Arc. 1.3 

The Wicked Child of the Stepmother

Before Monday arrived, when the seventeen-year-old white lotus Meng Zhenzhen would need to start school, his mother, Du Yao, called him in for a mother-son bonding conversation.

…Or so she said.

“You know how to behave, don’t you?”

Du Yao’s tone was soft, yet laced with pressure, as she offered a slight smile and took an elegant sip of tea. At thirty-five, Du Yao looked remarkably youthful, appearing closer to someone in her late twenties. Her face was delicately beautiful, with soft features, large light-brown eyes, a slightly upturned nose, and bright lips. Her long hair cascaded gracefully down her shoulders, and her light pink dress added to her feminine charm. She didn’t resemble a woman who had ever borne a child; if she claimed to be Meng Zhenzhen’s older sister, no one would doubt her.

If she hadn’t been this stunning, there was no way she would have managed to catch Chairman Xia’s eye and become his new wife. Du Yao certainly had her own skills.

With such good looks, it was no wonder that Meng Zhenzhen, the white lotus, inherited his features entirely from his biological mother. The system had already transmitted the original Meng Zhenzhen’s memories to Nian Zhen, and as a Superstar Villain, Nian Zhen had to admit that Meng Zhenzhen had every reason to be a white lotus.

The cause, of course, was his very own mother.

Du Yao had once been the cherished daughter of a wealthy family, raised with the finest care, from her looks to her complexion to her manners. Yet life is unpredictable. When she turned eighteen, Du Yao’s family fell into bankruptcy…

The little princess of the family suddenly became a tool her family wanted to use for their survival.

Her father arranged for her to marry an elderly tycoon, one even older than he was. But Du Yao would never agree. Although she had been raised in luxury, she wasn’t naive. So, with her mother’s help, she ran away.

Du Yao was well aware that her beauty was a powerful asset. She also knew that even if she escaped now, her father wouldn’t give up on those marriage plans. Unless she could secure her freedom through another connection, she’d eventually be captured and forced into a marriage. Soon after, she met a wealthy young businessman from the Meng family. This man fell for Du Yao at first sight, and they entered into a relationship. That man protected her from her family and supported her well.

Of course, this handsome, wealthy businessman was already married. He had children, too. Du Yao had known this from the beginning, but she didn’t care—as long as he provided what she needed, they could both enjoy what they wanted from each other. She was fully aware of her status and had no intention of challenging his wife. Chairman Meng treated her well, and Du Yao saw no reason to disrupt things. Then, Du Yao became pregnant… Yes, she became pregnant at only eighteen.

Meng Zhenzhen was that child.

He was the illegitimate son of Chairman Meng. Madame Meng was furious, but there was little she could do, as Chairman Meng fiercely protected the mother and child. He loved Du Yao, and when she gave him a son, he loved this son even more than his other children. Madame Meng, fearing that her own son’s position as heir might be threatened—despite there being a ten-year age gap between the elder son and Meng Zhenzhen—began to lay her plans.

At the time, Du Yao was too naive. She thought that as long as she kept her distance from Madame Meng, Madame Meng would leave her alone. Eventually, though, Chairman Meng faced family pressure and was forced to separate the mother and son, sending Meng Zhenzhen to be raised under Madame Meng’s care.

Imagine a five- or six-year-old child having to grow up under a stepmother’s care. Luckily, Du Yao had taught him to be sensitive to people’s expressions, which helped him survive. Madame Meng saw him as a young, clueless child, seemingly distant from his real mother, so apart from being strict, she didn’t go out of her way to torment a defenseless boy. She merely wanted to assert her power as Madame of the Meng family. Even Chairman Meng had to respect her; only her son could inherit the Meng family.

As a child, Meng Zhenzhen was even more beautiful than Madame Meng’s own daughters. Although she refrained from hurting him directly, her two daughters did not. Meng Zhenzhen became a servant, subjected to their bullying, regularly enduring their taunts as they mocked him as the mistress’s child.

Madame Meng turned a blind eye to her daughters’ behavior. Meng Zhenzhen was already a thorn in her side, and as far as she was concerned, by not hurting him herself, she was showing enough virtue. As for what her son and daughters did, she let them be, shielding them from any reproach.

These two siblings had their mother’s protection, but Meng Zhenzhen had no one. Though his father showed him favor, there was only so much he could do, and his mother never contacted him, not even once. Having lost his trust in others early on, Meng Zhenzhen eventually discovered that playing the weak role was an effective way to regain a bit of fairness for himself. After that, whenever the two sisters bullied him, Meng Zhenzhen would always accidentally let his father see the marks left on him. How could Chairman Meng bear to see his beloved son being mistreated? Until then, he had assumed his children were merely playing together, and his youngest son had never come to him with complaints. Fortunately, he had uncovered the truth just in time. Furious, Chairman Meng scolded his two daughters and eldest son in front of Madame Meng.

Seeing that this tactic worked, Meng Zhenzhen’s path as a white lotus was set from that moment on. Over the next eleven years, he repeatedly stirred Madame Meng’s resentment and her children’s animosity. But to Chairman Meng’s credit, he at least acted as a good father in one respect: after discovering that Meng Zhenzhen was being bullied, he no longer allowed him to be mistreated. Still, Du Yao never once reached out to her son. Then, when Chairman Meng died in an accident, leaving Meng Zhenzhen without protection, he assumed Madame Meng would soon deal with him. But then his real mother, Du Yao, reappeared, taking him out of the Meng family.

