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    Chapter 54: How a Heartbreaker Manages Her Suitors (Part 11)

    As expected, the expression on Jiang Zhixi’s face softened, and her parents nodded in satisfaction. “Good girl,” her mother said. “Auntie keeps her word. We won’t treat you unfairly.”

    Seeing that their daughter had practically gotten herself married off in the span of a few minutes, Yu Liuxue’s parents finally caught on. So the reason their daughter had been so against going on blind dates was because she already had someone she liked. For some, this revelation brought joy; for others, frustration. The parents of Li Zhen and the other suitors immediately looked sour. Just as they were about to express dissatisfaction with Jiang Zhixi’s sudden intrusion, her mother began calmly explaining their family background. Everyone instantly fell silent—this was the real deal. Too powerful to mess with.

    But if we can’t afford to offend them, we can still get out of the way, right? One after another, they made up excuses about work or family and politely excused themselves.

    Mu Lixin and Liang Chen didn’t feel too strongly about it. Back then, they had liked Zhao Keying, but only mildly. Once Li Zhen had successfully pursued her, they accepted it with a bit of regret but no deeper emotion. Yet today, for some reason, a faint and inexplicable feeling of regret welled up inside them.

    It wasn’t about Zhao Keying—it was the feelings stirred up when they looked at Jiang Zhixi.

    They had grown up with Jiang Zhixi. They knew her personality like the back of their hand—how pure, how sweet she was. Among their childhood group of close friends, Jiang Zhixi had always been the little princess, the younger sister figure they all protected.

    Now, that little princess they’d always doted on had been taken by Zhao Keying, someone they had once liked. And this wasn’t just dating—it had progressed to meeting the parents and discussing marriage. Perhaps in this moment, there was the tiniest sliver of regret—so faint they themselves hadn’t noticed it.

    But Li Zhen was a different story entirely.

    Ever since Yu Liuxue’s response, Li Zhen’s face had darkened. He stared at her in disbelief, as if trying to bore holes into her. He had just started entertaining the idea of getting back together, and now his ex was suddenly in a relationship with the very woman he’d once shared some ambiguous feelings with? Did she do this out of spite, because he’d rejected her? Had she taken the one woman he might have chosen, just to get back at him and force him to lower his pride and beg for her return?

    He snorted in frustration. She was too used to getting her way. If he gave in even once, she’d probably act out even more in the future. If he had to coax her every time, where would his dignity go? Everyone would just see him as a joke.

    Before leaving, Li Zhen gave Yu Liuxue a long, piercing look, then slammed the door behind him with a face that said, “I see right through you. Don’t even think about it.”

    Yu Liuxue stared, baffled, at the door. “System,” she asked, “does Li Zhen have a screw loose or something? Can’t flatter him, can’t ignore him. Why are guys in melodramas always so hard to deal with?”

    Naturally, the system didn’t dare reveal Li Zhen’s real thoughts. If it did, Yu Liuxue might chase him down with a kitchen knife and end him on the spot.

    Once all the unrelated parties had left, only the four parents remained in the room, seated face-to-face and chatting pleasantly. Meanwhile, Yu Liuxue sat stiffly beside Jiang Zhixi like a well-behaved child, her whole body tense.

    She was in utter despair. So Jiang Zhixi had been planning this big move all along? Meeting the parents directly?

    Incredible. They skipped the entire dating stage and went straight to marriage registration.

    As her thoughts spiraled out of control, Jiang Zhixi sat silently watching her. She smelled really good—soft, clean, comforting. In a flash, Yu Liuxue remembered the feel of Jiang Zhixi’s soft, white skin that night. Heat rushed to her cheeks. Only then did she realize Jiang Zhixi’s gaze had shifted—something about it had changed. Just as she was about to say something, her mom suddenly waved her off. “Keying, take Zhixi out for a walk. We need to talk with your aunt and uncle about something.”

