Xia Chengcheng dashed back to the study like a whirlwind, rummaging through drawers and cabinets until she finally found the original owner’s marriage certificate.

The wedding date was three days ago.

The moment she saw the photo of the couple, Xia Chengcheng collapsed onto the sofa. “System, why didn’t you tell me the original owner was married?”

The system answered sheepishly, 〖To be honest, I only found out half an hour before you did.〗

So it was that damned hidden storyline again!

The system continued smugly, 〖But weren’t you pretty good at deduction yesterday? How come you didn’t figure out the truth?〗

“Hah, even if I were better, I’d never guess I’m Xie Zhixing’s wife!”  Xia Chengcheng rolled her eyes. “The original owner practically had ‘I only love Han Jialin’ written all over her face! How could I possibly imagine she’d marry Xie Zhixing?”

Wait a minute.

Xia Chengcheng suddenly thought of something.

The original owner liked Han Jialin. She would never have married Xie Zhixing of her own will. So the marriage was most likely arranged by their elders, and the one most likely to have done that was the original owner’s mother, Xia Bailu.

This marriage probably had benefits for both the original owner and Xie Zhixing, that’s why they both agreed to it.

An eight-figure deposit on her bank account…… and Yulin Garden.

The realization hit Xia Chengcheng.

“The original owner must have intended to use the marriage to claim the dowry Xia Bailu left her, then rely on that dowry to make a comeback in the entertainment industry and win back Han Jialin!”

Xia Chengcheng pieced together the general logic. “But she hadn’t anticipated that the incident with Ji Jinghan would push her to commit suicide. That’s why this marriage became a hidden plotline.”

Xia Chengcheng rubbed her chin and thought further, “The original owner’s ultimate goal was still to get Han Jialin back, so her marriage to Xie Zhixing was only a temporary strategy. Once she got the money, they’d go their separate ways. So…… Xie Zhixing came today to divorce me?”

〖System: ……〗

Now it seriously suspected that the one with the background knowledge of the script wasn’t itself, but its host! And she was hiding it from the system!

The door to the study opened, and Xie Zhixing stood in the doorway.

Xia Chengcheng quickly hid the marriage certificate behind her and stared straight at Xie Zhixing.

That handsome face made her heart skip a beat, though she couldn’t tell if it was from nerves or his sheer good looks.

Xie Zhixing’s manner was polite but distant.

“Are you ready?”

Xia Chengcheng’s mouth moved faster than her brain. She answered firmly, “No!”

Xie Zhixing: “……?”

He frowned slightly, his cold eyes scanning Xia Chengcheng.

〖System: Host! What are you doing?! Aren’t you going to divorce Xie Zhixing?!〗

“With such a handsome guy, of course I’m not divorcing him!”  Xia Chengcheng said with complete seriousness. “If we divorce, how can I spill the tea on his secret marriage?!”

〖System: ???〗

〖System: You won’t even spare your own tea?〗

“A true paparazzi never gives up juicy gossip! Never!”  Xia Chengcheng’s eyes shone with determination. “This is my stance as a paparazzi!”

〖System: ……〗

Seeing that Xie Zhixing didn’t press further, Xia Chengcheng casually stuffed the marriage certificate into her back pocket and pretended to leave the study as if nothing had happened.

Xie Zhixing’s voice turned cold, “You’re just going to leave like that?”

“I’m going to sleep.” Xia Chengcheng lied smoothly.

Xie Zhixing said nothing, though his expression darkened.

But the system added what Xie Zhixing probably wanted to say, 〖He’s definitely wondering why you suddenly changed your mind about the divorce. Don’t think you can get away with it that easily!〗

Xia Chengcheng thought for a second, then her eyes curved into a smile. She clung to Xie Zhixing’s arm sweetly like a delicate bird, “Husband~ Want to join me?”

Xie Zhixing: “?”

Assistant Zhou: “??”

〖System: ???〗

Xia Chengcheng flashed a flirtatious smile, ignoring the two dumbfounded faces beside her, and swaggered off back to the bedroom.

“CEO Xie……” After she left, Assistant Zhou finally found his voice, though it trembled a little, “Do you think Madam…… might be possessed by something unclean?!”

Xie Zhixing rubbed his brow, also uncertain about what kind of game Xia Chengcheng was playing.

“Forget it. Let’s return to the company.”

