After Bringing Joy to the Short-Lived Mad Young Lady - Chapter 15

Lin Shuxing met Xue Lan’s gradually focusing gaze. The panic and adoration in her eyes couldn’t be faked, but at this moment, Lin Shuxing was in a terrible mood and couldn’t be bothered to figure out what had driven Xue Lan to such madness.

 

“Xue Lan,” Lin Shuxing called her name again.

 

That resounding slap had not only stopped Xue Lan’s violent outburst but had also shattered something else.

 

The girl slumped on the bed, clutching her burning cheek, as if a ghost had just left her body. Only now did she realize what she had done.

 

Her eyes darted around, not daring to meet Lin Shuxing’s gaze, and finally settled on a brown teddy bear. Her flustered voice was like a tornado sweeping through, “I—I… I’m sorry!”

 

“You knew I was sick and came back just to bully me?” Lin Shuxing asked.

 

“No! How could I bully you? I was just too impulsive, I’m sorry, really, I’m sorry…”

 

The cowardly excuses sounded idiotic, nothing like the bold and unrepentant “demon king” she was known to be. Lin Shuxing studied her for a long moment, the disappointment in her heart growing heavier. She cut her off, “But you did it. You deserve to die.”

 

This pronouncement shattered the self-deception in Xue Lan’s heart, leaving it in pieces. Like a stray dog, she hung her head low and muttered dejectedly, “I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

 

Lin Shuxing coldly demanded, “Who told you to come back? What did they say to you?”

 

“I—I heard you were sick, so I flew back because I was worried—”

 

Lin Shuxing had no patience for such evasive talk. She kicked Xue Lan lightly. “Don’t play dumb. You know that’s not what I’m asking.”

 

She had fallen ill late last night, and no one had had time to spread the news. The fact that Xue Lan could rush back overnight was suspicious in itself.

 

There was a traitor in the Lin family.

 

“Who told you the Li family was changing the arranged marriage candidate? What does Lin Qingwan have to do with this?”

 

Xue Lan hesitated. “I just heard it by chance…”

 

“Fine. Very good. Still lying to me,” Lin Shuxing sneered. “Get out.”

 

“No—” Xue Lan panicked completely at the look of disgust on Lin Shuxing’s face. She knew that once she left, she might never set foot in this place again.

 

Years of friendship—ruined by her own actions. What had she done?

 

Lin Shuxing frowned. “Do I need to escort you out? Or should I ask Madam Xue to come pick you up?”

 

Xue Lan shuddered. “It was Lin Chong!”

 

Lin Chong was Lin Lan’s youngest brother, one of the few direct relatives who hadn’t been purged after Lin Lan took power.

 

A self-righteous, foolish uncle.

 

Back then, Lin Lan had spared him out of mercy—not out of sibling affection, but because he was too stupid to pose any threat to the family head’s position.

 

It seemed even the most useless fool, if kept around long enough, would eventually grow restless ambitions.

 

Lin Shuxing’s eyes darkened. She kicked Xue Lan again. “Get up.”

 

If the Li family had really wanted to change the arranged marriage candidate, they would have done so when Lin Qingwan first returned, not dragged it out for so long.

 

Li Sinian was gradually transitioning power. Before, it had been Lin Shuxing who stubbornly insisted on breaking off the engagement, even going so far as to clash fiercely with Li Duqiu and cede a major project to the Lin family as an apology.

 

The Lin family had accepted the concession, and she had been happy about it.

 

An arranged marriage—what feelings could there be?

 

The Li family needed the cooperation of local powerhouses to establish themselves, while the local aristocratic families needed the Li family’s connections to climb into the political circles of Yanjing. It was simply a matter of mutual benefit.

 

Even if Li Sinian were to switch his engagement to Lin Qingwan, Lin Shuxing wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.

 

But Lin Chong’s involvement in this was highly suspicious.

 

What benefit was he trying to gain from it?

 

Lin Shuxing had never had any patience for this foolish uncle of hers. A man who relied entirely on Lin Lan’s favor for survival, yet after Wen Qianxue’s death, he had the audacity to introduce a new woman into the family, claiming it was for the sake of continuing the Lin bloodline.

 

A frail, sickly heir who looked like they wouldn’t last long was, of course, unacceptable.

 

To uphold a great family, both physical strength and intelligence were indispensable.

 

Lin Shuxing was well aware that the lively and healthy Lin Qingwan, who had now appeared, was a far more suitable candidate than herself.

 

Most importantly, she was also much easier to control.

 

Were people already this eager to start picking sides?

 

Lin Lan is going to abandon you—

 

Wasn’t that already the consensus among many?

 

Xue Lan, who also came from a wealthy family, stood frozen in place, still reeling from the slap that seemed to have jolted her senses awake.

