After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother - Chapter 67.2

After a brief moment of shock, Yu Sui’an quickly understood, giving Jiang Banxia a deep look. Of course, now that Jiang Banxia had been driven out of the family by those illegitimate siblings and forced to hide here in disgrace, what other options did she have besides befriending her?

None.

The smile on Yu Sui’an’s face deepened instantly. Jiang Banxia ignored her expression entirely and simply said, “Since you’ve already made up your mind, you should go settle things with your company as soon as possible. I’ll coordinate with you to announce your true identity on Weibo when the time comes.”

This matter was easily resolved her company had already been pressured by Zhao Ciying to terminate her contract. If she agreed now, she could even receive compensation.

After silently organizing her thoughts, Yu Sui’an nodded slowly. “Thank you.”

“No need,” Jiang Banxia replied indifferently, then urged her, “You’d better act quickly. Otherwise, once others catch wind of this, they might use your entertainment career against you.”

“After successfully terminating your contract, you should post a clear statement on public platforms announcing your withdrawal from the industry. That way, they won’t have any openings to exploit or harass you.”

Yu Sui’an unconsciously furrowed her brows at these words, pressing her lips together as she gained a preliminary understanding of how troublesome the other illegitimate children could be. Still, she wasn’t concerned fate always favored her.

She couldn’t help but give Jiang Banxia another glance. “You’re much more adaptable than I imagined.”

Jiang Banxia responded with only a slight twitch of her lips. “Since you’re fine now, leave. I’m about to get off work.”

Her dismissal was unmistakable. Though Yu Sui’an didn’t want to miss this rare chance to see Xu Chun, she knew handling her personal affairs and securing her position at home took priority. Without lingering, she hurriedly strode away.

Tonight, she had only come to provoke Jiang Banxia out of lingering resentment from past slights. Who would have expected such an unexpected boon?

And she had to admit, Jiang Banxia’s current predicament deeply amused her.

In high spirits, Yu Sui’an’s steps carried a faint bounce as she walked. Jiang Banxia narrowed her eyes slightly, watching her retreating figure motionlessly before her crimson lips curved into a slow smile.

Zheng Yanran was the first to notice Yu Sui’an’s departure. Once the other woman was out of sight, she rushed to Jiang Banxia’s side, scrutinizing her. “Xiaxia, are you okay? Did she do anything to you?”

“No,” Jiang Banxia shook her head, glancing down at her before shifting her gaze to Xu Chun, clearly unwilling to dwell on the topic. “Let’s go eat.”

Zheng Yanran’s flood of concern instantly clogged her throat voicing it felt awkward, but swallowing it back was just as difficult.

Xu Chun tugged at her arm, tilting her chin in a silent cue. “Let’s go.”

Why insist on asking now? There would be plenty of chances during dinner. After receiving Xu Chun’s meaningful look, Zheng Yanran reconsidered and dropped the subject.

Though Xu Chun stopped Zheng Yanran from pressing further, she couldn’t resist stealing several glances at Jiang Banxia herself. Jiang Banxia noticed but met her gaze with calm indifference, seemingly unaffected.

After assessing Jiang Banxia’s resilience for a moment, Xu Chun felt somewhat reassured.

Someone as composed and steadfast as Jiang Banxia clearly wouldn’t be rattled by the mere provocation of an illegitimate daughter. Otherwise, long before Yu Sui’an, those other illegitimate children would have already driven her to fury.

The restaurant wasn’t far. As soon as Zheng Yanran sat down, she couldn’t wait to ask questions. Jiang Banxia remained calm. “What difference could she possibly make to me? One more or one less makes no difference.”

Despite her words, Zheng Yanran was still furious. She clenched her fists eagerly. “Anyway, she doesn’t have any backers now. I’ll have her blacklisted immediately and make sure she can’t survive in the entertainment industry!” Zheng Yanran went on and on. “How could someone like her dare to bully our Xiaxia, whom even I can’t bear to mistreat?”

Before she could finish, Jiang Banxia interrupted her. “In a few days, she’ll announce her withdrawal from the entertainment industry and that she’ll never act again.”

Zheng Yanran: “?” Why?

“I’ll personally acknowledge and confirm her identity as well.”

Even Xu Chun couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Banxia with a questioning look. Jiang Banxia’s lips curled slightly. “If she wants to take what’s mine, it’s only fair she loses something in return, isn’t it?”

Seeing that Jiang Banxia had everything under control, Xu Chun didn’t press further. Zheng Yanran also fell into thought, her eyes darting repeatedly at Jiang Banxia, her little mind clearly working overtime.

Yu Sui’an seemed to be in a hurry. Before the meal was even over, she had already posted online about terminating her contract with her agency and announcing her withdrawal from the entertainment industry, vowing never to act again. She stuck to her usual tactics her words dripping with implications of company coercion and her own helplessness, unable to resist. This quickly sparked heated discussions online, drawing waves of sympathy and pity.

[What’s going on? Why is Suisui suddenly announcing her withdrawal from the industry? Wasn’t she at the peak of her career? Did Xu Chun manipulate her again?!]

