Chapter 18

It was rare for Qi Jinyu not to be at her side.

Last time, when she’d taken Yu Ling street racing, Qi Jinyu had used the excuse that she wouldn’t be able to celebrate with her after taking office. Yu Ling had assumed it was something she’d made up on the spot. She hadn’t expected it to be true.

Ever since they’d become lovers, Qi Jinyu had practically been glued to her.

She was a shamelessly flirtatious fox. If Yu Ling ignored her, she’d pout and whine sweetly. If Yu Ling went too far, she’d fix her with those amber eyes and a teasing, knowing smile.

Now that she suddenly had no one clinging to her, Yu Ling had to admit—

She actually missed it a little.

The butler pushed her wheelchair from behind, carefully pointing out which family each young lady belonged to as they approached to greet her.

Since Yu Ling was playing a short-tempered, haughty Eldest Miss, she had a perfect excuse to skip the usual pleasantries.

The beautiful girl, with her peach-blossom features, arched a brow and snapped, “What? A dinner next week? I barely know you. Why would you invite me?”

The girl in front of her clearly hadn’t expected the Yu family’s Eldest Miss to have such a temper. An answer that rude should have offended her.

But the sickly young lady before her was simply too stunning.

Especially those almond-shaped eyes. When Yu Ling looked straight at someone, it was as if the other person were the only one in her world. Her manner was sharp, yet there was something about the way she combined fragile beauty with an air of illness that made the girl’s heart skip a beat.

After a brief, stunned pause, she covered her burning cheeks and blurted, “Anyway, Miss Yu, you’re always welcome to join us!” Then she fled in a fluster.

Yu Ling watched her go, baffled. When she turned back, she found eager glances fixed on her from every direction. Her mood soured at once.

She signaled to the butler to take her somewhere quiet, away from the crowd.

After stopping a passing attendant for a slice of almond cake, she ate slowly in silence.

Just then, a staff member from the academy came over to discuss the appointment ceremony with the butler. The butler glanced around and spotted Yu Lingyi approaching from across the room, then relaxed.

“Miss, Second Miss will be here shortly. I’ll take care of a few things and be right back.”

Yu Ling nodded absently.

She used to complain that her social circle was too small. Now, faced with so many strangers, she had no desire to make new acquaintances. If anything, the crowded room put her off.

Thinking about Qi Jinyu’s almost obsessive possessiveness, Yu Ling suddenly realized she’d adapted to it remarkably well.

That was terrifying…

As Yu Ling sat lost in thought, a jumble of clicking heels sounded behind her.

She turned, expecting Yu Lingyi, but the person who appeared was Song Zeling, whom she’d only met the day before.

Her red hair fell in big waves, and her tight dress hugged her curves, its deep neckline impossible to miss. For such a formal occasion, she’d dressed with shameless, blazing boldness.

But Song Zeling was a member of the Song family. Aside from the other four great families, no one dared criticize the fiery-tempered woman to her face.

Still walking with that same drunken, lurching gait, she swayed over to Yu Ling, a wineglass in one hand.

Yu Ling had been looking down, typing a message to Yu Lingyi to ask where she was. Suddenly, a shadow fell across her.

She looked up—and found herself face-first against something soft and yielding.

The rich scent of red wine mingled with the woman’s perfume. Even through the fabric, Yu Ling could feel her warmth. For a moment, it was as if the woman had pulled her into a full embrace.

Yu Ling’s face flushed scarlet. She hurriedly shoved her away.

But the push made the woman stumble. The clear wine in her glass sloshed over the rim and dripped onto her chest.

Song Zeling was generously endowed, and the wine stain spread across the fabric over her breasts, darkening it. Her eyes, hazy with drink, lingered on Yu Ling with an interest that made the moment feel far too intimate.

Yu Ling frowned, her voice turning cold. “Song Zeling, what are you doing here?”

Song Zeling tipped her head back and downed the last of her wine. Swinging the empty glass, she slurred her words together.

“Celebrating our Yu family’s Eldest Miss for beating the Lu family’s Eldest Miss. What a wonderful occasion.”

“After losing, Lu Li couldn’t even bring herself to show her face at the banquet. What a rare sight.”

“Don’t you think so, Little Yu Ling?”

Her exaggerated, flippant tone put Yu Ling off, but she couldn’t be bothered to argue with a drunk.

“Compared to me, Sister Song, your dress is the one that’s wet. Isn’t that the more pressing problem?” she replied coolly.

“Oh, a wet dress is nothing…”

Song Zeling’s foxlike eyes glittered with alluring mischief. She seized Yu Ling’s hand and pressed it against her chest, right over the wine stain.

The red-haired woman leaned closer, and the softness beneath Yu Ling’s palm became unmistakable.

“If something else were wet, now that would be a problem~”

Her eyes were sultry, her breath sweet as orchids. Song Zeling bent down and whispered against Yu Ling’s ear.

