“How about playing emperor and empress?”
When Shi Feiyu said this, his gaze toward Pei Liang was somewhat profound.
Who would have thought that Pei Liang’s reaction would be entirely different from all the possibilities he had imagined?
Her eyes lit up, and she readily agreed. “Sure. I’ve wanted to play this with you for ages. It’s just that you always seemed a little resistant to the idea and refused every time.”
Only then did Shi Feiyu remember that he wasn’t the first to suggest it.
In fact, several years ago, Pei Liang had already wanted to play this sort of game with him. It was just that, in his mind, the roles of emperor and empress were not merely an outrageous bit of bedroom fun.
They were a wish that would one day become reality—a sacred and ceremonial dream.
That was why Shi Feiyu had never been willing to treat them casually.
Before he could finish thinking, Pei Liang had already begun.
She rose from the bed and pulled a set of imperial robes from the cabinet, draping the resplendent golden outer robe over herself.
Only then did Shi Feiyu remember that Pei Liang had long ago said she would give him a set of imperial robes. She would design them herself, seek out the finest gold thread and jade, and have the most skilled court embroiderers make a one-of-a-kind robe worthy of him.
Seeing her dressed in imperial robes, Shi Feiyu seemed to glimpse her standing beside him at his enthronement ceremony, witnessing his glorious ascent and remaining faithfully at his side through it all.
The smile on his face grew even gentler.
Then Pei Liang opened her mouth and said, “My empress, I’ve come to see you. Why do you look so troubled?”
“Are you resentful that I’ve seldom visited the central palace this month and have neglected you?”
Shi Feiyu was dumbfounded. This was not how he had imagined things going at all.
A bad feeling suddenly rose in his heart.
Sure enough, Pei Liang continued, “But you can’t blame me for that. Consort De suffered a miscarriage half a year ago and is still grieving. How could I possibly abandon her?”
“So, on several nights when I was on my way here, people from Consort De’s palace stopped me and told me that she was depressed and in a poor state. I had no choice but to go and keep her company.”
At first, Shi Feiyu wondered why she was acting this way. He refused to believe that, with her intelligence, she hadn’t understood his implication.
But the moment she said this, anger flared in his mind, and his expression darkened.
If he had looked in a mirror, he would certainly have seen the perfect face of a jealous principal wife.
He gave a cold laugh. “Someone stopped you, and you simply changed course? A little show of weakness and misery was enough to make you forget that your lawful wife was left alone in an empty chamber. You truly are a devoted and affectionate husband.”
“It was only a miscarriage. The child hadn’t even been born, yet she’s already heartbroken beyond endurance, putting on a performance day after day. There have been countless children who died young in the palace—why don’t we see anyone else carrying on as though they’re about to die? If she truly loved her child so deeply, why didn’t she simply give up her own life and go join it?”
Pei Liang drew in a sharp breath, her face full of shock and disapproval. “My empress, flesh and blood are bound by the closest of ties. Even if the child had not yet been born, it was still its mother’s heart and soul.”
“Put yourself in her place. Wouldn’t you be utterly devastated as well? I merely spent a few days of the time I should have spent with you, and you respond by mocking and cursing her.”
“My empress, are you still the virtuous, kind, magnanimous, and graceful empress you once were? I am deeply disappointed in you.”
Ah—what a wretched woman.
Shi Feiyu was so furious he nearly spat blood.
He gave another cold laugh. “Very well. Even if Consort De only took up a few days of your time, you’ve still gone nearly a month without coming to my palace to spend the night.”
“What about all the other days?”
An embarrassed smile appeared on Pei Liang’s face. “Consort Li has always been a solitary person. Her palace is so quiet.”
“She’s unlike the others, who enjoy making friends, visiting one another, and surrounding themselves with noise and excitement. She spends all day shut away in her palace, tending flowers and raising cats and dogs for amusement. Usually, she’s like a snow flower atop a lofty mountain, never showing a smile.”
“Only when she sees me does she smile. I am her sole support and source of comfort. She once told me that without me, she would wither away like a dying flower. Naturally, I can’t simply stand by and do nothing.”
“This month, two of Consort Li’s orchids died, and she was terribly upset. I had to spend a few extra days comforting her.”
Shi Feiyu knew perfectly well that this was all an invented act. Whenever they played other roles, Pei Liang would make up such stories, claiming that it enriched the setting and helped them become more immersed in character. And indeed, it made every encounter thrilling.
