Chapter 74

With that comparison in mind, Jiang Zhaolie’s emotions gradually settled, and she even felt a touch of smug satisfaction.

No matter how clever Yu Sui'an was, no matter how many schemes she hatched, where had it gotten her? Abandoned by everyone, despised by all. Just thinking about the scheming, the deception, the insults Yu Sui'an had once inflicted on her made Jiang Zhaolie feel positively thrilled.

She could live with her own misery so long as Yu Sui’an’s was even more miserable.

After all, one’s own failure was terrifying enough, but an enemy’s success was clearly more gut-wrenching, the kind of catastrophe that would have her bolting upright in bed at midnight to reflect and agonize for hours.

Jiang Zhaolie silently mulled over these random thoughts, then was suddenly overcome with immense relief. Thank goodness the fickle Yu Sui’an had heartlessly dumped her back then. Otherwise, if Yu Sui’an had used every trick in the book to bewitch her, she might still be stupidly letting herself be used as a weapon, obediently bringing Yu Sui’an home to meet the parents, then guilelessly leading her right to Xu Chun and personally adding a formidable rival to her own ranks.

And if Yu Sui'an had been stringing her along with one hand while secretly harboring indecent intentions toward Xu Chun with the other, the green glow above her head would have lit up the skies for hundreds of miles around.

At that thought, Jiang Zhaolie's face turned green.

Jiang Zhaolie sat alone in the back seat, her face cycling through shades of green, and Xu Chun couldn’t help but be baffled. She instinctively looked at Qin Yao. What’s wrong with her?

Qin Yao followed Xu Chun's gaze through the rearview mirror to Jiang Zhaolie, her eyes cool and indifferent. Her gaze lingered for a moment on Jiang Zhaolie's oblivious face before she spoke up to rouse her: “Check the company inbox for me. How many emails are still unprocessed?”

Jiang Zhaolie, lost in her righteous indignation, was pulled back to reality by Qin Yao's voice. She nodded instinctively, then logged into the company email with a flick of her fingertips and took a look, answering honestly: “Still several dozen.”

“Finish them all for me before we arrive,” Qin Yao instructed casually.

Jiang Zhaolie froze. “?”

They only had an hour of driving left. Jiang Zhaolie opened her mouth to say something, but under Qin Yao's cold, unapproachable death stare, she pressed her lips together and could only accept reality. “...Okay.”

Her expression tight, she faced the laptop screen with grave seriousness, eyes flying across the text at speed. At the same time, her brain was spinning rapidly. On an important, once-in-a-lifetime occasion like today, she absolutely would not allow herself to be tripped up by work later and miss the chance to properly get close to Xu Chun.

So she put in every ounce of effort she had, terrified that a single lapse would prevent her from finishing within her self-imposed deadline.

But for some reason, today Qin Yao seemed determined to make things difficult for her and deliberately school her in front of Xu Chun, as if to demonstrate some intention or prove some point, by asking about how she’d handled every single email in exhaustive detail.

Qin Yao’s tireless questioning, and the fact that not a hint of impatience showed on her face even when Jiang Zhaolie’s replies were inconsistent, made the frazzled Jiang Zhaolie unconsciously calm down and settle into her usual rational working state.

Perhaps this was Qin Yao taking a sudden interest in testing her, she thought silently.

But before the thought had fully crossed her mind, Jiang Zhaolie saw Qin Yao turn to glance at Xu Chun, who was listening attentively beside her, and say, “She's teachable, after all.”

“Not completely beyond saving.”

Jiang Zhaolie: “?” Hong Shixian's doubt.jpg

So I was just a tool for you to curry favor with your little girlfriend?

Jiang Zhaolie's expression froze. She felt awkward and uncomfortable at Qin Yao evaluating her so bluntly in front of Xu Chun. After all, she still hadn't fully managed to put Xu Chun in her proper place and treat her like an elder.

In her heart, she still privately thought of herself and Xu Chun as equals, the way they used to be.

Qin Yao's words left Xu Chun equally baffled. She gave Qin Yao several suspicious looks but couldn't detect anything unusual on her face. So she pressed her lips together, gave a soft “Mm” by way of answer, then rolled her eyes and launched into a frantic mental brainstorm.

