Confessions and Jealousies

“Why do I feel there’s something more to what she’s saying?”

Yu Lian was confused. Was there a connection between immortality and freedom? There shouldn’t be, right? Even without immortality, one could still be free.

“Second Miss, if there really was a mermaid in front of you, and you managed to catch her, wouldn’t you be eager to eat her for immortality?” Yu Lian asked hesitantly, feeling uncomfortable as if she were asking, ‘Are you going to eat me?’ It felt strange.

Bai Muya’s hand slowly moved across Yu Lian’s lips. Leaning close to her ear, she whispered, “Of course. If there were such a good opportunity for immortality right in front of you, wouldn’t you be tempted?”

Yu Lian opened her mouth and bit down on the playful finger, wanting to retaliate against the thought of being eaten. But she quickly realized that Bai Muya had no idea of her true identity, and her anger dissipated.

“Good girl, have I conquered you? Why are you licking my hand like a dog? Although I’m happy you’re being so obedient, I prefer you to be a bit more stubborn. That would be more interesting.”

Bai Muya’s fingers moved deftly, her face filled with a playful smirk. Yu Lian spat out the finger and reached for Bai Muya’s thigh.

Bai Muya watched calmly, confident that Yu Lian wouldn’t dare do anything. Sure enough, just as Yu Lian’s hand was about to touch the skirt covering her leg, she changed her grip into a massage, helping to relax the muscles.

“Oh, were you just trying to give me a massage? I thought you were going to grab me. Your grip was so strong; it made me nervous.”

“Second Miss, you must have been mistaken. I saw you looking tired, so I wanted to help relieve your leg fatigue. I didn’t mean to be aggressive.”

“Is that so? Then keep going, a bit more to the left, no, higher, no, the right leg, stronger, higher. Ah～ right there, that feels good～”

Yu Lian’s arms were numb from the massage.

With so many demands, she wouldn’t do this again. But wasn’t the massage area a bit too high?

Yu Lian’s gaze shifted past Bai Muya’s shoulder and down. Not looking was better; looking made her uncomfortable, and the position was too risky.

Behind the bed.

Watching the two flirt, Bai Lingyi sniffled and clenched her fists, her eyes filled with sadness. She hugged her knees, quietly watching like a ghost.

‘This is good enough…’

‘This is good enough…’

‘As long as Second Miss is happy, my bitterness, sorrow, and pain don’t matter.’

Bai Lingyi comforted herself, but she still imagined herself the one holding Second Miss.

A faint red aura appeared.

A face with red aura almost broke through.

Yu Lian suddenly felt a chilling presence beside her, stimulating her sensitive nerves. She cautiously turned her head toward the bed and froze. A red-faced figure nearly made her scream.

Wow, that was close to a heart attack.

Who wouldn’t be scared seeing a face, especially a red one? The atmosphere instantly became eerie, like a ghost story.

‘Red aura…’

‘Lingyi’s face.’

‘What triggered Lingyi?’

Even without seeing the face, Yu Lian knew the aura belonged to Lingyi. Black aura for Yixiya, red aura for Lingyi; so far, she hadn’t seen any other colors.

She glanced down, pretending not to notice Lingyi, and was immediately overwhelmed. Lingyi looked so sad, her sorrow seeping into Yu Lian’s heart and mind, freezing her thoughts.

In a daze, she saw many things: young Lingyi caring for an even younger Second Miss, who was playful and mischievous. Lingyi served her diligently, never showing impatience, her pure smile free of any mixed emotions, or if there were, it was only a sisterly care, very innocent.

The scene shifted.

Years passed, and Lingyi became a tall beauty with curves, while Second Miss lacked her current assets, suggesting this was from a few years ago.

Lingyi, who had dutifully taken over the steward’s role from her mother, changed. Her gaze toward Second Miss held an unusual emotion. She smiled at Yixiya, who was clinging to Second Miss, but never chased her away. Yet, when she turned away, her face fell, and her fingers turned purple.

Yu Lian watched as Lingyi changed, her pure heart tainted with a color named Second Miss, the color of love.

Suddenly, everything faded.

Yu Lian awoke from her trance, returning to reality. Looking back at Lingyi, the red aura was gone, like a hallucination. But she knew it wasn’t; everything, including her flashbacks, was real.

Though she didn’t know what caused her to enter that strange state, she didn’t care. She only knew that Lingyi loved Second Miss, just like she did.

Her heart felt like it was being squeezed, and Yu Lian’s face paled. She no longer looked at Lingyi or cared about her current state. She bit her lips, straightening her head.

The romance hadn’t even begun, and she was already heartbroken.

Hah.

I guess I’m just not meant to be loved.

“Hey, hey, hey…”

“Yu Lian?”

“What are you spacing out for?”

“Don’t stop moving; I’m enjoying this.”

Bai Muya wriggled in her lap like a worm, disrupting Yu Lian’s already chaotic emotions. She looked at Bai Muya’s profile, wanting to slap her to vent her frustration.

What’s so great about you? Not only does Yixiya like you, but Lingyi admires you too. Besides your looks, what do you have? Your background? Yes, you have a background I can’t defy.

Yu Lian had never been so unsettled, hating someone so intensely. Maybe this was jealousy from an unrequited love, envying Second Miss’s treatment.

Yu Lian, Yu Lian, let go of these impossible dreams. You’re not the heroine of this story, so why keep hoping?

Let go of Lingyi.

Escape this gilded cage soon.