After Transmigrating As The Mother Of The Pitiful Female Supporting Character in a Campus Novel - Chapter 17

When Xia Shibai arrived at the police station, Qin Wang was busy registering a new case. Seeing her, he signaled for someone to take Xia Yaozhou to sit nearby for a while, promising to head over once he was finished.

Sitting to the side, Xia Shibai listened to Qin Wang patiently explaining to an elderly man that his situation was a very common scam—using the latest AI technology to synthesize the videos and voices of relatives to defraud people of their money.

The old man gripped Qin Wang’s hand anxiously, speaking in a local dialect. His thoughts were scattered and he seemed as helpless as a child, repeatedly asking when the money could be recovered.

Holding Xia Yaozhou on the bench, Xia Shibai couldn’t help but frown as she listened to the old man’s sobs. Scammers were pervasive, their technology evolving with the times, making them nearly impossible to guard against. Even if the elderly had the intent to be cautious, they often lacked the technical capacity to be.

Yaozhou, wearing the water bottle Dr. Qin had bought her, stared with wide eyes at the weeping old man. After a moment of hesitation, she nudged Xia Shibai’s arm, signaling for her mother to put her down.

“Don’t run off,” Xia Shibai warned as she set her down. But before she could finish, the little girl was already trotting toward the old man.

Yaozhou’s sudden appearance between the two men caused Qin Wang to lose his train of thought. Tiny Yaozhou stood before the old man and pulled a candy from her pocket. The colorful, shimmering wrapper sat in her small palm, looking exceptionally cute.

She held the candy up with both hands, offering it to the old man. “Here,” she whispered. “If you eat this, you might… feel a bit better.”

The moment the candy was pressed into the old man’s hand, Yaozhou didn’t stay for a second longer. She turned and ran back into Xia Shibai’s arms, burying her face in her mother’s chest. Her ears were crimson; she seemed to have embarrassed herself with her own act of kindness.

The old man looked at the candy in his hand and sighed helplessly. He nodded slightly to Qin Wang. “If there are any updates, please let me know, Officer.”

He squeezed the candy, his gaze meeting Xia Shibai’s as he looked toward Yaozhou. He managed a thin smile and a nod—a silent greeting of gratitude.

Qin Wang looked at the record of the 150,000-yuan bank transfer and rubbed his temples. He escorted the old man out of the station, ensuring his ride had arrived before returning inside.

He handed the case-closing documents to Xia Shibai, showing her where to sign and provide a fingerprint.

“By the way,” he added, “Auntie Lin’s son is likely looking at over ten years in prison.”

“Mhm?” Xia Shibai looked up mid-signature. “What do you mean? Is the sentence for assaulting an officer that long?”

“Liu Tong’s injuries are quite serious, and since the man burst into the station with a knife, he was already looking at three or four years,” Qin Wang cleared his throat, sounding a bit bashful. “But then you mentioned he was too arrogant. I did some digging on my own and found he’d joined a local gang. He’d been a tyrant in his village and was involved in a death; he’d intimidated the victim’s family so they wouldn’t report it. That’s a major threat to public safety—an aggravated offense.”

“Plus there’s predatory lending and other messes. You really don’t know until you dig, but Auntie Lin’s family is a bottomless pit of crime.” Qin Wang smirked, though it made his bruised jaw ache. Thinking of the commendation he was about to receive, he couldn’t help himself. “He didn’t act alone, though. I paid for a private IQ test for him, and his level is well below average. We guessed someone was pulling his strings.”

“Sure enough, we pulled up a whole string of them—like pulling a radish out of the mud. One comes out, and a dozen follow.” Qin Wang touched his jaw. “Liu Tong didn’t get hurt for nothing. There are achievements, banners, and commendations coming. When you’re free, Liu Tong and I want to treat you to a meal to thank you for finding us a nanny who was a one-stop-shop for every crime in the book.”

Xia Shibai’s mouth twitched. “Officer Qin, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” She rolled her eyes. The thought of such a dangerous person being in her house for three years with Yaozhou gave her a lingering sense of horror.

“The agency that introduced that nanny is finished. I’m going to sue them into bankruptcy. What kind of ‘professionalism’ is that? To send someone like that into a home and charge me such a high salary for it!”

