After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother (GL) - Chapter 4

“Xu Chun, get up right now!” Seeing Xu Chun shamelessly remaining seated on Yu Sui’an’s lap without moving, Jiang Zhaolie couldn’t contain her anger any longer. She knew they were live-streaming, so she had to maintain her composure to avoid putting Suisui in an awkward position if she did anything inappropriate.

But Xu Chun’s reaction was truly infuriating. If this were just a regular pre-recorded show, she would have stormed over to interrupt filming and taught Xu Chun a harsh lesson. Unfortunately, this was a brand-new live variety show.

Jiang Zhaolie was practically fuming.

She knew Xu Chun had been pestering Suisui and annoying her, but she never expected Xu Chun to be so bold!

Jiang Zhaolie’s furious expression, as if her wife had been violated, drew sidelong glances from others present. Her malice toward Xu Chun was so obvious even a blind person could see it. This immediately triggered Xu Chun’s rebellious streak, though. continuing to sit on Yu Sui’an’s lap wasn’t a solution either, so she prepared to stand up and distance herself from Yu Sui’an.

Little did she know, her skirt was firmly trapped under Yu Sui’an. As she struggled to rise, the sudden tug on her skirt sent her tumbling back into Yu Sui’an’s arms, looking like a docile, delicate wife nestling obediently against her partner.

Xu Chun: “…”

Yu Sui’an: “…” It was hard not to suspect this was intentional.

Jiang Zhaolie’s temple twitched violently. “You dare sit back down?”

Held gently in Yu Sui’an’s arms, with the other woman smiling softly, Xu Chun suddenly found Yu Sui’an much more agreeable compared to the hysterical, undignified Jiang Zhaolie. In this suffocating atmosphere, Xu Chun’s mind wandered inappropriately: No wonder men all like gentle women.

Even she couldn’t withstand this charm.

Snapped back to reality by Jiang Zhaolie’s voice, Xu Chun raised her dark eyes with slight discomfort. “You’re sitting on my skirt.”

Yu Sui’an instinctively lifted herself slightly and freed Xu Chun’s skirt with one hand. “There.” Looking down at Xu Chun, she noticed the other woman’s charming eyes and flushed cheeks radiating an indescribable shyness.

Yu Sui’an froze, while Xu Chun quickly moved away, straightening her skirt while grumbling internally. Getting close to the female lead never brought anything good, she needed to stay as far away from these two women as possible. Quitting the show now wouldn’t be practical; her agent wouldn’t allow such recklessness, and sudden withdrawal would only invite more gossip online.

As Xu Chun spaced out, Jiang Zhaolie rushed to Yu Sui’an’s side, full of concern. “Suisui, are you okay? Did Xu Chun do anything to you? It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been delayed by urgent matters today, you wouldn’t have had to endure this.”

Xu Chun spared a glance at Jiang Zhaolie. What could Yu Sui’an possibly have to endure? If anything, Yu Sui’an was the one who made others suffer. With her flawless acting skills and formidable team, if Yu Sui’an dared to walk vertically in the entertainment industry, no one would dare walk horizontally.

Yu Sui’an gave Jiang Zhaolie a gentle, sweet smile, her voice soft and tender. “Zhaolie, I’m fine.” Then, like a child who had accidentally done something wrong, she nervously lowered her head and said worriedly, “We just interrupted the live broadcast of the show. I’m afraid everyone might be upset.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the barrage of comments immediately responded with warmth:

[“No, no! This person cares so much about Suisui and is protecting her. We couldn’t be happier! How could we possibly be upset?”]

[“That’s right. As long as Suisui is okay, we don’t feel anything else.”]

[“By the way, who is this sister? She’s so beautiful and cares so much about Suisui. I really hope she’s Suisui’s admirer and they can be together. If Suisui ends up with her, she definitely wouldn’t be wronged like she was with someone who turned on her.”]

The moment this comment appeared, others quickly followed:

[“I approve of this match!”]

[“I approve too!”]

[“+10086.”]

[“+ID number!”]

Jiang Zhaolie also realized she had acted impulsively earlier. She glanced at Xu Chun, who was standing aloofly with her arms crossed, looking down at Jiang Zhaolie kneeling on one knee in front of Yu Sui’an, coaxing her. Tch. Anyone who didn’t know better would think Yu Sui’an was her fiancée instead.

