After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother - Chapter 90

Xu Chun had always known not to let a wolf go hungry, but how could she have imagined that just a few days without meat would drive Qin Yao to such ferocity?

Drenched in sweat, she clutched the bedsheet, lost in the throes of passion, utterly disoriented.

She couldn’t even begin to count the days anymore, only aware of being swept up again and again by Qin Yao, carried to blissful heights until, after one final overwhelming release, every ounce of strength drained from her body. Exhausted, she couldn’t even lift a finger.

Qin Yao lay beside her, propped on one elbow, fingertips lightly brushing the sweat-dampened strands of hair clinging to Xu Chun’s flushed, porcelain skin. A look of deep satisfaction settled on her face as she casually shared some news: “When you go abroad to film the variety show later, I’ll be coming with you.”

Xu Chun forced herself to focus, her dark eyes shifting toward Qin Yao, but she remained silent.

She was simply too exhausted so much so that Qin Yao’s words went in one ear and out the other. She could see Qin Yao’s lips moving, could tell she was speaking, but her mind, pushed to its limits, had now stubbornly shut down, refusing to process any more information.

Qin Yao’s deep, unwavering gaze held an inexplicable tenderness as she watched Xu Chun in silence.

Xu Chun’s heartbeat quickened involuntarily, a flicker of fear rising was Qin Yao about to start again? But then Qin Yao leaned in, murmuring softly by her ear, “The situation overseas,  isn’t stable right now.” Her gaze grew distant, unfocused. She couldn’t bear the thought of Xu Chun working alone in an unfamiliar place, no matter how many crew members and fellow guests would be around.

Even if dozens of staff and cast would be traveling together, most were just ordinary people. If danger struck, how could they protect anyone, let alone themselves?

Qin Yao had already hired top-tier bodyguards for Xu Chun at a premium. She had even arranged with the company to replace Xu Chun’s usual assistants with her own handpicked security team.

Of course, that was just the first layer of protection.

Once she wrapped up her own urgent work, she would follow Xu Chun closely, ensuring her safety until she returned home after filming.

Her scattered thoughts refocused, and she glanced down, about to speak again, only to find Xu Chun already fast asleep. Her breathing was soft and even, motionless as the shifting light cast delicate shadows across her skin, giving her a pearlescent glow.

Qin Yao couldn’t help but smile. She had pushed her so hard, yet Xu Chun had still tried to keep up.

She decided not to disturb her any further. Instead, she gathered Xu Chun into her arms, carried her to freshen up briefly, dressed her, and then quietly slipped back into her study.

Xu Chun only vaguely remembered having a restless sleep last night. It felt like someone was constantly touching her body, and she frowned, trying to push away that annoying hand. But the moment she reached out, her wrist was caught in a firm grip. She wanted to struggle, but after two seconds of feeble resistance, exhaustion won out, and she let the other person have their way.

Later, that bothersome hand finally left, and she comfortably hugged a soft plush toy, drifting back to sleep.

When she woke up and regained some clarity, realization hit her belatedly. Seeing Qin Yao again made her feel inexplicably guilty. Her eyes darted around, avoiding Qin Yao’s face until Qin Yao looked at her with an amused smirk and asked, “Awake now?”

Xu Chun’s trembling pupils finally steadied as she answered in a whisper, “Yeah.”

“Auntie has breakfast ready. Go eat first.” Qin Yao stood up, tidying things as she spoke. From the looks of it, she didn’t plan to stay and keep her company. Instinctively, Xu Chun followed her movements, watching as she headed to the walk-in closet to change. “What about you?”

“Running short on time. I need to get to the office first.”

“Oh.” Xu Chun stared as the woman leisurely changed, still a little dazed. Lately, Qin Yao seemed really busy. Hadn’t she explained something about it last night? But what exactly had she said?

Xu Chun fell into silent confusion.

She racked her brain but couldn’t recall a thing. So she continued trailing behind Qin Yao like a shadow. “Will you be busy for long?”

The moment the words left her mouth, Qin Yao shot her a look one laced with surprise and something far more suggestive, as if to say: Was last night not enough? Xu Chun immediately shivered. Never mind, she took it back.

She had come to realize that Qin Yao, for all her composed, proper, and polished appearance, was practically a domineering bandit in that regard utterly unreasonable in her intensity. Xu Chun’s thoughts wandered inappropriately: Maybe truly outstanding people excelled in every aspect?

Snapping back to reality, she nearly choked on her own thoughts. What was she even thinking about this early in the morning?

Qin Yao seemed to see right through her, her gaze turning knowing. Xu Chun forced herself to stay calm, pretending nothing had happened as she obediently watched Qin Yao leave. Once the woman was completely out of sight, Xu Chun settled down to eat while idly scrolling through her phone.

The internet had been buzzing lately.

Secret Infatuation kept breaking viewership records. Whether it was the soapy drama, the tightly-paced editing, the leads’ stunning visuals, the controversy surrounding Yu Sui’s character, or the unexpected twists at the end of each episode, everyone was hooked.

