face. “Clearly, I’m the winner~”

She reached down and touched Xu Linqiu lightly. Xu flinched and pulled her leg away in shame. The woman laughed triumphantly. “Is that not a response? Your body is reacting quite strongly~”

Xu Linqiu gritted her teeth. She stopped pretending to be gentle. She grabbed the woman’s waist, flipped over, and pinned her firmly to the bed.

“Cheating, are we?” Xu’s eyes were stormy.

Yi Chenlü’s smile faded. She frowned, meeting Xu’s gaze. “I don’t understand. You’ve only known Qingqing for a short time. Is it because you’ve slept with her a few times—and not even the ‘real’ her—that you’ve fallen in love? You’re just in love with her body, aren’t you?”

“Compared to her, or the others, I can give you a much better experience. Why do you reject me?”

Xu Linqiu’s gaze flickered. “I admit I am captivated by her body. But that is because it carries her scent and her soul. I like her because of her temperament, her speech, and her actions. I feel we are compatible in every way. That is why I love her and married her.”

“And you all are a part of her, so of course, I love the house and its crows (the whole package). But asking me to give up the house for the sake of one crow? That’s impossible.”

“You really are a textbook scoundrel,” Yi Chenlü teased. “So, you want them all?”

Xu Linqiu realized that to get the truth, she shouldn’t ask about the “illness,” but rather why this specific personality—Xiao Lü—was born.

She offered a gentle smile and cupped the woman’s face. “If you tell me how you came to be, I’ll agree to your choice: either I stay away from Qingqing, or I stay away from the rest of you. I keep my word. I swear…”

The woman couldn’t look away. She wrapped her arms around Xu’s neck and whispered into her ear:

“During the latter half of your relationship with Qingqing, you two fought often. I was born the day you saw the Peking University (PKU) admission list on the school bulletin board…”

Back then, Xu’s frustration had peaked when she saw that Yi Chenqing had missed her qualifying exam. Xu had dragged her into the school woods, her face devoid of its usual smiles.

“Do you have any idea what PKU means? It’s the best university in the country! I didn’t even know your exam was that day, but you missed it just to buy me cold medicine?”

“I can get in without that recommendation,” Yi Chenqing had argued, trying to take Xu’s hand. “But your cold was so bad, of course I had to stay with you.”

“But what if? What if you mess up the Gaokao? Yi Chenqing, don’t you see? You need to prioritize. You can’t make everything about me. At first, I was moved, but now… it’s a burden. Love should be an equal exchange. Your love is too heavy for me.”

“I’ll change,” Yi Chenqing had whispered, clinging to her. “Just don’t be angry. We will be together forever.”

In the present, Xu Linqiu felt a wave of heartache. She hugged the woman tightly. “Can you… not be so humble? Love yourself a bit more.”

“As long as you don’t leave me…”

“Qingqing loved you too much,” Xiao Lü’s voice continued. “But she didn’t know that after you left her, I was born. I loved her silently, hoping she would step out of the shadows. Six years ago, I finally became an independent personality. She never imagined that the ‘you’ she loved so much would end up loving someone else. Leave her soon. Don’t cause her more pain.”

Xu Linqiu finally understood. Because Yi Chenqing had loved that person to the point of losing herself—becoming humble and self-sacrificing—this “Self-Love” personality (Xiao Lü) was born. And the person she loved in high school eventually left her for someone else.

“So?” Yi Chenlü asked. “Which do you choose?”

“I choose Qingqing,” Xu Linqiu said firmly. “I won’t let her suffer anymore. I will help her recover and walk out of the shadows.”

If she had to be a substitute, she would be the best one possible.

“You!” Yi Chenlü hissed in anger. “I wasted my breath on you. You better remember your oath!”

Her voice trailed off as she grew tired. Her eyes closed.

“I will stay away from the other personalities,” Xu Linqiu promised. Once the woman’s breathing leveled out into sleep, Xu sighed. She got up, covered her with a quilt, and headed to the bathroom.

She returned with a basin of warm water and a towel. She intended to clean Yi Chenqing’s body before taking a cold shower to dampen her own lingering arousal.

She began to wipe her down with professional focus. Under the light, Yi Chenqing’s skin was like polished jade. Xu Linqiu looked straight ahead, reciting poems in her mind to keep her thoughts pure. Suddenly, the leg beneath her arm twitched.

She looked up in shock. Yi Chenqing had sat up.

For a second, the woman stared at her blankly. Then, her face turned a violent shade of red. She grabbed the quilt to cover herself.

Xu Linqiu: “…” What timing.

She stood there awkwardly with the towel. “I was… giving you a sponge bath. Really. You had an episode, and I couldn’t move you to the bath, so I had to do it here.”

Xu Linqiu hadn’t realized her own silk pajama top was still unbuttoned, revealing a deep cleavage.

Yi Chenqing squeezed her legs together and bit her lip, looking away. Her voice was thin. “I still have feeling in my body… don’t try to lie to me.”

Feelings?! What kind of feelings?! Xu Linqiu wanted to run away.

Yi Chenqing turned her head back, forcing herself to look Xu in the eye. “If you really wanted it… you didn’t have to do it while I was having an episode. If you just told me, I would have given it to you.”