Yu Ling stared at her, stunned. She’d never encountered anything like this before, and even her usually razor-sharp tongue failed her. Face burning, she snapped, “S-Song Zeling! Let go of me!”

Song Zeling was naturally stronger. Yu Ling tried to pull free, but couldn’t.

A sudden gleam lit Song Zeling’s eyes at the sight of her flustered face.

“Why are you so shy? Don’t tell me you and Qi Jinyu haven’t done it yet, Little Yu Ling?”

Song Zeling said it without a trace of embarrassment, as if there were nothing unusual about asking such a blunt question.

Yu Ling’s blush deepened. The ear Song Zeling had teased with her breath burned nearly bright red.

“What’s it to you?”

Song Zeling put on a look of mock regret. “Could it be that with your half-crippled body, you can’t even have sex?”

“Tch. What a disappointment.”

It was no longer possible to pass her words off as a joke or flirtation. Song Zeling’s remark dripped with mockery, pure malice.

Anger darkened Yu Ling’s face, her lips pressed into a taut line.

Before she could respond, a pair of hands yanked the red-haired drunk away.

Yu Ling was finally free.

It was Yu Lingyi.

Yu Ling had never seen her like this before.

Her custom-tailored mermaid gown fit her slender waist perfectly. Her wavy hair spilled over her shoulders like seaweed, and the corners of her eyes tilted up slightly, brushed with a soft blush like begonia petals that made her pale skin seem even more luminous.

Her figure still had the slender lines of a girl. Her chest hadn’t yet filled out, but there was a graceful, youthful lightness to her elegance, a beauty poised between innocence and maturity.

Her lipstick-painted lips parted, and the words that came out were edged with anger.

“Miss Song, putting someone else’s hand on your chest—drunk or not, I don’t see how you can explain away that kind of rudeness.”

“And when I came over, Aunt Song was looking for you with a frown.”

Yu Lingyi glared at the red-haired woman with the same almond-shaped eyes as her sister’s. The warning in her gaze was impossible to miss.

Song Zeling giggled and rocked her already empty glass. She eyed Yu Lingyi, who had placed herself between her and Yu Ling, with a meaningful look.

“Young Boss Yu, why do you sound so full of gunpowder? I don’t usually see this side of you.”

Then, without pressing the matter any further, she staggered away.

“Young Boss Yu, I hope your sister has a wonderful time tonight!” she called over her shoulder, leaving the words hanging in the air as she laughed.

Yu Lingyi watched her go, frowning as she tried to figure out what Song Zeling had meant. It hadn’t sounded like she meant it literally.

“What the hell was Song Zeling’s problem?” Yu Ling scowled, cursing her out.

A faint flush of anger colored the girl’s cheeks, making her light pink blush seem all the more vivid.

Still, Song Zeling wasn’t one of her Conquest Targets. As long as she didn’t interfere with Yu Ling’s Mission, Yu Ling had no reason to guess at what was going on in her head.

Yu Lingyi turned to her sister, apologetic. “Sorry I’m late, Sister. I ran into Aunt Qi on the way here, and she stopped me to talk. It set me back a little.”

“Aunt Qi said that, as one of Teitan Academy’s board members, she ought to attend the annual Teitan Banquet.”

Aunt Qi?

Yu Ling’s gaze shifted.

She followed the direction Yu Lingyi had come from and spotted Qi Lian at the very center of the crowd, surrounded by people.

Her expression was gentle, but the pallor of illness was hard to miss. Her health seemed to be deteriorating further.

Yu Ling turned back to look at Yu Lingyi. Her expression was normal, and she was watching Yu Ling with concern.

“Sister, did Song Zeling do anything else to you?”

“She said my half-crippled body was too useless to even have sex,” Yu Ling said bluntly.

For a moment, Yu Lingyi’s expression stiffened.

Her gaze dropped instinctively, her fingers tightening slightly. Her long lashes trembled, hiding whatever had flickered in her eyes.

A moment later, she looked up again. Anger had replaced the stiffness, and fury blazed in her eyes.

“Song Zeling…” She ground out the name as if she wanted to crush it between her teeth.

“Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to be out of town today?” Yu Ling smoothly changed the subject. She knew Yu Lingyi would find a way to get back at Song Zeling for her.

“I came just to keep you company, Sister. I’ll leave after I take you home.” In an instant, Yu Lingyi was back to her usual sweet, soft self, coaxing her sister.

As if she’d never once told Yu Ling, “I hope your legs never get better.”

Yu Ling made no comment.

The banquet was honestly rather dull.

After all that planning, none of the Conquest Targets had gathered for the long-awaited scene. Qi Jinyu hadn’t shown up at all. Yu Lingyi stayed by her side while handling business, and Lu Li seemed utterly dejected after her defeat.

Yu Ling couldn’t help feeling bored.

Halfway through the banquet, she stifled a yawn. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes, and her expression had grown weary.

Seeing her yawn, Yu Lingyi suggested they head home early.

