Su Linhai was a businessman—when emotions faded, rationality returned.
Hearing Qi Quanting’s response, he wasn’t disappointed.
In the past, he had spent a fortune hiring masters of dubious skill. Now, for this sliver of hope, he was willing to do whatever it took to win Qi Quan’s favor.
"Miss Qi, to be honest, I’ve consulted many masters, but none have ever given me an answer," he said, offering his sincerity. "If you can help me find him, you’ll be a benefactor to the Su family."
The implication was clear: if Qi Quan helped him, no one in Longjiang City would dare cross her—not even the Qi family.
Yet Qi Quan remained unmoved, repeating the same line: "I’m sorry, but I’m just a writer. To me, this is simply a novel in progress."
Su Linhai was about to speak again when Su Nuanuan stopped him.
Though she didn’t know who the little boy was, her years of reading fiction told her she might have just stepped into a mysterious world.
At least it had nothing to do with a "love child."
She understood Qi Quan’s meaning and tugged at her father’s sleeve. "Qi Quan, my dad and I will bookmark your story and become your loyal readers, eagerly awaiting each update."
Only then did Qi Quan smile. "Thank you for your support."
Su Linhai began to grasp the situation—this Miss Qi operated differently from other masters.
He stood and bowed. "When can we expect the next chapter?"
"Ten tonight."
"Understood. I won’t disturb you further." With a respectful nod, Su Linhai left the parlor.
As he descended the stairs, he ran into Qi Changrong, who was on his way up.
"Chairman Qi, my apologies for the intrusion," Su Linhai said, extending his hand first.
Qi Changrong was baffled. Shouldn’t he be furious? Why so polite?
Masking his confusion, he shook Su Linhai’s hand warmly. "My child was reckless. Please don’t take it to heart. I’ll have her delete the article immediately."
Su Linhai: ???
"No, no, Chairman Qi, you misunderstand," he hurriedly explained. "Miss Qi’s novel is excellent. I’m quite fond of it."
Qi Changrong: ???
Qi Yuan was equally lost and pulled Su Nuanuan aside. "What’s going on? Your father, he—"
"Don’t ask," Su Nuanuan waved him off. "I’m just as confused. If you really want to know, check the update at ten tonight."
Qi Yuan: "..."
He didn’t want to give Qi Quan more clicks, but his curiosity was unbearable.
After exchanging pleasantries, Su Linhai couldn’t wait any longer. "Chairman Qi, I apologize for the sudden visit, but I have urgent matters to attend to. Next time, I’ll make it up to you and Miss Qi with a proper meal."
Qi Changrong forced a smile. "You’re too kind, Chairman Su."
What on earth was happening?
Once in the car, Su Linhai turned to Su Nuanuan. "Do you understand what Miss Qi meant?"
"I think so." She opened the Scream app and showed him the story page. "By emphasizing she’s a writer, she’s hinting that we should engage with her on those terms."
Su Linhai was lost. "How?"
"Writers thrive on traffic—bookmarks, comments, and engagement. So we give her that."
After her patient explanation, Su Linhai downloaded the app, registered an account, and—in true tycoon fashion—topped up 100,000 yuan, dropping a thousand "deepwater" rewards.
A mediocre new story suddenly rocketed to the top of the homepage’s reward leaderboard, leaving the competition in the dust.
Su Linhai single-handedly inflated the day’s reward revenue.
Su Nuanuan: "..."
Though she was generous with rewards, her father’s spending was on another level.
The homepage exposure drew readers, especially those drawn to wealthy-family dramas.
The title was normal, but the synopsis? What even was that?
And the bookmarks? Two?!
Ah, a pay-to-win player.
The comments were sparse. The first was a negative review. The second, from a user named "ForestSea," had an "Invincible Overlord" badge and read like a bot:
"This story moved me to tears. I eagerly await the next update. Thank you, author, for such a masterpiece!"
Readers: "..."
One chapter in, and you’re already crying? How desperate can you be?
Skeptical, they clicked into Chapter 1.
Huh? First-person POV? Weird, but let’s see.
Ah, the cliché "switched at birth" trope. Fine, let’s keep reading.
Some closed the tab immediately. Others bookmarked it. A few left scathing reviews:
[LaughingMyAssOff: Author’s profile says they’re a beginner, but this reads like a grocery list. Put in some effort.]
[XX’sDad: No amount of exposure can save bad writing. Rethink your plot.]
[RemindMeToPrepLessons: Where’s the tension? If you’re doing the switched-at-birth trope, go full wish-fulfillment or revenge. What’s with the last paragraph? Stepmom raising kids now?]
Su Nuanuan bombarded the comments with rewards and left her own:
[DyingForANewRead: Go, PlainWater! Can’t wait for more!]
In her bedroom on the Qi estate’s second floor, Qi Quan’s system buzzed with updates.
100,000 yuan! After the platform’s cut, that’s 50,000 in your pocket! And you’re on the reward leaderboard—traffic incoming!
