Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chu Xiyue publicly exposes Gu Jiang as transgender, provoking disbelief and outrage from viewers and the people present.
• Gu Jiang denies being the same person as the male “Gu Jiang,” claiming instead to be his fraternal twin sister with a nearly identical appearance.
• Millimeter Entertainment’s general manager supports Gu Jiang’s explanation, insisting the company verified Gu Jiang’s identification before signing her.
• Chu Xiyue reveals that she has called the police and reports Gu Jiang for forging an identity card.
• Gu Jiang produces an ID, but the officers immediately recognize it as fake. Under interrogation, Gu Jiang admits to making it himself and claims to have discarded the original.
• Facial-recognition software fails to identify Gu Jiang because of plastic surgery, but the identification number on the fake card leads police to his records.
• Official records reveal that Gu Jiang is male and has previously been convicted of forging IDs. Gu Jiang admits this but insists that he underwent gender-confirmation surgery and now identifies as a woman.
• Gu Jiang is taken away for investigation on suspicion of identity-document forgery, confirming Chu Xiyue’s accusations.

Character Developments

• Gu Jiang: Initially panicked, Gu Jiang quickly attempts to manipulate public opinion through denial and a fabricated twin-sibling explanation. His composure collapses once the police investigate his ID, revealing his criminal history and deception.
• Chu Xiyue: Remains calm and prepared, refusing to argue verbally and instead relying on concrete evidence and police intervention. Her actions reinforce her reputation for exposing wrongdoing in dramatic fashion.
• Millimeter Entertainment’s management: Initially defends Gu Jiang, but their confidence is undermined when the forged ID is discovered.
• The public and viewers: Their admiration for Gu Jiang as an idealized “virtuous wife” shifts into shock, mockery, and curiosity after the truth emerges.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Gu Jiang’s carefully constructed public image collapses when official records reveal the truth behind his identity.
• Public judgment and gender expectations: The chapter satirizes viewers who idealized Gu Jiang as a traditionally feminine, virtuous woman and react dramatically when learning he was assigned male at birth.
• Evidence versus denial: Gu Jiang relies on ambiguity and the possibility that people will doubt Chu Xiyue, but official verification ultimately defeats his story.
• Exposure of deception: Forged documents, plastic surgery, and false identities symbolize Gu Jiang’s broader attempt to reinvent himself and manipulate others.

Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue confronts Gu Jiang publicly, while Gu Jiang attempts to discredit her by claiming she has mistaken him for his twin sister.
• Millimeter Entertainment’s general manager backs Gu Jiang, creating temporary institutional support for his lie.
• Chu Xiyue bypasses the argument by involving the police and directly accusing Gu Jiang of forging an ID.
• The police pressure Gu Jiang into revealing the truth, while the crowd and online viewers react with increasing disbelief and astonishment.

Chapter 242 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Jiang’s hypocrisy is exposed during the livestream, confirming Chu Xiyue’s earlier accusations. Public opinion turns sharply against Gu Jiang, while Lan Guoqiang is criticized for abandoning his wife and daughter.
• Two hashtags trend: #LanGuoqiangAbandonsWifeAndDaughter# and #VarietyShowGoddessIsMale#. Online viewers mock those who once praised Gu Jiang as an ideal woman.
• Gu Jiang’s sexist statements about women being gentle, obedient, and devoted to household duties are edited together with Chu Xiyue’s sarcastic response about having six children and following traditional virtues. The edited clip becomes extremely popular, especially among women who view it as a satisfying rebuttal to misogynistic “wife-training” rhetoric.
• Although the show loses an investor and a regular guest after the scandal, its popularity increases because of the drama.
• To fill Gu Jiang’s vacant slot, Du Jia Entertainment introduces Zuo Lin, a pleasant-looking young male artist.
• Zuo Lin gives everyone handmade wool-felt animals selected according to their zodiac signs, immediately creating a favorable impression.
• Chu Xiyue secretly asks the system about Zuo Lin. The system reveals that being an entertainer is not his true ambition: he hopes to live off wealthy women.
• Zuo Lin has spent years carefully cultivating himself as an ideal kept partner, mastering cooking, housework, emotional support, driving, massage, grooming, fashion, psychology, and many other practical skills.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue becomes increasingly confident and influential. Her sharp response to Gu Jiang’s beliefs earns widespread online approval, and she continues to use the system’s revelations to understand the people around her.
• Gu Jiang suffers a complete collapse in public image. Her supposed status as a model woman is destroyed, and her earlier teachings are reinterpreted as hypocritical and reactionary.
• Lan Guoqiang is condemned by the public for abandoning Gu Jiang and their daughter, further intensifying the scandal surrounding the family.
• Ji Beishu shows a warm, casual side while admiring Zuo Lin’s needle-felting skills. Her awkward comment about her own failed attempt adds humor.
• Zuo Lin initially appears considerate, gentle, hardworking, and highly capable. However, the system reveals that these qualities are also part of a deliberate strategy to secure a wealthy female patron.

