The Tragic Heroine Fell in Love with Me - Chapter 42

“Why do you keep smiling at me like that?”

Xiao San was utterly speechless. Ever since Zheng Qi woke up, she had been acting like a fool, grinning at Xiao San nonstop until it was starting to creep her out.

Zheng Qi shook her head, still smiling.

“Hey, you’re not possessed or something, are you?”

Zheng Qi shook her head, still smiling.

“Ah Qi, if there’s something bothering you, just tell me, okay? Don’t keep it all bottled up, it’s not good for you.”

Zheng Qi grabbed Xiao San’s hand and held it. “I just feel that having San’er by my side is really wonderful.”

“Having Ah Qi is wonderful too.” Xiao San giggled, not really angry with Zheng Qi anymore. After all, Zheng Qi had just survived a near-death experience, so it wasn’t strange for her to act a little odd.

Xiao San peeled an apple for Zheng Qi, cut it into small pieces, and placed them on a plate on the bedside table. “Hurry up and eat it before it oxidizes.”

Zheng Qi lifted her arm, then let it drop heavily. “It hurts so much.”

Xiao San looked and saw that one of Zheng Qi’s arms had been hooked up to an IV all day, while the other, though not receiving injections, was covered in scars on the back of her hand. She must have used her arms and hands to block those blows with great force back then.

“Let me feed you.”

She picked up a small piece of apple with a toothpick and held it to Zheng Qi’s lips, waiting for her to open her mouth and eat it before picking up another piece. But perhaps because the pieces were cut a bit too large, Zheng Qi needed three or four bites to finish one piece.

The apple pieces didn’t actually look that big.

Xiao San cut them smaller, but Zheng Qi still took three or four bites for each piece. Each time, Xiao San had to hold her arm up for a long time in front of Zheng Qi, until her own arm grew sore.

“Ouch.” Zheng Qi accidentally bit the toothpick, and the corner of her mouth even started bleeding from the poke.

Worried, Xiao San wiped away the blood with her hand and examined the wound at the corner of Zheng Qi’s mouth. “Are you okay?”

It was all her fault, her arm had gotten too tired, causing her to accidentally poke Ah Qi’s mouth.

“It’s fine.” Zheng Qi showed no sign of blaming her. She shook her head while gazing longingly at the fruit plate. “I still want more.”

Xiao San looked at the toothpick. “What if I feed you with my hand? You don’t mind, do you?”

Zheng Qi smiled. “How could I ever mind San’er?”

Xiao San picked up a piece of apple with her hand and brought it to Zheng Qi’s mouth. Zheng Qi opened her mouth, taking in the apple and also enclosing Xiao San’s fingers.

A strange warmth came from Zheng Qi’s tongue. It seemed she was trying to catch the apple, so her tongue gently slid across the pads of Xiao San’s thumb and index finger.

Startled, Xiao San quickly pulled her hand back.

She looked at Zheng Qi, who appeared completely confused. “What’s wrong?”

“You, you took too big a bite,” Xiao San could only say.

“Ah.” Zheng Qi apologized, “I thought I was taking too small bites earlier and making your arm tired, so I…”

“No, it’s fine. It’s my fault, my fault.” Seeing Zheng Qi’s guilty expression again, Xiao San quickly picked up another piece of apple. “Eat more. You’ve been on IV drips for days and have lost so much weight. You need to eat well to recover.”

Xiao San thought she had successfully changed the subject and made Zheng Qi forget her guilt, but she failed to notice the glint of cunning that flashed in Zheng Qi’s eyes.

Zheng Qi stayed in the hospital for a full three months before preparing to be discharged. Xiao San had almost forgotten that Zheng Qi was still engaged to Shen Lin, until Shen Lin arrived in a flurry of dust just as Zheng Qi was about to leave the hospital. The moment he stepped through the door, he said, “Zheng Qi, my patience with you has its limits. You’ve played this game of playing hard to get long enough.”

After speaking, Shen Lin paused.

He seemed not to have expected Xiao San to be there as well.

He pressed his lips together, hesitating as if he had countless words to say to Xiao San.

Xiao San glanced at Shen Lin, then at Zheng Qi.

She wanted to advise Zheng Qi to break things off with Shen Lin, but remembering past lessons, she held back this time. Instead, she tactfully moved toward the door. “I’ll go settle the bill for you. You two can talk things over.”

“There’s nothing for us to talk about,” Zheng Qi said, quickly stepping closer to Xiao San and grabbing her arm as if afraid she would leave. “San’er,” she cooed, “don’t leave me alone.”

Xiao San glanced again at Shen Lin, whose face had turned dark.

Sure enough, even if Shen Lin didn’t show it openly, he was clearly still in love with Zheng Qi.

“Ah Qi, you two need to sort things out eventually,” Xiao San decided not to interfere in their relationship anymore. Whatever the outcome, they should decide for themselves.

Xiao San gently pried Zheng Qi’s hand away and turned to leave the room. Zheng Qi continued to gaze pitifully at Xiao San’s retreating back. If only her expression had remained just as tender when she turned away, it might have been more convincing.

