The Possessive Villain Is Too Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 9

Chu Ning’s hesitant speech was driving Xiao Mi beside her crazy: [Hurry up and say it already! Are we keeping them for the New Year?]

Listening to Xiao Mi’s impatient urging, Ye Zhixia raised a hand to cover her mouth, lest Chu Ning notice her stifled laughter.

A chilling aura radiated from Chu Ning, her pitch-black eyes glinting with an almost imperceptible shimmer of light:

“Keeping these marketing accounts alive lets us trace the companies behind them and follow the money to see who’s really profiting. Exposing the mastermind is the ultimate goal, suing the hired guns of these accounts in court would just be a waste of time.”

Ye Zhixia and Xiao Mi both marveled inwardly: [Impressive!]

This line of reasoning was even more thorough than Ye Zhixia’s own plan.

Thus, another seed of doubt took root in Ye Zhixia’s mind: How could someone as meticulous as Chu Ning, even at such a young age, end up with such a tragic fate in the original storyline? By all logic, she should have become a business elite.

Recalling Chu Ning’s earlier phone call, Ye Zhixia asked, “When you mentioned ‘the remaining one,’ was there another issue?”

“The remaining one,” of course, referred to the foul-mouthed group chat member “Guihua Mi,” whose identity remained unknown.

At the thought of this person’s vulgar insults, Chu Ning’s brows furrowed in irritation again.

After careful consideration, she realized that while she had the means to uncover Guihua Mi’s identity herself, this was also a perfect opportunity to test Ye Zhixia. If she could confirm that Ye Zhixia was truly on her side, she’d gain another ally moving forward!

With a sigh, she replied in a tone laced with helplessness, “In my class group chat, a few people have been spreading malicious rumors about me. I plan to sue them, but one user, ‘Guihua Mi,’ didn’t register with their real name, so I’m stuck for now.”

Guihua Mi? Why did that sound so familiar?

Ye Zhixia combed through her memories before suddenly pulling out her phone. She opened Weibo and scrolled through the comments on her earlier clarification post.

Sure enough, among the users who had stubbornly insisted that Chu Ning was guilty, there was one named “Guihua Xiang Ru Mi”!

She shared her discovery with Chu Ning, who recognized the familiar profile picture immediately confirming that “Guihua Xiang Ru Mi” and “Guihua Mi” were the same person.

Ye Zhixia volunteered eagerly, “I have a friend who’s pretty skilled with internet tech, they can track things like IP addresses.”

Xiao Mi puffed out her chest mid-air of course, that “friend” was her.

Chu Ning’s enchanting eyes lit up instantly. “Really? Then I’ll have to trouble you, Sister Xiaxia!”

Ye Zhixia exited Weibo and opened QQ, replying leisurely, “Let’s add each other. Send me the group chat details.”

As the soup and main dishes were served one by one, Ye Zhixia never one to indulge her appetite found the delicate, modest portions perfectly suited to her tastes.

But Chu Ning seemed less enthusiastic about the food, leaving a bit of each dish untouched.

Xiao Mi crossed her arms, pouting in annoyance: [Why is Chu Ning wasting food?]

“Ningning, don’t you like Western cuisine?” Ye Zhixia asked gently.

Chu Ning hesitated, looking slightly embarrassed. “Promise you won’t laugh at me if I tell you the truth?”

Her words only piqued Ye Zhixia’s curiosity further. “Oh? Is there some special reason behind it?”

“There’s nothing particularly special,” Chu Ning’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum. “I prefer Chinese food, but when I’m out, I have to maintain my image and can’t indulge freely. So I only dare to cook for myself at home in secret.”

The logic wasn’t wrong, eating food she didn’t like helped her stay poised and avoid appearing gluttonous.

Ye Zhixia suddenly laughed. She, too, was a true descendant of the Yellow Emperor, someone who loved a breakfast of soy milk and fried dough sticks. But in those wealthy-family romance novels, it made perfect sense for the domineering CEO to bring the female lead a glass of milk and two slices of toast upon waking. If he handed her a jianbing guozi instead…

Delicious as it might be, the thought of the female lead moved to tears by a jianbing guozi was a sight too absurd to imagine.

“You promised not to laugh at me!” Chu Ning pouted.

Ye Zhixia quickly apologized and shared the scenario she had just imagined.

Chu Ning couldn’t help but burst into laughter as well.

The meal wasn’t particularly satisfying, but Chu Ning’s suspicions about Ye Zhixia lessened, and Ye Zhixia realized Chu Ning wasn’t just some helpless victim. Both of them felt more at ease afterward.

After the meal, Ye Zhixia drove Chu Ning back to the Chu family estate. As they said goodbye, she patted Chu Ning’s head and said, “Hurry up and get your driver’s license, little one. Then we can go on road trips together!”

