Chapter 68: Auntie, I Don’t Want to Try Anymore (14)

Yu Liuxue had no idea why Liu Qingru and Liang Yin were standing at the entrance of her residential complex. She was frozen on the spot when Guo Zao, quick-eyed, also noticed the two women walking toward them. The smile on Guo Zao’s face froze instantly. She instinctively took two steps back, widening the distance between herself and Yu Liuxue, lowered her head, and held her breath, not daring to make a sound.

As Liu Qingru and Liang Yin approached, Yu Liuxue forced a smile. “President Liu, Auntie Liang, what brings you here?”

Liu Qingru looked at her calmly and said nothing. Liang Yin, however, offered an explanation with feigned kindness: “Oh, a close friend invited us over for tea and a chat. We just finished and were about to head back. What a coincidence.”

Her tone was deliberately slow and drawn out, sounding unhurried, yet laced with a subtle threat and warning. Guo Zao knew full well that this remark was aimed squarely at her. Her scalp tingled and a chill shot up her spine. She thought hard but ultimately decided to stay silent and pretend she didn’t understand what Liang Yin meant.

Seeing her standing there like a block of wood next to Yu Liuxue, Liang Yin sneered. Wasn’t she quite chatty earlier? Wasn’t she bold? Didn’t she even ask for a hug from her boyfriend’s ex? And now? Not a word in front of me, her potential future mother-in-law?

Liang Yin frowned, the more she looked at Guo Zao’s timid posture, the more displeased she felt.

She let out a cold snort, crossed her arms, raised her chin, and looked at Guo Zao. Her tone was flat: “Let’s go. Why are you just standing there?”

Upon hearing that, Guo Zao lifted her head and quickly followed behind Liang Yin. Just before leaving, she gave Yu Liuxue a pitiful glance, wanting to say goodbye. But just as she opened her mouth, both Liu Qingru and Liang Yin turned to look at her at the same time. Guo Zao immediately swallowed her words and lowered her gaze, silently staring at the tips of her shoes.

Yu Liuxue: “……”

Something wasn’t right. Hadn’t Auntie Liang already given up on her? Why was she still acting like she used to, watching her closely?

After thinking it over, Yu Liuxue could only conclude one thing—Liang Yin still hated her so much that she was dying to beat her into the ground.

With that in mind, Yu Liuxue cast a despondent look toward Liang Yin. Auntie, didn’t we already agree to let bygones be bygones? Wipe the slate clean? Weren’t we supposed to make peace again? Don’t tell me you were lying that day?

Liang Yin couldn’t understand why the little scumbag was looking at her with such pitiful, aggrieved eyes. After thinking for a moment, it suddenly clicked—was she… pleading for Guo Zao?

That idea made Liang Yin even more irritated. She snorted coldly and shot Guo Zao another frosty glare. It’s bad enough you went after my son—now you’re meddling with his ex too? Do you still want to marry into the Qin family and help your parents make a comeback?

Guo Zao, once again on the receiving end of Liang Yin’s glare, felt incredibly wronged. She had no idea what she’d done wrong from start to finish.

Liu Qingru walked Liang Yin and Guo Zao out. After they left in the car, she turned back, pulled Yu Liuxue into her arms, and gave her head a good scolding cuddle. Yu Liuxue, feeling guilty, didn’t dare say a word or resist. She obediently let Liu Qingru punish her however she wanted.

But her compliance only stoked Liu Qingru’s anger further. Luckily, they weren’t far from home. Without a word, Liu Qingru bent down, hooked an arm under Yu Liuxue’s knees, and picked her up in a bridal carry. Yu Liuxue cautiously raised her head to look at Liu Qingru’s gloomy expression, then instinctively licked her dry lips. “President Liu…”

Liu Qingru looked down and gave her a sharp look. “Speak.”

Yu Liuxue looked like she was about to explain, but instead, she tugged pitifully at Liu Qingru’s collar and pleaded, “Can you go easy on me tonight?”

