The Amnesiac Drama Queen Is Crashing the Live Stream - Chapter 9

“But after all, I’m older. Once I’m gone, you can always find someone else with the inheritance. I’ve come to terms with it now and want to work on improving my status, is that so wrong?”

When Xia Xingtang woke up, the hospital room was still empty except for her. After scrolling through her WeChat contacts for a while, she quickly found Yu Feifei.

The note was still the same as it had been years ago, “Little Feifei”, and she felt a sense of relief that their friendship hadn’t changed over time.

She mimicked Pei Luoqing’s words perfectly, even adding a few subtly sarcastic tones.

On the other end of the video call, Yu Feifei was lying face down on a massage bed, enjoying the service. Her hair was scattered on either side, and a pair of hands were massaging her shoulder blades. If her facial mask hadn’t been a spreadable type, it would have fallen off from her laughter.

The private room was reserved for her alone, and the massage therapists were momentarily startled by her sudden burst of laughter, pausing briefly before resuming their work as if nothing had happened.

The words “Why would President Pei care about your pocket money?” were on the tip of Yu Feifei’s tongue, but she swallowed them back.

As Xia Xingtang’s closest friend, she had stayed up almost all night and had just fallen asleep when she received a call from Xia Qingyue. Not only did she learn about Xia Xingtang’s car accident, but she was also told to act as if she knew nothing about Pei Luoqing’s affairs. Hence, her current cautious demeanor.

Yu Feifei played along and asked, “So what happened next, little Xing? What did you do?”

“Then… then I felt so good that I generously gave her 10,000 yuan as pocket money,” Xia Xingtang said with a hint of pride. “I even told her that as long as Pei Luoqing behaves well, she can get that amount from me every day.”

At this, Yu Feifei erupted into even more hysterical laughter, nearly loud enough to penetrate the soundproofed door of the private room. Her manager, standing outside, was on the verge of barging in to remind her to maintain her image.

But it wasn’t entirely Yu Feifei’s fault. After all, Pei Luoqing had just been named Yuncheng’s most outstanding young entrepreneur. Anyone hearing that such a figure only received 10,000 yuan in pocket money would find it unbelievable, right? If gossip blogs got wind of this, it would instantly surpass celebrity scandals and top the trending charts.

Yu Feifei was turned over by the masseuse and stretched lazily. “Alright, alright, little Xing. Pei Luoqing is, after all, legally married to you. What’s hers is yours, it’s not like you’re losing out.”

“But that won’t do,” Xia Xingtang hesitated before speaking. “Although my sister said it was a business marriage, based on my impression of her after meeting her just now, it’s more likely that I took a liking to her face and made up the business marriage excuse as a way to ‘support’ her. What if one day she ends up with more money than me and gets ambitious, trying to fight me for the family fortune? I’m not as love-struck as my future self seven years from now.”

“What’s the big deal?” Yu Feifei almost blurted out that Pei Luoqing already had the capability but was still obediently accepting the pocket money Xia Xingtang gave her. However, out of respect for Xia Qingyue, she held back. “I’ll send something to your email. Take a look and study it carefully.”

Curious, Xia Xingtang opened her email. She had no idea what to expect, but what she saw left her utterly shocked.

Several txt files were transmitted one after another: One Thousand and One Ways to Capture a Live-in Son-in-Law, Make Her Crave You Night After Night, After Falling for the Live-in Son-in-Law, I Reached the Peak of My Life, The Immortal Venerable’s Crematorium After Killing His Wife to Prove His Dao.

There were everyday reads as well as romance novels.

She casually opened one and skimmed through a few pages, then covered her eyes in agony.

She didn’t understand, but she was deeply shocked.

“Deducting your allowance is just too petty. Little Xingxing, with your brains that got you into Yanjing University, if you carefully read through these books, I guarantee you’ll have Pei Luoqing wrapped around your finger.”

Click!

Just as the door opened, Xia Xingtang’s phone was on speaker mode. The phrase “have Pei Luoqing wrapped around your finger” echoed like a haunting melody throughout the entire hospital room, lingering and refusing to fade away.

At the same time, it clearly reached the ears of the person in question, Pei Luoqing.

Xia Xingtang: “…”

Thud… Her phone slipped from her hand.

Xia Xingtang froze in place, her mind going blank once again.

She was both embarrassed by Yu Feifei’s words and utterly mortified that Pei Luoqing had overheard them.

She had waited alone in the hospital room for so long without anyone showing up, yet the moment she got caught up in a chat with her best friend, Pei Luoqing had to walk in?

Her luck was so good she might as well go buy a lottery ticket.

Pei Luoqing was holding a laptop and several documents, clearly having rushed back in a hurry.

Even the top two buttons of her originally tightly fastened shirt were undone, revealing her delicate collarbones.

She looked at Xia Xingtang with a faint, ambiguous smile, as if she might charge over at any moment to “kill her wife and prove her Dao.”

The sound of Pei Luoqing’s high heels was especially distinct in the hospital room, growing closer and closer until they finally stopped beside the bed.

The entire room fell into a nerve-wracking silence.

Xia Xingtang slowly pulled the sheets over her head, leaving only her eyes exposed like a little turtle.

Pei Luoqing was both astonished and somewhat amused. After a moment, she leaned down and asked, “Hiding from what?”

“Who, who’s hiding from you?” Xia Xingtang pulled the covers up even higher. “I’m just feeling weak and a little cold.”

“Good, as long as you’re not hiding from me.” Pei Luoqing nodded, her tone casual yet deliberately drawn out. “I was just wondering, Miss Xia Xingtang…”

The snow-white sheets hid Xia Xingtang’s flushed ears as Pei Luoqing’s next words reached her: “How exactly do you plan to have me wrapped around your finger?”

