Reborn into the Obsessive Love of a Dark and Twisted Shadow Queen - Chapter 3

Su Shiyu possessed a gentle and refined beauty, making her one of the most admired figures on campus. Her grace and poise in social interactions were particularly captivating.

It was no wonder Chu Xueyi had been utterly infatuated with her.

Xueyi, I heard you’ve recovered from your illness.

This bouquet is for you, as a celebration.

A hint of ambiguity lingered in Su Shiyu’s eyes, but only Chu Xueyi understood the true meaning behind her gaze. Far from the affectionate, gentle, and mature older sister persona she projected, Su Shiyu was clearly looking at her as if she were an ATM.

In the past, Chu Xueyi would have been moved to tears by such kindness, silently vowing to repay the favor by working even harder to earn money for designer bags and clothes.

But now… Chu Xueyi pushed the bouquet away.

She politely declined Su Shiyu’s gesture.

No need.

Senior Su, this could easily be misinterpreted.

Chu Xueyi decided to seize the moral high ground first. While she had once harbored genuine feelings for Su Shiyu, she refused to debase herself by continuing to fawn over someone who didn’t reciprocate her affection.

Keep the flowers for yourself.

As Chu Xueyi turned to leave, Su Shiyu’s persistent refusal to back down prompted her to abruptly pull Ji Qingshu, who was standing nearby, into her arms.

Chu Xueyi’s arm tightened around Ji Qingshu’s hand.

Ji Qingshu felt a soft, gentle touch against his arm. Through the fabric, he could sense the warmth and tenderness radiating from her skin.

His body instantly stiffened.

Even Su Shiyu was stunned. She never imagined that Ji Qingshu, the aloof and silent goddess, could have any connection with Chu Xueyi.

Seeing them about to leave, Su Shiyu called out urgently, Xueyi, I’m free now to go to that restaurant you invited me to last time.

Su Shiyu refused to give up. Chu Xueyi had always been so kind to her—how could she suddenly change her attitude?

Could it be because Su Shiyu had been too cold? But that didn’t make sense. Chu Xueyi was so naive, only knowing how to shower her with money and gifts.

Exactly! That was precisely what Su Shiyu had exploited, reluctantly playing along with Chu Xueyi’s ambiguous advances.

In truth, she had no genuine feelings for Chu Xueyi.

But who could blame her? Chu Xueyi was so simple-minded—a mere flirtatious gesture would make her spill gold coins like a piggy bank bursting open.

Really?

Chu Xueyi turned around, her gaze piercingly fixed on Su Shiyu. A contemptuous and merciless smile curled her lips.

But Senior Su, I’m busy now.

With that, she grabbed Ji Qingshu and strode out of the classroom, leaving Su Shiyu staring blankly after them. She couldn’t understand why Chu Xueyi had suddenly rejected her subtle, ambiguous advances.

This is such a hassle, she thought. I already promised to buy something for the girl I like. If Chu Xueyi can’t come up with the money, I’ll have to break my promise!

No way!

I’ll just have to find another way to win back her broken heart!

I’m sorry for getting you involved in this.

Chu Xueyi lowered her head. She didn’t know when Ji Qingshu had started liking her, so she could only treat him as a classmate for now.

It’s okay.

Xueyi, didn’t you used to really like Su Shiyu?

Why did you turn her down so gently just now? Are you shy?

As Ji Qingshu asked this, his fingers clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white.

I just don’t like her anymore, Chu Xueyi said simply, offering no further explanation.

Ji Qingshu’s expression turned dark and inscrutable, though the corners of his lips curled upward.

Schools often assign group projects, which Chu Xueyi had previously dismissed with disdain.

What’s the point of making videos for a few extra credits? she’d thought. Making real money is what I’m after!

But now, reborn, she knew she couldn’t become an award-winning actress like Ji Qingshu without honing her acting skills.

So, Chu Xueyi eagerly signed up for the project.

From the start, she aimed for the female lead, her ambition impossible to contain. But when she saw who was cast as the male lead, Chu Xueyi froze in shock.

To her surprise, Ji Qingshu was playing the male lead—in drag!

The two were practically next-door roommates. Qingcheng Drama Academy provided excellent dormitory accommodations for students in its elite classes.

Chu Xueyi lived in a single room, small but well-equipped, reserved for students who couldn’t be accommodated in double or quad rooms.

Dorm assignments were random, so she’d gotten lucky.

Though compact, the room had everything she needed for daily life.

Clutching her phone and staring at the updated cast list, Chu Xueyi stormed into Ji Qingshu’s dorm room.

As roommates in adjacent rooms, they could simply open the door to reach each other’s space.

But the moment Chu Xueyi opened the door, she looked as if she had stumbled upon something she shouldn’t have seen.

Ji Qingshu was wearing a thin nightgown, holding a photograph in her hand. Her red lips were pressed against the photo, but the infatuation in her eyes was so intense it seemed about to overflow.

Startled by the sound of the door opening, Ji Qingshu immediately placed the photo on the table and hastily tucked it between the pages of a book, looking slightly guilty.

Ahem… Xueyi, why didn’t you knock?

Chu Xueyi blinked slowly, momentarily dumbfounded.

If her suspicions from her previous life were correct—that Ji Qingshu was in love with her—then the object of her recent… desecration… was none other than a photo of her!

Aaaah!

What crime have I committed to be surrounded by women who are all so… abnormal?

Stay calm… stay calm, Chu Xueyi!

Chu Xueyi mentally urged herself to remain composed. Drawing on her accumulated work experience and acting skills from her previous life, she quickly regained her composure.

It’s like this, Chu Xueyi said, flustered. I wanted to ask you how you became the male lead, and I got so excited I forgot to knock.

Big Shadow Ji… you won’t mind, will you? I didn’t see anything, I promise.

The last word caught in her throat. Chu Xueyi nearly blurted out Ji Qingshu’s nickname from her previous life, biting her tongue hard to stop herself.

Ji Qingshu didn’t respond, only smiled gently, deliberately ignoring the question. In truth, even the change in male leads had been orchestrated by her behind the scenes.

The boy hadn’t been sick at all—no headaches, no diarrhea… none of it was real.

But once Ji Qingshu learned that Chu Xueyi had completely lost interest in Su Shiyu, the possessive desire in her heart could no longer be suppressed.

It’s like this, Ji Qingshu explained softly. The actor playing the male lead suddenly fell ill, and none of the other actors had memorized their lines. Since I’m used to memorizing everyone’s lines, I was able to step in.

But in reality, she hadn’t bothered with anyone else’s lines—only the two main characters’.

The male lead and the female lead.

From the very beginning, Ji Qingshu had been plotting against Chu Xueyi. Yet, she was still surprised when she learned that Chu Xueyi had signed up for the class performance.

Because in the past, Chu Xueyi had never acted this way.

Chu Xueyi had always been a pragmatic person.

She never cared about school activities, focusing solely on earning money. This nearly cost her graduation.

So, when Ji Qingshu learned that Chu Xueyi had registered for the role of the female lead, she felt a surge of excitement.

Previously, because Chu Xueyi had someone she liked, Ji Qingshu had hesitated to interfere. But now… the ambiguous relationship between Chu Xueyi and Su Shiyu had completely dissolved.

Like a venomous snake awakened by the first thunder of spring, Ji Qingshu slowly stirred, her dark, calculating eyes fixed intently on the person before her.

Xueyi… whether you run or stay, you’re mine now, Ji Qingshu thought obsessively.

Yet on the surface, she remained the aloof, proud, and untainted flower of Qingcheng Drama Academy, her eyes burning with fervent longing as she gazed at Chu Xueyi.