After Teasing the Heroine and Running Away, I Was Forced into Love - Chapter 23

“Do you think two million can buy me?” Shi Qing asked, breaking the silence. A breeze rustled through the gardenia bushes, carrying their delicate fragrance—a scent that always reminded her of another woman’s face.

Despite being siblings, their personalities were worlds apart.

Compared to the arrogant He Shanjian, Shi Qing preferred the gentle, pure-hearted, yet occasionally domineering He Roushuang.

“Or do you want more?” He Shanjian chuckled, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it.

“Shi Qing, you were just a bar singer before. How did you suddenly become so expensive? More expensive than a celebrity?”

“If my sister really paid that much, I’d laugh at her for being such a sucker.”

In the original novel, He Shanjian had always looked down on Shi Qing. Her decision to submit to him was purely out of desperation.

It was a classic case of arrogance and prejudice.

But in reality, the logic of the real world made the plot development far more plausible.

How could a man who frequented bars for years ever be truly loyal to love or affection?

“Exactly,” Shi Qing agreed. “He Roushuang is the biggest sucker of them all.”

Her words left He Shanjian momentarily stunned. Just then, a gentle breeze swept through the air.

Slap!

A searing pain flared across his cheek.

Shi Qing’s slap had been delivered with considerable force, leaving her own palm tingling and her tiger’s mouth faintly aching.

“And you’re the biggest idiot in the world!” Shi Qing withdrew her hand. “I would never betray He Roushuang. She’s ten thousand times kinder and more considerate than you.”

The slap clearly stunned He Shanjian. His cigarette fell to the ground, ash clinging to the edge of his leather shoes.

“You dare strike me…”

He Shanjian, momentarily overwhelmed with rage, wanted to retaliate physically, but he restrained himself, deeming it ungentlemanly.

Yet he couldn’t let this woman get away so easily. After a moment’s thought, he reached out to grab Shi Qing.

Unbeknownst to him, in the hospital’s open-air parking lot nearby, He Roushuang was observing the scene through binoculars.

According to the original novel’s plot, the male and female leads would experience considerable friction early on. As a mere substitute, the male lead wouldn’t grant the female lead genuine respect.

The hospital was likely to be a flashpoint.

He Roushuang had specifically assigned someone to keep watch here. The bodyguard believed he was protecting Miss Shi, but he also had to avoid being detected, making his task quite challenging.

However, He Roushuang had offered a generous bonus, so the hardships and fatigue were negligible to him.

When he spotted Shi Qing and He Shanjian appearing together by the flowerbed downstairs, the bodyguard immediately notified He Roushuang.

This was exactly what He Roushuang had instructed him to do: to report immediately if the two were seen together.

Last time, when the female lead was harassed at the hotel, He Roushuang had missed the perfect opportunity due to a moment’s oversight. She couldn’t let that happen again.

As expected, things unfolded as He Roushuang had anticipated. She had finally found the optimal moment to intervene in the unfolding plot of the novel.

(No matter what, I have to stop this!)

He Roushuang flung open the car door and rushed toward them against the wind. By the time she arrived, He Shanjian had already gripped Shi Qing’s wrist.

The man’s grip was incredibly strong, but even with her wrist clamped, Shi Qing refused to yield, glaring fiercely at He Shanjian with burning resentment.

“He Shanjian, stop!”

“What are you doing?”

He Roushuang’s voice cracked like thunder, her reprimand cutting through the air. Still wearing her suit jacket, draped loosely over her sharp shoulders, she moved with a commanding presence.

“He Roushuang…”

“What are you doing here?”

He Shanjian froze, clearly stunned to see the formidable He Roushuang appear.

(Shocked, are you?) He Roushuang thought. (I paid a fortune to stake this place out. I refuse to miss a single plot point.)

That’s why she had meticulously organized the novel’s plot in a notebook, which she kept locked in a safe—no one would ever see it.

Without this notebook, the original plot would gradually fade from her memory over time.

So, He Roushuang had no choice but to painstakingly document the story herself.

After all, she lacked the System’s assistance. She had to rely on her own efforts to survive. While other transmigrators occasionally received plot updates from their Systems, she had nothing.

“I was about to ask you what you’re doing here.”

“And what are you planning to do to my girlfriend?”

He Roushuang looped her arm through Shi Qing’s, noticing that He Shanjian was still gripping Shi Qing’s wrist tightly. A surge of anger flared within her.

He Roushuang didn’t call Shi Qing her “lover,” nor did she use her name or any endearments. The simple word girlfriend carried an overwhelming weight of emotion.

“Girlfriend?” He Shanjian froze, stunned.

“Get your pig’s trotter off her right now. If you keep acting so rudely, I won’t hesitate to fight you. Then we’ll see which one Daddy sides with.”

He Roushuang had perfectly mastered the original owner’s arrogance. One thing she and the original owner shared was their ability to look at He Shanjian with disdainful contempt.

She slapped the back of He Shanjian’s hand with considerable force, making him release his grip in pain.

Hearing He Roushuang invoke their father, He Shanjian felt a pang of fear. He had only recently endured a dozen lashes with a belt, and the wounds on his back hadn’t fully healed.

The mere memory of the searing pain as the belt tore into his skin triggered an instinctive reaction.

He fearfully let go.

“That’s more like it,” He Roushuang said, her voice dripping with disdain as she looked at the man before her.

“He Shanjian, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. But Shi Qing is your sister-in-law.”

“You need to respect her.”

He Shanjian’s face twisted with rage.

He Roushuang relished seeing the Male Lead humiliated, a feeling akin to the exhilarating rush of dominating a game.

“Come on, call her ‘Sister-in-law’ for me.”

He Roushuang continued to torment He Shanjian relentlessly, watching his face flush crimson.

“Dad would never agree to such a ridiculous arrangement!” He Shanjian still couldn’t accept it. He turned to leave, but as he stepped down the stairs, He Roushuang deliberately raised her voice.

“Really?”

“But Dad already agreed.”

“If you don’t believe me, go ask him yourself.”

He Roushuang’s tone dripped with smug satisfaction.

The Male Lead stumbled, nearly falling flat on his face like a frog kicking its legs.

After he stormed off, only the two women remained at the corner. Shi Qing’s mind kept replaying the word Sister-in-law, leaving her feeling dazed.

“Does your hand hurt?” He Roushuang asked, her voice softening as she gently took Shi Qing’s wrist. The palm was red and swollen, and a red mark circled her wrist—all thanks to He Shanjian.

Is this guy really the Male Lead?

Can’t the female lead in a Romance Genre story even enjoy a decent meal?!