Cen Zhinning fell into deep thought. Once Qi Yanheng took control of the Cen family, it would only be a matter of time before she was kicked out—reduced to a fallen heiress.
On top of that, she had offended plenty of people with her willful and reckless behavior. Everyone would want to take a shot at her. Miserable didn’t even begin to cover it.
In the later part of the original plot, she even tried to cling to those male leads, scheming against and framing the female lead, Bai Xiaorou—only to be tortured by the male leads until she was no longer even human.
Thinking of that storyline sent a chill down her spine.
The Cen family was powerful and wealthy—how could she possibly accept handing it over so easily?
Maybe she should struggle a little. Before completing her mission and slipping away, she might as well grab a share for herself.
【Host, just go ahead and fight for it boldly. It was yours to begin with. Take as much as you can.】
‘You said it!’
【Relax. I’ve got your back. I’ll never let you walk into an early-death ending.】
“……”
Qin Pengpeng continued,
“Oh right, I heard from Uncle Cen that you’ll be transferring to Silan Noble Academy?”
Cen Zhinning nodded.
“I submitted my exchange student application. If nothing unexpected happens, I’ll complete my university studies at Silan.”
Qin Pengpeng sighed.
“He’s the president of the Disciplinary Committee at school.”
“Disciplinary Committee?”
“On the surface, they maintain student order and discipline. But in reality, they’re a top-tier circle. The academy is basically controlled by that elite group.”
“That dramatic?”
“Yeah. It’s made up of the most powerful and influential boys in the academy. They’re the symbol—and the real rulers—of campus order. They practically have the power of life and death. Anyone who offends them usually ends up bullied into dropping out.”
Cen Zhinning twitched at the corner of her mouth.
“So… F4?”
Qin Pengpeng looked at her in confusion.
“What F4?”
Cen Zhinning gave an awkward laugh and waved her hand.
“Nothing, just talking nonsense.”
Qin Pengpeng continued,
“But lately he’s been managing the company and staying at the research institute. He rarely shows up at school.”
Cen Zhinning slumped.
“He’s really taking a chicken feather as a command arrow—actually thinking he’s someone important.”
Qin Pengpeng looked at her curiously.
“What exactly happened between you and your brother? Wouldn’t it be better to improve your relationship with him? I think he seems to care about you. If you make peace with him, with his support, the Cen family would flourish.”
Cen Zhinning replied weakly,
“Our relationship is worse than you imagine. We could never live in peace in this lifetime.”
“Why?”
She waved her hand. It was too hard to explain.
Not to mention that Qi Yanheng was a masochist. Whatever feelings he had for her now were probably a twisted desire born from revenge.
And later, once he got tired of her, he would fall in love at first sight with Bai Xiaorou—and for Bai Xiaorou’s sake, he would personally destroy her.
So she absolutely couldn’t lower her guard and give him any opportunity.
When Qi Yanheng returned to the Cen family villa, Qi Rumei was in the courtyard picking fresh plum blossoms.
Seeing him walk out of the garage, she adjusted her scarf.
“Well? Did you bring the young lady back?”
Qi Yanheng didn’t answer. He handed his soiled overcoat to a servant, speaking sparingly.
“No.”
Qi Rumei frowned.
“Why are you in such a mess? Did she splash you?”
He said nothing.
Qi Rumei finished arranging her flower basket and shook the snow off her rain boots.
“I don’t know what your uncle was thinking. Your relationship with Cen Zhinning is so bad, yet he still sent you to pick her up. Does he really think you can repair your sibling relationship? What a joke.”
Her gaze turned sharp.
“Fine. Now you should give up. You two aren’t suitable. She hates you. You’ll never work out in this lifetime. You should understand that your goal isn’t women—it’s the Cen family fortune.”
Only then did Qi Yanheng show some expression. He glanced at her calmly.
“Do you know why she hates me?”
Qi Rumei was startled by his look. Unable to hold back, her voice sharpened.
“You’re still thinking about her? Can you stop wasting energy on her? Once you take the inheritance, what kind of woman wouldn’t you have? While they’re distracted, this is your best chance to seize the overseas core assets. Why are you still trying to bring her back? It’d be better if she never returned.”
Qi Yanheng cast her a sidelong glance, a mocking smile at his lips.
“The inheritance?”
As if he’d just heard the most amusing joke.
“You’re still fixated on that insignificant pile of things?”
Qi Rumei froze.
“What do you mean insignificant? That’s not a small amount! That’s—”
“That’s what?”
He interrupted her, looking at his aunt unhurriedly. An almost suffocating pressure radiated from him.
“The corporation that needs constant transfusions to survive? Or the sunset industry already made obsolete by new technology, overvalued by seventy percent? Or perhaps the so-called wills and equity papers in Uncle Cen’s safe—utterly worthless?”
Qi Rumei’s face turned pale inch by inch, her pupils widening in shock.
“What do you mean?”
Qi Yanheng let out a soft laugh.
“Aunt, have you never wondered why in the past three years, the Cen businesses appeared to expand—breaking into Jingbei’s top ten—yet core profits declined year after year?”
“Why several of Uncle Cen’s most trusted veterans switched sides to support my entry into the group?”
“Why the banks are increasingly strict with Uncle Cen’s loan approvals, yet open the floodgates for shell companies under my name?”
With every sentence, her face lost more color. Her body trembled uncontrollably.
Qi Yanheng leaned down, almost brushing her ear. In the gentlest voice, he spoke the most terrifying words.
“This family was hollowed out by me from the inside long ago. The fortune you care about so dearly…”
Straightening, he spread his hand and made a small “boom” gesture.
“With a flick of my finger, it could turn overnight into nothing but negative assets and endless debt.”
Qi Rumei stumbled back, as if seeing her nephew clearly for the first time. Looking at the elegant yet terrifying monster she had raised with her own hands, her voice shook uncontrollably.
“Y-you… emptied out the Cen family?!”
“Emptied out?”
Qi Yanheng raised a brow, amused by the term.
“No. I just found it entertaining—to watch you all scramble like clowns over something I already control… something I could destroy at any moment.”
His gaze swept past his aunt’s terrified face and toward the Chinese-style villa. His expression suddenly turned deep and obsessive, his tone carrying a chilling tenderness.
“Otherwise, why do you think Uncle Cen values me so much lately? Why he’s handed me the company’s decision-making power? Because only I can bring it back from the dead.”
Qi Rumei couldn’t understand why her nephew would do such a thing. Wasn’t this just fighting among themselves?
“Why are you doing this?”
A sinister smile curved across Qi Yanheng’s face.
“What do you think? Three years ago, when you forced Ningning away, I began planning day and night.”
His eyes darkened.
“You should never have touched her.”