The pristine moonlight spilled across the shimmering lake surface. From time to time, a few fish pellets were tossed in, drawing several koi fish to scramble for them.
Three figures sat on the lake shore, their pant legs rolled up, the lake water submerging their calves. Two women and one man sat shoulder to shoulder, leaning against each other.
After a brief talk of “serious matters,” the three began chatting about everyday life. Something about a new game coming out, speculations on the next Baibian transformation, and how Xu Yinsheng’s mental illness was progressing under Mo Jiaqi’s treatment.
“By the way, once you stop being chairman, what do you plan to do?” Hei Xu Yinsheng tossed out a few fish pellets, asking the man beside her who had his legs soaking in the water, looking nothing like a big boss.
“Become an ordinary worker, or maybe a freelance investor.” Zhao Yicheng gazed at the lake before him, his voice soft. “That way, I’ll have more time to spend with you.”
Hei Xu Yinsheng got goosebumps from the man’s words and decisively turned her head away.
It was Bai Xu Yinsheng who took the initiative to pick up the conversation. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with curiosity as she looked at him. “What about the Zhao Family? If you don’t take over, what will happen to the company?”
“My father has a few illegitimate sons who can carry the banner.” Zhao Yicheng gently ruffled Xiao Bai’s soft hair, a flash of doting affection in his eyes.
“I’m not like my father. All his thoughts are invested in his career and the Zhao Family, almost to the point of madness. I have my own ideas. I just want to quietly spend my life with the people I love. That’s all.”
“My mother supports me in this too, just like I support her in pursuing her own dreams.”
“Your mom is so nice. Not like my parents. They love each other so much, but they just don’t love me.”
This topic seemed to strike a sensitive nerve in Bai Xu Yinsheng. She lowered her eyes, hiding the失落 in her gaze. “I sometimes wonder if I was picked up from a trash can.”
Hearing her words, Zhao Yicheng let out a sigh. He knew that Xu Yinsheng’s parents didn’t not love her; it was just that they loved each other too much, to the point where there was almost no room for Xu Yinsheng in their lives.
There was a time when Zhao Yicheng envied Xu Yinsheng’s parents’ love, wishing his own parents could be the same. No, even just half as much as they loved each other would have been enough.
Xu Yinsheng and Zhao Yicheng were like two sides of a mirror.
Their parents: one couple loved each other too much, to the point where there was no place for Xu Yinsheng, the… daughter, in their lives; the other were like strangers, only together for the sake of interests. Even as a child, Zhao Yicheng had seen his father walk into his mother’s bridal chamber with other women more than once.
He looked down at her and made a serious promise. “Maybe I can’t make you understand family affection, but Little Yin, I swear I will make you understand what love tastes like. I promise.”
“Thanks.” Bai Xu Yinsheng let out a soft laugh.
“Cough, cough.” Hei Xu Yinsheng cleared her throat, interrupting Zhao Yicheng’s heartfelt confession. “Um… you two, let me say something, okay?”
Zhao Yicheng and Bai Xu Yinsheng both turned to look at Hei Xu Yinsheng.
She stood up, her wet little feet stepping onto the lake shore paved with bluestone slabs, her toenails round and snow-white. She stuffed her hands into her pockets, tilted her head back slightly, and took a deep breath of the cool air.
Then,
“Pfft! Dog man, I will never fall in love with you!!”
“You mentally ill scumbag, how dare you say you love me?!”
“Zhao Yicheng, when you locked me in the Cat Cage three years ago, did you ever think it would come to this?!!!”
Her voice was high, as if she were shouting into the air, or venting the anger and resentment inside her.
The smile on Zhao Yicheng’s face froze. He slowly lowered his head, his expression unreadable.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
“I’m sorry, Xiao Hei. I promise I will make it up to you in the future. Give me a chance, okay…”
Faced with the girl’s rebuke, the man’s voice sounded helpless, tinged with apology.
But his low, apologetic tone only made Hei Xu Yinsheng angrier. Sorry, sorry, still sorry! The Goddess of Death hates hearing “I’m sorry” the most!
Damn it!
Zhao Yicheng, can’t you be more manly!
