The Post-Apocalyptic Rival Who Crashed My Wedding with a Baby - Chapter 9

Dark clouds pressed down from above, the sky thick and heavy like spilled ink, as if it might collapse into a torrential downpour at any moment.

In her mind, Shen Qingyu saw waves roaring toward her, layer upon layer. The seawater was a freezing, pallid white, and the suffocating sensation of near-drowning tortured her repeatedly. A faint spark of light flickered ahead, as fragile as a seedling, looking as though the slightest breeze might snuff it out. She paddled a battered rowboat through the gloom, surrounded by zombies with murderous eyes, all staring hungrily at the child in her arms.

In that instant, Shen Qingyu’s head felt as if it had been struck by a heavy sledgehammer. Her fading survival instinct flared to life, and she began to row with everything she had, desperate to escape the pursuit. Though she was shivering with cold, she held the child tight, repeatedly forcing her powers to activate until she finally shook the monsters off.

When she finally reached the shore through the mist, she caught a blurry glimpse of a figure. Before relief could even set in, the person reached out and snatched the child from her arms.

She froze. A sudden gust of wind cleared the fog, and she was met with Jiang Weiqing’s cold face and a gaze so detached it was as if she were looking at a total stranger. As if they hadn’t spent three whole years together. As if they didn’t have a child. After all that, she had only been met with the sight of Jiang Weiqing’s engagement to someone else.

Perhaps it was only in a dream that Shen Qingyu would allow her tears to fall so defenselessly. She called Jiang Weiqing’s name over and over, voicing the questions burning in her heart.

Have you forgotten me and the baby?

Have you abandoned us?

She had only gone away on a single mission. How had everything changed so completely? Her heart felt like lead, desperate for a sliver of stability in the chaotic darkness.

Because Shen Qingyu remained unconscious, the team had to swallow their burning curiosity and questions. The cave wasn’t large, especially with so many people inside. Since everyone assumed a relationship existed between the two, Jiang Weiqing was naturally pushed to the spot right next to Shen Qingyu.

Under Jiang Weiqing’s urging, Lin Yunxia finally took the child to sleep. Jiang Weiqing leaned her head back against the stone wall, watching Shen Qingyu’s face. She was bored out of her mind, waiting for the System to announce the penalty for failing the side quest.

When it never came, she realized the truth: failing a side quest carried no penalty; you simply lost the chance at a reward. Unfortunately, she had already been demoted to a Level 4 Esper due to the failed engagement mission. Surprisingly, she felt a secret sense of relief that the wedding hadn’t gone through.

Multitasking, Jiang Weiqing let her mind wander while her eyes traced Shen Qingyu’s features. They say one would be lucky to die for a beauty—and her rival was undeniably breathtaking. Even Jiang Weiqing had to admit, privately, that Shen Qingyu was exactly her type.

Suddenly, she saw Shen Qingyu’s long, butterfly-wing lashes quiver. A crystalline tear escaped her eyelid and rolled down her cheek, leaving a wet trail. It was a stark contrast to the fierce woman who had held a gun to her head; she looked fragile, even pitiful.

Moved by a sudden impulse, Jiang Weiqing reached out to wipe the tear away. The very next second, Shen Qingyu’s eyes snapped open.

Jiang Weiqing’s finger was still resting against the tear track. The point of contact felt like a volcano erupting—sudden, intense heat. She froze, her finger curling instinctively as an awkward, suffocating blush crept up her neck. She struggled to think of a single thing to say to break the tension. They were supposed to be rivals, yet here she was, touching the other woman’s face like a lover. It felt uncomfortably close to harassment.

She pursed her lips and began to pull her hand away, intending to retreat. Instead, Shen Qingyu sat up and leaned into the touch, gently pressing her cheek into Jiang Weiqing’s palm. Strands of short hair tickled Weiqing’s skin.

“Weiqing…” she murmured, her voice thick with a sweet, aching tenderness. The cold moonlight reflected in her dark pupils, softened by a hazy, dreamlike veil that made her gaze look warm.

Those seductive phoenix eyes, caught in the threshold of sleep, were utterly captivating. Jiang Weiqing knew she should shove her away or use this vulnerability to mock her, yet she found she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She felt the softness of the other woman’s skin, as if her hand were submerged in a pool of spring water.

Finally, a shred of logic pulled her back to reality. She was supposed to love Lin Qitong, not Shen Qingyu. How could she be having such an ambiguous moment? She coughed twice, a reminder to them both, and moved to retract her hand.

To her surprise, Shen Qingyu looked up with a dazed expression before resting her forehead against Jiang Weiqing’s shoulder. She exposed her long, slender neck—a vulnerable target that looked like it could be snapped with a single hand.

“Don’t go,” Shen Qingyu whispered, clinging to her like a lithe, graceful serpent.

“Shen Qingyu, you’ve got the wrong person,” Jiang Weiqing reminded her in a low voice. “I’m Jiang Weiqing. Your rival.” She emphasized the last word, suddenly feeling like the fire was too hot, the heat in her chest becoming unbearable.

The only response she received was a deep, lingering kiss.

The “serpent” attacked the castle walls, prying open the undefended gates, her eyes luring the other into a dance. Jiang Weiqing gripped her own sleeves, cursing under her breath. “Damn it… why are you such a good kisser?” She was angry, frustrated, and yet…

She was met only with the sound of soft, shallow breaths. Like the scent of overripe nectar, the woman transformed into a seductive siren, every look and movement an invitation to be consumed. Jiang Weiqing felt herself drowning in it, both lucid and falling, even as she kept a wary eye on the shadows around them.

Just as she relaxed her guard, breathless and dazed, she felt something cold and hard press firmly against her throat. A shard of metal.

Shen Qingyu’s eyes, which had been clouded with passion moments ago, were now perfectly clear.

In the moment their lips parted, Jiang Weiqing felt like a clown who had been played for a fool. “What? Are you going to kill me now?” Her voice was laced with an unidentifiable fury.

Shen Qingyu looked at her and let out a cold, mocking laugh, seemingly unable to comprehend Weiqing’s indignation. After all, this woman had abandoned their child first. “I won’t let you take her away,” she said icily.

The child was Shen Qingyu’s only reason for living, the anchor that kept her from her nightmares. Even with her energy depleted, she had deliberately seduced Jiang Weiqing to make her drop her guard. And it had worked.

Jiang Weiqing realized the ploy almost instantly. She let out a dark laugh. “Since you love that kid so much—” She suddenly lunged, pinning Shen Qingyu’s arm. The metal shard sliced across Weiqing’s wrist, leaving a blooming red streak.

“Then stealing my rival’s brat sounds like a great idea. Besides, she seems to like me quite a lot.” She licked the blood from her wound, the metallic tang filling her mouth. She leaned down and kissed Shen Qingyu forcefully, making her swallow the taste of her blood. Her eyes were devoid of warmth.

Shen Qingyu’s ears turned bright red. She glared at Jiang Weiqing. “You don’t even like children, Jiang Weiqing! Why would you take her?” she hissed. “Are you some kind of pervert?”

Jiang Weiqing’s lips curled into a smile. She licked her teeth. “I’ve always been a pervert.”

Shen Qingyu’s heart skipped a beat as a rush of memories flooded back. Memories and reality overlapped. Back then, Jiang Weiqing had said the exact same thing—admitting she was a pervert right before she stripped her clothes!

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