From elderly folks in their seventies and eighties catching a couple of episodes during meals to little kids sneaking into their mothers’ closets to try on high heels, the show had sparked a massive cultural wave, influencing both daily life and fashion trends.

Some people even posted photos of those around them “corrupted” by Secret Infatuation, drawing waves of laughter from netizens.

[My daughter keeps wearing my high heels and insists she’s a wealthy heiress who was secretly swapped at birth is there still hope for her?]

[“Hopeless. Forget about your daughter, Xu Chun won’t even spare my son. He camps in front of the TV every day, wearing my clothes and mimicking Xu Chun’s little gestures. It’s downright ridiculous.”

“You think that’s bad? My grandma takes the cake! After watching Secret Heartbeat, she sat me down and spilled all the dirty laundry from our entire neighborhood. I’m an 18-year-old girl, and after hearing all that, I can’t look at anyone the same way. Now everyone seems shady.”

“Wait, my grandma too? So all grandmas know these little secrets?”

“LOL, why don’t your grandmas schedule a Peach Garden Oath ceremony? Before the oath even starts, they’d probably gossip about ten people in three seconds flat.”

Everyone chatted online while watching the show, thoroughly entertained.

Since the drama had a lighthearted tone, it became the perfect remedy after a long, exhausting day. The mix of melodrama and warmth gave viewers a comforting ending to their tiring routines.

At first, fans of the original novel resisted, but the sheer volume of Xu Chun and Jiang Banxia’s fan-made couple videos online slowly pulled them in surreptitiously, of course.

After all, even the original author was leading the shipping charge.

And compared to the original female lead’s reckless, troublemaking personality which often left people frowning, Jiang Banxia’s flawless performance and stunning beauty in the drama made it impossible not to adore her.

While everyone was thoroughly satisfied, one person was on the verge of smashing their TV screen.

Yu Sui’an had been enduring immense torment lately. She protested with hunger strikes and suicide attempts, only to be met with violence. Staring hatefully at her father who played the kind, affectionate patriarch in public, she wished for his immediate death.

After another round of threats from Mr. Jiang, Yu Sui’an clutched the bedsheets, consumed by genuine regret.

How she wished she had never returned to the Jiang family. How she wished she hadn’t used this man as a stepping stone to climb higher. How she wished she had never been tied to him in this lifetime.

But these were nothing more than futile fantasies.

Now, she was like a stray dog, locked in a cage, waiting for him to pick and judge her before coldly harvesting her healthy organs.

Even in her pitiful state, Qin Yao refused to let her go. The character Yu Sui’an played in Secret Heartbeat had been edited into an utterly unlikable version. With viewers so engrossed in the drama, what if some took it too far and conflated her with the role?

Wouldn’t that strip her of any remaining dignity or reputation in this world?

Yu Sui’an seethed with hatred, hatred for her own weakness, hatred for the powerful who toyed with others like puppets.

Pressing her lips together, her gaze turned venomous as she watched her biological father’s retreating figure.

She would never surrender.

She hadn’t clawed her way up from the bottom by relying on naive, useless kindness.

Apart from the TV series, news of Fu Xin’s recovery had also been leaked. While everyone breathed a sigh of relief, Xu Chun received a call from He Qingli.

As soon as the call connected, He Qingli’s tearful voice came through, “Sister Xu Chun, Fu Xin, ” She choked up before continuing in a jumbled mess of words, “She’s gone.”

“I don’t know where she went. We were just laughing and chatting happily moments ago, but when I stepped out to get her medicine, she was gone when I returned. Frantic, I asked the nurses, and they said someone came to pick her up and even completed her discharge procedures.”

“How could she leave when her wounds haven’t fully healed? Doesn’t she care about risking further injury?!”

“Calm down first,” Xu Chun soothed her with a gentle tone. “Stay at the hospital and wait for me to pick you up. I’ll also have people look into Fu Xin’s whereabouts and update you immediately, alright?”

Perhaps it was the firmness in Xu Chun’s voice that finally steadied He Qingli, who had momentarily lost her bearings. “Okay.”

“Please, Sister Xu Chun, you have to find her,” He Qingli pleaded, her entire body trembling.

Her mind was in turmoil, filled with self-reproach for choosing that exact moment to leave. If anything happened to Fu Xin, she would never forgive herself.

He Qingli slowly crouched down, hugging her head as she leaned against the wall, her face deathly pale.

When Xu Chun arrived, this was the scene that greeted her. She hurried over, pulling He Qingli up and relaying the news she had just received from Zhao Ciying. “Fu Xin was taken by her parents.”

“Where did they take her? How much money do they want?” He Qingli suddenly snapped back to reality, repeating in disbelief, “Her parents?”

“Yes,” Xu Chun nodded. “Not anyone else, her parents.”

He Qingli froze. If it was her parents, then Fu Xin must have left willingly. But why? Did she really have no feelings for her at all?

