After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother - Chapter 45

Her domineering approach sent Xu Chun’s scalp tingling, her legs instantly going weak as her entire body trembled with helplessness, nearly buckling at the knees.

Every nerve in Xu Chun’s body quivered uncontrollably, every cell screaming to surrender and become Qin Yao’s devoted subject, yearning to lose herself completely in the other’s domain.

Her breathing grew heavier, her body burning with heat that spread from her back to every inch of her skin, especially her cheeks. Xu Chun could feel her face burning to a deadly degree even without a mirror, she could imagine just how crimson it must be.

With her face flushed like this, her breathing erratic, and her peach-blossom eyes glazed with unmistakable desire, Qin Yao no longer needed a verbal answer.

A faint smile curled on Qin Yao’s lips as her dark, inscrutable eyes rested on Xu Chun, her expression unreadable.

Seeing Xu Chun’s reaction, Qin Yao no longer needed to coerce or persuade her. When the time was right, Xu Chun would naturally draw closer on her own.

Neither spoke, the suffocating silence in the air making their racing heartbeats almost audible between their pressed bodies.

“Let’s go,” Qin Yao said, sounding pleased. She wrapped an arm around Xu Chun, her long legs encased in tailored trousers moving smoothly forward. Xu Chun stumbled, nearly collapsing entirely into her embrace.

Dazed, she barely registered anything until Qin Yao fished the room key from her bag and opened the hotel door. Only then did Xu Chun snap to attention like a startled rabbit, her ears metaphorically perked as she eyed Qin Yao with wary hesitation.

She was both nervous and expectant. This soon? She wasn’t mentally prepared yet!

And she hadn’t even freshened up!

She hadn’t showered, hadn’t made herself smooth and fragrant. Most importantly, she hadn’t packed the sexy stepmother seduces her middle-aged, overworked husband lingerie set from her wardrobe!

Xu Chun’s face fell instantly.

Qin Yao studied her expression before speaking softly, her voice unbearably tender. “Rest early.” Then, shifting gears, she added, “There’s an emergency at the company. We need to head back by five tomorrow morning.”

Perhaps because Xu Chun’s skin was so fair, every trace of embarrassment was starkly visible. Under the light, every blush on her porcelain complexion stood out vividly.

“Pack your things early.”

Xu Chun finally snapped out of her daze, letting out an absentminded, “Huh?”

So… not tonight?

Qin Yao quickly answered that unspoken question. Left alone, Xu Chun sat cross-legged on the sofa, utterly baffled. How had Qin Yao managed to stay so composed and restrained when faced with someone as irresistibly tempting as her?

She couldn’t help but frown slightly. Was she not enough…? She lowered her gaze to glance at her chest, then straightened her back wasn’t it plenty big? Tilting her head unconsciously, she wondered if perhaps Qin Yao had been too exhausted from work lately, leading to… diminished performance?

If Qin Yao knew about these silent musings, she’d surely reward her with three days of bedrest on the spot.

After sitting for a while, Xu Chun turned on her live stream, immediately bombarded by accusing comments: [“Sis Xu must’ve sneaked off to some unstreamable place again!”]

[“Tsk, other guests faithfully stream 24/7 without breaks, but when it comes to our Sis Xu, it’s all about mood-based broadcasting. Are our gifts not enough, or are we not thirsty enough?”]

Xu Chun nearly choked reading the comments: “???”

Put some clothes on, people.

After brief interactions with the camera, she tossed out a “I’m going to get ready for bed” before leaving the frame. Soon, the sound of running water from an empty screen confirmed she’d actually gone to wash up rather than making another escape.

[“How considerate of Xu Chun to spare time from her busy schedule to tease us.”]

[“The way you phrased that makes us sound like puppies eagerly waiting for her attention.”]

[“Calling us puppies is too generous, we’re more like stray cats at her apartment complex, with interactions entirely dependent on her whims.”]

[“…That sounds even sadder.”]

[“#XuChunCareForStrays trending now.”]

Xu Chun had assumed they’d catch the earliest flight back at dawn. But after packing up, Qin Yao led her toward the hotel rooftop instead. As the rooftop door swung open, the deafening roar of a private jet made Xu Chun realize Qin Yao’s “hurry” was meant quite literally.

Her thoughts wandered would Qin Yao have returned last night if not for bringing her along?

In her daze, Secretary Zhao took her luggage while Qin Yao guided her onto the plane. Once seated, the jet took off swiftly, the massive hotel shrinking to sesame-seed size below.

Something felt off. When the first morning light appeared, Xu Chun’s eyes widened: “Jiang Zhaolie isn’t onboard.”

Qin Yao looked up from her laptop, voice calm: “She’s not coming with us.”

