After Marrying the Villain with Seven Personalities [Transmigration into a Book]) - Chapter 49

Yi Chenqing woke up feeling slightly dazed. She shook her head and looked up at a beam of light filtering from behind Xu Linqiu; tiny dust motes danced in the air, illuminated where the sun struck the headboard.

As Xu Linqiu shifted, the light changed its shape. She slowly opened her eyes, squinted, and pulled Yi Chenqing closer to her. Her lips curled into a smile. “Morning~”

“Morning.”

It likely wasn’t early anymore. To wake up naturally like this usually meant it was closer to noon. Just then, a stomach let out a distinct growl of hunger.

Xu Linqiu placed her hand on Yi Chenqing’s stomach, rubbing it gently. “What do you want to eat?” she asked with a laugh.

“I’ll fry some eggs,” Yi Chenqing replied softly, pulling up the quilt that had slipped down. Her ears were secretly burning.

“Okay~” Xu Linqiu agreed, planting a kiss on her lips.

Once they had freshened up and headed downstairs, they ran into Yi Yanbai, who was trying to leave, and Shi Ji, who was blocking her path.

“I’m going out,” Yi Yanbai stated.

Xu Linqiu looked at Yi Yanbai and felt that something was off; she seemed even colder than usual. She then glanced at Shi Ji and noticed her eyes were red and swollen—it was obvious she had cried quite a bit the night before.

“Didn’t we agree to go out together today?” Shi Ji asked. Seeing that Yi Yanbai still looked ready to refuse, she added, “Yu Shu will be there too. Did you forget?”

The urge to leave finally faded from Yi Yanbai’s body. She let out a silent sigh of relief. If Shi Ji hadn’t stopped her, she would have been forced by the “script” to head to the Yi Group headquarters while her sister was away, call her father, and resign from her current job to take over the company. After all, due to the plot’s influence, most of the shares were still held by their father.

And her father would undoubtedly have agreed.

She turned and walked back into the living room.

“Have you two eaten?” Xu Linqiu asked, hiding her confusion.

“Not yet,” Shi Ji replied, clearly exhausted. She followed them toward the kitchen. “I’ll boil some eggs or something.”

“No need, just wait on the sofa. We’ll handle it.” Xu Linqiu pulled Yi Chenqing into the kitchen and whispered, “Does Yanbai seem strange to you? She’s usually aloof, but this feels different—like she’s intentionally pushing everyone away.”

“And just now, when she looked at you, her gaze seemed… sharp.”

“Mm. Her gait has changed too; she walks with more confidence than before,” Yi Chenqing noted as she took eggs out of the fridge. Then, remembering something, she turned to Xu Linqiu. “Are the handmade dumplings your mom brought over the other day still good to eat?”

“Of course! My mom’s dumplings are delicious.” Xu Linqiu instantly brushed aside the strange details and joined her in “breakfast” research.

As the handmade pork and mushroom dumplings began to float in the boiling water, Xu Linqiu stood eagerly by Yi Chenqing’s side, watching her scoop them into bowls seasoned with sauce.

Yi Chenqing nudged her with her elbow, a faint smile touching her lips. “Stand back a bit so you don’t get splashed.”

“I’m fine. It smells so good! Give me one to taste.” She stared at the dumplings, swallowing hard. “I haven’t had my mom’s dumplings in years~”

So that stomach growl from earlier was definitely hers, Yi Chenqing thought, yet she was the one rubbing my stomach…

“Alright~” Yi Chenqing added the next batch to the pot and covered it. She carefully picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks, cupping her other hand beneath it. She blew on it several times to cool it down until Xu Linqiu leaned down and snatched it into her mouth. Xu Linqiu even took the opportunity to brush her lips against Yi Chenqing’s, leaving a trace of sauce behind.

“It’s not hot at all,” Xu Linqiu said with a full mouth, grinning. “You don’t need to blow so much.”

Yi Chenqing looked down and licked the sauce from her own lips. The back of her ears grew warm, but her eyes remained fixed on the woman before her. She watched Xu Linqiu take a big bite, only to immediately widen her eyes, chew frantically, and fan her mouth with her hand. The heat had clearly brought a mist to her eyes.

“Hot!”

“Spit it out!” Yi Chenqing instinctively held her hand under Xu Linqiu’s chin, looking at her with concern. “Don’t let it blister your mouth.”

“It’s hot, but it’s good.” Xu Linqiu swallowed, licked her lips, and grabbed Yi Chenqing’s wrist to pull her closer. With her eyes curved like crescent moons, she whispered, “Can we kiss for a bit?”

“The dumplings are almost done.” Yi Chenqing looked pointedly at the pot, her face flushing.

Xu Linqiu pinched her earlobe and leaned down to seal their lips. “Then we’ll kiss until the dumplings are ready~”

She tilted her head, gently suckling Yi Chenqing’s lips. Yi Chenqing responded with equal passion. The aroma of dumplings and the savory scent of the sauce filled their senses as the kiss deepened. Only when the pot began to boil over did Xu Linqiu pull away, planting a heavy kiss on her cheek. “I’ll take these two bowls out first~”

“Okay.” Yi Chenqing watched her cheerful departure, touched her moist lips, and swallowed, her expression softening.

Once the dumplings were served, Xu Linqiu specifically placed a bowl of chili sauce in front of Yi Yanbai. Yi Yanbai reached for it instinctively, but then her hand froze, and she stiffly set it back down.

Confused, Xu Linqiu pushed the chili toward Shi Ji. She had never seen Shi Ji look so defeated. Usually, no hardship could dampen her mood, but now, her carefully maintained blue-black curls looked dull and lifeless. The atmosphere at the table was suffocating.

