Chapter 40: I'll Play With You

Ye Yaoyao didn’t rush to react; instead, she simply watched Yu Qingqing. Yu Qingqing grew uneasy under her gaze.

To be honest, Yu Qingqing looked down on Ye Yaoyao. She was nothing but a girl from an orphanage who had used her own body to gain everything she had now. So why did she still act so arrogant?

“What more do you want?”

“What more do I want?” Hearing the question, Ye Yaoyao couldn’t help but laugh. “What do you think I should want?”

Ye Yaoyao closed in on Yu Qingqing, her presence so overwhelming that Yu Qingqing instinctively retreated.

“You humiliated my best friend and even posted the video online, and now you’re asking me what I want?”

Ye Yaoyao’s eyes were cold. “I want you to kneel before me, to be scorned and insulted by everyone. Can you do that?”

Of course Yu Qingqing couldn’t do that. She was already panicking from being caught by Ye Yaoyao. And now, with Ye Yaoyao pressuring her like this, perhaps she could use this situation to her advantage...

As the thought flashed through her mind, Yu Qingqing’s eyes darted, and she suddenly grabbed Ye Yaoyao’s arm, preparing to throw herself to the ground. But her little trick had already been seen through. Ye Yaoyao gripped her firmly, her hand like a vice, holding Yu Qingqing so tightly she couldn’t move an inch.

“These petty tricks are better saved for someone else,” Ye Yaoyao said, making Yu Qingqing stand properly. “Apologize publicly, and don’t let the Ji family go after the Yu family again. Otherwise…”

Ye Yaoyao leaned in, lowering her voice, “I’ll tell the Ji family you’re not pregnant.”

At those words, Yu Qingqing looked at her sharply.

“You’ve already lost the Yu family. You don’t want to lose the Ji family as well, do you?”

The tables had turned. When Yu Wanqing needed something from Yu Qingqing, Yu Qingqing had been high and mighty, pushing her advantage. Now, Ye Yaoyao was giving her a taste of her own medicine.

“Fine, but this has to wait until after I marry Ji Yanxi.” Yu Qingqing agreed hastily.

Ye Yaoyao narrowed her eyes, changing her tone, “Yu Qingqing, do you really want to marry Ji Yanxi that much?”

“Of course, I love him,” Yu Qingqing said, raising her voice.

Naturally, Ye Yaoyao didn’t believe a word.

“Alright. You have one week to settle everything,” she said, turning and walking away.

A week was tight, but not impossible.

At first, Yu Qingqing didn’t understand Ye Yaoyao’s intentions, but then she realized Ye Yaoyao was clever. After all, she was about to become the young mistress of the Ji family. Offending her would mean offending the entire Ji family.

Once that was taken care of, Ye Yaoyao brought some food to the hospital to visit Yu Wanqing.

“Uncle, I’m here. I brought you something to eat. You must be hungry, right?” Ye Yaoyao said with a smile.

“Wanqing’s been busy this whole time, either peeling apples or tidying up. I get tired just watching her,” Uncle Yu said affectionately, giving her a fond look. He took the food and handed the first portion to Yu Wanqing.

“Dad, you’re the one who’s sick. Stop worrying about me,” Yu Wanqing said helplessly.

“I’m fine,” he replied.

Ye Yaoyao pulled Yu Wanqing aside to chat. “I went to see Yu Qingqing today.”

“She didn’t give you any trouble, did she?” Yu Wanqing asked, concerned.

“She’s lucky I didn’t give her any trouble.” Ye Yaoyao tilted her chin, then explained everything she knew.

When Yu Wanqing heard it all, her eyes widened in shock. “What?”

Ye Yaoyao pressed a finger to her lips, and Yu Wanqing immediately nodded.

Yu Qingqing acted quickly. Under pressure and temptation, she scheduled her wedding with Ji Yanxi for the very last day of the deadline Ye Yaoyao had given her.

Once that news broke, the internet buzzed again, and even more people began to criticize Yu Wanqing.

Since she wasn’t really pregnant, Yu Qingqing kept trying to use the same tactics on Ji Yanxi. But since she had to keep up the act, every time they got close, Ji Yanxi managed to restrain himself!

Yu Qingqing was about to explode with frustration. She was an adult and had her own needs.

Yu Qingqing wasn’t a fool. While spending time with Ji Yanxi and accompanying him to various events, she never forgot to cultivate connections. But the relationship she most wanted to establish was with Shen Yan.

If someone like Ye Yaoyao—an orphan with no family—could catch Shen Yan’s eye, then surely she, who bore the blood of the Yu family, could as well.

Yu Qingqing believed she was no worse than Ye Yaoyao.

Of course, she didn’t dare act recklessly. If she could connect with Shen Yan, all the better; if not, she still had Ji Yanxi. The “child” in her belly was Ji Yanxi’s Achilles’ heel.

It was a gathering of brothers, which normally shouldn’t include women, but Yu Qingqing insisted on coming. If she wasn’t allowed, she’d throw a tantrum, claiming it was bad for the baby. Ji Yanxi could only bring her along.

Bai Moxian called Ji Yanxi and Shen Yan aside.

“Yanxi, what’s going on with you?” Bai Moxian asked seriously. “I don’t mean to be harsh, but that woman Yu Qingqing is trouble. She’s not right for you.”

Ji Yanxi was notoriously messy in matters of the heart, but he himself was guileless. Yu Qingqing, on the other hand, was calculating and would have him completely under her thumb.

Ji Yanxi sighed. “I don’t want this either, but I have no choice.”

“No choice?” Shen Yan frowned. “If there’s no choice, make one.”

He didn’t like Yu Qingqing either.

“It doesn’t matter. Marriage is marriage, whoever it’s with,” Ji Yanxi said, downing his drink in one gulp. “Besides, she’s carrying my child. For the child’s sake, I have to go through with it.”

“For the child’s sake?” Bai Moxian and Shen Yan exchanged glances, each understanding the other’s thoughts. “You need to be careful with something as serious as a child. Genes are for life, after all.”

Ji Yanxi didn’t answer.

Shen Yan frowned, sensing something was off. Ji Yanxi was a notorious playboy—would he really take responsibility just because someone was pregnant? If that were the case, he would have settled down long ago. Clearly, something was wrong here.

The Ji family was powerful. If they wanted to keep something secret, it wouldn’t be easy to investigate. For example, the news of Yu Qingqing’s pregnancy only got out because they allowed it.

“What’s with you? Marriage is a good thing!” Ji Yanxi forcibly changed the subject. “What’s wrong, are you jealous that I’ll be the first one of us three to get married?”

“Technically, it should be Shen Yan,” Bai Moxian replied truthfully.

“That doesn’t count. That was just child’s play,” Ji Yanxi retorted—only to be silenced a moment later by a warning look from Shen Yan.

Shen Yan hadn’t denied that relationship yet. Who was Ji Yanxi to dismiss it?

Ji Yanxi immediately shut his mouth.

“Yanxi, what are you all talking about?”

Yu Qingqing came over at that moment, her wide, innocent eyes darting pointedly to Shen Yan several times. No wonder so many girls dreamed of him—he was flawless in every way.

Ji Yanxi steadied her. “You’re pregnant, don’t wander around. There are a lot of people here; you might get bumped.”

“I’m not that fragile,” Yu Qingqing said with a laugh, covering her mouth. “It’s boring over there; I don’t know anyone. Let me stay with you.”

“What are you doing hanging out with us men?” Ji Yanxi frowned.