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His voice was low, concealing laughter that he couldn’t quite mask.
She felt a bit shy. “No… not really.” But her happiness was genuine. Tang Zi had told her that although the matter was still being discussed online, most of it was in her favor.
Besides, in the entertainment industry, scandals didn’t matter as much as staying relevant. After this incident blew over, it would actually benefit Su Ling.
Her complexion had improved significantly; it seemed her cold was almost gone.
But her lips were pale, and she looked listless. He frowned as he asked, “Still feeling unwell?”
Su Ling shook her head. “I’m already better.”
The two fell silent for a moment. Su Ling felt uneasy. Just moments ago, when she saw Qin Xiao, she had been so happy that she’d shared her joy with him without thinking.
Now, in this confined space, she wasn’t used to facing him.
She finally asked, “Qin Xiao?”
“Hmm?”
“Aren’t you going back to the company?”
He smiled. “Do you want me to leave?”
Caught off guard, she blushed in embarrassment. “You must be busy, right?” She knew Qin Xiao worked hard when he was on the job. He was diligent, almost obsessively so. In the past, he’d leave at eight in the morning and wouldn’t return until the early hours of the morning during his busiest times.
“Not busy.” Qin Xiao said casually. “I’m very wealthy.”
Unable to help herself, she chuckled and nodded. “I know.” It was true. Qin Xiao had once shown her the family’s wealth — a terrifying figure. She didn’t know which generation of the Qin family had started accumulating such immense power.
Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow. “What if I gave it all to you?”
She was startled, almost choking on her breath. She quickly shook her head. “No.”
His eyes twinkled mischievously. “I’ll give it all to you, use the money to silence those gossiping mouths.”
Such wild and unrestrained words could only come from him.
Su Ling’s cheeks turned red. “Don’t joke like that.”
Su Ling didn’t take him seriously. The Qin family’s fortune — there was no way Qin Xiao could truly give it all to her. Besides, she wasn’t tempted. Qin Xiao didn’t make losing deals, and she was fine just the way she was. She wasn’t that desperate.
His eyes crinkled with amusement. “Lingling.”
Su Ling shivered again. That nickname sounded painfully familiar. Before today, Qin Xiao had always called her by her full name. Now, hearing this too-familiar term made her feel a little panicked.
Her wide, round almond-shaped eyes stared at him, unable to respond.
“But now, all I have is money,” he said. “If you don’t even want that, what am I supposed to do?”
She bit her lip, wondering how they had ended up talking about money.
After hesitating for a moment, she said, “I have money.” So I don’t need yours.
Qin Xiao became curious. “Oh? How much?”
She thought carefully. She hadn’t used much of the 100,000 yuan she had before. “More than 90,000…”
Qin Xiao couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.
Su Ling didn’t understand why he was laughing, but she knew he was laughing at her. She felt flustered and confused. What was so funny about having more than 90,000 yuan? That was quite a lot — enough for her and Ni Haoyan to finish university.
Besides, after finishing filming Prisoner , she would receive her salary and become wealthy.
Clearly, their concepts of “being wealthy” were completely different.
Qin Xiao internally laughed and cursed. How could someone be so naive?
But even with her small heart and easily satisfied nature, she still couldn’t fit him inside. Even if he poured out his entire fortune, he wouldn’t be able to enter her heart.
Qin Xiao let out a soft snort but remembered why he had returned. “There are still many people watching your situation. To completely suppress public opinion, we either crush it entirely or retaliate immediately. Which one do you choose?”
Both methods were extremely brutal. Su Ling looked at him and softly said, “I don’t choose either.”
He was surprised and remained silent.
Su Ling also didn’t say anything. If she wanted to suppress everything, she would’ve revealed her past hardships when recording the video.
Before Qin Xiao could say anything else, Su Ling’s phone rang.
It was Ni Haoyan calling.
