Chapter 76: After Secretly Marrying the Top Star, She Got Cheated On (5)

Yu Liuxue racked her brain but still couldn’t figure out how things had ended up like this. Her gaze kept shifting back and forth between Yu Bing and Yu Yu—these two sisters didn’t resemble each other one bit. Even if the sharp-eyed Monkey King himself came, he wouldn’t be able to see any similarity.

She stood beside Yu Bing, utterly dejected. After Yu Bing exchanged brief greetings with her sister, she finally spared a glance of pity for Yu Liuxue. Perking up, Yu Liuxue quickly flashed her a bright, sweet smile. But Yu Bing turned her head instead to glance at the secretary sitting in the car in the distance and gave a slight nod, signaling her to come take someone away.

The secretary quickly got out of the car and, bracing herself, walked up to the two sisters. She turned to Yu Liuxue and said, “Qingzhi, let’s go. President Yang still has instructions for you.”

Yu Liuxue was reluctant. She had finally gotten a chance to see Yu Bing, and she still had so much she wanted to say to Yu Yu. But clearly, both sisters were preoccupied with going home for dinner and had no interest in her. Crestfallen, Yu Liuxue followed the secretary into the car, watching Yu Bing and Yu Yu’s figures grow smaller and smaller in the distance until they vanished from sight.

Yu Bing casually glanced in the direction where Yu Liuxue had left.

Yu Liuxue tilted her head and looked at the secretary. “Sis, did you know about this?”

The secretary had been by Yang Nianjiao’s side for many years. She knew what she should know—and had heard whispers about what she shouldn’t—but as Yang Nianjiao’s trusted aide, her top priority was to keep her mouth shut. So she replied vaguely, “I’ve heard about it.”

Yu Liuxue immediately complained to the system, “Your melodrama plots are getting sneakier and sneakier.”

System: “…” Thank you for the compliment, dear host.

The secretary led Yu Liuxue into the president’s office. Yang Nianjiao was facing her computer, processing emails. Upon hearing footsteps, she didn’t even lift her head. “How did the divorce go?”

Yu Liuxue walked over with a face full of gratitude. “It was a huge success! Thank you so much, President Yang, for caring about your artists and finding me such a good lawyer. With the assets I got, I can spend my whole life eating and drinking without working ever again!”

Yang Nianjiao’s eyes shot over like a blade. Yu Liuxue immediately shut her mouth and gave a sheepish smile. “Just kidding, President Yang. There’s no one in the world who loves this career more than I do. No one wants fame more than me, or wants to make money for you and repay your life-saving grace more than I do!”

Yang Nianjiao squinted at her utterly unrepentant expression and let out a cold laugh. She closed her email and said blandly, “Since the divorce is settled, go back to filming.”

“Remember, you’re not allowed to date behind the company’s back anymore. Next time, I won’t be so forgiving,” she warned. She had made a bet with her father—whether she could successfully build a national girl group. It was no small wager, which made her even more invested in Yu Liuxue.

Yu Liuxue had no idea about Yang Nianjiao’s bet. She nodded furiously like a pecking chick. “Got it, President Yang.”

No dating behind the company’s back—so dating openly in front of them should be fine, right?

As if seeing through her thoughts, Yang Nianjiao added coldly, “If I find out you’re dating, you’re done.”

Yu Liuxue: “…” Single dog, crying.

After the divorce, Xiao Nian was supposed to head straight to set, but she still had a variety show to film. Fortunately, her appearance today was brief—just a short guidance session for contestants—so the crew was fine with it. The show had entered its second stage. Last week, a third of the contestants were eliminated, making the studio feel much emptier.

As soon as she walked into the hall, she spotted Yu Liuxue goofing around with the other contestants during break time. She had never seen Yu Liuxue laugh so freely and brightly before. Xiao Nian’s face darkened slightly. No wonder she was so happy—who wouldn’t be, after pocketing that much in the divorce? Over two hundred million, plus multiple houses and cars—even if Yu Liuxue kept ten sugar babies a month, she wouldn’t be able to spend it all.

Yu Yu gave Yu Liuxue a faint glance, her mind swirling with hesitation.

Suppressing her thoughts, she said to Xiao Nian, “Let’s go. You’re on a tight schedule.”

Xiao Nian looked away. Out of sight, out of mind. She was about to join the cast soon—whatever happened to Gu Qingzhi after that had nothing to do with her. Just then, someone noticed her. The contestants instantly lit up and shouted, “Teacher Xiao!”

Xiao Nian immediately put on her signature expression, turning back to wave warmly. “Keep up the good work. I’ll check in after class.”

The contestants were enchanted by her smile and nodded fervently. “Don’t worry, Teacher Xiao! We’ll blow you away with our performance!”

