I woke up to find I have a child Ch.19

The visitor was Ye Mingxin’s mother. Before Han Feixu could even react, she heard Auntie Li downstairs suddenly say, “Madam is at home, she’s putting the Young Miss to bed. Let me call her down for you.” 

“No need. Xiao-Wu, go help Li-jie with the luggage, I will be going up by myself.” 

Yan Yuerong* first went to Yiyi’s room to take a look only to find that the child was already asleep. She paused to stare at her for a few seconds before she walked out again and knocked on Han Feixu’s door. (*T/N: Reminder that most mothers in China do not have the same surname as their children because Chinese culture doesn’t have the practice of the woman taking her husband’s last name.)

This house was recently bought by Ye Mingxin at the end of last year, but she had only officially moved in when Han Fiexu and Yiyi had returned to China. Yan Yuerong has only been here once, but she already knows about the matter of Ye Mingxin and Han Feixu sleeping in separate rooms. 

As she waited for the door to open, Yan Yuerong looked at the closed door on the opposite side and sighed silently. 

The door opened before she could finish sighing and her expression stiffened before she quickly put on a smiling face, “Feixu, am I bothering you?” 

Han Feixu clasped her hands behind her back and stepped to the side with a smile, “No, no, come on in.” 

When Yan Yuerong knocked on the door, Han Feixu sent a message to Ye Mingxin at the speed of life and death, but she didn’t know if the other party had seen it yet. 

As Yan Yuerong walked in, Han Fiexu quietly slid her phone to the side and out of sight as she sat down opposite Yan Yuerong.

Neither she nor Yan Yuerong spoke and the two could only smile awkwardly at each other. 

Han Feixu didn’t understand. She’s smiling awkwardly because she doesn’t know Yan Yuerong, but why is Yan Yuerong smiling awkwardly back at her?

Yan Yuerong nervously tapped the armrest of the sofa and then suddenly brought up a topic, “Feixu, I’ve read the news. You did good, everyone likes you now. Seeing you like this…it seems you are ready to make a comeback?” 

“I’ve already started my comeback, Liang-jie is looking into a script for me as we speak.” 

“Oh….” Yan Yuerong grew quiet for a while and then suddenly her eyes lit up, “Or why don’t I invest in a movie, you can play the heroine and then let Mingxin co-star with you, how about it?” 

Co-star with Ye Mingxin???? Does she even have the qualifications to do that?

Han Feixu quickly shook her head like a rattle drum*, “N-No need.” (*T/N: See here)

However, Yan Yuerong was quite persistent, “What’s the matter? We’re all one family! I’ll provide the money, so you don’t have to worry about making too much or too little. And as your first film for your comeback, we of course have to make sure to shoot the best film possible!” 

Han Feixu felt distressed, “Auntie*, I really don’t need it! Liang-jie already has a plan arranged for me!” (*T/N: The word Auntie is a common title/honorific for an older woman and it does not actually signify blood relation) 

“….Auntie?” Yan Yuerong’s expression stiffened.

In the heat of the moment, she forgot to change the honorific! Han Feixu really wished she could knock herself out with a block of frozen tofu* right about now. (*T/N: It’s a meme in China when you regret something you say “I’m going to kill myself by knocking my head against this block of frozen tofu!” Culture gap ig, y’all missing out on the trollish memes China has)

Yan Yuerong’s face collapsed. She was even more cautious than before and looked even more obedient than when Han Feixu was being scolded by Ye Mingxin, “Feixu, are you still angry with me?”

Han Feixu: “Huh?” 

“I know that back then it was my fault. I should not have ‘treated gold like a stone’ nor should I have used that Lingyuan girl as an excuse, but isn’t that all in the past? I-I understand that I was wrong. Your dad and your grandparents* have already scolded me for it and Mingxin hasn’t properly talked to me for years because of this. Besides, after the two of you got married, I have regarded you as my own daughter. Tell me, have I treated you badly these past few years? I treat you even better than Mingxin, so why won’t you call me ‘mom’ anymore?!” (*T/N: I believe the dad and grandparents she’s talking about here is Ye Mingxin’s dad and grandparents, not Han Feixu’s)

The more she talked, the more Yan Yuerong got worked up, “You won’t call me ‘mom’ anymore, you don’t want Mingxin anymore, just what do you want Feixu? If you want to divorce, there must be a good reason for it, right? Is there a third party between the two of you?”

Han Feixu was dumbfounded, where did all this come from? 

Yan Yuerong continued to speculate, “No, that’s not possible. Other than being unable to accept discipline from others, Mingxin doesn’t have any other shortcomings! Even if you beat her to death, she wouldn’t find a third party. If she really did go out and find one, then I won’t recognize her as my daughter anymore! If there’s no third party, then the only other reason I can think of is Lingyuan’s matter. So in the end, you still blame me.” 

