After Marrying the Villain with Seven Personalities [Transmigration into a Book]) - Chapter 51

Sitting on the floor for a long time, the memories of recent days flooded back. Yi Chenqing looked down, staring at the dolphin plushie in her hands.

When they bought them, Linqiu had smiled and said: “Take this one to the office. When you miss me, look at it; when you come home at night, hug me.”

“As for me, when I miss you, I’ll look at mine. When you come home, I’ll kiss you.”

There were many people around at the time, so Linqiu had been shy, whispering the words into her ear. The warm breath had made Yi Chenqing’s ears burn.

Yi Chenqing’s lips curved into a smile unconsciously. Snapping back to reality, she stood up and took the dolphin into the bedroom. After showering, she lay on the bed hugging the plushie, staring into its eyes.

She could almost see it—the woman with a face full of smiles holding her tight, kissing her lips, and saying good morning.

She saw her fried tofu while laughing, placing food in her bowl, feeding her. She saw the passion and desire between them—all their love expressed through that primal connection.

The bathroom, the bed, the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, the sofa… every corner of the house held traces of their warmth. Linqiu had even performed act after act, play after play, just to cure her illness and draw her out.

Shameful, exciting, and joyful images flashed before her eyes. The answer in her heart was clear: she never wanted to be apart from her again. Even if the road ahead was difficult, even if unknown dangers awaited them, she only wanted to hold her.

Yi Chenqing sat up and sent a message.

[I’ve made up my mind.] [I’m coming to find you.]

She looked at her contact name for Xu Linqiu—”My President”—and smiled. A reply came quickly.

[But my front gate is locked, and my parents have the keys (crying-face emoji)] [Then come to the courtyard.]

Yi Chenqing immediately climbed out of bed, threw on a trench coat, and left the house.

It had been a very long time since she had last climbed a wall, but she scaled it easily and jumped down. Walking to the center of the courtyard, she looked up and saw Xu Linqiu running out of the front door.

The courtyard was dark; the Xu family villa was silent. Under the bright moonlight, flowers swayed in the evening breeze. Xu Linqiu’s figure dashed toward her with excitement. Using her momentum, she jumped—her arms wrapping around Yi Chenqing’s neck and her legs hooking around her waist, hanging onto her like a koala.

Yi Chenqing quickly supported her. Linqiu beamed at her, her eyes reflecting the moonlight. “Are you calm now?”

“I’m calm.” Yi Chenqing couldn’t help but smile, her tone becoming solemn. “Even if the sky falls, I won’t let go of you again.”

“Then I’m not afraid either.” Xu Linqiu leaned down and kissed her. Yi Chenqing met her halfway, her tongue slowly moistening her lips before beginning a tender, deep suckle.

With the moon as their witness, they moved together, their lips fitting perfectly, grinding and kissing with profound affection. After a long while, Yi Chenqing tilted her head slightly, her warm breath brushing against Linqiu’s lips, her voice tinged with a hint of bashfulness.

“My legs are weak…”

Xu Linqiu immediately hopped down, one hand hooking around Yi Chenqing’s waist to pull her into her embrace. She laughed. “Sorry, lean on me.”

“Mm~”

She leaned back weakly, arms around Linqiu’s neck. Amidst the drifting scent of flowers, Xu Linqiu kissed her again, her hands instinctively caressing Yi Chenqing’s waist. Their tongues intertwined like warm clouds.

Their pressed bodies made their frantic heartbeats no longer a secret. Interwoven breath, tangled lips, and the clear sound of swallowing filled the air.

Eventually, a light flickered on upstairs, then quickly shut off. A figure behind the French windows hurried away in excitement.

“Xu Xinping! Our daughter is so capable!”

Xu Linqiu’s laughter was muffled in her throat. She didn’t stop, her gentle offensive like a dense net, kissing her without a moment’s pause. One hand slid into Yi Chenqing’s smooth black hair to support her head, while the other held her waist, bearing her full weight.

Only when Yi Chenqing had to stop did she bury her face in Linqiu’s neck, gasping for air. Under the moonlight, a beautiful flush spread from her neck to her cheeks.