[Yu Sui’an’s fans, if you don’t have eyes, at least use your brains. Didn’t you see the statement from her agency saying it was a mutual decision due to conflicting visions? Stop blindly blaming Xu-jie for everything.]

[What does the company’s statement mean? Did they fire Yu Sui’an?]

[Yes. A friend of mine works at Yu Sui’an’s agency. Rumor has it she offended someone powerful and got blacklisted. The company had no choice but to cut ties to avoid getting dragged down.]

[Huh? Could it be that big shot with the surname Z?]

[I have a terminally ill friend who says she’d love to know who this “Z” is before she dies.]

[I also have a friend who.]

[What a shame. I thought Yu Sui’an would keep shining in the industry. Her popularity and influence were soaring quitting now is such a waste.]

[Good riddance. Look at the mess she’s made of the entertainment scene.]

[Is Suisui really quitting? Could this just be an outburst? Or is someone threatening her? What will she do after leaving  open a shop? Become an influencer?]

[Stop worrying about others when you’re barely scraping by. Yu Sui’an’s earnings could last ordinary people several lifetimes.]

The internet was abuzz with discussions. Apart from the massive shockwaves caused by Yu Sui’an’s withdrawal from the entertainment industry, her company also found itself caught in a whirlpool of controversy due to this sudden contract termination.

Of course, more people were concerned about what Yu Sui’an would do next after leaving the industry.

Driven by such curiosity, all topics related to Yu Sui’an soared to the top of the trending lists, making her more popular than she had ever been during her time in the spotlight.

Yu Sui’an’s manager nearly lost his mind when he saw the trending topic. His artist had suddenly announced her retirement from the industry without any prior discussion, she’d made the decision entirely on her own. What did she take him for? A mere decoration?

Furious beyond words, the manager immediately dialed Yu Sui’an’s number. “Yu Sui’an, what the hell is this?!” he roared, struggling to keep his tone from sounding too harsh, but his anger was uncontrollable. The one promising talent under his management, his ticket to success, was slipping away just like that. How could he not be livid?

Without Yu Sui’an, where would he ever find another shrewd individual who knew exactly how to stir up drama and maintain her own hype?

Yu Sui’an had already prepared an excuse. “Bro, I had no choice,” she said softly. “The company kept pressuring me, using Zhao Ciying to force me into signing this agreement. They said if I didn’t, I’d lose everything. But if I signed, they promised me compensation.”

“Cut the crap!” the manager snapped coldly, cutting her off. “Yu Sui’an, don’t try your usual tricks on me. I already smoothed things over with the company there’s no way they’d suddenly force you out.”

After a long silence, Yu Sui’an finally replied, “It’s too late now. The decision’s already made.” Her voice softened further. “Bro, while there’s still time, go scout some new talent.”

The manager hurled his phone to the ground in frustration. He had known Yu Sui’an long enough to recognize her self-serving nature. With her new drama about to air, she was on the verge of skyrocketing to fame so why would she throw away such a golden opportunity unless.

She had already secured a better exit.

Just as the manager was racking his brain, wondering which powerful figure Yu Sui’an had attached herself to, several new trending topics caught his eye:

#Jiang Banxia Yu Sui’an#
#Yu Sui’an’s True Identity#
#Jiang Banxia Yu Sui’an Sisters#

These tags, nestled beneath the news of Yu Sui’an’s retirement, were impossible to ignore.

His mind hesitated, but his fingers moved on their own, clicking into the topics.

After skimming through the content, the manager cursed aloud. So that was it, he should’ve known!

Moments earlier, Jiang Banxia had personally posted on Weibo, clarifying her relationship with Yu Sui’an and defending her at every turn. Her unwavering support instantly won over Yu Sui’an’s fans, skyrocketing her follower count in no time. At the same time, the exposure from this incident propelled her into the public eye.

Though many weren’t familiar with Jiang Banxia, thanks to enthusiastic netizens’ explanations, everyone quickly learned about her identity and the influential family behind her.

Yu Sui’an’s fans were overjoyed. Although their beloved Suisui had been fired by her company, she had gained a new family who treated her with such warmth and protection, which made their hearts bloom with happiness.

[“Suisui is truly the best! To be protected like this in such dire circumstances, she must be some kind of angel reincarnated!”]

[“Am I the only one who thinks everything tonight was too coincidental? The timing of Yu Sui’an leaving the industry, Jiang Banxia acknowledging her identity it all feels staged. Rather than being fired, I think she just didn’t want to work hard anymore now that she has a wealthy family.”]

[“I have a question,” one comment suddenly read. “Isn’t Jiang Banxia an only child? How did she suddenly get a sister? Was Yu Sui’an a kidnapped second child of the Jiang family?”]

[“You don’t know? Yu Sui’an is just an illegitimate child. And the Jiang family has several others like her, she’s just the most famous among them.”]

[“Huh? Then what’s there to celebrate?”]

[“That CEO Jiang is such a scumbag. One illegitimate child is bad enough, but he actually has several?”]

