After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother - Chapter 47

“Call my mother over?” Zheng Yanran repeated, then snorted with a laugh. “Such a trivial matter requires my mother’s personal attention? She’s extremely busy right now.”

Halfway through her words, Zheng Yanran suddenly realized something and pointed at Xu Chun in disbelief. “How could you possibly be familiar with my mother? She’s always so busy I barely see her myself.” She paused, gritting her teeth. “What underhanded tricks did you use to investigate my mother’s schedule and cozy up to her?”

“Let me make this clear your little schemes won’t work on my mother. She despises people who approach her with ulterior motives and try to manipulate her. I suggest you abandon this foolish notion immediately!”

“Otherwise, when you inevitably anger her, she might just have someone dispose of you.”

Zheng Yanran wasn’t merely threatening Xu Chun. Over the years, countless men and women had exhausted every trick in the book trying to win Zheng Jinchan’s favor. Yet in the twenty-plus years Zheng Yanran could remember, not a single one had  succeeded. Some who employed particularly vicious tactics had even been personally dealt with by Zheng Jinchan their schemes backfiring spectacularly, leaving them with no chance of recovery.

Despite Zheng Jinchan’s notoriously ruthless methods, people still threw themselves at her feet, hoping to climb into her bed. Just from what Zheng Yanran knew, there had already been dozens, if not hundreds. Without exception, they all met unfortunate ends.

So when Xu Chun boldly claimed to be close with her mother, Zheng Yanran inwardly scoffed, thinking it fortunate her mother hadn’t heard such arrogance otherwise, Xu Chun might not live to regret it.

After all, Xu Chun was Jiang Banxia’s cherished white moonlight. If something unfortunate befell Xu Chun at her mother’s hands, her already strained relationship with Jiang Banxia would become irreparably awkward. Jiang Banxia already disliked her; if Xu Chun came to harm because of her mother, she could kiss any chance with Jiang Banxia goodbye forever.

This thought made Zheng Yanran increasingly agitated.

Xu Chun raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Oh?” She blinked innocently. “But last time, Sister Zheng personally invited me to play mahjong with her.”

“She said with you, me, her, plus President Qin and Jiang Banxia, we’d have just enough for a table.”

Before Xu Chun could finish, Zheng Yanran’s attitude did a complete 180. Her eyes lit up as she eagerly pulled out the chair opposite Xu Chun, sitting down with the demeanor of a model student. “Really?”

“Mom really said that?” Zheng Yanran’s voice had softened considerably, her clear eyes practically glowing.

Her first instinct had been to scold Xu Chun for daring to call her mother “Sister Zheng,” but the prospect of playing mahjong with Jiang Banxia was too tempting. In that split second, she reasoned letting Xu Chun use that nickname wouldn’t cost her anything, and it’s not like her mother would fall for such flattery anyway.

The speed of Zheng Yanran’s mood shift was startling. Xu Chun’s eyelid twitched involuntarily. “…Yes, really.”

“Both President Qin and Jiang Zhaolie were present at the time. You can ask them if you don’t believe me,” Xu Chun shrugged nonchalantly.

Xu Chun’s fearless demeanor had already convinced Zheng Yanran by ninety percent. After a moment of silence, Zheng Yanran suddenly reached out with a guilty expression and gently grasped Xu Chun’s hand. “Sister Xu Chun, I’m sorry for raising my voice at you earlier.” After a pause, she added, “And my tone wasn’t very good either. I hope you’ll be magnanimous and not hold it against a kid like me.”

“Is there anything you’ve been wanting recently? Or any gifts? I’ll buy them for you,” Zheng Yanran beamed with a radiant, innocent smile. “Don’t worry about the price just tell me what you want.”

“Whether it flies in the sky, runs on the ground, or swims in the water, I can get it for you.”

“Even if you want a star from the sky, that’s fine too,” Zheng Yanran declared with grandiosity. “I can buy you a star right now and name it after you.”

Zheng Yanran spoke with such conviction that Xu Chun couldn’t help but give her a bewildered look like an old man squinting at his phone in confusion. “???”

Why are kids these days so shameless? And all this nonsense she’s spouting. Xu Chun silently withdrew her hands from Zheng Yanran’s grasp. “You’re going to buy me a star and name it after me?”

Zheng Yanran nodded without hesitation. “As long as you can arrange this mahjong game, Sister Xu Chun, I’ll even buy you a spaceship if you want.”

Xu Chun’s eyelid twitched twice at the audacity of her claims. She felt momentarily dazed before replying seriously, “Anyone listening would think you’re confessing your love to me.”

