Chapter 105: From a Scumbag’s Ex-Girlfriend to His Stepmom (Part 4)

Chi Yang’s mind went completely blank. Just yesterday, Mu Wan was still entangled with Liu Yan, as if she wouldn’t break up unless she got some sort of benefit. But now, not even twenty-four hours later, Mu Wan had become Liu Yan’s own mother’s girlfriend?

She was determined to marry Liu Yan and had been secretly planning and enduring for years just to successfully marry into the Liu family and become the glamorous Mrs. Liu. If Mu Wan was really Aunt Song’s girlfriend now, wouldn’t that make her… her future mother-in-law?!

Chi Yang’s eyes widened in disbelief. Her romantic rival had become her mother-in-law?! What kind of absurd reality was this?

Liu Yan froze on the spot, nearly dropping dead from the shock. He had wanted to break up with Mu Wan, sure, but he hadn’t even gotten the chance yet! Weren’t they still officially a couple? How had Mu Wan suddenly become his stepmother in less than a day?

Instinctively, Liu Yan looked toward Xu Cen. She had a cold face and an unmistakable expression of displeasure. Normally, she treated him quite well. Only when he messed up would she give him this exact look. His heart sank. Could it be…?

Among everyone present, the most confused was Song Linxian. Glancing at Yu Liuxue, who was sobbing delicately in her arms, she couldn’t help but wonder—when did she suddenly gain a girlfriend? And not just any girlfriend, but her son’s girlfriend? Why hadn’t anyone told her?

Song Linxian looked over at Xu Cen, who met her gaze for a moment but didn’t seem to understand what she was trying to communicate. As the matriarch presiding over the situation, Xu Cen sternly addressed Liu Yan and Chi Yang, “You two, come with me.”

Neither Liu Yan nor Chi Yang dared disobey her. Meek as chicks, they trailed behind Xu Cen. Yu Liuxue sneakily peeked between her fingers. At that moment, she heard Song Linxian’s calm voice in her ear. “Are you done acting?”

Yu Liuxue instinctively looked up. Sure enough, Song Linxian had noticed that her eye makeup was completely untouched—not a smudge on her lashes, not even the hint of a tear. Caught red-handed, Yu Liuxue flushed with embarrassment and quickly put on a pitiful voice. “Sister Linxian…”

“If you’re done acting, get up.”

Yu Liuxue clutched her chest in disbelief. “Oh System, why are all these older women so damn cold-blooded and heartless?!”

She had no choice but to leave Song Linxian’s embrace. As she did, she rubbed reluctantly against her shoulder, but no sooner had she stood up than Song Linxian casually brushed off that very spot like it had been dirtied. Yu Liuxue: “…?!”

“System, Sister just disdained me. QAQ.”

Just as Yu Liuxue thought she was no longer part of this situation, Xu Cen suddenly turned around. With sharp features and a commanding aura, she looked her way with a calm, unreadable gaze. “Mu Wan, you come too.”

Reluctantly, Yu Liuxue followed, though as soon as she saw Song Linxian heading that way as well, her mood instantly flipped and she followed cheerfully. Xu Cen led them into a lounge and closed the door behind them. Her cold gaze slowly swept over Liu Yan and Chi Yang.

“Fighting in public—what kind of behavior is that?! Liu Yan, today is your grandfather’s birthday. Do you want your father to lose all dignity in front of everyone?!”

After getting thoroughly scolded, Liu Yan instinctively glanced at Song Linxian, only to find she had no intention of speaking on his behalf. That made both him and Chi Yang even more panicked. So it was true—Mu Wan really had become Mom/Aunt Song’s girlfriend?

What was so great about Mu Wan, anyway? Why would Mom/Aunt Song fall for a woman like her?

Could it be… the yandere factor?!

With even his own mom unwilling to defend him, Liu Yan could only bow his head. “Sorry, Mom. I was just panicking in the moment…”

“Panicking over what?” Xu Cen’s tone grew even sharper. “Panicking enough to shove your future stepmother over your blind date?”