But once she got home, Ye Zhixia knocked her own forehead. “Oh no, what if someone tampers with Chu Ning’s car after I encouraged her to learn to drive?”

As soon as Xiao Mi entered the room, she transformed back into her cow-patterned kitten form, hopping onto the beanbag chair and stealing Ye Zhixia’s spot. She teased, “Minister Ye, seems like you’re worrying a bit too much about Chu Ning, huh?”

Ye Zhixia, now in her pajamas, shrugged. “Isn’t my mission to save her? I’m just doing my job!”

“And you, my friend,” Ye Zhixia suddenly lowered her voice, mimicking a broadcaster’s tone, “can now help me check the IP addresses in the group chat for our mission target.”

Xiao Mi rolled around on the beanbag before reluctantly stretching. “Just got back, and now you’re making me work overtime…”

Without further delay, she flipped over and pulled up a screen.

Ye Zhixia analyzed while giving orders: “Guihua Mi is a burner account. There must be her main account in that group. If someone’s login IP matches hers, that person is Guihua Mi. Just pull up Guihua Mi’s IP and cross-reference it.”

Xiao Mi followed the instructions but soon frowned.

“Xiaxia, her login IP overlaps with a lot of people’s common IPs. And the most frequently used one is the school’s public network there’s no way to tell which is her main account. Huh?”

Ye Zhixia then remembered that the group was full of high school classmates, so visiting each other’s homes wasn’t unusual.

But Xiao Mi’s sudden “Huh?” caught her attention.

“Find something new?” Ye Zhixia asked gently.

Xiao Mi kicked her hind legs twice, scratching her ears. “Look, Guihua Mi once logged in from Chu Ning’s usual IP…”

Ye Zhixia’s expression turned serious as she pinched her chin in thought. “Could it be…?”

Xiao Mi put on an equally grave face. “Could Guihua Mi actually be Chu Ning?!”

Ye Zhixia immediately bonked Xiao Mi on the head. “You ruined the tension!”

The image of Chu Ning’s beauty and quick wit today flashed through Ye Zhixia’s mind. She took out her phone, opened the chat window, typed a few lines, and hit send.

Rubbing Xiao Mi’s plump little body, she said, “Let’s send her what we’ve found. The rest is up to her. I believe she can handle it.”

–

After parting ways with Ye Zhixia, Chu Ning went straight back to her room.

In just one day, the moving company and the computer technician she had specially hired had already set up her most important desktop computer.

She pulled out her phone, tossed her backpack onto the plush carpet, and without even changing her clothes, eagerly turned on the computer.

Now that the equipment was ready, the forces behind the marketing accounts and the osmanthus honey scandal would have nowhere to hide.

Chu Ning had been fascinated by computers since childhood. Beyond basic programming knowledge, all kinds of computer games had accompanied her throughout her youth.

Most importantly, she had deliberately befriended many online experts, thinking that in the future, she might be able to predict trends in internet technology and expand the business of the Chu Group.

Leaning forward, she inspected her rig, equipped with quad Titans and only pressed the power button after confirming everything was in order.

As soon as she settled back into her gaming chair and put on her headphones, the dynamic desktop appeared on the screen.

Her goal was clear: first, she needed to investigate the marketing accounts that had posted the related news that day.

Although the trending topic from a few days ago had already been buried under other news, based on the screenshots and recordings Ye Zhixia had provided, Chu Ning still found plenty of leads.

Several marketing accounts frequently posted negative gossip about artists from a certain company, while others often praised the same company’s artists.

Clearly, these marketing accounts all belonged to the same company, releasing both positive and negative news to boost the artists’ exposure, stir up fan emotions, and strengthen fan loyalty.

Tracing back from the artists frequently mentioned by these accounts, it was no surprise, most of them were signed under Tianxing Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Chu Group.

A few others belonged to another company, in which Tianxing also held shares.

Originally, she had planned to spend these two months of summer vacation relaxing and traveling with her grandfather.

Now, it seemed she would have to use this time to thoroughly clean up Tianxing.

What surprised her, however, was that aside from these marketing accounts, several traditional print media’s online platforms had also participated in the discussion.

These were well-established, reputable media outlets. While it was plausible they were just chasing clout to meet KPIs, accounts backed by print media usually carried more credibility in the news industry meaning they should place greater emphasis on the truth of their reports.

Their slander and defamation were even more egregious!

Chu Ning’s slender fingers flew across the keyboard, the blue switches clicking rapidly.

Using corporate inquiry websites, she meticulously listed the companies behind these media outlets and their key executives. The web of interests behind this was undoubtedly complex.

After organizing the Weibo data, Chu Ning turned her attention to investigating the QQ groups.

Years ago, while tagging along with the online experts, she had secretly exploited backdoors in many major websites including White Bear’s.

