The Abusive Novel System Pleads with Me to Resign-Chapter 76

【Why did you secretly answer the phone?】

It wasn’t until now that Chang Ming remembered he had already verified this matter that day, but at the time, he hadn’t grasped its meaning, and after so many days, he’d forgotten the exact words.

Refusing to believe it, he scrolled further down, but aside from that one message, there wasn’t a single additional word.

Chang Ming eyed Shen Ying suspiciously and asked, “Did you delete something?”

Shen Ying picked up an orange and began peeling it, replying casually, “That possibility would only exist if I’d sent her a follow-up message afterward.”

“But the effect was immediate. Do you really think I’d bother with anything extra?”

Of course, Chang Ming understood that. Yet no matter how he racked his brain, he couldn’t figure out the key to this puzzle.

So he confronted Shen Ying directly: “What does this message actually mean? Don’t give me that ‘sisterly secrets’ nonsense.”

“If this were just between you two, why would Shi Shi react like this toward me the moment she saw it?”

Shen Ying remained tight-lipped. “It wouldn’t be right for me to say. Why don’t you ask my sister directly?”

Chang Ming gritted his teeth. “Shi Shi is in that state right now—how could I possibly bring up such a baffling thing to upset her?”

Seeing Shen Ying’s indifferent expression, Chang Ming pressed, “You want money, don’t you? Name your price. I’ll buy the answer from you.”

But Shen Ying, who was usually money-hungry and took on any job, refused this time.

“I won’t profit from this kind of thing. It’s bad karma.”

Chang Ming nearly laughed in frustration. “You—you’re worried about bad karma? Every single thing you’ve done to extort us is morally bankrupt!”

“Should I list them out for you one by one?”

Shen Ying waved a hand dismissively. “It’s not the same thing at all.”

“Alright, alright. I’ve already clarified what you asked me to. There’s nothing more I can do to help, so don’t linger here. My sister needs your company.”

Without another word, he shoved Chang Ming out the door.

Standing outside, locked out, Chang Ming began to question why he’d even come in the first place.

He’d handed over fifty million for nothing—the situation remained unresolved, and Pei Ying, that bastard, seemed even more deeply entangled after the so-called “clarification.”

He could only return home resentfully, but sleep eluded him.

Pei Ying’s cruel words and Shen Ying’s text message kept replaying in his mind.

【If the person who helped you move on was the one responsible for your parents’ death, would you still consider their companionship noble?】

【Why did you secretly answer the phone?】

【Sorry, Chang Ming, I’m feeling a bit dizzy. Let’s talk later.】

Details he’d long forgotten, even needing to check Shen Ying’s phone to recall that one sentence—yet for some reason, Shi Shi’s tone at the time felt as if it were echoing right beside his ear.

Chang Ming could even vividly picture the panic and fear in her voice, as if the weight of the apocalypse had descended upon her.

Why would Shi Shi react like that? What could possibly terrify her so much?

It was almost as if someone guilty of a grave crime had been exposed.

Chang Ming abruptly sat up and slapped himself. How could he think of Shi Shi that way?

She had no one else but him now. If even he began doubting her, she’d truly have nothing left.

Just then, a beam of light shone through the window, and the sound of a car approached from the distance.

Chang Ming got out of bed and stepped onto the balcony to look—it was his two older brothers returning home.

He dressed quickly and went downstairs to greet them. “Eldest Brother, Second Brother.”

The eldest and second Chang brothers were over a decade older than Chang Ming. They’d shouldered the family’s responsibilities from a young age and hadn’t spent much time with him growing up.

Because of the consequences of his own past recklessness, Chang Ming never dared act spoiled in front of them. Their relationship was polite but distant.

The two brothers nodded at him. “Still awake?”

Chang Ming forced a smile. “Couldn’t sleep. Weren’t you supposed to take a flight tomorrow morning? Why did you come back tonight?”

Second Brother replied, “Our parents’ death anniversary is coming up soon. We thought it was time to sort through their belongings.”

“Some of the unused items can be auctioned off for charity—consider it a way to accumulate merit for Mom and Dad.”

Chang Ming lowered his head, his voice strained. “Yeah… it’s about time we did that.”

After a brief conversation, the brothers each retreated to their rooms.

