Help! Please Take the Heroine Away [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 16

Promise what?

Ye Qingyu’s long lashes fluttered slightly as she pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Strangely, she felt no resistance to this matter at all. Her voice was calm as she said, “Classmate Zhou, this has nothing to do with you.”

“See that, Yanfeng? Even Ye Qingyu said it has nothing to do with you. You should stop caring about her from now on!” Seeing how cooperative Ye Qingyu was, Xie Mingyao shot her an approving glance and spoke with a smile.

Zhou Yanfeng glared at her, his face darkening with anger. “Enough, Xie Mingyao! Didn’t I tell you not to bully Ye Qingyu just because of your status? Are you ignoring me?”

Xie Mingyao’s cheerful expression froze instantly. She looked up at Zhou Yanfeng, her eyes slightly reddening, her voice trembling. “Yanfeng, you.”

The pitiful look on her face was a far cry from her earlier arrogance more like a drenched, helpless kitten, albeit one with sharp claws.

Zhou Yanfeng felt not an ounce of sympathy, only growing more irritated and disgusted. He pointed at Xie Mingyao and warned, “Xie Mingyao, this is my final warning. Outside, don’t come looking for me or act familiar with me.”

Ignoring Xie Mingyao, who was on the verge of tears, Zhou Yanfeng grabbed Ye Qingyu’s hand to leave, only for her to pull away.

“Let’s go, Ye Qingyu,” Zhou Yanfeng said stiffly, though he didn’t lose his temper, speaking in a gentle tone instead.

Ye Qingyu silently glanced at Xie Mingyao, accidentally meeting her jealous gaze. After a brief pause, she shook her head lightly. “Classmate Zhou, I think Xie Mingyao is a good person. You should try to understand her better instead of judging her by appearances. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Xie Mingyao, look at Ye Qingyu so kind-hearted. When will you ever be like her?” Zhou Yanfeng sneered before striding off after Ye Qingyu.

Xie Mingyao’s lips twitched as she muttered to the system, This male lead must have some serious issues.

The system replied gloomily, You’re the villainess, it’s normal for the male lead to dislike you.

Xie Mingyao was speechless. But I haven’t done anything to the female lead yet.

The system countered, You’ve caused trouble for her before, and there have been misunderstandings multiple times.

Xie Mingyao rolled her eyes, too lazy to argue further. The male and female leads were the system’s darlings even if the male lead had flaws, the system would just make excuses for him.

When Xie Mingyao entered, a staff member led her to the lounge. Inside, Ye Qingyu and Zhou Yanfeng were already seated, two cups of tea placed on the table before them.

As if forgetting Zhou Yanfeng’s earlier coldness, Xie Mingyao strode over and stood before Ye Qingyu, commanding haughtily, “Move. The seat next to Yanfeng is mine.”

Just as Ye Qingyu was about to stand, Zhou Yanfeng stopped her, his voice laced with disgust. “Enough, Xie Mingyao. I decide who sits next to me.”

“Ye Qingyu, have you forgotten your place?” Xie Mingyao gritted her teeth, directing her anger at the innocent Ye Qingyu.

Ye Qingyu met Xie Mingyao’s gaze with dark eyes. Under her arrogant stare, she stepped forward and said softly, “I know. I belong to you.”

Although it was just an ordinary sentence, Xie Mingyao couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something oddly suggestive about it. She shot a suspicious glance at Ye Qingyu, only to meet the latter’s utterly sincere expression.

“What are you talking about, Ye? What do you mean by saying you’re Xie Mingyao’s person?” Zhou Yanfeng frowned.

Xie Mingyao preemptively answered with evident pride, “Of course, it’s because I helped treat her mother’s illness, and in return, she agreed to be my servant. From now on, when I say east, she can’t go west. Right, Ye Qingyu?”

Her smug, triumphant little expression was like a kitten proudly flaunting its victory. Ye Qingyu’s eyes darkened slightly, but in front of Zhou Yanfeng, she nodded again. “Right.”

Zhou Yanfeng glared at Xie Mingyao. “Xie Mingyao, how could you humiliate Ye like this? Ye, how much money do you need? I’ll pay it. Don’t listen to her.”

Panic flared in Xie Mingyao at his words, but fortunately, Ye Qingyu didn’t agree. Instead, she replied coolly, “I’m sorry, Zhou, but I’ve already accepted Xie’s terms.”

“Don’t call me ‘Xie.’ Starting today, you should change how you address me.”

The girl standing before her had a bright, delicate face with slightly upturned eyes. The crimson teardrop mole beneath the outer corner of her eye added a touch of allure to her otherwise pure, almond-shaped gaze.

The golden tassels on her earrings swayed faintly as she tilted her head, exuding an air of aristocratic elegance and striking beauty. She looked down at Ye Qingyu with arrogance, her chin slightly raised like a haughty little princess.

A sudden itch stirred in Ye Qingyu’s heart as she recalled how Xie Mingyao had trembled and cried in fear the night before in her own home.

Like a fragile little creature only appearing intimidating and venomous on the outside. But once that hard exterior was broken through, one could touch the soft underbelly.

Pitiable, yet irresistibly tempting to torment further.

Ye Qingyu spoke softly, “Miss.”

“Wrong!” Xie Mingyao immediately raised a finger, wagging it side to side as she declared imperiously, “You should call me ‘Master.’ Go on, say it.”

