After Marrying the Villain with Seven Personalities [Transmigration into a Book]) - Chapter 8

“Madam, the car that just passed by looked like it belonged to the Yi family,” the driver reminded her.

Fang Fengyu had been staring at the entrance the entire time. She hadn’t missed the Yi sisters, but they were too far away for her to see them clearly.

Earlier this morning, at 6:00 AM, a topic titled #YoungCEOJiNewGirlfriend# had shot up the trending charts on Weibo. Everyone knew that Young CEO Ji—Shi Ji—was a free spirit who never bothered to take down trending topics, so the public felt perfectly safe and eager to indulge in the gossip.

The photos showed Shi Ji’s ex-girlfriend with tears streaming down her face, looking pale and ready to collapse. In contrast, Shi Ji stood there with a slight frown, looking utterly impatient. Beside her stood a woman dressed simply but possessing a gentle and elegant aura. Even in a candid paparazzi shot, her smiling eyes looked beautiful from every angle.

The top comment came from the ex-girlfriend herself:

“I really loved her. I tried to make her stay, but… I wish her happiness.”

The internet exploded instantly.

“Young CEO Ji is a scumbag as always.”

“Shocking! A new record. It’s only been a few days!”

“Our Feifei is so pitiful. It’s fine, you don’t need a jerk like that.”

“But she’s beautiful and rich. If you don’t want her, give her to me!”

“Is this a seamless transition? She already found a new girlfriend. She’s gorgeous—is she entering the entertainment industry too?”

“This time, her taste is top-tier!”

“What kind of ungodly hour is this? I want to sleep in!”

“Wait, the new girlfriend looks familiar…”

“It’s Xu Linqiu!”

Immediately after, a new hashtag, #XuLinqiuReappears#, surged to the number one spot. The account [Paparazzi Vanguard] had posted two videos. Due to the poor lighting and distance, only silhouettes and clothing were visible, but the netizens had eyes like hawks.

“It’s her! It’s definitely her!”

“Wow, she actually took her to Hongxun to play.”

“She left without a word years ago, and now she’s back looking for CEO Ji? What, did she realize the entertainment industry is the easiest place to make money after all?”

“I’m crying, my youth is back. No youth film since has compared to The Gaokao starring Lin-zi.”

“@XuJudong, is your sister back?”

“In the second video… that white coat, that height and profile—if I’m not mistaken, is that Dr. Bai? Why is she hugging Young CEO Ji?”

“You mean the psychiatrist? The one in charge of those high-IQ psychopaths at Qingshan Prison?”

“I’m confused. What is their relationship? Can we get some solid proof?”

“The parties involved haven’t spoken yet. Don’t rush. @YoungCEOJi”

Fang Fengyu exited Weibo and rubbed her temples, refocusing her gaze on the entrance of Hongxun. When she saw her daughter in the photos, smiling just as she used to, she nearly burst into tears on the spot.

She missed her too much. For years, there had been no news—only the knowledge that she was “doing well.” But what kind of life did “doing well” actually mean?

Memories of the past flooded back. From the time Linqiu was a child, Fang Fengyu had placed heavy expectations on her. She forced her to read books on acting, take mandatory classes, and grow up far too fast. The children had lost their innocence because the parents were too busy to notice their feelings.

They had thought being strict and introducing them to the industry early was for their own good. They had mapped out their entire lives: study, act, build a public image, get into the best film academy, and then work tirelessly for achievements.

Until the day she graduated high school, when Linqiu said: “I want to go to the Academy of Fine Arts. I want to study painting.”

“No. I should never have let you learn to paint; it made your heart wild,” Fang Fengyu had replied. “Your application must be for the Central Academy of Drama.”

Xu Linqiu had gone from cautiously negotiating to finally breaking down, venting years of suppressed frustration while clutching her suitcase. Fang Fengyu still remembered the young girl’s face—the smile was gone, her eyes were bloodshot, and she looked both desperate and obsessed with her dream.

In a fit of rage, Fang Fengyu had struck her. She told her that if she walked out that door, she was never to call herself “Xu Linqiu” again—that only someone with acting in their heart deserved to stay in the Xu family. She believed that without the Xu name, her daughter would have nothing and would eventually be forced to return when she couldn’t survive.

But she never came back. She never even looked back. Her silhouette grew smaller as she walked away, year after year of resolve.

And year after year, Fang Fengyu regretted it. Only then did she realize that nothing was more important than family or her daughter’s happiness. She shouldn’t have pushed her. She missed her daughter so much.

Lost in these thoughts, tears streamed down her face. Wiping them away, she decided to stay at Hongxun to try her luck, even if Linqiu might have already left. She hesitated before calling Shi Ji, but the line was busy.

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared at the entrance of Hongxun, looking down at her phone. The moment Fang Fengyu saw her, her longing turned into a warm current that burned her eyes.

Overwhelmed, Fang Fengyu doubled over, unable to stop the sobbing. Fearing her daughter might leave while she was crying, she scrambled out of the car, covering her streaming eyes with one hand and her mouth with the other as she stumbled toward her.

Xu Linqiu had just sent a message to Shi Ji saying she was waiting outside when she heard the sound of sobbing. She looked over curiously, as did a few scattered passersby.

The moment she recognized Fang Fengyu, her heart twinged. Fang Fengyu was hurrying toward her with small steps, her image as a refined noblewoman shattered by her frantic weeping.

Xu Linqiu cast aside her hesitations and ran to meet her. With a voice full of emotion, she called out softly, “Mom.”

Fang Fengyu froze, peeking through her fingers. She saw her daughter wearing an off-the-shoulder black top with a white towel draped around her neck. Her lips were slightly curved, and her eyes were as beautifully arched as ever.

“Mom—” she called again, her voice like a spring breeze over a lake.

Fang Fengyu’s tears fell harder. She reached out, snatched the towel from her daughter’s neck to wipe her face, and grabbed Linqiu’s wrist to pull her toward the car. “Let’s talk in the car,” she said, her voice thick with congestion.

As the towel was pulled away, the hickeys on Linqiu’s collarbone and neck were instantly exposed to the air. Linqiu quickly wrapped an arm around Fang Fengyu’s shoulder to hurry her into the vehicle.

Fang Fengyu felt a flicker of joy, thinking her child missed her just as much and was eager to talk. Once inside, she wiped her eyes and looked up at her daughter with a smile, only to see the red marks all over her collarbone.

The tears started again. Fang Fengyu lowered her head, sobbing, “You child… how could you not respect yourself like this?”

Xu Linqiu watched her cry, feeling helpless. She reached out to pat her mother’s back, but Fang Fengyu suddenly looked up, her teary eyes showing a faint, unexpected trace of delight.

She asked, “Are you and Ji-ji… did you two do that?”