I Marked the Villain After Transmigrating into a Scumbag A - Chapter 7

The auctioneer called out, “Starting bid, 250,000.”

Ye Chimu bid, “260,000.”

The auctioneer called, “Starting bid, 360,000.”

Ye Chimu bid, “370,000.”

Bids were rising by a mere 10,000, as if she were playing a game. She bid on almost everything, time and time again.

In her past life, Gu Zhijing wouldn’t have blinked. She would’ve simply waved her hand and bought everything. But now, she squinted her eyes, watching the accumulating numbers on the stage.

Ye Chimu turned to her. “Can I still buy things?” The warm, yellow light from the stage hit her hair, and a slight movement of it flickered in Gu Zhijing’s eyes.

In the quiet auction hall, the only sounds were the raised paddles and the auctioneer’s voice. As the total amount continued to grow, the auctioneer called out twice, the final gavel about to fall. Gu Zhijing nodded, her tone calm. “You can.”

Ye Chimu raised her paddle. “1.1 million.”

The System watching from the sidelines let out a snicker. 【Hehe.】

Afterward, Ye Chimu also wanted a pair of cloisonné enamel earrings. Someone else had worn them, and she didn’t seem to like them much after bidding.

Gu Zhijing said, “If you don’t like them, just throw them away.” She could always sell her car to cover the cost.

Gu Zhijing had her hands in her pockets. She was used to big-ticket items; a million or two was nothing.

Qin Guanghui was frantic, winking and gesturing to her, holding up a finger to indicate they’d only brought a million. Gu Zhijing completely ignored him.

After all was said and done, Ye Chimu had bought a total of three million worth of items. Gu Zhijing had been a CEO for two decades, with an allowance of over a million since she was six. Now, she was living hand-to-mouth. She was truly a fallen star.

The final item Ye Chimu bought was a necklace, a blue diamond called “Mermaid’s Tear,” a 7.6-carat rough diamond. Her gaze was fixed on the necklace, and the camera on stage gave her plenty of screen time. The blue light reflected in her brown eyes, making her look like a mermaid from the deep sea. Mermaids are known for their singing, and Ye Chimu’s singing was said to be beautiful. Gu Zhijing felt the necklace was familiar, but she couldn’t recall where she had heard of it.

“Thank you.”

The words suddenly rang in her ears. Gu Zhijing turned to look at Ye Chimu, her red lips pressed together. Her short hair lightly brushed her shoulders as she leaned back in her chair, her eyes on the auction stage. The bidding paddle for number “36” rested on her lap, not looking as if it had spoken.

The auction came to a close, and people began to leave in an orderly fashion. Gu Zhijing walked ahead, with Ye Chimu following unhurriedly. As they went down the steps, Gu Zhijing slightly turned her body and extended her arm to block the person behind Ye Chimu, letting her go first.

Ye Chimu’s agent, Qiu Shuping, was waiting in the hallway. She saw Gu Zhijing and gave her a fawning smile. “Little CEO Gu, I’m taking Chimu to meet a director to talk about work. I’ll send her back to you later.”

Gu Zhijing asked, “Who is she meeting?”

Qiu Shuping was surprised that she cared. “Director Yang Hao.”

Gu Zhijing had a slight impression of the director. “The one who does reality shows?”

“Yes, that’s right. The dating show is very popular right now, and they really want to invite Chimu to join.” She was carefully watching Gu Zhijing’s expression, afraid of setting her off. The last thing she wanted was for a rich playboy to hinder her artist’s career.

This scene was in the original novel, a major turning point for Ye Chimu. After she was publicly shamed, the entertainment industry completely shut its doors on her. A single reality show saw her popularity and extended an invitation. The show was a dating show where people were paired up, purely for public entertainment. Ye Chimu put a lot of effort into getting this spot. But just as she was about to go, the female lead of the novel stole the spot. The male lead had given it to her as compensation after their one-night stand. The male and female leads then went on the show and gained a large following. This was one of the reasons Ye Chimu came to hate them. She had worked so hard for a small gig, only to have it easily handed to someone else as a favor.

It seemed she was going to try for the same opportunity this time, too.

