Su Ning still remembers that when he stepped out of the film festival’s award ceremony tonight, a torrential downpour suddenly hit.

The rain poured down from the sky, dark clouds rolling, framing the brilliantly lit venue like a pearl resting on black velvet.

Due to the heavy rain, the organizers held everyone back briefly. There was a wine party following the festival, so while the rain pattered down outside, laughter and lively conversation filled the space indoors.

But the focus of tonight’s ceremony wasn’t the Film Emperor or Film Empress who won awards—it was Su Ning.

He wasn’t an award-winning star tonight, nor was he part of any film crew, yet his seat was in the very center of the front row.

At the wine party, Su Ning had just exchanged pleasantries with the festival organizers when the Film Emperor of the night seized the chance to approach him, saying, “Mr. Su! I didn’t get a chance to talk to you earlier; I haven’t had a proper chance to thank you!”

With a flattering tone that was miles away from his earlier cool demeanor on stage, he continued, “If it weren’t for you choosing me for this role back then, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Su Ning turned his head at his words.

Anyone who saw Su Ning’s face would find it surprising. In terms of looks alone, he appeared more like a star than most of the stars tonight. But in reality, he was a renowned investor in the industry, famously dubbed “Golden Finger.”

This man had started from scratch at a young age, rising from an artist assistant to a manager to owning his own company—a legend in the industry. And the dark horse that emerged at tonight’s awards was one of his projects.

Such a person was naturally more significant than ten celebrities combined and a target that many in the industry sought to flatter.

Not surprisingly, more than just the Film Emperor noticed Su Ning standing alone. Several rising young actors gathered around, creating a scene with Su Ning as the center of attention.

The Film Emperor grinned, saying, “Mr. Su, the rain is pouring so hard tonight. I remember your place is quite far from here—how about heading to my place for a bit? My hotel is just nearby.”

Several others chimed in, inviting him to rest at their own places. Someone even suggested they could find a room in the venue’s hotel with ease.

“No need; no need to worry about me,” Su Ning declined, politely turning down each offer with a nod. “I have a meeting tomorrow and need to return to the company. If there’s a chance in the future, we can chat more.”

Noticing the rain easing, he quickly made his exit, leaving the group looking at each other.

This was Su Ning—the famously unyielding workaholic who never gave an inch. No one had ever heard of anyone close to him, and he was notoriously hard to get close to.

In fact, there’d been an incident with a star he managed who drunkenly confessed love on social media but didn’t delete it even after sobering up, only to be met with complete silence from Su Ning.

But who could blame him? He was Su Ning.

Didn’t they see? At tonight’s awards ceremony, even the most blurry candid photos of Su Ning had higher buzz than the stars themselves. Dressed in a suit, his gaze caught by the camera had a star-like glimmer that made even candid shots look stunning.

Su Ning was indeed focused on business.

If not for his familiarity with the festival’s organizers, he wouldn’t have come tonight. He wasn’t a star; being here was less productive than staying back at the company.

As he left, those still at the party watched his retreating back. Some stars regretted not talking more with him, while others watched him from the shadows, their expressions distinctly unfriendly.

Su Ning didn’t care about such emotions. Once in the car, he started discussing work with the vice president immediately, as though the achievements at tonight’s awards were long forgotten.

Su Ning always looked ahead.

Tomorrow would be the company’s internal copyright meeting, so even though it was already late, he was determined to return to the company. The vice president flipped through project materials, going over the major projects for the second half of the year.

Halfway through, the vice president finished going through the last file when he suddenly went, “Huh?”

Su Ning asked, “What’s up?”

“Boss, do you remember there’s a rather cursed project in our company called Thorns and Thistles?” The vice president pulled out the final project file. “We’d decided against adapting it, but somehow it ended up back in the pile.”

Hearing this, Su Ning vaguely remembered it but couldn’t quite place it.

The vice president reminded him, “It’s the one I told you about, where a villainous minor character shares your name, Su Ning, and in the book, his family’s company goes bankrupt, and he ends up dead. It’s quite ominous.”

