Chapter Two: A Slap Across the Void

"Stop playing dead! Get up!"

Lu Ziyi froze for a moment, then his anger flared again. He had seen with his own eyes, the moment the door opened, that she had made herself appear so pitiful.

Did she really think he’d fall for the same trick twice? Never!

Grabbing her by the collar, Lu Ziyi was about to shake her violently so she couldn’t keep up the act when an irresistible force yanked him away.

He crashed into the edge of a table, pain lancing up his spine.

Looking up, he was stunned to see his third uncle—who had always kept his distance from women—personally picking her up from the floor.

Because she had secretly taken a coma pill, Shen Qingli appeared incredibly frail, as if she might shatter at any moment.

But the advantage of the pill was that only her body was unconscious; her mind remained alert.

Now, realizing she was lying in the arms of her target, she felt secretly delighted.

Xie Jinchuan lowered his gaze, eyes growing deeper by the second. At the door, he turned back and shot Lu Ziyi a cold glance. "Go home and accept your punishment."

The family rules of the Lu household had never been just for show, but until today, Lu Ziyi had always managed to erase any evidence of his misdeeds.

This was the first time!

He was the young heir of the Lu family—how dare an illegitimate child order him around!

Meanwhile, Xie Jinchuan took her straight to the hospital.

In the VIP ward, the man’s stern expression gradually softened as he looked at her breathtakingly beautiful face, recalling the first time he had ever seen her.

In the quiet room, his voice was deep and gentle. "Enough pretending. Open your eyes."

Hearing this, Shen Qingli’s heart nearly stopped.

What—how could this be?

He had actually seen through her act!

She steeled herself, knowing she couldn’t risk losing the favor of her target, and obediently opened her eyes.

[Congratulations, Host! You’ve gained ten Face-Slapping Points and ten Strategy Points.] The cheerful voice of Green Parsley rang in her mind, making her jump.

She wasn’t surprised by the Face-Slapping Points, but the Strategy Points… so soon?

Seeing the man’s eyes, dark and fathomless as the night, her heart skipped a beat.

Immediately, Shen Qingli’s brows knitted slightly.

Why did her target exude a faint spiritual aura—something no ordinary person possessed?

After three thousand years as a master manipulator, her senses were finely honed.

Meeting the man’s unwavering gaze, Shen Qingli felt a little overwhelmed. She blinked her bright, watery eyes and said softly, "I… I’m a little hungry."

This was the first step of her strategy: testing whether he’d be upset about her using the coma pill.

Xie Jinchuan looked at her pale face and, after a moment’s silence, replied gently, "Stay here and be good."

She nodded eagerly, a brilliant smile lighting her face.

Soon, Green Parsley’s soft voice sounded again in her mind: [Side Quest Two triggered. Host, please complete the face-slapping task against Shen Jingrong.]

Shen Qingli raised an eyebrow. [That was fast.]

Green Parsley nodded obediently and asked, [Face-Slapping Points and Strategy Points can be combined, but the rewards are lower—only second-tier. Do you want to combine them?]

She had intended to refuse, since it wasn’t easy to accumulate points, but recalling the effects of the coma pill, she gritted her teeth. [Combine them.]

Instantly, a virtual blue panel appeared before her, displaying three items:

A Vomit Blood Pill, a Slap from Afar, and a One-Second Teleportation.

Shen Qingli’s eyes widened. These were only second-tier rewards?

After a moment’s thought, she chose the Slap from Afar.

[All set, Host! Your points have been reset. Keep up the good work!] Green Parsley’s voice chimed just as the door to the ward opened and Shen Jingrong appeared.

Her face, the size of a palm, was pale, a bandage wrapped around her head, making her look like a delicate, pitiable little flower.

Shen Qingli couldn’t be bothered to greet her, but the girl spoke right away. "Sister, I heard you fainted. I’m in the same hospital, so I thought I’d check on you."

"Oh." Her expression was indifferent; she truly felt nothing but disdain for this woman.

Since Shen Jingrong had been brought back to the Shen family by her father, the bond between father and daughter had been strained, and several times she had secretly tried to cozy up to Lu Ziyi. What good could come of someone like that?

Shen Jingrong was surprised; this wretch usually mocked her at every turn—had she taken the wrong medicine today?

But remembering what she’d done before coming here, Shen Jingrong wasn’t discouraged. She stepped closer with a worried frown. "Sister, I know you’ve never liked me, but I truly see you as my sister."

Shen Qingli, ever a righteous manipulator, saw no need for pleasantries.

"You took every opportunity to be alone with my fiancé when I wasn’t around and used every dirty trick to set me up. Is that how you treat your sister?" She let out a cold laugh. "Do you take me for a fool?"

"No, it’s not like that." Shen Jingrong shook her head repeatedly, glancing at the clock. With tears brimming, she hurried forward. "Sister, I have my reasons, I—"

She reached out to grab Shen Qingli’s hand, but Shen Qingli dodged swiftly, ears pricked. Watching Shen Jingrong, she sneered and quickly retreated toward the door.

Not far away, a figure was approaching.

"Sister?" Shen Jingrong, left grasping at air, stubbornly moved closer.

Shen Qingli curled her lips and clasped her hands behind her back, lowering her voice. "I don’t care what your reasons are."

Before Shen Jingrong could process her words, a resounding slap struck her face with such force she nearly fell.

Staggering, Shen Jingrong clung to the wall, her pitiful countenance vanishing, replaced by shock, hatred, and fear as she glared at Shen Qingli.

"You… you…" That wretch hadn’t even moved, and yet she’d been slapped.

What kind of sorcery was this?

Was she seeing ghosts in broad daylight?

"What? Cat got your tongue?"

Shen Qingli sneered, her eyes flashing with satisfaction. "If the timing were right, you wouldn’t even be able to crawl away."

Her voice was barely above a whisper when a deep male voice rang out, "Weren’t you just unconscious? Why are you standing at the door? Get back to bed and rest."

It was Father Shen, his expression stern.

In an instant, Shen Jingrong’s demeanor shifted. Covering her face, eyes red with tears, she trembled, "Dad…"

Sensing something amiss, Father Shen frowned. "What happened?"

Shen Qingli remained silent, letting Shen Jingrong have her performance. "I heard my sister was in the hospital and came to check on her. I don’t know what I said to upset her, but then she…"

Tears streamed down her face, brimming with grievance and endurance. "Dad, don’t blame her. She didn’t mean it."

"Absurd!"

Father Shen’s calm face hardened as he glared coldly at Shen Qingli. "Your sister is always so gentle. Even if you don’t like her, why did you lay a hand on her again?"

At that word—again—Shen Qingli’s lips curled into a smile.

Ever since Shen Jingrong had returned home, she’d orchestrated countless scenes. Every time, Father Shen blamed her.

After all, the original Shen Qingli only knew how to be unreasonable and brash, no match for this illegitimate daughter when it came to acting.