Chapter 52: How a Heartbreaker Manages Her Suitors (Part 9)

Everyone could tell something serious was about to go down when Jiang Zhixi, face dark with fury, dragged Yu Liuxue away. Her bestie had half a mind to follow, but then she hesitated, remembering what Jiang Zhixi had just said to her. While she faltered, Liang Chen and Mu Lixin immediately stood up. The bestie flinched, quickly reaching out to block them and asked warily, “What are you two doing?”

Mu Lixin paused, clearly confused, and answered righteously, “Of course we’re going to explain to Zhixi that we’re not that kind of guy.”

Liang Chen stared at him in disbelief. Shouldn’t you be worried about Zhao Keying’s safety first? Sure, Jiang Zhixi usually seemed gentle and sweet, but when she got mad, she was absolutely not to be underestimated. She had just dragged Zhao Keying away—what if she did something extreme to her?

Liang Chen turned to the bestie and said, “I’m worried that Zhixi might do something drastic to Zhao Keying out of anger.”

The bestie’s gaze flickered for a moment, but she replied calmly, “Don’t worry. That kind of thing won’t happen.”

Jiang Zhixi liked Zhao Keying—she would never go too far with her… right? But what if Jiang Zhixi’s blackened yandere self decided to force herself on Zhao Keying?!

After successfully stopping the two men who were about to ruin Yu Liuxue’s moment, Jiang Zhixi’s bestie immediately whipped out her phone and started frantically calling her. The calls connected at first, but after a few times, the other party seemed to get annoyed and simply turned her phone off.

Great.

The bestie sighed, listlessly thinking: Jiang Zhixi is now charging headlong down a path of no return.

Is Zhao Keying really that irresistible? Even Zhixi’s fallen for her. What’s so great about her anyway? A scandal magnet with nothing going for her but a pretty face. She had a terrible temper, deceived her fans, and was the subject of endless online drama.

And she was also Li Zhen’s ex-girlfriend.

Yes, that’s the key point. Zhao Keying was Li Zhen’s ex! And Li Zhen was Zhixi’s childhood friend—heck, the two of them had even shared a vaguely ambiguous period. So now this is…

A love triangle?

No, wait—add in Zuo Xia, Liang Chen, and Mu Lixin… this is a love hexagon?

Subway Grandpa staring at phone intensifies.

Yu Liuxue couldn’t care less about love hexagons or heptagons. At the moment, she was a complete mess, lying limp on the bed, too exhausted to even open her eyes. After they were done, Jiang Zhixi carried her straight into an oversized bathtub filled with hot water, gently scrubbing her clean at a leisurely pace.

Before long, soft, tender kisses began to rain down again.

Yu Liuxue shuddered all over, her body going a bit stiff. Jiang Zhixi immediately opened her eyes. “Is the water too hot?”

Yu Liuxue forced a smile that looked more like she was about to cry and pitifully said, “No… it’s just that the water is tired.”

Jiang Zhixi couldn’t hold back a laugh, her lips curving as a low chuckle escaped her. Her expression softened, her dark eyes filled with amusement. When Jiang Zhixi smiled like that, Yu Liuxue felt like the entire room lit up. Staring at those crescent-moon eyes, she quietly let out a breath of relief. That’s more like it. That’s my silly, sweet female lead.

This blackened version was just way too scary.

Jiang Zhixi knew she had bullied her terribly today. She didn’t push further—once she finished washing her, she gently dried her off and tucked her into bed. She softly stroked Yu Liuxue’s hair, bright eyes gazing down at her gentle, obedient face.

“Sleep. I’ll come find you again in a few days.”

That really wasn’t necessary, Yu Liuxue thought to herself.

But of course, she didn’t dare say such a thing out loud. She furrowed her brow, pretending to be reluctant. “Okay.”

The moment Jiang Zhixi saw her frown, her heart ached. “Or… maybe I won’t leave. I’ll just stay here with you.”

Yu Liuxue’s breath caught. What?! No way!

Before she could speak, Jiang Zhixi’s eyes narrowed slightly, that slanted gaze sharp and probing. She said offhandedly, “Keying, do you just want me gone?”

“No!” Absolutely not! What kind of nonsense is that?! Yu Liuxue cried as she teared up in exaggerated anticipation.

