Chapter 103: From a Scumbag’s Ex-Girlfriend to His Stepmom (Part 2)

Song Linxian froze in place. Her alluring, fox-like eyes slowly scanned Yu Liuxue from head to toe. The young girl’s face was flushed, her expression tense. She nervously tugged at the hem of her skirt, clearly uneasy. Judging by her demeanor, she didn’t seem to be lying. But Song Linxian couldn’t help being skeptical—hadn’t this girl confidently told her just that afternoon that no amount of money could make her break up with her son?

And now, just a few hours later, she’s changed her mind?

Song Linxian thought, so her friends were right after all—these days, any halfway decent-looking girl was bound to be scheming, always trying to take shortcuts and get something for nothing. Calm and unmoved, she leaned back against the car window as the engine died. Retracting her gaze, she looked straight ahead. “Give me your bank account number. I’ll have someone wire the money to you tomorrow.”

Hearing her tone, Yu Liuxue instantly realized she wasn’t being taken seriously. She hurriedly explained, “Sister Linxian, I’m serious! I’m not joking with you—I truly want to be with you, I—”

Song Linxian turned slightly to look at her. “Oh? And just how much do you want to be with me?”

Yu Liuxue was about to respond when Song Linxian suddenly leaned in closer, eyes narrowing. “What are you after? My age, or the fact that I have a kid?”

Without missing a beat, Yu Liuxue answered, “Of course it’s because you’re beautiful, kind, gentle, and thoughtful.”

Song Linxian was momentarily stunned. Yu Liuxue seized the opportunity, placing a fist to her chest with a face full of admiration. She blinked and said earnestly, “I’ve never met someone as kind and gentle as you. On TV, rich people are always arrogant and mean, but you’re different, Sister Linxian. You said I’m outstanding, and you even said I’m pretty.”

She paused, her eyes brimming with tears. “No one has ever complimented me like that before. You were the first. And from that moment on, I knew you weren’t like the others.”

She furrowed her brows in fake sadness, letting out a melancholic sigh. “It was only after I left that I realized—Sister Linxian, whether you believe me or not, I really fell for you at first sight. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Even if I have no official title, even if I only get to warm your bed in the winter, I’d still be willing.”

System: “…?!”

What on earth happened while it was being upgraded? How could the host lie so shamelessly and righteously? And without even blinking? Is this the distortion of human nature or the fall of morality?

Song Linxian’s eyes widened. The more she listened, the more shaken she felt. Are young women today really this… direct and bold? She stared at Yu Liuxue in disbelief, as though her entire worldview was collapsing. She could barely believe what she was hearing.

Yu Liuxue looked at her expectantly. Song Linxian’s eyelid twitched violently—she felt like she’d stumbled into something she absolutely shouldn’t have. After a moment’s thought, she declined gently, “No need. I have underfloor heating at home. It’s very warm.”

She looked away and started the car. “It’s getting late. Where do you live? I’ll take you back.”

Yu Liuxue’s head drooped instantly. She clasped her fingers in silence, unmoving. Song Linxian glanced at her again—and the moment she did, she saw two glittering tears slide down from under Yu Liuxue’s eyes. Her heart gave a small jolt. “…?”

Was she seriously crying just because she’d been rejected?

A strange mix of emotions welled up inside her. She hesitated, then began, “Mu Wan, you—”

Yu Liuxue looked up with red-rimmed eyes, her tear-filled gaze pitiful and heartbreaking, enough to stir unspeakable thoughts in anyone. She sniffled and said hoarsely, “Sister Linxian, I don’t have a home.”

System nearly blacked out. Is she really about to start performing again?

“When I was little, my parents divorced. As soon as they split, my dad ran off with his mistress. I lived with my mom for a while, but then the neighbors started gossiping that I was a jinx who kept her from having a son. So she sent me back to live with my grandparents.” Yu Liuxue let two more glittering tears fall and choked out, “My grandparents could barely support themselves, but they gave me everything they could.”

