After the Cannon Fodder A Accidentally Marked the Paranoid Female Lead - Chapter 31

Ming Sian was a bit unaccustomed to He Yining’s intensity—it felt as if the woman was trying to wring the life out of her; her neck was still aching.

She returned to the dormitory to pack up briefly, mainly focusing on her broken laptop—not the 100,000-yuan one, she didn’t deserve that! She had already listed that one on a second-hand website.

Since He Yining said it was part of the reward for Liang Feng withdrawing the lawsuit, then it belonged to her now, right? Since it was hers, she had the right to dispose of it.

After learning the laptop was a reward, she silently crossed out the “+100k” in her ledger.

In truth, her heart still ached; she had only used it once. It went from brand new to second-hand in an instant.

If it weren’t for the sake of making a living, she really wouldn’t want to sell a laptop with such good performance. She hoped He Yining would give her a bit more of a bonus at the end of the month.

Although He Yining gave her 100,000 yuan a month as compensation—after all, the He family was so difficult to deal with, she would have plenty to keep her busy.

Serving the Eldest Miss exhausted her physically, and dealing with the He family exhausted her mentally; she was truly “blessed.”

She finished packing quickly because she really didn’t have much. A small suitcase was packed to the brim; she didn’t plan to take the rest of her clothes and supplies, as she intended to come back to stay occasionally.

In case she ever quarreled with He Yining in the future, she would have a place to go. Hotels in Hong Kong are too expensive; the dormitory was definitely cheaper.

This little nest—which she had initially disdained because there was hardly any room to stand—suddenly gave her a feeling of melancholy upon leaving.

Ming Sian knew she wasn’t necessarily attached to the place; the emotion came from the uncertainty of the future. She was someone who disliked having her plans disrupted, and now her plans were completely shattered, with the future trajectory almost entirely unknown.

It wasn’t the original host’s path, nor was it the path she had planned, but a brand-new road.

This feeling lasted only a moment. Once you step onto a path, you must walk it with determination. Whatever obstacles appear, she would simply become a swordsman and cut through them with one strike.

Ming Sian was inherently idealistic. During her three years at a law firm in a small town, she focused on protecting vulnerable groups, especially “left-behind” children. In truth, that field felt very powerless to her, as the “face” (reputation) of the parents often mattered most.

She always wanted to plant the flowers of ideals on this soil of reality, so she had to become an indomitable swordsman.

She felt those three years in the small town were the key turning point in her personality formation: often angry, often powerless, yet still invincible.

The He family were opponents she had never faced before; these people were industry giants with vast resources and deep backgrounds—very formidable opponents indeed.

Though her sword was resilient, it was not yet sharp. Before the sword became truly keen, what she needed to do was sharpen it.

Only by making herself strong could she face even stronger enemies.

Ming Sian pushed her suitcase out of the room. After hesitating, she took a thick coat. It was winter, and even if Hong Kong’s winters aren’t that cold, it was raining today and felt quite chilly.

She put on the coat and was thinking about leaving a note for Cheng Cheng when she saw Cheng Cheng’s door open. The girl walked out yawning, gave her a casual glance, and was about to speak when her pupils suddenly shrank as she saw the suitcase.

“Are you setting sail today?”

Opening with a meme—truly typical of Teacher Cheng Cheng.

Ming Sian was speechless for a second. “It’s for work.”

“But will you still come back?” Cheng Cheng frowned. Such a good roommate wasn’t easy to find; it was all down to luck. How lucky she must have been to encounter such a roommate.

In this school, there were roommates who fought, roommates who didn’t wash their hair or bathe until the bed stank, and roommates who wouldn’t let the AC be turned on in summer…

How fortunate she was to meet a diligent roommate like Ming Sian with such a good temper. And how fortunate Ming Sian was to meet a roommate like her—a culinary genius.

“Of course I’ll be back. I should be able to return three or four times a week.”

Ming Sian smiled, then her gaze suddenly sharpened. “Are you seeing someone?”

Cheng Cheng: “?” She hurriedly used her collar to cover her neck.

“Aiya, you actually noticed.”

Ming Sian gave her a side-eye. “It’s too obvious. It looks… intense.”

The red marks on Cheng Cheng’s neck looked like she’d been bitten by a hundred mosquitoes; it was too conspicuous. Anyone unaware would think she’d gone on a wilderness expedition.

