After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 25

Jiang Zhaolie gritted her teeth, pretending nonchalantly to dismiss the notification. After only a brief pause, she steered the meeting back on track. Both she and Qin Yao maintained perfect composure, forcing the other executives to suppress their burning curiosity and focus on the agenda.

However, Xu Chun’s interruption had already diverted many minds from the meeting.

Was their CEO Qin Yao finally blossoming in love after all these years? How extraordinary. Having worked with Qin Yao for so long, they’d rarely seen any women, let alone romantic interestsaround her.

Admittedly, this current suitor was both bold and clever, knowing to approach Qin Yao indirectly through Jiang Zhaolie first to avoid triggering Qin Yao’s aversion.

Unaware of the commotion she’d caused in the conference room, Xu Chun continued collaborating with the screenwriter to revise the script after transferring money to Jiang Zhaolie. The original script was already solid, but given the high expectations and audience familiarity with the source material, some innovative adjustments were necessary.

The screenwriter pointed at a section. “I think we could add two more plot twists here.”

Xu Chun glanced at it and considered the context. “Let’s flip it, make the second male lead the female lead’s half-brother.” Her enthusiasm grew. “Actually, the female lead’s true identity is a wealthy heiress who was switched at birth due to a nurse’s mistake, completely altering both children’s destinies.”

“Recently, the wealthy matriarch coincidentally meets the female lead and is struck by her uncanny resemblance to her younger self. Suspicious, she secretly investigates, obtains the female lead’s hair for a DNA test, and ultimately discovers the truth, reclaiming her biological daughter.”

“But the fake heiress can’t accept this reality. She throws tantrums, intensifying her schemes to frame the female lead, making her suffer immensely. Meanwhile, the second male lead is devastated upon learning his love interest is actually his sister. He drowns his sorrows in alcohol until a friend mentions how the fake heiress keeps tormenting his sister. Enraged, he storms home and gives the fake heiress a brutal lesson.”

The screenwriter was momentarily stunned. “…?” So lovers really do end up as siblings?

Wait, she eyed Xu Chun suspiciously. Was this personal vendetta disguised as creative input? Yu Sui’an’s character seemed to suffer more with each passing day. Filming this drama might well be the darkest period of Yu Sui’an’s life.

The screenwriter suspected foul play, but Xu Chun blinked up at her with innocent, pleading eyes, radiating sincerity. The screenwriter’s certainty wavered.

In the end, the screenwriter resigned herself. Whatever personal grudges existed among the cast weren’t her concern. She’d focus on her job and collect her paycheck that was all that mattered.

The script revisions grew increasingly extensive, and with the original author eagerly joining the discussions, the new version now contained numerous additions within the original framework so much so that it had almost completely transformed. Unless one studied it carefully, even die-hard fans who’d read the original ten times over would hardly recognize it.

The original fans never expected the author herself to personally betray them. At the moment, they were happily indulging in the latest drama.

Yu Sui’an, one of the female leads, was embroiled in fresh scandal.

It all started when a marketing account disguised as a die-hard fan of Xu Chun posted a Weibo thread with nine images. The blogger had meticulously compiled a timeline of Yu Sui’an and her fans’ statements from the beginning of her relationship with Xu Chun to their breakup. Based on the posts and activities of Yu Sui’an’s top fan accounts, the blogger concluded that the smear campaign against Xu Chun had been premeditated.

In fact, Yu Sui’an had approached Xu Chun with ulterior motives from the very start.

The timeline clearly pointed out the suspicious coincidences behind their “chance encounters” and how Yu Sui’an’s resources skyrocketed after they officially became a couple. Many of the opportunities she later secured had previously involved collaborations with Xu Chun, making it hard not to suspect that Xu Chun had selflessly handed them over to her girlfriend.

Beyond that, the blogger also listed numerous instances where Xu Chun had been taken advantage of, paired with Yu Sui’an’s calculated efforts to mobilize her top fans in smearing Xu Chun. The whole situation made Xu Chun, completely unaware of any of this look like a fool.

Netizens who had followed the drama closely recalled the frequent paparazzi reports of Xu Chun drinking alone to drown her sorrows during that period and couldn’t help but fall silent.

[Xu Chun really got the short end of the stick. She’s the biggest sucker of the year, no contest.]