The girl beside her was tense-faced, looking like she was racking her brains, and Qin Yao's red lips curved slightly. Strands of hair stirred by the breeze drifted slowly across her cheek, and her stern expression melted away like accumulated snow, leaving only warmth and gentleness.

Qin Yao didn't dwell on the topic. She simply continued questioning Jiang Zhaolie in exhaustive detail, strict beyond measure. As Xu Chun listened, she gradually picked up on something: could Qin Yao be trying to prove something to her?

That Jiang Zhaolie could turn over a new leaf and reform?

The guess was a bit absurd, but right now, that was genuinely the impression the scene gave Xu Chun.

It was as if she and Qin Yao had once had a huge fight over Jiang Zhaolie's character. Qin Yao had trusted Jiang Zhaolie deeply, while she had been the opposite, stubbornly convinced that Jiang Zhaolie would surely go bad, that she was beyond saving. They'd been deadlocked, neither able to convince the other, until a terribly serious conflict and violent quarrel erupted and they finally parted on bad terms.

So now that a suitable opportunity had arisen, Qin Yao couldn't wait to prove to her that her original judgment hadn't been wrong.

The guess made Xu Chun want to laugh and cry at the same time. She felt she'd been worn out lately from filming; that was the only reason she'd conjure such a ridiculous illusion.

But... her fingertips stirred slightly. Qin Yao did keep some secrets about her.

Xu Chun's eyes darted, and the corners of her lips unconsciously lifted into a faint smile. This version of Qin Yao only made her more fascinated, more hopelessly smitten!

Jiang Zhaolie was busy now, with no attention to spare, even though she'd noticed the atmosphere up front was harmonious and warm, making her feel utterly like an outsider. But she clearly had no energy left to join in.

For so long, Qin Yao had shown her absolute trust; she absolutely would not let her down, and she absolutely could not follow in her birth mother's footsteps.

One thing was certain: though her heart stirred with restless longing, she would not slacken one bit on the bottom line she had to uphold, the things she had to hold fast to.

In that atmosphere, harmonious yet tinged with awkwardness and discomfort, the car finally pulled up before the Xu family mansion. The security guard had received Mrs. Xu’s instructions well in advance, so the moment he spotted Xu Chun in the passenger seat, he immediately opened the gate and welcomed them in. “Miss, you’re finally back.”

Xu Chun nodded at the guard. “My parents are both home now, right?”

“Both are,” the guard said, beaming. “When she heard you'd wrapped filming, the second young miss came back yesterday too.”

Xu Wei? Xu Chun blinked, then realized that with Yu Sui'an completely erased from the entertainment industry, Xu Wei's undercover work in her fan group must have ended as well.

Thinking of the other girl's temperament, Xu Chun couldn't help but find it amusing. Who'd have thought she was the type to hold a grudge?

To get revenge, she'd actually endured hardship and swallowed humiliation, flitting around Yu Sui'an's fan group like she was starring in Mission: Impossible, while also fanning the flames everywhere on major social platforms and stirring up infighting among Yu Sui'an's fans. Without firing a single shot, she'd gotten the enemy to slaughter each other, to turn on their own.

This nominal little sister of hers did have some brains in that head.

After receiving the guard’s call, Tang Shiyu hurriedly rose from the sofa, a little nervous inside. Xu Chun’s father stood up with her, similarly apprehensive. Old Master Xu gave them both an exasperated look. “It’s just a meal. It’s not like you’re meeting her parents. What are you so scared of?”

Xu Chun's father couldn't help retorting, “Dad, you don't understand. The way things are today, it might as well be meeting the parents.”

And frankly, this was even more nerve-wracking than meeting his father-in-law back in the day. His in-laws hadn’t been nearly as formidable as Qin Yao.

No sooner had he spoken than Xu Jixian swung his cane at him. Xu Chun's father dodged just in time to hear the car stop outside the door. He steadied himself, instinctively turning to look at Tang Shiyu, and only after she nodded did they go out together to welcome them.

When Xu Chun opened the car door and spotted her parents at the entrance, she felt a surge of emotion. Though she hadn't spent that long with them, a parent's love for their daughter was beyond doubt. She stepped forward and hugged them both. “Feels like I haven't been home in a lifetime.”

Xu Chun’s father instinctively wanted to say, “Then why not just stop working? Stay home. Even if you don’t work, we can support you.” But before he could open his mouth, Tang Shiyu elbowed him into silence. Tang Shiyu looked at Xu Chun with heartache. “Then rest at home a while longer before going out again. Don’t wear yourself out.”