“Alright, alright, that’s not important.” Cheng Cheng waved her hand. “I want to ask you—what kind of work requires staying out three or four days a week?”

Without waiting for Ming Sian to speak, she asked gossipingly: “You didn’t move in with Senior He Yining, did you?”

Ming Sian: “?” Did this girl install a surveillance camera on me?

Seeing her expression, Cheng Cheng slapped her thigh. “Yes! I guessed right! Last time when you got into trouble at the bar, I fought with all my might to break away from A-Wen. As soon as I stepped out of the bar, I saw you being princess-carried by the Senior. Nestled in her arms, so ‘dainty and delicate,’ so romantic. Anyway, as an Alpha, you’ve completely lost face.”

Ming Sian: “…Alright, shut up. Hurry up and confess—who are you seeing?”

She didn’t want to recall the “cringe” moment of being princess-carried by He Yining; just thinking about it made her feel a bit hot.

“You don’t know them.” Cheng Cheng avoided her gaze.

Ming Sian had no intention of letting her off. If she didn’t ask her, Cheng Cheng would start interrogating her. “I’ll know them once you tell me.”

“I don’t know them either.”

“Huh…”

Ming Sian’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

Cheng Cheng shrugged. “I didn’t want this either. The day before yesterday I was working. When I went to a booth, I met a few ‘rich second-generation’ guys. They insisted on making me drink, and I drank too much. While rushing out, I bumped into a woman. The next morning, it was like this.”

“A one-night stand?”

“Yup.”

Ming Sian took a deep breath. “Is the bar targeting you because of me?”

Even though He Yining was a shareholder, “small ghosts” are hard to deal with. The people at the top had no idea, so those below started taking matters into their own hands.

“What are you thinking? Of course not.” Cheng Cheng waved her hand. “It’s A-Wen. We were assigned to the same group. Lately, I’ve been getting more tips. He somehow clung onto some ‘Big Brother,’ and the one who forced me to drink was that Big Brother and his friends.”

Ming Sian frowned. “Could you not refuse?”

Cheng Cheng shook her head. “I don’t know what’s going on, but the bar has been very chaotic lately. Some supervisors and managers strictly follow the bar’s old philosophy, while others have suddenly changed their faces. I heard they have a shareholder backing them.”

It seemed someone was digging a hole for He Yining, trying to mess up The Royal. They probably thought He Yining didn’t have time to manage it and started fishing in troubled waters to cause her trouble.

Otherwise, it would be a total change in philosophy across the board, not this kind of internal infighting.

There were so many managers and supervisors at The Royal; there were bound to be a few “rat droppings,” or even more.

The bar was too chaotic; any clear-eyed person could see there was a problem with the management. It was very likely that some ill-intentioned people would appear.

The woman who had a one-night stand with Cheng Cheng—who knows if it was an accident or premeditated?

“Are you still going to work at the bar?” She originally wanted to tell Cheng Cheng to change jobs immediately, but where else could one find a part-time job as good as The Royal—high pay and relatively free hours? She had to hear Cheng Cheng’s thoughts.

Cheng Cheng shook her head. “I’ve already resigned. I’m thinking of making videos. Short videos are popular now, and the market is just starting out; I should be able to create something. You know, for my post-grad, I decided to study Law and Directing together.”

Cheng Cheng loved taking photos and videos; she felt the lens was a magical thing and was starting to want to tell stories. However, she hadn’t graduated yet, so much of her knowledge was self-taught.

“Actually, I’m making videos too.”

Ming Sian was too embarrassed to say that she had only posted one short video—a simple self-introduction.

Cheng Cheng looked at her in surprise. “No way, you’ve really ‘opened up’ lately. Quick, let me see.”

The old Ming Sian seemed gentle and diligent but actually had a bit of arrogance. They got along well mostly because no conflict had erupted, allowing them to maintain superficial politeness.

Suddenly one day, Ming Sian’s personality became much better—gentle, patient, and she even gave her little gifts. Anyway, she became very easy to get along with, and that old arrogance vanished.

Although she didn’t know what happened, being in a foreign place, it was good to have a best friend nearby, so her relationship with Ming Sian grew better and better.

Ming Sian ignored the phrase “opened up” and took out her phone, opened the YinFu (TikTok) app, and clicked on the video she made.

