"Wuwuwu, Miss, that jerk bullied me, wuwuwu..." The little secretary looked pitifully at her young mistress.
Dongfang Zhixia frowned slightly.
If she hadn’t misseen, wasn’t it the little secretary who had bitten that scoundrel and then run back?
Why did it sound like Ye Cheng had bitten the little secretary instead?
"You idiot, why are you so useless!" Dongfang Zhixia glared at the sniveling little secretary, who looked like she was about to shed tears.
The little secretary flinched at her mistress’s sudden scolding.
Pouting, she swallowed her tears and didn’t dare say another word.
Dongfang Zhixia sighed.
Though the situation was clearly not as the little secretary had described—with all sorts of absurd accusations being piled onto Ye Cheng’s head—
Her smooth, seamless string of lies made it seem like Ye Cheng had sunk the Titanic and burned down the Old Summer Palace. It left Dongfang Zhixia speechless.
The little secretary was obviously spouting nonsense, but… some of it wasn’t entirely wrong. Dongfang Zhixia had seen it with her own eyes.
For instance, the way he had leered at the little secretary’s "useless fat" with those "pervy eyes," or the smug smirk he’d worn—those details were accurate.
No matter how incompetent the little secretary was, she was still Dongfang Zhixia’s person.
And no one got to bully her people without consequences.
Hurting the little secretary was, in a way, a slap to Dongfang Zhixia’s own face.
Narrowing her eyes, Dongfang Zhixia fixed her gaze on Ye Cheng—just as he happened to peek out from behind Shen Qinghan, looking guilty as sin.
Their eyes met, and sparks flew—but not the romantic kind seen in dramas.
These were murderous sparks.
Ye Cheng sucked in a sharp breath and clung tighter to Shen Qinghan’s leg. "Miss, save me!"
Shen Qinghan: "..."
She followed Ye Cheng’s line of sight and noticed Dongfang Zhixia staring their way.
The silent exchange quickly shifted from Ye Cheng to Shen Qinghan.
After a brief, tense moment, Dongfang Zhixia averted her gaze, refocusing on Ye Cheng as she stood and strode toward him.
"Miss, she’s coming over! Help!" Ye Cheng tightened his grip around Shen Qinghan’s slender waist.
Shen Qinghan’s face flushed slightly, her delicate hands balling into fists as if she wanted to punch him.
But for some reason, she held back.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she calmly watched Dongfang Zhixia approach.
Dongfang Zhixia marched over with an intimidating aura, the little secretary trailing behind her.
Their movement drew the attention of nearly everyone on the third floor.
As if by unspoken agreement, the entire floor fell silent—even the clinking of cutlery stopped—as people strained to catch every word of the impending drama.
A few bold souls even pulled out their phones to "capture the moment."
Dongfang Zhixia ignored Shen Qinghan entirely, her sharp gaze locked onto Ye Cheng.
"Your audacity knows no bounds, huh? Daring to steal what’s ours?"
Before Ye Cheng could respond, Shen Qinghan’s cool voice cut in.
"I don’t recall anything here belonging to you, Miss Dongfang."
Well said, Miss!
Ye Cheng cowered behind Shen Qinghan, embodying the phrase "a dog barks louder when backed by its master."
"I may read often, but my eyesight is fine. I saw exactly what happened by the window earlier," Shen Qinghan stated evenly.
"He was the one who picked it up first. How is it suddenly 'yours'?"
Her composed gaze shifted to the little secretary behind Dongfang Zhixia, who paled and trembled under the scrutiny.
"You can eat whatever you like, but words? Be careful with those. Loose tongues invite trouble."
Shen Qinghan’s tone was icy, carrying an undeniable authority—a stark contrast to Dongfang Zhixia’s overt intimidation.
While Dongfang Zhixia’s dominance was loud and unmistakable, Shen Qinghan’s was precise, targeting only the guilty party.
Under such pressure, the little secretary’s resolve crumbled.
She couldn’t even cry—just as Ye Cheng had once joked, "Crying? Crying counts as time too!"
Trembling, she stepped out from behind her mistress.
"I-I’m sorry, I was wrong earlier—"
Dongfang Zhixia waved her off, cutting the apology short.
"Since when does Miss Shen resort to intimidation? I thought you despised such tactics."
Her voice was light, but her narrowed eyes were anything but friendly.
"How I handle things is none of your concern," Shen Qinghan replied coolly.
The tension thickened, and Ye Cheng sensed disaster looming.
After all, he had once saved Dongfang Zhixia—surely she wouldn’t completely disregard that, right?
"Uh—"
Before he could speak, another voice interrupted.
"I’m sorry, Miss Shen. I was in the wrong. I lied earlier. He was the one who picked it up first..."
For the first time, the little secretary defied her mistress, mustering the courage to admit her mistake.
"Idiot! Who told you to speak?!" Dongfang Zhixia snapped.
