Accidentally Pursued The Female Lead (GL) - Chapter 4
The host on the stage was testing the microphone, indicating that the banquet was about to begin.
Xie Yangzheng prepared to squeeze forward, wanting to stand closer to the stage, hoping he might even get a chance to talk to the Lu family members standing at the front.
But the moment he took a step, he heard Shen Mian, who was sitting on the sofa, ask, “Uncle Xie, why hasn’t Brother Xiao Zhi come down yet?”
Only when Shen Mian mentioned it did Xie Yangzheng remember that he had forgotten his son.
The Shen family’s status was on par with the Lu family’s. Xie Yangzheng paused his departing foot, thinking that seizing this opportunity to curry favor with the Shen family wouldn’t be bad either.
Xie Yangzheng smiled. “Miss Shen, please wait a moment. I’ll have a waiter go up and check.”
Shen Mian nodded with a well-behaved expression.
Seeing Shen Mian’s expression, Xie Yangzheng immediately felt that there was a chance to connect with the Shen family, so he turned and walked towards a waiter in the distance.
Watching Xie Yangzheng’s departing back, Shen Mian lifted the fingers that had been resting on her ankle.
She didn’t know how many times she had pretended to twist her ankle in front of Lu Jingchen in her previous life, and it had always worked. She hadn’t expected to use it again on the first day of her rebirth.
She wondered what the situation was like upstairs.
She only knew that 1502 was Lu Jingchen’s room, but she didn’t know when Lu Jingchen would go in. The book didn’t describe that in detail.
The glass of wine she had offered Xie Yangzheng didn’t have any other meaning; she just wanted it to be her reward to Xie Qiaoyu, after all, she would rely on Xie Qiaoyu to take revenge on the male lead and the novel’s author later.
This little reward… should be enough, right?
And she hadn’t harmed anyone; she had merely let the drug… return to its rightful owner.
Shen Mian comforted herself.
Just then, enthusiastic applause sounded around them.
Shen Mian looked up and saw that the person on stage had changed. The previous host was nowhere to be seen.
Underneath a tailored slim-fit suit were a pair of impossibly long legs, and his upper body was lean and broad. His face was expressionless, his sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes held a deep and captivating allure, and his thin lips were slightly pursed. Veins were visible on the hand holding the microphone, and his hawkish eyes scanned the crowd below the stage.
After a few breaths, the man’s steady voice rang out, “Welcome everyone to be able to come…”
Shen Mian couldn’t hear the rest of his words. Her heart was beating wildly at this moment. An inexplicable affection welled up, stirring Shen Mian’s nerves and making her unable to hear any surrounding sounds. Her attention was completely focused on the face of the person on stage.
When Shen Zhixing came over, he saw Shen Mian staring blankly at Lu Jingchen on the stage, completely still.
Shen Zhixing frowned. “Xiao Mian, Xiao Mian?”
Seeing that Shen Mian didn’t react, Shen Zhixing stood in front of her, blocking her view.
Shen Mian’s gaze flickered for a moment, and she looked up at Shen Zhixing.
“You…”
Shen Mian interrupted Shen Zhixing. “Brother, let’s go.”
Shen Zhixing’s expression immediately turned serious. He raised his hand and placed it on Shen Mian’s head, asking softly, “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
Shen Mian shook her head.
She simply disliked herself for being so easily moved by Lu Jingchen’s face, but she couldn’t control it even though she wanted to.
And leaving here was the only way to stop her heart from fluttering.
Shen Zhixing glanced at the stage from the corner of his eye, just in time to meet the gaze of the person on it.
But Shen Zhixing quickly withdrew his gaze because a voice in his heart told him that the person on stage was the reason his sister wanted to leave.
Shen Zhixing patted Shen Mian’s head as if nothing was wrong. “Let’s go, we’ll go home.”
When the elevator reached the first floor, Shen Zhixing told Shen Mian to wait in front of the hotel while he went to the underground parking lot to get the car and pick her up.
Shen Mian lifted her skirt and walked outside.
Even the wind was warm in the summer night. Shen Mian stood in the warm breeze, waiting quietly.
