Chapter 72: After Secretly Marrying a Top Star, She Got Cheated On (1)

In the cramped dormitory room for eight trainees at Diyu Entertainment, a slender body was curled up tightly on one of the bunk beds. Her delicate face was tinted an unhealthy hue, her lips pale and dry, completely devoid of color. A closer look would reveal her breathing was shallow, barely a whisper of life.

Suddenly, she gasped sharply for air. Her thick lashes trembled lightly before her eyes flew open in panic. Yu Liuxue clutched her throat. “I almost suffocated to death.”

Her head throbbed, her mind hazy. Her body had no strength, as if her blood had stopped circulating—every inch of her felt miserable.

Yu Liuxue managed to roll over with difficulty, feeling slightly better. She stared at the ceiling just above her and blinked. “System, what kind of clichéd, dog-blood drama is it this time?”

Yu Liuxue had transmigrated into a cannon-fodder character named Gu Qingzhi from a toxic romance novel featuring a scumbag gong and a pitiful shou.

{T/N: Gong (攻) = Top/dominant partner
Shou (受) = Bottom/submissive partner}

Gu Qingzhi was a member of an obscure girl group called Mercury Girls. The group had been formed for two years, but they’d spent over 720 days in obscurity under their stingy agency. During that time, some of the members had turned to livestreaming for money, some inherited family businesses and traveled the world, while others tried to marry rich by cozying up to young men and women. The only one left was the female lead, Zhou Zhou—who, once the weather got cold, “kindly” gifted Gu Qingzhi a green hat.

Long before this, Gu Qingzhi had already secretly married the current top-tier star, Xiao Nian. Xiao Nian had debuted from a girl group and shot to fame after becoming a regular on an outdoor variety show thanks to her connections. Following her rise, her company lined up several big-budget IP drama roles for her—historical, modern, sweet, tragic, you name it. When the shows aired, Xiao Nian became a household name. Within half a month, her fanbase skyrocketed past 100 million, with countless fans working daily to boost her rankings and manipulate metrics.

On screen, Xiao Nian was sometimes dazzling and sometimes aloof. With her stunning looks, a carefully crafted public persona, and major IP dramas to her name, everyone fell hopelessly in love with her. She was the hottest star in the entertainment industry—bar none.

It’s rare for anyone to stay popular for long in this industry, but Xiao Nian had remained at the top for three full years and was only gaining more traction.

Wherever she went, crowds followed. The scenes were always overwhelming. As one of Xiao Nian’s fans, Gu Qingzhi could be considered the most successful fangirl in history—she had actually married her idol. Even though Xiao Nian had never made their relationship public.

Not only that, Xiao Nian repeatedly warned Gu Qingzhi not to leak any information. If she did, they’d divorce on the spot.

With Xiao Nian’s level of fame, even a divorce wouldn’t dent her career. She had already secured her place in the industry. Netizens had short memories—her company and fans could easily paint her as the innocent victim and throw all the blame onto Gu Qingzhi. After the divorce, Xiao Nian could even end up with someone better.

Gu Qingzhi would end up with nothing but a basketful of water—completely empty-handed.

What Xiao Nian never expected was that Gu Qingzhi truly loved her. No matter how coldly she was treated or how badly she was spoken to, Gu Qingzhi always came to pick her up with a smile. At first, Xiao Nian even felt a little guilty—but over time, she got used to Gu Qingzhi’s humble devotion and took it for granted.

At home, she treated Gu Qingzhi like a servant, calling her when needed and discarding her otherwise—worse than a housekeeper earning 3,000 yuan a month.

Outside, even when they were caught by paparazzi, Xiao Nian merely had her manager release a statement claiming Gu Qingzhi was a desperate member of an unknown girl group trying to latch onto her fame.

Everyone believed it. At the time, Xiao Nian’s fans and self-righteous onlookers all attacked Gu Qingzhi viciously, dragging her name through the mud. Her groupmates suffered collateral damage too.

