The Possessive Villain Is Too Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 39

On New Year’s Eve, Chen Jianhua brought his entire family to the Chu household for the holiday.

Chen Jianhua was an orphan with no parents. He had relied on government aid to pursue his education and was fortunate enough to earn the admiration of the Chu family, which later propelled his meteoric rise in the business world.

After the betrayal by Chu Tianheng, Old Master Chu came to regard this devoted disciple—who had even turned down the opportunity for citizenship in Country A—as half a son.

Now, with the booming real estate market, the Chu family’s financial records looked exceptionally impressive, further solidifying Old Master Chu’s trust in Chen Jianhua.

So, that year, thinking that the three of them—himself and his two grandchildren—would otherwise spend a lonely Spring Festival, Old Master Chu invited Chen Jianhua’s family to celebrate together.

After dinner, Chu Ning whispered a few words to Chu Hui and quietly slipped out of the house.

Chu Hui, like a diligent little bee, buzzed around, entertaining everyone and covering for his sister.

Chu Ning tiptoed down the stairs to the basement, got into her little Baojun, and sped off to another upscale villa district.

She flashed the pass Li Xia had given her and handed out red envelopes to the security guards still manning the gates on New Year’s Eve before happily driving into the underground garage.

Arriving at the doorstep of Li Xia’s standalone villa, Chu Ning pressed the doorbell three times and waited quietly, rubbing her hands together.

Li Xia had never been in a relationship and had long since cut ties with her family. Every New Year’s Eve, she spent it in quiet solitude.

But she was perfectly content with this arrangement—watching TV, reading books, and sleeping in during the holidays, enjoying a peaceful and comfortable life.

Since this was her routine year after year, when Chu Ning knocked on the door, Li Xia initially thought she was hearing things.

It wasn’t until her golden retriever puppy began anxiously circling her that she realized the doorbell might have been real.

Haicheng was humid, and the cold outside seeped deep into the bones.

It took Li Xia a while to come to the door, leaving Chu Ning shivering from the cold.

“Ningning?” Li Xia opened the door, both puzzled and pleasantly surprised.

Chu Ning was blowing warm air into her hands. Turning to see the door open, she first smiled sheepishly, then sweetly called out, “Auntie, I’ve come to celebrate the New Year with you.”

Li Xia quickly pulled Chu Ning inside, rubbing her frozen hands to warm them up.

The little golden retriever seemed to adore this guest, sticking close to Chu Ning and occasionally trying to paw at her with its front legs.

Once Chu Ning sat down, the puppy immediately rested its chin on her thigh, its affectionate antics making both of them chuckle.

Li Xia brought Chu Ning a warm cup of pomelo tea. After some small talk, she noticed that Chu Ning showed no intention of leaving—instead, she sprawled lazily across the sofa.

As time passed, she seemed to sink even deeper into the cushions.

“Ningning, why aren’t you at home keeping your grandfather company?” Li Xia asked curiously.

Chu Ning’s tone was gentle, but it carried a hint of complaint: “Grandpa invited Chen Jianhua’s family over again for New Year’s. He just doesn’t feel right unless there are outsiders in the house.”

Li Xia patiently consoled her: “Your grandfather is just worried that you and Chu Hui would feel lonely.”

Chu Ning laughed. “Chen Jianhua is in his forties, his wife doesn’t even speak Chinese, and their kid is only eight. How are they supposed to keep us company?”

Chu Ning had initially wanted to ask why Li Xia wasn’t invited to the Chu household if they wanted a lively atmosphere, but thinking of the past grievances that still weighed heavily, she kept the thought to herself.

Li Xia specialized in legal affairs, focusing on mitigating legal risks for the company. She only had a general understanding of the company’s operations and was even less clear about market trends.

She commented, “Your grandfather holds your Uncle Chen in high regard. The real estate plan he proposed last year earned the shareholders substantial profits—his future is limitless. Your grandfather inviting him to celebrate the New Year at your home is likely also a gesture of goodwill and favor.”

“Auntie, how well did you know Chen Jianhua back then? What kind of person is he?” Chu Ning shifted away from the cushion, sitting up straighter, her tone more serious.

Li Xia thought carefully before answering, “Chen Jianhua wasn’t at the same school as me, but we were both part of the Chu family’s sponsored gifted youth program, so I heard about him here and there.”

“He ranked first in the entire school every year—truly impressive. Even in high school, he had a sharp business mind. He’d photocopy his study notes and sell them to classmates before exams, then sell them to juniors when they moved up a grade.”

“He even compiled summaries of each teacher’s personality traits, bound them into booklets, and sold them to students. No one was surprised when he achieved the success he has today.”

