CHAPTER 6:  Persona Collapse Rate: 6%

◎ Skipping 30 Years of Detours ◎

The next morning, Qin Yangyang woke up to find that her “Feng He” account had already gained 100,000 followers.

Among influencers with millions of followers, 100,000 was nothing special—but to her, it was thrilling.

When she went downstairs, Ji Jingxiu was already waiting in the living room.

He sat at one end of the sofa, while Zhaocai sat at the other. Both looked equally unbothered and were pointedly ignoring each other.

Qin Yangyang: ?

What’s going on here?

Why did Ji Jingxiu look like he was in a cold war with Zhaocai?

His face was frosty, and he only stood up when he saw Qin Yangyang come down.

“The contract’s ready. You’ll be going to the company with me to sign it today. Did you finish your design draft?”

Qin Yangyang nodded, patting her bag. Thinking about the first payment she was about to receive, she was absolutely buzzing.

“Let’s go! The sooner we sign, the sooner I get paid!”

She eagerly followed Ji Jingxiu to the LK Group building.

The LK Group had originally belonged to Ji Jingxiu’s parents. After their passing, a fierce inheritance battle broke out among the relatives.

Like nearly every male lead in CEO novels, Ji Jingxiu cut through all obstacles and booted out the competition, eventually taking over the company successfully.

However, the original novel didn’t go into much detail about the inheritance struggle.

The person in charge of handling the contract with Qin Yangyang was a department manager.

After about an hour, both sides successfully signed the agreement.

Qin Yangyang handed over her finalized design draft, and then walked out of the building light as air, three million yuan richer.

She couldn’t stop smiling the whole way.

It hadn’t even been three full days since she came to this world, and she had already made over eight million. Qin Yangyang felt more and more confident about her bright future.

Just as she exited the LK Group building, her phone suddenly rang. The word “Dad” bounced excitedly on the screen.

It was a call from Qin Heping.

Qin Yangyang hesitated for two seconds before answering. A rough, anxious voice immediately came through, thick with barely concealed concern.

“Yangyang, are you being bullied? Did that brat Ji Jingxiu bully you?!”

Despite his name meaning “peace,” Qin Heping was far from peaceful—his temper was notoriously explosive.

Back when Qin Yangyang insisted on marrying Ji Jingxiu in place of Cui Fuyao, he had flown into a rage and stormed off after yelling:

“Even if you die, don’t come crying to me!”

He hadn’t even attended her wedding with Ji Jingxiu.

In her past life, Qin Yangyang had grown up in an orphanage and had little attachment to family. She had actually felt relieved not having to deal with Qin Heping and was ready to cut ties completely to avoid future trouble.

What she hadn’t expected was for Qin Heping to call her now—much earlier than in the original plot.

While she was still thinking it over, she replied, “I’m not being bullied.”

“Really? Don’t lie to me! I saw that video trending—you’ve gone out to work! If Ji Jingxiu hadn’t bullied you, would you need to take on that kind of job?”

Qin Yangyang’s mother had died early, and although Qin Heping had a bad temper, he doted on his daughter endlessly. It was that excessive pampering that had made her so spoiled and reckless.

When he saw the video, his first reaction was: My daughter must’ve been bullied.

Otherwise, the daughter he treated like a precious gem—how could she end up fighting a cat for work?

Qin Heping had been heartbroken, hadn’t slept all night, and now regretted his harsh words. He even wanted to storm over to Ji Jingxiu’s place to demand answers.

“Dad…”

Qin Yangyang called out awkwardly. The word felt a little strange in her mouth.

Qin Heping, however, was still shouting.

“What’s so great about Ji Jingxiu anyway? Always with that dead-fish face, not the least bit gentle or considerate, always doing whatever he pleases—am I wrong?”

“…You’re right.”

A flawless takedown of the overbearing CEO trope.

“…”

Qin Heping was caught off guard by that answer.

Qin Yangyang used to be head-over-heels for Ji Jingxiu and couldn’t stand to hear a single bad word about him. Why the sudden change today?

“You want a divorce?” Qin Heping immediately seized the opening.

“Not for now.”

The six-month term wasn’t up yet—and right now, she was raking in money by staying close to Ji Jingxiu. Why would she leave?

