Axin returned to that endless dark place; her drifting figure appeared in an instant on the broad jade stone. Silver Spirit popped up from who-knew-where, leapt onto her shoulder, and cocked its little blossom toward the faint smile on Axin's face.
"Axin, are you happy?"
Axin nodded and answered softly, "Mm."
She leaned against the jade, keeping that faint, contented smile for a long while. Silver Spirit hesitated for a moment and asked, "Did you remember anything?"
"What should I remember?" Axin asked.
"Then you didn't." The blossom on Silver Spirit curved. "There are lots of things. You always said one day you'd remember a lot. Every time you sleep, you forget almost everything you went through — you never remember."
Axin looked slightly curious. "Do you know why?"
"Of course." Silver Spirit shook its blossom. "You sealed it yourself. Never mind — whatever I say you'll forget anyway. I should be grateful you didn't seal my memories of you, otherwise you'd have lost me as a friend."
After a long while Axin closed her eyes with that faint smile and fell asleep.
How long she slept, she did not know. When she woke, her expression was calm; the happiness that had softened her face before sleep seemed never to have existed.
…
"Does it taste good?"
Axin answered reflexively, "Good." She opened her eyes and found herself sitting in a cake shop. A delicate small cake sat before her, topped with several fruits; the cream was pink and very pretty.
The sweetness of the cream still lingered in her mouth.
She raised her head to look at the pretty woman across from her: big wavy curls, slightly sharp brows, a high nose, lips painted bright red — altogether bright and glamorous. But the woman's eyes carried a trace of sadness; she kept looking at Axin, though Axin felt the woman was really looking through her at someone else.
She tried another small bite and tasted it properly — it was indeed very good. She liked human bodies: they could do so many things, and taste so many delicacies. She enjoyed this life.
"Tch…"
"How long has it been since you had cake?" Su Wan asked, curious that such a small slice could be savored like some rare delicacy. The thin, young girl in front of her — one glance as Su Wan drove past the cake shop made her stop, get out, and walk over.
She had thought this girl was someone she had in mind; on approaching she realized it was only someone who looked similar. Still, she couldn't help asking, "What are you looking at?"
"The cake." Su Wan was a little curious. This girl seemed about eighteen — would she wait here for so long for a slice of cake?
"If you like it, go buy one then."
"No money."
Su Wan felt a sting of surprise; she herself looked only two years older than the girl. "I'll buy it for you."
"That… that's not right, is it?" The girl's nervous, hopeful expression softened Su Wan. She took the girl's hand and led her inside the shop, picked the cheapest cake, and watched as the girl ate as if it were the most expensive dessert.
"Want another?"
Su Wan asked when Axin finished the slice.
Axin shook her head. One was enough. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Su Wan laughed lightly. "Why are you so determined to eat cake?"
"Today is my eighteenth birthday. I've never eaten it before — I wanted to see what it tasted like." Axin answered from memory; Su Wan was taken aback. Eighteen and never had cake? Pity tightened in her chest, but she had no interest in prying into someone else's life. Looking at the clean plate, her compassion would not be contained. "I'll buy you another."
Before Axin could reply, Su Wan opened her wallet and, by her own taste, chose a more expensive, beautiful cake. She wrapped it and pushed it across with a sincere, "Happy birthday."
"Thank you." Axin smiled faintly. This soul who had awakened her — she liked her. "I'll give you a gift on your birthday. My name is Qin Shen. What about you?"
"Su Wan."
"Can I have your number?" Axin took out a phone. "So I can give you a gift when it's your birthday."
Su Wan ought to have refused, but the girl's naïve look made her unwittingly give her number. Axin dialed; Su Wan saved the contact, thinking they would likely never meet again.
"I must go." Su Wan said.
"Goodbye."
Axin stood at the cake shop door watching Su Wan step into her heels, open her car door, and drive away. She looked at the cake box in her hand and wondered how it tasted; she rather wanted to eat it.
At that moment her phone rang.
"Very good. I'll arrange chances for your meeting. If you can make Su Wan fall in love with you, your mother can continue living in the Qin Villa." A cold voice on the line said, "Remember — you must make it happen. Otherwise, you and your mother move out to the street. If you do it, I can give you and your mother a quiet life forever; I'll never trouble you again."
"Go somewhere and wait. Later you'll need to appear; when it's time, I'll pick you up. Don't worry about your mother — I'll tell her you went to a gathering with me."
When the call ended, Axin found a seat and began to eat the cake she held. Her eyes narrowed a little — the cake was indeed quite good: sweet, fragrant.
