ã€ŠAfter the Breakup, I Went Viral in the Entertainment Circleã€‹


 CH 1

    Inside the hotel, Luo Ning slowly opened her eyes and raised a hand to massage her aching head. Looking around, she found herself in a strange yet familiar setting! She supported herself and stood up to see empty wine bottles scattered all over the floor. When she saw the dishes on the table in front of her, with a cake in the centre, she finally remembered why this scene felt familiar. She really came back.

    Luo Ning¡¯s gaze stopped on the candle with the number ¡°1¡± inserted into the cake, and a seemingly long and distant memory clearly replayed in her mind. She remembered that it was to celebrate the first anniversary with Ji Xingheng. She had borrowed the hotel kitchen, baked the cake herself, and made a table of dishes, but it was a pity that the other person never showed up.

    She then turned around and walked quickly to the bathroom, staring fixedly at the person in the mirror. The person in the mirror was young and beautiful. Not only had she returned, but she had returned to a time when everything could still be saved.

    Suddenly, a ringtone rang and Luo Ning went out to pick up the phone. When she saw the name ¡°Brother Yan¡± on the caller screen, her eyes turned cold.

    After connecting, the other party spoke first, ¡°Luo1Literally he¡¯s calling her Little Luo but I thought it didn¡¯t fit here, did you see today¡¯s trending topic?¡±

    Luo Ning had only just returned and didn¡¯t look at the trending searches, but how could she forget that memorable event.

    She was silent for a moment, and then said, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Yan Qiuping spoke in a deliberate manner, ¡°Last night, Bo Xiangxiang had an accident and ended up being called to the police station. Xingheng and her are in the same filming crew right now, so he couldn¡¯t just leave the matter alone and went to help her. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t have time to have dinner with you.¡±

    Luo Ning sneered, and said in a slightly sarcastic tone, ¡°So you called to help Ji Xingheng explain why he didn¡¯t show up last night? Then there is no need. It¡¯s not the first time he has stood me up.¡±

    Yan Qiuping was shocked into silence for a moment. He hadn¡¯t expected Luo Ning¡¯s tone to be so aggressive today. He suppressed his displeasure and spoke again. ¡°It was a sudden matter, he didn¡¯t mean it.¡±

    ¡°I have something to discuss with you.¡± He decided to get straight to the point.

    Luo Ning asked coldly, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°When Xingheng went to the police station to pick her up last night, he was photographed by the paparazzi, but Bo Xiangxiang¡¯s appearance was not captured. Now everyone is guessing who it is, so I hope you will take the initiative to admit that the person in the trending topic photo is you,¡± Yan Qiuping said in a reasonable tone.

    Luo Ning asked coldly, ¡°She had an accident and was photographed, why should I be the one to admit to it?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because Xingheng is afraid that a scandal will break out after she is exposed. After all, you are his girlfriend.¡±

    Yan Qiuping continued, ¡°Although your relationship has not been made public, you and he are both my stars. If it was you who had an accident and had to go to the police station, it would make sense for Xingheng to help you as well.¡±

    He knew how much Luo Ning cared for Ji Xingheng, so he knew what to say to make her agree without hesitation. She would definitely not be willing to see her boyfriend in a scandal with other women.

    ¡°By pushing me out, I¡¯ll be the one to take the fall for whatever negative things happened at the police station. Ji Xingheng¡¯s fans will also blame me, so you¡¯re basically turning all the firepower towards me. You really care about Bo Xiangxiang, don¡¯t you?¡± Luo Ning¡¯s voice dipped even colder.

    Bo Xiangxiang was only a C-lister at this time, but Ji Xingheng was an A-lister. His girlfriend and wife2Fans who take themselves to be the idol/celebrity¡¯s wife/girlfriend fans were huge in number. If she was exposed, she would be torn apart, and it would affect her future career.

    It was the same in her previous life when Yan Qiuping called her. Since Ji Xingheng was her boyfriend, she didn¡¯t want him to have a scandal with Bo Xiangxiang, so she took the initiative to say on Weibo that the woman in the photo was herself. On the same day, she was reprimanded by Ji Xingheng¡¯s fans and became a trending topic. The fans told her not to drag their man down, saying she had a bad character and liked to stir up trouble. Going to the police station also became a negative point. Even when she went to participate in the reality show, she was reprimanded and oppressed from the very first episode, which greatly affected her mood and performance.

    Moreover, this matter would be deliberately exposed in the future. When the woman in the photo was revealed, she would become a shameless scheming girl who deliberately took advantage of Ji Xingheng¡¯s popularity to go viral. It would also become a fuse for her to be completely blacklisted on the entire Internet in the future.

    A surprised expression appeared on Yan Qiuping¡¯s face, as he obviously did not expect Luo Ning to say such a thing.

    With a frown, he replied, ¡°Luo Ning, I know you¡¯re not happy with what happened last night, but I made this arrangement for the good of both Xingheng and you.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t admit it. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m hanging up,¡± Luo Ning said coldly.

    She was back. There was no way in hell she would be nice to those who had betrayed her.

    Yan Qiuping was Ji Xingheng¡¯s manager. When she entered the entertainment circle, she signed with the same company, and he became her manager as well. It was a pity, however, that this guy valued Bo Xiangxiang now, and had already hooked up with her in private. That woman would soon move to the same company, and she would become the one who was abandoned.

    Luo Ning closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again, pushing down the overwhelming feelings inside of her. She would pay those people back double for the way they treated her back then.

    It was the first time Yan Qiuping had ever heard Luo Ning reject him, and his brows furrowed even more, ¡°This is what Xingheng wants, are you sure you want to refuse?¡±

    Luo Ning asked with a half-smile, ¡°Is this really what Ji Xingheng wants, not what you and Bo Xiangxiang want?¡±

    She knew that this was something that was discussed between Yan Qiuping and Bo Xiangxiang, but after she agreed, Ji Xingheng didn¡¯t raise any objections. She didn¡¯t know this until she read the contents of that book after she died.

    After her death in the previous life, her soul suddenly entered a system space. It was there that she discovered that she was just a cannon fodder supporting character in a book. She was nothing more than a stepping stone for the female lead to absorb luck from and get to the top, and Bo Xiangxiang was the female lead in the book.

    She was furious at the time, and then a system came out. It told her that as long as she went to various small worlds to fulfill the wishes of the cannon fodder characters, and accumulated enough points, she could exchange them for the reward of returning to her original world. In addition, the power that bound the world before would also disappear completely, turning it into a real world.

    And so she agreed. She traveled to various small worlds to complete the tasks. Today, she finally earned enough points to exchange for the reward. After being released from the system, she was sent back.

    She had also discovered that the power that bound her all the time in the previous life, and even made her do things she couldn¡¯t control, had really disappeared. She now felt completely at ease.

    Yan Qiuping¡¯s heart skipped a beat, why did Luo Ning ask such a question? Did she know something?

    ¡°I¡¯m your manager as well as Xingheng¡¯s. I just want to find a way to minimize the impact of the trending topic. What does that have to do with Bo Xiangxiang? Don¡¯t get angry about what happened last night.¡±

    He intentionally explained as if he was just adding something extra, ¡°There¡¯s really nothing going on between Xingheng and Bo Xiangxiang, don¡¯t misunderstand.¡±

    ¡°I made this decision for the sake of exposing the relationship between you and Xingheng in the future. After all, this matter can be used as a kind of precursor to hype things up. What do you think?¡± he persuaded.

    Luo Ning resolutely refused, ¡°I don¡¯t agree, and there will be no exposure of any relationship in the future, that¡¯s all.¡±

    She had debuted for a year, and although she had become popular with an online drama and good looks, and was currently more popular than Bo Xiangxiang, if she were to pair up with an A-lister for the sake of hype, the blacklisting would be even worse. It would also make Ji Xingheng¡¯s fans and non-fans hate her even more. She would not do anything stupid for love again.

    After speaking, she hung up the phone directly. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk nonsense with the other party. When she opened the browser, sure enough, she saw that the trending topic ¡± Top Young Celebrity Meets Mysterious Woman at Night¡± occupied the first spot.

    After clicking on it, there were two photos inside. Ji Xingheng¡¯s face was completely captured from the front and side. The woman next to him had her head down and was wearing a cap and a mask, so her face couldn¡¯t be seen clearly.

    According to the plot in the book, this was originally planned by Bo Xiangxiang. First, she wanted to prevent Ji Xingheng from coming to celebrate the anniversary with her last night, so as to create a bigger misunderstanding between them. Second, she wanted Luo Ning to be blacklisted and drag her down step by step.

 CH 2

    Luo Ning looked at the handsome and flamboyant man in the photo with a blank expression, and couldn¡¯t feel any stirring in her heart. She had followed him into the entertainment circle, but in the end, she got that kind of ending. She would never stop for him again in this life, a breakup was inevitable.

    She was currently living in Ji Xingheng¡¯s apartment, having moved in with him after entering the entertainment circle. Although they were boyfriend and girlfriend, they merely lived together in different rooms and did not have that kind of relationship. They would break up soon, so of course she would no longer live here. She prepared to go back to pack her things and move out.

    This hotel was relatively close to the place where Ji Xingheng was filming. She had come here yesterday to accommodate him, but who knew that the bastard would let her down.

    Luo Ning called her assistant and told her about the trending topic, Yan Qiuping and Bo Xiangxiang¡¯s affair, and her breakup with Ji Xingheng, and then asked her to help her rent a place to stay. Her assistant, Xi Shu, was her college roommate and best friend. After her accident in her previous life, she never left her, and was someone Luo Ning trusted a lot. After leaving the hotel, she went to Ji Xingheng¡¯s apartment.

    On the other side of the city, Ji Xingheng had just woken up. As per habit, he picked up his phone and looked at it, but he was surprised that he didn¡¯t see any messages or calls from Luo Ning. Normally, there would be no less than ten messages and missed calls, so this was a bit unusual. Thinking about yesterday¡¯s missed appointment, he held the phone for a while and was about to call Luo Ning when he heard a knock at the door. Ji Xingheng stood up and opened the door to see Yan Qiuping standing outside.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    After sitting down, Yan Qiuping smiled and said, ¡°Did you just wake up?¡±

    It seemed that he hadn¡¯t contacted Luo Ning yet, so he had arrived just in time.

    Ji Xingheng lazily leaned on the sofa, ¡°I came back too late last night.¡±

    It was past two in the morning when he left the police station yesterday, so he didn¡¯t go to the hotel to meet Luo Ning. When he got home, he felt a little sleepless, so he got up late.

    ¡°Last night¡¯s incident has become a hot topic, you should read it first,¡± Yan Qiuping said.

    Ji Xingheng picked up his phone, opened a browser to read the trending topics, and casually said, ¡°Let the PR department find someone to remove it.¡±

    Yan Qiuping knew that he was going to say that. ¡°The trending topic has reached the top, and many people have seen it, so I originally wanted Luo Ning to take the initiative to admit that the person who was with you last night was her. Since you¡¯re both under me, the public would be able to accept it.¡±

    ¡°You told her?¡± Ji Xingheng asked.

    Yan Qiuping nodded, ¡°I called her before I came, but she refused.¡±

    Ji Xingheng was a little surprised. According to Luo Ning¡¯s temperament, she wouldn¡¯t be happy to see him in a scandal with another woman. But he didn¡¯t care about it too much.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if she doesn¡¯t want to do it. Let the company remove the hot topic. As long as I don¡¯t respond, this matter will fade away in a few days.¡±

    Yan Qiuping knew that Ji Xingheng entered the entertainment circle just to play around. No matter if he couldn¡¯t continue or just got bored, he would go back to inherit the family business, so he never cared about the gossip on the net. But that¡¯s not what he was here for.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t care, but I feel that Luo Ning is angry. I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯ll misunderstand you and Bo Xiangxiang because of what happened yesterday, and then report it to Auntie.¡±

    He looked at Ji Xingheng and sighed helplessly before continuing, ¡°Maybe Auntie has already seen the trending topic herself, and it will make her even more unhappy at that time, so it won¡¯t be good.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted Luo Ning to come forward and admit to this matter, and prevent the paparazzi and your fans from holding onto it. Basically, it¡¯s killing two birds with one stone.¡±

    The aunt he was talking about was Ji Xingheng¡¯s mother, who loved and protected Luo Ning very much.

    Sure enough, Ji Xingheng¡¯s face, which originally had a carefree expression, turned dark. ¡°I¡¯ll call Luo Ning and make her admit to it.¡±

    There was also a burst of anger and rebellion in his heart. The more his family valued the matter between him and Luo Ning, and the more they pressured him to treat her well and be a considerate boyfriend, the more irritated he became.

    It was like when his grandfather insisted that he major in economics and management and then enter the family¡¯s company after graduation. He was annoyed, so he deliberately went in the opposite direction and entered the entertainment circle. He hated being controlled by others.

    Yan Qiuping knew how to provoke Ji Xingheng, and he also knew how much Luo Ning cared about this boyfriend of hers. After achieving his purpose, he smiled inwardly.

    However, the helplessness on his face was even stronger, ¡°Okay, then call her and try. She might be waiting for you to talk to her in person.¡±

    As he expected, Ji Xingheng¡¯s expression darkened even more. He picked up his phone and dialed Luo Ning¡¯s number.

    At this time, Luo Ning had already entered the complex and was waiting for the elevator. After seeing the incoming call, she rejected it without hesitation.  She could guess that Ji Xingheng must have been coerced by Yan Qiuping to call her to discuss that matter.

    Thus, she decided to hang the scumbag out to dry for a while. He had left many of her calls unanswered in the past anyway, so he should get a taste of it now.

    Luo Ning hung up on five calls in a row. Ji Xingheng¡¯s face did not look good, ¡°What the hell is she trying to do? She actually hung up on me on purpose.¡±

    Yan Qiuping didn¡¯t expect Luo Ning to take the initiative to hang up. ¡°I guess she¡¯s still angry and jealous because you went to help Bo Xiangxiang yesterday. Just apologize and sweet-talk her later.¡±

    ¡°Apologize? Why? There¡¯s nothing between Bo Xiangxiang and me to begin with. It was just a favor. What¡¯s there for her to be angry and jealous about?¡± Ji Xingheng felt that Luo Ning was being too stubborn.

    ¡°Women always like to throw a tantrum over such trivial matters, so just go along with her,¡± Yan Qiuping said.

    Ji Xingheng snorted, ¡°Why should I? I haven¡¯t done anything wrong, so I won¡¯t humor her.¡±

    Luo Ning, who had just opened the door, heard his words. She walked in and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care for your humoring.¡±

    Her voice startled the conversing Ji Xingheng and Yan Qiuping, and they turned their heads to look at the door together. Neither of them had expected Luo Ning to come back at this time and suddenly say such a thing.

    Ji Xingheng frowned and looked at Luo Ning, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer my call earlier?¡±

    Luo Ning walked over, looked at him coldly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to, so I didn¡¯t. Why do I need a reason?¡±

    Ji Xingheng was shocked into silence. Looking at Luo Ning¡¯s beautiful face and calm expression, he felt that there was something different about her today.

    He didn¡¯t want to argue with her today, so he changed the subject and said, ¡°You came just in time. Brother Yan just told me that he wants you to admit to what happened last night on Weibo. Go and post it now.¡±

    Luo Ning crossed her arms, a hardness seeping into her voice. ¡°No. Why should I take the blame for what Bo Xiangxiang did?¡±

    Ji Xingheng frown deepened. ¡°Luo Ning, are you done making trouble? Bo Xiangxiang and I are in the same film crew. I can¡¯t just ignore her when she¡¯s in trouble.¡±

    Luo Ning sneered. ¡°Are you her boyfriend, or her husband? She has a manager and an assistant, so why does it have to be you?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just because I didn¡¯t have dinner with you yesterday, so I¡¯ll accompany you tonight, okay?¡± Ji Xingheng said, looking at her impatiently.

    Luo Ning shook her head and refused. ¡°No thanks. I don¡¯t have time for you.¡±

    Ji Xingheng took a deep breath.¡±I¡¯ll say it one last time. There¡¯s nothing going on between Bo Xiangxiang and me. We¡¯re just friends and filming partners. Should I deliberately ignore when my friend needs help?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous over something like this, it¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±

    He tugged at his neckline, his tone growing increasingly impatient. ¡°It was my fault that I missed our date last night, but I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, can¡¯t you let it go?¡±

 CH 3

    ¡°No.¡± Luo Ning looked at his pretentious face and couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk nonsense with him.

    It had always been like this. Whenever they had an argument about Bo Xiangxiang, he would get impatient and say that they were platonic friends, and that she was being too narrow-minded, unreasonable, and stubborn.

    Ji Xingheng stood up, looked at her and said, ¡°If you still want to keep our relationship, then stop making trouble. Go back to your room and reflect on what you said today, listen to Brother Yan, and post on Weibo.¡±

    Luo Ning sneered. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything wrong. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to reflect, let alone post on Weibo, so there¡¯s no need to continue our relationship.¡±

    She raised her head and looked at Ji Xingheng, speaking in a serious tone, ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of my liking and compromise now, let¡¯s break up.¡±

    They had grown up together, even going to school and eating together. Whenever she was bullied as a child, he would protect her and beat those people up, and then use her favorite snacks to make her laugh. Even though he always had a look of arrogance and dislike when he was nice to her, there was care and affection hidden in his eyes. That was why she liked him so much in the past, relied on him, skipped a grade for him, learned to cook, softened her temper, joined the entertainment circle for him, and so on. But she didn¡¯t expect that in the end she would bring about such an ending in her previous life.

