Chapter 24: Shipping Them Already

Zhao Xue hadn’t expected the drug to be so potent.

She had spent nearly the entire night pinning the woman down; the room was filled with the lingering, sticky traces of their encounter. Shen Xun was so exhausted she hadn’t even woken up yet.

As Zhao Xue untied the ropes, she noticed Shen Xun’s wrists and ankles were bruised purple from her frantic struggling. Zhao Xue let out a soft “tsk” and turned toward the bathroom to wash up.

She had to maintain the original owner’s persona now. Zhao Xue didn’t find the task difficult; on the contrary, a challenge only made things more interesting.

When Shen Xun woke up, her eyelids felt heavy, and her entire body was drained of strength. Every slight movement of her arms brought a surge of soreness. Propping herself up with her elbows, the corners of her eyes were still tinged with red, and the sticky sensation on her skin made her feel miserable.

Just then, Zhao Xue walked out of the bathroom wearing a bathrobe. Seeing Shen Xun sitting up and looking for her clothes, Zhao Xue sneered.

“You’re not planning to go out looking like that, are you? I won’t stop you, but here’s a friendly tip: there might be paparazzi waiting outside right now.” Her gaze lingered pointedly on the hickeys covering Shen Xun’s body.

Following Zhao Xue’s gaze downward, Shen Xun saw the marks left behind from the previous night. She let out a cold laugh. “Zhao Xue, being in the same room as you makes me want to vomit from disgust.”

She threw her shirt on, buttoning the collar all the way to the top to hide the mottled marks on her neck. When she leaned over to pull on her pants, her waist buckled and her legs nearly gave out. She gritted her teeth, enduring the physical discomfort until she was fully dressed.

Putting on a mask, she didn’t give Zhao Xue so much as a second glance before turning and walking out the door.

The room was empty now, the bed a complete wreck that no one could lie in. Zhao Xue sat down on the hotel sofa and pulled out her phone.

The original owner had dreams of stardom. Going abroad hadn’t just been about stringing the Male Lead along; it was about chasing a career in the international acting scene. Obviously, she had failed. Coincidentally, she learned the Male Lead was starting to care about the stand-in, so she returned.

It was worth noting that while the original owner flopped abroad, she was great at marketing herself. Her domestic reputation was excellent, and she was hailed as the “Gentle White Moonlight.” So far, no one had discovered the real personality hidden beneath her skin.

Zhao Xue asked: [System, didn’t the Female Lead accept a role in a wilderness survival variety show?]

The System had spent the night staring at censored pixels and hadn’t seen the Female Lead’s face or heard her voice clearly until now. It had been acting as if it didn’t even exist. But the moment Zhao Xue asked, it came online: [Yes! This variety show, which wasn’t originally expected to do well, becomes a huge hit because of the Female Lead. In this arc, a supporting male character falls for her and starts pursuing her, which makes the Male Lead jealous and leads to him tormenting her again.]

Zhao Xue tapped her fingers on the armrest. After a long moment, she slowly remarked, “So this is what a ‘sadistic novel’ is like?”

The System was busy wondering what its host meant by that. Meanwhile, Zhao Xue pulled out her phone and called her manager.

“Sister Fang, help me sign up for that show, Desolate Exploration.”

After Zhao Xue hung up, the System asked curiously: [Host, aren’t you afraid of breaking character? The mission requires you to maintain the persona.]

Zhao Xue’s smile was unreadable. [Darling, I’m just joining a variety show. How is that breaking character? Besides, how do you define ‘breaking character’? Is it the image in people’s minds, or the image defined by the world’s settings?]

The System felt a bit dizzy. [Uh, that… let me think about it carefully.]

Zhao Xue dismissed the System with a few words. She didn’t need to think hard to know that “breaking character” referred to the persona in the eyes of others. If it were the second case, she would have been warned the moment she made that call. But she wasn’t.

On the other side, Shen Xun didn’t leave the hotel immediately. Instead, she went to the front desk to change rooms. She wasn’t a fool; if there were paparazzi like Zhao Xue said, leaving now would only give them more dirt.

