The Cannon Fodder Crazy Beauty Has Awakened [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 58.2

She remembered Jiang Wanjing had once loved similar jewelry.

She had always had a particular fondness for gemstones.

The bathroom still carried Jiang Mengyu’s lingering scent. Gu Lanqiu felt somewhat distracted.

As she changed into her sleepwear, an image of Jiang Mengyu from earlier flashed through her mind. Gu Lanqiu closed her eyes briefly.

She wasn’t oblivious to Jiang Mengyu’s deliberate seduction.

When she returned to the bedroom, the woman was leaning against the headboard, a bedtime read in hand, engrossed in its pages.

The room was warm as spring, the soft yellow lighting casting a cozy glow over the scene so serene it felt almost wrong to disrupt.

Gu Lanqiu’s footsteps paused imperceptibly for a moment.

Jiang Mengyu looked up at her.

“Lan Qiu.”

She closed the book in her hand, got out of bed, and walked toward Gu Lanqiu, taking the hairdryer from her grasp.

Everything tonight was no different from usual, yet the atmosphere between them had subtly grown peculiar.

By the time her hair was dry, it was already late.

Jiang Mengyu gazed at Gu Lanqiu’s elegant and alluring face in the mirror. Lowering her eyes, she asked softly, “Would you like a massage tonight?”

The two returned to bed.

Gu Lanqiu lay with her back to Jiang Mengyu, her long hair gathered over her chest, leaving her fair, jade-like nape completely exposed to Jiang Mengyu’s view.

Jiang Mengyu placed her hands on Gu Lanqiu’s shoulders, kneading the sore muscles beneath. The body beneath her palms was tense at first but gradually relaxed under her touch.

After a few minutes, Jiang Mengyu stopped.

“Lanqiu.”

Her voice was soft, carrying an intangible allure.

Gu Lanqiu opened her eyes and tilted her head slightly. “What is it?”

Jiang Mengyu traced the contours of Gu Lanqiu’s features with her gaze. Kneeling on the bed, she moved the hand that had been resting on Gu Lanqiu’s shoulder forward, coming to rest against her cheek.

“I really like you.”

The warmth of another person drew closer. Under the soft glow of the light, Jiang Mengyu’s enchanting face was especially captivating. Gu Lanqiu met her gaze silently, allowing the distance between them to shrink.

Only two fingers’ breadth remained between their lips, their breaths mingling, the familiar scent of jasmine filling the air. For a moment, Gu Lanqiu’s mind went blank.

[Ding! Target Gu Lanqiu’s favorability +5. Current total favorability: 187.]

Jiang Mengyu’s expression was dazed, her eyes lingering on Gu Lanqiu’s lips, desire burning openly in her gaze.

“Lanqiu…”

[Wife.]

This silent thought jolted Gu Lanqiu back to awareness. Just as those thin lips were about to press against hers, she turned her face slightly, evading Jiang Mengyu’s kiss.

Jiang Mengyu froze as if paused. Gu Lanqiu made no further move either. The two remained in that position for a long, silent moment before Jiang Mengyu finally whispered, “Why?”

Gu Lanqiu didn’t look at her. Calming her racing heart, her voice was cool and slightly hoarse. “Miss Jiang, you’ve crossed the line.”

Crossed the line?

The words drained Jiang Mengyu of all strength.

She withdrew her hand, her body pulling back, yet her dark eyes still clung to Gu Lanqiu unwillingly.

After a long pause, Jiang Mengyu spoke again. “Do you find it disgusting?”

Gu Lanqiu offered no explanation. Her own emotions were in turmoil.

When Jiang Mengyu had leaned in, Gu Lanqiu had to admit she had been tempted. Staring at Jiang Mengyu’s face so close to hers, a fleeting thought had crossed her mind:

Maybe a woman wouldn’t be so bad.

If Jiang Mengyu hadn’t suddenly called her “wife,” Gu Lanqiu might not have pulled away at all.

But she had.

Even though the word had never left her lips, Gu Lanqiu had heard it all the same.

She knew Jiang Mengyu had meant her, yet the absurdity of it struck her instantly.

She wasn’t unaware that Jiang Mengyu’s affection stemmed from the version of herself from a past life. Before, it hadn’t bothered her, but now, for some reason, she felt inexplicably irritated, as if something heavy was lodged in her chest, suffocating her.

The person Jiang Mengyu liked, the one she wanted to kiss, wasn’t her at all.

She remained silent, as if tacitly agreeing with Jiang Mengyu’s words.

Jiang Mengyu’s voice grew hoarser, laced with self-mockery.

“So you really thought that.”

“No.” Gu Lanqiu irritably furrowed her brows.

Jiang Mengyu stared straight at Gu Lanqiu. “Then why did you reject me?”

Gu Lanqiu looked back at her with a somber expression. “I already told you.”

Jiang Mengyu took a deep breath. “Was my behavior crossing the line? But intimacy is part of dating.”

Gu Lanqiu was silent for a few seconds. “We’re not dating.”

As the words fell, Gu Lanqiu clearly heard Jiang Mengyu’s breath hitch for a moment.

A long time passed before Gu Lanqiu heard Jiang Mengyu speak again, her voice hoarse. “Then why were you jealous earlier today?”

“I wasn’t jealous.” Gu Lanqiu avoided Jiang Mengyu’s damp, reddened eyes. “I just don’t like being lied to.”