But surely these two wouldn’t get together so quickly, right? After all, Yu Sui’an hadn’t been single for long. Even if Xu Chun was the one at fault before, jumping into a new relationship right away would still invite criticism especially since Yu Sui’an’s rising popularity was already threatening many people’s resources. One wrong move, and she could easily become a target of coordinated attacks.

So Xu Chun figured, given Yu Sui’an’s personality, she’d probably keep things ambiguous with Jiang Zhaolie for a while.

Not that it had anything to do with her. Even without reading the comments, she knew she was being torn apart right now.

After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Zhaolie made a decisive decision. “Suisui, you know I can’t leave you alone in this show to be wronged,” she said softly. “So I’ve decided to officially join the program to protect you from now on.”

Xu Chun, standing nearby, nearly cursed out loud when she heard this. What the hell?! If Jiang Zhaolie joined the show, wouldn’t that leave one person out of the seven participants? Everyone else would be paired up, while she and Yu Sui’an remained an unstable duo. And if Yu Sui’an later followed Jiang Zhaolie’s lead, Xu Chun would end up as the laughingstock of the show.

Yu Sui’an also realized the problem. She glanced at Xu Chun, her expression conflicted. “But…”

“There’s no ‘but,'” Jiang Zhaolie interrupted gently. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle the rest with the director. I’ll join as a challenger and invest a few tens of millions in the show. I’m sure the director won’t refuse.”

And the director truly had no reason to refuse. Just hearing Jiang Zhaolie’s rough idea, he already found her reasoning flawless. Moreover, with Jiang Zhaolie’s addition, the dynamic chemistry between these three would bring unimaginable hype to the show! Most importantly, she was offering an investment not just a few hundred thousand or even a million, but tens of millions!

He couldn’t help but turn to Xu Chun with a guilty expression, full of apology: “I’m sorry, but she offered too much.”

Xu Chun: “…”

Xu Chun had no doubt that Jiang Zhaolie would follow through on her words. With her solid background and strong personal capabilities, Jiang Zhaolie had taken over the family’s tech company after returning from studying abroad and managed it meticulously, growing its reputation and profits steadily. Young, accomplished, and wealthy, Jiang Zhaolie was someone whose resources far surpassed not just Xu Chun’s but even the combined assets of the entire Xu family.

Realizing her current predicament, Xu Chun couldn’t help but feel utterly depressed.

Yu Sui’an was still hesitating, looking as though she had wronged Xu Chun for eight lifetimes. Seeing this, Jiang Zhaolie only grew more resolute in her decision. She took Yu Sui’an by the hand and headed toward the director to discuss the details of joining the show and investing. As the two were about to step out of frame, Xu Chun couldn’t hold back and raised her voice, crying out in despair, “Zhaolie, where are you going?”

“Have you forgotten that I’m actually your fiancée?” Xu Chun covered her face with a sob, her voice trembling with tears. “Zhaolie, how could you be so cruel to me?”

The director, suddenly hit with this bombshell: “??”

The audience, taking half a second to process the shocking gossip they’d just heard: “????”

What?

What did she just say?

This woman, who seemed so protective of Yu Sui’an and appeared to be her pursuer, was actually Xu Chun’s fiancée? My fiancée is in love with my ex-girlfriend? My cheating ex is my pursuer’s fiancée? I turned down my perfectly good fiancée only to fall for my fiancée’s ex?

What kind of tangled mess is this?!

Everyone’s minds were spinning from the convoluted relationships. Only He Qingli, overly concerned for her idol, rushed to Xu Chun’s side and gently patted her back, whispering cautiously, “Xu Chun-jie, are you okay?”

As she spoke, the delicate hands covering Xu Chun’s face parted slightly, revealing a crack. Despite the loud, dramatic sobbing, not a single tear had fallen her eyes weren’t even slightly damp.

It truly lived up to the saying, I cried, but it was all an act.

He Qingli’s eye twitched violently: “…………”

The scene descended into chaos. Thinking quickly, the director immediately called for a break so the guests could touch up their makeup, then swiftly ushered Jiang Zhaolie off-camera. At the same time, he signaled for He Qingli to keep an eye on Xu Chun to prevent her from causing more trouble on the show.

