I Became the Fiancée of the Wealthy Family's Paranoid Villain - Chapter 2

[Prompt opening. The system detects that the host is in danger of death. Danger level: ★★★

Please prepare to kick the bucket at any time.]

Gu Qingjiao: “Only three stars? Is Shi Lijin really this devoid of bottom lines?”

System: [Error.]

This was the first time the system had ever encountered such a bizarre host. To say she had let go of worldly concerns would be wrong, as she was quite skilled at messing with people; to say she hadn’t let go would also be wrong, since she was genuinely and obediently trying to get herself killed.

Right now, not only were the bodyguards a bit bewildered, but even Butler Bei, who was supposedly on Gu Qingjiao’s side, was completely at a loss.

He couldn’t figure out why, just a second ago, Miss Gu had been exuding such an overbearing aura, only to immediately sit right down on the man’s lap the next second.

No one at the scene made a sound, seemingly waiting for the impending fallout.

Meanwhile, Shi Lijin, whose gaze had clearly looked murderous just moments ago, unexpectedly calmed down upon hearing her ask if he would kill her.

Shi Lijin: “The old man just passed away, and external media are all watching the Shi family’s movements. Dealing with you now is too early.”

Gu Qingjiao: “Then who was just running their mouth, saying they were going to carry me away?”

Shi Lijin gave a light chuckle. “Does one have to lose their life just to be carried away?”

Gu Qingjiao shivered inwardly. Come to think of it, with this major villain being so ruthless, he would probably just make someone’s life a living hell.

That would indeed be a bit troublesome.

She asked the system: Can I off myself?

System: [Please do not cheat.]

Seeing her spaced out, Shi Lijin bounced his knee slightly to snap her out of her fantasy.

“Are you done sitting?”

Gu Qingjiao clicked her tongue impatiently and complained, “Looks like your methods are mediocre, not even as good as the others here. They locked me in a pitch-black room on the second basement level and even set up a chat group just to watch me make a fool of myself. It was quite lively.”

Shi Lijin’s face instantly turned pale.

Because he was an illegitimate son who couldn’t see the light of day, he had been raised inside the South Manor since childhood and forbidden from leaving. It wasn’t until he was a bit older that he realized what kind of life he was living. He had once tried to run away from home, but every time he was caught back by his stepmother, she would lock him up in that small room on the second basement level.

This special name filled him with deep disgust. Every time he heard someone mention it, his feet felt as if they were shackled, making him feel thoroughly uncomfortable no matter how he thought about it.

He took the initiative to retract his leg to let Gu Qingjiao down. This was no longer the time to argue with this young girl; he had more important matters to ask about.

Shi Lijin placed the piece of wood in his hand onto the table, walked over to the few black-clad bodyguards, and questioned, “What group?”

The lead foreign bodyguard was somewhat dazed. He didn’t know what group it was either, so he glanced at the others.

One of the underlings rubbed the back of his head and dazedly replied, “Second Young Master, it seems you were in that group too. But the group is gone now.”

As for how it disappeared, none of them dared to say.

All gazes converged on this person. Some were confused, some were gesturing for him to shut up, and others were gradually frowning. In elite high society, creating a private chat group without the employer’s permission was a major taboo.

Among all the gazes, only Shi Lijin’s was the coldest. He continued to ask, “Did you also open the door to the second basement level?”

The bodyguard stood at attention and nodded honestly, “Yes, Second Young Master.”

Shi Lijin: “Who created the group?”

The bodyguard answered with increasing enthusiasm, “I did too!”

Shi Lijin nodded, uttered a soft “Good,” and then gave a glance to the side. The clueless fellow was immediately hoisted up by his foreign boss.

Shi Lijin lowered his head to massage his wrists and said indifferently, “Since you like the second basement level so much, you can live there from now on.”

Before the bodyguard could figure out what he had done wrong, he was dragged away together by his boss and several brothers.

Now, only Shi Lijin, Gu Qingjiao, and the silent Butler Bei remained in the pavilion.

Right in front of them was a three-meter-high fountain. Murmuring water cascaded downward from the center to all sides, resembling an exquisite birdcage. The sound of the flowing water made Gu Qingjiao feel a bit sleepy. Seeing that the hour was getting late, she asked Butler Bei, “Do I have a room?”

“Of course not,” Shi Lijin spoke up first. He looked at his thigh, which had just been sat on by someone, and deliberately reached out to brush off the dust. “But if Miss Gu doesn’t mind, you can choose a room in the detached building next door. That’s the servants’ villa, and it’s not much worse than your Gu family estate.”

Gu Qingjiao refused to show weakness and likewise flicked dust off her backside with disdain. “You just said it yourself, my body is extremely delicate, and I am your fiancée. Aside from the place where you live yourself, I wouldn’t deign to look at anyone else’s villa.”

Shi Lijin: ?

Fiancée?

Did he ever say that?

Shi Lijin: “Then let’s see if you dare to come.”

With that, he went back to pick up his small carving knife and the piece of wood, leaving from the other end along the way.

Gu Qingjiao waved goodbye to him: “See you tonight, fiancé.”

Butler Bei had been holding back his laughter since earlier, and now that he truly couldn’t hold it in anymore, he could only lower his head and tremble silently.

What on earth was up with this Miss Gu? He had originally thought that being dragged to the South Manor by the Madam would make her cry, make a scene, and hang herself in protest. But instead, she actually seemed a bit excited? Hiss, could Miss Gu have been charmed by the Second Young Master’s appearance and fallen in love with him at first sight?

So that was how it was!

That being the case, he wouldn’t need to go out of his way to play matchmaker for the two of them. However, to ensure things proceeded smoothly, he had already carefully prepared everything according to the Madam’s instructions before setting off for the South Manor.

