After Marrying the Villain with Seven Personalities [Transmigration into a Book]) - Chapter 53

“The anesthesia is still in effect,” Xu Linqiu said with a faint curl of her lips. Her face and lips were visibly pale. Her right hand was almost entirely encased in white gauze, as were her neck and a patch on her forehead.

“It’s fine, just a small injury. I’ll be better after a few days of dressing changes.”

Yi Chenqing held her left hand tightly, her heart aching. Linqiu continued to smile, even giving Yi Chenqing’s hand a little squeeze.

Following the doctors and nurses, they pushed the gurney to the surgical ward. Once Yi Chenqing had handled the hospitalization paperwork and coordinated with the driver who caused the accident, she returned to the room to help move Xu Linqiu onto the bed with the utmost care.

They had secured a private room. Only after the nurses finished the basic care and left did Yi Chenqing finally allow herself to relax.

“Why are you so tense?” The bed was raised halfway, and Xu Linqiu lay there partially reclined. She reached out to hold Yi Chenqing’s hand again, and Yi Chenqing immediately obliged, sitting by the bedside.

“I was very afraid,” Yi Chenqing whispered, squeezing her fingers. “Next time you go out, I’m coming with you.”

“It’s not that serious,” Xu Linqiu replied, then remembered something. “Where are Mom and Dad? Give them a call.”

When the call connected, Xu Xinping’s voice came through. “Fengyu is fine. How is Linqiu?”

Xu Linqiu winked at Yi Chenqing, who leaned in and held the phone to Linqiu’s ear.

“Dad, I’m okay,” Linqiu said with a smile. “It doesn’t even hurt much. Is Mom alright?”

“Oh, good to hear. Your mother is fine, but we might be a bit late getting back to the hospital.”

“Okay.”

Shi Ji, who had just returned from the restroom, glanced at Yi Yanbai sitting stiffly in the distance. She walked over and asked, “Are you hungry? I’m starving. I’m going down to buy some food.”

Yi Chenqing snapped out of her focused daze on Linqiu’s injuries and asked, “What do you want to eat?”

“Congee,” Linqiu replied. “The doctor said to keep it light.”

“Green vegetable and lean meat congee then,” Xu Linqiu ordered.

“Alright.” Shi Ji turned to Yi Chenqing. “And you?”

“The same as Linqiu.”

Shi Ji walked up to Yi Yanbai, but the woman walked out of the room without a word, clearly signaling she didn’t want Shi Ji to buy her anything. Shi Ji didn’t mind. Suddenly, a plan that had been forming in her mind took shape.

She chased after her. “Do you like chili peppers?”

“I don’t,” Yi Yanbai frowned.

“Do you like me?”

“I don’t,” came the decisive, cold voice.

“Okay, let’s play a game. It’s mandatory,” Shi Ji continued before Yanbai could refuse. “It’s called ‘Double Talk’—or speaking in opposites. Whatever you say, the opposite is true.”

The words Yi Yanbai was about to snap back got stuck in her throat. She frowned for a long moment before coldly saying, “I’m not playing.”

“Great!” Shi Ji grinned, following her into the elevator. “So, right now, do you like eating chili peppers?”

“Do you? Do you?”

Inside the elevator, several people glanced over. A charming woman was leaning in close to a cold-faced woman, smiling and pestering her. Yi Yanbai looked annoyed, her brow furrowed, until she finally forced out: “I don’t like them.”

“Then, do you like me?” Shi Ji asked.

Now, every gossiping eye in the elevator turned toward them. “Do you? Do you?” Shi Ji was tireless, her smile dazzling.

Yi Yanbai looked away. In her heart, she was screaming ‘No!’ This time was different from the chili question. She actually hated chilies, so in the game of opposites, she had to say she “liked” them. But for this question, she desperately wanted to say she didn’t like her—yet her heart was pounding. Some people in the elevator even began to whisper “She likes her” playfully.

“Young lady, be honest, be brave,” an old man chimed in.

Yi Yanbai opened her mouth and said: “I don’t like you.”

A sudden surge of joy flooded Shi Ji’s heart. Even though Yanbai’s exterior was cold, Shi Ji saw the truth. The old man shook his head, thinking Shi Ji was crazy for smiling so happily at a rejection.

