The Villainous Sister-in-law Mistakenly Marked as the Heroine (Transmigration) - Chapter 33.1

Early morning.

Lin Qile woke up to find Rong Jing, whose arm she had been lying on, frowning uncomfortably in her sleep. She quickly released the other woman, got up, and began dressing.

Rong Jing stirred awake and, seeing her already dressed, asked in a hoarse voice, “Last night, you said you had a request for me. What was it?”

She turned back and flashed Rong Jing a bright smile. “It’s a secret. I’ll ask when the time comes, you already promised, remember?”

“Oh.”

Noticing Rong Jing’s indifferent expression, she knelt halfway on the bed. “Can you pick me up from work tonight?”

“Why should I?”

She pouted. “Help me check the accounts, please? It’s not easy being in charge.”

Rong Jing narrowed her eyes and questioned irritably, “Weren’t you guarding against me like a thief last night?”

“Never! Absolutely not. I’d never guard against you. I’m completely transparent and utterly loyal to you!”

“Hmph.”

“Miss Rong, please? Pretty please?”

Rong Jing pursed her lips. “We’ll see. Depends on my mood.”

Lin Qile ignored the hesitation and said excitedly, “I’ll be waiting for you at the company!”

After getting ready, the two left together.

Lin Qile arrived at the company.

No sooner had she sat down in her office than someone from the investment department came in. “Assistant Lin, we have a meeting with Fengqing Bank today at ten to discuss investment. You’ll be able to attend on time, right?”

“Investment talks with a bank?”

“Yes. This project was personally overseen by Director Qi until now. It’s at the final negotiation stage, and this investment is crucial for the company. Director Qi said you’ll take full responsibility, with our support.”

“…I understand.”

“Great, we’ll go prepare the materials.”

Once the person left, she panicked.

Investment talks with a bank? What kind of investment? How does it even work?

And why had Qi Song assigned this to her without any prior notice?

“System, is Qi Song setting me up?”

[Yes. If the deal falls through, Qi Song can use your incompetence as grounds to remove you from the company.]

“How devious!”

[Host, how do you plan to handle this?]

After three seconds of thought, she immediately called Rong Jing.

[Host, lately, whenever you’re unsure, your first instinct is to turn to the villain.]

She snorted. “If you were more useful, I wouldn’t have to.”

The system wept, it had been dismissed again.

The call connected, and she explained the situation. After listening, Rong Jing paused for three seconds before saying, “Put on your Bluetooth earpiece. During the meeting, repeat exactly what I say.”

“Got it. But won’t this interfere with your work?”

“You calling me already has.”

She chuckled sheepishly. “I’ll make it up to you!”

“Just don’t turn into an ungrateful wretch, and I’ll thank the heavens.”

“Never! I swear I won’t!”

“Hmph.”

At ten, the meeting began.

Lin Qile, wearing her Bluetooth earpiece, maintained a calm smile as she listened to the discussions between both sides.

It wasn’t until the mid-meeting break, while standing in the pantry, that Rong Jing finally spoke through the earpiece: “Did you understand any of that?”

“Sort of.”

“Idiot, your grandmother had a great eye back in the day. She acquired several old streets, and now almost all of them have become protected heritage sites. Restoring these ancient streets aligns with government policies and can be developed into tourist attractions, it’s a solid investment. But the restoration requires a massive loan. Lin Corporation can accept an interest rate of 2.4%, but Fengqing Bank is demanding 3.1%. That’s the key point of today’s negotiation.”

“You’re amazing. I was completely lost listening to all that, but you understood it just by hearing it briefly?”

Rong Jing sat in the office, twirling a pen in her hand. “You’re just too dumb. I’ve never met an alpha as clueless as you.”

“Hey, different fields, different expertise! I studied medicine.”

“A medical student who fails every year. Remember to tell me which hospital you intern at, I’ll make sure everyone I know avoids you.”

“Do you have to be so harsh?!”

“Alright, let’s get to business. If you want Fengqing Bank to budge, target their newly launched service. Lin Corporation has an annual loan quota, offer that to Fengqing Bank. Here’s what you should say later…”

Lin Qile held a coffee cup, listening attentively to Rong Jing’s advice.

Not far away, Wang Chen observed them while reporting to Qi Song over the phone, “Cousin, this project won’t succeed. Let Lin Qile take the blame, then no one will trust her or her mother to run the company properly.”

“Good. Handle it well, and I won’t forget your efforts.”

“Understood, Cousin.”

Qi Song turned and saw Lin Xinrou waving at her. Smiling, she hung up and walked over. “Having fun?”

“Lots!”

“Then let’s stay a few more days.”

She hadn’t planned to act so soon, but the mother-daughter pair had grown increasingly disobedient. She reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Lin Xinrou’s ear.

