Chapter 58: Brother Qin

The raindrops struck the window, making a pitter-patter sound.

Su Ling thought that Qin Xiao's behavior was very unusual. Suppressing her slight fear, she reached out to touch his forehead: “Qin Xiao, what's wrong with you?”

He took her hand and held it in his palm, gently kissing the back of her hand.

Su Ling wanted to pull her hand back but hesitated and didn’t move.

However, the next moment, he licked her hand. The dangerous allure filled his eyes and brows. Su Ling couldn't bear it anymore: “Qin Xiao!”

“Hmm?”

“Don't do this. You just said you wouldn’t...” She wanted to retreat to her bedroom, but she couldn't push him away.

“Su Ling.” He leaned close to her ear, calling her name, “Make love with me, hmm?”

Su Ling was stunned by this statement. When she came to her senses, her blood rushed, and heat flushed her cheeks. She knew something was wrong with Qin Xiao. Now, Qin Xiao had shed his gentle disguise, and she belatedly looked into his eyes. His pupils were as black as night, like a vortex swallowing everything.

The intense desire and possessiveness in those eyes frightened her. He was completely merged with the Qin Xiao from her past life.

Her heart jolted. His movements were gentle as he pushed aside her pajamas, his hand covering her abdomen. Her skin was smooth and soft, and he slightly increased the pressure, rubbing his fingers on it.

Su Ling grabbed his hand. This time, she didn’t try to push him away. Suppressing her racing heart, she turned her hand to hold his.

His hands were cool, even though he had just come out of the shower. The hot water hadn’t warmed his body. His coldness seemed to seep from his blood.

Her small hands were warm and soft, lightly holding his.

His fingers were long, and his palms much larger than hers. Yet, she didn’t exert any force, just gently held his hand, with a hint of coquettishness.

Qin Xiao was momentarily stunned, looking at her with an unreadable expression.

The young girl’s voice was soft: “You look so scary. I wasn’t afraid of you before, but just now, I felt my heart race.”

That sentence suddenly woke him up.

Qin Xiao moved away from her, helping her up. He lowered his eyelids, and Su Ling couldn’t see his expression but secretly sighed in relief.

She had been scared just now, but compared to this life’s Qin Xiao, she was more familiar with the Qin Xiao from her previous life. She almost instinctively knew how to soothe him.

After a while, he raised his eyes, giving her a faint smile: “Su Ling, I know what you’re up to.”

She stammered: “No, no...”

“But I still feel happy. If you can always treat me like this, then I will treat you the same way. Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do it, just don’t leave me. And don’t give me that look of disgust again. I’m not a rapist.”

Su Ling didn’t expect him to see through her so clearly. She felt a bit embarrassed, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Qin Xiao squatted down and removed her slippers.

Her beautiful white feet landed in his palm. He leaned forward and kissed the top of her foot.

Su Ling was initially guilty, but now shyness covered that emotion: “Qin Xiao... don’t kiss... don’t kiss there.”

Qin Xiao curved his lips: “Look, I’m practically kneeling in front of you.”

Su Ling only then noticed their positions. She sat on the sofa, her fingers tightly gripping one corner of the pillow.

Qin Xiao knelt in front of her, slightly shorter than her.

Qin Xiao said: “If I kneel down, will you marry me? Forget about Zheng Xiaoya. Don’t abandon me. I’ll never like anyone else in this lifetime. I’ll learn to be better. Whatever you like, I’ll become that. Okay?”

She blinked, unable to believe that these words came from Qin Xiao.

But she knew she didn’t want to marry him.

Things were too complicated. She couldn’t sort out her complex feelings for Qin Xiao, but she feared repeating the mistakes of her past life.

She softly said: “You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to sacrifice so much.”

In this world, trying to change oneself completely for another person must be incredibly difficult and exhausting.

There was no trace of a smile in Qin Xiao’s eyes, and the corners of his mouth also cooled.

He felt somewhat desolate.

Su Ling pulled her foot back. She timidly glanced at him, observing his expression, and finally spoke: “You don’t need to deliberately change for me.”

The rain outside grew lighter, the fine rustling sound seemingly cutting off one’s breath. He coldly opened his mouth, with a hint of sarcasm: “Without changing, Su Ling, aren’t you afraid and repulsed? I’m willing to pretend for you, pretend for a lifetime if necessary, but you’re too cruel, wiping out even this last bit of hope.”

He thought of the ankle cuff in the car, looking at her with some pity.

Su Ling was oblivious. It seemed she was thinking about something; finally, the corners of her lips slightly rose: “Qin Xiao, a few days ago, when you went to L City, before that, you asked me to choose between truth or dare, and I said it depended on you. Then you suddenly disappeared. Everyone hoped I would dispel the rumors. They told me that if the rumors escalated, perhaps I’d get stuck in a quagmire and have to give up acting.”

He looked at her, his eyes cold.

