Chapter 45: How a Heartbreaker Manages Her Suitors (2)

The video that Yu Liuxue posted stirred up massive backlash—so much so that even people who hadn’t planned on watching the drama were now saying they were already sick of it. But their besties kept shoving it in their faces:

“Damn it, go watch it! Zhao Keying’s gone nuts! The stuff she smashed—if it’s not worth a million, it’s at least five hundred grand! Go now, I swear, I’m not lying!”

“Zhao Keying’s gone on a rich-girl rampage! If you don’t watch this, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life! Haha, I’m not even her fan, but this is so satisfying to watch! I feel like some brands just got slapped so hard their faces are swelling—I’d love to see the expressions on those people’s faces right now!”

So, some folks couldn’t resist their best friends’ constant coaxing and reopened Zhao Keying’s video page. And wow—they had no idea what they were in for.

Holy shit?! This intense?! She smashed a $100,000 bottle of serum without blinking?!

Damn! That was a limited-edition perfume—only a thousand bottles worldwide—and the resale price was skyrocketing to hundreds of thousands per bottle!

People with weak hearts watched the video and said: “I think my heart disease is cured now!”

Some guys didn’t get what kind of rich-girl tantrum Yu Liuxue was throwing, so their enthusiastic girlfriends broke it down for them using sneaker analogies:

“Look, this TF is like your AJ. This CPB? Equivalent to your Y-3. CL is the top of the food chain in the lipstick world—it’s the Ferrari of lipsticks, the Yeezy Boost of men’s shoes. And she SMASHED TEN OF THEM. Oh my god…”

Boyfriends still didn’t get it. “But your lipsticks only cost a thousand bucks each at most.”

SLAP.

His girlfriend smacked him.

“And your sneakers are only a few thousand or tens of thousands a pair. Still nothing compared to a house! If it’s so ‘cheap,’ why don’t I just burn them all?”

Boyfriend: “……”

Understood.

Laughing through tears.

Yu Liuxue didn’t give a damn about how those brands she publicly humiliated were feeling. All she wanted was to lie in bed in peace for a few days. But the melon-eating crowd was hyped beyond belief, running to the brands’ Weibo pages to comment:

“Zhao Keying smashed your makeup and said it’s trash!”

“She poured your toner down the sink like it was tap water…”

“Zhao Keying…”

Zhao Keying, Zhao Keying—her name was everywhere. Brand reps had developed a headache just hearing her name. And yet, they couldn’t ban her.

Zhao Keying had always operated solo, came from a wealthy real estate family, and was part of an extreme sports club full of powerful business elites who all admired her guts and got along well with her.

Since they couldn’t take her down, the brands chose to stay silent, waiting for the storm to blow over and hoping people would forget so they could act later.

But in the middle of this sensitive period, a small brand suddenly jumped out, excitedly posting on Weibo to thank Yu Liuxue:

“Thank you, Miss Zhao Keying, for trusting our brand. We’ll keep working hard to create products worthy of everyone’s praise. We welcome Miss Zhao Keying and her fans to supervise us anytime!”

Oh? Who’s this? Trying to ride the wave, maybe?

The melon crowd swarmed in like locusts, and within minutes, the brand’s comment section blew past ten thousand.

Then someone with sharp eyes pointed out,

“Wait, isn’t this the one obscure brand that Zhao Keying didn’t smash?”

Everyone looked again—yep, it was.

So now the comments shifted to:

“Your boss is pretty bold. Respect for the loyalty, you get a like from me.”

Another added,

“I’ve used their products before—super good! Affordable and effective! Girls, don’t miss out on this hidden gem!”

But the crowd wasn’t buying it.

Definitely a paid shill. Must be a publicity stunt.

Maybe Zhao Keying not smashing their product was all part of a carefully planned marketing scheme.

Yu Liuxue yawned. She was honestly just chilling at home these days, not doing anything crazy. But despite that, event invitations kept flying at her like confetti.

She thought seriously for a moment—since she had a mission to do, she’d better do it right.

“System, find me a new assistant.”

