NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 84:
Chapter 84: The Female Lead is Jealous! Willing to Sacrifice Everything! The Heroine’s Plan to Conquer:
Xu Fangfei was stunned. Seeing the playful smirk on Xu Hao’s lips, she realized he truly meant what he said, and her heart was thrown into turmoil. She had always thought Xu Hao was the kind of man who deeply loved his wife, a man who had never had any scandals with other women.
But now, here he was, asking her to help him sleep with another woman. It shattered everything she thought she knew about him.
After her initial shock, something unexpected happened—her first reaction wasn’t disgust, but joy. If Xu Hao wasn’t the loyal and affectionate man she had imagined, did that mean she also had a chance with him?
From the moment she saw Xu Hao in the interview hall, she had been captivated by him. Despite being 50 years old, Xu Hao didn’t look his age—he appeared more like someone in his 30s, exuding a unique, mature charm. His handsome features, strong build, and confident demeanor, combined with his status as a billionaire CEO of a Fortune 500 company, made him her ideal dream man.
He was the embodiment of everything she had ever wanted in a man—handsome, powerful, rich, and full of authority. She had always hoped to sell herself for a high price, but among all the wealthy heirs she had met, none compared to Xu Hao.
If not for the immense distance between their social standing, she would have tried to win him over long ago. But now, with the realization that Xu Hao was a man who appreciated beauty, her heart raced with excitement. Could there be a chance for her?
But just as quickly as that hope flared, it was extinguished. Xu Hao hadn’t come to her because he liked her—he came to ask her to help him win over Li Yunshu, her rival. It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her.
Jealousy surged through her. Li Yunshu? Why her?
For a moment, Xu Fangfei wanted to ask Xu Hao,
What makes her better than her?
But when she looked up and saw the amusement in his eyes, she swallowed her words. Instead, she calmed her raging emotions and began to think of a plan.
Xu Hao clearly had his sights set on Li Yunshu, and since Li Yunshu was her sworn enemy, why should she hesitate? If anything, she could turn this situation to her advantage.
Sinister ideas began to form in her mind. So, Li Yunshu thinks she’s pure and untouchable? Let’s see how she holds up when Xu Hao has her.
One scheme after another flashed through her thoughts. Finally, she spoke hesitantly, testing the waters. “I know Li Yunshu well. She’s a very traditional woman. If Mr. Xu sleeps with her and spends more time with her, she’ll eventually fall for you.”
Xu Hao raised his eyebrows, still calmly eating. “Go on.”
Encouraged by his response, Xu Fangfei continued. “I could drug her and send her to your bed,” she suggested, watching his reaction carefully. “Or you could kidnap her, lock her in a dark room for a few days, and… train her. Maybe even take private photos and use them to threaten her.”
She listed several cruel, underhanded ideas, each more malicious than the last. Her suggestions were filled with the venom of her jealousy toward Li Yunshu.
But Xu Hao remained unimpressed.
“Is that it?” He thought she would have more creative ideas, given how well she knew Li Yunshu. These crude methods were hardly worth his time.
Noticing his displeasure, Xu Fangfei realized she wasn’t winning him over. Desperately, she racked her brain for a better idea, and then her eyes brightened.
“Mr. Xu, since I already have a grudge against Li Yunshu, I could keep provoking her like I used to. And you could swoop in to ‘save’ her, just like you did today. She’s an emotional person, so if you keep saving her from danger, she’ll eventually be grateful to you.”
Xu Hao nodded slightly. It wasn’t a groundbreaking plan, but it could work. Seeing that her suggestion was somewhat accepted, Xu Fangfei felt a slight relief. However, the jealousy in her heart didn’t fade.
In her mind, helping Xu Hao win over Li Yunshu wasn’t just about harming her rival—it was like giving her a blessing. To become Xu Hao’s woman was a privilege, one that should have been hers. She found it unbearable that Li Yunshu, her sworn enemy, would rise to the top, while she was left to play the villain.
As she watched Xu Hao continue to eat, the discomfort in her chest grew until she couldn’t contain herself any longer. “Mr. Xu, can I ask you a question?”
