Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ning Yichu's grand scheme also made He Shixia laugh. "That does sound good. But if all the assets end up in your hands, and the Ning and He families have to live out the rest of their lives penniless, watching them... watching us struggle and live in disgrace—wouldn't that feel even more satisfying than just watching us all die?"

Ning Yichu's face darkened. "Are you being sarcastic?"

"No." He Shixia couldn't help but touch Ning Yichu's face again.

He said gently yet firmly, "This is what we owe you. You can have whatever you want... If this is truly your wish, then give me a chance to make amends. Let me help you make it happen, alright?"

Ning Yichu looked at him indifferently. "He Shixia, do you think that even if I sense something is off, I can't do anything to you, so you don't even bother hiding it?"

He Shixia froze. "A Ning..."

Ning Yichu brushed the hand off his face, got up from He Shixia's body, and, too lazy to walk away, simply sat down beside him.

Feeling the weight lift, He Shixia was filled only with regret, not wanting Ning Yichu to leave. Suppressing the urge to pull Ning Yichu back into his arms, he also propped himself up from the carpet.

Ning Yichu lowered his gaze, fiddling with the bloodstain on his sleeve, and reminded He Shixia offhandedly, "Did you forget? After you brought me back to the He family today, you just warned me, 'You've already gotten what you wanted. If you want anything else in the future, just say it directly. Don't resort to life-and-death theatrics'..."

He Shixia's heart skipped a beat.

Ning Yichu's tone was flat. "And now you're putting on this act... With such a drastic change in attitude, aren't you worried I'll become suspicious? Or do you think that even if I am suspicious, I can only happily accept your 'making amends'?"

He Shixia reached out a hand but didn't know where to place it, leaving it trembling slightly in the air. "A Ning, I... I am... If I said I've been reborn from several years in the future... would you believe me?"

Ning Yichu found He Shixia's cautious tone rather amusing and couldn't help but smile.

He Shixia thought Ning Yichu didn't believe him, which was why he was scoffing.

But unexpectedly, Ning Yichu then nodded at him and said lightly, "I believe you."

He Shixia was stunned, suddenly remembering how Ning Yichu had so abruptly spoken earlier about wanting him, wanting everyone from the Ning and He families to die...

The Ning Yichu from this time in their previous life wouldn't have been so "sincere" in revealing his true thoughts yet.

"I also know you died in front of my grave." Ning Yichu tilted his head slightly, looking at He Shixia before him.

As if recalling something particularly interesting, he continued with keen interest under He Shixia's trembling gaze.

"After I died, you suddenly realized, 'Oh, so I actually like him,' and then wanted to help me get revenge on those who treated me poorly before. But you ended up provoking public anger, got stalked by Ning Zeshu's secret admirer, and were stabbed to death while visiting my grave. Before dying, you even tried to touch my memorial photo. How touching... So you liked me that much? Then why did I never feel it while I was alive?"

The Ning Yichu before him spoke lightly, even with a hint of laughter in his tone. He Shixia felt a tumult of emotions.

Realizing that Ning Yichu also had memories of their previous life, the feeling of "regaining what was lost" grew even stronger, making He Shixia almost want to recklessly pull Ning Yichu into his very bones and blood.

But Ning Yichu's current demeanor was so detached, so aloof, warning He Shixia to recognize his place, wrapping his restless heart in thick ice and snow, making him dare not act rashly.

He had no right to act rashly.

Ning Yichu reached out and touched the bite mark on He Shixia's neck. His fingertips landed lightly on the skin, causing He Shixia to shiver.

Although Ning Yichu had bitten hard earlier, he stopped as soon as he tasted blood, so the injury wasn't actually that frightening. By now, the wound on He Shixia's neck had stopped bleeding.

Slender fingers moved lightly, tracing the red streaks left by the dried blood, and Ning Yichu touched the collar of He Shixia's pajamas.

"After being reborn, the first thing you wanted was to sleep in the same room as me..." Ning Yichu was highly amused. "What did you want to do?"

He Shixia felt as if he could hear the violent thrumming of his own blood vessels. Restraining himself, he replied, "No... I truly didn't expect you had also come back... But I didn't intend to do anything to you while you were unaware. I just... wanted to be closer to you, A Ning."

Following the line of the fabric, Ning Yichu undid the first button of He Shixia's pajama top.

The action was ambiguous, but his dark eyes were clear as he looked at He Shixia, the only discernible emotion being mockery.

He Shixia's throat moved slightly. He instinctively wanted to say something else. "In our previous life, after you... passed away, did your spirit remain, so you could see what I did afterward?"

Ning Yichu's fingers paused. He blinked.

Was this something only he knew?

This realization made Ning Yichu's mood soar once again.

He suddenly pounced on He Shixia and bit his neck again.

He Shixia raised his head, wrapped his arms around Ning Yichu's slender waist, and let him bite.

Only when he sensed Ning Yichu tugging at his clothes did He Shixia press his lips together and, with difficulty, grasp Ning Yichu's wrist.

There was a scar on Ning Yichu's left wrist. Judging by the timeline of this life, it had healed not long ago and was still very noticeable to the touch. He Shixia felt it, and the shock almost made him lose his grip on Ning Yichu's hand.

He pressed his lips together, steadied himself, and spoke softly, as if stating a fact or reminding them both. "A Ning, you don't like me... You hate me."

Ning Yichu released his bite, lifted his face, and smiled. His dark eyes and the small red mole at the corner of his eye seemed to shimmer. "Don't you want to do it? I thought you came here specifically to give me a belated 'wedding night.'"

He Shixia somewhat awkwardly avoided his gaze. "Whether you believe it or not, I really..."