Jiang Zhixi ignored her response, muttering to herself, “You still want to see Li Zhen and Liang Chen, don’t you? You’re still thinking about them. You don’t want to let down the feelings they have for you.”

Yu Liuxue turned to the system and complained, Damn, this female lead’s line delivery is solid. She could debut and act—she’d definitely blow up!

The system replied dryly: Well, duh. She’s the female lead. Everything she does goes smoothly. Her luck’s off the charts—no one can compete.

Suddenly, Jiang Zhixi let out a cold laugh. She quietly stared at Yu Liuxue’s dumbfounded face, her lashes fluttering gently. “I’ll show you I’m ten thousand times better than them—whether it’s in my career… or in bed.”

She was still hung up on that “the three of us can live together” line. It had completely shaken her worldview. But through that shock, she’d also broken through social norms and the chains in her own heart. She couldn’t hold back anymore and claimed Yu Liuxue as hers.

Yu Liuxue pretended not to understand, but in her heart, she was ranting to the system: She’s changed! Jiang Zhixi’s become such a perv, what the hell?!

Yu Liuxue was so exhausted her eyelids could barely stay open. Seeing this, Jiang Zhixi finally let her off the hook. She got dressed and, before leaving the hotel, gave Yu Liuxue’s sleeping face one last lingering look. The corners of her mouth lifted silently.

So what if you make a million a year? I’ll earn ten times that, and hand it all over to you.

When Yu Liuxue woke up, her face was scrunched up in pain. She grimaced and flopped back onto the bed. “Why am I always the one who gets hurt?”

The system replied blandly, “Because the standouts are always the most doted on.”

After her body finally stopped aching so much, Yu Liuxue got up and picked up the cute little dress she’d carefully chosen the day before. She put it on and stood in front of the mirror—only to stare in total confusion.

She murmured, “So… it was that intense last night, huh.”

From her neck all the way to the insides of her thighs, her skin was covered in dense marks—each one clearly and deliberately made by Jiang Zhixi. At first glance it wasn’t so bad, but if you looked closely, Jiang Zhixi’s beastly behavior was downright criminal.

There was no other choice—Yu Liuxue had to call Yang Xi from the club to bring her a set of long-sleeved clothes and pants. Yang Xi had just returned from an overseas training and competition and hadn’t even had a chance to sit down and enjoy a sip of milk tea before she got dragged into being Yu Liuxue’s errand girl. After buying the clothes Yu Liuxue needed, she rushed to the hotel, only to be utterly stunned when she saw Yu Liuxue’s wrecked appearance.

She pointed with a trembling finger. “Keyan, what happened to you…?”

“You went and had a roll in the hay with some guy behind my back?!”

Yu Liuxue stared at her blankly. Truthfully, everything she had suffered was thanks to Yang Xi—the true culprit. If Yang Xi hadn’t used her phone that day to text Jiang Zhixi and invite her to dinner, none of this would’ve happened.

“Jiang Zhixi.”

“Jiang Zhixi? Who the hell—wait, that Jiang Zhixi?” Yang Xi looked utterly shocked.

She tossed the shopping bag to Yu Liuxue and plopped herself gossip-hungry at the edge of the bed. “Seriously? How did you manage to seduce her? Wasn’t she messing around with Li Zhen and them?”

Yu Liuxue paused for a beat. “You might not believe this, but all I did was say I wanted to live happily ever after with Liang Chen and Mu Lixin—and she ended up doing this to me.”

Yang Xi, unsurprisingly, did not believe her.

Yu Liuxue was clearly in no state to go out shopping. She couldn’t even deal with work matters and ended up lying at home for five straight days. During this time, the system thoughtfully remarked, “Being a player is fun for a moment, but being a player forever is bliss. Host, you’ll never need to worry about failing a conquest mission again!”

Yu Liuxue: “…?” Wait, have you misunderstood something?

I’m clearly a morally upright, warmhearted, and pure successor of socialism.

While Yu Liuxue was recuperating, Jiang Zhixi was making major moves. First, she was invited to be a brand ambassador for a luxury makeup label. Then came a string of high-end designer bag endorsements. At the same time, she became shockingly diligent, updating her videos daily.

Her drastic change in behavior left fans suspicious.

“Did Zhixi suffer a huge blow or something? Zhao Keyan, get your butt out here and explain! Did you cheat and make our Zhixi sad?!”