Gu Qingzhi couldn’t help but wonder if she had crossed a line and caused trouble for Xiao Nian. She came from an ordinary family and had only entered the entertainment industry out of necessity. Sadly, her group never gained popularity and even offended upper management because of the female lead Zhou Zhou, resulting in their complete freeze-out.

Zhou Zhou came from a powerful political family. Arrogant and domineering, she bullied the weakest among them—Gu Qingzhi, whose background was the most humble. Zhou Zhou led the dorm in isolating her and even used her connections to demote Gu Qingzhi to the trainee dorms, forcing her to live with un-debuted newcomers.

Gu Qingzhi’s group had flopped, and some proud trainees resented the fact that someone like her had debuted. Fueled by jealousy, they often ganged up to bully her.

Already mistreated by Zhou Zhou and the trainees, Gu Qingzhi’s life worsened during a recent storm when the temperature plummeted. The younger trainees stole her blanket and tossed it in the trash. On top of that, Xiao Nian’s manager had just orchestrated an online hate campaign against her. Sick with a severe cold, Gu Qingzhi was too weak to leave the dorm or afford a hospital visit. She lay in bed for three whole days, slowly wasting away—until Yu Liuxue arrived in her body.

Yu Liuxue sniffled, her nose blocked and aching. She tried to sit up but lacked the strength. She didn’t even have the energy to be angry. Lying lifelessly on the bed, she muttered, “Why are these female supporting characters always so damn miserable?”

In the original plot, just as Gu Qingzhi was about to die, Zhou Zhou discovered her. Initially, Zhou Zhou intended to let her die—but she had recently taken a liking to Xiao Nian and was desperate for a way to get close to her. Seeing Gu Qingzhi, who had ties to Xiao Nian, gave her the perfect opportunity.

Zhou Zhou first humiliated Gu Qingzhi.

“With how you look, you think you can cling to Xiao Nian for fame? Gu Qingzhi, have you even looked in a mirror?”

“I’ll tell you this—Xiao Nian said she hates women like you: weak, spineless, with no opinions of their own.” Zhou Zhou sneered and patted Gu Qingzhi’s barely breathing face. “Take my advice and stop daydreaming.”

After thoroughly shaming her, Zhou Zhou made a big show of calling an ambulance and had Gu Qingzhi taken to the hospital. At the same time, she begged her manager to release a PR statement praising her kindness and how much she cared for her teammate. The manager hesitated but gave in, intimidated by Zhou Zhou’s powerful family.

It wasn’t a big deal anyway.

As a result, even while Gu Qingzhi was still being treated in the hospital, the news was all over the internet. Zhou Zhou’s manager cleverly tied the story to Xiao Nian, knowing the Mercury Girls had no popularity of their own—

“Member of Obscure Girl Group Who Tried to Cling to Xiao Nian Found Sick at Home by Teammate—Now in Stable Condition…”

The article was nearly a thousand words long. It first rehashed the “clingy fangirl” story, then introduced Zhou Zhou’s background, and finally lavished praise on her beauty, kindness, and “genuine nature.”

After the news broke, everyone expressed confusion:

“Why would sweet Zhou Zhou save such a disgusting woman? She should’ve just let her die—one less scourge in the world.”

“Gu Qingzhi and Zhou Zhou are in the same group? Don’t they screen for character at all? How can one person be so good, and another so toxic?”

“I heard Gu Qingzhi comes from a poor family. I saw her on stage—just average. And she still got to debut? There’s got to be something fishy.”

“Let me say it—Gu Qingzhi probably slept her way to the top, right?”

Not only did Xiao Nian’s fans pile on, but Zhou Zhou’s fans swarmed in to hype her up too. Zhou Zhou was attractive, and after seeing all the carefully curated fan edits, even strangers began declaring, “I’m sold!” and “I love this kind of girl.” Riding the wave, Zhou Zhou singlehandedly dragged the group into the spotlight, giving Mercury Girls a second chance.