“Also, the main character suffers miserably in the book, facing constant setbacks and ultimately dying. Right now, sweet romance dramas are trending, so this depressing, tragic story won’t have much market.”

With that, Su Ning recalled a few details.

Thorns and Thistles was a tragic showbiz story that told of a main character who entered the entertainment industry with dreams and talent, faced countless setbacks but persisted, only to pass away just short of achieving his dream trophy.

It was one of the earliest copyrights Su Ning’s company had acquired, almost like an “old-timer” accompanying the company as it grew.

The original novel was rather unremarkable, with moderate success, but the author was well-known, so it was bundled in with other works when they bought the rights.

Now it was nowhere near the list of S and S+ projects in Su Ning’s company and only rated an A due to the author’s fame.

Normally, a low-level project like this wouldn’t need the CEO’s attention and should have been adapted long ago, yet the project seemed “cursed,” facing numerous setbacks.

Directors signed up, only to drop out for other projects, writers discovered health issues, and set locations suddenly closed down.

There were no book fans clamoring for adaptation, and every setback led the team to shift focus to more lucrative projects, leaving it shelved for nearly ten years.

Seeing the copyright expiration looming, the department had only just remembered it.

The vice president had even reached out to the original author, who, after some thought, vaguely recalled it as something written during a career slump.

Back then, there was a brief trend of tragic stories, and the author had stuffed the plot with dramatic tropes. But, as the story gained only mediocre reception, he hastily ended it with the main character’s unremarkable, tragic demise, leading to reader backlash.

The project was seen as cursed in the industry. Entertainment circles were somewhat superstitious, so the vice president had decided against adapting it.

The story and its character seemed universally disliked and fated to be abandoned.

But for some reason, this project still resurfaced—perhaps picked up by mistake.

After listening, Su Ning didn’t plan to intervene but, as the vice president moved to set the project file aside, something made him say, “Wait.”

“Pass it over. Let me take a look.”

He had just glimpsed the cover, and something inexplicably compelled him. Maybe it was his unwillingness to abandon any project.

Surprised, the vice president handed it to him, and Su Ning was about to take it when his hand slipped.

It wasn’t his movement that changed; the entire car had suddenly lurched.

As he saw the file rise into the air, its cover flipping open, Su Ning’s gaze was momentarily fixed. At that moment, he caught sight of a few phrases on the first page.

“The crown of the arts—the Thorn Award trophy…”

“Li Chu… betrayed, humiliated in Guang Ying Entertainment… suppressed, sidelined…”

“Guang Ying Entertainment ultimately fell, taken over by Shen Entertainment, a towering tree toppled…”

The words flashed before his eyes, becoming the last thing he saw.

Tonight’s rain was too heavy, with water accumulating on the roads. Perhaps the driver had secretly had a few drinks backstage at the award ceremony because Su Ning caught a faint whiff of alcohol.

It all happened too fast.

In that moment, Su Ning felt no pain, only chaos. When he woke, his head pounded, and those last words from the project file were etched in his mind.

Oddly, the smell of alcohol grew stronger. Someone was shaking him, calling his name softly.

“Mr. Su, Mr. Su, wake up.”

“Mr. Jiang is calling you.”

These days, no one called him “Mr. Su” anymore; they called him “President Su.”

Puzzled by the apparent drop in title, Su Ning forced his eyes open and saw a round-faced girl squatting beside him. She looked young, her makeup heavy, and she sighed in relief as he woke.

Behind her stood a crowd. Lights flashed, music blared, and everyone was staring at him.

This… definitely wasn’t a place Su Ning would normally visit.

What’s going on?

“You’re finally awake.”

As she finished speaking, another man stepped out, smirking. “Mr. Su, awake? Look, I even got a little something to keep you entertained. With all the favors I’m doing for you tonight and even taking care of your PR issues, in exchange for some time with Li Chu, it’s a fair trade, no?”

“After all, you promised to bring Li Chu tonight. He’s not here yet—don’t tell me you’re playing me?”

Su Ning’s mind buzzed. Only fragments of the man’s words registered.

