Begging the Female Lead to Let Me, a Salted Fish, Go (GL) - Chapter 3

Gong Zhi pushed open the door.

The 29th floor of the Qiming Group was brightly lit with soft, pleasant, warm yellow lights. The entire floor was spacious, bright, and very quiet. Green plants lined the corridors, and the air was fresh.

Of course, if the darkness meter weren’t flashing in Gong Zhi’s mind like a death countdown, she would have been happy to stay there longer.

Her gaze quickly swept over the cubicles and soon found Shen Ying, standing opposite a woman dressed in a suit. The woman looked to be in great shape but had a cold, stern face.

It wasn’t her brother, the poor unfortunate soul, so Gong Zhi was slightly relieved.

However, Gong Zhi didn’t recognize the woman.

The Gong family adored their youngest daughter, but it was a patriarchal family that didn’t expect its daughters to enter the company and share power. Gong Zhi had always wanted to be a “salted fish” and had actively avoided being involved. The Gong family, feeling guilty toward their youngest daughter, doted on her even more when they saw how sensible she was. She never lacked material possessions, and as an adult, she received a significant amount of fixed assets and shares in non-group companies. However, this also meant that Gong Zhi was unfamiliar with the people around Gong Yi.

But since she was on this floor, the woman could only be someone who worked with Gong Yi.

Gong Zhi didn’t hesitate to poke the system tool in her mind: [Who is that?]

[Wang Xue, the male lead’s secretary,] the system immediately replied. [In the plot, she drafted the contract. Because she had a crush on the male lead and was jealous of the female lead, she deliberately put a trap in the contract that prevented the female lead from getting the money in time, which led to her mother’s death.]

Gong Zhi knew that in these old-school novels, the female lead’s story would be as melodramatic and tragic as possible, but this… was just too pitiful.

Was the darkness meter fluctuating because that woman was bullying her?

Gong Zhi collected herself and strode forward, smiling at the two women. “What are you two chatting about? Can I listen in?”

Shen Ying’s body tensed slightly, and she turned to look at Gong Zhi.

Gong Zhi saw that Shen Ying’s eyes were a little red. She felt a moment of hesitation, but remembering what the system said, she couldn’t help but take a step forward, her voice softening slightly. “If she’s bullying you, tell me. I’ll help you.”

“Miss.”

Wang Xue stepped forward angrily. She glanced at Shen Ying with disdain, but her gaze toward Gong Zhi was filled with a sense of grievance. “Miss, you’re so kind-hearted and noble. Please don’t be deceived by this low-class woman.”

Gong Zhi: “…”

She didn’t know where to begin her complaint. She had never noticed that the people around her talked in such a melodramatic way before.

Gong Zhi couldn’t resist poking the system again: [Did you systems mess up everyone’s brains in this world when you came here?]

This made her wonder if she had also talked like this for the past twenty years. The thought alone made her want to scream, “Help!”

The system replied earnestly: [No, you were raised in a secluded, wealthy environment. She probably thinks this tone is more fitting for your taste and age.]

Gong Zhi: “…” She was twenty, not a fourteen-year-old in their rebellious phase!

Gong Zhi’s face turned serious, and she didn’t give Wang Xue a kind look. She couldn’t very well have a good expression after hearing such a comment. “Speak properly.”

Wang Xue gave Gong Zhi a reluctant look before answering. “This Miss Shen isn’t an employee of the company. It’s highly suspicious that she suddenly appeared on the 29th floor. I was just asking a routine question, but she didn’t answer and even scratched me.”

As she spoke, she showed Gong Zhi her arm. The well-maintained skin had three red scratches, which indeed made her look like she had been wronged.

But Gong Zhi couldn’t care less. She was going to be biased today.

Gong Zhi turned to look at the female lead.

Shen Ying’s head was bowed, her long, black, seaweed-like hair falling and covering her face. It also rested on her white, delicate dress, making her look like a fragile, tender flower. In that moment, even Gong Zhi, who was used to seeing beautiful women in both her past and present lives, couldn’t help but hold her breath, afraid of startling this beautiful flower.

A beautiful, delicate, and unowned flower.

Gong Zhi seemed to understand why there was always so much drama and turmoil surrounding the female lead.

While Gong Zhi was lost in thought, Shen Ying was silently observing her, this rich, pampered flower carefully nurtured by the Gong family. Although she was dressed casually, her clothes were all custom-made. She stood there, her clothes relaxed, but her posture was upright. Every strand of hair was perfectly placed—this was a kind of refinement that came from long-term wealth, something that most people couldn’t notice.

Shen Ying noticed Gong Zhi’s hesitation, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. Gong Zhi had said she wouldn’t let anyone bully her. Shen Ying wanted to see what this vibrant rich flower would do if she was the one doing the bullying.

Gong Zhi asked, “We can’t just listen to one side. Fe… Shen Ying, what do you have to say?”

She almost let slip the word “female lead”!

Shen Ying kept her head down, her expression, hidden by her black hair, one of annoyance. “I have nothing to say.”

Gong Zhi: “…” She didn’t take the easy way out?

[Haha, the female lead really is the female lead. She’s so great. Why isn’t she flipping the table?!]

The system hurriedly tried to calm her down: [Host, calm down! Think about the female lead’s background! She’s so pitiful!]

[Does being pitiful mean she’s right?!] Gong Zhi was so angry she was shaking. She fumbled for her thermos in her pocket and took a big gulp of chrysanthemum tea to calm her inner fire.

The system anxiously yelled: [But the female lead doesn’t have money right now. Her mother is still sick. She just escaped a tiger’s mouth and walked into a wolf’s den…]

Gong Zhi took another large gulp of chrysanthemum tea: [Who are you calling a wolf’s den?]