    Yu Liuxue: There’s no way that’s going to be anything good.

    Reluctantly, she got up and took Jiang Zhixi outside. As soon as the door closed, she was pinned into an alcove in the corridor. There were no cameras here, the lighting was dim, and the air was thick with the scent of Jiang Zhixi’s perfume. Warm lips found hers a moment later.

    Yu Liuxue’s eyes flew open. “System,” she frantically ranted, “I almost got fooled by that quiet, graceful act of hers!”

    While she was distracted, Jiang Zhixi bit her lightly, snapping her back to the moment. Flustered but excited, Yu Liuxue gave in to the heat of Jiang Zhixi’s domineering kiss. It had been a while since they’d last done anything like this, and the moment their lips touched, their breaths became heavy, bodies reacting instantly.

    In the shadows, Jiang Zhixi’s eyes gleamed with a dangerous glint after tasting her again.

    She licked her lips and said hoarsely, “Shall we go?”

    Yu Liuxue hesitated. When Jiang Zhixi grew impatient, she grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her into the car, speeding toward the nearest hotel. Once they had quickly booked a room, Jiang Zhixi leaned over and pressed Yu Liuxue onto the bed, whispering, “Keying, if you don’t want to… I won’t force you.”

    Yu Liuxue: “…?” I’m already halfway undressed and now you say that?

    “Zhixi…” Yu Liuxue blinked, brows furrowed. Uneasy, she asked, “Are we… are we doing something wrong?”

    Jiang Zhixi pressed her lips into a thin line, silent. Then she heard Yu Liuxue continue, “If Li Zhen finds out, he—”

    She hadn’t even finished the word “he” before Jiang Zhixi kissed her again—this time with unmistakable punishment. Soft, breathy sounds soon spilled from Yu Liuxue’s lips as the room heated up, misty and charged with desire. After being thoroughly ravished by Jiang Zhixi, Yu Liuxue lay on the bed, holding her sore waist with a satisfied expression. “Haven’t seen each other for a while and the heroine’s gotten a lot better at this, huh.”

    The system rolled its eyes in exasperation. By now, it had finally figured it out.

    Complete Mission ×
    Wants to get laid: √

    All this time, Jiang Zhixi had been suppressing her desires. But ever since she got a taste of sweetness yesterday, she’d been relentlessly tormenting Yu Liuxue with tireless enthusiasm. Her room was frequently filled with the soft sobs and pleas for mercy from a woman, though eventually, those sounds were no longer confined to just the bedroom.

    The living room, balcony, kitchen, and bathroom—everywhere bore the mark of Yu Liuxue’s joyful tears.

    Yu Liuxue was reaching her limit. These days, just the sight of Jiang Zhixi made her legs go weak. So, after half a month of shameless, day-and-night madness, on a sunny morning, Yu Liuxue finally made up her mind to escape from Jiang Zhixi—the domineering CEO who imprisoned her for love. She even swiped one of Jiang Zhixi’s cars on her way out, leaving her without a ride.

    But her joy lasted less than half a day before Jiang Zhixi showed up in a starlight-colored Rolls-Royce and dragged her back.

    Yu Liuxue clung to the system’s leg, bawling, “Daddy! I want time to stop! I request a temporary suspension of the mission!”

    The system mercilessly refused.

    With some reluctance, it consoled her, “Host, the romantic debts you created—you’ll have to pay them off, even if you’re crying.”

    With no help from the system, Yu Liuxue could only beg Jiang Zhixi for mercy. But when Jiang Zhixi saw her pitiful expression, it only made her even more excited. The system nearly burst out laughing when it saw Yu Liuxue get wrecked—it was finally payback for all those days when it had been clueless and kept getting beaten down by Yu Liuxue’s antics.

    Since that didn’t work, Yu Liuxue tried a new strategy—

    She became a woman even more domineering than Jiang Zhixi.