Significant Themes

• Exposure of hypocrisy: Gu Jiang’s public persona collapses once her private identity and beliefs are revealed.
• Criticism of gender norms: The chapter mocks the idea that women must be obedient, domestic, and submissive, while presenting Chu Xiyue’s sarcasm as a form of resistance.
• Public opinion and online culture: The livestream audience rapidly turns scandal into entertainment, with edited clips and trending hashtags shaping reputations.
• Gender reversal: Zuo Lin’s goal of becoming a kept partner reverses the traditional expectation that men financially support women.
• Performance and authenticity: Zuo Lin’s kindness and competence may be genuine, but they are also carefully cultivated skills designed to make him an attractive dependent.

Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue and Ji Beishu both respond positively to Zuo Lin’s handmade gifts and considerate behavior.
• Ji Beishu openly praises Zuo Lin and accepts his offer to teach her needle felting.
• Zuo Lin interacts politely and warmly with the investors and artists, using personalized gifts to establish goodwill.
• Chu Xiyue privately consults the system while observing Zuo Lin, creating a contrast between his publicly charming behavior and his hidden ambitions.
• The online audience compares Zuo Lin favorably with Gu Jiang, calling him a “normal” and capable male artist—ironically unaware that his true goal is to live off a woman.

Chapter Summary: “Dance”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chu Xiyue observes Zuo Lin, a handsome and exceptionally considerate “pretty boy” who professionally relies on wealthy women. Unlike other freeloaders, Zuo Lin is gentle, attentive, and believes in providing value for his patron.
• She speculates about which wealthy person Zuo Lin intends to pursue, assuming it might be an executive from another entertainment company. The system reveals that Chu Xiyue herself is his intended target.
• Zuo Lin attempts to court Chu Xiyue by offering her handmade felt zodiac figurines and offering to demonstrate his tea-making skills. Chu politely accepts the gift but firmly rejects further advances, deciding that he is not attractive enough for her tastes and that keeping him would not benefit her.
• The arrival of the next guest interrupts Zuo Lin’s efforts. Su Zhiyao, a newcomer from Dawn Entertainment, introduces herself as a professionally trained dancer and National Level Three Dancer.
• Su Zhiyao is praised for her talent and past viral ancient-style dance performance, but viewers criticize her decision to enter the entertainment industry instead of joining a dance troupe. Some believe she is abandoning a more respectable and stable dance career for easier money.
• The system confirms that Su Zhiyao has no personal scandals, but reveals that her family background is highly sensational: she is the illegitimate daughter of the chairman of the Su Group, a major shipping company, and was born to his mistress.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue: Remains sharp, pragmatic, and highly appearance-conscious. She recognizes Zuo Lin’s professional integrity but refuses to become his patron because she does not find him attractive or advantageous enough. Her curiosity about gossip also reveals her enjoyment of uncovering hidden secrets.
• Zuo Lin: Demonstrates strong emotional intelligence, patience, and a professional approach to attracting wealthy patrons. He becomes particularly attentive toward Chu Xiyue, apparently targeting her as his potential sponsor.
• Su Zhiyao: Is introduced as a graceful, accomplished dancer with substantial training and recognition. Her career choice becomes questionable to outsiders, while her complicated illegitimate-family background establishes potential future conflict.
• The System: Continues to provide Chu Xiyue with privileged knowledge about the contestants, especially their hidden scandals and backgrounds.

