After the Cannon Fodder A Accidentally Marked the Paranoid Female Lead - Chapter 32

Ming Sian officially moved into He Yining’s home; it seemed they would be staying here for a long time.

Throughout the afternoon, many items from the villa were added to the apartment—things He Yining was accustomed to using. It was clear she would rarely return to the villa from now on.

Recalling that her own single request had made He Yining move house, Ming Sian felt a bit embarrassed.

Ming Sian looked at He Yining, who was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper. She pursed her lips and stepped forward. “If you aren’t used to this place, you actually didn’t have to move.”

“What are you trying to say?” He Yining’s hand flipping the newspaper paused slightly.

Her stunning face showed no emotion, only a flatness, as if nothing could pique her interest.

Ming Sian explained softly, “Actually, we could have maintained our original lifestyle. We could just meet here at fixed times every week.”

That way, He Yining wouldn’t have to move, and they’d have a set schedule to follow. There would be no need for anyone to take the initiative to send a message.

Otherwise, given both of their personalities, neither might ever send a message to meet.

He Yining placed the newspaper on the coffee table, her tone incredibly calm. “Presumptuous.”

Using Cantonese again. How was she being presumptuous? She was being considerate! Ming Sian was fuming inside, but offered a fake smile on the outside.

Ming Sian’s gaze fell on the shawl draped over He Yining. She could see she was wearing a qipao, but most of it was hidden by the shawl.

“Sorry,” Ming Sian apologized softly.

Thump, thump!

He Yining curled her finger and knocked her knuckles against the newspaper.

Ming Sian’s gaze was drawn to the movement. She noticed a large headline on the paper: The Battle of the He Siblings Concluded, Liang Feng Apologizes.

At a glance, it was clear who won and who lost this war.

Liang Feng’s public apology announced He Yining’s victory to the world. No wonder the coldness radiating from He Yining wasn’t as biting as usual—how would she cope when summer actually arrived?

Ming Sian didn’t dare let He Yining know about the sudden burst of humor in her head. She mustered a smile. “He Chenzhang must be fuming with rage.”

“Mm,” He Yining responded coldly, but there was a faint, visible trace of a smile.

“So, Boss, considering I might not have ‘merit’ but I certainly put in the ‘hard work,’ shouldn’t the bonus be a bit larger?”

In the property division case involving billions in assets, the law firm should take a significant cut based on the commission percentage. He Yining’s personal fee could reach millions, so as her assistant, Ming Sian surely deserved a bonus.

He Yining gave her a meaningful look. “No merit, no bonus.”

How did she have no merit! The Eldest Miss really was a capitalist.

“Okay, let’s leave it at that then.”

Ming Sian rose huffily and went back to her room to pack her things. Stupid woman, He Yining.

He Yining watched her retreating back, picked up the tea beside her, and took a sip. In truth, she had already read the newspaper this morning.

Casual boasting is the most lethal kind.

Ming Sian had no idea what was on He Yining’s mind. She opened her suitcase to see where her things would fit best.

Compared to the items He Yining had bought for her, her own luggage was pitifully sparse.

She hung her clothes in the wardrobe. The overall style of the closet became: “Rich District” on one side, “Slums” on the other.

Ming Sian was amused by her own thought. Actually, setting aside economic conditions, they were quite a match—but the economic conditions couldn’t be set aside.

She had handled too many cases, especially as a pro-bono lawyer handling cases for the vulnerable; she knew the lowest depths of human nature. What she wanted to say was that girls shouldn’t “subsidize the poor” unless they are certain of a person’s character—but character isn’t that easy to verify. Even though they were both girls, the lesbian circle had no shortage of drama.

Why did He Yining trust her so much? Or did she simply believe she could control everything?

As the sky grew dark, Ming Sian walked onto her room’s balcony and glanced to the side. That was the study’s balcony; He Yining was currently sitting inside working.

Ming Sian also had a separate study filled with comprehensive law-related books. Even if He Yining had just given an order, a non-professional wouldn’t have been able to prepare so many specific books. He Yining must have provided the book list herself.