 

“That’s not what I meant!” she protested weakly. “It’s just—instead of pointlessly fighting here, why not leave with me?”

 

“Shuxing, I really do like you. I don’t want to see you waste yourself on all this messy drama…”

 

“Back then, Madam Lin wouldn’t let you study oil painting, saying it was a distraction, but you loved painting too, didn’t you? Now you have a much better choice!”

 

Xue Lan tried to paint a rosy picture. “If you’re willing, I’ll take you away right now. Apply to any art school you want, and I’ll go with you. You can do whatever you desire—I swear, I’ll always treat you well!”

 

Lin Shuxing had already lost patience. She yanked Xue Lan closer by her loose tie.

 

Though Xue Lan was taller, Lin Shuxing’s presence overwhelmed her, making her feel as though she were the one being looked down upon.

 

Those beautiful amber eyes were filled with cold indifference, her lips curling into a mocking smile.

 

“You’ve always been running away, Xue Lan.”

 

Pretending not to care, fleeing from the Xue family to abroad, escaping power struggles for a life of indulgence.

 

“I’m not like you. I won’t run.”

 

“You don’t even know what I want—what right do you have to say you like me? Am I some delicate flower, a plaything to you? Your affection is far too cheap!”

 

Her sharp words cut through Xue Lan’s cowardly vows like a cold blade.

 

Xue Lan stammered, “I—I… What can I do for you?”

 

Lin Shuxing’s smile was still sickly pale as she lifted Xue Lan’s chin with her fingers and whispered, “I want Lin Chong dead.”

 

Xue Lan froze, eyes widening in shock. “But… he’s still your uncle.”

 

Lin Shuxing shook her head in disappointment, her fingertips tracing the reddened slap mark on Xue Lan’s cheek before pressing down with deliberate cruelty.

 

“They’re waiting for me to die,” she said with a faint, chilling smile. “And I feel the same about them.”

 

“Don’t say that! I’ll help you—if you want that position, I’ll help you get it!” Xue Lan urgently grabbed Lin Shuxing’s hand, only for her to effortlessly pull away.

 

Lin Shuxing leaned back against the bed, pressing a hand to her throbbing temple. “Get out.”

 

“Alright, I’ll go. Don’t be angry—I’m leaving now.” Recognizing the exhaustion in her eyes, Xue Lan lowered her voice and slowly backed toward the door, keeping her gaze on Lin Shuxing until the very end.

 

As the door slowly closed, the girl on the bed looked as fragile as a sliver of moonlight. In the final sliver of light before the door shut completely, she lifted her head—

 

And from the darkness, a sharp glint flashed in her eyes.

 

“Xue Lan, don’t disappoint me again.”

 

Xue Lan stood at the door, silent and despondent for what felt like an eternity.

 

Finally, as if she had made some kind of resolution, she took a step forward again.

 

At the corner where she was about to leave, a smiling face suddenly appeared.

 

Xue Lan had stood at Lin Shuxing’s door for as long as she had, and Lin Qingwan had waited just as long. She watched with amusement as Xue Lan strode in with arrogance, only to slink out like a stray dog.

 

Lin Qingwan said nothing, merely watching, yet her mocking gaze seemed to say everything.

 

The pain that had subsided on Xue Lan’s cheek flared up again, burning like lava beneath her skin.

 

Clenching her teeth, Xue Lan felt the extinguished flames reignite. She stepped closer, cornering Lin Qingwan in a blind spot of the surveillance cameras, her voice low and menacing. “Whether or not you had anything to do with Xingxing’s illness, stay away from her.”

 

Both harbored covetous intentions, and the radar for detecting one’s own kind was always accurate. Thus, from the moment they met, an inexplicable hostility arose between them.

 

Her pure white skirt swaying, Lin Qingwan locked eyes with Xue Lan. The pretense at her lips shattered bit by bit as she smiled sweetly, revealing her intoxicating fangs.

 

She leaned in slowly, whispering words only Xue Lan could hear: “Everything in the Lin family will be mine—including my sister.”

 

So, this woman had been pretending all along!

 

Xue Lan’s fists tightened gradually, her nails digging into her palms.

 

“What, you want to hit me? Go ahead and try,” Lin Qingwan tilted her head, deliberately stepping on Xue Lan’s toes. “Do you think my sister would believe me or an outsider like you?”

 

“You!”

 

The force of Xue Lan’s punch landed heavily against the wall with a dull thud, mere inches from Lin Qingwan’s smiling face.

 

Bl00d trickled down her knuckles as Xue Lan gritted her teeth. “I’m warning you—don’t touch her.”

 

Lin Qingwan smiled brightly, reverting to her innocent and guileless demeanor as she tilted her head fearlessly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

Fang Yi had just received a message from Lin Shuxing—just two simple words: “Come here.”

