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The producer wore a flattering smile as he trailed behind Liao Ran, cautiously holding the script for the variety show with both hands.
Liao Ran perfectly fit the standard mold of a novel’s female lead.
Her exquisite and striking features, paired with an aloof and commanding aura, made her the embodiment of the classic “cool beauty” celebrity archetype.
Fang Yimeng sat at the judges’ table, and as her gaze landed on Liao Ran, her expression also grew colder.
Everyone seemed to orbit around Liao Ran—some flattered her, some sucked up to her, and others, like Fang Yimeng, looked on with disdain.
“I’ve never needed a script for the variety shows I join. I value authenticity. If you hand me something like this again, I’ll never participate in your shows again.”
Liao Ran’s slightly upturned phoenix eyes glanced at the script in the producer’s hands, and she coldly dropped this self-righteous remark.
Not far away, Fang Yimeng heard everything loud and clear. She scoffed, a sneer curling her lips, drawing Liao Ran’s attention toward her.
Their eyes met. In that split second, the mutual disgust between them was unmistakable.
“Teacher Fang, I’m really sorry,” a timid voice interrupted the tension between the two. “Traffic was awful today, and I’m late. I’ll go buy your usual coffee—no sugar, no milk—right away.”
Fang Yimeng turned her head. It was a young girl wearing denim overalls over a plain white tee—she looked barely out of college.
This was her personal assistant assigned by the company—Li Ke.
In the original storyline, to properly contrast with Liao Ran, Fang Yimeng should now lash out—this was how a villainess should act.
Her right hand, out of habit, was already halfway raised, ready to strike Li Ke’s pale face.
But she didn’t want to.
A powerful wave of resentment surged inside her. She clenched her left fist tightly, her whole body trembling slightly.
Suddenly, it was as if the uncontrollable impulse in her right hand vanished in an instant.
Fang Yimeng’s reaction was unexpectedly swift—she relaxed her raised hand just in time.
Li Ke had been Fang Yimeng’s assistant for a year. She knew the old Fang Yimeng—prone to fits of rage and physical outbursts. Being late meant getting slapped.
So she instinctively shrank her shoulders and shut her eyes tight, terrified but resigned.
But the anticipated slap never came.
Instead, she felt someone gently brush the bangs from her forehead. A warm palm landed softly on her shoulder and gave her a comforting pat.
Startled, she opened her eyes and saw a scene she never expected: Fang Yimeng, usually a storm of fury, was actually smiling—albeit a bit awkwardly. Her delicate, seductive face had an unusual trace of warmth.
“Forget the black coffee today. Get me a vanilla latte instead,” Fang Yimeng said in a voice as gentle as a spring breeze—no yelling, no fury.
Li Ke stared in disbelief. It was the same person… yet everything was different.
While Li Ke stood frozen in confusion, Fang Yimeng spotted someone in the crowd—Lu Jingshan, with one hand in his pocket and his usual aloof presence.
She was just about to wave hello when a sudden commotion interrupted her.
She instinctively turned her head and saw a woman in a black face mask, holding a steaming cup of coffee, storming toward them.
Despite the muffled voice, the woman’s words were still clear through her gritted teeth.
“Fang Yimeng! After bullying staff on set, you still have the nerve to show up here? I’ll teach you a lesson!”
The masked woman’s sudden appearance threw the entire set into chaos. Crew members scrambled to protect the equipment, some fleeing, others ducking.
As the archetypal villainess in the story, Fang Yimeng had no one willing to step in to help her.
The scalding coffee tilted toward her, the brown liquid about to drench her.
Even at that critical moment, she found time to mock herself in her thoughts:
Look at this. Just look at the mess this villainess reputation has brought me.
I’m about to get drenched in coffee, and not one person wants to help me.
If I don’t awaken now, when will I?!
She instinctively reached out to grab something to block the coffee—
When suddenly, a tall figure stepped in front of her.
A suit jacket unfurled like a shield, intercepting the hot liquid before it could touch her.
From her perspective, all she could see was Lu Jingshan’s cold, unwavering face as he shielded her with his coat.
At that moment, only one thought crossed her mind:
“This man’s kind of handsome. No wonder we shared a bed twenty times—he’s a solid teammate.”
After taking the full hit, Lu Jingshan swiftly tossed his soaked blazer aside. Confirming that Fang Yimeng’s clothes were untouched, he rolled up his shirt sleeves, revealing strong, defined forearms.
The producer finally snapped out of his daze and ordered the security team:
“Where the hell was security?! Who let this woman in?!”
His roar jolted the stunned crew back into action. They rushed to contain the situation and restore order.
Fang Yimeng, still seated on the high stool, kept her eyes fixed on Lu Jingshan’s chiseled, composed face.
Snapping back to reality, she asked instinctively, “Why are you here?”
Li Ke quickly pulled a pack of tissues from her backpack and handed them to Lu Jingshan. He nodded in thanks and wiped the coffee from his hands.
“I was worried something might happen to you, so I came along,” he said in a low, steady voice.
Fang Yimeng felt a ripple of emotion stir within her.
The producer, though aware that Fang Yimeng’s reputation had taken a dive online, also knew she likely had strong backing. He dared not offend her and hurried over with an apologetic smile, nervously wringing his hands.
“Teacher Fang, I’m so sorry. This was our fault. We’ll change the entire security team. This will never happen again.”
As the saying goes, you don’t hit someone who’s smiling at you. His humility softened her anger.
Fang Yimeng curved her red lips into a flirtatious, though half-hearted, smile. “Just be more careful next time. At the very least, Director Zheng better treat me to a big fancy meal—I’m about to develop PTSD from this.”
This wasn’t the first time she’d experienced crazed fans barging onto set while stuck in this time loop. She couldn’t waste her energy on random extras.
If she wanted accountability, she needed to look at the person pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Like Liao Ran.