After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother - Chapter 38

Without hesitation, Jiang Zhaolie set Yu Sui’an’s messages to “Do Not Disturb,” exhaling sharply as anger throbbed at her temples. She never could have imagined that Yu Sui’an, the girl she once thought was fragile, needing constant protection, someone she’d have gladly given the world to was actually such a ruthless character.

Remembering her own past actions, so full of misplaced affection and presumption, Jiang Zhaolie let out a bitter laugh.

What an actress Yu Sui’an was so convincing that everyone around her had been fooled. And Jiang Zhaolie? She had been played like a fool, manipulated effortlessly, like some disposable toy Yu Sui’an occasionally amused herself with. Did she even matter to Yu Sui’an beyond that?

And the moment Yu Sui’an no longer needed her or if she became an inconvenience, she’d be discarded without a second thought.

Just like how Yu Sui’an had callously cast Xu Chun aside the moment she lost interest, even going so far as to nearly destroy her.

Jiang Zhaolie lowered her head, her bangs shadowing the storm in her dark eyes. For the first time, she understood how Xu Chun must have felt watching Yu Sui’an coldly discard her, only to turn around and laugh and joke with someone else. Had Xu Chun’s heart been torn to shreds?

Even knowing Yu Sui’an was heartless, Xu Chun had still loved her, unable to let go until repeated betrayals finally broke her.

Just imagining Xu Chun’s pain made Jiang Zhaolie’s chest tighten.

She was grateful, so grateful that she hadn’t been entangled with Yu Sui’an for long, that she hadn’t fallen too deep. Grateful that Yu Sui’an’s fleeting interest in her had faded quickly, that she’d turned back to Xu Chun, wanting to reconcile. Grateful that she’d escaped before Yu Sui’an could leave her battered and broken.

But beneath the relief, a strange, prickling thought lingered.

If Yu Sui’an had so easily shifted her focus back to Xu Chun after such a short time with her did that mean

She wasn’t as good as Xu Chun?

She couldn’t even measure up to Xu Chun?

The realization twisted inside her, an uncomfortable weight settling in her chest. Her gaze fixed on her darkened phone screen.

What did Xu Chun have that she didn’t?

The question didn’t haunt her for long. Memories of her own past cruelty toward Xu Chun surged forward, vivid and relentless, no matter how hard she tried to push them away. The more she resisted, the clearer they became scenes replaying in her mind like an unstoppable film reel.

When struggling proved futile, Jiang Zhaolie could only brace herself and endure the playback.

By the time the mental reel ended, a fine sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead, the bridge of her nose, and her sharp cheekbones. Damp strands of hair clung to her pale skin, curling where they touched.

Xu Chun tilted her head and watched for a moment. When she noticed Jiang Zhaolie drenched in sweat, her raised foot hesitated mid-air had this person run into a ghost early in the morning?

Worried that approaching Jiang Zhaolie might bring her bad luck, Xu Chun immediately retracted her leg without a second thought. Then, before Jiang Zhaolie could notice her, she turned and dashed away. She ran so fast that she vanished in an instant, leaving the doorway empty as if she had never been there.

Jiang Zhaolie faintly sensed movement nearby and struggled to lift her eyelids, catching only a blurry glimpse of a fleeting shadow. Clenching her damp palm, her mind wavered for a second was that Xu Chun  or was she hallucinating?

Given Xu Chun’s obvious avoidance of Jiang Zhaolie, coupled with Yu Sui’an’s late-night phone call to Xu Chun, online discussions about the relationships between her, Jiang Zhaolie, and Yu Sui’an inevitably flared up again.

[Didn’t Yu Sui’an already break up with Xu Chun? Didn’t Jiang Zhaolie already call off the engagement with Xu Chun? So why aren’t Yu Sui’an and Jiang Zhaolie together yet? Not only are they not together, but they’re practically throwing themselves at Xu Chun. Is it just me, or is this love triangle getting confusing?]

