Willing to Be for Her - Chapter 22

A stream of water, its source unknown, gurgled past Luo Xuan, carrying away newly sprouted spring buds.

Luo Xuan stood hunched over in the rain, her mind replaying their first encounter six years ago.

*You’re leaving… Goddess Sister, can you tell me your name?*

*Ning Yiqing.*

Ning Yiqing. Her name was Ning Yiqing.

*It’s so good we met, Ning Yiqing.*

Luo Xuan covered her face with one hand, rain or tears streaming through her fingers. She desperately wanted to say more thank yous.

*Thank you for gifting me this perfect deception, for making our intimate moments a fleeting joy limited by my lifespan.*

*Thank you for being the moon in my monstrous life. Even though you couldn’t see me, I truly looked forward to our reunion every night for the rest of my days.*

*I longed for our days to be both beautiful and long.*

*Now, I won’t anymore. I won’t bother you again.*

*It turns out the moonlight always shone on someone else.*

*How foolish of me to think life would grant me such a once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck.*

The cold wind, carrying a light rain, seeped into her collar, chilling her to the bone. Yet Luo Xuan’s skin burned faintly, the melting ice water trickling down her neck, as if flowing straight into her heart.

“Xiao Xuan, this was decided from the beginning. We…”

Luo Xuan smiled, her lips curving into a bitter arc. *Decided from the beginning.*

Yes, everyone knew from the start that she, Luo Xuan, was destined to die.

“Xiao Xuan, come back with me and change your clothes. I’ll take you to the hospital later,” Ning Yiqing said, his gaze fixed on her with a focused intensity, a hint of tenderness softening his features in the rain-blurred light.

“Did the doctor tell you my condition is beyond saving?” Luo Xuan suddenly straightened, her posture as sharp and brittle as a glass blade. “I saw the diagnosis records when I came here.”

Ning Yiqing pressed his lips together, his expression distant and cold, his noble bearing still untouchable. “I’ve hired the best doctors for you. Don’t be afraid.”

“Afraid? What should I be afraid of?” Luo Xuan tilted her head back, her eyes wide. The vibrant, otherworldly color of her irises faded, like a clown’s makeup washing away in the rain. “I am afraid—terrified of dying silently, unnoticed.” *Terrified of never seeing you again.*

That’s why she had foolishly made the star lights, out of concern that Ning Yiqing might be afraid of the dark.

She had even presumptuously made a Phoenix Mask, thinking how wonderful it would be for a woman to mix drinks as she pleased while wearing it, to feel truly free.

She still clung to hope, living with purpose, dreaming of taking Yi Qing to the far north to witness the celestial tapestry of stars.

A monster trapped in a cage, foolishly trying to offer light and warmth to the moon, a clown blinded by his own hubris.

Yes, she should be afraid. A moth clinging to survival in the darkness, recklessly drawn to the moon.

Before she could escape the cave, she would be burned to ashes.

A faint, fleeting affection allowed her to remain composed.

But overwhelming love left her deeply wounded.

She was indeed a foolish, penniless creature, which was why she always clutched so tightly to the only thing she possessed, refusing to let go.

And then the bl00d would flow.

“The client you had to entertain on Valentine’s Day was Luo Wei, wasn’t it?” Luo Xuan found herself suddenly, impossibly calm. Mysteries that had once baffled her now had logical explanations.

Ning Yiqing didn’t want to lie. Beneath the shelter of his black umbrella, shielding them from the endless drizzle, he nodded gently, as if bestowing a great favor.

Luo Xuan’s expression remained calm, as if she were an outsider looking in. Through the glass walls of the greenhouse, she saw the magnificent wedding gowns spread out like vast fields of roses, woven with sweetness and romance for the newlyweds.

Designers bustled about, pairing each gown with extravagant jewelry, hoping to complement the radiant couple.

Blue diamonds, lapis lazuli, white jade, emeralds—these were the true sources of brilliance. She, on the other hand, was merely a mad clown, unable to suppress her manic grin.

One could imagine the grandeur of the wedding—a spectacle that would draw blessings from across the globe, tears of joy shed for their happiness. After all, they were so noble and perfectly matched.

For a moment, Luo Xuan drifted into a daze, wondering if her own funeral would be as grand. How many would attend? How many tears would be shed?

No, she thought. She wanted her loved ones to be happy, even at her funeral. No tears.

“I permanently marked you,” Luo Xuan murmured, shaking her head wearily. “That must have disrupted your plans.” She had foolishly hoped surgery could elevate her pheromone level.

What a pipe dream. The ant knows not its fleeting life, the cicada awakens not to spring and autumn.

While Luo Xuan had been daydreaming about their future, they had already meticulously planned their wedding in a lavishly lit hotel, deciding on the number of guests, the abundance of flowers and fireworks, and the grand, ostentatious announcement to the world.

