Chapter 59 – Auntie, I Don’t Want to Try Anymore (Part Five)

Liu Qingru was wearing a well-tailored suit, one hand tucked lazily in her pants pocket as she leaned casually against the locker. Her slightly wavy long hair flowed down like a waterfall over her straight, slender shoulders. In the dim light, her delicate and well-defined features were accentuated. Liu Qingru gazed at her indifferently, then the corners of her lips lifted in a faint, elusive curve as she said coldly, “I heard you.”

Yu Liuxue shivered on the spot, nearly bolting on the spot. Wait—why on earth was Liu Qingru here?

“System! Liu Qingru’s here, why didn’t you warn me?!” she cried out in despair.

The system nearly burst out laughing. After managing to hold it in with great effort, it replied seriously, “But, Host, you didn’t ask me.”

Yu Liuxue: “…” Forget it. This world isn’t worth it.

Liu Qingru straightened up. She was tall and willowy, her body delicate yet her posture ramrod straight. As she walked toward Yu Liuxue, the latter instinctively took two steps back—only to bump right into Liang Yin. Yu Liuxue looked helplessly at Liu Qingru, then turned to face the sneering Liang Yin, deeply regretting her life choices.

I deserve this. I totally deserve this. Why on earth did I pick now of all times to come curry favor with Liang Yin?

Wasn’t there still twelve hours left on the deadline? What was I even rushing for?

Liu Qingru stopped right in front of her. Yu Liuxue lowered her head, scalp tingling, her long lashes fluttering nervously as she stared at the ground, torn between hanging herself or smashing into a wall to die. Liu Qingru’s gaze swept over her flushed earlobes and those trembling eyelashes, then, ignoring her entirely, she turned to Liang Yin and said, “I’m leaving.”

Joy sparked in Yu Liuxue’s heart. She had just lifted her head in relief when Liang Yin coldly shattered her hopes.

“Stay for dinner. It’s not like you’re in a hurry.”

Liu Qingru didn’t refuse and stayed as if it were the natural thing to do. The two women with overwhelming auras boxed Yu Liuxue in from both sides. She couldn’t flee, nor could she stay, her mind like it was being roasted over fire and stabbed with knives, suffocating and near collapse.

Right at that moment, Qin Feng walked back from his phone call with Guo Zao and added fuel to the fire: “Qiao Ruo, hurry up and tell Mom.”

Tell her what?

Both powerful women simultaneously turned their curious gazes to Yu Liuxue.

Yu Liuxue: “…” Powerless. Helpless. Afraid to even move.

She gritted her teeth, wishing she could just kick the male lead back into his room. Under their intense gazes, Yu Liuxue forced herself to speak. “So… about that…”

“Well…”

She mumbled and stumbled for a long time but refused to get to the point. Qin Feng didn’t expect her to be such a coward. After listening for a while, he couldn’t take it anymore and blurted, “Mom, I’m going to marry Qiao Ruo. Give me some money.”

Marry?

Liang Yin fixed an interested gaze on Yu Liuxue, forgetting all about her own son. She reached out and lifted Yu Liuxue’s chin, staring straight into her eyes, enunciating each word: “Marry?”

Not only did she lie to her, but now she was also trying to lie to her son?

Seeing Liang Yin’s expression, Yu Liuxue knew she was doomed. She took a step back and instinctively turned to flee—only to throw herself straight into Liu Qingru’s arms. Liu Qingru reflexively caught her by the waist and raised an eyebrow slightly. “You’re marrying Qin Feng?”

She was genuinely surprised.

Yu Liuxue had been running around the office recently, constantly talking about getting into her bed, throwing herself at her, all but stripping and begging to be slept with. And now, suddenly, she was marrying her best friend’s son? Qin Feng himself had confirmed it.

So all of that before…

Was just to trick her?

Not just her—even her best friend had been fooled and hurt.

A flash of coldness passed through Liu Qingru’s eyes. Yu Liuxue trembled violently, clutching the system like a lifeline as she cried, “Daddy, save me! I quit this mission!”

Being trapped between two ruthless big shots—she couldn’t move, couldn’t run.

Yu Liuxue gave Liu Qingru a pitiful look, voice small and wronged: “President Liu, it’s not like you don’t know…”

Her tone was mournful to the extreme. Liu Qingru paused for a moment, and indeed recalled that rumors had been going around the company that she’d been “cheated on” by Qin Feng. She furrowed her brows and looked at Yu Liuxue, whose teary eyes didn’t seem like an act, and slowly withdrew her sharp edge.

Liang Yin glanced at Liu Qingru. Know what?