    She was blacklisted by the entire Internet and forced out of the entertainment world. Restrained by the will of the book, she involuntarily went up to the roof of a building. Before she having the uncontrollable urge to jump, she called him, but the person who answered the phone was Bo Xiangxiang. At her most desperate and helpless moment, he was by Bo Xiangxiang¡¯s side, who had set her up and deliberately injured her, sending her to the hospital.

    Everything must have been deliberately planned by Yan Qiuping and Bo Xiangxiang, but she couldn¡¯t forgive and let go. The moment she jumped off the roof, the wind whistled in her ears as her body fell, and she had only one thought. If there was an afterlife, she would never love him again.

    The book ended with her death by suicide. She didn¡¯t know if the rest of the story was unfinished or if she just couldn¡¯t read it. So she didn¡¯t know how Ji Xingheng reacted when he heard the news that she had jumped off the building and died. Would he have been sad or indifferent? Of course, no matter what the result was, it didn¡¯t matter to her anymore.

    Ji Xingheng couldn¡¯t believe her words and said, ¡°Can you stop messing around, is breakup something to say casually?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t as if they had never argued before, but she had never mentioned breakup.

    ¡°So I¡¯m serious,¡± Luo Ning said calmly.

    Ji Xingheng clenched his hands into fists and stared fixedly at her, ¡°Are you sure you want to break up with me?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Luo Ning looked at him lightly, her eyes unwavering.

    Ji Xingheng met her never-before-seen indifferent eyes, and a feeling of panic welled up inside him. ¡°We date, we break up, it¡¯s all up to you. On what basis? I don¡¯t agree.¡±

    Luo Ning raised her eyebrows. ¡°I dumped you unilaterally, do I still need your consent?¡±

    Ji Xingheng¡¯s face darkened. Gritting his teeth, he said, ¡°Luo Ning, you are the one who said that. Don¡¯t regret it.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not contact each other in the future if there¡¯s nothing important.¡± Luo Ning threw the door key in her hand onto the coffee table without hesitation. After speaking, she stopped looking at him, turned around and went into her room to pack up.

    Standing outside, Ji Xingheng¡¯s eyes were dark and heavy. He threw the phone in his hand and smashed it on the ground, showing that he was in an extremely bad mood.

    Yan Qiuping never expected Luo Ning to take the initiative to break up, but it was a good thing. Originally, he was not going to do anything to Luo Ning for Ji Xingheng¡¯s sake, but now he had a reason to let her know that this manager was not so easy to bully and offend.

    He patted Ji Xingheng¡¯s shoulder helplessly. ¡°Xingheng, Luo Ning is probably just using the breakup to mess with you. It will be fine once her anger subsides. Try to humor her and give in first.¡± He spoke as if to comfort him, but it only added fuel to the fire.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the wrong, why do I have to give in first?¡± Although, Ji Xingheng also felt that Luo Ning was retreating to advance. He was just helping a friend, it wasn¡¯t as bad as she said. However, he didn¡¯t know why, but at this moment, he felt anxious.

    He spoke again, ¡°Brother Yan, can you come back another day?¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take my leave. I¡¯ll ask the movie crew to give you some time off in the afternoon.¡±

    Ji Xingheng was really not in the mood to continue filming, so he nodded and said, ¡°Okay!¡±

    After Yan Qiuping left, he thought for a moment and then took out his phone to call Bo Xiangxiang. When she picked up, he told her about the current situation.

    Bo Xiangxiang pondered for a while and asked, ¡°They really broke up? Luo Ning was actually willing?¡±

    ¡°This time, Luo Ning had a tougher attitude towards me and Xingheng. I think she might be serious,¡± Yan Qiuping replied.

    Then he said uncertainly, ¡°Of course, based on how much she cares about Xingheng, she could just be playing hard to get.¡±

    ¡°It would be best if they broke up. If she¡¯s just playing hard to get, I¡¯ll let her play with fire and set herself on fire.¡± Bo Xiangxiang didn¡¯t expect that it would be so easy to provoke a conflict between the two, and she felt a sudden sense of superiority.

    She then narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°Luo Ning didn¡¯t agree to admit to what happened last night, but she¡¯ll have no choice.¡±

    This was all planned by her, and Luo Ning would be the scapegoat whether she wanted to or not.

    Yan Qiuping was a smart person and immediately guessed what she meant. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll contact someone to release the news.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Brother Yan,¡± Bo Xiangxiang chuckled lightly with a hint of flirtatiousness in her voice. Yan Qiuping was already captivated by her, so she wasn¡¯t worried about him betraying her.

    Inside the apartment, Luo Ning had already packed her bags. She didn¡¯t have many things, and she managed to fit everything into two large suitcases. Dragging the suitcases out of the room, Luo Ning saw Ji Xingheng leaning against the cabinet by the front door with his arms crossed. She quickly looked away, pulled the suitcases, and walked over to open the door.

    Seeing her so determined made Ji Xingheng feel even more uncomfortable. He reached out and grabbed her arm. ¡°This is the apartment my mother bought for us, do you really want to move out?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go snitching to her that I kicked you out.¡±

    Back then, his mother originally wanted to put the apartment under Luo Ning¡¯s name but she refused.

    Luo Ning didn¡¯t turn her head, and broke free of his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will talk to Auntie, and I won¡¯t put blame on you.¡±

    As for Ji Xingheng¡¯s mother, even though they had broken up, she would still treat her like an elder. After all, the woman truly loved her and took care of her like a daughter.

    ¡°After walking out of this door, it will not be so easy to come back,¡± Ji Xingheng emphasized, pursing his lips.

    Luo Ning didn¡¯t hesitate, dragging the suitcases behind her and leaving without looking back.

    When Ji Xingheng saw her resolutely walking away, he felt as if a piece of his heart had been dug out, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. But he didn¡¯t go after her to make up. He thought that it was just Luo Ning throwing a fit, and when her anger subsided, she would regret having such a serious fight with him, and then she would take the initiative to come back to him.

 CH 4

    Luo Ning left the apartment, went to the Feng Shui shop in the antique market, and bought some items for drawing talismans. This Feng Shui shop had private rooms for customers. She rented one for the afternoon and started drawing talismans.

    In her previous life, she had learned metaphysics and Feng Shui from her father, and later traveled to specialized worlds of metaphysics and immortal cultivation, so she had a lot of knowledge and experience in drawing talismans.

    When she first entered the entertainment circle, she not only wanted to chase Ji Xingheng, she also wanted to make money. Thinking about her younger brother¡¯s situation, she needed to earn more money and win the auction item in two months. The only thing she had going for her at the moment was her participation in the reality show. The money would not be credited to her account until after the first episode, and half of it would go to the company. The money wasn¡¯t enough at all, so she could only find alternative means. Selling talismans was a good choice; quality goods need no advertising.

    After several worlds of improvement, Luo Ning had reached a very high level in drawing talismans. By the time evening came, she had already drawn several different types of talismans. She packed her things and left the private room.

    Luo Ning felt nostalgic for the taste of the wontons from a small shop that she had eaten before. Even though it was a bit far away, she went there anyway.

    It was completely dark when she finished eating and walked out. She checked the time and it was after midnight, so she decided to take a shortcut to Xi Shu¡¯s house. Xi Shu had told her in the afternoon that a house had already been found for her, but she could only live in it after it was cleaned up. She offered to let her stay with her for the next two days.

    New residential areas were being built around this road, and it was relatively secluded, with not many cars at night. Halfway along the road, Luo Ning suddenly saw a large truck blocking the road and an overturned SUV. She was startled and got out of the car to take a look. The truck was still running, but the driver had disappeared. It was probably a hit-and-run accident.

    She quickly walked to the side of the SUV and found someone inside. She first called an ambulance and the police, then took a steel rod from the truck, forcibly opened the door of the SUV, and carefully pulled the person out. When she clearly saw the man¡¯s face on the ground, Luo Ning was surprised. This was a handsome and familiar face, and she doubted that many people would not recognize him. The youngest and most promising actor in the entertainment circle, Lu Xun, who was also Bo Xiangxiang¡¯s white moonlight1a person or thing that is elusive in the heart, has always been loved, but cannot be touched and idol.

    She read the book and knew that the female lead, Bo Xiang, was originally an average-looking unpopular starlet. After an accidental death, her soul possessed the beautiful Bo Xiangxiang who had just slit her wrists and committed suicide shortly after her debut.

    From then on, her luck increased, especially when she took down a female celebrity with high luck, Bo Xiangxiang¡¯s luck would increase accordingly. By chance, she would meet or rescue some handsome and successful men, such as well-known directors, best actors, renowned singers, top streamers, big investors, and so on, and became the object of their affection. Some of these people already had families or girlfriends, but in the end they all fell for her. They even left their wives or broke up with their girlfriends to start that kind of relationship with her.

    However, there were two people who were relatively special; one was Luo Ning¡¯s scum boyfriend, Ji Xingheng. Although he took good care of Bo Xiangxiang and was always the first to help her whenever she needed it, he was the only man in the harem who never had that kind of relationship with the female lead. The other was Lu Xun, the best actor who was considered to be the original Bo Xiangxiang¡¯s idol. This was the man she deliberately created opportunities to encounter, but never won.

    And Luo Ning was a cannon fodder supporting character who was targeted by Bo Xiangxiang to absorb her luck and rise to the top. As a result, Luo Ning¡¯s luck got worse and worse, and she couldn¡¯t do anything smoothly.

    There were quite a few female supporting roles like this in the book, but because Luo Ning had the highest IQ and ability, she basically survived the whole book, and was not quickly taken down by Bo Xiangxiang like the others.

    Luo Ning recalled that it was around this time in her past life that news of Lu Xun¡¯s car accident broke out on the Internet. He was in a coma for months before he woke up, and it took more than a year of rehabilitation for his severely injured leg to recover.

    Lu Xun was like a mythical existence in the entertainment world. After disappearing for more than two years, he returned. Not only did he not lose his temper, he soon won an international award with a big-budget movie, and he was even more popular than before his injury.

    In her previous life, Luo Ning had met him when she was at her lowest point after being blacklisted by the entire Internet. He didn¡¯t despise her like other people did, or avoid her like he was running away from the plague. When she was accidentally pushed by an anti-fan and was about to fall, he supported her in a gentlemanly and polite manner. He told her to be careful and asked his assistant to help her leave safely. During that dark period, such kindness without hidden intentions made her a trace of warmth, so the memory was still fresh.

    Luo Ning checked his wounds, and as expected, his legs were severely injured. When she felt Lu Xun¡¯s fingers move, she gently comforted him in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    After thinking about it, she tied a sickness-dispelling talisman she had just drawn during the day with a red thread and hung it around his neck.

    ¡°You¡¯re very lucky today. I just drew the talisman, and you get to use it,¡± she said with a sigh. With the effect of the talisman she drew, Lu Xun¡¯s legs would definitely not be as bad as in the previous life, and he would not be in a coma for too long.

    Soon the ambulance and traffic police arrived, and the medical staff carried Lu Xun into the car. Since his car had a dashcam and her car had no signs of being hit, it was determined that the accident had nothing to do with her, so she was not asked to go to the hospital with him. After talking about the situation as a passerby, Luo Ning looked at the ambulance disappearing in the distance, then got into her own car and left. She didn¡¯t want Lu Xun to repay her. She gave the talisman to repay the rare kindness he showed her in her previous life, so of course she did the good deed anonymously. At this time, she didn¡¯t know that Lu Xun¡¯s eyelids trembled when he got into the ambulance before he completely passed out.

    As soon as Luo Ning arrived at Xi Shu¡¯s house, she was pulled over to sit down by her.

    ¡°Ningning, you¡¯re trending. A paid media account posted misleading news that you were the person Ji Xingheng went to the police station to pick up last night.¡± Xi Shu said anxiously.

    As for who released the news, she guessed that it was either Yan Qiuping or Bo Xiangxiang.

    ¡°These people are too much.¡± Xi Shu said angrily as she scrolled through her phone.

    Luo Ning took out her phone and turned it on to take a look, only to see that the trending Weibo post was full of comments that were dissing her.

    [OMG, it¡¯s Luo Ning, the flower vase2Attractive but useless again! Why does she always drag our man down?]

    [Shameless damn vase, her character is so bad. I wonder what bad things she did to have to go to the police station in the middle of the night, and even force our Xing cub to go pick her up.]

    [I heard that she has a sugar daddy and has been taken care of by many people. Could it be that she was caught by his wife and taken to the police station?]

    [If so, that¡¯s disgusting.]

    [Why did Xing cub pick her up? Why care for such a woman!]

    [Well, who told her to have the same manager as Xing cub. He¡¯s always being dragged down by her, poor baby.]

    [Can this flower vase stop trying to use our Xing cub¡¯s popularity? Is it not enough to have tied him down for so long?]

    [Have Brother Yan sign another celebrity! I almost threw up my dinner reading this, fuck off flower vase Luo.]

    [Yeah, fuck off, flower vase Luo, don¡¯t limit my man anymore.]

 CH 5

    Led by ghostwriters, these people were not satisfied with just throwing insults on this page, and immediately went to Luo Ning¡¯s Weibo to diss her there. They also used a lot of ugly words.

    For example: [I heard that Luo Ning has several sugar daddies behind her¡­ keep such a rotten woman from corrupting our young A-lister!]

    [Looking at Luo Ning¡¯s appearance, she¡¯s just a slut. If you want to hook up with someone, go to your sugar daddies. Don¡¯t hurt our Xing cub.]

    [Go to hell, Luo Ning¡­]

    Some of Luo Ning¡¯s fans also retorted back, saying that there was no evidence at all, don¡¯t slander her, and so on, but these comments were quickly drowned out by Ji Xingheng¡¯s fans.

    After experiencing being blacklisted and boycotted by the entire Internet, having all her resources canceled, and being kicked out of the entertainment circle, Luo Ning paid no attention to this little bit of hatred and spray. She was not surprised by the news; it was all expected.

    She smiled and patted Xi Shu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Bo Xiangxiang had set up a trap for me, and I didn¡¯t fall for it, so she definitely won¡¯t sit still and let it go.¡±

    ¡°Then what should we do? If we clarify it and there¡¯s no movement from Yan Qiuping and Ji Xingheng, we will be ridiculed even more.¡±

    Xi Shu couldn¡¯t think of any good solutions. Those two were on Bo Xiangxiang¡¯s side, and they definitely wouldn¡¯t stand up for Luo Ning. This made her furious. It was hard to explain this kind of matter clearly. Without a hard blow, the anti-fans and ghostwriters would have no mercy on Luo Ning.

    ¡°I have a solution. Don¡¯t worry about it for now. Let them continue to lead the wave and diss me, it¡¯ll only increase my fame.¡± Luo Ning said calmly and confidently.

    ¡°The more heated it gets, the more interesting it¡¯ll be when I counterattack. I¡¯ll also be able to completely tear off the label of riding Ji Xingheng¡¯s popularity and tying him down.¡±

    Seeing her relaxed and calm appearance, Xi Shu¡¯s anxious heart calmed down. ¡°Is there anything I can do?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to change managers. If Yan Qiuping comes looking for me in the next two days, just tell him that I¡¯m in a bad mood.¡± Luo Ning didn¡¯t want Yan Qiuping to find out and cause trouble.

    Xi Shu nodded. ¡°No problem.¡±

    In the darkest moment of her life, Luo Ning pulled her up. For that, she would always stand by her side.

    The next day, Luo Ning went back to the company alone. Instead of going to her own workroom, she went directly to the president¡¯s office. The person currently in charge of Star King Entertainment was Fu Ci, the eldest son of the Fu family. He was the only one who could help her change managers quickly and easily. As she walked to the door, Fu Ci¡¯s secretary came out.

    ¡°Miss Luo, may I ask why you¡¯re here?¡±

    Luo Ning didn¡¯t beat around the bush. ¡°I want to see Mr. Fu.¡±

    ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡±

    Luo Ning shook her head, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Fu¡¯s schedule is already full today.¡±

    The secretary couldn¡¯t help but think, was this another starlet trying to take a shortcut to the top? Their President Fu wasn¡¯t a playboy who would break the unspoken rules for artists under his company.

    ¡°Please give this note to Mr. Fu, I believe he will see me.¡± Luo Ning took out the note she had written earlier from her bag and handed it over.

    ¡°The contents of this note are of great importance to Mr. Fu. If it is delayed, it will cause him a great loss.¡± Seeing that the other party did not take the note, she added with a slight smile.

    Secretary Wei originally wanted to continue to refuse, but after hearing her last words, he reached out his hand to take the note after thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯ll go in and ask Mr. Fu for you.¡±

    This woman had better not be lying to him, or she would be done for.

    Secretary Wei knocked on the door and walked in. Fu Ci looked up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Sir, Luo Ning, a starlet in the company gave me a note and asked me to pass it on to you. She said that the contents have something to do with you. I was afraid that it really is something important, so I brought it in.¡±

    Fu Ci frowned. ¡°What could a starlet know about me?¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go out and reject her,¡± said Secretary Wei.

