Chapter 4
Zhong Ning counted the zeros in the text message, reading it over and over again. It really was five hundred thousand.
Five hundred thousand!
Wait, weren't there limits on transfers?
Forgive her for being a small-town citizen in her past life—she had no idea it was possible to transfer such a large sum all at once.
And judging by the balance, the original owner had several million on hand.
Oh my god!
Rich people are really… really something!
True to her word, generous and magnanimous, Zhong Ning looked at Xie Shiqing with newfound warmth in her eyes. Was this really a villain? She was clearly her fated benefactor!
"Thank you… President Xie."
"You deserve it," Xie Shiqing replied casually as she tapped on her phone again. Her hair was still dripping, quickly wetting the floor.
Zhong Ning followed the sound and looked over. Pearl-like pale toes stepped on the floor, the faint blue veins on the top of her foot clearly visible.
A sudden flash of memory crossed her mind—how that foot had kicked toward her, only to be caught and pinned, her calf pressed against her chest.
Her heart thudded violently, and she quickly averted her gaze like a guilty thief.
"In a bit, I will go to the hospital for a check-up. You too, get a full medical examination," Xie Shiqing said.
"Then… can I take a shower first?" Zhong Ning asked tentatively.
Xie Shiqing responded with a hum, not even lifting her head. "Go ahead."
So easy to talk to!
How was this anything like a villain?
Zhong Ning didn’t understand.
Just now, while the other was showering, she had searched all around for her phone and finally found it under the bed.
The screen had several cracks—who knew how it had fallen—but it could still be powered on and functioned just fine.
After fingerprint unlocking, a long string of messages popped up.
There were about a dozen missed calls, all from the same person—Fu Nanshuang.
She opened WeChat, and the majority of the messages were from her too.
Zhong Ning scrolled from the bottom up.
Messages from her mother:
\[Little Ning, don’t be stubborn. What’s so bad about a marriage alliance with the Xie family? Tell Mom why you disagree.]
Another from her mother:
\[Zhong Ning, get your ass back home! This isn’t your place to have an opinion!]
Messages from… a ‘bitch’:
\[Little Ning, I’m sorry you’re going through this. I’ll talk to Mom again. How could she just marry you off to the Xie family like that? You’re an alpha—marrying into their family would ruin your reputation. Just lay low for now. Come back once they’ve calmed down.]
That person seemed oddly considerate—why were they saved under such a name?
Zhong Ning was baffled and had no idea who this “bitch” was. Judging by the tone, maybe an older sister-type?
Further up were some group chats.
Zhong Ning skipped those and opened Fu Nanshuang’s messages, scrolling upward.
The original owner had chatted with her quite frequently. The most recent exchange was yesterday, where she talked about the Xie family demanding a marriage alliance. The response from the other side was extremely heated.
\[Xie Shiqing, that blind woman, has no shame! She’s way too old, worn-out like an old pearl, snapping at people like a mad dog, and she dares to say such things!]
\[And she wants you to marry into her family? Is she brain-damaged or what!]
So her name was Xie Shiqing...
Here is the English translation following all your instructions:
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The original owner replied:
\[Mother didn’t even ask me and just agreed on her own. In her eyes, I’m nothing but a tool! Zhong Zinuan’s fake concern is disgusting.]
Fu Nanshuang:
\[Damn it, there’s not a single decent one in your family. Zhong Zinuan is the biggest bitch of them all. Come on, let’s go out for drinks.]
\[If you firmly refuse, what can they do—tie you up and drag you there? That blind woman, no one wants her. Why should they dump her on you?]
Original owner:
\[No drinks. I’m fed up. I’m going to find that blind woman and make her take back her words.]
Fu Nanshuang:
\[Hahahaha, good! Cuss her out. Let’s see if she dares act all high and mighty again!]
Original owner:
\[I’m at her front door.]
Two hours later.
Fu Nanshuang:
\[How did it go?]
Three hours later.
Fu Nanshuang:
\[Say something!]
Four hours later.
Fu Nanshuang:
\[Did your phone die? Don’t tell me you lost it!]
Six hours later.
Fu Nanshuang:
\[Little Ning! Damn! You didn’t get into trouble, did you!]
The messages continued into the middle of the night.
It seemed that the “bitch” was probably Zhong Zinuan. Wasn’t that the female lead’s name?
So she really was playing the role of cannon fodder, clashing head-on with the female lead. As for this Fu Nanshuang, given how close she was with her, she was probably either another piece of cannon fodder or a higher-ranking malicious supporting character.
Zhong Ning wasn’t sure what kind of deep grudge Xie Shiqing had with the two of them that made them insult her for her disability. From her perspective, that was at least somewhat unethical.
If there was no actual enmity and they were simply attacking her for being blind, then these two getting assigned cannon fodder roles seemed justifiable.
She deeply despised that kind of behavior.
Fortunately, it wasn’t hard to infer from the chat history that everything was still in the early stages—nothing had actually happened yet, and the marriage alliance had just begun.
So lucky! As expected of me!
Zhong Ning let out a deep breath. If she had started this story with a broken leg, with her abilities, she’d probably have no choice but to wait for death.
Just as she released a sign, a new voice message popped up from Fu Nanshuang.
Zhong Ning was just about to convert it to text when the bathroom door suddenly opened. Xie Shiqing stepped out, her body still damp. The steam brought a flush to her cheeks, her lips were rosy and luscious, a strand of hair traced from her collarbone down into the swell of her chest.
Zhong Ning’s hand trembled, and the voice message played out loud.
Awkward! So awkward!
She twisted the shower knob and let the hot water pour over her head and face, as if that could wash away the embarrassment and the stickiness all at once.