After the Cannon Fodder A Accidentally Marked the Paranoid Female Lead - Chapter 26

He Yining had never let a prey she set her sights on escape.

Silence fell over the car once more. Ming Sian’s rebellious streak was triggered; she remained quiet for a moment, then took a deep breath. “Does the Eldest Miss want me to become your person, or do you just want to ‘do’ it with me?”

At this moment, Ali truly wanted to die. Why did she have to be the driver today? Having heard so many things she shouldn’t have, she wondered if she would lose her job.

No one paid attention to Ali’s thoughts. Ming Sian and He Yining were locked in a gaze; sparks seemed to fly between them, and neither intended to yield.

Sensing Ming Sian’s resistance, He Yining suddenly laughed.

“You marked me—are you saying you won’t acknowledge it?”

He Yining suddenly changed her tone and her phrasing, and Ming Sian was instantly silenced.

She responded to gentleness rather than force; forcing her was impossible, but if things were discussed calmly, there was room for negotiation.

However, what shocked Ming Sian was: did she actually mark He Yining? Simply “doing it” was one thing; after all, He Yining was sober at the time, and there were several servants in the villa. If He Yining hadn’t agreed, how could she have done it?

The problem was that no matter how the two of them started, the result was already established. An Alpha marking an Omega carried serious consequences. There is a difference between a temporary mark and a complete (permanent) mark; usually, temporary marks occur while dating, while a complete mark waits until after marriage.

They could have had a one-night stand—they were both adults, and it wasn’t hard to accept. But marking was a different matter; it was a breach of “Alpha virtue.”

Looking at He Yining, surely she hadn’t completely marked her, right?

As someone from another world, Ming Sian had only just learned the definitions of complete and temporary marking; she didn’t know how to mark, but if an Alpha completely marks an Omega, they must take responsibility.

In the novel, He Yining was a high-level Omega; the person capable of marking her would necessarily be a high-level Alpha. But wasn’t the original host just an ordinary intermediate Alpha?

High-level AOs in this world were few and far between, especially Omegas; out of a hundred thousand Omegas, there might be ten thousand intermediate ones, but at most two or three high-level ones.

In comparison, for the same population, there would be about seven or eight high-level Alphas.

Sometimes, Alphas and Omegas experience a secondary differentiation. Ming Sian was surprised; this hadn’t happened in the novel. Could her arrival have triggered a secondary differentiation?

So, after this second differentiation, did this body still belong to the original host? Oh, regardless, this body belonged to her now.

Since she was the one who marked He Yining, Ming Sian asked apprehensively, “So… is it complete?”

If it were a complete mark, she couldn’t exactly suggest that He Yining go get it “washed off.” Even with advanced technology, washing away a complete mark cost half a person’s life; two months of hospitalization was considered fast, and the subsequent damage to the body was irreversible.

He Yining looked at her expressionlessly without saying a word, which seemed to be a silent admission.

The heart Ming Sian had held in suspense finally died. An Alpha who completely marks an Omega must take responsibility, especially for a high-level Omega who belongs to a specially protected class. Once marked, the Alpha must be responsible for the other for a lifetime.

Regardless of whether they marry, the Alpha must pay the Omega alimony—at least 40% of their income—and the Omega is entitled to half of the pension. It essentially meant their lives were legally bound together, enforced by law.

Furthermore, the right to marry and the right to divorce were in the hands of the Omega. This meant that if He Yining wanted to marry her, she had no right to refuse; she could only agree.

Ming Sian asked tentatively, “What does Lawyer He intend to do?”

He Yining had no intention of forcing her yet. She understood the art of “tension and release”; having said this much, she couldn’t push further, as Ming Sian’s rebellious streak was quite strong.

“Work first.”

Work? Ming Sian remembered they were on their way to work. She could only pull back her scattered thoughts and force herself to immerse her mind completely in the task at hand. Things had reached this point; she had no room left for choice, did she?

After going in circles, she was still going to be with He Yining, or even marry her. Of course, others would surely say she was “getting a bargain and acting like she’s the one suffering.”

He Yining was a great beauty, a top-tier “white-rich-beautiful” (baifuwei). She wasn’t brainless or merely a hollow beauty; she was excellent herself. To reach such a level in the legal profession at age 24 with such a powerful resume—anyone would say Ming Sian was the one benefitting.