Significant Themes

• Transactional relationships and “living off women”: The chapter contrasts exploitative freeloaders with Zuo Lin, who treats patronage as a professional exchange and tries to provide genuine companionship and service.
• Appearance, value, and self-interest: Chu evaluates people according to both attractiveness and practical benefit, refusing to accept a relationship in which she feels she would be getting the worse deal.
• Public image versus private truth: Su Zhiyao appears to be an innocent, talented dancer, but her family history contains potentially explosive secrets.
• Entertainment industry pressures: The chapter questions whether artists should pursue their craft or abandon it for the greater financial rewards and visibility of show business.
• Gossip as power: Hidden personal information gives Chu and the system an advantage over the other participants.

Character Interactions

• Zuo Lin repeatedly tries to ingratiate himself with Chu Xiyue through gifts, tea-making, and gentle attention, but she politely rejects his advances.
• Chu openly discusses possible patrons for Zuo Lin, unaware at first that she is his actual target.
• The director responds immediately when Chu, as an investor, asks why the next artist has not entered.
• Su Zhiyao introduces herself respectfully to the panel, while the audience and system supply contrasting judgments about her career and family background.

Plot points and events

• Chu Xiyue’s system reveals Su Zhiyao’s painful family history: Su’s father and mother maintained a tangled relationship with his wife, who accepted the arrangement because of its financial benefits.
• Su Zhiyao was separated from her wealthy birth family as a child and raised by adoptive parents. After they died, her talent as a dancer brought her to her birth mother’s attention, and she was brought back into the Su family.
• When Su Zhiyao tried to end her mother’s arrangement with the Su family, an argument led to an accident that damaged the nerves in her lower back. She could no longer perform demanding dance moves, so she gave up an offer from a dance troupe and entered entertainment.
• At a variety-show gathering, Dujia Entertainment’s general manager, Boss Zhao, pressures Su Zhiyao to dance despite her saying she feels unwell. Chu Xiyue intervenes, repeating his coercive words back to him and challenging him to dance instead.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Zhiyao is shown as a gifted dancer whose injury and difficult upbringing shaped her career. She remains polite but firmly indicates she is unwell when asked to perform.
• Chu Xiyue uses her authority as Su’s employer to defend her. Her calm, pointed response exposes Boss Zhao’s double standard and shifts the pressure onto him.
• Boss Zhao is revealed as domineering toward Su but unwilling to accept the same demand himself. His discomfort contrasts with his earlier insistence.
• The other guests fall silent, while online viewers divide between criticizing Chu’s retaliation and pointing out that it mirrors the arguments used to pressure Su.

Significant themes

• The chapter highlights consent and professional boundaries, emphasizing that appearing on a variety show does not oblige someone to perform on demand.
• It criticizes hypocrisy and unequal power, as Boss Zhao expects Su to comply while refusing the same treatment.
• Su’s backstory explores the lasting effects of family dysfunction, exploitation, and injury, and how personal circumstances can redirect a career.

