The Plot Collapses, Systemic Punishment Ensues

Su Chen agreed to help Bai Bing'er treat her illness, the cold poison afflicting her body. With the current situation where Bai Bing'er completely distrusts Fang Yufan, things have gone awry. And all of this was caused by Qin Luoyi, which now infuriates him. He glares at Qin Luoyi, anger flashing dangerously in his eyes. But to Qin Luoyi, it seems to be a different scene altogether. 

She thinks to herself, "Su Chen looking at me like that, it's really annoying. He's not thinking of eating me up, is he?" With that thought, Qin Luoyi decides to let Su Chen have his way and voluntarily sits next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Meanwhile, Bai Bing'er witnesses this and ponders. It seems that Su Chen and Qin Luoyi truly know each other. Should she ask Qin Luoyi directly? No, better not to startle the snake in the grass. Previously, Bai Bing'er had only confirmed through the recording that Su Chen and Qin Luoyi knew each other well, but now it seems that Qin Luoyi actually likes Su Chen a lot. Could it be that Su Chen is the man in Qin Luoyi's heart?

Although Bai Bing'er is aware of what just happened, she doesn't reveal her knowledge, for she still needs Su Chen's treatment. But there's something that concerns Bai Bing'er. She has come to know the truth about what just happened; that person named Fang Yufan indeed saved her. 

But why then did Qin Luoyi claim it was Su Chen's doing? Bai Bing'er still trusts Qin Luoyi deep down, believing she would not harm her. Qin Luoyi has saved her countless times. If she had wanted to harm Bai Bing'er, she wouldn't have waited until now.

Bai Bing'er is inclined to trust Qin Luoyi, even if it might mean paying a painful price for that decision, but to her, it doesn't matter anymore. Because Qin Luoyi is her only friend now. If even Qin Luoyi is deceiving her, then perhaps she really shouldn't be living in this world anymore. Of course, although she trusts Qin Luoyi, Su Chen still matters a lot to Bai Bing'er. "Su Chen, please start treating Bing'er right now," Qin Luoyi suddenly pulls Su Chen. Then she pushes him toward Bai Bing'er.

Su Chen had no intention of offending, but the sudden waft of her fragrance still made him involuntarily take a few extra breaths and glances. Bai Bing'er notices Su Chen's rudeness and frowns subconsciously, showing her dissatisfaction. This makes Su Chen feel somewhat embarrassed. After all, it was his rudeness. But then he thinks, I'm the antagonist. Rudeness is what I'm supposed to do; how else is the female lead supposed to dislike me?

Su Chen now doesn't know how to further infuriate Bai Bing'er and decides to use what comes to mind. "Alright, since Qin Luoyi wants me to treat you, then I will begin," Su Chen says outright. The one who could actually treat Bai Bing'er, Fang Yufan, has been thrown out to who knows where. 

And now Bai Bing'er is asking him to treat her. If he just stands by, Bai Bing'er won't live much longer. She might even die somewhere, like in bed. She is, after all, the female lead. If she really dies, that would be a big problem; there's still so much of the plot left to unfold.

So Su Chen has to step in to save her. But it's not just about treating Bai Bing'er. There must be some other development. Su Chen has already decided to take advantage during the treatment process to make Bai Bing'er dislike him even more. At the very least, even if he cures her, Bai Bing'er should have no feelings of gratitude in her heart. That's the best state for him as far as he's concerned. Otherwise, he might end up having to marry her!

Without regard for Bai Bing'er's gaze, Su Chen goes ahead and grabs her hand. It's so soft; indeed, every female lead's skin feels different. Su Chen takes the opportunity to caress her hand a few more times. Sure enough, Bai Bing'er immediately pulls her hand back, looking at Su Chen with anger. "Don't touch me." 

"How can I treat you without touching? If you want me to treat you, then I must touch," Su Chen says, resigned to his fate.

If she agrees, he takes advantage; if she doesn't, he still doesn't lose anything, because either way, he gets to irritate the female lead. Bai Bing'er, of course, could not agree.

No man has ever dared to get so close to Bai Bing'er from her childhood to adulthood. Although she had a good impression of Su Chen, it was only because of Qin Luoyi; otherwise, she wouldn't even spare him a second glance.

 "Behave, or else don't bother getting treated," Su Chen said with apparent seriousness on his face, but in reality, he was quite pleased to see Bai Bing'er's strong aversion. "I'd rather die than let you touch me," Bai Bing'er defiantly stated, with an indifferent gaze fixed on Su Chen. It was a good thing it was Su Chen; if it had been someone else, they would probably have been scared off by her intimidating stare long ago. But Su Chen was not afraid. It was a standoff between the two of them, as if to see who would lose out. If staring wasn't enough, they could always 'communicate' more intimately.