The company, seeing potential for profit, lifted the ban on the group and started arranging promotions. Under Zhou Zhou’s firm insistence, Gu Qingzhi was barred from participating and forced to stay in the company during group activities.

Left alone in the trainee dorms, none of the group’s glory belonged to her. All the joy went to others—she had only loneliness left.

After Mercury Girls became popular, the other members were incredibly grateful to Zhou Zhou. The four of them became close as sisters, going on overseas vacations together during holidays and frequently posting pictures online. Fans were delighted, often commenting:

“The bond between Mercury Girls members is amazing! Their group spirit is unbeatable!”

“I love all the Mercury Girls members… except for one. It’d be perfect without her.”

“Yes, someone’s existence truly taints the name of Mercury Girls. I strongly demand she leaves the group.”

No one knew who voiced it first, but soon fans had flooded the trending list with this demand, all calling for the company to expel Gu Qingzhi from the group. Mercury Girls was currently raking in a lot of money, and the other three members, all close with Zhou Zhou, agreed to Gu Qingzhi’s removal.

After some discussion, the company concluded that Gu Qingzhi could no longer generate profits, so they unanimously agreed to the decision. Within three days, Diyu Entertainment released an official statement, explaining the reason for Gu Qingzhi’s departure: due to health issues, she could no longer participate in group activities, and after careful consideration, Gu Qingzhi herself had decided to voluntarily withdraw from Mercury Girls.

The news sent the entire internet into celebration.

At that time, Gu Qingzhi was being pressured by her manager to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which stated she could not reveal the true reason behind her departure to anyone. If she did, the company would pursue legal action and sue her into bankruptcy. The moment she signed it, her manager threw her out of the company, leaving her to fend for herself.

Homeless and desperate, Gu Qingzhi called Xiao Nian. Xiao Nian was in the middle of recording a variety show and couldn’t take the call. So Gu Qingzhi waited with her suitcase at the bus stop for six full hours. A fan recognized her, secretly took a photo, and uploaded it online for netizens to mock and criticize.

People all said it was karma, that she had brought this upon herself.

Meanwhile, the instigator of all this, Zhou Zhou, was recording a show with Xiao Nian. Zhou Zhou had long had her eyes on Xiao Nian and seized the opportunity, openly saying to everyone, “Actually, I’ve liked Sister Xiao Nian for a long time.”

She revealed a shy expression at just the right moment, covering her face in embarrassment before continuing, “I’ve listened to and watched all of Sister Xiao Nian’s songs and dramas more than ten times.”

After speaking, she immediately began to sing one of Xiao Nian’s songs from before she became famous. Her voice was full of emotion and very pleasant. Xiao Nian couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times, remembering this special fan. After the recording ended, Xiao Nian’s manager handed her the phone, but Xiao Nian glanced at the screen and ignored it.

Zhou Zhou then cautiously approached Xiao Nian’s waiting room and nervously said, “Sister Xiao Nian, I’ve liked you for a long time. Could I have your autograph?”

After getting the autograph, Zhou Zhou asked if they could take a photo together. Xiao Nian didn’t refuse. After getting what she wanted, Zhou Zhou immediately posted it to Weibo with excitement: “Finally got to film a show with my long-time goddess! She’s so cute in person! So thin, so beautiful, and super gentle—she looks a hundred times better than on TV~”

This was the usual time for fans of both to exchange mutual praise and admiration. Compliments flew between fanbases, and goodwill skyrocketed like a rocket.

Gu Qingzhi waited at the bus stop until nightfall and still didn’t see Xiao Nian’s car. Disheartened, she looked at the dazzling neon lights on both sides of the street, feeling chills all over. With nowhere to go, she finally spent the night under a bridge.

Zhou Zhou’s bold confession successfully drew Xiao Nian’s attention. Later, they recorded another outdoor survival show together, which brought them even closer. They exchanged contact info and started chatting during their free time. Zhou Zhou was very tactful—each time she flirted with Xiao Nian just enough to leave her flustered before pulling back. After enough of this, Xiao Nian began to care deeply for her.

