Chapter 2: What a Disastrous Start

An Ling never imagined that one day she would be eavesdropping on gossip about herself.

Eavesdropping was one thing, but what did they mean by unreasonable and vicious?

Did that broken system really establish her character persona that successfully?

She stood still, continuing to listen to the nurses chatting outside.

"You are new here, so you wouldn't know. The young madam used to come to the hospital all the time, always making a fuss out of nothing, claiming she was hurt. The main thing is, she wouldn't call her husband; she would call her husband's younger brother."

"Huh? Isn't that just blatant cheating?"

"Don't even get me started. Everyone knows An Ling is obsessed with the Shen family's second young master, Lu Jingshen. If any other woman even gets close to him, she makes their life a living hell."

"I heard the second young master came to the hospital yesterday too. His forehead was smashed open. The hospital director was so terrified he rushed over from home in the middle of the night. Who would be so reckless with their life as to hit the Shen family's second young master?"

The reckless An Ling: "..."

That psycho from last night was the male lead?

What did he look like again?

She had completely forgotten.

An Ling took a deep breath, rubbing her throbbing temples.

This was bad. Although she had fragments of memories in her head, she was face-blind. She couldn't match anyone's face to their name at all.

Especially her newly acquired husband.

Who would have thought she would wake up to find herself suddenly married?

Click—

The crisp sound of a door opening echoed.

The two nurses gossiping at the door stiffened and looked up, their faces draining of color. With terrified and panicked eyes, they stammered, "M-Mrs. Shen, w-why are you..."

Why did this woman come out on her own??

She usually loved ordering the nurses around just to torture them, so they had assumed she wasn't awake yet.

They were doomed. She had definitely heard everything they just said.

But the very next second, the woman suddenly asked, "Have you seen my phone?"

The nurses froze, completely caught off guard by An Ling's reaction.

Could it be she hadn't heard them?

Before they could speak, a male voice suddenly interjected.

"Young Madam, you are awake."

Turning their heads, they saw a man in a tailored suit walking over.

He stopped in front of An Ling with a polite, professional smile, handing over a shopping bag and her phone.

"These are the clothes the maids prepared for you, along with your phone."

An Ling frowned, her eyes scanning the man's face.

Who was this guy now?

Before she could react, the man continued, "Young Madam, Old Madam has already found out about you hitting the second young master last night. She wants you to go over. The hospital discharge procedures have already been handled..."

At this point, Secretary Chen paused.

He quickly glanced up at her and added in a low voice:

"Sir is already waiting for you in the car."

An Ling was taken aback. "Sir?"

"Your husband, ma'am."

"..."

Talk about speaking of the devil. She had planned to look up a photo of him first.

Truth be told, An Ling didn't feel much of anything toward this sudden husband of hers.

She had known for a long time that she had a marriage arrangement with the Shen family.

The only thing that bothered her was her husband's identity—the gentle second male lead.

Although An Ling wasn't much of a novel reader, she had heard these tropes from her best friend before.

The gentle second male lead: always by the female lead's side, appearing whenever she was in trouble or needed help, and quietly watching over her from afar once she found her happily-ever-after.

What kind of combination was this now?

The gentle second male lead married the vicious female supporting character?

The one who loved the female lead and the one who hated her had been paired up together.

An Ling changed her clothes and went downstairs with Secretary Chen.

A black Bentley was parked at the hospital entrance. Secretary Chen stepped forward and opened the rear door.

"After you, Young Madam."

The moment the door opened, An Ling saw the man resting in the backseat with his eyes closed.

He wore a sharply tailored suit, leaning against the seatback with his eyes shut. His fingertips rested lightly on his knees, his back perfectly straight. His features were handsome and refined, and every subtle posture exuded an air of noble elegance, like a young master raised with an impeccable upbringing.

And that was exactly what he was. Aside from being the second male lead, Shen Linyan was also the current head of the Shen Group.

An Ling was a little surprised.

...Why did it feel like the second male lead was even better looking than the male lead?

Even though An Ling was face-blind and struggled to remember faces, it didn't mean she lacked an aesthetic sense.

On the contrary, she could actually retain some impression of people who were exceptionally good-looking.

Hearing the car door open, the man slowly opened his eyes and turned to look.

Their gazes collided in the air.

With what seemed like a casual glance to confirm who had arrived, the man turned his head back.

Feigning nonchalance, she looked away as well and bent down to slide into the car.

Silence and a complete lack of communication were the norm in this marriage.

The interior of the car was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Mixed with the scent of premium leather was a faint, clean aroma of pine, cool but not biting.

It was the exact same scent she had smelled right before passing out last night.

An Ling paused, stealing a glance out of the corner of her eye at the man's hands resting on his knees.

His skin was a cool white, his fingers long and well-proportioned. They were perfectly structured without looking harsh, and the faint blue veins protruding on the back of his hands conveyed a sense of steady strength.

Every single detail confirmed it: the man from last night was Shen Linyan.

An Ling silently turned her head toward the window, rubbing her temples in absolute despair.

She finally understood what had happened last night.

Even though the novel had reached its grand finale, there were still some plot points left unresolved.

When she regained control of her body last night, it was right in the middle of executing the final plot point.

The female supporting character had planned to seduce the male lead one last time, even if it meant completely tearing away all pretenses.

She used a trick to get the male lead to meet her at a bar. The moment he stepped inside, paparazzi lying in wait would snap photos and record videos of them entering the same private room.

Once edited and posted online, it would inevitably spark a massive scandal.

She had even thought of the headlines.

Headline: Is it a loss of morality or a distortion of ethics? Explosive wealthy family love triangle! The Shen family's eldest daughter-in-law and the second young master are actually secretly dating!

Headline: Both are already married! Is it true love or a thrill-seeking secret affair?!

Yes, the male lead was Shen Linyan's younger brother.

Lu Jingshen, the second young master of the Shen family. He took his mother's surname from a young age and was endlessly doted upon. He had a wild, uninhibited, and arrogant personality, but in reality, he was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

He accidentally crossed paths with a lowly secretary in the workplace, the female lead, Zhou Wen. Drawn to her resilient and kind nature, he fell in love at first sight, his feelings deepening over time, ultimately making the prodigal son change his ways.

After overcoming countless obstacles, the two eventually had a beautiful wedding.

This plot point was merely a catalyst to strengthen their relationship, but for the supporting characters, it was their final curtain call.

The second male lead, Shen Linyan, would be mocked by outsiders due to his wife's indiscretions, lose the support of the board of directors, and, after having too many shares snatched away by the male lead, gradually go bankrupt.

As for An Ling, she would be kicked out of the house because of this scandal. Her family's company would be acquired by the Shen Group, and she would ultimately freeze to death on the streets.

After sorting through the plot in her head, An Ling couldn't even force a smile anymore.

What kind of catastrophic opening was this?

So last night... she had been caught cheating in public by her own husband?

Just then, the man's calm voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Lu Jingshen said I was the one who messaged him, which is why he went to the bar. You sneaked onto my phone yesterday, didn't you?"

An Ling stiffened and turned her head.

"That was... me too?"

That stupid system actually used such an absurd method to invite the male lead out?