Chapter 127: Simultaneously Offending Three Bigshots – Part Fourteen

Her lips were just a centimeter away from Yu Liuxue’s. Her warm breath brushed against Yu Liuxue’s lips and teeth—just one step away.

But suddenly, she stopped.

Yun Ning, expressionless, grabbed Xie Zhenxue by the shoulders and tossed her aside. Narrowing her eyes, she studied Xie Zhenxue, then casually wrapped an arm around Yu Liuxue’s waist and said coolly, “Please have some self-respect.”

Xie Zhenxue bit her lower lip gently, her eyes locked on Yu Liuxue. Yu Liuxue shivered all over and quickly hid behind Yun Ning, cautiously saying, “Zhenxue, be careful on your way back.”

Xie Zhenxue let out a soft laugh, took two steps back, and shook her head as she said, “Aunt Xiao, I won’t give up so easily.”

Even if Aunt Xiao had already been claimed by Yun Ning, she would never give up. If she backed down now, she’d lose Aunt Xiao forever. What if someday Aunt Xiao got tired of Yun Ning and broke up with her?

Xie Zhenxue gave Yun Ning a light glance, then quickly turned and ran off.

As soon as she left, Yu Liuxue was immediately pinned back into the car by Yun Ning. Yun Ning idly twirled a strand of hair near Yu Liuxue’s ear, her expression a half-smile. Yu Liuxue had a bad feeling and hurried to explain, “Ningning, don’t misunderstand. Zhenxue was just acting on impulse. She’s not usually like this.”

Yun Ning smiled faintly. She opened the car door, shoved Yu Liuxue inside, then climbed in herself and half-knelt on the seat. “Then, why don’t you tell me, Aunt Xiao, exactly how you provoked her?”

Yu Liuxue instinctively pressed down her skirt. “…?” Wait, what?! This has nothing to do with me!

What does the female lead going dark have to do with me?!

After putting up a stubborn struggle for a while, she finally surrendered. Tears welled up in Yu Liuxue’s eyes as she cried, “I was wrong. I shouldn’t be this good-looking. I shouldn’t use my beauty to seduce younger girls…”

Before she could finish, another round of merciless punishment came. Yu Liuxue was utterly miserable. This time, she really was innocent!

By the time it ended, the moon was already high in the sky. Yu Liuxue lay exhausted on the seat. Yun Ning took off her suit jacket and draped it over Yu Liuxue’s body, then moved to the driver’s seat and said casually, “Aunt Xiao, it’s thirty-five minutes from here to home.”

Yu Liuxue lifted her eyelids. “?”

Yun Ning didn’t even turn her head. Yu Liuxue could only see the faint smile on her lips through the rearview mirror. “So you have thirty-five minutes to rest tonight.”

Yu Liuxue: “!!!” Isn’t this a bit too much?!

On the outside, Yu Liuxue looked like she was on the verge of tears, trembling pitifully. But inside, she was thrilled beyond belief. She even eagerly shared her feelings with the System. “So it’s true what they say about forty-year-olds being insatiable! Ningning is amazing! She makes me crave her every time. I don’t think I can live without her anymore.”

System: “…” Not listening, not listening, turtle chanting scriptures.jpg¹

But Yu Liuxue soon stopped smiling. Her long hair was damp with sweat, tangled with Yun Ning’s dark locks. She began to sob and beg for mercy, but Yun Ning ignored her. “Aunt Xiao, will you still dare to talk to Xie Zhenxue again?”

Yu Liuxue didn’t hesitate. “N-no, I won’t.”

Only then did Yun Ning let her go.

Because the drama’s approval process was so long, Yu Liuxue had nothing to do. During the day, she focused on writing scripts in the study. Then, like clockwork, Yun Ning would come by to help her bathe and sleep. After half a month of this, Yu Liuxue’s legs would go weak the moment she saw Yun Ning. She was desperate for the third season to start filming.

Yun Ning seemed to have seen through her thoughts. One night, as they lay in bed together, Yun Ning suddenly said, “Aunt Xiao, I bought a building next to the film studio and plan to renovate it into a hotel. When it’s done, I’ll reserve the most spacious and comfortable suite for you.”

