Chapter 47

“Call your mom here?” Zheng Yanran repeated, then let out a scoffing laugh. “A little thing like this needs my mom to come in person? She's busy right now—”

Halfway through, Zheng Yanran suddenly caught herself. She pointed at Xu Chun in disbelief. “How could you possibly be close with my mom? My mom's so busy every day you can't even see her shadow.” She paused, then gritted her teeth. “You vixen—what tricks did you use to dig up my mom's work schedule and sneak up to her to get close?”

“But I can tell you plainly, your little games won't work on my mom. The thing my mom hates most in life is people approaching her with ulterior motives, scheming against her. So I suggest you give up on that idea while you still can!”

“Before you end up angering my mom, and she loses patience and has someone deal with you.”

Zheng Yanran's words were no idle threat. Over the years, plenty of men and women had tried every trick to win over Zheng Jinchan's heart, but in the twenty-some years since Zheng Yanran could remember, not a single one had succeeded. Some with especially vicious schemes had been personally dealt with by Zheng Jinchan. They were left worse off than before and never managed to make a comeback for the rest of their lives.

Despite Zheng Jinchan's ruthless methods over the years, people still came in droves trying to climb into her bed. Just the ones Zheng Yanran knew about numbered in the dozens, if not hundreds. But without exception, they all met sorry ends.

So when Zheng Yanran heard Xu Chun boast that she was close with her mom, Zheng Yanran scoffed inwardly, dismissed it as nonsense, and merely thought that Xu Chun had better hope her mom didn't hear that—otherwise she wouldn't even know how she died.

This Xu Chun was, after all, the white moonlight Jiang Banxia pined for. If she accidentally got herself dealt with by her mom, things between Zheng Yanran and Jiang Banxia would become awkward. Jiang Banxia already didn't like her; if something happened to Xu Chun at her mom's hands... then Zheng Yanran could forget about ever winning Jiang Banxia over in this lifetime.

At that thought, Zheng Yanran felt a stir of irritation.

Xu Chun raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Oh?” She blinked innocently. “But last time, Sister Zheng even invited me to play mahjong with her.”

“She said you, me, her, plus President Qin and Jiang Banxia—that would make just the right table...”

Before Xu Chun could finish, Zheng Yanran's attitude did a complete one-eighty. Her eyes sparkling, she leaned in and pulled out the chair across from Xu Chun to sit down, the picture of a model student. “Really?”

“Mom really said that?” Zheng Yanran's tone had softened considerably, and her clear eyes were practically glowing.

Her first instinct had been to scold Xu Chun for daring to call her mom ‘Sister Zheng,’ but the next second the prospect of playing mahjong with Jiang Banxia thoroughly won her over. In a flash, she reasoned that letting Xu Chun call her mom ‘sister’ wouldn't cost her a pound of flesh, so she might as well let it slide. Her mom wouldn't fall for it anyway.

Zheng Yanran changed faces so fast it caught anyone off guard. Xu Chun's eyelid twitched hard. “...Really.”

“President Qin and Jiang Zhaolie were both there. If you don't believe me, ask them.” Xu Chun shrugged casually.

Xu Chun's fearless demeanor convinced Zheng Yanran nine-tenths of the way. After a brief silence, Zheng Yanran suddenly reached out with a guilty look and gently took Xu Chun's hand. “Sister Xu Chun, I'm sorry. I raised my voice a little just now.” She thought for a moment, then added, “And my tone wasn't very nice either. I hope you'll be magnanimous and not hold it against a kid like me.”

“Is there anything you've been wanting lately, gifts, anything like that? I'll buy it for you.” Zheng Yanran grinned brightly, all innocent cheer. “Don't worry about the price. Just tell me what you want.”

“Whether it flies in the sky, runs on the ground, or swims in the water, I can get it for you.”

“Even if you want a star in the sky, that works too.” Zheng Yanran declared with boundless generosity. “I can buy a star right now and name it after you.”