The little secretary shrank back, silent.
Shen Qinghan gave her a final dismissive glance before returning to her meal, ignoring the scene entirely.
Both the little secretary and Ye Cheng exhaled in relief.
Thank goodness—a full-blown clash had been avoided.
"Miss, I’m sorry," the little secretary whispered.
"Useless! You’ll be the death of me!"
Dongfang Zhixia stomped her foot in frustration—forgetting her injury hadn’t fully healed.
The sudden pain made her gasp, her balance wavering dangerously.
Biting back the agony, she redirected all her fury toward Ye Cheng.
"You. Come here." Her chest heaved as she glared at him from behind Shen Qinghan.
Do I look stupid to you?
Ye Cheng was speechless. These noble young ladies really had a warped sense of logic. Did she expect him to obey just because she said so?
Where’s my dignity in this?
Dongfang Zhixia smirked. "So you’re refusing? Fine. Then I’ll just have to bring up what you did to me last time—"
"Hahaha! President Dongfang, you flatter me! I was just tying my shoelaces earlier—couldn’t stand up right away! But now? I’m more than ready to receive your wise guidance!"
Ye Cheng sprang up instantly, blinking innocently like a wide-eyed fool.
I just wonder if laughing this "innocently" too much might make one's lungs itch...
Dongfang Zhixia: "..."
Dignity?
What dignity? His dignity was nothing more than the young lady's shoe insole.
Ye Cheng admitted that what he had done to Dongfang Zhixia before was just a "tiny bit" excessive—things like "taking a huge bite of her ice cream," reselling her "worn" items, and...
Honestly, the list of offenses was endless.
Any one of those crimes would be enough to have Ye Cheng chopped into mincemeat multiple times over.
How could he dare to actually provoke Dongfang Zhixia? He wasn’t tired of living yet.
"Hmph."
Seeing Ye Cheng back down, Dongfang Zhixia let out a light snort, the corners of her lips curling slightly.
It was the smile of a victor.
Just as Dongfang Zhixia was about to take Ye Cheng away, Shen Qinghan frowned and grabbed hold of him.
“Huh? What's wrong, Miss?” Ye Cheng blinked, looking at Shen Qinghan with slight confusion.
"Is she threatening you?"
Shen Qinghan's voice remained as emotionless as ever.
But those nearby could faintly detect that she was stepping in to back Ye Cheng up. The onlookers grew even more excited.
Even among the students of this elite academy, status still varied.
Though they were all dining on the third floor, none of the others could compare to the two powerhouses before them.
Next to these two young ladies, their own family backgrounds were practically insignificant—little more than "ordinary commoners."
And as everyone knew, nothing thrilled ordinary people more than juicy gossip, especially when it involved those far above them. And here it was, playing out right before their eyes.
If not for fear of repercussions, tomorrow’s campus forum would likely feature a trending headline:
Shocking! Miss Dongfang and the Shen Family Heir Brawl Over a Male Concubine!
Dongfang Zhixia laughed at the remark.
"Miss Shen, not everyone enjoys throwing their weight around like you do. I could never stoop to something so tasteless."
"Oh, right—Miss Shen doesn’t check her phone much, does she? So you probably haven’t heard yet."
"This guy is into me. He confessed in front of the whole school, and I didn’t reject him..."
Dongfang Zhixia deliberately laced her words with ambiguity, hoping to lead Shen Qinghan’s thoughts in the direction she wanted.
Ideally, she’d even get her flustered and red-faced.
That would be absolutely adorable.
But alas...
Dongfang Zhixia’s plan fell flat.
Even after her words hung in the air, Shen Qinghan remained expressionless, completely ignoring her. She simply stared calmly at Ye Cheng, as if still waiting for his earlier answer.
Dongfang Zhixia: "..."
The rumors were true after all—Shen Qinghan had some kind of social dysfunction, unable to interact normally with others.
Ye Cheng... seemed to be the sole exception so far?
Dongfang Zhixia grew even more curious. Why was it that what others couldn’t achieve, Ye Cheng managed so effortlessly?
Ye Cheng gently patted Shen Qinghan’s hand, which was still gripping him.
“It’s fine, Miss. The president and I go way back. She wouldn’t give me trouble. If she’s calling me over now, she probably just wants to treat me to a meal. Nothing to worry about.”
Probably...?
Even Ye Cheng wasn’t entirely sure.
"Mm. Okay." Shen Qinghan nodded, releasing his arm. She lowered her head and resumed eating, paying no further attention to the others.
Dongfang Zhixia’s brows arched.
That was it?
This wasn’t how she’d imagined it going.
Suddenly, a thought struck her, and her eyes widened in disbelief. She glanced between Ye Cheng and Shen Qinghan, recalling the list she’d seen the night before.
"Stayed out overnight: one male, one female."
Ye Cheng. Shen Qinghan.
It all matched up.
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