Yu Liuxue: “…?!” That’s a bit much, duck.

Xiao Kewei had been working himself to the bone lately. To make Yu Liuxue believe in him, he buried himself in work day and night. He even turned down every girl in the company who worked up the courage to give him roses or confess their feelings, claiming he just wanted to focus on his career for now.

Maybe he turned down too many people. Maybe it was because he never got too close to any female colleagues and never joined any private gatherings. Gradually, rumors began to spread in the company that his sexual orientation leaned toward men. Xiao Kewei was so furious his face turned red and green, but he was so busy at the time that even sleeping felt like a luxury, let alone dealing with petty gossip. His silence only made everyone more convinced it was true.

By the time Xiao Kewei finally had a break and was ready to explain himself, his coworkers exchanged knowing glances and gave him looks that said, “You don’t need to explain. We all know. We’ll keep your secret.”

Xiao Kewei was utterly defeated: “…”

Because of Yu Liuxue’s debt, Xiao Kewei had worked extremely hard over the past year. With his base salary, commissions, bonuses, and year-end award, he finally earned ten million with his own hands for the first time. When the money hit his bank account, he was so emotional he nearly cried. Even though he was still 99% away from clearing the debt, at least he could see a glimmer of hope.

He stuffed two million yuan of his year-end bonus into a few burlap sacks, borrowed a big truck from his boss, and drove it into a high-end villa community like a triumphant general returning from war. The security guard recognized him and, seeing the beat-up truck, asked curiously, “Kewei, what kind of stunt are you pulling today?”

Xiao Kewei puffed out his chest proudly. “I’m here to make my mom happy.”

After parking the truck in front of the house, Xiao Kewei dragged the sacks down. Yu Liuxue wasn’t home yet, but Yun Ning happened to be outside in slippers, taking out the trash. She glanced at the sacks in his hands and asked casually, “What’s that?”

Xiao Kewei had always had complicated feelings about Yun Ning. Of his three ex-girlfriends, Yun Ning was the most difficult to deal with. Back then, he had both loved and feared her. So when she asked, he immediately straightened up and replied, “My year-end bonus. Mom racked up a few billion in gambling debt, so I brought this back to help her pay it off.”

Yun Ning paused mid-step. She slowly turned her head and narrowed her eyes. “Gambling? Debt?”

Xiao Kewei was confused. Did Mom not tell Yun Ning about this? So he enthusiastically explained, “It happened at the end of the year before last. Mom said she wanted to save money to help me get married, so she got anxious and trusted someone. Turned out that person was a scammer and swindled her out of everything.”

“Later, she wanted to pay back the debt, so someone introduced her to gambling. She ended up losing all the money she had just borrowed.” He sighed. “Mom’s just too gullible. She trusts people too easily.”

Otherwise, the family wouldn’t be billions in debt!

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be running himself ragged doing sales and drinking with clients nearly every day!

Yun Ning thought back carefully over everything that had happened. She could say with certainty that Aunt Xiao had never been scammed out of her money, nor had she gambled away the family fortune and ended up in massive debt. If that had really happened, there was no way she wouldn’t have heard a single word about it.

“Who exactly did she owe money to?”

As soon as Xiao Kewei heard the question, he quickly pulled out the sheet of white paper handwritten by Yu Liuxue from his pouch and handed it to her. Yun Ning took it, her gaze slowly sweeping over the names listed. Liu Qingru? She was certain there was no such person among the elites in her memory. Song Linxian? She vaguely remembered a President Song, not too rich, not too poor, but that person was a man…

Yun Ning took out her phone and snapped a photo of the debtor list, then returned the paper to Xiao Kewei.

Xiao Kewei raised his hand dramatically, trying to stop Yun Ning, but then belatedly realized her expression had been grim and her eyes fierce. He shivered and, swallowing his words, quietly carried the cash bags into the living room himself.