Xu Hao raised an eyebrow, his expression curious. “What’s your question?”
“I want to know why you chose Li Yunshu. I’m no worse than her.” She asked, her jealousy overcoming her shame.
Xu Hao could see where this was going. Smirking, he replied with a teasing tone, “The feeling I get from her is pure and clean.”
The word “pure” hit Xu Fangfei like a slap to the face. She had always prided herself on her appearance and allure, but being called impure in comparison to Li Yunshu stung.
Desperate to defend herself, she blurted out, “Her innocence comes from poor communication skills. She’s only quiet because she doesn’t know how to interact with others. That’s not an advantage—it’s a flaw! I’m also clean!”
She continued, trying to persuade him. “Even though I have many admirers, I’ve never let any of them touch me.”
It was true.
Xu Fangfei had always maintained her distance, waiting for someone like Xu Hao. Even though it was embarrassing to talk about this in front of a man, she couldn’t hold back. She was willing to risk everything to prove she was just as good as Li Yunshu.
“Really?” Xu Hao replied with amusement. “Why would I believe you?”
His playful smirk deepened, and the teasing in his voice grew stronger.
“I swear it’s true!” Xu Fangfei said hurriedly, her pride wounded by his doubt. She had always been proud of her virtue, and now, she was anxious to convince him.
Suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind. Xu Hao clearly didn’t believe her. Maybe he wanted her to prove it?
She quickly stood up from her seat, moving to sit next to him. Taking his arm, she looked up at him with a pleading expression.
“Mr. Xu, everything I said is true. How can I make you believe me?” she asked sweetly. Then, with a bold move, she added, “It feels awkward to call you Mr. Xu… How about I call you ‘Dad’ instead?”
She smiled, her voice soft and flirtatious, hoping to win him over.
When Xu Hao and Xu Fangfei finally emerged from the private box, more than two hours had passed. As they prepared to part ways, Xu Hao gave her a stern warning.
“This stays between us. Don’t tell anyone. If you leak it, you know what I’m capable of.”
Xu Fangfei nodded quickly, her voice eager to reassure him. “Dad, don’t worry, I’ll be obedient. I won’t tell a soul.”
Although Xu Fangfei loved being pretty and showing off, she knew the difference between what should be spoken about and what should remain a secret. From observing how Xu Hao maintained his public persona as a loving, devoted husband while being involved with other women in private, she understood his power. If she ever betrayed him, there was no doubt in her mind—he would destroy her family’s company, and perhaps even take more drastic measures.
Xu Fangfei decided then and there to take this secret to her grave.
After warning her, Xu Hao added, “Also, don’t forget about Li Yunshu.”
Xu Fangfei nodded again, her mind racing. As Xu Hao’s car drove away, she clenched her fists in excitement, wanting to leap with joy but stopping herself when a sharp breath of cold air reminded her to stay calm.
“This is incredible. I’m with Xu Hao!” She thought.
Her jealousy toward her rival, Li Yunshu, was beginning to fade. After all, Li Yunshu couldn’t escape Xu Hao’s grasp, and Fangfei had gotten ahead of her. She smiled to herself, wondering if Li Yunshu would one day have to call her “sister.”
As these thoughts swirled in her mind, she smiled wider. Li Yunshu, oblivious to all this, returned home with a bright smile on her face.
…
Later that evening, Xu Hao arrived at the Chu family home for his appointment.
Chu Xiong, his old friend, personally went to the door to greet him. His son, Chu Xiaotian, watched in surprise from a distance.
“Dad, who’s coming to our house? You’ve arranged such a grand meal, and now you’re personally welcoming the guest?” Chu Xiaotian asked curiously.
“I’m picking up your Uncle Xu.” Chu Xiong replied casually.
“Uncle Xu?” Chu Xiaotian repeated, unfamiliar with the name.
Chu Xiong smiled, remembering his long-standing business relationship with Xu Hao. Although they had worked together often, Xu Hao had never visited their home before.
“Xu Hao, of the Xu Group.” He explained.
Chu Xiaotian’s eyes widened in shock. The Xu Group was no weaker than their own family business.