“Why?” Xu Chun instinctively asked.

Already refocusing on typing emails, Qin Yao replied without lifting her gaze: “Some work in City A remains unfinished. She’s staying to wrap things up.” Then those pale eyelids rose as she added mildly, “What, will you miss her?”

“Of course not!”

Xu Chun hastily gulped water from her thermos to compose herself. “I was just curious.”

“Curious?” Qin Yao paused her work entirely now. “Don’t you know curiosity marks the beginning of someone’s downfall?”

Her probing gaze, laced with danger, swept across Xu Chun’s suddenly stiffened face that could no longer muster a smile. Her red lips pressed together slightly as she stared deeply at Xu Chun, who felt an unnerving sensation as if being stripped naked and scrutinized without restraint her entire body involuntarily tensed up, scalp prickling.

“How could I?” Xu Chun forced a dry laugh, feigning composure. “I’m not blind. You’re so much more outstanding than her only a fool would choose her.” As she spoke, her soft, fragrant body leaned in, nestling coquettishly against Qin Yao’s shoulder. “You’re so beautiful, so fragrant, so exceptional, and you’ve paid decades more into social security than her, getting to claim a hefty pension decades earlier. How could I possibly be so blind as to discard a watermelon for a sesame seed?”

Secretary Zhao, who had been diligently focusing on her work nearby, nearly choked on her own saliva at these words. What kind of description was that for Qin Yao? Though paying decades more into social security was indeed impressive, and retiring decades earlier was certainly tempting…

Still… Secretary Zhao’s lips twitched involuntarily. Even if Director Qin never paid a cent into social security, she’d never have to worry about food or shelter in her later years. Xu Chun’s priorities could only be described as… uniquely unconventional.

Her excuse left Qin Yao momentarily speechless. After staring at her for a long moment, Qin Yao finally tossed out, “If you like it that much, when I retire, you can have all my pension as pocket money.”

Xu Chun immediately gushed with gratitude, “Thank you, sister! May kind people like you live long and prosper!”

Secretary Zhao could hardly bear to listen. Xu Chun’s angle was so absurd yet somehow pragmatic and logical that even Secretary Zhao found herself momentarily swayed, secretly calculating: Maybe I should also find someone older who’s about to start collecting pension?

Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

But when she snapped out of her reverie and realized what she’d been contemplating, Secretary Zhao’s face turned ashen. Was Xu Chun poisonous? She’d somehow dragged even her into this ridiculous line of thinking.

Shaking her head vigorously, Secretary Zhao quickly banished Xu Chun’s words from her mind. She would stay by Qin Yao’s side forever, working hard to solve her problems. As for a partner… nothing could compare to the debt she owed Qin Yao for recognizing her talent.

Jiang Zhaolie stood silently by the floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel. The sky was lightening to the pale hue of dawn, faint illumination just beginning to appear. Her clear eyes remained fixed on Qin Corporation’s private jet as it took off, growing smaller and smaller until it disappeared completely, the turbulence in her heart slow to settle.

Qin Yao had come to speak with her last night.

Without pretense or evasion, she’d said openly: “I was very young then. I watched your mother, a living, breathing person fade away before my eyes. It traumatized me profoundly at the time. I wanted to save her, but things had already progressed beyond my control. So all I could do was take you from your birth father.”

“No matter how your opinion of me might change now that you know the whole truth, I’ve already given you the very best of everything I could, an excellent education from childhood, a privileged and carefree life, and growing up safely, smoothly, doted upon and protected by your ‘parents’ and the entire family.”

“These are things you could never have obtained by staying with your biological father.”

“He might have raised you, but he wouldn’t necessarily have given you a happy childhood or a proper education. He might have married you off early, just to continue his family line, or worse things I can’t even begin to imagine. That’s why I don’t want you to hold any expectations toward a father you’ve never met.”

“I won’t deliberately reveal your background to unrelated people. What I want you to know is this: No matter what happens in the future, you are a child of the Qin family, with the blood of the Jiang family. So I hope you can always remain clear-headed and rational.”

“Your future belongs to you alone, and it’s something you must fight for with your own hands and mind.”

Qin Yao’s words were unmistakably clear. Jiang Zhaolie’s lips trembled slightly, her shaken and faltering heart gradually steadied by Qin Yao’s calm and reassuring voice.

Yes, the future was hers. Though she couldn’t choose her birth or her parents, she was luckier than her mother in one way, she had met Qin Yao.

Qin Yao had given her everything she could possibly offer: identity, status, and all her current achievements. Even now, Qin Yao had never abandoned her for the sake of some man or other trivialities, unlike her biological mother.

Despite knowing full well that they shared no blood ties, Qin Yao had never treated her harshly on the contrary, her kindness was beyond words.