In their plans, Luo Xuan was nothing more than a dead woman.

“Why be so cruel? Why wait so cruelly for me to die?”

Why had what she thought was moonlight turned out to be poison?

Ning Yiqing gazed into Luo Xuan’s beautiful heterochromatic eyes, which still held a childlike purity, like a wounded deer clinging to a sliver of disbelief in its final moments.

The woman found herself unable to answer, as if everything had turned pale and cold, just like the power and responsibility she clutched so tightly in her hands—a bone-chilling coldness.

“Xiao Xuan, I’m sorry.”

Ning Yiqing’s white robes clung to her porcelain collarbones, her composure unwavering. Through the icy lenses of her glasses, a strangely piercing, intimidating light refracted, a far cry from the gentle, seductive aura Luo Xuan had once witnessed.

Luo Xuan tilted her head, watching Ning Yiqing. Warm bl00d trickled from her smiling lips, meandering down to mingle with the cold rain.

A piercing disappointment and a morbid beauty alternated across the young woman’s face, where angel and demon coexisted.

This woman had tenderly called her “Star,” but in the end, it was all just a game of waiting for her to die.

Luo Xuan wiped the bl00d from the corner of her mouth, feeling a surge of gratitude for being alive, for still being able to see the truth.

The woman had sworn eternal love, her tenderness and devotion so convincing they seemed real.

*Better if she had never loved me at all,* Luo Xuan thought. *Who could bear such love?*

After all, she, a dying woman, was unworthy of such affection.

“Xiao Xuan, I’ll send a car to take you back to the hospital. The doctors will surely be able to cure you,” Ning Yiqing said, her gaze steady and her voice soft. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

The laughter Luo Xuan had barely suppressed erupted again, wild and manic, piercing and morbid. She wiped the bl00d from her lips, the suppressed turmoil within her boiling over.

She trembled uncontrollably with laughter, her silver hair flying wildly like a rapidly falling meteor.

Luo Xuan forced herself to stop laughing like a clown, but she could no longer maintain her pale, normal facade.

The young woman’s bewitching heterochromatic eyes were bloodshot, the clash between her demonic allure and childlike innocence creating a volatile tension that barely sustained her dwindling sanity.

“Thank you,” she said.

But you don’t need to pretend to love me anymore.

You’re just like them, aren’t you? Hoping for my death.

Everyone in this world wants me dead. You marry her, yet you claim to love me.

What makes you any different from them?

The only regret is that she never got to see the ocean with her own eyes.

But it doesn’t matter. Perhaps she’ll have plenty of opportunities and time in the future to see the sea, to see the world.

Whether the world is gentle or cruel.

“I’m here! I found Luo Xuan’s clothes!” Lan Leren ran over, holding an umbrella and carrying a raincoat and jacket. Seeing the two standing together in the rain, yet seeming to belong to different worlds, she hesitated. “President Ning, should we… go inside to talk?”

The string lights above the villa’s wrought-iron gate flickered to life, casting a distant glow. Lan Leren noticed that neither of them reacted for a long moment.

“So, should we put on the raincoat first…?” She took in Luo Xuan’s disheveled yet beautiful appearance, unsure whether to approach.

Even the raincoat seemed unable to shield the girl from the rain.

“No need. The hospital gown is fine, it suits me,” Luo Xuan said wearily, turning away with downcast eyes. As she walked away, she waved a hand. “Le Ran, please send me the divorce papers. I’ll sign them immediately. No dragging things out.”

Soaked to the bone, Luo Xuan realized her body had stiffened, her gait now a comical limp that made her look even more like a clown.

A clown in a hospital gown.

It seemed that no matter how hard a monster tried to appear pale and beautiful, they would always be seen for what they truly were: a clown.

A thin mist swirled through the heavy rain as Lan Leren stole a glance at her boss. President Ning’s face, half-hidden by the downpour, radiated an otherworldly purity, cold and aloof, as if she possessed no vulnerabilities.

“President Ning, the rain is too heavy. Miss Luo Xuan’s health won’t hold up…”

“Send a car to follow her. Make sure she stays safe,” Ning Yiqing said, her gaze fixed on Luo Xuan’s shrinking figure in the rain. “Let her do as she pleases.”

“But President Ning, won’t you… won’t you go yourself?” Lan Leren asked, forcing herself to speak. For the first time, she realized she had the audacity to question her superior’s decision.

Ning Yiqing paused mid-turn, casting a brief, indifferent glance at Lan Leren. “I don’t have time,” she stated flatly.

Lan Leren froze, then mentally reviewed Ning Yiqing’s schedule: forums, summits, inspections of new projects, and that endless series of… wedding dresses.

Indeed, she had no time.

“Do as Xiao Xuan said. Send her the divorce papers.”

