Su Mi recalled that the only time she had ever mentioned the so-called “family banquet” was when she asked Ren Yue.
How had it turned into her wanting to go to the family banquet by the time it reached Shen Han?
She opened her mouth, about to explain that she did not want to go, when a segment of the original host’s memory suddenly flashed through her mind.
It was the original host acting humbly in front of Shen Han, tentatively asking about something.
The memory was not very clear, but she vaguely recalled that it was about the qualifications for the family banquet.
Su Mi: ……
Fine.
How could someone as vain as the original host possibly miss a chance to show off at a family banquet?
Good thing she had been a step slow with her mouth.
She felt a lingering fear and took a breath to steady herself.
The fawning expression that the original host could not hide from the memory appeared in her mind. Su Mi’s face stiffened as she felt she could not imitate something like that.
She tilted her head in a cute manner and quickly admitted fault. “Th-then can I handle it?”
Shen Han had not expected her to admit it so readily and was momentarily stunned.
Her gaze swept over Su Mi’s expression. Shen Han seemed about to say something but gave up.
In the end, she let out a faint hum and said, “I’ll think about it.”
?
Think about it.
Was she really going to take this cannon fodder along?
Su Mi was also stunned. The two of them—one squatting, one sitting—stared at each other for a moment.
She quickly reviewed all the known plot in her mind.
There was no family banquet in it.
Before she could think further, the bell rang in the classroom.
The parent-teacher conference was about to begin.
Shen Han glanced at the homeroom teacher who had already taken the stage and snapped her fingers in front of Su Mi.
“Come back to your senses.”
“Oh!”
Su Mi realized the bell had rung and hurriedly stood up.
However, she had squatted for a bit too long. As she shot to her feet, her vision blurred and a sudden numbness shot through her legs.
Her body swayed, and she looked about to topple backward.
In that instant, she felt an irresistible force from her waist steadying her entire body.
The force vanished in a flash. Su Mi nearly staggered and steadied herself—as if she had done it on her own.
By the time she stood firm, the parents from the seats behind voiced their concern:
“Su, be careful.”
“Oh dear, that was close.”
“Su has quick reflexes. She must be great at sports.”
The homeroom teacher on the podium also asked, “Su Mi, are you okay?”
Su Mi: …What happened?
She stood there in confusion and looked at Shen Han, whose posture and calm expression had not changed at all.
An illusion?
There was no time for her to dwell on it now. Su Mi quickly waved at the homeroom teacher, then turned to thank the concerned parents and assured them she was fine.
When she turned back, she could not help sneaking another glance at Shen Han.
The latter obligingly showed a puzzled expression, as if to say it was fine and she could go.
Su Mi scratched her head and chalked it up to an illusion.
With the professional demeanor of a loyal lackey, before leaving, Su Mi said softly, “Sis, I’ll wait for you outside.”
Then she went out.
The corridor outside the classroom was already empty, with almost no students remaining.
Su Mi leaned against the railing and turned her attention back to the family banquet.
It was not just the family banquet. There was very little description of the Shen Family in the original plot, with most of the content focusing on their power in Prime City.
Su Mi had thought about the reason. She figured it was because Shen Han was one of this book’s small world late-stage big bosses.
In the early stages, the main plot obstacles came from her and other minor cannon fodders.
The original author had probably arranged for Shen Han and the Shen Family to step in as antagonists only after learning of the protagonists’ romance.
But this small world and the protagonists would not live long enough to reach that plot point, so Shen Han and the secrets behind her were all blanks.
Thinking of it this way, Su Mi felt that completing the task would be a long and arduous journey.
…No.
Su Mi patted her own face.
Do not overcomplicate the task.
The current plan to advance the relationship between the protagonist and the antagonist was progressing smoothly. At this rate, completing the task would be a piece of cake.
That’s right!
No matter how scary the antagonist seemed, she was just a love-struck fool at heart.
Her blackening value could only plummet in front of Xu Nanqiao.
As long as she endured until the end of the task period, this world would be hers to roam free afterward!
Su Mi got carried away with her fantasies and secretly snorted disdainfully at Shen Han through the glass window.
