Love Rival Turned Lover - Chapter 12

The corner of the room was pitch-black.

Two soft bodies were pressed tightly together.

That night, Ling Qiao’er had been awkward and inexperienced—she’d cursed at Qian Xun while still treating her gently. But now, with her feelings confirmed and her heart set ablaze by Qian Xun and Gongliang Bingyi’s little provocations, Ling Qiao’er’s attitude toward Qian Xun carried an unmistakable edge—forceful, aggressive.

Her soft tongue pushed insistently into Qian Xun’s throat. Ling Qiao’er bit down on Qian Xun’s lips, grinding with anger: Stupid woman, wicked woman!

She had thought those photos were just snapshots a private investigator had deliberately taken, surely exaggerated and far from the truth. Yet after tailing them the entire day, she discovered to her fury that the scenes between this woman and Gongliang Bingyi were even more harmonious—hundreds of times more—than those photos.

A perfect couple.

A disgustingly well-matched pair.

Ling Qiao’er slammed Qian Xun against the wall. Her left arm locked tightly around Qian Xun’s waist, growing tighter and tighter, while her right hand traced along Qian Xun’s waistline in slow, deliberate motions.

“Mmh.”

The sensation of something blocking her throat triggered Qian Xun’s gag reflex. The girl’s perfume made her dizzy; her eyes stung as tears welled up. She struggled, trying to break free.

She still dares to resist?

A flash of anger crossed Ling Qiao’er’s cold face. She let go of Qian Xun’s lips—only to replace her mouth with her fingers, slipping them inside, stirring lightly.

“Mmph—mmph.”

The gesture was even more intimate and suggestive than before. Qian Xun shook her head desperately, her face burning hot.

Too—too shameful.

Being treated like this by another girl completely shattered Qian Xun’s sense of normalcy.

Except, except.

After a few seconds, Qian Xun shook her head even harder. Why—why was she only embarrassed, and not disgusted?

C-could it be, am I actually a hidden bisexual?

“You hate me that much?”

The girl’s frosty voice made Qian Xun freeze. In the darkness, she couldn’t see Ling Qiao’er’s expression, but she could hear the mockery in her tone.

“I don’t—mmh.”

The moment she spoke, Qian Xun realized Ling Qiao’er’s fingers were no longer in her mouth.

She swallowed a few times to ease the itch in her throat, hesitating before carefully saying to the girl who seemed to have calmed down, “I—I don’t hate you. But you, you can’t do this, okay?”

Her voice was cautious, almost pleading.

She didn’t know how the plot had derailed so drastically—why both the male lead and the female supporting role were so different from the storyline. But Qian Xun remembered her mission clearly: as long as the supporting female didn’t cause trouble, she still had a chance to complete it.

“Don’t do this?”

In the darkness, Ling Qiao’er let out a cold laugh.

The next second, Qian Xun’s throat was squeezed in a harsh grip.

“Ye. Qian. Xun.”

Grinding out her full name, Ling Qiao’er pressed her forehead against Qian Xun’s and growled in a low voice:

“You think I want to be like this? You think I want to fall for a woman? You think I want to think about you every day—dream about you every night?”

“Ye Qian Xun, I became like this because you drove me crazy!”

“If you hadn’t thrown yourself at me that day! If you hadn’t used me and then tossed me aside! If you hadn’t flirted shamelessly with Gongliang Bingyi—kissing him, cuddling him every day—would I have turned into this terrifying, pathetic version of myself?”

“I want to go back too! I want to hate you like before! But I can’t control my heart—what am I supposed to do? All I do every day is think about you—what am I supposed to do?”

“Tell me! Tell me what I’m supposed to do! I’m desperate too!”

Those accusations sliced through the quiet night, every word drilling into Qian Xun’s ears, impossible to ignore. Forced to tilt her head back, staring into the ink-black void, Qian Xun squeezed out a strained apology:

“I—I’m sorry.”

She had only wanted to save herself. She hadn’t expected it to affect her so deeply. But even if she could redo things, she would still have done the same.

After all, she absolutely did not want—and could not allow herself—to be—

Wait. Wait.

“No—that’s not right! I’m not apologizing!” Qian Xun suddenly snapped back, gaining a burst of courage. “You were the one who kidnapped me first! I had no choice!”

Kidnapping?

No choice?

If Qian Xun hadn’t mentioned it, Ling Qiao’er would’ve almost forgotten.

Her grip loosened slightly. Then, with a sudden yank, she dragged Qian Xun into the brightly lit room, slammed the door shut, and turned the lock. Dominating and fierce, she shoved Qian Xun onto the bed and pinned her down.

“What are you doing?”

The sudden bright light stabbed Qian Xun’s eyes, and feeling the weight pressing down on her, she panicked.

“Get off! You’re heavy, it hurts!”

Heavy?

Ling Qiao’er’s already dark expression turned pitch-black. Staring at the clueless girl furrowing her brows, she felt an urge to strangle her and end everything.

“So disobedient, Qian Xun.”

I really want to teach you a lesson.

A strange glint flickered through her phoenix eyes. Ling Qiao’er slid her fingertips along Qian Xun’s cheek—slow, teasing, like she was touching a beloved toy.