Just as Yu Liuxue was thinking Liu Qingru was a decent person who’d help ease Liang Yin’s anger, Liu Qingru blinked and said with a face of pure innocence, “What do I know?”

Liang Yin’s dagger-sharp gaze immediately shot over.

Yu Liuxue: “…” I’m gonna cry.

Seeing his attempt to get money was once again foiled, Qin Feng grew impatient and said, “Mom, quit staring at Qiao Ruo. Are you going to give me the money or not? Just say it!”

He shouldn’t have spoken. The moment he did, Liang Yin remembered how she was almost duped by this little heartbreaker. She immediately took off her slipper and hurled it at her son’s annoyingly handsome face like a dart. “I’ll deal with you first!”

Yu Liuxue couldn’t help letting out a snort of laughter. Instantly, three sets of eyes turned toward her.

Yu Liuxue hurriedly lowered her head and tightly pressed her lips together. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to… I just couldn’t hold it in…”

Qin Feng: “…” If it weren’t for the fact you’re still useful to me, you’d be dead already.

He got a thorough beating from Liang Yin. And since she was his actual mother, he couldn’t fight back. All he could do was dodge around in his slippers, grab the doorknob, twist it hard, and make a run for it.

Bang! The front door slammed shut.

Liang Yin was fuming, her chest heaving. She couldn’t understand how she’d raised such a useless son.

With Qin Feng gone, all the heat turned back onto Yu Liuxue.

Yu Liuxue: “…?” Male lead, get back here!!

Now she was left sitting humbly between Liang Yin and Liu Qingru. The TV was playing Temptation of Going Home, the theme song echoing sadly: “For all the pain of love~ For all the wounds of love~ I can no longer tell love from hate~ Is this really the end…”

Liang Yin leisurely peeled an orange. The tangy citrus aroma replaced Liu Qingru’s perfume in Yu Liuxue’s nostrils. After peeling, Liang Yin handed half to Liu Qingru, who politely said thank you, and the two women completely ignored Yu Liuxue.

Yu Liuxue sat there pitifully, not daring to move.

Do heartbreakers not even get the right to eat oranges anymore?

After watching Temptation of Going Home for half an hour between the two icy queens, the housekeeper finally walked out with a smile and said, “Dinner is ready.” To Yu Liuxue, it sounded like a divine rescue from hell.

She had just started to move when Liang Yin’s cold gaze swept over her. Yu Liuxue’s smile froze, and she obediently sat back down.

So heartbreakers can’t even eat meat now?

She listlessly poked at her plain rice, wanting to grab some meat from Liang Yin’s side but too scared she’d be killed by her gaze. Then she thought of trying Liu Qingru’s soup, but feared being dismembered by her stare.

The system was laughing wildly in her mind.

Yu Liuxue couldn’t take it anymore. “You damn dog system—this is all your fault!”

System: “…?!”

Yu Liuxue suddenly put down her chopsticks. In an instant, her eyes turned red, and golden teardrops began falling from the corners of her eyes as if they cost nothing. She pushed back her chair and stood up.

Liu Qingru and Liang Yin both stopped what they were doing and looked at her.

While sobbing, Yu Liuxue spoke with an aggrieved tone: “President Liu, Auntie Liang, it’s not like I wanted to fall for you on purpose. It’s your fault for being so outstanding, so beautiful, and so rich. Is it wrong for me to fall for you beyond my control?”

The old man on the subway looked at his phone.

The system was baffled—this development felt off.

“I’m just an ordinary person. I have emotions and desires too. I was already anxious and nervous when I realized I had feelings for you. I was afraid you wouldn’t accept me, afraid you’d push me away.” Yu Liuxue sniffled and went on dramatically, “But I couldn’t control my heart or my emotions. Every time I had a free moment, your faces would drift through my mind uncontrollably. The longing only deepened, until I could no longer pull myself out.”

“I only agreed to Qin Feng’s pursuit because he was relentless, but now he completely disregards my feelings and openly chases after other women right in front of me. That hurts too.”

Liang Yin looked at Yu Liuxue with an expression of utter indifference. Forget what she was saying—Liang Yin didn’t even believe her tears.

This little manipulator—what can’t she act out? Even if she knelt down crying and begging for forgiveness, Liang Yin still wouldn’t believe she was truly remorseful.

Liang Yin pushed her bowl aside, set down her chopsticks, and gave Liu Qingru a look—

“She’s your employee, so I’ll let you handle the comforting.”

