After Transmigrating into a Redemption Novel as the Evil Stepmother - Chapter 19

The video from the previous episode of the variety show went viral across the internet. Ming Jiayue attracted a massive wave of “spontaneous” fangirls, who gathered on Weibo to create a dedicated Super Topic (Chaohua) for her.

Some ancient interview clips were unearthed by anonymous netizens and reposted in the Super Topic. The captions and comments were incredibly entertaining.

During this period, Ji Shuangci and Zhou An’an’s primary form of entertainment was browsing this Super Topic.

One creator (UP-zhu) edited a compilation video consisting mostly of Ming Jiayue in formal wear—acting with swift decisiveness, exuding an oppressive aura, looking both beautiful and “sassy” (sa).

At the very end of the video, the creator edited in the shot from Star Teachers: Learning to Act where Ming Jiayue sat alone on the edge of the bed.

In a dimly lit room, the woman sat upright on the bed wearing a waist-cinching shirt. The faint light dusted off her eyelashes; her temperament was profound, like a star looking down upon a high tower.

She was both ascetic and erotic.

The finishing touch was the voice-over the creator commissioned for the end. Just two words:

“Kneel down.”

Magnetic, slightly hoarse, hiding a sharp edge within the shadows.

!!!

The moment the video was posted, the netizens in the Super Topic erupted in unison.

“Auntie’s shoulders aren’t shoulders; they are the summit of Mount Everest. licking-screen.jpg licking-screen.jpg licking-screen.jpg”

“Too ‘yuh’ (desire-inducing). Everyone in the comments, tell me, are you excited or not!”

“Mistress, please whip me harder!”

“Kneeling! Kneeling right now! If she hits me once, I’m definitely staying in her arms and never getting up!”

“Editing skills really let you do whatever you want. Oh my god, drool, please restrain yourself!”

“I can’t take it. Even as a woman, I can’t handle this. If President Ming asks me to be her girlfriend, what should I do? Should I break up with my current partner immediately, right now, this instant?”

On Saturday, Zhou An’an had no classes. Early that morning, she and a friend found a book bar to hang out in. She had planned to browse the Super Topic briefly before reviewing her schoolwork, but once she started, she couldn’t stop.

Holding her phone, she giggled foolishly, her face radiating with the flush of a crush.

The comment section was filled with people “not wearing pants” (being thirstily unfiltered). Unable to beat them, Zhou An’an joined them. Suppressing her slight internal shame, her fingers flew across the screen as she let herself go.

“That’s Ming Jiayue! She’s the wife I’ve loved for two years! crying.jpg Even if she is a bit older than me!”

“Wife, wife, ahhhhhhh, she’s my baby!”

“You guys don’t know, but when she smiles gently in private, she’s even more beautiful. So beautiful you just want to stare at her and forget how to speak!”

Zhou An’an posted several comments in a row. Though they were buried, they happened to be seen by Ji Shuangci, who was also scrolling through the comments.

Ji Shuangci keenly caught the phrase “two years.” She clicked into the profile; while the face wasn’t shown, many photos overlapped with the ones Zhou An’an posted on her Friend Circle.

Ji Shuangci was using an “alt” (side) account. Usually, she just lurked and didn’t comment, but seeing Zhou An’an call her “wife” over and over was an absolute eyesore.

Thinking of her current relationship with Ming Jiayue, Ji Shuangci stopped restraining her malicious impulses. She replied under Zhou An’an’s comment:

“Judging by your comments, you must be quite young. President Ming definitely won’t like a little brat with no brains, no chest, and no ass, who is also a whole generation younger than her!”

“A mature woman (Yujie) is best paired with another mature woman.”

Zhou An’an was browsing happily when she saw the reply. She instantly blew her top. She had a slender figure and baby fat, but it was true that her chest and hips lacked curves.

It was common sense to stay quiet in a book bar. Being poked in her sore spot by a total stranger made Zhou An’an’s face turn beet red. She chugged half a glass of water and racked her brain for a comeback.

“A dog catching a mouse—mind your own business?”

“You’re the brat! Your whole family are brats!”

“Don’t worry, if she doesn’t like young ones, she likes ‘Daddy-vibe’ fossils like you even less.”

Regardless of how Zhou An’an retorted, Ji Shuangci ignored her. To her, those words were harmless—even somewhat laughable.

Ji Shuangci had been busy filming the Huaxia commercial for the past few days. Today, there was a sudden issue with the lighting on set, so she finally had a moment to rest in the car.

Seeing Ji Shuangci staring at her phone and humming a laugh, looking quite pleased, her assistant handed her a bottle of water.

“Sister Shuang, have some water. What are you looking at that’s making you so happy?”

Ji Shuangci exited Weibo with a straight face and clicked into a green web-novel app, clearing her throat.

“Oh, I’m reading the original novel for The Cage, trying to figure out the character’s psychology. The antagonist’s Master is the number one person in the cultivation world; she’s the destined savior whose fate is to sacrifice herself for the common people. But in the end, she doesn’t die. Instead, the antagonist sacrifices herself to the array.”

“Reading the whole book, I think the antagonist being ‘crazy’ is real, being ‘rebellious’ is real, but her love for her Master is even more real. The Master loves the world; she only loves the Master, so she tries everything to change the Master’s fate against the heavens.”

The assistant giggled foolishly. “I wonder who will play the Master. I can’t wait to watch it!”

