Chapter 57: Auntie, I Don’t Want to Try Anymore (Part 3)

Liang Yin let out a cold laugh, eyes locked onto her as she said, “Go ahead, speak.”

Let’s see what kind of nonsense you come up with this time.

Yu Liuxue: “……”

Desperately trying to come up with an excuse.jpg

Utterly dead inside.jpg

Yu Liuxue looked at Liu Qingru, who was quietly sipping her tea and watching the show, and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. She quickly explained, “Auntie Liang, I swear I’m not lying to you. Ever since I first saw you back in my sophomore year, I haven’t been able to forget you. You’ve been on my mind constantly—I even dream about you every night. But President Liu is so successful and beautiful like a goddess—I know I shouldn’t fall for two people at once, but…”

“Auntie Liang, President Liu, I really can’t control my heart.” Full of guilt, Yu Liuxue walked over and took Liang Yin’s hand. Liang Yin hesitated for a moment but didn’t pull away.

“It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have been greedy, shouldn’t have developed feelings for both of you at the same time.”

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

The system was dumbfounded, watching her performance in disbelief. It felt that after going through so many melodramatic worlds, the host’s acting skills had reached the level of divine mastery. Looking at her now—shameless and bold enough to confess this to the two people involved without blinking—the system felt a wave of despair wash over it.

Can someone please come and deal with her?

Liang Yin, however, was quite taken with Yu Liuxue’s seemingly sincere and forthright attitude. She snorted coldly and believed her nonsense. If she put herself in Yu Liuxue’s shoes, she didn’t know if she could choose between herself and Liu Qingru either. Besides, choices are for children. Adults take both.

Liu Qingru’s hand paused mid-tea-sip. She hadn’t expected things to escalate this way. She’d called Yu Liuxue over simply to give her a warning—not to say irresponsible things in the office and disrupt the work environment. Who knew she’d end up dragged into this love triangle with her best friend and a much younger girl?

“If there’s a misunderstanding, sit down and talk it out. I’ll leave you two for a bit.” Liu Qingru excused herself, not wanting to get involved in this absurd drama.

Yu Liuxue’s eyes instantly widened. Don’t go, President Liu! If you leave, won’t Liang Yin skin me alive and dismember me on the spot?!

Liang Yin gave her a cold look, lips parting in a slow drawl, “What, can’t bear to see her go?”

N-No, I wouldn’t dare.

Yu Liuxue instantly looked down obediently, eyes lowered, standing meekly with her head bowed. Her long lashes cast shadows on her cheeks as she stared at her toes, barely daring to breathe. She could hear the soft click of the door as Liu Qingru left, and the sharp clack of Liang Yin’s heels as she prowled around her like a lion, pacing deliberately. The scent of her perfume followed her every step.

Unfortunately, Yu Liuxue had no mental bandwidth to appreciate it.

“When did you start having those kinds of thoughts about Qingru?”

Yu Liuxue replied softly, “F-From the moment I first laid eyes on her.”

Liang Yin sneered, “Wow, you fall in love fast. What were you in your past life—a motor engine?”

After this whole incident, it was clear Liang Yin wasn’t going to trust Yu Liuxue easily again. The click of her heels made Yu Liuxue’s heart pound in panic. After a few circles, she finally stopped. “Other than Qingru, who else?”

Yu Liuxue immediately looked up. “Auntie Liang, I swear! Aside from the two of you, there’s no one else in my heart!”

The more she insisted, the less Liang Yin believed her. She’d long since seen through the fickleness of young people these days. Besides, her heart was currently focused on her son—she wasn’t looking to start anything new, especially not with a little liar like Yu Liuxue. So she changed the subject and got straight to what she cared about most. “What’s going on with Qin Feng?”

“Qin Feng’s been really busy lately… we haven’t talked much…”

“He doesn’t take the initiative, and you don’t think to reach out to him? All you have to do is act a little sweet and coquettish—he’ll be wrapped around your finger!” Liang Yin scolded her with a look of bitter disappointment.

