Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Public outrage against Liang Yi and Mu Xiaoying intensifies after the evidence against them spreads. Netizens boycott their dramas, flood their social media with criticism, and report them for allegedly promoting harmful values to children.
• Star Universe Entertainment initially abandons Liang Yi and Mu Xiaoying while dealing with the reopening of Gao Chi’s criminal investigation. Mu Xiaoying is questioned, and more victims or witnesses gain the courage to report Gao Chi.
• Jinbai Entertainment publicly announces that it will sue marketing accounts that accepted money to defame Xu Yuqing and Chen Chengrong. The accounts mock the threat, but Cai Jinbai follows through: several are summoned to court, lose, pay compensation, and in serious cases have their accounts banned.
• Online discussion increasingly suggests that Jinbai Entertainment has been coordinating the exposure of the scandal. Netizens notice the uninterrupted trending topics, the protection of Haha Blogger’s posts, and the lack of fan control on Liang Yi and Mu Xiaoying’s accounts.
• Star Universe Entertainment is forced to issue an apology, but the public refuses to accept it. Liang Yi and Mu Xiaoying lose followers, endorsements, acting opportunities, and much of their careers.
• Gao Su stops protecting Gao Chi because of the threat to Star Universe Entertainment. Gao Chi is convicted of drugging and raping an underage girl, adding significantly to his prison sentence.
• Star Universe Entertainment’s stock falls sharply, and its dramas receive poor ratings. Mother Gao regrets funding trolls and marketing accounts to attack Xu Yuqing and Chen Chengrong.
• Further scandal emerges when Star Universe Entertainment is accused of using unfair contract loopholes to prevent Xu Yuqing from leaving and demand a huge termination fee. Xuan Yu hires prominent lawyer Xiang Yizhou, who negotiates Xu’s release without payment.
• The contract revelations prompt employees and other artists to review their own agreements. Xiang Yizhou’s brief praise of Cai Jinbai—“He’s very good”—causes netizens to speculate about their relationship and further admire Cai.
• Netizens conclude that Jinbai Entertainment’s influence and resources allowed the scandal to remain visible and prevented Star Universe Entertainment from suppressing the truth.

Character Developments

• Cai Jinbai is portrayed as wealthy, powerful, decisive, and fiercely protective of his company’s artists. His willingness to pursue lawsuits demonstrates that he is not merely making public threats.
• Xuan Yu continues working alongside Cai Jinbai and strengthens Jinbai Entertainment’s public image as a formidable new company.
• Xu Yuqing is increasingly recognized as a victim of Star Universe Entertainment’s mistreatment. His successful departure, aided by Xiang Yizhou, improves his position and validates his accusations.
• Chen Chengrong benefits from Jinbai Entertainment’s legal defense as the smear campaign against him is exposed.
• Liang Yi and Mu Xiaoying suffer severe reputational and professional collapse, losing fans and future acting opportunities.
• Gao Chi faces additional criminal punishment after his protection disappears.
• Gao Su prioritizes saving Star Universe Entertainment over protecting his family member, though the company still suffers major financial and reputational damage.
• Xiang Yizhou is established as an elite lawyer whose involvement is powerful enough to force Star Universe Entertainment to release Xu Yuqing. His positive opinion of Cai reveals personal respect or admiration.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus industry power: Jinbai Entertainment uses money, influence, and legal action to challenge the protection traditionally enjoyed by established entertainment companies.
• Accountability and consequences: Public exposure leads to legal punishment, career destruction, financial losses, and the collapse of long-standing protection networks.
• Manipulation of public opinion: The chapter highlights paid trolls, marketing accounts, trending searches, censorship, and fan-controlled discussions.
• Corporate ethics and exploitation: Star Universe Entertainment’s abusive contracts reveal how powerful companies can restrict artists and exploit legal loopholes.
• Public solidarity: Netizens’ collective outrage helps uncover the truth and prevents the scandal from being buried.
• Admiration for power used benevolently: Cai’s wealth and influence attract public support because he uses them to protect vulnerable artists rather than silence criticism.

Character Interactions

• Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu work together to maintain public attention and protect Jinbai Entertainment’s artists.
• Jinbai Entertainment confronts paid marketing accounts through lawsuits rather than empty warnings.
• Gao Su distances himself from Gao Chi despite Mother Gao’s pleas, choosing the company’s survival over family loyalty.
• Xiang Yizhou represents Xu Yuqing in negotiations with Gao Su and secures Xu’s release from his unfair contract.
• Netizens closely analyze the relationship between Cai Jinbai, Xuan Yu, and Xiang Yizhou, especially after Xiang praises Cai and fans jokingly suggest romantic implications between the two Jinbai presidents.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Public attention around presidents Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu surges again, dramatically increasing the follower counts of their personal accounts and Jinbai Entertainment’s official Weibo.
• Jinbai Entertainment emerges as the biggest winner from the Xu Yuqing scandal. The company clears Xu Yuqing’s name, gains industry-wide recognition, and builds a reputation for treating its employees and artists well.
• Netizens speculate that the anonymous blogger who defended Xu Yuqing was connected to Jinbai Entertainment, but the blogger disappears without answering.
• Cai Jinbai considers the scandal largely resolved. He plans to manage director Chen Chengrong’s situation by clarifying that the film’s failure was mainly caused by its producer, while using public curiosity about Chen’s next film as publicity. However, Chen must still accept responsibility as the director.
• Cai orders Jinbao to contact a photography team because he wants to meet them.
• Jinbai Entertainment expands and recruits broadly, accepting applicants up to age fifty and hiring people who have faced discrimination due to age, illness, or family responsibilities.
• Employees enthusiastically praise the company’s humane policies, including strict protection of personal time, paid overtime, late-night meal allowances, and a supportive work environment.
• Liu Rong officially joins Jinbai Entertainment and prepares to collect her contract, while Xu Yuqing is about to begin closed filming for Chen Chengrong’s new production.
• Xu Yuqing and Liu Rong suspect Cai Jinbai arranged the blogger’s defense. Xu is deeply grateful for Cai’s help and vows to repay him.
• In Cai Jinbai’s office, Xuan Yu arranges flowers, buys Cai a dessert, and personally feeds it to him, revealing their growing intimacy.
• Yuan Guangjin announces that the photography team has arrived. The team, led by Xuan Hanfeng, is anxious because financial and equipment shortages have brought them close to disbanding.

Character Developments

• Cai Jinbai: Demonstrates strategic intelligence, protecting Xu Yuqing while turning the scandal into publicity for his company. He also shows a strong commitment to fair hiring and humane treatment of employees.
• Xuan Yu: Becomes increasingly attentive and affectionate toward Cai, personally arranging flowers and buying him dessert. His normally cold demeanor contrasts with his careful, domestic acts of care.
• Xu Yuqing: Moves from desperation and vulnerability to confidence and gratitude after escaping Star Universe Entertainment and regaining his reputation. He is determined to repay Cai and work hard.
• Liu Rong: Successfully leaves Star Universe Entertainment and begins a new career at Jinbai Entertainment. She recognizes the company as a far better environment and encourages Xu Yuqing to continue working hard with her.
• Chen Chengrong: Is portrayed as sympathetic but still accountable for his role in the failed film. His future reputation will depend largely on the quality of his next movie.
• Jinbai Entertainment’s employees: Develop strong loyalty toward Cai because of the company’s unusually respectful labor practices.
• Xuan Hanfeng and his photography team: Are introduced as capable but financially struggling professionals whose future may depend on Cai’s interest in them.

Significant Themes

• Reputation and public perception: Cai successfully transforms a scandal into a favorable public image for both Xu Yuqing and Jinbai Entertainment.
• Accountability and empathy: Chen Chengrong’s circumstances are understandable, but sympathy does not erase his professional responsibility.
• Humane employment practices: The company challenges exploitative industry norms by valuing older workers, returning parents, and employees recovering from illness.
• Loyalty and gratitude: Xu Yuqing’s desire to repay Cai reflects the lasting impact of support during a crisis.
• Affection expressed through care: Xuan Yu’s flowers and dessert reveal his feelings through practical, understated gestures rather than overt declarations.
• Opportunity and second chances: Jinbai Entertainment offers new beginnings to employees and artists who were rejected or mistreated elsewhere.

Character Interactions

• Cai and Xuan Yu discuss how to handle Chen Chengrong’s reputation and the next film’s marketing.
• Cai interacts with employees and personally evaluates applicants, emphasizing his unconventional but effective management style.
• Xu Yuqing and Liu Rong discuss their successful transition to Jinbai Entertainment and speculate about Cai’s role in defending Xu online.
• Xuan Yu prepares flowers and dessert for Cai, feeds him personally, and quietly memorizes his preference for sweets, highlighting their intimate relationship.
• Yuan Guangjin interrupts their private moment to announce the arrival of Xuan Hanfeng’s struggling photography team, setting up the next major development.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xuan Hanfeng previously filmed wildlife documentaries abroad, where witnessing poverty in Africa inspired him to document hardship closer to home.
• He formed a team to film impoverished communities in remote mountain regions and raise public awareness through photographs and videos.
• The project encountered severe obstacles, including dangerous roads, difficult travel conditions, insufficient funding, and insensitive or threatening local customs.
• A particularly disturbing incident occurred when someone asked whether a young female crew member could be bought as a wife. Xuan immediately evacuated the team and later compensated the frightened woman when she chose to quit.
• Although this experience shook Xuan’s faith in people, he continued the project, adopting stricter safety precautions.
• Over time, team members gradually left, and the remaining five were on the verge of disbanding because their socially focused content attracted little attention and generated no sustainable income.
• Jinbai Group then invited the team for an interview. Cai Jinbai offered them employment and proposed a long-term program promoting traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage.
• Cai promised guaranteed funding of 100 million, eliminating the team’s financial concerns. Xuan and the others immediately accepted and agreed to sign contracts.
• In the continuation, Yuan Guangjin guides the team to the equipment room and explains that he will coordinate their work, expenses, and filming progress.
• The team is astonished by Jinbai’s extensive supply of high-end, cutting-edge filming equipment. Ding Meng is especially thrilled to receive a new camera rig and jokingly praises Cai as the “God of Wealth.”