The more Chu Ning listened, the more she realized this man was no ordinary person.

What had she been doing in high school? Buried in textbooks, obsessing over how to get into a prestigious university?

Then there was Chu Hui—his grades were mediocre, and his mind was simple. She suspected her younger brother spent his free time either digging up ant nests or playing in the mud.

Chu Ning focused her thoughts. Since she already suspected Chen Jianhua, and her aunt was someone she trusted, she might as well voice her concerns openly to discuss them properly.

She blinked and frowned, taking a moment to organize her words.

“Auntie, to be honest, I think there’s something off about Chen Jianhua.”

Li Xia straightened up at once, eager to hear the girl’s perspective.

Chu Ning first laid out her understanding of the real estate industry, analyzing its rise, boom, and the early signs of its current decline in detail.

When she mentioned the increasing number of non-performing bank loans, Li Xia nodded in agreement.

“My colleagues at the law firm have indeed been handling a surge in overdue loan cases recently—whether bank loans or private lending, they’re all collapsing.”

Seeing that Li Xia grasped the connection, Chu Ning quickly added, “If loans are defaulting, mortgages will inevitably be affected. Payment defaults will spread rapidly, real estate companies will struggle to recover funds, and other problems will emerge like dominoes, one after another.”

Law and finance were deeply intertwined, especially for corporate lawyers like Li Xia, who had dealt with numerous commercial cases.

But Li Xia still had doubts. “Still, Chen Jianhua must know all this. Why isn’t he stepping back? What good would it do him if the Chu family faced trouble?”

Chu Ning couldn’t answer that either. As a senior executive, Chen Jianhua had no reason to harm the Chu family, yet his actions were undeniably irrational.

She fell silent, her gaze dropping to the floor in thought.

Li Xia raised a hand, pressing the back of her index finger to the tip of her nose. “Unless… he stands to profit from this—earning more than he ever could by working honestly for the Chu family his entire life. Or…”

Chu Ning looked up, her eyes brightening. “Or what?”

Li Xia looked at Chu Ning with concern and said, “Or perhaps he has a plan—to join forces with others to launch a takeover bid when the Chu Group is mired in crisis.”

In that instant, everything became crystal clear to Chu Ning.

The Chu Group had a solid foundation in other sectors but had entered the real estate market relatively late, with limited exposure. A sudden crisis would only plunge them into difficulties, not cause an immediate collapse. Given time to adjust and recover, they could bounce back.

But if someone seized this opportunity to attack the Chu Group, they could secure shareholder seats with far less capital than usual. And if the attacker had substantial financial backing, they might even replace the Chu family as the de facto leaders of the group.

“Chen Jianhua! What a cunning scheme!” Chu Ning couldn’t help slamming the armrest of the sofa, startling the little golden retriever, which scrambled half a meter away.

Li Xia suddenly stood up and said to Chu Ning, “Wait here. There’s something I need to tell you.”

Her footsteps echoed as she hurried upstairs, leaving only Chu Ning and the little golden retriever in the living room. The puppy hesitated, torn between following its owner and staying put since Chu Ning hadn’t moved. It swayed back and forth for a while, whimpering softly.

Chu Ning scooped the little golden retriever into her arms. The docile pup eagerly licked her face, but Chu Ning recoiled at the sight of its wet tongue.

Before long, Li Xia returned downstairs with a pen and paper.

The little golden retriever, excited to see its owner back, immediately began circling around Li Xia.

Li Xia set the pen and paper on the coffee table, first affectionately hugging her golden retriever before instructing, “Mommy needs to talk to big sister. Go play over there for now.”

The puppy seemed to understand human speech, obediently settling onto a nearby patch of floor, resting its head but still keeping an eye on the two with lifted eyelids.

Chu Ning instinctively leaned closer to Li Xia, who picked up the pen. “Let me explain the factional alignments among the Chu Group’s shareholders.”

As the legal director of a publicly listed company, Li Xia was responsible for coordinating legal matters during shareholder meetings, so she was well-versed in the voting dynamics.

“The company allocates board seats based on shareholding proportions.”

Chu Ning nodded in understanding.

“Eleven representatives participated in the voting resolution for the Chu Group. Five of them are aligned with your grandfather. Three directors actively supported Chen Jianhua’s proposal. The remaining three independent directors made their decisions only after carefully reviewing the project plans.”

Chu Ning’s mind raced as she analyzed the internal factions within the Chu Group.

She muttered to herself, “The seats on Grandfather’s side represent his will. The three directors who actively supported Chen Jianhua indicate that the shareholders behind them are backing him.”

