"Still taking a group photo?" The security guard was surprised. "Miss Ye, you're too kind. Even to obsessive fans, you're so nice!"
Ye Luoyi waved her hand. "After all, they're here for me. Their affection is the greatest support for me!"
Yan Xi felt a headache coming on.
Was there not a single normal person at Tianhui Entertainment?
Yan Xi turned and walked out of the Tianhui building.
The security guard shouted after her, "Hey, girl, why are you leaving? She already agreed to take a photo with you. Why are you walking away?"
The assistant caught on, "She left so decisively. Could it be that she's not a fan?"
Ye Luoyi's smiling expression froze instantly, her lips twitching slightly.
At that moment, the three of them saw Yan Xi walk to the entrance of the Tianhui building and, without hesitation, throw the signed photo the assistant had handed her into the trash can.
In that instant, Ye Luoyi's face turned even darker.
.
Yan Xi walked out of the building. It had been over ten minutes since Zhou Qingyu went upstairs, and she still hadn't come out or contacted her.
Yan Xi knew what Pei Yubai would say to Zhou Qingyu, and she also understood that, with her current position, she couldn't change anything. But she just wanted to be by Zhou Qingyu's side when she was feeling down and upset.
If she couldn't go through the main entrance, what about the side entrance?
Tianhui Entertainment must have a back exit for celebrities to leave discreetly, right?
Yan Xi looked around, and suddenly, a man's voice sounded behind her. "Hey, girl, are you interested in becoming a star?"
Yan Xi was startled. She turned around and saw a man in his forties standing behind her. His hair was slicked back, and he had a stubbly beard, giving off the vibe of a middle-aged artsy type.
"Let me introduce myself," the man said, handing Yan Xi his business card. "My surname is Sun, given name Qi. I'm the talent director at Tianhui Entertainment. I think you have potential. Would you like to enter the entertainment industry and become a star?"
Yan Xi skeptically took the card.
The material of the card was high-quality, smooth and thick, clearly indicating Sun Qi's high status at Tianhui Entertainment.
Yan Xi held the card but said nothing. Sun Qi continued to pitch, "This is the Tianhui building right here. I'm not lying to you. If you don't believe me, I can take you inside for a tour."
Yan Xi's eyes lit up instantly. "Right now?"
"Of course!"
Without hesitation, Yan Xi accepted the card, and Sun Qi led her into the Tianhui building.
On the way, Sun Qi casually asked about Yan Xi's age. When he found out she was only 20, he was even more pleased.
After all, being a star is all about youth—the younger, the better. At 20, she was likely still in college, with plenty of free time, making her the perfect candidate for a debut.
Sun Qi didn't ask further, and Yan Xi didn't volunteer the information that she was actually a graduate student. She had skipped three grades in elementary school and was already in her first year of grad school at 20. But that wasn't important. Her main goal was to sneak into the Tianhui building to find Zhou Qingyu, not to actually become a star.
As they approached the front desk, they unexpectedly ran into Ye Luoyi and the security guard again.
The security guard was shocked. "Aren't you Miss Ye's fan? Why are you back?"
Yan Xi pursed her lips. "I already told you I'm not a fan. Didn't you get that?"
Sun Qi looked puzzled, so the security guard recounted what had just happened.
Compared to an obsessive fan, Sun Qi was more inclined to believe that Yan Xi was Zhou Qingyu's assistant.
An assistant might not be able to afford high-end dresses, but it was possible that Zhou Qingyu had given her a second-hand one. Zhou Qingyu was known to give Pei Yubai resources worth hundreds of millions, so a dress worth tens of thousands was nothing to her.
"Alright, it must be a misunderstanding," Sun Qi said to the security guard and Ye Luoyi. "Have you ever seen an obsessive fan look at their idol with such calm eyes?"
Having been in the entertainment industry for over a decade, Sun Qi could tell at a glance whether someone was a fan or not.
Ye Luoyi felt even more embarrassed and awkwardly said, "Brother Sun, are you bringing her in to deliver something to Teacher Zhou?"
In the entertainment industry, it was common to refer to fellow stars as "Teacher" as a sign of respect.
"No, I want to sign her as an artist!" Sun Qi said excitedly. "Yan Xi has great bone structure and features. She's the delicate, innocent type, perfect for idol dramas!"
