Chapter 51

“I suddenly feel like there's really no need for me to cut ties with this family after all.” Zheng Yanran forced a resolute smile. “This family still seems to need my protection.”

Xu Chun stared at her, smile not reaching her eyes. Zheng Yanran pretended not to notice. “My mom's getting on in years. If you two end up making her sick with anger, then what?”

The odds of you being the one to make her sick are way higher, Xu Chun retorted silently. She didn't have the energy to bicker with Zheng Yanran, so she turned to leave and find Fu Xin. Seeing that Xu Chun meant to ignore her, Zheng Yanran hurried after her. “Don't ignore me, please. You're the only person I know in this freezing cold company.”

“If even you won't look after me, if you're going to abandon me too, who else can I rely on? Who else can I trust?” she said pitifully. “Xu Chun, you wouldn't be that heartless, would you?”

“Shut up.” Xu Chun couldn't take it anymore.

Zheng Yanran's voice cut off, and she finally went quiet. But only for a moment. Then she was tearfully lodging accusations again. “You yelled at me?” She clutched her chest in disbelief. “You actually yelled at me?!”

“You've never yelled at me before!” She slipped into the role instantly, asking shrilly, “Just who is it? Who's the vixen that's seduced you, to make you despise me and treat me so differently?!”

Just then, Qin Yao happened to be walking toward them. Xu Chun tilted her head toward Zheng Yanran and lifted her chin. “There she is—the vixen who seduced me.”

Zheng Yanran immediately jerked her head up with a vicious glare, but when she took in Qin Yao's frigid aura, “...”

Sorry for the disturbance.

Suddenly, this little grievance didn't seem so unbearable after all.

Qin Yao's deep, probing gaze landed on Zheng Yanran. However unreliable Zheng Yanran usually was, she knew better than to provoke someone like Qin Yao. Without a second thought, she turned and walked off. “It just occurred to me that I have something to do. I'll be going on ahead.”

The moment Zheng Yanran left, Qin Yao's dangerous gaze swung to Xu Chun. Her tone was light, but Xu Chun could detect a hint of jealousy. “How long have you two known each other? And you're already this close?”

Xu Chun felt she ought to write an eight-hundred-word essay explaining herself to Qin Yao, but no explanation could beat this one line: “Actually, I'm not familiar with her at all. She's just utterly shameless and likes to cling to people.”

“So I'm just something she uses to pass the time when she's lonely.”

Unfortunately, Xu Chun's prediction was off. Qin Yao wasn't swayed. Instead, she leisurely settled old scores. “Then why would she buy you a necklace for no reason at all?”

Qin Yao enunciated each word: “Did she have nothing better to do?”

That... Xu Chun fell silent, unable to argue. Finally, her brain spun and she had a flash of inspiration. She brought out the same excuse Zheng Yanran had just used. “Because she and I have become sworn sisters.” Xu Chun said it so earnestly she almost believed it herself. “That was a gift from my younger sister to me, her older sister.”

At the words “sworn sisters,” Qin Yao's red lips curved into a smile. “By your logic, you're her older sister, and Zheng Jinchan is her biological mother. So what you're saying now is...” Qin Yao drew the words out casually, “that you want me to acknowledge Zheng Jinchan as my mother too?”

Xu Chun didn't know if anyone else would be happy about that, but she guessed Zheng Jinchan would be thrilled. She'd done nothing at all, and thanks to Zheng Yanran, she'd been promoted a generation, the most unprecedented leap in seniority in history.

With a bargain daughter-in-law like Qin Yao, acquired for free, Zheng Jinchan would never be bullied wherever she went. Even if she suddenly started bullying others, they'd be too cowed by Qin Yao's status to make a peep.

With Qin Yao, Zheng Jinchan could walk around with her nose in the air, and no one would dare say a word. Wasn't this a gift from the heavens?

If Xu Chun were in her shoes, she'd already be beating gongs and drums in celebration.

Xu Chun made a final attempt to persuade Qin Yao with her twisted logic. “Think about it, Sister. If you and President Zheng became family, wouldn't that bring together three powerful parties, you, her, and the Jiang family? Who in this world would dare move against you after that?”