Bai Bing'er coldly stated, "Don't think about taking advantage under the guise of treating me. Anyone who dares to take advantage of me will not end well. That person just now is an example." A naked threat indeed! Su Chen smirked upon hearing Bai Bing'er's words. 

"You think you can threaten me? Who do you think you're looking down on? So, do you want me to treat you or not?" Su Chen bluntly asked. 

"Of course, no one wants to die, do you?" Instead of answering, Bai Bing'er retorted with a question.

"Then just be obedient," Su Chen replied, and without waiting for Bai Bing'er's consent, he grabbed her hand and even reached for her clothes, as if he intended to strip her. This caused Bai Bing'er's complexion to change drastically. Su Chen could distinctly feel the murderous intent she harbored at that moment. 

"You're seeking death!" Su Chen hurriedly braced himself, prepared to defend. Although getting hit by Bai Bing'er was a delight, it was not worth getting beaten for no reason. It would hurt after all. So he was ready to block her attack; her slap would feel like a mere touch on his face. 

If it were to be like how Bai Bing'er treated Fang Yufan just now, it would feel no more than a few pats, so Su Chen had to pretend. Pretend to be in severe pain. This would officially sever his relationship with Bai Bing'er, who would then have no choice but to turn to Fang Yufan, who would undoubtedly agree, if only to take advantage. 

Su Chen believed that no matter how many times Fang Yufan got beaten, he would eventually forgive Bai Bing'er. This was the typical urban romance narrative: no matter how many times the female lead tormented the male lead, he would treat her as if she were his first love. This was how the original character, Qin Yu, behaved. Soon, Bai Bing'er would return to the main storyline.

Su Chen sneered internally, "Qin Luoyi, I want to see how you plan to reconcile our relationship once such a significant rift has appeared between Bai Bing'er and me. You think I'm still that naive boy who just arrived in this world?" Now, all that was left was to wait for Bai Bing'er's slap to conclude the affair. 

After a while—Su Chen didn't know how long—Bai Bing'er's forceful slap never came. Regaining his senses, Su Chen looked up to find Qin Luoyi suddenly at Bai Bing'er's side, and Bai Bing'er had fallen into a faint.

Su Chen was utterly baffled. What happened? Bai Bing'er was angry, wasn't she? How could she suddenly faint? Could it be that she was angered into unconsciousness by him? That doesn't make sense, does it? But then Su Chen noticed Qin Luoyi's mischievous grin and a terrible thought crossed his mind. 

Before he could finish his thought, sure enough, Qin Luoyi's bell-like laughter rang out. "Su Chen, rest assured, this girl dared to refuse treatment, so I knocked her out for you," she declared, her face expecting praise from Su Chen, and she continued with a laugh, "Now you can treat her without worry, whatever you do, she won't refuse. Go ahead and treat her with peace of mind. Bai Bing'er is my good sister, make sure you treat her well, okay?"

After finishing her words, Qin Luoyi placed the unconscious beauty into Su Chen's arms, as if to say, "Now she's yours." Is this what a good sister is? Anyone unaware would think they have a deep-seated hatred. Su Chen couldn't help but internally critique while appearing helpless. Indeed, the female leads of the original story always have unexpected ways of disrupting the plot.

"Qin Luoyi, aren't you afraid that Bai Bing'er will settle the score with you when she wakes up?" Su Chen questioned, bewildered by Qin Luoyi's actions. 

"What's there to be afraid of? We're good sisters, and besides, I did this to save her life," Qin Luoyi said, rolling her eyes dismissively. She paused, her cheeks flushing red, and spoke in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, "Stop talking nonsense. She's in your hands now, you can do whatever you want, no one can stop you now."

Su Chen's mouth twitched in response, seemingly implying that Qin Luoyi wished for it herself. Yet, it's undeniable that at this moment, Qin Luoyi, with her seductive peach-blossom eyes and the blush on her cheeks, exuded an indescribable allure. She is the type of woman one could consider for a wife. 

Both Qin Luoyi and Bai Bing'er are exceptionally beautiful, and although Su Chen could play with Bai Bing'er as he pleased, she is still the main character of the story and nothing must go wrong. Otherwise, he would have to employ all means to ensure everything is dealt with today. 

Su Chen shouldn't have any designs on Bai Bing'er, and once he cures her, he can then start a relationship with Qin Luoyi. When Bai Bing'er wakes up, Qin Luoyi could then righteously claim that anything she did with Su Chen was for Bai Bing'er's sake, Qin Luoyi thought to herself.

