A flurry of barrages scrolled across the screen.
[Why is Shen Xizhou still acting like a ‘green tea’? Their personalities are all collapsing, and it’s so entertaining to watch, I can’t get enough!]
[Shi Ning actually wanted a male model who looks like Shen Xizhou to serve Shen Xizhou himself, just to disgust him! What a scumbag!]
[Hahaha! Shi Qingyin also felt utterly disgusted and aggrieved! She tried to provoke Shi Ning and Qin Heye, failed miserably, and lost 1.8 million!]
[Shi Ning is truly a vicious female antagonist! Killing two birds with one stone, abusing the scumbag! Disgusted the male and female protagonists, a pair of eccentric husband and wife, and made me, the reader, incredibly happy!]
[I don’t think it’s so disgusting. The male model is handsome, and the service is good. If you endure it for a while, you can get land in the east of the city, which is worth 2 billion!]
[Give me a 2 billion piece of land, and I’d gladly live in a villa, drive a luxury car for the rest of my life, and sleep with 188 male models!]
Shi Ning, leisurely munching on peeled grapes, scrolled through the barrages, a smile playing on her lips. Suddenly, her eyes widened in disbelief. “!!!”
“How much? Two billion???” The price of the land left her stunned. She eagerly continued to scan the barrages, searching for more useful information.
Meanwhile, Shen Xizhou emerged from the bathroom, pale and grim, after a bout of violent vomiting that had even brought up blood. His eyes, cold and dark, fixed expectantly on Shi Ning. But all he saw was Qin Heye peeling grapes for her, her attention solely on the screen, not even sparing him a glance, much less a question of concern.
Suppressing the dull ache in his heart, Shen Xizhou’s voice was deep as he asked, “Is Aning happy?”
Shi Ning tore her gaze from the barrage, giving him a look of undisguised disgust. “I’m happy if you’re disgusted,” she retorted. “But stay away from me; your breath smells awful.” With that, she resumed her search through the chaotic barrages for useful clues.
Shen Xizhou’s face grew even darker at Shi Ning’s blatant contempt. He took a deep, shaky breath and turned to Qin Heye. “President Qin, can we sign the Chengdong contract now?”
Just then, Pei Qianhuo, Qin Heye’s assistant, entered and walked directly to his boss. He respectfully handed over a document. “President, this is the contract you requested.” He glanced at Shi Ning, his eyes flickering with anger and contempt. He knew it! Pei Qianhuo thought. Shi Ning’s recent unusual attentiveness to Qin Heye was clearly just a ploy to secure benefits for Shen Xizhou!
Shi Ning, however, was confused by Pei Qianhuo’s look. She hadn’t yet deciphered its meaning.
Qin Heye had already signed his name on the contract, then rotated it, offering the pen to Shen Xizhou. “Mr. Shen, please review the contract. If there are no issues, sign it.”
Shen Xizhou, ever cautious, meticulously scrutinized the document, wary of any hidden traps, despite Qin Heye’s reputation for being trustworthy and unyielding in business.
As Shi Ning looked at the contract, the meaning of Pei Qianhuo’s earlier glance finally dawned on her: contempt! Contempt for Qin Heye! He thought she was merely manipulating Qin Heye to benefit Shen Xizhou!
She looked up at Qin Heye. “Are you really going to give the East City plot to Shen Xizhou?”
“Yes,” Qin Heye replied, noticing her frown. “Why?”
Shi Ning saw Shen Xizhou reach for the pen, ready to sign. In a flash, she snatched the contract away. “Give it to hell! I don’t want him to have it!”
Shen Xizhou’s face darkened with suppressed fury. “You said that if you were happy, this East City land would be mine, and now you’re going back on your word?” he challenged. “Aning, are you toying with me?”
Shi Ning smiled sweetly and nodded. “Yes, I don’t like you, so I’m toying with you. Do you have any objections?” Two billion yuan worth of land—how could she just hand it over? Not just two billion, not even a single cent! She absolutely would not let that scumbag, Shen Xizhou, get away with anything!