    That night, Jiang Zhixi quietly watched her for a while, then curled her lips into a faint, unreadable smile. Her voice, always pleasant to the ears, sounded beside Yu Liuxue, but to her, it felt like the devil was whispering.

    “How did you know I like it that way?”

    Yu Liuxue: “……?!”

    She gritted her teeth and stubbornly resisted for a bit—but in less than thirty seconds, Jiang Zhixi had her pinned down and was launching a fresh round of ravaging. Yu Liuxue clutched the bedsheets with deep regret and couldn’t help but turn her head to remind her, “Zhixi… you didn’t use to be like this…”

    Seeing the flush in her eyes and the faint trace at the corners, Jiang Zhixi felt an itch in her heart—and doubled down.

    Some time later, Jiang Zhixi casually asked, “Still thinking about Li Zhen?”

    “No. Not at all.” She wouldn’t dare mention him again even if she were dead.

    Only then did Jiang Zhixi let her go.

    Yu Liuxue dragged her exhausted body to the studio. Zuo Yun immediately came over and said, “Kě Yīng, why do you look so… happy?”

    Yu Liuxue pulled out a compact mirror and checked her face. “……?”

    She didn’t want to recall those days when she was locked up by the female lead for love, so she quickly changed the subject. “How’s the video editing going? Are they all posted?”

    Zuo Yun reported, “All done. The response has been amazing! Kě Yīng, your rebranding worked. Recently, a TV station even sent over an invitation—they want you to film a documentary. They promised to give you the best production team, and the whole team will listen to you. You say ‘one,’ and they wouldn’t dare say ‘two.’”

    That was interesting. Yu Liuxue asked with curiosity, “Which TV station?”

    Zuo Yun gave her a name. Yu Liuxue muttered to herself, “Why does that sound so familiar…”

    Zuo Yun quickly explained, and the more Yu Liuxue listened, the more she felt something was off. Wait a minute—that’s not the station owned by Jiang Zhixi’s parents, her future in-laws, is it? She wanted to reject the offer right then and there, but the system immediately reminded her, “Host, don’t forget your mission.”

    Yu Liuxue: “……”

    Fine, I’ll do it. I refuse to believe Jiang Zhixi has nothing better to do than come mess with me every day.

    Zuo Yun quickly finalized the collaboration with the station’s manager, and Yu Liuxue signed the contract. On the very first day of filming—just after the shooting theme got approved—Jiang Zhixi showed up, fashionably late.

    The system gloated, “Host, looks like the female lead really does have nothing better to do than show up just to mess with you.”

    Yu Liuxue: “……” I let my guard down.

    Originally, she wanted to film a food documentary. But since there was already an untouchable classic in that genre, she settled for filming beauties instead.

    Clearly, Jiang Zhixi came for this reason.

    As the most successful beauty influencer in the country, Jiang Zhixi was constantly invited to major fashion events and shows. Though she originally studied animation, all her talent points had gone into makeup. She combined basic art theory with cosmetics, and everyone she worked on turned out stunning in their own unique way—beauty that couldn’t be replicated.

    That’s why her fame exploded in such a short time once she started taking it seriously.

    When it came to beauties, Jiang Zhixi was the undisputed queen.

    Yu Liuxue watched her walk over with despair, forcing a smile uglier than tears. “Zhixi… why are you here?”

    Jiang Zhixi stopped in front of her, looking down with mild surprise. She countered, “Why do you think?”

    Yu Liuxue: “……” I’d really rather not think.

    Working with Jiang Zhixi would have been a dream—if she didn’t bully Yu Liuxue day and night. When the first phase of filming ended and Jiang Zhixi was about to leave, Yu Liuxue was so overjoyed she almost burst into song.

    Watching her with that look of “please just go,” Jiang Zhixi smiled softly and teased, “Suddenly, I feel like one of the scenes wasn’t quite perfect…”

    Yu Liuxue’s face dropped. She rushed to say, “No, no, it was perfect—really, I swear! Cross my heart!”