But when he thought of how she was, by nature, a shameless, lustful, heartless woman who flirted with every flower she saw, he couldn’t help imagining that if she truly became emperor, these words would no longer be part of some amusing game.
The thought made his vision go black with rage, and he nearly vomited blood.
“Who in this palace wouldn’t be like that without the emperor’s favor? Consort Li merely happens to be especially calculating while pretending to be aloof and pure. She’s nothing more than another woman who uses her beauty to win favor. What is there about her that makes her worthy of anyone’s admiration?”
Pei Liang disagreed. “That may be true, but Consort Li is different because she makes no attempt to hide her schemes from me. Even her scheming is so frank and adorable. That is precisely what makes her special.”
Shi Feiyu swallowed the metallic taste in his throat and asked through clenched teeth, “Those two shameless women have only taken up ten days or so. What about all the days that remain?”
Pei Liang was caught off guard. “There’s also Consort Lan. She’s been with me since the days before I ascended the throne. In fact, she was the one who taught me about the affairs between men and women.”
“Now that she’s older, she isn’t as fresh and youthful as the younger consorts. She’s also peaceable and honest, with no desire to compete with anyone.”
“I heard that she’s been having a difficult time lately. The servants in the Office of Internal Administration have begun looking down on her and neglecting her.”
“Am I the sort of ungrateful, heartless person who forgets all past kindness? Consort Lan served me for years. Naturally, I have to make sure she’ll be provided for in her later life. So I spent a few days there, warning those servants not to mistreat her.”
Shi Feiyu laughed in fury. “Honest and peaceable? The moment she suffers the slightest grievance, she rushes straight to Your Majesty to complain. What a ‘selfless and retiring’ Consort Lan, aged and past her prime.”
“Are you implying that I’m incompetent, and that the harem is disorderly under my management?”
“Eh? How could you think that, my empress? Consort Lan even spoke up for you regarding this matter. She said that you manage countless affairs every day, so it’s inevitable that some things slip through the cracks, and told me not to take my anger out on you. She’s so broad-minded. Why are you taking your anger out on her?”
Shi Feiyu’s expression twisted with rage. “Then I suppose I was simply being small-minded, wronging Consort Lan’s good intentions.”
“Someone bring a basket of Consort Lan’s favorite celery to her. It’s a token of my goodwill. Make sure she eats every last piece.”
“Wait, I seem to recall that Consort Lan’s least favorite food is celery.”
Shi Feiyu smiled viciously. “Are you certain, Your Majesty? Do you really remember the habits and preferences of all the consorts in the harem better than I do?”
Pei Liang hesitated for a moment. “Ah, right. I must have remembered incorrectly. Who was it that hated celery? Could it have been Consort Zhuang?”
Bah! What an unfeeling, ungrateful wretch. She couldn’t even remember something so trivial, yet she still had the nerve to act as though she were deeply devoted.
Shi Feiyu continued, “Consort Lan may be old and past her prime, but even if she relies on the affection of your past relationship to win a couple of days of Your Majesty’s pity, she can’t keep you there forever.”
“What about all the days left after that?”
Pei Liang said, “My empress, have you forgotten? I’ve only just expanded the harem and selected a new group of young women.”
“Those girls are as delicate as flowers. Each one was the apple of her parents’ eyes at home. Now that they’ve entered the palace, it is as though they’ve stepped into an ocean from which there is no return. Their entire fate is tied to me.”
“How could I let them enter the palace only to experience the cold indifference of the inner court? Naturally, I must comfort them properly—only then can I show the depth of my compassion as their emperor.”
“The youngest of this batch of palace selections is only fifteen. At such a tender age, I must be especially considerate.”
Shi Feiyu’s fists clenched, then loosened, then clenched again.
In the end, all that escaped him was a cold laugh. “It seems Your Majesty has far too much energy. This time, I shall make sure to put on a good performance and leave you no leisure to glance around at anyone else.”
As he spoke, he tore off Pei Liang’s priceless imperial dragon robe.
After they had made love a second time, Pei Liang held a slender cigarette she had fashioned herself between her fingers.
Its flavor and appearance were almost identical to the brand she had loved in her previous life. Her sensual red lips slowly exhaled a wisp of smoke.
She praised Shi Feiyu, saying, “As expected of my empress, your courage and prowess are truly beyond what any other consort could match.”
