Chapter 137: Player 9

Tang Shiyu didn’t understand what she meant, nor did she particularly want to. She was certain that whatever Yu Liuxue was implying, it couldn’t be anything good. Setting down the book in her hand, her expression turned cold. “If you have something you absolutely must say, then wait until I’ve regained my memory.”

The first person she saw after waking up with amnesia was Nan Xu. The worry and anxiety on Nan Xu’s face at the time hadn’t seemed fake, and in the days since, she had taken meticulous care of her—both in daily life and at work. Tang Shiyu had already come to regard her as the most trustworthy friend she had.

Of course, she could tell that Nan Xu had feelings for her. Nan Xu was delicate and beautiful, exceptionally capable in her work, and gentle and considerate. She was exactly the kind of virtuous wife and loving mother Tang Shiyu had always dreamed of. If Lu Ling hadn’t told her that Jian Yin was already engaged to her—and even carrying her child—she would most likely have chosen Nan Xu.

But…

Tang Shiyu turned to look at the stunning Yu Liuxue. That flash of snow-white skin revealed on her thigh was especially eye-catching. Even though she tried hard not to look at those legs, that hint of springtime allure still forced its way into her gaze, shattering her defenses completely.

Taking a deep breath, Tang Shiyu said, “There’s no way I could’ve liked you before I lost my memory.”

Yu Liuxue immediately lowered her lashes in disappointment, her voice full of sorrow. “Yes, you really didn’t like me. Your heart was always with Nan Xu. It was only because I clung to you so desperately that you didn’t throw me away on the spot.” As she finished speaking, her lashes trembled slightly. When she looked up again, her eyes were red like a rabbit’s, on the verge of tears.

“You were completely disgusted with me. You said that if it weren’t for the fact that I gave you my first time, you would’ve kicked me away without hesitation. You said I came from a humble background and wasn’t worthy of someone as high and mighty as you. You even said your monthly allowance was more than my entire family’s income…”

Yu Liuxue sobbed softly twice, then wiped away her tears in anguish. “So you didn’t care that I was pregnant. You didn’t care that I was just a delicate, beautiful eighteen-year-old girl. You left me alone on the roadside in the middle of the night and drove off to go on a date with Nan Xu.”

The System couldn’t help but chime in: “???” Is the Host starting to perform again? Making things up out of thin air?

Yu Liuxue stared into her eyes, utterly disheartened, the light in her gaze gradually dimming. “Even though I keep telling myself to let you go, to forget you, to draw a clear line and never worry about you or miss you again… I just can’t do it. I really can’t.”

“Tang Shiyu, do you know? I love you so much. I even got pregnant with your child first—then came Nan Xu, my sister-in-law, and Sister Mi…”

Tang Shiyu: “…”

For a moment, she could almost hear the stitches on the wound on her head popping open from sheer rage.

She had nearly pulled Yu Liuxue into her arms out of guilt and pity to comfort her properly. Who could’ve guessed that Jian Yin would drop such a bombshell at the end? Tang Shiyu gritted her teeth with a forced smile. “Well then, I really must thank you for your deep affection.”

Yu Liuxue bashfully lowered her head and smiled sweetly. “You’re welcome. It’s the least I can do.”

“Even if there’s never a place for me in your heart, my heart, my body, and my child will always be open to you.” Yu Liuxue shyly looked up, the red at the corners of her eyes incredibly seductive. Tang Shiyu suddenly felt her throat go dry.

She instinctively raised her slender hand to tug at her collar. Just then, Nan Xu and Mi Rou returned from their meal. The moment Nan Xu saw Tang Shiyu adjusting her collar, she panicked and hurried over. “CEO Tang, are you feeling unwell or—”

“Stop!” Before Nan Xu could finish, Mi Rou’s expression changed and she immediately strode over to Yu Liuxue. She anxiously grabbed Yu Liuxue’s wrist and checked her pulse for two full minutes before turning to scold Tang Shiyu in a stern voice. “Don’t you know that pregnant women shouldn’t have sex in the first trimester?!”

“Do you have any idea how dangerous the first three months are?”