Seeing that he was still worried, Qin Yangyang explained, “Ji Jingxiu didn’t mistreat me. I just figured since I’m not doing anything at home, I might as well make some extra money.”

As soon as Qin Heping heard that, he said grandly:

“You need money? Come on, Daddy will transfer you two million as pocket money.”

Although Qin Heping wasn’t poor, he wasn’t at the level where tossing out millions was normal either. It was only when it came to his daughter that he became this indulgent.

But even though Qin Yangyang loved money, she didn’t want to accept this one.

“Dad, I want to earn it myself. I don’t want the money.”

Qin Heping froze for a moment, visibly shocked.

“Yangyang, you’ve really grown up. If your mom saw how sensible you are now, she’d be so proud.”

His voice even choked up a little as he earnestly advised, “You have to understand something—money is the best thing in this world. No matter how much you have, it’s never too much.”

He’d said this many times before, but Qin Yangyang never listened. She used to throw herself headfirst into love, completely unable to pull herself out. He always feared she was destined to live like someone foraging for wild herbs.

But this time, she’d actually listened.

“Dad, you’re absolutely right.”

She understood that principle all too well now.

Qin Heping’s tone turned serious. “Yangyang, if anyone ever dares to bully you, tell me first. Never let yourself be wronged. You’re my daughter—nobody gets to touch you.”

Something stirred in Qin Yangyang’s heart. She actually felt moved.

“Okay. Thanks, Dad.”

After hanging up, she looked at her phone, a little emotional.

So this is what it feels like to be loved by family?

Not bad at all.

But then she remembered Qin Heping’s fate in the original story, and her mood turned somber.

In the novel, Qin Heping eventually gave in to his daughter too.

After her repeated pleas, he even used his wealth to help her fight the female lead, Cui Fuyao. He worried endlessly about her.

Later, when everything fell apart, Qin Yangyang was kicked out of the Ji family, and Qin Heping went bankrupt. In the end, on a bitterly cold winter night, he froze to death under a bridge, unnoticed by anyone.

——

LK Group was very satisfied with the mascot design Qin Yangyang created. The same day they signed the contract, they made an official announcement online.

At that time, the video of the lotus leaf frog “fighting” the stray cat was still clinging to the tail end of the trending list, the buzz not yet dying down.

Urged by eager netizens, the lotus leaf frog mascot quickly went into production.

Soon, Qin Yangyang received the first batch of samples from the company—several plush dolls and some frog-shaped lanterns. The designs were adorably silly and charming, and once released, would surely become a massive hit.

She had just placed two of the plushies in the living room when the butler handed her a fragrant white invitation card.

“This was sent over by Madam Chen from next door.”

“For me?”

Who’s Madam Chen?

She didn’t know her at all.

Qin Yangyang quickly opened it. It was an invitation for afternoon tea.

Ji Jingxiu lived in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Linhai City, a well-known area for the wealthy. The neighbors around here were all elite, high-status individuals.

But since each villa was spaced very far apart, she hadn’t seen a single person since moving in.

The butler explained that Madam Chen’s house was three kilometers away—so far that you’d need a telescope just to say good morning.

How was that even considered a neighbor?

“The ladies in the area host a monthly gathering to maintain their connections. It’s a great networking opportunity.”

The butler looked at her with eager, expectant eyes.

Qin Yangyang nodded.

“Alright, I’ll check it out.”

Might as well see what rich ladies’ afternoon tea is like.

The butler lit up with joy and hurried upstairs, clearly up to something.

The next day, he actually managed to prepare a full black Chanel-style high-society outfit. With matching jewelry, Qin Yangyang sparkled from head to toe.

Just before she left, the butler even placed a black veil fascinator on her head.

He said he picked it out based on what the other ladies usually wore.

Perfect. Now Qin Yangyang felt less like a socialite and more like a wealthy young widow who’d just buried her husband.

Took a shortcut through thirty years of life experience.

“Madam, this is a great opportunity for you to blend in with the neighbors and build rapport. It’ll help immensely in the future!”

“Does Ji Jingxiu normally do this kind of thing?”

The butler shook his head.