Lan Leren nodded, a sudden, inexplicable sadness tugging at her heart. She couldn’t understand why she felt this way; it was, after all, none of her concern.

Yet the sorrow lingered, sharp as a needle.

This area was a wealthy residential district filled with villas and lush vegetation. In the spring of March, peach and cherry blossoms bloomed in fierce competition. A heavy rain had knocked many petals loose, their soft pink and white drifting down with the flowing water.

Because of the rain, few pedestrians or cars were on the road. Whether Luo Xuan walked with carefree ease or stumbled precariously, no one was there to witness her.

Luo Xuan finally understood: she was a person with little time left to live. Perhaps she was alive today, but what about tomorrow?

Her greatest regret was marrying Ning Yiqing out of selfish desire, blinded by foolish infatuation.

And now she was being punished for it.

This was the consequence of her presumptuous dreams.

A person on the verge of death had no right to expect happiness.

She finally saw clearly: she was a person with nothing to offer, unworthy of Ning Yiqing.

Unworthy meant unworthy.

She had expected to feel more grief and despair, but instead, she wanted to laugh. The rain replaced her tears, her chest hollow and numb.

It felt like a dream. If only it were just a dream, there would be no regrets, no betrayals.

Luo Xuan jolted awake, sitting up abruptly in bed. Her head swam, and she was drenched in a cold sweat.

Outside the window, the night was pitch-black, punctuated by the patter of rain. She lay beneath a soft, downy quilt, a small amber nightlight casting a warm glow beside the bed. Thin, white gauze curtains draped around the bed, lending the room an air of tranquility.

This… wasn’t any place she recognized. Not her school dormitory, not the bedroom in her villa, not the downy bed filled with the scent of White Sandalwood.

“Little Luo Xuan, you’re finally awake? You had a fever of 38.5 degrees. I made you some pear soup, which is still warm in the slow cooker. Are you hungry? Would you like some?”

The woman, dressed in a fiery red sundress, spoke in a bright, cheerful voice. She quickly left the room and returned moments later with a bowl of warm pear soup.

The cozy little room filled with the sweet and tangy aroma of snow pears.

“Sister Zhiwan?” Luo Xuan’s voice was surprisingly hoarse, her mouth tasting of bl00d. “Is this your home?”

Xia Zhiwan winked playfully. “Yes, it’s my home. Don’t worry. Can you drink the soup by yourself? I’ll bring you a small table.”

“Wait, wait a minute, Sister Zhiwan… how did I end up at your place?” Luo Xuan closed her eyes, her breath coming in hot, ragged gasps, her thoughts sluggish.

“Hey, Xuanxuan, can I ask you something?” Xia Zhiwan set down the white porcelain stew pot. “Just call me Wanwan. Adding ‘Sister’ makes it sound like I’m decades older than you, like we’re strangers. Just call me Wanwan, like when we were kids, when we were playmates.”

Surprised by Xia Zhiwan’s directness and warmth, Luo Xuan nodded slightly, still a bit puzzled. “Wan… Wanwan, thank you.”

“Mm, that’s great!” Xia Zhiwan’s smile brightened as she placed the pear soup in front of Luo Xuan. “Now, to answer your question: this afternoon, when I saw you collapsed by the roadside, I quickly snatched you up and brought you home.”

Under Xia Zhiwan’s warm gaze, Luo Xuan took a sip of the meticulously prepared pear soup. The sweet and sour flavors, combined with the soft, tender pear flesh, soothed her parched throat and diluted the metallic taste of bl00d in her mouth.

“Snatched… snatched me up?”

“Yep!” Xia Zhiwan pursed her lips into a smile, her tone light and casual. “A black Bentley was chasing you, and several burly men in black suits got out to take you away. Luckily, I reacted fast and dragged you into my house.”

Hearing this, Luo Xuan’s emotions were complex. Those men had likely been sent by Ning Yiqing to take her back to the hospital. Xia Zhiwan had taken her away right in front of them, and Luo Xuan wondered if this would cause trouble for her.

“Wanwan, you really didn’t need to do this. It’ll cause you so much trouble. Ning Yiqing, she…” Luo Xuan curled her lips into a strange smile. “She’s just trying to fulfill what she calls her ‘responsibility.'”

“I know that even if you didn’t say it,” Xia Zhiwan nodded lightly, her tone casual yet teasing. “Chairman Ning, after all—gentle, polite, and poised. A natural-born power broker who surveys the world from above. Such a calm and self-possessed figure wouldn’t bother with someone like me.”

Hearing this assessment, Luo Xuan felt a hysterical urge to laugh, but she was too exhausted; her muscles had lost the ability to form a smile.

