After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother (GL) - Chapter 3

The manager, who hadn’t even fully stepped into the studio, was caught off guard by Xu Chun’s earth-shattering declaration and nearly fainted on the spot.

Is this a joke?

But as her gaze fell upon Xu Chun’s composed demeanor, she suddenly became uncertain almost believing the actress. After all, Xu Chun’s expression was so genuine, so self-assured, with not a hint of deception.

Moments later, the manager snapped out of it with admiration: No wonder she’d spotted this talentthis acting skill was fucking phenomenal!

Xu Chun had no idea how much turmoil her words would cause online. Almost the instant she spoke, fans of Yu Sui’an uploaded screen recordings and screenshots, thoughtfully purchasing a trending hashtag: “Xu Chun, The Unprecedented, Unparalleled Scum Queen of the Century.”

Within minutes, the topic had spread across the internet under deliberate promotion.

The director, grinning from ear to ear at the show’s skyrocketing popularity, gazed fondly at Xu Chun. What “Scum Queen of the Century”? This was his precious darling! He even wished Xu Chun would be smarter and keep fueling the show’s hype. If the show blew up and Xu Chun gained more attention, landing major projects would be a piece of cake, wouldn’t it?

After all, infamy was still fame especially since Xu Chun’s acting skills were widely recognized as top-tier. But precisely because her on-screen image had always been so upright, many fans felt disillusioned when Yu Sui’an exposed their relationship. Some even turned against her, disgusted they’d ever liked her.

But none of that had anything to do with Xu Chun, the romance-novel protagonist.

Xu Chun’s dead-serious expression left everyone questioning reality. Had they been fed fake gossip all this time? But both parties were right there. If Xu Chun had any grievances, she could’ve used the live broadcast to clear her name.

Yet she didn’t.

For a moment, the audience was too stunned to speak, collectively concluding: Xu Chun was truly scum. Cheating was one thing, but humiliating an ex without remorse? Even dogs would shake their heads at this.

Yu Sui’an’s bright eyes dimmed the moment Xu Chun finished speaking, her face losing all radiance as if she might burst into tears any second. And who wouldn’t? Having an ex deny their past relationship in front of millions of live viewers would devastate anyone let alone someone as sensitive as Yu Sui’an.

To her fans, Yu Sui’an’s heartbroken but brave demeanor was utterly shattering. They flooded the chat, lambasting the production company and director for forcing Yu Sui’an to share the stage with her ex, demanding her immediate withdrawal to spare her further humiliation and exploitation.

As the studio atmosphere grew increasingly awkward, the director quickly signaled He Qingli to move things along. The young girl’s lively voice finally shifted attention away from Xu Chun’s disastrous scene. The director wiped cold sweat from his brow working with Xu Chun was truly high-risk, high-reward…

Losing either Yu Sui’an or Xu Chun would be a blow to the show. If possible, the director desperately hoped they could coexist peacefully and civilly on set.

Breaking up is just breaking up, it’s not like we’re mortal enemies. Being so confrontational now would be really awkward if we suddenly reconcile someday. Even if reconciliation is impossible, we still move in the same circles and will inevitably cross paths. There’s no need to make things so tense.

Xu Chun had no idea what the director was thinking. Her gaze remained fixed on Yu Sui’an and honestly, the more she looked, the more pitiful this delicate white flower appeared. Her skin was nearly translucent, with a sharp chin, slender neck, thin waist, and delicate fingers, all accentuated by an exquisitely tailored cheongsam. She truly looked like a fairy who had stepped out of a painting, radiating an ethereal elegance.

No wonder the original owner had lost all sense and clung to her obsessively this appearance practically begged to be protected.

But to Xu Chun, it was like bland winter melon soup utterly unappetizing and incapable of sparking even a flicker of interest.

She studied Yu Sui’an leisurely for a long while, completely ignoring the barrage of furious comments in the live stream. When the director announced free group selection after introductions, Xu Chun raised a slender finger with the arrogance of a spoiled young master and declared, “I want to be in Yu Sui’an’s group.”

Hearing her name, Yu Sui’an couldn’t help but frown. Being stared at for so long had put her in a foul mood if not for the live broadcast, she might have walked off right then. She had initially joined this show to thoroughly ruin Xu Chun’s reputation, even manipulating her into participating. Yet now, she was the one suffering?

Taking a deep breath, Yu Sui’an closed and reopened her eyes, regaining her composure. “Fine.”

Xu Chun was taken aback by how readily Yu Sui’an agreed. The others, eager to avoid any association, had already formed groups the moment she spoke, leaving her no chance to change her mind.

When her gaze accidentally met Yu Sui’an’s, Xu Chun fell silent. Behind that innocent, pure facade lay a scheming mind, what if, just what if, Yu Sui’an was a hidden wolf in sheep’s clothing?

Wouldn’t that mean she’d lose on both fronts?

Regret hit her like a tidal wave, twisting her insides.

So when the director gave them free rein to plan their dates, Xu Chun immediately rushed to He Qingli and her partner, putting on a coy act. “Mind if I join your date?”

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to break you up, I’m here to join you.”

He Qingli: “?”

Sis, where’s that arrogance from earlier? Giving up so soon?

Yu Sui’an’s patience was wearing thin. Xu Chun’s repeated provocations were chipping away at her carefully maintained gentle demeanor. The once serene white flower now wore a blank expression, her lips pressed into a tight line. “Come here, sister.”

Her tone was even, almost pleasant at first glance, but anyone listening closely would sense the simmering anger beneath. So Xu Chun, without hesitation, turned her head and defiantly retorted, “No.”

