Scumbag Woman, But Pampering My Wife - Chapter 47

“…The mountain road ahead is bumpy. President Qin, you should rest against me for a while.”

“I’m fine, I’m not tired.”

After exiting the highway onto rural roads, the stop-and-go traffic from earlier congestion had left even those who normally didn’t get carsick feeling uncomfortable.

Sitting in the backseat, Qin Jue felt waves of nausea rising in her stomach. Her complexion looked poor, lips pressed tightly together with a pale hue.

The worst thing to do when carsick was look at your phone.

Qin Jue weakly sent a message, “I’m fine.”

She repeated it.

She really was fine.

Just one more word and she might vomit.

Lin Yuebai almost laughed. “You don’t need to be present for adding names to the family registry.”

Qin Jue massaged her temples, suppressing the nausea in her throat.

“I’ve said many times…”

Her voice was so weak it sounded like she might collapse any second.

“Qin Jue, I know I should call you by your name.”

Lin Yuebai’s voice was soft as she fiddled with something. Qin Jue didn’t have the energy to look, simply flipping her phone face down after sending the last message.

“I just like calling you President Qin—it sounds impressive.”

Soon, the scent of citrus drifted to her nose.

A cool orange segment touched Qin Jue’s lips.

Her lips stiffened momentarily. Seeing she wasn’t opening her mouth, Lin Yuebai pushed the orange slice between her lips.

“Have some orange to settle your stomach.”

With her lips forced slightly apart, Lin Yuebai firmly placed the orange segment in her mouth.

“I brought some preserved plum cakes too. You can try them later.”

Slumped in the backseat, Qin Jue felt Lin Yuebai sitting unusually close.

The cool, sour orange segment in her mouth made Qin Jue’s face momentarily contort.

“What kind of orange did you pick?”

Lin Yuebai looked puzzled, about to taste a slice herself when Qin Jue interrupted, “Aren’t you going to peel it for me?”

Lin Yuebai peeled the orange, carefully removing all the white pith. “Ah, open up.”

Qin Jue opened her mouth.

The sour, astringent orange effectively suppressed the dizziness, though Qin Jue’s already pale complexion grew even whiter.

“Want more? I’ll peel another.”

“No, it’s too sweet—makes my throat uncomfortable.”

Lin Yuebai wiped her hands with a wet wipe, then used another to clean Qin Jue’s mouth. “You ate too little breakfast—that’s why you’re carsick.”

Qin Jue closed her eyes to rest. Upon reaching the village, her first instinct was to rush out and vomit into a trash can.

Gasping for breath between heaves, with little in her stomach to begin with, Qin Jue only expelled coffee and tea.

System: “…I told you to eat something this morning, but no—you had to stay up all night excited about going to the cafeteria with the protagonist. Have some self-respect.”

This person was so inconsistent—acting like a villainous psychopath when bullying the protagonist, yet behaving like someone head over heels in love at other times.

Qin Jue’s stomach spasmed. The orange had initially settled her nausea, but the driver’s route along unpaved village paths through farmland jolted her discomfort back.

Even the preserved plum cakes couldn’t help now.

System: “The original plot doesn’t mention visiting the ancestral hall. Just wing it—causing trouble is the main point.”

After vomiting, Qin Jue felt slightly better. She took the bottle of water handed to her by Lin Yuebai, rinsed her mouth, and then used the mouthwash she carried with her for another rinse.

Qin Jue: “I can’t very well burn down the Jing family ancestral hall.”

System: “No need to go that far. A fire on the mountain would land you in the local police station—the original plot doesn’t mention you ending up in jail.”

Qin Jue coughed hoarsely a few times and waved off Lin Yuebai’s concerned gaze. “I’m fine.”

Lin Yuebai: “You said you were fine before you threw up too.”

Lin Yuebai lowered her head and kicked at a clump of dirt with the tip of her shoe. She knew Qin Jue, given her status, shouldn’t have come to this remote place in the first place. The Jing family ancestral hall was built on a desolate mountain, a half-hour drive from the nearest village. Though the Jings had always been prominent, this location had been deliberately chosen by a feng shui master, who claimed it would bring prosperity to future generations and peace to their ancestors.

Noticing the mud staining Qin Jue’s black ankle boots, Lin Yuebai bent down to wipe them clean.

“No need. They’ll just get dirty again when we hike up.”

The ancestral hall was grandly constructed, clearly a testament to the Jing family’s wealth. A few elders from the clan were present, all of them uncles, aunts, or grandparents.