2. Character Developments

• Xuan Hanfeng is established as compassionate, idealistic, and determined. Despite dangerous encounters, repeated setbacks, and financial pressure, he refuses to abandon his mission. He also shows responsibility by compensating the female crew member and recognizing his own failure to prepare adequately.
• Cai Jinbai is portrayed as wealthy, decisive, and strategically minded. He values both social welfare and cultural preservation, willingly accepting financial losses to support meaningful long-term projects.
• Xuan Hanfeng’s team shifts from uncertainty and near-collapse to excitement and renewed confidence after receiving Jinbai’s offer.
• The female team member demonstrates the emotional cost of the project’s dangers, ultimately quitting after the threatening incident.
• Ding Meng is characterized as passionate and humorous, with a strong enthusiasm for filming technology.
• Yuan Guangjin takes on a practical managerial role, becoming the team’s workplace liaison.

3. Significant Themes

• Idealism versus reality: Good intentions do not guarantee acceptance or safety, and meaningful work can involve danger, disappointment, and exploitation.
• The value of persistence: Xuan continues despite repeated failures and dwindling support.
• Financial support as an enabler of social good: Cai’s wealth gives the team the resources necessary to pursue projects that commercial investors would consider too risky.
• Cultural preservation: The story expands from documenting poverty to promoting traditional crafts and intangible cultural heritage.
• Human complexity: The chapter emphasizes that people may respond to help with gratitude, indifference, suspicion, or hostility.
• Renewed hope: The Jinbai opportunity transforms the team’s impending disbandment into a promising new beginning.

4. Character Interactions

• Xuan protects the female crew member by immediately removing the team from danger and later compensating her without pressuring her to stay.
• Cai directly addresses Xuan’s concerns about production time, poor ratings, and financial losses, reassuring him that funding will not be an obstacle.
• Xuan and the team react with disbelief and enthusiasm when Cai reveals the 100-million-yuan budget, quickly agreeing to join Jinbai.
• Yuan professionally explains the team’s future reporting procedures and coordinates their access to equipment.
• The team members joke with Ding Meng about his excitement over the new camera, creating a relaxed and friendly atmosphere after their previous hardship.

Chapter Summary

• Xuan Hanfeng’s production team is given a fresh start. Thanks to President Cai’s financial support and recognition, the team joins Jinbai Entertainment instead of disbanding. Xuan Hanfeng and his teammates are deeply grateful and resolve to work hard, produce excellent videos, and prove that Cai’s investment was worthwhile.
• The team receives professional equipment and employee benefits. After selecting the equipment they need, they are given meal cards and invited to eat in the company cafeteria. Xiao Qiu, a cheerful employee, introduces them to Jinbai Group and explains its generous facilities, including subsidized meals, free fitness equipment, and plans for future expansion and employee housing.
• The cafeteria impresses everyone. The team is astonished by its size and luxurious appearance, initially mistaking it for an upscale restaurant or shopping-mall food court. It offers numerous cuisines, desserts, fruit, ice cream, and generous portions. Their excitement highlights how dramatically their circumstances have improved.
• Jinbai Entertainment becomes an online sensation. New trending topics jokingly describe the company as “forcing employees to leave work,” requiring overtime applications, providing late-night snack subsidies, and operating a “heavenly” cafeteria. Netizens react with disbelief and envy, while employees confirm that the benefits and food are genuine. The publicity attracts many talented applicants and strengthens the company’s reputation.
• Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu relax at the villa. Cai watches a television drama about a traditional God of Wealth while casually lounging on the sofa. Xuan Yu shapes gold with his supernatural ability, asking what kind of accessory Cai wants. Cai chooses several elegant gold brooches rather than more bracelets, and Xuan Yu begins crafting them by hand.
• Xuan Yu’s possessiveness and admiration are subtly shown. He becomes distracted while looking at Cai’s exposed legs and grips the gold more forcefully, frightening Cai Jinbao, who hides nearby. Xuan Yu dismisses the television drama because its fictional God of Wealth cannot compare with Cai, whom he considers far more important.

Character Development and Interactions

• Xuan Hanfeng changes from a stern, worried leader facing possible disbandment into an optimistic and motivated professional. His gratitude toward Cai inspires the entire team.
• The production team demonstrates loyalty, shared ideals, and renewed enthusiasm after receiving stability and resources.
• Xiao Qiu serves as a proud and enthusiastic representative of Jinbai Group, emphasizing the company’s unusually generous treatment of employees.
• Cai Jinbai appears both as a capable benefactor and as a relaxed, gold-loving young man. His investment in the team reflects his willingness to support talent, while his casual behavior at home contrasts with his public image as a CEO.
• Xuan Yu continues to express affection through practical acts—in this case, personally creating gold jewelry for Cai. His attention to Cai’s appearance and his dismissive comparison with the fictional God of Wealth reveal his deep devotion.
• Cai Jinbao provides comic relief by being terrified of Xuan Yu’s intimidating presence and hiding in the sofa.

Significant Themes

• Generosity and opportunity: Cai’s funding gives struggling creators the chance to continue pursuing their dreams.
• Employee welfare and humane workplaces: Jinbai Entertainment’s refusal to glorify overtime, along with its excellent food and benefits, challenges common assumptions about corporate life.
• Reputation built through authenticity: The company’s popularity grows because employees and online users verify that its extraordinary benefits are real.
• Prosperity and the symbolism of gold: Gold represents Cai’s wealth and Xuan Yu’s affection, while Xuan Yu’s ability to shape it turns material abundance into a personal expression of love.
• Hope after hardship: The team’s recovery from disbandment reinforces the chapter’s upbeat, celebratory mood.

Chapter Summary

• Xuan Yu designs jewelry for Cai Jinbai, creating several brooches before deciding to make him an anklet. Cai agrees casually, allowing Xuan Yu to measure and fasten the gold around his ankle.
• When Xuan Yu decides the anklet is impractical, he experiments with wearing it around Cai’s calf and then thigh. Cai initially resists, finding both ideas strange, but eventually allows Xuan Yu to try the thigh ring.
• The thigh ring actually looks appealing to Cai, but Xuan Yu becomes flustered by how attractive Cai looks wearing it. He abruptly removes and destroys the gold, falsely claiming it does not look good. Realizing Xuan Yu is being dishonest, Cai attacks him with sofa cushions. Their playful fight highlights their familiar, affectionate dynamic; household staff quietly avoid interrupting.
• Cai Jinbai continues developing Jinbai Entertainment, envisioning film and television projects as well as animation and special-effects departments. His immediate priority is creating a screenwriting division to support talented writers, whom he believes are often undervalued and mistreated in the industry.
• The narrative introduces Li Qianqian, a successful but currently inactive author known as “Green Grass.” Her readers are eagerly awaiting a new novel, but she is isolated, emotionally distressed, and neglecting her health.
• In a park, Li becomes dizzy and nearly collapses. Cai Jinbai catches her, helps her sit down, and offers her chocolate after correctly suspecting low blood sugar. His considerate behavior makes a strong impression on the shy author, who becomes flustered by his appearance and kindness.
• Xuan Yu accompanies Cai in his small black-dragon form, coiled around Cai’s wrist like a bracelet. After eating the chocolate, Li feels somewhat better, but her accumulated sadness resurfaces and she begins to cry.

Character Development and Interactions

• Xuan Yu is shown as possessive, persistent, playful, and easily embarrassed by his attraction to Cai. His insistence on dressing Cai in jewelry contrasts with his sudden discomfort when the result appears too alluring.
• Cai Jinbai remains composed and indulgent toward Xuan Yu’s eccentric behavior, responding to his teasing with mock irritation and playful punishment. He is also revealed as thoughtful and ambitious in business, particularly concerned with protecting creative talent.
• Li Qianqian is introduced as timid, lonely, physically weakened, and emotionally burdened. Her meeting with Cai begins a potentially important professional and personal connection.
• The bond between Cai and Xuan Yu is intimate and domestic, expressed through teasing, physical closeness, and mutual familiarity. Cai’s kindness toward Li contrasts with the more chaotic affection he shares with Xuan Yu.