Xu Chun had been thinking the same thing and nodded at once. “Okay.”

After mother and daughter finished their greetings, Xu Chun finally turned to Qin Yao behind her. She was just about to speak when Tang Shiyu had already struck up a natural, familiar conversation with Qin Yao—though after catching sight of Jiang Zhaolie at the side, a faint displeasure still lingered in Tang Shiyu’s eyes.

As a mother, she could never forget the suffering Jiang Zhaolie had once brought her daughter. Even now, people still pointed fingers at her daughter because of Jiang Zhaolie's reckless actions back then, looking down on her.

So Tang Shiyu felt her temper was already quite good. At least she hadn’t embarrassed Jiang Zhaolie in front of Qin Yao by giving her a vicious scolding.

Still, on second thought, though her daughter had lost a Jiang Zhaolie, she’d gained a Qin Yao a thousand times better. A blessing in disguise. Surely this was cause for great celebration! At that thought, Tang Shiyu’s resentment toward Jiang Zhaolie finally dissipated a tiny bit.

So what if you were so arrogant back then, so ready to toss my daughter aside like worn-out shoes? Now you have to call my daughter “Mom.”

In an instant, a thousand thoughts flashed through her mind, and Tang Shiyu finally felt somewhat mollified. She gave Jiang Zhaolie a bland look. “You came too.”

Jiang Zhaolie did indeed feel a bit awkward.

After all, she was the one in the wrong. However thick-skinned she was, however decisive and authoritative she might be out in the world, before Xu Chun's parents she still couldn't quite hold her head up.

At that, she lowered her head slightly. “Hello, Uncle, Auntie.”

Tang Shiyu instinctively wanted to snap at her, but for Qin Yao's sake she held back, gave a tepid “Mm,” then redirected her attention to Qin Yao. “Don't just stand there, President Qin. Come inside and sit.”

With that, she happily took Xu Chun’s arm and turned to go inside, chatting about everyday matters with Qin Yao on one side and talking with her daughter on the other, lively and warm, the atmosphere utterly cozy.

Jiang Zhaolie followed silently behind, a bitter taste on her tongue. But all of this was her own doing, her just deserts; she had no right to complain. Whatever she faced now, she could only bear it silently, as she was doing right then.

She politely accepted the drink the nanny brought over but didn’t drink it. Instead, she sat on the sofa properly, back ramrod straight, the picture of decorum. Tang Shiyu found the sight of her dressed up in that hypocritical, respectable manner irritating, so she deliberately turned away and looked only at Qin Yao.

Jiang Zhaolie noticed, of course, but with a guilty conscience, she could only lower her head slightly.

Xu Chun’s father glanced at her a couple more times, but he didn’t have a good impression of her either. He was a devoted husband now and followed whatever his wife did. If his wife disliked someone, naturally he wouldn’t do anything to anger her.

After all, the business with Yang Xingyan and the others had already taught him a harsh lesson.

It should have been a happy gathering, yet the atmosphere was strangely subtle. That was exactly the scene Xu Wei saw when she came downstairs. Everyone’s faces clearly bore smiles, but one person sat off to the side, stiff and constrained, on pins and needles, thoroughly ruining the lovely picture.

Xu Wei now hated Yu Sui'an to the bone, so seeing Jiang Zhaolie, who'd once been close to Yu Sui'an, she felt no goodwill either. Whenever she saw Jiang Zhaolie, she couldn't help but think of Yu Sui'an's hypocritical, affected face. So after politely greeting Qin Yao, she turned to Jiang Zhaolie, her expression shifting in an instant, a smile that wasn't a smile on her lips. “How come you're not with Yu Sui'an?”

“Aren't you two on great terms?”

As her words landed, the room fell dead silent. You could have heard a pin drop.

Xu Chun watched her sister's righteous indignation and raised an eyebrow. “Weren't you on pretty good terms with Yu Sui'an too, little sister?”

Exposed so mercilessly, Xu Wei's expression froze. She turned somewhat helplessly. “Sis...”

Tang Shiyu couldn't help but frown and look up at Xu Wei. “Guests are guests. Is this how I taught you to treat visitors?”

Xu Wei bit her lip lightly, then, unwilling but resigned, faced Jiang Zhaolie again. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that just now. I was only curious and asked. Don’t read too much into it. I meant nothing by it.”

