Xu Qingqing was quite annoyed. She really hadn't blacklisted that many people, had she?
Just as she was brooding in frustration, her phone rang with a call from the director of a show she had previously collaborated with. The director was extremely attentive to this generous, low-maintenance investor and was now sharing an inside tip with Xu Qingqing.
"Bai Youlan has dropped out of your variety show?" Xu Qingqing frowned.
The director on the other end explained, "I heard she's joining another variety show and filming a drama instead." The resources sounded quite good.
He didn't voice the last part, but Xu Qingqing understood instantly.
In her memory, Bai Youlan's career had been smooth sailing since her debut, skyrocketing in popularity whether on variety shows or in dramas. Moreover, thanks to Lin Donghan and Xu Changshan, she had landed many endorsements from top international brands, elevating her status incredibly fast.
So, upon hearing this news, Xu Qingqing wasn't particularly surprised.
After a pause, the director proactively asked, "Although I'm not sure of the exact names of the shows and productions Miss Bai is joining, if you need them, Miss Xu, I can ask around."
In truth, the director had already found out. Mentioning it now was just to curry favor with Xu Qingqing. He reasoned that since Xu Qingqing had invested a large sum in their show specifically to reduce Bai Youlan's screen time, she probably wanted to suppress Bai Youlan's career in the entertainment industry and would likely want the names to take further action.
Xu Qingqing hesitated for a moment, then indeed said, "Send me the list."
However, unlike what the director assumed, Xu Qingqing didn't plan to completely blacklist Bai Youlan. She was well aware that as long as Xu Changshan and Lin Donghan were around, Bai Youlan would always have resources. Just like this time, she had forced her out by investing money, but Bai Youlan still landed new projects.
But even though Xu Qingqing didn't intend to blacklist her outright, she still had to take action—at the very least, she couldn't let Bai Youlan have it too easy.
She remembered from the story's plot that Bai Youlan's path to stardom was effortless. She maintained a goddess-like image in front of Lin Donghan, with a subtle romantic tension between them, yet she never openly agreed to be his girlfriend.
She wondered if things would be different this time around.
The director on the phone had already done his homework and quickly rattled off a list of shows and productions. Some weren't even confirmed for Bai Youlan yet; they were merely in the negotiation stage, with no public announcements.
One had to admit that insiders had their own channels of information. If Xu Qingqing had tried to find out herself, she might have been left in the dark for a while, only learning about it when the productions officially announced it, likely after Bai Youlan had already signed contracts.
This director's eagerness stemmed from two reasons. First, Xu Qingqing was a generous, low-maintenance investor. She had casually invested ten million with minimal demands, and while counting the money, the director felt he should return the favor somehow.
Second, Xu Qingqing was the daughter of the Xu family, backed by the Xie conglomerate. Seizing the chance to build a connection with her certainly couldn't hurt.
After getting the list of projects Bai Youlan was currently interested in from the director, Xu Qingqing recalled the hit TV dramas Bai Youlan had starred in from her memory. She discovered that two of the scripts Bai Youlan was currently negotiating for were among those future hits.
So, she followed her usual method: contacting the production directors and investing money to have the cast changed.
Holding the phone, she said nonchalantly, "I'll invest twenty million for now. Replace the female lead's best friend role... With whom? How should I know? Hold on, let me search..."
Xu Qingqing flipped through her phone, opened the celebrity gossip group she frequented, and picked a fellow gossip enthusiast who often shared juicy news with her and seemed decent.
She sent the contact to the director, then glanced at the news and added to the person on the phone, "If she's unwilling to take it, then switch to Gu Ling."
Gu Ling was Bai Youlan's rival. She had also debuted with a rich-girl image, and their fans had clashed before when Bai Youlan revealed herself as the Xu family heiress.
While her words carried the tone of a classic villainess, Xu Qingqing was busy tapping away on a calculator.
Darn it, another few tens of millions gone.
So heartbreaking.
Xie Lianqing watched her actions, somewhat amused. He asked, "What are you doing?"
Xu Qingqing ignored him, diligently calculating her remaining savings.
She had read in novels how easy it was to blacklist a celebrity, so why was it so difficult for her? In the age of social media, even without TV or movies, there were still live streams and Weibo. Unless the government stepped in, it was nearly impossible to completely erase someone with capital backing from the internet, especially since Bai Youlan currently had the support of Xu Changshan and Lin Donghan.
Therefore, to stop Bai Youlan and alter the plot's course, she first needed to deal with Xu Changshan and Lin Donghan.
Xu Qingqing wasn't well-versed in corporate warfare or intricate schemes. She only knew the simple method of throwing money at problems.
She found this method quite satisfying, though a bit heavy on the wallet.
