Chapter 124 Did he get drunk and passionately kiss his best friend's crush? Only the unloved...
Ling Rui leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, and snorted with an ambiguous tone, "That guy looked for you all night yesterday. I didn't expect you to be messing around with that kind of lowly creature."
He seemed to want to say something more, a struggle and a hint of barely perceptible resentment flashing across his face, but in the end he only coldly uttered, "Ha, two freaks are a good match," before turning and leaving.
Pei Qing's mind was still blank, and she was too lazy to think about Ling Rui's seemingly meaningful words. Just as she was about to return to her room, she was suddenly hugged by someone.
"Ah Qing, you're finally back! I've been looking for you for so long. You told me yesterday morning that you were going to team up to do the new dungeon, but when I went to look for you last night with my holographic helmet, I found you weren't in your room. I was so scared..." Ye Ling suddenly appeared out of nowhere and hugged her arm tightly, chattering incessantly in Pei Qing's ear, as if an invisible tail was wagging happily behind her.
Pei Qing got annoyed and reached out to pull the person off her, frowning. "Do you have anything else to say? If not, I'm going to class." She turned and went into her room to find a coat.
“Yes… Ah Qing, don’t be angry. I, I just want to spend more time with you…” Ye Ling stood to the side, biting her lip, clutching her sleeve helplessly.
The man's golden hair dimmed, and even his sapphire-blue eyes lost their luster in an instant. He stood silently in front of the door, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards the bedroom opposite Pei Qing's.
So, that damned succubus was clinging to A-Qian all night? And what despicable means did he use to seduce A-Qian? What did they go to? Would A-Qian kiss him? Thinking of this, strands of resentment crept onto Ye Ling's handsome face, and his expression became extremely distorted.
No, he absolutely couldn't let that despicable bastard take A-Qian away! A-Qian belonged to him, even if she was temporarily disgusted with him… but that didn't matter. He could slowly, little by little, tolerate her, protect her, and let her see his true feelings. Ye Ling clenched his fists, his eyes gradually shifting from tenderness to indifference. As for that bastard, he would make him pay a terrible price!
"Tsk," Pei Qing quickly washed up and put on her coat, only to find that Ye Ling was still there, standing at the door looking at her expectantly. Her blue eyes were wet, filled with mist and grievance, just like a puppy that had been scolded by its owner and was waiting for comfort.
Pei Qing chuckled. "Didn't you just say you had something to tell me? Hurry up and say it." She put her hands in her pockets and walked up to Ye Ling, casually touching the top of his fluffy head.
Ye Ling suddenly became incredibly excited, his eyes sparkling, and he stopped standing at the door like a sad little dog. He leaned close to Pei Qing and pulled out an invitation, his expression serious. "Tomorrow is my birthday, and there will be a birthday banquet at the Ye family home tonight. I..."
Looking at Pei Qing's face, he suddenly stammered, took a deep breath, and continued, "I hope you can participate, A-Qian." After saying that, his hands and feet went numb, and his body stiffened as he waited for a reply.
“Tomorrow night…” Pei Qing took the invitation. “Let me check the time. If I can make it, how about I go?” She didn’t refuse outright. Besides, the young master of the Ye family’s birthday banquet would definitely have lots of delicious food. She hadn’t had a proper meal in a while.
"You, you agreed?! Ah Qing, you're so great!!" Ye Ling was so happy he almost jumped for joy. He didn't expect Pei Qing to agree so quickly; he thought he would have to coax her for a long time.
Noticing Ye Ling's trembling voice, Pei Qing raised an eyebrow. "Are you that happy? You really have a childish mentality. By the way, if I go to participate, should I prepare a gift? I haven't given gifts to many people before..."
"No need, no need! Ah, no, Pei Qing," Ye Ling suddenly remembered Pei Qing's earlier warning and quickly changed her form of address, her fair face flushed. "It's enough that you came. As for gifts, they're not important at all, because, because..."
Before Ye Ling could finish speaking, Pei Qing waved the invitation in her hand and turned to leave, saying, "I have to go to class now, bye-bye."
