After Marrying the Villain with Seven Personalities [Transmigration into a Book]) - Chapter 55

Xu Linqiu was jolted awake by the nurse’s morning rounds. The head nurse motioned toward the curtains, and Xu Linqiu nodded with a tired smile.

Instantly, brilliant sunlight flooded every corner of the room, bringing a cozy warmth that made one feel lazy. As the medical team finished their handover and headed for the door, Xu Linqiu glanced at the woman beside her.

She didn’t know when Yi Chenqing had woken up, but the moment their eyes met, she felt the woman’s grip on her arm tighten slightly. Her eyes were clouded with melancholy and a lingering sense of apology, as if she were hesitating to speak.

In that heartbeat, the smile on Xu Linqiu’s face froze and slowly withered away.

The nurses, just stepping out the door, overheard a voice that was exceptionally cold: “Let go. Get out of the bed.”

Not daring to linger, the nurses hurried away, assuming it was simply a lovers’ spat.

Xu Linqiu shifted her body slightly and carefully lifted her injured hand. She wasn’t sure how she felt—Qingqing had warned her that her condition wasn’t fully cured, and she should have been prepared. But seeing her beloved “disappear,” only to be replaced by Little Blue, was still too much to bear. She didn’t even want to face her.

The memory of that night, under the faint scent of flowers, still echoed in her ears—those soulful words: “Even if the sky falls, I will never let you go.”

Her heart had warmed then, but now Xu Linqiu decided to adopt a policy of cold indifference. Even if she couldn’t follow through on her old vow to “leave the moment she appeared,” staying didn’t mean she had to offer forgiveness.

The woman—Yi Chenlan—slowly retracted her hand. she watched Xu Linqiu in silence for a while before finally getting out of bed, her eyes filled with dejection.

“I feel like I’ve been asleep for a long time. The moment I woke up, I took control of the body. I don’t know what happened during this interval, but I want to ask… would you be happier to see literally any other personality than me?”

She stood by the bed, staring at Xu Linqiu with a fixed gaze.

Xu Linqiu still refused to look at her. She simply said, “Yes.”

At that moment, Yi Chenlan shuddered. It felt as though her heart had been riddled with holes, a sharp, stinging pain seeping from the wounds. She remembered that night—how she had begged for a little bit of a “prelude,” yet Xu Linqiu had been utterly relentless.

She thought to herself that even if she explained, whether it was a misunderstanding or not, Linqiu wouldn’t forgive her. She deserved this.

She could only stay by her side quietly, watching as the other personalities eroded her consciousness and replaced her. She had to witness “their” happiness with Linqiu from the sidelines. Only then could she be close to her. How ironic.

And yet, just being able to stay by her side was enough.

“Do you… want me to help you wash up?” she asked.

Only then did she realize the extent of Xu Linqiu’s injuries—multiple gauze pads covered her right hand, her neck, and her forehead.

“No need.”

“I brought steamed eggs!” came Shi Ji’s cheerful voice from the doorway. She was followed by a dark-faced Yi Yanbai.

Because Yi Yanbai’s character was someone who never resorted to violence (except for the final battle against the villain), Shi Ji had taken advantage of that gap to get a little “rough.” Thinking of her victory the night before—where she had used toy handcuffs to lock their wrists together, forcing them to share a bed and provoking her until she snapped—Shi Ji felt a strange surge of excitement.

She felt like a bit of a masochist; the meaner Yanbai was to her, the happier she became.

“Ji-zi, help me out. Support me to the bathroom; I need to wash up.”

Hearing this, Shi Ji looked at “Yi Chenqing” in confusion. Seeing her friend with her head hung low and her expression unreadable, she turned back to Xu Linqiu. “Did you two have a fight?”

Xu Linqiu watched as Shi Ji casually tossed her bags onto the table and pulled back her sleeve, revealing the handcuffs on her wrist. She was momentarily speechless.

“Alright, wait for me.”

Shi Ji suddenly grabbed Yi Yanbai’s arm. Ignoring her struggles, she dragged her over to the long sofa. The sofa’s armrest had an open, decorative lattice. She pulled a key from her pocket, unlocked her own side under Yi Yanbai’s icy stare, and—with lightning speed—cuffed her to the armrest instead.