Gu Zhijing nodded. As they walked away, she followed them for a few steps, instructing them, “If you run into any trouble, just use my name. Take good care of her.”

“Of course, of course.”

Qiu Shuping was stunned while stealing glances at Gu Zhijing. The straight suit made her look outstanding. The hallway lights outlined her profile, making her seem like a taut string, aloof and elegant.

Ye Chimu took long strides, her dress revealing her long legs. She rarely spoke, but she turned back at the corner to look at Gu Zhijing, her eyelashes fluttering with a hint of doubt.

Gu Zhijing stood there, thinking about the reality show. It would be good if Ye Chimu could get the spot, but the main male and female leads would bring too many variables with them.

When Qin Guanghui caught up, Gu Zhijing said “Stop” first, her voice cold. “Go get the money we spent today from the old man. Who goes out with only a million? It’s not even enough to buy a girl a few things. He made me lose face.”

Qin Guanghui was stunned by her words. I thought the young miss had changed for the better. It was all an illusion!

She’s clearly still a spoiled brat. This is a charity gala, and the items being auctioned were all donated! Who goes all out and bids three or four million?

Gu Zhijing had figured out that she couldn’t ask for money politely; she had to act like a demanding brat. As the saying goes, the crying baby gets the candy, and the troublemaking adult gets the money.

I can be a brat, too. If I act like a brat, everyone will have to give in.

“Go tell him that he wants a grandchild, but he’s kidding himself,” Gu Zhijing said. “I don’t even have enough money to get a hotel room for a date.”

“Y-yes, yes, that makes sense. I’ll call him right away.” Qin Guanghui nodded repeatedly.

“Tell him exactly what I said, word for word.”

“Okay, okay.”

Qin Guanghui tried hard to remember. When the call connected, he quickly said, “Sir, a million isn’t enough. The young miss doesn’t have enough to buy a girl a few things. She can’t even afford a hotel room for a date! If you don’t send money now, you won’t get a grandchild.”

“You’ve completely embarrassed her!”

“The young miss told me to say it…”

Gu Shichang was silent for a few seconds. Gu Zhijing was also silent for a few seconds.

Then Gu Zhijing’s phone rang.

But still, Qin Guanghui had the potential to be a great debt collector.

The money arrived quickly. Gu Zhijing immediately transferred it to the charity and decided to take the items with her tonight. She didn’t want to come back to this place a second time. After the paperwork was done, Gu Zhijing left the main hall.

Not many people were there to pick up their items. Most people had opted to have the charity staff deliver them and had seven days to pay. Qin Lingyue was waiting for her early. When she saw her, she whistled. “Nice one. You spent a fortune just to make a pretty girl smile. Seeing you spend money on Ye Chimu, I’m starting to think you’ve found true love and are going to turn over a new leaf.” Gu Zhijing was the biggest sucker at the charity event today.

“I had to,” Gu Zhijing said, adding, “What did you buy?”

“A crescent moon bracelet. It’s so annoying. I don’t even like it, but you know my persona. As long as it’s related to the moon, I have to buy it,” Qin Lingyue said. “Ugh, I wish Ye Chimu had just bought the bracelet. Then I wouldn’t have had to spend so much.”

Qin Lingyue took her item, complained about the cheap bracelet, and waved goodbye. Meeting Qin Lingyue was okay; at least she was a normal person. The “charity” event was full of all kinds of strange people.

After finishing the procedure, Gu Zhijing received a message.

An unknown number: 【Zhijing, I’m at the charity event. Come out and have some fun. Ye Chimu is here, too. Let’s find a way to take her with us later.】

After leaving the hospital, Gu Zhijing had purged the original host’s social circle, blocking unnecessary contacts and cutting ties. Ye Chimu was in a private room, and after reading the message, Gu Zhijing decided to go check on her.

Just as Ye Chimu finished her meeting and stepped out, the person standing in the doorway whistled at her. His gaze fixated on her exposed chest and his eyes were utterly lecherous. Noticing that Ye Chimu’s scent gland was injured, he deliberately released a few strands of pheromones. He stuck his leg out to block her path.

