Dying in the Male Lead's Arms Every Time - Chapter 2

The forceful statement startled everyone at the bedside into a brief silence.

Li Xia was the first to recover, slightly suspecting that the old madam had encountered a ghost and it had affected her mind.

The doctor, who recovered next, quickly reassured everyone, “The old madam is perfectly fine, no issues at all. She just needs a few days of rest and should watch her diet.”

Knowing the old madam’s fiery temper, which was more than anyone could handle, he hurriedly made his exit after speaking.

After shouting out loud, Ning Meng felt like she was completely drained, like a useless dog.

She lay on the bed, squinting her eyes, stretching her neck to see what the two young girls looked like.

Li Xia placed a pillow behind her, helping her to sit up slightly.

When Ning Meng was bored in the hospital, she would watch some heartwarming and humorous videos online. The beautiful nurse also took care of her, bringing her some books to read, including some novels.

The last novel she read before transmigrating was about urban elites, found online, and she clicked on it out of curiosity because the title was quite different from the typical offerings on Jinjiang.

She was now living inside that novel.

A novel named “The Ghostly Heir”, a rare male lead story woven with feng shui and supernatural elements.

“Why would anyone write such a story with such good writing?” she wondered aloud.

“The male lead is quite refreshing… too ruthless, maybe?”

When she first read it, the story was still being serialized. The promised delicate innocent female lead had not yet appeared, but Shi Qi, the ruthless male lead, had caught the attention of many readers.

In an era where heartless male leads were rare, Shi Qi quickly became popular for his refreshing cruelty, propelling the novel to the top of the charts.

The novel was set in the Shi Family of Yanjing City, a renowned feng shui family with centuries of history.

Originally established early last century, the mansion was built during that time. However, during the tumultuous Republic of China era¹, the Shi family’s patriarch predicted the chaos and aligned himself with the right people.

The story of a Cinderella marrying into a wealthy family seems unbelievable, but the old madam was indeed a living example of this.

Originally from a humble fishing family, she and her mother wandered during the war, eventually meeting the Shi family. Not only did she marry into wealth, but her husband never took a mistress, which was quite remarkable.

Ning Meng had admired this when she first read it.

After marrying into the Shi family, the old madam energetically had four sons, much to the delight of the matriarchal old madam, who favored boys over girls. The old madam was treated like a treasure since she bore sons so effectively.

However, the loss of her youngest son soon after his birth deeply saddened her, and it took years for her to recover. Only after having two more healthy children did she feel somewhat better.

But as her remaining sons grew up, troubles began. Her third son cut ties with the family over a bar girl, a foreigner, and never returned.

Eight years later, a green-eyed boy appeared at the Shi family’s doorstep. A DNA test confirmed he was a Shi, and he remained with the family under the name Shi Qi.

This boy was the male lead.

The story “The Ghostly Heir” actually begins fifteen years after Shi Qi returns to the Shi family.

In just fifteen years, the entire Shi family fell under his control. His word was law, and no one dared to challenge his decisions.

His ruthlessness was well-known.

With an air of nonchalance, he commanded the spirits, making even the fiercest ghosts obey him.

-And Ning Meng, in her current life, was playing the role of Shi Qi’s grandmother.

Shi Qi inherited his mother’s good looks.

With his mixed-race features and deep green eyes, his appearance was both delicate and elf-like, with black hair that contrasted sharply with his striking eyes.

However, this appearance was precisely what the old madam disliked.

Initially, the old madam hadn’t seen Shi Qi, so she felt obligated to raise him as her own grandson. But upon seeing his features, her attitude changed.

Shi Qi inherited too little from his father, and the old madam always remembered that it was the foreign woman who took away her son, whom she never saw again before her death. Now, her grandson didn’t even have a lingering memory of her.

Having yin-yang eyes was a significant reason the Shi family became a renowned feng shui family.

When Shi Qi first arrived, his yin-yang eyes were not detected, naturally leading to disbelief. Though DNA tests confirmed he was a Shi, the family didn’t pay much attention to him.

The other grandchildren, spoiled from a young age, often came to the mansion and treated him harshly.

The old madam didn’t notice, and on the rare occasions she saw him, her expression was unpleasant. The servants naturally kept him out of sight, and he was largely ignored.

Over time, Shi Qi developed a dark demeanor.

It wasn’t long before he returned to the main mansion.

From then on, the old madam became a harsh figure in his heart, and unfortunately, she died before he could take over the family.

He never called her “grandmother.”

Regarding the few sentences about Old Madam Shi in the novel, most comments were criticisms of how she treated her own grandson, allowing her other grandchildren to abuse him.

Ning Meng had been furious when she first read it.

But now, finding herself as the old madam, she saw things differently.

The old madam had fallen into a coma because of a quarrel with her eldest son, caused by something Shi Qi did. She never expected that the shock would send her soul to the afterlife.

Now, the timing was just when the old madam was supposed to take Shi Qi in.

Her body had been sustained by the family, but the shock, coupled with the news of her youngest son’s death after many years of silence, was too much to bear. The shock was merely a trigger.

