Chapter 134: Player 6

She shuddered on the spot, then turned her head in pleasant surprise, “Sister-in-laaaaaw!”

The man immediately shielded Lu Ling behind him, his tall and burly frame blocking Lu Ling’s slender figure. The man’s lips curled into a grin, and he cracked his knuckles with an ominous sound. What? Did she want to fight?

Yu Liuxue: “Sis…”

Sorry for the intrusion.

Unable to share the good news with Lu Ling, she had no choice but to return to Tang Shiyu’s side. However, the moment her eyes met his, she couldn’t help but double over again. Fortunately, she had the foresight to cover her small mouth, preventing the scene from descending into total embarrassment.

That nauseating feeling showed no signs of subsiding. Yu Liuxue’s face was pale, and she couldn’t even stand up. Seeing this, Tang Shiyu’s parents glared at their daughter before hurriedly calling for the family doctor. After being scolded by his parents, Tang Shiyu instinctively wanted to step forward to see how Yu Liuxue was doing. But as soon as he approached, her reaction intensified, becoming as powerful and earth-shattering as a thunderclap.

Tang Shiyu had no choice but to stop in his tracks with a dark expression, once again suspecting that Yu Liuxue was doing this on purpose.

While her mother-in-law went to make the call, Tang Shiyu remained unable to get close to Yu Liuxue. Lu Ling brought over a glass of milk and walked to her side, her eyes full of concern and tenderness. “Drinking some of this might make you feel a bit better.”

Yu Liuxue took the opportunity to let Lu Ling feed her a few sips, and she indeed felt much more comfortable. She involuntarily sat down, the previous ordeal having left her completely exhausted. She propped up her cheek listlessly and asked the System expressionlessly, “Is it because I stayed on the yacht for too long, and now that I’ve just gotten off, I haven’t adapted to life on land yet?”

The System replied with equal lack of expression, “I think it’s more likely that the Host overate this morning.”

Yu Liuxue: “…” Well, this was awkward.

She peeked at Tang Shiyu through the gaps in her fingers. He was being very well-behaved, sitting on a long bench in the distance and staring at her intently. As if suddenly sensing her gaze, he immediately looked over. Yu Liuxue quickly withdrew her eyes and furrowed her brows pitifully. “Sister-in-law, I feel so miserable.”

Before Lu Ling could speak, the man squeezed his way over. “Then how about I give you a set of the Tang Family Massage Technique right now?”

Yu Liuxue blinked. “What is the Tang Family Massage Technique?”

“A two-stage roundhouse kick to all seven hundred and twenty pressure points.”

Lu Ling immediately gave the man a light punch. Yu Liuxue pouted and immediately turned back to look at Tang Shiyu. “Your brother said he’s going to beat me.”

Tang Shiyu raised his eyes, his face expressionless. “Tang Xiuyi.”

The man: “…” Oh, my God! If it weren’t for the fact that you’re my sister-in-law, I would definitely use my boots to kick you right off the face of the Earth!

The doctor called by the elders arrived quickly. Strangely, as soon as the doctor appeared, Yu Liuxue was instantly cured. Not only did she no longer feel any discomfort, but she also beamed a radiant smile at the cool and elegant young female doctor. Even when she occasionally spared a few glances for Tang Shiyu, there was no sign of nausea.

Tang Shiyu felt more and more that she was faking her illness, and her goal was to drive him away so she could seduce his sister-in-law.

Yu Liuxue stared unblinkingly at the female doctor who was checking her pulse¹, her eyes practically glued to the woman’s face. After watching for a while, Yu Liuxue had a sudden realization and said to the System, “No wonder Jian Yin wanted me to play Tang Shiyu. It turns out all the beautiful ladies are gathered around him!”

Not to mention Lu Ling and Nan Xu, even a random family doctor was as beautiful as a flower, making one want to throw themselves at her.

After checking her pulse, the female doctor smiled at Yu Liuxue, then stood up to chat with the Tang elders for a while. Yu Liuxue’s gaze followed her figure without wavering. Noticing her future parents-in-law looking at her with strange expressions, she nervously bit her finger. “System, I didn’t actually just overeat, did I?”

After the doctor left, the atmosphere in the house suddenly became strange. Yu Liuxue didn’t dare to keep thinking about her sister-in-law. She finished her meal properly, gave the elders a slight bow, and then quickly drove away from the scene.

Tang Shiyu had just finished seeing Yu Liuxue off when he was immediately stopped by his mother. “Shiyu, come with me. Mom has something to ask you.”