“What’s this got to do with my Keyan? She’s busy filming a documentary. Leave her out of this.”

“Zhixi being all serious about her work is so hot. Did you guys see the BTS pics from the brand’s Insta? Holy crap, Jiang Zhixi is killing me here!”

Jiang Zhixi was the biological granddaughter of the renowned veteran artist Jiang Xiao. Jiang Xiao had won multiple international awards, was widely respected, and had connections with many brand ambassadors. So when he put the word out, various luxury brands came flocking to Jiang Zhixi, hoping to leverage her domestic influence to expand into the local market.

It was a win-win situation, and the collaborations went very smoothly.

Within just half a month, countless stunning photos of Jiang Zhixi were circulating online. Both fans and casual viewers were utterly captivated by her looks. No one knew exactly what she’d been through lately, but the photos alone revealed that she’d shed some of her naive, sugary-sweet aura in exchange for a powerful blend of elegance and depth.

She had grown more mature—and dangerously charming.

Still, there were some who just didn’t get the hype. Some even mocked her, saying, “So Jiang Zhixi’s planning to debut now? Her PR push is even bigger than Zhao Keyan’s comeback!”

“Quit making stuff up. Keyan’s comeback was a redemption arc. What’s Zhixi trying to prove? She’s just suddenly decided to take her job seriously. Don’t like it? Then don’t look.”

Yu Liuxue had also seen the online commentary. She collapsed onto the sofa in panic. “So Jiang Zhixi was serious all along?!”

She was doomed. What was she supposed to do now?

Tossing and turning all night, Yu Liuxue finally came up with a brilliant plan. She sat up excitedly and asked the system, “Hey, hey, what if—I went and competed with Jiang Zhixi for endorsements and brand deals?!”

“That way, she’d be so busy keeping her guard up and focused on her career that she’d have no time to bother with me! She might even start to hate me for stealing her thunder! Isn’t that genius?!”

The system remained completely unmoved. It even wanted to laugh.

“You really think,” it paused deliberately, then spoke slowly, “that’s possible?”

Yu Liuxue: “…”

I must’ve been a physics problem in my past life—too hard to solve.

Hard or not, life had to go on. Luckily, Jiang Zhixi’s schedule was packed lately, leaving her no time to torment Yu Liuxue. At first, Yu Liuxue was delighted by this, but after a whole month of peaceful days, she suddenly started missing Zhao Keyan terribly.

Yu Liuxue sighed deeply. “She hasn’t come to see me in a month.”

The system marveled at the contradictions and scheming of human women. Half gloating, half amused, it reminded her, “Host, the heroine has learned all your little tricks, and she’s learned them well.”

Yu Liuxue: “…?”

She’s using my own methods against me?! That’s cold.

“You actually had the nerve to call her a naïve little sweetheart? Who gave you that courage—Liang Jingru?!”

Yu Liuxue widened her eyes in disbelief. She deeply regretted trusting that silver-tongued system. If she’d been just a bit more cautious, she wouldn’t be lying here now, steamrolled by the heroine.

Thankfully, Zhou Wei soon rescued her from the dull days. The documentary had reached the final production stage, and some details had to be hashed out with the whole team. So Yu Liuxue moved into a room at the studio, and the three of them spent their days glued to the screen, discussing and jotting down notes together.

When everyone was on the verge of pulling their hair out, the first episode of the documentary was finally completed.

Overjoyed, Yu Liuxue immediately posted on Weibo: “The first episode of the documentary is ready! See you tonight at 8 PM! Big thanks to our editing bro Zhou Wei and our awesome assistant girl Zuo Yun. Repost this Weibo, and I’ll pick ten lucky folks to each receive ¥1000!”

Fans: “…?!” Girl, it’s fine to promote your show, but don’t just go throwing money around like that!

Repost 1: “Hyped!”

Repost 2: “Oh my god, a thousand bucks? Can I just have my name drawn?!”

Repost 3: “Hah, didn’t she make all that dirty money back in the day? And now she has the nerve to act like she’s giving back with these ‘giveaway events’? Aren’t you people afraid of karma?”

Uh… and who are you, exactly?