Chu Xiong, sensing his son’s amazement, added, “Behave yourself tonight. If you can make a good impression on Uncle Xu, I’ll consider giving you control of the company.”
Chu Xiaotian’s face lit up with excitement. “Really, Dad?”
For years, Chu Xiaotian had been trying to prove himself worthy of taking over the company. He had even started his own business, though it had been struggling until recently. Now, his father’s words were like a golden opportunity.
How can a company worth hundreds of millions compare with Xu Hao’s multibillion-dollar group? Chu Xiaotian thought, heart pounding with anticipation. He had always planned to take over the family empire but was constantly told he needed more experience. Now, this was his chance.
“Dad, don’t worry! I’ll perform well and leave a great impression on Uncle Xu.” Chu Xiaotian promised confidently.
Chu Xiong glanced at his son before turning to wait for Xu Hao at the door. Meanwhile, Chu Xiaotian approached a handsome young man standing nearby, Li Xiao, and patted him on the shoulder.
“Brother Li, you’ve got to help me tonight. When I take over the group, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded.”
Li Xiao was one of Chu Xiong’s closest and most trusted subordinates. Years ago, Li Xiao had saved Chu Xiong’s life, and recently, he had been assigned to help manage Chu Xiaotian’s affairs. Under Li Xiao’s guidance, Chu Xiaotian’s previously failing company had started to turn around.
At first, Chu Xiaotian had been suspicious of Li Xiao, thinking he was his father’s spy. But when the company’s fortunes improved, his opinion of Li Xiao changed completely. Now, he relied on him for advice in almost every business matter.
However, at that moment, Li Xiao’s attention wasn’t on business. His gaze was fixed on Yao Xinrui, Chu Xiaotian’s beautiful stepmother. She sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, engrossed in reading documents. The setting sun filtered through the leaves above her, casting a golden glow over her figure.
The sight was breathtaking. Yao Xinrui, with her grace and beauty, looked like a painting. Li Xiao, captivated by the scene, couldn’t tear his eyes away.
Chu Xiaotian suddenly patted him on the back, startling him out of his thoughts. Li Xiao quickly shifted his gaze and asked, “What did you say?”
“I said I need your advice on how to impress my Uncle Xu. My dad said if I do well, he’ll hand over the company to me,” Chu Xiaotian repeated.
As he spoke, he noticed Li Xiao’s distracted expression and asked, “Brother Li, what were you looking at just now? You seemed so absorbed…”
He tried to peek out the window to see what had caught Li Xiao’s attention, but Li Xiao quickly stopped him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
“Never mind that,” Li Xiao said, steering him back inside. “You asked how to make a good impression, right? Let’s talk about that.”
Chu Xiaotian, his mind easily diverted, followed Li Xiao without protest, leaving Li Xiao to breathe a quiet sigh of relief. He had nearly been caught staring at Yao Xinrui, his boss’s stepmother.
…
Li Xiao’s real name wasn’t Li Xiao.
Why? Because he wasn’t originally from this world. Li Xiao had been transmigrated into this world, only to discover that it was the very setting of a novel he had once read. And the role he had taken on was that of the villain’s loyal lackey—someone destined to meet a tragic end.
In this new life, Li Xiao’s predecessor had earned the trust of Chu Xiong, saving the billionaire’s life and becoming a close subordinate. Recently, he had been tasked with protecting Chu Xiong’s foolish son, Chu Xiaotian—a brainless playboy who was the classic villain in the novel.
Chu Xiaotian had a reputation for his reckless behavior, particularly when it came to women. He was infatuated with the fiancée of the protagonist’s brother, Zheng Feifan, and had pursued her with obsessive persistence. The outcome had been predictable—she rejected him time and time again.
As the plot had progressed in the original novel, Chu Xiaotian’s actions had led to disastrous consequences, and Li Xiao had been dragged down with him. Now that Li Xiao was living in this world, he had no intention of meeting the same tragic fate. But to survive, he needed to play his cards right and navigate the Chu family schemes carefully.
As they walked inside, Li Xiao couldn’t help but glance back at Yao Xinrui, wondering how her role in this twisted novel would unfold.