Yan Yuerong was so anxious that she was about to cry, “Feixu, Mom admits her mistakes. Don’t be angry anymore, ok?  Everything is my fault, Mingxin and Yiyi are innocent!” 

Han Feixu was about to cry too! She finally realized that the old lady had just used “seeing her granddaughter” as an excuse. She was actually here to do ideological work*! (*T/N: translates poorly in English but “思想工作” basically means propaganda or trying to persuade a party to certain beliefs by triggering certain feelings. Idk im bad at explaining things)

Ye Mingxin was shooting an advertisement for a skincare brand and glanced at her phone when they were applying her makeup. She saw that Han Feixu had sent her a message. 

——Your mother is here, hurry up and save me!!!!

Ye Mingxin: “….” 

Are you sure it’s her mother and not the devil?

She exited out of the chat interface and was about to call Yan Yuerong when her phone vibrated again with a second message following shortly after. 

——Sorry, I’ve been killed.

“….”

---

Han Feixu couldn’t withstand the tactics of the middle-aged woman. The tactic of an elder apologizing repeatedly with a sincere face and an attitude of “if you don’t listen I won’t leave” was very effective. She could only admit defeat and tell her everything. 

Yan Yuerong was shocked, “Amnesia?” 

Han Feixu sat up properly and nodded, “I went to the hospital and checked it twice, but they couldn’t find out what caused it, and I couldn’t remember what happened.”

Yan Yuerong’s expression was blank, Han Feixu had no idea what she was thinking and could only continue: “I was afraid of worrying you and the rest of the family, so I didn’t let Ye Mingxin tell anyone. This, are you okay?” 

She asked Yan Yuerong once and didn’t receive an answer. So she asked a second time and only then did Yan Yuerong turn her attention back to her and asked her in a confused tone, “Did you forget everything or just parts of it?”

Han Feixu blinked a few times, “I’ve forgotten everything that’s occurred since May 2008.”

May 2008….isn’t that before they had met each other? 

This is an amazing opportunity given by the heavens! 

The light in Yan Yuerong’s eyes resembled that of an eagle who hasn’t eaten in three days. Han Feixu was a little bit scared by her, “Auntie, you….” 

“Call me ‘Mom.’” 

“…..Mom.” 

Yan Yuerong smiled and said, “Ai, it’s fine if you have amnesia. As long as we carefully take care of you it should be fine, but, ah, amnesia is still a disease. You can’t say it’s a big or small disease, but one should still pay attention to it. When Mingxin comes back, I will remind her to take care of you more. She can take a break from work, after all, taking care of one’s wife is the most important thing!” 

“Oh, right, since something like this has happened, it’ll be harder for you to take care of the child. This problem is easy to solve, I’ll help you. Starting from today, I will stay here. I’ll take care of Yiyi for you. Your task is to recover from your illness and Mingxin’s task is to take good care of you.” 

She must take that third wheel, Yiyi, away. First, this allows her to spend more time with her granddaughter. Second, it’ll also create opportunities for the couple to be alone and cultivate feelings. Third, Yiyi could be considered as a hostage. As long as Yiyi is still in the country, even if Han Feixu suddenly remembers everything, she would not leave without a word like before. 

Three birds with one stone! This old ginger is still quite spicy*~ (T/N:  a saying that means that an old person is still quick-minded, experienced, full of tricks or strength despite their old age.)

Han Feixu didn’t object to Yan Yuerong staying. After all, she’ll be more assured with the grandmother taking care of her child than a bodyguard or a housekeeper. But…what about the grandfather? 

When Yan Yuerong heard Han Feixu’s question, she waved her hand in a domineering manner, “Don’t worry about him, let him fend for himself in Shanghai. It’s not like he’ll die of starvation if I’m not there.” 

…..Ok.

Seeing that Han Feixu didn’t have any other questions, Yan Yuerong happily went downstairs to find her driver and assistant and asked them to bring her luggage to the old residence. She’ll live here tonight and move into the old residence tomorrow. 

She was so happy that she forgot one big problem. Only when Han Feixu mentioned it did she remember, “Aunt-…..Mom, you said something about a Lingyuan? Who is Lingyuan?”

“….” 

The name sounded familiar so Han Feixu continued to ask, “Does it have anything to do with a Jiang Lingyan?” 

Yan Yuerong quickly turned around to look back at her in horror, “Did you remember something?” 

“No. Are they related or something?” 

“L-Lingyuan is the daughter of one of my old friends.” Yan Yuerong hesitantly replied. 

How could the daughter of an old friend have anything to do with her marriage with Ye Mingxin? She knew there was more to the story and stared at Yan Yuerong calmly as she waited for her to continue. 

Yan Yuerong could only admit defeat and tell her everything. However, for the sake of her daughter’s precarious marriage, she could only tell a half-truth, “Lingyuan and Mingxin used to be bound together by a verbal marriage contract. I originally thought that the relationship between the two is good, and it also strengthens the ties between the two families. This was decided by me, but Mingxin did not agree. When she heard about the engagement, she ran away from home to become a star! Now the two of them have no relations with each other. Mingxin also hates Lingyuan very much, she gets annoyed at the sight of Lingyuan!”