Had she not held the original “script,” Ming Sian would 100% have developed feelings for He Yining. The woman perfectly satisfied her image of an ideal partner. To be with the Eldest Miss He and have such a stunning girlfriend—she would usually be secretly overjoyed.

The problem was, their situation was different.

Ming Sian looked at the traffic outside. Despite her being in Hong Kong, everyone was still bustling about for their lives. This was a real world, not a novel.

Yes, she felt she had fallen into a trap of her own making.

Since this was a real world, why was she still stuck in the novel’s plot? The script was for reference; not everything would necessarily happen.

At least, in the novel, the original host hadn’t even touched He Yining’s hand. The plot had changed.

The plot wasn’t unchangeable. That being the case, why obsess over it?

In truth, Ming Sian knew the difference between a novel and the real world. A novel revolves around the protagonist; the real world is complete, where everyone has their own life and no one revolves around a single lead.

She had initially thought that since the novel’s setting was Hong Kong, as long as she left Hong Kong, she would be free of the plot. She was only staying briefly for her studies.

Once she graduated and returned for exams, the timeline for the original host would have passed, and she would have escaped her fate.

But unexpected events had ruined all her plans.

Forget it, she would think about it after work. Regardless, work came first.

Ming Sian still loved her profession and held onto her original aspiration. Most people’s aspirations were worn away by the long river of time. It couldn’t be helped; the prerequisite for maintaining an aspiration is survival. Her own career path had been relatively smooth, with mentors and seniors helping her; returning to a small town, the competition wasn’t as fierce, and she quickly found her footing.

She still remembered what her mentor said: “To become a lawyer, you must first become a person with warmth. You represent your client; only by empathizing with your client’s state of mind will they trust you and be willing to tell you everything, allowing you to obtain more information.”

Compared to He Yining, she was somewhat more idealistic—or rather, she was stepping toward her ideal life with her feet firmly on the ground.

As for He Yining, her core was extremely powerful. She would move toward her goal unswervingly and wouldn’t be shaken by anyone or anything—just like this case.

Without Ailan’s cooperation, the Liang family property division case was almost a guaranteed loss.

He Yining decisively bypassed her client and made an appointment directly with the opposing lawyer. Whether the opposing lawyer would bring their client, she didn’t know; as for Ailan, she had only sent a notice.

The car stopped, and Ming Sian stepped out first. She looked up at the skyscraper before her, wondering what place this was.

“The He Group Building,” He Yining said as she stood beside her, looking at the building with an unreadable emotion in her eyes.

The He Group Building? The name of this building was—Tianyuan Tower.

“Great is Qian, the Origin; all things owe to it their beginning,” Ming Sian murmured softly. Using the source of law as the highest standard.

He Yining stepped inside first. Ming Sian carried her laptop and held the documents as she followed behind, looking very much like an assistant.

People greeted He Yining all along the way.

“Eldest Miss.”

“Good morning, Eldest Miss.”

Hearing people call her “Eldest Miss,” He Yining’s steps paused for a moment before she continued walking expressionlessly.

Ming Sian took two quick steps to get closer. “Why do they call you Eldest Miss?”

He Yining was the eldest among the third generation of the He family, so “Eldest Miss” wasn’t wrong, but this was a company. When He Yining interned here before, surely she wasn’t called Eldest Miss then too?

“Should they call me Lawyer He instead?” He Yining didn’t even give her a look.

“Well, yeah.”

Ming Sian naturally thought “Lawyer He” sounded better than “Eldest Miss.” Wait, no, this is the He Group Law Firm; there are a ton of people named He. Who would know which one they’re calling?

But face-to-face, there was only one He Yining; surely calling her “Lawyer He” was better. It was also a recognition of her professional ability.

As Ming Sian spoke, her gaze accidentally fell on He Yining’s neck. The silk scarf had shifted down slightly, revealing a faint red mark.

She hurriedly looked away, then realized it wasn’t right and whispered a reminder: “He… Boss, your scarf is slipping.”

She could only use “Boss” to distinguish her from the many other “Lawyer He”s in Tianyuan Tower.

He Yining reached out to touch her neck, her brow twitching slightly. “Help me tie it.”

