CHAPTER 35 (PART 1)

It wasn’t just Ding Xuan. The program had also caught over ten others making minor attempts at vote manipulation. However, apart from Ding Xuan, the rest hadn’t dared to go too far on the final night of the show. Their manipulated votes weren’t enough to secure a spot, and they ultimately failed to make the debut lineup.

As netizens erupted in discussion, they couldn’t help but express their confusion:

[This is the first time I’ve seen a production team slapping themselves in the face so hard]

[More than just Ding Xuan? They dug up even more?]

[Is this production team for real? They even disclosed all the details of how the votes were manipulated? Incredible. The final lineup is already decided—releasing this now just makes it even more embarrassing. Other industry insiders must be in tears.]

[Damn, this program just outright exposed an industry-wide dirty secret. Who would’ve thought they had the guts? Well, now even that dumbass Micro Light (the entertainment company) is starting to look like a pitiful victim to me.]

Ding Xuan put down her phone, shaking with rage. “The production team gets to trample on me and still come out looking good? Dream on! The final lineup has already been announced…”

Her agent sighed and lit a cigarette. “Did you call Mr. Li?”

The “Mr. Li” he referred to was the CEO of Lion King Entertainment. Back when Ding Xuan was still a student, she had already started dating him.

“I did. He didn’t pick up…” Mentioning this made Ding Xuan even angrier. “Not a single damn person is answering my calls! Do they think their phones are just decorations?”

The agent exhaled a long breath. “Your best move right now is to voluntarily withdraw from the group and shift the blame onto your management team… We’ve discussed it. This is the best way out. If you wait for the production team to issue a notice and force you out, it’ll be a lot uglier.”

Ding Xuan refused to believe it. “Has the production team lost their minds? Aren’t they afraid of being questioned? Are they all brain-dead? What possible gain could they have from exposing their own flaws?”

She declared, “I’m not quitting voluntarily!”

The agent hesitated for a moment. “I heard something, but I’m not sure if it’s true. They say the reason the production team started this internal investigation… is because of a single word from a big boss upstairs.”

“What big boss?” Ding Xuan was stunned.

“Mr. Cheng of the Cheng Corporation.”

Ding Xuan froze.

A long moment later, realization hit her like a ton of bricks. She was so furious that she cursed out loud. “Dong Jiayu tricked me into going after Jiang Su! That liar! Jiang Su is the one Cheng Yue actually cares about!”

“I’m finished.” Ding Xuan’s throat tightened. She didn’t even dare to recall the presence of that “Mr. Cheng” from that day. He was undoubtedly handsome, but his aura was terrifying. “I’m really finished.”

“I heard Mr. Li mention Cheng Yue once. He said Cheng Yue is not someone you can afford to offend. If you do, he won’t hold back… Just look at what happened to Dong Jiayu,” Ding Xuan muttered.

When she had heard those stories before, she had been an outsider. Back then, she had even felt admiration for Cheng Yue. The instinct to admire power and strength was deeply ingrained in human nature.

But now that she was caught up in it herself, all she felt was terror.

With trembling hands, Ding Xuan picked up her phone and nearly dialed the wrong number. She called the production team.

Thirty minutes later—

Both Ding Xuan and the program issued official statements. Ding Xuan withdrew from the group and would be on hiatus for three months.

[? This doesn’t seem like Ding Xuan’s style at all]

[She admitted fault so quickly? And even agreed to a hiatus? Her sugar daddy couldn’t protect her this time?]

Ding Xuan publicly admitted her mistake, but deep down, she was still bitter over how Dong Jiayu had used her.

Dong Jiayu had exaggerated her close relationship with Cheng Yue, using Ding Xuan as a pawn against Jiang Su without dirtying her own hands. And now? She had nearly ended up on Cheng Yue’s blacklist… Ding Xuan clenched her teeth, had someone investigate Dong Jiayu’s current residence, and then went straight to confront her.

“The only way to make sure Mr. Cheng knows I had nothing to do with Dong Jiayu is to beat her down even harder,” Ding Xuan growled.

Meanwhile, Dong Jiayu tried to seek out Zhao Bo’ang, only to be turned away at an exclusive club.

She still had about 100,000 left to her name.

Not wanting to appear weak, Dong Jiayu lifted her chin, forcing herself to maintain her usual air of confidence, and discreetly slipped some money into the hands of the club’s staff.

But the staff politely declined. “You know the rules—this place isn’t open to just anyone.”