Significant Themes

• Affection expressed through play and teasing: The jewelry episode reveals closeness more effectively than direct declarations.
• Possessiveness and attraction: Xuan Yu’s reaction shows his growing romantic awareness and discomfort with Cai appearing too attractive.
• Care and protection: Cai’s treatment of Li demonstrates his instinct to help vulnerable people.
• Recognition of overlooked talent: Cai’s plans for a screenwriting department reflect his desire to challenge the entertainment industry’s exploitation of writers.
• Emotional healing: Li’s physical weakness and tears suggest deeper personal difficulties, while Cai’s simple act of kindness offers her an initial source of comfort.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qianqian, an introverted novelist and aspiring screenwriter, confides in Cai Jinbai about a serious betrayal.
• Her friend He Tao’s boyfriend, the established screenwriter Ruan Ming, had agreed to mentor Qianqian. After seeing her original script, he stole it, dismissed it as unsuitable, and used the same story and character structure in a production under his own name.
• When Qianqian confronted him, Ruan Ming threatened to accuse her of seducing him and destroy her friendship with He Tao. Because Qianqian feared losing He Tao and lacked evidence, she stayed silent.
• Cai Jinbai encourages her to tell He Tao, arguing that protecting her friend from Ruan Ming is more important than avoiding an uncomfortable confrontation.
• Qianqian calls He Tao and nervously explains everything. Rather than immediately rejecting her claims, He Tao asks for the script’s title and details, then tells Qianqian to wait in the park.
• He Tao arrives with Qianqian’s original manuscript, which she recovered from Ruan Ming’s house using her key. She confirms that Ruan Ming had hidden it and had not yet disposed of it.
• He Tao reassures Qianqian that Ruan Ming is unworthy of her and that their friendship matters more than her relationship with him.

Character Development

• Li Qianqian: Moves from fear, self-blame, and helplessness to courageously confronting the situation. She realizes that trusting He Tao and speaking honestly is better than remaining silent and regretting it later.
• Cai Jinbai: Demonstrates empathy, emotional insight, and practical wisdom. He quickly understands Qianqian’s fears and gives her the confidence to act rather than simply comforting her.
• He Tao: Reveals herself to be loyal, decisive, and protective. Her immediate effort to retrieve the manuscript proves that she trusts and values Qianqian more than Ruan Ming.
• Ruan Ming: Is exposed as manipulative, dishonest, and opportunistic. He exploits Qianqian’s inexperience and her devotion to He Tao to steal her work and silence her.
• Xuan Yu and Fat Gold Ingot: Provide a lighthearted supernatural contrast. Fat Gold Ingot takes pride in finding another person blessed with Proper Wealth, while Xuan Yu amusingly competes for Cai Jinbai’s attention.

Significant Themes

• Trust and loyalty: Genuine friendship is shown through action, not merely words; He Tao proves her loyalty by believing Qianqian and recovering the evidence.
• Betrayal and exploitation: Ruan Ming abuses a mentorship relationship and takes advantage of Qianqian’s lack of experience and confidence.
• Courage and self-advocacy: Qianqian must overcome social anxiety and fear of conflict to defend her creative work and protect her future.
• Appearance versus reality: Ruan Ming appears helpful and respectable but is secretly calculating, while Cai Jinbai’s apparent role as a stranger becomes a source of unexpected support.
• Dreams versus harsh reality: Qianqian’s idealistic hopes of entering the screenwriting industry collide with plagiarism, power imbalances, and manipulation.

Important Character Interactions

• Cai Jinbai gently listens to Qianqian, gives her a handkerchief, and advises her to tell He Tao the truth.
• Qianqian hesitantly calls He Tao and confesses everything about the stolen script and Ruan Ming’s threats.
• He Tao tests the situation by asking for details, then actively retrieves the original manuscript herself.
• He Tao embraces and comforts Qianqian, assuring her that their friendship is more important than her relationship with Ruan Ming.
• While Qianqian waits anxiously, Cai Jinbai casually plays with Xuan Yu, whose jealousy of Fat Gold Ingot adds comic relief.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Tao comforts Li Qianqian after Ruan Ming’s threats and realizes how badly the incident has affected her health and confidence.
• He Tao recognizes Cai Jinbai, a famous and influential entertainment executive, who explains that although Qianqian recovered her original manuscript, Ruan Ming’s production has already begun filming.
• Cai warns that suing Ruan Ming would be difficult because he has industry connections and could delay proceedings until the production is completed, leaving Qianqian with little practical compensation.
• He Tao insists that Qianqian should still pursue justice, not only for herself but also to prevent Ruan Ming from exploiting other writers.
• Cai offers Qianqian a position at Jinbai Entertainment and proposes investing in her script. This would give the company legal grounds to protect her rights, halt the plagiarized production, and demand compensation from both Ruan Ming and the production crew.
• Qianqian and He Tao are shocked but delighted by the opportunity and readily accept the plan.
• Meanwhile, on set, Ruan Ming tells his uncle, Director Wang, that he has frightened Qianqian into silence. He shows no remorse and assumes she lacks the resources to challenge him.
• Ruan Ming reveals his exploitative nature, admitting that he deliberately lied about Qianqian’s script being unmarketable because he recognized its potential and wanted to steal it.
• A crew member suddenly alerts Ruan Ming that he is trending online. Multiple posts accuse him of stealing Qianqian’s script, plagiarizing repeatedly, and exploiting the production through his connection with Director Wang.
• Other screenwriters come forward with similar accusations and announce plans to sue him collectively.
• Jinbai Entertainment also sues the production crew, and online users discover that Qianqian has joined Cai’s company.

Character Developments

• Li Qianqian moves from fear and uncertainty toward determination. Although she worries about burdening He Tao, she ultimately resolves to sue Ruan Ming and defend her authorship.
• He Tao demonstrates fierce loyalty and moral courage. She prioritizes justice over her excitement about meeting Cai Jinbai and supports Qianqian despite the potential risks.
• Cai Jinbai emerges as a strategic and compassionate ally. Rather than offering empty sympathy, he uses his company’s influence and resources to create a practical legal solution for Qianqian.
• Ruan Ming is exposed as manipulative, arrogant, and opportunistic. He treats both creative work and personal relationships as tools for advancing his career.
• Director Wang appears complicit and primarily concerned with protecting the production, since he accepts Ruan Ming’s explanation without questioning the morality of the theft.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus power: The chapter emphasizes how difficult it is for ordinary creators to challenge well-connected abusers without institutional support.
• Exploitation of creative labor: Ruan Ming’s theft represents the broader vulnerability of writers whose work can be appropriated by influential figures.
• Friendship and loyalty: He Tao’s support proves that genuine friendship means standing beside someone during danger, not merely sharing pleasant times.
• Using influence responsibly: Cai Jinbai contrasts with Ruan Ming by using his wealth and authority to protect a vulnerable creator rather than exploit one.
• Accountability and collective action: The other screenwriters’ decision to expose Ruan Ming together shows that public testimony and solidarity can challenge repeated misconduct.
• Deception in relationships: Ruan Ming’s willingness to discard He Tao reveals his belief that people are replaceable, reinforcing his selfish and unethical character.

Character Interactions

• He Tao tenderly cares for Qianqian, while Qianqian remains embarrassed and worried about involving her friend.
• He Tao and Qianqian initially react with disbelief when Cai offers his assistance, then quickly recognize the opportunity he provides.
• Cai speaks to both women respectfully but directly, explaining the legal and financial realities of their situation.
• Ruan Ming and Director Wang privately discuss their scheme, revealing their shared confidence that Qianqian is powerless.
• The contrast between these conversations highlights the opposing sides: Qianqian, He Tao, and Cai cooperate to seek justice, while Ruan Ming and Wang conspire to profit from stolen work.

Chapter 26–27 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cai Jinbai learns that Li Qianqian wants to keep her pen name, Green Grass Qianqian, secret, so he protects her anonymity while exposing Ruan Ming.
• Jinbai Entertainment gathers evidence from numerous junior screenwriters whom Ruan Ming plagiarized, threatened, or bullied. Backed by Cai Jinbai’s money and lawyers, they file lawsuits against him.
• Several victims publicly reveal Ruan Ming’s misconduct, including stolen scripts, intimidation, violence, and the destruction of dramas after he took over other writers’ work.
• Evidence shows that Ruan Ming’s successful dramas often began with strong writing from other screenwriters but deteriorated when he replaced or rewrote their material himself.
• Public outrage explodes online, and the hashtag #RuanMingIsTrash# reaches the top of the trending list. Director Wang and the production crew connected to Ruan Ming are also condemned for exploiting writers, manipulating productions, forcing actors into roles, inserting advertisements, and prioritizing profit over quality.
• Jinbai Entertainment officially announces that it will pursue legal accountability against Ruan Ming and the production crew. Because of Cai Jinbai’s influence, no one dares assist them.
• Ruan Ming and Director Wang are forced to pay compensation, the wronged screenwriters receive justice and greater recognition, and the production crew disbands.
• Cai Jinbai also succeeds in attracting talented screenwriters to Jinbai Entertainment. Li Qianqian joins its screenwriting department.
• He Tao, Ruan Ming’s former girlfriend, breaks up with him after learning the truth. She returns his gifts, blocks him, and warns him that her own connections will prevent him from continuing in the industry.
• Ruan Ming remains arrogant and believes he may eventually revive his career by keeping a low profile and relying on his uncle, Director Wang.