Yan Yuerong spoke the truth, but only half of it. She didn’t dare to reveal the other half of the truth, such as why Ye Mingxin hates Jiang Lingyuan so much. 

Han Feixu nodded in understanding. So, that is to say, Jiang Lingyuan used to be Ye Mingxin’s former fiance. 

Han Feixu’s expression was unreadable and Yan Yuerong couldn’t figure out whether she was angry or not. She could only wait for Ye Mingxin to come back and honestly tell her everything. 

Ye Mingxin came home late, it was already past eleven when she arrived home. She was surprised to see that Yan Yuerong was waiting for her. However, after hearing Yan Yuerong’s words, Ye Mingxin could only rub her forehead and say, “Mom, why would you tell her these things?” 

“Well I didn’t know she had forgotten everything at the time! You brat, why didn’t you tell me earlier? If you had told me earlier, why would I willingly bring up Lingyuan!” 

Ye Mingxin rubbed her forehead in an exasperated manner and stood up from the sofa, “I’m going to bed, you should go to sleep as well. Tomorrow morning you will go to Grandpa’s house, so don’t talk to Han Feixu anymore.”

Knowing that she was in the wrong, Yan Yuerong could only purse her lips and go stay in the guest room for the night. 

Ye Mignxin went upstairs and stopped in front of Han Feixu’s door. She was afraid that Han Feixu was asleep so she didn’t want to bother her and instead went straight back to her room. 

In reality, Han Feixu was actually still awake and lying in her bed as she searched on her phone about the two sisters: Jiang Lingyan and Jiang Lingyuan. 

Jiang Lingyan, a professional screenwriter, director, film, and television investor. She’s 29 years old this year and mainly directs commercials, variety shows, and documentaries. As for screenwriting, she only writes scripts for films. Her scripts have two special characteristics: exquisite and bold. She shoots films that others do not dare to shoot and writes things others dare not to write. People in the industry nicknamed her “Skin-Flayer Jiang” because every actor she has worked with has had a layer of their face peeled off*. If the actor in her films cannot withstand having a layer of skin being torn off by her, then they have not worked hard enough. (*T/N: figuratively,obviously, face=reputation/pride and tearing a layer of skin is like stripping away one’s pride)

…..was she really that scary? 

As for Jiang Lingyuan, there was not much written about her except that she is Jiang Lingyan’s little sister. Her age and occupation are unknown. There were some blurry or too far away photos, yet one could tell that she was a big beauty. Baidu* classifies her as a socialite. Apparently, she knows a lot of people in the entertainment circle, but she doesn’t get involved in the circle itself. She only invests in some projects with her sister occasionally, and she has never entered the career herself.  (*T/N: the Google of China)

Han Feixu found Jiang Lingyuan’s Weibo and found that she was indeed a socialite. Every aspect of her life is rich and exquisite. However, she doesn’t often post selfies. Not to mention, she only posts about two or three photos a year. When Han Feixu did find a picture of her, she had to zoom in. 

Jiang Lingyuan was more petite than her sister and was more cute than seductive. Her sister, Jiang Lingyan, always wore a pair of light gold and old-fashioned glasses and exuded a talented and scholarly air but lacked the stunning looks that would turn heads. Meanwhile, Jiang Lingyuan was the type that made people’s eyes brighten with just a glance. With big energetic eyes, a pointed chin, and rosy lips, she would cause heads to turn so quickly it would be flattened by the speed. Han Feixu’s first thought when she saw her was a famous foreign character——Lolita. (T/N: No, she is not referring to the term loli-con or loli or the fashion style but the character itself from the Russian novel)

She was not like Lolita in terms of looks, but in the fact that they had the same temperament. Other than being precocious and cute, Lolita was also well known for her self-willedness and for being a rather headstrong person. 

Immediately, Han Feixu came up with a 500,000 words long plot for a female villain supporting character. 

*A scene from Han Feixu’s imagination*

Jiang Lingyuan: “Mingxin is mine, you damn bit*h! You don’t even deserve to lick my shoes, how dare you try and steal my woman from me! Damn you! Someone come and scar her face for me!” 

Hmmm….seems to be a little too exaggerated. 

---

When she woke up the next day, it was already late morning. She had slept late last night thinking about her dog-blooded plot and so she woke up late as well. Everyone had already left the house and she was left all alone in the big house. 

Yan Yuerong had gone to Grandfather Ye’s house, the old residence, to unpack her things, Yiyi went to school, and Ye Mingxin went to work to shoot some more commercials. Even Auntie Li went out to buy groceries for the day. She was the only one who had nothing to do. 

