After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother - Chapter 65

Jiang Zhaolie had come at Qin Yao’s behest to recruit Xu’s father and Tang Shiyu as investors.

Though she had immediately wanted to ask why when Qin Yao first gave the order, the thought had circled in her mind before she ultimately suppressed the impulse. It wasn’t all that surprising given Xu Chun’s relationship with her mother, this was bound to happen sooner or later.

After all, bringing in anyone as an investor and helping them profit was the same. If that was the case, why not start by winning over her future in-laws? Pleasing these two would surely make it easier when the time came to formally propose, wouldn’t it?

So when she met the two, Jiang Zhaolie steadied herself, pushing down the jumble of thoughts in her mind, and straightforwardly explained her purpose making sure to mention Qin Yao’s involvement. This was, after all, Qin Yao’s idea; there was no need for her to compete for credit in front of them.

Tang Shiyu and Xu’s father exchanged glances but remained silent. Jiang Zhaolie soon noticed the arrival of Zhao Ciying and Zheng Jinchan, immediately sharpening her focus as she warily watched their approach. A thought crossed her mind, Were they here for the same reason?

Zheng Jinchan reached them a step ahead of Zhao Ciying, her gaze sweeping over Jiang Zhaolie. “Are you also here to invite Chairman Xu to collaborate?”

The question instantly weighed on Jiang Zhaolie’s mood. “Yes.”

Now that there was more than one competitor, she wasn’t sure if she could accomplish Qin Yao’s task today. If Tang Shiyu and Xu’s father chose her out of respect for Qin Yao, that would be ideal. But if lingering resentment from past events swayed their decision, potentially disrupting Qin Yao’s plans…

A bitter taste rose in Jiang Zhaolie’s mouth. For a moment, she wanted to sincerely and earnestly apologize to them but now was clearly not the right time.

Yet, apart from Qin Yao, she had no substantial leverage to sway Xu Chun’s parents. Anxiety gnawed at her.

The answer was expected, so Zheng Jinchan wasn’t surprised. It seemed everyone, including Zhao Ciying, was eyeing the connections in Old Man Xu’s hands. For ordinary projects, collaborating with anyone would suffice, but this time was different, the entire initiative was government-led, making Chairman Xu a pivotal figure.

Still, Zheng Jinchan couldn’t understand why the Xu family had previously neglected their resources and connections in favor of poverty alleviation. But after the recent scandals involving Yang Xingyan, the Xu company had begun making major moves, halting their charity efforts and purging all the questionable figures within. Their current momentum suggested they were finally getting serious about business.

Chairman Xu had always been content with the status quo, lacking competitive drive or ambition even his wife had more aspirations than him. So why the sudden change, thoroughly restructuring the company inside and out?

Recalling some rumors she’d heard, Zheng Jinchan narrowed her eyes slightly before politely inviting the two, “Would Chairman Xu and Madam Xu have time to sit down for tea?”

No sooner had the words been spoken than Zhao Ciying chimed in, “Tea? Count me in.” Seeing Zheng Jinchan turn her head with evident displeasure, Zhao Ciying smiled sweetly. “Oh, you have private matters to discuss? Perfect, so do I.” She continued leisurely, “If I’m not mistaken, we’re all here to talk to President Xu and his wife about the same thing, aren’t we?”

Zheng Jinchan had little desire to engage with this madwoman, but Zhao Ciying was relentless in pursuing her goals. Moreover, Qin Yao, who stood behind Jiang Zhaolie, was no pushover. Although Zheng had collaborated with Qin Yao before, in this project, no one would ever consider their own interests sufficient.

The three women stood in a tense triangular standoff before them. No matter whom Tang Shiyu chose to accompany, she would offend the other two. Knowing their personalities well, Tang understood that even if she made a choice now, the remaining two wouldn’t back down easily. After brief consideration, Tang deflected diplomatically, “Let’s find somewhere to sit first.”

Jiang Zhaolie immediately seized the opportunity, “I’ve already prepared a room.”

Qin Yao happened to be nearby. While she couldn’t outmaneuver Zhao Ciying and Zheng Jinchan, surely she could handle Qin Yao? Though her current mission could be considered a failure, successfully delivering both women to Qin Yao might still salvage the situation.

