Help! Please Take the Heroine Away [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 24.3

Xie Mingyao was forcibly shaken out of her drowsiness. When she opened her eyes and saw her mother suddenly there, she startled, but as she tried to sit up, she realized her blanket had vanished.

“Mom!” Xie Mingyao’s face nearly turned green as she hurriedly grabbed the blanket to cover herself again.

Xie’s mother glared at her and poked her forehead. “Don’t you glare at me! Look at yourself, what did you do last night?”

“What did I do?” Xie Mingyao looked utterly confused and asked her system in her mind: [Did something happen last night?]

The system scrutinized her carefully: [You don’t know?]

Xie Mingyao smiled inwardly but maintained an innocent expression: [No, I don’t. What happened?]

The system, slightly relieved, replied: [Nothing much. You just almost got the male lead.]

Xie Mingyao’s eyes widened in shock: [But we’re still innocent, right?]

The system: [Of course. Otherwise, I would’ve electrocuted you already.]

Seeing Xie Mingyao still lost in thought, Xie’s mother pointed angrily at her neck. “What else? Look at these marks! Who were you fooling around with last night?”

Xie Mingyao gasped, covering her neck. “I wasn’t with anyone last night!”

“Don’t lie to me! I’m your mother, I know what these marks mean!” Xie’s mother was furious. “No matter what, this must stay a secret. If the Zhou family finds out, that boy already doesn’t want to marry you. This would give him the perfect excuse to call off the engagement!”

Xie Mingyao looked stunned. “But I don’t remember anything!”

“Whether you remember or not, whether it happened or not keep this to yourself!” Xie’s mother had no patience for excuses and spoke sternly.

Xie Mingyao could only nod. Satisfied, Xie’s mother stood up from the bed and instructed, “Hurry up and get ready. Bring your ID, household register, and passport. You’re flying abroad this afternoon. Just pack a couple of outfits, you can buy more there.”

After Mrs. Xie left, Xie Mingyao went to the bathroom. When she saw the marks on her neck in the mirror, her eyes widened, and she muttered to the system: [Isn’t the male lead supposed to be in love with the female lead? Why did he have to go and use his mouth on me?]

In romance novels, most male leads are portrayed as pure even if they indulge in revelry, they must still be virgins, never having even kissed a woman, let alone left marks on her neck.

The system responded rather guiltily: [Hey, the male lead must’ve mistaken you for the female lead.]

Xie Mingyao suddenly realized and said, “Luckily, they didn’t treat me as the female lead and take things further.”

The system thought to itself, if that had really happened, I would have electrocuted you!!

Seeing the system trying to justify itself, Xie Mingyao curled her lips slightly. After finishing her shower, she used makeup to cover the marks on her neck.

Soon, it was afternoon at the airport.

Ye Qingyu stood among the crowd not far away, watching Zhou Yanfeng sitting side by side with Xie Mingyao in the waiting area, their parents gathered around them giving some instructions.

Then she saw Xie Mingyao glance shyly at Zhou Yanfeng. Ye Qingyu clenched her fists tightly, her dark eyes fixed unblinkingly on Xie Mingyao, as if trying to etch her into her very bones.

Zhou Yanfeng frowned impatiently. Whether it was his parents or Xie Mingyao’s, they kept urging him to take good care of Xie Mingyao abroad. As if Xie Mingyao didn’t have hands or feet of her own?!

But he knew his protests would be useless, so he could only silently nod in perfunctory agreement. When he looked up and saw Ye Qingyu by the entrance, a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

“I need to step out for a moment.”

Before anyone could respond, Zhou Yanfeng had already stood up and walked out of the waiting area. When he spotted Ye Qingyu hiding nearby, the corners of his lips curled up.

“I knew it was you.”

Ye Qingyu gave him a cold glance, said nothing, and turned to leave.

