After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother - Chapter 53

Xu Chun nearly choked to death on her own saliva. Her clear, bright eyes were fixed fiercely on Jiang Zhaolie. Though she didn’t speak, her face was already screaming profanities: Are you out of your damn mind?

What the hell? Why would you call me “Mom” in front of Qin Yao? Trying to speedrun getting yourself another mother figure?

She’d seen ridiculous things before, but nothing this absurd.

Xu Chun’s expression was anything but friendly. Jiang Zhaolie’s throat tightened as he instinctively glanced at Qin Yao wasn’t this what she meant?

Qin Yao seemed equally unprepared for this trainwreck of a situation. A rare silence fell over her as she struggled to find appropriate words. When Jiang Zhaolie’s anxious gaze turned to her, she composed herself and gave a slight nod of approval. “You may leave first.”

Her voice was calm. “I still have things to discuss with her.”

Understanding the dismissal, Jiang Zhaolie stood up politely, even nodding respectfully at Xu Chun before leaving observing all proper decorum. Xu Chun felt strangely flattered, bewildered, and utterly dazed all at once.

She was barely in her twenties, and now she’d become someone’s instant mother? Without even going through childbirth?

No matter how hard she racked her brain, Xu Chun could never have predicted this twist in her life story.

Still reeling, she didn’t even notice when Jiang Zhaolie quietly closed the office door behind him. It wasn’t until Qin Yao’s tall figure suddenly loomed before her that Xu Chun snapped back to reality. Qin Yao looked down at her with an unreadable expression. “Don’t like being called that?”

Xu Chun hesitated. It wasn’t that she disliked it.,  it was just weird.

She couldn’t help imagining future outings with Jiang Zhaolie, where he’d suddenly bellow “Mom!” at her in public. The thought sent shivers down her spine, it was downright bizarre.

Yet, inexplicably satisfying.

Who would’ve thought? The same Jiang Zhaolie who, just a year ago, had treated her like dirt blindly taking his ex’s side, making unreasonable demands, tormenting her without cause would now bow his head and call her “Mom” so obediently.

Xu Chun’s eyelashes fluttered as a grin broke across her face uncontrollably.

She hadn’t been that thrilled initially, but somehow, after Qin Yao’s question, an odd sense of satisfaction bloomed in her chest. Nodding decisively, her eyes sparkled with mischief as she purred, “I like it.”

She loved it, actually!

This was quite possibly the most gratifying moment of her life!

Qin Yao gazed down at her intently, the look in her eyes making Xu Chun’s scalp tingle with sudden apprehension. She turned to flee immediately, but at this proximity, Qin Yao caught her effortlessly. A warm chuckle laced her voice. “Got you.”

The corners of her lips curled in that dangerous half-smile. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“W-work?” Xu Chun ventured weakly, blinking up at Qin Yao with hopeful puppy-dog eyes, praying for mercy. But today, apparently, the goddess would not be kind.

Without hesitation, Qin Yao lured her into the lounge, using every honeyed trap to cloud Xu Chun’s judgment. Each of her movements was meticulously designed yet appeared effortless, leaving Xu Chun no chance to react.

It wasn’t until the door clicked softly shut that Xu Chun jolted awake, her mind clearing but by then, it was already too late.

Qin Yao’s elegantly sculpted fingers tightened around her waist, while her other slender, pale hand cradled the back of Xu Chun’s head. Then, a scorching kiss descended, overwhelming and disorienting, leaving Xu Chun dizzy and lost.

“Don’t you like me?” Qin Yao murmured, her fingers lightly tracing Xu Chun’s earlobe, warm breath ghosting over the delicate curve of her snow-white neck. Her voice was hushed, low, unbearably alluring.

Xu Chun felt her bones melt at the sound. Her arched neck traced a beautiful, tempting line in the air, her mind too hazy for coherent thought. She could only answer instinctively, “I do.”

