After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother - Chapter 75

That day, Xu Chun set her phone to silent and slept soundly. Initially, she had wanted to sleep like the dead, making up for all the lost rest, but the biological clock she had developed over the past few months made her eyes snap open uncontrollably at five or six in the morning. After that, she couldn’t fall back asleep no matter what.

She lay there staring blankly at the ceiling with a look of utter resignation, until she finally had no choice but to get up, tidy herself briefly, and start her morning fasted cardio workout.

Midway through, Xu Chun noticed Xu Wei’s arrival but ignored her. Xu Wei, in turn, casually found a spot to sit nearby, idly watching Xu Chun for a while before lowering her head to play on her phone.

About an hour later, Xu Chun finished her workout, grabbed a towel from the rack to wipe her sweat, and turned around. Noticing Xu Wei’s unwavering gaze after the workout music stopped, she asked, “What is it?”

“Um!” Xu Wei stood up nervously, fidgeting with her pajamas, her voice barely above a whisper as she apologized, “Sis, I was wrong about what happened before. I’m sorry.”

Her voice was so soft that Xu Chun couldn’t even make out what she was saying and had to ask again patiently. However, Xu Chun’s reaction made Xu Wei mistakenly think she was still angry. Now, forgetting all about embarrassment, Xu Wei quickly raised her voice and blurted out anxiously, “I was wrong before, and I’m apologizing. Please don’t be mad at me anymore, okay?”

“I really know I messed up.”

Her heart was in absolute torment.

Xu Chun was practically at the top of the entertainment industry now, she had popularity, beauty, and buzz. In today’s entertainment scene, there wasn’t a single female star more sought-after than Xu Chun.

Meanwhile, Yu Sui’an, whom she had once been hopelessly infatuated with, had long since capsized in the gutter, disappearing without a trace. Not only that, but even after voluntarily leaving the industry, Yu Sui’an was still being talked about with disdain. The stark contrast between the two made Xu Wei painfully aware of just how blind she had been back then and how hurtful her words and actions had been.

Especially yesterday, when she and Jiang Zhaolie, whom she despised and loathed were openly dismissed by Xu Chun, she had been left bewildered and terrified. She spent the whole night tossing and turning, unable to sleep as she agonized over it.

After a sleepless night, her head throbbing, she got up to drink some hot water and noticed the light in Xu Chun’s room was on. Hesitating, she wondered whether she should go and apologize again, sincerely and earnestly, to prevent any lasting rift between them because of Yu Sui’an.

In her eyes, letting someone like Yu Sui’an drive a wedge between sisters was completely not worth it.

So, after much painful reflection, Xu Wei steeled herself, took a deep breath, and walked out, gripping the doorknob. At worst, she’d just get whipped with a belt, no big deal.

If getting beaten once would make Xu Chun feel better, she’d welcome it.

With such firm conviction, Xu Wei found Xu Chun after noticing she was exercising. She didn’t interrupt but waited silently until Xu Chun finished before daring to ask for forgiveness.

“Whether you hit me or scold me, as long as you’re willing to vent your anger and no longer hold grudges against me, I’m willing to endure anything,” she said urgently.

Xu Chun was utterly confused. “Why would I hit or scold you?”

She looked at Xu Wei incredulously and countered, “Haven’t those matters already passed?”

Her words instantly stunned Xu Wei, who stared blankly at Xu Chun and mechanically repeated, “Already passed?” After Xu Chun nodded, Xu Wei suddenly snapped back to reality, suppressing her overwhelming joy as she asked, “So you’re not angry with me anymore?!”

Xu Chun nodded and said exasperatedly, “Why would I be angry with you?”

“But yesterday…” Xu Wei hesitated but couldn’t resist asking, “Yesterday, you specifically emphasized!”

Xu Chun was momentarily speechless, then looked seriously at her nominal younger sister and said, “Xu Wei, you need to understand that if I can mention something so casually, it’s no longer a big deal. Have you ever heard me persistently blaming you?”

“No,” Xu Wei shook her head, scrutinizing Xu Chun’s expression for a while. Seeing that she truly wasn’t angry or resentful, Xu Wei finally let out a long sigh of relief. “Sis, if you’ve really forgiven me and aren’t holding it against me, that’s just wonderful!”

“All my hard work teaming up to completely erase Yu Sui’an from the entertainment industry was worth it!” she muttered under her breath.

Though Xu Chun only caught fragments of her words, piecing them together gave her a rough idea of what Xu Wei meant. She raised an eyebrow in surprise. “So it was you who rallied other fanbases to boycott Yu Sui’an and left her with no place in the entertainment industry?”