Liu Qingru: “…”

Yu Liuxue finally got her wish—to be comforted in Liu Qingru’s arms. Liu Qingru held her quietly, gently stroking her back. Though she didn’t say anything, the softness of her movements clearly conveyed emotion.

Yu Liuxue had run out of tears, so she tilted her teary face up to look at Liu Qingru.

Then she heard Liu Qingru calmly ask, “Tired of acting yet?”

“???”

You mean… none of you fell for it?!

Yu Liuxue was struck hard by this realization. She suddenly understood—her petty tricks were just humiliating herself in front of these two old foxes. They had seen through her in an instant but had kindly chosen not to expose her. In front of Liu Qingru and Liang Yin, she was just a naive little girl.

Yu Liuxue grew even more miserable.

“I’ve never had to deal with conquest targets this hard to crack.”

The system quickly comforted her: “Host, the male and female leads are easier to deal with. Why not let the aunties go and focus on them instead?”

That… actually made sense.

Liu Qingru got up and draped her suit jacket over Yu Liuxue’s shoulders. The weather had cooled, and nighttime temperatures had dropped. As the coat settled, a faint scent carrying Liu Qingru’s warmth enveloped her. Yu Liuxue instinctively looked at Liu Qingru passing by, then hurried to catch up, speaking with a stuffy nose, “President Liu…”

Liu Qingru changed her shoes, picked up her car keys, and said without looking back, “I’ll drive you home.”

Yu Liuxue instantly lit up. “Okay!”

Her smile was far more charming than her performance earlier. A flicker of emotion passed through Liu Qingru’s eyes. After exchanging a few words with Liang Yin, Liang Yin came out, arms crossed, expressionless as she stared at Yu Liuxue. Yu Liuxue quickly ducked behind Liu Qingru, tugging at her sleeve, “Auntie Liang, I’ll come visit you again next time.”

With that, she dashed out the door and stood waiting by the elevator.

Liu Qingru’s car wasn’t very spacious. Once the doors were shut, the air was thick with each other’s scents. The elegant aroma of a mature woman blended with the sweet fragrance of a young girl—it was intoxicating, stirring feelings previously unnoticed.

Wrapped in Liu Qingru’s jacket, Yu Liuxue breathed in the lovely scent and couldn’t help whispering to the system, “Say, if I were wrapped in her scent and warmth like this in bed, I—”

You have been muted.

Yu Liuxue closed her mouth in disappointment. With the system ignoring her, she could only rest her face in her palm and let her thoughts wander while staring out the window.

Following the GPS, Liu Qingru drove into the shabby neighborhood where Yu Liuxue rented her apartment. Most of the streetlights were broken, garbage overflowed from the bins, and the place looked long neglected. Liu Qingru frowned slightly. “You live here?”

Yu Liuxue picked up her small bag and opened the car door, casually explaining, “It’s close to the office—convenient for commuting.”

“Besides, I’m just a working girl. I can’t afford the nicer places in a big city.”

Liu Qingru had known that Yu Liuxue wanted her to unspoken-rule her, but she hadn’t realized it was because the girl was genuinely broke and had run out of options. After a moment’s silence, she said slowly, “As long as you work hard.”

Yu Liuxue’s eyes lit up. “Then will you sleep with me, President Liu?”

Liu Qingru: “…”

“I’ll give you a raise.”

“Oh.” It would be a lie to say she wasn’t disappointed. Yu Liuxue sighed and trudged back to her shabby little apartment, thinking that beautiful aunties were way too hard to win over.

After she went upstairs, Liu Qingru sat in the car for a long time before finally driving off.

Lately, Qin Feng had been living his best life—constantly thinking of ways to win over Guo Zao or preparing to do so. Yu Liuxue was itching to act. After arriving at work, she walked straight up to Guo Zao, plopped herself down on the edge of her desk, leaned forward with her hand on the table, and let her long hair fall down, obscuring her cheeks and leaving only her overly beautiful features exposed.

Yu Liuxue lowered her head slightly and gazed up with her eyes, the tilt of her lips and the corners of her eyes giving her an overwhelming aura.

“Little Guo, are you in a relationship?”

Guo Zao froze. The smile on her lips vanished completely, and her mind went blank—she couldn’t even come up with a single excuse. Panic surged in her chest. Does Manager Qiao know everything? How? Did a colleague tell her? Or did she find out on her own?

Guo Zao was completely defenseless. Yu Liuxue was thoroughly disappointed and casually changed her tone, “You’ve been looking well lately, so I just asked offhand.”

She got off Guo Zao’s desk and patted her head. “Don’t get distracted—focus on your work.”

