Scumbag Woman, But Pampering My Wife - Chapter 16

The system notified Qin Jue in her mind that the task was complete.

Qin Jue paid no attention to the system’s prompt, persistently harassing the protagonist instead.

Lin Yuebai was pressed against an unnoticed corner, a thin layer of sweat forming on her back before the cold pillar sent a shiver through her.

Qin Jue brushed her lips along the graceful curve of Lin Yuebai’s swan-like neck, careful not to press too hard or leave conspicuous marks—only teasing with the friction of her reddened lips.

“Why do you keep giving them money when you know your parents are exploiting you?”

Qin Jue couldn’t understand it. A suffocating frustration coiled in her chest, demanding release.

Why was the protagonist so kind? Why was she the epitome of a hardworking, virtuous person in the most traditional sense?

Perhaps it was because Qin Jue had little attachment to family. Her parents weren’t cruel, but they weren’t particularly caring either. After she started university, they adopted what they called a “Western-style” approach—cutting off all financial support.

Still, Qin Jue believed her parents were better than most. At least they neither burdened nor interfered with her, living their own lives without contact.

Emotions churned inside her, and her grip on Lin Yuebai’s waist tightened unconsciously, drawing a soft gasp from the woman beside her.

“N-no, I haven’t… I stopped giving them money…”

Maybe it was the intensity of Qin Jue’s gaze, but Lin Yuebai felt a flicker of fear and inexplicable guilt.

Not only had she stopped sending money, but she’d also orchestrated her younger brother’s beating after he stormed into the clubhouse to confront the pregnant hostess working there.

Her brother was too stupid, too uneducated—just a few words of provocation were enough to set him off.

Lin Yuebai concealed the darkness in her eyes, rising slightly on her toes to plant a kiss on Qin Jue’s cheek.

“I’m sorry… for making you witness such a farce.”

She didn’t dare meet Qin Jue’s eyes, afraid of seeing disdain or disgust.

Afraid that Qin Jue would despise her origins, the bl00d running through her veins. Afraid of the contempt that might lurk in her gaze.

Suddenly, Qin Jue was pulled into an impossibly soft embrace.

The girl in her arms was clumsily trying to please her—fragrant, pliant, her once-too-slender body now carrying a little more weight thanks to Qin Jue’s care.

“Give me your phone.”

Lin Yuebai handed it over without hesitation.

Qin Jue was surprised by her trust. Unlocking the screen, she scrolled through the chat history, took photos of the contacts belonging to Lin Yuebai’s parents and brother, saved them to her own phone, then blocked them.

Lin Yuebai was too obedient—her eyes still glistening with unshed tears from earlier, standing docilely as Qin Jue handled her phone.

“Aren’t you worried I’ll restrict who you talk to?”

Qin Jue tossed the empty hazelnut latte into the trash. “You’re too easy to take advantage of.”

The system screamed inside Qin Jue’s mind. While it didn’t demand the protagonist and antagonist follow the original plot 100%, anyone could see that the protagonist’s feelings toward the antagonist had deviated from the story!

Since when would the protagonist let the antagonist kiss and hug her freely?

Since when would she obediently hand over her phone and let someone else block her contacts?

“Something’s wrong,” the system shrieked. “This is very, very wrong.”

Qin Jue blocked out the frantic system in her mind and tossed the phone back into Lin Yuebai’s arms.

Qin Jue: “Don’t worry about your parents’ matters. As an artist under Starlight Entertainment, I’ll take care of everything for you.”

Reciting the new lines provided by the system, Qin Jue didn’t wait to see Lin Yuebai’s reaction before turning to go upstairs.

Lin Yuebai stood frozen in place, clutching the phone that still carried Qin Jue’s warmth.

Her phone had been taken away before—in fact, anyone who’d been through training camps would be familiar with agencies confiscating phones. But this was the first time someone had operated her phone purely to protect her, just as Qin Jue had done.

The bite mark on her neck tingled faintly. Her legs unsteady, Lin Yuebai could only lean weakly against the wall, her face showing rare discomposure.

Before leaving, Qin Jue had squeezed her toned forearm. “Didn’t expect you to be an archer. Being held by these arms does feel… special.”

Lin Yuebai’s ears burned.

Gathering her scattered thoughts, she felt an unfamiliar lightness in her chest.

…

System: “That was such a ‘scumbag’ thing to say! The protagonist must be blushing with anger!”

System: “Following my script, you’ll perfectly become the heartless, love-scorning villain everyone despises.”

System: “Since the protagonist can shoot arrows, you used archery to tease her, belittling one of her few hobbies and strengths. We’re the ultimate villains, heh heh heh.”

Qin Jue nodded in solemn agreement.

The filming of “Breaking Through the Workplace” proceeded smoothly. Lin Yuebai acted during the day and hosted livestreams at night in her hotel. Her contract required only modest streaming hours—less than sixty minutes daily before she could sign off.

In the livestream:

Lin Yuebai signed autographs on a small desk. Wearing a V-neck sleep shirt against the white hotel bed, her expression half-hidden by cascading hair, she sat cross-legged with an adorable rabbit plush between her knees.

“Ahhhhhh sis! I won your autograph in the raffle!!”

“The lipstick shade Yuebai endorses is amazing—two friends asked me about it today.”

“Am I the only one noticing how elegant Lin Yuebai’s hands look holding that gold marker? Like a princess signing state documents.”

“Damn, that description is perfect.”

“Yuebai, is that an allergic reaction on your neck? That red patch…”

“Not mosquito season—probably a filming injury?”

“So mad! Can’t even guarantee safety on set, always picking on our Yuebai.”

“Where’s the top donor today?”

“Sis your fingers are so long they look comfortable to sit on. I’ll help myself to this buffet, thanks.”

“If upstairs is having a buffet, I’ll take a small bite too.”

The top donor, “Moonlight Shines on Me,” had been absent for two streams. Regular viewers grew concerned their patron might have moved on to other streamers.

As the chat grew increasingly unhinged, the sound of a door opening interrupted.

Qin Jue conversed with the system in her mind: “Do we really have to do this?”

The system declared righteously: “The protagonist’s feelings toward the villain have diverged from the original plot. We must correct this through retaliatory measures.”

“Through meticulous calculation, I’ve arranged for the protagonist to be humiliated before tens of thousands of live viewers. This will surely make them despise you.”

Qin Jue remained silent for a long moment. Without prior notice to Lin Yuebai, she directly stuck the room key card on the door. As the hotel room door swung open, Lin Yuebai—who had been signing autographs on the bed—looked up to meet a pair of dark, unreadable eyes.

Qin Jue stepped in front of the camera and tossed a pharmacy plastic bag onto the small desk where Lin Yuebai had been arranging signed posters.

“Qin Jue?”

Backlit by the light, the live stream couldn’t clearly capture Qin Jue’s expression. The audience could only see her unscrewing a tube of ointment, melting the translucent gel-like medication between her fingers while lifting Lin Yuebai’s chin with her other hand.

“How did you manage to hurt your neck? So careless.”

The ointment, warmed by her fingers, was gently applied to the red marks on the neck.

A glistening sheen spread across the skin.

The bite marks left by this very person were now being treated by the same hands.

The system emitted a sinister chuckle. “By publicly declaring your possessiveness over the protagonist during a live stream, they must absolutely loathe you now!”