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    Chapter 66: Auntie, I Don’t Want to Try Anymore (12)

    Yu Liuxue held onto Liu Qingru’s arm. She could feel Liu Qingru’s body instantly tense. Liu Qingru stared expressionlessly at Qin Feng, for the first time finding her friend’s son such an eyesore. Qin Feng quickly sensed Liu Qingru’s displeased gaze, and his heart skipped a beat—crap, did he just anger Auntie Liu?

    Guilt hit him like a wave. He had always had a distant, often quarrelsome relationship with Liang Yin. But after all, she was his mother. No matter how he acted out, it never got truly serious. Liu Qingru, however, was different. In his memory, she had always been a stern elder, even more intimidating than his own mom when he was a kid.

    She always kept a cold face, rarely smiled, and was excessively strict with him.

    Now, realizing he may have unknowingly offended Liu Qingru, Qin Feng suddenly regretted pretending to have a slipped disc earlier. He shot Yu Liuxue a fierce glare. This ex-girlfriend of his was nothing but trouble—she lied to him, wrecked his family, tried to steal his girlfriend, wanted to be his stepmother, and somehow even had strict Auntie Liu wrapped around her finger.

    Was she a fox spirit reincarnated?

    Yu Liuxue was terrified as well. She didn’t dare look up at Liu Qingru’s expression. Her cheeks flushed, and she glared at Qin Feng, wishing she could smash this dumb male lead into pieces. She looked like she was about to cry as she hissed, “Qin Feng, what the hell are you yelling for?!”

    A thousand curses swirled in her mind, but she had no choice but to keep a polite smile since all the prominent figures present had their eyes fixed on her. She gritted her teeth, gave Qin Feng a courteous glare, and said sweetly, “Qin Feng, if you don’t explain yourself today, I’m not letting this go.”

    Right after she said that, she felt the air pressure around Liu Qingru drop another notch. Yu Liuxue was ready to die on the spot.

    “System, the mission in this world is too hard. I quit!” she screamed in despair.

    Guo Zao looked at Qin Feng with a complicated expression. She was aware that Manager Qiao liked Director Liu—that rumor had been flying around the company ever since Guo Zao joined. But Manager Qiao and Auntie Liang…

    For some reason, Guo Zao felt a bitter taste in her heart. The feeling dragged her mood down and left her looking listless. Could it be that after liking Director Liu, Manager Qiao turned her attention to Auntie Liang too? If that were true, wouldn’t that make her and Manager Qiao…

    Daughter-in-law and mother-in-law?

    Guo Zao shuddered and quickly lowered her head. No way.

    Liang Yin didn’t expect to witness such a good show today. She stayed uninvolved, calmly observing everyone’s reactions, having the time of her life. If it weren’t for the setting, she would’ve kicked off her heels, sat down, and started snacking on melon seeds.

    Still, she felt a bit sorry for her friend—finally won over the little heartbreaker, only for that girl to turn around and flirt with every woman in sight. Thinking of this, Liang Yin suddenly remembered how she too had almost been duped by Yu Liuxue’s sweet words and passionate confessions. She had been convinced the girl approached Qin Feng just to get close to her out of genuine affection.

    With that thought, Liang Yin stopped smiling.

    In the end, she wasn’t any better than Qingru—just another victim of the little heartbreaker’s hunt.

    Qin Feng stammered, realizing the situation was spiraling out of control. He hesitated, glancing at Liu Qingru’s face, then at his mom’s gleeful expression, and finally grabbed Guo Zao, saying, “Auntie Liu, Mom, I have a client over there I need to greet…”

    Then he turned and fled without looking back.

    Yu Liuxue: “…?” Come back here!

    Qin Feng bolted, while Guo Zao worriedly glanced back at Yu Liuxue and gave her a discreet gesture of encouragement. Seeing the signal, Yu Liuxue gave her a bitter smile, and Guo Zao quickly averted her gaze as Liang Yin looked over, hurrying after Qin Feng.

    Guo Zao was still worried about Yu Liuxue. She asked Qin Feng, “What’s going on between Manager Qiao and Auntie?”