Because your arrival is my most precious gift. Ye Ling watched Pei Qing's retreating figure, silently completing the words she hadn't finished saying in her heart.
The next day arrived in the blink of an eye. Ye Ling went home early in the morning to prepare. She heard that she was going to rehearse the order in which the dresses would appear. Before leaving, she wanted Pei Qing to set aside some time so that she could send a driver to pick her up, but Pei Qing ruthlessly refused.
What a joke! She was just a random person going there to freeload, and she certainly didn't want to become the target of everyone's criticism.
After leaving the research institute, Pei Qian realized it was still early. The banquet was scheduled to start at 6 p.m., and she suddenly felt a little lost about what to do.
"Ms. Pei Qing." Someone called her name softly from behind.
She turned around. "Assistant Lin? Is there anything else?"
"No, it's nothing. I just noticed you've been here for so long, so I thought I'd ask if there's anything I can help you with." Assistant Kobayashi smiled slightly, seemingly casually touching Pei Qing's wrist.
The black-haired woman A paused, putting her hands in her pockets in a defensive posture. The man noticed her movement, and his gaze deepened.
Pei Qing shook her head, her fingers twitching slightly. For some reason, she felt a certain aversion to this person's presence; he hadn't been like this just a few days ago. Moreover, she felt this assistant was a bit strange, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Assistant Kobayashi's smile widened, her tone both concerned and enticing. "You can tell me what's troubling you, and perhaps I can offer some insignificant advice."
Upon hearing this, Pei Qing's tightly furrowed brows unconsciously relaxed, as if bewitched by some strange magic, and her original thought of leaving quickly gradually blurred.
"It's nothing major, I'm just wondering if I should bring something to my friend's birthday party later."
"Oh, Ms. Pei, let's go to the lounge and have some hot tea," Assistant Kobayashi invited.
“…Okay.” Pei Qing unconsciously moved her feet and followed him to the lounge.
The door to the lounge was closed, and an eyeball quietly appeared in the man's palm, rolling around incessantly.
Assistant Kobayashi's expression immediately turned cold. "Behave yourself."
He poked the eyeball hard, and the sharp pain from the same spot made cold sweat break out on his forehead. But the man was already used to it. He endured the pain until the eyeball shrank back into his skin.
Assistant Xiaolin, as if nothing had happened, steadily picked up the tray with elegant posture, "Ms. Pei Qing, please wait a moment, I'll be right there."
"Clink." The porcelain cup collided with the coffee table, making a soft sound.
Pei Qing, holding the cup that had been filled with water, suddenly woke up as if from a dream. Who was she? Where was she? Why was she sitting here? Wasn't she about to leave the research institute, and then... then what was she going to do? Why couldn't she remember?
"Ms. Pei Qing, Ms. Pei Qing? What's wrong?" A gentle call brought her back to her senses. Kobayashi, the assistant at the research institute, looked at her with concern.
"Ah, I'm fine. Where were we?" Pei Qing put down her cup, her face calm.
This isn't right, this is very wrong. Her inner alarm bells were screaming. She suppressed her panic and stared directly at the man opposite her.
Could it really be him who did this?
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize the time. We've been talking for a while now. It's already 5:10, Miss Pei."
Assistant Kobayashi concealed the surprise in her eyes. She'd regained consciousness so quickly! Her power was growing stronger; perhaps it wouldn't be long before she could…
“You mentioned you were going to a friend’s birthday party, but you didn’t know what to give as a gift. I have an unopened tea set here. If you don’t mind, you can take it as a gift.” He said, pulling a gift box out of the cabinet behind him.
Pei Qing took the gift box, stood up, and laughed heartily, "Thanks! I was just wondering what to take, haha." After saying that, she quickly walked towards the door; she couldn't stay in this awful place any longer.
Assistant Kobayashi also stood up, bowed slightly with one hand behind her back, and said, "I'm glad you like it."
"Haha, I like it, I like it. Okay, I'll be going now, I'll be late later, hahaha." Pei Qing's face was almost frozen with laughter as she hurriedly opened the door.
