The playful kiss of wind rustled past her ear as Su Wanli sat quietly in her custom pastel purple Maybach, wordlessly watching the Sun gradually fall, piece by piece, towards the western edge of the horizon.
The harsh surroundings, the narrow roads, and the destination ahead—this unwelcoming White Family.
Even though her persona was that of a fearless and reckless troublemaker, that didn’t mean she truly wasn’t afraid of anything. To claim she wasn’t worried about tonight’s banquet, knowing full well what might happen, would be a lie—especially in front of so many strangers.
To be honest, even when Meng Huange had introduced herself in the Class 3 of the second year, Su Wanli had to do a lot of mental preparation, relying on a moment of impulsive courage to stand up and loudly scold Meng Huange in a classroom full of unfamiliar faces.
Yet tonight, the people she would face at this banquet were bound to be more dangerous and even more unfriendly than the students in Class 3.
Su Wanli gently shook her head, then turned to look at the girl with long hair beside her, who was quietly resting with her eyes closed.
Tch, what am I even worrying about? The one who should really be nervous about tonight’s banquet is clearly this high school girl with zero sense of danger.
Even though many people might resent her, thanks to Sujia’s influence, it was unlikely anyone would dare to make a move against her in public. But Meng Huange was different—a foster daughter from who-knows-where, adopted by Sujia. At this socialite banquet, filled with South City’s elite, she was obviously at the bottom of the hierarchy.
Besides, as the supposed “villainess,” Su Wanli still had to put on an act of fawning over her, guiding everyone to watch her make a fool of herself, and laugh at her…
Perhaps sensing Su Wanli’s gaze, Meng Huange slowly opened her bright eyes and gave her a gentle and serene smile.
“What’s wrong, Miss Su? Still a bit nervous?”
“…As if! Thanks to you, I have to go through all this. You don’t seriously think I’m going to just obediently attend this banquet, casually grab someone to dance, then call it a day and leave peacefully, do you?”
Su Wanli quickly adjusted her mindset, then rolled her eyes at Meng Huange.
“I’m going there for revenge! That woman from the Bai Family actually spread those ridiculous rumors about me, which made me suffer days of mockery. I’m going to shove her foot in that perfumed incense tower, then smack her a few times so she won’t dare show up in front of me again!”
“Heh, if that’s what Miss Su wants, you’ll surely get your wish.”
Watching the gentle curve of Meng Huange’s lips, Su Wanli hesitated for a moment, then spoke up.
“Um, Meng Huange, is there anything you’re good at?”
“Hmm?”
Although the girl showed little reaction, Su Wanli instinctively turned her face to the window, hoping to avoid any awkwardness that might show in Meng Huange’s eyes.
I know! I know how abrupt and weird that question sounded! But what if, I mean, what if I drag Meng Huange up to play the piano at the banquet and she really can’t play, just standing there frozen while everyone laughs at her—what then?!
Rather than actually having Meng Huange embarrass herself, it was better to ask in advance and get some info to control the situation.
However, even though Su Wanli’s question was awkward enough, Meng Huange didn’t reply immediately. Instead, she quietly leaned a bit closer to Su Wanli and gazed out the car window with her.
“…Miss Su, do you want me to do something for you at tonight’s banquet?”
…Of course I hope you’ll make a splash at this gathering of South City’s powerful families, win some applause, and make the Bai Family look bad—but I can’t just say that outright.
“Hah, what could I expect from you… If you really want to help, just help me out when I deal with that Bai Hengwei later.”
“I see…”
Meng Huange nodded as if this was the most natural thing in the world.
“So you’ll be the attacker, Bai Hengwei is the sandbag, and I’m your little sidekick in the background?”
“What a way to put it. As my half-assistant, at least have some ambition to be a worthy lackey!”
“Understood. Then, I’ll be Miss Su’s sidekick.”
Meng Huange accepted the rather unglamorous title without the slightest care, then gave two playful swings of her delicate fist in the air.
For the sake of letting Su Wanli relax at the banquet, this girl was unexpectedly animated, not caring at all about her usual aloof beauty image.
With Meng Huange acting like this, the little bit of anxiety that had been weighing on Su Wanli’s heart was swept away in an instant.
Yeah, what am I even anxious about here? Meng Huange is the heroine of this world. Even if she really ends up the butt of everyone’s jokes, she’ll still find a way to fight back and make them all take notice.
Come to think of it, when they’d just gotten in the car, the Driver had immediately straightened his collar and told both of them that today’s destination wasn’t Sujia, but the Bai Family’s evening banquet.
…My cheapskate dad always has ways of learning about my actions, so that wasn’t surprising at all. What was strange was that he didn’t even offer a token resistance, just allowed me to attend the banquet.
Back when the System was first introduced, this overbearing father did everything he could to stop me from attending social events, and we fought several times about it…
Maybe it’s all thanks to Meng Huange’s protagonist halo? As long as she’s by my side, everything seems to go more smoothly.
“Miss Su, Miss Meng, we’ve arrived at the Bai Family.”
Huh? We’re already here?
Hearing the Driver’s words, Su Wanli stuck her head out the window and looked in the direction the car was heading.
Ahead of them was a lush and vibrant White Family Manor.
As one of the oldest families with a much longer history than Sujia, the Bai Family’s estate was almost seamlessly blended with the lush greenery and blooming flowers around it. At first glance, it was hard to tell it was a private residence—you’d think it was some kind of nature preserve.
But once Su Wanli’s car passed through the Bai Family Manor’s gates, the surroundings immediately shifted to a completely different style.
Maidservants in matching uniforms and security staff were pruning branches and keeping a close eye on the arriving vehicles. As Su Wanli’s car passed, the staff immediately showed professional smiles and politely bowed to the car.
A mansion? Isn’t this just a place where people live?
Compared to this extravagant household, the Sujia estate seemed downright humble and modest.
And even after entering the Bai Family’s gates, the Driver drove for another four or five minutes before Su Wanli finally saw the grand main entrance of the Bai Family’s so-called manor.
The door stood nearly twice as tall as a person, adorned with ornate Ou Shi patterns, shimmering with golden light under the pale yellow lamps above. Every detail flaunted just how wealthy this family was.
Before Su Wanli could recover from the imposing aura of the mansion, a woman with a badge of authority on her chest smiled and pushed open the grand door, then gracefully bowed to Su Wanli and Meng Huange, who were still seated inside the car.
“Miss Wanli, Miss Meng, good evening.”
“I am Nuren Zhang, head of the Bai Family. On behalf of the Bai Family, I welcome you both.”