Nan Xu’s mood had been terrible lately. Affected by this, she was often out of sorts at work, and the gossips in the company were whispering about her behind her back. Nan Xu was well aware of this, but she had no heart to care. Tang Shiyu’s attitude toward her was becoming increasingly cold, making her feel gradually powerless.

She had an recurring illusion that once she relaxed her guard, Tang Shiyu would fall completely into Jian Yin’s hands.

Thinking of Jian Yin, Nan Xu couldn’t help but grit her teeth. They had clearly agreed that night that whoever got drunk first would lose and would have to leave Tang Shiyu, never to appear before her again. However, no matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn’t remember who had passed out first that night.

Not only that, but aside from a vague memory of Tang Shiyu waking her up with a terrifying expression, she couldn’t remember at all what she and Jian Yin had done after getting drunk.

Her face turned pale as she wondered if it had all been a trap set by Jian Yin. Had she tampered with the wine, deliberately tricking her into drinking those problematic bottles? The goal would have been to bait information out of her, record her own words on a phone, and then play them back for Tang Shiyu.

If it weren’t for that, how could Tang Shiyu’s attitude toward her have changed so drastically in such a short time?

Nan Xu felt so much regret that her heart ached. In her impression, Jian Yin was arrogant, stubborn, and self-righteous, someone who disdained using such despicable methods. But after not seeing her for a while, how had Jian Yin become more cunning and treacherous than a demon?

If it were in the past, she would never have believed that Jian Yin could be so calculating.

But…

Nan Xu closed her eyes in frustration and took a deep breath. If anyone was to blame for this, it was her own mistake for underestimating the enemy. One should see a person in a new light after even a short absence, let alone how long it had been since she and Jian Yin had last met. She didn’t doubt for a second that a woman blinded by love would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.

Just as she was lost in thought, a colleague she was close with came running over in a hurry. “Nan Xu, hide quickly! Jian Yin is here at the company!”

Nan Xu’s brow furrowed. “But CEO Tang didn’t come to work today…”

The colleague was extremely anxious. “No, she’s not here for CEO Tang, she’s here for you!” The colleague swallowed hard and said urgently, “I heard her with my own ears asking Aisha at the front desk where your office is!”

Nan Xu’s heart skipped a beat. “What does she want with me?”

“She’s crying.”

“I saw from a distance that her eyes were brimming with tears, and the tip of her nose was red like a rabbit’s. Could it be that she had another fight with CEO Tang and is now planning to vent her anger on you?” The colleague thought for a moment and quickly pushed her. “Oh, whatever, just hide! If you can’t afford to provoke her, can’t you at least afford to hide?”

Hearing this, a small surge of anger rose in Nan Xu’s heart. It was one thing for Jian Yin to use those tactics to ruin her image in Tang Shiyu’s eyes, but now she actually dared to come to the company so brazenly to cause trouble?

She smoothed her clothes and started walking out. Her colleague quickly grabbed her. “Nan Xu, where are you going?”

Nan Xu turned back. “There is nothing between CEO Tang and me. If I hide, wouldn’t that prove I have a guilty conscience? Truth will prevail, and I don’t believe she would dare to make a scene in CEO Tang’s company.”

After speaking, she ignored her colleague’s attempts to stop her and walked toward Yu Liuxue. The sound of high heels clicking on the marble floor echoed from behind. Yu Liuxue’s eyes lit up. Seeing Nan Xu’s indignant expression as she turned around, Yu Liuxue immediately rushed over excitedly. “Sister, I’m pregnant with your child!”

“You’re going to be a mom!”

Nan Xu instinctively stopped in her tracks, looking stunned. “?”

The colleague who had caught up felt her legs go weak with fright and quickly leaned against a nearby table. “!!!”

What on earth was going on between CEO Tang, Nan Xu, and Jian Yin? How could Jian Yin be pregnant with Nan Xu’s child?

With tears in her eyes, Yu Liuxue threw herself into Nan Xu’s arms. She leaned against Nan Xu’s shoulder like a delicate bird, smiling with immense sweetness. “My moon, my stars, and my light… we finally have a child of our own…”

Nan Xu shuddered in fright and quickly pushed her away. Her appearance remained noble and cold, yet her slightly trembling fingers and pupils betrayed her inner turmoil. Nan Xu struggled to calm herself. “That’s impossible.”

She hadn’t done anything with her, so how could the child be hers?

Yu Liuxue stood where Nan Xu had pushed her, looking hurt. Her voice was filled with disappointment as she asked, “Have you forgotten what happened that night after you got drunk?”

