Pei Yubai is the illegitimate son of the Pei Family.
No one knows this except the Pei Family, including Zhou Qingyu.
Yan Xi only learned about this hidden background of Pei Yubai after dreaming about the novel's plot.
The secret remained undisclosed even when Zhou Qingyu was sent to a remote island to dig sweet potatoes.
Pei Yubai and his half-brother Pei Hanli share the same father but different mothers. Pei Yubai is the child of a mistress Pei's Father kept. When Pei Yubai was ten, he was brought back to the Pei Family, and his mother also returned, taking on the role of a nanny.
During their years in the Pei Family, Pei Yubai and his mother kept a low profile, behaving dutifully and modestly. It wasn’t until three years ago, when Madam Pei passed away, that Pei Yubai revealed his true colors and began competing with Pei Hanli for the Pei Family’s wealth.
Due to his status as an "illegitimate son," Pei Yubai was unable to gain access to the core of the Pei Family’s power. After facing setbacks in the Pei Corporation for a year, Pei Yubai decided to start fresh. He aimed to prove his business acumen to Old man Pei first, hoping to eventually integrate himself into the Pei Corporation.
He ventured into the entertainment industry and established Tianhui Entertainment Company. As the CEO of Tianhui, he also ensured that the company remained a subsidiary of the Pei Corporation, making Tianhui his power base within the Pei Family.
Around the same time, Zhou Qingyu met Pei Yubai and quickly fell in love. To pursue him, she joined Starlight Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Zhou Group, and handed over many of Starlight’s resources to Tianhui, much to her father’s frustration.
Blinded by love, Zhou Qingyu paid no heed to these matters, only wishing for Pei Yubai’s success.
Thus, Pei Yubai’s "self-made" entertainment company rapidly grew within two years, becoming a notable name in the industry. The company’s top artist was none other than the novel’s female protagonist, Ye Luoyi.
Zhou Qingyu generously handed over resources to Pei Yubai, and whenever he wanted to meet her in the evening, she would eagerly rush to Tianhui Entertainment.
In a phone call, Pei Yubai told Zhou Qingyu that he only wanted to discuss the upcoming variety show, and the meeting wouldn’t take long. Zhou Qingyu, who had already spent the afternoon comforting Yan Xi, noticed that Yan Xi’s "heartbreak" had significantly improved. Without hesitation, Zhou Qingyu agreed to meet.
The Bentley stopped in front of Tianhui Entertainment’s building. Zhou Qingyu asked Yan Xi to wait in the car while she went inside.
As she watched Zhou Qingyu’s retreating figure, Yan Xi couldn’t shake a bad feeling.
The system reassured her: *"Zhou Qingyu is already under the control of the plot. How much worse can it get? Don’t worry, the Zhou Family’s bankruptcy is still months away. Zhou Qingyu won’t meet her end so soon!"*
Despite the system’s words, Yan Xi remained uneasy.
Her phone, resting on the armrest, lit up with a notification about the variety show *"Let’s Travel Together."*
Yan Xi knew that Xu Yangyang had already announced her withdrawal from the show due to an injury, but Xu Yangyang was only a minor celebrity. Was her withdrawal really worth a push notification?
Yan Xi unlocked her phone and clicked on the notification, which redirected her to a trending topic on Weibo: *"Pei Yubai Withdraws from Variety Show; Ye Luoyi Steps In as Replacement."*
The official announcement from the show had sparked a surge in popularity, with countless comments from netizens:
*"Wow! Is Yi Yi joining a slow-paced variety show? Can’t wait!"*
*"Yi Yi is beautiful and kind-hearted. She’s going to shine on the show!"*
*"Pei Yubai is the CEO of Tianhui. It’s understandable that he doesn’t have time for a variety show. Looking forward to Ye Luoyi’s amazing performance!"*
*"Oh my god, I just remembered Zhou Qingyu is also on the show! What a showdown!"*
*"What showdown? It’s just a battle between the wife and the mistress. Who cares?"*
*"Can Zhou Qingyu just leave the entertainment industry? She’s everywhere, and it’s so annoying!"*
*"Pei Yubai shouldn’t have withdrawn. Zhou Qingyu should be the one to leave. Who wants to see that bitch on the show? I only want to see our Bai-Yi couple!"*
……
The novel’s plot was already halfway through, and as the antagonist, Zhou Qingyu had garnered a flood of hate, while Ye Luoyi and Pei Yubai received nothing but praise and blessings.
