Scumbag Woman, But Pampering My Wife - Chapter 27

Lin Yuebai was preparing New Year’s Eve dinner at home when she deliberately posted a Weibo update—she knew Qin Jue would see it.

She wasn’t some naive, harmless girl. She understood the importance of leveraging every resource to climb higher.

Step by step, she would rise above everyone until no one dared to look down on her again.

Qin Jue was the best ladder to the upper echelons.

As expected, Qin Jue not only saw it but also messaged her.

Lin Yuebai leaned against the kitchen counter of her apartment, wearing an apron covered in pink strawberries.

The apartment had been a gift from Qin Jue—ostensibly an artist’s residence, but the deed was already in Lin Yuebai’s name.

The location was excellent, the decor matched her taste. If Qin Jue were just a sugar daddy, she’d already done everything possible.

Lin Yuebai twirled the cards Qin Jue had given her between her fingers. Qin Jue knew she was tight on money, but Lin Yuebai hadn’t used any of them.

She had been the leader of Aurora. The two youngest members were now debuting as solo artists, producing singles and music videos—all of which required substantial funds.

By all accounts, Lin Yuebai should support them.

If only she had worked harder, been better—would the group have disbanded so soon?

Would the two younger girls have had more time to build their careers?

A bitter smile curved Lin Yuebai’s lips as she sent them both red envelopes.

Moon: Happy New Year!

Pei Si & Pei Tian: “Thanks, Captain!”

Pei Si and Pei Tian were biological sisters—identical twins who had been Aurora’s selling point, amassing a decent fanbase.

Only after finishing her tasks did Lin Yuebai open Qin Jue’s chat.

Miss Qin: I behaved inappropriately after drinking last night. I’d like to visit and apologize.

Lin Yuebai was puzzled. Had Qin Jue been drunk last night? So when she was drunk, she kissed people aggressively and threw money and resources around?

Lin Yuebai had seen plenty of people act crudely under the influence—some even taking advantage of their drunkenness to harass others, pinning them down like animals.

But she had never seen someone get drunk and casually pull out stacks of cash from an envelope, tossing them into the air—just for fun.

Not just money, but bank cards too.

And then changing all the PINs to her birthday.

Rumors painted Qin Jue as someone with twisted tastes, but from Lin Yuebai’s experience, she was just… recklessly extravagant.

Lin Yuebai: Sure, I’ll cook for you.

Lin Yuebai: [Cat throwing confetti.jpg]

Lin Yuebai: Happy New Year, Qin Jue.

This New Year’s Eve dinner had been prepared for Qin Jue all along. Lin Yuebai’s lips curled slightly as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Holidays only made Zhuang Lan, her manager, busier.

Carrying gifts, she pushed open Lin Yuebai’s door. “I’ve booked you an acting coach. Classes start the day after tomorrow—make sure you perform well. The teacher has won over a dozen awards and only teaches now that she’s retired. She’s strict, but every actor she’s trained has made it big.”

Zhuang Lan set the gifts down by the entrance.

“You’re cooking?”

Lin Yuebai hummed in response.

“Qin Jue is coming tonight.”

Zhuang Lan’s expression faltered for a moment. “Really? President Qin must like you quite a bit then. I brought you some medicine to promote bl00d circulation and reduce bruising—make sure to use it.”

Her eyes were filled with deep concern. What if Qin Jue had played so rough that Lin Yuebai was covered in bruises? If that teacher saw them, what would they think?

Qin Jue’s reputation had never been good. Zhuang Lan knew that Lin Yuebai had once been abandoned at Qin Jue’s doorstep in pouring rain. Any normal person would have sent them to a hotel, but Qin Jue had let them stay the night.

After that single night, all sorts of resources came pouring in.

The whole thing was suspicious no matter how you looked at it.

Lin Yuebai’s knife paused mid-chop. “…You’re too thoughtful.”

…

System: “The original host’s family is filthy rich. Aren’t you going to the Qin family for New Year’s?”

Qin Jue hummed a tune as she sat by the koi pond, stuffing money into red envelopes she’d made herself from red paper. On each envelope, she’d painted a full moon in gold ink, with faint bamboo shadows beneath it and a pond in front of the bamboo grove.

