What Bad Intentions Could the Heroine Have? [GL] - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Morning arrived as a faint shimmer of light appeared on the horizon, and the city stirred from its slumber.

The sun rose through the eastern mist, and the clock ticked rhythmically.

Whether it was the lingering effect of the alcohol or the drug, Mu Xingyu’s head throbbed with a stinging pain as she rubbed her temples and sat up in bed.

Last night, her manager had coerced her into drinking a spiked glass of wine. Once she realized something was wrong, she took the chance to escape, and then…

“You’re finally awake.”

Mu Xingyu instinctively looked toward the voice. “President Feng? You… I… what happened?”

Sitting on the sofa, Feng Chichun took a sip of her coffee and said, “That’s a long story. Perhaps you should ask yourself what you did yesterday.”

“W-What did I do?” Mu Xingyu truly couldn’t recall doing anything out of the ordinary. Had she acted bizarrely afterward?

Feng Chichun set down her coffee cup and walked toward her. “Planning to wake up and deny everything? That’s truly heartbreaking.”

Halfway through her sentence, Feng Chichun pressed her hand down beside Mu Xingyu, their upper bodies drawing extremely close.

Mu Xingyu’s beautiful, nervous face was reflected in Feng Chichun’s dark pupils.

Mu Xingyu’s heart pounded wildly. This plot.

Was it the classic “drunken night of passion”? The heroine is tricked into drinking spiked wine, enters the wrong room, and ends up in the CEO’s bed. After a one-night stand, she flees abroad only to return years later with a carved-from-jade little girl who looks exactly like the CEO did as a child…

Stop, stop, stop!

She was still wearing the same clothes, and two women couldn’t exactly conceive a child naturally. That kind of plot was impossible if you gave it a second thought.

“President Feng, stop joking. I never act out when I’m drunk. I definitely didn’t do anything… improper to you!”

“Pfft! Oh, so that’s what you were thinking? I just wanted to tell you: next time you’re drunk, don’t grab people and cry. You got my clothes all dirty.”

Mu Xingyu’s face flushed crimson instantly. she was too embarrassed to speak. Was her behavior while drunk really that bad? To grab someone and cry?

Mu Xingyu asked, “Do I need to pay for the clothes? My budget is a bit tight lately; can I pay in installments?”

Hearing this, Feng Chichun couldn’t hold back her laughter. “That won’t be necessary. I’m not so short on cash that I’d miss the price of one outfit.”

“I am so sorry! I’ll definitely treat you to a meal another day!” Mu Xingyu felt like she could never hold her head up in front of Feng Chichun again.

Feng Chichun replied, “Then I shall await your invitation.”

Likely because she had sweated while drunk last night, Mu Xingyu felt uncomfortable. She was too embarrassed to ask to shower there, so she told Feng Chichun she wanted to go home.

Feng Chichun asked if she needed a ride, but Mu Xingyu was too mortified and declined without a second thought.

Upon arriving home, Mu Xingyu checked her phone for unread messages.

To her surprise, there were over a dozen missed calls, all from Zhuo Zi.

Mu Xingyu felt a surge of anger just seeing the name. She used to think Zhuo Zi was a decent manager who picked high-paying gigs for her. Now it was clear that Zhuo Zi viewed her as nothing more than a “cash cow.”

However, even if Mu Xingyu hated her, she couldn’t just cut off contact. She called back, but as she opened her mouth to speak, Zhuo Zi unleashed a barrage of words.

“Xingyu! I really misjudged you! Do you have any idea how furious President Wang was yesterday? You just walked away and left me to handle it alone! Did you even think about my feelings?”

Mu Xingyu frowned, disagreeing with every word. She was the one who had been wronged; how had the blame shifted entirely onto her?

Mu Xingyu tried to argue, but every time she managed a sound, Zhuo Zi cut her off with more accusations.

Left with no choice, Mu Xingyu let the words go in one ear and out the other. During a brief pause where Zhuo Zi caught her breath, Mu Xingyu asked, “Sister Zhuo, I wasn’t willing to do that. It’s fine if you arrange lower-paying work for me, but.”

Zhuo Zi sneered over the phone. “You still think you’re getting work? I’m telling you now: you’ve been blacklisted!”

Click. Beep—beep—beep.

“But my contract with the company expires next month…” Mu Xingyu muttered, though Zhuo Zi didn’t hear the second half of her sentence.

Mu Xingyu felt angry and slighted, but she knew she wasn’t a child anymore. Anger was useless; she had to bow to reality.

She opened her bank app and sighed at the balance. When she said she wasn’t short on cash last night, she was definitely lying. Last week, she had bought two new outfits, a bag, and a pair of shoes, spending almost her entire salary.

Since her contract didn’t expire until next month and she wouldn’t be getting any work this month, she would have to live frugally.

She had signed with the agency right after graduation. Following the advice of her best friend, Qin Yiru, she had been cautious and only signed for one year. The benefits weren’t as good as those on five or ten-year contracts, but it meant she had a way out.

She had planned to renew if the company provided good resources, or jump ship if they didn’t. Who knew that the “backup plan” she kept in her pocket would become her only path forward now?

Mu Xingyu had mentally prepared herself for the upcoming poverty, but “accidents” always appear when least expected.

At 5:00 AM, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, the room started to heat up. As time passed, the sweltering heat filled the space, and Mu Xingyu woke up drenched in sweat from a deep sleep.

She checked her phone; a notification showed her electricity balance was insufficient, and the power had been cut.

It was the definition of “when it rains, it pours.”

In mid-June, temperatures in City A had already hit 30°C (86°F). For someone like Mu Xingyu who hated the heat, no air conditioning was a disaster.

