Although They're Mentally ill, They're Extremely Easy to Comfort - Chapter 63

Lin Fangwan blocked the apartment door, refusing to let the man in front of her leave. She shrieked hysterically, “No! Your reckless actions will only make things harder to control!”

“What, you went soft the moment you saw your old flame?” Li Song’en sneered mockingly, his eyes filled with undisguised murderous intent. He raised his hand, seized Lin Fangwan’s arm, and brutally threw it off. “Get lost!”

“I can’t let you go.”

Lin Fangwan winced, clutching her arm, but she stubbornly maintained her blockade of the exit.

“You damn bitch! Don’t think that just because CEO Qiao gave you a tiny favor you can ride roughshod over me!”

Li Song’en raised his hand and slapped Lin Fangwan across the face. For him, tearing off pretenses was as common as breathing.

Lin Fangwan’s head was turned to the side, taking a long time to recover, and a trace of red blood spilled from the corner of her mouth, revealing the man’s shocking strength.

The burning pain came in waves, but Lin Fangwan kept her back against the doorknob, supporting herself with her hands on either side, showing no signs of backing down. “I said no means no!”

“Are you f*cking going against me? It’s because of your procrastination that my plan has been delayed for a whole half month! How am I supposed to explain this to CEO Qiao? Are you trying to get me killed?”

Li Song’en’s final word, “killed,” sounded like he was grinding his teeth. He grabbed Lin Fangwan’s collar without any trace of pity. “Are you going to move or not?”

“No! I won’t stand by and watch you hurt Ling Xi!”

“Hmph, so it is for that damn old flame. I’m warning you, if you ruin my operation today, I’ll report everything to CEO Qiao, piece by piece. You just wait.”

Li Song’en threatened her in a fit of pique. He dared not think too deeply.

If the plan failed and Qiao Di’s men brought him back to Emerald City, his only fate would be to be torn apart by vicious dogs.

Lin Fangwan’s face quickly swelled up, yet she remained stubbornly resistant. “You can deal with Qiao Bo’er however you want, but you can’t touch Ling Xi.”

“Impossible. Ling Xi is Qiao Bo’er’s only weakness. I can only start with her.”

“I said, you cannot touch Ling Xi!” Lin Fangwan knew clearly that once she got on Qiao Di’s ship, there was no turning back.

When profit and emotion were laid out before her, some choices were beyond her control. The powerful Qiao Di was the only one who could help her solve her debt crisis.

“I guess I have to resort to violence.”

Li Song’en grabbed Lin Fangwan’s hair and violently slammed her head against the door. Lin Fangwan tried to push him away, but she couldn’t muster any strength.

Dizzy, Lin Fangwan stumbled, trying to steady herself but completely unable to withstand Li Song’en’s brutality.

Li Song’en repeated his tactic, grabbing her collar and slamming her hard against the door again. Lin Fangwan slid down to the ground, holding the door, and passed out.

“Hmph, a shameless bitch who doesn’t know her place,” Li Song’en cursed, spitting as he kicked the motionless Lin Fangwan with his foot.

Before leaving, Li Song’en specially prepared a “big gift” for Ling Xi. He took out his phone and recorded a video of Lin Fangwan unconscious on the ground, a dark smile playing on his lips.

The carefully plotted, self-proclaimed infiltration of Xuancheng had finally found its chance to pull back the curtain on a life-or-death drama.

It was truly a rare and satisfying dinner. Ling Xi and Qiao Bo’er chatted as they left the restaurant.

Arriving at the parking lot, Qiao Bo’er realized Qin Yun had driven her car away. She could only follow Ling Xi and quietly ask, “Is it convenient to drop me off at the company? I’ll have Qu Ye wait for me there.”

Ling Xi felt a little unfinished, seemingly not wanting to part with Qiao Bo’er too soon.

Seeing Ling Xi lost in thought, Qiao Bo’er mistakenly thought she was unwilling, so she changed her request. “Forget it, I’ll just take a taxi.”

Ling Xi paused, afraid Qiao Bo’er would insist on that decision, and quickly objected. “Why bother? I’ll just drive you home.”

