At The Beginning Of The Novel, The Villain Forced The Protagonist’s Step-Mom To Bear His Children

Chapter 49:

[Ding! Xia Qingge feels uneasy, her emotional value increases by +666]  

[Ding! Xia Qingge is scared, her emotional value increases by +777]  

[Ding! Xia Qingge is conflicted, her emotional value increases by +888]

[Ding]

“Qingge, I’m sorry, I didn’t expect things to turn out this way…” Xu Hao said, pretending to be ashamed, his face showing an expression of ‘humiliation.’

“I…” Seeing Uncle Xu’s guilty expression, Xia Qingge quickly reassured him, lowering her head shyly. “I… I did this willingly.”

Indeed, although she had been a little tipsy earlier, her mind was clear. She could have pulled away from Xu Hao, but she chose not to. In other words, she didn’t object to what had happened. 

She feared that Xu Hao wouldn’t believe her and might blame himself, so she hesitated before blurting out her thoughts. 

“…” 

These were her true feelings, something she would never have confessed if not for what had happened. 

Thinking about how Xu Hao had cared for her recently and even created a birthday surprise for her, she realized that, little by little, this mature, composed, and elegant man had entered her heart.

“Qingge, are you serious? I like you too…” Xu Hao looked at her with an ‘excited’ expression. But then, as if realizing something, his excitement gave way to disappointment. “But I can’t give you a proper title…”

Here it comes, here come the excuses. 

“I like you and want to be with you, but we can’t get married,” Xu Hao sighed inwardly. 

He hadn’t expected that, after traveling back in time and becoming a billionaire, he’d end up using the same lines he had in his previous life.

Xia Qingge knew who Xu Hao was. Not only was he married, but he was also the father of seven children and held in high regard by many. But… their age difference was something society wouldn’t accept.

“It’s okay. I don’t care about that. I just want to be with you…” Xia Qingge said, a bit disappointed that he couldn’t give their relationship a legitimate name. But she quickly recovered and looked into Xu Hao’s eyes.

She was more open-minded. There was no turning back now. If she couldn’t accept the situation, her only choice would be to leave Xu Hao. But after getting together so unexpectedly, she didn’t want to part ways.

“Qingge, don’t worry. I won’t let you down…” Xu Hao said, visibly excited. 

Everything was going according to his plan. 

In most novels, once the heroine falls for the protagonist, she remains loyal to him, which allows him to build a large harem. It was her character that played into his hands. What followed was another passionate encounter…

…

The next day—

Xia Dahai woke up groggy. 

Walking out of the bedroom, he saw his daughter tidying up the house. He had slept so soundly last night that Xu Hao had carried him to bed with just one hand.

“Where’s your Uncle Xu?” Xia Dahai asked, rubbing his forehead to clear his head. He looked at his daughter.

“You have the nerve to ask? You were so drunk last night that you passed out, and he left long ago…” Xia Qingge said while keeping her head down, wiping the table, and avoiding eye contact with her father. After all, her actions the previous night could be considered shameless. 

If her father knew what had happened, he would probably be furious enough to drop dead on the spot.

Xia Dahai, not noticing his daughter’s unusual behavior, smiled bitterly. The wine was good, but too strong… Even someone like him, who was used to drinking, had gotten drunk.

Then he looked at his daughter with some dissatisfaction. “Qingge, you should have been serious. Your Uncle Xu drank so much; he must have been drunk. Why didn’t you let him rest here?”

“I tried to persuade him, but Uncle Xu insisted on leaving. He didn’t want to cause us any trouble…” Xia Qingge explained. But inwardly, she was complaining, “Uncle Xu, drunk? If only you knew how strong he really is… Besides, I not only kept him here, but we also… well, we explored every corner of the house.”

She wasn’t lying either. 

Xu Hao had indeed said he didn’t want to trouble her. If he had stayed and Xia’s father had seen him, he would have noticed something unusual about his daughter. So Xu Hao left at dawn.

Before leaving, they even went for a ride to Qiu Mingshan together. Now, she needed to go back to the bedroom to clean up and change the sheets.

With that thought in mind, Xia Qingge cautiously walked towards the bedroom. 

Watching his daughter’s retreating figure, Xia Dahai briefly wondered if something about her had changed. But he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.

…

(The Xu Group Building)

-CEO’s Office. 

Xu Hao was sitting at his desk, reviewing some documents. His secretary, Li Kun, stood in front of him, reporting the information he had gathered on Zheng Feifan.

