Chapter 54

As the words landed, Qin Yao lifted her head unhurriedly, her deep eyes watching the emotions churn in Xu Chun—so deep that Xu Chun instinctively shrank her shoulders, her fingertips trembling despite herself.

Qin Yao’s upright, gentlemanly air made Xu Chun’s heart flutter and was impossible to resist, but it wasn’t the answer she wanted at all.

Xu Chun pressed her lips together, unwilling to let it go, and steeled herself to keep probing. “Sister.” She stepped closer, stopping at the edge of Qin Yao's desk, looking down at her from a slight height. “Were we really not familiar with each other before?”

Qin Yao slowly raised her eyes and fixed her gaze on Xu Chun's shimmering eyes and faintly furrowed brow. “Then what answer do you want to hear from me?”

That... Xu Chun couldn't quite put it into words herself.

She wanted her guess confirmed, yet she also wanted it to turn out that she'd simply overthought everything. The past two days had been fretful enough; she certainly didn't want anything else piling on right now and making it worse.

It would make her feel as though everything was slowly slipping beyond her control.

Xu Chun's fine lashes trembled uncontrollably, and she couldn't say a word. Then Qin Yao moved. She rose suddenly, her tall, slender figure leaning in, her focused gaze settling on Xu Chun's lush red lips.

Qin Yao had always held the initiative, and now she had the situation firmly in hand. With a single movement, she made Xu Chun's heart pound, reeling in all her scattered thoughts until she could only stare wide-eyed into her gaze, with no mind left for wild imaginings.

Qin Yao leaned in far too close, catching her off guard. Xu Chun reflexively held her breath, on the verge of suffocating.

At such close range, the air around them gradually heated, an unbearably ambiguous atmosphere spreading slowly and throwing Xu Chun's heartbeat into chaos. Her nerves made her press her lovely lips together slightly before she opened her mouth hesitantly. “...Nothing.”

In that moment, Qin Yao was too bewitching, too aggressive and invasive. Xu Chun couldn't withstand it; she averted her gaze, a trace of awkwardness rose to her face.

She certainly couldn't come right out and say to Qin Yao, “I suspect you've time-traveled or been reborn.” Otherwise, Qin Yao would probably look at her like she was an idiot and assume she'd read too many web novels and could no longer tell fiction from reality.

Some things didn't need to be said too plainly. Just now, she'd kept it veiled and vague, leaving herself plenty of room to retreat and make excuses.

“Nothing?” Qin Yao bent down. She was very tall, and with one hand braced against the heavy sandalwood desk, she radiated an intense sense of pressure. “You can't be unaware that I'm very busy right now.”

Her breath drew closer still, and Xu Chun felt inexplicably guilty, her ears burning. Of course she knew. It was just... she was too impatient for the truth.

This mattered deeply to her. It determined whether she could control the whole board and then completely change her fate, without any other mishaps along the way.

Qin Yao's methods were different from those in the book, and that left Xu Chun flustered and uneasy.

“Sorry.” An awkward smile tugged at the corner of Xu Chun's mouth. “I was being a little unreasonable...”

“Xu Chun.” This time Qin Yao said her name seriously. “If you have suspicions or doubts about me, I hope you'll say them to my face.”

“Otherwise”—the corner of her lips curved into a faint smile—“I'll attribute all these similar behaviors of yours to...” Her eyes were deep, her tone utterly serious. “Flirting.”

Xu Chun's scalp went numb instantly, as if something had exploded in her mind. She instinctively opened her mouth to refute Qin Yao. “I wasn't...”

But the answer was Qin Yao's warm breath nearing her face, then warm lips landing on hers. The soft touch struck Xu Chun silent on the spot. Qin Yao brushed gently against her lips, her motions tender; only when Xu Chun stopped struggling and had resigned herself did Qin Yao slowly deepen the kiss, advancing inch by inch like an army storming a city.

Xu Chun's body temperature kept rising. Her ears, her cheeks, her whole body felt as if it were being roasted over a fire, and her heart brimmed uncontrollably with heat.

The feeling in that moment was subtle. Qin Yao's lips were scorching, yet her motions gentle, as if she were carefully tending to Xu Chun's feelings. For no clear reason, Xu Chun's eyes grew sore and swollen.