By all rights, it should have been humiliating. But to Ye Qingyu, rather than feeling degraded, the words carried an entirely different weight.

What a fitting title. It seemed to awaken the most wicked thoughts and impulses in her heart. Her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched tightly as she forcibly suppressed the rapid pounding in her chest.

Yet, to Zhou Yanfeng and Xie Mingyao, Ye Qingyu’s reaction appeared to be one of barely contained humiliation and fury.

“Ye—”

Ye Qingyu’s gaze swept over Xie Mingyao’s face, her dark, ink-like eyes taking on an almost tangible intensity. Her voice carried an indescribable emotion as she uttered, “Master.”

The room fell silent in an instant not just for the staff member who had just entered with tea, but also for Zhou Yanfeng on the sofa and Xie Mingyao, who had been watching the scene unfold with amusement.

Xie Mingyao’s lips parted slightly as she stared at Ye Qingyu in disbelief.

Even though it was Ye Qingyu who had spoken those two words, for some reason, Xie Mingyao’s own ears suddenly burned.

That deliberately lowered, crystalline voice sent a faint shiver through her.

Like a weak electric current, the tingling sensation spread from her spine, leaving half her body numb. Xie Mingyao’s breathing gradually quickened, her fair skin flushing a delicate shade of peach.

“You, how could you.” Xie Mingyao’s lips twitched, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. She wanted to call Ye Qingyu shameless, but then it occurred to her wasn’t this form of address something she herself had allowed Ye Qingyu to use?

It felt like she’d lifted a rock only to drop it on her own foot.

Suppressing the discomfort in her heart, Xie Mingyao turned to leave the room. “I need to step out for a moment.”

“Wait.” Seeing Xie Mingyao pause, the others in the room snapped out of their daze. The officer who had called them in to discuss the matter spoke up, “We haven’t even gotten to the main issue yet.”

The atmosphere in the room was heavy. Ye Qingyu never expected that the people who had attacked her from next door had been acting under someone’s orders. But the mastermind behind it was skilled, it would take time to uncover who it was.

Just who could hate her so much?

Ye Qingyu frowned, racking her brain for answers. Beside her, Zhou Yanfeng’s expression darkened, and he instinctively turned to Xie Mingyao, demanding sharply, “Xie Mingyao, was it you who bribed them behind the scenes?”

The officer’s sharp gaze immediately fell on Xie Mingyao, filled with scrutiny and suspicion. The intensity of that look made Xie Mingyao uneasy. She cursed inwardly, wondering if the male lead had lost his mind, but outwardly, she wore an expression of wronged indignation.

“Yanfeng, I may dislike Ye Qingyu, but I don’t hate her to this extent. Besides, I was there last night too would I have endangered myself as well?”

Zhou Yanfeng scoffed. “Who knows if you did it on purpose.”

“Yanfeng, is this really how you see me?” Xie Mingyao’s voice trembled slightly. Her tone was soft and sweet, naturally alluring, and the quiver in her voice only made her seem more pitiable and captivating.

But Zhou Yanfeng felt nothing but disgust. Before he could speak, however, Ye Qingyu calmly interjected, “She didn’t do it.”

“See? Even Ye Qingyu says it wasn’t me.” Though puzzled as to why Ye Qingyu would defend her, Xie Mingyao immediately shifted her demeanor, adopting an air of arrogance.

The abrupt change in mood left even the officer stunned and impressed.

Zhou Yanfeng gazed at Ye Qingyu with deep affection. “Ye Qingyu, you don’t always have to defend her. Someone as malicious as her.”

“Zhou Yanfeng, I’ve told you countless times, I don’t like you. Please stop wasting your time on me. And besides, she’s saved me multiple times. I trust her.” Ye Qingyu frowned slightly, cutting him off with visible annoyance. Her dark eyes met his, calm and indifferent.

Zhou Yanfeng stared at her in disbelief. Having grown up pampered and adored, he had always brushed off Ye Qingyu’s usual cold but polite rejections. But now, her outright dismissal left him humiliated.

“Fine. I’ll take my leave then.” With that, Zhou Yanfeng turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.

Once he was gone, Xie Mingyao stood up from her chair and studied Ye Qingyu skeptically. “Were you serious just now?”

“Of course. You are my master, after all. So, can we leave now?” Ye Qingyu stepped closer, locking eyes with Xie Mingyao.

She was half a head taller than Xie Mingyao, and her cool, detached aura brought with it an unmistakable sense of pressure whenever she drew near.

Xie Mingyao gave her an awkward push from behind, her ears turning red as she wanted to stop her from using that somewhat embarrassing term of address. But then she remembered that she was the one who had asked her to call her that in the first place. If she rejected it now, wouldn’t Ye Qingyu laugh at her?

After a long internal struggle, Xie Mingyao finally accepted the term. She turned around haughtily and issued a light, airy command: “Fine, come back with me now.”

Ye Qingyu returned once more to the home where Xie Mingyao lived still that luxurious mansion she could never afford even if she worked hard for two lifetimes.

This time, however, Ye Qingyu was no longer a guest.

Xie Mingyao lounged lazily on the sofa, legs crossed, one foot dangling and swaying idly in the air. Her striking face was full of arrogance as she said, “Since you’re the maid now, you should know what to do, right?”

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