After Transmigrating into a Book, I Had a Flash Marriage with the Beautiful Crazy Villain - Chapter 8

It really wasn’t Chu Ling overthinking things, anyone who saw Song Qingyi’s expression right now would think the same. Take the woman beside her, for example.

“Seems like you two know each other. Though, it looks like she’s misunderstood something.”

A glint of interest flickered in Fang Manwen’s eyes. Admittedly, she had a bit of a mischievous streak. Instead of avoiding the situation, she took a step toward Chu Ling, as if intending to approach her.

But Chu Ling’s attention was entirely fixed on Song Qingyi outside the glass window, completely oblivious to Fang Manwen’s subtle movement.

Song Qingyi, however Chu Ling noticed her expression darken even further.

A bad feeling suddenly rose in Chu Ling’s chest. She wanted to go out and find Song Qingyi, but hesitated, wondering if she was just overreacting. In that brief moment of distraction, Song Qingyi vanished from outside the window.

Chu Ling froze. “Huh? Where’d she go? Did she leave?”

Fang Manwen leisurely reminded her, “Turn around.”

So Chu Ling turned and there was Song Qingyi, walking slowly toward her. Except her expression was now perfectly calm, as if the storm Chu Ling had glimpsed through the glass had been nothing but an illusion.

Still, Chu Ling couldn’t hide her surprise. “Song… Qingyi? What are you doing here?”

What she’d actually meant to ask was whether Song Qingyi was out for leisure, but the words had tumbled out differently.

Chu Ling hesitated over her own tone, but upon reflection, it didn’t seem that odd. To Song Qingyi, however, the question inexplicably grated. Her lips pressed into a tight line, and she didn’t answer.

Fang Manwen, on the other hand, glanced between them with amusement before smiling at Chu Ling. “Miss Chu, it was a pleasure chatting with you. Let’s meet again next time.”

Chu Ling was instantly bewildered. Wait, what? When had they been chatting? And why would they need to meet again? They didn’t even know each other!

Too stunned to speak, Chu Ling just stood there dumbly.

Song Qingyi, predictably, radiated an even colder aura.

Though Fang Manwen had directed her words at Chu Ling, her peripheral gaze had been fixed on Song Qingyi the whole time so she naturally didn’t miss the shift in her demeanor.

Hmm, the foul mood from dealing with a rebellious child earlier had now completely dissipated.

With that, Fang Manwen irresponsibly took her leave, leaving only Chu Ling behind, still utterly lost as she stared at Song Qingyi. The atmosphere between them was undeniably off.

Chu Ling’s instincts screamed that this wasn’t good, but then again did she even need to explain herself? It wasn’t like they were actually married.

But… did she really not need to explain? Something about that felt wrong too. Yet explaining might just be unnecessary…

As her thoughts spiraled into chaos, Song Qingyi took a seat across from her.

Chu Ling met her gaze, eyes clear and earnest. “Do you want a cup of coffee too? Their coffee here is pretty good.”

Perhaps her brain had short-circuited. She’d meant to say something to ease the tension at least make things less awkward but the words that slipped out made her want to curl her toes in embarrassment.

She sounded like a salesperson…

Song Qingyi visibly paused, her gaze unfathomable.

Just as Chu Ling was drowning in awkwardness, Song Qingyi finally spoke.

“Oh? Then why don’t you recommend something?”

Chu Ling quickly brushed aside her embarrassment, perking up as she began to think. She then pointed at the menu and said, “This one! This is good, trust me!”

Seeing her earnest and clear gaze, the anger and frustration in Song Qingyi’s heart seemed to have been punctured, instantly deflating.

After several shifts in her expression, Song Qingyi finally calmed down.

“Mm, okay,” she replied softly.

Relieved, Chu Ling happily called the waiter over and ordered a coffee for Song Qingyi.

Once the order was placed, Song Qingyi remained composed, as if casually asking, “Meeting someone today? Business?”

Chu Ling sensed that her mood had returned to normal, and the atmosphere had improved. Since Song Qingyi had asked, she relaxed a little.

“Ah! Well, yes, I was meeting someone, but not that lady just now. I was supposed to meet Qiu Shuang, my friend. That woman earlier was Qiu Shuang’s boss. It’s a bit complicated, but long story short, Qiu Shuang got dragged back to work, and I got stood up.”

Chu Ling sighed helplessly, never expecting things to turn out this way.

The drama was almost on par with the last time Song Qingyi suddenly showed up to meet her parents.

How could a simple meetup with a friend turn into this? That Ms. Fang clearly enjoyed stirring the pot, Chu Ling now realized the woman had deliberately spoken that way earlier.

Fortunately, Song Qingyi didn’t overthink it, and Chu Ling felt a wave of relief.

Hearing Chu Ling’s answer, Song Qingyi’s expression softened slightly, though her fingers lightly tapped—a telltale sign to those who knew her well that she was deep in thought.

And indeed, she was. She knew Chu Ling had no reason to lie, so her words were genuine. But what bothered Song Qingyi was the other woman’s intentions.

She had sensed it the moment the woman spoke, it was deliberate. But to what end? Was it really just a coincidence that she happened to be Chu Ling’s friend’s boss?

