Shi Yue had just settled into an empty classroom when Shi Fang followed her, refusing to let her go.
Having already suffered defeat twice, this time, Shi Fang didn't engage Shi Yue directly. Instead, she handed her phone over. "My father wants to speak with you."
Looking at the phone, Shi Yue suddenly chuckled. "Cousin, how old are you?"
"I'm only a year older than you." Shi Fang frowned. "Did you forget that?"
"Shi Nan is still in high school, and even he doesn't call his parents for help when he loses an argument." Shi Yue leaned back casually, teasing her. "Tsk, in that regard, you and Leng Mingchuan are quite a match."
Both always running to their parents.
Shi Fang's face darkened with anger.
Before she could do something irrational, Shi Yue slowly took the phone and put it to her ear.
On the other end was her uncle, Shi Wen, the current head of the Shi family business.
He started with a direct question, "What did the Leng family say?"
Shi Yue tapped her finger lightly on the table, pondering how to respond. Shi Wen wasn't like Shi Fang, a simple-minded rich second-generation; while he lacked business acumen, his scheming was not to be underestimated.
"Leng Mingchuan refused the marriage, and his grandfather cut off his financial support."
Upon hearing this, Shi Wen immediately criticized her sternly, "Couldn't you have mediated? If Young Master Leng is so adamant and this marriage falls through, do you want to drag the entire family down with you?"
"Uncle," Shi Yue reclined in her chair, "Has the company truly reached the point where it can't survive without the Leng family's support?"
"Heh." Shi Wen sneered. "What do you know, little girl? You just need to—"
"No." Shi Yue cut him off. "I call you 'uncle' out of courtesy. Now, I'm questioning you as the largest shareholder of Shi Nuo.
"Chairman Shi, has the company really reached a dead end under your management all these years?"
There was an audible gasp from Shi Wen on the other end.
Quickly, his voice turned furious from the affront. "Did your mother put these ideas in your head?"
"Don't drag my mother into this. I'm an adult and can take responsibility for my words." Shi Yue glanced at Shi Fang. "I'll be attending the shareholders' meeting at the end of the month. If you can't answer this now, save it for a detailed report to all shareholders then."
Shi Wen exclaimed, "Are you crazy? Since when do you have the right to command me?!"
Shi Yue hung up the call.
It was hard for her to imagine how the original female lead could have such a pushover personality, allowing her useless uncle's family to use her while simultaneously looking down on her.
Shi Fang's eyes widened. "You dared to hang up on my dad."
"If you keep staying here, I might just go crazy and hit you too." Shi Yue tossed the phone back to her.
Shi Fang scoffed, but as she saw Shi Yue's serious expression, her face grew more solemn. "You… you really dare to hit me?"
Shi Yue rubbed her wrist, still smiling brightly.
"Why don't you try and see?"
Instinctively, Shi Fang took two steps back.
Her face flushed with anger and embarrassment. She stomped her foot twice and turned to leave the classroom.
As luck would have it, she was planning to head home to complain to her father but had barely exited the building when she noticed a familiar car parked nearby. Not far from the car, under the shade of some trees, the Leng family aunt and nephew were talking.
More accurately, Leng Yanmi stood with her arms crossed, speaking to a dejected-looking Leng Mingchuan.
Leng Mingchuan, the once proud rich second-generation heir, was now as obedient as a lamb before his aunt. Leng Yanmi's expression was still relatively gentle, but he was already hunching his shoulders, not daring to talk back.
Shi Fang wasn't going to miss this opportunity. She crept closer, finding a hidden spot to eavesdrop.
"…Until Grandpa changes his mind, I won't go back," Leng Mingchuan said, trying to maintain a pitiful hint of defiance. "Auntie, can you talk to him for me?"
Leng Yanmi asked, "If you don't go back, where do you plan to stay?"
"Anywhere is fine. I won't die." Leng Mingchuan shrugged nonchalantly.
Leng Yanmi frowned. "Do you dislike Miss Shi that much?"
"Of course!" Leng Mingchuan suddenly grew agitated, his gaze intense as he countered, "Would you marry that Shi Yue?"
"…" Leng Yanmi froze.
Leng Mingchuan had intended this as a rhetorical question, not expecting his aunt to answer. However, he didn't anticipate the complicated expression and awkward silence he received in response.
Raised under Leng Yanmi's tutelage, he was more attuned to her emotions than others. Now, a vague and unsettling premonition arose within him.
So, despite being the one who posed the question, he was the one to change the subject awkwardly. "Ahem, I mean, uh, who would ever fancy someone like Shi Yue… Two-faced and all, she's really good at pretending…"
Leng Yanmi replied, "You're being biased."
Leng Mingchuan's eyes widened. "Auntie, what did she do to brainwash you?"
Leng Yanmi averted her gaze, seemingly lost in thought. Unintentionally, her eyes landed on Shi Fang, who was eavesdropping not far away.
Seeing she was caught, Shi Fang awkwardly stepped forward and greeted them. "President Leng, Young Master Leng… What a coincidence running into you here."
"Who are you?" Leng Mingchuan didn't even remember her.
"I'm Shi Fang. We met at the engagement party, remember?" Shi Fang tried to maintain an air of elegance.
The next moment, she bowed deeply to the two. "Shi Yue is young and inexperienced. Recently, she's offended the Leng family. As her older cousin, I apologize on her behalf."
"Hah." Leng Mingchuan sneered. "At least you have some sense, unlike your sister."
Encouraged by his words, Shi Fang's smile grew more sincere.