When the time came, leave aside the abstinent Second Young Master; even the domestic laying hen on the ground would willingly let itself be slaughtered.

That evening, Gu Qingjiao packed her luggage in the first-floor living room, preparing to make do with a short sleep on the sofa. Just then, Butler Bei walked in holding a glass of water.

As her personal bodyguard, Butler Bei needed to look after her safety at all times. According to the Madam’s instructions, he had to monitor the pair’s actions every step of the way until Miss Gu successfully became pregnant, reporting back with news at any moment.

He walked over, glanced at the clothes on the sofa, and indignantly said, “The people at the South Manor simply don’t know the rules! How could they let you handle such a trivial chore yourself? I’ll go discipline those servants in a moment. Miss Gu, please don’t be upset; have a glass of water first.”

Gu Qingjiao accepted the water he handed over, somewhat bewildered. “I’m not upset.”

“With your kind heart, of course you wouldn’t bicker over such minor matters. But doing chores is a servant’s bounden duty; how could we let your hands do the work?”

Gu Qingjiao felt something was off about him.

How could someone scold people while simultaneously laying on flattery?

She tapped the system: Is this guy alright?

System: [Just a vain minor character. When would this system have time to study him?]

Gu Qingjiao observed the water in her hand, where tiny transparent bubbles were faintly visible. She continued to ask: Then is this water poisoned?

The system answered rather slowly, as if it had crashed again: [It is not poisoned.]

As long as it wasn’t poisoned, she was feeling just thirsty right now, and she had been worried the butler might harm her.

However, although, yet!

She only took a tiny sip before clearly sensing something was wrong with the water.

How come it obviously looked like plain boiled water, yet tasted like cheap soda?

“What kind of water is this?” she asked, frowning.

Butler Bei didn’t panic in the slightest. He bowed forward and replied, “Miss, this is sparkling water from the Americas. It’s your favorite to drink when you were little, and the Madam specifically brought it back for you when she went traveling last week.”

Gu Qingjiao: Is that so?

The original host actually loved drinking this stuff?

Her palate was quite heavy.

She rubbed her throat, feeling as though a trail of fire had swept across her vocal cords. Still feeling uneasy inside, she had no choice but to tap the system and ask again: What American sparkling water? Are you sure there’s really no poison?

System: [No poison.]

Seizing the right moment, Butler Bei pointed toward the elevator lobby across the room and deliberately reminded her, “Miss, the Second Young Master is resting on the fifth floor.”

“Where he lives is none of my business.”

Butler Bei: ???

Didn’t Miss Gu say earlier that she wanted to live with the Second Young Master?

How could it be none of her business? This was a matter of lifelong importance!

Unwilling to give up, Butler Bei brazenly continued, “The Second Young Master is currently resting upstairs. When Miss goes upstairs later, please try to be as quiet as possible. I’m afraid waking him up will affect his mood.”

Gu Qingjiao wasn’t paying much attention to his words, and her focus wasn’t there either.

Wait, what was going on with this American water? Why did she feel thirstier the more she drank?

Seeing that the side of Gu Qingjiao’s neck was already faintly flushed, Butler Bei said nothing more. Anyway, he had given all the reminders he needed to give.

With such a fine evening and a soft, delicate beauty taking the initiative to come knocking, no matter how stubborn the Second Young Master was, he was still a man. How could a man refuse female charms?

As long as Miss Gu stepped foot into the Second Young Master’s room one step, dry wood and raging fire would burn endlessly. The Madam’s goal would be achieved, and he himself could finish his mission and return to the North Manor to continue reigning as the boss.

Butler Bei smiled secretly and craftily, then quietly slipped away.

Gu Qingjiao took several more continuous sips, feeling that this American water was getting to her head a bit.

Right now, her neck wasn’t just red; even her cheeks were faintly flushed with peach blossoms. Furthermore, her vision was starting to blur. She only felt as though she were walking barefoot through a breeze-swept field of grass and trees, with fine, soft blades of grass tickling the soles of her feet. Her entire body felt light and airy, and both her body and consciousness were uncontrollably pointing her toward the direction of the stairwell.

Only then did Gu Qingjiao realize there was a problem. She hastily tapped the system: Little Glitch, didn’t you say there was no poison in the water? Why am I feeling so miserable then?

System: [You only asked if there was poison in the water, and I answered honestly. There is no poison in the water; the butler just slipped a little drug into it for you. It’s not fatal.]

Gu Qingjiao: Little Glitch! You sold out your master!

System: [Please calm down, Host. Right now the story is proceeding entirely according to the original plot. After the original host is drugged, she runs to Shi Lijin’s room to seek help, only to be thrown out his door by him. Congratulations to the Host for being about to escape this sea of misery! Once you complete your objective, this system will immediately let you transmigrate back as the female protagonist and live out a glamorous life!]

Gu Qingjiao: [Sigh.]

Fine, fine, fine. Alright, alright, alright.

When Gu Qingjiao opened the door to the fifth-floor bedroom, her legs were barely able to keep her steady. She supported herself against the wall with one hand, and a few drops of water from her glass splashed onto the back of her other hand, feeling like a tiny spark of fire falling into white snow, scorching and itching.

After shutting the door properly, Gu Qingjiao placed the water glass on the bedside table, then swiftly stripped off her outer clothes and shoes to curl up under the covers.

Clenching her teeth, she reached out to hug the man in the bed, her legs rubbing haphazardly against his waist as she tried to find a way to grind herself against him.

In the darkness, Shi Lijin’s entire body jerked, and his eyes snapped wide open.