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Chapter 2: Something Feels Off — Is He Trying to Take Advantage of Her?

The man was tall — even though Zhong Yang stood at 170 cm, she barely reached his chin. He lowered his head, leaning in close to her ear, his breath brushing lightly past, stirring a ticklish feeling.

Zhong Yang instinctively held her breath. Just as she was about to struggle free, the man spoke.

“Tell Pei Yongcheng to stay away from you.”

Zhong Yang didn’t understand what he meant and continued to struggle. “You’ve got the wrong person… Let me go!”

The man frowned slightly but let go of her, as if granting her a favor.

Zhong Yang rubbed her wrist, rolled her eyes dramatically, and turned to leave.

If she could win in a fight, she would’ve definitely cursed this lunatic out on the spot.

Who the hell comes to a bar in a suit? What is this, some CEO cosplay? Tall body, tiny brain — weirdo.

She finally sat down, and a waiter enthusiastically handed her a drink menu.

“Hello, miss. What would you like to drink?”

She took the menu, glanced over it, and said casually, “A Margarita.”

Zhong Yang had striking and glamorous features — the type that suited bold makeup. Under the dim bar lighting, the skin on her shoulders glowed with a soft sheen. The waiter stared at her in a daze.

Seeing he didn’t react, she raised her voice a little, “Hello? I said I want a Margarita.”

“Oh, right! One moment, miss.”

Zhong Yang glanced around and, not seeing that weirdo from earlier, finally relaxed and checked her messages.

[yoyo: I was out dancing and missed your texts, where are you?]
[zy: At the bar to the right of the dance floor.]
[yoyo: OK, be right there.]

Two minutes later, Xu Youyou arrived with a bottle of liquor in hand. “Hey! I’ve asked you out ten times and you never came. What changed your mind today?”

“I’m about to sell my apartment and terminate my contract with Yuntian,” Zhong Yang said breezily, spreading her hands. “I’ll be a free woman soon. Feeling great.”

“Nice. To freedom — cheers!” Xu Youyou poured a drink for her. “If you get drunk, same rule as always — my driver takes you home.”

“Hey, guess what happened to me just now?”

“Another guy asking for your WeChat?”

“No, not yet. But I bet someone will soon.” Zhong Yang recounted her encounter with the weird man, making Xu Youyou shake her head in disbelief.

“Not gonna lie, when I first met you, you had such a fiery temper. If someone on set laid a hand on you, you’d slap them and curse them out on the spot. Now you’re like some peace ambassador. Want me to step in for you? I’ve got my bodyguard waiting outside.”

“No need, missy, no need. One less problem is always better. Peace and love.”

Xu Youyou slapped away Zhong Yang’s clasped hands and shoved a drink into them. “Cut it out. Quit acting like a saint — drink up.”

After a pause, Xu suddenly got worked up. “Oh right! Did you know He Muya just won Best Actress? A single line from Wen Ci Chuan’s producer launched her to A-list status. Her acting? About the same as mine. If you had gotten that role, the show would’ve been even bigger!”

“Fate is fate.” Zhong Yang raised her eyebrows and drank half her glass. “The producer and director really did want me as the female lead, but after the scandal, they had to consider the overall situation. Recasting was inevitable.”

“But,” she added with a sarcastic smile, “replacing me with He Muya? Questionable choice.”

They clinked glasses in agreement.

After the Wen Ci Chuan crew announced Zhong Yang as the lead actress on Weibo, a scandal trended instantly: “New Starlet Cheats as the Other Woman.”

At night, in a Ferrari, Zhong Yang was photographed kissing a balding middle-aged man.

Had it been mutual love, people might just call her vain or a gold digger.

But soon, a woman claiming to be the man’s wife posted on Weibo, publicly accusing Zhong Yang of wrecking their marriage.

A mistress is never tolerated. And the cliché of a wealthy man and a pretty actress always grabs public attention.

Zhong Yang, with her seductive looks and a history of playing villainous characters, never had great public favor — now it was in ruins.

Netizens flooded her Weibo with criticism, dug into her private life, maliciously edited videos, and even faked screenshots…

Soon, the production team couldn’t withstand the pressure and recast the lead role with He Muya.

…

“I swear she totally set you up — ninety-nine percent sure!”

“Who knows? We don’t have proof.”

“I even begged my dad to help you out, and still nothing. I seriously don’t get it — what kind of background does He Muya have?”

“No idea. All I know is my background has four big words: nothing but bad luck.”

“Well hey, what goes down must come up. Yin turns into yang.” Xu Youyou took off a crystal bracelet and placed it on Zhong Yang’s wrist. “Got this at a temple — brings romance and career success. Guess how much it cost?”

“Nineteen yuan ninety?”

“Bull! 9999!”

“Girl, you got scammed again.”

“Hey, it might work. Just wear it — my gift to you for quitting.”

“Career luck’s fine, but forget the romance. I’m done with blackouts.”

Xu Youyou blinked, then nodded solemnly. “Fair. You really have the worst luck. First guy saw you as his ex’s stand-in, second guy cheated, third guy hid a whole wife…”

“Stop. Relationship experts say anything under a week doesn’t count. So I’m technically single since birth, thanks.”

