Chapter 11

A woman from the performing arts troupe?

Wen Xin frowned. The troupe’s star performer? Was there such a character in the novel?

When she read the book, she had only focused on the plotlines related to the supporting character based on her. Everything else, she had merely skimmed or ignored altogether.

Wait—she did remember something!

There was indeed a minor supporting character like that. In the later part of the story, after the female supporting character with the same name as her went south, the female lead, Song Qian, encountered her first major romantic rival while pursuing the male lead.

This novel had dual plotlines, blending both romance and entrepreneurship. However, its main appeal was the classic “face-slapping” and success-driven narrative. The author was clearly more comfortable writing business-related content, as Song Qian struggled with romance. She must have found it difficult to develop, so in the later chapters, she nearly abandoned the romantic plot entirely in favor of focusing on the protagonist’s rise to power.

Song Qian’s pursuit of the male lead was mainly in the first half of the novel. Wen Xin had speed-read those parts, and the tactics used were straightforward—figuring out his daily routine, creating “coincidental” encounters, and reinforcing her presence in his life. In fact, the supporting female character with the same name as Wen Xin played a significant role in setting the stage for this. Afterward, Song Qian simply went with the flow—writing love poems, sending letters in droves, and even using modern songs to woo him.

She distinctly recalled one of the songs—a romantic ballad inspired by one of the poems she had written to the male lead. The song was none other than “The Moon Represents My Heart.”

Wen Xin: “…”

As the novel progressed, it became a full-fledged business empire narrative. Song Qian introduced numerous future innovations ahead of their time, building a dazzling commercial empire that was solely hers. In doing so, she ended up stealing the opportunities of countless real-world tycoons, leaving them with no choice but to work at the lowest levels of her company.

Wen Xin: “…”

Yes, this was a novel where the protagonist rebirthed, dumped her unworthy ex, found a powerful military officer, and rose to the pinnacle of business while slapping her enemies in the face.

In the novel, the troupe’s flower (the most beautiful woman in the performing arts troupe) was initially a formidable rival to the female protagonist in her pursuit of the male lead. After all, compared to the protagonist, she had the advantage of being in close proximity to him, with far more opportunities for interaction.

Of course, opposing the female lead never ends well. After being expelled from the troupe, her family married her off to a lame bachelor from the same village. Not long after the wedding, she ran away. Later, she became a kept woman. When the female lead encountered her again years later, she was nothing more than a mistress to a small branch manager under the protagonist’s company. That day, she was confronted in public by the manager’s wife and her relatives, who stripped her clothes, slapped her, and left her exposed on the street, where countless bystanders took photos.

Now that she thought about it—damn, that was tragic! Only slightly better than the fate of the side character who shared the same name as Wen Xin in the novel.

“You haven’t heard?” A maid named Li Weihong gossiped while twirling the end of her braid with jealousy. “The whole military compound is talking about it. Tsk, tsk… how shameless!”

Wen Xin knew the situation clearly but couldn’t just agree. If she did, by tomorrow, who knows what kind of outrageous version of the story would spread? It would definitely be the kind that could make someone vomit blood.

She coughed lightly and said, “Haven’t people always said that as young people in a new era, we should have the courage to pursue our own happiness? We are all equals. If someone else dares to chase their happiness, you can too!”

“I can too?” Li Weihong’s eyes immediately lit up. “Really? Who said that?”

Wen Xin: “Uh…”

“Was it Commander Yan? Did he mention a name? Was he talking about me?” Li Weihong bombarded her with three consecutive questions, her dark little face flushed with excitement.

Wen Xin: Girl, calm down!

But thanks to that one sentence, Li Weihong quickly considered Wen Xin her new best friend, and the two became familiar with each other in no time.

Taking advantage of this, Wen Xin managed to extract a lot of information she hadn’t known before.

“Wen Xin, what perfume are you wearing? It smells so good! I’ve been catching whiffs of it all the way here—it’s even better than the pearl cream my sister-in-law bought for five yuan!”

“Really?” Wen Xin wasn’t surprised. How could skincare products from this era compare to the moisturizing oil she had personally formulated?

Her system had stored a wealth of raw materials. Ever since obtaining it, she had spent time studying cosmetics, skincare, and perfume formulations.

With ample materials at her disposal, making her own products was easy.

While high-end formulas were impossible to get, common ones were quite accessible. In fact, she often sold her excess handmade products on a certain online shop. The ones she kept for herself were always top-quality, made from premium ingredients. She only listed them for sale as “fated items”—excellent quality at a great price, earning rave reviews. Every time she posted a batch, it sold out instantly.

The moisturizing oil she was using now was one of her favorites. It was rich and nourishing but not greasy at all, despite the base oils. It contained various beneficial ingredients, including ginseng extract.

She had bought many ten-yuan farmed ginseng roots and extracted a light yellow ginseng liquid from them. Just two or three drops in 30ml of oil had an immediate moisturizing effect.

Ginseng extract was a powerful essence—it could be taken internally or applied externally, providing nourishment inside and out.

Additionally, she had included several botanical extracts for hydration and skin brightening. She made large batches at a time, using it on her face and body after bathing. It was incredibly nourishing.

