The Heroine's Struggle Against Destiny

At the dinner table, Su Chen wasn't sure whether he should cry or laugh. After all, the male protagonist had been humiliated in such a manner. Although there might be conspiracies lurking in the background, it seemed that he, the supposed antagonist, had successfully turned the tables. Anyway, Su Chen thought Zhang Li was trying to deceive him into investing 100 billion, and then she would side with Qin Yu using that money. These thoughts irritated Su Chen. He thought, no matter what, as long as they end up humiliating him in the end, it would be fine.

Beside him, Zhang Li was trying to stifle her laughter. She shook her head helplessly, finding it amusing how Su Chen seemed to be living out a performance every day – it must be so exhausting. Knowing the upcoming events and yet having to act it out must be quite a burden. With her presence, she doubted Su Chen could keep up his act smoothly. For some reason, Zhang Li found immense joy in imagining Su Chen's distressed face when the plot doesn't go his way.

Su Chen wasn't in the mood to eat much. After symbolically eating some food, he chose to leave alone. Major plot events were about to unfold, and since he wasn't in the original script for this part, he couldn't stay here. He thought to himself, 'Thankfully, there hasn't been any notification about failing the task. This means Zhang Li still despises me deep down, so I guess I succeeded?'

He planned to give her the money she wanted, let her humiliate him, and play the long game. The more he thought about it, the more he found Zhang Li cruel. She would first have him, then move to Qin Yu. For a man, being cuckolded was the worst humiliation.

[The clichéd plot was about to commence. The heroic Qin Yu would come to save the damsel in distress, win her heart, and in the end, he would proclaim his iconic line: "From now on, I will protect everything that belongs to you."]

["When you think about it, it makes sense. An older woman is at the age where she might be seeking romance. Being attracted to such stupid lines is understandable. Hahaha, just picturing it is hilarious."] Perhaps due to suppressing his feelings for too long, after leaving the restaurant, Su Chen couldn't help but mockingly comment to himself in his mind.

Shortly after, his consciousness entered the shopping mall interface again. Gazing at the array of items before him, Su Chen finally chose a skill he had long desired: "Windborne Divination". It cost him exactly 600 points, and in an instant, he found himself broke again. As the power entered his body, Su Chen felt like his capabilities were elevated to a higher level. Unfortunately, the timeline in the novel followed its own rules. As a result, his "Windborne Divination" divination ability could only be applied to ordinary people. If he tried to use it on the female protagonists, he'd face a terrifying backlash.

However, Su Chen felt content. If he could take all these superpowers out of the novel's world in the future, it would be fantastic. The only thing that frustrated him was that his points were reduced to zero again. It was just like how it often goes with money: people save when they don't have it, and once they accumulate some, they spend it recklessly. The end result? Being broke.

Subsequently, Su Chen decided to spend some time in a foot massage parlor. Meanwhile, Zhang Li was seething with rage, so much so that she felt the urge to kill Su Chen. "You bastard, Su Chen, you're asking for death!" Every time she thought of him, she was overwhelmed with irritation and couldn't find inner peace. "What do you mean by calling me a 'stupid woman'? I can't believe I was moved by such a greasy and disgusting confession."

Could it be that she's genuinely smitten? However, Zhang Li remained skeptical. After all, she had just insulted Qin Yu so harshly. Logically speaking, he shouldn't still be trying to win her over. So, Zhang Li thought that Qin Yu probably wouldn't appear again. With this in mind, she took a deep breath, feeling relief; she didn't want to see Qin Yu at this moment, fearing that everything might have already been predestined.

Just then, a call came in—it was her secretary. "Director Zhang, there's a problem at our film shooting location. The crew has had a dispute with the local villagers. Please come and see what's going on." "Alright, I'm on my way," she replied. The secretary quickly drove Zhang Li to the location, Bao Tou Village.

Bao Tou Village boasted beautiful scenery and spanned a vast area of several thousand acres. It was also a critically important film shooting base. Due to some restrictions imposed by the Zhang family, it took a considerable effort for Zhang Li to secure this location for filming. So, naturally, any problems arising here needed to be addressed. Zhang Li, still in her regular attire, wore a professional suit. Her white blouse and short skirt exuded the aura of a sophisticated and aloof female CEO. And her long, slender, pristine legs added a captivating visual element.