He managed to sit up, and as the man pushed the girl toward him, Su Ning caught her eye and then took a sweeping look around the room. A wave of nausea surged up from the stench of alcohol, making him feel sick.

The man’s cocky expression turned wary at the sight, and he took a few steps back, cursing under his breath as he signaled someone to take Su Ning to the restroom.

The person who helped Su Ning up was the girl who had awakened him, and on the way to the bathroom, Su Ning could hear the impatient voice of “Mr. Jiang” behind him: “Make him call Li Chu over. I’ve already done him enough favors tonight; he’d better remember what he owes me.”

These last words were directed at Su Ning.

There was a private bathroom in the room, and once there, the girl wiped his face with a towel while Su Ning leaned over the sink, retching.

She patted him gently, her expression unsettled, then noticed one of her friends peeking in from outside, signaling to her.

As Su Ning slumped over the sink with his eyes closed, the girl, named Zhou Chunqing, took a few steps back, then quietly slipped out to join her friend.

They didn’t go far, afraid something might happen inside, so they closed the bathroom door and, under cover of the running water, began talking quietly.

Her friend’s first words were, “Why’d you go over to help Su Ning? You should keep your distance.”

“They called me over; I had no choice,” Zhou Chunqing, an obscure actress, replied, stowing her usual friendly smile. “When did Mr. Jiang start eyeing Li Chu?”

“That’s why I came to tell you. While you were away filming, Li Chu went out working part-time and somehow caught the attention of Jiang Chenfeng, that bastard. He’s been after him a few times, but Li Chu keeps dodging him,” her friend sighed. “Jiang Chenfeng doesn’t seem to know you two are cousins yet. He always gets what he wants, though.”

“At first, Li Chu refused, but now it seems harder to avoid. You heard him—inside is Su Ning, the prince of Guang Ying Entertainment, and Mr. Su has something hanging over him, so tonight they forced him to bring Li Chu over for some fun. Su Ning already agreed.”

Li Chu was a trainee at Guang Ying Entertainment.

“How could this happen?”

Zhou Chunqing’s face turned pale. “Isn’t Guang Ying Entertainment a big company? This isn’t like us. They’ve never done anything like this before—how could they?”

Her friend sighed, “It’s because Su Ning owes a favor.”

“You probably haven’t heard yet since you were filming in the countryside with no internet, but this Mr. Su is just another spoiled rich kid with a terrible reputation—everyone in the country probably knows about him by now.”

Her friend explained the latest internet scandal involving Su Ning.

Apparently, the young master of Guang Ying Entertainment wanted to enter showbiz as an idol. But unlike regular people, his starting point was Idol Star Map’s fourth season, a 101-style idol competition show that’s been wildly popular. Thanks to his family background, good looks, and plenty of camera time, he quickly gained popularity, his rank never dropping out of debut range.

Unfortunately, his singing and dancing were abysmal, and while his high rank stayed, the audience’s discontent simmered—half fans, half haters, and all controversial.

A few days ago, however, something happened that caused him to fall from grace and skyrocket to the top of the hate list.

In a bonus behind-the-scenes live segment of Idol Star Map, during a fun game for the trainees, Su Ning took advantage of the game and pushed another contestant so hard that he fell off the competition stage, breaking his arm.

The injured contestant was Sang Le, a doll-faced, petite trainee with a large fan base. Standing beside Su Ning, he looked particularly pitiful.

Coincidentally, Sang Le and Su Ning shared the same dorm, and their ranks were close, both hovering around debut spots. Though they had different styles, competition between them was evident.

Rumors had circulated that Su Ning repeatedly isolated and bullied Sang Le, sparking several fan wars, though there was never any proof.

This time, however, during the live broadcast, countless viewers watched as Sang Le fell in pain, leaving a visibly shocked Su Ning standing on stage, hands frozen in a pushing position.

The live stream cut off quickly, and the news of Sang Le’s broken arm spread fast.

With the finals around the corner, the impact of such an injury was unimaginable. The show’s producers promised urgent medical care for a swift recovery, but whether he could make it to the final stage remained uncertain.