Tang Shiyu didn’t refuse. Xu’s father naturally deferred to his wife’s judgment. Both silently speculated about Jiang Zhaolie’s intentions and concluded that whether it was Qin Yao or the Jiang family waiting for them, they stood to lose nothing.

Since everyone wanted to leverage the connections in the old man’s hands, why not seize the initiative to secure greater benefits for themselves?

With each harboring their own schemes, the group soon arrived at the meeting room. Qin Yao showed no surprise at the unexpected presence of Zhao Ciying and Zheng Jinchan. After a glance at her secretary, who promptly left to make preparations, Qin Yao finally spoke, “Let’s wait a little longer. President Jiang and his team should be arriving soon.”

Zheng Jinchan toyed with a paper cup on the table, studying Qin Yao intently.

Zhao Ciying also glanced at Qin Yao upon hearing this. This old fox had once again maneuvered everything under her control. Crossing her arms, she quietly calculated her chances of success today.

President Jiang and his assistant arrived shortly. Seeing the assembled figures in the meeting room practically all the top power players from the country’s elite families, it was clear just how enticing this project was.

Though other families were eager to join, as long as these major players secured satisfactory benefits through collaboration, leaving some scraps for others wouldn’t hurt. After all, everyone needed room to survive, didn’t they?

Since everyone coveted the connections held by the Xu family patriarch, and Tang Shiyu was acutely aware of this, she stood her ground firmly during the ensuing negotiations. Amidst the tension, she fought relentlessly to maximize her gains. The others looked from Tang to Xu’s father and realized that Tang was now the true decision-maker of the Xu family.

As for Xu’s father… The starry-eyed admiration in his expression, silently cheering “my wife is amazing,” made it obvious this was yet another alpha-female, beta-male pairing.

However, this didn’t affect them. Only after each party obtained what they wanted did the atmosphere at the negotiation table finally ease. Zhao Ciying, in an unusually good mood, even asked, “Shall we have dinner together? My treat.”

Qin Yao glanced at her. “Let’s go. I’ve already made arrangements.”

Zhao Ciying was instantly speechless. Although she knew Qin Yao could be ruthless, she hadn’t expected her to go this far, risking everything just to curry favor with Xu Chun’s parents.

Thinking of Xu Chun, Zhao Ciying’s eyes flickered with unwillingness to be outdone. She deliberately added, “President Xu, Mrs. Xu, you must join us. Today’s success is largely thanks to you both.”

Though Zhao Ciying’s words weren’t untrue, Tang Shiyu sensed something amiss. Suspicious, she glanced at Xu’s father, who looked back innocently. “What’s wrong, dear?”

Tang Shiyu immediately averted her gaze. Forget it, relying on him was hopeless.

She didn’t refuse the invitation. After a thorough internal and external restructuring of the company, they urgently needed reliable allies to prevent others from taking advantage of their current vulnerability. While such attempts wouldn’t significantly impact the company, frequent disturbances would inevitably become tiresome.

And those present today were all formidable figures.

Even establishing a connection with just one of them would ensure the company’s future growth and resources.

As they moved, Tang Shiyu recalled the gossip she’d heard from relatives and couldn’t resist sending her daughter a message: Among Zhao Ciying, Zheng Jinchan, Qin Yao, Jiang Zhaolie, and the Jiang family behind her, which one are you closest to?

Xu Chun replied without hesitation: I get along well with all of them. Why do you ask, Mom?

Tang Shiyu: “…” Seriously?

What had her precious daughter been up to while she was busy with business? She could understand Jiang Zhaolie and Qin Yao, but how had Xu Chun gotten involved with Zheng Jinchan and Zhao Ciying?

Thinking of Zheng Jinchan’s notoriously unruly daughter, Tang Shiyu felt a headache coming on.

But then she considered her own daughter’s recent behavior and fell silent. Actually… wasn’t she just as troublesome as Zheng Ran? Both were equally mischievous little troublemakers.

Still, no matter how her daughter changed, Tang Shiyu loved her all the same.

After replying, Xu Chun pondered the question. Why was her mother suddenly asking this? Had she met with all of them today? She pursed her lips, it was probably related to the project Zhao Ciying had mentioned.