A massive goldfish flicked its tail spiritedly, its large eyes exceptionally clear. The scales were meticulously detailed, shimmering more brilliantly than dragon scales.

The system exclaimed in awe: “Wow, Host, you’re amazing!”

Qin Jue had her phone set up for a live stream in front of her.

Welcome to Lin Yuebai’s Livestream

“No way, is that ‘good friend’ using Yuebai’s account to stream again???”

“Since when do good friends share streaming accounts???”

“Where’s our little moon (screams) where is our little moon…”

“If things are like this, are you really just good friends…”

The system timidly said: “Host… it’s the New Year, let’s not ruin the protagonist’s reputation. The protagonist grows stronger through your suppression, but what if the antagonist completely crushes them into the mud QWQ”

The silly system still thought the host was carrying out a mission to bully the protagonist.

Qin Jue told the system: “I know what I’m doing.”

The system reminded the antagonist to exercise restraint and not completely tarnish the protagonist’s reputation.

Screaming along with the system was Zhuang Lan.

The manager kept calling Qin Jue, but every call went unanswered.

Oblivious to this, Qin Jue smiled at the camera and held up the red envelope she was decorating.

“I’m preparing New Year’s red packets for my good friend.”

“Wow, are those patterns on the envelope hand-painted???”

“Damn, good friend, you’re seriously impressive.”

“I beat up my friend, and she’d rather die than admit she’d give me a red packet with lucky money.”

“Kind of jealous of Little Moon now. I wasn’t really into this pairing before, but now I’m starting to ship it.”

“I looked it up—Qin Jue recently started an investment firm focusing on VC… Damn. It’s not scary when rich kids party, but when they try to prove themselves, that’s something else.”

Qin Jue counted out 8,888 yuan and stuffed it into the envelope. Today, she had deliberately chosen a red cashmere coat, pairing it with a black fitted turtleneck and blue-light-blocking glasses perched on her nose, giving her a somewhat respectable elite vibe.

She waved the sealed red packet in front of the camera. “When I was stressed before, I liked practicing calligraphy. Later, I took online painting classes—I’m not very good, so don’t laugh.”

A comment floated by…

“You, a rich kid who changes partners ten times a month, are into self-cultivation?? Sis, you’re really living life.”

Qin Jue stood up from beside the koi pond—an artificial rock pool dug indoors, where palm-sized Ranchu goldfish swam lazily. Each plump fish resembled a chicken-wing stuffed with rice, their round little mouths blowing strings of bubbles.

The fish she’d painted on the red envelope were strikingly lifelike in comparison.

The livestream chat: “…”

Where did these little chubby pigs come from?

Qin Jue picked up her phone from the stand and headed to the underground garage to drive.

Settling into the driver’s seat, she pulled a toffee from her pocket and popped it into her mouth. “This is your Little Moon’s livestream channel. I’m taking you all to join her for dinner.”

Livestream viewers: !!!!!

Qin Jue: “As her friend, it’s perfectly normal for me to join her for New Year’s Eve dinner, right?”

A red envelope lay on the passenger seat. Alone, Qin Jue’s expression softened, free of the original host’s harshness—her demeanor as gentle as a spring breeze. Around her left wrist coiled a string of agarwood beads, while her red nails were adorned with golden outlines of crescent moons in various phases.

#MoonNailArt

#DinnerAtAFriend’s

The two hashtags slowly climbed the tail end of the entertainment hot search.

The rich sweetness of toffee melted on her tongue as Qin Jue seized the moment to plug Lin Yuebai’s endorsement:

“Yuebai’s ‘Moonlight Jasmine’ promotion is running during the Spring Festival—every purchase comes with a red envelope. Please show your support!”

“Yuebai isn’t great at marketing. As her friend, I’m a little anxious for her, so I hope you’ll all be understanding.”

The livestream was a barrage of beauty overload.

Even the occasional trolls found themselves speechless.

Wait, who even are you, sis?? Just casually dropping ads with that radiant face??

…

Zhuang Lan covered her face and shrieked, “Why is President Qin randomly streaming on your channel?! I never should’ve given her your account login!”

Lin Yuebai placed the king crab into the steamer before turning her attention to the pagoda pork.