He Qingli, suddenly burdened with this responsibility: “…” As if she could control Xu Chun. She’d be lucky if Xu Chun didn’t end up controlling her instead.

Jiang Zhaolie hadn’t expected Xu Chun to brazenly publicize their relationship like this. The thought of Yu Sui’an potentially facing online harassment, speculation, and rumors because of it filled her with irritation. Before leaving expressionlessly with the director, Jiang Zhaolie cast a cold glance at Xu Chun, silently resolving to expedite the process of breaking off their engagement.

She couldn’t bear the thought of Yu Sui’an being subjected to gossip and suffering especially when the cause of it was herself.

But now that things had come to this, her priority was minimizing the harm to Suisui. As long as Xu Chun remained on the show for even one more day, she couldn’t rest easy. Joining the program to protect Suisui was absolutely necessary.

Jiang Zhaolie had been away with the director for quite some time. During this period, Xu Chun’s manager stood just outside the frame, closest to her, looking worried and hesitant to speak. Playing her part to the fullest, Xu Chun gazed back at her manager with tearful eyes, her expression one of heart-wrenching sorrow.

Witnessing this, some netizens began to waver.

[Sure, Xu Chun betrayed Yu Sui’an in their relationship, but Yu Sui’an being so close to her fiancée doesn’t seem right either, does it?]

[Who knows when Yu Sui’an got involved with Xu Chun’s fiancée? What if Xu Chun only cheated because she discovered her girlfriend and fiancée were getting too cozy?]

[What a brilliant way to spin this! Xu Chun’s team probably wants to weld your mouths shut. If Xu Chun had a fiancée but still pursued a girlfriend, doesn’t that make her even worse?]

[But Xu Chun’s fiancée clearly doesn’t like her at all. Maybe their engagement was just arranged by their families, and there’s no real affection between them. If that’s the case, why shouldn’t Xu Chun be with someone she actually loves?]

[By that logic, Jiang Zhaolie pursuing Suisui now is completely fine too.]

[Why is Yu Sui’an completely invisible in this mess? Why is no one mentioning her actions? First, she knowingly got involved with Xu Chun despite her having a fiancée that was wrong. Second, after breaking up with Xu Chun, she still accepted Jiang Zhaolie’s advances and affection, fully aware she was Xu Chun’s fiancée, completely disregarding Xu Chun’s feelings. She’s basically a willing homewrecker.]

[She’s had her hands on both of them, what an appetite.]

The moment this comment appeared, Yu Sui’an’s fans immediately clashed with the barrage of critical remarks. It wasn’t until moderators banned the instigators that some clear-headed viewers finally summed it up:

[Case closed turns out everyone here is a villain.]

Jiang Zhaolie quickly reached an agreement with the director. Though no contract had been signed yet, she refused to stand by helplessly while the person she loved remained entangled with Xu Chun. Eager to join the show, she wanted an official title and a legitimate reason to get close to Yu Sui’an.

Xu Chun knew Jiang Zhaolie wouldn’t give up easily, so when the director announced the arrival of a “challenger guest,” she wasn’t surprised.

As Xu Chun had anticipated, the seven guests paired off into three groups, leaving one person alone. Jiang Zhaolie stood beside Yu Sui’an with an unmistakably devoted expression, clearly determined to stick to her. There was no way she would allow Yu Sui’an to go on a date with anyone else especially Xu Chun, so Xu Chun ended up solo, just as expected.

Unable to bear the thought, He Qingli decided to bring her idol along for the next segment of the show. After discussing with her date and obtaining their consent, she was about to speak when she saw Xu Chun stride confidently towards Yu Sui’an and Jiang Zhaolie. Without lowering her voice, Xu Chun’s words rang clearly across the venue: “Zhaolie, look among the three of us, someone will inevitably end up alone. No matter who gets left out, it’ll be embarrassing.”

Jiang Zhaolie immediately became wary, her eyes locked onto Xu Chun. What kind of scheme are you plotting now?

Before she could guess Xu Chun’s intentions, she heard the audacious proposal: “So why don’t we all go on the date together? The more, the merrier!”

Jiang Zhaolie nearly cursed out loud. Are you out of your damn mind?!