Qi Quan arched a brow. Though 50,000 was pocket change in her past life, for an unknown writer, it was a fortune. Su Linhai’s willingness to pay for updates proved his sincerity in finding the child’s burial site.
Bookmarks are rising too!
Ugh, more hate comments!
Qi Quan chuckled. The system had already forgotten its earlier terror.
She reminded it: There’ll be more divination fees.
The system froze. Divination fees? As in…?
Yes.
After a long pause, it stammered: So that kid by Su Linhai’s leg… was he a… a…
Yes.
The system shrieked and went silent.
Qi Quan sighed. For a system, its fear of ghosts was pathetic.
She resumed her cultivation but paused at the sound of footsteps. A knock followed.
Opening the door, she met Qi Changrong’s stern face. "What is it?"
"What did you two talk about?"
Qi Quan blinked. "He said he loves my novel and can’t wait for the next chapter."
"..."
"I need to write now. We’ll talk later."
The door shut in Qi Changrong’s face.
He sheepishly went downstairs and bumped into Qi Yuan lurking at the stairwell. Irritated, he smacked the back of Qi Yuan’s head. "What are you sneaking around for?"
Qi Yuan had already been worn down by the inexplicable events, but one thing still gnawed at him.
"It’s just a fabricated story. Why is Uncle Su Linhai taking it so seriously?"
"Fabricated?" Qi Changrong shot him a glare.
From Su Linhai’s reaction, it was clear the last part of the story wasn’t baseless. In fact, it didn’t offend him at all—it might even be one of Su Linhai’s well-kept secrets.
So how did Qi Quan know about it?
Qi Yuan scoffed. "What ‘Qi Family’? What ‘Jiangcheng’? None of this ever happened. Uncle Su doesn’t even have a son."
"Can’t you really see it?" Qi Changrong saw through him. "I think you’re just upset you didn’t get a role in the story."
"..."
"Look at you, so pathetic."
"Dad!" Qi Yuan’s face flushed red.
Qi Changrong ignored him. There was too much work at the company—he didn’t have time for his son’s nonsense.
Longjiang City Film Studios.
After reading the first chapter of Diary of a Wealthy Family, Qi Yingxue was so furious she threw her phone.
She’d heard Qi Quan mention it during breakfast and meant to check it out when she had time. But her morning schedule was packed, and she only got a free moment now.
She had debuted at eighteen through a talent show, starred in a few web dramas, and was now a rising star in the entertainment industry. With her family background and looks, her career had been smooth sailing—except for Qi Quan, the one thorn in her side.
When Qi Quan said she’d write a novel to make money, Qi Yingxue had been dismissive. She didn’t believe that country bumpkin could write anything decent—it would only humiliate her.
But curiosity got the better of her, and she clicked in to read.
What she saw made her blood boil—and also stirred a pang of guilt. She had secretly tried to suppress Qi Quan, but she’d been careful to cover her tracks. Yet here was Qi Quan, boldly writing it all out and painting her as the villain!
Glancing at the pitiful number of bookmarks and the so-called "invincible overlord" status, Qi Yingxue sneered. At the end of the day, wasn’t she just buying traffic with the Qi family’s money?
Then she scrolled to the comments.
There were both negative and positive reviews, with some even downvoting the criticism.
Who has such terrible taste? How could anyone like this trash?
The web dramas Qi Yingxue had acted in were all adapted from novels on Scream Literature City. To study her roles, she’d registered an account and bought the originals.
Perfect—she could leave a bad review herself.
[A Tree of Red Blossoms: The female lead is so paranoid, seeing enemies everywhere. The writing is also weirdly passive-aggressive. I prefer heroines with more grace.]
Several new readers liked the comment or replied with "+1."
Satisfied, Qi Yingxue went back to filming.
Meanwhile, the system snapped out of its sulking only to find a pile of negative reviews—nearly crying again.
[Host, the hate comments are piling up! This ‘A Tree of Red Blossoms’ person actually insulted the real heiress! What kind of person does that?]
Qi Quan replied lazily, [Probably Qi Yingxue. She’s naturally opposed to the real heiress.]
[Huh? How’d you know?]
["A tree of red blossoms reflecting snow"—just a guess.]
[...]
After a long pause, the system hesitantly asked, [Actually… did you divine it? Are you one of those legendary mystics?]
Qi Quan smiled without answering and went downstairs for lunch.
At home, only she and Qi Yuan were eating.
They sat across from each other. In the past, he would’ve mocked her without fail, but today, he was eerily quiet.
The meal passed in awkward silence.
As soon as he finished, Qi Yuan bolted for the door—if he stayed any longer, he’d suffocate.
"Wait." Qi Quan suddenly called out to him.
He didn’t turn around, but his steps halted. "What?" he grunted.
"Don’t drink today."
Qi Yuan: "..."
Who does she think she is, telling him whether he can drink or not?
He’d drink if he wanted to!