Back in her little attic room, Yun Ning picked up her phone and parted her red lips. “Xiao Liu, look into these people for me…”

Yu Liuxue’s right eyelid kept twitching. When her assistant heard about it, she immediately brought her a blank sheet of paper. “Sister Xiao, if you stick this paper on your twitching eyelid, it’ll ward off bad luck.”

Yu Liuxue was skeptical. “Oh? There’s such a thing?”

The assistant nodded earnestly. “It’s called a ‘white twitch.’ No matter how badly your eyelid twitches, once you put this paper on it, it doesn’t count anymore.”

The System was the first to voice its disapproval. “Heh, nonsense.”

If that actually worked, then the Host’s disasters wouldn’t be disasters, and the villain’s waist wouldn’t be a blade that cuts through everything.

Just as Yu Liuxue was starting to feel a little more at ease, the System’s comment immediately made her anxious again. What major event was about to happen? Was the yandere female lead about to show up again? Or had Meng Xi stormed into the house to argue with Yun Ning?

She couldn’t help but raise her head. “Quick, take me home right now.”

As soon as she reached the front gate, she spotted the beat-up old truck parked outside. She froze for a moment, then cautiously pushed open the iron gate and stepped inside. The first floor was empty, save for two burlap sacks on the floor that looked like they were filled with money. She suddenly couldn’t catch her breath and collapsed onto the sofa in grief, wailing with earth-shattering sorrow, “My son! Kewei! You died such a tragic death!”

Xiao Kewei had just finished his shower and hadn’t even had time to dry his hair when Yu Liuxue’s soul-piercing cries nearly made him fall flat on his butt. He immediately sprinted downstairs like he was running an 800-meter dash. “Mom, I’m not dead! I’m still alive!”

Yu Liuxue spread two fingers and peeked through them to see her handsome, dashing son. Disappointed, she lowered her hand and nudged one of the sacks with her foot. “Then what’s all this?”

“Mom, this is my year-end bonus! I brought it back especially to help you pay off your debts!” Xiao Kewei lifted his chin proudly, nostrils flaring. “I haven’t even withdrawn my salary yet, but don’t worry, Mom. I’ll go to the bank first thing tomorrow.”

“If you’re in a hurry, maybe you could borrow a little from Yun Ning to tide things over. I mentioned it to her just now…”

“Wait.” Yu Liuxue sensed something was off. She quickly raised her hand to stop him, eyes wide in disbelief. “Ningning knows?!”

Xiao Kewei nodded innocently. “Yeah, I ran into her when I came back—she was taking out the trash. So I casually mentioned it. Plus, she saw the list you wrote for me with the names and debt amounts. She’s been living with us for years. Now that we’re in trouble, she wouldn’t just sit back and watch, right?”

“Wait.” Yu Liuxue interrupted him again. She fell silent for a long moment before finally forcing herself to ask, “Ningning saw the list I gave you?!”

“Not only did she see it, she even took a picture… Mom, what’s wrong? I’ll call 120 right now. Please don’t scare me!”

Yu Liuxue rolled her eyes back and passed out on the spot.

Just then, Yun Ning arrived, expressionless. She leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed. Seeing Yu Liuxue’s dazed look, she gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “She’s fine. You can leave.”

Xiao Kewei frowned instinctively. “How can she be fine when she looks like this?! Her face is so pale! Yun Ning, I misjudged you! I never thought you’d be so cold-blooded and heartless!”

He was about to dial the emergency number again when Yun Ning strode over, snatched the phone from his hand, and said casually, “Give me three minutes.”

He wanted to refuse, but Yu Liuxue, lying on the sofa, looked perfectly normal aside from not moving her eyes. Coupled with Yun Ning’s intimidating presence, he hesitated for a moment, then nodded. After Xiao Kewei left, Yun Ning slowly crouched down, half-kneeling beside the sofa. Propping her chin on her hand, she asked, “Aunt Xiao, can you tell me now who Liu Qingru and Song Linxian really are?”

“I couldn’t find any information on them.”

At the brink of death, Yu Liuxue shuddered and came back to life from sheer fright.