She naturally took the laptop and her briefcase from Ming Sian’s hands, waiting for Ming Sian to tie the scarf for her.

Ming Sian pursed her lips, feeling a dryness. She reached out to retie the scarf for He Yining. The moment the scarf was undone, several marks came into view, proving just how much she hadn’t “acted like a human” last night.

She forced her hands not to shake, her heart very nervous for fear that she might accidentally hurt He Yining.

By the time she finished retying it, she felt her palms sweating.

At that moment, the elevator opened, and a man about 175cm tall in a high-end gray suit walked in, accompanied by a shorter, older, slightly balding man in a jacket.

Ming Sian had seen their photos: the man in the suit was He Chenzhang, and the man in the jacket was Liang Feng.

He Chenzhang didn’t look like He Yining at all. He had a small head, a small face, and very small features—phoenix eyes. He wasn’t ugly, perhaps even a bit handsome; after all, he was a He. There were photos of the He family in some magazines and news; the men were handsome and the women were beautiful—they had that kind of “vibe.”

However, for some reason, He Chenzhang hadn’t inherited the grand features of the He family. The He family members she knew had small faces but large features—big eyes, high noses, and mouths that weren’t exactly large but weren’t tiny either.

He Chenzhang, however, was small everywhere.

The moment the two sides met, the smell of gunpowder rose. The elevator was filled with tension.

“What a coincidence, Sister.” He Chenzhang’s opening remark was sarcastic and unpleasant to the ear.

He Yining didn’t give him a look; some people simply didn’t deserve it.

Liang Feng, standing next to He Chenzhang, suddenly let out a laugh. “So this is your sister. She’s good-looking, just too cold. No man would ever like her.”

His condescending attitude was irritating, and the words he spoke only made Ming Sian feel disgusted.

The sarcastic He Chenzhang and the foul-mouthed Liang Feng—this negotiation hadn’t even started. No, it had started; this was psychological warfare.

Trying to provoke us?

Ming Sian stepped forward to block He Yining, also cutting off Liang Feng’s disgusting gaze. “I actually wonder sometimes what kind of person can be a lawyer. Before I got into law school, I thought a lawyer had to be someone with a high sense of morality and a strong sense of justice. After working and seeing so many cases and lawyers, I found that many lawyers are different from what I imagined—for example, your Excellency.”

Her eyes stared coldly at He Chenzhang, and as for Liang Feng: “What good could someone be who is so eager to be an illegitimate son?”

“What did you say!” Liang Feng snapped, stepping forward as if he were about to strike.

Ming Sian looked down. She was tall, taller than even He Chenzhang, so her gaze was downward-looking. she used her height to suppress Liang Feng. “I’m sorry, who are you?”

Liang Feng was at a loss for words. She hadn’t said she recognized them; how could they prove she was talking about them?

“Just you wait.”

Ming Sian shrugged and pointed to the surveillance camera in the elevator. “We are all dignified people.”

Yes, they were all dignified people. Would Liang Feng really dare to strike? He was just trying to scare her. They were lawyers; unless Liang Feng was a fool, he understood the consequences of striking a lawyer.

The elevator stopped on the twelfth floor. Liang Feng stepped out first. He Chenzhang smiled. “Sister, your dog isn’t bad.”

He Yining, behind Ming Sian, looked at her back with a momentary daze. Even her mother and her “mama” had never protected her like this.

In their minds, it was the law of the jungle; they let the younger generation handle their own affairs. It didn’t matter if there was physical or age suppression; if she lost, she deserved it.

The He family followed the jungle law; the weak could not survive, no matter how young.

Just like the fifteen-year-old He Chenzhang and the ten-year-old her—how could she not be bullied?

The moment Ming Sian stood in front of her, her heart felt a strange, momentary softness and an indescribable pleasure.

She watched Ming Sian step out of the elevator and use her hand to block the closing doors before she followed.

Entering the meeting room, He Chenzhang and Liang Feng were already seated, waiting for them.

Ming Sian held the door for the Eldest Miss, ensuring she remained high and mighty; she could not let the Eldest Miss fall from her pedestal at this moment.

When dealing with petty people, why should the Eldest Miss personally step up? Naturally, it was the job of a subordinate like her. That was the only way to maintain class and style.