Nan Xu’s heart skipped a beat, and a flash of panic crossed her eyes.

Yu Liuxue’s inner persona jumped with excitement. “System, she really doesn’t remember what happened that night!”

The System looked despairing. Although the Host’s mission was to play the scumbag to Tang Shiyu, there was no need to make a young, beautiful girl suddenly become a mother out of the blue.

Yu Liuxue’s shouts were quite loud, instantly attracting the attention of countless employees. It wasn’t until the colleague behind Nan Xu gave her a nudge that she coldly said to Yu Liuxue, “Come to my office. We need to talk.”

Yu Liuxue blinked obediently and gave a sweet smile, jogging forward to grab Nan Xu’s arm. “Okay!”

In the office, Yu Liuxue sat on the sofa casually flipping through a magazine, looking quite relaxed. Ten minutes passed, and Nan Xu still couldn’t accept reality. She racked her brain for a full ten minutes, but the memory of that drunken night seemed to have been completely deleted, like a corrupted save file. She couldn’t recall even the smallest detail.

Nan Xu’s expression was grim. She hadn’t even settled her score with Jian Yin yet, and now Jian Yin was pregnant with her child because of a drunken mistake?

She pinched the bridge of her nose, her mind a mess.

If Jian Yin was pregnant with her child, what about Tang Shiyu? What would happen between her and Tang Shiyu?

The person she clearly liked was Tang Shiyu.

If Tang Shiyu found out that she had not only laid hands on her girlfriend but also gotten her pregnant, she would definitely kick her out without any mercy.

Nan Xu suddenly felt exhausted.

After another ten minutes, Nan Xu finally convinced herself. As long as Tang Shiyu didn’t find out, wouldn’t it be fine? She took a deep breath and turned around to have a proper talk with Yu Liuxue. As soon as she turned, Yu Liuxue immediately put down her magazine and looked at her expectantly. Nan Xu was speechless.

Yu Liuxue knew Nan Xu wouldn’t believe her easily, but fortunately, Nan Xu had no memory of that night, so she could talk as much nonsense as she wanted. She lowered her eyelashes and frowned slightly, projecting an air of melancholy. She pursed her red lips. “I know the only person you love is Tang Shiyu, but the child in my belly can’t grow up without a mother.”

Nan Xu’s eyelid twitched. The moment she tried to forget about it, the matter rushed back into her mind and firmly occupied her thoughts.

As Yu Liuxue spoke, her eyes reddened. A moment later, large teardrops rolled down from the corners of her eyes, dripping onto the back of her fair hand, looking like a painting of a weeping fairy. Yu Liuxue looked worried, sitting in the side-light. From Nan Xu’s perspective, she seemed to radiate a soft, pearly glow, appearing even more beautiful and gentle than she remembered.

Nan Xu couldn’t help but wonder if this was the glow of motherhood.

She clenched her fingers and walked toward Jian Yin with difficulty. “You’re about to get engaged to CEO Tang, right?”

Yu Liuxue didn’t understand what she meant, but she nodded obediently. “In about four months.”

Nan Xu tried to make her voice gentle and sincere. She raised a hand, intending to analyze the pros and cons of this child for Yu Liuxue finger by finger. “Jian Yin, you’re about to get engaged to CEO Tang. Look, if such a huge scandal breaks out at this critical time, your marriage to CEO Tang will be ruined, right?”

Yu Liuxue shook her head. “I can marry you instead. After all, the child in my belly is yours.”

Nan Xu was at a loss for words.

She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “But if that happens, how will people look at you in the future? They’ll think you’re fickle, unfaithful to your partner, and a liar.”

Yu Liuxue had a sudden realization. “So you want me to hide this and marry Tang Shiyu, making her wear a glowing green hat²?!”

“But don’t you like Tang Shiyu? You like her, yet you want to cuckold her?”

Nan Xu was silent. I really want to hit you right now, so please stop talking, okay?

Nan Xu smiled slightly. “This is a last resort.”

Yu Liuxue pretended to think. After five minutes, she held out her hand, palm up. “Then what’s in it for me?”

Nan Xu stared at her expressionlessly. “What kind of benefits do you want?”

Yu Liuxue suddenly looked troubled. “I want to make demands, but this child belongs to both of us. I can’t raise her alone…”

Nan Xu gritted her teeth. “I get it. I’ll come over to take care of you when I have time.”

“Great, it’s a deal then!” Yu Liuxue stood up with a beaming smile and picked up her small bag. “Go back to work then. My friends invited me for afternoon tea, and I’m almost late.”

