The Tragic Heroine Fell in Love with Me - Chapter 70

Immature.

Immature.

Immature.

Zheng Qi walked out of Xiao San’s home, her eyes aching with pain. The confession she had just blurted out felt as childish as a squabble between kids.

She didn’t know why she had told Xiao San that she liked Shen Lin. As she watched Xiao San’s happy expression turn cold, even forcing a smile, Zheng Qi’s heart felt as if it were being torn apart.

She had never really possessed anything, and even when she did, it was quickly taken away.

She had no friends. Everyone in the village despised her, and she despised them in return.

Later, when her aunt took her out of the mountains, she saw a different world and made friends Shen Lin, the son of her aunt’s friend, and Qi Yan, Shen Lin’s companion.

Zheng Qi didn’t know how to interact with people. Shen Lin was the first friend who had barged into her life.

He was immature, but also gentle, always considering her feelings, always appearing by her side when she was in danger.

Shen Lin didn’t mind that she could easily pin several boys to the ground and beat them up. Instead, he would cheer her on, clapping happily, and even take her hand to tell his parents that she would be his bride someday.

Zheng Qi believed she would definitely marry Shen Lin.

But when Xiao San drew her into her family and she experienced that kind of warmth, her resolve wavered.

Zheng Qi had always known that the grown-up Shen Lin wasn’t as simple and adorable as he had been in childhood. She also knew that Shen Lin liked Xiao San but looked down on her at the same time. Strangely, she was even glad that Shen Lin was a vain person, because it meant he would seek a partner of equal social standing rather than follow his heart in pursuit of love.

Everything Zheng Qi did was to catch Shen Lin’s attention, and she succeeded.

But she began to feel afraid, and jealous.

She was afraid of her own heart. Every time she got close to Xiao San, Xiao San’s actions would stir her emotions. No one had ever trusted her so completely, no one had ever cared about her so deeply.

She was also jealous, jealous that Xiao San could see through Shen Lin.

Every time Xiao San rolled her eyes at Shen Lin or got angry with him, Zheng Qi felt a pang of jealousy, because it meant Xiao San understood Shen Lin. Even though Shen Lin liked Xiao San but looked down on her, Xiao San knew it, she saw Shen Lin for who he was, clearly and unmistakably.

But Xiao San only knew Zheng Qi’s “gentleness” and “kindness”, the hypocritical masks that had earned Xiao San’s trust.

Zheng Qi clung stubbornly to her feelings for Shen Lin. She wanted to marry him, to become his lifelong love, to be bound to him forever.

So when she learned that Shen Lin was with Lin Nuanyan and that Lin Nuanyan was pregnant, she was blinded by rage.

How could Shen Lin do this? How could he abandon the promises they had made? Had he forgotten? He had promised her aunt that he would take care of her for the rest of her life.

Back then, he was the only one who had rushed to her side and taken her away. And now, he was going to abandon her.

“Why? You two barely even interact! Besides, you two. I always thought you didn’t like him! You roll your eyes every time you see him!”

Xiao San had shouted.

Oh.

Zheng Qi felt a sense of relief, ah, so she had been paying attention to me all along.

“It’s fine, you can like him, I don’t mind.”

Xiao San turned away as if in a huff, completely unwilling to speak with her.

Even though Xiao San was clearly getting angry, Zheng Qi felt a little happy.

Xiao San was jealous, wasn’t she? So Xiao San could be jealous over her too.

Zheng Qi began to feel delighted. She wanted to hug Xiao San holding her would surely feel incredibly comforting.

In the end, Zheng Qi did nothing.

She felt a bit lost.

Was everything she was doing right? She had no regrets, she had never regretted anything.

But looking at Xiao San’s dejected expression, she truly felt a little regretful, yet also a little happy.

At the very least, it proved that Xiao San cared about her, more than she had imagined.

Everything that happened afterward also proved this: Xiao San cared about her, deeply. When others bullied her, Xiao San would rush right in front of her, becoming her protective shield.

How could Xiao San be like this?

How could she care so much? How could she be such an irresistible warmth?

“Ah Qi, I’ve thought of something, I want to set you up with Shen Lin. Don’t worry, in my past life I successfully matched several couples. In this life, it’ll be a piece of cake!”

But this warm Xiao San was now trying to push her toward Shen Lin.

Zheng Qi felt a little sad. Then again, she thought it might be for the best. She was supposed to become Shen Lin’s wife anyway. Xiao San was her best friend, and Shen Lin liked Xiao San too, he would surely treat Xiao San well.

Shen Lin liked Xiao San.

Just thinking about it filled Zheng Qi’s heart with dark thoughts.

How wonderful it would be if she could just hide Xiao San away.

“You asked Xiao San to invite me out just so you could space out?” Shen Lin looked at Zheng Qi with disdain, his face still carrying that same unyielding arrogance.

Zheng Qi lowered her head and couldn’t help but roll her eyes, imitating Xiao San’s mannerism.

Suddenly, she stopped. It really seemed like she was growing more and more impatient with Shen Lin.

Xiao San ran off quickly, looking cheerful.

