Chapter 122: Simultaneously Offending Three Bigshots – Part Nine

Xie Zhenxue wiped the tears from her eyes and walked away, her heart utterly desolate.

“You know, Auntie has always thought the most highly of you. But Zhenxue is the female lead of Auntie’s script, so I have to treat both of you fairly. Besides, Zhenxue is willing to endure hardship.” Yu Liuxue paused before continuing, “You’ve seen it yourself. During this time, Zhenxue has been working so hard to memorize her lines, sometimes even forgetting to drink water. Her acting has improved tremendously compared to her last drama, hasn’t it?”

That was true.

Meng Xi nodded reluctantly. “But Xie Zhenxue already broke up with Kewei…”

She was unhappy. Xiao Yuetong was supposed to be her mother-in-law. Now that Xie Zhenxue and Kewei had broken up, even if Zhenxue was the female lead of Xiao Yuetong’s script, the two of them should still keep an appropriate distance. They shouldn’t be so close. She was the one who had the closest relationship with Xiao Yuetong in this production crew. All the care and attention should be on her.

Meng Xi pouted in frustration. “I understand all that, but I just don’t want you to be good to her, Aunt Xiao.”

She had specifically asked some well-connected friends in the industry, and none of them had heard of Xie Zhenxue having any health issues. Yet now, every time Zhenxue saw Aunt Xiao, she would complain about this ache or that discomfort. Meng Xi considered herself well-versed in spotting white lotus¹ types, and she could see right through Xie Zhenxue’s little tricks at a glance.

The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. She couldn’t help but stomp her foot. “Aunt Xiao, she’s doing all this just to get your attention! Please don’t be fooled by her anymore!”

After a moment’s thought, worried that Xiao Yuetong wouldn’t take her seriously, she gritted her teeth and glared angrily. “Tomorrow, I’m taking her to the hospital for a full checkup!”

Yu Liuxue didn’t know what else to say, so she could only agree. “But Xiao Xi, you’re not in school anymore. You really need to rein in that temper of yours.”

Seeing that Meng Xi was about to argue, Yu Liuxue quickly explained, “Xiao Xi, you’re no longer just an individual. You’re part of a team now. When you’re out there, everything you say and do represents our entire production crew. It reflects on all of us. If you act even slightly inappropriately, your behavior could bring unexpected trouble to the whole team. Do you understand?”

Yu Liuxue thought, since the supporting female lead still had a good relationship with her and was willing to listen, she had to seize this opportunity to fix that explosive temper. That way, the girl wouldn’t turn that fire on her someday.

She felt her plan was absolutely brilliant and cheerfully said to the System, “Oh~ System! I really am a wicked little genius!”

The System: “…”

Meng Xi was successfully persuaded by Yu Liuxue. Her parents had also been reminding her lately to control her temper. They told her she was already a capable adult and couldn’t keep throwing tantrums like she did at home. Meng Xi was happy. In this world, only her parents were willing to love her unconditionally. Only her parents genuinely wanted her to become better. So if Aunt Xiao was willing to risk offending her to say all this, it proved that when she said “you’re the daughter-in-law I’m most satisfied with,” she had truly meant it.

However…

Meng Xi stomped her foot again, her expression darkening at the thought of Xiao Kewei. “Aunt Xiao, don’t stop me. This time I’m going to make Xiao Kewei pay!”

Yu Liuxue quickly grabbed her. “Xiao Xi, we’re short-staffed in the crew right now. You represent the face of our production team, so you can’t leave. Let Auntie handle Kewei for you.”

Meng Xi hesitated, then agreed. She believed Aunt Xiao would take care of it properly.

After sending Meng Xi back, Yu Liuxue immediately drove to the bar, grabbed Xiao Kewei by the collar, and dragged him out. Xiao Kewei looked at her in utter confusion. “Mom? What are you doing here?”

Could it be that Mom had finally approved of his choice of daughter-in-law?

Hearing this, Yu Liuxue nearly jumped up and stabbed him on the spot. She frowned, her face full of sorrow, and looked at him with heart-wrenching grief. “My son!”

