Saving the Pitiful Villain (GL) - Chapter 2

The Jiang Shangxue in the book, aside from being beautiful, was an utterly useless airhead.

However, the Jiang family behind her was far from simple. Her grandfather was a former Provincial Party Secretary of A Province. Her family members were all successful in their careers, whether in politics or business, and were all upstanding and highly accomplished figures—with the sole exception of Jiang Shangxue.

The Jiang family, outraged by her insistence on marrying the forty-years-older Chairman of the Yun Group, Yun Yuandao, went so far as to publicly sever ties with the daughter who had been doted on since childhood. The vast age difference in the relationship was simply unacceptable to the strict, old-fashioned Jiang family.

Yun Yuandao was the founder of the Yun Group. He came from an ordinary background but relied on his extraordinary business acumen to build the Yun Group into one of the top companies in A Province. Unfortunately, after a lifetime of shrewdness, he discovered, with one foot already in the grave, that he had been cheated on, and none of the children around him were his biological offspring.

Unwilling to accept this, he desperately searched for Yun Wu, the biological child he had fathered during a previous fling. At the same time, he somehow charmed Jiang Shangxue into being wholeheartedly determined to marry him.

However, man proposes, God disposes. Before the wedding could even take place, Yun Yuandao was diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Before he died, he hastily registered his marriage with Jiang Shangxue, transferred all his shares to her, and left a will instructing Jiang Shangxue to raise Yun Wu until she could take over the Yun Group. At that point, Jiang Shangxue was to give the Jiang family the most profitable subsidiary.

This was clearly an attempt to use Jiang Shangxue as a bridge to the Jiang family, hoping they would step in to protect Yun Wu and the Yun Group.

Even if Yun Yuandao deeply regretted turning a blind eye when Jiang Shangxue bullied Yun Wu, it was too late now.

He knew well that his second brother and third sister hated him intensely, and the Yun Group would soon be ruined if it fell into their hands.

The Yun Group was the culmination of Yun Yuandao’s life’s work. Out of desperation, he could only hope that the Jiang family, with whom he had a past connection, would come forward and help him nurture Yun Wu.

This is what led to the current situation where Jiang Shangxue became the Yun Group’s largest shareholder.

Rubbing her temples, Jiang Shangxue walked to the desk, recalling the plot, and wrote down the full development of the characters and events in the book.

First and foremost, she could not repeat the original owner’s path of being tormented to death in a mental hospital. She also had to clearly identify the male and female leads as her greatest potential threat.

The size of the market pie is constant. The male and female leads established their foundation by taking over the Yun Group. Later, fearing retaliation due to Jiang Shangxue’s relationship with the Jiang family, they used despicable means under the protection of the “protagonist’s halo” to ruin the Jiang family.

Jiang Shangxue was now in a position where she could neither completely distance herself from the Yun Group nor from the Jiang family.

Pondering this, the most crucial name surfaced in Jiang Shangxue’s mind: Yun Wu.

The Yun Wu in the book inherited Yun Yuandao’s business mind and was a gifted commercial prodigy.

If, when reading the script, Jiang Shangxue’s feelings toward Yun Wu were born of sympathy for the weak, now that feeling was categorized as a resource that could be utilized.

As long as she properly raised Yun Wu, eliminated the barriers created by the original owner, and helped her avoid or recognize the true nature of the male and female leads, she and Yun Wu should not repeat the tragic fate in the book. There was a high probability that Yun Wu could even become a powerful ally.

After all, their current relationship was that of mother and daughter.

Having sorted out her thoughts, the tension in Jiang Shangxue’s mind finally began to slowly ease.

Knock, knock, knock. Just then, there was an urgent knocking at the door.

“Madam, the directors of the Group have come to visit again.”

The knocking grew louder and more insistent, the urgency clearly evident.

Jiang Shangxue frowned subtly and replied toward the door,

“Please ask the guests to wait a moment in the living room.”

Having only arrived here for half a day, Jiang Shangxue had already distinctly felt that the servants at the Yun Mansion seemed to dislike the original owner and had no intention of being friendly.