Even though Song Linxian already knew Mu Wan’s family background, hearing it from her own mouth still stirred her heart. Just as she was beginning to feel moved, Yu Liuxue continued, “But then, half a month before my college entrance exams, the last person in the world who cared about me also passed away.”

“So, I’ve always been alone. No relatives. No home.”

Yu Liuxue was completely immersed in her melodrama, her expression full of sorrow, her performance so convincing she nearly believed it herself. Just then, Song Linxian asked a totally unexpected question: “So… did your mom ever manage to have a son?”

Yu Liuxue: “…?!”

System howled with laughter at the crash and burn. Face dark, Yu Liuxue blocked it out and returned to her role. She nodded slowly. “Yes. The year after she sent me away, she had a son with that man.”

Fearing more oddball questions, she quickly steered the conversation back. “Sister Linxian, when I first saw you this afternoon, I felt an instant warmth. I thought—this is the person I’ve been looking for my whole life.”

She reached out as if to touch Song Linxian, but at the last moment, her hand trembled and withdrew, as though afraid of being rejected. “Sister Linxian, could you become my only family in this world? My one and only emotional anchor? I promise to always honor and care for you.”

She said a lot, but Song Linxian only focused on one detail. Narrowing her eyes, she asked, “So you’re saying I’m old? Old enough to be your mom?”

Yu Liuxue: “???” That’s not what I said at all!

Yu Liuxue nearly fainted. She never expected Song Linxian’s thought process to be this chaotic. No matter what she tried, Song Linxian remained completely on guard and utterly unwilling. Even when she dropped her off in front of the dorm building, she hadn’t made a single bit of progress.

Standing there in frustration, Yu Liuxue looked pitifully into the car. She took two hesitant steps forward. “Sister Linxian…”

A single indifferent glance from Song Linxian made her freeze. Since this whole mess started because she offered a bit of money to make the girl leave her son, she made a quick decision. “I’ll have the money wired to you tomorrow. If you refuse again, you won’t get another chance to regret it.”

Yu Liuxue instantly shut her mouth and stopped spouting nonsense. Even though she didn’t win over Song Linxian, fifty million wasn’t bad either. Fifty million! With that kind of money, she could start a business, become a CEO, marry a rich beauty, and reach the pinnacle of life.

Song Linxian thought, just as she expected. Mu Wan had said all that earlier just to make herself seem noble while taking the money.

She lost interest at once. Over the years, plenty of people had pursued her—older than her, younger than her, barely grown like Mu Wan—countless admirers. Mu Wan was just one more passerby in her long life.

The next day, Song Linxian received Yu Liuxue’s bank account number. True to her word, she had her assistant transfer the money immediately. The assistant’s heart bled as she did it—was the boss really being this generous just to get rid of a poor college girl?

Then, a sudden realization struck her.

Could it be that the boss had long since fallen for Mu Wan, but since Mu Wan was her son’s girlfriend, she didn’t dare admit it? She didn’t want to compete with her own son for his girlfriend, nor reveal her feelings, so she went to all this trouble just to get closer to her?!

The boss is just…

too indulgent!

A rich middle-aged woman’s love is indeed straightforward and generous—if she disagrees, she just transfers money. And it’s the kind of money an ordinary person couldn’t spend in several lifetimes.

Yu Liuxue stared at her phone. When she heard that heavenly, pleasant “ding—”, her entire mood brightened instantly. Money could make the devil work for you, and it could also help you steal the male lead’s mother. Yu Liuxue smiled joyfully as she stared at the text message. “System, how do you think I should use this fifty million to win Sister Linxian over?”

System: “???” You’re using the money she gave you to pursue her?

You really are an unremarkable little genius.

Yu Liuxue still had to battle with Mu Wan’s biological mother and complete the client’s second task, so after thinking it over, she used half the money to buy ten properties. She forced the system to tell her which houses in the city were about to be demolished, and without blinking an eye, spent over twenty million in half a day.

The system’s eyelids twitched violently. It had a bad feeling again. If the host could stir up this much trouble while being broke, once she made money and became a little rich lady, wouldn’t she end up toying the male and female leads to death?

And the kind of death that left them traumatized for generations.