Thinking of how much preparation He Yining had made for her move-in, and yet she had said those words earlier… on second thought, she really was “getting a bargain and acting like she was the one suffering.”

Ming Sian’s gaze fell on the streetlights that had flickered on. She turned to walk out. Ali had just finished washing the car and come up. Ming Sian asked, “Has she eaten?”

“Who?” Ali didn’t react for a second, then hurried to say: “Auntie Zhang prepared a meal, but the Eldest Miss didn’t eat.”

“I see.”

She went to the kitchen and took a look. Exquisitely plated steak, a soup, and a side of greens. It looked fine, but not a single bite had been taken.

Ali gave her a strange look and reminded her: “Eldest Miss doesn’t eat yuan sai.”

“What?”

“Cilantro.”

“Oh, okay.”

As a pure Mainlander, she could understand some common Cantonese, but she didn’t know “professional terminology” like that.

Ming Sian raised an eyebrow, surprised that Ali had seen through her thoughts.

Wait, she was just asking; she didn’t say she was going to make something for He Yining.

Before she could speak, Ali waved her hand. “I’m going back to my room.”

There were two rooms near the kitchen—one for Auntie Zhang and one for Ali. They were separated from the living room by a sliding door and had their own private bathroom.

Ming Sian entered the kitchen. Auntie Zhang was tidying up. Seeing her enter, she was startled for a moment, then asked: “Does Miss Ming want to eat something? I’ll make it right away.”

Auntie Zhang’s job was cooking; Ali was the bodyguard/driver. As for house cleaning, another auntie came in daily to do it, otherwise Auntie Zhang would be worked to death.

Ming Sian shook her head. “I’ll do it myself.”

She didn’t know how to make many things, and her palate was relatively light. Looking at the vegetable soup on the table, she asked, “Is this ‘Seasonal Greens in Superior Broth’?”

“Yes, Miss Ming. It’s vegetables simmered in chicken broth. The taste is quite good, but it’s cold now. There is still some warm broth if you want, Miss Ming, I can serve it for you.”

“No need, Auntie Zhang. Go and rest. I’ll just borrow the kitchen for a bit.”

Ming Sian put some rice on to steam, then took out beef tenderloin, soft tofu, eggs, shiitake mushrooms, and carrots. The “No Cilantro Version”—since He Yining didn’t like it, there wasn’t a single cilantro leaf to be found in the kitchen anyway. Naturally, she didn’t plan on adding any.

She sliced and minced the beef, blanched it, added seasonings, and then began dicing the side ingredients. By the time the sides were ready, the beef was done. She drained it with cold water, then began simmering the soup base—first stir-frying the ingredients, then adding water to boil.

She seasoned it, thickened it with starch, and drizzled in egg whites. A large bowl of fragrant West Lake Beef Soup was ready.

While the rice was still cooking, she took out fresh shrimp, deveined and shelled them. After about twenty minutes, the rice was ready. She took the rice out to let it cool; this rice was too hard and would probably get stuck in the throat if eaten as is. It was a pity she didn’t have leftover rice.

Egg fried rice is always better with overnight rice.

Once that was done, she began dicing ham, chicken breast, and husking corn. It was a pity there were no peas, so she skipped those, but carrots were essential.

Yangzhou Fried Rice. She wasn’t from Yangzhou, but she knew how to make fried rice.

An hour later, she had beef soup at about sixty degrees and freshly cooked fried rice.

Ming Sian prepared to knock on the study door but found it was open; she could see He Yining inside working diligently.

He Yining wore a pure black qipao with a side-buttoned collar. It was a semi-high collar with no embellishments—seemingly simple, yet exuding an imposing nobility. She was breathtakingly beautiful, yet she carried a subtle air of “twilight”—like a physical and mental exhaustion caused by stress and fatigue. She was so young; logically, she shouldn’t feel this way.

Sensing someone watching her, He Yining looked up elegantly. “Is something the matter?”

Ming Sian was slightly stunned. The moment He Yining looked up, she gave off a sense of absolute, abstinent coldness. The look in her eyes didn’t seem to be for a person, but more like for a dog.