Hearing her deduction, Li Xia searched her memory for the shareholders represented by those three directors.

After confirming, she told Chu Ning, “One of those directors represents an overseas company. The other two are representatives of Mr. Cai.”

“An overseas company? The one that holds 6% of the Chu Group’s shares?” Chu Ning asked urgently.

“Yes. Ningning, you know about this?” Li Xia was surprised.

“It’s Dasheng,” Chu Ning explained, sharing the information she had uncovered. “You must also know that the owner of that company is Lennox Fung.”

“The Cantonese pronunciation of the surname ‘Feng,'” Li Xia immediately realized.

Chu Ning couldn’t help but admire the foresight of the Feng family. “Feng Hang of this generation of the Feng family obtained foreign citizenship through various means. Dasheng conveniently uses this identity to operate covertly.”

“On the surface, Feng Hang has no commercial activities within the country. No matter what happens to Dasheng, it won’t affect him.”

Li Xia couldn’t help but comment, “The Feng family really plans every step meticulously! Your grandfather…”

She trailed off at that point.

“Hmph, pale in comparison,” Chu Ning said bluntly.

–

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Ye Zhixia and Bai Xin returned from Europe, and Xie Shuyu immediately invited everyone for a gathering.

Zhulin was now a highly sought-after online gaming company, long past the days of taking on outsourcing work. In fact, they were often so busy that they had to outsource some of their own projects.

Having transitioned from the client side to the employer side, Xie Shuyu even looked healthier than before, exuding confidence.

Bai Xin and Ye Zhixia didn’t work at the same company. After the filming of A Thousand Years of Love wrapped up, they only occasionally met at events, so Bai Xin wasn’t aware that Ye Zhixia and Chu Ning had grown distant.

For this Zhulin gathering, both had to attend—Chu Ning as the actual investor behind the scenes, and Ye Zhixia as a shareholder.

Ye Zhixia dressed meticulously, scrutinizing every pore in the mirror to ensure her makeup was flawless before setting off.

Xiao Mi crossed her arms and shook her head, muttering, “The peacock’s about to spread its tail.”

Then she slouched after Ye Zhixia as they headed to the garage.

Over the years, Ye Zhixia had occasionally sent Xiao Mi to check on Chu Ning. She knew how hard Chu Ning worked in school and how much hardship she endured to grow faster than others.

When she ran into Chu Ning at the restaurant downstairs, she immediately noticed the faint blue rim around her irises—traces of contact lenses.

Just as she hesitated over how to greet Chu Ning, the latter smiled casually and took her hand as if nothing was amiss. “Sister Xiaxia, perfect timing—let’s go up together.”

Pulled along by Chu Ning, whose demeanor was as warm as if they were old friends, Ye Zhixia found herself falling into step with her, obediently following her upstairs.

Chu Ning guided Ye Zhixia toward the private room, reaching the door in just a few steps.

When the door opened, a pungent, spicy aroma wafted out, catching Ye Zhixia off guard and making her cough twice.

Once again, Xie Shuyu had chosen that same fiery hotpot restaurant for the gathering.

As Bai Xin had once remarked, Xie Shuyu was the type who couldn’t handle spice but loved it anyway.

As Ye Zhixia and Chu Ning rounded the screen divider, they noticed an unfamiliar face among the group, aside from Xie Shuyu and Bai Xin.

Seeing them enter, Xie Shuyu quickly stood up, adopting a somewhat authoritative tone. “Sister Xiaxia, Ningning, this is Fang Xu, my former business partner and a programmer who now works at Zhulin.”

Then, turning to Fang Xu, she introduced, “This is Ye Zhixia, our other shareholder—and a renowned actress. And this is Chu Ning, our major investor.”

Ye Zhixia and Chu Ning exchanged polite handshakes with Fang Xu.

Chu Ning hadn’t forgotten that during her first meeting with Xie Shuyu, the latter had mentioned that before joining Qinbao, she had co-founded a company with someone else.

She wasn’t a complete outsider to the gaming industry—a game’s journey from development to market success couldn’t possibly take just two years.

Cloud Dragon Valley’s current market dominance wasn’t just due to timing and luck; it had undoubtedly built upon the prototype of the game Xie Shuyu’s previous company had developed.

However, their last venture was an unpleasant memory for both of them. Fang Xu had to rely on Xie Shuyu’s financial support to get by afterward, so it was better not to bring that up.

Worried that Ye Zhixia might not understand the technical aspects, Chu Ning sat down and began explaining, “The game Cloud Dragon Valley was the brainchild of Sister Xie and Sister Fang many years ago. Unfortunately, it didn’t succeed due to bad timing. Now that Zhulin is making a fortune with Cloud Dragon Valley, Sister Fang deserves a lot of the credit.”