Han Feixu ate the breakfast left by Auntie Li and then did some exercises. Liang Zhu had already told her that she must maintain her figure and she can’t eat like she did before when she was in high school. Han Feixu couldn’t bear to cut down her meals, but she had to follow orders and could only make up for it by exercising more.  

After getting off the treadmill, Han Feixu opened Weibo and wanted to see what was going on today. The hot searches about her and Chi Qiu have gone down today, but another similarly eye-catching topic turned up. 

#Chi Qiu Delete#

She clicked on the hot search and was sent to a Weibo marketing account that showed a screenshot of a post Chi Qiu had deleted earlier. 

—What kind of show only knows how to distort others’ words? A show that only uses editing for its own schemes? How can you call yourself a tv show, what’s the difference between you and a vulgar tabloid that plays everything up for the sake of profit? I really regret participating in this kind of show, not only did it cause trouble for me but for others as well. 

This post was posted on Chi Qiu’s account but was deleted within ten seconds after being sent. The comments were in an uproar but no matter what they asked or said, Chi Qiu’s Weibo was calm and silent. Fans began to speculate which show made Chi Qiu so frustrated. It wasn’t that hard to guess as the only show that Chi Qiu went on recently that would do such hateful things to their artists was that one unreleased web show. 

The web show’s publicity team was so angry that they stomped in frustration and pulled out their hair. Before shooting the show, Chi Qiu had posted a selfie that attracted most of the traffic. The viewers flocked to their show because they were curious about Chi Qiu and Han Feixu’s relationship. Since Chi Qiu was so open about their relationship, and although the viewers may have been shocked for a second, there was not much else to say about it. Therefore, if the show had gone with its original plans of making the two seem like they had some sort of antagonistic relationship, they would have been the ones criticized instead. 

So, the show had decided to replace a few questions and then edit the finished product to make a fuss. However, Chi Qiu made another fuss and now they didn’t know what to do. If they edited the episode to make it seem like the two had a fight, then wouldn’t they be practically confessing to their wrongdoings? 

The director pondered over it for a long time before deciding to duke it out with Chi Qiu. Alright, if she can insinuate, then so can they? Isn’t this simply a tactic of forcing the black pot* onto the other? Who doesn’t know how to do this! (*T/N: black pot is slang for “blame”)

The director then ordered their copywriter to write a statement of clarification as soon as possible and shift the attention onto Chi Qiu being late and almost breaching the contract instead. Simply write a sensational piece about how Chi Qiu was using her fame and her name to bully them. The more aggrieved and wronged they acted, the better. 

The copywriter did what was asked and quickly gave the director his finished writing. The boss stood in the middle of the office, his eyes narrowing in thought. Chi Qiu dares to fight with him? Chi Qiu is but a little actor, can a little arm beat a big thigh? The most dispensable thing in the world is actors. This woman doesn’t know when to accommodate to the circumstance, a stubborn fool. Such a stupid woman, who would want her? It’s no wonder Shi Xi had cheated on this woman. 

Why can’t she open her eyes and see reality? If she jumps out and says all that, what’s the use? Although she is speaking up for Han Feixu with her words, does Han Feixu even care? The young actress is still hiding behind her screen, pretending not to care and holding herself up high while Chi Qiu enters the dirty waters. 

The director laughed at Chi Qiu in his heart when suddenly one of the staff members turned around and looked up at him, “Director, Han Feixu gave Chi Qiu a like!” 

The director: “…..” His face hurts. 

Han Feixu had personally witnessed Chi Qiu use her Weibo so she knew that Chi Qiu’s Weibo was operated by the artist herself and not her assistant. Han Feixu wanted to return the favor but since the post was deleted, she could not comment and could only go to a thread with the most comments discussing the matter and then give it a like. 

Soon afterward, Chi Qiu sent her a message through WeChat.

【Chi Qiu: ??? What are you doing?】

【Han Feixu: Supporting you?】

【Chi Qiu: …Are you not afraid of retaliation? Their director is the managing director of the entire local radio/television media group. If you offend him, you will not have good fruit to eat.*】(T/N: An idiom that says the consequences will be bad)

【Han Feixu:  I’m not afraid, I have money.】

The subtext of her words was: she’s not afraid of having her career blocked because she’s not short of money anyway. 

Chi Qiu used to be a student of Beijing’s Communication University. When she was still in college, she went abroad to work as a war correspondent for half a year and she specialized in exposing anti-human and anti-human rights issues carried out by the local regime during the war. It was only later when she went to Taiwan for an exchange program that she was spotted by a talent scout and entered the entertainment industry. 

Although she hasn’t been a reporter for many years now, the fighting spirit of a reporter still resides in her heart! 

She typed out a bunch of words, warning to educate on Han Feixu’s lackadaisical mentality of being wealthy and not taking others seriously. Her chat box was filled with her words and she had written out a whole essay but she wasn’t even finished yet. 

Sure enough, although she a journalist who changed jobs, she still has a lot to say = =

But before she could finish her message and send it, Han Feixu beat her to it. 

