Chapter 9

[But… this part wasn’t in the original plot.]

[Tsk, well, Zhou Yue wasn’t supposed to come talk to me with all that nonsense either, was he?]

Absolutely inflexible. If they only followed the script step by step, it would take until the end of time to complete the mission.

166 was dazed—Wait, that’s allowed?

There was no warning alarm, which meant it was probably okay, as long as the character setting didn’t collapse.

It didn’t have a human’s twisted thought process, so once it understood, it quickly went along with her plan:
[Then let’s just trigger the next plot point early.]

Jiang Qiao: [?]

[A chance encounter with the second male lead.]

Jiang Qiao: […………] Finally catching on.

…

[We’re here,] 166’s robotic voice overlapped with the soft mewl of a kitten.

Jiang Qiao stopped in her tracks, a little stunned. She turned her head and saw a beautiful calico cat sprawled out on a wooden step, meowing pitifully.

A young man, around twenty years old, stepped out from the shop and gave a mock-stern cough, scolding the cat with exaggerated gestures:
“What are you yowling for? If this were spring, we’d be doomed. You’re completely out of control…”

“Meow~”

The young man: “……………”

Jiang Qiao couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
[This is the poor tragic second male lead?]

What kind of dialogue was that?

166 snapped at her: [Your family’s bankruptcy is partly thanks to him, you know—because you offended the female lead.]

The protagonist’s halo wasn’t just for show. Though the female lead had a tragic background, every suitor around her was more capable than the last.

Jiang Zhao—the girl-next-door older brother figure—was secretly the illegitimate son of a wealthy family, hiding his sharp edge while falling in love with the kind and gentle female lead.

But since she had someone she liked, he could only retreat silently and instead support her love from the sidelines.

To ensure her happiness, he returned to the powerful family, orchestrated Jiang Qiao’s family’s downfall, and helped free the male lead from her forced affection.

Clap, clap. Jiang Qiao applauded with admiration for this grand, selfless view of love.

…

“Boss, I want to ask about someone.”

The girl’s tone was spoiled and imperious. Jiang Zhao’s brows twitched almost imperceptibly. Hugging the cat, he turned toward the voice.

On the grayish wall, trumpet vines bloomed wildly and flamboyantly. The girl stood beneath the flowers, her high ponytail and slightly raised chin framing delicate features that were still a bit youthful—but clearly hinted at future breathtaking beauty.

He paused for just a second, then replied with his usual calm,
“I don’t know the people around here very well. You can ask someone else.”

How could she move the plot forward if she asked someone else?

Jiang Qiao didn’t care what he said:
“Song Qingying—you know her, right? Her family lives around here.”

At this point in the story, Jiang Zhao didn’t have romantic feelings for Song Qingying yet. He just saw her as a little sister. From Jiang Qiao, he first learned that Song Qingying was getting close to another boy—Lu Xun.

Jiang Zhao remained calm:
“You’re her classmate?”

“Yes!” Jiang Qiao answered without any guilt.

“She lives on campus. Doesn’t stay at home.”

“I know,” Jiang Qiao replied impatiently. “Just tell me where her house is.”

It was obvious she didn’t come with good intentions. Jiang Zhao’s expression cooled:
“Sorry. I can’t tell you that.”

“You—!” Jiang Qiao, after all, was still a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl. No matter how spoiled or bossy she was, her skin wasn’t that thick. Hearing that, she got angry and snapped,
“Fine, don’t tell me.”

It’s not like this was the only shop here—she’d just ask someone else.

Sure enough, when she went into the next shop, the owner saw that she was a pretty young girl and happily told her the answer—and even came out to point her in the right direction.

Jiang Zhao was still standing on the steps at the shop entrance when Jiang Qiao turned back before leaving and raised her eyebrows at him smugly, the meaning clear—You won’t say it? Someone else will.

The pretty and spoiled girl flipped her hair and walked off, her high ponytail swinging a few times in the air.

After walking through a quiet alley, Jiang Qiao stopped in front of a house. The small single-story home was old, with a red wooden door. There were a few blooming flowers on either side of the entrance, clearly well cared for—a sign that the owner was someone who cherished life.

This wasn’t what Jiang Qiao had imagined.

She was about to knock when the door opened from the inside.

A middle-aged woman, not yet forty, appeared. She had raised her daughter alone. Though her features were delicate, her face was marked by the passage of time. She looked very much like Song Qingying.

Jiang Qiao was still in her school uniform, with the school emblem clearly visible on her chest.

It was school hours, and seeing a classmate showing up at the door made the woman’s expression shift from confused to faintly nervous.
“Are you a classmate of Yingying’s? Did something happen to her at school?”

“…No.”

Jiang Qiao was an orphan. She had never experienced parental love, and because of that, she didn’t quite understand it.

But the concern and worry on this woman’s face were so clear and raw that, for a moment, Jiang Qiao felt an unfamiliar emotion. The harsh words she had originally prepared suddenly stuck in her throat.

Hearing that her daughter was fine, the woman sighed in relief, though she was still puzzled.
“Then… why are you here?”

“I came to the wrong place,” Jiang Qiao said casually, making it up.

Who walks to someone’s doorstep by mistake?

The woman’s gaze turned suspicious, and if Jiang Qiao kept explaining, her character persona might collapse.

She gave a quick smile and was about to leave when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone striding down the alley.

Lu Xun coming here was something Jiang Qiao hadn’t expected. She had followed him for a few minutes, going from surprise to growing irritation.

With his long legs, Lu Xun walked fast without any regard for her pace.

Jiang Qiao, unable to keep up even by jogging, got angry and simply squatted in place, fuming:
“Lu Xun! Stop right there!”

He did stop. Turning slightly, his cold gaze landed on her.

Jiang Qiao stared right back, refusing to back down. Her eyes started to ache from glaring so hard before Lu Xun finally approached lazily, looking down at her from above.

“Get up,” he said flatly, his tone unreadable.

“I won’t.” Jiang Qiao took it further. “Pull me up.”

She extended her hand toward him, just like the other day when she’d bossily made him carry her to the infirmary.

Lu Xun’s lips tugged into a faint smirk, but he let his arms hang by his sides without moving—clearly not planning to help her.

Jiang Qiao’s legs had gone numb from squatting. Feeling a little aggrieved, she stood up by herself.

Now standing face-to-face, Lu Xun ignored her rubbing her sore legs and said coldly:
“Are you done playing, Miss Jiang?”

Jiang Qiao froze. Clearly, Lu Xun thought she’d come to cause trouble for Song Qingying today.

To be fair, that was indeed her original plan. Although she hadn’t actually done anything bad, Lu Xun didn’t need to know that.

“Nope,” Jiang Qiao said defiantly. “Today was just a warning. If she dares pester you again, I’ll send someone to trash her house.”

She stepped closer, tilting her head up to stare at Lu Xun’s cold but handsome face. A strange feeling stirred in her chest.
“Lu Xun, if you want to protect her—fine. Then be with me.”

Her face stayed composed, but her palms were sweaty with nervous tension.

166 was practically glitching out from shock, spewing random code—completely stunned by how fast the plot was advancing.

Lu Xun stared at her silently, his dark eyes unreadable. Even faced with such a forceful and outrageous demand, his expression didn’t shift.

Jiang Qiao’s heart suddenly fluttered uneasily. She stubbornly held his gaze, not realizing that her eyes had taken on a hopeful, pleading shine.

“If you’re with me, I’ll leave her alone.” She repeated, then added,
“Otherwise, I’ll trash your house too.”