After the Cannon Fodder A Accidentally Marked the Paranoid Female Lead - Chapter 40

The He family’s New Year’s Eve dinner was sumptuous. The servants brought out dishes one by one; there were 22 dishes on the table in total, with a whole roasted suckling pig placed right in the center, alongside a whole roast goose.

Each person had a serving of fish maw jelly, a brine platter, cold appetizers, char siu, and more.

The Abalone, Sea Cucumber, Shark Fin, and Fish Maw Soup used strictly selected ingredients; it was an extremely prestigious dish in Hong Kong.

She didn’t know many Hong Kong dishes, but she recognized the ingredients: abalone with duck webs, steamed leopard coral grouper, cheese lobster… even the soup was stewed with cordyceps.

So many dishes—all very healthy and all very expensive.

Ming Sian’s gaze didn’t linger on the food for long. From time to time, she stole a glance at He Yining’s back, her heart aching slightly. She was desperate to know the extent of the other woman’s injuries.

He Yining’s youngest aunt, He Jin, hadn’t arrived yet. The butler, Huang Yang, had just received word and told Grandma He that she had entered the villa district and would be at the door in five minutes.

She said this loudly on purpose to give everyone an exact time. Having waited until 9:00 PM for the New Year’s Eve dinner, many people were quite unhappy. To wait this long for just one person—yet none of them wanted to leave. Being able to attend the He family’s New Year’s Eve dinner proved they were immediate family, and the benefits of being immediate family were far too many.

Ming Sian took a deep breath. She had no impression of He Jin; having newly arrived in this world, she hadn’t even recognized all the people around her, let alone celebrities.

But she was getting a bit irritable from the wait. She was anxious to see He Yining’s wounds. Obviously, they couldn’t go up at this time; even if she didn’t care about propriety, He Yining wouldn’t agree.

Only after quickly finishing the dinner and returning to their room could she find out if He Yining’s injuries were serious.

Finally, amid everyone’s expectations, He Jin appeared in their sight. It must be said that to be able to make it in the entertainment industry and be called the “Top Traffic Movie Queen,” both her looks and aura were top-tier.

He Yining looked a lot like her, however, He Yining was “coldly glamorous” while she was “stunningly glamorous.”

Every gesture of He Yining’s always revealed a sense of composure and calm, giving off a solitary yet powerful vibe. She was like a goddess whose gaze never fell upon the mortal world.

In reality, this was only the surface. Through their contact, Ming Sian could feel her gentleness, her firmness, her fire, and her stubbornness…

He Yining was a cedar standing in a land of extreme cold; the eternal snow of the far north would not shake her in the slightest.

As for He Jin, this was their first meeting. It was hard to say what kind of person she was, but on the surface, she wore a gentle smile, while her eyes held ten-thousand-year-old ice that could not be melted.

She was likely someone who seemed approachable but was actually very difficult to get close to.

Ming Sian’s gaze paused on He Jin’s face for three seconds before turning back to He Yining. She saw her staring at the cup in front of her; the tea inside had gone cold, and she hadn’t taken a single sip.

“Shall I pour you another cup?”

Ming Sian’s voice broke He Yining’s contemplation. Touching Ming Sian’s worried gaze, her heart warmed for an instant, and she curled her lips. “No need.”

This slight smile was truly too stunning; Ming Sian’s heart skipped a beat.

Humans naturally gravitate toward beautiful things. Even if she fell for He Yining, it wasn’t an unforgivable thing.

As He Jin approached, the younger generation rose. “Youngest Aunt.”

He Yining rose as well, and Ming Sian timely supported her arm, letting her lean on her body.

Feeling He Yining leaning on her, a trace of a smile appeared in Ming Sian’s eyes.

He Jin walked straight to Grandma He and crouched down, naturally taking her arm. “Mom, didn’t I say not to wait for me?”

“I wasn’t waiting for you; we just came down as well.” Grandma He gave a doting smile and playfully tapped He Jin’s forehead in mock dissatisfaction.

“That’s good then.”

He Jin smiled at her brothers and sisters. “Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law, Second Brother and Sister-in-law, Third Sister, Fourth Sister, Sister-in-law.”

She greeted them one by one, then looked at Ming Sian’s table. “Sit down, all of you. It’s only been two years since we met, yet you’re so formal.”