She never denied He Yining’s beauty, but for the first time, she felt that “twilight” air about her—like a pine tree standing alone on a snowy peak, waiting in eternal loneliness.

In that instant, Ming Sian saw He Yining’s isolation. On an endless snowy mountain, she stood alone, lofty and proud.

“I made some food. Do you want to eat together?” At this, she added a defensive line: “I made too much.”

“Then throw it away.” He Yining’s cold tone carried obvious irritability.

Ming Sian was taken aback. She’s angry? She let out a dry laugh. “It’s a waste to throw it away.”

“Ming Sian!”

Just by hearing her full name called, Ming Sian stood at attention. “I heard you didn’t eat. I hadn’t eaten either, so I made enough for two.”

No backbone, absolutely no backbone. Just by her full name being called, she couldn’t help but tell the truth.

He Yining remained cold, no different from the chill of a winter moon, but her expression was less severe. “You specifically made a meal to come and call me?”

“No… yes.” Ming Sian resignedly told the truth.

She didn’t know if it was her imagination, but she felt like she was being “trained” by He Yining—like a newly arrived pet dog being disciplined first.

He Yining leaned back lazily against her chair and spoke again without showing emotion. “What was that?”

Ming Sian clenched her fists and turned to leave. Eat or don’t eat, see if I care.

Seeing that she had teased her into bristling, He Yining wasn’t annoyed. When Ming Sian couldn’t see her, a smile appeared in her eyes.

Ming Sian huffily picked up her bowl of fried rice, opened her phone, and checked her assignments. As a student, she still had to slave away at homework; she’d been graduated so long in her past life she almost wasn’t used to it.

Even though she was looking at her phone, her peripheral vision kept wandering in another direction.

Tap, tap!

The sound of slippers approaching echoed. She turned to look. He Yining, in her qipao, was walking toward her with elegant grace; every step felt like it was treading on Ming Sian’s heart.

The qipao perfectly highlighted He Yining’s curves—slender and beautiful. The mystery of the black color showcased a powerful aura.

She didn’t want to imagine how much stronger that aura would be if she were wearing high heels.

He Yining in a qipao was gentler and more charming than usual. Wear it more, I love to see it.

Wait. Ming Sian suddenly realized—she was supposed to be angry! Why was she praising this bad woman?

She lowered her head to eat seriously, pretending she couldn’t see He Yining.

He Yining walked straight over and sat elegantly across from her. She frowned and moved more than half the fried rice into Ming Sian’s bowl before taking her first bite.

The action was so natural it left Ming Sian stunned. Doing something so annoying with such elegance.

“It’s okay,” He Yining offered a faint evaluation.

Am I supposed to say thank you now?

Ming Sian was already nearly full, having finished half a bowl of beef soup. Looking at the extra half-portion of rice in her plate, she could only eat it silently.

Fortunately, she hadn’t fried much rice—one portion was only about the size of a fist. It was clear that He Yining’s appetite was truly poor.

Halfway through the meal, He Yining suddenly spoke. “Have you made a career plan yet?”

“What?” Ming Sian was puzzled. She was only a sophomore. People usually wait until senior year or their fifth year. It was too early for a plan.

Of course, she already had Plans A, B, and C, but no matter which path she took, she currently needed to study hard and do more internships.

He Yining pushed her bowl slightly toward her. Seeing her subconsciously take it and start serving more soup, He Yining smiled with satisfaction. “Pro-bono work builds a big reputation; Criminal Law offers high status; Corporate Law naturally links to finance. Which one do you want to do?”

There are “all-rounder” lawyers who do both civil and criminal, but it’s nearly impossible to be fully proficient in both. The real money is in the capital markets—mergers and acquisitions. Earnings in that sector are the ceiling of the legal world, but being a corporate lawyer isn’t just about ability.

Many of the He family worked in corporate law. He Yining was currently specializing in it too, but that was because they were born into that circle. Who would care about a lawyer with zero background or seniority?

Many choose to do pro-bono work first to accumulate a certain reputation before considering a transition.

Ming Sian’s hand holding the bowl stiffened. Stupid hand, why are you being so obedient! She replied huffily, “I’ll think about it after I get my license.”

