In the Li City simple sailboat competition, Zhou Qingyu achieved first place in her group. The prize, awarded by the sailing club, was a custom sailboat model, which Zhou Qingyu gifted to Yan Xi.
[Three minutes under the young lady's spell!]
[I won’t talk smack about Zhou Qingyu anymore; she was so cool during the race just now!] (Director Jiang is right, the young lady should play more villainess or domineering roles! She’s a perfect fit!)
[I want to see it! The comment above has me intrigued!]
Ye Luoyi also finished her race, but upon seeing Zhou Qingyu take the lead, she panicked, lost control of her sail, and ended up plunging into the river as a strong gust hit. When she emerged from the water, Ye Luoyi spat out several mouthfuls of the Seine River, feeling a bitter and unpleasant taste in her mouth.
Looking up, she saw Yan Xi gleefully accepting the sailboat model from Zhou Qingyu.
Carter pulled Ye Luoyi out of the water. “For your first time learning to sail, you did great, Yiyi! You’ve got talent!”
Noticing Ye Luoyi’s gaze fixed on Zhou Qingyu, he added, “To reach Miss Zhou’s level, she must have had some training.”
“Is that so?” Ye Luoyi’s expression was slightly awkward, but she walked over to Zhou Qingyu anyway. “Qingyu, have you learned sailing before? How many years have you been practicing? You’re amazing!” Ye Luoyi deliberately emphasized the words “how many years.”
She could tell that Zhou Qingyu’s skills were nearly professional-level, meaning she must have trained for a long time. As a beginner, Ye Luoyi knew it was normal to fall short, and her fans wouldn’t hold it against her.
Zhou Qingyu glanced at Ye Luoyi, raising an eyebrow.
At 170 cm tall, she stood slightly taller than Ye Luoyi, who was 162 cm, allowing her to look down at her with a slight tilt of her head.
“None of your business.”
Ye Luoyi’s mouth twitched.
[Zhou Qingyu is so blunt. Just because she’s good at sailing doesn’t mean she has to act like that.]
[Hasn’t Zhou Qingyu always been like this? Arrogant and dismissive. Is this news to anyone?]
[Yiyi, stop talking to her. I can’t stand Zhou Qingyu!]
Yan Xi, holding the sailboat model, blinked her eyes.
She had previously thought Ye Luoyi was just careful with her words, always finding the smoothest way to extricate herself from any situation. But after spending a couple of days with her, Yan Xi finally caught on.
Tea. Good tea.
The kind of high-grade green tea that could be the centerpiece of a teahouse.
On the surface, Ye Luoyi’s questions to Zhou Qingyu seemed innocent and logical, but she deliberately added, “How many years have you been practicing?” Given the strained relationship between Zhou Qingyu and Ye Luoyi, Zhou Qingyu was unlikely to respond politely. This allowed Ye Luoyi to subtly imply that Zhou Qingyu had been practicing for years, making her own beginner status seem impressive by comparison, while also highlighting Zhou Qingyu’s rudeness.
With this kind of manipulation, coupled with Xu Yangyang’s tendency to take advantage of small opportunities, it was no wonder Zhou Qingyu and Xu Yangyang’s superficial friendship was exposed.
Yan Xi looked at Ye Luoyi, her tone gentle. “Qingyu was in the sailing club during university. She learned for less than a year, but with her quick learning, she became one of the best.”
Then, Yan Xi shifted the conversation. “But Miss Ye, you were doing so well during practice. Have you never learned before?”
Ye Luoyi’s expression stiffened, her fingers tightening. “No, I haven’t! This is my first time!”
Yan Xi stroked her chin, pondering for a moment. “But my friend who works as a coach at the Hai City Sailing Club told me he saw you there recently.”
Ye Luoyi’s face turned pale.
Yan Xi didn’t even know how to sail, so how could she have a friend at the sailing club? Was the world really that small?
Ye Luoyi had always maintained a “genius” persona—top of her class in cultural studies during her film school entrance exams, or quickly picking up new skills on variety shows. Her excellent background, hard work, and intelligence were key factors in attracting her fans.
For this sailing festival, Ye Luoyi had prepared in advance, hoping to establish herself as a “quick-learning sailing prodigy.”
When hiring a sailing coach, Ye Luoyi repeatedly emphasized that her lessons must remain confidential.
But Ye Luoyi also knew that such agreements, even with contracts, weren’t foolproof. The coach might not leak the information publicly, but it could easily become gossip shared among friends.
