It Has To Be You
“A contract? Marriage?”
Cheng Jiqing’s lips parted slightly in surprise. So, ‘marry me’ hadn’t been the most absurd thing after all.
She had indeed seen cases in the entertainment circle of people getting into relationships for the sake of bundled hype1.
Now that it was happening to her—she and Bai Xin had had relations, mistakenly, while sober—hearing such words now, she momentarily didn’t know how to react.
“You said one can’t marry without love. A contract marriage doesn’t require love.”
Bai Xin continued, “Did Tang Jia tell you? These symptoms of mine, appearing every other day like this, I don’t know how long they’ll last. You said you’d take responsibility, right?”
Bai Xin was still running a fever, her body aching and weak, her voice even more faint.
She was still lying down, merely turning slightly to the side as she spoke, her cheek pressed against the pillow. Even so, it failed to diminish her stunning beauty in the slightest.
“So I need you… for a term of one year. Once my symptoms improve, we can divorce.”
“…”
She had entered society early, but now she felt her experience was still far too limited.
Cheng Jiqing took a few seconds to recover, finding her voice again: “Miss Bai, you… even if you need it, and I’m willing to take responsibility, it doesn’t necessarily have to be marriage…”
“Then what if you marry someone else?”
Bai Xin asked: “If you marry someone else, will you still come take care of me? Behind your wife’s back?”
Cheng Jiqing looked at her and said, “…I won’t.”
She paused. “I can promise that within a year—no, before you get better, I won’t marry anyone else. If you need help in the future, aside from Marking… I can help with anything else.”
The Marking with Bai Xin today had been provoked by Bai Xin, but she herself was also at fault.
She hadn’t withstood the test of her principles, her resolve wasn’t firm.
That only made the problem more complicated.
She just never, ever expected2 Bai Xin would propose such a thing.
“But how can you guarantee it?”
Cheng Jiqing froze.
Bai Xin said, “How can you guarantee you won’t marry someone else?”
Cheng Jiqing’s expression was calm, but inwardly, her thoughts were a chaotic mess.
“I said I’d take responsibility, but not in this way. Marriage isn’t something to be taken lightly, not even a contract marriage. Bai-jie, calm down. How about we try to get your fever down first?”
“I’m not taking it lightly either.” Bai Xin’s eyes fixed on Cheng Jiqing, not as cold and hard as before, but rather tender in the soft lamplight.
“Who asked it to be you?” she said.
Cheng Jiqing didn’t understand the meaning of this sentence at that moment. She just subconsciously replied, “It doesn’t have to be me.”
Her attention was actually no longer on soothing Bai Xin, but on the fact that Bai Xin wanted to marry her.
Cheng Jiqing heard Bai Xin say.
“How do you know it doesn’t have to be me?”
Cheng Jiqing’s brow twitched uncontrollably.
Bai Xin looked at Cheng Jiqing. As Tang Jia had said, Cheng Jiqing wasn’t a casual person, so she couldn’t rush things.
Bai Xin’s voice was low and hoarse, yet calm. She spoke in a negotiating tone.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be Marking. Holding hands or hugging works too; just touching you can soothe me. If you feel the contract is unfair, you can add more conditions, similar conditions…”
Similar conditions.
Did that mean she could also request to touch Bai Xin when needed?
Cheng Jiqing realized her first reaction wasn’t rejection. Her ears instantly grew hot.
Are you crazy, Cheng Jiqing?
Cheng Jiqing regained her senses.
“No, I still refuse.”
A flicker passed through Bai Xin’s eyes. She had clearly seen the hesitation in Cheng Jiqing’s eyes just now, but what she heard was still rejection. She felt a trace of regret and disappointment.
She knew very well that with Cheng Jiqing’s second refusal, she wasn’t as confident as she had been initially.
Was she really that unattractive to Cheng Jiqing?
Even after she’d laid it all out like this, Cheng Jiqing still wasn’t willing?
