After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother - Chapter 76

Jiang Banxia felt a complex mix of emotions as she observed Xu Chun and Zheng Yanran avoiding each other. Watching the two of them kneel in front of Qin Yao and Zhao Ciying, looking utterly submissive, contrasted sharply with their usual arrogant and reckless demeanor in her presence.

Jiang Banxia’s subtle gaze lingered on their tense faces for a moment before she turned to Zhao Ciying and Qin Yao, greeting them, “President Qin, President Zhao.”

Qin Yao nodded in response and said, “Let’s go inside.”

It was indeed a bit inappropriate for a group of people to be blocking the entrance. As soon as Xu Chun and Zheng Yanran heard this, they hurriedly took off running. Zhao Ciying watched their retreating figures with interest for a while before her attention shifted to Jiang Banxia. “Your recent tactics are quite impressive,” she remarked, glancing at Qin Yao with a slight smirk. “She taught you, didn’t she?”

Jiang Banxia smiled, neither confirming nor denying it. “A good bird chooses the right tree to perch on; President Zhao could do the same.”

Zhao Ciying merely scoffed at her words and replied leisurely, “Do I need to bow to anyone?” She had never bowed to anyone in her life.

“Not bowing,” Qin Yao interjected, her tone calm yet carrying an inexplicable seriousness. “It’s about collaboration.”

This unexpected statement left Zhao Ciying momentarily speechless. She stared at Qin Yao in disbelief. “Aren’t you already famous and successful?”

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Ciying narrowed her deep-set eyes, her relaxed demeanor now tinged with slight wariness. “Your ambition is quite grand.”

Qin Yao offered her a faint smile. “Collaboration would benefit both of us, wouldn’t it?”

While the reasoning was sound, Zhao Ciying couldn’t shake the feeling that this old fox was quietly plotting how to ensnare her, luring her into a trap, only to deliver a fatal blow that would leave her years of hard work in ruins.

Even Zhao Ciying had to be fully alert to the threat and aggression emanating from Qin Yao.

Zhao Ciying declined, “I’m used to being independent.” She then forced a smile. “I fear that if I collaborate with a tiger, I might be devoured before I even see the benefits…”

“My blade never turns against my friends,” Qin Yao said calmly.

Zhao Ciying paused, scrutinizing Qin Yao’s expression for any signs of deceit or weakness, but found none.

“Why?” Zhao Ciying genuinely couldn’t understand why Qin Yao would try to win her over during this mahjong gathering. With her current status and influence, why would she need to collaborate with someone like her?

Their respective markets and fields didn’t overlap.

Something felt off, like a weasel wishing a chicken well—there was no good intent behind it.

Zhao Ciying certainly wouldn’t be swayed by just a few words from Qin Yao, even though they had been in contact for over half a year and had a general understanding of each other’s personalities and methods.

But that was precisely why she found it even more perplexing.

Logically, a driven woman like Qin Yao should focus on her own group’s development. Yet here she was, unusually “forming alliances” and making friends everywhere. It felt wrong—too wrong.

Zhao Ciying thought carefully: today’s mahjong game was initiated by Qin Yao, and besides herself, Zheng Jinchang was also invited. Did she have the same intentions of collaboration and relationship-building with Zheng Jinchang?

Although they had previously collaborated, most of their interactions had been at the negotiation table. Today’s setting clearly favored deepening their personal connections.

Zhao Ciying’s mind raced. Jiang Banxia was already on Qin Yao’s ship. If Qin Yao provided sufficient support to Jiang Banxia in the future, it would only be a matter of time before the Jiang family became dependent on Qin Yao.

As she pieced together Qin Yao’s actions, Zhao Ciying suddenly uncovered a shocking secret: over the past year or two, Qin Yao had been quietly orchestrating a grand scheme, forcing both herself and Zheng Jinchang into the game, with no way to withdraw!

Perhaps from the moment she got entangled with Xu Chun no, from the moment she got involved with Xu Chun, she had lost her choice.

Realizing she had been outmaneuvered by Qin Yao, Zhao Ciying forced a smile, “President Qin, you truly are a master strategist. I underestimated you before.”

Qin Yao didn’t react to her sarcasm with anger; instead, she remained calm and patient, politely asking Zhao Ciying, “So, does this mean you agree?”

Zhao Ciying instinctively wanted to refuse, but just as the words were about to escape her lips, she changed her mind. “Let’s discuss agreement later. I just want to know who you’re targeting next.”

As her words fell, the air fell into a moment of silence. After a while, Qin Yao’s lips moved, slowly uttering two words, “The Qiao family.”

Zhao Ciying couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “Aren’t they your relatives?”

Qin Yao slowly turned her gaze, staring unblinkingly at Zhao Ciying. Zhao Ciying immediately withdrew a hand from her pocket, raising it in a gesture of surrender, smiling playfully, “Alright, I won’t say anything more.”

The Qiao family. Considering their wealth, Zhao Ciying’s deep-set eyes curved into a smile. “Alright.”