Seeing the envy in Li Weihong’s eyes, an idea struck Wen Xin.

“This isn’t something you can buy anywhere. It’s a secret skincare formula passed down from the imperial concubines in the palace.”

Li Weihong’s eyes widened. “W-What? The palace?”

As a village girl, this was her first time in the city—let alone hearing about beauty secrets from the imperial palace. She was so shocked she could barely speak.

“I’m only telling you, so don’t spread it around,” Wen Xin continued. “Actually, my great-aunt was a palace maid. She brought this formula out with her. When she passed away, she left it to me.

“The formula itself is amazing, but it’s incredibly troublesome to make. It requires many rare ingredients and has to be aged for a long time before it’s usable.

“But you can smell how fragrant it is, right? I’ve been using it since I was a child. Just look at my skin…”

Of course, it smelled good. The oil was practically on par with high-end perfumes, layered with different fragrance notes. While it didn’t last as long as actual perfume, she used it as a body lotion, applying it generously.

“W-Wen Xin…” Li Weihong’s expression turned pleading.

“Alright, alright. I don’t have much left, but I’ll share a little with you. We’re friends, after all.” Wen Xin said generously, though inwardly, she was thinking: With how fast gossip spreads in this compound, word should get out soon, right? Whether I make my first fortune here will depend on Li Weihong’s ability to promote it.

“Wen Xin, you’re such a good person!” Li Weihong looked close to tears.

When they reached the two-story Yan family house, Li Weihong ran inside to grab an empty container, then eagerly waited by the door.

Meanwhile, Wen Xin went into the kitchen, rummaged around until she found an empty ceramic wine bottle, then quickly accessed her system. She expertly added various ingredients, capped the bottle, and gave it a good shake.

Finally, she went back outside and poured a small amount into Li Weihong’s container. As soon as she opened it, the rich fragrance filled the air—it was unmistakably high-quality.

Li Weihong carefully held her little box as if it were a priceless treasure, afraid to waste even a single drop.

She looked at Wen Xin with newfound admiration and repeatedly promised to be at her service whenever needed. Judging by her enthusiasm, she would definitely spread the word.

As Wen Xin made her way back, she hummed a tune, skipping happily with the bottle in hand.

That afternoon, the military district held a commendation ceremony, where Yan Zeyang delivered a speech on behalf of his regiment.

At 1.85 meters tall, dressed in a crisp green military uniform that fit him perfectly—broad shoulders, narrow waist, an impeccably straight posture—he was a striking sight.

When he stood on stage, wearing his military cap, exuding confidence and composure, his deep, powerful voice resonated through the crowd. His unwavering gaze swept over the sea of soldiers below, carrying an aura of unshakable determination.

The entire audience fell silent.

Even female soldiers weren’t immune to his charm—let alone the male soldiers in the audience, who couldn’t help but admire their formidable commander.

Afterward, the arts troupe and the female soldiers’ unit performed a show.

Yan Zeyang sat in the front row, lazily watching the host announce the acts and the female soldiers’ singing and dancing performances. Behind him, a group of young soldiers were so excited that they nearly clapped their hands raw, their cheers and shouts filling the entire venue.

The noise made Yan Zeyang frown. He turned around and shot a glance at a few of his own soldiers who were yelling the loudest, silently noting them in his mind. They were acting as if they had never seen a woman before—utterly embarrassing! He’d deal with them later. The moment his sharp gaze swept over them, those soldiers immediately quieted down, sitting up straight and not daring to make another sound.

If it weren’t for the fact that someone had brought him a package this morning, he wouldn’t have stayed this long. He would have left the stage and gone straight back to his duties rather than waste time here. Finally, as the show ended, he got up and headed backstage.

As soon as the leader of the arts troupe, Director Zhao, saw Yan Zeyang, he signaled for someone to bring over a large and rather heavy bag.

“Commander Yan, why did you have Xiao He bring this over? The shells are hard to peel. If you had told me earlier, I would’ve had my wife prepare them for you before bringing them over,” Zhao said.

Yan Zeyang gave a polite smile, the corners of his lips barely curving. “I wouldn’t dream of troubling your wife. We have maid at home for that.”

Director Zhao chuckled, shaking his head. “You little rascal, you really know how to put people in a tough spot.”

Yan Zeyang had been preoccupied with this package all day. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had the patience to sit through the entire performance. After exchanging a few polite words with Director Zhao, he grabbed the package and was about to leave when—

“Commander Yan!”

A crisp voice rang out behind him.

A female soldier, wearing a military cap and a performance uniform, ran toward him with her long braids bouncing behind her.

Her call immediately drew the attention of the surrounding people.

Yan Zeyang turned around with a slight frown. Though he wasn’t pleased about being stopped, he maintained a formal and distant politeness. “A comrade from the arts troupe? What can I do for you?”

“I’m Han Xiuli. Don’t you remember me? We spoke backstage last time. I didn’t expect Commander Yan to stay and watch our performance until the very end today…”

Looking at the tall, disciplined man in front of her—whose presence was both strict and untamed, exuding pure military masculinity—Han Xiuli couldn’t help but lower her head shyly. Her fingers twirled nervously around the tip of her braid.