Transmigrated as the Villainess’s Vicious Fake Stepmother - Chapter 20

The girl stood before Zhan Se with an apologetic expression on her face.

Chu Qian became even angrier as she watched. She had noticed the displeasure on the faces of the girls at the table and the strong hostility in their eyes. That hostility was directed at Zhan Se, and the surrounding students were also watching her.

In such a situation, was this not moral coercion?

The girl standing before them was apologizing and seemed sincere, yet her words were clearly pressuring Zhan Se to forgive.

Seeing through these small schemes only made Chu Qian more upset.

Was her own child not at a disadvantage again?

If Zhan Se forgave them, she would feel wronged. If she refused, she would be called petty.

Chu Qian stepped forward, took the cake, and set it on the counter.

“Classmate, I see that this young classmate already has a cake in front of her. Even if you give her another, she cannot finish it. And in front of so many people, your apology is actually forcing her to forgive you. These three classmates just mocked her for losing her father. Do you think a normal person could easily forgive such words with only an apology? Pressuring her to forgive immediately is not appropriate. She needs at least some time.”

“…”

Qin Ru turned her head when she heard Chu Qian’s words.

This time she studied the shop assistant in front of her carefully.

She realized that the woman was very beautiful. Her face was delicate, her almond-shaped eyes were wide and bright, and her red lips parted slightly as she spoke with ease. The faint blush on her pale skin, brought on by anger, made her look vivid and alive.

The modified white chef’s uniform did not appear bulky. It fit well and outlined her waist neatly.

It was the first time Qin Ru had seen anyone look so good in a chef’s uniform.

She blinked her lively eyes and nodded in a humble tone. “Sister, you are right. My actions were careless. But I truly hope classmate Zhan Se can forgive me. I just arrived today and I am her deskmate. I do not want things to get worse, but it seems I did not handle it well.”

Her small and delicate face showed clear regret.

Hearing her tone put Chu Qian more at ease. It was far better than demanding forgiveness from Zhan Se.

She also did not want to make the situation worse. If helping Zhan Se caused the entire class to dislike her, that would be bad.

Chu Qian smiled and said, “I also came from high school. I was bullied before, so I cannot stand such behavior. I became a little emotional. But I believe you did not mean it and were only misled by rumors. Is that right?”

At that moment, Zhan Se, one of the people at the center of the incident, finally raised her head. She looked at the scene before her in confusion, removed her earphones, and the loud English listening practice filled the dessert shop.

She looked at Chu Qian and Qin Ru with puzzlement and asked, “Ladies, is there something you need?”

Everyone remained silent.

No one had expected that while they were on the verge of an argument, Zhan Se, the person involved, had not heard anything.

The three classmates who had spoken ill of her quietly breathed a sigh of relief when they realized she had not heard. They regretted speaking so much and resolved to hold their tongues in the future.

Chu Qian and Qin Ru were both momentarily stunned.

Zhan Se glanced at the cake Qin Ru was holding and said calmly, “I already ordered one last night, so I am sorry. I cannot eat yours.”

Chu Qian: “????”

Qin Ru’s smile tightened for a brief moment before she replied quickly, “Ah, I see. That is fine. I will treat you to one next time.” She lifted the cake from the table and turned to the nearby classmates. “Who has not had enough? You can have another serving.”

“Me! Me! Me!”

Several boys in the class called out at once.

Qin Ru smiled and handed the cake to them.

When she returned to her seat, she looked at Chu Qian and said with a smile, “Miss, sorry for troubling you today.”

Chu Qian was still thinking about Zhan Se’s comment regarding ordering cake the night before. Hearing this fairy-like classmate speak so politely, she quickly shook her head.

“It is fine. It is only a small matter.” She then seemed to recall something. “By the way, you are this young classmate’s deskmate, right? What is your name?”

After all, she was her child’s deskmate, and she might be able to help Zhan Se in the future.

Unexpectedly, the fairy-like girl smiled and answered slowly, “Qin Ru. My name is Qin Ru.”

“…”

The smile froze on Chu Qian’s face.

She nearly let out a curse.

Qin Ru?

This girl is actually Qin Ru?

How had she ended up sitting with Zhan Se?

The original novel had never mentioned this. Was she not supposed to be just an ordinary classmate?

What kind of careless author failed to explain such an important detail?

Damn.

Chu Qian wanted to swear, but it was clearly not the right time.

Qin Ru noticed the change in her expression and asked with a smile, “Miss, what is wrong? Are you surprised by my name?”

Chu Qian quickly shook her head. “No, no. It is just that this is the first time I have heard such a beautiful name. Is it the Qin from Qin Shi Huang and the Ru from ‘as in ancient times and modern’?”

