The Secretary mentioned that Aunt Xu seemed to have been in a car accident on her way home, but fortunately, she was unharmed except for a minor leg injury.
Xu Qingqing felt a chill run down her spine.
She rushed to the hospital that very night and, upon confirming Aunt Xu’s safety, immediately broke down in tears, clinging to her.
Aunt Xu shot a glare at the Secretary before hugging the sobbing Xu Qingqing, coaxing her, "How old are you, crying like this?" Her injuries were minor—just a few scrapes—a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
Aunt Xu clearly cared deeply for her niece. She hadn’t informed Xu Qingqing earlier to spare her the worry. Now that Xu Qingqing was here, her first question was, "What happened on the phone earlier? Why did you suddenly go silent?"
Xu Qingqing’s eyes were swollen from crying. She mumbled, "It’s nothing."
Xu Qingqing loved to act out, but that didn’t mean she was foolish. Though she hadn’t fully grasped the nature of Bai Youlan’s system, she had vaguely realized that the things she knew couldn’t be shared with others.
If she spoke up, another accident like tonight’s might occur. This time, it might just be a warning—Aunt Xu hadn’t heard anything, so the consequences weren’t severe. But next time, the listener could get hurt, or worse, she herself might be in danger.
No matter how much Aunt Xu pressed, Xu Qingqing stubbornly refused to explain. Left with no choice, Aunt Xu dragged her for a check-up at the hospital. Only after confirming the results were clear did she finally relax.
Today, Xu Qingqing was unusually clingy and well-behaved.
After leaving the hospital, she stuck to Aunt Xu like a shadow, following her everywhere—even waiting outside the bathroom with a pillow, eyes wide and expectant.
Aunt Xu inside the bathroom: "…"
She wanted to tell Xu Qingqing to scram, but considering how rare it was for the troublemaker to be this attached, she figured the girl must have been terrified. Swallowing her annoyance, she endured it out of pity.
That night, Xu Qingqing insisted on sleeping with Aunt Xu. The next morning, when Aunt Xu headed to the office, Xu Qingqing—shockingly—woke up early and declared she was coming too.
Aunt Xu teased, "Oh? Not going to find Xie Lianqing?"
Xu Qingqing stared at her with big, watery eyes, like a puppy gazing at its owner, and shook her head.
Aunt Xu rather enjoyed her niece’s rare display of affection. She even indulged her by letting her sit in on meetings. While Aunt Xu made decisions at the head of the table, Xu Qingqing perched on a small stool beside her, chin in hands, watching intently without even glancing at her phone.
Aunt Xu tolerated it all day. But after work, Xu Qingqing still refused to leave her side.
Aunt Xu’s new boyfriend: "…"
Aunt Xu: "…"
Xu Qingqing sat in the back seat like an elementary schooler, innocently observing the couple in front, seemingly oblivious to being a glaring third wheel.
As Aunt Xu and her boyfriend whispered sweet nothings while driving, Xu Qingqing clutched her seatbelt, scrutinizing the road left and right.
The moment the two leaned in close, she leaned forward anxiously and loudly recited traffic safety rules: "Reckless driving brings tears to your loved ones!"
She added worriedly, "Focus on the road, no flirting or whispering!" What if yesterday’s accident wasn’t truly over?
Xu Qingqing didn’t fully understand the cause of the crash, but according to the novel’s plot she’d dreamed of, her death was set just before the wedding—still some time away.
As a relatively important cannon-fodder character, she couldn’t possibly kick the bucket today, right? So as long as she stayed with Aunt Xu, the odds of danger striking should drop significantly.
Secretly resolved, Xu Qingqing vowed to stick by Aunt Xu’s side and protect her. Her plan was flawless, her devotion to family truly moving.
Half an hour later, Aunt Xu dumped her at Xie Lianqing’s place and sped off with her boyfriend to enjoy their fleeting night.
Xu Qingqing stood by the roadside, watching the car disappear into the distance: "…"
Xie Lianqing had been about to retire for the night. Studying his bewildered girlfriend, he couldn’t help but laugh. "What did you do?" To think even doting Aunt Xu had reached her limit and tossed her out at this hour.
Xu Qingqing sighed dramatically at the vanishing taillights. "You just don’t get it."
Here she was, worrying herself sick, and no one understood!
These foolish humans had no idea how much she’d sacrificed for this family.
Xie Lianqing raised a brow. "Hmm? That worried about Aunt Xu?"
He’d only just learned about the accident, but Aunt Xu had barely been scratched—her wounds would heal in days.
Yet Xu Qingqing was this shaken? A pang of irrational jealousy struck him. Would she cling to him like this if he’d been the one hurt?
Masking his emotions, he gently pulled her inside, soothing her, "Relax. It was just an accident. Aunt Xu will be fine."
But Xu Qingqing kept sighing at the door, wearing a "none-of-you-understand" expression. Only when she snapped out of it did she finally notice Xie Lianqing beside her.
Yesterday’s scare had left her frantic, and today’s shadowing had left no time to confront Xie Lianqing!
If this world truly mirrored the novel from her dream, then Xie Lianqing would eventually end up with Bai Youlan!
In the dream, Xie Lianqing had claimed it was Xu Qingqing who made him realize how kind, generous, and considerate Bai Youlan was. He’d even brought Bai Youlan to dance on her grave, thanking her for "making way"…
The audacity! This scumbag was in a league of his own!
One moment, Xu Qingqing was melancholy; the next, her rage meter maxed out. She yanked her hand from Xie Lianqing’s grip and snapped, "Don’t touch me!"
Xie Lianqing was caught off guard. "Qingqing?"