“Mr. Ji never attends, so he doesn’t have good relationships with the neighbors. That’s why we’re counting on you.”

Hearing this, Qin Yangyang felt reinvigorated.

Without her, this household would fall apart!

She straightened her outfit, ready to get in the car, but suddenly remembered something.

“Wait, I need to grab something.”

She quickly got out of the car and ran back inside. When she came out, she was carrying a large bag.

“What’s that?” the butler asked, curious.

“A gift for the neighbors,” she replied.

The butler smiled, visibly moved.

Who said Madam was unreliable?

She was doing great!

Half an hour later, Qin Yangyang arrived at the restaurant listed on the invitation.

Inside the private room, four people were already seated—all unfamiliar faces. Three middle-aged women were dressed similarly to what the butler had picked out for her. Apparently, the “widow look” was currently trending in the high-society circle.

Hard not to believe there wasn’t some personal sentiment behind the trend.

Same world, same dream.

The remaining girl looked about the same age as Qin Yangyang. Her outfit was fresh and refined, her features pretty, and from head to toe, she was decked out in luxury brands. From the moment Qin Yangyang entered, the girl had been sizing her up.

Qin Yangyang recognized her at a glance.

It was Yu Yuezhi—the third female lead in the original story, and second only to Qin Yangyang in villainy.

She and Ji Jingxiu were neighbors, and she’d always had a crush on him—but she wasn’t very smart.

In the original novel, she was constantly tricked by various people and always butting heads with the female lead. In the end, her fate was equally tragic.

The moment Qin Yangyang saw her, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of shared misfortune.

But Yu Yuezhi, on the other hand, looked at her with hostility and obvious dislike.

It was only then that Qin Yangyang realized—

She had just married Ji Jingxiu. At this moment, she was Yu Yuezhi’s number one romantic rival.

But wait, this was supposed to be a gathering for married women. Yu Yuezhi wasn’t even married yet. Why was she here?

Just as she was wondering, Mrs. Chen—the host—enthusiastically invited her to sit.

“I’ve been meaning to invite you over, but just couldn’t find the right time. I hope you don’t mind. Now that we’re all living in the same neighborhood, let’s help each other out.”

Qin Yangyang gave a slight nod and exchanged a few polite words before falling quiet.

The other neighbors, however, were chatting away animatedly.

Mrs. Chen: “Listen, my husband started coughing yesterday. I counted—eight times!”

Mrs. Zhang: “Wow! He’s getting close!”

Mrs. Li: “My husband’s turning fifty next month, and somehow his health just keeps getting better.”

The three of them spoke openly about their husbands’ conditions, clearly with an eye on inheritance.

Qin Yangyang had thought she’d be walking into a catty battlefield of elite women scheming and backstabbing. She didn’t expect something this… unfiltered.

As she patiently listened to their chatter, she looked up—and suddenly caught Yu Yuezhi glaring at her angrily.

She wanted to pretend she hadn’t noticed, but Yu Yuezhi abruptly started a conversation.

“Qin Yangyang, why aren’t you saying anything about yourself?”

“There’s nothing much to say.”

Yu Yuezhi gave a cold snort. “I saw that video of you at the amusement park. As the wife of LK Group’s CEO, how could you act like that? Embarrassing yourself in front of so many people—do you have any idea how badly that reflects on Ji Jingxiu?”

She hadn’t even been on the guest list for today’s gathering. But when she heard Qin Yangyang would be here, she shamelessly tagged along.

Yu Yuezhi had always liked Ji Jingxiu. Ever since the news of his marriage broke, she’d tried multiple times to pick a fight with Qin Yangyang, but had always missed her. Today was the first time she finally got the chance.

With her arms crossed and chin slightly lifted, she said arrogantly, “I really don’t understand—how could he possibly like someone like you?”

Her words instantly shattered the once-lively atmosphere.

The three women who had just been discussing how much ghost money to burn for funerals all fell silent. The room froze.

But Qin Yangyang remained calm and unfazed. She replied plainly:

“He doesn’t like me.”

Yu Yuezhi glared at her. “Then why did you marry him?”

Qin Yangyang took a sip of tea and answered:

“Lost my mind.”