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Ling Yu’s becoming a “sea queen” can be traced back to the original owner’s family background.

The Ling family in Jiangcheng was originally a nouveau riche family. However, after Ling Taiguo married Xu Qian, they leveraged Xu’s family’s connections and power to develop their company into a listed company.

In the year when the family was at its peak, Xu Qian passed away due to illness. Ling Taiguo sent his wife off and immediately brought in his mistress to take her place.

With an absent father and a cruel stepmother, the original owner’s daily life consisted of partying, gambling, and causing trouble.

Then, karma caught up with her.

Three years ago, the original owner was in a car race on a winding mountain road and collided with a truck, losing her life.

The original owner’s death was sudden and unexplained, but her stepmother, the mistress, became unexpectedly pregnant. Ling Taiguo no longer needed Ling Yu to inherit the family business, but due to Xu Qian’s insistence before her death, Ling Taiguo had signed a contract.

As long as Ling Yu didn’t get married or die, she would inherit half of the Ling Company’s assets.

To secure the shares, Ling Taiguo and Yu Xin decided to arrange a marriage for Ling Yu to maximize their profits.

When Ling Yu first arrived in this body, her future had already been planned out.

In the past, Ling Yu would have had countless ways to sever her father-daughter relationship with Ling Taiguo, but the original owner’s car accident was not an accident; she had died a wrongful death.

The evidence held by the police pointed to premeditated murder, with the stepmother, Yu Xin, as the suspect. However, due to Ling Taiguo’s protection of his wife, he paid to destroy the evidence and falsely attributed the crime to the original owner, quickly settling the matter with money.

This wasn’t even the worst part. Ling Taiguo had built his fortune by taking advantage of the family of the original owner’s mother.

The original owner’s mother had died from depression, which had been caused by Ling Taiguo and Yu Xin.

The two of them were living a glamorous life in high society, while the original owner and her mother had died in resentment.

Ling Yu believed in karma. Having taken over the original owner’s body, she couldn’t just let those who had harmed her go unpunished.

In her previous life, she was a cultured person. After her novels became famous, she became a screenwriter, and her forte was writing.

To compete for family assets and manage a company was simply asking for trouble. Moreover, Ling Yu didn’t lack the ability to make money. As a renowned author and screenwriter, she might even make more money than the Ling family.

Ling Yu didn’t care much about money, but Ling Taiguo and his wife certainly did.

The best way to get revenge was to find the enemy’s weak spot and poke at it every day.

So, Ling Yu changed her mind. Instead of rushing to sever ties with Ling Taiguo, she stayed in the Ling family mansion, living closely with Yu Xin and obediently going on blind dates arranged by Ling Taiguo… openly spending his money and squandering his family fortune.

She caused a lot of trouble for Ling Taiguo and Yu Xin… and privately, she took the opportunity to re-establish contact with her maternal grandparents and search for evidence.

Ling Yu wasn’t a good person, but she had her limits. She wasn’t interested in men, and of course, she wasn’t going to ruin the lives of innocent people by going on blind dates arranged by Ling Taiguo.

To ensure that there would be no future problems, she decided to dive headfirst into Jiangcheng’s famous social circle: the ‘sea queen’ group.

Later, rumors about Ling Yu’s promiscuity spread throughout Jiangcheng’s upper class.

Ling Taiguo found that no respectable family was willing to form a marriage alliance with his family, so he had to reluctantly put the marriage plans on hold.

Jiang Song was just one of the fish that Ling Yu had hooked up with in the ‘sea queen’ group.

His current persistence was simply because she hadn’t given him enough.

Ling Yu looked down at Jiang Song, who was wiping the dirt off himself. Perhaps her probing gaze was too direct, because Jiang Song turned his head and met her gaze.

This time, his tone was much more sincere as he played the victim, saying, “Ling Yu, ever since you left Jiangcheng, I’ve been unable to eat or sleep, and my heart has been filled with longing…”

Ling Yu put her hands in her pockets, suppressing the urge to yawn. She looked out the window over the man’s shoulder. At this time, several private cars were already parked outside the Kaihe Law Firm.

Gu Qing was about to finish work.

