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[He had indeed been thinking that way. The woman he was flirting with had presented herself as an innocent, sheltered heiress who admired him greatly. He had ridden a wave of couple-shipping popularity after marrying his wife, but in recent years, their CP fans had become far less active, and his career had been declining as well. So he wanted to kick his wife aside and find someone who could help his career. That flirtation target happened to fit his ideal perfectly.]

Chu Xiyue shook her head and clicked her tongue. "That scammer's methods are pretty sophisticated. I just feel bad for their CP fans. They thought the couple coming on this show would be sweet fanservice, but it turned out to be the beginning of the BE."

[Jiang Beinian had long planned to purify the CP fans into his solo fans. He knew the show would collect their phones, so he had already made a plan: act like the perfect devoted husband on the show while secretly spreading rumors on Weibo that his wife had cheated during their marriage!]

[After marrying him, his wife had been ordered by his mother not to show her face in public casually, so she rarely filmed after getting married and had long since terminated her contract with her former company. Once her phone was taken away, it would be difficult for her to refute the rumors immediately. The golden window for dispelling rumors was twenty-four hours. By the time she learned about it and clarified things, it would be far too late. Those furious CP fans would sympathize with Jiang Beinian, turn into his solo fans, and attack Chen Yi. Jiang Beinian knew this, which was why he dared to do it.]

Chu Xiyue was furious. "Another scumbag!"

Whether it was a coincidence or simply the state of this industry, Chu Xiyue realized that among the people she had encountered, the proportion of scumbags was rather high.

Perhaps because all the guests present were paired off, Chu Xiyue, who was alone, drew far more attention than before. After Chen Yi greeted everyone one by one, she sat beside Chu Xiyue, looked at her, and asked, "Can I call you Xiyue? How old are you? Which company are you with? What dramas have you acted in before?"

Chu Xiyue slowly turned to look at Chen Yi. Chen Yi gave her an enthusiastic, brilliant smile.

Chen Yi might not have been exceptionally stunning in the entertainment industry, where beautiful women were everywhere, but she had a distinctive charm. Her features were balanced, and neither modern nor period costumes looked out of place on her. She had the kind of face directors of serious big-screen productions loved, a face that made people feel very comfortable just looking at it.

Chu Xiyue thought for a moment before answering, "Sure. I'm twenty-three, an artist under BK Entertainment. I signed onto a production before, but the project seems to have fallen through now."

Chen Yi: ?

She asked curiously, "Which production? Did it fail to secure investment?" BK Entertainment was only a third-rate agency, so the resources it gave its artists probably were not very good. It was normal for low-budget television dramas to fall apart.

Chen Yi did not spend much time online. Although she had heard about Ning Shuixin and Wen Yan, she did not know that Ning Shuixin had once invited Chu Xiyue to act in a film.

Chu Xiyue answered honestly, "It wasn't that they failed to secure investment. The producer and lead actor were arrested a few days ago, so the investors pulled out and the movie couldn't continue filming."

Chen Yi: The project leader and lead actor had been arrested, and the investors had withdrawn? Why did this sound a little like the plot of the "Immortal Tribulation" production?

She looked at Chu Xiyue, who nodded.

Viewers in the livestream chat explained things to the newcomers:

[Earlier, Ning Shuixin invited Chu Xiyue on this show to play the second female lead in "Immortal Tribulation." It was a very good role. If she performed well, becoming a third-tier actress would have been easy. Ning Shuixin was the film's lead actress, and Wen Yan was its producer. Later, those two were arrested, and the production's investors withdrew as well. The project was cut short. What a pity.]

[But thinking about it carefully now, Ning Shuixin suddenly inviting Chu Xiyue to play the second female lead in that movie might have been like a weasel paying a New Year's visit to a chicken—she definitely had bad intentions.]

[Exactly. I read some gossip before: when Ning Shuixin sets her sights on an artist, she first gives them a few benefits to lower their guard. Then she uses that to corrupt their will or seize their weakness, forcing them to obey her orders. Ning Shuixin suddenly giving Chu Xiyue resources might have been for that very reason! The more you think about it, the scarier it gets!]

[Before, I didn't believe the rumor that Chu Xiyue was the concerned citizen who reported Ning Shuixin and Wen Yan. But now I kind of believe it. Chu Xiyue initially didn't agree to play that second female lead. Later, they muted their microphones and said something before Chu Xiyue agreed. Maybe Chu Xiyue noticed something during that process, so she became a concerned citizen and reported them.]

[That actually makes some sense! I believe it now. Maybe Chu Xiyue really is an undercover agent in the entertainment industry. Maybe she agreed to play the second female lead in Ning Shuixin's film precisely to put herself in danger, gather evidence, and then take them down in one fell swoop!]

Chu Xiyue had not expected that one sentence from her would make netizens speculate like this, further cementing that absurd rumor about her.

In the living room, Chen Yi felt sorry for Chu Xiyue. Given the production quality of "Immortal Tribulation," if the movie had been released successfully, then with Chu Xiyue's face alone, she would definitely have become popular.

Chen Yi felt that missing such a good opportunity might be a blow to a newcomer, so she comforted her. "Don't be sad. Better opportunities will come later."

Chu Xiyue thought seriously for a moment. "Thank you, but I'm not sad. The pay was already transferred into my account in advance. After all, you don't often come across something this good—getting paid without having to work."

Chen Yi followed Chu Xiyue's line of thought and realized that it did seem to be a good thing.

Who wouldn't want to earn money lying down?

That was beside the point...

Looking at the innocent Chu Xiyue, Chen Yi seemed to see her younger self in her, and her gaze grew a little more affectionate. "Xiyue, do you want to act in movies? I know a director who is preparing a new film recently. There's a role in it that suits you quite well. When the time comes, I can help you get an audition opportunity."

Chu Xiyue glanced at Chen Yi. That line sounds a little familiar...

Rankings

Transmigrated into a Book

Entertainment Industry

Female Supporting Character Fiction

Time Travel and Rebirth Romance

Tu Yanyan

Cannon Fodder