“Then don’t you want to be with me?” Qin Yao pressed, her voice magnetic and rough. She was patient, coaxing, unhurried leaving Xu Chun no room for resistance.

“I do.” Xu Chun nodded again, helplessly dazed. She wanted to be with Qin Yao. Being with Qin Yao meant rewriting most of her predetermined fate. With Qin Yao as her support, she would never again be driven to the streets by Jiang Zhaolie and Yu Sui’an, left to die unnoticed for three days.

So yes, she wanted to be with Qin Yao, a desire that stemmed from something primal, something like survival instinct.

Yes, that was the perfect word for her feelings toward Qin Yao: survival instinct.

Yet, tangled within that instinct was also genuine greed and longing. Every inch of Qin Yao was crafted to her exact preferences, and from the very beginning, she had been helplessly drawn to her.

But sometimes, fear crept in uncontrollably.

As for what she feared beyond the obvious reasons, she couldn’t quite articulate it.

“Then why?” Qin Yao drew out the words, her gaze lifting from that tantalizingly fair skin to lock onto Xu Chun’s eyes, dark and unblinking, “do you always refuse to take those last two steps toward me?”

Xu Chun blinked, confused. “Always?”

“That’s not the point,” Qin Yao dismissed without hesitation. “Don’t change the subject.” Her stare deepened. “You’ve been deliberately avoiding me.”

“You don’t actually want to get closer to me, do you?”

Her tone remained calm, devoid of excess emotion, carrying no particular sharpness. Yet those quiet words effortlessly tore through Xu Chun’s long-maintained facade, exposing the most fragile, deeply buried emotions she often ignored.

Xu Chun didn’t deny it. Qin Yao wasn’t wrong at all.

She wanted to get closer to her, but every time she reached what she thought was the perfect distance, she would deliberately pull away from Qin Yao again. It was an unconscious decision had Qin Yao not pointed it out so bluntly now, she wouldn’t have even thought to examine the reason herself.

Xu Chun pondered for a while, attributing it to external factors. “Maybe it’s because I feel like if we were together, people would gossip about us.” Before she could finish, Qin Yao firmly cut her off. “That’s not it.”

“You’re not that kind of person,” Qin Yao said with a certainty that was almost startling. “You don’t care about outside opinions, about what others think.”

“Deep down, you’re very self-assured, very resolute.” Someone like Xu Chun drew all her joy, anger, and confidence from within herself. Unlike those who needed external validation to feel worthy, Xu Chun wasn’t like that.

All her self-affirmation came from her own inner voice.

Only when she felt she had done well enough, when she was satisfied with herself, would she consider herself truly outstanding. And if she believed she hadn’t done well, no amount of praise from others would change her mind.

So how could someone so self-reliant, when it came to such an important decision, be easily swayed by others?

She had always been clear-headed. No matter how carefree she might seem on the surface, she was always acutely aware of herself, never easily shaken by outside influences.

Xu Chun fell silent, feeling a rare surge of frustration, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She hated how clearly Qin Yao saw her, how well Qin Yao understood her true nature.

She didn’t like being so easily read, even if it was by Qin Yao.

As she remained silent, Qin Yao watched her quietly, her gaze deep and unyielding. The two of them stood at an impasse, neither willing to back down. In truth, Xu Chun couldn’t understand why things had turned out this way. They had been kissing just fine, the mood had been perfect, the rhythm just right so why had it devolved into this stubborn standoff?

They didn’t have to end up in such an awkward situation.

Xu Chun lowered her head, her soft hair and the fine baby hairs at her nape visible from Qin Yao’s angle. From where Qin Yao stood, she could see the delicate, tempting skin at the back of Xu Chun’s neck.

Before her was the girl’s breathtaking beauty, in her nostrils the faint scent of her every inch of Xu Chun’s skin made it hard for Qin Yao to restrain herself.

She had to admit, at first, she hadn’t harbored such feelings for Xu Chun at all. But her eyes darkened slightly as she refocused on Xu Chun’s stubborn expression. “You don’t love me enough.”

