Morning at the manor was quiet.
A gardener was using pruning shears to trim the branches of a cluster of rose vines.
The owner of the villa was still in the bedroom, and in the kitchen, several figures were unhurriedly preparing breakfast.
Everyone looked leisurely, yet they were deeply focused on their work.
In the third-floor bedroom, Sang Ji immersed herself in water of the perfect temperature.
Under the soft lighting, steam rose from the natural rock crystal bathtub. She closed her eyes, letting her nerves relax.
Just moments ago, Sang Ji had a dream about her twin brothers.
Upon waking, two voices had appeared in her consciousness.
One called itself the Villainess Counterattack System, and the other called itself the Cannon Fodder Male Lead Salvation System.
At this moment, Sang Ji could sense these two so-called systems facing each other.
Though she couldn’t see them, she could feel them. It was truly strange.
Could it be—
Sang Ji slowly opened her eyes. The tiny water droplets clinging to her eyelashes fell with the movement, and a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes, which were as cold as frost and snow.
Split personality… perhaps?
“…Host, you are very healthy! I am your system, here to help you achieve a counterattack in your life!”
Villainess Counterattack System No. 008 spoke.
No. 008 felt speechless. Why was there another system trying to snatch its host?
Meanwhile, the other system was contemplating its “system life.”
This was its first mission, yet it had encountered such a massive problem.
Helpless and panicked!
…
Counterattack? Did she need such a thing?
Sang Ji thought indifferently as she sorted through the plot from her dream.
Back then, after her father had an affair and fathered an illegitimate daughter, her mother divorced him upon finding out.
At twelve years old, she insisted on going with her mother. Her two younger brothers were too small and could only remain with the Shen family.
Now, Shen Xi was an idol, and Shen Ci was a popular actor.
The two had been the most prominent Top-tier Traffic Stars in the entertainment industry for the past two years.
Yet the dream claimed that the world they lived in was actually a book.
In the book, Shen Xi was the female lead’s rumored romantic interest.
The two played a pair of siblings on a variety show, garnering a massive number of CP Fans. The female lead then used Fan Purification on the CP Fans to ascend to the status of a top-tier starlet.
Shen Xi’s fans couldn’t accept his affection for the female lead, and he was accused of failing as an idol, causing his popularity to plummet.
As for Shen Ci, the first big-budget movie he starred in fell victim to a capital fraud. The box office was a total disaster, and he would take all the blame, causing his reputation to hit rock bottom.
But it didn’t stop there.
The book also said that the twins used all sorts of methods to suppress the illegitimate daughter.
When the two brothers were at the lowest point of their careers, the illegitimate daughter finally got the chance to clear her name and expose their excessive behavior!
Throughout this, the female lead stood firmly by her side.
The two were hailed by netizens as true best friends in the entertainment industry, their CP also became popular, and their careers reached their peak.
Yes, the illegitimate daughter was actually the second female lead of the book, an Infamous Young Starlet who previously had a negative reputation.
The focus of this segment was to showcase the female lead’s personal charm. Their friendship was a rare breath of fresh air in the industry…
In the end, the twins were cursed until they left the industry and were officially blacklisted.
As one of the “backup options,” Shen Xi died suddenly from a broken heart after being detested by the female lead.
The naturally reclusive Shen Ci shut himself off completely, refusing all human contact.
Of course, this was a romance novel, not a yuri novel.
There was a male lead, and there was also a villainess.
That villainess was Sang Ji.
After the twins’ downfall, their mother couldn’t handle such a heavy blow. Her depression relapsed, and she nearly took her own life…
Consequently, Sang Ji blamed all of this on the female lead and the illegitimate daughter, launching a campaign of revenge against them.
During this process, however, she unexpectedly fell in love with the male lead, viewing the female lead even more as a thorn in her side and constantly interfering.
Being the villainess, she naturally met a miserable end.
This circle of entanglement sounded quite complex.
To summarize, their entire family served as excellent Plot Devices.
Sang Ji accepted this well, mostly because she thought the plot was pure nonsense.
Shen Xi and Shen Ci had long since severed ties with the Shen family.
The Shen family barely counted as a wealthy clan. If the brothers really wanted to trouble that illegitimate daughter, Shen Shuang, they would have kicked her out of the Shen family directly instead of leaving themselves.
Forget an illegitimate daughter—they didn’t care about the Shen family at all.
