After the Harem Novel’s Female Lead was Spoiled by the Comments - Chapter 28

Learning that Yan Qingwen had returned from her business trip in City T, Su Jinyue ran to the Yan Group headquarters to vent her grievances.

“My dad doesn’t believe me because I don’t have evidence to prove that fellow Wu San was bribed by Zhuang Yi.”

Su Jinyue had suffered a wrong at the bar that night and complained to her father as soon as she got home, but she had no evidence. Her father wouldn’t convict someone based solely on her word, and she couldn’t explain that she heard it all from Jiang Yunhan’s inner thoughts.

The impatient Su Jinyue didn’t listen to her father’s words about needing an investigation before reaching a conclusion; she only wanted to complain to Wen Hebai, who had helped her in time that night. But Wen Hebai was away recording a variety show. After much thought, she felt the only person she could rely on and complain to was Yan Qingwen.

“Sister Yan, do you believe me?” Su Jinyue tried to find a spark of validation from Yan Qingwen.

Yan Qingwen was processing official documents. Hearing this, she looked up and fixed her gaze on her: “Of course I believe you.”

Su Jinyue beamed with joy and added: “Then Sister Yan, step in for me and tell my dad to fire that guy Wu San! And Zhuang Yi—we absolutely cannot let him off!”

Yan Qingwen smiled slightly and analyzed: “Your colleague should have been fired already. Although Uncle Su said he needed an investigation before concluding, the fact remains that he took you to a place like a bar. Even if he didn’t know your alcohol tolerance was poor, his behavior was extremely dangerous. Uncle Su would never allow such a person to stay by your side.”

Su Jinyue froze, then called her team leader to inquire. It turned out exactly as Yan Qingwen predicted—Wu San had been fired.

Not only that, the company discovered he was simultaneously acting as an agent for other companies’ businesses. Using the Su family name as a front, he had been tricking insurance clients into buying policies from other firms. Based on his various illegal acts, the company had already filed a lawsuit against him.

Because he was the one assigned by the team leader to mentor Su Jinyue, the team leader couldn’t escape punishment either and had their bonus docked by the higher-ups. Of course, to prevent colleagues from targeting Su Jinyue, the higher-ups did not reveal the true reason for the penalty.

Su Jinyue felt instantly relieved, but she was still a bit puzzled: “Since Dad believes me, why did he say he needed an investigation before reaching a conclusion?”

Yan Qingwen thought for a moment and said: “Because Uncle Su likely couldn’t find any record of financial transactions between Wu San and Zhuang Yi. There probably wasn’t even a large unexplained deposit in Wu San’s account, making the investigation and evidence collection difficult.”

Su Jinyue couldn’t wrap her head around all these twists and turns. She asked unwillingly: “So we just let it go like this?”

“How could we? Although there’s no direct evidence of Zhuang Yi bribing Wu San, I doubt Zhuang Yi would trade with him in cash directly. He likely used other means to hide his tracks… We can start by investigating the company Wu San was secretly moonlighting for.”

Inspired by her guidance, Su Jinyue hurriedly called her father, chattered for a while, and then said triumphantly: “Wait until you find out, Dad, then you’ll know everything I said was true.”

Father Su’s voice was stern and deep: “Did you come up with this yourself? Don’t tell me you went to your Sister Yan for advice!”

Su Jinyue mumbled and couldn’t give a straight answer, so she ended the call in a huff.

Yan Qingwen set down her fountain pen, rubbing her thumb and index finger together. She suddenly asked: “So, can you tell me how you discovered Wu San was bribed by Zhuang Yi and was trying to get you drunk to plot against you?”

Su Jinyue’s body stiffened. Oh no. Sister Yan wasn’t someone she could fool by throwing a tantrum; the tactics she used on her dad wouldn’t work here at all.

She hung her head: “If I tell the truth, will Sister Yan believe me?”

“If I didn’t believe you, I wouldn’t have said this much to you.”

“You won’t think I’m sick and go tell my parents?” Su Jinyue asked again.

“I won’t. If this is your secret, then I am willing to keep it for you.”