Qin Ru’s eyes lit up instantly. “Oh, how did you know? Yes, I am that Qin Ru. My father is named Qin Hanwu and my mother is named Ru Hanjin, so they named me Qin Ru.”

She clasped Chu Qian’s hand eagerly as if she had found a kindred spirit.

Chu Qian wanted nothing more than to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

This was the female lead from the original story, the one who destroyed Zhan Se.

How could she forget the female lead’s classic self-introduction? She had only said it now to win favor.

No wonder Zhan Se had almost been criticized by the whole class earlier.

In the original novel, the female lead shone wherever she went. She was beautiful, talented, and kind, with many people ready to help her.

Zhan Se was the complete opposite. She was withdrawn, gloomy, and cold. No one liked her, and even the few who did were driven away by her bad temper.

It was no surprise she was criticized.

Now that the female lead had appeared and was seated right next to Zhan Se, Chu Qian felt deeply uneasy.

Qin Ru found it amusing to watch Chu Qian shift from fiercely defending Zhan Se to appearing timid and downcast.

“Miss, what is your name?”

“I am Chu Qian.”

“Wow, may I call you Sister Qian Qian?”

“Uh… yes… yes.”

Chu Qian wiped the sweat from her forehead. As long as you do not harm Zhan Se and Zhan Se does not end up killing me, you can call me anything.

On the surface she appeared calm, yet inside she was far from it. Some people seemed able to withstand storms, but in truth they were simply afraid of death.

Zhan Se glanced at the person chatting happily with Qin Ru while trembling under the table and let out a quiet snort.

When the others finished eating, they left in small groups and returned to class.

Qin Ru and Chu Qian continued their conversation with ease and even exchanged WeChat.

When everyone had left, Chu Qian lay on the table, scrolling through Qin Ru’s social media in search of any clues.

There was nothing. Qin Ru’s posts were clean and contained only study insights and reflections on life. They were full of positivity. Even when she faced misfortune, she described it like poetry.

“A girl like this is truly outstanding. No wonder she is the female lead.”

Chu Qian accidentally spoke her thoughts aloud. She quickly looked up and saw Zhan Se raising an eyebrow at her.

She closed her mouth at once.

Zhan Se gave a short snort. “So she is so outstanding that you have to flatter her?”

Chu Qian said, “Nonsense. I am only flattering her because of you!” If I do not, what if she decides to harm you? Are you foolish?

She did not say the last part out loud.

Zhan Se’s expression grew darker. “I do not need you to flatter others for my sake.” Then, realizing her words might be misunderstood, she added, “I am excellent enough, so there is no need.”

Chu Qian let out a dry laugh. “Ha.”

Excellent? You are so excellent you ended up dead in the end. Pathetic.

Although she rolled her eyes and complained inwardly, Chu Qian kept her thoughts to herself.

Watching Zhan Se play with her phone, Chu Qian felt a sudden pang of pity.

This child must have heard what those three girls said earlier. Otherwise, how would she know about the cake order? Was she truly indifferent, emotionally detached, and antisocial, or was she simply hiding her feelings?

Qin Ru’s appearance seemed like a tightening curse to Chu Qian. She had thought their difficult life was finally becoming stable, yet now she realized this was only the beginning of the novel’s plot.

Could she really guide Zhan Se back onto the right path and prevent a tragic ending?

Feeling annoyed, Chu Qian stuffed a large bite of cake into her mouth and ate so quickly she nearly choked. Zhan Se gave her a look of disdain, scooped a spoonful of soup, and handed it to her.

Chu Qian quickly accepted the soup and drank it, which made her feel much better.

Zhan Se rolled her eyes, took her bag, and stood up to return to class.

As soon as she stepped out of the bakery, she saw Qin Ru waiting at the door. Qin Ru smiled when she noticed her.

“You know Sister Chu Qian, right? Is she your family?”

Zhan Se’s expression grew cold. “What do you mean?”

“I am only curious.”

Qin Ru smiled before turning and walking away.

On her shoulder, unseen by others, a tiny blue electronic cat chattered noisily.

“Host, behave yourself. Stop trying to flirt with every pretty woman. You are the female lead now, so follow the plot.”

Qin Ru gave a small shrug. “It is always the same plot, and it is boring. I am a natural lesbian, so why should I flirt with the male lead?”

“Even if you are, you must still flirt with the male lead. That is the plot.”

“But the plot is already broken.”

Qin Ru smiled and looked at 4521. “Why not focus on investigating Chu Qian instead?”