The top trending topic was Su Ruan being the mistress. Her hands trembled as she clicked on a post from a small account called “lute,” which was filled with photos and videos of her with different men. Some were holding her waist, others kissing her—men old enough to be her father.

[Catnip] Does Su Ruan’s fanbase feel embarrassed?

[Chichi] Turned my back on her. Honestly, if I were Cheng Youran, I’d be furious. I kinda feel bad for her now.

[Women Should Be Kind to Themselves] When is Donghai TV going to fire this b***h? @DonghaiTV

“What are you looking?!”

More and more people were staring at her, their gazes becoming increasingly lecherous. She stood up and scolded them.

A woman, with whom she had had conflicts in the past, stood up and sneered. “What are we looking at? Looking at the mistress?”

Su Ruan was taken aback. Just as she was feeling helpless, the station director arrived. She rushed over to him like a lifeline, grabbing his arm. “Director, you have to help me out here!”

The director immediately brushed her hand off. “I came to inform you of something.”

“What is it?”

Su Ruan suddenly had a bad feeling. “Please don’t believe the rumors online, they’re all lies. You know what kind of person I am.”

The director cleared his throat. “We’ve received a large number of complaints from female viewers. It’s become impossible to ignore. The higher-ups are asking me what’s going on, and the station has no choice but to make the painful decision to terminate your contract.”

“Is this the work of Cheng Youran?!”

Su Ruan could no longer maintain her composure. She finally realized that Cheng Youran wasn’t reacting late, but had been preparing for this strike all along.

She had underestimated her.

The station director sighed, the reprimand on the tip of his tongue, but he held back and only asked, “Who else can you blame for what you did?”

Su Ruan lost all strength and collapsed onto the floor, sitting there dejectedly but no one showed her any sympathy. Their gazes were filled with varying degrees of disdain.

…

After lunch, Cheng Youran lay on the couch scrolling through Weibo. Donghai TV had already released the termination notice. Su Ruan was completely finished.

Perhaps to make amends, Donghai TV had released her interview video ahead of schedule, pixelating her face. In just one hour, the view count surpassed 130,000 and continued to grow.

The comments were occasionally peppered with insults, but most of the remarks supported her comeback.

[Watermelon Taro]It’s really unlucky to come across someone like Su Ruan, I apologize for calling you out before, but this kind of mistress deserves to be stepped on!

[Thousand-Layer Cake]That was pretty sincere, hope you really want to act well.

[Lemon Essence]Damn, doesn’t Cheng Youran look more beautiful now? Her skin is several shades whiter than Su Ruan’s. I still admit she’s gorgeous.

[Bald Tian Tian]Go, sister!

As she was reading the comments, Lu Zixiao came back, but he wasn’t alone. He had a well-maintained, elegant woman with slender eyebrows and drooping eyes, exuding aristocratic grace.

— It was Jiang Rong, Lu Zixiao’s mother, who had just returned from a vacation in France.

As the cherished daughter of the former richest man, Jiang Rong had never known hardship, living her life in a golden cage. Time had not left a single mark on her face.

Had it not been for Jiang Rong bringing her late father’s inheritance when she married into the family, the Lu Group would have collapsed during the Asian financial crisis over thirty years ago.

“Place the luggage upstairs first.”

Jiang Rong told the maid, wrapping her Hermes shawl around her shoulders as she walked towards Cheng Youran. “I heard from Zixiao that you’re planning to return to acting?”

“You’re deliberately trying to make a laughingstock of the Lu family, aren’t you?”

She furrowed her fine brows and said decisively, “I don’t agree with this.”

Cheng Youran was about to speak when Lu Zixiao stepped forward, his tall frame blocking her behind him. His face was expressionless as he said, “You might be mistaken. I’m not asking for your opinion; I’m informing you of my decision.”

— His decision, not Cheng Youran’s.

Jiang Rong could tell that he was trying to protect Cheng Youran, and she sighed softly. “Since you’ve always had your own mind, I can’t interfere with your decisions. I just wanted to say something to her.”

“Cheng Youran, if you dare to go back to acting, don’t consider me your mother-in-law,” Jiang Rong said, turning around. “I’m heading to the art gallery to see Monet’s oil painting exhibition. I won’t be coming back for dinner tonight.”

Cheng Youran froze, feeling like Jiang Rong’s words were familiar, but she couldn’t immediately recall where she had heard them before.

Lu Zixiao gave a faint hum.

He turned to look at Cheng Youran. “Come with me to a banquet tonight.”

Wait…

At the sound of Lu Zixiao’s voice, Cheng Youran suddenly jolted, a flash of realization struck her. She finally remembered!

If she wasn’t mistaken, in the original story, Lu Zixiao’s mother had planned to visit the art gallery for the oil painting exhibition with a friend when someone tampered with her car. As soon as she hit the road, the car crashed!

— And that was the beginning of Lu Zixiao’s dark transformation.

After Jiang Rong’s death, the police investigation turned up nothing. Lu Zixiao gradually became gloomy and detached, his hands stained with blood, and step by step, he morphed into the villain described in the book.

Lu Zixiao watched Cheng Youran’s expression and raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong? Don’t want to go?”

Cheng Youran was so consumed with thoughts of Jiang Rong that she didn’t notice Lu Zixiao’s expression turning cold, an aura of unapproachability emanating from him.

