After the Cannon Fodder A Accidentally Marked the Paranoid Female Lead - Chapter 22

Different paths lead to different goals; those with different principles cannot work together.

Ming Sian’s attitude was clear: she could work at a law firm under the He family umbrella because she was just an employee, which was harmless, but she did not want any private involvement with He Yining.

The firms under the He family were considered sacred grounds in the hearts of Hong Kong lawyers, the “Kings” among Red Circle firms; the He family members were not only active as lawyers, but also held positions in the Department of Justice and the Legislative Council.

Being able to enter a He-affiliated firm was the dream of ninety percent of Hong Kong University law students, but to obtain an offer, top school grades and academic credentials were essential, as was passing the internship.

Ming Sian had planned her future: after graduating with her bachelor’s degree, she decided to use two years to obtain her Mainland bar license, the Hong Kong PCLL, and a Master’s degree—it was merely a matter of which came first; as for a PhD, she needed to reconsider based on her career planning.

Furthermore, she felt the possibility of her staying in the Mainland was quite high, with going abroad as her second choice.

Ming Sian had formulated a solid plan for her new life; according to her plan and her understanding of her own abilities, becoming a partner at a major firm would not be a problem—had it not been for the trouble at home in her previous life, she would have long since become the youngest partner in her firm.

He Yining was different; if Ming Sian’s ultimate goal was to become a senior partner or even establish her own firm to become a famous lawyer with an eight-figure salary, He Yining had obtained these things at her starting point.

They were on two different trajectories of fate; even if they suddenly intertwined, they would soon diverge, and maintaining distance was a good thing for both her and He Yining.

Ming Sian fled the booth in a panic; during the process, she felt a bit light-headed, her neck throbbing with heat, and she stumbled as she walked out.

Cheng Cheng tried to help her, but she waved her hand. “You stay and work.”

She definitely couldn’t stay at The Royal anymore, but Cheng Cheng still had to work properly.

Ming Sian pulled off her tie and stepped out of the bar; the cool night breeze blew, clearing her head significantly.

Inside the booth, He Yining’s gaze was deep; she wasn’t angry about Ming Sian’s escape, but rather found it interesting.

She picked up a cigarette brought by someone unknown from the table; the cigarette spun between her left index finger and thumb before being lit.

He Yining was completely enveloped in the smoke; she narrowed her eyes, feeling the throbbing heat at the back of her neck—the sensation actually made her a bit light-headed, and she suddenly began to look forward to what her dream tonight would be like.

When she first awakened to the plot, she had sneered at the events occurring earlier in the story; she didn’t believe she would do such stupid things—yes, she had intended a fake marriage to make her grandmother lean resources toward her.

But she wasn’t so stupid as to be lured onto a boat alone by one person; she was no stranger to the sea, and whether it was luxury cruises for banquets or going out for sea fishing with elders, she always took a large entourage with her.

Bodyguards, chefs, and a whole crowd of people—there was no way she would travel alone.

She essentially didn’t believe the plot of the first novel; only the early stages somewhat fit her professional personality. As for the second novel—the plot Ming Sian had arrived in—she felt it was more like something she could actually do, though she still didn’t believe she would fall in love with someone.

When the dreams of their entanglement appeared, she actually felt that while falling in love might not happen, becoming addicted to the tipsy feeling of cherry rum was indeed possible.

Sinking into a tipsy world, not having to be so sober or so tired, allowed for a brief escape from reality.

Just thinking about it made her desire boil over, even making her entire body go soft and damp.

He Yining stubbed out the cigarette in her hand and used the remote to open the window; with the injection of fresh air, the sweetness of the cherry rum and the smell of smoke gradually dissipated.

She regained her usual cold expression and poured a glass of ice water; after drinking it, the air around her seemed to drop another ten degrees.

Huo Qi pushed the door open and entered at this moment. “A-Ning, they won’t be willing to sell their shares in the bar.”

After He Yining’s forceful declaration, Yu Nuo’s stance remained unchanged, but Gu Xing and Zheng Jiaxin immediately abandoned their plans; after all, between befriending He Yining or sticking to their ideas, they certainly weren’t willing to let their mutual relationship end there.

Therefore, only Yu Nuo sold her shares to He Yining, while the remaining parties reached a stalemate.

Gu Xing’s intentions were clear: she wanted to change The Royal’s business philosophy while simultaneously dragging He Yining into the water; there were some things she couldn’t handle alone, but with He Yining involved, practically no one in Hong Kong would dare touch The Royal.

Her petty calculations were loud and clear, treating others like fools to be used for free.

He Yining smiled. “Gu Xing is on a blind date with He Chenzhang; if nothing goes wrong, they will be engaged soon. This matter was likely He Chenzhang’s idea. Gu Xing trusts him too much; if The Royal truly operated according to her ideas, it would be a landmine for her as well—and then He Chenzhang would hold leverage over all four of us.”

Yu Nuo withdrawing for her career was understandable, but Gu Xing? An idiot.

Huo Qi immediately understood her meaning and said in a heavy voice: “Even if it didn’t succeed, it could make Gu Xing stand completely on his side. He Chenzhang is quite calculating.”

He Yining stared at the ceiling for a while; she wasn’t surprised He Chenzhang would strike at her, but the angle of the strike gave her a bit of a surprise—if the methods were too simple, wouldn’t it be too boring?

Huo Qi pondered for a moment. “Why not just close The Royal?”

There was no need to sell; they weren’t short of this bit of money. If they kept it, they would always have to waste energy handling it. Currently, Gu Xing and Zheng Jiaxin showed no intention of withdrawing their shares; if they wanted to do something, she and He Yining couldn’t keep a constant eye on them.

He Yining picked up a piece from the chessboard and then threw it onto the board, knocking down a large number of pieces. “The person who retreats will not be me.”

Closing the bar to hide temporarily? That would truly be giving He Chenzhang face.

“Has the evidence on Liang Feng been obtained?” What did conspiracies and schemes matter? Her battlefield with He Chenzhang was the Liang family property division case—trying to use this matter to distract her was pure delusion.

Losing that case would be the real trouble.

Huo Qi said hurriedly: “I’ve had people obtain everything you ordered, but…”

Huo Qi looked curious. “How do you know so much about Liang Feng’s business?”

“Because…” He Yining paused for a moment. “Secrets of heaven must not be revealed.”

Huo Qi gave her a side-eye. “Then you’d better be careful. The ‘toy’ you want is already being coveted by others.”

He Yining’s gaze fell on the spot where Ming Sian had sat, and she let out a light laugh, saying playfully: “Coveting my person? That is not a good choice.”

Ming Sian returned to the dorm, packed her clothes, and prepared to go to the bar tomorrow to process her resignation. It was already too late; she couldn’t sleep and could only lie idly in bed, casually scrolling through job advertisements.

One part-time job was gone; she had to find another, otherwise, given her situation, when would she ever save two million to obtain her freedom?

After a round of scrolling, she found nothing suitable—either the salary was too low or it required too much time.

She lay in bed, her straight hair scattered across the pillow, the quilt kicked to one side; black five-point pants and a white short-sleeved shirt—this was her pajamas.

Her mind was wandering aimlessly, and after a while, it was full of He Yining.

The fresh sweetness of the cedar forest, the seductiveness of the red dress, the fair skin…

Dead brain, stop now! Not allowed to think!

[Author’s Note]

Ming Sian: It’s over, I’ve really been seduced.

He Yining: You can’t escape.