She burst into tears without warning. Xiao Kewei was startled and rushed to support her, his voice full of concern. “Mom, what happened? Did someone bully you? Who was it?! Just tell me, I’ll call my brothers and get revenge for you right now!”

Yu Liuxue’s eyes were brimming with tears, and she could barely stand. “Son! It’s all my fault. I’ve been swindled out of all my money. I can’t give you any more to get married with!”

Xiao Kewei: “!!!” It felt like he’d just been struck by lightning.

“What?!” How could that be? How could his mom’s money just vanish like that? Was this some kind of sick joke?

Yu Liuxue wailed louder with each word, her cries drawing attention from everyone nearby. Xiao Kewei wished he could dig a hole and bury himself in it. He hurriedly pulled her into the car and asked, unwilling to accept it, “Mom, what exactly happened? How much did they scam you for?”

He was doing the math in his head. Even if she’d been conned out of several hundred thousand, she’d saved up a lot over the years…

Just as that thought crossed his mind, he heard his mother sob, “All of it! It’s all gone!”

Then she wiped away her fake tears and looked utterly hopeless. “And not just that. Now we’re in debt. We owe several million…”

Xiao Kewei: “…?!” Getting scammed was one thing, but how did they end up in debt? And that much?

He felt the world spinning around him. Was this divine punishment? He licked his dry lips, sensing something off about the whole situation. Trying to calm down, he said, “Mom, don’t cry. Just tell me slowly—what exactly happened?”

Yu Liuxue lowered her head in embarrassment. “It’s all my fault. I saw Ningning making so much money in the stock market, so I wanted to earn a little extra too, to help you get married. Someone introduced me to a broker. Who knew he was a scammer?”

She lifted her head, emotions flaring. “He took every last cent of my hard-earned savings! I was so angry when I found out, I went to find someone to help me get the money back. But that person turned out to be a scammer too!”

Just listening to her made Xiao Kewei feel a wave of despair. He lowered his head, clutching it in his hands, silent for a long time.

The System had already given up on its Host. It knew the Host was a ruthless wildcard, and had even pulled off shady stunts like scamming her own younger brother. But seeing Xiao Kewei so devastated still left the System with mixed feelings.

Was the Host planning to pocket all that money for her own dowry?!

Yu Liuxue kept wiping away her tears. Several minutes later, Xiao Kewei finally lifted his head, looking haggard. “How much do we owe…?”

“Nine million, nine hundred ninety-eight thousand, seven hundred twenty-one yuan and fifty cents,” Yu Liuxue replied without missing a beat.

Xiao Kewei did the math in his head and immediately felt dizzy. Wasn’t that basically ten million?!

After suddenly falling from a second-generation rich kid to a second-generation debtor, Xiao Kewei’s mood was nothing short of complicated. He looked at his mother, her face twisted in grief. Though she had taken excellent care of herself and still looked like a young girl, she was, after all, a woman in her early forties—a middle-aged lady now.

Xiao Kewei was silent for a long time before he slowly reached out and held Yu Liuxue’s hand, speaking weakly, “Mom, don’t worry. As long as I have a bite to eat, I’ll make sure you’re never hungry.”

Yu Liuxue frowned. “But I still want to eat well every day, drink the finest wine, wear the latest clothes and shoes, carry the most status-symbol bags, go to the salon every week for hair, cosmetic treatments, full-body care, and—”

“Mom.” Xiao Kewei quickly cut her off. We’re already bankrupt, can you please stop dreaming about all this unrealistic stuff?

“Mom, let’s not think too much for now,” Xiao Kewei said, gripping the steering wheel. “Let’s just go home.”

“Home?” Yu Liuxue raised an eyebrow. She decided to go all in and completely crush her cheap son’s hopes. With a heartless tone, she said, “We don’t have a home anymore. The house has already been mortgaged to the bank.”

Xiao Kewei: “?”

Half an hour later, Xiao Kewei, still in a daze, dropped Yu Liuxue off at the film set. After she got out of the car, he continued to drive aimlessly, his mind blank. He drove for a long time before finally snapping back to reality. He quickly pulled over and picked up his phone. “Hey, bro, you got any work over there? Save me a spot, will you?”