Zheng Yanran said it with such conviction that Xu Chun couldn't help but look like an old man squinting at his phone. “???”

What was it with kids these days, being so utterly shameless? And the things she was saying... Xu Chun silently withdrew her hands from Zheng Yanran's grasp. “You want to buy me a star and name it after me?”

Zheng Yanran nodded without hesitation. “As long as you can make this mahjong game happen, Sister Xu Chun, I'd buy you a spaceship if you wanted.”

Xu Chun's eyelid twitched again. What big talk—wasn't she afraid of biting her own tongue? She zoned out for a moment, then said seriously, “Anyone who didn't know better would think you were confessing to me with all this.”

“How could I?” Zheng Yanran thought about it, then quickly shook her head. “No, that's not right. I like Jiang Banxia, and Jiang Banxia likes you. By that logic, I like you too. So your understanding isn't wrong.”

“Giving to you is no different from giving to Jiang Banxia. As long as you're both happy, that's all that matters.”

Xu Chun: [image: Hong Shixian's confusion.jpg]

She stared at Zheng Yanran, at a loss for words, unsure whether to call her the ultimate simp or the ultimate sucker. Numbly, she scooped a spoonful of rice into her mouth. “That won't be necessary.”

“Why not?” Zheng Yanran leaned in curiously, thought for a moment, then lit up with understanding. “Do you think it's inappropriate? Worried Jiang Banxia will get jealous if she finds out? It's fine.” Zheng Yanran waved her hand calmly. “Since I was little, I've already bought her five hundred and twenty stars in total.”

She looked resolute. “My goal is to gather one thousand three hundred and fourteen stars for her in my lifetime.”

Xu Chun: “???”

She couldn't help complaining inwardly: if Zheng Jinchan ever went bankrupt, it would definitely be because Zheng Yanran bankrupted her buying stars, wouldn't it?

The star-selling agencies must be raking it in!

Having been penniless herself not long ago, Xu Chun had complicated feelings. She took a couple of bites of rice, then suddenly realized something. “Wait—Qin Group doesn't open its doors to outsiders. How did you get in?”

After the recent mess with Bai Xianxian, security was at its peak, so tight even a fly couldn't get through. She looked Zheng Yanran up and down; her clothes were quite formal...

“Of course I came with my mom.” Zheng Yanran lifted her chin high. “My mom came to discuss business with President Qin today.”

“So you secretly tagged along to see Jiang Banxia?”

Caught out, Zheng Yanran looked a little guilty, but she quickly lifted her chin again. “So what? I miss her so much I can't eat or sleep. Can't I find a way to come see her?”

“Of course you can.” Xu Chun couldn't be bothered to argue with this love-addled girl. “Then go find her.”

Zheng Yanran fell silent for a long time. At last, fidgeting under Xu Chun's skeptical gaze, she said, “...It's just that I don't know where she is right now. So I had no choice but to come find you. I figured if I stick close to you, I'm bound to see her.”

“She can't possibly be indifferent after being apart from you for so long and then hearing you're back.” Zheng Yanran pursed her lips confidently. “She'll definitely come see you as soon as she's done handling her family matters.”

“Her family matters?” Xu Chun's wandering gaze stopped. “What happened in her family?”

Zheng Yanran glanced at her, then grinned. “Why should I tell you? If you knew everything, how would I use my information advantage to get a step ahead, slip in to help her, and comfort her wounded heart?”

“You don't have to tell me.” Xu Chun smiled back. “Then I'll just go ask her myself.”

Zheng Yanran seemed genuinely annoyed by that and stayed silent for a long while. “What else could it be? Her parents want to marry her off to my family, but she refuses no matter what.” Zheng Yanran said reluctantly, “Her stance against the marriage is firm. She won't compromise with her parents no matter what. So her dad has started secretly searching for the illegitimate daughter he had over twenty years ago.”

“I heard President Jiang kept several mistresses back then, and one of them even bore him a son, and the mother and child were both sent abroad to live. Now Madam Jiang has found out and is raising a huge fuss with President Jiang. And Jiang Banxia hasn't done anything wrong, yet her status as heir is about to be stripped away by her father's own hands.”