Blind date? Liu Yan’s head snapped up. Something was clearly off. He took a step forward. “Mom, what blind date? What are you talking about?”

Could it be that Mom had found out Chi Yang asked him to pretend to be her boyfriend? Chi Yang, who had been silent this whole time, suddenly tensed. She hadn’t expected things to unravel like this. As she bit her lip and mentally prepared to keep playing dead, she quickly devised a new plan.

Xu Cen frowned slightly. Finally, the bystander Song Linxian spoke up. “Your mother and I discussed it and thought that you and that girl next to you were well matched. So we planned to use today as an opportunity for the two of you to have a blind date. If you liked each other, we’d arrange a formal proposal to the Chi family.”

Afraid that Liu Yan would read too much into it, Chi Yang seized the moment and gasped dramatically. “So the man I was supposed to go on a blind date with today… was you, Liu Yan?!”

Her expression was so convincingly shocked that Liu Yan was momentarily stunned. “I didn’t know anything about this…”

Song Linxian chuckled. “We were afraid you’d rebel if you found out, so we thought it better to just let you meet casually first.”

As she said that, she gave Chi Yang a meaningful look. Yu Liuxue immediately rushed to her side and tattled indignantly. “Sister Linxian, Aunt Xu, what are you talking about? Blind date? What blind date? Liu Yan and Chi Yang are already dating!”

Liu Yan and Chi Yang both turned pale. Before they could speak, Yu Liuxue added with righteous fervor, “I just heard Liu Yan call her Yangyang! He even said—‘Yangyang, don’t worry. As long as I’m here, I’ll never let another man bully you. I’ll protect you forever.’”

Liu Yan had said something like that… but he didn’t remember it being so elaborate. When had he ever promised to protect her forever?

Song Linxian and Xu Cen both turned suspicious eyes toward him. “What’s going on here?”

Liu Yan flushed red, completely speechless. Just as he was about to respond, Chi Yang seized the chance and cut in, “Aunt Xu, Aunt Song, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.” Her eyes shimmered with tears. “It’s my fault. I was so scared when I heard I had a blind date today that I panicked and asked Liu Yan to pretend to be my boyfriend to help me avoid it.”

She sounded sincere. “I never expected that the man I was supposed to meet… would be Liu Yan. I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

Yu Liuxue picked her nose. “System, don’t you think this heroine has pretty decent acting skills?”

System: “……” What, you wanna challenge her to a duel?

Just then, the door burst open and a lively, pretty girl dashed in. Yu Liuxue thought her face looked familiar, but before she could recall the mission info, the girl blurted out, “Mu Wan! What happened between you and Liu Yan?! How did you two break up?!”

Yu Liuxue turned to stone.

Xu Cen shot a sharp look at her. “?”

That wasn’t the end of it. The girl turned to Liu Yan and Chi Yang, looking shocked. “Liu Yan, how did you end up dating Chi Yang?! When did that happen? And you didn’t even tell me? That’s huge!”

After she finished her rant, she finally noticed Xu Cen and Song Linxian—two women she had just treated like cabbages in a field. Her face froze. Realizing she had just stirred up a storm, she quickly shrank her neck and muttered, “Sorry, sorry, wrong room,” and bolted.

And finally, Yu Liuxue figured out her identity—Liu Yan’s cousin.

The room fell eerily silent, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Even the previously emotional, teary-eyed Chi Yang quieted down. It felt like a deserted wasteland, like the void of outer space—still and unreal.

After a long pause, Xu Cen turned slowly, gave the three younger ones a long look, and sat down with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh? So Mu Wan, you were Liu Yan’s girlfriend? And you, Liu Yan, pretended to be Chi Yang’s boyfriend to help her avoid a blind date?”

Three panicked faces.jpg

System was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. It hadn’t expected that after following the host for so long, it would one day witness the simultaneous downfall of the host, the male lead, and the female lead. Triple the chaos, triple the fun. It couldn’t help but show a very sorrowful smile.