The system: Why am I so miserable?

[My mistake, my mistake. She… she sold herself again, so it’s normal for her to be in a bad mood.]

Gong Zhi let out a dry laugh. She finished her drink, handed the cup to Shen Ying, and lowered her voice. “Go get me some water. Don’t worry.”

Shen Ying looked up, a hint of curiosity in her eyes, and scrutinized Gong Zhi. She took the thermos almost instinctively, and when she saw the large chrysanthemum flowers left at the bottom, she glanced back at Gong Zhi.

Gong Zhi’s expression was unchanged, even amiable. “Do you know where the break room is? Go straight ahead, and it’s the first room on the left at the end of the hall.”

Shen Ying nodded. She didn’t say a word and just turned to leave.

Behind her, Gong Zhi’s serious voice could be heard. “She’s my personal assistant now, and I have a contract to prove it. She’s a senior in college and an intern, so it’s possible she got flustered when Secretary Wang questioned her. I’ll make sure to mentor her properly. All of Secretary Wang’s losses will be covered by me, her superior.”

“No, no, no, it was all just a misunderstanding. Now that it’s cleared up, it’s fine.” Wang Xue was aggrieved, but she couldn’t let her boss’s beloved sister pay for it. She quickly declined.

Gong Zhi smiled. “I’ll have someone from finance add a half-month’s salary to your paycheck as compensation for the medical expenses.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Xue’s face lit up with a smile, and she thanked Gong Zhi profusely.

A cheerful atmosphere filled the space behind her. Shen Ying walked much faster. By the time Gong Zhi looked up, Shen Ying was gone.

The two signed the contract smoothly, and Shen Ying clutched the thick stack of papers as she followed Gong Zhi downstairs.

In the elevator, Gong Zhi yawned. She had hijacked her brother’s person, felt the task was mostly complete, and her tense nerves had relaxed. She just wanted to go home and lie down. She didn’t pay any attention to Shen Ying’s expression.

Shen Ying had her head down, looking at the thick stack of papers in her arms. She gripped them tightly. She hadn’t expected that, even after starting over, she would still sign such a strange contract.

And it wasn’t even with the same person.

She looked up, reassessing Gong Zhi.

Gong Zhi covered her mouth, her eyes showing a hint of lazy fatigue. She still had a thermos in the small bag she was carrying. This appearance was completely different from what she remembered.

This person, apart from her identity, name, and appearance, was so different it was like they were two separate people. If it weren’t for the fact that everyone else was the same as in her memories, Shen Ying would have even doubted if she had been reborn or if she had entered a new world.

So, since everyone else was the same, why was this person different?

Was it because… she had also been reborn?

Was she pretending to be this way to get close to her, to avoid the “miserable” ending of the previous life?

Shen Ying closed her eyes, and darkness swirled before her.

In the previous life, Gong Zhi, having angered her brother and parents, was punished by being forced to go abroad. Shen Ying remembered Gong Zhi’s tearful appearance when she was sent away, but she could still live a life of comfort and luxury for the rest of her life. How could that be called a punishment?

But it didn’t matter. Later, she had used some tricks to make sure that devil died in a foreign country.

Her revenge was just too little, too late. Her best friend, the kind girl who had always helped her, had ultimately closed her eyes forever…

[Darkness meter: 97, 98…]

Gong Zhi’s body stiffened, and she turned to look at Shen Ying. “What’s wrong?”

Gong Zhi actually wanted to ask, “What is wrong with you again?” Was she something that could be easily oxidized? Could she just react on contact with oxygen? They were in an elevator with no one else, right?

Shen Ying opened her eyes. She looked at Gong Zhi. The girl in front of her looked soft and cute, with a hint of annoyance at being disturbed.

But Shen Ying knew what kind of venom was hidden in this body. She had never thought that a person’s appearance and inner self could be so different. She gripped the contract paper, and the sharp edge cut her finger. A drop of bl00d immediately seeped out.

“Oh dear, don’t move. You’re bleeding.” Gong Zhi grabbed Shen Ying’s hand. She reached into her bag, pulled out some disinfectant and a bandage, and quickly bandaged Shen Ying’s finger. Then she looked up and smiled at Shen Ying. “See? Isn’t that better?”

[Is the female lead’s darkness meter rising because she’s afraid of pain?]

[That… should… not… be the case…] The system also sounded confused.

[Then how do you explain this baseless rise in the darkness meter? Did your system make a mistake, and I…]

The system, afraid that Gong Zhi would utter the word “report,” hurriedly responded: [You’re right, you’re absolutely right! It’s all because the female lead is afraid of pain.]

Gong Zhi was satisfied, and seeing that Shen Ying’s darkness meter wasn’t rising further, she took a step back.

Shen Ying looked at Gong Zhi and then lowered her head. “I want to get the money as soon as possible.”

It was great to start over. She had many scores to settle, but she also had many people to protect and many regrets to make up for.

She knew this person was a devil in human skin, but for a moment, she was praying. At this moment, she had no other choice. She desperately needed money. The time she had come back to was when she was at her most desperate and helpless.

If this devil in front of her had truly been reborn and didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes, then maybe…

“Okay.”

The devil in front of her said, smiling at Shen Ying like an angel. In that instant, Shen Ying even wondered if what she had been through before was just a figment of her imagination.

[Darkness meter: 98, 97, 96…]

Gong Zhi was pleased to hear the darkness meter fall, and she continued to smile. “You’ll move in with me today.”

[…Darkness meter: 97]

Gong Zhi: Fvck, what did I say wrong?