    Just as he was about to turn around, Fu Ci thought for a while and said, ¡°Forget it, bring the note over and let me see what tricks she is trying to play.¡±

    As the president of an entertainment company, there were many women who often wanted to attract his attention or seduce him, but this was the first time he received a note.

    Secretary Wei handed over the note, and after Fu Ci opened it and read it, his eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Let her in.¡± He tore the note into pieces and threw it into the bin.

    Secretary Wei was surprised. ¡°Okay!¡±

    Soon, he brought Luo Ning into the office.

    Fu Ci looked at Luo Ning with a faint smile on his face. Despite the lack of makeup, her breathtaking beauty was still on display. ¡°Miss Luo, please sit. What would you like to drink?¡±

    ¡°Tea is fine!¡± Luo Ning sat down gracefully.

    Fu Ci nodded to Secretary Wei, who immediately went out to make tea.

    ¡°Miss Luo, how do you know about my sister?¡± Fu Ci asked bluntly.

    The note he had just received said, ¡°I can help your sister recover¡±.

    Not many people in their circle knew about the matter regarding his sister, let alone the outside world.

    Luo Ning looked back at him and said, ¡°I can tell from your face.¡±

    ¡°The ends of your eyebrows are scattered, and there is a small break in the middle. This tells me that your siblings have health problems, and I can see from your face that you only have one younger sister.¡±

    Fu Ci raised his eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Miss Luo can read faces?¡±

    Luo Ning nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m quite proficient in this area.¡±

    ¡°Then how will you help my sister recover? Could it be you have medical skills?¡± Fu Ci clearly didn¡¯t believe her words, thinking it was her way to attract his attention.

    Luo Ning could tell what he was thinking, so she took out a drawn and folded triangular talisman from her bag and handed it to him.

    ¡°Your sister¡¯s condition is not a normal disease. This is a talisman I drew. You can take it home and give it to her to see if it works.¡±

    She happened to meet Fu Ci¡¯s younger sister in her previous life and discovered that the other party was surrounded by a negative air. This was the cause of her physical discomfort, which was often accompanied by various accidents. She wanted to save her, but at that time, her level of drawing talismans was not as high as it was now. By the time she finished drawing, the other party had died unexpectedly.

    Fu Ci took the talisman that Luo Ning handed over and frowned. ¡°You mean my sister can recover by wearing this talisman?¡±

    After his sister got sick, he asked the best hospitals in the world to examine her, but they didn¡¯t find any major problems. Some people said that she might be possessed by evil spirits, so the family hired professionals in the field, but in the end, nothing happened. This talisman alone could restore his sister? What a joke.

    ¡°It won¡¯t make her fully recover, but it can improve her condition,¡± Luo Ning said.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s already the worst-case scenario, why not take a gamble?¡± She could tell that Fu Ci didn¡¯t believe her.

    Fu Ci, who was planning to throw the talisman into the trash when Luo Ning left, froze for a moment and unexpectedly put the talisman into his pocket.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take it back and give it to her to try.¡± Then he added meaningfully, ¡°I hope you¡¯re not playing tricks to get my attention. You should know the consequences of offending me.¡± Just a casual word from him and the company could suspend Luo Ning.

    Luo Ning nodded confidently. ¡°Of course I know, so this talisman will surely be effective.¡±

    ¡°What do you want? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re just doing a good deed.¡± Fu Ci was a bit curious about Luo Ning¡¯s intentions.

 CH 6

    Luo Ning didn¡¯t try to be secretive or anything. ¡°I want to change managers.¡±

    Fu Ci was surprised. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±

    ¡°It might be easy for you, but it¡¯s not for me. My manager is Yan Qiuping.¡± Luo Ning said.

    Fu Ci knew Yan Qiuping. He was one of the top managers in the company, especially after he took over Ji Xingheng, the resources he received only got better. It really wasn¡¯t easy for the artists under him to change managers without his consent.

    ¡°Okay, if this talisman works, I¡¯ll change your manager for you. If it doesn¡¯t work, then you should be ready to quit the circle.¡± He said bluntly.

    ¡°No problem.¡± Just as Luo Ning was about to leave, she saw a slight change in Fu Ci¡¯s face.

    ¡°President Fu, there is an extra layer of blue at the end of your eyebrows. Something will happen to your sister soon.¡±

    Hearing what she said, Fu Ci frowned displeased. ¡°Even if you want to ask me for something, don¡¯t curse my sister.¡±

    He didn¡¯t believe Luo Ning¡¯s words at all, instead becoming rather upset, and even wanted to throw away the talisman she gave him.

    ¡°Your family should call you soon,¡± Luo Ning said as she stood up. ¡°The talisman I just gave you can help your sister, remember to try it.¡±

    People who believed in metaphysics and feng shui would trust even the smallest things, but those who didn¡¯t believe wouldn¡¯t budge even if she ran her mouth dry, so she didn¡¯t bother to continue.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now, goodbye!¡± She opened the door and walked out.

    When Secretary Wei made tea and came in, Luo Ning had already left.

    ¡°Sir, do you have any orders?¡± Seeing President F¡¯s deep frown, Secretary Wei regretted agreeing to help Luo Ning bring in the note just now.

    Fu Ci trusted his secretary very much, and the other party also knew about his sister¡¯s situation, so he gave a rough summary of what Luo Ning had just said.

    Secretary Wei didn¡¯t believe it either. ¡°Luo Ning is so young, it¡¯s probably nonsense what she said about reading from your face.¡±

    According to his knowledge, a powerful Feng Shui master should be a sage-like old man, and Luo Ning didn¡¯t seem to fit the bill, no matter how you looked at it.

    Fu Ci also agreed. ¡°It seems that she is just another woman who wants to impress the public.¡±

    After speaking, he took out the talisman from his pocket and threw it into the trash. He didn¡¯t want to try it anymore, as he felt it was very unreliable.

    Just then, his cell phone rang.

    After he answered it and listened to his mother¡¯s words, his expression changed. ¡°What? Weiwei fell down the stairs? Is she okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the hospital right away.¡±

    After he hung up the phone, his face was full of shock. He really didn¡¯t expect Luo Ning to be right; it was too mysterious. His sister had just accidentally fallen down the stairs and was being taken to the hospital, so it was impossible for Luo Ning to find out the news beforehand.

    Secretary Wei was also stunned. ¡°Could it be that Luo Ning really knows how to read faces?¡±

    This was too unbelievable.

    Fu Ci immediately picked up the talisman from the trash can, and carefully put it in his pocket. ¡°I¡¯m going to the hospital. Go check out what happened between Luo Ning and Yan Qiuping.¡±

    Secretary Wei nodded. ¡°Okay!¡±

    When Fu Ci arrived at the hospital, Fu Wei was in the operating room, and his parents were already waiting outside. After waiting for about half an hour, the door of the operating room opened.

    ¡°Doctor, how is my daughter?¡± Mama Fu asked anxiously.

    ¡°Her leg is broken. We have already operated on her, and she will need to recuperate for some time,¡± the doctor replied.

    ¡°Miss Fu is still in a coma, but she should wake up soon.¡± This was the Fu family¡¯s private hospital, so the doctor¡¯s attitude was very good.

    The three members of the Fu family breathed a sigh of relief, and followed the doctor back to the ward.

    When he saw his younger sister¡¯s pale face and thin body, Fu Ci felt distressed. He thought for a while, then took out the talisman in his pocket, and put it in the pocket of Fu Wei¡¯s hospital gown.

    Mama and Papa Fu were a little confused when they saw this. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Fu Ci didn¡¯t hide anything and told them what happened in the office.

    Papa Fu frowned. ¡°Is she that good? Could it be a coincidence? Or does she have an ulterior motive?¡± As a businessman, he had to consider all possibilities.

    Mama Fu, on the other hand, thought very simply. ¡°How could there be so many coincidences? Didn¡¯t you hear from your son that Luo Ning had already left his office when Weiwei fell down the stairs? It¡¯s impossible for her to know in advance, so she must have seen it from his face.¡± Her daughter had suffered so much, she would rather believe in something than believe in nothing.

    ¡°Besides, A-Ci has already given the talisman to Weiwei. We¡¯ll know soon enough if it¡¯s useful or not.¡± Of course, she hoped it would be useful.

    Hearing what she said, Papa Fu sighed. ¡°I hope the talisman is really effective.¡± It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want the talisman to work. He too hoped that the starlet had the ability to help his daughter.

    During their conversation, Fu Wei, who was originally in a coma, slowly woke up. She looked at the three of them apologetically. ¡°Mom, Dad, Brother, I made you guys worry again.¡±

    Her health had been deteriorating for the past three years. Then, as if she was cursed, accidents of various sizes happened from time to time, making her afraid to go out. Today, she just went downstairs to get some fruit, but her feet slipped and she fell down.

    There clearly wasn¡¯t any water on the stairs, and her shoes were slip resistant, but an accident happened regardless.

    ¡°Does your leg hurt? Do you feel any changes in your body?¡± Mama Fu asked with a face full of concern and worry.

    After hearing her question, Fu Wei actually felt that her whole body seemed lighter. ¡°I feel that my body is not as cold as usual. I have been a little groggy for the past two days, but now my mind is very clear.¡±

    Mama Fu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°The effect of that talisman is really good.¡±

    Papa Fu and Fu Ci were also shocked. This is ridiculous. Was the effect of the talisman really that good and fast?

    ¡°Could it be that Weiwei is in a better state today? Or is it a psychological effect?¡± Papa Fu still couldn¡¯t believe it.

    Mama Fu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°We didn¡¯t tell Weiwei that she had a talisman on her body, how could it be a psychological effect, it must be that the talisman really works!¡±

    ¡°What talisman?¡± Fu Wei was a little confused.

    Fu Ci explained it to her, then thought about it for a while, and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take the talisman away first, and then see how you feel?¡±

    Fu Wei hadn¡¯t expected her elder brother to bother with superstition, but it seemed to be effective. She also wanted to know if it was due to a psychological effect or the talisman. So she took the talisman out of her pocket and put it on the table next to her. Then the family chatted amongst themselves. After a few minutes, Fu Wei¡¯s head felt a little drowsy again, and her body started to feel cold.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel well!¡± she told her family as she hugged her arms.

    Mama Fu noticed that her daughter¡¯s face was paler, and immediately stuffed the talisman on the table into the pocket of her hospital gown. ¡°Let¡¯s try again.¡±

    About ten minutes later, Fu Wei widened her eyes and said in disbelief, ¡°This talisman really works! I don¡¯t feel so cold anymore, and my mind is clear again.¡±

    This time, Fu Ci and his father had no choice but to believe it. After all, they had seen Fu Wei¡¯s complexion visibly improve with their own eyes after using the talisman. Without hesitation, Fu Ci took out his phone and called Luo Ning, asking her to come to the hospital. None of his family members objected, and they couldn¡¯t help but feel a glimmer of hope in their hearts.

    As Fu Wei had just finished the operation and was not in good health, she fell asleep very quickly.

    Fu Ci looked at his watch. When he saw that there was still some time left before the agreed time with Luo Ning, he went to another VIP ward upstairs to visit his good friend who had been in a car accident.

    In the ward, Lu Xun was half-lying on the head of the bed playing with a talisman. When he heard the knock at the door, he quickly stuffed the talisman back into his clothes.

 CH 7

    When he saw Fu Ci enter, Lu Xun was surprised.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be at work?¡±

    Fu Ci went to his bedside and pulled a chair over to sit down. ¡°Weiwei fell down the stairs and is in the ward below.¡±

    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±

    He was shocked when he learned that his friend was in a car accident last night. He¡¯d rushed over and heard from the doctor that his friend¡¯s injury was quite frightening, but the damage was not serious. It was like a miracle; he was very lucky. Only then did he feel relieved.

    Lu Xun nodded. ¡°I¡¯m much better. Is Fu Wei okay?¡±

    He knew that the current state of his injury was due to the talisman tied around his neck by that person last night. Otherwise, according to the doctor, it would be very serious and it would take at least a year to recover from the operation. It could even leave major after-effects. Now, he only needed a few days of recuperation and then he could leave the hospital.

    ¡°Her leg is broken and she will have to rest for a while after the operation.¡±

    Fu Ci couldn¡¯t hold back and told Lu Xun what had happened today. With a sigh, he continued, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect such mysterious things to exist in the world. I never believed in the Feng Shui of my grandfather¡¯s old house or my own house.

    Lu Xun looked up at him. ¡°You said the person who gave you the talisman was Luo Ning, an artist under the company?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She became popular through an idol drama last year, but she didn¡¯t have much work after that. Because of her beauty, her manager gave her the personality of a ¡®flower vase¡¯. I only knew about her today.

    Star King Entertainment was the largest entertainment company in the country, with many artists under its name. Fu Ci only had impressions and contact with superstars, A to B-listers, and top stars.

    Lu Xun didn¡¯t know Luo Ning before. Remembering the warm voice that said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be fine,¡± in his ear last night, he took out his phone and searched her up. Then he found that she was a trending topic, but it was not a good thing. The whole page was full of insults, and he couldn¡¯t help frowning.

    Seeing this, Fu Ci leaned over to take a look. ¡°Someone has hired ghostwriters to slander her.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to do anything?¡± Lu Xun asked as he read the information and news about Luo Ning on the Internet.

    Fu Ci shrugged. ¡°Luo Ning said she would take care of it herself and asked me not to have the trending topic taken down.¡±

    His secretary had already sent him Luo Ning¡¯s information, including what had happened in the past two days, so when he contacted Luo Ning just now, he asked if she needed his help, but she declined.

    ¡°Why do you suddenly care about this?¡± This wasn¡¯t like his good friend¡¯s character.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little curious,¡± Lu Xun said.

    ¡°Do you also think that talisman is amazing? Actually, I still can¡¯t believe it.¡± Fu Ci said then quickly followed up with a question. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s my sister¡¯s psychological effect?¡±

    ¡°No, that talisman truly has a miraculous effect.¡±

    The reason why Lu Xun was so sure was because he was conscious after the car accident. Even though things became muddled later, he could feel that not long after he wore the talisman, it gradually became hot on his chest, and the pain in his leg was greatly relieved.

    Fu Ci was surprised. ¡°How do you know?¡±

    Lu Xun took out the talisman hanging around his neck. ¡°Because she saved me last night, and then hung this around my neck. I can clearly sense that the reason why my legs aren¡¯t in a serious state is all because of it.¡±

    ¡°You mean it¡¯s not a miracle or luck like the doctor said, but it¡¯s this talisman that has lightened your injury?¡± Fu Ci felt that his world view was being refreshed again and again.

    Then he leaned over to take a look. ¡°It¡¯s clear that this talisman and the one Luo Ning gave me were drawn by the same person.¡±

    Lu Xun chuckled and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have believed it before, but after experiencing it myself, I have no choice but to believe it.¡±

    He had been conscious since the car accident, so when he woke up, he asked someone to retrieve the surveillance on that section of the road. He discovered that a young woman had pulled him out of the car. Lu Xun asked his assistant to do a check on her, but unexpectedly, he found out from his good friend first.

    It surprised him that Luo Ning was actually from the entertainment circle. This meant that she should have recognized him back then. If she had followed him to the hospital or left her contact information, he would definitely repay her by taking care of her in the circle. He could even help her get some resources or solve the problems she encountered. But she did the good deed without leaving her name, which was very rare.

    Fu Ci was also surprised that it was Luo Ning who had saved his friend. The most important thing was that she had no intention of making the great actor repay her. This was the truly extraordinary part.

    ¡°Then do you want to repay her for saving your life?¡± He looked at Lu Xun curiously and asked.

    Lu Xun nodded and said, ¡°Of course.¡±

    Originally, he wanted to help her solve the problem with the trending topic, but since she didn¡¯t need it, he would repay her some other way.

    ¡°Change her manager today.¡± Lu Xun said, then paused and asked, ¡°Does she have any upcoming work?¡±

    ¡°She has a reality show in a week. It¡¯s Strawberry Channel¡¯s newest live variety show, a mix of talent show and reality TV. The popularity has been quite high lately.¡±

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Fu Ci asked back.

    Lu Xun had already heard about this new variety show. ¡°If you can get me a spot, I want to participate as well. If I can be a permanent cast member, great. If not, a special guest will be fine.¡±

    Fu Ci¡¯s jaw dropped in surprise. ¡°What? You¡¯re going to that variety show? I thought you never participated in variety shows?¡±

    With his good friend¡¯s status and background, there was no need to participate in variety shows to increase his popularity.

    ¡°I¡¯m suddenly interested. Can you make the arrangements, or shall I ask my manager?¡± Lu Xun said with keen interest.

    He was also an artist under Star King Entertainment, but he had his own studio.

    Fu Ci was a smart person, and he understood immediately. ¡°You¡¯re going because of Luo Ning?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lu Xun didn¡¯t say anything further.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll make the arrangements and can change Luo Ning¡¯s manager at the same time,¡± Fu Ci said.

    Lu Xun thought for a while and said, ¡°Let Brother Fang take her under his wing.¡±

    ¡°Will Brother Fang agree to it?¡± Fu Ci asked uncertainly.

    Fang Yan was the ace manager of Star King Entertainment. Of all the stars he had raised in the past, the worst result was still a best actress. The best actor he brought up half a year ago had gotten married and took a break from acting. He hadn¡¯t taken on any newcomers since then, and he didn¡¯t seem to be preparing to do so.

