MGG - 3

Chapter 3: Don’t Beg

Tang Weiwei turned her head, her eyes brimming with hostility. Teaching Su Ling to smile? That was unnecessary—Su Ling didn’t need lessons. Though introverted and reserved in speech, she had always been someone who smiled effortlessly. Her smiles were sweet, and as the boys in her department often said, they made one think of angels.

Su Ling had been acting strangely all day, but Tang Weiwei could only count herself lucky that this strangeness worked in her favor. Knowing Qin Xiao favored submissive women, Tang Weiwei forced a practiced smile toward Su Ling.

Qin Xiao had been observing Su Ling closely. She was afraid.

His powers of observation were unnervingly sharp. Her hands were clasped tightly together, betraying her unease, yet she struggled to maintain an outward calm. What was she afraid of? Him.

She was like a canary that had narrowly escaped its cage, desperate to bury its little head in its feathers for safety, yet consumed by overwhelming anxiety.

Qin Xiao found her amusing, though his voice remained cold and detached, accustomed to issuing commands: “Try again.”

The girl lifted her face, forcing another rigid smile.

He studied her for a long while, taking in every detail from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Finally, he spoke, his tone cutting: “Get out.”

Guo Mingyan sat silent as a chicken, sensing Qin Xiao’s anger, though no one could pinpoint the source of his irritation.

Su Ling exhaled deeply, bowing her head as she walked out again. The moment the night breeze hit her face, her body finally relaxed after hours of unbearable tension.

She felt like crying.

She touched her cheeks—they were nearly devoid of warmth. Since her rebirth, she had felt cold and stiff, like a lifeless corpse.

She was so afraid.

But she had done it. Qin Xiao hadn’t shown any further interest in her. She was still standing here, fully conscious. As car horns blared around her, she finally felt the tangible reality of changing her fate.

In Green Plum , she had transformed from a barefoot, despairing girl into a drug-addled ghostly figure. He no longer stared at her obsessively as he had in her past life. Did that mean she wouldn’t be sent to Qin Xiao’s bed? Could everything that followed be avoided?

Just as Su Ling was about to return to her dorm, her phone rang.

“Su Ling, Yun Bu is drunk and causing trouble. Can you come pick her up? …Ow, Yun Bu, what are you doing!”

“I’ll be right there.”

Yun Bu was putting on a dramatic performance of Farewell My Concubine in the private room.

She grabbed a male student: “Imperial Concubine! Today, surrounded by enemies on all sides, my troops are trapped at Gaixia with no supplies left and no reinforcements. Even if I break through the encirclement, I’ll have no face to show my people across the river… clang clang clang!” She played the role of Xiang Yu.

The boy stared, wide-eyed: “…You, um, let go of me first.”

Yun Bu’s cheeks were flushed red, her eyes wide. After a long pause, she frowned, puzzled: “Why haven’t you killed yourself yet?”

The performing arts students were practically dying of laughter.

Su Ling happened to witness this scene. Standing in the doorway, bathed in soft light, she paused for a moment before gently smiling. Despite her heavy makeup, her smile was like the first ripples of spring water, her eyes sparkling with layers of brilliance. Boys, both openly and secretly smitten with her, couldn’t help but stare.

Though they wondered why she looked so strange today, many harbored secret admiration for her. When she smiled, most couldn’t resist directing their gazes toward her.

Su Ling stepped forward to take Yun Bu by the arm: “Yun Bu, let’s go home.”

Yun Bu recognized her: “Lingling.”

Su Ling gently supported her: “Come on, walk slowly.” Her tone was soft, filled with soothing reassurance. Yun Bu, who had been unruly just moments ago, immediately calmed down.

After a year of university, Su Ling hadn’t made many friends.

Shy and insecure due to her family background, she rarely spoke to others. Girls envied her beauty, while boys treated her like a delicate porcelain doll, secretly revering her as a goddess.

After walking a few steps with Yun Bu, Su Ling suddenly realized something and turned back, speaking warmly: “Thank you for taking care of Yun Bu. Sorry for the trouble.”

Her eyes carried warmth, leaving everyone in the room momentarily stunned. Su Ling rarely initiated conversations with them, and now they felt oddly flattered.

“We’re all classmates—it’s no problem.”

After she left, someone from another class murmured quietly: “Your classmate Su Ling doesn’t seem as aloof as people say.”

Su Ling wasn’t strong, but fortunately, Yun Bu still had some awareness. Half-dragging, half-supporting, she managed to get Yun Bu moving.

They had to cross the hotel lobby to hail a taxi. Breathing heavily, Yun Bu began complaining of a headache.

“Let’s go home, and I’ll massage it for you. Don’t drink so much next time—it’s unsafe…” Su Ling’s gaze fell on an extra shadow on the ground. A wave of terror washed over her. Before she could turn around, a sharp pain pierced her neck, as if pricked by a needle. She quickly lost consciousness.