Character Developments

• Cai Jinbai is established as a powerful and strategic protector of original creators. He uses Jinbai Entertainment’s resources not merely to win a legal battle, but to destroy Ruan Ming’s professional reputation and prevent further abuse.
• Li Qianqian gains justice without sacrificing her secret identity. Her successful script and association with Cai Jinbai help her enter Jinbai Entertainment as a professional screenwriter.
• Ruan Ming is exposed as a talentless plagiarist who depended on stolen work, intimidation, and industry connections. Despite overwhelming evidence, he remains unwilling to accept responsibility and continues dreaming of a comeback.
• He Tao demonstrates independence and clear judgment. Rather than remaining loyal to Ruan Ming, she decisively cuts ties and refuses to let him manipulate or threaten her.
• The junior screenwriters move from helpless victims to collective witnesses who successfully defend their rights and gain new professional opportunities.
• Director Wang is revealed as Ruan Ming’s protector and collaborator, but his influence cannot withstand Jinbai Entertainment’s intervention.

Significant Themes

• Justice through collective action: Individual writers were previously powerless, but joining together and receiving institutional support allows them to challenge exploitation.
• The abuse of power and capital: The chapter acknowledges that ordinary creators often cannot fight influential figures alone. Cai Jinbai’s intervention shows both the danger of capital and its potential to protect vulnerable people when used responsibly.
• Originality versus plagiarism: Ruan Ming’s downfall emphasizes the value of genuine creative labor and condemns those who profit from other people’s work.
• Consequences and accountability: Ruan Ming’s public disgrace, lawsuits, compensation, and industry boycott represent the consequences of years of theft and intimidation.
• Artistic integrity versus commercial exploitation: The ruined dramas symbolize what happens when producers prioritize money, manipulation, and connections over quality and respect for creators.
• Reputation and public opinion: Online testimony and evidence transform private suffering into a public reckoning, making it impossible for Ruan Ming to hide behind his reputation.

Character Interactions

• Cai Jinbai works with Li Qianqian and the other screenwriters while respecting Li’s wish for anonymity.
• The victimized screenwriters unite to testify against Ruan Ming and expose his pattern of theft and threats.
• Netizens react strongly to the revelations, condemning Ruan Ming while praising Cai Jinbai and Jinbai Entertainment.
• He Tao confronts Ruan Ming, ends their relationship, returns his gifts, and makes clear that he will no longer have access to or control over her.
• Ruan Ming attempts to win He Tao back, but she rejects him harshly and warns him that his industry connections will no longer protect him.

Chapter 29 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ruan Ming and Director Wang suffer the consequences of stealing Li Qianqian’s script. Their reputations are ruined, investors and major stars refuse to work with them, and they are expected to decline until they are forced out of the entertainment industry.
• Jinbai Entertainment’s newly established screenwriting department attracts many applicants because of the company’s growing reputation, particularly its policy of not requiring overtime.
• Yuan Guangjin interviews the candidates and retains several talented writers, including the three screenwriters who originally wrote the first half of A Wind Blows Across the Grassland.
• Cai Jinbai meets with the department and announces that Li Qianqian’s script, Family Matters, will be the company’s first major project. He praises its realistic setting, vivid dialogue, detailed customs, and emotionally compelling characters.
• The script will be refined, a director has already been found, and auditions will be held. Cai insists that acting ability matters more than fame and asks Li Qianqian to help select the cast. She accepts despite her social anxiety and resolves to grow more confident.
• Cai explains that Jinbai Entertainment needs more original stories for its planned expansion into film, television, and animation. The company also needs to recruit and develop more actors.
• Cai and Xuan Yu discuss reviving the variety program The Actors. The show had initially been successful but deteriorated because investors manipulated casting and results, established actors bullied newcomers, mentors offered insincere criticism, and contestants with connections received unfair advantages.
• After the disastrous second season, investors and prominent judges withdrew. Director Zheng attempts to redesign the third season around livestreaming and audience voting, but he cannot secure funding—until he receives an unexpected phone call that appears to offer hope.
• Lou Xiaoxiao, an enthusiastic viewer of variety shows, is introduced as someone who had followed The Actors closely and is excited by new developments.

Character Developments

• Li Qianqian begins overcoming her social anxiety. Taking responsibility for the auditions marks an important step toward becoming a more confident screenwriter and creative leader.
• Cai Jinbai demonstrates strong judgment and ambition. He recognizes the commercial and artistic potential of Family Matters while emphasizing quality acting and original content over celebrity status.
• Xuan Yu displays his affectionate and possessive concern for Cai Jinbai. He becomes pleased when Cai gives him one of Li Qianqian’s chocolates, revealing their close emotional bond beneath their playful banter.
• Yuan Guangjin takes on a reliable managerial role by carefully recruiting capable screenwriters and organizing the department.
• Director Zheng is portrayed as a dedicated but anxious creator trying to preserve his program despite investor withdrawal and the damage caused by earlier corruption.
• Ruan Ming and Director Wang begin their downfall, losing the prestige and opportunities they once enjoyed.

Significant Themes

• Consequences of misconduct: Ruan Ming and Director Wang’s plagiarism destroys their careers, showing that reputational damage can be more devastating than immediate punishment.
• Talent versus fame and connections: Cai Jinbai’s insistence on casting capable actors challenges the entertainment industry’s preference for popularity, seniority, and nepotism.
• Fairness and reform in entertainment: The Actors represents how promising creative platforms can be corrupted by investors, favoritism, and abusive power structures.
• Personal growth: Li Qianqian’s willingness to face her anxiety reflects the importance of stepping beyond one’s comfort zone to protect and realize one’s creative ambitions.
• Building a healthy creative company: Jinbai Entertainment is presented as an alternative to exploitative industry practices, valuing talent, original stories, and reasonable working conditions.

Character Interactions

• Yuan Guangjin encourages the new screenwriters to prepare for Cai Jinbai’s meeting, establishing his role as a responsible superior.
• The writers greet Cai nervously, but he reassures them and creates a more relaxed atmosphere. Their admiration for him highlights his growing reputation as a benevolent leader.
• Cai directly entrusts Li Qianqian with responsibility for the Family Matters auditions, showing his confidence in her abilities.
• Cai and Xuan Yu share playful, intimate banter over the chocolate Li gave Cai. Xuan Yu feeds Cai first, reflecting their comfortable and affectionate relationship.
• Cai and Xuan discuss The Actors as a possible opportunity for Jinbai Entertainment, linking their business strategy to the broader problems within the entertainment industry.

Chapter 30 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

Lou Xiaoxiao recalls her frustration with the first two seasons of The Actors. Although she initially expected the show to showcase genuine acting talent, she felt that the program was manipulated by favoritism, capital, connections, and unfair judging. Talented newcomers and actors she liked were eliminated for petty reasons, while weaker or less sincere performers advanced. By the end of the first season, the winner disappointed her, and the second season was even worse, leaving her with no expectations for the third.
Her interest returns when the third season announces major changes: it will be livestreamed, use audience voting, invite popular actors eliminated in earlier seasons back to compete, provide scripts and prompts in advance, and randomly select material for immediate performances. Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu will also serve as judges after Cai invests in the program.
The announcement causes the show to trend heavily online. Viewers express hope that the livestream format and audience voting will prevent editing tricks and behind-the-scenes manipulation. Others remain skeptical, noting that Cai Jinbai is also part of “capital,” though many trust him because of his reputation. The production team also constructs more elaborate, realistic sets, sacrificing detailed styling so actors can perform quickly during the livestream.
When the third season begins, Lou Xiaoxiao forces her parents to watch with her. Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu make a dramatic entrance, filmed from every angle and presented with glamorous lighting and music. Their appearance immediately captivates viewers, including Lou Xiaoxiao’s initially dismissive mother. Online viewership and discussion surge the instant they appear, surpassing one million viewers.

Character Developments

• Lou Xiaoxiao: Moves from cynical disappointment to intense excitement and renewed hope. Her enthusiasm shows how strongly she admires Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu, as well as how much she wants the competition to become fair and worthwhile.
• Cai Jinbai: Demonstrates influence by investing in the show and making a judging position part of the deal. His involvement is viewed by many as a potential force for reform, although some question whether he can truly remain separate from capital’s influence.
• Xuan Yu: Joins Cai Jinbai as a judge and shares in the public fascination surrounding their appearance and status.
• Mother Lou: Initially rejects the program and mocks the appearance of modern young actors, but is visibly stunned and captivated when Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu appear.
• Director Zheng: Carefully uses the two executives’ popularity to maximize publicity and monitors the livestream data closely. He becomes thrilled when viewership exceeds one million and immediately worries about technical problems.

Significant Themes

• Fairness versus corruption: The chapter criticizes entertainment competitions where connections, money, and internal favoritism override genuine talent.
• Reform and transparency: Livestreaming, audience voting, random prompts, and returning eliminated contestants are presented as ways to reduce manipulation and restore credibility.
• Celebrity and capital: Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu’s participation raises the question of whether powerful investors can improve the industry or simply become another form of influence.
• Public fascination with status and appearance: Their wealth, authority, and striking looks generate enormous attention, demonstrating how celebrity appeal can drive a show’s success.
• Hope after disappointment: Despite past failures, viewers are willing to give the program another chance because of its new format and high-profile involvement.

Character Interactions

• Lou Xiaoxiao excitedly tells her mother about the new season and asks her parents to watch with her.
• Her mother complains about the noise and initially refuses, but her attitude changes after seeing Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu.
• Lou Xiaoxiao privately teases her mother for pretending not to be impressed, while Father Lou humorously feels ignored.
• Online viewers debate whether Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu are trustworthy reformers or simply another form of capital.
• Director Zheng and his assistant react to the sudden viewership surge, with Zheng ordering the staff to prevent the livestream from lagging.

