Chapter 9: The Illusion Shatters

Before Zhongli Miaomiao could even exclaim, “Sister Xiaoqian, your singing is way too good,” she was almost sent to heaven by Sang Zhiyi’s single word “Miaomiao.”

But then, Zhongli Miaomiao quickly realized what Sang Zhiyi was actually asking.

“Liu Bolin?”

Zhongli Miaomiao repeated the name, unable to hide the disdain in her voice. “I did like him before.”

Sang Zhiyi picked out the key point: “Before?”

“Yeah, back when I hadn’t seen him in person yet.”

Zhongli Miaomiao said, “I came across his live performances and fancams online by chance, and I thought, wow, this guy is so handsome and cool.

If only I could have a boyfriend like that!”

“But after I chased him to the dating show production team and saw him in person, I felt… tsk, he’s nothing special after all!”

Sang Zhiyi understood: “What you liked should have been him on stage?”

“Exactly, exactly, I didn’t know how to put it!”

Zhongli Miaomiao agreed enthusiastically. “In my eyes, he’s actually like a 2D character.

I just need to see him shining on stage—he can’t come off the stage!”

“Once he steps off the stage and turns from a 2D character into a living, breathing real person, he’s completely not my type!”

Sang Zhiyi said, “That’s true.”

In the original plot development, it should have been the same—Zhongli Miaomiao lost interest in Liu Bolin after actually interacting with him.

Sang Zhiyi also specifically asked whether Zhongli Miaomiao would continue pursuing Liu Bolin, and received a very clear negative answer.

“Of course not.”

Zhongli Miaomiao said, “There are so many men in the world.

Besides him, there are plenty worth chasing!”

Sang Zhiyi nodded slightly.

If it weren’t for Liu Bolin’s fans’ relentless cyberbullying of Zhongli Miaomiao, she never would have been spiteful enough to insist on winning him over.

This “vicious woman” who, in the fans’ eyes, coveted their idol was just a passerby who had once liked him.

“Oh, right!

Sister Xiaoqian, I remember I wanted to tell you something!”

Zhongli Miaomiao’s voice grew even louder.

“That surnamed Lou—the one from your company, President Lou Yanchen—he’s no good!”

Sang Zhiyi completely agreed with this.

Remembering that Zhongli Miaomiao’s last Weibo post said she was going to Starlight Entertainment to ask Lou Yanchen for her contact information, Sang Zhiyi asked with a smile, “Miaomiao, did you just come back from Starlight?”

“Sister Xiaoqian, how did you know?!”

Zhongli Miaomiao was extremely surprised.

Sang Zhiyi’s tone was matter-of-fact: “Because I’ve read every single one of your Weibo posts carefully.”

Zhongli Miaomiao: “……!!!”

As it turned out, sincerity was always the ultimate skill.

Zhongli Miaomiao was so dizzy from Sang Zhiyi’s direct hit that she immediately reported the entire process of her visit to Lou Yanchen to Sang Zhiyi in minute detail.

Within their generation of the wealthy social circle, Lou Yanchen had always been the “other people’s child” since childhood.

Zhongli Miaomiao, with her lively, uninhibited personality, found it terribly annoying whenever elders praised Lou Yanchen for being mature, steady, self-disciplined, and outstanding.

Part of the reason Zhongli Miaomiao got along with Song Ying was their shared bond of complaining about Lou Yanchen together.

But she had no choice—who said Sang Zhiyi was signed to Lou Yanchen’s company?

Zhongli Miaomiao could only swallow her pride and go in person.

Arriving at Starlight, given Zhongli Miaomiao’s status, it wasn’t difficult for her to see Lou Yanchen.

Walking into Lou Yanchen’s office, Zhongli Miaomiao didn’t even wait for the secretary to brew her tea before getting straight to the point.

“Lou Yanchen!

Sister Xiaoqian—that is, Ren Xiaoqian—she’s from your company, right?

Where is she now?”

Zhongli Miaomiao described that Lou Yanchen’s face at that moment could have supplied an ice cube wholesale market.

“He wouldn’t tell me!”

Zhongli Miaomiao was still angry about this.

“Said he didn’t know!

Who would believe that?

A CEO not even having his own artist’s contact information!”

Sang Zhiyi nearly laughed out loud.

Actually, Lou Yanchen had told the truth.

Zhongli Miaomiao, of course, didn’t believe him and thought Lou Yanchen was deliberately hiding it from her, so she immediately lost her temper.

Within less than a minute of meeting, Lou Yanchen slammed the documents in his hand heavily onto his desk, and Zhongli Miaomiao stormed out, slamming the door.

It was a complete, unpleasant fallout.

Finally, Zhongli Miaomiao kept repeating to Sang Zhiyi, “Sister Xiaoqian, following that surnamed Lou really has no future!”

“Among the few major entertainment companies, Jinxiu and Yimeng are both better than Starlight!

Signing with either of them would be better than signing with that surnamed Lou!”

Sang Zhiyi didn’t take up this topic but said softly, “Miaomiao, can you promise me something?”

Having talked this far, it was time.

