My Arranged Marriage Partner Is Always Pretending to Be Straight [Transmigrated into a Book] - Chapter 10

The world outside did not suit her.

“Qiao Mengyang, what happened to your face?”

“None of your business.”

“Qiao Mengyang, you weren’t asking Grandma for money just now, were you—”

“Shut up!” the boy interrupted Qiao Mengdi irritably.

High and mighty pride? Ha, you have the nerve to ask for money, yet you have the audacity to fly into a rage?

He truly was Qiao Chengrong’s biological son; his skin was exceptionally thick. Qiao Mengdi looked at his thin, adolescent shoulders and back, her feelings complicated. Forget it—since he was Lin Linfeng’s son, she wouldn’t waste her energy on him.

She expected a lecture, but surprisingly, Qiao Chengrong was unexpectedly gentle, even asking if they wanted to go out for a late-night snack.

The siblings replied in unison: “I’m not hungry.”

Qiao Mengdi vaguely sensed that this foul-tempered brother of hers also seemed to dislike Qiao Chengrong quite a bit. She glanced at him sideways; perhaps he wasn’t so bad after all. The original host of her body didn’t like Lin Linfeng, and by extension, kept her distance from Qiao Mengyang—a sentiment Qiao Mengdi could understand.

Qiao Chengrong didn’t push. He had self-awareness; in the eyes of his two children, he was an utterly incompetent father. Throughout his life, his heart and soul had belonged only to his work and “the people.” He went wherever he was needed—though that “wherever” never included his home.

The two houses weren’t far apart. Qiao Chengrong drove, and they arrived home in no time.

“Did you meet Yao Chiyue?” Qiao Chengrong asked once they were back in the living room.

Lin Linfeng was there too. Qiao Mengyang, who was about to head upstairs, paused at the question.

“Yes, I had dinner with her last night.”

Qiao Mengdi was certain Yao Chiyue hadn’t told him. There was only one way he could know: the old lady had leaked the news. Ha, this mother and son really love their drama!

“That’s good. Since you’re getting married, there are many things to discuss. It’s necessary to meet and communicate.”

Though he was clearly worried his daughter might run away, Qiao Chengrong maintained a calm expression. His tone made it sound as if he sincerely hoped Qiao Mengdi and Yao Chiyue would see each other more often, but his actions betrayed his true motives.

“I’m going back to my room.” Qiao Mengdi felt the air in the living room was suffocating. The three people before her were familiar, yet utterly strange. She didn’t want the sense of familiarity inherited from the original host.

She didn’t want to stay in this room for another second.

Because Qiao Chengrong was present, Lin Linfeng only shouted at her son, who had reached the stairs: “What happened to your face? Come here and let me look! You never give me a moment’s peace. Are you trying to kill me with worry? Always running around and causing trouble—you’re not a child anymore, can’t you be more mature? My words just go in one ear and out the other, don’t they? I’m sick of hearing from your teachers! When will I ever have a day of peace—”

The Silent Sanctuary

Back in her room, she closed the door, and the world went quiet.

Dropping her travel bag by the desk, Qiao Mengdi felt as if she were about to collapse from exhaustion.

Talk about leaving everything else to me? Just managing the original host’s plea to “live well” would be a feat in itself. Thinking about it now, “Please live well!” was likely the original host’s kindness and warning to her as a transmigrator. Were there perhaps regrets the original host hoped she could fulfill?

Qiao Mengdi’s head throbbed; she gave up thinking.

After listening to some music, she suddenly heard two sets of rhythmic knocks: knock-knock, knock-knock.

Puzzled, she opened the door to find a grumpy Qiao Mengyang.

“Come here a second,” he said, tilting his head toward his own room.

“What is it?” Qiao Mengdi didn’t have the energy to deal with his antics.

“You’ll know when you get there.” With that, he walked away, his shoulders slumped.

After a moment’s hesitation, Qiao Mengdi followed him. Both siblings lived on the second floor. Entering his room, he lowered his voice: “Close the door.”

