Chapter 14

Qiao Chuchu: 【This is really so melodramatic, even more so than the Korean dramas I watch. I have to say, Bai Run’s way of getting revenge is really harsh—harsh on himself and on others. He made Bai Jinyou so angry that he ended up in the hospital, it’ll probably take him a few months to recover.】

【But…】

【In the original storyline, Bai Run succeeded in his revenge. So how did Bai Yun suddenly see through his scheme? And then gave her father the hardest lesson of his life?】

She flipped through all the plot details about Bai Yun but still couldn’t find an answer.

Qiao Cen, who was seriously listening to gossip, answered in her heart, “Of course it’s because she heard your inner thoughts, sis!”

Qiao Chuchu had no idea that others could hear her thoughts and continued to ponder.

【The plot didn’t record this part, so maybe Bai Yun secretly sensed that Bai Run was up to something and then ruthlessly broke ties with her friend. It turned out pretty well, Bai Yun wasn’t harmed like in the original plot and could return to being her cool, aloof self—still the beautiful superstar.】

Qiao Cen nodded in agreement, “Yes, yes! Girls should handle things like this—straightforward and decisive when it comes to cutting off things that harm them!”

“What are you saying?”

Unknowingly, Qiao Cen had spoken his mind out loud, leaving Qiao Chuchu looking confused.

Qiao Cen quickly corrected himself, “Ah, I was just thinking of a story I read. A girl who was deceived by someone, and after finding out the truth, she decisively cut ties with them without letting herself be hurt. I think her approach is really worth learning from!”

“Of course, I hope none of us ever face such a situation!”

Qiao Chuchu nodded, “I hope so.”

Suddenly, Qiao Cen, who had turned into a lovesick brain after meeting the female protagonist, added, “I mean, if… unfortunately, you were ever in this kind of situation, you must learn from this girl, okay?”

“Got it.” Qiao Cen replied, “Don’t worry, sis, I’ll be even more decisive than she was!”

Qiao Chuchu smiled, “I hope you can do it.”

—

She had thought she would have to wait until the second episode of the variety show to meet Bai Yun, but unexpectedly, she saw her the next day. Bai Yun brought a lot of gifts with her.

Aunt Wu apologized, “Miss Bai, Cencen just left, he’s not home.”

Bai Yun said, “Auntie, I’m here to see Chuchu, Qiao Chuchu. Is she home?”

Aunt Wu was taken aback. She was also following the variety show Dear Us, and she knew that Bai Yun was a fan of Qiao Cen. So at first, she thought Bai Yun had come to see Qiao Cen.

But it turned out she hadn’t.

Aunt Wu cautiously asked, “Do you need something from Chuchu?”

Chuchu had only recently returned home, and although they had met through the variety show, they weren’t that familiar with each other yet.

Bai Yun smiled, “It’s nothing serious. It’s just that she helped me with a huge favor, and I wanted to personally thank her and hopefully become friends.”

That huge favor—she would remember it for life.

Once Aunt Wu heard this, she immediately realized that Bai Yun was here to thank Chuchu and make friends. She warmly invited her into the house.

“She’s upstairs after breakfast, I’ll go call her right now.”

When Aunt Wu came upstairs, Qiao Chuchu was video chatting with her best friend, Shen Yinyin.

“Knock knock knock——”

“Chuchu, Bai Yun is here to see you, she’s downstairs in the lobby waiting. Do you have time to come down now?”

Aunt Wu’s voice was loud, and Shen Yinyin, on the video call, heard it too.

“Who? Bai Yun? Did I hear that right? What’s she coming to see you for?”

Qiao Chuchu wasn’t sure either. “I’m not sure, I’ll go down and check.”

Shen Yinyin, full of curiosity, said, “Alright, go check out what the beauty wants. We’ll chat later after you’re done. Bye!”

In the lobby, Bai Yun, taking advantage of Aunt Wu going upstairs, had someone move all the gifts from the car into the house, stacking them in the corner, nearly forming a small mountain.

When Qiao Chuchu came downstairs, Bai Yun just turned around and saw her, smiling brightly.

“Hello, Chuchu! Please forgive me for not letting you know beforehand and showing up unannounced. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

Qiao Chuchu was taken aback by her enthusiasm. “No, not at all.”

【Why is the beauty here to see me today? And so enthusiastic? I thought after everything that happened, she would be upset for a few days, but she seems fine now.】

【So, what does she want from me? And why bring all these gifts?】

Bai Yun walked over to her, personally handing over the gift box in her hands. “I heard you like sweets, so I specially bought some new items from a dessert shop for you to try.”

Qiao Chuchu stared at the gift box. “Is this for me?”

“Yes.” Bai Yun couldn’t directly say it was to thank her for seeing through Si Xiang’s intentions, so she came up with a reason that would make sense.

“I gave one to each guest, and since our families live close, I thought I’d deliver it myself.”

“The gifts here are for you and Qiao Cen, and the ones over there are for your parents. I wasn’t sure what you all liked, so I just bought what I thought was good.”