If Zhao Ciying had come to her for information, the others likely wouldn’t lag behind. Unlike Zhao Ciying, though, they’d chosen to approach her parents directly.

With Tang Shiyu, a capable and ambitious businesswoman handling things, there shouldn’t be any major issues.

Having figured this out, Xu Chun set the matter aside and focused on filming. After all, if there were any new developments, they’d surely appear in the news or online.

Two days passed, and as expected, there was some movement in the media news that He Qingli had informed Xu Chun about. Due to Fu Xin’s parents, He Qingli kept a constant eye on business circles, ready to devise countermeasures at the first sign of trouble to prevent Fu Xin from being completely trapped by her parents’ emotional blackmail.

Having heard that their daughter had nearly cleared the family’s debts, Fu Xin’s parents once again entertained the idea of returning to China to restart their business and make a comeback. Recently, they had been frantically pulling strings, trying to secure more investments and sponsorships.

However, everything Fu Xin had endured had already been thoroughly exposed by the variety show. Anyone with a shred of conscience looked down on this couple, who favored their son over their daughter, let alone considered investing in them. Would investors dare? If their business failed again, these two might very well abandon their own daughter a second time and flee abroad to reunite with their precious son.

Wouldn’t that mean all the investors’ hard-earned money would just go down the drain?

Expecting them to fund this couple’s trial-and-error ventures for free? Not a chance they weren’t fools. Moreover, integrity and credibility were paramount in business, and this couple had long been blacklisted countless times.

Their daughter, on the other hand, was quite remarkable. It was baffling how such selfish and heartless people had managed to raise such a resilient and sensible girl.

A girl like her, if born into any other family, would have been cherished and nurtured. Only these two had no conscience, trampling all over someone’s sincere affection.

So when He Qingli learned that Fu Xin’s parents were hitting walls everywhere in China, she couldn’t have been happier. She gleefully told Xu Chun, “I heard they even pulled some strings to try and squeeze into the ‘Tianyu’ project.” He Qingli scoffed, her tone dripping with disdain. “They should take a good look in the mirror and see what they really are.”

Xu Chun remained unfazed by He Qingli’s emotionally charged remarks, but hearing “Tianyu” mentioned again piqued her curiosity. “Has the project been finalized yet?”

“Not yet,” He Qingli shook her head. “But it shouldn’t be long. With the Qin, Zhao, Zheng, and Jiang companies taking the lion’s share and stabilizing the situation, I’d guess the remaining portions will be fiercely contested and quickly divided.”

She then raised an eyebrow. “Your parents moved surprisingly fast this time.”

Xu Chun smiled. “Zhao Ciyin brought them in.” Before He Qingli could ask, she added, “Because my grandfather has some connections that were useful to her.”

“I see.” He Qingli abruptly changed the subject. “I knew my idol’s background was rock-solid!”

Xu Chun: “…?”

Noticing her confusion, He Qingli explained, “There’s been talk online lately about Yu Sui’an’s supposedly extraordinary background.”

She casually curled her lip. “As if she could ever compare to my Xu-jie?” He Qingli had never liked Yu Sui’an, a woman who had callously abandoned her idol and even tried to destroy her. “Even if some wealthy family recognizes her now, it doesn’t erase all the despicable things she’s done in the past.”

“Besides, there are only a handful of top-tier wealthy families in our circle. Qin Yao, Zhao Ciying, and Zheng Jinchan are all still single, it’s impossible for them to suddenly have such a grown-up daughter out of nowhere. As for the remaining elite families… even if she were some heiress, she wouldn’t be worth mentioning.”

“No matter how impressive she is, she could never compare to those three.”

He Qingli wasn’t wrong about that. Xu Chun followed her train of thought: even if Yu Sui’an’s background turned out to have some unexpected twist, it wouldn’t pose much of a threat to her current situation.

“Plus, among the well-known socialite wives, I’ve never heard of any having a long-lost biological daughter or a case of mistaken identity.” He Qingli propped her chin thoughtfully before concluding decisively: “So she’s probably just some awkwardly positioned illegitimate child unrecognized and unwelcome.”

