Scumbag A's Plan to Save the Heroine - Chapter 40

“What did you say?!” Song Rang roared, his voice dripping with fury. “They charged a million Star Coins just to buy the trending topic, and now they’re demanding ten million more to take it down? What kind of extortion is this?!”

Zhang Wei nodded. As Song Rang’s manager, he couldn’t bear to see his client’s money wasted. He tried to reason with him, “Brother Song, the hype will die down eventually. We can wait a day or two, right? Maybe we should just let it fade naturally?”

“Absolutely not!” Song Rang snapped, remembering his solemn vow to remove the trending topic today. He gritted his teeth, determined to put on a brave face and act decisively. “Pull it down, no matter the cost!”

Zhang Wei: So everything I just said was a waste of breath, huh?

In the back seat of the car sat two men. One sported a slicked-back hairstyle, dyed in an eye-catching color, and wore the Federation’s most expensive brands from head to toe. The other was dressed plainly, wearing black-rimmed glasses—the kind you’d find a dozen of in any crowd.

Something seemed to irritate Zhang Wei’s eyes. He removed his high-prescription glasses and rubbed them. A sudden smile flickered across his face, his tone remaining polite but now lacking its usual subservience.

“Whatever you say,” he replied.

Having received a satisfactory answer, Song Rang’s emotions finally calmed down considerably. However, when he glanced at the person beside him, he noticed Zhi Qiu had suddenly removed her glasses, her brow furrowed in distaste.

Safe travels.

In their cramped sixty-square-meter apartment, the two of them together felt like they were the entire world.

The girl with the bun was patiently tending to the short-haired girl’s wound, carefully using a cotton swab to wipe the ointment that had seeped beyond the edges back into place. The short-haired girl stared intently at the person applying the medicine.

When love reaches a certain intensity, even if one can control their body, it will inevitably overflow from their eyes, beyond their control.

“The medicine’s applied… Why don’t you go back now? I’ll move out tomorrow,” Ruan Ye said, her cheeks flushed with a natural blush far more captivating than any artificial blush. Feeling self-conscious under Zhi Qiu’s gaze, she quietly turned her head away.

“Okay,” Zhi Qiu replied, rising to leave.

The Truth System couldn’t contain itself, howling, “Don’t go! Don’t be an idiot! How can you leave now? You just got here! Grab her hand and tell her you’re worried about her safety and don’t want to be apart for a moment! Weren’t you going to confess earlier? Now that Song Rang’s gone, you have the perfect opportunity! Go for it!”

It was a pity Zhi Qiu wasn’t in her wheelchair. Otherwise, the Truth System would have surely seized control, sending the chair careening toward Ruan Ye and forcing Zhi Qiu to finish what she had been about to say.

The girl’s features were delicate, almost sharp. Despite wearing only a simple white T-shirt and black pants, she exuded an undeniable presence—not the kind forced by a suit, but an innate aura honed through the ruthless selection process of her family.

Zhi Qiu settled back into her wheelchair, her left hand gripping the armrest with subtle force, signaling the Truth System to restrain itself.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch!” the System whined in a strained voice. Though it still yearned to bring the two together quickly, it ultimately obeyed, refraining from further interference.

The wheelchair, which had been swaying in the breeze, suddenly stilled as the short-haired girl sat steadily. Mid-Autumn Festival had just passed, and the full moon still hung bright outside the window. Zhi Qiu rested her cheek in her hand, gazing at the luminous orb.

The scene resembled a perfect oil painting.

This wasn’t the first time Ruan Ye had been struck by Zhi Qiu’s beauty. In fact, from their very first meeting, she had been deeply impressed by those sorrowful black eyes.

A person with such a gentle, unassuming nature, even if born as a high-ranking Alpha, would she truly be willing to enter the mundane world and compete for power?

“You…” The girl’s gray pleated skirt swayed in the breeze, and the wind loosened her coiled hair, letting strands of ink-black hair cascade down to her waist. Her fair skin made her lips appear even more crimson. Ruan Ye mustered her courage, stepped forward, and blocked the path of the departing wheelchair.

What were you about to say?

“Shh.” The woman in the wheelchair, half a head shorter than the standing girl, gently pressed a slender, pale finger against Ruan Ye’s crimson lips. The sharpness of her features softened by the warmth in her eyes, she exuded an air of refined elegance.

Both knew the words that hung unspoken between them.

The roles seemed to have reversed. The one who had been eager to break through the fragile barrier between them now sought a more opportune moment, while the one who had once shied away from this affection suddenly found the courage to seek love.

Zhi Qiu pushed the wheelchair forward to the doorway. Just as she was about to enter the elevator, she turned back to look at the person who had been silently watching her retreating figure from the beginning. Slowly, she spoke.

“I’ve been invited to the ball as well.”

“What?” Ruan Ye stepped forward, but the elevator doors had already closed and were rapidly descending.

The girl’s words were scattered by the whistling wind, forcing Ruan Ye to rely on lip-reading to decipher what she had said. Her attention was entirely focused on the unspoken regret, completely unaware that there would be more to the conversation. She only managed to catch two words:

Ball.

News of Fu Jin Yan’s expulsion had spread widely among the aristocratic families. For the past few days, he had been severely ostracized by his family.

In an instant, all the sycophantic followers who had once fawned over him turned their backs and defected to the second young master, Fu Jin Xing. Even the obsequious hangers-on who had previously groveled before him now seized any opportunity to mock him to his face.

Fu Jin Yan chuckled bitterly.

He was in perfect health, his mind sharp, and his connections deeply rooted—he had practically one foot in the door of the family company. Yet now, merely because he had lost his academic credentials and temporarily fallen out of favor with his father, these people dared to kick him when he was down. Worse still, some had even defected to his newly reunited younger brother.

He had always prided himself on his clear-headedness, dividing people into hierarchies based on their background and only associating with those he deemed useful. Yet now, witnessing these absurd scenes unfold, he realized how narrow his perspective had been.

Tap, tap. Footsteps approached the bedroom door. Fu Jin Yan raised an eyebrow, assuming it was his foolish younger brother come to assert his dominance again. He pulled a cigarette from the drawer, lit it, and struck a pose of gloomy despondency.

The freshly lit cigarette fell to the wooden floor, the tip still unburnt.

“You worthless wretch!”

Fu Fu stormed into the room, nearly fainting with rage at the sight of his eldest son’s disheveled state. He jabbed his cane and roared, “Have you no ambition? You’ve already fallen into despair after just a few days! How can you ever achieve greatness? How can I trust you to lead the Fu Family?”

Gone were the tailored suits and polished shoes. Fu Jin Yan now wore only pajamas, his posture careless and insolent.

The half-smoked cigarette lay on the floor. Without thinking, he hastily knelt down to pick it up, accidentally pressing his knee onto the still-lit tip. The searing heat burned through his skin, but Fu Jin Yan remained motionless, his expression grim.

“Father,” he said.