After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother - Chapter 22

Jiang Zhaolie instinctively wanted to slap the back of Xu Chun’s head hard. Just as her body reflexively raised her hand mid-swing, she suddenly had an epiphany and forcibly stopped the motion, withdrawing her arm.

She wouldn’t expose Xu Chun just yet, she wanted to see what other outrageous things the other woman would dare to do behind her back.

The Art of War emphasized keeping the enemy in the light while staying hidden in the shadows. She would see through Xu Chun’s act without revealing it, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. How dare Xu Chun openly covet her mother? She must have a death wish.

Jiang Zhaolie walked away without a word. Though she had spared Xu Chun this time, she couldn’t fathom the meaning behind Xu Chun’s actions. Was it revenge for her own past harshness?

But there were countless ways to retaliate, Xu Chun didn’t need to drag herself down in the process.

The more Jiang Zhaolie thought, the more confused she became. Xu Chun seemed like a completely different person now, her behavior and motives utterly incomprehensible. They had known each other for so long, yet the distance between them felt wider than between strangers.

Xu Chun belatedly sensed a breeze brush past the back of her head. She turned sharply, but no one was there only Jiang Zhaolie walking away with her back turned. Puzzled, she scratched her cheek. Had she imagined it?

Shaking her head, Xu Chun refocused on her conversation with Qin Yao, who had finally promised to visit her on set once her schedule cleared. Xu Chun was secretly overjoyed but played the role of the understanding and considerate girl: “It’s alright, Sister, your work comes first.”

Qin Yao’s brow lifted slightly, teasing her. “Alright, then I’ll see you next month when I’m free.”

Xu Chun: “…?”

Her shoulders slumped instantly. No way! Sister, I was joking!

But Qin Yao had already gone silent again. Xu Chun hugged her phone, on the verge of tears. Could she take back what she’d just said? A glance at the time gave her hope, it hadn’t been two minutes yet! She could still recall the message!

Overjoyed, she quickly pressed the chat box, only for her finger to slip and tap [Delete] instead.

Xu Chun: “…?!”

What had she just done?

Realizing she had deleted the message instead of recalling it, Xu Chun felt like crying herself to sleep. Just then, her assistant came to call her for makeup before filming. Seeing her devastated expression, the assistant took pity and reassured her, “Don’t worry, sis. The public is on your side now.”

“By tomorrow at the latest, Shen Shutong’s mess will be resolved. Sister Yang is already working on burying her. Since Shen Shutong walked right into the line of fire this time, Sister Yang won’t let her off easy.”

The reminder of Shen Shutong’s situation only deepened Xu Chun’s misery.

Her life was truly more bitter than coffee.

Originally, Shen Shutong’s removal from the role wasn’t a big deal, and few people paid attention to her situation. But she had to flaunt her connections through her brother and sister-in-law, making a huge fuss in an attempt to reclaim her role and demand justice, relentlessly pestering Xu Chun and refusing to let her go. That alone would have been bad enough, but her greed knew no bounds, she even had people buy trending hashtags for her and personally played the victim online, trying to use public opinion to morally pressure Xu Chun into apologizing.

Accustomed to throwing her weight around with her connections, she had already made countless enemies in the industry despite being relatively new. While not everyone was as unyielding as Xu Chun and Yu Sui’an, now that the tide had turned, the celebrities and ordinary people she had bullied all came forward to expose her past arrogant and domineering behavior.

More and more people joined in, until it became impossible to tell who were genuine victims and who were just jumping on the bandwagon. But that didn’t stop everyone from enjoying the drama and taking the opportunity to kick her while she was down.

With limited resources in the industry, every rival taken out meant one more opportunity for the rest. No one would pass up such an easy chance.

In just half a day, Shen Shutong went from a pitiable victim to a universally despised outcast. Even the brother and sister-in-law she constantly name-dropped had been suspended and fired by their company, vanishing without a trace.

Though somewhat panicked, Shen Shutong wasn’t entirely shaken. With the Shen family’s influence, they wouldn’t be easily toppled by such a trivial matter. Besides, her grandparents had retired from high-ranking positions, no matter how big the scandal, they would cover it up for her.