For some reason, she recalled the look in Cheng Jiqing’s eyes as she watched Qin Yufu go downstairs tonight, recalled the past eagerness when Cheng Jiqing saw Qin Yufu.
Her fingertips scraped across the bedsheet.
“What if it were Qin Yufu proposing this to you now?”
Cheng Jiqing: “…This has nothing to do with who’s proposing.”
Bai Xin wanted to say more, but her expression suddenly changed slightly. She closed her eyes uncomfortably for a moment.
Cheng Jiqing took two steps forward, bending slightly. “What’s wrong?”
The proximity brought Cheng Jiqing’s lingering Alpha pheromones into Bai Xin’s breath. Her nerves eased slightly. “Uncomfortable.”
“Where are you uncomfortable?”
“Everywhere.”
“…Then don’t talk anymore. Get some rest.”
Bai Xin lay flat. Her limbs ached terribly, and the sweat covering her body felt sticky, but she was too exhausted to move. The sudden twinge of nerve pain just now had made it even worse.
After saying all that, she had no more strength left.
Inhaling the intoxicating yet gentle scent of peach blossom wine, she murmured softly, “So tired. You bit too hard.”
Cheng Jiqing’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. That tone sounded almost like a coquettish complaint.
“Think about it, okay…?”
After saying this, Bai Xin turned slightly, her back facing Cheng Jiqing. She looked utterly exhausted, truly about to sleep.
Cheng Jiqing saw the faint teeth marks on her neck and pressed her lips together.
Cheng Jiqing stood rooted to the spot.
This time, she wasn’t swayed by that soft voice.
Although her mind was a mess, she was very clear about the outcome: her relationship with Bai Xin could only go this far.
This was the best course of action for her.
She felt pity for Bai Xin, guilt, admiration, and now even a Marking bond.
Just a few encounters had already shaken her. If they were to get married and be together… even a contract marriage, with too much time spent together, she saw a hint of danger.
She was afraid she’d sink into it.
Indulging in lilies is poisonous.
Cheng Jiqing slowly walked out of the room, leaving the door open. Tang Jia had said she might need checking on within the next two hours. The T-shirt she was wearing had been soaked through back in the bathroom.
She didn’t feel sleepy, nor particularly tired; instead, she felt alert, almost excited/stimulated.
But the sticky sweat made her uncomfortable all over. Lying on the sofa wasn’t right, nor was sitting.
She figured Bai Xin must be uncomfortable too, sleeping drenched in sweat like that.
Thinking this, Cheng Jiqing carefully went back into the room to check on Bai Xin.
The Omega’s forehead still had beads of sweat; she didn’t look comfortable. Cheng Jiqing ultimately went to the bathroom.
The white towel lay scattered on the floor. Memories from the small space instantly flooded her mind. The stool Bai Xin had knelt on was still under the sink. She moved the stool away.
She rinsed the towel again with warm water.
Then returned to Bai Xin’s room.
Her gaze fell upon the person on the bed, and she flinched slightly. Perhaps because it was hot, the air conditioning blanket originally covering Bai Xin’s legs had been kicked away.
Bai Xin’s dress today only reached above her knees to begin with. Coupled with her lying on her side, Cheng Jiqing’s eyes could only see two legs, white as lotus roots.
Her hand unconsciously clenched tightly.
It was as if she could still recall the soft, silk-like touch, and how the Omega’s knees were also damp with sweat then… Cheng Jiqing also remembered that day at the villa, they were standing, her hand gripping the upper section of that lotus root, sweat sliding from above it into the crook of her thumb…
The Omega’s lily fragrance repeatedly dragged her consciousness back to damp memories.
Cheng Jiqing suppressed her restless aura, walked forward, and gently lifted the hem of the dress to cover the whiteness.
Bai Xin was lying on her side, making it inconvenient for her to wipe. She could only lean down lower.
But after wiping Bai Xin’s face, she herself was covered in another layer of sweat.
