Chapter 30: Trampling the Harem Protagonist (4)

Yu Liuxue was still in a daze when Yan Yi’s actions became even more outrageous. Her cool fingertips slowly slid from Yu Liuxue’s forehead down to her earlobe, gently rubbing it. Yu Liuxue shivered all over and hurriedly told the system, “Oh no, I’m about to lose it!”

System: “…”

A soft chuckle sounded near her ear. Yan Yi leaned against the side of Yu Liuxue’s neck, their long hair intertwining, the air thick with an ambiguous and seductive atmosphere. Yu Liuxue instinctively clenched her palms, and a faint sweat broke out at the tip of her nose. Yan Yi leisurely untied her belt, her usually cold voice carrying a slight huskiness.

“Sisi.”

That was how she called out.

Yu Liuxue froze, feeling a bit disappointed—so it was just acting after all.

Her fan-like eyelashes fluttered like a butterfly about to take flight. She slowly opened her eyes, her arched brows graceful, her pupils like pools of water, a hint of confusion lingering in them. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the chair in front of the monitor—empty.

Where was Lin Jingye?

Director Lin, where did you go?! How could you abandon me here alone?!

Yan Yi was reclining on her side beside Yu Liuxue, the bed beneath her dipping slightly. Her poised and noble silhouette completely blocked the camera. A faint smile played on her lips, and her upturned eyes carried a teasing glint. She twirled a lock of Yu Liuxue’s long hair between her fingers and asked with a half-smile,

“Who are you looking for?”

“N-No one.” Yu Liuxue was on edge, unable to stop herself from sneaking a glance at her.

Something was definitely off about Yan Yi today. She still carried her usual aloof demeanor, but her gaze… her gaze was like that of a leopard that had spotted its prey. Yu Liuxue suspected that if they weren’t filming right now, Yan Yi might actually do something that would leave her completely flustered.

Yan Yi blinked slowly. “I told Director Lin that you’re shy.”

System: “…?” (Host, in what way are you shy?!)

“There were too many people around, so you couldn’t get into character quickly, which would delay the filming schedule,” Yan Yi drawled, her voice carrying a lazy lilt. “So I had him leave.”

“From now on, I’ll personally handle all your intimate scenes. I’ll make sure to train you properly on Director Lin’s behalf.”

Yan Yi’s hair was tied up in an elegant jade crown. The sharp contours of her face, enhanced by the makeup, gave her a refined and untouchable aura, as if she were made of jade but kept others at a distance. Yu Liuxue instinctively shuddered. “That… that won’t be necessary…”

I actually know a lot about this already! Really! I’m not lying!

But judging from Yan Yi’s stance, it was clear she had no intention of letting Yu Liuxue off the hook. By the time Yu Liuxue had been tormented to the brink of tears, nearly kneeling in front of Yan Yi to beg for mercy, Yan Yi finally seemed satisfied.

When Director Lin came back to check, he was extremely pleased with Yan Yi’s training results and even beamed at Yu Liuxue, saying, “Yan Yi is truly talented—so young and already able to embody so many classic roles. You’ve only just entered the industry, so you should ask her for guidance whenever you’re unsure. If she’s in a good mood, she might even give you some pointers, saving you a lot of detours.”

Detours? That’s impossible.

I’ve already twisted myself into a mosquito coil at this point.

Yu Liuxue hurriedly nodded, “Yes, yes, of course!” Seeing how obedient she was, Lin Jingye became even more satisfied with her. He couldn’t help but think to himself—Good thing I didn’t reject this project out of momentary spite.

During this period, Yu Liuxue had been stuck on set, doing nothing but filming, completely cut off from the outside world. She had no idea what was happening out there, and people outside had no news of her.

Yet, even though she wasn’t in the world of gossip, the gossip was still about her.

A rival company had leaked old photos of Shen Yu meeting with Xia Xiaoshi.

Back then, Shen Yu had already gained some fame. To appease Xia Xiaoshi and keep her playing the devoted admirer, he had only worn a mask when meeting her—no sunglasses. As a result, his signature eyes were instantly recognized by fans.

“Stay away from my idol! Shen Yu has already terminated his contract with the Xia Corporation, so please, certain companies, act like decent people and stop trying to drag him into your publicity stunts. Our idol is busy filming and has no time for some shameless woman looking for clout.”