    At the same time, she frantically threw Zuo Yun a pleading look, trying to get her to back her up. Zuo Yun looked at her, then at Jiang Zhixi, and said, “I also think that earlier shot wasn’t quite good enough.”

    Yu Liuxue: “?” Your bonus is gone!

    And so, Jiang Zhixi stayed another three days. That very day, Zuo Yun received a red envelope from her. After pocketing it, Zuo Yun smiled and said, “Zhixi, there’s no need to be so polite in the future.”

    Jiang Zhixi asked, “How’s Zuo Xia’s leg recovering?”

    Zuo Yun smiled and replied, “He’s recovering quite well. He keeps going on about wanting to go out and see you every day.”

    Jiang Zhixi’s expression didn’t change. “You should get some rest. I’ll go visit him when I have time.”

    After enduring another three days of hell, Yu Liuxue was finally free. This time, Jiang Zhixi had truly left. Even after many days, Yu Liuxue still found it all very unreal and couldn’t stop worrying that she might suddenly double back. But she soon didn’t have the energy to worry about that anymore. The documentary The Beauty’s Integrity quickly got on track, and Yu Liuxue was constantly on the move with the team, traveling in all directions. The women featured in their footage were varied—classic film characters, ordinary everyday women, bold and fiery types, cool and reserved ones, gentle and tender ones—but all of them, without exception, were beautiful beyond words.

    While Yu Liuxue was busy, Li Zhen kept wondering how long she could keep up the act. He was waiting for her to go back to her old ways, pestering him relentlessly. Though he found her clinginess annoying, he couldn’t deny that it made him feel good.

    Li Zhen thought, As long as she lowers her head just one more time, I’ll reluctantly agree to get back together with her.

    Recently, more and more of his coworkers had gotten into relationships, each girlfriend prettier than the last. It was a huge boost to a guy’s image when they brought their girlfriends along to group dinners. Everyone knew Li Zhen was Zhao Keying’s ex. Under the teasing and insinuations of his colleagues and friends, the idea of reconciling grew stronger and stronger in his heart.

    He had even planned it out: once Yu Liuxue came back to him, he’d grudgingly agree, and then teach her how to behave. Outside, she must make him look good, always be gentle, attentive in front of others—treat him like heaven and earth. From now on, her life would revolve around him. He would come first in all things. He would be her center.

    It was a great plan, except Yu Liuxue never came crawling back.

    Worse still, he heard at a party that Yu Liuxue had now been promoted to documentary director and was leading a team filming a world-famous retired actress. Everyone around him was exclaiming, “Zhao Keying is seriously killing it these days.”

    Li Zhen didn’t take it well. Didn’t she like me? Wasn’t she obsessed with me? Then why hasn’t she come back? If she would just show a hint of weakness again, he’d agree to take her back.

    So he waited for several more months. When he heard that Yu Liuxue’s filming was about to wrap up, he finally couldn’t sit still anymore. After finding out her address, he drove straight over and waited downstairs.

    About half an hour later, Yu Liuxue came out chatting and laughing with Zuo Yun, one following the other.

    Li Zhen immediately opened his car door and got out, face dark, walking over to Yu Liuxue.

    Zuo Yun glanced at Yu Liuxue, hesitating. “Keying, I’ll head off first.”

    Yu Liuxue gave a small nod. After watching Zuo Yun leave, she lifted her chin and said coolly, “Why are you here?”

    Seeing her trying so hard to act calm, Li Zhen sneered. “Zhao Keying, drop the act.”

    Yu Liuxue: “……” What the hell are you talking about.

    Li Zhen continued, “I know you think about me so much you can’t sleep at night. I know you still have me in your heart. You only started dating Zhixi to get back at me. Well done—you’ve succeeded. You’ve held out this long without contacting me. Now I’m here, reaching out first. You win.”