Sang Le came from a humble background and, as an independent trainee with no support, drew a stark contrast to someone like Su Ning, who had powerful family connections. Worse, even as anger mounted, it was clear someone was suppressing the trending topic. Some rumors even blamed faulty safety equipment, calling it an accident.

Just as fans were outraged, a gossip account stoked the flames with a big exposé.

Complete with photos and video clips, the exposé confirmed rumors of Su Ning bullying Sang Le.

It included footage of Sang Le sitting alone in the corner during team practice, while other teammates crowded around the well-connected Su Ning, ignoring Sang Le. Even when Sang Le tried to communicate, he received no response, hinting at isolation.

When this was paired with an older controversy over team choreography, viewers noticed that although Sang Le excelled, all other members picked the rhythm-challenged Su Ning as the center. They even trimmed Sang Le’s parts, with the redistributed lines going to others.

Sang Le had received only two lines during the second performance and spent the rest in the back, which had raised suspicions back then. Yet his charming solo fancam had racked up the most views, winning him many devoted fans, and the complaints had eventually quieted down.

Now, with the injury scandal reigniting public outcry, these video clips and images surfaced. It was rumored they were anonymously leaked by staff from the show, with screenshots backing up claims of injustice.

“Can’t stand it anymore,” one anonymous tip read. “The safety harness was cut halfway—how’s that an accident?”

“It’s awful enough when a trainee with no backing gets bullied, but ending his career? Just the thought of Su Ning debuting as an idol is sickening.”

Meanwhile, other accounts claiming to be Su Ning’s old classmates painted him as lazy and arrogant. Some even alleged Su Ning had denied Sang Le food and rest during the show.

Both true and false mixed together, with hashtagged hate terms like “Su Ning injury scandal” and “Su Ning bullying” trending higher by the minute.

A talentless, arrogant heir using his clout to oppress an underdog and ruin his future at the last moment? Even those who didn’t watch idol shows were enraged.

Though the live broadcast didn’t capture his actions directly, the public had already made up their minds about him.

Only Su Ning continued to insist he hadn’t pushed anyone, but who would believe him now?

At this point, Zhou Chunqing understood.

No wonder they said Su Ning was in Jiang Chenfeng’s debt. Jiang’s family-owned Jiang Media runs the country’s largest social media platform, and its trending list sets the tone for entertainment industry buzz. To suppress the heat, Su Ning needed Jiang Chenfeng’s help.

“We have to get Li Chu out of here,” Zhou Chunqing said firmly. “There’s no way he should end up like me.”

Her friend was equally anxious, gripping her hand but coming up blank for ideas. They whispered outside the restroom, sharing a frustrated glance.

They were so caught up in their conversation that they forgot Su Ning was still inside, retching. The door remained slightly ajar, and little did they know their conversation was heard by Su Ning.

Su Ning had just washed his face and felt more sober, but his mind was still hazy. In a blink, he’d become the wicked “Mr. Su.”

Examining his reflection, this face looked identical to his younger self, but the hair color was bold and vibrant, and his palms were calloused-free—a different person entirely.

Su Ning, who had been in the industry for nearly twenty years and built himself from the ground up, had seen countless dramatic scripts, yet he never thought he’d experience something as absurd as waking up in a novel.

And not just any novel—it seemed to be Thorns and Thistles, the very project he’d seen moments before, the “cursed” one.

Once he had sobered up, the original character’s memories started to resurface.

The pieces matched up with the lines he’d read in the summary.

The “Thorn Award,” the top trophy in the industry, fit the main character’s goal. Guang Ying Entertainment was his own company, and the name Li Chu also appeared in the summary.

So Li Chu was real in this world.

As he’d just overheard, the original Su Ning had been willing to sacrifice an innocent trainee to appease Jiang Chenfeng, all to suppress that damning trending scandal.

Outside, the two young stars were clearly friends of Li Chu, trying desperately to find a way out for him, yet what they knew was only part of the story.

From the original’s memories, Su Ning could see that the accusations against him had layers of truth and exaggeration.