    A lot of people in the company wanted Fang Yan to take them under his wing, including A and B-listers and top stars. After all, the resources and connections that Fang Yan had accumulated in the entertainment circle over the years was not for show.

    Although Fu Ci was the president, he couldn¡¯t just force a veteran of the company to take in newcomers.

    ¡°He owes me a favor, so let him pay it back with this,¡± Lu Xun said.

    Fu Ci chuckled, ¡°As expected of you.¡±

    The two of them chatted for a while, then Fu Ci got up and went back to the ward downstairs after seeing that the time was almost up.

    Luo Ning arrived at the appointed time, and as soon as she entered the room, she was pulled by the enthusiastic Mama Fu.

    Fu Wei had already woken up and was looking at Luo Ning curiously. ¡°You¡¯re so pretty!¡±

    She wasn¡¯t in the habit of following celebrities, so she wasn¡¯t familiar with Luo Ning. She just felt from the bottom of her heart that the other party was really beautiful; not the kind of glamorous beauty, but the kind with bright eyes and shining teeth, charming in manner and had a refined air about her. It was the kind of beauty that could attract attention at a glance.

 CH 8

    Luo Ning¡¯s first impression of Fu Wei was quite good, so she chatted with her with a smile.

    After a while, Fu Ci looked at Luo Ning and said, ¡°Miss Luo, you said you could help my sister get back to normal, what do we need to do?¡±

    Mama Fu also joined in. ¡°Yes, please tell us how we can help.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Luo Ning nodded to the two of them first, and then her eyes fell on Fu Wei¡¯s wrist. ¡°Did someone give you this bracelet?¡±

    Fu Wei was stunned for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, you can even tell that my bracelet is a gift from someone else?¡±

    She then subconsciously asked another question, ¡°Is there something wrong with the bracelet?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the reason you frequently have accidents and bad luck, why your body has deteriorated, and why you even feel cold and have trouble sleeping every day is all because of this bracelet,¡± Luo Ning confirmed.

    ¡°Looking at your physical condition, this bracelet should have been given to you three years ago, and you¡¯ve been wearing it all this time, which has made things worse.¡±

    She looked at Fu Wei and continued, ¡°If you wear it for another year or two, you will fall seriously ill or have a serious accident.¡±

    The Fu family¡¯s expressions changed as a result of these words.

    Fu Wei was both shocked that Luo Ning could tell that she¡¯d been wearing the bracelet for three years, and in disbelief that that person wanted to harm her.

    She thought about it carefully and looked at her wrist with a complex expression. ¡°The problems actually started three years ago, that is, after wearing this bracelet.¡±

    Who would have thought that health and luck problems would be caused by a bracelet? If she hadn¡¯t personally experienced the effects of Luo Ning¡¯s talisman, she wouldn¡¯t have believed it.

    Mama Fu stepped forward and took off the bracelet on Fu Wei¡¯s wrist. ¡°Weiwei, who gave you this?¡± She couldn¡¯t think of anyone who could be so vicious.

    Fu Wei pursed her lips and cast a fleeting glance at Papa Fu before saying, ¡°My cousin gave it to me, and she also said that she had specially gone to a temple to ask a monk to bless the bracelet. She said it was a token of her appreciation and hoped that I would wear it all the time.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she doesn¡¯t know there¡¯s a problem with the bracelet?¡± she speculated.

    ¡°This bracelet is shrouded in evil. It couldn¡¯t have come from a temple. It is a funerary object. The channels for purchasing it are not legal,¡± Luo Ning said.

    In other words, Fu Wei¡¯s cousin must have lied and gave the bracelet intentionally.

    ¡°Why does she want to harm me?¡± Fu Wei also thought of this point. She had always had a good relationship with her cousin. Her cousin usually liked to seek her out and enquire about her well-being. There didn¡¯t seem to be much conflict of interest between them, so she couldn¡¯t figure out the other party¡¯s motives for harming her.

    Luo Ning examined her face. ¡°From your appearance, it should be related to affection. Her target may be your boyfriend or a close male friend around you.¡±

    Fu Wei¡¯s complexion changed once more. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought of it if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, but after hearing your words, I noticed that my fianc¨¦ was always there when she came to visit me.¡±

    ¡°Does she think that by killing me, she can replace me and marry my fianc¨¦?¡± She clutched the blanket tightly, clearly distressed.

    Fu Ci frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible. After all, the Ning family and us have an infant betrothal. If something happens to you, it will naturally fall to Fu Xiao who is one year younger than you, as long as the marriage is not annulled.¡±

    He had never liked his cousin very much and had always felt that she was a bit fake. It was just that his cousin had a good relationship with his younger sister, and often came to visit her after she fell sick. This partially changed his attitude toward her, and he even assisted her a few times. Who would have thought that the other party would harbor such evil intentions?

    Mama Fu was enraged. ¡°Fu Xiao is too vicious, wanting to kill you for the sake of a man.¡±

    ¡°Could Ning Jin and her have already gotten together in private?¡± she said sullenly, being used to seeing the dark side of many wealthy families.

    Fu Wei¡¯s mind was in a state of disarray at the moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Whenever the three of us got together, Ning Jin was relatively indifferent to her. There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything on his side.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, my cousin liked to talk to him or ask him some questions about work.¡± She also couldn¡¯t imagine that her cousin would kill her for a man. That was plain ruthless.

    ¡°Miss Luo, you can tell that I have a relationship problem, does that mean that my fianc¨¦ is cheating on me?¡± She looked at Luo Ning nervously and asked.

    She and Ning Jin had been engaged since they were children, and they were also childhood sweethearts who grew up together. She had always thought of him as a lover who would accompany her for the rest of her life, and she had deep affection for him. If her fianc¨¦ and cousin betrayed her together, and even wanted to kill her, she couldn¡¯t accept such an outcome.

    Luo Ning gave her a comforting look. ¡°From your face, you don¡¯t show any bad omens of love. If it weren¡¯t for the negative energy of the bracelet eroding your body and changing your luck, you would have a happy family with children.¡±

    ¡°So your fianc¨¦ has not stepped out on you. Aside from wanting to steal him away, your cousin may also be very jealous of you, which is why she did such a thing.¡±

    If Fu Wei¡¯s cousin accompanied her when she was sick and looked worried, it would naturally make her fianc¨¦ think of her cousin in a good light. If Fu Wei fell seriously ill or died in an accident, her cousin would approach him and take advantage of his grief to capture him. It was possible that she could succeed.

    Fu Wei breathed a sigh of relief, relieved that Ning Jin hadn¡¯t betrayed her.

    ¡°I can also tell from your face that there is a vile character behind you causing trouble. That is to say, the other party has probably been having bad discussions about you in private. You can look into it.¡± Luo Ning didn¡¯t expect that it would be Fu Wei¡¯s cousin who caused the harm. Such a relative was truly vicious.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it,¡± Lu Ci said with a deep scowl.

    Papa Fu, who had been silent all this time, said with a livid face, ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t accept that his beloved niece would do such a thing, but judging from the current situation, it was probably true. Since she dared to attack his daughter, then such a family member was not worth having. However, he wondered if his younger brother and sister-in-law knew about this?

    Fu Ci knew that his father wanted to handle the matter himself, so he agreed.

    ¡°Miss Luo, will my sister return to normal if she stops wearing this bracelet?¡± He turned to Luo Ning and asked.

    ¡°The negative yin energy has entered her body for three years. Besides not wearing this bracelet anymore, it is best to find another accessory that contains auspicious energy for her to wear,¡± Luo Ning replied.

    ¡°What I gave her before was a yin removal talisman to help her dispel the yin energy in her body. Later on the track, I will give her another talisman to nourish her body. Then, if she wears it with the other accessory for about a year, her body and her luck will be restored to what they used to be.

    ¡°Then do you have any auspicious jewelry in your possession?¡± Fu Ci asked hastily.

    Luo Ning shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have any on hand. But you can go to a Feng Shui master or Taoist priest who really understands Feng Shui and metaphysics and get one.¡±

    ¡°You can also take this bracelet and show it to them. The evil on it is great, so it¡¯s best to ask them to help you deal with it,¡± she added. This way, the members of the Fu family could confirm the truth of her words.

    Fu Ci now had more confidence in Luo Ning¡¯s words, ¡°Okay!¡±

    The family then thanked Luo Ning. Only when she asked to leave did Fu Ci escort her out of the ward.

    ¡°The matter of your manager will be resolved for you in the afternoon. Wait for my news,¡± he said.

    Luo Ning nodded. ¡°Okay!¡±

    The matter of the Fu family had come to an end. Next, her focus would be on counterattacking and the variety show.

 CH 9

    In the afternoon, Luo Ning received a call from Fu Ci asking her to go to the company. When she entered the president¡¯s office, Luo Ning saw Fu Ci sitting and chatting with a sophisticated man in his forties.

    Fu Ci smiled and waved. ¡°Luo, come and sit down.¡±

    Luo Ning walked over and sat down gracefully, after which Fu Ci introduced her. ¡°This is Fang Yan, the ace manager of our company, who will also be your manager in the future.¡±

    Of course, Luo Ning knew Fang Yan, one of the ace managers of Star King Entertainment. He was very capable and had strong connections and resources. He had raised many famous celebrities and even had shares in the company. Yan Qiuping was nothing compared to him.

    In her previous life, after the best actor that Fang Yan brought up six months earlier retired, he never took on anyone new, even until her death. This time, Fu Ci actually arranged for this big boss to take her under his wing, which was quite unexpected.

    ¡°Brother Fang!¡± Luo Ning was surprised inside, but on the outside, she greeted Fang Yan with a polite smile.

    Fang Yan nodded and smiled at her. ¡°Hello.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t planned on taking anyone else under his wing, and he would retire when he was fifty years old. Who knew that Lu Xun would call him today and ask him to take in a starlet.

    He owed Lu Xun a huge favor, so he could only agree. He was also very surprised that the best actor, who had never had much contact with female stars in the circle, would actually ask him to take in one.

    So he checked into Luo Ning. Her reputation was pretty bad right now, and she was being blacklisted. However, if she could get Lu Xun to call in the favor, she probably wasn¡¯t what the Internet made her out to be; a useless flower vase that had nothing but looks.

    Although it was the first time meeting her, he could tell that Luo Ning was not a flower vase as rumored. This was easy to handle then. He wasn¡¯t afraid that the artist had problems, but rather that the other party was stupid.

    He then asked her. ¡°I see that you are a trending topic, what are you going to do about it?¡±

    ¡°I will reply directly to clarify, and after the change of managers, I will make another post,¡± Luo Ning truthfully said.

    ¡°How do you plan to clarify?¡±

    Luo Ning took out her phone, typed out a draft post, and handed it to Fang Yan. ¡°Like this.¡±

    Fang Yan took the phone and looked at it, the corners of his lips lifting. ¡°Not bad, but it will definitely attract negative attention.¡±

    Luo Ning shrugged indifferently. ¡°I¡¯ll be criticized regardless of whether I post or not. Then I might as well do what I want. That way, the general appeal would be better.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Fang Yan nodded. ¡°Your previous flower vase persona is easily replaceable; do you want to go for a straightforward character now?¡±

    ¡°The flower vase persona was established by my former manager. I don¡¯t want to create a persona right now, I just want to be myself,¡± Luo Ning said truthfully.

    She didn¡¯t want to pander to others. She wanted to live her life as she pleased and do what she wanted now that she had a second chance.

    There was a trace of appreciation and approval in Fang Yan¡¯s eyes. ¡°I have never advocated the establishment of personas; it makes it easier for things to go wrong. Being yourself is the best option.

    Fang Yang was very satisfied. Luo Ning was not only good-looking, but also intelligent. Her draft Weibo post not only clarified that she was not the person in the photos, but also hit back at the people pulling the strings and deliberately spreading rumors before.

    Originally, he had agreed to take Luo Ning under his wing because of Lu Xun¡¯s favor, but now, he was slightly looking forward to her performance.

    He took the initiative to extend his hand. ¡°I look forward to working with you!¡±

    Luo Ning knew that this was Fang Yan¡¯s affirmation of herself, so she stood up with a smile and shook hands with him. ¡°Likewise!¡±

    ¡°You can post that draft now,¡± Fang Yan said.

    Luo Ning nodded. ¡°Okay!¡±

    After speaking, she published the post on Weibo.

    In the past, her focus was on Ji Xingheng, so Yan Qiuping took over the management of her Weibo. In the past, the other party would use her account to post on Weibo for business, but now he didn¡¯t bother with it at all.

    Thus after she logged in, she changed her account password because she was afraid that the other party would use her account to cause trouble later.

    ¡°Since you have reached an agreement, come and sign a new contract.¡± Fu Ci stood up and picked up the new contract he had prepared on his desk.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Luo Ning and Fang Yan walked over.

    On the film set.

    Ji Xingheng had just finished filming a scene and was resting when he saw Yan Qiuping walk over with a sullen face.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Yan Qiuping handed the phone to him. ¡°Luo Ning posted this kind of Weibo without my consent, she¡¯s too willful.¡±

    Ji Xingheng took the phone and scanned it. Luo Ning had updated her Weibo a few minutes ago.

    @LuoNingV1V in weibo stands for verified members: Is my figure so shriveled? Do I have such bad taste in clothes? A C&D letter has been sent to the rumormongers and the paid media account. Please don¡¯t insult my good looks, thank you!

    There were also a few pictures attached to the post, two of which were the previously secretly photographed photos of him and Bo Xiangxiang that went viral, and the rest were a beautiful picture of Luo Ning and a C&D letter.

    The comments were completely two-sided. One side continued to criticize Luo Ning for being shameless, while the majority submitted to her beauty. This was because Luo Ning¡¯s face in the shot was very beautiful, and her figure had perfect proportions. Not only did she have nice curves, breasts, big buttocks and long legs, but she also didn¡¯t have any fat on her waist. There was a significant contrast between her and the woman in the viral photo. In terms of appearance and figure, even the anti-fans couldn¡¯t attack her.

    Ji Xingheng did not expect Luo Ning to post such an explanation on Weibo. The previous trending topic was already very popular, and now she had completely pushed him and Bao Xiangxiang into the spotlight. People would undoubtedly want to learn more about the woman in the photograph.

    Luo Ning would never have done something like this in the past. Thinking about the decisiveness in her expression when she proposed to break up with him yesterday, he couldn¡¯t help but feel an indescribable fretfulness in his heart.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call her and ask.¡± He took out his phone and called Luo Ning.

    At this time, Yan Qiuping¡¯s cell phone rang. Seeing the name of the caller, he picked up the phone and walked away to answer it.

    Bo Xiangxiang¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Brother Yan, have you seen Luo Ning¡¯s Weibo post? She¡¯s gone too far.¡±

    When she saw Weibo, she was furious. Luo Ning had actually posted on Weibo and insulted her, saying that she had a shriveled body, bad taste in clothes, and was ugly, all of the things which she cared about most. How could that bitch dare to do such a thing?

    The most important thing was that with Luo Ning as a comparison now, when she was exposed as the woman in the photo in the future, everyone would have the impression that this starlet¡¯s face was far inferior to Luo Ning¡¯s. That was why she was so angry.

    ¡°I saw it and I will deal with it. Xingheng is calling her now. I will also ask her to delete the post.¡± Yan Qiuping was also very angry at this time. Luo Ning actually dared to do things behind his back.

    It was a pity that he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to Luo Ning¡¯s Weibo before. She made the registration and verification information herself. He tried just now and couldn¡¯t log in, which meant that she had changed the password and he had no way to get it back. Otherwise, he would delete the post himself.

    After hearing his words, Bo Xiangxiang¡¯s anger subsided slightly. ¡°Then I will trouble Brother Yan.¡± The other party was obviously with Ji Xingheng. It wasn¡¯t convenient for her to say anything else on the phone, so she hung up.

    When Yan Qiuping and Bo Xiangxiang finished talking on the phone and walked back, he saw Ji Xingheng holding the phone with an angry expression on his face. He had a bad feeling in his heart, as if he had lost control of something. ¡°Xingheng, what did Luo Ning say?¡±

    ¡°She blocked me. I can¡¯t contact her at all,¡± Ji Xingheng replied with a dark face. This was something he hadn¡¯t expected, and it was a little hard for him to accept.

 CH 10

    Yan Qiuping called Luo Ning personally and found that he was not blocked. When he heard the call connect, he scoffed in his heart. Luo Ning was really playing hard to get, but she still didn¡¯t dare to truly offend him.

    On the other side, just after signing the new contract, Luo Ning answered Yan Qiuping¡¯s call.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Luo Ning, who allowed you to post that kind of Weibo, do you know how much trouble this will cause Xingheng? Stop causing trouble and delete it,¡± Yan Qiuping said with a bit of anger.

    When Luo Ning heard what he said, she chuckled and said, ¡°If I delete it now, won¡¯t I get into more trouble? Dream on.¡±

    After posting something like that only to delete it, not only would she be ridiculed to death by anti-fans, but the general appeal would be atrocious. This guy was too vicious.

    ¡°Luo Ning, if you continue to be so willful, then all your appearances and activities will be suspended,¡± Yan Qiuping threatened.