“And tonight? You even introduced me to your friends.”

“We just happened to run into them.”

Jiang Mengyu gazed at Gu Lanqiu in a daze. “I thought…”

She thought their relationship was an unspoken understanding.

Gu Lanqiu knew why she would think that because Jiang Mengyu and her past self had already gone through all these things in their previous lives. So Jiang Mengyu naturally took her actions as acceptance.

Gu Lanqiu averted her eyes, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible. “I’m not her.”

It was unclear whether Jiang Mengyu heard her, and Gu Lanqiu didn’t explain further. The room plunged into deathly silence once more.

After a long while, Jiang Mengyu lowered her eyelids and murmured, “I understand.”

This was the first time the two of them didn’t fall asleep in each other’s arms.

Jiang Mengyu lay with her back to Gu Lanqiu, motionless as a lifeless statue, her breathing so quiet it was imperceptible.

Gu Lanqiu didn’t move either. She knew her earlier words had been somewhat impulsive.

She didn’t want to admit how much it bothered her.

But the way Jiang Mengyu had called her “wife” in the heat of the moment had felt like a splash of cold water over her heart, leaving Gu Lanqiu with a lump in her throat.

What did Jiang Mengyu take her for? A substitute?

A sleepless night.

When morning came, Gu Lanqiu’s head began to throb faintly again. The lack of sleep left her complexion dull, and without waiting for Jiang Mengyu to speak, she grabbed her bag and left.

Jiang Mengyu watched her get into the car.

Aunt Zhang noticed the tension between them and wondered if they had argued again.

Jiang Mengyu and Gu Lanqiu had parted on bad terms.

Gu Lanqiu didn’t reply to messages, and for once, Jiang Mengyu didn’t send any either. The entire day, Jiang Mengyu’s chat window remained eerily silent.

Time slipped by until evening.

Gu Lanqiu had worked late that day. Just as she was packing up to leave, there was a knock on her office door.

“Surprise!”

Wen Lingyi poked her head in.

“I was downstairs for a meeting and heard from Secretary Zhao that you were still here, so I came up to see you.”

Gu Lanqiu glanced at her but said nothing.

“What’s wrong?” Wen Lingyi’s smile faded. “You look upset.”

The gloom in her eyes was practically spilling over she looked like someone who’d had their heart played with.

Wen Lingyi blinked. “Did you fight with… you-know-who?”

Gu Lanqiu’s hand paused as she reached for her bag.

“Really?” Wen Lingyi was stunned. “Weren’t you two fine last night?”

Is this how Gu Lanqiu behaves when he’s in a relationship?

Gu Lanqiu didn’t know how to explain, so he simply kept his mouth shut.

Wen Lingyi stopped her. “Don’t go back yet. Let’s go out for a drink. Allow me, a seasoned love expert, to clear up all your doubts.”

She pulled Gu Lanqiu downstairs and gave the driver a familiar address.

At the same time, Jiang Mengyu was curled up on the sofa reading a book.

The clock hanging in the living room showed that it was already nine o’clock in the evening, and Gu Lanqiu still hadn’t returned.

Based on Jiang Mengyu’s understanding of Gu Lanqiu, it was highly likely she wouldn’t be coming back tonight.

Jiang Mengyu waited a little longer. When it was half past nine, she finally called Gu Lanqiu.

Gu Lanqiu was half-listening to Wen Lingyi’s chatter, clearly distracted, her gaze fixed on one spot for a long time without moving.

The phone on the table buzzed twice. Wen Lingyi leaned over to look. “It’s your call.”

Three large characters on the screen stood out prominently.

Jiang Mengyu.

Wen Lingyi turned to look at Gu Lanqiu. “Aren’t you going to answer?”

Gu Lanqiu stared at the phone screen without speaking. She didn’t move, letting the vibration continue until it finally fell silent.

Wen Lingyi frowned. “Why didn’t you answer?”

Gu Lanqiu lowered her eyes. “I know what she wants to say.”

What Jiang Mengyu wanted to say was nothing more than those few phrases.

Gu Lanqiu didn’t want to hear it.

She knew her emotions were off after all, she’d been aware of it from the start, hadn’t she?

Maybe it really was as Wen Lingyi had said she cared too much about Jiang Mengyu, which was why she felt so upset.

But this problem had been unsolvable from the very beginning. No amount of arguing would change anything.

Wen Lingyi sighed. “This isn’t good.”

“Lack of communication is the worst thing in a relationship.”

She asked seriously, “What exactly did you two fight about?”

Gu Lanqiu remained silent for a long time before finally murmuring, “The one she likes isn’t me.”

Wen Lingyi: “What?”

Judging by Jiang Mengyu’s behavior yesterday, her eyes had been fixed on Gu Lanqiu the entire time. How could that not count as liking her?

Gu Lanqiu shook her head.

The singer’s clear voice filled the air, singing a popular song. Amid the rhythmic melody, Wen Lingyi faintly heard Gu Lanqiu whisper very softly:

“She likes Gu Lanqiu, but not me.”

Wen Lingyi: “?”

Are you speaking in riddles here?

Wen Lingyi was speechless. “Is there a second Gu Lanqiu in this world?”

Then it occurred to her, there might actually be one.

So, Wen Lingyi rephrased her question. “Does Jiang Mengyu know a second Gu Lanqiu?”

“Other than you, which Gu Lanqiu could she possibly like?”

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