Big Boss – Chapter 1

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WARNING: MTL

This novel explores explicit themes and contains mature content suitable for audiences aged 18 and above.

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Dead Yet Alive

A thick black fog filled the air in front of her, as the clear blue sky of the morning violently swirled into a huge vortex, swallowing the sunlight.

Death is not an instantaneous matter. Ye Youqing felt weak in her body, yet she could sense the dizziness brought on by the peeling away of her soul, accompanied by screams from the crowd that made one’s head spin.

She couldn’t help but sigh, truly, prolonged insomnia does indeed lead to eternal sleep.

Darkness, as imagined, arrived on schedule. Ye Youqing quietly closed her eyes.

Time slowly passed, and the anticipated death did not come. Instead, the sensations throughout her body became increasingly pronounced, and the dizziness in her brain gradually turned into a tearing-like pain. She furrowed her brows and tentatively opened her eyelids.

In front of her eyes magnified was an incredibly beautiful face, only it seemed to be in some pain, with the cherry lips bitten to bleeding, and the eyes full of misty tears, trembling as they made eye contact with her.

Surprise made Ye Youqing stiffen, the touch in her hands was wet, soft, and slippery. Glancing down, she was gripping the slender neck of the woman harshly.

She sharply inhaled, hastily trying to retreat, but before she could let go, she heard a man’s stern shout: “Ye Youqing, have you lost your mind!”

Then came a strong push, and she suddenly felt lighter, only to then fiercely fall onto something, rolling onto the ground.

Around there were a few flickering candle lights, beside her seemed to be a row of open lattice windows, letting in several slants of the evening sunlight, casting orange-yellow shadows on her face.

Ye Youqing sharply inhaled, subconsciously covering the forehead that was fiercely hit. Amidst her surprise, anger surged up; never in her life had she been physically assaulted.

Suddenly, she heard a woman’s scream from above her head, followed by a soft, warm voice still tinged with sobbing.

“Miss Ye, she…”

Miss Ye? Ye Youqing looked up doubtfully, but the scene in front of her made her body tremble slightly.

She had just been pushed down, lying on the ground in a vulnerable position, with the skirt and sleeves of her dress too long, tightly wrapping around her limbs. As her gaze slowly moved up, a man and a woman came into view.

The man was dressed in a black robe embroidered with dark patterns, with a piece of jade carved with a dragon pattern hanging from his waist. He was tall and well-built, with a high nose bridge and thick, dark eyebrows that extended into his hairline, very handsome.

However, what attracted more attention was the woman beside him. Ye Youqing had never seen such a beauty before. She was wrapped tightly in a narrow-sleeved, short top, yet it was clear she had a graceful figure. Her fingertips were slightly pink, clenched tightly at her side.

Her lips were slightly parted, glossy and bright, her skin as white as snow-covered plum blossoms. The most commendable were her eyes, slightly upturned like a fox, moist and full of allure.

When her tear-streaked eyes met with Ye Youqing’s, a trace of obscure darkness flashed through them.

Was I just strangling her? Ye Youqing looked down, desperately hiding her surprise.

What’s most important now is where she is? The intense pain in her head was too real, allowing her to immediately determine that this was definitely not a dream, and even had a sort of blurry familiarity.

The man seemed worried and quickly squatted down, stretching out his hand with protruding joints, and said with concern, “Qingqing?”

He had just hit her, and now he’s calling her with such affection? A flash of anger crossed Ye Youqing’s mind, and suddenly she lifted her hand, grabbed the man’s little finger, and fiercely twisted it to one side.

A cry of pain sounded, the man hadn’t expected Ye Youqing to fight back, and quickly jumped up, staggering a few steps, pulling his hand away.

“Qingqing!” He was half angry and half astonished, but then he remembered it was he who had made the first move, so his expression changed for a while, and he finally managed a gentle smile.

No one has ever called her that, Ye Youqing thought amid the severe pain. Her parents were always serious and only called her by her full name. After taking over the company, everyone called her President Ye.

Moreover, she disliked the aura of this man. Ye Youqing watched the two warily, enduring the pain as she slowly got up and sat in a mahogany armchair.

The decor and clothing here were clearly ancient. How did she end up here?

When the situation is unclear, remaining silent is best. This is one of the many truths Ye Youqing has learned in her twenties.

“Qingqing, I had no intention of hurting you, but Ci Ke is frail. How could you push her like that…” The man’s tone was reproachful, “Thus I extended my hand to separate you, not thinking that as someone who practises martial arts, I would accidentally hurt you so badly. Ci Ke, go call the doctor quickly.”

Upon hearing this, it was as if a thunderclap exploded inside Ye Youqing’s head, causing her to glare fiercely.