She’d done plenty of chores growing up—starting at five, she’d stood on a stool to cook for the whole family. Washing pots in icy water during winter had been routine, her tiny hands soon layered with frostbite.

Compared to that, the hellish training camp she endured later felt almost bearable.

At least her hands and feet no longer cracked from the cold.

Lin Yuebai worked with practiced efficiency. Hearing her manager’s outburst, she glanced up. “What’s wrong?”

Zhuang Lan: “President Qin is streaming on your channel… I never planned to market a CP angle for you, but she—”

Had it been anyone else, Zhuang Lan would’ve cursed them out. But remembering this was Qin Jue—the woman who bankrolled and resourced them—the manager massaged her throbbing temples.

“Money’s hard to earn, sh1t’s hard to swallow. That woman’s schemes run deep.”

Lin Yuebai stood quietly at the cutting board, the picture of a dutiful wife as she lowered her head to slice the pagoda pork. “I belong to her entirely. What’s wrong with her using my channel?”

Zhuang Lan choked. “And what if she tires of you and casts you aside? You’re still young—you don’t understand how cutthroat this industry is. If a big shot plays around for a month or two, that’s already considered long-term. At most, you’ll split within a year or two. You can’t possibly expect her to marry you, can you?”

Lin Yuebai silently continued chopping, only tightening her grip on the knife handle.

Qin Jue had been so kind to her… kind enough to stir dangerous hopes.

If only she could have Qin Jue all to herself, if only Qin Jue would direct those sharp words solely at her, if only those pure black eyes that seemed to absorb all light would gaze at her alone…

Lin Yuebai exhaled a heavy sigh. “I understand.”

Zhuang Lan looked at her meek expression and couldn’t help feeling exasperated. “Love-struck fool, you understand nothing.”

“Other sugar babies just pretend with takeout outside hotels, but here you are actually doing the work, spending all your meager earnings on king crabs.”

Zhuang Lan wanted to say more, but when she glanced at the live stream and saw Qin Jue’s car approaching the neighborhood, she resentfully closed her mouth.

Qin Jue was considerate—she protected Lin Yuebai’s privacy by not filming the scenery outside the car window or the neighborhood.

The system suddenly popped up: “There’s a plot point you need to fulfill during the New Year.”

Qin Jue patiently listened.

The system continued: “In the original novel, after the antagonist learns about the protagonist’s family situation, she visits to mock them. In front of the protagonist’s parents, she declares that the protagonist is being kept by you. Later, when the protagonist hears about this from others, she turns pale and trembles with hatred for the antagonist.”

Qin Jue thought to herself that the antagonist in the original novel really had a death wish.

The system added: “This plot happens in two days. I’ve located the protagonist’s parents for you.”

Qin Jue glanced at the address on the map—a village in the north. The surroundings looked desolate, but typical of northern rural areas, there was a festive atmosphere with red firecracker paper littering the ground.

She recognized these firecrackers from before her transmigration. A superstitious friend of hers used to set them off every fifth day of the new year to welcome the God of Wealth, from midnight until morning. They’d been scolded by neighbors for the noise.

The memory brought an unconscious smile to Qin Jue’s lips, which was captured by the live stream camera.

The phone’s camera was focused on a closed black door. Qin Jue took out a red envelope from her pocket and knocked three times.

“Help, I’m getting nervous already.”

“Ahhh! I thought this was just a casual live stream between friends, but we’re actually going to see Little Moon!”

“First time watching a New Year’s visit POV. So exciting!”

“LOL, who visits people on New Year’s Eve? This is clearly a romantic rendezvous.”

“Love how you phrased that. Say it again!”

The black door swung open to reveal a lovely girl in a strawberry-patterned apron over festive red pajamas. Her eyes lit up instantly upon seeing the visitor.

A comment floated across the live stream: “After waiting a whole year, the master of the house has finally returned.”

Qin Jue handed the red envelope to Lin Yuebai.

“You’ve worked hard this year. May next year be smooth sailing. Wishing our Yuebai continuous success, abundance year after year, and a happy New Year’s Eve.”

The live stream ended the moment Lin Yuebai accepted the envelope with both hands.

The screen went black, but donations and comments kept pouring in, pushing the already-ended stream to the platform’s front page.

Zhuang Lan stood by the door, watching as brand collaboration offers flooded the backend.