The next morning, when Shi Shi woke up and saw the two Chang brothers in the house, her expression stiffened slightly.

Still, out of courtesy, she greeted them. “Eldest Brother, Second Brother.”

The eldest brother ignored her entirely, while the second brother offered a polite but distant smile. “Have a seat.”

But his tone made it clear she wasn’t being treated as his younger brother’s significant other.

Shi Shi sat uncomfortably. She’d never liked interacting with Chang Ming’s brothers.

To Chang Ming, she was redemption—an irreplaceable presence. But to the eldest and second brother, she was little more than a tool to keep Chang Ming pacified.

Like a doll used to quiet a crying child, or a pet dog.

Her patience, tenderness, and unwavering companionship meant nothing in their eyes. These were men who had supported each other through hardship from a young age, navigating countless schemes and false pretenses. Shi Shi’s little tricks were transparent to them.

As long as she could keep Chang Ming stable, she was useful.

After forcing down a few bites of breakfast, Shi Shi excused herself.

Since Chang Ming had to help his brothers sort through their parents’ belongings, he didn’t insist she stay, only repeatedly reminding her to rest well when she got home.

After Shi Shi left, the brothers headed to the house where their family had lived before their parents’ passing.

Only a few servants remained to maintain the place. Their parents’ room had been sealed since the accident, the keys kept by the eldest brother. It hadn’t been opened in years.

When the door swung open, the musty scent of a long-sealed space greeted them. They opened all the windows, allowing fresh air to circulate in the room for the first time in over a decade.

Chang Ming pulled the white sheets off the furniture, his gaze sweeping the room. Memories of his childhood, playing in his parents’ room, flashed before his eyes.

His eyes grew moist, but before the tears could fall, Second Brother spoke up. “Xiao Ming, you handle the jewelry cabinet. See which pieces Mom rarely wore—we can set those aside.”

“Got it.” Chang Ming nodded.

Their mother had been a strong-willed woman in life, disliking excessive adornments. She hadn’t owned many frequently worn pieces, and even fewer held sentimental value.

Most could be auctioned off without hesitation.

Still, it took Chang Ming half the day to sort through everything. When he pulled open the final drawer, he found not just jewelry but also a small black box.

The moment he opened it, his legs gave out. He collapsed to his knees, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face.

The box didn’t contain much: a shattered wristwatch, two rings, a necklace, and an outdated smartphone.

These were the belongings their parents had carried at the time of the car crash. Since it had been an unambiguous accident, the police had returned the items to the family.

Chang Ming’s nose burned with unshed tears as he carefully lifted each item, running his fingers over them one by one.

When he reached the phone, hesitation gripped him.

The crash had been severe—even his father’s watch had been damaged. Yet this phone had miraculously survived intact.

A sudden curiosity struck Chang Ming. Was this phone still functional?

He rummaged through a nearby drawer and, sure enough, found a compatible charging cable.

Chang Ming plugged the charger into the outlet and connected it to his phone, which immediately showed a successful charging notification.

Without giving it much thought, he let the phone charge while he continued packing his belongings.

The entire morning had been spent handling everything himself with his brothers, leaving them thoroughly exhausted.

After lunch, they decided to take a break and resume in the afternoon.

Chang Ming was still concerned about Shi Shi, so while his brothers rested, he called her.

After confirming she was doing alright and offering a few words of comfort, he hung up.

Sorting through their parents' belongings all morning had stirred up an overwhelming sense of guilt in Chang Ming. He didn’t dare let his mind wander, afraid that if he stopped thinking, the guilt would drown him.

To distract himself, he turned his attention to the unresolved mystery involving Shen Ying.

Yu Ting had once loudly complained that after their bidding session, Shen Ying hadn’t approached Pei Ying—who had placed the highest bid—but instead sought out Jiang Liuxu, who had offered the lowest amount.

Yu Ting had made a fuss about Shen Ying’s unfairness, and later, through careful probing, Chang Ming confirmed that Shi Shi had since placed considerable trust in Jiang Liuxu.

Now, Chang Ming wondered—was it possible that Shen Ying had damaged Shi Shi’s perception of him while simultaneously benefiting Jiang Liuxu?