The original Su Ning was indeed a spoiled heir, and his long-standing feud with Sang Le stemmed from envy. Sang Le, a skilled contestant, often drew favorable comparisons from the audience, which irked Su Ning. Their rankings were close, and their fans clashed constantly, fueling rivalry.

But Su Ning’s biggest reason for joining the show was actually his romantic interest.

The show’s celebrity mentor, Shen Huai, was someone Su Ning liked.

Shen Huai was twenty-six, a national idol who’d transitioned from an idol to a well-loved actor over his decade-long career. He was a national heartthrob and, in private, Su Ning’s betrothed.

The Su family’s Guang Ying Entertainment and the Shen family’s Shen Entertainment were on par and had maintained a close relationship. The engagement was set long ago, and given the world’s open stance on same-gender unions, both families tacitly approved.

Due to Shen Huai’s star status, the engagement was kept private, known only to a few industry insiders, including Jiang Chenfeng. So when Jiang Chenfeng had mocked Su Ning as “infatuated,” he wasn’t wrong.

Su Ning was a hopeless romantic, secretly in love for years and hoping to stay close to Shen Huai by joining the show.

While Shen Huai had always been kind to him, when Sang Le entered the picture, Shen Huai seemed especially attentive, personally mentoring him, sometimes with more care than he showed Su Ning.

Jealousy flared, and Su Ning’s dislike for Sang Le grew. With a hot temper and little patience, he eventually built a reputation for bullying the weaker Sang Le.

Despite rumors, Su Ning actually kept his attitude in check to ensure his debut on the show. He rarely confronted Sang Le directly, keeping interactions to sneers or cold remarks.

Though he was privileged, he lacked absolute power on the show. Stories of him denying Sang Le food or sleep were fabricated nonsense.

The only credible accusation was the part distribution issue, but Su Ning hadn’t instigated it. The other members, all lower-ranked and eager for screen time, blindly picked him as the center, and Sang Le’s lines were reduced as a result.

Most importantly, the incident in the live broadcast wasn’t Su Ning’s doing. When Sang Le’s safety harness snapped, Su Ning was just turning around after hearing someone call his name and hadn’t even touched Sang Le.

With the camera angle obscuring any evidence, the wave of hate left Su Ning floundering, unable to clear his name, and even Guang Ying Entertainment doubted his innocence.

The original Su Ning felt cornered, unable to quit the show and desperate not to let Shen Huai think of him as evil. Out of options, he’d approached his longtime rival, Jiang Chenfeng.

However, Su Ning hadn’t expected that the visit to this venue, Diao Chun Jiang, would turn into a trap.

He thought enduring a few drinks and snarky remarks from Jiang Chenfeng would be enough, considering they’d known each other since childhood. But Jiang Chenfeng upped the stakes, demanding Li Chu as part of the deal.

At first, Su Ning had refused, hesitant to let Jiang Chenfeng, infamous for his indiscretions, take advantage. Yet, when he tried to leave, he realized he was trapped.

Unfamiliar with Diao Chun Jiang, Su Ning had no choice but to stay. He’d been sneaked out from the show’s training camp by Jiang Chenfeng, so he had no car or phone, and finding his way out of this secluded place was near impossible.

During filming, trainees were prohibited from leaving, and Su Ning’s sneaking out was a clear violation. To be caught in a place like Diao Chun Jiang would ruin him further.

Cornered, he gave in, shakily using Jiang Chenfeng’s phone to call Li Chu over.

Su Ning vaguely remembered Li Chu as a gentle, naive young trainee who had crossed paths with him during his short training period at Guang Ying Entertainment. Hearing Su Ning’s urgent, panicked tone, Li Chu had obediently agreed to come.

Jiang Chenfeng’s men quickly went to fetch him, but while waiting, they poured Su Ning more drinks, eventually leaving him passed out on the sofa.

And then, Su Ning, the seasoned CEO who had spent decades navigating the industry, had woken up here, inside this foolish young man who’d managed to ruin every chance and drag others down with him.