Upon arriving at the Bao Tou Village chief's office, she found a large group of people gathered. Every face looked menacing and clearly bore no good intentions. "Director Zhang, these people seem to be trouble. Maybe we should retreat for now?" a voice suggested. "No need. We have to address this situation anyway," Zhang Li responded, and with that, she approached the gathered crowd.

"Director Zhang, you've finally arrived," the ringleader with red hair remarked coldly.

Upon seeing Zhang Li, the middle-aged village chief looked like he had grasped a lifeline and hastily explained, "Director Zhang, these thugs are from the surrounding area, and they seem to be affiliated with your Zhang family. They simply don't want us to lease the land to you." Hearing this, Zhang Li's eyebrows furrowed. She hadn't expected the Zhang family to go to such extremes.

The redhead laughed coldly, "Let's make things clear. We aren't causing trouble without reason." His underlings quickly chimed in, "That's right. We just want to have some fun here, and we've been even paid for it. If Director Zhang disagrees, she can take us to court!" As they spoke, their eyes were fixed on Zhang Li, and suddenly, they looked as if their eyes were about to pop out.

"What a beautiful woman!" they exclaimed. Faced with their lascivious gazes, Zhang Li felt a surge of anger, her eyebrows creased, and her fists clenched tightly. If this matter escalated to court, things could spiral out of control. Even if she won the lawsuit, the process would waste at least half a year, rendering all prior efforts fruitless. Her company would go bankrupt by then.

Nevertheless, she decided to call the police. Indignant, Zhang Li retorted, "If you aren't afraid of the police, let's escalate this matter further." As she was about to dial, one of them shouted, "You wretched woman, are you seeking death?" The redhead, in a fit of rage, slapped the phone from Zhang Li's hand. He then leered, "Dressing like this, you really get my heart racing. Tonight, you'll accompany me to bed."

Zhang Li stared in disbelief at the scene unfolding before her. Suddenly, a stone flew out of nowhere, striking the red-haired thug's wrist. Then, a handsome man with an agile physique, wrapped in bandages in many places, charged forward. It was Qin Yu, the male protagonist. He swiftly dove into the crowd, throwing punches and swiftly taking down the thugs without giving them a chance to retaliate.

"Miss Zhang, are you alright?" Qin Yu approached Zhang Li with a smile, seemingly unaffected by her previous insults towards him. Yet, Zhang Li's heart remained unswayed. Under normal circumstances, she should have been grateful to someone who saved her. But she was reminded of what Su Chen had told her earlier, and the current events aligned perfectly with his words. Everything seemed to have been prearranged.

Upon realizing the predetermined nature of the events, Zhang Li found the whole situation laughable. She even felt a hint of resistance. Why should someone else dictate the course of her life? Such a notion irritated her. However, from the moment Qin Yu laid eyes on Zhang Li, he was instantly captivated by her exquisite beauty. Seizing this rare opportunity, he proudly declared, "From now on, I'll protect you." Zhang Li found it all too absurd.

Why should she fall for a man like this? Zhang Li has always been fiercely independent, especially when it comes to her destiny being predetermined by fate. To her, it felt like being treated as a mere puppet in the game of love, and she had no intentions of explaining herself. At this moment, Zhang Li felt slightly nauseated. She now had to believe everything Su Chen had confessed to her deep down.

Seeing Zhang Li fall into silence, Qin Yu assumed that his words had made her shy, feeling quite smug in his heart. He thought to himself, 'Let's see how you compete with me, Su Chen.'

Deciding to exert more pressure, Qin Yu arrogantly glanced at the men he'd knocked down, coldly saying, "Get out of here before I decide not to show mercy."

[I recall those guys got beaten up quite badly. Sadly, the intellect of everyone in this world seems to have plummeted along with Qin Yu's IQ.]

[If I were them, I'd have just stayed on the ground, at least try to get compensation. After all, Qin Yu isn't some significant figure to be afraid of.]

[Most importantly, Zhang Li actually seems to be dazzled by him. I'm impressed. Truly the 'Chosen One of Fortune', he never lacks female attention. It's truly infuriating to compare.]

[With this level of intellect, I wonder how he ever became a war deity. Just a slight twist in the plot, and he's completely disoriented, leaving me dizzy and disoriented.]

[With Lin Qingyan, Su Xian'er, Zhao Menghan, Wang Bingbing, and so many more women to juggle, I'm absolutely frustrated. Why can't everyone just stick to the script!]