After all, that guy was the most unscrupulous, making him Shen Ying’s perfect choice.

Chang Ming called Jiang Liuxu and cut straight to the point: "After the bidding, what advice did Shen Ying give you to earn Shi Shi’s trust?"

Jiang Liuxu sounded surprised. "Is this something I should share?"

Chang Ming scoffed. "Stop playing dumb. Shen Ying’s lips might be sealed, but she’s always claimed she doesn’t interfere with clients sharing information among themselves."

"Back when you were still pursuing Shi Shi, I didn’t expect you to tell me anything. But now that you and Shen Ying are so close, what’s the harm in filling me in?"

Jiang Liuxu nodded. "Fair enough. There’s really no need to hide it now."

He then explained bluntly, "Shen Ying came to me the next day. Her strategy was to use a solution to your problem as a way to win Shi Shi’s reliance."

"Though I don’t know what exactly that issue between you and her was."

"But I told Shi Shi that I deleted a message for you and secretly set your phone to reject calls from unknown numbers. She was really touched by that."

Chang ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‍Ming frowned. "Why would she be moved by such a lie?"

Jiang Liuxu shrugged. "No idea. Maybe she felt a sense of security?"

Chang Ming pressed further, but Jiang Liuxu had no more information to offer. Frustrated, he ended the call.

Returning to the closet, he noticed his phone was nearly fully charged. He pressed the power button, and it turned on without issue.

Even a decade ago, smartphones lacked the plethora of apps available today. Chang Ming clumsily tapped through them one by one.

He first opened the photo album, which still held pictures taken by his mother.

Most were of him and his brothers, along with aerial shots of airport landscapes—a habit she had whenever she traveled for work, sending them as updates.

From the album to business apps and then to text messages, Chang Ming meticulously read through each dull corporate exchange, as if trying to grasp his mother’s work life through those words.

He didn’t even skip the call logs.

The last few calls were with him—seven in total. His breath hitched.

He slapped himself hard, forcing himself to face the truth.

After a long while, his breathing steadied, and he pressed the phone against his chest.

He had succeeded. For the first time, he had confronted the fact that he was responsible for his parents’ deaths.

Nothing could break him now.

A twisted thought even crossed his mind—if Shen Ying tried to wound him with the same truth now, would he still be afraid?

The brothers worked late into the night, but with so many items to sort through and evaluate, progress was slow.

Since they’d have to continue the next day, they decided to stay overnight at the old house to avoid unnecessary back-and-forth.

Their childhood rooms had been cleared out. Lying on the bed he’d slept in until he was eight, Chang Ming felt an unprecedented calm.

The room was frozen in its childish decor—though the bed was large enough for an adult, the furnishings and belongings were undeniably juvenile.

When Chang Ming had moved out, he hadn’t bothered with the things left behind. Now, they were a flood of childhood memories.

He got up, picking up his toy soldiers and model airplanes, then opened the bedside drawer to find a collection of trading cards.

He fiddled with them for a long time, remembering how many snacks he’d bought just to collect them and how eager he’d been to show them off to classmates.

After putting the cards back, he opened the lower drawer and found a phone inside.

Whoever had tidied up had been thorough—the charging cable was neatly coiled beside it.

Chang Ming picked up the phone defiantly, plugged it in, and waited until it had enough charge to power on before cautiously turning it on.

This time, unlike with his mother’s phone, he went straight to the call logs. His fingers trembled as he tapped one entry, and the "delete" option appeared on the screen.

An internal battle raged in his mind—one voice urging him to delete it and let the past go, the other insisting he keep it as proof of facing his mistakes.

But just as he hesitated, something jolted him awake.

He exited the deletion prompt and scrutinized the displayed records.

Then he scrambled off the bed so abruptly that he hit his head on the bed frame, barely registering the pain.

Barefoot, he rushed into his parents’ room, yanked open a drawer, and grabbed the phone from earlier that day.

His hands shook violently, his eyes burned, his mind buzzed, and his throat felt like it had been scraped raw with sandpaper.

He was so unsteady that even the simple act of picking up the phone failed multiple times.

Finally, he managed to unlock it and navigate to the call history.

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He hadn’t misremembered—there were seven calls with him.

So why did his own phone only show six?