*Everyone probably understands what kind of person Ning Yiqing truly is,* she thought. *Only I was drowning in the mud, foolishly believing her warmth and affection were mine alone.*

*How blind, how utterly foolish I was.*

Xia Zhiwan observed Luo Xuan carefully, noticing the deep weariness in the girl’s eyes. She remarked casually,

“I’ll call Chairman Ning later to let her know you’re here with me. She can rest assured, completely at ease.”

Luo Xuan took a moment to process Xia Zhiwan’s words. She realized her nerves had suddenly gone numb, as if submerged in ice water—like frozen cotton wool, waterlogged and sinking, gradually numbing.

She felt incapable of thinking.

“But… I should leave. I don’t want to trouble you.”

“Xuanxuan, do you always keep people at arm’s length like this?” Xia Zhiwan shook her head and sighed. “We were neighbors, and I even warmly invited you to be my model and sculptor. How could our friendship ever be a burden?”

Luo Xuan fell silent. She rarely interacted with people, spending most of her time with Chi Li. Xia Zhiwan’s warmth and kindness left her feeling disoriented.

*Would it be rude to insist on leaving again?* Luo Xuan’s thoughts moved slowly as she pondered the question for a long time.

Fortunately, Xia Zhiwan didn’t seem to notice her hesitation. She casually picked up the remote, turned on the TV, and began flipping through channels.

The room fell silent. Luo Xuan propped herself up with one hand, while the other held a spoon, carefully taking small sips of the pear soup.

“If you feel like you’re troubling me,” Xia Zhiwan said, turning off the TV and resting her cheek in her hand with feigned seriousness, “then once you’re better, come with me to fashion shows abroad. After seeing the shows, you might even agree to be a model. For now, just focus on resting.”

“Go abroad for fashion shows…” Luo Xuan murmured slowly, her heart beating wearily. She nodded with difficulty, wanting to properly thank Xia Zhiwan for taking her in. “Okay.”

“So, you need to work hard to get well! Rest now, and don’t stay up late carving wood sculptures anymore.”

Xia Zhiwan often passed by Luo Xuan’s studio and saw the light on inside.

*This child,* she thought, *burns herself out as if she knows no fatigue. Perhaps she’s afraid she won’t have enough time, so she pushes herself to the extreme in everything.*

*Even in matters of the heart.*

Xia Zhiwan shook off her wandering thoughts, made a gesture of encouragement, and quietly slipped out of the room.

She didn’t want to pry into Luo Xuan’s past, trusting that she would learn the truth in time.

“Oh, I’ve put a new toothbrush and towel in the bathroom. You can manage, right?”

“Yes, I’m feeling much better now,” Luo Xuan said, brushing aside her sweat-dampened hair and forcing a smile of gratitude.

Xia Zhiwan thoughtfully closed the door behind her.

After soaking in a petal-filled bath and changing into her nightgown, Xia Zhiwan, in high spirits, picked up her phone and dialed a number.

The call was answered almost immediately, as if the other party had been waiting by their phone.

“Chairman Ning, still up so late? Working hard, I see. You must be exhausted.”

“Yes, still busy,” Ning Yiqing’s voice replied, tinged with a subtle weariness.

“President Ning, after much consideration, I felt I should let you know that Little Luo Xuan will be staying with me tonight,” Xia Zhiwan said, deliberately slowing her speech, listening intently for any reaction from Ning Yiqing’s end. “Rest assured, she’ll be well taken care of—better than ever before.”

A long silence followed, even the sound of breathing seemed to soften.

For a fleeting moment, Xia Zhiwan thought Ning Yiqing might demand Luo Xuan be sent back immediately, but the illusion vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

The woman merely turned a page of her book, adjusted her glasses, parted her lips slightly, and said with effortless composure:

“That’s good. Thank you.”

After a moment’s pause, Xia Zhiwan resumed her lighthearted, teasing tone. “Chairman Ning, you truly have a grand vision. No wonder you’re a person of great affairs—I humbly concede. Until next time, then.”

“Good night.”

The woman’s voice on the line was calm and clear. Xia Zhiwan hung up, surprised to find herself feeling a rare sense of frustration.

She had hoped this call would stir some emotion in Ning Yiqing, but the man remained utterly composed, handling the situation with effortless ease, as enigmatic as ever.

*As expected of someone standing at the pinnacle of power,* Xia Zhiwan thought. *He’s usually so gentle and courteous, seemingly full of warmth, but his bl00d is colder than ice.*

Xia Zhiwan shrugged. She cared deeply for Luo Xuan, but now that she wanted to avenge her, it seemed like an uphill battle.

After washing up and returning to bed, Luo Xuan’s breathing was feverish. She guessed her temperature had spiked again. She expertly wrung out a damp towel from the bedside and placed it on her forehead, finding the discomfort manageable.

Xia Zhiwan was a thoughtful and considerate person. Luo Xuan vaguely remembered when they were neighbors, Xia Zhiwan would come over on hot summer afternoons, and her mother would give them each a green bean popsicle.