Oh, turns out they’re a fan of Sour Chicken Cheng Yu. Honestly, we were being pretty generous by not settling old scores, and now you have the audacity to come up and stir things? Cheng Yu’s fans had unknowingly ignited the wrath of several other fanbases, and before long, their squabble had roped in multiple celebrity stans who were more than happy to take shots at Cheng Yu. Even though her fan count was in the millions, recent events had left many of her followers silent—most of them had only followed her for the giveaways and perks. Now, they weren’t just refusing to speak up for her, they were actively switching sides, heading over to repost Yu Liuxue’s giveaway posts instead.

Cheng Yu was livid. Ever since Zhao Keying’s suicide, everything felt like it had flipped upside down. How the hell did that woman manage to snag such talented people like Zhou Wei and Zuo Yun?

Driven by jealousy, Cheng Yu decided to poach them. After jumping through a few hoops to get Zhou Wei’s number, she added him on WeChat without revealing her name. She even changed her profile picture to a super “artsy” shot of her back, and started messaging him daily—gentle concern masked as casual chit-chat, like boiling a frog with warm water.

Unfortunately, Zhou Wei was busy editing videos and couldn’t be bothered. She sent ten messages, and he didn’t even reply to one.

Frustrated, Cheng Yu decided to go with a more aggressive approach. She had her assistant reach out on her behalf and promise Zhou Wei double what Yu Liuxue was paying him. When Zhou Wei figured out what was going on, he calmly asked, “So she’s ready to pay me sixty thousand a month?”

The assistant froze. Wait a minute… wasn’t the offer five thousand a month? When did it turn into sixty?!

Zhou Wei gave her a meaningful smile before walking off, leaving the assistant staring blankly at her desk, overcome with a deep sense of regret. In hindsight, Zhao Keying had been a great boss—generous salary, no harsh treatment, and she never worked people like they were livestock.

After jumping ship to Cheng Yu’s studio, things had started out okay. For the first few months, Cheng Yu kept her word and paid what was promised. But before long, she began finding excuses to slash salaries. People were upset, but at that time Zhao Keying’s reputation was trashed and it looked like she was done for. Jobs weren’t easy to come by in this city, so most folks sucked it up. A smaller paycheck was still better than having none at all.

But all of that silent tolerance went up in smoke the moment Zhou Wei stirred the pot.

The assistant couldn’t help wondering: if she’d stuck by Zhao Keying through the lowest point and helped her rise again, would she be making thirty grand a month now too?

The regret just kept gnawing at her. After stewing for a few days, she finally confided in a close female colleague. The woman’s jaw dropped, stunned—and like the assistant, she immediately felt a wave of bitter regret.

Yu Liuxue happened to spot Zhou Wei leaving the studio, and just casually gave him a glance. Zhou Wei came clean immediately: “Your former assistant sent someone to try and poach me, said she’d pay me double my current salary. I asked her if they were really offering sixty thousand a month, and she went silent.”

Yu Liuxue slammed the table and jumped to her feet. “That’s outrageous!”

Zhou Wei raised an eyebrow, about to respond, when she added something entirely unexpected: “They think they can buy you off with a measly sixty grand? You’re part of my studio—of course you deserve more! Starting today, your monthly salary is bumped to a hundred thousand!”

Zhou Wei: “……?” Are you insane?

Yu Liuxue put her hands on her hips. “Unless Cheng Yu pays you two hundred thousand, I won’t let you leave!”

Zuo Yun had just come upstairs and was immediately pointed at. “And you! Your salary’s going up to a hundred thousand too! If anyone offers you less than I do, you’re not allowed to switch jobs!”

Zuo Yun couldn’t help laughing. “Keying, seriously, you don’t need to. What you’re paying is already plenty…”

“Oh? So you’re looking down on me?” Yu Liuxue went full drama queen, staggering back in disbelief. “Are you saying I can’t afford two hundred grand?!”

Both of them: “……” Alright, fine. Whatever you say.

Having successfully raised the bar for poaching her people, Yu Liuxue drove home in high spirits. Meanwhile, Cheng Yu almost shattered her teeth when her assistant reported back—especially after noticing a flicker of regret in the woman’s expression. That inexplicable fury boiled up inside her.

She let out a cold laugh and said flatly, “Got it. You can go.”

