Chapter 3: Why Did the Madam Ask Me

If there was one thing An Ling had to hand it to, it was that damn system.

Who in their right mind would use their husband's phone to orchestrate an affair?

And make such a public spectacle out of it, no less.

Now that things had escalated to this point, An Ling couldn't even deny it.

She couldn't exactly sob to Shen Linyan and say, "I didn't do any of this! I've been framed! A system hijacked my body and forced me to play the villain for the past two years."

Resting her chin on her hand, An Ling racked her brain for a countermeasure before slowly speaking up.

"Fine, I sent the messages. But isn't this better? I know it's all over the news now, but I can just step up and clear the air. I'll say I went to meet Lu Jingshen on your behalf, but accidentally got drugged, which made me delirious."

The moment the words left her mouth, the smoothly driving car suddenly jerked.

A dead silence filled the car.

Secretary Chen looked astonished, unable to stop himself from stealing a glance at the rearview mirror.

The Young Madam actually admitted to it?

And she even offered to clear the air?!

She had orchestrated this whole scandal on purpose just to get back at the Shen family, perfectly willing to burn herself as long as she took them down with her.

How did she suddenly change her tune overnight and decide to do damage control?

Then what about Mr. Shen's plan?

At that thought, Secretary Chen instinctively looked up at the rearview mirror.

In the backseat, the man's expression remained as composed as ever, the slight smile on his lips completely unchanged.

However, the rhythmic tapping of his fingertips against his knee had noticeably quickened.

Sensing the sudden shift in the car's atmosphere, An Ling felt utterly baffled.

What was their problem? Wasn't this a perfectly good solution?

When no one said a word, she hesitated before asking, "Will that... not work?"

A few seconds later, a low chuckle sounded beside her.

"It will."

Shen Linyan lazily lifted his gaze, finally paying attention to his little wife's unusual behavior.

She had been acting strange even before getting into the car. Normally, she would be incredibly hostile every time they met, but today, she seemed remarkably calm around him.

Was she just keeping her head down because she had assaulted someone last night, or was she plotting something else?

Shen Linyan hadn't thought much of it earlier. After all, whatever she did was none of his concern, as long as everything proceeded according to plan.

But now, it seemed... there was a slight hiccup.

His gaze swept over her face, light and unreadable, before his eyes curved into a slow smile. His voice was gentle when he spoke.

"We will do as you suggest, my dear. I'm ready to cooperate however you need."

Hearing this, An Ling put on a polite smile and flashed him an OK gesture.

No kidding. If you don't cooperate, you're going to go bankrupt.

Honestly, Shen Linyan really did have a great temper. Just like in her memories, he practically never got angry.

No wonder he was the gentle second male lead of the story. He was about to be cuckolded, yet he could still smile, not caring in the slightest about his ruined reputation.

Then again, he only cared about the female lead.

An Ling leaned back against her seat, toying with her phone as she drifted deep into thought.

Since she had assaulted Lu Jingshen last night, Mother Shen—who doted on her son to a fault—would definitely come after her to settle the score for dragging him into this mess.

This trip back to the Shen family estate today was undoubtedly going to be a witch hunt.

Thanks to that damn system's reckless antics over the past two years, her own family had taken a hit. Right now, they were barely staying afloat by relying on their business ties with the Shens and Shen Linyan's status as their son-in-law.

In a marriage of convenience like this, the weaker party never had a say.

An Ling stared at her bare ring finger. She glanced sideways, her brows furrowing when she noticed the man's hands were equally bare.

Not to mention...

If the married couple had zero feelings for each other, her situation was even more precarious.

If Mother Shen decided to target her, she would be completely on her own. There was no way Shen Linyan would speak up for her; the best she could hope for was that he wouldn't add fuel to the fire.

Thankfully, her husband was a total pushover...

Wait, no. He was the kind-hearted second male lead!

The corners of An Ling's lips gradually curled upward.

Shen Linyan had been up late last night dealing with paperwork and the fallout at the bar. First thing this morning, he had been bombarded with furious calls from his mother. Now, sitting in the car, he finally had a rare moment to close his eyes and rest.

But the moment he shut his eyes, the woman's voice drifted into his ears.

"Shen Linyan... let me ask you something. Do you think Zhou Wen saw the news yesterday?"

As if afraid of disturbing his rest, her voice was hushed and carried a hint of probing.

Shen Linyan paused. Leaning against the seat, he slowly opened his eyes.

He tilted his head slightly, his movements exuding a lazy grace, and a cryptic smile played on his lips.

"Why are you asking me, my dear? Isn't she Lu Jingshen's wife?"

Oh, please. Still playing dumb.

Didn't he have a massive crush on the female lead? How could he bear to see her heartbroken?