There were plenty of actors in the industry with a “cold and aloof” temperament, but for someone to have chemistry with Ji Shuangci… the assistant ran through a mental comparison and felt President Ming was the most suitable.

Thinking of Ming Jiayue’s status, the assistant mentioned it with a clear lack of confidence.

“I think President Ming would be perfect. Her looks and aura perfectly match the expectations of a ten-year fan of the book like me. It’s just… it’s probably impossible.”

Setting aside acting skills, Ming Jiayue’s social status alone made it a pipe dream.

Hearing her mention Ming Jiayue, Ji Shuangci dithered. After a long moment, her features softened inch by inch, and a faint, scattered smile drifted onto her face.

“It’s good that you know. You really dare to think of anything. Even I don’t dare to think of it.”

Outside the car, the wind picked up, rustling the leaves.

Her slightly drawn-out ending was lost in the wind; no one caught the sense of melancholy and regret in her voice.

The Huaxia FX series was about to launch. Ming Jiayue had been living and eating at the office lately, though after her illness, she had moderately reduced her working hours.

Xie Lan’s calls were hounding Ming Jiayue to go to the hospital every day. Ever since she found out that Ming Jiayue had been experiencing sudden loss of consciousness and brief fainting spells, she personally visited the Ming headquarters once every two days.

Tonight, she deliberately arrived late—at exactly midnight. She didn’t knock, pushing the door open directly.

Ming Jiayue was wearing rimless glasses, replying to work emails.

Seeing this, Xie Lan’s temper flared. She walked straight over and reached into Ming Jiayue’s pocket. Sure enough, there was the stimulant medication taken every two hours. This bottle was almost empty.

Blood rushing to her head, Xie Lan poured the pills out of the small bottle and threw them into the trash.

Ming Jiayue frowned slightly. Xie Lan was clearly losing her composure tonight.

Xie Lan turned around. Seeing Ming Jiayue still looking as calm as ever, she became even angrier.

“Ming Jiayue, do you want to die? Working this late at night—are you trying to show off how inspirational you are? Do you really think this broken body of yours is made of stainless steel? Do you know that if you keep eating medicine like it’s food, I’m telling you, in three to five years at most, I’ll be attending your funeral!”

“It’s easy for you to just die, but have you thought about how I’m supposed to face your parents in the afterlife?”

Xie Lan was both angry and anxious. If it hadn’t been to save her back then, Father Ming wouldn’t have died, and Ming Jiayue’s personality wouldn’t have changed overnight.

In her memory, Ming Jiayue was such a gentle person, yet now she had become more ruthless than anyone—ruthless to others, and even more ruthless to herself. Now, for the growth of Ming Corporation, she was stop-at-nothing and insane.

Ming Corporation was already an industry leader. Xie Lan didn’t know what else Ming Jiayue wanted, or what height she needed to reach before she would be satisfied and stop to rest. She accused her almost desperately:

“Uncle Ming would be happy to see what the company looks like now. But if you continue to treat your body like it doesn’t matter, you have no conscience. I’m telling you, the way you take everything on yourself isn’t heroic, and it isn’t great.”

“It just makes people feel you’re stupid… and disgusting.”

Ming Jiayue had inherited the original host’s memories and was inevitably affected somewhat by the world’s plot.

Although the system said this was a world within a book, Ming Jiayue was not a heartless stone. She could feel the concern of others; she could feel happy, or sad…

Even if these emotions were very faint, often passing through her body like the wind and disappearing without a trace.

Ming Jiayue went quiet for a moment. She didn’t argue. Looking at Xie Lan, she said softly:

“I’ll go to the hospital tomorrow. Also, book me an extra appointment for psychiatry.”

A rare submission.

As soon as Ming Jiayue said this, half the fire in Xie Lan’s heart vanished. She walked over and forcefully shut Ming Jiayue’s laptop.

“I hope President Ming won’t change her mind.”

Ming Jiayue raised a hand to press her brow, looking quite helpless. She deliberated for a moment before looking at Xie Lan and continuing:

“Regarding the car accident back then… I told you long ago that you were just caught in the crossfire. It was a meticulously planned accident targeting my father. A three-ton truck, making an emergency maneuver with no other choice, crashed into our car. The final ruling was that the driver didn’t even have to bear civil liability.”

“The most elite legal team appealed to no avail, and the driver vanished without a trace afterward. The person behind it is highly capable; he hides deep. Even now, we don’t know if he will try the same trick again.”

“Xie Lan, I have moved on. You should move on too. Neither my father nor I have the right to blame you.”

Xie Lan’s pupils shook. This was the first time she and Ming Jiayue had talked about the accident so calmly.

“Then why do you have to destroy your body like you’re doing now?”

Ming Jiayue sighed inwardly. She couldn’t very well say she came with a mission, and that there were several male leads—the “children of fortune” of this world—that she needed to deal with.

Although she had used some maneuvers to delay their meetings with the female lead, to ensure the mission’s success, she had to be prepared to fight three children of fortune single-handedly.

Of course, there was also the influence of habit.

Ming Jiayue lowered her head slightly. The overhead light cast a shadow across her face, making her expression impossible to discern.

Xie Lan waited for a long time before she heard her say:

“Xie Lan, I do these things only because I don’t want to fall into that kind of despair again. I must…”

“I must reach a high position that cannot be easily shaken.”