The Cannon Fodder NPC Went Too Far [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Xia Yu stared blankly at Shen Zheng, dressed in black clothes and black hair, whose every gesture silenced the entire second floor. She fluttered her eyelashes, and her heart skipped a beat.
Narrow eyes held two beams of ardent flames, leaping and dancing, reflecting on her bl00d-stained face and outlining her profile even more vividly. She slightly curved her lips, her long hair swaying in the wind.
Even though she had witnessed this kind of thirst for power and ambition in Shen Zheng countless times, she couldn’t help but genuinely sigh once more, praising this beauty—this moving, irresistible beauty.
The system saw that the incident had concluded and finally commented leisurely: “This is the big villain in the novel. Ruthless, decisive, and supremely arrogant.”
Little Xia Yu in her mind jumped up and punched the small blue light sphere. She is not a villain; she is just doing what anyone in their position would do.
But, the idiom was well-used. She liked it.
Shen Zheng raised her wine glass and gave a virtual toast to everyone on the second floor, saying flatly: “Today is the birthday of the Head of the Shen Family. Everyone, please eat and drink well, and enjoy yourselves. Shen Zheng will take her leave now.”
With that, she strode out the door. Just as she pushed the door open, she turned her head and gave Xia Yu a faint smile, as if to say, Xia Yu, this is the real me. Are you still willing to…
In front of everyone, Xia Yu rushed forward, tightly grabbed Shen Zheng’s slightly cool hand, and walked out with her.
Shen Zheng’s hand instantly tightened, gripping Xia Yu’s hand firmly. Then, as if remembering something, the pressure eased, and she twisted her hand, forcefully intertwining their fingers through the gaps, locking their hands together.
Watching the mastermind behind the chaos leave, many Shen family members exchanged looks, confused and at a loss.
Shen Yu glanced at her father, whose chest was heaving drastically, and the elders who were yelling with flushed faces. She pursed her lips, stood up first, and followed Shen Zheng out.
Like dominoes, people at the side tables silently followed the flow out. A few from the main table bowed to the Head of the Shen Family and decisively departed. Gradually, most of the second floor was empty.
Similar to the Shen family women, the collateral descendants of the Shen family had to serve the main family from birth. According to clan rules, everything they possessed belonged to the family; their assets, their thoughts, and the decisions made after careful consideration could be instantly changed at the whim of the clan elders.
Living in such a rigid and strictly hierarchical family, how could those who were not the beneficiaries sincerely support such a clan?
A gentle breeze blew, the cool air passing through their hair. Shen Zheng held Xia Yu’s hand tightly, and the two walked aimlessly through the Shen family courtyard.
Qin Ying, following at a distance, wanted to speak but ultimately decided not to interrupt them. It wasn’t a major issue; CEO Shen could handle it just as well in the morning.
Qin Ying frowned, watching the motionless pair in the distance, constantly shouting in her mind: “Slowpoke! Get a clue! Hurry and get a clue! Just one of them is enough!”
If Shen Zheng used half the intelligence she used to take control of the Shen family on this matter, her assistant and friend wouldn’t have to worry so much. Seeing the project showing no progress, she genuinely feared Shen Zheng would grow old alone.
Since Qin Ying met Shen Zheng in university, she had always been a solitary figure. The first eight years of her life, her brilliance was overshadowed by her elder brothers; she watched them and their father from the dark corners. The following ten years, she grew freely like a weed, spontaneously learning to resist. She broke every clan rule she could, was beaten bloody and locked in a dark room, stubbornly carving tally marks into the stone wall.
Twelve years had passed since her eighteenth birthday. The thirty-year-old Shen Zheng was as solid as a mountain, holding immense power, capable of easily overturning the mountains that had crushed her in childhood, becoming the person she most admired and envied in her youth.
Her anger, her resentment, her ambition, her desire—all thirty years of her life had been spent on the Shen family.
She sincerely hoped that Shen Zheng could find someone to spend her life with, regardless of gender, as long as she was happy and liked them.
Sigh, Qin Ying thought, heavily sighing. The emperor is not worried, but the eunuch is. If this actually works out, she definitely deserves a raise.
As for whether she should go up and enlighten her, Qin Ying considered it for a moment and then dismissed the idea. Love is elusive and difficult to articulate. Everyone’s experience is different. If the first experience of life is pointed out by others, it loses much of its bitterness and sweetness. This path had to be walked alone.
Xia Yu pursed her lips, secretly glancing at Shen Zheng’s profile a few times. Her bright eyes curved, and joy overflowed from the corners of her eyes and brows like an unstoppable spring. She stepped on her own shadow, gently swinging their clasped hands.
“Shen Zheng!” The girl stopped and called her name crisply.
Shen Zheng paused instantly. She raised her eyebrow, seemingly asking what was wrong.
Xia Yu stood on her tiptoes, stretched out her free hand, and used her fingertips to wipe away the bloodstains on Shen Zheng’s face, bit by bit. Only when there wasn’t a single trace left on Shen Zheng’s face did she retract her hand, turn around, and self-assuredly pull Shen Zheng’s hand to continue walking.