Yu Liuxue wasn’t about to handle all the nitty-gritty stuff herself. Getting an assistant was the smartest choice. She’d been betrayed by Cheng Yu before, but this time, she’d just pick someone honest and down-to-earth.

With the system’s approval, Yu Liuxue posted a Weibo announcement saying she was hiring a new assistant, left an email address, and let the system handle all the résumé screening and selection.

While sipping her milk tea, she suddenly asked, “You’re so useful. Why do I even need an assistant?”

The system replied flatly, “I’m not human.”

Yu Liuxue nodded solemnly. “You’re definitely not human.”

System: Is it just me, or does that sound kinda wrong somehow?

The system quickly picked someone: a quiet, gentle-looking girl named Zuo Yun. Petite, fair-skinned, soft-spoken with a slow, clear way of talking. But underneath that calmness was a sharp mind and a competent, professional aura.

Yu Liuxue was very pleased and signed a labor contract with Zuo Yun on the spot, putting her straight to work.

Leaning against her studio desk, Yu Liuxue told her,

“Some event organizers have sent me invitations. Pick the biggest name—the one Cheng Yu is attending too—and reply to them for me.”

Zuo Yun smiled lightly. “Sure. Just a moment.”

She quickly made the selection. It was a major brand—one that hadn’t cut ties with Zhao Keying. Even after the scandal, they still sent her PR packages like nothing had happened.

Yu Liuxue snapped her fingers. “Perfect. That’s the one.”

The event is happening tomorrow. Before Yu Liuxue even gave a response, the brand had already announced that Cheng Yu would be attending. Not only that, the brand’s favorite—Jiang Zhixi—would also be going. That same evening, the brand quickly edited the announcement copy and officially confirmed that Yu Liuxue would be attending the event.

Cheng Yu nearly bit her lip through. Zhao Keying was going too?

She wasn’t worried about Zhao Keying coming to settle scores—after all, she was now playing the victim. What she was actually afraid of was Zhao Keying going berserk and yanking her hair out on sight.

Because Cheng Yu was truly too anxious, she immediately hired two bodyguards to protect herself.

When everyone heard the news, they were beyond excited. This was Zhao Keying’s first public appearance since her suicide attempt. Had she finally let go of her past grudges and moved on? Or was she planning to stir up drama at the event?

“The brand’s really got guts. Props to them for even daring to invite her.”

Jiang Zhixi, who was removing her makeup, stopped mid-scoop of cleansing balm when she saw the news on Weibo. Her long lashes blinked lightly, and a flicker of complexity surfaced in her pure black pupils. Half expectant and half nervous, she thought: Is Yu Liuxue coming for me?

A flood of toxic villainess drama scenarios flashed through her mind. Shivering, she put the balm back and anxiously called her bestie.

“Xiaoqing, I think Zhao Keying is targeting me this time. What should I do?”

“She won’t just rip my clothes off, right?”

Her best friend rubbed her temples. “Zhixi, you’re overthinking it.”

I told you to stop watching that stuff all the time! You never listen! Now you’re just imagining wild plots every day!

But after the call, Jiang Zhixi only felt more uneasy. She gave up on her plan to wear a cute dress and instead picked out a full-coverage outfit—long sleeves and pants, completely wrapping herself up.

Only after doing that did Jiang Zhixi feel secure.

She couldn’t afford to lose face on camera—how else would she get a boyfriend?

Meanwhile, Yu Liuxue had no idea that everyone in this world was so dramatic. Holding a DJI mini camera, she calmly finished her makeup and changed clothes, then got in the car. She checked herself out in the camera, looking left and right, quite pleased with the looks of this body.

“Oh my swan, I’m so beautiful. I wonder how many girls in this world are about to be ruined by me…”

Before she could finish, the system coldly interrupted: “Host, if you start a harem, we won’t pass content review.”

Yu Liuxue: “……” Fine.

The brand had decorated the event venue extravagantly. When Yu Liuxue stepped out of the car, she saw several cameras set up at the entrance for livestreaming. Her assistant, Zuo Yun, reminded her, “Keying, give me the DJI. Go in through this entrance, I’ll meet you inside.”

