Transmigrated as the Villainess’s Vicious Fake Stepmother - Chapter 16

Chu Qian had not expected Zhan Se to say that.

With her ability, winning a prize in the competition was almost certain, and those twenty points were practically hers. Chu Qian remembered that in the original novel, Zhan Se had an unshakable determination to enter the mathematics department of Beiqing University. The program’s entry score was extremely high, and only a handful of people nationwide were admitted. Professor Zhang Qinghua personally taught just two top students each year.

In that story, the villainess Zhan Se’s greatest high school dream was to join Beiqing’s mathematics department alongside the male lead Jiang Yuanyang. Now, with the loss of those twenty points, that dream might slip beyond her reach, leaving her with lifelong regret.

Chu Qian bit her lip and furrowed her brows. This was not how she had imagined things would turn out. She had thought Zhan Se would hate her. The competition was far more important than a job that could be replaced at any time. Yet Zhan Se had said they were even and had even spoken the words, “I am sorry.”

Thinking it over, Chu Qian realized that although Zhan Se had never said it aloud, she had remembered what had happened. Out of guilt, she had endured Chu Qian’s deliberate torment while she was sick. Out of a sense of apology, she had allowed her to vent her temper without resistance. Otherwise, with Zhan Se’s personality, she would never have allowed Chu Qian to act unchecked in this house for an entire day. It was not that she lacked the ability to stop her; she simply chose not to.

Chu Qian glanced at the girl in front of her. When Zhan Se noticed, she turned her head slightly as if uneasy.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Chu Qian saw a bowl of congee on the small table and asked hesitantly, “Would you like some congee now? I just cooked it.”

Hearing this, Zhan Se looked toward the bowl. She was about to speak when Chu Qian quickly added, “Do not worry. This congee was made by me. It is not from the third-floor cafeteria or bought outside, where it would be unhealthy and lack nutrition.”

To Zhan Se, it sounded almost as if Chu Qian were reminding her of the takeout congee from the previous night. She gave a slight nod.

Feeling a small sense of relief, Chu Qian stepped forward to help her sit up. When her hand touched Zhan Se’s shoulder, Zhan Se flinched but quickly adjusted. She had never liked being touched and had disliked Chu Qian in the past, yet at that moment she found it rather comforting to have someone help when needed.

Chu Qian’s hands were small and slender, shorter than Zhan Se’s, perhaps because she was shorter in height. Her touch was soft, unlike Zhan Se’s slightly rough hands.

With Chu Qian’s support, Zhan Se stood, then stepped away from her and walked to the bathroom to wash up.

After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she went to the small dining area of the suite. On the table sat a small bowl of congee, and beside it was an exquisite blue porcelain dish with a modest portion of pickled vegetables.

Zhan Se sat down and studied the congee. It held bright green vegetables, a small handful of perfectly cooked peanuts, and other ingredients she could not identify yet gave off a rich aroma. The congee still steamed, fresh from the pot. When her hand touched the side of the bowl, warmth spread through her fingers and into her body, easing the lingering chill after her fever.

Her gaze shifted to the small dish beside the bowl. Chu Qian quickly explained, “I did not make these pickles. I got them from downstairs. I tried them and they are quite good.”

Zhan Se pressed her lips together without replying and lowered her head to drink the congee slowly.

Chu Qian remained seated across the table, resting her chin on one hand as she watched the girl. Zhan Se drank with calm, deliberate movements. Her back was straight and her head slightly lowered, creating a graceful image. Her delicate face was strikingly beautiful.

Chu Qian wondered how such a pretty and refined girl had become the darkened villainess. She began to recall the story.

When Zhan Se was young, her mother passed away and her father never remarried. To support his daughter and earn a living, Zhan Mingchen worked tirelessly, driving cargo trucks and running small businesses. He was constantly busy, so young Zhan Se was often left with neighbors.

As his business grew, he opened a small supermarket. Zhan Se’s living conditions improved, but her father became even busier. From the age of ten, she traveled to and from school alone, managed her own studies, and ordered meals when hungry. It was no surprise she stayed so thin.

She disliked nannies and distrusted household helpers, fearing they might take her father’s attention. Because of this, her father never hired anyone until she was sixteen. That changed a year ago when the original Chu Qian appeared, and Zhan Mingchen treated her with exceptional kindness.

From there, events led to the current situation. Zhan Mingchen passed away, and the original Chu Qian seized the family property, leaving the underage Zhan Se in debt. Struggling in hardship, Zhan Se’s personality grew darker and more obsessive. When Jiang Yuanyang later offered his help, she developed feelings for him immediately.

The plot worsened from that point. The author, clearly favoring the female lead Qin Ru, ensured she always received the best outcomes. After Jiang Yuanyang rescued Zhan Se, their relationship began to grow, but his attention shifted when the transfer student Qin Ru appeared.

Unlike Zhan Se, whose harsh upbringing had shaped a dark and obsessive nature, Qin Ru was lively, kind, and optimistic, with equal intelligence. With the author’s bias shielding her, Qin Ru always prevailed over Zhan Se, leaving her humiliated and used as a foil to highlight Qin Ru’s excellence.

Over time, Jiang Yuanyang grew weary of Zhan Se. Just before she could confess her feelings, he confessed to Qin Ru instead. From that moment, Zhan Se’s resentment toward the female lead deepened. Under Qin Ru’s protagonist aura, Zhan Se never fared well when they crossed paths. No matter how hard she worked, she always fell short. Years of frustration made her increasingly unstable until she failed to enter Beiqing’s mathematics department and had to watch Jiang Yuanyang and Qin Ru step into the program she loved. That was when she turned completely dark.

Thinking about all this gave Chu Qian a headache. She could not help cursing the foolish author for crafting such a cruel arc. Losing her parents and property, having her love taken, and even seeing her cherished program claimed by someone else was enough to move anyone to tears.

Zhan Se noticed the person across from her staring and sighing repeatedly, which made her eye twitch. She gave her a puzzled look. “Why are you sighing?”

The cold tone pulled Chu Qian out of her thoughts. Seeing that Zhan Se had finished eating, she said, “Ah, nothing. I was just thinking about what I should do in the future.”

Although it was a casual remark, Zhan Se studied her closely, frowning slightly as if in thought. Then, without warning, she said, “I will make it up to you.”

Chu Qian: “???”

The girl lifted her chin and added in an offhand way, “Thank you for the congee,” before walking back to the ward.

Chu Qian: “???”

Her mind swirled with questions. She thought it was no wonder she was only a minor cannon fodder in this story, as her way of thinking was far from the level of this highly intelligent villainess. The girl’s bad temper was equally frustrating, and it was easy to see why the male lead had no interest in her.

Chu Qian felt an urge to slam the bowl down and shout exactly that.

When she returned to her room, Zhan Se sat on the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at her phone. After a brief pause for thought, she blinked and sent a text message.

[Uncle Li, please arrange a job for someone for me.]