Qin Yao concluded, “All those times you said you liked me before you were just trying to provoke Zhaolie.”

“That’s not true!” Xu Chun retorted, frantic and furious, her eyes reddening at the edges. She was angry that Qin Yao could see her this way, that she would twist and tarnish her feelings like this.

Seeing her on the verge of tears, Qin Yao’s stern expression unconsciously softened. She gently raised her elegantly boned hand to cradle Xu Chun’s face, her voice tender beyond measure. “What is it?” she coaxed patiently, step by step. “I want to know the reason.”

“I don’t want you to keep hiding things from me, nor do I want you deceiving yourself.”

Qin Yao gave her the chance, but when it came time to explain, Xu Chun found herself speechless. Why was this happening? She didn’t know. Just moments ago, she had been certain of the reasons, but now she was genuinely lost.

She couldn’t tell if the excuses and justifications she’d clung to before truly reflected her innermost thoughts.

For a fleeting moment, Xu Chun suddenly realized she didn’t understand herself at all.

“There’s no need to rush,” Qin Yao said, not pressing her. Instead, she gently stroked Xu Chun’s head, her eyes and brows brimming with warmth and the mature charm of a life well-lived. “I’ll wait for you.”

“Whenever you’re ready, you can tell me.”

Xu Chun nodded blankly, her eyes slightly red as she looked at Qin Yao, uttering an awkward, “Okay.”

Qin Yao didn’t push further, generously letting her go. Xu Chun wandered off in a daze, only snapping out of it after walking a good distance. Had she just been emotionally manipulated by Qin Yao?

Just when she thought today would be the day Qin Yao would finally take the initiative and let her have a taste, Qin Yao had instead tangled her up in confusion, leaving her flustered and lost. In the end, not only had she missed out on the feast, she hadn’t even gotten a sip of the broth.

Now, she felt restless all over.

Xu Chun couldn’t help but suspect Qin Yao with a petty thought: Was she doing this on purpose? Knowing full well how much Xu Chun desired her, only to pull back at the last moment, leaving her hanging.

Annoying.

Missing out was annoying, but Qin Yao’s words annoyed her even more.

Without realizing it, she found herself at the spot where she had last met Fu Xin. Staring blankly at the bustling traffic below, she wondered, what exactly was she resisting about Qin Yao?

It wasn’t societal judgment, nor others’ opinions, nor Qin Yao herself.

Just then, Jiang Zhaolie walked by. Xu Chun’s gaze turned fierce, it had to be because of her. If not for Jiang Zhaolie being Qin Yao’s quasi-daughter, if not for their past engagement, if not for Jiang Zhaolie forcing her to expose herself on the dating show because of Yu Sui’an, laying the groundwork for all the potential fallout from her relationship with Qin Yao, she wouldn’t have to worry about any of this.

She could have openly announced her relationship with Qin Yao without a second thought.

Xu Chun admitted she was taking her anger out on Jiang Zhaolie now, and she wanted nothing more than to play the role of a wicked stepmother, making Jiang Zhaolie suffer just as much.

Jiang Zhaolie, who had been walking along just fine, suddenly froze under Xu Chun’s venomous glare.

Baffled and utterly confused, she racked her brain but couldn’t figure out why the stepmother who had been so kind and gentle to her at the airport had suddenly transformed into this terrifying figure who looked ready to skin her alive.

Jiang Zhaolie hesitated had her mom just settled some serious score with her?

No way, Qin Yao isn’t that petty of a person.

Jiang Zhaolie couldn’t figure it out, so she held her breath, lowered her head, and tried her best to appear deep in thought, pretending not to notice Xu Chun’s presence before quickly slipping past her like she was fleeing.

Fortunately, Xu Chun didn’t corner her or pick a fight. Instead, she remained rooted in place, brows tightly furrowed, motionless, as if grappling with something deeply troubling.