Yu Liuxue and Chi Yang exchanged a glance and, as if telepathically connected, instantly understood each other.

Yu Liuxue stepped forward, her expression solemn as she explained to Xu Cen, “Auntie, I’ve already broken up with Liu Yan!”

Liu Yan looked at her in shock. He asked instinctively, “When?!”

Yu Liuxue’s face remained composed. “Just now. From this moment on, Liu Yan and I are both single again. He’s unmarried, I’m unattached, so we each seek our own happiness—we’re no longer in each other’s way!”

Song Linxian tilted her head as she listened and mercilessly exposed Yu Liuxue, “So you’re only now unilaterally announcing the breakup with Liu Yan?”

Yu Liuxue could tell from her expression that things were going south. She quickly ran back and stood in front of Song Linxian. “Sister Linxian, it’s not that I didn’t want to break up with Liu Yan. It’s just that he wouldn’t see me, and he wouldn’t take my calls. Even if I wanted to, I had no way to do it!”

“And see? Now that I’ve seen him, I broke up with him immediately.” As she finished speaking, she blinked obediently, looking perfectly well-behaved.

But Liu Yan wasn’t having it. He wasn’t about to take the fall for this. He glanced at Xu Cen, then at Song Linxian. “Mom, listen to me. It’s not like that. I called Mu Wan two days ago, and she didn’t say anything about wanting to break up.”

She didn’t even mention breaking up. And yet, before that happened, she was already hitting on my actual mom—what the hell is that supposed to be?

Yu Liuxue spun around instantly. “Didn’t you say you were seriously ill and going to the hospital for electroshock therapy? I even have the recording—you said you’d contact me once you were discharged.”

System stared at the battlefield before it in disbelief. Could this be… the legendary clash of titans?

So strong!

But very quickly, it realized—this wasn’t some epic duel at all. The host was just deliberately stirring the pot and creating chaos.

Liu Yan wanted to argue further, but then Chi Yang softly interjected, “I’m sorry. In the end, this is all my fault. Aunties, please don’t blame Mu Wan. She didn’t know anything beforehand. It’s all on me. I shouldn’t have accidentally touched her and caused her to almost fall…”

Yu Liuxue reflexively turned her head and started to play the victim. “Yes, Sister Linxian, I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel dizzy, my whole body weak and sluggish.” She grabbed Song Linxian’s hand and placed it on her forehead, frowning pitifully. “Sister, do you think Liu Yan upset me so much I fainted?”

Liu Yan: “???” What does this have to do with me?

Just as the three were about to argue again, Xu Cen finally lost her patience. “All of you, shut up!”

The room finally quieted down. Xu Cen turned to Chi Yang, her tone calm. “I’ll discuss the matchmaking with your parents again. You should go home for now.”

Chi Yang was unwilling but knew this wasn’t the time to protest. She composed herself, politely said goodbye to Song Linxian and Xu Cen, and left. She didn’t go far, instead standing just outside the door, pretending to wait while secretly eavesdropping.

The moment Chi Yang left, Yu Liuxue sensed danger. She hesitated between making an excuse to leave and pretending to faint on the spot. But before she could decide, she noticed Xu Cen looking at her with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Liu Yan’s girlfriend?”

Yu Liuxue’s heart skipped a beat. “It’s not like that, Auntie. We just broke up. Liu Yan and I are now complete strangers.”

Song Linxian leaned casually against the wall, watching Yu Liuxue perform with amusement. Arms crossed, elegant and relaxed, from Yu Liuxue’s angle, she looked like a noblewoman out of a European painting.

Xu Cen raised her eyebrows, pretending to be surprised. “Oh?”

She looked at Song Linxian, who fluttered her lashes but didn’t rush to explain. Instead, she said slowly, “I was the one who forced her to leave Liu Yan.”