The words slipped out, and only then did Ling Xi realize this might easily expose Chu Xi. But words spoken are like water poured out, and she temporarily forgot her next move.

Qiao Bo’er was surprised. In all the time they had known each other, this was the first time Ling Xi had offered to drive her home. But mostly, she was delighted because she detected a reluctance to part on Ling Xi’s face.

“Okay, drive me,” Qiao Bo’er said with slightly curved, starry eyes, accepting immediately without showing any suspicion.

Ling Xi pretended not to know anything and got into the car first. “Then you’ll have to guide me.”

To Ling Xi’s surprise, Qiao Bo’er’s so-called home was not her own neighborhood, but a wealthy villa area on the outer ring of the city center.

Listening to the navigation’s reminder, Ling Xi appropriately brought up the real estate market in Xuancheng. “I heard the housing prices here are tens of thousands per square meter without blinking, but the environment really is nice.”

Qiao Bo’er rested her arm on the window, which allowed her to prop up her head and better admire Ling Xi’s profile.

Hearing Ling Xi’s comment, she just smiled faintly. “If you like it, you can move in. It’s quite boring living alone.”

“Usually, in conversations like this, the host would at most invite me to visit, not straight up invite someone to move in?”

Ling Xi’s hand naturally rested on the gear shift. She couldn’t help but tease, and Qiao Bo’er followed suit by placing her hand over the back of Ling Xi’s. “That’s because your existence is extraordinary to me.”

Ling Xi didn’t pull her hand away. Instead, she squeezed back, her fingertips lightly stroking Qiao Bo’er’s palm. “Then have you ever considered… what kind of relationship we have now?”

Qiao Bo’er stared at the clever and attractive fingertips. This question prompted a bittersweet smile. “I don’t know what to call this either, but one thing is certain: we are better now than before.”

“It’s good that you feel comfortable with how we interact… Oh, right, you seem to really like calling me ‘dog thing’?” Ling Xi’s tone remained gentle, laced with indifference, without sounding emotional. She simply switched to a lighter topic.

“That’s because you were very naughty before and always made me angry.”

“Then do you prefer the ‘dog thing’ or the current me?”

Qiao Bo’er lifted Ling Xi’s hand and rubbed it against her cheek, her gaze somewhat melancholic. “I like both. ‘Dog thing’ was cuter, but the current you feels distant.”

This was a very contradictory statement. Before, she would harass ‘dog thing,’ unable to stop herself from kissing and hugging. ‘Dog thing’ would verbally protest about it being inappropriate, yet always acquiesced to her overly intimate behavior.

Now, Ling Xi would voluntarily hold her hand, would be reluctant to part, would offer to drive her home, and would discuss how to define their relationship. But the sense of distance between them was more intense than ever.

Ling Xi felt Qiao Bo’er’s melancholy and pondered how to ease the atmosphere.

Qiao Bo’er didn’t want her to feel burdened, so she changed her answer. “But no matter what state you’re in, it doesn’t change your attraction to me. I like you—the incomplete, unknown version, or the originally authentic one—I like them both.”

Every time Ling Xi heard Qiao Bo’er’s unreserved confession, she would find excuses to change the subject. Today was an exception. She touched on the main point. “Did we know each other a long time ago?”

“Why do you ask that?” Qiao Bo’er was surprised, but instead of answering Ling Xi’s question, she posed one of her own.

Ling Xi shook her head helplessly. “Just occasional, inexplicable feelings of familiarity, but my memory can’t give me the answer.”

“That’s not important. What’s important is that we found each other. This is a great start.” Qiao Bo’er’s sigh was light and airy, cleverly sidestepping the topic.

The car drove into the villa area. Each yard was separated by neatly trimmed green belts, which provided excellent private space for the owners. The sparse arrangement also made it look more luxurious.

Qiao Bo’er’s house was in the deepest part of the neighborhood, where it was quieter, and the area was staggeringly large.

Ling Xi slowed the car, observing the rare sight of the wealthy world.

The dim, alluring streetlights created fleeting overlapping shadows that swept across both of their faces, layer after layer.

“We’re here.”

Qiao Bo’er pointed to the enormous, luxurious European-style double gate ahead. Ling Xi looked in that direction, silently marveling at the sheer wealth of the woman beside her.

