Forced to Love (GL) - Chapter 12

Leaving the old building, away from the secondhand smoke, a rush of fresh air filled her lungs, easing the discomfort in her chest. However, Lingxi still couldn’t relax.

She could easily handle the debt collectors, but the moment Shen Sui appeared, she completely forgot the words she had prepared.

The two of them stared at each other in silence. But in just a moment, Shen Sui understood her intentions.

The air pressure felt like an invisible spiderweb, closing in around Lingxi from all directions, and the temperature dropped to freezing.

After stepping inside, Shen Sui didn’t look at her again. Instead, she stood diagonally in front of Lingxi, talking to the tall man as if she were alone.

Lingxi stood frozen, unable to move forward or retreat. The bank card in her pocket pressed harder into her palm.

The tall man didn’t understand their relationship. In the end, Shen Sui only paid part of the debt, which made him unhappy.

“You said you’d pay too. Where’s the money?”

He directed the question at Lingxi.

But her eyes remained fixed on Shen Sui, ignoring him completely.

The man grew impatient, his expression darkening.

“She’s just here with me,” Shen Sui interrupted him. “I’ll cover the rest later. This time, I came to show my sincerity.”

The man turned to look at Shen Sui, his gaze unreadable.

She was just a young girl, yet she spoke with unwavering confidence, showing no signs of fear.

After a moment, the man suddenly burst into laughter.

“Alright, I won’t make things difficult for you. I understand the law—just pay up, and everything will be fine!” He tore off the receipt and signaled for his men to escort them out.

As Shen Sui turned around, Lingxi noticed her grip on the receipt had turned her knuckles white.

**“Why are you here?”**

Shen Sui suddenly stopped ahead, turning to look at her. Lingxi snapped back to reality.

**“Didn’t I tell you to stay out of this?”**

Shen Sui frowned. Her voice was steady, but it felt like a layer of ice, its coldness hitting Lingxi’s face like sharp, stinging shards.

**“Why must you get involved in this mess?”**

**“Can’t you just live your own life?”**

**“This is my problem to deal with. It has nothing to do with you.”**

Lingxi looked at Shen Sui. She was still young, not tall, yet in that moment, she seemed to carry a shadow of a higher being.

So, she really was a fragment of Shen Shang’s soul.

Shen Shang was a divine being who existed beyond time and space, maintaining order across three thousand worlds. Formed by the heavens and earth, she was born with innate knowledge.

Ever since Lingxi had been aware of her existence, Shen Shang had never once set down her responsibilities. No matter how time passed or how space shifted, she remained the same.

Yet even in this world, she was still trapped by her so-called sense of duty.

Lingxi’s silence was like a deep, endless pool, quietly swallowing the small stone that Shen Sui had thrown into it.

At last, Shen Sui stared at Lingxi for a long time before sighing, her tone slightly heavier.

**“So, Yao Jingzhu, stop interfering with my life.”**

She didn’t wait for a response. She turned away, stood still for a few seconds, then walked off without another word. The distance between them slowly grew.

Lingxi stood in a daze. This was the first time in a while that Shen Shang had directly called her by her host’s name.

The tone was heavy. Lingxi couldn’t tell if it was mostly anger, helplessness, or worry.

Without hesitation, she took big strides to follow. Shen Sui noticed from the corner of her eye and quickened her pace, almost running out of the woods.

Lingxi watched her from a distance and slowed down, deliberately keeping some space between them.

One after another, they climbed the stone-paved slope, passed through the bustling streets, and walked past the market entrance. Finally, Shen Sui seemed tired. Her pace slowed as she stopped beside a beautiful flower bed in the park.

A tree cast a perfect patch of shade over where she stood. Lingxi hid under another tree, watching from afar.

It was the weekend, but the park wasn’t crowded. Young people wouldn’t come, and the elderly only showed up for morning exercise or evening strolls.

Lingxi let out a breath. A quiet park might be a good place for Shen Shang to think and calm her emotions.

**“Hey! Shen… Sui?”**

A female voice suddenly broke the silence.

**“I thought you looked familiar.”**

Before the words even finished, Shen Sui saw an irritatingly familiar face.

One problem after another, she thought.

**“Oh, it’s you, Shen—Sui!”**

Mi Tongtong covered her mouth with a laugh, deliberately dragging out the last syllable. She clung to a man’s arm as they strolled out from somewhere nearby.

**“Tong Jie, that’s her…”**

The girl who first recognized Shen Sui stepped forward, eager to tell Mi Tongtong about her past “grievances.”

Mi Tongtong lazily glanced at her, and the girl immediately fell silent, awkwardly retreating.

Shen Sui recognized her—she was the one who had blocked her at the school gate, threatening to spread rumors about her family’s debt, only to be scared off by Yao Jingzhu’s sudden arrival.

Scared off?

Shen Sui was surprised by her own choice of words.

Was Yao Jingzhu that intimidating? Then why had she remained so calm just now, even after Shen Sui spoke to her like that?

No arguments, no…

**“I won’t bring up the past,”** Mi Tongtong said, shaking the man’s arm and rubbing her body against his. Her voice turned sickeningly sweet. **“But, Zhao Ge~ it’s her! The one who caused all that trouble at the student affairs office last time.”**

The man chuckled, his beady eyes nearly disappearing as he patted Mi Tongtong’s hand and stroked it repeatedly. **“Alright, alright. Zhao Ge will take care of it.”**

Shen Sui instinctively frowned, feeling disgusted.

**“How about this? If you apologize to my little baby,”** the man began, but Mi Tongtong tugged his hand, signaling something. He paused, then changed his words with a smirk. **“…and agree to her request, we’ll let this slide.”**

**“Why?”**

Shen Sui’s expression remained blank as she calmly threw the question back at them, catching them off guard.

Mi Tongtong pretended to be wronged, making her voice sound even more delicate. **“See, Zhao Ge? She’s always so sharp-tongued.”**

The man, enjoying the act, patted her waist in comfort before turning back with a darker expression. He raised his hand, about to strike—

Before he could react, there was a sudden gust of wind.

Lingxi slapped his hand away and slammed into him with her shoulder, forcefully knocking him backward.

The heavyset man, over 100 kilograms, was shoved away by the slim girl. He stumbled back, barely avoiding a fall thanks to his lackeys rushing to support him.

The scene looked somewhat comical.

Seeing Lingxi standing in front of her, Shen Sui felt a strange mix of emotions she couldn’t quite describe.

Lingxi turned around and sincerely apologized, **“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to follow you.”**

The man, who had just steadied himself, heard those words and felt his veins throb in fury.

Shen Sui met Lingxi’s honest gaze and found herself speechless.

The man’s pride had been trampled. Surrounded by his men and his woman, he couldn’t let this go.

With an angry shout, seven or eight more people appeared from a nearby alley.

Lingxi tilted her head slightly, her sharp eyes scanning them.

**“Hmm, quite a lot,”** she muttered to herself.

Shen Sui reached to pull her away, but Lingxi had already stepped in front of her, arms outstretched protectively.

She lowered her voice. **“When I say run, you run forward.”**

**“Me? What about you?”**

Shen Sui should have been worried. But the moment Lingxi moved in front of her, she felt strangely calm.

As the gang closed in, just before Lingxi struck, Shen Sui heard her whisper:

**“Don’t be afraid. I’ll be right behind you.”**

And in that instant, Shen Sui understood—because Lingxi was here, she no longer felt fear.