What's Wrong with My Love Rival Becoming My Wife? - Chapter 4

Jiang Ning had been massaging Lu Xu’s head for over ten minutes.

Her wrist was starting to ache, so she paused.

In the chilly private room, only she, Bai Zhenyu, and the utterly drunk Lu Xu remained.

If things had followed the original plot, Jiang Ning would have already booked Lu Xu a luxurious suite, thoughtfully prepared hangover soup, and arranged for servants to help him bathe and change.

But now…

Jiang Ning had no intention of doing any of that.

She was exhausted and just wanted to complete the System’s confession task quickly so she could go home.

“Bai Zhenyu, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you for a long time.”

Hearing Jiang Ning’s sudden serious tone, Bai Zhenyu immediately rose and knelt timidly on the plush carpet at Jiang Ning’s feet. “I know! I know what Miss Jiang wants to ask… Yes, I used the Jiang Family’s money—a lot of it—I admit it!”

Her courage was remarkably fragile.

Jiang Ning hadn’t even said anything harsh, and she had already surrendered.

“Oh, so you knew all along,” Jiang Ning said with a smile, slowly raising her hand to rest on Bai Zhenyu’s shoulder. “So, what do you plan to do about it?”

Bai Zhenyu lowered her gaze, clutching the hem of her skirt so tightly her teeth chattered.

If she didn’t repay the money, Jiang Ning would send the Jiang Family’s bodyguards and legal team after her.

That would mean she could no longer survive in this city.

“I really don’t have the money to repay you right now,” Bai Zhenyu said, her voice soft and pleading, with a hint of tears. “Miss Jiang, could you give me some time? I’ll work hard at part-time jobs and pay you back slowly.”

Jiang Ning chuckled twice.

Part-time jobs?

Why would Jiang Ning need her to work part-time jobs?

There were far better ways to settle this debt. Why make things difficult for herself?

“Bai Zhenyu, do you think I’m short on money?”

Bai Zhenyu looked up blankly, instinctively glancing at Jiang Ning before quickly lowering her head again. “No, I don’t think Miss Jiang is short on money…”

How could the sole heiress of the Jiang Family possibly be short on money?

“Wrong.”

Jiang Ning pinched Bai Zhenyu’s chin, forcing her to look up and meet her gaze.

“Even the world’s richest man would feel short on cash. How much more so for someone like me? So, you need to repay me—and quickly. You wouldn’t want me showing up at your school every other day, banging drums and demanding my money, would you?”

Bai Zhenyu was terrified and shook her head frantically.

If Jiang Ning actually did that, she would be finished—utterly ruined!

“Miss Jiang, w-what do you want me to do? I really don’t have any money. I… I know! I have a little over a hundred yuan in my WeChat wallet. I’ll transfer it all to you. Would that be okay?”

Large tears streamed down her face.

At that moment, Bai Zhenyu desperately wished Lu Xu would wake up and stand between her and Jiang Ning, so she wouldn’t have to face this threat alone.

But Lu Xu remained motionless.

Bai Zhenyu had absolutely no experience dealing with Jiang Ning on her own!

“A little over a hundred yuan? That wouldn’t even cover the interest,” Jiang Ning murmured, stroking Bai Zhenyu’s moist, red lips and narrowing her eyes slightly. “Trying to brush me off like that? That’s not very smart, is it?”

“Th-then I’ll get a job! I’ll deliver food, I’ll pay you a little every day, I’ll write you an IOU!”

Jiang Ning smiled, saying nothing.

She gently stroked Bai Zhenyu’s cheek, tenderly wiping away the tears.

Their eyes met.

The atmosphere grew heated.

Bai Zhenyu’s breath, tinged with alcohol, grew heavy.

Her face flushed crimson, she awkwardly averted her gaze.

But Jiang Ning quickly turned her head back, forcing her to meet her eyes.

After a silence that stretched for three or five minutes, Jiang Ning brushed aside the tangled strands of hair near Bai Zhenyu’s ear and leaned in close, whispering, “I’ve known all along that Lu Xu has been secretly giving you money. Yet I never confronted him. After you came here to study, I even quietly increased the red envelope transfers I sent him. Can you guess why?”