“Mom, maybe you shouldn’t go out today?” Cheng Youran blurted out, then added, “The weather’s chilly, and you could catch a cold.”

Jiang Rong glanced at her briefly. “Mind your own business.”

Jiang Rong’s tone was dismissive. If it hadn’t been for Zixiao getting drunk and sleeping with Cheng Youran, causing her to come into the house with a big belly, she would never have allowed a small-time actress to become her daughter-in-law.

If she couldn’t even control her own husband, what made Cheng Youran think she could control her, the mother-in-law? She took the bag the maid handed her, adjusted the scarf around her shoulders, and headed for the door.

“Mom!”

Jiang Rong didn’t look back as she walked out. Cheng Youran stomped her foot and followed her.

She trailed Jiang Rong all the way to the garage, where there were a dozen luxury cars. Jiang Rong ignored her, choosing her usual Maserati and preparing to get in.

Cheng Youran scanned the garage and spotted a large iron hammer in the corner. She gritted her teeth, picked it up, and walked to the Maserati. With a vicious swing, she raised the hammer and smashed it down onto the car window with a loud “bang!”

The glass shattered immediately, and Cheng Youran, satisfied, lowered the hammer with a sigh of relief.

Jiang Rong stared at her in horror, her delicate eyebrows knitting tightly. “Cheng Youran, are you crazy?!”

Wasn’t it crazy? Jiang Rong muttered to herself furious. Cheng Youran who had always been meek in her house had actually smashed the car window right in front of her today.

The car wasn’t even that expensive—just a little over three million—but it was still a ridiculous waste. She was so angry that she immediately called Zixiao. “Look at what your wife has done!”

Zixiao hurried over and shot her a cold look.

Cheng Youran obediently lowered her head.

Hm? Playing the innocent victim now?

He calmly dialed his assistant’s number. “The Maserati’s window in the garage is broken. Get someone to fix it right away.”

“Just look at her! I can’t handle such a temperamental wife,” Jiang Rong muttered, catching on to what was happening. “I only told her not to return to acting, and she smashes a car!”

“If I really told her she couldn’t go back to acting, would she dare smash me?” Jiang Rong was so furious that her face turned red, pointing an accusing finger at Cheng Youran.

Zixiao shot a cold look at Cheng Youran, who quickly lowered her head again, bracing herself for a scolding.

But to her surprise, Zixiao walked up to her and softly asked, “Is your hand okay?”

—Not a single word of scolding.

“It’s fine.”

Cheng Youran quickly shook her head.

Zixiao let out a slight sigh of relief, then casually said to Jiang Rong, “It’s just a car. The Lu family isn’t lacking in cars for her to smash.”

Jiang Rong: She had no hope left for her son.

Meanwhile, Cheng Youran’s eyes instantly lit up.

Zixiao sneered, leaning close to her ear. His low voice whispered, making her skin tingle like a feather brushing against it. “That was for my mom’s benefit. Dare to smash one more and see what happens.”

Cheng Youran: …She knew it →_→.

The repairman arrived shortly after. He fixed the glass and gave the entire car a once-over. When he checked the brakes, he suddenly froze, crawling out of the car. “The brakes are broken!”

Jiang Rong crossed her arms, standing off to the side, and in disbelief asked, “Sir, I bought this car just last week. How could the brakes be broken?”

The repairman, equally puzzled, grabbed his wrench and crawled back into the car. After half an hour of inspection, he emerged, dusting off his blue work clothes. He said respectfully, “Madam, the brake chain is indeed broken.”

Lu Zixiao’s handsome face was marked with an imposing coldness, his narrow eyes narrowing dangerously. Having been in business for many years, he quickly pieced together the situation — this was likely no accident, but rather a deliberate act!

As soon as this thought struck, his expression shifted instantly. Forgetting to comfort Jiang Rong, he hurriedly left the room.

Jiang Rong’s face went pale with fear. She couldn’t bring herself to imagine what could have happened if Cheng Youran hadn’t been there today — if she had driven out in that car, the consequences could have been dire.

She rushed to Cheng Youran, wrapping her arms around her, and even changed the way she addressed her. “Youran, you’re my lucky star. I’m so glad you were here. Whatever you want, just tell Mom. I’ll buy it for you!”

Cheng Youran, feeling a bit embarrassed, waved her hand. “Mom, we’re family. Please don’t be so formal.”

After all, Zixiao had just transferred her a million this morning, and she didn’t really need to ask Jiang Rong for anything.

Hearing this, Jiang Rong was moved to tears, her eyes reddening. She had never been kind to her daughter-in-law, usually ignoring her, but in this critical moment, it was Cheng Youran who had inadvertently saved her life without asking for anything in return.

Where could she find a daughter-in-law like this?

Jiang Rong wiped her tears with a handkerchief. “You want to make a comeback? I was too proud to support you before, but now, go ahead and return to the industry. Mom will support you!”

“How about this? I’ll make a call to Professor Fu at Beijing Film Academy and have him enroll you in a performance class.”

Cheng Youran was stunned. There was only one Professor Fu at Beijing Film Academy, and he rarely taught anyone. However, every student he took on became a film king or queen, admired by all. His most recent student was Yan Junze, a dazzling star in the film industry, regarded as the only true giant of this era in Huaguo.

In the original story, Gu Yao had also wanted to be his student, but he had coldly turned her down.

Cheng Youran couldn’t help but ask, “Do you think Professor Fu will agree?”

=^_^=