Scumbag Woman, But Pampering My Wife - Chapter 22

The system encouraged Qin Jue in her mind, “The villain in the original story was an absolute scumbag—not only was she involved with the protagonist, but she also fooled around with others. The task requires you to maintain eye contact with Jing Xin for 20 seconds.”

Qin Jue sighed inwardly, relieved that the task only required eye contact. If it had been physical contact for 20 seconds, she wouldn’t have known what to do.

To be fair, Jing Xin was very beautiful—not in the same ethereal, moonlit way as Lin Yuebai, but with a vibrant, unapologetic beauty that refused to bow to worldly conventions.

“Thank you for making a cameo. I heard you have an exhibition in Europe next month?”

Following the system’s directive, Qin Jue kept her gaze locked with Jing Xin’s. The moment their eyes met, her heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

Jing Xin sat in the car, smiling brightly at this CEO Qin.

“Yes, aside from my reputation in the entertainment industry, I also have an art exhibition to host in Europe.”

Jing Xin came from a privileged background. Thanks to her family connections, her rise in the entertainment industry was no surprise. Resources that others could only dream of were mere options for her to pick and choose from.

Her parents hadn’t started in the entertainment business either. They had initially ventured into domestic manufacturing, and as Chinese products gained international recognition over the years, their goods were sold worldwide. Their company had some ties with Li Shilai’s enterprise, which Qin Jue had invested in.

To Qin Jue, they were potential business partners. When considering commercial matters, she didn’t let personal emotions cloud her judgment, so her gaze toward Jing Xin carried a bit more warmth and friendliness.

But what intrigued Qin Jue even more was…

The system reminded her that the 20-second eye contact task was complete. She stepped aside to let Jing Xin, seated in the back, exit the car first.

As Jing Xin passed by, she blew Qin Jue a playful kiss.

“If you have time, I’d be honored if you attended my personal art exhibition. I’d welcome your presence. And if you’re even freer, you could let me know before your flight—I’d personally pick you up from the airport.”

Qin Jue offered a polite smile. “I appreciate the kind offer.”

After Jing Xin left, Qin Jue stood still, holding a cup of Moonlight Jasmine milk tea—one of countless she had drunk recently.

Ever since Lin Yuebai became the brand ambassador for this milk tea, Qin Jue had been drinking it almost daily.

Fortunately, she opted for the sugar-free version, or her family doctor would have been frantic about her health again.

Her high heels clicked against the roadside stones as her long lashes veiled the deep contemplation in her eyes.

The system peeked out curiously. “Aren’t you happy about completing the task?”

Qin Jue asked, “Have you looked up photos of Jing Xin’s parents?”

The system’s little glowing orb morphed into a question mark before immediately searching and projecting a family photo into Qin Jue’s mind.

Her breath hitched slightly. Just as she thought.

Jing Xin’s parents had the refined demeanor of cultured intellectuals—which they were. They had met in university, both studying science, and started their business from scratch. Even after their company ranked among the world’s top 500, they carried no air of ostentation, instead resembling scholarly figures from academia.

Qin Jue’s gaze lingered on the subtle expressions of the man and woman before her.

The system suddenly let out a piercing scream, the abrupt electronic noise nearly deafening Qin Jue.

“Mom’s eyes look so much like the protagonist’s! And Dad’s lips—!”

The original novel didn’t delve much into Lin Yuebai’s biological parents, only mentioning that she was likely born into extreme wealth. As for who her parents were, the author was sparing with details, likely because it wasn’t central to the plot.

After all, protagonists either rise from the dirt or are long-lost heirs of wealthy families—either unbearably tragic or impossibly privileged.

Lin Yuebai happened to be both.

The system: “That’s perfect! As the villain, you’ll obviously have to stop the protagonist from reuniting with her family.”

Qin Jue calmly kicked a stone into the bushes before turning to discuss the next scene with the director.