Shi Feiyu rolled over and pinned her beneath him. Propping himself up, he gazed at her with deep-set eyes.
“You know why I came here today. Our bedroom amusements end here.”
“Ah Liang, be my empress!”
Pei Liang gently patted his face. “You and I have known each other for years. Aside from this improper affair between us, we are also perfectly matched partners and allies.”
“Our ambitions have helped each other reach this point. I refuse to believe you don’t understand what I’m like.”
A flicker passed through Shi Feiyu’s eyes. “Yes. I know your nature very well.”
But he would rather he did not know her so well.
Pei Liang said, “Then, since even a fool understands that accompanying the ruler is like accompanying a tiger, do you really think I wouldn’t?”
“No!”
“Since I knew that the moment you became emperor would also be the moment you settled your old accounts—”
“No!” Shi Feiyu hurriedly interrupted. “I harbor no resentment toward you whatsoever. I am not the sort of person who forgets his gratitude and turns against those who helped him once he has risen again.”
“I wanted to become emperor, and you have always been the empress in my heart. There has only ever been you.”
He loved her so deeply. Even after suffering such a devastating blow, he had ultimately been the one to return, reshape himself, and accommodate her.
Whether it was the love in his heart, the harmony between their souls, or practical considerations of worldly interests, he could never find anyone better suited to him.
She understood what he wanted. She knew his ambitions and desires. From the very beginning, she had never judged him by conventional standards. She also understood his compassion for the people and his hatred of the dynasty’s decay. She knew he was not merely an ambitious man.
Just as she herself was not merely that, either.
How could he bear the thought that such an extraordinary woman—one who had already become a part of his very soul—might one day leave his side?
Pei Liang looked deeply into Shi Feiyu’s eyes and said sincerely, “Thank you.”
“I’m fond of you too. Truly.”
A smile appeared on Shi Feiyu’s face.
But Pei Liang understood that, setting aside the fact that she was destined to be a passerby in every world, the sensible thing to do was never to become too emotionally invested in any one of them. Only then could she preserve her true self and avoid collapsing in the endless river of time.
Even if she truly remained here for the rest of her life, Pei Liang could not make any promises on behalf of her future self.
By nature, she was fickle. She tired of things once they became familiar, and deep down, she was extremely cold-hearted. Someone like her could not offer anyone a future, nor did she wish to be bound by any person or relationship.
She had long been aware of that about herself.
Therefore, she would never promise any man that she would stay for him. It was something she simply could not guarantee.
The only thing she could do was honestly express what she felt in the present.
Pei Liang said, “But in my eyes, what you’re doing now is no different.”
“In both cases, you’re forcing me to accept something I don’t want.”
The light in Shi Feiyu’s eyes seemed to fade away. He looked at Pei Liang and forced out the words with difficulty:
“I never asked for your opinion. This is—this is the only decree I have ever issued to you in this lifetime.”
As he spoke, he glanced toward the door.
Pei Liang raised an eyebrow, put on her clothes, and got out of bed before opening the door.
At some point, her courtyard had filled with people. Sanxiang and Siji stood guard on either side of the door, while a ceremonial procession waited below the steps.
When they saw Pei Liang, everyone knelt.
“Welcome His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress back to the palace!”
Pei Liang glanced at Sanxiang and Siji and clicked her tongue helplessly. “Look at you two. You could at least have tried to dissuade your master. This was supposed to be a happy occasion, yet he had to make such an ugly mess of it.”
Sanxiang and Siji did not answer. No matter what, they would naturally stand on their master’s side.
The two of them knelt as well and called out in unison, “Welcome His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress back to the palace!”
Pei Liang nodded. “Rise for now. The ground is cold. The two of us still have a few matters to settle.”
With that, she turned around, grabbed Shi Feiyu by his long hair, and dragged him back inside. The door slammed shut behind them.
Sanxiang and Siji had watched their master live off Pei Liang for so many years that they were convinced he was about to be beaten.
Was Owner Pei finally going to exercise the rights of a patron? But their young master was already the emperor!
Pei Liang, however, was not so crude. They were all civilized people, after all. She simply pressed Shi Feiyu down onto a chair.
With a half-smile, she asked, “You thought you could present me with a fait accompli?”
“Didn’t I tell you earlier? With something this obvious, how could I have failed to prepare?”
Pei Liang had taken in countless pretty boys over the years. Every one of them had been a remarkable man who later achieved great things in his own field.