Yu Sui’an’s fans immediately jumped in: [Our Suisui wants no part in this! Fans of Suisui, please look forward to her upcoming dramas Secret Crush, Summer Longing, and First Snow.]

[LOL, are you serious? Why is a Yu Sui’an fan even watching Xu Chun’s variety show? Your Suisui isn’t in it.]

[Funny, this show isn’t just about Xu Chun. Can’t I watch Jiang Banxia or Fu Xin?]

As the comments section teetered on the edge of chaos, the livestream moderators stepped in, banning a slew of accounts to quell the storm: [Please keep discussions civil and peaceful, fellow netizens.]

With arguments in the livestream leading to bans, the crowd migrated to Weibo, where the fight raged on. The remaining viewers in the stream shook their heads. [They’re still at it? What’s the point? Drama is way more entertaining than fighting.]

[So after Jiang Zhaolie and Xu Chun did the deed, aren’t they awkward seeing each other every day on the show now?]

[Awkward? More like Jiang Zhaolie’s probably thrilled.]

[Honestly, it feels like Jiang Zhaolie regrets it but is too proud to apologize to our Xu-jie. So she just stares longingly at Xu Chun’s back, lost in her own thoughts.]

[Huh? She doesn’t like Yu Sui’an anymore? Didn’t she break off the engagement with Xu Chun for Yu Sui’an?]

[Who knows what goes on in these rich kids’ heads? Yu Sui’an also broke up with Xu Chun, but judging by that late-night call, she clearly still can’t let go.]

[Fascinating. This just keeps getting more interesting.]

Yu Sui’an kept a close eye on online developments. Recently, she had been riding high her wealthy patron showered her with attention, presenting her with top-tier resources from major brands without hesitation for her to pick and choose. Beyond that, the patron made no excessive demands, allowing Yu Suian to continue her usual routine of filming dramas and commercials as before, with no change to her daily life.

While enjoying these numerous benefits, Yu Suian also retained ample freedom, enabling her to do whatever she pleased.

Yet, among all the fresh and exciting things the world had to offer, none could compare to seeing Xu Chun again.

Yu Suian’s restless heart could barely contain its longing, but the memory of Xu Chun’s previous attitude toward her made her hesitate. She feared that if she impulsively sought her out, it might only deepen Xu Chun’s dislike and resentment.

The distance between them was already vast, and Yu Suian didn’t want to push her further away. To stave off loneliness and boredom, she spent her days browsing Xu Chun’s photos online or watching her variety shows and dramas.

Yu Sui’an didn’t know how long this cold standoff between them would last. She could wait silently for Xu Chun to change her mind, but she didn’t want to. Ahead of her was Jiang Zhaolie, who harbored the same ulterior motives, and behind her was Jiang Banxia, ruthless and decisive both so close to Xu Chun.

As the saying goes, “The early bird catches the worm.” The thought of those two spending time with Xu Chun every day, growing closer and deepening their bonds, kept Yu Sui’an awake at night.

But she was currently tied up with filming in another city. Even if she could drop everything and rush to Xu Chun’s side, the cameras constantly surrounding her would make it impossible to act freely.

If she overstepped, their every word and action could be screenshot and twisted maliciously online, causing trouble and distress for Xu Chun. And if Xu Chun realized Yu Suian was still the same headache as before, she would surely reject her for good.

Tormented and helpless, Yu Suian could only stare at the screen, lost in thought as she gazed at Xu Chun.

“If only I hadn’t broken up with her,” Yu Suian couldn’t help but fantasize.

If she had just held on a little longer, waited until she had completely won Jiang Zhaolie’s heart before ending things with Xu Chun, none of this would have happened. She wouldn’t have lost her sister, Jiang Zhaolie wouldn’t have turned against her to compete for Xu Chun’s affection, and they wouldn’t have gone from ambiguous friends to bitter rivals.

But there was no cure for regret and the more she dwelled on it, the more it consumed her.

The moment Xu Chun returned to the office, Bai Xianxian pulled her aside for a burst of intense work. Midway through, Secretary Zhao arrived to summon her to Qin Yao’s office. Without any explanation, Xu Chun dawdled a bit before knocking on the CEO’s door. “President Qin, you wanted to see me?”