Xie Shuyu had actually planned to explain these things herself but was beaten to the punch.

Still, Chu Ning’s version spared them both some embarrassment, glossing over the past investment failure.

Xie Shuyu grumbled inwardly: How did this girl become so smooth-talking after just a few years in college? She’s even more polished than I am now.

As Ye Zhixia processed Chu Ning’s words, she felt a faint sense of astonishment.

In the past, it had always been her, in the role of a guide, who would clarify the context of things and explain them to Chu Ning.

Who would have thought that in just two years, Chu Ning had become even more socially adept than her?

Fang Xu, like Xie Shuyu, was a technical expert with no clue about running a business. Now that Xie Shuyu had brought her to Zhulin, she threw herself entirely into the technical work, thriving like a fish in water.

Not only that, but Fang Xu, after years of immersing herself in open-world games, had also befriended a small-time boss.

This boss came from a wealthy family and ran his own novel website, managing a stable of writers.

Nearly all of Cloud Dragon Valley’s storyline was provided by him.

At the time, Xie Shuyu had proactively offered to sign a contract with him.

But the boss couldn’t be bothered with the hassle and simply took a symbolic 1% stake in Zhulin as a joke, saying he’d wait for the day Zhulin went public so he could play the role of a big boss.

Chu Ning and Ye Zhixia knew about Xie Shuyu transferring that 1% stake, but they didn’t pay it much mind. After all, Zhulin was still far from going public, and compared to Ye Zhixia’s 50% stake, the influence of that 1% was practically negligible.

Fang Xu, beaming with energy, said to Chu Ning, “You flatter me, Boss. I should be thanking you for giving Shuyu and me this platform. Otherwise, we’d never have lived to see the day our game was embraced by players.”

Bai Xin quickly chimed in, “This Spring Festival, all my cousins were glued to their phones playing it. Finally, I didn’t have to play referee to their fights every day.”

Chu Ning, surprised by Bai Xin’s words, asked, “Xiao Bai, your family is that big?”

Bai Xin waved her hand. “My immediate family is just me and my sister, but my uncles, aunts, and cousins—now that’s a rowdy bunch.”

Chu Ning sighed with a helpless expression. “I envy you. Your family’s so lively. I just have one silly little brother.”

“Where’s your brother studying?” Bai Xin asked casually.

Chu Ning recalled her brother’s strange request and said, puzzled, “He’s taking the college entrance exam this summer. My grandpa wants him to study business, but he insists on applying for the business program at Jingcheng Institute of Technology. No idea why.”

Xie Shuyu let out a hissing sound again, like a snake, but couldn’t resist adding, “Jingcheng Institute of Technology is great. Their soccer team is really strong.”

A suspicion flickered in Chu Ning’s mind.

Xie Shuyu had said that today was a gathering among friends, so everyone could enjoy a drink or two.

Yet halfway through the drinks, she was the only one left flushed and tipsy, leaning heavily against Bai Xin’s shoulder.

“Xinxin! You have no idea how much I missed you while you were away at the film festival.” Xie Shuyu might be drunk, but her words were crystal clear.

Bai Xin slowly closed her eyes and sighed. “Calm down!”

“I can’t calm down~ I modeled the Holy Maiden of Lingyun Continent after you, and I’m your most loyal guard. Do you like it? Hehe…”

Hearing this, Ye Zhixia muttered under her breath, “You made yourselves the Holy Maiden and her guard while assigning me and Ningning to guard the gates. Boss Xie, you’re really something, huh.”

Fang Xu, who had been sipping her drink nearby, nearly spat out her cola at the mention of “Boss Xie.”

Back at their previous company, because her surname was Fang (Sponge) and Xie Shuyu’s was Xie (Crab), their colleagues had secretly nicknamed them SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs.

The scene was too chaotic, and with a drunkard in their midst, continuing the meal was impossible.

So Ye Zhixia hurriedly went outside to settle the bill before returning to urge everyone to leave.

Fang Xu and Bai Xin were tasked with taking Xie Shuyu home. The moment they got into the taxi, Xie Shuyu asked the driver, “Sis, have you heard of Love Across a Millennium? The most beautiful supporting actress in it is my wife.”

The driver glanced at Xie Shuyu before turning to Fang Xu in the passenger seat. “Five hundred if you puke in my car.”

Ye Zhixia pulled out her phone and called a designated driver.

She knew Chu Ning had enrolled in a driving school while at university and had gotten her license—she must have driven here today.

