"What did you say?" Tao Qi screeched. Her eyes were wide in disbelief.
"Can't you understand human?" Li Sun scoffed impatiently. "How many times do I have to fucking tell you? Pack your things and get the fuck out!"
She couldn't believe her ears. "Li Sun, you were the one who insisted I be with you in the first place. I've been by your side, slept with you, for so long. And now you want to kick me out?" Her brows knitted tightly together. She then put on a face as if she were holding back a well of tears and said, "Last night, you were still calling me your baby, your precious one! All of a sudden, you'd turn the other way just because! You must at least give me a reason why you're kicking me out, right?"
Unwittingly, his heart sank and softened at the look on her face. However, the memory of Mu JingYuan's dark fact coldly glaring at him made chills run down his spine. The gooey feeling that had just started growing vanished without a trace.
"Don't try and act all pitiful," he said, determination strong in his voice. "Even if you beg me on your knees, I wouldn't ever take you back. Also, how dare you ask me why. You're so talented at causing trouble that I can't afford to want you! I'm warning you. It's hard for me to protect myself already. It's good enough that the fire hasn't burned me. And you want me to keep you?"
She closed her eyes and suppressed the urge to claw his face off. "Just what happened?" she asked, doe eyed as she wiped her tears away. "Please tell me clearly who. I'm just a girl. Just who could I have angered?"
"How could you still ask?" he roared. The mere thought of what happened made fury burn through his veins. "You act so pure and innocent all the time but you're just a gold digger! You won't even budge an inch once you've got some money to set your eyes on. Take a look at yourself in the mirror first. Who are you? Who is he? You think you can curry favour with Little Master Bai? At the police station today, were you sneaking glances at him? Who in this whole city doesn't know Little Master Bai is the apple of Mr Mu's eye, his precious pearl? You actually dared to think of flirting with him under Mr Mu's nose! You're quite a bold one. It doesn't matter if you've turned into a slut from how much I've played with you or if you're a fricking angel. I wouldn't dare to keep you after that! Hurry up and pack your things! Scram! Stop bothering me!"
He was already worried whether or not Mu JingYuan would let him go after how he offended Little Master Bai today. Then this woman happened. She just wouldn't behave! That's essentially adding fuel to the fire!
Tao Qi was stunned. "It was Mu JingYuan…" she murmured.
Li Sun had only taken her in not long ago. She still felt fresh to him. She also had a pretty face. Generally, playboys like him only care about looks. Her dazed look tugged at his heart. So what if he couldn't bear to part with her? He didn't dare let her stay.
"Yes," he said with his mouth twitched to a side. "He personally said so. Don't you feel honoured? Go, now. Don't go causing any more trouble for me."
"How can it be?" She was confused. "I am the protagonist. How could he do this to me? Is he jealous?"
Li Sun's anger blazed brighter at how the woman still dared to keep blabbering nonsense. The tiny speck of hesitance and sympathy crumbled into dust. He raised a hand and slapped Tao Qi hard across the face.
"You can eat trash if you want to but you can't go spouting rubbish," he spat out. "Mr Mu's matters are not something you can gossip about. If you dare go out and tell anyone about it and make them think you learned such nonsense from me, I'd get some men to gang rape you and kill you!"
Everyone might suspect there was something going on between Mu JingYuan and Bai YiHan (alright, those two had always been on a different channel), but no one was brave enough to say it. This woman really had no brains. If she ran out and blabbered all this nonsense for everyone to hear, they'd think she heard the ridiculous talk from hm. Mu JingYuan wouldn't be the only going berserk then. Just the Bai family was enough to make him die in an unmarked grave in a snap. If this woman can't control her mouth, then he can't let her leave here alive and healthy.
Tao Qi stared at Li Sun, petrified at the dark cloud that loomed over him. She realised that he seriously meant what he'd just said. Once more, she was struck by how realistic life here was. The Li Sun before her wasn't just the name of a flat character in a book. He's real, a salivating rabid dog who could kill her with one bite.
From her two brief meetings with the male lead, Mu JingYuan wasn't the scheming and gloomy yet passionate and fragile character he was in the novel. He was so strong and huge. He was so terrifying. With one simple whisper, he could easily decide how she'd die.
Just from Li Sun's expression, she could tell the man was genuinely thinking of killing her. This useless bully only knew to kowtow to the strong and exploit the weak. He only knew to torment women. But she didn't dare to make an enemy of him.
The tears in her eyes rolled down her cheeks and rained down like wilting pear blossoms. "I know where I went wrong," she sobbed. "I wouldn't dare to gossip about Mr Mu's private matters and I really wasn't sneaking glances at Little Master Bai. I was behind you the whole time. Little Master Bai spoke so I looked up at him. I know who he is. I wouldn't dare to stare at him. I just took one glance. Is that a crime worthy of death? I'm only a girl. I meant nothing by it. Isn't it normal to look at someone when they're talking?"
Li Sun sized up Tao Qi and scoffed. "It's your fault. Who asked you to look at him the wrong way? No one else dares to stare at Little Master Bai when Mr Mu is in the same room! You can also cut the act. Get out as soon as possible. You can take my gifts with you as well. Any longer and I'll throw you out!"