“Why are you being so secretive?” Qiao Mengdi recalled him asking the grandmother for money and wondered if he had gotten involved with loan sharks. “I don’t have any money.”

Qiao Mengyang glared at her, turned back, closed the door, and locked it.

“When have I ever asked you for money!” he snapped, brushing past her again.

You used to all the time! Qiao Mengdi didn’t bother arguing.

The boy had clearly just showered; his hair was damp, and he smelled of fresh soap. Qiao Mengdi noticed the scent; though he was the original host’s brother, he wasn’t her brother, so a certain awkwardness was inevitable.

“Your room is a mess,” she said, sitting on the rolling chair at his desk.

Qiao Mengyang looked displeased. Likely, Lin Linfeng’s nagging and Qiao Chengrong’s behavior had irritated him. He looked at Qiao Mengdi, then lowered his head, fingers flying across his phone screen. A moment later, he looked up.

“Tomorrow, go to my school. You remember Bald Chen’s office, right?”

“No, tell Ms. Lin to go herself.” Qiao Mengdi —or rather, the original host—certainly remembered Bald Chen, a middle-aged man who turned red to his neck whenever he saw her.

“Ms. Lin?”

“Who else?”

“Why the sudden change in how you call her?”

“Because I feel like it.”

“If she goes, she’ll only make things worse. Didn’t you always go before?”

“Before was before, now is now.” Qiao Mengdi truly had no strength left to manage this problem teenager.

“If you want to leave, tomorrow is a good opportunity.”

“Qiao—” Qiao Mengdi caught herself. “Dad will break your legs.”

“I’m not afraid of him like you are,” Qiao Mengyang sneered.

“Is that so?” Qiao Mengdi let out a cold laugh. “Then what was with you coming to pick me up tonight?”

Stung by the truth, Qiao Mengyang gritted his teeth and raised a fist toward his sister. “Ungrateful brat.”

“I don’t want to leave anymore,” Qiao Mengdi bit her lip, mocking herself. “The outside world doesn’t suit me. Perhaps I’m destined to only be a canary.”

“I transferred money to your card. It’s enough to last you a while,” Qiao Mengyang said, his head hanging low. “For the sake of your own life, find some courage. Don’t make me despise you.”

Qiao Mengdi was stunned. She hadn’t expected this turn of events. She wanted to be brave for her life too—after all, her life hadn’t even truly begun—but now, everything was in disarray.

How could she explain it to this scarred boy?

“Do you know how much money the Yao family has poured into Dad?” she asked quietly.

“So what? What does that have to do with you? That’s between them. Your life belongs to you. It’s your whole life—what right does Dad have to drag you into his mess?”

It felt like a knife to the heart. Hearing it spoken so bluntly was painful. And such clear-headed words… were they really coming from a high school sophomore?

“If I just leave, this family might fall apart.” If I run, I might lose my life; if I marry, as long as I don’t harbor delusions, I can be a wealthy woman. She couldn’t say those things. Even if she did, no one would believe her. It sounded too absurd, too melodramatic. “In Dad’s eyes, this is a win-win. For him, for me, and for the Yao family. He doesn’t think he’s using me; on the contrary, he thinks this is the best arrangement.”

Qiao Mengyang fell silent. After a while, he said, “Why do you care about everyone else?”

“You and Dad aren’t ‘everyone else’ to me.” Qiao Mengdi felt a pang of guilt, but she treated it as a white lie told out of gratitude for someone who actually cared about her.

“He’s acting like this—how can he even be called a father?”

Qiao Mengdi agreed. But since the novel Blood and Tears Marriage was written this way, she wanted to survive more than she wanted to rebel. She didn’t dare gamble her life for a freedom that might never come.

“Actually, Sister Yao is a pretty good person.” Thinking of Yao Chiyue, Qiao Mengdi’s mood lightened. Her image seemed to have a healing effect. Just imagining her walking toward her made the exhaustion recede.