She tidied herself up and hurried out. To save money, she couldn’t afford a taxi and had to take the bus.

After getting off, she entered a minimalist coffee shop and unhesitatingly ordered the cheapest coffee. It cost 20 yuan, but most importantly, it came with free refills. As long as the cup wasn’t empty, she could legitimately stay there and leech the AC!

Mu Xingyu picked up the cup, barely touching the coffee with her lips without taking a single sip.

Through the glass wall, her seat gave her a clear view of the nearby Feng Corporation building. She sighed at how wealthy Feng Chichun was and then let out a burp that tasted like a jianbing guozi (savory crepe).

A five-yuan crepe was great value for money, but she didn’t know what to do for lunch. If she left the shop, she’d have to buy another 20-yuan coffee to come back. Not worth it.

So, she chose to skip lunch and just sit there. With free refills, AC, and Wi-Fi, the day wasn’t boring just a bit hungry.

She toughed it out until 7:00 PM. Starving and weak, she finally had to leave under the waiter’s slightly disdainful gaze.

Mu Xingyu thick-skinnedly ignored the waiter, telling herself that if she walked fast enough, the awkwardness couldn’t catch her.

With her balance dwindling, the best solution was to find a snack at a nearby food street for 5 to 10 yuan.

However, two minutes into her walk, dark clouds gathered rapidly. Lightning flashed through the ink-black clouds, and with a roar of thunder, the rain poured down, giving her no time to react.

Large raindrops pelted down, actually hurting as they hit. Mu Xingyu looked up at the heavy sky, the rain washing over her face.

In novels, when the heroine is sad and dejected, there is always a downpour. The rain is like the heroine’s tears, symbolizing a sadness that could form a river…

But the point is! I’m not the heroine!

Was it because the author moved her name to the protagonist column that she now received “heroine treatment”? She didn’t want this treatment at all!

Mu Xingyu ran desperately, looking for a place to take cover, but her luck was abysmal; there wasn’t a single overhang in sight.

The rain soaked her clothes, and her beautiful, fluffy curls turned into limp, soggy noodles. She hadn’t been that sad before, but she was truly miserable now.

She could handle being poor, but she could NOT handle being ugly!

Just as she was reaching the point of despair, she saw a familiar car. The person inside seemed to recognize her and slowed to a stop beside her.

“The rain is so heavy, would you like to get in and take cover?” Feng Chichun still looked as elegant and composed as ever. To others, she might look high and mighty, but to Mu Xingyu, she was a savior!

Feng Chichun always appeared right when she needed help most. While it was strange, the help was very real.

“Thank you for the offer, President Feng, but I’m soaked. I might ruin your car,” Mu Xingyu hesitated before getting in.

Feng Chichun replied, “Do you think I only have this one car?”

Mu Xingyu felt her “internal pH” drop to an all-time low (feeling salty/jealous). She stopped hesitating and hopped in.

She originally thought it was a coincidence, but since they were near the Feng building at 7:00 PM (quitting time), she figured it made sense. Or, perhaps, it was just “plot necessity.”

“President Feng, this is the third time you’ve helped me. I don’t know how to repay you.”

Feng Chichun turned her head slightly. “It happens to be dinner time. If you truly want to repay me, accompany me for a meal.”

“I… might not be able to afford high-end ingredients for you, President Feng.”

Feng Chichun smiled. “This one is on me.”

“That wouldn’t be right…” If Mu Xingyu had money, she would have insisted on paying, but she was truly broke.

“There’s nothing wrong with it. But before that, I think you should change into clean clothes.”

Before dinner, Feng Chichun sent her secretary, Fang Yuandong, to buy a temporary outfit for Mu Xingyu.

Half an hour later, Mu Xingyu and Feng Chichun were seated in a restaurant. Outside the glass was a raging storm; inside, the room was warm, the table was draped in white cloth with flowers and candlelight, and a violinist played nearby. Aside from them, there seemed to be no other guests.

Mu Xingyu was too hungry to think about that. Usually, she didn’t have a huge appetite, but since she’d skipped lunch, she ate quite a lot.

They chatted as they ate, and before long, the dishes were cleared. Mu Xingyu told herself it was because the portions were small, not because she was a glutton.

As she wiped her mouth with a napkin, Feng Chichun finally got down to business.

“Actually, I had a selfish reason for inviting you to dinner. I want to talk to you about work.”

Mu Xingyu was stunned. “Work? What work?”

Feng Chichun nodded with a smile. “A job that I think is very suitable for you.”

Mu Xingyu’s confusion deepened. She knew the Feng Corporation’s products had fixed spokespersons. As a model, she had some fame, but she was far less effective for promotion than a big celebrity. The company had better options.

“Thank you for the consideration, President Feng. I’d like to know the style of the shoot. If it’s too far from my personal image, I might not be able to do it justice.”

“You only need to be yourself.” Feng Chichun clapped her hands.

The secretary, Fang Yuandong, appeared out of nowhere with a contract, giving Mu Xingyu a start.

“You can take your time reading it,” Feng Chichun said.

Fang Yuandong handed the contract to Mu Xingyu. As her fingertips touched the paper, she felt a slight warmth.

Was this just photocopied a second ago?

Mu Xingyu flipped to the first page, and a bold heading caught her eye.

In that instant, she questioned her own eyesight. No matter how much she blinked, the words didn’t change.

She skimmed the terms; they were extremely reasonable. If she signed this, she would definitely be the one getting the better end of the deal.

Feng Chichun added: “A monthly salary of 50,000, full social benefits, a 9-to-5/five-day week schedule, double pay for overtime and travel, and all commuting and clothing expenses are reimbursable.”

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