Chapter 4: The Life of a Scapegoat Is Hard, Especially This Year

What did they mean by “odd and strange things”? She was an upstanding person—what trouble could she possibly cause? Ah, being cannon fodder was never easy, especially not this year.

In the original novel, Pei Qiaonian was a madman who would do anything for the female lead. The reason he wouldn’t let Pei Jin break off the engagement was because he wanted to steal the heroine for himself. Now that she was in his body, how could she possibly go after the heroine, disrupt the main couple, and conveniently free up the male lead for her own pursuit?

Xu Yunzhu furrowed her brow deeply, but soon found clarity. Pei Qiaonian and Pei Jin were cousins; they would surely meet often. She could make an effort to get closer, while also avoiding her own body. Pei Qiaonian might not be able to find her at all. Once she’d completed her tasks, the system would swap them back, and she could simply walk away—who cared if Pei Qiaonian wanted to kill her after that?

Having straightened her thoughts, Xu Yunzhu gave herself a little fist pump of encouragement and began to hum a cheerful tune.

Assistant Gao, glancing through the rearview mirror, saw Pei Qiaonian in the backseat, his head wrapped in thick gauze, cycling through a bizarre array of emotions: one moment weeping, the next laughing, sometimes both at once, then sighing, then suddenly brimming with fervor—finally, he clenched one fist in a gesture of motivation and started humming a song with delight.

He silently wiped the cold sweat from his brow, his nerves frayed. What on earth was happening? He felt a chill run down his spine—at this moment, Pei Qiaonian seemed utterly unhinged.

Choosing his words carefully, Secretary Gao spoke up, “President Pei.”

Xu Yunzhu replied in a good mood, “Hmm? What is it?”

Gao continued, “It’s about work. During your two days of unconsciousness, quite a few documents have piled up that require your signature. Should I deliver them to your home later?”

Xu Yunzhu was stunned. What? Even a domineering CEO still had to go to work?

She raised a hand to her head, feigning agony. “Ugh, why does my head hurt so much? I don’t want to hear anything work-related—it will only slow my recovery!”

Gao hesitated, “Understood.”

—

At the hospital.

Father Xu followed after, seeing Xu Yunzhu standing in the lobby. He ordered someone to restrain her and slapped her hard across the face. “Xu Yunzhu, I’ve been far too indulgent with you—giving you chance after chance to cross my bottom line.”

“I want you to marry Pei Jin, even if it means resorting to drugging him.”

Pei Qiaonian felt a numbness on the left side of his face. Pressing his tongue to his cheek, he realized it had been years since he’d last tasted the sting of a slap.

But Xu Yunzhu’s body was so frail that he couldn’t muster any resistance even when seized. The entire ordeal soured his mood to the extreme; he wished nothing more than for the Xu family to vanish from the capital in the very next moment.

Pei Jin—nothing more than a trinket to the Xu family, as if marrying Xu Yunzhu to him would secure the Pei family’s support. But the entire Pei family listened to him—Pei Jin wasn’t even qualified to compete.

Everyone said Pei Jin was the prince of the capital, able to do as he pleased, all because he was doted on by the Pei elders and their extended family, living as if in a honey jar. They all believed Pei Qiaonian only held the position of family head for now, and that it would ultimately pass to Pei Jin. And Pei Jin, now making his way in show business as a newly crowned Best Actor, was nothing to him.

“Xu Yunzhu, if you don’t obey, then the conditions we discussed before are null and void,” Father Xu said coldly.

Pei Qiaonian frowned; he wanted nothing to do with Xu Yunzhu’s affairs. All he cared about was returning to his own body.

Suppressing his anger, he bowed his head. “I understand. Let me go, I’ll go find Pei Jin right now.”

Seeing her submit, Father Xu waved for his men to release her.

Once freed, Pei Qiaonian sneered, “Just you wait.”

Wait and see how the Xu family would be ruined.

