Upon seeing the familiar supermarket, a flurry of emotions surged within Su Chen. Could it be? His eyes darted around, trying to find that all too familiar figure.
His head was throbbing with pain. These female protagonists didn't stick to the script. He felt like a villain chasing his tail. Regardless of what he said or the mischief he got up to, these women always bore smiles on their faces, resembling female leads forgiving their male counterparts for having multiple love interests. Oh, it was infuriating.
So, Su Chen needed someone to disrupt the scene. With that thought, he indeed spotted, not far away, the expressionless face of Zhao Long, yet his eyes shimmered with intense fury. Zhao Long had arrived, and this was fantastic news. Su Chen heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that no matter how much the course of events had changed, in the end, he couldn't escape his villainous destiny. Zhao Long taking over didn't need his consent. The whole world now knew that Zhao Long was his subordinate. All that was needed was for Zhao Long to shift the blame onto him when the time came.
Taking a deep breath, Su Chen realized that Zhao Long's eyes were filled with a murderous intent, and he certainly wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity.
[Great, Zhao Long has finally shown up. Once we enter the supermarket, Zhao Long will surely attack], he thought.
[By then, I'll be the one taking the blame, bearing the wrath of both the Yang and Chen families. But how am I going to trick these three naive women into the supermarket?]
Just as Yang Yuxin was about to speak to Su Chen, she suddenly overheard his inner thoughts. She was taken aback and utterly shocked. To Yang Yuxin's astonishment, wasn't Zhao Long the very minion Su Chen had recently taken under his wing?
"Why did they betray him?"
Perhaps because it concerned Su Chen, Yang Yuxin thought about the police being sent to the club at noon today. In a flash, everything became clear.
If she hadn't heard Su Chen's inner voice, what would have happened? She would have definitely believed that Su Chen was the kind of person from the rumors and would have despised him completely. Such malicious intentions.
Although Yang Yuxin wasn't entirely sure who was orchestrating everything from behind the scenes, she was determined not to let them off the hook. "Su Chen, perhaps we shouldn't be in such a rush to head back," Yang Yuxin thought happily, grateful she hadn't held a grudge against Su Chen because of someone else's schemes. But then a serious concern popped into her mind.
Considering Su Chen was aware of everything that was unfolding, why hadn't he spoken up? He was just letting things progress as they were meant to. Yang Yuxin was genuinely curious.
"Why? Don't tell me you still want to be with me..." Su Chen suddenly thought of everything that had transpired between him and Yang Yuxin that day, and it felt oddly unsettling. "Of course not, but if you can't hold it in, I can help you," Yang Yuxin said, not hiding her intentions anymore, playfully touching Su Chen's face. She had to admit, it felt quite exhilarating.
Following Su Chen's inner voice, Yang Yuxin also noticed Zhao Long lurking in the shadows. She quickly commented, "You know, you just took in someone named Zhao Long as your subordinate today. I have a bad feeling about him; you better be careful." Her words immediately gained the agreement of Chen Yuxin and Yang Danxuan.
Chen Yuxin whispered, "Exactly, this person doesn't seem trustworthy at all. He might very well be a spy placed by your side."
Upon hearing both of them speak so, Yang Danxuan wanted to add her own thoughts. However, she couldn't find the right words to criticize someone, so she could only nod in agreement.
Yet, only Su Chen was ecstatic inside. He initially thought that Yang Yuxin was stable enough and deeply infatuated with him, indicating a possible character collapse. Yet, to his surprise, she mentioned Zhao Long.
This was an unexpected delight. The leading ladies of this generation were indeed extraordinary. Su Chen saw this as a golden opportunity to solidify Zhao Long as his loyal subordinate.
Su Chen declared loudly, "You all shouldn't be so quick to judge. Although Zhao Long has recently become my subordinate, I trust him completely. Don't speak ill of others behind their backs." Seizing this opportunity, he intended to lay his cards on the table and deepen the resentment these three women felt for him. "Zhao Long is now one of my closest aides. Whatever decision he makes is essentially my will," Su Chen confidently pronounced.
He believed that he had set the stage adequately, and his words would be deeply etched in their minds. In the event of any unforeseen incident, it would naturally link back to his recent proclamation. It would almost confirm that he commanded Zhao Long to assassinate them.
Yang Yuxin rolled her eyes at Su Chen. She didn't comment outwardly, but internally, she was furiously scoffing. "Men's words are indeed deceitful," she thought. Deep down, she knew very well that Zhao Long wasn't a good person.
Yang Yuxin was curious. Why did Su Chen want them to despise him?
After all, in terms of looks and background, they were among the most elite. Yet, Su Chen still seemed to disdain them.
At first, when Su Chen shunned her, she always attributed it to Lin Qingyan's influence. But now, it seemed that wasn't the case at all. So, who could it be? There weren't many women around Su Chen.
Soon, another woman came to her mind: Su Xian'er. If Lin Qingyan was the person Yang Yuxin disliked the most, then Su Xian'er was no different. As a child, she saw Su Chen and Su Xian'er share intimate moments countless times. The most infuriating instance was when Su Xian'er, right in front of her, climbed up Su Chen's pants and settled on his waist.
