Transmigrated as the Villainess’s Vicious Fake Stepmother - Chapter 23

“I do not think it is necessary. Taking a bus or taxi to work is already convenient.” Chu Qian pushed the car key toward Zhan Se.

Zhan Se’s cold gaze settled on the key before she lifted her eyes to meet Chu Qian’s.

“Is it convenient for you to flirt with Qin Ru?”

“…”

“The Qin family in Haicheng is wealthy, yet they are still not as wealthy as the Zhan family.” She tossed the key back.

“…”

Chu Qian almost choked in frustration. She wanted to grab this little girl by the collar and demand why she looked at her with such disdain, as though implying her taste in people was getting worse and she was choosing someone with less and less money.

Seriously.

It had been the original owner who seduced Old Man Zhan, not her. She was simply trying to build a good relationship with the female lead so that both of them could survive.

“You are overthinking. I, Chu Qian, will never be with a little girl, not even in death. Spare me and save your effort. When three years have passed, we will go our separate ways.” She placed the key on the shoe cabinet for easy access the next morning and went to the kitchen to cook.

Zhan Se stared at her for a few seconds with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. “You should remember what you just said. During the three years you are in mourning for my father, you must behave yourself. When the time comes, I will introduce you to a suitable partner.”

“…”

Chu Qian felt uneasy. She had never even had her first kiss or a first love, yet in this girl’s eyes she was nothing more than a flirtatious gold digger.

Damn it.

Her irritation made her movements in the kitchen louder, with clanging and rattling of metal. Zhan Se, seated outside at the dining table reading, was completely unaffected.

Dinner was still three dishes and a soup.

After finishing the last page of her book, Zhan Se put it back in her bag and went to wash her hands for the meal.

Chu Qian wanted to ask about Qin Ru’s day at school and how she and Zhan Se were getting along. Remembering Zhan Se’s earlier words, she held back her questions, worried Zhan Se might think she was trying to get close to Qin Ru.

They ate dinner in silence.

When the dishes were done, Zhan Se came out and saw Chu Qian on the sofa using her phone. She said, “Tomorrow morning I will buy breakfast from the shop. You do not need to get up early to prepare it.”

“…?”

Chu Qian looked up from her phone but saw only Zhan Se’s back as she went upstairs.

The next morning, Zhan Se opened her door and noticed the door opposite was shut. She glanced at her watch and saw it was just after six. At this hour, Chu Qian should still be sleeping. She moved quietly down the stairs.

When she reached the dining room, she was surprised to see breakfast already on the table and Chu Qian sitting there sipping porridge.

“Do not worry. I went to bed early last night and woke at five-thirty. Street breakfast is neither nutritious nor tasty. If you get stomach trouble, it will only cause me more trouble. Sit down.”

Chu Qian gestured with her mouth for Zhan Se to sit. In truth, she felt pleased that Zhan Se had been concerned about her waking early. This child is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. She never voiced her care, yet she showed it through her actions.

Although Zhan Se was often annoying and misunderstood her, she was still rather cute beneath that icy exterior.

Chu Qian pursed her lips and hummed cheerfully. Zhan Se was a little surprised when she saw the crystal shrimp dumplings and a bowl of fragrant millet porridge in front of her. Her expression turned thoughtful. After a moment, she put her bag down and sat.

Chu Qian glanced at her and hummed in satisfaction. Zhan Se bit into a dumpling and glanced sideways, noticing the smug animation in Chu Qian’s expression and the way her small face glowed with smiles. On this chilly autumn morning, there was a faint touch of warmth.

After breakfast, they left together.

Chu Qian clutched the car key and felt a little nervous. It was her first time entering the Zhan family’s garage. As the door rose, a row of luxury cars came into view. There were Lamborghini, Bentley, BMW, and Mercedes models, at least seven or eight in total. The sight was so dazzling that her eyes almost hurt.

She could not understand why wealthy people needed so many cars. Were they meant to be eaten?

