Chapter 81 – After Secretly Marrying a Top Star, I Was Cheated On by Her (10)

Xiao Nian could accept almost anything—except Gu Qingzhi coming to poach someone from under her nose. And worse, that person was her most trusted agent.

Yu Yu was immensely important to her. Even if Xiao Nian now believed she had the capability to grow her career without Yu Yu’s help, that didn’t mean she could stand by and watch Yu Yu turn her attention to supporting Gu Qingzhi.

Gu Qingzhi had already proven she was willing to stoop to anything for popularity. If she became famous, who knew what kind of shameless tactics she’d use to cling to Xiao Nian for more attention?

The thought made Xiao Nian’s expression grow colder. She strode forward and tried to open the door to drag Yu Liuxue out.

She wanted to take Yu Liuxue home, have a serious talk, and ideally force her to sign something—maybe a contract—anything that would ensure she kept her mouth shut about what had happened.

Only then could Xiao Nian rest easy.

But she had barely taken two steps when a slender, graceful hand casually reached out and blocked her path at the door. Yang Nianjiao stood there, lips curved in a smile, her eyes bright with amusement and just a hint of flirtation. She laughed softly.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

Her lips curled slightly. “Breaking into my company and trying to take one of my artists? Xiao Nian, are you trying to land yourself on tomorrow’s headlines?”

Xiao Nian pressed her lips into a line and said stiffly, “Sorry, I just need to talk to her.”

She moved again to force her way in, but Yang Nianjiao stepped squarely in front of the door this time. The two women were of similar height, their chins tilted in mutual defiance, a storm of tension flashing in their eyes. Yang Nianjiao’s expression didn’t change as she said calmly, “Then I’m afraid that’s not possible. My artists follow my schedule twenty-four seven.”

If Yang Nianjiao wasn’t willing to back down, there was no way Xiao Nian could take Yu Liuxue with her today. The realization made her expression turn even uglier.

She knew Yang Nianjiao’s personality—someone who would do anything for profit. Now that Gu Qingzhi was a valuable asset to her, there was no way she’d let her go. Not today.

But Xiao Nian had already come this far. If she turned around and left just like that, wouldn’t it be a complete loss of face?

Her gaze turned cold as she looked through the glass at Yu Liuxue, who blinked innocently while holding a sheet of lyrics. She never expected such an overreaction from Xiao Nian. Was it just because she’d spoken a few more words with Yu Yu?

Could Xiao Nian have misunderstood something?

Yu Liuxue’s eyes curved as laughter glimmered within them. She took off her headphones, put down the lyrics, and came over to open the door, peeking out from behind Yang Nianjiao’s tall frame with a pitiful, innocent expression.

“Ms. Xiao, what brings you here?”

Ms. Xiao? She still had the nerve to call her “Ms. Xiao”? Acting so respectful on the surface while secretly seducing her agent behind her back, all to pave her own road to stardom. How could she not have seen through Gu Qingzhi before?

Xiao Nian lowered her gaze. “When will you be done? I need to talk to you.”

Yang Nianjiao kept her faint smile, but Yu Liuxue knew full well—if she dared agree, Yang Nianjiao would flay her alive the moment Xiao Nian left, probably cursing her all the way out the door. She pressed her lips together and apologized with a sorry look, “Sorry, Ms. Xiao. I’m busy recording the theme song right now, so I don’t think I’ll have time to sit down for tea.”

She’d deliberately mentioned the theme song. The words made Xiao Nian’s stomach twist again. All her hard work, all the filming and effort over months, only to pave the way for Gu Qingzhi to step into the spotlight.

With Yang Nianjiao backing her, even if Gu Qingzhi couldn’t sing a note, the sound engineer would polish each syllable into something heavenly. Then, with a couple of glowing PR pieces, she’d be called a “musical genius” or “a buried gem,” grabbing attention and riding the hype wave effortlessly.

Yang Nianjiao smiled sweetly, with an unmistakable air of dominance. Meanwhile, Yu Liuxue had that smug, mischievous face of someone saying “I’m not going with you—what can you do about it?” The room fell into a tense stalemate.