Her mother’s popsicles were delicious, filled with large, sandy-textured green beans.

Her thoughts grew muddled again. The grass-green curtains billowed gently, revealing the rainy night sky, which deepened into a dark blue the longer she gazed at it.

There was no moon, no moonlight to touch her. There never had been, and there never would be.

*Someone who claims to shine like a star is the biggest joke of all,* Luo Xuan thought. *A star no one cares about, so insignificant it should have fallen long ago.*

She closed her eyes, feeling as if she had slept for a century.

*It’s time to wake up.*

At the school’s ice cream shop, Luo Xuan returned to Chi Li with a mint-flavored ice cream.

It was graduation season, and many students in graduation gowns were taking photos, their laughter and youthful energy filling the air.

“Xuanxuan, you’ve been gone for so long! Why have you gotten so thin again?” Chi Li asked, digging into her double-scoop mint ice cream. She glanced at Luo Xuan’s pale, gaunt face, her expression worried.

“I’m fine,” Luo Xuan replied, taking a bite of her ice cream. She knew her insomnia, caused by her illness, had kept her wandering all night, which was probably similar to dieting.

“Oh, I saw Sister Zhiwan’s post—you went to an art exhibition with her? Aren’t you worried your ‘Goddess Sister’ will get jealous? I’m already jealous!”

“The sculpture exhibition was really good,” Luo Xuan said, rubbing the corners of her tired eyes. “I’ll take you next time.”

“Yay! I noticed you’ve made over a dozen new wood carvings recently. Are you planning to join Sister Zhiwan’s art gallery?”

Luo Xuan rested her chin in her hand, considering the question seriously. “I’m still deciding whether to become an independent sculptor or work with Wanwan.”

“Why were you unreachable on your birthday? Did President Ning surprise you?” Chi Li teased, winking playfully. “Tell me all about it! Where did she take you? And since you’ve lived past 21, breaking the death curse, you absolutely have to celebrate with me again!”

On her birthday… her 21st birthday, the one she was never supposed to reach.

Luo Xuan gathered her silver hair, her dark, raven-feather-like lashes drooping listlessly. She forced a smile at Chi Li. “It’s worth celebrating. We should celebrate.”

“Are you really okay? You…” Chi Li stared at Luo Xuan’s pale, almost translucent face, feeling something was off.

“Bl00d fever, seizures, nosebleeds,” Luo Xuan murmured, rubbing the thin calluses on her fingers. “I’m used to it. I won’t die just yet.”

“Xuanxuan, let’s go to the hospital. You need rest.”

“It’s fine. I’ll be better in a few days.” Luo Xuan knew the dark circles under her eyes looked alarming. She put down her phone and tried to reassure Chi Li with a smile, but her expression felt stiff and almost manic.

*Maybe I just smiled too much that day. It’ll pass. Everything will go back to normal.*

Watching her friend’s strange behavior, Chi Li frowned. Glancing down, she noticed Luo Xuan’s search history on her phone screen:

Gland Function Elimination Surgery.

Function elimination surgery? Chi Li repeated the phrase in her mind, suddenly remembering it was a procedure specifically for Alphas to remove their mark.

In simple terms, this surgery gradually eliminates the permanent mark left by an Alpha on an Omega’s body.

After the procedure, the Alpha can no longer mark the Omega.

No matter how unwilling the Omega may be, the mark will slowly but steadily disappear.

They all refer to this surgery as the “Severing Blade.”

Noticing Chi Li’s surprised and hesitant gaze, Luo Xuan smiled. “I just happened to see it.”

She took back her phone and casually swiped to the next message.

Rumor has it that the head of the Ning Group will soon announce his engagement to the eldest daughter of the Luo Family. This decision has caused both companies’ stock prices to soar. The Ning Group established a biomedical subsidiary earlier this year…

Not wanting Chi Li to worry about her, Luo Xuan patted her friend’s shoulder and said softly, “Go home and rest well. You start work next Monday.”

Chi Li hesitated, wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.

As they left the ice cream shop and parted ways, rain began to fall again.

“It’s raining again,” Luo Xuan said, opening her newly purchased long-handled umbrella. She tucked her other hand into her trench coat pocket, the collar fluttering to reveal a glimpse of her pale, slender neck.

The next moment, her phone vibrated. The caller ID displayed “Ning Yiqing,” a name that felt like an inescapable shackle.

The daylight burned like fire.

“Xiao Xuan, have you had enough fun outside these past few days? Come home and let the doctor examine you.” The woman’s voice carried a snow-like, deep resonance. Even in its commanding tone, it was so gentle it felt like tenderness itself.

*Because she doesn’t care, she can always be gentle, eternally noble and elegant, calm and composed,* Luo Xuan thought, feeling she understood more clearly than ever.