“Xia Xiaoshi’s new drama is flopping, so she’s desperately trying to stir up drama with our idol to stay relevant, huh? Sorry, not interested.”

Yu Liuxue scrolled through the comments, utterly unimpressed. So boring.

Xia Xiaoshi’s phone contained a dozen intimate close-up photos of her and Shen Yu. The number wasn’t much, but considering how long they had dated, it was pathetically few. Yu Liuxue scratched her nose and muttered, “I feel like I’m a little short on money lately.”

The system immediately went on high alert. “Host, please don’t resort to illegal means…”

“So, I plan to sell this photo to the media for 100,000 yuan.” Yu Liuxue grinned as she pulled up a phone number. “A man like Shen Yu shouldn’t be taken down in one fatal blow. No, he needs to be boiled like a frog in warm water—slowly, bit by bit. I’ll wear down his dignity, crush his pride, push him step by step toward the edge of the cliff… and then, with one final shove, send him plummeting down.”

Yu Liuxue lowered her voice and switched to a slightly deeper, more masculine tone as she spoke to the contact.

“I have an intimate photo of Shen Yu and Xia Xiaoshi. 100,000 yuan. No negotiations. You buying or not?”

The person on the other end hesitated for a moment. “Buying!”

Shen Yu was extremely popular. If this person really had an intimate photo of him, then his monthly performance targets would be exceeded in one go. His heart raced with excitement as he quickly asked, “How do we make the transaction?”

Yu Liuxue said leisurely, “In person.”

After setting up the meeting time, she immediately returned to the hotel to change. Her assistant watched in confusion. “Miss Xia, aren’t you supposed to be filming?”

Yu Liuxue put on a mask. “I have something to take care of. Don’t tell anyone about this.”

She took a few steps, then turned back and seriously added, “Especially not Yan Yi.”

The assistant suddenly started making exaggerated winking gestures at her.

Yu Liuxue frowned. “Do you have a muscle spasm?”

No! That’s not it!!!

The assistant suddenly winked at her, leaving Yu Liuxue confused. “Is your eye cramping?”

No!!!

Look behind you!!!

Yu Liuxue instinctively turned around. Yan Yi was lazily leaning against the doorframe. She reached out, hooked a finger under Yu Liuxue’s mask, pulled it down slightly, and leaned in closer, asking casually, “Where are you going?”

“Why can’t you tell me?”

Yu Liuxue replied, “Would you believe me if I said I’m just going out for tea with an old friend?”

Yan Yi blinked. Do I look like an idiot?

“Need my help?” Yan Yi let go of the mask, and it snapped back onto Yu Liuxue’s small face with a pop, covering most of it. Yu Liuxue tugged at her mask and quickly shook her head. “No need, I’ll be back in half an hour.”

Yan Yi stepped aside to let her pass. Yu Liuxue hurried into the elevator and immediately pressed the button for the first floor. “How does Yan Yi always appear out of nowhere? Dog woman, why didn’t you warn me?”

The system replied innocently, “Host, you never told me to before.”

“Do you want me to remind you in the future?”

Yu Liuxue narrowed her eyes. “What do you think?”

—

Yu Dongliang was a tabloid reporter for a small company. He was worried about not meeting his monthly quota when he suddenly received a call. The caller claimed to have a major scoop on Shen Yu, who dominated half of the entertainment industry!

After hanging up, Yu Dongliang was excited at first, but as he calmed down, he couldn’t help but wonder—was this a setup? Could the other party be a spy sent by a rival company, trying to trick him?

Shen Yu’s scoop—selling for only 100,000 yuan? That sounded ridiculous.

Still suspicious, Yu Dongliang arrived at the agreed location on time. Five minutes before the appointed time, a girl in a hoodie slowly walked toward him. The closer she got, the more familiar her figure seemed. Just as he was trying to recall where he had seen her before, Yu Liuxue pulled down her mask. “Money first, then the goods.”

Yu Dongliang stared at her in shock. “Xia Xiaoshi?”

Yu Liuxue raised an eyebrow slightly. “What? I can’t make some extra cash?”

Well, you can… but…

Did you really need to sell photos to make extra money…?

After sending Yu Dongliang the most tame photo, he immediately transferred the money to her bank account. Yu Liuxue pocketed her phone, hands in her hoodie pockets. “Oh, I still have a dozen more of these. Want them?”