“You…” Shen Xizhou choked on his words, fury rising, but Qin Heye’s icy stare silenced him. He turned to Qin Heye. “President Qin, your reputation in the business world has always been built on keeping promises. If you break your word now, it won’t reflect well on your reputation, will it?”
Qin Heye merely glanced at him indifferently, then turned back to Shi Ning. “Are you really not giving it to him?” A piece of land was insignificant to him. And his business reputation? Breaking one promise wouldn’t affect him in the slightest.
The barrage continued to scroll:
[It’s truly amazing, but the land in the east of the city is prime real estate. Once developed, it will be incredibly prosperous, generating hundreds of millions in daily turnover! It would directly increase Shen Xizhou’s net worth, putting him among the top ten richest people!]
[The land, which he acquired two years later in the original timeline, was delivered to him early because of the female lead. Now, he should be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Qin Heye as one of the two emperors of the business world!]
[The male protagonist’s value has increased, while the big villain’s value has decreased. The richest Qin family should yield! The emperor of the business world should also step aside for the male protagonist!]
[Giving the East City land to Shen Xizhou was like a fuse, sparking the decline of the Qin family’s business empire, while the Shen family began its ascent!]
[The big villain was also severely punished by Master . Qin for losing the East City land!]
The more Shi Ning read, the more shocked she became! So, in the original story, she truly did let Qin Heye give the land to Shen Xizhou? Even with these barrages spoiling the plot, the power of the narrative seemed to be at play. Or perhaps, Shen Xizhou obtained the East City land because of her? And Qin Heye was even punished by his family for it?
Shi Ning’s anxiety flared as she grasped the full implication of the barrages. She tugged at Qin Heye’s arm. “The land in the east of the city will NOT be given to Shen Xizhou!”
Qin Heye looked at Shi Ning with a hint of confusion, but still nodded. “My wife’s wish is my command.”
Shen Xizhou’s face instantly contorted in an ugly scowl, his heart aching once more as he stared at Shi Ning. Did she truly not love him anymore? She was the one who had learned about the East City land from Qin Heye and leaked the news to him! Now, she was telling Qin Heye not to give it to him!
Depressed and wounded, Shen Xizhou said with a dark expression, “It seems Aning and President Qin have quite a good relationship, so I can now proceed with my marriage to Yinyin without worry.” This was his veiled threat, a reminder that he was truly angry, and his engagement to Shi Qingyin would become reality. Unless, of course, she coaxed him back. But this time, it would be a difficult task.
The barrages continued:
[The land in the east of the city and the land in the west of the city are as different as heaven and earth!]
[The land in the west of the city is highly cursed; it has constant problems. Whoever takes it over will suffer catastrophic losses, enough to bankrupt their entire family!]
[The Qin family’s business empire also met its ultimate demise because of the land in the west of the city!]
Shi Ning’s eyes lit up as she read these comments, a mischievous plot already forming in her mind—she only wanted to trick the scumbag! She turned to Qin Heye. “Give the land in the west of the city to Shen Xizhou!” Then, she added with utmost seriousness, “Only the land in the west of the city, no other place will do!”
Qin Heye’s eyes suddenly darkened as he fixed his gaze on Shi Ning, studying her.
When Shen Xizhou heard Shi Ning’s suggestion to give him the West City land, his gloomy and painful mood abruptly brightened. He smiled gently at Shi Ning. “Thank you, Aning, I won’t let you down… I will surely develop the West City land.” Seeing her seemingly offer him an even better plot of land, he was no longer angry with her. He now believed that Shi Ning’s recent coldness and closeness to Qin Heye were merely tactics to make him jealous and angry! She still loved him and couldn’t live without him! Otherwise, how could Qin Heye possibly give him the West City, a plot he had coveted, superior in every way to the East City, and with an auction price of 10 billion?