Leaving the venue and no longer hearing Lu Jingchen’s voice, Shen Mian’s emotions calmed down a bit.
Letting out a long breath, she casually looked around and then noticed a crowd gathered in the distance to her left.
Shen Mian only glanced over before seeing Shen Zhixing’s car stop in front of her. Just as she was about to open the car door, five or six waiters ran out from behind her, heading towards where the crowd was.
The waiters dispersed the crowd, and Shen Mian saw Xie Zhi writhing half-naked on the ground through the gaps.
She hadn’t expected Lu Jingchen to be so ruthless, directly throwing the person outside.
The car window rolled down, and Shen Zhixing asked, “What’s wrong?”
Shen Mian shook her head, opened the door, and got into the car.
Because of Lu Jingchen’s appearance, all her energy had been focused on suppressing the affection in her heart, and now she had no energy to care about these trivial matters.
After getting in the car, Shen Mian and Shen Zhixing drove away.
When Xie Qiaoyu followed Xie Yangzheng out of the hotel, she saw the tail of a handsome black car.
Before she could think about it carefully, she was dragged by Xie Yangzheng to Xie Zhi, who was being lifted onto a chair by waiters. “Aren’t you a doctor? Quickly check on your brother!”
He had just asked a waiter to find Xie Zhi, only to be told that Xie Zhi had been thrown out of the hotel. He had immediately called for people to go downstairs and had also dragged his medical student daughter down with him.
Seeing Xie Zhi’s flushed face and the way he kept rubbing himself, Xie Qiaoyu said, “I’m a surgeon.”
“What surgeon, physician? As long as you’re a doctor, isn’t that enough? Quickly see what’s wrong with him! How could he offend Young Master Lu and be thrown out by him?”
“He’s been drugged with an aphrodisiac.”
“Aphrodisiac? How could there be such a…” Xie Yangzheng paused, as if he had thought of something.
Xie Qiaoyu looked at Xie Yangzheng in confusion.
Xie Yangzheng didn’t dare to meet Xie Qiaoyu’s gaze and asked evasively, “Then, what do we do?”
Xie Qiaoyu looked at the rapidly approaching ambulance and said coldly, “Just go to the hospital.”
Xie Yangzheng also saw the ambulance. “Nonsense!” After saying that, he ignored Xie Qiaoyu and squatted down to comfort the agitated Xie Zhi.
Xie Qiaoyu wasn’t too affected by Xie Yangzheng’s change in attitude; she was already used to her own dispensability.
Xie Yangzheng followed the nurse into the ambulance, leaving Xie Qiaoyu alone. There were still people pointing and whispering about where Xie Zhi had been lying, but Xie Qiaoyu acted as if she didn’t see them and stood there the whole time.
When only the gentle breeze remained around her, the indifference and gentleness on Xie Qiaoyu’s face completely disappeared, replaced by coldness and apathy in her eyes.
A male voice came from behind her. “Miss, would you like me to call a car for you?”
Xie Qiaoyu turned around and saw that it was a security guard from the hotel entrance. The coldness in her eyes was covered by a gentle expression, and she smiled. “No need, thank you.”
••••
Shen Mian opened her eyes, lying on the soft pillow feeling somewhat dazed. How long had it been since she had slept so soundly? It seemed like it hadn’t happened since the Shen family’s accident.
Shen Mian sat up. After returning home from the banquet last night, she had dinner and then went upstairs to sleep, sleeping soundly without any dreams until now.
Shen Mian turned her head and looked at the time: exactly eight o’clock in the morning.
Eight o’clock?
Shen Mian immediately got out of bed. She had wanted to have breakfast with Shen Zhixing, but now her brother should have already left for work, right?
Shen Mian opened the door and was about to go downstairs when she heard a commotion from below, and saw Wang Feng standing at the top of the stairs, observing downstairs.
Wang Feng was focused on what was happening below and didn’t even notice Shen Mian walking up to her.
Hearing a voice downstairs that sounded somewhat familiar but she couldn’t immediately place, Shen Mian asked, “Aunt Wang, have we got guests?”
Too focused on listening to the commotion below, Wang Feng was startled by Shen Mian.