Liu Yan and Xu Cen both looked stunned. Xu Cen, being more experienced, managed to stay composed, but Liu Yan looked completely dumbfounded. He stepped forward anxiously. “Mom, you…”

Snatching my girlfriend?!

His mind began to spiral. Could it be that the reason Mu Wan was upset and hit someone that day was because she was being forced by his mom to do something unethical?

This is insane!

Song Linxian glanced at her son indifferently. “You’re my son. Of course, I want to find you a better match. Besides, haven’t you always had an unclear relationship with that Chi girl from the Chi family? I thought you two had already secretly pledged yourselves to each other.”

Yu Liuxue: “…?” I feel like I’ve been insulted again.

It was a reasonable explanation, but Liu Yan instinctively didn’t want to believe it. He felt certain his mom had taken a liking to Mu Wan and forced her to leave him so she could have her to herself.

Liu Yan suddenly felt smothered. But what could he do? It was his own mother!

Was he supposed to fight his own mom over a woman?

He felt utterly humiliated.

Yu Liuxue also felt humiliated.

Xu Cen had been listening for a while and still couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation. Her curiosity burned like a cat pawing at her heart. She finally lost patience and kicked Liu Yan out. “Go find your father. Don’t leave his side until your grandfather comes down.”

After a pause, she added, “And don’t go see that girl from the Chi family again.”

What could Liu Yan do? Xu Cen may be his stepmother, but she was formidable. He didn’t dare disobey, especially since his own mother didn’t object—he had no grounds to resist.

After the irrelevant people left, Xu Cen finally turned to Song Linxian, frowning. “What on earth is going on between you two? Are you really trying to steal your own son’s girlfriend just to get back at us?”

If word of this got out, wouldn’t the Liu family become a laughingstock in high society?

Song Linxian smiled breezily. “Hasn’t Mu Wan already broken up with Liu Yan?”

Yu Liuxue’s eyes lit up immediately. Song Linxian hadn’t clarified the nature of their relationship—didn’t that mean there was still hope? Thinking this, Yu Liuxue instantly jumped in, “Yes, Auntie Xu, I’ve already broken up with Liu Yan.”

Xu Cen resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course she knew. But thinking that someone who was supposed to be her daughter-in-law was now her social equal’s girlfriend, and that she’d have to greet her politely in the future, left her thoroughly irritated.

Still, she felt guilty toward Song Linxian and this was her private matter. So no matter how she felt, she couldn’t interfere. After Xu Cen left, only Yu Liuxue and Song Linxian remained. Yu Liuxue blinked, ready to slip away.

“Stop.”

Yu Liuxue immediately froze, flashing a flattering smile. “Sister Linxian, is there something else you’d like me to do?”

Song Linxian stood and approached her. Tilting her head slightly, she leaned close, studying Yu Liuxue slowly. “You really are full of surprises.”

Yu Liuxue chose to take that as a compliment. Beaming, she said, “As long as I can please you, Sister Linxian, I’ll do anything—walk through fire, climb a mountain of blades…”

Song Linxian chuckled lightly and walked past her. “Your mission’s complete. You can go now.”

But Yu Liuxue had no intention of leaving. She was already in too deep. No way she’d back out now. Everyone thought she was Song Linxian’s girlfriend—she had to seize the momentum and go all in.

When Liu Yan exited the room, he ran into Chi Yang waiting outside. She immediately showed a worried, anxious expression and apologized guiltily, “I’m sorry, Liu Yan. This whole mess is my fault. I caused this misunderstanding.”

Her lips trembled, face full of remorse.

Liu Yan’s heart softened instantly. He hadn’t meant to blame Chi Yang anyway. “It’s not your fault. It’s Mom and the others who didn’t tell me. If I’d known earlier, this wouldn’t have happened.”

After hearing what he said, Chi Yang felt a little relieved. Her eyes shifted as she asked again, “Then what about Mu Wan…”

At the mention of Mu Wan, Liu Yan felt extremely uncomfortable. His emotions were complicated. He had been in so many relationships, and it had always been him who did the dumping. This was the first time he’d been dumped—by Mu Wan, no less… all because his own mother had some unclear entanglement with her.

