“Butler Xu?” Shi Ning’s brow furrowed as she looked at Xu Chang, then at the four bodyguards who had her surrounded. “Grandpa wants to see me? Can’t he just make a phone call? Why such a grand display?”
This man, the butler of the Qin family’s old estate, was a retired global mercenary. Even with his age, a palpable murderous aura clung to him, sending shivers down anyone’s spine. The Qin family, renowned for its strict rules, was a place Shi Ning wanted to avoid, especially given her impending divorce from Qin Heye before .
Xu Chang scoffed, a silent, contemptuous sound. “Miss Shi, you tend to forget things easily. I don’t recall how many of our phone numbers you’ve blocked?”
The reminder hit Shi Ning with a jolt. She had indeed blocked everyone from the Qin family—Mr. Qin, Xu Chang, everyone! Her willfulness had a way of catching up to her.
Embarrassed, she mumbled, “Then… just call Qin Heye and tell me. That would have been enough.”
Xu Chang’s disdain deepened. “Miss Shi would listen to Master Qin? Isn’t it the same as blocking him when nothing’s wrong, and then unblocking him only when you need something?”
Shi Ning was speechless. “I have a good relationship with Qin Heye now, and I’ve changed! If you give me that contemptuous look one more time, I’ll complain to Qin Heye! I’ll complain to Grandpa! You’ll be committing insubordination!”
Twice, she could stomach the contempt, given her past transgressions. But a third time? No, not this vicious female supporting character; she wouldn’t stand for it!
Xu Chang, however, was genuinely surprised. Complain to Master Qin and the old man? Such words, typically reserved for affectionate pleas among loved ones, were coming from the mouth of Shi Ning, who once harbored such intense dislike for the entire Qin family. Shocked and wary of her intentions, he remained silent. His face stern, he simply gestured an invitation. “The old man wishes to see you, Miss Shi. Please, proceed.”
It was a domineering command, not an invitation at all. And the bodyguards were already poised, ready to forcibly escort her should she attempt to flee. Shi Ning sighed. Humility, she reminded herself, was key. After all, before the bullet-screen spoilers, her personality truly had been outrageous.
“Where’s the car? Let’s go.”
Xu Chang was taken aback once more. “Miss Shi isn’t running away?”
Shi Ning looked at the four bodyguards with exasperation. “I don’t want to run, but even if I did, I couldn’t.”
Settling into the car, Shi Ning quickly messaged Mu Tiantian, informing her she was headed to the Qin family’s old house. Mu Tiantian’s response was a flurry of three consecutive questions, expressing shock and advising patience, imploring Shi Ning not to blow up the old house or anger the old man to death.
Shi Ning rolled her eyes. She then turned to Xu Chang, who was driving. “Grandpa suddenly asked me to come back. Is it about something in particular?”
Xu Chang remained silent. Shi Ning, thinking he hadn’t heard, repeated her question. Still, no answer from Xu Chang, nor from the bodyguards, who seemed to treat her as if she were invisible.
It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter. The comments would spoil the story anyway.
The bullet points of information scrolled before her eyes, revealing a grim narrative:
Old Master Qin is truly angry this time. On the surface, it seems only Butler Xu and four bodyguards are present, but in reality, all exits of the entire mall are blocked!
[If the female supporting role doesn’t follow Butler Xu, she’ll either be kidnapped or the mall will be locked down. Old Master Qin is taking this personally.]
[Old Master Qin had no choice; he called Qin Heye repeatedly, urging him to start construction immediately, but Qin Heye refused. He asked him to bring Shi Ning home to explain, but again, Qin Heye refused.]
[Then, everyone in the villa was protected tightly, and no one from the old house was allowed to get close to Shi Ning. This was the only option. They had to wait for Shi Ning to come out in the open before Butler Xu could “invite” her.]
The big villain absorbed the pressure and stopped the construction of the land in the west of the city. Qin Heye was afraid Old Master Qin would blame Shi Ning, so he protected her so well.
[Old Master Qin’s health was worsening, and his good impression of Shi Ning had been completely eroded over the years . For the sake of the Qin family’s property, it seems a forced divorce is inevitable this time.]
[The plot is a bit strange, but fortunately, it’s finally back on track. The female supporting role and the big villain are going to divorce. My “attic imprisonment forced love” fantasy can resume!]
Shi Ning’s heart sank. She had worked so hard to reciprocate Qin Heye’s hidden affection precisely to avoid this very plotline! Why was it being forced back into existence?
More comments flashed:
[The female supporting role did everything to get a divorce. After being imprisoned and forced to love by the villain, the relationship between the male and female protagonists quickly warmed up, and they flaunted their love to the world.]
[The female supporting role, consumed by envy, jealousy, and hatred, became mentally twisted and dark. To secure her divorce, she returned to the male protagonist and replaced Mr. Qin’s medicine, forcing him into the intensive care unit. He then died after a failed rescue].
[So, the female supporting role is truly vicious, and the villain is truly love-brained. The murderer who killed his grandfather he also died in the hands of the female supporting role for love.]
[It’s better to give birth to a piece of barbecued pork than to give birth to a vicious female supporting role and a love-brained villain! I don’t know what you are talking about. You really have a wrong outlook on life!]
[It’s so funny. Do the male and female protagonists have a right outlook on life? As a cousin, you want to steal your cousin’s husband? Let alone your cousin’s husband, I would keep my distance from my best friend’s ex!]
[The death of Mr. Qin cannot be blamed on the female supporting role. It’s clearly the internal strife of the Qin family. He died from taking banned drugs for a long time…]
Throughout the journey, Shi Ning quietly absorbed the barrages, sifting through the quarrels for any valuable information. Two key facts emerged: Old Mr. Qin’s sudden summons was indeed related to the land in the west of the city, and more alarmingly, his long-standing poor health was due to prolonged use of banned drugs! Who had been supplying them to him?
Soon, they arrived at the majestic Qin family old house. As they exited the car, Xu Chang turned to Shi Ning, his voice a low, grave warning. “The old man is in poor health, Miss Shi. Please pay attention to your words and deeds.” His gaze sharpened. “If something happens to the old man, I will not let you go.”
Shi Ning stared at him, exasperated. “I told you, I’m changing! I’m going to live a good life with Qin Heye, and I won’t anger Grandpa anymore.”
Xu Chang visibly resisted the urge to scoff again, but his warning remained firm. “Mr. Qin is not in the country, so if something happens to the old man, I don’t mind being a murderer.”
Was he threatening to kill her?
Shi Ning quickly retorted, “No, no, I’ve learned my lesson now. I won’t make Grandpa angry, so Grandpa will be fine.”
A new comment flashed:
The villain went on a business trip abroad. According to the plot line, it was Shi Ning who made Old Man Qin go to the ICU and die, right?
Shi Ning’s eyes widened. This was it—the inescapable plotline of the vicious female supporting role!