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

After saying that, she waved her hand gracefully and turned to walk away.

After taking a couple of steps, she suddenly stopped, turned back, and gave Bai Jingyou a meaningful look: "By the way, just a friendly reminder. Although you've temporarily subdued Shen Qianzhong, his crazy younger brother, Shen Wanshan... I heard he just recently returned from abroad. That guy is really mentally unstable, so good luck to you."

The roar of the Ferrari rose again, then gradually faded into the distance.

The courtyard returned to tranquility.

The evening breeze rustled through the old locust tree.

"Are you hungry?" Bai Jingyou squatted down in front of Jiang Mengyao and rubbed her cold hands.

Jiang Mengyao shook her head, then nodded, and her stomach rumbled softly at the opportune moment.

Her face turned red instantly.

"I'll go cook some noodles." Bai Jingyou smiled and playfully flicked her nose. "When I came in, I saw noodles and eggs in the kitchen. It's not fancy, but it should be enough to fill our stomachs."

"I'll help you." Jiang Mengyao quickly stood up.

"No need, you're the hero, sit down and rest." Bai Jingyou pressed her shoulder. "Tonight, Chef Bai will serve you."

Watching Bai Jingyou walk into the kitchen, Jiang Mengyao felt a warm feeling well up in her heart.

Even in the capital city surrounded by tigers and wolves, as long as he was there, it was as if all the storms were kept outside the walls.

Ten minutes later.

Two steaming bowls of plain noodles were placed on the stone table. A few green vegetables, a poached egg, and garnished with bright green scallions, the aroma was irresistible.

The two sat facing each other, enjoying their meal with exceptional relish in the tranquil courtyard.

There's no backstabbing or scheming in the marketplace, no life-or-death struggles.

There was only the sound of slurping noodles and the occasional knowing smile exchanged between them.

The night wind at Shichahai is not only cool, but also carries a chill that seeps into your bones.

In the courtyard of the Jiang family's old house, two bowls of plain noodles were finished. Bai Jingyou put down his chopsticks and took out a tissue to wipe his mouth.

Looking at Jiang Mengyao across from him, who was sipping her soup, he noticed the steam making her nose slightly red. She looked less dignified than her usual refined demeanor and more like a down-to-earth girl next door.

"Are you full?" Bai Jingyou asked with a smile.

"Hmm." Jiang Mengyao put down her bowl, a little embarrassed, and brushed a stray hair behind her ear. "Maybe I was too nervous, but my appetite actually increased. Did I eat a little too much?"

"Eat more, it's good. It's windy in the capital, it can easily blow people away." Bai Jingyou stood up and put away the bowls and chopsticks. "Especially those who are insecure, they'll be scattered by the wind."

[Shen Qianzhong is probably smashing things in his study right now, or kneeling before the Shen family patriarch writing a self-criticism. But this old fox definitely won't let it go so easily; the quieter it is tonight, the fiercer his counterattack will be tomorrow.]

"Let me wash it," Jiang Mengyao said, getting up as well.

"Sit still." Bai Jingyou pressed down on her shoulder, his fingertips lightly tapping her shoulder. "You're the eldest daughter of the Jiang family. If word gets out that you have to do manual labor on your own turf, what about my reputation as the son-in-law from Haicheng?"

Jiang Mengyao blushed and didn't insist anymore, but her gaze followed Bai Jingyou's back as he walked into the kitchen.

Just then.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A dull, rapid banging on the door suddenly rang out, like a thunderclap in the quiet alley.

It wasn't a polite knock; instead, it was being kicked with fists or even feet, causing dust to fall from the door frame.

Jiang Mengyao stood up abruptly like a startled cat, her eyes filled with terror as she looked at the tightly closed vermilion gate.

The sound of water in the kitchen stopped. Bai Jingyou came out, wiping his hands, his brows slightly furrowed.

[The person who delivered the wine to Shen Qianzhong? No. Although Shen Qianzhong is hypocritical, he is very particular about appearances and decorum. Even when delivering poison, he would package it beautifully, never like this, as if he were a bandit attacking a mountain stronghold.]

"Who is it?" Bai Jingyou walked into the courtyard, his voice not loud, but it carried a chill.

"Open the door! It's the wine delivery guy!"

A slightly hoarse but extremely excited male voice came from outside the door, "That coward Shen Qianzhong sent me to deliver wine! Damn it, how come this broken door is so sturdy? If you don't open it, I'll tear the wall down!"

Upon hearing that voice, Jiang Mengyao's face turned deathly pale: "It's him..."

"know?"

"Shen Wanshan." Jiang Mengyao's voice trembled as she instinctively grabbed Bai Jingyou's sleeve. "The second young master of the Shen family, that...that lunatic. I heard he just broke three of a business partner's ribs last month because the other party was wearing socks he didn't like."

Bai Jingyou raised an eyebrow.

[Interesting. The hypocrite just left the stage, and the real madman has taken it. Ye Lingqing's jinx is more accurate than any divine intervention.]

"Go open the door." Bai Jingyou patted Jiang Mengyao's hand to reassure her. "Since they're here to deliver wine, there's no reason to keep the guests out."

Bai Jingyou walked over, unlatched the door, and opened the door.

A strong smell of alcohol mixed with the scent of expensive cologne wafted over.

A man was standing at the door.

He was wearing a bright red silk shirt with the collar plunging down to below his chest, revealing several rough silver ornaments hanging underneath.

Her hair was dyed granny gray, and it looked messy, like she had just been struck by lightning.

