Chapter 22: A Toast to New Beginnings and Secret Pacts

True to her word, Gu Meilan arranged a meal two days later.

Several young women gathered at the revolving restaurant on the top floor of the Rain Harbor International Hotel.

Lin Shishi sat by the window. The young woman wore a white dress, its hem reaching her knees, revealing calves sculpted like white jade, with a faint blush on her knees.

She gripped the corner of her skirt, her slender fingers pale with a hint of tension.

Song Qinghuan sat beside her.

Dai Canglan was the last to arrive.

As soon as she entered the restaurant, she addressed Lin Shishi and Song Qinghuan, “I apologize, everyone. I’m late.”

Lin Shishi paused, slightly taken aback.

‘She hadn’t expected this rebellious young woman to suddenly possess such manners.’

Gu Meilan opened a bottle of fine red wine, pouring the deep crimson liquid into crystal glasses, where it shimmered with an alluring glow.

She raised her glass, addressing the girls. “Allow me to propose a toast to all of you. With my mediation, we’ve transformed past hostilities into friendship. What do you say?”

Lin Shishi still clutched the corner of her skirt, remaining silent.

Song Qinghuan looked at Dai Canglan, observing that the arrogant demeanor she once displayed had vanished, replaced by a hint of charm. This shift greatly surprised Song Qinghuan.

‘It seems Dai Fanghua must have had a word with Dai Canglan.’

Indeed, Dai Canglan turned to Lin Shishi, her expression somewhat unnatural as she spoke. “Shishi, you no longer need to worry about me bullying you. In short, with Aunt Fanghua keeping me in line, I wouldn’t dare. In fact, if anyone ever bullies you, perhaps you can come to me.”

Lin Shishi was momentarily stunned by her words.

Gu Meilan smiled. “That’s even better. Now you can all become friends.”

Song Qinghuan also smiled. “Between friends, there’s no need for formalities.”

As she spoke, one hand naturally rested on the back of Lin Shishi’s chair, a gesture filled with possessive intent.

Dai Canglan, however, offered a wry smile. “Honestly, if it weren’t for this connection, I’d truly want to possess Shishi myself… After all, she’s so adorable; any normal woman wouldn’t dislike her, right?”

Song Qinghuan frowned, her hand gently pressing on Lin Shishi’s thigh. “Let me be clear upfront: Shishi is mine, and she has already signed a contract with me. If anyone else harbors ill intentions, I won’t stand for it!”

“What contract?” Gu Meilan and Dai Canglan asked in unison.

“The details are confidential. In short, it’s a secret between the two of us,” Song Qinghuan said with a smile. She raised her other hand and gently twirled Lin Shishi’s ponytail, the strands of hair slipping smoothly through her fingers. “In short—this beautiful little darling already belongs to me forever.”

As Song Qinghuan spoke, her gaze fell upon Lin Shishi’s profile; the young woman’s ears had turned completely red.

Dai Canglan sighed. “Song Qinghuan, you truly don’t know how charming Shishi is! How promising her future will be…”

Song Qinghuan’s lips curved into a smile. “Do you think I covet her status? To tell you the truth, when my little darling first offered herself to me, she was worth nothing! Isn’t that right, Shishi?”

Lin Shishi nodded earnestly once more. Her eyes were filled with gentleness and dependence.

Song Qinghuan’s smile deepened.

She straightened up and declared, “So, my little darling, raise your glass. I want to drink a crossed-arm toast with you.”

Song Qinghuan’s voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable command.

Lin Shishi looked around at the others. Gu Meilan was propping up her chin, her red lips curved into a charming arc, a clear expression of amusement on her face.

Dai Canglan’s brows were tightly furrowed, her fingers gripping her glass.

Lin Shishi obediently raised her cup.

Then, under the watchful eyes of Dai Canglan and Gu Meilan, Song Qinghuan’s arm looped through Lin Shishi’s, their bodies drawing very close with the movement.

Their glasses clinked, emitting a crisp sound.

Both tilted their heads back simultaneously, emptying their cups.

Lin Shishi drank a little too quickly, and a few drops of red wine spilled from the corner of her lips, trickling down her chin.

After finishing her drink, Song Qinghuan naturally reached out and used the pad of her thumb to wipe away the wine stain from Lin Shishi’s lips.

Her touch was gentle. As her thumb brushed against those soft, rosy lips, Lin Shishi’s body trembled slightly.

The other young women couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.

Gu Meilan was the first to exclaim, “Ah, that’s really too much!”

Though she said this, her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Dai Canglan merely grumbled.

“I want to drink a crossed-arm toast with Shishi too!” Gu Meilan pretended to joke.

However, she truly hoped Song Qinghuan would agree.

Then she could seize the opportunity to take some liberties.

Song Qinghuan immediately glared at her. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Why not!” Gu Meilan pouted indignantly. “We’re all sisters!”

“She’s mine,” Song Qinghuan stated, each word deliberate, as her arm naturally encircled Lin Shishi’s shoulder, pulling her closer into her embrace. “Only I can drink a crossed-arm toast with her.”

Gu Meilan pouted, eventually settling back into her seat.

But she intentionally lifted her foot and gently nudged Lin Shishi’s calf.

Lin Shishi’s body flinched.