[Ugh! And here I was genuinely shipping them. Turns out it was all fake.]

[Did Yu Sui’an piss someone off recently? Why is there suddenly so much dirt on her online? I remember she had some conflict with the second female lead on set before…]

[It’s just because Sui’s getting too popular, she’s in someone’s way. Some people are so scared of her blowing up that they resort to these cheap tactics to slander her.]

[Are Yu Sui’an’s fans overthinking this? If anyone should be worried about the drama’s success overshadowing them, shouldn’t Xu Chun, the lead actress carrying the ratings, be the easier target? Why go after Yu Sui’an instead of Xu Chun or Jiang Banxia?]

[You just don’t get it. This whole post is actually targeting Xu Chun. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a female celebrity in the industry get scammed this badly.]

Given Xu Chun and Yu Sui’an’s existing popularity, combined with the novel’s fanbase, the post quickly trended on Weibo, sparking widespread discussion.

Yu Sui’an had just received the heavily revised script now barely recognizable after Xu Chun and the screenwriter’s changes, and was still processing the shift in her character when her manager called, sternly instructing her to stay off the internet, avoid Weibo, and focus solely on filming without getting distracted by outside noise.

Yu Sui’an frowned instinctively, ignoring her manager’s advice.

Seizing the moment when her assistant wasn’t looking, she quickly unlocked her phone and logged into Weibo. The moment she saw the trending topic, her lips turned pale and her fingers trembled uncontrollably.

A wave of panic more intense than anything she’d ever felt before wrapped around her like an inescapable net, squeezing her so tightly she could barely breathe.

She had occasionally wondered whether her actions might be discovered, but she never thought Xu Chun’s fans would be capable enough to uncover all the clues and piece them together to nail her to the wall of shame. So the thought had merely flickered through her mind before being dismissed without further consideration.

Yet now, the entire truth had been exposed without warning. Everything came crashing down on her when she was least prepared. Yu Sui’an felt like she couldn’t breathe.

But in this moment, what worried her wasn’t the prospect of her reputation being ruined or being viciously criticized by others. Her only concern was: If Xu Chun saw this Weibo post, what would she think of her?

Would she hate and despise her even more?

Xu Chun was already deliberately avoiding her every day. If she learned the truth and became convinced that Yu Sui’an had deliberately schemed to get close to her and start a relationship, would she want to disappear completely from Yu Sui’an’s world and never see her again?

The thought of Xu Chun possibly looking at her with disgust drained all color from Yu Sui’an’s petite face.

When Xu Chun learned about the online news, only one thought crossed her mind, Who did this?

Well done!

But then it occurred to her that Yu Sui’an’s ruined reputation and all the exposed scandals might not actually benefit her drama, and her expression darkened again.

If these scandals had been exposed earlier, she wouldn’t have had to work with Yu Sui’an in the first place. Or if they’d come out later, after filming was complete and the drama had aired, Yu Sui’an’s fate would have been none of her concern. She wouldn’t have to worry now about how this might affect the drama’s future.

Xu Chun scratched her eyebrow absently and accidentally met Jiang Banxia’s gaze. She paused, then put on a smile and shamelessly moved closer. “Banxia, about this matter…”

Jiang Banxia didn’t let her finish. She lifted her eyelids slightly and said expressionlessly, “Do I look that bored to you?”

Although she disliked Yu Sui’an, she wouldn’t go out of her way to spend money just to make trouble for her. Besides, they were all in the same boat now, Yu Sui’an’s downfall would bring her no benefits.

So it wasn’t Jiang Banxia? Xu Chun fell into thought. Then who else had both the capability and the dislike for Yu Sui’an to do this?

Xu Chun mentally went through possible candidates but couldn’t pinpoint anyone suitable, simply because in the original story, Yu Sui’an had stepped on too many people’s toes. First, she had Xu Chun cutting resources for love, and later, Jiang Zhaolie protecting her. The number of people who envied and resented Yu Sui’an in the original story was too many to count.

This was troublesome.

Because the lead actress was suddenly embroiled in such a major scandal, the production team held an emergency meeting. The result was the director sighing as he approached Xu Chun. “Xu, we might need you to make a public statement about this.”