***

After finishing her conversation with Zhongli Miaomiao, Sang Zhiyi began systematically organizing the information about Liu Bolin in this world.

At the same time, she also opened Liu Bolin’s social media accounts to supplement with more potentially useful information.

Since she had decided to solve the problem, she might as well solve it more thoroughly.

***

A week later, it was time to record the second episode of Love of a Limited Season.

The recording location for this episode was still the same villa.

Sang Zhiyi, familiar with the way, arrived very early.

On site, even Jiang Yingru hadn’t arrived yet, and the production crew members were sparse, not yet in work mode.

Seeing Sang Zhiyi, a few young staff members suddenly became as excited as if they had been injected with adrenaline, shouting at her, “Mermaid!”

After the edited and post-produced official version of the first episode of Love of a Limited Season was released, the segment of Sang Zhiyi as a mermaid was made into videos by countless bloggers and content creators, spreading widely.

Even the staff who had been on site couldn’t help but watch it many more times.

Now seeing Sang Zhiyi in person, they all felt the excitement of successfully meeting a star.

Having been busy for the past half month and never having been a celebrity before, Sang Zhiyi was briefly stunned before realizing they were calling her.

Sang Zhiyi curved her eyes and smiled, waving back at them in greeting.

This drew a small cheer.

“Miss Mermaid’s smile is really too beautiful!”

“The real person is even prettier than in the video!”

“Why wasn’t I at the aquarium last episode?”

Those brave enough to shout directly at Sang Zhiyi were naturally more outgoing personalities, and after receiving a response, they became even more excited.

One staff member was already patting himself down, looking for something to ask Sang Zhiyi to autograph.

But suddenly, these few people shrank back, like students fooling around in class who had just spotted their homeroom teacher.

Sang Zhiyi also sensed something.

She turned to look behind her and saw Lou Yanchen with a very unpleasant expression on his face.

Sang Zhiyi raised an eyebrow slightly.

It had to be said, this male lead’s presence was still very strong.

Coming over with that face did have a sense of intimidation.

He could really scare people.

Lou Yanchen stared at Sang Zhiyi, his tone no better than his expression.

“Come here.”

This was Lou Yanchen’s usual way of speaking to Ren Xiaoqian.

Only the simplest command was needed, and this clinging vine, whose whole heart was devoted to him, would obediently comply.

But Sang Zhiyi just wanted to laugh.

So she laughed outright.

Her eyelashes lowered, her dimples shallow, a charming smile.

Even if full of mockery, it naturally carried a coquettish, tender charm.

Lou Yanchen was momentarily stunned.

He belatedly noticed that Sang Zhiyi’s style of dress was no longer the same as the Ren Xiaoqian he knew.

Ren Xiaoqian’s outfits had been frumpy and ugly, always a favorite point of mockery for her many haters and enemies at Starlight.

Back in her hometown, Ren Xiaoqian had been focused entirely on her studies, her family’s financial situation average, just one of countless ordinary, bare-faced students who didn’t know how to dress up.

When she came to A City for university, Ren Xiaoqian’s personality meant she still had no friends, with no one to teach her or discuss suggestions with her, so her fashion sense never improved.

Even after being noticed by Lou Yanchen, brought into Starlight, and debuting as an artist, Lou Yanchen only cared about how many productions Ren Xiaoqian had joined, how many dramas she had acted in, and whether she resembled Jiang Yingru more—ignoring all other aspects.

To please the man she loved, Ren Xiaoqian silently endured the grueling intensive schedule, no matter how hard or tiring, and had no time or energy to pursue refinement.

In Lou Yanchen’s memory, Ren Xiaoqian always wore the most ordinary, simple clothes, which, combined with her timid, submissive demeanor, made her stand out as exceptionally frumpy in the entertainment industry.

But today, Sang Zhiyi had her hair in a high ponytail, wore a sleeveless stand-collar white blouse on top, light gray cropped pants on the bottom, and paired them with white Roman kitten heels.

At first glance, it was still simple, but exceptionally fresh and pleasing to the eye.

As for Sang Zhiyi’s demeanor, it was especially captivating.

The two complemented each other, jointly creating Sang Zhiyi’s undeniable charm.

Lou Yanchen had felt frustrated more than once, thinking it was a waste that Ren Xiaoqian’s face looked so much like Jiang Yingru’s, yet she herself had no similarity to Jiang Yingru whatsoever.

Now, Sang Zhiyi was still not similar to Jiang Yingru—in fact, the difference was even greater than before.

At least, a smile as charming and moving as this could never appear on Jiang Yingru’s face.

But Lou Yanchen felt that this Sang Zhiyi seemed far more attractive than the Jiang Yingru substitute he had originally wanted.

Lou Yanchen: “…”

Lou Yanchen’s brow twitched violently.

What was wrong with him?!

Sang Zhiyi had repeatedly offended him, yet that only made him feel more and more attracted to her?!

Was he sick?!

📚 Also on NHV Novels

This Hidden Class Is a Bit Off

ActionFemale ProtagonistGender Bender

Read Now →
Not interested