Chapter 60 – Auntie, I Don’t Want to Try Anymore (Part Six)

Liang Yin had come to see Liu Qingru because she, too, had received news of the Gu family’s bankruptcy. After giving it serious thought, she believed she had the ability to claim a share of the spoils, so she came to discuss a potential acquisition with Liu Qingru. Who would’ve thought that just as she reached the door, she’d overhear Yu Liuxue nearly blurting out her true feelings and admitting her real motives? Although Yu Liuxue had managed to patch up her words in time, it was already too late.

Liang Yin had thoroughly figured out Yu Liuxue’s reason for getting close to her. She stared at Yu Liuxue, finding her increasingly unpleasant to look at. Letting out a cold snort, Liang Yin shifted her gaze to Liu Qingru and said blandly, “Qingru, I came to discuss the Gu family with you.”

Yu Liuxue pricked up her ears at once—Gu family? Was it related to the female lead?

That wasn’t in the original plot.

Liu Qingru gave a small nod, got up, walked around Yu Liuxue to pour a cup of coffee for Liang Yin, and handed it to her. Then she called the secretary to bring in the documents. From beginning to end, Liu Qingru and Liang Yin acted as if Yu Liuxue didn’t exist, completely ignoring her and diving into their business conversation.

Liang Yin tapped her fingertips on her thigh. “Shall we collaborate?”

Liu Qingru didn’t hesitate. “Let’s collaborate.”

Just as the two were about to get into details, Liang Yin suddenly turned her head and glared at the still-standing Yu Liuxue in displeasure. “Why are you still here?”

Yu Liuxue: “…I’ll leave right away. President Liu, Auntie Liang, please take your time chatting.”

Without a shred of politeness, Liang Yin treated her like an errand girl. “Don’t forget to close the door.”

After leaving Liu Qingru’s office and shutting the door tightly behind her, Yu Liuxue squatted in the corner of the hallway, sobbing uncontrollably. Hugging her knees, she cried, “It’s too hard… In this world, in front of Liang Yin and Liu Qingru, even breathing feels wrong.”

The system tried to comfort her. “Host, don’t be so discouraged. At least this proves your efforts in this world haven’t been in vain.”

Much obliged.

After the system’s attempt at comforting her, Yu Liuxue suddenly felt refreshed and clear-headed. She quickly returned to her department to begin executing the task Liu Qingru had assigned. She had made up her mind—the first step to conquering Liu Qingru was:

Earning her recognition.

To gain Liu Qingru’s recognition, she had to execute the tasks Liu Qingru assigned flawlessly and generate more profits for her. Luckily, she had transmigrated into books so many times—maybe she hadn’t eaten pork, but she’d seen pigs run—so completing tasks like this wasn’t that hard.

However, to others, her desperate work ethic took on a very different meaning.

“Look at that little seductress. Who is she trying to impress with all this effort?”

“Who else but President Liu? She just got here, and President Liu skipped over the design directors and gave such an important task to Qiao Ruo. It’s blatant favoritism. Would any of the directors dare say a word?”

“I don’t even think Qiao Ruo is all that attractive. How did President Liu fall for her?”

“Plain-looking” Yu Liuxue hurried past with a pile of fabric samples in her arms. As she passed Guo Zao, the latter looked down and pressed her lips together, feeling worse and worse. It was obvious the others in the company had misunderstood Manager Qiao. She’d just been dumped and was in a bad mood—using work to exhaust herself as a distraction was perfectly reasonable, wasn’t it?

The thought that Yu Liuxue’s current state was entirely her fault filled Guo Zao with growing guilt.

But she really had no choice. She didn’t want to marry some old man old enough to be her grandfather. Qin Feng was the only straw she could grasp. He was handsome, treated her well, and was willing to help her shoulder her family’s debts. That was a blessing she must have earned through countless good deeds in a past life.

She was sure that if Manager Qiao were in her shoes, she’d also choose to cling to Qin Feng.

Distracted and emotionally distressed, Guo Zao made a mistake at work. The design director seized the opportunity to scold Yu Liuxue harshly in front of the entire department. Yu Liuxue remained calm, tapping her pen cap lightly on the desk and said flatly, “Got it. I’ll speak to her properly afterward.”