Listening to He Qingli’s words, Xu Chun unexpectedly thought of one particular family. But after frowning in contemplation, she chose not to dwell on it further.

Because if it were true, it would only add insult to injury for them.

When He Qingli was called away, Xu Chun sat reading scripts for a while before approaching Jiang Banxia to ask about her entrepreneurial venture.

It was common knowledge that CEO Jiang shamelessly paraded his several illegitimate children around, using them solely for advantageous marriages to further his own interests. His brazen disregard for Jiang Banxia’s feelings had long since frozen their relationship solid.

Though Madam Jiang wanted her daughter to fight for the family fortune like those illegitimate siblings, the proud Jiang Banxia couldn’t bear sharing space with them. She cleanly severed ties, using years of accumulated savings and connections to establish her own company.

Jiang Banxia’s newly founded company desperately lacked resources in every aspect. Considering her capabilities, Xu Chun excitedly texted Zheng Yanran: [I’m going to make some money, want to join me?]

Zheng Yanran replied immediately: [?]

[Jiang Banxia’s company just launched, right? I figured she must need startup capital, so I’m planning to invest in her projects. Want in?]

[That’s perfect!] Zheng Yanran responded plaintively: [Last time I offered funding, she outright refused me.]

[But with you involved, she’ll have to accept our support now.]

Xu Chun hadn’t realized Zheng Yanran had already made moves, albeit unsuccessful ones. She casually asked: [How much were you planning to invest?]

Without hesitation: [500 million.]

Xu Chun: “…” Such ostentatious wealth was downright inhuman.

[What about you?] Zheng Yanran countered.

Xu Chun had originally considered 30 million, but after hearing Zheng Yanran’s figure, she hesitated: [50 million?]

[That’s way too little! Banxia’s incredibly capable she’ll definitely succeed! The more you invest now, the greater your returns later. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Are you really going to let such prime profit potential slip through your fingers, Sister Xu Chun?]

Xu Chun’s eyelid twitched: “?” Don’t think I don’t know you’re biased enough to tilt the Pacific Ocean.

Day after day, all you think about is helping Jiang Banxia pick money from my pocket.

Although, the pie Zheng Yanran painted was indeed tempting. Thinking about the offhand mention of Jiang Banxia’s fate in the original novel, Xu Chun steeled herself and gritted her teeth: [A hundred million, not a penny more.]

After all, she had made quite a profit from buying Qin Group’s stocks earlier. Now, allocating some to help Jiang Banxia through the financially strained early stages of her startup wasn’t entirely out of the question.

Zheng Yanran also knew this was the maximum she could squeeze out of Xu Chun. Without hesitation, she nodded, [Alright, when are you free? I’ll drive over to pick you up.]

Glancing at her schedule, Xu Chun replied: [Tonight. I don’t have any scenes.]

Though she had agreed, the thought of shelling out a hundred million still made Xu Chun’s heart ache unbearably. Staring at her account balance, she decided she would make Zheng Yanran pay dearly for dinner tonight.

The moment Zheng Yanran arrived, she was met with Xu Chun’s calculating gaze, clearly scheming to drain her personal savings. Zheng Yanran instinctively shrank back, her face full of wariness. “Stop looking at me like that, it’s creepy.”

“What’s there to be afraid of?” Xu Chun smiled at her with kindly warmth. “We’re good sisters, aren’t we? It’s not like I’d do anything to you.”

“Who knows?” Zheng Yanran muttered. Though she hadn’t known Xu Chun for long, she had a crystal-clear understanding of her stinginess. That was precisely why she couldn’t fathom it, the Xu family wasn’t poor, and Xu Chun herself was one of the top earners in the entertainment industry. With all that money, how could she still be so tight-fisted?

Her pockets were already bulging, yet she still took advantage of Zheng Yanran every chance she got. It was downright shameless.

Xu Chun could read Zheng Yanran’s thoughts at a glance. She smiled sweetly. “And you’re always eyeing every last penny in my pocket too.”

Zheng Yanran: “…” Takes after you, doesn’t it?

Spending someone else’s money was always more satisfying than spending your own.

After bickering for ages, they finally got into the car. As Xu Chun fastened her seatbelt, Zheng Yanran volunteered, “I already told Xiaxia in advance. She’s still busy at the company, so we’ll head straight there?”