“Ningning, you might not believe this, but they’re characters from the script…”

Yun Ning suddenly pressed a finger to her red lips. With a soft smile and an even softer voice, she said, “Aunt Xiao, I’ve searched the entire world, and still, I couldn’t find any trace of these ten-plus people.”

“Aunt Xiao, do you have any other explanation?”

Yu Liuxue: “…” Ah~~~ The waters of West Lake, my tears.jpg²

When Xiao Kewei came back in, he noticed something odd between his mom and ex-girlfriend. Both of their lipstick looked a bit smudged. Just as he was about to think deeper, Yun Ning’s calm voice interrupted his thoughts. “Aunt Xiao isn’t feeling well. I’ll help her upstairs to rest.”

And once they went upstairs, Xiao Kewei never saw either of them come back down. Especially Yun Ning. He couldn’t help but wonder—did she sneak out while he was changing clothes?

He didn’t dwell on it. Cheerfully, he pulled out the list and crossed off two names, meaning he’d already earned enough to pay off those two debts. After that, he stared at the remaining dozen names, falling into deep thought. “…”

No problem! Xiao Kewei suddenly pumped himself up. He was still young. As long as he was willing to work hard for a few more years, he’d definitely be able to pay off the rest!

He was a man, after all. He couldn’t possibly let his mom, who had worked hard her whole life and was just about to enjoy some peace, be the one to repay all this debt.

Yu Liuxue clung to Yun Ning, sobbing with snot and tears. “Ningning, Auntie’s getting old. My body can’t take it anymore…”

Yun Ning blinked, then gave a gentle laugh. “Aunt Xiao, aren’t you just lying down and enjoying yourself right now?”

Yu Liuxue: “…” Well, yes, but lying down is exhausting too.

Of course, she didn’t dare say that out loud. Otherwise, Yun Ning would definitely say, “If lying down is tiring anyway, then why don’t we spice things up a bit more?”

She had long since seen through Yun Ning’s disguise—she was a big bad wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Because of those names, Yu Liuxue was still being punished by Yun Ning on the day the premiere of The Runaway Wife with a Ball aired. It was the first episode, so Yu Liuxue righteously refused Yun Ning’s demands and asked with great moral indignation, “Ningning, don’t you care about what kind of returns the ratings could bring you?”

Yun Ning thought about it seriously. Recently, Meng Xi had been secretly competing with her in wealth and trying to surpass her to steal Xiao Yuetong. Although she didn’t believe Meng Xi would succeed, she had invested a huge sum of money into this project. Of course, she didn’t want to see her billions go down the drain.

The moment Yun Ning nodded, Yu Liuxue let out a sigh of relief. Fuming with frustration, she said to the System, “I’m never playing with that wolf-like woman again.”

The System replied expressionlessly, “Didn’t you bring this on yourself, Host?”

Yu Liuxue: “…” I suspect you’re throwing shade at me, and this is the proof.

The highly anticipated drama The Runaway Wife with a Ball: The Domineering CEO’s Birth Mother Fell for Me drew in viewers across the board. Whether they were fans of the stars or just drama lovers, everyone tuned in right on time. Thanks to the hype from the first season, the ratings that night were exceptional.

“No surprise there—it’s Aunt Xiao. The second season is just as over-the-top.”

“Am I the only one who thinks the second season is even more dramatic than the first? That second female lead really broke my heart. They were this close to ending up together!”

“Male lead: I shouldn’t be here, I should be under the car. Honestly, this might be the most irrelevant male lead in drama history hahahahaha!”

“u1s1, Xiao Yuetong’s ability to write melodrama is truly heaven-sent. Please, I beg you, stop rewriting other people’s scripts. As long as you keep writing, no matter how outrageous the plot, I’ll keep watching.”

Anti-fan: This is the first time I’ve seen someone so eager to eat crap.

Xie Zhenxue’s acting had improved significantly compared to the first season, and the internet was practically singing her praises. Some fans even lamented that Xiao Yuetong’s script was holding back their beloved idol’s career. At that moment, someone stepped up with a well-reasoned rebuttal: “No matter how talented Xie Zhenxue is, she only rose to fame because of Aunt Xiao. Without Xiao Yuetong’s “Her Me”, who would even know her?”