Xia Shibai was fuming. What a garbage, unreliable company. If she hadn’t transmigrated and discovered it early, the original “Xia Shibai” would never have noticed, and Yaozhou would have remained a ghost in her own home.

The living cannot compete with the dead.

The original novel never explained how Auntie Lin eventually left the Xia family. For a moment, Xia Shibai felt lucky that the family was stupid enough to only care about money rather than taking a life.

Qin Wang realized he’d put his foot in it. After all, Yaozhou being exposed to a dangerous criminal for so long was a miracle that she’d survived at all. He pursed his lips and apologized. “Give me the info on that agency. I’ll have my friends in the Fire Department do ‘random’ inspections every other day. I can’t give you copies of our case files directly, but you can have a lawyer request them. If there’s anything else I can help with, just ask.”

“It’s fine.” Xia Shibai was angry, but she was still rational. Ruining a company wasn’t hard; before they went bankrupt, she’d make sure they paid out her massive claim for damages.

She finished signing and then remembered something. “What about Auntie Lin’s grandson? Where is he now?”

“His parents and grandmother are all detained. A bunch of relatives were arguing at the station the other day; no one wanted him. They even asked if we could send him to an orphanage.” Qin Wang clicked his tongue. “They kept crying until the Chief kicked them out and told them to settle it at home. I’m not sure who the fatty is with now.”

Xia Shibai gave a soft “Mhm,” twirling her pen as she tapped the paper, making a mental note of the situation.

After finishing the paperwork, Xia Shibai took Yaozhou out for a meal before heading home. The bumpy ride made Yaozhou so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. The moment she was placed on her bed, she let out a long breath and fell into a deep sleep.

Recalling what Qin Wang had told her, Xia Shibai called Shao Qing over to her house. She gave her a half-day of paid leave to watch Yaozhou, ensuring the girl wouldn’t wake up to an empty house and panic. Meanwhile, she had Yao Yao investigate which relative currently had Auntie Lin’s grandson.

In a desolate village, a dirt road stretched through waist-high weeds. When Xia Shibai arrived with her bodyguards, she was still shocked by the bleakness of the scene despite her mental preparation.

“No wonder he could be a tyrant. In a village like this, anyone with a little money can walk tall.”

As the car drove deeper, Xia Shibai noticed many ruined, abandoned houses. It made sense; in a remote, decaying place with poor security, anyone with ambition wouldn’t stay. Man climbs higher; water flows lower.

The road narrowed into a passage where sewage mixed with a foul stench, wafting from the gutters. Xia Shibai frowned, glad she’d worn a mask. She didn’t even need to reach the end of the alley; she could already hear a woman’s coarse voice cursing loudly.

“That old witch of an aunt! She was making so much money in secret and yet she came here every day to cry poor! Her son and daughter-in-law are no better—spit! They offended so many people in this village that we’re suffering for it now. Now that they’re all in the damn slammer, they suddenly remember they have relatives?!”

“Why don’t they just die! I’m telling you, their brat can die wherever he wants, but he’s not staying in my house! What a joke—a bunch of gutter-trash. They didn’t think of us when things were good, and now that the moron is in jail for being a literal idiot, I’m supposed to raise his son? Dying would be his only contribution to society!”

The shouting was punctuated by the sound of pots and pans hitting the floor. Xia Shibai winced at the vulgarity, but given how Auntie Lin’s family operated, this woman had likely suffered under them quite a bit.

The bodyguards followed at a distance. After ten minutes of noise, the house fell silent. A woman wearing bright but ill-fitting clothes walked out, muttering under her breath. She looked exhausted, but her hands never stopped moving—there was simply too much work to do.

Before Xia Shibai could approach, the woman spotted her. She frowned in confusion, wiping her wet hands on her clothes. “Who are you? Who are you looking for? Are you in the wrong place?”

This alley only housed her family. If they had such a wealthy, beautiful relative, the “old witch” would have bragged about it. She naturally assumed Xia Shibai was lost.

“I’m looking for you,” Xia Shibai said, pointing to the alley. “If you want to make money, let’s find a private place.”

The woman froze, nervously rubbing her hands together. After a moment of hesitation, she led Xia Shibai toward a familiar patch of wasteland. “Follow me.”

The wasteland was just an empty vegetable plot. No one was around, and the open space meant they wouldn’t be overheard. Although the bodyguards were far off, the woman still looked nervous. “What do you want with me?”