“I forgot—if I could kidnap you once, I can kidnap you again.”

“If Qian Xun makes me angry again, I’ll take her somewhere no one will ever find her, put shackles on her ankles, give her something to keep her obedient and let her spend her whole life seeing only me, lying beneath me. Does that sound good to you, Qian Xun?”

Her tone was soft, gentle even—as if she was asking for Qian Xun’s opinion.

But the content, the content nearly made Qian Xun’s soul leave her body.

This pervert—when the door opened, she knew she’d seen correctly.

The madness and brutality in Ling Qiao’er’s eyes were definitely not something a normal person would have.

For a few moments, Qian Xun’s expression twisted, and she stubbornly glared at Ling Qiao’er, refusing to speak. Ling Qiao’er, seeing this, curved her lips slightly, a trace of amusement flickering in her phoenix-like eyes.

This side of Qian Xun, it really stirred her desire to dominate, to consume. She desperately wanted to see Qian Xun break down and cry beneath her.

It would be intoxicating—just like in her dreams.

Shifting uncomfortably, Ling Qiao’er tilted her head and studied Qian Xun’s surroundings carefully. But the more she looked, the deeper her frown grew. Especially when her gaze landed on the phone on the desk and the posters of Gongliang Bingyi on the wall, the softness in her expression vanished completely, replaced by a shadowy severity.

“You, what’s wrong now?”

Sensing the sudden change in the aura around the side character, Qian Xun nearly burst into tears. Why did everyone have to “darken” like this? The male lead already did, and now this girl too—didn’t they know that this kind of intensity was terrifying?

“Again? So Qian Xun really annoys me, huh?” Ling Qiao’er’s eyes narrowed coldly. A frosty smile curved her lips. “Well, it’s understandable. You already have Gongliang Bingyi.”

Qian Xun shivered all over.

Her lips twitched as she looked at the clearly unstable young woman before her.

Ling Qiao’er gave her a sly, enigmatic smile, then tilted her head. Her long, glossy black hair slid obediently down to her waist, and her hands moved to her back to unzip her dress. Slowly, the priceless black garment began to fall away, all under Qian Xun’s stunned gaze.

“You, you.” Qian Xun buried her face in embarrassment, her voice trembling. “Put your clothes back on! This isn’t, this isn’t right.” Though the two had already shared the most intimate of moments before, back then, everything had been a blur; she hadn’t truly seen Ling Qiao’er’s face. But now.

Her ears burned red, and her cheeks flamed.

She had seen naked women before, but this, this awkward, vulnerable intimacy was entirely new.

Perhaps it was because of what had happened between them, or maybe because of the girl’s earlier “confession,” but Qian Xun could no longer treat her like an ordinary person.

“Not right? I think it’s perfect, besides.” Ling Qiao’er leaned down, pressing herself against Qian Xun. Her lips brushed tenderly along Qian Xun’s cheek as she peeled away the layers of her dress. “You need to be like me. Otherwise, how can I give you happiness?”

Heavens!

She was insane!

Qian Xun never imagined a girl could be this strong; no matter how she struggled, she couldn’t escape. With every piece of fabric removed, her panic mounted. And just then, the phone on the desk rang, giving her a momentary reprieve.

“It’s, it’s Gongliang Bingyi.” Seizing the moment while Ling Qiao’er was still stunned, Qian Xun rolled off the bed, quickly put her clothes back on, and answered the call.

“Hello?”

Her voice was hoarse, still tinged with the remnants of crying, and the boy on the other end felt his heart ache. “Qian Xun, why are you crying? Did someone bully you? Do you want me to come?” Gongliang Bingyi threw off the covers and got out of bed, preparing to grab something to wear.

“No, it’s fine. I didn’t cry. You just go back to sleep. Don’t move around anymore,” Qian Xun sniffled, glancing at the girl now fully alert and sitting on the bed, shooting her a sidelong look. “I just have a little cold and was about to boil some water. If you’re okay, I’ll hang up now.”

“So heartless, Qian Xun.”

The boy murmured, half-sad, half-teasing, and lay back down.

“Then I won’t bother you. Sleep early, Qian Xun. Tomorrow, I’ll bring you breakfast and medicine for your cold. Stay home and behave, okay?”

Qian Xun nodded softly.

After hanging up, she leaned against the desk, her eyes on the girl on the bed, her thoughts tangled. Hesitating for a moment, she lowered her long, fluttering lashes and spoke softly to Ling Qiao’er: “As you heard, I already have a boyfriend. If possible, please keep what happened that night a secret.”

Heh. She already knew she had a boyfriend.

If it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t have ended up in her arms. Thinking this, Ling Qiao’er suddenly had a question. “How did you know my name is Ling Qiao’er? I don’t remember telling you.”

Uh, she had known from the very beginning.

Swallowing the words she was about to say, Qian Xun pressed her lips together. “That day, I didn’t leave. When that man called you, I heard it.”

She didn’t leave, was she afraid something would happen to her?

At that thought, Ling Qiao’er’s gaze softened completely, looking at Qian Xun with an unprecedented warmth.