Even after Yu Liuxue walked away in heels, Guo Zao remained frozen in her panic. She clenched her fingers tightly, the unease in her heart spreading like wildfire. She couldn’t help but wonder—if Manager Qiao knew her boyfriend was pursuing Guo Zao, what would she do to her?

But…

Guo Zao lowered her eyes. Qin Feng really was good to her. Being chased like this satisfied her little-girl-princess fantasies.

She stared after Yu Liuxue’s departing figure, unable to make a firm decision to cut ties with Qin Feng. Giving up, she thought: Maybe I’ll just keep things like this for now? If Manager Qiao finds out someday, I’ll apologize then. As long as I’m sincere, she’ll definitely forgive me.

Still, even with that decision made, Guo Zao could no longer accept Qin Feng’s advances with the same peace of mind.

Qin Feng soon noticed the change in Guo Zao’s attitude. After driving her home one day, he leaned against the car door, silently lit a cigarette, and pictured that annoying face in his mind.

He guessed it—Yu Liuxue must have warned Guo Zao behind his back to stay away from him.

There didn’t seem to be any other explanation—Guo Zao had been at the company all along, and no one else could’ve said anything to her. But Yu Liuxue worked at the same company as Guo Zao, and she was even Guo Zao’s direct superior. Given Yu Liuxue’s personality, it was entirely possible that she’d do something like that.

Qin Feng immediately called Yu Liuxue, warning her coldly: “Qiao Ruo, I’m sure you understand the nature of our relationship.”

“From now on, stay away from Guo Zao. Otherwise, I won’t let you off easily.”

Yu Liuxue held the phone between her shoulder and ear and replied quickly, “Oh no, Qin Feng, I’m so scared!”

“As long as you give me five million, I promise I’ll never say a single bad word in front of Guo Zao again.”

“Qiao Ruo, have you lost your mind over money?!” Five million—he could use that to chase Guo Zao in grand style. Qin Feng sneered, “Don’t even think about it.”

Fuming, Qin Feng hung up. The negotiation had failed.

Yu Liuxue pouted innocently. “System, you saw that, right? He was the one who struck first this time.”

The system didn’t know what terrible idea she was cooking up now, so it gave a half-hearted reply and continued tracking the movements of the main characters. It still wanted to struggle for a last stand—it firmly believed that as a system one hundred times smarter than Yu Liuxue, it could definitely drag this derailed story back on track.

These days, Qin Feng’s pursuit of love had become increasingly difficult. Add to that Yu Liuxue’s occasional jabs, and Qin Feng was growing more and more irritable. He began acting more “manly”—overbearing and unreasonable in the way he forced himself on Guo Zao, dragging her along to do things he thought she would like without regard for her wishes.

Guo Zao rejected him several times, but in the end, she couldn’t shake him off.

Yu Liuxue swept past Guo Zao in a storm of high heels once again, and Guo Zao flinched in fear, quickly flipping her phone screen face-down. Only after the sound of the heels had faded did she dare to pick it up again and reply to Qin Feng’s message.

Guo Zao was getting tired of sneaking around like a thief. More than anything, she had the unsettling feeling that Yu Liuxue already saw through everything. After careful consideration, Guo Zao took the initiative to call Qin Feng: “Qin Feng, let’s have dinner this Sunday.”

Naturally, Qin Feng was delighted and agreed without hesitation.

After reserving a restaurant, Guo Zao began thinking about how to politely turn Qin Feng down, to make him give up completely. After all, Qin Feng had a girlfriend—even if he had broken up with Manager Qiao, it still felt strange to be dating him.

It would be as if… she had deliberately come between them, causing their breakup.

After deciding what to say, Guo Zao applied a face mask meant for “ex-boyfriend encounters” to make her skin soft and smooth, preparing to face Qin Feng in the most dignified way possible. Just as she was about to lie down, her father called, his voice serious: “Zao, our family is bankrupt. Come home right away.”

Guo Zao froze. Bankrupt? How could that be?

Things had been fine before. Her mother had even transferred a large sum to her earlier today to treat herself to good food and buy some nice clothes and bags. While she stood there in a daze, her father added, “Zao, remember this—come have dinner with me tomorrow night, no matter what. Things are different now. It’s not the time for you to throw tantrums.”

As clever as she was, Guo Zao understood what he meant. The best way for the family to make a comeback was for her to marry into wealth. There was no other choice.

Gripping her phone tightly, Guo Zao felt heartbroken. She was still young, just graduated. Was she really supposed to marry an old man she didn’t even like just because her parents had gone bankrupt? Suddenly, Qin Feng came to mind—he came from a good family, was handsome, and was head over heels for her. If she could successfully marry Qin Feng…

Having made up her mind, Guo Zao went to bed, uneasy.

