After Bringing Joy to the Short-Lived Mad Young Lady - Chapter 13

Zong Heng felt deceived.

On the flight from Yanjing to City Z, she took one last look at the thousand-year-old prosperous cage she was leaving behind, ready to embark on a new chapter of true freedom.

However, the so-called “groundbreaking project” promised by the recruiter turned out to be a fledgling gaming industry led by a fresh graduate—a mere sprout in the field.

Wang Quan, the young big boss himself, drove to pick her up, pleading desperately to prevent Zong Heng from turning around and leaving on the spot.

What kind of places had Zong Heng frequented before?

The Yanjing Ninth Bureau Research Institute, guarded by armed personnel within a ten-mile radius; the E-Chip Project’s 79th Division, requiring passage through three layers of security, with workspaces located below sea level…

Cool-headed, professional, and efficient communication.

The people she worked with were all top-tier talents, each shining like stars in their own orbits, meticulously manipulating the laws of the universe.

As the plane touched down with a roar, City Z truly gave her a “surprise.”

A company barely off the ground, a cobbled-together team, and a boss like Wang Quan—full of passion but utterly clueless.

The only mildly interesting one was Fang Yi, who didn’t show up to greet her on the first day, gloriously skipped work and went MIA on the second, and on the third day, arrived precisely 27.04 seconds late, barely making it through the door.

Surveying the laughter-filled office, Zong Heng felt less like she’d joined a team and more like she’d stumbled into some kind of gang.

“Morning,” Jiang Xiye approached Zong Heng, who was leaning against the bar, and brewed a cup of hand-ground coffee. Her gaze followed Zong Heng’s as it landed on Fang Yi, who had just walked in.

Fang Yi hadn’t slept well the night before. Though the dream with Lin Shuxing had been pleasant, waking up after a night spent slumped over the desk left his arm feeling like an old TV screen fizzling with static—numb and barely under his control.

“Where’s my stuff?”

Just one day away, and his usual spot was completely empty, even the power cord gone. Rubbing his face, Fang Yi wondered if he was still dreaming.

The girl next to him covered her mouth with her hand and whispered, “There was a meeting yesterday. You got promoted—you’re sharing an office with Big Boss Zong Heng now.”

She shot him a sympathetic look.

Zong Heng’s aura was too intense, her reputation preceded her, and truth be told, they were all a little afraid of her.

Zong Heng?

This transfer was somewhat baffling.

Though their technical expertise overlapped in many areas, Fang Yi leaned more toward software, while Zong Heng specialized in underlying logic and hardware.

Fang Yi looked up and immediately met two pairs of scrutinizing eyes.

One was blatantly unsubtle, sharp as a blade—Zong Heng, holding a cup of tea with a frosty expression, looking less like she’d come to work and more like she was attending a funeral, her gaze making everyone seem like the walking dead.

The other was a gentler look from Jiang Xiye. No longer young, she had taken a year-long maternity leave after giving birth, only to find her position at headquarters filled by a junior she had personally mentored.

It was an unavoidable situation.

After a heart-to-heart with Wang Quan’s mother, Wang Hejun, Jiang Xiye had been dispatched here—ostensibly to assist Wang Quan, but in reality, there were deeper tasks at play.

Regardless, for her—the highest-ranking executive after Wang Quan—this vibrant building was both a challenge and an opportunity.

Placing Fang Yi and Zong Heng together had been her decision.

“Fang Yi, morning,” Jiang Xiye waved, signaling for him to come over.

“Good morning,” Fang Yi replied, guessing it was her doing. Having slept through an entire day due to mission penalties and skipping work without reason was indeed excessive.

She touched the tip of her nose and walked over, greeting Zong Heng politely. “Welcome to the team.”

Jiang Xiye smiled. “You two know each other? I was just about to introduce you.”

Zong Heng sneered. “We’ve met.”

More than just met—Zong Heng had even berated her before.

The paths of geniuses often intersect in similar ways, and when they cross, there’s a chance they might kick each other.

Back when Zong Heng gave a lecture at Z University, Fang Yi had asked a particularly tricky technical question, perfectly pinpointing a flaw Zong Heng had overlooked, embarrassing her in front of the audience.

But Fang Yi’s idea also had its own fatal flaw, and Zong Heng had publicly declared that Fang Yi’s thinking was “devoid of practical application, nothing but worthless daydreaming.”

Wang Quan had skipped that lecture to attend a concert, so naturally, he had no idea about the friction between the two.

Zong Heng fixed Fang Yi with a challenging stare. “What are you doing here, working on game development?”

Many people had asked her that question.