Yi Yanbai’s gaze was like a torch, her brow furrowed deep with anger. “Give me back my phone. I’m calling a lawyer right now.”

“I’m telling you, Shi Ji, this is illegal imprisonment.”

“I called Mom and Dad yesterday,” Shi Ji replied nonchalantly. “They said we can play however we want. I don’t think you hate me at all. In fact, I think you’re playing hard to get.”

Shi Ji walked toward the hospital bed with an air of total calm.

In that instant, Yi Yanbai’s long-standing cold mask crumbled. Her eyes blazed with fury as she glared at Shi Ji, tugging hard at the handcuffs a few times before eventually giving up and sitting back down.

Shi Ji ignored the piercing stare. She walked to Xu Linqiu’s left side and helped her up. She noticed “Yi Chenlan” take a few steps back, staring intently at their linked arms with a look of profound sadness.

Once in the bathroom, Shi Ji squeezed the toothpaste and readied the water. Finally, she couldn’t help but ask, “Is this… a personality?”

“Mhm.” Xu Linqiu nodded while brushing her teeth.

“Can the ‘real’ Yi Chenqing come back?” Shi Ji panicked. If her friend was gone, did that mean she had to fight this battle alone? What now?

“Don’t jinx it,” Xu Linqiu said, handing her the toothbrush and rinsing her mouth. “She will come back. I’ll work hard to make her return. I’ll wait for her.” In front of her best friend, Xu Linqiu finally let a bit of her disappointment show.

“But this personality is also her… what happened between you two?” Shi Ji frowned.

Xu Linqiu splashed cold water on her face. “Nothing much. I just… don’t really like her.”

The bathroom door was open, and there was no soundproofing. Not far away, Yi Chenlan’s stiff body flinched. She eventually walked over to the sofa and sat down next to Yi Yanbai.

Shi Ji retracted her gaze from the other woman. “This situation you’re in…”

“Mutually assured destruction,” Xu Linqiu said, wiping her face.

At that moment, looking at her friend, Shi Ji suddenly thought it might be better to tell her the truth—to make her more vigilant.

“I need to use the toilet.”

“Okay.” Shi Ji stepped out and closed the door.

One hand can actually accomplish a lot of things, but in front of the person you love, you can easily become “helpless.”

When Xu Linqiu walked out, she was still in some pain. Shi Ji helped her back to the bed. Yi Chenlan went to wash up, and by the time she came out, Shi Ji was feeding Xu Linqiu, their movements intimate. Shi Ji even blew on the food before offering it.

Her heart twinging, Yi Chenlan sat on the sofa and watched longingly. Beside her, Yi Yanbai watched with “indifference.”

“Can’t you eat by yourself? Your hand isn’t useless,” Shi Ji whispered, glancing at Yi Yanbai. “My wife is watching; she’s going to get jealous.”

Xu Linqiu glanced at Yi Yanbai too, ignoring the glaring gaze from the woman sitting next to her. She whispered back, “That’s not a look of jealousy, that’s pure rage. Aren’t you afraid of a backfire?”

“Besides,” Xu Linqiu added with a feigned, shy smile, “last night with Qingqing… my hand is a bit tired.”

“You!” Shi Ji was both envious and speechless. “If your other hand wasn’t injured, you’d probably be causing even more trouble.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Xu Linqiu replied modestly.

After finishing the meal, Shi Ji cleared the table and brought the remaining food to the sofa.

“Excuse me.” She smiled and squeezed in between the two women to set out the food.

Even if one is being “controlled,” one still has to eat. Since the food was bought with her own money, Yi Yanbai seemed to understand this logic. Shi Ji thought as much and tried to put some food in her bowl.

Yi Yanbai frowned and picked the food back out. “Using my card without permission…” she said coldly.

“Mom and Dad said we’re a couple; I can use the card however I want.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be a ‘filial daughter’?” Shi Ji interrupted, her cheeks bulging as she chewed.

“This marriage… we will divorce sooner or later.”

“Oh? Well, that depends on when you can catch your ‘true love.’ If you do, I’ll step down voluntarily,” Shi Ji said dismissively. As long as she was there to interfere, she wouldn’t give them a single chance.