In the bathroom, Shen Xun scrubbed her body hard. Her pale skin was rubbed red, but she didn’t let up, using enough force to nearly break the skin. The small tooth mark on her chin was the most obvious.

Shen Xun looked at her disheveled reflection in the mirror, her thin lips pressed into a tight line. Getting mixed up with two lunatics like Qin Chen and Zhao Xue was the worst luck of her life. She cursed under her breath.

After drying off, her old clothes were unusable, so she had to call the front desk to have new ones sent up.

When Zhao Xue returned home, her manager was already waiting for her. Her manager, Lin Fang, had access to her place.

Lin Fang spoke first: “Why do you want to go on that show?” Based on Zhao Xue’s current status, she should have looked down on a small, low-budget show like that. Moreover, the physical requirements were too high, and the ratings weren’t as good as other programs. Only minor celebrities with no resources or status would settle for something like this.

Joining meant being exposed to the elements and losing one’s “idol baggage.” Last time, Zhao Xue had even mocked the show, yet now she wanted to go.

Zhao Xue’s public image was one of kindness and gentleness; her downcast smiles had led netizens to crown her the “National White Moonlight.” Lin Fang originally thought she was actually like that, but she later realized she was dead wrong. Zhao Xue was petty and intensely jealous. She had done many stupid things to target Shen Xun, and Lin Fang had never been so exhausted managing an artist.

If it weren’t for the higher-ups forcing her, she would have quit long ago. She looked at Zhao Xue with a cold, distant expression, her tone carrying a hint of subtle annoyance.

“Is it because Shen Xun is going? If you’re going just to mess with her, you’d better not make it too obvious. President Qin is still in a coma; no one will cover for you if you mess up.”

Zhao Xue crossed her arms and snorted. “I’m not an idiot. I know how to avoid the cameras. Besides, Shen Xun is just a flop covered in scandals; the netizens won’t care.”

Lin Fang was nearly speechless with anger. She really was going for Shen Xun. Her temples throbbed. “Fine, just be careful.” She didn’t bother trying to persuade her otherwise.

Everyone in the industry could see that Qin Chen’s heart was shifting, and now that he was in a coma with no telling when he’d wake, Zhao Xue was going to ruin herself sooner or later if she kept acting out. Lin Fang had lost all expectations for her.

In the entertainment industry, the one thing people didn’t lack was schemes. Zhao Xue’s behavior could only be described as brainless; she had truly been over-protected by Qin Chen in the past. She handed the contract to Zhao Xue: “This is the contract for Desolate Exploration.”

Zhao Xue took it and signed her name with a flourish without even looking at it.

Lin Fang frowned, giving Zhao Xue a complicated look but saying nothing. She tucked the contract away. “I’ll arrange a new assistant for you tomorrow. If you chase this one away, you won’t get another one.”

Zhao Xue looked indifferent. “Got it.”

Lin Fang’s eyelid twitched. Seeing that Zhao Xue wasn’t taking her seriously, she didn’t want to say more. “I have other things to do. I’m leaving.” She had other artists under her besides Zhao Xue.

Zhao Xue waved her off. “Bye, Sister Fang.”

Before leaving, Lin Fang gave one last warning: “Zhao Xue, President Qin is in a coma. You’d better restrain yourself and maintain your ‘Gentle White Moonlight’ persona.”

Zhao Xue snapped impatiently, “Sister Fang, when did you become such a nag? You never used to complain when I did these things before.”

“You… fine, I’m leaving!” Lin Fang decided if she ever tried to advise Zhao Xue again, she’d be a dog!

Desolate Exploration was a wilderness survival variety show, but being a variety show, it was focused on entertainment rather than raw survival. Usually, participants worked in pairs to complete tasks, and the show was broadcast live. Top-tier stars rarely joined because participants often looked unpolished or “ugly” during the process. The show was even nicknamed the “Celebrity Truth Serum.”

The director decided to set the third season on a foreign island to strive for a realistic effect. The show wasn’t a massive hit, but it had a loyal audience. When the official cast list for the third season was released, netizens were shocked.

