Who's going to be the female lead's simp? Aren't the supporting female characters mor

The next day, a light drizzle fell.

Zizhu Villa, on the western outskirts of Haicheng.

This is one of the most mysterious private gardens in Haicheng, and also Ye Lingqing's palace in Haicheng.

Normally, this place is deserted, and not even a bird can fly in. But every important person who passes by will subconsciously slow down their car as a sign of respect.

A black Maybach slowly pulled up in front of the ornate iron gate.

The car door opened, and a black umbrella was unfurled.

"Young Master, are you sure you don't need me to go in?" Chen Mo stood by the car, a rare hint of nervousness in his eyes behind his glasses.

He could sense that at least four extremely subtle yet dangerous auras were locked onto this place in the courtyard.

"Need not."

Bai Jingyou adjusted his cufflinks, his expression calm. "Aunt Ye is an elder. I went there to receive her guidance. What kind of behavior is it to bring bodyguards? People who don't know the situation would think I'm going to force someone's hand."

[I wouldn't call it a coup, but if things go wrong, I'll probably be walking out of here. Ye Lingqing, in the original story, is notoriously unpredictable; she's the kind of woman who'll call you 'sweetie' one second and chop you up and feed you to the fish the next.]

"Wait here."

Bai Jingyou patted Chen Mo on the shoulder and turned to walk into the rain.

As you walk through the winding corridors, the sound of rain pattering on banana leaves is exceptionally clear.

A faint sandalwood scent mingled with the damp earthy aroma filled the air, but instead of calming the mind, it carried a chilling, oppressive feeling.

The door to the tea room was ajar.

Bai Jingyou pushed open the door and entered.

The room was dimly lit, with only one incense burner lit.

Ye Lingqing, dressed in a dark purple silk cheongsam, was standing with her back to the door, holding a sharp pair of scissors, pruning a uniquely shaped Podocarpus macrophyllus.

"Click."

A thriving branch snapped off and fell to the ground.

"You're here?"

Ye Lingqing didn't turn her head, her voice languid and unreadable, "Sit wherever you like."

Bai Jingyou didn't stand on ceremony and went straight to the rosewood tea table to sit down.

There was only a teacup on the table, clearly indicating that he wasn't considered a guest.

"Aunt Ye's Podocarpus macrophyllus is well-maintained, it's vigorous and ancient," Bai Jingyou said casually after glancing at the bonsai.

"Yeah?"

Ye Lingqing turned around, still clutching the gleaming pair of scissors in her hand.

Time has not left many marks on her face; instead, it has imbued her with an aura of authority that makes people dare not look directly at her.

She looked at Bai Jingyou with a half-smile: "It's a pity, some branches are growing too fast, too wildly, they don't know their own limitations, always trying to stretch outwards. Don't you think these branches should be pruned?"

Bai Jingyou's eyelids twitched.

This is a call to action against him.

"The branches stretch outwards because they face the sun." Bai Jingyou said without changing his expression, reaching for the purple clay teapot on the table and pouring himself a cup of tea. "As long as the roots are firmly established, isn't it a good thing for the branches to grow lush and verdant? Pruning too harshly will only damage the vitality."

"Oh."

Ye Lingqing chuckled and tossed the scissors onto the table with a crisp clang.

"You certainly have a sharp tongue." She sat down opposite Bai Jingyou, her eyes instantly turning as sharp as knives. "Using my name to intimidate the Chu family. Bai Jingyou, do you know that in the capital, anyone who dares to use me, Ye Lingqing, as a pawn is already two meters old?"

Although she owed Bai Jingyou a favor, it didn't mean that Bai Jingyou could use her as a tool.

This trip was clearly intended to put Bai Jingyou in a bad light.

An invisible pressure came crashing down on me.

If it were an ordinary person, they would probably be sweating profusely by now.

But Bai Jingyou simply picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and took a sip.

"Good tea. Authentic Wuyi Mountain Da Hong Pao, it should be the kind from the original mother tree, right?"

Setting down his teacup, Bai Jingyou met Ye Lingqing's gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Aunt Ye, I don't think I'm using you. On the contrary, I'm helping you clean house, and incidentally... giving you a big gift."

"Clean house?" Ye Lingqing raised an eyebrow. "Does someone like Wang Biao even deserve to enter my Ye family?"

"Wang Biao is certainly not worthy. But he represents the Chu family's ambition to seize control of Haicheng." Bai Jingyou leaned forward, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. "Chu Cang has been suffocated by you in Beijing these past few years and is eager to find new growth points in the south. Haicheng New District is the fat meat in his eyes."

"So what?" Ye Lingqing said dismissively. "He eats his, I eat mine."