In the past two months, she had been pretending to be poor and acting heartbroken to get closer to Gu Qing as part of her mission.

She was spending less and less money, and to be honest, Ling Yu was worried about money for the first time.

Although Jiang Song had violated one of her rules, he was quite good at getting money.

She took this opportunity to spend as much as she could.

As she thought, Ling Yu pulled a check from her handbag and placed it on the table, handing it to Jiang Song.

She looked at him meaningfully, “Your suit is stained with coffee, and a tissue won’t clean it. Go to the Landu high-end suit store on the first floor to the left and get another one…”

Ling Yu’s finger pointed at the check, and her dark eyes met Jiang Song’s without blinking.

She had naturally alluring peach blossom eyes, which seemed to have a seductive charm whether she was smiling or not. But her straight nose and the superior curve of her nose and lips gave her features a calm and composed look.

At the moment, the smile at the corner of her lips didn’t reach her eyes, giving people an inexplicable sense of authority.

Jiang Song lowered his eyes, and his pupils shrank.

The amount on the check was a full 5 million.

He was familiar with Ling Yu’s rules and understood almost at a glance that this 5 million was her breakup fee.

In the “sea queen” group, people came and went as they pleased.

It was a common rule that no one would lose out when breaking up.

But Ling Yu was different. She was very generous and would give a breakup fee to every boyfriend she parted with, neither more nor less, 1 million.

But this time, the amount was five times as much.

Jiang Song curled his fingers, greedily glanced at the check again, and then reluctantly looked away.

He was secretly delighted. He had guessed right, Ling Yu was eager to break up.

No matter what her purpose was in getting rid of him, Jiang Song was certain that he could increase the breakup fee.

Jiang Song lowered his head to prepare his emotions and put on a deeply humiliated expression. Without even glancing at the check, he said, “Ling Yu, is all you care about money?”

This sorrowful and angry shout, filled with genuine hysteria, attracted everyone’s attention.

The coffee shop fell silent for a moment. As their conflict escalated, everyone’s eyes were fixed on the “scumbag,” Ling Yu.

Jiang Song lowered his eyelashes, a deep meaning flashing in his eyes.

“What do you want?” Ling Yu raised her eyebrows, her orange lips curving slightly, and a dimple appeared on her cheek, illuminated by the soft light above.

Jiang Song’s heart raced at her gentle, almost murmured call. He subconsciously hummed in response.

“What exactly do you want?”

Seeing that Ling Yu had taken the initiative to speak, Jiang Song finally had the opportunity to drive a harder bargain. He nervously wiped the sweat from his palms.

On the surface, he looked lost and disoriented as he recounted the past, “Three months ago, when we first met, wasn’t it you who suggested we go to a bar for a drink?”

Ling Yu nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

“You’ve always been in control. You even set a time limit for our relationship…” Jiang Song’s eyes flickered, “You love the sea, but I love you…”

Ling Yu laughed. She certainly had more money than she knew what to do with.

It wasn’t like she couldn’t find someone else.

Ling Yu half-closed her peach blossom eyes and was about to retract the check.

Out of the corner of her eye, she casually glanced at the door. When she saw the woman who had just entered, her slender white fingers accidentally applied a little force, leaving a fingernail mark on the five-million-dollar check.

The wind chime at the coffee shop door jingled as a cold wind blew in.

The woman who had entered was wearing an earth-toned plaid coat, and her long, light brown hair covered her back like silk.

She was on the phone, her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly as she occasionally responded.

Her thin lips were coated in a cold-toned lipstick, which accentuated her sharp, almost mixed-race features, making her stand out in any crowd.

She stood at the bar, her expression indifferent and her aura cold.

Like a snow lotus blooming on a mountain peak, she was noble, cold, and could not be looked down upon.

If not for the fact that almost everyone in the coffee shop was drawn to the “scumbag,” Ling Yu, the appearance of such a beautiful woman would undoubtedly have caused a commotion.

After being ignored for three seconds, the woman politely tapped on the counter.

The cashier girl, who had been gossiping, suddenly turned around. Upon seeing the woman’s face, her almond-shaped eyes widened. After being stunned for three seconds, she subconsciously wiped the drool from the corner of her lips.

