Chapter 10: Replacing Your Life (10)

Tong Ling didn’t linger long during her visit with Ye Huan this time. After retrieving his proxy contract, she decided it was time to head back and rest.

As soon as she rose from her seat, Lu Yue followed suit and approached her.

This prompted Tong Ling to cast him a curious glance. “Aren’t you going to stay longer with Ye Huan?”

The corners of Lu Yue’s mouth curled into a hint of mocking amusement. “If even his girlfriend doesn’t spare more time for him, why would I—a mere ordinary friend—bother staying any longer?”

“Ordinary friend?” Tong Ling felt a pang at the superficial friendship between these male leads. “Ye Huan considers you one of his closest buddies; that remark sounds rather cold-hearted.”

“Oh? Cold-hearted, does it?” Lu Yue leaned down, deliberately bringing his face close to Tong Ling’s ear. In a low voice, he whispered, “I thought you’d be pleased by this development.”

Tong Ling’s expression remained utterly unchanged. She merely tilted her head slightly, her tone filled with confusion as she asked, “What exactly are you talking about?”

Seeing that he hadn’t elicited the response he sought, Lu Yue stepped back with a touch of regret. “It seems… I truly hold no allure for you whatsoever.”

Lu Yue had always been confident in himself, and his past achievements bore testament to his exceptional abilities. But discovering that the woman before him held not even the slightest interest in him came as an immense blow—one he could hardly deny.

“I’m truly torn between letting you continue deceiving me or facing this new side of you as I do now.” After a moment’s contemplation, Lu Yue made his choice. “Indeed, seeing your true self is far better.”

He regained that captivating smile once more. “After all, you only act like this around me, don’t you?”

Tong Ling nearly applauded at his performance; one man could put on an entire show by himself—what need had he for her cooperation?

“What plans do you have moving forward?” Lu Yue asked with perfect composure. “Since your sister took your place to study abroad, will you now take hers in attending school here?”

School? This question… never even crossed Tong Ling’s mind.

In the U-A78 star system where she hailed from, acquiring knowledge was simply a matter of spending money to implant chips tailored to one’s interests. Schools were primarily designed for those aspiring to join the military. The educational institutions operated under a clear hierarchy, requiring both innate talent and proper lineage for admission—a privilege denied to commoners who could only access the most basic resources.

Tong Ling had once infiltrated such an academy for a business venture, successfully completing her mission but leaving herself with some lingering complications along the way. This experience dampened her interest in pursuing further education. Moreover, these small-world schools still clung to their outdated method of rote learning—the least efficient means of imparting knowledge.

Attending school held no benefit for her work as a substitute either. Why waste time there when it offered nothing relevant to her role?

“I really don’t want to go back,” Tong Ling said, furrowing her brow slightly. “Besides, impersonating my younger sister would be quite challenging.”

Unable to resist chiming in, m577 interjected:

How could this man be even more charming than Yu Yurou herself?

Lu Yue seemed to have anticipated Tong Ling’s response and promptly offered a solution. “Why don’t…you come intern at my company instead?” He continued with a considerate tone, “I can arrange for your school to acknowledge your absence. That way, once your internship is complete, you’ll return directly to campus for your thesis defense and receive your graduation certificate.” His expression clearly showed he was thinking of Tong Ling’s best interests. “After all, your sister will eventually come back; we wouldn’t want her to fail to graduate.”

Is Lu Yue openly trying to seduce her now?! Tong Ling marveled inwardly at his audacity—digging up potential recruits right after leaving the hospital! Hadn’t he thought about how the male lead might feel about this?

“You’re sure you want me to intern at your company?” she asked softly.

“That depends on what you desire,” Lu Yue replied sincerely. “As I’ve said before, the choice has always been yours to make.”

“My desires…” Tong Ling neither accepted nor rejected his offer outright. “I’d like to see if it’s truly suitable for me first. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Far from disappointment, Lu Yue appeared content with her reply. With a pleasant smile, he assured her, “Rest assured, I’ll ensure you’re well taken care of during your stay.”

The unspoken agreement hung between them as they settled into an ambiance that bordered on flirtatious harmony.

In this slightly ambiguous yet comfortable atmosphere, Lu Yue personally drove Tong Ling home—a gesture both courteous and subtly suggestive of his intentions.

“Feel free to call me anytime if you want to visit our company,” Lu Yue said.

Tong Ling nodded, then turned and ascended the stairs.

Watching Tong Ling’s figure recede into the distance, Lu Yue muttered with a mix of exasperation and dejection, “She really didn’t look back even once, huh?”

He doubted his charm had completely lost its effect—how foolish he’d been, waiting all this time in his car, hoping that perhaps Tong Ling might glance at him one last time. When did he become so infatuated?

Ding—

A text message arrived.

Lu Yue tapped open the notification:

Obeying the instruction, Lu Yue swung open his car door. As soon as he looked upward, he saw her standing on the second-floor balcony—a woman leaning out of an open window, smiling down at him. The streetlights were hazy under the night sky, and the moonlight offered little clarity, yet for some inexplicable reason, the woman’s smile was seared vividly onto his heart.

Ding—

Another text message chimed through.

Despite knowing it was an utterly clichéd ploy—one he himself had employed countless times before—Lu Yue found himself hooked again.

He lowered his head thoughtfully and replied earnestly:

With these words echoing in his mind, Lu Yue glanced up once more after receiving Tong Ling’s final message only to find that the woman by the window had vanished without a trace.

