Font Size:
Yan Xi understood this point. It was likely that Pei Yubai was hiding the truth from Zhou Qingyu, and it was probably only when they arrived at the airport tomorrow that Zhou Qingyu would learn the truth.
Yan Xi held her phone, her voice becoming soft and pitiful, “Qingyu, please don’t go, okay? I’ve just had a breakup, come and keep me company!”
“You broke up?” Zhou Qingyu’s voice revealed some surprise.
“Yeah,” Yan Xi’s voice grew even more sorrowful, “I only just realized today how painful it is to have a breakup…”
Zhou Qingyu was silent for a full minute, before finally speaking, “Stop joking, Yan Xi. You’ve been single your whole life, you’ve never even held a guy’s hand, and now you’re saying you’ve broken up? Who’s the fictional character you didn’t pull an SSR for? Xie Zhixing? Shen Zui? Or Su Chen?”
Yan Xi responded, “Su Chen… no, no! I really had a breakup!”
The phone suddenly rang with a notification: [Alipay received, 100,000 yuan.]
“Baby, I’ve transferred some money to you. Pick any card you want! What kind of man can’t you get? Anyway, I have to finish this ad shoot and then go find Brother Yubai, so if you can’t get someone, come find me later!”
After saying that, Zhou Qingyu hung up.
Yan Xi: “…?”
System: [I told you, you’re just a side character. The established plot can’t be changed!]
*[Zhou Qingyu is already being controlled by the plot and will be very love-struck! How could she possibly pass up the chance to travel with Pei Yubai?]
Yan Xi sighed, “Do you know where Qingyu is shooting the ad?”
System: [Of course!]
System: [Although I can’t change the plot, I still know what happens in the novel world!]
*[Zhou Qingyu is at the Hongrui Mall nearby right now~ She’ll probably finish the ad shoot in about half an hour!]
Yan Xi’s eyes sparkled with a sudden idea.
She glanced at the 100,000 yuan in her Alipay account, then turned to her roommates, who were chattering excitedly about where to go for dinner.
“Hey, girls, how about we go eat at Hongrui Mall? My treat!”
At the shooting location, the atmosphere was tense and busy.
After seven failed takes, Zhou Qingyu finally completed the shoot and tiredly sat down in the director’s chair to rest. Her assistant carefully approached with a large pot of health tea.
“Sister Qingyu, the director said he’ll review the footage to see if any shots need to be reshot. If not, today’s shoot will be over.”
Zhou Qingyu responded weakly with an “Mm.”
She casually took a sip of the health tea, then immediately threw the cup aside in disgust, her face full of displeasure. “What is this? It tastes horrible!”
The assistant explained, “Sister Qingyu, this is the health tea specially prepared by the new nutritionist for you. It’s said to have whitening, skin rejuvenating, slimming, and detoxifying effects…”
Zhou Qingyu sneered, a mocking smile on her face. “If drinking water could have all those miraculous effects, why would we need medical beauty treatments? And it tastes so bad! Fire the person who made this!”
“Yes…”
The assistant took the health tea away and replaced it with a bottle of mineral water.
At that moment, the assistant director walked over to inform Zhou Qingyu that there were no issues with the shots and that the shoot for the day was officially done.
Zhou Qingyu ordered the makeup artist, “Later, I’m going to meet Brother Yubai, give me a beautiful makeup look.”
“Yes.”
While Zhou Qingyu was removing her makeup, the assistant leaned in and whispered, “Sister Qingyu, the online scandal is getting out of hand. Although we clarified that the slap was part of the script, the netizens don’t believe it. They also dug up that you were involved in breaking up Ye Luoyi and Young Master Pei’s relationship…”
Zhou Qingyu impatiently interrupted, “Ye Luoyi and Brother Yubai have no relationship! She’s the one clinging to him!”
“Yes, yes, we know you’re engaged to Young Master Pei, and Ye Luoyi is just an artist from his company,” the assistant quickly reassured her. “But Ye Luoyi and Young Master Pei’s shipper fans are numerous, and since you haven’t made your engagement public, the fans think you’re the third party. They assume you slapped Ye Luoyi in the set to vent your anger. How about you clarify your relationship with Young Master Pei? That way, the rumors will dissipate on their own!”
Zhou Qingyu furrowed her brows. How she wished she could expose her relationship with Pei Yubai. However, Pei Yubai had told her that Ye Luoyi was an artist from his company, and their relationship was purely for marketing. Only by making Ye Luoyi popular could he establish himself within the Pei family.
Revealing their engagement now would harm Pei Yubai’s career.
Zhou Qingyu didn’t want to affect Pei Yubai, and she understood his difficulties. Just like him, she was competing against her half-brother, and she knew how hard it was for him.
She waved her hand dismissively. “Let it be.”
The assistant was exasperated. Although their boss was domineering, Pei Yubai’s actions seemed even more detestable. Besides, Zhou Qingyu’s roles, which were often ill-suited for her, were picked just to get closer to Pei Yubai. Her acting was average at best, and with the wrong roles, it was no surprise that she couldn’t perform well!
The assistant just couldn’t understand—why did their boss, a wealthy and influential young lady, have to revolve around Pei Yubai like this?
The assistant cautiously suggested, “Sister Qingyu, doesn’t the Zhou family’s corporation have shares in Weibo? If you ask your brother for help, he could have those rumors removed. Fans will forget about this in a few days…”
Zhou Qingyu suddenly turned her head, her eyes sharp and cold. “When did I ever need his help?”
To siblings in ordinary families, they might be allies, but in wealthy families, siblings were never allies—they were rivals.
The assistant was startled, not daring to say another word.
After removing her makeup, the makeup artist applied a bold, glamorous look for Zhou Qingyu.
With her striking features, the makeup made her look fierce and commanding. Zhou Qingyu liked the bold appearance, but when she thought about how such an aggressive look might displease Pei Yubai, her perfectly shaped brows furrowed once again.
“Qingyu, the car is downstairs.”
Zhou Qingyu replied with a sound, “You all head back. I’ll stop by the mall next door to buy something.”
The sixth floor of the Hongrui Mall housed a Michelin three-star restaurant, and Pei Yubai particularly loved the coconut milk cake sold there. Zhou Qingyu wanted to buy a couple of slices to bring to him.
Wearing sunglasses and a mask to keep a low profile, Zhou Qingyu entered the restaurant.
Normally, she would have asked her assistant to handle such a task, but this concerned Pei Yubai, and she wanted to do it herself.
The restaurant wasn’t very crowded. With an average spending of over two thousand per person, it catered mostly to the rich of Haicheng, and few paparazzi dared to stake out the place.
The waiter went off to pack the coconut milk cakes, and Zhou Qingyu found an empty spot to sit and wait.
Zhou Qingyu opened her phone, intending to ask Yan Xi if she had drawn the SSR she wanted. Suddenly, a familiar figure caught her eye.
Yan Xi?
She was here eating as well?
In the next moment, Zhou Qingyu saw the girl sitting across from Yan Xi suddenly stand up, grab a glass of water, and hurl it at Yan Xi!
“You slut! Who told you to steal my boyfriend?!”