Cheng Jiqing let out a long sigh of relief when she left the room. Although Tang Jia said her and Bai Xin’s pheromones could soothe each other’s heat and restless periods.
Cheng Jiqing felt it was better not to have this kind of soothing.
It was quite uncomfortable too.
She thought she’d wait another two or three hours until Bai Xin fully recovered, then leave.
Anyway, Tang Jia said as long as the fever broke, she’d be fine.
Cheng Jiqing returned to the living room, sitting on the sofa covered in sweat. She really couldn’t sit still.
She got up, gently closed Bai Xin’s room door slightly, then walked into the bathroom…
Bai Xin groggily opened her eyes. She was a light sleeper and had woken up when Cheng Jiqing came to wipe her sweat.
She glanced at the closed bedroom door, sat up in bed. Having slept for a while, she felt somewhat better, though her legs still felt weak.
Bai Xin opened the door and heard the faint sound of a shower. Her movements paused.
Bai Xin didn’t step out, just leaned against the doorway for a moment.
But after only ten seconds or so, she couldn’t stand anymore and went back to lie down on the bed. This time, however, the door wasn’t closed. So she stared at the white ceiling above, listening to the pitter-patter of water.
—She wanted to shower too, but she had no strength.
—Cheng Jiqing wouldn’t help her shower either.
This random thought popped up, and Bai Xin herself found it incredible. Since when did Cheng Jiqing’s name appear in her thoughts so readily?
And such murky thoughts at that.
Cheng Jiqing came out after a quick shower. Finding Bai Xin’s room door open, she went in and met Bai Xin’s eyes, half-closed from fatigue.
Beautifully languid.
“Has the fever gone down?” Cheng Jiqing went to get the thermometer.
Bai Xin watched her. Her hair was wet from the shower, and a single glistening drop was trickling down. In the time it took Bai Xin to blink, the drop fell right in.
It didn’t even trace her collarbone; because Cheng Jiqing was bending over, it fell directly into her chest.
Bai Xin opened her lips: “There are new ones in the cabinet.”
“37.9, slightly better… What?” Cheng Jiqing straightened up.
“Pajamas. Underwear too.”
“…Oh, no need.”
“It’s damp. Isn’t it uncomfortable?”
“…”
Her expression didn’t change much. Cheng Jiqing couldn’t tell for a moment if Bai Xin was referring to her outer clothes or inner clothes.
Of course, both inside and out were damp.
And indeed uncomfortable.
“It’s fine. I’ll leave once you’re a bit better. I’ll change when I get back,” Cheng Jiqing said.
Bai Xin looked at her for a few seconds: “Cheng Jiqing, are you trying to run away?”
Cheng Jiqing: “…You can’t just say things like that.”
Making her sound like a scumbag who hits and runs.
But right now, putting some distance between them so everyone could calm down was more appropriate. Mainly, she hoped the client, Miss Bai, could calm down.
Cheng Jiqing stated decisively3: “You’re fine now, it’s not appropriate for me to stay.”
Bai Xin remained silent for a moment. “Suit yourself.”
Cheng Jiqing saw that face looked unhappy again. She averted her gaze, put down the thermometer. “I poured you a glass of warm water, drink some. Sleep early, I’m going out now.”
The door closed.
Bai Xin turned her gaze sideways to the glass on the table, wisps of steam rising from it.
Cheng Jiqing was deliberately creating distance between them.
Did her words really scare Cheng Jiqing that much? She had guessed Cheng Jiqing would refuse, but thought it wouldn’t be with such resistance.
Now it seemed she had thought wrong.
This person was different from anyone she had ever met.
Cheng Jiqing’s tolerance and gentleness had led her to misjudge. She thought this matter would be simple.
Bai Xin looked towards the window. Listening closely, she realized it really was raining outside.
She felt a bit stifled.