    This woman was a fool to pick a fight with him over this matter. He was her manager, and it was easy for him to make things difficult for her. Since she was so ignorant, he¡¯d devote all her resources to Bo Xiangxiang in the future. Xingheng was in the throes of anger at the moment, so he wouldn¡¯t object.

    ¡°If you want to suspend my activities, you need to have the right to do so.¡± Luo Ning then continued in a very calm voice. ¡°I¡¯m officially informing you that you have been fired by me, and I want to change managers.¡±

    Her words sounded like a big joke to Yan Qiuping. ¡°Luo Ning, you are too naive. As long as I don¡¯t agree, the company¡¯s management won¡¯t change your manager.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything else, you can only be my artist.¡±

    ¡°Now go delete the post and take the initiative to admit that the person in the trending photo is you. Xingheng and I won¡¯t hold a grudge against you for your previous attitude.¡± He didn¡¯t bother to hide his intentions anymore. There was no way he would allow Luo Ning to change managers, otherwise she would be out of his control.

    ¡°Piss off!¡± Luo Ning didn¡¯t want to hear his bullshit, so she hung up the phone and blocked all his contact numbers.

    When Yan Qiuping heard her words followed by the disconnect tone from the phone, he was stunned. Was Luo Ning crazy? She really dared to go against them. Since he had become a first-class agent, no one had dared to talk to him like that. It was extremely upsetting. Luo Ning better be prepared to be frozen1When a company ¡°freezes out¡± a singer or actor, the company will stop casting him or her in movies, or releasing their albums, or arranging commercial events for them. While their contracts have not expired, the singer or actor can¡¯t get work from another company..

    Seeing Yan Qiuping¡¯s dark face after hanging up, Ji Xingheng couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What did she say?¡±

    ¡°She refused, and said she wanted to change her manager and asked me to piss off.¡± Yan Qiuping suppressed the anger in his heart and put on a look of helplessness, as if Luo Ning was acting childish.

    Ji Xingheng frowned. ¡°She¡¯s too willful this time.¡±

    Brother Yan¡¯s foundation in the company was not shallow, so it was impossible for Luo Ning to change managers. What good would it do her to go on like this? Falling out with the manager was the most unwise decision, wasn¡¯t she usually quite smart?

    ¡°That¡¯s right, so I¡¯m going to cancel all her appearances first and let her calm down,¡± ??Yan Qiuping sighed.

    When all the heat around Luo Ning dies down and her popularity drops, the flower vase character would be easily forgotten if she wasn¡¯t active in the circle.

    Ji Xingheng¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, I¡¯ll talk to her about it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let her admit to the trending photo or delete her post. I¡¯ll find someone to remove the relevant trending topic.¡±

    This was what Luo Ning had a problem with. If he compromised, she probably wouldn¡¯t continue.

    Yan Qiuping was shocked into silence. He thought that Ji Xingheng would be even more angry, but who knew that he would take the initiative to compromise. It seemed that Luo Ning¡¯s position in Ji Xingheng¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t as unimportant as they imagined; this wouldn¡¯t do. He was just about to persuade Ji Xingheng when his phone suddenly rang.

    When he saw that the company¡¯s human resources department was calling, he was surprised for a moment and thought that it was good timing. He could inform them in advance so that Luo Ning wouldn¡¯t make a fuss about changing managers.

    After he picked up the phone, the other party told him that the company had decided to replace Luo Ning¡¯s manager with Fang Yan, and he no longer needed to take care of her.

    Yan Qiuping was completely stunned. ¡°On what basis are you changing Luo Ning¡¯s manager without my consent?¡±

    ¡°Based on the fact that this decision was made personally by the senior management. The company has already signed a new contract with Luo Ning, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it anymore.¡± The other party hung up after speaking.

    It was only then that Yan Qiuping realized that Luo Ning was not just playing hard to get. This feeling of being out of control didn¡¯t feel good.

    ¡°Does Luo Ning know anyone in the company¡¯s management?¡± He came to his senses and asked Ji Xingheng.

    Ji Xingheng thought for a while and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, why?¡±

    ¡°She really went to the company to ask for a change of manager and even got Fang Yan. It¡¯s impossible for her to do that without knowing someone at the top.¡± Yan Qiuping¡¯s mood was dark.

    He was the one who wanted to kick Luo Ning to the curb on his own initiative, but in the end, she grabbed the company¡¯s ace manager and kicked him out first. He felt quite distressed, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. It had been a long time since he had felt so bad.

    Ji Xingheng was surprised as well. There were no secrets between him and Luo Ning, and he basically knew everyone she knew. But now, she was breaking up with him, blacklisting him, and changing managers without telling him, all of which made him feel a rare sense of anxiety.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the company tomorrow to talk to her.¡± He felt that things couldn¡¯t go on like this.

    Yan Qiuping¡¯s head was also muddled. ¡°Yes, go see her and have a good talk.¡±

    Right now, he could only hope that Ji Xingheng¡¯s importance in Luo Ning¡¯s heart was still high, so that she could be persuaded to return, otherwise his plan with Bo Xiangxiang would be completely ruined.

    On the other side, Luo Ning and Fang Yan left the president¡¯s office.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anything for the next few days, just prepare well for the variety show next week. Whether you can make a comeback or get a clean slate depends on it,¡± Fang Yan said.

    Luo Ning¡¯s current reputation had been completely scandalized by the misleading rumors, and the live variety show was a good opportunity. After all, it was an audio-visual environment, and the audience would be influenced by even the slightest thing.

    Of course, live broadcasts also made it easy to be slandered. If the performance wasn¡¯t good, it would affect the general appeal to non-fans, and the fans themselves would revolt. Don¡¯t mention trying to get a clean slate, the blacklisting would only get worse.

    Luo Ning nodded. ¡°I had the same thought.¡±

    ¡°Brother Fang, I¡¯m going to make another post on Weibo to inform the public about the manager change.¡± She wanted to hear the other party¡¯s opinion.

    ¡°What do you plan on saying?¡±

    Luo Ning took out her phone, opened the app and created a post, then handed it to him.

    Fang Yan was surprised when he saw the content, and then chuckled. ¡°Are you sure you want to be so direct?¡±

    Luo Ning nodded and said, ¡°Yes. I not only want to get rid of my flower vase persona, but I also want to tear off the labels they have put on me, so I will start by confronting them directly. I will be me, no one else.¡± She had never been a weak character, and she didn¡¯t like to retreat.

    Seeing her confident and firm expression, Fang Yan had admiration in his eyes again. ¡°Okay, but don¡¯t post today. Let the popularity of the previous post simmer for a bit; post tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Notify me after you post it. I¡¯ll interact with you on Weibo and ask the company to post an announcement on its official page. To prevent the trolls and ghostwriters from getting in the way, I will have the PR team moderate the comments.¡±

    He liked and appreciated Luo Ning¡¯s decisiveness in handling things. He felt that she had a lot of potential.

    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll trouble Brother Fang.¡± Luo Ning nodded in agreement. This was the right way for a manager to use his connections.

 CH 11

    At noon the next day, Luo Ning posted another Weibo.

    @LuoNingV: Already changed managers. No more publicity stunts, no more tying or bringing down, no more riding traffic, hurry up and take your man away.

    In addition to announcing the change of manager, this post also directly attacked Ji Xingheng¡¯s fans.

    At the same time, she was expressing that she did not ride nor care about Ji Xingheng¡¯s traffic, let alone the so-called tying down.

    In the previous life, Ji Xingheng¡¯s fans were the most vicious towards her, and some even went so far as to curse her family members. There was even a Xing fan who brought sulfuric acid and wanted to throw it at her. If she hadn¡¯t reacted quickly, she would have been disfigured. Some Xing fans chased after her like a damn ghost. These people contributed greatly to her being blacklisted by the entire Internet and committing suicide in her last life.

    In the past, because she and Ji Xingheng were still a couple and she hadn¡¯t changed managers, she could only ignore it. Now, she could do whatever she wanted, which meant she could publicly diss them back and pave the way for all the labels on her to be torn off.

    When this post was published, the onlookers were stunned; Luo Ning was too bold.

    Luo Ning¡¯s previous web drama had been a small hit, and coupled with her good looks, her fan base was not a small one. It was just because of the trending topic before, and being hounded and criticized by Ji Xingheng¡¯s fans saying she was riding his popularity, her fans could only suffer in silence. But Luo Ning¡¯s clarification yesterday and today¡¯s Weibo post finally made her fans feel relieved and refreshed.

    [Ahhh, my Ning gem is too bold, I love it.]

    [She changed managers directly, no riding traffic and no tying down, as expected from my Ning gem. Finally let it all out.]

    [Xing fans have been scolding our Ning gem for tying down your man before, now open your eyes and take a good look, our Ning gem doesn¡¯t care.]

    [That¡¯s right, forcing our Ning gem to change managers, Xing fans, are you satisfied? Don¡¯t come here trying to make a spectacle again, or I¡¯ll roast each and every one of you I see.]

    [I feel sorry for my Ning gem. She was wrongly accused of being the woman in the viral photo, but the manager didn¡¯t make any PR clarifications. He just allowed Ning gem to be slandered. This kind of manager is trash.]

    [Yeah, every time they say that my Ning gem is rubbing off Ji Xingheng¡¯s popularity, but I think they are the ones bringing down my Ning gem¡¯s popularity. Every time something goes wrong, the manager plays dead and lets the dogs bark. A change is long overdue.]

    [I¡¯m carrying away my Ning gem, please piss off, Xing fans, we won¡¯t play with you]

    [Our Ning gem is beautiful on her own, anti-fans and Xing fans go away!]

    The anti-fans and Ji Xingheng¡¯s fans were also watching Luo Ning, and they were all angry after seeing her post. Although they had been criticizing Luo Ning all along, telling her not to tie down their man or bring him down, it was because they disliked her, and they were the superior party.

    But now, she was acting as if she was taking the initiative to change her manager and deliberately said sarcastically that she wasn¡¯t riding Ji Xingheng¡¯s popularity or tying him down and telling them to take him away as soon as possible. Her tone even sounded disgusted; how could they allow that?

    [Our man is already annoyed with you, at least you¡¯re self-aware.]

    [In the future, I can finally stop seeing flower vase Luo and Xing cub being tied together.]

    [Our Xing cub is finally free. He doesn¡¯t have to be dragged down by flower vase Luo anymore! I¡¯m going to set off fireworks to celebrate.]

    [Flower vase Luo is shameless. Posting such a Weibo, aren¡¯t you just trying to ride the traffic of my Xing cub.]

    [She probably got herself another sugar daddy, that¡¯s why she¡¯s so arrogant.]

    [Flower vase Luo, get out of the entertainment circle.]

    [Flower vase Luo had best become disfigured. She¡¯s only jumping around because she has a pretty face.]

    [Go to hell, flower vase Luo.]

    Ning fans were very angry when they saw these comments and retorted back.

    [Are you guys fucking blind? My Ning gem already said she won¡¯t be tying your man down anymore, so why are you still here? Obviously, you¡¯re the ones dragging down my Ning gem¡¯s popularity, you¡¯re the shameless ones.]

    [Do you really think your man is a treasure? Our Ning gem doesn¡¯t care, so please stop harassing her.]

    [Our Ning gem didn¡¯t kill your whole family or dig up your ancestors¡¯ graves, yet you¡¯re cursing her to be disfigured and go to hell. Anti-fans and Xing fans are really low.]

    [That¡¯s right, some fans are really scum. Our Ning gem¡¯s not going anywhere. Why don¡¯t you piss off as a demonstration? Or get your man to leave the entertainment circle first.]

    [I¡¯m taking Ning gem away! All the slander will bounce back to whoever said it.]

    With Luo Ning¡¯s counterattack this time, her fans were emboldened enough to take on Xing¡¯s fans and vent the anger that had been pent up for too long. Xing fans didn¡¯t expect Ning fans to be so bold this time. In the past, all they could do was get sprayed on with no way to counterattack. Soon, the ghostwriters came out to take the lead, and Xing fans seemed to have found a reason to fight back again, and continued with the slander.

    [Hehe, flower vase Luo sure has a big ego. Most likely, Brother Yan couldn¡¯t handle you and took the initiative to cancel the contract.]

    [Yeah, it must be that Brother Yan couldn¡¯t stand her and terminated the contract on his own initiative. But she actually posted on Weibo first to gain momentum and put herself in a good light.]

    [Without our brother Yan, you are nothing. Let¡¯s see how you¡¯ll survive in the entertainment circle now.]

    [Right right! It must be that Brother Yan couldn¡¯t stand flower vase Luo riding Xing cub¡¯s popularity, so he terminated the contract with her.]

    [Flower vase Luo is still so shameless. It was obviously Brother Yan who didn¡¯t want her, yet she¡¯s acting like she changed it on her own initiative, I spit on her.]

    [Flower vase Luo, you must learn to be self-aware. Brother Yan and Xing cub dislike you and can¡¯t stand you, so they terminated the contract. Please don¡¯t flatter yourself.]

    [Brother Yan is a first-class manager of Star King Entertainment, if even he can¡¯t even handle flower vase Luo vase, I don¡¯t know who else can.]

    [Brother Yan doesn¡¯t want her anymore; she can only find some unknown manager. Otherwise, who would dare to take her?]

    [Exactly! Without our Brother Yan, we don¡¯t even need to tell flower vase Luo to get out of the entertainment circle in the future. I believe she won¡¯t be able to last long on her own.]

    Aside from the anti-fans and Xing fans, even the celebrities in the entertainment circle who were paying attention to this matter felt that it was most likely Yan Qiuping who took the initiative to cancel the contract with Luo Ning. Otherwise, with Yan Qiuping¡¯s status and connections in Star King Entertainment and the circle, there was no way that Luo Ning could take the initiative to terminate the contract without his consent.

    Therefore, Luo Ning¡¯s direct post on Weibo would only offend Yan Qiuping even more, and it would definitely be difficult for her to gain a foothold in the entertainment circle in the future. She really made a bad move this time.

    But soon, something happened that shocked everyone.

    The recognized ace agent in the entertainment circle, Fang Yan, who had brought up a number of famous best actors and actresses as well as superstars, posted a Weibo.

    @FangYan: Looking forward to working with you! @LuoNing

    Immediately after that, Star King Entertainment also posted an announcement on Weibo, saying that Yan Qiuping¡¯s inaction in some cases while taking care of Luo Ning had violated the contract, so the company replaced him with Fang Yan as Luo Ning¡¯s manager. This was the loophole that Fu Ci personally asked the company¡¯s lawyers to find in the contract.

    Yan Qiuping¡¯s failure to act in dealing with the trending topic and other matters was obviously not in line with and even damaged Luo Ning¡¯s interests. This was a breach of contract. The team of lawyers also found some other violations, so they were not afraid of being questioned.

    Yan Qiuping, who had called the company to ask questions, found that he was blocked on all sides. This made him extremely aggrieved.

 CH 12

    Luo Ning replied on Weibo almost immediately, first replying to Fang Yang¡¯s post to say that she was also looking forward to working with him, and then replying to the company¡¯s post to express her gratitude.

    Her fans were completely revived on the spot. They were almost led to believe that it was Yan Qiuping who canceled the contract on his own initiative and felt sorry for Luo Ning. Looking at it now, Ning gem wasn¡¯t the one who was abandoned, she was obviously the one who took the initiative to reject the trash that was Yan Qiuping.

    With the ace manager, Fang Yan, now taking care of Luo Ning, they were fired up. They wanted to see how the anti-fans and Xing fans would react.

    [Haha, just now, they said that Yan Qiuping didn¡¯t want Ning gem and terminated the contract himself. Now, Star King Entertainment has come out to clarify that it was the trash manager who violated the contract and was replaced. Some people be getting their faces slapped.]

    [Some fan just said that if Trash Yan couldn¡¯t handle Ning gem, no one else could. Now the ace manager came out and said that he¡¯ll be taking over! I wonder if your faces hurt?]

    [My Ning gem deserves a better manager; I believe Brother Fang will take good care of her.]

    [My Ning gem finally got rid of the trash manager. She doesn¡¯t need to be tied down or hyped up by a certain fandom, let¡¯s go set off fireworks to celebrate as well.]

    [The reversal is awesome! This is a proper large-scale face-slapping scene! A certain fandom, if you continue to fuck around here, I will treat it as a clown performing.]

    [I feel sorry for my Ning gem¡­ No wonder she¡¯s always accused of tying herself to someone and riding his popularity, it turns out to be the fault of the trash manager¡¯s inaction.]

    Then a lot of Ning fans did what Xing fans did before; they ran to Yan Qiuping¡¯s Weibo and called him trash, and then went to Ji Xingheng¡¯s Weibo to shout and ask him to take away his barking dogs on Luo Ning¡¯s page who were still roasting her. Their Ning gem didn¡¯t extend an invitation to them.

    The anti-fans and Xing fans were naturally upset, but now that Ning fans had confidence, their combat prowess wasn¡¯t weak anymore. As long as someone tried to throw insults on Luo Ning¡¯s Weibo, her fans would spray back.

    Luo Ning¡¯s audacity, combined with Star King¡¯s announcement and the viciousness of Xing fans, also changed the impression non-fans had of her. The other celebrities in the entertainment circle were also shocked as well. No one could have expected that Luo Ning actually terminated the contract with Yan Qiuping on her own initiative.