Zhou Qingyu had once commented on this too. Compared to Zhou Qingyu's bold and striking beauty, Yan Xi had a soft, pure, and harmless appearance. This kind of look made it easy to create chemistry with male actors.
And chemistry was the most important thing in idol dramas.
But Yan Xi had no interest in acting and had turned down Zhou Qingyu's offer long ago.
At that moment, Yan Xi said nothing, pretending to be an eager student hoping to be signed.
Hearing Sun Qi praise Yan Xi so highly, Ye Luoyi's expression darkened.
She had also built her career on the innocent, delicate image, relying on her chemistry with Pei Yubai to get to where she was today. Yan Xi was undoubtedly her competitor, and worse, she was younger. This was a blow to Ye Luoyi.
But with the company's talent director wanting to sign a new artist, Ye Luoyi couldn't object. Tianhui Entertainment had plenty of low-budget idol dramas, and now that Ye Luoyi had established herself, those projects wouldn't go to her. They would go to newcomers like Yan Xi.
Even though she knew she wouldn't be competing with Yan Xi anytime soon, Ye Luoyi still felt uneasy.
Sun Qi led Yan Xi into the elevator, explaining the company's structure along the way. But Yan Xi's eyes were fixed on the third floor—the location of Pei Yubai's office.
When they reached the dance studio, Yan Xi made up an excuse about having a stomachache and left Sun Qi.
Sun Qi didn't suspect anything. In his eyes, becoming a star was an incredible opportunity, and he couldn't imagine Yan Xi turning it down.
Ye Luoyi teased, "So much for delivering something to Teacher Zhou. Turns out she just wanted to get signed and debut! This girl looks innocent, but she's full of tricks."
It wasn't uncommon for pretty girls to loiter around entertainment companies, hoping to be discovered by a talent scout and make it big overnight.
"Having tricks is a good thing," Sun Qi said, unfazed. He actually worried more about artists who lacked ambition.
Labels like "calm and unassuming" or "non-competitive" were just personas. The entertainment industry was a cutthroat world. If you didn't fight for your spot, you'd drown.
Ye Luoyi had gotten to where she was today because she had some ambition and had latched onto Pei Yubai. Everyone knew this, but it was an unspoken truth.
After waiting for a while, Yan Xi still hadn't returned from the restroom.
Sun Qi grew suspicious and sent an assistant to check the women's restroom. After searching, the assistant came back and reported that it was empty.
"She ran away? She doesn't want such a great opportunity to be a star?" Sun Qi couldn't understand it.
The assistant, recalling Yan Xi's introduction at the front desk, cautiously suggested, "Is it possible that she's not an obsessive fan and doesn't want to be signed... but really just came to deliver something to Teacher Zhou?"
.
Third Floor, Tianhui Entertainment
Zhou Qingyu stepped out of the elevator and pushed open the door to the CEO's office.
Her heart was racing, and a smile was plastered on her face.
Pei Yubai rarely reached out to her, and even though she knew today's meeting was about tomorrow's variety show, Zhou Qingyu was still thrilled.
But as soon as she entered the office, Pei Yubai's accusations hit her like a tidal wave. "Don't you know Tianhui is at a critical moment? Why did you bully Luoyi on set? She's just an artist at my company. You're making things difficult for me!"
Zhou Qingyu felt like she'd been doused in cold water. Her smile froze. "I just couldn't stand her always being by your side, Brother Yubai. Don't be mad..."
"How can I not be mad?!" Pei Yubai's voice grew harsher. "Didn't I already tell you that Luoyi and I are just a publicity stunt? Why are you so unreasonable? Do you want me to lose to Pei Hanli? Do you want me to fail in this competition?"
"That's not what I meant! I wasn't thinking that!" Zhou Qingyu stammered, panicking.
Earlier that day, during the filming of *Fallen Glory*, Zhou Qingyu and Ye Luoyi had a scene together. The director had asked Zhou Qingyu to slap Ye Luoyi for realism. Zhou Qingyu had been thrilled, finally able to vent the frustration she'd been holding in. She slapped Ye Luoyi so hard that a red mark appeared on her face.
Paparazzi who had been lurking nearby captured the moment and posted it online, claiming Zhou Qingyu had slapped Ye Luoyi out of malice.
But it was the director who had asked for a real slap. Zhou Qingyu felt she had just followed instructions, so why was everyone blaming her?