Yu Liuxue: “……?” Do you think I’m some kind of fox spirit seductress?

But now wasn’t the time to argue. In this dangerous situation, Yu Liuxue obediently agreed to whatever Liang Yin said. Her obedient demeanor only made Liang Yin angrier. Back when Yu Liuxue had confessed so passionately to her, she’d really thought her charm hadn’t faded with age. That maybe Yu Liuxue truly had feelings for her. Who would’ve thought she was just another stepping stone on Yu Liuxue’s climb out of poverty?

After laying it all out, Liang Yin picked up her bag and left in a very bad mood, heels clicking furiously.

Before leaving, she threw out one last warning: “You’d better not let me catch any more dirt on you. Or I won’t go easy next time. We’ll settle all our old and new scores together.”

Yu Liuxue practically died on the spot.

Once Liang Yin was gone, Yu Liuxue collapsed onto the sofa, pressing her hand to her chest. “That was close. But thankfully, I was clever enough to survive this demon-level showdown.”

The system, completely unmoved, just wanted to spit. For the sake of both her heart and its own well-being, it tried to reason with her. “Host, wouldn’t it be better to just complete our missions in a normal, decent way? Why stir up so much drama? You’re only making trouble for yourself!”

It would’ve been better if it hadn’t said anything. The moment it spoke, Yu Liuxue got angry. “Then why didn’t you give me a normal mission? Why didn’t you throw me into a normal transmigration world?”

“And besides, it was Liang Yin who made the first move.”

System: “……”

So your genius solution was to randomly lie and say you and Qin Feng have nothing going on, that you’ve been secretly in love with a middle-aged woman for years, and you had no choice but to get close to her son just to see her?!

And now you’ve dragged Liu Qingru into this mess too… Falling for two aunties at once—how do you even come up with this stuff? Aren’t you afraid the truth will come out one day and the two bigshots will chase you to the ends of the earth?

The system hugged itself and sobbed. What karmic debt did I have in my past life to get saddled with this trainwreck of a host?

A few minutes later, Liu Qingru returned to her office, her tone calm and cool. “Don’t cause any more negative disturbances in the workplace.”

She looked at Yu Liuxue with a sharp glint in her eyes. Yu Liuxue quickly nodded. “Don’t worry, President Liu. I promise I’ll never bet again on whether I’ll end up in your bed.”

Liu Qingru was momentarily speechless. She fell silent for a moment, then looked away and unceremoniously kicked Yu Liuxue out of her office.

After she left, Liu Qingru inhaled deeply. The air in her office now carried a faint, lingering scent of heartbreaker ever since Yu Liuxue had appeared.

Meanwhile, Qin Feng had been off having fun for a few days, but the moment he returned home, he could tell something was off. His dear mother was like a lit firecracker, exploding at the slightest touch. Within five minutes of arriving, Qin Feng had already been scolded for four minutes and fifty-nine seconds. Completely baffled, Qin Feng eventually lost his patience and started yelling back. And so the two of them had a shouting match right there in the living room.

In the middle of the shouting, Qin Feng finally picked up on a key detail from Liang Yin’s barrage—

The reason she was so angry… was entirely because of his girlfriend, Qiao Ruo.

No way—did Qiao Ruo go and do something huge again without saying a word? Why couldn’t she at least give him a heads-up? Then he wouldn’t have stupidly come home just to get chewed out. After scolding him to the point of exhaustion, Liang Yin shot her son a fierce glare, grabbed a glass of water from the table to moisten her throat, ready to resume yelling—when Qin Feng suddenly said, “Mom, when are you going to transfer the wedding money to me? I’m registering my marriage with Qiao Ruo next month.”

It would’ve been better if he hadn’t brought it up—Liang Yin instantly exploded. She slammed the cup down and sneered, “Don’t even think about it.”

“You want to marry her, but who says she wants to marry you?” She couldn’t help cursing him in her head for his awful taste—he couldn’t even tell who genuinely liked him. But then, thinking about how Yu Liuxue got close to her son for her sake at least, Liang Yin’s expression softened a bit.