    The key point was: How did Luo Ning get Fang Yan, who was about to retire, to agree to take her under his wing?

    Many A-listers had privately expressed that they wanted Fang Yan to take them, but Fang Yan refused. Moreover, Star King Entertainment actually publicly sided with Luo Ning this time; when did she have so much power?

    The official announcement mentioned that Yan Qiuping¡¯s inaction violated the contract, but that was just for fans and onlookers. There were many similar cases, but those companies never showed any public support. So what did that mean? It meant that someone must be behind Luo Ning.

    Those who originally wanted to keep Luo Ning at arm¡¯s length changed their minds. If she had such power, there was no need to offend her because of the past incident. The variety show that wanted to use Luo Ning¡¯s trending topic to gain popularity also gave up on their original plan. They needed to reconsider her value.

    Luo Ning didn¡¯t bother with Weibo after posting, instead following Xi Shu to check out the house.

    The community Xi Shu found was relatively safe and hidden, and the security was very responsible. Strangers like paparazzi couldn¡¯t enter, and the environment was quiet and elegant. It was a two-story duplex apartment. The owner had just renovated it and rented it out. It had two living rooms and four rooms of almost two hundred square meters. It also came with a complete set of high-end furniture and appliances. Luo Ning was very satisfied after seeing it and made a decision on the spot. She signed the contract with the owner and took the key.

    After leaving the community, Luo Ning said to Xi Shu, ¡°Shushu, I have booked a plane ticket to go home tonight. I plan to bring my mother and brother here to live with me, so please help me buy some daily necessities.¡±

    ¡°No problem. You don¡¯t have to worry about things on the Internet, I will contact Brother Fang to cooperate with him.¡± Xi Shu smiled and nodded. She was also very happy with the reversal on the Internet.

    In the evening, Luo Ning flew home.

    Ji Xingheng knew about the Weibo post during the day and felt uncomfortable seeing the phrase ¡°hurry up and take your man away¡±.

    He felt that Luo Ning might be playing for real this time. Otherwise, there was no way she would change managers, and even make a public statement denying any connection with him. But he couldn¡¯t figure out why Luo Ning was making such a fuss to this extent?

    He never thought that one day Luo Ning would really leave him, so he couldn¡¯t sit still and went to the company, but he couldn¡¯t find her. He tried to call Xi Shu, but the other party didn¡¯t answer. So, he asked his assistant to find out Xi Shu¡¯s address and went there himself.

    When Xi Shu returned from sending Luo Ning away, she saw Ji Xingheng and his assistant standing at the door of her house.

    ¡°Where is Luo Ning?¡± Seeing that she was alone, Ji Xingheng couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    Xi Shu took the key to open the door. ¡°Ningning is not at my house, please leave.¡±

    She found Ji Xingheng¡¯s attitude quite funny. He didn¡¯t appreciate Luo Ning when she cared for him, and only started looking for her now. Too little too late.

    Ji Xingheng blocked the door. ¡°Where is Luo Ning? Tell me.¡±

    Xi Shu raised her eyebrows. ¡°Ningning has already broken up with you, what business is it of yours where she is?¡±

    Since Ningning had decided to dump this scumbag, she would of course support her to the end.

    ¡°You!¡± Ji Xingheng spluttered. ¡°She¡¯s just playing around; I really do have something urgent to say to her.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, even if you do, I don¡¯t know.¡± Xi Shu glanced at him. ¡°You only know what you had when you lose it, it¡¯s too late!¡±

    ¡°Please leave, or I will call the police.¡± In the past, Ji Xingheng had a hot and cold attitude towards Luo Ning, and often showed impatience and the like. Because of that, Xi Shu didn¡¯t have a good impression of him.

    Seeing that Xi Shu was serious, the assistant pulled Ji Xingheng back. ¡°Xingheng, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Ji Xingheng also knew that Xi Shu had a lot of resentment towards him because of Luo Ning¡¯s affairs, so he took a deep breath and said, ¡± Please tell Luo Ning that the previous incident was my fault, and tell her to stop making trouble and call me.¡±

    Xi Shu nodded. ¡°Okay!¡±

    She wouldn¡¯t keep this from Luo Ning and would pass on what he said. After all, she had no right to decide anything for her friend. However, based on her understanding of Luo Ning, since she had already given up on him, it was impossible for her to turn back.

    Ji Xingheng left with his assistant after hearing her consent.

    Back in the car, the assistant saw his gloomy face, thought for a while, and said, ¡°Luo Ning hasn¡¯t pulled out from the variety show next week. If you can¡¯t get in touch with her over the next few days, you can meet her then.¡±

    As Ji Xingheng¡¯s assistant, he could sense that Ji Xingheng still cared about Luo Ning in his heart and wasn¡¯t as indifferent as he seemed. However, he was just a bystander and could see things clearly, but Ji Xingheng, who was at the center of things, couldn¡¯t. Ji Xingheng might not have noticed it himself. Perhaps because Luo Ning had been very caring and indulgent in the past, Ji Xingheng was used to the other party¡¯s efforts.

    In fact, he sometimes felt that Ji Xingheng was a bit too much. The guy was a rebel and liked to do things contrary to what was expected of him. Maybe it wasn¡¯t his true intention, but it did push people away.

    Ji Xingheng¡¯s originally somber look suddenly became brighter. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s avoiding me now, but we¡¯re going to be on the variety show next week, so she won¡¯t be able to avoid me then.¡±

    He had already asked someone to take down the trending topic before. As for missing the anniversary date and asking her to admit to being the woman in the viral photo, it was indeed his fault. He would apologize to her. Given her regard for him, she should forgive him, right?

    He had looked online today and found that it was normal for couples to fight and talk about breaking up. As long as one party lowered their head and humored the other party, everything would be fine. Ji Xingheng believed that Luo Ning and he should be the same.

 CH 13

    Luo Ning had called ahead, so when she got home, her mother was still awake. When she saw the gentle and beautiful woman sitting in the living room, Luo Ning¡¯s eyes turned red.

    ¡°Mom, I missed you and Xixi!¡± Luo Ning changed her shoes and quickly walked over.

    After her death, she was most worried about her mother and younger brother. Unfortunately, the book was unfinished, and she couldn¡¯t see what happened to them.

    Jiang Xinxin¡¯s face was full of warmth, and she reached out to hug Luo Ning. ¡°We missed you too.¡±

    ¡°What made you come back today?¡± She had been following news of her daughter all along and knew about Weibo and the termination of the contract.

    Luo Ning replied, ¡°Work matters have been taken care of. I came back this time to take you and Xixi to live with me.¡±

    ¡°I broke up with Ji Xingheng, moved out of his apartment, and rented a new place.¡± She didn¡¯t want to hide it.

    A look of surprise appeared on Jiang Xinxin¡¯s face, but she quickly controlled herself. There was a bit of sorrow for her daughter in her eyes. ¡°No matter what you decide, I will support you.¡±

    Her daughter cared so much about Ji Xingheng, since she decided to break up with him, it must be because the other party had done something that hurt her heart greatly. She saw that Ji Xingheng¡¯s fans criticized Ningning a lot on Weibo, and she was angry about it. Therefore, she would not try to persuade her daughter to make peace, but only felt doubly distressed for her daughter.

    Luo Ning pulled her mother to sit down, ¡°I knew Mom would support me!¡±

    ¡°In two days, you and Xixi will come back with me and keep me company.¡±

    ¡°The house I rented has two large open-air balconies and a flower room. You can move the flowers there as well. I want to live with you, and I can also help Xixi suppress his illness.¡±

    She rubbed her mother¡¯s shoulder again, her voice softly coquettish and reliant.

    In the previous life, her mother was very reluctant to leave here. She found out later that it was because of that family, so she didn¡¯t force it. But who would have thought that woman would be so crazy that she would act after discovering her mother¡¯s whereabouts. Both her mother and her younger brother were almost killed.

    What will be will be. It was better to face it head-on, not to mention that the other party¡¯s the one at fault. She needed to settle the score from the previous life together.

    Now, she couldn¡¯t be at peace with her mother and brother being so far away from her.  They should be brought to her side to make her feel safe.

    Jiang Xinxin was startled, and after a while, she showed an affectionate smile. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t too comfortable with her daughter being there alone either. As for those people, if a meeting was inevitable, then so be it. There was no obstacle that couldn¡¯t be overcome; her daughter was more important.

    ¡°Is Xixi already asleep?¡± Luo Ning asked.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t feel well in the afternoon and fell asleep, so I didn¡¯t tell him about your return,¡± Jiang Xinxin said.

    Luo Ning stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go see him.¡±

    ¡°Go on!¡± Jiang Xinxin nodded.

    Luo Ning opened Luo Xi¡¯s bedroom door, and the dim yellow desk lamp reflected his bloodless and pale face even more. She walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down. When she saw that his eyebrows were furrowed and he was not sleeping soundly, her heart ached. She reached out to touch his forehead, then took out a freshly drawn talisman and hung it around his neck. She sat for a while before leaving the room.

    Her younger brother was sixteen years old this year. Because he was born on a very negative day, his physique was relatively cold, and he had been weak since he was a child. Before her father¡¯s sudden disappearance, he could help her younger brother suppress his sickness well. After her father left, her younger brother¡¯s physical condition worsened, and he couldn¡¯t even attend normal classes. He had to go to the hospital for half a month every month to recover. The medication and equipment used were very advanced, so the cost was also very high.

    Her mother didn¡¯t go to work, but she had an innate talent for growing flowers. She grew many rare varieties of flowers that were sold to pay for her younger brother¡¯s medical bills. But to solve her brother¡¯s physical problems, they still had to rely on non-scientific means.

    The next morning, Luo Ning was the first one to get up. She went into the kitchen to make breakfast.

    After waking up, Luo Xi felt much more energetic than usual, and found a talisman hanging around his neck. With a happy look on his face, he quickly opened the door and walked out.

    ¡°Sis, you¡¯re back!¡± He walked into the kitchen and stood next to Luo Ning, smiling at her with his head turned.

    Luo Ning smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, go wash up first, I¡¯ll make breakfast soon.¡±

    ¡°It smells so good. I love eating your cooking the most.¡± Luo Xi loved and depended on his sister very much.

    Luo Ning patted his head. ¡°Then be sure to eat more later.¡±

    The family finished breakfast in a warm mood. Upon hearing they were moving, Luo Xi was even happier. After staying here for two days, Luo Ning packed the flowers to be shipped over and took her mother and brother back to their new home.

    Xi Shu had already helped them buy all the necessities, so all they had to do was move in with their bags. Both Jiang Xinxin and Luo Xi liked the place. After arranging the flowers, Luo Ning drove them to eat outside.

    Over the next few days, Luo Ning accompanied her mother and younger brother to visit many different places. She was now very good at drawing talismans, so she could just suppress the coldness in Luo Xi¡¯s body. As a result, his health had improved greatly, and he didn¡¯t get sick when he went out for a walk anymore.

    A week passed in a flash, and it was time for Luo Ning to participate in the live variety show. After Luo Ning settled her mother and younger brother down, she left with Xi Shu the next morning in the car sent by the program team.

    This was a new live variety show that combined a boy idol group talent show and an outdoor reality show. It was a new attempt. In addition to experiencing the outdoors, guests like Luo Ning and the others had to help the trainees find inspiration to write lyrics, compose and dance, and then compete.

    The theme of the first season was ¡°Leisure Countryside,¡± which required guests and trainees to experience life in a remote village in a small county town. This type of slow-paced variety show, where a group of celebrities went to experience life in the countryside, was now quite popular. However, other variety shows were edited and aired after filming, but this one was a live broadcast.

    The slogan of the show was to let the trainees experience things first-hand, and then compose and dance in groups around each theme. They¡¯d then return to the city to start the public performance competition. There was also live voting, and the most popular trainees would continue on to the next season, while those at the bottom would be eliminated.

    It was about a three-hour drive from here to the small country town, so they left at seven in the morning. It was almost eleven when they arrived, and the live broadcast began as soon as the guests got out of the car. Since the invited guests this time included top stars and several popular celebrities, and it was a new variety show, there were quite a few people watching it.

    Luo Ning was the fourth one to arrive. She got out of the car and followed the program crew into the farmyard. The live broadcast followed her as well. This variety show would be divided into several live broadcast windows. Each guest had a separate live broadcast window, which was used when the guests and trainees were separated, and the audience could see everyone¡¯s performance at any given time. There was also a general live broadcast window, which was the scene when everyone was together. Depending on the audience¡¯s preferences, they could click and watch whichever one they wanted.

    Luo Ning¡¯s live broadcast room was basically guarded by her fans, all of whom were shouting how beautiful their Ning gem was.

    At this time, three men were already sitting in the yard. They were Wei Yao, an actor in his forties who was handsome and had become famous through his pure acting talent; Wang Chaijing, a middle-aged singer who was once popular in the music world; and Tong Jia, a young male singer and dancer who was also a show host.

    ¡°Hello, mentors!¡± Luo Ning greeted the three of them with a smile after entering the door.

    The three of them also greeted Luo Ning politely, ¡°Mentor Luo, come and sit down!¡±

    They were not particularly enthusiastic towards Luo Ning, but they were not indifferent either.

 CH 14

    After Luo Ning sat down, she chatted with the three of them.

    Soon, a young woman walked in. Starlet Su Qinglan, who had become popular two years ago due to a TV series. She had done quite well in the past two years and was close to being an A-lister. She greeted the four of them with a smile, and quickly joined the conversation.

    After a while, a man and a woman came in one after another.

    The man had a rebellious demeanor and looked handsome and flamboyant. He was the top star, Ji Xingheng. When he saw Luo Ning, his eyes flickered, and the corners of his lips turned up slightly.

    The young woman was quite beautiful, wearing a light green dress that made her look pure and ladylike. She was the true female lead in the viral photo before, Bao Xiangxiang.

    After greeting the several people present, the two of them also sat down.

    Last week, Luo Ning changed managers and was frequently a trending topic. Everyone here knew about it. Therefore, after Ji Xingheng walked in, their eyes lingered on the two of them.

    Luo Ning maintained her smile. Without showing any strangeness, she greeted Ji Xingheng with only a slight nod of her head.

    After chatting for a while, Bao Xiangxiang suddenly looked at Luo Ning and asked, ¡°Mentor Luo, would you like to switch seats with me? You and Mentor Ji are familiar with each other, so the two of you can catch up.¡±

    Her position was right next to Ji Xingheng.

    In the previous life, Luo Ning had also encountered this incident. As she and Ji Xingheng were boyfriend and girlfriend and had the same manager, she switched places with the other party without hesitation. In the end, she was sprayed by the fans.

    This time, she shook her head with a smile and said bluntly, ¡°No, I¡¯d better stay away from Mentor Ji, otherwise his fans will criticize me for tying him down and using his popularity.¡±

    Those present: ¡°¡­¡±

    They didn¡¯t expect Luo Ning to be so bold. This was a live broadcast, yet she actually said something so direct. Very cool.

    Ji Xingheng, who had a smile on his lips, froze. His hand holding the sunglasses tightened as he stared at Luo Ning, who was not looking at him. He still knew her well. Since she had clarified their relationship right from the start, she could ignore him without any worries in the future. Even though he felt agitated, he held back and didn¡¯t show it. His face only darkened.

    Bao Xiangxiang was surprised that Luo Ning really wanted to separate herself from Ji Xingheng. Although she was secretly happy, she also felt that Luo Ning was stupid. Who didn¡¯t know how to put on an act in this kind of live show? This woman went against the top star right at the get-go, she would definitely get burned by Ji Xingheng¡¯s fans.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that bad,¡± she said to Luo Ning.

    Luo Ning looked at her with a half-smile, ¡°You¡¯ll know when you experience it for yourself.¡±

    Bao Xiangxiang felt a little uncomfortable meeting her meaningful gaze. After all, Luo Ning knew that the person in the viral photo was her. But it didn¡¯t matter. Even if Luo Ning knew, what could she do about it? Did she have any evidence to expose her? If not, all she could do was swallow the pill.

    Seeing that something was wrong with the atmosphere, Tong Jia immediately changed the subject. ¡°I heard that Mentor Li, who was supposed to come, had a conflict in his schedule, and a new mysterious guest has replaced him. Who do you think it will be?¡±

    He didn¡¯t have any grudge against Luo Ning himself. The topic just now was already at a tipping point. If it continued, he was afraid that it would cause a backlash from the fans, so he changed the topic to liven up the atmosphere.

    Several other people followed his lead. ¡°This is hard to guess. But since it¡¯s called a mystery guest by the production team, I doubt it¡¯s an average celebrity,¡± Wei Yao said with a smile.

    Chai Jing laughed and said, ¡°Hurry up and reveal the mystery guest.¡±

    At this time, the bullet comments on the live broadcast also began to pop up like crazy. Sure enough, Ji Xingheng¡¯s fans began to criticize Luo Ning harshly.

    [Flower vase Luo is too much; our Xing cub doesn¡¯t want to sit next to her anyway.]

    [Yeah. By saying that, you¡¯re already rubbing off on Xing cub¡¯s popularity, okay? Shameless woman.]

    [What right does she have to say such a thing? Did she not often tie down Xing cub and ride his popularity? Seriously, she¡¯s like a whore expecting an award for her chastity.]