Liu Qingru almost exploded with rage. She actually laughed from sheer fury. So she’s just given up, huh? Not even pretending anymore? Feeling guilty now? Aware of how terrible she’s been?

She suddenly smiled. “Fine.”

Clearly, her plea hadn’t earned forgiveness. Yu Liuxue clung to her nervously, stealing glances, trying to stir up some sympathy with her eyes. When they entered the house, Liu Qingru kicked the door open and threw her directly onto the sofa.

Thinking of all the nonsense Yu Liuxue had pulled lately gave Liu Qingru a pounding headache.

She’d imagined what having a girlfriend would be like—but never imagined she’d end up with a scumbag girlfriend. The only thing that worked was punishing her in this way—making her admit fault and beg for mercy through tears. Otherwise, Liu Qingru truly had no way of dealing with Yu Liuxue.

Hitting her? She couldn’t bear to. Sending her on business trips to keep their distance? Still couldn’t bear it.

Liu Qingru was furious. Yu Liuxue was exhausted. The two of them fell asleep in each other’s arms, too drained to speak.

Just as Yu Liuxue was about to drift off, Liu Qingru suddenly had an epiphany and said, “Ruoruo, you didn’t do it on purpose, did you?”

Yu Liuxue snapped to attention and turned her head, confused. “President Liu, what are you talking about?”

Liu Qingru sat up, leaned over her, narrowed her eyes, and asked slowly and clearly, “You didn’t… deliberately put on an act in front of me just so I’d catch you being ambiguous with someone else… so I’d get mad and punish you, did you?”

Yu Liuxue: “……?” What kind of bizarre logic was that?

Suddenly feeling the sharpness in Liu Qingru’s gaze, Yu Liuxue shivered all over. She quickly looked her in the eyes and said seriously, “No, President Liu, please let me explain. How could I be that kind of person?”

Liu Qingru nodded in realization, then looked down at the flustered woman beneath her and gave a cold smile. “So… you’re just naturally scummy, can’t control yourself, always tempted to cheat. Is that it?”

The system immediately burst into peals of mocking laughter. “Host, Auntie Liu’s really sharp—she even knows how to bait a confession.”

Yu Liuxue was on the verge of tears. She’d always been the one to use bait-and-trap tactics—how had she ended up getting caught in her own game? No matter what she said now, it couldn’t be explained. So she steeled herself, shut her eyes, and kissed Liu Qingru.

Seeing her give in and still have the energy to kiss, Liu Qingru pulled her in for a few more rounds.

The next day, after Liu Qingru left, Yu Liuxue lay weakly on the bed and said, “I’ve decided. I’m not going out at all for the next month.”

No more contact with the female lead. No more contact with Auntie Liang. I’ll just lie low at home and see who dares to come mess with me.

Yu Liuxue did lie low, but over at Liang Yin’s company, things were far from calm. Three key plot characters had gathered there at once, and every day was a battlefield.

That day, after Guo Zao followed Liang Yin home, Liang Yin sat on the sofa while Guo Zao stood before her and got lectured for a full hour. Liang Yin said all kinds of things, none of which had any clear point, but her emotional stance was crystal clear: I just don’t like you.

After an hour of being scolded by her future mother-in-law, Guo Zao dragged herself home, completely worn out. She’d been standing in heels that whole time and felt like the little mermaid who traded her tail for legs—every step felt like walking on knives, the pain cutting to the bone.

After getting home, Guo Zao still couldn’t figure out why Liang Yin disliked her so much. Depressed, she wondered if it was because she wanted to marry Qin Feng and have his family help her parents make a comeback. But even if her family had fallen on hard times, they still had plenty of old connections and influence. Helping her parents get back on their feet should’ve been a breeze for the Qin family.