In that instant, thousands of thoughts raced through Su Ling’s mind. Ni Haoyan and Ni Jianan didn’t know that Uncle wasn’t Grandmother’s biological son.
Only Uncle, Grandmother, and she knew about this.
Su Ling thought he would question her about it, but the voice on the other end was icy and cold.
“Su Ling.” He was barely holding back his emotions. “Right now! Come home immediately! It’s in the Viola Community, not far from our old house, apartment 637. Go see Grandma for the last time!”
The phone in Su Ling’s hand slipped and fell onto the bedsheet.
Before she could process what was happening, tears had already spilled from her eyes.
Qin Xiao frowned and walked over. She trembled as she tried to book a flight ticket, but her hands were shaking uncontrollably.
How could this happen? It had only been a little over half a year. In her previous life, her grandmother had undergone surgery but didn’t pass away until June of the following year. How could she…
Was this change brought about by her rebirth?
If rebirth required a price, could it not be this?
Qin Xiao remained calm. “Where are you booking the ticket to?”
“City L.”
“Alright, go change your clothes. I’ll take you back.” Without delay, he went out to close the door behind her. When the door opened again, Su Ling emerged, pale-faced.
Qin Xiao had already made arrangements outside.
“Let’s go to the airport now.”
By the time the plane took off, she had stopped crying, gazing out the window.
Qin Xiao roughly guessed what had happened.
“Lingling,” he called her. “If it hurts, cry it out.”
She lowered her head, looking at her own hands. “Did I do something wrong?” She had changed so many things — she kept her legs, didn’t become Qin Xiao’s lover again, and successfully entered the entertainment industry.
But the price of all this was that her grandmother lived six months less.
He held her hand; her small hands were ice-cold, devoid of any warmth.
He spoke softly. “Lingling never does anything wrong.”
His gaze softened. “If there are any karmic consequences, they should punish people like me first.” If anyone had to die, he would surely die before her.
“It’s not like that,” she whispered. “It’s all my fault…”
She had long known the strength of the butterfly effect — gain comes with loss. Yet she had still tried to change everything at any cost.
This was the second time…
She was experiencing her grandmother’s death for the second time.
A dull pain throbbed in her chest. At this moment, Su Ling suddenly remembered why she hated Qin Xiao and why she would never love him.
She remembered that June in her previous life. She didn’t want Qin Xiao to touch her. In her haste, she scratched his face, leaving a mark.
A red streak ran from his brow bone down to his cheek.
Qin Xiao laughed bitterly, looking wild and untamed. He flipped her over and slapped her lightly on the buttocks.
His touch was gentle; he couldn’t bear to hurt her. “I have a meeting tomorrow. How am I supposed to face people, huh?”
She was stunned by the slap, feeling even more ashamed. “It’s because you…”
“My woman, and I can’t even touch her?”
Su Ling and Qin Xiao were like chickens and ducks talking past each other. She was so embarrassed she nearly cried. “You know I don’t want this. I don’t like you. I can earn money to pay you back. I remember every penny of Grandma’s surgery and medical expenses. I’ll…”
The man was silent for a moment, then lifted her up.
“I’ll tell you something, but don’t cry.”
Her eyes were still dazed, staring at him blankly. Her eyelashes were wet, still tinged with the mist of shame and anger.
“What is it?”
“Will you cry?” he asked softly.
Su Ling felt a twinge of unease, sensing something ominous. “Why would I cry?”
“If you cry, I’ll feel sad too.”
Blood seeped from the scratch on his face. His dark eyes met hers as he calmly said, “Your grandmother passed away three days ago.”
Su Ling blinked, her body trembling slightly. She forced a smile. “Qin Xiao, stop joking like this… I… I’ll get angry.”
For a fleeting moment, his eyes softened.
Finally, after a brief silence, he said, “I’m not joking.”
She didn’t cry, but her body trembled violently. Qin Xiao reached out to embrace her, but Su Ling raised her hand and slapped him hard.
