A devilish smile…
A teasing smile…
A half-smile…
An amused smile…
These are phrases that frequently appear in domineering CEO novels. These men often treat the female lead this way, claiming she’s amusing and that she piques their interest.
One day, a woman arrived at Qiao Yitong’s office. She was Mrs. Pei, the second young master’s wife. She had once been an ordinary girl—an inspiring figure who went from being a working-class woman to a young mistress. I suppose you could call it an inspirational story. How many young girls dream of rising to the top overnight like Second Young Master’s wife Su, all hoping to become ladies of high society?
Mrs. Pei, the Second Young Master’s wife, was the sister-in-law of Qiao Yitong’s friend, Pei Jiayi. She had come to see Qiao Yitong through Pei Jiayi.
Pei Jiayi was sitting nearby; she didn’t really want to listen to her second sister-in-law’s ramblings, so she simply let Qiao Yitong handle it.
“My husband’s smile always gives me the creeps. It makes me feel like I’m just his toy, not his wife,” said Mrs. Pei, the Second Young Master’s wife. “Before we were married, when he smiled like that, it was fine, but…”
After they were married, when the Second Young Master of the Pei family still smiled like that, Mrs. Pei sometimes felt uneasy; that kind of smile didn’t seem like a normal person’s smile.
“……” Qiao Yitong was silent for a moment. She couldn’t help it—after all, she’d often written that way before.
In one of her books, Qiao Yitong had almost exclusively used these words to describe the male lead. Back then, she’d just discovered these terms and thought they were so effective that she used them over and over again, sometimes appearing in several consecutive chapters.
Qiao Yitong had also written that the female lead sometimes felt a bit uneasy, but she hadn’t expected the female lead to still feel that way after marriage. When Qiao Yitong wrote novels, she didn’t necessarily cover the female lead’s life after marriage, nor could she write very lengthy post-marriage content.
“Is there any way to get him to change?” asked Mrs. Pei.
“It can be changed, but it’ll have to come from you or someone close to him,” Qiao Yitong said. “You know, he’s your husband—you can’t very well let another woman discipline your man for you.”
“Sigh, that’s exactly what I’m thinking,” said Mrs. Pei II. “Am I being too sensitive?”
“Not really,” Qiao Yitong replied. “Everyone has their little quirks. Maybe your husband just happens to not look so good when he smiles.”
“It’s not that it’s unattractive, it’s just… after a while, you can get used to it,” said Mrs. Pei II. “But when he smiles like that… well, it just doesn’t look quite right.”
Pei Jiayi shrugged at Qiao Yitong. “Second Brother acts pretty normal around the rest of us.”
Of course, that’s because the male lead only acts that way around the female lead.
Qiao Yitong cleared her throat. “If you have any complaints, just say them outright. Maybe he’ll change.”
“Never mind, let’s take it slow,” said Mrs. Pei II. “If he comes to ask you about it…”
“I know what to say,” Qiao Yitong nodded.
Qiao Yitong understood all too well—some people simply used her as a go-between. Others never appeared before her in person but sent anonymous emails; sometimes, Qiao Yitong could instantly figure out who they were.
Some people said that after coming to see Qiao Yitong, they achieved their goals and were all very pleased.
Mrs. Pei had also heard this from others, so she came over to see if her husband could actually smile a little more naturally.
Could he stop smiling in such a sinister way?
Mrs. Pei was afraid of hurting her husband’s feelings; she wanted to say something but didn’t dare.
Later, Second Young Master Pei did indeed make some changes. He genuinely loved his wife and didn’t want to upset her. Second Young Master Pei didn’t smile much normally, and practicing in front of a mirror didn’t help much. He acted differently around his other relatives than he did in front of his wife.
Pei Jiayi said to her second sister-in-law, “Don’t worry, Second Sister-in-Law. You’re one of a kind—Second Brother only acts like this with you.”
When Qiao Yitong heard what Pei Jiayi had said to Mrs. Pei, she gave Pei Jiayi a thumbs-up.
“You really know how to talk!” Qiao Yitong said.
“Isn’t that what you always say? That everyone is different? You just need to sweet-talk them a little,” Pei Jiayi replied. “People in love are the easiest to fool.”
Qiao Yitong handed Pei Jiayi some money. “Your share of the profits.”
“Mm, money from love-struck people—it’s easy to make,” Pei Jiayi nodded. “My second older brother even asked me to look at his smile the other day; he gave me some pocket money.”
Pei Jiayi would sweet-talk her second older brother, then sweet-talk her second sister-in-law, and before long, both of them would be all smiles.
“My second older brother used to treat my second sister-in-law like a toy, so now he’s her toy,” Pei Jiayi said. “Have my second sister-in-law copy my second older brother’s smile—whatever way he used to smile at her, that’s how she should smile at him.”
“You’re right,” Qiao Yitong said. “You get along well with your second sister-in-law, so you can say that.”
“When you opened your studio, didn’t you say the same thing? If my second brother really loves my second sister-in-law, he won’t hold it against her,” Pei Jiayi said.
Pei Jiayi had learned a lot from Qiao Yitong. She felt that some people simply deserved a good beating—they needed to get a taste of what it felt like.
The Second Young Lady of the Pei family didn’t quite capture the smile perfectly, but the Second Young Master of the Pei family had already realized just how obnoxious his previous smile had been, and he was slowly working on changing it.