Zhou Zhou had been eavesdropping for quite some time and was now more convinced than ever—Xiao Nian and Gu Qingzhi were married. She crouched beside the door, brows furrowed, thinking back. But something didn’t quite add up.

If she tried to pursue Gu Qingzhi, wouldn’t that make it look like she really had feelings for her?

Zhou Zhou shook her head in panic. No way. She couldn’t let Gu Qingzhi get the wrong idea.

If Gu Qingzhi got it into her head that she had a crush on her, it’d be impossible to clear her name—no matter what she said. Zhou Zhou could already imagine that smug, self-satisfied look on Gu Qingzhi’s face if she ever got that upper hand. Absolutely not.

In her distracted panic, Zhou Zhou made too much noise, and everyone in the recording room immediately noticed.

Xiao Nian turned to look. Yang Nianjiao lifted her eyelids lazily, lips still curved in that polite, empty smile. Yu Liuxue’s eyes lit up, and she immediately dragged Zhou Zhou into the mess.

“Zhou Zhou! You came to see Ms. Xiao too?!”

Zhou Zhou: “…?!”

What?! No! Don’t make things up!

Yu Liuxue had just thrown her under the bus with a splash. Left with no choice, Zhou Zhou stepped out from her hiding spot and admitted through gritted teeth, “I saw Ms. Xiao’s back while I was passing by… I got curious and followed.”

Then she shot Yu Liuxue a glare—Gu Qingzhi had definitely done that on purpose. She just couldn’t stand to see Zhou Zhou doing well and had to drag her down into the mud too.

Xiao Nian seized the opportunity to de-escalate and save face. Keeping a polite distance from Zhou Zhou, her tone softened just a bit. “Have you eaten yet?”

Zhou Zhou’s mind raced before she shook her head. “Not yet. Would you like to join me? You helped me so many times on set, and I never properly thanked you. Since I ran into you today, let me treat you to a meal.”

She smiled bashfully, her heart thundering with excitement. Doing this in front of Gu Qingzhi—stealing her wife—what a thrill!

So what if Gu Qingzhi had married Xiao Nian? Wasn’t Xiao Nian still giving all her attention to her?

She looked smugly triumphant, even glancing at Yu Liuxue with a raised eyebrow full of provocation. Zhou Zhou was undeniably beautiful, and her victorious look was charming in its own way, but Yu Liuxue couldn’t help grumbling, “Aren’t dog-blood dramas supposed to have chaotic leads now? What happened to all the naive and sweet ones?”

The system scratched its head in protest. “Host, Zhou Zhou is just a sweet and naive girl in your eyes, so our drama tropes are still valid, okay?”

Yu Liuxue: “???” I may not be a scholar, but don’t try to trick me!

Xiao Nian agreed immediately. Zhou Zhou reached out to hold her arm, and she didn’t pull away. Just before leaving, Xiao Nian gave a cold glance to the expressionless Yu Liuxue, then turned to Yang Nianjiao and said with perfect politeness, “President Yang, sorry to bother you.”

Then she left without hesitation, arm-in-arm with Zhou Zhou.

As soon as the door closed, Yu Liuxue dramatically covered half her face in heartbreak. “How could this happen? Why would my own teammate go off with my ex?! Does she want to be my… sister-in-law?!”

Yang Nianjiao scoffed coldly. “Get back to work.”

Yu Liuxue instantly wilted. She thought Yang Nianjiao was the perfect embodiment of ruthless capitalism—merciless in her exploitation of workers. Miserably, she trudged back to her seat, put her headphones on, picked up the lyrics, and continued enduring the merciless grind of Yang-style oppression.

Although Zhou Zhou insisted that she should be the one treating today, in the end, it was Xiao Nian who paid the bill. Zhou Zhou immediately looked up, a little embarrassed. “Miss Xiao, you’ve been so kind to me, and helped me so many times—how could I shamelessly let you pay?”

At that, Xiao Nian couldn’t help but laugh. She leaned forward slightly, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “What you did before—that was what I’d call shameless.”

Zhou Zhou recalled what had happened and immediately lowered her head, not daring to meet Xiao Nian’s eyes. She was so embarrassed that Xiao Nian’s mood lightened. Reaching out to support Zhou Zhou’s waist, she said, “Come on, I’ll take you back to the company.”