Guo Zao felt even more guilty. Manager Qiao had been dumped because of her, and now she was getting chewed out because of her mistake. Everyone knew the design director didn’t like Yu Liuxue, and now she wasn’t even bothering to hide it. She’d been waiting for a mistake from Yu Liuxue’s team just to pounce.

The scolding went on and on. Yu Liuxue, thoroughly fed up, pushed back her chair and stood up. “Enough. It’s just a minor error. I’ll take full responsibility for her mistake. Dock my bonus if you want.”

Yu Liuxue had no patience for this cannon-fodder yap-yap-yap. After walking a few steps, she noticed Guo Zao was still frozen in place. She raised an eyebrow. “Not leaving yet?”

“Coming.” Guo Zao snapped out of it and quickly followed. After they’d walked a while, she apologized guiltily, “I’m sorry, Manager Qiao. Because of me, you were scolded by Director Zhang…”

“No big deal,” Yu Liuxue replied, her mind entirely on the project. She marched ahead in high heels, full of purpose, though her voice remained casual. “Just don’t let it happen again.”

Guo Zao felt a warmth in her heart and nodded hurriedly. “Don’t worry, Manager Qiao. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

Then, cautiously, she added, “Manager Qiao, thank you for standing up for me. When the project’s done, I’d like to treat you to a meal—would that be okay?”

She held her breath, heart pounding. If Manager Qiao agreed, it would mean she didn’t know about her and Qin Feng. If she refused, it would mean she was pretending not to know…

Yu Liuxue had no idea about the female lead’s inner drama. She simply nodded. “Sure. Let’s talk after the project.”

Yu Liuxue walked away, and Guo Zao finally let out a long sigh of relief. A smile appeared on her face—thank goodness. Manager Qiao still didn’t know. Biting her lip, Guo Zao made up her mind: when the time was right, she would formally apologize to Manager Qiao. Manager Qiao was a good person, and Guo Zao really wanted to be friends with her.

Qin Feng had been a playboy his whole life, but now that he had to take responsibility for another person’s life and debt-ridden family, he showed no intention of backing down. On the contrary, he was eager to make something of himself. After hearing from the housekeeper that Liang Yin was in a good mood today, Qin Feng drove home again. Liang Yin had just finished a call. When she saw her son return, she didn’t even bother to look at him.

Qin Feng didn’t feel awkward at all. With a thick-skinned grin, he sat down next to Liang Yin. “Mom, I’ve thought it through. Qiao Ruo really isn’t suitable to marry.”

Liang Yin barely lifted her eyelids. “Oh? Really.”

“Yes, Mom. Qiao Ruo made you upset even before stepping into our house. If she really became Mrs. Qin, who knows how she’d go against you in the future? So for your sake, I’ve broken up with her. Even when she came crying and begging me to take her back, I refused.” Qin Feng plastered a smile on his face. “Mom, I was wrong before. I was immature and made you angry. But I’ve grown up now and won’t upset you anymore.”

“Can you not hold a grudge against your own child?”

Child? Liang Yin turned to look at her six-foot-two son and said with a cold, sarcastic smile, “Now you’re a child? Back when you were arguing with me, you couldn’t wait to act like my father.”

Qin Feng chuckled awkwardly and quickly explained, “Mom, that’s why I said I was immature. But now I’ve grown up, I’m mature, and I’ll never make you angry again.”

As the saying goes, “Once bitten by a snake, one fears even a well rope for ten years.” After being tricked by Yu Liuxue a few times, Liang Yin now looked at her own son and felt he was just like her—full of lies, not a word to be trusted.

She set down her phone and leaned lazily against the sofa, narrowing her eyes slightly. “You really know you were wrong?”

“Yes, Mom, I really know I was wrong.”

Liang Yin raised her chin. “It’s not because you want something from me?”

Qin Feng hesitated for a second, which was immediately caught by Liang Yin. She lowered the hand supporting her forehead in disappointment, but still, her son had taken the initiative to bow his head and admit fault first. That made her happy deep down. Her expression didn’t change though—still appearing displeased—and she pretended to be impatient as she said, “What is it?”

