The Resort is located at the northernmost edge of Nancheng, while the Xu Family estate lies to the southeast. Since they had agreed to meet at ten in the morning, Xingyu had to depart before eight.
The moment Auntie Wang woke her up, Xingyu rubbed her hair in a fit of pique, regretting immensely that she had agreed to Lin Yanning’s invitation. Don’t they know that demons are nocturnal creatures?
Reluctantly, she dragged herself out of bed. She was still dozing off while sitting at her vanity after brushing her teeth and washing her face. It was Xu Lingjing who, in her hazy state, knocked on the door to come in and style her hair and put on her accessories. All she had to do was change from her nightgown into a dress.
Xingyu chose a vintage, grass-green cotton-linen maxi dress that reached her ankles. Once she walked out of the room, Xu Lingjing walked behind her with familiar ease, his nimble, articulate fingers grasping the ribbons to tie an exquisite bow at the small of her back.
*
Inside the stretched Lincoln, Xingyu kicked off her high-heeled Mary Janes and sprawled out on the sofa—which was nearly the size of a bed—to watch a trashy local soap opera.
The heroine was a saintly "Mary Sue" character, impossibly kind and freakishly fertile; she could get pregnant just by sleeping, and even if her husband abandoned her, she was determined to raise the children. Everyone around her suffered because of her; she would even force her own biological son to drop out of school and work just so her enemies could live a better life... But no matter, in the end, her kindness would move the villains, leading to a happy, fulfilling finale where everyone gathered to make dumplings together.
Xingyu was periodically amused to the point of annoyance by the heroine, her cheeks puffing up in frustration. When she saw the heroine leading the entire village to beg for food across provinces after a flood, Xingyu expressionlessly shut off the tablet. As for why they were crossing provinces to beg, it was because they were so hungry they couldn't wait for supplies to be shipped from across the river.
Xingyu sat up and saw Xu Lingjing sitting on the other side of the sofa, reading a book. His back was straight, and he wore a white shirt with the sleeves slightly rolled up. With his eyelashes lowered, he looked quiet and cold.
Feeling bored, Xingyu wanted to toy with him again.
"Xu Lingjing, come here."
Xu Lingjing set down his book and walked over. He knelt on one knee on the carpet, resting his fingertips on the edge of the sofa, and looked up at her slightly, like a loyal knight.
Why is he so obedient?
Xingyu felt like a sharp-tongued, wicked stepmother who, unable to find fault with the poor Cinderella, felt a bit sullen. Her small face crinkled, and she reached out to fiercely ruffle his hair. She deliberately messed up his neat hair until strands stuck out, instantly eroding his cold, aloof image.
Seeing Xu Lingjing like this, Xingyu found it amusing. Her eyes curved involuntarily, and she smiled brightly, looking like the clear, radiant moonlight.
Xu Lingjing kept his gaze lowered, his long, thick lashes clustered at the corners of his eyes, soft and submissive.
After messing with his hair for a while, Xingyu curled her lip in disdain. "Your hair is too stiff. It’s prickly."
"I'm sorry."
Xingyu pushed her luck. "Does saying sorry make it any better?"
It was clearly she who had initiated the hair-tousling, yet she started blaming the innocent party upon discovering it wasn't as soft as it looked. Xu Lingjing was at a loss for words, frozen in place, unsure of what to say.
Xingyu was heartless; she forgot about it as soon as she finished complaining. Driven by curiosity, she began to explore elsewhere. Her soft fingertips traced the artery on the side of his neck, then pressed down to feel the blood flowing beneath. Like a babbling brook, Xingyu could clearly feel the vitality it represented.
The artery is the most vulnerable part of a person; how dangerous it is to have it controlled by someone with ulterior motives. Yet, Xu Lingjing didn't even flinch, as if he had placed his very life in her hands. How docile.
But the moment one met Xu Lingjing's eyes, it was clear that treating him like a harmless dog was foolish. His eyes, black to an unnatural degree, stared at Xingyu without blinking, like the eyes of a monster lurking in the shadows. It felt as if no matter how she hit or scolded him, he would cling to her without letting go—a sight that made one’s skin crawl.