Zhou Zhou shook her head quickly. “No need, Sister Xiao Nian. I can go back by myself. If the media accidentally catches us, it would cause you a lot of trouble, and I don’t want to make things difficult for you.”

Xiao Nian was slightly stunned. Suddenly, she felt she really hadn’t misjudged her. In the past, Gu Qingzhi would always come to her whenever she pleased, regardless of time or place, never once considering her situation. She had never thought about what would happen if the paparazzi caught them together—how Xiao Nian would explain it to fans or the public.

Looking down at Zhou Zhou’s delicate face, her heart suddenly softened. “It’s alright. It’s too late for you to go back alone—it’s not safe. I’ll drive you.”

“I’ll drop you off near the company. Then you can walk back yourself, okay?” Xiao Nian reached out and patted her head. “Be good.”

With that, Zhou Zhou could only nod. Her eyes sparkled brightly, full of joy. “Then I’m troubling you to take such a risk for me, Sister Xiao Nian.”

As promised, Xiao Nian pulled the car over at a spot not far across the street from Diyu Entertainment. Zhou Zhou nervously craned her neck, scanning the surroundings. Once she confirmed there were no pedestrians around, she quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out of the car. “Sister Xiao Nian, I’ll head back now. You should leave quickly too.”

Xiao Nian nodded slightly, a gentle smile playing on her lips. “Okay, I’ll leave once I see you go in.”

Someone was approaching from a distance. Zhou Zhou immediately shut the car door and casually crossed the zebra crossing. When she reached the company entrance, she turned back to glance into the distance and saw that Xiao Nian was still parked in the same spot, watching her. A little sense of pride welled up in Zhou Zhou’s heart. Smiling, she gave Xiao Nian a tiny wave and then darted quickly into the building.

Xiao Nian watched every movement of Zhou Zhou with a gentle smile. Being with her felt incredibly natural—far more comfortable than it ever was with Gu Qingzhi. She let go of the steering wheel, her mind replaying Zhou Zhou’s shy expressions. She felt completely charmed.

How could someone be so adorable? So adorable that it made her want to steal her away and spend a lifetime together.

For the first time, Xiao Nian had the thought of going public with a relationship. Maybe making their relationship known to the world wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Zhou Zhou returned to the apartment bursting with excitement. Yu Liuxue had just been dismissed by Yang Nianjiao and hadn’t even had time to catch her breath or take a sip of water before Zhou Zhou flung the door open and barged in.

“Gu Qingzhi! Your wife treated me to dinner today!”

Yu Liuxue: “…” Oh.

Seeing that Yu Liuxue didn’t respond, Zhou Zhou became puzzled. Was Gu Qingzhi mad at her? She walked over to Yu Liuxue and noticed her looking extremely worn out, not even sparing a glance at her. Zhou Zhou frowned. Was recording a song really that exhausting?

Taking a closer look, she noticed Yu Liuxue’s long hair was a bit messy, her clothes wrinkled as if someone had pulled at them.

Zhou Zhou’s eyes widened. Could it be…?!

A sudden sense of defeat filled her. How could Gu Qingzhi be so cunning? She’d only had a meal with Xiao Nian—hadn’t even held hands! Strictly speaking, she hadn’t done anything that could be considered cheating. Yet in response, Gu Qingzhi had gone all out, hooking up with President Yang and actually cuckolding Xiao Nian.

Zhou Zhou bit her lip, then let out a cold snort. With determination, she declared, “Gu Qingzhi, just wait—one day I’ll surpass you.”

As she turned to storm off, Yu Liuxue suddenly called out, “Wait.”

Zhou Zhou instinctively looked back. “What?”

Yu Liuxue set down her cup, crossed her arms, and looked her up and down with interest. Zhou Zhou shivered under her gaze and took a few steps back nervously, thinking, She’s not going to do something to me, right? We only had dinner! She wouldn’t just execute me on the spot, would she?

Worried, she reminded herself that they were in the company. If Gu Qingzhi dared to do anything to her, she’d immediately report her to President Yang, who would surely take her to task. With that thought, her confidence returned. She put her hands on her hips. “Spit it out. I’m busy.”