The last time she had heard those words, they had been directed at a third-tier actress.

Back then, Dong Jiayu had smugly walked past that actress, slow and deliberate.

Now, it was her turn.

Swallowing her anger, she returned to her studio, only to find that Ding Xuan had completely trashed the place. Her employees hesitated before coming forward one by one—to resign.

When people work together, they build something great.

But when they tear each other down, everything crumbles just as quickly.

Dong Jiayu was so furious she was nearly losing her mind.

She forced out a strangled sound. “Call the police—no, wait. We can’t call the police. Find a private investigator… Why didn’t anyone stop Ding Xuan from wrecking this place?”

She was going to skin Ding Xuan alive!

“Do you mean the investigator you usually hire? You forgot? He charges 200,000 per job.”

“Also, Sister Wang called yesterday. The cosmetics brand is demanding compensation for breach of contract.”

Breach penalties, luxury club fees, and all the expenses she had racked up to maintain her high-society image were suddenly crushing her, making her feel as if she were suffocating.

Even now, she still couldn’t comprehend how desperately clinging to an illusion of nobility had led to her own downfall.

“Yesterday… wasn’t there a call about some job offer?” Dong Jiayu tried to compose herself and asked.

“They said… they were inviting you to join their platform as a livestreamer.”

In an instant, Dong Jiayu understood what Cheng Yue had meant when he said someone would teach her how to stream.

—

Ding Xuan’s departure from the group quickly reached the ears of the remaining members.

When Yu Xinyan called Jiang Su, her tone carried a trace of sentimentality. “Actually, when Ding Xuan left today… she still looked like she was being treated like a star.”

Jiang Su still felt it was a bit of a pity. “She just left?”

“Yeah, what else could she do? She probably felt embarrassed. There were a lot of entertainment reporters outside today, surrounding her as she walked out…”

Wu Qingqing chimed in with a sarcastic joke, “That was probably the most glamorous and eventful day of her life.”

Yu Xinyan couldn’t help but sigh. “Honestly, in a way, this is a good thing. Maybe… things will be fairer from now on?”

Wu Qingqing just smiled without responding.

Fairer? How could that be possible?

Still, making an example out of someone always had its benefits.

“Su Su, has your film started shooting? I saw some news about your crew.” Yu Xinyan asked.

“Is everyone easy to get along with?” Wu Qingqing lowered her voice, asking a more practical question.

Jiang Su paused for a moment and glanced at the main cast. “Yeah, they’re easy to get along with.”

Not far away, the director clapped his hands. “Alright, alright. Feng Jing, have you rested enough? If you’re ready, let’s continue!”

Feng Jing was drenched from head to toe, her hair covered in mud. For a moment, she couldn’t even tell if she was just acting ugly or if she actually looked terrible.

She took a deep breath, pushing down the resentment in her chest. “I’m ready.”

After finishing her scenes for the day, Jiang Su hitched a ride with Xu Dazhi and temporarily left the set.

She had dinner with a few other group members before heading to another city to film a variety show.

The show was called Me and My Good Friends.

The first episode mainly focused on the reunion of the Sun & Moon Girls with their mentors. They played games, had a picnic on the grass, and enjoyed some casual fun together.

Fans were overwhelmed with nostalgia, crying as they shouted, “It’s just like the night they debuted!”

But the production team felt that the show was still missing something.

To keep things fresh, most variety shows nowadays invited different guests for each episode.

So, the production team decided to adopt the same approach.

“Our show is called Me and My Good Friends, right? So, how about this—you each invite a friend to join the recording. They can be fellow celebrities or non-industry friends. The program team will handle the contracts. If your friend can’t make it, we’ll invite another available celebrity instead…”

The director paused, then added, “Think this through carefully. The guests you invite should be people who can enhance your public image.”

Everyone nodded eagerly, looking a bit excited.

This was essentially an opportunity for them to craft their personas. Things they couldn’t say about themselves, they could let their friends say.

Only Jiang Su was stunned.

She had no friends.

If merely knowing someone counted as friendship, then almost everyone she knew was already in this show.

After the first episode wrapped, Jiang Su called Xu Dazhi.

Xu Dazhi was just as baffled.

How could she not have any friends?

Yu Xinyan and Wu Qingqing… oh, right, they were already part of the show. Then… then… Xu Dazhi thought hard but couldn’t come up with anyone.

Yan Shao? No way.

He wasn’t exactly a friend.

And if she brought him on the show, the Yan family would probably explode in anger.