In truth, the original Jiang Ning hadn’t thought so deeply about it.

Though she had suspected Lu Xu was using Jiang Family funds to support Bai Zhenyu, she feared confronting him would cause a rift, so she kept her suspicions bottled up, afraid to speak of them.

Why had Jiang Ning been sending Lu Xu so many transfers and red envelopes lately?

It was all because that deadbeat Lu Xu was desperately seeking investments everywhere.

The lovestruck Jiang Ning of the past not only let him live off her but even knelt before him, holding a plate above her head with both hands, begging him to eat!

Just thinking about this body having done such a humiliating thing made Jiang Ning feel like ants were crawling all over her skin—utterly unbearable.

At that moment, Bai Zhenyu dared not speak.

But in her heart, she feared Jiang Ning might be settling old scores and new debts all at once, planning to sell her off and be done with it.

Seeing Bai Zhenyu’s silence, Jiang Ning continued, “Ah! I can’t believe there’s such a foolish woman in the world. Zhenyu, you should know that there’s no such thing as baseless hatred or unearned kindness!”

“You think I hate you?”

“You think I’m showing favor to that drunken dog on the floor?”

“Bai Zhenyu, you’ve truly trampled on my heart.”

Bai Zhenyu was completely stunned.

What had she just heard?

Were those words even meant for her ears?

Was she the one who was drunk, or was it Jiang Ning?

Jiang Ning’s eyes were filled with deep affection, with a hint of desire flickering in their depths.

How could a naive mountain girl like Bai Zhenyu possibly handle such a situation?

Her soul nearly fled in terror.

She abruptly pushed Jiang Ning away, frantically clutching her collar and whispering, “Miss Jiang, please don’t tease me. I swear I won’t take another penny from the Jiang Family! Please, just let me go!”

“What’s with this attitude?” Jiang Ning’s face darkened, glaring at her with feigned ferocity. “So, you really enjoy trampling on my feelings, don’t you?”

“No! Miss Jiang… I-I just can’t accept this… Ah!”

Before she could finish, Jiang Ning seized her slender wrist and forcefully dragged her closer.

Paralyzed with fear, Bai Zhenyu let out a startled cry, then closed her eyes in resignation. Her lips trembled as she whispered, “I have someone I like. He, he is…”

Before Bai Zhenyu could finish saying, “The person I like is Lu Xu,” Jiang Ning impatiently reached out with two fingers and pinched her lips shut, roughly silencing her.

“I’ll give you two choices,” Jiang Ning said.

Jiang Ning didn’t expect Bai Zhenyu to accept this absurd and sudden confession.

However, since this pitiful girl was tied to her very survival, she couldn’t afford to let her go!

Even if this confession failed, it couldn’t be a complete disaster.

She had to gain something from this night to avoid making it a complete waste!

“First choice: give me a kiss to make me feel better.”

Bai Zhenyu’s eyes widened, and she instinctively shook her head.

“Fine, then the second choice is…”

Before Jiang Ning could finish her sentence, she pressed her hand against the back of Bai Zhenyu’s head, preparing to give the Female Lead a passionate French kiss right in front of the half-dead Male Lead.

Suddenly!

A jolt like an electric shock surged through Jiang Ning’s entire body.

Her lips were less than two fingers’ width away from her target when she was forced to stop.

Immediately afterward, the System’s voice chimed in:

Host, please be aware that your Luck Index is critically low. It is strongly advised against any further offenses toward the Female Lead. Failure to comply will result in a high-voltage shock—non-lethal, but as painful as a kick to the groin.

Jiang Ning: “……”

Why didn’t you mention something this important sooner?

Damn it, what am I supposed to do now?

This awkward standoff with the Female Lead is so embarrassing!

“Sigh.”

Jiang Ning feigned a sudden pang of conscience, sighed dramatically, and slowly released her grip.

Bai Zhenyu, who had braced herself for the loss of her first kiss, stared blankly at Jiang Ning, her mind completely frozen.

“The second option is… tomorrow morning, bring a breakfast you made yourself to my doorstep and wait for me. We’ll walk to school together. Can you do that?”