Everyone knew he was about to become the Jiang family's son-in-law and enjoy a lifetime of wealth and privilege.
My mother covered her mouth as she laughed. “Young Master Sheng is truly outstanding. No wonder Thanh Thanh thinks about him all day.”
“Not at all. We have Thanh Thanh to thank for that. She’s truly beautiful.”
We raised our glasses and traded pleasantries.
After the compliments came the real reason for the gathering.
“We’ve come here today to hear what both families think. The two young people are of age, so perhaps marriage could bring our families closer?”
“Of course! Absolutely!”
“We even checked their birth dates according to the old customs, and they’re a perfect match.”
“That’s wonderful—”
I suddenly stood up, cutting them off.
“Honored elders, since everything’s ready, allow me to make the announcement myself.”
I took a rose from the vase and looked around the room.
I struck a pose as if I were about to propose.
Sheng Ningye's face turned ashen. “What are you up to now? Don't embarrass us!”
He reached out, trying to snatch the flower and make off with it, but missed.
I walked through the crowd.
With everyone watching, I made my way to the corner of the room.
I smiled at Sheng Mingqi.
“Will you marry me?”
7.
Sheng Mingqi's dark eyes betrayed no emotion.
He thought I was making fun of him.
Everything I did was to tease him.
The room fell silent.
My mother was the first to rise. “Thanh Thanh, what nonsense are you talking about?”
“What's the problem?” I shot back. “The Sheng family's only asking for a young master of the family, so I'm choosing Sheng Mingqi.”
“But he's—” Mrs. Jiang trailed off.
The other members of the Sheng family didn't bother holding back.
Mrs. Sheng said, “Thanh Thanh, how could he possibly count as a young master? He's just a bastard. He's not worthy of you.”
Uncle Sheng said, “I told you we should lock him in his room so he wouldn't cause trouble again.”
Even Sheng Ningye frowned.
“Giang Thanh Nguyệt, are you throwing a tantrum at me? I told you I'd marry you. You don't have to act like this. I don't like it when you get childish and sulk.”
“I don't care what you like.”
I rolled my eyes, then put on a wounded expression.
“Mom, Dad, just now Sheng Ningye said I reek of money. I don't understand—is he insulting me, or our whole family?”
“I'm fine with it. For the sake of the family, I can take the hit... I'm only worried that Sheng Ningye will insult you while also clinging to you to climb his way up. Sigh.”
My parents' faces immediately turned cold. “What's this about?”
Sheng Ningye hadn't expected me to tattle.
He awkwardly tried to explain.
He went on explaining, only to end up blaming me.
“Giang Thanh Nguyệt, I know you're only doing this because you're mad. Didn't you hate Sheng Mingqi? Before, he merely touched your coat, and you got so angry you threw it away. Why would you want to get engaged to him now?”
At that, even Sheng Mingqi, who'd been silent all along, looked scornful.
It seemed Sheng Ningye hadn't been lying.
I said, “I was immature back then. I didn't dare admit I liked him, so I could only resort to clumsy ways to get his attention—”
“Wait.” Sheng Ningye stared at me. “Who do you like?”
“Sheng Mingqi.”
No one believed me.
With everyone watching, I decisively took Sheng Mingqi's hand.
“I like Sheng Mingqi.”
8.
Just then, I heard the System's voice.
“Ding! Sheng Mingqi's favorability toward the host has increased. Current favorability: -50.”
What? How did it go up?
Just because I said I liked him?
Would this kid actually believe me?
I turned to look at Sheng Mingqi.
He stared at me in astonishment, then at our tightly clasped hands.
Sheng Ningye finally came to his senses and shook his head. “Giang Thanh Nguyệt, stop throwing a tantrum.”
I asked, “How long have you been sick? Have you seen a doctor?”
Sheng Ningye said, “Stop making a scene. Even if you want to get engaged to Sheng Mingqi, you have to see whether he agrees. He'd probably do anything to avoid you...”
“I agree.”
Sheng Mingqi cut him off decisively.
The young man's voice was cold, but firm.
He looked around at the astonished faces.
“I said, I agree.”
9.
Sheng Mingqi really had no reason to refuse.
Because we were kindred spirits.
As a vicious villain, I enjoyed making life difficult for others.
Especially hypocrites like the ones in this room.
When they were uncomfortable, I felt great.
Their constipated expressions delighted me.
I gently scratched the palm of Sheng Mingqi's hand.
It was my way of saying, “Let's work well together.”
But Sheng Mingqi went stiff.
The System announced again:
“Ding! Sheng Mingqi's favorability toward the host has increased. Current favorability: -40.”
His favorability goes up just because I scratch him? Is Sheng Mingqi a cat?
Mischievously, I scratched him again.
“Ding! Sheng Mingqi's favorability toward the host has increased. Current favorability: -30.”
I scratched him again.
Mr. Sheng the Cat wouldn't let me scratch him anymore and pulled his hand away.
In the end, the engagement party came to nothing.