They eventually filmed another variety show together, and on the first night, they slept together and confirmed their relationship.

After becoming official, the passion between them was intense—scenes not suitable for anyone under eighteen happened every day. Xiao Nian hadn’t felt this kind of thrill in a long time. After some time together, she wanted to go public with the relationship, but Zhou Zhou refused, saying it would harm both their careers.

Zhou Zhou was a flirt. Xiao Nian was just one of her conquests. In her plan, once she got tired of Xiao Nian, she’d break up and move on to her next thrill.

But Xiao Nian gradually fell deeper. She started taking the relationship seriously, so she asked Gu Qingzhi for a divorce. Xiao Nian had agreed to be with Gu Qingzhi back then because a master had told her that Gu Qingzhi’s birth chart would bring her luck. Half-believing it, she secretly married her, and sure enough, her career had skyrocketed ever since.

But now that she had achieved fame and fortune, she no longer needed Gu Qingzhi’s “luck.”

Gu Qingzhi was devastated by the divorce request and immediately refused. Xiao Nian wasn’t in a hurry. She began to employ various tactics, slowly pushing Gu Qingzhi to a dead end. Staring at the cold, unfamiliar Xiao Nian, Gu Qingzhi suddenly realized how foolish she’d been all these years.

She had loved Xiao Nian passionately, yet in her heart, Gu Qingzhi was just a pathetic fan.

Tears welled up in Gu Qingzhi’s eyes. “They used to say performers are heartless. I didn’t believe it. Thank you for making me believe it now.”

She wiped her tears and said firmly, “Xiao Nian, I won’t divorce you.”

Looking at Xiao Nian’s stunning face, Gu Qingzhi ultimately softened and didn’t press the post button on the message she had already drafted. Completely heartbroken, she turned and jumped from the 30-something floor. After her death, her soul didn’t leave. It lingered around Xiao Nian.

She watched Xiao Nian’s love-hate relationship with Zhou Zhou. In front of Zhou Zhou, Xiao Nian was more gentle than she had ever been before. Gu Qingzhi also finally understood the real reason Xiao Nian had married her.

Gu Qingzhi suddenly felt deeply unwilling.

The system said, “The supporting female’s soul has turned dark. She has only one demand: bring Xiao Nian down from her pedestal and make her life a living hell.”

Yu Liuxue raised an eyebrow slightly. “And the female lead? She didn’t ask anything about her?”

“No.”

Yu Liuxue regretfully withdrew her gaze and finally said, “Whether she did or not doesn’t matter. In melodramatic stories, the direction is always unpredictable. Who knows—maybe in the end everyone gets wiped out.”

The system was fully convinced its host had the ability to turn an ordinary melodrama into a bloodbath, so it wisely shut its mouth and chose not to argue.

There wasn’t much time before Zhou Zhou would arrive. Yu Liuxue would never be anyone’s stepping stone. She struggled to climb down from the bunk bed, but her legs gave out before she could stand, and she collapsed to the floor in pain, stars dancing before her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she put on her slippers and leaned against the wall like a fragile patient, slowly making her way toward the elevator. She muttered angrily, “Just wait till I’m recovered—those little brats in the dorm are gonna pay.”

The system dared not speak, afraid she’d take her anger out on it.

It was only about ten meters to the elevator, but Yu Liuxue took five whole minutes to crawl there. When she finally pressed the elevator button, she was drenched in sweat and dizzy. The moment the doors opened, she rushed in and leaned heavily on the nearest person. The other instinctively tried to push her away, but Yu Liuxue weakly gasped, “Please press the button for the CEO’s office. Thanks.”

Seeing how close she was to death, the other person didn’t push her away and even pressed the floor for her.

