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When Su Ling finished freshening up and came downstairs, Old Master Dong’s face was as black as ink.
Su Ling bit her lip and softly called out, “Grandfather?”
Old Master Dong grunted but couldn’t ignore his beloved granddaughter. “Come sit here with me.”
Su Ling obediently agreed, saying, “Yes.” As she passed by Qin Xiao, he reached out and grabbed her hand.
The old master’s eyes flared, ready to scold again, but Su Ling quickly pulled away and sat beside her grandfather.
Only then did the old man seem satisfied. He began to settle accounts: “Young Master Qin, isn’t it rather inappropriate to break into someone’s house in the middle of the night without sleeping?”
Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow. This man had no respect for elders or love for the young: “Old Master Dong, shouldn’t we also settle the account of you going back on your word?”
He could pretend when necessary. He didn’t mind giving the old man some face, but on this matter, he wouldn’t compromise.
Su Ling was startled by him. Her fingers intertwined tightly as she stared at him.
Qin Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly, then smiled: “Of course, Old Master Dong is an elder. It’s only right that you discipline us juniors.”
Old Master Dong glared at him.
“The land in the West District—I’ll send it over to you tomorrow.”
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re scheming, Young Master Qin. Your crooked ways... I know everything about how you blacklisted Xiao Ling a year ago.”
Qin Xiao’s eyes darkened slightly, and he glanced at Su Ling’s reaction.
Her gaze dimmed for a moment before she lowered her eyes.
“I promise, such things won’t happen again.”
“That’s hard to say.”
Neither of them backed down, and in the end, it was Su Ling who spoke up: “Grandfather, it’s late. You should rest. Qin Xiao, let me see you out.”
She walked him to the door.
The autumn wind was slightly cool.
Her long lashes drooped, and she remained silent.
Qin Xiao’s eyes were pitch black as he held her hand. Her once warm and soft hand now felt a little cold.
“Do you believe me?”
She lifted her eyes, looked at him seriously for a while, then gently shook her head.
His heart tightened, and he quickly said, “Such things won’t happen again. It was my extremism in the past. I won’t do that anymore, okay?”
Her eyes were pure, purer than the starlit sky: “Qin Xiao, let me really go abroad to study for two years.”
His face twisted imperceptibly for a moment, his eyes filled with gloom. But moments later, he gently stroked her hair and said in a low voice, “Alright.”
She blinked: “I lied to you.”
He looked down at her.
“You see, just saying that made you so unhappy. When you’re unhappy, you still remain calm and agree. But you’re already plotting schemes in your mind. In short, I can’t leave.”
His expression froze, and his face turned somewhat grim: “How could…” Damn it, he was indeed thinking about how to subtly dissuade her from this idea.
Su Ling laughed and gently placed her hand on his chest.
The heartbeat beneath her palm was racing.
She softly scolded him: “Liar, deceiver, always deceiving people.”
He grasped that hand: “Sorry, I’m trying to change, I’m really working hard to change.”
Su Ling knew.
But she also knew that perhaps he would never fully change. Obsession, possessiveness, plots and schemes—these were deeply ingrained in his bones and blood.
He wasn’t a good person; she had realized that long ago.
But she also understood that no one else in the world would love her the way Qin Xiao did.
To him, she was everything—the pursuit of a lifetime, the meaning of living well.
And through two lifetimes, he didn’t know how to love, nor did she.
It was just that now, he had retracted his fangs, and she finally understood how to be with him.
She tiptoed, wrapped her arms around his neck, her voice sweet and tender, carrying the gentle warmth of a spring breeze: “Qin Xiao, you’re so bad, but even when you’re bad, you’re wonderful.”
His heart trembled slightly.
His eyes saw only her, his Adam’s apple moved: “Is this sentence a lie?”
So pitiful.
Her eyes curved into crescents: “No.”
Then she tried to negotiate with him: “Don’t anger Grandfather anymore, okay? Next time, speak to him more respectfully.”