Theirs was just a marriage of convenience anyway. It was fine; she was a very understanding wife.

Gripping her seat, An Ling leaned in closer, her eyes curving into crescents as she coaxed him. "I bet Zhou Wen definitely saw it. So she doesn't get upset, why don't we tell the family the same story? We'll say it was all a big misunderstanding. Wouldn't it be nice to keep the peace in the family? We can just sweep this whole thing under the rug."

In the driver's seat, Secretary Chen's mouth twitched.

What the hell? He couldn't believe the phrase "keep the peace in the family" had actually come out of the Young Madam's mouth.

It was painfully obvious that she was trying to drag his boss down with her. This whole mess was entirely her fault, but if they went with her story about the texts, Mr. Shen would have to shoulder the blame too.

Shen Linyan didn't say a word. His dark eyes settled heavily on the woman's face.

A pale, sickly complexion couldn't mask her stunningly beautiful features. When she smiled, her eyes sparkled brightly, making no effort to hide the scheming look in them. The outer corners of her eyes tilted upward, giving her an unintentionally alluring charm.

It was a rare smile for her.

In that moment, Shen Linyan was suddenly reminded of something a business partner had once told him.

"The An family's daughter is one of the most stunning beauties in our circle. A single smile from her could hook a whole flock of wealthy heirs. It's just a shame the old man treats her like a precious treasure. You're a lucky man to have married her, Mr. Shen."

At the time, he had simply lowered his gaze and smiled without responding, thinking the man was exaggerating. Surely, she couldn't be that captivating.

It had never occurred to him that perhaps he felt that way because An Ling had never actually smiled at him.

Realizing where his thoughts were drifting, Shen Linyan stiffened slightly.

His brows furrowed slightly as a strange emotion flickered in his chest. He subtly pulled back, putting some distance between them, and turned his gaze out the window. The smile on his lips faded a fraction.

"Do whatever you want."

An Ling keenly picked up on the shift in his tone. She blinked in surprise, quickly realizing that he must be angry.

Well, fine. He didn't care about getting cuckolded, but the moment she used the female lead for her own gain, he got mad.

Whatever. As long as he agreed, that was all that mattered. At least she wouldn't be the only one getting chewed out.

Deciding not to push her luck, An Ling happily settled back into her seat.

The car slowly pulled into the Shen family estate.

The car doors opened, and a servant stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Eldest Young Master, Young Madam. The others are waiting for you in the main hall."

Even though she had mentally prepared herself, the thought of facing a whole crowd of people made An Ling take a deep breath. She patted her cheeks and muttered under her breath, "Just bear with it, bear with it..."

She was at a severe disadvantage right now. If she just swallowed her pride, she could avoid a storm.

Besides, she still hadn't fully absorbed all the memories of this body, so she couldn't afford to act rashly.

Her soft muttering reached Shen Linyan's ears.

He paused in his steps, stealing a glance at her profile.

Was she nervous?

This was exactly what she had wanted, so why would she be nervous? Was it because she had accidentally laid a hand on Lu Jingshen?

Shen Linyan nonchalantly withdrew his gaze.

A few seconds later, An Ling—who was still busy giving herself a pep talk—suddenly heard the man's voice from above her head.

"There's no need to be nervous."

"...Huh?"

Stunned, she looked up in confusion, only to catch sight of the man's retreating back.

Was that Shen Linyan speaking just now? What did he mean by nervous?

Seeing him step into the villa, she pushed her thoughts aside and hurried in after him.

The moment she stepped through the door, a woman's displeased voice rang out, her tone thick with suppressed anger.

"Why aren't those two here yet? Just look at this. Ever since he got married, Linyan hasn't even been able to keep his own wife in line. Now they lack even basic manners. What will the people at the company think of our Shen family?"

Hearing this, An Ling paused in the middle of changing her shoes.

There was no way Mother Shen didn't know her own son had just arrived.

Speaking like this right at this moment was clearly deliberate, meant for everyone to hear.

What kind of mother would openly criticize her own son in front of a crowd?

She subconsciously glanced up at the man beside her.

Shen Linyan lowered his gaze and gave his tie a slight tug, the look in his eyes completely indifferent.

He strode toward the living room. By the time he looked up again, his face had regained its usual gentle smile, and his voice was mild.

"Apologies, Mother. Traffic was a bit heavy on the way, so it took a little extra time."

An Ling finished changing her shoes and followed him inside, silently clicking her tongue at his words.

It seemed Shen Linyan's relationship with his family wasn't all that great.

That put her mind at ease.

With a husband who didn't get along with his parents, she wouldn't have to worry about maintaining a good relationship with her mother-in-law.