An old woman stood at the front, leaning on a cane, her hawk-like eyes scrutinizing Lin Yuebai and Qin Jue.

Jing Yuanjie stood beside her. “Grandmother, this is Yuebai. The child we recognized before was a mistake…”

Jing Yuanjie lowered his head to explain to his grandmother. The old matriarch’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, her gaze at Lin Yuebai far from friendly.

“Our family registry isn’t open to just anyone.”

Qin Jue, hands in her pockets, lingered at the back. Her phone buzzed, and she stepped aside under a tree to take a work call.

System: “Time for the villain to make an entrance.”

Qin Jue: “…You can’t be serious. You actually want me to burn down the ancestral hall?”

System: “Don’t get too eager.”

Qin Jue sighed slowly. She had come precisely because she knew Lin Yuebai would face mistreatment here.

There was also a hidden thought—she hoped that by paying respects to the ancestors with Lin Yuebai, it might symbolize the heavens acknowledging their relationship.

Lin Yuebai stood alone in the center of the courtyard, before the rows of ancestral tablets. Incense burned ceaselessly in the censers, its smoke curling upward.

Zhang Wen whispered something to the old woman. “Jing Xin has already gone abroad. We can’t reach her now. Yuebai has changed her name—she shares our surname now.”

“She agreed over the phone, so why can’t she be added now?”

The old woman snorted coldly and rapped her cane on the ground. “Girls have no place in the family registry.”

Jing Xin’s inclusion had been an exception—a girl studying abroad, an artist no less, bringing honor to the family. But now that she was proven false, what did all that past effort mean?

Exceptions were made only once. This girl would have to do without.

Qin Jue raised an eyebrow, thinking it was a miracle such feudal remnants had survived to this age.

The cane came down with a thud against Lin Yuebai’s calf. Her body lurched forward, and she fell to her knees on the prayer cushion with a dull thud—

Lin Yuebai suppressed a sharp inhale, her fingers clenching tightly in her sleeves until they ached.

Jing Yuanjie’s mouth fell open. “Grandmother!”

Lin Yuebai’s brow twitched faintly. She hadn’t expected such an incident, least of all in front of Qin Jue.

Her expression was one of restrained endurance. Even if she wanted to turn and leave now, there was no way out.

Outside was nothing but barren mountains. Without car keys in hand, she had no means of escape.

The Jing family parents wore grim expressions. They had thought everything was settled over the phone—the elderly had agreed to everything upon hearing the family’s male heir was returning. Yet now that they had arrived, the old woman’s attitude had completely changed.

The System: “As the villain, it wouldn’t make sense if you didn’t stir up some trouble. The protagonist will definitely hold a grudge against you for causing a scene in the ancestral hall.”

Qin Jue: “I know.”

“Outsiders are forbidden from entering the ancestral hall grounds.”

A hoarse voice laced with dialect came from behind. Qin Jue hung up her phone and slipped her hands back into her pockets.

She nudged a dry branch with the tip of her shoe. “I’m Lin Yuebai’s friend. Look at these red pillars—the paint is peeling. Don’t you think they need a touch-up? And the gilding on your ancestors’ tablets is faded. Shouldn’t you give them a fresh coat?”

Qin Jue’s posture was too casual. She thought that if there truly were deities in this world, they wouldn’t stand by and watch Lin Yuebai suffer so much injustice.

Just like her—anyone with a shred of conscience would favor this hardworking girl.

“Who the hell are you? Get out! Our family affairs are none of your business!”

Qin Jue walked up to the old woman. Looking down, she saw the hunched figure barely reaching her chest, clutching a worn wooden cane.

Qin Jue: “Need me to donate for renovations?” The old woman’s murky eyes widened, her lips twitching in anger at Qin Jue’s bluntness. She raised her cane as if to strike but faltered under Qin Jue’s icy glare.

“Our family isn’t short on money!”

Qin Jue: “500,000?”

The old woman’s cloudy eyes flickered. Her hand trembled slightly, the cane frozen mid-air, stunned by the figure.

Kneeling before the ancestral tablets, Lin Yuebai discreetly massaged her aching knees. She had expected Qin Jue to come and mock her, but…

Qin Jue: “If 500,000 isn’t enough, how about a million?”

The Jing couple opened their mouths to intervene, but a single glance from Qin Jue silenced them. A flash of greed crossed the old woman’s face.

“I thought you brought Yuebai here to praise her achievements in front of your ancestors. Turns out you just wanted to make her suffer. What kind of parents are you?”