But not a single one had ever managed to turn the tables and overpower her in the end. Not one.
Shi Feiyu’s circumstances were somewhat special. As the ruler of the realm in an imperial society, he was, in essence, an exception.
But if she dared to harbor such thoughts, she was also prepared to bear the consequences. At this point, suppressing an emperor was impossible—but ensuring her own safe withdrawal was not particularly difficult.
Shi Feiyu knew he was doing the very thing she hated most. Naturally, he could not put on a show of strength, and instead tried to persuade her gently.
“I know you can’t stand being confined within the palace, but rest assured—where you are concerned, there will be no rule forbidding the empress from participating in politics.”
“If you stand with me at the pinnacle of power, you can paint this entire realm however you wish. You’ll be free to display your abilities to the fullest—even surpass what you achieved before.”
“With that, what is there left for you to worry about?”
Pei Liang said, “I don’t actually have anything to worry about. If I choose to return to the palace with you, then even without your promise, I would find a way to secure all of those things for myself.”
The smile had not yet fully bloomed on Shi Feiyu’s face when Pei Liang continued, “I simply don’t want to.”
“Even if I do have feelings for you, I have never considered marrying you.”
Shi Feiyu said with difficulty, “Don’t force me to compel you.”
“Compel me?” Pei Liang scoffed. “The realm has only just been pacified. The entire country is impoverished and weak. Is there enough silver in the treasury to rebuild the land and maintain stability?”
“The court is still in its infancy. Before, we fought for the realm together because we had a common enemy and could present a united front. Now that it is time to divide the benefits, internal conflicts will soon emerge. You may be a divine commander and a man of extraordinary vision, but do you currently possess enough resources to crush the coming political turmoil swiftly and decisively, before its repercussions affect the common people?”
“War has left many regions without a harvest for years. The food reserves everywhere have long since been exhausted, and the people are crying out for food. Are you really going to stand by and watch the progress of my agricultural production research come to a halt?”
“The private army I raised in the beginning was nothing more than a disorderly rabble. I only used them to occupy territory and protect the iron mines.”
“But when the war expanded, they were incorporated into your army as well. You trained and tempered them for years, and I never stopped paying their wages during that time.”
“Now that the realm is at peace and everything is waiting to be rebuilt, the fields lie uncultivated and many soldiers have to retire and return home. Since my people are leaving the army, after following me through so much, I naturally have to arrange a future for them.”
Arrange a future for them? She was clearly taking her private army back under the pretext of having them farm.
Shi Feiyu gritted his teeth. He had long known that Pei Liang would not surrender meekly, but seeing her act this way still left him angry and miserable.
Even after going this far, she still refused?
Shi Feiyu said bitterly, “You won’t do that. You’re not the kind of person who would casually disregard the lives of the people under heaven.”
Pei Liang smiled. “The people under heaven are your responsibility. I’m merely practicing a little humanitarianism while making money.”
“Although I don’t like involving innocent people, I dislike being shackled by inexplicable responsibilities even more.”
“After all, you’re the emperor.”
Speaking of these contingencies, each and every one of them violated an emperor’s taboos. Any single one would have been enough to get her executed a hundred times over.
But Pei Liang naturally had more preparations than just these. She could flee at any time.
Still, she believed that Shi Feiyu was not the sort of person who would lose his head over romantic feelings and do something foolish.
He stared fixedly at Pei Liang, drawing several deep breaths before finally lowering his head in defeat.
When he raised it again, his expression had returned to normal.
He put on the air of someone shamelessly living off a woman and said, “Since you know I’m still having a difficult time, you can’t cut off my expenses.”
“After all our years of friendship, you can’t abandon me now that you’ve found someone new and leave me to struggle.”
“Owner Pei, go easy on me. I’ll be counting on you for the money and grain.”
Only then did Pei Liang happily stroke his cheek. “See? Isn’t this much better?”
Shi Feiyu left practically gnashing his teeth.
Sanxiang and Siji couldn’t help feeling sorry for him when they saw that their emperor had once again failed to get the better of Owner Pei. They thought mournfully that His Majesty would probably never turn the tables in this lifetime.
After Shi Feiyu returned, he dreamed that night.
In the dream, he disregarded everything and brought Pei Liang back to the palace. But before he had time to rejoice, she vanished.
No one saw her alive, nor did anyone find a corpse. No matter how he ordered the entire realm to search high and low—even with the overwhelming resources of an emperor—he could never find her again.