Shen Zheng looked at Xia Yu’s back, blinked softly, and a faint smile outlined her lips.
As unidentified pink bubbles surrounded the two, the system jumped out, highly disruptive, anxiously calling out to Xia Yu:
“Host, Host, don’t forget the mission! You just slapped the protagonist’s face, and there’s the villain’s… don’t forget it, or you’ll lose a lot of points! Hurry and curse a few words, just enough to fool the system. I can still give you some extra points to reach 50.”
“Mhm, got it.” Xia Yu flipped through the general plot in her mind, answering the system perfunctorily.
Scolding Shen Zheng in front of everyone, intending to humiliate her.
Wait, ‘slap the face’ (humiliate), didn’t she just do that? Xia Yu’s eyes suddenly lit up. Little Xia Yu excitedly pointed at that section in the book, reading it word for word to the system.
The system was momentarily confused, its small blue circle spinning rapidly, searching through its past database. It muttered softly: “There’s no precedent for this. Can this count?”
“Why not? I just gently patted Shen Zheng’s face a few times with my hand. Didn’t you see? Even if you go ask Shen Zheng now, she’ll admit it,” Xia Yu replied righteously.
“Then I guess it counts. Host, don’t forget the other part,” the system struggled briefly, then gave up, urging Xia Yu to complete the remaining task.
Relieved that one item was resolved, Xia Yu secretly sighed and didn’t immediately answer the system, continuing to walk with Shen Zheng toward a secluded area. The surrounding cleaning servants became increasingly sparse until there were none at all. Xia Yu then secretly nodded.
In front of everyone… The system never specified how many people counted as “in front of everyone.” Twenty people are “in front of everyone.” Aren’t three people or two people “in front of everyone” as well?
She had already planned this. Qin Assistant was always following them, keeping a discreet distance. That will do.
“Shen Zheng, wait.” Xia Yu stopped and called out clearly.
Shen Zheng paused instantly. “What is it now?”
Despite the words, there was no impatience, only a helpless smile on her face, a clear expression of indulgence.
Even though she had just witnessed the fate of the person who pointed a finger at Shen Zheng not long ago, Xia Yu, for some reason, didn’t feel the slightest fear. She seemed especially certain that Shen Zheng would not harm her, clearly emboldened by this certainty.
Besides, these were things she genuinely wanted to say to Shen Zheng.
Xia Yu’s cheeks puffed out, and she fiercely pulled away from Shen Zheng’s grasped hand. Her dark almond eyes widened, burning with vivid fire.
She pointed a finger at Shen Zheng’s nose and loudly reprimanded:
“Shen Zheng, why do you keep everything from me? The banquet, my father’s matters everything. I’ve been kept in the dark from start to finish. I’m not a beautifully dressed doll sitting in your display cabinet. I can run, jump, and fight back! I can stand beside you and fight!
Even if my skills aren’t perfect yet, you could at least inform me, so I wouldn’t have to…”
As she scolded, Xia Yu’s voice grew softer and softer. She pursed her lips, glared at Shen Zheng resentfully, and lowered her head to kick a nearby small stone.
The last sentence was whispered so low it was almost trapped in her throat.
“I worry about you, too.”
Shen Zheng looked at the downcast Xia Yu, blinking slightly. A thread of warmth spread from the deepest part of her heart, unexpectedly breaking through the dam and cautiously peeking out, swaying in the wind.
It was a tingling, numbing sensation, wrapped in a warm glow, like the cotton candy she snatched from her third brother after beating him for the first time in her childhood—sweet and sugary.
She found it exceptionally pleasing.
Shen Zheng let out a light chuckle. She gently touched Xia Yu’s cheek, cupping her face, and with her other hand, she caught Xia Yu’s retracted fingertip and pressed it against her own chest.
Beneath the softness, Xia Yu felt Shen Zheng’s vigorously beating heart. Thump, thump, thump, thump. It conveyed an indescribable intimacy, a wonderful sensation rapidly spreading from her palm to her entire body.
In that moment, she felt synchronized with Shen Zheng.
“My fault. Xia Yu, you are very good.”
Shen Zheng paused, organizing her thoughts: “I’m just used to it.”
Used to planning everything alone, clearly calculating every risk and opportunity. Used to protecting the people she cared about under her wings, letting them grow wildly in a place free of worries. Used to hiding her emotions in her heart, remaining composed even if the world crumbled…
“Shen Zheng, give me five years, and I will stand shoulder to shoulder with you,” Xia Yu raised her chin slightly, declaring firmly.
The proud little phoenix raised her fiery wings, making a solemn promise.
“Good. I will wait for that day.”
The system watched their stagnant situation, muttered curses, and shut down its screen, scolding softly:
“At least inform the system so it can turn off the recording before you start whispering sweet nothings again! How am I supposed to give the Host a backdoor and secretly add points if I’m recording here?
“Honestly, increasing the system’s workload.”