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

Autumn arrives earlier in Beijing than in Haicheng, and the wind carries a dry chill, like some kind of veiled warning.

Beijing Capital International Airport, VIP exit.

Bai Jingyou wrapped his black cashmere coat tighter around himself and exhaled a puff of white breath.

Jiang Mengyao, standing beside him, wore a beige trench coat and a thick plaid scarf around her neck. She was pushing their suitcases and looked exceptionally gentle and domestic.

"Boss, something's not right."

Chen Mo put down his phone, his face grim. "The Four Seasons Hotel we booked just cancelled its reservation, citing a system malfunction and overbooking. Also, the car rental company I contacted didn't show up, saying their fleet had been requisitioned."

Bai Jingyou raised an eyebrow, a playful smile curving his lips.

"System malfunction? Fleet requisition?" He chuckled, pulled a mint from his pocket, and popped it into his mouth. "The Shen family's behavior is rather disgraceful. Do they want us to sleep on the streets, or force us to take taxis and slink into the capital?"

This method is low-level, but disgusting.

It's like when you're dining at a fancy restaurant, the waiter doesn't dare to kick you out, but deliberately removes your cutlery.

"Call your family," Chen Mo said through gritted teeth.

"No need," Bai Jingyou raised his hand to stop him. "Those of our own people in charge are probably being invited for tea by the Shen family right now. Using company resources at this time will only make things difficult for the people below us."

Jiang Mengyao placed the hand warmer on Bai Jingyou's hand and said softly, "If all else fails, I'll contact some of my university classmates in Beijing, or... I remember Dad has an old comrade-in-arms who works at the State Administration of Government Offices."

"Wouldn't that just suit the Shen family's wishes?" Bai Jingyou took her cold little hand in his hand and put it in his coat pocket. "They just want to see me, Bai Jingyou, begging for help everywhere, running around like a headless fly. If I actually beg, I'll lose half the battle in terms of prestige."

[That old codger Shen Qianzhong seems to have been traumatized by me in Haicheng; he can't wait to get his revenge as soon as he gets back to his home turf.]

"Then what do we do?" Chen Mo looked at the passengers coming and going around him. His boss was worth billions, so he couldn't really go and queue up for a taxi, could he?

Bai Jingyou didn't say anything, but took out his phone and dialed a number that wasn't saved in his contacts.

Three rings, then the call is connected.

"Have we arrived?" A languid female voice came through the receiver, with soft jazz music and the crisp sound of ice cubes hitting glass in the background.

"We've arrived." Bai Jingyou said calmly, "But it seems the capital isn't very welcoming to me. No car, no house, I might freeze to death on the streets."

"Heh." The woman chuckled lightly, a hint of schadenfreude in her voice. "Although Shen Qianzhong is a hypocrite, these kinds of underhanded tactics are usually the work of those spoiled brats from the Shen family. What, Young Master Bai, you can call the shots in Haicheng, but here in the capital, you can't even handle this little storm?"

"I'm a rather lazy person and don't like dealing with these kinds of trivial matters." Bai Jingyou looked at the gloomy sky in the distance. "Since Miss Ye owes me a favor, why don't you repay it now?"

"Sure," the woman readily agreed. "Look up, look towards two o'clock."

Bai Jingyou glanced at it.

A striking red Ferrari Purosangue was brazenly parked at the very entrance of the VIP lane, ignoring the stern face of the traffic controller.

The scissor doors slowly rose, and a woman stepped out of the driver's seat.

She wore a deep red velvet dress with a black leather motorcycle jacket over it, and her long, wavy hair was casually draped over her shoulders.

She wore a pair of huge sunglasses that covered most of her face, revealing only her fiery red lips.

Ye Lingqing.

The moment she appeared, the airport, which had been dark and gloomy, seemed to be instantly illuminated.

Passersby turned to look, speculating which female celebrity had just gotten off the plane.

Ye Lingqing took off her sunglasses, and her alluring peach blossom eyes swept over Bai Jingyou before finally settling on Jiang Mengyao, who was holding hands with him.

His eyes held a playful glint, a mixture of scrutiny and provocation.

"Oh, is Young Master Bai here on business, or on his honeymoon?" Ye Lingqing approached in high heels, her perfume a highly aggressive woody rose scent.

Jiang Mengyao clearly hadn't expected to meet this legendary woman here.

A woman's intuition is often the sharpest radar.

Jiang Mengyao immediately sensed the unfriendly aura emanating from the other person. Instead of backing down, she tightened her grip on Bai Jingyou's arm, offering a polite smile: "Hello, I'm Jiang Mengyao. You must be Sister Lingqing? Jingyou often mentions you, saying you helped him a lot in the capital."

This gentle address of "sister" is also a subtle way of drawing a line between oneself and others.

Bai Jingyou felt the pressure on his arm and chuckled inwardly, but remained outwardly calm: "Nice car. Can I sit down?"