Qin Jue’s voice was soft, yet each word struck like a dagger. “If it were Jing Xin, would you let her endure this too?”

Zhang Wen opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing.

“We didn’t expect this either.”

Qin Jue turned her gaze back to the mumbling old woman. “If a million isn’t enough, how about two? That’s more than enough to buy out this entire mountain.”

Leaning in close to the now visibly shaken woman, Qin Jue whispered, “Still not enough? Then five million. You could burn this whole hillside down and still not spend that much.”

The old woman’s pupils dilated sharply. She cursed in dialect, but her gaze had already begun to waver.

“I’m Yuebai’s friend. This is my sincerity.”

The woman before her carried an imposing aura, her attire impeccable. Paired with those sharp, pitch-black eyes, it was enough to make anyone’s heart pound.

“What do you want? Are you really donating money?”

“Of course,” Qin Jue replied, her eyes crinkling into a smile. “Add Yuebai’s name to the family registry. As a shareholder, I’ll join her in offering three sticks of incense to your esteemed ancestors.”

The old woman walked ahead in silence.

Qin Jue smiled brightly, “So outsiders can come in after all? I thought this was some solemn place, but turns out you just need to spend some money.”

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, ensuring everyone present could hear. The expressions of the Jing couple darkened further, unable to meet Qin Jue’s gaze. Lin Yuebai felt a tumult of emotions—grateful for Qin Jue’s intervention yet inwardly scornful of this place.

Of course, the Jing couple felt guilty toward Lin Yuebai, but could they truly harbor no resentment? Impossible. Their beloved daughter of twenty years, angered by Lin Yuebai, refused to return home and even sent back all the money they had given her. Now that Lin Yuebai was back, she was distant from her parents.

Qin Jue didn’t believe for a second that the Jing couple had been completely oblivious during all those years of raising her, muddling through without noticing anything amiss.

Lin Yuebai knelt before the rows of ancestral tablets, a cold smirk in her heart. Soon, someone knelt beside her.

Qin Jue handed her three incense sticks, keeping three for herself. Raising the incense above their heads, they bowed three times together.

Qin Jue whispered, “Doesn’t this feel like a wedding ceremony?”

Lin Yuebai’s hand trembled, nearly snapping the incense.

“!!!”

The six sticks of incense were placed in the burner, the smoke rising straight upward.

Qin Jue continued murmuring, “Not like a wedding? You’re wearing red today, and I’m in pink—doesn’t that count?”

Lin Yuebai sighed softly, though the corners of her lips curled slightly. Her ears burned, her heart pounding so loudly she could hear it. Without a word, she stood and turned away, ignoring Qin Jue.

“Don’t go,” Qin Jue called after her.

Lin Yuebai paused. She wore a russet-brown jacket over an all-black outfit—hardly bridal attire.

Qin Jue: “I brought wine. Care for a drink?”

What kind of proper person drinks in an ancestral hall?

The system reminded Qin Jue that behaving disrespectfully here, ideally to the point of infuriating everyone, was the goal.

From the car trunk, Qin Jue retrieved a thermal flask filled with ice, pulling out two chilled beers.

“One drink?”

Who uses ice-cold beer for a ceremonial toast? Lin Yuebai shook her head helplessly but accepted the bottle, taking a small sip. The chill seeped into her chest. Knowing she couldn’t handle much, Qin Jue let her taste it before finishing the rest herself.

The old woman’s eyebrows twitched, her already sour expression darkening further.

This woman—

If not for the money…

She wasn’t blind. She could see how her grandson and his wife treated Qin Jue with strange deference, never addressing her by name, only as “President Qin.”

Having seen much in her years, the old woman dared not offend recklessly, swallowing her anger.

Qin Jue and Lin Yuebai found a spot with a nice view, clinking their beer cans as foam bubbled over.

After a sip, Qin Jue said, “I know you don’t like it here. Next time, we won’t come. No need to endure this.”

Guilt flickered in Lin Yuebai’s eyes. “Are you really donating money?”

Yes—but not to them.

Qin Jue: “How about stocks of equivalent value?”

Lin Yuebai laughed. Truly a merchant—never at a disadvantage.

The external valuation and internal acquisition price were completely different. Stocks publicly claimed to be worth five million might actually cost mere tens of thousands to acquire—not even a fraction compared to the investment the Jing family poured into Lin Yuebai’s film.

She was willing to spend money—but only on Lin Yuebai.

The family registry now bore a new name—Jing Yue.

