The meeting room was dead silent.
Yan Xi felt as if a fragile glass heart had shattered softly within her.
What was that? It was the sound of Pei Yubai’s defenses crumbling.
That The Bottom Line could surpass White Marsh didn’t surprise Yan Xi at all—after all, it was an award-winning work in the novel. Once the final cut was released, it received unanimous praise within Xingyao, so as long as the Haicheng TV executives weren’t blind, they would undoubtedly choose The Bottom Line.
White Marsh was also excellent, but unfortunately, its special effects weren’t complete, and historical romance dramas were inherently at a disadvantage compared to serious dramas in terms of genre.
Pei Yubai gritted his teeth, feeling Liao Tai’s words like a slap across his face.
To make matters worse, Jiang Tao was utterly tactless. Before coming, he’d heard Tianhui was also negotiating with the TV station for the Q4 prime-time slot. He’d been terrified The Bottom Line would lose to Tianhui, only to find out the station had ultimately chosen them.
Jiang Tao shook Liao Tai’s hand, overwhelmed with excitement. "So The Bottom Line is the final pick? You chose our original script over an S-tier IP? Director Liao, you have impeccable taste! Don’t let our small budget fool you—we’ve got substance! Our values are rock-solid, nothing like those saccharine romance dramas!"
"Saccharine romance dramas"—Boss Pei Yubai’s face turned ashen.
But Jiang Tao, perhaps because his last two projects had flopped, had lost all confidence. He cautiously asked Liao Tai, "You chose us because we’re genuinely good, right? Not because White Marsh was just… terrible?"
Pei Yubai: "…"
Another stab to the heart.
Liao Tai forced a pained smile. "No, no, The Bottom Line is simply outstanding! White Marsh is quite good too."
If not for The Bottom Line, White Marsh would’ve easily made the cut.
Jiang Tao nodded. "Understood. So my Bottom Line was just better than White Marsh, and that’s why you picked us!"
He then turned to Pei Yubai. "Young Master Pei, what a shame! I actually pitched this project to Tianhui’s investment division before, but they said urban suspense dramas had no market. If you’d backed us then, your show would’ve been the one chosen today!"
Third stab…
Pei Yubai wanted to skin Jiang Tao alive.
This man wasn’t just socially inept—he was downright insufferable!
But in Haicheng TV’s territory, Pei Yubai could do nothing. If Haicheng wouldn’t take White Marsh, surely there were other stations across the country willing to air it?
Fuming, he stormed out without even bidding farewell to Liao Tai.
…
Pei Yubai returned to Tianhui in a rage, skipping lunch entirely.
Haicheng TV wasn’t his only option, but it was the best. Many hit dramas had aired there—its audience base was massive. Switching to another station would automatically put White Marsh at a disadvantage against The Bottom Line.
He kicked his desk in frustration, only to stub his toe against the metal frame. Pain shot through his foot.
Gritting his teeth, he consoled himself: Tianhui still had Let’s Eat!, and its popularity was higher than SP’s. There was still hope for a comeback!
A knock interrupted his thoughts. Sun Qi rushed in, panicked.
"Young Master Pei, bad news—SP just launched a live stream!"
"Live stream?" Pei Yubai frowned. "Isn’t it a pre-recorded show?"
"Originally, yes. But Xingyao just announced they’re streaming the trainees’ practice sessions 24/7, so fans can see their hard work in real time!"
Pei Yubai pulled up SP’s live feed.
Every training room in the SP camp now had cameras. The program had tiered access: S-rank rooms streamed round-the-clock; trainees could train anytime, and viewers could watch.
A-rank rooms streamed randomly for 20 hours, B-rank for 16, C-rank for 12… down to F-rank, which only aired 4 hours.
[This setup’s great! I thought SP only cared about looks.]
[The best deserve more screen time!]
[Since SP’s rankings are fan-voted, pretty but untalented contestants might dominate. But this way, hard workers get visibility too!]
[Yesss! I thought we’d only get one episode a week, but now I can watch my faves anytime!]
