The Abusive Novel System Pleads with Me to Resign

The system was practically fuming with rage—it had never encountered anything like this before.

Not only did she offend the male lead relentlessly for money, but she even went as far as pushing him toward his "white moonlight" for profit.

Shen Ying comforted it, saying, "Think bigger, will you? Aren’t there plenty of tragic heroines in angst-filled romance games who silently suffer, swallowing their love while tearfully pushing the person they adore toward someone else?"

"Why the shock now? I’m sure the male leads will eventually notice my shining qualities under my selfless assistance and realize they’ve overlooked the gem right under their noses."

The system: [Oh, don’t be modest. Is that really ‘selfless devotion’? With those million-dollar essays you charge for, it’s kind of hard for the male lead to ignore you, don’t you think?]

[The defining trait of a tragic heroine is enduring heartbreak while letting go of love. Have you endured anything? Have you let go of anything? You seem to be selling it by the pound, and enjoying every bit of it.]

Damn it, if she’s this happy, how is the game supposed to make money? No profit means poor business performance, which directly affects its bonuses and KPIs.

Seeing the system grumbling nonstop during their work session, Shen Ying sighed. "Come on, System, you can’t be like this."

"Your performance was already at the bottom last world, and now you’re slacking off? Is this how you act during department meetings too?"

"That’s not how you survive in the workplace. I’ve never seen someone so incompetent yet so arrogant—you’re practically begging to be sabotaged, you know that?"

The system: [@#￥……%&……#￥%]

After hesitating for days, Chang Ming finally decided to follow Shen Ying’s advice.

Shen Ying might be cunning, but the reason her words struck a chord was simple—she spoke the truth.

He couldn’t wait any longer. Besides, he had an advantage: even if Shen Ying’s plan failed, the worst outcome was reverting to the status quo.

Low risk, high reward—there was no reason not to try.

So the next day, when Chang Ming contacted Yu Shishi, he casually mentioned, "I met someone interesting recently."

Yu Shishi: "Oh? A new friend? Male or female?"

Chang Ming: "That doesn’t matter. It’s just… this person is… unique."

Shen Ying’s first instruction: Fabricate a person—specifically, a woman.

Yu Shishi’s tone was light, pleased that his social circle was expanding. "How so? I’ve never heard you describe someone like that before."

Chang Ming thought to himself—this was all made up, and he hadn’t even fleshed out the details yet.

The truth was, he didn’t have any close female friends around his age.

The "closest" was Shen Ying, so he reluctantly borrowed some of her more… distinctive traits. "She’s… incredibly capable."

"The kind of person who can make someone spend ten million on her with just three sentences. The kind who can make bitter rivals sign a peace treaty just to avoid her wrath. The kind who, on her first visit, can win over an entire household so thoroughly that the actual owners feel like outsiders."

Yu Shishi: "…Chang Ming, are you sure this person is normal?"

Chang Ming gritted his teeth and dropped the bombshell: "Her vibe is definitely… unconventional. I only really got to know her after seeing her drive her boss to the brink of insanity while fighting for unpaid wages."

He was, of course, that unfortunate boss.

On the other end, Yu Shishi couldn’t help but marvel at this person—though if Chang Ming could see her expression beneath the phone, he’d realize she wasn’t exactly thrilled.

To Yu Shishi, this sounded like a seasoned gold-digger with masterful manipulation skills. Anyone who could mediate between warring suitors had to be a pro at playing both sides.

As someone cut from the same cloth, she naturally felt no goodwill toward such a person—especially not when Chang Ming seemed so taken with her.

But Chang Ming didn’t seem overly invested either, as he quickly steered the conversation elsewhere after a few lines.

For now, Yu Shishi only knew that such a person existed.

In the following days, their communication remained unchanged—mostly her sharing travel stories.

Yet Yu Shishi couldn’t shake a growing sense of unease, though she couldn’t pinpoint why.

Somehow, interacting with Chang Ming felt… easier. But instead of relief, this newfound ease only put her on edge.

Then one day, while reviewing their chat history, it suddenly hit her—Chang Ming hadn’t confided in her or sought comfort in ages.

Alarm bells blared in her mind. During their next call, she probed carefully, "So besides talking to me and working on your music, what else have you been up to?"

"Have you been socializing more? Or going out with friends?"

Without missing a beat, Chang Ming delivered the answer Shen Ying had prepared: "Yeah, actually. I’ve been going out a lot lately, just like you suggested."

