Scumbag Woman, But Pampering My Wife - Chapter 5

Lin Yuebai held a grimy broom in her hand, an apron draped over her clothes.

Strands of hair clung to her forehead, and her fair skin bore traces of exhaustion. When she saw Qin Jue standing at the door, the faint weariness on her face turned to surprise.

Why was President Qin here? President Qin shouldn’t be here.

This place wasn’t worthy of her.

At this moment, Lin Yuebai felt a pang of guilt and bewilderment, as if allowing the other to step foot here was her own sin.

But Qin Jue was the one who held the upper hand in this relationship.

Breathing slightly heavily from the effort of cleaning, paired with her faded sleepwear, Lin Yuebai looked even more pitiful now.

Qin Jue raised the cake in her hand.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Lin Yuebai quickly set the broom aside and hurried to the door, awkwardly patting the dust off her clothes.

“President Qin.”

The girl before her kept her eyes lowered, her ears and the corners of her eyes tinged red with embarrassment.

In Qin Jue’s mind, the system was bouncing around excitedly.

“Host, you’re doing great! Humiliate Lin Yuebai! Trample her self-esteem, belittle her efforts—make her realize how important it is to live in a good house as someone of higher status!”

The system was very pleased with its host.

Qin Jue: “…”

Qin Jue pressed her temples, silencing the system’s noisy chatter.

She turned and walked away without another word. Lin Yuebai trotted after her, hastily removing her apron and throwing a thick coat over her shoulders.

The woman’s voice echoed through the empty hallway.

“I can’t believe anyone could live in such a dump. I thought only desperate beggars would even glance at it.”

Qin Jue’s tone was flat—the more indifferent it sounded, the more it stung deep inside.

But beneath the mockery, there seemed to be something else mixed in.

The system wasn’t wrong. The more hardships one endured, the stronger their will became.

When Qin Jue read the novel, she had agreed—because she knew Lin Yuebai would eventually shine the brightest after overcoming every trial.

But the Lin Yuebai of now didn’t know that.

She was wandering through a maze, each step arduous and uncertain.

She was remarkable. She was, after all, the most dazzling gem.

Lin Yuebai followed behind Qin Jue, biting her lower lip so hard it nearly bled.

“I’m sorry…”

At the foot of the apartment building, a girl in sunglasses stopped in her tracks upon spotting a familiar figure.

“Yuebai?”

Lin Yuebai didn’t pause, brushing past the girl without a word.

It was a former member of Aurora. Rumor had it she had gained some popularity after playing the second female lead in a period drama. Now, holding what was likely a contract termination agreement, she was living far better than her former captain.

Lin Yuebai hesitated, wanting to say something, but now wasn’t the time for small talk. She offered an apologetic smile instead.

Seeing Qin Jue walking farther ahead, she quickly quickened her pace to catch up.

The black sedan shielded them from the biting wind outside.

A delicate strawberry cake was placed in Lin Yuebai’s palm.

Fang Xun stood by the door, watching her former captain climb into a sleek black luxury car—

with Qin Jue.

Qin Jue’s reputation in the industry wasn’t exactly stellar. Fang Xun had seen her from afar a few times, but thanks to Qin Jue’s striking beauty, anyone who laid eyes on her would never forget her.

On one hand, people lamented that with Qin Jue’s looks, it was a shame she hadn’t entered the entertainment industry. On the other, they sighed—because the money she made far surpassed what she could’ve earned as a celebrity.

Why would the captain choose to be with Qin Jue?

Fang Xun’s gaze held a trace of confusion and bewilderment.

The captain had clearly worked harder than anyone else, just lacking a bit of luck.

Lin Yuebai could feel the gaze from outside the car window.

Soon, her thoughts were interrupted by Qin Jue.

“Do you know that person at the door?” Qin Jue leaned lazily against the driver’s seat, her voice casual and indifferent. The system in her mind was cheering her on, “Mock her! Ridicule her! Taunt her! Make the protagonist understand that today’s bitterness leads to tomorrow’s sweetness.”

A small strawberry cake rested in the palm of her hand, the strawberries on top vibrant and juicy, like a beating heart full of sincerity.

Lin Yuebai smiled gently and said, “Yes, she was a former member of Aurora. Before the group disbanded, she was always very popular. We entered the training camp in the same year.”

Lin Yuebai kept an eye on the scene outside the car window. Fang Xun stood at the door, but from inside the car, she was no longer visible.

To be seen by a former friend and teammate, now willingly degrading herself by staying by a sponsor’s side—she must look down on her now.

A bitter smile tugged at Lin Yuebai’s lips, but when she caught sight of the impatient tapping of red-painted nails on the steering wheel, the swirling negativity in her heart suddenly faded.

In the past, she couldn’t eat small cakes.

In the past, she couldn’t have congee with preserved egg and lean pork either.

