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Pei Yubai was an illegitimate child of the Pei family.
Except for the Pei family members, no one knew about this, including Zhou Qingyu.
Yan Xi only discovered this hidden aspect of Pei Yubai’s background because she dreamed of the novel’s plot.
Even when Zhou Qingyu was sent to the island to dig sweet potatoes, this secret remained undisclosed.
Pei Yubai and his older brother, Pei Hanli, were half-siblings, sharing the same father but different mothers. Pei Yubai was the child of Pei Father’s mistress. When Pei Yubai was ten years old, he was brought back to the Pei family, and his mother also returned, taking on the role of a housekeeper.
During their years in the Pei household, Pei Yubai and his mother kept a low profile, living quietly and honestly. It wasn’t until three years ago, after Madam Pei’s death, that Pei Yubai revealed his true intentions, openly competing with Pei Hanli for the Pei family’s assets.
Due to his status as an “illegitimate child,” Pei Yubai was never able to gain access to the Pei family’s core power. After encountering roadblocks within the Pei Corporation for a year, he finally decided to strike out on his own. His plan was to first demonstrate his business acumen to the Pei family patriarch and then position himself as an integral part of the Pei Corporation.
Pei Yubai ventured into the entertainment industry, founding Tianhui Entertainment. As the CEO of Tianhui, he also ensured the company operated as a subsidiary of the Pei Corporation, making Tianhui a part of his influence within the family empire.
Around the same time, Zhou Qingyu met Pei Yubai and quickly fell deeply in love. To pursue him, she joined Xingyao Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Zhou Corporation, and funneled many of Xingyao’s resources into Tianhui. This enraged her father.
However, Zhou Qingyu, entirely consumed by her infatuation, disregarded all objections, focusing only on supporting Pei Yubai.
Thanks to her contributions, Pei Yubai’s “self-made” entertainment company rapidly expanded over two years. Today, Tianhui has established itself as a notable name in the entertainment industry, with its star artist being none other than the novel’s female protagonist, Ye Luoyi.
Zhou Qingyu handed over countless resources to Pei Yubai without hesitation. If Pei Yubai wanted to see her in the evening, she would eagerly rush to Tianhui Entertainment without a second thought.
On the phone, Pei Yubai told Zhou Qingyu that he only wanted to discuss tomorrow’s variety show and that it wouldn’t take long. Zhou Qingyu had just spent the afternoon with Yan Xi, whose “heartbroken” state had visibly improved. Without hesitation, Zhou Qingyu agreed.
The Bentley stopped in front of Tianhui Entertainment’s building. Zhou Qingyu asked Yan Xi to wait in the car for a moment while she went inside.
Watching Zhou Qingyu’s figure disappear into the building, Yan Xi couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding.
The system tried to reassure her: “Zhou Qingyu is already under the plot’s control. How much worse can it get? Don’t worry, there are still a few months before the Zhou family goes bankrupt. Zhou Qingyu won’t be exiting the stage so soon!”
Although the system’s reassurance sounded reasonable, Yan Xi still couldn’t shake her unease.
Her phone, resting on the armrest compartment, lit up with a notification from Weibo promoting news about “Let’s Travel Together.”
Yan Xi was aware that Xu Yangyang had already posted about dropping out of the variety show due to an injury. But Xu Yangyang was a mere D-list celebrity—was her withdrawal really worth a Weibo push notification?
Unlocking her phone, Yan Xi clicked on the notification link. The screen redirected to Weibo’s trending page, where the search bar prominently displayed the headline: “Pei Yubai drops out of the variety show; Ye Luoyi announced as the replacement.”
The variety show’s official announcement was going viral, and the comments section was filled with reactions from netizens—
“Wow! Yiyi is joining a slow-paced variety show? So excited!”
“Yiyi is so beautiful and kind-hearted. She’s sure to shine on the show!”
“Second Young Master Pei is the CEO of Tianhui; it makes sense he doesn’t have time for variety shows. Looking forward to Ye Luoyi’s amazing performance!”
“Whoa, I just remembered Zhou Qingyu is also on this show! Drama alert!”
“What drama? There’s no ‘battlefield’ between the legitimate partner and a mistress!”
“Can Zhou the witch just leave the entertainment industry already? Why is she everywhere? So annoying!”
“Second Young Master Pei shouldn’t have dropped out! The one who should leave is that witch Zhou! Who wants to see this wretch on a variety show? I only care about our White-Wings couple!”
…
The novel’s plot was already halfway through. As the malicious supporting character, Zhou Qingyu was bombarded with insults, while Ye Luoyi and Pei Yubai basked in praise and blessings.
Exiting the trending page, Yan Xi checked Zhou Qingyu’s studio account.
Xingyao Entertainment had issued a clarification, stating that Zhou Qingyu and Ye Luoyi were co-starring in the drama “The Fall of Prosperity” and that the “slap” scene was part of the script, performed as required by the director.
Additionally, Xingyao’s official account denied any romantic entanglement between Zhou Qingyu and Pei Yubai, claiming they were merely friends. However, the comment section of the post was full of netizens refusing to believe it.
“Don’t kid yourself. That slap was so harsh it left marks on Yiyi’s face!”
“If it’s part of the script, couldn’t they fake the slap? Why insist on a real one? Zhou Qingyu must have taken the opportunity to settle personal grudges!”
“I didn’t believe Zhou the witch was a mistress before, but after seeing that slap video, it’s obvious she’s jealous because she can’t win over Second Young Master Pei. Women like her are terrifying!”
“Poor Yiyi, it’s awful that she’s being dragged down by a wretch like Zhou the witch!”
Amid the flood of criticism, a few comments defended Zhou Qingyu:
“They’ve already clarified it’s part of the script. Why can’t Yiyi’s fans let it go?”
“Zhou Qingyu’s looks are easily in the top 3 among the new generation. With a face like that, what kind of man couldn’t she get? Does she really need to be a mistress?”
“Ye Luoyi hasn’t even officially announced a relationship with Pei Yubai, so how does that make Zhou Qingyu a mistress?”
Comments defending Zhou Qingyu occasionally popped up, presenting fair perspectives. Unfortunately, amidst the overwhelming tide of insults, these few comments were like solitary reeds adrift in a vast river, quickly drowned out and disappearing from sight.
Yan Xi glanced through the comments briefly before exiting back to the trending page.