“Of course,” Xu Wei, unrebuked by Xu Chun, was in high spirits and momentarily forgot herself. She lifted her chin proudly and said, “At first, they weren’t willing, saying they were worried their independent actions might negatively impact their idols. It took me a lot of effort and persuasion before I finally got them to agree.”

Remembering those days when she had to debate dozens, even hundreds, of fan club leaders and influencers simultaneously, Xu Wei still felt her fingers ache from all the typing.

Those fan club leaders and influencers were all cunning foxes they wouldn’t act without benefits. Xu Wei racked her brains before finally hitting their sore spots, forcing them to take sides immediately.

Fortunately, when everyone was still on the fence, He Qingli’s fans were the first to take a stand, gradually drawing others to join. Otherwise, Xu Wei might have had to type until her keyboard sparked just to convince one or two.

Thinking of her great achievement, Xu Wei was brimming with pride. “Sis, see? I avenged you. The more Yu Sui’an bullied you before, the more miserable her downfall is now.” She straightened her back haughtily, clearly waiting for Xu Chun’s praise. “No one gets to bully my sister so easily!”

Xu Chun knew that Xu Wei had been lurking in fan groups ever since being betrayed by Yu Sui’an’s fans, waiting for an opportunity to strike. But she never expected Xu Wei to be so bold like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger seizing the moment when Yu Sui’an was vulnerable to decisively kick her out of the revival circle.

At this moment, Xu Chun’s feelings were quite complicated. Who would have thought that Xu Wei, once Yu Sui’an’s biggest fan leader, would now mercilessly destroy her idol’s career with her own hands?

Looking into Xu Wei’s sparkling eyes, eagerly awaiting praise, Xu Chun twitched her lips and said, “Well done.” But she silently added, Don’t do it again. If anyone found out, she feared Xu Wei might be mobbed and beaten to death, meeting an untimely end.

Fortunately, Yu Sui’an’s remaining fans were no longer a threat and posed no danger to her safety.

Pleased by her sister’s praise, Xu Wei grew even more excited and chattered on, “Some of Yu Sui’an’s fans are still hiding, plotting a comeback. But don’t worry, sis, as long as I’m around, they’ll never gain traction.”

“Not only that, while I was undercover gathering intel, I also managed to turn some other celebrities’ fan leaders against them. I convinced uh, I mean, won them over with your charm, making them abandon the dark side and switch to supporting you instead,” Xu Wei said with an especially innocent and cheerful tone.

Xu Chun’s eyelids twitched violently. Great. Now she not only had to worry about Xu Wei’s safety but also her own.

With mixed emotions, she asked, “Who taught you how to poach fans like this?”

Xu Wei hesitated, then mumbled awkwardly, “I learned it online. Some people charge for tutorials.”

Xu Chun: “…” Good job, but never do it again.

In just one morning, Xu Chun’s emotions had soared and plummeted like a rollercoaster. Head aching, she waved Xu Wei off to rest, then stood alone by the window, deep in thought.

It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

At least now, the entire Xu family was united, no longer at risk of being torn apart from within.

As long as the Xu family remained tightly knit, leaving no gaps for enemies to exploit, perhaps their tragic fate could be changed. Coupled with her parents’ recent expansion of social circles now collaborating with influential figures, Xu Chun finally relaxed.

Things really were different from the original storyline.

She exhaled deeply. All her dramatic efforts hadn’t been in vain.

After freshening up with a thorough shower, Xu Chun headed downstairs for breakfast. Tang Shiyu and her father had already left for the company, so she barely saw them before they drove off.

Qin Yao’s mahjong gathering was scheduled for the afternoon. Checking the time, Xu Chun booked herself a full-body spa treatment. When the time came, she got ready and left.

Having spent the past few months in the mountains with rough living conditions, even high-end skincare couldn’t fully compensate for the wear and tear.

After the full-body treatment, Xu Chun finally regained her radiant glow, looking so dazzling that people couldn’t take their eyes off her. Amidst the chorus of compliments from the beauty salon staff, Xu Chun walked out with an ear-to-ear grin and proceeded to indulge in a shopping spree at the mall. Many fans happened to run into her, taking photos together and getting her autograph, sparking waves of envy across social media platforms with their posts.

Since she had just undergone the treatment, Xu Chun’s skin now appeared flawless translucent and poreless. The hashtag #XuChunBarefaced quickly trended, further fueling the hype around her beauty and stirring up considerable discussion.

[“As expected of our Sister Xu! Just an ordinary chosen one casually turning the tables and rising to the top, who else can match her popularity and looks now?”]