Mi Rou had clearly misunderstood Tang Shiyu’s actions. Tang Shiyu was at a total loss for words. Before she could even explain, Mi Rou noticed the tear stains on Yu Liuxue’s face. Her expression grew even more serious. “A pregnant woman needs to maintain a good mood. It’s bad enough you upset her, but you even made her cry.”

Tang Shiyu took a deep breath, about to defend herself, but then she noticed that Yu Liuxue’s shoulder strap had somehow slipped down and her hair was a mess. She looked exactly like someone who had just been unwillingly taken advantage of.

Tang Shiyu was speechless. I swear I’m innocent!

It was clearly Jian Yin who pissed me off so badly my stitches almost burst!

Seeing how Mi Rou was standing up for her, Yu Liuxue immediately threw herself into Mi Rou’s arms, clinging to her like a frightened bird and sobbing as if her world had ended. “Sister Mi, my stomach suddenly hurts so much. Is it the baby? Is something wrong with the baby?”

She clutched her stomach in pain, slowly sinking to her knees. Mi Rou was startled and quickly turned to Nan Xu. “Go get a doctor, now!”

Nan Xu was stunned for a moment, then instinctively bolted. “Doctor! There’s a pregnant woman in pain over here!”

Yu Liuxue was quickly wheeled into another examination room. As her personal NPC¹, Mi Rou naturally followed her closely. Nan Xu hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and followed as well. When she first found out that Jian Yin was carrying her child, she had panicked and been at a loss for what to do. She didn’t know how to face Jian Yin or the baby inside her. But in the end, it was still a life—a life that carried half of her own blood.

Thinking of the pained expression Yu Liuxue had just worn, Nan Xu unconsciously clenched her clothes tightly. Nothing must happen to Jian Yin or the baby.

In less than thirty seconds, the room that had just been bustling was now so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Tang Shiyu sat on the hospital bed, completely baffled. Aside from the dull ache in her head wound, everything that had just happened felt like a dream—so surreal she still couldn’t believe it.

She stared blankly at the book in front of her, full of doubt. Could she really have been as awful as Jian Yin claimed before losing her memory?

That couldn’t be right.

Yu Liuxue’s stomach began to ache terribly. Her face turned pale, and beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down her forehead. Mi Rou and Nan Xu were both so nervous their palms were sweating too. The doctors scrambled around in chaos, running a flurry of tests on Yu Liuxue. Finally, the most senior doctor adjusted his glasses, let out a long sigh of relief, and turned to Mi Rou with a relaxed expression. “The mother and baby are both fine.”

Mi Rou didn’t dare let her guard down. She pressed further. “Then what was causing the stomach pain?”

“Constipation,” the senior doctor replied flatly.

Yu Liuxue immediately sprang up from the bed, eyes wide with disbelief. “What?!”

She, the future master of an advanced AI system, the sister-in-law and mother-figure of the male and female leads, the fearless warrior of a transmigrated novel world, the darling of all the older sisters and aunties, the free spirit galloping across vast grasslands, the survivor of countless love triangles and emotional wreckage, the liberator of tragic supporting characters, the max-level nonsense-spewing player, the melodrama-born Niohulu Liuxue²… was constipated?!

Yu Liuxue staggered, her legs going weak as she nearly collapsed to the ground.

Mi Rou clearly hadn’t expected the final diagnosis to be this, and her expression shifted rapidly before settling into a chilling sneer. “Starting today, you’re not allowed to snack on anything at will. Every single thing you eat must follow the meal plan I give you.”

Yu Liuxue stared blankly as she looked up. Her vision went black, and for a moment, it felt like the sky had fallen.

Constipation was one thing, but to think such an embarrassing reason had caused chaos throughout the entire hospital—this was just great. Now the whole world was going to know that her… wasn’t working.

Nan Xu had initially breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the doctor’s words, but once she came back to her senses, something didn’t sit right. “?”

Yu Liuxue had finally mustered up the courage to pull herself together, only to be met with Nan Xu’s suspicious gaze. Her mental defenses crumbled instantly. She collapsed back onto the bed, about to shout dramatically, “I don’t want to live anymore!” when Mi Rou, having exchanged a nod with the elderly doctor, walked over and helped her sit up. “What do you want to eat tonight?”