How unlucky that it ended up reaching Yan Xi’s ears! Ye Luoyi’s face turned from pale to green. “Your friend must have mistaken me for someone else.”
“How could he?” Yan Xi feigned surprise, smiling sweetly. “You’re a celebrity, and so pretty. How could he mistake you for someone else?”
Ye Luoyi felt her vision darken.
Why was she so unlucky!
Stammering, Ye Luoyi said, “Maybe I went with a friend before, and he saw me then.”
Yan Xi let out a meaningful “Oh,” her gaze fixed on Ye Luoyi, a smile playing on her lips.
[LOL, look at Ye Luoyi’s awkward expression. She definitely learned before!]
[What’s the big deal about hiding it?]
[If Zhou Qingyu hadn’t stolen the spotlight today, Ye Luoyi would’ve definitely hired marketing teams to compare herself to Yan Xi, who kept falling into the water. That way, Ye Luoyi would’ve looked like the smart and talented one, easily gaining more fans!]
[Ye Luoyi is so vain, even this has to be part of her persona!]
The system had been monitoring the online and live-streaming public opinion and promptly informed Yan Xi.
[Host, you’re amazing! How did you know Ye Luoyi had been to the club before? I had no idea!]
Yan Xi looked innocent. “I didn’t know!”
System: ?
Yan Xi grinned mischievously. “But I had Louis check out where one could learn sailing in Hai City. That club is the most reputable, so I figured Ye Luoyi probably went there. I just threw it out there to see if she’d bite!”
System: ?
[Aren’t you afraid Ye Luoyi will expose you? What if she learned abroad?]
Yan Xi shrugged. “So what if she does? My friend mistook her for someone else. What does that have to do with me?”
It was her “friend” who saw Ye Luoyi at the club, not Yan Xi herself. And since it was just hearsay, Yan Xi hadn’t technically accused Ye Luoyi of anything.
System: …
Wow, half its CPU was fried!
Thankfully, Yan Xi was just a side character. If Zhou Qingyu had this kind of intelligence, how would Ye Luoyi and Pei Yubai stand a chance?
Nearby, Qin Li and other guests had come to watch the sailing competition. From Ye Luoyi and Yan Xi’s conversation, they could sense the underlying tension. Being in the entertainment industry, they were all seasoned foxes—no need to play games.
Luckily, it was just a persona mishap, not a fatal scandal, so it would only lead to some online mockery. Qin Li skillfully changed the subject, noticing that Yan Xi’s notes on the ground had mostly dried, with only some river stains remaining.
“Yan Xi’s notes look like they belong to someone with excellent academic skills,” Qin Li praised. “I remember during introductions, Yan Xi said she’s a student?”
Zhou Qingyu proudly wrapped an arm around Yan Xi’s shoulders. “Our Xi is a top student at Hai City University! These math problems are nothing for her!”
Hai City University, one of the top three universities in the country.
Regardless of a student’s actual performance, just the name alone made people assume Yan Xi was a genius.
[Hai City University! My dream school!]
[Yan Xi is so impressive!]
[Anyone who gets into Hai City University is a legend!]
[I had no idea! When Yan Xi said she was a student, I thought she went to some average university and didn’t want to elaborate. Turns out she’s this amazing!]
[Honestly, Zhou Qingyu doesn’t seem like the type to be friends with a top student… She looks more like the kind who skips class to focus on makeup and fashion…]
[LOL, are you trying to get beaten by her crocodile skin bag?]
The guests on-site all looked shocked.
It wasn’t every day you met someone from one of the country’s top three universities. Even Raymond and Carter had heard of it.
They glanced at Yan Xi with admiration, then at Zhou Qingyu standing proudly beside her, feeling a sense of unreality.
Especially Jiang Tao, who compared Zhou Qingyu and Yan Xi. “You two are best friends? A top student and a slacker? How does that even work?”
Zhou Qingyu: ?
Zhou Qingyu narrowed her eyes, cracking her knuckles as she smiled at Jiang Tao. “Looks like your project doesn’t need my vineyard anymore. I can rent it out to another crew for tens of thousands in just three days…”
Jiang Tao: !!!
No—!
He needed it!!!
The sailing competition had just ended, and it was almost time for dinner.
The production team had assigned a task for the day, requiring the guests to prepare dinner together at the homestay. With everyone having different tastes and the fact that they were all out, the guests decided to head to the supermarket first to buy ingredients for a hotpot meal.
Ye Luoyi quietly followed behind the group. She had just glanced at the live stream and noticed many comments from viewers mocking her for her "persona collapse."
