After Xiao Yao added Loves Eating Candy on WeChat, she discovered that this sweet and adorable little “girl” was actually a boy.
She figured it out after browsing through the meticulously edited photos filling his Moments feed.
Luxury villas.
Mansions.
Designer watches.
Luxury cars.
Every kind of extravagant, decadent lifestyle imaginable.
The boy in the photos appeared young. His face was fair and delicate, and his obedient, gentle features vaguely resembled someone familiar. His smile toward the camera looked innocent and sweet.
Xiao Yao gloomily and maliciously concluded that his family was definitely a bunch of nouveau riche.
Otherwise, why would he flaunt his wealth so openly?
At that moment, her phone chimed.
Loves Eating Candy: Sister, have you considered my proposal?
…
Ten minutes earlier, Ming Tang had said that communicating through the forum was too inconvenient, so the two of them added each other as friends.
As soon as they connected on WeChat, he got straight to the point.
He said he was willing to pay her to gather dirt on Ming Jing.
As long as she could get evidence, she could name any price she wanted.
Ming Tang believed he had offered a deal that she could not possibly refuse.
In his eyes, she hated Ming Jing and loved money.
Therefore, paying her to dig up Ming Jing’s scandals gave her absolutely no reason to decline.
However, Xiao Yao was lazy by nature.
The money she had recently earned was already enough for her to squander for quite some time.
For the near future, all she wanted was to stay home, eat, sleep, and waste away.
Besides, this Loves Eating Candy was actually a rich second-generation heir.
Xiao Yao’s habit of envying others immediately resurfaced.
She hated rich people.
Why did they get everything from birth?
There were already so many wealthy people in the world.
Why couldn’t one more be her?
With that thought, she was about to firmly reject him.
Just because he had money did not mean he could buy everything.
There were still people like her who could not be swayed by wealth.
Then the system’s voice suddenly sounded in her head.
“Wait! Since when did you get acquainted with the Male Lead’s younger brother?”
Xiao Yao’s fingers paused.
“The Male Lead’s younger brother?”
“That’s right,” the system said. “The Little White Lotus younger brother from the original novel. He grew up in the slums and was only brought back to the Ming Family with his mother after he got older. Stupid and malicious, scheming and vicious. He was always secretly sabotaging the Male Lead out of jealousy but never succeeded even once. In the end, he was thrown out of the family. Ming Tang.”
Wait.
Why did those descriptions sound so familiar?
Could it be that all the villains and cannon fodder in this novel were stupid, malicious schemers who could never overcome the protagonist’s plot armor?
Xiao Yao suddenly felt worried about her future.
“So?”
The system let out a sinister laugh.
“So, as two stupid, malicious, scheming villain cannon fodders, the two of you are birds of a feather. You’ll appreciate each other instantly, join forces against the Male Lead without hesitation, and then both get cannon-foddered by the Male Lead. Hehehehehe…”
Xiao Yao fell silent for a moment.
“Do I have any other choice?”
The system replied mockingly,
“Nope. Congratulations. Not many task performers manage to unlock this side storyline.”
Slowly, Xiao Yao typed:
Okay.
The reply came almost immediately, as though the other party had been staring at his phone the entire time.
Loves Eating Candy: Shall we meet tomorrow afternoon? You choose the time and place, Sister.
After thinking for a moment, Xiao Yao replied:
Sure.
The following afternoon.
Ming Tang stepped out of the car while pinching his nose, his brows tightly furrowed.
His fair and handsome face looked as black as the bottom of a pot.
With obvious disgust, he planted his feet on the ground, feeling as though even his brand-new Balenciaga shoes had been contaminated by the dirt here.
The day before, he had let her choose the location to demonstrate how approachable and easygoing he was.
He had assumed she would at least pick a café or a tea house.
Instead, she had sent him an address he had never even heard of.
Their driver had gotten lost on the way.
By the time they finally arrived, his head was spinning from all the detours.
And what greeted them?
A godforsaken slum.
Ming Tang never had a particularly good temper to begin with.
The obedient persona he displayed daily only suppressed his true nature.
