After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother - Chapter 23

Jiang Zhaolie suddenly felt as if Xu Chun had unblocked her meridians, experiencing a moment of profound enlightenment. That’s right, if she and Xu Chun always appeared in front of her mother as though they were still entangled in unresolved feelings, with sparks ready to reignite at any moment, then no matter how much effort Xu Chun put in later, wouldn’t her mother keep her at arm’s length?

This way, if Xu Chun still harbored any delusions of manipulating her mother, it would be impossible.

Jiang Zhaolie thought this was a brilliant plan. But when she noticed the clear, bright eyes of Yu Sui’an, filled with what seemed like disappointment, anger, and resentment her heart skipped a beat. The problem now was… how should she explain to Sui’an why she and Xu Chun were constantly pulling and tugging at each other, entangled in an endless mess?

Her anxious gaze lingered on Yu Sui’an as she weighed her options. Then, decisively, she walked toward her. “Sui’an, it’s not what it looks like. Don’t listen to her nonsense.”

Jiang Zhaolie moved closer, intending to take Yu Sui’an’s hand as usual, but the latter subtly avoided her touch. Yu Sui’an smiled gently, appearing harmless, yet her eyes carried a coldness and detachment Jiang Zhaolie had never seen before. “Zhaolie, everyone’s watching.”

She really was angry. Jiang Zhaolie instantly felt at a loss, unsure of what to do. She wanted to comfort her, but Qin Yao stood silently nearby, watching her intently. Every joint in Jiang Zhaolie’s body seemed to rust over, leaving her frozen in place like a block of wood.

Qin Yao had never liked Yu Sui’an to begin with. If Jiang Zhaolie tried to console her in front of Qin Yao now, it would be like plucking hairs from a tiger’s tail, she didn’t dare take that risk.

Just as the three of them remained locked in a standoff, Xu Chun, furious, suddenly sprang up from her chair like a carp leaping out of water. Pointing accusingly at Jiang Zhaolie, she retorted indignantly, “Stop spouting nonsense!”

Xu Chun mercilessly exposed Jiang Zhaolie’s intentions. “You just want to drive a wedge between me and Sui’an, and between me and my sister!” Her eyes blazed with anger. “You want to make Sui’an jealous to prove your importance and status in her heart.”

As she spoke, sorrow welled up inside her. With tears shimmering in her eyes, she swayed weakly toward Qin Yao before Jiang Zhaolie could react, burying herself in Qin Yao’s embrace and clutching her clothes as she sobbed. “Sister, I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this. If she wants to win over her beloved, fine but why does she have to use me to fuel their romance?”

“Does Zhaolie not see me as human? Does she think my heart doesn’t ache?”

“My fiancée and my ex getting together is bad enough, but now I have to watch them fall in love and even sacrifice myself for their happiness.” Xu Chun sniffled, her voice trembling. “They’ll end up happily ever after, but what about me? What about the me they’ve used and discarded? Who will remember me then? Who will care about me?”

“Sister,” she lifted her head, gazing up at Qin Yao with tearful eyes, her voice choked with emotion. “I don’t understand why my fate in this life is even more bitter than coptis root.”

She was clearly twisting the truth and being unreasonable. Jiang Zhaolie’s face darkened like the bottom of a pot as she instinctively turned to Qin Yao. “Mom, it’s not like what she said. I never did any of those things she accused me of…”

“Enough.” Qin Yao cut her off, her sharp eyes coolly fixed on her. The slight upward tilt at the corners of the woman’s eyes gave her an indescribably intimidating presence when she stared someone down.

At this moment, who was right or wrong didn’t matter. Jiang Zhaolie shouldn’t have continued entangling with Yu Sui’an during this sensitive period after breaking off the engagement, let alone stayed at someone else’s film set for a week without returning to work. Qin Yao’s patience was nearly exhausted as she spoke sternly, leaving no room for face-saving, “If you don’t want to go to the company anymore, then don’t bother going at all.”

Seeing Qin Yao’s anger, Jiang Zhaolie immediately realized the gravity of the situation. She lowered her head and obediently admitted her mistake, “I’ll go back right away.”

Qin Yao gave an indifferent hum in response. Jiang Zhaolie lifted her head, wanting to say a few words to Yu Sui’an before leaving, but the other woman’s cold, dismissive attitude made her heart sink halfway. A fleeting sense of loss and other indescribable emotions passed through her, disappearing as quickly as they came.

Perhaps out of spite, Jiang Zhaolie didn’t bid Yu Sui’an farewell. She turned on her heel and strode away, soon vanishing from Yu Sui’an’s sight.

Yu Sui’an remained indifferent to Jiang Zhaolie’s departure. Her unblinking gaze fixed on Xu Chun as she spoke softly, “Sister, it’s time to rehearse our lines.”

Deliberately ignoring Qin Yao’s presence, Yu Sui’an nevertheless felt the oppressive warning in the older woman’s sweeping glance, which made her face pale unconsciously. She pressed her lips together tightly but stubbornly kept staring at Xu Chun, hoping to see even a trace of favoritism in her expression.

