Yes, Cheng Youran was devastated—more so than if she had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Like a zombie, she followed the maid upstairs, her heart aching with every beat. It hurt so much that she could barely breathe. Lu Zixiao hadn’t torn up a piece of paper; he had torn up fifteen billion!

What did fifteen billion mean?!

It was enough to win five million in the lottery every day for an entire year. It could buy every game on Steam. She could go to every concert of her favorite idols. She could live a life where the only thing she did was spend money, never work again.

And now, it was all gone.

[Warning! Your wife’s mood value has dropped to 1.]

In her life-threatening despair, Lu Zixiao didn’t have time to be shocked. He stepped forward, gripping Cheng Youran’s hand, his throat dry as he asked. “Cheng Youran, what is it you want most right now? I’ll give it to you!”

“Anything.”

He added quickly.

The maid stood frozen, unable to believe her ears. Who would have thought that one day Mr. Lu would say such sweet words to his wife? She looked at Cheng Youran with envy—finally, the madam had made it.

Cheng Youran’s hand was gripped so tightly by Lu Zixiao that it hurt. She tried to pull her hand back, but it was impossible—his grasp felt like he was holding onto his very life.

She met his intense gaze, her voice filled with suspicion as she asked. “Really? Anything?”

Lu Zixiao nodded.

“I want a divorce!”

The words slipped out of Cheng Youran’s mouth before she could stop herself.

Lu Zixiao’s expression instantly darkened, turning ashen. “Anything except that.”

“I… I want to act.”

Cheng Youran was taken aback by her own words. Wasn’t what she truly wanted money, or luxury goods? But no, what she longed for was to act.

Before she had come here, she had always dreamed of becoming an actress. But her parents, both university professors, refused to let her apply to film school, forcing her to give up on that dream.

It was only now that she realized, without even noticing how deeply regretful she was about it.

The moment the words left her mouth, Cheng Youran regretted them. Lu Zixiao would never agree to this. The Lu family was a prestigious one, and she had never heard of any actress who married into such a family and continued her career.

Well, except for Gu Yao.

The largest entertainment company in Hua Country was owned by the Li family. She could easily access resources that ordinary people could only dream of.

“Gao Qiao, immediately arrange a comeback interview!” Lu Zixiao said without hesitation.

Cheng Youran: …Just like that? He agreed?!

Her eyes sparkled brightly in an instant, her amber-colored pupils gleaming like an oil painting.

[Your wife’s mood value has increased to 60!]

Lu Zixiao let out a sigh of relief and released Cheng Youran’s hand. Before turning away, he casually asked. “Do you really want to divorce me?”

This was a loaded question!

Cheng Youran quickly shook her head, her voice sincere as she said,\. “No, no, not at all. I don’t want to.”

She touched her face, not out of vanity, but because she knew that without the support of the Lu family, if she entered the entertainment industry, she would be chewed up and spit out, with nothing left but bones.

Lu Zixiao sneered. Cheng Youran’s words were nothing but lies.

Gao Qiao made a call off to the side, then quickly approached Cheng Youran, slightly bowing. “Madam, the interview is scheduled for 3 PM this afternoon. A driver will pick you up. Will that time work for you?”

“Definitely!” Cheng Youran eagerly nodded.

[Ding! Task released: The first step to becoming a film empress is increasing audience favorability. Please raise your wife’s reputation score to a positive value within a month!]

Lu Zixiao opened Cheng Youran’s profile, staring at her -9999 reputation score. He took a deep breath, fighting the urge to smash his phone.

He immediately made a call, slinging his suit jacket over his shoulder. As he spoke, he walked toward the door. Gao Qiao and Cheng Youran said their goodbyes, and he gently closed the door behind him.

With plenty of time before 3 PM, Cheng Youran went upstairs to her room. She opened her computer, glanced at the specs, and without a doubt, it was top-of-the-line. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

As the computer booted up, a pop-up from an entertainment forum appeared in the bottom-right corner, constantly flashing. Cheng Youran tried to ignore it, but it was impossible.

The headline boldly read. “The Blacklisted, Misunderstood Star Cheng Youran Who Endured Suffering After Marrying into a Wealthy Family.”

Suffering?

Cheng Youran sat at her desk. Her assistant had already booked afternoon tea at a Michelin restaurant, and the housekeeper was massaging her pressure points.

If this was considered suffering, then what did it say about the people who worked for a few thousand yuan a month and ate takeout? Their lives were worse than death.

She closed the pop-up window, downloaded Steam, and bought a full twenty games in one go, ready to play through them one by one.

……

At a TV station in Donghai City.

“There’s an interview to insert this afternoon,” the station director slammed a file onto Su Ruan’s desk, instructing. “It’s a personal request from Mr. Lu of Lu Corporation. Make sure to do a good job.”