【Han Feixu: Gao Changxiu also liked it. 】

Chi Qiu’s fingers paused and then deleted everything she had said before, started typing again, but then after a while…

【Han Feixu: Oh, he took it back. 】

Chi Qiu stopped again, deleted her words again, and started typing again. Two seconds later, Han Feixu sent a new message.

【Han Feixu: He is also on the hot search.】

Chi Qiu: “…..”

(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻ Forget it, I’m not typing anymore! Everything keeps changing one by one, I can’t help but worry! 

Currently in the top three of the hot searched lists was (1) Chi Qiu deleting her post, (2) Gao Changxiu’s hand “accidentally” slipping, and (3) Han Feixu liking Chi Qiu’s post. 

Now the netizens no longer have to guess. As long as your IQ is greater than a husky’s, one would know which show these three people were alluding to. When the director saw this, he wanted to hit someone. This is a rebellion! A rebellion! These three artists are fighting their show together! 

The director pushed aside the document the copywriter gave him and prepared to write a statement himself, but he had just his head when the subordinate next to him raised his head from the phone and said: “Director, Ye Mingxin also liked it.” 

…….

How does this have anything to do with Ye Mingxin?!!

The director was bewildered, the people across the nation were even more puzzled than him. Thus, in one fell swoop, Ye Mingxin surpassed Chi Qiu to take the first spot in the hot search. The people on the sides who were eating melon seeds were curious. Even Chi Qiu put down her phone and asked her agent, “Why did Ye Mingxin like it?” 

How could the agent know? She could only give a guess, “Maybe because…she walked by and noticed all the chaos and couldn’t help joining in?”

Chi Qiu: “….” 

At this moment, another two parties were talking on the phone. 

Ye Mingxin: “If anything like this happens again in the future, you should tell me as soon as possible.”

Han Feixu: “And then? You’ll give me a like?” 

Ye Mingxin chuckled lightly: “How could I just give a like? I will personally step on stage and pick up my glowsticks to cheer you on.” 

“I would rather you not do that. As soon as you appear, everyone will explode. What happens if someone discovers our secret?” 

“If they find out then they’ll find out..” Ye Mingxin said nonchalantly like she didn’t care, “Our marriage was kept secret then because we went with the general trend and our foundations were not stable yet. If we had announced our marriage then it would not have been good for our career development. But now everything has changed, fans will no longer turn away just because their idol got married. It’s even better if they find out for themselves and save me the trouble of making a public announcement.” 

Han Feixu’s eyes widened, “You would publicly announce it?!”

Ye Mingxin slightly frowned “Why can’t I?”

“Of course you can’t!” Han Feixu realized that her tone was a little too harsh and softened it, “It’s better to avoid unnecessary complications. If you announce it now, what will you do later? Just think about it, not long after the marriage announcement gets out, the divorce will be announced. That will not be good for my image at all.”

The voice on the other side of the phone was silent for about half a minute before Ye Mingxin spoke again: “I see.” 

Han Feixu felt somewhat guilty, but after thinking about it, she decided she hadn’t said anything wrong. Think about it, are they going to live like this forever, stuck in a limbo of uncertainty? In the past, they were getting divorced because of some irreconcilable contradictions between the two of them Although there is no longer any conflict between the two of them, there is no feeling at all. If there are no longer any feelings, what is the point of staying? 

To be honest, Ye Mingxin understood what Han Feixu was thinking. She was just blinded by the current peace and deceiving herself with this illusion. Ever since Han Fiexu has lost her memory, her attitude towards Ye Mingxin has improved a lot but this was because she no longer loved her and similarly, she no longer hated her either. 

After hanging up the phone, Ye Mingxin slumped in her seat and gently rubbed the jade bracelet on her wrist. Meanwhile, Lan Zhu was flipping through this week’s schedule and turned around to ask Ye Mingxin, “Mingxin-jie, this Sunday is Xu Zhiyin’s birthday, the company is holding a birthday party for her. The invitation has already been delivered to us, shall we go? Or should we do what we did last year and simply give her a birthday present?” 

The third of this month is Xu Zhiyin’s birthday party, and the day after Ye Mingxin is shooting a new movie. There is not much time to rest in between and since Ye Mingxin and Xu Zhiyin don’t really know each other, there is no point in going to the birthday party. 

Ye Mingxin was about to reject the invitation when she remembered that Han Feixu had told her a few days ago that she wanted to participate in a new variety show directed by Jiang Lingyan. She raised her chin and searched through her memories, “Have Jiang Linyan cooperated with Xu Zhiyin before?” 

“Yes, in《Nine deaths, one life》Xu Zhiyin sang all the music played during the show.” 

《Nine deaths, one life》is a survival variety show that Jiang Lingyan had just finished filming during the first half of the year. Every season there were ten players and in each episode one of the players “dies”. There is also a resurrection match in the middle for a total of ten episodes with only one survivor at the end crowned champion. 