Zuo Yun took the DJI and entered from the side in advance.

As soon as Yu Liuxue arrived, the cameras turned toward her. With a graceful sweep of her leg, she moved her floor-length gown aside and elegantly stepped onto the heavy red carpet. Her fair skin was flawless; after meticulous styling, she looked like a porcelain doll.

Jiang Zhixi had just reached the entrance when she vaguely heard someone calling “Zhao Keying” behind her. She instinctively turned around.

A single glance stunned her.

Jiang Zhixi had seen Zhao Keying a few times before, but had never noticed how mesmerizing she was. Black hair, red lips, a fair face holding a gentle smile—elegant and poised, beautiful in every detail, straight to the soul.

Jiang Zhixi froze in place. Is that really Zhao Keying?

Yu Liuxue quickly noticed Jiang Zhixi too. Her eyes lit up, and she eagerly asked the system, “Beloved consort, quick, tell me that girl’s name! Oh my God, she’s criminally sweet! How can this world have a girl so regal and so cool?”

“Perfect height, ideal vibe, and just look at her long, pretty fingers—she’s got to be great at kung fu!”

Then Yu Liuxue blinked. “Wait, is she underage?”

She added quickly, “But it’s okay, I can wait for her to grow up…”

The system had had enough. It shouted, “Host, that’s the female lead Jiang Zhixi!”

Woof!

Yu Liuxue: “……” Why did I just bark like a dog?

Her mood suddenly turned complicated. After thinking a bit, she sighed in disappointment, “Forget it then.”

Jiang Zhixi stood at the entrance, puzzled, watching Yu Liuxue’s expression shift from joy to dejection. She blinked in confusion. “?”

What just happened?

Yu Liuxue had already started walking toward her. Terrified she might be approached, Jiang Zhixi clutched her clutch purse and ran off like a rabbit. Watching her flee, Yu Liuxue became even more puzzled. Am I that scary?

Inside the venue, Yu Liuxue saw that many influencers had already arrived and were gathered around the new product display, taking videos. Zuo Yun emerged from the side, holding the DJI camera.

“Keying, feel free to look around. The brand invited a few celebrities to promote today, they should be arriving soon.”

Yu Liuxue nodded. “Give me the camera, I’ll wander on my own.”

Zuo Yun didn’t feel great about that, but Yu Liuxue was firm, so she handed it over and went off to talk with her younger brother. With the camera in hand, Yu Liuxue enthusiastically wandered the venue. Suddenly, the system spoke up: “Host, it’s Cheng Yu!”

Yu Liuxue instantly stopped and looked around. “Where? Where is she?”

Adrenaline rushing, she followed the system’s hesitant directions and spotted Cheng Yu surrounded by her influencer friends. Yu Liuxue leaned lazily against the wall, casually observing for a bit, then said:

“What are they chatting about so happily? Let’s go over and listen too.”

The system rolled its eyes hard. You just want to cause trouble.

Sure enough, Cheng Yu and her influencer crew spotted Yu Liuxue from afar. Their faces changed instantly, and they began planning to leave.

Of course, Yu Liuxue wasn’t about to let them slip away. She picked up the pace and raised her voice in a dramatic, booming call:

“Cheng Yu.”

Cheng Yu’s scalp tingled. She had planned to pretend she hadn’t heard anything, but the other party had somehow already circled in front of her, blocking her path.

Forcing herself to respond, Cheng Yu glanced around. The crowd was clearly getting excited, whispering and nudging each other, ready to watch the show unfold. Cheng Yu felt uneasy, but luckily her close friends hadn’t left yet, which gave her a bit of confidence. She spoke gently, “Ke Ying, what’s going on?”

Yu Liuxue smiled and affectionately linked arms with her. “We haven’t seen each other in so long, have we? After working together for so many years, it’s rare to get a chance to meet up. How about we take a walk?”