“You can’t bear to let her go?” Zhou Yanfeng followed her, sneering as he spoke. “Ye Qingyu, this is your last chance. If you agree to my terms, not only will I leave her alone after I go abroad, but I’ll also help you in your career. What do you say?”

Someone as outstanding as Ye Qingyu, who also liked Xie Mingyao, would inevitably aim to rise higher than the Xie family. But doing it alone would be impossible.

People with desires would gradually sink deeper. He wanted to see just how far Ye Qingyu could go!

But this time, Ye Qingyu didn’t even spare him a glance. She strode out of the terminal.

The girl was slender and tall, her back straight as a ramrod. As she walked away, she resembled a proud, upright poplar tree.

Four years later.

Xie Mingyao dragged her suitcase out of the airport.

The July weather was scorching hot, and the coastal air was thick with humidity. As soon as Xie Mingyao stepped out of the terminal, a wave of heat hit her.

She looked around at the familiar faces of her fellow countrymen and the vast blue sky, barely able to contain her excitement. She almost wanted to throw her arms open and shout: Female lead, here I come!!

A private car was parked at the entrance. The window rolled down, and the driver smiled at her. “Yao Yao, get in quickly.”

Xie Mingyao walked over in surprise, first putting her luggage in the trunk, then opening the car door and settling in. As she fastened her seatbelt, she asked curiously, “Mom, why are you here? Where’s Dad? And why are you driving, where’s the family driver?”

The car moved along the road, the scenery on both sides unfamiliar. Xie Mingyao couldn’t help but marvel after just four years away, City A had changed so much.

“Your dad’s still at work. The driver had something to do, so I came to pick you up. What, you don’t like that?” Xie’s mother tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, a faint flicker in her gaze.

Xie Mingyao couldn’t help but grumble internally.

What a deception. If not for the plot, she might have actually been fooled by Mrs. Xie’s words. The Xie family was already on the verge of bankruptcy, with creditors watching them like hawks. Mr. and Mrs. Xie had no way to escape, so to divert attention, they had no choice but to call their daughter, who knew nothing while abroad back home. Naturally, the family driver had long been dismissed.

But on the surface, Xie Mingyao pretended to be delighted, her voice soft as she said, “Of course I’m happy. I was just curious, that’s all.”

The place they lived had changed too, it was now a modest one-bedroom apartment in an ordinary residential complex. When Xie Mingyao dragged her luggage into the cramped room, she was momentarily stunned.

“Mom, what’s going on here?”

A flicker of embarrassment flashed in Mrs. Xie’s eyes before she quickly pulled Xie Mingyao onto the sofa with a cheerful smile. “The house is too far from the airport, so we thought you could freshen up and rest here first. Your father has already reserved a private room at a restaurant. We’ll have dinner there before heading home.”

Xie Mingyao looked at her mother’s insincere expression and couldn’t help but sigh. She withdrew her hand and said, “Then I’ll go take a shower first.”

The bathroom was tiny, with no bathtub just a showerhead. Standing under the spray, Xie Mingyao closed her eyes and thought about this part of the story.

In the novel, after the original host returned to the country, she hadn’t even had time to rest before her parents tricked her into going to a restaurant under the pretense of a welcome dinner. In reality, they intended to hand her over to a company owner they owed money to as collateral, hoping to placate their creditors before fleeing abroad.

Though the original host wasn’t violated, she managed to escape she ran into the female lead, who was dining with the male lead at the time. Humiliated and jealous, she still begged for help. The male lead initially wanted nothing to do with her, but the female lead, cold on the outside but warm-hearted, stepped in to save her.

The original host even tried to seduce the male lead on the spot, only to be disgustedly pushed away. He then revealed the truth about the Xie family’s bankruptcy. Refusing to believe it, she returned home to find their villa had long been repossessed, leaving only this rented one-bedroom apartment as a temporary shelter.

After that, the original host was left with no options, taking on odd jobs and facing constant hardships. Every time, she coincidentally ran into the female lead and male lead one destitute, the other radiant creating a stark contrast.