“How could that be?” Zheng Yanran pondered for a moment, then quickly shook her head. “Wait, no, I like Jiang Banxia, and Jiang Banxia likes you. So by extension, it’s like I like you too. I guess that interpretation isn’t wrong.”

“Giving gifts to you or Jiang Banxia makes no difference to me. As long as you’re both happy, that’s all that matters.”

Xu Chun: Hong Shixian’s confused face.jpg

She stared at Zheng Yanran with an indescribable expression, unsure whether to label her as the ultimate simp or the ultimate sucker. Numbly, she scooped a spoonful of rice into her mouth. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Why not?” Zheng Yanran leaned in curiously before suddenly realizing something. “Oh, do you think it’s inappropriate? Worried Jiang Banxia might get jealous? Don’t worry about it.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I’ve already bought her 520 stars over the years.”

With unwavering determination, she declared, “My goal is to gather 1,314 stars for her in my lifetime.”

Xu Chun: “???”

She couldn’t help but think to herself: If the Zheng family ever goes bankrupt, it’ll definitely be because Zheng Yanran spent all their money on stars.

The companies selling stars must be raking in insane profits!

Still reeling from her own recent penniless state, Xu Chun felt a mix of emotions. She took a few more bites of rice before suddenly realizing something. “Wait a minute, the Qin Group’s premises aren’t usually open to outsiders. How did you even get in here?”

Especially after the incident with Bai Xianxian in the Qin family recently, security measures had been tightened to the extreme one could say not even a fly could get in. She gave Zheng Yanran a once-over; the girl was dressed quite formally.

“Of course I came with my mom,” Zheng Yanran lifted her chin haughtily. “My mom is here today to discuss some matters with President Qin.”

“So you sneaked along to see Jiang Banxia?”

Caught out by Xu Chun, Zheng Yanran felt a twinge of guilt, but she quickly straightened her neck again. “So what? I miss her so much I can’t eat or sleep. Can’t I find a way to see her?”

“Of course you can.” Xu Chun couldn’t be bothered to argue with this lovestruck girl. “Go look for her then.”

Zheng Yanran fell silent for a long moment before squirming under Xu Chun’s skeptical gaze. “I just don’t know where she is right now. That’s why I came to find you. I figured if I stuck close to you, I’d definitely see her eventually.”

“There’s no way she’d stay indifferent after being apart from you for so long and learning you’re back.” Zheng Yanran pursed her lips confidently. “She’ll come see you as soon as she’s done with her family matters.”

“Family matters?” Xu Chun’s eyes paused mid-roll. “What happened in her family?”

Zheng Yanran shot her a glance, then grinned. “Why would I tell you? If you knew everything, how could I use the information gap to get ahead and comfort her broken heart?”

“Fine, don’t tell me.” Xu Chun smiled back. “I’ll just ask her myself.”

Zheng Yanran seemed angered by this and stayed silent for a while. “It’s about her parents wanting to arrange a marriage with my family, but she absolutely refuses.” She spoke reluctantly. “She’s dead set against it and won’t compromise, so her father has started secretly looking for the illegitimate daughter he had over twenty years ago.”

“Rumor has it President Jiang kept several mistresses back then, and one even bore him a son before both were sent abroad. Now that Madam Jiang knows, she’s making a huge scene. And Jiang Banxia, who did nothing wrong, is about to have her heir status stripped away by her own father.”

“Just yesterday, I heard President Jiang has already found one of his sons and plans to use him to curry favor with my mom.” At this, Zheng Yanran couldn’t help but sneer. “How delusional. Does he really think someone of my status needs to marry into the Jiang family? If I wanted, plenty of wealthy heirs would line up to marry me.”

“All these years, the only reason I’ve been warm and friendly to him and Auntie Jiang is because of Jiang Banxia. The only person I’ve ever wanted to marry is her.”

“Trying to cozy up to my family with his bastards is just disgusting.” Suddenly, Zheng Yanran paused. “Huh, if Uncle Jiang is insulting me with his illegitimate children, maybe I should take this chance to teach him a lesson on Jiang Banxia’s behalf.”

She suddenly stood up, forcibly exchanging contact information with Xu Chun, smiling sweetly: “Sister Xu Chun, if Jiang Banxia shows up, could you kindly notify me?”

“If I see Jiang Banxia today, I’ll give you a diamond. If you think diamonds aren’t valuable enough, gold will do.”

Xu Chun wanted to pretend she was above being tempted by such worldly things, but Zheng Yanran was offering too much. Xu Chun reluctantly nodded, “Alright then.”