“Yes.”
“No more climbing through windows. Next time, visit properly, okay?”
“Mm.”
“Don’t retaliate against my older brother. He’s your brother, isn’t he? Qin Xiao, don’t be so petty, okay?”
“Yes.”
She couldn’t help but smile, her heart softening.
Through two lifetimes, they had simply used the wrong methods. She was an actress, wearing masks and longing to escape. He was a natural schemer, ruthless yet most afraid of her leaving.
What was most terrifying was that he was a born actor.
“Qin Xiao, does it hurt?” Just now, Grandfather hit him without holding back.
He chuckled softly: “No.”
“Are you angry?”
“No.”
Liar. She had clearly seen the violence in his eyes initially.
Yet now, his eyes were full of tenderness.
He was the pettiest, but also the most generous. She felt a sense of absurdity. He was utterly bewitched. Whatever she said, he agreed to.
He truly loved her.
More than anything else.
It seemed that as long as she didn’t leave, as long as she smiled, he would surrender completely.
Her eyes grew a little sour.
For the first time, Su Ling was grateful for the meaning of rebirth. She hadn’t broken her leg, and Yun Bu was alive and well. She began to understand his love—a pathological, incomprehensible love to ordinary people.
That was just who he was, perhaps forever unchangeable.
If he changed, he wouldn’t be Qin Xiao.
However, he had the instincts of a beast, yet he always anxiously retracted all his fangs, carefully trying to coax her home.
She remembered those countless nights from her previous life.
When her leg was broken and she was in unbearable pain, she could always see him by her side.
Bending down to put on her socks.
With hopeful eyes, he planted roses for her, carried her up the mountain to watch the sunrise, wanting to take her to see the purest seas of their homeland.
He had always wanted to learn how to love her properly.
It was just that she had never understood—he was a madman, a fool, naturally adept at all sorts of schemes in the world, yet unable to learn how to love.
He was the gentlest villain.
Walking through countless thorns in the world, guarding a budding flower, waiting for it to bloom, and then plucking it.
In her previous life, he broke the stem; in this life, he learned to carefully dig around the roots.
Su Ling kept her promise and went to find Qin Xiao the next day.
It happened to be the weekend, and Qin Xiao was at the villa.
Just as Su Ling knocked on the door, someone quickly opened it.
Su Ling was surprised to see him: “Xiao Han?”
The child nodded happily and looked at Su Ling, making “ah-ah” sounds but unable to produce words.
As Qin Xiao watched, Xiao Han didn’t dare to hug Sister Su Ling. His big, bright eyes could only look at her longingly.
“Why is Xiao Han here?”
“To see if there’s any hope for him to speak.”
Su Ling’s eyes shone brightly as she looked at Qin Xiao.
Qin Xiao curved his lips slightly: “Don’t look at me like that. For such congenital diseases, the chances of a cure are almost nonexistent. We’ll try sending him abroad. If it doesn’t work, there’s nothing we can do.”
She was so happy. Qin Xiao rarely showed such kindness.
This act surprised and delighted her.
Therefore, when he sent Xiao Han back to his room and leaned down to kiss her, she didn’t push him away.
She closed her eyes, her lashes trembling.
His kiss wasn’t very gentle; it had a domineering sense of possession.
Breathing heavily, he bent over her shoulder, his deep black eyes unable to resist curving into a smile.
He had just thought of this.
Qin Xiao guessed Su Ling would be happy, so he brought the little guy over.
The effect was good.
It seemed that the little guy wasn’t entirely useless.
Qin Xiao stopped promptly and didn’t do anything further to Su Ling.
But it wasn’t because of gentlemanly conduct.
He really wanted to.
Preferably, he wanted to have her fiercely.
However, as his body reacted, his mind became even clearer. The fool in Su Ling’s memory, wasn’t he the tragic result of acting on impulse?