Already drained from Liang Yin’s lecture, Guo Zao arrived at the office only to see Qin Feng’s female secretary clinging shamelessly to his side. The moment the secretary noticed Guo Zao’s gaze, she immediately snuggled up closer to Qin Feng. He hesitated for a moment but didn’t push her away. The secretary then gave Guo Zao a triumphant smile and went a step further—she linked arms with Qin Feng.

This scene filled Guo Zao with turmoil. Her mind spiraled. Qin Feng was a notorious playboy. He’d chased Manager Qiao for a full year before finally catching her, only to dump her within six months and then turn around to pursue Guo Zao.

Now, not even a year after winning her over, he was already flirting with his secretary. Watching the smug expression on that secretary’s face, Guo Zao felt oddly calm. Maybe I’m not far from being dumped by Qin Feng too.

With that thought, she felt a little better. Since they’d break up sooner or later, she might as well pretend it already happened and focus on her work.

Qin Feng had only intended to provoke Guo Zao into getting jealous, admitting fault, and begging for forgiveness. Maybe then he’d forgive her. But half a month passed, and not only did she not come looking for him, she now turned and walked away every time she saw him—even going out of her way to avoid crossing paths.

Am I really that annoying?

Not only that, Guo Zao had also been working extremely hard. During this time, Qin Feng vaguely overheard people saying that the Design Department’s Guo Zao was very talented, honest, and willing to endure hardship. Many senior employees in the company admired her. Qin Feng instantly felt unhappy—after all his efforts, not only had he failed to draw more of Guo Zao’s attention, but instead, he gave her the chance to immerse herself even more in work?

How was this any different from making wedding clothes for someone else?

One afternoon, Qin Feng finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. He marched straight into Guo Zao’s office and blocked her path. “We need to talk.”

Guo Zao felt it was time to make things clear with Qin Feng, so she nodded and agreed. The two of them went up to the rooftop. Qin Feng frowned, suppressing his anger as he asked, “Guo Zao, what’s going on? Do you still care about me? Aside from work, do you even think of me at all?”

Guo Zao looked at the furious Qin Feng with a calm heart. For some reason, she suddenly felt that he was incredibly childish and not mature at all. She tugged at the corner of her lips and spoke plainly, “Qin Feng, you and I are different. You’re a privileged young master, your mom is the CEO of a listed company. Even if you never work a day in your life, you’ll still live comfortably. But I’m not like that.”

“You already know my family went bankrupt. Now, my parents and grandparents are all relying on me. I have no choice. Qin Feng, I have to work hard to support my entire family.” Guo Zao’s tone was calm, but it made Qin Feng inexplicably uneasy. Guo Zao gave a small smile, her lashes falling in unison. “Qin Feng, I’m not in the mood to date right now.”

“So, let’s break up.”

Qin Feng blurted out, “I don’t agree!”

“I don’t agree to break up!” he shouted, then turned and stormed off. Break up? No way! He absolutely wouldn’t allow it.

Everyone in the company knew about Qin Feng and Guo Zao’s relationship. Now, some sharp-eyed folks noticed something was off between them. Although they still appeared to be a couple, it seemed like they were in a cold war after a fight—neither willing to admit fault or back down.

This situation gave the female secretary an opportunity. She couldn’t hold back anymore and seized a chance to stop Guo Zao when she was alone. With arms folded and a slight lean, she smirked, red lips curving. “Give it up, Guo Zao. Qin Feng will be mine soon—you can’t compete with me.”

Guo Zao suddenly felt like laughing. She tugged at her lips and shot back, “You want to become President Liang’s daughter-in-law. Did President Liang approve?”

President Liang was a formidable woman. Guo Zao was certain this secretary wouldn’t last three rounds under Liang Yin’s scrutiny. The secretary’s expression changed slightly, and she let out a cold, angry snort. “Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because President Liang accepts you. I’ll marry Qin Feng even without her approval!”

With that, she stomped off in her high heels.

Guo Zao stood there holding design drafts, a bitter smile forming as she looked down. Approved by President Liang? When had that ever happened? No matter how hard she worked, she doubted she’d ever gain Liang Yin’s approval.

