The Abusive Novel System Pleads with Me to Resign-Chapter 43

Shen Ying didn’t go out today. She had been feeling somewhat listless since yesterday, and now she lacked enthusiasm for anything else.

After getting up and finishing lunch, she turned on her gaming console. In this world, there was an exceptionally impressive game company that developed mostly classic and outstanding games.

Not to mention, her rented apartment had a 98-inch 8K HDR LCD TV in the living room, making the gaming experience absolutely unparalleled. She inserted the game cartridge and played for several hours straight.

Around four in the afternoon, she heard a knock at the door.

Shen Ying was inclined to ignore it, but since it was one of the mission targets, they would inevitably keep coming to her.

Now, at a critical moment in the game, how could she afford to be distracted?

But the system in her head kept nagging and interrupting. With no choice, Shen Ying reluctantly turned off the game, grumbled under her breath, and got up to open the door.

Sure enough, standing outside was Jiang Liuxu, one of the four male leads.

His looks were like winning the genetic lottery and flaunting it shamelessly—especially his eyes, which brimmed with restrained brilliance. Unfortunately, he hid them behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

This softened the aggressiveness of his first impression, adding a touch of scholarly gentleness.

Shen Ying didn’t seem surprised by his arrival. In fact, she turned around and walked back to the living room as soon as she opened the door, saying, "Remember to close the door behind you."

Jiang Liuxu followed her inside without hesitation and sat down across from her. "Miss Shen, you don’t seem the least bit surprised that I’m here."

Shen Ying still maintained a respectful attitude toward him—after all, he was a cash cow. She politely poured him a glass of water and even pushed the fruit platter toward him.

"Nothing to be surprised about. I’ve been expecting you to come see me these past few days."

Jiang ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‍Liuxu raised an eyebrow. "Specifically me? Or would you say the same no matter which of us showed up?"

Shen Ying: "No, just you. Clearly, you’re the one most interested in me right now."

The amusement in Jiang Liuxu’s eyes deepened. He placed a file folder on the coffee table and slid it toward Shen Ying.

"Since Miss Shen already anticipated this, I suppose it’s less awkward for me to show up unannounced with this."

Shen Ying casually opened the folder. Inside were her personal records and some basic information about Yu Shishi.

There were only two pages, highlighting the key detail that they were twin sisters. Shen Ying skimmed through them in seconds.

Then, holding the papers, she looked at Jiang Liuxu in confusion. "Mr. Jiang, did you come here just to show me my and my sister’s records?"

Jiang Liuxu was slightly taken aback by her lack of pretense.

"So you do remember having a twin sister? The way you confronted Chang Ming made me wonder if something had happened to make you forget her existence."

Shen Ying looked at him as if it were obvious. "Of course I had to act like I didn’t know back then."

"I was there to demand unpaid wages, not for a family reunion. Couldn’t give that shady boss any chance to sweet-talk his way out of paying."

Jiang Liuxu: "...Chang Ming isn’t that bad."

Shen Ying: "Oh, really? Didn’t you see how hard I had to fight just to get three months' worth of my measly salary?"

Jiang Liuxu was momentarily speechless. For a second, he almost didn’t recognize the word "hard."

But wisely, he chose not to dwell on it and instead cut straight to the point. "It was indeed difficult. If you hadn’t had dirt on Chang Ming, he probably would’ve twisted the truth again."

"But I’m curious—how did you know those secrets, Miss Shen?"

Shen Ying smiled mysteriously. "That’s a secret between twins."

"I’ll keep it to myself, but given your relationship with my sister, I don’t mind if she tells you."

"If you’re really curious, why not ask her?"

Jiang Liuxu, of course, wouldn’t ask. Shen Ying knew that perfectly well. Otherwise, given the "white moonlight" persona, Yu Shishi would’ve contacted her the moment she learned of her whereabouts from them.

But even with their blood relation laid out before him, Shen Ying still hadn’t received a single phone call. That meant these men had silently agreed to keep her existence hidden.

With everyone hiding something, Shen Ying had all the more confidence to bluff.

Sure enough, Jiang Liuxu simply smiled in the end. "A woman’s secrets shouldn’t be pried into."

Then he pulled out another stack of photos and handed them to Shen Ying—complete with receipts of her expenses.

They were unmistakably her spending records from the club last night.

Jiang Liuxu watched her, his smile unwavering. "Clearly, Miss Shen’s financial situation has improved lately, and your recreational activities have become quite... diverse."

"But given that you share the same face as Shishi and have come to the city where she’s lived for years, don’t you think such reckless behavior is inappropriate?"

"What would people who know Shishi think if they saw you like this?"

Shen Ying looked baffled. "The only people in that private room were me and the male escorts. The only ones who might mistake me for her would be the escorts."

"And even if someone who knows my sister saw me—if they’ve stooped so low as to sell themselves, do they even have the right to judge her?"

Her expression clearly said, "Does this logic even make sense?" But then, as if suddenly realizing something, she widened her eyes.

"Ohhh~ Or are you referring to the kind of creep who spies on private club rooms without consent and then mistakes me for my sister?"

"Those kinds of perverts have even less right, don’t you think, Mr. Jiang?"

Jiang Liuxu’s smile stiffened. He exhaled sharply and pressed on, "Even disregarding others, wouldn’t Shishi be upset if she found out?"