Seeing her distress, Xie Lianqing raised an eyebrow and offered, "How about I cover it for you?" He knew Xu Qingqing had a grudge against Bai Youlan and was currently spending money to cut off her resources.
However, Xu Qingqing had just noted down a long list of projects Bai Youlan was eyeing from the director but had only bought out two productions. Now she was clattering away on the calculator, most likely because she was running short on funds.
In Xie Lianqing's eyes, Xu Qingqing was right even when she was wrong, and absolutely right when she was right. While using money to block someone's resources wasn't commendable, if Xu Qingqing did it, it was an exception.
If his girlfriend couldn't do what she wanted due to lack of money, Xie Lianqing felt she was being wronged. Watching her tap away on the calculator, he couldn't bear to see her struggle and simply decided to spend his own money to make her happy.
However, unexpectedly, Xu Qingqing didn't agree. Holding the calculator, she looked up and said, "Never mind, let's just stick with these two productions for now."
Although Xu Qingqing had money, she wasn't a foolish spendthrift. She cherished her funds dearly, believing every penny should be used wisely.
Bai Youlan currently had many resources; buying them all out would be too wasteful. So, she ignored the productions and shows she remembered as being inconsequential. Rather than spending recklessly now, it was better to save her money for crucial moments, like hiring online trolls to expose Bai Youlan's scandals later.
Unaware of Xu Qingqing's little scheme, Xie Lianqing simply thought his girlfriend was being thrifty and responsible. Moved and wanting to be supportive, he thoughtfully offered his supplementary credit card, claiming it was to help share the burden.
Xu Qingqing found him a bit odd, but free money was free money. She had never used a black card before.
Having her resources suddenly snatched away, Bai Youlan was furious. However, constrained by the delicate, fragile persona she maintained in public, she could only vent her anger privately by smashing things.
In contrast, Lin Donghan was the one raging at the company, berating his subordinates for their incompetence in letting sure-thing projects slip away. Those two films, after all, were ones he had personally selected for Bai Youlan. The role she auditioned for suited her perfectly, and starring in them would have guaranteed a massive hit.
By then, Bai Youlan would be a genuine A-lister, and they could also take the opportunity to cleanse the stain from the recent Xu family hot search.
Lin Donghan had already calculated the expected reactions after those two movies were released, even hiring online trolls in advance. He never expected to be intercepted, and not just once, but twice.
Who could be so despicable? If he found out, he would make them pay.
Thinking this, Lin Donghan's eyes turned fierce. His company wasn't the biggest nor the smallest, but everyone in the industry knew he was the young master of the Lin family, backed by a large conglomerate. He lacked neither money nor connections, and was very likely to return and inherit the family business in the future. Therefore, basically no one in the circle would oppose him; in fact, most would show him deference.
Things had been going too smoothly for too long, so much so that neither Lin Donghan nor Bai Youlan had anticipated someone so blind would come along to ruin things.
After all, behind Lin Donghan was the Lin family, and behind Bai Youlan was Xu Changshan's support, which was essentially backed by the Xu Group. Was the person behind this courting death, opposing two major forces of capital at once?
Just as he was planning his revenge, his subordinate finally managed to get some information from the production crew: "I heard it's Miss Xu Qingqing from the Xu Group. She seems to have some grievances against Miss Bai recently."
The manager spoke hesitantly, thinking to himself that this explained why the company's people had found out the culprit so quickly. He initially thought the other party had been careless in covering their tracks, but now it seemed they probably never intended to hide it in the first place.
After all, that was the Xu Group's treasured daughter.
Even the boss, what could he possibly do to her?
The manager lowered his eyes, speculating inwardly that this would most likely end with them letting it go. If Miss Xu insisted on opposing the company in the long run, Bai Youlan, who originally had a bright future ahead, probably wouldn't come to a good end.
He was already starting to think about looking for another job.
Upon hearing Xu Qingqing's name, Lin Donghan was stunned for a moment, then his face instantly flushed an ugly color.
It was actually Xu Qingqing. No wonder she dared to stir up trouble.
Knowing it was Xu Qingqing, all the revenge methods he had just thought of became a joke. He couldn't do anything; in fact, he even had to actively help Xu Qingqing cover up this matter.
Otherwise, once Xu Changshan and Bai Youlan found out, they would most likely push him to confront Xu Qingqing and demand the resources back.
Having interacted with Xu Qingqing for so long, Lin Donghan knew his cousin's personality very well. Spoiled by the family, once she set her mind on something she would never back down. Even if he went, it wouldn't yield any results.
Moreover, last time, Xu Qingqing had sounded like she was starting to suspect him. And right now, he couldn't afford to break ties with her.
Thinking of this, Lin Donghan said to his subordinate, "Don't tell Youlan about this for now."