The system was filled with despair. Was there really no one in this world who could control this host?

When Liu Yan took Chi Yang to the hospital yesterday, she kept saying, “Liu Yan, I’m really fine. Mu Wan is weak—she just lightly slapped me, that’s all. Look if you don’t believe me.”

She showed the reddened half of her face. On her fair skin, the red slap mark was clearly visible, and paired with her messy hair beside her cheeks, she looked heartbreakingly beautiful. Liu Yan frowned with distress and reached out to touch her, but Chi Yang, who had just claimed to be fine, instantly sucked in a breath and teared up from the pain. Even so, she still explained, “It doesn’t hurt. It’s just because your touch is too strong, Liu Yan…”

Seeing that she was still defending Mu Wan at this point, Liu Yan’s anger flared up. He couldn’t help but pull Chi Yang into his arms. “Yangyang, you don’t have to say any more. I know what kind of person Mu Wan is. It’s my fault. I’ve let you suffer.”

Chi Yang nestled in Liu Yan’s arms, a victorious smile tugging at the corners of her lips. A moment later, she tucked away the pride in her eyes and explained self-blamingly, “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have pulled you aside to talk and drink, knowing she was watching…”

“This has nothing to do with you,” Liu Yan cut her off. Something felt off. Mu Wan had always been tactful. No matter how awkward a situation she faced, she would never lose composure and leave herself open to criticism. So why did she slap someone in public tonight?

Liu Yan’s face suddenly darkened. Could it be because he’d made certain promises to her, so she couldn’t wait to assert her position as the official girlfriend?

But they weren’t even married yet! As long as they hadn’t registered their marriage, their relationship wasn’t official! Thinking about Mu Wan’s eagerness, a sense of repulsion rose in Liu Yan’s heart. He had always thought Mu Wan was different from other women.

She was tolerant and graceful. She didn’t cling or control him. She never interrogated him even when he went out drinking. He thought Mu Wan would unconditionally obey him, that no matter what he did, she wouldn’t object.

Looking back now, he’d been too naive. Mu Wan was no different from those women who were hell-bent on marrying into wealth.

She was just more cunning and patient, having deceived him for three or four years. Liu Yan couldn’t help but feel a chill—thankfully, this happened tonight, or he might never have seen her true colors even after marrying her.

Liu Yan dwelled on it for a while, making Chi Yang nervous. She pulled away from his embrace, holding the swollen side of her face and lowering her head. “Liu Yan, it’s late. You should go home. I’ll just go home and apply an ice pack…”

“No way,” Liu Yan firmly refused. He stubbornly insisted on taking her to the hospital. Only when the swelling on her face subsided slightly did he relax. After escorting Chi Yang home, he looked at her apologetically. “Sorry you had to go through that today.”

Chi Yang’s eyes reddened, and she smiled through tears as if she could no longer hold in the grievance. She wiped her tears carefully and shook her head. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I provoked Mu Wan. She’s usually so gentle—she wouldn’t have hit me unless I upset her.”

She stopped just short, prompting Liu Yan to think again: had Mu Wan already begun to see all the women around him as threats?

If so, then he definitely couldn’t marry her right now.

When Yu Liuxue found out what the female lead had done, her expression was like the subway grandpa meme looking at his phone. In a chilly voice, she confirmed again, “System, I remember you swore to me… that this female lead was supposed to be a heartthrob?”

The system shuddered on the spot. “That’s what the author wrote, but as for why the female lead turned out like this… honestly, I have no idea.”

Yu Liuxue: “???” She was starting to despair over how melodramatic this world was.

After a night’s sleep, Liu Yan still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Eventually, he called Yu Liuxue and asked to meet and talk properly. Without hesitation, she agreed. Since Chi Yang could twist the truth in front of Liu Yan, she could absolutely stir the waters even murkier.

With that in mind, Yu Liuxue immediately changed clothes, sat at the vanity, and used red eyeshadow to create a look of reddened, tearful eyes, then added a pale lipstick. Her roommate was startled by her appearance and rushed over. “Mu Wan, are you okay? You look terrible.”