To her disappointment, Xu Chun only had eyes for Qin Yao at that moment.

The way Xu Chun looked at Qin Yao was something Yu Sui’an had never seen before as if Qin Yao was her entire world. This realization made an involuntary bitterness rise in Yu Sui’an’s heart, spiraling upward before spreading through her limbs until it consumed her entire being. The discomfort made her desperately want to cling to Xu Chun.

With Qin Yao personally present, how could Xu Chun possibly focus on rehearsing with Yu Sui’an? Without hesitation, she refused, “We’ll rehearse later. I don’t have time now.”

Then she looked up at Qin Yao with sparkling eyes, blinking twice, “Sister, can we talk privately?”

Qin Yao gave a slight nod, then glanced at Xu Chun’s hands hanging onto her arm but ultimately didn’t push her away in front of Yu Sui’an. Noticing Qin Yao’s tacit permission and indulgence, the smile at Xu Chun’s eyes deepened further.

Yu Sui’an watched despondently as Xu Chun’s face lit up with undisguised joy, feeling as if her heart were being viciously squeezed, throbbing painfully with each beat.

Qin Yao wore a long black trench coat today. Tall and slender, the coat wrapped around her elegant figure, exuding a stern and formidable aura. Though Xu Chun was also dressed in a well-tailored, sharp-lined suit, standing next to Qin Yao inexplicably made her appear delicate and charming. The two figures one tall, one petite stood close together, their refined and expensive attire radiating an almost tangible air of nobility.

The scene was beautiful, the pair perfectly matched. Yet, Yu Sui’an found it nothing but grating.

There was a time when she, too, had clung tightly to Xu Chun’s arm like that. Back then, Xu Chun had been serious and reserved, while she had chattered endlessly. Yet neither of them had found it dull, in fact, they had reveled in it.

As memories surfaced, Yu Sui’an unconsciously clenched her slender fingers together. A sudden wave of panic and helplessness crashed over her. It seemed… in her relentless pursuit of fame and fortune, she had truly lost the person who had once loved and cherished her, even willing to give her everything…

Xu Chun, meanwhile, was overjoyed. She had thought it would be ages before Qin Yao visited her again, so the sudden fulfillment of her wish left her babbling excitedly: “Sister, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you since we last met. Whether I was filming, eating, or sleeping, my thoughts were always filled with you.”

“I never understood what ‘a day apart feels like three years’ meant, until I met you.”

Qin Yao glanced down at her, and sensing her attention, Xu Chun perked up, eager to prove her sincerity. She raised her hands earnestly. “Really, every word I just said is true. You have to believe me!”

A hint of amusement flickered in Qin Yao’s eyes, but she didn’t indulge her. Instead, she remarked casually, “Earlier, your grandfather asked me to check on you at the set.” Her tone was light, almost offhand. “I happened to be passing by today, so I stopped in.”

Her grandfather? Xu Chun blinked in confusion. “If he’s so worried about me, why didn’t he come himself?” Why go through the trouble of asking Qin Yao?

It was just an idle thought, nothing more. But after a brief pause, Qin Yao tilted her head slightly and asked coolly, “You don’t want to see me?”

Xu Chun’s heart lurched. Before she could explain, Qin Yao added, “If you don’t want me here, I won’t come again.”

Xu Chun: “!!!” No! That’s not what I meant!

Don’t misunderstand!

Panicked, she floundered for an explanation only to notice Qin Yao lifting her chin slightly, eyes brimming with laughter. Realization dawned: Qin Yao had been teasing her all along.

Muttering inwardly about Qin Yao’s mischievous streak, Xu Chun fixed her with a pitiful stare. “Sister, even you’re bullying me now.”

“Who else has bullied you?” Qin Yao’s smile faded, her expression turning serious and stern. Without hesitation, Xu Chun replied, “There are plenty,” then proceeded to list every name from past, present, and even potential future adversaries who might oppose or frame her she nearly included the dogs that barked at her on the street.

Qin Yao’s composed face remained unfathomably calm, making it impossible to tell whether she was merely humoring Xu Chun or genuinely noting down a few names.

Truthfully, Xu Chun didn’t expect Qin Yao to avenge her. The woman was always swamped, spinning like a top with no time to spare for such trivial matters. Yet, shortly after Qin Yao left, Xu Chun returned to news from her assistant: the entire Shen family had been neatly rounded up and sent to jail.

Her eyes widened in shock. “Who did this?” she blurted out.

But even as she asked, the answer was already clear in her mind. Aside from Qin Yao, no one she knew possessed the power to ruin someone so thoroughly in mere moments. Others who might have that capability had little to do with her, making it impossible for them to suddenly take up her cause out of goodwill.

What puzzled Xu Chun was Qin Yao’s consistently kind, even protective, attitude toward her. To Qin Yao, she was nothing more than the insignificant ex-fiancée of her daughter, why go out of her way to help her repeatedly? It couldn’t possibly be love at first sight.

