After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother (GL) - Chapter 12

The light in Yu Sui’an’s eyes dimmed for a moment. Jiang Zhaolie felt flustered and at a loss, opening her mouth to explain but not knowing where to begin. Having never faced such a situation before, she was momentarily paralyzed, unable to think of a solution. Left with no options, she could only glare at Xu Chun, the instigator of this whole mess.

Xu Chun stood beside He Qingli, watching the drama unfold with relish. Sensing the other’s displeasure, she shrugged innocently and poured fuel on the fire, saying, “Zhaolie, how could you keep something like this from Suisui? Your cousin is just a junior in your family, not a lover there’s nothing to hide. I don’t know what you’re so afraid of.”

“Unlike you, I tell Suisui everything. Even the nightmares my father’s uncle’s son’s wife’s distant relative had in the middle of the night, I recount every detail to Suisui without omitting a single word.”

Jiang Zhaolie felt a vein throb at her temple. The words “Why don’t you go find somewhere cooler to stay, you little green tea b1tch?” nearly escaped her lips, but she held back in front of the cameras. With a cold expression, she retorted, “But you cheated and hurt Suisui’s feelings.”

Xu Chun’s eyes widened dramatically. “Are you saying my cheating partner was your own cousin?!”

Jiang Zhaolie: “?”

Frowning, she snapped, “What nonsense are you spouting now?”

Yu Sui’an also couldn’t help but glance over, her gaze tinged with curiosity. Xu Chun clutched her chest in exaggerated disbelief, looking deeply wounded. “Zhaolie, I truly feel sorry for Wanwan. You can distrust me, but how could you doubt Wanwan? She’s such a warm and kind-hearted girl your own cousin! Yet you disregard your familial bond and publicly slander her on camera. You must be snoring with your eyes open completely out of your mind!”

“If Wanwan knew you were spreading rumors about her like this, she’d be heartbroken.”

By now, even Jiang Zhaolie, dense as she was, caught the implication in Xu Chun’s words. “Are you saying the person you were photographed cheating with…” she asked uncertainly, “was Wanwan?”

Truthfully, she hadn’t paid much attention to the rumors about Xu Chun’s alleged affair online. After hearing about it from Yu Sui’an, her only concern had been comforting Yu Sui’an, cheering her up, and helping her move past the heartbreak. At first, she thought Xu Chun was just messing with her, but seeing the other’s confident expression, Jiang Zhaolie began to doubt herself.

After a moment’s consideration, she decisively pulled out her phone and searched for the news from that day.

Just a few keystrokes brought up countless related headlines. Jiang Zhaolie clicked on one at random and scrutinized the blurry photos for a long time.

The side profile did resemble Qiao Wan, as did the height and build. She didn’t interact with Qiao Wan often, which was why she hadn’t recognized her at first glance. What confirmed it was the bracelet on the woman’s wrist, a gift from Jiang Zhaolie’s mother for Qiao Wan’s first birthday.

The bracelet had been custom-made by a master craftsman, one of a kind in the world.

The air grew heavy with silence. Watching from the sidelines, He Qingli felt secondhand embarrassment for the two of them. They’d been slandering Xu Chun with cheating rumors all this time, only to discover the other party involved was their own family. Truly, a small knife slicing the butt, what an eye-opener.

Seeing Yu Sui’an’s initial disbelief give way to a faint look of bewilderment, her fans anxiously rushed to defend their idol: [“How shameless! Daring to lay hands on your fiancée’s cousin, aren’t you afraid of being beaten to death?”]

[“Exactly! That cousin is still so young, just a child!”]

Xu Chun’s fans were utterly baffled. What the hell?

There was clearly no relationship between them, you’re the ones forcing this scandal onto her. Now that the truth is out, you’re still trying to turn the tables? Xu Chun’s fans were nearly fuming with rage. Outnumbered and lacking eloquence, they couldn’t win the argument and were on the verge of shutting down.

After confirming the truth through subtle cues from Jiang Zhaolie, Xu Chun suddenly felt emboldened. Crossing her arms, she said, “Let’s sit down sometime and discuss compensation, shall we?”