    [At least she¡¯s self-aware. Our Xing cub was never willing to let her use his popularity.]

    [Why did the production team invite Luo Ning, this flower vase? The guests this time at least have the ability to sing and dance, what about her? She can¡¯t do anything. Is she here as a decoration? It¡¯s annoying to look at her!]

    [Right, Flower vase Luo can¡¯t do anything but is first when it comes to riding the popularity of others. Is the production team blind to invite this kind of person here?]

    [Who told her to have a sugar daddy? He must have invested in this show, so here she is.]

    Actually, many Xing fans were satisfied when they saw Luo Ning¡¯s decision not to approach their man. However, being led by the ghostwriters hired by Yan Qiuping and Bao Xiangxiang, they couldn¡¯t help but insult Luo Ning in all kinds of ways.

    Luo Ning was not at all surprised to be roasted by Ji Xingheng¡¯s fans. She would be sprayed regardless of whether she changed seats or not, so of course she would do what she wanted. The point of her doing this was to distance herself from Ji Xingheng from the very beginning and express that she didn¡¯t want to get involved with him, so it would be natural for her not to have too much contact with him in the following days.

    The more these people said, the worse they sounded, and Luo Ning¡¯s fans couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    [When Ning gem and Ji Xingheng are talking, you say that she is taking advantage of his popularity. When she stays away from your man, you say the same thing, are you guys sick in the head?]

    [Xing fans, are you quite done? Our Ning gem is already staying far away from your man, what else do you want? Can you guys stop being so irrational?]

    [How do you know that my Ning gem can¡¯t do anything? Don¡¯t forget how you got slapped in the face last time.]

    [My Ning gem is in charge of beauty, I dgaf what you guys say.]

    [Exactly, can¡¯t you just watch the show quietly?]

    [Everyone, stop arguing with Xing fans and let the live bullet comments quiet down, so that other viewers can watch the variety show.]

    [I¡¯ll just kneel and lick Ning gem¡¯s face quietly. She¡¯s dressed so youthfully and beautifully today. She¡¯s beauty personified.]

    [Yes yes, I hug my Ning gem. We don¡¯t care for your presence, thank you!]

    Luo Ning¡¯s fans couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to Xing fans and misleading anti-fans and began to revolve around the topic of how beautiful their Ning gem was.

    This made the anti-fans and Xing fans very angry, and they felt like they had punched cotton, and they continued to criticize in the bullet comments. And with such a comparison, the quality of the fans could be clearly seen. It improved the impression other fans and non-fans had of Luo Ning.

    After all, as what Ning fans said, Luo Ning had been chased and flamed by Xing fans every day previously, telling her to stay away from him. Now that she had changed managers and publicly declared that she would stay away from their man, it was a bit too much for these fans to still persist on the topic.

    Seeing the Ning fans blowing up Luo Ning¡¯s appearance, everyone paid more attention to her. Today, she was wearing a light yellow short-sleeved shirt and denim overalls. Her hair was tied into a bun and her makeup was very light. She looked casual, youthful, and pretty, giving people a girl-next-door vibe. Compared to the other two female celebrities with their exquisite makeup and expensive dresses, she seemed more in tune with this small farm and more down-to-earth.

    At this moment, the director smiled and said, ¡°Now, we invite our mystery guest to enter!¡±

    This was the biggest surprise of the production team today.

    Soon, a handsome and slender man walked in. All the guests present and the audience in front of the screen were all shocked.

 CH 15

    Lu Xun, currently the youngest and most talented actor in the entertainment circle. He was also good at singing and dancing, the perfect king of entertainment.

    Although this new variety show was quite good, it was impossible for Lu Xun to participate in it. What made everyone even more confused was that this guy had never participated in a variety show before, how could he suddenly join this variety show?

    Wei Yao and Lu Xun had made a movie together before, so they were quite familiar with each other. He looked at Lu Xun in disbelief and said with a smile, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect the mystery guest invited by the production team to be Mentor Lu.

    Others agreed as well, this was a big surprise for everyone.

    Not only did Lu Xun rely on his acting skills to become famous, but he was also a superstar among superstars. With his participation, the ratings would definitely not be bad.

    Lu Xun walked over and smiled slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t have any work arrangements recently, so I just came to this variety show to relax.¡±

    Everyone present had heard that Best Actor Lu had a car accident last week, and so they believed him when he said he came to relax.

    The others were not familiar with Lu Xun, so they got up to greet him and introduce themselves.

    Luo Ning was very surprised that Lu Xun was the mystery guest. In the previous life, the original guest did not leave the show due to scheduling conflicts. Could it really be such a coincidence now?

    However, she had a good impression of Lu Xun. The previous guest was not very easy to get along with, so having Lu Xun instead was a better choice. She also stood up with the others and introduced herself to Lu Xun.

    When Bao Xiangxiang saw Lu Xun, her eyes emitted a strange light. Before she possessed this body, Lu Xun was her idol. She used to think that he was out of reach, but now that she had the opportunity to meet him, she had to seize it. So, after everyone else had finished, she introduced herself sweetly and said with a smile, ¡°Mentor Lu, you are my idol. I¡¯ve seen all your movies and I really like them.

    This was true. She often fantasized that if she could meet Lu Xun one day and have a relationship with him, she would be able to wake up every day with a smile on her face. But in the past, she was ordinary looking, and was just an eighteen-year-old unpopular celebrity with no connections. There was no way for her to get in contact with him, so she could only watch and worship from a distance. Now, she was beautiful and outstanding, and men were especially drawn to her. Maybe she could really take Lu Xun down.

    This would not only fulfill her previous dream. Lu Xun had a lot of connections and resources in and out of the entertainment world. If she were to become his girlfriend, becoming the best actress or a top celebrity would be just around the corner.

    Her current attitude did seem like that of a fan, so the others didn¡¯t think much about it.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Lu Xun replied formally.

    He was very good at reading people. There was nothing unusual about this Bao Xiangxiang on the surface, but there was a hidden fervor and vanity in her eyes. He had to keep a respectable distance from her.

    At this time, the bullet comments on the screen were full of screams and excitement.

    [Ahhh, my idol is actually the mystery guest, I was so excited that I almost passed out.]

    [Oh my god, to see my man crush on a variety show live in this lifetime, I feel complete.]

    [My idol is so handsome; I want to lick the screen.]

    [What kind of divine production team is this! For being so awesome as to invite my male crush as a guest, I give you a thumbs up.]

    The director who was watching the bullet chat was a little speechless. Didn¡¯t they just call them a trashy, blind production team? This about-face came quite fast.

    Actually, he was a bit confused himself. Why did Lu Xun take the initiative to ask to participate in their variety show? Could it be that their variety show was really that charming? Regardless, this was a golden opportunity for them, and they would be fools not to accept it.

    Seeing the rapid increase in the number of viewers in the live broadcast room, he could not hide the smile on his face. Sure enough, with the participation of Best Actor Lu, the ratings and popularity of the first episode stabilized. As long as there were no accidents, he believed that this show would be popular.

    [Is that Bao Xiangxiang a real fan or a fake? By saying that he is her idol right away, is she trying to take advantage of his popularity?]

    [She might be a real fan. King Lu is so good, it¡¯s normal to be liked by other celebrities.]

    [She could also be faking it. If she admits to being his fan at the beginning, won¡¯t it be easier for her to talk to him in the future?]

    [She¡¯s the least popular one here. It feels a little strange for her to act like this after everyone has said hello.]

    [I don¡¯t like her much either. She obviously knew about the trending topic, but she still asked Luo Ning if she wanted to switch places with her, so that Luo Ning and Ji Xingheng could catch up. Does anyone else smell green tea1Short for ¡°Green Tea Bitch¡± (ÂÌ²èæ») which describes ambitious women who present themselves as ignorant, pure, and innocent.?]

    [If you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed, but it seems like she¡¯s quite devious.]

    [Our Xiangxiang was obviously kind enough to let Luo Ning and Ji Xingheng reminisce about the past, why are you calling her devious?]

    [Right, our Xiangxiang is so pure, like a little angel. She¡¯s not devious at all.]

    Bao Xiangxiang¡¯s fans started singing her praises aggressively, calling her a little angel and saying that she¡¯s especially pure and kind. But everyone¡¯s attention was on Lu Xun, and the other fans and non-fans didn¡¯t pay any attention to them.

    In the small courtyard, all eight guests were present, and the director began to talk about today¡¯s activities.

    ¡°This season¡¯s theme is ¡®Leisure Countryside¡¯, so you all will have to experience farm life for yourself.¡±

    ¡°The participating trainees will arrive tomorrow. Today, just get to know each other. We will form teams tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°As you need to experience farm life, you can¡¯t get something for nothing. Since you have just arrived, we will provide the rice and vegetables you need for lunch, but you will have to cook it yourself.¡±

    ¡°After lunch, you will have an hour¡¯s rest. You must go to the village to find work to earn food for dinner.¡±

    ¡°It is up to you what you can have for dinner at night and whether you can be full.¡±

    After the director finished speaking, Tong Jia was speechless. ¡°I knew that the so-called leisure was a cover, and the real thing involved work.¡±

    ¡°Sure enough, the production team has no good intentions. In the end, we have to be self-sufficient in everything,¡± Wei Yao said with a smile.

    The director chuckled. ¡°Since this is a farming experience, it is of course more interesting to be self-sufficient.¡±

    ¡°Now I¡¯ll leave this place to you, we¡¯ll be backstage.¡± After the director finished speaking, he only kept the live broadcast camera and left the small courtyard with the others.

    Wei Yao, the eldest of the group, looked at the others and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s split the work for lunch, who can cook?¡±

    ¡°I can only cook a few home-cooked meals, but they don¡¯t taste very good,¡± he added.

    Due to the reality nature of the show, the guests weren¡¯t told in advance what the theme of the first season would be or what they would be doing once they arrived. Everyone thought that since it was related to a boy idol group competition, the theme of the live broadcast would be related. They never thought that the theme of the first season would be experiencing life in the countryside. They only found out when they got into the production team¡¯s car today, so the guests basically didn¡¯t have any preparation and had to adapt on the spot.

 CH 16

    tong jia said helplessly, ¡°i only know how to eat, but i can help with washing vegetables and so on.¡±

    several other men also shook their heads.

    bao xiangxiang raised her hand and said, ¡°i can cook some home-cooked dishes.¡±

    before she transmigrated here, she was just an unpopular starlet. the money she earned was less than what she spent, so she could only cook for herself. unexpectedly, she was able to use her skills here.

    su qinglan didn¡¯t expect to have to cook. since she was a child, she had never had to fend for herself. ¡°i don¡¯t know how to cook either, so i¡¯ll help pick and wash the vegetables,¡± she could only say helplessly,

    in the end, only luo ning hadn¡¯t said anything, so everyone looked at her.

    ji xingheng knew that her cooking was very delicious, and he secretly hoped that she would only cook for him, but since he hadn¡¯t eaten her cooking for a long time, he suddenly wanted to eat it. his feelings were complex and at odds. on the one hand, he didn¡¯t want her to cook for everyone, but on the other, he did.

    ¡°i can cook,¡± luo ning said with a smile.

    ¡°great, then mentor luo and mentor bao will cook, and the rest of us will help.¡±

    wei yao was the oldest, so there was nothing wrong with him taking charge. none of the others objected.

    ¡°okay!¡±

    everyone went into the kitchen together and found that there was a very old earthen stove, and there were no electrical appliances. cooking and stir-frying required a fire. if there was no rice cooker, they had to use a pot instead. the cooking would have to be done in a large and deep iron pot. everyone was confused.

    bao xiangxiang was speechless when she saw this. she had wanted to show off in front of the live audience, as well as in front of lu xun and ji xingheng. but how was anyone supposed to cook with this? she had never cooked in a pot before, and it was difficult to control the heat in such a large iron pot and with firewood.

    thinking about it, she asked luo ning with a smile, ¡°mentor luo, how should we divide the work and cook?¡±

    she had heard from yan qiuping that luo ning often cooked for ji xingheng, which proved that her cooking skills weren¡¯t too bad, but she didn¡¯t believe that this woman would be able to use these things to cook and stir-fry. she took the initiative to ask luo ning, which seemed to be a kind of respect, but in reality, she was throwing the problem to the other party. if she didn¡¯t end up doing a good job, the netizens would blame luo ning.

    as if luo ning couldn¡¯t tell what she was thinking. her lips curled into a smile. ¡°i¡¯m fine with anything, you can choose first, and i will take care of the rest.¡±

    she had traveled to ancient times and to the fifties and sixties before, so of course she could use such kitchen utensils.

    the smile on bao xiangxiang¡¯s face froze. she wanted to laugh at luo ning. pretending to be so confident would only make it funnier when she had to deal with an embarrassing situation later. in that case, she wouldn¡¯t hold back.

    she looked at the ingredients in the kitchen. ¡°i think the ingredients here can make about seven dishes. how about you cook the rice, make three more dishes, and i¡¯ll make four?¡±

    it seemed that no one was at a disadvantage, but if the water and heat were not well controlled when cooking in a pot, the food would definitely be burned.

    luo ning nodded indifferently. ¡°sure.¡±

    seeing that the two of them had divided up the work, wei yao smiled and said, ¡°then we will trouble you two to cook. mentor su will help you pick the vegetables, and some of us men will chop firewood for the fire.

    after everyone knew their roles, they went to work. neither lu xun, the best actor, nor ji xingheng, the top star, had any objections.

    the bullet comments also began to discuss it.

    [xiangxiang is indeed a little angel, so hardworking. i think the dishes she will cook will be delicious.]

    [i really want to ask, does flower vase luo really know how to cook and stir-fry?]

    [at first glance, luo vase doesn¡¯t seem like someone who knows how to do housework, especially using this primitive method to cook. if it burns after a while, everyone will have nothing to eat.]

    [i¡¯m not an anti-fan, but i still can¡¯t help but say that i used to cook with these utensils in my hometown in the countryside. if the water and heat aren¡¯t at the right levels, the food will turn mushy and won¡¯t be edible. i wonder if luo ning is just being cocky.]

    [i doubt that the food she cooks will be edible, and now i can¡¯t help but sympathize with the other guests]

    [if she can¡¯t cook but took the initiative, that¡¯s just a plain show-off.]

    [bao xiangxiang says she wants to stir-fry vegetables, so her cooking would definitely be delicious. while ning gem¡¯s cooking would be mushy. your double-standards are hilarious.]

    [exactly, you guys haven¡¯t seen my ning gem cook, how do you know she can¡¯t?]

    [just keep talking your idol up, ning fans. i don¡¯t believe that flower vase luo can cook well, especially with such primitive utensils.]

    in fact, not only anti-fans and xing fans were against luo ning¡¯s cooking, non-fans and other fans also thought that she didn¡¯t look like she could cook.

    soon, everyone¡¯s attention shifted to lu xun and ji xingheng.

    lu xun had the appearance of an elegant and handsome young man, but he did not hesitate at all when chopping firewood.

    even ji xingheng, who looked rebellious and stubborn, chopped the wood decently.

    their fans were all screaming.

    tong jia looked rather clumsy, and his fans were also very happy watching.

    after they had cut some firewood, wei yao and chai jing carried the firewood into the kitchen to light the fire.

    however, chai jing couldn¡¯t light it no matter what he tried. then wei yao went to find some dry straw, and they finally managed to start a fire. but the two of them didn¡¯t know how to use this kind of clay stove, so they not only extinguished the fire quickly, but also created a lot of smoke in the kitchen. upon seeing this, the two of them were close to a meltdown.

    [haha, mentor wei¡¯s blank look is so funny.]

    [mentor chai¡¯s face is completely black.]

    [at this rate, i don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to eat lunch, the production team is too evil.]

    bao xiangxiang couldn¡¯t stand the choking smoke, and ran out holding her nose, but luo ning knelt down and said, ¡°let me try.¡±

    the two men were also choking uncomfortable from the smoke and gave up their seats to her. then they watched as luo ning easily lit the fire. she kept adding more firewood, and soon it was burning normally, and the smoke in the kitchen slowly dispersed.

    ¡°mentor luo, you¡¯re amazing!¡± the two men said from the bottom of their hearts after having personally experienced failure.

    luo ning stood up and smiled. ¡°thank you for your compliments.¡±

    then she began to wash the rice and cook it. her movements were full of skill and grace, which was very pleasing to the eye.

    [i like luo ning¡¯s looks. she¡¯s so beautiful even when she¡¯s cooking.]

    [ning gem is great. she even knows this kind of thing.]

    [did luo ning do that on purpose? if she could light the fire, why did she let the other two mentors embarrass themselves?]

    then many people started posting similar comments to try to lead the conversation, saying that luo ning deliberately made the two mentors look bad, and she came to steal the spotlight.

    [i think the above people are sick in the head. ning gem had no idea that they couldn¡¯t light a fire to begin with. if she had taken the initiative to say that she was going to make the fire, not only would it steal the limelight of the two mentors, but it would also appear very rude, okay?]

    [right. where¡¯s the fun in that? the two mentors trying to light the fire just now was comedy. we were laughing as we watched, and we didn¡¯t think they looked bad!]

    [as a non-fan, i¡¯m on luo ning¡¯s side this time. i think she has been very polite from the beginning.]