Assistant Kobayashi stood at the end of the dimly lit corridor, her gaze following Pei Qing until her figure completely disappeared.
The man suddenly burst into manic laughter, laughing so hard he could barely breathe, his face flushed with a sickly redness. His smooth skin revealed festering sores, peeling away layer by layer and rebuilding itself, causing him to kneel on the ground, gasping for breath in pain.
Her kneeling body twisted and shifted, her waist becoming more slender and her legs longer. Her brown hair faded, turning a deep, inky black, growing wildly from the roots until it covered her entire body, revealing glimpses of her pale white ribs and scarlet flesh.
"Why, why is it still not working..." The man muttered morbidly over and over again. He raised his head, his narrow, silver-gray eyes filled with resentment and madness.
Assistant Xiao Lin—oh no, he should be called Pei Yu now. The completely transformed man slowly rose, his excessively long black hair falling to his waist. His pale fingers danced, and a silver-gray ribbon bound his black hair back. A viscous gray liquid enveloped his entire body, diligently filling the void in his form.
Pei Yu's fingertips twitched slightly, and the next second, a low-key silver-gray suit perfectly enveloped the strange body. The beauty's eyelashes trembled gently, and the small, jet-black mole seemed to possess some strange magic, captivating all who beheld it.
He took a step forward, his body swaying uncontrollably, seemingly very uncomfortable in this new form. Pei Yu frowned, and gray-black tendrils emerged from his palm, condensing into an exquisite cane. He leaned on the cane and slowly walked away.
Ah, my dear sister, we're finally going to meet! I can't wait...
Meanwhile, Pei Qian was already at the lively banquet. After casually handing the gift box to a servant, she began to enjoy the delicious food.
Ye Ling was following behind the head of the household, talking to a politician. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Pei Qing handing a gift to a servant and almost wanted to go over right now, but her remaining rationality told her that she couldn't.
Having finally managed to appease those fly-like politicians, Ye Ling couldn't wait to unwrap the gift Pei Qing had brought.
It was an exquisite tea set. Ye Ling was a little disappointed; he had thought it would be something with special meaning. But it was still very good, after all, Pei Qingken bringing him a gift was already a great honor.
He raised the corners of his mouth slightly, in a very pleasant mood. He reached out and casually pushed the expensive gifts aside, then carefully placed the tea set in the most conspicuous place in the center.
"Tch," a disdainful voice came from behind, "She actually dared to send over a set of ordinary, crude teaware as a gift. What an ignorant commoner."
Ye Ling sighed and turned to see her arrogant best friend. "Arui, I know you've always been unhappy with Aqing, but today is my birthday after all. Try to tone it down and don't cause her any trouble."
Ling Rui rolled her eyes without any politeness. "I'm just reminding you, it's fine to play around, but don't get really involved. Besides, even if you really want to be with her, the Ye family head probably wouldn't agree."
The words had barely left his mouth when he saw Ye Ling's resolute expression. A bad feeling suddenly flashed through Ling Rui's mind, "Hey, you're not planning to...?"
"Even if my sister disagrees, no one can stop me from making a decision." After saying this, Ye Ling saw a figure not far away, her eyes filled with tenderness, and she turned around and walked resolutely in that direction.
"Hey, hey, you bastard!" Ling Rui felt very uncomfortable. Ye Ling was clearly his closest friend and most similar to him before. People like them would always put their own interests first, rather than so-called worthless feelings.
How did things suddenly change? When did it start?
Along with the discomfort came a strange emotion, as if my heart was being pierced by countless sharp silver needles, throbbing with a dense, aching pain.
A mocking glint flashed in Ling Rui's eyes, accompanied by a hint of envy that even he himself didn't realize. If Ye Ling could do it, then why couldn't he...? No, what was he thinking! How could he be compared to that idiot!
Conflicting emotions swirled within him, impossible to suppress. "Stop thinking about it," the last vestiges of reason warned him. Ling Rui downed glass after glass of wine, mechanically watching the two people intimately conversing in the distance. He was somewhat drunk.