Just thinking about it made Liu Yan upset. Not wanting to discuss it any further, he said, “I’ll take you to Uncle and Aunt first, then head to my dad’s. Grandpa is about to come out. Let’s meet again after the birthday celebration.”

Chi Yang didn’t dare say more, and could only nod in agreement.

She watched Liu Yan walk away, a wave of unwillingness rising in her heart. But unlike Mu Wan, she wasn’t into older women. She still preferred to marry Liu Yan. Which brought up a serious problem—if she married Liu Yan, she’d have to call Mu Wan, someone she had always seen as a thorn in her side, “Mom.”

That was absolutely unacceptable to her.

Soon, Chi Yang made a decision—she had to marry Liu Yan. Naturally, that meant she had to stop Mu Wan from getting together with Aunt Song.

Chi Yang was the type to act quickly. There were plenty of peers around today, so she deliberately twisted the truth, hiding the fact that Liu Yan had already broken up, and made sure everyone knew about Liu Yan and Mu Wan’s past relationship.

By the time Yu Liuxue heard the news, it was already too late.

Yu Liuxue frowned. “Why? Why is the female lead doing this to me? And you say she doesn’t secretly love me—clearly she just wants to ruin things between me and Sister Song, then swoop in when I’m vulnerable and claim me for herself.”

Yu Liuxue was heartbroken. “I can’t believe even the female lead in this world has unspeakable, improper feelings for me!”

System: “…” Please calm down.

It couldn’t bear it anymore and reminded Yu Liuxue, “Host, the one with the irresistible charm setting is the female lead, not you.”

Yu Liuxue ignored it, still wearing a wounded expression as she walked into the crowd. With Chi Yang stirring things up, she quickly became the center of attention among the younger guests.

“So that’s Mu Wan? She’s really nothing special. Not even half as good-looking as you, Chi Yang.”

“Forget looks—Mu Wan’s the kind who lives off financial aid and has to work part-time. She’s not even in the same world as us. She’s so poor, even if she worked for ten lifetimes, she’d never reach our level.”

“She’s clearly just trying to marry into money and become some rich man’s wife.”

That last part, Yu Liuxue didn’t like. Was it her fault she was poor? And besides, she wasn’t poor! She still had over twenty million in her account! People live for pride like Buddhas bask in incense—this was the perfect time to make some money. Yu Liuxue, full of confidence, ordered the System to assist as she boldly approached a target to strike up a conversation.

The person saw a young girl approach and instinctively tried to turn her away. But Yu Liuxue, bold and wealthy, immediately declared she’d invest 25 million. The person froze and scrutinized her. “You really have that much money…? Wait, are you seriously going to invest that much?”

Yu Liuxue nodded earnestly. “Of course.”

The person couldn’t help explaining, “Little sister, do you even know what I do? Let me tell you, investments carry a lot of risk. If you dump that much money in, you might not get even a cent back.”

Yu Liuxue nodded again, just as seriously. “I understand.”

In the end, thanks to her silver tongue, the deal was struck. They set a time and place to sign the contract. Yu Liuxue checked her phone—after deducting the investment, her account balance was down to just 13.14 yuan.

Yu Liuxue was moved to tears. “System, Sister Linxian and I really are fated. Look—even my remaining bank balance is the number of love.”

{13.14 sounds like “一生一世” (yīshēng yīshì), which means “a lifetime”—a classic romantic promise. So, her pitiful bank balance reads as a message of eternal love.}

System pretended not to hear.

Chi Yang had noticed Yu Liuxue chatting with someone, but didn’t take it seriously. She continued spreading misinformation, trying to push Yu Liuxue to give up. Unfortunately, Yu Liuxue was completely unaffected. Instead, it was Liu Yan who felt increasingly disturbed.

