Making Three Heartless Woman Go Crazy for Me - Chapter 16

Although Qi Lanshi had achieved her goal of living a carefree life as a “salted fish” in a wealthy family, her blissful existence didn’t come so easily.

The reason was simple: as a player with a “stand-in” role, the game’s narrative demanded she follow a path of angsty romance, not carefree happiness.

Within Luan Hua’s opulent mansion, many were devoted to the White Moonlight, viewing the player as a mere imitation unworthy of the spotlight. They dutifully played their roles as cannon fodder, fueling the tragic romance between the two leads.

Qi Lanshi had only been living there for three days, but she had already sensed this undercurrent.

First, there was the butler. According to the storyline, he regarded the White Moonlight as his own daughter, having cared for Luan Hua since childhood. In his eyes, Luan Hua was also like a daughter, and he only wished for the two girls to be together.

He had once grieved over Luan Hua and the White Moonlight’s separation, but now he placed all the blame squarely on Qi Lanshi’s shoulders.

To this, Qi Lanshi remarked, “This doesn’t quite add up, does it? If they’re both daughters, shouldn’t they be sisters? How can they be together? Isn’t this flirting with ethical boundaries?”

She paused, waiting for a response, but when none came, she pinched her throat and whined, “Why isn’t the System saying anything? Honey, say something~”

System: …

Faced with this woman, it often found itself speechless, utterly exhausted.

Just as it was about to reply, Qi Lanshi’s bedroom door suddenly swung open. It was the butler they had just been discussing.

Qi Lanshi inwardly groaned, realizing the inevitable plot point had finally arrived. After all, Luan Hua was away on a business trip and wouldn’t return for another two days. If they didn’t make their move now, when would they?

But outwardly, she remained oblivious, merely tilting her head and asking, “May I ask what you need?”

The gray-haired butler looked down at Qi Lanshi with undisguised contempt, his tone dripping with entitlement. “The bathroom is a bit dirty,” he said. “Miss Qi, please clean it yourself.”

Qi Lanshi stared at the butler’s face for a moment.

Objectively speaking, the butler’s character model was quite impressive, perfectly capturing the refined, efficient, and experienced demeanor of a high-society butler. This game was truly meticulous; even the faces of NPCs were meticulously crafted, every wrinkle precisely placed.

The butler, a perfectly respectable man, was cursed with a sharp tongue. When he kept his mouth shut, he was fine, but the moment he spoke, disaster struck.

Just like now.

This otherwise elegant butler suddenly seemed bitter and cruel.

“Why is that?” Qi Lanshi countered, playing along with his intentions. “Aren’t these tasks supposed to be handled by the maids?”

The butler’s expression turned smug, as if he’d anticipated this response, and his disdain for Qi Lanshi deepened.

“The maids are busy every day. With Miss Qi away, they’re taking the opportunity to thoroughly clean the entire mansion from top to bottom. They simply don’t have time for such trivial matters. It would be best if Miss Qi handled this herself. Besides…”

The butler’s emotionless gaze swept over Qi Lanshi, adding to the dramatic tension.

“What exactly is Miss Qi’s status here?”

The moment those words left his lips, Qi Lanshi felt a premonition. Sure enough, the System’s notification popped up:

Faced with such contempt and humiliation, Qi Lanshi felt as if she’d been slapped across the face, her cheek burning with pain. Shame made her restless; she never wanted to be in this position, but she was powerless to change it.

She understood the butler was deliberately trying to make things difficult for her. She couldn’t even answer his final question: if she wasn’t a hired servant, what was her status in this mansion? A captive, humiliated Golden Canary?

At that moment, Qi Lanshi’s resentment toward Luan Hua deepened. The woman who had pushed her into this situation, then simply clapped her hands and walked away.

Faced with the butler’s humiliation, the player could choose to: endure the humiliation and silently clean the bathroom, or retort, expressing her unyielding spirit.

As always, Qi Lanshi was forced into silence.

But this time was slightly better. At least the game had gleaned some insight into her personality based on her previous choices. Had this happened earlier, it would likely have forced her to choose between cleaning the bathroom while crying or doing so with a stubborn expression.

However, such limited options were still far from satisfactory. Qi Lanshi would never choose either.

She frowned, looked the butler directly in the eye with a serious expression, and asked, “Of course I’m Luan Hua’s little lover. What else could I be? A servant like you?”

The butler clearly hadn’t anticipated such a response. He froze for a moment, then anger surged through him.

She’s truly a shameless woman, willing to sell herself for money, the butler thought.

He was about to retort, but Qi Lanshi didn’t give him the chance. She preemptively smiled and said, “You mentioned earlier that all the servants in the mansion are very busy. But that doesn’t seem to be the case—aren’t you quite idle?”

Her smile was a gentle blade, each word a calculated strike. “Regardless, I was personally brought here by Luan Hua. Your attitude toward me—is it contempt for me, or are you questioning Luan Hua’s judgment?”

Qi Lanshi’s accusation was a heavy one, and the butler’s expression immediately shifted.

