After Redeeming the Female Lead, I Faked My Death and Escaped - Chapter 16.2

She didn’t single anyone out, but both the Alpha and Omega fell silent simultaneously.

After a brief pause, Cheng Jun snapped back to reality.

Her relationship with Ying Xu wasn’t close enough for that remark to be directed at her.

Shifting her gaze slightly, she saw Sheng Qiuyu biting her lip, looking aggrieved and pitiable, enough to evoke sympathy in anyone who saw her.

How disgusting.

Cheng Jun took out the invitation from her bag. Made of some unknown material, its glossy surface was studded with scattered diamonds, embodying the phrase “drowning in luxury” in the most literal sense.

For once, Ying Xu hesitated before reaching out.

But Cheng Jun didn’t mind at all, placing the invitation directly into her palm.

The edge of the invitation brushed against Ying Xu’s fingertips, sending a faint tingling sensation through her.

“See you tomorrow, Miss Ying,” Cheng Jun said naturally. “You must come. I’ll be waiting for you there.”

As she spoke, her eyes sparkled with anticipation, like scattered stars, making it hard to resist.

Cheng Jun’s purpose seemed genuinely limited to delivering the invitation. Once it was handed over, she wasted no more words and turned to leave.

But upon closer thought, Cheng Jun’s very presence here suggested she was well aware of the “closeness” between Ying Xu and Sheng Qiuyu, she had come deliberately to provoke Sheng Qiuyu, putting on a show for her benefit.

Sure enough.

As the Alpha brushed past Ying Xu to leave, she didn’t forget to blow her a kiss, just as she had during their first farewell.

Except back then, Gu Qingzhu, who had been standing beside Ying Xu, hadn’t paid her any attention, missing that kiss entirely.

This time, Sheng Qiuyu’s gaze was practically glued to the two of them the entire time, her eyes burning with palpable fury. Only when Cheng Jun’s figure disappeared did she finally erupt in anger, demanding, “Ying Xu, why did you”

“Miss Sheng.”

Ying Xu suddenly spoke, cutting Sheng Qiuyu off.

The grievance in those eyes had only deepened, and Ying Xu found it both pitiable and amusing. Softly, she said, “Miss Cheng’s invitation was something she had arranged with me a long time ago. I believe everyone has their own social circles and should respect each other’s engagements, don’t you agree?”

Her words carried an unusual gravity, leaving Sheng Qiuyu unable to utter a single “no”doing so would only make her seem unreasonable.

“But I don’t mean to blame you, Miss Sheng,” Ying Xu added with a light chuckle. “It’s just that, rather than seeing you upset over such a trivial matter, I’d much rather ask you if the opportunity arises”

“Would you allow me to invite you to dinner tonight?”

A few days prior, the first installment of Ying Xu’s acting fee for her role as Liang Ruoyan had been deposited into her account.

She had no strong material desires, and her plans for the money mirrored the original owner’s intentions: a portion would go to charity, some would cover her living expenses, and the remainder, just enough to treat Sheng Qiuyu to a meal.

In her mind, dinner with the young mistress had to be at an upscale restaurant, complete with a live band performing, regardless of the cuisine.

“Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve.”

Ying Xu left it at that, and before her eyes, Sheng Qiuyu’s gaze gradually brightened once more.

Though no tears fell, her eyes were slightly red-rimmed as she lifted her chin and huffed coldly, “You’re the one who invited me.”

Ying Xu couldn’t help but laugh, nodding earnestly. “Yes, I did.”

After confirming the restaurant’s location with Ying Xu, Sheng Qiuyu fell silent, her fingers tapping away at her phone screen.

Assuming she might be dissatisfied with the choice of venue, Ying Xu was already considering alternatives when Sheng Qiuyu suddenly waved her phone triumphantly. “Done! I bought the restaurant. A team is already redecorating it. What style do you like? I’ll let them know right away!”

Ying Xu:

In this rapidly advancing technological world, most jobs had long been replaced by robots, achieving astonishing efficiency. Hiring human labor was often just a display of wealth.

In a single afternoon, the restaurant transformed from the French-inspired aesthetic in its promotional images to an exquisitely refined Chinese style.

Soft strings played in the background, and candlelight flickered gently across the table.

Sheng Qiuyu rested her chin on her hand, quietly watching Ying Xu, the firelight reflected in her eyes lending a softer cadence to her otherwise careless tone. “The ambiance here is still a bit lacking. Next time, I’ll take you to the main city, it’s far more interesting there.”

Since arriving in this world, Ying Xu had been caught off guard by one thing after another, leaving her little time to delve into its intricacies.

Like a passing traveler, she had consciously avoided forming deeper connections with anyone.

