After Transmigrating into a Book, I Had a Flash Marriage with the Beautiful Crazy Villain - Chapter 24

Even with such a brief exchange, the three of them had already drawn the attention of most guests in the room.

Though she tried her best to ignore it, Chu Ling still felt somewhat uneasy.

Most of those gazes carried an intense curiosity not exactly hostile, but far from comfortable.

Moreover, among the many eyes fixed on her, she sensed one that stood out from the rest. Unlike the others, which were either probing or assessing, this one radiated unmistakable hostility.

Clearly, the person likely thought their animosity would blend in unnoticed, but Chu Ling had still picked up on it. Yet, when she turned to search for the source, it vanished into the crowd.

The atmosphere was deceptively harmonious. Every guest in sight appeared refined, courteous, and mild-mannered so much so that if this were a match-three game, they’d all be cleared with a single swipe.

Chu Ling found the whole affair rather dull. Aside from the food being quite good, the banquet simply wasn’t her scene.

But this was Song Qingyi’s mother’s birthday celebration. No matter what, she couldn’t leave early. And besides, Song Qingyi hadn’t mentioned it beforehand, or else she could’ve prepared a gift.

Showing up empty-handed like this, Aunt Song might even think she lacked manners.

Then again, Song Qingyi didn’t seem to care at all.

The thought made Chu Ling sigh.

“Feeling uncomfortable?”

Song Qingyi’s voice snapped Chu Ling out of her wandering thoughts.

She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. But don’t you have guests to attend to? You should go. I’ll be alright here.”

At an event like this, wouldn’t the hosts be criticized if no one was around to receive guests? Aunt Song hadn’t invited any other family members, leaving only Song Qingyi to handle the hosting duties.

Chu Ling was practically sweating on their behalf.

Yet Song Qingyi remained unbothered. “It’s fine. They’ll find people to talk to on their own. My presence doesn’t matter.”

Even so…

Under the intermittent scrutiny from all directions, Chu Ling felt as though needles were pricking her back. The discomfort made her posture stiffen.

Song Qingyi noticed, and her gaze darkened with a hint of melancholy.

Was she being disliked? Was it because of her that Chu Ling was subjected to so many prying eyes, making her this uneasy?

Perhaps she had been too hasty, too eager to make Chu Ling’s presence known, forgetting she wasn’t accustomed to such settings.

Song Qingyi lowered her eyes in resignation.

“Hongmian,” she said slowly, “stay with your Aunt Chu Ling, understand?”

In the past, even if it were her own niece, Song Qingyi wouldn’t have allowed her to get too close to Chu Ling. But now, in this entire venue, Ning Hongmian was the only one she could somewhat trust.

Ning Hongmian’s eyes lit up, and she immediately promised, “Got it! I’ll stick close to Sister Chu, Aunt Chu Ling!”

She wore an expression that practically screamed, Leave it to me! Yet Song Qingyi wasn’t the least bit reassured. She shot Ning Hongmian a warning glance, silently reminding her to behave.

Ning Hongmian shrank back slightly, but the next moment, Song Qingyi turned and melted back into the crowd.

Chu Ling watched as she navigated the sea of guests with effortless grace, engaging in poised and natural conversation. For a moment, she felt dazed.

“Huh? It’s Sister Zhiyin.”

Ning Hongmian’s voice snapped Chu Ling back to reality. Following the girl’s gaze, she spotted Ye Zhiyin.

The female lead truly lived up to her role, the moment she entered the banquet, all eyes turned toward her. Especially when she approached Song Qingyi, Chu Ling could feel some glances flickering her way.

Were they waiting to see her make a fool of herself?

Chu Ling found it somewhat amusing. Despite these people’s claims of superiority, they still harbored the flaws inherent to human nature taking pleasure in others’ misfortunes to elevate themselves.

The gazes directed at her were a mixed bag some sympathetic, some disdainful, others simply there for the spectacle.

It was quite the emotional display. Chu Ling couldn’t help but marvel at how expressive they all were.

Ning Hongmian took a step forward, blocking those prying eyes. Though young, the girl was sharp as a tack.

“Don’t be scared, Sister Chu Ling! I’ll protect you. I’m Auntie’s officially appointed bodyguard!”

She wore a smug expression, as if guarding Chu Ling was the most important mission in the world.

Chu Ling didn’t have the heart to shatter her illusion. Maybe Song Qingyi had just told her to keep an eye on her to prevent trouble.

See? Earlier, when she’d suggested Song Qingyi return to entertain the guests, the woman hadn’t listened. But the moment she left, Ye Zhiyin showed up, almost like they were in sync.

With a quiet sigh, Chu Ling retreated further into the corner, slowly savoring the food.

She wasn’t the star of this banquet. The real center of attention had already arrived, and as a mere bystander, she knew better than to intrude.

Oddly enough, Ning Hongmian seemed fascinated by her. Just moments ago, the girl had regarded her as an enemy typical childish fickleness.

Chu Ling couldn’t suppress a chuckle. Ning Hongmian blinked, then exclaimed, “Sister Chu Ling, you’re so pretty when you smile!”

Such blunt praise nearly made Chu Ling choke. She quickly took a sip of water, only to realize too late that it was the glass of wine from earlier.

