Chapter 18 – Those Punished by the “Heroine’s Halo” Keep Making Fools of Themselves

In a corner of the banquet hall, Zhang Sheng, Gina, Lin Wenran, and the rest of the secretary team were stationed, waiting for their boss to arrive.

All around them were similar office staffers, scattered in low-profile positions across the hall.

The point was to remain invisible, ready to be summoned at a moment’s notice.

“Has Shen-ge arrived yet?” Lin Wenran asked yet again, for what felt like the hundredth time.

Gina was busy with her phone, fingers flying across the screen, and didn’t bother to respond.

The other translators kept quiet too—only Zhang Sheng, afraid of awkward silence, forced himself to reply politely.

“Mr. Qin and Madam will come soon. Let’s just wait. And… best to call him ‘Mr. Qin’ while we’re working.”

Lin Wenran pouted, refusing to yield. “I’m used to calling him Shen-ge.”

Zhang Sheng: “…”

Gina’s typing became even fiercer, like she was stabbing the screen with every tap.

At that moment, the banquet doors opened again. A tall man in a tailored suit entered, his posture straight and commanding. Beside him, a woman in a black velvet gown, slim and graceful, drew every gaze.

Together, they were a striking pair—handsome man and stunning woman, instantly the focus of the room.

Lin Wenran bit her lip hard, resentment flashing in her eyes as she glared at Shuhui.

It should’ve been her standing at Qin Yushen’s side. Who was this Shuhui, daring to steal the heroine’s spotlight?

【Host… they’re married, you know.】

The system was exasperated. In recent days, Lin Wenran had made countless excuses in the secretary office to get close to Qin Yushen—coffee, tea, documents—none of it had worked. Worse, she’d alienated most of her colleagues.

The system wanted to close its eyes and pretend it saw nothing.

“I am the heroine. Stop spouting defeatist nonsense!” Lin Wenran snapped back in her mind.

Her gaze locked on the black velvet gown, her palm curling with jealousy. “Didn’t I already unleash my Heroine’s Halo suppression? Why is Shuhui unaffected, standing there like nothing happened? Did you screw up again, useless system?”

By theory, anyone under the “heroine halo” should suffer constant bad luck and humiliating mishaps.

【Maybe… it hasn’t activated yet.】

The system could only stall. Too many things in this world had shifted beyond its control. Nothing was playing out as expected.

“Mr. Qin has arrived.”

Zhang Sheng stood immediately. As people surrounded the couple, he glanced at Gina.

Gina quickly pulled up intel. “That’s Wilhelm, German, hotel chain owner. The woman with him isn’t his wife—probably his secretary.”

“Got it.” Zhang Sheng nodded, motioning for the German translator to follow.

Lin Wenran also jumped up, ready to trail after, but Gina grabbed her arm swiftly.

“Zhang Assistant and the translator are enough. Our role is to observe and provide intel updates remotely. We rotate translators as needed—no reason for all of us to swarm Mr. Qin. That would look ridiculous, understand?”

“I just want to say hi to Shen-ge! Who are you to stop me?” Lin Wenran tried to jerk free, but Gina’s grip was stronger.

“I’m your supervising mentor. During work hours, everything you do falls under my authority.” Gina’s tone chilled.

Just hearing “Shen-ge” again made her want to slap Lin Wenran. She held back only out of respect for the occasion.

In her career, Gina had mentored many interns—bright ones, foolish ones, even scheming ones.

But never one like Lin Wenran: dumb, scheming, and convinced she was a genius.

Absolutely insufferable.

Lin Wenran, however, refused to be cowed. “Shen-ge won’t mind if I go over. You’re just an old woman throwing your seniority around, bullying rookies!”

The two nearby translators gaped. That was vicious. Weren’t they supposed to be “one family” in the secretary office? This wasn’t matching the rumors at all.

Gina’s eyes narrowed dangerously. She hated being called old.

Yes, she was the oldest in the office, but she prided herself on keeping up with the times and staying efficient.

Lin Wenran was asking for it.

She almost fired back, but spotted Mr. Qin switching conversation partners. Work came first. She pushed down her fury and transmitted intel:

New arrival—a Chinese businessman. No translation needed.

The moment she focused on work, Lin Wenran yanked free and scurried toward Qin Yushen.

The two translators exchanged helpless looks. Gina gave a humorless laugh and typed furiously:

「New ‘wannabe secretary’ spotted (11)」

Gina: That idiot ran off. I can’t stop her anymore. But with Madam right there, I want to see how tenderly her ‘Shen-ge’ shields her. @Zhang Sheng

She was so furious she even dragged Qin Yushen into her venting.

Thankfully, the rest of the secretary office was truly united—except Lin Wenran.

Zhang Sheng: I honestly want to punch her…

Leo: Damn, drama alert. Gina-jie, Sheng-ge, calm down. But Sheng-ge, seriously, you’ve gotta hold her back. If something blows up during the banquet, Qin Yama won’t spare any of us afterward. [crying emoji]

Cloe: [crying emoji]
Zach: [crying emoji]
Wenda: [crying emoji]

---

Meanwhile, the Chinese businessman was chatting warmly with Qin Yushen.

Shuhui sat beside her husband, poised and relaxed. Across from her, the man’s female companion caught her eye. Shuhui returned a gentle smile.

A waiter approached with a tray of champagne and desserts—golden brut, rosé, and an array of sweets.

From behind the sofa, Zhang Sheng whispered, “Madam, the white champagne is lighter in taste and less likely to cause intoxication…”

Before he could finish, Qin Yushen had already lifted a glass of golden champagne and placed it before Shuhui.

The gesture was effortless, even as he continued answering the businessman’s question.

Across the table, the female companion glanced enviously at Shuhui before also fetching a glass—for herself, of course.

“It’s an honor to exchange ideas with Mr. Qin and the Hongxing Group at this summit.”

“The honor is mine.”

One guest down.

Shuhui’s graceful smile was second nature by now.

“Would you like to try some pudding?” Qin Yushen asked her quietly.

Shuhui was about to decline when—

“Shen-ge!”

Lin Wenran came trotting up, voice syrupy sweet, eyes fixed on Qin Yushen with infatuation. When his face instantly darkened, she hurriedly corrected herself: “I mean… Mr. Qin, I just came to say hello.”

“These past days, my mentor’s assigned me so much work I haven’t even had time to visit Auntie.” She stuck out her tongue playfully.

Zhang Sheng’s fists clenched. Everyone knew her mentor was Gina—wasn’t she just openly throwing her under the bus?

If Qin Yushen actually cared about this so-called “family friend” and blamed Gina, what then?

But Zhang Sheng’s worry was needless.

On the sofa, neither Qin Yushen nor Shuhui acknowledged Lin Wenran.

Shuhui calmly sipped her champagne, only tasting, careful not to drink too much given her health.

Qin Yushen, meanwhile, silently watched her drink, as though fascinated by the smallest detail.

Lin Wenran, watching too, seethed with rage.

Her hand curled tight under her sleeve.

“Why hasn’t it spilled yet? She should be cursed, drenched in champagne, making a fool of herself! Damn useless system, does your broken skill even work at all?”