After Transmigrating into a Book, I Had a Flash Marriage with the Beautiful Crazy Villain - Chapter 9

Walking down the street, Chu Ling wore a deep, contemplative expression. She couldn’t quite figure out where things had gone wrong, leading to the current situation, so she tried to retrace her steps.

First, she had made plans to meet Qiu Shuang today, but midway through, she was forced to return to work after her boss overheard her complaining about him.

Then, she ran into Song Qingyi. The two had coffee together and casually decided to grab lunch. Chu Ling had assumed they would go their separate ways after the meal, each tending to their own business.

But!

Chu Ling stole a glance at the woman leisurely strolling beside her, feeling utterly bewildered.

How had it suddenly turned into her and Song Qingyi moving around together? Weren’t they supposed to part ways after lunch by default?

Where exactly had things gone off track? Chu Ling fell into deep thought.

Then, hazily, she recalled that it had all started during lunch when she saw a passerby carrying a small cake and absentmindedly muttered that she wanted one too. And then…

“The desserts are already being prepared. After lunch, we can take a slow walk over, it’ll help with digestion. Weren’t you planning to gather inspiration? There’s a stretch of sycamore-lined road near that dessert shop. It might give you some ideas.”

Chu Ling stared blankly at Song Qingyi as she spoke, then nodded dumbly. “Oh, uh, sure.”

Only after replying did it suddenly occur to her wait, did Song Qingyi just imply they’d be going together?

That couldn’t be right, could it? Song Qingyi… surely had work to do.

She remembered that in the novel, Song Qingyi’s identity was rather mysterious. While she never flaunted her influence in front of the female lead, Ye Zhiyin, most of the problems Ye couldn’t solve were handled by Song Qingyi behind the scenes.

She also recalled how some fans had argued fiercely in the comments, questioning why such a perfect character like Song Qingyi had to be labeled a villain. The author, however, refused to budge, insisting that it was all an act, that Song Qingyi was, at her core, an obsessive madwoman and a poor match for Ye Zhiyin.

But the author’s intervention, with its blatant disdain for Song Qingyi, only incited more outrage among readers. Initially, they had merely found the characterization somewhat illogical, but the author’s attitude left them feeling deeply uncomfortable.

Many readers immediately declared they were dropping the novel. The author, unfazed, continued updating as usual.

At the time, Chu Ling had only been casually following the drama. After reading most of it, she inexplicably lost interest and never finished.

In other words, she didn’t actually know how the story ended though it was likely the typical “female leads live happily ever after” while the villain, Song Qingyi, met her demise.

But that didn’t affect the fate of the cannon fodder character Chu Ling inhabited, since the original Chu Ling had died early in the story.

To avoid that outcome, she had resolved to steer clear of the main characters entirely.

And yet…

Chu Ling stole another glance at Song Qingyi beside her and sighed inwardly.

She had been determined to keep her distance from Song Qingyi, maintaining nothing more than a professional partnership.

But she could never bring herself to refuse Song Qingyi. No matter how firm her resolve was at the start, the moment she saw that face, Chu Ling’s thoughts would unconsciously follow Song Qingyi’s lead.

This really won’t do, Chu Ling! Do you actually want to throw yourself into an abyss?

Mentally berating herself for her lack of resolve, Chu Ling didn’t even realize when they arrived at the dessert shop. It wasn’t until Song Qingyi reminded her that she snapped out of her thoughts.

“What are you thinking about? Let’s go in.”

Song Qingyi spoke while holding the door open, waiting for Chu Ling to enter.

When Chu Ling snapped out of her thoughts, she was greeted by such a pleasing sight that her heart fluttered. She quickly steadied herself, thanked Song Qingyi with composure, and stepped into the dessert shop.

It had to be said that Song Qingyi had excellent taste everything she ordered happened to be Chu Ling’s favorites.

Chu Ling couldn’t help but overthink, suspecting that Song Qingyi had chosen these items knowing she would like them.

But as soon as the thought surfaced, Chu Ling dismissed it as impossible. They had only known each other for a few days, how could Song Qingyi possibly know her preferences?

So she pushed aside the self-indulgent notion and focused on enjoying the sweets.

“This dessert shop is really nice. The sweetness is just right not too overpowering. How did you find this place, Song Qingyi?”

Song Qingyi remained calm in response. “Just by chance. This place had the highest ratings.”

Chu Ling understood now, it was simply Song Qingyi’s habit to pick highly-rated shops. The desserts they ordered were probably the most popular ones here too.

Good thing she hadn’t overanalyzed it!

As she happily stuffed her face with sweets, Chu Ling gradually relaxed and began thinking about where to go next.

The photography contest hosted by Little Notes didn’t have a specific theme just the vague prompt of “the most beautiful photo in your heart.” The judging criteria were simply divided into landscapes and portraits, with winners chosen based on these categories.

The prizes weren’t extravagant, but Chu Ling still wanted to give it a try.

Perhaps she was too absorbed in her thoughts, because she didn’t notice the cream smeared at the corner of her mouth.