Jiang Zhaolie’s eyes stung with emotion. She rose to her knees and bowed deeply to Qin Yao. “Thank you for raising and protecting me all these years, and for the help you gave my mother back then.”

“From this day forward, I will live up to your expectations.”

Qin Yao didn’t stop her. Only after Jiang Zhaolie finished speaking did she help her up, but her next words carried a stern warning. “I don’t want you to recklessly involve yourself with any woman or man, for that matter from now on.”

Jiang Zhaolie knew these words stemmed from the actions of her biological mother and Yu Sui’an. She smiled bitterly. “I understand.”

Perhaps it was simply her fate just like her mother’s. The moment they touched love, misfortune would follow. At best, bad luck; at worst, death.

With all the advantages she had, she should cast aside such emotions and strive to carve out her own path.

She wanted to prove to Qin Yao that she was different from her mother. Her mother had betrayed everyone’s expectations for a man, willingly throwing away everything, even her life. But she wouldn’t.

She was worthy of Qin Yao’s years of careful nurturing and trust.

So when Qin Yao suggested she stay and reorganize the A-city branch of the company, Jiang Zhaolie agreed without hesitation. She would repay the debt of saving her life and raising her with all her heart.

And besides… she still didn’t know how to face Xu Chun her stunning, almost-stepmother and former fiancée, who was now just a step away from entering the family.

She couldn’t remain indifferent, untouched by it all.

At least not yet.

Rather than forcing herself, it was better to stay away for now, to quietly sort out her emotions alone.

…

The return trip took some time. Xu Chun caught up on some early morning sleep and woke up just as the private jet landed on the rooftop of the Qin Corporation building. Qin Yao seemed to be in a hurry, leaving in a rush, but before she left, she didn’t forget to instruct Secretary Zhao to settle Xu Chun properly before joining her.

She only gave a brief one or two sentences of instructions. Xu Chun noticed the brewing storm beneath her calm expression and instinctively asked Secretary Zhao, “What happened at the company?”

Secretary Zhao hesitated for a moment, glancing at her phone.

Xu Chun understood and quickly ended her livestream, then adopted a curious and attentive posture. Secretary Zhao, considering how Qin Yao had already treated Xu Chun with such familiarity, decided not to hide it. “Yesterday evening, some of the company’s classified information was leaked.”

“Actually, someone has been secretly leaking Qin Corporation’s confidential information to foreign companies for a long time. We just never caught the culprit.”

Xu Chun raised an eyebrow at this. “So, have you caught them now?”

Secretary Zhao glanced at her. “We have a rough suspect in mind, but we’re not certain yet. We still need to investigate further to confirm.”

Though Secretary Zhao phrased it that way, Xu Chun suspected that, given Qin Yao’s capabilities, she must already have enough evidence. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have waited until this morning to return, she would have rushed back the moment she received the news.

With that thought, Xu Chun didn’t panic. She leisurely followed Secretary Zhao downstairs to put away her things, and by the time she was done, it was almost time to start work. When she arrived at her workstation, she found Bai Xianxian looking disheveled, her long hair a mess. Xu Chun couldn’t help but ask in surprise, “Assistant Bai, what happened to you?”

Bai Xianxian weakly lifted her eyelids, her voice hoarse. “I pulled an all-nighter working overtime yesterday and still haven’t slept.”

Only then did Xu Chun notice the bloodshot eyes.

Pulling out her chair and sitting down, Xu Chun rolled up her sleeves. “If there’s any work left undone, hand it over to me. You should rest for a bit.”

“You helped me when I was away on business, so now it’s my turn to help you.”

Bai Xianxian gave her a deep look, then smiled and shook her head. “No need, I can hold on a little longer. It’s working hours, if I slack off and get caught, I’ll be fined. And besides…” She paused. “Some of this involves company secrets. There are things you might not even understand.”

“What a shame,” Xu Chun said regretfully, then immediately pulled out the breakfast Secretary Zhao had arranged for her. “Are you hungry? I’ll share half with you.”

Bai Xianxian’s gaze lingered on her hand, struggling internally for a moment. “…I am.”

Xu Chun handed her two pieces of bread, and the two of them nibbled away furtively. Xu Chun casually asked, “Do you often pull all-nighters here?” Her eyes lingered on Bai Xianxian for a moment before she sighed. “Good thing I’m just here for a variety show. If I had to work overtime like you every day, I might drop dead without even realizing it.”

“Not often,” Bai Xianxian said between bites of bread and sips of hot water. “It’s just that last night, the company had an emergency, so they called me back last minute.”

After a pause, she added, “But this should be my last all-nighter at Qin Corporation.”

“Why?”