Some friends walked by and teased him. Liu Yan didn’t want to respond and brushed them off.

Xu Cen stood behind him, her expression unreadable as she watched the awkward look on his face. She thought to herself, if only I had a kid…

Her eyes fell on Yu Liuxue, who stood confidently among the elite, conversing with ease. Xu Cen couldn’t help but be reminded of her younger self.

At the birthday banquet for Old Master Xu, guests came and went. The once penniless Yu Liuxue ate and drank her fill. When it was time to leave, she saw an opportunity and rushed to Song Linxian’s car, looking pitiful as she begged, “Sister, can you give me a ride?”

Song Linxian frowned. Hadn’t she already told Xiao Zhi to take care of this? Where was Xiao Zhi?

She called but couldn’t get through. Seeing Yu Liuxue clinging to the car door as if she wouldn’t leave without an answer, Song Linxian had no choice but to agree. Yu Liuxue lit up and got in immediately, fastening her seatbelt and thanking her, “Sister, you’re so kind. I knew you wouldn’t abandon me.”

Song Linxian didn’t want to talk.

When she decided to throw money at this girl to get rid of her, she hadn’t expected to be entangled like this.

The car slowly pulled away. Liu Yan stood at the door, expression complicated. He watched Yu Liuxue get into his biological mother’s car, watched her chat and laugh with her, and saw his mom nodding along, not rejecting her at all. His heart sank, colder than an ice cellar.

Who had it worse than him? His ex-girlfriend was becoming his future stepmother. Not only could he no longer say his ex was “dead” when asked, he’d have to respectfully address her every time they met.

Liu Yan felt like he was dying on the spot.

Yu Liuxue sat in the car, racking her brain to establish some connection with Song Linxian, but to little success. She eventually gave up. A moment later, Song Linxian glanced at her.

Yu Liuxue perked up and asked pitifully, “Sister, do you also think I’m annoying?”

That “sister” made Song Linxian’s heart flutter. She pursed her lips. “You should call me Aunt from now on.”

“No.” Yu Liuxue shook her head solemnly. “In my heart, you’ll always be young and beautiful. No one else compares to even a fraction of your charm.”

Song Linxian’s gaze deepened. The car stopped, and the silence was so complete she could hear her own heartbeat. She stared at Yu Liuxue, and just as Yu Liuxue thought she was finally going to ghs, Song Linxian ruthlessly kicked her out of the car. “We’re here. Get some rest.”

Then she drove off without looking back.

Yu Liuxue: “……QAQ.”

Chi Yang and Liu Yan had agreed to meet after the birthday banquet. So she deliberately got herself completely drunk. When Liu Yan arrived, her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were glassy. The moment she looked at him with those watery eyes, Liu Yan immediately felt a wave of heat surge through him, a fire sparking in his lower abdomen.

When Chi Yang saw him, her eyes lit up. “Liu Yan…”

She tried to stand but stumbled and fell back down. Liu Yan strode over and frowned, displeased. “Why did you drink so much? What if something had happened? You’re a girl…”

“You still came to find me, didn’t you?” Her words, spoken like a subconscious murmur, instantly shut Liu Yan up.

His throat moved. Chi Yang’s soft body kept pressing against him. He was an adult man, and he’d also had quite a bit to drink. Before long, he started to lose control. Fortunately, he still had some rationality left. He gently pulled away and supported the drunk Chi Yang toward the hotel. “You’re drunk. I’ll take you upstairs.”

Hearing that, Chi Yang quieted down and obediently let him guide her into the elevator. But as soon as they were inside, she grew bolder under the influence of alcohol. She wrapped her arms around Liu Yan’s neck and asked, “Liu Yan, am I pretty?”

Liu Yan hesitated, then nodded.

Chi Yang smiled, then asked again, “Our parents arranged this blind date for us. Liu Yan, you’re single again now, so—would you like to be my boyfriend tonight?”