Jiang Zhaolie: “...” You've said it all already.

She forced a brave smile and could only say magnanimously, “It's fine. We can sit down and have a good chat when there's time. We happen to have common ground.”

Stabbed in the back by Jiang Zhaolie, Xu Wei couldn't help but think, “...” You're done for.

She narrowed her eyes and looked down her nose at Jiang Zhaolie. If you ever set foot in my house again, I'll write my name Xu Wei backwards.

Jiang Zhaolie simply ignored Xu Wei’s threat. What schemes or tactics could a little brat like that possibly have? Besides, she herself had once been utterly obedient to Yu Sui’an and had even turned against her own sister for Yu Sui’an’s sake. That gave her no right to lecture anyone.

Xu Chun watched the two trade barbs and take potshots at each other, speechless. They had way too much time on their hands.

Ignoring the two locked in their standoff, Xu Chun earnestly tuned in to Qin Yao chatting with her parents. But as she listened, she suddenly felt something was off. Why on earth had Qin Yao brought up her company's recent performance?

She looked at her parents again. They wore expressions of complete normalcy, as if this were nothing new, clearly not the first time.

After a stunned moment, Xu Chun immediately turned to Jiang Zhaolie, narrowing her eyes and fixing her gaze on Jiang Zhaolie. Jiang Zhaolie's mouth twitched; she shot back a questioning look. “?”

Receiving Jiang Zhaolie's bewildered gaze, Xu Chun immediately stopped looking at her and went back to listening intently. But the previous topic seemed to have been just a casual mention on Qin Yao's part; she quickly dropped it, and her parents didn't pursue it either. Seeing this, Xu Chun didn't feel right prying impertinently, so she could only temporarily suppress her doubts.

In Xu Chun's eyes, her parents and Qin Yao were chatting happily, the atmosphere harmonious, yet her own mood was subtly strange, though she couldn't say why.

It wasn't until dinner, when Tang Shiyu deliberately had her sit beside Qin Yao and then shot her a look—you know what I mean, right?

Xu Chun: “?”

Not really.

After finishing the meal without incident, Qin Yao didn't linger. But before leaving, she looked at Xu Chun and said, “Zheng Jinchan and Zhao Ciying invited me to play cards. Come along tomorrow afternoon.”

Xu Chun froze, then a chill of horror ran through her. What kind of demonic purgatory was this?!

She was all set to shake her head and refuse on the spot, but then Qin Yao added, “Before this, I already invited your mother, and she's agreed.”

So Xu Chun's refusal swerved mid-word. “Okay.”

What demonic purgatory? This was clearly a top-tier social occasion to elevate her family's social standing and raise their class! Xu Chun clenched her fist secretly: only a fool would skip this!

If her mother could successfully build good relations with these people, then afterward they could walk around with their heads held high anywhere.

After agreeing and seeing Qin Yao and Jiang Zhaolie into the car and off, Xu Chun dialed Jiang Banxia's number without a second thought. “Xiaxia, want to play mahjong tomorrow?”

Jiang Banxia was silent for a moment. “Okay.”

Hearing this from beside her, Zheng Yanran immediately piped up eagerly: “I want to come too, I want to come too!” How could she miss a lively occasion like this!

Xu Chun's face twitched several times. “...”

She could already foresee how bloody and suffocating tomorrow's gathering would be. But she was the one who'd issued the invitations, so now she could only grit her teeth and nod. “...Then you come too.”

After hanging up, Xu Chun clutched her phone, anxious and uneasy. This... tomorrow she'd be lucky to escape with only a layer of skin peeled off.

But then she thought again. Mom would be there anyway! Even if the sky fell, Mom would hold it up. So—

Let the storm come down all the fiercer!

TL Note:

Hong Shixian's doubt.jpg (洪世贤的疑问.jpg) = a meme of a character from the drama The Temptation of Home, used to show confusion.

green glow above her head (头顶上的绿光) = Chinese slang for being cheated on (wearing a green hat).

write my name Xu Wei backwards (我许薇的名字就倒过来写) = a Chinese vow meaning 'I'll eat my hat' or 'I'll be damned'.

only a fool would skip this (不去不是中国人) = literally 'not going means you're not Chinese,' a hyperbolic way of saying 'only a fool would miss this'.