In truth, five years before Chairman Meng passed away, Du Yao had already ended her relationship with him. But with her son still in the Meng family, she lacked the power to challenge Madame Meng and reclaim her child. Feeling guilty for separating Du Yao from her son, Chairman Meng transferred 100 million yuan to her and bought her a mansion in the suburbs. He also made a will in advance, leaving a third of his assets to Meng Zhenzhen—though these assets were separate from the Meng family business.

Naturally, since Meng Zhenzhen was still a minor, Madame Meng would inevitably attempt to interfere with this inheritance. Chairman Meng’s death was too suspicious, and Du Yao worried that one day she might hear her son had died of grief after his father’s passing. As soon as the will was read, she rushed to retrieve him.

Even before Chairman Meng’s death, the only person he truly worried about was Meng Zhenzhen. Although Madame Meng was his legal guardian, Du Yao remained Meng Zhenzhen’s official legal parent. Thus, until he reached adulthood, Du Yao would control the inheritance left to him.

For Meng Zhenzhen, the one person who had genuinely loved and protected him was Chairman Meng—but he was now gone.

His biological mother’s appearance was conveniently timed. Meng Zhenzhen, after surviving over a decade in the Meng family, could easily understand what was happening. However, if he wanted to survive, he had to leave the Meng family. Yet, as a minor, Madame Meng would undoubtedly try to use this fact to hold onto him. Leaving with Du Yao was the only option.

In front of his mother, Meng Zhenzhen adopted a meek, obedient demeanor. Du Yao believed this was due to Madame Meng’s strict upbringing, suppressing his spirit. So, she took him home, assured by his compliance.

Three years before Chairman Meng’s death, Du Yao had met Xie Heng. She portrayed herself as the naive woman who had been deceived by Chairman Meng, manipulated into being his mistress and then robbed of her son. With her soft and gentle demeanor, she captivated Xie Heng, who often let his emotions override logic, believed her story after only a superficial investigation Du Yao was experienced in persuading people. Although Xie Heng was surrounded by numerous lovers, none of them possessed Du Yao’s unique demeanor. Du Yao was well aware of this. She initially befriended Chairman Xia, demonstrating that she had her own wealth and did not need to rely on him financially. Over the next three years, Chairman Xie was fully drawn in by her pure friendship. After the socialite from the An family passed away, he confessed his love to Du Yao, and they soon married.

Grandfather Xia, Xie Heng’s father, turned a blind eye, allowing Xie Heng to remarry. Since Du Yao had no influential background, she posed no threat to his grandson. Even if she were to have a new son, he would be no match for Xie Yanjing, who was already eighteen. Thus, as a widow with a child from a previous relationship, Du Yao was allowed to join the Xie family without resistance.

Grandfather Xie saw the situation clearly, but Du Yao thought otherwise. She was ambitious, and even if she had recently given birth to the Xie family’s youngest son, so what? The future was long, and who knew when an accident might occur? Regardless, she needed a child—male or female, it didn’t matter—one who could further solidify her position as Madame Xia. The Xie family was leagues above the Meng family; Madame Meng wouldn’t dare touch her now, and even had to greet her respectfully. The Du family wouldn’t even breathe loudly in her presence. Now that she had tasted real power, Du Yao couldn’t bear to let it slip away.

Taking Meng Zhenzhen back under her wing was a strategic move for her in several ways—not just for the assets he possessed. She had her sights set on the Xie family fortune, so Meng Zhenzhen’s modest inheritance barely registered to her.

If she bore another son, then Meng Zhenzhen would become nothing more than a *stepping stone [1]for him. With his presence drawing Xie Yanjing’s animosity, if both rivals could be led to destroy each other, the ultimate beneficiary would be her son.

Du Yao didn’t have much fondness for Meng Zhenzhen, as he reminded her far too much of herself; his very existence cast a shadow on her. Luckily, he was a compliant son. With just a few acts of kindness and the veneer of maternal care, Meng Zhenzhen would continue to rely on her, never daring to step out of line.

Nian Zhen looked at Du Yao, thinking to himself, This woman is the real piece of trash here. Not only did she greedily covet others’ wealth, but she even saw her own son as nothing more than a tool. He had nothing more to say about someone like her. Meng Zhenzhen’s life as a white lotus turned out to be no less pitiful than that of the male protagonist.

The more he thought about it, the more he became absorbed in the role, outwardly presenting a sweet and docile appearance as Nian Zhen nodded deferentially to Du Yao.

“When you’re at school, make sure to befriend other young masters, behave well, study hard, and do whatever it takes to build a good reputation. If you succeed, you’ll bring honor to the master.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Since when did Chairman Xie need his wife’s stepson to bring him prestige? Does she think I’m clueless? Nian Zhen cursed Du Yao inwardly. If he earns a good reputation, what does that make Xie Yanjing? She was a snake with a vicious bite—already planning her schemes even before having another child.

Even if she did have another child, there’s no guarantee it would be a son, Nian Zhen thought darkly, while outwardly nodding obediently, pretending not to notice Du Yao’s scrutinizing gaze. His biological mother, who acted more like a stepmother, left him speechless. Her role as the **cannon fodder [2]in this story suited her well, and as for him, he’d just play his part as the villain and wait for the male protagonist to rise up and take revenge.

Being a white lotus was anything but easy.

[1] Stepping stone: Refers to a foundation or platform used as a means to move forward or achieve something greater.

[2] ** Cannon Fodder: A metaphorical term used to describe tools or individuals in a conflict who hold little significance and are often expendable. In most cases, they are sent into dangerous situations where they are likely to perish, akin to soldiers sacrificed in war.