The earth-shattering crash completely stunned Shen Hui.
She looked blankly at Shang Wan, who had suddenly appeared and acted with such decisive force, her lips parting as if to say something. Meanwhile, Shang Wan, still feeling her entrance wasn’t dramatic enough, sauntered over to her with an air of nonchalance.
Wearing an expression of righteous justice, Shang Wan took two steps forward, ready to extend a hand to Shen Hui and deliver the domineering line, “I’m here, don’t be afraid.”
The next second, Assistant Director Liu Bo, who had been knocked to the ground by Shang Wan’s thermos, struggled to stretch out a leg, tripping the unprepared Shang Wan and sending her sprawling flat on her back.
Shen Hui: “…”
Shang Wan: “…”
Before Shang Wan could even extend her hand, it slammed heavily onto the nearby office desk.
The freshly stitched wound tore open again, and tiny beads of blood once more stained her sleeve.
Shang Wan grimaced in pain on the spot.
Damn!
Showing off really does come with consequences!
Cradling her arm, it took her a while before she could speak through gritted teeth to Shen Hui beside her, “Um, Teacher Shen, maybe you should call 110 first.”
Only then did Shen Hui snap out of her daze.
She quickly contacted an ambulance before calling the police.
Forty minutes later, at A City First People’s Hospital.
After giving her statement, Shang Wan saw Shen Hui with red-rimmed eyes, staring unblinkingly at the wound on her arm, on the verge of tears as she said, “Sister Nan Zhi, it’s all my fault…”
“It’s not your fault,” Shang Wan interrupted her firmly.
“Victims don’t need to reflect on themselves.”
Shang Wan’s words were resounding.
Shen Hui stared at her in a daze.
Shang Wan placed her hand on Shen Hui’s and said, “Come on, repeat after me: I’m not at fault, Liu Bo is the scumbag.”
Shen Hui: “…”
Shang Wan’s lowbrow remark completely dispelled Shen Hui’s guilt. Shen Hui’s eyes curved into a smile, and she couldn’t help but laugh.
Looking at the smile on Shen Hui’s face, Shang Wan felt so elated she could practically float—
Ever since Shen Hui saw her swing the thermos, the System’s congratulatory notifications had been ringing nonstop.
“Congratulations, Host. Female lead Shen Hui’s Bond Points have risen to 5.8.”
“Congratulations, Host. Shen Hui’s Bond Points have risen to 12.9.”
“Congratulations, Host…”
Shang Wan gazed at Shen Hui with a look of pure affection, wishing she could plant a couple of kisses on her face.
Who said this female lead was fake-independent and truly naive?
This female lead is amazing!
Just tell me, who has ever seen a female lead whose Bond Points increase even when she falls flat on her back, completely ruining her image? Who has ever seen that!
Shang Wan gleefully watched Shen Hui’s Bond Points skyrocket to 20.72, feeling as though her back no longer ached, she wasn’t tired, her arm didn’t hurt, and life was simply perfect.
A few minutes later, Shang Wan, whose life was now perfect, pleaded with the doctor cleaning her wound in agony, “Doctor, doctor, it hurts too much! Can you be gentler?”
Beside her, Yang Mingyi, who had rushed to the hospital upon hearing the shocking news that “her artist broke two of the assistant director’s ribs on set,” sneered at Shang Wan and said, “Hah, I thought you didn’t know what pain was!”
Shang Wan: Too scared to speak.
Feeling guilty for causing trouble for her manager, Shang Wan hung her head low, shrinking her neck like a quail as she listened to Yang Mingyi’s outburst.
Yang Mingyi: “When you see a bad guy, can’t you call the police? At the very least, you could shout for help! You just got stitches on your arm—didn’t you know you shouldn’t move around recklessly? Are the hundreds of people on the entire film crew all dead, leaving you as the only one still breathing?!
“Shang Nanzhi, why don’t you just get your brain treated while you’re here!”
Shang Wan: “…”
She looked worriedly at Yang Mingyi, who was nearly fuming with rage, and very obsequiously handed her the water Shen Hui had just poured for her, saying, “Sis, you must be thirsty from all that scolding. Have some water to soothe your throat.”