“You lost the bet,” Yu Liuxue said with a bright smile and a glint in her eyes. She found the female lead of this world far more entertaining than she’d expected. Standing up, she approached Zhou Zhou.

Unexpectedly, every step forward she took, Zhou Zhou took a step back. After a while, they were still the same distance apart.

Yu Liuxue: “…?”

Zhou Zhou wasn’t exactly scared of her, but she was wary that Yu Liuxue might suddenly snap and start pulling her hair or tearing her clothes.

Yu Liuxue had no choice but to stop walking and continue, “We agreed—if you lost, you’d have to tell me whether or not you like me. No lying.”

Zhou Zhou had been nervous and on edge, but the moment she heard this, she exploded. Stamping her foot, she shouted, “I’ve told you—I don’t like you! Even if I lost my mind, I’d never fall for you! Gu Qingzhi, stop flattering yourself!”

“Oh? Really?” Yu Liuxue blinked innocently. “If you don’t like me, why are you getting close to Xiao Nian?”

“Didn’t you already find out about our relationship?”

“Zhou Zhou, I can’t believe you’re this kind of person. To get me, you actually went after Xiao Nian yourself. Once you seduced her successfully, you’d come back to snatch me up for yourself.” Yu Liuxue said it all with deep emotion, even clutching her chest as if heartbroken. “Zhou Zhou, do you really like me so much that you’d defy all societal expectations?”

Zhou Zhou: “???” Ptui!

Shameless!

She wanted to argue, but found that Yu Liuxue’s twisted logic was so flawless that she had no angle to start from. Her face turned red with anger. With a furious “You shameless freak!” she fled the room.

Yu Liuxue laughed so hard she nearly passed out. Collapsing onto the sofa, she panted, “I’m definitely playing with the female lead more often from now on.”

“She clearly hates me, but just to ‘torment’ me, she’s forced to seduce Xiao Nian. Then, when they finally get together, she’ll find out that Xiao Nian and I have long since divorced. Her expression will be priceless.” Yu Liuxue started looking forward to it. “Ah, this silly sweetheart is just criminally sweet.”

System: “……”

While Yu Liuxue was busy recording songs, Zhou Zhou begged her agent to help plead with Yang Nianjiao to let her return to filming. Her attitude had been good lately, so the agent reluctantly agreed. Yang Nianjiao, busy with Yu Liuxue’s affairs and unwilling to deal with more trouble, also consented since Zhou Zhou had been well-behaved.

Coincidentally, Xiao Nian was nearing the end of her shoot. As soon as Zhou Zhou returned, she dove into filming her remaining scenes. She didn’t have many, so it didn’t take long.

Though the recording process had been a bit grueling for Yu Liuxue, the result was good. When Yang Nianjiao listened to the finished song, her expression grew subtly complex. She played it again, thinking about Xiao Nian’s new drama—which, according to collaborators, was heart-wrenching to the point of liver pain. In that case, the soundtrack would be especially critical.

Once a singer fails to convey the right emotions, it’s highly likely they’ll face criticism from Xiao Nian’s fans and get completely overshadowed by Xiao Nian’s acting skills, leaving no chance for a breakthrough. Yu Liuxue is still very young. Although she’s divorced, in Yang Nianjiao’s eyes, she’s just an inexperienced girl—barely in her twenties. How deep could her emotional understanding really be?

That’s exactly why Yang Nianjiao worried that Yu Liuxue wouldn’t be able to express the song’s emotions perfectly and went to the recording studio herself to supervise. But the recording went far better than she had imagined. Yang was picky, but Yu Liuxue performed flawlessly—she grasped everything immediately and understood whatever Yang said right away.

The voice coming through the headphones was mournful and tender, carrying a heart-wrenching sense of despair. Yang Nianjiao suddenly took off her headphones and fell into silence.

Maybe… they should get Gu Qingzhi a therapist.

By the time Yu Liuxue’s song was finalized, Xiao Nian had also wrapped up filming. Her fans rejoiced, celebrating and eagerly looking forward to her new drama’s premiere. It was an adaptation of a historical novel. Although Xiao Nian had a solid reputation and strong acting skills, diehard fans of the original novel were still worried their “pure white moonlight” would be ruined and approached the drama with resistance.