Qin Yao had always been gentle with her, always careful of her moods. Whether it was back when she'd first fallen out with Jiang Zhaolie or later, when she'd become a laughingstock with no one to turn to, Qin Yao always seemed to be quietly giving of herself in the background, minimizing the harm the world did to her, letting her face its storms in the best state and mindset.

She always seemed to protect her in her own way.

Even when she had mercilessly, almost coldly, picked open the scars hidden deep in Xu Chun's heart.

Though that had left Xu Chun a little embarrassed and angry, she had to admit that after that day's conversation, facing Qin Yao now felt much more intimate.

That feeling, both unfamiliar and frightening, vanished in an instant, as if the distance between them had abruptly shrunk.

As she mulled it over, her closed eyes opened without her noticing, widening until she was staring unblinking at Qin Yao's heart-racing face so close to hers.

This woman was truly beautiful, Xu Chun thought involuntarily. No matter when she saw her, no matter the circumstances, she was always so refined and cool, unapproachable.

Yet this very person, who seemed so unattainably above it all, was seriously and firmly kissing her lips, the scorching heat almost burning her.

Xu Chun wasn't focused, and Qin Yao soon noticed. She stopped and opened her eyes, her voice low. “Enough?”

Xu Chun hadn't even registered the question and nodded instinctively. Qin Yao's red lips curved into a smile. “Really?”

This time Xu Chun's mind cleared a little, and she realized what Qin Yao had just asked and what she'd just nodded to. Her face flushed bright red on the spot, and she turned and ran without a backward glance.

Even the strands of hair fluttering around her betrayed her fluster and bewilderment.

Qin Yao blinked her dark eyes, her voice thick with amusement. “Come again next time.”

At that, Xu Chun nearly stumbled. Come again next time... She couldn't help letting her thoughts wander. But what concerned her more now was whether these little gestures of hers in front of Qin Yao really made Qin Yao misunderstand that she was deliberately hinting at something.

Her cheeks burned, and she couldn't help reflecting: she clearly had plenty of self-restraint.

She’d been perfectly proper, making no out-of-line moves and saying nothing out of line. So the one whose mind was running in all directions was Qin Yao herself.

As Xu Chun walked along, awkwardly returning passersby's greetings, she didn't need a mirror to know she must look like someone with a guilty conscience.

Fortunately, today was the last day of the program. Once it was over, her chances of meeting Qin Yao should grow few, and she could take the opportunity to calm down properly.

After a moment of silence, Xu Chun added another condition: provided nothing unexpected happened along the way.

Once she was far enough away, Xu Chun cleared her throat, returned to her workstation, plopped down, and hugged her giant water bottle, taking several big gulps of hot water.

Being around Qin Yao... really got the blood pumping, quite literally. It sent her blood pressure soaring.

After sitting quietly for a few minutes, the burning in Xu Chun's cheeks slowly returned to normal. She spaced out for a while, then took out her phone to check the news online.

No need to guess. She knew how ferociously Qin Group's following had grown. A once-obscure enterprise hidden in the background now had nearly as many followers as she did. Xu Chun couldn't tell for a moment whether she was too inept or Qin Yao too formidable, but she was rather happy for Qin Yao. Her own mind was set on changing her fate and her ending, but Qin Yao had now truly achieved it.

Going forward, there was a good chance Jiang Zhaolie wouldn't stab her in the back anymore, wouldn't send her to prison to work a sewing machine.

For some reason, the image of Qin Yao in plain clothes, face cool, aura icy, working a sewing machine made her want to laugh. But Xu Chun pictured it with her eyes open: Qin Yao stripped of the formal wear she wore for work, dressed only in casual, sloppy coarse cloth... that would probably be even more irresistible.

In the morning, Qin Group's livestream had sold ordinary products; the afternoon session featured medical-grade professional instruments. Ordinary people still came to watch the excitement, but the big bosses fought red-eyed, clutching their phones and staring fixedly at the screens without blinking.

The afternoon session was far more heated than the morning. The hosts hit their stride, and with the onlookers fanning the flames, everyone got a little carried away, their heads hot and not quite knowing how they’d ended up bidding and buying things to take home. When the livestream ended and everything returned to calm, everyone gradually regained their senses and, looking at their enormous orders, couldn’t help falling silent, somewhat doubting life itself.