She had always regretted her fallout with her third son and never heard from him again. Now, with only her small grandson left, who had suffered so much, she naturally wanted him to stay with the Shi family.

Her last memory was of a child named Seventeen², which was Shi Qi.

If it weren’t for his appearance, perhaps the subsequent abuse would never have occurred.

Ning Meng was not a saint, but now that she occupied this body, she knew she had to maintain the character setup. Any slight mistake could lead to disastrous consequences in the laboratory.

As for Shi Qi, if she treated him kindly, perhaps he wouldn’t harm her later?

Moreover, according to the novel, she wasn’t expected to live much longer anyway.

Realizing this, Ning Meng felt relieved.

After all, the Shi family was large, and the old madam’s remaining two sons were still supportive of her, making it not too difficult to raise a child.

She had always remembered the name Seventeen, and she would continue to use it, which could help bridge their relationship.

Just then, the system chimed in: “Due to the laws of this timeline, paranormal entities such as sentient ghosts are not allowed… which is why you can only come here.”

In fact, another reason was that this timeline was on the brink of collapse under Shi Qi’s misdeeds, and there was an intention to change this scenario.

Ning Meng remembered her forgotten key point.

This was a novel combining feng shui and supernatural elements.

While she knew little about feng shui, she was quite familiar with the supernatural.

“The Ghostly Heir” detailed how Shi Qi broke feng shui patterns to evoke supernatural events and subdue fierce ghosts, thus achieving his desired outcomes.

Ning Meng thought about this for a long time as she lay in bed, slowly sorting through the information.

Although the novel didn’t elaborate much on the old madam’s personality, it was clear she was volatile and domineering towards her sons, which could explain her arguments with her eldest son.

And it was normal for the elderly to change their preferences frequently.

The system whispered, “Shi Qi is only a few years old. If you prevent the bullying, there won’t be any future ruthless behavior.”

Ning Meng nodded.

Shi Qi was just a child; raising him well should prevent any future misdeeds, including commanding ghosts.

Relieved by this thought, she relaxed again.

Li Xia made sure the old madam was settled.

She asked Li Chun to bring up a bowl of porridge to feed her, then quietly went downstairs.

Unlike the laughter and joy in the small building where the old madam resided, the main mansion, where the eldest and second young masters lived along with their competitive wives, was filled with tension.

Li Chun, lively and uninterested in the Shi family’s complex dynamics, usually handled these matters herself.

She respectfully said to the eldest young master over the phone, “The old madam just woke up.”

On the other end, Shi Shanjin responded calmly.

Li Xia, feeling a chill in her heart, quickly and thoroughly relayed the recent events, mentioning that the old madam seemed somewhat despondent.

“Take good care of her,” Shi Shanjin said, hanging up the phone.

He grabbed his coat from the nearby rack, intending to leave. Just then, a man in the living room stood up anxiously, “Eldest young master, about that pen fairy³…”

Shi Shanjin paused, “We can’t rush the pen fairy issue. Go back and hang a round mirror on your daughter’s room door, facing outward.”

The man nodded fervently, “Yes, yes!”

Thinking of the three girls who died horrifically in his daughter’s dorm, he shivered with fear.

As long as he could get rid of that pen fairy, any method would do.

…

Li Chun and Li Xia had just finished tidying up when they saw the eldest young master heading upstairs, so they nervously waited.

The door was open. Shi Shanjin looked at the bed where the old madam lay, seemingly sleeping peacefully under the covers.

He raised an eyebrow, taking a few steps closer.

Indeed, the old madam was awake but pretending not to be, her eyes barely open.

Shi Shanjin sighed inwardly, “Mom, stop tormenting yourself. I’ll bring the boy back. You can’t handle another episode like this.”

Ning Meng immediately opened her eyes upon hearing this.

The system warned, “The old madam is quite domineering, but your eldest son is very filial.”

Mimicking the old madam’s uncompromising demeanor she had seen before, Ning Meng declared robustly, “Bring Seventeen back.”

She began to cry, “My poor eldest grandson doesn’t even have a real name, not even a Shi surname…”

Shi Shanjin paused, then repeated, “Mom, his name is Shi Qi.”

The old madam closed her eyes, pretending not to hear, continuing her wailing, “Oh, my eldest grandson… His father is dead, and now no one cares for him.”

Seeing this, Shi Shanjin did not bother to correct her further.

Clearly, the old madam had misunderstood, taking Seventeen as a nickname. Well, a humble name is easier to live with.

Naming in the Shi family always required careful calculation.

Shi Qi… the character Qi certainly didn’t carry any good connotations.

Footnote:

1. Republic of China Era(民国时期):The period from 1912 to 1949 in China, characterized by political upheaval and modernization.
2. Seventeen(十七):“Shi Qi” (十七) is pronounced the same as “Shi Qi” (时戚) in Mandarin Chinese, making the two names homophones despite their different meanings.
3. Pen Fairy(笔仙):A Chinese game where participants use a pen to summon spirits and ask questions. It is believed the pen moves on its own to give answers.