Yan Xi exited the trending topic and checked Zhou Qingyu’s studio account.
Starlight Entertainment had already clarified that Zhou Qingyu and Ye Luoyi were co-starring in the drama *"Fallen Glory,"* and the "slap" scene was part of the script, with the director insisting on a real slap.
Additionally, Starlight’s official account stated that Zhou Qingyu and Pei Yubai were merely friends and had no romantic involvement. However, netizens in the comments section were unconvinced.
*"Don’t kid me. A real slap that hard? There were red marks on Yi Yi’s face!"*
*"If it’s part of the script, why couldn’t it be faked? Zhou Qingyu definitely took advantage of the situation!"*
*"I didn’t believe Zhou Qingyu was the mistress before, but after seeing that slap video, it’s obvious she’s jealous because she couldn’t get Pei Yubai. What a terrifying woman!"*
*"My heart aches for Yi Yi. She’s so unlucky to be targeted by a bitch like Zhou Qingyu!"*
Amid the sea of hateful comments, there were a few voices defending Zhou Qingyu:
*"It’s part of the script. Why are Ye Luoyi’s fans so relentless?"*
*"Zhou Qingyu’s looks are at least top three among the new generation. With her face, she could get any man she wants. Why would she need to be a mistress?"*
*"Ye Luoyi and Pei Yubai haven’t even officially announced their relationship. How is Zhou Qingyu the mistress?"*
These occasional comments in Zhou Qingyu’s defense were reasonable, but they were quickly drowned out by the overwhelming tide of negativity.
Yan Xi skimmed through the comments and returned to the trending page.
The *"Let’s Travel Together"* program team had officially announced Pei Yubai’s withdrawal and Ye Luoyi’s replacement, as well as Xu Yangyang’s withdrawal due to illness. However, compared to Ye Luoyi’s popularity, Xu Yangyang’s presence was practically negligible.
Yan Xi asked the system, *"I remember in the novel, Pei Yubai was supposed to announce his withdrawal during the live broadcast tomorrow morning. Why did they announce it today?"*
The system replied: *"Butterfly effect. Xu Yangyang announced her withdrawal today, and if Pei Yubai announced his tomorrow, it would have a significant impact on the show. The production team decided to announce both on the same day."*
Such minor details, which didn’t affect the main plot, weren’t heavily controlled by the storyline.
Yan Xi’s expression sharpened. *"If Pei Yubai isn’t participating anymore, can Qing Qing also withdraw?"*
After all, Zhou Qingyu had only insisted on joining the show because of Pei Yubai. She wouldn’t care about the production team’s reputation and wouldn’t mind forcing them to announce another withdrawal.
*"Given Zhou Qingyu’s current luck, she can’t override the plot’s mandatory force."*
*"After all, according to the original plot, she’s supposed to join the show and serve as a foil for Ye Luoyi. This is a crucial part of boosting Ye Luoyi’s popularity."*
That’s why Pei Yubai had arranged to meet Zhou Qingyu tonight. His intention was to persuade her to continue participating in the show tomorrow, ensuring the main plot stayed on track.
Tonight, Zhou Qingyu was destined to be heartbroken.