    [just now the two mentors caused the kitchen to fill up with smoke. bao xiangxiang ran away holding her nose, but luo ning¡¯s face was unchanged. she offered to help the two mentors light the fire. i also think luo ning¡¯s performance is very good.]

    [thank you, luo ning, for helping our mentor wei light the fire.]

    [thank you, luo ning, for helping our chaichai light the fire.]

    fans of wei yao and chai jing didn¡¯t feel that luo ning did anything wrong just now, they could see that she was kind enough to help. if at the beginning, luo ning had asked to do it herself before the two mentors had lit the fire, that would really be stealing the spotlight and not pleasing to the eye.

    [i have changed my mind about luo ning, and i suddenly look forward to her cooking.]

    this was a live broadcast, so fans of other celebrities and non-fans had their own opinions. they might be misled by the ghostwriters at first, but seeing was believing, and they would make judgments based on what they saw.

    moreover, the anti-fans and xing fans were roasting luo ning wildly in the bullet comments, so everyone¡¯s attention to luo ning would subconsciously increase after seeing this. the non-fans would also feel that it was too much after seeing the endless criticism.

    therefore, after seeing luo ning¡¯s polite performance, everyone would feel that she wasn¡¯t as bad as what the bullet comments said. their impressions of her would change, and they would continue to watch her with more curiosity.

    therefore, luo ning didn¡¯t care about those spitting trolls. controversy brought extra attention, which would allow for a better reversal.

 CH 17

    while luo ning was cooking, bao xiangxiang returned. she had instinctively run out after being choked by the smoke earlier. however, when she saw luo ning helped wei yao and chai jing to light the fire, she regretted it a little and was afraid that the audience would gossip about her. so when she came in, she said with an apologetic expression, ¡°fellow mentors, i¡¯m sorry. i have bronchitis, so i went out just now.¡±

    wei yao and chai jing naturally didn¡¯t blame her. ¡°it¡¯s okay, mentor luo helped us anyway.¡±

    bao xiangxiang secretly felt annoyed that luo ning got the advantage this time.

    ¡°then i¡¯ll cook first,¡± she said with a smile,

    ¡°okay!¡± wei yao and chai jing went out to help.

    bao xiangxiang picked a few ingredients from the pile and said to luo ning, ¡°mentor luo, i¡¯ll cook the vegetables first while you¡¯re cooking?¡±

    ¡°sure¡± luo ning¡¯s gaze swept across the remaining ingredients, ¡°i¡¯ll go deal with the fish.¡±

    bao xiangxiang was smart enough to choose pork, chicken, eggs, tofu, and baby vegetables that were easier to cook, leaving only fish, a piece of bacon, beans, and mustard greens. but luo ning didn¡¯t care, her cooking skills had never lost to anyone before.

    originally, bao xiangxiang wanted to stir up luo ning¡¯s emotions. if the other party gave her a hard time or disagreed with her on the spot, it would be great because she would definitely be roasted. though contrary to her expectations, luo ning agreed in such a good-tempered manner. it frustrated her, as if she had just punched cotton. but she couldn¡¯t express it, so she could only suppress her unhappiness and take the ingredients to start cooking. she prepared spicy chicken, boiled pork slices, tomato scrambled eggs, and tofu cabbage soup.

    luo ning washed the fish again, then took a knife and skillfully cut the fish into fillets. she didn¡¯t look like a beginner at all.

    [luo ning¡¯s knife skills look very good!]

    [it doesn¡¯t look like she doesn¡¯t know how to cook. her ingredients aren¡¯t as good as bo xiangxiang¡¯s, but i¡¯m suddenly looking forward to her cooking].

    on the other side, bao xiangxiang took the chopped chicken and started to fry it. because the iron pot was long, she wasn¡¯t used to it. plus, she hadn¡¯t cooked by herself for more than a year, so she seemed a little flustered.

    [bao xiangxiang looks a bit clumsy.]

    [the main reason is that this stove is too old, and the iron pot is so big that no one would be able to get used to it. how is our xiangxiang clumsy?]

    [this thing is really hard to use. i wonder if luo ning will be the same way.]

    there were only two burners on the stove; one was cooking rice, and the other was being used by bao xiangxiang. luo ning had already chopped all the ingredients while she was cooking.

    the vegetables had been washed by su qinglan. she found that she couldn¡¯t help in other aspects, so she stood by and watched the other two cook. she found that luo ning was very serious and skilled in handling the ingredients, while bao xiangxiang was much inferior.

    after a while, bao xiangxiang scooped up the fried chicken, but because she didn¡¯t control the heat enough, it was a little burnt. she was unhappy in her heart, but she didn¡¯t show it on her face and continued to cook seriously. the tomato and eggs were not burnt, but the appearance was average, and the boiled pork slices were not satisfactory. after she finished, luo ning took over.

    there was a similar scenario in luo ning¡¯s past life. originally, she was going to offer to cook, but bao xiangxiang asked her to go with ji xingheng to cut firewood. that way, they could reminisce about the past and resolve their conflicts. at that time, she and ji xingheng had quarreled over the trending topic, and they were in a cold war. she felt that it was inappropriate and wanted to refuse the offer to cook, but because of the will of the book, a hidden power made her choose to accompany ji xingheng.

    the firewood incident also happened. after running out, bao xiangxiang got three wet towels and ran back for the sake of her image. she kept cheering wei yao and chai jing on, and they finally managed to light a fire after half a day. because of this, bo xiangxiang not only won the favor of wei yao and chai jing, she also successfully stabilized an angelic persona, which won another wave of favor from the audience.

    and she, the flower vase who was chopping firewood with ji xingheng, happened to have a comparison picture with bao xiangxiang, and was heavily criticized. even non-fans didn¡¯t have a good impression of her, thinking that she was deliberately taking advantage of ji xingheng¡¯s popularity.

    now, without the constraints of the will of the book world, luo ning could do whatever she wanted. this time, she would not let bao xiangxiang successfully stabilize an angel persona.

    a comparison picture? sure, let¡¯s do it. she¡¯ll let bao xiangxiang experience all the things she experienced before.

    luo ning found sauerkraut in the kitchen, so she made pickled fish first. soon, a pot of fish with pickled cabbage appeared on the screen, and it looked very appetizing.

    [just looking at it makes me hungry! i wonder if it tastes good.]

    [i¡¯m good at making pickled fish. luo ning¡¯s steps and ingredients are correct. i¡¯m one hundred percent sure her cooking won¡¯t be inedible.]

    [i¡¯m suddenly a little hungry]

    [hey, why did she leave half of it in the pot?]

    everyone saw that luo ning had only taken half of the fish, but the other half was still in the pot, so they were a little curious as to what else she was going to do.

    su qinglan was also curious, so she asked.

    luo ning put the fried red oil dried chili into the pot and said, ¡°i¡¯m afraid some people don¡¯t like spicy food, so the first plate is only slightly spicy, and this one will be spicier.

    su qinglan came to an understanding. ¡°you are very thoughtful.¡±

    she didn¡¯t like spicy food herself. besides maintaining her figure, celebrities like her didn¡¯t dare to eat spicy food for fear of getting acne.

    just now, when bao xiangxiang was cooking spicy chicken and making boiled pork slices, she could already smell how spicy it was. she thought that it would be out of the question for her to eat the chicken and the pork slices.

    when she smelled the delicious smell of pickled fish, she suddenly felt very hungry. she was just afraid that it would be spicy, but she didn¡¯t expect that luo ning¡¯s fish would be divided into spicy and non-spicy. originally, she was neutral towards luo ning, but now she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little fond of her.

    the bullet comments were also positive.

    [luo ning is so considerate. my chaichai can¡¯t eat spicy food, while tongtong loves spicy food. i was worried about this problem just now, but now both of them can eat it.]

    [yeah, the details determine success or failure. i think luo ning is very polite to everyone except for not wanting to talk to a certain someone. the point is, she¡¯s so thoughtful, not as bad as the internet says!]

    [bao xiangxiang¡¯s fried spicy chicken just now looks very spicy, and she also put millet pepper in the boiled pork slices. even if she likes spicy food, isn¡¯t she too disrespectful of others?]

    [and her fried chicken is too burnt, and the boiled pork slices don¡¯t look appetizing, bad review!]

    [luo ning is still more considerate and thoughtful. just with this comparison, looking at the first dish made by the two of them, luo ning¡¯s is obviously more delicious in color and flavor.]

    bao xiangxiang was also watching luo ning¡¯s cooking in the kitchen at this time, and when she heard the conversation between su qinglan and luo ning, her face changed slightly. she felt a little annoyed that she hadn¡¯t thought of this.

    she herself liked spicy food, and ji xingheng could also eat spicy food. the important thing was that she had heard that lu xun seemed to like spicy food, so she wanted to attract their attention and affection, so she made two spicy dishes.

    lu xun was her idol, the guy she couldn¡¯t ask for before possessing this body, and she naturally liked a handsome man like ji xingheng who had background, popularity, and looks. if ji xingheng could be snatched away from luo ning, she would feel a sense of accomplishment.

    moreover, she had an indescribable hunch that as long as she succeeded, it would be of great help to her luck and future. now, looking at luo ning¡¯s sauerkraut fish, she knew that she hadn¡¯t done a good job of cooking to win favor and had let the other party take the lead. she was very frustrated.

 CH 18

    soon, luo ning made another dish of braised beans with bacon and sauteed mustard greens. although it was only a homemade dish, the presentation was very good, and it made people want to eat it just by looking at it.

    su qinglan felt even hungrier when she smelled it. ¡°the dishes are ready, let¡¯s bring them out.¡±

    ¡°okay.¡± bao xiangxiang smiled forcibly.

    looking at the dishes luo ning made, she was in a bad mood, but she couldn¡¯t show it. they looked better than her own and smelled even better.

    at this moment, tong jia came in to help.

    ¡°what have you cooked? we could smell it from outside, and our stomachs were all rumbling.¡± he was a show host and was good at talking. but there was indeed a delicious smell that came into the courtyard just now, and it made him feel very hungry.

    bao xiangxiang avoided his question and replied with a smile, ¡°the dishes that mentor luo and i cooked are ready, so you smelled the aroma of the dishes.

    ¡°thank you for your hard work,¡± tong jia chuckled and spoke.

    the rice that luo ning had cooked earlier was also ready, so they took the dishes out. after the food was served, everyone washed their hands and sat down at the dining table.

    bao xiangxiang didn¡¯t want ji xingheng and lu xun to know what dishes she cooked, so she took the initiative to serve the rice. she gave a considerate smile and said, ¡°we¡¯ve been on the road all morning, everyone must be hungry.¡±

    scooping up the rice that wasn¡¯t burnt but cooked just right, bao xiangxiang felt even more uncomfortable.

    everyone was really hungry, so after receiving the rice, they all started to eat.

    the sauerkraut fish had the strongest aroma, which made it very appetizing. chai jing saw that there were two large bowls of pickled fish and didn¡¯t know which bowl to start with. ¡°is there a difference between these two bowls of pickled fish? the other bowl seems to have more chili.¡±

    luo ning smiled and said, ¡°i don¡¯t know if you guys can eat spicy food, so i made two servings. this one is mildly spicy. mentor chai, you can try it.¡±

    she knew that neither chai jing nor su qinglan could eat spicy food.

    hearing this, chai jing was touched. ¡°okay, i¡¯ll try it first.¡±

    he took a piece and put it into his bowl. after taking a bite, his eyes lit up. he ate the whole piece and took another piece.

    ¡°delicious!¡± while eating, he gave luo ning a thumbs up. ¡°this is the best pickled fish i¡¯ve ever had.¡±

    ¡°what other dishes have you cooked?¡± his taste buds had been triggered, so he asked without thinking.

    luo ning pointed at the bacon and sauteed mustard greens. ¡°thanks for the compliment, mentor chai. i made these two dishes as well.¡±

    ¡°i¡¯ll try it.¡± he tasted the two dishes she showed him, and then said full of praise, ¡°luo ning, your cooking skills are really good, i think it tastes better than the restaurants outside.¡±

    luo ning pointed out the dishes she cooked, so the rest were naturally made by bao xiangxiang.

    so as not to make bao xiangxiang feel left out, chai jing tasted her dishes as well. after eating a piece of boiled pork slices, the spice made him cough. he quickly drank some water and took a few bites of rice before he felt better.

    the spicy chicken looked very hot. he didn¡¯t move his chopsticks in that direction. instead, he tried the tomato scrambled eggs, tofu, and baby cabbage dishes, which tasted very ordinary.

    but thinking about the young girl¡¯s hard work for more than an hour, he still smiled and said, ¡°little bao did a good job.¡±

    bao xiangxiang could only smile and say, ¡°thank you, mentor chai, for your compliment.¡±

    then she saw that chai jing had buried his head in the food, and all the dishes he had picked up had been made by luo ning. she didn¡¯t really appreciate the compliment and felt that chai jing talked too much. why did he have to ask what dishes luo ning had cooked?

    the bullet comments were also very cheerful at this time.

    [haha, mentor chai said that bao xiangxiang did a good job, but his chopsticks are all pointing at luo ning¡¯s dishes. he¡¯s not being honest!]

    [mentor chai just ate the boiled pork slices, and it was too spicy. i feel sorry for him. bao xiangxiang is too inconsiderate of others when cooking.]

    [looking at how much he¡¯s enjoying the food, luo ning¡¯s dishes must be delicious.]

    [not just mentor chai, i want to eat it just looking at it.]

    others also picked up their chopsticks and started to eat. wei yao and tong jia tasted what both of them had made. then, all the chopsticks resolutely moved to the dishes made by luo ning, praising all the way.

    lu xun never bothered with putting up pretenses, and besides, he was very famous, so he didn¡¯t have to cater to anyone at all. he didn¡¯t eat any of the dishes cooked by bao xiangxiang, and only touched the dishes cooked by luo ning.

    when he heard chai jing and the others praising luo ning¡¯s dishes, he became a little curious. after tasting it, he found that the taste was really good and was a little surprised that she was so good at cooking. he then unconsciously joined the army trying to grab the food.

    ji xingheng had never made his temperament a secret in the entertainment circle. he entered the entertainment industry just for fun, so he always did things casually. he would never take the initiative to cater to anyone or the audience.

    the dishes made by bao xiangxiang looked unappetizing. moreover, luo ning had already nourished his appetite, so he also only ate the dishes she made. then he discovered that her cooking skills had improved, and he sped up trying to get the food.

    su qinglan just took some tomato scrambled eggs and tofu, and then went to fight it out with the men over the dishes luo ning made. she was afraid that if she was too slow, the food would be gone.

    [the mentors are testing their hand speed! watching them try to grab the food is so funny, i am also hungry now.]

    [luo ning¡¯s dishes are so popular, the food¡¯s almost gone.]

    [how tasteless is bao xiangxiang¡¯s cooking? i see the others try it, but then they never touch it again.]

    [this also indirectly proves that luo ning¡¯s cooking must be delicious. i also want to follow my man crush to fight for the food.]

    [my idol eats so elegantly and beautifully.]

    [xing cub looks so nice when he eats.]

    [who was it who said my ning gem definitely can¡¯t cook, and that the rice cooked with this earthen stove would be mushy? i just want to ask, does your face hurt now?]

    [my face hurts for them, ning gem is awesome!]

    looking at the choices made by lu xun and ji xingheng, bao xiangxiang felt suffocated. luo ning had snatched her chance to show off in front of them. she ate the food without tasting anything. shifting mental gears, she smiled and said to luo ning, ¡°mentor luo, you¡¯re so good to be able to use this kind of old stove. the dishes you made are so delicious, whereas i¡¯m not used to using it.¡±

    her words also served as an indirect explanation as to why the food she cooked was not as good as luo ning¡¯s.

    luo ning wasn¡¯t stupid enough to not know what the woman¡¯s intentions were, but she wasn¡¯t going to put on a good person act and comfort her.

    maybe i¡¯m just more talented in this area,¡± she said, blinking innocently.

    everyone hadn¡¯t expected her to say that, but they didn¡¯t feel averse to it. instead, they thought she was straightforward and cute.

    ¡°you can remove the word ¡®maybe¡¯,¡± lu xun looked up at her and said with a smile.

    luo ning went along with him and nodded with a smile, showing her dimples. ¡°okay, then i will listen to mentor lu and remove the word ¡®maybe¡¯.¡±

    [ahhh, ning gem¡¯s smile is so beautiful.]

    [although i¡¯m not a ning fan, i have to say that luo ning¡¯s smile is deadly. her beauty killed me.]

    [i¡¯ve discovered that luo ning is a little cute. if it were anyone else, they would be deliberately modest and pretend to comfort the other party, but she is so direct.]

    [such an unpretentious young lady, i like.]

    [yeah, ever since she said she wouldn¡¯t ride on ji xingheng¡¯s traffic, i think she is more straightforward in her words and actions.]

    [i suddenly don¡¯t understand why so many people criticized luo ning on the internet before, i think she¡¯s quite okay!]

    [me too, so seeing is believing.]

    luo ning¡¯s performance had won the favor of fans and non-fans alike. xing fans watched their man bury his head in eating luo ning¡¯s food, and they couldn¡¯t say anything in retaliation, or they would be slapping themselves. the anti-fans came out to try to lead the criticism, but they were quickly drowned in the flood of comments. after all, there was nothing to criticize luo ning for, judging by her previous performance. therefore, there was not much trouble.