Ding—

When they reached the floor, Yu Liuxue thanked them again and made her way toward the CEO’s office based on her blurry memory. The female CEO of Diyu was named Yang Nianjiao—a rich second-gen who had just taken over the company from her father. She wasn’t very familiar with things yet, but that didn’t stop Zhou Zhou from offending her on her first day, resulting in Mercury Girls being shelved again—just like under the previous boss.

Yang Nianjiao was contemplating which trainee to send to the next survival show when she saw a zombie-like figure dragging itself outside the glass door. Startled, she called her secretary to check it out. When Yu Liuxue saw the secretary, she immediately called out enthusiastically, “Sis, come help me! I’ve got something important to tell President Yang!”

The secretary frowned. “Who are you? How did you get up here?”

Without a special elevator pass, ordinary people couldn’t reach this floor. She glanced behind Yu Liuxue—no one. Her frown deepened. “You’re not allowed up here. You should leave now.”

I’m already here, and you’re telling me to go?

Yu Liuxue instantly stood straight and wide-eyed. “Sis, if you don’t let me see President Yang today, I’ll strip naked and streak in front of the building!”

Secretary: “…”

In the end, the secretary let Yu Liuxue into the CEO’s office. Yang Nianjiao looked at the secretary, who wore a conflicted expression. Yu Liuxue dragged over a chair and sat down, then looked up and said, “President Yang, I want to join the talent show.”

Yang Nianjiao motioned for the secretary to leave and set down her pen. “What’s your name?”

Yu Liuxue slowly replied, “Gu Qingzhi.”

“A couple of days ago, I made the trending search because of that staged crash with Xiao Nian, and then got brutally cursed out by her fans. I believe you might recall it.”

Yang Nianjiao remembered. It did ring a bell. At the time, she had paid extra attention because Gu Qingzhi was one of her company’s artists. But upon realizing she was a member of Zhou Zhou’s group, Yang Nianjiao had simply closed the webpage—she had no intention of helping Gu Qingzhi with any PR.

Yang Nianjiao looked at Yu Liuxue’s frail, sickly appearance with great interest. She interlocked her fingers and rested her chin on the back of her hands. “Since you know people don’t like you, that’s all the more reason I can’t let you join the show.”

“The program has already invited Xiao Nian as a mentor, did you know that?”

Yu Liuxue truly didn’t know. But she was always bold despite lacking confidence. After a two-second pause, she quickly said, “But I have buzz. I have traffic. If I join the show, it’ll be good for both the production team and the company. I can raise the show’s visibility and bring public attention to the company’s name.”

“I think, President Yang, you should at least discuss it with the production team before making a decision.” Determined to secure this spot, Yu Liuxue grinned. “I promise I’ll surprise you—in a good way.”

Despite hearing Yu Liuxue out, Yang Nianjiao still had no intention of letting her join. She withdrew her gaze and casually asked, “What if I say no?”

Yu Liuxue looked at her with a bright smile. “Then I’ll have no choice but to strip and streak in front of the company building.”

Yang Nianjiao: “…?” Did I hear that right?

Her impression of Yu Liuxue completely flipped. This wasn’t frailty—this was unhinged. She stared at Yu Liuxue’s delicate face and actually believed she might do something that outrageous. After a moment of contemplation, she stalled for time: “Go back and wait for news.”

Yu Liuxue didn’t move. Yang Nianjiao raised her eyebrows slightly. “Why aren’t you leaving?”

Yu Liuxue blinked. “President Yang, you might not believe this, but I’m running a high fever. I have no strength to walk.”

Yang Nianjiao: “…” You’re just a Z-list no-name—how dare you act this outrageous in my office?

“Secretary!” she called loudly. “Get in here and throw this person out!”

Yu Liuxue added, “President Yang, I don’t have money for a doctor either.”

Yang Nianjiao rolled her eyes and finally snapped, “Then throw her into a hospital.”

Yu Liuxue lay comfortably in a hospital room reeking of disinfectant, happily watching TV. After getting an IV and some injections, she was feeling much better.