Yu Liuxue’s eyes lit up, and she perked up immediately. “Spicy sticks!”

Mi Rou nodded. “Alright. I’ll have Lu Ling send over more fruit.”

Yu Liuxue: “…” If there’s fruit, why bother with sticks?

After seeing Mi Rou and Yu Liuxue off, Nan Xu stood in place for quite a while before finally snapping out of it. Her emotions were a tangled mess.

By the time she returned, Tang Shiyu had already put down her book. Looking at the dream woman now within reach, Nan Xu couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction. “CEO Tang, does the wound on your head still hurt? Let me take a look…”

Tang Shiyu raised a hand to stop her, her expression unusually serious. Nan Xu’s heart skipped a beat, a sense of unease rising within her.

“You’ve been by my side for quite some time now. What kind of woman do you think Jian Yin is?” Tang Shiyu asked.

Nan Xu instinctively clenched her fingers. Why was Tang Shiyu suddenly bringing up Jian Yin? Had she taken an interest in her? That can’t happen! Nan Xu unconsciously tightened her fists, smiled slightly, and instead of answering, asked, “What kind of person do you think she is?”

Tang Shiyu frowned. Her impression of Jian Yin was terrible—she was always talking nonsense, twisting facts just to provoke others. If it weren’t for the fact that she was pregnant…

Suddenly, she turned to look at Nan Xu. “Then do you know who the father of her child is?”

Jian Yin had claimed at one point that the mother was Nan Xu, then said it was her own sister-in-law, and later claimed it was that female doctor. Lies mixed with half-truths—Tang Shiyu was completely confused. Even though Lu Ling had assured her of the child’s paternity, after spending more time with Yu Liuxue, she was increasingly convinced that this woman was exactly the type to knit her wife a green hat the moment winter arrived.

Nan Xu’s breath caught in her throat. Her mind went completely blank.

Could it be that Tang Shiyu had figured something out? Did she deduce it herself, or had Jian Yin spilled the truth while Nan Xu had stepped out to eat?

Nan Xu was filled with regret. She never should’ve trusted that liar Jian Yin!

Nan Xu didn’t answer, and Tang Shiyu didn’t notice anything unusual. With a helpless shake of her head, she said, “You can go now. I want to be alone for a while.”

Every time Jian Yin showed up, it was chaos. Tang Shiyu felt utterly exhausted. After lying down, she couldn’t understand how she had tolerated Jian Yin for so long—neither breaking up nor canceling the engagement. Could it be that before losing her memory, she had only pretended to hate Jian Yin, while secretly being hopelessly infatuated?

Was it because of Jian Yin’s promiscuity and constant cheating that she had become so disillusioned, and decided to be with Nan Xu purely out of revenge?

Tang Shiyu was stunned. What kind of scumbag had she been before losing her memory?

Now that Tang Shiyu was asleep, Nan Xu, despite her countless questions, dared not speak. If she misstepped, she might accidentally expose her connection to Jian Yin. Tang Shiyu had finally lost her memory, and Nan Xu had finally gotten this chance. She had to tread carefully, keep her composure, and bury this secret deep in her heart.

Having sorted out her thoughts, Nan Xu softly said, “Then please rest well, CEO Tang. Let me know if you need anything.”

Yu Liuxue had been confined at home by Mi Rou, who wouldn’t let her go anywhere except for necessary outings to get some air. Though she had a beauty by her side every day and her favorite kind of restricted py sessions, this was nothing like the script she had imagined! Not only was Mi Rou completely impervious to her charms, she also forced her to eat and drink all kinds of things every day, claiming they were good for her health. After a few days, sure, that part of her was working again—but she was on the verge of losing her mind.

Lying pitifully on the sofa, she whimpered, “Sister Mi, can we not do that today~?”

Mi Rou looked at her coldly, utterly unmoved. “No.”

“But… I really don’t want to do that anymore. I can’t take it.” Yu Liuxue pouted tearfully. “Sister Mi, that place is all swollen now…”

Even though Mi Rou had mentally prepared herself after Lu Ling’s repeated warnings, at this moment she still couldn’t hold back. She knelt on Yu Liuxue’s back and gave her neck and shoulders a fierce massage. Yu Liuxue immediately let out a scream. “Sister Mi, stop! I really can’t take it anymore! Please have mercy! It hurts so much…”

Mi Rou: “…” This is enough to make a medical professional cry.