Furthermore, trying to force her to fight over a man… she’d rather go chase sharks in the ocean.
…
“Host, you’ve noticed it too! The plot settings have huge discrepancies with the reality of this world. Therefore, we should take initiative over our own destiny, counterattack to become the female lead, reach the peak of our career, and win over the male lead! For the first step, we can enter the entertainment industry…”
No. 008 spoke up at the right time, getting more excited as it went on.
Mhm, very ambitious. Unfortunately, she wasn’t interested.
Sang Ji didn’t respond to its eager expectations. Instead, she lazily asked the other system: So, what about you? Saving the male lead? I’m not the male lead, why look for me?
No. 001, who had been silent: “…!”
Right, oh, right!
Why was that?!
It seemed to have just discovered this inconsistency.
Indeed, Shen Xi and Shen Ci were the cannon fodder male leads.
So, was there an error?
…
Facing these two unreliable systems, Sang Ji reached a conclusion.
What an erroneous and chaotic world.
In that case, even if she did whatever she wanted, it wouldn’t matter, right?
The two systems: ??
Wait, how did you reach that logic?
You actually just want to be the big villain, don’t you!
That afternoon, a private jet landed at a Chinese airport.
Inside a silver-and-black Rolls-Royce, the assistant, An Yi, was reporting to Sang Ji.
“President Tang from LK wants to invite you to dinner when you have time. He said he wants to introduce the spokesperson for this season’s new watches. He’s a pretty popular traffic star, but he rose to the top early on by relying on wealthy socialites’ resources. This time, he probably has ulterior motives…”
“President Qin from Shangfan Jewelry wants to invite you to join the Yiyan Private Club. Ah, the entry requirements for this club are very high; the members are mostly socialites and heiresses. Cough, it’s said that many of the staff there are as handsome as male celebrities, and there are a few male models who are quite famous in the circle.”
Although she was Sang Ji’s personal assistant, they were like friends in private, and she spoke her mind.
An Yi continued listing several more things.
After listening, Sang Ji had only one feeling: “…An Yi, are they all insane?”
An Yi’s lip twitched. Only the person in front of her would call the CEOs of these top luxury brands insane.
She suppressed a smile. “After all, you’re about to be their immediate boss. Those people in the group are very well-informed about your early return to the country.”
But it was too ridiculous that one after another, they all thought of using men to please her. Was this how things were done here?
Sang Ji looked at her expressionlessly.
An Yi stopped her schadenfreude and said seriously, “Alright, I’ll handle it. I know you came back this time for your brothers.”
Saying that, she opened another file.
“I’ve checked. Shen Xi has already signed the contract for that variety show. Fengcheng Media wants to use his traffic before his contract expires to push the company’s popular starlet into the top tier.”
“Regarding the movie you mentioned, Shen Ci’s team is indeed in talks, and the other party seems very sincere, as if they must have him. Speaking of his company, it’s really small; he’s actually the only famous artist they have…”
An Yi spoke in great detail while Sang Ji fell into deep thought as she listened.
She had been busy with her new brand these past two years and hadn’t seen them more than twice a year.
In her spare time, she would follow the domestic entertainment industry. Knowing they were doing what they loved and doing it well, she hadn’t interfered much.
It wouldn’t be hard to make them avoid the plot.
However, if they avoided it this time, would there not be a next time?
The protagonists were still there.
If, under unknown circumstances, they still inevitably headed toward that kind of ending, how would her mother and she cope…
“Host, that’s right! That’s it, I’ve figured it out!”
Cannon Fodder Male Lead Salvation System No. 001 suddenly spoke up.
“As long as you can change Shen Xi and Shen Ci’s endings, then my mission will also be completed. That means I haven’t bound the wrong person!”
Wuwuwu, it was saved! Its career was preserved!
Sang Ji, on the surface: Oh, congratulations.
What she actually thought: What a stupid system.
“…Host, I can hear you, you know.” No. 001 spoke up timidly.
It wasn’t stupid; it was just a bit inexperienced!
Meanwhile, No. 008’s mind was full of: Enter the entertainment industry, counterattack, go for it!
Fengcheng Media’s lounge.
The manager pushed the door open and saw Shen Xi preparing to leave, his brow furrowing.
“Where are you going?”
The youth was tall and straight, his features cold and sharp. “Home.”
After speaking, he walked straight out the door, ignoring the manager’s dissatisfaction and completely overlooking the person behind the manager.