At that moment, he was carrying that priceless bottle of Romanée-Conti as if it were a cheap bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor).

Shen Wanshan.

When Shen Wanshan saw that it was Bai Jingyou who opened the door, his bloodshot eyes lit up.

Without saying hello, he squeezed in sideways, his headlong rushing around as if the yard were his own backyard.

"Is this the Bai Jingyou who scared Shen Qianzhong so much he wet his pants?" Shen Wanshan circled Bai Jingyou twice, as if examining a rare antique. "He's just average-looking, two eyes and a nose. I thought you had three heads and six arms."

Bai Jingyou stood still, letting him scrutinize him, a faint smile even playing on his lips: "Young Master Shen, it seems you have some misunderstanding about human physiology?"

Shen Wanshan stopped and suddenly brought his face close to Bai Jingyou's, so close that their noses almost touched.

His pupils were somewhat unfocused, yet they also revealed a chilling madness.

"You've got guts." Shen Wanshan grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth. "I heard about what happened at the Zijing Pavilion earlier. You took a piece of scrap paper, burned it right in front of Fatty Li, and even recorded it? Hahaha! Amazing! Absolutely amazing! That show-off Shen Qianzhong's face must be as green as this bottle!"

"Young Master Shen, you came all this way in the middle of the night just to praise me?" Bai Jingyou took a half step back without making a sound, avoiding the unpleasant smell of alcohol.

"Praise you? I'm here to thank you!"

Shen Wanshan suddenly raised the Romanée-Conti in his hand and waved it at the moon. "This bottle of wine is a treasure that bastard Shen Qianzhong has kept hidden for five years. I wouldn't even let him drink a drop normally. Today, you forced me to give it up, and I feel so good!"

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Wanshan did something that surprised everyone.

Instead of handing the wine to Bai Jingyou, he suddenly raised his hand and smashed the bottle of red wine, worth hundreds of thousands of yuan, onto the bluestone slab in the yard!

“Pah!”

The glass shattered, and dark red liquor splattered everywhere, spreading across the ground like blood.

The rich aroma of wine instantly overpowered the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms in the courtyard.

Jiang Mengyao gasped in fright and covered her mouth.

Bai Jingyou didn't even blink, merely staring at the shards on the ground, his tone indifferent: "It seems that Young Master Shen not only dislikes me, but also dislikes red wine. What a pity, this vintage was quite good."

"Drink my ass!" Shen Wanshan stomped on the broken glass, making a screeching sound, his expression maniacal. "This is Shen Qianzhong's wine, I'm afraid my intestines will rot if I drink it! Bai Jingyou, I smashed the wine for you, consider it a favor to you. Haven't I given you enough face?"

[This isn't giving face; it's a show of force. Smashing the wine bottle means he doesn't represent Shen Qianzhong, and even disdains Shen Qianzhong's apology. This mad dog is telling me that he and Shen Qianzhong are not on the same side.]

Bai Jingyou took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out, but didn't light it; he just twirled it between his fingers.

"Young Master Shen smashed the wine bottle, how are we going to explain this when we get back?"

"Complete the task? I never need to complete tasks!" Shen Wanshan suddenly stopped smiling, his previously somewhat comical face instantly turning sinister, like a wolf ready to bite its prey's throat at any moment. "Bai Jingyou, I'll give you two choices too."

He held up two fingers, on which he wore an exaggerated skull ring.

"First, cooperate with me. I know you have that black ledger, but just having the ledger is useless. You have no connections in the capital, so you can't submit that evidence. I'll help you submit it, and we'll join forces to destroy Shen Qianzhong and kick him out of the Shen family's inner circle."

"And second?" Bai Jingyou asked lazily, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Secondly..." Shen Wanshan pulled a folding knife from his back waist, twirling it in his hand with a cold glint in his eyes. "If you don't know what's good for you, I'll have to treat you as Shen Qianzhong's accomplice. After all, I'm interested in making any mess that Shen Qianzhong tries to cover up even worse."

The atmosphere instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Jiang Mengyao wanted to rush forward, but Bai Jingyou stopped her with a look.

Bai Jingyou looked at the knife in Shen Wanshan's hand and suddenly laughed.

He laughed so hard his shoulders shook, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

"What are you laughing at?" Shen Wanshan frowned, the tip of his knife slightly raised.

"I laugh at Shen Ershao's naiveté." Bai Jingyou took the cigarette out of his mouth. "You want to use me as a pawn to deal with your older brother? Do you think I'm that stupid?"

"You have no choice." Shen Wanshan took a step closer. "In the capital, besides me, no one dares to take over your business."

"Yeah?"

Bai Jingyou suddenly stepped forward, his movements incredibly fast.

Before Shen Wanshan could react, he had already reached out and grabbed Shen Wanshan's wrist that was holding the knife.

He didn't try to take the knife away forcefully; he simply placed two fingers lightly on Shen Wanshan's pulse point.

"Young Master Shen, have you been experiencing frequent insomnia, vivid dreams, and irritability lately? And... a dull ache three inches below your left rib?"

Shen Wanshan shuddered, his pupils contracting sharply: "You...you investigated me?"

"I don't have time for that." Bai Jingyou released his hand and gently straightened Shen Wanshan's disheveled collar, his movements as gentle as an old friend's. "I just smelled medicine on you. Gentian root, bupleurum root, scutellaria root... This is a formula for soothing the liver and clearing heat. It seems that Second Young Master Shen has a lot of liver fire. Was it because of Shen Qianzhong, or... because of the suppression by the Shen family patriarch?"