Pei Yubai pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Let's just drop this for now."
Zhou Qingyu was still useful to him. Until he fully reclaimed the Pei family's assets, he didn't want to alienate her. "Because of the slap incident, I'm giving Luoyi your spot on the variety show. When you film tomorrow, make sure to apologize to her and get along with her on set."
“You’re not recording anymore?” Zhou Qingyu widened her eyes. She had been longing for this trip with Pei Yubai for so long. How could he just not go?
Pei Yubai’s next words made Zhou Qingyu’s face turn green with anger. “And why should I apologize to Ye Luoyi? I’m not the one who’s wrong! If you’re not going, then I’m not going either!”
Pei Yubai had anticipated Zhou Qingyu’s refusal and spoke sternly, “Why are you being so immature? If you truly care about me, shouldn’t you consider my position? If I can’t reclaim the Pei family’s business, how can we be together?”
Zhou Qingyu felt wronged. “Even without the Pei family, you still have me…”
Pei Yubai cut her off. “A man must have his own career. Do you want me to be a kept man? Zhou Qingyu, how is that any different from ruining me?!”
Pei Yubai’s face was flushed with anger, and his tone was sharp.
Seeing his temper flare, Zhou Qingyu tried to soothe him gently. “Yubai, don’t be angry. That’s not what I meant…”
“I know you don’t have ill intentions,” Pei Yubai’s voice softened slightly. “But Qingyu, you need to grow up. For my sake, for our future, please get along with Ye Luoyi on the show and apologize to her tomorrow for the slap incident, okay?”
Zhou Qingyu still didn’t want to. She was naturally proud and headstrong, but when it came to Pei Yubai, all her principles faded away.
Just looking at him made her heart soften.
She nodded reluctantly. “Okay.”
.
Yan Xi excused herself, pretending to have a stomachache, and arrived on the third floor just in time to see Zhou Qingyu walking out of the CEO’s office, looking utterly dejected.
Her makeup was flawless, but her eyes were red, as if she were on the verge of tears.
When she saw Yan Xi, Zhou Qingyu couldn’t hold back any longer. She clung to Yan Xi tightly, tears streaming down her face. Yan Xi didn’t ask any questions, simply hugging her back and gently patting her shoulder.
Pei Yubai stepped out of the office and was slightly surprised to see Yan Xi, but he greeted her politely.
“Long time no see.”
Yan Xi scoffed. “Long time no see? I’ve been seeing you quite often, Second Young Master Pei!”
“Oh?” Pei Yubai was puzzled at first but quickly caught on. “You’ve been watching financial programs? I recently recorded an interview for one.”
Yan Xi smiled. “Financial interviews? How boring. I’ve been watching the entertainment news. Who would’ve thought Second Young Master Pei has a girlfriend in the entertainment industry and a fiancée in the elite circles? Quite impressive, huh?”
Pei Yubai’s expression froze.
The engagement between him and Zhou Qingyu was known only to the Pei and Zhou families. Their elders never paid attention to entertainment news, so Pei Yubai had never been worried.
But now that Yan Xi had exposed it so bluntly, Pei Yubai felt his pride crumbling.
He was about to explain when Yan Xi, with exaggerated magnanimity, interrupted him. “No need to explain. I understand that you and Ye Luoyi are just putting on a show.”
Pei Yubai breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear Yan Xi’s sarcastic tone again. “I’m just worried that Second Young Master might take the act too far. If Elder Pei finds out, breaking your leg would be the least of your worries. Don’t you agree?”
Yan Xi spoke so casually, as if it were just a joke, but Pei Yubai felt a chill run down his spine, as though she had seen through his secrets.
Fortunately, Zhou Qingyu still defended him. “Xi’er, don’t say that. Yubai loves me. He’s doing this for our future.”
Yan Xi took a deep breath. She knew these weren’t Zhou Qingyu’s true feelings—it was just the scripted words of her lovestruck persona. So she didn’t blame Zhou Qingyu; she simply stayed by her side.
“I was just joking,” Yan Xi said, glancing at Pei Yubai. “A scumbag who plays with two women’s hearts? Second Young Master Pei would never do something so despicable, right?”
Pei Yubai felt the jab but couldn’t refute it. He forced a stiff smile.
“Of course not.”