Since they’ve worked together recently, Jiang Linyan will most definitely participate in Zu Zhiyin’s birthday and if Jiang Linyan is going then Han Feixu will most likely go too. 

“Tell them I’m going, but I won’t stay for too long.”

“Ok! Sunday…..the deadline will….” 

Lan Zhu continued to talk but Ye Mingxin had already tuned her out. She looked out the window and exhaled a deep breath before slowly closing her eyes. 

---

Liang Zhu had just arrived in Zhejiang and had barely entered the hospital when she learned about what happened on the show. For the most part, she was just relieved that Han Feixu had peacefully finished recording the show and hadn’t directly confronted the show’s director. 

She wanted to settle her accounts with the show’s program group as soon as possible, but she couldn’t be in two places at once. She was far too busy with other matters. The company had assigned her two newcomers last month, one is the enthusiastic Ren Shuang and the other is the fresh-faced idol, Mao Yangjun.  He had come to Zhejiang to participate in a variety show but fell into a river during the shooting. The temperature here is only five degrees celsius, so although Mao Yangjun was saved only a minute or so later, he had fallen unconscious due to the cold. 

Luckily he had woken up quickly, but when he woke up he grabbed onto Liang Zhu and claimed that someone had purposely tripped him into the water. He also told her that his life jacket had gone missing before crossing into the river and his assistant had to give him his own life jacket that ended up saving his life. 

Liang Zhu didn’t know if what he said was true or false. She had watched the video, but before he had fallen in, the cameras had turned to focus on the two famous stars, Yuan Jize and Zhang Haole. As a newcomer, he did not have any cameras trained on him at all. 

Liang Zhu went outside for a smoke break to think when she thought about taking a look at Han Feixu’s growing popularity on Weibo to comfort herself. As a result, she saw the “three consecutive likes” incident and the chaos that erupted on the Internet. 

“…..” She could only sigh. 

When the weekend arrived, Liang Zhu returned to Beijing with the almost-fully-back-to-health Mao Yangjun. The next day was Xu Zhiyun’s birthday party and basically, everyone from the company would be there. All of Liang Zhu’s people, Han Feixu, Su Jue, Ren Shuang, and Mao Yangjun, will be going. 

The night before, Liang Zhu had sat down on the sofa and asked with cigarette smoke in her mouth, “You guys tell me, do you think what he said was true?”

Han Feixu and Shen Sangluo sat beside her and like two part-time workers, one of them printed the stickers and the other one packed the boxes up for delivery. 

Han Feixu: “Well, is he the kind of person who lies?” 

“I don’t know, I have only worked with him for about a month and haven’t investigated his true character yet. From what I’ve seen so far, he seems okay, but in this industry, one cannot judge a person by their cover. They’re all actors, how can you easily believe them?” 

Han Feixu pondered over it for a second, “If someone wanted to harm him, they must have some kind of enmity with him. Has he offended anyone recently?” 

“He says he hasn’t.” 

Han Feixu couldn’t understand, “What are they trying to do by killing him off on a variety show? With so many people there, it’s impossible to kill him without being found out, but since this is a live show, outsiders wouldn’t know what happened due to editing. Is it because the people who wanted to murder him just wanted to see him struggle?” 

Han Feixu’s inferences were based on her own experience, which was much too shallow. Liang Zhu’s thoughts were deeper, “You might be right. Out of seven billion people in the world, there are millions of idiots out there and it’s not rare to find one or two in the industry. They might really just be that stupid to pull a scheme in front of so many people. However, I have another speculation.” 

“What is it?” 

Liang Zhu smiled, she put her cigarette out in the ashtray, “Say, could it be Mao Yangjun who did it himself?”

Han Feixu was dumbfounded, “Isn’t that a little too much?” 

Liang Zhu lowered her eyes, “No it’s not too much. How else does one get ahead in this industry? Of course, this is all just based on conjecture. I must wait and see. The one who gets the most benefits out of this, in the end, will most likely be the attempted killer.” 

Their guessing came to an end and Shen Sangluo put down the printer in her hand, “I only have one question.” 

Liang Zhu turned her head. She was willing to listen to anyone’s opinion at this point, “Speak.” 

“Why is it that on my only free Saturday night, I’m here helping you work! My nightlife is disappearing because of you!” 

Liang Zhu: “Your nightlife disappeared 800 years ago.” 

Han Feixu: “No, it was never there in the first place.” 

Shen Sangluo: “….” I’m going to rebel. 

Liang Zhu ignored Shen Sangluo and turned to look at Han Feixu, “Tomorrow is Xu Zhiyin’s birthday party, do you remember?

“I remember. Yuanyuan said she’ll come to my house in advance tomorrow to do my makeup.” 

Liang Zhu was a little surprised, “You’re letting her into your house? Does she already know that you have a child?” 