Jiang Shangxue sighed internally. It seemed like another mess left behind by the original owner.

To receive guests, Jiang Shangxue had to tidy herself up first. She walked to the mirror. The reflection showed herself wearing a wide-collared, beige silk pajama set, her neck fair and long.

Looking down, her waist was slender, her legs long, and she was lean but not bony, with graceful curves. This was clearly her own body; even the position of the red mole on her chest was exactly the same.

However, the clumsily exaggerated heavy makeup on her face obscured her natural appearance. The bright red lipstick and exaggerated eyeshadow and eyeliner made her face look vulgar and old-fashioned, neither here nor there, instantly making her look ten years older.

Jiang Shangxue efficiently removed the makeup. As expected, it was her original face: long, slender eyes, thin lips, and a high nose bridge.

She looked much more pleasing immediately. Opening the wardrobe, Jiang Shangxue found that the clothes inside were quite similar to her own taste.

She chose a light-colored shirt paired with a black, knee-length mermaid skirt, a look that was both casual and somewhat professional.

Just then, another knock sounded outside the door, the tone becoming more impatient.

“Madam, you have been in your room for three days, and the board members have waited for three days. If they wait any longer…”

Before Butler Uncle Li could finish his sentence, the door opened.

When he saw the person in front of him, he froze, his mouth agape, looking quite ridiculous.

Jiang Shangxue wore a slight smile, her gaze sweeping over Uncle Li. “Uncle Li, what will happen if they wait any longer? Won’t they just have to keep waiting?”

In that moment of confrontation, Uncle Li’s mind went blank.

Was the beautiful woman in front of him really the stupid and dramatic Jiang Shangxue? Why had she suddenly become so dignified? Although her posture and tone were gentle, her presence somehow reminded him of the deceased Chairman.

It must be his imagination.

Snapping back to reality, Uncle Li chuckled awkwardly and stepped aside. “You are right, Madam. The two directors are waiting in the living room.”

Jiang Shangxue walked downstairs, ignoring Uncle Li and looking straight ahead.

The two visiting directors were Zhao Ji and Shen Cheng. The book mentioned them briefly, and Jiang Shangxue had a faint impression that they were two individuals skilled at changing allegiance with the wind.

Now that Yun Yuandao was dead, they preferred to bet on Young Master Yun #2 rather than Yun Wu. Their current impatience was to help the other Yun family members gauge Jiang Shangxue’s abilities.

After all, they still had to consider the Jiang family backing Jiang Shangxue.

Although the family had publicly severed ties, the Jiang family couldn’t truly abandon their youngest daughter. Furthermore, Jiang Shangxue now held so many shares. Their best strategy was to coax her into willingly giving up the shares.

They had long heard that Jiang Shangxue was a brainless fool. When they heard footsteps descending the stairs, the two directors stood up and turned around. Seeing Jiang Shangxue without heavy makeup for the first time, a flash of stunning admiration quickly crossed their eyes.

They truly hadn’t expected Jiang Shangxue to be so beautiful without heavy makeup.

“CEO Jiang, hello.”

“Hello, Directors.”

They nodded to acknowledge each other, but the two directors’ smiles did not reach their eyes.

The scent of unspoken conflict silently permeated the air.

Hearing their title, Jiang Shangxue curved her lips and spoke first, as if making casual small talk,

“Please try the first batch of new tea from Wuyi Mountain this year, Directors.”

Just as the two picked up their teacups, before they could even take a sip, Jiang Shangxue continued with a smile, “Directors, you come to the Yun Mansion every day. Has something happened at the Group?”

Quietly setting down his teacup, Zhao Ji spoke first, “Not at all, but you know that the late Chairman made major personnel adjustments before he passed away. It now seems that some of those position changes were unreasonable. Don’t you think they should be reconsidered?”

Shen Cheng chimed in cooperatively, “Yes, some structures are indeed unreasonable. Take Qi Ping, for instance. A youngster who has only been with the company for three years was promoted by the late Chairman to be Chief Executive Officer, an equal rank to you.”