“Who is it?”

Su Ruan curiously flipped open the file. She knew who Mr. Lu was—his scandalous news filled the tabloids year-round, keeping many gossip columnists employed. A special interview inserted during the prime Sunday evening slot? It was probably about one of his mistresses.

Having been in the industry for four or five years, Su Ruan had never heard of the aloof Lu Zixiao going out of his way for anyone, let alone personally arranging an interview. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.

There was nothing she could do about it—Lu Zixiao’s face alone was enough to make any woman swoon, not to mention, he was rich.

“Isn’t this Cheng Youran?”

She looked up in surprise after seeing the name. Why would Lu Zixiao arrange an interview for her?

“Didn’t she say she was coming back? Probably divorced, and now she’s testing the waters with a TV appearance,” the station director said quietly, noticing her confusion. After speaking, he hurried off to the studio to oversee the schedule.

“Got it.”

Su Ruan couldn’t help but sigh. What was the point of desperately marrying into a wealthy family if it all ended in such a miserable way? As she watched the director walk away, she couldn’t resist her curiosity and pulled out her phone to send a Weibo post.

[Donghai TV Su Ruan]Looking forward to meeting Sister Youran this afternoon!

Within minutes, her inbox was flooded with messages.

[A Flower of Honeysuckle]: This must be fake, right?

[Three Two Nine]: I think so too. She quit the entertainment industry after getting married. How could she possibly be doing a TV interview?

[Late Green Hill]: The girl above is too naive. People have been saying for a while that they were going to divorce, and it looks like they were right—she’s even resorted to appearing on shows to make some pocket money.

[Three Two Nine]: 1

Su Ruan read through a few popular comments, then paused for a moment before she typed gently on the keyboard and decided that the theme of the interview would be titled “Cheng Youran—Marrying into a Wealthy Family Doesn’t Guarantee Happiness.”

“Madam, we’ve arrived.”

The driver opened the car door for Cheng Youran. She wore a khaki-colored fur shawl over a red dress, and with her assistant by her side, she walked into the TV station building.

As she entered the building, she took a deep breath. Her calves trembled slightly from the five-inch heels. It was her first time doing an interview, and this made Cheng Youran feeling nervous.

The sunlight poured through the building walls that were made of glass, casting a warm glow on her. The Demiani diamond necklace around her neck reflected dazzling light, adding an extra touch of elegance and cold beauty.

She looked even more beautiful than on TV.

Su Ruan stood at the entrance, a little surprised by Cheng Youran’s beauty. Her outstretched hand slowed slightly as she greeted her. “Mrs. Lu, hello. I’m Su Ruan, and I’ll be conducting your interview today.”

Cheng Youran shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She followed Su Ruan to the elevator.

“Mrs. Lu, why didn’t Mr. Lu come with you?” Su Ruan pressed the button for the 47th floor, asking cautiously.

“He’s busy with work.”

Cheng Youran replied. Lu Zixiao was indeed a workaholic, his record was working three consecutive nights for an IPO, only to announce the company’s successful listing the next day, full of energy.

“You really have it tough.” Su Ruan said with a pointed tone. Just an hour ago, she had received a tip that actress Gu Zhen, the reigning Best Actress, had been spotted outside the Lu Group building.

“It’s fine.” Cheng Youran smiled.

At that moment, the elevator reached the 47th floor. As soon as the doors opened, the noise of bustling voices mixed with the sounds of machinery filled the air.

The setup for the interview was already complete. The recording studio was arranged like a living room, with two brown sofas and a small glass round table between them. Opposite the table was the control console and various camera equipment.

Su Ruan led her to the sofa. “Please, have a seat.”

Cheng Youran adjusted her red dress and sat down, placing her straightened legs to the side. She instinctively glanced at the camera’s direction.

Su Ruan sat on the other sofa and spoke to the control console. “Let’s begin.”

With the background music of Donghai TV playing, Su Ruan turned to face the camera and said. “Hello, everyone. Welcome to ‘Celebrity’s Living Room.’ I’m Su Ruan, and today we have a guest who’s both familiar and unfamiliar. Can you guess who she is?”

“Now, let’s watch the VCR.”

Cheng Youran turned to look at the screen behind her, where a series of her past photos played.

From her rise to fame with a coffee ad that stunned audiences, to her role as the female lead in a drama series that was heavily criticized for her acting and harshly told to “get out of the entertainment industry.”

“This mysterious guest is none other than Cheng Youran who has been away from the entertainment industry for five years,” Su Ruan said, standing up from the sofa to shake her hand.

Cheng Youran also stood up. “This is my first time on ‘Celebrity’s Living Room,’ and to be honest, I’m a little nervous.”

After shaking hands, Su Ruan sat back down, crossing her legs. “Sister Youran, you’re joking, right?”

