The Cold Queen is My Exclusive Little Snack - Chapter 35

This wasn’t the first time Jiang Shuqing had knelt before Jiang Yujun.

She had knelt here before—when she abruptly switched to an art major in high school, and when she secretly entered a talent show in college, only to be dragged back home.

The kneeling never lasted long. Each time, Zhongli Yan would receive word and intervene, bringing her punishment to an end.

Back then, she was too naive to understand. She thought her parents were merely concerned about appearances, not wanting to discipline her in front of outsiders. She believed they eventually softened and reluctantly compromised.

Now she realized it had all been a test.

A test to see how far Zhongli Yan would go for her.

Zhongli Yan was slightly older and had taken over the family business early. Her parents had likely been scheming since then, probing step by step until they secured the ultimate leverage to bind him…

If she hadn’t thrown a tantrum at the banquet that day, completely infuriating her parents, she might still be living in blissful ignorance.

Zhongli Yan was a master deceiver. Knowing that interfering with her marriage would make him hated, he still took all the blame upon himself.

Such a skilled liar…

Clang—

Jiang Yujun slammed her cup down, her expression displeased. “When did you become so rude? Don’t let your mind wander when others are speaking.”

Jiang Shuqing raised an eyebrow, taking it as a response.

“Why did you reject Zhongli Yan’s confession?”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

Jiang Shuqing lifted her gaze to meet her mother’s. “I can’t bring myself to exploit Zhongli Yan just to secure your family’s wealth for the rest of your lives.”

Caught off guard by her bluntness, Jiang Yujun’s face shifted. “What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Your father and I have been walking on eggshells for years, all for your sake!”

“If it were truly for my sake, why are you now interfering with my marriage?”

Jiang Shuqing stared at her, her almond-shaped eyes trembling slightly. “Am I not good enough? I can retire from the entertainment industry. You’ve never liked my job anyway.”

“After retiring, I’ll help you both. We can run the family business together. We don’t need to rely on anyone else.”

“What do you know?” Jiang Yujun scoffed at her naivety. “Do you think business is that easy? Even a dying camel can crush a man. The Han Clan is rotten to the core; no one can save them now.”

“Shu Qing, you’re grown up now. You can’t act as recklessly as you did when you were a child.”

“In families like ours, marriages are never a matter of personal choice. The Zhongli Family’s son is perfect in every way, and he even likes you. What more could you possibly want?”

Jiang Shuqing bit her lip. “The Zhongli Family, the Zhongli Family… it’s always about the Zhongli Family. Zhongli Yan is my friend, not some pawn for you to manipulate.”

“Friend?” Jiang Yujun scoffed as if she’d heard a joke. “You’re just a child. What do you know about friendship?”

“……”

“I heard you’ve been hanging out with Zuo Minglan’s daughter too?”

Jiang Shuqing took a deep breath. “It was a coincidence.”

“It had better be. I warned you back in college not to get too close to Zuo Minglan’s daughter…”

“You remember what I told you, don’t you? The current Vampire Family Head is getting old, and the Crown Prince will undoubtedly be chosen from your generation.”

“I’ve checked. There are hardly any young people in your generation who have successfully awakened their Vampire Bloodline.”

“Generally, the Crown Prince tends to favor those with families. After all, in modern society, even the ‘Family Head’ title carries little real power.”

“But it was once our family’s glory. It’s one thing if it falls to someone else, but we absolutely cannot let Zuo Minglan’s daughter steal it…”

“When you marry Zhongli Yan, the Han Clan can ride this wave to resurgence, and you’ll gain more leverage to become Crown Prince. It’s a win-win.”

“……”

But Mama, Zuo Xingning’s Vampire Bloodline awakened naturally, while mine was artificially induced by your drugs.

In this, your daughter has already lost, hasn’t she?

And you’re so fixated on treating others as your “sworn enemies”—do they even care about you that much?

Jiang Shuqing desperately wanted to retort, but she ultimately lowered her head.

The marble floor gleamed like a mirror. With her eyes downcast, she saw nothing clearly. The incessant buzzing in her ears drilled into her mind like a sharp awl.

So annoying, so noisy…

So painful.

A profound sense of helplessness washed over her. Her limbs felt leaden, utterly immobile.

Growth often happens in an instant.

Jiang Shuqing’s moment of growth came on her twenty-third birthday.