The faint smile on Jiang Shangxue’s face remained unchanged. Her CEO position was only given to her by Yun Yuandao to humor her. The people who were truly managing the Yun Group were Yun Yuandao’s trusted confidants.

Even with Yun Yuandao’s death, with his confidantes in place, the Group wouldn’t immediately descend into chaos.

However, based on the current situation, Yun Yuandao had been dead for less than two months, and people were already eyeing positions of real authority.

“Directors, you know the late Chairman’s judgment. Qi Ping has only been in his position for a short while. What can you see? He needs time to adjust, doesn’t he?”

“CEO Jiang, although that is true…”

Zhao Ji was about to say something else, but he was interrupted by Jiang Shangxue’s gesture of standing up. She offered a slight, apologetic smile.

“Directors, I’m truly sorry, but I’m running out of time. I have to attend Wu Wu’s parent-teacher conference. Let’s discuss this another time.”

Their faces were visibly displeased, but Zhao Ji and Shen Cheng maintained their composure, stood up, and took their leave.

As soon as they walked out of the Yun Mansion, Shen Cheng spat. “Ptooey, who does she think she is? We waited all these days, and she only let us say two sentences.”

Zhao Ji’s face was no less stern. He turned and looked back at the Yun Mansion’s gate, a thoughtful expression in his eyes. “I somehow feel that Jiang Shangxue is not as stupid as the rumors claim. She deflected us with two flimsy sentences.”

Hearing this, Shen Cheng snorted dismissively. “It must be a fluke, like a blind cat running into a dead mouse. She can’t possibly have the ability you’re giving her credit for.”

Zhao Ji shook his head and smiled faintly, not arguing, implicitly agreeing to disagree.

After sending off the two directors, Uncle Li returned, feeling puzzled. “Did Miss Yun say you needed to go to a parent-teacher conference?”

Jiang Shangxue simply hummed in agreement and calmly instructed, “Arrange the car, please. We’re going to Wu Wu’s school.”

The affectionate tone sounded completely wrong. Uncle Li responded blankly, unable to fully process it.

Jiang Shangxue going to attend Miss Yun’s parent-teacher conference? The last time she saw the young lady, she ordered people to torment her in countless ways, doing things only a beast would do.

The driver was equally stunned. Not long ago, he heard that Madam had kicked Miss Yun out of the house and cut off her living expenses. He didn’t even know where she was staying now.

Jiang Shangxue took in the driver’s shifting expression. As the school gate appeared in her peripheral vision, she said softly, “Stop the car here.”

“Yes, Madam.”

There was no parent-teacher conference; it was just Jiang Shangxue’s excuse. She wanted to see Yun Wu, anyway.

Thinking about what the original owner had done to Yun Wu, Jiang Shangxue pressed her temples, a headache brewing.

The original owner didn’t allow Yun Wu inside, instead setting up a crude little wooden shack in the garden that offered no protection from the wind or rain. The family’s pet dog lived better than she did. Now, she had outright kicked her out.

Yun Wu must absolutely hate her now. Jiang Shangxue carefully considered the situation but couldn’t think of a way to bridge the distance between them.

Jiang Shangxue was lost in thought, not noticing that school had ended. Boarding students poured out of the gate, and Yun Wu was among them.

Casually raising her gaze, through the car window, Jiang Shangxue’s eyes suddenly met Yun Wu’s.

Everyone else was walking in groups of three or five, but Yun Wu was all alone.

Jiang Shangxue recognized her in the crowd immediately. She watched Yun Wu walk slowly closer, her appearance identical to the girl in her dream.

She wore a white T-shirt and black long pants. Her delicate but pale face still held the naivety of a student. The wispy hair on her forehead fluttered gently in the wind. She was very thin, which made her eyes appear large and bright, like scattered starlight. Her entire presence exuded an innate coldness and stubbornness.

Yun Wu stopped by the car window, barely half a meter away from Jiang Shangxue.

Even though it should have been impossible to see inside the car window from the outside, Jiang Shangxue inexplicably had the illusion that she was standing face-to-face with Yun Wu, locked in a negotiation.

Author’s Note:

Yun Wu: I’m cold! I’m stubborn! Woman, be captivated by my charm!