Like a little deer bounding along, so adorable it made one want to kill her and preserve her as a specimen.

Strange scenes flashed through Zheng Qi’s mind, and then she looked at Shen Lin.

Shen Lin’s eyes were full of appraisal, as if he were weighing Xiao San’s and her value.

Zheng Qi couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Why did she suddenly find Shen Lin so repulsive?

She should be happy, after all. No matter how Shen Lin weighed the pros and cons, in the end, he would surely choose her.

“Hey, what’s with that look?” Shen Lin watched Zheng Qi warily, pulling his chair back a couple of steps as if frightened. He had the illusion that Zheng Qi seemed about to gouge out his eyes.

Soon, he pulled his chair back and sat down.

It must have been an illusion Zheng Qi was so timid.

Zheng Qi lowered her head. “It’s nothing.”

She kept stirring her coffee, hoping time would pass quickly, yet also wishing it would slow down.

She was conflicted. She wanted to spend more time with Shen Lin, yet she also wanted to escape this situation as soon as possible.

“Zheng Qi, my parents said they want to meet you.” Shen Lin picked up his phone, glanced at it, then quickly tossed it back onto the table, his expression displeased.

“Your parents?” Zheng Qi’s tone was full of confusion.

Shen Lin let out a scornful laugh. “Stop pretending. Haven’t you always been trying to cling to me? Getting close to my parents was part of your plan too, wasn’t it?”

“I haven’t.”

“Cut the act. Aren’t you just the daughter of my parents’ friends? We’re practically relatives.” Shen Lin spoke with a careless, mocking tone.

Zheng Qi lowered her head sadly, though in truth, she wasn’t sad at all her expression of grievance was merely a shield.

Shen Lin didn’t remember her at all.

This was within her expectations, but being recognized so quickly by Shen Lin’s parents left her somewhat puzzled.

Just as she was about to ask, a group of people suddenly entered from outside, surrounding her.

They were foreigners, with hooked noses and blue eyes, dressed in black suits, looking exactly like characters from a TV drama on a secret mission.

She glanced around and realized there was no one else nearby.

“I thought you were just some nobody from the Zheng family. I never expected you to be a noble from F Country. Color me impressed.” Shen Lin raised his eyebrows smugly. “I think you’d better hurry back home. Stop clinging to me all the time, it’s really annoying.”

Zheng Qi stared at the incessantly talking Shen Lin, growing more and more irritated by him.

“I heard I saved you when we were kids, and we were even betrothed. Surprise, surprise.” He clapped his hands. “What a shame, though. You’re going back to your F Country now, and you’ll never see me again.”

Shen Lin was utterly pleased with himself. Just moments ago, he had been assessing Zheng Qi and Xiao San’s value, and now he could completely discard Zheng Qi without a second thought.

In the end, Shen Lin didn’t care about Zheng Qi at all. Those assessments only proved that he saw her as nothing more than a commodity. It was a pity that Zheng Qi had once been happy to be considered a commodity in his eyes.

Zheng Qi glared at Shen Lin.

She was furious.

Even though she had started to dislike him, she never imagined he would betray her like this.

Shen Lin waved his hand dismissively, as if finally shaking off a nuisance carefree, relaxed, self-satisfied, and utterly detestable.

Zheng Qi rushed forward, wanting to slam Shen Lin hard to the ground, but the back of her head was struck by an elbow, and she collapsed softly into unconsciousness.

Zheng Qi’s awareness hadn’t completely faded. She felt herself being loaded into the back of a car. She struggled, but her hands only feebly pawed at the black-clothed person’s clothes a couple of times.

Xiao San must be furious that she was leaving without saying goodbye.

“Thanks to my cleverness, that fool Xiao San thought she could trick me. But in the end, I’m the real winner.”

Shen Lin shook his head gleefully.

By sending Zheng Qi back to F Country, the Shen Group would receive a substantial investment.

The daughter of Count Helge, what a delightful surprise.

Shen Lin straightened his clothes. Although his parents had opposed informing Count Helge of Zheng Qi’s whereabouts, Shen Lin had secretly contacted the count the moment he learned of her identity.

Not only would this elevate the Shen Group to new heights, but it would also rid him of this major nuisance.

Shen Lin couldn’t have been happier.

However, the Shen Group soon faced a massive crisis after Shen Lin’s parents died in a car accident but that’s a story for another time.

And so, Zheng Qi was sent to the Helge family, to the place she had once dreamed of.

When Zheng Qi woke up, she found herself lying on the edge of an enormous bed spanning over three meters.

If Xiao San were here, she would surely mock the impracticality of such a bed.

A faint smile tugged at Zheng Qi’s lips, but as it began to form, her eyes fell upon the man seated not far away, the man she had once longed to see, yearned for, and held in such high esteem.

He hadn’t appeared when her aunt was in grave danger.

Now that she had grown up, and her aunt had long turned to dust, what meaning did his presence hold?

Perhaps there was still meaning.

Tilting her head, Zheng Qi stared at the man before her. She leaped off the bed, snatched the vase at the bedside, and charged toward him.

Die! Aunt must have missed him terribly.

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