"Ah-Qian! Thank you for the gift! I love it!" Ye Ling was wearing a well-tailored pure white haute couture suit, and her meticulously styled hair shone brightly, making her dazzling.
The designer clearly brought out his blond, blue-eyed good looks to the fullest, and at this moment, paired with the gentle smile on his face, he looked like an angel descended to earth.
Pei Qing was eating a small cake when she realized that Ye Ling had managed to find her even though she had hidden so far away. The moment she saw Ye Ling, she was somewhat amazed; when he dressed up properly, he certainly had the air of a noble young master.
The two chatted casually, with Ye Ling constantly trying to find topics to talk about, while Pei Qing just gave perfunctory replies.
Ye Ling suddenly brought her face very close to his. The man's fair cheeks were flushed, like a juicy peach, and he said mysteriously, "I'll come find you later. I... I need to get ready now..."
"Okay, go ahead." Pei Qing didn't hear what he was saying at all; her mind was filled with the joy of enjoying the delicious food. Just when she finally managed to get rid of the annoying golden retriever, another uninvited guest arrived.
At the table, Ling Rui rested his chin on his hand, his cheeks flushed. Due to drinking too much, his narrow eyes had lost their usual shrewdness and arrogance, becoming misty and making him appear softer.
He vaguely saw Ye Ling and Pei Qian's intimate actions, and a surge of resentment and anger suddenly welled up inside him. He staggered to his feet, still holding his wine glass. If it weren't for the sharp-eyed waiter beside him who noticed his abnormal state and steadied him in time, the man would probably have fallen to the ground in a sorry state.
But he didn't care about anything now. All the chaotic thoughts in his mind had fallen silent. He just wanted to question the woman standing not far away. Why was she always so indifferent and uncaring? He had made it so obvious, so why didn't she understand?
Thinking of this, Ling Rui felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. He didn't care about anything else, not family interests or aristocratic demeanor. He just wanted to ask her one question: Did she really have no feelings for him at all? If she was so heartless, why did she go to such lengths to help him in the bathroom instead of just letting him suffer?
So, she must still have feelings for him, right? At least more than that idiot Ye Ling, after all, Ye Ling cried to him about how that wicked woman ruthlessly pushed him away, leaving behind the cold words that she didn't want to see him again.
At the very least, Pei Qing had never said that to him. He must have held a special place in her heart. Ye Ling was already out of the running. Even if someone was oblivious and stubbornly clung to her, it wouldn't make a difference, would it? Thinking of this, the man couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Ling Rui, holding a wine glass, staggered towards Pei Qing, his face a mixture of crying and laughing, looking completely out of control. Pei Qing tried to slip away, but despite being clearly drunk, he grabbed her sleeve at the last moment.
"Hiss, what's wrong?" Pei Qing sighed and put down the plate in her hand. She didn't want to get into a fuss with people next to the food.
“You,” Ling Rui hiccuped, his speech slightly slurred.
A strong smell of alcohol wafted over her; how much must they have drunk? Pei Qing fanned herself with disdain and quietly took two steps back.
"You were talking to him just now, hiccup, not like that, why are you always so mean to me, um—" Ling Rui finished speaking with difficulty, then suddenly felt a little nauseous and gagged.
What is he babbling about? I can't be bothered to listen. Looking at the drunken man in front of her, Pei Qian silently swallowed. Damn it, is he going to throw up all over her? She had a bad feeling and decided to make a quick getaway.
Pei Qing had barely taken a step back when she was spotted. Ling Rui pounced on her like a madman, clinging to her tightly, refusing to let go. "No, you can't leave! I... I haven't... I haven't..."
Seeing a crowd watching the spectacle, Pei Qian could only maintain an awkward yet polite smile, firmly covering Ling Rui's mouth to prevent him from shouting for no reason again.
"Tsk, don't move. Are you drunk, you lunatic..." Pei Qing muttered, still grabbing Ling Rui's collar and dragging him to a corner. She was focused on getting rid of this madman when she accidentally bumped into something soft—it looked like a person?