“Why do I want to work? Sigh! It’s because my mom insisted I go out and experience life.” Xiao Kewei lied without blinking, chatted a bit, then cautiously asked, “So bro, how much can I make working on your construction site for a month?”

“Thirty thousand?!” Xiao Kewei was stunned. Working on a construction site paid that well?!

Thirty thousand a month meant 360,000 a year. Add in holiday bonuses and various subsidies, and it could total nearly 400,000. If he made that much in a year, then in ten years he’d earn four million. That meant if he worked for twenty-five years, he could pay off all his mom’s debts!

That was actually… kind of exciting!

Xiao Kewei slowly broke into a smile—one that looked worse than crying.

Within a couple of days, Xiao Kewei was back on the trending searches. “Guys, help me out here. Isn’t this brick-carrying guy Xiao Yuetong’s ridiculously handsome son?”

“Looks like him! But why is he back at the construction site? Didn’t he just get out of the distillery not long ago?”

“Did Xiao Kewei mess up again? Xiao Yuetong really has a heart of stone, sending her own son to suffer like this. But I gotta say, he looks amazing carrying bricks! Look at those faint abs, and those arm muscles! All I can say is, Aunt Xiao, well done!”

“Place your bets, everyone! Let’s guess how long it’ll take for our construction site prince to finish serving his sentence and go home.”

Meng Xi was stunned when she saw the trending topic. Although Aunt Xiao had said she’d teach Xiao Kewei a lesson for her, Meng Xi thought that since he was her biological son, at most she’d just scold him a little. No way she’d actually hit him, right? Who would’ve thought Aunt Xiao would be so ruthless, sending him to a construction site to carry bricks.

She squinted up at the blazing sun overhead and couldn’t help but think, in weather this hot, Xiao Kewei—pampered young master that he was…

Hugging her bottle of water, Meng Xi beamed. Aunt Xiao really meant what she said. She loved her the most.

After dealing with Xiao Kewei, Yu Liuxue finally felt a bit of relief. Of the three tasks she had at hand, not one showed any sign of success yet. At least he wouldn’t be adding to her troubles for now. As of now, the first task entrusted to her by Xiao Yuetong was the easiest to complete. So, after a brief moment of thought, Yu Liuxue picked up her pen and continued writing the script.

With a top director assisting behind the scenes, the filming of “Her Me” had gone smoothly without any major hiccups, progressing exactly according to plan. Even the weather had been cooperative, with no delays due to bad conditions. Before anyone realized it, “Her Me” had already aired up to episode ten.

Following the high-energy first episode, each subsequent episode delivered its own dose of melodrama. Though the plotlines were clichés from over a decade ago, they somehow had an addictive charm. Once someone started watching the first episode, they couldn’t stop. Viewers found themselves grinning like fools at their phones or TVs, as if under a spell.

As expected, the explosive popularity of “Her Me” stirred up a lot of jealousy.

Some of the TV stations that had previously rejected Meng Xi but later changed their minds and tried to collaborate with her were now furious after she turned them down. Driven by the mindset of “If I can’t have it, I’ll destroy it,” they hired online trolls to smear the drama, trying to tank its ratings down to one star.

Fortunately, their schemes didn’t work. Plenty of people were paid to write negative reviews, but once those posts went live, they actually attracted a flood of curious viewers to Q Station. And once they checked it out, they were hooked.

“Thank you, blogger. If not for your post, I might’ve never discovered such an amazing show.”

“‘Her Me’ is so bad! I don’t get why so many people are hyping it! I only watched it a hundred times before I threw my phone away and switched to a big-screen TV to keep watching!”

The saboteurs behind the scenes were nearly spitting blood. What the hell was going on? The more they tried to smear it, the more popular it got!

Beyond the drama itself receiving rave reviews, Xie Zhenxue, the lead actress, also garnered immense attention and was finally stepping into the spotlight. She had acted in a few hit dramas before, but always as a minor supporting character—practically background noise. Though she had gained some fans, in the cutthroat Entertainment Industry, she was still just an obscure, powerless little nobody.

But now, everything had changed. Thanks to “Her Me,” Xie Zhenxue had shot straight into the ranks of top-tier actresses. Her fanbase exploded, with female fans making up the majority. As the saying goes, “Win the women, win the world.” Xie Zhenxue was no longer the newbie who could be bullied at will. Even her powerful agent now had to ask her opinion before accepting any new opportunities.

