Song Liang’s mournful look successfully made Fei Yun feel as though she were leading a promising young man astray.
She hurriedly retracted her suggestion and told him to forget she had said anything.
Song Liang didn’t say much. He merely sighed softly and said he would quit after tonight, but hoped she wouldn’t tell Mr. Liang just yet.
Already feeling guilty, Fei Yun looked at this seemingly kind, resilient university student taking his first steps into society. How could she refuse?
Not only did she agree, she promised to pay his outstanding wages and the bonus in full.
Song Liang thanked her sincerely.
His manner softened her heart further. She exchanged WeChat details with him and told him to contact her if he ever ran into trouble, quite plainly treating him like a younger brother.
3085 watched, dumbfounded, and lavishly praised its host’s acting.
Song Liang offered no comment.
He might enjoy having fun, but he wasn’t a reckless brute. When force was needed, he used force. When force couldn’t solve a problem—or there was an easier way—he had no objection to putting on a little performance.
Of course, that approach only worked on softhearted people like Ms. Fei.
【I think it works pretty well on the main villain too.】
“Does it?”
【Have you forgotten how he treated the original owner after being betrayed in the original plot?】
Song Liang certainly hadn’t forgotten.
Thanks to Xiao Ji’s scheme, Xiao Yi had caught the original owner attempting to steal documents, dragged him into a basement, and subjected him to a series of cold, merciless interrogations and abuse.
Although the descriptions were indirect, the original owner’s condition had been shown through the eyes of Xiao Yi’s subordinates.
It amounted to this: covered in wounds, scarcely recognizable as human.
That alone demonstrated the brutality of his methods. It also fit the original portrayal of Xiao Yi, a late-stage villain abandoned by everyone because of his cruelty and authoritarian ways.
Yet Song Liang couldn’t reconcile that villain with the Xiao Yi he had met.
3085 immediately became wary.
【What do you mean? You’re not switching sides just because he’s handsome, are you? He’s the main villain!】
“I’m not switching sides. I just don’t think he’s the kind of villain the original plot describes.”
【A villain is a villain. What kinds are there to distinguish?】
Rather than answer, Song Liang asked, “Then would you say I’m a villain in Xiao Ji’s eyes right now?”
3085 choked.
Of course he was.
He had ruined the man’s engagement banquet, taken his family heirloom, and kept using it to demand marriage. He could hardly be more villainous.
In some respects, its host had behaved worse than Xiao Yi.
“We’re on opposite sides because our interests differ. So even if Xiao Ji sees me as a bad person, I’ll keep doing it. I have my own interests to protect.”
“I don’t know what makes Xiao Yi and Xiao Ji turn against each other later, but right now, Xiao Yi doesn’t seem like the ruthless villain in the original plot who wouldn’t spare even his own nephew.”
Then he suddenly asked, “Does this instance have a hidden storyline?”
His mind fell silent.
After a long pause, 3085 answered weakly.
【… Yes.】
Song Liang paused.
He had only asked casually. There really was one?
Before he could ask more, the system explained.
【Since the instance’s difficulty increased, the mission objectives became harder too. As the plot progresses, you’ll receive more hidden information. Correspondingly, the storyline will become more complex.】
In other words, because the problem had become harder, more information was provided so the person solving it wouldn’t lack the necessary pieces to reach an answer.
“Wasn’t this supposed to be a beginner instance? How complicated can the plot get?”
【… It stopped being one when you kicked it up to rank A.】
3085 still sounded aggrieved whenever that came up.
【This instance is no longer the simple story the original owner understood, about a simp marrying into a wealthy family. It’s now a complete world.】
【A complete world has its own course of development. Every character acts according to their own reasoning and goals, so naturally the plot becomes more complex. Your job is to fulfill the main objectives and change the original owner’s fate within a storyline consistent with this world’s internal logic.】
【Of course, every detail doesn’t have to match the original. As long as the major plot points align, it’s fine. You’ve probably noticed that already.】
Song Liang had indeed noticed.
His storyline had gone off course the moment he kicked Xiao Wenyu unconscious, yet the plot had continued. Many of the details had simply changed.
His encounters with Xiao Yi, Xiao Yuanchun, and the others, for instance, hadn’t happened in the original plot until after the original owner became engaged to Xiao Ji.
Meanwhile, he still hadn’t met the Song family even once.
Clearly, some events had moved forward while others had been delayed. The eventual ending would naturally change too.
Although his resignation was settled, tonight’s work wasn’t over. Song Liang was about to return to the private room when Chi Yi pulled him aside.
“So you’ve hooked up with Mr. Liang?”
Chi Yi asked with a suggestive look.
Song Liang raised a brow.
Fei Yun had deliberately spoken to him out of Chi Yi’s earshot, so Chi Yi didn’t know he had rejected her suggestion.