“Where is my home?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line, followed by the woman’s soft sigh, like a goddess bestowing pity.

“Xiao Xuan, be good. If you wish, my place will always be your home.”

“President Ning, thank you for your kindness.”

“What did you call me?”

“President Ning, or Chairman Ning, or President Qing? That’s what everyone calls you. I shouldn’t overstep my bounds again,” Luo Xuan said, struggling to control the trembling in her fingers. “The divorce agreement has already been delivered to you through Secretary Lan. I’ve received your wedding invitation and will attend to witness your love.”

Hearing the dial tone, Ning Yiqing felt as exhausted as if her heart were pounding. She removed her silver-rimmed glasses and walked to the arched floral window.

The night wind was strong, whipping her long hair into a frenzy, making her appear both majestic and lonely.

The date on the calendar was drawing near to the engagement ceremony. Time always slipped away so quickly, leaving her heart wavering in uncertainty.

As Qin Shiyi entered the engagement banquet venue, she was dazed and astonished.

She had thought Luo Wei’s proposal ceremony that day had been extravagant enough, but this engagement banquet was even more lavish, making her wonder what the actual wedding would be like.

It was seven o’clock in the evening, half an hour before the engagement banquet officially began. Arriving neither early nor late, she headed straight to the dressing room to find Ning Yiqing.

The dressing room was carpeted with a light brown wool rug, and crystal platters held slices of fresh fruit: mangosteen, pineapple, mango, and cherries, their sweet aroma filling the air.

Qin Shiyi casually speared a piece of pineapple with a fork, savoring the sweetness as she glanced at Ning Yiqing, who hadn’t yet changed into her wedding gown.

“No makeup for your engagement? Even though you look stunning without it, isn’t that a bit… you know?”

Ning Yiqing’s expression remained cold, her voice hoarse with fatigue. “No one dares to look at me.”

Qin Shiyi: “……”

The woman had a point. Many coveted her beauty, but even more feared her power and authority.

“By the way, your parents really aren’t coming back?”

Ning Yiqing’s parents were both abroad, living lavishly on vacation. After their messy divorce, they each embraced new lovers and were now too busy to attend their daughter’s engagement banquet.

This starkly illustrated the family’s lack of familial warmth.

“Hmm, Old Master Ning is here,” Ning Yiqing replied casually. “Just a tiresome formality.”

“But it’s a uniquely extravagant formality, isn’t it? Neither you nor Luo Xuan ever had one, so you’re making up for lost time with this grand affair?” Qin Shiyi chuckled softly, her tone dripping with playful mockery. “I heard you even hired your family’s imperial chefs? The ingredients are all about freshness—flown in this morning, practically begging to be devoured.”

The wedding gown had been custom-designed and handcrafted by artisans well in advance. Even the engagement gift boxes were adorned with lapis lazuli and diamonds—precious and cold, worthy of being family heirlooms.

And she had seen it all clearly upon entering.

The engagement banquet carpet stretched fifty meters, leading to a silver-white fiberglass stage. Beneath it lay a transparent glass greenhouse, filled with blooming roses still glistening with morning dew.

A helicopter was parked nearby, likely ready to whisk the couple away for an early honeymoon after the banquet.

Qin Shiyi’s teasing left the woman unmoved, her expression as heavy as a fog, showing none of the excitement one might expect from someone about to be engaged.

“Seriously, why make such a big deal out of an engagement party?” Qin Shiyi asked.

“It’s nothing compared to our medical projects,” Ning Yiqing replied, pushing up his silver-rimmed glasses to conceal the faint crease between his brows.

Qin Shiyi scoffed softly, idly fiddling with the silver butterfly clasp on her small black purse. “You’re ruthless. You said you’d cut ties with Luo Xuan, and you actually did it.”

“But Yi Qing, are you even satisfied with Luo Wei? You two were desk partners from middle school through high school, and she’s an S-Class Alpha. Shouldn’t you be… content?”

“Not satisfied, just suitable. The rest doesn’t matter.”

Just then, the wedding planner hurried in, knocking urgently. Seeing Ning Yiqing still in her silk casual attire, she exclaimed anxiously:

“President Ning, the engagement ceremony was supposed to start five minutes ago! Miss Luo Wei is waiting for you. Shouldn’t you change into your wedding gown and go out?”

“Mm, you can leave now,” Ning Yiqing said, tapping a finger against the corner of the table. Her jade-like profile was tinged with a cold detachment. “I’ll be out shortly.”

The wedding planner carefully withdrew from the room, and Qin Shiyi immediately pressed forward.

“Yi Qing, what’s making you hesitate?”

“What makes you say that?” Ning Yiqing’s eyes were cool as he turned away, avoiding her gaze.