But what she didn’t expect was that, in the time it took for her to return home and get scolded by her father, Xu Chun had personally stepped in. She reposted all the damning evidence about Shen and her family that netizens had dug up onto her own Weibo, adding a gossipy comment like any other drama-loving netizen: Keeping up with the latest updates.

She might as well have outright said, Don’t let her off the hook.

What kind of status did Xu Chun hold? Among A-list actresses, those with better acting skills weren’t as beautiful as her, and those more beautiful than her… well, there were practically none. She had both influence and ratings, already a rising star. Xu Chun’s direct involvement instantly blew the scandal wide open, making it impossible for Shen’s family to quietly disappear and wait for the storm to pass.

Clenching her teeth, Shen Shutong tried to reassure herself: Don’t panic. Maybe Xu Chun is just venting her anger today. Once she gets busy with work, she’ll forget about this.

After all, as a public figure with a packed filming schedule, Xu Chun wouldn’t have time to keep obsessing over her.

But once again, things didn’t go as she expected. Xu Chun did have a lot of filming every day, and she was indeed very busy, yet she still found time to keep up with every new piece of dirt on Shen Shutong. Even after the police had released their investigation results regarding her removal from the role, Xu Chun tirelessly tagged them: What else? Please investigate Shen Shutong’s brother, sister-in-law, and the rest of her family too.

Netizens reacted with comments like: [“How savage! You’ve single-handedly stripped the bamboo shoots from the entire mountain, but I fully support Sister Xu’s refusal to let any injustice or wrongful accusation slide.”]

[“Just for Xu Chun speaking up for so many victims this time, I’ll never say another bad word about you.”]

[“Justice and truth require persistence. If Sister Xu hadn’t stuck with it for over a week, Shen Shutong might have taken the blame for the role withdrawal again. My Sister Xu really has this unfortunate talent for attracting petty people.”]

Shen Shutong nearly ground her teeth to dust reading these online comments. Wasn’t it just one argument? Did Xu Chun really have to hold such a grudge and keep targeting her?

Xu Chun truly was the vindictive type. Responding to netizens’ teasing and doubts, she indignantly declared: [“I can’t eat or sleep peacefully until I see the wrongdoers punished. If we all turn a blind eye today, we’ll regret it when the knife falls on us tomorrow and we feel the pain.”]

Longtime fans of Xu Chun felt complicated emotions. Yeah right, they didn’t buy it for a second. She was clearly just bored between filming, avoiding any interaction with Yu Sui’an, and amusing herself online instead.

Having stumbled upon this long, convoluted, month-long investigative drama involving the Shen family, a perfect soap opera of scandal there was no way she’d let it go.

Admittedly, some fans had indeed guessed the truth.

But what fans could deduce, the clever Yu Sui’an naturally figured out too. She silently watched Xu Chun happily engrossed in her phone, unwilling to believe the other woman could move on so quickly.

After their breakup, hadn’t Xu Chun been devastated, nearly drowning herself in alcohol? How could someone who’d been so hung up on her lose all feelings in such a short time?

Unless… this was all an act. Xu Chun was deliberately playing indifferent, trying to make Yu Sui’an panic about losing her completely, thereby pushing Yu to take initiativeto chase, coax, and win back their past relationship.

Admittedly, it was a risky move by Xu Chun, but an effective one.

Xu Chun’s apparent indifference did reignite Yu Sui’an’s competitive streak. If she’d won Xu Chun over once, she could do it again and again until Xu was back under her spell, utterly infatuated and orbiting around her once more.

The thought made Yu Sui’an practically giddy with anticipation.

Taking a deep breath, she concealed all traces of aggressive emotion from her eyes and expression. When she exhaled, she’d transformed back into the gentle, harmless little white flower everyone saw.

Her tenderness was an unstoppable weapon. Under her carefully crafted emotions and words, everyone unwittingly became her devoted follower.

Xu Chun would be no exception.