Xia Xingtang’s cheeks gradually warmed, and she lost all the boldness she had shown that morning when she wanted a sponsor.

Receiving no response, Pei Luoqing spoke again, “Hmm? Why so quiet now?”

Her voice carried a hint of a low chuckle, though it vanished almost instantly.

Xia Xingtang’s fingers clutched the sheets tightly. Just as she was about to buckle under Pei Luoqing’s gaze, a rebellious impulse surged within her, turning her shame into anger in an instant:

“Ask, ask, ask, what’s the point of asking when you’ve already heard everything? Anyone would be cautious around a stranger, right? Little Feifei was just worried I’d get scammed and gave me a friendly reminder…”

But as she noticed the dark circles under Pei Luoqing’s eyes and her slightly weary expression, Xia Xingtang suddenly remembered her own car accident the night before.

The person before her was exhausted because of her. Her retort grew softer and softer, losing its conviction with every word.

Yu Feifei’s earlier words had clearly struck a nerve, and the flicker of anger in Xia Xingtang’s heart quickly died down, replaced by a twinge of guilt.

“Then… maybe you should just keep me in line.”

The moment the words left her mouth, she felt even more embarrassed.

It would have been better not to say anything at all.

She pulled the blanket completely over her head, clinging to the principle that if she couldn’t see others, others couldn’t see her either, and refused to communicate.

But within seconds, the blanket was abruptly pulled away by an external force.

The movement was controlled perfectly, it only exposed her chest, revealing a slender, delicate neck.

Static electricity had tangled her hair, leaving it messy and clinging to her skin. Her peach-blossom eyes, starved of fresh air for too long, glistened with unshed tears, and the bandage on her head had loosened.

She looked like a stray puppy, utterly disheveled.

Pei Luoqing froze for a moment before speaking. “Let me see your injury.”

Suddenly exposed in such a pitiful state, Xia Xingtang felt a knot of frustration tighten in her chest. Already embarrassed and irritable, how could she allow Pei Luoqing to get a closer look at her humiliation?

“No need, I’m perfectly fine,” Xia Xingtang retorted, her tone sharp, as prideful as ever.

“Then I’ll call the doctor to re-bandage you,” Pei Luoqing said, feigning intimidation. “I’ve seen many people with improperly treated wounds who ended up with scars on their faces. Some severe cases leave marks that even cosmetic procedures can’t fully remove.”

“Wait.” Before Pei Luoqing could take a step, Xia Xingtang stopped her.

Unable to see her own forehead, she had assumed the injuries from the car accident were all on the back of her head. But the mention of facial wounds made her take it seriously. “Don’t call the doctor yet. Hurry and check if it’s serious. Will it leave a scar?”

She continued, almost to herself, “If my face is ruined, I’ll lose my competitive edge. With so many pretty temptresses out there, you’d definitely cheat on me, wouldn’t you?”

Though phrased as a question, Pei Luoqing sensed a clear threat in her words.

Even the hem of her clothes was gripped tightly, as if one wrong word from Pei Luoqing would tear everything apart.

Pei Luoqing wasn’t skilled at comforting others, but from Xia Xingtang’s reaction, she knew just how much the young lady cared about her appearance.

“I wouldn’t,” she assured.

“Really?”

“Really.” Pei Luoqing’s tone shifted, and she looked at Xia Xingtang meaningfully. “After all, you’ve got me completely under your thumb.”

Xia Xingtang: “…”

Was this never going to end?

Did she have no dignity left?

So, she wanted to playact, did she? As if she were the only one with acting skills.

Playing the victim to gain sympathy, who didn’t know how to do that?

Xia Xingtang scoffed inwardly. The next moment, she leaned into the faint, lingering pain and put on a pitiful act. “I didn’t mean to hide it from you. It’s just, I vaguely remember what happened last night. Blood splattered all over my face. I’m really scared, wuwuwu…”

Pei Luoqing’s lips twitched. Even if the injury were as severe as Xia Xingtang claimed, modern cosmetic procedures were advanced enough to remove any scar.

Earlier, when she had stepped out, the doctor had mentioned the wounds. Xia Xingtang had two injuries: the lump on the back of her head, which had caused her memory loss, and a minor scrape on her forehead.

The head injury needed to be re-dressed by a doctor, but for the scrape on her forehead, no matter how severe, she had to prepare herself mentally before she could offer any comfort.

This time, Pei Luoqing’s fingertips finally managed to reach the half-loosened bandage. The gauze underneath seemed almost sentient, obediently unraveling on its own.

Then, slowly, it revealed the wound at her temple, a slightly broken patch of skin, red and swollen, no larger than a fingernail, the very spot that had been “splattered with blood.” In a couple of days, it would likely be unnoticeable.

Pei Luoqing’s movements stilled, and she remained silent for a long while.

Her reaction gave Xia Xingtang the mistaken impression that her face had truly been disfigured. Xia Xingtang turned her back, her voice muffled as she said, “I’m tired. You should go.”

Indeed, the consequence of too much excitement was that extreme joy begets sorrow.

Waking up, the 23-year-old Xia Xingtang still had a doting older sister, a beautiful wife, and a life that seemed to coast along effortlessly.

Yet, her face was ruined.

And the first person to witness her disfigurement was her wife of less than 24 hours, who was now about to slip away.

Pei Luoqing spoke slowly, “Actually, your wound…”

“Don’t say it. I understand.”

The wound isn’t that big, right?

Just like how the families of terminally ill patients never tell them the truth.

The more one avoids the subject, the more severe the disfigurement must be.

Looking at Pei Luoqing’s expression, she could already picture her own face, pitted, scarred, and drenched in blood.

“I won’t force you. If you can’t accept it, you can… Mmm?!”