Xie Zhenxue’s fans were furious but couldn’t argue back.

That wasn’t what they meant. They were just worried that their idol would be typecast if she kept taking on these kinds of roles, and that she’d eventually have no access to more serious scripts. But clearly, their concerns were unfounded. As soon as a production team leaked news that Xie Zhenxue would be starring in an upcoming drama, the show’s popularity skyrocketed several levels.

Everyone was amazed by her growing popularity. “Our baby is incredible!”

Soon enough, the entire cast of The Runaway Wife with a Ball started gaining fame, one after another. Whether it was a veteran actor who had retired from the industry or a fresh-faced newcomer, their popularity soared several times over, and audiences remembered them all vividly.

Only then did people realize—it wasn’t just Xie Zhenxue who was impressive. It was Xiao Yuetong and her scripts that were truly remarkable.

“Does anyone still want to argue when I say Aunt Xiao is the queen of ratings?”

“Nope. Aunt Xiao is the best in the world!”

Overnight, Xiao Yuetong’s reputation as the “ratings poison of the screenwriting world” flipped completely. She was now the blazing-hot “Queen of Ratings.” During the broadcast of The Runaway Wife with a Ball, every single episode broke that year’s viewership records. Even though the drama ran for a full hundred episodes, audiences never tired of it. In fact, after it ended, many went right back to episode one to rewatch it all over again.

Yu Liuxue, thoroughly satisfied, set aside the freshly written script. Just then, her assistant called.

“Sister Xiao, there’s a film company that wants to commission a youth campus drama from you. What do you think…?”

“Youth campus?” Yu Liuxue rubbed her nose. “Are they sure?”

“Absolutely. They said as long as you maintain your usual standard, that’s all they ask.”

Yu Liuxue blinked. “Alright then. Let’s talk price after I finish writing it.”

Just as she was about to hang up, the assistant added, “There’s another company interested in a historical drama…”

Yu Liuxue happened to have a script she’d finished last month. As she searched for it, she said, “Then ask them this: Are they interested in a story where the innocent young lady of the Martial Alliance comes down from the mountain to uphold justice, only to be drugged on her first day and mistakenly treats her romantic rival as the antidote, forcing herself on her?”

“Oh, and the rival is the cold, untouchable Flower on a High Mountain type.”

Assistant: “…” Aunt Xiao, are you going through something emotionally? This is already the ninth script where the romantic rival falls in love with the protagonist.

Yu Liuxue was simply terrified of Xie Zhenxue. Her performance in the drama had been outstanding, and barring any surprises, she was set to sweep the year-end award shows. Xie Zhenxue had been bold even when she was still unknown. Once she was crowned Movie Queen, she’d probably confess on the spot.

It wasn’t that Yu Liuxue wanted to stop Xie Zhenxue from expressing her feelings. It’s just that, in the end, she’d be the one to suffer!

Sure enough, once the awards season kicked off, Xie Zhenxue dominated half the headlines. The other half? Belonged to Yu Liuxue. Though she was just a screenwriter, she was a solid nine in looks, maintained herself like a mysterious young woman, and wrote explosive hits. Naturally, she became an even hotter topic than Xie Zhenxue.

On the red carpet, Xie Zhenxue gazed at Yu Liuxue in her pale yellow gown and fluffy hair. A warmth slowly filled her eyes. She walked up to her. “Aunt Xiao, long time no see.”

Yu Liuxue cautiously kept a polite distance, smiling awkwardly but courteously. “Yes, Zhenxue, you haven’t changed a bit.”

Xie Zhenxue smiled faintly. “What I like about you, Aunt Xiao, is that your heart never changes.”

In that instant, Xie Zhenxue felt a cold, sharp gaze shoot toward her from the front. She curved her red lips into a smile and deliberately leaned closer to Yu Liuxue, stopping by her ear.

“Aunt Xiao, let’s have dinner after this.”

“Don’t overthink it. I just want to properly thank you.” Xie Zhenxue chuckled softly, enunciating each word. “With myself.”

Translator’s Notes