Before Nan Xu could react, Yu Liuxue had almost vanished. Nan Xu instinctively chased after her and shouted a reminder, “No smoking and no drinking!”

After returning, Nan Xu locked her office door and sat in her chair, holding her head in disbelief. She had painstakingly pursued Tang Shiyu for nearly ten years, and in the end, she hadn’t slept with Tang Shiyu, but had slept with Tang Shiyu’s girlfriend instead?

Was this some kind of joke?!

But the facts were right in front of her, and she had no choice but to believe them. Given how much Jian Yin used to dislike her, there was no way she would lie about something like this.

Who would joke about a child in their belly?

After successfully deceiving Nan Xu, Yu Liuxue bought herself a stick of candied haws. She took a bite and immediately shuddered from the sourness, quickly spitting out the hawthorn bits and sugar. “Pah, pah, pah!”

While she was spitting enthusiastically, a tall figure silently stood behind her. Once she finished, Tang Shiyu frowned. “Still feeling unwell?”

Yu Liuxue shuddered again, startled by Tang Shiyu’s sudden appearance. She instinctively hid the candied haws, looking as if she had seen a ghost. “What are you doing here?”

“Mom told me to take you to the hospital for a checkup.”

Yu Liuxue wanted to refuse, but Tang Shiyu’s expression left no room for doubt. If she dared to say “no,” she didn’t know what kind of outrageous thing Tang Shiyu might do on the street. She shrugged. “Fine, but you’re paying.”

Tang Shiyu gritted her teeth. She didn’t know if Jian Yin was possessed or if she herself was, but the girl always managed to break her composed demeanor with just a sentence or two.

The test results came out quickly. Yu Liuxue sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs idly and looking around like a little thief. Tang Shiyu, on the other hand, held the pregnancy report with a solemn expression. Jian Yin was indeed pregnant.

It had happened right around the first time they were together.

Yu Liuxue was currently chatting with the System. “In the original plot, wasn’t Tang Shiyu supposed to get into a car accident and lose her memory around this time? Why is she perfectly fine now? If she lost her memory, I could fly off into the sunset with Nan Xu.”

The System replied without emotion, “But Nan Xu likes Tang Shiyu.”

“I know that,” Yu Liuxue said, blinking her eyes. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a world-shaking love triangle while Tang Shiyu has amnesia? Nan Xu could pretend to be Tang Shiyu’s soulmate, while I pretend to be Tang Shiyu’s ex-wife, and then I’ll tell Tang Shiyu that I’m pregnant with her sister-in-law’s child…”

“Wait,” the System quickly interrupted her. “What does a sister-in-law have to do with this?”

“Ah, sorry, slip of the tongue. Then I’ll tell her I’m pregnant with her soulmate’s child. Wouldn’t that be marvelous?” Just thinking about it made Yu Liuxue incredibly excited. “Oh! What a blood-pumping, beautiful trio of romances!”

System: “…” No, it’s not.

Tang Shiyu put away the pregnancy report and walked over with long strides to take Yu Liuxue’s hand. “Since you are pregnant, you should stop being so unreasonable from now on. I will take responsibility for you.”

Before she could even finish her sentence, Yu Liuxue, being a renowned contrarian, interrupted her. She took a deep breath in disbelief. “Are you saying you only plan to marry me because I’m pregnant? What if I wasn’t? Were you planning to abandon me and run off with that fox spirit Nan Xu?”

Tang Shiyu thought to herself: Don’t get angry, don’t get angry. If I get sick from rage, no one can take my place. If I lose my temper, I’m just letting her win…

She stared at Yu Liuxue expressionlessly. “Two more months.”

Yu Liuxue paused, only reacting after the System gave her a timely reminder. Her expression immediately turned subtle as she looked Tang Shiyu up and down. “Tang Shiyu, your desires are so strong that it’s hard for me to believe you won’t cheat while I’m pregnant.”

Tang Shiyu really wanted to hit her, but then she thought, isn’t this just how Jian Yin is? What else could she do but endure her own woman?

While driving home, Yu Liuxue crossed her arms. “How do you plan to tell Nan Xu about this?”

Yu Liuxue tilted her head and blinked, intentionally trying to provoke her. “If she finds out I’m pregnant, will she do something irrational to me?” Getting excited, she shifted her posture to cross her legs, resting her chin on her hand as she leaned toward Tang Shiyu. “Isn’t that how it goes in TV dramas? When the female rival finds out the lead is pregnant, she loses her mind and stops at nothing to get rid of the baby.”