Zhou Ci Ke? Zhou Ci Ke!

She finally remembered where that familiar feeling came from. The current situation overlapped perfectly with a novel her company had signed, which, although rooted in history, was an abusive novel full of unrequited love and brutal violence.

And the female lead shared her name, also called Ye Youqing, who, despite being the legitimate daughter of the Duke’s family, was not favored and was deeply in love with General Qin Wang.

Unfortunately, Qin Wang only used her as a stepping stone. Thus, after the female lead married into his family, he treated her coldly in every way, ultimately leading to her family’s destruction and her own ruin amidst court intrigues.

What really infuriated Ye Youqing was that, after such brutally inhumane treatment, the story ended with Qin Wang finally turning over a new leaf, and the two of them lived happily ever after together.

Ridiculous! So ridiculous that Ye Youqing almost tore up the contract, but considering the novel’s popularity, she held back.

Who would want to fight with money?

Looking up, the woman called Zhou Ci Kee had already lost her look of vulnerability. She played with a strand of her hair with both hands, slightly raising her eyebrows as she sized Ye Youqing up, making her, even Ye Youqing, feel unexpectedly uncomfortable, as if thorns were on her back, causing her to frown.

In the novel, Zhou Ci Ke was a complete vixen and a malicious supporting character who targeted the female lead because of the male lead. Born into a family of convicted criminals and having suffered much due to her slave status since childhood, even though she had been freed from slavery, she had developed a venomous and ruthless nature.

When Ye Youqing looked toward Qin Wang, Zhou Ci Ke suddenly pursed her lips, the darkness in her eyes quickly disappearing, replaced instead by a layer of mist. In a soft voice, she said, “General Xiaoqin, have you forgotten? The Duke’s Household has never welcomed a lowly slave like me.”

She was pretending, Ye Youqing frowned.

Everything was exactly like in the novel, could it be that she herself…

This was utterly ridiculous, yet the scene and physical sensations were too real, leaving no other explanation.

Fortunately, long-standing business competition had cultivated in Ye Youqing a demeanor as unflappable as Mt. Tai in the face of collapse, ensuring that, no matter the situation, self-preservation was paramount.

“No need.” Ye Youqing suddenly spoke up, her voice low and cold. Everyone in the room was startled and turned their gaze toward Ye Youqing.

Ye Youqing’s headache intensified, it felt as if a wound was tearing open from her forehead, splitting across her whole body, causing her pain almost to the point of screaming. She had to lower her head and prop herself up with her wrist, saying, “It’s just a minor injury, no need.”

Qin Wang looked at Ye Youqing, then at Ci Ke, his thick eyebrows slightly raised, his little finger, still in pain, slowly stroking, as if he was deep in thought.

This legitimate daughter of the Duke’s Household was always easy to control, yet now she seemed quite changed. However, Ye Youqing kept her head down the entire time, preventing him from gleaning any clues from her bright eyes.

“But today I am to propose marriage, later you need to attend…”

“I want to rest.” Ye Youqing interrupted him. She slowly raised her head, her gaze sweeping over Qin Wang and then turning to Ci Ke. She saw that Ci Ke was still staring at her unblinkingly, her eyes carrying a repelling scrutiny.

Everything was a mess. An engagement? Ye Youqing knew how dangerous this man was, daring to lay a hand on her even before they were married.

If they were truly married, it would be beyond redemption.

And Ci Ke was no easy opponent either. Now, the most important thing was to get them to leave, to figure out what exactly happened.

The concern on Qin Wang’s face remained unchanged. As usual, he reached out to touch the top of Ye Youqing’s head. Although this action was not proper etiquette, everyone knew that the legitimate daughter of the Duke’s Household was infatuated with him and wouldn’t talk too much about it. And Ye Youqing would usually submit to his care, no longer angry.

But this time, the gentle lady did not move towards his palm but suddenly leaned back, frowning in disgust.

Qin Wang’s hand froze in mid-air, and he looked up in surprise, ignoring the sudden irritation in his heart. He awkwardly withdrew his hand, his voice turned colder, somewhat threatening: “Ye Youqing.”

Ye Youqing, although she loved him, also feared him, and he was clear about this.

It’s just that he didn’t know the Ye Youqing of today had already changed her core, merely thinking he was disgusting.

“I am a bit tired, I want to rest.” Ye Youqing also emphasized her tone, the headache making her increasingly irritable. Her gaze turned even colder, not allowing for any interjection, her fingertips pointing towards the main door.

Qin Wang had never been driven away like this before. Clenching his teeth, his eyes gradually became fierce. After standing for a while, he finally managed a forced smile, nodded, and left.