[Cheering for Shen Yi and Si Ye! Their 24-hour stream is earned through merit!]
The reception was overwhelmingly positive.
SP’s fanbase was passionate, constantly creating derivative content. With only one episode per week, they’d been starved for material—now, the live feed gave them endless fodder. Soon, SP’s stream trended on social media.
Pei Yubai scowled. "So what if they’re live? We can do that too!"
Sun Qi winced. "Streaming our variety guests? That’ll cost extra!"
Let’s Eat! featured celebrities, with Feng Yinyin and Duan Heng as headliners. The others were also established names.
Celebrities meant paying premium rates for extra airtime.
Meanwhile, SP’s trainees were unknowns—eager for exposure, willing to grind 24/7 for free.
Sun Qi added, "If we go live beyond scheduled promos, we’d owe additional fees. Strawberry Video just paid the first installment, and that’s already earmarked for White Marsh’s VFX. Our accounts are dry…"
Pei Yubai’s vision darkened.
He could already foresee SP’s stream eclipsing Let’s Eat!, yet he was powerless to stop it.
Days later, SP’s second episode aired, and as predicted, its popularity surged.
The two shows were now neck-and-neck. By midnight, Let’s Eat! still led—but barely.
[Let’s Eat! is just cooking and forced romance—kinda boring.]
[SP has a hundred trainees! There’s someone for everyone!]
[I’ve already picked my favorites! This episode’s theme song reveal showed several rising from D/F-rank to S/A! Hard work pays off—I’m emotional!]
[Same! Watching them practice nonstop on stream… so inspiring!]
Pei Yubai’s anxiety spiked.
His bet with Strawberry Video meant if Let’s Eat! lost to SP, he wouldn’t just forfeit the remaining payments—he’d owe penalties.
The show Let’s Eat was originally a shoo-in for the top spot in popularity rankings, so Pei Yubai never expected SP to catch up and surpass it. While Let’s Eat had seen an increase in viewership for its second episode compared to the first, the growth wasn’t as significant as SP’s. At this rate, by the time the third episode aired, he’d lose!
“We need to add more explosive moments to the show—just feeding the audience sweet, romantic moments isn’t enough anymore!” Pei Yubai ordered the scriptwriter assigned to the variety show.
The scriptwriter was already at her wit’s end. She had been working hard to create dramatic twists!
Pei Yubai gritted his teeth. “Make Feng Yinyin and Duan Heng kiss on the show!”
The scriptwriter: !!!
“Young Master Pei, are you serious?”
“Do you have a better idea?!” Pei Yubai snapped. “The script you wrote is barely keeping the show afloat! If the ratings don’t go up, both of us are getting fired! Understood?”
The scriptwriter drafted the new scenario and sent it to Feng Yinyin, who, unsurprisingly, objected.
She and Duan Heng had already broken up. Their drama had finished airing, and if it weren’t for work obligations, she wouldn’t even pretend to be sweet with him on the show.
Faking it was one thing—she could treat it as post-release fan service. Feng Yinyin took her work seriously.
But kissing?
How was that any different from officially announcing they were together?
Feng Yinyin stormed into Pei Yubai’s office and slammed the script onto his desk. “Young Master Pei, this is too much! Duan Heng and I broke up ages ago—you know that!”
Pei Yubai pulled out the contract she had signed for the show. “According to this, you’re obligated to follow the script and perform as directed.”
“The contract never mentioned faking a relationship!”
“It never said you couldn’t fake one either,” Pei Yubai retorted. “Feng Yinyin, your popularity has been rising. It’s just work—why not milk it for more fans? You can always come up with a breakup excuse later.”
In the entertainment industry, fake relationships were just another tool.
Pei Yubai had used this exact tactic to turn Ye Luoyi into a top star. He knew how effective it was—and how foolproof.
“Either follow the script, or drop out and pay the penalty fee,” Pei Yubai said coldly. “Your choice.”
Feng Yinyin was furious, but she couldn’t afford to throw money away.