“I only heard yesterday that President Jiang has already found a son and is planning to bring that illegitimate child along to curry favor with my mom.” At this, Zheng Yanran couldn't help but sneer. “How delusional. Doesn't he realize that with my status and position, I have no need to marry into the Jiang family at all? If I wanted to, there'd be plenty of wealthy heirs lining up to marry me.”

“The reason I've been warm and friendly to him and Madam Jiang all these years is entirely because of Jiang Banxia, understand? The only person I've ever wanted to marry, from beginning to end, is Jiang Banxia.”

“Him trying to use his illegitimate children to get close to my family is just disgusting.” As she spoke, Zheng Yanran suddenly paused. “Wait—Jiang Banxia's father used his illegitimate child to humiliate me. I should take this chance to make a scene and give him a good thrashing on Jiang Banxia's behalf.”

She abruptly stood up, forcibly exchanged contact information with Xu Chun, and smiled sweetly. “Sister Xu Chun, if Jiang Banxia shows up, please do me a kindness and let me know, okay?”

“If I get to see Jiang Banxia today, I'll give you a diamond. If you don't think diamonds hold their value, gold works too.”

Xu Chun really wanted to pretend she was above material temptations, but... Zheng Yanran was offering way too much. Xu Chun put on a reluctant expression and nodded. “...Alright then.”

Seeing how sensible she was being, Zheng Yanran's smile brightened. “Mom was right. You really are clever—no wonder Jiang Banxia likes you so much.”

Xu Chun was stunned, then caught on. “?” If she hadn't agreed, had Zheng Yanran been planning to use force?

...Truly worthy of being Zheng Jinchan's biological daughter. That domineering, forceful temperament was exactly like Zheng Jinchan's.

At that moment, Zheng Jinchan was in Qin Group's conference room. Qin Yao sat across from her, leisurely flipping through the detailed project cooperation proposal. Zheng Jinchan crossed her legs and said meaningfully, “Everyone out there says I'm ruthless. If you ask me, the truly ruthless one is you.”

For big companies like theirs, it was completely normal to have a few corporate spies in their ranks. When a corporate spy was exposed, they'd all want to keep the matter tightly under wraps, terrified of being found out and losing face. But Qin Yao was different. Not only did she not cover it up, she took the initiative to expose it on the show, dragging everything into the open and letting people watch the spectacle.

Outside the show, ordinary viewers heatedly discussed Qin Group's gossip, which quietly served as an advertisement and promotion for Qin Group, effortlessly multiplying its visibility several times over. Meanwhile, industry insiders would assume Qin Yao had ulterior motives for the exposure, perhaps secretly plotting something else, and wouldn't dare let their guard down for a moment.

They would instinctively feel that someone like Qin Yao wouldn't expose something that should have stayed hidden unless she was fully confident of achieving her goal.

Zheng Jinchan was among the latter.

Though it was still unclear what Qin Yao's goal was, information and trending topics related to Qin Group were already flying across all major online platforms. Combined with people's spontaneous explanations, Qin Group had moved from an obscure behind-the-scenes corporation into the public eye and was becoming a brand synonymous with strength, popularity, and reliability.

After this affair, one could say that whenever consumers had related needs in the future, they would definitely choose Qin Group first.

Qin Group was a big corporation, and big corporations meant guaranteed security, meant peace of mind—even if problems arose, they could be resolved quickly and effectively. If this continued long-term, Qin Group's standing in ordinary people's hearts would only grow more solid, more deeply rooted.

Beyond that, the victim persona Qin Yao deliberately crafted was beneficial in every way. Most people have empathy—when good people are betrayed, when they encounter calamity, ordinary folks will choose to lend a hand. This was especially true for a corporation like Qin Group, with its positive public image and business ethics.

According to the latest data Zheng Jinchan had obtained, Qin Group's sales over the past half month nearly rivaled a full quarter's sales from previous years. What a terrifying growth rate.