After calming herself down, Mi Rou finally couldn’t help but snap, “If you make another sound, I’m not massaging you anymore! If you’re in pain, don’t call for me!”

Yu Liuxue turned her head with a pitiful look, blinking innocently. “Then Sister Mi, you have to go faster and deeper.”

“I meant you should massage my scalp too.”

Mi Rou was speechless.

Just when one woman was about to go insane from being pent up, and the other was about to go insane from dealing with the first, Tang Shiyu was finally discharged from the hospital.

Yu Liuxue was so happy she jumped up on the spot. “The baby’s third mom is finally coming home!”

Mi Rou silently packed up her things. Now that Tang Shiyu was back, she could finally breathe a little easier.

Yu Liuxue had been counting the days, and at last, Tang Shiyu returned home. Nan Xu, acting as both assistant and driver, walked in with her. Yu Liuxue sat on the sofa with her chin propped in her hands, looking sweet and demure. She batted her lashes flirtatiously at Nan Xu, who nearly had a heart attack on the spot.

“Second Mom and Third Mom of the baby, you’re finally back.”

Tang Shiyu: “…”

Nan Xu: “…”

Mi Rou poured Nan Xu a cup of tea. Tang Shiyu glanced at her, then at Yu Liuxue, and suddenly noticed something odd—could it be that during her hospital stay, Jian Yin had been living in her house with this completely unfamiliar female doctor?

Thinking of Yu Liuxue’s flirtatious and unrestrained personality, Tang Shiyu felt like she couldn’t breathe.

Her hand trembled involuntarily as she pointed at Yu Liuxue and asked Mi Rou, “You and her?”

Before Mi Rou could respond, Yu Liuxue jumped in, “In those lonely days, if it weren’t for Sister Mi, I wouldn’t have known what to do. Thanks to her gentle patience and amazing skills, we went at it on the sofa so many times and still didn’t have any problems with the baby.”

Nan Xu also felt like she couldn’t breathe, and slowly typed out a row of question marks: “???”

Mi Rou shot her a glare. “Massage.”

“I’m Mi Rou, the 24-hour live-in doctor introduced by Lu Ling. Pleased to meet you.”

Even though Yu Liuxue had been exposed by Mi Rou, she wasn’t the least bit disappointed. She smiled sweetly at Nan Xu, who felt a chill run down her spine under that gaze. Instinctively, she leaned toward Tang Shiyu, and just as she was about to touch Tang Shiyu’s shoulder, Tang Shiyu spoke up in displeasure.

“Jian Yin, why are you staring at her like that?”

Yu Liuxue lifted her eyelids lazily. “Can’t I take a look at the mother of my own child?”

Tang Shiyu couldn’t argue with her. Besides, Yu Liuxue’s wound hadn’t fully healed yet, and she didn’t want to risk it reopening from anger. So she stood up and gestured for Mi Rou to step aside for a private conversation. As soon as Mi Rou left, Nan Xu immediately grabbed Yu Liuxue’s hand.

“Yinyin, don’t worry. CEO Tang hasn’t discovered anything yet. You absolutely must not panic.”

That day, she had overheard a conversation between Lu Ling and Tang Shiyu by accident and found out that the two of them were about to get married. Yu Liuxue’s belly was growing larger by the day, and Tang Shiyu’s parents didn’t want to drag things out any longer. They decided to cancel the engagement ceremony altogether and have Yu Liuxue and Tang Shiyu register their marriage first. After the baby was born, they would hold a grand wedding celebration.

Nan Xu had panicked at the time. She had used Tang Shiyu’s hospitalization to her advantage and managed to win some of her affection. If she pushed just a little further, she could completely win Tang Shiyu’s heart.

But… Nan Xu stared at Yu Liuxue’s belly, which was even larger than that of a typical twin pregnancy at the same stage, and felt conflicted. If Jian Yin left Tang Shiyu, how would she raise a child on her own? In this dog-eat-dog world, there were far too many people who judged by appearances. Would Jian Yin and her child end up being bullied?