Zheng Feifan had returned from abroad ten days ago and rented a house on Shuimiao Street. His landlord was a beautiful woman named Xiao Wanling. 

Currently, he worked as a security guard at Qingtian Electronics Co., Ltd. With Xu Hao’s extensive intelligence network, this was all they could uncover about Zheng Feifan’s activities. Nothing was known about what he had done before.

“If you want to be the ultimate villain, you can’t control everything. There’s still a long way to go…” Xu Hao muttered, flipping through the files on Qingtian Electronics Co., Ltd. 

Three years ago, the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. Lin Chuqing, fresh out of university, took over the company at a critical moment. She fired those who needed to be fired, demoted others, and promoted those deserving, shocking the entire workforce. 

Through a series of policy reforms, she revived the nearly bankrupt company and took it to new heights. 

Lin Chuqing quickly gained a reputation as a business prodigy. However, her ruthless, cold demeanor in the company earned her the nickname “Ice Queen.” 

As Xu Hao continued to read, his eyes suddenly focused on one piece of information. Lin Chuqing’s company was in partnership with the Liu family.

Xu Hao tapped his fingers lightly on the table, deep in thought. 

In the future, he planned to take over the entire Liu family’s industry. Considering the current state of the Liu family and the protagonist’s ongoing conflict with them, he believed it wouldn’t be long before he could do so. 

But how should he approach his relationship with this heroine? 

Should he play the gentleman and back off, or take the initiative and make his move?

Since he and the protagonist were destined to clash eventually, Xu Hao decided it was best not to alert the enemy just yet. 

After pondering for a moment, he resolved to take things one step at a time. First, he needed to collect more emotional points and strengthen himself.

-Afternoon

Two figures cautiously walked into the Xu Group’s building. It was the Liu family patriarch and his son. 

Liu Fei was terrified of being caught for his wrongdoings. He wasn’t afraid of Chen Mo, nor was he afraid of Zhen Qingge. What terrified him was the thought of Xu Hao’s wrath and the potential repercussions for the Liu family…

After returning home, Liu Fei grew more and more anxious, unable to sleep all night. Finally, he confessed everything to his father. The elder Liu immediately beat him, fully aware of his son’s treacherous nature. 

On most days, he indulged his son, turning a blind eye to his misdeeds. But now, his son had grown bold enough to provoke the wrong person. 

Did he not understand the difference in power between the Liu family and the Xu family? 

Just one word from Xu Hao could destroy the Liu family, leaving them without a trace… Without delay, Liu’s father brought his son to plead for forgiveness.

Xu Hao met them in the living room.

“Mr. Xu, I apologize. My son was being foolish…” Liu’s father said, trying to maintain a smile, despite the lack of response from Xu Hao. 

Xu Hao held a teacup in his hand but didn’t pour tea for the two visitors, showing no intention of being polite to these soon-to-be ruined men. 

Seeing Xu Hao’s indifference, Liu’s father felt deeply embarrassed, but he kept his composure. He kicked his son, urging him, “Why are you just standing there? Apologize to Uncle Xu! If you don’t get his forgiveness, I’ll beat you to death right here…”

Trembling, Liu Fei knelt with a thud and, on the verge of tears, pleaded, “Uncle Xu, I’m sorry. I was wrong. Please forgive me this time. I swear I’ll never do it again…”

Finally, Xu Hao set down the teacup and spoke calmly. “I’m not the one you should be apologizing to…”

He then called for someone to fetch Qingge. Xu Hao had initially told her to rest at home for the day.

…

After Xia Qingge’s first time, he feared it would affect her ability to work and walk. But refused to Xia Qingge stay down. She insisted she wasn’t that fragile.

So, she only rested at home for half a day before returning to the company. 

Not long after, Xia Qingge slowly appeared in the reception hall. She seemed serious, even though she hadn’t fully recovered yet.

Mr. Liu was stunned when he saw Xia Qingge. No wonder his worthless son had been obsessed with her for seven years. Even after Xu Hao’s warning, he couldn’t stay away from her.

Seeing his son dazed, Mr. Liu grew furious and kicked him hard. “What are you standing around for? Hurry and apologize!”

Liu Fei snapped back to reality and quickly adjusted his kneeling posture, turning to face Xia Qingge. “Xia Qingge, I’m sorry. I was the one who deceived you yesterday. I shouldn’t have treated you that way. Please forgive me this time. I promise I won’t disturb your life again…”

After he finished speaking, Liu Fei noticed his father’s angry glare, urging him to bow and make amends.