Ye Chimu’s hands clenched. She felt extremely uncomfortable. Releasing pheromones at an Omega out of nowhere was akin to sexual harassment. The man, instead of pulling his pheromones back when he noticed her discomfort, released even more, asking, “Smells good, doesn’t it?”

Ye Chimu, feeling uncomfortable went around him, her eyes stabbing into Zhao Kaiyu. He continued to release pheromones, smirking and raising his eyebrows mockingly. If Ye Chimu had a knife, she would have stabbed him without hesitation.

Her agent whispered a warning to her, telling her not to speak. “Don’t resist. Have you forgotten who he is? How can you possibly win against him? He’s the young master of Huashi Group. Apologize to him quickly.”

Ye Chimu, of course, wouldn’t apologize. Her eyes darkened. With a firm click of her heels, she broke free from her agent’s grasp, pressed her lips together, and walked away from Zhao Kaiyu with an air of unyielding pride.

Zhao Kaiyu watching Ye Chimu’s slender and graceful figure, felt the urge to snap her in half. The young master’s eyes flashed with a greedy green light. He smirked, his entire body tensing with a look of determination. He clenched his fists and cursed at Ye Chimu, “Slut.”

Gu Zhijing had seen everything. She turned to Qin Guanghui and asked, “Who is that?”

“Have you forgotten? He’s your good friend!”

“A good friend?” Gu Zhijing frowned, reflecting on her life. “I knew a scumbag like that?”

Qin Guanghui nodded, looking at Gu Zhijing seriously. You used to be like him, but you got a little better after your brain got messed up.

“He’s the young master of Huashi Group. His father is good friends with our master, and their family is very rich. He’s your good buddy. You guys always went out to have fun together. He was also involved in the incident with Ye Chimu. Don’t you remember? He was the one who gave you the idea to drug her.”

Gu Zhijing was just a scumbag mentioned briefly in the novel. She died a terrible death because she had persecuted Ye Chimu, but the crimes of the other scumbags weren’t listed in detail. From Ye Chimu’s perspective, this book was full of scumbags and she had run into one the moment she left the hospital.

“Should we go and explain things to Miss Ye Chimu?” Qin Guanghui whispered. He also felt that the young master of Huashi was too much, and it was best to distance himself from people like that.

“No rush. Let’s wait.” What she was about to do wasn’t suitable for an Omega to watch. Gu Zhijing’s voice was flat, without any emotion. She didn’t speak until Ye Chimu was out of sight, making sure the others would notice her.

Zhao Kaiyu saw Gu Zhijing and waved at her. With his hands in his pockets, he said cockily, “Zhijing, why haven’t I seen you around lately? You’re not cutting ties with me, are you? Or did Ye Chimu really mess up your brain? Do you want me to help you get revenge?”

Gu Zhijing didn’t answer.  Zhao Kaiyu said, “I did some digging. Ye Chimu just went to meet a director. I know that director. We can set up a party and mess with her again.”

In the original novel, Ye Chimu went through a lot of hardship to get on that reality show. So this was where the hardship came from.

Gu Zhijing’s thin lips formed a few words. “I advise you to be kind.”

Zhao Kaiyu was not happy. “Tsk. Are you getting serious? Didn’t you say you’d get tired of her and throw her away, turn her into a doormat for us to play with? You can’t just have her all to yourself and not let me have a taste. That’s not cool. You couldn’t have marked her without my help, could you?”

“Doormat.”

Gu Zhijing was a very serious person who didn’t get into arguments easily. She frowned, her gaze fixed on Zhao Kaiyu’s slicked-back hair.

“Don’t deny it,” Zhao Kaiyu snorted, his hands in his pockets. “I went to a lot of trouble to get that drug.”

Gu Zhijing didn’t speak. If you looked closely, you would have seen her mood darken. If auras had colors, you would have seen a dark cloud rising from her.

Zhao Kaiyu found her reaction amusing. A scumbag pretending to be a gentleman. He elbowed her. “By the way, that photographer promised me a backup copy. Why haven’t you sent it to me yet? Let me see it, too. Let’s all admire how untamed Ye Chimu is. I love women with that kind of personality—poor but think they’re high and mighty. What’s she pretending to be? I let you have her first out of our friendship.”