When the doors opened at the first floor, Yi Yanbai hurried out. Shi Ji followed close behind, blooming with joy. “I knew it! You like me! You like me, you like me!”

She had guessed correctly. The “Plot” was like a machine—rigid and inflexible. The control over Yi Yanbai was programmed so she couldn’t say “I like her” or “I like chilies”—anything that didn’t fit her “cold antagonist” persona. By using a game of opposites, Shi Ji had found a loophole.

“Yi Yanbai, you just like me. Stop denying it.”

Yi Yanbai stopped abruptly, her eyes like a frozen pond. “I don’t like you!”

“Understood,” Shi Ji nodded. Even though her eyes were cold, her body was tense and the veins on the back of her hands were bulging. This meant she was fighting the control with everything she had.

Shi Ji needed to show her own stance. Otherwise, Yanbai would feel alone and abandoned. “I like you very much too~” Shi Ji smiled. Seeing Yanbai huff and turn away, she followed her. “From now on, just speak in opposites to me. I’ll understand everything.”

“Don’t even think about it.”

“Mhm~”

When Shi Ji returned with the food, Yi Chenqing was sitting by the bed chatting with Xu Linqiu. The atmosphere between them was delightful; Yi Chenqing was unconsciously massaging Linqiu’s arm.

Fang Fengyu and her husband had returned at some point and were sitting on the sofa, watching the couple with smiles. They were discussing hiring a caregiver.

“You have to work, Dad has to work. Mom can look after me, or we can just get a caregiver. Why won’t you listen?” Xu Linqiu was laughing as she said this.

“I can work remotely from here,” Yi Chenqing insisted. “Besides, if you need to wash up or anything, it’s more convenient if I do it.”

Fang Fengyu watched them, feeling a mix of amusement and warmth. Most couples argued until they were red in the face, but these two were basically flirting in front of everyone.

“Alright, alright,” Fang Fengyu interrupted. “How about this: I’ll come in the mornings, and you take the afternoons and nights.”

Since her mother-in-law had spoken, Yi Chenqing obediently nodded. “Okay.”

“I’ll feed you.” Yi Chenqing moved the bed table closer and picked up a spoon.

Xu Linqiu shook her healthy left hand. “I’m not an invalid.”

“But you have injuries on your neck. Does it hurt?”

As if on cue, the local anesthesia began to wear off, and a dull ache throbbed from her wounds. “Yeah, it hurts a little,” Linqiu admitted, afraid to move.

Yi Chenqing blew on a spoonful of congee, tested the temperature, and held it to Linqiu’s lips. Her long, beautiful eyes were fixed intently on her. Linqiu opened her mouth and took the whole spoon. The congee was savory, thick, and perfectly seasoned.

“It’s good. You try some.”

Yi Chenqing watched her softly, took a bite, and nodded. She continued to feed her. As the warm congee settled in Linqiu’s stomach, her pale face regained some color, and her lips took on a moist, reddish hue.

Yi Chenqing couldn’t help herself. She leaned down and lightly pressed her lips against Linqiu’s. A faint scent of congee mixed with Linqiu’s natural fragrance. Her lips were soft, elastic, and damp.

With a thumping heart and burning cheeks, Yi Chenqing pulled back to meet Linqiu’s teasing, smiling eyes. She hurriedly went back to scooping congee, looking flustered, which made Linqiu laugh out loud.

After the meal, the pain and the fatigue of the day caught up with Xu Linqiu. “I want to sleep for a bit.”

“Mm, I’ll watch over you.” Yi Chenqing wiped her lips, lowered the bed, and quietly cleared the table.

Shi Ji and Yi Yanbai prepared to leave. Shi Ji gestured to the door, whispering, “I’ll bring dinner later.”

Once they were gone, Yi Chenqing sat in silence, watching Linqiu sleep. She ate the now-lukewarm leftover congee while reviewing work on her phone.

Outside, the sky began to turn red with the sunset. Suddenly, Xu Linqiu stirred. Yi Chenqing looked up and saw Linqiu’s face was flushed. She was squirming against the bed, her right hand raised awkwardly. She looked at Yi Chenqing with a pleading gaze.

“Qingqing… it’s so itchy. Help me scratch it.”