Seeing that it was Shen Mian, Wang Feng pushed her towards her room. “Miss, you quickly go inside. Young Master told me to come up and watch you, not to let you go downstairs.”
Shen Mian, being pushed towards her room, heard Wang Feng’s words and quickly placed her hand on the doorframe, frowning as she asked, “Who’s downstairs?”
“It seems… ” Wang Feng recalled the person’s self-introduction when she opened the door, “Their surname is Xie?”
Hearing this, Shen Mian remembered the scene she had seen when leaving the hotel yesterday and sneered inwardly.
Seeing Wang Feng standing motionless at the door, looking like she was afraid Shen Mian would sneak out, Shen Mian said pitifully, “Aunt Wang, I’m hungry. I want to eat white porridge.”
Wang Feng couldn’t stand Shen Mian’s expression the most. Her heart softened, and she said, “Alright, I’ll go make it. But Miss, you must not go downstairs. I’ll bring it up to you. Those people downstairs started causing trouble for Young Master as soon as they came in. Don’t let them scare you.”
“Okay.” Shen Mian made an okay sign with her hand.
As soon as Wang Feng left, Shen Mian immediately returned to her room, changed out of her pajamas, and walked towards the stairs.
When she was almost on the first floor, she heard someone say:
“Young Master Shen, we don’t want anything else. Just let us have a piece of the Longshui Bay project, and we won’t mention this matter again…”
Shen Mian quickened her pace downstairs. When she reached the first floor, she saw Shen Zhixing sitting in the main seat of the sofa, with Xie Yangzheng, Xie Qiaoyu’s stepmother Li Xiayi, Xie Zhi, and… Xie Qiaoyu?!
Shen Mian stopped in her tracks upon seeing Xie Qiaoyu. Why had she met the female lead again?
“Shen Mian! You finally came out!” Xie Zhi was the first to see Shen Mian, and he stood up and shouted.
Shen Zhixing turned his head, and seeing Shen Mian, his furrowed brows relaxed. “Didn’t Aunt Wang tell you not to come downstairs?”
Shen Mian walked to the sofa, her gaze sweeping over Xie Zhi, and said coldly, “Aunt Wang did, but I wanted to see who had such a loud voice.”
Shen Zhixing was displeased. “Did it disturb you?” He regretted letting them in.
Shen Mian shook her head. Then she turned to look at the other side of the sofa, smiling and waving. “Miss Xie, we meet again.”
Xie Qiaoyu nodded in acknowledgment. Her movements were calm and unhurried, making her look the most like a member of a wealthy family compared to the other three.
Everyone was curious about when the two had met and why they seemed so familiar.
Shen Mian spoke up. “I wonder what brings Miss Xie here today?”
Before Xie Qiaoyu could speak, Xie Zhi interjected, “What for? Humph, don’t you know what for?”
Hearing Xie Zhi’s words, the coldness that Shen Zhixing had been suppressing finally broke through, and he called out sternly, “Xie Yangzheng.”
Xie Yangzheng gave a dry laugh. “Young Master Shen.”
Shen Zhixing: “Control him.”
Li Xiayi patted Xie Yangzheng, who was about to apologize, and said with a smile, “Young Master Shen, you can understand Xiao Zhi’s loss of control. Anyone who was played like that would lose their temper.”
Shen Mian tilted her head and asked softly, “What is this person saying?”
Hearing that Shen Mian didn’t recognize her at all, the smile on Li Xiayi’s face froze. “Let me be frank with Miss Shen. Yesterday, the glass of wine you offered Xiao Zhi had an aphrodisiac in it, causing Xiao Zhi to lose face completely after drinking it. Miss Shen, how do you explain why there was such a drug in the wine?”
Shen Mian frowned. “Aphrodisiac?” After muttering the words, she turned to look at Shen Zhixing. “Elder brother, I don’t know what this auntie is talking about.”
Hearing Shen Mian’s address of “auntie,” the words Li Xiayi wanted to say got stuck in her throat.
“Don’t pretend!” Xie Zhi jumped up. “You clearly saw it.”
“Saw what?”
“You saw me give…” Xie Zhi didn’t finish his sentence. He then realized that Shen Mian had just set a trap for him.