She tossed the screaming Ling Rui aside, straightened up, and before she could even see his face clearly, she began to apologize, "I'm so sorry, my friend is drunk, and I wanted to take him to the lounge, so it happened by accident..."
"It's alright," Pei Qing's apology was interrupted before she could finish. A deep, melodious voice rang out, like the strains of a cello, captivating the listener. A man in a black suit stood in the shadows, his posture elegant.
Pei Qian was no exception. She inexplicably wanted to see the man's face clearly, so she did just that, staring intently at the passerby's face.
But for some reason, no matter how hard she tried, she could only see the upper half of the man's face; he was a rare Eastern beauty. The beauty had long, narrow, almond-shaped eyes that curved slightly, eyelashes as thick as butterfly wings, and a small mole at the corner of her eye that added to her allure.
“Madam,” the beautiful woman said, her lips parting slightly, revealing her pearly white teeth. A few strands of hair slipped down and were gracefully brushed behind her ear.
It was such a simple action, yet it possessed an inexplicable allure. Pei Qing couldn't help but stare at that soft, translucent white earlobe for a long time. What an exquisite sensation it would be to gently lick and bite it... It wasn't until the beauty called out softly again that she snapped out of her reverie.
"Ah, ah, I'm sorry, I, I'm a little..." Pei Qing hurriedly looked away, wondering what was wrong with her. She had lost her composure over just her eyebrows and a section of her earlobe.
Even the most beautiful woman shouldn't act like this. Subconsciously, she felt that something was wrong, but under some kind of magical influence, her brain automatically erased the abnormality.
"It's alright, your friend doesn't seem to be doing too well." The beauty smiled slightly, her eyebrows curving even more.
Pei Qing looked down and saw Ling Rui tugging at her clothes, revealing large sections of her fair and delicate collarbone, muttering something like "It's so hot."
Dude, you just had a few too many drinks, is it really that big of a deal? Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd been drugged!
Pei Qing closed her eyes tightly, quickly pulled the person up from the ground, and said, "Haha, I'll be going now. Have fun." Then she left in a hurry.
Pei Yu stood quietly in the shadows of the corner, thoughtfully stroking his lips, and fiercely ripped off the gray-black tendrils that eagerly peeked out from his mouth to his lips.
The tender flesh of his lips, clinging to the branch, was mercilessly ripped out, leaving them bleeding profusely. The man's expression was tender, seemingly oblivious to the pain.
He almost got caught just now. These stupid things really have no sense of timing. Luckily, he sent a mental suggestion in time. Thinking of the shameless man at Pei Qing's feet, Pei Yu frowned, but soon relaxed.
He almost forgot that he had brought an extremely wonderful gift to the banquet today. If this 'gift' worked up, it might be able to help him get rid of these two despicable bastards.
Pei Yu's eyes swept over the blond man anxiously looking around on the high platform, and the corners of his mouth curved into a smile.
Let those two idiots enjoy their last moments together. Those shameless people who cling to my sister deserve to die. From beginning to end, only he will stay by her side.
Just as Pei Qing was about to open the door to the lounge, she suddenly looked up, as if struck by a sudden inspiration. In the shadows in the distance, the stunningly beautiful woman she had encountered was raising her glass towards her from afar. Her pale face revealed no expression, but rather a sinister, ghostly aura, making her seem unlike a living person.
Pei Qing shuddered at the inexplicable suspicion that had arisen within her. Why would she suddenly have such thoughts? It was so strange. A faint warning echoed deep within her mind, buried deep within her spiritual sea.
She shook her head, deciding not to think about it anymore. After dragging the delirious Ling Rui into the room, she turned to leave, but accidentally got her clothes caught on the headboard decoration. The decoration had many grooves, and she couldn't untangle it in a short time, so Pei Qing had no choice but to sit down.
Halfway through unraveling the mystery, a hot body suddenly pressed against her back. Pei Qing instinctively reached out and grabbed it, finding it smooth, soft, and slightly damp.