“Sexual orientation isn’t something you can force, right?”

“I think… maybe I can give it a try.” If only Yao Chiyue hadn’t explicitly said ‘I don’t like women,’ Qiao Mengdi thought.

“You’re being reckless.”

“You have the nerve to call me reckless? Look at your face.”

“Those bastards were saying Dad is selling his daughter for glory.”

“They don’t know the whole story.”

“Even if they did, it’s none of their business!”

“You got beaten up pretty badly. Does it hurt?”

“Duh! But they hurt worse.”

“How does everyone know? Our engagement hasn’t been announced yet.”

“It’s spreading everywhere in our grade. I don’t even want to go back to school.”

“It sounds like someone is intentionally spreading rumors. Do you think it’s one of Dad’s competitors?”

“I don’t know. Dad already has people looking into it.”

Sigh, there are indeed many things the novel didn’t mention.

Qiao Mengdi felt her headache worsening. “Do you have any Band-Aids? I’ll put them on for you.”

“I don’t need them.”

“Will it kill you to stop acting tough? Wait here, I’ll go get some.” Qiao Mengdi stood up.

“No need—”

“What?”

“I have some here.” Qiao Mengyang wondered when his sister had become so stubborn. He pulled open a drawer.

Qiao Mengdi turned back and saw a heap of wound care supplies. Truly a problem child who gave Lin Linfeng constant headaches.

“Come here.” She pulled on her brother’s arm.

Qiao Mengyang let out a sharp cry of pain.

“Are you hurt somewhere else too?”

He didn’t answer.

Qiao Mengdi applied the Band-Aids gently, just as she used to care for Qiao Mengtian. Soon, several patches decorated Qiao Mengyang’s face. His expression of angry impatience actually looked somewhat cute.

“Is your back hurt too?” she asked again.

“Yeah.”

“Where?”

“The left shoulder blade.”

“Let me see.”

Qiao Mengyang froze, his eyes widening.

“What are you being so shy for?” Qiao Mengdi urged him.

Hesitantly, he slowly pulled off the left side of his jersey. Sure enough, below his shoulder blade, it was a bruised, red, and startling mess.

“Terrifying,” Qiao Mengdi whispered, feeling the pain herself. “How did it get like this? You’re not very good at fighting.”

“Tsk! What do you know?”

Fortunately, the skin wasn’t broken. Qiao Mengdi picked up a spray, shook it, and carefully applied it to his back, rubbing it in gently.

Qiao Mengyang’s mind was racing. His sister was acting so strange today! Before, if he asked for help with medicine, wouldn’t she say men and women shouldn’t be so close? If she saw him without a shirt, she’d call him a pervert. Today, she forced him to take it off and rubbed his back. Women really were fickle! Was she even changing her orientation?

Does money really talk? Yes, Qiao Mengyang decided that must be it.

“All done. I’m going back. What time tomorrow?”

“10:00 AM. It’s always been 10:00!”

“Got it.”

“By the way, since you’re not leaving, remember to give me back the money.”

“Stingy!” Qiao Mengdi teased, though she felt a strange sweetness in her heart. She had gained a “cheap” younger brother, and it seemed he could still be saved.

“Hey, make sure you return it!”

“Once given, do you think there’s any chance of it coming back?”

“At least half!” Qiao Mengyang felt his sister really had changed. She never used to be this playful.

A Change of Heart

Qiao Mengdi returned to her room. By the time she finished washing up, it was nearly 11:30 PM.

Lying in bed, she checked her phone. The bank notification showed that the amount Qiao Mengyang had sent was far more than she expected. This kid, always crying poor to the original host and begging Grandma for money—no wonder he has so much saved up.

She logged into her mobile banking and transferred the money back to him. The transaction note read: “Scammer Brother.”

Having slept too much during the day, she wasn’t sleepy yet. She unconsciously thought of Yao Chiyue. She wanted to message her and ask: Regarding the bridal shop… can we go together?