Xia Qingge, though a good girl, had never faced anything like this before. She was scared and a little overwhelmed, her eyes turning to Xu Hao for help.

Xu Hao said with a smile: “It’s up to you whether to forgive him. If you do, we can end this here. Otherwise, I’ll help you find justice. He was bold enough to act recklessly after my warning, after all…”

Mr. Liu trembled, and Liu Fei was even more terrified. They could tell that Xu Hao was genuinely angry. 

Although Xu Hao had a great reputation in the eyes of others, anyone with sense could understand—how could someone who built tens of billions in assets from scratch be a simple character? 

The Liu family couldn’t bear the weight of Xu Hao’s anger.

Feeling Xu Hao’s concern, Xia Qingge was moved. 

If no one else had been there, she would have thrown herself into Xu Hao’s arms and begged for comfort. 

Taking a deep breath to calm her emotions, Xia Qingge spoke coldly: “This time, I’ll let it go. But don’t ever show yourself in front of me again.”

Mr. Liu and Liu Fei looked relieved. 

Liu Fei stopped trembling and said excitedly, “Don’t worry, Qingge, I’ll never do it again.”

“Mr. Xu, what do you think…?” Mr. Liu turned his attention to Xu Hao.

Xu Hao snorted coldly. “You should thank Qingge. If she hadn’t let you off, I would have dealt with your family this afternoon.”

“Thank you… Thank you, Miss Xia. And thank you, Mr. Xu, for showing mercy.” Mr. Liu wiped the sweat from his eyebrow and quickly expressed his gratitude.

Xu Hao waved his hand impatiently. He had other plans in mind. There was no way he’d let them off so easily. If not for needing the Liu family to deal with the protagonist, they’d have been wiped out already. 

But soon, he would let them exert their last bit of value before taking them down.

Faced with Xu Hao’s harsh words, Mr. Liu and his son didn’t dare feel any resentment. They quickly said their goodbyes and left.

As Liu Fei passed by Xia Qingge, something caught his eye, and he froze. He had been with many women, experiencing them for the first time, and at that moment, Xia Qingge’s appearance reminded him of those women right after they had crossed that threshold. Combined with the slight limp in her walk, a realization hit him like a thunderbolt.

“…?”

Liu Fei couldn’t believe it. 

Xia Qingge was the woman he genuinely loved, the one he wanted to marry. He hadn’t treated her like the others, just for fun. He had pursued Xia Qingge for seven years. The thought that she had been with another man was like a slap in the face. His mind was about to explode.

“Who was it? Who’s the man?”

Liu Fei racked his brain until he finally thought of someone—Chen Mo. 

It had to be him. 

Chen Mo had ruined his plans yesterday, not only foiling his heroic rescue but also exposing his actions. Because of him, Liu Fei had offended Xu Hao and been scolded by his father. It was all Chen Mo’s fault.

Liu Fei’s face twisted with hatred. He despised Chen Mo. He never considered that Xia Qingge might have been with Xu Hao. The age gap and Xu Hao’s personality were too far-fetched for him to even imagine.

Seeing his son staring at Xia Qingge, Mr. Liu thought he was up to no good and dragged him away roughly. 

This good-for-nothing son needed to be taught a lesson. If he angered Xu Hao again because of a woman, they’d have no choice but to flee.

Secretary Li Kun saw this and followed them out, even closing the door behind them.

Now, only two people remained in the living room. Xia Qingge couldn’t hold back her emotions any longer and fell into Xu Hao’s arms. 

Xu Hao wore a strange expression. He recalled Liu Fei’s earlier look and suddenly remembered who Liu Fei was—a pitiful villain who had chased after his goddess for seven years, only for her to end up in Xu Hao’s arms. And the next day, he had to apologize to him.

What was this?

Anyhow, with the warm and soft Xia Qingge in his arms, Xu Hao couldn’t help but think of the protagonist’s beautiful stepmother.

“Are you free later?” Xu Hao asked.

Xia Qingge froze, looking at Xu Hao with a mix of grievance and shyness. 

“If…”

Xu Hao smiled slightly and whispered something in her ear. Xia Qingge was instantly stunned, her face turning red as she rolled her eyes at Xu Hao, both embarrassed and angry. At this moment, she looked like a young woman caught between innocence and desire.