Chapter 2: She Wants Something Different 

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

PREVIEW 2

breaking my rule, still 12 chapters left of WMQIDMA but I got curious

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Kong Huizhi looked somewhat stunned at Qin Shiyue. She thought Qin Shiyue would invite her to dance, not Lin Qingyi.

Kong Huizhi's intentions were very clear. Her invitation to dance did not surprise Lin Qingyi at all. What surprised her more was Qin Shiyue's invitation. Qin Shiyue, who was always hostile toward her, actually wanted to invite her to dance? Lin Qingyi could guess the intention behind Qin Shiyue's action, but she still felt surprised and curious. She did not make a choice immediately but looked at Qin Shiyue with great interest.

Lin Qingyi's curious and probing gaze made Qin Shiyue a bit uncomfortable. However, Qin Shiyue did not regret inviting Lin Qingyi to dance. She thought that as long as Lin Qingyi was not foolish, she would certainly not accept the invitations from both herself and Kong Huizhi. At the cusp of their divorce, if Lin Qingyi accepted Kong Huizhi's invitation, she would be inviting trouble. This woman, who usually loved to put on airs, would most likely not break her pretenses for Kong Huizhi.

As long as Lin Qingyi refused both of them, her objective would be achieved. At this moment, Qin Shiyue felt that inviting Lin Qingyi to dance was a brilliant and strategic move, preserving her dignity and grace while successfully disrupting the two of them.

Lin Qingyi was naturally a smart person. She knew she should stay as far away as possible from this newly divorced couple who were still trending on social media, otherwise, she would get caught up in their mess. Lin Qingyi did not quite understand Kong Huizhi's actions. If Kong Huizhi truly liked her, it seemed too hasty to approach her just a few days after the divorce. Even if she did not dislike her, and even if she had some interest in her, she would not get involved with her at this time, to avoid speculation about whether she was a factor in their divorce. Cherishing her own reputation, she found Kong Huizhi's actions distasteful. Kong Huizhi seemed smart enough to understand this logic, so Lin Qingyi highly doubted the sincerity of Kong Huizhi's affection and wondered if she was using her to completely rid herself of the second Young Miss of the Qin family.

Kong Huizhi's affection for Lin Qingyi was genuine, her impatience was real, and her desire to make Qin Shiyue completely give up on her was also true. She knew that Lin Qingyi would certainly not accept her invitation at this moment. She was merely planting the seed early, letting Lin Qingyi know that she had intentions of pursuing her. The seed did not need to sprout immediately; it could be cultivated carefully when the time was right.

Lin Qingyi naturally would not tarnish her reputation for irrelevant people. Just as she was about to refuse both Qin Shiyue and Kong Huizhi, she noticed a trace of smug satisfaction in Qin Shiyue's eyes. This small triumph in Qin Shiyue's eyes was somewhat annoying to Lin Qingyi. It was clear that Qin Shiyue was convinced she would reject them. Refusing on her own accord was one thing, but following the script laid out by someone else, making her feel manipulated, was another matter entirely.

Moreover, Lin Qingyi suddenly remembered something, making her even more unwilling to follow Qin Shiyue's plan. If she accepted Kong Huizhi, Qin Shiyue, this foolish woman, would be more hostile toward her. However, she did not care much about Qin Shiyue's opinion of her. She found this typical response too mundane and wanted to try something different. The next moment, she placed her hand on Qin Shiyue's, accepting her invitation.

Qin Shiyue stared in disbelief at Lin Qingyi's hand that had appeared on hers. She was so surprised that she stood there in a daze for several seconds. Lin Qingyi, she actually wanted to dance with her?!

Kong Huizhi also expected Lin Qingyi to reject both her and Qin Shiyue. Lin Qingyi's acceptance of Qin Shiyue's invitation completely exceeded her expectations, leaving her momentarily stunned. Kong Huizhi had liked Lin Qingyi for quite some time and paid considerable attention to her in private, so she had some understanding of her. She knew that accepting Qin Shiyue's invitation was not Lin Qingyi's usual behavior. This indicated that Lin Qingyi had no affection for her, preferring to associate with Qin Shiyue to distance herself from her. It also suggested that she had more favorable feelings toward Qin Shiyue than her.

