Chapter 102: From a Scumbag’s Ex-Girlfriend to His Stepmom (Part One)

Yu Liuxue was truly exhausted. She had long borne a wit and cleverness far beyond what someone her age should have to carry.

This time, she had entered the world of a story that could win an Oscar for its mind-blowingly melodramatic family drama. The novel was so long and unbearable it was like a granny’s never-washed foot-wrapping cloth. Yu Liuxue nearly fainted just reading the synopsis.

In this story, she was Mu Wan, a seductive gold-digger desperate to cling to the male lead Liu Yan. Liu Yan’s biological mother, Song Linxian, was a pampered rich girl. Due to some issues with her father’s company, she entered a fake marriage with a man of her father’s choosing. One day, on a whim, she decided she wanted a child. She went abroad and successfully got pregnant. However, during her pregnancy, she discovered that her fake husband was involved with her wealthy female friend, and even caught them in bed together. Song Linxian didn’t say a word at the time, but after giving birth, she immediately divorced the man and decisively resumed her single life.

The child, Liu Yan, was awarded to the ex-husband. With the support of the Song family, he did quite well for himself, and since Song Linxian often visited, Liu Yan grew up without a care in the world. For him, his parents’ divorce had zero negative impact—in fact, everyone doted on him even more.

Smart and perceptive since young, Liu Yan was always well-liked. Adults would give him the best of everything, which nurtured his arrogance. Handsome and charming, he was a heartthrob from kindergarten, attracting endless admirers. He remained a flirt until he met the target of this mission—Mu Wan.

Like Liu Yan, Mu Wan’s parents divorced early. But unlike Liu Yan, she wasn’t so lucky. Her dad ran off with another woman, and her mom quickly remarried a man who was a drunk and often beat and cursed at Mu Wan. He called her a useless burden, an ungrateful wretch, and would then turn around to insult her mother for being incapable—even of bearing a son.

Back then, Mu Wan was too young to understand what those words meant, until she noticed everyone around her gossiping. They said her mother couldn’t have a son because of her. Devastated, one day, her mother knelt before her, heartbroken, and said, “Wanwan, go stay with your grandparents for a while. Mommy will come get you later, okay?”

Whether she agreed or not didn’t matter—her mother dropped her off with her elderly parents that very day. Though she promised to come back for her, Mu Wan never saw her again, not even after graduating middle school.

Later, Mu Wan accidentally overheard from her grandparents that just a year after sending her away, her mother gave birth to a son. That family was overjoyed, praising the woman for finally doing something right and saying that if the “jinx” Mu Wan had stayed, they’d never have had a future.

Mu Wan clenched her fists. The hatred in her chest began to grow. She hated the woman she once called “mother” and the father who abandoned her. As the saying goes, when misfortune strikes, even drinking cold water makes you choke. Half a month before her college entrance exam, both grandparents passed away. Mu Wan lost her only emotional support and was devastated for days.

But hatred soon overtook sorrow. That woman didn’t even attend her own parents’ funeral to avoid responsibility. Mu Wan pulled herself together, studied hard through her tears, and performed exceptionally well on the exam, getting into the country’s top university.

There, she met Liu Yan.

Liu Yan fell for Mu Wan at first sight. Having seen countless people, he thought he could read her at a glance. Girls like her from poor backgrounds either pretended to be aloof to attract conquest, or were shamelessly desperate to climb the social ladder. Their methods were crude and contemptible. But Mu Wan was different.

She made no effort to hide her ambition or her desire for Liu Yan. Yet she always handled things just right—never overstepping, never making people uncomfortable. In fact, her frankness made her even more likable. To most, Mu Wan appeared reserved, but in Liu Yan’s eyes, she was captivating and full of charm.

They maintained a delicate relationship for two full years. Liu Yan was infatuated and tormented—loving and hating her at once. If Mu Wan played it cool, she could calm his emotions with ease. If she didn’t, then despite knowing her for so long, he still hadn’t gotten her into bed.

Liu Yan thought Mu Wan was like an old-school prude who wanted to etch “chastity” on her forehead.

After two more years of persistent pursuit, Mu Wan finally agreed to date him officially. But their relationship was quickly opposed by Liu Yan’s mother, Song Linxian. She had married below her class once before and suffered for it, so she was dead set on preventing her son from repeating her mistake.

