Chapter 44: Jiang Sui, Do You Want To...

Jiang Sui believed that since this man had included the clause of a secret marriage in their wedding agreement from the very beginning, he certainly did not wish for their union to be made public. Or rather, from the start, he chose to marry her simply because, at that time, Jiang Sui seemed easy to control—a woman who could be won over with money, a gold-digger to be brought home. His purpose was only to find a woman who could accompany Xuanxuan as she grew up; the role of a wife was unimportant. She needed money and a wealthy man, he needed a woman to act as Xuanxuan’s companion. Both got what they wanted. In such a relationship, it was only natural for Lu Ye to insist on secrecy. With Jiang Sui’s reputation in the entertainment industry, tangled in scandals, she didn’t believe her marriage could remain hidden without Lu Ye’s intervention. After all, netizens were like Sherlock Holmes, capable of digging up every last detail of your ancestry.

Lu Ye’s expression turned cold and gloomy. For reasons unknown, although he truly didn’t want their relationship revealed before, hearing Jiang Sui speak these words now left him deeply unsettled.

“If... I mean, if I felt we could make our relationship public, would you agree?” he asked, almost against his will.

Jiang Sui looked at him as if she’d seen a ghost. “Are you joking? We’re on the verge of divorce, what’s the point of talking about going public?” She frowned. “You’re not angry about the divorce and planning to ruin my career out of spite, are you?”

The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. How could this man possibly be decent? In her previous life, men with this same face had tried more than once to poison her, nearly killing her. If she hadn’t been clever, she’d have died long ago.

Lu Ye fell silent upon hearing her words.

Jiang Sui smiled gently, “Mr. Lu, I know you’re not that kind of person. I was just joking, don’t take it seriously. I know you would never let our relationship be made public.”

Lu Ye: “...”

“So, have you decided when you’ll leave?” Jiang Sui asked again. “I’ll tell Aunt Zhang to help you pack early.”

Lu Ye turned away, his voice cool: “Understood. I’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning.”

Jiang Sui couldn’t see Lu Ye’s face now, so she had no idea how foul his expression had become. But from his posture, she could sense he was somewhat displeased. That hardly mattered.

As long as she was pleased.

“I knew Mr. Lu wouldn’t make things difficult for me.” In truth, the crew wouldn’t be coming to her home; she could simply set up a few livestream devices herself, as agreed with the production team. After all, she didn’t want the team, with their questionable motives, secretly installing cameras in places unknown. But to make sure Lu Ye didn’t interfere with her livestream these next few days, she had told a little white lie.

“How do you know I won’t make things difficult for you?” Lu Ye looked at her, his gaze deep as the night, his presence calm and composed. Yet Jiang Sui sensed the stillness of a predator poised to strike.

“Jiang Sui.” Suddenly, he called her name. Two ordinary syllables, but when spoken by him, they seemed to burn in her ears.

Jiang Sui watched him warily, confused, her gaze involuntarily lingering on his alluring collarbone and the exposed skin beneath his deep V neckline.

Damn. The more she looked, the more seductive he seemed.

“You want—” Lu Ye’s eyes fixed on the snowy skin of her neck, his voice husky, spilling out slowly.

But before he could finish, Jiang Sui snapped awake, “No! I don’t want to!”

She spun around, yanked open the door, and slipped out of the room.

Lu Ye: “...”

She truly knew how to torment someone.

Full of restless energy, yet he found himself smiling, his eyes filled with a tolerance he’d never felt before.

He turned and headed for the bathroom, intent on cooling down.

Meanwhile, Jiang Sui, after escaping Lu Ye’s room, went straight to bed.

“Why must every lifetime tempt me with beauty...”

Jiang Sui marveled at it. Men with this face, in nearly every world she traversed, used their looks to lure her, only to stab her in the back. It taught her the treachery of human nature and the ruthlessness of men with that face.

To survive this lifetime, she began to ponder whether she ought to deal with Lu Ye once and for all. Though this era was governed by law, she wasn’t entirely without means...

“I advise you to abandon that thought,” the system, Wang Ergou, who hadn’t spoken in ages, suddenly piped up.

“Why?” Jiang Sui asked.

“Don’t forget, you’re now counted among the mystics. Doing harm brings misfortune. You wouldn’t want a short life, would you?”

Jiang Sui: “...”

Of course. The two lifetimes she’d spent as a metaphysical master, she’d accumulated virtue and good deeds—the more merit, the stronger her mystical power and the longer her life.

“What if I harm a bad person? Does that count as upholding justice?”

The system paused: “...”

It had forgotten—its host understood how to exploit loopholes.

Jiang Sui understood: If Lu Ye was a bad person, then harming him wouldn’t damage her virtue.

Thinking these thoughts, she drifted off to sleep.

In her dreams, she was once again banished to the Cold Palace by the dog emperor.

“Get out! I never want to see you again!” The emperor glared at her with rage.

She feigned a smile, “Yes, I’ll leave. Leaving is what I do best.”

Her memories twisted back to another lifetime.

She became an exemplary student, both academically and morally. Yet the school bully, who always opposed her, blocked her at the gate every day, dragging her to the internet café to watch him play games. As a result, her grades plummeted, the top student she tried to win over despised her, and in a fit of anger, she became a mafia boss.

In yet another lifetime...

She transmigrated as a thief, only to find the man with that same face was a constable. He chased, she fled. She could not escape.

And so, throughout the night, Jiang Sui was pursued relentlessly in her nightmares...