Yu Shishi’s smile vanished.

Chang Ming had no friends. He was a recluse who hated going out. If someone could convince him to step out regularly, that person had to hold significant weight in his heart.

Her unease deepened. But given their history—and the unhealed wounds Chang Ming carried—she remained composed. The situation hadn’t yet crossed into dangerous territory.

But then Chang Ming’s behavior grew more obvious.

During video calls, he’d occasionally zone out. Like when Yu Shishi mentioned something happy, his gaze would drift for a second, a faint smile tugging at his lips—only snapping back when she called his name.

It only happened twice over several days, but that was enough for Yu Shishi’s heightened senses.

So she called Jiang Liuxu.

Jiang Liuxu was the glue of their group—gentle, diplomatic, and always attuned to the others’ affairs.

Yu Shishi casually prodded for details about Chang Ming’s recent social life.

What she never expected was that Jiang Liuxu had already been… handled by Shen Ying.

So his reply was: "He has met a girl recently. I’ve seen her a few times—completely different from you."

"Chang Ming was pretty impressed. Given the circumstances, I doubt he’ll ever forget her."

"As for how close they are privately… I couldn’t say."

Yu Shishi: "Completely different from me?"

Her frown deepened, irritation flaring at this sudden intruder.

But what she thought was a contained situation shattered without warning.

That night, Yu Shishi received a video call from Chang Ming. The moment it connected, she saw his red-rimmed eyes—he’d clearly been crying.

Her heart lurched. "What’s wrong? Did you have another nightmare?"

"I’m sorry, I should’ve been checking in more. I thought you were doing better since you seemed happy with your new friend."

Chang Ming shook his head, voice thick. "No… I just told her about my parents."

Yu Shishi: "…What?"

For a few seconds, her face went blank—as if she couldn’t process that Chang Ming had crossed this line.

Impossible. ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‍Absolutely impossible. This was his deepest, most guarded pain—something even his brothers didn’t know. Only she, and only she—

Yu Shishi's mind was buzzing as she listened to Chang Ming continue on the other end of the line: "Maybe it's because she shared her own secret too—I couldn't hold back."

"But I don’t regret it now. She told me not to feel guilty, but do I really deserve that?"

Yu Shishi's face twisted, but she forced a gentle smile. "Of course. She’s right. Everyone who loves you thinks the same way."

After comforting him a while longer, the two reluctantly ended the call.

The moment the call disconnected, Yu Shishi hurled her phone to the ground.

A cold laugh rose in her heart. Playing this game? Too bad your skills are pathetic. Your attempts at comfort are dry and unconvincing, yet you still come crawling to me for reassurance.

But she hadn’t anticipated Chang Ming’s long-suppressed need to confide in someone other than her.

He craved more validation, something to fuel his courage for self-forgiveness.

This won’t do.

In the following days, Yu Shishi noticeably increased the frequency of her contact with Chang Ming.

To Chang Ming, it felt like time had rewound to the days when he couldn’t bear to be apart from her—back when Shishi revolved around him, tirelessly offering companionship and comfort.

It was a treatment he hadn’t experienced since adulthood. After all, they weren’t children anymore. Shishi had her own responsibilities, and the interference of those other three had only grown.

Chang Ming hadn’t felt this sense of her time belonging solely to him in years.

So that day, he met up with Shen Ying and promptly transferred the payment.

He lavished praise on her arrangements: "Now, the first thing she does every morning is call to wake me up. We even video chat during breakfast. The attention she’s giving me is unprecedented."

Then he asked, "How did you know this would work?"

Shen Ying thought to herself, A fish about to leap out of the pond naturally needs to be reeled back in.

But out loud, she said, "Simple. I shifted you from the role of the one being protected, igniting her possessiveness."

"My sister definitely has feelings for you. Otherwise, she wouldn’t instinctively resist you getting close to others. By monopolizing your time now, she’s trying to distance you from that woman."

"Don’t you see? She’s jealous. Our goal is to refine this subconscious affection and possessiveness into genuine love."

Chang Ming’s eyes lit up with realization. "So that’s it. I was too fixated on maintaining our exclusivity, refusing to let anyone come between us—but that only became an obstacle?"

Shen Ying nodded approvingly. This deal is a win for everyone.

As she left, her system remarked dryly, Now that Chang Ming’s learned the trick, he hardly needs you anymore. You think the male lead is that dumb? He won’t extrapolate from this?

