Receiving no immediate response from Zhong Ying, Zhu Xingtong toned down her excitement and asked, “Cub, are you troubled by something?”
“I wouldn’t say troubled, but I have a few doubts.” Zhong Ying massaged the bridge of her nose.
Zhu Xingtong sat up cross-legged, perking up her ears in a gesture that clearly said, ‘Speak, speak, I’m all ears.’
“I’ve read in novels that when a protagonist tries to conquer a target, the favorability starts from zero and slowly builds to a maximum value before they live happily ever after.”
“Mhm, that’s the standard trope for most conquest novels,” Zhu Xingtong said in a professional tone.
“Why aren’t there any that break the mold? For example, a target who starts with maximum favorability from the very beginning?”
Zhu Xingtong frowned slightly. “That wouldn’t work, would it? The conquest is supposed to be a process; you need a goal. If the favorability is maxed out from the start, what is there left to conquer?”
“Yes, that’s what I thought, too.”
Zhong Ying looked at her, spacing out. Exactly. Since Zhu Xingtong already had maximum favorability toward her, what was left for her to “conquer”? She could only brush through daily tasks, which was better than nothing, she supposed.
[Host, your mission is far more than just that! You have to make the Tycoon realize she likes you! Don’t you want a sweet, sugary romance?! You clearly do!]
Zhong Ying: “…”
“Little Treasure Zhu, do you like me?”
Zhu Xingtong was busy wondering why her Cub was suddenly stressing over novel tropes. Hearing the question, she immediately looked up with a beaming smile. “I don’t like you—I’m just lusting after your body!”
Zhong Ying’s face went cold. She reached out as if to start undressing. “Lusting after my body? Then shall I let you enjoy yourself?”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Zhu Xingtong covered her eyes. “I was wrong! I’m not lusting after your body, I just like you!”
Having the guts of a thief but the courage of a mouse—that perfectly described her.
Zhong Ying stopped what she was doing. She gave a cold snort in her mind. See? Zhu Xingtong likes me. With a maximum favorability rating, how could she not?
Zhu Xingtong peeked out from behind her arms. “Cub, did something happen? If there’s a problem, you can talk to me.”
It must be because the system arrived, so she’s feeling overwhelmed! It must be!
Hearing her considerate concern, Zhong Ying smiled. “It’s nothing.”
Things were good as they were. Zhong Ying beamed. Seeing that 【Favorability: 100】 above Little Treasure Zhu’s head every day really did put one in a good mood.
Zhu Xingtong: “???”
“Cub, is that novel good?”
Zhong Ying nodded. “It’s alright.”
Zhu Xingtong figured that Zhong Ying was hesitant to mention the system because she was afraid of sounding crazy. If she couldn’t talk about it directly, couldn’t she just drop hints?
“I feel like people who have systems are the chosen ones—a ‘cheat code’ given by the author-mother! If used well, they can definitely reach the peak of their lives, right?” Zhu Xingtong pouted, hinting as pointedly as she could.
Cub, now that you have a cheat code, you have to work hard! Fly high, soon!
Zhong Ying was utterly speechless. “…That depends on what kind of system it is.”
Hers… spent every day trying to convince her to be a sugar baby. Even if it was a conquest system, it seemed to be malfunctioning.
[Scan complete. No abnormalities detected in Tycoon ‘Zhu Xingtong.’ No cause found for the abnormal maximum favorability status.]
“And so?” Zhong Ying asked internally.
[Therefore, the System judges the conquest progress as complete. The rewards for the full conquest mission will now be issued. Please actively pursue a sweet romance! As a conquest system, it is a slight humiliation for my Host to reach the peak of her life without experiencing a sugary romance with the Tycoon first!]
[Host has obtained the virtual space: ‘Drama Academy’] [Host has obtained: ‘The Movie Queen’s Guide’] [Host has obtained the top-tier buff: ‘No One Can Hold Their Own Against My Acting’] [Host has obtained…]
As a series of announcements rang out, Zhong Ying patted Zhu Xingtong’s head. “Little Treasure Zhu.”
“Ah?”
“You are my cheat code.” She grabbed Zhu Xingtong’s pinky finger. “Let me take a bite to see if you’re made of solid gold.”
“Hahaha, I refuse!” Zhu Xingtong puffed out her chest. “But you’re right. This CEO is your cheat code! Treat your patron well, and I’ll take you to the top!”
Zhong Ying immediately laughed. “Then you’re cooking dinner tonight?”
Zhu Xingtong: “???”
Recently, a set of character posters suddenly went viral on a certain internet forum.
#Character Posters for ‘The Actor’# #God-tier Visuals# #Female Lead of ‘The Actor’#
Several hashtags nearly hit the trending searches simultaneously. The comment section was growing at a terrifying rate.
A: What kind of god-tier visuals does Star Entertainment have?
B: I feel like I recognize the female lead, but I can’t remember her name.
C: Same as above!