His smile became insincere and polite. “Miss Qi misunderstands my intentions. Everyone has their assigned duties, and I simply couldn’t spare the time myself. That’s why I had the audacity to ask for your assistance. Besides, since you’re using the room, keeping the bathroom clean is also for your comfort.”

“So you’re aware of your audacity?” Qi Lanshi asked earnestly. “If you know that, why did you even bother to ask?”

“It’s fine if the butler is too lazy to clean. I’m just a commoner, used to rough conditions. I wouldn’t mind a few water stains or stray hairs in the bathroom at all.”

“Please don’t add any unnecessary stress or work to yourself. You’re getting on in years and are the elder of the household. If you overexert yourself, I couldn’t bear the responsibility.”

Qi Lanshi’s tone was dripping with sarcasm, yet her expression remained gentle and her voice calm and measured, leaving the butler no opening for a retort.

Not that he would dare to truly lash out anyway.

As the butler resignedly left, Qi Lanshi’s gaze turned cold. She let out a soft hum and poured herself a cup of tea.

“Life’s been too comfortable, too leisurely. A mere butler has started acting like a true elder and manager, even putting on airs in front of me. It’s laughable.”

Even Luan Hua, when she was here, had to behave like a docile “pillow princess.” What right did these mass-produced NPCs have to act otherwise?

Luan Hua was away on a business trip, working overtime. But in the game, it was the weekend, and Qi Lanshi was enjoying her virtual weekend to the fullest—with far better treatment than she received in reality.

In the real world, she only had two days off, and even then, she kept herself busy with part-time jobs and live streaming. Her schedule was always packed.

Now things were different. Now she could slack off openly and dedicate her free time to studying diligently. Sometimes, she marveled at her own newfound diligence—it was truly astonishing.

Having dealt with the housekeeper, Qi Lanshi strode briskly toward her bedroom. She opened her tablet, selected the course she wanted, and was just putting on her headphones when a sudden, ear-splitting cacophony erupted.

Startled, she removed her headphones. The noise instantly intensified, nearly scaring her out of her wits.

Qi Lanshi’s anger flared instantly.

She could tolerate their meddling in trivial matters, but why disrupt her studies?

Did they have any idea how difficult it was to rekindle a dropout’s interest in learning? Why commit such a heinous act?

Qi Lanshi yanked open the door. The cleaning lady outside, as if oblivious to her presence, continued to run the vacuum cleaner at full blast, its deafening roar shaking the room.

Taking a deep breath, Qi Lanshi didn’t bother with words. She simply unplugged the machine.

The cleaning lady, as if only now noticing her, glanced at her in surprise, then feigned ignorance. “Miss Qi, is there anything you need?”

“I need you to be quiet and stay away from me. Can you manage that?”

The cleaning lady shook her head expressionlessly. “I’m truly sorry, but the mansion’s cleaning must be done while the Master is away. There’s nothing we can do.”

Qi Lanshi sighed deeply. I don’t think I ever told you, System, but I really hate these kinds of plotlines, she thought.

For others, this was just a story, but for Qi Lanshi, it was real life.

Being ordered to do menial labor and sleep in the warehouse were minor inconveniences. During the years after losing her parents’ protection, she had endured countless instances of targeted harassment and violence.

The relatives who reluctantly took her in often put on a show of kindness in public, pretending to treat the orphaned girl well. But their children were rarely so restrained.

Younger, more naive, and more direct, they hadn’t yet learned to mask their malice. Their cruelty was plain and undisguised.

They rarely resorted to physical violence against Qi Lanshi, instead devising countless ways to make her miserable—just like these NPCs were doing now.

“I gave you your chance. You didn’t appreciate it. There’s nothing more I can do,” Qi Lanshi said, turning and closing the door behind her.

The cleaning lady, as if she had won a battle, puffed up with pride and resumed her arduous work.

As soon as Qi Lanshi opened WeChat, she saw several messages from her secretary.

At first, the secretary was coy, merely asking what she was doing. But later, she became direct:  Miss Qi, please contact the Boss. Say anything—preferably share something about your day.

Qi Lanshi really wanted to reply with silence, but she felt sorry for the secretary, so she let it go.

It was obvious Luan Hua was thinking about Qi Lanshi but couldn’t bring herself to say it directly, so she had the secretary relay the message.

She probably hadn’t expected the secretary to be so blunt.

Qi Lanshi lowered her gaze and pondered for a moment before sending Luan Hua four words:  I’m doing fine.

She saw the other party typing, but it took a full two minutes for Luan Hua’s reply to arrive.

Even simpler than hers:  Mm.

Qi Lanshi chuckled. “Keep acting up. You’ll regret it someday.”

She then opened her chat with Troublemaker:  Tomorrow, send Luan Hua a message for me. I’ll have some new entertainment for you to see then.

Gu Jingshu replied almost immediately:  What should I send?

Anything. Qi Lanshi typed slowly with her slender fingers. Just make sure she realizes you and I are secretly in contact.