Shen Ying chuckled. "Hahaha. Just wait and see."

Chang Ming’s sudden monopolization of Yu Shishi’s time didn’t escape the notice of the other three.

A day only has 24 hours, and after accounting for sleep, meals, and travel disruptions, the remaining time was scarce. When one person took too much, the others inevitably felt the squeeze.

So the trio convened again—

Jiang Liuxu, already privy to the details, was happy to stir the pot.

He told the other two, "Shishi called me a while back asking about Chang Ming. I’ve also probed him indirectly—apparently, they’ve been talking nonstop."

Yu Ting fumed. "That shameless bastard must be harassing Shishi at all hours."

"Shishi’s too soft-hearted to refuse, letting him hog her time like this."

Jiang Liuxu wagged a finger. "Not quite. From what I gather, it’s mostly Shishi reaching out to him."

Pei Ying frowned. "Why?"

Jiang Liuxu shrugged. "No idea. But before this started, Shen Ying paid Chang Ming a visit—at his home. They must’ve had some private discussion."

The mention of Shen Ying’s involvement sent a chill down their spines. They knew all too well the havoc she could wreak.

Wasting no time, the three stormed straight to Shen Ying’s place.

The moment she saw them, Shen Ying flashed Jiang Liuxu an appreciative smile.

This man never disappoints. With him around, I don’t even need to worry about advertising or client recruitment.

Once seated, Yu Ting cut to the chase. "What scheme are you and Chang Ming cooking up now?"

"Why is Shishi suddenly glued to him? Don’t pretend you had nothing to do with this. Chang Ming didn’t just change overnight."

Shen Ying, ever the transparent businesswoman, saw no reason to hide her handiwork.

"That day you all signed the ceasefire agreement, Chang Ming still seemed troubled. I felt guilty, so I approached him—offered some emotional therapy, so to speak."

"Given the damage done over time, I had little else to offer but my expertise. So I became his love consultant."

No matter how prettily she packaged it, the trio knew her too well.

Pei Ying cut in bluntly. "How much did he pay you?"

Shen Ying smiled. "Ten million."

"Honestly, I didn’t do much. Just a few hundred words of advice. It’s Chang Ming’s trust in me and his dedication that made it work."

Yu Ting inhaled sharply. "A few hundred words for ten million? That’s daylight robbery!"

Jiang Liuxu and Pei Ying shot him a look. Since when are you surprised by her extortion?

Yu Ting scowled but pressed on. "What kind of underhanded advice did you give him?"

Shen Ying shrugged. "Nothing extraordinary. I just understand my sister better—what moves her, how to tailor an approach to Chang Ming’s strengths."

"Knowing won’t help you, Yu Ting. Every case is unique; you can’t copy-paste."

Yu Ting jabbed a finger at her. "Exploiting your own sister for profit—how does your conscience allow it?"

Shen Ying smirked. "Between sisters, there’s no need to keep score."

"Besides, didn’t you say she’s drowning in guilt over me? Even cried about it? I’m just easing her burden."

Yu Ting snapped, "You actually took her guilt at face value? You know damn well how things really stand!"

Shen Ying raised a brow. "Seems you’re still oblivious to your own precarious position, Yu Ting, if you’ve got time to lecture me."

"Call my sister. Right now."

Yu Ting eyed her warily. "What’s your game?"

Shen Ying waved a hand. "Just call. I won’t say a word. I just want you to see how dire things are for you."

Hesitantly, Yu Ting dialed Yu Shishi. Meanwhile, Shen Ying sent Chang Ming a photo with instructions to post it.

Chang Ming complied instantly. Mid-conversation with Yu Ting, Yu Shishi’s phone chimed with Chang Ming’s special notification tone.

She glanced at her tablet—Chang Ming had posted a seemingly mundane photo of his cluttered desk.

But in the corner of the frame was a woman’s hand, young and adorned with manicured nails. Definitely not some random female employee from the Yu family.

Yu Shishi’s interest in Yu Ting’s call evaporated. She ended the conversation with a hurried excuse.

Yu Ting was left stunned after the call was abruptly disconnected. Then Shen Ying handed him her phone.

On the screen was a conversation between Shen Ying and Chang Ming.

The latest message was Chang Ming’s reply: "Shishi just called me. Can’t chat anymore."

Which meant Shishi had hung up on Yu Ting because she was in a hurry to call Chang Ming.

Yu Ting’s expression turned as dumbfounded as a startled deer.

