Chapter 8 Only This Bad to Me

Chapter 8: Only This Mean to Me

Qin Shuyi was having a blast.

In her over twenty years of life, the most thrilling experiences had been roller coasters at best, or, more recently, going racing with Ling Jue. Today's adventures in the sky and sea were absolutely unprecedented.

Not until dusk was falling did she reluctantly come down.

Just like on the way there, Ling Jue carried her piggyback.

It wasn't that she was being delicate; her legs were genuinely weak.

Against the backdrop of a sky ablaze with sunset clouds, the tall man effortlessly carried his girlfriend, walking on the soft sand while teasing her, "Miss Qin Shuyi, who was it today that was all talk and no action?"

It must be said that knowing how to have fun is a skill.

Unfortunately, Qin Shuyi's luck wasn't great, and her balance was just not that great.

Even Xia Zhiyue and the others, who learned from the coach, ended up surpassing her, while she still hadn't gotten the hang of it.

However, Ling Jue was uncharacteristically patient, eventually just guiding her through it himself.

On his back, Qin Shuyi buried her face in the back of his neck, gently nibbling the skin on the side with her neat, pretty teeth, like a shy little kitten baring its teeth at its owner.

It didn't hurt, it just made his heart flutter.

Ling Jue's hands supporting her bottom boosted her up a little, a relaxed smile he himself was unaware of spreading across his face.

He continued teasing her, "So, without me, who else could show you a good time like this in the future? What are you going to do, Miss Qin? You'll never meet a boyfriend as amazing as me again."

No matter what, he, Ling Jue, was destined to be the boldest, most defining stroke in Qin Shuyi's life.

Qin Shuyi straightened her neck, admiring the view from a height she'd never seen before, casually replying, "Yes, Ling Jue is irreplaceable."

But as for a boyfriend... In life's thirty thousand days, they say thrills and excitement are memorable ornaments, while calm and routine are life's true mainstays.

You came, you took me to live in that moment, and that has already served its purpose.

She closed her eyes, contentedly feeling the sea breeze gently caress her cheeks.

...

Ling Jue first took Qin Shuyi back to the room to change clothes.

She sat cross-legged on the bed, watching Ling Jue dry his hair, and remembering something, asked curiously, "I didn't seem to see Xu Yan earlier?"

Ling Jue ran the name through his mind twice before barely connecting it to the woman Xie Muchen had brought.

"Xie Muchen had her sent back."

"Back?" Qin Shuyi was surprised.

Everything was fine, why suddenly send her back?

Ling Jue looked at her with amusement, her almond-shaped eyes wide with surprise, his gaze full of affection, but his words were cold, "She wanted to get serious with Xie Muchen, so it's over."

Qin Shuyi was silent for a moment. "Didn't Xie Muchen like her quite a bit?"

He had even asked Ling Jue to introduce resources to her before, which was unusual for him to show that much care.

Ling Jue scoffed. "For some people, money is cheaper than feelings."

No matter how much material wealth is given, it doesn't necessarily mean liking.

Xie Muchen had always been the best at putting on an act.

"Besides, the Xie family is looking for a marriage alliance for Xie Muchen. At a time like this, he won't allow any unstable factors to exist."

Unstable factors.

He didn't mention Xu Yan once, yet every word was a judgment upon her.

Qin Shuyi knelt by the bedside, suddenly reaching out to pull the towel from Ling Jue's head as he stood nearby, covering his face with it, manually muting him.

He should just shut up.

Always saying such buzzkill things right when she's feeling most into him.

She wasn't about to stick up for a stranger like Xu Yan, but even knowing these men were no good, such a condescending, dismissive attitude was still infuriating.

She thought he was more handsome when he wasn't talking.

Ling Jue thought she was playing with him, and took the opportunity to pounce, pinning her to the bed. The half-damp towel was thrown to the floor, the bed covers billowing up and then settling down.

Under the dim covers, he planted kisses all over her face, laughing intimately, "Starting something like this, don't you want to go for dinner?"

Qin Shuyi lifted her foot and pressed it against his chest. "Get lost."

Ling Jue regretfully kissed her calf, then threw back the covers and pulled her out, looking at her suspiciously. "I've noticed, you seem to only act this way with me."

Qin Shuyi didn't feel guilty at all.

"Aren't you my boyfriend?"

Ling Jue was convinced.

He pinched her cheek. "Only you would dare."

Before her, and aside from her, he never imagined he could have such a high tolerance for one person.

She and Xu Yan were different.

Qin Shuyi wasn't the optimal choice for Mrs. Ling either, but because of this special quality, he thought, even if it was just playing around, there was no reason they couldn't play together for a long, long time.

This love game born of a whim, he liked it very much.

...

By the time the two of them arrived, a barbecue grill had already been set up by the beach.

Sitting next to Xie Muchen was a new woman, a young lady from a slightly less prominent wealthy family.

Her eyes full of admiration, she was currently chin in her hands, gazing at Xie Muchen as he spoke. Xie Muchen's expression was also gentle, no different from his daytime demeanor.

Xia Zhiyue's expression was complicated.

She hadn't expected Xie Muchen to be so sharp, that from just a small request for a two-person surfing session, he had seen through Xu Yan's intentions.

On the surface, he let Xu Yan enjoy herself happily, but after she got off the surfboard from her lesson, she received the news from the steward politely asking her to leave.

A bank card with a sum staggering to an ordinary person, a luxury car to send her off, with the title already transferred as a gift—just like that, Xu Yan's brief romance was summarily ended.

Xia Zhiyue still remembers the shock and devastation on Xu Yan's face at that moment.

There wasn't even a proper farewell.

The butler's casual remark, "The dance troupe's next performance is still waiting for Miss Xu, the lead actress," cut straight to the core of Xu Yan's dilemma.

She couldn't gamble her entire career.

She halted her steps toward Xie Muchen, unable to hold back her tears, and slowly, with painful, faltering steps, staggered away from the beach.

Xia Zhiyue's gaze fell on Xie Muchen's face, framed by gold-rimmed glasses—refined and handsome.

Such a ruthless approach contrasted sharply with the man's disarming smile, sending chills down one's spine.

She then looked toward Young Master Ling at the center of the crowd.

Rumor had it that Master Jue was the most coldly decisive of them all, making even Xie Muchen seem gentle by comparison.

Had he dismissed his previous women in the same way?

Then, how would Qin Shuyi, the exception in his life, take her final bow?

Watching the woman sitting by the bonfire with a shawl draped over her shoulders, calmly waiting for someone to feed her a skewer, Xia Zhiyue's spirits suddenly lifted.

Even the best actors bring a touch of genuine emotion when they immerse themselves in a role.

It might not be much for others, but for those starved of affection, it could be everything they have.

When the time came, it was anyone's guess who would be unable to break free.

She settled in to watch the drama unfold.

Unaware of the high expectations placed upon her, Qin Shuyi was currently tilting her head to look at the card in Ling Jue's hand.

Given Ling Jue's legendary unbeaten streak in games, everyone had suggested that tonight's rewards and penalties be decided by drawing lots.

Each person had to blindly draw a card stating what they needed to accomplish that evening.

And the one Ling Jue drew read: "Hug someone of the opposite sex who is not your boyfriend/girlfriend for one minute."

Someone in the crowd stirred the bonfire, their face wearing a meaningful expression.

Suddenly, a woman's voice, filled with surprise and wonder, came from outside the gathering.

"Master Jue?!"

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