Transmigrating As a Poor Fake Heiress with Trillions in Family Asset - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Buying a Dog

Early the next morning, just as Sang Jing had finished washing up, she received a barrage of “deadly” calls from Kou Yan.

Although the plot and the system were weighing on her, and although she wanted to prevent the supporting male lead from interfering with the main couple’s romance, it didn’t mean Sang Jing had to obey Kou Yan’s every whim.

So, she ate breakfast and changed her clothes before finally returning his call.

She expected to be met with Kou Yan’s explosive rage.

Instead, Kou Yan’s voice was very calm. “I’m downstairs at your place.”

Then he hung up.

As expected, in such a novel world, obtaining someone’s personal information was child’s play for the male lead or a supporting male character. Not only did Kou Yan have her phone number, but he also knew her home address. Sang Jing was certain he had investigated Jing-Select thoroughly as well.

However, a “love-brain” is truly a “love-brain.” Her online shopping app was a major blow to his physical malls, yet in their few interactions, he hadn’t expressed the slightest concern about it.

Sang Jing informed her parents, “CEO Kou of the Kou Group has something to discuss with me. I might not go to the office this morning.”

Sang Wei assumed his daughter had some business to discuss with CEO Kou. He nodded and said, “I heard this CEO Kou has a bad temper. If the talk doesn’t go well, we don’t have to cooperate with him. There’s no need to provoke someone with such a foul disposition.”

“Mm, I know.” Sang Jing felt a bit guilty saying that, considering she had already provoked Kou Yan.

Kou Yan was indeed a “psychotic” supporting character, unlike ordinary people. Even though Sang Jing hadn’t answered his calls and had made him wait downstairs for so long, he showed no anger when she got into the car. Instead, he propped up his chin and stared at her.

He had no expression, but his gaze was impossible to ignore.

Sang Jing couldn’t help but ask, “Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

Kou Yan replied, “Your makeup today isn’t as exquisite as it was during yesterday’s live stream.”

Sang Jing turned to look out the window and silently rolled her eyes, wanting no part in such a meaningless conversation. During the stream, I was the company spokesperson, promoting our app to the whole country; of course I had to maintain my image. Do you really think a villain boss like you, destined to be cannon fodder, is worth putting on exquisite makeup just to go buy a dog?

She took out her phone to start working. Even if she wasn’t at the office, her assistant had organized and sent over all her documents. She needed to handle business on the road.

They arrived quietly at a pet shop. Sang Jing put away her phone and got out with Kou Yan, wanting only to finish this quickly.

Upon entering, Sang Jing spoke directly to the clerk: “Do you have any Huskies?”

She turned to Kou Yan and added, “Golden Retrievers are gentle and Border Collies are smart, but maybe you should consider a Husky. Huskies are more… outgoing.”

Kou Yan’s assistant/driver had also followed them out. Hearing this, he wanted to step forward and stop her. Do you really think our CEO doesn’t know what kind of personality a Husky has?

However, Kou Yan didn’t object. When the clerk mentioned they had several Husky puppies, he signaled for them to lead the way.

The Husky puppies were indeed very lively. Being so small, they made adorable whimpering milk-sounds. For a moment, Sang Jing forgot just how much this breed loved to destroy houses.

Kou Yan glanced at the group of puppies once or twice, then fixed his gaze on Sang Jing. “You pick one.”

Sang Jing thought, Since you’re brave enough to ask, I’m brave enough to pick.

She chose the “ugliest” one—a tiny thing that looked incredibly serious, as if it were ready to march onto a battlefield at any moment, its little brow furrowed tightly. It actually bore a slight resemblance to Kou Yan.

Just as they finished their selection, as luck would have it, An Siyuan’s voice rang out: “You guys are here too?”

Sang Jing turned to look at An Siyuan. There was no longer any trace of the slums on her. Every smile revealed sweetness and cuteness, and her eyes were clear and pure.

An Siyuan walked over and looked at Sang Jing with surprise. “Sister, are you buying a puppy too?”

Before Sang Jing could answer, her gaze fell on Kou Yan beside her. “CEO Kou, you’re here too! What a coincidence. What kind of dog are you buying?”

Kou Yan glanced at her but didn’t answer.

Sang Jing felt the awkwardness on An Siyuan’s behalf. “CEO Kou is buying a Husky.”

Surprise flashed in An Siyuan’s eyes. “But isn’t that dog famous for being silly and mischievous?”

An Siyuan looked at Sang Jing as she spoke. She knew Sang Jing had chosen it, so her intention wasn’t to call Kou Yan’s choice a “stupid dog,” but rather to tell Kou Yan that Sang Jing had chosen a stupid dog for him.