Xingyu noticed this, naturally. She curled her lips, her voice clear and cool, though her dark eyes betrayed a blatant malice.
"Do you know how much I hate you?"
"Yes."
"Actually, I started hating you the moment I saw you. I hate your face, your eyes, and even every little thing you do. I just wonder why someone could make my heart feel so uncomfortable the moment I see them."
These words were truly hurtful. Xu Lingjing’s face went deathly pale, and he hung his head in a clumsy, panicked state, covering his eyes, not daring to look at her again. Where was the aloof youth from just moments ago? He looked like he was begging for mercy, his dignity almost gone, lowered to the very dust.
Xingyu felt no pity. "I hate you even more when you act like this. It’s so hypocritical." He clearly wanted to bite her to death, yet he still pretended to be so lowly.
The atmosphere, which had been so harmonious, was torn apart in an instant. The System gulped; it didn't know how the Lord God had offended the Demon again, but it knew it had to play the peacemaker.
[Lord Demon, did the Lord God do something wrong?]
Xingyu sneered: [His eyes are disgusting.]
Disgusting? The System’s heart skipped a beat. Had the Demon sensed that the Lord God was in love with her?
[That’s perfectly normal, liking a...]
Before it could finish, Xingyu interrupted.
She gritted her teeth: [Xu Lingjing’s gaze is like a sticky, cold, and damp viper. He clearly wants to bite me to death, and then crunch up my bones and swallow them whole! He must hate my bullying so much! If he doesn't want to be bullied by me, he should just say so. Why force himself? It's so disgusting. I hate hypocritical people the most.]
[He must hate me too, but he’s acting so well. As expected of the male lead, he’s truly good at enduring humiliation.]
The System fell silent. [...] It was such a fool. Why did it keep thinking the Demon understood emotions? Why did it keep holding expectations for her?
The carriage was deathly silent.
Xingyu chuckled: "It’s so strange. Why are you angry? You’ve always known I hate you, haven't you?"
This was too heartless. Did she think that just because she had no heart to say such things, others shouldn't be allowed to feel hurt?
Xu Lingjing’s eyes reddened. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was slightly hoarse. "I’m sorry, I’m not angry..." Just sad.
It was an extremely humble apology, but Xingyu didn't know if she had taken it in. She said in an ambiguous tone, "I shouldn't have brought you along. Even though I’m going to see Lin Yanning, my mood isn't as good anymore. Maybe you should just go back."
When she said this, the System’s scalp tingled: [...] Even when she understood nothing, she could perfectly hit the fatal point. That was the Demon’s talent.
Upon hearing this, Xu Lingjing slowly raised his head. His eyes were dark and viscous, like a monster hiding within, waiting to drag its prey into the depths.
He truly couldn't stand her bullying anymore, and it seemed he didn't want to pretend. Xingyu watched Xu Lingjing with a ghostly gaze, then suddenly laughed again.
Her brows were arched, her eyes sparkling. Her beautiful, delicate little face had no flaws, like a pink flowering crabapple. Yet, from this beautiful face came such ruthless words: "After all, this is a date between Lin Yanning and me. With you here, there are many things I can't do. How boring that would be."
Xu Lingjing could no longer maintain his composure. He stared at her fixedly, his fragile calm shattering bit by bit like thin ice. His chest heaved violently, his breathing heavy, like a monster that had been completely provoked.
*Tsk*, again with this. Sometimes he could endure so much—no matter how she bullied him, he wouldn't make a sound. Other times, he would break so easily, becoming gloomy and strange over a most ordinary sentence.
Xingyu was genuinely curious about what he cared about so much. After all, someone so cold wouldn't go so mad unless they cared excessively.
Xingyu reached out and grabbed Xu Lingjing’s tie, pulling hard. Xu Lingjing was forced to lean toward her, their breaths mingling. In an instant, Xu Lingjing’s pupils constricted, and his eyes, as beautiful as a sea of stars, rippled with waves for her.
Xingyu blinked, asking curiously: "Why are you angry? And why do your pupils constrict every time I get close to you?"