Chapter 116: Simultaneously Offending Three Bigshots – Part Three

Her face was strikingly beautiful, with fair skin that seemed as delicate as porcelain. Her slightly upturned eyes and full, soft red lips carried a hint of mockery in their subtle smile, exuding a faint sense of world-weariness. Although this villainess was indeed stunning beyond words, Yu Liuxue shook her head wildly in her heart. No, this woman was absolutely not acceptable!

Yun Ning’s soft, boneless hand gently touched her waist, and even the slightest brush of her fingertip sent shivers down Yu Liuxue’s spine, raising goosebumps all over. She quickly put on a stern face, feigning calmness as she lowered her eyes and frowned, speaking sharply, “Ning Ning!”

Yun Ning’s eyelashes fluttered lightly, her nose filled with the sweet yet mature scent emanating from Yu Liuxue. After being reprimanded by the trembling Yu Liuxue, Yun Ning withdrew her hand with an indifferent expression. She watched Yu Liuxue’s face flush with anger, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Aunt Xiao, if you need me, feel free to contact me anytime.”

With that, she bypassed Yu Liuxue and returned to her small attic.

Sitting in the sunlight, she stared intently at the hand that had touched Yu Liuxue’s slender waist. Her ten fingers moved unconsciously, and suddenly, the mature, seductive scent seemed to linger around her nose again. Yun Ning clenched her fingers tightly, her porcelain-white face turning cold.

Yu Liuxue let out a long sigh of relief, weakly collapsing onto the sofa. “System, the remaining female supporting character, Meng Xi, isn’t another SSR-level bigshot like Yun Ning, is she?”

The System thought seriously for a moment¹, then happily explained to Yu Liuxue, “If we rank by combat ability, Yun Ning is at the top, followed by Meng Xi. She has learned a few self-defense moves, not very proficient, but enough to handle your current body…”

“Alright, you don’t need to say anymore.” Yu Liuxue raised her hand, closing her eyes to interrupt the System. She thought, having already encountered the villain Yun Ning, no matter how terrifying Meng Xi might be, she shouldn’t be as nerve-wracking as Yun Ning.

The System scratched its head. “Host, there’s another ranking method I haven’t mentioned. If we rank by cunning and ability, Meng Xi takes first place. As you know, Meng Xi’s father is a major investor in the film industry, and her mother is the founder of a famous cosmetics brand. The original client was blacklisted by Meng Xi’s parents.”

“Compared to Meng Xi, Xie Zhenxue and Yun Ning are much weaker. After all, Xie Zhenxue can only expose your son’s scumbag behavior on camera, leading to public condemnation. Yun Ning is even weaker, with no background or support, and at most, she might impulsively come and beat you and your son up one day…”

Yu Liuxue: “…” Shut up!

With your comforting words, I suddenly feel refreshed.

Yu Liuxue glanced warily in the direction Yun Ning had left, shivering all over. She hurried back to the study, locking the door tightly before continuing her scriptwriting. In the past, Xiao Yuetong often snatched those highly anticipated romance scripts for young audiences, and after several disastrous rewrites, she was boycotted online. Anything she touched, fans refused to watch, earning Xiao Yuetong the dubious title of “ratings poison²” in the screenwriting world.

With such a strong reaction from fans, naturally, fewer people were willing to hire her as a screenwriter. It had been almost a year since Xiao Yuetong had received any serious scripts.

Yu Liuxue, resigned to her fate, thought that since no one expected much from her, she might as well write whatever she pleased. The System’s eyelid twitched violently. Has the Host given up on trying? This won’t do. The original client was already infamous, and if she continues to mess around, who knows when this mission will be completed.

With such concerns, the System curiously stretched its neck to take a look, and then—

It was stunned.

It felt that if this drama dared to air, the Host would surely be cursed by the audience, completely ruining the client’s reputation.

Unaware of the System’s silent disdain, Yu Liuxue wrote with great enthusiasm, completing the first episode of the script in half a week. The System watched her savor her own work and then opened its phone to start looking for a gullible investor for her script. At the same time, she posted a Moment, “The path of a screenwriter is indeed tough. Every industry has its challenges. Those who succeed and make big money are the exceptional ones. Recently, I’ve been tormented for several nights. If you want to know the details, feel free to message me (heart).”

The System immediately thought: “…”

Anyone who doesn’t know might think you’re doing something inappropriate in the study.