Shen Mian put on a look of sudden realization. Then she walked over to Xie Qiaoyu and squatted down, reaching out to tug on Xie Qiaoyu’s sleeve. After meeting Xie Qiaoyu’s eyes, she immediately lowered her head and sobbed softly:
“Miss Xie, I… I just offered Uncle Xie the glass of wine you just gave me, but because Uncle Xie couldn’t drink, Xie Zhi drank it for him.”
Shen Mian’s words were broken and intermittent, her aggrieved appearance tugging at the heartstrings. “I don’t know why there would be… that kind of thing in the wine. And I didn’t see Xie Zhi put anything in it… He’s slandering me!”
If the people present read novels, they would find Shen Mian’s tone very familiar.
The scent of a white lotus.
Shen Mian’s white lotus persona in “Overbearing Doting.”
In her previous life, she had used this tone countless times to slander Xie Qiaoyu to Lu Jingchen.
But now, the tables had turned, and she was the one acting like a white lotus in front of Xie Qiaoyu.
Hearing this, Xie Qiaoyu said, “My wine?”
Shen Mian nodded. “Mm.”
Xie Qiaoyu let out a soft snort, but it was very quiet, only audible to Shen Mian who was very close to her.
Xie Qiaoyu stood up from the sofa and said to Shen Zhixing, “Excuse me, Mr. Shen. I originally thought my father and the others were slandering Miss Shen, but I didn’t expect it to be a family matter. Sorry for the intrusion.”
Xie Zhi had been taken home this morning, but less than an hour after getting home, the three of them insisted on coming to the Shen family to demand justice.
When Xie Qiaoyu asked why, they said that the aphrodisiac Xie Zhi had taken yesterday was given to him by Shen Mian, intending to sleep with him. But because she had mistaken room 01 for 02, Xie Zhi had ended up in Lu Jingchen’s room and was thrown out of the hotel by Lu Jingchen.
Xie Qiaoyu: ?
Although yesterday was her first time meeting Shen Mian, she was certain that Shen Mian’s taste wasn’t that bad. So, who gave these three the confidence to think that the young lady of the Shen family would fancy Xie Zhi?
The note from last night had left a good impression of Shen Mian on Xie Qiaoyu.
So Xie Qiaoyu had specifically taken a day off from the hospital to come to the Shen family with the “troublemaking” trio, intending to step in and stop things if they escalated.
But she hadn’t expected it to involve herself.
After speaking, Xie Qiaoyu prepared to leave the Shen family, but Xie Zhi blocked her path in one stride.
“Xie Qiaoyu, what do you mean? What do you mean by ‘it turns out it’s a family matter’? Are you saying I drugged myself? You believe her, an outsider, so easily?”
Xie Qiaoyu didn’t speak but took a small USB drive out of her bag, holding it up between the two of them.
“I haven’t had a chance to look at this carefully yet, but I originally intended to give it to Young Master Shen to prove that Miss Shen didn’t drug you. I didn’t expect to use it on myself. You say you didn’t do it, then we’ll know the truth after watching the video.”
Contempt filled Xie Zhi’s eyes, and he asked impatiently, “What’s this?”
“The surveillance video from the banquet hall.”
The hall fell silent.
The expressions of the three Xie family members besides Xie Qiaoyu immediately turned ugly, while Shen Zhixing, sitting in the main seat, looked at Xie Qiaoyu with a deepened gaze.
A few minutes later, Shen Mian broke the silence, addressing Xie Qiaoyu, “Miss Xie, thank you for believing me.” She had heard the content of Xie Qiaoyu’s words just now.
And she also knew that the surveillance video definitely wasn’t borrowed.
Looking at Xie Qiaoyu’s casual attire, she must have come here temporarily while preparing to go to work. How would she have time to borrow surveillance footage from the hotel?
So…
Don’t forget, Xie Qiaoyu was a top top hacker!
And what was her purpose in hacking the hotel’s surveillance? It was to prove her, Shen Mian’s, innocence!
Shen Mian was extremely touched at this moment.
Author’s Note:
Shen Mian: I’m considering whether or not to offer myself in return!