Zhan Se stopped in front of a Mercedes G500. Its imposing build, rugged off-road design, and striking sapphire-blue color made it stand out. “This was my father’s gift for my seventeenth birthday.” Her cool voice carried a faint trace of sorrow.

Although Zhan Mingchen had been busy and spent little time with her, he had been her only family. After his death, Zhan Se was truly alone.

Chu Qian felt a sudden pang of sympathy and wanted to hug the thin girl. Before she could, Zhan Se was already in the passenger seat.

Alright, clearly she does not need comforting. Chu Qian got in, fastened her seat belt, and stared at the array of advanced buttons. Her head spun. In her past life, she had driven only simple cars worth less than a hundred thousand yuan. These controls felt like an entirely different world.

Zhan Se closed her eyes to rest, but after a while noticed the car still had not started. She opened them to see Chu Qian leaning toward the console, looking confused.

“You cannot drive?”

Chu Qian looked pitiful. “I have never driven anything this high-end.”

Ten minutes passed.

“Press that one. Yes.”

“The parking gear is on a button, not the handbrake. Yes, that is it.”

“Do not touch the wipers.”

“Brake. No, not the accelerator.”

Bang.

The car slammed into the tree at the garage corner, the crash deafening. Zhan Se’s brow twitched as she looked at the dented hood, while Chu Qian murmured, “I told you taxis are convenient.”

Zhan Se got out, told Chu Qian to step aside, and drove the car back into the garage. They would repair it later. Time was short, and it was nearly six-thirty. If they did not take a taxi now, they would be late.

However, no taxi appeared. Zhan Se, growing impatient, walked toward the bus stop with Chu Qian hurrying behind. No bus came either. A Bentley then stopped in front of them, and the window rolled down to reveal a lovely girl.

“Sister Qian, what a coincidence!”

Chu Qian blinked. “Xiao Ru!”

At the sweet greeting, Zhan Se cast a sidelong glance at Chu Qian. Unaware of the glare, Chu Qian stepped forward eagerly as though meeting a savior.

Qin Ru quickly took in the situation and smiled. “Sister Qian, are you heading to school? It is hard to find a taxi now. If you do not mind, come with me.” She stepped out and opened the door.

To Chu Qian, her smile looked angelic, and she almost wanted to kiss her.

“Really? Thank you so much!” She turned to Zhan Se.

Although reluctant, Zhan Se nodded politely. “Much appreciated.”

“It is nothing. We are seatmates, after all, and we should help each other.” Qin Ru smiled.

In the car, Chu Qian sat between Zhan Se and Qin Ru. Qin Ru spoke with her, showing food pictures she had found the night before and asking about recipes and cooking methods.

Chu Qian was surprised by her sincerity. She had only mentioned a few dishes in passing, yet Qin Ru had gone to the trouble of researching them seriously. Wanting to return the kindness and ease her guilt for accepting the ride, Chu Qian explained every detail from ingredient selection to cooking methods with enthusiasm.

She did not realize that Qin Ru’s attention was fixed not on the cooking itself but on the animated way Chu Qian spoke, her lips moving and her eyes shining.

Qin Ru rested her head on her hand and watched her with fascination.

Zhan Se’s eyes turned cold. She recognized the possessiveness in Qin Ru’s gaze. She might not care for romance, yet she understood it. She looked at Chu Qian, who remained unaware and kept trying to please someone clearly drawn to her.

Only one word came to mind.

Fool.

The car stopped at the school gate and the three got out together.

Qin Ru naturally took Chu Qian’s hand and walked close beside her. Chu Qian thought nothing of it. In her view, Qin Ru was simply warm and friendly. In the original novel, Qin Ru ended up with the male lead and was as straight as steel, just like Chu Qian herself. How could she be as scheming as Zhan Se claimed?

Zhan Se walked with them, her brows drawn and her expression dark as she followed them into the school.