Yu Liuxue weakly shook her head. “I’m fine. Sorry, I’m meeting Liu Yan now, so I won’t be able to have lunch with you all.”

Even a fellow woman was fooled—there was no way a straight guy like Liu Yan would see through her makeup-induced sickly look. She stood in front of the mirror, satisfied. Though she appeared pale, like someone recovering from illness, she was still delicately made up, and if her pitiful face was covered, she looked like a doll.

Yu Liuxue happily went to the meeting. When Liu Yan saw her, he nearly doubted his own eyes. Mu Wan had always been dignified and proud in front of him. Even when she was wronged, she never showed weakness. But today she looked frail and pale.

Guilt suddenly welled up in Liu Yan’s heart. Had he been ignoring Mu Wan’s feelings all this time?

Something must’ve happened yesterday for her to act so out of character.

Liu Yan’s expression softened greatly. He even considerately pulled out a chair for Yu Liuxue and ordered her favorite drink and dessert. She was so deep in character that she swayed even while sitting, looking like she might faint at any moment. Liu Yan was alarmed, and after a long silence, he hesitantly asked, “Mu Wan, did something happen?”

Yu Liuxue softly pressed her lips together and weakly shook her head. Biting her lip, her eyes reddened instantly as if about to cry. But she still looked stubborn and strong, unwilling to show her vulnerable side. She opened her mouth and apologized, “I’m sorry, Liu Yan. I got too emotional yesterday and caused you trouble.”

At her apology, Liu Yan’s heart softened, though his face remained unchanged. “Tell me what really happened.”

Yu Liuxue’s eyes lit up instantly but dimmed just as quickly. Seeing her hopeful yet disappointed look, Liu Yan felt conflicted—and strangely, even a bit sorry for her.

The system expressionlessly watched Yu Liuxue’s eyes brighten and dim like a broken lightbulb. “…” Utter despair.

Yu Liuxue said softly, “Liu Yan, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have lost control and lashed out at Chi Yang in front of everyone just because of a few words. I embarrassed you.”

“But.” She suddenly looked a bit unhinged. “It’s all because I like you. I love you, Liu Yan! I’m petty—I can’t tolerate even a grain of sand in my eyes, especially if it’s a woman.”

“I don’t want you getting too close to anyone else. Every time I see you talking and laughing with them, I just want to rush over and scratch their faces so they understand the price of not keeping their distance from a married man!” Yu Liuxue’s face flushed red. She clenched her fists. “Liu Yan, I want to destroy every woman who revolves around you.”

Then, her voice softened. “Only by getting rid of them can I have you all to myself—completely and utterly mine.”

Yu Liuxue let out a gentle laugh. She loosened her fingers, her smile blooming like a flower. “Liu Yan, do you know? You’re mine. No one can take you away.”

System: “???” I seriously did not expect this. When did the host unlock the blackened villainess mode?

The system was on the verge of a breakdown. Where had the host been while it was upgrading? Who had taught her all this strange, twisted stuff? At this rate, was she planning to ascend to heaven or what?

Liu Yan was completely stunned. Yu Liuxue’s performance today had gone far beyond anything he could have predicted. A shiver ran through him, cold sweat rising from the soles of his feet. Goosebumps popped up all over his skin, and he nearly bolted on the spot.

How did his sweet, gentle, considerate girlfriend suddenly turn into a paranoid, twisted yandere?

He shook his head frantically. Fear gripped him—he started to worry about his own survival. He was still young, good-looking, hadn’t even had a real girlfriend before. He wanted to get married, have kids, enjoy a peaceful life. He couldn’t die at the hands of a yandere girlfriend.

After forcing himself to calm down, Liu Yan subtly got into a sprint-ready position. “Mu Wan, I think you need to take a breath. I know a good psychologist. Maybe… I could introduce you?”

Yu Liuxue narrowed her eyes and interrupted with a cold smile. “Liu Yan, do you think I’m crazy?”