Yang Mingyi: “Get lost!”
Angry as she was, the mess caused by her own artist still had to be dealt with.
Yang Mingyi launched into emergency PR.
First, she contacted the film crew and had the official account release a statement firing the notorious Assistant Director Liu.
Then, she got in touch with the police, asking them to coordinate with the crew to issue a case report to prevent netizens from speculating and spreading any sensational gossip.
Immediately after, she took a series of close-up shots of Shang Wan, capturing her pale and fragile appearance as she received treatment for her wounds in the hospital, making it seem as if she were about to be put on a ventilator—all to highlight the rarity and courage of her stepping forward to save someone.
Finally, Yang Mingyi also requested a half-month leave from the film crew for Shang Wan.
During those two weeks, Shang Wan was not to film any action scenes.
After tirelessly handling all of this, Yang Mingyi finally turned her gaze back to Shang Wan, whose wounds had been re-stitched, and said, “Nan Zhi, I still want to live a few more years. Can you help me with that?”
Shang Wan nodded frantically.
In truth, Shang Wan had anticipated Yang Mingyi’s outburst tonight.
The entertainment industry is like this—whether it’s good news or bad, any public opinion has the potential to stir up a storm.
Right and wrong, black and white—often, it’s not about the truth but about how those who promote it spin the story.
Breaking the assistant director’s ribs with her own hands might seem like an act of chivalry.
But from another perspective, wasn’t she also telling everyone in the industry that she couldn’t tolerate wrongdoing and was an emotionally unstable powder keg?
Moreover, confronting someone while injured was inherently putting herself in danger.
Shang Wan knew that Yang Mingyi wasn’t just angry tonight—she was also worried and afraid.
Worried that something might happen to her, afraid that she would make enemies.
Shang Wan wanted to promise something, but the words stuck in her throat.
In the ten years from being an extra to becoming a lead actress, Shang Wan had weighed too many pros and cons and endured too much injustice. She knew that, in fact, Fang Xinghe’s approach in the original novel was the optimal solution.
After saving Shen Hui, obtaining video evidence from the crew of the assistant director harassing the actress, and threatening him so he wouldn’t dare do it again.
There was no risk of offending anyone, and it was handled cleanly and efficiently.
But Shang Wan couldn’t bear it.
Being given a second chance at life was a gift from heaven, and obtaining the identity of a top-tier actress in the industry was something she had never even dared to dream of.
Shang Nanzhi carried influence, held resources, and wielded far more power than Shang Wan ever had.
If, starting with such an identity, Shang Wan still had to blend in and compromise, telling Shen Hui in the tone of an experienced person that she must never make a scene and should learn to let things go, Shang Wan would despise herself.
She couldn’t do it.
Looking at Yang Mingyi’s helpless gaze, Shang Wan finally said, “Sis, I promise, I won’t actively stir up trouble in the future.”
Yang Mingyi sighed.
She patted Shang Wan’s head and finally spoke a gentle word: “Wait until your injury is fully healed before going back to the set. Don’t let your arm really get ruined.”
At one in the morning, Shang Wan returned to the hotel where the crew was staying.
The anesthesia had long worn off. Shen Hui handed Shang Wan a painkiller and sat on the carpet by the bed like a little puppy, watching her eagerly.
Shang Wan found it amusing. “I’m fine here. You should go back and sleep.”
Shen Hui shook her head firmly. “No, Nan Zhi Jie, I’m staying to take care of you.”
Shang Wan fell silent.
If she remembered correctly, in the book Star Path, the one who got injured for the female lead and received the honor of her staying up all night should have been the male lead, right?
What did a cannon fodder like her do to deserve this?
Before Shang Wan could persuade her further, Shen Hui had already efficiently spread a blanket on the sofa outside the suite.
Shen Hui said, “Nan Zhi Jie, I sleep very quietly and definitely won’t disturb you. Besides, I’m a light sleeper, and the bedroom door is half-open. If your wound hurts in the middle of the night, just call out and I’ll definitely hear you.”
Shang Wan even suspected that if Shen Hui had a tail, it would be wagging high in the air right now.
Shang Wan: Is this right??
The next day, Shang Wan was awakened by a barrage of messages on her phone.
