The Beloved One Is Always Coveted - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

◎Someone…◎

Yu Li had already gotten out of the car. Truthfully, she and Tang Xi had nothing to talk about. Their social classes were different, their exposure was different, and their perspectives were even more so. There was basically nothing they could chat about.

But Yu Li’s backpack still hadn’t been recovered. A night had passed since her backpack fell. Yu Li was very worried about its whereabouts. It contained not only her diary but also several unfinished exercise books.

“Miss Xi…”

Yu Li felt a little uneasy. She carried her suitcase, following behind Tang Xi, but the road ahead was not the one leading to her mother’s place.

Tang Xi stopped. “What?”

“Where is my backpack?”

Yu Li cautiously held out her hand, asking Tang Xi for her belongings.

“Just buy a new one.”

Tang Xi’s face was nonchalant, showing no concern. It was just a backpack, not anything valuable. Lost is lost.

Seeing Tang Xi’s flippant attitude and complete disregard for the loss of her backpack, Yu Li unconsciously raised her voice: “No! That’s my backpack. There are very important things inside!”

Very important things?

Tang Xi’s lips curved slightly. She raised her hand to cover Yu Li’s outstretched, pale palm, her eyes showing increased interest: “Fine, I’ll find it for you.”

As for what to do with it once it was found, that wouldn’t be up to Yu Li.

Yu Li reluctantly believed Tang Xi. She tried to pull her hand back, but Tang Xi gripped it tighter.

“Stop moving. This is for my mom to see. Don’t you think it’s awkward for us to walk one in front and one behind?”

Yu Li looked around because of her words. She didn’t see Tang Nianyi, but she clearly met a pair of dark, heavy eyes hidden in the shadows.

Like a mountain spirit or a demon coming to harm a household, in broad daylight, she was startled and subconsciously tightened her grip on Tang Xi’s hand.

“Jiejie, that’s better.”

Tang Xi chuckled, simply because Yu Li had been persuaded. She even went over and actively offered to pull Yu Li’s suitcase.

“Your room is next to mine. It was specially prepared.”

She added a final sentence: “For my mom to see.”

Yu Li didn’t answer. Her breathing unconsciously became lighter. She whispered: “Who is that?”

“Where?”

Tang Xi followed her gaze. The person had heavy dark circles under her eyes, which were full of weariness it was her older sister, Tang Fei, who lived without day or night.

“Hmm, you need to be careful. I told you she was keeping an eye on you.”

Tang Xi lowered her voice, waving at Tang Fei from a distance to acknowledge her.

Tang Fei wasn’t like this before. When she hadn’t yet developed her artistic talent, she received an elite education, always wearing a mask to everyone, giving a perfectly appropriate smile whether she liked them or not.

She wasn’t like that anymore. After a few years in Italy, her whole demeanor had changed. She spoke directly, with no concern for manners. She was indifferent to Tang Xi, having become an artist.

Yet, the media and the public still praised her, calling it “personality.” They said there was a barrier between ordinary people and artists, so they naturally couldn’t understand.

Yu Li gripped Tang Xi’s hand tighter, asking uncertainly, “You won’t lend me out, right?”

“Uh-huh.” Tang Xi didn’t give a definitive answer. This was just a minor interlude. There was no way anyone else could join the bet between her and Jian Mingyue.

Unless… there was a bigger stake or someone overturned the table.

It was just a little plaything. It wasn’t worth such a big fuss.

Passing Tang Fei, Tang Xi led Yu Li and pushed open the door to the room prepared for her.

“How is it?”

She tilted her head and asked, her tone unconsciously seeking credit.

It’s not good, Yu Li wanted to say, but only two words came out: “Very good.”

In the face of Tang Xi’s great favor, she had to kneel and give thanks. It was just another thing Tang Xi could laugh about later.

Before the words were finished, she was grabbed and pressed against the newly closed door.

Yu Li looked up in confusion, only to be met by a hand.

Then, the whole world went dark.

“You’ve been unhappy.”

Tang Xi stated it very calmly. Her voice changed again, sounding like residual snow on a high mountain, chilling. She was very displeased with Yu Li’s subtle attitude.

“Miss Xi, I am happy.”

Yu Li’s voice was flat. She wondered where she had gone wrong. She clearly said “very good,” meaning she was satisfied. Was it because she didn’t smile?

With her vision blocked, her senses became sharper. She could hear her own heartbeat, steady and rhythmic.

“You are unhappy.”

Tang Xi denied her statement. The next moment, her baseball cap was removed, her tied-up long hair was undone. Tang Xi’s fingers loosely inserted into the crown of her hair, slowly moving deeper, twisting down to the back of her neck, then pinching the soft flesh of her nape, like holding an disobedient young beast.

Yu Li trembled.

Yu Li wanted to shake her head. She was happy. She didn’t have to live in the old neighborhood, didn’t have to attend a school with poor teaching resources, and could reunite with her mother. She was happy.

There was nothing better in the world. A fragrant pie had fallen only on her among so many people.

How lucky Yu Li was! She was favored by Tang Nianyi and became Miss Xi’s girlfriend. This was something countless people begged for and couldn’t get.

She deluded herself: she was happy, so happy that her heart was blooming, but her expression didn’t show it because she… she didn’t show her emotions on her face.

She opened her lips, intending to utter this hard-won excuse, but only managed one syllable before she was silenced.