Cheng Yu really didn’t want to. She tried to pull her arm away, but after a few attempts not only had she failed to shake off Yu Liuxue, she’d actually hurt her own skin. She immediately looked toward her friends with pleading eyes: I’m being held hostage, help!

Jiang Zhixi, who had been watching, shivered and took a few steps back, using the crowd to hide herself.

Cheng Yu’s friends understood at once and shouted at Yu Liuxue, “Zhao Keying, what do you want? Let go of Dayu! I’m warning you, this isn’t some lawless zone. You’d better not act out of line, or we’ll report everything to the police…”

Yu Liuxue frowned. Things weren’t so simple—these people were even more dramatic than she was.

Lifting her chin with a hint of excitement, Yu Liuxue announced, “My grandpa is the police chief!”

Everyone: “…………” How are we even supposed to respond to that?

Cheng Yu’s influencer friends immediately showed how fragile their friendship was. Seeing they couldn’t win against Yu Liuxue, they quickly said to Cheng Yu, “Dayu, since she has something to say, we’ll wait for you over there. Take your time, don’t worry, come find us after.”

And then promptly fled.

Cheng Yu: “……” Terrible judge of character.

But Cheng Yu knew how to manipulate public opinion. Her eyes reddened and tears welled up instantly. She bit her lower lip and said weakly, “Ke Ying, I know you hate me, but ask yourself honestly—haven’t you done some of those things yourself?”

The crowd perked up, ears at attention.

Then they heard Yu Liuxue respond, calm and righteously, “Yeah, I did. So what?”

Cheng Yu was secretly pleased and pressed on, “Ke Ying, I was wrong to take your team. But when I was preparing to resign, they had already expressed their intention to quit. When they heard I was starting my own studio, they all contacted me saying they wanted to join. We were colleagues, fighting side by side in a foreign city—it wasn’t easy. I couldn’t just watch them be unemployed, struggling to make ends meet…”

“I know,” Yu Liuxue nodded. “So what you mean is, they’re ungrateful and none of this has anything to do with you.”

Cheng Yu was speechless. That was what she meant, but why did it sound so wrong coming from Yu Liuxue?

Leaning against the wall, Jiang Zhixi quietly nodded. Exactly. Zhao Keying might be a crazy woman, but Cheng Yu wasn’t any better. Compared to someone like Zhao Keying—straightforward to a fault, loving someone with her whole heart and hating just as passionately—at least you knew where she stood. Cheng Yu, on the other hand, always wore a sweet smile while stabbing you in the back.

The former needed occasional caution. The latter? Constant vigilance. Twenty-four hours a day of paranoia just to avoid being plotted against.

Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, “So what, you treated your employees like crap and now you won’t even let them leave for a better job?”

“They’re just trying to make a living, to build a future. Holding a grudge over something like that is way too petty.”

Yu Liuxue raised her eyebrows slightly. “Right, someone earning at least 20K a month—that’s me being petty. Clearly, I’m a terrible boss. I should’ve given them each 100K monthly, along with unlimited milk tea, coffee, and desserts every day, just to make sure they worked in perfect comfort—never tired, never hungry, never thirsty.”

“……” Girl, are you okay?

Suddenly, a soft laugh rang out from the side. Yu Liuxue instinctively looked over. The crowd parted slightly, and she immediately caught sight of Jiang Zhixi, whose smile hadn’t completely faded.

Jiang Zhixi hadn’t meant to laugh out loud, but she couldn’t hold it in. Who knew that single laugh would draw Yu Liuxue’s attention straight to her?

Jiang Zhixi instantly froze. She was wearing a clean, tailored women’s suit with her jacket open. Her shirt sleeves were slightly rolled up, revealing an expensive ladies’ watch on her wrist. Her white blouse was buttoned just a few notches, showcasing her elegant collarbone and fair skin—charmingly provocative.

Her long hair had been carefully styled, the curls just right, exuding a lazy yet seductive air that perfectly framed her neck and face.