She wasn’t about to reveal the truth to her idiot son. Pulling her shawl around her shoulders, she said, “No money. If you want to get married, either earn it yourself or come back to the company and follow my arrangements.”

After another failed attempt to get money, Qin Feng couldn’t help calling Yu Liuxue to ask what the hell was going on. She agreed to meet, but once they sat down together, Yu Liuxue immediately stretched out her hand, openly asking for a little “gesture.”

Qin Feng had had enough. He rolled his eyes so hard it hurt—he felt like his brain must be waterlogged to have ever dated someone so two-faced. If she didn’t still have some use, he would’ve kicked this little manipulator to the curb ages ago.

He transferred her a thousand yuan. Yu Liuxue accepted it and then put on an innocent look. “Honestly, I don’t even know what I did to upset Auntie Liang. Maybe… you should go ask her yourself?”

“…If I could ask her, would I even be here?”

“Give me my money back.”

Yu Liuxue immediately tucked her phone away. “Not a chance.”

Qin Feng nearly raised a hand to hit her, and Yu Liuxue jumped up and ran off like lightning. He watched her fleeing back, seething with rage.

The system, watching Yu Liuxue antagonize the male lead day after day, couldn’t help getting anxious. At this rate, once the male lead wises up and rises, would the host end up with a miserable fate—shipped off to dig coal in Africa or something?

Yu Liuxue had been working extremely hard at the company lately. Although she had promised Liu Qingru to stop running her mouth, everyone in the office already knew about her ambitions. So even though she kept her head down and got lost in endless rounds of revisions, the gossip never stopped.

About two weeks later, Yu Liuxue was suddenly promoted and got a raise.

From a lowly design grunt to team lead.

It wasn’t a massive change, but the order came directly from Liu Qingru, which instantly stirred up chatter among the staff. “Did Qiao Ruo actually pull it off?”

“No way. She’s been stuck in her department working on a big project, so busy she barely has time to drink water. How could she have time to seduce Boss Liu?”

“Maybe that’s exactly the kind of seductive-but-not slutty persona Boss Liu likes—first, she caused a scene that caught her attention, and then suddenly cleaned up her act and buckled down to work, making her realize she’s not like the rest of us basic bitches. So she started to see her in a whole new light.”

“You know what? That actually makes sense.”

With that analysis, the office gossip exploded. Aside from Yu Liuxue, other employees began dropping not-so-subtle hints that they, too, wouldn’t mind sleeping with Liu Qingru. Finally, Liu Qingru had enough. She put down her pen, closed the file, called in her assistant, and instructed, “Fire everyone in this company who’s slacking off.”

The assistant replied immediately, “Understood.”

In less than three days, a large number of employees were laid off, and new recruitment was underway at full speed. After finishing one last design draft, Yu Liuxue adjusted her glasses and collapsed onto the couch, sipping from a straw with blank eyes.

“This job is inhuman. The female lead hasn’t even shown up yet, and I’m already growing wrinkles.” She sighed deeply. After pissing off Liang Yin and being constantly watched like a hawk by Liu Qingru, she groaned, “I’m so doomed.”

System: “…” I’m even more doomed.

The host’s only concern seemed to be the two gorgeous aunties, totally ignoring the mission—what was it supposed to do? After much deliberation, while Yu Liuxue wasn’t looking, the system quietly arranged for the female lead, Guo Zao, to join Liu Qingru’s company. Coincidentally, Guo Zao also majored in fashion design, and she ended up assigned directly under Yu Liuxue.

When Yu Liuxue saw Guo Zao, she raised an eyebrow, grabbed the system by the ear, narrowed her eyes, and said with a dangerous smile, “You did this.”

System: “…”

Absolutely not admitting it.