Then, blushing, she apologized, “Sorry… miss… ma’am, the coffee shop is full. We can only do takeout.”

Gu Qing hung up the phone and glanced around the coffee shop. In an indifferent tone, she said, “I have a reservation, seat number 38.”

As she said this, Gu Qing’s scanning gaze followed the crowd’s line of sight and finally landed on the corner where Ling Yu was sitting.

Their eyes met in mid-air. Ling Yu’s fingers curled up and she subconsciously retracted her hand, dragging half of the check with her, leaving it hanging over the edge of the booth.

Her action seemed rather like trying to hide something, and she regretted it as soon as she did it.

Sure enough, Gu Qing’s scrutinizing gaze fell on her fingers, then slowly moved away.

Folding her arms, she looked indifferent and casually nodded to the girl at the counter, as if she hadn’t seen Ling Yu.

Ling Yu was amused by her indifferent attitude and picked up the check with a renewed grip.

On the other side, Jiang Song was still listing her offenses.

“Ling Yu, I know you don’t like me, and you’ve been playing with me, but you should at least give me an explanation…”

Jiang Song continued to press her, detailing her crimes.

Before blackmailing her, he was skillfully laying the groundwork by playing the victim.

Ling Yu gave the man a disdainful look, as if looking at an idiot.

The faint smile on her lips faded, and her eyes changed in an instant, her black and white pupils suddenly filled with a layer of moist and full water vapor. Her voice was filled with grievance, “It’s your business if you like me, but it’s my freedom if I don’t like you. Mr. Jiang, this is not an excuse for you to slander me.”

Jiang Song opened his mouth in disbelief.

Ling Yu lowered her head and didn’t give him a chance to speak. Her voice choked as if she had been deeply humiliated, “I never nodded to your confession from beginning to end.”

Of course, Ling Yu hadn’t nodded that night. She had clinked her glass with Jiang Song’s in mid-air.

Jiang Song felt worse than if he had swallowed a fly.

Frightened, he retorted, “So what if you didn’t? You…”

Ling Yu sniffed softly, and a crystal-clear tear rolled down her cheek.

She seemed to have reached her limit and burst into tears, interrupting him with her wet eyes, “So… you’re using a check to blackmail me, and then publicly slander me, just to force me to submit?”

Ling Yu crumpled the check in her hand and threw it at Jiang Song. Her crystal-clear tears flowed down her delicate face like broken pearls.

“Is this interesting, Mr. Jiang? You’re just taking advantage of my weakness, confident that I dare not tell the truth in public?” Ling Yu calmly cried, her eyes red as if she had been forced to the edge. “Fine, I’ll give you a reason. I just don’t like you, because I like women, and her…”

Ling Yu paused and raised her watery eyes to look at Gu Qing. The woman’s face was divided in half by the overhead lights, half bathed in light and half in shadow, making her expression difficult to read. She was aloof and unapproachable.

As always, she was indifferent and seemed unconcerned.

Ling Yu sighed. She had spent two months sending her food every day in a pathetic attempt to win her over.

This cheap and obsequious affection had been taken for granted by the other party.

Ling Yu snorted coldly but didn’t show it on her face. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly as she looked up, like a delicate white flower, “I can live for her, I can die for her… but you, you’re nothing to me.”

Jiang Song’s eyes almost popped out of his head. He was so shocked that he couldn’t say a word. Ling Yu, the famous female “sea queen” of Jiangcheng, liked women?

Fuck that!

She had so many exes, and even ex-exes… too many to count on ten fingers.

And she can live and die for a woman?

Jiang Song thought to himself that perhaps he had gone too far by asking for such a large sum of money, causing Ling Yu to say something outrageous in order to discredit him.

In the moment of shock, Jiang Song missed the best opportunity to confront her.

Ten seconds later, public opinion in the coffee shop was one-sided.

“Damn, he’s such a scumbag…”

“He’s not only a scumbag but also a creep.”

“Clearly, she doesn’t like him, but he shamelessly clings to her. What a piece of trash!”