Right then, as if sensing it with some special ability, Shen Han turned her head and looked straight at her.
Su Mi: …!
Even from this distance, she inexplicably felt the guilt of being caught red-handed.
She forced a calm smile at Shen Han and slipped away to the back door out of her sight.
Fine, the antagonist was still pretty scary.
The parent-teacher conference did not last long. Su Mi wandered around the floor for a bit, found a chair, sat down, and watched an online class on her light brain for one period. Then she heard the classroom door open.
The parents filed out in twos and threes, heading to the auditorium for a banquet-style networking event.
Su Mi went to meet Shen Han.
When she entered the classroom, Shen Han was still sitting in that seat which did not quite suit her.
She was looking down at something.
Su Mi thought she was examining the workbook she had done and immediately felt smug.
She was about to step forward and emphasize to the antagonist just how hard she had worked to fulfill the task of getting into Prime City University.
However, as she drew closer, she saw that Shen Han was holding a sheet of draft paper covered in messy notes.
Closer still…
Wait…
Su Mi froze, wishing she could turn and bolt.
That seemed to be the draft paper she had absentmindedly filled with Xu Nanqiao’s name while spacing out!!!
Across the classroom aisle, Su Mi looked at Shen Han’s serene profile and suddenly wanted to die.
The antagonist… the antagonist would not misunderstand, right?
After all, the antagonist had been a bit jealous and bothered last time when she called the protagonist “Nanqiao.”
This paper was from earlier that morning during class. When she recalled the parent-teacher conference plot, she zoned out.
For some reason, as if possessed, she wrote Xu Nanqiao’s name all over one side—just like in the plot where the protagonist got caught.
It really was not on purpose! QAQ!
Su Mi wanted to cry but had no tears.
She desperately suppressed the urge to run and shuffled over.
“Sis…”
Feeling guilty, Su Mi’s voice came out all aggrieved and pitiful.
“I-I can explain.”
Shen Han put the paper back on the desk, her expression indifferent as she asked, “Explain what?”
The classroom was empty of parents now. Su Mi looked around and sat down at Xu Nanqiao’s seat in front of Shen Han.
Gripping the chair back with both hands, she turned to face Shen Han and tried to make her expression look sincere.
“About this paper. I know you might misunderstand after seeing it… but! Y-you know I’m pretty dumb and single-minded. Sometimes I just write down whatever I’m looking at without thinking. This paper was the same. I wrote it unconsciously while Nanqiao was explaining problems to me.”
“Absolutely No other thoughts about Nanqiao!”
To avoid further misunderstanding from the antagonist, she even changed the address to “Perm Qiao.”
After saying that, Su Mi felt she had made a huge sacrifice.
She had even slandered herself by saying she was dumb. The antagonist should believe her now, right?
Shen Han’s expression did not change as she asked, “Whether you have thoughts or not, what’s the difference?”
To Su Mi, it looked like confidence.
Indeed, in Shen Han’s eyes, she was just a beta without mental power.
Any omega would choose the vastly superior Shen Han.
Su Mi said sincerely, “Of course it makes no difference to you, but it’s pretty important to me.”
After all, if the antagonist misunderstood her relationship with Xu Nanqiao, it might harm the task.
Just thinking about it sounded like a soap opera—something about a sister and her little foster sister liking the same person…
At that thought, Su Mi could not help shivering.
She just wanted to maintain the status quo as the perfect cannon fodder buffer to assist the pairing. There was no need for any romantic subplots.
Little did she know, those words meant the complete opposite in Shen Han’s ears.
Shen Han’s motion of closing her eyes paused slightly.
She gave Su Mi a look full of unspoken meaning.
Recalling her own thoughts when she found the paper earlier, Shen Han asked, “Why?”
Su Mi blinked.
Why else?
Su Mi thought for a moment and said, “Because… I’m a beta?”
She paused slightly and added, “A very ordinary beta.”
Shen Han hummed and supplemented for her, “And you support BB romance.”
Oh right!
Su Mi had almost forgotten the sexual orientation she made up at the hot springs that day.
