Lu Zixiao glanced at the clock. It was already past midnight. Raising an eyebrow, he asked. “Cheng Youran, are you seriously planning to keep playing games?”

Oblivious, Cheng Youran remained immersed in the thrill of slaying monsters with her friends in the game, her headphones securely in place, completely missing his question.

Is the game really that fun?

Displeased, Lu Zixiao frowned and turned off the lights.

“Power outage?”

The bedroom was suddenly plunged into darkness. Cheng Youran took off her headphones, her gaze darting around in confusion. The moonlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows illuminated Lu Zixiao’s chiseled face. His voice was cold and detached as he spat out. “It’s time to sleep.”

“I’ll sleep soon, I promise.”

Cheng Youran lowered her screen’s brightness to the minimum. But “soon” wasn’t really soon—finishing a dungeon would take at least another half hour. She shot a furtive glance at Lu Zixiao. By then, he’d definitely be asleep.

Lu Zixiao leaned casually on the bed, propping his head up with one hand and in the dim glow of the screen, he caught the faintly smug expression on her face. His lips curled slightly as he suddenly leaned forward, pinning Cheng Youran beneath him.

The weight of his body pressed down without warning, accompanied by his unmistakable masculine scent. Instinctively, Cheng Youran struggled against him, panic flashing in her eyes.

Lu Zixiao lowered his head and murmured near her ear. “Don’t move.”

Feeling something pressing against her, Cheng Youran froze in terror, not daring to budge. “Don’t do anything stupid! I can call the police!”

Lu Zixiao let out a cold laugh, mercilessly taking the phone from her left hand. “Call the police because I stopped you from playing games?”

Before Cheng Youran could react, her hand was suddenly empty. Meanwhile, Lu Zixiao leisurely lay back on his side of the bed, closing his eyes. The moonlight spilled over his face, highlighting his thick lashes—so enviably lush that even women would feel jealous.

Cheng Youran sat up in bed, her eyes red with frustration, on the verge of tears. How was she supposed to explain this to her friends tomorrow? They had agreed to clear a dungeon together, and now she’d logged off without warning!

[Warning! Your wife’s mood level has dropped to 40!]

“Be good. I’ll transfer you a million tomorrow.”

Lu Zixiao murmured, his voice low and husky with a touch of drowsiness, carried an alluring charm.

Cheng Youran wiped her tears and quickly lay down without another word.

…

The next morning, when Cheng Youran woke up, Lu Zixiao had already left for work. A maid brought her breakfast to the bedroom.

[Your bank account ending in 4639 has successfully received a transfer of 1,000,000 RMB.]

Cheng Youran checked her bank balance—it now totaled 4.39 million yuan. She felt instantly at ease.

As she enjoyed a steaming bowl of savory century egg and lean meat congee, she opened her laptop and logged into QQ. At precisely 7 a.m., Gao Qiao had sent her a 1GB compressed file. She downloaded and extracted it, finding a trove of documents, photos, and videos inside.

As she sifted through the contents, she was so shocked that she momentarily forgot about her congee. This Su Ruan was a real piece of work. Starting in high school, she had engaged in compensated relationships, using her associations with men—ranging from middle school teachers to CEOs of publicly listed companies—as stepping stones to climb her way up.

And without exception, all of them were married.

Cheng Youran stared at the detailed documents Gao Qiao had sent before dialing Su Ruan’s number.

Meanwhile, Su Ruan was in the makeup room getting her makeup done when her phone suddenly rang. Seeing the unfamiliar number, she frowned. The makeup artist noticed her hesitation and asked with concern. “Who’s calling? Why aren’t you answering? Could it be Cheng Youran?”

Su Ruan glanced at the screen but said nothing.

The makeup artist tried to reassure her. “Don’t worry. Donghai TV is a state-level media organization. No matter how powerful Lu Zixiao is, he has no jurisdiction over a national broadcaster.”

Feeling a bit reassured by her words, Su Ruan finally answered the call. “Hello, may I ask who’s calling?”

“Cheng Youran.”

Cheng Youran dragged the mouse across the screen as her eyes fixed on photos of Su Ruan in intimate moments with various men.

“Mrs. Lu, what can I do for you?” Su Ruan’s voice carried a light, almost smug tone with a trace of unspoken satisfaction.

