Love Rival Turned Lover - Chapter 13

However, Ling Qiao’er’s gentle demeanor filled Qian Xun with an intense, inexplicable fear.

Earlier that night, Qian Xun had been on edge, worried that the supporting female lead might make a move on her.

After all, even though she didn’t know why Ling Qiao’er had ultimately let her go—or why she suddenly seemed “normal”—when Qian Xun asked her to leave, that sly, eerie smile on Ling Qiao’er’s face made her realize the truth: this person wasn’t normal at all. She had merely descended further into a darker, more twisted version of herself.

Qian Xun’s heart had skipped a beat at that moment.

No matter how she tried, she couldn’t bring herself to speak the words of farewell.

Seeing the supporting female lead like this, Qian Xun truly feared Ling Qiao’er might harm her. Yet asking her to leave seemed completely unrealistic.

Bath, lights out, sleep.

In the cramped bed, it was inevitable that the two would occasionally brush against each other.

Qian Xun clutched the sheets and tried to curl up as much as possible, doing her best to minimize contact with Ling Qiao’er.

But perhaps the more she worried, the more sensitive she became. The faint, cool touch where their bodies met made her feel extremely awkward.

Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, Qian Xun carefully shifted her body back and forth, thinking Ling Qiao’er wouldn’t notice. She looked like a clumsy little spinning top, tangled and distressed.

Because they were so close, even with the little fan whirring on the table, Qian Xun could still hear Ling Qiao’er’s unusually steady breathing. So, maybe she was just overthinking things?

Perhaps Ling Qiao’er had no intention of doing anything to her at all.

Maybe Ling Qiao’er’s wild behavior tonight had simply been teasing her.

After all, the supporting female lead in the story loved the male lead with a crazed devotion—it was impossible that she would suddenly change her orientation after that night and fall in love with Qian Xun.

The more Qian Xun thought about it, the more sense it made, and her heart finally relaxed a little.

The faint, fresh fragrance lingering on Ling Qiao’er after her bath lifted Qian Xun’s mood, curling her lips into a small smile. Soon, she drifted off into sleep.

Once Qian Xun fell into a deep slumber, Ling Qiao’er—who had been pretending to sleep—slowly opened her eyes. Her fingers traced the contours of Qian Xun’s face through the darkness. Leaning closer, her lips barely brushed against Qian Xun’s.

Their breaths mingled, the night concealing the obsession and longing in Ling Qiao’er’s eyes. Her hand, hovering in hesitation, finally moved. She wrapped an arm around Qian Xun’s waist, pulling her closer, while her other hand rested on the pillow beside Qian Xun.

Qian Xun, deep in sleep, remained completely unaware. Ling Qiao’er pressed her lips to Qian Xun’s soft, relaxed, sweet mouth, becoming bolder: kissing her cheeks, earlobes, jawline, collarbone.

Ling Qiao’er’s movements were gentle, soft. It was less a kiss than a slow, worshipful exploration—brushing, tasting inch by inch, reverently tracing Qian Xun’s body. Her breath grew heavier, interlaced with waves of desire.

Pressing her lips against the thin fabric covering Qian Xun’s delicate lips, Ling Qiao’er cautiously nibbled and sucked. The physical and emotional stimulation surged through her like a tidal wave.

She had never imagined that another woman’s body could attract her so intensely. If anyone had told Ling Qiao’er in the past that she would one day be obsessed with a woman, she would have punched them into oblivion.

The secret, forbidden pleasure coursed from her heart through every limb, turning her face red and flushed, her phoenix-like eyes misted over. Her alluring features were now even more striking with desire.

“Heaven, I’m going crazy.”

She muttered under her breath, gasping, rolling onto her back, struggling to calm herself.

If things continued, she truly might lose control and consume Qian Xun entirely. Ling Qiao’er patted her chest and forced her eyes open, staring into the darkness.

How had things ended up like this?

It seemed that everything had changed since that night.

The person she once adored—Gongliang Bingyi—had now become the one she most wanted to destroy. And the rival she had once despised and envied had now become someone she could neither let go of nor forget.

Even if that was the case, it would be bearable.

But why did she fall in love with someone of the same sex?

Even if Ling Qiao’er could defy the world and desperately try to be with her, could Qian Xun truly bear it?

Moreover, she couldn’t bear it—she couldn’t bear to see Qian Xun face cold stares, couldn’t bear to let her endure the judgmental gazes of others. But, was she supposed to give up? Give up Qian Xun? Give up this forbidden love?

Hmph—then she, Ling Qiao’er, would feel even more unwilling to let go!

“You see, I’m selfish after all.” Her eyes flickered briefly toward the poster of Gongliang Bingyi on the wall, her lips curling into a faint smile. The hesitation from earlier had hardened into resolve. “I know she’s timid. I know she wouldn’t like this. And yet, I can’t let her go.”

“Even if people laugh at us, even if we face cold stares, even if the path ahead is full of cliffs and uncertainty, I will drag her along with me down into hell.”