As the child’s mother, she couldn’t just stand by and let Jian Yin and the baby suffer.

Nan Xu began to waver. The more she thought about it, the more her head throbbed.

She bit her lip in silent regret. If only she hadn’t tried to act tough and gotten herself drunk that night, maybe she wouldn’t be stuck in this impossible situation now.

Yu Liuxue was completely unaware of Nan Xu’s inner turmoil. She was deeply moved and held Nan Xu’s hand tightly, her eyes instantly welling up with tears.

“Nan Xu, you’re so kind. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself or the baby.”

Hearing that only made Nan Xu feel even more guilty.

After Tang Shiyu finished talking with Mi Rou and came back, she still couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her gaze kept shifting between Yu Liuxue and Nan Xu. Nan Xu sat up straight, her posture stiffening more and more. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, Tang Shiyu would notice something, so she quickly grabbed her bag and rushed off, saying she had unfinished work at the office.

As soon as Nan Xu left, Mi Rou shrugged and left as well.

Tang Shiyu sat motionless on the sofa, staring at Yu Liuxue’s unusually large belly. It had only been about two months, yet her stomach was already bigger than that of most pregnant women. Tang Shiyu frowned, her mind going off in a strange direction. Could it be that Jian Yin was actually pregnant with multiple people’s children at the same time?

But the thought vanished as quickly as it came. What a ridiculous idea. No way.

Was she some kind of monster?

Under Tang Shiyu’s gaze, Yu Liuxue calmly lifted a corner of her skirt. With a sultry flick of her long hair, she spoke in a soft, teasing voice.

“Now that it’s just the two of us at home again…”

“Do you want to do it in the bedroom, or right here?”

Tang Shiyu snapped back to reality. “?”

She looked completely clueless. Yu Liuxue pouted in disappointment.

“Don’t tell me you lost your skills along with your memory?”

Tang Shiyu: “…” Mi Rou was right after all.

With a cold expression, she stood up and headed upstairs to take a shower. Yu Liuxue suddenly jumped up to block her path, startling Tang Shiyu so much she instinctively reached out to steady her by the waist.

“What are you doing, rushing at me like that?”

Yu Liuxue beamed as she looked down at Tang Shiyu’s hand and asked cheerfully, “Tang Shiyu, does my waist feel soft? Is it slender? Don’t you want to mold it into all kinds of shapes and then dominate it?”

Tang Shiyu replied with a blank face, “Strange. I thought animals weren’t allowed to become spirits after the founding of the nation³.”

Yu Liuxue: “?” Tonight you will be secretly sharked.jpg

Thus, a grudge was born between the two of them. Yu Liuxue ignored Tang Shiyu for several days straight, instead clinging to Mi Rou and Lu Ling, as well as Nan Xu, who had been happily planning a sweet, romantic rendezvous with Tang Shiyu in the study. Tang Shiyu sat off to the side, watching helplessly as her so-called fiancée cozied up to everyone else. That radiant smile on Yu Liuxue’s face made her blood boil and rush straight to the top of her head.

She grew more and more confused. How had her pre-amnesia self ever tolerated such a shameless fiancée?

Had she never once considered breaking up?

And that wasn’t even the worst of it. Jian Yin had actually managed to get pregnant. Had she really fallen for such a basic seduction tactic?

Tang Shiyu’s gaze was so intense that Yu Liuxue couldn’t even enjoy her sweet little four-person world with Mi Rou, Lu Ling, and Nan Xu. The moment she saw Tang Shiyu walking toward Nan Xu, she rushed over and blocked the way between them. With one eyebrow raised, she declared arrogantly:

“Tang Shiyu, step away from my child’s second mother. If you agree, I’ll immediately transfer one million to your bank account!”

Before Tang Shiyu could respond, Yu Liuxue added, “In Iranian rials⁴.”

Which is roughly 170 yuan.

Translator’s Notes

• *Tonight you will be secretly sharked.jpg*: A reference to a popular Chinese internet meme image (often featuring a shark) used to express a threat of silent, aggressive revenge or retaliation, usually in a humorous context.