"Shen Qingling, your eyelashes are so long."
"......"
"Hey, is it long down there too?"
Shen Qingling was cornered by the woman with nowhere to escape.
This was exactly the kind of woman Shen Qingling had described—drunk and utterly bewitched by him.
He wondered if she’d lose her mind once she sobered up and remembered what she’d done.
The story began a few hours earlier.
Shen Qingling worked part-time at a café near Jiangcheng University.
Originally, he only worked there on weekends, but since he had agreed to Song Zhining’s invitation to dinner at the Song Family this weekend, he had swapped shifts with a coworker in advance.
To avoid causing a commotion, Shen Qingling always wore a mask while working, and today was no exception.
Weekdays weren’t as busy, so after a short rush, Shen Qingling leaned against the counter to rest.
Then, the system’s voice chimed in: "Detected a potential target for conquest: Ruan Mingyi."
[Name: Ruan Mingyi]
[Goddess Tier: A-Class]
[Identity: Eldest Daughter of the Ruan Family]
[Personality: Abstract, sharp-tongued, and love-starved]
[Plot Relevance: 30%]
[Ending: Insufficient points to unlock.]
Shen Qingling glanced toward the entrance and saw a woman helping another woman inside.
Their attire alone made it clear they were wealthy, likely pampered young ladies from affluent families.
The one being supported was Ruan Mingyi, Shen Qingling’s target.
Shen Qingling frowned. "I don’t recall this name. Was she in the original story?"
077: "She was. You might’ve missed it. She’s the mortal enemy of your future fiancée, Sheng Xia. At a banquet, they got into an argument, and Ruan Mingyi splashed red wine all over Sheng Xia."
"Gu Yijin stepped in to defend Sheng Xia, only to be verbally eviscerated by Ruan Mingyi. Gu Yijin never forgot the humiliation and later sent someone to ruin Ruan Mingyi’s face... The rest of the plot is for you to unlock."
077 had already revealed enough. Shen Qingling could guess how things would unfold.
Ruan Mingyi had publicly humiliated Gu Yijin, and given Gu Yijin’s vindictive nature, her fate wouldn’t be much better than the original protagonist’s.
Shen Qingling discreetly observed the two women.
Ye Qiao guided Ruan Mingyi to a seat by the window.
Their entrance had drawn plenty of attention.
Ruan Mingyi was stunning—not the delicate, innocent type, but a radiant, striking beauty. Her features were exquisitely defined, with deep, sapphire-blue eyes that hinted at mixed heritage.
Her bold, crimson lips added to her allure, and her tousled waves cascaded over her shoulders. The alcohol had left her gaze slightly unfocused.
Seizing the chance while Ye Qiao was ordering, Shen Qingling moved closer to eavesdrop. The moment he approached, he heard Ruan Mingyi grumble, "How am I supposed to compete with her? Her chest is bigger than my head."
Ye Qiao took the menu from Shen Qingling and skimmed it. "Your chest isn’t small either. Besides, why compare yourself to her? She’s just a brainless bimbo with big boobs."
Ruan Mingyi sighed. "But that’s exactly what he likes. If happiness were a movie, I’d be the perpetually drowsy husband and the passenger who can’t hear anything in the car..."
Ye Qiao coughed. "We’re in a café. Keep it down."
She pointed to a coffee on the menu. "Two of these, please."
When Ye Qiao looked up, she met Shen Qingling’s striking eyes and froze. What beautiful eyes...
Shen Qingling acknowledged the order and walked away.
Ye Qiao nudged Ruan Mingyi. "Hey, did you notice that waiter just now?"
"Waiter? What about him?"
"My gut says he’s a total hottie."
"Enough, Qiaoqiao. I’ve sworn off men for life. Ruan Mingyi will never fall for another man again!"
Ye Qiao rolled her eyes. She knew her best friend’s habits all too well—always falling head over heels for someone new, only to scare them off with her razor-sharp tongue. Not a single relationship had lasted.
"Name one guy you’ve liked for more than a month."
"That’s not my fault. They just couldn’t keep me interested."
"Sure, sure. You’re always right."
Just then, Ye Qiao’s phone lit up with a call from her boyfriend, Qi He. Her eyes sparkled.
"Mingyi, Qi He’s calling. I’ll step out to take this. You stay here and sober up."
"Got it, you lovesick fool."
Ye Qiao giggled and hurried outside with her phone.
But Ruan Mingyi had no intention of sobering up. Instead, she pulled out a half-finished bottle of red wine from her bag and kept drinking.
Two men at a nearby table had been eyeing her for a while. Seeing her drinking alone, they decided to make their move.
"Hey, beautiful, drinking alone? Bad day? Want some company?"
Ruan Mingyi gave them a bleary once-over before smirking.
She was already in a foul mood, and now these ugly creeps were making it worse.
"Did you forget to look in the mirror before leaving the house? How dare you hit on me?"
One of the men stiffened, but his friend stepped in. "That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? My buddy here’s not bad-looking."
Ruan Mingyi raised a brow. "Oh? Then I suppose you’re the handsome one."
The man barely had time to preen before she took another lazy sip and added, "You’ve got that rugged, bad-boy charm. Especially your eyes—like a pair of pissholes in the snow."
The two men: "......"
Undeterred, the second man plastered on a smile. "We just wanted to be friends."
Ruan Mingyi scowled. How dense was this guy?
"Friends? With you? Your paycheck probably looks like a refund receipt from Wish."
"Relax, I drive a Rolls-Royce Phantom."
"More like a Rolls-Royce Phantom left out in the rain until it rusted into a discount e-bike."
"You—just because you’ve never seen one doesn’t mean I don’t own it!"
"Spare me the act. The only thing you’re flexing is your underwear. Phantom? More like you’re hallucinating."
Now Shen Qingling understood why the system had labeled Ruan Mingyi as "abstract" and "sharp-tongued."
As the men kept pestering her, Shen Qingling moved to intervene—only for Ruan Mingyi to hurl her wine at them.
Instead of hitting its intended targets, the wine splashed all over Shen Qingling.
Realizing her mistake, Ruan Mingyi wobbled to her feet, trying to apologize, but her flailing arm knocked over another glass, spilling wine all over herself.
Furious, she groaned.
Why was today so damn unlucky?
She raised her eyes, ready to scold the two men, only to see Shen Qingling remove her mask.