What if Bai Bing'er ends up liking Su Chen too? While Qin Luoyi was lost in her wild thoughts, Su Chen was also busy. Treating Bai Bing'er was a piece of cake for him; her illness was actually quite simple. Su Chen intended to cure her gradually, but accidentally cured her completely in one go. Now what to do? Su Chen was momentarily at a loss; he surely couldn't make her sick again. He decided to let things take their course, but he felt this couldn't go on.

Qin Luoyi was always looking for opportunities to interfere. Bai Bing'er would have been a normal main character if not for Qin Luoyi's presence, which turned everything abnormal. So, to better complete future tasks, Su Chen came up with a plan to cause a rift between Bai Bing'er and Qin Luoyi. You like to disrupt the plot, huh? 

Su Chen thought, well, let's see how you continue to meddle when I strip you away from the plot development. Smiling at the thought, Su Chen asked Qin Luoyi, "Is it cured?"

Seeing him smile, Qin Luoyi quickly asked, "There's no problem, right?" She trusted Su Chen, but she also knew Bai Bing'er's condition was difficult to cure.

"The treatment isn't over yet," Su Chen sighed heavily, putting on a distressed face. "Is Bai Bing'er your best friend?" he asked. 

"Of course," Qin Luoyi nodded without hesitation, recalling how her best friend used to be Wang Bingbing. But ever since both of them fell for Su Chen, their decade-long friendship had become fragile. 

"Then you shouldn't be here distracting us. The condition is serious, and I need to focus on the treatment without any external disturbances. Please leave," Su Chen said sorrowfully, implying the situation was critical and Qin Luoyi's presence was a nuisance. Qin Luoyi, despite being cunning, had a sense of loyalty, especially to her good sister. Hearing the danger, she could no longer stay put.

"Then focus on treating her. I'll leave now. Rest assured, I won't let anyone in," Qin Luoyi promised confidently. At this moment, nothing was more important than curing Bai Bing'er's illness. Stepping outside the cabin, Qin Luoyi looked around sternly, worried that someone might barge in and disrupt Su Chen's treatment. 

Coincidentally, some guards came to report. "Miss Qin, I need to see the lady," one said. "No way," Qin Luoyi said defensively, "Bai Bing'er is undergoing treatment, no visitors allowed."

Treatment? The guard was shocked. If Qin Luoyi was outside, then a man must be inside treating Bai Bing'er. He didn't dare to imagine Bai Bing'er alone with a man. With his status, he couldn't say much but had to do his job properly. 

"Miss Qin, the person we kicked out earlier said he had important information to report to the lady," the guard said. "What information?" Qin Luoyi frowned. "He claims he can help the lady gain a foothold in Shanghai," the guard informed.

Qin Luoyi pondered this. Shanghai was Wang Bingbing's territory. If Fang Yufan were to help Bai Bing'er, it meant challenging Wang Bingbing. And the most likely target would be Su Chen's family. What if Su Chen were in danger? Honestly, Qin Luoyi disliked Fang Yufan, but she considered the implications if he helped Bai Bing'er against Su Chen.

Because she felt an aura on him that was exactly the same as Qin Yu's back in the day. It was clear that this man came for Su Chen. Qin Luoyi had harmed Su Chen once in the past, and now she couldn't let Su Chen get hurt again no matter what. "Go tell him that Bing'er doesn't want to see him," she instructed the guard. 

"But..." Before the guard could finish speaking, Qin Luoyi cut him off firmly. "There are no 'buts'. If there is a problem, I will discuss it with our lady," she asserted.

Inside the cabin, Su Chen was noticeably happier once Qin Luoyi left. When Bai Bing'er woke up, he planned to speak ill of Qin Luoyi and reveal the nature of their relationship. "No, this isn't enough; I need to take more drastic measures," he thought and began to tamper with Bai Bing'er's clothing. He rumpled her clothes and left some marks. "Should I... Although I am a gentleman, all is for the mission."

When Bai Bing'er woke up and saw that she had been disheveled, she would surely be angry. Su Chen would then claim that Qin Luoyi had helped him with the intention of coveting Bai Bing'er's body. Bai Bing'er would definitely turn against Qin Luoyi. He could not only make Bai Bing'er hate him, but also ensure that Qin Luoyi could no longer stay by Bai Bing'er's side. Killing two birds with one stone.

But before Su Chen could revel in his satisfaction for long, a system notification sounded in his head. 

[Ding, congratulations host, due to the collapse of the storyline resulting in severe consequences, the system has decided to administer punishment.]