Soon, the Elder Brother Zhao, who had previously expressed interest in funding Xiao Yuetong’s production, contacted Yu Liuxue. Sensing some skepticism from him, Yu Liuxue used her eloquence to successfully persuade him. He nodded decisively, agreeing to invest ten million to help Yu Liuxue realize her dream.

Yu Liuxue couldn’t help but sigh, “Being good-looking really is useful.”

She glanced at the mirror, admiring her beauty while feeling a pang of disappointment. “System, why doesn’t my beauty work on villains?”

The System knew nothing.

Apart from Elder Brother Zhao, no one else contacted Yu Liuxue. She kept searching until she found a recently graduated film student. “Hey, would you like to help me shoot a drama?”

The other party replied with a: “?”

Then politely declined, “Sorry, Auntie, I’m currently preparing for my thesis defense and don’t have time.”

“No worries, kiddo, I’m willing to wait until you graduate.”

The other party shivered instinctively, having never heard of Xiao Yuetong’s past penchant for preying on younger men or exploiting male students…

After settling this matter, Yu Liuxue planned to wash up and sleep. She had been cooped up in the study for days, eating and drinking in the small room. Yun Ning stayed in her attic, only coming out occasionally to pick up deliveries. Even so, Yu Liuxue dared not take risks. What if she went out just as the Little Devil King Yun Ning decided to come down for some fresh air?

She pondered that Xiao Yuetong owned several properties. Once she was well-rested, she would pack up and leave, giving both the Little Devil King and herself a chance to breathe.

Unexpectedly, while she was applying a face mask, a well-meaning person messaged her enthusiastically: “Yuetong, your Moment was screenshotted and posted on Weibo. They’re all cursing you. You should check it out!”

Xiao Yuetong’s contact list was a mess, filled with all sorts of people, including paparazzi and those with ill intentions. Yu Liuxue had long noticed this. These people wanted to use her to gain attention, increase topics, and attract followers. Naturally, she had her own ulterior motives.

When it comes to marketing tactics, no one knows better than her.

Yu Liuxue leisurely peeled off the face mask, washed her face in the bathroom, took a picture in the mirror, and then carefully found the right angle for a selfie. Staring at the two stunning selfies in her album, she slowly logged into her Weibo and posted an update: “Thank you all for your concern. I’m indeed preparing a new script.”

After reading the nonsense spouted by various fan accounts, fans anticipated a response from her, so they camped out on her Weibo page. They had agreed that if Xiao Yuetong dared to respond, they would immediately rush in and leave her in tatters. However, when they refreshed Weibo with feverish excitement, they were left scratching their heads, “…?”

Who is this beauty?

Someone, too curious to hold back, couldn’t help but ask, “Is this Xiao Yuetong’s daughter? How come we’ve never heard of her before?”

That comment received a lot of likes, but no one replied for a long time. It wasn’t until someone boldly called Yu Liuxue “mother-in-law” that someone finally couldn’t resist and posted an eye-rolling emoji: “Friend, this is the Xiao Yuetong you’ve been cursing on ten different Weibo posts.”

Suddenly, everyone waiting for an answer was stunned. What?! Xiao Yuetong, the ratings poison of the screenwriting world, is only in her twenties?!

Some informed netizens were even more shocked. Xiao Yuetong, a woman in her early forties who had given birth, maintained such a youthful appearance? Her skin condition was that good?! Soon, someone went crazy in the comments section, writing in blood for Yu Liuxue to share her skincare routine, another begged for tips on maintaining her figure, and a third pleaded for Yu Liuxue to stop writing scripts and just sign with a company to debut!

Yu Liuxue, filled with righteous indignation, clutched her phone: “How can they not support my dreams?! I will write an earth-shattering script that will make them regret not supporting me, crying and calling me ‘daddy’!”

System: “…”

The System, well aware of Yu Liuxue’s tactics, began to despair. In the past, only a few people were played by the Host, but now that the Host had become a screenwriter, millions, even tens of millions, would be tormented by her yet still treat her like their first love.

Yu Liuxue lay in bed, yawning as she scrolled through Weibo. Xiao Yuetong’s appearance was a natural advantage, but she had never marketed her beauty before, only wanting to be recognized for her true talent and skills. However, after being frightened by the antagonist, Yu Liuxue thought, if she could win effortlessly, why bother working hard?