This time, Lu Yue didn’t linger. His face still bearing a radiant smile, he drove away from the scene, leaving behind any lingering doubts or regrets.

Tong Ling stepped from the balcony into the bedroom and immediately collapsed onto Yu Yurou’s large bed, diving into her overflowing social media messages.

Her innocuous post had garnered countless comments beneath it. Tong Ling casually selected a few—those from individuals with whom Yu Yurou maintained decent relations—and replied briefly before focusing on conversing with Song Xingyi, her second-most reliable backup option.

Ye Xu, her primary standby, wasn’t one for social media apps; he preferred calling over texting. Moreover, their relationship was still in its early stages of development. Deciding to let things evolve naturally, Tong Ling chose not to reach out just yet.

As for Lu Yue, who she’d just seen off, Tong Ling had no intention of maintaining long-term contact like Yu Yurou once did. With his true nature now exposed, ignoring him posed no further harm.

Only Song Xingyi remained—a young man wholly devoted to sending her message after message.

Upon opening the chat window, dozens of his texts appeared chronologically. Each asked about her recovery from illness or urged her to take care of herself, hoping she would heal soon.

The messages were genuine enough, but no matter how Tong Ling read them, they all seemed utterly devoid of interest or personality.

No wonder Yu Yurou found Song Xingyi both childish and clingy; what was the point of these dry, perfunctory texts?

Tong Ling, however, didn’t find fault with Song Xingyi’s messages because responding to them required no thought whatsoever. After a long day of work, she needed some puppy-like cuteness to unwind.

Almost instantly after sending her message, Song Xingyi responded:

In truth, Song Xingyi desperately wanted to visit Yu Yurou at the hospital—even though she hadn’t shared the address with him, it wouldn’t have been difficult for him to track down. Yet without explicit permission, he stubbornly resisted the urge to go see her.

Whenever around Yu Yurou, Song Xingyi always behaved himself impeccably.

Tong Ling replied.

She tapped on the camera icon, filming herself gently caressing Yu Yurou’s soft, powdery-white bedsheets for about ten seconds before directly sending the video to Song Xingyi.

There’s just nothing quite like one’s own bed compared to those in hospitals she added playfully.

Song Xingyi initially froze upon seeing the video, followed by a wave of embarrassment that flushed his face.

It was his first glimpse of Yu Yurou’s bed, and just as he had imagined—it exuded a sweet femininity unique to her. Even through the screen, he could almost feel its softness. The woman’s long, delicate fingers traced along the quilt with a gentle rustle, their sound particularly noticeable in the quiet night.

Involuntarily, Song Xingyi found himself fixated on those hands. The quilt is truly white—no wait, these hands are incredibly soft… Hold it! With a mental slap, Song Xingyi forcefully tore his gaze away from the short clip. How dare he let his thoughts wander like that towards Yurou-jie’s hand! He’d gone too far this time!

Feeling guilty, Song Xingyi glanced at his door, relieved only when he saw it securely locked. His heart skipped a beat until then.

This isn’t some paid adult film, he reasoned. With such innocent content, what should I be so nervous about?

Regaining composure, Song Xingyi remembered that tomorrow was Saturday—the weekend officially began for him. Seizing the opportunity presented by his legitimate day off, he hastily typed: [Tomorrow, can I come visit you?]

Tong Ling: [Come see me at my place?]

Song Xingyi hastily denied it, fully aware that such intimate spaces weren’t places one could casually visit. [No no no, I didn’t mean like that.]

Song Xingyi: [I’m fine with going anywhere you’d like; just let me accompany you.]

Tong Ling hadn’t expected this puppy-like young man to be so pure-hearted. [But my body isn’t fully recovered yet—I don’t feel up for much movement.]

The air instantly deflated from Song Xingyi’s lungs—had he been rejected again?

Tong Ling: [So why not come to my home after all?]

Tong Ling: [Here’s the location pic.jpg]

Song Xingyi: !!!

Caught off guard by this sudden turn of fortune, Song Xingyi responded as quickly as his fingers would allow: [Yes yes yes!]

Tong Ling: [There’s no need to arrive too early. Come by after 10 PM and give me a call when you’re here.]

Tong Ling: [See you tomorrow, Xingyi ^_^]

Song Xingyi: [See you tomorrow!]

After sending the message, Song Xingyi still seemed somewhat dazed. He reread their entire conversation once more to confirm he wasn’t dreaming—he had actually secured a date. Excitedly, he hugged his quilt and started doing victory rolls on his bed.

After his excited tumble, Song Xingyi’s fingers unconsciously tapped open that brief video once more. As he drifted off to sleep, even his dreams seemed filled with seductive visions…

Meanwhile, Tong Ling was preparing for tomorrow’s date. She opened Yu Yurou’s wardrobe, picked out several sets of nightgowns, and began trying them on before the full-length mirror.

“Hmm… Which one looks best?” Tong Ling held up a silk nightgown against herself. “This set has such a smooth drape.”

m577 recoiled in shock.

Tong Ling replied matter-of-factly, “What else would I wear at home if not a nightgown?”

m577 couldn’t shake its suspicion.

Tong Ling merely smiled without responding.

m577 fell to its virtual knees.

“I’m already an adult,” Tong Ling countered. “Hardly qualifies as ‘poor soul.’ And besides, I don’t have any children around your size.”

m577 fell silent again, retreating into itself anew.