Countless speculations flashed through her mind, but none showed on her face. Song Qingyi remained as composed as ever.

“So, what are your plans now?”

Chu Ling thought for a moment. “I’ll probably wander around. I’ve joined an event recently and need to take some photos for inspiration.”

Song Qingyi gave a soft hum. “Alright. Be careful, and come back… early.”

She couldn’t help but let slip a hint of her true thoughts, but Chu Ling didn’t seem to notice, taking it as just an offhand remark.

Chu Ling truly hadn’t picked up on the underlying meaning, only thinking Song Qingyi was being nice. She had politely checked in on her earlier that morning, so now they were even.

Her coffee was soon finished, but Song Qingyi’s had just arrived, and she didn’t seem in any hurry to drink it.

Chu Ling watched Song Qingyi’s movements intently, wondering when she could leave.

Then again, it was just past noon, the hottest part of the day so she might as well wait a little longer. She still needed to grab lunch first.

Song Qingyi naturally noticed Chu Ling’s expression, it was far too easy to read.

But when she sensed Chu Ling’s desire to leave, her fingers twitched slightly. She didn’t speak, nor did she touch her coffee.

That earlier “come back early” now felt like a joke.

But Chu Ling would never know her hidden thoughts, and that, at least, gave Song Qingyi some peace of mind.

It might seem a bit selfish, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t asking for much—just wanting to spend a little more time with Chu Ling. Song Qingyi didn’t think there was anything despicable about that.

Yet, seeing the hesitant look on Chu Ling’s face, Song Qingyi’s hardened resolve softened slightly.

“The sun’s still pretty strong right now. Let’s wait a bit, or you might get heatstroke.”

Song Qingyi couldn’t help but make an excuse.

Chu Ling looked surprised, then smiled. “Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too. But, Song Qingyi, have you eaten yet? Do you want to grab something together? Oh, right if you’re busy, you can go ahead. Don’t worry about me.”

The corner of Song Qingyi’s lips curled up as she shook her head. “It’s fine. What do you feel like eating?”

Chu Ling thought for a moment but couldn’t come up with anything. “I don’t know. I don’t really have anything in mind. Why don’t you decide?”

Song Qingyi nodded, pulled out her phone, and quickly made a decision.

“Let’s go, then.”

Chu Ling blinked. “That fast? Weren’t we just saying we’d wait a bit? What are we eating? It’s peak dining time, won’t there be a line?”

She rambled on for a bit before catching herself and nearly apologizing, only to see Song Qingyi shake her head. “There won’t be a line. Let’s go.”

She didn’t find it annoying at all.

Chu Ling felt a little embarrassed but followed with a curious expression. It was her first time seeing someone make decisions so quickly.

She could never do that herself, she had terrible decision paralysis. If left to her own devices, she’d eventually get so frustrated that she’d just wander the streets and eat whatever caught her eye.

Song Qingyi’s decisiveness was really something to admire, Chu Ling thought enviously.

Meanwhile, the object of her admiration was momentarily stunned, unsure what Chu Ling was thinking about now. Her train of thought often jumped around, making it hard for Song Qingyi to keep up but that didn’t stop her from feeling inexplicably happy right now.

Originally, when she left that empty house, Song Qingyi had planned to go to the office. But for some reason, she found herself drawn here instead, with an inexplicably strong premonition that she’d run into Chu Ling.

There was no basis for this feeling, yet it kept her from even considering leaving.

And sure enough, just after crossing a traffic light, she looked up and saw Chu Ling.

The café’s glass windows were spotless, making Chu Ling’s figure clearly visible but there was another woman standing beside her.

A stranger.

When Song Qingyi first saw them, the two were deep in conversation, with Chu Ling smiling.

How irritating.

That was Song Qingyi’s first thought.

Dark emotions surged uncontrollably, possessiveness roaring inside her, nearly impossible to suppress.

But Song Qingyi didn’t leave. Nor did she step inside. She just stood there, torn between emotion and reason.

Then Chu Ling looked over. Surprise flickered across her face, as if she hadn’t expected to see Song Qingyi there. The unfamiliar woman beside her even leaned in closer with a smile, while Chu Ling remained oblivious.

Song Qingyi finally couldn’t hold back anymore. She strode into the café and stopped right in front of Chu Ling.

She wanted to remind Chu Ling, they were married. Even if it was just an agreement, it was still a fact. How could she laugh and chat so casually with someone else? Didn’t she know she should be more careful?

But she had no right to say that.

Song Qingyi was acutely aware that she had no right, it was through underhanded means that she had coaxed Chu Ling into marriage, while Chu Ling remained oblivious to her true nature. Could she really expose this unsightly side of herself?

And then be met with Chu Ling’s disgust, with those once-familiar eyes now looking at her like a stranger, all because she was a woman whose outward appearance belied her inner self.

Song Qingyi restrained herself, but not entirely. She concealed the question within her words, extracting an unsuspecting answer from Chu Ling.

Though it was despicable, she still didn’t want to stop. All of this was the result of Chu Ling forgetting her so she wasn’t at fault.

Suppressing the turbulent emotions in her eyes, Song Qingyi put on a righteous facade, step by step luring Chu Ling into her trap.

She wouldn’t let Chu Ling escape a second time.

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