But by Qin Jue’s side, she could.

Qin Jue had never scolded her or laid a hand on her. She was just verbally harsh at times, but compared to everything Lin Yuebai had endured before, this was much better.

She scooped up a small bite of cake with a spoon and brought it to her lips. In an instant, the rich sweetness exploded on her tongue, the tart and sweet juice of the strawberries flooding her mouth with a fresh, fruity fragrance.

Fang Xun tightened her grip on the termination contract in her hand. Just when she thought Qin Jue might take advantage of her former captain, all she saw was the woman picking up a napkin and gently wiping the cream from the corner of Lin Yuebai’s mouth.

Just wiping away the cream.

Qin Jue’s expression was tender, and from the shape of her lips, she seemed to be telling her to eat slowly.

Outside, the cold wind howled, but the warmth inside the car was palpable. Even from a distance, Fang Xun could almost taste the sweetness of the strawberries.

In the blink of an eye, the black sedan had disappeared from view.

Lin Yuebai’s heart raced in the confined space, the aroma of the strawberry cake overwhelmingly rich.

Logically, she should hate all sweets—because eating had always meant pain.

Qin Jue said to the system with mixed emotions, “Isn’t wiping cream off someone’s mouth with your hands considered harassment?”

The system replied enthusiastically, “Yes! I believe in you, host!”

But strangely, by Qin Jue’s side, her stomach felt soothed. Lin Yuebai stole a glance at Qin Jue’s expression and found her focused on driving, only pausing at red lights to take out a tissue and dab at the cream smeared on her lips.

“How did you manage to get it all over your mouth? Don’t big stars like you have any image to maintain? With your lack of attention to appearances, no wonder you never made it big.”

The words were cruel, but the touch of the napkin at the corner of her lips was gentle.

Lin Yuebai’s body stiffened for a moment.

She knew what touching lips could imply.

But Qin Jue didn’t use her fingers—just the napkin, carefully brushing away the stray cream.

If Qin Jue had traced her lips with her fingers, Lin Yuebai might have abandoned her reservations and leaned into the touch, eager to please. But Qin Jue clearly had no such intentions.

This left Lin Yuebai somewhat bewildered.

“Thank you, President Qin.”

Lin Yuebai’s phone vibrated several times in her hand as Fang Xun’s messages came flooding in one after another.

Fang Xun: “Did President Qin do anything to you? If she bullied you, you have to get away.”

Fang Xun: “Captain, you’ll always be our captain. I’ll do everything I can to pull some strings—your drama will definitely air.”

Fang Xun: “Why did you have to go to President Qin of all people? Don’t you know what kind of person she is?”

Fang Xun: “!!! If you don’t reply, I’m calling the police!”

Fang Xun: “Don’t be fooled by her looks. That woman is no good. Last month, she smashed a bottle over someone’s head in a bar.”

Fang Xun’s messages kept buzzing incessantly. Lin Yuebai replied with a quick “I’m fine” before flipping her phone face-down on her lap. She finished a small slice of cake in a few bites, but for the first time in a long while, she felt the gnawing pangs of hunger in her stomach.

The black sedan drove through the night for less than half an hour before entering an upscale residential complex with tight security.

Qin Jue took a set of keys from the storage compartment and tossed them to her.

The system in her mind reminded her: “In the original plot, you offer Lin Yuebai a luxurious residence with the condition that she must be available at your beck and call. However, she refuses, unwilling to be insulted by money, and ends up living in a cramped rental to highlight her integrity—unyielding to material temptations.”

The apartment Qin Jue chose for Lin Yuebai wasn’t overly large—just over a hundred square meters, perfect for one person, not far from the city center, with a shopping mall right downstairs.

If not for the system’s insistence on following this plotline, Qin Jue’s first instinct would have been to keep Lin Yuebai under her own roof, ensuring she ate properly and didn’t starve her fragile stomach into another health crisis.

The spacious, well-lit apartment was tastefully decorated—neither overly extravagant nor coldly sterile. Lin Yuebai knew there was no such thing as a free lunch; accepting Qin Jue’s generosity would come at a price.

Qin Jue leaned casually against the doorframe, draped in an exquisitely tailored cashmere coat, its fine fabric shimmering softly. Her crimson lips curled faintly as she toyed with a delicate set of keys, the keychain adorned with a dazzling sapphire.

“Agree to one condition, and this little dump is yours.”

According to the original novel, Lin Yuebai would refuse, and Qin Jue had already braced herself for rejection.

“I want you to be available whenever I call—day or night. The moment my number flashes on your phone, no matter how important whatever you’re doing is, you drop everything and come to me. You’ll fulfill my needs.”

Qin Jue’s finger tapped lightly against Lin Yuebai’s collarbone.

“Well?”

Lin Yuebai nodded obediently. “Okay.”