The last three words twisted on her tongue for a long while, but she didn’t say them. Deep down, she still clung to a sliver of hope—hope that Qian Xun would accept her, fall in love with her, and stay by her side for a lifetime.

“Brother Bingyi.”

It was the first time Ling Qiao’er had addressed Gongliang Bingyi this way since realizing her feelings for Qian Xun.

“Brother Bingyi.”

A flicker of deep meaning passed through her phoenix-like eyes as she spoke softly, teasingly: “For the sake of Qian Xun and me, I hope you’ll go to hell sooner rather than later.”

Of course, the poster on the wall gave no response. It still smiled gently in the darkness, looking down at the person on the bed with a serene, almost tender gaze. Ling Qiao’er’s eyes grew colder; in her heart, she despised Gongliang Bingyi’s scheming nature.

Among the few posters on the wall, only his faced the bed directly. Hmph—he was probably terrified that Qian Xun would forget him, and thus went out of his way to assert his presence.

“Hmph.”

She scoffed softly and turned her gaze back to Qian Xun.

“If it wasn’t for Gongliang Bingyi’s poster on the wall, I would’ve,” she drew Qian Xun close, biting into the soft, exposed curve of her shoulder, muttering in frustration, “devoured you already.”

Even though she longed for Qian Xun with all her heart, Ling Qiao’er couldn’t act completely on impulse—not while someone else’s eyes might see her indulgence. Not even now, when the “someone” was just an inanimate object!

“Qian Xun is really naughty, allowing Gongliang Bingyi’s poster to be pasted right in front of the bed?”

She rose slightly and made a playful biting motion toward Qian Xun’s neck, then gave up and lightly pecked the corner of her lips.

“One day, one day.” One day, I’ll lock you beneath me and toy with you endlessly. No matter how much you cry, I won’t let go. You belong to me, in this life and the next. You can’t escape, Qian Xun.

Suppressing the urge to continue her wild, possessive teasing, Ling Qiao’er forced her eyes shut. After all, she had a battle to fight tomorrow.

Hmph—Ling Qiao’er had no intention of suppressing her feelings.

The thought of hiding in a corner like a filthy rat, watching Qian Xun and Gongliang Bingyi kiss and flirt, was unbearable. She wouldn’t mask her feelings in front of him.

She was ready to declare war on Gongliang Bingyi.

Moreover, curling her lips into a sly, enigmatic smile, she realized that sometimes having the rival be of the opposite sex wasn’t entirely bad. Right now, she had multiple ways to drive a wedge between Qian Xun and Gongliang Bingyi.

She would make Qian Xun understand—men are unreliable creatures.

The next day.

Gongliang Bingyi, worried about Qian Xun, arrived at her house at sunrise, carrying breakfast and cold medicine. Knowing all too well how lazy his little girlfriend was, he merely knocked twice, then used his key to enter.

What greeted him wasn’t his adorable girlfriend’s sleepy face—but a pair of unfamiliar, pale long legs.

His body froze. Coming to his senses, he quickly turned, furrowing his brows and murmuring an apology: “S-sorry.”

But, who was this woman?

Why was she in Qian Xun’s room?

And why was she dressed in such a disheveled, barely-there manner?

Gongliang Bingyi felt a heavy gloom pressing on him; his good mood had been completely shattered. He stood rigidly in place, holding breakfast and cold medicine, unsure whether he should leave or stay.

“Mm, so it’s Brother Bingyi. I was wondering who it could be,” came a familiar voice from behind. Bingyi’s brow twitched. He turned to see the girl slowly standing and straightening her clothes, and his tone turned sharp: “Ling Qiao’er, what are you doing here at Qian Xun’s place? What have you done to her?”

Ling Qiao’er pursed her lips in a mischievous pout. “Guess.”

“Ling Qiao’er, if you dare hurt her, I will kill you.” His dark eyes, deep and cold like a winter pool, flickered with lethal intent. Bingyi clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked. “Mark my words: Qian Xun is not someone you can touch.

If you even think about—”

“Tsk, so Brother Bingyi does know what I did before?” Ling Qiao’er interrupted lightly, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed. Her fingers traced the delicate veins along Qian Xun’s neck, tapping one after another.

“I thought Brother Bingyi didn’t know about the things I did to those girls,” she continued with a faintly teasing tone. “But, tsk, tsk, it seems you’re much harsher than I imagined. Because you didn’t care, it didn’t matter what I did to them or what harm they suffered—you just pretended not to notice.”

Gongliang Bingyi’s gaze grew colder, murderous intent brewing in his heart.

Ling Qiao’er, however, appeared completely oblivious. She continued tracing Qian Xun’s fragile veins with her fingertips, smiling lightly as she pushed Bingyi’s patience to the limit: “But now, I’ve found your weakness, Brother Bingyi.

This girl.”

“This girl named Qian Xun, she’s your weakness, isn’t she?”

Her fingers spread slowly over Qian Xun’s neck. Ling Qiao’er tilted her head and looked at Bingyi with a deliberately innocent blink. “If I was to strangle her now, would Brother Bingyi still remain indifferent, like before? No, definitely not. Because she is your weakness, isn’t she?”