In the end, Chu Xiaotian became twisted by his desires, and even plotted to kidnap the female lead, Lin Chuqing. But his plan was discovered in time by the protagonist, Zheng Feifan, who beat him within an inch of his life. From that moment, the two became sworn enemies, leading to the eventual destruction of the Chu family at the hands of Zheng Feifan.
Li Xiao realized that the world he had transmigrated into was from a novel called ‘We Are All Flower Protectors.’ The novel centered on Zheng Feifan, a man who had been betrayed and whose mercenary group was destroyed. Entrusted by his dying brother, Zheng Feifan returned to the city to take care of his brother’s fiancée. The author of the novel seemed to relish complicated plots, assigning Zheng a fiancée and a complex background involving his brother.
Upon his return, Zheng Feifan managed to capture the attention of numerous women from all walks of life, effortlessly attracting them with his charm and demeanor. However, despite the extensive descriptions of the women, none of them ever became his true romantic partner, and by the end of the novel, Zheng Feifan remained a virgin, with no female lead to speak of. This infuriated Li Xiao when he first read it. He even cursed the author aloud for such a ridiculous setup.
The next thing he knew, the world spun around him, and he found himself in the very novel he had been reading.
Initially, Li Xiao panicked, but over time, he realized the situation wasn’t as hopeless as it seemed. In the original plot, his character was fated to die—killed by the protagonist for being too loyal to the Chu family. But now, with his modern-day mind and knowledge of the plot, why should he be so blindly loyal? When the protagonist eventually came for revenge, couldn’t he just run away?
Not only that, but he had the ultimate advantage of knowing the plot’s direction. He could predict future events, and with that foresight, he could seize opportunities to make money and build a financial empire.
His martial arts talent, too, was higher than he had anticipated. The original Li Xiao had only reached the early stage Bright Strength Realm, making him a minor threat in comparison to Zheng Feifan’s Dark Strength Realm. However, after just a few days of martial arts training, Li Xiao’s strength had surged, and he easily reached the intermediate stage Bright Strength Realm.
Ecstatic with his newfound abilities, Li Xiao set his sights on surpassing the protagonist. With enough hard work and patience, he believed he could even reach a level that would allow him to crush Zheng Feifan. Armed with knowledge of the future and his improving strength, Li Xiao fantasized about building a hundred-billion-dollar empire, reaching the pinnacle of life, and achieving the ultimate power.
“Awake, I will control the world. Drunk, I’ll lie in the lap of a beautiful woman.”
However, despite his ambitions, Li Xiao knew his humble background wouldn’t allow him to achieve all this without a starting point. He would need to leverage his connections with the Chu family to gain the capital necessary to launch his empire.
But his goals within the Chu family weren’t solely financial. There was another reason Li Xiao had chosen to remain within their ranks—Yao Xinrui, the beautiful wife of his “big brother,” Chu Xiong. Yao Xinrui was one of the female leads in this world: mature, sexy, intelligent, and cool. Li Xiao was determined to win her over.
In fact, he already had an easy way to do it. Li Xiao knew a secret about Yao Xinrui—she had embezzled funds from the Chu family business. If he wanted, he could use this information to blackmail her. But what would be the point of that? Such low-level tactics would only get him her body, not her heart.
Li Xiao didn’t just want to possess her physically; he wanted her genuine affection. And that was going to take time. Yao Xinrui had a deep-seated distrust of men, possibly bordering on male-hatred. Winning her over would require a slow, delicate process of changing her perspective, not brute force.
He was prepared for a long game.
But Yao Xinrui wasn’t the only target in his sights. There was also the protagonist’s beautiful landlord, another important woman in the novel. And let’s not forget the ice-cold CEO, the fiancée of Zheng Feifan’s brother. None of them would be able to escape his grasp if he played his cards right.
Li Xiao’s ambitions were growing. He would build his empire, increase his strength, and gather the most beautiful women in the novel. Unlike the protagonist, who bumbled his way through without seizing the rewards in front of him, Li Xiao intended to claim everything that Zheng Feifan overlooked.
Armed with knowledge of the future, improving martial arts prowess, and unwavering ambition, Li Xiao was ready to rewrite the novel to suit his desires.