Chapter 25.2

Yet, he didn’t even raise his eyes. He simply picked up his military cap and placed it on his head, the brim casting a shadow over his sharp, dignified gaze. Instead of responding to her directly, he coldly gestured toward the table. “Empty out the food. I’m taking the enamel bowl back.”

Wen Xin: “……”

Had she overstepped? Or was she just imagining things?

Wen Xin usually took a nap every afternoon, but today, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Her lips burned with irritation. When she looked in the mirror, she saw they were unusually red—probably a sign of internal heat from stress.

Just as she was growing frustrated, the phone rang. She rushed to the living room to answer it. It was the sentry at the main gate, informing her that someone was looking for her.

Song Qian had come again. Wen Xin didn’t want to see her, so she didn’t go out. But before long, a military wife from the compound came over with a message. “There’s a girl waiting for you at the gate. If you don’t go out, she says she’ll keep waiting. Who is she, anyway?”

Wen Xin was furious.

She knew better than anyone that Song Qian wasn’t actually here for her. She was just looking for an opportunity to “coincidentally” meet the male lead and eliminate any obstacles to her future happiness.

Happiness, my ass!

Wen Xin dismissed the woman with a vague response and went back to her room. If Song Qian wanted to stand there under the scorching sun, so be it. If she couldn’t take the heat, she’d leave on her own.

But before long, yet another woman came with the same message. Wen Xin was about to explode.

Was she being forced to go out? If that was the case, then Song Qian shouldn’t blame her for being ruthless!

Wen Xin tidied herself up and stepped out of the courtyard. Sure enough, Song Qian was still waiting outside the compound gate, craning her neck to peer inside. But without someone to escort her in, she couldn’t even take a single step past the gate.

In the novel, the foolish original supporting character had repeatedly invited this scheming protagonist into the Yan household. With Commander Yan’s father away and He Wenyan not being the male lead’s biological mother, she neither welcomed nor rejected Song Qian, simply observing from the sidelines. Over time, Song Qian grew thick-skinned enough to linger around for dinner.

People in this era were hospitable, and a high-ranking officer’s family wouldn’t be stingy over a meal. They wouldn’t rudely chase her away, so she even ended up staying overnight a few times.

With this back-and-forth, Song Qian gradually became acquainted with the male lead. She then pursued him relentlessly for two years, using every trick in the book until she finally secured him.

After marriage, while the male lead remained in the army, Song Qian roamed across the country, aggressively expanding her business empire. She seized every profitable opportunity that emerged, monopolizing industries as soon as they showed potential.

The most infuriating part of that novel was how the author shamelessly glorified Song Qian’s success. It wasn’t just about self-indulgent fantasies—it was the way she wrote about the real future business tycoons, reducing them to mere footnotes in Song Qian’s grand rise. By the end, those people had been crushed under her success, working as low-level employees in her subsidiary companies, and even expressing gratitude to their “generous” boss.

When Wen Xin had read that part, she had been thoroughly disgusted.

Later in the novel, the male lead seemed to have been written off entirely, barely appearing in the latter chapters. The entire story revolved around Song Qian plagiarizing ideas and stealing opportunities, painting a glorified portrait of a business thief’s ascent to power.

Now, as Song Qian saw Wen Xin approach, she didn’t wave like usual. Instead, she actually looked a little annoyed.

“Wen Xin, what did I do wrong for you to treat me like this?” she demanded, as if she had every right to be upset.

“If you have something to say, say it. I’m busy and don’t have time for you,” Wen Xin snapped, her temper flaring.

“Aren’t we good friends? Why are you acting like this… Wen Xin, don’t ignore me. I’m really worried about you.”

Wen Xin no longer fell for her tricks. She knew full well that Song Qian was only worried about missing her chance to meet the male lead. If Wen Xin were of no use to her, she wouldn’t hesitate to cut ties without a second thought.

“We’re not friends anymore. I never want to be friends with you again. When you were sent to the countryside, I mailed you plenty of ration coupons and money. If we’re no longer friends, you should return those to me,” Wen Xin said coldly.

Song Qian looked stunned. Her face paled as she stared at Wen Xin. “You… How can you say that? You gave me that money willingly! You know I just got into university. I have no money…”

“Did I ever say I was giving it to you? I helped you out of pity. I was only lending it to you. If you return every cent of what I gave you, we can talk. Otherwise, this conversation is over.”

Song Qian’s face flushed red. She struggled for a long time before squeezing out, “Then… wait a bit. I’ll borrow money and coupons from my classmates and pay you back.”

Seeing her so flustered, Wen Xin figured she wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon. Satisfied, she turned and walked away.

But just as she was about to leave, Song Qian suddenly called out, “Wen Xin, wait a minute!”

Wen Xin turned to look at her. Song Qian spoke quickly, “Do you remember that soldier who drove here at noon? Is he the same Yan you mentioned in your letters? Yan Weiguo’s son?”

Wow, she sure worked fast. In just half a day, she had already dug up Yan the devil’s identity? Then again, it wasn’t hard—just asking any military wife would have given her the answer.

After all, young military officers driving jeeps in the compound were quite rare.

“What are you trying to say?”

She seemed a little embarrassed, but her eyes remained fixed on Wen Xin. Deep down, she was already jealous—Wen Xin was undeniably more beautiful than her, though she hid her envy well.

“In your letters, you said you didn’t like working as a servant in the Yan family and that you didn’t like them, right?”

Wen Xin had no idea when the original host of this body had written those letters, but it must have been before she transmigrated into this world. At that time, the original host had never met the male lead, so naturally, she wouldn’t have liked him. Still, she decided to wait for what came next.

“I’ve taken a liking to that Yan Weiguo’s son. Wen Xin, help me out.”

Wen Xin: “……”

This wasn’t in the novel. However, the events of the morning had also deviated from the original plot. Song Qian had spoken recklessly before even figuring out who the man was, so now she couldn’t take back her words. The only option left was to admit it outright and ask Wen Xin for help.

In the book, the male lead was the female lead’s unwavering support. Whenever she faced obstacles in her business ventures or needed to navigate the complexities of leadership and government affairs, she would turn to the male lead. With his father’s status at the time, anyone would show him respect and grant her favors.

It could be said that the female lead’s smooth-sailing success was entirely backed by the male lead. His role in her life was crucial.

She had also been extremely persistent in the novel, pursuing him for two whole years.

But that was the original storyline. Now, with Wen Xin’s presence, things had already begun to change.

Looking at Song Qian’s anxious expression, Wen Xin realized that arguing with her was pointless. The best way to slap her in the face was to make sure she never got what she wanted!

Wen Xin sent Song Qian away, but she felt even more unsettled.

The male and female leads had now met, and Song Qian would waste no time taking action. Given her strong execution skills, she might draft an entire pursuit plan by tonight. Wen Xin racked her brain—how could she stop the novel’s plot from continuing as it was supposed to?

That evening, when He Wenyan returned home, she noticed the porcelain container from a well-known restaurant on the table, filled with steaming hot dishes. There was even stir-fried rabbit meat, and judging by the portion sizes, the meal must have cost at least forty yuan.

Yan Weiguo’s son only earned 178 yuan a month, yet he was willing to buy specialty dishes from a well-known restaurant for Wen Xin. And this was just the beginning! If she really married into the Yan family, given how overprotective that demon was, who knew how much more he’d pamper her? She had only pricked her hand slightly, and he was already rushing to buy her meat for nourishment.