The slap was vicious, using all her strength. A sharp sound echoed as he turned his face, wiping the corner of his mouth indifferently with his thumb.
The wound she had inflicted burned fiercely.
He turned back to look at her, his eyes filled with an unnamable emotion, but he restrained himself in the end.
“Three days… it’s already been three days! Why didn’t you tell me when you clearly knew?”
Why, for three whole days, did he continue to toy with her like a cat playing with a mouse, indulging in the pleasures her body brought him? She was a living, breathing person with flesh and blood!
Qin Xiao crouched in front of her, his eyes level with hers. “Now that you know, will you leave?”
Everything she stayed by his side for was for her grandmother. He knew that what made Su Ling compromise wasn’t the rumors spreading around school but her fear of causing her grandmother, who had raised her, to suffer and die in pain. Now that her grandmother was gone, would she leave him?
He would never be able to touch her, feel her, hear her sweetly complain, “Qin Xiao, you’re so annoying,” or see her morning routine of watering plants and smiling gently while talking to Aunt Ding.
Her tears continued to fall.
Three days! Her closest relative had been dead for three days, and she hadn’t known a thing. She hadn’t even seen her grandmother for the last time.
And yet, this man in front of her was asking if she would leave?
Yes, she hated him.
“Qin Xiao,” she sobbed. “If I hadn’t mentioned Grandma just now, were you planning to hide this from me forever?”
His lips moved, but he didn’t speak, tacitly admitting that he planned to deceive her for as long as possible.
Su Ling wiped away her tears. “You’re truly terrifying.” And pitiful.
As she stood up, the man grabbed her hand.
His hand was hot, scorching, but he persisted, asking, “Are you leaving?”
Su Ling pulled her hand back with all her might, her heart shattered. If he didn’t let go, her wrist would likely dislocate.
He stiffened for a moment before releasing her hand.
Qin Xiao watched her descend the stairs.
Su Ling didn’t look back.
He endured it again and again, his eyes filled with a mixture of violence and pain. Finally, he chased after her.
He didn’t like her wearing shoes indoors, but now, in her irrational state, she ran barefoot outside. As she crossed the villa’s pathway, her white feet were already cut in many places.
Qin Xiao picked her up. She struggled desperately, but he spoke. “I’ll take you back to see her.”
She quieted down, her gaze falling on him.
That year, Qin Xiao was 28 years old, his bandit-like aura still strong, selfish and heartless to a terrifying degree.
She had originally planned to treat him well, at least since he had helped her and hadn’t done anything bad to her. Even if it was just a transaction, as her employer, Qin Xiao hadn’t mistreated her.
At the very least, he was utterly infatuated with her.
She had thought that if she spent a day with him, she would be sincere for that day. Even if she couldn’t give him love, she would offer kindness. If he were a little gentler, she would reciprocate with tenderness.
Perhaps in a few years, when she left, they could both live good lives.
But now, in his arms, listening to his frantic heartbeat.
The man’s features were sharp, like they had been carved with a knife. People with such looks were often the most heartless.
His thin lips were tightly pressed together, holding her firmly.
Su Ling looked at him, hating him with an intensity she had never felt before.
How selfish did someone have to be to not care about something like this? How heartless did someone have to be to disregard the life and death of others? For three whole days, how could he pretend nothing had happened?
Her voice was hoarse. “I hate you.”
His arms trembled, but he held her tighter.
“I hate you…”
Qin Xiao clenched his teeth. “Don’t say it! Stop saying it!”
She obeyed, closing her eyes softly.
On this day, she lost her grandmother, lost her family bond, and lost the possibility of love.
Su Ling was 20 years old that year, the first year she met Qin Xiao.
And she hated him. She would never love him, not because of Zheng Xiaoya later on, not because of his excessive possessiveness, and not because the title of “lover” brought her shame.
All hatred began on the day her grandmother died.
Forever burning, never extinguished.
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