After all, it wasn’t a perfect match for her expertise. With her credentials, she could easily land more prestigious offers from big-name companies.

Fang Yi gave her a strange look. “Senior, aren’t you here too?”

This project was clearly a scam! Just making some lousy game—why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?

Suppressing her anger, Zong Heng snapped, “I’m about to leave.”

Jiang Xiye quietly sipped from her cup, hoping Fang Yi would say something. After all, she had paired them together precisely to spark some kind of chemistry.

She had two genius-level cards in her hand—Zong Heng was too rigid, Fang Yi too lax. Neither was in an ideal state.

Under Jiang Xiye’s expectant gaze, Fang Yi said, “Oh, I see. You really are wasted here.”

Jiang Xiye’s smile froze.

Though Fang Yi’s words were sincere, paired with her expressionless face, they carried an inexplicable hint of sarcasm.

Zong Heng snorted coldly, turned on her heel, and stormed back into the office, slamming the door behind her with a loud bang.

A few minutes later, Fang Yi pushed open the same door, carrying snacks from her colleagues.

Inside the large office, their workspaces were starkly divided.

On Zong Heng’s side, all documents and materials were meticulously labeled and organized. A custom ergonomic chair stood before a movable curved monitor, and every single item—down to her teacup—had been airlifted in a complete set from Yanjing.

Fang Yi’s belongings had only been moved in the day before and were still in disarray. A large shark plushie lay sprawled across her swivel chair.

Fang Yi sat down, tidied up briefly, then leaned back against the soft shark and cracked open an ice-cold cola.

“Psssh—” The bubbling sound of the soda was especially loud in the quiet office.

Zong Heng’s eye twitched. She coldly put on her headphones, and the clatter of her keyboard soon drowned out the cola’s fizz.

Fang Yi spent the entire morning in remarkable ease—developing a small personal tool, stepping out to chat with colleagues, helping troubleshoot a few issues, and before she knew it, it was already lunch break.

Zong Heng had initially wondered if Fang Yi had also been tricked into joining, but after observing her all morning, she realized this woman was clearly enjoying herself—purely slacking off.

All style, no substance! Wasting her skills, wasting her life!

She scoffed and was about to leave when she noticed a few files had been uploaded to the internal network, complete with instructions.

They were auxiliary tools Fang Yi had developed.

Zong Heng tested them carefully and found them surprisingly useful—no bugs detected.

Her expression softened slightly as she noticed Fang Yi looking serious, typing away at something.

Sure enough, this guy was definitely hiding his true abilities—Zong Heng shook her head and went to eat.

By the time she returned, Fang Yi was still diligently working at his computer, a stark contrast to his carefree demeanor from the morning.

Zong Heng narrowed her eyes and casually walked over, pretending not to care, curious about what could possibly hold his attention so intently.

On the large screen was a personal vlog.

A charming woman with innocent, wide eyes was sweetly singing a children’s song to the camera.

Her bright, striking appearance was completely unsuited for this style—perhaps she was also trying too hard—making her look…

To put it politely, not very bright.

Zong Heng watched as Fang Yi, expressionless, wrote a long comment amidst a sea of criticism:

Jiang Wan, Keep It Up: “You sang beautifully—it reminded me of the scary stories my grandma used to tell me when I was little. Very immersive, I can almost feel the wind on my face. Keep it up, Wanbao! As long as you’re happy singing!”

Jiang Wan, Keep It Up: “Just be yourself. I’ll always support you.”

The minor celebrity even replied.

Jiang Wan Not Late V: “You’re here!! You’re the only one who truly understands my singing, wuwu, love you! Thanks for the support~”

Understands?

Zong Heng: “……?”

Are you all insane?

This minor celebrity was none other than Fang Yi’s other side-quest target—the obscure, barely-known actress Jiang Wan.

Her true form was a fox.

They say supernatural beings weren’t allowed after the founding of the nation, so Jiang Wan’s journey to this point must have been quite the struggle.

Her greatest wish was to be liked by people, but unfortunately, she often ended up overcomplicating things and achieving the opposite effect—no matter what she did, she got criticized.

Though Fang Yi earned one point for every comment he left—effectively acting as a specialized internet troll—part of his support for the little fox was genuine.

Fighting despite repeated failures, persisting despite constant setbacks—wasn’t that worthy of respect?

Suddenly, the office door was knocked.

Zong Heng said, “Come in.”

A woman as gentle and elegant as a lily quietly pushed the door open, carrying a lovely floral-patterned lunchbox.

She glanced around before settling her gaze on Zong Heng, whose entire being exuded an aura of “tech elite.”