She looked up in astonishment at Qin Jue and at Lin Yuebai, who was clutching the red envelope.

This Qin Jue seemed different from the spoiled rich kid she remembered.

The drawing is good, and the auspicious words are well spoken.

No wonder she’s a rich second-generation—she probably knows how to charm the elders at home too.

Zhuang Lan knew she was out of place here. After briefly discussing acting classes with Lin Yuebai, she quickly made her exit.

“Zhuang Lan, wait.”

Just as she stepped out, Zhuang Lan was called back by Qin Jue. She froze in place, a cold sweat breaking out on her back. Had Qin Jue overheard her talking behind her back?

Her gaze darted around nervously.

Qin Jue beckoned, and Zhuang Lan approached with the resolve of a condemned prisoner.

“President Qin.”

Qin Jue pulled another red envelope from her right pocket. “Thank you for always looking out for Yuebai. Happy New Year’s Eve.”

The envelope was thick. Zhuang Lan walked away in a daze.

Qin Jue was acting so strange—had she been possessed by a ghost?

Even without the red envelope, Zhuang Lan would have done her best for Lin Yuebai.

She didn’t want Lin Yuebai to suddenly rise to fame only to fade into obscurity. Real talent was necessary for a lasting career in acting.

Many popular stars had no acting skills at all. Because money came too easily, everyone around them flattered and indulged them, convincing them that skipping acting classes to shoot commercials was the most efficient use of their time.

Unaware of Zhuang Lan’s thoughts, Qin Jue turned her attention to the table full of dishes.

“You’ve worked hard. Need any help?”

She rolled up her sleeves, ready to pitch in, but the system gave her a mild electric shock.

System: “OOC warning.”

Qin Jue: “…It’s the New Year.”

System: “We systems don’t celebrate holidays.”

The sudden tremor in Qin Jue’s body startled Lin Yuebai, but she waved it off, assuring her she was fine.

Lin Yuebai’s cooking skills were impressive. Every dish was meticulously prepared, though the steamed king crab was the least remarkable among them.

The pagoda pork and squirrel-shaped mandarin fish required real skill—it was her first time making them, following a recipe, yet they tasted better than anything Qin Jue had eaten at high-end restaurants.

At the table,

Qin Jue poured Lin Yuebai a glass of sugar-free coconut milk while she drank sweetened orange juice herself.

“I’m sorry for my boldness after drinking that night.”

The system blared an alarm in her head.

Ignoring the system’s screeching, Qin Jue continued, “My intention wasn’t to—”

The alarm grew louder, forcing her to stop.

Lin Yuebai served her a bowl of sesame-peanut-filled glutinous rice balls, each shaped like a tiny persimmon. “I made these myself. Qin Jue, try them and see if you like them. If you do, I have more in the freezer—you can take some home.”

She’s such a perfect wife.

So sweet.

“They’re delicious.”

In her past life, Qin Jue had never known the warmth of family. Even after becoming wealthy, her focus remained on making money, burying her longing for a home deep in her heart.

The plump, round persimmon-shaped rice balls looked especially charming on the white porcelain spoon.

Under the table,

Lin Yuebai’s foot slipped out of her fluffy slippers. Her toes were delicate and slender, not clumsy at all.

Her pale toes brushed against Qin Jue’s calf, then slowly trailed up to her knee before teasingly grazing the inside of her thigh.

“I have a mole on the inside of my thigh.”

Lin Yuebai’s voice was soft, just as a firework exploded outside, drowning out her words completely.

“What?”

“I said…” Lin Yuebai didn’t dare look at Qin Jue. “I said… this is the first time I’ve ever received a red envelope in my life. I really like it.”

A mischievous foot kept rubbing against Qin Jue’s leg, erratic in its movements yet timid at heart.

Qin Jue grabbed her ankle and moved it away, but the foot, like a small animal, nuzzled its way back onto her knee.

Above the dining table, glasses of juice and coconut milk were raised in cheerful harmony, while beneath it, a farcical scene unfolded.

System: “…What is the protagonist doing?”

Qin Jue: “Maybe her leg’s a bit numb?”

System: “That’s what I thought too.”

In the end, Qin Jue held Lin Yuebai’s ankle—so slender it could easily be encircled by one hand.