Besides, everyone knew Pei Yubai had the backing of the Pei family. Even though Tianhui’s stock had plummeted recently, with the Pei conglomerate as a safety net, Pei Yubai was capital.
So what if the second young master lost some money dabbling in showbiz? As long as the Pei family stood, Tianhui wouldn’t collapse.
Thus, on the day of filming…
Let’s Eat was recording at a riverside restaurant in Haicheng, where the guests cooked meals for customers.
Feng Yinyin and Duan Heng’s romantic moments always happened during the kitchen prep.
Though the show was pre-recorded, fans and paparazzi often gathered around the set to take photos. Given the show’s popularity, the crowd was sizable.
This time, Duan Heng had also received the script. When he saw the kissing scene, he was thrilled—he had been trying to win Feng Yinyin back, but she kept refusing. The show was giving him the perfect opportunity.
During filming, with the atmosphere just right and the other guests playing along, Duan Heng leaned in slowly.
Feng Yinyin kept mentally repeating to herself: This is just acting, this is just acting…
But the moment Duan Heng got close, she felt a wave of nausea and physically recoiled, vomiting on the spot.
Duan Heng froze.
The other guests froze.
The fans watching nearby froze.
Since Let’s Eat was pre-recorded, the director immediately cut the scene and had them reshoot. Feng Yinyin pulled herself together, and with the cast recreating the romantic mood, the two finally managed to kiss as scripted.
But even though the vomit scene didn’t make it into the final edit, fans had already captured the moment and posted it online.
[WTF just happened?!]
[Duan Heng tried to kiss Feng Yinyin, and she puked?]
[LMAO is this true love or what?]
[I always thought Feng Yinyin looked disgusted by Duan Heng—sweet on camera, cold off it. Are they faking this whole thing?]
[No way…]
[But variety shows have scripts all the time, right?]
While Feng Yinyin was still filming, the internet was already ablaze with rumors that she and Duan Heng were a fake couple.
Pei Yubai was livid.
“It gets worse…” Sun Qi reported nervously. “A post on Douban from someone claiming to be an insider is going viral. They’re exposing Feng Yinyin and Duan Heng’s breakup, saying their on-screen romance is all an act…”
“The post is gaining traction fast. A lot of netizens believe it, especially with that vomit clip as ‘proof’ that Feng Yinyin has zero feelings for Duan Heng.”
CP fans hated nothing more than their ship sinking. And with the post so detailed—and Feng Yinyin’s visceral reaction—many were convinced.
Sun Qi shrank back. “At this rate, even if we air the third episode smoothly, SP might still overtake us.”
Who wanted to watch a fake couple? Let’s Eat’s popularity hinged on their romance.
If the ship sank, so would the show.
Pei Yubai narrowed his eyes, weighing the situation. Things weren’t looking good—he needed damage control.
“We have to spin the vomit incident and keep the hype going. Tell the paparazzi to leak that Feng Yinyin… is pregnant!”
---
Filming for Let’s Eat’s third episode continued.
After forcing herself through the scripted kiss, Feng Yinyin felt a weight lift off her chest. All she wanted now was to finish filming and never work with Tianhui again!
Aside from the kiss, the script had plenty of other sweet interactions with Duan Heng. Feng Yinyin treated it as part of the job—and since she was a good actress, she pulled it off flawlessly.
Nearby fans gushed—
“No wonder Duan Heng’s so attentive! Yinyin’s pregnant~”
“I wonder when they’ll get married? So exciting!”
“Their baby would be so good-looking—both of them are gorgeous!”
Feng Yinyin had no idea what was happening online. She’d been too busy filming to check her phone.
She just found it odd how much more intense the fans’ reactions were.
What’s so great about this manufactured fluff?
Filming lasted until evening. After the customers left, the cast gathered around the table for a cozy dinner, chatting and eating together.
Even then, Duan Heng didn’t forget his scripted role—he kept serving Feng Yinyin dishes.
“Thanks~”
She smiled sweetly while internally gagging.
Then her phone rang.
Glancing down, she was shocked to see a WeChat call from… Zhou Qingyu?