At that moment, the Su family’s car also stopped at the gate. When Su Jianing got out with her schoolbag, Zhan Minghui reminded her, “Behave yourself at school. Stop spending time with delinquents. I am busy and cannot clean up your mess every day.”

“Oh, I know. The only reason I am with them is to get back at that annoying Zhan Se. You do not know how she embarrassed me in front of the whole school. If that woman had not stopped me that night, I would have taught her a lesson already. If I see her again, I will give her a beating.”

“Enough. Do not cause trouble. I am already stressed.”

“Alright, I get it.”

Su Jianing slammed the car door in frustration. After being caught in the rain and frightened on Friday, she took sick leave and did not return to school until Wednesday.

When she turned with her bag on her back, she saw three people walking together in the distance. The tall girl in the middle was unmistakable from behind. Who else could it be but that jinx, Zhan Se? It was unusual to see her walking with others.

Su Jianing quickened her pace and then recognized an all-too-familiar face. Was it not the same woman who had threatened her with a kitchen knife? She hurried back to her mother’s car before it drove away and knocked on the window.

Zhan Minghui lowered the window impatiently. “What now?”

“Mom, I saw that woman. The one who scared me. She is walking with Zhan Se. Do you think they are working together to bully me?” She pointed toward the gate with urgency.

“I do not care. You must help me get revenge.”

Zhan Minghui followed her gaze and saw Zhan Se with two others beside her. One of them was not in a school uniform and was chatting and laughing with the others. That face looked very familiar. The mistress from the Zhan family?

Zhan Minghui narrowed her eyes as the memory surfaced. “It is her.”

Su Jianing looked puzzled.

“That woman is your uncle’s mistress, the one planning to take all of our family’s property.”

“Why would she be here?”

“Wait for me to investigate.” Zhan Minghui frowned and drove away.

Su Jianing bit her lip, adjusted her bag on her shoulder, and followed the three.

At the fork in the path, Qin Ru looked reluctant. “I have to get to class now. Goodbye, Sister Qian.”

“Alright, goodbye, Xiao Ru.”

After Qin Ru left, Zhan Se slowed and let out a cold snort as she passed Chu Qian. “Xiao Ru? That sounded rather intimate.”

Chu Qian lifted an eyebrow. “What about it? Are you jealous of my friendship with her? Jealous, little Se Se?” She deliberately made her tone syrupy to irritate her.

Zhan Se shuddered in disgust. “Disgusting.”

Chu Qian smirked. “Come for lunch at noon.”

The younger girl did not turn back but lifted her hand in an “OK” gesture. Chu Qian smiled, stretched, and walked toward the dessert shop.

After they left, Su Jianing hurried over but heard nothing. She stomped her foot in frustration, noticing Chu Qian heading toward the living area, which she found odd. With morning reading about to start, she had no choice but to go to class.

A short distance away, Zhan Se saw Qin Ru waiting. She intended to walk past, but Qin Ru stepped in front of her. “Your relationship with Sister Qian is unusual.”

“And your feelings for Chu Qian are unusual,” Zhan Se replied, meeting her gaze.

Qin Ru paused in surprise, then chuckled. “Yes, I like her. Do you mind?”

Zhan Se had not expected such a blunt admission. Her eyes cooled as she walked past. “I do not care.”

“Good,” Qin Ru said with relief. “I was worried you might grow closer living together, making it harder for me to pursue her. But since you do not like her, I feel at ease.”

Zhan Se gave her a strange look. “Are you out of your mind?”

Qin Ru blinked. “What do you mean?”

“If you were not, why would you think I would fall for Chu Qian? Do you have nothing better to do?” In her mind, that barefoot woman who sang in the bathroom and could not drive was only good at cooking. What else could there be to like?

Qin Ru’s smile faltered briefly before she curved her lips again. “Good. With that assurance, I can pursue Sister Qian without worry.”

Zhan Se rolled her eyes. “Boring.” Yet her brow stayed furrowed on the way back to class.