She wanted to save her energy for dealing with Yun Ning, the Little Devil King.

Yu Liuxue’s move was indeed effective. That night, the trending search for “Xiao Yuetong’s new script” was replaced by “Xiao Yuetong’s beauty.” Some people, not understanding the situation, dismissed the trending topic, thinking it was just Xiao Yuetong’s publicity stunt. They skipped over it, but after going through all the other trending topics and finding themselves still bored, they watched videos, browsed Taobao, and did everything to pass the time, only to realize it was just midnight.

In their boredom, they numbly opened the trending topics again, clicked through the ones they’d already seen, and when they hesitated on Xiao Yuetong’s topic, they thought—since they were so bored, why not see how others were criticizing her?

As a result, when the page refreshed and two unedited photos jumped into view, “…?”

Is this really Xiao Yuetong?!

“??? Is this really Xiao Yuetong? What kind of beauty app is this amazing?! Please share!”

“To be honest, Xiao Yuetong’s skin is naturally this good, her features are naturally this refined, and her figure has always been this slender. These two photos don’t even capture a tenth of her beauty. I suggest you watch the videos directly.”

Everyone who saw this comment immediately opened their video apps, where countless related videos of Xiao Yuetong were recommended on the homepage—walking the red carpet, giving interviews, and even old clips from news appearances were dug up.

People watched with great interest, finding it more and more incredible and becoming more and more engrossed. After watching once, they wanted to watch again, and so they did, over and over. Before they knew it, Xiao Yuetong’s beauty dominated the video site’s rankings, and someone even edited a compilation of all her scenes for convenience.

“Did anyone else stay up all night watching? If so, please like.”

It turned out there were over a hundred thousand likes!

“Sorry, I take back what I said before. Auntie works so hard, we young people should definitely be more tolerant, understanding, and supportive of her dreams. Aunt Xiao, please continue writing stories. The fans will always follow you!”

However, some were not convinced, “But changing the script is a fundamental issue. Are you just going to forgive her like that?”

“Isn’t being this good-looking reason enough to forgive? Not only would I forgive her, but I’d also be willing to serve her!”

Everyone: “…” A sycophant indeed.

System: “?” Just like that?

Just by posting two photos, the Host’s followers skyrocketed from 250,000 to over 20 million?! Just by posting two photos, before the TV series even started filming, the Host had already gained over 20 million viewers?

The System couldn’t help but question itself, what is the true nature of humanity?

It’s sycophancy.

The System stared at the sleeping Yu Liuxue, beginning to doubt its existence.

Yu Liuxue herself hadn’t expected this tactic to be so effective. She stared at her phone for a while, unable to help but sigh, “Being good-looking is indeed very useful.”

Despite her sigh, she still had plans to have dinner with Elder Brother Zhao to discuss investment matters in detail, and she had also arranged to meet others to start forming her own team. After getting ready, Yu Liuxue drove out to her appointment, but before leaving, she specifically checked the small attic, which was silent.

It was only eight in the morning, so she figured the Little Devil King Yun Ning was probably still sleeping in.

However, when she excitedly opened the door and called out “Elder Brother Zhao,” she didn’t see his familiar face or his admiring gaze. The room was large and empty, with Yun Ning sitting coldly in the center, quietly drinking tea.

Upon hearing Yu Liuxue’s voice, Yun Ning lifted her eyelids to look over, causing Yu Liuxue to shiver.

Yun Ning’s lips curved upward as she slowly spoke, “Uncle Zhao went out to pick someone up.”

After a pause, she pushed back her chair and stood up slowly, walking over to Yu Liuxue, “Aunt Xiao, are you afraid of me?”

Of course. But Yu Liuxue would never dare say such things in front of the antagonist. She blinked, hiding the fear in her eyes, “Why would I be? Auntie just didn’t expect you to be up so early and here, so I was a bit surprised.”

Yun Ning gave her a half-smile before turning back to her seat.

Yu Liuxue clutched her pounding heart, feeling that one day Yun Ning might scare her to death. Soon, Elder Brother Zhao returned, not alone, but with a particularly spoiled and domineering young girl in tow.

Elder Brother Zhao’s eyes lit up when he saw Yu Liuxue, and he hurried over, “Yuetong, long time no see.”

“Let me introduce you, this is Meng Xi, the apple of Chairman Meng’s eye.” Elder Brother Zhao smiled at Yu Liuxue while frantically winking at Meng Xi. Reluctantly, Meng Xi first sized up Yu Liuxue before giving a light snort, “Hello.”