Chapter Summary

The third season of The Actors begins under intense scrutiny, with its success resting largely on judges Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu. The season includes popular contestants eliminated in earlier seasons, new actors, and recent graduates without agency backing. Some established actors withdraw after learning Cai will serve as a judge, suggesting his reputation and influence remain controversial.
Cai opens the competition by emphasizing professionalism, preparation, and fairness. He urges the actors to memorize their lines, understand their characters, and treat every role seriously. He also promises that judging will be open and impartial. The competition offers unusually generous prizes: the champion and top-five contestants receive substantial rewards, while the champion gains the right to choose whether to sign with Jinbai Entertainment under favorable terms. These opportunities are especially appealing to struggling actors and newcomers, and some contestants sign preliminary contracts immediately.
Several contestants’ histories are introduced. Qiu Ziyao, a beloved contestant from the first season, previously lost to a veteran actor despite many viewers believing his performance was superior. Chu Rong, a talented actress from the second season, has endured exploitation by an abusive agent, professional sabotage, and online smearing by paid trolls. Her continued survival in the industry highlights her resilience and determination. New graduates are inspired by Cai’s speech and begin to believe that genuine hard work might finally give them a chance.
When the competition officially begins, livestream viewers choose the first prompt: “Overbearing CEO.” The role is recognized as difficult because it requires genuine authority and presence rather than merely a cold expression. Director Zheng immediately realizes that Cai and Xuan themselves embody the archetype. Xuan is shown listening attentively and warmly to Cai, but when he notices the camera, his expression hardens and his intimidating aura emerges. His threatening gaze causes the camera to retreat, while Cai remains calm, elegant, and composed.
The contrast between Xuan’s fierce dominance toward others and his gentleness toward Cai becomes a major source of audience fascination. Viewers flood the comments with praise, describing Xuan as a “real” overbearing CEO and Cai as an aristocratic, refined counterpart who can control him. Their obvious closeness and contrasting personalities fuel widespread speculation and entertainment. The broadcast quickly generates viral hashtags, surging viewership, and extensive replay traffic.
Because Xuan and Cai set such an overwhelming example, the contestants’ performances struggle to compare, though female actors perform somewhat better. Even the judges joke that Cai and Xuan would receive perfect scores simply by sitting there. The season becomes an immediate hit, prompting the production team to improve its styling, costumes, and sets. Lou Xiaoxiao later recommends the show to her classmates, praising its transparency and fairness while joking that Xuan gave the best performance, even though the eventual champion deserved the victory.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Cai Jinbai presents himself as principled, professional, and committed to fair competition. His speech establishes him as a serious mentor and benefactor, while his elegant composure contrasts with Xuan’s aggression.
• Xuan Yu reveals a dramatic split in behavior: he is attentive and gentle with Cai but intimidating and unapproachable toward the public. His natural authority turns him into an instant sensation.
• Cai and Xuan share a visibly close relationship. Their contrasting treatment of one another and the camera creates both comedic appeal and romantic speculation among viewers.
• Qiu Ziyao is portrayed as a talented but unlucky actor seeking another chance after an unfair earlier defeat.
• Chu Rong is characterized as resilient and capable, having endured exploitation, sabotage, and harassment while continuing to pursue acting.
• Director Zheng recognizes the viral potential of Cai and Xuan’s presence and capitalizes on it to promote the show.

Significant Themes

• Fairness versus industry favoritism: The competition promises transparency in contrast to the capital and backstage influence that harmed contestants such as Qiu Ziyao and Chu Rong.
• Professionalism and preparation: Cai stresses that acting requires discipline, character study, and respect for the role.
• Opportunity and redemption: The show offers struggling actors a rare chance to restart their careers.
• Natural charisma versus performed authority: Xuan’s effortless presence demonstrates the difference between genuinely embodying a character and merely imitating its surface traits.
• Public image and media spectacle: The audience’s obsession with Cai and Xuan shows how quickly television, livestream comments, and social media can transform personalities into viral phenomena.
• Power and intimacy: Xuan’s intimidating public persona contrasts sharply with his softness toward Cai, highlighting their private bond and the influence Cai has over him.

Summary

Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu continue to attract attention from students and fans, who openly speculate about their unusually close relationship. Because they grew up together and Cai appears especially biased toward Xuan, fans even create screenshots and fanfiction pairing them romantically. Their popularity through The Actors also increases interest in Jinbai Entertainment and its upcoming productions.
Cai Jinbai becomes involved in the production of Family Matters, a highly anticipated drama backed by strong funding, an acclaimed director, and prominent actors. He is also preparing to invest in Zheng Jingyuan, a former Best Actor whose career was nearly destroyed by a serious eye condition. Zheng had withdrawn from the industry to undergo treatment and rigorously retrain his acting, particularly his eye acting, before attempting a comeback.
Zheng auditions for Family Matters alongside lesser-known actors. Some resent his presence, believing that a Best Actor competing for a supporting role deprives them of opportunities. Zheng, however, is humble and understands the difficulty of his position. Despite recovering, he has lost industry momentum and is now forced to rebuild his career from the beginning. His refusal to return before he felt truly ready demonstrates his professionalism, self-discipline, and sense of responsibility toward audiences.
When Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu arrive at the audition, Zheng respectfully greets them. Cai recognizes Zheng’s ability and interrupts his audition for a minor father role, suggesting instead that he try out for Yang Zixin, a far more challenging and significant character. Yang is the male lead’s adopted younger brother, shaped by childhood poverty and abandonment. He becomes money-oriented after enduring hardship, makes morally questionable choices, suffers failed investments, and later succeeds again, yet remains sincerely attached to his family. His contradictory nature makes him a demanding role that could showcase Zheng’s range.
Cai’s interest in Zheng is connected to the altered “financial fortunes” caused by his previous actions. After changing Li Qianqian’s fortune, Cai indirectly changed Zheng’s fate as well, creating new opportunities for his return. Chen Chengrong also contacts Cai about investing in another film, suggesting that Cai’s influence and investment network are expanding beyond television.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Cai Jinbai: Continues acting as a perceptive investor and talent supporter. He recognizes Zheng’s potential and deliberately offers him a role suited to his abilities rather than merely accepting his initial choice.
• Xuan Yu: Remains close to Cai and accompanies him in business matters. Their intimate, effortless partnership fuels public speculation about their relationship.
• Zheng Jingyuan: Shifts from a celebrated Best Actor to a cautious, humble actor rebuilding his career after illness. His patience, discipline, and dedication reveal strong professional integrity.
• Cai and Zheng: Their brief but significant interaction establishes Cai as someone capable of seeing Zheng’s potential and giving him a meaningful opportunity.
• Cai and Chen Chengrong: Chen seeks Cai’s investment, demonstrating Cai’s growing importance in the entertainment industry.
• Fans and students: Their gossip and fanfiction highlight how Cai and Xuan’s closeness has become a public spectacle.

Significant Themes

• Rebuilding after adversity: Zheng’s career and physical recovery show the difficulty of returning after illness and prolonged absence.
• Professional integrity: Zheng refuses to work before his acting meets his own standards, emphasizing responsibility over fame.
• Opportunity and fate: Cai’s investment and fortune-altering actions create new opportunities for people whose lives might otherwise have stagnated.
• Industry competition and renewal: Established actors, minor performers, and new talent compete for limited roles, while Cai’s projects aim to bring fresh energy into the entertainment world.
• Complex human nature: Yang Zixin’s morally ambiguous personality reflects the drama’s interest in characters who cannot be judged as simply good or evil.
• Public perception and intimacy: The intense fan speculation surrounding Cai and Xuan contrasts with their understated personal interactions, showing how celebrity relationships are interpreted and reshaped by audiences.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zheng Jingyuan is torn between auditioning for a conventional role recommended by his agent and the smaller but more distinctive role of Yang Zixin. Though Yang has little screen time, Cai Jinbai points out that the character could leave a powerful impression.
• Zheng chooses to take the risk and auditions for Yang Zixin. He successfully wins the role, and Cai Jinbai tells him that the part’s Wealth Aura suits him and may help him stand out.
• Cai then offers Zheng an even greater opportunity: an audition for the male lead in renowned director Li Hua’s film, A Man and a Dog Adrift.
• The film follows a once-wealthy man whose investments fail, leaving him homeless and too ashamed to return to his wife and son. After nearly freezing to death beneath an overpass, he is saved by an old dog that lies on top of him for warmth.
• The dog, later named Hope, becomes the man’s source of emotional support. Although the dog finds food for him while going hungry itself—and is even injured—the man is moved to rebuild his life. He begins seeking work, accepting humble jobs he once would have scorned, and struggling upward from nothing.
• The chapter also includes a playful exchange between Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu, who reminisce about their first meeting and their difficult childhood together.