Kong Huizhi was skilled at concealing her emotions. Although she felt quite uncomfortable inside, she quickly returned to normal after her initial surprise. She stepped away from them, seemingly respecting Lin Qingyi's choice and maintaining her own poise.

Seeing the stunned expressions on both Qin Shiyue and Kong Huizhi's faces, Lin Qingyi felt a small sense of joy. Why should they be allowed to trouble her, but not the other way around?

"Not dancing?" Lin Qingyi raised an eyebrow and asked, seeing that Qin Shiyue was still in a daze. Although Qin Shiyue was indeed beautiful, her mind seemed a bit slow, and her reactions were worrisome.

“It's an honor," Qin Shiyue responded insincerely with a forced smile after snapping back to reality. She wondered what was wrong with Lin Qingyi today. Wasn't this woman always pretending to be pure and untouchable like a lotus blooming out of mud? Although Qin Shiyue was reluctant to admit it, she had to acknowledge that she was prone to controversy. Being associated with her inevitably attracted attention. Lin Qingyi's behavior seemed out of character compared to her usual persona.

After receiving Qin Shiyue's response, Lin Qingyi smoothly wrapped her arm around Qin Shiyue's waist. Qin Shiyue was wearing a backless evening gown, so Lin Qingyi's hand directly touched the exposed skin of her waist.

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232

Lin Qingyi's proactive gesture caught Qin Shiyue off guard. Moreover, her waist was a sensitive area, and the touch sent a strange sensation through her. Qin Shiyue instinctively flinched, regretting her choice of a backless gown. If she had known things would turn out this way, she would never have worn it. Despite being married to Kong Huizhi for three years, Kong Huizhi had never touched her waist or back like this. Now, her rival was touching her, and Qin Shiyue felt like dying.

However, Qin Shiyue did not want to make it too obvious. She had to suppress her urge to escape Lin Qingyi's touch, trying hard to ignore the warmth of the palm pressed against her lower back. She needed to appear calm and indifferent. Yet, her stiff body betrayed her; it was clear that she was not as composed as she seemed.

Qin Shiyue tried to appear calm, but her stiffness was too obvious. Lin Qingyi thought this was a reaction of disgust to her touch. Lin Qingyi chuckled inwardly; as an actress, Qin Shiyue's acting was really terrible. However, she enjoyed seeing Qin Shiyue endure despite her aversion. Moreover, Lin Qingyi was surprised by how smooth and supple the skin beneath her palm felt. Ironically, she didn't mind the sensation at all. To deliberately annoy Qin Shiyue, Lin Qingyi let her hand slide slightly on the delicate skin. The movement was subtle, not overtly intentional, but seemed like an unavoidable part of dancing.

Unable to ignore the hand on her lower back, Qin Shiyue was acutely aware of every subtle movement of Lin Qingyi's hands. She felt goosebumps forming on her skin. At this moment, she couldn't distinguish whether she liked or disliked Lin Qingyi's touch. However, her body was sensitive, and Qin Shiyue had always known this about herself. She sensed that beneath her skin which had never been touched by anyone, lay turbulent waves of emotion.

At 28 years old, a popular actress in the entertainment industry, married for three years but still a virgin—no one would believe it if she said so. Kong Huizhi's remark about being like sisters had condemned her to three years of celibacy. It's not that she didn't want to, but Qin Shiyue knew that if she were to make advances toward Kong Huizhi, she would likely be rejected. Rejection in love was one thing, but having her proud and self-respecting body rejected would shatter what little pride and dignity she had left. So, even if she harbored wild desires inside, Qin Shiyue forced herself to remain chaste and virtuous, suppressing her desires and becoming a pure-hearted nun.

Thoughts of her ex-wife saddened Qin Shiyue once again, but the peculiar sensation on her lower back brought her thoughts back to the present.

At this moment, Qin Shiyue vaguely felt that Lin Qingyi's touch might be intentional, but Lin Qingyi's demeanor showed no signs of it. Qin Shiyue wasn't sure if she was just being overly sensitive. Lin Qingyi didn't seem like someone interested in women, and she might not be interested in men either. Qin Shiyue always felt that Lin Qingyi was like a narcissistic narcissus.

Author's Note:

Lin Qingyi: Did you feel it the first time you danced with me?

Qin Shiyue: Woman, your name is Narcissus.

Lin Qingyi: I think even Narcissus isn't as beautiful as me.