A faint smile curled at Lin Yuebai’s lips, her eyes glinting with hidden anticipation.

This was it.

She wanted to keep Qin Jue interested in her.

At this point, she had no lofty aspirations. All she wanted was for Qin Jue to keep her as a long-term mistress.

She had nothing to offer but this decent body of hers.

She had already prepared finger cots and lubricant, ready to spend a passionate night with Qin Jue under the fireworks outside.

But the next second, Lin Yuebai’s smile froze.

Qin Jue simply placed Lin Yuebai’s ankle on her own knee and patted the top of her foot like soothing a child.

“You worked hard cooking. Leave the dishes to me. Rest your feet on me for now.”

Lin Yuebai: “…”

Lin Yuebai: “My agent scheduled acting classes for me. President Qin, do you have time to take me there?”

Adjusting her tone, her voice came out soft and sweet against the backdrop of fireworks outside, like a little vixen exhaling smoke.

A newly humanized fox spirit who hadn’t yet mastered the art of seduction could only ask bluntly.

“No. Are you a child? Do you need a parent to take you to school?”

Qin Jue’s behavior today had unsettled the system, which grumbled at her to be harsher.

Despite her sharp words, Qin Jue’s fingers idly kneaded Lin Yuebai’s ankle.

The pale skin of her foot, untouched by sunlight for too long, revealed faint blue veins beneath. A slight rub turned her ankle pink.

Her nails were neatly rounded, freshly trimmed.

Smooth and delicate, utterly adorable.

Lin Yuebai pressed on with a few more hopeful questions, but Qin Jue shook her head, leaving no room for negotiation.

Lin Yuebai lowered her eyes. She should be content—she was content.

Qin Jue: “I secured a coffee machine ad for you. The target audience is China’s middle class and white-collar workers. The brand has decent recognition, and several celebrities were competing for this endorsement. I had someone lock it in first. My secretary will send you the contract tomorrow.”

Qin Jue stood up from her chair, her fingers brushing away the sweet-and-sour sauce smudged at the corner of Lin Yuebai’s lips.

It was an invasive gesture. Her long hair cascaded down like a curtain, blocking the overhead light and enclosing them in an intimate space.

“Work hard.”

Her voice was quiet, each word deliberate. “You have to work hard. Don’t disappoint my expectations. Leave the rest to me. Understood?”

Her words were met with damp fingers.

Lin Yuebai’s tongue lightly traced Qin Jue’s fingertips.

“President Qin… Qin Jue, I understand.”

Qin Jue: “…”

Carrying the dishes to the kitchen, Qin Jue stared at the wet mark on her thumb where it had been licked. Almost unconsciously, she brought the sauce-coated thumb to her lips.

So sweet.

So… had the protagonist really forgiven her for acting out while drunk?

…

Lin Yuebai was attending acting classes at the teacher’s residence while Qin Jue drove off the highway and parked his luxurious black sedan at the entrance of a small northern village.

The sleek black car stood out conspicuously among the other vehicles.

Qin Jue shut the car door, his black ankle boots stepping onto the concrete pavement. Ahead stood a typical two-story northern house.

The front yard was somewhat run-down, with a few chickens and ducks raised inside. The sudden bursts of firecrackers sent the poultry scattering in panic.

A black guard dog at the gate barked fiercely at the unfamiliar visitors.

“Youzong, tone down the firecrackers—don’t scare the hens into stopping their egg-laying!”

An elderly woman in a floral apron pushed open the door and saw her sixteen or seventeen-year-old son setting off firecrackers in the yard, each explosion louder than the last, sending the chickens and ducks trembling in fear. One chicken had even dropped dead from fright. The boy, named Youzong, deliberately tossed the firecrackers right into the flock.

The old woman chuckled, praising her son’s boldness, before noticing the sleek black luxury car parked at the gate.

Qin Jue leaned against the car door, taking a sip of Moonlight Jasmine tea. “Happy New Year. I didn’t bring any gifts since I came from so far away. I’m the owner of Yuebai—just here to pick up a few things, then I’ll be on my way.”

Household register, birth certificate, and Little Moon’s childhood photos.

Lin Yuebai only needed to focus on acting—everything else, she would handle.