“Not only would you become an even closer, warmer, larger family, you could also benefit each other in business, achieving a secure, risk-free business inheritance. Isn't that wonderful?”

Xu Chun thought she made perfect sense. The Jiang and Qin families were already related; the younger generation of both had their fingers in every pie, their influence as vast and unfathomable as a boundless ocean, impossible to shake. Add Zheng Jinchan to the mix, and it was icing on the cake, all benefits, no drawbacks.

No ordinary person would have any reason to refuse.

Qin Yao said nothing, just quietly watched her spin her tale. After Xu Chun had talked herself hoarse, she finally realized something was off and slowly shut her mouth. Only when she went silent did Qin Yao speak. “Finished?”

Xu Chun shook her head, then nodded, cautiously glancing at Qin Yao's expression. “Finished.”

Qin Yao's lips curved into an enigmatic smile. “Then come with me.”

“Where to?”

“The President's Office.”

Xu Chun's scalp went numb on the spot, and she bolted. Only an idiot would obediently follow her to the President's Office. She could guarantee that if she really did go along with Qin Yao today, she'd likely be carried out feet first tomorrow.

She'd already gotten a full taste of Qin Yao's domineering ferocity from those previous intimate encounters. In that department, Qin Yao was just like she was at work, ruthless and sparing with words.

Whatever displeased her, whatever she was unhappy about, she couldn't be bothered to speak of it. She'd simply take direct action.

Previously, Qin Yao had nearly lost control every time, almost taking her on the spot. If she were given another chance to run wild now, Xu Chun could guess her fate easily enough.

That instant surge of fierce survival instinct sent Xu Chun bolting. She cleared fifty meters in a flash.

Qin Yao stood where she was, unmoved, watching Xu Chun's fleeing back. Her tone was leisurely as she added a threat. “You can run from the first, but can you run from the fifteenth?”

At that, Xu Chun ran even faster, as if her life depended on it.

Run from the moment. That was all that mattered. As long as she ran fast enough, the shura field couldn't catch her.

Qin Yao didn't chase after her; she probably didn't have time to drag her back anyway. After running a distance, Xu Chun braced her hands on the railing and gasped for breath before finally relaxing. Fu Xin quietly stopped in front of her and tilted her head. “Sister Xu Chun, what were you running from just now?”

“Nothing.” Xu Chun waved a hand weakly and straightened up against the railing, lucky to have survived. “What are you doing here?”

“I hit a wall with inspiration, so I came out to look at the view and get some air.” Xu Chun looked up at that and realized this was the spot with the best view in the Qin Corporation office building. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the traffic below, the staggered buildings of varying heights, and the winding river were all visible at a glance, refreshing and relaxing, washing away all fatigue.

It really was relaxing here. Xu Chun turned to look at Fu Xin. Because Qin Corporation had announced that “everything is half-price on the last day of the program,” everyone's attention was now on the promotions and discounts, and online chatter about her family's debts had largely died down.

The internet was like that. Things heated up fast, but netizens forgot just as quickly. Once the novelty wore off, no one paid attention anymore.

In this era of rapid information growth and spread, people became famous fast and faded just as fast. The difference with Fu Xin was that once she gained a bit of fame, her family's scandal would cling to her like maggots to a bone.

Unless she left the entertainment industry for good.

Fu Xin was a bit quieter than usual today. She stood quietly before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the distant scenery, her gaze drifting lower without her realizing it. The sheer height didn't just strike the eye. It brought a dizzying sensation, as if some devil below were doing everything in its power to tempt a person to jump.

Who knew how long passed before Fu Xin snapped back to her senses, cold sweat breaking out on her back.

She didn't even think to explain to Xu Chun; pale-faced, she hurriedly turned and walked off. “Sister Xu Chun, I have something to do. I'll be going.” With that, her slender, tall figure quickly vanished from Xu Chun's sight.