"She’s always been proper in conduct, with a simple social circle. She’s never set foot in such places. If she saw her older sister indulging in such depravity, she’d be heartbroken."

Shen Ying studied him curiously. "By ‘simple social circle,’ do you mean one filled with scumbags who scheme against her but can’t resist their own loneliness? Or perverts who spy on others and then have the audacity to lecture them on morality?"

Jiang Liuxu: "..."

Shen Ying waved a hand dismissively. "No need to worry, Mr. Jiang. We’re both adults. I won’t criticize her social circle, and I’m sure she won’t judge my way of having fun."

Jiang Liuxu pinched his wrist, barely managing to rein in his emotions.

He continued, "But from what I understand, you returned quite early last night. Didn’t have a good time?"

At this, Shen Ying’s expression darkened noticeably.

She sighed. "Turns out it wasn’t a top-tier club. The quality of the escorts was inconsistent."

"I even ordered the most expensive ones, but their standards were still lacking. Not only were they lacking in looks, but their emotional intelligence was terrible. Barely two sentences in, and they were already pushing me to order more drinks."

Thinking back to the last world, she’d started off at the most exclusive clubs, where every male escort was a top-tier talent scouted by industry headhunters—flawless in looks, physique, skills, and charm.

Not to mention the cameo appearances by President Lu and President Gao. That high starting point had skewed her expectations of the industry’s average standards.

Her disappointment was genuine.

Jiang Liuxu’s lips twitched. Then, suddenly, Shen Ying looked up at him eagerly. "Mr. Jiang, you must be a VIP at the top clubs here, right? Can you get me a membership?"

Jiang Liuxu drew a sharp breath, staring at Shen Ying’s earnest, expectant gaze, feeling slightly dizzy.

Usually quick-witted, he even blanked out for two seconds before finding an excuse: "Miss Shen’s current net worth isn’t enough to qualify for membership there."

"I’d also advise Miss Shen not to entertain the idea. A skilled male escort might bankrupt you in just one night of drinks."

Shen Ying waved her hand dismissively. "No, no, I’m not the type to sit idle with just a few million to my name."

Her gaze then shifted to Jiang Liuxu. "Isn’t that why Mr. Jiang is here to offer me work?"

A shiver ran down Jiang Liuxu’s spine. He had witnessed this woman’s terrifying intelligence before, but he hadn’t expected her to lay out all the shady dealings and shameless schemes so openly.

For the first time, a genuine, unguarded smile flickered across Jiang Liuxu’s face, stripping away the carefully crafted gentleness and refinement he usually projected.

"Does Miss Shen know what I’m here to ask of you?"

Shen Ying raised her hand slightly. "Go ahead and say it. Even if it’s a private job, the terms should be clear from the start."

Jiang Liuxu studied her for a long moment before speaking. "Miss Shen might not know this, but I was the last of the four to meet Yu Shishi."

"The other three share childhood bonds with her, but I only got to know her three years ago when I returned to the country."

"Perhaps because of that, I’ve always felt she kept me at the greatest distance. Especially when reminiscing about the past, it always made me feel like an outsider who barged in halfway."

"This sense of exclusion—I imagine Miss Shen understands it well."

He was referring to the messy history between the original Shen Ying and Chang Ming.

But Shen Ying only looked at him with pity, her expression awkward. "Sorry, Mr. Jiang, but after receiving a compensation of several million, all I could think was, ‘More of this, please.’"

"Right now, I really can’t empathize with you. My apologies."

Jiang Liuxu’s blood pressure spiked. He adjusted his glasses before continuing, "Regardless, I’ve never gotten the response I wanted from Yu Shishi."

"Now that she’s gone, my only comfort is the occasional contact she makes online, but that’s far from enough for me."

"That day when you left, Miss Shen, your tone suggested that if Chang Ming were willing to renew the contract, you’d happily keep playing Yu Shishi’s substitute."

"So now, I’m offering double the price. How about it?"

Shen Ying didn’t hesitate. "I refuse."

Jiang Liuxu froze, needing a moment to process her answer. Once it sank in, his brows furrowed.

"Playing hard to get now seems a bit inappropriate, don’t you think?"

Even the system was baffled by Shen Ying’s response.

Hadn’t she deliberately chosen that location to gather all four men and make a scene, just to assert her presence and show them how to ‘spend’?

What was this sudden act?

But Shen Ying just shrugged lazily. "I’ve thought it over—being a substitute is too exhausting."

"Forgive my bluntness, Mr. Jiang, but I have a strong personality of my own. Pretending to be someone else for long periods requires intense focus and quick reflexes, no different from simultaneous interpretation."

"The work’s too heavy, the payoff too slow. I’m not interested."

Jiang Liuxu stood up, looking down at her. "If Miss Shen has changed her mind, I won’t force the matter."

Shen Ying quickly interjected, "Don’t rush off. The fact that I waited for you means I value our potential collaboration."

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Jiang Liuxu watched her, as if waiting to see what absurdity she’d spin next.

Then Shen Ying said, "While I can’t provide emotional fulfillment, I can help eliminate your competition."

"Wasn’t my performance the other day essentially my resume for you?"

A glint of excitement flashed in Jiang Liuxu’s eyes.

Meanwhile, the system was speechless: […]

This… this woman had just turned shamelessness into a full-blown industry?!