Her word was a guarantee, but this secret was of great significance; Su Jinyue was still a bit conflicted.

Yan Qingwen didn’t pressure her, letting her consider it slowly.

After a long while, Su Jinyue said tentatively: “I heard all of this from Jiang Yunhan. He seems to know a lot of things, but strangely, he never proactively reveals them to others.”

This statement already revealed a lot of information. Yan Qingwen feigned deep thought: “Jiang Yunhan’s behavior lately has indeed been quite strange.”

Su Jinyue felt she had found a soulmate and grew bolder: “Sister Yan thinks he’s strange too, right! He’s always muttering to himself about something, saying Zhuang Yi is the ‘Dragon King Protagonist’ and that Sister Yan, you are—” She stopped abruptly, recalling that Jiang Yunhan had mentioned in the “original work” that Sister Yan let Zhuang Yi marry into the family. Since the plot regarding Sister Yan had already changed, was there any point in bringing up the original content?

“I am what?” Yan Qingwen looked at her with a gentle smile.

“You are… one of the people Zhuang Yi has targeted,” Su Jinyue bit the bullet and said.

Yan Qingwen comforted her: “Don’t worry, I won’t give him the chance to get close to me.”

“Mhm!” In Su Jinyue’s mind, Yan Qingwen was powerful, wise, highly capable, and iron-fisted. Since she was on guard against Zhuang Yi, his schemes wouldn’t succeed.

However, she was still curious how Sister Yan changed the original plot. Could it be that Sister Yan also learned the truth of this world from Jiang Yunhan?

Su Jinyue’s IQ suddenly flickered to life, but Wen Hebai’s figure suddenly appeared in her mind, and she quickly dismissed the guess: It must be because Sister Bai and Sister Yan got married that Sister Yan’s plot changed.

One could say she has an IQ, but not much.

Once the secret buried deep in her heart was spoken, the remaining secrets weren’t so hard to voice. Su Jinyue quickly summarized what she had heard from Jiang Yunhan’s heart and told Yan Qingwen.

Based on the information gathered from Su Jinyue’s perspective combined with the previous spoilers from the [Comments Section], Yan Qingwen vaguely understood how Su Jinyue—who had always loathed Jiang Yunhan—was successfully “conquered” by him in The Cannon Fodder Wealthy Young Master.

The turning point was likely that night at the bar.

If Wen Hebai hadn’t appeared and Su Jinyue had kissed Jiang Yunhan while drunk, she would have been haunted by it after sobering up. Although she would be furious, it was her first kiss after all; therefore, she would inevitably pay more attention to Jiang Yunhan, eventually be attracted by his inner voice, and her attitude would gradually change from loathing to curiosity, and finally to love…

Yan Qingwen had recently binge-read some male-oriented harem novels in her spare time and found that many female leads changed their attitude toward the male lead after accidentally giving away their first kiss or virginity.

The “bickering rivals” trope is a very common emotional arc in harem works. After all, the personalities of harem leads cannot be too one-dimensional; if there is an intellectual and kind lead, there must be a spoiled and willful one; if there is a cold and beautiful “flower on a high peak,” there must be a gentle and virtuous wife.

In fact, many brainless harem novels like to have the male lead conquer powerful female villains through sexual violence; the end for such female villains is either a tragic death or being “slept into submission” by the male lead to become a new harem member.

Su Jinyue saw Yan Qingwen fall into deep thought. Not daring to disturb her, she could only sit in her chair spinning around boredly.

Suddenly, she asked: “Sister Yan, why aren’t there any photos of you and Sister Bai in your office?”

Yan Qingwen looked up and surveyed her office. Forget a photo with Wen Hebai; there wasn’t even a photo of herself.

“Why should I put a group photo in the office?” Yan Qingwen asked back.

“Decoration! That way others will know you’re married and that your relationship with Sister Bai is very harmonious, so no ‘mistress’ will be blind enough to try and seduce you.”

Yan Qingwen: “…”

She didn’t think the partnership between her and Wen Hebai could be destroyed by a mere “mistress,” but Su Jinyue’s words weren’t without logic. It was necessary to put up a photo with Wen Hebai to prevent that unknown force from trying its best to match her with Jiang Yunhan through certain people or events.

