After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Am in a Relationship with My Scummy Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother - Chapter 12

Throughout the afternoon, Huo Qingzhuo sat in her seat and endured countless “baptisms” of staring eyes. Even the class advisor, Wenren Heyu, cast several surprised glances her way. Outside the classroom, people were constantly pacing back and forth, peeking through the window. None of this affected Huo Qingzhuo, nor did it disturb Shen Junfu, who was sleeping like a dead pig beside her.

When dinner time arrived, Wei Qingqing stood before their desks with a conflicted expression. “Are you two… going to eat together?”

“I won’t be going. Just bring me back a lunch box, thanks.”

Huo Qingzhuo finished reading a reply from Shu Yueqing on her phone. She looked up, the corners of her mouth curling slightly, and handed her meal card to Wei Qingqing.

“Alright then,” Wei Qingqing took the card and looked at Shen Junfu. “What about you, Shen Junfu?”

Rubbing her eyes, not yet fully awake, Shen Junfu hadn’t really wanted to move. However, upon hearing Huo Qingzhuo’s words, she immediately changed her mind and stood up.

“I’ll go with Qingqing. I’m not like some people, acting like a lord expecting food to be delivered to their mouth.”

Huo Qingzhuo looked up, speechless at how Shen Junfu could find a way to nitpick anything.

Wei Qingqing stood between them and sighed helplessly. “Alright, alright, we’re all friends. Shall we go?”

Once Wei Qingqing and Shen Junfu left, Huo Qingzhuo looked at the reply from Shu Yueqing, a flash of a smile appearing in her eyes.

Huo Qingzhuo: Just finished class. I’ll study hard.

She attached an emoji of a cute puppy tilting its head obediently.

As for anything else, Huo Qingzhuo knew where to draw the line. Being too enthusiastic at the start could easily become annoying, so she had to take things slowly. Regarding the Shen Junfu issue—since Shu Yueqing said she was single, it proved there was no substantial relationship between them. There was no need to investigate it deliberately.

After replying, Huo Qingzhuo didn’t foolishly wait for a response, predicting that the other party likely wouldn’t reply again. Instead, she used the time to research the entertainment industry of this world on her phone.

She had checked the general background before; it was basically no different from her previous life. Looking at the current state of the industry and the awards, everything was identical except for the people involved.

This finally put Huo Qingzhuo’s mind at ease. As long as her “Winslet Golden Statue” still existed, she was satisfied. In her last life, she had been only one step away; in this life, she was determined to hold that golden statue in her own hands.

After all, those years in her previous life hadn’t been for nothing. In this life, Huo Qingzhuo didn’t expect—nor intend—to be picked up by a talent scout like before. She planned to knock on the doors of the entertainment industry herself.

When she first started her own studio in her past life, she had dealt with many small-budget productions. Generally, these productions were more inclined to use newcomers. Following a few niche channels she knew, Huo Qingzhuo picked out several promising and suitable crews. She carefully compared and weighed the recruitment information.

Ultimately, she narrowed it down to two: one was a modern light-comedy micro-movie crowdfunded by college students, and the other was a debut suspense web series by a rookie director.

She sent messages to the leads of both crews. She wasn’t sure which one would choose her, but she was interested in both.

Students began trickling back into the classroom, but Shen Junfu and Wei Qingqing were nowhere to be seen. It was only after Huo Qingzhuo finished her tasks that she noticed their absence.

“Hey, you,” Huo Qingzhuo stopped her former seatmate who had just entered. “Have you seen Shen Junfu and Wei Qingqing?”

Startled by the sudden call-out, the former seatmate looked a bit intimidated by the current Huo Qingzhuo. “They were in the cafeteria earlier. Then it seemed like someone came looking for Shen Junfu, and they left. I don’t know where they went.”

“Thanks.”

Huo Qingzhuo’s brow furrowed. She felt that the situation wasn’t simple.

Although Shen Junfu was a prominent figure at Shengguan High School with many ex-girlfriends, she didn’t actually have many friends here. Her family background dictated that her social circle was mostly at the neighboring Zhuoyun Noble Academy. Based on Shen Junfu’s past patterns, this situation likely spelled trouble.

