Volume 1 Chapter 21 Preparing for the Variety Show
A scream echoed from the basement—Xie Mingde’s.
Song Jingmian hadn’t even laid a hand on him.
He had scared himself into wetting his pants again, and the stench of urine filled the air. Song Jingmian couldn’t stand it and took a step back.
“Pathetic.”
Hearing this, the man who had been watching from the side suddenly curled his lips into a smile.
She and he were quite in sync.
Seeing how he had wet himself in fear, Song Jingmian wrinkled her nose in disgust.
She immediately retreated behind Bo Jingci.
“Let’s go.”
She didn’t want to spend another second looking at that disgusting man.
Before leaving, Song Jingmian didn’t spare him even a glance. He was simply without support now, foolishly trying to humiliate her with words.
But it wasn’t long before someone gagged him.
Without having to hear those vile words, Song Jingmian took Bo Jingci’s hand and walked out of the basement.
“Mianmian…”
“Bo Jingci.”
They looked at each other and smiled, both surprised that the other had spoken at the same time.
“You go first,” Song Jingmian said softly, gazing into his deep eyes.
“I… I wasn’t interfering this time.”
He actually sounded a little nervous.
Song Jingmian couldn’t help but laugh. Just moments ago, his expression had been terrifyingly cold, but now he looked almost pitiful. Who knew he had so many faces?
She knew he was referring to the last time she had told him not to interfere.
“It’s fine. You did well this time,” she said.
Then, as if remembering something, Bo Jingci’s eyes darkened.
“Mianmian… how did you know I was here?”
Oh no!!
Song Jingmian’s heart skipped a beat. In her rush to get here, she had completely forgotten how she would explain it to him afterward.
What could she say now? That in her previous life, she had become a ghost and drifted here with him?
That was obviously out of the question.
“Um… I…”
She stumbled over a few words but couldn’t form a complete sentence.
Suddenly, she looked at him with pitiful, teary eyes. “I just couldn’t find you at home, and you weren’t at the company either. You didn’t reply to my messages, so I thought something had happened to you. That’s why I asked Chifeng and Chibi.”
Chifeng and Chibi were the two men who had been protecting her all along.
In truth, she had been afraid that he might do something irreversible when facing Xie Mingde, which was why she had rushed over, guessing he might be here.
Sure enough, when she arrived, she saw him slashing Xie Mingde’s hand with a dark, violent expression.
“I’m sorry,” the man’s hoarse voice broke the silence, startling Song Jingmian with his sudden apology.
“Huh?” she asked, confused.
Bo Jingci explained, “I didn’t bring my phone with me. It won’t happen again.”
Phew.
Song Jingmian let out a sigh of relief. So he was apologizing for not replying to her messages.
“What about that scumbag just now?”
At the mention of that man, Bo Jingci’s expression turned grim. “He’ll be handed over to the police. What he’s done is enough to put him away for life.”
Song Jingmian nodded, then remembered something else. “But his hand…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it,” the man reassured her in a soothing voice, and Song Jingmian felt at ease.
Then, she smiled brightly. “Let’s go home!”
Xie Mingde’s scandal spread like wildfire online, drawing widespread condemnation. The police also issued a statement confirming his past actions.
Netizens cheered, calling it a relief to have rid society of another tumor.
Following this, Song Jingmian gradually began to clear her name of the false accusations.
Previously, her Weibo had been flooded with hateful comments, but now that the truth had come to light, everyone was sympathizing with this beautiful older sister.
【Ahhhh I never bashed Sister during the peak of the rumors back then, beating 99% of netizens!】
【Wuwuwu I really feel so sorry for Sister. Sister’s portrayal of Gu Wei is truly the goddess in my heart!!】
【It’s such a pity that Sister was shelved for so many years. If it weren’t for that scumbag back then, Sister would probably be a huge star by now!】
Most of the comments were warm and supportive, but some questioned why she hadn’t spoken up sooner and waited until now, wondering if she had found a powerful backer before daring to explain.
Of course, these comments were quickly refuted by other netizens.
【To the person above, I hope if your daughter ever faces something like this, you’ll say the same things to her.】
【How awful. Sister is so beautiful and her experiences are so heartbreaking. Why are there always brainless followers joining in to bash her?】
【Are your brains underdeveloped, or do you just not have any at all?!】
【To the person above, paramecia are single-celled organisms—where would they have brains?】
【Hah, seeing my childhood goddess being bashed has made me so angry I can’t think straight anymore.】
…
Song Jingmian had already seen the comments under her Weibo post.
The internet was like this—when the wall falls, everyone pushes.
She probably didn’t have many fans now, mostly just casual supporters who still had a soft spot for her because of the movie she had starred in before.
At least she hadn’t been completely forgotten.
Just as she was reflecting on this, Sister Sun called.
“Jingmian,” her voice was filled with barely concealed excitement. Song Jingmian knew she had good news to share.
“What is it, Sister Sun?”
Sister Sun laughed even more brightly. “Your popularity is soaring right now, and some directors have sent over scripts. Would you like to take a look?”
This came as a surprise to both of them. Originally, they had planned to slowly reintroduce her to the public after dealing with Xie Mingde’s situation.
But unexpectedly, some directors had actually sent her scripts.
Although they were mostly low-budget web dramas or supporting roles, Song Jingmian didn’t accept any of them.
She could start over from scratch.
After expressing her stance, Sister Sun nodded. “I agree with your thinking, but I’ve also received some variety show invitations. I suggest you participate in a variety show first to get some exposure in front of the public.”
“What kind of variety show?” Song Jingmian asked.
“It’s probably something like traveling, completing tasks, playing games, and chatting together at night.”
Song Jingmian thought for a few seconds. “Alright.”
Given the current situation, she really needed to make herself more familiar to the public.
“Good. We’ll wait for the specific details later, but you can start preparing now.”
“Okay.”
After hanging up, Song Jingmian looked up the variety show to get a better understanding.
She needed to familiarize herself with the general process to avoid being unprepared when the time came.
After learning more, she discovered that to maintain the authenticity of the show, the production team had decided to broadcast it live.
This was also why the show’s ratings had skyrocketed—the live format was full of unexpected moments. Most people gained fans because of their genuine behavior, but some also ended up with scandals and lost countless followers.
Still, no matter what, Song Jingmian was determined to give it a try.
Just as she was lost in thought, a pair of large hands suddenly encircled her soft waist. Soon after, a warm breath drifted across her neck, sending waves of tingling sensations through her.
“Mianmian…”
Behind her, a man’s voice, hoarse and restrained, called out.