Yu Liuxue watched Xiao Nian’s every move with a sigh. “Xiao Nian really is a good actress. With her current acting, even giving her 100 points feels stingy.”

Forget Gu Qingzhi—any ordinary person would be fooled by her. A beautiful face was just too useful, too deceptive. In the public eye, Xiao Nian was popular, approachable, and completely unpretentious. She got along with everyone. Every director and crew member who’d worked with her gave her rave reviews.

She had even been voted one of the “Most Dateable Celebrities” on a fan poll site, beating out many popular male stars—truly someone who charmed all genders.

Before leaving, Xiao Nian unintentionally glanced at Yu Liuxue again. But Yu Liuxue had already turned away, intimately hooking arms with another contestant while biting into a meatball offered by someone else. Her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk hoarding snacks, adorably round.

For a moment, Xiao Nian felt that Gu Qingzhi seemed very different from before.

Yu Yu urged her again. Xiao Nian finally tore her gaze away from those puffy cheeks and walked in another direction. Yu Yu’s face was expressionless as she glanced at Yu Liuxue, just in time to meet her bright, smiling eyes. Noticing the look, Yu Liuxue boldly threw her a flirtatious wink.

Her gaze sparkled, half teasing, half smiling. Though a bit clumsy, its youthful charm made it all the more alluring.

Yu Yu pretended not to see.

Yu Liuxue was addicted to playing dumb. She deliberately sang off-key and danced out of sync, flailing out of rhythm. All four mentors took turns blasting her, tearing her down mercilessly—but none of the other contestants were happy about it. They thought Gu Qingzhi was just acting, pretending to be a clueless newbie to snag more screen time. Obviously, she just wanted to debut.

So some dissatisfied contestants started copying her tactics—only to be immediately called out by Xiao Nian, who scolded all of them except for Yu Liuxue. Her stern tone left the others trembling, and they didn’t dare play dumb again.

Yu Liuxue sat cross-legged on the floor, scratching her cheek. “Hey, system, do you think Xiao Nian’s in love with me?”

The system replied helplessly, “Host, you’re not supposed to be a universal heartthrob in this world.”

Yu Liuxue: “…” Oh.

Xiao Nian was in a rush to join the film crew. After a few words, she greeted the director and left. Yu Liuxue made a point of sticking near the door to see Yu Yu off. After Xiao Nian got in the car, just as Yu Yu was about to shut the door, Yu Liuxue suddenly called out, “Yu-jie, wait!”

Yu Yu froze, her expression unmoving as she stared at her. Through the gap between the car door and Yu Yu, Xiao Nian looked toward the entrance, spotting Yu Liuxue skulking there, thinking she was well hidden. But her brightly colored outfit made her stick out like a sore thumb—Xiao Nian saw her instantly.

Xiao Nian frowned ever so slightly. They were divorced already—was she still trying to cling to her fame?

With that thought, Xiao Nian’s voice turned cold. “Close the door.”

Yu Yu promptly slammed the door shut. The tinted windows covered everything inside. Yu Liuxue watched pitifully as Yu Yu got into the car without sparing her a glance. She sighed dramatically. “So cold-blooded, so cruel, so heartless, dear sister.”

After the car pulled away from the building, Xiao Nian put on her sunglasses. “Yu-jie, while I’m filming, please keep an eye on her for me. If she doesn’t behave…”

“This show is very important to me. I don’t want anything going wrong before it airs.”

Yu Yu didn’t look back. Her eyelashes lowered faintly. “Understood.”

Yu Liuxue’s “play dumb” strategy had already been seen through by everyone. So when she performed excellently on stage and won first place in the votes, her teammates didn’t even bother rolling their eyes anymore. Gu Qingzhi clearly had a “chosen one” script.

Still, even chosen ones couldn’t escape the fate of being “maliciously edited.” Watching her scowling face on the iPad, Yu Liuxue sighed from the heart, “Wow, this woman is criminally adorable even when she’s being badly edited!”

Yang Nianjiao was no longer surprised by how Yu Liuxue acted. She tossed a document to her and asked with interest, fingers interlocked, “Your manager recently submitted a proposal. She wants you to return to group activities after finishing the variety show. What do you think?”

Group activities? Wasn’t that just a reboot of Mercury Girls’ promotional plans?

Yu Liuxue immediately bootlicked, “The members are my motivation to work hard. Being able to earn money for you alongside them, President Yang, makes me truly happy.”

She blinked her eyes. “So, President Yang, when are we releasing an album? Or should I quit the show right now and rejoin the group for activities?”

Up to now, Yu Liuxue hadn’t met any of the group members aside from Zhou Zhou. Zhou Zhou had been oddly absent recently, not even coming to cause trouble. Yu Liuxue boldly guessed—could she have run off with Xiao Nian to film something?

Yang Nianjiao sneered, “Quit the show? Did I say you could?”

