Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 64.1

Song Ming dared not believe what he heard.

In Song Ming's mind, Huai Xu was a woman who matched all his fantasies—a young, gentle girl wearing a mask of coldness. Although she had covered herself in thorns, they were merely products of fear and anxiety. In the eyes of an adult like himself, she was but a fragile kitten baring its fangs.

Song Ming's design toward Huai Xu began on a summer day four years ago. He met her under a grape trellis. That summer, the grape trellis was covered with dense branches, casting a dark shade over them. At the time, she was curiously observing the foliage around her, her eyelashes fluttering when some streams of sunlight snuck past the grape vines and landed on her face.

Just seeing Huai Xu's profile was enough to make Song Ming take a second glance, but when a passing breeze lifted the edges of her skirt, revealing her long, slender legs, that was when he was thoroughly drawn in. And when she turned away from the wind and faced him, his heart skipped a beat.

This scene was buried in Song Ming's heart like a seed, and this seed slowly took root over time. When they met a second time three years later, the constant late-night recollections of that moment over the past three years had cultivated an intense possessiveness toward her, and he had to make her his no matter what.

However, just as Song Ming thought Huai Xu was within his reach, Song Yingshi suddenly appeared and intervened.

Today, after being evicted from the studio, Song Ming had told the others to return without him while he sat in his car brooding with the help of a cigarette. As the nicotine calmed his nerves, he began regretting the behavior he took with Huai Xu. If given a second chance, he would handle things differently. He could even apologize to her so long as she was willing to look at him.

But just as Song Ming considered meeting Huai Xu again, he never imagined seeing her and Song Yingshi enter the car park together and start making out in Song Yingshi's car. He also never expected that, after risking thoroughly offending Song Yingshi, Huai Xu would respond to him coming to save her with a "get lost."

Facing the nearly unrecognizable Huai Xu before him, Song Ming gnashed his teeth and questioned, "Huai Xu? You… You weren't like this before. How did you become like this? You…"

After getting told to get lost, Song Ming suddenly went from behaving like a domineering president to an innocent boy making random accusations after being seduced and abandoned by the girl he liked.

As Song Yingshi watched this scene from the side, her heart was momentarily filled with mixed feelings. Logically, she should be thanking Song Ming for saving her from Huai Xu. However, when she saw how he spoke to Huai Xu, his tone making it sound like there was something going on between him and Huai Xu, and when she recalled how he treated Huai Xu in the novel, she regretted not following up with a "get lost" of her own.

Song Yingshi was very upset. This nephew of hers had become even more annoying than before.

After waiting for a while and hearing no response from Huai Xu, Song Yingshi glanced at her and saw that she didn't seem to have any intentions of speaking.

Song Yingshi assumed this silence was because Huai Xu found it a waste of energy to even speak to Song Ming, which made her feel a little better. Hence, she decided to be a proper employer for once, getting out of the car, closing the door behind her, and isolating Huai Xu from Song Ming.

Song Yingshi watched Song Ming carefully like an eagle locking onto a provocative chicken.

Song Yingshi leaned against the door and crossed her arms, thoroughly preventing Song Ming from laying eyes on Huai Xu. Although she did not possess the standard 1.8-meter height of the male protagonists, her cold gaze and dominant aura made Song Ming feel like he was a head shorter than her.

When their eyes met, Song Ming said apprehensively, "Move away. I want to talk to Huai Xu."

Naturally, Song Yingshi ignored Song Ming's demand, simply saying, "Song Ming, do you know that your mother has been visiting my house every other day?"

The corners of Song Ming's mouth twitched at this mention. Nevertheless, he retorted stubbornly, "Why are you bringing up this matter? Song Yingshi, aren't you an adult? Do you only know how to abuse your authority to oppress others? Do you dare to compete with me without help?"

Song Yingshi raised her eyebrows at Song Ming's remark and sneered, "Me? Abusing authority to oppress others? Then, what did you use when putting pressure on Huai Xu? True love? Can you be any funnier?"

Without giving Song Ming a chance to speak, Song Yingshi continued, "Do you think locking someone in a house worth hundreds of millions is love? Do you think making sure they have food and clothing without having to work is love? Do you think patiently forcing someone to sign a contract, locking them up, and waiting for them to fall in love with you is true love? Rather than a person to love, aren't you just looking for a pet to raise?"

After saying so, Song Yingshi paused momentarily before she continued sarcastically, "I should say you're looking to raise a bird to be more precise. At least raising a dog requires you to take them out for walks every day."

"This… How do you know all this?" Song Ming frowned, his rage slowly being replaced by horror. He had indeed prepared a house for Huai Xu to move into, but he had never told anyone about his subsequent plans!

"Song Ming."

Song Yingshi smiled and leisurely took a step forward. In response, Song Ming subconsciously took a large step backward.

"Try to be a better son in the future. Don't let your parents' decades of hard work go to waste. Also…" Song Yingshi paused, her oppressive aura and deep eyes giving Song Ming the chills. "Keep your petty schemes far, far away from Huai Xu. Otherwise, you might just disappear one day."

At this time, Song Yingshi heard the sound of the car door opening behind her, followed closely by Huai Xu's calm voice saying, "Are you done talking?"

Song Yingshi straightened her posture and glanced at Huai Xu sitting in the car. Then, she shifted her gaze to Song Ming, revealing a gentle and sunny smile as she asked, "Little Ming, are we done talking?"