At the same time, the thought in her heart grew stronger. She thought again, Cheng Jiqing wasn’t necessarily completely uninterested in her. At least in that moment, she had seen desire in Cheng Jiqing’s eyes in the mirror.
But so what?
Cheng Jiqing hadn’t agreed.
Her fearlessness born of reliance4 seemed to suddenly become just fear.
This fear wasn’t exactly panic, just that things had deviated from her expectations, leaving her somewhat caught off guard5.
Now that person was about to be scared off by her. She had to make her understand that she wasn’t that scary, nor that fierce.
She really just—needed her.
Not wanted to eat her alive.
Although her clothes were still dirty, showering felt much better. Cheng Jiqing sat on the sofa outside for a while, drowsiness slowly creeping in.
She had a dream. She dreamed she was passing through a time tunnel during transmigration. Everything from the novel flashed before her eyes like movie scenes, one after another.
For a moment, it was like a revolving lantern6.
She suddenly heard an unfamiliar yet familiar mechanical voice by her ear—Prevent the villain’s blackening7, achieve self-redemption.
She thought, why would Bai Xin still undergo blackening?
Bai Xingxing was in the Special Management Office, Cheng Jing had handed the collaborative project to Bai Xin, and Bai Zhaoliang couldn’t possibly do anything to Bai Xin in the short term. Could it be because something else would happen to the Bai family later?
Or was there something else about Bai Xin she didn’t know?
Her second thought was, why would Bai Xin’s blackening be linked to her own life?
Although she hadn’t agreed to the contract marriage with Bai Xin, they weren’t exactly enemies now, right?
Was there something wrong with this System?
“Prevent the villain’s blackening, achieve self-redemption.”
“Prevent the villain’s blackening, achieve self-redemption.”
“…”
This was the third time Cheng Jiqing heard that voice, sharper than before, as if something had provoked this System voice.
Cheng Jiqing couldn’t help but wonder, could it be because she rejected Bai Xin’s proposal?
Would her refusal lead to Bai Xin’s blackening?
The moment this thought emerged.
The System voice beside her ear stopped.
Cheng Jiqing stood at the tunnel entrance, saying, “…What does getting married or not have to do with Bai Xin’s blackening? Don’t try to fool me.”
After she spoke, the voice started up again.
Cheng Jiqing covered her ears, but the sound seeped through her fingers, incredibly noisy. Cheng Jiqing started running frantically.
Suddenly, her foot slipped, and she fell from the tunnel—
She felt her body enveloped in lava, her entire being almost evaporated.
The System voice disappeared, but before her eyes was a sea of fire.
“Chengcheng! Chengcheng!”
Cheng Jiqing heard someone calling her. The voice was somewhat familiar; she vaguely recognized it as Cheng Jing’s.
She tried to get up, discovering her body had shrunk to about ten years old.
She couldn’t get up. Thick smoke choked her nostrils, making it hard to open her eyes.
Covering her mouth and nose, she couldn’t breathe at all. She felt suffocated, helpless.
Waves of heat washed over her.
The surrounding fire grew larger and larger. Cheng Jiqing didn’t want to die. She hadn’t lived enough yet; she hadn’t petted enough cats, her mansion was still under renovation, she hadn’t even started acting yet, several million in funds were just starting to show promise in the stock market…
If she had known, she would have agreed to marry Bai Xin. A contract was just a contract; at least she would have had a wife before dying.
Cheng Jiqing’s memories and thoughts were chaotic. She didn’t know what she was thinking, just panicked, random thoughts.
“Chengcheng!! Where are you?!”
Cheng Jiqing groggily opened her eyes, vaguely seeing the figure of a teenage Cheng Jing at the doorway, but the next second, she was pulled away by someone…
And so her hope vanished too.
Cheng Jiqing breathed heavily, feeling like she was about to die.
The fire was pressing down on her.
Then a pair of soft hands pulled her up. The woman wore a jade bracelet on her wrist. The woman wrapped her in clothes and carried her out.