This reason sounded plausible, and at least Qiao Chuchu believed it. Bai Yun was a fan of Qiao Cen, so it was normal for her to come and see her idol.

【People from wealthy families are so generous! Gifts piled up into a small mountain.】

【The beauty is really nice, not afraid of the time and effort it takes to deliver them personally. It smells so good! I just had breakfast less than an hour ago. I need to resist!】

Bai Yun smiled. “These desserts are best when they’re warm, fresh out of the oven. Don’t you want to try?”

The sweet, fragrant smell was indeed intoxicating, and the packaging couldn’t hide the delicious scent.

Qiao Chuchu: 【Forget it, forget it, it smells too good, I can’t resist! I’ll just try one piece.】

The dessert was soft, sweet, and flaky—absolutely delicious. It was so good that it immediately became a favorite in her heart!

Seeing her so happy eating, Bai Yun was pleased too. “Take your time, if you need more, there’s plenty.”

She was genuinely happy, because thanks to Qiao Chuchu, she had seen through Bai Run’s deception, severed ties with him, and even gave her father a hard slap in the face. After this experience, her father would likely think twice before casually finding other women.

Bai Run’s online relationships with eighteen boyfriends ended in disaster. He had deceived them out of millions of yuan, and was arrested and sentenced for fraud.

On his first day in prison, he wanted to see Bai Yun, but she refused to meet him.

The bond between them had ended the night they fell out.

From that moment on, she no longer had a friend named Si Xiang.

But, she could make new friends…

“Chuchu, can we be friends?”

—

“Ahh!”

“The beauty wants to be friends with you? Oh my god, how amazing! Did you agree?”

On the video call, Shen Yinyin was beyond shocked.

“Of course I agreed, the beauty took the initiative to me first, how could I refuse?” Qiao Chuchu smiled. “I’ve always been soft-hearted when it comes to beauties.”

“I knew it, you’re such a ‘face fan’!” Shen Yinyin continued. “Hehe, me too!”

She then asked, “Chuchu, you’ve been home for a few days now. How’s the new house? How are your new parents?”

Qiao Chuchu replied, “It’s fine. They’re really nice to me.”

“That’s good.” Shen Yinyin sighed in relief before exclaiming, “Chuchu, I never dreamed your real brother was Qiao Cen! Qiao Cen, the new top celebrity in the entertainment industry, the handsome guy who can sing and dance! I really like him!”

Qiao Chuchu thought for a moment and said, “Isn’t your husband Tong Zhichen?”

“Hehe.” Shen Yinyin said in a casual tone, “Idols are never enough. It’s just bad if you get stuck with one. If he crashes, at least I have my husband.”

Qiao Chuchu: “…As long as you’re happy.”

She didn’t follow celebrities, so she didn’t understand the joy or sorrow of being a fan.

“Is the variety show fun?” Shen Yinyin asked again. “Isn’t my husband Tong Zhichen super handsome? Did you manage to get his autograph?”

“I got it. I’ll bring it to you when I go to school.” Qiao Chuchu replied, “School isn’t as interesting as studying, but people from the entertainment industry are quite interesting.”

Everyone has two sides to them, different inside and outside. The gossip from the entertainment industry is far more interesting than anything else.

Tong Zhichen, who was clearly married, still maintained a single persona, attracting female fans and wife fans. What was even more outrageous was that his wife had been replaced, and it wasn’t discovered until half a year later. Unfortunately, the replacement had already run off, and his real wife hadn’t been found yet.

This incident hadn’t been exposed, and Qiao Chuchu wasn’t sure how to tell her best friend. She could only subtly remind her.

“Yinyin, I think your idea is right. You can’t just focus on one idol. If Tong Zhichen messes up in the future, you can jump to another fanbase, and you’ll be a happy fan again.”

Shen Yinyin quickly responded, “Pfft, pfft, pfft—”

“Chuchu, you can’t say things like that. If he really messes up, I’d still be sad.”

Hearing her say that, Qiao Chuchu simply said bluntly, “Actually, I had a dream. I dreamt of a gossip system that knows everything about everyone. Tong Zhichen is already married, he’s not single.”

“Hahaha.” Shen Yinyin laughed loudly. “Are you going to say next that you have a system, and the system told you that the world you live in is a book, and you’re the heroine of this world?”

“You’re right,” Qiao Chuchu replied seriously, “But there’s one thing that’s wrong—I’m not the heroine, I’m the villainess.”

“Hahaha, Chuchu, what novel have you secretly been reading?” Shen Yinyin thought she was joking. “Come on, tell me the name.”

Qiao Chuchu said seriously, “I’m serious.”

Shen Yinyin responded, “Alright, alright. Since the system knows everything, does it know if I’ll ever marry my perfect boyfriend?”

It was the beginning of her freshman year when she fell head over heels for a senior in his second year. She spent months chasing him, and finally, on New Year’s Eve, she succeeded in becoming his girlfriend.

Qiao Chuchu really checked, and she was shocked when she saw the result. Her brows furrowed tightly.

“Got married, but… not together.”