They weren’t close—they’d just met as fellow guests on a variety show once and added each other for formality’s sake.
Adding each other on WeChat was purely for work purposes. After that, they barely chatted—just occasionally liking each other’s social media posts or reposting promotional updates for new shows. Their relationship was strictly professional, so why was Zhou Qingyu calling her now?
Feng Yinyin wanted to hang up, but the head chef beside her caught a glimpse of the caller ID and blurted out, “Yinyin, Zhou Qingyu is calling you!”
Since he’d already said it out loud, Feng Yinyin had no choice but to answer.
Zhou Qingyu’s voice came through the phone, “Feng Yinyin, congratulations! Last time we met, you mentioned you were single, but who knew things would move so fast? I sent you a red envelope. When the baby’s one-month celebration comes around, don’t forget to invite me!”
Feng Yinyin was utterly confused. “What baby? Are you sure you dialed the right number?”
“Of course,” Zhou Qingyu replied. “Aren’t you pregnant? With Duan Heng’s child, right? At first, I thought your chemistry on the variety show was just for the cameras, but turns out it’s real! Wishing you two a lifetime of happiness!”
Feng Yinyin was even more baffled. “Zhou Qingyu, explain yourself. Who’s pregnant? Since when am I pregnant?”
Sure, she and Duan Heng had dated, but they’d never gotten that far! She was a top-tier celebrity—if she got pregnant now, her career would be over!
Zhou Qingyu sounded unfazed. “But that’s what everyone’s saying online! I thought you and Duan Heng had made it official.”
Feng Yinyin immediately checked Weibo.
They were still filming the variety show, yet several hashtags had already skyrocketed to the top of the trending list.
#FengYinyinAndDuanHengConfirmRelationshipOnShow#
#FengYinyinPregnantBeforeMarriageWeddingBellsSoon#
#FengYinyinRumoredToBePregnant#
The rumors were all started by gossip accounts with no solid evidence, but combined with that short clip of Feng Yinyin vomiting and all the sweet moments between her and Duan Heng, the pregnancy speculation seemed almost believable.
Feng Yinyin’s entire body trembled with anger. How could such a baseless rumor spread like wildfire? It didn’t take a genius to figure out who was behind this—Pei Yubai!
Her nausea had been purely physiological, but someone had doubted the authenticity of their on-screen romance. So Pei Yubai had cooked up this pregnancy rumor to shut everyone up!
For the sake of his show, he’d stoop to any low.
If filming had already wrapped, Feng Yinyin might have gritted her teeth for the money, issued a clarification, and moved on. But they were still in the middle of production. Thinking about Pei Yubai’s underhanded tactics, she couldn’t take it anymore.
No wonder Ye Luoyi had terminated her contract with him. Pei Yubai was downright despicable!
Meanwhile, Duan Heng, following the show’s script, ladled soup for Feng Yinyin and tried to feed her himself.
Furious, Feng Yinyin knocked the bowl out of his hands.
The scalding soup splattered across the floor, oily broth splashing everywhere.
The other guests gasped in shock.
Feng Yinyin abruptly stood up, rummaged through her bag, and slammed the show’s script onto the table.
“What kind of trashy show is this? I’m done filming!”
Clutching her bag, she stormed out of the restaurant. At the entrance, she shot a glare at the producer—she knew he was Tianhui Entertainment’s man.
Tell Pei Yubai I'll pay the damn penalty! After all these years in the industry, I can afford it. But I won't let this slide—spreading fake pregnancy rumors through tabloids? He'll regret this!
The producer fumbled, trying to stop her, but it was too late.
Worse yet, the entire scene had been captured by fans watching nearby.
[What’s happening?! Did Feng Yinyin just walk off the set??]
[She said the pregnancy rumors are fake!]
[So her and Duan Heng’s relationship isn’t real?]
[Definitely fake! Did you see her throw the script? She must be livid!]
[WTF is wrong with Pei Yubai? Spreading rumors like this about a female celebrity?!]
[Disgusting. I already hated him from The Journey, but this is next-level vile.]