Amidst the long silence, Song Ming's boiling blood cooled before boiling again.

Eventually, Song Ming's blood cooled thoroughly, and he lowered his head as he said, "...I understand."

…

After sending away her spoiled nephew, Song Yingshi got into the driver's seat, started the car, and glanced at Huai Xu through the rearview mirror.

Seeing Huai Xu sitting by herself, Song Yingshi promptly recalled what happened before Song Ming appeared.

When Song Ming appeared, Song Yingshi was just two seconds short of completing her mission. Realizing this, she "struggled" to remove herself from Huai Xu, buying herself just enough time to complete her mission.

Huai Xu's complexion looked fine right now. At least, it was much better than when she told Song Ming to get lost. However, her pursed lips showed that her mind was brooding over something.

Don't tell me she's still mad about getting interrupt… Song Yingshi had the urge to laugh, but she dared to actually laugh. After faking a cough, she asked, "Shall we go home? Or do you still have something to do?"

"No," Huai Xu replied.

"Let's go home, then," Song Yingshi decided.

While waiting for the car in front to pass, Song Yingshi turned her shoulders and stretched her muscles, saying, "Go back and have a proper rest. You haven't taken a break since the public performance."

"Mhm." Huai Xu hummed in affirmation.

As the Cullinan drove out of the car park and joined the traffic outside, Huai Xu leaned back in her seat and faced the window. However, her eyes secretly observed Song Yingshi, intrigue coloring them.

Just now, Huai Xu experienced a situation similar to the one she experienced with Zheng Qiyi. The moment she told Song Ming to "get lost," countless memories emerged in her mind.

Many of these memories occurred within the same house, and she lived in this house day after day.

There were floor-to-ceiling windows all over the house. Yet, despite their translucidity, she couldn't have felt more isolated from the world outside.

She saw her reflection through these windows, her face numb, and her eyes devoid of spirit.

She also saw Song Ming returning to the house on time every evening, accompanying her for dinner, expressing his affection in a clingy voice, and behaving like a dog trying to please her.

She initially felt disgusted with Song Ming's behavior, but eventually, she couldn't even be bothered to feel disgusted. Rather, she lost most of her emotions, becoming an even more exquisite walking corpse in what Song Ming considered an exquisite house. Only the weekly two hours she got to go outside gave her the feeling that she was still alive.

This situation continued until she found a lapse in the security guards' attention, seized the opportunity, and escaped from Song Ming's side. Then, just when Song Ming's henchmen were about to capture her, she met someone—

Her memories of this house ended here.

…

Later, Song Ming, like Zheng Qiyi, burst into tears in front of her, his eyes flashing with hatred, anguish, and sadness.

Song Ming had been tormented to the point of being unrecognizable. Completely drunk, his shirt crumpled, and unable to even stand steadily, he looked like a stray dog as he said, "Huai Xu, haven't I been good enough to you…? I gave you everything you wanted! I haven't been with any woman since we met! I've never forced you to do anything! I love you! Is that so wrong? Do you hate me? Fine, hate me…haha, at least I'll stay in your mind."

Song Ming was half drunk and half crazy. Huai Xu saw her familiar yet unfamiliar self slowly walking into the picture.

Rather than her appearance, her exposed aggressiveness would be the first thing everyone paid attention to.

She circled Song Ming, a hint of intrigue briefly flashing in her eyes before vanishing completely.

It turned out that, even after getting revenge, a person wouldn't gain much joy out of it.

Losing interest, she circled to Song Ming's back and stepped on the back of his knee with her heels.

Song Ming's knees slammed against the marble floor, and his body collapsed. He tried to get back up but failed, twitching on the floor like a helpless worm.

After taking a look at Song Ming's miserable appearance, she looked away in boredom and indifference as she said, "Hate you? You are nothing to me."

This sentence was more unacceptable to Song Ming than any pain he had suffered. He wailed and cried on the floor, his mind crumbling as he started muttering to himself.

Stepping on Song Ming's pitiful cries, she lazily and ruthlessly walked out of the picture.

…

When Huai Xu finished looking through these memories, the first person she thought about wasn't Song Ming but Song Yingshi. At the time, in order to persuade her to sign the lover's contract, Song Yingshi said the following to her—

"Do you want to know what will happen if you go with him? He will force a contract upon you and give you a house and a car. But you won't have any use for the car, as he would have already withdrawn you from the audition on your behalf. You will be kept in your villa, with all your wants and needs taken care of. However, apart from him and the cleaning lady, you will get to see nobody else. Once a week, he might permit you to leave the house for two hours."

Every detail described matched what Song Ming did to her in the inherited memories. Even the time she was allowed outside per week was accurate down to the second.

This couldn't have been a simple coincidence.

Additionally, she originally thought Zheng Qiyi was a unique case, but apparently he wasn't. Could there be others like Zheng Qiyi and Song Ming in that case?

Song Yingshi also behaved like she knew everything about Song Ming. What kind of relationship did she have with them?

When Huai Xu considered the possibility of Song Yingshi having a secret connection with those men, darkness gradually pooled in her eyes. However, before this darkness could amass into something, she heard Song Yingshi saying, "By the way, do you want to buy some ingredients for dinner? Do you know how to cook? You probably think I can't cook, but I'll have you know that I can."

Huai Xu came back to her senses, her expression loosening. Looking up, she watched as Song Yingshi delightedly hummed a song. After a while, she said, "Okay."