Qin Qing had been pacing restlessly in the living room, her gaze repeatedly drifting toward the second floor—the private quarters where Su Meng and Ji Weichen resided, an area rarely visited by others.
Pressing her lips together, her eyes filled with conflict and disbelief, she recalled accidentally overhearing a conversation between Qin’s Father and the head of the Ji family at Qin Ye’s birthday party the previous night. Though she hadn’t caught the entire discussion, the fragments she pieced together revealed a startling truth.
Ji Weichen’s identity was far from ordinary; he was no mere orphan. Instead, he was the son of that Ji family head, and his mother’s background was equally remarkable. Consequently, Ji Weichen stood to inherit a vast fortune—so immense that even a sliver of it eclipsed the Qin Family’s entire wealth combined.
After continuous glances upward, the door on the second floor finally opened—it was Su Meng’s room.
Qin Qing looked up to see Su Meng dressed in a beige fleece pajama set, her black hair cascading over her shoulders. She appeared frail and sickly, with pale skin, as she bent slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips. Lowering her head, she spoke softly to Ji Weichen, though her words were inaudible from below.
“Still feeling scared?”
“A little.” Ji Weichen seemed fragile and docile, shaking his head like a lost lamb.
“Can I still come to you when I’m scared next time?”
Instead of answering directly, Su Meng leaned in slightly, meeting Ji Weichen’s eyes. Her clear, contrasting pupils reflected his image perfectly. Blinking, her voice was soft and sweet.
“Next time?” A hint of amusement flickered in Su Meng’s eyes, her face deceptively innocent and pure. “Are you inviting me to become your accomplice again?”
Hearing this, Ji Weichen inexplicably recalled the events of the previous day. The tips of his ears flushed red, and he appeared flustered and uneasy. Turning his face away, he seemed about to say something when Su Meng’s next words reached him.
“I’d be delighted.”
From a distance, Qin Qing couldn’t hear their conversation, but she observed their expressions closely. Frowning, she finally made up her mind.
She couldn’t stand by and watch Ji Weichen be deceived and manipulated by that hypocritical woman. She… she had to help him, to save him.
To be so thoroughly fooled by a malicious woman—it was utterly pitiable.
[Host, please stop bewitching people at will. Also, I must remind you—I am a system meant to guide the antagonist toward redemption!!] 666 interjected, watching Ji Weichen’s still-bright red ears as he walked away.
[Hmm? I’m only letting him know he can freely use me. After all, I’m a very handy tool. I’ve already shown enough trustworthy qualities—why wouldn’t he seize the opportunity?] Su Meng sounded somewhat puzzled in response to 666’s words.
[Oh… I see.] 666 grasped her meaning roughly: to help Ji Weichen exact revenge on the source of his current resentment and hatred—the Qin Family. Since the Qin Family was destined to fall in the original plot anyway, merely changing the hand that brought them down shouldn’t disrupt the storyline.
Moreover, the Qin Family could later serve as a useful stepping stone for Ji Weichen.The plan was sound, but 666 couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. For instance, Ji Weichen’s attitude toward Su Meng seemed somewhat unusual.
Was the displayed dependence and obedience truly just for the sake of using and taking revenge on its host?
[Host, Qin Qing is approaching Ji Weichen. Could she be trying to deceive him? What if Ji Weichen falls for her tricks? Aren’t you going to stop it? Also, why did you use the pendant from the box to secure Ji Weichen’s bandage?] 666, with its sharp eyes, noticed the commotion downstairs and grew increasingly anxious.
[66, have you already forgotten? Ji Weichen has never been a docile little lamb. He’s a little ferocious beast full of hostility, fierce without exception. Those who misjudge him will meet a terrible end.] Su Meng spoke, her gaze briefly sweeping over the scene below before she quickly averted her eyes.
[As for the pendant… well, who knows?] Her eyes lingered on Qin Qing for a moment before she turned and returned to her room.
[But you…] 666 sensed that Qin Qing was about to face misfortune, and it couldn’t help but feel that Qin Ye was also involved. Struggling in desperation, it tried to persuade Su Meng to do something good and set an example for Ji Weichen.
