The Female Lead of the Abusive Novel Can Hear My Heart's Voice - Chapter 16

The bell struck ten o’clock an auspicious time.

Xia Mucai arrived by her adoptive mother’s side, held closely by her arm. Her not so broad shoulder was leaned upon like a small bird resting tenderly.

Her adoptive mother knew about Xia Mucai slapping Teng Jingsi earlier today, but couldn’t bring herself to mention it too much love for her. It was as if nothing had happened.

The wealthy lady smiled motherly and said to her, “When will our Caicai get married?”

Xia Mucai’s whole being soured; her face darkened by a shade.

She pushed her adoptive mother’s head away with a finger, speaking with a hint of coquettishness, “Mom, don’t say that. I still want to stay with you forever.”

If it had been the original character, she would have cried and fussed, saying, “I only have Teng Jingsi in my heart; I won’t marry anyone else,” using that as leverage for her mother’s favor.

But Xia Mucai wasn’t that crazy. She just wanted to casually go through the motions of the story and then leave this world.

She was actively slacking, working as little as possible after all, she was a cat, and cats love to laze around.

“Alright, alright, Caicai will stay with mom and dad forever. You’ll always be our precious treasure,” said Mrs. Fu, always good-natured, hugging Xia Mucai’s arm tighter.

Actually, apart from being unkind to the female lead, the adoptive parents were quite good.

So what if Xia Mucai was defending the adoptive parents who hurt the female lead the most, saying they weren’t that bad?

Soon her little schemes fled her mind. Standing upright, she felt a bit uneasy and anxious.

The reason: it was time for the toast ceremony in the original book. The main couple toasted the adoptive parents one by one, then the evil female supporting character (herself).

When the female lead drank the tainted wine, she would faint, have trouble resolving the illness, tossing and turning in misery how pitiful.

Xia Mucai couldn’t bear to watch. She wanted to rush over and knock the cup away.

But reason told her what would her secretly poisoning the wine count as if she did that?

Finally, she bit the bullet and turned her head away.

Whispers came to her ears; behind her people were pointing and gossiping.

“Look, the fake rich daughter is jealous of the real rich daughter. She can’t bear to see her sister who took her man drink that engagement wine.”

“Ah, the real rich daughter is heartless.”

Were they saying she was jealous of Xia Chi?

What a joke. If she so much as glanced at Teng Jingsi, they’d assume she was still obsessing over him.

Her adoptive mother, loving face-saving, quietly reminded her, “Caicai, stand properly. How would your sister think if she saw you like this? How would outsiders think?”

Her hand was pinched by her adoptive mother; the pain made her almost cry out.

“Alright, alright, I know, mom.”

She turned her head reluctantly. This was no different from slow torture just one hurt body, the other hurt heart.

It hurt. So much.

Their eyes met Xia Chi smiled innocently, unaware.

The more Xia Chi smiled, the harder it was for Xia Mucai inside.

How could she smile at such a time? Didn’t she know that cup of wine could kill her?

Xia Mucai averted her gaze, but from the corner of her eye, she saw Xia Chi momentarily look disappointed like a drooping, wronged rabbit.

Zing. She felt her heart stabbed by a barbed arrow.

It wasn’t jealousy of Xia Chi and Teng Jingsi it was that she couldn’t bear to see Xia Chi drink that problem ridden wine.

Otherwise, she really would have knocked it away to stop her.

Often hunters appear in the form of prey.

Where Xia Mucai couldn’t see, Xia Chi’s eyes were full of change, like a deep, bottomless pool.

She switched the wine glasses, pretending to be silly and smiling just to let Xia Mucai stop her.

But even so, Xia Mucai was truly ruthless.

She wanted to see if she herself drank the “problematic” wine, would Xia Chi care?

Or would she just watch her be taken away by someone else?

Her gaze shifted to Teng Jingsi.

He was blushing on both cheeks, tongue-tied, mumbling the toast, “Uncle, Auntie, I will take good care of Xia Chi.”

A bit comical.

Someone just scolded him, yet now he solemnly promised to care for their daughter who would believe that?

If there was a single sincere word from Teng Jingsi, she wouldn’t be so worried about Xia Chi’s future.

Xia Chi hesitated, unable to find words. Everyone waited for the female lead to speak, but after a moment she uttered,

“Thank you for giving birth to me.”

The scene went silent. Xia Father and Xia Mother’s expressions showed awkwardness they understood the meaning clearly.

Adoptive mother awkwardly smiled to smooth things over, “Xia Chi and Jingsi, you two must live well together. If there’s anything, tell mom and dad.”

[Mrs. Fu loves saving face. If the female lead later wants to do side business and makes Mrs. Fu bleed money to support her, it would be much more interesting than entangling with Teng Jingsi.]

Xia Mucai knew whatever she said wouldn’t be heard by Xia Chi.

So she gave up.

But to her surprise, the very trouble averse Xia Chi agreed.

She even heard a soft “Mm.”

She glanced sideways to see her adoptive mother wiping sweat off her forehead apparently also scared by Xia Chi’s reaction.

“Ahem, Xia Chi, here’s a card with five million yuan. Take it, and ask mom and dad if you need anything.”

Five million wasn’t a small sum. Though the Xia family was wealthy, Xia Mother was known for being stingy letting her part with five million was like bleeding.

Xia Chi took the card and politely said thank you.

Amid the applause, Xia Mucai woke from her shock.

What had happened tonight? She witnessed the once poor female lead becoming rich overnight.

“Drink up,” Xia Father impatiently said.

Xia Mother made a gesture inviting everyone.

Teng Jingsi drank a whole glass of red wine in one go quite generous.

Xia Chi followed, matching him. If this were a martial arts novel, she’d definitely be a heroine.