Chapter 245 Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Boss Zhao realizes he has offended Chu Xiyue by pressuring Su Zhiyao to dance. Knowing Chu is protective of her people and supported by Dawn Entertainment and the Lingyun Group, he immediately apologizes, even slapping himself to emphasize his regret.
• He also awkwardly assures Su Zhiyao that his demand was only a joke. Su accepts the apology, having already expected such behavior in the entertainment industry.
• Chu’s defense deeply moves Su, who had never expected an influential superior to stand up for her or risk offending an investor on her behalf.
• The variety show’s eight participating artists are introduced. Apart from Gu Jiang, the remaining seven artists come from the participating entertainment companies. Chu is disappointed that no later contestant has any particularly interesting scandals.
• After the day’s livestream recording ends, Zuo Lin attempts to get closer to Chu by offering her a portable massage chair and trying to arrange a ride home with her.
• Chu firmly rejects his advances, explaining that her family driver uses a two-seat sports car. Zuo Lin understands that she is not interested and gives up without embarrassment.
• Ji Beishu then offers Zuo Lin a shared ride because they live near the same area. He accepts, and Chu leaves the filming base.
• Over the following month, Chu focuses on her investment in the television drama Ying Su, which is finally ready to begin filming after numerous setbacks, including a plagiarism scandal, disagreements over casting, and the original female lead’s withdrawal.
• Chen Yi is ultimately cast as Ying Su. At the opening banquet, Chu reunites with her nearly a year after their previous meeting.
• Chu congratulates Chen Yi on her career progress and notes that she looks healthier and more attractive after her divorce from Jiang Beinian.
• Chen Yi asks Chu whether she remembers Miao Qingran, prompting Chu to recall the woman whose life had nearly been ruined by a dishonest man. Miao has since withdrawn from a dating variety show and focused on preparing for graduate school entrance exams.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue: Demonstrates strong loyalty and authority by defending Su Zhiyao. She remains sharp, self-possessed, and uninterested in Zuo Lin’s attempts to charm her. Her role as an investor and industry power continues to expand.
• Su Zhiyao: Gains confidence and emotional support from Chu’s protection. Her gratitude reveals how unusual and meaningful Chu’s intervention is in the entertainment industry.
• Boss Zhao: Quickly retreats after realizing the power imbalance between Dujia Entertainment and Chu’s backing. His fear exposes Chu’s growing influence.
• Zuo Lin: Shows himself to be opportunistic and skilled at ingratiating himself with powerful people, but he is also socially perceptive enough to recognize when Chu cannot be manipulated.
• Ji Beishu: Appears friendly and observant, smoothly offering Zuo Lin an alternative ride.
• Chen Yi: Has recovered significantly after her divorce, becoming more resilient, confident, and successful. Her film nomination marks the revival of her acting career.
• Miao Qingran: Though absent from the chapter, she is shown to have redirected her life toward education after escaping a damaging relationship.

Significant Themes

• Power and protection in the entertainment industry: Chu’s status allows her to shield Su from inappropriate treatment, while Boss Zhao immediately changes his attitude when confronted by someone more powerful.
• Women rebuilding their lives: Both Chen Yi and Miao Qingran represent women moving forward after harmful relationships—Chen through acting and Miao through education.
• Professional opportunism and social maneuvering: Zuo Lin’s attempts to create private contact with Chu illustrate how people seek advancement through influential figures.
• Career revival after personal hardship: Chen Yi’s post-divorce success suggests that leaving a destructive relationship can lead to renewed confidence and professional growth.

Character Interactions

• Chu confronts the situation involving Boss Zhao and Su Zhiyao, establishing a protective relationship with Su.
• Zuo Lin repeatedly tries to cultivate intimacy with Chu, but she coolly blocks each opportunity.
• Ji Beishu intervenes and forms a practical connection with Zuo Lin by offering to share a ride.
• Chu and Chen Yi meet at the opening banquet, exchange congratulations, and discuss Miao Qingran’s current circumstances.