Her last sensation was of someone catching her, while Yun Bu, losing her support, collapsed to the ground with a startled cry.

She couldn’t accept this!

Summoning all her strength, Su Ling forced her eyes open. The drugs clouded her mind, making everything hazy. She realized someone had placed her on a bed.

The person’s footsteps were hurried, soon disappearing. Her awareness was fading fast.

Despite the different circumstances, it all led to the same fate. She bit her mouth until it bled. The metallic taste did little to clear her mind. If she had a knife in her hand at that moment, she would have stabbed herself without hesitation.

She knew one thing: she couldn’t repeat her past mistakes.

With every ounce of strength left, Su Ling rolled off the bed, crashing to the floor. But the thick carpet cushioned her fall, causing only slight pain—not enough to keep her alert. The plush carpet reminded her of five years of nightmares.

The room was dark. Su Ling gripped the carpet tightly, crawling toward the bathroom.

Her fingers brushed against the cold floor, then the icy exterior of the bathtub. Trembling, she reached out and turned on the showerhead.

Hot water poured down instantly, scalding her skin. Gritting her teeth, she twisted the handle the other way, switching to cold water. Shaking violently, she summoned her last reserves of strength to crawl into the tub.

But it was futile. She was slowly losing control of her body. The icy water rose to her nose, the suffocating sensation forcing her to keep her eyes open.

Water spilled over the edge of the tub, and the lights suddenly flickered on.

Light footsteps approached, calm and unhurried on the carpet.

In that moment, Su Ling questioned the purpose of her rebirth. Was she destined to endure a lifetime of suffering again? Had she returned to age nineteen only to relive the past?

No, it couldn’t be!

Summoning her willpower, Su Ling opened her eyes.

Above her stood a pair of cool, assessing eyes. Their owner’s emotions were distant.

Her makeup was smeared, her face a mess—she looked unrecognizable, pitiful and weak like a lamb awaiting slaughter.

He saw the tears welling in her eyes. She seemed prone to crying, yet she held them back stubbornly.

Her eyeliner had smudged around her grayish eyes, which remained startlingly clear and bright.

Overall, she looked utterly wretched and hideous, far from his usual aesthetic preferences.

Su Ling couldn’t decipher Qin Xiao’s emotions, nor could she gamble on whether he had any interest in her. In a fleeting moment, countless pleas for mercy raced through her mind:

—I want to go home.

—Please let me go.

—I’m scared.

But then she caught herself. Qin Xiao favored timidness. Begging him would only make things worse.

“Mr. Qin, could you please call the police for me?” she finally asked.

Qin Xiao smirked: “No, why should I care?”

This attitude was something she hadn’t seen in a long time. After claiming her, he had spoiled her endlessly, even willing to pluck stars from the sky if she wished. His reckless actions knew no bounds.

Su Ling pressed her lips together, feeling a flicker of relief. His indifference meant he didn’t like her. As long as he kept disliking her, everything would be fine.

Qin Xiao studied her for a moment, impatience creeping into his brow. He was in a foul mood. The sudden appearance of this unwanted intruder only soured his evening further.

He dialed Dong Xu’s number: “Send two men to drag the woman out of my bathroom.”

Su Ling lowered her head, her eyes glistening with quiet joy. But she dared not show it. Too weak to move, she lay there like a living corpse.

The response was swift. Two men dressed as bodyguards entered, lifting her out under Qin Xiao’s indifferent gaze.

It was still spring, and Su Ling had worn a coat when she left. Even soaked to the bone, her figure remained obscured—no hint of impropriety. For the first time since her rebirth, she was grateful for her cautiousness.

Qin Xiao’s cold-heartedness was expected. Though he wouldn’t help her himself, letting her use his phone to call the police after leaving his bathroom was reasonable.

Soon, she was taken to the hospital.

Breathing in the smell of disinfectant, she finally drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

On the first night of her rebirth, she dreamed of this very day from her past life.

She woke up in Qin Xiao’s bed, her body marked with evidence of his attentions.

The man leaned over her, brushing strands of hair behind her ears as she stared at him in confusion.

Instinctively, Su Ling slapped him. A red mark bloomed on his stern face, but he didn’t flinch. His once-warm gaze turned icy: “What? You came to me willingly—are you regretting it now?”

Terrified and overwhelmed, she burst into tears, too ashamed and frightened to ask what had happened.

She hadn’t done anything, yet the world had changed entirely upon waking.

Her sobs were heart-wrenching, her despair absolute. Qin Xiao, however, chuckled softly: “Eh, am I really that bad? I’ll treat you well from now on, alright?”

At this point in the dream, Su Ling jolted awake.

Morning light streamed through the hospital window, illuminating a few vibrant succulent plants.

She gazed at their fragile yet determined existence, feeling as though she had emerged from another lifetime.

Without this dream, she might have almost forgotten how their story began—with him jokingly asking if treating her well would be acceptable.

No, she silently answered.

Even if it meant dying again, she would never allow it to begin with him.