Character Developments

• Zheng Jingyuan shows renewed courage and determination. Though insecure after spending time away from the entertainment industry, he chooses the challenging role rather than the safer option and commits himself to preparing for the film audition.
• Cai Jinbai demonstrates both professional insight and generosity. He recognizes Zheng’s suitability for Yang Zixin and uses his influence to recommend him for Li Hua’s film, while making clear that Zheng must earn the part himself.
• Cai’s polished, scholarly exterior contrasts with his mischievous and calculating nature, which emerges during his teasing interaction with Xuan Yu.
• Xuan Yu reveals his deep familiarity and affection for Cai. He remembers their shared past and enjoys exposing Cai’s hypocrisy, but his sudden physical and emotional reaction while tickling Cai suggests feelings he does not fully understand.
• The film’s protagonist begins a moral and emotional transformation: from shame, despair, and passivity toward responsibility, resilience, and gratitude.

Significant Themes

• Taking risks and seizing opportunities: Zheng must stop choosing only safe roles and gamble on characters that could revive his career.
• The importance of impact over prominence: A role’s value is not determined by screen time but by whether it leaves a lasting impression.
• Redemption through hardship: The film’s male lead must confront failure and rebuild himself from the bottom.
• Companionship and hope: The old dog’s loyalty gives the protagonist a reason to survive and change, symbolized by the name “Hope.”
• Hidden identities and intimacy: Cai’s refined public persona conceals his playful, scheming side, which only Xuan Yu is close enough to see.
• Unrecognized affection: Xuan Yu’s strange physical reaction and sudden retreat hint at romantic or emotional feelings developing beneath their long-standing companionship.

Character Interactions

• Cai encourages Zheng to pursue Yang Zixin and recommends him for the film, creating a meaningful professional opportunity between them.
• Cai and Xuan Yu jokingly argue over their first meeting, each accusing the other of being dangerous: Cai claims Xuan tried to bite him, while Xuan recalls Cai nearly roasting and eating him.
• Their mock fight turns into playful tickling. Cai laughs helplessly while Xuan suddenly becomes flustered by their physical closeness and withdraws.
• Xuan later returns to sit beside Cai and asks about the film, showing his curiosity and continued attachment to him.

Summary

Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu discuss the film A Man and a Dog’s Wanderings, whose simple story carries deeper emotional meaning. The male lead once rescued a dog—later named Hope—after it was hit by a car, paid for its treatment, and left without waiting for its recovery. Hope escaped and repeatedly waited outside the male lead’s upscale residence, appearing only briefly each day when the man was leaving for or returning from work. The two continually missed each other. Years later, when Hope became ill, the male lead finally took him to the pet hospital, where the veterinarian recognized their connection. However, Hope eventually died before they could truly reunite.
The story symbolizes not only missed opportunities with the dog, but also the male lead’s emotional neglect of his wife and son. He realizes the importance of his family only after losing Hope, though fortunately his wife and son are still with him. The film is adapted from the true story of the owner of Hope Mall. Its “Wealth Aura” is connected to actor Zheng Jingyuan, and Cai is unsurprised when Zheng successfully auditions for the male lead, Chen Fei. Director Li praises Zheng’s performance and thanks Cai for recommending him. Cai also anticipates that Xu Yuqing’s role will become popular after the film’s release.
Cai’s next major project is an original idol drama titled Glory. Rather than casting established stars, he plans to use newcomers and lesser-known actors from the third season of The Actors. The drama will be filmed while it airs, an unconventional format not yet attempted in the industry. Every role is intended to be meaningful, with no disposable supporting characters or stereotypical villainous second leads. Cai also plans extensive preparation, including etiquette, posture, professional terminology, and custom-made costumes, hoping to create a high-quality idol drama that encourages viewers to strive for a brilliant life rather than merely indulge in romantic fantasies.
Industry rival Gao Su mocks Cai’s ambitious plan, believing his inexperience will cause him to lose money. Because Cai’s company previously harmed Starlight’s stock price and internal stability, Gao decides to retaliate by producing a competing idol drama using a popular novel, famous stars, a large budget, and heavy promotion. Cai remains unaware of—and unconcerned about—the challenge.
Meanwhile, the third season of The Actors concludes successfully. Chu Rong wins the championship, overwhelmed with emotion and grateful to Cai, Xuan Yu, the judges, and the audience. Her victory is widely viewed as fair and deserved, especially after she suffered under a bad agent and lacked industry connections. Qiu Ziyao takes second place, while newcomer Xie Qianxue ranks third. Viewers praise the season for its fairness, strong ratings, memorable moments, and the opportunities it gives young actors.
The contestants also gain the chance to sign with Jinbai Entertainment and immediately audition for Glory. They may choose whether to sign or exchange the reward for something else, but joining the company would provide them with training and a substantial career opportunity.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Cai Jinbai continues expanding his entertainment investments with confidence and ambition, demonstrating faith in new talent and unconventional production methods.
• Xuan Yu understands the emotional core of the dog film, succinctly identifying its theme as repeated missed connections.
• Zheng Jingyuan proves himself ideal for the role of Chen Fei and earns praise from Director Li.
• Xu Yuqing impresses Cai during filming, and he predicts her role will become a breakout success.
• Chu Rong emerges from obscurity and past mistreatment to become the fair winner of The Actors.
• Gao Su becomes an active rival to Cai, turning professional resentment into a direct production battle.
• Director Li recognizes Cai’s judgment in selecting Zheng and expresses admiration for his ability to identify talent.
• Yuan Guangjin explains the Glory opportunity and emphasizes that the actors retain freedom over whether to join Jinbai Entertainment.

Major Themes

• Missed opportunities and the pain of realizing someone’s value too late.
• Learning to cherish family and relationships before they are lost.
• Redemption through recognition, though sometimes only after irreversible loss.
• Fairness and merit in the entertainment industry.
• Supporting newcomers and creating meaningful opportunities rather than relying solely on popularity.
• Innovation, ambition, and the conflict between bold new methods and established industry practices.
• The positive social influence entertainment can have when it encourages perseverance and self-improvement.

Chapter 33 Summary

• Jinbai Entertainment’s new recruits: Chu Rong and Qiu Ziyao agree to sign with Jinbai Entertainment, trusting President Cai to treat them fairly. Their decisions influence the other contestants, and the entire group signs before being sent overseas for secret training.
• Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu’s daily life: A floor of Jinbai Group has been converted into a private gym. Xuan Yu frequently exercises there while Cai Jinbai works nearby, creating a comfortable, domestic routine. Xuan Yu’s increasingly intense workouts reveal that he is struggling with a strange physical and emotional restlessness.
• Xuan Yu’s romantic awakening: Xuan Yu becomes increasingly conscious of his attraction to Cai Jinbai. He is confused by his desire to be near Jinbai while also feeling unsettled when looking at him. Because dragons are naturally passionate and Xuan Yu has recently come of age, he suspects that he may be entering his mating cycle. He denies the possibility, insisting that he is different from other dragons, but his reactions—including admiring Jinbai’s appearance, licking his lips, and slapping himself in embarrassment—suggest otherwise.
• Their closeness: After Xuan Yu showers, Cai Jinbai casually dries his hair for him. Their physical familiarity and emotional dependence are evident. When discussing an upcoming banquet for the Luo family patriarch, Xuan Yu is pleased to learn that he and Cai Jinbai will attend together without female companions, revealing his possessiveness and desire for Jinbai’s exclusive company.
• Promotion of Black or White: Cai Jinbai’s first invested film, Black or White, passes review and is scheduled for release on October 1. Director Chen promotes it energetically despite his previous failure. Cai Jinbai publicizes the painful circumstances behind Chen’s earlier flop—interference from investors, family troubles, and betrayal by the producer—gaining public sympathy. Paid commenters also provoke criticism, encouraging people to see the film for themselves.
• Audience response: Lou Xiaoxiao attends with her parents mainly to support Cai Jinbai’s investment. Although she initially prefers comedies and has little interest in the police-and-spy thriller, the film gradually absorbs her and her parents. The theater becomes deeply emotional during the death of Zhuang Xiaowu, played by Xu Yuqing.
• Zhuang Xiaowu’s sacrifice: Zhuang Xiaowu is revealed to be a police officer and dies in the protagonist’s arms. His final expression reignites the protagonist’s determination, preventing him from falling into darkness and enabling him to complete his undercover mission. The film ends with the protagonist visiting Xiaowu’s grave, emphasizing the loss of a bright young life.
• Themes: The chapter explores Xuan Yu’s dawning romantic and sexual feelings, emotional dependence, and the intimacy of shared domestic routines. It also highlights loyalty and support—between Cai Jinbai and his artists, between fans and the people they admire, and between characters whose sacrifices inspire others. The film-within-the-chapter reinforces themes of tragedy, courage, hope, and the lasting impact of self-sacrifice.