Shi Feiyu woke with a start, drenched in cold sweat.
He wondered whether Pei Liang really had the ability to disappear without a trace.
After thinking it over, he decided that she probably did. She was far too clever, and she possessed so many strange and inexplicable things that clearly did not belong to this era.
Shi Feiyu was not stupid. Many times, he could sense that Pei Liang seemed separated from this world by a thin veil. He guessed that perhaps she was a heavenly maiden descended to the mortal realm to undergo a trial, and that sooner or later, she would have to leave.
That was why he had always been plagued by unease.
If their circumstances truly reached the point where compromise was impossible, then given her nature, she likely would not use a method that dragged innocent people into the conflict to resist him. At the same time, however, she cared nothing for the things she possessed in this world.
Shi Feiyu could feel that she had never truly valued the wealth that rivaled an entire nation. She could abandon it all at any moment.
Just as in his dream, she might throw everything to him to prevent that enormous capital from falling into the hands of people with ulterior motives and plunging the realm into turmoil. Then she would disappear completely.
After waking, Shi Feiyu went to Pei Liang’s residence again in the middle of the night and climbed into bed, wrapping himself around her through the quilt.
Pei Liang asked, “What’s wrong?”
Shi Feiyu mumbled, “Nothing. I won’t bring up the matter of a title again. Just keep supporting me.”
“Really, nothing is as practical as being kept. My teeth aren’t very good, so I’m happy to live off this bowl of rice.”
Since that was the case, they would stick with the original arrangement.
As long as she only supported him for the rest of her life, the result would be no different.
Pei Liang neither agreed nor disagreed. She still gave him the same answer: the Pei Liang of today could not make promises on behalf of the Pei Liang of tomorrow.
Shi Feiyu had become emperor and held the highest authority in the land. Even if he was exactly the sort of person she liked now, how could she guarantee that he would remain unchanged and faithful for ten years?
What she had not expected was that she really would keep supporting the same pretty boy for so many years.
The moment she showed even the slightest interest in someone else, he would be gone the next day.
Whenever she asked, she was told he had been transferred away from the capital to pursue his ambitions. Three years later, when his term ended, he would return in high spirits, bringing his wife and children with him. He would say that the emperor had personally arranged the marriage, that his wife was virtuous, and that the wedding had been dignified and satisfactory in every respect.
Things like this happened repeatedly. A pretty boy who held absolute power was truly troublesome.
Pei Liang swore that she would never again support someone she could not keep under control.
Carrying this lesson with her, Pei Liang went on to the next world.
*
To be honest, she still preferred modern settings.
Ancient times had their advantages, but with such low productivity, most conveniences people took for granted could not be replaced by money or power, no matter how much one possessed.
So when a familiar vibration came from Pei Liang’s pocket and she pulled out the smartphone she had not seen in years, she was at least satisfied with the opening situation in this world.
That was why, even when she unlocked the phone with her fingerprint and opened the social media app in the most prominent position, seeing countless private messages filled with abuse and profanity—along with pornographic images, grotesque pictures, and bloody threats—did not ruin her mood.
Someone knocked on the stall door.
A pleasant female voice came from outside. “Pei Liang, are you done yet? Sister Zhu and Mr. Li are asking for you.”
Pei Liang opened the restroom door. Standing outside was a fashionable young woman with long, fluffy hair, delicate features, and a tall, slender figure.
The woman looked at Pei Liang with concern. “Are you all right?”
Seeing the phone in Pei Liang’s hand vibrating nonstop with notifications, she added, “Don’t read what people are saying online. Every time you do, you feel awful, but you can’t stop yourself. How am I supposed to talk sense into you?”
Pei Liang smiled. “You’re right.”
As she spoke, she switched the phone to silent mode, put it back into her pocket, and stopped paying attention to it.
The young woman was relieved that Pei Liang had listened so readily this time, though she was also a little surprised.
As Pei Liang passed the mirror, she glanced at her appearance in this world. She looked about eighty percent like herself.
She was younger, though—barely in her early twenties, at the age when a woman had fully blossomed and was in her prime.
But what on earth was she wearing?
A studded leather jacket, hot pants, and knee-high boots. The camisole beneath the jacket was so skimpy that it barely covered anything, exposing an impressive amount of cleavage.