    Yu Liuxue looked completely baffled as she spoke to the system, “He’s speaking Chinese, but why don’t I understand a single word?”

    Li Zhen grabbed her hand. “Zhao Keying, isn’t this what you wanted? Us getting back together? I agree.”

    Is his ego really this inflated?

    Yu Liuxue flung off his hand and replied with biting sarcasm, “Li Zhen, are you regretting things now? You heard I’ve gotten famous, earning good money, and it’d boost your image to be with me—so now you’re pretending to care and want to get back together?”

    “Sorry, but I’ve never liked you. Not once.”

    Yu Liuxue twisted the knife a little deeper. “The only one I’ve ever had feelings for is Zhixi. It’s always been Zhixi. I only dated you to provoke her, to make her see how I felt. Even after our breakup, when I kept pestering you, it was all just to make her jealous.”

    Looking him dead in the eye, she said slowly, “Li Zhen, I’ve never liked you. Don’t flatter yourself.”

    Jiang Zhixi, who had just arrived at Zuo Yun’s call, stopped dead in her tracks. She stood frozen, as if fireworks were going off in her heart.

    So the one Keying had always liked… was me?

    She said she never liked Li Zhen. She only ever liked me? Since way, way back?

    Jiang Zhixi’s eyes curved into happy crescents as she broke into a smile. She strode over, placed herself protectively at Yu Liuxue’s side, and barely suppressed her joy as she said in a mild tone, “Li Zhen, we’ve known each other for years. I don’t want things between us to get ugly.”

    “I warned you before—keep your distance from Keying.”

    Seeing Jiang Zhixi appear, Li Zhen panicked. “Zhixi…”

    Either one of these two women would be a huge boost to his image. He had to snag at least one. He hurried to explain, “Zhixi, don’t be fooled by her. She clearly used to like me…”

    “No,” Jiang Zhixi interrupted coldly. “She likes me.”

    Li Zhen frowned. “That’s impossible. She likes me.”

    “Didn’t you hear what she just said? She only got with you to make me jealous. To get a rise out of me.”

    Jiang Zhixi held Yu Liuxue’s hand tightly. “Li Zhen, you were the one who pursued Keying. And you were also the one who dumped her the moment you saw her being set up by those around her. Now you dare to come here and talk about getting back together? Don’t you feel even a little ashamed?”

    Yu Liuxue watched the scene unfold with great interest. While munching on sunflower seeds, she exclaimed excitedly, “Oh my God! I’m just too charming. Aren’t they adorable, the way they’re fighting over me?”

    The system, expressionless: “Yeah. Freaking adorable.”

    Just keep laughing for now. You’ll be the one crying later. The Host didn’t even run when she saw Jiang Zhixi appear—forget that, she even just stood there watching the show. Planning to stay in bed all day tomorrow?

    Li Zhen was suddenly at a loss for words. He looked at the two women with unfamiliar expressions and a deep sense of defeat welled up in his heart. He felt like his dignity as a man had been severely wounded. After Jiang Zhixi pulled Yu Liuxue away, she kissed her passionately in a quiet corner.

    Jiang Zhixi’s eyes sparkled like countless stars. “Ke Ying, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I was too dense, too dull. I didn’t realize you liked me.”

    Yu Liuxue lowered her eyes in embarrassment, then looked up with a sweet smile. “Zhixi, it’s okay.”

    Jiang Zhixi kissed her again, then joyfully pulled her upstairs. Yu Liuxue only realized something was wrong when she saw Jiang Zhixi heading into her room. Wait a minute… In broad daylight, why are we going back to the room again?!

    She quickly learned the reason. Immediately, she regretted everything. Even though she had gotten rid of Li Zhen’s clinginess, she’d now provoked Jiang Zhixi, who was ten thousand times more dangerous than Li Zhen.

    Li Zhen stood there like a fool, unable to accept reality for a long time.