Xia Father and Xia Mother slowly drank half a glass.

Only Xia Mucai was overwhelmed, hurriedly gulping down a whole glass, nearly choking and coughing for a long time.

Xia Chi saw this but could only hold back laughter painfully.

Everyone thought the engagement banquet was over, but Xia Mucai knew the real show was just beginning.

Five people raised their glasses. After finishing, some began to leave.

The news of the Xia family’s true daughter’s engagement to the Teng family’s young master spread abroad.

Media clamored to report it, even the usually indifferent Gu Bai’an heard about it from friends.

Half an hour after Xia Chi’s drug effect wore off.

Xia Mucai watched Xia Chi first go to the bathroom to wash her face with cold water, then come out realizing it was useless.

Later, she staggered slowly, leaning on the wall, heading to the second-floor room.

Cautiously and timidly, Xia Mucai silently followed.

Xia Chi’s condition partly came from her doing this.

The original story was like this she just had to watch Xia Chi be taken away by the second male lead.

Xia Mucai reminded herself not to meddle; she had done too much tonight.

What she didn’t know was that Xia Chi knew about her shadowing her.

She had seen Xia Mucai trailing her more than ten times but stayed unmoved.

That made Xia Chi’s heart ache.

“This doesn’t show care, maybe Xia Mucai doesn’t love me that much.”

When Xia Chi saw Xia Mucai poisoning her wine, she devised a counter plan drinking the tainted wine on purpose.

But she was not foolish enough to drink wine she knew was poisoned. The wine in her glass had already been secretly swapped.

So she was fine; her symptoms were all acting.

She saw a man she’d met before, leaning on the wooden railing on the second floor, smoking.

Suddenly inspired, she wondered if she leaned on the man’s shoulder, would Xia Mucai be worried?

Xia Chi staggered, leaning on the man.

The man saw her, stubbed out his cigarette, adjusted his collar, and walked over.

He asked feigning concern, “What’s wrong? Where do you feel unwell?”

She didn’t answer, only glanced coldly.

Gao Jinghuan’s breath caught, and without another word, he wanted to take Xia Chi back to her room.

“I’ll take you back.”

But his eyes were guilty.

Still, Xia Chi followed him closely, secretly glancing back to see Xia Mucai’s reaction.

Clenching her fists worriedly, Xia Mucai really did love her. She was relieved.

A wave of excitement surged through her like the Ferris wheel climbing to the sky, the city lights below dazzling. Dopamine flowed excitement, pleasure.

Xia Mucai loved her. She felt full of love, with a hint of teasing a little cat’s pleasure.

What was Xia Mucai thinking? Defending her? Scolding the man who suddenly hooked up?

She wanted to know.

Watching Xia Chi hugged tightly by the man, Xia Mucai gritted her teeth in anger.

Didn’t she know what kind of person the second male lead was? Creepy.

She could tell from his stooped back.

It confirmed: [How did he even become the second male lead? Indeed, Teng Jingsi as the main lead had his reasons at least no perversions, just a bit crazy.]

In her eyes, Teng Jingsi suddenly seemed kind.

Xia Mucai felt helpless and anxious. What to do?

[She wanted to tear that perverted second male lead away from Xia Chi. How could he not smell himself being that close?]

Her exterior was nothing like her inner self at most an arrogant young lady with sharp eyes to pick flaws. Inside, she was a little wildcat cursing without blushing or heart racing.

Knowing this was just part of the story, Xia Chi would still have many intimate moments with the second male lead, she felt uneasy imagining Xia Chi leaning on that man’s shoulder, being tender.

Her conclusion: [Xia Chi shouldn’t do this.]

Then what should she do…?

She saw Xia Chi nearly fall. Gao Jinghuan’s hand reached to hold her waist but luckily Xia Chi steadied herself before his dirty hand touched her.

This scene was like a thorn stabbing Xia Mucai’s eyes, her heart screamed in pain, and in reality, she was already gasping for breath.

She had done so much tonight one more thing wouldn’t be too much.

She was more and more convinced one more thing wouldn’t be too much.

Gao Jinghuan couldn’t dodge her palm. With just a single chop, she knocked down the man a head taller than her.

“Snap,” the man fell to the ground.

Not daring to slack, Xia Mucai quickly caught the soft, boneless Xia Chi.

The sudden appearance made her want to explain, “I”

But the soft woman stumbled into her arms, calling out, “So hot.”

At that moment, she was like a boiling kettle, hissing with steam rising from her head.

She thought, [Is the female lead okay? She’s so soft and delicate, like hugging her tightly and never letting go.]

She shook her head to clear the nonsense. How shameless to be thinking about how soft Xia Chi was now.

What difference was there between her and Gao Jinghuan?

Straightening her posture, Xia Mucai stared ahead, voice low and steady, “I’ll take you back to your room. Hold on.”

Remember, Xia Chi wasn’t actually drugged or drunk; she was faking.

Xia Chi’s lips curled slightly.

This was Xia Mucai’s first time entering someone else’s room. Her own room was off-limits, and she wouldn’t enter others’ rooms.

Xia Chi’s bedroom had only a big bed and a wardrobe; it was cramped and vastly inferior compared to Xia Mucai’s.

She closed the heavy wooden door with her foot and gasped, realizing, [This is how much Xia Father and Xia Mother favor Xia Chi.]

Instantly, she felt even more sorry for Xia Chi. It was only after the person in her arms kept saying hot that Xia Chi snapped out of disbelief.

After a moment of daze, she stopped thinking too much and helped Xia Chi onto the bed.

Finally… finally, they reached the bed.

They fell onto it together, Xia Mucai panting.

She didn’t know what was about to happen next. Next to her was a woman who had been “drugged.”

Xia Chi needed her to cool her down.