Scumbag Woman, But Pampering My Wife - Chapter 19

Lin Yuebai tugged at Qin Jue’s sleeve coquettishly. She didn’t know if Qin Jue wanted to see her act spoiled, but there was no doubt the other woman intended to indulge her.

Qin Jue followed the system’s demand to mock her, only to meet a pair of crystalline eyes.

When Qin Jue remained silent, Lin Yuebai gave her sleeve another shake.

Perhaps it was an illusion, or perhaps the air in the room was too still, but Lin Yuebai caught the scent of roses and agarwood clinging to Qin Jue—an expensive essential oil blend, much like the woman herself: romantic yet undeniably composed.

By all accounts, Qin Jue wasn’t the type to be easily pleased.

Yet in the end, Qin Jue sighed and gently stroked Lin Yuebai’s hair.

“Fine, I’ll take you out to eat.”

Lin Yuebai had mentioned wanting to take photos, so Qin Jue drove her to a sky-high restaurant half an hour away. Nestled in the heart of the city’s most exclusive commercial district, the building’s glass curtain walls offered a panoramic view of the urban landscape below. The interior, however, was decorated in classical elegance—a stark contrast to the sleek, modern exterior.

Behind Lin Yuebai stood a lacquered screen inlaid with mother-of-pearl, while floor-to-ceiling windows stretched to her left. At this height, all the clamor of the streets below faded into silence.

Lin Yuebai tightened her grip on her chopsticks, her heartbeat thundering.

Qin Jue had actually brought her here.

Not only that, but she’d ordered all of Lin Yuebai’s favorite dishes.

Lin Yuebai had always struggled with a sensitive stomach. Scolded for eating too much and pressured to maintain a camera-ready weight, she’d gradually developed symptoms of anorexia.

Yet around Qin Jue, those symptoms rarely surfaced.

The system in Qin Jue’s mind shrieked,

“Why did you bring her here to eat?? This wasn’t in the original plot—get out now!”

Qin Jue: “But she tugged my sleeve. I couldn’t say no.”

The system threatened to electrocute its host, crackling with simulated electric currents in her mind—until it caught sight of the lion’s head meatball on the plate, its rich marbling mixed with crab roe. The static abruptly cut off.

In a flat electronic voice, the system muttered, “The food you ordered looks really good.”

Qin Jue: “…”

Idiot.

The system cheered, abandoning all concern for the plot. Since no one could see it anyway, it sneakily took a bite from the bottom of the lion’s head.

The savory richness of the meat melted on the tongue, infused with the sweetness of crab roe. Minced pork belly was mixed with water chestnuts and shiitake mushrooms, adding layers of texture.

The dish was rich, so Qin Jue nudged a lighter plate of cattail stems toward Lin Yuebai. “Try this.”

With the system pacified, Qin Jue picked up the camera she’d borrowed from her manager. “I’ll take your photo.”

Seated across the table, Lin Yuebai was dressed fittingly in a black qipao. The pearl necklace around her throat—borrowed from the film set—wasn’t particularly expensive. Each plastic imitation pearl, polished to a glossy sheen, was the size of a thumbnail, indistinguishable from the real thing.

The young actress hadn’t actually wanted to pose for photos, but having already given her excuse, she could only offer a shy smile to the lens.

Against the retro-Chinese decor and the spread of exquisite Huaiyang cuisine, she exuded the aura of a wealthy young lady from the Republican era.

Behind her, an antique Western vase overflowed with crimson roses and protea blossoms, but Lin Yuebai’s attention remained fixed solely on the woman holding the camera.

The tips of her ears, hidden beneath her hair, flushed faintly pink.

She had never been to a place like this before and naturally knew her eagerness to take photos might come off as somewhat unsophisticated. But the person taking the pictures was unusually serious about it.

Qin Jue: “Take a look at how these turned out.”

The system quietly emptied one of the crab meat lion’s head dumplings and stealthily shifted its attention to the crispy-skinned squab nearby…

System: “Don’t just focus on taking photos—you need to say your lines!”

The system displayed a series of scripted dialogues in front of Qin Jue for her to choose from. Since the original plot didn’t include this dinner scene, the system had to gather suitable lines from similar novels.

In the photo, the young woman wore a black cheongsam, the velvet fabric hugging her slender waist, perfectly accentuating its delicate curve. Plump, lustrous pearls framed her face, enhancing her jade-like complexion with a soft glow.

Her dark eyes sparkled, as if gazing through the camera at the photographer. The tips of her ears, half-hidden by her hair, were faintly flushed—perhaps from the warmth of the room.

Lin Yuebai had been staring at the photos in the camera. Truthfully, Qin Jue’s photography skills weren’t as polished as her manager’s, but Lin Yuebai thought the pictures she took looked even better.

@LinYuebai: The producer treated me to dinner today. [Photo][Photo]

“The most perfect person to wear a black cheongsam has finally appeared.”

“Ahhh, Yuebai looks so stunning in a cheongsam! I bought one before too, but when I wore it, I looked like an old peasant woman working by the river qwq”

“Am I the only one who noticed the key point? Did the producer only invite you?”

“The view outside the window is amazing. I tried to book this place with friends, but couldn’t get a reservation for weeks, ugh.”

“Seeing Yuebai put on a little weight finally puts my mind at ease.”

“LOL, is that pearl necklace around Yuebai’s neck the kind you can buy online for ten bucks for three strands? How do I know? Because I have the same one! But it looks so luxurious at first glance!!”

After glancing at the comments, Qin Jue sighed inwardly. “Do I really have to say it?”

The system nodded. “You need to make the protagonist understand that you’re not treating her out of kindness—it’s to humiliate her with money! Later, when you go bankrupt and can’t afford food, she’ll use the same method to insult you, then dump leftovers on you.”

Qin Jue: “…”

If possible, she’d rather not have leftovers dumped on her—that would just be messy. Compared to that, getting slapped by a pretty girl would be more bearable.

Though she’d prefer not to be slapped either.

Lin Yuebai carefully chewed a piece of matsutake mushroom. She had a small appetite and was full after just a few bites.

Her attention subtly drifted to the distracted Qin Jue across from her.

She’s so beautiful, Lin Yuebai thought. She was clearly someone molded by wealth and extravagance—her blazer bore a subtle goldfish pattern, likely matching the tie she wore last time.

There was no appreciation for the food in her eyes, only a faint weariness.

The CEO in front of her shifted her gaze from the floor-to-ceiling window to Lin Yuebai’s silver chopsticks, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Only picking the cheap stuff? Someone as frail as you should eat more high-quality food. Otherwise, when I drag you to the guest room to serve me tonight, you’ll probably pass out after just a couple rounds. How utterly boring.”

The system cheered. “Detected emotional fluctuations in the protagonist.”

Qin Jue closed her eyes in despair, not daring to look at Lin Yuebai’s expression.

Lin Yuebai’s breath hitched slightly, nearly dropping the chopsticks in her hand.

Under the table, the pointed toe of her high heels lightly brushed against Qin Jue’s calf, making the skin there instantly tense and stiffen.

Qin Jue: “…”

Lin Yuebai leaned over and placed a small piece of braised sea cucumber onto her plate. “My agent said a perfect endorsement deal for me was snatched away. I’ll try to eat a little more—won’t you help me get it back?”

She knew Qin Jue could never resist her when she acted spoiled.