The Tragic Heroine Fell in Love with Me - Chapter 80

Xiao San realized her movements were being restricted.

Although Zheng Qi appeared as gentle as ever in front of her, Xiao San knew that everything had changed.

“Didn’t San’er always say she wanted to dye her hair?” That day, when Zheng Qi returned, her complexion seemed noticeably paler. Xiao San noticed but didn’t ask.

Xiao San watched as Zheng Qi held hair dye in both hands each hand a different color.

Xiao San had often mentioned wanting a vibrant, eye-catching color perhaps red, pink, blue, or green. And now, in Zheng Qi’s hands, there were two colors: one pink and one green.

Xiao San let out a bitter laugh.

Since she couldn’t go out anyway, what did it matter if she dyed her hair?

Zheng Qi continued, “You might like the pink, but I think it’s too bright. It would definitely turn heads on the street. How about the green? This shade has a hint of ink, so it’s a bit more subtle.”

Xiao San hung her head despondently. She didn’t want to choose.

Everything felt meaningless to her now.

“San’er doesn’t like these two colors?” Zheng Qi walked over to Xiao San’s side. “San’er, do you want to take a look?”

Xiao San pushed Zheng Qi’s hand away.

Xiao San swore she only pushed lightly, but Zheng Qi’s reaction was strange she almost seemed on the verge of tears.

Xiao San noticed what looked like bloodstains inside Zheng Qi’s sleeve.

“What happened to your arm?” Xiao San asked.

Zheng Qi immediately tried to cover it up, pulling her sleeve down further. “It’s nothing, really.”

“There’s clearly blood,” Xiao San insisted, ignoring Zheng Qi’s denial as she grabbed her clothes.

Zheng Qi didn’t resist much; she only made a symbolic attempt to pull away before letting Xiao San take her hand.

Xiao San pushed the sleeve up.

The white shirt was stained with dried blood, and her arm was covered in marks as if she had been whipped repeatedly.

Xiao San looked at Zheng Qi. “Are you crazy? What happened?”

“It’s nothing,” Zheng Qi said with a smile, pulling her arm back and carefully lowering her sleeve. “I just accidentally bumped into something.”

“Accidentally? You’re saying these are from an accident?”

Xiao San stared at Zheng Qi in disbelief. Those wounds were clearly from forceful strikes, how could they possibly be accidental?

Zheng Qi took Xiao San’s hands in hers. “I’m so happy that San’er cares about me.”

“Let go of me.”

Xiao San wanted to push Zheng Qi away, but afraid of hurting her because of the injuries, she allowed Zheng Qi to press further and pull her into an embrace.

Xiao San could clearly sense that every movement Zheng Qi made caused her pain, pain that made her grit her teeth, tense her facial muscles, and even break out in a sweat on her forehead.

“Ah Qi.”

“It’s been so long since San’er called my name.”

Zheng Qi seemed even happier.

Xiao San lowered her eyes.

This state between them had already lasted for over a week.

Zheng Qi kept talking, while Xiao San resisted passively.

Xiao San wanted to leave this place, but Zheng Qi stubbornly refused to let her step out of the house.

Even Xiao San’s mother and father had called, asking if she had done something to upset Zheng Qi.

None of them considered the possibility that it might be Zheng Qi who was in the wrong.

They would never have guessed, and if it weren’t for the trip to Zheng Village, Xiao San wouldn’t have been able to imagine that Zheng Qi so gentle, reasonable, and understanding could actually be so cunning and manipulative.

Xiao San looked at Zheng Qi’s appearance and asked, “How many times did you hit yourself?”

“Not many, just twenty times.”

No wonder Zheng Qi had looked so pale when she appeared.

But Xiao San couldn’t help wondering: Was her discovery of Zheng Qi’s self-inflicted injuries really just a coincidence, or was it intentional on Zheng Qi’s part?

Xiao San had started to feel a bit soft-hearted, but thinking about this, she couldn’t be sure it was all just a coincidence.

She gently pushed Zheng Qi away and stood up. “I’m tired. I want to go back and sleep.”

Zheng Qi said, “Is San’er tired? I’m tired too. Let’s rest together.”

Xiao San quickly stopped her. “I want to rest alone. Don’t follow me.”

Zheng Qi watched Xiao San leave from behind and slowly said, “If you don’t want to talk to me, you can talk to Lü Yu. Isn’t she your best friend?”

Xiao San paused, turned around, and looked at Zheng Qi with a complicated expression. “Are you being sarcastic?”

She must be.

Didn’t Zheng Qi understand that the person she had been chatting with was Lü Yu, or rather, Zheng Qi herself? Or was Zheng Qi still unaware that Xiao San had discovered that “Lü Yu” was actually Zheng Qi?

Of course, that couldn’t be the case.

Xiao San never had the confidence to believe she could hide her emotions and attitudes well enough to deceive someone like Zheng Qi.

See.