“Mm…”

The choking scent of Tuberose went straight into her mind. Tang Xi took the liberty of biting her lips, gently grinding on them.

The unfamiliar breath rushed into her lungs. She frowned, trying to push Tang Xi away, her eyelashes fluttering uncontrollably.

It was useless. She couldn’t push her away. The hand covering her eyes remained there. She was forced to kiss her. Her lips glistened with moisture. After a long moment, she was finally released.

“Be a little happier, huh?”

Tang Xi pulled back slightly, still sticking close to her cheek, and continued: “I want to see you smile.”

Yu Li froze, her eyes sparkling with tiny tears. Even at her most aggressive before, Tang Xi had only kissed her cheek. She had been so compliant. Why was she doing this now?

She even demanded that Yu Li smile.

How could she possibly smile?

She had no concept of a first kiss, and she didn’t want Tang Xi to know this was her first kiss. She felt hurt and disgusted at being forcefully kissed and made to do something she didn’t want, yet she was powerless.

Besides her body trembling with anger, what else could she do?

Tang Xi still called her Jiejie with a smile, right by her ear, over and over, demanding a response.

She said her lips were very soft, fragrant, and smooth, which made her feel a little itchy.

Yu Li’s face turned from red to white. Her gaze was full of resentment.

This only energized Tang Xi more. She had to provoke her. Oh, you’re unhappy? Then don’t pretend to be obedient by giving me a cold face.

Tang Xi not only didn’t comfort her, but she fanned the flames, making Yu Li even more unhappy, hoping she would shed a few more tears.

She hated it when people cried. If Yu Li cried, there was no telling what she might do.

“Jiejie.”

She came closer again, intending to kiss her one more time. Yu Li turned her head to dodge, but she could only escape once, not twice.

So she finally snapped, raising her hand and bringing it down.

“Slap—”

The crisp sound of a slap echoed in the empty room. For a moment, even the sound of the cicadas outside stopped.

Tang Xi probably never expected her to resist. She thought Yu Li’s nature was timid, just like that morning when they went to school together and Yu Li said she would be good, she would listen.

Tang Xi covered her slapped face, staring at the trembling Yu Li, a cold sneer escaping her lips.

She thought she was a rabbit, but it was all an act. Yu Li was just good at reading people.

“I’m… I’m sorry.”

Having struck Tang Xi, Yu Li finally calmed down from the bone-deep chill. She had slapped Tang Xi.

It was completely over…

“What did you say?”

Tang Xi stared at her, surprise flashing in her eyes. Who apologizes after slapping someone? It’d be merciful not to receive another slap in return.

Yu Li panicked, only shaking her head, afraid to say anything more.

Tang Xi, however, wouldn’t let her off. She wasn’t going to be slapped for nothing.

She pinched Yu Li’s chin, forcing her to look up. Those uneasy eyes were red, looking very pitiful.

She had no habit of being gentle. She said coldly: “Say it again.”

Saying it again would lead to the same result. Yu Li couldn’t foresee what would happen next, so she could only utter those three words again.

“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have been impulsive.”

“Did you forget your identity?”

Half of Tang Xi’s face was flushed. It was clear how much force Yu Li had used. Yu Li’s fingers curled. She frantically thought about her identity.

The housekeeper’s daughter, the transfer student, and… Miss Xi’s girlfriend.

All the hot blood in her body had gone into that one slap. Tang Xi lowered her eyes, not daring to speak.

She was afraid to face the consequences of her actions, hiding her still-tingling palm behind her back, just waiting for the verdict.

The room fell silent for a time. The air flowed silently, and the atmosphere was tense.

“Look at me.”

The verdict finally came. Tang Xi commanded coldly, the hand pinching her chin tightening significantly.

Abruptly looking up, she met those bottomless, deep eyes, cold and heavy, threatening to suck her in and make her sink along with Tang Xi.

She widened her eyes.

Lips covered hers softly. The hands that tried to push her away were grabbed at the wrist and pinned behind her back. She simply couldn’t escape.

She could only be dragged into the water, floating and sinking together.

The scent of Tuberose grew stronger again. Her mind was in a haze. She couldn’t feel her anger. Her eyes fixed on Tang Xi’s face, magnified many times. She even forgot to breathe.

Long lashes brushed her eyelids. She trembled, daring not to open her eyes again.

She should have felt a shallow hatred, causing her mind to want to bite down hard, biting until the skin was broken and bleeding.

But the last bit of reason in her mind told her she couldn’t.

In the end, she could only clench her teeth and forcibly endure it.

However, at that moment, the door behind her was suddenly knocked on.

Knock, knock. Just two light taps on the door. The faint vibration traveled to her spine. Yu Li suddenly opened her eyes and bit down on the corner of Tang Xi’s lip.

This wasn’t her fault. The person outside the door had caused too much of a shock. It was an instinctual, self-defense reaction.

Besides, the bite wasn’t deep. It didn’t even leave a tooth mark.

“Someone…”

She lowered her gaze, catching sight of the faint mark on Tang Xi’s lip. Her heart sank, but she comforted herself: She had a valid excuse. She shouldn’t… she shouldn’t be punished severely…

She could only blame the person outside. She had prepared herself, but then the knock came.

It was like a crack suddenly appearing in a sealed ceiling, a beam of light shining through, falling directly onto her face.

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