Yu Dongliang froze. “Yes! Yes, yes!”

He couldn’t help but examine the girl before him more closely, thinking to himself—so the online rumors were true.

Shen Yu struggled as a minor actor for years. Why did he suddenly catch the eye of the president of the Xia Group and land an exclusive contract, skyrocketing to fame overnight?

Now, it seemed clear—Xia Xiaoshi had been pulling the strings.

The daughter of a wealthy family fell for a poor boy. Her father, unable to stop her, had no choice but to use his resources to help his future son-in-law succeed. Who would have thought the guy would turn out to be an ungrateful scumbag, a modern-day Chen Shimei? After rising to fame, he not only cut ties but also kicked his long-time girlfriend to the curb.

Yu Liuxue had no idea that Yu Dongliang had already created an entire melodrama in his head. She blinked and said, “I’ll sell you more when I’m in a bad mood.”

Yu Dongliang: “……”

He figured that by “bad mood,” she meant whenever Shen Yu’s fans blindly attacked her online.

Before leaving, Yu Liuxue warned him, “If anyone asks where you got the photo, don’t say it was from me. Otherwise, I won’t sell you anything in the future.”

She tilted her head thoughtfully. “But Shen Yu should know about this 100,000 yuan price tag.”

If Shen Yu found out his photos were being sold off so cheaply, he’d probably be furious enough to jump up on the spot. That would be an interesting scene.

—

Yu Liuxue hadn’t even reached her hotel yet when Weibo exploded.

Yu Dongliang’s small company had many flaws, but it did have one advantage—its employees were usually idle. So, whenever there was major gossip, they got hyped like they were on steroids, especially since they were on the front lines of the gossip scene.

“Holy shit! So Xia Xiaoshi was telling the truth all along? Shen Yu really did date her?”

“What truth? This photo looks suspicious! What if Xia Xiaoshi paid someone to Photoshop it? My idol is just a small-time actor. If Xia Xiaoshi, the boss’s daughter, wanted a photo with him, could he even refuse?”

Weibo’s gossip crowd split into two factions. At this point, the netizens hadn’t yet experienced the full cycle of gossip—revelation → reversal → slap in the face → new gossip → another reversal → another slap in the face—so they were all eagerly pulling in their friends.

“Have you heard? Shen Yu and Xia Xiaoshi used to be a couple!”

—

Yan Yi threw her phone to her assistant, looking utterly displeased.

The assistant quickly asked, “Sister Yi, what do you need me to do?”

“Tell Xia Xiaoshi to get down here and film.”

The assistant agreed, but as she approached Yu Liuxue’s hotel room, she suddenly remembered—the next scene was a bed scene!

So, when Yu Liuxue opened the door, the assistant said with a blank expression, “Miss Xia, Sister Yi says to hurry down and film the bed scene.”

Yu Liuxue: “……?”

(Old man on subway looking at phone.jpg)

Did Yan Yi have nothing else to do besides filming bed scenes?

Yu Liuxue couldn’t help but suspect—did Yan Yi take on this low-budget drama just for the bed scenes?

Damn it, this 30+ episode romcom had at least one or two bed scenes per episode!

“System, I think I might actually die in bed this time…”

—

Shen Yu hadn’t even reacted yet, but Li Nuolin had already smashed several cups in anger. She paced back and forth in the room before finally pointing at Shen Yu’s nose. “Didn’t you say you never had a relationship with her?! Then what is this?!”

If Li Nuolin were a man, she’d be a textbook case of toxic masculinity.

She had an extreme fixation on purity and absolutely could not accept that she wasn’t her partner’s first.

Shen Yu, feeling flustered, instinctively grabbed her fingers. His deep brows furrowed tightly. “Nuolin, I really didn’t touch her. It was just a group photo. You’re overreacting.”

If he didn’t still need Li Nuolin to secure resources, Shen Yu wouldn’t even bother dealing with her. Li Nuolin had a strong need for control. They had only been living together for less than six months, and he was already fed up with her. He only wanted to be a man who controlled women, not one controlled by a woman—gripped tightly in her grasp, forced to report everything.

What dignity was left in that?

Li Nuolin was instantly furious. “Overreacting? Look at what people online are saying! If you don’t clarify things soon, your relationship with Xia Xiaoshi is going to be confirmed!”

Shen Yu knew this was the real priority, so his tone softened. “I’ll handle it as soon as possible.”