Once she lost trust in Zheng Qi, she began to overanalyze every word Zheng Qi said. She even felt that Zheng Qi might not have intended so much, but the more she thought about it, the more meaning she found in Zheng Qi’s words.

Xiao San didn’t like this version of herself.

Life should be simple, but it felt like she was caught in a web of scheming.

Xiao San didn’t wait for Zheng Qi’s reply, nor did she need one.

She turned and walked into her room, locking the door behind her.

Zheng Qi called from outside, “San’er, didn’t you want to go hiking? I heard there’s a matchmaking event on Chen Mountain recently. Let’s go together.”

Xiao San didn’t want to respond. She buried her head under the pillow.

She didn’t want to go.

All she wanted was some peace and quiet, but Zheng Qi wasn’t giving her any chance for that.

How could this person be like this? She was about to marry Shen Ling, yet she refused to break up with Xiao San.

Break up.

Xiao San pondered those two words.

She began to question why she had even come to this world.

Breaking up might be simple, right?

After all, Zheng Qi had already achieved her wish to marry Shen Ling. Did she still want to use Xiao San for something else?

Could it be because Shen Ling had a crush on her?

Xiao San couldn’t help but consider this possibility.

But that couldn’t be, could it?

Early the next morning, Xiao San was awakened by Zheng Qi knocking on her door.

Xiao San had no choice but to open it.

Zheng Qi was dressed in sportswear, with a backpack already on her shoulders. “San’er, aren’t you going to get ready quickly? We’re going hiking today.”

“What day is it today?” Xiao San had lost track of the days since she didn’t have to work and had no idea what day it was.

“It’s Monday,” Zheng Qi said. “Is San’er worried there might be too many people hiking? Don’t worry, it’s Monday, there won’t be many.”

“Oh.” Xiao San turned away listlessly. “On Mondays, all I want to do is sleep.”

“If that’s the case, we can go tomorrow instead.”

Xiao San had already sat down on the edge of the bed. Hearing Zheng Qi’s words, she lifted her head to look at her. “Can’t you go by yourself?”

“Praying for marital blessings is better done by two people together.”

“Then why not go with Shen Lin?” Xiao San said mockingly.

Zheng Qi’s expression turned grim. “San’er, are you suggesting I go with Shen Lin?”

“You’re about to get married anyway. Once you’re husband and wife, what difference does it make whether you pray for blessings or not?” Xiao San crossed her legs, her tone dripping with sarcasm and disdain. “Weren’t you the one who hated that mistress who stole your father? Or do you actually want me to be a mistress too? Ah, I see you must have a thing for mistresses. After all, my name is Xiao San. Do you think ‘Xiao San’ and ‘mistress’ are a perfect match?”

“San’er.” Zheng Qi hesitated, wanting to step closer, but the pain in her arm reminded her not to act impulsively like last time.

Zheng Qi could hurt anyone except Xiao San.

Every wrong she had ever done haunted her. Just thinking about them made her wish she could travel back in time and end her own past self.

Now that she was finally with Xiao San, she cherished her too much to ever truly harm her.

She admitted she was despicable and twisted. So many things had changed her, made her unlike the Zheng Qi Xiao San once liked.

So she worked hard to learn, to pretend. Even if it meant locking her dark, twisted, writhing true self inside a beautiful shell for a lifetime even if that inner darkness desperately struggled to break free, she was willing to keep it imprisoned forever.

But now, Xiao San had seen through her.

She was terrified, terrified that Xiao San would leave her.

Yet she was also relieved relieved that she no longer had to keep up the act.

She didn’t like the Zheng Qi that Xiao San described selfless, gentle, understanding.

In fact, she didn’t like any version of herself.

She had lost so much. Xiao San was the only thing she had left.

So she had to hold on tightly she would never let Xiao San go.

Xiao San was just angry with her.

She knew that if Xiao San really wanted to leave, she wouldn’t sound like this.

Xiao San just hadn’t figured something out yet.

She would forgive her, Zheng Qi was sure of it.

This time, Zheng Qi didn’t dare retreat to advance.

She knew that if she stepped back even once, she might lose Xiao San forever.

So, she could only stay by Xiao San’s side, appearing before her constantly, letting her see her goodness.

Xiao San didn’t know, Zheng Qi hadn’t slept properly for nights. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Xiao San leaving her for good.

Only by sitting outside Xiao San’s door could she manage a few minutes of sleep. But she didn’t dare stay too long, afraid Xiao San would notice. She was surely even more disliked now.

When Xiao San wasn’t angry with her, she could pretend to be hurt and sad. But now, she didn’t even dare shed a tear, afraid Xiao San would think she was fishing for sympathy.

It’s okay, she could wait for Xiao San’s forgiveness. She had always been a patient person.

Zheng Qi smiled at Xiao San. “If that’s the case, we can go tomorrow instead.”

“I never once thought about marrying Shen Lin. I admit I used to have feelings for him, but that’s all in the past. The only person I love now is you, San’er.”

“Is that so?” Xiao San looked at Zheng Qi and sneered. “I don’t believe you.”

Support