“No, she doesn’t and Yiyi won’t be at home tomorrow. She’s going with her grandmother to the old residence and will not come back until next Monday.” 

“That’s fine then.” Liang Zhu chuckled, “make sure to dress up. Xu Zhiyin always dresses up in the most eye-catching way, so everyone’s attention will be on her. No matter what you wear, it will not overwhelm her.” 

“No problem.” 

---

The birthday party starts at 7 o’clock in the evening, but Zhong Yuanyuan arrives at 5 o’clock to help Han Feixu pick out her outfit. Together they went through Han Feixu’s closet but after 10 minutes of searching, they still did not find an outfit they were satisfied with. 

The door was not closed so Ye Mingxin walked straight in. The two of them were standing in front of the closet so they did not notice her come in. One slender arm reached out and grabbed a long dress hidden in the corner. 

Han Feixu turned around and Ye Mingxin stared back at her, “Wear this one, this one fits your figure the best.” 

Zhong Yuanyuan froze for a moment before she greeted Ye Mingxin.Ye Mingxin responded with a smile but in less than a second she fixed her gaze onto Han Feixu again, “Try it on?” 

This is a strapless tube-top dress made with pure black fabric with a thin layer of velvet on top. After putting it on, almost one’s entire cleavage is exposed. The designer was very particular with how much fabric was used and if it was just a little bit lower, then everything would be revealed. 

The lower part of the dress is double-layered and  made of a gauze type of fabric that had a metallic luster to it. The black lines sharpened the outlines of the dress and the dark green tones made it look mysterious, like a forest on a dark night. 

Zhong Yuanyuan felt that Han Feixu couldn’t wear it like this. She has a high schooler mentality right now and probably couldn’t even wear a low-cut dress much less a dress that was so revealing. 

However, Han Feixu’s eyes lit up, “This one’s pretty, I want to try it!”

Zhong Yuanyuan: “….”

Han Feixu went into the bathroom to change clothes. Ye Mingxin saw Zhong Yuanyuan’s dumbfounded appearance and explained, “She used to perform in an orchestra and especially liked to wear low-cut evening dresses.” 

As the saying goes, “one’s thoughts are formed by their appearance.” Han Feixu has a devilishly beautiful face and naturally had all the characteristics of a demoness, such as a flirtatious personality. 

This type of personality was rather annoying to deal with because of how clueless the actual person is of their own charms. If you tell her that her dress looks sexy she will look back at you in shock and say, ‘Really? How is this sexy?? But I wasn’t trying to be sexy when I picked out this dress?’ 

After she finished changing her clothes, Zhong Yuanyuan put on a light smokey-eyed western-style make-up on her. Since Han Feixu’s facial features were already very distinct for an Asian person, when she wore this type of makeup, she even looked a bit Russian. 

Zhong Yuanyuan put on a necklace for her and then said emotionally, “Just how many fans will die to hug your thighs just for your appearance.” 

Han Feixu replied back in an embarrassed tone but the smile on her face was overflowing, “Aiyo~ No way, I’m not that pretty~~” 

Zhong Yuanyuan simply smiled and finished the second half of her sentence, “Let them interact with you for a day, no, half a day, and they’ll learn about your narcissistic attitude. Then they’ll weep bitterly and regret being your fan as they retract their worship.” 

Han Feixu: “….” Hateful. 

She left the house half an hour earlier than Ye Mingxin, but Ye Mingxin only arrived ten minutes behind her. When Han Feixu arrived, Liang Zhu was already there. When she saw Han Feixu, she looked her up and down and said, “Not bad, not bad, very beautiful.” 

“Let’s go, I’ll take you to meet Xu Zhiyin.” 

Han Feixu looked past her and saw three other people behind Liang Zhu. It was Su Jue and the two newcomers. Su Jue waved happily at her while eating a snack and the other two young people nodded at her with a smile. Han Feixu’s eyes stayed on Mao Yangjun for half a second longer. Just like Liang-jie had described, he seemed like a very sunny and innocent person. 

Sunny and simple, is this the common personality that all idols have? Gao Changxiu was like this as well. 

Han Feixu and Liang Zhu left the rest behind to greet Xu Zhiyin. Xu Zhiyin used to be a three-string star who has just become popular in the past two years. At first, she was just a model, then she started acting and then she started singing. Although her first two careers weren’t well-received, her last career change has made her famous all over the nation. 

Han Feixu simply said a perfunctory “happy birthday” to Xu Zhiyin, and then gave her the gift she bought before stepping to the side. She came here to get to know the people in the company and meet Jiang Lingyan. However, she didn’t find Jiang Lingyan yet when another person approached her first. 

Han Feixu was talking to Su Jue when Su Jue suddenly elbowed her in the arm, “That woman behind you has been looking at you for a long time. Do you know her?” 

Han Feixu turned her head and almost jumped in shock. Why was Jiang Lingyuan here? 