"The problem is, the market is only so big." Bai Jingyou's voice was low. "Although the Chu family lost face this time, Chu Cang, that old fox, won't give up easily once he's made his move. If I don't use your influence to suppress this anger, once he gains a foothold in Haicheng, the first thing he'll target will be the Ye family's logistics industry in the new district."

Ye Lingqing's eyes flickered slightly, but she remained silent.

Bai Jingyou knew he had persuaded her.

Although the Ye family is large and powerful, their business in Haicheng has been lukewarm, especially the deep-water port logistics park, which has been a huge investment and has been operating at a loss due to policy reasons.

This was a major worry for Ye Lingqing.

"This is just a small amount of money," Ye Lingqing said calmly. "It's not enough for me to forgive your unilateral decision."

"What if..."

Bai Jingyou pulled a folded A4 sheet of paper from his pocket and pushed it across the table. "What about adding this?"

Ye Lingqing glanced at it casually, then her pupils suddenly contracted.

That wasn't a trade secret, but a hand-drawn map of Haicheng.

However, in the southeast corner of the map, a place that was originally a wasteland was heavily circled by Bai Jingyou in red pen, and the words "Free Trade Zone" were written next to it.

"What do you mean?" Ye Lingqing's voice deepened.

"Three months from now, the official document will be issued from above." Bai Jingyou held up three fingers, his tone so certain it was chilling. "Haicheng will be designated as a core pilot city for the new round of free trade zone expansion. And that half-dead deep-water port logistics park you're currently in your hands happens to be within the core red line of the free trade zone. Consider this Aunt Ye's thank-you gift to me."

Dead silence.

The only sound in the tea room was the rain outside the window.

Ye Lingqing stared intently at the map, her brain racing.

This news is amazing.

If it's true, the Ye family's assets in Haicheng will increase more than tenfold overnight!

But she hadn't heard a word about this level of inside information even in the capital, so how could this Bai family kid possibly know?

"Are you gambling?" Ye Lingqing narrowed her eyes.

"I never gamble." Bai Jingyou leaned back in his chair, his eyes deep. "I only do things that are likely to be right. Aunt Ye, Haicheng right now is like a lottery ticket about to be drawn. The Chu family wanted to snatch this ticket, and I've chopped their hand back for you. Is this pledge of loyalty enough?"

Ye Lingqing stared at Bai Jingyou for a full half minute.

That gaze seemed to see right through him.

Finally, the frost on her face melted away, revealing a charming smile.

She reached out and picked up the teapot.

This time, she personally refilled Bai Jingyou's tea.

The meaning of this action is self-evident.

"You little rascal, you're even more cunning than your deadbeat father." Ye Lingqing picked up her teacup, her tone softening. "Fine, I won't pursue this matter. Since you want to be on my side, then you'd better hold on tight."

"Thank you, Aunt Ye." Bai Jingyou felt reassured.

"Don't thank me yet."

Ye Lingqing changed the subject, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes, "That old dog Chu Cang got so angry he ended up in the hospital, but the more injured he is, the more viciously he bites. As far as I know, he has already sent someone else to take over the mess in Haicheng."

"Oh? Which gang's thugs are they from now?" Bai Jingyou said dismissively.

"If they're just thugs, then you're underestimating the Chu family." Ye Lingqing took a sip of tea, her red lips slightly parted. "This time, the one who came is a true venomous snake that knows how to devour people. Moreover, he's targeting your vital points."

Bai Jingyou frowned: "The Achilles' heel?"

"The Jiang family."

Ye Lingqing put down her teacup with a soft sound. "Chu Cang is going to short the Jiang Group in the financial market. This battle is a meat grinder of capital, and a bloodless slaughterhouse. The Ye family will bail you out and ensure that your Bai family doesn't fall, but I won't directly help you deal with the Chu family's actions in the stock market."

Why?

"Because I want to see." Ye Lingqing looked at him, a glint of expectation in her eyes, "Are you really qualified to be my, Ye Lingqing's, true partner?"

……

Half an hour later.

The rain stopped.

Bai Jingyou stepped out of the Purple Bamboo Villa and took a deep breath of the moist air.

"Young Master, how is it?" Chen Mo immediately came up to him, looking Bai Jingyou up and down to make sure that not a single hair was missing.

"It's done."

Bai Jingyou handed the black umbrella to Chen Mo, his face not showing much joy. "However, even bigger trouble is coming."

"trouble?"

"Yeah, that woman Ye Lingqing is using me as a pawn too." Bai Jingyou got into the car and rubbed his temples. "She wants to use me to completely cripple the Chu family's financial tentacles in the south."

Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

Bai Jingyou took it out; it was a text message from an unknown number.