Xu Chun found Fu Xin's behavior strange. She didn't hesitate to pull out her phone and message He Qingli: 【Little Fu's a bit off today.】

Whether He Qingli was glued to her phone at every moment or not, every time Xu Chun messaged her she replied instantly: 【What do you mean, off?】

So Xu Chun told He Qingli about running into Fu Xin and how she'd suddenly changed expression and stumbled away. He Qingli was silent for a long while. 【She should be fine. She was perfectly normal when she chatted with me earlier.】

A pause, then: 【But I'll keep an eye on her from now on.】

He Qingli reassured herself: 【She's probably just been under too much pressure from netizens these past couple days. Once I'm done with things on my end, I'll come see her and give her some psychological counseling.】

Xu Chun raised an eyebrow: 【You're going to make a special trip just for her?】 Xu Chun secretly wondered how far these two had gotten behind the scenes. 【Don't you have work?】

【Of course I do.】 Suddenly He Qingli's tone turned deeply resentful: 【I did have work, but thanks to your psycho ex-girlfriend's handiwork, all my bookings got poached.】

He Qingli gritted her teeth at her phone: 【Thanks to her, I'll be sitting at home twiddling my thumbs for the next month.】

Reading the message, Xu Chun didn't quite understand—what exactly did Yu Sui'an's rumored backer see in her? Her outwardly pure and obedient image? Or the rebelliousness and ruthlessness buried beneath that docile surface, completely at odds with it?

Yu Sui'an's resources were off the charts now; even Xu Chun occasionally felt a twinge of envy. But Xu Chun was lucky in one respect: because of her deep ties with Qin Corporation, Yu Sui'an's backer didn't dare poach her bookings at will. Others weren't so fortunate. Any booking that could be poached, no matter what tier you were, no matter how famous, was snatched up. Give it all to me.

Because of this, Yu Sui'an's backer's behavior quickly drew complaints from other stars in the industry, who grew increasingly dissatisfied with Yu Sui'an's domineering conduct.

Yu Sui'an's luck was unbelievable. Back when she wasn't famous, she could latch onto Xu Chun for benefits; then she finally split from Xu Chun and got hammered into the ground by Xu Chun's fans, and guess what? Ha—she found an even more powerful, more ruthless backer than Xu Chun.

Yu Sui'an was like an unkillable cockroach, nauseating.

But although Yu Sui'an's overbearing behavior had stirred up resentment in the industry, sending her reputation and word-of-mouth into freefall, neither she nor her backer cared. What effect could others' opinions have on her? Practically zero.

Only what she could truly grasp and already held mattered most to her.

As for others' opinions, apart from Xu Chun's, Yu Sui'an couldn't care less.

Xu Chun hadn't known Yu Sui'an had quietly grown this arrogant. She couldn't help but widen her eyes in shock. 【She didn't even spare your turf?】

At the mention of this, He Qingli was annoyed: 【Tell me about it.】

She normally didn't provoke Yu Sui'an. Besides, Yu Sui'an was an actress and she was just a singer; their fields didn't overlap at all. Logically, the odds of conflict were minuscule.

But just a couple days ago, the other party had ruthlessly poached her piano endorsement. Yu Sui'an, an eighteenth-tier actress who probably couldn't even read sheet music—what the hell was she doing endorsing a piano?!

He Qingli's resentment ran deep at this point. It wasn't that she had no way to take back what was rightfully hers; it was just... back then she'd defied her family's objections to pursue music, grandly declaring she'd make her mark in the entertainment industry. If she ran home to ask her family for help now over something as trivial as Yu Sui'an, how would they see her?

They'd surely seize the opportunity to demand she give up her dream and come home to marry and have children.

But He Qingli didn't want that. Besides, Fu Xin was still watching her. Even if it was just for Fu Xin's sake, she had to keep going.

Xu Chun couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. Was there anyone in this world who could deal with Yu Sui'an? Logically, she could barely count as another female lead. She shouldn't be this arrogant... Xu Chun's gaze suddenly paused. Yu Sui'an could barely count as a female lead, but Jiang Zhaolie was the true protagonist of this novel!

The person who could handle Yu Sui'an was right here, wasn't she?

Xu Chun's eyes lit up. 【I've got an idea. Leave this to me.】

He Qingli: 【? What idea? Sister, don't do anything rash. You're still livestreaming a variety show. Look at the earth-shattering things you pull on live stream every so often; if not for your deep reserves of good fortune, you'd have been forgotten ages ago.】

She sent Xu Chun many messages trying to talk her out of it, but Xu Chun didn't reply—because Xu Chun was rubbing her hands together and had already tapped open Jiang Zhaolie's chat: 【Long time no see, Little Jiang.】

The phone buzzed. In the middle of her busy schedule, Jiang Zhaolie pulled her gaze from the computer screen, glanced at the phone she'd set aside, and was about to look away and keep working when she paused. “?”