Gu Zhijing glanced at her arm, at the spot where Zhao Kaiyu had touched her. Her eyes darkened a few shades. She pulled her arm back.

“What’s wrong?” Zhao Kaiyu frowned.

Gu Zhijing curled her lip. “Do you have any more of that drug? Lend me two packs.”

“Tsk, was it that good?” Zhao Kaiyu asked.

“It was alright,” Gu Zhijing leaned against the wall, a strand of hair clinging to her forehead, looking cold and defiant.

Talking sense into him was useless.

“When can I have a taste?” Zhao Kaiyu smiled, studying Gu Zhijing’s expression. He had just heard that Gu Zhijing spent three million on items for Ye Chimu. That was enough to book two or three artists. And Ye Chimu was just a newcomer with no fame. But her face was breathtakingly beautiful, unforgettable to anyone who saw it.

“Did you bring any?” Gu Zhijing’s lips moved, with a slight smile, just like the scumbag she pretended to be when they were fooling around.

Zhao Kaiyu blinked. “Of course!”

Gu Zhijing crooked a finger at him. Zhao Kaiyu pulled out two packets of the drug.

“I’ll let you have a taste right now.” Gu Zhijing’s fingers clenched. The next second, she turned, grabbed Zhao Kaiyu’s jaw, and shoved the drug into his mouth. Before he could react, his eyes were wide with surprise, Gu Zhijing released a burst of pheromones, grabbed his hand, and dragged him into a nearby restroom.

Zhao Kaiyu was caught completely off guard. Gu Zhijing kicked his knee. Zhao  Kaiyu knelt on the ground, his forehead hitting the sink with a loud thud.

“Sh1t, Gu Zhijing, are you crazy!”

“Gu Zhijing… mmm… Gu…”

The water and liquid gurgled down his throat. Zhao Kaiyu took a breath. “Gu Zhijing, you’re insane. What are you doing? You’re trying to kill me.”

Gu Zhijing grabbed the back of his neck and pushed him under the water again. Ripples spread out across the long sink. Zhao Kaiyu’s breath mixed with the water, making a gurgling sound like he was drowning. Gu Zhijing pulled him up again. Zhao Kaiyu’s face was beet red. He had always been pampered as the youngest son in his family; everyone always gave way to him. This was a complete humiliation. He angrily cursed, “Gu Zhijing, you wouldn’t dare. I’ll kill you sooner or later…”

The drug started to take effect. He was hot all over, like a roasted pig.

“Then I’ll kill you first. After that, we’ll see if you have a chance to rise again.” Gu Zhijing’s voice was even as she pushed his head back into the water, his head knocking against the sink. The water splashed onto her fingers.

“You have to pay the price for what you’ve done.”

Zhao Kaiyu’s nose and mouth were filled with water. Even if he wanted to beg for mercy, he couldn’t speak. His pupils dilated. The two packets of the drug took effect, making him feel weak all over, his body burning with fever. He was getting a taste of death. He twisted his body, making a grotesque spectacle.

Qin Guanghui stood at the door, staring helplessly at his boss, completely frozen. He had mistakenly thought she had become better and gentler. Clearly… she was even more of a scumbag.

“Why are you just standing there?” Gu Zhijing said coldly.

Qin Guanghui walked over, his hands hovering awkwardly. This was a male Alpha in heat. “CEO Gu, I… what should I do…?”

Gu Zhijing shoved the drug packets into his pocket, then handed Zhao Kaiyu over to him, telling him to hold him down. “You’re a Beta, so you can’t smell the pheromones. He’s your problem for now. Don’t let anyone get near him. I’m going out to get someone.”

“To get someone for what?”

“To record this.” Gu Zhijing’s voice hardened, her eyes filled with a ruthless glint. “For future reference.”

With that, she opened the restroom door. The moment she stepped out, she came face-to-face with Ye Chimu, who was standing at the door. Gu Zhijing instinctively hooked the door handle.

Ye Chimu was holding a baseball bat, and as their eyes met, she hid it behind her back.