Not only had she left so heartlessly, but she hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye.

She had left so swiftly and deliberately when He Qingli wasn’t around was she that afraid of being clung to? He Qingli couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Was this how unreasonable she seemed in Fu Xin’s eyes?

Lifting her face, she murmured, “If she had just told me directly, I wouldn’t have clung to her.”

She had always been the type to let go when needed, she would never stoop to shamelessly pestering someone.

Seeing her spiral into tragic romantic assumptions, Xu Chun couldn’t help but interrupt. “What if just, what if, Fu Xin was threatened by her parents?”

He Qingli turned her gaze toward her. Xu Chun met her reddened eyes squarely. “What if, all along, you’ve been her weakness?”

Using their daughter’s vulnerabilities to force her into submission and comply with their arrangements this was exactly the kind of thing Fu Xin’s parents would do. Though it wasn’t clear why they were in such a hurry to take her away at this moment, even Xu Chun understood the unspoken love Fu Xin had for Fu Qingli.

That frail girl always wore a timid smile, appearing obedient and sensible.

But well-behaved children never get the candy. In her tumultuous life, perhaps He Qingli was her only ray of sunshine, illuminating her existence and reigniting her hope for the future.

How could someone like that bear to leave behind the warmth she relied on for survival?

After Xu Chun’s hint, He Qingli seemed to snap to realization. She stood up abruptly, only to nearly faint from low blood sugar, her vision darkening. Xu Chun swiftly caught her. “Maybe you should rest for a bit.”

“No.” He Qingli’s gaze hardened with resolve. “I’m going to find her.”

She gritted her teeth. “Even if she’s been hidden at the ends of the earth, I will track her down.” Clenching her fists, she declared, “She’s my girlfriend. No one else gets to decide for her but me.”

Seeing her determination, Xu Chun forwarded the flight information Zhao Ciying had gathered. “Maybe hire a private investigator to help? I heard the country they landed in isn’t very safe lately.”

“I can handle it.” He Qingli flashed her a bright smile. “If it were someone you cherished deeply, someone you couldn’t bear to lose contact with, I bet you’d be even more frantic than me, Xu Chun-jie.”

Xu Chun pondered perhaps she would.

She couldn’t stand going half a day without hearing from Qin Yao, let alone the thought of her being in danger while she stood helpless. Even imagining it was unbearable.

If it were her in this situation, she’d charge forward without hesitation, dangers be damned.

With that, Xu Chun stopped trying to dissuade her, instead bombarding her with endless warnings until He Qingli couldn’t help but tease, “Xu Chun-jie, you sound like such a mother hen.”

Xu Chun feigned a glare, and He Qingli smiled faintly before bidding her farewell. “I’m leaving.”

Her eyes softened as she looked at Xu Chun. “Xu Chun-jie, I’ve always been grateful to have you in my life. Both in the past and now.”

After dropping this sentimental line, He Qingli turned and walked away without looking back.

Xu Chun remained rooted in place, but instead of cringing, an inexplicable melancholy welled up inside her, leaving her strangely unsettled.

Looking back on her over twenty years of life, she’d had many close friends, yet none had ever stirred her heart so profoundly, leaving her emotions in turmoil long after.

Lowering her eyelids slightly, she smiled to herself. This chapter of her life might be her trial but wasn’t it also her blessing?

By the time Xu Chun returned home, Qin Yao had already arrived earlier. Watching the woman on the sofa, engrossed in her laptop with that focused expression, Xu Chun found herself helplessly drawn in by her beauty once again.

She tiptoed over, ready to playfully disturb her, when her phone rang abruptly, shattering the moment.

It was Zhao Ciying calling. Remembering the help she’d provided before, Xu Chun answered the call. Soon, Zhao Ciying’s nonchalant voice came through, “When are you free? Let’s grab a meal together.”

As Zhao Ciying finished speaking, Qin Yao’s gaze instantly snapped over.

Xu Chun quickly steadied herself and, after a moment’s thought, tentatively asked, “Can I bring family?”

Zhao Ciying immediately scoffed, countering with a question instead of answering, “What do you think, my dear little sister?” She enunciated each word with a gritted-teeth intensity that made Xu Chun’s scalp tingle.

Just as Xu Chun was hesitating over how to respond, Zhao Ciying pressed on, though this time her voice carried an inexplicable note of grievance and dissatisfaction, “After not seeing each other for so long, don’t you miss me at all?”

Xu Chun’s face twitched. Even if there was a tiny bit of missing her friend involved, she certainly didn’t dare say so now!

When no answer came, Zhao Ciying suddenly went off the rails, “I see how it is.”

Xu Chun was taken aback, “? What do you see?”

“So, in your heart, I’ve always just been someone dispensable.”Before Xu Chun could even mentally complain, Zhao Ciying added, ‘Woman, you’re so cruel.'”

Xu Chun: “…………” Hey, cut down on those domineering CEO dramas, will you!

This is absolutely ridiculous!

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