Xu Chun?

For no reason at all—what did she want with her?

Jiang Zhaolie unconsciously furrowed her brow, firmly convinced this was a case of a weasel paying a hen a New Year's call and could only lead to trouble.

She pulled her gaze back and didn't respond, but the other party was tireless, as if she'd never give up, and sent several more messages: 【When will you be done? Come back and let's have a family meal together.】

【Your mom misses you a bit.】

【By the way, are you seeing anyone while you're out there alone? If you get the chance, bring your new girlfriend back for us to meet. You're not young anymore; it's time to date. Don't let those two failed relationships make you afraid, make you shrink back.】

【Precisely because you've been through failure before, you should be all the braver—step out, seek your true love, taste the sweetness of love.】

Jiang Zhaolie's brow twitched as she read. She stared at the phone screen for a long time. The other party, seeing she got no response, seemed to finally give up and went silent.

But though Xu Chun quieted down, Jiang Zhaolie's heart was no longer calm. She stared blankly at her phone for a long while, and finally couldn't resist picking it up, thinking expressionlessly: Let me see just what kind of trouble my ex-fiancée and those two who almost became my ex-girlfriends have been up to lately.

Ever since learning about her origins, Jiang Zhaolie had stopped letting her thoughts run wild. She'd sealed her heart and her world tightly and forced herself to focus on work. From then until now, she'd numbed herself with work every day, throwing herself into it so she'd have no time to think about anything else.

The task Qin Yao had assigned her would normally take an ordinary person at least two months, but she'd forced it down to just over twenty days and brought all those people to heel.

Her methods hadn't been iron-fisted before, but perhaps too much had happened lately, too many shocks. Jiang Zhaolie's heart was bitter with nowhere to vent, so she unconsciously poured all her resentment and anger onto the people at the branch company.

She showed no mercy at all. Those people were ruthless, so she was more ruthless; those people were arrogant, so she was more arrogant. Under the rule of law, Jiang Zhaolie didn't believe they could rise above the law.

After a round of hardline suppression, the troublemakers at the branch finally realized Jiang Zhaolie was just as difficult to provoke as Qin Yao. So under Jiang Zhaolie's crackdown, some chose to leave on their own, and those who didn't want to leave quieted down and behaved. But Jiang Zhaolie would never keep these people. Leaving them at Qin Corporation would be a scourge and a hidden danger.

So Jiang Zhaolie struck while the iron was hot and simply replaced even those who had quieted down, thoroughly cowing the branch company within a month and firmly grasping it in her hands.

With that, her reputation within Qin Corporation rose again, and behind closed doors she was already being called “Qin Yao's future successor.”

Jiang Zhaolie didn't doubt that Qin Yao would hand Qin Corporation to her—unless Xu Chun could give Qin Yao a child or two. But even if they had children, it would take a long time for the kids to grow up, and by the time the kids could shoulder Qin Corporation, who knew how old the two of them would be.

Most importantly, Jiang Zhaolie truly couldn't imagine what kind of child someone with Xu Chun's temperament would produce.

And whether or not Qin Yao gave her Qin Corporation, Jiang Zhaolie would accept it silently. After all, she'd already received so much kindness from Qin Yao; her current circumstances were already a blessing. So whatever Qin Yao chose, she would be grateful.

Besides, as long as she had ability and capital, no matter what position she held or what she did, she could still shine.

A few days ago, after dealing with the troublemakers at the branch, Jiang Zhaolie had planned to return to Qin Corporation. Little did she know Xu Chun would beat her to it today with a message. She thought about it and with a few taps of her fingers booked a flight for two days from now.

But before going back, she had to get a good understanding of the current situation of those two women who'd played significant roles in her life.

Xu Chun dropped a spark with Jiang Zhaolie and then paid it no mind. The variety show was almost over; she was busy coordinating with her agent to go over her upcoming schedule, while as usual slacking off at Qin Corporation, and at the same time eagerly following Yu Sui'an's movements online—because the day after the show ended, she and Yu Sui'an would both be attending that commercial event.

