Qiao Chu was completely baffled. “???”
“No—where’s the female lead? He just doesn’t care whether she lives or dies now? Or was she dumped somewhere not obvious enough?”
The System stammered guiltily, embarrassed and at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
【No, Host—just now the female lead went to Shang Shixu for help. Shang Shixu mistook her for a streetwalker throwing herself at him and had the patrol officers take her away.】
Qiao Chu curved her lips into a subtle smile. As expected of a dog-blood angsty romance—another thick, vivid stroke added to the male lead’s future chasing-his-wife-to-the-crematorium arc.
She prepared to pull her foot back, planning to fake a bathroom break and hide out for a bit, but her ankle was suddenly caught by Shang Shi’an.
The man’s hand was long and large, making that slim stretch of ankle in his palm look lustrous as jade. The ruby anklet was unmistakably real, adding a different kind of temptation to her pure-yet-sultry allure.
Next, the man lowered his eyes and pressed his cheek against Qiao Chu’s calf.
Just like he always did—fawning over the young lady, groveling at her feet.
Qiao Chu had been drinking and was already a little dizzy. Her foot wouldn’t come free, and before she realized it, the pointed toe of her high heel landed right between the man’s knees.
“Mm… Chu-chu, ah…”
A look that was equal parts pain and pleasure spread across Shang Shi’an’s handsome face.
Qiao Chu jumped in fright. Oh no—she’d stepped on something dirty. Could the shoe still be saved? She’d only worn it a few times—what a loss, babble babble…
“What are you doing?!”
A clear voice with a hint of magnetism cut through the noisy music and chatter in the private room.
Everyone turned toward the door in unison, then instantly paled, lowering their heads like startled quails.
Anyone who could casually sling an arm around a bastard son like Shang Shi’an was either another illegitimate child kept outside the family, or someone from a small clan trying to curry favor with the powerful.
In short, compared with Miss Qiao and Young Master Shang, their status was worlds apart.
Miss Qiao was manageable—even if she had a temper, she was still fairly approachable to hang around with.
Shang Shixu, however, was different. He was someone else’s prodigy, the nightmare other people grew up with under constant parental comparisons.
No one wanted to be remembered by a man with both background and means.
But that was impossible. This gathering had been organized by Shang Shi’an, and the person they’d led astray was none other than Shang Shixu’s fiancée—Qiao Chu.
Everyone knew Shang Shixu was upright and immaculate, unable to tolerate the slightest speck of dirt, and utterly disgusted by smoking, drinking, and clubbing.
To catch his fiancée fooling around with his illegitimate younger brother on the spot…
Two words: thrilling.
Qiao Chu followed the sound and looked over. The man standing at the door had striking bone structure and an outstanding presence. His sharp, defined jawline was set in an expression of impending storm.
Truly worthy of being one of the male leads—standing there, he was clearly on a different plane from other men.
She exhaled a lazy puff of smoke and even whistled flirtatiously.
“Hey, pretty boy—here to pour drinks? I’ve got plenty of money.”
Qiao Chu pulled out a thick wad of cash from her bag. Under the man’s darkening expression, she crooked her finger at him.
“Come here. Pour me a drink, and it’s all yours.”
The people in the room were dumbstruck. Weren’t they engaged? Why was Miss Qiao treating Young Master Shang like a bar host?
Were they not close?
Qiao Chu was acting.
After all, this Shang Shixu would later fall for the female lead and repeatedly help that little white lotus slap her, his fiancée, in the face.
The best way to avoid swallowing that kind of silent humiliation was to strike first. Want to suppress her, Qiao Chu? Sorry—eat this show of dominance first.
With that thought, instead of pulling her foot back, Qiao Chu planted it directly on Shang Shi’an’s thigh. “Massage it for me. I cramped up after kicking someone.”
To outsiders, the pose was blatantly ambiguous.
Miss Qiao really knew how to play—flirting right in front of her fiancé. If it were another socialite, she probably wouldn’t even dare blink under Shang Shixu’s ferocious stare.
Shang Shi’an couldn’t suppress the provocative smile curling at his lips. Holding the girl’s calf, his wine-damp, rosy lips moved downward.