Even if you pinned me down on the bench right now, had a smoke afterward, and said like a real man, ‘I’ll take responsibility for you,’ that would be better than you just mouthing ‘I’m sorry’!
Hei Xu Yinsheng snorted coldly, holding out her hand with a sour expression. “Give me back the villa key.”
Zhao Yicheng lowered his head, hesitated for a moment, then slowly pulled the key out of his pocket and handed it to her. He completely missed the look of disappointment and frustration in her eyes.
Hei Xu Yinsheng took back the key and pulled Bai Xu Yinsheng along as she turned around. “Xiao Bai, let’s go back. Don’t pay any attention to this dog man!”
“Damn it! Always yapping about compensation, like he owes me something. I, the Goddess of Death, am Xu Yinsheng! If I say it’s all settled, it’s settled! But he just keeps harping on it!!”
The angrier Hei Xu Yinsheng got, the harder she yanked Bai Xu Yinsheng back. Bai Xu Yinsheng grabbed Zhao Yicheng’s arm. “A’Zhao, don’t say compe— Mmmph!”
Bai Xu Yinsheng quickly had her mouth covered by Hei Xu Yinsheng, leaving only muffled whimpers.
In truth, more than compensation, both of them wanted to hear Zhao Yicheng say “I love you” a few more times.
It was just that this guy had gotten it all wrong from the start.
The moon was covered by dark clouds, and the surroundings turned gray. Suddenly, the pocket watch on Zhao Yicheng’s wrist chimed with a ding, signaling that 24:00 had passed.
Abruptly, the two women, who were shoulder to shoulder and arm in arm, froze in place like statues. Then, Bai Xu Yinsheng’s body transformed into a brilliant white light, while Hei Xu Yinsheng turned into a thick black mass. The two turned into pure energy bodies and slammed violently into each other!
All of this happened before Zhao Yicheng’s eyes in an instant. The two streams of energy merged and intertwined, blending into one. Then, the black and white weaved together, instantly turning into a hazy gray.
When the fusion was complete, the gray light hovering in mid-air pulsed slightly before gradually transforming into a human shape.
Her appearance was still identical to before, except for the slender tail extending from the base of her spine and the pair of fluttering, dreamlike pink wings on her back. Everything else about Xu Yinsheng was no different from her original form.
“I’ve turned back.” Xu Yinsheng looked at her hands in surprise. Suddenly, she crouched down, covering her head with both hands, her brow furrowed in a hint of pain.
Two months of memories from two different perspectives merged into one. It felt like being forcibly stuffed with two books, and Xu Yinsheng’s little brain could barely handle it.
But soon, the memories, stemming from the same origin, rapidly fused together. She released her hands from her head and looked up, letting out a long sigh. “Huff… That was awful!”
Then, Xu Yinsheng raised her eyes to look at Zhao Yicheng. She cracked her wrists a few times, a malicious glint flashing in her eyes.
Bam!
A pink fist slammed hard into the left side of the man’s face, knocking his handsome face to the side, blood trickling from the corner of his lips.
“You dare say ‘I’m sorry’!”
“You dare kiss Xiao Bai!”
“You dare disappoint Xiao Hei!”
“I’ll beat you to death, you dog man!!”
Bam! Bam! Bam!!!
Xu Yinsheng’s little fists rained down on his face, punch after punch, each one clearly putting all her strength into it!
Zhao Yicheng endured the storm of tiny fists without making any move to resist. In this regard, his love for Xu Yinsheng was as vast as the Mississippi River.
After the flurry of punches subsided,
Xu Yinsheng shook her slightly numb wrist, then looked at Zhao Yicheng, whose face had been beaten into a pig’s head. She flung the key back into his face and, still annoyed, kicked him into the lake with a single swift motion!
“Dog man, don’t forget to make breakfast for the Goddess of Death tomorrow!!” With that, Xu Yinsheng turned and walked away.
After a few steps, she heard a hearty, joyful laugh behind her. It sounded like bitter days had finally given way to sweetness, like clearing the clouds to finally see the sun.
Xu Yinsheng paused, turning her head to look back. She saw the man climbing out of the lake, drenched and disheveled, but laughing heartily. A tiny, almost imperceptible smile curled at the corners of her own lips.