Lin Yuebai felt nothing when she saw her name added to the registry. Jing Yue wasn’t her name, and Qin Jue had never once uttered it…

Lin Yuebai was her real name.

Qin Jue: “How much do I have to donate to get my name in your family registry?”

Lin Yuebai: “…”

The Jing couple thought they’d misheard, their expressions shifting unpredictably. “President Qin, you must be joking.”

Qin Jue: “I assumed an old woman guarding the family registry would let anyone in with a bit of cash. Seems I was wrong.”

The Jing couple’s lips trembled, guilt gnawing at them. A thousand words died on their tongues, leaving only apologies.

“I have other matters to attend to. Yuebai and I will head down the mountain first.”

Qin Jue dismissed the driver, taking the car keys herself. Driving didn’t make her carsick—being a passenger did.

By the time they reached the neighboring province, it was already afternoon. Summer hadn’t fully settled in yet, leaving a lingering chill in the air.

Qin Jue pushed her sunglasses up onto her forehead. “We were delayed this morning. I need to meet with the director.”

Our Friendship was being filmed on a cruise ship. Qin Jue parked by the shore while Lin Yuebai stood on the beach, letting the sea breeze wash over her. Zhuang Lan came running against the wind, looking utterly ridiculous.

“What were you doing this morning? I called you—no answer. Called President Qin—no answer. If you hadn’t shown up today, I would’ve had to call the police!”

Lin Yuebai’s lips curved slightly. “Qin Jue and I went to perform a wedding ceremony.”

Zhuang Lan: !!!!!

Zhuang Lan knew Lin Yuebai wasn’t the type to joke. When she looked up, she was met with the other woman’s teasing smile.

It took Zhuang Lan a moment to process. “You’re… serious?!”

Lin Yuebai: “No joke. The kind where you kneel before ancestors and offer incense.”

Zhuang Lan eyed Lin Yuebai’s dark brownish-red coat and Qin Jue’s flashy pink outfit—nothing about them screamed “wedding.”

“Are you messing with me?”

Zhuang Lan’s pupils dilated in horror before she suddenly slammed both hands onto Lin Yuebai’s shoulders. “Look me in the eyes and say that again!!!”

Lin Yuebai smiled without answering.

Zhuang Lan shrieked: “Lin Yuebai, you had the guts to hold a wedding but not to admit it?! Say no! Just say no, and I’ll believe you!”

Her voice was so piercing that crew members nearby turned to stare.

Gong Man, clutching a coconut, let out a surprised “Huh.”

She’d been roped into investing by Qin Jue, and her family had finally approved since she was doing something “legitimate”—only for her to end up working as crew on a variety show.

Gong Man slurped her coconut juice loudly.

“Don’t manhandle the bride,” she added fuel to the fire.

Zhuang Lan looked ready to explode. “Are you trying to kill me?!”

Lin Yuebai recounted the whole story. Gong Man’s eyes flickered with disappointment. “That’s it…?”

Zhuang Lan exhaled in relief before lashing out indiscriminately.

“What the hell are you disappointed about?! What’s there to be disappointed about?!”

Zhuang Lan clicked her tongue. “Feudal remnants in this day and age—how rare. I thought the Jing family was decent, but those elders are just as rotten.”

“The trial regarding your adoptive parents is about to begin soon. I’ll keep an eye on it for you then—the sentence probably won’t be too severe.”

Lin Yuebai nodded in agreement.

Gong Man tossed a coconut to Lin Yuebai. “I have connections who’ll make sure they’re well taken care of inside.”

“The Jing family’s overseas market is struggling right now. They’re probably desperate for President Qin’s investment but too proud to ask. If you don’t like them, just whisper in your Qin’s ear at night.”

Gong Man and Qin Jue had grown up together, sharing the same class since kindergarten. While others claimed Qin Jue was difficult, Gong Man thought she was fantastic—and lately, she’d become even more to her liking. Naturally, she’d handle anyone Qin Jue disliked.

Lin Yuebai was taken aback. She had assumed someone like Gong Man, who looked down on everyone, wouldn’t get along with Qin Jue unless they shared the same temperament.

To her surprise, Gong Man just patted her shoulder. “One of the lipsticks under my family’s brand saw a huge spike in sales after you endorsed it. Sweetheart, you’re my cash cow.”

…

“Cash cow?! You have the nerve to call yourself my cash cow?”

The director looked dazed. “No friendship reality show is filmed like this. Putting you and Lin Yuebai in the same room? That’s just asking for trouble.”