A flood of greetings like “Dear, what happened last night?” and “Sweetie, are you okay now?” filled her social media apps.
Shang Wan opened Weibo. The trending topics about last night’s incident occupied two-thirds of the hot search list.
#Liu Bo, Assistant Director of Zhao Ming Palace, Attempted to Assault Female Actress on Set#
#Liu Bo Fired from Zhao Ming Palace Crew#
#Official Report on Liu’s Case#
…
Shang Wan’s eyes scanned the hot search list and finally settled on the top two entries.
Hot Search #1: #Shang Nanzhi, the True Warrior#
Hot Search #2: #Heartache for Shen Hui#
She clicked into the trending topic.
The first thing that caught her eye were the staged photos Yang Mingyi had the staff take of her at the hospital last night.
Pale lips, a weak face, a gruesome wound, a long suture line, and her, the righteous hero.
Shang Wan: …What a grand show.
Anyone who didn’t know better would think she had fought the villain Liu Bo for three hundred rounds, suffered multiple stab wounds, and was now in the ICU fighting for her life.
The comments below were overwhelmingly positive.
Some praised her, some expressed sympathy, while fans took the opportunity to promote her new work.
Occasionally, there were some with uniquely imaginative takes.
Like this one—
Pure-Hearted Mother Cockroach: “Am I the only one who noticed Shang Nanzhi’s superhuman strength? She actually knocked two of Liu the Scum’s ribs out of place with a single thud. Not to say it wasn’t well-deserved, but shouldn’t this sis consider taking up shot put? Feels like she’d be perfect for it.”
Shang Wan: “…”
Thanks, but that was the thermos doing the heavy lifting.
Shang Wan exited Hot Search #1 and clicked into Shen Hui’s trending topic.
At the top of the page was a Weibo post Shen Hui had published at five in the morning.
Shen Hui seemed completely unbothered by the negative impact this incident might have on her, nor did she care about the occasional victim-blaming rhetoric that occasionally flared up online.
She wrote: “Victims don’t need to reflect on themselves. That’s what Nan Zhi Jie told me. Nan Zhi Jie is like a beam of light that illuminated me. Now, I want to pass that light on to everyone who has been hurt, just like me.”
Shang Wan: …That’s pretty cheesy.
She curled her fingers a bit uncomfortably. When she looked up, she saw Shen Hui pushing the door open with a box of nutritional meal in hand, saying, “Nan Zhi, you’re awake. I had my assistant prepare some convalescent food for you. Come eat after you freshen up.”
Shang Wan stared at Shen Hui’s Bond Points, which had skyrocketed to 26.9 overnight, and fell silent.
It suddenly occurred to her that in the early part of the original novel, Shen Hui might not have been so easily won over by Gu Xun because of his high-level tactics.
It was simply that Shen Hui was too naive.
Lost in the complicated feeling of “the female lead is too naive, I must protect her well,” Shang Wan finished her breakfast.
Then she changed clothes and went to the makeup room with Shen Hui to prepare for work.
As soon as she entered the makeup room, Shang Wan ran into the diligent Fang Xinghe, who had already finished his makeup.
As usual, she greeted Fang Xinghe and was about to sit down for her own makeup when she saw him freeze in place as if someone had cast a paralysis spell on him.
Shang Wan: “?”
She looked at Fang Xinghe in confusion, only to see him glance at her with an expression that was neither friendly nor welcoming.
Then, in a tone that seemed difficult for him to muster, he said, “Well, I didn’t know your arm was actually injured before. I misunderstood you for skipping work without reason. Sorry about that.”
Shang Wan wondered if she had misheard: “Huh?”
Fang Xinghe was exasperated: “Forget it if you didn’t hear.”
Apologizing once had already exhausted his pride. Fang Xinghe was determined not to repeat it a second time.
However, as soon as his words fell, Shen Hui’s displeased voice came through: “Fang Xinghe, what kind of tone are you using with Nan Zhi?”
Fang Xinghe, who had always been addressed as “Teacher Fang” by Shen Hui: “…”
This is unbelievable!
Shang Wan: “…”
Oh no, the female lead and her devoted male supporting character are arguing over her, a mere cannon fodder!