After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Am in a Relationship with My Scummy Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother - Chapter 17

Just by listening, one could feel the majestic momentum within the piece. The heavy notes were thick and powerful, while the high notes were fierce and sharp. Combined, they made listeners feel as if they were situated on a battlefield of clashing swords and shadows; even their souls trembled.

The entire venue was silent. The cooperation between the two people on stage was nearly perfect; no one could believe that this was actually their first time collaborating.

Huo Qingzhuo and Shen Junfu struck the final note simultaneously, then stood up with expressionless faces to take their bow.

It was only at this moment that the crowd woke up from the soul-stirring performance. Although there were few people, the enthusiastic applause was not lacking in the slightest. Wei Qingqing sat in the audience, clapping until her hands were red, giving the two a double thumbs-up.

It was only then that Wei Qingqing realized neither of them was looking at her; their gazes were entirely focused on the judging panel.

Right, the most important thing now was the judges’ decision. Wei Qingqing also grew nervous, looking toward the judge who had been the most severe earlier.

Huo Qingzhuo and Shen Junfu both looked at Shu Yueqing. Huo Qingzhuo’s eyes held expectation and undisguised pleasure, while Shen Junfu was rarely nervous, yet still looked at Shu Yueqing with considerable confidence, straightening her back significantly.

Shu Yueqing stopped her clapping hands and looked at the two well-matched people on stage with gratification. “Congratulations to you both.”

And that… was it?

Huo Qingzhuo and Shen Junfu glanced at each other. The expectation and joy in their eyes vanished, replaced by mutual loathing as they turned their heads away. They bowed to the audience and each turned to exit the stage from opposite sides.

Finally, a group had passed. The other judges wiped the sweat from their foreheads, smiling bitterly as they looked at the few remaining acts on the program; they estimated they would have to hold another round of selections.

After returning backstage, Shen Junfu and Huo Qingzhuo did not go their separate ways. Shen Junfu grabbed Huo Qingzhuo’s wrist, dragged her to the rooftop terrace of the performance hall, and closed the door to the stairwell.

Shaking off Shen Junfu’s hand, Huo Qingzhuo rubbed her wrist. “Don’t get handsy. Don’t you know that girls shouldn’t be so touchy-feely with each other?”

“I know your head!” Shen Junfu crossed her arms, scrutinizing Huo Qingzhuo from head to toe. “Who exactly are you?”

Shen Junfu had known for a long time that the current Huo Qingzhuo was not the Huo Qingzhuo of the past, but she had never taken it seriously. After all, it wasn’t important to her; she even felt this person was quite agreeable and had wanted to make friends.

But today, Shen Junfu felt this question was very important.

This person who had appeared out of nowhere had become a genuine threat. Previously, Shen Junfu treated it as minor bickering, but just now, when she saw Shu Yueqing’s gaze fall on Huo Qingzhuo first, she knew this matter was not simple.

“Isn’t it a bit late for you to ask me this question now?”

Huo Qingzhuo could see that Shu Yueqing’s feelings toward her were merely a senior’s appreciation for a junior. This made her slightly irritable, and she lost some patience with Shen Junfu.

“It’s not late. I’m telling you to answer me: who exactly are you?” With a wary expression, Shen Junfu asked again.

“I am still Huo Qingzhuo.” Huo Qingzhuo had no habit of introducing her background or trump cards to others, and besides, there was nothing to say about such supernatural matters.

“You…” Shen Junfu was about to lose her temper when she suddenly thought of something. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Huo Qingzhuo. “You are still Huo Qingzhuo, but you aren’t this Huo Qingzhuo?”

As expected of the female lead, her intelligence could keep up. Huo Qingzhuo nodded and admitted it. “I didn’t come from the future. Don’t ask any more; I don’t know the things you want to ask.”

Shen Junfu swallowed the words she was about to say. “Then I’ll just ask one thing: exactly when did you start liking Shu Yueqing?”

“A long time ago, from the first moment I saw her.” Huo Qingzhuo was indeed not lying. From the moment she saw Shu Yueqing at the awards ceremony in her previous life, her heart had truly been moved.

After answering Shen Junfu’s question, a flash of realization crossed Huo Qingzhuo’s mind. She frowned at Shen Junfu. 007 had mentioned before that Shen Junfu had a “white moonlight,” and part of the reason Shen Junfu liked Wei Qingqing was due to factors related to that person.