Director Xue Nan’s pupils trembled. “Should I remind you again? This is a friendship show, not a dating one. If you want romance, turn right—there’s another crew filming that.”

Qin Jue sprawled on the sofa, a toffee in her mouth.

“I guarantee you’ll make money. Isn’t that why you hired me—for my clout?”

Xue Nan rubbed her temples. She hadn’t expected Qin Jue to be this brazen.

“The money’s coming in, but I’ve been cursed out so badly online that my ancestors are rolling in their graves.”

Qin Jue shrugged. “Everyone on the internet has a digital family tree. Getting flamed is nothing.”

Xue Nan gave her a thumbs-up.

The live broadcast would officially begin that night. Two other pairs of friends were also participating—one a superstar and her manager, the other childhood best friends.

Those two were genuine friendships, unlike Qin Jue and Lin Yuebai, who hid their CP-baiting antics under the guise of friendship.

System: “Live broadcasts reveal a person’s true nature. As the villain, you must provoke the protagonist’s emotions in front of the audience, exposing a side of her that contradicts her usual sweet, innocent image! Let the viewers know she’s been faking it all along!”

In the original novel, though there was no friendship reality show, the protagonist had appeared on other variety programs. Thanks to the villain’s relentless meddling, she was labeled as selfish and bombarded by hate, becoming public enemy number one.

Qin Jue flashed an OK sign.

“Got it.”

Xue Nan: “Got what?”

Qin Jue: “Even though Lin Yuebai and I are sharing a room and a bed, we’re purely friends.”

Xue Nan: “…” You understand nothing.

“Our Friendship” officially began filming.

Qin Jue hauled her pre-packed suitcases onto the cruise ship—one in each hand, hers and Lin Yuebai’s.

Lin Yuebai reached for her own luggage.

“It’s heavy. Let me take it.”

“No need. We knelt for a while earlier at the ceremony—your knees must still hurt. I’ve got it.”

Lin Yuebai had been kneeling for less than twenty minutes and had long since stopped feeling anything.

Qin Jue’s words sent shockwaves through the crowd. The pair of friends who had been pushing their luggage nearby trembled with widened eyes.

Wait, they’re not even pretending anymore???

“You two??? Holding a wedding ceremony????”

The host panicked internally—this wasn’t in the script!!!

In the “Our Friendship” livestream room:

“Best friend ulting at 0 frames??”

“What do you mean wedding ceremony? Explain the wedding ceremony part!!!”

“Ahhh this is the reward I get for waiting half an hour in this livestream.”

“Lesbians scheming for years can’t compare to a straight girl’s sudden inspiration?”

“Why call her a straight best friend?”

“[Web link] See for yourself, the ‘best friend’ admitted she’s straight, said she’s just taking care of Little Moon like a sister (dog emoji)”

“Taking care so well it turned into a wedding ceremony (dog emoji)”

Qin Jue pushed the luggage cart into the cruise ship’s grand hall. The luxury liner’s interior was larger than a shopping mall, with a spacious lobby featuring waterfall installations and towering tropical trees.

Qin Jue: “See, the incense didn’t break, the smoke rises straight. Our friendship has ancestral blessings.”

Lin Yuebai: “…”

Qin Jue: “Say something Yuebai, you weren’t this quiet when we drank our friendship unity wine.”

A vein pulsed on Lin Yuebai’s forehead as she finally covered her face with one hand, refusing to engage.

“It was just iced beer, not unity wine. Qin Jue, just stop talking.”

Viewers: “…” This explanation only made it worse.

System reminder: “…Go slander the protagonist already, quit the flirty talk.”

Qin Jue pulled two suitcases, her toned forearms flexing with visible veins beneath pale skin where she gripped the handles.

“Forgive her, Yuebai’s always like this. I talk a bit more and she calls me annoying. So cruel.”

Livestream comments:

“You’re just taking advantage of Little Moon’s good nature. I’d have rolled up my sleeves to punch you by now.”

“Little Moon: When people are speechless they really do laugh.”

“If I hadn’t seen the manager’s Weibo post, I’d have believed you. Just visiting the ancestral hall to amend the family registry, but you made it sound like a wedding.”

“Wait, can outsiders even enter ancestral halls???”

Qin Jue glanced at her phone reading comments. “Normally no, but I invested. Just wanted to bow before the ancestors with Yuebai, hoping our frien—dhip lasts forever.”

System: “You hesitated there. Were you going to say ‘love’?”

The system sounded horrified: “You… haven’t fallen for the protagonist, have you?”