“We’re not going to the Civil Affairs Bureau?” Assistant Zhou was shocked. “What about the divorce?”

“Put it on hold. Xia Chengcheng is acting a bit strange today.” Xie Zhixing’s voice was calm, but his eyes followed her retreating figure, a flicker of curiosity passing through them. “……It’s like she’s a different person.”

────ρя

This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m

The Rolls-Royce didn’t stay long and eventually left Yulin Garden.

Xia Chengcheng and the system both let out a sigh of relief.

They’d thought Xie Zhixing would drag her to the Civil Affairs Bureau to finalize the divorce, but he had surprisingly let her go.

〖Host, how could you call the villain ‘husband’?! And you even ask him to sleep with you!〗 The system was speechless. 〖Aren’t you afraid he’ll find out you’re a different person? He might kill you on the spot!〗

Xia Chengcheng gritted her teeth. “Even if he kills me, I won’t divorce him! Otherwise, how can I expose the movie king’s secret marriage?!”

〖System: ……〗

You may be a paparazzi, but aren’t you being a bit too dedicated?

“But who would’ve thought calling him husband would work so well?” Xia Chengcheng said with a cheeky smile. “System, do you think Xie Zhixing might really believe I like him?”

System pouted. 〖I doubt it.〗

Xia Chengcheng didn’t care. “It’s fine, as long as he doesn’t divorce me. That means I still have my gossip. Sooner or later, I’ll have a chance to drop the bomb!”

〖System: ……〗

So leaking tea is your true mission, huh?

〖But you’d better be careful.〗 The system warned. 〖Don’t think about that gossip unless it’s your last resort. I can help you cover up your identity as Lie Crusher for now, but if you leak the fact that Xie Zhixing is secretly married, I won’t be able to cover for you anymore. If Xie Zhixing finds out you’re Lie Crusher and used him for a scoop— given his personality and background— he definitely won’t let you go!〗

“Relax.”  Xia Chengcheng comforted the system. “This is my life-saving trump card. I’ll never reveal it unless absolutely necessary~”

The divorce crisis had passed.

After resting for a while, Xia Chengcheng logged into her Lie Crusher account.

The comments were exploding. Fans were demanding gossip on Xie Zhixing.

He was famously mysterious in the entertainment industry.

After becoming a movie king, he only starred in one movie per year at most, and completely avoided all other public appearances.

Paparazzi had long been dying to dig up dirt on him, but his privacy was airtight. Even his fans barely knew anything about his private life.

And yet, he was wildly popular.

It was a seller’s market, and demand far exceeded supply. That meant any gossip site claiming to have dirt on Xie Zhixing instantly became red-hot.

But Xia Chengcheng understood very well that she couldn’t be just another marketing account riding the tide.

Paparazzi accounts could never gain the stable, unwavering support that celebrities received from fans. Their reputations were fragile and easily destroyed. If she failed to deliver real gossip— or worse, posted fake news— people would lose trust in her, and her credibility would collapse.

If that happened, even the biggest scoop in the future would be worthless.

She had to make Lie Crusher unquestioned authority to keep her reputation intact and ensure a steady flow of reputation points!

〖But what else can you leak?〗 The system sighed. 〖You can’t talk about his family. You can’t talk about his marriage either.〗

Xia Chengcheng rested her chin on her hand. “If there’s no gossip, then let’s create some, shall we? I never said the gossip had to be career-ending. As long as it satisfies the netizens’ curiosity, it works!”

In the entertainment world, gossip came in tiers, and those tiers were tied to a celebrity’s status.

For example, a Z-list celebrity cheating would stir up about as much buzz as an A-list celebrity swearing at people.

But someone like Xie Zhixing— who had no known scandals— well, even the smallest rumor would be a major scoop!

The system sounded nervous, 〖Host, what are you plotting again? I’m warning you! Xie Zhixing is a major villain! A major villain! Don’t do anything reckless!〗

It had finally recruited Xia Chengcheng and didn’t want her to die by chapter ten!

Xia Chengcheng grinned mischievously. “Relax, I’m a professional. Now that I’m Mrs. Xie, forging some innocent gossip about Xie Zhixing is child’s play! It doesn’t even have to be scandalous. Just get it trending with the word ‘bombshell’, and mission accomplished!”

The system didn’t answer, but its virtual eyelids twitched.

Ah, why did that smile of hers only make it more nervous?