MGG - 8

Chapter 8: Jade Feet

Early June marked the start of filming for Yun Bu’s urban workplace romance drama. Since she had been added to the cast at the last minute, her role wasn’t significant—reportedly, she was playing the secretary to a supporting male character.

However, Yun Bu was over the moon with happiness. The supporting male lead in the drama was none other than her idol, Ji Chong, who played the third male lead.

As Su Ling waved goodbye to her, Yun Bu, excited and thrilled to be playing a character beyond an extra for the first time, called out, “Lingling, are you coming to visit the set?”

Su Ling sighed, gently adjusting Yun Bu’s collar. “I will. After my brother finishes his college entrance exam, I’ll come. Stay composed, alright? Everyone on set is more experienced. Make sure to leave a good impression.”

Yun Bu nodded, restraining herself from pinching Su Ling’s cheeks. Oh my gosh, Su Ling is so gentle—it’s unfair! She was practically melting!

After seeing Yun Bu off, Su Ling began contemplating a serious matter.

In her past life, her grandmother had undergone surgery but only survived for another year. After her grandmother’s death, Su Ling had considered leaving Qin Xiao. He indulged in her beauty and body, yet during the year she stayed with him, she hadn’t accepted anything from him.

The houses, cars, and jewelry he gave her—all were returned to Qin Xiao’s accounts.

He had paid for her grandmother’s surgery and a year’s worth of nursing care, totaling 724,800 yuan. Though Su Ling never mentioned it, she kept precise track of the amount.

She thought that someone like Qin Xiao—wealthy and handsome—could easily replace her as his mistress. So she proposed to leave. At the time, she was only twenty years old, and she planned to work hard to repay him gradually.

But what Su Ling hadn’t anticipated was Qin Xiao’s fury. His voice was nearly a growl. “What do you think you are? What do you think I am?”

She felt a flicker of fear, though inwardly, she found it amusing. What else could she be but his mistress?

He pampered her with luxury, but when he wanted her, she couldn’t say no.

At first, she resisted—scratching, clawing, crying, pleading—but none of it worked. When he was overcome with desire, he would coax her. “Lingling, tell me you love me.”

Her lips remained tightly sealed.

She knew exactly what she was—a toy, albeit one he favored slightly. She didn’t love him, nor could she ever love him. By the time she died at twenty-four, she had never once said she loved him.

But the day after she proposed to leave, just as she stepped out of Qin Xiao’s villa, she received a call from her aunt.

“Xiao Ling, Auntie has never asked anything of you before, but this time… please, can you save your uncle…”

Su Ling’s uncle, Ni Liguo, was born in a rural area. When Ni Haoyan was eight, he moved to L City to work as a clerk in a small company, slowly saving money. Later, he bought a house and brought Su Ling and their grandmother to live with them.

Ni Liguo was selfish, vain, and greedy.

But to Su Ling, her uncle’s family had done her a kindness.

Ni Liguo had worked at that company for nearly ten years, but now he had made a fatal mistake—he gambled.

The debt collectors were tied to organized crime. After racking up nearly two million yuan in debt, Ni Liguo, fearing for his life, secretly embezzled company funds to cover it. But his clumsy scheme was quickly uncovered, and the company reported him to the police. Now, Ni Liguo was under arrest. This was a crime—if it went to court, he would surely go to prison.

“If your uncle goes to jail, our family is ruined. Haoyan and Jianan are still in university—what future will they have? Xiao Ling, I beg you, please save him…”

But how could she save him?

They seemed to forget that she, too, was supposed to be in university. Were her cousins human while she was not? All she wanted was to live honestly.

Yet the sobbing pleas over the phone and years of gratitude weighed heavily on her. She turned back.

Qin Xiao sat on the sofa, his gaze cold and steady, watching her. He knew everything, so he simply stared.

Su Ling, what will you choose?

Suddenly, Su Ling felt a wave of sorrow. In this life, she carried too many shackles. Living was so difficult—she had no control over her fate. She wanted to stand tall, but instead, she was forced to bow her head.

Qin Xiao asked her, “Are you still leaving?”

“No.”

“Come here.”

She approached, and Qin Xiao bit down hard on her shoulder. His body was taut with tension, yet he controlled his strength, careful not to draw blood.

She didn’t speak, but her eyes quietly filled with tears.

Yet Su Ling understood that no one was obligated to treat her kindly without condition. If she sought Qin Xiao’s help, if she accepted his favors, then she could never leave.

Afterward, she never mentioned leaving again—until the accident that broke her leg.

It was then that Ni Haoyan, silent for so long, appeared and tried to take her away.

She clung to his back, crying out a lifetime of pain.

Su Ling remembered an assignment from elementary school: Who do you want to become?

She had written earnestly: I want to be braver, livelier.

After being reborn, this wish became clearer. She wanted to live without shame.

First, she had to prevent this incident with her uncle. Logically, it wouldn’t happen for another year, so there was no rush. But gambling—though reckless—always had a trigger. Two million wasn’t a small sum. Perhaps he had been driven mad by greed… or perhaps he had been set up.

Qin Xiao was suspicious. He was no upright gentleman.

She needed to prepare early to stop her uncle from making this mistake.

Imagination was beautiful—those novels where heroines, after being reborn, effortlessly crushed enemies, earned money like gods, and reached the pinnacle of life. But Su Ling…

Aside from acting, she knew nothing.

And she dared not act under Qin Xiao’s watchful eye.