Meanwhile Zhou Zhou remembered her teammate whom she had pushed out of the trainee dorms. Feeling mischievous again, she headed over to bully her some more—but no one was there. She knocked for a long time without a single response.

Zhou Zhou muttered, “Did she die or something?”

She had vaguely heard that Gu Qingzhi was sick and had even specifically ordered the other trainee girls not to call a doctor or buy her medicine. Anyone who disobeyed her would never debut. Since everyone desperately wanted to debut, they obediently followed Zhou Zhou’s orders, treating the sick Gu Qingzhi like an invisible person.

After confirming no movement inside, Zhou Zhou quickly stepped back. “If she’s really dead, I don’t want her bad luck rubbing off on me.”

After leaving the dorm building, Zhou Zhou found her manager and pleaded, “Sis, I heard there’s a company producing a new talent show? Can you get me in? If I get famous, I’ll earn you tons of money!”

The manager knew all about Zhou Zhou’s background, which made her even more stressed. Helplessly, she said, “That’s not up to me—it’s President Yang’s call.”

Zhou Zhou had offended Yang Nianjiao on her very first day, so she dared not approach her. She continued begging, “Sis, please talk to her for me, just put in a word, okay? If I get famous, I swear I’ll never forget what you did for me.”

Unable to refuse, the manager reluctantly agreed. After nervously bringing it up to Yang Nianjiao, the latter fell into silence. Gu Qingzhi wanted to go. Zhou Zhou wanted to go too?

Then let Gu Qingzhi go.

The manager was surprised. “But President Yang, Gu Qingzhi…”

Yang Nianjiao gave her a light glance, and the manager immediately shut her mouth. “Understood, President Yang.”

Yu Liuxue got the news right away. She stayed lying in bed, munching on sunflower seeds. After she finished, she stretched. “Finally, it’s my turn to perform.”

When Zhou Zhou learned that her opportunity had been snatched by Yu Liuxue, she nearly crushed her teeth in rage. Eyes locked on her manager, she hissed, “Sis.”

The manager was startled and quickly explained, “From what I heard, before I even went to talk to President Yang, Gu Qingzhi went to her office personally. When she came out, she could barely walk. They say her face was ghostly pale, and the secretary had to take her straight to the hospital—saved her life, apparently.”

Zhou Zhou froze. Gu Qingzhi… climbed into President Yang’s bed? Is that how she got this spot? Outrageous!

News of Gu Qingzhi joining the talent show spread quickly. Yu Liuxue made it official by changing her Weibo name and personally confirming the news. Her comment section was instantly filled with question marks:

“??? Gu Qingzhi has the nerve to join a talent show?”

“Knew it! She’s just using our Nian-jie to get clout. My poor Nian-jie!”

“So shameless. Why would the show take someone with such bad character? Just because she gets attention? Sucking my Nian-jie’s blood, this b—!”

“I’m so disappointed in the production team. I’m not watching this season! And I won’t spend a single cent voting for any contestant—don’t even think about it!”

Thanks to Xiao Nian, the name Gu Qingzhi came with built-in controversy and traffic. In just half a month, she generated more discussion than any other contestant. Though everyone hated her, Xiao Nian’s influence was overwhelming. Three days after Gu Qingzhi’s participation was revealed, the show announced that Xiao Nian would be a mentor.

Fans saw the Weibo post and were practically foaming at the mouth.

“My poor Nian-jie! How many times is Gu Qingzhi going to suck her blood? My heart aches for her!”

“Who the hell is Gu Qingzhi? How did she know Xiao Nian would be a mentor ahead of time? She staged that crash just to buy bots and hype herself up. If someone like her can debut, this country’s talent shows are hopeless.”

Xiao Nian had signed the contract long ago, before the paparazzi ever caught her and Gu Qingzhi together. She hadn’t told Gu Qingzhi anything about it, which made her wonder—was this all just a coincidence?

Gu Qingzhi always behaved obediently in front of her, so she wasn’t worried she’d say anything reckless on the show. She was just curious—how did Gu Qingzhi get into the program? Wasn’t their group blacklisted by Diyu’s president?