Yan Xi gazed at the Tianhui building, lost in thought. After a moment, she suddenly asked, *"There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask for a long time."*
*"In the dream, I only saw the novel’s plot. What about me? If something happened to Qing Qing, I wouldn’t just stand by. Even if I’m just an ordinary person, I could still take care of her. How could I let Pei Yubai abandon her on a deserted island?"*
The system replied: *"Your school had an exchange program. Starting in your second year of graduate studies, you went abroad for a year."*
*"By the time you returned, the Zhou Family had already gone bankrupt. You went looking for Zhou Qingyu but got into a car accident on the way and became comatose."*
This was Yan Xi’s fate, briefly mentioned in the novel, something even she herself didn’t know.
.
Night fell, and the stars glittered brightly.
Zhou Qingyu had been upstairs for several minutes. Yan Xi sent her a WeChat message but received no reply.
Yan Xi decided to go to the entrance of the Tianhui building to look for her.
As soon as she approached the front desk, two security guards stopped her.
*"Sorry, you can’t enter without an access card."*
Entertainment companies had strict security to prevent fans or stalkers from sneaking in. Zhou Qingyu had visited Tianhui many times, and the guards recognized her, but they didn’t know Yan Xi.
*"I’m Miss Zhou’s assistant. She forgot her bag, so I’m here to deliver it to her."* Yan Xi waved a luxury handbag, hoping to use Zhou Qingyu as her entry point.
The guards glanced at her, their eyes lingering on her designer dress. *"An assistant wearing such high-end clothes? You’re probably one of Ye Luoyi’s stalkers, aren’t you? You know she’s coming later and are here to ambush her at the company?"*
Yan Xi was at a loss for words. The dress she was wearing had been bought for her by Zhou Qingyu that afternoon, and it was quite expensive. The security guard didn’t recognize the dress, but he recognized the brand. He couldn’t believe that a mere assistant could afford such an expensive outfit.
Yan Xi was utterly exasperated. Just then, a van pulled up in front of the Tianhui Entertainment Company building.
An assistant opened the car door, and Ye Luoyi, dressed in a high-end designer outfit, gracefully stepped out of the van.
“Step aside, don’t block Miss Ye!” The security guard shoved Yan Xi to the side to make way for Ye Luoyi. “Miss Ye, please.”
Ye Luoyi walked to the entrance, her gaze sweeping over Yan Xi, who was being held back by the security guard.
The guard explained, “Miss Ye, this is one of your obsessive fans. She insisted on entering the company to see you. To avoid her disturbing you, I’ve already stopped her!”
Ye Luoyi had crafted a public image of being a gentle, well-educated, and wealthy young woman. Even when dealing with obsessive fans, she maintained her kindness. She turned to her assistant and said, “Give her one of my signed photos.”
The assistant understood and pulled a signed photo of Ye Luoyi from her bag, handing it to Yan Xi.
Ye Luoyi took another look at Yan Xi, noticing the designer dress she was wearing. Realizing that this obsessive fan was also quite well-off, her tone softened even more. “You look like you’re still a student, right? Just supporting my work is enough~ Running out late at night to chase after my schedule makes me worry~”
Yan Xi held the signed photo, feeling a thousand imaginary alpacas galloping through her mind. She shoved the photo back into the assistant’s hands. “You’ve misunderstood. I’m not a fan.”
“Hey! You little girl, you’ve already seen her, and now you’re still trying to sneak into the company!” The security guard scolded Yan Xi impatiently. “Don’t you know that being an obsessive fan is illegal? Miss Ye is being generous by not holding it against you and even giving you a signed photo. Otherwise, we could have sent you to jail!”
Yan Xi was speechless. “Have you ever seen a fan without a single piece of fan merchandise on them?”
The security guard glanced at her. “You obsessive fans will do anything to spy on celebrities’ private lives! Of course, you wouldn’t carry anything related to the star to hide your identity as an obsessive fan!”
Yan Xi: “…”
Yan Xi didn’t know what to say, especially since Ye Luoyi was still being overly magnanimous. “How about this? I’ll take a photo with you, okay? Be good, little sister. It’s time to go home. If my fans aren’t well-behaved, I’ll get upset!”