Sheng Qiuyu’s words felt like a needle piercing through this illusion.

Ying Xu lifted her gaze, her lips parting slightly. “Really? What’s so interesting there?”

In such a relaxed atmosphere, it was hard not to let go of oneself.

She attributed her sudden curiosity to that.

Right before Ying Xu’s eyes, Sheng Qiuyu unhesitatingly listed several scenic spots. Those structures had stood for over a century, many of which Sheng Qiuyu had played around as a child. Thus, when mentioning them, she couldn’t help but add her own biased opinions.

“By the way.”

“The main city is like spring all year round, with temperatures always set within a certain range, so I rarely wear scarves and always thought they looked ugly.” At this point, Sheng Qiuyu hesitated for a moment before continuing in a soft voice, “But after seeing you wear one, I realized it’s not the scarves that are ugly.”

Ying Xu slightly parted her lips, almost asking if not the scarves, then what?

But before her, Sheng Qiuyu had already furrowed her brows.

She was well aware of how ambiguous that statement sounded, yet it had slipped out uncontrollably.

Ying Xu was so kind; this topic would only put the Alpha in an awkward position.

“I’ll also be attending the Cheng family’s banquet,” Sheng Qiuyu quickly changed the subject after a brief silence. “I have many friends I can introduce to you. They work in various industries, so you can carefully consider what you truly want to do ”

“No matter what, you can’t get too close to Cheng Jun.”

The words sounded like a warning, but delivered in a spoiled tone, they came off as utterly endearing.

The smile in Ying Xu’s eyes deepened as she nodded gently. Outside the window, fireworks soared to their peak.

A loud explosion, and they burst into full bloom.

The brilliant fireworks clung to the glass.

With just one glance, Gu Qingzhu felt her vision scalded by the vibrant colors.

She lowered her eyes and dialed the number again. After a few rings, as usual, no one answered, leaving only a mechanical voice reminding her to leave a message.

Gu Qingzhu knew Wei Xuyan would never listen to voicemails. Yet, feeling utterly desperate, she still spoke, her voice barely above a whisper: “Ms. Wei, I know you despise me, but no matter what, I want to see Xu Ying one last time.”

In a few days, it would be Xu Ying’s death anniversary.

Her grave was located in the Xu family cemetery, where security was exceptionally tight.

Due to the circumstances of Xu Ying’s death, the Xu family harbored deep resentment toward Gu Qingzhu. After all, if Xu Ying hadn’t loved Gu Qingzhu so much, if she hadn’t wanted to witness her award ceremony in person, why would she have interrupted her overseas trip and suddenly returned home?

Gu Qingzhu was consumed by guilt, which only deepened her remorse toward Xu Ying’s parents. She often sent them messages of condolence, hoping to offer some comfort.

Xu Ying’s father, Xu Zhengming, was relatively amiable and occasionally replied to Gu Qingzhu’s texts. But Xu Ying’s mother, Wei Xuyan, vehemently refused to engage with her, not only blocking her outright but also forbidding any member of the Xu family from interacting with Gu Qingzhu.

Most of the Xu family’s influence lay in Wei Xuyan’s hands, and few dared to disobey her.

Soon, even the cemetery security recognized Gu Qingzhu’s face and barred her from visiting Xu Ying.

Gu Qingzhu didn’t even have the right to lay a single flower on her deceased lover’s grave. The news left her devastated for a long time. Forced to suppress her grief, she spent a fortune to privately commission someone from the Xu family, hoping they could change the flowers at Xu Ying’s grave every month.

For an entire year, the only time Wei Xuyan seemed to relent slightly was on Xu Ying’s death anniversary, allowing Gu Qingzhu half an hour alone at the cemetery.

But starting last month, Gu Qingzhu’s last remaining connection to the Xu family was severed.

After much effort and inquiry, she finally learned the reason, Wei Xuyan had issued a strict order. If anyone dared to associate with Gu Qingzhu, they might as well leave the Xu family outright and be done with it.

As the anniversary drew near, Gu Qingzhu grew increasingly anxious.

The wealth, power, and influence she possessed were utterly useless at this moment. All she could do was repeat her feelings for Xu Ying, hoping Wei Xuyan might understand or at least allow her to see Xu Ying once during that significant time.

But her messages vanished like stones sinking into the sea. Whether sent from multiple devices, they were either instantly blocked or met with Xu Zhengming’s perfunctory, bureaucratic replies.

Her voice gradually lowered, yet the nearby card game was just reaching its peak.

With a sharp whistle, chips were pushed over, clattering as they were swept to the side of the table near a woman’s hand.