Jiang Lingyuan was one of the investors in 《Nine deaths, one life》and originally she hadn’t wanted to come today, but she never expected to see Han Feixu here. 

Han. Fei. Xu. 

Jiang Lingyuan clenched her fists and wasn’t even listening to the person who was currently talking to her. She just kept staring at Han Feixu. 

Han Feixu stared back at her silently and confirmed that the look in the other person’s eyes was indeed of someone who regarded her as their most hated enemy. 

She quickly found Liang Zhu, “I’ve mostly met with everyone I was supposed to meet today. When will Jiang Lingyan arrive?” 

“It’s already half-past seven, perhaps she’s not coming today after all?” 

The party was already in full swing and Xu Zhiyin was surrounded by a large group of people as she cut the cake. Han Feixu asked Liang Zhu in a whisper, “Then can I go now?” 

Ye Mignxin was sitting not too far away from her. Someone would always come up to talk to her and she rejected each one with a sentence or two. Ye Mingxin hated these types of events and only came because she was afraid that something was going to happen to Han Feixu. 

She had also noticed Jiang Lingyuan and noticed how the other’s attention had been solely focused on Han Feixu. Ye Mingxin was feeling very annoyed in her heart. She had said it so many times, but when will Jiang Lingyan learn to control that little sister of hers?

Su Jue saw that Han Feixu was leaving and set down her wine glass, “Don’t go yet, everyone’s going to sing karaoke together later. Let’s go together~” 

Unable to refuse Su Jue’s persistent invitations, Han Feixu had no choice but to agree. Anyhow, she has nothing else to do and if she’s in a public setting Jiang Lingyuan wouldn’t dare to do anything to her. Even if she does try anything then she will attack first! She will scratch Jiang Lingyuan’s beautiful face before she can scratch hers! 

Werewolf* Han, who has never fought, cursed at, or even punched a person, resolutely decided in her heart. (*T/N: Werewolf here is referring to the internet slang of someone who is very ruthless and portrays themselves as someone powerful)

---

As the party neared its end, everyone started noisily making their way to a local KTV. Since Han Feixu wasn’t leaving, Ye Mingxin sent her a WeChat message and learned that she was going to go singing with the others. So Ye Mingxin had no choice but to follow her. 

Meanwhile, Xu Zhiyin was puzzled by Ye Mingxin’s actions. Didn’t she say she wasn’t going to stay for long? Why is she even going to the KTV with them? 

A lot of people left halfway through and only about 20 or so people were left. They booked the largest private room and then the night of howling and crying began. 

That night, Han Feixu learned one thing: not all actors can sing. Even if these actors all look like beautiful immortals, when they open their mouths, they become simple mortals. 

Han Feixu’s singing was pretty good, but not many people noticed. Then after staying in the stuffy private room for a long time, she decided to go out and get some fresh air. 

When Han Feixu arrived at the bathroom, she had barely turned on the water and was about to wash her hands when Jiang Lingyuan walked in. 

Han Feixu turned her head around with a shocked expression and saw Jiang Lingyuan walk in wearing a short, fluffy dress. 

Jiang Lingyuan then proceeded to kick open all the stall doors one by one to make sure no one was in there. After making sure no one else was in there except for them, she turned around to look at Han Feixu with a dark expression. 

Han Feixu felt her heart jump into her throat. So it turns out the storybooks were true, girls really do like to do their fighting in the bathroom! 

(｡-∀-) Han Feixu’s problem of getting distracted from the main point will probably not be corrected even in her next life~ 

Jiang Lingyuan clenched her hands together tightly, as if she was enduring something. She used all of her strength, so her knuckles were turning white. 

“Han Feixu.” 

“Han Feixu!” 

“Han Feixu!!!”

Han Feixu really wanted to only ask her one sentence: What do you want to do?!!! Can you not grit your teeth so scarily when you’re calling my name?!!

As if hearing the voice in her heart, Jiang Lingyuan did not call out her name anymore and instead rushed over = =

Han Feixu turned around quickly to avoid Jiang Lingyuan’s pounce but Jiang Lingyuan reacted quickly and grabbed Han Feixu’s arm. Han Feixu thought her next move was to lift her other hand and then give her a big slap across the face. She was ready to slap her back when Jiang Lingyuan suddenly collapsed and began to cry against her shoulder. 

“Han Feixu! Why?! You’re getting divorced, so why can’t you consider me? I like you so much, I can give you whatever you want. I’m young enough, beautiful enough, and my family isn’t bad either. Just what about me isn’t worthy of you? Why won’t you like me? Even if you don’t like me, that’s fine, but why do you have to avoid me! You’re too much! Wuwuwuwuwu!” 

Han Feixu: “???????” Girl, what are you talking about?!

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T/N: 

The “girl” used in the last sentence is a northeastern dialect’s slang word. It more accurately translates to “little old girl” but a simple ‘girl’ roughly gets the same point across) 

Sidenote: My google docs kept crashing due to how long this chapter was lol….

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