Better safe than sorry. What if Yu Sui'an, that blackened yandere white lotus, tried some new trick?

But what Xu Chun hadn't expected was that before the show ended and the event took place, she'd already run into Yu Sui'an again. Jiang Zhaolie was flying back on this morning's flight, and when Xu Chun heard, she volunteered to pick her up at the airport, on the grounds of deepening her bond with her future child.

Hearing this, Zheng Yanran immediately raised her hand, eager for the spectacle, and shamelessly got into the car with Xu Chun heading to the airport.

Along the way, Zheng Yanran was full of curiosity. “Actually, I still haven't figured out why Jiang Zhaolie would give you up and go for that Yu Sui'an instead.”

Xu Chun remained unmoved. What else could it be? Destined fate, of course.

The two female leads getting together was only natural; a vicious supporting character like her was of course meant to become the universally despised cast-off wife.

She didn't answer, so Zheng Yanran looked her up and down. “From what I can see, that Yu Sui'an doesn't seem as sly as you...” Under Xu Chun's death glare, Zheng Yanran hurried to explain, “Don't misunderstand—I mean 'sly' in the complimentary sense. Clever, sharp, quick-witted.”

Only then did Xu Chun's death glare slide away. “None of that matters.” Her face was blank. “I don't even want her.”

Zheng Yanran nodded. “True. Auntie Qin, my mom, me—who isn't better than Jiang Zhaolie?”

Xu Chun's face instantly took on a Hong Shixian-style look of confusion: “?”

Qin Yao and Zheng Jinchan, fine—but what are you sneaking in for? She immediately pressed a hand tightly to her chest, on full alert. “What are you planning? Speak! What are your intentions toward me? I'm warning you, you'd better behave, or I'll tell Jiang Banxia and have her give you a good thrashing!”

Zheng Yanran: “...” Tch!

She rolled her eyes without any regard for her image. “You wish. In this life, apart from Jiang Banxia, I could never possibly like anyone else.” Knowing she was on live stream, Zheng Yanran craftily put on a serious expression and made a heartfelt confession. “My love for her is deep—as the heavens above can bear witness!”

At the end, she didn't forget to launch a counterattack. “I'm more worried you have designs on me.”

Xu Chun gave a slight smile on the spot. “Do you think you can compare to President Qin, or to your mom?”

Zheng Yanran felt a direct hit to the chest. “...” Continuing this topic was pointless. She shut up immediately and changed the subject without hesitation.

When Xu Chun arrived, she saw Jiang Zhaolie and also Yu Sui'an. The two stood together, apparently in some kind of conflict, shouting at each other hoarsely.

The commotion was considerable and quickly drew a crowd of onlookers.

Xu Chun and Zheng Yanran both froze for a moment. Then, without a second thought, Xu Chun grabbed Zheng Yanran and rushed over, planting herself in front of Jiang Zhaolie. She stared guardedly at Yu Sui'an. “What are you doing?”

Yu Sui'an panicked the instant she saw Xu Chun appear. “No, sister, it's not like that.” She instinctively tried to explain to Xu Chun, but Zheng Yanran, ever the little knight in shining armor, threw an arm out to block her, glaring at her with a hostile expression. “Don't come closer. If you have something to say, say it from where you are.”

The unfamiliar girl before her was delicately pretty, dripping with wealth, every item on her person from head to toe expensive. The panic on Yu Sui'an's face vanished without a trace, leaving only a deep, knowing look. Her voice dropped low at once. “Who are you?”

Zheng Yanran gave her a sidelong glance and sneered. “None of your business who I am.” She looked Yu Sui'an up and down and twisted the truth. “What's a female celebrity doing making a scene on the street like this? Picking on a civilian because they don't have fans?”

Jiang Zhaolie stared blankly at Xu Chun, who had appeared out of nowhere, a myriad complicated feelings flooding her heart in that instant.

In this moment of isolation, helplessness, and confusion, she suddenly felt—that actually, having a stepmother wasn't so bad after all. At least when she was being bullied by Yu Sui'an with no way to defend herself, someone had her back...