Pausing, she mentally assessed her alcohol tolerance. Confident in her capacity, she decided not to worry about it.

“You’ve got quite the silver tongue, kid. What, just because I put in a good word for you, I’m suddenly the good guy?”

Her teasing made Ning Hongmian blush. The girl hurriedly apologized, “I’m sorry! I was being immature earlier. Please forgive me, Sister Chu Ling! And I’m not even that young, I’m sixteen!”

Chu Ling feigned surprise. “Oh? Sixteen? That is quite grown up. So why’d you sneak out?”

Ning Hongmian mumbled under her breath, “Studying was suffocating. I needed a break. Then I overheard Mom talking about Auntie’s mother hosting a banquet, so I came here.”

She grinned sheepishly. “But we didn’t have an invitation. Someone else brought me in. Actually, it was that same person who kept badmouthing you, which is why I thought you were some shady character trying to get close to Auntie!”

Chu Ling’s interest piqued. “When did you arrive?”

“Right after you guys! I wanted to call out to Auntie, but that person stopped me, saying she’d send me away if she found out.”

The girl pouted, clearly indignant.

Chu Ling, however, recalled the faint murmurs she’d heard when entering with Song Qingyi. She’d assumed it was idle gossip, but now it made sense.

Still, the girl was far too trusting.

Chu Ling shook her head. “Be more careful, kid. The adult world is complicated.”

She patted Ning Hongmian’s head soft and fluffy, like petting a puppy.

Maybe she should get a dog later?

Distracted by the thought, Chu Ling failed to notice Song Qingyi’s deep, unreadable gaze from across the room.

At that moment, the noise from the crowd grew louder as everyone turned their heads, the guest of honor for tonight’s banquet had arrived.

With Song Yulin’s appearance, the banquet officially began.

Song Qingyi lowered her gaze, masking the depth in her eyes. Though a polite smile lingered on her lips, an icy chill remained unbroken in her gaze.

Song Yulin glanced at her several times and quietly admonished, “Qingyi, mind the occasion.”

The smile on Song Qingyi’s lips cooled further, but she managed to rein herself in enough to avoid making the other guests feel an inexplicable chill.

Since the spotlight belonged to Song Yulin and Song Qingyi, Chu Ling obediently stayed on the sidelines, happily chatting and eating with Ning Hongmian.

Perhaps because she was enjoying herself, Chu Ling lost count of how many glasses she had drunk. The alcohol went down smoothly, almost like fruit juice.

By the time she realized it, she was already feeling lightheaded.

But outwardly, she showed no signs of it. Even Ning Hongmian hadn’t noticed anything amiss and continued chattering away.

Gradually, Chu Ling could no longer remember how she was responding, only that the voices around her suddenly grew louder, and she felt like a drifting duckweed pushed along by the waves,

Without an anchor.

It wasn’t until Ning Hongmian paused that she finally realized something was wrong with her “Chu Ling jiejie.”

She waved a hand in front of Chu Ling’s face, but Chu Ling’s gaze remained vacant, unresponsive.

“Oh no, has Chu Ling jiejie gotten drunk? Ahhh! I need to tell Auntie right away.”

Ning Hongmian craned her neck to look through the crowd, but all she could see was Song Qingyi surrounded by guests. It wasn’t the right time to interrupt, and the atmosphere didn’t seem suitable for disturbances either.

Frustrated, she hesitated for a long moment before deciding to take Chu Ling to the lounge first.

Gritting her teeth, Ning Hongmian helped Chu Ling up and spoke carefully, “Chu Ling jiejie, are you sleepy? Let’s go rest in a room, okay?”

Chu Ling’s consciousness was hazy, but she could still understand Ning Hongmian’s words. She nodded. “Mmm! I do want to sleep.”

Talking was so exhausting.

She closed her mouth again.

Ning Hongmian sighed in relief at least Chu Ling wasn’t completely out of it.

With great effort, she supported Chu Ling toward the lounge, unaware of the subtle movements hidden within the crowd behind them.

After much struggle, Ning Hongmian finally managed to get Chu Ling into the room. Panting, she took a moment to catch her breath. She had intended to stay and wait for Chu Ling to sober up, but a server suddenly knocked on the door, saying Auntie had called for her. Hesitating, Ning Hongmian locked the door before leaving, reassured.

However, the naive girl had no way of knowing that barely a moment after she left, someone swiped open the door and stepped inside.

The figure lingered in the dim light, moving step by step toward Chu Ling on the bed. Their fingers trailed lightly down Chu Ling’s delicate face, sliding from her neck to her collarbone and further still.

Even in her drunken stupor, Chu Ling sensed something was wrong.

She wanted to wake up, but her mind was too muddled to control her thoughts. She only faintly felt a presence beside her, causing her brows to furrow uneasily.

The next second, something cool and soft brushed against her forehead. Both her hands were pinned down by a terrifying force, and in her daze, Chu Ling felt like a fish stranded on dry land, utterly helpless.

“Naughty Lingling must be punished,”

“Where should we begin? That expression, how pitiful.”

It seemed someone sighed softly by her ear, their tone dangerous yet bewitchingly alluring,

“So hot…”

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