Jing Xin had come for a guest appearance as a high-ranking executive from the company headquarters. Upon seeing the newly promoted protagonist, Du Mingyu, she recognized her as a former classmate from middle school—one the school belle, the other an unnoticed nobody. Their reunion sparked no nostalgia, only fueling the executive’s smug satisfaction at outshining Du Mingyu, both in school and now in the workplace.

Backstage, Lin Yuebai watched Jing Xin, arms crossed, with a detached gaze.

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

A box of mangoes was pushed toward Lin Yuebai. Jing Xin seemed to take particular pleasure in the young actress’s silent resistance. “Last time, I accidentally knocked over the mangoes I gave you. Consider this a replacement.”

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Jing Xin leaned lazily against the doorframe in her red dress.

“You’re not some rookie in the entertainment industry. Surely you know you should respect your seniors?”

Lin Yuebai: “Sorry, I’m allergic to mangoes.”

Jing Xin’s eyes locked onto Lin Yuebai’s face. Something about her—the unshakable calm, those strikingly beautiful yet faintly familiar features—set Jing Xin’s nerves on edge, stirring an inexplicable irritation.

“Allergic? How could anyone be allergic to something as delicious as mangoes? You probably just haven’t eaten enough. Have more, and you’ll be fine.”

The words dripped with malice from the red-clad star.

The director watched from the doorway, sweating bullets and inwardly cursing his luck.

Had he known Jing Xin was like this, he would’ve kept the two apart from the start.

Lin Yuebai stood in the dressing room, fists clenched inside her sleeves. Her gaze fell on the box of golden-yellow mangoes—fresh, fragrant, likely imported.

One man’s nectar is another’s poison.

She should’ve been used to mockery and bullying by now; this industry thrived on sycophancy and cruelty. But the thought of Qin Jue leaning against this woman’s car door, laughing and exchanging lingering glances, made her stomach twist.

Though she was nearly the same age as Jingxin, her path had been smooth sailing, while Lin Yuebai had to enter a training camp at thirteen or fourteen, practicing dance and singing every day, sleeping in cramped quarters, hoping for the slim chance to debut, become famous, and earn money.

She would eventually become even more famous than Jingxin.

Ambition nurtured a pristine, flawless flower in the murky depths of her heart.

Seeing Lin Yuebai remain motionless, Jingxin immediately lost interest. “So this is the person Qin Zong took a liking to? Stiff as a block of wood—no fun at all. I heard you’re her girlfriend. When did the word ‘girlfriend’ become so cheap?”

Zhuang Lan cursed inwardly and stepped forward to mediate.

The next moment, a hand adorned with several golden film crew rings pressed down on the plastic container of mango slices.

The crimson soles of high heels flashed a stunning glimpse of color.

Qin Zhan stood protectively in front of Lin Yuebai. “My apologies, but my little sister here is allergic to mangoes. How about I eat them in her place?”

A plastic fork speared a juicy slice of mango and lifted it to lips painted with golden tube lipstick. The sweetness of the fruit spread across her tongue.

The mango was deliciously sweet.

“Yuebai is my girlfriend. She may not be the most articulate, but she’s a good girl.”

Once again, Qin Zhan shielded Lin Yuebai, resolving the trouble for her.

Lin Yuebai’s breath grew faint, her heartbeat pounding like thunder.

Why?

Why had Qin Zhan stepped in to eat that box of mangoes for her?

The system shrieked, trying to stop Qin Zhan’s actions. A jolt of electricity surged from the base of her skull down her spine, the pain forcing out a barely audible gasp.

System: “Aaaaaah! I didn’t mean to shock you! You’re deviating from the original plot! Aaaaah! I can’t control the program QWQ Please, don’t do this again!”

Qin Zhan replied coldly, “I’m the biggest villain in Lin Yuebai’s life. Only I get to bully her.”

Lin Yuebai had suffered enough. She was a good girl—a very, very good girl.