What could possibly trouble her so much? Jiang Zhaolie thought carefully and finally came to one conclusion, Yu Sui’an.

No one else could possibly leave Xu Chun so flustered and helpless.

Xu Chun tried hard to calm her inexplicably agitated mood. There had to be a reason why Qin Yao suddenly said those things to her. But, she couldn’t understand. They had only met a handful of times, how could Qin Yao have seen through her so thoroughly?

Though reluctant to admit it, she had to acknowledge that Qin Yao truly understood her inside and out.

This was very unsettling.

Ever since arriving, Xu Chun had instinctively masked herself. After everything that happened with Yu Sui’an and Jiang Zhaolie, she rarely showed her true self anymore. So even if Qin Yao had met countless people, Xu Chun didn’t believe she could have nearly uncovered her deepest secrets in just a few brief encounters.

Where exactly had she slipped up? This question plagued Xu Chun for three whole days, right up until the final day of the program.

For the past week, everyone at Qin Corporation had been swamped with work. Last night, nearly the entire staff had stayed late, ensuring everything was perfectly prepared for today’s event. Though Xu Chun didn’t have to push herself as hard as Qin Corp’s employees, she still woke up at five in the morning to get ready and rushed to the company to help Qin Yao and Jiang Zhaolie handle minor tasks.

The tense atmosphere in the company affected Xu Chun too. Without realizing it, her heart grew uneasy, and she found herself on edge along with everyone else.

As the live broadcast approached, Xu Chun’s heart pounded like a drum, her mouth dry. She couldn’t stop herself from taking sip after sip of the bottled water beside her. Her hands turned cold, even breaking into a thin layer of sweat, damp and sticky, unbearably uncomfortable. But she had no time to dwell on it now. Sitting in the conference room with Qin Corp’s executives, her eyes remained fixed on the screen.

As the countdown ended, Qin Corp’s official live stream froze momentarily. Xu Chun held her breath, her heart threatening to burst from her chest.

After a brief lag, the number of viewers in the live stream surged at a terrifying rate. Even Jiang Zhaolie couldn’t suppress the rapid pounding of her heart, excitement bubbling up inside her.

This was truly extraordinary!

There were other powerful and well-run corporations like Qin Corp, but none had ever commanded such overwhelming traffic as Qin Corp did today.

Jiang Zhaolie was absolutely certain, today, Qin Corp would go down in history, leaving an indelible mark.

After this, who could possibly compete with Qin Corp? No one.

As long as they maintained this momentum and continued to develop with ethics and integrity, unless they self-destructed, Qin Corp would forever remain an unshakable titan.

Jiang Zhaolie clenched her fists and instinctively looked toward Xu Chun, only to realize that the person she was watching was herself gazing at someone else.

Xu Chun was staring intently at Qin Yao, not blinking. After the initial excitement and joy had faded, Xu Chun gradually calmed down, suddenly feeling puzzled.

In the novel, Jiang Zhaolie’s background had always been portrayed as overwhelmingly powerful, someone who could act with absolute impunity. But if Qin Yao had ultimately managed to turn the tables and backstab Jiang Zhaolie successfully, that meant Qin Yao or the Qin family of the past was nowhere near as formidable as they were now.

The Qin family might have been strong, but they weren’t without weaknesses, which was why Jiang Zhaolie had been able to exploit them and emerge victorious. Yet, from Xu Chun’s perspective, the Qin family today had grown far beyond anything Jiang Zhaolie could ever hope to challenge.

Even Qin Yao herself was no longer someone Jiang Zhaolie could topple with a few petty schemes.

Unconsciously, she had become so powerful that it inspired both awe and fear.

Xu Chun pondered carefully, if all these changes were the result of a butterfly effect she had triggered, then had Qin Yao followed her original path, could she have subdued Jiang Zhaolie so effortlessly and grown this strong in just a year?