Sang Jing’s expression immediately went cold. Whether An Siyuan was truly a “silly-sweet” girl with low EQ or had other motives, Sang Jing felt no obligation to indulge the female lead. Moreover, a cold shoulder would surely distance her from the lead, helping the plot deviate.

However, Sang Jing didn’t expect Kou Yan to get angry.

“Get out,” Kou Yan said, his tone laced with rage, his eyes no longer calm.

An Siyuan never imagined Kou Yan would tell her to “get out.” She was his savior!

Sang Jing thought the same, but she was even more shocked by how quickly Kou Yan’s attitude toward An Siyuan had shifted. What happened to her being the ‘only sunshine in his life’?

Seeing the shock in An Siyuan’s eyes, Kou Yan sneered. “You did save my life. Because of that, the Kou family gave the An family many benefits, and I gave you a sum of money.”

He clenched his fists, his voice turning even colder. The sneer on his lips was almost predatory. “Even if that isn’t enough to repay the debt of saving a life, you hired someone to track mine and Sang Jing’s schedules to follow us here. The fact that I haven’t killed you is the only ‘indulgence’ I’m showing for that debt.”

This time, Sang Jing’s gaze fell on An Siyuan. So, meeting at the pet shop wasn’t a coincidence after all; An Siyuan had investigated their schedules and followed them.

Whether it was An Siyuan’s calculated move to follow them or Kou Yan’s current attitude toward her, Sang Jing felt it was all very foreign. It was a significant departure from the original book.

Just then, the system notified her:

[Plot has deviated by 7%.]

Sang Jing’s heart stirred. It seemed her “butterfly wings” were working.

“I… I didn’t mean to investigate you. I just wanted to talk to my sister.” An Siyuan’s face turned deathly pale because of Kou Yan’s gaze, and her eyes landed on Sang Jing, who was quite calm by comparison.

Sang Jing’s eyes flickered, and a faint curve touched her lips. “Then let’s talk over there.”

She looked at Kou Yan. He said nothing and walked straight to the pet shop’s lounge area to sit and wait for his puppy.

Sang Jing and An Siyuan walked to the other side of the shop. Seeing An Siyuan’s uneasy eyes, Sang Jing thought her “character setting” hadn’t collapsed yet. In the original book, every time the female lead met Kou Yan, she would be frightened by his state and look pitiful. Kou Yan, in turn, would become even more frantic because of her fear—I treat her so well, she is the most special person in my life, so why is she always so terrified when she sees me? Thus, he would spiral further into madness.

But now, Kou Yan seemed far less interested in An Siyuan.

Thinking about the continuing plot deviation, Sang Jing’s attitude softened. “What did you want to say to me?”

An Siyuan looked at Sang Jing timidly, her eyes filling with tears. Her grievances suddenly surged, and she couldn’t stop sobbing. “Why? Why is it that even though our lives are back on track, everyone says you were born with a lucky fate? Does that mean whichever family I go to is destined to fall into ruin?”

Sang Jing was truly surprised she would say this. She gave a somewhat incredulous laugh. “What does this have to do with fate? The An family relies on your parents to sustain it. You aren’t involved in their business operations, so if they decline, what does that have to do with you? It simply means they lack the ability themselves.”

In the middle and late stages of the original story, the male lead would attack the female lead’s family business because of the original Sang Jing, linking their fates. But now that Sang Jing had been replaced, she wouldn’t persecute them or prompt others to move against the An Corporation.

“But why?” An Siyuan seemed unable to process this. “Why is it that as soon as you returned to Uncle and Auntie, they immediately got investment capital to start a company? Why wasn’t it like that when I was there?”

Because the person changed.

But Sang Jing couldn’t tell An Siyuan that neither she nor her parents were the same people anymore. She thought for a moment and realized she could somewhat understand the girl. “If you insist on going down this rabbit hole, there are far too many things in this world that will break you.”

“We are adults now, no longer children. Every adult has their own pressures and pain. You can’t just look at someone’s glamorous side and feel miserable. For all you know, that person might be suffering even more behind the scenes than you are.”

Just like herself. The pressure the system placed on her was hers alone to bear—the future and happiness of not just herself, but her parents too. She didn’t want to imagine her parents’ expressions if she became terminally ill again and left this world. This was the pressure she carried.

Under such weight, her only choice was to flap her butterfly wings and make the plot deviate, rather than cry. Sometimes, crying serves no purpose other than venting emotion.

Kou Yan, who had walked close enough to eavesdrop, heard Sang Jing’s words. Though his view was blocked by an obstacle, he was looking in her direction.

The world only saw him as the President of the Kou Group, a man who could turn the tide with a wave of his hand. No one had ever told him: The state you’re in might be an illness; you need to see a doctor.

People could only see his power and wealth, fearing both, but no one saw how he was tortured day and night.