Huh? Her mind went blank for a moment. When did Ling Rui take his clothes off?!
The next second, a soft, boneless white arm climbed up Pei Qian's neck, wrapping around it tightly, tightening its grip like a handsome male snake hissing and flicking its tongue near his ear.
This was practically strangling her to death! Pei Qing yanked hard, and the fragile fabric of her clothes tore with a snap. She pulled down Ling Rui's arm and, while he was still dazed, tied him to the bed.
"Behave yourself! Don't move!" Pei Qing had already done more than enough by dragging the person to the lounge, and was too lazy to bother with any other trivial matters.
"Ugh," the man gasped as he lay on the bed, his slender waist slumped, his eyes filled with tears, and his delicate wrists were rubbed raw.
"It hurts, please, don't make me hurt so much..." Ling Rui's rare display of weakness surprised Pei Qing, and she couldn't help but loosen her grip.
In the blink of an eye, Ling Rui suddenly turned over, a clear and resolute look flashing in his eyes, and with a fragile, sacrificial posture, he kissed the woman's lips heavily.
Even if it's just this incredibly brief moment, it's enough. A glistening tear slid down the man's cheek, silently seeping into his hair.
"!" Pei Qing's eyes widened, and for a moment she didn't react and forgot to push him away.
Voices came from the doorway of the lounge; someone had arrived. Pei Qing belatedly realized what was happening and hurriedly pushed the person away, but it was too late.
"Thump—!" A dull thud echoed as something fell to the ground. Pei Qing instinctively looked up and saw Ye Ling standing in the doorway, trembling and tears streaming down his face. At his feet lay a pile of documents and an ornately decorated box, half-open.
Ling Rui sat up, his lips trembling as he got out of bed and slowly approached Ye Ling. "I, I didn't... no, I just..."
Ye Ling clenched his fists, coldly staring at his friend before him, his eyes bloodshot and filled with resentment. He suddenly raised his hand and slapped Linghu hard across the face, leaving five bright red finger marks on the man's pale face.
"Ye Ling, Ye Ling, I really didn't..." Ling Rui explained frantically with the fingerprints on his face, but suddenly stopped halfway through his sentence.
He didn't do anything wrong. Did he not like Pei Qing? Did he not seduce her? Or did he not pretend to be a close friend and listen to Ye Ling recount her past with Pei Qing? Did he not pretend to dislike her when he actually already...?
He did everything, even went too far. He wanted to explain, but he couldn't bring himself to speak.
Ye Ling laughed at his disheveled appearance, the laughter not reaching her eyes, and uttered a sarcastic remark: "You're really shameless, Young Master Ling, much more shameless than me." After saying that, he could no longer control himself and turned to run away.
"Wait a minute, that's not how it is, I didn't..." Ling Rui secretly glanced at Pei Qing's expression, who still looked on with an indifferent, detached attitude.
He suddenly felt relieved. Yes, he was just that despicable, but so what?
In this match where the underdog came from behind, he was the ultimate winner. Therefore, he had nothing to explain; since Ye Ling had voluntarily given up, there was no need for him to continue with pretense.
Pei Qing's gaze was drawn to the documents on the ground. She bent down and picked one up. "The Ye family... all of the above is unconditionally given to you, Ms. Pei Qing?"
That was a property transfer document.
"ah--!"
A piercing scream ripped through the sky, reaching the ears of all the banquet guests. The two people in the lounge looked up abruptly.
The crowd instantly stirred. "What's going on?" "What happened outside...?" "I don't know, aren't the guards all here...?"
Pei Qing looked in the direction of the sound, and the scream seemed to come from the garden.
If she remembered correctly, Ye Ling had left in that direction as well.
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Author's Note: Each chapter should be a bit longer these next couple of days. I expect to finish the main story in about ten more chapters. Thank you all for your support! Could I secretly ask for some support? [pity][pity][pity] Please comment if you have any requests for extra chapters! Like and vote! [cheering][cheering][cheering]
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