18 – Chapter 18
It’s Just a Variety Show, Did You Really Take It Seriously?
In the end, Si Nian was taken back to the Si family’s old residence by Si Lin. As she pulled her luggage through the door, Si’s mother kept glancing outside as if looking for someone.
“Mom, what are you looking at?”
“He didn’t come back with you?” Si’s mother’s expression immediately darkened. “I think you’re both just an award-winning actor and actress, fooling me completely!”
“Don’t be angry, let’s sit down and talk slowly.”
The course of events had already diverged from her previous life. In her past life, Si Nian’s parents had little interaction with Xie Zhi, but now, the moment she entered, Si’s mother mentioned Xie Zhi several times.
“I saw your live stream this morning, and you seemed so reluctant to part, but then you act like strangers? I shouldn’t have let you two get married in the first place. What a disaster.”
Si’s mother shook her head. “Alright, let’s not talk about such upsetting things. Mom recently joined your fan group… though it seems most of them are Xie Zhi’s fans. They said they ‘climbed over the wall’ to join—I don’t really get it…”
Si’s mother pulled her daughter onto the sofa, opened her phone, and excitedly showed Si Nian the chat logs.
Si Nian hadn’t expected that one week of recording would gain her three million more followers on Weibo. Now, when someone insulted her, her fans would fight back.
This was truly a significant gain.
After only two hours of rest at home, Si Nian received a call from her agent, Hong Jie. Hong Jie’s voice was excited, even trembling slightly.
“Si Nian, you’re finally about to blow up! Do you know how many businesses have sent collaboration offers these past few days? Too many to count on both hands and feet! But we need to be careful, so I’ve filtered out more than half. You can come and pick from the rest yourself!”
“Thanks for handling it, but I’d like to rest a few more days. There’s no rush.”
“What? You want to rest instead of seizing this great opportunity?” Hong Jie’s voice rose several pitches. “I heard that Xie Zhi went straight to audition for a new script the moment he landed. That’s the self-discipline of an award-winning actor! Now look at yourself—hurry up and get motivated!”
Si Nian thought it over and realized it made sense. They were in the same industry; she could use work as an excuse to get closer to Xie Zhi.
So she replied, “I’ll be there soon.”
Si’s mother pricked up her ears. “Going to work? Our family has money, yet you’re still pushing yourself so hard. Mom feels sorry for you. Fine, go ahead. Bring Xie Zhi over for dinner tonight—your father and I have some questions for him.”
“Mom…” Si Nian pouted, holding her mother’s hand. “What are you planning?”
She had finally made progress with Xie Zhi and was afraid her parents might scare him off.
“Look at you…” Si’s mother shook her head repeatedly. “Let me ask you, how many times has he visited our home in the nearly year you’ve been married? What’s wrong with having a meal together? Or are you afraid we’ll bully him?”
“Fine… I get it.”
“I really don’t understand why you’ve suddenly become so attentive to him. Did he slip you a love potion?” Si’s mother grumbled with a stern face. “In modern internet slang, your behavior is what they call a… oh right, a ‘simping’ behavior!”
“Uh…” Si Nian looked utterly shocked.
“Never mind, it’s still better than simping for Bai Yanlin. Someone like him, you really can’t handle.” Si’s mother sighed. “At least Xie Zhi is still young and seems innocent, without any bad intentions…”At this moment, Si Nian really wanted to retort: You’re being too naive—villains’ thoughts are the hardest to guess…
In the general manager’s office of Ansheng Entertainment, Si Nian lounged lazily in her chair, watching as Hong Jie and Manager Wang argued heatedly over what kind of gigs she should take and what career path she should follow in the future.
Manager Wang: “This is the perfect opportunity to remove the ‘villainess’ label from her. If she takes on some idol dramas from now on, she’ll definitely become famous!”
Hong Jie shook her head: “She has real talent. I think she should take on more serious roles or try breaking into the film industry.”
Manager Wang frowned: “What you’re suggesting is too complicated. Films are much harder than TV dramas…”
Hong Jie turned to Si Nian: “How about you ask Xie Zhi to mentor you more in the future?”
Si Nian: “Huh?”
Then Manager Wang and Hong Jie seemed to reach some kind of agreement, both staring at Si Nian with shining eyes.
“You and Xie Zhi are really together, right? It’s not an act?” Hong Jie pinched her chin thoughtfully. “I think if you put in a bit more effort, you might actually win him over, hehehe… Wouldn’t the film emperor naturally support his own girlfriend? I can almost see you becoming a top star already—how exciting!”
“Uh…” Si Nian was speechless. She didn’t have such grand ambitions.
After finalizing several gigs, Si Nian was finally allowed to leave the office.
But she hadn’t gone far when a woman approached her, followed by two assistants. Compared to Si Nian who was alone, she appeared much more high-profile.
This was Si Nian’s rival Zhao Zitong, who had developed strong hostility toward Si Nian ever since she saw Bai Yanlin at a banquet and became determined to attach herself to him—viewing Si Nian as competition for his attention.
Zhao Zitong dismissed her assistants and walked up to Si Nian alone. Her originally gentle and dignified face now wore a spiteful smile: “I don’t know what tricks you used to snatch that variety show spot from me… Too bad Bai Yanlin only feels disgust toward you… Besides, someone of his background is beyond your reach.”
The Si family wasn’t involved in the entertainment industry, and young miss Si Nian had entered the circle alone, keeping her identity well hidden with few people knowing about it.
Due to online rumors and jealousy over Si Nian’s strikingly beautiful face and figure, Zhao Zitong was convinced that Si Nian had started out as a hostess in nightclubs and was “dirty.”
Si Nian nodded: “Yes, yes, yes. You watched the livestream too, right? He seems to like 20-year-old campus beauties. If I remember correctly, you’re already 30 this year?”
Zhao Zitong gritted her teeth. Age had always been a sensitive topic for her. Although she’d shaved two years off her official age, many in the industry knew the truth. She clenched her fists: “Feeling proud of yourself? Think just because you settled for Xie Zhi as second best, you can step over me now? Believe you’ve finally escaped your fate of playing supporting roles to me?”
“Don’t say such careless things. My feelings for Xie Zhi are genuine.”
“Hehehe…” Zhao Zitong let out a few cold laughs. “Genuine? You’re just trying to ride on Xie Zhi’s popularity. Too bad even though he’s a film emperor, he’s still young and doesn’t have enough resources or connections to help you. Besides, it’s just a variety show—don’t tell me you’re taking it seriously?”
Si Nian nodded dismissively: “Yes, yes, yes. Bai Yanlin is 30 and so impressive. If you have what it takes, go ask him for help.”
“You…”
“Alright, I have things to do. Would you mind moving out of the way?” Si Nian raised her eyes, her gaze turning chilly.Zhao Zitong instinctively took a step back as a low female voice reached her ears, “Do whatever you want with that Bai guy, but don’t mess with Xie Zhi.”
A chill ran through Zhao Zitong’s body as she watched Si Nian’s retreating figure.
A few minutes later, she looked down from upstairs and saw Si Nian getting into a sports car. In the driver’s seat sat a young man who was unmistakably the film emperor Xie Zhi.
How could this be? Had she actually managed to hook up with Xie Zhi?
Was that variety show not just an act?