Hearing her joke, some people responded with a laugh, while Ming Sian silently helped He Yining sit down.

When Ming Sian casually looked up, she happened to catch He Jin looking over with a playful gaze, the corners of her mouth raised in a half-smile.

It was as if she had seen something novel.

Ming Sian felt a slight discomfort; she didn’t like He Jin’s gaze.

She turned to look at He Yining and saw that He Yining proactively met He Jin’s gaze, as if to say: Youngest Aunt, she is mine.

Ming Sian’s mood brightened, and she helped He Yining get some food.

With He Jin back, the dinner naturally began. Everyone started exchanging pleasantries, and from time to time, someone would rise to toast or ask questions.

No one came to their table to toast, but amid the coming and going, everyone avoided the cold-faced He Yining.

Over the years, everyone had grown used to He Yining being icy. She wouldn’t drink if toasted; she would only use tea instead of wine at the very end to toast the elders.

Ming Sian was happy to have it easy. She picked up a piece of fish, carefully removed the bones, and placed it in He Yining’s bowl.

He Yining took small bites. She didn’t say what she disliked, but it was clear that the things she didn’t want were left on the edge of her plate; Ming Sian wouldn’t serve them a second time.

The two of them ate slowly like this, but some people simply wouldn’t let them be at peace.

He Chenzhang walked to the main table with red wine. This was a large table that could seat twenty people. He raised his glass and said loudly: “Youngest Aunt hasn’t been home for the New Year for two years. It’s rare for our family to be so gathered this year. As your nephew, I am happy, so I’ll toast Youngest Aunt first.”

He drained the red wine in his glass and then looked at his aunt with a beaming smile.

He Jin stared at him for a while. Her lips touched the wine and immediately pulled away; she seemingly gave face by raising her glass, but in reality, she gave no face at all.

He Chenzhang had finished a full glass, while He Jin’s lips were likely just barely wet.

His face turned gloomy for a split second. He reached out to place the empty glass on the tray held by a servant, then took another glass and smiled: “Grandma, and the elders—Happy New Year. Chenzhang wishes the elders good health and long lives.”

He drained the glass again. The elders raised their glasses but only took a small sip without drinking much.

“Attention seeker,” someone whispered. Ming Sian followed the sound.

He Zhenduo watched the scene with a cold eye. He was the eldest of the third generation, yet he hadn’t moved while the third-born actually bypassed him.

However, no one paid him any mind. Doing certain things doesn’t always work. He Chenzhang acted like the top man of the third generation, which naturally caused dissatisfaction. The elders were all thinking of their own children and didn’t give him much face.

This move didn’t necessarily win him anything.

Next, the first, fourth, sixth, and seventh children all went to toast. He Youtang, ranked eighth, turned to He Yining. “Sister, are we going?”

He Yining didn’t speak, her gaze fixed on He Diqing—the only Beta among them. Since birth, she hadn’t been favored by her parents and had lived as a “transparent person” in the family for many years.

In fact, He Diqing was very excellent. She had done a direct Bachelor-Master program at Peking University and was developing in the Mainland. At just 31 years old, she was a senior partner in a “Red Circle” firm.

One should know that while the He family was a top circle in Hong Kong, their influence in the Mainland wasn’t as great; only for international cases would they invite a He family lawyer.

Unlike in Hong Kong, where if you couldn’t make partner before age thirty with family resources, you were basically seen as useless.

He Diqing was different. The firm she was at didn’t know her background. In this world that highly values Alphas and Omegas, as a Beta, she surpassed most AOs.

According to research, the physical constitution, IQ, and various data of AOs almost crush Betas—which showed just how powerful she was.

In the dream, He Diqing broke away from the He family and lived in the Mainland, no longer contacting them. She was a respected barrister, not a punching bag or an invisible person in the He family.

He Yining had always admired this second older sister. From her disregarding her parents’ opposition to resolutely studying at Peking University, her subsequent choices also required great courage.

Members of the He family had to do their undergraduate or master’s degrees abroad or in Hong Kong. It wasn’t that Peking University was bad—it was certainly better than HKU—but the He family’s foundation was in Hong Kong and focused internationally. Now that there were so many cases involving both the Mainland and Hong Kong, one had to understand the laws of both places for the He family’s future development to be better.