Guo Zao was exactly as described in the original plot—delicate and pretty, petite, with snowy skin that practically glowed. From afar, she looked radiant, surrounded by a soft halo. As the saying goes, pale skin hides a hundred flaws, but Guo Zao didn’t have any flaws to begin with—her features were exquisitely sweet, like a porcelain doll. When she smiled, she was bursting with energy, instantly lifting everyone’s mood.

Yu Liuxue stared at Guo Zao for quite a while. Guo Zao noticed her new team leader’s intense gaze but pretended to be calm, chatting with her coworkers for a bit. Eventually, she couldn’t take it anymore and nervously walked over to Yu Liuxue. In a soft voice, she said, “Hello, Team Leader Qiao. I’m the new hire in the design department, Guo Zao.”

Her cheeks flushed bright red from shyness in just a few seconds—she looked soft, young, and incredibly easy to bully.

Yu Liuxue’s metaphorical tail wagged visibly. The system heard her excited thought: “Oh~! That blush is criminally sweet!”

System: “…?!”

Oh no! Is the host planning to make a move on the female lead now?!

Yu Liuxue nodded casually. “Go on, get to work.”

Guo Zao, flustered, quickly backed away and returned to her seat. Her cheeks were burning as she thought: Was it just her imagination, or did Team Leader Qiao look at her in a way that felt… off?

Like a hungry wolf. Like she could get eaten at any second.

She couldn’t help glancing at Yu Liuxue again—only to see her lounging on the couch, chatting charmingly with others. A complex wave of emotion surged in Guo Zao’s heart. Pressing her hands to her flushed face, she forced herself to look away and thought, Team Leader Qiao is so pretty—so sultry and wild.

The female lead showing up this soon was something Yu Liuxue hadn’t anticipated. But now that she was here, how could the male lead be left out?

So Yu Liuxue immediately called Qin Feng and invited him to dinner, saying she had something to give him—clearly setting the stage for the male and female leads to meet by chance. After hanging up, she grumbled through gritted teeth, “It’s bad enough I have to do the mission, but now I also have to push the romance plot forward for them too?”

If the male and female leads didn’t fall in love, her mission would never be complete.

The system feigned sympathy. “Host, you know what they say—those who can, do more.”

Yu Liuxue snorted coldly, ordered a bouquet online, then grabbed the flowers and stomped through the office in heels, heading straight for Guo Zao under everyone’s curious stares. Guo Zao’s heart instantly began to race. Her face flushed with heat as she stood up in panic, staring nervously at Yu Liuxue walking her way.

Team Leader Qiao was up to something…

Yu Liuxue handed the bouquet to Guo Zao and barked out orders with all the confidence of someone who didn’t feel the least bit guilty: “Take this bouquet to someone for me. Remember—once you’ve delivered the flowers and said your lines, leave immediately. Don’t say one more word to him.”

She leaned in close, eyes narrowed. “If I find out you said even one more word to him, I’ll tear you to pieces and hang you at the company gate to dry like salted fish.”

The sweet scent of Yu Liuxue’s perfume surrounded Guo Zao like an inescapable trap, making her momentarily dazed. She stared at Yu Liuxue in a daze until a soft chuckle snapped her out of it.

Guo Zao’s face turned bright red. She quickly lowered her head and took the flowers. “U-Understood, Team Leader Qiao.”

“I’ll go right now.”

She didn’t even grab her bag and ran out of the design department in a fluster. Yu Liuxue watched her retreating figure with amusement, whistling softly. “This female lead has a bit of that silly-cute charm.”

System: “……” Host, please! The female lead is for the male lead! The auntie is yours!

Guo Zao, heart in turmoil, arrived at the address Yu Liuxue had given her. There, she found Qin Feng sitting alone, playing on his phone. He had his head slightly lowered, but that strikingly handsome face couldn’t be hidden. Guo Zao remembered Yu Liuxue’s instructions and didn’t even dare glance at him more than once. Blushing furiously, she shoved the bouquet into Qin Feng’s arms and ran off without even delivering the message Yu Liuxue had told her to say.

