Chapter 90: Embarking on a Brand New Path

In the past two days, Mu Ruo hadn’t had time to follow the box office results, nor had she been active on Weibo. It wasn’t until Zhou Jian mentioned it that she remembered to check her phone. Sure enough, her Weibo followers had multiplied several times over, and her inbox was flooded with unread messages.

She sat down next to Haili and started replying to the New Year’s greetings from the cast and crew.

Haili, curious, asked, “Mu Ruo, do you plan to sign with a company and get a professional agent and assistant?”

For the time being, Mu Ruo didn’t have such plans. She could handle business deals on her own, given her past experience. However, being famous also had its downsides.

The most obvious one was that people had started digging up things Xia Wanwan said months ago on a variety show, stirring up old controversies. Despite the fact that one was a movie and the other an idol drama, completely unrelated genres, Xia Wanwan’s fans inexplicably saw Mu Ruo as a rival.

Mu Ruo could only chalk this up to her fate as the story’s villainous supporting character. After all, she was the main antagonist to Xia Wanwan in the original novel. It was only natural that, as someone the protagonist feared, she would have to endure some hardships.

Zhou Jian glanced at Mu Ruo, then looked toward the door. “Mu Ruo, do you think Beichen came here today because he wants to win you back?”

That thought hadn’t even crossed Mu Ruo’s mind. She shook her head, then suddenly remembered what Huang Xiaoping had mentioned earlier. “Why didn’t you bring Zeng Xiaoyue home for the New Year?”

Zhou Jian hesitated. “Her family is sick, so she should be with them. I can’t bring myself to be stingy with her. She’s just a girl, and it’s not easy for her. If her boyfriend isn’t generous with her, then no one will treat her well. But—”

Mu Ruo prompted him, “But what?”

Zhou Jian gave a bitter smile. “I don’t know why, but I feel like my relationship with her is the same as yours was with Lu Beichen. It’s all one-sided effort and pleasing, without getting anything in return.”

Haili also rested her chin on her hand, seemingly lost in thought. “Mu Ruo, I’ve realized something. The three of us, from childhood to now, have never been able to get what we truly want.”

Mu Ruo had wanted family love and Lu Beichen, but her family forced her into marriage with Fu Jianzhi for money, and Lu Beichen ended up with Xia Wanwan.

Zhou Jian wanted a pure love, but his beloved wife married him for money, only to have him sent to prison.

Haili longed for friendship and respect, but her friends only saw her as a tool, and everyone mocked her as an unwanted tagalong.

Mu Ruo ruffled Haili’s hair. “Congratulations, you’ve discovered the truth of this world.”

In the original story, the three of them were always meant to be the villains. How could they ever hope to attain the things they desired most?

Villainous characters, no matter how hard they tried, could never have the things they yearned for.

“But everything will change,” Mu Ruo said, pouring three glasses of red wine. “Starting this year.”

From this year forward, they would say goodbye to the past, become unique, and shine brightly.

They would embark on a brand new path.

Zhou Jian and Haili clinked glasses with Mu Ruo.

Mu Ruo took a sip of her wine.

Even though all the good fortune seemed to belong to Lu Beichen and Xia Wanwan, distancing themselves and breaking free in time should allow them to avoid some of the destined catastrophes.

“Zhou Jian, how much money do you have on hand right now?” Mu Ruo asked. “I need some money urgently. Can you lend it all to me?”

Zhou Jian didn’t hesitate to believe Mu Ruo. “Sure. I only have 23 million in liquid assets right now. Is that enough? If not, I can borrow some more from friends.”

Mu Ruo’s eyes twinkled. “How much did you leave for yourself to live on?”

“A little over a million.”

“I need 25 million,” Mu Ruo said, putting her hands together in a pleading gesture. “Please, please, just tighten your belt for the next two months. I promise I’ll pay you back.”

Zhou Jian had never really known financial hardship. He was naturally generous and always willing to help friends, even if it meant going to great lengths.

Not to mention that Mu Ruo was like a big sister to him—Zhou Jian would do anything for her, even things as extreme as going to prison, as he did in the original story. So, when it came to something as simple as giving money, he didn’t think twice.

He didn’t overthink it and didn’t doubt Mu Ruo’s intentions at all. Without hesitation, he transferred the money to her.

Haili, still in a daze and not fully comprehending the situation, asked, “Mu Ruo, my dad has more money if you need—”

Before she could finish her sentence, she felt Mu Ruo pinch her arm gently.

Realizing she might have said too much, Haili quickly shut her mouth.

Meanwhile, Zeng Xiaoyue was going through a tough time.

The reason she had asked Zhou Jian for so much money wasn’t because her family was sick. How could an illness cost that much?

The truth was that Wu Shuoliang, her boyfriend, had developed a gambling addiction.

Since Zhou Jian refused to arrange a high-paying job for Wu Shuoliang, and he couldn’t find work on his own, Zeng Xiaoyue had been forced to support him financially.

Originally, Zeng Xiaoyue had hoped that Zhou Jian would hire Wu Shuoliang as his bodyguard, paying him a monthly salary of thirty or forty thousand yuan, which would have been enough. But after consulting with Mu Ruo, Zhou Jian refused to let Wu Shuoliang work for him in any capacity.

Now, Wu Shuoliang had become a man who lived off his girlfriend, a life he couldn’t stand. Desperate to make big money, he had fallen deep into the trap of online gambling.

In just a few months, he lost all the money that Zeng Xiaoyue had managed to get from Zhou Jian.

Despite it being the Chinese New Year, neither of them had gone home and were still cramped in their rented apartment.

After losing another round of gambling, Wu Shuoliang, his eyes bloodshot, slapped Zeng Xiaoyue across the face. “The rich guy you latched onto—why can’t he even give you a house? It’s the New Year, and we’re still stuck in this tiny apartment!”

The blow left Zeng Xiaoyue’s ears ringing.

She couldn’t help but feel dazed, wondering how the boy she had once loved so deeply had turned into this.

“Go ask him for money,” Wu Shuoliang demanded, his brows furrowed. “Tell him your family needs to buy New Year’s goods. Go on, unless you’ve fallen for that heartless rich guy? If you don’t go, I’ll send him our video and let him see what his so-called noble goddess is really like.”

Biting her lip, Zeng Xiaoyue had no choice but to message Zhou Jian, hinting that her family was short of money for New Year’s shopping and asking him to send her some.

This time, it took Zhou Jian a long while to reply.

“I don’t have any spare cash right now, Xiaoyue. Maybe you can borrow from your relatives or friends for the time being.”

Unhappy, Zeng Xiaoyue called Zhou Jian, but he hung up on her.

Wu Shuoliang glared at her. “Where’s the money?”

“He’s not giving any today,” Zeng Xiaoyue replied, frowning.

Wu Shuoliang punched her again. “You’re not sleeping with him behind my back, are you? Is he tired of you and that’s why he’s not giving you any more money?”

As the punches rained down, in the midst of her pain, Zeng Xiaoyue suddenly thought of Zhou Jian.

For some reason, she realized that Zhou Jian was actually a good person, someone from whom she could have gotten everything she wanted.