Chapter Summary

• “Black or White” receives overwhelming praise. Father Lou explains the protagonist’s tragic emotional state after completing his undercover mission, moving Lou Xiaoxiao to tears. She praises the film online, with her parents also asking her to help them post about it.
• The film’s performances are widely celebrated. The protagonist and the villainous second male lead deliver intense scenes built around shifting trust and suspicion. Xu Yuqing, previously associated with idol dramas and sidelined for three years, surprises everyone with his strong performance, particularly his death scene, which is described as potentially career-defining.
• Director Chen Chengrong makes a triumphant comeback. Viewers praise the film’s logical plot, fast but controlled pacing, emotional tension, and ability to keep audiences absorbed. Many conclude that the director’s earlier failure was caused by interference from investors and producers rather than a lack of talent.
• The movie becomes a major hit. Online reviews quickly fill theaters, including late-night screenings. Audiences praise its theme—that morality is not absolutely black or white—and admire the protagonist’s commitment to justice despite his flaws. President Cai is also commended for supporting Chen’s creative control.
• Star Universe Entertainment reacts competitively. Gao Su, resentful of Jinbai Entertainment’s success, dismisses Cai’s achievement as luck and orders his company to produce a similar family-themed project to compete with Family Matters. This marks another attempt to challenge Jinbai Entertainment.
• The success affects society beyond entertainment. Inspired by the film’s undercover-police theme, netizens flood police department websites with messages thanking officers and wishing undercover agents safety. Police departments respond, turning the interaction into a nationwide phenomenon that lasts until the end of the year.
• The next entertainment rivalry is established. Jinbai Entertainment’s drama Glory and Star Universe Entertainment’s idol drama are scheduled to premiere on the same day. Both companies’ projects target similar audiences, prompting online speculation about a deliberate head-to-head battle. Public opinion initially favors Star Universe’s star-studded cast and famous source novel, while Jinbai’s younger, less-established cast and original script are viewed skeptically.
• The Cai household prepares for the New Year. At New Moon Villa, Auntie Cai and Butler Ding decorate the house with couplets, lanterns, lucky symbols, and festive snacks. Cai Jinbai enthusiastically photographs Xuan Yu holding his handmade decorations.
• Cai and Xuan’s relationship shows increasing intimacy. Cai playfully directs Xuan’s pose and tries to make him smile. When Cai calls him “our Xuan” while praising his looks, Xuan unexpectedly softens and smiles, suggesting that Cai’s affection has a powerful effect on him. Their close, almost domestic relationship continues to attract unspoken speculation from those around them, though no one dares discuss it openly.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Lou Xiaoxiao becomes emotionally invested in Black or White and actively promotes it across multiple platforms.
• Father and Mother Lou are touched by the film and try to participate in modern online promotion.
• Xu Yuqing proves that his three-year absence did not diminish his talent, potentially reestablishing himself through the film.
• Chen Chengrong regains professional respect and celebrates his restored reputation, becoming emotional at the banquet.
• Gao Su grows increasingly competitive and resentful, responding to Jinbai’s success with a counterattack rather than acknowledging the film’s quality.
• Cai Jinbai is confirmed as a supportive investor who trusts his creative partners and remains confident about his company’s success.
• Xuan Yu remains reserved and physically unable to smile naturally, but Cai’s affectionate praise draws out a genuine smile, revealing his emotional responsiveness to Cai.

Major Themes

• Moral ambiguity: The film’s title reflects the idea that people and justice cannot be divided into absolute good and evil.
• Sacrifice and emotional cost: Undercover work may achieve justice while leaving lasting loneliness and trauma.
• Redemption and second chances: Chen Chengrong and Xu Yuqing both regain recognition after periods of failure or neglect.
• Creative integrity versus commercial interference: The film’s success reinforces the value of trusting directors and protecting artistic decisions.
• Competition in the entertainment industry: The rivalry between Jinbai and Star Universe escalates through overlapping projects, marketing, and release schedules.
• Public gratitude toward unseen heroes: The audience’s response shows how fiction can inspire real appreciation for police officers and other people who work behind the scenes.
• Unspoken intimacy: Cai and Xuan’s domestic closeness and mutual influence hint at a relationship deeper than ordinary brotherhood, even as outsiders avoid openly acknowledging it.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• After filming New Year photos, Cai Jinbai reviews the pictures with Xuan Yu. Some show Xuan Yu in his dragon form, with New Year decorations hanging from his horns, creating a humorous contrast between his intimidating appearance and his warmth.
• Cai Jinbai posts the ordinary photos on Weibo, prompting enthusiastic reactions from fans who praise Xuan Yu’s appearance and speculate that the two men are romantically involved.
• He later posts a candid photo of himself cutting paper decorations and announces a lottery to give away the blessing characters and window decorations he made.
• Xuan Yu objects to Cai Jinbai giving them away, demanding more keepsakes. Cai reassures him that he can make more anytime and emphasizes that he has always been by Xuan Yu’s side.
• The idol dramas produced by Star Universe Entertainment and Jinbai Entertainment premiere. Star Universe’s Your Sweetness initially leads in views, causing Gao Su to celebrate.
• By the second day, however, Jinbai Entertainment’s Glory overtakes it, and its lead becomes overwhelming by the third day. Gao Su blames his staff and orders aggressive marketing.
• Star Universe uses paid posters to praise Your Sweetness and attack Glory, but viewers quickly recognize the poor production quality. They criticize the show’s cheap backgrounds, mismatched casting, weak acting, excessive melodrama, and altered character relationships.
• Audiences who watch Glory are impressed by its quality and begin recommending it voluntarily. The show is presented as more than a simple romance, with stronger storytelling and emotional depth.
• Glory is directed by He Rong, a talented but marginalized female director whose career was repeatedly obstructed by a powerful male director after she once defeated him in ratings.
• Ironically, that same male director directs Your Sweetness. After discovering that He Rong is behind Glory, he becomes even more resentful and begins plotting to force her out of the industry.

Character Developments

• Cai Jinbai: Becomes increasingly curious about the romantic implications of fans “shipping” him with Xuan Yu. He begins considering romance in a way he never did in his former world, where wealth and cultivation were his priorities. He is also shown as generous, confident, and attentive to Xuan Yu.
• Xuan Yu: Displays possessiveness and a desire for emotional reassurance. His insistence on keeping more of Cai’s handmade decorations is less about the objects themselves than about hearing Cai affirm their constant companionship.
• Gao Su: Shifts rapidly from smug confidence to anger and panic as Your Sweetness fails and Glory succeeds. His reliance on manipulation and paid promotion reveals his insecurity and poor judgment.
• He Rong: Gains an important opportunity through Cai Jinbai’s support. Her history establishes her as talented, resilient, and motivated to challenge the industry forces that suppressed her.
• The rival male director: His professional jealousy and personal resentment intensify. He is revealed as vindictive and willing to abuse industry influence to harm He Rong.

Significant Themes

• Romantic realization and emotional dependence: Cai Jinbai begins questioning whether his relationship with Xuan Yu could be romantic, while Xuan Yu seeks verbal confirmation of their bond.
• Authenticity versus manufactured popularity: Genuine audience approval allows Glory to succeed, while paid comments and fan manipulation cannot rescue the inferior Your Sweetness.
• Quality overcoming privilege: Star Universe has greater funding, connections, and industry influence, yet Jinbai Entertainment wins through better production, storytelling, and preparation.
• Gender discrimination and professional injustice: He Rong’s career demonstrates how talented women can be blocked by powerful men, while Cai Jinbai’s support offers her a chance to reclaim her position.
• Public image and fandom culture: Social media turns private interactions into entertainment, with fans interpreting Cai and Xuan Yu’s closeness as romantic “shipping.”

Character Interactions

• Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu share playful, affectionate exchanges over the handmade decorations. Their dialogue reveals familiarity, possessiveness, and mutual emotional importance.
• Auntie Cai and Butler Ding observe the pair’s interactions and silently recognize their intimate dynamic, suggesting that such affectionate exchanges have become routine.
• Online fans enthusiastically pair Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu together, while Cai begins to examine the possibility himself.
• Gao Su interacts with his subordinates harshly after Your Sweetness loses its lead, demonstrating his frustration and dependence on corporate tactics.
• He Rong’s professional conflict with the rival male director forms the central industry rivalry behind the two competing dramas. Their past competition fuels his renewed determination to destroy her career.

Chapter Summary

• The disgraced male director is forced out of the industry. Gao Su angrily confronts him after his mistreatment of He Rong is exposed online, ordering him to leave. Trending topics reveal both his bullying behavior and past efforts to ostracize He Rong. An investor then withdraws funding from his upcoming drama, accusing him of pocketing excess money and producing technically poor work. Furious and humiliated, the director smashes his phone. Because He Rong is now protected by Cai Jinbai and Jinbai Entertainment, his attempt to retaliate against her fails, and he is ultimately driven out of directing.
• “Glory” becomes highly successful. The drama is praised for its fast, coherent plot, strong visual presentation, logical character behavior, and avoidance of clichéd idol-drama formulas. It centers on people pursuing their own ambitions rather than existing solely to support the romantic leads.

The cast and characters are highlighted.

• Chu Rong plays an intelligent, capable female lead who initially competes with the male lead in business. Their rivalry gradually develops into mutual understanding and romantic tension.
• Qiu Ziyao plays a competent, considerate overbearing-CEO-type male lead who avoids the usual greasy or irrational behavior.
• Xie Qianxue plays a wealthy heiress whose aloof, elegant exterior hides social anxiety and a love of staying at home. She dreams of becoming a manga artist, while her family expects her to join the business.
• The second male lead is portrayed as a fully developed person rather than a disposable tool for the protagonists, while the supporting characters likewise have independent goals and personalities.
• The cast members, many of whom came from The Actors, received special training in posture, manners, and bearing.
• Viewers praise the drama’s production quality. Custom-made costumes, luxurious locations, music, cinematography, and detailed staging create an unusually polished atmosphere. Audiences especially appreciate the contrast between Glory and the poorly received competing drama Your Sweetness, criticizing the latter for recycled plots, weak supporting characters, implausible settings, and an outdated CEO romance formula.
• Cai Jinbai’s wealth attracts renewed attention. Viewers discover that the grand estate featured in the drama belongs to Cai Jinbai and was provided for filming. This revelation causes episode five’s view count to surge and prompts netizens to investigate Cai’s overseas assets and background.
• Star Universe Entertainment begins attacking Cai Jinbai. Cai Jinbao reports that people are digging into Cai Jinbai’s history and foreign citizenship. Cai acknowledges that being an ethnic Chinese person with foreign nationality is an easy target in public opinion, especially because he developed overseas before returning to Huaguo. He reveals that he anticipated such attacks and had prepared for them in advance.
• Public suspicion escalates. Online commentators question how a foreign citizen could purchase a landmark office building in S City’s New Urban District. Some speculate that Cai used money and connections to influence officials and acquire an important national development asset, turning his nationality and wealth into a potential political controversy.