Once she found out, Song Linxian did everything she could to drive Mu Wan away and kept a hawk’s eye on her son—almost down to the color of his underwear. Her concerns weren’t baseless. Mu Wan did intend to marry into a wealthy family through Liu Yan, to change her fate and become a rich, respected lady.

Once she married into a rich family, she could live in comfort without suffering or being bullied. Regardless of Liu Yan’s wishes, he would have to protect her because of her new status.

But before she could achieve that, Liu Yan fell for someone else.

Song Linxian not only kept close watch on her son, but also hired people to follow Mu Wan. Despite all her efforts, Mu Wan failed. On Valentine’s Day, her college rival Chi Yang got Liu Yan drunk and seduced him.

Chi Yang struck gold on her first try—pulling off the “pregnant wife on the run” trope perfectly. Her family background was decent, and though Song Linxian didn’t exactly approve, she also didn’t oppose it. Compared to how she treated Mu Wan, the difference was like night and day. Mu Wan lost in love, and thanks to Chi Yang’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering, she also lost her job. Crushed with grief and anger, she tried contacting Liu Yan, but he ghosted her completely. Finally, Song Linxian, seeing her mental state deteriorate, gave her some money and told her to leave and never come back.

Mu Wan was devastated. She had preserved her dignity for years just to marry Liu Yan and change her life. She was so close, only to lose everything at the last moment. She couldn’t get over it.

As if that weren’t enough, her biological mother somehow heard she’d made a lot of money and began calling daily for cash. When guilt-tripping didn’t work, she resorted to abuse—accusing Mu Wan of being ungrateful and worse. That same day happened to be when Liu Yan took Chi Yang to meet his parents. Chi Yang even sent a gloating message to Mu Wan. Right after reading it, Mu Wan received another call from her mother, demanding she hand over money to help raise her younger half-brother. In utter despair, Mu Wan turned on the gas and ended her life.

After her death, Mu Wan found the System.

“I won’t allow Liu Yan and Chi Yang to get married! I want you to do everything possible to break them up! If I can’t have him, then she can’t either! If I can’t have something, I’d rather destroy it!” Mu Wan screamed her first request hysterically. Then she calmed down and added, “And that woman who gave birth to me…”

“I want to take away the one she loves most—her precious son—and make her life a living hell.”

Yu Liuxue rested her cheeks in her palms, blinked, and gave a sorrowful smile. Pretending to fret, she said, “System, this mission’s so hard! If I want to finish the first task, I’ll have to become the male lead’s stepmom…”

System: “……” This ducking can’t be serious.

“Host, there must be another way!” the System said righteously. It quickly scoured its data and began offering terrible ideas: “Actually, Host, you could approach this differently—for example, disguise yourself as a feng shui master and tell Song Linxian that the male and female leads’ birth charts are incompatible. If they marry, it’ll lead to ruin and destruction.”

Yu Liuxue interrupted it, “I didn’t expect that after not seeing you for a while, you’ve turned from a Wish System into a Scam System.”

System: “…”

The System was indignant but dared not speak, unable to find a good rebuttal. It saw Yu Liuxue answer a call and instantly break into a sweet smile. Her voice was soft and sugary, “Thank you, got it, I’ll be right over.”

After hanging up, Yu Liuxue waved her phone with an innocent look on her face. “Song Linxian was the one who asked to meet me first. I’m just being polite and going to talk with her.”

The System didn’t believe a word of it, but Yu Liuxue was already dressed and heading out. It hesitated, then quickly followed. It had made up its mind—if the host dared harbor even a hint of inappropriate thoughts about the male lead’s mother, it would immediately extinguish this budding flame of love.

Though Song Linxian didn’t have a formal job, she lived off her wealthy family, dabbling in real estate and commercial investments. Over the years, her bank balance had snowballed. She didn’t even know how much money she had—just that it was enough to live extravagantly for several lifetimes.

Song Linxian sat cross-legged on the sofa, looking at her phone. On the screen was the profile her assistant had compiled about Mu Wan—her son Liu Yan’s university friend. Their relationship was ambiguous, and while it hadn’t progressed to the final step yet, it was close. Soon, her eyes landed on Mu Wan’s background info: divorced parents, remarried mother, a half-brother?

Without hesitation, Song Linxian mentally struck Mu Wan off the list of potential daughters-in-law.

It wasn’t prejudice, just experience. She’d seen too many poor girls willing to sell their bodies for wealth and status, dreaming of becoming a phoenix. Even without a title, they were content. But it was all a facade—once they had a child, especially a son, they’d cling to the man under the guise of “continuing the family line” until they successfully married into money.