[Hello everyone, I am Xiao Ming. I am currently a law student and an intern at a law firm. Regarding a recent case…]

A brief self-introduction—formal, serious, and concise—followed by a serious analysis of the case. No wonder the views were only in the thousands.

But the retention was high. There were over a hundred comments, four to five hundred likes, and her follower count had grown to over a hundred.

Cheng Cheng raised an eyebrow. “Too formal. The comments are all for your face, not your professionalism.”

[So good-looking, can’t understand a word.]

[What are you mumbling? I want to kiss you.]

[Is it too late to study law? I want to be Lawyer Ming’s junior and pursue her.]

[If I flirt with you, will I be sued?]

[So ‘Alpha’! As expected of an Alpha, I hope the Senior ‘Alphas’ me.]

[Upstairs, is there no one you care about on the internet anymore? Senior, please put out an atmospheric photoshoot!]

The comments had nothing to do with the video and were even incredibly bold.

Precisely because she noticed this, Ming Sian hadn’t posted any more videos for several days.

Cheng Cheng chuckled at the comment section. “Actually, it’s not bad. At least there are comments and attention.”

Ming Sian snatched her phone back. “Making short videos requires content, and they don’t like my content.”

She was just telling Cheng Cheng that short videos aren’t easy to make—at least, monetizing them in the short term is unlikely. What they needed was money immediately.

But the idea was good. This was a novel world, and since things started in 2019, some things could be used for reference—like the viral path of YinFu.

YinFu is a short video app that just became popular in these two years. Some people became overnight sensations, going from “nobodies” to major influencers. However, there were many videos with technical content, and then there were those making comedy.

Ming Sian certainly didn’t have video-making skills, and she couldn’t do comedy. She could only do science popularization seriously. Luckily she had this face, so people were willing to listen to her nagging.

So Cheng Cheng had a reason to laugh at her.

“You can use your beauty… no, use editing. For example, law popularization in the front, and then two atmospheric photos at the end to ‘seduce’… attract people.”

Cheng Cheng gave advice seriously. It made a lot of sense; the team that wanted to sign her back then said the same. Her content was too singular and serious. They even found her several templates. She really wanted to take atmospheric photos but didn’t want to sign a contract.

She remembered her most liked video was when she wore a suit and sat on a tractor going to the countryside for law popularization. Her expressionless face and the “cross-talk” with the locals made the video go viral and gained her many fans.

Netizens still preferred to see strong contrasts.

But as for what Cheng Cheng was suggesting, Ming Sian found it absurd.

Cheng Cheng coughed with a smile. “Or you can start by filming videos and photos to build the account first, then occasionally mix in some law popularization. Otherwise, the traffic won’t know whether to push you to the ‘beauty’ track or the ‘professional’ track. It would be even better if you do live streams later.”

Ming Sian nodded. “We’ll talk about live streaming later. Even if I do, it will be occasional, providing free legal consultations for vulnerable groups. As for filming videos, funds are really limited.” Her original intention for this account was to focus on public interest cases.

Times have changed. For many people, a lawyer’s reputation is very important. You have to be famous first to get cases. As an ordinary lawyer wanting to succeed, self-media is actually a channel that doesn’t require much cost; it can at least shorten the period of struggle.

Filming videos is also hard. Hiring a professional photographer would work, but doing it yourself… for some reason, her selfie skills were truly worrying, luckily she had a good foundation.

She wouldn’t be stingy about using her beauty to attract attention first. In her previous life, time was limited, and her infrequent videos were basically academic. In this life, she wasn’t a professional lawyer yet, so her time was relatively free.

“I’ll film for you,” Cheng Cheng said directly.

Ming Sian smiled. “That would be great. Two options: a salary or a commission. Let me say first, I can’t give much of a salary.”

The moment her agreement with He Yining took effect, the other party transferred 100,000 yuan to her. Combined with her recent wages, she was fairly affluent, but there was some money she didn’t want to use.

And if it came to making an account, Cheng Cheng was actually a good option. Cheng Cheng never appeared in the novel—after all, the characters were limited—but in the real world, everyone’s relationship line would naturally be filled in.

Anyway, if Cheng Cheng didn’t plan to be on camera, there would be less video material; Ming Sian could definitely be on camera.

“What salary? It’s just filming a few videos. I’m not a professional. If you’re paying, you might as well hire a pro.”