“Punctuality is practically ingrained in your bones as a matter of courtesy. You’re acting strangely. What’s really on your mind? This hesitation only makes me think you can’t bear to part with Luo Xuan.” Qin Shiyi boldly voiced her suspicions, her gaze fixed on the woman’s misty, cloud-like eyes.

“Shiyi, you’re overstepping,” Ning Yiqing’s eyes flashed with icy sharpness. “I’m simply displeased that the Luo family announced our engagement to the world prematurely.”

“So, this is your way of asserting dominance?” Qin Shiyi found the explanation both absurd and plausible. “Really? I thought you had tacitly approved the announcement. And what about that ‘Only CP’ trending topic earlier? It was all the Luo family’s doing?”

Ning Yiqing had always been decisive and ruthless, assessing situations with cold calculation and adhering strictly to his self-imposed rules.

Qin Shiyi had half-expected him to break his own rules for Luo Xuan, but it seemed she had overestimated his attachment.

*A goddess is by nature heartless. How could it be otherwise?*

Within five minutes, Ning Yiqing had changed into his wedding gown in the adjacent room. His dark hair was styled in an elegant updo, crowned with a delicate, snow-white veil. He radiated a sacred, unattainable aura, like a moon reflected in water or a flower glimpsed in a mirror.

“After your memory wipe surgery, did you experience any discomfort?” Qin Shiyi asked casually as she followed Ning Yiqing out. “They say the procedure is akin to the ‘Love-Severing Potion.’ No wonder you feel no lingering affection for Luo Xuan.”

“The surgery has been temporarily canceled.”

Qin Shiyi stared in disbelief at the woman’s graceful figure and regal bearing. *Canceled?* She glimpsed a flicker of confusion in the woman’s eyes, and… reluctance.

*Reluctance?*

The emotion vanished so quickly that Qin Shiyi almost thought she’d imagined it.

“Canceled what? If the surgery’s off, what are you playing at? You might as well call off the engagement too.”

Qin Shiyi wanted to press further, but by then, the guests and the main figures had taken their places, and the grand engagement banquet was about to begin.

The castle’s black iron railings, deliberately aged to reveal crimson hues, stood against the night sky, their snow-white veils darkened like raven’s feathers. Rose petals rained down like a torrential shower, transforming the moment into an unbelievable miracle of romance.

Blue hydrangeas adorned each large round table, their gentle fragrance filling the air. Dry ice vaporized throughout the hall, creating a cool, refreshing mist that swirled around the guests.

A fresh red rose lay on each linen-white chair, accompanied by a gilded card inscribed in elegant script: *Be my Valentine.*

The romance here was truly eternal, lasting until death.

The seated guests were mostly CEOs, business elites, fashion media, financial reporters, and the like. The Luo family sat at the head table, beaming with smiles while casting obsequious and fearful glances at Old Master Ning of the Ning Family.

Though Ning Yiqing’s parents were absent, the old man’s presence served as an anchor, ensuring the engagement banquet would proceed without interruption.

At that moment, hosts and guests alike were in high spirits.

Luo Guoren and Qi Qingqing watched their daughter approach the stunning woman at the pinnacle of power, their faces radiant with joy. It was as if boundless wealth and absolute status were already firmly within their grasp.

Suddenly, they saw Ning Yiqing move. The woman walked toward Old Master Ning, bent down, and seemed to be saying something.

“Grandpa, I want to…”

Old Master Ning could scarcely believe his ears. He was about to ask his granddaughter to repeat herself when a greater commotion erupted across the venue.

Luo Guoren and Qi Qingqing also saw the figure causing the disturbance.

The figure that brought shame to the Luo Family.

The girl who, at ten years old, had been willing to die with them to protect her mother’s mementos.

The silver-haired, heterochromatic-eyed freak.

They remembered Luo Xuan’s wild laughter and mockery—the deranged, desperate woman who would stop at nothing to protect what she held dear. They called her a nightmarish monster.

“What is she doing here?!” Qi Qingqing’s voice tightened as she gripped her wine glass, as if she wanted to wave Luo Xuan away with it, only to spill the wine down her expensive gown. “Shouldn’t she be lying in a hospital bed, clinging to life?”

Seeing Qi Qingqing’s panicked, out-of-control expression, Luo Xuan straightened the white corsage pinned to her evening jacket and flashed the Luo family a naive, childlike smile.

Ignoring their reactions, her gaze shifted to the couple standing at the center of the red carpet.

Confetti and flower petals rained down from above, the band played with fervor, and everyone clapped, cheered, and offered blessings.

Ning Yiqing held a bouquet, his trailing gown shimmering like a century’s worth of opulence and scattered gold, regal and beautiful.

Luo Xuan clutched the gift box in her hand, her eyes fixed on Ning Yiqing, watching the woman walk toward another man, carrying the joy and hope of her remaining years.