This made her even more depressed.
It was the third day of filming, and every day had been a series of misfortunes for her, with constant ridicule. This was far from what she had imagined. She had hoped to use this variety show to regain her popularity.
Qin Li walked behind Ye Luoyi, watching her gloomy demeanor, and felt his heart tighten.
After a moment of silence, Qin Li took out his phone and made a call. "Da Jiajun" was a marketing account.
"Da Jia," which sounds like "debunking," was the main focus of Da Jiajun's work. He specialized in exposing fake celebrities.
There were online teachers who became overnight sensations after a few well-received lectures; handsome young men who became the dream of countless girls due to their looks; and even vocational school students who wrote novels that went viral, hailed as literary prodigies... They rose to fame quickly, gaining massive followings, and Da Jiajun loved questioning these so-called "celebrities."
In the age of information, traffic equals money. Many ordinary people became overnight sensations, turning into influencers or live-streaming sellers. As traffic turned into cash, more and more people flocked to this trend.
So, there were many fakes among them.
But there were also genuine talents.
However, Da Jiajun believed that true geniuses were rare. Otherwise, why would so many people idolize and worship them? Most were just illusions, wrapped in marketing, all for the purpose of turning traffic into money later.
Da Jiajun had once debunked a highly talented teacher. This teacher had gained fame through live-streaming lectures, captivating audiences with his ability to explain complex topics simply and eloquently, often quoting classics. Many netizens followed his lessons, and he became an online celebrity. Da Jiajun's team targeted the teacher, convinced that there was a team behind his success. After digging deeper, they indeed found a team helping him with lesson plans and online marketing. The teacher only had to sprinkle pre-prepared anecdotes into his live streams.
The once-celebrated teacher's halo of brilliance crumbled overnight.
People forgot that before his fame, he was indeed a teacher. His lectures were genuinely good, and his occasional references to classics weren't an issue. The video that made him an overnight sensation was real.
It was just that later, with the intervention of capital, came the packaging and marketing. Da Jiajun didn't care whether the teacher was truly knowledgeable. As long as he could prove there was a team and marketing behind him, the teacher's perfect image would shatter. Da Jiajun could then profit from the exposure.
This tactic had worked every time. No one is perfect, and in this world, who can withstand deep scrutiny?
Even if the teacher had no lesson plans or team, Da Jiajun could still find flaws in his personal life—his relationships, family, or past. There was always something to criticize.
Thus, Da Jiajun had been thriving.
Today, as usual, the team was scouring the internet for suitable material. Da Jiajun also checked his Weibo private messages to see if any fans had submitted tips. A post about Yan Xi calculating on a blackboard by the Seine River caught his eye. A popular travel variety show, a top student, a beautiful young girl—it was full of hot topics.
[Da Jiajun! I want to submit a tip! I've been watching "Travel," and it's quite good. Yan Xi introduced herself as a student, but as I kept watching, something felt off...
[Yan Xi is twenty this year, so she should be in her third year of university. But what college student remembers middle school math so well? The blackboard work looks fake, like she's setting up a persona!]
[Also, Zhou Qingyu said she's a student at Hai City University. My friend is also from Hai City University, and there's an alumni app that records all current and former students. I just had her check, and there's no one named Yan Xi!]
Oh ho!
After reading this submission, Da Jiajun found it quite interesting.
The sender had attached a screenshot of the Hai City University app's alumni search interface, and indeed, there were zero results for "Yan Xi."
This was already quite damning.
Additionally, Da Jiajun browsed information related to the "Travel" variety show. It was an S-tier production, where celebrities brought partners to participate. This was a typical way for the entertainment industry to promote newcomers. Otherwise, why would an S-tier show waste a spot on an ordinary person? Yan Xi was beautiful, with a pure and delicate appearance, making her a perfect fit for the entertainment industry. If Yan Xi were just an ordinary person, she likely wouldn't create a persona. But if she had aspirations of entering the entertainment industry or becoming an influencer, setting up a persona would make sense. Ye Luoyi had just faced backlash for her persona collapse—celebrities in the entertainment industry love creating personas.
Even if the fan-submitted photos were photoshopped and Yan Xi was indeed a student at Hai City University, Da Jiajun wasn't worried. Zhou Qingyu's previous partner was Xu Yangyang, but now she had suddenly switched to a "regular person" who was more attractive than Xu Yangyang. What was Xingyao Entertainment's intention? It was obvious.
Yan Xi was definitely a newly signed artist under Xingyao!