“I’ll give you 100,000 yuan to fight for the custody of Auntie Lin’s grandson,” Xia Shibai said. Seeing the woman’s shock, she continued, “That’s just the upfront payment. I’ll give you another 150,000 later, depending on the situation.”

“I don’t need you to raise him well or treat him like your own. I want you to give him work to do—dishes, mopping, whatever he’s capable of. However Auntie Lin pampered him, you treat him the exact opposite.”

Xia Shibai wasn’t truly cold-hearted; she just wanted the “little fatty” to taste hardship. Without any adults to protect him, he was already destined to struggle in society. “Since you’ll have custody, you can demand child support from their remaining assets. It might only be a few hundred or a thousand a month, but if you’re frugal, you can save up a nice private nest egg.”

“Even if you don’t think of yourself, think of your daughter,” Xia Shibai added with a light smile. “In the future, no matter which path she takes, life is easier for a woman with her own money.”

The woman’s internal conflict was visible. After a pause, she asked, “How do I know you won’t make me do anything illegal? He’s… he’s still my nephew…”

“I said, do it your way. Just don’t let his life be too comfortable. I’m not asking for anything else, certainly nothing illegal. As for the money, you can open a separate account. Only you and I will know.”

“And the final payment…”

“You’ll get it when the time comes. You sign the contract, and you can choose cash or transfer. It’s up to you.” Xia Shibai had hoped to settle it today, but looking at the woman’s state, today wasn’t the day.

“I agree. But I won’t sign yet. Give me a way to contact you; I’ll reach out when I have a moment.” The woman wasn’t stupid; she was cautious. She couldn’t let anyone know about this money. She had suffered too much in this home. Her daughter was still small, but the older she got, the more money she would need. Her husband was a dead-end man who would never amount to anything. The world outside was changing, but here, nothing ever moved. She wanted her daughter to escape, to be educated, to see the world—not to be a donkey turning a millstone like her.

Xia Shibai saw right through her and breathed a sigh of relief. At least she isn’t a fool.

She would treat this money as a scholarship for a girl to get an education, while letting the “little fatty” learn some hard lessons. Compared to what Auntie Lin did to Yaozhou, she felt she was being merciful; she wasn’t denying him school or beating him—just making him work. If he truly had the heart for it, he could still study his way out of the village.

Xia Shibai didn’t linger. She gave her a lawyer’s business card. “If they ask, tell them Miss Xia sent you.”

The woman’s hand trembled as she took the card. She watched Xia Shibai for a long time. Once the visitor was gone, she stood in the empty field, lost in thought. Remembering the pork steaming in her pot, she shoved the card into her pocket and hurried home.

Before any money arrived, she had much to do: secure custody, open a new bank account with her own ID, and plan how to save every cent for her daughter. Her mind was full of chores and domestic trifles, yet her long-numb heart was actually beating with a new purpose because of Xia Shibai’s words.

Living like this was enough for her generation. Her daughter wouldn’t have to repeat this cycle of pain.

Back at the villa.

Yaozhou had been awake for a while. She sat on her bed with messy hair. Per their recent habit, her door was left open so she wouldn’t be scared and could see Xia Shibai the moment she woke up. But today, it was closed.

She rubbed her face, reminding herself that Xia Shibai had brought her home, so she felt safe. She slid off the bed and walked downstairs, but stopped halfway when she saw Shao Qing watching dramas in the living room.

Yaozhou blinked. Her instinct was to run back upstairs, but she tripped on the step. A panicked Shao Qing jumped up and ran to catch her.

“Are you hurt?”

“No…” Yaozhou shook her head, peering past Shao Qing. She searched the room for her mother, but her heart sank. Mommy wasn’t home.

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind. Her first fear was that Xia Shibai didn’t want her again and had hired a new nanny. She wasn’t stupid; she knew the book with the profiles of “aunties” meant that once one was chosen, she would come to live with them and take over their lives, just like Auntie Lin.

Yaozhou stared at Shao Qing, her heart feeling heavy with loss. She went rigid, losing her liveliness like a wooden doll.

Shao Qing was also at a loss. She didn’t like kids; she found them a burden. If this were her own niece or nephew, she probably would have ignored them and gone back to her laptop. But this was her boss’s daughter—and that meant she had to be “handled.” But how? She had no idea why the girl looked so devastated. Is it because I look scary?