“Mom, I’ve fallen for another girl.”

“Her family ran into some trouble, and as her boyfriend, I want to help her through it with my own hands. I want to protect her, care for her, and not let her suffer even the slightest grievance.” Qin Feng spoke with great sincerity—so much so that he sounded exactly like Yu Liuxue when she had deceived Liang Yin before, right down to the tone and expression.

Liang Yin’s thoughts suddenly wandered: with such good acting skills, why hadn’t that little scammer gone into showbiz? If she had entered the entertainment industry, who could compete with her? She’d probably have an Oscar in her pocket by now.

Using such talent to swindle her money was simply a waste.

As she drifted off in thought, Qin Feng was still in full dramatic mode. “So Mom, could you arrange a job for me in the company? I’m willing to start from the very bottom, no matter how hard or tiring it is.”

Liang Yin snapped back to reality and asked calmly, “Which family is the girl from?”

“Her name is Guo Zao. She’s especially petite and cute. Mom, I really like her. I fell for her the moment I saw her. And she likes me too. She—”

Liang Yin raised her hand to cut him off. Guo Zao? The cherished daughter of the bankrupt Guo family?

Liang Yin had met Guo Zao before. She wasn’t tall, just about 165 cm, with a pale, delicate oval face, big watery eyes, and a dainty cherry mouth. She indeed had the graceful air of a noble lady. But the girl was shy and easily embarrassed—how could someone like that uphold the Qin family’s reputation in the future?

The wife of the Qin family’s head blushing just from talking to a man? Obviously a disaster in the making. Absolutely not.

That little scammer with the wasted talent was so much better. She could handle a banquet and a kitchen, say the right thing to the right person at the right time, and keep everything in perfect order. Yu Liuxue was quick-witted, sweet-talking, and mentally strong, capable of handling any sudden crisis. She would be a powerful and competent partner at her son’s side in the future.

Even if the little scammer didn’t actually like her son.

But that didn’t stop Liang Yin from being disappointed in her son’s taste. “Weren’t you getting along well with Qiao Ruo?”

Qin Feng gritted his teeth. “Mom, that woman was just after my money! She didn’t truly like me. Being with a woman like that, I was afraid she’d steal my Hermès belt one day and resell it online!”

Now that sounded like Yu Liuxue.

Liang Yin shook her head, disagreeing. “She wasn’t after your money.”

Qin Feng thought Liang Yin hadn’t yet seen Yu Liuxue’s true nature and quickly explained, “Qiao Ruo’s the vain type. She—”

“She was after my money,” Liang Yin said.

Qin Feng: “…?”

Mom, that’s too much.

Still, Liang Yin agreed to find him a job. When Qin Feng happily told Guo Zao he’d soon be able to pay off all her debts, Liang Yin’s assistant called to tell him to report to work that afternoon. Thrilled, Qin Feng casually asked, “What job did Mom get me?”

The assistant replied flatly, “Warehouse manager.”

Qin Feng: “???”

Is she really my mom?

When Yu Liuxue heard that Qin Feng had been sent to manage the warehouse, she nearly burst out laughing. After wiping away her tears of mirth, she suddenly sobered. “Wait a minute?! In the original storyline, wasn’t Qin Feng supposed to be parachuted in as general manager around now and begin his overpowered protagonist arc?”

Why was this different from the original plot?

The system snorted. “Why else? It’s because you, Host, seduced both Liu Qingru and Liang Yin, causing deviations in the world’s development.”

Yu Liuxue blinked innocently. “You can’t blame me. Liang Yin made the first move.”

The system had nothing to say to that and simply shut up. With a mouth like hers, she could probably trick even a ghost. Arguing with her was asking for humiliation.

To celebrate Qin Feng’s first job, Yu Liuxue even splurged and bought him a Switch gaming console. It arrived at the warehouse the next day via express delivery. When Qin Feng opened the box in confusion, he immediately saw the card Yu Liuxue had asked the seller to include:
“Heard you’re working at Auntie Liang’s company now? Congratulations—from your sweet and considerate ex, Qiao Ruo.”