“Handle it? How?” Li Nuolin calmed down. “Forget it, I’ll have my people suppress the trending topics for you.”

In less than two hours, the online narrative suddenly turned against Xia Xiaoshi, and 《Pampered Wife On Top》 was also caught in the crossfire. President Xia was furious and immediately sent out the company’s water army. Bullying my daughter was one thing, but now you dare interfere with my profits?!

At that moment, Yu Liuxue was lying on the bed, crying her eyes out. Yan Yi lay beside her. “You’ve improved today.”

Yu Liuxue looked at her sharp, indifferent face, despair in her eyes. Her lips quivered. “Actually, I think we should just get all these scenes done in one go.”

Yan Yi propped up her forehead and blinked innocently. “So many at once? Can your body handle it?”

Yu Liuxue was speechless. She even felt that Yan Yi had a point.

But every time she was about to forget about the bed scenes, Yan Yi would personally remind her, followed by a round of merciless torment. Gritting her teeth, Yu Liuxue complained to the system, “Didn’t you promise me a shy, introverted female lead? Why is she such a rogue?!”

The system replied awkwardly, “Maybe Yan Yi is naturally shy, but her acting is so good that you can’t tell…”

Yu Liuxue: “…” Get lost. Our mother-daughter bond ends today.

《Pampered Wife On Top》 had a short storyline and a fast-paced shoot, so seven months later, filming wrapped up. Lin Jingye let out a long sigh of relief, feeling like a loyal minister who had finally helped the prince ascend the throne and was now ready to retire. President Xia was also delighted and booked a grand hotel to celebrate his daughter’s success.

Yan Yi finally took off her elaborate costume. After removing her makeup, she put on light makeup and wore simple clothes to the event. The moment Yu Liuxue saw her, she chickened out and immediately kept her distance. Yan Yi gave her a meaningful glance, then smiled and allowed herself to be surrounded by the crowd, no longer tormenting Yu Liuxue.

Dinner, group photos, and a Weibo post—Yu Liuxue’s tasks for the day were done.

As soon as it was time, she rushed into a nanny van with her two assistants. “Quick, let’s go! Take me home!”

Yan Yi tilted her head and asked her assistant softly, “Has she left?”

The assistant secretly wondered: Yan Yi is paying more and more attention to Xia Xiaoshi… Could it be that she has taken a liking to her?

“She just left.”

“Then let’s head back too.” Yan Yi smiled as she retracted her gaze. She may have escaped this time, but she wouldn’t escape next time. See you in the next drama.

Yu Liuxue soon got busy with filming and didn’t have time to follow up on the photo incident. She only knew that after the stormy battle between President Xia and Li Nuolin, neither gained the upper hand—they ended up in a deadlock. Now, half of the internet believed the rumors, while the other half didn’t.

After taking a shower, Yu Liuxue lay on the sofa wrapped in a towel. “Ah, I’m in a bad mood again.”

The system: “…” You just want to mess with the male lead again.

Shen Yu remained silent throughout the entire ordeal, so naturally, his fans refused to believe that their idol would betray them. When people liked someone, they instinctively took their side. Even if they knew he was wrong, as long as he didn’t admit it himself, they would find all sorts of excuses to defend him.

Yu Liuxue loved destroying this kind of so-called devotion.

She rolled over and sprawled on the sofa, her legs propped against the wall. “Brother Yu, this time it’s a handwritten letter. 500,000—are you taking it?”

Yu Dongliang’s small company had made a fortune from the previous photo scandal. Li Nuolin was busy suppressing the news and had spent a million to have the photos deleted. Following her principle of “everyone benefits,” Yu Liuxue unapologetically set a high price.

Yu Dongliang had already been instructed by his boss: as long as Yu Liuxue’s price wasn’t outrageous, any scoop she had should be bought immediately.

“We’ll buy it,” he responded quickly.

“Same deal—transfer the money to my account, and I’ll send you the photo.”

After the transaction was completed, Yu Liuxue happily applied a face mask. Just as she was about to go to bed, the small company that had exposed Shen Yu’s previous scandal dropped another bombshell through one of its marketing accounts—

“Shen Yu’s handwritten love letter exposed! And the recipient is…”

Shen Yu’s fans were so enraged they jumped out of bed. Again?! Their idol was busy filming! Did they even pay an appearance fee before dragging him into this mess?!

