The Obsessive CEO's Sinful Wife

Echoes of Regret

"Sorry." Ling Yiran's face flushed suddenly. "I... I just... um... if you have nowhere else to go, you can also stay here with me."

She blurted out in a moment of panic, but after the words were spoken, she felt a sense of relief.

In the obsidian-like pupils of the other person, her flushed face was reflected, and there seemed to be a hint of surprise in their eyes.

"If you don't want to, then just forget what I said." She bit her lip.

His thin lips finally parted slowly. "Do you want me to stay here?" His voice was like the clear winter spring, exceptionally clear in the silent room.

If it were spoken by any other man, it might sound flirtatious.

But coming from him, it was like simply asking a "yes" or "no" question, devoid of any ambiguity. Even his eyes were calm.

Ling Yiran pursed her lips. "Um, I do." That was her answer.

He stared at her, then his lips slowly curved into a faint smile. "Alright."

It was the first time she saw him smile. Although it was faint, it was incredibly beautiful.

Ling Yiran went to work, leaving twenty yuan for the man to buy food for himself.

When the man left the rented room, there were already people waiting outside. Upon seeing the man come out, they respectfully said, "Master Yi."

"Let's go." Yi Jinli said lightly.

A black Mercedes-Benz was parked in front. Yi Jinli got in the car, looking at the twenty yuan in his hand.

It had been many years since someone had given him money like this, and it was only twenty yuan.

"Master Yi, the woman you were with last night is a contract worker at the sanitation department. She rented the current residence here a month ago, and she was released from prison two months ago."

As Yi Jinli's longtime personal secretary, Gao Congming, began to report the information he had found as soon as he got into the car.

"Released from prison?"

"Yes, her name is Ling Yiran. She is the one who killed Miss Hao Meiyu in a drunk driving accident three years ago, the former girlfriend of Xiao Jiqi from the Xiao family. She was sentenced to three years in prison and had her lawyer's license revoked." Gao Congming said cautiously, observing his boss's expression.

"Ling Yiran..." Yi Jinli murmured her name, a playful smile playing on his lips. "This is interesting."

Married into the Hao family only because Hao Meiyu was determined to marry him, Yi Jinli was indeed a good match, and if he were destined to marry someone in his life, Hao Meiyu would have been a good choice.

But unexpectedly, Hao Meiyu died in a car accident.

What expression would this Ling Yiran have if she knew about the relationship between him and Hao Meiyu?

Speaking of which, for so many years, it was the first time a woman had held his hand and brought him into her home, using a slightly trembling yet resolute voice to express that she wanted him.

"Congming, what kind of woman do you think can match me?" Yi Jinli suddenly asked.

"Uh?" Gao Congming was momentarily at a loss for words. "It should depend on what kind of woman Master Yi desires."

Yi Jinli smirked lightly. "Put Ling Yiran's information on my desk later."

"Yes." Gao Congming nodded. Was Master Yi... interested in Ling Yiran?

After work, Ling Yiran received a call from her father, asking her to come home.

Since she was released from prison, her family had been eager to cut ties with her.

For three years, no one had visited her. It was as if she and that family had no connection anymore.

Her biological mother had died early, when she was three years old.

Three months later, her father remarried, and her stepmother gave birth to a daughter named Ling Luoyin.

From a young age, Ling Yiran knew that her father and stepmother favored her sister, so she tried to be sensible, to do well in school and get good grades.

From childhood to adulthood, her studies never caused anyone any worry. Her father gradually enjoyed showing off his academically successful daughter to others.

When she became the girlfriend of Xiao Jiqi, perhaps it was her most glorious time at home.

Her father regarded her as an honor, her stepmother treated her with kindness, and even her stepsister fawned over her.

She understood that all of this was because of Xiao Jiqi, the young master of the Xiao family.

But at that time, she still hoped to receive some genuine affection.

However, a car accident made her realize that everything was just wishful thinking.

Now, at the Ling family home, Ling Yiran listened to her stepmother Fang Cui'e talk about how Ling Luoyin had finally entered the entertainment industry, but in order to get better roles, she needed various connections.

"Yiran, you know our family doesn't have much money, but your sister needs money now. How about... you lending some money to the family first? When your sister becomes a big star in the future and earns a lot of money, she can pay you back then." Fang Cui'e said persuasively.

"I don't have any money." Ling Yiran said only these three words.

Fang Cui'e's expression froze for a moment, then she smiled faintly. "You don't have money, but Xiao Jiqi does. You were in a relationship with him before. After all you've been through, shouldn't he compensate you properly?"

"Auntie, you, dad, and Luoyin also distanced yourselves from me when I was in trouble, right?" Ling Yiran said.

Ling Guozhi, Ling Yiran's father, said unkindly, "What, are you here to settle old scores now? If it wasn't for you killing someone in the first place, your sister would have become a leading actress long ago, and she would be a big star by now!"

Ling Yiran sarcastically smiled. Ling Luoyin was able to be selected as the female lead because the TV series was invested in by the Xiao family, and Xiao Jiqi specifically arranged for Ling Luoyin to be the female lead.

Later, when she broke up with Xiao Jiqi, Ling Luoyin naturally lost the role of the female lead.

"Sister, are you still resentful that when you were in trouble, we didn't do anything for you?" Ling Luoyin asked softly.

"But at that time, you offended the Hao family and Yi Jinli! At that time, the Xiao family was afraid to let you and Xiao Jiqi break up. What could our family do? If we had really stood by your side and helped you with the lawsuit, not only you, but the whole family would have offended the Hao family and Yi Jinli. Like us, an ordinary family, how could we bear their anger and revenge?" Ling Luoyin reasoned.

"That makes sense." Ling Yiran suddenly smiled lightly, her gaze fixed on Ling Luoyin. "But since you couldn't stand by me during my hardships, why should I contribute anything to your prosperity?"