After her shower, Mrs. Xie handed her a light green, form-fitting spaghetti-strap dress. Though Xie Mingyao had striking features, the pale green lent her an air of innocence, like a fresh, verdant plant.

Raising an eyebrow, Xie Mingyao stood before the mirror and applied makeup in the same color palette. She even adorned her ears with leaf-shaped earrings, making her whole appearance even more vibrant and beautiful.

Mrs. Xie was momentarily dazzled, thinking how much more stunning her daughter had become over the years. What a pity. If the Zhou family hadn’t backed out of the engagement, if they hadn’t sent her abroad, if only they had arranged another marriage alliance when the Zhou family canceled the betrothal, the Xie family wouldn’t have ended up in this state.

“Let’s go,” Mrs. Xie said, averting her gaze and turning to leave.

On the way, Xie Mingyao pretended to be clueless and asked whether Zhou Yanfeng would attend her welcome dinner.

Back then, though they had gone abroad together, Zhou Yanfeng hadn’t attended the same school as her, he had deliberately chosen one far, far away. Later, he returned to the country early without telling Xie Mingyao. She only found out when she went looking for him.

Xie Mingyao had wanted to return home, but her family had dissuaded her each time. They had also kept the news of the Zhou family canceling the engagement from her.

Lost in thought, the car arrived at the restaurant entrance.

Inside the private room…

Xie Mingyao saw only her father and a strange middle-aged man present and felt puzzled. “Dad, why are there so few people here?”

The middle-aged man’s eyes lit up when he saw Xie Mingyao. He stood up and walked toward her. “Oh, so this is your daughter? She really is beautiful. Hello, I’m Zhao Mingyuan, a good friend of your father’s. You can call me Uncle Zhao.”

This figure, this face, this aura.

He had already thought she was a rare beauty just from the photos Old Xie had shown him, but seeing her in person, he realized she was even more stunning far more attractive than in pictures.

Seeing Zhao Mingyuan extend his hand, Xie Mingyao had no choice but to frown, suppressing her discomfort under his less-than-friendly gaze, and shook his hand. “Hello, Uncle Zhao.”

Her hand was soft and smooth. Zhao Mingyuan could already imagine how the rest of her would feel. He leered at her, his fingers lingering suggestively.

Xie Mingyao’s expression darkened as she pulled her hand away and glared at him. “What are you doing?!”

“Ah, little girl, you’ve got quite the temper. But I like that,” Zhao Mingyuan chuckled, his words dripping with sleaze.

Xie Mingyao’s face turned livid. She wiped her hand with a tissue, on the verge of lashing out, but her father, afraid of angering Zhao Mingyuan, quickly shot her a warning look.

“How dare you speak to Uncle Zhao like that? That’s completely unacceptable! Apologize to him right now.”

Xie Mingyao scowled. “Dad.”

“Now, now, she’s just a kid. They’re all like this,” Zhao Mingyuan smoothed things over, though inwardly he found her defiance all the more enticing.

Seeing Zhao Mingyuan brush it off, Xie Mingyao’s father relaxed and dropped the scolding.

Xie Mingyao couldn’t shake the disgust she felt under Zhao Mingyuan’s gaze and wanted to leave, but her mother pulled her back to sit down. The food had already been served, and her father poured wine, urging everyone to drink.

It was a toast to welcome her home, so Xie Mingyao couldn’t refuse. After a few sips, she began to feel uncomfortably warm, and her limbs grew weak.

Her chopsticks slipped from her fingers and clattered onto the table. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with a tissue. “It’s so hot…”

“Yaoyao, if you’re not feeling well, go rest in our car for a while,” her mother said with feigned concern.

Zhao Mingyuan stood up and approached. “It’s not safe for a young girl to go alone. I have some business downstairs anyway, I’ll take her.”

Without waiting for Xie Mingyao’s consent, he supported her as they walked out. Her father and mother remained seated, watching coldly.

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