The Han Clan’s inaugural charity gala was held on her birthday, and every subsequent event was scheduled around that date.

Over a month earlier, the day after Jiang Shuqing drunkenly disrupted the banquet, her parents dragged her home.

Though they were ostensibly questioning her about the previous night’s behavior, the “harmonious” couple suddenly erupted into a bitter argument, tearing at each other with curses.

After over twenty years of marriage, they knew each other inside out, each knowing exactly how to stab the other where it hurt most. Now that the facade had crumbled, they recklessly exposed each other’s dirty secrets without restraint.

No one noticed Jiang Shuqing, frozen in place. No one remembered it was their daughter’s birthday.

The bloody truth was laid bare before Jiang Shuqing’s eyes, without any warning or preparation.

So, her parents had long been living a sham marriage, each keeping lovers on the side. So, her marriage to Zhongli Yan had never been Zhongli Yan’s wish.

So, in her parents’ eyes, she was nothing more than a “commodity” to be sold to the highest bidder.

The lights dimmed, and the night deepened.

Jiang Shuqing remained kneeling in place.

A bone-chilling cold seeped from her knees into her limbs, freezing her to the core.

She didn’t know when Jiang Yujun had left. Her mind felt numb, as if she had thought of everything and nothing at all.

Time trickled by, the ink-black sky gradually fading to dawn.

Birds landed on the branches of trees in the courtyard, chirping softly. Moments later, startled by something, they fluttered away.

The main gate crashed open, and Jiang Shuqing was swept into a cold, firm embrace.

“…”

She moved her lips, but no sound came out.

After kneeling all night, every ounce of strength had drained from her body. Her lips were dry and stuck together, her expression frozen in a blank, wooden stare.

Unable to resist, she stared blankly as the scene before her shifted from the ceiling to the duck-egg blue sky. To the east, behind Zhongli Yan, the morning sun painted the horizon with dawn’s first light.

Her gaze shifted again, and she saw her father’s face.

A man who had pursued art in his youth retained an air of refined elegance even in middle age. Jiang Yujun often said that Han Ying was born to be a young master, never having to worry about anything.

All those worries he avoided were dumped onto Jiang Yujun’s shoulders, forcing her to play both the stern and gentle roles alone.

Zhongli Yan must have caused quite a commotion to rouse the entire Han Ying camp, even catching them before they could change out of their pajamas.

Pajamas… So he was here last night too.

Jiang Shuqing silently observed Han Ying’s face, her mind blank.

The men Zhongli Yan had brought blocked her from view, their anger palpable. But the moment they saw Zhongli Yan, their expressions instantly shifted to fawning obsequiousness. Then, remembering she was merely a junior, they clumsily attempted to project the imposing air of elders.

This rapid succession of expressions, all crammed onto his small face, was absurd and comical.

After that, Jiang Shuqing’s world narrowed to the blur of receding street scenes.

Zhongli Yan held her close, carefully feeding her water.

With her lips moistened, Jiang Shuqing finally spoke, her voice hoarse: “You shouldn’t have come.”

“There’s no ‘shouldn’t’ when it comes to you,” Zhongli Yan murmured, gently massaging her knee, his eyes filled with concern. “Don’t be afraid.”

Jiang Shuqing sniffled, the water she’d drunk seeming to have flooded her eyes. “Put me down. What does their punishment have to do with you? Even if I die, I don’t want your interference. Zhongli Yan, I’ve already rejected your confession. We’re not even friends anymore.”

“Yes, yes, you’re right about everything. That’s why I’m just your pursuer now.”

“I don’t want you as my pursuer.”

“That’s fine. You said yourself I have no shame. Can you still feel your legs? We’re almost at the hospital.”

“…Zhongli Yan!”

Jiang Shuqing finally broke down, tears streaming down her face. “Are you stupid?” she sobbed. “Why do you have to meddle in my affairs? Don’t you realize they’re counting on this, deliberately using you?!”

“…I know.”

But what else could she do? Her treasure was still there—the one and only precious thing in the world.

“I truly love you,” Zhongli Yan asked again. “A’Nuan, will you marry me?”

After they married, Jiang Shuqing would no longer be controlled by them. She could finally be herself and do whatever she wanted.

Zhongli Yan had paved a wide, smooth path for her, waiting only for Jiang Shuqing to step onto it.

As for Jiang Yujun and Han Ying… providing them with some financial support was a small price to pay.