He Diqing’s choices could be said to follow her heart completely. He Yining held respect for anyone who could follow their heart.

He Diqing sensed her gaze and nodded to her. She poured some tea and prepared to go toast.

At this moment, He Zishu spoke up at an inappropriate time, “Everyone has toasted the elders and said Happy New Year. Why is A-Ning still sitting so firmly? Could it be her legs were broken by Fourth Aunt and she can’t move?”

He Diqing’s hand holding the glass paused; it was obvious she was being ignored again.

But this time, He Diqing stood up directly, walked over, and said: “Grandma, and elders—Happy New Year. Diqing wishes everyone happiness every day.”

No matter how “transparent” she was, she was the second eldest in the family. By rank, her younger siblings shouldn’t ignore her. Yet He Zishu had ignored her. As for her, she gave He Zishu no face either, standing up to show that He Yining wasn’t the only one who hadn’t toasted—He Yining was just politely waiting for her older sister.

Anyway, she didn’t plan to stay in Hong Kong; there was no need to maintain a good relationship with these siblings who had bullied her since childhood. Once the elders passed away, they wouldn’t contact each other again.

The He family elders couldn’t say they liked He Diqing, but they didn’t dislike her either. The only ones who disliked her were her parents. Precisely because she was a Beta, everyone except her parents raised their glasses in acknowledgment, making her look even more respected than some of the other siblings.

He Zishu’s face was very unpleasant. She hadn’t expected her usually silent cousin to step up at this moment.

When He Diqing walked back, He Zishu said coldly: “Is Sister planning to take He Yining’s side?”

“You’ve never cared about me anyway, have you?” So why care whose side she took? She didn’t take anyone’s side, but over the years, He Yining still treated her as an older sister, so she, as a sister, should protect her younger sibling.

The little “milk dumpling” version of He Yining used to find her in the corner, pulling her sleeve and sweetly calling her “Sister.”

Unfortunately, at some point, the milk dumpling disappeared, replaced by the current icy demeanor.

Only one thing hadn’t changed: for so many years, only He Yining still treated her as a member of the He family, never once ignoring her existence.

He Diqing’s gaze toward He Zishu was very cold; for this cousin, she held only disgust.

After He Diqing sat back down, He Yining finally picked up her tea and rose. She grabbed Ming Sian’s wrist and walked over step by step.

Ming Sian could feel the force of He Yining’s hand on her wrist. Her back must be in a lot of pain—so painful she could barely stand.

Despite this, she couldn’t rest; she still had to attend the dinner and still had to toast, even if her glass held only tea.

He Yining raised her glass, and Ming Sian followed her lead. “Together with my partner, I wish Grandma and the elders a Happy New Year.”

Without waiting for others to speak, she drank the tea. Waiting for Ming Sian to finish, she spoke again: “Sorry, I am unwell and won’t be staying further.”

Next was the “New Year’s Eve vigil,” where everyone would play mahjong, wrap dumplings, or do whatever they liked while waiting for the New Year to arrive.

But He Yining didn’t want to stay any longer. Being able to stay this long was already giving a lot of face to Grandma.

“Impudent!” The eldest uncle, He Rufeng, slammed his glass onto the table. “Arrogant and rude. Do you still have any respect for us elders?”

He Yining frowned. “The New Year’s Eve dinner is over, and Grandma has already left the table. What does Uncle want me to stay for?”

The moment she finished toasting, Grandma had He Jin push her away. Grandma was old and in poor health; if she stayed up for the vigil, her old bones might not be able to take it.

Generally, once Grandma left the table, as long as the younger generation didn’t go out and were available for the elders at any time, they could move freely. Thus, the uncle was just looking for trouble.

However, her mothers acted as if nothing was wrong, elegantly wiping their lips and rising to walk toward Grandma.

He Yining sneered in her heart, but her grip on Ming Sian’s hand tightened further.

Originally, Ming Sian shouldn’t have spoken, but she couldn’t help it. “Could it be that President Feng doesn’t know that Ningning is injured?”

Since no one would break the silence, she would break it herself.

“Injured? What injury?” He Rufeng frowned, unclear if he truly didn’t know or was faking it.

He Zishu, beside him, gloated: “A-Ning was beaten by Fourth Aunt, of course. Her skin is split open—how pitiful.”

He Moyu’s departing steps paused, her heart full of dissatisfaction with both Ming Sian and He Zishu.