Watching fans flood the program’s Weibo in protest, Xiao Nian lightly tugged at her lips. The producers were clearly set on using Gu Qingzhi for drama. The more fans protested and cursed Gu Qingzhi and the show, the happier the producers would be.

In the end, with her presence, fans would still tune in—without fail.

One by one, the contestant names were announced. On the official website, the voting list was published. Gu Qingzhi’s name was at the very top. Xiao Nian’s fans clicked in and nearly fainted with rage. So they made a pact in private: “Once voting starts, vote for whoever comes right after her.”

All the fans: “OK OK!”

Yu Liuxue was packing her things. After several days in the hospital, she had fully recovered. Carrying the company’s hopes, Yang Nianjiao had even arranged a private apartment for her so she could prep for the show without distractions.

Halfway through packing, the trainee girls returned. Zhou Zhou had primed them well. As soon as they entered, one girl deliberately shoved Yu Liuxue.

The system held its breath. You’re just a cannon-fodder character—how dare you push the host? Are you tired of living?

Yu Liuxue stumbled and landed on the lower bunk. She raised her brows in surprise. Even in domineering CEO novels, I’ve never been bullied like this. You cannon-fodder nobodies are getting bold, huh?

She stood up straight, smiled, and scanned the girls. “Who just pushed me?”

One girl proudly stuck out her chest. “I did. What? You gonna hit me? I’m filming right now. If you dare hit me, I’ll post the video online and ruin you. The program will kick you out.”

Yu Liuxue smiled. “I won’t hit you.”

She pulled her lazy-egg suitcase along and said sweetly, “But I’ll remember you all.”

The girls: “…” Was that a threat?

Yu Liuxue couldn’t be bothered to argue with a few nobodies—she was more interested in playing with the female lead. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on her side. Even after moving into her new room, she still hadn’t caught a glimpse of the heroine.

Yu Liuxue had to prepare a performance piece. After much thought, she ended up in the CEO’s office and said to Yang Nianjiao, “President Yang, give me an erhu.”

Yang Nianjiao raised an eyebrow slightly. “What do you want an erhu for?”

“To perform, of course,” Yu Liuxue said confidently. “I thought about it—other contestants can sing, dance, play guitar, or violin. If I want to really make a splash, I can only go with The Moon Reflected in Erquan Spring.”

The secretary, eavesdropping nearby: “…” Are you sure you’re even qualified?

Yang Nianjiao locked eyes with Yu Liuxue for a moment, then turned to the secretary and motioned with her chin. The secretary nodded and quickly arranged to have an erhu delivered. Yu Liuxue happily took the erhu with a bow and left in high spirits. The system, watching her behavior, felt a growing sense of foreboding.

Is the host planning to mess up this world’s audience?

Yu Liuxue really did plan to perform The Moon Reflected in Erquan Spring. She practiced diligently in the apartment for several days. When it was time to move into the trainee dorm, she dragged her lazy egg-shaped suitcase and took Yang Nianjiao’s private car to the filming location.

Diyu Entertainment was a top-tier company in the industry, primarily focused on film and television. They had many big-name actors under contract, but with the recent rise of boy and girl groups, the old CEO Yang had tried his hand at managing idols—with very disappointing results.

No one knew which agency Yu Liuxue came from. All they saw was her stepping out of an extended Rolls-Royce, full of presence. That alone caused quite a bit of anxiety among the other trainees. So while she was waiting for filming to start after dropping off her luggage, no one dared approach her.

Yu Liuxue took off her round, black sunglasses and boredly scratched her chin. Hugging her erhu while seated, she muttered, “This show is so boring. How high could the ratings possibly be?”

The system carefully replied, “The last season’s average viewership rating was 5.8.”

“Oh, that bad.” But more than ratings, Yu Liuxue was eager to meet Xiao Nian—the scumbag female lead. Gu Qingzhi had loved her for so many years and still couldn’t bring herself to kill her in the end. Just how heavenly beautiful was she to make people fall head over heels?