Then Liang Yin called Guo Zao to her office again—but this time, not to criticize her. Instead, she announced Guo Zao’s promotion: Design Director. Guo Zao froze on the spot—was this a setup? She quickly said, “President Liang, I—”

Liang Yin’s sharp gaze silenced her. “Yes, President Liang. I’ll keep working hard and won’t let you down.”

Liang Yin nodded. “You may go.”

Soon after, Qin Feng also found out about Guo Zao’s promotion. Although he was dissatisfied with Liang Yin’s decision, he still worked at his own mother’s company and didn’t dare question her openly. Frustrated, Qin Feng pulled out his Switch and began playing games day and night in his office.

The female secretary sat beside him, head resting on his shoulder, clapping occasionally and chirping, “Wow! Manager Qin, you’re amazing! You’re the best!”

Qin Feng enjoyed the flattery and let her stay, playing games while she watched.

When Yu Liuxue heard about it, she immediately ordered a Switch for herself. Setting down her phone in confusion, she muttered, “Is that thing really that fun? Even the male lead’s addicted and turned into a total bum.”

The system scoffed, “Heh. The male lead of this world is just a romance-obsessed fool. Among all the male leads across worlds, he’s nothing but a side character.”

Thanks to express delivery, Yu Liuxue received the package that very afternoon. Just as she was about to open it, Liu Qingru came home. Yu Liuxue jolted in shock and hid the box behind her back.

Liu Qingru stood frozen at the doorway, still in the act of changing her shoes. The two locked eyes, and Yu Liuxue forced a guilty smile.

Liu Qingru didn’t even bother changing shoes. She strode over and stopped in front of Yu Liuxue, holding out her hand. “Give it to me.”

Reluctantly, Yu Liuxue hesitated, unwilling to hand it over. Liu Qingru leaned in, eyes narrowing slightly. “What, am I not satisfying enough for you?”

Yu Liuxue: “…?” Of course not!

Seeing Liu Qingru move, she panicked and quickly handed over the box. “President Liu, this isn’t what you think—it’s…”

Bang—the door slammed shut. Yu Liuxue lay on the bed, clutching the blanket edge, anxiously explaining, “President Liu, it’s really not that kind of thing. There’s no way I’d buy something like that! It’s…”

Too late. No need to explain anymore.

The next day, Yu Liuxue sneaked behind Liu Qingru’s back to try out the console. She realized—it was fun. No wonder Qin Feng was hooked.

But after a few days of gaming in the office, Qin Feng managed to thoroughly displease Liang Yin. Worse, now that Guo Zao had been promoted, rumors about Qin Feng started swirling.

When Guo Zao first joined, everyone assumed she got in through Qin Feng, and even believed her promotion was thanks to him pulling strings. But now that Guo Zao outranked Qin Feng, it was hard to believe he had made that happen.

Even if Qin Feng wanted to help, Liang Yin wasn’t a fool—there was no way she’d let someone unqualified take such a high position.

Everyone, piecing together the cold war between Qin Feng and Guo Zao, grew even more curious. Had Guo Zao really climbed to the top on her own merits? She joined after Qin Feng, yet was already more successful. As her boyfriend, wouldn’t Qin Feng feel crushed?

People whispered, “Director Guo is so capable. I’m starting to think Manager Qin doesn’t measure up. I heard he just sits in his office playing games with the secretary. If it were me, I’d have smashed his game console already.”

“You don’t get it. Director Guo’s all about her career now—she doesn’t care about romance. I heard she was the one who asked to break up, but Manager Qin refused. Honestly, if I had such an outstanding girlfriend, I wouldn’t want to break up either.”

“But still, as a man, doesn’t it hurt his pride to be so overshadowed by his girlfriend…?”