When she posted that Weibo update, she had already thought everything through. Offending Lu Zixiao might mean her future in the entertainment industry was bleak, but as a full-time employee with an official position at the TV station, she was confident he couldn’t have her fired.

That gave her the confidence to make trouble for Cheng Youran, if she couldn’t thrive in showbiz she certainly wouldn’t let Cheng Youran bask in her own success either.

“The weibo post—you did it on purpose, didn’t you?” Cheng Youran asked bluntly, getting straight to the point.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about. If I’ve done something wrong, I’m more than happy to apologize.”

Su Ruan replied, masking the mockery in her smile. So, she finally realized and came to confront her? Too late.

The makeup artist muttered under her breath. “She’s shameless, after cursing her to get out of the entertainment industry on Weibo, she still dares to come and threaten you?”

Su Ruan gave the makeup artist a helpless smile before turning her attention back to the call. Hearing silence on the other end, she suppressed the satisfaction bubbling within her and asked gently. “Mrs. Lu? Are you still there?”

Cheng Youran’s hand paused on the mouse as she smiled faintly. “I’m here, just wanted to confirm something.”

“Goodbye, Su Ruan.”

The line went dead with a series of sharp beeps. Su Ruan stared at her phone in stunned silence thinking, did Cheng Youran lose her mind after being provoked?

Once Cheng Youran confirmed that Su Ruan had deliberately posted the Weibo update, she wasted no time. She created a new Weibo account and dumped all the incriminating evidence in one go.

Then, she logged back into her main account and by this time the hashtag ‘Cheng Youran Bullying Newcomers’ had already climbed to the top of the trending list. The word ‘allegedly’ was no longer included in the headlines, and every major and minor marketing account was busy reposting Su Ruan’s Weibo post.

[Cheng Youran]: I admit that my attitude toward you during the program recording wasn’t great. I come from a single-parent family, and my parents divorced because my father cheated and left for a mistress. That’s why I struggled to control my emotions when facing you. I sincerely apologize for that @Su Ruan

After posting the message, Cheng Youran turned off her phone.

“Madam, may I come in?”

Suddenly, a woman’s unfamiliar voice called out from behind the door suppressing her curiosity. Cheng Youran replied. “Come in.”

A woman dressed in a sleek black business suit, with high cheekbones and sharp almond-shaped eyes, entered the room carrying a thick stack of documents.

Cheng Youran glanced at the papers and found them oddly familiar. Narrowing her eyes for a closer look, she suddenly sat up straight. Wasn’t that the Five-Year Career Development Plan for Cheng Youran she had seen yesterday?

“Allow me to introduce myself,” the woman began. “My surname is Fang, but you can call me Xiao Fang, or by my full name, Fang Liuyun.”

Fang Liuyun handed her a sheet of A4 paper. Smiling politely, Cheng Youran accepted it and glanced at the page. It was Fang Liuyun’s résumé.

She had graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Peking University, earned her MBA from Harvard Business School, worked as a consultant at McKinsey, and, after returning to China, served as a senior executive at Qin Film Studios. Notably, she had single-handedly turned the bankrupt Qin Film Studios into a publicly listed company.

—She was undeniably impressive.

“Starting today, I will be your assistant managing all aspects of your career and personal affairs.”

Cheng Youran looked up in surprise. “Isn’t this a bit beneath your talents?”

Fang Liuyun smiled and shook her head, then her expression turned serious. “Madam, my job is to help you become the world’s top actress. Isn’t that an intriguing challenge?”

She used the word intriguing, not difficult.

Cheng Youran got out of bed and extended her hand. “Looking forward to working with you.”

“Happy cooperation.”

Fang Liuyun replied as she shakes her hand firmly.

Suddenly, a thought struck Cheng Youran. “Wait a moment—when did I ever say I wanted to become the world’s top actress?”

“I assumed it came from you or Mr. Lu.”

Fang Liuyun replied, meeting her gaze directly. “Perhaps it’s because Mr. Lu has confidence in you. He must believe you have what it takes to become the best.”

Hearing the unexpected compliment, Cheng Youran’s ears quietly turned red. She coughed lightly twice and said. “Well, I’ll do my best.”