Since no one was talking to her, Yu Liuxue put her fortune-teller-style sunglasses back on.

Sunglasses on. Heart gone. [meme: sunglasses on, love gone]

It was time for the trainees to make their entrance. The show staff repeatedly emphasized they had to go on stage first before choosing their seats. Yu Liuxue let it go in one ear and out the other. When it was her turn to enter, she walked right past the edge of the stage and arrogantly plopped herself down in the center seat.

System: “…!”

Other trainees: “…?”

Is Diyu Entertainment always this aggressive?

The production team, however, was thrilled. The director excitedly said, “We’ve got editing material, we’ve got editing material!”

It took nearly an hour just to film the trainees entering and sitting down. Once the seats were finally filled, the mentor group made their entrance. Yu Liuxue immediately perked up. With her head lowered and sunglasses half-off, her alluring eyes scanned the mentors one by one until they locked unmistakably onto Xiao Nian.

Xiao Nian wore a tailored, elegant white suit-dress. Tall and slender with a narrow waist and long legs, she exuded a unique aura. Her facial features were bold and striking—too strong for light makeup, but absolutely stunning with heavy makeup, drawing far more attention than anyone else on stage.

She had a face made for the camera—even extreme close-ups couldn’t find a single flaw.

Yu Liuxue put her sunglasses back on. No wonder.

Xiao Nian felt Yu Liuxue’s gaze, but with cameras all around, she didn’t look back. It wasn’t until Yu Liuxue got on stage with her erhu that she finally saw her outfit—an indigo robe, sunglasses, and an erhu in hand. Was she doing this on purpose to annoy her?

Xiao Nian’s temple throbbed violently.

Yu Liuxue ignored the chatter from the other trainees. After introducing herself, she earnestly began playing the erhu. The studio was soon filled with the mournful sound of the instrument. Though the atmosphere was deeply sorrowful, someone couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Xiao Nian’s face remained calm, but there was a flicker of fire in her eyes.

She hadn’t been home much lately and hadn’t seen Gu Qingzhi either. Was this a deliberate provocation? A form of protest?

Xiao Nian kept her composure but her face unconsciously tightened. Yu Liuxue took off her sunglasses and raised an eyebrow at her. Tilting her head, she asked the system, “Why’s Xiao Nian looking at me like that? Don’t tell me she’s fallen for me at first sight?”

System: “…” You’re overthinking it.

Everyone present had at least heard the gossip about Xiao Nian and Gu Qingzhi. Most had followed the drama closely. So when it was Xiao Nian’s turn to judge, she didn’t hesitate to give Yu Liuxue a D.

Yu Liuxue immediately objected. “Teacher Xiao, I think I played the erhu pretty well.”

Xiao Nian didn’t even look up. “You didn’t show any vocal or dance ability. I gave you a D because your instrument playing was decent.”

Laughter rippled offstage. Yu Liuxue pouted. Fine, a D wasn’t so bad.

After filming, Xiao Nian’s agent found Yu Liuxue and gave her a once-over before coldly saying, “Come with me.”

Yu Liuxue took two steps back. “I’m busy, thanks.”

The agent hadn’t expected to be refused. Her voice went icy. “Xiao Nian wants to see you.”

Yu Liuxue immediately turned around. “She’s the one looking for me, not the other way around. Why should I go to her?”

The agent didn’t care what she wanted. She grabbed Yu Liuxue’s wrist and shoved her into Xiao Nian’s dressing room.

Xiao Nian was touching up her makeup. Hearing the commotion, she glanced over at Yu Liuxue. “Come home with me. Now.”

“Nope.”

Xiao Nian immediately stood up. Ignoring the presence of her agent and makeup artist, she backed Yu Liuxue into the wall with a commanding presence and kissed her.

Yu Liuxue quickly pushed her away. “…?!”

Wait—this isn’t how the script I just read goes!