Song Linxian stared at Mu Wan’s photo for a long time. The girl was indeed beautiful—gentle, composed, and smart. Not a trace of the Cinderella-type she’d expected. She sighed. The prettier the girl, the harder to deal with. She looked up. “How much do you think would be appropriate? A few million?”

The assistant’s heart trembled. A f-few million?

Though she knew her boss was rich, she hadn’t realized just how rich—throwing out a few million like it was pocket change. If she didn’t know the full story, she’d think the boss was trying to keep a mistress.

She cautiously suggested, “Sister Linxian, maybe a few million is… too much?”

Song Linxian blinked, rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then asked in surprise, “Too little, you think?”

Assistant: “…” Confirmed—boss wants to buy off her son’s girlfriend.

After some persuasion, the sum was tentatively set at ten million. Still, Song Linxian looked displeased. “Doesn’t this feel like I’m tossing coins to a beggar? What if I hurt the poor girl’s pride?”

The assistant screamed internally: I’ll take it! Please insult me with your spare change! I’m mentally strong—I swear ten million won’t hurt my feelings!

Song Linxian was always generous. Money was never a concern. She leaned back on the sofa, half-closing her eyes, pondering how to phrase things gently—convincing the girl to take the money and leave her son for a fresh start. It was her first time doing this. She’d heard of it from friends, but doing it herself was far more thrilling.

She couldn’t help but wonder how the girl would react.

Yu Liuxue arrived quickly at the appointed place. Familiar with the plot, she knew exactly what Song Linxian planned to do—just like on TV: feign friendliness, then quietly make her offer and tempt her with money to leave the male lead.

Yu Liuxue swore to the System, “I won’t ruin the plot just for a bit of cash.”

The System remained skeptical.

The moment she arrived, Song Linxian’s sharp-eyed assistant spotted her and approached with a subtle expression. “Miss Mu, please follow me. Sister Linxian is waiting upstairs.”

Yu Liuxue followed without suspicion. On the way up, she casually asked a question that immediately raised the assistant’s guard, “How much is Sister Linxian planning to give me to leave Liu Yan?”

The assistant thought: Another one—yet another woman chasing money.

The moment Yu Liuxue stepped into the room, Song Linxian lifted her head slightly. The two women locked eyes across the distance for a few moments before Yu Liuxue timidly stepped inside. Song Linxian hadn’t expected Mu Wan to be so different from her photo. In person, she looked far gentler and calmer, lacking the sharpness and seductiveness seen in the picture.

Song Linxian spoke first, “Sit down.”

Yu Liuxue nodded and shuffled over. She muttered to the System, “System, I have a bold idea…”

System: “No, you don’t. You don’t want that.”

As expected, Song Linxian started off warm and polite with small talk. After a few minutes, she finally got to the point and said with deep meaning, “Mu Wan, you’re excellent. Beautiful and capable. Honestly, my son Liu Yan isn’t good enough for you.”

Assistant: “…!”

System: “???”

Something felt wrong. This wasn’t how the plot was supposed to go! Originally, Song Linxian was supposed to coldly throw five million at Mu Wan and tell her to break up immediately. How did it become Liu Yan not being worthy of the host?

The System began to question reality.

Yu Liuxue, too, was caught off guard by the deviation. Seeing Song Linxian’s still-gentle expression, she quickly tried to explain, “Sister Linxian, it’s not like that, I…”

But Song Linxian interrupted her, her tone a bit more serious. “As long as you’re willing to break up with Liu Yan, I’ll give you twenty million.”

Assistant: “…?!” She whipped her head around in shock. Sis, weren’t we going with ten million? Now you’ve doubled it on the spot? For an ordinary girl like Mu Wan, ten million was already a fortune! Please get a grip!

Yu Liuxue instinctively asked the System, “What’s going on? Does the male lead’s mom have some… feelings for me?”

The System played dead, ignoring her. Left with no support, Yu Liuxue dramatically and sorrowfully declined Song Linxian’s offer, “This isn’t about money, Sister Linxian. Liu Yan and I truly love each other. I don’t need any official title—as long as we love each other, that’s enough.”

She added solemnly, “To me, love is pure and noble. So I can’t take this money.”

Song Linxian frowned slightly. She thought Yu Liuxue was implying the money wasn’t enough. After a brief pause, she decisively raised the offer. “Fifty million. That’s my final offer.”