Cheng Cheng waved away the salary. She just wanted to see her own filming and editing skills. If it didn’t go viral, forget it. If it did, she could be firm in her confidence to make videos.

Otherwise, she might as well go out for a part-time job. The pay might not be as high as The Royal, but it would be better than doing nothing.

Ming Sian gave a silent smile. “How about this: no one knows if the videos will go viral. If they don’t, forget it. If they do, I’ll pay you according to the follower growth ratio.”

Talking about money now was indeed early; no one could guarantee the effect of the filming. Between friends, if it’s just recording life, talking about money isn’t great. But they were clearly doing it to build an account, and for the sake of the friendship lasting, it was better to set a prerequisite.

Cheng Cheng squinted with a smile. “Okay.”

Although she really hadn’t thought about charging Ming Sian, she felt quite appreciated that the other party said so.

Even between friends, many things should be made clear, otherwise, there will always be a day for friction.

However, Cheng Cheng added: “It can’t be like that. For example, if I film a video for you, the payment is only for the growth rate of that video. If it gains 10,000 followers, you just pay me for 3,000 followers at the market rate, and so on. You can’t give me a cut of all your future earnings just because I filmed a video. Besides, I’ll have my own career in the future and likely won’t always be able to take care of your side.”

That works too; a commission is also reasonable.

After all, they were just filming videos; they didn’t need a script or anything. Even if they did, Ming Sian would definitely write it herself.

Ming Sian shrugged. “Fine. Happy cooperating.”

“Don’t worry, if the cooperation isn’t happy, I’ll kick you out,” Cheng Cheng laughed loudly with her signature “goose” laugh, which was very infectious.

Suddenly, Cheng Cheng seemed to remember something. “You still haven’t said what work requires staying out three or four times a week.”

Ming Sian: “…” She thought she’d bypassed it; who knew this girl would still remember.

“Alright, don’t ask. I don’t know how to say it either.”

Cheng Cheng raised an eyebrow and didn’t ask further. “Anyway, it’s fine to date Senior He Yining. But if you want to develop further, you have to consider more than just the Senior herself—you have to think about the He family. The Omegas of the He family all require the partner to ‘marry in’ (matrilocal); they don’t ‘marry out’.”

This rule is pretty good. Is this what a big family is like? Conducting family alliances without marrying off the daughters in exchange for benefits—it was much better than the Gu family.

“Not marrying out is pretty good. Anyone who raises a daughter would feel bad if she married away to someone else.” Ming Sian didn’t think much of it.

Cheng Cheng paused. “Are you stupid? If you and Senior He Yining work out, it means you have to marry into the He family. The He family is not easy to get along with.”

Uh… after going in a circle, she said all that just for this. Ming Sian’s “deafening” silence made Cheng Cheng’s eyes widen.

“Wait… you and Senior He Yining?”

At this point, there was nothing left to hide. Anyway, she would be going to the He family later and would be found out by some people eventually. Since the conversation reached this point and Cheng Cheng likely had suspicions, she might as well say it.

Ming Sian nodded. “We are together for the time being.”

“For the time being?” Cheng Cheng was stunned, seemed to think of something, and didn’t ask further. “That’s good then. Senior He Yining is so excellent and beautiful. Our school just established a scholarship project that Senior He Yining just invested in for impoverished students. Unfortunately, I’m not in that category.”

A flash of surprise crossed Ming Sian’s eyes. “There are requirements?”

“Yes. Parents divorced, or the parents’ combined annual income is less than 100,000, orphans, etc. Then the candidates are decided based on grades.”

Family conditions were one of the criteria, and then selection was based on grades—it was quite fair.

However, the original host’s parents were divorced, Ms. Chen’s annual income was less than 100,000, and the ancestral house belonged to the maternal grandparents, so they didn’t really “own a house.” She belonged to this category.

“Do I need to apply?”

Cheng Cheng shook her head. “No need. The school investigates by itself.”

To prevent students from false reporting—that’s good.

Ming Sian felt something wasn’t quite right. Regarding grades—from the fact that the original host won so many scholarships, it was clear her grades weren’t bad. After she arrived, her grades were even better. Plus the family conditions…

“When was the project established?”

Cheng Cheng thought for a moment. “Just two days ago. The school didn’t keep it a secret; it spread quickly. Probably to motivate students.”