Bai YiHan! Someone who wouldn't live more than a few days did this to her! She could see the malice in Li Sun's eyes. It was as clear as day. She knew that she can't stay no matter what. She didn't dare delay her departure any longer. She hurried upstairs to collect her things and, after a moment of contemplation, snuck one of Li Sun's precious gem cufflinks, and walked down and out of the house. At the door, she paused. She wasn't willing to admit defeat yet. She composed herself and turned around to look at Li Sun.
"Feng Qun," she meekly asked. "The eldest son of the Feng family. What's happened to him?" Just when will this man kill off Bai YiHan?
Li Sun gave her the side-eye. "Scram already," he said. "Why are you asking about all this for?"
"Li Sun," she cried out. "I don't care if you believe me or not but I truly do like you. I only came looking for you at the police station today because of Feng Qun. I was only concerned for you."
"Like me?" Li Sun snorted. "You really can lie without batting an eyelid. Weren't you listening at the police station? Oh, right. It's not been officially announced yet but telling you would change nothing anyway. They'd soon declare it anyway. Feng Qun is dead. He died in the hospital. He died before a trial. He died yet he fricking dragged me down with him. If he hadn't been so foolish as to kidnap Little Master Bai, I wouldn't have been summoned to the police station! I wouldn't have made an enemy of Mr Mu!
"If that's all, stop being so nosy and get out now!"
Tao Qi stumbled out of Li Sun's mansion. She could feel a thick haze clouding up her mind. How could it be? Bai YiHan was still alive and well. How could Feng Qun be dead? Just what went wrong? Everything's not right! Even the original protagonist, that idiot, stayed by Li sun's side two years more. When they split, he even gave her a break-up fee! Now that it's her, an affectionate social butterfly, she only stayed by his side for a few measly months!
Oh, no. That's not it. It's not that she's not charming enough. It's obvious that horn dog adored her body. He kicked her out all because of Mu JingYuan's order. He even let her take away his gifts. Most of those gifts were extremely valuable. So, it's clear he still likes her.
She thought the transmigration was her chance to shine. Why is everything different to what she expected? No "counterattacks". No face-slapping. All she got was frustrating schoolwork! Being a sugar baby! While she'd inherited the female lead's identity and memories, she didn't actually inherit her brains. In the novel, the main character was a star pupil. She's one of the top students in the entire university. After joining the Mu Group, she's also an outstanding employee. Tao Qi herself however got into an unpopular university. She also never paid much attention to schoolwork. That meant her results were always below average. After her transmigration, her grades hit rock bottom. It made everyone's jaw drop. It just so happened when everything began blowing up with her family so they thought it was due to the extreme stress. But as time went on, someone will eventually find it suspicious. She still hadn't thought of a proper plan for that incident when Li Sun threw her out!
She can't head back home. Once she does, her bloodsucking family would likely take away all her money away! Finally, at this very moment, she thought of her own parents. She couldn't understand it. Shouldn't all parents be like them? They'd say yes to anything she wanted. They'd give her the best of whatever they could get. The money they earned would all be given to her, outside of what's needed for survival. Why were the female lead's parents asking her for money instead? And that evil cheap younger brother! Why won't he just die?
The more she thought about it, the more infuriated she was. She still had to go through nearly two more years of schooling and her results might not even get her into the Mu Group. If she really got in because of her plot armour, did the universe really want her to be an honest employee and work for two years as a normal clerk?
With how the story was going, even if she got through those two years, would she really be faced with the start of the story?
It's been a long time since she'd been back at the university dorms. In a few months, she'd gotten used to staying in a mansion. The thought of going back to the dorm room that could only be best described as simple made her heart cry out in refusal. Aaargh! Bai YiHan, why wouldn't you die? Why does he insist on making things hard for her?
Feng Qun's dead so who would kill Bai YiHan? If he didn't die, how could she be the female lead? No way. If Feng Qun won't do it, she'd get someone else. Either way, Bai YiHan must die! Don't blame me for being cruel, Bai YiHan! It's all because you just had to block my path forward!
However, how could she kill Bai YiHan as she was now? She pondered on the plot as she walked on. That's right! The Chen family! In the story, the Chen family played a significant role in taking down the Bai family. The reason…it's Chen TianYang's death! That man!
Once Bai YiHan lost the Bai family's protection, it'd be easy as pie to kill him off. In the original story, that's what happened. If she wanted to kill him, she had to take his shields away first. Only then can his neck be bared beneath the guillotine!
The story's already gone off the rails and she'd been dumped early by Li Sun. Why not just make everything happen early then? Chen TianYang, Bai YiHan, are you ready to welcome death?
***
When Yan Pei arrived at the Bai family home, Bai YiHan was playing a video game all alone and slouched across the living room sofa. Yan Pei changed her shoes for a pair of guest slippers and politely smiled at Aunt Yang who'd opened the door for her.
"Thank you, Aunty," she said.
"No need to thank me," Aunt Yang replied, waving her hand before her. Then, she returned to the kitchen with a bright smile on her face.
"You're here," YiHan said, sitting up straight. "That was quick."
Yan Pei sat down beside YiHan. "I finally have you at home and all alone," she giggled. "Of course I've got to rush over. Otherwise, you'd be taken away by Mr Mu again." There wasn't an ounce of awkwardness at all from how they'd just gotten to know each other. "Hm? Your mother's not home too?"