Her aunt and cousin Jianan didn’t like her much. Her uncle wasn’t close to her either. The only person she felt close to was Ni Haoyan—and he was about to take his college entrance exam. She had to wait until after that.

And her grandmother was aging—she needed money to prepare for emergencies.

Su Ling was anxious, but without resources or connections, she could only look for opportunities as an extra or minor role.

Her sophomore year had a heavy course load, including music, dance, and film studies.

Because some scenes required underwater shooting, their department had mandatory swimming classes.

On Friday afternoon, it was time for swimming class.

By early June, B City was already warm, and swimming class was popular among students. However, Su Ling wasn’t one of them.

College was relatively considerate—male and female pools were separated by frosted glass, allowing only vague silhouettes to be seen.

With Yun Bu absent, Su Ling had to attend alone.

After changing into her swimsuit in the locker room, she emerged just as several female classmates arrived, including two familiar faces—her roommate Zhao Wanwan and Tan Qing, who had recently spread rumors about her.

As soon as Su Ling appeared, all eyes turned to her.

Her swimsuit was modest, its skirt ending just above her knees. Yet it didn’t detract from her allure. Her porcelain skin glowed under the fluorescent lights, her legs were slender and straight, her arms delicate, and her figure curvaceous.

The girls gritted their teeth. This was innate jealousy-inducing capital. Even in the performing arts department, removing their clothes revealed a stark contrast between them and Su Ling. They consoled themselves with the fact that Su Ling didn’t flaunt her beauty, always covering herself even in the heat.

Feeling uncomfortable under their intense stares, Su Ling curled her toes slightly and walked out with pursed lips.

Tan Qing glanced at her feet, envy flickering in her eyes. For swimming class, Su Ling had changed into slippers, revealing her bare feet. Her feet were dainty, a perfect size 35, with rounded, adorable toes. Though unpolished, her toenails had a faint pink hue. If someone’s palm were larger, they might just fit perfectly.

A pair of exquisite, jade-like feet.

Her companions began their usual routine of gossiping about Su Ling. Tan Qing frowned, suddenly feeling irritated. “Enough. Stop talking. No matter how much you say, you’ll never be as beautiful as her.”

The girls fell silent, awkwardly shifting.

The academy provided numbered bags for phones at the poolside. After swimming two laps, Su Ling’s phone rang.

She climbed out to answer it.

The spacious, temperature-controlled swimming hall amplified her soft voice. “Hello? Who is this?”

Her tone was low and gentle, almost caressing the listener’s heart.

The voice on the other end chuckled mockingly. “Your Brother Zhao Gou.”

His laughter oozed mischief. Su Ling immediately recognized him. Startled at first, she forced herself to stay calm. Clenching her teeth, she whispered, “You’ve got the wrong number.”

“Su Ling, say it again. Call me Brother, and I’ll give you a leading role. Hmm?”

Her face flushed red, then anger filled her eyes. Unbidden, she recalled Qin Xiao’s favorite phrase from her past life—”Lingling sounds so sweet when she calls me.”

Su Ling didn’t know what had gone wrong, but clearly, this lunatic had taken an interest in her again. However, she had long wanted to curse him. Since everything was doomed anyway, she mustered her courage. “You pervert!”

Surrounded by classmates, she dared not shout too loudly, her face turning red as she attempted to express her disgust through a soft, angry tone.

Even her curses sounded flirtatious. Unable to resist, he laughed aloud.

Su Ling didn’t understand what he found funny. Furious at his cat-and-mouse attitude, she hung up. Go to hell with your leading role—whoever wants it can have it!

After much deliberation, she turned off her phone. Calming down, she felt a surge of fear and regret.

Qin Xiao was unpredictable. She had cursed him—what if his laughter had been a reaction to extreme anger? That would be terrifying. But if he laughed despite being insulted, then he was truly unhinged.

Neither outcome was favorable. Sitting by the pool, she grew despondent, imagining ten thousand terrible consequences of offending Qin Xiao.

Gradually, the girls finished swimming and left the pool. One girl changed and stepped outside but rushed back in. “Holy crap, there’s a super hot guy out there!”

This sparked laughter among the girls. “How hot?” Their media and communications program was known for its abundance of attractive people.

The girl’s expression was blank. “I don’t know how hot—he’s wearing sunglasses.”

“…” Then why are you even saying this?

“But he’s wearing a custom-made L.D. shirt.”

“!” Now that’s hot.

Having studied branding, they all knew what L.D. represented—a six-figure price tag for a single shirt. Anyone who could afford it was dripping with wealth. To students aspiring to enter the entertainment industry, this man outside was a living, breathing sugar daddy.

Su Ling gripped her phone, her entire body stiffening. She hadn’t meant to curse him…

Glancing at her bare feet, her scalp tingled.

Su Ling hurried toward the locker room.

Change clothes! Put on shoes!

Z University’s locker rooms were communal, with eight stalls shared by everyone. When Su Ling found her bag, it was empty. Checking the shoe locker, she discovered her shoes were gone too.

Instantly, she realized someone was targeting her.

Under the harsh fluorescent lights, she held the empty bag, feeling utterly exposed.

Her eyes stung with unshed tears, and a sense of in justice overwhelmed her. She had tried so hard, so very hard.

At that moment, the administrator’s voice echoed through the swimming hall: “Students, please leave the pool area quickly. Staff will be clearing the area to change the water.”