So what if Shang Shixu was the destined heir of the Shang family? Qiao Chu still chose him. When it came to being a man, he crushed Shang Shixu completely.
Even if Qiao Chu was shallow and crude, he had to admit she possessed a face that could topple cities—no man could resist.
Just as Shang Shi’an was about to kiss her—
Shang Shixu’s brows knitted tightly. He strode forward, shrugging off his suit jacket as he went, his long, jade-like fingers loosening his tie.
Bang!
A solid punch smashed into Shang Shi’an’s cheekbone, twisting his entire face to the side. Then he was kicked away, crashing into the champagne tower on the table.
The rightful fiancé’s combat power was astonishing.
After quickly assessing the balance of power, Qiao Chu turned to bolt—only to have her wrist seized, a long arm hooking her back into his chest.
“Why are you running? Didn’t you just ask me to keep you company and drink?”
Qiao Chu glanced at his well-defined hand, blue veins winding across the back of it. Her teeth ached just looking—those hands clearly hurt when they hit someone.
“Young Master Shang, it’s a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding. I can just drink with him.”
She pointed at Shang Shi’an, who was writhing on the floor in pain.
If someone had to be dragged down, Shang Shi’an would be first. That little bastard had ulterior motives—he wanted to marry into her family and become a live-in husband.
To pave the way for smoothly taking over the Qiao family’s assets in the future, Shang Shi’an had gone to great lengths to corrupt Qiao Chu—spoiling her into a spoiled, extravagant, pleasure-seeking good-for-nothing.
Sure enough, Shang Shixu’s expression darkened even further, black as the bottom of a pot that hadn’t been scrubbed in ten years.
Qiao Chu knew it well: a man’s pride was at play. Even if Shang Shixu felt nothing for her, his nominal fiancée, there was no way he could tolerate being cuckolded.
Shang Shi’an—the slick, silver-tongued illegitimate son—was about to be in serious trouble.
“Qiao Chu, I’m standing right here. Why do you need to drink with him at all?”
The contempt and distaste in Shang Shixu’s eyes were undisguised. He reached out and touched Qiao Chu’s loose wavy hair—his palm came away wet, droplets still clinging to the tips.
“How did you end up like this? Right now. You’re coming back with me.”
Qiao Chu was dumbfounded. “Shang Shixu, are you sick in the head? Are we even close?”
Was he kidding? She was just an insignificant cannon-fodder fiancée!
His tone turned icy as he forcibly dragged her toward the exit. “You’re not close with me, but you seem pretty close with him. Enjoy stepping on him just now, didn’t you?”
Qiao Chu: “A little… ah, no, I mean—this engagement was just a casual mention anyway. My mom’s already passed away, so we can find a time to call it off.”
“Shut up. If I catch you smoking or clubbing again, we’ll go register and get married.”
Qiao Chu suspected her hearing was failing at such a young age. “Wait, what? Are you drunk, or am I drunk? Register and get married? You and who?”
“With you.”
Qiao Chu: “???”
No way! She didn’t want to get married! She was still young—she couldn’t hang herself on just one money tree!
She needed to hang on to a few more and see which one had the best feng shui!
Qiao Chu was stuffed into a luxurious extended limousine. Driving was his personal assistant and chauffeur, Assistant Cheng.
The moment she sat down, a thick towel carrying a faint fragrance was tossed over. The man’s cold, sharp gaze fixed straight on her.
“Dry yourself.”
Qiao Chu slowly wiped her hair while secretly calling out to the System for answers.
“System, System—did the male lead bug out? He actually wants to marry me!”
The System chuckled darkly, unfathomable.
【Host, he’s striking at the snake’s vital point—painlessly cutting off your romantic prospects. After marriage he can still make things hard for you. Judging by how he hit just now, he might even be a domestic abuser!】
Qiao Chu agreed wholeheartedly. She was a pampered young lady now, with plenty of simps lining up to chase her. Shang Shixu wanted to go straight to registering the marriage?
Take both the person and the money? In his dreams!
“Hm?”
A low, pleasant hum sounded. Qiao Chu snapped back to attention. “W-what? I’m not going to your place—I’m going home!”
Shang Shixu said flatly, “Just now, did you say I’m a toad trying to eat swan meat?”