Fortunately, the awkwardness didn’t last long, as there was a knock at the door.

The sound brought Yaozhou back to life. She whipped her head toward the door, her messy hair flying with the movement. Shao Qing, her face a mask of professional stoicism as she scrambled for an explanation to give her boss about why the kid looked so sad, went to open it.

It wasn’t Xia Shibai. It was Qin Zhijin and Gu Mingyi (Xiao Yi), who had just moved in next door. Xiao Yi held a container of cut fruit, and Dr. Qin held a box of freshly baked pastries.

Xiao Yi wasn’t a picky eater. After lunch, Qin Zhijin had killed time by baking blueberry jam cookies. The scent of milk and blueberries had filled the house. Xiao Yi, who had been reading a chemistry book for kids, had peeked into the kitchen several times before finally running in and calling her “Godmother.”

Since they had too many, Qin Zhijin asked Xiao Yi if she wanted to share with her neighborhood friends. But first, they had to visit the neighbors.

Xiao Yi had frowned. “I don’t know if my friend can eat these.”

“Why?”

“The granny watching her isn’t a good person. If we bring them, she won’t let her have any.”

Qin Zhijin paused. That granny sounds familiar. “It’s fine, let’s just ask. If it doesn’t work, we’ll see.”

And so, they knocked. When the door opened, all four were shocked.

Xiao Yi: ? My friend moved into a new house?

Qin Zhijin: What are the odds? Is this villa some kind of lucky spot for Song Ling?

Yaozhou: Waaaaah! It’s my friend and Dr. Qin!

Shao Qing: …I feel like I’m the third wheel here.

Yaozhou, seeing Qin Zhijin, acted like a lost child finding a relative. She lunged at her and hugged her leg. “Auntie Qin, I missed you so much!”

Qin Zhijin: “…Auntie missed you too.”

With one hand guarding the pastries and the other shielding the messy-haired child, the three newcomers looked at Shao Qing.

“I’m not a bad person,” Shao Qing said quickly. “I’m President Xia’s assistant. Just call me Shao Qing.”

“Hello. Would you like some cookies?”

Xia Shibai drove back from the outskirts. Entering her garden, she glanced at her neighbor’s yard and saw a crowd of people. She took a few steps toward her house, then stopped and turned back.

Wait. That adult and child next door look familiar.

She walked up to the fence. It really is them.

Perhaps because Xia Shibai’s gaze was too piercing, the happily-snacking Shao Qing and Yaozhou stiffened. Their chewing slowed as they turned toward the fence. Xia Shibai was watching them with a thin, calm smile. No harsh words, no threats—yet Shao Qing and Yaozhou both felt a chill down their spines.

Yaozhou, worried her mother would scold her but finding the cookies too delicious to give up, slid off her stool and hid behind Xiao Yi. She took a bite from each hand, terrified Xia Shibai would catch her and take the food away.

Xiao Yi let out a light sigh. Her cheeks were also stuffed with cookies, but she sat up straight to shield Yaozhou, blinking as she met Xia Shibai’s gaze in a silent standoff.

Xia Shibai wasn’t angry. She watched Yaozhou for a moment before shifting her focus to Qin Zhijin.

Qin Zhijin was holding the mug they’d bought at the supermarket. Their eyes met, and she instinctively tightened her grip on the handle. She wondered if she was making a strange face. She leaned back against her chair, instinctively trying to put distance between herself and Xia Shibai.

After a moment of silence, Qin Zhijin walked to the fence and invited her over. “We just moved in today and bought too many ingredients. Would Miss Xia like to join us?”

“For tea or dinner?” Xia Shibai asked, not refusing.

“Dinner.”

“Sure.”

After the brief pleasantries, a silence fell between them. Qin Zhijin hadn’t done anything wrong, yet she felt a strange guilt. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and looked down at the vines on the fence, feeling inexplicably flustered.

Xia Shibai, not understanding why the others were so tense, kept her gaze fixed on Qin Zhijin. Halfway through the “botanical maze” of the vines, Dr. Qin looked up and accidentally met her eyes again.

Xia Shibai’s eyes crinkled as she smiled.

“Has anyone ever told you, Dr. Qin, that your eyes are exceptionally beautiful? Like peach blossom petals floating in water—sentimental and lovely.”

Qin Zhijin: “!”