It was still early. Shen Xingyao squeezed onto a bus, then transferred to the subway, finally arriving at her destination.
She tilted her head back, her neck almost craning to the point of breaking.
Only then could she clearly see the top of the towering CBD building, where four dazzling, gold-plated characters shimmered with an extravagant, almost gaudy brilliance—”Brilliant Media.”
Dominant! Luxurious! Filled with the alluring stench of capitalism!
It was only 8:30 in the morning. For the entertainment industry, which often operates on a reversed day-night schedule, the lobby of the agency was so empty that echoes could be heard. Even the receptionist was secretly catching up on sleep with her head down.
Shen Xingyao strolled in, chose the sofa that looked the most expensive and most like the genuine Italian calfskin found in a CEO’s office, and comfortably nestled into it, ready to wait for her agent.
However, before her backside could even settle, a shrill voice shattered the lobby’s tranquility.
“Well, well, who do we have here? If it isn’t our best newcomer under the top agent, Miss Shen Xingyao herself?”
Shen Xingyao opened her eyes to see a woman glaring at her fiercely.
The woman wore a high-end tailored trench coat from the current season, oversized black sunglasses that covered almost half her face, and teetered on ten-centimeter stilettos.
Leading a timid little assistant, she strutted over like a proud, preening peacock.
The woman approached, removed her sunglasses, and revealed a face adorned with meticulous full makeup. “What? You’ve been with the company for over half a year, haven’t done a single job, haven’t made even a tiny splash, and yet you still have the nerve to show your face here to clock in?”
“Collecting a paycheck for doing nothing, and with such righteous confidence—is your face made of bulletproof material?”
Shen Xingyao narrowed her eyes and sized her up. Fortunately, she had done her homework diligently on the bus and subway, having roughly reviewed the profiles of Brilliant’s notable artists.
Lin Xuemiao, Brilliant Media’s newly rising starlet. It was said she had gained a bit of popularity recently from playing supporting roles in two web dramas and was currently in an inflated phase of fan growth.
However, Shen Xingyao wasn’t clear on why the original host—a nobody who hadn’t filmed any dramas—had any conflict with her, warranting such an undignified display of mockery.
Faced with such provocation, the original host might have burst into tears long ago.
But who was Shen Xingyao now?
She was Niohuru·Xingyao!
She was someone who could earn a base salary of five thousand just by lounging around for half a day—how could she possibly start a conflict?
Not only was she not angry, but she shifted into an even more alluring pose on the sofa, flashing Lin Xuemiao a brilliantly infuriating smile. “Oh, good morning, Senior Lin.”
“Look at what you’re saying. Collecting a paycheck for doing nothing is also a skill, you know. After all, I’m someone who’s good at nothing—except having good fortune.”
Her words were filled with the pride of being a high-level slacker.
After speaking, she even offered an especially sincere, pure, and flawless smile.
“You—!”
Lin Xuemiao had probably never in her life seen someone declare “I’m a waste” with such righteous confidence and was instantly enraged.
Her meticulously drawn willow-leaf eyebrows nearly shot up into inverted arcs, and her chest heaved violently.
Adding to her fury was the thought of everything she had sacrificed—both what was expected and what wasn’t—for those two dramas!
“You bitch! How dare you mock me!”
In a fit of rage, Lin Xuemiao raised her hand, her sharp nails glinting coldly, and swung toward Shen Xingyao’s face—which, despite being bare-faced, was still enviably beautiful.
Ugh!
Talk won’t work, so you resort to violence?!
Shen Xingyao’s eyes turned cold. She was just about to lift her leg and deliver a kick to the chest, to teach her that an arm can’t twist a thigh.
A hand with distinct knuckles and painted in a bold red nail polish, like an iron clamp, firmly intercepted Lin Xuemiao’s wrist in mid-air.
“Putting on a full-scale martial arts show in the company lobby first thing in the morning? Lin Xuemiao, do you think just because you’ve been trending a couple of times lately, this building of Brilliant Media can’t contain you anymore?”
A cold, sharp, and commanding voice, carrying the chill of a Siberian blizzard, exploded above the two of them.
Shen Xingyao peeked over and saw the newcomer wearing a well-tailored deep V black suit and a pair of aggressive red high heels.
Her powerful aura was like a domineering female CEO inspecting her territory, leaving no blade of grass standing within a ten-mile radius.
This was the original owner’s agent, the undisputed ace of Brilliant Media—Sister Wang.
Lin Xuemiao’s previously fierce and arrogant demeanor instantly deflated like a punctured balloon the moment she met Sister Wang’s sharp gaze.
“Sis… Sister Wang…” Lin Xuemiao’s voice trembled with fear, not daring to struggle even though her wrist was being squeezed painfully. Her once haughty face instantly turned pale.
The assistant beside her was trembling even more, bowing repeatedly and apologizing: “Sorry, Sister Wang! Sister Xuemiao just acted impulsively, sorry, sorry…”
Her head was practically buried in her chest, and Shen Xingyao couldn’t help but feel a bit pleased.
“Get lost.” Sister Wang’s red lips parted, uttering just one word, yet it carried immense force. “If I ever see you acting like a shrew in the company again, I’ll have your agent take you somewhere to cool off.”
“Yes, yes, we’re leaving right away!”
Lin Xuemiao and her assistant practically fled in panic.
But at the corner, she couldn’t resist turning back to shoot Shen Xingyao a venomous glare!
Shen Xingyao completely ignored her. Instead, she immediately stood up, patted the wrinkles on her clothes, and flashed a well-behaved smile at Sister Wang. “Good morning, Sister Wang!”
She didn’t know what else to say. After all, while Sister Wang couldn’t stand Lin Xuemiao, she didn’t think much of her either. The more she said, the more likely she’d make a mistake.
Sister Wang took a wet wipe from her bag and wiped her fingers before finally turning around. She scrutinized Shen Xingyao from head to toe, left and right, with a look as if she were examining an alien.
In the past, whenever this girl came to the company, wasn’t she at least two hours late?
And her face was always caked with that heavy nightclub makeup, thick enough to scrape off two pounds of plaster, while her outfits were as colorful as a palette.
Today, she actually wasn’t late?
And she was only wearing a light, natural-looking makeup?
Honestly, with her face cleaned up, she really did have the looks that the heavens had blessed her with—a pure charm with a hint of natural allure. This was how a female star should look.
“Alright, at least you look somewhat human today.” Sister Wang accurately tossed the wet wipe into a trash bin three meters away. “Not painted up like a ghost, that’s progress. Follow me upstairs.”
When they reached the top-floor agent’s office, Sister Wang settled into the spacious executive chair, took a sip of the black coffee that her assistant Xiao Yu had just brewed, and then casually asked, “What was Lin Xuemiao’s tantrum about downstairs just now? Do you two have some history?”
What history?
Even if there was, the current Shen Xingyao didn’t know.
She could only play dumb and shake her head, indicating she had no idea.
Fortunately, while she didn’t know, someone else did.
Xiao Yu, like a walking encyclopedia, reported rapidly, “Sister Wang, Lin Xuemiao was signed into the company in the same batch as Sister Xingyao.”