The string of rationality in Liu Yan’s mind snapped instantly. They kissed all the way from the elevator to the room, and the moment the door locked, their shadows tangled together and fell onto the bed.

Yu Liuxue tore off her facial mask in disbelief. “That fast?!”

The male and female leads actually got together so quickly. She thought it would be a few more days at least. Yu Liuxue was in tears. “Other people are already selling Coke while I’m still stuck in the dorm worried about tomorrow’s lunch money.”

The system looked at her with a complicated expression. Wasn’t this all caused by you, host?

Besides, hasn’t the host always been all bark and no bite? Every time things got real, she’d surrender and cry in under three minutes.

The system was deeply disdainful. How did it end up with such a shameless host?

The next day, Liu Yan woke up with an unbearable headache. He was about to get up and wash up as usual, when his hand accidentally brushed against a soft body next to him. He froze instantly. Like a robot, he cautiously turned his head, and the moment he saw Chi Yang’s snow-white body, the memories of the previous night came flooding back.

He remembered drinking a few glasses of wine, then going to find Chi Yang as they had planned. She was also drunk, and out of concern for her, he took on the task of escorting her back to the hotel. In the elevator, she boldly confessed her feelings under the influence of alcohol. Overwhelmed by emotion, he ended up sleeping with the woman he had always thought of as just a good friend.

Liu Yan held his head in disbelief.

Chi Yang was startled awake by his movements. She blinked and then opened her eyes, still dazed. A few seconds later, she saw the regretful look on Liu Yan’s face. When she noticed the scratch marks on his body, she quickly realized what had happened the night before. Clutching the blanket tightly, she panicked and kept backing away. “Liu Yan, th-this…”

She stammered, her eyes instantly turning red. Liu Yan was flustered and awkwardly tried to comfort her. “Chi Yang, I’m sorry, it was my fault. I lost control last night.”

But the more he tried to comfort her, the harder Chi Yang cried. Liu Yan’s headache worsened. Looking at the messy clothes on the floor, he made up his mind and closed his eyes. “Chi Yang, don’t worry. I’ll take responsibility! I’ll go talk to my mom right now and tell her I want to get engaged to you!”

Chi Yang’s eyes lit up with a smile, but it quickly disappeared. She still looked tearful, even apologizing instead. “Liu Yan, I’m sorry too. I… I don’t know why I acted like that…”

Her face was full of guilt and self-blame, which stirred Liu Yan’s protective instincts. He tentatively reached out to pull her into his arms. Seeing that she didn’t resist, he relaxed a bit. “This isn’t your fault. I made mistakes too.”

Chi Yang, teary-eyed, looked up. Liu Yan steadied himself and added, “About the question you asked me yesterday—I want to answer seriously now. I think… I’d like to be your boyfriend. I’ll take responsibility.”

Chi Yang immediately threw her arms around him, touched. “Thank you, Liu Yan.”

While the leads were having their tender moment, Yu Liuxue had already gone off to sign a contract and start the first step of her get-rich plan. With the system at her side, there was no way her investment would go down the drain. Yu Liuxue gleefully calculated that even with just tenfold profit, she’d end up with over 200 million.

That would be enough to buy dozens more apartments to collect rent from. On top of that, she still had a dozen properties in second-tier cities that were about to be demolished. Yu Liuxue beamed with joy. “Sister Song really is the mentor of my life.”

Still, even with all that money, Yu Liuxue remained troubled. Song Linxian was experienced and had been through all sorts of trials. Ordinary wealth or luxury couldn’t impress her at all. Yu Liuxue let out a long sigh. She really couldn’t think of any good ideas. In the end, she decided to cling tightly to her for now and see if there was anything she could use from the leads.

Now that the leads had slept together, Liu Yan would soon be going to inform Song Linxian and Xu Cen and ask both moms to help with the marriage proposal.

Thinking this, Yu Liuxue cunningly pulled out her phone and tried to bond with Song Linxian. “Sister Linxian, I heard someone say Liu Yan and Chi Yang went into a room hugging last night and haven’t come out since!”