Leaving the hospital, Pei Qiaonian switched on Xu Yunzhu’s phone. The message box was practically exploding, with over twenty missed calls from someone named “Sister Cheng.” Before he could call his own number, “Sister Cheng” called again.

His finger slipped, and he answered.

A tirade greeted him, “Xu Yunzhu, are you coming to this variety show or not? Playing games again, are you? I’m warning you—if you don’t show up, you’ll owe millions in breach of contract!”

Pei Qiaonian hung up, expressionless. “Utter nonsense.”

Xu Yunzhu’s variety shows were none of his concern. To avoid further harassment, he promptly blocked the number.

Then, he dialed his own phone.

After a ten-second wait, someone picked up—a lazy, languid voice tinged with comfort, “Hello? Who is this—ah, a little lighter, would you? My shoulder—ease up.”

Pei Qiaonian’s grip tightened, a cold aura radiating from him. He let out an incredulous laugh, “Xu Yunzhu…”

He’d barely gotten the name out before the line went dead.

Calling again, he found himself blocked.

Pei Qiaonian felt a surge of blood stuck in his throat, nearly suffocating him.

Fine—if she was looking for trouble, she had only herself to blame.

Next, he found Pei Jin’s number and called. The first four times, the call was declined, but on the fifth, Pei Jin finally picked up, voice thick with impatience and disdain, “Xu Yunzhu, can you stop pestering me? I have someone I like—I don’t like you. What’s the point in all this? I will not accept an arranged marriage. I’m going to break off the engagement—please have some self-respect.”

A girl’s soft voice could be heard beside him, asking, “Who is it?”

Pei Jin bluntly replied, “A stranger.”

How could Pei Qiaonian not recognize Ning Qinghuan’s voice? His fingers unconsciously stroked the phone, eyes narrowing as he recalled her pure, alluring face—just a week ago, she’d offered herself as his lover for money.

He admitted, Ning Qinghuan had indeed piqued his interest. He wanted to see what she was really after. So, when she messaged to say Pei Jin was taking her to Xu Yunzhu’s engagement party to break off the engagement, he’d deliberately arrived late.

Even if nothing had happened between them, in his mind, Ning Qinghuan was already his prey.

He lowered his eyes, his usually soft voice now edged with sharpness. “You want to break off the engagement? Fine. Bring me to see Pei Qiaonian and I’ll agree. I’ll give you half an hour—no more.”

The call ended abruptly.

Pei Jin was left momentarily stunned.

Ning Qinghuan’s gentle hand brushed the back of his. Her clear eyes clouded with a touch of sadness. “A-Jin, did your family ask you to come back and get married?”

Pei Jin looked down at her pure, lovely face and innocent gaze. His heart, so long dormant, began to stir.

It was only after meeting Ning Qinghuan that he realized the destiny he’d been resigned to could be shattered for her sake. No matter the cost, he was determined to rid himself of the burden that was Xu Yunzhu.

His cold, aloof expression melted into a rare smile before Ning Qinghuan. “No, it’s Xu Yunzhu. She’s agreed to break off the engagement, but wants to see my elder brother. I have no idea what she’s after.”

Ning Qinghuan smiled at him, “Congratulations, A-Jin. You’re finally free from fate’s shackles.”

“Let’s go together,” Pei Jin suggested.

A trace of panic flickered in Ning Qinghuan’s eyes before she quietly shook her head. “I won’t go. Yun Zhu and I are good friends—she must have seen me with you at the engagement party. If I show up with you again, she’ll be hurt. I want to keep this friendship, so A-Jin, you should go alone.”

“It’s alright. She wouldn’t dare say anything,” he replied coolly.

Ning Qinghuan still shook her head. “I don’t want to lose Yun Zhu as a friend.”

Pei Jin sighed. “Huanhuan, you’re too kind. I don’t like her at all. If she has a problem, she can bring it to me—it has nothing to do with you.”