Chapter 44 – Bad Attitude
Knock, knock, knock! Knock, knock, knock!
The sound of knocking woke Yu Jin and Hua Mian.
“Madam, maybe rest a little longer.”
Yu Jin was too lazy to respond to whoever was outside, planning to pretend he hadn’t heard.
But Hua Mian, curious about the original story’s female lead, nudged him. “Open the door! I’m a guest, after all—I should at least greet the host.”
Yu Jin rubbed Hua Mian’s hand, then got up and put on his clothes.
When he opened the door, he was met with an angry, round face.
“Didn’t you hear the knocking?!”
Hua Mian raised an eyebrow. Oh? The bright, stubborn little sun had turned into a little chili pepper—her tone was sharp!
“Miss Ruan?” Hua Mian’s voice sounded weak and unenergetic.
Ruan Tian peeked inside and found herself face-to-face with an exquisitely beautiful yet fragile-looking face. Curiosity shone in those amber eyes, clear and radiant. She forgot what to say for a moment.
“Ah, yes.”
Yu Jin stepped aside to let Ruan Tian in but still watched her cautiously.
“Please, have a seat,” Hua Mian said naturally, showing none of the awkwardness of borrowing someone else’s room.
Ruan Tian chose the chair farthest from the bed, sitting upright, silently watching Hua Mian.
So wary of her?
Hua Mian’s eyes flickered. So she really does recognize her!
“Hello, Miss Ruan. You can call me A Mian.”
“Hello,” Ruan Tian replied reluctantly.
She felt embarrassed just thinking about being dazzled by this malicious female’s beauty when she first entered.
“Thank you for your help. It allowed my husband and me to have a place to stay.”
“No need to thank me. I just saw him in a difficult spot and helped him,” Hua Mian said, sneaking a glance at Yu Jin.
But she was disappointed to see his expression cold, his gaze fixed only on Hua Mian.
“You lent us two hundred thousand at once. I truly appreciate it. We’ll pay you back when we return home.”
“No need…” Ruan Tian started, then added, “It’s fine if we don’t repay—you just have to take me to the Imperial Capital.”
Hua Mian sipped her warm water. “Miss Ruan, your family must be well-off, right?”
“Why do you ask?” Ruan Tian felt uneasy; her family background was indeed her weak point, something hard to talk about.
“To lend two hundred thousand and not want it back—that’s quite generous.”
Ruan Tian proudly lifted her chin. The first thing she did after being reborn was to acquire this top-tier energy stone. After obtaining it, she quietly sold it.
“Not bad.”
“Really enviable,” Hua Mian said teasingly.
Yu Jin noticed the mischief in her tone but couldn’t help pressing his lips together. He didn’t want Hua Mian to envy anyone.
“Do you know him, Miss Ruan?” Hua Mian asked, pointing at Yu Jin.
Ruan Tian instinctively nodded but quickly stopped, her movement awkward like a goose with a stiff neck.
“No, I don’t know him.”
“Ah, so you know me then?”
Ruan Tian snorted, eyes full of disdain. She intended to align with Yu Jin and his household—there was no reason to treat Hua Mian kindly.
“Looks like I guessed wrong,” Hua Mian said, disappointedly lowering her head.
For some reason, the female lead seemed reborn—how interesting.
After rebirth, she didn’t seek the Crown Prince of the Empire, but instead focused her energy on Yu Jin. Hua Mian couldn’t quite understand her logic.
“The two hundred thousand is forgiven, but I want to go to the Imperial Capital with you.”
Yu Jin wanted to refuse but was stopped by Hua Mian with a look.
“Alright! How generous of you,” Hua Mian said with interest, curious to see what Ruan Tian would do next.
Since Ruan Tian’s attitude toward her was so hostile, it was safer to keep her under watch rather than risk being plotted against.
After Ruan Tian left, Yu Jin sat on the edge of the bed.
“Madam, why did you agree to her?”
“Don’t you find her interesting?”
Yu Jin: Thanks, but I don’t at all.
He was even irritated by Ruan Tian’s poor attitude toward Hua Mian.
“How’s the gem auction?” Hua Mian lowered her voice.
“Before I left that day, I set a few timed explosives around the lab.”
Hua Mian: “You can do that?”
“Somewhat,” he replied.
“And then?”
“The news didn’t mention any explosion, but the authorities issued a statement. The gem auction involved criminal activity, and all participants were arrested and executed.”
“That’s it?” Hua Mian asked, a bit frustrated.
Yu Jin nodded.
Hua Mian frowned; such a punishment was too light, unfair to the victims.
Meanwhile, Nangong Zheng had been severely injured and was in critical condition.
“How’s His Highness?” asked a neatly dressed man, adjusting his glasses.
“Not good. The wound is on the heart. If we hadn’t given emergency treatment in time… the consequences would have been disastrous,” the weary doctor replied, examining the unconscious prince’s pupils again.
“Can he be saved?” the man asked firmly.
“I’ll do my best.”
“I don’t want your best—I want it done. This is the Emperor’s order.”
The doctor tensed, nodded, and watched him leave.
“Teacher, who was that just now?”
“Someone from the Crown Prince’s entourage,” he said, massaging his forehead. Sometimes, he regretted specializing in heart surgery.
“The prince’s heart wound doesn’t seem accidental. I heard someone thought he was behind the gene lab experiments and deliberately stabbed him,” the young doctor said.
“Stop asking! Don’t get yourself killed!” the senior doctor warned.
Hua Mian scrolled through the light screen. No matter how capable Nangong Zheng was, the people’s voices couldn’t be silenced. Online, the public discussed the gene lab and gem auction in symbols and codes.
One comment caught her attention:
“The Empire’s matching center recently got many adult females. Those who know, know why.”
Hua Mian narrowed her eyes. Were these females from the lab?
After suffering so much injustice, once freed, they were rushed to the matching center, like newly listed commodities. How ironic.
“Madam, Miss Ruan wants to learn about the Imperial Capital.”
Yu Jin’s eyes were cold. Without glancing at Ruan Tian following him, he strode toward Hua Mian.
Hua Mian couldn’t help finding Ruan Tian’s flushed, round face slightly amusing.
“Come, sit,” Hua Mian said, gesturing to the sofa.
Ruan Tian pouted, staring at Yu Jin’s back as he casually sat beside Hua Mian, peeling nuts from the table.
She had no choice but to sit awkwardly on the sofa, a bit confused. Was she not gentle enough? Why wasn’t Yu Jin as kind as before, even ignoring her? His attention was solely on this malicious female!
“What do you want to know about the Imperial Capital, Miss Ruan?” Hua Mian asked gently.
Yu Jin cracked a nut with his fingertip, tilting his head to watch Hua Mian’s calm eyes. The shell pressed painfully against his finger, but he seemed unfazed.
Ruan Tian felt disdain. In her previous life, after being brought to the Imperial Capital by Nangong Zheng, she had seen everything—did she need some doomed female to guide her now? Ridiculous.
Thus, Hua Mian saw Ruan Tian’s superior yet disdainful gaze fall on her again.
Was this really the original female lead? In her previous life, she was the stubborn little sun. After rebirth, her personality had changed? Could it be she, too, had crossed into the story?
Hua Mian’s expression remained gentle, though her eyes darkened slightly.
“Nothing, I was just a bit bored and casually asked Mr. Yu Jin…” Ruan Tian said dismissively.
“I’m a little tired. I’ll leave first,” she added.
Seeing Yu Jin silently cracking nuts, she glanced at Hua Mian’s pale face and left with her head held high.
Hua Mian: Some things are hard to understand.
Yu Jin asked, “Madam, you don’t dislike her?”