She was still a student and had at least three years until graduation. Three years from now, the situation would be different. If her social media account succeeded and her writings gained fame in the industry, her starting point would be different.

While thinking, she placed the beef soup back in front of He Yining.

He Yining took small sips of the soup. After two sips, she put down the spoon. “Why did you study law?”

“Because I only got into HKU.” Ming Sian’s sudden burst of humor caused the atmosphere to fall into silence.

She gave an awkward smile. One should know she was enrolled in the five-year undergraduate program jointly run by Peking University and Hong Kong University. The entry score was incredibly high. After graduation, she’d get degrees from both schools; placing those two booklets in front of an interviewer would be a great feeling.

However, while she was amused, He Yining looked indifferent, appearing as though she couldn’t be bothered with her.

Ming Sian coughed and said hurriedly: “After graduation, I’ll take on dozens or hundreds of legal aid cases to make a name for myself. I can do both pro-bono and corporate.”

She would do pro-bono cases, and she would do other cases as well. Her mentor in her past life handled economic, civil, and criminal litigation, as well as non-litigation matters. It all came down to ability.

She had done it all in her previous life, just not simultaneously. In this life, she should be able to manage both.

He Yining raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t expected her ambition to be so significant. “You are my person. You don’t need to overthink. If you stay in Hong Kong, you won’t lack opportunities.”

Resources? The He family had plenty. There was no need to start from legal aid. Once Ming Sian got her PCLL, He Yining could just assign her a few cases, and it would be enough to make her famous.

Ming Sian smiled and drank her soup. She didn’t have the heart to say that in a year or two, they might go their separate ways. Talking about the future was fine—but their futures weren’t together.

As for staying in Hong Kong, she likely wouldn’t. For a lawyer in Hong Kong to truly make it, they almost had to go through the He family; otherwise, it was hard to become a top-tier barrister, reaching the middle-tier at best.

If she returned to the Mainland, she might develop better than in Hong Kong. There were many cooperative businesses between the Mainland and Hong Kong, and the Mainland lacked dual-qualified lawyers like her. If she went back, she could better build her own circle.

“Then I truly thank Lawyer He.”

She gave a smiling response, then rose to clear the plates. “I’ll tidy up first.”

If she were truly in a relationship with He Yining and there were feelings between them, she wasn’t so pretentious that she wouldn’t use the other’s resources. But they were in a contract relationship.

She couldn’t accept He Yining’s resources with a clear conscience because, according to the agreement, the other was already giving her enough.

A silent refusal is still a refusal. As Ming Sian stepped into the kitchen, she was slightly worried the Eldest Miss would be angry. A proud Eldest Miss likely hadn’t been rejected much.

Before entering the kitchen, she pricked up her ears to listen. All she heard was a soft sigh.

Ming Sian’s heart tightened. She paused for a moment, feeling a bit of a sour taste in her heart, and her steps slowed down.

If she had turned around, she would have met He Yining’s playful gaze and seen her mouth the word: “Silly.”

When Ming Sian came out, He Yining was no longer in the dining room, nor the living room. Did she go back to her room?

Just as she was wondering, He Yining emerged from the wine cellar with a bottle of wine. Can’t eat food, but can still drink wine, apparently.

Ming Sian made a mental complaint and walked silently to the water bar to pour a glass of water. She wasn’t in a hurry to go back to her room; only she knew whether she truly wanted to help her digestion or if she just wanted to see what He Yining was up to.

“A drink?” He Yining held up her glass and asked.

“No,” Ming Sian shook her head decisively.

Living with He Yining was quite awkward; she felt a sense of being at a loss. She hadn’t figured out the “degree” of their interaction yet.

She watched He Yining finish the red wine in one go and couldn’t help but put down her glass and speak. “Don’t drink so aggressively.”

“Worried about me?” He Yining poured another glass and sat on the sofa, facing Ming Sian.

She had always thought He Yining was a solitary powerhouse; she didn’t expect the other to have a side that… could be described as “fragile” in private?

He Yining drank last night, and she was drinking again tonight. They had only lived together for two nights.

