My Arranged Marriage Partner Is Always Pretending to Be Straight [Transmigrated into a Book] - Chapter 5

“Are you just pretending to be straight?”

Yao Chiyue does not like women.

Qiao Mengdi knew this; it was written in the book. Since Blood and Tears of a Marriage was categorized as a GL (Girls’ Love) novel, she assumed there would eventually be a change in orientation. However, once she saw the female lead die for love, she had set the book aside, leaving about half the plot unread.

She felt that the very fact she had transmigrated meant the original owner of this body was beyond saving. The fact that there was almost none of the original owner’s will left within her body seemed to prove this point.

Qiao Mengdi slightly regretted not finishing the novel. What exactly happened in the latter half of the story? Was the current situation caused by an accident involving the original host, prompting the author to arrange a rebirth that resulted in her own transmigration?

These questions, however, remained unanswerable for now.

“Our marriage isn’t because we like each other anyway, is it?” Qiao Mengdi followed Yao Chiyue’s words, responding naturally. “Tonight, I came to see you—”

There it was again—that resistance controlling her tongue. “Tonight, I came to see you—to tell you I can’t marry you.” The second half of the sentence snapped abruptly at the tip of her tongue.

“As long as you understand.” Yao Chiyue didn’t press her on the unfinished sentence. “Personally, I find things like ‘liking’ and ‘love’ to be ironic and terrifying.”

Watching the faint look of loneliness that suddenly clouded Yao Chiyue’s expression, Qiao Mengdi actually felt a pang of heartache. The saying that a beautiful woman can easily disturb one’s heart was apparently true.

“I don’t understand what you mean,” Qiao Mengdi said. She truly didn’t understand—was it because their union was a business arrangement that Yao Chiyue denied the concept of love? Could someone who appeared so powerful and invincible actually have things they feared?

Seeing that Yao Chiyue wasn’t easily swayed by others, Qiao Mengdi wondered: who had forced her into this marriage?

“Have you dined here before?” Yao Chiyue changed the subject. She propped her elbows on the table, her jade-white fingers interlacing. Then, she rested her elegantly lined chin on her hands and looked fixedly at Qiao Mengdi.

“No.” Let alone this restaurant, Qiao Mengdi had rarely even visited the East District of Luzhou. “As you know, my family is poor,” she added with a touch of self-mockery.

Yao Chiyue knew she was alluding to her support of Qiao Chengrong, but she didn’t want to mention those matters tonight.

“There aren’t many places in Luzhou that do French cuisine well.”

“It sounds like Sister Yao likes French food.” Seeing the other woman relax slightly, Qiao Mengdi remembered her goal for the evening. She tried again. “I—”

Dammit, my tongue is tied again!

What kind of power is stopping me from breaking the engagement? Qiao Mengdi roared inwardly. Losing my parents and sister was tragic enough; do I really have to marry someone who doesn’t like women now? Even if I really, really like her looks… No, this isn’t something that can work through one-sided attraction!

She was certain this wasn’t the original host’s will, because the original body had stopped its hunger strike only after she had promised to handle this matter.

“You don’t like it?” Yao Chiyue continued to watch her intently. “I forgot to ask you beforehand.”

“That’s not what I meant.” The other woman’s gaze was too focused; Qiao Mengdi could no longer look her in the eye. “I—”

After several failed attempts, her tongue remained under that mysterious control. She decided to pull out her phone to type out her intentions. However, the moment the phone was in her hand, it felt as if someone had struck her arm. The phone slipped, crashed to the floor, and wouldn’t turn back on.

Qiao Mengdi felt utterly hopeless. Qiao Mengdi, she said silently to her internal self, look, I’ve tried my best, but I still can’t say the words to break the engagement. Perhaps marrying Yao Chiyue is just our destiny. The continuous failures had turned her into a fatalist in a matter of moments.

“Do you need to make a call?” Yao Chiyue noticed the situation. “If it’s urgent, you can use mine.”

“It’s not urgent,” Qiao Mengdi laughed sheepishly. If she used Yao Chiyue’s phone, would it suffer the same fate? “Besides, I don’t remember the numbers.” At least she managed to hide her true intent.

Yao Chiyue had ordered before Qiao Mengdi arrived. The waiters began serving the courses. When the main course arrived, the head chef—a handsome Western man—came over.

Qiao Mengdi listened to Yao Chiyue converse with him in French; she couldn’t understand a word. During their conversation, Yao Chiyue tilted her chin toward Qiao Mengdi, seemingly introducing her.

Before leaving, the chef smiled at Qiao Mengdi and said in slightly broken Chinese, “Miss Qiao, enjoy your meal.”

Qiao Mengdi smiled back. “Thank you.”

After he left, Yao Chiyue said, “Bruce said your eyes are beautiful enough to light up the night.”

“Oh, finally someone has praised a different part of me,” Qiao Mengdi joked. “Does Sister Yao think so too?”

Yao Chiyue remained noncommittal, though a faint smile lingered on her face for a few seconds.

Qiao Mengdi gradually lost the nervousness she felt when she first saw Yao Chiyue. The woman across from her seemed cold on the surface, but through conversation, she wasn’t as unapproachable as imagined.