Qin Yao was indeed deep and calculating; she had certainly run the livestream on purpose. People were irrational in the face of discounts to begin with, and add others chattering away on the side... it was bound to end in disaster.

Now the items had been purchased. Their usefulness... wasn't much, but returning them felt like losing a hundred million. They'd bought them so cheaply, and snagging them hadn't been easy either.

And so, a crowd of people who'd grabbed things they didn't need set their sights on reselling at high prices. They'd snagged them at half price anyway; even reselling at ten or twenty percent off, they'd still profit.

But that was no longer Qin Yao's concern. Looking at the data on her computer, apart from some backlogged inventory, the newly developed products had also achieved excellent sales. Thanks to one program and one livestream, the company had saved entirely on advertising costs.

No matter what intentions the buyers harbored, as long as they used the products and found them good, word of mouth would spread and Qin Group's reputation would be firmly established. By then, no matter how fierce the market competition, the impact on Qin Group would be negligible.

Qin Yao's gaze shifted from the laptop screen to the paper documents beside her.

This battle was a complete victory.

As seven in the evening approached, Director Guo's new workplace variety show officially came to an end. The guests gathered together, and before Director Guo could even cue the proceedings, Qin Group's employees came over carrying armfuls of gifts. Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the livestream room, Qin Group presented lavish gifts to all the guests and even the staff, showing off the full pomp of a major enterprise's deep pockets.

The comment section instantly turned into a sea of sour lemons, with envy and jealousy in every flavor.

Director Guo's face nearly split from grinning. He felt deep down that Xu Chun was truly his lucky star, his benefactor. He'd made quite a few variety shows before, but none had ever really taken off; even when he'd first decided to do a dating show, he himself hadn't held much hope.

Who would have known that, because of Xu Chun's participation, the entire dating show would become a smash hit and break out of its niche? Beyond the sky-high popularity during the livestream, even after the edited version aired, its view count set a new historical record for all variety shows. That day, everyone sent him congratulatory messages with smiling faces, but Director Guo knew in his heart: he owed this day entirely to Xu Chun.

So later, after planning the workplace variety show, he'd invited Xu Chun without a second thought. Sure enough, this time the popularity hit a new high. Even though he'd been mentally prepared, he couldn't help feeling excited in this moment.

Never had he imagined he'd become a hot director holding two smash-hit variety shows, much less that one day he'd be raking in money until his hands went soft, gaining both fame and fortune.

Looking at Xu Chun, Director Guo couldn't help drawing a deep breath. He had to strike while the iron was hot, plan a new project, and invite Xu Chun again.

He'd already decided: the moment he got home today, he'd plaster his walls with Xu Chun's posters. Starting today, he, Guo, was Xu Chun's number one diehard fan! If anyone dared slander her, throw mud at her, or drag her down again, he'd fight them tooth and nail!

After thinking it over, while no one was paying attention, Director Guo quietly changed Xu Chun's contact name to: 【Lucky Little Wealth-Bringer】.

Gazing at Xu Chun's God of Wealth profile picture, Director Guo felt thoroughly satisfied. Right—this was the harmonious style he wanted.

After receiving Qin Group's lavish gift bags, the guests and staff all wore brighter smiles, even Fu Xin. Xu Chun couldn't resist sneaking an extra curious glance at her. When Fu Xin noticed, perhaps because she was simply too happy today and couldn't hold back, she lowered her voice and quietly confided in Xu Chun: “Yesterday I dug an antique out of a junk box at home. A friend appraised it at five hundred million.”

Xu Chun couldn't help gasping sharply, then asked Fu Xin utterly sincerely, “Can I come play at your house?” She said it with a straight face. “Don't worry, I absolutely won't dig your house up three feet deep.”

Fu Xin couldn't help laughing. “Sure.” Her eyes curved in a smile, the sickly frailty about her dissipating quite a bit. “Sister Xu Chun, you're welcome anytime.”

As long as she sold that antique now, more than half of her parents' debts could be paid off.

Then, after a few more hard years on her own, she could clear her parents' debts entirely. A flicker of anticipation crossed her eyes: by then, she could openly confess to He Qingli.

By then she'd be clean and blameless, owing nothing to anyone in the world, earning money honestly with her own two hands; she could surely give her a beautiful future.