Some of these original fans made harsh remarks, which instantly triggered backlash from Xiao Nian’s fans. The two sides clashed in small-scale online skirmishes that quickly escalated into a full-blown war. Eventually, everyone’s attention turned to one question: Could Xiao Nian deliver a performance good enough to satisfy the fans of the original?

While speculation ran wild, an anonymous source suddenly revealed that the theme song for Xiao Nian’s new drama would be sung by Gu Qingzhi.

Everyone: “…?” Seriously?

Did I read that right? Gu Qingzhi is doing the theme song for such an emotionally intense drama? Which Gu Qingzhi? The one from That’s You 2? Is her voice even up to par? Please don’t tell me one note from her will ruin the entire immersion.

Both Xiao Nian’s fans and the original novel’s fans sank into collective despair. They couldn’t even argue anymore. Instead, they all flooded to Gu Qingzhi’s Weibo to vent their frustration, filled with resistance and outrage.

“Even though Gu Qingzhi quit the competition, wasn’t she still the so-called chosen one? Diyu Entertainment gave her such an amazing opportunity. I’d love to see her fans talk their way out of this. Maybe she quit the show just to stir up attention. After all, the entertainment industry is always shady.”

“Not to be harsh, but Gu Qingzhi really isn’t suitable for a deep, emotional theme song! If it were a sweet romantic comedy for Xiao Nian, fine. But this drama? Absolutely not. I refuse!”

“I honestly can’t imagine what she sounds like singing…”

Yu Liuxue’s fans weren’t having it.

“What’s so hard to imagine? Go take a look at her fancams that went viral. Open your eyes, please.”

“Whether you like it or not, our Qingzhi is clearly the company’s favorite. If you’re so unhappy about it, why don’t you go and take over as CEO of Diyu Entertainment yourself?”

At this point, no one was more devastated than Xiao Nian’s fans.

“Our Nian-jie is so pitiful. Ever since Gu Qingzhi clout-chased her once, she’s been constantly dragged into her drama. It’s like a year-long PR bundle deal. And now this idol has the nerve to sing a theme song just to leech off Nian-jie’s popularity? What if it completely tanks the show?”

Xiao Nian’s fans were livid but had to maintain the poise expected of fans of a top-tier celebrity.

That said, many of them quietly created alt accounts to pose as neutral “bystanders” and joined forces with original fans to resist Gu Qingzhi. They demanded the production team replace her. Otherwise, they swore not to watch the show.

Meanwhile, Yu Liuxue giggled while holding her phone and posted:

“Thank you to President Yang for supporting me and giving me such a wonderful opportunity. I’m honored to sing the company’s best song. Working on Snow Slash has been a great experience—everyone, please support the drama!”

Her fans instantly caught the deeper message. They fired back:

“Did you hear that? The song belongs to Diyu Entertainment. President Yang can give it to whoever she wants! It’s Snow Slash begging for our Qingzhi to collaborate, so original fans and some Xiao stans should stop clout-chasing our girl.”

Original novel fans: “…?”

Xiao Nian fans: “…?”

Who’s clout-chasing who now? Is there no justice left in the world?

Yu Liuxue had barely finished her cheeky post when she got a notice that her Weibo account password had been changed and required re-verification. She didn’t mind, set her phone aside, and went to look for Zhou Zhou to hang out. But Zhou Zhou wasn’t at the apartment, so she aimlessly wandered around on her own.

Meanwhile, Xiao Nian had understood the message Yu Liuxue sent loud and clear. Ever since she found out Yu Liuxue was singing the theme song for her new show, she’d been cold toward Yu Yu. She just couldn’t trust Yu Yu unconditionally like before.

She kept feeling like Yu Yu would abandon her at any moment—to side with Gu Qingzhi.

Yu Yu noticed the change in Xiao Nian’s attitude but said nothing. She still worked hard to secure resources for her, like the high-profile Asian brand endorsement Xiao Nian had wanted to renew. Yu Yu got it done in just two days.

