She Became The Black Lotus’s Pure, Untouchable Love - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Spinning the steering wheel to back the car into the space, Huo Xingyu unbuckled her seatbelt. Pushing the door open, she stepped out with her long, slender legs.

Her white mermaid skirt clung to her mature, undulating curves, the layered, wave-like hem swaying with every step.

It was early summer, near dusk.

The fading light painted the ancient architectural complex of the Film City in breathtaking hues—glazed green tiles, pavilions, and terraces. As the breeze blew, the weeping willows, planted specifically for the scenery, swayed gently in the wind.

But Huo Xingyu was in no mood for the view.

The muggy breeze hitting her face only added to her irritation. She didn’t want to admit it, but she had to: even back in the car, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

What ex-girlfriend?

Ning Xiangxiang actually had an ex-girlfriend!

The mere thought trapped her in an inescapable sense of stifling frustration. It was perfectly normal to have a romantic past before marriage, but in all their time together, Huo Xingyu had never known Ning Xiangxiang to have any other experiences.

She suddenly realized that despite living together for ten years, she had never truly understood Ning Xiangxiang—nor had she ever felt the desire to.

Ning Xiangxiang rarely had hidden motives; even if she did, Huo Xingyu could see through them with a single glance. In Huo Xingyu’s mind, Ning Xiangxiang was supposed to belong to her alone, kept safely within her embrace. Whether Ning Xiangxiang liked it or not, she was hers. No matter where Huo Xingyu went, one look back would find Ning Xiangxiang there, waiting for her, eyes only for her.

Besides, Ning Xiangxiang loved her so much.

How could there be someone else? How could there be someone else!

Her expression darkened as she stared blankly at the wheelchair in the trunk. And to top it off, Ning Xiangxiang actually said… she said Huo Xingyu resembled that ex-girlfriend?! Or was Ning Xiangxiang just treating her as a substitute for someone else?

A dull, sour ache bloomed in Huo Xingyu’s chest.

Resemble? Resemble how?!

Is she richer than me? Is she better looking? When she died, Ning Xiangxiang was heartbroken—but when I died, Ning Xiangxiang died right along with me!

Huo Xingyu’s thoughts spiraled, her anger mounting with every comparison. This was why she couldn’t help but snap whenever Ning Xiangxiang mentioned that ex.

“Mm, so she’s dead and I’m still alive.” “What, did she reincarnate as your granddaughter?”

Huo Xingyu knew she could be sharp-tongued. Seeing the look of bewilderment in Ning Xiangxiang’s eyes, she would sometimes wonder… Was that too much? Did I hurt her?

But she only said those things because Ning Xiangxiang compared her to someone else. She refused to acknowledge the inexplicable displeasure and resentment she felt.

When faced with Ning Xiangxiang’s questions, there were things Huo Xingyu simply could not say.

She couldn’t say: “Yes, I came to the hospital specifically to see you—to see if you were still following me like a good girl.” “Because you love me so much that I’ve been thinking about you all day.” “Because you love me so much, because you can’t live without me, I really do want to marry you again.” “I’m at your beck and call; the moment you shouted, I abandoned everyone else to find you.” “I drove you here on purpose just to spend a little more time with you.”

How could she ever say those things?

It was all Ning Xiangxiang’s fault for loving her so much that it had knocked her off her own orbit.

Ning Xiangxiang had asked how she knew the film crew was here, or what drama she was filming. Was she supposed to admit that over the last three days, she couldn’t look at a document without thinking of her? That she had signed reports with the wrong name, or that she had binged all of Ning Xiangxiang’s trashy idol dramas and searched every bit of gossip about her?

Fuming silently, Huo Xingyu hauled the wheelchair out of the trunk, unfolded it, and pushed it to the passenger side.

Just as she reached out to open the door and help, she saw Ning Xiangxiang already pushing it open herself. Ning Xiangxiang struggled to brace herself against the seat, trying to shuffle over to the wheelchair on her own, clearly having no intention of asking for help.

Huo Xingyu stood by with a blank face, watching her. Because she couldn’t find a proper leverage point, Ning Xiangxiang tried several times without success.

Finally, as if giving up, Ning Xiangxiang looked up at her with an air of resignation. Those round, deer-like eyes were moist and shimmering.

She looked utterly pitiful.

Huo Xingyu sighed. It felt as though just being looked at like that by Ning Xiangxiang caused half of her frustration to evaporate instantly.

She lifted Ning Xiangxiang’s leg—heavy in its plaster cast—onto the wheelchair’s footrest, then leaned down close to her.

Ning Xiangxiang recoiled slightly, her face flushing with a timid red. She looked like a soft, sweet little rabbit.

Huo Xingyu realized she had almost never looked at Ning Xiangxiang this closely or this seriously before. The golden-red glow of the sunset draped over Ning Xiangxiang’s fair cheek, turning her eyes into shimmering pools of golden-brown light.

Huo Xingyu’s lips curved into a slight smile. “Ning Xiangxiang,” she said softly, “you can hold onto me.”