Her beauty was so deceptive.

All Su Ruan could see was Cheng Youran’s cold and elegant face, and she couldn’t detect any sign of nervousness, assuming she was just joking.

“Your husband is Lu Zixiao, the president of Lu Corporation,” Su Ruan shifted to the main topic. “As his wife, you must feel very tired, right?”

“No, not at all.”

Cheng Youran quickly shook her head. She had no hesitation in spending money—buying games was a breeze, and she could spend as much as she wanted on in-game purchases. Every season, top brands would send new ready-to-wear collections straight to her, so she never had to deal with the hassle of shopping with bags.

Was this life tiring?

Su Ruan paused, suddenly realizing her question might have been too direct. She quickly rephrased, “Sister Youran, although it’s my first time meeting you, I feel like we’ve known each other for a while. Could you share your journey of returning to the industry?”

This was the highlight of the interview.

She tucked her hair behind her ear, adopting an attentive posture.

Cheng Youran straightened her back, reminding herself not to be nervous. She gazed at the camera and slowly spoke. “I’ve loved acting since I was a child—I’ve always, always loved it. So, even after leaving the entertainment industry, I just couldn’t let go.”

“That’s why I’m back.”

It was Cheng Youran’s first time on a show, and her voice trembled, but her eyes sparkled like stars.

Su Ruan couldn’t hold back a chuckle. Realizing it, she quickly stifled her laughter and said. “Sorry, go ahead.”

Everyone entering the entertainment industry wants to make money. Just say a few lines and move on, why make it sound so noble, like a grade-school essay?

Su Ruan finally understood what Lu Zixiao must feel—having such a fake person by his side, no matter how beautiful she was, it must be uncomfortable.

The sudden burst of laughter broke Cheng Youran’s train of thought, and she stumbled over her words, her face turning red as she sat there, flustered. Su Ruan, seemingly unaffected, didn’t react.

Cheng Youran could only tell herself to stay calm, not to panic. Her hands shook as she clutched the edge of her skirt. It took nearly a minute before she could regain her composure and continue speaking.

…….

Lu Tower, Conference Room.

A group of business elites, all dressed in suits, sat around the conference table, their laptops neatly arranged in front of them.

Lu Zixiao still hadn’t arrived, and they whispered to each other.

“Has the investment banking team arrived?”

“Everyone’s here, even Mr. Chen flew back from the U.S.,” one of them said. “I wonder what big issue happened. Could there be a problem with the molybdenum mine in the Congo?”

“Hard to say. Recently, the Li Group has been bidding as well. Maybe that old man Li is using some underhanded tactics. How is he still alive at eighty?”

“Cough.”

Gao Qiao, holding a laptop bag in his right hand, walked into the conference room and cleared his throat before sitting down in the first seat on the right.

Shortly after, Lu Zixiao arrived, his face serious. He glanced at Gao Qiao, who immediately turned on the projector and stepped up in front of everyone.

The room fell silent, everyone waiting anxiously for him to speak.

“I’ve called you all here today for something important.” Lu Zixiao began.

The projector flickered on, and a stunningly beautiful face appeared on the screen—none other than Lu Zixiao’s wife, Cheng Youran.

“How to turn her into an overnight film empress in five years.”

Everyone: ??!

“The first goal is to improve Cheng Youran’s reputation within a month.” Gao Qiao pointed at the data chart on the screen. “In the past few years, Cheng Youran’s career planning was poor, and her public image is extremely negative.”

“The lowest point of her reputation occurred in 2015 during the Cannes red carpet, when she had a public altercation with Gu Yao and actually yanked her dress off, nearly causing a wardrobe malfunction, making it to the front page of the New York Times…”

Gao Qiao seriously recounted the bizarre event, and the slideshow even included news images.

The executives, who were usually serious couldn’t help but smile. But when they saw Lu Zixiao sitting at the head of the table, they quickly forced themselves to stop, turning bright red in the process.

After a brief introduction, Gao Qiao walked toward the door. “Next, let’s hear from the award-winning actress Gu, who will share her experiences. Everyone, please take notes.”

Now the real focus began.

A group of high-ranking executives from Lu’s Group, mostly from real estate and finance backgrounds with little to no experience in entertainment, listened intently to Actress Gu’s speech, taking notes seriously while also raising questions during her talk.

“I’d like to ask, what exactly is a ‘fan head’? And what does ‘station sister’ mean?”

“Since trending on Weibo is so important, can we acquire Weibo? It would be more cost-effective from an economic standpoint.”

“Most entertainment industry resources are controlled by the Li family. Could we take this opportunity to shift into commercial real estate, build cinemas first, then invest in movies and bring in talent…”

“Let’s start by donating a billion for charity.”

Actress Gu: …Did she and Cheng Youran even belong to the same entertainment industry?

=^_^=