“I’m planning to resign,” Bai Xianxian said with a faint smile. “I’ve learned a lot during my years at Qin Corporation, but the assistant position has limited upward mobility. With Secretary Zhao always above me, I’ll never get promoted as long as she’s here.”

She shook her head, “So I’m moving to a place with better career prospects.”

“The opportunities are greater, and the pay is better too.”

Xu Chun paused mid-bite, “Congratulations on getting your dream offer then.” Then she asked, “But when are you leaving? Wait until after I finish filming my variety show, okay? You’re the only person I’m close with at the company.”

“Today,” Bai Xianxian’s answer came unexpectedly. “After work today. I won’t be coming back tomorrow.”

Xu Chun was shocked, pounding her chest in dismay, “What? So soon?” She looked heartbroken, her eyes welling up with tears, “Are you really going to abandon me here all alone? How will I survive at the company without you, Xianxian?!”

Bai Xianxian laughed at her antics, “Secretary Zhao will surely find a replacement immediately. You can hang out with them.”

“But you’re the only one for me!” Xu Chun wailed dramatically, and after much pestering, finally got Bai Xianxian to agree to have dinner with her before leaving. Once decided, Xu Chun immediately pulled out her phone to book a restaurant, “Where do you want to eat?”

After some playful banter, Xu Chun settled on a restaurant and helped Bai Xianxian with some simple tasks.

Around noon, her manager Yang called, “I’ve received a great script recently. The female lead is a police officer. I’ll have my assistant send it over take a look and let me know if you’re interested.”

This particular female lead role had become highly sought-after in the industry. The character’s positive image and attributes had many actresses vying for it. When news broke that the production team included seasoned professionals and a renowned director, the competition turned fierce.

Rumors even spread that some actresses resorted to underhanded tactics, digging up dirt on each other in cutthroat battles for the role.

Manager Yang had initially considered joining the fray, but before she could make a move, the production team proactively sent the script to Xu Chun. Surprised, and noticing the meaningful look from the production staff, she immediately thought of one person, Qin Yao.

Given how Qin Yao had previously discreetly secured endorsements for Xu Chun through Yu Sui’an, Yang had no doubt that Qin Yao was behind this too, using the production team to deliver the script directly to Xu Chun.

The first time could be explained as guilt over Jiang Zhaolie’s public breakup, wanting to make amends. But using the same excuse a second time seemed flimsy. Even if Jiang Zhaolie had wronged Xu Chun, one act of compensation should suffice and logically, it should come from Jiang Zhaolie himself.

Not Qin Yao.

They weren’t related in any way. No matter how close Jiang Zhaolie and Qin Yao were privately, or how much Qin Yao valued Jiang Zhaolie as a right-hand man, this seemed to cross a line, didn’t it?

At this thought, the agent couldn’t help but ask another question, “Xiao Xu, have you noticed anything unusual about the people around you recently?”

Xu Chun paused in surprise: “Unusual? No, not at all.”

Hearing her bewildered tone, the agent frowned and pressed further: “Then after going to Qin Corporation, have you become more familiar with President Qin?”

Over the years, Qin Yao had been entirely focused on her career, rarely involved in scandals with women especially female celebrities. To the best of her knowledge, Xu Chun was the first to receive such special attention and treatment from Qin Yao. Precisely because of this, the manager found it suspicious.

She had some suspicions, but seeing Xu Chun’s reaction made her uncertain again.

Perhaps she was overthinking it. What if Qin Yao was merely acting as a superior, compensating Jiang Zhaolie’s former fiancée on his behalf to salvage the company’s reputation?

“Me and President Qin?” Xu Chun thought about it. She and Qin Yao hadn’t slept together yet, nor had they officially defined their relationship. In fact, they had met only a handful of times. Strictly speaking, “President Qin and I aren’t that close, but we’re not exactly strangers either. Why?”

“Nothing.” The manager rubbed her temples, deciding to investigate privately.

Whatever Qin Yao’s intentions were, as long as Xu Chun didn’t suffer any losses, it was fine. After all, Yu Sui’an had twisted the narrative to slander Xu Chun, and now she was the one spiraling while her fans accused Xu Chun of framing her with a PowerPoint presentation.

Encountering someone as outstanding, accomplished, mature, and supportive of Xu Chun’s career was already a stroke of luck.

After hanging up the manager’s call, Bai Xianxian finally spoke up, “President Qin, you?”

“President Qin?!” Xu Chun shuddered on the spot. Turning around, she indeed saw Qin Yao’s face wearing a faint, gentle smile that felt like a spring breeze.

But the more serene Qin Yao appeared, the more Xu Chun’s heart trembled.

Qin Yao was smiling so brightly, she must have already thought up a way to punish her and was delighted about it!

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