Lin Xinrou was sweet.

Just too foolish.

If she had stayed obedient, Qi Song wouldn’t have minded keeping her around a little longer. But now…

It was time to end things.

The tenderness in Qi Song’s eyes masked the ruthlessness in her heart.

Lin Xinrou happily wrapped her arms around her lover’s waist. “Ah Song, thank you for putting aside work to spend time with me.”

“Anything for your happiness.”

…

Evening.

Rong Jing arrived at Lin Corporation. The moment she stepped into the office, she was pinned against the wall and kissed leaving the employees outside utterly stunned.

Damn! Little Boss Lin is wild!

Ugh, my goddess Rong Jing… my heart is broken.

Just as it seemed the two were about to escalate into something far more scandalous, the door slammed shut.

Lin Qile released a dazed Rong Jing. “Sorry about that. I just wanted to mislead them. If they found out the mighty heir needed outside help to audit the books, I’d never live it down.”

Rong Jing froze for a second before kicking her in the shin. “You used me as part of your act?!”

“Ow, ow! I’m sorry, my queen! That hurts, stop kicking!”

“Hmph.”

Rong Jing strode over and took a seat at the desk.

Lin Qile scurried around like an attendant serving an emperor, promptly arranging the documents in front of her. “Thank you, thank you.”

After skimming through the financial reports, Rong Jing suddenly said, “Get me the IR project contract.”

“On it!”

One reviewed the accounts while the other fetched files, an unexpectedly harmonious scene.

Outside, everyone assumed the two were indulging in adult activities, too afraid to approach. Who would’ve guessed they were actually hard at work?

Alas, after searching all night, the only thing she found was some suspicious activity in the funding of a particular project, nothing else turned up.

“If you think there’s an issue with the accounts, you should bring in an audit team. With just the two of us digging, it’s not something we can resolve in a couple of nights.”

She nodded.

Rong Jing suddenly looked at her seriously. “Lin Qile, have you discovered something? Otherwise, why would you be investigating the company’s accounts?”

Had she uncovered Qi Song’s secret?

Rong Jing interlaced her fingers, studying Lin Qile with a probing gaze.

Lin Qile’s eyes darted as she hesitated should she take this opportunity to reveal everything?

Tell her that she’d found out about Qi Song and Bai Jiao’s affair?

But if she’d discovered her mother’s infidelity, shouldn’t her first move have been to push for a divorce? Why secretly audit the accounts instead?

If Rong Jing pressed further, could she come up with a flawless explanation?

The person before her wasn’t just anyone, she was the ultimate villain. If the villain found out she’d known about Qi Song and Bai Jiao’s betrayal all along, would she fly into a rage and turn her hatred toward Lin Qile as well?

The thought of becoming another target of Rong Jing’s vengeance sent a shiver down her spine.

Rong Jing: “Well? Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“My mother won’t let me into the company. It pisses me off, so I’m checking the accounts. If I can dig up something shady, maybe I won’t have to endure her lectures every day.”

She put on the spoiled heiress act, someone who refused to be controlled.

Rong Jing’s expression seemed to dim with disappointment. “Oh, is that it?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“But if you want my help auditing the accounts, a few days won’t be enough. If your mother suddenly returns, all our effort will be wasted.”

She blinked at Rong Jing. “Don’t worry, I can handle that part!”

Getting a lovesick fool to focus on work wasn’t easy, but keeping one entangled in romance and stalling someone? That was hardly a challenge. Especially since Qi Song was still trying to maintain her devoted wife persona, she’d never refuse Lin Xinrou’s requests.

That night.

Before bed, Lin Qile called her mother.

“Sweetheart, isn’t it late over there? The sun hasn’t even set here yet.”

“Yeah, I’m about to sleep. I just missed you, so I called. Mom, are you having fun?”

“I am, I really am.”

Good, as long as she was happy!

A glint flashed in her eyes. “Mom, I feel like I’m settling into the company more and more. Don’t worry about me, you and Mother should enjoy yourselves. It’s been ages since you two went on a trip, right?”

“Mm, the last time was after you graduated middle school.”

Lin Xinrou’s eyes softened with nostalgia at the memory.

“That long? Mother’s always been so busy. This time, you two should really make the most of it, visit more places, take lots of pretty photos. Otherwise, who knows when the next chance will come? Maybe another eight or ten years? By then, Mom, you’ll have wrinkles and gray hair.”

“You’re absolutely right!”

“Don’t worry about the company, I’m here, and there are plenty of employees. You should tell Mother to turn off her phone completely and just enjoy the trip. Getting work calls all the time ruins the mood.”

Lin Xinrou’s eyes lit up. “Sweetheart, that’s a fantastic idea.”

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