Though Xu Chun couldn’t make sense of it, that didn’t stop her from shamelessly sending Qin Yao a few grateful messages to strengthen their connection.

Her phone vibrated. Seated in her car, Qin Yao glanced up from her laptop. Her posture was impeccable, her figure half-shrouded in dim light, her stunning features rendered indistinct by the shifting glow of the screen. The faint reflection cast on her pale skin accentuated the sharp yet tender contours of her face.

Her slender fingers scrolled through Xu Chun’s messages, her expression unreadable. Coolly, she instructed her secretary in the passenger seat, “Proceed as planned.”

The secretary stole a discreet glance at her through the rearview mirror and nodded. “Understood, President Qin.”

After the Shen family’s abrupt downfall neatly orchestrated by Xu Chun, or so it seemed, the film crew’s attitude toward her shifted dramatically. Where once a few, aside from Yu Sui’an, had eagerly sought her favor, now even the most shameless social climbers kept their distance, as though she were some man-eating monster.

Xu Chun surveyed their wary, fearful gazes and sighed. Though she hadn’t orchestrated this, she might as well take the blame. After all, what was one more accusation? She was already carrying plenty, what difference did another make?

Earlier, due to the love triangle between Xu Chun, Jiang Zhaolie, and Yu Sui’an, their family backgrounds had been thoroughly exposed online especially Xu Chun’s. By now, nearly everyone knew her family was somewhat well-off, but overall, her background was only middle-class at best. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so defenseless against the smear campaigns launched by Yu Sui’an’s team.

Yu Sui’an’s agent was a notorious rich second-generation figure in the industry, leveraging his family’s influence to act with impunity. Even someone like Xu Chun, who would be considered affluent in the eyes of ordinary people, was nothing more than a minor nouveau riche in his eyes utterly insignificant.

Given Xu Chun’s past history of being completely outmatched by Yu Sui’an, her sudden dramatic comeback like the protagonist of a revenge novel, left everyone suspicious.

Could it be,  Xu Chun had somehow secured a powerful sugar daddy?

How else could she suddenly become so bold, picking fights without hesitation? After some “logical” analysis by netizens, the idea that Xu Chun had a wealthy backer became an indisputable “fact.”

When Xu Chun overheard this rumor from her assistant after wrapping up filming, she was utterly baffled. If she really had a sugar daddy, would she have ended up in such a state? If she had one, the first thing she’d do would be to make life miserable for Jiang Zhaolie and Yu Sui’an.

The rumor wasn’t particularly damaging, but it was downright insulting.

Just as Xu Chun rolled up her sleeves, ready to log into a burner account and argue with netizens, her assistant rushed in and whispered, “Sis Xu, the actress replacing Shen Shutong has arrived.” The assistant took a breath before continuing, “I heard she’s the investor’s beloved daughter spoiled rotten, with a notoriously domineering personality. She’s going to be a nightmare to work with.”

“This is her first role, and it’ll also be her debut project. Sister Yang is worried the screenwriter might cave to the investor’s pressure and give her extra scenes…” A few added scenes wouldn’t be a big deal, but the real fear was that she’d get greedy and demand rewrites that would completely butcher the script.

If that happened, others getting criticized would be the least of their worries. This project was Xu Chun’s first major, high-profile IP after Yu Sui’an had ruined her reputation. If it flopped, they didn’t even need to think hard to imagine how vicious the online backlash against Xu Chun would be.

As soon as Assistant A finished speaking, Assistant B chimed in anxiously, “If that’s the case, we might as well have kept Shen Shutong.”

At least Shen Shutong was just another newcomer no better or worse in acting and unlike this replacement, she wasn’t untouchable. If this new actress joined the crew today, they’d all be walking on eggshells from now on.

Assistant B fretted, “What do we do, Sis Xu? I think she’s heading straight for us.”

Xu Chun wasn’t blind, she could already see the newcomer approaching with an entourage, her demeanor so imperious it was like a royal consort staging a coup.

Xu Chun appeared expressionless on the surface, but internally she was panicking she’d let Qin Yao leave too soon. Had she known this situation would arise, she would have insisted on keeping Qin Yao around. As the other woman approached, Xu Chun straightened her posture and forced a polite smile. “Hello.”

Jiang Banxia looked down at Xu Chun with cold detachment, neither responding nor speaking. Like a mute, she scrutinized Xu Chun from head to toe for what felt like an eternity. Just as Xu Chun and her assistant were losing patience, Jiang Banxia finally spoke. “I never thought after all these years, you’d sink to such lows.”

Xu Chun blinked in confusion. “?” What was this about?

Judging by the tone… did this woman know her?

Xu Chun studied the other’s stunning face carefully, catching a fleeting, indistinct memory. As she struggled to place the woman’s identity, Assistant A suddenly whispered in her ear, “Ms. Xu, this Ms. Jiang… seems to be your first love, your white moonlight.”

“And you were the one who dumped her back then.”

Xu Chun: “?!” Again?!

This life of hers, constantly caught in these dramatic confrontations where she bore the blame,

Was absolutely thrilling!

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