Song Qingyi’s gaze flickered as she noticed it, her eyes tracing from the cream to Chu Ling’s lips.

Those lips looked slightly moist, she wondered how soft they would feel if she touched them…

Before she could stop herself, Song Qingyi reached out.

Her hand crossed the small table, gently brushing against Chu Ling’s lips to wipe away the cream. “How could you be so careless?”

The sudden gesture left Chu Ling completely stunned. She stared blankly at Song Qingyi, who had suddenly leaned in, her limbs frozen stiff, unsure how to react.

At that moment, Chu Ling could feel her face burning up. If this were a comic, steam would be billowing from her head!

Countless thoughts raced through her mind, but none of them matched the current situation. Her brain short-circuited, leaving only a flashing “HELP” in her mental screen.

But Song Qingyi wasn’t done yet. After wiping the cream, her fingertips lightly grazed Chu Ling’s lips.

A shiver ran down Chu Ling’s spine, her pupils trembling in shock, her brain completely shorting out.

Just as she finally regained her senses and was about to pull back, Song Qingyi’s hand moved again this time tucking a loose strand of hair behind Chu Ling’s ear.

“Your hair was falling. What were you thinking about so intently? Be more careful.”

Now Chu Ling didn’t even dare to breathe, feeling as stiff as a wooden club!

She didn’t understand, why was Song Qingyi suddenly acting like this? Wasn’t this flirting? Wasn’t it?!

What should she do? What should she do now? Push Song Qingyi away? But that might hurt her. What if she used too much force? But not pushing her away would be weird too!

What should she do?!

Her mind spun in confusion for a long while, but Chu Ling couldn’t come up with a clear answer, leaving her frozen in place.

Too afraid to push Song Qingyi away yet also too afraid to speak, Chu Ling was truly at a loss, wanting to cry but having no tears left.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Song Qingyi withdrew, her expression returning to its usual calm.

Her mood shifted so quickly that Chu Ling barely had time to react, blinking dumbly in response.

A flicker of amusement passed through Song Qingyi’s eyes as she leisurely explained, “A family member just walked by. I did that just in case. I haven’t told them about our marriage yet, so this was a good opportunity to give them a heads-up.”

Then, she met Chu Ling’s gaze. “You haven’t forgotten, have you? I mentioned that I’d take you to meet my family in a couple of days.”

Chu Ling suddenly understood, Song Qingyi’s actions made perfect sense now!

So that was why. No wonder she had felt something was off about Song Qingyi’s behavior earlier. But still…

Chu Ling sneakily glanced around before leaning in and whispering, “Next time, could you give me a little warning before we have to act? I was afraid I wouldn’t react in time.”

She patted her chest in lingering distress. “For a second there, I thought you were possessed! Good thing I didn’t push you away.”

Then, she frowned in frustration. “But I didn’t do well just now. I was way too stiff. What should I do? Will it cause any problems?”

She stared at Song Qingyi with wide, anxious eyes, worried that her poor performance might ruin Song Qingyi’s plans.

Even if it weren’t for the contract, Chu Ling felt she would still help Song Qingyi after all, she was her favorite content creator!

The thought inexplicably lifted her spirits. The idea of doing anything for her favorite blogger made her feel like she could take on the world!

This kind of mentality… wasn’t it just like being a fan? Chu Ling mused to herself.

Seeing her so exhilarated, Song Qingyi knew Chu Ling’s thoughts had wandered off again. Her eyes darkened slightly.

“Chu Ling.”

Still caught up in her own excitement, Chu Ling looked up. “Huh?”

Song Qingyi’s face remained composed, but her eyes betrayed her true emotions. The impulsive call had slipped out, yet the moment Chu Ling lifted her head, she lowered her lashes, fixing her gaze on the dessert to hide the turmoil in her gaze.

“Do you always act like this with everyone? So… wholeheartedly devoted?”

Song Qingyi couldn’t help but overthink. If Chu Ling had liked another blogger instead, and that person had also asked her for a contractual marriage, would she have been just as willing to play along with all the intimate gestures?

She desperately wanted to know the answer, but the moment she asked, fear gripped her fear of hearing something she didn’t want to hear from Chu Ling.

So, before Chu Ling could respond, Song Qingyi quickly added, “Never mind. You don’t have to answer. It was just a random question, it doesn’t mean anything. More importantly, have you thought about where you want to go next?”

Chu Ling was momentarily stunned by the question. She hadn’t considered it before, so she genuinely pondered, if the contractual marriage partner hadn’t been Song Qingyi, would she have agreed?

She didn’t reply immediately, taking the time to seriously reflect before reaching a conclusion: No, she wouldn’t.

If it weren’t Song Qingyi, she absolutely wouldn’t have agreed.

But before she could speak, Song Qingyi didn’t want to hear it anymore, so Chu Ling had to swallow the words on the tip of her tongue.

She couldn’t help but mutter to herself Song Qingyi really seemed so unpredictable.

Yet even this version of Song Qingyi was someone she couldn’t bring herself to dislike in the slightest.

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