Xu Chun raised an eyebrow, about to refuse when the director said, “Out of humanitarian considerations, the production team will compensate you with an endorsement deal from a luxury blue-chip brand. If you’re willing, you can sign the contract with them this afternoon.”

Instantly, the refusal on Xu Chun’s lips transformed into, “I’d love to! Actually, I never believed Suisui could be that kind of person. She’s so pure and kind, how could she possibly do such things?” Xu Chun declared righteously. “Someone must be slandering her!”

The director looked at her with mixed emotions, “…”

If stupidity had a face, it’d be yours right now.

After relaying the message as the intermediary, the director soon had someone bring over the contract. Xu Chun’s agent rushed over with the company lawyer upon hearing the news. After confirming the contract was sound, they accompanied Xu Chun as she signed.

Even after the signing, the agent couldn’t quite process it. A blue-chip endorsement that people would kill for outside… how had it fallen into Xu Chun’s lap so easily because of Yu Sui’an?

Was this a scam? But the contract terms were crystal clear, and the lawyer found no issues after thorough review. Was it genuine? Yet Xu Chun hardly seemed like someone with such incredible luck.

The agent puzzled over it until the brand representative asked gossipily, “Ms. Xu, are you close with President Qin?”

“Huh?” Xu Chun didn’t catch on until the rep added, “President Qin Yao, you know?”

The sharp-witted agent immediately realized this might be Qin Yao’s doing. Perhaps even Yu Sui’an’s scandal exposure was orchestrated by Qin Yao behind the scenes to avenge Xu Chun.

First, exposing Yu Sui’an to teach her a lesson, then compensating Xu Chun with the luxury endorsement, and finally suppressing the scandal as if it never happened. Yet in that brief window, netizens had already seared Yu Sui’an’s misdeeds into memory. Even with the scandal buried, Yu Sui’an’s reputation was irreparably damaged the ultimate loser.

In this entire affair, Xu Chun was the only true victor.

After seeing off the brand representative, the agent sighed and advised earnestly, “When you get the chance, express your gratitude to President Qin properly.”

Xu Chun turned back, eyes crinkling with a smile, “Naturally. For such great kindness from my dear sister, I can only repay her by offering myself.”

Agent: “?” Is your love-addled brain acting up again? Haven’t you suffered enough from romance?

Having accepted benefits from both the production team and Jiang Zhaolie’s hard-earned money, Xu Chun’s conscience wouldn’t let her skip posting in Yu Sui’an’s defense. As the scandal raged, netizens were startled to see Xu Chun break her social media silence with: [These are outright lies! Suisui would never do such things!]

[If anyone keeps spreading rumors, I’ll report you to the police!]

Fans: “……” She’s beyond saving.

[Sis, what black magic has Yu Sui’an cast on you? Even after breaking up, you’re still defending her? Wake up! She’s no good woman!]

[Sis, how much did Yu Sui’an pay you? I’ll double it!]

[Sis, blink twice if Yu Sui’an’s holding you hostage.]

Thanks to Xu Chun’s intervention and the efforts of Yu Sui’an’s team, the situation gradually calmed down. However, the sudden scandal still affected Yu Sui’an’s reputation, causing her to lose several endorsement deals that were practically in the bag, all of which ended up in the hands of competitors.

Her manager was so furious that she started cursing and immediately rolled up her sleeves to settle the score. Left alone in the van, Yu Sui’an sat quietly, her fair fingers clutching her phone motionlessly. Only when her lashes trembled slightly, revealing a faint glimmer of tears in her clear eyes, did she snap back to reality, biting her lip lightly with her pearly teeth.

So, her sister was still the same as before.

She would stand up for her when she was wronged, support her when she was at a loss, and personally resolve everything when she was left speechless in defense.

Yu Sui’an sniffled softly. Her sister remained as kind as ever, yet she herself had been so wretched and despicable, committing so many heartless acts against the one who had always cared for and protected her.

Her fingers slowly clenched into a fist as she silently watched her phone screen dim. Never again.

From now on, she would never hurt her sister again not even a little. And she would never allow anyone else to harm her sister either. If anyone dared to bully her sister in the future, she would make sure they lived a fate worse than death.

Jiang Zhaolie was quite satisfied with Xu Chun’s service. During a break in the meeting, she sent Xu Chun a WeChat message: [Thank you. You handled today’s matter very well.]