Deep down, he was twisted.
Assuming that Xiao Yao had deliberately chosen this place to mock him, he immediately exploded into a string of curses.
The insults were things he had absorbed growing up.
Filthy.
Vulgar.
As nasty as could be.
The driver kept his eyes down and pretended not to hear.
He had worked for the Ming Family for ten years.
Ever since this young master had returned to the family, he had served him personally.
He had long known that Ming Tang’s obedient and gentle image was merely a facade.
After venting his anger, Ming Tang felt slightly better.
Just as he was about to get back into the car and leave—
Footsteps sounded behind him.
Someone seemed to be coming out from a nearby stairwell.
Ming Tang was already reaching for the car door when he suddenly heard the driver inhale sharply.
His movement unconsciously paused.
And in that brief pause—
He saw her.
The anger lingering on his face froze instantly.
His mocking lips parted slightly.
His eyes widened.
His gaze locked firmly onto the girl.
The young woman had jet-black hair and snow-white skin.
Her cold and beautiful features carried an inherently alluring quality.
Everything about her was exquisitely refined.
She looked completely out of place in such a rundown slum.
Yet she had emerged from it.
Her clothes were inexpensive.
Her eyes lacked the arrogance he often saw in wealthy socialites who relied on their beauty.
Ming Tang had no idea how much she had overheard.
Maybe nothing at all.
Because she was walking toward him.
He stared blankly at her.
His heartbeat accelerated beyond his control.
When she finally stopped in front of him, Ming Tang snapped back to reality.
He immediately put on his usual charming smile.
His eyes curved pleasantly.
“Pretty Sister, are you looking for me?”
A small dimple appeared on his fair cheek, making him look exceptionally cute.
Xiao Yao frowned.
“Are you Loves Eating Candy?”
Ming Tang froze briefly before smiling even more sweetly.
“It’s me. What a coincidence, Sister.”
Xiao Yao looked puzzled.
“Wasn’t it you who asked me to meet?”
The smile on his face stiffened.
“R-Right… So, Sister, is there somewhere more convenient for us to talk?”
His gaze subtly drifted toward the area behind her.
Since she had come out from there, she probably lived nearby.
Xiao Yao glanced around casually.
“How about right here? There isn’t anyone around anyway.”
Ming Tang’s expression stiffened further.
“…Okay.”
On a street in the slums, two villains sat together discussing ways to sabotage the protagonist.
Ming Tang introduced himself.
Yet Xiao Yao showed absolutely no reaction.
The smile on his delicate face faltered almost imperceptibly before returning.
“My dear older brother has already entered the company. If you want to gather dirt on him, you first need to get close to him. I can arrange for you to enter Ming Corporation. Then—”
Xiao Yao immediately continued,
“I’ll infiltrate his side, secretly collect evidence against him, and then betray him at the crucial moment and deal him a devastating blow.”
The system had previously informed her that people who did such things were usually called double agents.
Most of them ended badly.
Ming Tang’s eyes shifted slightly.
Still smiling sweetly, he nodded.
“Sister is so smart.”
Before meeting her today, that had indeed been his plan.
Over the years, his perfect older brother had always been flawless in public.
Yet this girl was the only person who had repeatedly managed to capture so much dirt on Ming Jing.
Surely she possessed some extraordinary ability.
But after seeing her in person, Ming Tang changed his mind.
He wanted her to seduce Ming Jing.
No.
Perhaps she would not even need to seduce him.
The girl before him was breathtakingly beautiful.
If not for his overwhelming desire to bring down Ming Jing, even he might have willingly fallen at her feet.
He believed no one could remain unmoved before such astonishing beauty.
Not even his arrogant, hypocritical older brother.
Countless thoughts flashed through Ming Tang’s mind.
Yet his face maintained the same innocent smile.
“Exactly. As it happens, there’s currently a vacant position in the company. Later I’ll talk to Father and have him arrange it for you, okay?”
The system had already told Xiao Yao that Ming Cheng spoiled this younger son immensely.
Giving her an easy, high-paying position should be effortless for him.
Without thinking too much about it, she nodded.
“Okay.”