The swaying hem of her gown, both graceful and majestic, seemed like a dream.

*So this is an engagement banquet.*

*So this is what you were doing, joyfully waiting alone on Valentine’s Day, completely unaware that she was discussing marriage with someone else.*

The grand engagement ceremony unfolded before you.

You had no idea how deeply they had pledged their love and harmony when you weren’t watching. You were the only true outsider.

They walked hand-in-hand toward their future, while you silently died in the early spring night, like a lowly stray dog.

To see you here today is truly an honor.

Finally, someone noticed Luo Xuan at the end of the red carpet. Her silver hair stood out starkly against the night, ethereal and dreamlike, almost unreal.

“Who is that? She looks like she stepped out of a manga.”

“Could there be some hidden love triangle or bitter feud?”

“How strange… Is she here to cause trouble? Does anyone in this world dare to disrupt the Ning Family’s event?”

The crowd whispered, their faces flickering with gossip and fear of the Ning Family. Their mixture of excitement and apprehension was almost comical.

Luo Wei also spotted Luo Xuan. Her younger sister had always defied convention, with her eccentric temperament and rebellious spirit. Luo Wei had assumed she would back down after seeing the invitation, but she had actually dared to come.

Even just walking here, Luo Xuan was met with gazes that treated her like a monster occupying someone else’s rightful place.

Every gaze held bewilderment, as if she were an eyesore, an unwanted presence who should never have been born or appeared.

“Luo Guoren, I told you long ago to send Luo Xuan back to the countryside and let her fend for herself. Look at this!” Qi Qingqing trembled inexplicably, clutching Luo Guoren’s arm and suppressing her voice.

She had always considered Luo Xuan stubborn, headstrong, and hopelessly obstinate. Even if these were traits of an artist, they were surely also traits of a serial killer.

“Luo Xuan,” Luo Guoren glared at her, his voice low and furious, “what do you think you’re doing? Today is not the day for your antics. Don’t disrupt your sister’s wedding banquet.”

“Relax,” Luo Xuan smirked as she passed the head table. “Do you really think I could disrupt anything? You all lack confidence.”

“Luo Xuan, what are you planning?” Luo Xuan’s grandparents, unable to contain themselves, slammed their fists on the table and hissed, though they dared not take any real action.

Step by step, Luo Xuan walked across the crimson carpet, treading on the floral patterns. The sight of the Luo family’s faces—a mixture of anger and fear—struck her as utterly amusing.

Looking around the room, only Ning Yiqing maintained her composure, her expression serene and unruffled.

*This is the Ning Yiqing I love,* Luo Wei thought, *a superior being who transcends worldly rules, aloof and self-possessed, ascetic and ruthless, unmoved by sentiment.*

“Luo Xuan, what do you want?” Luo Wei’s heart pounded wildly with inexplicable anxiety, her palms clenching into tight fists.

Standing amidst the rain of flowers, Luo Xuan adjusted the pearl shell buttons on her sleeves, smoothed out any wrinkles, and smiled genuinely, her expression pure and innocent.

“I’ve come to offer my blessings.”

Ning Yiqing felt her fingers tremble. The bouquet in her hands suddenly weighed a thousand pounds as she stared into Luo Xuan’s extraordinary, starlit eyes.

She heard the girl’s familiar, melodious voice, soft and smiling:

“I thought I wouldn’t have the courage to bless you.”

“Xiao Xuan.”

Ning Yiqing’s voice caught slightly. She finally saw clearly into the girl’s starlit eyes.

Beneath the surface lay sorrow and bitterness. Luo Xuan’s beautiful smile seemed more like a silent sob, a blend of despair and resentment.

It was the sorrow of betrayal by someone truly trusted, a look both innocently naive and desolate.

Until even the desolation faded into emptiness, Ning Yiqing saw the girl’s gaze settle into stillness.

At that moment, her own heart felt hollow, and she desperately wanted to throw away the bouquet in her hands.

But if she threw away the bouquet, what would she do then?

She couldn’t stop trembling, as if something precious were about to vanish into nothingness.

Ignoring Ning Yiqing’s words, Luo Xuan gently unwrapped her gift, her jade-like fingers fluttering through the ribbons like butterflies.

“Ning Yiqing, I wish you and Luo Wei peace, joy, and a lifetime of happiness together, forever united in heart.”

*Hating you is for ordinary people. I’m a monster. I’ll bless you, forget you, forget you forever.*

*May you have everything I could never have.*

The gift box fell apart into scattered rose-colored scraps. Luo Xuan retrieved a pristine white medical record from within and reverently presented it to Ning Yiqing with both hands.

At the top, it read: *Patient Luo Xuan has completed the glandular function elimination surgery. The permanent mark will be permanently removed.*

“Ning Yiqing, I return your purity. May your wishes come true.”