A string of jade beads adorned her wrist, glowing faintly green, strikingly clear.

At that moment, the same hand casually picked up a cigarette. As the flame flickered to life, she blew a smoke ring in Gu Qingzhu’s direction and narrowed her eyes. “Speaking of which, Gu Qingzhu.”

Gu Qingzhu’s fingers stilled, cutting off her message mid-send.

She turned off the screen and glanced back. Song Fei was watching her with a mocking smile, her tone dripping with indifference. “Where’s that Alpha who always followed you around? Did you play them to death?”

Tonight was Qinghong’s annual gala. Afterward, a few top-tier celebrities and shareholders had gathered for a private game.

Song Fei was undoubtedly the most dazzling among them. Born into the prestigious Song family of the capital, she was the second daughter. Her elder sister, Song Lianshan, held deep influence in the city, and Song Fei’s arrogance had risen accordingly, making her a natural adversary to Gu Qingzhu.

Gu Qingzhu had too much on her mind. If not for Sheng Changming’s sake, she would already be on her way back to Starcrest.

Tomorrow evening was the Cheng family’s banquet. Though Gu Qingzhu had received the invitation long ago, she had hesitated to confirm her attendance. Ultimately, it came down to uncertainty, whether Wei Xuyan would relent. But now, regardless of whether the Xu family would be there, she had to gamble on the possibility.

Her disinterest in the game, in Song Fei’s eyes, was nothing but pretentious and foolish.

“Fei.” Almost before the last syllable faded, Sheng Changming, seated at the head of the table in his tailored suit, spoke up with clear disapproval. “How can you say such things? Miss Ying Xu has her own name, and Qingzhu isn’t that kind of person.”

“Not that kind of person?” Song Fei slowly gathered her chips, stacking them into a towering pile. “If President Sheng insists on saving face for her, I won’t say more. But, Gu Qingzhu, when you go see Wei Xuyan in a few days, try not to wear that funeral face of yours, like you’re sending someone off”

Here, she burst into laughter. “Oh, wait. I forgot. You are going for a funeral.”

Only the two of them seemed to understand the underlying meaning. The others exchanged uneasy glances, not daring to speak.

Only Gu Qingzhu stared straight at her, her face pale but her dark eyes brimming with undisguised malice and scorn.

“When it comes to funerals, who could rival your sister?”

Everyone in the capital knew that five years ago, Song Lianshan had entered a business marriage. Both were Betas, a perfect match, a union made in heaven. Yet, within just a year, Song Lianshan’s wife had passed away.

The Beta wore her grief openly, attending every event in black, a constant display of mourning for her late spouse.

Yet behind the scenes, Song Lianshan employed ruthless tactics, swallowing up all the businesses of his deceased wife and her family, thereby building half of the iron wall of the Song family’s commercial empire.

“Besides, even if you die, Yingxu won’t.”

Gu Qingzhu’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “After all, she doesn’t have the short lifespan of your Song family.”

Song Fei was left speechless. “You”

She instinctively wanted to grab Gu Qingzhu’s sleeve and force her to stop, but another artist under Shan Qiaoyun’s management, who was standing nearby, quickly intervened and held Song Fei back.

“Fei-jie, let’s play cards, play cards.”

Gu Qingzhu reached out, picked up her bag from the corner of the table, and with deliberate malice, toppled the tower of chips right in front of Song Fei.

“I have matters to attend to. President Sheng, see you later.”

Sheng Changming smiled politely and nodded repeatedly. As Gu Qingzhu left, the door shut tightly behind her, cutting off the Beta’s furious curses.

The thought of Song Fei’s face and her words made Gu Qingzhu feel as if the revolting scent of nicotine was lingering at the tip of her nose, fueling her rage until her fingertips trembled.

Her head throbbed with pain as she sat in the car, intending to rest for a while.

But then, her phone vibrated in her palm.

Slender fingers combed through her hair as Gu Qingzhu used the faint sting of pain to force her eyes open.

On the screen was a single photo sent by Sheng Changming a group picture taken years ago on New Year’s Eve.

In the photo, Xu Ying held a wine glass, standing beside her parents with a bright smile, the atmosphere warm and joyful.

Yet just a few centimeters away, Ying Xu also held a glass, but her posture seemed stiff and uneasy.

Beside her, several children from the Xu family looked up at her, their smiles brimming with malice.

Staring at the strikingly similar faces in the photo, Gu Qingzhu suddenly realized why the Xu family never turned her away on the anniversary of Xu Ying’s death.

To make Ying Xu repent, every year on the day of Xu Ying’s passing, she would force Ying Xu to wait outside the cemetery, using the most tangible means to interrogate her.

Why wasn’t it you who died?