"Squeeze in." Ye Lingqing twirled the car keys in her hand, looking at Bai Jingyou with a half-smile. "Anyway, Young Master Bai doesn't mind squeezing in with me, right?"

"Chen Mo, take a taxi to the office yourself." Bai Jingyou decisively sold out his assistant, opened the car door, and said, "Let's go."

Chen Mo, clutching his suitcase, watched the red taillights disappear into the distance, feeling bewildered in the cold wind.

……

The Ferrari sped along the airport expressway, the roar of its engine sounding like the growl of a beast.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was eerie.

Ye Lingqing drove recklessly, overtaking other vehicles whenever she could find a gap.

Jiang Mengyao sat in the back seat, her face pale, but she maintained a dignified posture and remained silent.

"The Shen family has blocked all your reservations in Beijing." Ye Lingqing said, turning the steering wheel with one hand while glancing at Bai Jingyou in the rearview mirror. "The entire Beijing social circle is laughing at you now, saying that the nouveau riche from Haicheng has been skinned alive before even entering the Second Ring Road. If you can't find a place to stay tonight, the Bai Group's stock price will drop even more tomorrow."

"So Miss Ye is planning to take me in?" Bai Jingyou sat in the passenger seat, casually looking at the scenery rushing past the window.

"My place is big, so I don't lack rooms. I'm just afraid Jiang-meimei won't be happy." Ye Lingqing gave Jiang Mengyao a provocative look through the rearview mirror.

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Ye," Jiang Mengyao suddenly spoke, her voice clear and crisp. "But there's no need to trouble yourself. I've already sent a message to my second uncle, and he's had someone clean up an old courtyard house belonging to the Jiang family in Shichahai. Although it's a bit old, it's quiet and peaceful, and... it's our own place, so it feels very comfortable living there."

squeak--!

The Ferrari suddenly slowed down, and Ye Lingqing turned around to look at Jiang Mengyao with some surprise.

Jiang's second uncle was a powerful figure in a certain ministry.

Jiang Mengyao's move of this large Buddha statue not only solved the accommodation problem, but also demonstrated to Ye Lingqing that the Jiang family was not without roots in the capital.

"Looks like I've been meddling in other people's business." Ye Lingqing sped up again, a hint of appreciation curving her lips. "Jiang Zhenguo's daughter is definitely not an innocent little rabbit."

"Now that accommodation is sorted, let's get down to business." Bai Jingyou interrupted their silent exchange, pulled a USB drive from his pocket, twirled it between his fingers, and said, "Ye Lingqing, Shen Qianzhong has lost so much face in Haicheng, what's the Shen family's reaction right now?"

When the topic turned to business, Ye Lingqing's expression became more serious.

"Old Master Shen is very angry, but not at you; he's angry at Shen Qianzhong," Ye Lingqing said coldly. "The line Shen Qianzhong was in charge of has made such a huge mistake, and you've caught him red-handed. Now there are two factions within the Shen family: one advocates using swift and decisive measures to crush you in the capital and retrieve the black books; the other..."

She paused, her eyes turning deep. "The other faction, Shen Qianzhong's mortal enemy, Shen Wanshan, the second young master of the Shen family, is very interested in you."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend?" Bai Jingyou chuckled. "It seems this black ledger is more valuable than I imagined."

"You want to cooperate with Shen Wanshan?" Ye Lingqing frowned. "He's a madman, even more troublesome than Shen Qianzhong. Shen Qianzhong is a hypocrite, and Shen Wanshan is a true villain. Cooperating with him is like asking a tiger for its skin."

"I have no intention of cooperating with him."

Bai Jingyou gripped the USB drive, his eyes instantly turning icy cold. "I'm going to stir up this mess. Since the Shen family won't let me stay in a hotel, I'll give them a big gift."

"What do you mean?"

"Stop the car." Bai Jingyou suddenly pointed to a high-end clubhouse by the roadside. "Stop right here."

Ye Lingqing glanced at the sign on the roadside—[Bauhinia Pavilion].

This is a top-tier private club in the capital, and it's also Shen Qianzhong's favorite place to entertain guests.

"Are you crazy?" Ye Lingqing slammed on the brakes. "Shen Qianzhong is hosting a banquet for several ministerial officials inside tonight, apparently to quell the repercussions of the Haicheng incident. If you go in now, aren't you just walking into a trap?"

"We need him here."

Bai Jingyou unbuckled his seatbelt, straightened his tie, and turned to look at Jiang Mengyao in the back seat: "Are you scared?"

Jiang Mengyao took a deep breath and shook her head firmly: "I'm not afraid. Wherever you go, I'll go."

"Okay." Bai Jingyou pushed open the car door, and a cold wind rushed in, making his trench coat flutter.

He stood under the magnificent signboard, turned around and gave Ye Lingqing in the car a bright, somewhat wicked smile.

"Miss Ye, would you be interested in watching a play? It's called... Havoc in Heaven."