“Anyone can write a love letter. Anyone can forge handwriting. Are you telling me my idol’s handwriting is this ugly?”

Shen Yu: I feel personally attacked.

“《Emperor Wu of Han》 is also about to wrap up, and both dramas are set to air around the same time. Someone’s finally starting to get desperate. Luckily, our idol left that shady company, or who knows how badly Xia Xiaoshi would’ve bullied him.”

“Xia Xiaoshi has gotten smarter. Instead of exposing things herself, she sells the dirt for 500,000 and lets others leak it. That’s some solid scheming. If anyone calls her an innocent fool again, I’m ripping their mouth off.”

Yu Liuxue raised an eyebrow. The water army arrived so quickly?

That wouldn’t do.

So, Yu Liuxue logged into her main account and posted a cryptic Weibo message:

“Thinking of the you from the past. Though you had no fame, your eyes held only me.”

Yan Yi commented instantly: “Who?”

Yu Liuxue: “…” Why are you butting in?

After stirring things up, Yu Liuxue went straight to sleep. The next morning, she woke up feeling refreshed, but Shen Yu and his fans clearly hadn’t had a peaceful night. Shen Yu couldn’t care about anything else now—he only knew that if Yu Liuxue ended up posting their marriage certificate, his entire career would be over.

He hurriedly tried calling Yu Liuxue, only to find out she had changed her number.

After much effort, he finally obtained her new contact information. Yu Liuxue was listening to music when she glanced at her phone. She put it on speaker and lazily asked, “Who’s this?”

Shen Yu gritted his teeth in hatred for her, yet he had to force himself to sound calm and composed. “Xiao Shi, didn’t we already divorce amicably? Since you agreed to the divorce, doesn’t that mean we’ve let go of our past grudges? You don’t resent me anymore, do you?”

Yu Liuxue asked in surprise, “Who told you that?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end before Shen Yu spoke again in a low, dejected tone. “I’m sorry, Xiao Shi. I didn’t do enough. I thought you had already forgiven me, which is why I agreed to the divorce—to let you find new happiness and freedom.”

Tsk.

Yu Liuxue propped her chin on her hand, lying on the sofa. “Shen Yu, you really are dramatic.”

“No wonder your acting is passable. You must’ve honed your skills practicing on me, huh?”

Shen Yu’s temples throbbed violently. “Xiao Shi, what are you saying? I don’t quite understand.”

Yu Liuxue chuckled. “Oh dear, I’m clearly speaking human language—how can you not understand?”

Shen Yu realized that continuing this conversation would only frustrate him to death before achieving his goal. So, he cut straight to the point. “Xiao Shi, is your depression any better? I know a psychologist. When you’re free, I can take you to see them.”

Shen Yu thought that if he could manipulate Yu Liuxue through psychological treatment, controlling her would be a masterstroke.

Without hesitation, Yu Liuxue replied, “You should keep that for yourself. You might need it someday.”

“Xiao Shi, must you be so stubborn with me?” Shen Yu sounded defeated, as if he had no other choice. “You know that my relationship with Nuolin was just for publicity with the production team. I truly loved you before…”

Not in the mood to listen to his nonsense, Yu Liuxue hung up the phone directly.

She sat on the sofa and mused, “I bet his next move will be using the original owner’s depression against me.”

Otherwise, why would he randomly bring it up?

Sure enough, before the day was over, the topic of Xia Xiaoshi’s depression had gained widespread attention.

Yan Yi called immediately to check in. “Are you okay?”

Yu Liuxue blinked. “I’m great! Eating well, drinking well, and sleeping soundly.”

There was a long silence on the other end before Yan Yi said, “I’m downstairs.”

Yu Liuxue immediately pulled open the curtains and stepped onto the balcony. Downstairs, Yan Yi was leaning arrogantly against a car, wearing dark sunglasses. Even though the neighborhood was filled with high-profile residents, many couldn’t help but glance over at the striking beauty.

Yu Liuxue asked instinctively, “How did you get in?”

“Oh, I have five properties here.” Young, rich, and beautiful.

“…”

After bringing Yan Yi upstairs, Yu Liuxue watched as she leaned against the doorframe, scrutinizing her with a skeptical gaze. “Are you really okay?”

