Chapter 7: The Adopted Daughter of a Wealthy Family Leaks Telepathy 7 If You Want to Eat This Soft Rice…

Chapter 7: The Rich Family’s Adopted Daughter Speaks Her Mind 7 — If You Want to Live Off Others, Then...

Ding Jie didn’t think much of it and responded to Xu Ziyan with his usual gentle smile, "Thanks for all your effort. I don’t know how to thank you for helping me so much. Once I establish myself in the Ding family, I’ll be able to repay you properly. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you then."

Xu Ziyan chuckled inwardly, *"Look at this empty promise—so grand and vague..."*

The original owner had always taken such words to mean that Ding Jie intended to be with her once he secured his position—career first, then marriage. Little did she know that Ding Jie had never actually promised her anything.

Xu Ziyan wasn’t buying it and consulted the system, *"The scripted lines are way too cheesy and stupid. Do I really have to stick to it? I completed the last two tasks without reciting the lines—just focused on the results."*

001 pondered for a moment. *"You can tweak it a little, but this scene is crucial. Ding Jie only gets the game after stringing you along. On the surface, he doesn’t say much, but internally, he’s annoyed and impatient, deciding to find someone else to help him target the Fu family instead of relying solely on you. So, some parts can’t be skipped—strictly following the script is the easiest way."*

Xu Ziyan disagreed. She wasn’t some award-winning actress who could just pick up a script and perform flawlessly. For one, there was no way she could look at Ding Jie with adoration—reciting lines without emotion would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it? Ding Jie would definitely find it strange. Besides, the point was just to push the plot forward—there had to be other ways.

Casually, Xu Ziyan said to Ding Jie, "Why would I need repayment? I’d never ask you for a thing. But I know you won’t accept the game if I don’t ask for something in return. How about this—give me a day of your time."

*"Cough, cough—"* Fu Qiming, sitting nearby, choked on his water and quickly covered his mouth to muffle the sound, afraid they’d hear him. His expression shifted—was Dad actually right? Did Xu Ziyan actually have a thing for Ding Jie’s looks?

Ding Jie’s face also darkened—not because he feared Xu Ziyan was after him, but because her tone made him feel like she was treating him like some hired escort, casual and devoid of any affection.

As an illegitimate child, he was hypersensitive to disdain. He stared at Xu Ziyan—had his eagerness for the game made her look down on him?

Of course, Xu Ziyan despised him. A bastard, scheming for inheritance? If he wanted it, he should fight for it himself—not manipulate a woman who loved him and drag the innocent Fu family into it. Total trash! Even if the original owner was a villainess, that didn’t justify him deceiving her.

Now that she was in the original owner’s shoes, Ding Jie was nothing more than a scumbag gold-digger—and a shameless one at that. She wasn’t about to indulge him. If he wanted to live off others, he’d better grovel for it!

After ordering a table full of dishes, Xu Ziyan continued, "We rarely have time like this. Let’s eat, go shopping, then hit up a bar. You can carry my bags, pour my drinks, peel my shrimp, refill my rice—just take care of me for a day. Let me experience what it’s like to be pampered. Oh, and you’re paying—that’s your repayment."

Ding Jie dismissed his earlier thoughts, deciding he’d been too sensitive. Clearly, Xu Ziyan was just seizing the chance to push their relationship further, making him play pretend boyfriend for a day.

Frowning slightly, Ding Jie pulled out his phone as if checking his schedule. "I might be a bit tight on time today..."

"What? You can’t even spare one day for me? Is it like what my mom said—you don’t actually like me at all?" Xu Ziyan fixed him with a challenging stare.

Ding Jie looked up. "Mrs. Fu said that?"

Xu Ziyan’s eyes filled with suspicion as she pulled a hard drive from her bag and held it up. "Fu Qiming found out I sabotaged his game for you and kicked me out of the Fu family. Even though I volunteered to help you, they all said that someone who truly loved me would never let me do something like this."

She snapped, "Tell me—do you even care about me? After everything I’ve done for you, you can’t even spare one day?"

Ding Jie reached for the hard drive, but Xu Ziyan swiftly tucked it back into her bag, her expression cold. "Never mind. I need to think things over. Let’s reschedule."

Ding Jie chuckled and shook his head, instantly backtracking. "Why the rush? I just meant I’d need to make a few calls to rearrange my schedule—not that I wouldn’t spend the day with you."

He sighed. "About this whole situation... Fu Qiming has every right to be angry. But you sacrificed so much just to get this game for me—how could I let your efforts go to waste? Relax. I’ll use this game to win the family’s recognition. Once that happens, you won’t need the Fu family for status anymore."

Xu Ziyan’s expression softened, but she stayed silent, keeping the hard drive hidden. Ding Jie excused himself to make some calls, returning just as the food arrived. He dutifully peeled shrimp and picked crab meat for her, joking, "Well, Miss Ziyan? Satisfied with my service?"

The private kitchen’s dishes were exquisite—ten times better than Aunt Chen’s cooking. The moment the succulent crab meat touched her tongue, Xu Ziyan smiled and teased back, "Not bad, Little Ding. Keep it up."

Ding Jie’s face stiffened for a split second before he suppressed his irritation and continued serving her. Xu Ziyan focused on eating, occasionally signaling for him to refill her plate when she particularly enjoyed something.