Jiang Zhaolie looked puzzled. Xu Chun smiled faintly. “You’ve spent all this time on the show accusing me of cheating and ruining my reputation. Don’t you think you owe me some compensation for emotional distress?”

Yu Sui’an’s fans were the first to lash out: [“What reputation does a cheater even have?”]

[“Wasn’t it just clarified? Xu Chun didn’t cheat, it was all a misunderstanding.”]

[“Who knows if she really hooked up with Jiang Zhaolie’s cousin in private? You weren’t there. What if this is just Xu Chun’s way of whitewashing herself? What a clever move.”]

Qiao Wan had never suffered such humiliation in her life. She immediately demanded her family’s company post on Weibo to defend her honor. Her father, equally furious at seeing his daughter smeared, personally took charge, using the company’s official account to blast Yu Sui’an’s fans for spreading rumors.

The Qiao Group was a renowned pharmaceutical giant, second only to the Qin Group in the industry. Together, these two corporations dominated nearly 80% of the market. While ordinary pharmaceutical companies might hold a 10% share, the Qiao and Qin Groups split the remaining 40% and 50%, respectively positions unshakable by any competitor.

Now that Qiao Wan, the heiress of this pharmaceutical empire, had been dragged into the entertainment industry’s filthy scandals for no reason, the Qiao patriarch didn’t hesitate to mobilize the company’s legal team, determined to teach these fans a lesson.

As the situation escalated, Yu Sui’an’s eyes welled up with tears. “It’s all my fault,” she whispered, her delicate brows furrowed with worry. “If not for me, so many people wouldn’t have been dragged into this.”

Her eyes reddened, her slender frame exuding fragility. “If only I hadn’t posted on Weibo that day… Sister wouldn’t have been slandered by the media, and Miss Qiao wouldn’t have been falsely accused. It’s all because of me.”

The gentle, pitiful “white lotus” cried so heartbreakingly that Jiang Zhaolie was nearly overcome with sympathy, repeatedly reassuring her that “it’s okay.” He Qingli couldn’t take it anymore and said flatly, “You’re not the victim. Who are you to say it’s okay for others?”

If crying after making a mistake was enough to earn forgiveness in this world, she’d jump up right now and punch Jiang Zhaolie in the head. After all, as long as she shed a few tears, no one would hold her accountable.

For a brief moment, He Qingli felt immensely grateful that the show was broadcast live. Otherwise, after Yu Sui’an’s team worked behind the scenes, who knew how the facts would be twisted when the episode aired? Sister Xu Chun would undoubtedly face even harsher criticism from netizens especially Yu Sui’an’s fans and eventually buckle under the pressure of public opinion, forced to leave the entertainment industry.

Jiang Zhaolie was already agitated, and the more Yu Sui’an tried to comfort her, the harder she cried. She glared at He Qingli and snapped, “What more do you want?”

He Qingli was so furious at her words that she felt her scalp might explode. “What more do I want? Shouldn’t you two be apologizing to Sister Xu Chun in front of everyone right now? She’s the real victim here. Or do you just plan to laugh it off and let her suffer all this injustice for nothing?”

“You should be thankful she’s still fine. If anything worse had happened to her, the two of you would be murderers!”

“I’m sorry,” Yu Sui’an lifted her tear-streaked face, her expression full of remorse. “It’s all my fault for making you suffer, Sister.”

Her delicate, fragile demeanor made her seem utterly harmless, and the sincerity in her apology left He Qingli inexplicably unsettled. Yu Sui’an’s looks gave her a huge advantage, even the neutral bystanders in the live chat began chiming in, urging Xu Chun to forgive her.

In this atmosphere, it felt as though if Xu Chun pressed the issue even slightly, the whole situation would make her seem ungrateful.

Understanding this only made He Qingli feel even more stifled. She was indignant, desperate to help Xu Chun, but this was already the extent of what she could do.

Xu Chun gently reached out and stroked the back of He Qingli’s head, offering a faint smile. “Don’t be angry,” she said, her tone uncharacteristically soft. “Be good.”

Her voice, light and clear like a mountain spring, soothed He Qingli’s agitation. She fell silent, leaving the final decision to Xu Chun. Whatever Xu Chun chose, she would stand by her side.