She never thought that one day, she would become the “vicious female supporting character.”

Yi Yanbai let out a cold sneer, her face a mask of frost, but her heart felt warm. The image of Shi Ji looking like a hamster while eating wouldn’t leave her mind. Heaven knew how much she wanted to be close to her.

She truly hadn’t expected to hear Shi Ji’s confession over and over again. No matter how excessive she was, Shi Ji never gave up on her. She didn’t know how long this persistence would last, but for now, she had to fight back. It couldn’t just be Shi Ji’s effort alone.

Xu Linqiu napped for a while. When she woke up, they had finished eating. Yi Chenlan seemed to be working, while Shi Ji was playing Gomoku (Five-in-a-Row) by herself, occasionally teasing Yi Yanbai.

“Are you sure you don’t want to play? You look so bored.”

“Heh.”

Seeing that Xu Linqiu was awake, Shi Ji walked over. She took the laptop out of the bag she’d brought and placed it in front of her, adjusting the bed and the over-bed table.

“Have you read this before?”

“A little, but I’ve mostly forgotten it,” Xu Linqiu smiled.

“Well, since you’re bored, take another look.” Shi Ji smiled back, leaning in to whisper in her ear: “Pro-tip: You can read this as if it’s real.”

“Hmm?” Xu Linqiu was confused.

“Trust me,” Shi Ji nodded mysteriously before returning to her seat.

Xu Linqiu’s gaze inadvertently met Yi Chenlan’s. She looked away and focused on the screen. She opened the first page, and suddenly, low, melancholic music began to play in the room—an oppressive love song.

“I wrote this for you,” Yi Chenlan said, looking at her deeply before beginning to sing softly along with the intro. Her voice was light and pleasant, yet it carried a sense of humility.

“After the rain that day, the dull car…”

Both Shi Ji and Yi Yanbai couldn’t help but look over. But Yi Chenlan continued to sing with abandon, her eyes filled with melancholy.

It was undeniably beautiful, but Xu Linqiu withdrew her gaze and offered a flat critique: “It doesn’t sound good.”

She kept singing, the tune heavy and stifling.

Xu Linqiu ignored her and began browsing the novel.

The story began with a protagonist named Yu Shu. She lived in a very oppressive household. Her father was a gambler and a drunk with no steady job and mountains of debt. Her younger brother had inherited all their father’s worst traits, dropping out of school at fourteen to loaf around. Her older sister was a small-time streamer who spent far more than she earned on makeup and luxury brands. The entire family survived on their mother’s wages as a nanny.

Yu Shu, however, was different. She had excellent grades and worked secret part-time jobs. She managed to get into the city’s top elite school with a full scholarship.

But getting in was only the beginning.

On the first day, she was cornered in the bathroom. Fortunately, a girl who claimed she would “protect her” if Yu Shu helped her with tutoring came to her rescue.

On the second day, she met the person that girl constantly talked about: her older sister, Xu Linqiu.

She was radiant and approachable, a magnet for everyone’s attention. Coincidentally, they looked very similar. When Yu Shu was “accidentally” tripped, Xu Linqiu was the one who helped her up. In that moment, a sudden sense of kinship surged within her.

After that, they ran into each other several times and eventually exchanged contact info.

But then, Xu Judong found her and said bluntly: “Stay away from my sister.”

Yu Shu refused, and her nightmare began. Xu Judong, who had once helped her, began to lead others in bullying her even more relentlessly.

Finally, after being drenched from head to toe one day, a warm school blazer was draped over her shoulders. She looked up to see a girl with long hair and a cold, elegant expression.

“Xu Judong, that’s enough.”

“Tsk, what a buzzkill.”

“Are you alright?” The girl looked down at her. In that moment, Yu Shu felt a warmth she had never known before.

Xu Linqiu: “…”

She hadn’t looked closely at the text before, but now it felt… subtle. She glanced at Shi Ji, then looked back at the screen.

This thing was adapted from real people, wasn’t it?

Though, in reality, she had never met Yu Shu in school—she was always out playing or in the art room.

The song in her ear changed to a more melodious one. She pulled her thoughts back and focused on the parts of the novel where her own name appeared.