As long as Yan Xi had plans to debut, then the involvement of a team, marketing, and persona-building were inevitable!
Da Jiajun quickly drafted a post. It was just past noon in China, a time when traffic was high. With all the information at hand, this Weibo post wouldn't be hard to write.
Soon, a fresh "debunking" post appeared on Da Jiajun's homepage. He thought this post could go viral, but initially, the traffic might be suppressed by Xingyao. He hesitated over whether to buy a trending spot, but within minutes, the hashtag #YanXiAcademicFraud climbed the trending list. A natural trend wouldn't rise so quickly, so Da Jiajun realized that Xingyao's competitors had stepped in. It seemed Yan Xi was indeed Xingyao's newly signed starlet.
Around noon, during lunch breaks, people were idle and scrolling through Weibo.
[I just finished watching the "Travel" live stream and was amazed by Yan Xi. Now someone's exposing her?]
[Yan Xi isn't a student at Hai City University? Are there any Hai City University students who can confirm?]
[I'm a student at Hai City University. We do have an app for handling school matters, and it records alumni information, but it only shows names, majors, and grades—no detailed info. I just checked, and there's no one named Yan Xi at our school.]
[Case closed! Yan Xi lied about such a big thing. Isn't she afraid of being exposed?]
[Not all schools have such apps. Hai City University's computer science program is strong, so their app is good. Yan Xi, being a fake, probably didn't know how advanced Hai City University is!]
[I knew it! Zhou Qingyu's friends can't be that smart. Birds of a feather flock together!]
[Solving a middle school math problem makes her a top student? Enough to get into Hai City University? That's hilarious!]
As Da Jiajun predicted, the exposé on Yan Xi quickly sparked heated discussions, with more and more people joining in. The hashtag, initially at the bottom of the trending list, swiftly rose to the top!
—As a regular person, Yan Xi shouldn't have had such influence, but she had a famous friend, Zhou Qingyu, and she was on a popular variety show. Many people were watching "Travel."
Da Jiajun thought Yan Xi could still prove herself by showing her student ID or admission letter. But with so many Hai City University students confirming her absence in the comments, Da Jiajun doubted Yan Xi could turn this around.
Soon, Da Jiajun received another submission.
This made the argument that Yan Xi was aiming for the entertainment industry and building a persona even more convincing. The submission included a few photos of Xu Yangyang. She was wearing a hat and sunglasses, but her figure and features were still recognizable. She was at a movie theater in Hai City, using a self-service ticket machine to get her tickets. The photos captured Xu Yangyang, as well as the ticket machine's screen, which showed the time: midnight last night. Time, location, and subject—everything was there.
The photos were taken secretly and were somewhat blurry, but they clearly showed that Xu Yangyang was in good health, with no visible issues with her legs or feet.
Three days ago, she had posted on Weibo, saying that she had sprained her ankle and couldn’t work, so she withdrew from the recording of *Travel*. But just over a day later, her ankle was fine? Was the sprain so severe that she had to give up recording an S-tier variety show? Da Jiajun immediately released photos of Xu Yangyang.
["Pushing aside Yangyang to make way for a newcomer, Xingyao, you’ve really outdone yourself!" "My heart aches for Yangyang. After struggling in the entertainment industry for so many years, she finally got a chance to appear on an S-tier show, only to be replaced by some privileged newcomer!" "If this isn’t a prelude to entering the entertainment industry...", "Yan Xi’s actions are disgusting. If she wants to enter the entertainment industry, just do it. Is it necessary to snatch someone else’s resources? And what’s with the ‘academic genius’ persona? Does she think she’s going to blow up and that so many people will like her that she just *has* to enter the industry?" "What’s the use of being pretty? Forced promotions are gross!"]
["What kind of person is Zhou Qingyu? Anyone who associates with her can’t be any good."] Meanwhile, at Li City Airport in F Country—
Lin Ranran was idly scrolling through Weibo. There was a lot of discussion online about *Travel*, mostly focused on celebrities like Ye Luoyi, Zhou Qingyu, and Qin Li, with little mention of the other guests.
Whenever she came across a negative post about Yan Xi, Lin Ranran would definitely click on it and give it a like.
Yesterday, there had been plenty of hateful comments about Yan Xi, but today there were far fewer, which made Lin Ranran feel bored.
"I asked you to help me carry some things. What are you dawdling for? You’re always on your phone. Where’s the demeanor of a young lady from a wealthy family?"
