Chapter 6: Me, Mrs. Gu
If she were to form a group now to take down the male and female leads, the original novel’s readers would probably be pulling their hair out for at least ten chapters. But Shen Xi had no intention of following the original plot to a tragic end.
She reached out and pulled Su Kexin closer, forming a small circle with Shen Zekai. To an outsider, they might look like three villains scheming their next move against the heroine.
“Since we’re all here, there’s something I want to tell you.”
“Sister, are we finally going after that manipulator girl? This time, I swear I’ll make it perfect,” Shen Zekai’s eyes lit up, eager to take down Lin Yueyue, the female lead.
“What are you even thinking? What I mean is… we’re going to stay far away from Shi Jingyan and Lin Yueyue from now on.”
Shen Xi crossed her arms and spoke with firm resolve. She actually felt a little sorry for these two. In the original novel, their entire existence revolved around being stepping stones for the leads.
Shen Zekai and Su Kexin exchanged looks, both seeing the same shock in each other’s eyes.
“Xixi…”
“Sister…”
“I’ve figured things out. From now on, I’m just going to focus on being Mrs. Gu.” (°∀°)b
Shen Zekai’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Siters, but… haven’t you always loved Shi Jingyan? You even—”
Shen Xi had no interest in hearing about the original host’s embarrassing, one-sided obsession. She lightly patted Zekai’s arm, cutting him off.
“That’s all in the past. Now, go home first. Keke and I still have something to do. In a few days, I’ll take you out for a meal, just the two of us. Be good.”
With that, she grabbed Su Kexin’s hand and turned toward the white sedan parked nearby.
She lifted her left hand in a casual wave, saying goodbye to Shen Zekai with a carefree energy that almost made her seem cool.
Zekai stared at her in a daze.
But then a thought struck him, his beloved sister had changed so much. She must have been heartbroken from unrequited love.
“Looks like I still need to find a chance to deal with that green tea witch. Only my sister is worthy of Shi Jingyan.”
……………………………….
Meanwhile, Shen Xi walked hand in hand with Su Kexin, secretly sizing her up. This was the novel’s infamous sidekick villain, now standing right in front of her in the flesh.
But honestly? Su Kexin wasn’t as annoying as the novel described. In fact, she seemed kind of cute and fiercely loyal.
According to the original story, Su Kexin came from a middle-class family and had spent a fortune to attend the “elite” school. She was two grades below Shen Xi and the leads.
Back then, Su Kexin had been overweight and was immediately bullied by her classmates. Shen Xi, the school’s famous beauty, happened to witness one such bullying incident. With just a simple offhand remark, she made the bullies back off.
From that moment on, in Su Kexin’s eyes, Shen Xi was like an angel. A beam of light in her dark world. She devoted herself to Shen Xi, always following her around like a loyal servant.
The original Shen Xi, however, had actually disliked Su Kexin. She found her ugly and dumb. But keeping her around as a lackey had its advantages. She could use her as a runner and a backdrop to highlight her own beauty.
“Xixi, is there something on my face?”
Su Kexin felt shy under Shen Xi’s intense gaze. Her question snapped Shen Xi back to reality.
“Mhm, there is. My Keke… is a little cutie.”
Before she could stop herself, Shen Xi reached out and gently pinched Su Kexin’s soft cheeks.
How could the original host let such an adorable girl do such terrible things?
Her words made Su Kexin blush slightly. This was the first time Shen Xi had ever complimented her. Before, she always called her by her full name, but now… this affectionate nickname. It made her feel unexpectedly flattered.
As they approached the white sedan, Shen Xi finally noticed that someone had been sitting in the driver’s seat the whole time. A handsome young man who had been there since they arrived.
Next to her, Su Kexin’s face turned redder. She leaned in close to whisper in Shen Xi’s ear, her breath carrying a faint, intoxicating scent of alcohol.
"Xixi, he's my boyfriend. We've been together for a while now. He’s... the son of the restaurant owner where I work part-time."
Shen Xi was momentarily stunned before breaking into a bright smile.
"Congratulations."
She and Su Kexin had completely different perspectives. In her past life as a man, if Keke had been her girlfriend, there was no way she would have stayed in the car while Keke rushed into danger. She would have instinctively stepped forward to protect her.
But Shen Xi couldn’t say much about it now. She could only remind Keke in subtle ways later.
The two of them got into the back seat. The moment they settled in, the man in the driver's seat fixed his gaze on Shen Xi through the rearview mirror, his eyes filled with intrigue.
He was instantly captivated by her stunning beauty and unique aura. Su Kexin had mentioned before that she had a friend from a wealthy family, a real heiress, and that she was exceptionally beautiful.
She even told him not to stare at her when he saw her. At the time, he didn't take it seriously, thinking that a girl from an ordinary family like Su Kexin wouldn't know any rich young lady.
But, now…
"I've heard so much about Miss Shen's captivating beauty, and now that I've seen it with my own eyes, I know the rumors were true. Hello, I'm Jiang Bailang."
Jiang Bailang slightly turned his body, adjusting himself to what he thought was his most attractive angle. His tone was formal, with a touch of flirtation.
"Hello."
Shen Xi responded politely with a small smile but didn’t spare him another glance. Instead, she turned to Su Kexin and started chatting with her as if he didn’t exist.
She hated the way Jiang Bailang looked at her. And the fact that he introduced himself without once mentioning "I’m Keke’s boyfriend."
As someone who had once been a man, she could tell in an instant. This guy was no good.
Now, she was even more determined to break up Keke’s relationship with him. Even her cheap little brother, Shen Zekai, would be a better match. At least Zekai was simple-hearted, if she trained him a little, he could actually be a reliable partner for Keke.
Jiang Bailang, feeling a little frustrated that his good looks didn’t faze Shen Xi, turned back and started the car. Hearing the soft laughter coming from the backseat, he couldn’t resist cutting in.
"Keke, this car is so old. If you’d told me earlier that Miss Shen needed a ride, I would’ve had my dad send a better car. After all, this one doesn’t really match Miss Shen’s status."
As he spoke, he kept sneaking glances at Shen Xi through the rearview mirror, admiring her flawless profile.
Hearing this, Shen Xi scoffed internally. She turned her head slightly, her sharp, confident gaze meeting his in the mirror. Jiang Bailang felt his heart skip a beat.
"I actually really like Keke’s car," she said flatly. "Besides, cars are just for getting around, what does status have to do with it? And also…"
She paused for a moment before adding, "I’m no longer ‘Miss Shen.’"
"You can call me Mrs. Gu."
Jiang Bailang’s eyes widened in shock, disbelief written all over his face.
"What?! You’re already married at such a young age?"
His voice was filled with poorly concealed disappointment.
Even Su Kexin, who wasn’t the sharpest when it came to romance, could tell something was off about her boyfriend’s reaction. Her eyes dimmed slightly, and she bit her lip.
Just then, a warm hand gently held her slightly cold one.
Shen Xi gave Keke’s soft hand a comforting squeeze, completely ignoring Jiang Bailang.
"Keke, why do you smell like alcohol?"
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Su Kexin instinctively answered honestly.
"Oh… earlier, we were drinking a little at the restaurant..."
Shen Xi pressed her hands together in an apologetic gesture.
"Ah, my bad, my bad! Keke, did I interrupt your date?"
As soon as she said it, she tilted her head in thought.
Wait a second… why does that line sound so familiar?