They kept chatting aimlessly, jumping from celebrity scandals to African wildlife migrations. A few bottles in, both were tipsy.

Xu Youyou suddenly pouted and teared up, “I’m telling you, so many guys chase me just ‘cause I’m rich. That’s not love!”

“Yeah, gotta find someone genuine,” Zhong Yang nodded, slightly drunk.

---

The next day, Zhong Yang woke up in a hotel suite rented by Xu Youyou, nursing a headache.

She’d drunk quite a bit, but not to the point of blackout. She remembered leaving the bar, being driven here, and crashing face-down on the bed.

She picked up her phone and was shocked to see a message from her long-lost agent.

[Zhang Yue: There’s a dinner tomorrow night. Producer Yin Qi will be there. This is your only chance to make a comeback.]

What the hell?!

Something felt off — but in her current situation, a chance was still better than none. Whether it was a trap or an opportunity, she had to go find out.

After the scandal, Yuntian Entertainment immediately took back control of her Weibo and silenced her using all kinds of contract clauses.

She was furious but powerless.

Her agent, Zhang Yue, had said coldly over the phone: “Let’s not even talk about the breach of setting up your own account. You think anyone would believe a word you say without proof? Do you even believe it yourself?”

Right — without evidence, all explanations sound like weak excuses… Zhong Yang had no words.

She could usually hold her liquor well. So why did she black out that night during the crew party?

She had so many questions. She tried asking the staff, checking hotel footage, exhausting every possibility.

Nothing worked.

…

Zhong Yang checked the time and jumped out of bed.

Dinner was at 6 PM. It was already 3. She had to rush home to clean up. Her current alcohol breath was enough to knock someone out.

At 5:10, Zhang Yue messaged her.

[Zhang Yue: Downstairs. Five minutes.]

[zy: (sweat emoji) Sis, I got here ten minutes ago. Didn’t you see my message?]

Zhong Yang had showered, put on light makeup, tied up her slightly wavy hair, and wore a soft blue linen shirt with straight-cut jeans. The look toned down her natural beauty and gave her a clean, calm, and elegant appearance.

For an event like this, low-key was best.

But apparently, Zhang Yue didn’t agree.

Seeing her, Zhang Yue frowned, clearly unimpressed. “So plain?”

Before Zhong Yang could respond, she waved it off. “Forget it. No time. Get in the car.”

“Where are we going?” Zhong Yang asked.

“Dinner. With Producer Yin Qi, Mr. Pei, and several CEOs from partner companies. Mind your manners. Don’t say I didn’t warn you — this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Zhong Yang was confused. “So why am I there?”

She had no idea who Mr. Pei was. All she knew was that Yin Qi had major industry influence and was a big shareholder in Yuntian.

And with all those executives, it was clearly a business event. What did she have to do with it?

Zhang Yue grew impatient but still answered, “This is the only way I could find to help you get back in. If the investors are all there, how could you not show up? You know why you never made it big? You need to learn to adapt. Don’t act so high and mighty. Seize the opportunity while you’re still young…”

“Alright, alright,” Zhong Yang cut her off with a forced smile. “I’m super chill, okay? Just spare me the lecture.”

Heh. If she had a bad temper, would she still be sitting here listening to this crap? Back in the day, she’d have cursed her out already.

What had Zhang Yue ever done besides drag her to dinners like this? And now she had the nerve to ask why Zhong Yang didn’t make it?

She still hadn’t forgotten how Zhang Yue once turned down a role for her without permission.

The dinner location was a private club on the outskirts of the city. It wasn’t huge but was tastefully decorated — a three-story traditional Chinese building with creeping vines and yellow trumpet flowers growing along its walls, creating an elegant and vintage ambiance.

Zhong Yang followed Zhang Yue into the courtyard. Mist drifted around a water garden in classical style.

She quickly texted her location to Xu Youyou.

[zy: Zhang Yue brought me to this place for dinner tonight.]
[yoyo: WTF! That place is member-only. I’ve only been there once with my dad. Zhang Yue has access?]
[zy: It’s Yin Qi’s dinner. Says it’s to help me make a comeback. Doesn’t feel right.]
[yoyo: Don’t worry. I’m nearby. If I don’t hear from you in half an hour, I’ll come rescue you.]

“Ah, Agent Zhang! Come sit next to me,” Yin Qi beamed, signaling her over. His chubby face scrunched up from smiling too hard.

Zhong Yang wanted to sit next to Zhang Yue — that seat was closest to the service area, a more proper spot for someone junior.

Unexpectedly, Yin Qi stopped her. “Xiao Zhong, come sit on my other side.”

She quickly waved her hand, “Thank you, Producer Yin, but it’s not appropriate.”

“Oh? Not appropriate? Or…” Yin Qi’s smile faded slightly, “Xiao Zhong doesn’t want to sit next to me?”

Zhang Yue glared at her and snapped, “Listen to Producer Yin.”

Zhong Yang: “……”

She thought to herself: Is this old man trying to take advantage of me?

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