Getting out of the car, Ling Xi surveyed the spacious yard, which looked like a park, and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you living in a house this big all by yourself? Aren’t you afraid?”

“It does feel cold and lonely without anyone around, but it’s okay. It will become lively later.”

Qiao Bo’er took a remote control from the cabinet in the parking shed. With two beeps, the previously pitch-dark garden lit up with decorative lights, and the view instantly became bright.

The garden had no excessive greenery, suggesting it was still being planned, but the lawn showed signs of being regularly mowed. If the weather was nice, it would be very suitable for a picnic or party with a few friends.

Qiao Bo’er noticed Ling Xi’s thoughts, so she took her hand, walked straight onto the lawn, and sat down. “Want to experience it?”

“Okay.”

Ling Xi sat cross-legged next to Qiao Bo’er, supporting herself with her arms behind her. Accompanied by the gentle evening breeze, the leisurely atmosphere was very peaceful.

“Do you like it here?” This question was very important to Qiao Bo’er. She quietly waited for Ling Xi’s answer.

“I like it, but it’s not necessary.”

“Not necessary? Why?” Qiao Bo’er leaned against Ling Xi’s shoulder, muttering her dissatisfaction with the answer.

“It’s not that bigger houses bring greater happiness. In my opinion, living with the person you love in a hundred-something-square-meter apartment is just right.”

Ling Xi turned her head to look at Qiao Bo’er, only to find her eyes full of curiosity and anticipation.

“Just right?”

When attracted to something beautiful, the person deeply involved is always unaware.

Ling Xi swallowed the words on her lips several times, but her involuntary desire to express herself still surfaced. She gazed at Qiao Bo’er, and an impractical fantasy arose: the most concrete image of a life accompanied by a lover.

“In a house like that, if I want to see the person I love, I just need to call out or walk through the living room and into a bedroom, and I can see the person I’m longing for. How wonderful that would be.”

Qiao Bo’er’s lips moved, but she didn’t utter a word in rebuttal.

Ling Xi’s fantasy formed an image in her mind, as if the lover she spoke of was herself.

Accompanying the sound of crickets, Ling Xi yawned and stretched, then simply lay down on the lawn, resting her head in her hands. She narrowed her eyes, watching the starry night sky.

Qiao Bo’er followed suit and lay down. She propped herself up on one elbow, watching Ling Xi seriously count the stars. In a mischievous gesture, she lifted her long hair and brushed it against Ling Xi’s nose, her voice as soft as a dream. “How many stars are there?”

“Lots and lots.”

“Which one is the brightest?”

Ling Xi turned her eyes and smiled gently at Qiao Bo’er, rubbing her ticklish nose. “You.”

This was more moving than a direct declaration of love.

Qiao Bo’er’s heart fluttered, a joy like spring blossoming.

They looked at each other in silence. Ling Xi raised her hand and cupped the back of Qiao Bo’er’s neck, her fingertips tracing the soft hair, drawing in a familiar, captivating fragrance.

Qiao Bo’er leaned in slowly, giving Ling Xi ample time to process and accept the action.

It was Ling Xi who was impatient. She slightly extended her head, craving a kiss that blurred the lines of their relationship.

This wasn’t her first kiss with Qiao Bo’er, but why did the sensation feel so magical? It wasn’t intrusive or abrupt; she just wanted to thoroughly explore the secret between their lips and teeth.

A brief separation after a light brush of the lips left their breaths mingling in a hot, ambiguous mist. The shallow kiss failed to satisfy the curiosity for further exploration.

Ling Xi pushed herself up halfway and initiated the kiss, losing her composure in her impatience. The electrical current of the touch made her blood rush.

Qiao Bo’er was startled by the sudden forwardness. She raised her hand and placed it on Ling Xi’s forehead, afraid that Ling Xi had fallen under some spell to react like this.

Ling Xi grasped her hand and placed it over her heart. The rapid beating of her heart silently told Qiao Bo’er that she, too, was nervous and confused.

The night wind was not just wind; it was an undercurrent stirring the heartstrings.

The moonlight, after countless lonely nights, finally took on a layer of tenderness.

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