Alone in the office, Cheng Yu gradually lost control of her emotions. In a moment of impulsive anger, she created a burner account and picked the exact time when most people were commuting home and mindlessly scrolling social media. She made a post exposing the tangled love drama between six public figures: well-known influencer Zhao Keying, Jiang Zhixi, the son of a certain conglomerate chairman Li Zhen, popular relationship blogger “Iced Soda,” flight attendant Mu Lixin, and second-gen rich kid Liang Chen.

Using heavily exaggerated language, she painted Zhao Keying as a manipulative, man-hopping green tea b*tch. Not even Jiang Zhixi was spared—Cheng Yu portrayed her as a “pure” white lotus, the kind who pretends to be innocent while openly flirting with Li Zhen even though she knows he has a girlfriend.

That, according to the post, was why Zhao Keying had always hated Jiang Zhixi so much.

The comment section blew up: “Wow, eye-opener.” “Is this for real? Feels sketchy.” “You know what happens to people who spread false rumors, right?” “How the hell do you know all this? You living under their bed or something?”

Yu Liuxue, after reading the post, was practically hugging herself in despair. It was over. If Jiang Zhixi saw this, they were done for.

Netizens who’d just devoured a piping-hot melon came flocking to Yu Liuxue for answers, but she didn’t respond. However, by the time she drove into her apartment complex—barely half an hour later—the gossip blogs and drama accounts had already swarmed in, spreading nasty takes about Zhao Keying like wildfire.

Yu Liuxue had had enough. She picked up her phone and reposted one of the gossip accounts’ tweets, adding a comment: “Little Swallow, dressed in flowers, comes back every spring. I asked her why she came—she said: ‘Mind your damn business.’”

Fans were laughing so hard they nearly blew snot bubbles.

After replying to the gossip account, Yu Liuxue spotted Li Zhen, who had deliberately come over to wait for her. She raised her eyebrows slightly—was the sun rising from the west?

Keeping up her delicate little white flower persona, she slowly approached him. Before Li Zhen could even speak, Yu Liuxue’s eyes turned red, as if she were on the verge of tears, looking pitiful beyond words. Li Zhen immediately pressed his lips together. After a long pause, unable to bear watching her fake performance any longer, he got straight to the point and asked, “Did you post that thread online?”

How could that be possible? Do I look like I’ve got that much free time?

Yu Liuxue immediately took two steps forward, trying to tug on Li Zhen’s sleeve, but he swiftly avoided her. The light of surprise in her eyes dimmed in an instant. She furrowed her brows in sadness and softly said, “Li Zhen, do you really think I’m that kind of despicable person in your heart?”

Li Zhen didn’t answer, which was as good as admitting it.

Yu Liuxue grew even more upset. She couldn’t help clenching the hem of her dress, tilting her face up to look at him seriously. “Why would I do such a thing? What would I gain from it? Li Zhen, if you could see that post, then you must’ve seen how horribly people are insulting me too, right?”

“Now, in everyone’s eyes, I’m nothing but a heartless homewrecker. They truly believe I’ve been bouncing between you all. But Li Zhen, you know I never did any of that.”

Once Li Zhen got the answer he wanted, he no longer had any interest in dealing with her and simply brushed past her.

Yu Liuxue bit her lip in frustration and threw herself even more into the act. “Li Zhen, do you really hate me that much?! Can’t you believe in me just one more time?! I—Zhixi?”

Crap!

Yu Liuxue turned and bolted, but Li Zhen reacted quickly and grabbed her. “Zhixi? Are you looking for her?”

Yu Liuxue, utterly exasperated, stomped hard on his foot, just as Jiang Zhixi appeared before her. With a cold expression, Jiang Zhixi pulled Yu Liuxue over and protectively positioned her behind her like a mother hen shielding her chick. Her voice was calm but firm. “Li Zhen, you two have broken up. I hope you can keep your distance from her.”

A flicker of joy crossed Li Zhen’s heart. Zhixi… is she jealous?

“Zhixi, don’t misunderstand. Things between me and her have been over for a long time. It’s her—she’s the one who keeps pestering me.”

Yu Liuxue’s eyes flew wide open. What did you just say? Say that to my face again?!
————

—Liang Jingru, also known as Fish Leong, is a Malaysian Mandopop singer famous for her emotional love ballads. She rose to fame with her 2000 hit album Courage and has sold over 20 million records. Known for songs like “Unfortunately, It’s Not You” and “Warm,” she remains a beloved figure in the Chinese music scene.