She tucked her hair behind her ear, then sighed. "We can't help it. Shi Yue's father passed away when she was young, and she was never properly disciplined. To be honest, not only you, but even my father isn't taken seriously by her. Just now, when my father called out of concern, she hung up on him after barely a few words. When I tried to talk to her, she kicked me out.
"I really don't know what to do anymore."
"Auntie, did you hear that?" Leng Mingchuan tugged on Leng Yanmi's sleeve. "Shi Yue is just a shrew!"
Leng Yanmi scrutinized Shi Fang, who was putting on an act.
Then she turned to her nephew. "How about we switch your marriage partner to her?"
"What?" Leng Mingchuan's mind went blank for a moment.
"You don't like Shi Yue, do you?" Leng Yanmi stated simply. "This one is also a Miss of the Shi family."
Shi Fang's face blushed red.
When the marriage with the Leng family was first arranged, she had been on the list of candidates. However, after her pheromones were tested and found to have only about a 60% match with Leng Mingchuan's, they chose the more compatible Shi Yue instead.
Had she not been surpassed in that aspect, as the daughter of the Shi family chairman, she would have had more claim to becoming Young Master Leng's wife.
Now, hearing the head of the Leng family suggest replacing the bride, Shi Fang felt her heart race.
She suppressed her excitement and spoke softly, "Young Master Leng is very good…"
"I don't want that!" Leng Mingchuan suddenly yelled so loudly that even passersby in the corridor turned to look in surprise.
However, Leng Mingchuan clearly didn't care about others' opinions. He continued to protest to Leng Yanmi, "Auntie, don't you understand what I mean?"
Leng Yanmi asked, "Didn't you say this Miss Shi is less annoying?"
She threw Leng Mingchuan's words back at him unchanged.
"She might be less annoying, but she's still a member of the Shi family!" Leng Mingchuan distanced himself from Shi Fang in disdain. "I don't want to have anything to do with them!"
"No." Leng Yanmi rejected the idea succinctly.
Shi Fang, who had been flushed with hope moments ago, now paled, not knowing how to react.
Faced with the Leng family aunt and nephew, who didn't take her seriously, she accidentally experienced the embarrassment and humiliation that Shi Yue once faced. Yet, she neither had the original female lead's magnanimity as the "sweet wife" nor Shi Yue's strong spirit. After figuring things out, she fled the scene that shattered her pride.
"I told you, there isn't a single normal person in the Shi family." Leng Mingchuan commented as he watched her leave.
"…" Leng Yanmi added, "Don't be biased."
With no outsiders around, Leng Mingchuan became serious again.
He said to Leng Yanmi, "The reason you want me to marry into the Shi family is to help expand my fashion company, right?"
For his coming-of-age ceremony, Leng Mingchuan received a fashion company registered in his name, both as a reward and a test.
But since he only knew how to have fun, the company had been managed by Leng Yanmi all these years.
Because she was the one in charge, the company had been doing quite well, just waiting for Shi family resources to make it shine.
Leng Mingchuan continued, "Auntie, starting tomorrow, I'll go work at the company. If I can build it up on my own, you won't have to force me into any marriage with the Shi or Chen family."
Leng Yanmi raised an eyebrow at this.
Her nephew having such ambitions didn't bother her; she was even a bit pleased. "Do you have confidence?"
"I've been around you since I was young, absorbing your influence. It's just a fashion company; how challenging can it be?" Having never been involved in business, Leng Mingchuan exuded confidence. "I'll definitely prove myself to you and Grandpa!"
Leng Yanmi nodded. "Alright."
Leng Mingchuan's eyes lit up. "Then, about the marriage with Shi Yue…"
"We'll talk about it later." Leng Yanmi looked at him. "Once you achieve something, I'm sure Grandpa won't make things difficult for you."
"Great!" Leng Mingchuan nodded enthusiastically.
Just then, his phone buzzed. After a glance, a sweet smile appeared on his lips. "Auntie, it's about time. I'm off to dinner."
Leng Yanmi gestured towards her car. "I'll take you out to eat."
"No need!" Leng Mingchuan quickly declined, already dashing away. "I have plans. I'll see you later."
He waved vigorously at her. "Auntie, take care."
With that, he disappeared.
Leng Yanmi could guess who he was meeting, but chose not to confront him.
She was about to leave when she noticed a familiar figure from the corner of her eye. Shi Yue had found the bread roll she bought from the campus shop too tough, so she had come out to buy some water.
The two met in the university corridor. After a moment of surprise, Shi Yue quickly put on the special smile she reserved for Leng Yanmi, her eyes narrowing with amusement. "Auntie!"
She stepped forward, speaking to her across the car. "Did you come to see me?"
Leng Yanmi lowered her gaze, looking at the car keys in her hand. "No."
"No?" Shi Yue's smile didn't fade. "So we're just destined to meet by chance, wherever we go."
"…" Leng Yanmi was at a loss for words.
Shi Yue casually suggested, "It's getting late. Want to have dinner together?"
"Sure." Leng Yanmi replied.
Shi Yue was about to tease further when that simple "sure" threw her off her rhythm.
She widened her eyes in surprise. "You agreed?"
Why did Leng Yanmi agree so easily? She was just making polite conversation before going to get water to wash down the bread.
"Get in." Leng Yanmi got into the car and pressed the unlock button, opening the door on Shi Yue's side.
Shi Yue squinted slightly, her mind racing with thoughts out of Leng Yanmi's view.
But these thoughts only took a moment. Before she knew it, she was in the car, leaning closer to Leng Yanmi under the pretext of fastening her seatbelt.
"Auntie, my class starts at 7:30. We have two hours to be alone."
Leng Yanmi glanced at her, focusing on starting the car. She didn't respond, but a faint blush crept up her ears.