Xu Chun was deeply engrossed in tracking the Shen family case when her assistant suddenly called out frantically, “Sister Xu Chun! Yu Sui’an is coming!” The assistant lowered her voice, speaking rapidly, “Enemy forces will arrive on the battlefield in ten seconds!”

Before Xu Chun could even react, a soft and gentle “sister” whispered beside her ear. By the time she looked up, Yu Sui’an had already strode over and stopped right in front of her, gazing down with a radiant smile. “Sister, let’s rehearse the next scene in advance.”

As if anticipating Xu Chun’s refusal, she deliberately added, “I’m struggling with the emotional delivery. I’m afraid if we don’t practice beforehand, my performance might delay the entire crew’s progress. So I have to trouble you, sister.”

One sentence, and I was trapped with no way out.

Seeing Yu Sui’an made Xu Chun feel like her world had gone dark, devoid of all hope. She lifted her sharp, makeup-enhanced eyes expressionlessly and asked with lingering resistance, “Do I have any other options?”

“Not really,” Yu Sui’an replied gently. “For this scene, it seems only you can help me, sister.”

Xu Chun: “…” Being around Yu Sui’an, shouldn’t this count as an occupational hazard?

Helpless, she could only brace herself and follow Yu Sui’an away. She knew what the next scene entailed, a rather intimate one, though it was mainly her character’s one-sided madness and humiliation of the other. The original novel had described it with particularly steamy details, but since such content wouldn’t pass censorship on TV, the scriptwriter had toned it down significantly. Even so, the scene still carried considerable intensity.

Xu Chun unconsciously loosened a button on her shirt, already feeling sweat prickle her skin.

Tall and elegant in her impeccably tailored suit, she exuded an innate, alluring nobility, a charisma so potent that even Yu Sui’an sometimes found herself staring, lost in those mesmerizing, affectionate eyes.

Snapping back to reality, Yu Sui’an studied Xu Chun’s indifferent demeanor, her gaze now tinged with unmistakable determination.

Jiang Zhaolie watched motionless as the two walked off side by side. Originally, she should have left the set and returned to the company last week. Qin Yao had already relented, reinstating her position and all her responsibilities, she could go back to work anytime. Yet, for some reason, she didn’t want to leave.

On one hand, she wanted to keep an eye on Xu Chun, to figure out what kind of schemes she was concocting day after day. On the other, she had suddenly noticed Yu Sui’an’s attitude toward Xu Chun had done a complete 180 now excessively attentive and clingy. Before, Yu Sui’an might have praised Xu Chun in front of her, but her demeanor was nothing like this.

It was as if Yu Sui’an had never once considered reconciling with Xu Chun before, but now, at some unknown moment, she had quietly reignited that desire and begun acting on it. Every spare minute, she would drag Xu Chun into script discussions, shamelessly sticking to her side. No matter how cold Xu Chun’s expression or how indifferent her attitude, Yu Sui’an seemed oblivious, stubbornly throwing her whole heart into the pursuit.

This stirred an intense sense of crisis in Jiang Zhaolie.

When Yu Sui’an and Xu Chun finally finished discussing the script and Yu Sui’an went off to film her solo scenes, Jiang Zhaolie seized the moment to stride over and plant herself in front of Xu Chun. After half an hour of mental gymnastics with Yu Sui’an, Xu Chun felt like her brain cells had been thoroughly depleted. Seeing Jiang Zhaolie approach now only added to her exhaustion. She wearily lifted her eyelids. “What do you want now?”

She had been lounging lazily when something suddenly occurred to her, making her straighten up with a spine as rigid as a rod. Her cool gaze fixed on Jiang Zhaolie as she said, “You’d better have a proper reason for coming to me.”

Jiang Zhaolie was speechless at her abrupt shift in attitude. “Did you and Suisui discuss scripts like this every day before?”

Of course they did. Xu Chun nearly launched into a rant right then, but at the last second, she swallowed her words and slumped back into her chair. With deliberate slowness, she arched an eyebrow at Jiang Zhaolie, her tone devilishly enticing as she proposed, “Jiang Zhaolie, how about we make a deal?”