“Like a car accident, or intentionally pushing someone down the stairs…”

Tang Shiyu glanced at her. “Rest assured, I won’t tell her until you’re showing.”

Yu Liuxue immediately clapped her hands in excitement. Yes! That’s the way!

The System was full of questions. What kind of move was the Host making? Was she trying to make Tang Shiyu and Nan Xu both think the child was theirs so they would be wary of each other? And then successfully break them up?

Tang Shiyu settled Yu Liuxue in her previous house. Still worried, she warned her repeatedly, “If you want to go out, take the bodyguards I gave you and walk out the front door properly. Don’t do something as dangerous as climbing over the walls again.”

“The walls of our house are electrified.”

Yu Liuxue grumbled a few times. “I know, I know.”

Because the first three months weren’t suitable for any intimate activities, Yu Liuxue had to set aside her plans of meeting pretty ladies and stay home obediently. However, she got bored after only a few days. Just as she was preparing to go out and have fun, she remembered Nan Xu’s promise to visit her. She picked up her phone from the coffee table and messaged, “I want to go out and play.”

Nan Xu replied instantly, “No.”

It was currently lunch break. Nan Xu frowned immediately upon receiving Yu Liuxue’s message. “It’s too dangerous outside. You are not allowed to go out.”

“But I’m all alone at home, it’s so boring-ing, so lonely-ly.”

Nan Xu: “…”

Resigning herself to her fate, she closed her office door, grabbed her phone and car keys, and stood up. “I’m coming over right now.”

“Then I want to eat spicy potato rings, spicy beef jerky, pickled pepper chicken feet, spicy gluten strips, spicy tonkotsu ramen…”

“Shut up,” Nan Xu said, reaching her limit. “You’re not allowed to eat any of that.”

Yu Liuxue’s lip curled. “The baby’s mother is going to get depressed.”

Nan Xu: “…”

After running to several stores to finally buy everything Yu Liuxue wanted to eat, Nan Xu finally reached her destination. Upon hearing the noise, Yu Liuxue immediately poked her head out of the window. Seeing the large bag of snacks in Nan Xu’s hand, she excitedly ran downstairs. “My moon, my star, my light, you’re the best!”

Nan Xu handed the snacks over expressionlessly. If it weren’t for the fact that the woman was carrying her child, and if she weren’t afraid that Tang Shiyu would push her away if she found out, she would never indulge Jian Yin like this.

Yu Liuxue picked up a pack of tonkotsu ramen and turned to look at Nan Xu with a pitiful expression. Nan Xu: “…”

She stood up, resigning herself to the task, and couldn’t help but wonder if she and Jian Yin were simply cosmically incompatible.

Once the ramen was ready, Yu Liuxue happily picked up her chopsticks, twirled some noodles, and offered them to Nan Xu. “Want a bite?”

Nan Xu turned her head away, frowning. “No.”

“Just one bite, just one…” One insisted on feeding while the other stubbornly refused. They went back and forth with this offense and defense for half a minute until the sound of the door opening suddenly rang out.

In her wildest dreams, Tang Shiyu never expected that Nan Xu, who should have been taking a lunch break at the company, would appear in her home, acting all lovey-dovey while eating ramen with her fiancée. The two of them were holding hands, their fingers tightly intertwined. What a picture of deep, devoted affection!

Tang Shiyu stood at the door, gritting her teeth as she looked at the two people who had frozen simultaneously. “What are you doing?!”

Nan Xu panicked immediately. “CEO Tang, it’s not like that. Nothing happened between us, I just…”

“A friend’s wife is fair game. I just couldn’t resist a little indulgence.”

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Translator’s Notes

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1. checking her pulse: This refers to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practice of pulse diagnosis, or bà mài (把脉). Practitioners believe that different health conditions, including pregnancy, produce distinct pulse patterns. In Chinese fiction, a “slippery pulse” (huá mài) is the classic indicator used by doctors to diagnose pregnancy instantly. While modern medicine is available in this setting, the use of pulse-taking remains a common cultural trope in literature to signify a doctor’s expertise or to provide a quick dramatic reveal. ↩
2. glowing green hat: In Chinese culture, “wearing a green hat” (绿帽子 – lü mào zi) is a pervasive idiom meaning that a person’s partner is unfaithful. The term originated from various folk legends and became a standard metaphor for cuckoldry. The addition of “glowing” (often “green so bright it glows”) is modern internet slang used to exaggerate the severity or obviousness of the infidelity. In the context of web novels, it is frequently used for comedic effect or to highlight the audacity of a character’s betrayal. ↩