Xu Chun: “It's a deal.”

But though she had the intention, she lacked the time. Thinking of tomorrow's event and the Yu Sui'an she'd encounter there, the joy in Xu Chun's mind faded a little.

But then... her eyes darted, and she set her sights on Yu Sui'an's backer.

What if that backer showed up tomorrow too?

Xu Chun rubbed her hands together in anticipation, then suddenly felt a gaze drift lightly onto her. She reflexively turned her head and met Qin Yao's still, silent gaze. Xu Chun choked on the spot. “...”

Qin Yao probably wouldn't go tomorrow, right? She was so busy, after all.

Xu Chun secretly tried to convince herself. Besides, she wasn't coveting that backer's beauty or anything; she just wanted to clip Yu Sui'an's wings, to vent her anger and get revenge.

She had absolutely no other intentions.

Having convinced herself, Xu Chun happily finished recording the variety show’s finale. Her agent, Sister Yang, came specially to pick her up and take her home to discuss her upcoming schedule and deliver the gown she’d wear tomorrow.

Since it was getting late, Xu Chun left directly rather than staying to eat and drink with the others. Before leaving, she went to tell Qin Yao, and Qin Yao looked at her earnestly. “Be safe.”

Xu Chun nodded and said politely, “Sister, on the days I can't see you from now on, I'll miss you.”

Hearing this, Qin Yao gave her a deep look. Xu Chun, her guilty conscience getting the better of her, awkwardly averted her gaze and changed the subject. “Then I'll be off, Sister. Until we meet again.”

Once she was in the nanny van, Zheng Yanran's text finally arrived. 【You just abandoned me and left like that?】

Xu Chun had genuinely forgotten about Zheng Yanran once she got busy. 【It's not like we'll never see each other again. You can come visit me on set and hang out when I'm filming, or just come do a cameo or something.】

Zheng Yanran immediately replied with a long string of ellipses. 【I knew it—there's no place for me in your heart after all. Your eyes only ever stick to Qin Yao.】

Xu Chun instantly replied: 【?】

【Don't think I can't tell. Your eyes were so thirsty, it's a wonder you didn't just strip Qin Yao's clothes off on the spot.】 Zheng Yanran appraised her: 【Lustful starving ghost—that's you.】

Xu Chun was all question marks on the spot: 【???】 You and your mouth.

Ignoring Zheng Yanran's grumbling, Xu Chun put away her phone and asked her agent, “That backer of Yu Sui'an's—has she been targeted by a lot of people lately?”

“What, you're interested too?” The agent's eyes lifted from the iPad screen, glancing at her sidelong.

Her little scheme so ruthlessly exposed, Xu Chun gave a dry laugh. “Just a bit of mild interest. I'm not like them, with all those messy intentions.” She said with a straight face, “I'm a morally upright, principled actress.”

The agent stared at her, doubtful. “...” Is that so.

She couldn’t understand why Xu Chun, who already had Qin Yao, would still eye someone else’s backer and risk capsizing the boat without pleasing either side. So she hinted meaningfully, “Sometimes, some things, you can’t be greedy for.”

“Sometimes, the greedier you are, the less you end up with. You lose out on both sides.” The agent put it obliquely. “People must learn to be content, especially those of us in this line of work.”

Xu Chun couldn't help being baffled. “?” What was she talking about?

Seeing her play dumb, the agent secretly sighed and changed the subject, explaining the various matters she needed to watch out for at tomorrow’s event. Actually, the only things to watch for were Yu Sui’an and any extreme sabotage other actresses might resort to out of jealousy.

Xu Chun was already wary of these things. She wasn't stupid, and she knew the entertainment circle always flattered the high and trampled the low, fighting one another to the death.

She was immensely grateful that the original owner of this body had good acting skills and a good reputation; otherwise, given how things stood when she'd first arrived, she would have been doomed.

No one was home today. Her parents, due to work, rarely returned to this apartment, instead living year-round in the large flat near the company. Xu Wei, since she spent most of her time in class and often went shopping with friends on her rare days off, also seldom came home.

But just as Xu Chun had put away her luggage and, with her assistant's help, was trying on the gown for tomorrow's event, Xu Wei poked her head out from the second floor. “Sis, you're back?”

Her sudden voice startled everyone. Xu Chun looked up, still rattled. “Could you not be like a ghost, making no sound at all?”