[I enjoy chaos, relish expressions of despair, and take pleasure in revenge and turmoil, 66. It seems you have some misconceptions about me. Do I really look like a good person to you?] Su Meng interrupted 666, her eyes dark and her tone deceptively innocent as she uttered words that sent chills down one’s spine.
[But before, you didn’t seem to care about Qin Qing or Qin Ye either, ignoring whatever they did to you?] 666 felt that its host was inherently aloof and lazy, rarely placing anyone in her heart, let alone deliberately scheming against them.
[But they bullied and plotted against Ji Weichen.] Su Meng stated.
That was the little villain she had picked up—only she was allowed to bully and scheme against him.
…
After leaving the Qin Family, Qin Ye immediately had his driver take him to a hospital—the same one where they had been treated after being rescued from a disaster years ago. It was also the place where Qin Ye had first opened his eyes upon waking.
“Young Master Qin, what brings you here so suddenly? Are you feeling unwell?” A doctor greeted Qin Ye as he entered the hospital.
Qin Ye’s complexion was indeed ghastly, pale as paper. He pressed his lips together, his mind relentlessly replaying the image of the pendant in Ji Weichen’s hand that morning.
He couldn’t possibly mistake the appearance of that item. Back then, in his dazed state, he had felt a pair of warm hands struggling to drag him forward, gradually pulling him away from danger. In his haze, he had caught a glimpse of the accessory worn on that person’s hand.
But that item clearly belonged to Qin Qing. When he woke up, he had seen it in her hand.
It was also Qin Qing who had personally admitted to saving him.
But… why did Su Meng have one too?
The more Qin Ye thought about it, the more he dared not dwell on the implications. It seemed he had never actually confirmed who his savior was; he had simply assumed it was Qin Qing the moment he opened his eyes and saw her.
“Uncle Li, do you remember the earthquake three years ago?” Qin Ye asked.
“Why bring that up so suddenly? Are you experiencing any aftereffects? But it’s been so many years, that shouldn’t be the case…” The doctor responded, carefully observing Qin Ye’s complexion and condition.”I was discharged from the hospital in a hurry back then, and I woke up quite late, so I never had the chance to inquire in detail about how I was rescued. That’s why I’m asking, Uncle Li, do you still remember the specific circumstances? For example…” Qin Ye spoke, pausing for a moment.
“What happened to Qin Meng and Qin Qing, who were in danger with me? I remember you told me before that it was one of my sisters who saved me.” Qin Ye’s voice was even somewhat cautious as he spoke.
“As for those names Qin Qing and Qin Meng, I don’t recognize them, but I remember this incident vividly. At the time, I had no idea where that young girl found such determination—she literally dragged you back from the brink of death step by step. She was covered in injuries herself but seemed completely unaware, and the first thing she said when she saw me was to save you,” the doctor explained.
“After saying that, she fainted. She really had an incredible tolerance. Later examinations showed that not only was she covered in wounds, but she also seemed inherently weaker than others, suffering from severe congenital heart disease. In such a condition, even the slightest misstep could have been fatal, yet she managed to hold on and rescue you,” the doctor continued.
As he spoke, he completely failed to notice that Qin Ye’s expression had darkened because of these few words.
“As for the other young lady, her condition was much better. She escaped earlier and didn’t suffer serious injuries.” After saying this, the doctor patted Qin Ye’s shoulder and smiled warmly.
“Young master, do you remember? I specifically reminded you to treat your sister well. So, how is your relationship with your sister now? You haven’t made her sad, have you?” the doctor asked, only then noticing that Qin Ye’s face had turned extremely pale.
“Uncle Li, I… I’ve done something wrong.” Hearing the doctor’s words, Qin Ye opened his mouth but could only utter this sentence.
He didn’t dare to listen, didn’t want to listen, and even tried to deceive himself into thinking it was all false.
How could it be?
Images flashed through his mind—all the things he had done to her, his bad behavior, his venomous words, the countless times he had unreasonably sided with Qin Qing and hurt her, and even persuading his father to abandon the search and rescue after she was kidnapped.
Each thing he had done felt like a knife stabbing into his heart.
He suddenly realized just how many terrible things he had done.
If only… if only he had asked more carefully back then, he would have known the truth.
But he had done nothing, easily believing Qin Qing’s words and being completely fooled.
If only he had…