“Sure.” Xu Chun had no objections, so Zheng Yanran floored the accelerator, her luxury car speeding away from the set like a bullet.

Secretary Zhao glanced at the sports car flashing past and instinctively remarked, “President Qin, I think I just saw Miss Zheng and Miss Xu.” Halfway through, she realized her slip and immediately shut her mouth.

Qin Yao looked up at her, then at the flashy supercar ahead. “Are you sure?”

“N-no…” Secretary Zhao pressed her lips together. “I must’ve been mistaken. At this time, Miss Xu should still be filming on set.”

Qin Yao didn’t respond, and Secretary Zhao didn’t dare let her mind wander again, focusing intently on driving.

Yet within minutes, Qin Yao’s phone buzzed with an entertainment push notification about Xu Chun.

[Zheng Family Heiress Spotted in Luxury Sports Car with A-List Star Xu Chun. Rumors of Ambiguous Relationship Swirl…]

Qin Yao quietly stared at the opened news page, her expression unchanged.

Meanwhile, Xu Chun remained unaware that unscrupulous media outlets were once again spreading rumors about her love life and scandals. She had just gotten out of the car with Zheng Yanran and was heading toward Jiang Banxia’s hotel room.

After knocking, the door was quickly opened from inside.

Jiang Banxia had already learned about Xu Chun’s goodwill from Zheng Yanran in advance. After some thought, she didn’t refuse because she knew it would be futile  once Xu Chun made up her mind, she wouldn’t stop until she achieved her goal. Moreover, since the other party had gone to such lengths for her sake, how could she possibly reject their kindness?

The only thing she could do was repay them doubly, proving that their decision today wasn’t a mistake.

Jiang Banxia hadn’t asked about the investment amounts beforehand, so when the two disclosed their figures after sitting down, she looked up in disbelief. “What?”

She instinctively frowned. “Are you two out of your minds?”

She was about to refuse on the spot when Zheng Yanran quickly glanced at Xu Chun, who cleared her throat and said seriously, “Yanran and I haven’t eaten yet…”

“I’ll book a restaurant right away,” Jiang Banxia said. “But about the investment?”

“Yanran, what do you feel like eating?” Xu Chun turned to Zheng Yanran, who immediately caught on and rattled off a list of dishes. After finishing, she asked Xu Chun in return, “How about you?”

Xu Chun pondered for a while, agonized over the choices, and finally tentatively suggested a few options.

Watching the two chat as if she weren’t even there, completely shutting her out of the conversation, Jiang Banxia felt a subtle warmth flow through her heart.

By the time Xu Chun and Zheng Yanran finally stopped talking their mouths practically dry they both turned to Jiang Banxia and asked, “Is this okay?”

Jiang Banxia saw right through their little act, wearing an expression that said she had them all figured out. “Of course.”

For some reason, under Jiang Banxia’s half-smiling gaze, both Xu Chun and Zheng Yanran inexplicably felt guilty and lacking in confidence, as if they were the ones who owed her despite being the investors.

Once they decided on the meal, the three prepared to leave, but then Xu Chun’s manager called. “Are you with Zheng Yanran and Jiang Banxia right now?”

Xu Chun blinked in confusion. “Yeah?”

She immediately sensed something was off. “What’s wrong?”

After a long silence, the manager finally said, “Go check online yourself.”

Zheng Yanran, sharp-eared, instantly pulled out her phone to browse the news. When she clicked on the trending topics and saw the glaring headline #Xu Chun Spotted in Late-Night Hotel Rendezvous with Zheng and Jiang Heiresses# she burst into gleeful laughter. “Oh-ho, you’re done for.”

Xu Chun snatched the phone from her, and after reading the entire article, her face turned green.

Damn Potato News! Were they deliberately targeting her?!

Without hesitation, she personally jumped into the fray to refute the rumors: [Stop spreading lies, or I’ll sue you.]

To her surprise, the Potato News editor fired back arrogantly: [Can you deny you’re with them right now?] Followed by a smirking emoji that oozed smugness: [Our reporters are still staking out your hotel room door.]

Xu Chun: “…” She’d underestimated them.

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