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Yu Liuxue sat upright and blurted out, “That scumbag Liu Yan is worth fifty million?!”

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Realizing her slip, she forced a guilty smile and quickly added, “No matter how much money you offer, I won’t leave Liu Yan. Unless he stops loving me and breaks up with me himself.”

With that righteous declaration, Yu Liuxue stumbled out of the room, grief-stricken. Once out of sight, she leaned against the wall and whispered, “System, can I change my mind? What if I take the fifty million now, enjoy life a bit, and then come back to finish the mission later…”

The System crushed her fantasy mercilessly. “No.”

For some reason, seeing her react so flippantly made it secretly breathe a sigh of relief. Good thing the host was just joking and had no real intention of seducing the male lead’s mom—otherwise, this whole world would’ve gone off the rails.

When Yu Liuxue transmigrated, it was right after Mu Wan and Liu Yan had confirmed their relationship, but before anything more intimate had happened. Soon after, Mu Wan’s longtime university rival, Chi Yang, would take advantage of a party to seduce Liu Yan and steal him away.

Today was the day Chi Yang and Liu Yan got together. Mu Wan had originally been invited as well, but she had something come up at the last minute and couldn’t attend. Yu Liuxue hailed a cab to the party location. While in the car, she sent a message to Liu Yan: “Liu Yan, I’m almost there. Come out and get me.”

Liu Yan was drinking with some people. He glanced at his phone. The people around him were all jeering and joking, and enjoying the attention, he put away his phone and said, “Ignore her. Come on, let’s keep drinking.”

The reason Liu Yan pursued Mu Wan wasn’t just because she was beautiful—her gentle and considerate personality was a major factor. Mu Wan was tactful and knew what to fuss over and what to let go. So even if something came up and she was late, she never got upset.

But just as Liu Yan picked up his glass, he got another text: “Your mom just chatted with me.”

That made Liu Yan lose his appetite for drinking. He put the glass down. “You guys go ahead. I’ll step out for a bit.”

Liu Yan waited at the door early. When Yu Liuxue got out of the car, she saw that Liu Yan really was just like the descriptions—somewhere between a youthful wolf and a mature man, with pale skin, boyish energy, and a slightly mixed-race look. She thought, no wonder Mu Wan fell for this guy—he really had a striking face. When Liu Yan saw her, he quickly strode over and asked urgently, “What did my mom say to you?”

Yu Liuxue tilted her head. “Your mom tried to give me fifty million.”

Fifty million? Liu Yan couldn’t help overthinking. He frowned slightly. “My mom… she has her eye on you?”

No way his mom wanted to sugar-daddy his girlfriend, right? That would be disastrous!

Yu Liuxue thought these melodramatic novel characters were truly imaginative. She blinked, didn’t confirm or deny it, and vaguely replied, “But I refused her. No matter how much she gives me, even if it’s billions, I won’t leave you.”

Liu Yan was too shocked by the strange dynamics between his mom and girlfriend to notice that Yu Liuxue was referring to Song Linxian improperly. After hearing her words, he let out a long sigh of relief. “Good. Let’s go. Everyone’s here—only you were missing.”

Yu Liuxue nodded and followed him inside. After spending a bit of time with him, she realized that Liu Yan was a total double standard. He was strict with her—controlling what she could and couldn’t do, especially when it came to other men. If she got even slightly close to another guy, he’d look displeased and clearly annoyed. But he himself freely moved among different women—chatting with this one, drinking with that one to get closer. And when it came to Chi Yang, he treated her so tenderly it was hard not to raise eyebrows.

“Mu Wan’s really pitiful. Someone like Liu Yan is a total playboy—how could she ever handle him? Honestly, she should stop dreaming about marrying into wealth and just settle for a decent guy.”

“Exactly. Chi Yang is way better than her. Born into a wealthy family, a proper rich beauty—she’s a perfect match for Liu Yan. If I were Liu Yan, I’d choose to marry Chi Yang too. As for Mu Wan…” The speaker glanced at Yu Liuxue and chuckled, “She’s just for fun.”

Yu Liuxue glanced at the people speaking. At that moment, Chi Yang walked over to her with a smile that seemed harmless and friendly. “Mu Wan, long time no see.”

There was a faint challenge and possessiveness in Chi Yang’s eyes. Yu Liuxue stared at her for a moment before casually smiling. “It really has been a while.”