Huo Qingzhuo wasn’t worried about the thick-skinned, fight-prone Shen Junfu; she was more concerned about the gentle and well-behaved Wei Qingqing.

Hurrying out of the classroom as the bell rang, Huo Qingzhuo avoided the class advisor, Wenren Heyu, by taking the skybridge connecting to the laboratory building.

She navigated the dark stairs of the lab building. Since the main door was locked, she took a side exit that led directly to the back playground.

Under the dim streetlights, Huo Qingzhuo scanned the empty playground. Recalling descriptions of hidden corners in Shengguan High School from the original novel, she headed toward a corner between the football pitch and the basketball court.

Her luck held. As she approached, she heard voices, including Shen Junfu’s.

“Since when is it any of your business how I, Shen Junfu, do things?”

…

“Cut the crap. I’m telling you now: if any of you dare touch Huo Qingzhuo or Wei Qingqing, I’ll have you all kicked out of Shengguan.”

“Move!”

Hearing Shen Junfu’s voice completely dominating the scene, Huo Qingzhuo stopped moving. As footsteps approached, Shen Junfu walked out leading Wei Qingqing and came face-to-face with Huo Qingzhuo.

“Whoa… what are you doing here? You scared me!”

Still fuming, Shen Junfu was startled by Huo Qingzhuo’s sudden appearance. A string of colorful language nearly escaped her lips, but she suppressed it, glaring at Huo Qingzhuo.

“I thought you might have run into trouble and came to check. But it looks like you’ve already handled it.”

Huo Qingzhuo didn’t hide her intentions. To be honest, hearing Shen Junfu’s declaration just now had touched her slightly—but only slightly.

“Tch, they’re the ones in trouble. They really thought that recognizing a few ‘sworn brothers’ would let them walk all over me? I can take on ten of those weaklings alone,” Shen Junfu rolled her eyes disdainfully.

“Did you actually fight? Is Qingqing okay?” Huo Qingzhuo had originally thought it was just a verbal spat, but it turned out to be a physical altercation—and apparently, Shen Junfu had fought multiple people alone.

“I’m fine,” Wei Qingqing said, remaining remarkably calm despite the situation. “Shen Junfu did all the fighting. I wasn’t touched at all.”

“Huo Qingzhuo, what’s that supposed to mean? With Qingqing by my side, would I ever let anything happen to her?” Shen Junfu stopped rubbing her elbow and looked at Huo Qingzhuo with dissatisfaction.

For the sake of that small bit of touched emotion from earlier, Huo Qingzhuo decided not to argue. “Then are you okay?”

“How could anything happen to me? Don’t be ridiculous,” Shen Junfu retorted instantly. “It’s just that ‘Bird Feather’ will probably report me to my parents again. Such a pain.”

Huo Qingzhuo looked at the stubborn Shen Junfu and nonchalantly poked her elbow. She watched as Shen Junfu jumped up with a cry of pain. “And you call this ‘fine’?”

“Huo Qingzhuo, you’re looking for trouble!” Shen Junfu had never met anyone so malicious.

“I felt like it,” Huo Qingzhuo quipped. She then turned to Wei Qingqing. “Class has started. Qingqing, you go back first. I’ll take this idiot to the health office.”

“I’ll go with you,” Wei Qingqing knew Huo Qingzhuo didn’t want her to skip class, but she didn’t want to leave them.

“No need. You need to go back and request leave for us. Just say Shen Junfu has a stomachache and I’m taking her to the infirmary. Go on.”

Huo Qingzhuo sent Wei Qingqing off and turned back to see a group of guys limping out from the corner. Two girls who were unharmed were helping them out, looking at Shen Junfu with lingering fear.

Shen Junfu was still angry. She pointed at them and warned, “If I catch you again, it won’t be this light. Now get lost!”

Terrified of Shen Junfu and frightened by the threat, the group scrambled away and disappeared in an instant.