"There's a supermarket nearby. Let's go have a look, consider it a post-dinner walk," Su Chen suggested, a bit exasperated. These female leads weren't playing by the rules.
Left with no other options, he, the villain in this narrative, could only try to steer the story back on track. Thinking of the dark, unknown path to success, Su Chen felt a growing urge to venture forth.
"Why go to a supermarket? What's there to see in such a small place?" Yang Danxuan instinctively wanted to decline, for she was well-aware of events from a previous life. Especially now, seeing Zhao Long lurking in the shadows, she grew more apprehensive.
She knew all too well that Zhao Long was Qin Yu's man. He would undoubtedly seize this opportunity to cause a fire, bringing significant trouble for Su Chen. Under these circumstances, how could she willingly let Su Chen enter?
"I'll go with you; the rest of you can stay outside," Chen Yuxin and Yang Danxuan spoke simultaneously.
They both knew what was about to happen next.
It was incredibly risky, and naturally, they didn't want their close friends to get hurt. However, if Su Chen wanted to go in, they were willing as well.
Despite the danger, they both had confidence in their ability to protect themselves. Moreover, adversity reveals true colors, and this was an opportunity to get closer to Su Chen. The two clearly understood that Su Chen wasn't genuinely fond of them, so they wanted to seize this chance to strengthen their bond, removing Lin Qingyan from the equation.
"No, only I should go in with Su Chen." They looked at each other and said in unison.
Yang Yuxin, the only one who could hear Su Chen's inner thoughts, was perplexed. She knew from his thoughts that it was perilous inside. Given this, why would Su Chen allow Chen Yuxin and her sister, Yang Danxuan, to go in? Yang Yuxin guessed that Su Chen probably wanted to play the hero, trying to win over the heart of the damsel in distress.
"Fine," she thought, "I assumed you truly loved only Su Xian'er. It seems you're just playing hard to get. Not on my watch."
"In that case, let's all go in together. It's not like we're heading into some dangerous place." Saying this, Yang Yuxin took the lead and walked ahead, flashing a sly grin when she thought no one was watching.
Su Chen was elated. Yang Yuxin was truly marvelous. He was pondering how to get all three of them inside. After all, just involving the Chen or Yang families alone wouldn't be sufficient. Who knew what formidable tricks Su Long, his undeserving father, had up his sleeve? It would be best to offend both families.
With this in mind, Su Chen led the three of them into the supermarket.
While doing so, Su Chen didn't forget to glance at Zhao Long, who was hidden in a corner, and gave him a nod of approval. However, he wasn't aware that Zhao Long was trembling, his expression fraught with complexity.
To claim that Zhao Long wasn't afraid would be a lie. After all, he was dealing with some of the most influential forces in China. If anything went awry, his life would undoubtedly be in peril. Yet, being a loyal follower of Qin Yu, he would obey his commands without question, no matter the circumstances.
Thinking this, Zhao Long discreetly took out a handgun and a prepared bomb, hiding outside, ready to detonate it at the right moment.
Upon entering, the familiar scenes, environment, and even the sales clerks – who looked exactly the same as in his previous life – greeted them. Although Su Chen had not explored this small supermarket in depth before, he had paid some attention when he had rushed in to rescue someone in the past.
Yang Danxuan began to recount tales from her filming days to Su Chen, such as the gossip between a certain director and a female actress. However, Su Chen wasn't interested in her anecdotes. His mind was preoccupied with how to navigate the unfolding events in the plot.
He hadn't been concerned before, but now the situation felt immensely awkward. If something were to happen to the three main female characters, endangering their lives, what would he do? As a villainous supporting male character, was he supposed to save the female leads?
Of course, that was impossible, as it didn't align with his character's design. So, what should he do? With Qin Yu presumably dead somewhere, he couldn't just let the three crucial female leads perish in a fire. In such an essential plot point, where was Qin Yu, the tenacious main male character? Su Chen couldn't help but think that this male lead was truly talented for being so elusive.
Damn! Su Chen mentally ranted, "I'm truly at a loss for words with you main female characters. Even if you've gained the ability to think, don't go altering the plot on a whim."
All I want is to play the role of the villain who's meant to be defeated by you. Su Chen vowed that if given a chance, he'd make these leading ladies realize just how straightforward he was – as clear as a lone plume of smoke in the vast desert, and as profound as the setting sun over a long river.
He truly wanted to leave right then and there. But if he did, and the three leading ladies were to perish in a fire, the story would undoubtedly spiral into chaos, and all subsequent plot developments would be ruined.
The current plot was already convoluted enough. If any more unexpected events took place, Su Chen might as well go to Su Xian'er's room and experience the "brain cushion wave" for himself.
Of course, Su Chen wouldn't allow such things to happen. Why would he actively explore the unknown, when he could simply coast through the plot lying down?
But what should he do now? Despite pondering from every angle, Su Chen couldn't come up with a good solution.