That fool lost her, but he wouldn’t. He wanted to have her.
Completely, to possess her for a lifetime.
Su Ling had come to see him today with something else to say.
Last night, Lin Qing had called in the middle of the night, saying that although her last audition for that foreign clothing brand failed, someone had recommended her to a renowned foreign director.
The director watched Prisoner, the movie Su Ling starred in, and thought she was perfect for that film.
If everything went well, she would go abroad to shoot in October, lasting two months.
Last night, it was just a joke, but it unexpectedly came true.
Qin Xiao was so good, bringing Xiao Han for treatment. Su Ling didn’t know how to bring it up with him.
She was in his arms, listening to his ever-restless heartbeat, feeling the excitement of this man.
Every actor wanted new breakthroughs, and Su Ling was no exception.
Although Starlight Entertainment was under her name now, she still felt that what she earned through her own efforts was more substantial. Acting skills, like knowledge, couldn’t be taken away.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally told him about it.
His expression remained calm, but Su Ling heard his heartbeat slow down.
He released her and looked into her eyes: “Su Ling, tell me, do you really like acting?”
She nodded lightly: “At first, I didn’t like it much and wasn’t used to it, but later, I really liked it.”
He smiled faintly: “Do you know, I’m most afraid of you becoming an outstanding actress.”
She thought for a moment: “Because of fame?”
It would make him feel insecure.
He caressed her cheek and whispered to her: “No.”
She was somewhat surprised. She had always thought Qin Xiao, due to his possessiveness, didn’t want her to become an actress.
“I once heard that some actors get too immersed in their roles and remain trapped for life. Some treat their entire lives as a play to hone. I’m afraid I’ll become just another act in your life, and your love and hate—all of it will be fake.”
How tragic, how pitiful he would be.
She softly reassured him: “It won’t be like that, Qin Xiao. Don’t be afraid.”
She was rather shy: “I’ve thought it over carefully. If I were to hone my acting skills, compared to you in this life…”
Her eyes were wet and sparkling. He silently gazed at her.
“I choose you in this life.”
This man with thorns on his hands planted roses for her, shielded her from falling rocks, and wished for her safety every year.
Qin Xiao looked at her in shock.
He had never shown such an expression before—disbelief, doubting his hearing.
He remained silent for a long time.
Her face flushed red, her voice soft and sticky as she covered his eyes: “Don’t look at me like that.”
She was already shy. Saying such words was her limit.
If he continued to look at her like that, she’d be so embarrassed she’d want to bury herself in a hole.
He let her cover his eyes.
Unable to see his profound gaze, she bashfully finished her words: “Don’t be afraid, Qin Xiao. I’ve thought about it for two lifetimes. Maybe I don’t love you as much as you love me, but I’ll try, okay? Every day, I’ll like you a little more.”
I’ll move closer to you, a little more each day, and someday I’ll love you very much too.
Love is inherently unfair.
His love was so profound that no one could reciprocate equally.
All she could do was walk toward him.
After Su Ling finished speaking, she tried to remove her hands.
But he held them, not letting her move.
She carefully sensed and realized her palms were damp.
“Yes.” Waiting for you to say you love me—for two lifetimes. The world has seen countless silent rains, from dusk till dawn. He originally thought this was his lifelong vigil.
Even if he was just a play in her life, if she could deceive him until the end, that would be fine.
But now, she truly liked him.
Mutual affection—it was the best phrase. Her heart ached painfully, yet it was sweet to the bone.
She felt a bit at a loss.
“I’ll wait for you to return, when the first snow falls. Will you marry me?”
The autumn wind was gentle. It was almost October, and the sky was a bright blue.
He didn’t need to kneel. He had already bowed countless times when he knelt to put on her shoes and socks.
Her voice was like a babbling brook, like the soft March wind.
“Yes.”
Last year’s snow—you waited nearly all night.
This time, I’ll be with you.
Qin Xiao, don’t be so cold anymore.
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