    Qin Feng got angry just thinking about it, but at this point, he didn’t care to hide the truth. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Mom bought that woman Qiao Ruo a house—and she shamelessly accepted it!”

    “At this rate, how long before she becomes our stepmom?”

    Not long, Guo Zao thought silently.

    She couldn’t believe Manager Qiao liked not only Director Liu but also Auntie Liang. Then she remembered how Yu Liuxue once righteously declared to her, “Is it my fault I like two people at once? No, it’s the world’s fault.” Her heart skipped a beat, and a glimmer of hope rose within her.

    If Manager Qiao could fall for two people at once, then maybe liking one more…

    Wouldn’t hurt, right?

    Guo Zao was suddenly filled with excitement, joy shining clearly in her eyes. But when Qin Feng looked over, she quickly lowered her head, pretending to fuss with her skirt, perfectly hiding her inner delight. Qin Feng, clueless, had no idea a faint green glow was beginning to hover over his head.

    Once Qin Feng and Guo Zao were gone, only Yu Liuxue, Liu Qingru, and Liang Yin remained. Without hesitation, Yu Liuxue grabbed Liu Qingru’s hand, looked up earnestly, and explained, “Director Liu, please don’t believe him. This has nothing to do with me.”

    She had never been more sincere or immersed in her role. She was on the verge of tears, pitifully gazing at Liu Qingru. “He’s just trying to get revenge on me. That’s why he called me that in front of everyone—to humiliate me.”

    At the word “revenge,” both Liu Qingru and Liang Yin recalled Yu Liuxue’s closeness with Guo Zao. Their expressions darkened simultaneously. Cheating with a friend was bad enough—now she was going after her ex’s current girlfriend too? At this rate, would the entire city’s women become part of her harem?

    Yu Liuxue had only meant to defend herself, but to her dismay, Liu Qingru’s expression worsened. Terrified, she looked toward Liang Yin, only to find her wearing the same grim look. Flustered and lost, she muttered, “System, did I say something wrong?”

    The system laughed gleefully, “Host, you didn’t say anything wrong. You never do.”

    That may be true, but something still felt off. If she didn’t get this mess under control today, her mission progress would probably stay frozen forever. Gritting her teeth, Yu Liuxue looked at Liu Qingru again and said sweetly, “Director Liu…”

    Liu Qingru said nothing. Instead, she tilted her chin toward Liang Yin. Liang Yin got the message and walked off to do her thing. Yu Liuxue understood—Liu Qingru wouldn’t blow up in public. But the more restrained she was now, the worse it would be later.

    Liang Yin left. This kind of event wasn’t just for fun—it was a prime chance for business. She quickly struck up conversations, and Liu Qingru soon followed suit. Yu Liuxue figured if she behaved well, she might be forgiven, so she did her best to shine.

    But to her horror, people weren’t coming over to talk business with Liu Qingru—they were all asking for Yu Liuxue’s contact info.

    Yu Liuxue: “…” Shut up, all of you!

    She didn’t even have to look to know Liu Qingru had probably gone full villain mode by now. She retreated behind her like a scolded puppy, trying to dim her glow as much as possible. Finally, things started to calm down. But just as Liu Qingru finished a conversation, someone asked again, “Miss, may I have your contact info?”

    Liu Qingru had had enough. She cut them off coldly, “Not available.”

    Then she wrapped her arm around Yu Liuxue’s waist and kissed her in front of them, declaring possessively, “She’s mine.”

    The man backed off sheepishly. Yu Liuxue’s eyes lit up—there was still hope! She immediately cuddled up to Liu Qingru and cooed sweetly, “Don’t worry, Director Liu. My body, my heart—they’re all yours. I’ll never give my contact info to any stranger.”

    Liu Qingru looked at her calmly, then gave a slight smirk like she was mocking her, and waved her off. “Go have fun.”

    Without thinking, Yu Liuxue clung to her arm tightly. “No, I don’t want to leave you. I want to stay with you forever, Director Liu.”