“Hello, it’s our first meeting. I’m Duan Ruoxi, the second reserve wife of your fiancée.”

“I made some simple bento myself. If you don’t mind, please have a taste.”

The system instantly perked up, and Fang Yi also peeked out from behind his workstation, thinking that Z City was truly a modern metropolis! They even had things like… second reserve wives?

Under Zong Heng’s bewildered gaze, the woman said softly, “Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not here to break you two apart—I’m here to take care of this family.”

“I heard you’ve already exchanged betrothal gifts, so I shouldn’t have appeared, but the young mistress fell seriously ill. Miss Shui Wuding suspected there might be… a minor issue on your end.”

“The family head’s stance is: the more, the merrier. We can all be together.”

Zong Heng: “?”

Fang Yi’s smile vanished: “?”

He abruptly stood up. “Seriously ill? You mean Lin Shuxing?”

The woman looked up, hesitant. “You are…?”

“Fang Yi.”

“Ah,” the woman gasped softly, her cheeks flushing as she immediately bowed to Zong Heng. “My apologies! I mistook you for someone else.”

Last night, Lin Shuxing had developed a high fever. Doctors and Shui Wuding took turns attending to her, and it took most of the day before her condition stabilized.

As for this sudden illness, even Shui Wuding—a self-proclaimed mystic—couldn’t come up with a plausible explanation.

Lin Lan wouldn’t accept vague answers. To placate her, Shui Wuding could only say that perhaps Fang Yi’s fate wasn’t strong enough to suppress the situation, so why not…

After all, no one said they could only find one “joy-bringer.”

Thus, Duan Ruoxi, the next candidate in line, arrived.

She had once suffered from a highly fatal hereditary disease but miraculously recovered. However, after bankrupting herself for treatment, she was in desperate need of money, especially with a younger sister who had just started elementary school.

Marrying into the Lin family to care for a sickly young girl, with an effortless annual salary of a million—what a tempting offer.

To compete for the position and earn that salary, Duan Ruoxi even taught herself meridian massage and nutritional planning. Even if Lin Shuxing slapped her twice a day, she’d still praise the young mistress for her liveliness.

Her service mentality was impeccable.

After all, they were paying her so much!!

Duan Ruoxi was also tactful. After a brief conversation, she realized Lin Shuxing might have some feelings for Fang Yi, so she willingly took a step back to show goodwill toward Fang Yi, the “primary spouse.”

Honestly, it wasn’t like they had to sleep together—they were just playing house. Why fuss over titles so much?

Duan Ruoxi saw things clearly. All she wanted was money. She needed a lot of it.

Zong Heng, unaware of all these intricacies, stood frozen in shock, her eyes wide as if struck by lightning.

She was relatively conservative in her thinking. Staring incredulously at Duan Ruoxi, then at Fang Yi, she felt her worldview crumbling under the impact.

What did this mean? In the 21st century, were there still cases of two women serving one wife?!

From that moment on, Fang Yi’s image in her mind was completely smeared with a riot of colors, writhing and convulsing under a blur of pixelation.

Upon hearing that Lin Shuxing was seriously ill, Fang Yi immediately took leave. Before leaving, she instructed her colleagues to message her if any issues arose—she’d handle work matters in the evening.

Yet when they rushed back to the Lin family in a hurry, they found a girl with a single purple earring blocking the door to Lin Shuxing’s room, furious and refusing to let anyone near.

“Who let you all torment her like this? What kind of feudal superstition is this?! If anything happens to Shuxing, I’ll make sure you pay for it!”

“What’s with all this ‘sister this, sister that’ nonsense? I’m her childhood friend! Tell those random women to get lost! Ugh, so annoying—just let her rest properly, okay?!”

The person she was blocking at the door was none other than Lin Qingwan.

That jab about “sisters” was clearly aimed at her.

Lin Qingwan, as if oblivious to the hostility, smiled sweetly. “And who might you be? I’ve never heard my sister mention you before.”

The girl shot back, “That’s because you’ve spent so little time with her, of course you wouldn’t know.”

Wow! So many people!

The system chirped excitedly, counting on its fingers: One fiancée, one backup candidate, one childhood friend, and one sister! Enough for a mahjong table!

Silent tension thickened the air. The butler, caught between them, wiped his sweat and tried to mediate.

Spotting Fang Yi’s arrival, the butler inwardly groaned. Just as he cleared his throat to usher these formidable figures to the lounge, Fang Yi calmly walked past the two locked in confrontation, waving dismissively:

“Step aside, don’t block the way. The patient’s family is here.”