Reborn into the Obsessive Love of a Dark and Twisted Shadow Queen - Chapter 17

Chu Xueyi woke up to sunlight streaming through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air.

A throbbing hangover clung to her like a shroud. Her Taiyang Point felt as if someone had punched it, still buzzing with pain.

Wait…

How did she even get back to the dorm?!

Chu Xueyi’s eyes snapped open, banishing all traces of drunkenness and drowsiness.

She hadn’t drunk that much last night… How could she have gotten so drunk?

In the past, she’d casually downed several pot-bellied directors at Wrap Parties, each claiming to be a god of wine, without even feeling tipsy.

She’d always maintained a queenly demeanor, radiating confidence and poise!

Wait…

A flash of insight struck Chu Xueyi. She finally understood why she’d gotten drunk this body—damn it all—was only twenty years old!

Her liver, unaccustomed to alcohol, lacked the experience to process it efficiently. It was perfectly normal for Chu Xueyi to have passed out.

Clinging to the bed’s railing, Chu Xueyi sat up. Her body still felt weak as she glanced down at the black nightgown she was wearing…

Chu Xueyi belatedly realized someone had changed her dress.

Could it have been… Ji Qingshu?

She reached for her phone on the bedside table and texted her friend, asking who had brought her home last night.

After sending the message, Chu Xueyi turned off her phone, cradled it in her hands, and paced around the room.

Please, please… it can’t be Ji Qingshu! I don’t want to get involved with that crazy future Best Actress!

She had vowed to seal her heart and lock away love.

Chu Xueyi had no intention of pursuing any romantic relationships before turning thirty.

Love would only hinder her progress, only jeopardize her chances of becoming Best Actress.

As the saying goes The wise do not fall in love the solitary king earns his doctorate.

While Chu Xueyi’s brainpower might not be enough for a doctorate, with hard work… and acting talent second only to Ji Qingshu’s…

Becoming a domestic Best Actress was definitely within reach!

Chu Xueyi went to her wardrobe, changed out of her nightgown, and then tried to find her clothes from yesterday. After searching for ages, she couldn’t find them anywhere.

That’s odd, Chu Xueyi thought, puzzled.

Fortunately, her memory wasn’t completely blank. She could vaguely recall who had changed her clothes while she was still dazed.

In truth, there was no need to even think about it it could only have been Ji Qingshu.

After a quick wash, Chu Xueyi left her room, intending to ask Ji Qingshu about her missing dress.

She knocked on the door, and almost immediately, the wooden door next door creaked open a crack.

Xueyi, you’re up so early? Ji Qingshu’s eyes widened in surprise. Clearly, she hadn’t expected someone who had been drunk the night before to wake up at the crack of dawn.

Is that not allowed? Chu Xueyi asked, a smile playing on her lips, followed by a light cough. You brought me back last night, right, Qingshu? Thank you.

Ji Qingshu shook her head gently. Her reply, though laced with a hint of amusement, carried a weight a thousand times greater than Chu Xueyi’s casual words.

There’s no need to thank me. It was my duty.

Ji Qingshu’s response lacked his usual formal politeness, his words tinged with hesitation, as if deliberately leaving a vine for Chu Xueyi to climb.

But I’ve troubled you with so many things. How can I possibly thank you enough? Chu Xueyi asked, the awkwardness in her voice fading slightly. The more lice you have, the less they itch the more debts you owe, the less they weigh you down.

Besides, she had already planned to become good friends with him, so seizing this opportunity wouldn’t hurt.

However, while Chu Xueyi intended to treat him like a close girlfriend, she knew perfectly well that Ji Qingshu had no such intentions. He saw her solely as a future girlfriend.

This was perhaps the embodiment of the saying I see you as my bestie, but you just want to get with me.

How about this? Last time we all ate together, but this time… Ji Qingshu stepped closer, his voice laced with subtle seduction as his fingers lightly brushed against Chu Xueyi’s delicate skin.

…Xueyi, you treat me alone.

Chu Xueyi’s family background was modest, but her acting career had earned her a considerable sum. She had tens of thousands of yuan in her account, and even last night’s dinner had only cost a few thousand.

Asking again wasn’t a big deal.

Alright.

But… Chu Xueyi, Chu Xueyi, you absolutely cannot get drunk this time! Chu Xueyi warned herself inwardly.

Then she suddenly remembered the important reason she had come to knock on Ji Qingshu’s door. She cleared her throat, a little awkward.

Qingshu, where did you put my dress?

You know, the one from last night… I think I fell into a flowerbed. You must have helped me change out of it.

Hearing Chu Xueyi recall the events of the previous night, Ji Qingshu felt a sudden, inexplicable panic. She desperately hoped Chu Xueyi wouldn’t remember the lovestruck expression on her face.

Otherwise, her secret crush would be exposed in an instant.

It’s in my room, Ji Qingshu replied, pressing her lips into a thin line. Your dress was damaged. I was planning to have it repaired for you.

That was indeed her original intention, but she also harbored a more devious plan to buy a new dress, artificially age it slightly, and keep the old one for herself.

That way, she could touch it whenever she wanted.

The dress had only been lightly soiled with mud from the flowerbed. More importantly, it still carried Chu Xueyi’s scent—a faint, delicate fragrance.

How could I possibly accept this? It’s my dress… there’s absolutely no need for you to go to such trouble. Besides, falling into the flowerbed was entirely my fault for not watching where I was going.

Chu Xueyi felt a shiver run down her spine at the mere thought. Ji Qingshu was being far too kind. If she didn’t reject this favor immediately, she feared she’d never be able to escape his clutches in the future.

It’s nothing… just a small favor.

Despite Chu Xueyi’s request for her dress, Ji Qingshu had no intention of returning it. If he gave it back, he wouldn’t be able to smell her scent whenever he missed her.

Ahem… he wouldn’t be able to use it as a memento to think of her whenever he wanted.

I know a seamstress who’s incredibly skilled at mending clothes. Her repairs are practically invisible.

This dress must have cost several thousand yuan. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.

Hearing Ji Qingshu’s words, Chu Xueyi didn’t suspect anything. Instead, she felt a pang of guilt, touched by his thoughtfulness.

She had imagined Ji Qingshu wanted her dress for some perverse purpose.

It had all been a false alarm.

But the truth was, people can’t fathom what they can’t imagine.

Chu Xueyi would never know…

How terrifying a pathological love could be.

How it could erode one’s moral compass, turning a person into something neither human nor ghost.