She didn’t regret hitting He Yining, but she had hit her too hard. Tonight was the dinner, and in the coming days various relatives would visit; if everyone asked about it, how embarrassing would that be? Moreover, someone would definitely say she used too much force. And then there was her mother—she looked toward Grandma He, who was chatting with the youngest sister, both of them with smiles on their faces.

If her mother knew she had beaten her favorite grandchild like this, how would she explain it? She only hoped He Yining would be sensible and not talk about it—at least not make a scene.

Yet Ming Sian had blurted it out directly, and especially He Zishu—she left absolutely no room for maneuver.

He Zishu didn’t care what He Moyu thought. He Moyu was He Yining’s mother; as long as she could find an attack point, attacking either of them was fine.

He Rufeng wore a surprised expression. “Fourth Sister, why did you hit A-Ning? A-Ning is already grown; you shouldn’t lay a hand on her casually.”

In front of his mother, he naturally wouldn’t hesitate to speak up for her favorite grandchild.

He Zishu immediately chimed in, “She used the ‘family law,’ you know.”

After saying this, He Zishu quickly looked at He Yining, wanting to see a look of humiliation or embarrassment on her face. However, there was nothing.

He Yining still had that expressionless look, which was annoying to see.

When He Moyu turned around, her face had returned to its indifferent state. “This is an internal matter of the fourth branch; I won’t trouble Eldest Brother with his concern.”

While that was true, since they had finally caught a flaw in the fourth branch, how could they let it go easily?

At this time, Grandma He had been pushed out of the dining room by He Jin. She gestured for her to go to the glass wall.

She sat there, her gaze fixed on the night view outside—quiet and beautiful. Yet inside was noisy; her children wanted to maintain a front of sibling harmony and deep affection before her, yet also wanted to take the chance to step on each other.

It was fortunate that her sister was unwell and hadn’t come down to dinner, otherwise she would have died laughing. Having exhausted all efforts to become the head of the He family, what was the result? Between siblings, there was no longer any affection.

“Xiao Jin.”

“Mom.”

He Jin crouched down, looking up at her elderly mother. She was the youngest child and had been showered with her mother’s love. Seeing her mother grow increasingly frail, she felt an indescribable heartache.

Grandma He patted her daughter’s hand. “Help me look after A-Ning. Don’t let her be too bad to your older siblings, and don’t let your older siblings be too bad to her.”

He Jin froze, then immediately understood. Her mother had decided to hand the He family to He Yining.

She looked back through the glass at her niece, who was walking slowly out of the dining room. Clearly, it was she who had caused the struggle, yet now she stood apart from it.

She felt heartache for this niece, but after all, she wasn’t her own child. How the fourth sister arranged her child—she couldn’t interfere. Even her mother probably couldn’t say much.

“A-Ning… is she really injured?” She was a movie queen; few could compete with her in acting, so she could naturally tell if He Yining was faking it or not.

Precisely because she knew it was real, she wanted to be sure why the fourth sister was so harsh as to actually use the family law.

Grandma He nodded. “Twenty strokes with the ruler. The skin is split.”

“Fourth Sister… she is too cruel.”

With a child as excellent as A-Ning, what else could the fourth sister be dissatisfied with?

Grandma He withdrew her gaze from the outside. “Blessed yet unaware of it. The fourth-born’s child is stronger than mine.”

He Jin: “?”

“Mom, you’re saying to my face that I’m not as good as A-Ning!”

Grandma He was stunned, then laughed. “How could that be? You are excellent in your profession.”

“Mom still thinks I should have studied law?” Back then, she had fought with her mother for a long time to go to film school.

Perhaps because she was the youngest daughter, her mother had eventually agreed.

Grandma He shook her head. “Perhaps I’m just getting old. Children should have their own paths to walk.”

With so many in the He family studying law, how many truly liked the profession? Most felt it was the most suitable choice—because studying law would satisfy her, and because with family resources, studying law made success easier.

She still hoped her children would find the love of their lives—whether it was a profession or a person.

He Jin smiled, tidied the blanket on Grandma He, and then watched He Yining and Ming Sian walk over.

Looking at Ming Sian, her eyes held more scrutiny. “Mom thinks it’s okay to just let A-Ning choose this person?”

