The Villain’s Wishes Backfire and the Protagonists Take the Hit - Chapter 2:

Chapter 2:

Chen Zhuo looked at Jiang Qiuli with clear interest.

The reason he deliberately asked that piercing question was simple… he didn’t want Jiang Qiuli to be guarded against him.

If he wanted the female lead to lower her guard, the method was even simpler… break her defenses first.

Years of hardship had made Jiang Qiuli extremely sensitive.

Especially the lesson from her father’s death… it made it very hard for her to trust a stranger.

If he tried to build goodwill right from the start, she would only feel that he had ulterior motives.

So, Chen Zhuo’s tone was deliberately cold.

Jiang Qiuli only looked at him, saying nothing.

“If you don’t compensate, don’t forget… this is my supermarket. You broke something here. If you refuse to pay, I’ll have no choice but to hand you over to the school,” Chen Zhuo said with a cold smile.

Then he added, “Right? Second-year student from Class Three, Public Management… Jiang Qiuli.”

Jiang Qiuli’s eyes widened even more.

She instinctively tried to step back, but the solid wall behind her left her nowhere to retreat.

Fear spread through her heart.

“I… I really don’t have money. Can I pay part of it first?”

“Pay part of it first? Give me what you have now. We’ll talk about the rest later.”

After thinking for a moment, Chen Zhuo took out his phone and opened the payment code.

Jiang Qiuli also took out her phone.

It was an iPhone released five years ago. The plastic case had already turned yellow, and several cartoon stickers were stuck on it.

[Ding! 19.52 yuan received.]

After she scanned the code, the notification sound rang out.

Chen Zhuo was momentarily stunned.

Not 19 yuan. Not 20 yuan. It was 19.52 yuan.

He looked at Jiang Qiuli, who was standing by the wall, timidly staring at him.

This female lead… she really made people feel heartache.

If he didn’t know the protagonist was about to arrive, he might have already stepped forward to take good care of her.

Steadying his emotions, he continued in a cold tone, “That’s all? My porcelain cup is worth 48 yuan. You don’t plan to pay the rest? If you don’t, I’ll have no choice but to hand you over to the school.”

His tone turned threatening.

This time, Jiang Qiuli finally reacted… and her reaction was intense.

She suddenly rushed toward the door.

But Chen Zhuo, standing firmly beside it with his strong build, would never let her escape.

Her sudden movement caught him slightly off guard.

Still, at the last moment, he grabbed her jacket.

Clearly, Chen Zhuo had underestimated Jiang Qiuli’s stubbornness. Even with her clothes held back, she still used all her strength to run forward.

With that pull, the baseball jacket was yanked upward from below.

Like pulling off a sweater, the gray jacket ended up in Chen Zhuo’s hands.

And Jiang Qiuli… her upper body was left with only a pure white short-sleeved shirt, slightly tight.

Chen Zhuo’s eyes went straight.

That figure…

“Damn… that softness is real.”

“Wuuu…”

Jiang Qiuli crouched on the ground and began to cry.

An employee passing by the corridor glanced at the scene, then pretended not to see and walked away.

In this day and age… it was better to avoid trouble.

Still, this young boss sure knew how to play.

Being a rich second-generation really was nice.

“You didn’t pay me, and now you’re the one feeling wronged?” Chen Zhuo walked over, speaking as he grabbed Jiang Qiuli’s soft, delicate hand.

Mm… very comfortable.

Jiang Qiuli reacted as if shocked by electricity and quickly pulled her hand back.

“N-no… don’t. Give me my clothes back!”

“Of course I can return your clothes. But you need to tell me your real situation first. I have to judge whether you truly can’t afford it.”

Chen Zhuo looked at Jiang Qiuli with interest.

Just now, when he had pulled the jacket off her, he caught a faint, gentle fragrance.

Light… but pleasant.

Definitely not perfume.

Whether it was her natural scent or not, it showed she was someone who valued cleanliness and kept herself well.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have such a scent.

What surprised him even more was…

At the collar of the gray baseball jacket, there was a label with the words Zhongjiang University, along with the school emblem.

Searching through his memories, Chen Zhuo recognized it.

This was the “uniform” students had bought during last year’s freshman military training.

It had only been worn once during formation drills at the end of training.

After that, almost no one wore it again.

Everyone had practically forgotten it was a uniform.

Jiang Qiuli raised her arm and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

But the tears wouldn’t stop.

As soon as she wiped them away, more streamed down again.

Her emotions surged once more. With a trembling, tearful voice, she said, “My mom has cancer. I wanted to buy her a cheap thermos. I barely ate these past few days just to save enough money. I didn’t expect… I accidentally knocked over the porcelain cup. I… I have no way, no way, no way…”

As she spoke, Jiang Qiuli crouched down again, burying her head in her knees.

Her tears flowed uncontrollably.

Her lips kept repeating the same words… no way.

Her world had collapsed.

She couldn’t understand why her life had to be so miserable.

Why was it so hard just to live like a normal person?

Chen Zhuo looked at the broken girl crouching on the ground, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

His goal… had been achieved.

Jiang Qiuli’s experiences had wrapped her in a thick shell, making it nearly impossible for anyone to get close.

What Chen Zhuo did… was to shatter that shell.

And now, it had broken.

He took a pack of tissues from a nearby shelf, pulled one out, then crouched down.

Reaching out, he held Jiang Qiuli’s chin and gently lifted her head from her knees.

“Alright… why are you like you’re made of water? If you have difficulties, just say it earlier. There are still many kind-hearted people in this world… for example, me.”

As he spoke, he used the tissue in his other hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes and cheeks.

Those red eyes… that pitiful, trembling gaze.

It made Chen Zhuo’s heart tremble slightly.

Damn it… could this author not make the female lead this miserable?

What man could endure this?

Even while cursing the author in his heart, Chen Zhuo didn’t stop his actions.

He leaned slightly closer, his nose twitching.

It smelled so good.

“N-no, don’t!”

Coming back to her senses, Jiang Qiuli immediately tried to bury her head back into her knees.

But the strength in her neck couldn’t possibly compete with Chen Zhuo’s muscular build.

She couldn’t move down at all.

She could only shake her head left and right, trying to break free.

This scene was seen clearly by a curious employee who had returned under the pretense of passing by again.

“Damn… is the boss going to get into trouble?”

The kind of scene you’d only see in certain videos… it scared him so much that he quickly ran to another employee, saying his stomach hurt and he needed to take leave to go to the hospital.

“Alright, I’m helping you wipe your tears, and you still don’t appreciate it. Put your clothes on… you’ll catch a cold later.”

Worried she might strain her neck, Chen Zhuo let go.

Then he took the baseball jacket tucked under his arm and draped it over her shoulders.

Feeling the warmth and weight of the clothes, Jiang Qiuli gradually calmed down.

She slowly stood up and carefully buttoned the two loose buttons on the jacket.

Then, in a soft, trembling voice, she said, “S-sorry.”