Jiang Zhaolie didn’t respond, her eyes locked on Xu Chun without blinking.

Xu Chun wasn’t bothered by her silence. Jiang Zhaolie had always been the suspicious type, trusting no one especially not her. Xu Chun scoffed inwardly. Who would’ve thought someone like her would one day open her heart unconditionally to Yu Sui’an? Truly, it was like a small knife slicing the butt , an eye-opener.

Snapping back to the present, Xu Chun adopted a more serious expression. “I can tell you with absolute certainty that I have no feelings for Yu Sui’an not before, not now, and never in the future.”

Jiang Zhaolie remained unconvinced. “I don’t believe a single word you just said.”

She had seen how inseparable the two had been these past few days. Did Xu Chun really think a few empty words would sway her? Impossible.

Xu Chun sighed internally. Well, you asked for it.

Her face tilted upward with a sinister edge, but her lips suddenly curled into a radiant, gentle smile. “Zhaolie, you really like Suisui, don’t you? So much that you’d marry no one else in this lifetime, right?”

Jiang Zhaolie had no idea what scheme Xu Chun was hatching now, but at those words, she hesitated before nodding. Xu Chun’s fair face brightened further with delight. “In that case, how about I help you win Suisui over from now on?”

Help her pursue Suisui? Since when was Xu Chun so generous? Jiang Zhaolie was skeptical, but the offer was undeniably tempting. Caught in indecision, she remained silent, locked in a stalemate with Xu Chun.

Unfazed by her lack of reaction, Xu Chun drew out her next words, her eyes glinting mischievously before she spoke again, her voice soft and unhurried. “And in return, you help me pursue your sister. How does that sound?”

Sister? Jiang Zhaolie froze. Which sister?

A moment later, the answer dawned on her from Xu Chun’s expression. She shot up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her face flushing with fury. “Xu Chun, don’t you dare even think about it! I’d rather stay single my whole life than let you get your hands on my mother!”

“I’d sooner give up on Sui’an forever than stand by and watch my pure, virtuous mother fall into your clutches, only to be toyed with and discarded!” Jiang Zhaolie’s rage burned white-hot. How dare she? How dare Xu Chun set her sights on Qin Yao, whose character was as flawless as jade and whose heart was as clear as the moonlit sky?

Jiang Zhaolie was so angry her chest ached, but Xu Chun merely smiled sweetly and said, “Oh, I was just teasing you. Seeing how worked up you got when I mentioned being with my sister proves you still have feelings for me.” Her affectionate gaze locked onto Jiang Zhaolie. “Zhaolie, you haven’t completely let go of me yet, have you?”

“Right?” Her tone was so confident it left Jiang Zhaolie baffled about what act she was putting on now.

Just as Jiang Zhaolie frowned in deep confusion, Xu Chun’s assistant’s voice rang out at a moderate distance, “Miss Yu, Qin…” Her tone carried a hint of uncertainty, “President Qin?”

“Why aren’t you going in?” the assistant asked curiously.

Jiang Zhaolie froze completely. She stiffly turned her head and indeed saw Yu Sui’an and Qin Yao, who had arrived at some unknown time.

Panicking instantly, Jiang Zhaolie stammered, “No, Mom, no,  Sui’er…” She looked left at Qin Yao, then right at Yu Sui’an, her gaze darting between them. Flustered, she didn’t know whether to explain to Qin Yao or Yu Sui’an first.

Her palms grew damp with sweat. When she inadvertently caught sight of the instigator’s composed demeanor, her anger flared anew. Then, racking her brains, Jiang Zhaolie suddenly stopped panicking. With a faint smile, she decisively dragged Xu Chun down with her like a vengeful spirit, “Didn’t you just say you missed me terribly and that’s why you asked me to meet you here?”

The gossipy smile on Xu Chun’s face instantly stiffened: “?!”

Damn! You little brat! Don’t you dare drive a wedge between me and your mom!

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