She nodded hurriedly and added details to show her sincerity. “Exactly. My dream is to find a beta like me and build an ordinary, warm family. Perm Qiao and I are just normal friends. I hope you don’t misunderstand.”
Shen Han’s lips curved faintly, almost imperceptibly.
“What could I misunderstand?”
She tilted her head, her ice-blue eyes like a cold pool staring straight at Su Mi for a moment.
Shen Han said, “I wish you the best with your dream.”
Su Mi felt even more guilty under that gaze.
She swallowed and said awkwardly, “…Thanks, Sis.”
She had a feeling the antagonist did not think that way.
Did she not believe her?
Su Mi pondered inwardly. According to typical novel tropes, an antagonist with high blackening value would surely have strong possessiveness.
Shen Han probably still found her suspicious.
Indeed, her sudden closeness with Xu Nanqiao must look like she had ulterior motives in Shen Han’s eyes.
From now on, she could not show too much friendship with Xu Nanqiao in front of the antagonist.
Su Mi sighed.
At least this incident was over.
–
The parent-teacher conference in the classroom lasted over an hour, followed by a social dinner.
After Su Mi reminded her, Shen Han waved her off. “Go on back.”
Su Mi: Oh!
She was thrilled to be free.
She had thought Shen Han dressed so nicely today to attend the dinner.
But on second thought, that did not seem likely.
The antagonist almost never attended such events. The original host’s memories even had complaints about it.
After all, without such upper-class social activities, the original host had no way to flaunt her status.
For the sake of her persona, she made a shallow attempt to retain her.
Just one sentence.
After being rejected with “You can go if you want to,” Su Mi showed no regret and said, “Of course sending Sis home is more important.”
After all, she was a qualified loyal lackey!
Then she happily escorted Shen Han to the underground garage.
How could the big boss walk through the underground garage to get the car? Su Mi had Shen Han wait outside the garage and jogged to the car herself.
Once in the driver’s seat, she first checked her light brain.
When with the antagonist, she was like an office worker afraid to slack off next to the boss—not daring to even glance at her light brain.
Earlier, Su Mi had sent Xu Nanqiao a few messages asking how she was. Aside from an initial reply saying she had arrived at the hospital, there had been no further responses.
She was probably still busy.
Scrolling down, there was a message from Su Xiaoyi’s teacher at the toddler class.
It said they could pick him up anytime; the day’s classes were done. [Attached photo]. Xiao Yi was eating fruit.
Su Mi opened the picture and looked at it several times. It showed Su Xiaoyi’s profile—his rice ball cheeks stuffed full, with a little spoon delivering a piece of apple to his mouth.
She replied with a thank you to the teacher and immediately received a short video.
Su Xiaoyi faced the camera with a beaming smile, mouth wide open, his childish voice milky as he said, “Sis!”
Su Mi replayed it several times, unable to pull herself away from her brother’s cuteness.
Perhaps because of that, she was slightly delayed.
That slight delay was enough for the passenger door to open right as Su Mi replayed the video again.
With a slight bend, Shen Han sat in the passenger seat.
Su Mi: …? Huh.
She looked at Shen Han, then twisted to glance at the widened rear seat gap she had specially adjusted.
Wasn’t she supposed to be the driver? Why sit in the passenger seat?
At the same time, the video on her light brain kept looping.
Su Xiaoyi’s milky “Sis!” sounded again.
Shen Han turned her head, her gaze brushing over Su Mi’s light brain before moving away.
“You need to pick up your brother?”
Su Mi raised her head with an “Mm.”
Shen Han nodded. “Let’s go.”
Su Mi reacted slowly. “…Huh?”
Wasn’t it that some CEO A or CEO B was still waiting at the Shen Group headquarters…?
She watched as Shen Han arched an eyebrow.
Su Mi, who had already preliminarily mastered the art of reading Shen Han’s facial expressions, immediately fell silent.
She didn’t know about anything else, but when Shen Han’s left eyebrow lifted while she slightly furrowed her brows, it definitely meant impatience.
The vehicle shot out at high speed.
The g-force pressed her back fiercely, and Shen Han thought to herself: …In the future, she still couldn’t give sports cars.