“I will have someone keep an eye on Jiang Yunhan’s situation. However, since he knew you were in a dangerous situation but chose to look the other way, his behavior is too disappointing. It’s better if you have less contact with him.”

Yan Qingwen said this to Su Jinyue, but also to herself. Because she thought of Liao Song.

Jiang Yunhan turned a blind eye to Zhuang Yi’s attempt on Su Jinyue; she had ignored the various actions Liao Song took while being attracted to Jiang Yunhan. Was she the same kind of person as Jiang Yunhan?

Soon, she shook her head and dismissed the thought.

Zhuang Yi’s behavior already involved illegal criminal acts, whereas Liao Song being attracted to Jiang Yunhan was hard to judge—was she being controlled by that force, or was it just a simple “love-brain” case?

Cracking down on illegal acts is every citizen’s duty; saving a “love-brain” is not.

Yan Qingwen picked up her fountain pen, capped it, and made a decision in her heart. She still needed to find a chance to warn Liao Song. After all, the Yan family’s private doctors were arranged by the Liao family. If Liao Song fell, and by extension the Liao family fell into the hands of that unknown power, it could strike through the private doctors, posing a massive threat to the Yan family.

“I know, Sister Yan.” Even without Yan Qingwen’s reminder, Su Jinyue would stay far away from Jiang Yunhan.

After Su Jinyue left, Yan Qingwen planned to find a photo with Wen Hebai from her digital album. However, after looking through them, she realized they hadn’t taken a proper photo together in seven or eight years. The most recent double photo was from when they were 16 or 17, wearing tracksuits against a background that looked like a school sports meet.

If she really displayed these photos, others would only wonder why they hadn’t taken a single photo in recent years, thereby questioning the true purpose of their marriage.

Yan Qingwen planned to wait until Wen Hebai returned to take a new one.

At this moment, the head secretary knocked and entered: “President Yan, Qi Zange, who applied for the secretary position, is waiting in the meeting room.”

“Have her come straight here. I’ll interview her in my office,” Yan Qingwen said.

The head secretary went out and soon brought in a woman dressed capably.

The woman had ear-length short hair, her eyes hidden behind thick black-rimmed glasses, and a skin tone of fashionable “wheat” bronze. At first glance, her appearance wasn’t outstanding, but from the moment she saw Yan Qingwen, she showed no sign of cowardice or retreat. Her gaze was restrained and inoffensive.

This easily reminded Yan Qingwen of people in certain specialized professions.

Yan Qingwen didn’t prioritize appearance when choosing a secretary. After asking some basic information, she cut to the chase, wanting to see if Qi Zange had the ability to handle and coordinate work for the industrial park.

Qi Zange’s voice wasn’t distinctive, but she spoke logically and at a steady pace, allowing one to immediately grasp the key points.

Yan Qingwen nodded, indicating she had passed the interview.

A relaxed smile finally appeared on Qi Zange’s face.

Yan Qingwen suddenly asked her: “You are from City C. Why didn’t you stay in City C to work? You should know that City C is the most economically developed city in the south. With your qualifications, the treatment you’d get at a large company wouldn’t be worse than at the Yan Group.”

Qi Zange froze, then answered unhurriedly: “I grew up in City C. I saw its prosperity and its darkness. I also understand that the sky visible in City C is just one corner of the firmament. Only by leaving City C can I see a wider world and seek a way of survival more suited to me.”

Yan Qingwen smiled slightly and said nothing more.

The head secretary understood her meaning and led Qi Zange out: “I will explain the next onboarding procedures and related matters to you.”

As it approached closing time, Yan Qingwen remembered the matter of the group photo. Feeling she should tell Wen Hebai in advance, she dialed her number.

Author’s Note:

Su Xiaoyue: Sister Yan and Sister Bai’s marriage depends entirely on my assist. I want a seat at the main table for their wedding!

President Yan: Arranged.

Wen the Mutt-dog: My wife is right!