So, Shu Yueqing was Shen Junfu’s “white moonlight”?

Huo Qingzhuo felt she had discovered the truth.

Before Huo Qingzhuo could finish her guessing, a knocking sound came from the stairwell. Wei Qingqing was standing at the door with her backpack. “So you two were here? The performance is over; we should go back to class.”

Huo Qingzhuo and Shen Junfu looked at each other and stopped talking. They opened the door and walked toward the classroom with Wei Qingqing.

Wei Qingqing walked between the two of them, full of praise for their performance. Just as she was getting excited, she turned her head and found that the two beside her had stopped. “Why aren’t you moving?”

Quite puzzled, Wei Qingqing followed their gazes and saw the extremely strict judge standing on the steps by the entrance.

Shu Yueqing stood at the door watching the three people come out. Her gaze lingered on the backpack on Wei Qingqing’s shoulder for a moment, and then she waved to the three of them with a gentle attitude.

Unable to avoid it, Shen Junfu walked toward Shu Yueqing with extreme reluctance. Huo Qingzhuo and Wei Qingqing followed. The three of them stood in a row before Shu Yueqing, more nervous and constrained than if they were standing before their headteacher.

Shu Yueqing looked curiously at the three silent individuals. Wei Qingqing looked left and right; although it felt strange, she wanted to speak first to break the awkward atmosphere.

Just as Wei Qingqing opened her mouth, two voices beside her interrupted her words.

“Mom.”

“Sister Shu.”

Wei Qingqing: ?. ?

Huo Qingzhuo: !!!!

Shen Junfu: …

To hide the embarrassment, Shen Junfu directed her spearhead at Huo Qingzhuo first. “Huo Qingzhuo! Who told you to call her ‘Sister’? Call her ‘Auntie’!”

“I…” Looking at Shu Yueqing and then at Shen Junfu, Huo Qingzhuo’s facial expressions had completely lost control. “You two are mother and daughter?!”

“Don’t we look like it?” Shu Yueqing’s mood was also somewhat complicated. She knew before that Shen Junfu and Huo Qingzhuo probably knew each other, but she hadn’t expected them to be classmates—and friends. Thinking back to Shen Junfu’s previous reactions, did she already know something?

Thinking this way, Shu Yueqing also felt a bit awkward.

Huo Qingzhuo shook her head reflexively, then reacted instantly and wanted to nod, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She felt as if her brain had been blown away by this news.

The atmosphere was extremely awkward. Shen Junfu had already given up on herself and turned into stone on the spot. Huo Qingzhuo was still in a daze, and Wei Qingqing was more or less paralyzed as well.

Shu Yueqing gave a light cough to hide the awkwardness and raised her arm to check her watch. “Your performance just now was very outstanding. I wish you a successful opening ceremony in advance. I have things to do, so I’ll be leaving first.”

The three of them stood on the steps, waving their hands like mechanical arms, watching Shu Yueqing get into her car and leave.

The moment Shu Yueqing left, the three of them instantly broke their “seals.” The corners of Huo Qingzhuo’s mouth slowly curled up as she looked at Shen Junfu beside her.

Well, well. She had been treating Shen Junfu as a love rival all this time, but it turned out this was just a little cub protecting her mom.

“Shen Junfu,” Huo Qingzhuo looked at Shen Junfu, who was curled into a ball in the corner of the wall in self-seclusion, and intentionally provoked her, “I will treat you well in the future. Be good, child.”

“Shut up! Huo Qingzhuo, don’t get cocky. I’m still saying the same thing: stay away from her, or I’ll kill you!” Suddenly standing up, Shen Junfu stormed off, her angry silhouette looking like an erupting volcano.

Watching Shen Junfu’s back, Wei Qingqing looked at Huo Qingzhuo with concern, but Huo Qingzhuo didn’t seem angry at all; instead, she was smiling in a very good mood.

“Aren’t you angry?” Wei Qingqing asked, her head full of question marks.

“What’s there to be angry about? She’s a child; it’s normal for them to be a bit naughty.” Huo Qingzhuo glanced at Wei Qingqing and started walking toward the classroom.

Wei Qingqing: ??? What has happened to this world?