Ming Sian’s appearance was good. On the way over, she had also learned about Ming Sian’s background—someone from a small Mainland county, now a student in Hong Kong. The family conditions were truly too poor; she couldn’t help but wonder if this person had some motive for getting close to her niece.

But for a first meeting, the surface impression was quite good.

Grandma He turned her wheelchair, watching He Yining and Ming Sian. “Don’t you think they are a match?”

“But girls should ideally find a match of equal status, otherwise they are easily deceived.”

“And you?”

“Me?” He Jin was surprised that her mother actually knew something. She thought for a moment before speaking, “I can control her.”

Grandma He laughed. “See? You aunt and niece are truly alike.”

He Jin tilted her head, a flash of surprise crossing her stunning face. The next second, a smile curled on her lips. “I was too close to see it myself.”

Grandma He only shook her head. Her daughter and granddaughter both wanted to control human hearts, but a human heart is the hardest thing to control.

When He Yining and Ming Sian reached them, they stopped talking.

“Long time no see, A-Ning. You’re still so stubborn. Fourth Sister laid a hand on you—couldn’t you just leave?” He Jin looked helplessly at her niece, reaching out as if to touch her to see where she was hurt.

But He Yining took a step back. “Mother said it was the family law.”

He family rules: family law cannot be escaped. If a matter was not wrong and one was unjustly punished, there would be compensation later; but if one escaped, even if not wrong, one became “wrong.”

“Little stick-in-the-mud,” He Jin snorted. Her niece was soft when she was little, but now she was icy and not cute at all.

He Yining looked helplessly at her superstar aunt. The awkwardness of not seeing each other for a long time vanished in this moment; their relationship quickly drew close.

It was unclear if it was a skill the aunt had developed while working outside, or if they had simply been thinking of each other.

Next, He Jin looked at Ming Sian. “This is the girl you insisted on marrying? A student from 1920—what could be the interest in that?”

“Isn’t Aunt’s girlfriend also a university student?” He Yining was very protective of her own.

He Jin raised an eyebrow. “? You know about that too?”

How many people knew that she was in a relationship, and with someone about the same age as Ming Sian?

Her niece was only 24 after all, not much older than Ming Sian. She and her own little girlfriend had an age gap of over 10 years.

He Yining’s back stiffened. “Someone in the family is investigating you.”

They hadn’t proactively investigated, but as long as someone in the family was investigating—be it Grandma or her—they would know. Perhaps others knew too.

He Jin frowned. “Who?”

She couldn’t return to Hong Kong once a year and had explicitly given up the fight for the head of the He family; who was still looking for trouble?

A clear smile appeared in He Yining’s eyes. “Reporting in front of Grandma… is probably not good, right?”

He Jin understood instantly. “Fine, tell me in private.”

Grandma He, watching them finish their negotiation, couldn’t help but give a slight cough to remind them of her presence.

“Aiya, Mom, you’re still here,” He Jin said with a mock-startled expression.

“Alright.” Grandma He took the cane in her hand and gave He Jin’s leg a light tap. “You aunt and niece have loved teasing me since you were little.”

He Yining said solemnly, “I haven’t.”

He Jin nodded repeatedly in agreement. “That’s right, we haven’t.”

Ming Sian stared at the version of He Yining that was completely different from usual—the obvious stance of a younger daughter acting shamelessly was impossible to look away from.

“You—stop staring.” He Jin gestured for Ming Sian to snap out of it. “You can stare all you want in your room. In front of an elder, shouldn’t you show some restraint?”

Ming Sian’s face turned red instantly, her whole body heating up. “Sorry, Teacher He Jin.”

Everyone in the entertainment industry liked to be called “Teacher.” Calling the movie queen “Teacher” should be fine, right?

“Call me Youngest Aunt.” He Jin stared at her lazily and playfully, but her sharp eyes were very oppressive.

Ming Sian opened her mouth but didn’t say it. For a long while she couldn’t call it out; they weren’t married yet, so changing the address like this didn’t feel right.

It was He Yining who broke the tension. “Just call her Teacher.”

“Okay.” She felt a surge of relief in her heart.

Seeing the smile on He Jin’s face, she suddenly understood—the other party just wanted to see if she would take the opportunity to climb the ladder.

Indeed, there were traps everywhere in the He family; a single accidental step would lead to trouble.