Every time Yu Liuxue looked at Jiang Zhixi, she couldn’t help but marvel at her looks. Unlike other influencers with their cookie-cutter big eyes, high noses, and sharp chins, Jiang Zhixi had the distinct appearance of a high-class socialite. Her skin was flawless, her features delicate and stunning, and when she smiled, she looked silly in a lovable way—her eyes curving like little crescent moons, completely guileless.

With so many eyes on her, Jiang Zhixi froze on the spot, the smile on her lips gradually fading.

Cheng Yu sighed in relief. Inspiration struck her and she quickly called out warmly, “Zhixi, so you’re here too!”

Yu Liuxue narrowed her eyes slightly, ready to sit back and watch the show.

Jiang Zhixi wanted nothing more than to tape Cheng Yu’s mouth shut. Are we even that close? Don’t call me that—people might get the wrong idea.

Though panicking inside, Jiang Zhixi’s face remained cool and poised. She stepped slowly out of the crowd, the click of her heels crisp and clear against the floor. With a soft smile, she replied to Cheng Yu, “What a coincidence.”

Some people, outwardly gentle and smiling, are actually just calculating how to escape as fast as possible.

When Cheng Yu saw Jiang Zhixi, it was like she’d spotted a savior. Taking advantage of Yu Liuxue’s distraction, she quickly shook off her hand and rushed forward to grab Jiang Zhixi. Jiang Zhixi reflexively dodged, and by the time she came to her senses, she was already standing next to Yu Liuxue.

Jiang Zhixi: “……”

Cheng Yu: “……”

Yu Liuxue was overjoyed and immediately wrapped an arm affectionately around Jiang Zhixi’s shoulders. “Zhixi, it’s been so long! Let’s have some tea together?”

Jiang Zhixi: “……”

Can I say no?

Just then, the male supporting character Zuo Xia emerged from the crowd. He was tall, fair-skinned, with deep and defined features and a slim face—in short, very handsome. Zuo Xia cast an indifferent glance at Yu Liuxue, then looked toward the frozen Jiang Zhixi with a hint of nervousness in his eyes. “Zhixi already has plans with me.”

Everyone knew Jiang Zhixi and “Iced Soda” Zuo Xia had a good relationship, and it was generally accepted that the two were in a flirtatious phase. Naturally, some influencer girls who liked Zuo Xia weren’t pleased, narrowing their eyes at Jiang Zhixi with unclear intent.

Yu Liuxue hesitated, debating whether to let go, when a sudden excited shriek came from the back. She turned to look—it was the celebrity invited by the brand.

Zuo Xia seized the opportunity to pull Jiang Zhixi away, shooting a warning glance at Yu Liuxue before leaving.

Yu Liuxue: “?”

“I’ve realized something—no one in these dog-blood dramas is normal,” Yu Liuxue sighed.

Cheng Yu and Jiang Zhixi both took the chance to slip away. What else could Yu Liuxue do? She could only sit on a back-row chair, watching everyone hoarsely scream the celebrity’s name. Countless phones were held aloft—it was quite the spectacle. Yu Liuxue pressed her hand to her head. “This is nothing. Back when I was a celebrity…”

Zuo Xia suddenly reappeared, interrupting her nostalgia.

He didn’t bother with small talk. “Zhao Keying, you’d best stay away from Zhixi from now on. Otherwise, I won’t go easy on you.”

Yu Liuxue raised an eyebrow slightly and held out a hand.

Zuo Xia: “?”

Yu Liuxue looked at him in disappointment. He didn’t get it?

She cleared her throat. “Give me a million yuan, and I promise I’ll stay ten meters away from her for the rest of my life.”

Zuo Xia’s face darkened. He clenched his molars and, abandoning the calm demeanor of a rich second-gen, snapped, “Are you insane? A million?! You dare to measure her worth with money?!”

Off to the side, Jiang Zhixi was somewhat relieved.

But then she heard Zuo Xia bargain: “A million is too much. How about two hundred thousand?”

Jiang Zhixi: “……?”

So I’m not even worth a million?

Yu Liuxue hadn’t expected the male lead to be so stingy. She lowered her hand. “Forget it. Can’t even fork over a million, and you call yourself a domineering CEO.”