D: Her name is Zhong Ying! (I just looked it up, she’s been in so many shows!)
E: She’s so beautiful!
F: Forget that. Are you guys only noticing her face? Look at the poster! It gave me goosebumps.
G: True… is this a horror movie?
In the poster, Zhong Ying wore a faint smile, but the madness in her eyes was unconcealed. She held a knife in her hand, and two drops of crimson blood were splattered between her brows.
H: As a fan of the original novel, let me tell you—’The Actor’ isn’t a horror movie. It’s a family drama! A very intense one! I had no faith in the adaptation, but after seeing this poster, I’m back in!
I: Has nobody noticed? Both the male and female leads are from Star Entertainment!
J: Same company?
K: Am I the only one who noticed everyone at Star Entertainment is good-looking? The male lead, Cao Wenrui, is handsome and doesn’t have that “sissy” vibe!
L: Now that you mention it, I feel like Cao and Zhong have a lot of CP (Couple) chemistry!
…
CP chemistry? Zhu Xingtong stared at that comment, scratching her head in frustration. “My Cub doesn’t need to be shipped with anyone! CP fans, please vanish already!”
As a “Solo Fan,” Zhu Xingtong was furious! She immediately registered a burner account on the forum. She was going to carry the “No-CP” flag herself!
【Recommendation: Everything You Didn’t Know About the Female Lead of ‘The Actor’, Zhong Ying!】
She posted several high-quality photos to promote her visuals, then gave a brief history of Zhong Ying’s talent as an actress. Naturally, the main point was:
“Such an excellent lady must be focused on her career. Men will only slow down her progress!”
Soon, the replies jumped from 0 to over 1,000. This is the power of the internet, Zhu Xingtong thought. But as she scrolled through, she found several stinging comments.
Comment: I love Zhong Ying’s face! But I feel like the OP only made this thread for that last sentence. Solo fans shouldn’t be so aggressive. No matter how beautiful she is, she’ll have to get married eventually, right?
Zhu Xingtong: “???”
Comment: Hey OP, I’m a new fan. I just checked and found out Zhong Ying used to be an artist at Qiming—that “pimp” company that got exposed recently. I wonder if she was involved in any of those scandals?
Zhu Xingtong: What kind of “new fan” are you? You’re a hater through and through!
Comment: Solo fans should just stay in their own lane. Why are you reaching so far? Does Zhong Ying belong to you alone?
Zhu Xingtong was fuming. She was just about to grab her keyboard and go to war when her phone started ringing. It was Zhong Ying!
“Little Treasure Zhu, I’m heading to the film set.”
“So soon?”
“Mhm. I won’t be around for a while. Remember to go to the gym on time. I’ll be calling your coach to check your attendance.”
“…Okay.”
“Only one pack of spicy strips a day,” Zhong Ying added sternly. “The delivery numbers are in the drawer under the coffee table. If the milk in the fridge expires, remind the cleaning lady to throw it out. Keep your room clean, don’t sit in front of the computer all day, and remember to water the plants.”
“Am I your daughter?!” Zhu Xingtong huffed. “So naggy. You’ll definitely be even worse when you’re old.”
“Do you want to see me when I’m old?”
The sudden seriousness of the question made Zhu Xingtong feel a bit shy. “I don’t! I only stan your face and lust after your body! You’ll be ugly when you’re old! If you’re not pretty, I won’t look at you!”
Suddenly, a melodious laugh came from the other end of the line. “I’ll still be better looking than you when I’m old.”
Zhu Xingtong: “???” The audacity!
“Do you even realize that I am the patron here?!” Zhu Xingtong muttered. If she kept talking like that, she might just lose her!
“Little Treasure Zhu, remember to eat dinner. I’m boarding the plane now.”
“Oh—wait! Right!” She jumped up. “Cub! Do you know Cao Wenrui?”
“I do. Why do you ask?”
“You must remember—stay far away from Cao Wenrui!”
Zhong Ying: “?”
“Is there something wrong with him?”
“Just stay away from him!”
Zhu Xingtong pumped her fist. She would uphold the No-CP flag! Even if her Cub was to find a partner in the future, it wouldn’t be Cao Wenrui. As the author of this book, she didn’t even know which “small green onion” (side character) Cao Wenrui was supposed to be! Someone like that had no future and wasn’t worthy of her Cub!
“Fine, I understand.”
“Wait for me for a few days. Once I settle things at the company, I’ll come visit you on set!”
“Okay.”
After hanging up, Zhu Xingtong rolled up her sleeves and grabbed her keyboard. War!
After five minutes of typing, she deflated. “There are just too many of you haters!” She punched a throw pillow in frustration. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and a deep, calculating smile spread across her face.
“I can’t out-argue you… but can’t I just hire a ‘Water Army’ (paid internet posters)?”
After all, she was loaded!
Half a day after the Water Army was hired:
Haters: Are you f*ing kidding me right now?!