Golden Temptation – A Yuri Story - Chapter 50
Day by day, time passed. Li Miaolan’s belly also grew larger with each passing day. The prenatal checkups confirmed that the baby was healthy. During this time, Jing Xuan outwardly played the role of the “dutiful husband” well, but in private, their relationship was no more than polite cohabitation. This left Li Miaolan feeling troubled.
Jing Cheng’s pressure was growing by the day—if she couldn’t get a DNA sample from Jing Xuan soon, both she and the baby would be in danger.
“What should I do? What should I do?” Li Miaolan paced slowly around her room. Jing Xuan rarely spent time with her, and whether intentional or not, she always seemed to avoid her affectionate gestures. She slumped onto the sofa, gently caressing her swollen belly. “Baby… what should we do?”
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President’s Office, Huatian International
Knock knock!
“Come in.”
“President, there’s a young lady requesting to see you.”
Jing Xuan set down the document in her hand. “Oh? What kind of lady?”
“She said her name is Lan Qing.”
“What?” Jing Xuan’s voice sharpened.
“Yes, President. She said her name is Lan Qing, and…”
Before the secretary, Miss Wu, could finish, Jing Xuan had already risen and stepped in front of her.
“Speak!”
Jing Xuan’s presence was so imposing that Miss Wu lowered her eyes, unable to look directly at her. “And… this young lady seems to be in… rather bad shape…”
“Where is she?”
“She’s in the reception lounge on the first floor, she—”
Before Miss Wu could finish her sentence, Jing Xuan was already gone. The glass door still swayed from the sudden exit, confirming to Miss Wu that she hadn’t imagined it.
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Jing Xuan rushed down to the first-floor lounge. The moment she opened the door, she saw Lan Qing curled up on the sofa, clutching a paper cup of hot water. The receptionist quickly bowed upon seeing Jing
Xuan enter.
“President!”
Lan Qing looked up at the sound of the voice—she had finally found her. The paper cup slipped from her fingers and hit the carpet with a dull thud, spilling water and soaking the fabric. In the next second, Lan
Qing threw herself into Jing Xuan’s arms and broke down in tears, pouring all of her grievances and sorrow into the warmth of that embrace.
The receptionist quietly slipped out and gently closed the door behind her.
Jing Xuan said nothing. She didn’t ask a single question. She simply held Lan Qing tightly, resting her chin on the crown of her head, allowing Lan Qing’s tears to soak her expensive suit.
Lan Qing looked absolutely heart-wrenching.
Her complexion was pale, dark circles heavy under her eyes. She was noticeably thinner, her clothes and face both dirty. Her hair was a mess. She wore only a long overcoat over pajamas and a pair of running shoes on bare feet—a bizarre combination. Never mind that she was a world-class fashion designer—this wasn’t some avant-garde trend. Anyone with eyes could see that Lan Qing had run straight out of her house—and in a panic.
What had happened?
Lan Qing’s loud sobs gradually faded into faint whimpers. From the start until now, Jing Xuan’s embrace hadn’t loosened one bit.
“Feeling any better?” Jing Xuan asked gently by her ear.
From her arms came Lan Qing’s muffled voice. “Xuan, I missed you so much… Please don’t leave me again, okay? I have nothing left now… only you… Please don’t abandon me… don’t leave me…”
Jing Xuan gently tilted her away, resting their foreheads together and staring deeply into her tear-filled eyes. With a tender hand, she wiped away Lan Qing’s tears.
“Tell me. What happened?”
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This was what happened.
“Lan Qing, we’ve been together for so long. Don’t you feel it… how I truly feel about you?”
“Goro, what are you saying? Haha…”
Nishikawa Goro’s confession failed. But the Nishikawa family was far too important to the Iga family for Lan Qing to simply brush him off like she would any other persistent admirer.
“Lan Qing, stop pretending. You know… I’ve liked you for a long time. I—”
“Goro, we’ll never be together. So don’t waste your time on me. You’re an outstanding man—”
“And what if I insist on being with you?”
“Goro, I—”
“My father has already agreed to our engagement. But I want you to be with me willingly.”
Nishikawa Goro was full of confidence. He firmly believed he would marry Lan Qing. After all, the Nishikawa family had practically emptied their coffers for this woman.
“What? Father already agreed?”
“Yes! Aren’t you happy, just like I am?”
Seeing Lan Qing stunned, Goro grew bolder. He stepped closer, wrapped his arm around her waist, and tilted his head to kiss her delicate lips—
“Ah! No!”
Snapping out of it, Lan Qing shoved him away and bolted for Iga Jonin’s study.
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“Jonin, we’ll soon be family!”
The two elders stood on the viewing balcony outside the study, drinking tea. In the distance, Goro had his arms around Lan Qing.
“Looks like the kids get along well! Haha—” Nishikawa Heiji was clearly thrilled. A marriage alliance between the Iga and Nishikawa families would combine political power with financial strength. With that, just one stomp from them could shake even Mount Fuji.
Iga Jonin only offered a faint smile and didn’t respond. When he saw Lan Qing push Goro away and run back inside, he understood. Family? Not quite yet.
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“Father! Why did you agree to marry me off to Nishikawa Goro?”
Lan Qing charged up to the third floor, burst through the door without knocking. Seeing her frantic, Iga Jonin set down his clay teacup and barked, “Insolence! You barge in like this?”
Lan Qing didn’t apologize. She walked right up to him, locking her beautiful phoenix eyes with his.
“Why, Father? You know I already—”
“Enough! Are you talking about that Jing Xuan? Hmph! That man can’t even protect himself anymore. How could he possibly care for you?”
“Father… what do you mean?”
“What’s so great about him? Just a pretty face! Abandoned his wife and child! A total playboy! You expect me to entrust my most beloved daughter to a man like that?”
“He’s not like that! He’s not! I know— I know he isn’t!”
Tears streamed down Lan Qing’s face, but she still held her head high, proudly meeting her father’s gaze.
“Lan Qing! Stop being foolish!”
“Father!”
“That’s enough! Leave! Don’t make a spectacle of yourself in front of our guests!”
“Father, I love only him! Please don’t force me—”
—SLAP!—
Lan Qing’s head jerked to the side. Her cheek swelled rapidly from the blow, and bl00d appeared at the corner of her mouth.
This slap didn’t just land on her face—it struck her heart.
Iga Jonin had hit her. The daughter he’d cherished for years, never once speaking harshly to her—he’d hit her!
Nishikawa Heiji leapt to his feet and shielded Lan Qing. “Jonin, what are you doing?”
Iga Jonin looked at Lan Qing’s swollen cheek, her bleeding lips… then down at his hand.
He had struck her.
He could feel the hatred building inside her—and it frightened him.
Lan Qing stepped out from behind Heiji, wiped away her tears, steadied herself, and—still proud—faced Iga Jonin, her father.
“Father, no matter what, I will never give up. Use whatever methods you want. But I will not marry Nishikawa Goro.”