Xu Wei fell silent. “...I got it.”

With that, she quietly hung over the second-floor railing, watching Xu Chun change into the gown. Since childhood, her sister had always been good to her, but she'd always felt the other was a bit too much of a pushover. Where in this world were things as wonderful as Xu Chun imagined? Some people out there were simply rotten to the core.

Yet on one hand she looked down on Xu Chun's kind nature, and on the other she comfortably enjoyed Xu Chun's kindness and care. At first she'd been flattered and grateful for this sister's goodness to her, but as time went on, at some point she too had come to take Xu Chun's kindness for granted, even feeling Xu Chun ought to indulge her unreasonably like that.

Because she was her own little sister.

But ever since last time, when the two sisters had torn off all pretense over Yu Sui’an, she’d had a sudden awakening. No one owed her kindness, and no one would be unconditionally good to her. All feelings hinged on mutual give and take.

Though at first Xu Chun had genuinely made her stamp her feet, furious enough to want to cut ties, now that she thought about it, Xu Chun had clearly been pulling her back from the wrong path with good intentions.

Without Xu Chun's strictness, perhaps she'd have ended up like Yu Sui'an, ungrateful and thinking the whole world ought to revolve around her, with a thoroughly loathsome personality.

She watched Xu Chun quietly, and only at this moment did she truly, vividly realize how beautiful her sister was.

There were moments when she was so beautiful it left one inexplicably speechless, able only to stare blankly at her face. If such a person didn't shine in the entertainment circle, that would be the entire industry's loss.

Her gaze flickered slightly, and Xu Wei thought of the information she'd gathered in Yu Sui'an's fan group with her alt account. “Sis.” She called softly, and when the people below all looked up, she said, “Tomorrow, that big shot behind Yu Sui'an is apparently going with her too.”

She pressed her lips together. “Be careful of them, and remember to keep your distance.”

Hearing this, Xu Chun raised an eyebrow, perfunctorily saying yes, yes, yes on the surface, while thinking: tomorrow, she was going to poach Yu Sui'an's backer from under her nose and leave her isolated and without support.

Because of what Xu Wei had said, Xu Chun was so excited she didn't sleep well all night.

By the time she got up in the morning, she was bleary-eyed, yawning one after another, but her merciless agent dragged her out of bed regardless, leaving her at the mercy of the stylist.

By the time everything was done up properly, it was about time to set off.

Today was a luxury brand's new product launch, and most of the entertainment circle's better-known names had been invited. After entering the venue, Xu Chun followed the information Xu Wei had gathered and arrived early at her destination to wait.

When Xu Wei's message came through, Xu Chun immediately put away her phone, tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and pretended to pass by casually—when in fact she intended to seize the chance to get acquainted with that rich lady and make sure she was noticed.

A carefully crafted, shallow smile on her lips, her steps unhurried, she looked alluring and charming. In today's getup, she was ninety-nine percent sure she could knock everyone dead, even the rich lady backing Yu Sui'an.

Full of confidence and determined to succeed, she stepped forward and rounded the corner. Her smile froze instantly.

There was no big shot behind Yu Sui’an here at all. It was only Qin Yao... oh no, and Jiang Banxia, who had somehow gotten entangled with her.

The face that had suddenly appeared before her changed like a Peking opera mask, going from radiant to completely crushed in an instant. Seeing this, Qin Yao raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone certain. “You're waiting for someone.”

“And that someone isn't me.”

Jiang Banxia lifted her eyes and, finding Xu Chun looking utterly guilty, couldn't help narrowing her eyes. “Let me guess...” She seemed to think for a moment. “Perhaps it's that President Zhao everyone's been talking about lately, right?”

Both women's voices were very gentle, yet Xu Chun shuddered all over, denying it with all her might. “Who said that?! I wasn't.” She answered without a shred of shame. “How could I possibly be waiting for her?!”

“Oh?” A puzzled voice suddenly cut in from the side. “So you weren't waiting for me after all.”

“Seems you're not interested in me at all.”

Xu Chun turned her head and instantly saw the very person in question, dressed with extreme flamboyance, covered head to toe in name brands, clearly a person of no small wealth. She nearly fainted on the spot. “...”

If only I'd been a mute in this life.