Even Zheng Jinchan felt envious looking at it.

She hardly dared to dwell on how enormous the profits involved were. And this was only the beginning. As Qin Group's visibility grew higher and broader in the future, it would inevitably swallow smaller companies, monopolize the market, and stand alone at the top, its position utterly unshakable.

A commercial empire like that was Zheng Jinchan's lifelong dream.

It was just that her family background was far inferior to Qin Yao's. She had no powerful family backing her up. Even if Zheng Jinchan spent her entire life striving, she feared she could never reach Qin Yao's heights. If Zheng Yanran took up the torch and continued the struggle, it might just barely be possible, but Zheng Yanran... Zheng Jinchan couldn't help but sigh. Another hopeless romantic.

Forget inheriting her business—it would be good enough if she didn't cause trouble.

Thinking of her daughter, Zheng Jinchan felt a headache coming on.

“President Zheng jests.” Qin Yao lifted her head and smiled faintly. “Everyone outside knows President Zheng is decisive and efficient, a woman every bit the equal of any man, full of shrewdness.”

“Few people could walk away from their in-laws cleanly and decisively, strike out on their own, and build a business from nothing. Compared with that, President Zheng is far more admirable.”

“You believe what people say out there?” Zheng Jinchan curled her lips disdainfully. “Those people only tell you what you want to hear. Not a sincere word among them.”

That was true. Qin Yao smiled back. “I'll have Jiang Zhaolie handle the follow-up with your company.”

Zheng Jinchan nodded without objection, but she was curious. “This time you came back—why didn't she come along?” She shifted into a more comfortable position. “I remember she's been following you everywhere since she returned to the country. She never seems to leave your side. This time is odd.”

“People have to learn to grow up sometime.” Qin Yao smiled faintly. “If she keeps following me around, she'll never learn anything.”

“Only by going out and tasting hardship herself, by stumbling, will she learn how to walk the road ahead.”

Zheng Jinchan listened and fell into thought.

Zheng Jinchan and Qin Yao stayed in the conference room from day until nightfall without once emerging. Xu Chun was glad for the free time, wandering around Qin Group with Fu Xin until Fu Xin was assigned a new task.

With her errands done, she followed Fu Xin to her workstation, sipping her milk tea through a straw while watching Fu Xin work. Young as she was, Fu Xin genuinely had skill. Xu Chun was curious. “Logically speaking, with your talent, starting your own company and creating a brand shouldn't be a problem. Why did you suddenly decide to go on a reality dating show?”

Fu Xin answered without pausing her work. “I did originally plan to create my own brand.” Her tone was somewhat helpless. “But my family thought that in the entertainment industry...”

She didn't finish, but Xu Chun understood.

Creating your own brand—how could that make money as fast as making a name in entertainment? A celebrity's fee could be hundreds of thousands or millions per job, money some people couldn't earn selling clothes for ten years. If not for that, there wouldn't be so many people forcing their way into the entertainment industry every year. Strike it rich, and you're set for life.

But given Fu Xin's current situation, it might be difficult.

Xu Chun had just seen on her phone that netizens were fiercely debating the Fu Xin family matter, nearly coming to blows. Some felt Fu Xin shouldn't be dragged into it, while others believed the child should repay the parent's debt; since they were family, she should repay her father's debts.

The matter had spread too far and hit too hard. Xu Chun could almost predict how difficult Fu Xin's road in the entertainment industry would be. Fu Xin would need a powerful backer and exceptional talent to make it through.

At that thought, Xu Chun pulled out her phone and messaged He Qingli: [Her mental state seems pretty good. Positive and steady, and she's patient with her work.]

He Qingli quickly sent back a cute sticker: [Thanks. Once you're done filming the variety show, I'll treat you to a big meal.]

Xu Chun: [Then I'll be looking forward to it immensely.]

