Seduced Me into a Deep Fall (GL , ABO) - Chapter 6
The cry for help made Song Yi hold her breath, her fingers unconsciously tracing the Buddhist beads around her wrist.
“…Explanation?” It took her a long moment to recover from the shock, her breaths drawn out and slow, forcing her words to be clipped afraid of revealing any cracks in her composure.
Ling Xi could actually wear such an expression, speak in such a tone.
Was she the first to witness it?
Did Ling Xi usually act this way toward Mu Xie as well?
That alluring voice, plucking at the softest strings in the listener’s heart.
No wonder Mu Xie had defied the old family head’s objections to insist on Ling Xi’s marriage into the family.
“Miss Song… Though it’s difficult to say, I want to confess, my engagement with Mu Xie wasn’t my choice.”
After a moment of hesitation, Ling Xi finally revealed the truth.
She and Mu Xie had been forced into the engagement.
Among those in the know, this was an open secret.
Mu Xie understood it too.
If Song Yi sought confirmation, she wouldn’t get a different answer.
Seated in her ergonomic chair, Song Yi tapped her fingers against the desk again, a subconscious habit.
She was clearly shorter than Ling Xi, let alone with Ling Xi standing before her.
Yet, with her head propped lazily in her hand, while Ling Xi stood there bowing, sweating profusely.
The contrast in their positions couldn’t have been starker.
The rhythmic tapping carried an undeniable weight.
“So, what you’re saying is, our family’s famously sought-after little princess, Mu Xie, rejected countless other alphas, yet took a fancy to you. And then resorted to coercion?”
Even Song Yi nearly laughed at her own words.
Was she dreaming?
Ling Xi didn’t love Mu Xie.
She had assumed, at the very least, the two were mutually infatuated.
That this was just another rags-to-riches fairy tale.
Ling Xi bit her lip hard, her fists clenched tight.
Yes, how absurd it sounded.
She came from an ordinary background. Her looks were striking, but not irreplaceable. Her abilities weren’t exceptional.
What was so special about her that a privileged omega like Mu Xie would cling to her so desperately, resorting to extreme measures for five long years?
And if Song Yi didn’t believe her, didn’t agree, in this lifetime, she would most likely repeat the same tragedy.
“I wouldn’t say that word fits. But Miss Song, I beg you to believe me. You attended the engagement banquet, you must have heard the guests’ disparaging remarks about me. If Mu Xie truly cared for me, why wouldn’t she stop them?”
Ling Xi trembled slightly as she spoke.
“Fifty-two.” Song Yi lowered her gaze.
Yes, she had heard.
Every word, crystal clear. She had even noted down each name.
That list now lay buried somewhere in the pile of documents on her desk.
Hidden.
If Ling Xi were sharp-eyed, or if a careless breeze flipped the pages, it would be exposed.
“What?” But Ling Xi was too tense, her focus entirely on Song Yi’s reaction, she had no attention left for the desk.
“Nothing.” Song Yi sighed softly.
“You were unwilling, yet she used money, power, and influence to force you into this union. How is that not coercion?”
Song Yi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, clearing her view slightly. Her peripheral gaze lingered on Ling Xi’s peach-blossom eyes.
Those eyes now held a trace of confusion.
Helplessness colored the amber-brown depths, while surprise and a flicker of excitement rippled beneath the surface.
“I wasn’t aware our Song family could produce someone like this.” Song Yi reached out, tilting Ling Xi’s chin with her finger.
“Look at me.” She gave a light squeeze, applying just enough pressure to turn Ling Xi’s face toward her.
Their eyes met, and Ling Xi instinctively wanted to avoid Song Yi’s gaze.
Those long, upturned phoenix eyes carried an air of disdain for all beneath them.
At this moment, Song Yi was the sovereign who held life and death in her hands, while Ling Xi was merely prey alive or dead at her whim.
Ling Xi’s breathing grew uneven.
Watching her trembling lashes, Song Yi truly had the fleeting urge to pull her into an embrace.
Ling Xi wasn’t the only one tense.
It took every ounce of Song Yi’s self-control to steady herself as she continued, “Repeat what you just said.”
This was a test to see if she was lying.
Ling Xi understood and, strangely, felt less nervous. Her breath softened, brushing against Song Yi’s face, tickling her enough to make her blink slightly.
“Miss Song, my engagement to Mu Xie wasn’t my choice, it was forced upon me. I don’t want to marry her, to be under her control. I hope… you can help me.”
Her voice grew firm, and Song Yi released her, no longer pinning her under that intense stare.
But her gaze lingered in the periphery.
After all, in Song Yi’s eyes, Ling Xi had always been the most dazzling presence in any crowd.
No matter where she appeared, she instantly drew Song Yi’s attention.
That was the real reason she had attended the engagement banquet.
Not for the Song family, not for that distant niece she barely knew.
Only for the woman she had silently loved for far too long.
“No need for formalities.” Song Yi settled back into her chair, pulling a blank sheet of paper from the drawer.
“How would you like me to help you?” She looked up at Ling Xi, her gaze now devoid of pressure, almost gentle.
Ling Xi nearly let her guard down only to tense again instantly, fearing another trap.
When Ling Xi remained silent, Song Yi spoke instead.
Her hand smoothed over the paper, fingers gliding gracefully before picking up a fountain pen, every movement exuding elegance.