The scene changed.
Her body size returned to normal. It was late at night. She stood at the kitchen doorway, surrounded by darkness. She heard people talking in the hallway.
She could vaguely make out two women.
“Remember, the Cheng family can only be yours. You don’t need to care whether Cheng Jiqing lives or dies!”
“I can’t do it.”
“I believe you can. You don’t want me to send her abroad, do you? Cheng Jing, don’t force me.”
“You can’t send her away!”
“If you care about her, then take over the Cheng family properly, do what needs to be done. Otherwise, I’ll make sure she doesn’t even get 5% of the shares. I’ll kick her out, understand?”
The woman’s voice was deep, her tone allowing no objection.
Cheng Jiqing saw the woman’s face revealed under the light and shadow. It was none other than the original owner’s Omega mother, Fu Rongjun8.
And the person she was talking to was the already adult Cheng Jing.
These two were clearly related to the original owner, but why did her heart ache so intensely?
Cheng Jiqing’s eyes reddened, her nails scratching the wall, crying silently.
But she clearly didn’t want to cry.
What she was thinking was—she actually had 5% of the shares.
Even if she cried, it would be tears of being deeply moved.
She thought the heartache wasn’t hers; it was because she was now in the original owner, caused by fragments of the original owner’s memories.
“Who’s there?”
The next second—
The people in the hallway suddenly looked towards her.
Cheng Jiqing’s breath hitched, a chill abruptly running down her spine. She ran out from the doorway, but someone grabbed her hand from behind. She tried to break free, yanking her hand back forcefully!
“Hiss— Cheng Jiqing?!”
A slight weight settled on Cheng Jiqing. The scent of lilies filled her nostrils. She gasped for breath, opening her eyes… meeting those beautiful eyes in the dim light.
Only then did she realize Bai Xin was lying on top of her, her hand still gripping Bai Xin’s.
“What did you dream about?”
Hearing the familiar voice, Cheng Jiqing’s heartbeat inexplicably calmed down. For a moment, she actually forgot to push the person off.
She looked into Bai Xin’s eyes and murmured, as if in a trance, “I dreamed I had 5% of the shares.”
“?”
The softness pressing beneath her chest brought Cheng Jiqing back to her senses. Heat rushed through her, and she instantly helped Bai Xin up.
“Are you okay now? What time is it?” Cheng Jiqing retrieved her phone from behind the sofa. It was already past five in the morning.
She glanced at Bai Xin, coughed lightly, and stood up from the sofa. “Since you’re okay, I’ll be leaving now.”
Bai Xin tilted her head slightly. “Hug me and leave?”
Cheng Jiqing initially wanted to explain, but then thought for a moment and said, “Right. Just consider me scum.”
“…?”
“Look how scummy I am. If you really enter a contract marriage or something with me, I might become even scummier.” Cheng Jiqing walked towards the entryway while grabbing her phone. “Don’t be fooled by how proper I seem now. If we really get married, who knows, maybe one day I’ll just lose control. Plus, your identity isn’t safe either. I have a big mouth, I might blabber randomly anytime.”
Bai Xin followed behind, hearing this, she let out a soft laugh. “Is that so?”
Without the sickly tone, her laugh was still light, carrying her unique faintness. In the pre-dawn quiet, it held a hint of bewitchment.
Cheng Jiqing lowered her head to put on her shoes. Hearing that laugh made her ears itch.
“Yeah, you don’t know me.”
Bai Xin’s mind conjured an image of Cheng Jiqing’s lips. Her lip shape was very nice, full-colored, always looking moist. As for size…
“I don’t know you.”
Cheng Jiqing finished putting on her shoes and looked up. Bai Xin’s gaze was on her lips. She heard Bai Xin say, “I’ll get the chance to know you.”
The author has something to say:
Neither female lead has a perfect personality, especially Bai-jie. Just clarifying this point again. Love you all~
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