Qin Feng’s face turned black as the bottom of a pot. He tore the card to shreds, but after hesitating, kept the Switch.

Warehouse management was one of those jobs where you were either extremely busy or extremely idle. Qin Feng figured it wouldn’t hurt to keep the console for entertainment during the quiet times. He knew Liang Yin was just testing whether he truly had the determination to take on the company, whether he could endure hardship. After all, he was her own son—no mother would let her child rot forever in a dead-end job.

Qin Feng believed that as long as he stuck it out, his mother would eventually promote him.

To something like manager. Or general manager.

So Qin Feng worked steadily in the warehouse and often played the Switch that Yu Liuxue gave him during his downtime. It wasn’t a bad life.

After the Guo family went bankrupt, many tried to grab a share of the pie. Liang Yin and Liu Qingru moved fastest. The two had been friends for years and trusted each other deeply. Working together, they easily outmaneuvered other companies and swiftly took over the Guo family’s assets.

Since starting the acquisition, Liu Qingru had been much busier, and Yu Liuxue rarely saw her. Left with no choice, Yu Liuxue finally focused on her own project. After countless nights of overtime, the project was finally complete. Tossing everything aside, she immediately took time off and spent days and nights sleeping in her tiny rental apartment.

Her clothing designs were sent to the factory, and after the samples passed inspection, full-scale production began. Some haute couture and ready-to-wear pieces were sent to fashion shows. Announcements were made, celebrities invited, products launched—everything rolled out like clockwork. Compared to before, sales rose significantly.

Repeat customers increased and brought new ones with them. The number of VIPs exploded, and in just a few days, everything sold out—a situation that had never happened before.

The assistant and secretary whispered to each other again:
“So Qiao Ruo did have some real talent. I thought Director Liu just liked her for her looks.”
“I don’t think it was her looks. Girls like Qiao Ruo really know how to play in bed, you know what I mean?”
“I do.”

Even Liu Qingru hadn’t expected Yu Liuxue to deliver such a huge surprise. After thinking it over, she directly gave Yu Liuxue a two-week vacation and a hefty bonus. “Go rent yourself a better place.”

The boss was so concerned about her that Yu Liuxue refused out of instinctive emotion. She felt living here was quite nice—sometimes at night, she could even enjoy the occasional adults-only sound effects for free.

Thinking of this, Yu Liuxue suddenly grew resentful. “I’ve been in this world for over half a year, and I haven’t even kissed anyone, let alone held a girl’s hand…”

The system coldly interrupted her: “Didn’t you hold Liu Qingru and Liang Yin’s hands? Also Guo Zao’s, plus the hands of 135 other girls in your company.”

Yu Liuxue: “…”

“You’re keeping count so clearly—do you have improper feelings for me? Give it up! You’re an AI system and I’m a human. People and programs go down different paths. There’s no way anything could happen between us! You could never satisfy me anyway!”

System: “…”

Climb, climb, climb. Believe it or not, I’ll report you for system abuse.

Qin Feng had been staying in the warehouse for a while, and with a Switch to keep him company, life was better than his old days of indulgence and partying. Sometimes he got so hooked on the game that he’d forget to pick up Guo Zao after work. At first, Guo Zao thought he’d just been held up by something. But later, she realized he was simply too absorbed in the game to notice the time. After missing her pickup repeatedly, she finally got angry.

But she didn’t show it. She just stewed alone, hoping Qin Feng would notice her change in mood.

At the beginning, Qin Feng did notice she was upset and promised there’d be no next time. Guo Zao smiled and quickly forgave him. But as he broke that promise more and more, Guo Zao found herself sitting alone in a fancy French restaurant with red candles on the table, surrounded by couples. She was the only one alone—so out of place.

Qin Feng was already an hour late. Under the awkward gaze of the waiter, Guo Zao forced a smile and ordered herself a steak.

She’d had enough. In a fit of anger, she blocked Qin Feng on all platforms.