Just as she was chatting with He Qingli, Zheng Yanran returned, her delicate face crestfallen. “Jiang Banxia didn't even come to see you?” She plopped down beside Xu Chun, deflated and defeated. “Don't tell me she's avoiding even you just to hide from me?”

Xu Chun was curious. “What exactly do you do to make yourself this annoying?”

Before she finished speaking, Zheng Yanran glared at her fiercely. “Miss Xu, please watch your language.” She lifted her chin and looked down at Xu Chun. “Don't forget, we are bona fide love rivals.”

“I have every right to attack and obstruct you, in word and deed.”

Xu Chun: “...” Warning your love rival before attacking her—what a principled, upstanding girl.

“Then obstruct me,” Xu Chun said.

Zheng Yanran was stunned, thinking she'd misheard. “...?”

It was the first time in her life she'd heard such an unreasonable request. Based on her mom's assessment of Xu Chun, Zheng Yanran figured the other woman must be plotting something, like those white lotuses in TV dramas who act vicious in private but play the fragile victim in front of Jiang Banxia to win sympathy, driving a wedge between Zheng Yanran and Jiang Banxia.

Sure enough, the thought had barely crossed her mind when she heard Xu Chun declare self-righteously, “If you dare obstruct me, I'll go tattle to Jiang Banxia.”

“The meaner you are to me, the more her heart will ache for me.”

Zheng Yanran: “...” At that moment, she really wanted to disregard her mom's warnings and have a vicious fight with this arrogant woman.

In the end, Zheng Yanran was so angry she left. Xu Chun, like a victor, bit down on her milk tea straw. Trying to play these games with her? She'd read at least a hundred old-school novels and thoroughly studied all the vicious supporting actress's tricks.

She'd studied all that precisely so that when she faced Yu Sui'an in the future, she could use magic to defeat magic.

As long as she was shameless enough, Yu Sui'an wouldn't be able to do anything to her.

Speaking of which, Yu Sui'an had been quiet lately. She hadn't come to harass Xu Chun, nor had she gone crazy online. She'd gone completely silent, as if she'd vanished, which was genuinely unsettling.

According to the original story's timeline... Xu Chun thought carefully. Yu Sui'an should be pregnant by now, right?

It was just a pity. Now one female lead had gone from ugly duckling to a white swan who very likely had a wealthy biological father, while the other's background had been turned upside down. She'd fallen hard from being heaven's favored child with loving parents and a happy family to an orphan with no parents at all.

Such twists of fate—enough to make men weep and women shed tears.

Xu Chun couldn't help taking another sip of milk tea. Now it seemed only her own background was still normal, right? Well, it didn't matter if it wasn't—Tang Shiyu and Xu Jixian both doted on the original owner of this body, and besides, she had Qin Yao.

One Qin Yao was enough to make up for the entire world.

Speak of the devil, Secretary Zhao caught Xu Chun slacking off and said flatly, “President Qin wants to see you.”

Xu Chun looked up. “? Really?” She was baffled. “Isn't President Qin in a meeting with President Zheng right now? What would she want with me at a time like this?”

Secretary Zhao's expression didn't flicker. “You'll know when you get there.”

...Fair enough.

The conference room was very quiet. Xu Chun pushed the door open just in time to hear Zheng Yanran tearfully tattling, “Mom, Xu Chun bullied me!”

Zheng Jinchan's and Qin Yao's equally piercing glares shot over instantly, nearly making Xu Chun, who hadn't even gotten half a foot through the door, tremble all over. Xu Chun instinctively raised her voice, her survival instincts kicking in hard. “You'd better make yourself clear today! How did I bully you? How exactly did I bully you?”

“In broad daylight, under the open sky—don't you go spreading rumors against your conscience!”

The moment she said that, Zheng Yanran turned evasive, lowering her head bashfully and mumbling, “How else would you bully me? Like this, and that...”

Xu Chun was covered in question marks, cold sweat instantly breaking out on her back. “???” Don't you go inventing things out of thin air, twisting right and wrong, making a scene over nothing!

If you do that, your mom and your Auntie Qin are going to kill me!