Yu Sui’an’s breath hitched audibly.

He Qingli couldn’t help but glance at Xu Chun, feeling a pang of guilt in her heart, she realized she knew far too little about her idol. How had she never noticed before that her seemingly pure and noble idol could actually be so, infuriating?

If she were Yu Sui’an, she would have taught her idol a lesson tonight. Whips, handcuffs, ropes she’d use them all until the other party finally admitted defeat…

Yu Sui’an was truly furious. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this angry. Her chest heaved visibly with rage, and she no longer cared about maintaining her usual gentle, harmless facade. Her voice was icy as she said, “Fine. Very well.”

“If sister won’t come to me, then I’ll go to sister.” With that, she strode toward Xu Chun.

Xu Chun could clearly see that the “innocent flower” was now seething with anger. Without hesitation, she turned and bolted. “Stay back! I don’t just casually get close to women, you know?”

He Qingli twitched, screaming internally: Sister, just stop with the stubborn act already! If you’d just swallow your pride and apologize, this whole mess could be avoided. Why keep pushing your luck and dancing on the edge of danger?

One ran ahead, the other chased with long strides, leaving the director and audience in stunned silence.

When Xu Chun was effortlessly caught by Yu Sui’an, still muttering nonstop, everyone shared the same thought: Is this woman’s mouth the only hard thing about her?

After catching her, Yu Sui’an regained some composure. Remembering her earlier loss of control, her eyes darkened as she pinned Xu Chun in place with one hand. Xu Chun met her gaze nervously but refused to look away. “Miss Yu, this is inappropriate! We can’t be seen grappling like this in public, what will people think?”

“I still have a love life ahead of me. Don’t ruin my reputation and leave me lonely for the rest of my days!”

Yu Sui’an’s barely suppressed anger flared up again instantly. If not for her assistant frantically reminding her they were live on air, she wasn’t sure what unspeakable things she might have done.

After a tense standoff, Yu Sui’an released Xu Chun with an impassive expression, suddenly flashing a sweet, gentle smile. “Sister, are you hurt anywhere?”

Watching this Sichuan opera-level face-changing act, Xu Chun subtly retreated, wary. “No, but I’ll be perfectly safe if you just stay away from me.”

Yu Sui’an showed no trace of anger now. “We still have our date, sister. Where do you want me to go?”

“What will you do without me here?”

Xu Chun shuddered at the repeated “sister” address and, cowed by the other’s presence, finally settled down. Seeing the conflict resolve, He Qingli sighed in relief only to start worrying: From now until the show ended, would she have to constantly fear for her idol’s safety?

Maybe, she should buy Xu Chun every insurance policy available on the market. Just in case.

After figuring out Yu Sui’an’s personality, Xu Chun felt completely at ease. She believed she could handle whatever came her way water to earth, soldiers to generals. She didn’t think Yu Sui’an would dare pull any shady moves during a 24/7 live-streamed show. However, the female lead Jiang Zhaolie remained a potential threat. While Jiang Zhaolie had powerful backing, the specifics of her connections were deeply concealed even Xu Chun’s parents only had vague inklings about it.

As for the marriage arrangement between Jiang Zhaolie and Xu Chun, it was something Xu Chun’s grandfather had painstakingly secured for her. Otherwise, given the Xu family’s social standing, even as the eldest daughter, Xu Chun would never have had access to a match like Jiang Zhaolie.

In the original story, Jiang Zhaolie had been an extremely devoted protector, practically shadowing Yu Sui’an at all times. Yet now, after filming for half a day, Xu Chun still hadn’t caught a glimpse of her.

Lost in thought, Xu Chun sat quietly beside Yu Sui’an, neither speaking nor feeling inclined to start a conversation. She stood up, intending to join He Qingli for some fresh air, when suddenly, the hem of her dress near Yu Sui’an’s side caught on something. With an abrupt tug, she overbalanced only to be yanked back with even greater force, sending her tumbling unceremoniously onto a pair of slender thighs.

A delicate, sweet fragrance, intoxicating yet not cloying flooded her senses with every breath, sending her pulse racing.

Xu Chun’s heart skipped a beat. Stiffly lifting her head, she met Yu Sui’an’s dark, unreadable eyes, framed by a smile that didn’t reach them. The dimpled curve of Yu Sui’an’s lips softened her words, “Sister, how could you be so careless?”

“If I weren’t here, you might have fallen in front of all these people. What then?”

For a split second, the live chat went eerily blank before exploding into an avalanche of comments that nearly obscured the screen:

[How shameless is Xu Chun, openly taking advantage of our Suisui like this?!]

[Why is Suisui even catching her? Just let her fall flat on her face!]

[Suisui’s too kind. If it were me, I’d have dodged and yanked the chair away, let her make a fool of herself in front of everyone!]

Xu Chun’s backside burned as if scalded, and she immediately tried to scramble up. But as she turned her head, her gaze locked onto a livid face glaring daggers at her. Jiang Zhaolie had never imagined Xu Chun would have the audacity to openly harass Suisui like this! She’d only been delayed by an urgent matter arriving a little late was all it took for this to happen?!

If Xu Chun dared sit on Suisui’s lap in front of a live audience, what else might she attempt behind closed doors? Would she resort to every trick in the book to seduce Suisui, coerce her, or worse?!

Fuming, Jiang Zhaolie stormed toward Xu Chun with a thunderous expression, looking ready to tear her limb from limb.

Xu Chun froze mid-movement. Well, damn.

What’s the protocol when caught red-handed getting cozy with the female lead’s official love interest? Play dumb?

Though, now that she thought about it, this second female lead’s body was surprisingly soft and fragrant.