While Su Wanli was still downstairs sparring with the system, Zhang Ma had already taken Meng Wange through almost the entire third floor.
“This way is the restroom, Miss Meng. Over there is the entertainment room. President Su set it up with all sorts of fancy electronics—computers, a PS5, and that sort of thing—but Miss Su has never really shown much interest in any of that. If you’d like to play, you’re welcome to anytime.”
Zhang Ma took the lead, walking ahead of Meng Wange while pointing out various rooms on the third floor of the Su residence, giving a rambling and thorough explanation.
“Just be careful not to make too much noise while you’re playing. We once had a family gathering here, and some kid from one of the extended branches wandered in to play games.”
“He ended up disturbing Miss Su during her nap. She stormed in, grabbed him by the collar, dragged him up to the fourth-floor terrace, and—splash—tossed him straight into the pool.”
“Luckily there were people nearby and the kid could swim. Otherwise… tsk, tsk, the consequences could’ve been serious.”
“Mm, I understand. Thank you, Zhang Ma.”
Meng Wange nodded, a little distracted.
Her feet continued to follow Zhang Ma, but her thoughts were still stuck on what had just happened in the banquet hall.
When Su Wanli had walked behind her, pretending to act casual, Meng Wange had once again heard a strange voice—something similar to what she’d heard earlier outside Su Wanli’s room—
‘Can I really do this? Is it really okay to get this close to such a pretty girl and lean in to whisper in her ear?’
‘Forget it. No time to hesitate. If I wait another second, I won’t be able to pull it off. If her ears turn red, the whole image will just look weird!’
Voices like these, muttered in a tone uncannily like Su Wanli’s.
She had assumed it was just another hallucination, but right after the voice stopped, Su Wanli had indeed leaned down to whisper in her ear.
Well—technically, Su Wanli had only bent down to steal a piece of her sliced steak and throw out a few harmless threats.
To be honest, compared to some of the things Meng Wange had experienced in the past, Su Wanli’s actions were almost… innocent?
Yes, innocent to the point of being kind of adorable.
So adorable, in fact, that Meng Wange couldn’t help but tease her on purpose, which led to everything that came after.
‘So what is it, really?’ she wondered.
‘Was that voice just in my head, or is the awful persona Su Wanli puts on just an act? Is she actually a kind, soft-hearted girl deep down?’
Just thinking about that possibility made Meng Wange’s lips curl into a faint smile.
But regardless of the truth, her mission remained the same.
If Su Wanli truly was the villainess the rumors painted her to be, then everything would be simple. But if she turned out to be a good person… how was Meng Wange supposed to deal with that?
“Miss Meng? Miss Meng?”
A rough hand waved in front of her face, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Zhang Ma scratched her head awkwardly and chuckled.
“But like I said, there’s no need to be scared. As long as you don’t make Miss Su angry, everything will be fine.”
It seemed that her silence had led the kind-hearted older woman to misunderstand something.
Meng Wange gave a small smile and shook her head.
“You’ve got it wrong, Zhang Ma. I’m not scared. I just think Miss Su is… quite the character. Also, there’s no need to call me Miss Meng. Just call me Wange, like Uncle Su does.”
“Alright then, Wange it is! Let me show you the rest!”
Maybe it was because Su Wanli’s usual behavior was just that terrible, or maybe Meng Wange’s words had been especially charming, but Zhang Ma’s face lit up with joy at her response and she continued leading the way with extra enthusiasm.
***
“Over there is the young miss’s gym. Not that it’s used very often. Miss Su usually comes around seven or eight in the evening—though calling it a workout might be generous.”
“She mostly just walks on the treadmill for a bit, says it helps her sweat before a bath and that’s good for the skin. If you’d like to give it a try, go ahead.”
“Alright.”
—’She usually works out around seven or eight, and then goes for a soak in the bath…’
Meng Wange quietly memorized all these details about Su Wanli.
They had only been walking for less than ten minutes, and she had already heard nearly eight strange little stories about Su Wanli from Auntie Zhang.
From all this, Meng Wange could more or less conclude that Su Wanli’s personality was just as the rumors said—willful, self-centered, indifferent to other people’s feelings, and completely unconcerned with societal norms or morality.
As the eldest daughter of the Su family, it was no surprise she turned out that way.
Still, the version of Su Wanli described by Auntie Zhang seemed a little different from the one she had just met.
‘…Did it really, though?’
First, she had taken her mother’s keepsake.
Then she had summoned her to her room just to humiliate her.
In the span of just two hours, this so-called “vicious heiress” had already done quite a few cruel things to her.
‘Was she really letting her guard down just because she hallucinated a couple of strange voices?’
Meng Wange, you need to stay wary of everyone—yes, that includes the seemingly kind auntie standing in front of you right now.
“Alright, Wange, that’s pretty much everything on the third floor.”
Auntie Zhang stopped at the stairway and looked back at her with a cheerful smile.
“The fourth floor is where Mr. Su’s bedroom and the rooftop terrace are. There’s a big swimming pool up there too. You’re welcome to go anytime.”
“Mm, I’ve got it. Thank you, Auntie Zhang.”
Meng Wange gave her a sweet, obedient smile—the kind middle-aged women tend to like—and nodded politely.
“But since Uncle Su isn’t home, why don’t we go check out the second floor next?”
“Sure thing!”
***
While the two upstairs were eagerly heading to the second floor, Su Wanli was still loitering in the first-floor sitting room.
She rubbed her chin thoughtfully and looked up at the half-open door of the reception room.
“Hey, System.”
[Yes, Host?]
“What do you think—is there any potential in this door?”
[As the villainess, please feel free to improvise.]
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. You’re just a glorified bot. I’m asking you to help me calculate how to position a basin of water above the door so that it tips perfectly when Meng Wange walks in—enough to soak her, but not enough to hurt her.”
[Ah, I see. A classical approach to villainy.]
“…I’m asking you to do a simple physics calculation, not to give me your review of my methods, OK?”
[Objection. The system is not a simple electronic tool like a computer. Please adjust your expectations.]
Su Wanli blinked, speechless.
A system too dumb to pass a turing test was now getting offended because she asked it to do basic math.
Fine. She’d just figure it out herself.
Hmm… when she pushed or pulled the door, there was a noticeable resistance.
So as long as she didn’t fill the basin too much, it should stay balanced and not fall prematurely.
‘Good. That’ll work as a backup plan.’
Satisfied after inspecting the first room, Su Wanli nodded to herself and headed off toward the next one.