 

As she walked down the hallway, she caught sight of Xue Lan and Lin Qingwan’s figures, the two mysteriously huddled in a blind spot, whispering about something.

 

Fang Yi’s footsteps were light, a habit from her past life. She had no intention of prying into the secrets of the wealthy, but she mentally marked these two with question marks.

 

The Lin family was far from as simple as it appeared on the surface, but just how deep the waters ran, Fang Yi wasn’t entirely sure yet.

 

After the incident with Xue Lan, Lin Shuxing seemed utterly exhausted.

 

When Fang Yi pushed the door open and approached, Lin Shuxing only lazily lifted her eyelids, extending a hand toward her. “Where have you been? You took so long.”

 

“Just took a walk in the garden,” Fang Yi replied, noticing the redness on Lin Shuxing’s palm and instinctively frowning. “What happened? Did someone hurt you?”

 

Lin Shuxing didn’t answer, merely raising her palm slightly. “It hurts.”

 

“Is it because of your illness? Do you need any medicine?”

 

Fang Yi sat by the bed, carefully cradling her hand. The girl’s skin was pale, like carved jade, making every bruise and mark painfully obvious.

 

Lin Shuxing said, “I slapped her.”

 

Fang Yi exhaled in relief, gently blowing on her palm with the softest breath. “Blow on it, and it won’t hurt anymore.”

 

How strange. Fang Yi was usually as hard as stone, yet the gentle warmth of her breath against Lin Shuxing’s palm revealed a tenderness in her dark, clear eyes—like a serene sea.

 

Ripples formed in her palm, and somehow, the pain really did seem to fade.

 

Does she really know some kind of magic? Lin Shuxing blinked and smiled, “Aren’t you going to ask why?”

 

Fang Yi: “If you want to tell me.”

 

“She insulted you. I can’t accept anyone insulting you.” Lin Shuxing shook her head, revealing a hint of the playful charm unique to a young girl—though it wasn’t entirely untrue.

 

Fang Yi paused in the middle of blowing on her hand. “Thank you. Next time, you can call me.”

 

“Call you for what?” Lin Shuxing asked.

 

“To slap her,” Fang Yi replied simply.

 

Lin Shuxing was momentarily stunned before bursting into genuine laughter, as if all the summer flowers in the courtyard had bloomed at that very moment.

 

She withdrew her hand from Fang Yi’s grasp and placed it on that expressionless face. “I like you so much. You’re just too adorable.”

 

The word “adorable” seemed a bit distant when applied to Fang Yi. She wasn’t fluffy or cute in any conventional sense, but—

 

Who could really define the word?

 

Before Fang Yi could respond, Lin Shuxing asked again, “Fang Yi, what would you do if I wanted to kill someone?”

 

“Killing is illegal,” Fang Yi answered.

 

Years of the system’s painstaking efforts to drill this into her had finally borne some fruit, bringing it to the verge of tears.

 

The system clutched its metaphorical heart: Oh! Host! My little troublemaker, you’ve grown up!

 

Fang Yi thought for a moment and answered very seriously, “Death is the easiest way out. There are other options.”

 

“But you said ‘want to kill,’ which is just an emotional outburst. If you need to, you can talk to me. What happened? That would help me better determine what kind of death would suit him.”

 

“…”

 

She spoke with such earnestness, yet it felt like little wildflowers sprouting from a rock, swaying gently before Lin Shuxing’s eyes.

 

A faint glimmer flashed in Lin Shuxing’s eyes as she slowly, slowly sank into the blankets, swaying along with the rhythm of those imaginary wildflowers.

 

The topic had started abruptly and ended just as abruptly. Lin Shuxing quietly watched Fang Yi, her dark eyes growing moist. Softly, she said, “Fang Yi, I’m in pain.”

 

Revealing vulnerability in front of others went against her usual pride, but the lingering ache of growth, like an endless drizzle, had seeped too deeply into her bones. And now, a sudden beam of sunlight had appeared before her.

 

Her mother’s indifference, her relatives’ schemes, even the betrayal of a childhood friend…

 

She felt an urgent need to grasp onto something.

 

That damp, lingering pain seemed to be evaporating, condensing into tiny droplets on her lashes. Her whole body felt soft and weak, with an uncontrollable itch stirring in her bones.

 

“Blow on it,” Fang Yi said, taking her hand.

 

“Not just there. My whole body hurts,” the girl murmured, tilting her face slightly upward.

 

What would she say? Take medicine? Call a doctor? Or would she gently blow warm air over her entire body?

 

“…”

 

Fang Yi was terrible at comforting people. She froze awkwardly for a moment, but seeing the light in the girl’s eyes dimming was like watching a star flicker out.

 

She bent down and hugged her as naturally as she could, her warm hand patting gently. Her low voice brushed against the girl’s ear, her breath warmer than before:

 

“Does this… feel better?”