[“Popularity and looks mean nothing! Acting skills and talent are what truly matter!”]

[“??? Since when does Sister Xu have haters? Oh no, oh no guess she’s really famous now!”]

[“Honestly, Sister Xu has always been envied. But before, Yu Sui’an took all the heat, so no one had time to attack her. Now that Yu Sui’an’s fallen, Sister Xu’s instantly become the target of some people’s hatred.”]

[“What’s there to fear? Sister Xu still has us, her fans!”]

[“Fame brings trouble, getting attacked just proves how popular Sister Xu is!”]

[“Why do I feel like Xu Chun’s fans aren’t quite right in the head?”]

[“Whatever. We longtime fans have weathered every storm with Sister Xu. I doubt these people are more troublesome than Yu Sui’an’s fans.”]

[“Exactly. They’d better not cross us, or we’ll make an example out of the first one we catch to warn the others.”]

Amid such remarks, some keen observers noticed that Xu Chun’s fans were even more obsessive and difficult to deal with than Yu Sui’an’s. Recalling the terror once instilled by Yu Sui’an’s fanbase, the wiser ones quickly decided not to provoke them.

Yu Sui’an’s fans were mostly young and immature in their actions, but Xu Chun’s fanbase largely consisted of mature adults with life experience far more sophisticated and ruthless. If a confrontation happened later whether they’d come out on top was questionable.

Regardless of the online storm, Xu Chun had already slipped away, driving home in her car.

She freshened up lightly, keeping her look simple, a plain white top, fitted light-blue jeans hugging her slender waist and accentuating her curves, making her long legs appear even more striking.

She casually gathered her dark hair into a low, messy bun, exuding a relaxed, effortless charm with no hint of sharpness. After scrutinizing herself in the mirror, she swiped on some lip balm and was ready to leave.

Xu Wei, hearing the commotion, peeked out. “Sis, where are you going?”

“Playing mahjong,” Xu Chun said casually, then suddenly remembered something and stopped to look at her seriously. “Aren’t you about to graduate? Is your GPA good enough? Have you found an internship company? Decided where you’ll work after graduation?”

A barrage of questions later, Xu Wei immediately shrank back. “I’ll go do my homework now.”

Xu Chun nodded in satisfaction. “I’ll bring you some tasty snacks when I come home tonight.”

With just that one sentence, the disappointment in Xu Wei’s heart vanished completely. Like a shot of adrenaline, she flipped open her textbooks and began studying furiously to boost her grades.

The mahjong game was set at a high-end private club not far from the city center. After getting the address from Qin Yao, Xu Chun forwarded it to Jiang Banxia and asked, 【I’m heading over now. Where are you guys?】

Jiang Banxia checked her location: 【Nearby.】

【Alright, see you soon.】

After replying, Xu Chun set her phone aside and slowly started the car, feeling a little excited. Qin Yao, Zhao Ciying, Zheng Jinchan, these women were all loaded. If she could win a few rounds off them today, wouldn’t that be like landing a role in a drama?

The thought alone made her blood boil with anticipation, your wallets may be fat, but the money inside will soon be mine.

She was so thrilled by the idea that the possibility of losing never even crossed her mind.

Upon arriving at the destination, Xu Chun followed the server’s directions and quickly found the private room. It was empty, she was the first to arrive. She considered stepping out to look around, but as soon as she turned, she ran into Jiang Banxia and Zheng Yanran, who had just arrived.

Seeing the two practically glued together, Xu Chun’s gossipy gaze landed on Zheng Yanran. Zheng Yanran immediately put on a pitiful expression and lunged at Xu Chun for a hug. “You have no idea how exhausting work is. I wake up earlier than the roosters and sleep later than the dogs, slaving away, only to earn a salary that can’t even buy a decent bag.”

She spread her arms to embrace Xu Chun, but at that very moment, a chilling sensation suddenly crept up the back of her scalp.

Her movement froze, and she reflexively turned to look behind her. Xu Chun, influenced by her reaction, instinctively followed her gaze. The sight nearly scared the life out of both of them.

Qin Yao and Zhao Ciying had arrived at some point. Both tall, both dressed in sleek black, their hair elegantly tied up, they exuded an unmistakable aura of dominance and aggression so intense it could make anyone’s knees tremble and send them scrambling for cover.

Under the scrutiny of these two living nightmares, Zheng Yanran and Xu Chun immediately jumped back in unison, terrified of being “dealt with” if they hesitated even a second.

Once at a safe distance, both Xu Chun and Zheng Yanran wore identical expressions of righteous denial. It’s not what it looks like! We’re not close!

Don’t get the wrong idea!

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