Qin Yao gave a soft hum and looked up. “Go home and pack some essentials. Be back at the company in an hour and a half.”

Xu Chun blinked in confusion. Packing in broad daylight, what for?

As if reading her thoughts, Qin Yao parted her red lips and uttered two words: “Business trip.”

When it came to this topic, Xu Chunjing immediately perked up. Without a second thought, she dashed back to her workstation and dumped all her tasks onto Bai Xianxian. “Assistant Bai, could you handle my workload? I’ll treat you to dinner another day.”

Her face was glowing with excitement, clearly indicating something wonderful had happened. Bai Xianxian glanced at her, then at the work she’d pushed over, and asked calmly, “What are you up to?”

The words “business trip” nearly slipped out, but remembering Qin Yao’s strict instructions not to reveal anything prematurely, Xu Chun leaned in mysteriously, her voice dropping to a whisper only Bai Xianxian could hear: “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Though she didn’t elaborate, Bai Xianxian had already pieced it together.

A shadow flickered in her eyes. Every time Qin Yao and Jiang Zhaolie had gone on out-of-town business trips for meetings, aside from Secretary Zhao, she had always been the one accompanying them. From the day she joined the company until now, not once in hundreds of trips had there been an exception.

Bai Xianxian could understand that Xu Chun, as a guest, needed more exposure. But was adding one more person really such a hassle? Besides, what could Xu Chun possibly contribute? She didn’t even know the basics.

Biting softly on the inside of her lip, Bai Xianxian watched Xu Chun’s retreating figure with an unreadable expression.

The destination was just next door in City A, not far at all. But since the trip would last five days, Xu Chun had packed an enormous suitcase. This was a rare opportunity to spend time alone with Qin Yao, so she’d stuffed her luggage with all sorts of random items, determined to make the most of it.

She was resolved to win Qin Yao’s favor within the week.

Glancing at the time, she realized it was about time to leave. With a firm tug, she zipped up her suitcase and headed downstairs to catch the production team’s car back to the company. As she stepped out, she unexpectedly ran into Jiang Banxia, who tilted her head at the sight of the suitcase. Xu Chun brushed her off with a couple of vague remarks.

Jiang Banxia didn’t press further, only offering a brief, “Stay safe.”

She hurried off, vanishing from Xu Chun’s sight almost immediately. Watching her go, Xu Chun suddenly realized: Jiang Banxia had been unusually busy lately. Even during these past few days at the company, she’d rarely seen her around.

Just then, Secretary Zhao called out to her. Xu Chun snapped out of her thoughts and followed her to the parking lot to load her suitcase into the car ahead of time. “When will President Qin be down?” she asked eagerly.

Secretary Zhao remained expressionless. “Soon. Get in the car first.”

With no other choice, Xu Chun suppressed her impatience and settled into the car to wait quietly. As she fiddled with her phone, faint footsteps approached outside. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately flung open the door, craning her neck to look. “Sister Qin” Her voice abruptly shifted, disappointment dripping from her tone. “Oh. It’s just you.”

She frowned, her displeasure obvious.

Her mood had flipped in an instant, from joy to irritation. Jiang Zhaolie’s temple twitched, and she couldn’t help retorting, “What do you mean, ‘just you’?”

Xu Chun couldn’t be bothered to argue. Straightening up, she tried to peer past Jiang Zhaolie in search of Qin Yao, but there was no one else behind her. Defeated, her gaze returned. “Where’s President Qin?”

“What’s the rush?” Jiang Zhaolie’s gaze fixed on her, a complex mix of emotions swirling in her heart. “She’ll be down later.”

Usually, she appeared cold and indifferent, seemingly uninterested in women. But now, she was acting like some desperate pervert, restless and anxious after just a second without seeing her mother. How long had they even been apart?

Jiang Zhaolie expressionlessly turned on her computer, trying to immerse herself completely in work.