The original owner of this body had a blazing-hot figure: a full bust, slim waist, and long legs. It was not a youthful, understated sort of curve, but a completely mature and sultry one.
The outfit was not unattractive, strictly speaking, but to Pei Liang, it carried an unmistakable air of deliberately selling sex appeal.
The restroom was not far from the conference room. The pretty young woman opened the door ahead of her.
Several people were already waiting inside: two other young, beautiful women dressed in equally fashionable styles, along with a man and a woman. All of them wore varying degrees of impatience.
When Pei Liang came in, someone complained, “What took you so long?”
Pei Liang was busy absorbing the original host’s memories and the plot of this world. She ignored the other person and went straight to a seat.
In this world, Pei Liang was the daughter of a restaurant tycoon. Her family’s brands might not be famous nationwide, but in the several provinces where they operated, they were well-known to practically everyone.
Yet instead of inheriting a billion-yuan fortune, the original host had insisted on entering the entertainment industry as an idol. Two years ago, despite her family’s objections, she had joined a televised survival show.
Although she ultimately failed to debut as part of the winning group, another entertainment agency took notice of her. She was eventually placed in a girl group with three other trainees from the same company.
After debuting, the original host continued her survival-show reputation for stirring up controversy. She had practically become the group’s designated scandal magnet.
That said, there was no denying that her notorious “love-hate” reputation had brought the group invaluable exposure during the early days of their debut.
Moreover, with the original host lowering the public’s expectations, any positive quality displayed by the other three members—whether professional ability or personality—was more likely to win people’s approval than it otherwise would have.
Now, two years after their debut, the other members had all found their own niches, and their public personas and styles had begun to mature.
The original host, on the other hand, was still the group’s scandal magnet. Her only marketable image was that of a woman who flaunted her sex appeal, and that path was growing narrower by the day.
The reason the company’s CEO and their manager had called an emergency meeting was laughable, to say the least.
Because the original host came from a wealthy family, all her clothes, shoes, and bags were expensive luxury brands. The other members of the group loved borrowing them from her.
Idol groups like theirs were, in essence, nothing more than money-making tools for their agency. They were nowhere near the level of top-tier stars. Although they did not earn little, the amount that actually ended up in their hands was nowhere near enough to support a constant luxury lifestyle.
They often had to rely on the original host to keep up appearances.
Recently, the group’s youngest member had secretly gone on a date. Paparazzi had photographed her from a distance, and the man in question was the hugely popular star Cui Ying. Although they had only captured the woman’s back, the Chanel haute couture outfit she wore that season had previously been seen on Pei Liang in public.
Cui Ying had originally been one of the mentors on the survival show Pei Liang had joined. The reason she had first become notorious was because of her seemingly ambiguous interactions with Cui Ying on the program, which had enraged his legions of female fans.
The accusation that she was shamelessly throwing herself at him and using him for publicity had continued to follow her ever since. Now, with photos circulating that appeared to show Cui Ying on a date with Pei Liang, the trending topic had sent the entire Weibo platform crashing.
Some fans flooded Cui Ying’s and his studio’s accounts demanding an explanation. Others posted detailed accounts of Pei Liang’s scandals, denouncing the supposed relationship. Still others issued threats and intimidation, most of them work-focused fans who directed their anger at Cui Ying’s side.
Pei Liang herself received no such mercy. The visible comments beneath her Weibo posts were already too vile to look at, let alone the hundreds of thousands of abusive private messages.
What Pei Liang had just opened was only the tip of the iceberg.
The original host had wanted to issue a clarification, but the company had firmly opposed it. Instead, they had called this meeting to discuss how to handle the incident. That was the situation at present.
When Pei Liang sat down without so much as a greeting, the man and woman across from her both looked displeased, but neither made an issue of such a minor matter.
Their manager, Zhu Wen, said, “The company knows you’re under a lot of pressure right now, Pei Liang. But if you work in this industry, you have to be able to take the abuse. Part of what we get paid for is being cursed at.”
“In a moment, hand over your account to me. Don’t listen to anything online, don’t pay attention to it, and then it may as well not exist.”
The agency’s CEO, Li Jian, said, “Xiao Zhu is right. Look at it from another angle—this incident is actually beneficial to you.”
“Zhuo Ya has strong stage presence, Yu Wenqing has earned professional recognition for her acting, and First Love is well-liked on variety shows. You’re the only one who still lacks a proper professional identity.”