“I really am fine,” Yu Liuxue had already repeated this nearly ten times before Yan Yi finally reluctantly believed her. However, she still wasn’t reassured. “I’m worried you might do something drastic, so I’ll be staying at one of my apartments here for the next few days. Here’s my address and door code. If you need anything, just come in directly.”

Yan Yi handed her a piece of paper—clearly, she had prepared it in advance.

Yu Liuxue took it, relieved that at least Yan Yi wasn’t moving into her place.

“…If I hadn’t thought staying at your place would be too abrupt…” Yan Yi drawled suddenly. Yu Liuxue, feeling doomed, turned around just in time to see the corners of Yan Yi’s lips curve into a sly smile. “Since I already mentioned it, it wouldn’t be abrupt anymore, right?”

This woman… she probably just wants to act out those scenes with me at home!

Her expression clearly amused Yan Yi, who shrugged and said, “I’m just messing with you.”

“You should get some rest. I’m heading back,” Yan Yi picked up her bag. “Call me if you need anything. I’ll come right away.”

Yan Yi wasn’t just stunningly beautiful with sharp, striking features—her personality carried an inherent sense of dominance. Yu Liuxue hesitated, torn between admiring Yan Yi’s beauty and fearing that she’d be absolutely wrecked in bed.

Back when Xia Xiaoshi had posted online, she’d specifically mentioned that Shen Yu and Li Nuolin’s scandal had caused her severe depression, and that she was undergoing treatment. But at the time, no one cared—she was only met with insults and mockery. Now that this old issue was being dug up again, Shen Yu’s fans were still attacking her viciously, their words downright nasty.

Yu Liuxue blinked, quickly understanding Shen Yu’s ploy. He wanted to use his fans to worsen Xia Xiaoshi’s supposed depression—either to push her into complete despair or to leave her with no choice but to seek him out for help and accept his so-called psychological treatment.

Immediately, Yu Liuxue went on Weibo to clarify:

“Who bought me a trending topic? My depression is already cured, but thanks for the concern. Tonight, I’ll be posting a tutorial for Si Si’s signature makeup look at our usual spot! Interested fans, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe!”

“Hahahahaha, this is hilarious. Who else but Shen Yu would buy a trending topic for Xiao Shi? This is a massive backfire.”

“Xiao Shi, you’ve worked hard. Please don’t do anything foolish again.”

“Grandma, your favorite cosplay beauty vlogger finally remembered her password…”

As soon as the scheduled time arrived, Yu Liuxue uploaded her first makeup tutorial: “Spring Peach Pure and Innocent Fake No-Makeup Seductive Look.”

Previously, in an interview, Yu Liuxue had explicitly stated that all of the female lead’s makeup looks were designed by herself. So, when fans eagerly clicked on the video, they were instantly floored by her opening introduction.

“Ah? Is Little Persimmon hinting that she has a bed scene with Yan Yi?!”

“Damn! Really? Now I’m looking forward to it.”

“It’s true, it’s true! The original novel has a ton of unspeakable scenes~ Everyone, you must read it! If you’re late, it’ll get locked!”

Doubtful fans immediately rushed to the original author’s Weibo to ask. After much hesitation, the author mysteriously replied: “Just watch the premiere on time, you won’t be disappointed.”

With both the original author and the scriptwriter saying this, could it still be fake?!

As a result, the trending topic about Xia Xiaoshi’s depression was instantly overshadowed by “Xia Xiaoshi and Yan Yi’s bed scene.”

Shen Yu’s face turned dark with anger.

His phone vibrated with a message from the person in question. Yu Liuxue could almost picture Yan Yi raising an eyebrow lazily, leaning forward slightly, staring straight into her eyes as she asked, “You used me for hype. Did you pay my appearance fee?”

Yu Liuxue quickly sent a red envelope. “Master, please accept this disciple’s humble tribute.”

Yan Yi chuckled as she held her phone. “I’m feeling a bit hungry now. I want a midnight snack.”

Yu Liuxue immediately ran upstairs with two packs of Shin Ramyun. Yan Yi glanced at the instant noodles in her arms and raised an eyebrow. “This is what you brought for your master?”

“Master, you are wise and powerful, with graceful brows and starry eyes, a breathtaking beauty. I think you deserve to drink qiongjiang yulu¹…”

Crap!

Yu Liuxue threw down the noodles and ran. I swear, I wasn’t driving!