Rumors about Qin Feng and Guo Zao spread so widely that even Yu Liuxue heard them. She sat there expressionlessly for a while before suddenly realizing, “The female lead’s been promoted, and I’m still just a lowly manager. As a transmigrator, I’m failing miserably!”

So that afternoon, Yu Liuxue dressed sharply, rushed back to the company, and began fighting for projects and pushing her team hard. Her coworkers watched her busy silhouette in horror. “What got into Manager Qiao? She’s terrifying. Did she go crazy?”

Naturally, Qin Feng heard all this too. He was humiliated and couldn’t hold his head up at the office. Still, the secretary kept flattering him, calling him amazing while claiming Guo Zao had used shady methods to get promoted. After hearing it enough times, Qin Feng subconsciously believed it—thinking Guo Zao must’ve relied on Liang Yin.

But Liang Yin, who had long been monitoring her son’s every move, saw that not only had he not improved—he was sinking further into video games. Her face darkened, and she summoned the secretary. “Fire the woman around Qin Feng. Now.”

President Liang’s fury shook the company. The secretary was fired the same day—no reason given, but everyone knew why.

With no one left to flatter him, Qin Feng was suddenly forced to face reality. Sitting alone in his empty office, surrounded by strange looks from others, he grew frustrated. He tossed aside the game console and skipped work to go drink at a bar. Several women tried to hit on him—but after a glance, he ignored them all.

Guo Zao knew that Qin Feng hadn’t been doing well lately, but she was completely immersed in the joy of her promotion. She had become a director—if she told Ruoruo the news, would she be happy for her too?

With that thought in mind, Guo Zao excitedly called Yu Liuxue. The call was quickly answered, and Guo Zao immediately spoke up, “Ruoruo, I don’t have to work overtime tonight. I want to treat you to dinner and tell you some great news. Is that okay?”

Yu Liuxue didn’t hesitate. “Sure, sure!”

Feeling content, Guo Zao narrowed her eyes with satisfaction. After chatting with Yu Liuxue for a few minutes, she hung up and was just about to leave when she suddenly noticed Liang Yin passing by. Guo Zao’s heart skipped a beat. She held her breath and desperately wondered whether Liang Yin had overheard her conversation.

Unfortunately, Liang Yin wasn’t going to answer that, and Guo Zao had no way of knowing the truth.

But getting to see Yu Liuxue was the happiest thing she had experienced in a long while, so as soon as work ended, she got ready to hail a ride. Just then, Liang Yin slowly appeared and called out to her, “Where are you going?”

Guo Zao stammered, “I…”

Meanwhile, Yu Liuxue was doing her makeup while chatting idly with the system. “Don’t you think the female lead is like those ‘perfect kids’ other people always talk about? If my parents were here and happened to know her, I’d be hearing about her for years.”

Having been with Yu Liuxue for a while, the system had become well-versed in human psychology. It comforted her sensibly, “But Host, you’ve already found yourself an excellent and beautiful girlfriend, whereas the female lead is about to break up.”

Yu Liuxue: “…” That actually made a weird sort of sense.

Once she was ready, Yu Liuxue prepared to drive to the dinner. Suddenly, Liu Qingru appeared, calmly watching her. “Where are you going?”

Yu Liuxue immediately became guarded and replied nervously, “I…”

Guo Zao sat in the car, wanting to send a message to Yu Liuxue, but every time she moved, Liang Yin’s gaze would shoot over like a knife. Helpless, Guo Zao had to give up, deciding she’d apologize properly to Yu Liuxue after dinner.

Yu Liuxue sat in her car, also wanting to send a message to Guo Zao, but each time she made a move—even just to yawn—Liu Qingru’s gaze would coil around her like a snake. Helpless, Yu Liuxue had no choice but to give up, thinking about how she would explain everything to Guo Zao once they met.

At last, the two finally met at the restaurant.

Guo Zao saw Liu Qingru standing behind Yu Liuxue: “…”

Yu Liuxue saw Liang Yin standing behind Guo Zao: “…”