She pointed to the desk with her chin. “Take the proposal back and read it carefully. Get back to me after you’re done.”

With that, she ignored Yu Liuxue. On her way back to the apartment, Yu Liuxue skimmed the proposal. Her manager’s idea was simple: since Yu Liuxue had gained some popularity by “accidentally” clashing with Xiao Nian, and even more through the talent show, now was the perfect chance to push the entire group. Zhou Zhou was talented, skilled in singing and dancing, and very good-looking—if they focused on promoting her, she’d surely earn the company a lot.

Yu Liuxue casually tossed the proposal into the trash, then sent a message to Yang Nianjiao: “President Yang, I think the manager made a lot of sense.”

Yang Nianjiao glanced at the message, then called the manager to her office. After their discussion, the manager immediately called Zhou Zhou. “Zhou Zhou, President Yang has read the proposal and agreed to it. Where are you right now? Come to the office to start practice. I’ll call the others back later too…”

Before she could finish, Zhou Zhou exploded with anger. “Sis, have you ever thought about what I want? Can an idol group make more money than acting? If I stick with filming, I could earn ten times more!”

“Sis, tell President Yang—I’ve decided not to join Mercury Girls’ comeback.”

Manager: “???” First you want this, then you want that—what do you want, a seat in heaven?

Frustrated, the manager hung up on Zhou Zhou and swore a few times. Zhou Zhou had never been hung up on before. She stared at her phone, furious. Xiao Nian walked over, smiling lightly. “Zhou Zhou, come run lines with me.”

Zhou Zhou pouted and spoke pitifully, “Xiao Nian-jie, I don’t want to let you down. I want to follow your path and act, but my manager wants me to go back to the group…”

Group activities? That meant she’d have to deal with Gu Qingzhi every day.

Xiao Nian chuckled softly. “Zhou Zhou, you’ve grown up. You need to learn to think for yourself and do what you love.”

Zhou Zhou’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Xiao Nian-jie, you’re too good to me. I don’t even know how to thank you.” She shot a bashful glance at Xiao Nian, and when she saw her watching, Zhou Zhou quickly looked away in panic, her cheeks turning red.

Xiao Nian, in high spirits, said, “Come on, everyone’s waiting for you.”

The talent show’s popularity kept rising, with endless gossip—true or false—that kept nosy netizens hooked. As the hottest contestant, Yu Liuxue had the most gossip: “Gu Qingzhi and Xiao Nian are actually a couple,” “Gu Qingzhi only got on the show because President Yang is her sugar mommy,” “Gu Qingzhi must’ve slept her way up, given how poor she is yet so favored by the company,” and so on.

Especially the second rumor, which netizens analyzed convincingly: first, Mercury Girls had always been mediocre in popularity. Within the group, Zhou Zhou was clearly more popular than Gu Qingzhi. So why was Gu Qingzhi chosen for the show, not Zhou Zhou?

Even if Gu Qingzhi had some buzz, Yang Nianjiao could’ve sent both her and Zhou Zhou—but she didn’t. Coupled with past rumors of discord between the two, it was likely Gu Qingzhi had vetoed Zhou Zhou’s participation.

Second, when Gu Qingzhi had an incident, it was Yu Bing who rushed to save her. Yu Bing was known to be DY-Entertainment’s bodyguard and followed only Yang Nianjiao’s orders. That meant Yang Nianjiao had dispatched him—proving her special attention to Gu Qingzhi.

Otherwise, Yang Nianjiao wouldn’t have wasted such a resource on a washed-up C-lister.

People were stunned. “That… makes sense. I’m starting to believe it.”

Yang Nianjiao frowned after reading the gossip. She wasn’t sure if Yu Liuxue had gone out and said something herself, or if Zhou Zhou—who didn’t want to be in the group anymore—had paid someone to smear her. Her expression darkened. She figured it was more likely the former.

Not allowed to date behind her back, so Yu Liuxue decided to target her directly?

What a bold little dog.

Far off in another district, Yu Liuxue cried out, “I’ve been framed!” when she heard the news. “I didn’t do it!” Too bad Yang Nianjiao couldn’t hear her at all.

And that wasn’t the end of it. Netizens dug up more old dirt on Gu Qingzhi and Xiao Nian and roasted Yu Liuxue over and over again. When Xiao Nian overheard the film crew gossiping, she immediately messaged Yu Yu: “Yu-jie, is Gu Qingzhi out there spreading rumors again?”

Yu Yu glanced at her phone. “I’ll handle her. You focus on filming.”

Even so, Xiao Nian wasn’t at ease. Gu Qingzhi had completely changed lately, and with Yang Nianjiao backing her, Xiao Nian feared she might go nuclear and spill everything about their past. She sat restlessly. “Sis, can you go talk to her for me?”