News of the female lead’s family bankruptcy quickly reached Yu Liuxue. Adjusting her glasses, she murmured, “The real show is about to begin.”

“Manager Qiao, President Liu wants to see you in the office,” the secretary said, stepping in. She couldn’t understand how Yu Liuxue was still holding on to her position at the company—unless she had really succeeded in winning over President Liu. With that thought, the secretary couldn’t help but look at Yu Liuxue with admiration.

Liu Qingru had summoned Yu Liuxue to hand over a new assignment. Liu Qingru’s company, in collaboration with Liang Yin’s, would be launching a spring collection in partnership with a famous film. If the response was good, both companies would benefit greatly—and Yu Liuxue would rise to the ranks of top-tier designers.

Yu Liuxue took the assignment folder from Liu Qingru, blinked, and cautiously asked, “President Liu, you…”

Liu Qingru looked up at her. Yu Liuxue paused, then quietly closed her mouth and exited the office.

That day, Guo Zao dressed up beautifully. Her little dress flattered her petite, graceful figure. Wearing high heels, her long straight hair cascading over her shoulders, she walked toward Qin Feng with a faint smile. Qin Feng was transfixed, his heart pounding despite himself. Trying to act calm, he stood up and pulled out a chair for her, half-joking, “I thought you were going to hide from me forever.”

Guo Zao forced a smile, but her expression betrayed a trace of sorrow. Qin Feng loved that innocent, guileless look of hers. The moment she frowned, his heart ached. He quickly asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, Qin Feng,” Guo Zao said softly. “I really can’t accept your feelings.”

“Why?” Qin Feng panicked instantly. “Did Qiao Ruo threaten you? Did she say something to you?”

He gritted his teeth—he knew it!

Guo Zao quickly shook her head. “No, it has nothing to do with Manager Qiao. She… she doesn’t even know about us.”

“Qin Feng, I want to tell you—I’m no longer that high-and-mighty princess.” Her eyes were red, and she bit her lip to keep from crying. She looked at the deeply concerned Qin Feng and couldn’t hold back the tears. “My family went bankrupt. I’m just a Cinderella buried in debt now. Qin Feng, I don’t want to drag you down…”

Qin Feng didn’t even let her finish. The moment he saw her cry, he completely lost his composure. He clumsily stood up and hugged her, gently comforting her, “It’s okay, Zao. I like you. If you’re willing to be with me, your debts will be mine too—I’ll help you pay them off.”

“I’ll do everything I can to protect you and never let you suffer.”

Guo Zao looked deeply touched. She quickly wiped away her tears and smiled gratefully. “Qin Feng, you’re so good to me.”

But then she frowned. “But… Manager Qiao…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll break up with her right now.” Without hesitation, Qin Feng pulled out his phone and called Yu Liuxue right in front of Guo Zao. Yu Liuxue had already anticipated this. She said nothing, listened to his words, and then hung up.

Watching Qin Feng practically burst with joy, Guo Zao suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

Manager Qiao had been dumped. Was she feeling sad now? Had she already known about her and Qin Feng all along? Maybe her pride wouldn’t let her show any weakness, so she had been silently enduring everything until now.

Guo Zao lowered her tear-soaked lashes, gently bit her lip, and whispered in her heart: “I’m sorry, Manager Qiao. I just don’t want to marry a man old enough to be my grandfather.”

“I owe you, and I’ll slowly make it up to you in the future.”

When Yu Liuxue answered the call just now, Liu Qingru had been standing right beside her and had heard the entire conversation loud and clear. As soon as Yu Liuxue put down her phone, Liu Qingru turned to look at her and said coolly, “Broke up?”

Yu Liuxue saw this as a great opportunity to explain, so she spoke up with righteous conviction, “President Liu, please believe me—there is absolutely nothing between Qin Feng and me. No connection, no entanglement. He and I were just plastic boyfriend and girlfriend… oh wait, I mean plastic ex-boyfriend and girlfriend.”

“Qin Feng wanted to use me to provoke Auntie Liang, and I was only interested in his money, just hoping to get a few benefits out of him.”

Liu Qingru suddenly curled the corner of her lips and asked meaningfully, “And what about Liang Yin?”

“Of course, that’s also because Auntie Liang is rich…”

Yu Liuxue suddenly sensed something, turned around—and the moment she saw Liang Yin standing there, she quickly changed her tune: “And she’s also beautiful. Just one glance from her had me completely bewitched.”