Key Themes

• Accountability and consequences: The abusive director’s arrogance and unethical behavior eventually destroy his career.
• Quality versus formula: Glory succeeds by prioritizing coherent storytelling, nuanced characters, and realistic relationships over recycled romance clichés.
• Female independence and personal ambition: The female characters possess their own goals, intelligence, and identities beyond romance.
• Public opinion and media manipulation: Online trends can expose wrongdoing, promote a production, or be weaponized to attack someone’s reputation.
• National identity and prejudice: Cai Jinbai’s foreign citizenship becomes a source of suspicion, showing how wealth, nationality, and perceived loyalty can shape public judgment.
• Power and protection: He Rong’s association with Cai Jinbai and Jinbai Entertainment shields her from retaliation, while Cai’s wealth and influence become both assets and vulnerabilities.

Chapter Summary — Page 39

Key Plot Points and Events

• Online debate intensifies over Cai Jinbai’s purchase of the landmark building in S City’s New Urban District. Many netizens suspect he has ulterior motives because he is believed to be an overseas Chinese citizen with extensive foreign connections.
• Paid trolls amplify nationalist fears, portraying Cai as dangerous foreign capital attempting to infiltrate Huaguo through the entertainment industry. Even former supporters begin doubting him and demand that he leave the country.
• As the idol drama Glory continues airing, the controversy grows. At its peak, Central Net publishes an official report identifying Cai as “our country’s outstanding young entrepreneur” and announcing that his laboratory has developed a new drone.
• The announcement surprises the public because it strongly implies that Cai is no longer a foreign national but has become a Huaguo citizen. Netizens also realize that the drone project may be only a publicly acceptable cover for more important, undisclosed technological achievements.
• An authoritative online commentator analyzes the report and argues that Cai is not merely an investor but likely a scientific researcher. The commentator also uncovers evidence that:
  • Cai used his private jet to bring scientific talents safely back to Huaguo.
  • He donated valuable cultural relics to a national museum.
  • Some of the relics had originally been looted from Huaguo and were once held overseas by the Cai Family.
• Cai is impressed by how much the online investigator has uncovered. He allows Jinbao to gradually release additional information, causing the public to become even more astonished.
• Netizens begin to suspect that Cai’s family may have deliberately acquired stolen cultural relics in order to return them to Huaguo, reframing his overseas background as part of a long-term effort to serve the country.

Character Developments

• Cai Jinbai: His public image shifts from suspicious foreign businessman to patriotic entrepreneur, scientist, cultural benefactor, and protector of national talent. He remains calm and observant throughout the crisis, amused rather than angered by the online investigation. His decision to release information gradually shows that he is strategically managing his public identity.
• Jinbao: Continues assisting Cai by controlling the release of relevant information, helping reveal his hidden contributions at the appropriate moment.
• Netizens and former fans: Their opinions change dramatically. Supporters who once admired Cai for his appearance or public persona become uncertain and even hostile, but later begin reassessing him after official evidence reveals his contributions.
• The online commentator: Demonstrates strong investigative ability and access to reliable sources, piecing together Cai’s nationality, research work, repatriation of scientists, and cultural donations before Cai publicly explains himself.

Significant Themes

• Public opinion and manipulation: Paid trolls exploit nationalism and uncertainty to turn the public against Cai, showing how easily online opinion can be influenced.
• Patriotism beyond nationality: Cai’s foreign identity initially causes suspicion, but his actions—including returning talents, technology, and cultural artifacts—demonstrate that loyalty is shown through deeds rather than legal status alone.
• Hidden contributions and secrecy: Cai’s most important work cannot be openly revealed, emphasizing the tension between public recognition and national security.
• Reclaiming national heritage: The return of looted relics symbolizes the restoration of Huaguo’s cultural identity and history.
• Prejudice against overseas Chinese: The chapter critiques the assumption that people with foreign backgrounds must have divided loyalties or harmful intentions.
• Reputation and truth: Cai’s carefully concealed actions gradually overturn the public’s negative assumptions, revealing that appearances and rumors are unreliable.

Character Interactions

• Cai indirectly interacts with the public through official announcements, online discussions, and Jinbao’s controlled information releases.
• Netizens argue intensely with one another, with some defending Cai while others accuse him of espionage, foreign influence, or exploiting the entertainment industry.
• The online commentator interprets Central Net’s wording and publicly reconstructs Cai’s hidden contributions, effectively challenging both the rumors and Cai’s secrecy.
• Cai observes the commentator’s investigation with admiration and mild amusement, recognizing the person’s ability to uncover information before he officially reveals it.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Public opinion toward Cai Jinbai changes dramatically after evidence emerges that:
  • His family repeatedly bought Huaguo’s cultural artifacts at overseas auctions and donated them all back to the country.
  • He and Xuan Yu have obtained Huaguo citizenship.
  • Cai is an exceptionally accomplished researcher who won numerous prestigious awards during college.
  • His current technological work, including drone-related research, is highly advanced but remains confidential.
• Central Network publicly supports Cai, releasing limited information about his achievements and effectively silencing the accusations that he is a foreign Chinese national with harmful intentions.
• Netizens praise Cai’s patriotism, talent, wealth, and decision to return to Huaguo despite having a comfortable life abroad. Many begin supporting the entertainment projects he funds.
• Gao Su’s smear campaign at Star Universe Entertainment collapses. He orders his paid commenters to withdraw and abandons plans to manipulate the film awards against Black or White, since Cai’s official domestic identity removes their main attack point.
• The popularity of Cai’s idol drama Glory rises sharply, surpassing Your Sweetness.
• It is revealed that Cai’s New City District property includes employee housing and a heavily secured technology research institute, later referred to online as the Jinbai Technology Zone.
• Cai Jinbai and Xuan Yu travel to another city to meet Xuan Hanfeng and Mu Lin, whose photography team has spent over a year filming a traditional-culture program.
• Most filming is complete, and only editing and promotional work remain. Cai promises to personally help promote the program.

2. Character Developments

• Cai Jinbai: His public image shifts from suspicious foreign businessman to patriotic, brilliant, and highly capable national asset. His background as an artifact refiner explains his natural talent for technological research. He is shown to have strategically built wealth overseas, reclaimed cultural artifacts, established domestic assets, and prepared for a long-term return to Huaguo.
• Xuan Yu: Like Cai, he has gained Huaguo citizenship and continues to support Cai closely. He takes care of Cai during travel, carrying the luggage and treating Cai’s hands as especially valuable because of his artifact-refining abilities.
• Gao Su: His hostility becomes increasingly desperate, but Cai’s official status and government support leave him unable to continue attacking Cai or sabotaging Black or White.
• Xuan Hanfeng and Mu Lin: Their once-struggling photography team has persevered for over a year and now possesses a nearly completed major project, though they remain uncertain whether modern audiences will appreciate its traditional subject matter.
• The public: Netizens rapidly reverse their judgment, moving from suspicion and rejection to intense admiration and support for Cai and Xuan Yu.

3. Significant Themes

• Patriotism and belonging: Cai demonstrates loyalty to Huaguo not through words alone but through returning cultural relics, transferring assets, developing domestic technology, and obtaining citizenship.
• Reputation and public opinion: The chapter shows how quickly online sentiment can change when credible evidence and official support emerge.
• Talent hidden beneath appearances: Cai’s handsome, wealthy CEO image conceals extraordinary achievements in research and artifact refinement.
• Strategic preparation and long-term planning: Cai has spent years preparing his return, accumulating overseas resources while keeping connections abroad and establishing a strong foundation in Huaguo.
• Cultural preservation and modernization: Traditional artifacts and culture are connected to cutting-edge technology, suggesting that heritage and innovation can reinforce each other.
• Power and institutional legitimacy: Central Network’s intervention decisively defeats the smear campaign, showing the importance of official recognition in shaping public trust.

4. Character Interactions

• Netizens debate Cai’s identity and motives, then collectively defend him after learning about his donations, citizenship, and achievements.
• Central Network and the drone expert CE publicly validate Cai’s expertise, strengthening his reputation.
• Gao Su and his assistant discuss withdrawing the smear campaign and abandoning the attempt to block Black or White from winning awards.
• Cai and Xuan Yu travel together, with Xuan Yu caring for Cai by carrying the luggage.
• Cai, Xuan Hanfeng, and Mu Lin discuss the traditional-culture program’s progress. When Xuan Hanfeng worries that younger viewers prefer fast-paced content, Cai confidently assures him that quality work will attract viewers and promises to handle promotion personally.