Lin's mother came out of the dressing room, wearing a C-brand dress. She had the sales assistant pack up her original clothes and was about to hand the bag to Lin Ranran when she noticed her daughter engrossed in her phone, completely ignoring the shopping bag being offered. Lin's mother poked her head hard. "Hey! Are you listening?" "I heard you! Mom, I heard you." Lin Ranran shivered as she took the shopping bag from her mother.
She was already holding several shopping bags, all filled with items Lin's mother had just bought at the duty-free store.
Lin's mother shot her a disapproving look. "So petty. Where’s the grace of a wealthy heiress? In this regard, you’re not even as good as Lin Xi!" Lin Ranran silently lowered her head, her fingers gripping the thin straps of the shopping bag until her fingertips turned white.
Lin Xi was Yan Xi’s original name.
Lin's mother was Lin Ranran’s stepmother. To her, it didn’t matter whether Yan Xi or Lin Ranran was the Lin family heiress—neither was related to her by blood. But as an adopted daughter, Yan Xi still had inheritance rights. If Yan Xi stayed in the Lin family, she would compete with her son for the family fortune. It was for this reason that Lin's mother had initially cooperated with Lin Ranran to drive Yan Xi away.
After Yan Xi left, Lin Ranran became her stepmother’s target.
The Lin family was, after all, a prominent family in Hai City. Since Lin Ranran was the biological daughter of the Lin family, she couldn’t be left out when it came to dividing the family assets.
Lin's mother had many complaints about this. Back when Yan Xi was the Lin family heiress, she never had to worry about tuition fees—her scholarship was enough to cover both her tuition and living expenses.
When she left the Lin family, she even gave them ten million as repayment for their upbringing. But after Lin Ranran returned to the Lin family, she didn’t learn much about the grace of a wealthy heiress—instead, she spent money like water.
Recently, the market had been unfavorable, and the Lin family’s business had been affected. Even Lin's mother’s allowance had been reduced, yet she still had to give Lin Ranran over a hundred thousand yuan every month. Just thinking about it made Lin's mother’s heart ache.
"How are things between you and Chu Mo lately?" Lin's mother finally showed some concern for Lin Ranran.
The Lin family had a partnership with the Chu family, and Lin Ranran’s engagement to Chu Mo was crucial. "Brother Chu Mo treats me very well!" Lin Ranran answered obediently. "Our engagement won’t have any problems!"
Lin's mother snorted lightly. "You’d better hold onto Chu Mo tightly! If we lose the Chu family as a major client, your father will skin you alive!"
Lin Ranran murmured softly, "I know..."
Chu Mo had come to Li City with her and was supposed to return together today. But this morning, Lin Ranran had secretly looked through Chu Mo’s phone and found numerous photos of Yan Xi. These were screenshots from the live broadcast of *Let’s Travel Together*. In the screenshots, Yan Xi was smiling brightly, her large eyes sparkling like stars, and her fair skin glowing softly under the sunlight.
Lin Ranran was so angry that she smashed Chu Mo’s phone, and the two had a huge fight. Even now, Chu Mo hadn’t come to apologize to her.
Thinking about this, Lin Ranran grew even more agitated. As she scrolled through Weibo, she searched for any negative gossip about Yan Xi and even photoshopped a few unflattering pictures of her. Only by seeing others criticize Yan Xi did Lin Ranran feel slightly better.
Finally, it was time to board the plane, and Lin's mother stopped shopping. Once seated in the first-class cabin, Lin Ranran checked her phone again.
Yan Xi’s public image was quite positive. Although there wasn’t much discussion about her, almost all the comments were favorable. Lin Ranran irritably scrolled through Weibo, and after refreshing, Da Jiajun’s post appeared on her feed.
Lin Ranran’s eyes widened, a glimmer of joy shining in them.
But... academic fraud?
Lin Ranran’s gaze dimmed again.
Lin Ranran had lived with Yan Xi for a while, back when she had just returned to the Lin family and Yan Xi hadn’t yet left. During that time, Lin Ranran had been constantly overshadowed by Yan Xi’s "socialite heiress" aura, so she knew very well that Yan Xi’s academic credentials weren’t fabricated. Not only had Yan Xi been admitted to Hai City University, but she was also currently pursuing a master’s degree there.
Da Jiajun’s post was the real fraud, and it probably wouldn’t hold up for long. Academic qualifications are either real or fake—it’s easy to prove.
There needed to be something Yan Xi couldn’t prove.
At this thought, the corners of Lin Ranran’s lips curled up slightly.
