CH 120

Villainous Stand-in (18)

Li Yuqing had an incredibly difficult day.

She was unable to keep up with Song Xu Yi, who would suddenly appear and disappear without warning. The reasons for this were known only to Li Yuqing herself. Ever since they reunited, Li Yuqing had become obsessively possessive of Song Xu Yi and couldn’t stand the thought of her being out of sight for even a moment.

Song Xu Yi’s social circle was small, and she spent most of her time at home drawing manga. As a result, Li Yuqing could easily find her whenever she wanted. This had kept Li Yuqing’s paranoia in check before, and Song Xu Yi had maintained a good image in her heart.

However, when Li Yuqing returned home after dealing with company affairs and found that Song Xu Yi was not there, and there were clear indications that she was hiding something, Li Yuqing’s anxiety was triggered. She used all her willpower to maintain her composure in front of Song Xu Yi.

Li Yuqing picked up the book that was falsely reported as lost and drove aimlessly around the city while keeping track of time. She only contacted Song Xu Yi again when she felt it was almost time.

As Li Yuqing listened to the noisy background music of the amusement park on the phone, her tense nerves relaxed. Suddenly, she had a realization: perhaps Song Xu Yi’s secret trip to the amusement park was because she had figured something out, just as Li Yuqing had expected.

How would Song Xu Yi treat her now?

Li Yuqing had some expectations in her heart, but as time passed, her hopes dwindled, and she began to consider a possibility she had been unwilling to admit – that Song Xu Yi did not plan on acknowledging her.

Li Yuqing never doubted her intuition. Whether it was Song Xu Yi’s eyes or her habits, Li Yuqing was certain that she was her “fairy sister.”

Despite Song Xu Yi’s initial lack of memory of their past, Li Yuqing’s love for her did not waver. Song Xu Yi was even cuter than Li Yuqing had imagined, especially when she was shy. She was like a cute little rabbit, and Li Yuqing couldn’t resist holding her and teasing her playfully.

Li Yuqing kept a close watch on Song Xu Yi, and sure enough, she found several articles of clothing in Xu Yi’s wardrobe that her “Fairy Sister” had worn before. Li Yuqing noticed that Song Xu Yi’s demeanor towards her would subtly shift, especially when she saw the same damaged clothing from their past in the hospital. This led Li Yuqing to ponder whether Xu Yi was going through the same experiences she had in the past.

Determined to find answers, Li Yuqing conducted a private investigation and uncovered some evidence to support her suspicions.

She also observed that, unlike in her dreams where Song Xu Yi was vulnerable to her, in reality, for some reason, Song Xu Yi always seemed guarded and somewhat distant, despite appearing gentle and friendly.

Undeterred, Li Yuqing decided to take action and test the waters by sending Xu Yi a gift.

However, Xu Yi’s secret trip to the amusement park and her anxious demeanor when answering the phone confirmed Li Yuqing’s fears – Xu Yi did not want to acknowledge her.

……

Li Yuqing parked her car in a secluded corner of the private cinema and patiently waited for Song Xu Yi. As anticipated, Song Xu Yi arrived shortly, looking disoriented.

Once she was inside the private room, Song Xu Yi struggled to come to terms with the fact that she had crossed time and space to meet Li Yuqing in this world. Meanwhile, outside, Li Yuqing felt as though time was dragging on.

Li Yuqing’s mind was preoccupied with many thoughts.

She pondered Song Xu Yi’s status as a member of the Song family and her true feelings towards Li Yuqing.

Although Song Xu Yi did not have much affection for her grandfather, he was still her family. Additionally, “Fairy Sister” was aware of her revenge plan. Given Song Xu Yi’s personality, it was highly likely that she would choose to feign ignorance and pretend to know nothing about everything.

The reason Li Yuqing believed that Song Xu Yi refused to acknowledge her as “Fairy Sister” was due to Xu Yi’s lack of affection towards her.

Given this lack of affection, Xu Yi would instinctively feel that Li Yuqing would not compromise for her during any problem they may face. To avoid appearing flustered in such situations, Li Yuqing deliberately maintained distance and propriety.

However, Li Yuqing didn’t want to remain just an ordinary friend of Xu Yi.

She knew that if she didn’t take some action, things wouldn’t change.

Therefore, she immediately drove away from that corner.

She felt an urgent need to take action, but at first, she had no idea what to do.

It wasn’t until Li Yuqing received a follow-up call from her therapist, who asked if she was still experiencing hallucinations, that Li Yuqing’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Thank you! I think I’ve found my solution.”

Li Yuqing understands Song Xu Yi’s personality better than Song Xu Yi realizes. Song Xu Yi was unguarded around her when she was a child because Li Yuqing relied on and longed for her, but now Li Yuqing has become stronger…

But what if she were to revert to the state where she desperately needs Song Xu Yi?

Li Yuqing knows she is despicable for using Song Xu Yi’s kindness to try to stay by her side, but Song Xu Yi is the only warmth she has left in this chaotic and desolate world, and Li Yuqing cannot imagine what her life would be like without her.

Li Yuqing’s plan worked, and Song Xu Yi stayed by her side. However, Li Yuqing’s goal was not just to have Song Xu Yi accompany her.

During the last few days of the Spring Festival holiday, Li Yuqing stayed at Song Xu Yi’s house and accompanied her to several doctors’ appointments.

The doctors seemed familiar with Li Yuqing, suggesting that she had seen them before. However, they focused on the person Li Yuqing mentioned who had suddenly appeared in her memories, making Song Xu Yi feel embarrassed and concerned. She couldn’t reveal that Li Yuqing’s symptoms were due to a memory disorder.