“Another day of being scared of men… The young lady looks so helpless, ahhh… She’s so beautiful, she must still be in college, it’s terrible. If she gets entangled with a greasy scumbag, she might develop psychological trauma!”

••••

Almost everyone was looking at Jiang Song as if he were a pig.

Having gained nothing but lost everything, Jiang Song realized what had happened and his handsome face turned beet red. His sleeve was rolled up, revealing a bulging vein on his arm.

Ling Yu, who was a short distance away, stood elegantly, bathed in the sunlight, her peach blossom eyes glancing lightly at him.

From Jiang Song’s angle, he could clearly see the obvious contempt on Ling Yu’s face. Provoked by her gaze, his head grew hot, and he took a step forward, raising his hand in anger, trying to grab Ling Yu’s arm.

Just at that moment, a shadow fell beside him. Gu Qing, carrying a briefcase, blocked Jiang Song’s arm.

“Mr. Jiang?”

Her expression was cold, and her long, straight legs were encased in slim-fitting wide-leg pants, giving her an imposing aura.

Jiang Song was startled and, noticing the small assistant behind Gu Qing who was constantly winking at him, the anger on his face gradually collapsed.

“Gu… Lawyer Gu! Hello, hello, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Jiang Song suppressed his anger, bent over, and spoke cautiously.

Gu Qing was always a woman of her word, with a cold and aloof personality, and a strong-willed manner.

Even when dealing with clients, if they crossed her, no matter how much money they offered, she would not take the case.

Gu Qing hummed indifferently, not even glancing at Jiang Song. Her phoenix eyes only fell on Ling Yu’s elbow, glancing at her white wrist.

After confirming that there was nothing wrong, she subtly withdrew her gaze.

With impeccable manners, she maintained a cold expression and declared to Jiang Song impassively, “Mr. Jiang, it seems inconvenient to discuss the case today. Perhaps we should reschedule.”

Rescheduling was essentially an indefinite postponement.

Jiang Song had finally gotten such an opportunity, and this was more important to him than blackmailing Ling Yu. After all, although the Jiang family company was small, it had encountered a serious problem. Without Gu Qing, it would collapse.

He was so anxious that sweat broke out on his forehead, and he glared fiercely at the instigator, Ling Yu.

He urgently explained, “You’ve got the wrong idea. I’ve already resolved things with this young lady. I like her, but she’s a les…”

“A lesbian?” Ling Yu narrowed her eyes, her fists clenched tightly.

She looked at Jiang Song as if he were a dead man.

008: [Host, calm down, the female lead is still here. Your carefully cultivated image of a poor and pitiful victim can’t collapse.]

Ling Yu: “…”

Her curled eyelashes fluttered rapidly, and she glanced at the indifferent and dignified woman a short distance away.

A flash of anger flashed in her eyes, but she suppressed it under 008’s constant bombardment of warnings, [Don’t act rashly.]

She took two steps forward, hugged Gu Qing’s arm, and called out pitifully, “Gu Qing, I’m sorry, I’ve caused you trouble. Are you hungry? … I made honeyed three-cup chicken today. Of course, my cooking skills definitely aren’t as good as your clients…”

Ling Yu lowered her eyes softly, and while speaking, she took a light pink lunchbox from the insulated bag in the corner. This was the meal she had packed from a five-star hotel half an hour ago.

She placed the lunchbox on the table, pointed at Jiang Song, and looked up at Gu Qing with a seemingly childish smile, “He’s really good at shifting the blame, didn’t you see?”

Gu Qing didn’t say anything. She frowned and glanced at Ling Yu who was almost pressed against her chest. Just as she was about to push her away, she raised her eyes and met the other woman’s reddened eyes.

Gu Qing pursed her lips and allowed Ling Yu to hold her arm, shifting her gaze away expressionlessly.

On the other side, Jiang Song, who was anxiously explaining, felt a lump in his throat. Remembering what Ling Yu had just said about having someone she liked, and then looking at the two of them with their arms linked, his face turned ashen in an instant.

008: [Host, you’re done for. Daring to touch the female lead’s arm, you’re as good as dead in my eyes.]

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