Yet the faint, elusive fragrance lingering in the air kept distracting her, making it hard to focus. She couldn’t tell if it was the scent from Xu Chun’s hair or her body, a subtle, cool fragrance with a hint of floral sweetness that seemed to permeate the entire space, intoxicatingly seductive.

It dawned on Jiang Zhaolie belatedly: Had Xu Chun gone home to dress up just to seduce her mother?

Unable to resist, she scrutinized Xu Chun. Compared to this morning, the woman had changed into a more youthful dress, her hair slightly curled and cascading over her shoulders, framing her snow-white skin with a delicate, alluring charm. Paired with her light makeup, she exuded an air of innate gentleness and harmlessness.

Anyone meeting her for the first time would undoubtedly be fooled by this facade.

Her mother wasn’t familiar with Xu Chun and clearly lacked the ability to see through her Jiang Zhaolie suddenly realized the gravity of the situation. She whipped her head around, her burning gaze locking onto Xu Chun without blinking.

Xu Chun immediately tensed, shifting away warily. “What? Don’t forget, you ungrateful brat, I’m your future mother!”

Frowning, Xu Chun added, “Keep your hands off your own mom.”

Jiang Zhaolie: “…”

Stunned, whether out of defiance or a desire to tease her, Jiang Zhaolie smirked coldly, her face impassive. “My mom?”

Then, with a forced, insincere smile, she said, “Wouldn’t that make it even more exciting?”

Xu Chun: “?” Damn, you’re shameless.

Jiang Zhaolie kindly reminded her, lest she get too carried away and confuse fantasy with reality: “You and my mom aren’t even close to being a thing yet.” She gave Xu Chun a once-over. “Besides, my mom might not even like your type.”

“Then what type does she like?” Xu Chun suddenly leaned in, eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Tell me.”

Her abrupt closeness intensified her fragrance, flooding Jiang Zhaolie’s senses without warning. Every muscle in Jiang Zhaolie’s body stiffened, frozen in place.

Never in her life not as a child, nor as an adult had Jiang Zhaolie been this close to Xu Chun. She had always avoided her, and Xu Chun, intimidated, had never dared to deliberately approach. Despite knowing each other for years, their relationship was worse than that of strangers.

Xu Chun’s sudden move put Jiang Zhaolie on high alert.

Doesn’t she know boundaries? Doesn’t she realize how dangerous it is to get this close to someone? What if the other person has ill intentions.

“Do you not realize how risky this is?” Jiang Zhaolie said sternly.

Xu Chun let out a soft “Ah,” clearly misunderstanding Jiang Zhaolie’s meaning. Being with Qin Yao was dangerous? Xu Chun’s thoughts immediately ran wild was it because she might get assassinated? Or targeted and framed by various suitors?

Rolling her eyes, Xu Chun suddenly remembered Bai Xianxian mentioning that Qin Yao had no other women around her. Assuming Jiang Zhaolie simply didn’t want to tell her, Xu Chun abruptly moved away. “Fine, don’t tell me then,” she said, slanting a cool glance at Jiang Zhaolie. “Even if you don’t, I’ll still be the stepmom you’ll never have in this lifetime.”

Jiang Zhaolie suppressed her irritation, pressing a hand to her throbbing temple. In a fit of anger, she blurted out recklessly, “Mom doesn’t like women.” Of course, she didn’t like men either.

But Jiang Zhaolie deliberately left out the latter part, hoping it would dissuade Xu Chun.

Xu Chun was utterly stunned. “What?”

Just as she was about to press for details, the car door slowly opened, and Qin Yao’s figure appeared in their line of sight. Jiang Zhaolie’s open mouth instantly snapped shut as she quietly lowered her gaze to her laptop screen.

Qin Yao’s unhurried eyes swept over her, and Jiang Zhaolie’s scalp prickled, her heart pounding wildly. Only when Qin Yao’s gaze finally shifted away did she secretly exhale in relief.

Qin Yao exuded an overwhelming presence. Even after all these years together, under her scrutiny, Jiang Zhaolie still experienced a physical reaction dizziness, ringing ears, and stiffened limbs.