Song Qinghuan immediately noticed. “Take your pig’s foot away, or I’ll stomp on it.”

Gu Meilan stuck out her tongue, obediently retracting her foot.

It seemed that her decade-long friendship with Song Qinghuan was practically nonexistent in the presence of the adorable Shishi.

“By the way, Qinghuan, can I say something to Shishi?” Dai Canglan suddenly broke the brief silence.

Song Qinghuan glanced at her. “Yes, provided you don’t bully her, and absolutely no touching her inappropriately.”

Her tone was flat, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

Dai Canglan rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

She paused, her gaze resting on Lin Shishi. “But then again, Shishi will be a prominent figure in the future, right? She’ll surely have her own freedom.”

“I’m sorry, but according to the contract, she has no freedom,” Song Qinghuan said with a mischievous smile. “From the day she signed, my little darling, her entire being—including her name and body—has completely belonged to me. In principle, she must obtain my consent for anything she does.”

Dai Canglan’s pupils contracted slightly.

She looked at Lin Shishi. “Shishi, is this true?”

Lin Shishi glanced at Song Qinghuan, who offered her a sweet smile.

‘Honestly… Song Qinghuan is so beautiful.’

‘Both beautiful and fierce.’

‘And precisely because of that… even though this elder sister clearly had a coercive element back then…’

‘Lin Shishi would absolutely never reveal it.’

‘After all…’

‘She’s truly been so good to me.’

‘More importantly…’

‘This was all part of the script I set…’

‘The elder sister merely played along with my script, naughtily making me act it out.’

Thinking this, Lin Shishi immediately nodded, her voice small but clear. “Yes… yes… it’s true.”

“Hmph, I don’t believe it! Song Qinghuan, I… I’m going to accuse you of illegal enslavement!” Dai Canglan deliberately feigned a fierce expression.

Song Qinghuan’s smile grew even sweeter. “I’m sorry, but she signed it herself. If I had forced her to sign, then it would be illegal enslavement, but she signed voluntarily.”

As she spoke, Song Qinghuan pulled out her phone. “Here, this is the electronic version. I won’t show you the detailed content. However, you can see the signature part.”

With that, Song Qinghuan turned her phone screen towards Dai Canglan and Gu Meilan. The screen displayed a screenshot of an electronic document, with a clear signature of a young woman at the bottom.

Dai Canglan’s face grew even more displeased as she looked at it.

She gritted her teeth, squeezing out a few words. “Sly woman.”

Song Qinghuan smiled as she put away her phone. “Considering your special relationship, I trust you won’t do anything reckless… I allow you to speak with her.”

Dai Canglan immediately leaned closer to Lin Shishi, whispering to the young woman, “You know, Shishi, you might not be aware, but we’re first cousins—though only our aunt and my father know about it; no one else does.”

Lin Shishi gasped in surprise.

“You mean we’re…?!” The young woman’s voice rose a few octaves due to her astonishment, her eyes wide and filled with disbelief.

Dai Canglan jumped, immediately covering Lin Shishi’s mouth.

But Song Qinghuan instantly witnessed this scene.

Song Qinghuan exclaimed, “Hey, why are you covering her mouth?” Her voice turned cold. “Her mouth belongs to me too; in principle, only I can touch it.”

“Hmph! That’s too much!” Dai Canglan complained with annoyance, retracting her hand.

She looked at Lin Shishi with a complex gaze. “Remember what I said, so no matter what happens to you in the future, you can always find me. Even if she beats you or bullies you, you can come to me. And—that contract, as long as you don’t want to honor it, it’s invalid, got it?”

Lin Shishi took a deep breath, then shook her head, stating, “No, I will always honor that contract.”

Her voice was soft, yet exceptionally firm.

With a crash, Dai Canglan’s beer glass shattered.

“How can you be so submissive!” Dai Canglan bit her tongue, the action carrying an indescribable agitation.

Song Qinghuan, however, simply smiled.

She bent down and gently kissed Lin Shishi’s cheek.

“Good girl, my little pet is so sensible.”

The meal soon concluded.

On the way back, the young woman fell into deep thought.

From today onward, Lin Shishi had truly come to understand her own identity.

She suddenly thought of her mother, Lin Mo.

Lin Mo had never been willing to discuss who her ‘father’ was.

Lin Mo had simply said he was a heartless man—that he had used sweet words to climb into her bed, and after she became pregnant, he claimed to be a noble and that nobles could only marry other nobles, thus he couldn’t marry her.

But only today did Lin Shishi learn that the noble in question was Queen Dai Fanghua.

As she considered this, Lin Shishi couldn’t help but marvel at the drama of life.

She had never imagined that a weak, pitiful, and helpless young girl like herself possessed such a noble identity.

Yet, this identity could not be made public, as it involved the royal family’s reputation.

Precisely because of this, she could only enter the public eye in the future under the guise of an adopted daughter.

Nevertheless, Lin Shishi was pleased with this, in fact, quite satisfied.

At least she had become a noble young woman.

In truth… whether she could become a princess was not something she deeply cared about.

She only cared about one thing… that she finally wouldn’t have to be poor anymore.

As the young woman thought this, her soft, rosy lips curved slightly upward, and a faint blush spread across her childlike beautiful face.