Today, her father called again, pressuring her to come home for dinner. But “dinner” was just a cover—it was really a negotiation. And she was the commodity. If some wealthy man liked her, she’d have to marry him so her father could get the money to make a comeback.

Guo Zao felt deeply pained. She wanted someone to talk to, someone to help share her burden. But Qin Feng only cared about his games. Where was the boyfriend who once promised to shoulder her debts?

Back when he was chasing her, he swore up and down that he’d help her out. And now? It hadn’t even been that long, and he’d already broken that promise. Heartbroken, Guo Zao thought maybe… to him, she was just a fleeting novelty—like she was to Manager Qiao.

Once Qin Feng got tired of her, she’d be tossed aside just like Manager Qiao.

As she ate her steak, tears unknowingly streamed down her face. In that moment, she truly realized: men are not to be trusted. Rather than relying on Qin Feng, she’d be better off believing in herself and doing everything she could to avoid ending up in misery.

Guo Zao picked up her phone, choking on her sobs as she called her father back. “Dad, I’ll come home tomorrow.”

Yu Liuxue noticed the heroine’s eyes were swollen like two little walnuts. Even though she had tried to hide it with makeup, it was still obvious. Yu Liuxue walked over with a cup of hot water. “Do you need to take the day off?”

Guo Zao hurriedly lowered her lashes, trying to hide her embarrassment. Her face was red as she shook her head. “No need, Manager Qiao. Thank you.”

“If anything’s going on, just tell me. I’ll help however I can.” Yu Liuxue had heard about Qin Feng, and honestly, it was her fault. If she hadn’t deliberately given him a game console, the misunderstanding between the male and female leads wouldn’t have happened.

The system added sarcastically: “Host, did you know? After you gave the male lead the game console, your mission progress regressed by at least 45%.”

“But I’d only reached 5%!”

“Which means your mission progress is now in the negative. Please keep working hard to win over your target!”

Yu Liuxue: “…” Damn, totally miscalculated.

Guo Zao felt a warmth in her heart and lowered her head even more. “Thank you, Manager Qiao. You’re a good person.”

Yu Liuxue, now officially friend-zoned, saw that the heroine clearly didn’t want her around, so she simply set down the hot water and said, “Alright, get back to work. If it gets to be too much, just let me know and I’ll help you take time off.”

Guo Zao blushed and softly replied, “I will.”

After Yu Liuxue left, Guo Zao stared blankly in the direction she disappeared, her heart filled with guilt. Manager Qiao is such a good person, and yet I selfishly stole her boyfriend. I’m terrible.

The heroine was about to go on a blind date with an old man, while Qin Feng was still playing video games. Yu Liuxue was so furious she wished she could chop off her own hands. Of all things to buy, why did I buy a Switch?! After work, she grabbed her bag and stormed over to Liang Yin’s company. As soon as she saw Qin Feng’s back, she smacked it hard.

Qin Feng yelped in pain and jumped out of his chair. When he saw it was Yu Liuxue, he nearly hit back. “What the hell?!”

Yu Liuxue sneered. “Guo Zao told me she’s going out for dinner with a man in his fifties tonight…”

Before she could finish, Qin Feng took off like a gust of wind. On the way out, he didn’t forget to grab the game console that had fallen on the ground.

Yu Liuxue: “…”

Tch. Men.

“Wait!” Yu Liuxue shouted after him. Qin Feng thought she had more to say, so he ran back, frowning impatiently. “What now?”

Yu Liuxue put her hands on her hips, thinking of her -45% progress bar, and dove into character. She asked unreasonably, “Between me and Guo Zao, who do you actually like?”

Qin Feng: “…” Psycho.

“Did you never like me at all? Was it always just Guo Zao in your heart?”

“Mom.” Qin Feng suddenly tucked away his game console and stood straight. “You’re here.”

Yu Liuxue: “…?”

Mom? You?

A bad feeling crept over her. She froze, hands still on her hips, not daring to move or turn around.

Then a cold laugh echoed behind her. Liang Yin’s voice cut in sharply: “What, still can’t get over my son?”

And that wasn’t all. Yu Liuxue caught a familiar whiff of Liu Qingru’s perfume.

Yu Liuxue started to panicP