[Mad respect for Feng Yinyin though. Most artists would just suck it up since Pei Yubai’s backed by the Pei family, then quietly clarify later.]
[But honestly, I wouldn’t take this lying down either!]
Online, public opinion exploded. The backlash was overwhelmingly in Feng Yinyin’s favor, with netizens slamming Pei Yubai for fabricating such a damaging rumor.
Almost instantly, Dining Together’s reputation tanked.
……
Fuming, Feng Yinyin climbed into her van.
The moment she sat down, her manager shut the door behind her.
“Good grief, Yinyin! How could you make a scene on set? The pregnancy rumor is baseless—we could’ve just clarified later. Without solid proof, was it really worth picking a fight with Tianhui?”
But the same Feng Yinyin who’d wanted to tear Pei Yubai apart moments ago was now eerily calm.
She showed her manager a message from Zhou Qingyu:
If you want to quit the show, Starlight will cover your penalty fee.
[If you’re worried about Tianhui blacklisting you, Starlight and the Zhou family have endless resources at your disposal.]
Attached was an endorsement contract from luxury brand M, already signed by the company—all Feng Yinyin needed to do was add her e-signature for it to take effect.
Her manager frowned. “Zhou Qingyu could just be making empty promises. What if she backs out later?”
Feng Yinyin had considered that too, but the M contract was legitimate, with a 20-million-yuan fee matching her current market value. Once signed, she’d be tied to Starlight—meaning any fallout would affect M’s interests, forcing Zhou Qingyu to intervene.
Feng Yinyin smirked. “Without this safety net, I’d never have dared to walk off.”
In the entertainment industry, even A-list celebrities were powerless against corporate giants. That’s why, despite loathing Duan Heng, she’d played along with the scripted romance.
Under normal circumstances, Feng Yinyin would’ve had to swallow this injustice.
But with Zhou Qingyu’s backing, she finally had the leverage to fight back.
Besides, Pei Yubai had crossed the line first. Why should she let him off the hook? If the Pei family wanted to blacklist her, so be it—she was under the Zhou family’s wing now. What did she have to fear?
……
Tianhui's attempt to blacklist Feng Yinyin failed. The company's official Weibo account posted a statement condemning her walkout and demanding liquidated damages, but the comments section was flooded with support for Feng Yinyin.
Before demanding liquidated damages, how about explaining the scripted show first?
[You’re really gonna ruin a woman’s reputation just for your stupid show?]
[Yinyin’s the sweetest—she must’ve been pushed to her limit to react like this!]
[This has Pei Yubai written all over it. Did we forget how he treated Yan Xi on The Journey?]
[He bullied Miss Yan back then, and now he’s targeting Yinyin!]
[And let’s not forget how Dining Together deliberately scheduled against SP’s filming. Disgusting!]
The third episode of "Dining Together" was edited to remove the scenes of Feng Yinyin vomiting and storming off with the script before being aired as usual.
However, the show's viewership was dismal. Most viewers found Pei Yubai utterly repulsive and refused to support him. Those curious about what had happened on the show could easily find out the full story by browsing short clips online.
As a result, while the third episode of "Dining Together" generated high online buzz, its viewership plummeted, and its Douban rating dropped below 4.
In contrast, the third episode of "SP" featured the elimination round from 100 to 60 contestants, meaning the first group of trainees would leave the stage.
Fans grew even more frantic—
["Ahhh! Don’t let our idol get eliminated!"]
["Spamming comments won’t help—go vote instead!"]
["Post more fan edits to attract new voters!"]
["Yes, yes! Casual viewers, please check out our idol—he’s seriously amazing!"]
Though "SP" didn’t surpass "Dining Together" in online popularity for its third episode, it maintained its reputation. Meanwhile, "Dining Together" faced so much backlash and criticism that the fourth episode had to be canceled.
In the office, Yan Xi was reviewing "SP’s" viewership data when the system suddenly alerted her—
[Ding! Pei Yubai lost the bet. Zhou Qingyu gained 2 points of luck. Current luck value: 94 points.]