“Mr. Lu really treats you very well.”

Fang Liuyun remarked as she opened the hefty plan book, flipping through its pages. The thick stack, several hundred pages long, was only a fraction of the entire plan.

To help Cheng Youran achieve her dreams, Lu Zixiao had even begun strategizing in the entertainment industry, interfering in the Li Group’s business ventures. Even Master Li , who doted on Gu Yao to the core, wouldn’t go to such lengths.

Cheng Youran stayed silent, her mind still preoccupied with last night’s incident when Lu Zixiao had snatched her phone.

She hadn’t dared to log into her game this morning, fearing someone might ask why she’d abruptly gone offline the night before. What could she say? My husband wouldn’t let me stay up late gaming?

If word got out, how could she maintain her dignity as the top spender and number one player in the entire server?

“Madam, your schedule this week includes auditioning for the female lead in Glory on Friday and attending a charity gala over the weekend. At the gala, a donation of ten million yuan will be made in your name.” Fang Liuyun said respectfully, closing the plan book.

Ten million yuan?

Cheng Youran couldn’t stay calm. She clutched her chest, feeling her heart race. Who would’ve thought Lu Zixiao had such a charitable side?

“Sister Fang, don’t call me ‘Madam’, it feels so distant.” Cheng Youran said casually, throwing an arm around Fang Liuyun’s shoulder. “Just call me Youran.”

Fang Liuyun was taken aback but nodded with a small smile. She hesitated before saying. “You…” (courteous way of saying you)

“You.” (informal way of saying you)

Cheng Youran quickly corrected. Fang Liuyun was a full generation older than her, and Cheng Youran felt embarrassed to accept such formal speech.

“You seem a bit different from before.” Fang Liuyun said as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear with a sigh.

“What was I like before?”

Cheng Youran asked instinctively.

Fang Liuyun didn’t answer directly, merely smiling. She recalled seeing Cheng Youran at the company’s annual gala six months ago. Back then, Cheng Youran seemed overly cautious, fearful of anyone mentioning her modest background. She carried herself stiffly, trying too hard to project an air of superiority.

But true grace wasn’t something that could be faked—anyone could see through it. At the time, Fang Liuyun had privately lamented how someone as shallow and ignorant as Cheng Youran, despite her beauty, could have ended up married to Mr. Lu.

“The director of Glory is Meng Lang, and the casting competition is fierce. You’ll need to prepare thoroughly,” Fang Liuyun said, steering the conversation in another direction.

Cheng Youran nodded. Meng Lang was a renowned director among the best of the best. Landing the lead role in one of his films would be a monumental opportunity, greatly boosting her national recognition.

It was easy to imagine how fierce the competition would be. In the original storyline, the lead role in Glory had gone to Gu Yao, and it was this very film that solidified her status as the nation’s top actress. Because of this, Cheng Youran wasn’t holding out too much hope. All she could do was give it her best effort.

…

At noon, Donghai Television Station.

After finishing her morning recording, Su Ruan walked out of the studio and headed to her desk. Just as she was about to sit down, a male anchor hurried past. She called out to him. “Brother Wang, could you bring me some food from the cafeteria?”

She said this while lowering her head to organize the materials for tomorrow’s interview. She knew he would agree—after all, he had been chasing her for six months, and she had always turned him down.

To her surprise, Brother Wang refused, his tone not exactly polite. “If you want to eat, go to the cafeteria yourself.”

Su Ruan was taken aback and looked up, watching as Brother Wang walked off without even glancing back. She couldn’t help but pull out a mirror to check her reflection. Her makeup was flawless, and she looked more energetic than usual.

What had gone wrong?

She looked around, and then it hit her.

It was the way the people around her were looking at her.

She wasn’t being vain—at Donghai TV, her appearance was among the top, and her professional skills were no slouch either. People at the station considered her a goddess.

But today, the looks she was getting were different. It could just be her imagination, but instead of admiration, there was a hint of barely concealed distaste.

What was going on?

Suddenly, she received a call from her friend. When she answered, her voice trembled, and she asked. “Did something happen?”

“Quick, check Weibo!”

Su Ruan hung up the phone, opened Weibo, and her expression froze immediately…

=^_^=