Since she was doing it, Ming Sian did it thoroughly; she even pulled out the chair and waited for He Yining to sit before she took her own seat.

Liang Feng snorted. “Do you know who I am now?”

“Are you Lawyer He Chenzhang?” Ming Sian asked knowingly.

Realizing he couldn’t out-argue her, Liang Feng pushed his tongue against his cheek in frustration, looking very pretentious.

He Chenzhang, however, didn’t show any unhappiness. He gave a smile as pleasant as a spring breeze. “Ma’am, you have the wrong person. I am He Chenzhang. This is my client, Mr. Liang Feng. May I ask who you are and what your relationship is with Lawyer He Yining?”

Inside the meeting room, He Chenzhang was much more normal, no longer saying “Sister” every other sentence, which was unpleasant to hear.

Ming Sian smiled and immediately entered professional mode. “Hello, Lawyer He Chenzhang. I am Ming Sian, assistant to Lawyer He Yining of Anning Law Firm.”

He Chenzhang sized her up with interest. “You are Ming Sian? Quite a pleasure to meet you.”

What did he mean?

Ming Sian frowned. Why did it feel like He Chenzhang had heard her name long ago? She was just a small character; why would he know her?

She immediately thought: Have I already entered the sight of the He family?

This was inevitable. Among the people around He Yining, ordinary employees were one thing, but she was the closest to He Yining—and not just as an ordinary employee. With the constant entanglements, it seemed the He family already knew about her.

This was exactly what she worried about. Being by He Yining’s side wasn’t easy; she would have to face far more than just He Yining alone.

Ming Sian opened her laptop without showing any emotion. “I have also heard of your great name for a long time.”

Polite talk was mutual. In the elevator, they had that attitude, so she had fought back. Now that the other party was speaking politely—or at least sounding that way—she couldn’t be too aggressive.

She picked up the remote to turn on the large screen and sat back down beside He Yining.

He Yining only felt a sense of ease. With Ming Sian as her assistant, she didn’t know how much trouble she would be spared.

Previously, Huo Qi’s assistance had been good, but they were long-time friends who grew up together. Whenever she did something as a child, Huo Qi was there to assist; they coordinated well and had great rapport.

But this was her first time collaborating with Ming Sian. Whether it was the other protecting her in the elevator or the series of actions in the meeting room, she found it very agreeable.

Furthermore, Ming Sian was very clever; she knew what to say at what time and what attitude to adopt toward the opposing lawyer and client.

Ming Sian’s eyes quickly scanned the files on the laptop. After formulating the words in her mind, she turned to look at He Yining.

He Yining nodded to her. She projected the laptop screen onto the large screen. “Mr. Liang Feng, Lawyer He Chenzhang…”

She began explaining the case. For such a long presentation, they only needed to hear a few key sentences.

“My client has given full authority to Lawyer He Yining of Anning Law Firm.”

“My client states that as long as Mr. Liang Feng can prove his relationship with Mr. Liang, she will give Mr. Liang Feng his due portion according to the law.”

These were all polite formalities; both sides knew it. Would Ailan dare not follow the law?

Ailan’s plan was to stall for time and even lose in court if necessary. He Yining wanted to win; she didn’t want to lose to anyone, especially He Chenzhang. Furthermore, she would not lose this case.

He Chenzhang opened another large screen and projected his materials. “The chat logs between my client and Mr. Liang indicate a father-child relationship. Mr. Liang Feng calls Mr. Liang ‘Dad’.”

Ming Sian took a quick look. “Did Mr. Liang respond?”

On the chat logs, Liang Feng called him “Dad” very affectionately every time, but Mr. Liang didn’t pay him any attention. Every reply consisted of only two words: “Already given.”

He Chenzhang was indifferent. “But Mr. Liang didn’t deny it either. Moreover, Mr. Liang gave my client 100,000 yuan in child support every month.”

“Is it labeled as such? Mr. Liang sponsored many children, and the amount each received monthly varied.”

There were some things Ming Sian didn’t say. She couldn’t very well retort: Is it just because Mr. Liang Feng happens to be named Liang that he is especially unique?

If she said that, there would be no more talk today; they would just wait for the lawsuit.