“You’re a group. You’re supposed to advance together. The others can’t keep carrying you forever. Since you haven’t been able to make a name for yourself through any other route, you might as well focus on generating buzz.”
He had put it rather tactfully. What he meant was that Pei Liang only needed to keep stirring up publicity.
Pei Liang glanced at First Love—the youngest member of the group and the person who had actually gone on the date with Cui Ying.
She smiled. “You’re the one involved. Aren’t you going to say something?”
“Your boyfriend is using another woman to generate publicity. That doesn’t bother you?”
First Love’s eyes flickered. She looked as delicate and pitiful as her name suggested.
She glanced at Li Jian and Zhu Wen, then said softly, “I’ll follow the company’s arrangements.”
Zhu Wen frowned. “First Love’s image is that of the girl everyone falls in love with. If she dates someone, her previous image and commercial value will be destroyed.”
“Not to mention that she’ll have to face attacks from Cui Ying’s fans.”
“You’re different. Your style has always been bold and sexy, and you’ve been controversial ever since your debut. We can use this scandal’s attention to secure a couple of opportunities for you. They may only be short-term, but as long as you seize them—”
Before she could finish, Pei Liang asked, “What has Cui Ying’s side said? This has been brewing for nearly two days now. Why is a second-tier girl group discussing countermeasures while a top star like him sits there pretending nothing happened?”
Her bluntness startled everyone present.
A flash of displeasure crossed First Love’s face. She pouted. “Sister Liang, this incident dragged you into it, but you don’t have to put it like that, do you?”
“How do you expect him to respond to something like this? He’s at the height of his career. There’s no way he can expose a relationship. That’s why we have to discuss our strategy, right? Both sides are negotiating before issuing a joint response.”
Pei Liang smiled. “When you put it that way, this is all about you and him. So why am I the one who has to step forward in the end? If the two of you can’t even take responsibility for your own relationship, then why did you start dating so young?”
“This benefits you too,” First Love said, plainly unable to understand her attitude.
“His studio keeps a very tight leash on his collaborations with female entertainers. Other women don’t even have the chance to tie themselves to him and piggyback on his popularity.”
“Lately, our work has basically been handled separately. Have you thought about why your opportunities have been getting worse over the past six months? Thanks to this trending topic, Sister Zhu can at least negotiate invitations for you to appear on two buzz-generating variety shows. Why are you acting as if everyone owes you something?”
Pei Liang was in no hurry. She replied lazily, “Oh, I’d feel terrible about that. You’re his actual girlfriend, yet you don’t get to enjoy any of the publicity benefits, while I get to take them all. How am I supposed to accept that with a clear conscience?”
First Love could tell perfectly well that Pei Liang was mocking her. She could not stand it any longer and said, “How much longer are we going to go in circles? I’ve already said it—I’m positioned as the nation’s first love, so I can’t make my relationship public.”
“First Love is right,” Zhu Wen said. “Pei Liang, stop being childish. Now that it’s happened, we need to figure out how to maximize the benefits.”
As she spoke, she looked at Pei Liang meaningfully. “Don’t forget that you’re a group. When one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer.”
“You’re the most controversial member, with your fans and haters evenly divided. As long as this doesn’t involve a fundamental moral violation, it will only bring you more attention. And although we all understand what idols are really selling when fans try to control their love lives, ordinary passersby—who make up a far larger audience—will actually sympathize with what you’re going through.”
“If we handle this properly, it could be your chance to turn public opinion around.”
"These three of them are different. There has never been any negative news about them since their debut, and their fans have higher standards for them. The same thing would be a devastating blow to them."
Zhu Wen said earnestly, "Pei Liang, when the group was formed, the company had trainees with better all - around abilities.
"But why did they ultimately choose you? You know it well yourself. This industry is very cruel. For just the chance to debut, if you get in, someone else has to step down, and years or even a decade of hard training will go down the drain.
"So, stop being so fussy about unimportant things, okay? The company chose you. The reason you haven't been forgotten by the public despite your mediocre performance in the past year and more is that you're riding on the group's coattails.
"When the group needs you, don't let them down, got it?"
How could Pei Liang not understand?
The agent's words sounded nice, but there was clearly something wrong with the whole thing.
First of all, there was Cui Ying's attitude. Since he and his first love didn't intend to use the relationship revelation to gain popularity, a single photo could have been simply denied.