Yu Yu knew what Yu Liuxue really wanted and that she wasn’t that reckless. Xiao Nian’s fears were baseless. But since Xiao Nian couldn’t let it go, Yu Yu thought a moment and agreed. “I’ll talk to her another day.”

Xiao Nian finally relaxed. “Thank you, sis.”

Yu Yu checked her calendar and decided to pick up Yu Liuxue on her way home from work. She arrived early, and Yu Liuxue spotted the icy-looking Yu Yu right away. Her eyes lit up, and she dashed over, opened the door, got in, fastened her seatbelt, and gave a bright, toothy smile—all in one smooth motion.

“Sis, you’ve finally made up your mind?”

Yu Yu didn’t respond. She turned the wheel, and the car sped away from the filming location.

Meanwhile, the secretary who came to pick up Yu Liuxue hadn’t seen her come out even after the other contestants had left. A sense of dread rose in her. She unbuckled and got out, holding up a photo of Yu Liuxue to the security guard. “Sir, did you see this girl just now?”

The old man squinted at the photo for a while, then shook his head. “Don’t remember.”

The secretary rushed into the building to search. She checked every corner inside and out—still no sign of Yu Liuxue. Fearing something had happened, she called Yang Nianjiao. “President Yang, Gu Qingzhi is missing. I’m going to check the surveillance now.”

Yang Nianjiao nearly cursed out loud. She hung up and immediately called Yu Liuxue, but no matter how many times she tried, the call went straight to voicemail.

Yang Nianjiao called her confidant right away. “Yu Bing, follow Gu Qingzhi’s route back to the company. Whether you find her or not, report back to me.”

Yu Bing glanced at the wall clock. “What happened to her?”

“She’s missing.”

The secretary reviewed the footage and saw Yu Liuxue laughing as she ran toward a car. After getting in, the car sped off. And the driver—was none other than Xiao Nian’s manager.

Yu Liuxue blinked as she stared at Yu Yu. A sudden chill hit her. “Yu-jie, is Xiao-laoshi planning to silence me?”

“If she gave you money, I’ll give you ten times more—no, a hundred times!”

She looked utterly sincere. Yu Yu gave her a cold glance and finally said, “You and Xiao Nian are divorced. Let the past rot inside you.”

“Sis, is that her idea… or yours?” Yu Liuxue’s expression fell. She stared at Yu Yu in heartbreak. “Do you really think I’m that kind of person?”

Yu Yu turned to look at her. Yu Liuxue pursed her lips, then suddenly changed her tone. “If you want me to keep quiet, that’s fine. Just give me one hundred million.”

Yu Yu resisted the urge to throw her out of the car. Her expression turned cold. “Impossible.”

Yu Liuxue smiled sweetly and changed her tone. “Then… Sis, give me a kiss.”

“If you kiss me, I swear I’ll take this secret to the grave and never breathe a word of it to anyone.” Yu Liuxue leaned over with anticipation, her eyes sparkling.

Yu Yu had known Gu Qingzhi for quite some time and had interacted with her more than a few times, but she had never seen her act so shamelessly. Her gaze flickered slightly, then suddenly turned sharp. Her eyes were deep and cold, as if she could see straight into Yu Liuxue’s soul. Yu Liuxue shivered, suddenly feeling guilty.

“If you don’t want to, you could just say so. Don’t look at me with those terrifying eyes, okay? I’m scared…” She pouted, on the verge of tears.

Yu Yu quickly looked away. “You already got plenty out of the divorce. There’s no benefit for either of us in tearing things apart now.”

“That’s different.” Yu Liuxue pressed her lips together and said, “I don’t really care whether my past marriage becomes public or not. But Ms. Xiao is different.”

“Ms. Xiao is so afraid I’ll talk—not just because she cares about her reputation, right?” Yu Liuxue placed her hand on the car door handle, ready to get out. “Sis, I’ve heard that celebrities in love are the hardest to manage.”

Yu Yu narrowed her eyes slightly and suddenly locked the door.

Yu Liuxue turned around instantly, staring at Yu Yu with a face full of expectation. “Sis, are you choosing to kiss me now?”

Yu Yu looked at her calmly. “Being smart is good, but being too smart isn’t always.”

“I know. But if I have you, Sis, then I’ll have nothing to fear—right?” Yu Liuxue took out her bank card again, tempting her further. “Sis, I’m no worse than Ms. Xiao. I’m rich now too. Are you really not going to reconsider?”

“President Yang has strictly forbidden me from dating, so I’ll be very obedient for the time being.” She smiled ambiguously, her tone teasing. “So whatever you ask of me in the future, I’ll obey completely—whether it’s taking off my white shirt in the dark night, or…”

Suddenly, she spotted Yang Nianjiao and Yu Bing’s familiar cold faces outside the car window. “…!”