While the two negotiated, Jiang Banxia quietly listened, her mind involuntarily drifting back to the terms of her own deal with Qin Yao. It wasn’t just Zhao Ciying; Jiang Banxia also found Qin Yao’s recent behavior strangely suspicious. She seemed to be meticulously planning everything, as if she were clearing the path for someone, removing all obstacles.

In Jiang Banxia’s understanding, the only person who could warrant such attention from Qin Yao was Jiang Zhaolie.

But was her relationship with Jiang Zhaolie worth such dedication and effort? Jiang Banxia couldn’t be sure.

Although the surface facts suggested so, her strong intuition told her that the truth might be different. The person who could make Qin Yao care so much might be someone else entirely.

Unexpectedly, her gaze flickered past Xu Chun and Zheng Yanran.

A guess slowly emerged in her mind, but without concrete evidence, she couldn’t be certain.

With Zhao Ciying’s affirmative response, Qin Yao had completed half of her mission for today. She strolled gracefully to the mahjong table, where Zheng Yanran and Xu Chun were busy arranging the tiles. Upon seeing her approach, both instinctively leaned closer to each other, like two chicks seeking safety in numbers.

Although Zheng Yanran was usually wild, she knew that Qin Yao was not to be trifled with, especially in the past six months when Zheng Jinchang had repeatedly advised her to behave around Qin Yao to avoid provoking her and bringing trouble to her family.

Zheng Yanran felt as if her ears were about to grow calluses from all the warnings.

Because of this, she instinctively felt tense and uncomfortable whenever she saw Qin Yao. It was unclear whether it was due to Zheng Jinchang’s constant reminders or the overwhelming aura that Qin Yao exuded, but deep down, she felt she couldn’t act recklessly in front of such an elder.

Qin Yao didn’t react much to their fear; after all, many younger people had feared her throughout her life, and she couldn’t even count them all on two hands.

However, a faint smile appeared on her red lips as she said, “President Zheng hasn’t arrived yet. Let’s play first.”

After saying this, she looked at Xu Chun, who was about to say she would just watch, but Zheng Yanran jumped in first, “I don’t know how to play; I’ll just watch you all.”

Xu Chun’s expression twisted in disbelief at her, “…”

Meanwhile, Zheng Yanran, having successfully escaped the awkward situation, shot a triumphant glance at Xu Chun, thinking, even if you are a reincarnation of a mahjong god, I bet you won’t dare to win against Qin Yao and Zhao Ciying today.

Xu Chun knew exactly what Zheng Yanran was thinking. Taking a deep breath, she sat down decisively but hesitated.

Should she let it go?

But the good tiles were right in front of her; she simply couldn’t do it!

Winning once felt great, but winning continuously felt even better. To everyone’s astonishment, Xu Chun won every round, her excitement growing. It wasn’t until Zheng Jinchang arrived that Xu Chun looked at the pile of checks in front of her, and her rationality suddenly returned, “…”

Was it too late to kneel now?

Zheng Jinchang immediately noticed the money Xu Chun had won and exclaimed in surprise, “You won this much from President Qin and the others in such a short time?”

She shouldn’t have brought it up; as soon as she did, Xu Chun felt her smile freeze on her face. She had indeed let the money cloud her judgment, forgetting to consider the feelings and dignity of the big shots.

“Your skills are quite impressive.”

Fortunately, Zhao Ciying and Qin Yao didn’t show much emotional fluctuation; instead, they acknowledged Xu Chun’s skills, “Surprisingly good.”

Zheng Jinchang suspected the three were letting Xu Chun win, but she had no evidence. At that moment, Jiang Banxia set down her mahjong tiles and vacated her seat, saying, “I need to go to a meeting; President Zheng, you can take my place.”

Zheng Jinchang didn’t hesitate to sit down.

As soon as Jiang Banxia left, Zheng Yanran instinctively wanted to follow but was quickly pulled back by Xu Chun, who asked warily, “Where are you going?”

The accusatory tone made Zheng Yanran’s eyelids twitch. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Ultimately, she sat back down. She didn’t have any other thoughts; she just wanted to see if Xu Chun would still have such good luck in front of her mother.

Little did she know, Xu Chun won again against the three, her checks piling up to the point where she couldn’t close her mouth in disbelief.

Xu Chun forced herself to suppress the smile that wanted to rise on her lips. She thought to herself, I’ve been playing mahjong since I was three, honing my skills for decades. How could busy businesspeople like Qin Yao, Zhao Ciying, and Zheng Jinchang possibly be my match?

Zhao Ciying had already lost her temper, while Zheng Jinchang, still new to the game, insisted on playing another round. Only Qin Yao watched Xu Chun with a calm gaze, a faint smile hinting at her lips, as if she had anticipated this outcome.

Xu Chun inadvertently glanced up and met Qin Yao’s unexpectedly gentle gaze, momentarily stunned. Was it her imagination, or did Qin Yao’s eyes seem to tell a story about her and herself? She couldn’t help but want to look again, but by the time she did, Qin Yao had returned to her usual demeanor, showing no signs of anything unusual.