A couple of days ago, Xu Chun had taken the time to learn more about Qin Yao. Before she arrived, Qin Yao’s plans for the company had been ordinary, unremarkable nothing like the relentless, terrifying momentum she displayed now.

The current Qin Yao was like someone blessed with a golden finger terrifying.

Xu Chun even felt that, given enough time, it wouldn’t surprise her if Qin Yao expanded her business into outer space.

But what had been the catalyst for such a drastic change in Qin Yao? It couldn’t just be because the Jiang-Xu alliance had fallen through, forcing her to fend for herself and secure her own future.

In the original story, when the Jiang-Xu marriage alliance collapsed and even the Xu family went bankrupt, Qin Yao hadn’t made any major moves.

Unless,  A suspicion rose in Xu Chun’s mind, one she didn’t want to believe.

Her head throbbed with the weight of her thoughts, making her stand out in the jubilant conference room. After wrestling with her doubts for a long time, Xu Chun decided to wait until this was over and properly probe Qin Yao.

If her guess was correct, it would explain why Qin Yao understood her so well and why she had suddenly abandoned her previous cautious strategies to gamble recklessly on aggressive expansion.

Xu Chun kept her eyes fixed on Qin Yao. Jiang Zhaolie kept watching Xu Chun watching Qin Yao. After who knew how long, Qin Yao’s indifferent gaze suddenly flicked toward Jiang Zhaolie.

Jiang Zhaolie trembled slightly, guiltily and awkwardly averting her eyes, her expression unsettled.

Her mind raced, if she claimed she hadn’t meant to star, e… would Mom believe her?

Had Mom seen her watching Xu Chun for so long? Jiang Zhaolie wasn’t sure. She didn’t want to look at Xu Chun again, yet her eyes betrayed her.

Only this time, compared to her earlier boldness, Jiang Zhaolie was far more discreet.

The Qin Corporation’s live stream was so popular that the platform lagged from the overwhelming traffic. Countless trending topics about it flooded various platforms. The hosts had barely finished greeting viewers when all pre-set product links were snapped up, leaving virtually nothing in stock.

The hosts froze momentarily before casting panicked glances off-camera. At Qin Yao’s signal, they suppressed their fluster and calmly proceeded with the scripted product demonstrations, detailing features and usage instructions out of habit. Almost instinctively, they added, “Interested viewers can click the links below the screen.”

Before they could finish, rebuttals flooded the bullet comments: [Have you even checked if there’s any stock left in your own links?]

The hosts were nearly speechless, but the backend team swiftly restocked, barely managing to satisfy the insatiable demand.

The event progressed smoothly, and the four hours of the morning passed in the blink of an eye. By now, there were hardly any products left in the links. Xu Chun guessed that the workers at the Qin Group’s factories were probably operating the machines at breakneck speed, sparks flying everywhere.

The morning livestream came to a temporary close. Everyone went their separate ways some reviewing the session, others grabbing lunch. After a moment’s hesitation, Xu Chun quietly trailed behind Qin Yao like a little shadow, following her all the way to the CEO’s office.

Qin Yao had long noticed Xu Chun’s furtive glances and unspoken words. Now that they were alone, she sat down without looking up. “Speak your mind if you have something to say.”

“Well!” Xu Chun stammered, swallowing hard before steeling herself. With eyes squeezed shut then flung open, she blurted out in a booming voice, “Sis, in our past lives.” She paused. “Were we,  close?”

“Like, the not-exactly-normal kind of close?”

Her gaze bore into Qin Yao, searching for even the slightest flicker of reaction.

Without lifting her head, Qin Yao kept her eyes fixed on the computer screen, her jade-like fingers flying across the keyboard. Though she appeared engrossed in work, she still found time to respond to Xu Chun’s question. “Xu Chun.”

She uttered the name coolly, sending a shiver down Xu Chun’s spine. “Don’t mistake me for someone with endless patience.”

Support After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead’s Stepmother