Just before I left the Sheng family villa, Sheng Mingqi suddenly pressed something into my arms.
I asked with a smile, “Is this a token of our love?”
“Giang Thanh Nguyệt, the guests are all gone. Stop pretending.”
He returned to his usual cold demeanor and turned to leave.
I opened the bag. Inside was a bottle of hand sanitizer.
Why would he give me this?
Suddenly, the original host's memories surfaced.
The original host had hated Sheng Mingqi.
Whenever she accidentally touched him, she would frantically sanitize her hands.
So that was what he meant. He was mocking me.
My competitive spirit flared up again.
If he wanted to mock me, I'd make him sick of me.
“Wait, Sheng Mingqi.”
The young man stopped.
I rushed over and wrapped my arms around him.
10.
While hugging him, I even pinched him around the waist.
The wind had just blown his T-shirt against him, revealing his figure.
His waist was so slim.
I gave it a pinch, just wanting to feel it a little…
Though slender, it was quite firm.
Sheng Mingqi was completely stunned.
I didn't hear the reminders flooding in until I shut the car door.
His favorability kept rising and falling, all over the place.
Clearly, Sheng Mingqi's emotions were a mess.
I simply muted the System.
In the front seat, my dad's fury finally erupted.
“Giang Thanh Nguyệt, did you deliberately try to humiliate me today? I would've been better off having a piece of meat than having you!”
“That's a good point, but Dad, a piece of char siu can't get married. The civil affairs bureau would allow it.”
“You…”
I grinned. “Don't be mad. As long as Sheng Ningye isn't the one who inherits the family fortune, I won't have to marry him, right?”
“Impossible! Sheng Ningye is their only choice! That illegitimate son doesn't stand a chance!”
“Give me three years. We can discuss the marriage again then.”
I knew the original story.
Three years later, Mrs. Sheng would fall seriously ill and have no time to make trouble at home.
That would be Sheng Mingqi's best chance to rise to power.
After all, in Chairman Sheng's eyes, his illegitimate son shared his blood.
He didn't care for Sheng Mingqi, either; he just went along with his wife's wishes.
From now on, I was going to reform Sheng Mingqi.
Helping the villain inherit the family fortune and wrecking the original plot—that's the professional duty of a wicked supporting female character like me!
But the next day, something unexpected happened.
Sheng Mingqi fainted.
The private school we attended was sharply divided by class.
Sheng Ningye and I were in the elite first class, while Sheng Mingqi was in class eight.
Class eight was full of the children of household managers and nannies.
Those kids knew how to curry favor and avoid trouble.
Sheng Mingqi fainted on the track, and no one came to help him.
Everyone just stood there watching.
As it happened, my class had gym that period, too.
I ran over and helped Sheng Mingqi up. He was six feet tall, but surprisingly light.
The book mentioned that Mrs. Sheng abused him and never let him eat his fill.
He wasn't even allowed to sit at the dining table. He usually ate a bowl of food on the stairs.
After all the commotion yesterday, he might have been made to go hungry again.
I unwrapped a piece of candy and was just about to pop it into his mouth.
Someone behind me gave me a hard shove.
“Giang Thanh Nguyệt, don't bully Mingqi!”
Oh, the heroine had arrived.
11.
Nguyễn Niệm Niệm was beautiful and adorable, with a small, fair face.
She fit the image of a romance novel heroine perfectly.
She was a little shorter than me, and her cheeks puffed up with anger.
Don't romance novels always say that an angry heroine looks like a pufferfish?
“Don't bully Mingqi! I'll protect him!”
“Which of your eyes saw me bullying him?”
“You're still making excuses? If you weren't bullying him, why would he be lying on the ground?”
“Open your eyes and look. He fainted; he didn't fall down.”
“Huh?” Nguyễn Niệm Niệm panicked. “Did you knock him out? Giang Thanh Nguyệt, how could you be so cruel!”
Me: “…”
After Nguyễn Niệm Niệm finished speaking, her voice turned soft, as if she were about to cry.
I shouted right in her face. “That's right, I knocked him out. Keep talking, and I'll knock you out too!”
She was so startled she froze, and it took her a while to make a sound.
“Can't any of the boys take him to the infirmary?” I looked around.
The boys all avoided my gaze.
Helping Sheng Mingqi would mean offending Sheng Ningye. They didn't dare.
Only the saintly heroine Nguyễn Niệm Niệm liked playing the righteous hero.
How could she pass up a chance to shine in front of Sheng Mingqi?
Unfortunately, all she did was talk.
I sighed and hoisted Sheng Mingqi onto my back.
The infirmary was only a five-minute walk away, but it took me nearly half an hour to get there.
At this lousy private school, even the teachers just stood by coldly, indifferent to what was happening.
Part of the reason I helped Sheng Mingqi was that I wanted to bring him up right.
Part of it was personal, too. I'd been shunned by everyone and knew what it felt like to go hungry.
In some ways, he and I were alike.