Ding Jie barely had time to eat himself, too busy attending to her. For a moment, he truly felt like a servant waiting on royalty.

The meal left Ding Jie fuming, while Xu Ziyan dug in happily. Finally, he couldn’t help but say, "That’s enough—you’ll make yourself sick."

Xu Ziyan grinned. "I guess good moods really do boost appetite. I’m so happy today—first time you’ve actually bothered." She threw in a scripted line from the original script, "Ding Jie, are you happy being with me?"

Ding Jie turned to refill her soup and smiled. *"What do you think?"*

"I don't see any reason for you not to be happy. I've done so much for you—no one in this world treats you better than I do." Xu Ziyan delivered another script line.

"Seamlessly working script lines into conversation—I'm truly a genius!"

Fu Qiming, overhearing from the neighboring table, rolled his eyes. He didn’t even need to look to imagine how furious Ding Jie must be. But he was thoroughly enjoying the show. That scheming Ding Jie finally had someone who could keep him in check.

Xu Ziyan, pleasantly stuffed and content, pretended not to notice Ding Jie’s constipated look or the fact that he hadn’t eaten much. She stood up and said, "Let’s go. Shopping’ll help walk this off. I have so much to buy. Oh, and this food was excellent—let’s get another portion to-go."

Ding Jie exhaled in relief, thinking Xu Ziyan had finally noticed he hadn’t eaten. Just as he was about to respond, she added, "I upset my parents yesterday, so I should make it up to them. Have this sent to the Fu family—consider it your early goodwill. After all, they raised me for twenty years."

Ding Jie choked on his anger, his face darkening as he stared at Xu Ziyan’s back. The Ding and Fu families had been bitter rivals for generations. Why should he show filial piety to the Fu family? Did Xu Ziyan really think he’d marry her and become part of the Fu family? The audacity!

Gripping the table edge with restrained fury, Ding Jie held back his anger. Now wasn’t the time—he still needed Xu Ziyan’s help. Scheming against the Fu family was the quickest way to earn the Ding family’s respect, and Xu Ziyan’s affection for him was his best leverage. The situation was favorable, and he couldn’t disrupt the game. He’d endure it for now.

As Xu Ziyan instructed, he paid for both meals and arranged for one set to be delivered to the Fu residence.

While shopping, Xu Ziyan tried on clothes and left Ding Jie stuck holding her purse. Ding Jie, who had never carried a woman’s purse before, stood awkwardly outside the fitting room.

From a distance, Fu Qiming watched and snapped a few photos. Ding Jie had always acted so refined, as if he were some holier-than-thou figure while everyone else existed to highlight his superiority. Now, his expression was a picture. Hahaha.

As luck would have it, Ding Jie’s older brother, Ding Yao, passed by with his girlfriend. Spotting Ding Jie, he stopped in surprise. "Ding Jie? What’s this… a date?"

Ding Jie instantly flashed a flawless smile. "Brother, I just ran into a classmate. We had lunch and are taking a stroll to digest."

Ding Yao noticed the exclusive designer purse in his hand—clearly not just any companion. Intrigued, he pressed, "Which classmate? From which family? If it’s a girlfriend, no need to be shy. Isn’t this the perfect age for dating?"

Ding Jie’s smile remained polite. "I’ve just started helping at the company—too much to learn. No time for romance. Really, just a classmate."

Ding Yao smirked. Methinks he doth protest too much. His little brother was definitely on a date. He wanted to see who it was.

Just then, Xu Ziyan stepped out, glanced at them, and walked to the mirror to admire her dress.

Ding Yao raised an eyebrow. "From the Fu family?" His expression turned knowing. "Ding Jie, I get love’s blind, but a Fu girl… that’s really not ideal. So, just classmates? A chance meeting? Hey, Xu Ziyan, is what he said true?"

Given the families’ feud, Xu Ziyan ignored him and told the sales assistant, "This collection is lovely. I’ll take one of each in my size."

Ding Jie assumed Xu Ziyan was deliberately snubbing Ding Yao to defend him, which secretly pleased him. But he had a reputation to uphold—he couldn’t let Ding Yao be humiliated, nor could he risk a conflict over family grudges. Today’s priority was getting the game from Xu Ziyan. No distractions.

So he defused the tension. "Brother, Ziyan’s surname is Xu. Strictly speaking, she’s not part of the Fu family. I’ll explain this to Dad."

Ding Yao shrugged. "As long as you know what you’re doing. I’ll leave you to it."

Fu Qiming, who had been about to step in to help Xu Ziyan in case Ding Yao caused trouble, retreated when Ding Yao walked away. Actually, Ding Yao wasn’t so bad—at least he wasn’t as detestable as Ding Jie.

Just as he hid again, he overheard Xu Ziyan’s thoughts: "Ding Yao is the biggest doomed side character in the whole story. Blocking the male lead’s path, competing for inheritance, framed for assaulting a minor, publicly shamed, ruined reputation, ends up crippled and panhandling overseas. Tragic. Really tragic. Someone actually has it worse than me."

Ding Yao, who had only taken a few steps, suddenly spun around, bewildered.

Who? Who just spoke?!