When Su Ning heard the rest, the fire in her heart could no longer be suppressed.
She reached out and grabbed Fang Qingqing’s pointing finger, twisting it downward with force. The pain was bone-deep. In an instant, a sharp, piercing shriek echoed through the air, drawing the attention of even more onlookers.
"Ding! Host has severely harmed Second-tier Plot Character Fang Qingqing, causing a massive blow. Reward: 150,000 yuan."
Su Ning didn’t even blink.
She waved her hand in disgust. Her subordinates, catching the signal instantly, swarmed forward. They began punching and kicking the other two members of the Fang family, though they knew the occasion was sensitive and kept the commotion contained.
Lin Forest pulled off Master Fang’s socks.
One for each person, he shoved them deep into their throats, not stopping until they were rolling their eyes.
That way, they couldn't scream anymore.
Seeing this, Fang Qingqing, who was rolling on the ground, silently covered her own mouth. Even so, she wasn't spared; since they were out of socks, they used a rag for her...
"Alright, stop."
The reward notifications chimed ten times in a row before Su Ning felt it was enough and signaled her men to stop.
By now, the Fang family members were in a wretched state. Their hair was a mess, their clothes were torn, and though their faces were covered in cold sweat, there were no visible injuries—the subordinates were professional enough to know that facial wounds would look bad.
Similarly, there was a technique to the beating.
It caused intense pain without hitting any vital organs.
The pain would subside after a while.
But while the physical pain faded, the psychological agony was far worse.
The three members of the Fang family were pinned to the ground with their hands forced behind their backs. Feeling the weight of countless judgmental gazes, they were overwhelmed with shame, wishing they could crawl into a hole and die.
Time ticked by, second by second.
Su Ning made no further move, and her subordinates didn't dare act without orders. The bystanders speculated that she had been driven mad by rage, while Su Zhenzhu felt guilty for causing her cousin so much trouble.
As for the Fang family, their emotions shifted from resentment to sheer terror.
In truth, Su Ning was simply lost in thought.
Having grown up in a peaceful world, the only blood she had ever seen was probably from a butcher killing pigs or chickens at a wet market. Logically, she should have felt uncomfortable or a slight sense of pity, as many novels described.
At the very least, she shouldn't have been able to bear looking at it.
But she felt her heart—it was beating normally. She didn't feel any pity at all.
In fact, after venting the pent-up frustration that had been stirred up, she felt refreshed... Damn it, was she born a villain?
Su Ning thought about this seriously for three seconds.
Then she decisively discarded the thought. How could that be? When she was a student, she was a model pupil; when she started working, she was a star employee in her boss's eyes. Everyone said she was an honest person, a good person.
Aside from some gossip because of her looks... even those misunderstandings had been cleared up later.
So why was this happening?
Out of the corner of her eye, Su Ning glimpsed her fierce-looking subordinates and had an epiphany—people are products of their environment. That’s right, it’s this damn Republican era environment that changed me!
Hearing the host’s inner thoughts, the Rich and Heartless System hesitated to speak.
How should it put this? There was really no need to blame everything on the environment... the requirements of the bound cheat-code were literally to be "Rich and Heartless."
What was there left to argue about?
...
"Cousin, don't get angry over these petty people. It's not worth it. I didn't suffer any grievances..."
Su Zhenzhu’s worried voice pulled Su Ning back to reality. The tears on the girl's face had long since dried, replaced by an expression of anxiety.
With a surge of resolve, Zhenzhu was about to confess that she had secretly retaliated against Fang Qingqing earlier.
"It's fine, I'm not angry."
Su Ning smiled, but she forgot to soften her expression. It looked more like a cold, mirthless smirk.
The onlookers: Not angry? Do we look like we believe that?
The Fang family trio: Their minds were already racing through a thousand terrifying fates...
"Miss Su, actually, this is all just a misunderstanding."
Master Fang’s face was pale as he forced a smile. He began to explain in a humble, subservient tone to this girl who was roughly the same age as his children:
"Qingqing has always been spoiled and headstrong. Her mother and I have never been able to control her. Sigh, it’s our fault for failing to discipline our daughter. As for Zhenzhu, she and Qingqing grew up together. It’s normal for sisters to have some friction and arguments; we're used to it."
"That’s why my wife and I were negligent this time. We thought it was just the same old bickering. Plus, fearing we would disturb your father's funeral, we thought it best to settle things quietly first and deal with it properly once we got home."
"In short, it’s all our fault. Sigh, Zhenzhu has been wronged. This uncle apologizes to you."
As he spoke, he turned and gave Su Zhenzhu an apologetic smile.
Mrs. Fang added, "Yes, I am also at fault. I will discipline Qingqing severely when we return, until you are satisfied."
One had to admit, once the Fang couple cleared their heads, they reacted very quickly.
They blurred the lines where they needed to.
For instance, the fact that Fang Qingqing had tried to snatch the bracelet, struck first, and threw mud at Zhenzhu’s character was summarized as "sisterly bickering."
Most of the blame was pushed onto Fang Qingqing. They, as parents, were merely negligent, and their earlier words were only out of concern for Su Ning's father's funeral.
What a pair of silver-tongued liars.
Su Ning arched an eyebrow and glanced at the incredulous Fang Qingqing, feeling amused.
What was there to be shocked about?
She could already guess the schemes running through the minds of the sanctimonious Master Fang and the "merciful" Mrs. Fang. It was nothing more than sacrificing a willful daughter.
They wanted to win back Su Zhenzhu, happily establish a connection with Su Ning, and live as one big happy family from then on. Of course, with Su Ning backing her, Su Zhenzhu would be treated like royalty in the Fang household.
Everything seemed so perfect.
An ordinary person hearing this would have likely accepted the compromise.
After all, Su Zhenzhu was supposed to marry into the Fang family. Having dealt with the unfriendly sister-in-law, it would be best to let it go... Looking at the expressions of the others present, that was exactly what they thought.
Some were already preparing to step forward and play mediator, giving Su Ning a graceful way out.
"Since you know you're in the wrong, why don't you apologize with your lives?"
"Wha—what?"
Su Ning repeated herself impatiently, then added, "Bad bamboo doesn't produce good shoots. Fang Qingqing bullied my sister, and you as elders were clearly backing her up by your silence. To think you even dared to cause a scene in front of me—"
She paused slightly and gave a light laugh:
"Heh, isn't this just seeking your own deaths?"
"Miss Su, you probably don't know that Zhenzhu and my son have had an engagement since childhood. They are to be married as soon as my son returns. To speak like this, where does that leave Zhenzhu's reputation?"
Master Fang’s face turned from green to white. Finally, he gritted his teeth and spat out those words, which carried a faint hint of a threat.
"Zhenzhu, is there really such an engagement?"
Su Ning’s surprised expression was incredibly perfunctory; she didn't even bother trying to make it look real.
Under the expectant gazes of the Fang family, Su Zhenzhu didn't hesitate for a second. Her pure face was full of innocence as she shook her head. "I've never heard of any engagement."
To be fair, her acting was much better than Su Ning's—it was quite convincing.
Among those present, even though everyone knew the engagement was likely real, many began to waver. Could it be that there really wasn't one?
However, regardless of whether the engagement was real or fake.
They would all treat it as fake.
Miss Su was powerful, while the Fang family was insignificant. Why bother offending Miss Su for the sake of the Fangs?
They weren't idiots...
"So that means, not only did you bully my sister, you lied right to my face," Su Ning said softly.
"If I don't give you a lesson you'll never forget, wouldn't I become the laughingstock of the city?"