Unconsciously biting her lip, Xu Chun felt her joy in winning diminish slightly. Her gaze occasionally drifted back to Qin Yao, but no matter how much she scrutinized, she couldn’t discern anything more.

When Jiang Banxia returned, Qin Yao stood up, signaling for her to take her place, then said, “I’m going to rest for a bit.”

She was busy, spinning like a top, with little time to sleep each day. Now that she had a rare moment of leisure, she didn’t think twice and quickly decided that resting was her priority.

Jiang Banxia approached at Qin Yao’s signal but didn’t sit down; instead, she turned to Zheng Yanran, who was stretching her neck to see the tiles. “You go ahead.”

Zheng Yanran was about to say she had no money when she heard Jiang Banxia say, “I’ll cover your costs.”

Such a good deal? Zheng Yanran’s eyes lit up, and without a second thought, she nodded and sat down at the table, eager to get started. “Let’s begin.”

Xu Chun’s gaze followed Qin Yao as she walked into the adjacent lounge. The door was gently pushed open by her long, slender hand, not fully closed, allowing glimpses of the scene inside.

She saw Qin Yao draping her coat over a nearby chair, then taking a blanket from the side and wrapping it around herself, finally falling silent.

Under Zheng Yanran’s urging, Xu Chun reluctantly pulled her gaze away. “I know, I know.”

The sounds of mahjong outside were not quiet, even bordering on noisy, but in this environment, Qin Yao felt an unfamiliar sense of stability and peace.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this slightly pleasant emotion. All she recalled from the past two years was that she seemed to have spent every day in busyness and scheming, trying to avoid making a wrong move.

In truth, her situation wasn’t terrible; it was far from the point of being abandoned and isolated. However, since she had foreseen certain things, she would never allow herself to make even the slightest mistake that could plunge her back into a situation from which she could never escape.

Qin Yao closed her eyes, quietly reflecting on her past experiences. It had only been less than two years, yet to her now, it felt like events from a past century.

This time, Qin Yao surprisingly didn’t rest well.

One bizarre scene after another flashed before her eyes, finally settling on one.

Xu Chun, who had long since been forced out of the entertainment industry by Yu Sui’an, had successfully applied for a position in her own company. Dressed in a high-end custom black suit, her makeup was striking and bold, her hair elegantly styled, and her expression was cold and distant. To this day, Qin Yao rarely saw a smile on her face; her eyes were like a still pond, devoid of any vitality.

She stared silently at Qin Yao, her red lips parting to deliver a piercing remark, “President Qin, are you still afraid?”

Perhaps seeing no reaction from her, Xu Chun quickly forced a disappointed smile. “I thought you were bold and decisive, but it seems you’re just a coward avoiding reality.”

She slowly moved, the sound of her high heels echoing on the floor. When she approached the desk, she stopped, leaning over it with her hands pressed down, looking down at Qin Yao with a noticeably heavier tone than before. “Qin Yao.”

“Is it so hard for you to admit that you’ve long been moved by me?”

“Is it only when I’m dead that you’ll.”

Qin Yao suddenly opened her eyes, momentarily unable to distinguish between dream and reality. As the sounds of mahjong rolled in, she gradually regained her senses, realizing her forehead was already damp with fine sweat.

Closing her eyes again, she raised a finger to rub her aching temples, frowning deeply.

How long had it been since she had dreamt of these things,  she could hardly remember.

“Sister Qin.” Xu Chun noticed the blanket in the room shifting slightly and immediately realized that Qin Yao might have woken up. She quickly gave her spot to Jiang Banxia and fluttered over like a butterfly.

Leaning one hand against the doorframe, her fair face wore a cautious expression. “You’re awake.”

Qin Yao paused, looking up at Xu Chun’s clear, naive eyes. “Yes, just woke up.”

She looked adorable in her current state.

The former version of her had learned to mimic Qin Yao’s temperament and personality, even surpassing it at times, often using her sharp gaze to intimidate others, forcing them to make choices.

If her answers didn’t align with what Qin Yao wanted to hear, she would persistently press until she got the desired response.

Compared to the Xu Chun who had once left her feeling helpless, this little girl now seemed surprisingly obedient.

Xu Chun forced herself to endure Qin Yao’s gaze, remaining still. She met Qin Yao’s eyes, feeling inexplicably like a fish on a chopping board, with Qin Yao as the “guest” who could easily manipulate her.

Startled by her own thoughts, she swallowed hard, thinking maybe she should just leave now.

But just as the thought crossed her mind, she heard Qin Yao say, “Come here.”

Xu Chun’s expression froze, “?!”

Here?

No way! It was broad daylight, and there were so many eyes outside. Any slight movement could attract attention, and she hadn’t even closed the door properly!

“What are you thinking about?” Qin Yao seemed to guess her thoughts, her tone carrying a hint of subtlety. “I just want you to help me grab some clothes.”

Xu Chun felt a wave of disappointment wash over her. “…” Oh.

She had thought today might bring some excitement.

With a blank expression, she thought, what a pity.

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