The man who had called her called himself Qin Feng — the male lead in this small world, and Axin's half-brother in this body. Her mother was a second wife; she and her mother had never been liked by Qin Feng — indeed, he hated them. After their father died, Qin Feng's word became law in the Qin family; their lives worsened.
The original owner's mother was weak and, trying to please Qin Feng, kept lowering herself and thinking only of him, while mistreating her own daughter. In the mother's heart, Qin Feng mattered more than his biological daughter.
Now Qin Feng ordered Axin to attract Su Wan's attention and make Su Wan fall in love with her — ideally to become official so that Su Wan would give up on Ye Xiaoge.
Ye Xiaoge is the female lead in this world and is currently Qin Feng's girlfriend.
Ye Xiaoge and Su Wan have known each other since middle school. Ye Xiaoge is poor; from middle school through university she benefited from Su Wan's care. Over time Su Wan's feelings changed; when Su Wan confessed, Ye Xiaoge was pained. Shortly after saying yes, Ye Xiaoge met her destined man Qin Feng, and the two fell in love. Terrified of losing Su Wan but unwilling to miss true love, Ye Xiaoge first hid her choice, then confessed when she could no longer hide it, admitting she had tried but could not return Su Wan's feelings and could only be friends.
Though hurt, Su Wan never forced Ye Xiaoge. They returned to being best friends. Su Wan continued to treat Ye Xiaoge with unfailing kindness — sometimes compromising principles to comfort her. In many ways Su Wan is the gentle, ever-present second lead who loves the heroine wholeheartedly. The heroine knows such people exist: they are tender and constant, never the one she falls for, yet impossible to discard. When the heroine's love falters, they are the ones who appear. Such people always suffer when the heroine's romance succeeds.
The original girl in this body was timid but kind, craving parental and brotherly love. Her father disliked her; her mother cared only about the father and the half-brother. When threatened by Qin Feng, she struggled.
If she and her mother were really kicked out of the Qin house, she could work to survive — but her mother could not. This pitiable girl did not want to deceive an innocent person. In the end she decided to obey Qin Feng to repay her mother's last kindness.
When Axin appeared, the original girl agreed to give up control of her body without hesitation. Her only condition was that in her next life she would have a warm home — not wealth, only parents who loved her. She said to her current mother with a pale face: Please don't let her starve on the street.
She had come out at nine this morning; she did not need an excuse. When Qin Feng called Yu Meiyun (her mother) and told her to step out, Yu Meiyun would dress her up with a smile and send her — warning, "Listen to your brother. Don't make him angry."
Now it was five in the afternoon. Yu Meiyun had not called once; she seemed not worried. Would their daughter, usually so homebound, be in danger?
Axin sat on a riverside park bench nibbling the tastier, pricier cake — more fruit, prettier shape. When she finished, she tossed the box into a trash can and waited. Twilight fell; lights reflected over the water. Her phone rang.
She smoothed the folds of her skirt, gathered her faint smile, and walked toward a place where a tall, slim man in a suit waited. Even at night his outline suggested good looks.
"Big brother." Axin lowered her eyes and greeted Qin Feng in a voice that still made her seem the timid, disliked sister. "Get in the car."
She rode with Qin Feng, watching the window but not speaking. She did not wish to converse with that uninteresting soul. His aura irritated her; she feared she might, without trying, crush the soul whose presence repulsed her.
"Tonight is Xiaoge's birthday party," Qin Feng said, unmoved by Axin's silence. "You don't need to do anything. Sit quietly in a corner. If anything happens, don't panic — someone will help you." A faint smile touched his mouth. "She'll help you."
Axin understood: the "she" Qin Feng meant must be Su Wan. She felt curious about what scene awaited her — a forced drink? An assault? Already the soul in this body made her dislike being present.
"Understood."
Qin Feng mocked the obedient expression he saw and scoffed inwardly. Useless — nonetheless, useful for this task. If she truly could win Su Wan's favor, it would be a good result.
They entered a private room. People rose when Qin Feng came in. A fresh-faced woman clustered by many gazed at him and hurried forward. Ye Xiaoge smiled to see Qin Feng, clearly charming in a way that drew sympathy. She noticed Axin and blinked in puzzlement. "Who is she?"
"Qin Shen." Qin Feng introduced without explicitly saying the girl was his sister; those who knew it would understand, others might think her a relative. On hearing the surname Qin, Ye Xiaoge paid no mind and nodded at Axin, then pulled Qin Feng down to sit.
The crowd gathered around the pair.