Shen Ying retrieved her phone from his hand and patted his shoulder. "Sometimes I envy your obliviousness."

"Your house is burning down, and you’re still clueless. Truly impressive."

Jiang Liuxu added fuel to the fire: "Miss Shen, do you have any availability soon? I’d like to book a relationship consultation package too."

Yu Ting snapped out of his daze and glared at Jiang Liuxu. "Are you insane? You’re actually going to her?"

Jiang Liuxu shrugged. "Clearly, Miss Shen’s professional results have convinced me."

He turned to Shen Ying. "Do you have a suitable plan for me?"

Seeing a business opportunity, Shen Ying immediately put on a professional smile. "Of course, of course. Just a moment, Mr. Jiang."

She pulled up another document on her phone and sent it to him.

Yu Ting casually glanced over and was shocked to see folders labeled with his and Pei Ying’s names right below Jiang Liuxu’s file.

"You already had these prepared?"

He turned to Pei Ying. "Did you see that? She had these ready in advance."

Shen Ying replied matter-of-factly, "I take my work seriously. Of course I’d prepare tailored solutions for potential clients. Ask Mr. Pei—doesn’t standing out in a competitive market require effort?"

Pei Ying: "A few hundred words’ worth of effort?"

Regardless, Jiang Liuxu promptly transferred the payment.

However, he didn’t open the document Shen Ying sent. Instead, he said, "Unlike Chang Ming, I’ve never been good at acting or putting on a show."

"I’m also terrible at lying. If I try to deceive someone, my expressions turn stiff and unnatural."

Yu Ting and Pei Ying both stared at Jiang Liuxu, speechless at his shamelessness.

Ignoring their looks, Jiang Liuxu continued to Shen Ying, "So, unlike Chang Ming, who could master it just through written guidance, I won’t be able to pull it off."

"I’ll need in-person coaching from you, Miss Shen. That’s not too much to ask, is it?"

Shen Ying nodded. "Fine. But it’ll cost extra, and meals are on you during work hours."

Jiang Liuxu agreed without hesitation. "Deal. When are you free? I can’t wait to get started."

Yu Ting was furious. "Hold on—you don’t even like Shishi that much. Why are you stirring the pot?"

"Shishi isn’t stupid. She can tell genuine feelings from fake ones. All these underhanded tricks will backfire sooner or later."

Jiang Liuxu couldn’t be bothered to respond, simply waiting for Shen Ying’s answer.

Shen Ying said, "Tomorrow works. Where do you want to meet?"

Jiang Liuxu: "My place isn’t ideal. How about the hospital?"

Jiang Liuxu was currently working as a doctor at his family’s private hospital.

Shen Ying’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. "The hospital? The kind where you wear a white coat?"

Yu Ting scoffed. "Where else would you wear a white coat?"

Shen Ying smirked meaningfully. "Exactly. A white coat only has that certain… appeal when worn in a hospital."

Jiang Liuxu felt a strange shiver run down his spine but suppressed it. "Then I’ll be waiting for you, Miss Shen."

"By the way, if you have any minor ailments, I’d be happy to examine you." He deliberately emphasized, "My consultations are quite exclusive. Most people can’t even get an appointment."

Once they reached an agreement, the three left Shen Ying’s place.

Jiang Liuxu was the first to drive off, while Yu Ting still looked dazed.

He turned to Pei Ying. "Tell me, were they just flirting back there?"

Pei Ying’s expression was grim. He frowned, deep in thought.

He had assumed that after the ceasefire, things would return to normal, and Shen Ying would temporarily disappear from their lives.

But clearly, that wasn’t the case.

It wasn’t just Shen Ying’s relentless money-grabbing schemes—Jiang Liuxu was acting strange too.

Yu Ting, annoyed by Pei Ying’s silence, snapped, "Say something! Why the brooding over such trivial nonsense?"

Pei Ying glanced at him. "I’m just surprised it took you this long to notice the obvious."

Yu Ting: "I figured it out ages ago. I just didn’t want to call them out."

"Jiang Liuxu likes ‘bad women,’ right? Doesn’t Shen Ying fit the bill perfectly?"

"He already found his ‘true love,’ so why is he still bothering Shishi? Just wait—if they actually succeed, I’ll write my name backward."

Pei Ying raised an eyebrow. "What’s your plan?"

A rare, cunning smile crossed Yu Ting’s face. "No matter how many schemes they have, they won’t stand a chance against my brute-force approach."