So this is Xiao Kewei’s biological mother? Although she’s quite good-looking, she’s not as stunning as the internet claims.

She pulled out a chair and sat across from Yun Ning. Seeing Yun Ning staring at her with an indifferent expression, Meng Xi raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Uncle Zhao, who is she?”

Elder Brother Zhao couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat. If it weren’t for the crucial collaboration he had with Meng Xi’s father, he wouldn’t have agreed to let Chairman Meng’s precious daughter dabble in the industry for experience. Hearing Meng Xi’s question, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. “She’s the investor for this TV drama.”

“Investor?” Meng Xi curled her lips, leaning forward slightly with a mischievous glint in her eyes, exuding a provocative aura. “How much did she invest?”

“Twenty million.” Elder Brother Zhao replied.

Meng Xi suddenly laughed, tapping her fingers idly on the table. “Then I’ll invest forty million. I don’t like her. You can tell her to leave immediately.”

Yu Liuxue: “…?”

What’s with this female supporting character? Why is she picking a fight with Yun Ning right from the start? Is this the infamous malicious supporting character on a self-destructive path? Yu Liuxue cautiously glanced at Yun Ning’s expression. Faced with Meng Xi’s provocation and demand, Yun Ning remained unmoved, her eyes calm and serene.

Yu Liuxue breathed a sigh of relief.

She couldn’t help but look at Meng Xi again. How dare you, a mere supporting character, challenge the Little Devil King? Do you think your family’s wealth is so vast that bankruptcy wouldn’t make a ripple?

Elder Brother Zhao felt his head throb at Meng Xi’s words. Although Yun Ning’s parents died in a car accident, the inheritance she received was at least half of what Meng Xi’s family possessed. Going against her like this… Just as this thought crossed his mind, Yun Ning slightly raised her chin, looking at Meng Xi nonchalantly with a hint of a smile. “I’ll offer a hundred million.”

Yu Liuxue: “!” Boss!

Elder Brother Zhao: “?!” Young lady, calm down! Investing a hundred million has a seventy-five percent chance of not coming back!

Meng Xi frowned slightly: “…” Is she provoking me?

Seeing the two about to clash like thunder striking a tree, Yu Liuxue, as the host today, quickly intervened. “Ning Ning, Xiao Xi, take a look at the menu. Order whatever you want; Auntie is treating today.”

While the two devils were busy ordering, Yu Liuxue hurriedly pulled Elder Brother Zhao out of the room, looking utterly exasperated. “Brother Zhao, why did Meng Xi come with you?!”

Elder Brother Zhao looked equally aggrieved. “Yuetong, you don’t understand. Your brother’s business hasn’t been doing well lately, but I promised you I’d help you fulfill your dream of becoming a screenwriter. So, when I recently had an important collaboration with Chairman Meng Canglang, he found out I had some connections in the industry and wanted me to bring his daughter in for some experience, hoping to temper her a bit. As soon as she heard I was meeting you today, she insisted on coming along and refused to leave.”

“Yuetong, do me a favor. No matter what, find something for her to do, okay?” Elder Brother Zhao pleaded, tears and snot running down his face, while Yu Liuxue looked on with an expression like a subway grandfather staring at a phone, her face wrinkling into a bun.

It felt like she hadn’t brought in an investment but a nuclear bomb.

She tried to calm herself down and then continued to ask, “What about Yun Ning? Why is Yun Ning here?”

Elder Brother Zhao explained, “Actually, Yun Ning has been investing in various TV dramas and films for a while now. Think about it, she’s a girl without parents. If she didn’t have some money, she’d be easily bullied, right? Plus, as you just learned, things haven’t been going well for me lately, so I thought I’d ask if she was interested…”

Yu Liuxue felt like she was about to collapse.

She felt like she was constantly at odds with this melodramatic world. The more she wanted to avoid Yun Ning, the more she was forced to be entangled with her, and along the way, she was also stuck with a troublesome and reckless supporting character. Yu Liuxue felt exhausted. She was already a forty-year-old woman, yet she had to rack her brains to mediate between the antagonist and the supporting character, trying to bring them closer to prevent them from joining forces against her and driving her to the streets.

This made an already struggling family even more burdened.