Holding her script, Xie Zhenxue remained calm and focused, completely unaffected by the buzz outside.

After returning that day, she had hidden away and cried for a long time. Her eyes were swollen like walnuts by the time she stopped. Hugging her knees in a corner, she stared blankly ahead, tears finally dried. In that moment, she saw the truth clearly: there wasn’t a single person in this world she could truly trust. Even Aunt Xiao, whom she had once adored, had only treated her well because she was useful.

If she hadn’t landed the female lead role, Aunt Xiao might have stopped acknowledging her the moment she and Xiao Kewei broke up.

She let out a bitter laugh. She was just an ordinary girl, with only modest looks. Her background meant that no matter how hard she worked, she could never compete with those born with silver spoons in their mouths. She had once believed Xiao Yuetong was different—because she, too, had started as a nobody and climbed her way up through sheer effort. But in the end…

They were all the same.

Xie Zhenxue had made up her mind. She was going to live for herself. She was going to seize this once-in-a-lifetime role and use it to establish her place in the industry. So lately, she had been working even harder than before, running through the character’s emotions and subtle expressions over and over in her mind. Sure enough, with the airing of Episode 5, Episode 6, and those that followed, audiences began to recognize her steadily improving performance.

That was enough.

Xie Zhenxue set down her script, ready to go find someone to rehearse lines with. Just as she turned around, she caught a glimpse of Yu Liuxue striding toward her. Her body stiffened, her heart pounding uncontrollably. She pretended not to see her and was about to walk away quickly.

“Zhenxue.” Yu Liuxue called out to her.

It was strange. The female lead hadn’t come to discuss scenes with her lately, yet her acting had been improving nonstop. Yu Liuxue had even suspected that the female lead might have some kind of cheat, but the System had denied it.

Watching her relationship with the female lead grow more distant by the day, Yu Liuxue couldn’t sit still anymore. If things kept going like this, it was only a matter of time before they turned against each other. So now that the female lead wasn’t coming to her, she figured she could go to her instead.

Xie Zhenxue stopped instinctively. She turned back despite herself, her moist eyes fixed on Yu Liuxue, who looked especially stunning today. As Yu Liuxue walked up to her, her eyes were gentle and smiling as she spoke softly, “Zhenxue, are you feeling better lately? Auntie asked someone to bring you a few things. After filming tonight, have your assistant help you with them.”

Yu Liuxue handed her the items. Xie Zhenxue lowered her eyes, her gaze landing on that fair, jade-like hand. After a long pause, she took them and said, “Thank you.”

“I’m feeling much better now.” She forced a small smile.

She felt so pathetic. She had clearly told herself to keep her distance and maintain a normal, professional relationship. But now, just from a simple greeting, she already couldn’t stop herself from wanting to get closer.

She even wanted to monopolize her completely, to be the only one in her eyes.

Xie Zhenxue lowered her head, her fingers clutching the drawstring tightly.

Seeing that the female lead had accepted her gesture, the smile in Yu Liuxue’s eyes deepened. As always, she reached out and ruffled Xie Zhenxue’s hair. “Go on then, I won’t keep you.”

“Okay.” Xie Zhenxue nodded slowly.

She quietly watched Yu Liuxue walk away. She noticed how slender her waist was, how soft she looked, wearing a little dress, her fair skin and beautiful features making her seem like a gentle older sister.

After a long while, Xie Zhenxue let out a soft sigh.

Ever since Xiao Kewei went off to work at the construction site, the moods of the female lead, the supporting female, and the antagonist had all been calm. None of them showed any signs of going dark. While writing her script, Yu Liuxue said to the System, “I think once ‘Her Me’ finishes airing, I’ll finally be able to make a name for myself as a gold-tier screenwriter!”

“So I have to strike while the iron’s hot. I need to finish the second script quickly and jump straight into production, solidifying my place in the melodrama world!” Yu Liuxue set down a book, eyes gleaming with excitement. “What do you think of this for my next script: ‘The Runaway Wife with a Ball: My CEO Aunt Fell for Me’?”