    Liu Qingru didn’t say anything more after hearing that. She led Yu Liuxue into a room, which was hazy with smoke. The scent wasn’t pungent—instead, it carried a hint of fragrance. Yu Liuxue looked carefully and saw a group of wealthy women sitting at a table playing cards. When they saw Liu Qingru enter, someone immediately gave up their seat and warmly invited her to sit down.

    One of the women cast a curious glance at Yu Liuxue. “Xiao Liu, is this your girlfriend?”

    Liu Qingru didn’t deny it. Just then, another woman laughed and said, “I knew it. Qingru never used to touch this kind of thing.” As she spoke, she held a cigarette between her fingers, looked at Yu Liuxue with interest, and slowly stubbed it out. “Young lady, you’re in for some fun today.”

    A bad feeling suddenly rose in Yu Liuxue’s chest.

    She gave everyone an awkward but polite smile, then sat down beside Liu Qingru, eyes fixed on the other woman’s fingers as she drew her cards. Liu Qingru’s hands were always beautiful—long, slender, pale-skinned, like perfect works of art. Yu Liuxue was constantly fascinated by them, not just for their looks.

    She knew a little about how the game worked, and as she watched Liu Qingru play card after card, it looked like she was about to lose. Yu Liuxue was just about to say something when Liu Qingru tossed down the rest of her hand all at once—she had lost, completely and utterly.

    The others burst into laughter and shouted “Punishment!” Yu Liuxue trembled on the spot and quickly stretched her neck. What punishment?

    Before she could react, Liu Qingru had already turned to look at her. Her gaze was deep and unreadable, making Yu Liuxue feel a jolt of anxiety. She instinctively raised her hand, but Liu Qingru had already planted a bold kiss on her in front of everyone. What started as a punishment slowly turned into lingering tenderness. Though it lasted only three minutes, it felt like three centuries. Yu Liuxue almost thought she’d die from being kissed like that.

    Liu Qingru slowly pulled back, still looking as elegant and composed as ever. She reshuffled the cards and said hoarsely, “Let’s go again.”

    Yu Liuxue widened her eyes slightly. Was she going to lose again?

    Just then, someone teased suggestively, “Oh dear, wasn’t Qingru really good at this before? Why is she losing so badly today?”

    Liu Qingru replied calmly, “It’s been a long time since I last played.”

    The woman waved her fan and smiled, not calling her out.

    Yu Liuxue wasn’t stupid—she quickly realized Liu Qingru was deliberately losing, just so she could publicly “punish” her and quietly show off that she was hers. Yu Liuxue was despairing. Why were the women she liked always so unhinged?

    In the second round, Liu Qingru predictably lost again.

    Her warm palm pressed against Yu Liuxue’s back, the other hand cupping her chin. Again, in front of everyone, she kissed her for a full three minutes. Yu Liuxue blinked and did her best to play along, her face turning bright red like it might bleed. As soon as the kiss ended, she quickly buried her face into Liu Qingru’s neck and whispered pitifully, “President Liu… Please don’t lose again.”

    Liu Qingru’s eyes darkened slightly—and then she lost the third round.

    By this time, more and more people had heard the commotion and came over. Liang Yin hadn’t intended to come but was dragged along by her friends. As soon as she stepped into the room, she saw Yu Liuxue cornered by Liu Qingru, being kissed with a bright red face. She seemed to struggle but couldn’t resist Liu Qingru, and in the end had to submit, obediently staying in place.

    Then their eyes met, and in Yu Liuxue’s gaze flashed a flicker of panic. After a moment, her skin flushed completely red, a faint glow even blooming on her neck—irresistibly seductive. She seemed like she wanted to explain something, but the timing was wrong, and all she could do was wear a look of frustrated hesitation.

    Liang Yin stood in the back, her fingers twitching slightly as she watched the scene with a calm expression.