“Can you stop pretending?” Shen Lin gritted his teeth, his face livid.

Zheng Qi’s features were naturally sharp, but she usually softened them with makeup and often acted weak and pitiable, making people overlook the sharpness in her eyes.

Now, without her disguise, she exuded an aura that kept others at a distance.

Zheng Qi glanced at Shen Lin. “Didn’t I have Allen tell you? Our agreement is over.”

“Over?” Shen Lin sneered. “You were the one who wanted to start this, and now you’re the one ending it. Have you forgotten who begged and rushed to get engaged to me? Now the entire Shen Group and the media all know we’re getting engaged, and you’re telling me the agreement is over?”

Zheng Qi looked at the increasingly agitated Shen Lin.

He always seemed to have this temper, impatient and unable to stay calm. Even now, two years later, he was still as immature as that reckless young man, with no sign of growth.

“If you need public relations support, I can cooperate. You can even throw all the blame on me, I don’t really mind.”

“Throw blame on you?” Shen Lin was so angry he could no longer maintain his usual suave demeanor. “So, you can run crying to Xiao San and make her think I’m the one who hurt you?”

“Oh my, you’ve caught on,” Zheng Qi said, surprisingly impressed with Shen Lin for once. She looked at him, thinking there might have been a reason she liked him back then.

Her thoughts were racing, but her face remained impassive. Mimicking Li Allen’s tone, she let out a deliberately provoking sound, watching Shen Lin as if he were part of some farce.

Shen Lin ignored the discomfort in his heart. “Zheng Qi, what exactly do you want?”

Zheng Qi seemed to ponder for a moment before replying, just as Shen Lin began to look hopeful, “I plan to cut all ties with you completely.”

She should have done this long ago, but she had been trapped by her obsession all along.

It was just that she was willing to let go, but Shen Lin was not.

“Zheng Qi, if it’s because of Lin Nuanyan, I can tell you that I’ve completely cut ties with her. You don’t need to worry about her,” Shen Lin said helplessly, as if coaxing a stubborn child.

Zheng Qi shook her head.

“If it’s because of others. I promise you, after we get engaged, I will break things off with all of them.”

“Wow,” Zheng Qi finally showed a hint of surprise this time. “There are others around you?”

Shen Lin rarely showed a trace of embarrassment, but he quickly composed himself. “Over the years, I’ve had my needs.”

Over the years?

Zheng Qi tried hard to recall, but no matter how she thought about it, it seemed they had only been apart for two years.

Besides Lin Nuanyan, Shen Lin actually had other women.

Life was truly strange.

If it had been a few months ago, Zheng Qi might have been driven mad with jealousy.

But now, she was completely in the mood to watch the drama unfold.

“What do you want?” Shen Lin, embarrassed and angry, almost resembled a balloon about to burst. “I’ve already compromised to this extent. Are you still going to push me further?”

“First of all, I don’t think I’m pushing you. Secondly, I’ve made it clear to you: the agreement is over. There’s no possibility for us anymore.”

“Why?” Shen Lin shouted loudly.

“Shen Lin,” Zheng Qi said, wanting to leave some dignity between them after all these years of longing. “I admit I was infatuated with you before, but you never liked me, did you? Now that I’ve completely let go, isn’t it better for both of us?”

“You can’t have let go,” Shen Lin said with certainty. “If it weren’t for me, you would have died in the deep mountains and old forests. Have you forgotten? Your aunt wanted us to be together forever.”

Shen Lin regretted his words as soon as he said them.

Zheng Qi looked at him in surprise.

She watched his regretful expression and his stubborn attempt to lift his head.

She looked at the person she had once been obsessed with.

She thought he had forgotten.

She had wanted to awaken Shen Lin’s memories of her because he didn’t remember, so she could bear all the misunderstandings and endure his repeated hurts.

She let out a cold laugh.

“You actually remember?”

“I…” Shen Lin was at a loss for words. He admitted it was his mistake, but he had always thought those memories were nothing more than a childhood nightmare. The present was the only reality, so he had never wanted to recall them. He only brought it up now because Zheng Qi’s expression was too cold.

Yes, it was all Zheng Qi’s fault.

They had been engaged since they were children, but now Zheng Qi wanted to break the agreement.

If she hadn’t broken the agreement, he would never have said such things.

“Zheng Qi, I forgive you, okay? I’ve already moved the engagement date to the seventh of next month.”

Shen Lin lowered his noble head. This was his greatest concession.

“Shen Lin, don’t tell me you’ve fallen for me,” Zheng Qi said to him, almost mockingly.

Shen Lin: “How could that be? How could I possibly like you? I just don’t like changing plans. Have you forgotten? We agreed to get engaged. If we don’t, where would the Shen family’s dignity be?”

Zheng Qi burst into laughter, her laughter gradually turning into tears. “Shen Lin, you’ve actually fallen for me, haven’t you?”

Shen Lin sprang to his feet, nearly losing control and doing something to Zheng Qi. But then he remembered her combat skills and quietly lowered his hand. “I haven’t. There’s only an agreement between us. Zheng Qi, snap out of it. I will never like you in this lifetime.”

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