Returning with a sense of existential crisis, Yu Liuxue found that the tension between Meng Xi and Yun Ning was still palpable. She looked at Yun Ning on her left and then at Meng Xi on her right, feeling her head throbbing.

Although Meng Xi was wealthy, casually throwing out a hundred million like Yun Ning was still a bit challenging. Losing to a woman she inexplicably disliked left Meng Xi in a foul mood. Yu Liuxue noticed this and quickly thought of a solution. She turned to Meng Xi, “Xiao Xi, Auntie has heard about your situation.”

“Coincidentally, Auntie has a position that’s perfect for you.” Yu Liuxue thought, since the world had already become such a chaotic battlefield, she might as well let the storm rage on. She smiled gently and said, “From now on, you can be Auntie’s Producer³, okay?”

Producer? Meng Xi frowned, a hint of confusion in her eyes. “What does a Producer do?”

Elder Brother Zhao quickly explained, “A Producer is the master of the entire crew, the highest authority in the production team, with the power to cast and fire actors…” Before he could finish, Meng Xi’s eyes lit up. “Great! I like being a Producer!”

Yu Liuxue strongly suspected that what Meng Xi liked were the words “master” and “highest authority.”

Seeing Meng Xi less aggressive, both Yu Liuxue and Elder Brother Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. However, before they could fully relax, Yun Ning suddenly spoke, “I want credit.”

Seeing the others look over, Yun Ning smiled slightly. “Since I’m the investor for this TV drama, giving me a credit… that shouldn’t be too much to ask, right?”

Yu Liuxue: “…” What’s going on? Is this the legendary rivalry between love interests?

There’s no need for this, sisters! It’s not worth it for someone like Xiao Kewei! Wake up! Xiao Kewei is just an uneducated scoundrel!

Yu Liuxue couldn’t help but feel a wave of sadness, but before she could fully indulge in it, the door to the room suddenly burst open. Xie Zhenxue rushed in with a worried expression, not even glancing at the situation inside. She headed straight for Yu Liuxue, half-bending over and instinctively grabbing Yu Liuxue’s hand in her urgency. “Aunt Xiao, I heard you’ve written a new script and are preparing to shoot a new TV drama?”

Her eyes reddened. “Aunt Xiao, you used to always ask me first if I had any ideas whenever you had a script, but this time you completely ignored me… Is it because of Xiao Kewei? Auntie, I’ve already broken up with Xiao Kewei. We’ve parted cleanly, and I’ve blocked all his contact information. I haven’t spoken to him since. Aunt Xiao, please don’t dislike me.”

“Aunt Xiao, I want to take on this script! I want to be your lead actress and stay by your side!” Xie Zhenxue’s eyes were filled with tears, looking weak and pitiful. She stubbornly bit her lip. “Aunt Xiao, why don’t you just tell me what I need to do to earn your favor…”

“As long as you’re willing to tell me, I’ll change immediately until I meet your expectations!”

Xie Zhenxue was terrified that Xiao Yuetong had completely forgotten about her, losing this golden opportunity. So, as soon as she heard the news, she immediately took a taxi over, trying to salvage her image in Xiao Yuetong’s mind. However, after she babbled on in confusion, she suddenly realized through tear-filled eyes that there were other people in the room.

Xie Zhenxue’s face turned crimson instantly. She quickly lowered her head, burying her face deeply in her hands. “Aunt Xiao, I’m sorry, I was too impulsive…”

Meng Xi knew Xie Zhenxue and was aware of the relationship between Xie Zhenxue and Xiao Kewei. Grinding her teeth in anger, she clenched her fists, “So you’re still entangled with Xiao Kewei, unable to cut ties?!”

She couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh, “Don’t even think about being the female lead in this drama!”

Xie Zhenxue panicked immediately. She quickly looked towards Yu Liuxue, when suddenly, another clear and cold voice drifted over, “I agree with her playing the female lead.”

Everyone immediately turned towards the source of the voice. Yun Ning lightly tugged at the corner of her mouth, her expression still very calm. Meng Xi, provoked by Yun Ning again and again, stood up in anger, slamming the table as she rose, and shouted, “Excuse me, but I am the Producer.”

Yun Ning’s eyelashes fluttered, her brows slightly raised, “The Producer is responsible for the project’s financing and operations, while I—”

“Am the investor.”

Yu Liuxue: “?” Why are they arguing again?

Translator’s Notes