Zhongli Yan held her breath, waiting for Jiang Shuqing’s answer.

But the answer was still no.

Zuo Xingning received Zhongli Yan’s reply the following morning.

Thank you for letting me know. I owe you one.

Thank you.

The messages were sent at 6:00 AM, with two consecutive expressions of gratitude.

Zuo Xingning understood immediately: something had definitely happened to Jiang Shuqing.

She typed and retyped a message in the chat box, but in the end, she didn’t send it.

Another message from Zhongli Yan arrived at noon the next day.

Shuqing’s condition isn’t good. If you could, would you mind checking on her for me?

Zhongli Yan’s message on WeChat was vague, leaving Zuo Xingning with only the information that Jiang Shuqing had a minor conflict with her family and was currently recuperating in the hospital.

To be honest, Zuo Xingning struggled to connect these two events causally.

Still, she went, bringing the silk scarf she had found at the airport.

Though Jiang Shuqing often said things she didn’t mean and seemed a bit clumsy and not particularly clever, she was a good person at heart. After spending so much time together, Zuo Xingning had come to consider Jiang Shuqing a friend.

Before setting out, Zuo Xingning prepared herself for various possibilities: she might find Jiang Shuqing sick, injured, haggard, or emotionally distraught.

But nothing could have prepared her for what she saw when she got out of the car at the hospital entrance: Jiang Shuqing was…

climbing the wall.

Climbing it like she was breaking out of prison.

Her hips twisted awkwardly, her legs seemed to lack strength, and she relied entirely on her arms to haul herself up. With a final heave and push, she was over the wall.

Getting down was clearly even harder for her. Her arms froze in mid-air for what felt like an eternity before Zuo Xingning belatedly realized—

Jiang Shuqing was afraid of heights.

Though the fence was only a little over two meters tall, it was clearly a significant challenge for her.

“Slow down…!!”

Zuo Xingning moved to the base of the wall to catch her, intending to reassure Jiang Shuqing and encourage her to jump. Instead, Jiang Shuqing startled so badly that her arms gave way, and she slid down clumsily.

The two women tumbled together, rolling twice across the lawn.

The commotion drew attention, and before they could exchange a word, hospital staff spotted Jiang Shuqing and escorted her back to her room.

Zuo Xingning followed.

When the nurse finally left, Zuo Xingning entered to find Jiang Shuqing sitting on the bed, grass clinging to her hair, looking indignant.

Zuo Xingning genuinely couldn’t figure out what Jiang Shuqing was up to. She returned the silk scarf and asked, “You can barely walk, yet you’re scaling walls? What were you thinking?”

“None of your business,” Jiang Shuqing snapped, snatching the scarf. “How did you get this?”

“Found it at the airport.”

Zuo Xingning pulled up a chair and sat by the bed. “I wouldn’t care, but someone asked me to check on you. What’s wrong with your leg?”

Jiang Shuqing didn’t answer, pausing for two seconds before asking, “Who sent you?”

“Zhongli Yan.”

She already knew the answer, but hearing his name still made Jiang Shuqing’s heart tremble.

“Zuo Xingning—”

Jiang Shuqing sighed. She didn’t understand what karmic debt she shared with Zuo Xingning; whenever she wanted to confide in someone, Zuo Xingning was always there.

Well, some things I can only say to her, only ask her.

“Hey, Xingning, you really like Chu Shiyin, right? So, can you smell that scent on her?”

Zuo Xingning nodded. “Of course.”

“Always?”

Zuo Xingning paused to recall, then nodded again. “Sometimes stronger, sometimes fainter, but I can always smell it.”

“I see.” Jiang Shuqing lowered her gaze.

She had actually caught Zhongli Yan’s hidden scent before. The instinct etched into her genes left no room for doubt, but only three times.

The first was when they first met, when she was still a child, shortly after her Vampire Bloodline had been forcibly awakened by drugs. The memory had long faded, only resurfacing recently.

The second was a few days ago, the night after resolving the Xu Yang incident, when Zhongli Yan confessed his feelings to her.

And the third was yesterday at dawn, the moment Zhongli Yan embraced her as the morning light broke.

What a pity. It seems I unconsciously chose Zhongli Yan long ago.

Just like my parents.

Zhongli Yan is so unlucky. Why did he have to meet me?

Jiang Shuqing tightened her grip on the silk scarf. “One last question: can I see your fangs?”