Late at night, Lin Shu’s apartment.
Lin Shu lounged lazily on the sofa, draped in a wine-red silk robe, her stunning face clouded with gloom. The phone on the coffee table lit up, displaying the name: Qiao Xi.
With a glance, Lin Shu swiped to answer and turned on speakerphone.
"Shu-shu jie!" Qiao Xi’s sweet, crisp voice chirped immediately. "Are you asleep? I can’t sleep."
Lin Shu responded absently, "Mm, still awake."
Of course, she knew why Qiao Xi couldn’t sleep. She was the same.
Qiao Xi lowered her voice, probing. "Jie, that Su Qianqian is absolutely infuriating."
"Brother Wang is too good. In just four days, he’s managed to package her as the ‘mute little fairy,’ and her public image is skyrocketing."
At the mention of Brother Wang and Su Qianqian, Lin Shu’s eyes turned colder.
"Brother Wang? Hmph. No one knows his talent for promoting newcomers better than I do."
"Didn’t he do the same for me back then? Put in all his effort… Too bad he later decided my methods were too dirty."
"All these years, even though he’s still helped me, he’s been secretly scouting for other newcomers. Not exactly loyal."
Her tone dripped with self-mockery and venom. "Now, with Su Qianqian—that perfect little white lotus who fits his taste—he’s naturally pulling out all the stops."
"And that 90-10 contract the company forced on her? I was the one who planned to use it to control her. But who knew she’d already secretly gotten close to Cheng Yu behind my back?"
"In front of him, that contract is just a worthless scrap of paper!"
The line fell silent for a few seconds. When Qiao Xi spoke again, her sugary voice carried a hint of malice. "Worthless?"
"We can’t just let it stay worthless, Shu-shu jie."
"We need to find a way to make it matter again—or dig up some other dirt on her."
"Are we really going to watch her climb over us without doing anything? You really don’t have any other leverage on her?"
"Leverage?" Lin Shu scoffed.
"A little newcomer who’s been shielded so tightly by Cheng Yu from day one—what leverage could there be?"
"Just that contract and the fact that she climbed into Cheng Yu’s bed."
She paused, her gaze flickering. "But Cheng Yu protects her too well. There’s not even a single blurry photo of them together."
"Climbed into his bed…" Qiao Xi chewed on the words.
Suddenly, her voice rose slightly, laced with eerie excitement. "Jie! If we can’t touch the contract and there are no photos, why not make her hand us some leverage?"
Lin Shu arched a brow. "What do you mean?"
Qiao Xi’s voice dropped even lower, but her words came faster. "I heard Director Li Mo just finished his last project and is now casting for a big new production. The female lead’s younger sister role hasn’t been decided yet?"
"And isn’t there a certain Producer Li attached to that project? The one famous for ‘mentoring’ newcomers—especially the sweet, innocent-looking ones…"
Lin Shu instantly grasped Qiao Xi’s implication. Her heart gave a violent thud.
That Producer Li—who in the industry didn’t know about him?
With his money and resources, he preyed on newcomers without backing, using the filthiest methods.
When Lin Shu was just rising to fame, she’d nearly fallen into his trap too. Only Gu Chengyu’s name had scared him off.
"You mean… introduce Su Qianqian to that balding lecher?"
Her voice trembled slightly—whether from excitement or something else, she couldn’t tell.
"Not us introducing her!" Qiao Xi corrected swiftly, her voice sickly sweet. "We’re giving her an opportunity!"
"Shu-shu jie, you’re a senior in the industry. Isn’t it natural to mentor newcomers? Just tell Brother Wang you think Su Qianqian has potential and want to give her a chance to audition for the role."
"As for Producer Li… I’ll casually let slip that there’s a stunning new actress, very obedient and eager for guidance…"
"A man like him will read between the lines. He’ll arrange a ‘chance encounter’ at a dinner."
Qiao Xi continued, "Once Su Qianqian shows up, he’ll inevitably get handsy after a few drinks."
"We’ll have a waiter ready to snap some blurry photos or videos. Then we’ll caption it: ‘Newcomer Su Qianqian drinks intimately with producer for role.’"
"Even if Cheng Yu can suppress it afterward, the stain will stick."
"Public image? Innocent persona? Gone in an instant."
"Then let’s see how she plays the ‘little fairy.’ The internet will just see a used-up slut."
"And when Cheng Yu sees those photos, he might just drop her in disgust."
Lin Shu gripped the phone. Qiao Xi’s plan was vicious and straightforward, exploiting the industry’s dirtiest underbelly.
She could already picture it—Su Qianqian struggling under that greasy producer’s touch, caught on camera in disgrace. And Cheng Yu’s face, twisted in revulsion at the sight.
Lin Shu’s red lips curled slowly. "Xi-xi, that clever little brain of yours works fast."
Qiao Xi giggled on the other end, still saccharine. "Oh, I learned from the best—you, Shu-shu jie!"
"Shall we move separately? I’ll start ‘accidentally’ spreading the word now?"
Lin Shu hummed softly. "Mm."
"Just remember—keep it clean. No traces leading back."
"Don’t worry, Shu-shu jie!" Qiao Xi vowed.
The call ended, the dial tone echoing in the silent room.
Lin Shu walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and yanked the heavy curtains open.
The city’s glittering lights flooded in.
The opportunity would come from her, but the rumors would be Qiao Xi’s doing. The connections to Producer Li? All Qiao Xi.
Qiao Xi was clever—but too arrogant.
She thought Su Qianqian was no different from the past targets. That Cheng Yu wouldn’t dig too deep.
Hah.
If left to her own devices, Lin Shu might have endured it.
But with someone handing her the knife? She’d gladly give it a push.
If things went south, she wasn’t worried.
Someone at Qiao Xi’s level would never get close enough to Cheng Yu to snitch.
She’d just wake up one day, suddenly ruined, with no idea why.
This plan wasn’t foolproof. But if it worked?
Su Qianqian would be finished.