Are they also struggling against their destinies like me? Could it be that they can also hear Su Chen's inner voice? Indeed, otherwise, Su Xian'er wouldn't have specifically come to ask how to make Su Chen fall for her. Zhang Li has always known about Su Xian'er's feelings for Su Chen. However, due to their relationship, Su Xian'er has always kept her distance on purpose. Does this now mean that Su Xian'er has decided to defy destiny?

If that's the case, then I won't be left behind. Dear Heavens, why should everything be arranged by you? I'll deliberately go against your wishes. Meanwhile, upon hearing Qin Yu's threats, the men on the ground scampered away in a hasty retreat. Even as they left, they persistently vowed never to let Qin Yu off the hook.

"Miss Zhang, we meet again," Qin Yu remarked casually, though his face showed visible strain. Due to the altercation earlier, the wounds on Qin Yu's body seemed to have reopened, with blood profusely streaming to the ground. As Zhang Li looked at the man before her, who managed to keep a smile despite the circumstances, she felt an overwhelming sense of insincerity. If things were really as Su Chen said, she should be saying, "I'm sorry you got hurt. Let me bandage that for you." Then they would exchange WeChat contacts, have dinner, share a flirtatious relationship, and she would eventually become his woman. 'Screw that,' she thought. Such events would never happen. She refused to believe in the absurdity of fate. When has Zhang Li ever been bound by others' arrangements? Even if her future self truly fell for this man, she was determined to live life on her terms.

"Hmm," responded Zhang Li, adding suddenly, "Don't worry, village chief. This matter will be resolved soon." Currently, their company's most pressing issue was financial, but she wholeheartedly believed that Su Chen would come to their aid. Qin Yu, however, was taken aback by this. What was going on? He had possibly risked injury to save her, and that was all she had to say?

Not even a word of thanks?

"Wait a second," Qin Yu said with a hint of annoyance. After all, he had just played the hero and saved the damsel, only for her to react with such indifference.

Zhang Li responded coldly, "Is there anything else?"

"I just saved you!" Qin Yu exclaimed.

"Oh, thank you," Zhang Li responded in an aloof manner. She quickly added, "I have other matters to attend to. You should head to the hospital. Don't worry about the expenses." She then turned to leave.

Qin Yu was utterly flabbergasted. What on earth was happening? Was there some kind of mistake? Upon reflection, he realized that it was probably just her prideful and aloof nature.

Though feeling slighted internally, Qin Yu maintained a nonchalant exterior. "Alright, you're a lady traveling alone which could be risky. Let me accompany you back home."

"There's no need. I actually brought bodyguards with me. You don't need to follow, or else..."

Zhang Li didn't finish her sentence, but the anger in her tone was palpable. The still-confused Qin Yu looked up and sure enough, he noticed several sturdy figures watching from a distance. They were clearly Zhang Li's bodyguards. He had been too caught up in the excitement earlier to notice them.

Back in her car, Zhang Li felt a deep sense of relief and even broke into laughter. At that moment, she genuinely felt joyful. For years, she had been suppressing her emotions, always on high alert due to the intense pressure from the Zhang family. Now, she was finally allowing herself a genuine smile.

"Miss Zhang, that man just risked his life to save you. Why are you treating him so coldly?"

At that moment, Zhang Li's assistant, Li Ling, rushed over, her eyes shining brightly. She couldn't shake the feeling that something about today was amiss. Whether it was the sudden midday meeting with Su Chen or the odd behavior now, it all seemed strange. Despite having brought so many bodyguards, she did not allow them to make a move.

"So what? Am I supposed to offer myself in gratitude for his life-saving actions?" Zhang Li retorted coldly.

Taken aback by her sharp response, Li Ling found herself at a loss for words.

After a pause, Zhang Li spoke up again. "You know, some people might seem like they really like you on the surface, but they can't stand you behind your back. On the flip side, some appear frivolous on the outside but are actually super geniuses in private."

Li Ling was perplexed. She couldn't quite grasp what Zhang Li meant.

However, trying to be astute, Li Ling said, "How is that possible? Miss Zhang, you're so beautiful. Who wouldn't like you? Anyone who doesn't is simply blind."

Exactly.

Su Chen is blind.

Such an annoying man.

Zhang Li fumed internally. She was determined not to let anything proceed normally. She absolutely wouldn't allow it.