Now, retracing those old paths, she was surprised to find that after two years, the vulnerability still hadn’t been patched. With ease, she pulled White Bear’s database straight to her own system.

After a quick search in the database, she found the username and password for Guihuami’s account.

The most straightforward way to investigate was simply to log into Guihuami’s account directly.

When the truth lay bare before Chu Ning, she took a deep breath. A faint trace of sorrow flickered through her mind before vanishing without a trace.

This person wasn’t exactly like a sibling or a confidant to her, but over the years, they had always greeted her with a smile and offered her kindness. In return, Chu Ning had repaid the favor, when this person’s family business ran into trouble, she had begged her grandfather to step in and help.

Just as she was lamenting the insincerity of those around her, her phone buzzed with a new notification.

Earlier that evening, when she had added Ye Zhixia as a friend, she had specifically set a special alert for her messages.

The text was short, but packed with meaning:

-Zhixia: Guihuami’s IP once logged in from one of your frequently used locations. Think about which classmate you’ve brought home before.

The chill running down Chu Ning’s spine instantly dissipated.

In just one sentence, Ye Zhixia had clearly conveyed both the information she had uncovered and her own suspicions.

That person had indeed visited her apartment once and had asked for the Wi-Fi password. The login record must have been left from that time.

Chu Ning leaned back in her gaming chair, staring blankly at the cloud-shaped pendant lamp above, its soft glow filling the room.

Born into the Chu family, she had been taught from a young age not to trust outsiders too easily.

For eighteen years, aside from her grandfather, mother, and aunt, she had never allowed anyone else into the safe confines of her heart.

Even though Ye Zhixia had saved her in a moment of crisis, Chu Ning had remained guarded, testing her at every turn. But now, faced with Ye Zhixia’s sincerity and repeated acts of kindness, Chu Ning’s resolve wavered.

A chime sounded in her headphones, Guihuami had noticed the unauthorized login from a different location and had already changed the password.

To think that someone who had smiled at her warmly for ten years would stab her in the back when she was most vulnerable.

Chu Ning pulled her thoughts back and steeled herself once more, rebuilding the walls of her defenses.

Even if Ye Zhixia meant no harm, she still had to face the world clad in her own armor.

“Li Jinqiu,” she murmured slowly, enunciating each syllable of the name.

After closing her eyes for a brief moment, she picked up her phone and dialed.

The person on the other end sounded busy. “Hello, Ningning?”

Chu Ning’s tone was gentle but firm. “Hello, Manager Tang. Please halt the Series B funding for Qinbao Company. I’ll explain the details to Grandfather tomorrow.”

There was a pause on the other end before a flustered response. “But the Series B funding is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. If we stop now,”

“Terminate it,” Chu Ning said decisively. “The Chu Group won’t be investing another cent into Qinbao Company. Start handling the aftermath immediately.”

Manager Tang from the finance department knew a little about why the Chu Group had agreed to fund Qinbao in the first place.

According to the CEO’s complaints, it was because his granddaughter, Chu Ning, had tearfully begged him to lend a helping hand to the family of a longtime friend. Unable to bear seeing her upset, he had reluctantly agreed.

Now that Chu Ning was personally calling to cancel the funding, it was almost certain that some conflict had arisen between her and Qinbao Company.

In the high-rise offices of the Chu Group, Manager Tang stepped out of his private office and clapped his hands.

It was nearly ten at night, and the finance department was still working overtime.

“Everyone, pause what you’re doing!” Manager Tang announced loudly. “Those handling the Qinbao Company funding can stop, the deal is off.”

“What? All that work for nothing?” A frustrated female voice rang out. “I pulled five days of overtime, and now they’re telling me the deal’s off?”

Another girl quietly reassured her, “It’s fine. If it’s not happening today, at least we won’t have to work late tomorrow. We’re on fixed salaries anyway, what does it matter to us whether the deal goes through or not?”

Manager Tang gave a thumbs-up in approval. “Xiao Wang, you really get it. You two head home now, the company will cover your cab fare.”

Hearing that the company was footing the bill, the two girls quickly packed up their desks, showering him with flattery. “Manager Tang, you’re so generous! See you tomorrow, Manager Tang!”

–

Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Chu Ning got up and dressed carefully.

Her grandfather had been in the capital for a meeting the past few days. The conference had ended yesterday, and he was returning to Haicheng first thing today.

Chu Ning had previously lived in an apartment near her school, leaving her grandfather to miss his granddaughter dearly, only able to chat with her over video calls.

Now that she had moved back, of course she wanted to put in the effort to welcome him home.

Once ready, she slipped into an elegant casual outfit and boarded the family car.

But over at Ye Zhixia’s side, an alarm suddenly blared:

“Mission target in danger! Mission target in danger!”

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