Xu Qingqing fired back, "Don’t call me that, you cheater! We’re done! It’s over!"
She spun on her heel, stomping away in her heels. If she stayed, she might just punch him.
Xie Lianqing grabbed her arm, eyes narrowing. "Why?" He mentally replayed the evening, finding no missteps.
Xu Qingqing planted her hands on her hips, seething. "You don’t know why? Well, we’re broken up anyway!"
Her abrupt declaration and outburst were nonsensical. Even for someone accustomed to her temper like Xie Lianqing, hearing "break up" again grated on his patience.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he asked calmly, "Care to explain?" He needed to know what had set off the drama queen this time.
Xu Qingqing fumed, "Because you cheated, you scumbag!"
Xie Lianqing was baffled. "I cheated?"
Quickly piecing it together, he narrowed his eyes. "Who told you that? Where’s the proof? When and with whom?"
Under his rapid-fire questioning, Xu Qingqing’s bravado faltered. She couldn’t exactly say this world was a novel she’d read halfway through… What if Xie Lianqing ended up in an accident like Aunt Xu?
Although Xu Qingqing was currently furious, she only wanted to break up with Xie Lianqing—not to cause his death. She couldn’t even bring herself to kill a chicken, let alone take a human life.
Moreover, Xie Lianqing was the male lead of this novel. Who knew whether she or he would be the one punished if she revealed the truth?
So Xu Qingqing decided not to tell Xie Lianqing either. Under his questioning gaze, she stammered, “Uh… in a dream.”
Xie Lianqing: …Are you living in a dream?
Xu Qingqing had often thrown tantrums and threatened to break up with him before, but there was usually a clear reason behind it. Never had she been this resolute. So when she accused him of cheating, his mind immediately raced with conspiracies, suspecting that someone was trying to drive a wedge between them…
But now, hearing her answer, he nearly laughed in disbelief. “A dream? You’re breaking up with me because you dreamed I cheated on you?”
Xu Qingqing felt a flicker of guilt, but she quickly regained her confidence and retorted, “What’s wrong with that? Can’t I?”
She had only been focused on breaking up with him and hadn’t thought of a proper excuse yet. But the reason was right there, ready to use. Lifting her chin, she declared boldly, “Anyway, that’s it—we’re done!”
Xu Qingqing wasn’t bluffing. As a notorious drama queen, her breakup reasons were legendary.
Among her ex-boyfriends, some were dumped because the tea they bought wasn’t the right temperature, others because they couldn’t tell apart her lipstick shades, and one even got dumped simply because he liked cilantro…
So Xie Lianqing being dumped over a dream about him cheating was perfectly in line with her track record. Whether he could accept it, however, was another matter entirely.
Of course, Xie Lianqing couldn’t accept it. He was so angry he almost laughed.
Slowly, he released his grip on Xu Qingqing’s wrist, lowering his head slightly as if deep in thought. His dark bangs fell over his eyes, obscuring the emotions within.
When he looked up again, there was something in his gaze that Xu Qingqing had never seen before.
Leaning casually against the door behind him, one hand in his pocket, he smirked and said, “Xu Qingqing, when will you finally realize that I’m not like the other people you’ve toyed with?”
Xu Qingqing frowned. She had dumped plenty of ex-boyfriends—what made him so different?
But Xie Lianqing’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. His entire demeanor was cold, even intimidating.
Xu Qingqing froze, momentarily stunned by his presence.
She had seen this kind of aura before—in people like Aunt Xu and her grandfather, powerful leaders who held real authority in their families.
But she had never encountered it in someone her own age. Most of the people around her were spoiled rich kids coasting through life, unlike Xie Lianqing, who wielded actual influence…
Then it hit her. In the novel, she and Xie Lianqing were supposed to get married, but she died right before the wedding.
Xu Qingqing obviously didn’t want to die, which was why she was trying to break up with Xie Lianqing to change her fate.
But according to the plot, Xie Lianqing, as the male lead, would eventually become an untouchable tycoon. If she made him resent her, even if she avoided her original demise, her life would still be miserable.
Even now, the Xie family was a behemoth that the Xu family couldn’t afford to offend—let alone after Xie Lianqing took over and expanded their empire.
So she had to end things with Xie Lianqing peacefully. If she angered him, he might hold a grudge against her and the Xu family.
The Xu family was Xu Qingqing’s backbone, the foundation of her spoiled, carefree lifestyle. Without them, she was nothing.
If Xie Lianqing resented just her, that was one thing. But if he targeted the Xu family and she lost her wealth, she’d be doomed.
At this realization, the usually bold and shameless Xu Qingqing suddenly lost her nerve. Her eyes darted around, not daring to speak or meet Xie Lianqing’s gaze.
Seeing her reaction, Xie Lianqing guessed that her ever-distracted little brain had finally caught up.
He leaned in, tilting her chin up with his fingers, his dark eyes locking onto hers. “Xu Qingqing, I’m not someone you can dismiss with ridiculous excuses.”
His voice was as gentle as ever, but his expression was unreadable.
Forced to meet his gaze, Xu Qingqing felt like she was seeing a completely different side of him—one that unsettled her.
Xie Lianqing had rushed downstairs after Aunt Xu’s call, standing outside in his pajamas for so long that his fingertips were cool against her skin.
This was a first for Xu Qingqing.
She had always treated breakups like tossing out spoiled vegetables—dumping anyone who annoyed her without a second thought, never bothering with proper reasons. She was capricious and spoiled.
Some exes had refused to accept it, but they were always dealt with swiftly by the Xu family or Zhou Chenyu before they could cause any trouble.
Over time, Xu Qingqing had assumed Xie Lianqing would be the same.
Turns out, she was dead wrong.