But before she could say anything, Chu Ning wrapped her arms around Ye Zhixia’s waist from behind, standing on tiptoes to rest her chin on Ye Zhixia’s shoulder, murmuring softly, “Take me home.”

Whether it was the alcohol or something deeper, Ye Zhixia didn’t refuse—nor did she expose the fact that Chu Ning could drive.

The moment the designated driver arrived, Chu Ning snatched the keys from Ye Zhixia’s hand and tossed them to the driver before pulling Ye Zhixia into the backseat.

Then, with a faint smirk, Chu Ning raised the partition between the front and back seats.

“Ningning, is there something you want to tell me? The soundproofing in this car is excellent,” Ye Zhixia asked seriously.

Xiao Mi, invisible, fluttered nearby, ready to listen to whatever news Chu Ning had to share.

“Mhm, I have something very important to tell you, Sister Xia. Come closer.” Chu Ning’s eyes shimmered with sincerity.

Ye Zhixia leaned in immediately, and Xiao Mi flew closer, tilting an ear.

Chu Ning shifted slowly toward Ye Zhixia.

By the time Ye Zhixia noticed the triumphant glint in Chu Ning’s eyes, it was too late.

Chu Ning seized Ye Zhixia’s arms and pinned her against the seat.

Her warm lips brushed lightly, then firmly, against Ye Zhixia’s cool, delicate ones—two years of longing erupting in that moment.

Ye Zhixia’s eyes widened in shock.

Chu Ning’s hands slid up Ye Zhixia’s arms, her soft palms pressing against Ye Zhixia’s shoulders, conveying affection.

Then she withdrew one hand to gently tilt Ye Zhixia’s chin before slipping her tongue inside.

After the initial surprise, Ye Zhixia slowly closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around Chu Ning’s leaning figure. Then, parting her lips slightly, she responded with her own scorching tongue.

The scents of jasmine and lily filled the air as their cheeks flushed crimson, their hearts burning as if set aflame.

Ye Zhixia unbuckled her seatbelt and, with a deft motion, switched positions with Chu Ning. One hand gripped Chu Ning’s waist, the other cradling the back of her head as she claimed Chu Ning’s mouth with fierce dominance.

The car suddenly came to a gentle stop, and red and blue lights flickered through the windows. The two hurriedly pulled apart, fumbling to fasten their seatbelts.

A traffic officer tapped lightly on the window outside. Ye Zhixia pressed the button to roll it down, and the two officers peered inside, nodding approvingly. “Good, everyone in the back has their seatbelts on.”

But noticing their flushed faces, one of the officers couldn’t help but add, “If you’ve been drinking, make sure not to start any fights or cause trouble. Just talk things out calmly.”

Chu Ning nodded obediently, her earlier slyness completely gone.

Ye Zhixia quickly regained her composed demeanor and nodded slightly as well. “Understood, we’ll be careful.”

After inspecting Ye Zhixia’s car, the two traffic officers moved on to check other vehicles.

The officer who had reminded them not to fight recalled their flushed faces and slightly swollen lips, muttering suspiciously, “What kind of argument escalates to slapping each other?”

The other officer gave him a meaningful look. “Young man, best not to meddle in such matters.”

As the car started moving again, the atmosphere suddenly turned awkward.

The lingering scent of intimacy hadn’t yet faded, but neither could find the right words to say.

Fortunately, the Chu family estate soon came into view. Chu Ning leaned close to Ye Zhixia once more, and Ye Zhixia even braced herself for a farewell kiss.

But all Chu Ning whispered was, “Goodnight, Sister Xiaxia.”

Ye Zhixia swallowed hard, her voice hoarse as she replied, “Goodnight.”

Watching Chu Ning walk away, Ye Zhixia murmured under her breath, “You little troublemaker…”

“Waaahhh! You two are the worst!”

Xiao Mi appeared before Ye Zhixia, clutching the large bump on her head.

“Kitty just wanted to listen and help you out, kitty good!”

“Humans slammed into kitty’s head, humans bad!”

Xiao Mi sobbed and scolded between tears.

–

The real estate crisis hit much sooner than expected.

Ye Zhixia had thought that an industry of such massive scale could at least hold on until Chu Ning graduated.

But news broke of a developer misusing escrow funds, leading to unfinished pre-sold homes, triggering waves of mortgage defaults across the country.

October, traditionally a season of harvest, saw all real estate-related stocks plummet. The stock exchange was filled with cries of despair—some investors cut their losses and fled, others reduced their holdings to hedge risks, while a stubborn few clung on, convinced this was just a minor fluctuation.

Chu Ning reacted swiftly. The moment she saw the market crash, she began processing her leave of absence from school and immediately flew to Haicheng.