Choose Me This Time - Chapter 3

Suddenly, Pei Lang tore himself from Tang Xue’s hold and staggered toward me.

“Hey, where are you going?”

Tang Xue reached out to stop him, but he shoved her away.

“Don’t touch me!”

He glared at her. I knew that look well.

Disgust. Revulsion.

He was certain Tang Xue could not live without him, so he treated her however he pleased.

I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth, irritation simmering inside me.

Bai Chuan frowned and started forward, but a glance from me held him back.

Pei Lang stumbled to a stop before me. Those few short steps seemed to have drained all his strength.

His legs buckled. He dropped to one knee and barely managed not to collapse entirely.

“Cheng Yi…”

Pei Lang strained to lift his head, his gaze achingly sincere.

“I’m sorry. I know I was wrong.”

He cautiously extended a hand. “Can you forgive me?”

It seemed he had guessed that I had been reborn as well.

I did not move. A flicker of delight crossed his face as his fingers nearly reached mine.

I looked past him at Tang Xue. “Let me teach you how to make a beastkin behave.”

The next second, I kicked Pei Lang squarely in the chest with all my strength.

He flew backward and crashed into the chess table in the courtyard.

“Urgh…”

Pei Lang went deathly pale. Clutching his chest, he spat out a great mouthful of blood.

Tang Xue rushed to him at once and rounded on me. “What are you doing? He’s my beastkin! Even if he misbehaves, he’s still mine. Who gave you the right to hit him?”

I tilted my head. “But you can’t control him, and I don’t like foxes getting too close. They reek.”

At that, Pei Lang coughed up another mouthful of blood and stared at me in disbelief.

Tang Xue flushed. “H-He doesn’t reek! You’re making that up. You’re discriminating against beastkin!”

“Tsk. If you put it that way, my beastkin won’t be pleased.”

Bai Chuan regarded the barely breathing Pei Lang with an icy expression. “You should be grateful my master was the one who struck him. If it had been me, I would have killed him.”

His tone was calm, but the murderous intent in it was undisguised.

“You!” Tang Xue glared at him.

“Both of you…” She whipped her head toward me.

In the end, she gave a furious huff, struggled to help Pei Lang upright, and headed straight for the house.

“Move! Can’t you see he’s dying?”

Everyone there had come for treatment, and they had all waited a long time. No one was willing to let Tang Xue cut in line.

She and Pei Lang were blocked at the door.

In a panic, she shouted, “Miss Meng! Miss Meng, please save him! He’s really going to die!”

A warm female voice came from inside. “He won’t die. Get in line.”

I arched a brow. I rather liked this Meng Xi.

With no other choice, Tang Xue anxiously joined the queue.

Pei Lang could no longer maintain a fully human form. His fox ears and tail had emerged.

Tang Xue glared resentfully at me. “This isn’t over!”

I looked at her. “Does your father know how much you paid for that beastkin?”

The Tang family was not like the Chengs. The Cheng family at least treated beastkin with a measure of respect, whereas the Tangs used them like livestock.

If Tang Xue’s father learned that she had spent several million on a useless beastkin, he would be furious.

Tang Xue froze. “You know my father?”

Then her eyes widened. “You’re threatening me!”

I merely smiled.

Tang Xue’s lips puckered. Tears of anger spilled down her cheeks, and she began to sob.

I had not expected her to cry. A headache bloomed instantly.

“Stop crying. That beastkin of yours is no good anyway.”

“Don’t say that about him! He may be weak, but to me he has a thousand, ten thousand virtues.”

Fine. I shut my mouth.

After several hours, it was finally… Pei Lang’s turn.

Bai Chuan and I had arrived later and stood behind them in line.

An hour passed before Tang Xue helped Pei Lang out of the house. His complexion had improved considerably.

When he looked at me, his eyes no longer held that wounded grievance. Now there was only reproach.

“Cheng Yi, how can you be so heartless?”

I clicked my tongue. “Not as heartless as you.”

“Don’t waste your breath on her. Let’s go.”

Tang Xue huffed at me and led Pei Lang away.

Behind me, Bai Chuan suddenly asked, “Do you two know each other?”