Ailan had a good plan: wait for the court date and then simply admit defeat, just in time to throw out the mess of the hollowed-out Liang Group.

To inherit assets, one must also take on the corresponding debts.

Ailan would give up inheriting the Liang Group, so the debts wouldn’t fall to her. It was best for Liang Feng to sue; she hadn’t planned to win at all. The result would be losing the case, going from “Mrs. Liang” to “President Ai,” and shedding the debt.

This woman’s heart was very black. For this, she didn’t hesitate to ruin He Yining’s reputation. Many people wanted to see the joke of the siblings fighting; not only was the outside world watching, but the interior of the He Group was also watching. For many, they were watching to see who the future head of the He family would be.

The He Group had too many lawyers, and they all had to think of their own futures. Who the head of the He Group was mattered to whether their future lives would be easy or not.

Ailan’s cleverness lay in the fact that she utilized He Yining and He Chenzhang. By using the topic of the He siblings’ competition, she diverted the heat from the Liang family property division case, making it easier for her to operate in the shadows.

Ming Sian and He Chenzhang finished their first round of confrontation; everyone understood the situation. Now, the most important part had arrived.

After fighting for so long, neither side had any direct evidence. Now, whoever could produce the key evidence would win.

Ming Sian looked down. After learning she was to participate in this case, she had been wondering whether to produce the key evidence. But how she knew about the key evidence and how she obtained it was something she couldn’t easily explain.

She decided to wait for He Yining to speak. If all else failed, then she would produce the evidence.

The person who struck first was He Chenzhang. He let out a cold laugh. “The biological relationship between my client and Mr. Liang is beyond doubt.”

“Is that so? Does your side mean you have a DNA test with Mr. Liang?”

Ming Sian was certain they didn’t, and she knew what their hole card was, but no one would easily reveal their hole card.

She simply asked directly. As long as it couldn’t be directly proven that Mr. Liang and Liang Feng were related, the rest was merely circumstantial evidence, and the persuasiveness of the evidence wasn’t that strong.

Ming Sian was hesitating whether to speak when He Yining, beside her, pulled the file from in front of her and pushed it directly toward He Chenzhang.

Here it comes!

She had always felt that since He Yining proactively proposed this negotiation, she wouldn’t come unprepared; otherwise, it would be purely asking for humiliation.

In the novel, He Yining obtained the key evidence during the court hearing, dealing He Chenzhang a fatal blow. Now, due to her arrival, the plot had changed somewhat.

She felt He Yining was much deeper and cleverer than in the novel; she would surely have made preparations early.

He Chenzhang opened the file with skepticism. Suddenly, his pupils shrank violently. He silently put the file back. “My side will withdraw the lawsuit.”

How could it be that easy? A smile rose on He Yining’s lips—it didn’t look like she was laughing, but rather gave a very cold feeling. “How can it be so easy?”

He Chenzhang: “One should be forgiving whenever possible.”

“Public apology.” This was He Yining’s requirement. That way, everyone would know she had won.

Ming Sian stole a glance at her. He Yining’s expression was cold and detached, as if she wouldn’t accept a refusal.

After He Chenzhang spoke, Liang Feng hurriedly opened the file. After seeing the content, he sat down weakly. Upon hearing He Yining say “public apology,” he suddenly stood up. “Impossible! How could I not be my dad’s son? I am! I am Liang Guanzhong’s son!”

He Yining raised an eyebrow. “This DNA test report was kept by Mr. Liang with his estate lawyer. it was done when Mr. Liang Feng was ten years old. As long as Mr. Liang Feng didn’t appear to compete with Miss Liang for the assets, this report would not have seen the light of day.”

“Or did Mr. Liang Feng think that because Mr. Liang passed away, no one could prove your relationship with him anymore?”

She spoke without any politeness. Liang Feng must have known he wasn’t Liang Guanzhong’s son, yet he still appeared to fight for the assets. What was he pretending now?

Ming Sian’s head hadn’t even turned back; her gaze was fixed on He Yining’s profile. Although He Yining spoke very harshly, Ming Sian heard the sense of justice hidden within her words.

She thought He Yining was a cold machine—it turned out… she had this side to her as well.

[Author’s Note]

Ming Sian: This woman is so cool, my heart almost skipped a beat.

He Yining: Almost?