Li Yuqing repeatedly told the story of “Fairy Sister” who had abandoned her, which made Song Xu Yi feel even more guilty.

When the doctor learned that Li Yuqing’s mental state had improved after seeing Song Xu Yi, they were happy for her and advised Li Yuqing: “If spending time with this lady has helped you improve, I suggest you communicate with her more to maintain your physical and mental well-being.”

After seeking medical assistance for Li Yuqing and receiving similar opinions from multiple doctors, Song Xu Yi had to abandon the idea of continuing with traditional medical treatment. Instead, she turned to studying psychology in private to try and alleviate Li Yuqing’s condition. As she searched for a solution, Song Xu Yi felt increasingly guilty for causing Li Yuqing so much trouble with her “dreams.”

Hearing Li Yuqing repeatedly express her love for the “fairy sister,” Song Xu Yi chose not to reveal that she was the one Li Yuqing had met. In Li Yuqing’s confused memories, the “fairy sister” had abandoned her, and Song Xu Yi feared that disclosing the truth would exacerbate her condition and cause their relationship to develop in an unforeseeable direction.

Despite Song Xu Yi’s concerns, Li Yuqing remained as caring as ever and seemed to sense her worries. She comforted Song Xu Yi, saying, “I’m sorry for causing you trouble, Xu Yi. You don’t have to worry about my illness. We can continue to interact as we did before.”

To put Song Xu Yi’s mind at ease, Li Yuqing became incredibly busy in the following days. She would only come to greet Song Xu Yi in the morning and evening, as she had done before. Li Yuqing’s mental state appeared to be back to normal, and she looked healthy even when she returned at night. Her behavior and speech showed no difference from before, and Song Xu Yi, who was burning the midnight oil to finish her work, seemed to be the one suffering from mental exhaustion.

After a few days of this kind of routine, Song Xu Yi breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that Li Yuqing was slowly recovering. Even the system had let go of its concerns and observed that the Li Yuqing in this world appeared to be much better-behaved than before.

After more than ten days of living together, Song Xu Yi’s parents were delighted with Li Yuqing’s virtuous, talented, and humble nature. They couldn’t help but smile whenever they mentioned her. With such an outstanding girl from someone else’s family living with them, Song Xu Yi received daily criticism from her parents.

But she didn’t mind; in fact, she enjoyed it. Song Xu Yi hoped that Li Yuqing would feel the warmth of a family and recognize that there were many people who cared about her besides her “Fairy Sister.” She believed it would help Li Yuqing recover faster.

Following the Lantern Festival, they returned to their house near the school since the new term was about to begin.

That night, it rained heavily, with thunder and lightning outside and strong winds.

Given the unfavorable weather conditions, Song Xu Yi did not plan to stay up late. After drawing manga for a while and taking a shower, she was about to sleep when she heard a series of urgent knocks on the door.

Song Xu Yi peered through the peephole and saw Li Yuqing standing outside with an expressionless face. Believing that Li Yuqing had come to bid her goodnight, Song Xu Yi opened the door while yawning. However, before she could speak, a soft body flew at her from outside.

Li Yuqing’s strength was impressive, and Song Xu Yi instinctively took a few steps back, nearly colliding with the wall. Li Yuqing swiftly protected the back of Song Xu Yi’s head with her hands and kicked the door shut with her foot.

The whole sequence of actions was fast and vigorous, which was not like Li Yuqing’s usual gentle demeanor.

“Yuqing, what’s wrong?” Song Xu Yi’s drowsiness vanished in an instant as she stared at Li Yuqing in surprise.

The person standing in front of her, Li Yuqing, seemed familiar yet unfamiliar.

Li Yuqing’s gentle smile was replaced by a cold expression as she pursed her red lips, adding a few degrees of distance between her and Song Xu Yi. Her beautiful eyes were filled with complex emotions as she lowered her head to look at Song Xu Yi. Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes when their gazes met.

“What’s wrong with me?” Li Yuqing retorted in a cold tone, her laughter devoid of any warmth. She moved closer to Song Xu Yi’s cheek and pinched her chin with gritted teeth. “After seducing me, you left me behind and went away. Do you know how I’ve been surviving for the past two years?”

Despite Li Yuqing’s cold demeanor, Song Xu Yi noticed tears in her eyes, and the force of her pinch was light.

In that moment, Song Xu Yi realized that Li Yuqing might be suffering from a mental illness and mistaking her as the “fairy sister” who had betrayed her.

“I’m not her,” Song Xu Yi spoke softly, attempting to bring Li Yuqing out of her delusion. “Look at me carefully. I’m Song Xu Yi…”

Song Xu Yi blushed deeply, unaware of how adorable she looked with her innocent eyes and flushed cheeks. Little did she know that she was like a tempting honey to someone who had long plotted against her.

“Stop trying to deceive me, you are her!” Li Yuqing’s gaze fixated on Song Xu Yi’s lips, causing her voice to unintentionally turn hoarse.

However, Song Xu Yi failed to realize the danger that was rapidly approaching and kept trying to explain, “Yuqing, please be rational. Look at me, I’m Xu Yi, your good friend–“

“Good friend?” Li Yuqing’s lips curled into a smirk as she interrupted, “Are you the kind of good friend who will get married in the future?”

“I’m more sober than ever,” Li Yuqing suddenly tightened her grip on Song Xu Yi’s shoulders and passionately kissed her. In the next moment, Song Xu Yi’s eyes widened in shock as she was left with a triumphant smile from Li Yuqing, who oozed charm and seductiveness.

“You can’t escape.”