[“You haven’t even heard the worst part. Jiang Banxia’s half-sisters all have different mothers. Get what I mean?”]

[“Got it. Gotta say, Jiang Banxia is really magnanimous.”]

[“Magnanimous? I think she’s cutting off Yu Sui’an’s escape route in the entertainment industry to drag her home and deal with her slowly. No rich heiress grows up naive, Yu Sui’an’s fans are gonna be devastated.”]

No matter how the netizens buzzed with speculation, Jiang Banxia remained unshaken, not even lifting an eyelid. Xu Chun and Zheng Yanran exchanged glances. “You’re really taking her home?” they asked.

Hearing this, Jiang Banxia looked up from her phone and corrected them seriously, “It’s not that I’m taking her home. She’s the one desperate to cling to this rediscovered family bond.” She smiled faintly. “My dear brothers and sisters will be more than happy to have a grand family reunion with her.”

Xu Chun shot her an approving look. Clever! Let them tear each other apart first, then swoop in to finish them off when they’re exhausted true strategy.

Zheng Yanran quickly caught on and couldn’t resist adding, “It’s not like your family has a throne to inherit. What’s the point of all these princes and princesses?” She barely held back her next words. “With your dad’s genes, what good could come out of it well, except for you.”

She hastily amended, “Your family must’ve struck gold in past lives. Your dad really lucked out to have a daughter as beautiful and brilliant as you.”

Xu Chun couldn’t help but interject, “He didn’t give birth to her.”

Zheng Yanran glared. “Are you deliberately picking a fight with me?”

Seeing this, Xu Chun immediately shut her mouth. Zheng Yanran finally withdrew her satisfied gaze, then couldn’t help but exclaim, “Sister Xu Chun, after finally getting a role in a drama, look what’s happened, the second female lead quit the industry, another started her own company, and now you’re the only one left struggling in the circle.”

She shook her head regretfully. “What a tragedy.”

At this moment, Xu Chun finally realized the gravity of the situation, her temples throbbing violently. Wasn’t this true? “Secret Heartbeats” was supposed to be her chance for a comeback! With Yu Sui’an’s sudden series of dramatic actions, what was she supposed to do now?

The severity of the situation dawned on her, and her face fell into a frown.

But Jiang Banxia comforted her, “It’s not a big problem. In today’s world where popularity reigns, Yu Sui’an’s exit will bring a lot of attention. Just her fans alone won’t let the drama’s performance look bad after all, this is her last work in the entertainment industry.”

So Yu Sui’an’s fans would undoubtedly go all out to boost the drama’s ratings, even if it meant Xu Chun would benefit as well.

Xu Chun suddenly felt a mix of emotions. Being carried by her rival for the first time, why did it feel like she’d stumbled upon a huge windfall?

No matter what, the ratings for “Secret Heartbeats” were practically guaranteed.

The melodramatic original plot, combined with Xu Chun and Yu Sui’an’s first collaboration after their breakup, Jiang Banxia and Yu Sui’an’s scenes as unknowing half-sisters turned rivals, and the hype of Yu Sui’an’s farewell project, any one of these would draw intense attention, let alone with Xu Chun’s steady popularity in the mix.

Even Zheng Yanran couldn’t help but feel excited after untangling the complicated relationships. “I can’t wait to see you all acting lovey-dovey with your exes on screen, pretending to be affectionate in front of the audience when you actually hate each other’s guts. And those thrilling scenes of half-sisters turning against each other for the same woman, scheming and backstabbing!”

After saying this, she thoughtfully rubbed her chin and muttered to herself, “I wonder if it’s too late for me to invest in this now.”

Noticing the two icy glares directed at her, Zheng Yanran quickly raised her hands in surrender. “Just kidding, I’m totally kidding!”

“There’s no way I’d watch something so tacky, so revolting, that caused you all so much emotional trauma!”

“I’d definitely secretly recommend it to my enemies instead!”

The lead actresses Xu Chun and Jiang Banxia: “…” What a shame such a nice person, if only she didn’t have a mouth.

Meanwhile, the audience had also realized that the two people at the center of today’s storm had a drama premiering soon. Some speculated whether this was a marketing stunt by the production team, but Yu Sui’an’s fans quickly dismissed this idea.

Upon reflection, it seemed unlikely. Even as a marketing tactic, Yu Sui’an probably wouldn’t gamble with her reputation and career. After all, she had publicly announced her retirement, if she went back on her word later, it would become a lifelong joke, something people would constantly bring up to mock her.

Once it was clear Yu Sui’an wasn’t joking, everyone openly started making fun of “Secret Heartbeats.”

People were discussing freely until a meme blogger suddenly posted on Weibo: [“Wasn’t Jiang Banxia Xu Chun’s white moonlight? If Xu Chun and Jiang Banxia got together, wouldn’t Yu Sui’an have to call her ex, sister-in-law?”]

This single comment stirred up a storm. Everyone who saw it couldn’t help but pause and think: “…?”

Well,  that seems about, right?!

Support