— I get why Shen Xun is going; she’s an 18th-tier flop with no resources and too many scandals. But why Zhao Xue? — Seriously, can you ‘Snowflakes’ (fans) keep an eye on your idol? Is she crazy? Joining this show? Does she want everyone to see her crying and whining? — Even though I’m a fan, this… this really isn’t suitable for her! Begging her to withdraw!

Shen Xun looked at the comments, her dark eyes flickering. Why was Zhao Xue going? The answer was obvious: because of her. Shen Xun gripped her phone. Zhao Xue was stupid to a certain degree—a delicate star who couldn’t tell different grains apart, going on a show like this.

A thousand ways to make Zhao Xue look foolish flashed through Shen Xun’s mind. Her eyes narrowed. Zhao Xue, you brought this on yourself. Without Qin Chen, no one would bail her out for her nasty little tricks.

A week later, Zhao Xue was dropped off by her new assistant at the helicopter arranged by the production crew. Since assistants weren’t allowed, Zhao Xue had to carry her own suitcase onto the helicopter alone.

She seemed to be the last one to arrive; several people were already seated inside. At a glance, Zhao Xue saw Shen Xun sitting in the innermost seat. She only looked for a second before looking away.

Inside the System space, the System nearly screamed. Why does this Female Lead look exactly like Meng Yao?!

The System comforted itself: Maybe the ‘World Consciousness’ just favors this specific look for Female Leads. This definitely isn’t Meng Yao!

Unaware of the System’s inner turmoil, Zhao Xue greeted the others.

“Hello everyone, I’m Zhao Xue.” She wore a gentle smile, her voice soft and melodious. Despite her strikingly vivid beauty, her smile made her look soft and approachable. Her bright eyes and white teeth were like a breath of fresh air, making people’s hearts skip a beat.

The others responded one by one. Being in the same circle, they all knew of her, though few had met her in person. A rookie who had just debuted found the tips of his ears turning red for no reason when his eyes met hers. He had seen her on TV and thought her smile looked fake and her looks were overrated. Only now, facing her directly, did he understand what “divine beauty” meant. The people around them were already good-looking, but Zhao Xue looked like she was from a different dimension. Her beauty was simply “too much.”

Shen Xun watched this silently, sneering inwardly. Starting to hook people with that disgusting smile again.

The cameramen had already started filming, so Shen Xun didn’t show any displeasure toward Zhao Xue. When Zhao Xue’s gaze landed on her, she introduced herself politely, just like the others.

Facing Zhao Xue’s extended hand, Shen Xun’s eyelid twitched. She reached out, but the moment she felt the soft, smooth palm, she wanted to pull back immediately. However, Zhao Xue seemed to anticipate this; she tightened her grip, holding Shen Xun’s hand firmly.

Being wrapped in that softness, Shen Xun’s scalp went numb as memories of that night flooded back. She remembered lying helplessly beneath Zhao Xue, letting those red lips and fingers tease her.

Shen Xun’s lashes fluttered. She felt Zhao Xue’s grip was too tight to pull away easily, but with a slight surge of strength in her arm, she managed to retract her hand. Her palm still held that lingering warmth. As a cool breeze brushed past, Shen Xun looked up only to see that Zhao Xue had already turned her back to greet someone else.

But when Zhao Xue shook hands with others, it was just a light touch. Shen Xun’s head began to throb. She really was just trying to disgust me.

The cameras recorded everything clearly and broadcast it live to the audience.

— Did Zhao Xue grip Shen Xun’s hand really hard just now? Shen Xun’s expression didn’t look great. — I saw it too! Zhao Xue gave everyone else a light touch, but she was very firm with Shen Xun, and held on longer too. — Oh my god, did our little flop offend your ‘Master’ somehow? Please don’t bully our little flop. I’m starting to smell a conspiracy. — Who understands! That scene of them shaking hands was too beautiful! These two truly have ‘God-given’ looks. I’m shipping them already! — Get that ‘Evil Cult’ ship away! Our sister is President Qin’s White Moonlight! Everyone go look up President Qin’s history of pining for her; it’s personally certified!