“All right.” Yu Ling agreed at once. It didn’t even occur to her to worry about how improper it was for the guest of honor to leave early. She was a haughty, willful Eldest Miss. That explained everything.

But once they were outside, just as they were about to get into the car, Yu Lingyi stopped.

She’d carried Yu Ling out in her arms. The evening breeze was chilly, but Yu Ling’s face had been tucked into Yu Lingyi’s neck, and all she’d felt was her sister’s warmth—

Yu Lingyi had kept her promise from the day before to hug Yu Ling every day.

She’d settled her gently into the car.

Yu Lingyi had just bent down to get in when her phone rang.

At first, her expression was relaxed, still touched with the pleasure of spending time with her sister.

But within seconds, her brows began to draw together.

Only then did the sharp, calculating air of someone who could hold her own in a corporate battle come into view.

Her face grew serious. Her attention focused. Her mind turned entirely to weighing the stakes.

Yet when she spoke, the distance vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

“Sister,” Yu Lingyi said softly, unable to hide the worry in her voice. “Something’s happened at the company. I have to go over there right away. You should go home first.”

She added, “Don’t worry about me, okay? Get some rest. Your health comes first.”

Yu Ling had been about to ask what had happened, but after hearing Yu Lingyi say that, she let the question go.

Yu Lingyi hurried off without even changing out of her high heels.

Something bad must have happened.

The summer night breeze was cool, but it did nothing to dispel the growing heat in the air. The bright moon hung overhead, and the parking lot, full of luxury cars, was unusually quiet.

The car hadn’t started yet. As Yu Ling was thinking, a hand knocked on her side of the window.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

The sudden, forceful pounding made Yu Ling jump.

The glass was one-way. Startled by the noise, Yu Ling turned—and saw the one person she hadn’t seen all evening.

Lu Li.

Yu Ling didn’t roll down the window. She opened the car door instead.

The moment it swung open, a strong smell of alcohol mixed with the crisp, cool scent of plum perfume swept in.

Lu Li was clearly not herself.

Her brows were pinched in pain, her lips parted, her eyes half-closed. Heat seemed to radiate from her body. Her usual cool, detached expression had been thrown into disarray by some kind of desire.

At least she’d dressed with care. A pale blue gown outlined her tall, slender figure, and her smooth hair fell down her back.

Yu Ling hadn’t seen Lu Li in some time, not since the auction.

Before she could react, Lu Li seemed to finally run out of strength. She swayed and suddenly collapsed into Yu Ling’s arms.

A faint, soft moan brushed Yu Ling’s ear.

“Please…”

Her voice trembled. The cool, distant voice Yu Ling remembered was now husky with restraint and desire, punctuated by faint, uneven breaths.

“Please… don’t turn me down again…” she begged.

Yu Ling’s hand, poised to push her away, suddenly stopped.

How had things ended up like this?

Yu Ling stared at the ceiling. The lights had been deliberately dimmed to an intimate pink.

A tingling sensation spread wherever fingertips brushed her skin, sending tremors through her body.

“May I?”

Yu Ling met a pair of deep black eyes. Their dark irises seemed like a black hole, drawing in every emotion she had.

The question sounded polite, but Yu Ling knew she had no room to refuse.

The sickly Eldest Miss bit her lip, her face tight with restraint, and turned away, burying her face in the blankets.

The strange sensations in her body left her at a loss. Her usually haughty voice had become a series of sweet, trembling gasps.

Another thrust.

Lu Li hadn’t given Yu Ling a chance to answer at all.

The force of the climax was so overwhelming that Yu Ling’s long-ailing body grew dizzy.

At least Lu Li was considerate at times like this. She eased up a little.

Yu Ling panted, her face flushed with desire like a crushed rose—or a ripe, plump fruit.

“Lu Li—” Yu Ling gritted out the name.

Her tone should have been angry, but her voice trembled faintly, making it sound almost like a plea.

“You did this on purpose.”

She’d thought this was a novel world, and that Lu Li being drugged was just one of the plot points. It seemed she’d underestimated her.

Lu Li had deliberately shown up in front of Yu Ling looking drugged, lured her to a hotel, then pretended to be drunk to trick her into bed.

Even the strange events of the evening—Qi Jinyu’s absence, Yu Lingyi leaving early—might have been part of Lu Li’s plan.

Of course, Yu Ling wasn’t exactly unhappy about it.

And Song Zeling had been lying, obviously.

Teeth nipped at Yu Ling’s lips as the two bodies pressed tightly together on the bed.

The tingling sensation spread through her, all the way to her fingertips. Yu Ling was pinned beneath Lu Li, like a helpless fish stranded on shore, left entirely at someone else’s mercy.

Lu Li heard her, but didn’t bother to explain. She remained as sparing with words as ever, her light, scattered kisses moving from Yu Ling’s thoroughly ravaged lips to her burning-red earlobe.

Her voice was low and hoarse, every word crisp and clear.

“What? Now that we’ve come this far, you want to run away from my bed?”