“If it were before, I would think that not being able to act would be like the sky falling. But I also find it strange.” A warm smile graced her clean and beautiful face. “At that time, I didn’t think it was that important anymore. I wanted to wait for you to come back. I promised you, remember? The things I thought I liked, I wouldn’t die without them. The people I thought I hated...”

Su Ling met his eyes, her voice lowering, with a hint of gentleness: “The person I thought I hated is trying so hard. He’s so tired. He has walked ninety-nine steps towards me, and I also want to take one step towards him. So you don’t need to completely change yourself. I’ll try to accept the real you, okay?”

After saying this, she felt a bit shy and dared not look into his eyes anymore.

Qin Xiao was silent for a long while, then smiled, softly saying: “Alright.”

The roaring wind in his heart was blocked, and the burning flames were extinguished. She didn’t dare to look at his expression and thus missed the moment when his eyes became wet.

The heavy rain stopped. Qin Xiao got up to dim the living room lights, making it harder for her to see his expression.

He turned around and carried her to the bedroom. In the darkness, he walked steadily, as if he had walked alone for too many years in such silence and gloom.

Su Ling's heart was also peaceful. She had said things she herself didn’t expect.

But she knew that Qin Xiao wouldn’t hurt her.

He would rather endure all hardships and taste every bitter experience in the world rather than put her in such darkness. Su Ling had to admit that in her past and present lives, Qin Xiao was the one who loved her the most.

His love was too scorching. So while he was afraid of hurting her, it left scratches in her heart.

Qin Xiao touched her hair, his voice low: “Sleep. I’ll go to the guest room next door.”

She softly called out: “Qin Xiao.”

“Hmm?”

“I didn’t lie to you. Everything I said is true. I won’t deceive you.”

A piece of his heart collapsed. He curved his lips, gently responding: “Alright, Lingling is the most honest. I am the liar.”

With a hint of shyness, she quietly smiled.

Qin Xiao tucked her in, then went to the living room to fetch her shoes. After doing all this, he went to the guest room next door.

He closed his eyes in the darkness.

He could still hear her voice, smell her lingering scent in the air, and feel the sensation of touching her on his hands. She said she would try to accept the real him, but the real him was so terrifying that even Zuo Yin found him abnormal and frightening.

She was so timid; how could she truly fall in love with him?

But suddenly tears welled up. In twenty-eight years, he had never cried, not even when he crashed his head during a street race or when his father died and he slept soundly before attending the memorial service.

Yet at that moment, when he looked at her and she sweetly spoke those words, tears unexpectedly welled up.

All his life, he only loved this one treasure.

Even if he turned to ashes after death, this love would never cease.

There would always be a way. He wouldn’t let her be afraid.

The next day, when Su Ling left, she discovered that Qin Xiao had already departed early. Breakfast was placed on the table.

She was still puzzled, not understanding why he had acted so strangely last night. However, the subsequent busy schedule made her unable to dwell on this matter further. Dong Xu valued his movie highly, and everyone in the “Prisoner” crew had poured immense effort into this film, thus putting considerable effort into its promotion.

Thus, some people speculated that the incidents involving Zheng Xiaoya and Su Ling were actually a publicity stunt for the movie “Prisoner.”

After all, buzzwords like true loves, fiancées, mistresses, and lovers were more eye-catching than anything else. Regardless of whether it was true or not, “Prisoner” generated significant hype even before its release.

Two popular actresses with high tensions appearing together in the movie delighted audiences. While enjoying the gossip, everyone eagerly anticipated what kind of scenes would unfold when they clashed.

On the premiere day of “Prisoner,” the box office soared to first place.

Half of the audience initially came for the gossip, but ultimately, they were captivated by the intricate and suspenseful plot.

The performances of the “Prisoner” cast were impeccable, and great effort was put into post-production. The special effects were far from cheap, instantly capturing the audience’s hearts.

For two and a half hours, everyone was constantly guessing who would survive until the end.

Every time someone died, it sent chills down their spines, more thrilling than watching a horror movie.

Until the grand finale, when Su Ling, portraying the doctor, meticulously orchestrated her survival. By the time everyone else had died, she had nearly lost all humanity. At that point, she was no longer the little angel Jiu Li from before; she had transformed into a fallen messenger of hell.

Her clothes were dirty, and her once pristine lab coat had lost its original purity. Blood still stained her hands.

Su Ling held an iron rod, standing alone amidst a pile of corpses. Suddenly, she smiled, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes.

The square area above suddenly shifted, sunlight pouring down onto her.

Fresh, flowing air rushed in eagerly, the sunlight blinding.

A man's voice echoed from all directions: “Congratulations, Doctor. You’ve won.”

A twisted smile appeared on Su Ling’s face. She was free! She had successfully survived.

The man’s voice carried greater joy: “Then, now, you will become the next prisoner, facing new survivors. I wish you remain this lucky, my doctor.”

—End of the movie.