“Should I remove this person for you?” She paused, emphasizing the word remove.
“Or should I simply dissolve the engagement?”
“I am her elder, after all. I have that much authority.” A faint smile touched her lips.
She hoped Ling Xi would choose the latter.
Ling Xi clutched her skirt. “I’d like you… to help me leave. Staying near her is too dangerous even without the engagement.”
Before the engagement, she had refused Mu Xie countless times, yet Mu Xie never let her go.
Instead, it escalated each rejection met with increasingly twisted retaliation.
First her mother’s lawyer, then her sister…
Mu Xie had already imprisoned her once. If the engagement were broken but she didn’t escape, who knew if Mu Xie would lock her away again?
Song Yi understood.
It seemed her motherless, abandoned niece had been spoiled rotten by her grandmother over the years.
Her nature had grown so vile she resorted to coercion.
Even staged a forced engagement.
“Where do you plan to go? Do you have a plan? What do you need?”
Noticing Ling Xi’s clenched fists, Song Yi softened her tone. “Relax. You saved me. This is merely your rightful reward.”
Ling Xi exhaled obediently, though her body remained tense. Still, her expression eased slightly.
“I… haven’t made any plans yet. Sorry.” She had just been reborn, and fleeing was a spur-of-the-moment decision.
After tonight, there would be no more chances. How could she possibly have time to plan?
“You don’t even have luggage. If you run away like this, do you realize she could find you almost immediately once she notices?”
Only then did Song Yi realize, she had likely encountered Ling Xi in the midst of her own escape.
Even with the urgency of the situation, where any misstep could lead to Mu Xie dragging her back, Ling Xi had still chosen to stop and help her.
If Song Yi didn’t assist in resolving this, she would truly be letting Ling Xi down.
Ling Xi lowered her head. “But… I can’t help it…”
Now that things were out in the open, and Song Yi had even promised compensation, she hadn’t intended to feign weakness for sympathy.
But as she spoke, memories of her past life’s suffering her poor, lost loved ones overwhelmed her.
Tears pooled in her eyes, trembling along with her lashes, glistening like fragile pearls ready to shatter and fall at any moment.
Seeing her like this, Song Yi’s heart twisted in pain.
Whether this was real or fake, whether Ling Xi had ulterior motives.
At the sight of those tears, Song Yi wanted to believe her, no matter what.
“Don’t cry.” Without realizing it, Song Yi had stepped to Ling Xi’s side, offering her a tissue.
Ling Xi shook her head. “I’ve lost my composure. My apologies.”
She closed her eyes, and the teardrops finally spilled over.
Before Song Yi could even process the sight, Ling Xi had already lifted a hand to wipe them away.
Only then did Song Yi notice the strange redness on Ling Xi’s palm.
She had watched the entire fight, Ling Xi shouldn’t have been injured.
But what if she was?
Song Yi abandoned all pretense and restraint, grabbing Ling Xi’s hand and prying her fingers open.
There, she saw the crescent-shaped marks dug into Ling Xi’s own flesh deep, angry red lines.
Some were so harsh they had broken skin, tiny beads of bl00d seeping through.
“……” Song Yi’s heart stopped for a full second.
She immediately turned to the bookshelf, retrieved the first-aid kit, and without wasting a single moment, began tending to Ling Xi’s wounds.
Ling Xi flinched slightly.
Song Yi held her firmly, pulling her closer, then gently applied antiseptic to the cuts before covering them with bandages.
Ling Xi was stunned by the scene.
Under the warm light, Song Yi’s head was bowed.
Her lashes, slightly curled, cast shadows over her eyes.
Strands of hair brushed against Ling Xi’s wrist, tickling her skin.
The glow softened Song Yi’s features, making her seem almost gentle.
Ling Xi had heard the rumors, Song Yi was decisive in battle, cold and ruthless.
Yet here she was, tending to someone’s wounds with such care?
And had Song Yi actually seemed nervous when she saw the injuries?
Was that just her imagination?
“Does seeing me make you this tense?” Song Yi sighed after finishing, then guided Ling Xi to sit down.
Ling Xi shook her head silently.
“Fine. Stay here with me. I’ll erase your tracks and information, Mu Xie won’t be able to find you or harass you again.”
Song Yi dropped the act.
If she kept up the facade, Ling Xi might end up hurting herself even more.
“Is that enough? Or if you have another plan, you can tell me.” Song Yi’s eyes were filled with sincerity.
Ling Xi looked down at the bandages on her hand.
Then at Song Yi’s fingertips, stained with antiseptic.
Once again, she was struck with disbelief.
Song Yi wasn’t at all like the unapproachable figure from the rumors.
Maybe, she was actually kind?
Or perhaps it was because of that life-saving favor that she got to see this unexpected side of Song Yi?
Either way, it had solved her urgent problem.
“Thank you,” Ling Xi bowed deeply, expressing her gratitude with utmost sincerity.
“You saved me first,” Song Yi waved it off.
She picked up the sleek, high-end fountain pen, its polished finish and elegant design unmistakably expensive and began writing on the blank sheet of paper.
“Let’s sign an agreement.”
“What kind of agreement?” Ling Xi, now more at ease with her bandaged hand, dared to take a small step forward.
“A marriage contract.”
Those three words sent her stumbling back in shock.