Liu Yan shut up instantly, equal parts anxious and terrified. He tried to soften his voice, coaxing her: “Mu Wan, that’s not what I meant. There’s nothing wrong with you—there’s something wrong with me. I go see him all the time. As your boyfriend, I care deeply about your health. That’s why I thought maybe you could get a check-up too. If you’re healthy, I’ll be so happy and proud of you.”

Yu Liuxue thought it over seriously and finally nodded. “All right.”

Liu Yan let out a long breath of relief. He had completely forgotten why Yu Liuxue hit Chi Yang in the first place. Even if he remembered, he wouldn’t dare ask now. What if his yandere girlfriend suddenly pulled out a knife and chased him down the street? He didn’t want to die young.

He sent her the doctor’s WeChat contact and only felt truly at ease once she sent a friend request. Sensing an opportunity, he said tentatively, “Mu Wan, my buddy invited me to play basketball. I won’t be able to join you for lunch…”

Yu Liuxue’s brows twitched slightly. You still dare go play basketball with your bros?

Her face darkened. “Liu Yan, are your bros more important to you than me? If so, then your bros—”

“Of course not!” Liu Yan quickly cut her off. “You’re the most important, obviously!”

Yu Liuxue’s expression finally softened a little. Liu Yan felt like crying. He swore to himself: once his yandere girlfriend’s condition stabilized, he’d break up with her immediately. He just wanted to date—why did it come to fearing for his life?

Yu Liuxue actually hadn’t wanted to eat lunch with him either, so when Liu Yan reached to help her up, she changed her mind and said, “I’m suddenly not hungry. I want some time alone. You can go.”

Liu Yan didn’t hesitate. He turned and ran.

Watching him flee like his life depended on it brought Yu Liuxue immense joy. She exclaimed to the system, “So being a yandere is actually an SSS-tier god-level weapon! System, I suddenly have a bold idea!”

System: “Please state your—wait, no, you don’t. You absolutely don’t want to.”

That was close—almost got led astray again.

Liu Yan had ordered a lot of food, and since Yu Liuxue hadn’t had breakfast, she happily accepted it all. Just as she was about to leave, she ran into Song Linxian’s assistant, who looked at her with a complicated expression. Yu Liuxue quickly approached. “Sis, what are you doing here?”

The assistant couldn’t accept being called “Sis” and immediately tried to distance herself. “Miss Mu, just call me Xiao Zhi.”

Yu Liuxue blinked. “Am I imagining things, or is Xiao Zhi looking at me like I’m some kind of beast, and avoiding me like the plague?”

System: Who isn’t?

“Xiao Zhi, why are you here? Is Sister Linxian here too?”

Later, she deeply regretted that big mouth of hers.

Xiao Zhi gave her a strange look and pointed in a direction. Yu Liuxue, completely unaware, happily trotted over. Who would’ve thought she’d run into the male lead’s mom just by having a meal? She and Song Linxian really were fated. Even the heavens were trying to bring them together.

This time, she was determined to make the most of her silver tongue to win Song Linxian’s heart.

After circling around, she finally stopped at the aisle beside Song Linxian. She glanced at her side profile, then at the still-uncleared plates from her meal, and slowly a string of question marks popped up in her mind: “…?”

Grandpa on the subway looking at his phone.

Wait—did that mean Song Linxian had been sitting behind her the entire time she was talking to Liu Yan?!

Yu Liuxue felt her vision go black. She nearly dropped dead on the spot. Just as she was planning to sneak away, Song Linxian looked up. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes as she stared at the now-rigid Yu Liuxue. Her red lips parted, and she slowly said, “What’s wrong? That scared of me?”

She pointed to the seat across from her, speaking casually. “Sit.”

Yu Liuxue really wanted to refuse, but Song Linxian’s eyes brooked no argument. Bracing herself, she stiffly moved like a snail and sat down. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, her scalp tingling. After struggling for a moment, she decided to go on the offensive. “Sister Linxian, please let me explain!”

Song Linxian rested her chin in her hand, eyes calm, long lashes blinking slowly. “All right. Go on.”

Yu Liuxue: “…”

Wait, what excuse did I use last time?

Sudden memory loss.jpg

I’m doomed…