Speaking of this, Cheng Cheng suddenly had a face full of envy. “Look at you, being able to date Senior He Yining. It’s so good. When can I have an excellent, beautiful ‘sister’ who is also rich?”

“I wish—please grant me such a good ‘sister’.”

Ming Sian was amused by her. “Soon, soon.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

The two were silent for a while. Cheng Cheng sighed. “Alright, it’s getting late. Go on, I won’t keep you. Anyway, you haven’t given up your dorm.”

“Mm. We’ll film the video tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Ming Sian walked out of the room with her suitcase. In reality, Cheng Cheng could guess that she and He Yining likely weren’t simply dating, otherwise, there would be no need for her to continue spending money to keep the dorm.

She only had one year left before returning to the Mainland. One year isn’t long; she and He Yining could maintain a relationship for a year. Since they were living together, why keep the dorm? It only showed that their relationship wasn’t a “couple” in the simple sense.

Cheng Cheng sighed. She was also thinking—what about herself? Thinking of the woman from that night, she always felt a bit familiar, but couldn’t remember where she’d seen her.

The person even gave her a stack of bills with a phone number written on it to contact her.

She pulled out that bill; her mood truly couldn’t improve.

As soon as Ming Sian reached the school gate, she saw a familiar car. The next second, Ali got out and walked to her side.

“Miss Ming, just give the suitcase to me.”

Ming Sian hesitated for a moment, only letting go after Ali’s hand took the suitcase. “Thank you.”

She walked to the car, unable to see inside, and didn’t know if He Yining was there.

“Miss Ming, sit behind the passenger seat.”

Ali’s reminder let her know He Yining was sitting inside.

Ming Sian walked around, opened the car door, and saw He Yining resting with her eyes closed. She whispered: “Lawyer He.” Then she got into the car.

There were a few seconds of silence before He Yining opened her eyes. “In private, you don’t have to call me Lawyer He.”

Then what should I call you?

She thought so, and asked it out loud.

He Yining narrowed her eyes, her voice indifferent. “Think of it yourself.”

“Alright, Teacher.” Ming Sian obediently changed the address.

He Yining watched her quietly, without any emotion, just watching.

Ming Sian blinked, knowing He Yining wasn’t satisfied with this title, so she asked: “Senior?”

She was met with more of He Yining’s silence. Alright, not satisfied with that title either.

She could only ask, “Do you want something more intimate, or more normal?”

What does that mean? Intimate is not normal?

He Yining’s expression gradually grew cold. “In private, at least to others, we should be intimate enough.”

So it’s for acting. Ming Sian’s cool fingertips warmed up again. “I understand. Usually, I’ll call you Lawyer He or Teacher Fia. On specific occasions, I’ll call you Yining, Ningning, or… ‘Wife’?”

At the end, she said “Wife” with a clear question. Surely He Yining wouldn’t really like to hear her call her “Wife.”

Ming Sian lowered her eyes to stare at He Yining’s hand, not seeing the slightly reddened ears tucked away in her hair. Hearing “Ningning” and “Wife,” she realized she had still overestimated her reaction to these words; she thought she would be very calm.

“Choose for yourself.” He Yining forced her expression to remain unchanged.

When Ming Sian looked up, she only saw a cold-faced He Yining. “Then let’s go with ‘Ningning.’ It’s not too cold, but not too sweet either.”

He Yining: “…Oh.”

Ming Sian was puzzled. What does ‘Oh’ mean?

Forget it, she wouldn’t bicker with the Eldest Miss. Thinking of the bar business, she said: “Have you been paying attention to The Royal lately?”

“Hmm?”

He Yining raised an eyebrow, meeting her gaze, thoughts swirling in her mind.

Ming Sian didn’t hide anything and repeated what Cheng Cheng had said.

“What do you think?” He Yining’s expression was flat, as if she had known about this for a long time.

“You know?”

“Mm.”

“Then why don’t you do something?” The Royal was famous for safety; if this continued, its reputation would be ruined.

The corners of He Yining’s mouth curved up. “Whom the Gods would destroy, they first make mad.”

Ming Sian frowned. At the same time she understood, she saw a hidden, ruthless side of He Yining.

[Author’s Note]

Ming Sian: Ningning-wife.

He Yining: Satisfied.