Did Bai Youlan not know? Of course she knew. But Lin Donghan was unwilling to help, and Xu Changshan couldn't do anything about Xu Qingqing. If she forced Lin Donghan to act, it might very well damage her image in his eyes.
Her luck points had dropped a lot recently. She couldn't afford to lose these people's affection anymore.
Bai Youlan's expression twisted slightly.
On the other end, Xu Qingqing was also secretly watching the movements of these two. She watched as Lin Donghan erupted in anger, searching everywhere for the culprit; as Xu Changshan called her aunt, asking the Xu family for help; as people from Lin Donghan's company contacted the production crew to inquire about her.
Faced with the crew's inquiries, Xu Qingqing specifically and generously told them there was no need to cover for her. She was eagerly looking forward to Lin Donghan and the others finding out the truth and coming to confront her. She had even rehearsed in her mind how she would tear into them on the spot.
Netizens said she only knew how to call people "stupid" or "talk nonsense." Taking their advice, and in preparation for the upcoming battle, she even searched online for tips on how to insult people.
Although she didn't really learn much.
However, Xu Qingqing was rubbing her hands together, just waiting for Lin Donghan and Bai Youlan to come. Yet, she watched as their high spirits instantly deflated, and in the end, they actually pretended nothing had happened.
Xu Qingqing was shocked. If Lin Donghan and the others weren't coming to fight with her, what was she supposed to do with all those retorts she copied from the internet?
However, Xu Qingqing soon had no time to bother with Bai Youlan and the others. Because she received major news: her final exam scores were out!
What was Bai Youlan? What was the system? Studying was what mattered!
Xu Qingqing lay on her bed, biting her finger, legs dangling in the air, staring nervously at the refreshing phone screen.
"Pass, please pass, let me pass!"
"Why isn't it out yet... 58 points?"
"Ahhhhhh!" A scream erupted from the second-floor bedroom.
The nanny was stewing soup in the kitchen and hurried out upon hearing the noise. "Miss! Miss! What's wrong?"
A few minutes later, Xu Qingqing stormed down from upstairs and gulped down two mouthfuls of the prepared bird's nest soup.
Puffing out her cheeks, she sat cross-legged on the sofa, glaring at her phone screen.
The video call connected, and as soon as she saw her grandma, her lips immediately quivered. "Grandma, I failed! I didn't pass the exam, wuwuwu..."
As a top-tier university, A University's curriculum was very demanding. The situation in Xu Qingqing's arts department was slightly better, but it wasn't exactly leisurely either.
Being an academic slacker, scholarships were a pipe dream for Xu Qingqing. Not failing any courses during university was the highest goal she had set for herself. Because at their school, if you failed a course, you had to retake it, which was especially embarrassing.
As a vain and affected drama queen, Xu Qingqing couldn't afford that embarrassment. So every year during finals, she would bury herself in all-nighters and camp out in the library, all just to avoid failing.
And now, look at this. Her tremblingly maintained three-year record was just broken like that!
Seeing Xu Qingqing's downcast little face, Grandma Xu immediately grew anxious. "Oh dear, Qingqing, what's wrong? So upset."
In her youth, Grandma Xu was busy building the family business with her husband, a formidable businesswoman with strong methods, who didn't have much time to look after her own children. It was only in her old age, with the family enterprise established, that she had time to return to family life and enjoy her retirement.
Xu Qingqing had been handed to her right after birth, raised personally by her own hands, so their bond was very special. Everyone knew Xu Qingqing was her precious darling. Later, after Xu Changshan's marital troubles, Grandma Xu, heartbroken that her granddaughter had to experience such messy affairs at a young age, took her in to live with her, and they had been together ever since.
So, Grandma Xu had an eight-hundred-layer filter when it came to her granddaughter. Others said Xu Qingqing was a drama queen, but she thought that was all slander.
Her granddaughter was as good as could be! She was just a bit spoiled, that's all.
In her youth, Grandma Xu was an uncompromising businesswoman who believed in strict, military-style education for her own children. But when it came to her granddaughter, she said, "For a girl, being a little spoiled isn't a flaw."
Hearing Xu Qingqing's plaintive complaint about failing, she immediately comforted her, "Oh, my good granddaughter, don't be upset. If you didn't pass the exam, you didn't pass. We'll try harder next time. It's not a big deal!"
Grandma Xu's husband, Grandpa Xu, even threw his fishing rod aside, raising his voice, "Failing an exam isn't a big deal? Xu Qingqing, this won't do. I haven't seen you for a few days and you've already flunked a subject!"
Grandma Xu shot him a glare. "Scram! No one asked for your opinion."
Grandpa Xu: Fine then.
He picked up the fishing rod he had just thrown, hunched his back, and silently sat back down on his little stool, his silhouette looking rather desolate.