Since Zhan Se had solved problems in class before, her classmates had warmed to her. When she entered, several greeted her, and she nodded politely, which made their faces light up with excitement. The ice queen had finally shown some warmth, and word spread quickly through the grade.

In the neighboring class, Jiang Yuanyang looked displeased. When morning reading ended, he immediately took some breakfast to her class. From the window, he saw a group gathered around Zhan Se’s desk, some drawn by the new transfer student and others by Zhan Se, the top student and ice beauty.

He pressed his lips together and stepped inside. The class fell silent, watching with anticipation.

“Is he here for Zhan Se?”

“He is holding breakfast.”

The whispers made Jiang Yuanyang’s face flush, yet he forced himself to stay composed. He placed the food on Zhan Se’s desk. “Someone gave me this, but I cannot finish it. You have it.”

It was an egg-stuffed pancake. For some reason, it brought to mind the morning’s porridge and shrimp dumplings, and there was no comparison.

“I have already eaten,” she said.

Jiang Yuanyang’s expression darkened. He knew she usually skipped breakfast. They had attended the same school for five years, and she had always eaten at the breakfast shop by the gate. She must be making excuses.

Without pressing her, he set the pancake on her deskmate’s table. “I am not joining the competition this week.”

Zhan Se looked puzzled. “Why are you telling me this?”

He had no answer, his face reddening. Qin Ru, seated nearby, laughed. “He is trying to impress you, Zhan Se. How can you not see that?” She tossed the pancake into the trash.

Jiang Yuanyang recognized her as the girl from before. She was pretty but meddlesome. “You are talking nonsense.”

“I am only telling the truth.” Qin Ru smiled sweetly. “If I am wrong, please do not take offense.”

His face turned even redder and he left in a hurry.

The class broke into chatter.

“Did you see that? Jiang Yuanyang blushed.”

“Could the rumors be true that he likes Zhan Se?”

“It seems likely.”

When the bell rang, the students returned to their seats. Qin Ru rested her chin in her hand and said to Zhan Se, “They say Jiang Yuanyang likes you.”

“So?” Zhan Se replied without interest. She did not look up, her fingers tapping on her phone as she sent Chu Qian a lunch menu.

Qin Ru only smiled before sitting upright again.

On her shoulder, 4521 sighed. “The plot is falling apart. As the real female lead, the male lead should be interested in you, yet now he is drawn to the female rival.”

Qin Ru glanced at her straight-backed deskmate. “What is wrong with liking Zhan Se? I like her too. If not for Chu Qian, I would compete with the male lead for her.”

4521 said, “Get lost.”

Qin Ru smirked and ignored the remark. “Because Chu Qian changed, the butterfly effect kept Zhan Se from being pushed to the brink. She has not turned dark and unpleasant, so she remains the talented, composed girl she once was. Jiang Yuanyang is only interested in people as strong or stronger than himself. In the original story, she lost to him in the competition and the challenge disappeared. Now everything is different.”

4521 nodded with thoughtful approval. Qin Ru was indeed a master. Her only flaw was a tendency to pursue female rivals instead of following the intended course of the plot.

“So you plan to provoke the male lead until he falls for you?”

“He will like me because I am excellent, but I am only interested in Chu Qian,” Qin Ru replied with confidence.

“Witch! You do not deserve to be human!”

Qin Ru ignored the insult, took out her phone, and sent Chu Qian a message. “Sister Qian, can I eat with you at noon? I do not want to go to the cafeteria.”

Chu Qian was surprised to receive messages from both Zhan Se and Qin Ru. It seemed they were in sync, which was good. Eating together would help them become friends, and then the female lead would not target Zhan Se. If Zhan Se did not turn dark, Chu Qian could keep her life.

Perfect.

“Alright. What would you like to eat? I will cook it for you.”

“You are the best, Sister Qian!” Qin Ru sent her order with delight.

Zhan Se glanced at Qin Ru’s phone and noticed Chu Qian’s silly rabbit avatar.

“…”