Pleased by her cooperation, Zheng Yanran’s smile brightened. “Mom was right you really are smart, no wonder Jiang Banxia likes you so much.”

Xu Chun froze for a moment before realizing: “?” Wait, if she hadn’t agreed, was Zheng Yanran planning to use force?

…Truly Zheng Jinchan’s biological daughter this domineering personality was exactly the same.

Meanwhile, Zheng Jinchan was in Qin Corporation’s conference room. Sitting across from Qin Yao, who was leisurely reviewing the project proposal, Zheng Jinchan crossed her legs and remarked meaningfully: “People say I’m ruthless, but the truly ruthless one here is you.”

In large corporations like theirs, having a few corporate spies was normal. Most companies would try to hide such scandals to save face when discovered. But not Qin Yao, she not only didn’t conceal it but proactively exposed everything on a public program, letting everyone watch the spectacle.

While outsiders eagerly discussed Qin Corporation’s gossip effectively free advertising that multiplied the company’s visibility industry insiders like Zheng Jinchan suspected deeper motives. They instinctively believed: if Qin Yao willingly revealed what should’ve stayed hidden, she must have absolute confidence in achieving her goals.

The result? Qin Corporation, once an obscure conglomerate, now dominated public discourse with countless trending topics and spontaneous explanations, transforming into a reputable, reliable brand in consumers’ minds. From now on, customers with related needs would undoubtedly choose Qin Corporation first.

Large corporations meant security and trust issues would be resolved quickly. Over time, Qin Corporation’s standing would only grow stronger in public perception.

Moreover, Qin Yao’s carefully crafted victim image was pure benefit. Most people empathize, when a good, ethical company faces betrayal, the public naturally rallies to support it.

According to the latest data obtained by Zheng Jinchan, Qin Corporation’s sales over the past half month have nearly matched their quarterly sales from previous years, what a terrifying growth rate!

Even Zheng Jinchan couldn’t help feeling envious when she saw the figures.

The sheer scale of profits was almost too staggering for Zheng Jinchan to contemplate. And this was just the beginning. As Qin Corporation’s reputation continued to grow, it would inevitably swallow up smaller competitors, monopolizing the market until its dominance became unshakable.

Such a business empire was Zheng Jinchan’s lifelong dream.

But her family background paled in comparison to Qin Yao’s. Without the support of a powerful family behind her, Zheng Jinchan could spend her entire life striving and still never reach Qin Yao’s heights. If Zheng Yanran could take up the mantle and continue the fight, there might be a slim chance but Zheng Yanran. Zheng Jinchan sighed inwardly. That girl was hopelessly lovesick.

Forget inheriting her mother’s ambitions, if Yanran could just avoid causing trouble, that would be achievement enough.

The thought of her daughter gave Zheng Jinchan a headache.

“You flatter me,” Qin Yao replied with a faint smile, lifting her gaze. “Everyone knows of your decisive leadership, Madam Zheng, how you rival any man in capability and possess remarkable business acumen.”

“Not many could have cleanly severed ties with their in-laws and built an empire from scratch as successfully as you did. In comparison, you’re far more admirable.”

“You believe those rumors?” Zheng Jinchan’s lips curled in disdain. “People say whatever suits their audience, there’s little sincerity in their words.”

True enough. Qin Yao returned the smile before shifting topics: “I’ll have Jiang Zhaolie coordinate follow-up work with your company.”

Zheng Jinchan nodded without objection, though curiosity lingered. “Speaking of which, why didn’t she come back with you this time?” She adjusted her posture more comfortably. “From what I recall, she’s shadowed your every move since returning to China this absence is unusual.”

“People must learn to grow up eventually,” Qin Yao said mildly. “Following me forever would teach her nothing.”

“Only by tasting bitterness and stumbling can one truly learn how to walk the path ahead.”

Zheng Jinchan fell into thoughtful silence.

The meeting between Zheng Jinchan and Qin Yao lasted from day to night without either emerging. Xu Chun, enjoying her freedom, wandered Qin Corporation with Fu Xin until the latter was assigned a new task.

With her own work completed, Xu Chun accompanied Fu Xin to her workspace, sipping milk tea while observing. Despite her youth, Fu Xin displayed genuine talent. Xu Chun couldn’t help asking: “With your skills, you could’ve started your own brand. Why suddenly join a dating show?”

“I originally planned to,” Fu Xin admitted, hands never pausing in her work. “But my family thought the entertainment industry.” She trailed off meaningfully.

Xu Chun understood without needing the rest.