When Song Liang said nothing, Chi Yi gave a mocking smile.
“You’re clever, I’ll give you that. He’s Chairman Liang’s only son, so the Xinhe Group will definitely be his someday. If you can’t get into the Xiao family, the Liang family is a decent alternative.”
Song Liang had known from Liang Ziyu’s character profile that he wasn’t an only son, but there was no reason to explain that to Chi Yi.
He merely smiled and repeated what he had said before.
“When Xiao Ji and I get engaged, I’ll send you an invitation.”
Chi Yi scoffed.
The man had truly lost his mind. Flirting with Mr. Liang while still dreaming of marrying into the Xiao family.
Ridiculous.
Song Liang didn’t care whether he believed him. He turned and entered the private room.
Exasperated, Chi Yi opened WeChat and sent a voice message to a friend.
“Jiahe, listen to this. One of my coworkers is an absolute weirdo…”
“…”
Meanwhile, Xiao Yi removed his mask as soon as he left the casino.
Just as Yang Xuan had expected, his expression was frighteningly cold.
Yang Xuan didn’t dare ask questions. He opened the car door for him, then dutifully took the driver’s seat. Throughout the journey, he barely dared breathe too loudly.
Only after they entered the Huayin district, while waiting at a red light, did a Range Rover happen to stop in front of them.
Yang Xuan’s brain abruptly short-circuited.
“Sir, do you still want the Range Rover you asked me to arrange tonight?”
He had barely finished asking when sweat began pouring down his back, before the man behind him could even reply.
He was an idiot!
His employer wasn’t a car enthusiast. Obviously, that Land Rover was meant for someone else.
But given how tense things had been in the corridor, the negotiations must have fallen through. Why on earth had he brought it up?
He was practically begging for trouble.
Too frightened to look in the rearview mirror, he was wondering whether to try to salvage the conversation or offer a few words of comfort when a voice finally came from behind him.
“Keep it for now.”
Keep it?
Yang Xuan paused.
He knew his employer wasn’t interested in cars like Land Rovers. So had they reached an agreement or not?
He stole a look through the rearview mirror.
His employer’s expression was just as cold and still as when he had first entered the car, discouraging any intrusion.
Gathering his courage, Yang Xuan asked, “How did your conversation with Kevin… go?”
After a brief silence, Xiao Yi answered evenly, “He said he wanted a week to think.”
That sounded promising to Yang Xuan, who smiled.
“Then congratulations in advance, sir.”
Xiao Yi glanced at him through the mirror, wondering what there was to congratulate him for.
Song Liang was the one who deserved congratulations.
After all, Xiao Yi was willing to overlook his theft of the Emperor’s Tear, offer him money and protection, and keep him from remaining in that unsavory place or suffering Liang Ziyu’s retaliation.
Yet the young man didn’t seem to consider any of that cause for celebration.
First he wanted a week to think. Then he kicked Xiao Yi and went to hide behind Liang Ziyu.
“I told him to come back with me tonight. He refused and insisted on staying to work.”
“Perhaps he doesn’t quite trust you yet? He hasn’t received the car, and it hasn’t been transferred into his name. If you asked him to leave with you before that, perhaps he was reluctant?”
Xiao Yi paused.
He suddenly recalled Song Liang’s repeated questions and distrust when asking for the Land Rover in the stairwell. His brows drew together.
So he had resisted because he was afraid Xiao Yi would go back on the deal?
Xiao Yi frowned slightly, displeased that Song Liang apparently had such a poor opinion of him.
At the same time, much of his anger dissipated.
At least he had found a reason for the sudden attack.
It was only money. He could give him that.
His fingertips tapped the silver mask resting in his palm.
“Yang Xuan. Draft a contract.”
“What kind of contract?”
Was his employer planning to buy the casino?
“A contract for our arrangement.”
“…”
Yang Xuan turned the steering wheel with a perfectly blank expression, unable to believe his ears.
Weren’t they supposed to be avoiding the domineering-CEO storyline?
Now there was even a contract for keeping a lover?!
Perhaps his silence was too conspicuous, because Xiao Yi offered a rare explanation.
“If he doesn’t believe me, I’ll give him something he can believe.”
What could Yang Xuan say?
Nothing at all. Like the assistants in the CEO romance novels he had read, he could only reply, “Of course, boss.”
Meanwhile, Song Liang finished work early and messaged Xiao Ji to arrange a meeting the following day.
The reply came quickly: yes.
Just as Song Liang had expected, Xiao Ji was anxious.
3085 couldn’t help reflecting on it.
【It certainly hasn’t been easy. After all this effort, you’ve finally taken the first step toward marrying into a wealthy family.】
Song Liang replied casually.
【The wedding’s only a matter of time.】
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