Once He Qingli had sniffled and calmed down a little, Xu Chun turned back to Yu Sui’an with a bright smile, facing the girl whose eyes and nose were both red from crying. “I believe this was an honest mistake on your part.”

The live chat immediately erupted in praise, the mood turning harmonious.

“However,” Xu Chun’s tone shifted, “your actions have still caused significant damage to my reputation and career. So, I’ll leave the final resolution to my manager.” She looked between them sincerely. “Does that sound fair?”

Neither spoke. Jiang Zhaolie wanted to argue, but Yu Sui’an tugged lightly at her sleeve, silencing her. Yu Sui’an, ever the picture of cooperation, nodded. “Of course. I’ll contact my manager right away.” Finally, she exhaled in relief and smiled faintly. “I’m just glad the truth came out in time, and I haven’t lost you as a sister, Sister.”

He Qingli bristled at her fake, saccharine act and couldn’t resist a sarcastic jab. “Oh? Were you hoping something worse would happen to her instead?”

Yu Sui’an lowered her head sadly, biting her lip. “That’s not what I meant.”

He Qingli pressed on. “Then what did you mean?”

Her aggressive tone made Jiang Zhaolie instinctively shield Yu Sui’an, her expression darkening. “What’s your problem?”

He Qingli smirked coldly. “Like I’d dare have one.”

Xu Chun immediately felt her head spinning, what on earth were they talking about? Were these three testing her Chinese listening comprehension? Losing all patience to stay with them, she made up an excuse and dragged He Qingli away.

As she left, she muttered under her breath. Unable to resist, He Qingli leaned in closer and heard Xu Chun sigh wistfully, “This won’t affect my chances of marrying into a wealthy family and clinging to a golden thigh, will it?”

He Qingli: “???” Sis, what the hell is going on in that head of yours? You’re already a minor heiress yourself!

Wouldn’t it be better to just find a sweet, obedient wife to spoil?

With the main players gone, the online spectators were still buzzing.

[Damn, this dating show is wild they really went at each other’s throats. Love it!]

[These three did everything on the show except actually date.]

[Come on, watching the leads personally tear into each other is way more entertaining than watching them fall in love.]

He Qingli thought Xu Chun was truly unlucky to have crossed paths with Yu Sui’an in this lifetime. She tried her best to distract Xu Chun from the earlier unpleasantness, but when Xu Chun’s agent called, He Qingli had no choice but to drop it for now.

The agent was calling to offer Xu Chun a script. “That novel you read yesterday, Blackened Younger Lover, Punish Me Gently, is getting a live-action adaptation. They want you for the female lead.”

Xu Chun’s expression turned complicated. “That trashy novel is getting adapted?” And she’d be playing the cold, ruthless, domineering, morally bankrupt ice-cold CEO?

“If it’s getting adapted, they’ll definitely change the title. Right now, the working title is Secret Heartthrob.”

Xu Chun: “???” That name is ridiculous.

But she wasn’t interested. Not only was the female lead’s overpowering alpha aura a mismatch for her, but the sheer amount of kissing and intimate scenes meant the script would inevitably get butchered for censorship.

That would just ruin it.

Plus, novel adaptations always risk disappointing fans especially since, trashy as this story was, it had a massive following. If the drama turned out to be a trainwreck because of poor adaptation, it wouldn’t do her career any favors.

Just as she was about to refuse, her agent added, “They’re offering 80 million…” Before the agent could finish, Xu Chun roared with conviction, “I’LL TAKE IT!”

“I’ll take it, I’ll take it!” Xu Chun exclaimed. “When do we start filming?”

Hesitating even a second would be an insult to 80 million. That’s 80 million we’re talking about!

“But there’s one more thing you should know,” the agent said after a pause. “The production also wants Yu Sui’an to play the second female lead.”

The agent expected Xu Chun to back out after all, Xu Chun had just told her yesterday that she no longer had any feelings for Yu Sui’an and would prefer never seeing her again. Given that, the agent assumed Xu Chun would reject the offer.

But before the thought fully settled, Xu Chun’s excited voice came through: “Even better!”

“Isn’t this the perfect chance for some good old-fashioned revenge?” Right in front of Yu Sui’an’s fans, she could humiliate their precious white lotus on the big screen, now that’s psychological warfare!