Finally, Yi Yanbai set down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, and looked at Yi Chenqing.

“Sister, I want to resign. I want to work at the company.”

Her words drew everyone’s attention. Shi Ji couldn’t understand it, and Xu Linqiu was baffled. Only Yi Chenqing remained calm, finishing her meal before looking up.

“Mm. Tell Dad which position you want.” She then turned to Xu Linqiu. “Do you want more?”

“No thanks,” Xu Linqiu smiled. “I’m full.”

As soon as she spoke, Yi Yanbai’s voice cut in again: “I want the position of CEO.”

Xu Linqiu: “???”

Yi Chenqing gave her a fleeting glance and elegantly picked up her bowl to finish her soup. “That will depend on your own ability.”

The meal ended awkwardly. After the dishes were done, the group piled into the car. With Yi Chenqing driving and Xu Linqiu in the passenger seat, Xu Linqiu spent the whole trip observing the two in the back, who were sitting as far apart as possible. She truly couldn’t fathom what had happened.

They met up with a heavily disguised Xu Judong and Yu Shu near their old high school. As they walked past the campus, they saw the green ginkgo trees peeking over the walls and the students rushing about for their Saturday tutoring sessions. The oversized school uniforms looked vibrant and full of youth.

Xu Linqiu naturally began chatting with Shi Ji about high school—how they used to skip class and then cram desperately for exams.

“Oh, I remember skipping class right under Qingqing’s nose! I begged her for mercy, and she actually didn’t report us.” Xu Linqiu looked toward Yi Chenqing.

Yi Chenqing stared at the familiar campus, looking dazed as she listened to the stories. She eventually snapped out of it and replied, “I don’t remember.”

“It’s okay,” Xu Linqiu said, pivoting quickly. “Let’s head toward East Street.”

As they wandered through East Street, Xu Linqiu noticed that the relationship between Xu Judong and Yu Shu seemed much better than before—there was an unidentifiable chemistry between them. Conversely, Yi Yanbai kept staring at Yu Shu, while Shi Ji kept her eyes fixed on Yi Yanbai.

Xu Linqiu watched the drama unfold silently. Once they found the old spicy hotpot shop, she caught Shi Ji in a corner. “What’s going on with you two?”

“Nothing much. She wants a divorce, and I won’t agree.”

“Why is it always so melodramatic?” Shi Ji’s expression darkened. “The moment I realize I like her, I find out she actually likes someone else.” She fell silent.

“That’s… impossible.” Xu Linqiu couldn’t believe it. Every previous sign suggested Yanbai was head over heels for Shi Ji. “Who does she like?”

“Yu Shu,” Shi Ji whispered, lowering her eyes.

“???”

Xu Linqiu didn’t know how to solve this. She could only pat Shi Ji’s shoulder. “We’ll figure something out. We’ll find the truth eventually.” She refused to believe Yanbai liked Yu Shu.

“You should focus on the personality issues first,” Shi Ji sighed.

“Qingqing will be fine.” Xu Linqiu looked over at Yi Chenqing.

After ordering, the group sat down. Large bowls of spicy hotpot arrived, steam rising with an appetizing aroma.

“Coriander.” Yi Chenqing began picking the coriander out of her bowl and moving it to Xu Linqiu’s.

Xu Linqiu knew she hated the smell, but she kept picking it up and putting it back in Yi Chenqing’s bowl—because Yi Chenqing loved the taste, even if she disliked the scent. It was a bizarre, sweet habit. Xu Linqiu laughed and started eating. The rich broth and perfectly cooked ingredients tasted just as they had years ago, awakening memories of their high school days.

Before they parted ways, Yi Yanbai asked Yu Shu for her contact information. Shi Ji watched the exchange with a bitter heart. When they finally returned home, Yi Yanbai went upstairs, and Yi Chenqing followed shortly after. “I’m going to nap for a bit.”

“Mm,” Xu Linqiu nodded, sitting on the sofa to continue chatting with Shi Ji.

Every step up the stairs made Yi Chenqing feel dizzy. By the time she reached the study door, the vertigo was intense. She pushed the door open, planning to sit for a moment before going to the bedroom. But as she crossed the threshold, her body tilted uncontrollably, and she crashed into the bookshelf.

She braced herself against the shelf to stay upright, but the impact sent a book and several papers fluttering to the floor.

The papers scattered across the ground. They were filled with colors—sketches, gouache, oil paintings. Every single page featured the same person: smiling, pouting, angry, or shy. The figures looked so vivid they seemed ready to jump off the paper.

Yi Chenqing stared at the drawings of herself. Though she rarely showed such a wide range of expressions in reality, a surge of sweetness filled her heart. Her lips curved upward in spite of herself.

She shook her head, trying to ignore the dizziness, and began carefully gathering the paintings. Her eyes then fell on the “book” that had fallen—it wasn’t a book, but a thick notebook. It lay open on the floor.

Yi Chenqing’s eyes swept over the page, and she caught a familiar name followed by a sentence:

[The moment Yi Chenqing held her corpse, her entire body trembled. She pulled the cold, soaking wet body into her arms, her eyes bloodshot. Like a puppet that had lost its strings, she couldn’t shed a single tear. Her lips simply quivered as she whispered: “Linqiu, change out of those wet clothes. I’ll turn on the heater to warm you up.”]

[She touched the girl’s icy face and coaxed her gently: “If you want to break up, we’ll break up. I won’t pester you anymore. Just wake up, don’t catch a cold, okay?”]