Everyone was chilled to the bone by the final twist the screenwriter crafted. It turned out that the prisoners’ ordeal was endless, round after round, until all traces of humanity were erased.

After watching, people reflected and found themselves excited, eagerly anticipating “Prisoner 2.” Generally, such cliffhanger endings led to sequels.

And everyone witnessed the explosive performance of Su Ling in this film. She shed the initial awkwardness of playing Jiu Li. Her ruthlessness in scheming left viewers astounded, and her final despair and confusion fully immersed them in the emotions.

She had transformed into an excellent actress.

On the premiere day of the movie, Dong Xu sat in the cinema. The theater was pitch dark, and no one recognized the famous Director Dong.

Not until the movie ended did Dong Xu remain motionless for a long while.

He thought of her, recalling Su Ling’s pale face at the end of the film, resembling a vengeful ghost.

He finally understood why she looked familiar.

Their first encounter wasn’t under the late cherry blossoms but at the Z University cultural evening gala, where she played Mei Qin.

She wore heavy makeup as a female ghost, coming to apologize to Qin Xiao in the private room.

The first thing Dong Xu said to Su Ling was that she wasn’t fit to be an actress.

Dong Xu closed his eyes, walking out of the cinema alone. So he had met her that early on. Qin Xiao must have met her around that time too. Both were first encounters; if only he had met her a bit earlier, refraining from those harsh words, trying to understand her...

Perhaps the current situation would be entirely different.

But “perhaps” was the most illusory and impossible thing in the world.

Qin Xiao stepped into the Zoe Clinic once again.

Zuo Yin didn’t even want to make tea for him this time. Dr. Zuo could hardly maintain his last shred of dignity and considered ordering Qin Xiao to leave.

But upon reflection, he wasn’t as wealthy as Qin Xiao. As a moderately affluent man with some assets, he didn’t want to face bankruptcy at a young age. Thus, he greeted Qin Xiao with a forced smile.

“So, what is it this time? Didn’t you say you’d never come here again when you left last time? You even called me a useless piece of trash. Useless trash can’t help Mr. Qin.”

Qin Xiao remained calm: “I apologize.”

Zuo Yin raised an eyebrow. He knew Qin Xiao was shameless, and now lowering himself to apologize meant it must be a serious matter.

In Qin Xiao’s world, only one type of matter was relatively serious, which Zuo Yin categorized as matters concerning Su Ling.

“Could it be that Miss Su’s recent rise to fame has upset you, and you want to suppress her again?”

Qin Xiao’s eyes were cold and sharp, coldly uttering two words: “No.”

Zuo Yin mockingly clicked his tongue.

Qin Xiao said: “This time, it’s more serious than that.”

Zuo Yin’s expression worsened.

Damn it! That was already insane enough, and now there’s something even more serious. Zuo Yin didn’t want to hear it. But as a doctor with professional ethics, he took a deep breath: “Go ahead.”

“When Su Ling participated in that variety show, I carried her, and Wen Xian saw us. The next day, before I planned to announce my feelings for Su Ling, Wen Xian had a talk with me. She said I couldn’t be with Su Ling, no matter who it was.”

Qin Xiao narrowed his eyes, exuding a chilling aura.

To lighten the mood, Zuo Yin forced a laugh: “Isn't this getting too dramatic? Don’t tell me Wen Xian told you Su Ling is your biological sister? All lovers end up as siblings?”

Qin Xiao showed no emotion: “No.”

Zuo Yin had just relaxed when Qin Xiao added: “But it’s similar.”

Qin Xiao repeated emotionlessly: “Wen Xian said Su Ling’s mother, Yu Qiao, was her cousin.”

Zuo Yin nearly jumped up, then reconsidered: “It sounds like close relatives, but kinship verification can’t determine this. Upon careful calculation, they are fourth-generation collateral relatives, making marriage legal.”

Qin Xiao naturally knew this. Cousins' children might sound bad, but biologically, it was permissible as long as they didn’t have children. If Su Ling didn’t mind, it wouldn’t be an issue.

However, this wasn’t the most severe part.

Qin Xiao raised his eyes, with a hint of sarcasm: “But Yu Qiao was killed by them, and she died horribly. Su Ling’s grandmother hated Wen Xian deeply, extending that hatred to me. They were crazy, never treating Su Ling as family. They wanted the Qin family to collapse. Initially… it was Su Ling’s father who sent her to my bed. Now we can’t find her father; he’s too good at hiding.”

So if Su Ling found out, she lived merely as a manipulated tool.

She was the most beautiful existence in the world, yet the world only had malice for her.

Because of this family, her life was full of hardships. How painful and hateful towards Wen Xian and him must she be, considering the fact that close relatives mattered only if she cared, and not if she didn’t. Being so conservative, she would never agree to stay with him for a lifetime.

Zuo Yin, for some reason, felt like laughing: “So now you’re truly her Qin Gege (Big Brother)...”