"Whether I believe it or not, I'm very interested right now." Ning Yichu was eager. "Or are you incapable? Without being drugged like the first time, you can't get it up? Then get lost. I'll go find He Rulin. He's been trying to seduce me for a long time anyway..."

He Shixia pressed the trying-to-get-up Ning Yichu back into his arms.

"A Ning..." He Shixia sighed. "You're pregnant."

Ning Yichu frowned. He had finally found an outlet for his overflowing emotions and didn't want to change his mind.

"Then be careful." Ning Yichu said indifferently. "Or be reckless and just get rid of this child. That would save trouble."

He Shixia lowered his gaze. Looking at Ning Yichu's utterly indifferent expression, he felt a suffocating wave of sorrow and guilt.

"Like you, I've just been reborn. My state of mind is turbulent, full of emotions I want to vent. I can understand you wanting to relieve and release through that kind of act." He Shixia said gently, as if trying to soothe Ning Yichu and remind himself not to act recklessly through his calm tone. "But A Ning... Sleeping with someone you hate, I'm afraid you'll regret it afterward."

He Shixia's words sounded grave and sincere, but paired with his current physical state, Ning Yichu found it rather laughable.

He bent his knee and pressed against He Shixia's lower body, mocking, "So understanding and condescending... Then why are you so excited? You're in my way."

He Shixia frowned tightly, unable to suppress a heavy, muffled groan from his throat, sounding both pained and as if stimulated by some illicit substance.

"...Because I want you too. I admit I also want you." He Shixia closed his eyes.

But Ning Yichu, having had his mood spoiled, lost interest. He deliberately pressed on the wound on He Shixia's neck to push himself up. "Forget it..."

Then he was pressed back down by He Shixia's hand on his lower back.

Ning Yichu frowned, his anger flaring again. "If you're sick, can't you just go die?"

"It's still too early. I'll go when it's time." He Shixia's words suggested he wasn't exactly normal either.

Ning Yichu looked at him coldly.

He Shixia continued, "But until then, we are still legally married. You can't go sleep with someone else... A Ning, that would be adultery."

Ning Yichu finally realized—He Shixia had taken his earlier remark about finding He Rulin seriously, thinking he was still trying to sleep with someone else.

He tilted his head slightly. "Not a fan of the green hat? I’ll help you wear a few more later, just to desensitize you."

He Shixia didn’t respond.

The two of them locked eyes in silence for a beat before He Shixia lowered his head, trying to kiss Ning Yichu’s lips.

Ning Yichu frowned and turned his face away. "Don’t kiss me."

He Shixia paused. "...Alright."

He continued to lower his head, kissing Ning Yichu’s slender, vulnerable neck, then picked him up and laid him down on the bed.

Ning Yichu’s wrists were pressed into the pillow. He turned his head slightly, staring at the scar on his left wrist.

He remembered…

Of course, he had cut it himself.

Three months ago, the Ning family held a graduation and twenty-second birthday banquet for their young master, Ning Zeshu, inviting many guests, including the He family. He Shixia had also attended.

That night, Ning Yichu and He Shixia ended up sleeping together due to an accident.

Ning Yichu, naturally frail, fell ill after what the drugs and He Shixia put him through and slept for three days straight.

When he woke up, he learned that everyone else had already reached a verdict—it was Ning Yichu who had schemed, drugged He Shia, climbed into his bed, and arranged for others to catch them in the act to spread the word.

Why were they so certain?

Because a pillbox had slipped out of the pocket of Ning Yichu’s clothes scattered on the floor.

When Ning Yichu first woke up and found out what happened, he tried to explain: "The pillbox is mine, but it only contained vitamins and glucose tablets. I didn’t drug you."

He Shixia, who was still taking care of him in the hospital room at the time, didn't have much of a reaction, seeming neither to believe nor disbelieve him, only nodding noncommittally and asking if he felt any discomfort.

Ning Yichu realized right then—no one believed him.

Both the Ning and He families thought he was making excuses, taking advantage of his usual habit of carrying a pillbox to feign innocence and shift the blame.

Others mocked and ridiculed him; He Shixia’s attitude was relatively "better" among them.

He didn’t outright say he didn’t believe him, even took care of him until he recovered and asked what compensation he wanted.

Just as condescending as ever.

Recalling He Shixia’s face in his past life and looking at the man on top of him now, Ning Yichu found him utterly detestable, and any desire he had was gone.

"Get off me." Ning Yichu pushed He Shixia away forcefully.

Not bothering to put on his nearly removed pajamas, he leaned over the side of the bed and retched.

He Shixia froze for a second before quickly leaning over to gently pat Ning Yichu’s back.

"Don’t touch me!" Ning Yichu didn’t look up, just pushed him away with his hand.

He Shixia awkwardly withdrew his hand. "...Sorry."

He Shixia got out of bed, poured a glass of water, and brought it to the bedside, intending to hand it to Ning Yichu. "A-Ning…"

Ning Yichu hadn’t vomited much, but the retching left his face even paler.

He took the glass but didn’t drink, instead hurling it along with the water at He Shixia’s face. "Get out—"

He Shixia didn’t dodge. The rim of the glass struck his brow, splashing water over his face and body, diluting the bloodstains that had trickled down his neck earlier.

He caught the rolling glass, got up to replace it, and poured Ning Yichu another glass of warm water.

Ning Yichu no longer felt like retching. He leaned back against the headboard, watching He Shixia coldly.

He accepted the water He Shixia offered this time, took a few slow sips, then lowered his gaze to his flat abdomen, his tone much calmer. "Let’s get a divorce. I’ll have an abortion, and you can compensate me with money. That’s enough."

Author's Note:

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