But to Xiao Nian, Yu Yu’s efforts only seemed like guilt-driven overcompensation—or a farewell gesture before leaving. She suspected Yu Yu was trying to give her everything she wanted before they eventually parted ways, to avoid an ugly breakup.

These thoughts led Xiao Nian to become colder and colder toward Yu Yu—until today, when she finally realized it was all a misunderstanding. The resources for Gu Qingzhi hadn’t come from Yu Yu but from Yang Nianjiao. Still, that didn’t make her feel any better.

The fear of being abandoned haunted her. She had trouble sleeping, and even her dreams were filled with Gu Qingzhi exposing their past relationship in front of the media.

When she woke up, Xiao Nian gritted her teeth and made a decision.

Instead of waiting around to be abandoned, she would prepare an exit plan. Her contract with Yu Yu was about to expire anyway. In the past, several top-tier agents had tried to recruit her—even some from major agencies. But she’d turned them all down because she had never thought about leaving Yu Yu.

Now…

She picked up her phone and proactively scheduled a meal with a manager she had her eye on.

Yu Liuxue frowned sadly. “Oh no, sis is getting dumped. She’s so pitiful! Good thing I’m here to help her through the darkest time in her life and lead her to a bright future!”

System: “…” You just want to sleep with her.

Yu Yu had also sensed Xiao Nian’s intentions. Some insiders started subtly warning her, but Yu Yu just smiled and brushed it off. She even calmly replied:

“Impossible. We’ve worked together for years. I know her—she wouldn’t do that.”

“Stop it. I believe she’s not that kind of person.”

Her friends were fuming. “She’s already having dinner with another agent, and you still trust her?”

After they left, Yu Yu quietly tugged at the corners of her lips.

Meanwhile, Yu Liuxue’s personal development plan had begun to take shape. The group’s development plan was also finalized after several meetings. For the foreseeable future, Yu Liuxue would be overwhelmed with work and constantly around Zhou Zhou. Though the protagonist was fun, seeing her every single day was exhausting.

So Yu Liuxue shifted her attention to Yu Bing. With her current popularity—and a horde of anti-fans—she could face real threats at large public events. Having Yu Bing around as protection was perfect.

Yu Liuxue laid out her reasoning righteously to Yang Nianjiao, who put down her pen and replied calmly, “Oh really?”

Yu Liuxue nodded furiously. “Yes, yes!”

Yang Nianjiao stared at her, deadpan. “You think I’ll believe that?”

Yu Liuxue: “…”

She returned, disappointed, only to spot Zhou Zhou downstairs, eyes gleaming with mischief as she stared at Yu Bing. Just as Yu Bing walked over, Zhou Zhou deliberately strode forward with a look of bold innocence. When she was about to pass by Yu Bing, she suddenly cried out, “Ah!” and twisted her ankle, lunging straight toward him.

Yu Liuxue: “…!”

Without hesitation, she sprinted like she was running an 800-meter dash and caught Zhou Zhou in her arms. Zhou Zhou was overjoyed, already preparing to flash a grateful smile at Yu Bing, hoping to use the moment to draw closer and perhaps even pull Gu Qingzhi down a peg. But when she looked up, the face that greeted her was none other than the irritating Yu Liuxue.

Yu Liuxue was smiling sweetly, her voice soft and sugary, “Oh! What a coincidence! Even your fall was aimed perfectly at my arms. And you still say you don’t like me?”

“Zhou Zhou, this is love!”

Zhou Zhou instinctively made the exact expression of that old man on the subway staring at his phone: “???”

She quickly turned her gaze to Yu Bing, who was silently standing behind Yu Liuxue. “I… this…” This wasn’t how it was supposed to go! Where on earth did Gu Qingzhi pop out from?! I was supposed to fall into this bodyguard’s arms!

Zhou Zhou and Yu Liuxue locked eyes for a moment. Suddenly, Zhou Zhou began to question her life choices. Could it be—just as Gu Qingzhi said—that the reason she always wanted to sabotage her, to steal away every woman she liked, was because deep down she actually liked her?

But then again… stealing Xiao Nian, the manager Xiao Nian cared about, and even Gu Qingzhi’s favorite bodyguard, then conquering Gu Qingzhi herself and making her obsessed and wholeheartedly devoted—wasn’t that even more fun?