By rights, Ming Sian’s mental age was slightly older. She had worked for ten years in her past life, while He Yining had only worked for two, one of which was an internship.

From the perspective of an elder, she should give a warning. “Drinking too much isn’t good for you.”

“Heh!” He Yining gave a cold laugh. “Little sister shouldn’t nag her elder sister.”

With ten years in the dream world, it was like living ten years longer; she was no younger than the transmigrated Ming Sian. So whether by mental age or current age, Ming Sian was the “younger” one.

Ming Sian frowned. That might be true, but drinking too much was still bad. “Barrister He!”

“What? Are you going to be fierce with me?”

He Yining looked as though she were looking forward to it, curious to see how she would be “fierce.”

“I won’t. See if I care.” Ming Sian rinsed her glass and prepared to go back to her room.

She would only give advice once. If the other person didn’t care, she wouldn’t say more.

She must be crazy to care about the Eldest Miss. The Eldest Miss looked completely indifferent and was even teasing her—it was unbearable.

“Ming Sian.”

He Yining’s voice came from behind. “If I don’t drink, it will hurt.”

The aggrieved tone made Ming Sian’s figure pause. She turned back. “What will hurt?”

He Yining didn’t speak. She leaned back on the sofa lazily like a cat, casually swirling her wine glass. Perhaps it was the alcohol making her momentarily not want to think.

Perhaps before she even grabbed the wine, she had thought about what posture she would use to face Ming Sian after drinking.

Human greed can never be satisfied. Having gotten Ming Sian’s body, she even wanted to get Ming Sian’s heart.

There was only one reason Ming Sian wouldn’t talk about her career plan: because she wasn’t in that plan.

That wouldn’t do. Ming Sian’s eyes and heart had to belong only to her.

As for herself—why should she give up her own heart? It was enough to hold Ming Sian’s heart—holding it tightly, never giving Ming Sian a chance to escape.

Ming Sian sighed and walked helplessly to He Yining, snatching her wine glass away. “I have no desire to serve a drunkard.”

“You want to serve me?” He Yining tended to hear only what she wanted to hear.

Perhaps she had discovered that doing intimate things made her fall asleep faster than alcohol or medicine—and without the headache.

Ming Sian looked at her with disbelief. How can you only listen to half a sentence and then add your own nonsense?

“I don’t want to serve you at all.” Ming Sian was almost laughed into anger.

Even though the current He Yining was very charming, with a few more layers of gentle sexiness and less coldness, “serving” her was out of the question.

Meeting He Yining’s hazy gaze, Ming Sian observed her seriously. Surely the Eldest Miss isn’t drunk? Her tolerance isn’t that low.

There was a smile on He Yining’s lips, but her eyes were very cold—except she was feigning a daze, making it hard to see the coldness in her gaze.

“No. You have to serve me while I bathe.”

Alcohol is an excellent cover; anything can be said by blaming the drink.

He Yining’s mind was very clear. She would never say such things normally, but she was pretending to be drunk—even if pretending to be drunk after one glass was a bit strange.

But even if Ming Sian knew she was faking, so what? Adults should just understand without saying; if everything had to be stated too bluntly, where was the fun in that?

Ming Sian noticed the clarity in He Yining’s eyes, but when she saw the smile on her lips, she remained silent.

It wasn’t the familiar coldness, but sweetness and gentleness. It was hard to imagine the cold and proud He Yining becoming sweet. How rare.

The next second, He Yining grabbed her clothes, using the leverage to stand up bit by bit. The hand clutching her clothes was mimicking a person climbing stairs. Ming Sian’s clothes were being crumpled, but who could care about that right now?

He Yining was half a head shorter; they couldn’t look each other in the eye on a level plane.

So, He Yining simply rested her forehead against Ming Sian’s nose for leverage. Who on earth uses someone’s nose for leverage!

Ming Sian hurriedly reached out to support her, and He Yining took the opportunity to lean into her embrace.

“Ming Sian, you like me, don’t you?”

Her heart stopped for an instant, then began to beat rapidly like a drum.

She felt like she was being flirted with. He Yining was doing it on purpose, but her heart simply had no resistance.