Judging from Li Jian and Zhu Wen's attitudes, they should have reached a consensus with Cui Ying's side long ago. Otherwise, if they were reluctant to give up the topic's popularity, they wouldn't have been trying to persuade the original owner when the hot search had been going on for almost 48 hours.
The company could control the stars' social media accounts. If they only needed the original owner to make a statement, it wouldn't have been so troublesome.
The only remaining explanation was that this matter required the original owner's cooperation, and it had to be in person. Why? Because Cui Ying's side knew that a far - fetched denial wouldn't convince most of his girlfriend fans. In their excitement, they would dig deeper or keep a close eye on him.
If they found out that he was really in a relationship, both his and his first love's careers would take a heavy hit.
Then Pei Liang, who had a lot of negative news and had once had press releases about her trying to gain popularity by attaching herself to others, was a perfect scapegoat. They could arrange for her to appear on a show with him, manipulate the script, and then do some malicious editing.
They could then come up with the "truth" that Pei Liang had been pestering him. That photo would then have an explanation: it was all because this woman was so cheap and had nothing to do with their idol. His first love wouldn't even be affected at all.
Everyone would be clean, and only the original owner would be ruined.
After all, the original owner had ultimately committed suicide because she couldn't bear the online bullying.
Zhu Wen's words were even more interesting. This wasn't the first time; it was something she had always said to Pei Liang since she joined the group.
The company had actually taken a fancy to the original owner's topic - generating ability at the beginning, but it always implied that she had managed to debut because of her family. They also constantly reminded her that she had taken the place of other trainees.
This kind of insidious workplace PUA actually worked on the original owner. So, in the past two years, although the original owner had the best conditions, she was the one who compromised the most.
So, after hearing Zhu Wen's words, Pei Liang smiled faintly and said, "Sister Zhu always says that I know well why I joined the group. I've always been too embarrassed to ask before.
"Why do I know well? Why was I actually chosen?"
Zhu Wen was taken aback. She glanced at Li Jian and then said seriously, "You're on good terms with these three. I didn't want to make you lose face in front of them. Are you sure you want to be so stubborn now?"
Pei Liang shrugged and said, "Since we're on good terms, what can't be shared? I don't care."
Then she asked Zhuo Ya, Yu Wenqing, and First Love, "Do you know why I was selected back then?"
The three of them looked a bit embarrassed when they saw the atmosphere suddenly turn tense.
Zhu Wen looked even more displeased. She said, "Pei Liang, if you have any questions, you can go back and ask your dad, President Pei. He's on good terms with our President Li and was quite enthusiastic back then. I don't need to say more, right?"
The original owner's father had strongly opposed her entering the entertainment industry at first. So, with the original owner's pride, she was ashamed to get help from her father. It would make her feel that all her efforts were a joke.
Zhu Wen really had the original owner figured out. If it had been the original owner, after hearing this, there definitely wouldn't have been any more questions.
After the original owner's debut became a fait accompli, Father Pei had no choice but to accept it. He had given the management company a lot of benefits several times in the hope that they would take good care of his daughter.
Because of this, the original owner was even more convinced that everything she had now was thanks to her father's efforts.
But Pei Liang just laughed and said, "On good terms with President Li? That's impossible.
"No offense, but my dad is a well - known national entrepreneur. As for President Li..."
The gap between the second - rate brokerage firm's partner and her father was quite significant.
Li Jian and Zhu Wen's faces changed. "Pei Liang, are you crazy today? If you want to throw a tantrum, go back to your home. No one in this circle will spoil you."
But Pei Liang ignored them. She took out her phone and directly dialed her father.
The phone was connected. Father Pei might have been busy, and his voice was a bit impatient. "What's up? Make it quick."
Pei Liang didn't waste any time and got straight to the point. "Dad, did you pay off to get me the debut spot through underhand means?"
The phone was on speaker, and Father Pei's loud voice came out. "Bullshit! If anything, I should have paid to get you eliminated, not to get you debut. Who wants to see you on TV, looking like a panda that got beaten up, dancing poorly?"
Pei Liang raised an eyebrow at everyone. Zhu Wen's face turned embarrassed and guilty.
Pei Liang then asked, "There's a movie the company is planning to produce. I saw that our company is the biggest investor. How much did you invest, Dad?"
Father Pei said, "I only invested because they said you'd be the lead actress. It's just 50 million. Not a single cent more."
Pei Liang nodded. "Withdraw the investment. It's going to be a lousy movie."