    Zhao Keying didn’t like him? She agreed to date him just to provoke Zhixi? The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, the more he regretted it. If that was the case, he never should’ve let Zhao Keying go so easily in the first place. Yet he would never know that the real Zhao Keying had genuinely liked him.

    Jiang Zhixi kissed Yu Liuxue’s cheeks, chin, collarbone, and every inch of her body. Both of them were covered in a sheen of sweat, radiating heat. Jiang Zhixi whispered, “Ke Ying, I regret not realizing your feelings for me sooner.”

    “When you lashed out at me back then, I thought you hated me because of Li Zhen. I’m sorry,” she said.

    “I didn’t know you were mad because of my cluelessness.”

    Yu Liuxue didn’t have the strength to respond anymore. She could only let out vague noises as Jiang Zhixi pressed her against the table. Her slender fingers clutched the edge tightly. Suddenly, her head jerked back, and a hoarse sound came from deep in her throat.

    “Zhixi, enough… no more…”

    “Ke Ying, you liked me so much. I want to make it up to you more.”

    Yu Liuxue: “…” Not like this, though.

    laughing through tears.jpg

    Li Zhen was severely shaken after returning. His personality began to grow darker. When Zuo Xia heard about it, she regretted not taking the chance when Zhao Keying was at her most vulnerable—maybe then she wouldn’t have gone off to “ruin” Jiang Zhixi.

    After more than a year, filming for Yu Liuxue’s documentary finally wrapped. During post-production, it was confirmed that Cheng Yu had embezzled Zhao Keying’s assets. She had no money left to repay Yu Liuxue, and Yu Liuxue refused to accept any repayment. As a result, Cheng Yu’s résumé gained a fresh new line—three years in prison.

    Cheng Yu, once Zhao Keying’s assistant, had ridden on her popularity to become a beauty influencer with over a million followers. But in the end, her greed got the better of her, and she fell hard. The public could only sigh in regret.

    Meanwhile, Zhao Keying, once framed and disgraced by Cheng Yu, proved her worth and integrity with actions. Today, the documentary she directed, The Grace of a Beauty, would air on Jinjiang’s channel.

    With a slow pace, delicate and seductive visuals, and a soft, sultry voiceover, The Grace of a Beauty showcased perfection in every frame.

    “My god, Zhao Keying’s aesthetic is insane?! Damn! These ladies are so gorgeous I want to do things and I’m a girl myself!”

    “Chicken coop alert!”

    “In the next episode preview, Zhao Keying actually invited a world-class former actress who’s already retired? What even is her background?!”

    “My Ke Ying is a true heiress, a genuine white-rich-beauty. But she never relied on her family. Even when Cheng Yu falsely accused her, she used her own strength to prove herself. That’s exactly the kind of person we fans admire and will always support.”

    With the documentary a big success, Yu Liuxue let out a sigh of relief and said with a beaming smile, “I’m very satisfied with this mission.”

    Every mission had been completed perfectly. Just as Yu Liuxue let her guard down, Jiang Zhixi silently appeared behind her. “Ke Ying, time for bed.”

    Yu Liuxue shuddered on the spot. Again?!

    Jiang Zhixi hugged her from behind and whispered, “Ke Ying, we’ve been working so hard. Let’s take a world trip for a little vacation.”

    Yu Liuxue turned around. Her expression was serious, her black pupils full of expectation. Without thinking, Yu Liuxue agreed, “Okay.”

    “After we finish traveling the world, we’ll do everything we love together. I’ll stay with you—until we’re old and gray.”

    Yu Liuxue nodded again on instinct. “Okay.”

    She was being so obedient, so naturally she was pulled into bed by the suddenly emotional Jiang Zhixi again. Yu Liuxue pouted. “Zhixi, what you just said… can I take it back now?”

    “Nope.”

    Alright then.

    Whatever you say.

    —————End of Arc—————


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