Qin Feng had noticed her as soon as she approached. He put his phone away and looked up—just in time to be startled by a red-faced girl suddenly stuffing a bouquet of roses into his arms.

It seemed like she had mustered all her courage just to come up to him. But after delivering the flowers, she was so nervous and shy that she forgot her prepared confession and bolted. When Qin Feng’s fingers brushed against the skin of her hand, it was smooth and soft—like a kitten—irresistibly enticing.

His interest was piqued. Compared to Yu Liuxue, who was all about money, this blushing girl was way too adorable.

After leaving, Guo Zao suddenly smacked herself on the forehead in frustration. Oh no! She forgot to say the line Team Leader Qiao told her to deliver. Biting her lip in guilt, she couldn’t help but glance toward the window. Was that Team Leader Qiao’s boyfriend? So handsome…

Qin Feng looked up as if sensing her gaze, catching sight of Guo Zao smacking her own head and biting her lip. A smile tugged at his lips. This woman… was dangerously sweet.

With Guo Zao still on his mind, Qin Feng didn’t bother getting upset about Yu Liuxue standing him up. He was too busy showing the candid photo he’d taken around, asking who this girl was.

Meanwhile, as soon as Guo Zao completed her mission, Yu Liuxue called Liang Yin, sounding tearful and fragile. “Auntie Liang, Qin Feng, he… he…”

“Got into a car accident?”

Yu Liuxue: “……” Not quite.

“He’s fallen for another woman!”

Liang Yin processed this for a few seconds, and then the atmosphere turned cold. “You’re lying to me.”

Yu Liuxue: “……?”

“You like my son, don’t you?” Liang Yin gritted her teeth. This woman—Qiao Ruo—was too cunning. She had one eye on her son and the other on her fortune. And to think she’d actually believed her at first, thinking she was genuinely interested in a forty-something auntie.

Liang Yin’s voice turned icy. “Qiao Ruo, you’d better not show up in front of me ever again.”

The system couldn’t help but laugh mercilessly at Yu Liuxue’s spectacular fail. She shot it a resentful look—what could she do? She was just as desperate. If she had known things would turn out like this, she never would’ve tattled to Liang Yin.

Now that Liang Yin was burned, the only person Yu Liuxue could rely on was the one still within reach—Liu Qingru.

But just as she was about to try seducing Liu Qingru, her intentions were immediately seen through. The design department was swamped with one task after another. Even Yu Liuxue, let alone Guo Zao, was run nearly into the ground. A week later, the entire department was exhausted. Several people came to her, asking, “Qiao Ruo, are you and Director Liu having a fight or something?”

Yu Liuxue looked completely innocent. “I’m not, I didn’t! Don’t spread rumors—there’s nothing between me and Director Liu.”

As she was saying this, Liu Qingru had just come to the department with her secretary for a meeting with the department head. Hearing the conversation, she stopped in her tracks and quietly stood at the doorway, listening to Yu Liuxue’s denials.

Yu Liuxue repeatedly clarified herself, but no one believed her. She was exasperated. “Why are you all saying that? If Director Liu hears this, even nine lives wouldn’t be enough for me to survive!”

After much pleading, some finally accepted that there was nothing between her and Liu Qingru. Then curiosity struck.

“Well, if Director Liu isn’t punishing us because of a falling-out with you, then why do our designs keep getting rejected over and over again?”

How would Yu Liuxue know that?

Just as Liu Qingru was about to walk in, another woman suddenly tugged on Yu Liuxue’s sleeve and asked, “Qiao Ruo, what exactly do you see in Director Liu? She’s always been this unattainable beauty in our company. We’ve all had thoughts, but no one’s ever dared show it for fear of angering her and losing our jobs.”

“You’re really bold.”

Yu Liuxue beamed. “What else could it be? Lust at first sight. Don’t you think pressing a beauty like Director Liu beneath you, watching her flushed and sweaty, all soft and—”

“Director Liu, what brings you here?”

Yu Liuxue froze. “……?”

No way.