Starting your own brand can’t compare to making it big in the entertainment industry when it comes to quick money. Celebrities earn millions per project money that some people couldn’t make in ten years selling clothes. If it weren’t for this, there wouldn’t be so many people desperately trying to break into showbiz every year. Once you make it, you’re set for life.

But given Fu Xin’s current situation, it’s probably going to be tough.

Xu Chun had just seen heated online debates about Fu Xin’s family situation on her phone, with people almost coming to blows. Some argued Fu Xin shouldn’t be held responsible, while others insisted the sins of the father should be visited upon the children since they’re family, she should repay her father’s debts.

The scandal had spread too widely with massive repercussions. Xu Chun could practically predict how difficult Fu Xin’s entertainment career would be. Unless she had powerful backing and exceptional talent herself.

Thinking this, Xu Chun texted He Qingli: 【Her mental state seems quite stable positive attitude, patient with her work.】

He Qingli replied instantly with a cute sticker: 【Thanks! I’ll treat you to a feast after your variety show wraps.】

Xu Chun: 【I’ll hold you to that!】

Mid-conversation, Zheng Yanran returned with a dejected pout: “Jiang Banxia didn’t even come to see you?” She plopped down beside Xu Chun, utterly defeated. “Is she avoiding me so much she won’t even meet you?”

Xu Chun grew curious: “What exactly have you done to make yourself so unwelcome?”

Before she finished, Zheng Yanran shot her a glare. “Watch your words, Miss Xu.” Tipping her chin up haughtily, she added, “Need I remind you we’re sworn romantic rivals?”

“I’m fully entitled to verbally and actively antagonize you.”

Xu Chun: “…” How noble to warn your rival before attacking, what principles?

“Go ahead then,” Xu Chun said.

Zheng Yanran blinked, wondering if she’d misheard: “…?”

In all her life, she’d never heard such an absurd request. Remembering her mother’s warnings, Zheng Yanran suspected trickery like those scheming drama heroines who act tough in private but play victim to manipulate relationships.

Sure enough, as the thought crossed her mind, Xu Chun declared matter-of-factly: “If you mess with me, I’ll tattle to Jiang Banxia.”

“The meaner you are, the more she’ll dote on me.”

Zheng Yanran: “…!” She nearly forgot her mother’s advice and lunged at this infuriating woman.

As Zheng Yanran stormed off, Xu Chun victoriously nibbled her boba straw. Playing these games? She’d studied hundreds of classic romance novels, mastering every villainess tactic in the book.

She’d researched precisely to counter Yu Sui’an’s schemes with her own magic.

As long as she stayed shameless, Yu Sui’an couldn’t touch her.

Come to think of it, Yu Sui’an had been keeping a low profile recently neither bothering me nor causing any online drama. It was as if she had completely vanished, which honestly felt a bit unsettling.

According to the original plot,  Xu Chun pondered for a moment. Shouldn’t Yu Sui’an be pregnant by now?

What a shame. Now, one of the female leads had transformed from an ugly duckling into a white swan, likely with a wealthy biological father, while the other had suffered a dramatic reversal falling from being the beloved, privileged darling of a happy family to an orphan with no parents.

Such twists of fate enough to make men speechless and women weep.

Xu Chun couldn’t help but take another sip of her milk tea. At least her own background was still normal, wasn’t it? Not that it mattered much, Tang Shiyu and Xu Jixian doted on the original host, and besides, she still had Qin Yao.

A single Qin Yao was worth the entire world.

Speak of the devil. Secretary Zheng caught Xu Chun slacking off and said expressionlessly, “President Qin wants to see you.”

Xu Chun raised her eyes in disbelief, “Really? But isn’t President Qin in a meeting with President Zheng right now? What could she possibly want with me at this time?”

Secretary Zhao remained impassive, “You’ll find out when you get there.”

Fair enough.

The meeting room was eerily quiet. As Xu Chun pushed the door open, she heard Zheng Yanran tearfully complaining, “Mom, Xu Chun bullied me!”

The icy glares from both Zheng Jinchan and Qin Yao instantly pierced through Xu Chun, making her shiver before she could even fully step inside. Her survival instincts kicked in as she raised her voice defensively, “You’d better explain yourself clearly today, how exactly did I bully you? And in what way?”

“Don’t you dare spread baseless rumors in broad daylight!”

Her words only made Zheng Yanran more flustered. The girl lowered her head awkwardly and mumbled, “You know the usual way and that other way.”

Xu Chun broke out in a cold sweat, her mind flooded with question marks: “???” Don’t you dare fabricate lies and twist the truth like this!

If this keeps up, your mom and Aunt Qin are going to kill me!

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