The room quieted down, and suddenly, Ye Youqing realized that the woman was still standing far away, not having moved.

“Why haven’t you left yet.” Ye Youqing, enduring the pain, spoke harshly.

The woman had already put away her fragile demeanor. She took steps forward, her embroidered shoes crossing under her skirt hem, slowly approaching, accompanied by a faint fragrance of makeup powder. Strangely, this scent seemed to alleviate her headache a bit.

But Ye Youqing didn’t like her eyes, harsh and with a hint of scorn.

“I don’t understand, Miss Ye, why you insist on marrying General Qin. The court values literature over martial prowess, and even if he has achieved great military exploits, he’s just a military general. How is he worth it?” Ci Ke slightly bent forward, and the distance between the two gradually closed.

Close enough for Ye Youqing to clearly see the red marks she had pinched on her delicate neck.

Her reddened nose was almost touching the flying strands of Ye Youqing’s hair, and her following words turned into a whisper.

“Moreover, you see, he can push you to the ground without hesitation; he doesn’t have you in his heart at all.”

Her gaze and words seemed to easily provoke anger. Ye Youqing paused, clenched the back of the chair tightly, and coldly said, “Please leave.”

Ci Ke not only did not do as told but even put away her smile. With a gentle twist of her slender waist, she leaned close to her ear, the fragrance wafting over, making such a simple action filled with allure.

“I have never seen such a foolish woman like you, degrading herself, lowering her stance, fawning over such a person.”

Even Ye Youqing clenched her fists in anger at her bold and arrogant words, though Ci Ke had the backing of palace officials, but still, the female lead, no matter how out of favor, is the legitimate daughter of Duke Liang, her audacity was somewhat too grand.

This was exactly like her in the novel, no wonder her end was so tragic.

Just as Ye Youqing was about to speak, she caught Ci Ke’s gaze, and thus, hesitated slightly, swallowing back her retort.

It was really because in those tea-colored eyes filled with moisture, what flowed out was not malice, but rather some sad, indescribable emotions.

Like being disappointed in someone failing to meet expectations, like regret.

This woman seemed not to be entirely as written in the novel, Ye Youqing thought. However, just as she wanted to probe further, Ci Ke had already stepped back a few steps and stood there with her head bowed.

The intense headache attacked again, making it impossible for Ye Youqing to think any longer. She just wanted to be alone for a while, maybe after passing out and waking up, she would find herself lying in the infirmary.

Ye Youqing lifted her head to look outside the window, and couldn’t help but curse inwardly; there wasn’t even a single maidservant guarding the door.

She had no choice but to grit her teeth, stand up, and reach out to pull Ci Ke. Unexpectedly, that woman acted shamelessly, her body going limp as she sat down in another round-backed chair, hooking her lips and saying, “Miss Ye, don’t rush. There’s still an hour or two before the engagement banquet. We haven’t finished talking about the matters from before.”

The pain was making Ye Youqing lose her patience, especially since how could she know what had been discussed before?

“Are you leaving or not?” Ye Youqing said.

Ci Ke didn’t speak.

Ye Youqing reached out to grab her wrist and forcefully dragged her towards the door. Ci Ke bit her lip, being pulled by her and stumbling repeatedly, not knowing where she had bumped herself, suddenly cried out softly. Ye Youqing had no choice but to turn back, meeting her gaze.

It was the same expression as before, complex, regretful, eyes reddening, yet still unwilling to leave. The wrist she was clutching was slender and soft.

What on earth was this woman thinking? While Ye Youqing was annoyed, a trace of compassion emerged in her heart as she secretly gauged her own strength.

Then, sighing, she let go of the hand and suddenly moved closer.

Ci Ke, as if by reflex, raised her arms to protect her face, adopting a posture to dodge, seemingly convinced that Ye Youqing would attack her like before. But instead of the expected furious rage, what came was a pair of warm arms.

Ye Youqing unexpectedly, picked her up horizontally.

From the moment she stepped into this room, Ci Ke lost her composure for the first time. She looked in astonishment at the woman’s face close at hand—her expression calm and indifferent, with phoenix eyes half-closed, long eyelashes trembling slightly, thin lips tightly pursed, and rosy like a peach.

Ci Ke bit her lower lip tightly, seeming to notice the change in Ye Youqing. Her tea-colored pupils gradually covered with a layer of confusion.

Or maybe it was an illusion, but she actually felt a bit of gentleness in such an embrace.

Just as her thoughts settled, Ye Youqing cleanly and efficiently let go.

She threw her out.

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LP: New one! I hope you’ll like this one!

This was recommended by a reader, but I can’t remember who… My memory is that bad, I’m sorry!

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