“Could they have…” Yu Liuxue deliberately trailed off. Song Linxian immediately thought of that possibility.

Still in bed, Song Linxian had been woken up by the call. She rubbed her eyes and spoke in a sultry, alluring voice. “Mu Wan, why do you know so much about their business?”

Yu Liuxue froze, instantly realizing she had woken Song Linxian up. She quickly explained, “It’s not like that, Sis. A friend told me. I didn’t want to listen, but she insisted on talking to me, so I ended up hearing the whole story…”

Song Linxian covered her eyes. A “friend”? She sneered. Most likely, Mu Wan still hadn’t given up on her son.

If that was the case, she might as well help her give up for good.

After hanging up on Yu Liuxue, Song Linxian called Liu Yan directly to confirm. When Liu Yan heard his mom questioning him, he froze on the spot. Even his mom knew?! Since that was the case, there was no point in hiding it anymore—he had already planned to take responsibility. So, in front of Chi Yang, he admitted everything.

Chi Yang was secretly thrilled. It’s happening!

Song Linxian rubbed her temples and spoke calmly. “Got it. Come home.”

After receiving her son’s confirmation, Song Linxian called Xu Cen to discuss the engagement. Xu Cen was stunned at first and took a while to recover. “They’ve already slept together?”

“If that’s the case, isn’t this a bit rushed?” Xu Cen stayed calm and thought for a moment. In the end, she diplomatically said, “Let Liu Yan bring her over first. We’ll talk after we’ve heard what they have to say.”

Song Linxian had no objections—after all, Liu Yan was mostly raised by Xu Cen.

Having made up her mind to make Yu Liuxue give up on her son completely, Song Linxian specifically sent Xiao Zhi to pick her up before heading to the Liu family, bringing her along for the visit. Yu Liuxue sat nervously, unsure what Song Linxian was planning, and for once remained unusually quiet the entire way.

But in Song Linxian’s eyes, her silence meant something else entirely: though she claimed she no longer cared about her son, hearing he had slept with another woman still left her feeling disappointed and unwilling to accept it. She must be plotting how to win back her ex, which was why she couldn’t be bothered to deal with her now.

Song Linxian let out a silent, cold laugh.

When the two arrived, Liu Yan and Chi Yang hadn’t gotten there yet. Xu Cen, wrapped in an elegant lady’s shawl, personally served tea to Song Linxian and Yu Liuxue. Yu Liuxue was flattered and flustered. “Thank you, Aunt Xu.”

Xu Cen gave her a stiff smile. “No need to thank me.”

Liu Yan had finally calmed Chi Yang down. But when he pushed open the door holding her hand and stepped inside, he was stunned to see an unexpected person sitting beside his mom—Yu Liuxue.

Both he and Chi Yang froze in place, unable to react for a long time. Xu Cen frowned slightly, displeased. “Why didn’t you greet your mother?”

Liu Yan felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. Call her Mom? He looked at Yu Liuxue with a terrible expression. Could it be… that while he was drunk and sleeping with Chi Yang, Mu Wan had managed to get in good with his mom too?

His whole body stiffened. Though his mouth opened, he just couldn’t say the word.

Chi Yang sensed something was wrong and gently squeezed his palm, giving him an encouraging look. Liu Yan widened his eyes slightly—did even she think he should call her Mom?

Although Liu Yan wasn’t Xu Cen’s biological son, she had always raised him as her own. From a young age, she taught him to be respectful to elders, to always greet them properly. But now, Liu Yan just stood there, not greeting either of them. Xu Cen’s face instantly turned cold, and her voice grew sharp. “Liu Yan.”

Liu Yan snapped back to reality. Suddenly, he found it hard to breathe, his face flushed. After struggling for a long time, he finally closed his eyes, braced himself, and shouted with heroic resolve at Yu Liuxue, “Hello, Stepmom!”

Yu Liuxue: “…?”