She felt a sense of relief, thank goodness she had spent a hefty sum to hire Xu Chun for a week. Otherwise, if Suisui had been suddenly slandered today and Xu Chun hadn’t stepped forward to clarify, things could have turned much worse. Whether it was damage to Suisui’s reputation or her suffering unjust accusations, Jiang Zhaolie couldn’t bear either outcome.

Letting out a soft sigh, Jiang Zhaolie thought that while Xu Chun could be infuriating at times, at least she had professional ethics. Maybe she had misjudged Xu Chun before perhaps she wasn’t such a bad person after all.

The meeting had ended, and the other executives had all left one after another. Qin Yao remained seated, motionless, the glow from her laptop screen casting a soft light on her fair, sharply defined features, showing no trace of age.

For a fleeting moment, Jiang Zhaolie couldn’t help but feel the illusion that Qin Yao had never given birth at all. Back in biology class, she had learned from her teacher that childbirth could cause significant harm and lasting effects on women. At the time, she was young, and Qin Yao was still youthful, so she hadn’t given it much thought.

But now, having graduated two or three years ago, and with Qin Yao at thirty-seven, she remained as stunning as ever her skin firm and radiant, her appearance as youthful as it had always been. Time seemed to have left no mark on her, except for the way her demeanor had grown colder and more commanding over the years, exuding authority without a word.

Jiang Zhaolie couldn’t help but think that even if some women suffered little to no physical effects after childbirth, Qin Yao carried herself with the same untethered, carefree air as the older women around her who had never married or had children.

Free and unburdened.

After indulging in these idle thoughts, Jiang Zhaolie stood up and stopped beside Qin Yao. “President Qin, I’ll head back first,” she said.

As she spoke, her gaze inadvertently swept across Qin Yao’s computer screen, only to find the page paused on Xu Chun’s Weibo post defending Yu Sui’an. Additionally, there were two or three other tabs open in the navigation bar, precisely those exposing Yu Sui’an’s scandals.

Jiang Zhaolie instinctively wanted to defend Yu Sui’an: “Sui Sui is being framed. Those people just can’t stand her popularity, so they’re using these baseless rumors to slander her.”

Qin Yao’s eyelids twitched slightly as a faint smile curled at her lips. “How do you know she’s being framed?” The woman leisurely raised her eyes. “Were you hiding under her bed listening in person?”

Jiang Zhaolie: “?”

Has Mom been corrupted by those toxic netizens while surfing the web? Why is she being so sarcastic?

A chill crept into Qin Yao’s eyes as she quietly observed Jiang Zhaolie, unsure whether to call her stubbornly deluded or blinded by infatuation. “She’s popular? How popular exactly? Has she reached the top? Become an A-lister?” Her voice carried a subtle coldness as she enunciated each word softly, “Or has she achieved such fame that every household, young and old across the nation, has become her fan?”

Jiang Zhaolie was speechless.

“What were the ratings for her last drama?” Qin Yao pulled up the statistics compiled by Yu Sui’an’s fans. “The peak viewership barely reached 200 million. Is that what you call popularity?”

“And how much did her last movie gross? 500 million? Or a billion?”

How would Jiang Zhaolie know these details? She’d never bothered to investigate properly. In her mind, Yu Sui’an was simply kind-hearted, gentle, and timid, the type who gets bullied easily and doesn’t fight back.

“I…” Jiang Zhaolie tried to speak, but Qin Yao switched to another tab. “Take a good look at Xu Chun’s historical data, then seriously reflect on how absurd your words were as a director who should always be prudent and thoughtful in speech and action.”

Jiang Zhaolie initially resisted looking, but the spreadsheet was displayed prominently on the screen. Even with a cursory glance, she realized Yu Sui’an couldn’t match Xu Chun’s debut year achievements, let alone her current standing.

Suddenly feeling parched, Jiang Zhaolie unconsciously licked her lips and lowered her head. “I apologize. This is my fault. I’ll reflect on it.”

She braced herself for Qin Yao’s scolding, but instead, Qin Yao closed the laptop, dismissed her with clear disinterest in further conversation, then gathered her things and left with the computer under one arm.