Chi Yang had always been annoyed by Mu Wan’s lukewarm attitude. She had dropped plenty of hints hoping Mu Wan would take the hint and leave Liu Yan, but Mu Wan always played dumb. Seeing her like this again, Chi Yang silently clenched her fingers, but on the surface, she kept smiling. “Mu Wan, you know Liu Yan’s just not your type.”

“Aunt Song would never approve of a woman like you…” Just as she was getting to the juicy part, Chi Yang suddenly stopped, and before Yu Liuxue could react, she grabbed Yu Liuxue’s hand, turned her body at an obscure angle, and slapped herself hard.

For some reason, the slap was exceptionally loud—it immediately drew everyone’s attention.

Yu Liuxue: “???”

Liu Yan’s smile froze. After a moment of shock, he rushed over, carefully checking Chi Yang’s face and softly comforting her. Then he looked up, eyes sharp. “Mu Wan, what are you doing?”

Chi Yang choked up and tugged on Liu Yan’s sleeve. “Don’t blame Mu Wan. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten so close to you. It’s understandable that she’s upset…”

Yu Liuxue was dumbfounded. Wasn’t this the pure, unaffected goddess who had men falling over themselves for her? What was this cheap act? She couldn’t help but say, “She’s such a slut.”

System: “…” Not even a tenth as bold as you, Host.

Chi Yang’s words were like oil on fire. Liu Yan, intoxicated by beauty, completely lost it. In front of everyone, he harshly scolded Mu Wan. When he was done, he took Chi Yang’s hand. “Does it hurt, Yangyang? I’ll take you to the hospital right away.”

Just as he was about to leave, Chi Yang grabbed his hand. “I’m fine. Mu Wan, she…”

Liu Yan gave Yu Liuxue a cold glance and casually asked a friend to take her home. The plot had taken such a wild turn that Yu Liuxue hadn’t even had a chance to act before it was already over. Everyone in the room was pointing fingers at her, as if she was the one in the wrong.

Yu Liuxue began to question life itself. She turned down Liu Yan’s friend’s offer and walked the street alone, reflecting, “System, where did I go wrong?”

The System, afraid she was about to do something extreme, quickly comforted her, “No, Host, you did nothing wrong. It’s the world, the male lead, it’s—”

“No, it’s my fault.” Yu Liuxue decisively took out her phone. “I was wrong from the very beginning.”

When the System saw her calling Song Linxian, it suddenly had a bad feeling. Cautiously, it guessed: Was the Host planning to go ask for that fifty million back?

Song Linxian hadn’t expected her to reach out again. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Okay. Where are you? I’ll drive over.”

Yu Liuxue looked up at the shop sign nearby and told her honestly. At the same time, Song Linxian looked up and saw Yu Liuxue standing alone on the street, talking on her phone. She pulled over and said softly into the phone, “Turn around.”

Yu Liuxue instinctively turned and saw Song Linxian sitting in the car.

Under the night sky, Song Linxian looked even more alluring. Her skin was so well maintained that you’d never guess she had a grown son. She could easily pass for thirty, her skin smooth and flawless, her figure elegant and perfect. With the night’s hazy glow, her aura became mysterious and seductive. A single glance from her could throw anyone into disarray.

Yu Liuxue immediately ran over, clutching her phone. Song Linxian glanced behind her. “Why are you out here alone?”

This area was chaotic, especially at night—and she was just a young girl… Thinking this, Song Linxian said, “Get in the car first.”

Yu Liuxue, moved, nodded and got in. Song Linxian didn’t start the engine. She leaned against the seat, looked at the dejected Yu Liuxue, and asked, “Did you come to see me because you regret your decision? If so, it’s not too late.”

“You misunderstand. I’m not here because I regret anything.” Yu Liuxue bit her lip and fell silent after speaking. Song Linxian wasn’t in a hurry—she quietly studied Yu Liuxue. For some reason, at that moment, she felt her son’s girlfriend was overwhelmingly sweet.

Though her looks hadn’t changed from earlier that day, now her vulnerable and pitiful expression stirred a protective instinct.

Yu Liuxue gathered her courage and looked straight into Song Linxian’s eyes. Blushing, fidgeting, nervously twisting her fingers, she seemed to summon all her strength to say, “Sister Linxian, if I leave Liu Yan… can I be with you?”

System: blacks out “…?!”

Song Linxian, a wealthy and experienced woman, hadn’t been emotionally shaken even when the social climber she married for convenience years ago cheated on her. But now, she was deeply shocked.

I… cheated on my own son?