Grandma Xu turned back to face Xu Qingqing, her face once again beaming with a kind smile. "Exams? It's perfectly normal to fail. If someone gets full marks, someone else has to fail. We can't blame our Qingqing."
After all, it wasn't the first or second time Xu Qingqing had failed. This precedent started back in elementary school. During a parent-teacher meeting, Xu Qingqing was the only one in the class who scored fifty in Chinese—she got all the Chinese characters right but didn't write a single pinyin. Good grief, right then he could tell this child had no talent for English. Sure enough, Xu Qingqing still hasn't passed CET-4 to this day.
Xu Qingqing heard Grandpa Xu's words and said very aggrievedly, "It's all Xie Lianqing and Bai Youlan's fault!"
Xu Qingqing believed her failing the exam was entirely Bai Youlan and Xie Lianqing's problem. If she hadn't dreamed about the plot the night before the exam, causing all the last-minute crammed key points to be squeezed out of her head by the chaotic mess from the dream, she definitely wouldn't have failed.
These two should bear full responsibility!
Thinking of this, Xu Qingqing got angry, and when she got angry, she wanted to throw a tantrum. Xu Qingqing angrily punched the cushion a few times, deciding to call Xie Lianqing later and give him a piece of her mind.
Anyway, if she wasn't happy, nobody else should be happy either.
Grandma Xu didn't understand her granddaughter's logic, nor did she get what this had to do with Xie Lianqing and Bai Youlan. But she unconditionally supported her granddaughter, saying, "Yes, yes, of course it's their fault you failed the exam."
She said, "Don't be upset, sweetie. Didn't you want to come visit us? I'll have your aunt book you a plane ticket."
Xu Qingqing hung her head dejectedly. "Can't come. School's starting soon, I have to go back for classes."
Grandma Xu still wore a smiling expression. "Studies come first. Grandma will play a while longer and then come back to see you."
After saying goodbye to her grandma, Xu Qingqing felt a little better. She immediately called Xie Lianqing. It was lunch break now, and he answered quickly. "Qingqing?"
Xu Qingqing got straight to the point, accusing, "Xie Lianqing, I failed a final exam! I flunked one subject!"
Xie Lianqing frowned slightly, quickly comforting her, "How could you fail? Was the test paper too difficult?"
The paper was too hard, the teacher didn't teach well, classmates disrupted studying, the exam environment was poor... In short, countless reasons, none of which were Xu Qingqing's own fault.
Exactly the same reaction as Grandma Xu.
The family's nanny happened to come in with bird's nest soup and was utterly dumbfounded witnessing this scene. What kind of people surrounded Miss Xu? With such a bunch of indulgent elders around her, it was a miracle she wasn't completely spoiled.
Xu Qingqing completely ignored her boyfriend's well-intentioned efforts, snorting coldly. "Not at all. It has nothing to do with the paper. It's all your fault!"
Xie Lianqing was revising documents, somewhat distracted. "Mhm, mhm."
Xu Qingqing said righteously, "If I hadn't dreamed about you cheating, how could I have failed the exam?"
Xie Lianqing hesitated, seriously considering whether he should reason with his girlfriend who was currently in a fit of anger.
Xu Qingqing glared at him, mumbling as she lay on the sofa, "It's just too much."
If she hadn't dreamed about Xie Lianqing and Bai Youlan being together, gotten so furious she called Xie Lianqing in the middle of the night to pick a fight, she wouldn't have performed poorly on the exam the next day—58 points! She was so close to passing!
She never liked studying to begin with. Just thinking about having to take a make-up exam with other failing students after the semester started, Xu Qingqing gloomily buried her face in the blanket, playing ostrich and pretending to be dead.
Xie Lianqing coughed lightly. Weighing between reasoning with her and listening to her nonsensical logic for a second, his gaze fell on his girlfriend wailing into the comforter, and a smile unconsciously touched his eyes.
His voice gentle, he replied, "May I ask what I should do to make it up to Miss Xu?"
Xu Qingqing thought for a moment, poking her head out from under the blanket, and said quietly, "Give me that Pagani Huayra in your garage. I have to go back to school next semester."
She had had her eye on that car for a long time. She originally planned to pick it up soon, but because of Bai Youlan, she had thrown another sum of money into the production crew and felt a bit reluctant now.
When it came down to it, it was still Xie Lianqing's fault.
Xie Lianqing's tone was gentle as water. "Okay, no problem. I'll have Secretary Zhang drive the car over to you later." Although he liked that car very much too, he rarely refused his girlfriend's requests.
Anyway, he and Xu Qingqing would get married in the future. He didn't mind sharing everything he had with his future wife in advance.
After getting the car, Xu Qingqing immediately drove it out of the city for a spin. Enjoying the stares from others for a round, her mood gradually improved.
The holiday was almost over, and she needed to prepare to report back to school.