They continued their meal.

“By the way, didn’t you say yesterday that you had some things to say that weren’t mentioned last time?” Qiao Mengdi was nearly full. She had eaten before leaving the house, so she didn’t eat much now. Because of this, Yao Chiyue got the impression that she didn’t like French food.

“Yes.” She stopped cutting her meat and looked up. “Don’t you think we should discuss the preparations for the engagement and the wedding?”

“About that, I—” Qiao Mengdi tried once more to state her purpose. Unsurprisingly, she failed again. She was forced to give up, planning to write a letter to Yao Chiyue after she successfully “escaped.” “Isn’t the wedding still a long way off?”

“A long way off?” Yao Chiyue set down her knife and fork and took a sip of soup. “We’re getting married on New Year’s Day. That’s only a little over two months away. Don’t you know how much preparation a wedding requires?”

This woman, who claimed not to like women, was surprisingly invested in the wedding.

Qiao Mengdi avoided her gaze again. She felt guilty. While she wasn’t sure of the exact motive for the alliance, it was clear that Yao Chiyue was under far less pressure than she was.

“Can’t we just let nature take its course?”

“How can a marriage ‘let nature take its course’? It’s all about interests. Think about it.”

“Oh.” Qiao Mengdi didn’t want to talk anymore.

Neither of them ate much more. Because Qiao Mengdi had a small appetite, quite a bit of food was left over. Yao Chiyue hadn’t ordered any alcohol; Qiao Mengdi guessed she had driven herself.

Seeing they had finished, the waiter brought dessert—two scoops of ice cream. Qiao Mengdi finished hers. Seeing that Yao Chiyue hadn’t touched hers, she said, “Give it to me.”

Yao Chiyue pushed her ice cream toward Qiao Mengdi.

As Qiao Mengdi started on the second serving, Yao Chiyue pulled out a card. “This is a supplementary card for my account. It’s for you. It’s already activated; the initial password is the last six digits of the date we first met.”

“Sister Yao, this is…?”

“A gift for you.”

“Sister Yao, you’re truly… practical and romantic.” Qiao Mengdi sincerely felt that the gesture was both. She hardly knew how to refuse. “Thank you.”

She accepted it—a black gold credit card. She planned to hold onto it for a few days of luxury and return it along with her letter breaking the engagement. “But, I didn’t prepare a gift for you.”

“You are the gift.”

“You don’t even like women, yet you’re flirting with me like this?!” Are you just pretending to be straight?

Yao Chiyue’s eyes crinkled slightly. She hadn’t expected Qiao Mengdi to be somewhat cute. The girl before her was different from the one she had met a few days ago. Although her complexion was still poor—looking even thinner and more haggard—she seemed to have more strength today. Her eyes flickered with a spark like a flame.

They chatted for a while longer. Yao Chiyue did most of the talking while Qiao Mengdi offered occasional, distracted responses.

“Let’s head back,” Yao Chiyue said at 8:30 PM.

Though it was a simple statement, Qiao Mengdi felt a sense of being dominated. Truly a female CEO—or rather, an acting female CEO, as her profile had stated.

“Alright,” she replied.

Yao Chiyue stood first. Her double-breasted white suit was open, revealing a white undershirt. By the time Qiao Mengdi picked up her bag, Yao Chiyue was already walking out.

It was then that Qiao Mengdi noticed the surrounding tables were all empty, despite the restaurant being busy in other sections. She suspected Yao Chiyue might have booked the entire area.

Following Yao Chiyue out, Qiao Mengdi was mesmerized by her brisk, powerful stride. Her heart fluttered wildly, and for a moment, the thought of breaking the engagement almost vanished.

The greeter escorted them outside. “Please wait a moment; your car is being brought around.”

Yao Chiyue nodded slightly, her gaze falling once again on the travel bag in Qiao Mengdi’s hand.

“You—” she paused. “You aren’t planning to run away from the marriage, are you?”

Despite the playful tone, Qiao Mengdi stiffened, breaking into a cold sweat at being found out. She figured that if she stayed silent, Yao Chiyue would understand her intent from her panicked expression. Instead, her tongue moved on its own.

“How could I?!”

Qiao Mengdi wanted to cry. F**k! Who is sabotaging me? Is it fun to mess with me like this?!

“You look like you’re about to make a run for it,” Yao Chiyue teased again. Qiao Mengdi didn’t dare respond. “If that’s the case, you should tell me honestly. Only by telling me will there be a way out.”

Qiao Mengdi felt so guilty she wished she could vanish into thin air.

“Don’t overthink it. I just wanted to go stay at my grandmother for a couple of days.” Her mouth betrayed her once more, speaking automatically.

“I’ll give you a lift,” Yao Chiyue said.

What kind of development is this?!

Qiao Mengdi was completely baffled.

“No need, it’s easy to catch a taxi.”

“The car is here. Let’s go.” Yao Chiyue turned back to her. “Unless you brought cash? Your phone just broke!”

I forgot about that! Qiao Mengdi was furious with herself. She really hadn’t brought any cash. From morning until now, not a single thing had gone right.