“If we go any further, I won’t be able to stop myself…”

“Do you want to?” Xu Linqiu teased, pressing her waist. Her voice was alluring. Yi Chenqing looked up, seeing the mischief in her eyes, and bit her lip. “Mom just saw us. It’s not good for me to go into your house and… with you…”

“And what with me?”

“Just…” Yi Chenqing’s eyes suddenly held a flirtatious glint. She leaned up to kiss Linqiu’s moist lips. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow. I’ll tell you then.”

She couldn’t exactly carry her over the wall, so she had to endure one night alone, sleeping with the dolphin.

“In the middle of the day?” Xu Linqiu laughed, seeing the shadows of the other personalities in her.

“It’ll be dark if we close the curtains.”

“But I have to go to an art exhibition with my parents tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll go too…”

“Wait for me at home. I’ll be back soon. I haven’t spent solo time with my parents in a while.” Xu Linqiu pinched her waist and stroked her face. “Also, if you know anything about Yanbai’s situation, could you help me talk to Jizi (Shi Ji)?”

“Is she very important to you?” Yi Chenqing asked.

“Yes.” Xu Linqiu nodded honestly. Yi Chenqing held her tight for a while longer.

“Okay.”

“Also… my illness isn’t cured yet.” Though she didn’t know when the others would return, the other personalities would surely protect Linqiu with their lives. Even if her time was short, she was satisfied.

Xu Linqiu nuzzled her cheek and closed her eyes. “Mm. We’ll face it together.”

Early the next morning, the Xu family car departed. Yi Chenqing stood by the French window holding the dolphin plushie. Only when the exhaust fumes had vanished did she turn around.

After breakfast, Yi Yanbai was on her phone, seemingly sending messages. Yi Chenqing pushed her bowl aside. “I’m taking Shi Ji upstairs to talk.”

The subtext was: You do the dishes.

Yi Yanbai remained indifferent. Yi Chenqing added: “Can’t even wash a bowl? And you think you can beat me?”

Having lived through so many lives, Yi Chenqing’s mocking tone toward Yi Yanbai was practiced and sharp. They had been at each other’s throats many times.

Yi Yanbai’s eyes were cold, but she stood up.

This successful provocation confirmed Yi Chenqing’s suspicions. She looked at the dazed Shi Ji and signaled for her to follow her upstairs. They entered the study and closed the door. Yi Chenqing got straight to the point.

“You’re a transmigrator, aren’t you?”

Shock filled Shi Ji’s eyes. As the realization hit her, Yi Chenqing continued: “When you transmigrated, you must have hit something. That ‘something’ was me.”

Shi Ji: “…” I did feel like I hit something.

“So, you transmigrated too?” Shi Ji asked, then immediately corrected herself. “No… even if your personalities have the memories of the original book, it’s impossible to have such deep feelings for Lin-lin. Unless you are…”

“I am ‘Awakened,'” Yi Chenqing explained. “This world is an infinite loop. Everyone must follow a preset path, or they are subjected to ‘Forced Execution.’ When you hit me, you broke that control for me, allowing me to keep all my memories.”

“I have that much power?” Shi Ji was incredulous.

“Yes. You are the only person in this world who can change the plot. Surely you’ve realized that by now.” Her expression turned solemn. “But Yanbai wasn’t as lucky as me. She might have been re-controlled.”

“What do you mean?” The red-circled words from the book last night flashed through Shi Ji’s mind, and her heart sank.

Yi Chenqing explained patiently: “I mean the things she says and does right now are forced. In her heart, she probably doesn’t mean them at all.”

“Because we did things that violated the plot or touched the ‘World Boundary,’ the system is forcing us back onto the script. Even if we don’t want to, we are trapped in this infinite loop.”

“So you… have witnessed Lin-lin’s death countless times? And she… even if she didn’t want to, had to push you off that building countless times?”

Yi Chenqing nodded slowly.

A deathly silence filled the study. Shi Ji felt as if her heart was being squeezed. She couldn’t imagine it—a novel world that outsiders used for entertainment, where the people living here were vivid and real, yet were manipulated and forced to live in such agony.