The System didn’t want to go down that road, so it changed the subject. “Host, do you still plan to keep working with the female lead?”

Yu Liuxue frowned. “If I can keep working with her, that would be ideal. If we’re tied to the same boat, then the chance of Xie Zhenxue turning on me later will drop significantly.”

Meng Xi was already mostly under control. She practically followed her every word now, so there was nothing to worry about there. Yun Ning, though, was proving harder to manage. Yu Liuxue had been too busy to spend much time with her. Yun Ning would occasionally come by, but their interactions were minimal. And the last time they met, they’d even had a bit of a falling out.

Thinking of this, Yu Liuxue decided it was time to take the initiative. Using the excuse of returning a book, she invited Yun Ning over. When Yun Ning arrived, both Meng Xi and Xie Zhenxue saw her. Almost instinctively, the two of them lifted their feet and followed her.

Yu Liuxue got the message and came out to take a look. The moment she saw all three of them, her head started to throb.

“Aunt Xiao! I’ve completed the task you gave me!” As soon as she saw Yu Liuxue, Meng Xi beamed and proudly announced. Yun Ning and Xie Zhenxue both turned to look at her. Meng Xi lifted her chin smugly. “They said we can sign the contract tomorrow.”

Xie Zhenxue hadn’t intended to get involved, but hearing Meng Xi deliberately flaunt in front of her, she couldn’t help speaking up. “Aunt Xiao, there are a few parts in tomorrow’s scene I don’t quite understand. I was hoping you could go over them with me tonight.”

Yun Ning looked at Xie Zhenxue. Xie Zhenxue looked back at her.

Just as it seemed like a new round of rivalry between the antagonist and the female lead was about to ignite, Yu Liuxue quickly interjected, “It’s hot outside. Why don’t you all come in and sit?”

Only then did Yun Ning withdraw her gaze.

On the sofa, Meng Xi sat beside Yu Liuxue like she owned the place, looking every bit the little lady of the house. Xie Zhenxue and Yun Ning sat on the smaller sofa, one on each side. One had fair skin and long, straight black hair, her appearance pure and delicate. The other had a heart-shaped face and long, wavy hair, her makeup giving her a pitiful, fragile beauty.

Yu Liuxue looked to the left, then to the right. “…”

Why did these three always show up together?

While Yu Liuxue was lost in thought, Yun Ning spoke. “Kewei said he’s coming back tonight.”

Meng Xi instantly exploded. She turned to Yu Liuxue, her face full of grievance.

Yu Liuxue suddenly had a bad feeling.

Yun Ning blinked and added, “He said he has something to discuss with me.”

Something to discuss? What could it be? Both Xie Zhenxue and Meng Xi tensed up. Yun Ning had once been one of Xiao Kewei’s victims too. Given that history, if Xiao Kewei was reaching out to her now… what else could it be besides trying to get back together?

Meng Xi panicked. She immediately grabbed Yu Liuxue’s hand. “Aunt Xiao?”

Yu Liuxue snapped out of it, but before she could say anything, Meng Xi had already latched onto her. She quickly tried to soothe her. “Xiao Xi, don’t worry.”

Xie Zhenxue’s expression remained calm, but inside, her thoughts were in chaos. Meng Xi was holding Aunt Xiao’s hand, and Aunt Xiao didn’t shake her off…

Yun Ning’s gaze landed on those two equally beautiful hands. Her thoughts began to drift. Back when her parents died in a car accident, she had been cornered by greedy relatives, nearly losing even the last things her parents left her. At her lowest point, it was that very hand—now held by Meng Xi—that had pulled her out of the crowd.

Yun Ning’s lashes trembled slightly. She let out a self-deprecating smile, then slowly spoke, cutting through the tender moment between the other two. “So I want to ask, Aunt Xiao—do you still mean what you said before about me being your most favored daughter-in-law?”

Yu Liuxue: “!!!” When did I ever say that?!

Meng Xi froze. Most favored daughter-in-law? Wasn’t that what Aunt Xiao said to comfort her before? Could it be…

Meng Xi’s face changed. “Aunt Xiao, you lied to me?!”

Translator’s Notes