But Xu Chun, on the other hand, seemed entirely unaffected. Not just unaffected, but as if she’d spotted some irresistible delicacy, practically itching to pounce on Qin Yao like a fly and devour her whole.

For that alone, Jiang Zhaolie couldn’t help but admire her.

Compared to those who had the desire but lacked the nerve in the past, Xu Chun was truly willing to risk her life for beauty. Still, Jiang Zhaolie privately dismissed the idea. If her mother were that easy to win over, she wouldn’t have remained single for so many years without even a hint of romantic involvement.

She deeply believed that for Xu Chun to have any chance with her mother, it would take at least a year or two of serious effort.

The moment Xu Chun saw Qin Yao, her eyes sparkled with delight. Eagerly, she scooted aside to make room, tilting her face up to gaze at Qin Yao with unmistakable suggestion.

But Qin Yao glanced at her and, instead of sitting beside her, took the front passenger seat. After fastening her seatbelt, she signaled the secretary, “Drive.”

Disappointment was inevitable. Undeterred, Xu Chun shamelessly leaned forward, her eyes darting playfully. “President Qin, the passenger seat is so cramped. Why don’t you come sit in the back and let Jiang Zhaolie take your spot?”

Jiang Zhaolie: “?” Excuse me?

Jiang Zhaolie tensed, watching Qin Yao nervously, afraid she might agree. Unfortunately, Qin Yao showed no intention of switching seats, merely glancing at Xu Chun through the rearview mirror. “Sit properly.”

Secretary Zhao and Jiang Zhaolie both exhaled subtly in relief. But Xu Chun wasn’t one to be discouraged by minor setbacks. She tirelessly persisted, “President Qin, look the passenger seat is so narrow and inconvenient for handling work. And you’re so tall, with such long legs, stunningly beautiful, absolutely delectable, it’s just too unfair to you.”

Qin Yao’s lips curled slightly at the flattery, but she remained unmoved.

Seeing that gentle persuasion wasn’t working, Xu Chun immediately decided to take a tougher approach. She reached out to turn off the live stream nearby, then turned sharply toward Jiang Zhaolie with harsh words: “How can you call yourself a daughter? Your mother is sitting there in such discomfort, and you don’t even show her any consideration! She might as well have wasted all those years raising you through thick and thin.”

“If I were your mother, my heart would have frozen over a thousand times by now!”

Jiang Zhaolie felt conflicted, what was the point of directing all this at her? Without Qin Yao taking a stance, how could she dare to voice her opinion casually? Adopting the thick-skinned attitude of someone who’s beyond caring, Jiang Zhaolie remained unmoved. After staring at her for a long while and confirming there was no way to get through to her, Xu Chun could only sigh and edge closer to Secretary Zhao instead. “Sister Zhao.”

Her voice was sweet and soft, melting the listener’s bones. “You’ve worked hard. Why don’t you rest in the back while I drive for you?”

Secretary Zhao shivered at her tone, terrified Qin Yao might misunderstand any relationship between them. She shook her head hastily to avoid suspicion. “No need, you should rest instead.”

The outright rejection made Xu Chun’s vision darken. Her fingers trembled as they clutched the seat, her heart aching as if pierced by knives.

Jiang Zhaolie remained expressionless. Enough with the dramatics.

Yet the next second, Xu Chun immediately perked up again, leaning toward Qin Yao with pitiful eyes. “Sister, I’m not feeling well.”

Qin Yao glanced at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Here.” She pointed to her heart, then her liver, and finally gestured all over her body. “And here, here, and here everywhere hurts. Only snuggling in your arms can make it better.”

Innocent look.jpg

Qin Yao smirked. “Really?” Xu Chun nodded eagerly like a pecking chick, but Qin Yao said, “There’s ibuprofen in the backseat first-aid kit. Take some.”

Xu Chun’s mind filled with question marks: “……?” This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. This defied all logic enough to silence men and move women to tears.

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