Jiang Zhaolie stood bewildered in place, never having imagined that Xu Chun had once been so accomplished while Sui Sui… struggled to even reach the hem of her garment.

Yet… Jiang Zhaolie frowned, sensing she’d overlooked something important.

When she finally packed up and reached the garage to drive home, it hit her, why would Mom, amidst her incredibly busy schedule where even meals had to be squeezed in, specifically go out of her way to research Xu Chun’s data?!

Had she already fallen for Xu Chun’s tricks?!

A sudden, indescribable panic surged in her chest. Forcing herself to calm down, Jiang Zhaolie took a deep breath with one hand on the steering wheel moments later. No.

Apart from Xu Chun’s data, Mom also kept tabs on Yu Sui’an’s statistics. Perhaps she was simply comparing which of them, her former fiancée or her future daughter-in-law, would make a more suitable wife for her son.

After all, Mom has been in a position of power for so many years, it’s only natural she’d develop the habit of weighing pros and cons. Maybe she was just assessing which marriage alliance would bring greater benefits to the family.

Jiang Zhaolie gripped the steering wheel tightly, forcing herself not to dwell on certain messy thoughts. Because once an idea took root and sprouted in her heart, it seemed impossible to ignore.

Just like now even though she knew she shouldn’t think about Xu Chun, the other woman’s figure still inevitably flashed through her mind.

In a daze, Jiang Zhaolie couldn’t help but wonder: Would a normal person, still hung up on their ex and unable to completely sever ties, really be willing to give up that ex and get together with their ex’s former fiancée?

And when the time came, would Yu Sui’an, while being with her, really not look at her face and think of Xu Chun during their dates?

A pang of discomfort suddenly twisted in Jiang Zhaolie’s chest.

Xu Chun sneezed several times in a row, prompting her assistant to quickly move the bouquet of flowers beside her away. The assistant asked cautiously, “Xu-jie, feeling better now?”

Glancing at the flowers now held by her assistant, Xu Chun nodded. “Much better.”

She didn’t actually think it was the flowers’ fault rather, she was convinced Jiang Zhaolie must be cursing her behind her back for earning her money too easily. But taking care of Yu Sui’an was indeed a delicate task; one misstep and she’d be dragged into disaster alongside her. If not for the thought that those two would eventually team up to leave her penniless, Xu Chun wouldn’t have bothered with this cursed paycheck.

Unconsciously, Xu Chun propped her cheek on her hand. If she wanted to break the current deadlock, the best solution was still to marry Qin Yao, become their stepmother, then lord her seniority over them, using her status to make them suffer before heartlessly kicking them out onto the streets.

Just the thought of it made Xu Chun’s lips curl upward, she’d be too excited to sleep at night.

She was so absorbed in her fantasy that she completely failed to notice Jiang Banxia’s approach. It wasn’t until Jiang Banxia stopped right in front of her that a cold voice sounded from above her head:

“You’re still thinking about her?”

“Huh?” Think about who?

Xu Chun instinctively looked up, meeting a pair of light caramel eyes simmering with faint anger. For a moment, she was dazed, clicking her tongue inwardly: As expected of the protagonist’s youthful white moonlight even from this unflattering angle, where anyone else would look downright hideous, Jiang Banxia is nothing but beautiful. There’s not a single flaw to be found on her.

After shamelessly admiring the other woman’s beauty for a while, Xu Chun suddenly snapped back to reality under Jiang Banxia’s increasingly furious gaze. “?”

Wait, does she think I was just thinking about Yu Sui’an?!

Xu Chun immediately schooled her expression into seriousness. “How could that be?!” Her voice nearly cracked in her eagerness to distance herself from Yu Sui’an. “Why would I be thinking about her?”

Jiang Banxia’s gaze dropped to the lingering smile still on Xu Chun’s lips. She scoffed. “Before saying that, maybe you should wipe that grin off your face first.”

“Xu Chun.” She leaned in, just as she had during their first meeting. “I can’t figure it out…”

Her voice was slow, deliberate, laced with both confusion and something dangerously enticing. “What’s so great about Yu Sui’an? What is it about her that makes you unable to forget her?”

“Am I not better than her?”

Xu Chun had been nodding along internally, agreeing with Jiang Banxia’s words until that last line. Her eyes widened in shock. “?!” What?!