Yan Yi effortlessly pinned both her hands behind her back, pulling the struggling girl into a tight embrace. Resting her chin against Yu Liuxue’s neck, she drawled, “Why are you running? You haven’t explained what qiongjiang yulu is yet.”

“It’s… just a kind of drink. Tastes pretty good.”

Yan Yi chuckled. “I remember when you and the author were discussing this, that’s not what you said.”

When did she secretly hear that?!

Yu Liuxue struggled for a while until she was exhausted, then gave up and slumped against Yan Yi in a completely defenseless posture. She teared up pitifully, “I swear! If you don’t believe me, check the dictionary.”

Yan Yi: “…” It’s the middle of the night, where am I supposed to find a dictionary?

“How about we go to bed, and you explain it to me slowly?”

Knew it!

So, Yan Yi turned off the lights. The two of them lay under the covers.

“Actually, qiongjiang yulu was mentioned in a book I read. It’s made by refining the world’s sweetest celestial flowers for forty-nine days, until a single drop of pure essence is obtained. Drinking this drop grants eternal youth and greatly enhances cultivation…”

Yan Yi responded seriously, “Oh.”

【System: … One dares to say it, the other dares to listen.】

Yu Liuxue originally just wanted to chat with Yan Yi, but somehow, as they talked, she started feeling a little tempted. Yan Yi opened her eyes. “Xiao Shi.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you remember what I taught you before?”

She did remember, but…

“You wanna do it?”

Yu Liuxue: “…” Fine, let’s do it?

With her heart slightly resisting but her body completely enjoying it, Yu Liuxue was utterly spent by morning. Lying on the bed, she deeply regretted everything—she never should have brought those two packs of instant noodles upstairs.

She weakly wiggled her toes. “No wonder she’s the female lead… her skills are better than all the others before her!”

Shut up! Be careful, or they’ll time-travel here to gang up on you.

After confirming their relationship, Yan Yi became increasingly unrestrained in bed. Yu Liuxue had reached the point of tears upon hearing Yan Yi’s name and stubbornly refused to go upstairs anymore. Since she wouldn’t come over, Yan Yi started coming to her place instead—to continue tormenting her.

A week later, Yu Liuxue finally got an event gig—promoting jewelry for her godmother’s sister-in-law’s store.

She agreed without a second thought, but what she didn’t expect was that Yan Yi also accepted the event. Even Shen Yu somehow managed to squeeze time out of his busy schedule to join.

Yu Liuxue’s godmother’s sister-in-law, a wealthy lady of unknown origins, was dumbfounded. Do I really have such a grand lineup?

They’re all fighting to promote my store?

On the day of the event, Yu Liuxue dressed up elegantly. She had barely taken a few steps when she saw Shen Yu walking straight toward her. Just as she was about to dodge, she noticed his expression freeze slightly—then he suddenly looked delighted and changed direction toward Yan Yi instead.

Yu Liuxue instantly understood. Ah, so the drunken man’s heart is not in the wine.

She had thought the male lead was coming to pick a fight with her.

This was the second time Yan Yi and Shen Yu met. To be honest, Yan Yi had absolutely no good impression of him. But Shen Yu remained oblivious, assuming a gentlemanly posture and pretending to be pleasantly surprised. “Yan Yi, long time no see.”

Yan Yi gave a faint nod, clearly uninterested in conversation.

Shen Yu had long heard about Yan Yi’s cold personality, so he was prepared. Right now, Yan Yi was his third stepping stone. If he could win her over, then neither the clingy Xia Xiaoshi nor the possessive Li Nuolin would matter—because against the Yan family’s power, they would all have to step aside.

“Xiao Shi can be quite willful. I’m sure she must’ve caused you a lot of trouble during filming,” Shen Yu said with feigned helplessness. “She used to always cling to me, wanting me to keep her company. But we weren’t even in a relationship, and as a celebrity, I couldn’t just put aside work to be with her all the time.”

He spoke casually, but the listener took it seriously. Yan Yi raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at him intently.

Then, she asked seriously, “You’re not telling me all this because you’re planning to steal my woman, are you?”

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1. 琼浆玉露 (qióngjiāng yùlù) literally means “jade-like nectar and dew” and is a metaphor for exquisite food or drink, often referring to fine wine or divine beverages in classical Chinese literature. It can also symbolize something precious and nourishing, like beautiful poetry or wisdom ↩︎