The manager always lacked presence in front of him but could only stop him. “Why are you going home so early? You and Shiyu are about to go on the show; get familiar with each other first.”
Only then did Shen Xi see Liang Shiyu standing behind him.
This “older sister” who was supposedly going on the show with him—he didn’t know her, nor did he even remember her name.
Shen Xi’s gaze lingered for less than a second as he carelessly uttered a few words: “I don’t have time today.”
With an outsider present, the manager felt quite embarrassed.
Liang Shiyu was a popular starlet after all, and someone the company was heavily promoting. Shen Xi wasn’t giving her any face at all.
He wasn’t renewing his contract, nor did he plan to sign with a new company.
So what if he was top-tier? He was just an idol. Without a company’s operations, he would only slowly fade away.
He wouldn’t amount to much.
Moreover, if he annoyed the company, there were plenty of ways to make it impossible for him to survive in the entertainment industry.
If he were smart, he should obediently contribute his remaining value.
Thinking this, the manager didn’t plan to tolerate him anymore. “You don’t have any other work recently, so how can you not have time? The contract is signed. If you want a clean break, then cooperate with me. Don’t think that just because you’re leaving the company—”
“Just what? You want to threaten me?” Shen Xi sneered, as if he had heard a joke.
He had no freedom at all these past two years. The company would suppress him with a contract, making him do whatever they wanted.
They wanted to restrain him even after the contract ended? What a dream.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Liang Shiyu interrupted at the right time.
“Shen Xi, I’m Liang Shiyu. Can I chat with you for a bit?”
She spoke very gently. Generally, anyone who heard her would unconsciously become a bit more patient.
If it were any other time, Shen Xi might have stuck around to see what she wanted, but today—
He thought of how Sang Ji was already on her way, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit impatient.
“I have things to do. Whatever you want to say, say it on the show.”
Leaving those words behind, his figure disappeared through the doorway.
…
Inside the room, the manager smiled apologetically. “His personality is very arrogant, always treating others as beneath him. You might have heard of it.”
Liang Shiyu gave a comforting smile, indicating it didn’t matter.
Since her debut, the two dramas where she played the female lead were both hits, but because she lacked traffic and buzz, it was hard for her to reach the top tier.
Other starlets of the same period were coming on strong. The planning for these two years was crucial; one wrong move and she would fall behind.
He was just a little idol; she would endure.
Returning to her own lounge, Liang Shiyu took out another phone and went online using an alt account.
After signing the contract, the team had released press releases for early promotion.
The show hadn’t even officially announced the guests yet, but her and Shen Xi’s names were already on the hot search almost every day.
Water armies were mixed in with netizen discussions to guide public opinion.
Quite a few CP videos had already appeared on video sites as well.
Of course, Shen Xi’s fans were still defending his rights against the company, boycotting this variety show.
In their eyes, the “sibling” status was all fake.
Making an idol and a female artist of the same age partner up intimately—everyone knew what the intentions were, especially during this sensitive period of his contract expiring.
Liang Shiyu laughed silently and tossed her phone aside.
Let them argue and make a fuss.
See, the heat was already here.
Shen Xi returned to Minggang Apartments just in time to run into Shen Ci, who was about to open his door.
He thought for a few seconds and didn’t return to his own flat, instead following Shen Ci into his home.
Minggang Apartments had two units per floor.
The two people whom netizens thought never spoke to each other actually lived right next door to each other.
Shen Xi leaned lazily on the sofa, watching the groceries Shen Ci was carrying into the kitchen—all things Sang Ji liked to eat.
His mood was slightly complex as he asked, “Did she tell you she’s eating dinner here?”
Shen Ci’s voice came from the kitchen. “Sister didn’t say, but I’m making it first. If she wants to eat, she can.”
Shen Xi gave a light huff. If he had known, he would have suggested meeting at a restaurant!
Feeling bored, he wanted to ask if Sang Ji was arriving soon but held back, grabbing a console to start playing games instead.
After playing for a while, he glanced at the door, muttering, “Why isn’t she here yet?”
He picked up his phone to check the time.
Oh, only five minutes had passed.
He waited and waited. Just as the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, the doorbell finally rang.
Shen Xi immediately jumped up from the sofa.
He dropped the console, walked quickly to the door, then suddenly stopped.
After fixing his expression, Shen Xi opened the door with a neutral look.