Axin picked a seat in a corner — not too far, visible enough for people entering to spot her. Qin Feng wanted Su Wan to notice; Axin wanted to know why Su Wan had stirred the soul that woke her. Getting close to Su Wan might reveal what Su Wan desired; Axin came to fulfill Su Wan's secret wish: to make Su Wan happy.
The noise around her had nothing to do with her. She sat quietly until Su Wan pushed through the door. Su Wan saw her at a glance, surprised, but then looked away — her gaze fell on the most dazzling woman in the room, Ye Xiaoge.
"Xiaoge." Su Wan called; only Ye Xiaoge and Qin Feng caught the slight tenderness in her voice — to others they were merely best friends.
"Su, why are you late?" someone teased.
"Su, today is Xiaoge's birthday. As her best friend, what did you bring?" someone else joked. People joked about Su Wan's notoriously expensive, beautiful gifts — they envied someone with Su Wan as a friend.
Qin Feng's expression cooled when he heard talk of Su Wan; Ye Xiaoge tugged him, murmuring, "Qin Feng, Su Wan means no more than a friend now — we explained. We're just best friends."
He nodded, recalling his plan, then said softly, "Okay. Today is Xiaoge's birthday; let's not spoil it."
Ye Xiaoge relaxed when Su Wan arrived. Su Wan pulled out the gift she had prepared and, with a gentle look, said, "Happy birthday."
"Thank you, Su." Ye Xiaoge watched Su Wan sit aside as if avoiding intimacy. Guilt pricked her; she drew Su Wan closer. The considerate people made space. "Sing a song — it's been a while since we sang together."
Because of Ye Xiaoge's embarrassment, she forgot the jealous Qin Feng beside her. After singing, Qin Feng could not bear it and sent a text to Axin: "Go to the restroom."
Axin glanced at the message, stood, and instantly attracted attention. Ye Xiaoge asked, "Qin Shen, are you all right?"
"I'm going to the restroom," Axin answered lightly. Ye Xiaoge nodded, apologizing for not greeting her more properly.
Axin shook her head and left. Su Wan noticed and was mildly curious, but it wasn't enough to pry — they had only met twice today.
Following Qin Feng's instruction, Axin went to the restroom, stood before the mirror for five minutes, then emerged. Three drunken men approached. She narrowed her eyes but did not move. The men lounged up to her, leering.
"Little sister, all alone?"
Axin nodded once. "Mm."
"Come have some fun with us," one drawled.
She nodded again. So brisk a reply made the men blink. Had they misread things?
"What's your name?"
"Qin Shen," Axin answered obediently.
Their eyes exchanged a quick look. Remembering their employer's instructions, they only needed to harass the girl enough to make her cry — if someone came to her rescue, their mission would be done. Yet facing a calm, clean-eyed girl who simply sat with a small handbag, they were a bit baffled. She should have been afraid, should have tried to get away — instead she went along.
"Let's go up to a private room and play something fun," one suggested.
Axin glanced at the stairs. "What will we play upstairs?"
"Lots of fun. Whatever you want, the brothers will teach you."
She thought a moment and said, "Okay." Then she hung her small bag on her arm and went upstairs first. The three men were stunned. She actually went up? Something was off.
"Go up first. No matter how, make her cry and draw attention."
"Yeah. As long as she cries, we'll get paid. Take the money first."
They followed quickly, surrounding the small girl. Axin sat on the sofa, looking at them with pure, clean eyes as if asking, Aren't you going to play with me? Hurry up.
"Let's play cards."
"Gambling for money," another said with a spark in his eye. "Little sister wants to win money?"
Axin rummaged her bag. "I want to win, but no capital. I can't play."
"We'll lend you." The three chorused. Finally, some sign of life. They had a plan: let her lose a lot and cry.
"Okay."
A faint smile curved Axin's mouth. "Begin."
The three men rubbed their hands, confident. Handling a girl under twenty would be easy. They expected her to fall apart when she lost.
"Hey, the Qin girl who left earlier — has she come back?" someone murmured in a neighboring table. Su Wan, who had been sitting further away, heard the talk and looked up. She scanned and noticed the small figure missing. She thought of Qin Shen's surname and of earlier rumors about the Qin family, and concern flickered in her mind.
But she only felt a bit unsettled. Soon someone else came in from downstairs and whispered that the Qin girl had gone upstairs with three men — perhaps she was friends with them, they speculated. Ye Xiaoge continued singing; Qin Feng smirked and said, "If she likes to play, let her."
Su Wan sipped her drink, thinking of the afternoon encounter with Axin and feeling uneasy. That pure-looking girl should not be left to be mistreated. She stood, grabbed her bag, and said she was going to the restroom, then hurried out.
She climbed to the upstairs private rooms and knocked on a door.