    Liu Qingru had gotten addicted to losing. By the end, word had spread all over the party that President Liu had a girlfriend, and people came in droves to see. Yet Liu Qingru seemed to lose interest in the game altogether, satisfied to hold Yu Liuxue in her arms as they walked off. As they passed Liang Yin, Yu Liuxue couldn’t help but reach out and touch her. Liang Yin looked over calmly, and Yu Liuxue gave her an embarrassed smile.

    A subtle crack appeared in Liang Yin’s composed expression.

    Qin Feng was discussing business with Guo Zao when they overheard people talking about Liu Qingru having a girlfriend. The two exchanged a glance and saw confusion in each other’s eyes. Aunt Liu has a girlfriend? And it’s Qiao Ruo?

    Wait—wasn’t Qiao Ruo already with Mom, even accepted a house from her? How is she now involved with Aunt Liu?

    Qin Feng completely forgot about scolding Yu Liuxue. Instead, he began to worry about Liang Yin. Anxiously, he thought, Mom got tricked by Qiao Ruo’s feelings—will she be devastated now? Aunt Liu and Mom were best friends, and now they’re love rivals. Won’t things get super awkward between them?

    No, really, these two have money and looks—nothing lacking. So why are they both hung up on a woman like Qiao Ruo, who’s manipulative and materialistic?

    Qin Feng was nearly pulling his hair out from stress.

    Meanwhile, Guo Zao, after a moment of stunned realization, was secretly thrilled. As I thought, Manager Qiao likes President Liu but can’t let go of Auntie Liang either. That means there’s still room in her heart for someone else.

    Manager Qiao is such a good person—gentle, kind, always appearing when I need her and comforting me. She’s an angel fallen to earth. Guo Zao silently clenched her fists. I have to work hard and claim a place in Manager Qiao’s heart!

    Qin Feng and Guo Zao weren’t even on the same wavelength, yet they still managed to talk.

    Qin Feng said to Guo Zao, “Why don’t we… go check on Mom?”

    Guo Zao was thinking of Yu Liuxue but still answered, “Okay.”

    Liu Qingru’s anger had mostly faded, and her expression had softened. This time, she really did have something to take care of—and she didn’t plan on bringing Yu Liuxue along. So she let her go. Liu Qingru thought, I just punished her. She wouldn’t dare go out and flirt again so soon, right?

    Liang Yin stood by the railing with a glass of red wine. When Yu Liuxue looked up, she saw her immediately. Their eyes met unexpectedly, and Yu Liuxue lifted her dress and ran over to her.

    Panting slightly, she stopped in front of Liang Yin and cautiously explained, “Auntie Liang, I don’t know why Qin Feng suddenly called me that, but I swear it had nothing to do with me.”

    Yu Liuxue felt like she was even more wronged than Dou E. It was already bad enough being called stepmom by the male lead, who was older than her. But then Liu Qingru punished her harshly in front of everyone because of it. Sure, she kind of enjoyed it, but that’s not the point. The point was—after tonight, she’d probably be bedridden for a week.

    Also, the way the male lead addressed her was bound to cause a misunderstanding with Liang Yin.

    Yu Liuxue had already deceived Liang Yin once and had been resented for it ever since. If Liang Yin thought she was behind this incident too, then even if she’d latched onto Liu Qingru’s thigh, Liang Yin wouldn’t let her off easily.

    Yu Liuxue deliberately moved a step closer to Liang Yin and said softly, “Auntie Liang, you have to believe me this time. I swear on my life—I didn’t do it.”

    Liang Yin took a sip of wine, propped her elbow on the railing, and looked lazy. She just raised an eyebrow slightly and said nothing. Yu Liuxue leaned in again, the two of them nearly touching. She could smell the wine on Liang Yin’s breath—and Liang Yin could smell Liu Qingru’s perfume on her.

    Liang Yin stared at her without a word.

    Yu Liuxue blushed and bit her lip with a shy smile. “It’s pretty crowded here. Why don’t we go somewhere quieter and talk?”

    As she spoke, she deliberately played with her hair, then rose slightly on tiptoe, tilting up her pretty face. Her dark eyes blinked innocently twice as she asked again, full of anticipation, “Sister, is that okay?”


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