Chapter Summary: “Old, Middle-Aged, and Young Generations”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Yi learns that Miao Qingran has been accepted into Tsinghua University’s graduate program, where she will study under her idol and former advisor. Chu Xiyue is pleased that someone she once helped is progressing toward a better future.
• The cast and production team of Ying Su attend a dinner organized by the director, along with several investors. Veteran actor Chai Yousong, who plays the emperor, gives a toast wishing the drama success.
• The dinner is relaxed and respectful, with no pressure placed on Chu Xiyue or anyone else to drink. Chen Yi is especially comfortable with the atmosphere and becomes more determined to perform well.
• Chai Yousong and Deputy Director Wu become heavily intoxicated while drinking together. The system reveals Chai’s history of drunkenly causing bizarre public scandals, including mistaking objects for animals and nearly dragging a male friend to a hotel after confusing him with his wife.
• To prevent further embarrassment or possible scandal, Chu Xiyue orders the two men to be taken home rather than to a hotel. She also instructs the director to ban Chai from drinking during filming.
• By the end of March, Eternal Lonely Island earns seven billion at the box office, exceeding Chu Xiyue’s five-billion prediction. After expenses, she gains roughly three billion from an investment of under three hundred million.
• Her success attracts numerous invitations to banquets and cocktail parties, but she declines them. Instead, she focuses on preparing for the Golden X Award at the Hong Kong Island Film Festival.
• Although the film’s team assumes they will mostly serve as nominees, Chu Xiyue knows from the script that Eternal Lonely Island will become a dark horse, winning Best Director, Best Newcomer, Best Actress, and Best Film.
• Chu Xiyue attends the festival as Lingyun Group’s representative and arrives early on Hong Kong Island. Accompanied by bodyguards, she secretly seeks out a particular Hong Kong-style cha chaan teng in an alley, hinting that an important encounter or gossip event is about to occur.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue continues to act as a capable, cautious producer and investor. She protects the production’s reputation, avoids unnecessary social obligations, and uses her knowledge of the future to prepare confidently for the awards.
• Chen Yi becomes more motivated and professionally committed after experiencing Chu Xiyue’s respectful working environment. Her happiness over Miao Qingran’s success also reflects her appreciation for the opportunities Chu has helped create.
• Miao Qingran is shown progressing successfully, having entered a prestigious graduate program under her idol.
• Chai Yousong is established as a respected and talented veteran actor whose serious professional abilities contrast sharply with his reckless and humiliating behavior when drunk.
• Deputy Director Wu is portrayed as Chai’s drinking companion and fellow alcohol enthusiast, but Chu’s intervention protects him from becoming involved in one of Chai’s notorious drunken misunderstandings.

Significant Themes

• Generational progress: The chapter contrasts people at different stages of life and career, emphasizing how younger figures such as Miao Qingran and Chen Yi are moving toward promising futures while veteran figures like Chai Yousong remain influential.
• Professionalism versus personal flaws: Chai is highly respected at work but irresponsible when intoxicated, showing that talent and experience do not eliminate personal weaknesses.
• Mentorship and opportunity: Chu’s earlier assistance helps others advance, and her production environment encourages people like Chen Yi to develop their abilities.
• Success and restraint: Despite her enormous financial success and increased social status, Chu avoids lavish socializing and remains focused on meaningful professional goals.
• Foreknowledge and confidence: Chu’s knowledge of the film’s future awards success gives her an advantage and creates anticipation for the upcoming festival events.

Character Interactions

• Chen Yi and Chu Xiyue share a warm conversation about Miao Qingran’s academic success.
• Chai Yousong offers a toast to the entire Ying Su production, establishing a friendly atmosphere among the cast and crew.
• Chai and Deputy Director Wu drink and play finger-guessing games until both pass out.
• Chu intervenes protectively, arranging for them to be taken home and warning that alcohol will not be tolerated during filming.
• Chu’s arrival at the Hong Kong-style restaurant at the end of the chapter sets up a likely meeting or major interaction in the next chapter.

Chapter Summary — Page 247

Plot and Major Events

• Chu Xiyue visits a small but famous Hong Kong tea restaurant with her bodyguards, ordering fish ball noodles, an egg tart, and a pineapple bun. Her bodyguards go next door to buy roast meat rice.
• Nearby, actress Li Jiamin insults mainland women, complaining that they lower the standards of the upcoming red carpet.
• The system identifies Li Jiamin and reveals her troubled history with the Zhou family: she was involved with three generations of Zhou men, all of whom suffered disastrous consequences. The Zhou family ultimately collapsed after Young Master Zhou gambled away its fortune.
• Because Li Jiamin repeatedly failed to win acting awards and was connected to the Zhou family’s downfall, Hong Kong paparazzi nicknamed her the “jinx woman.”
• When Li Jiamin notices Chu Xiyue looking at her, she confronts her in Mandarin. Chu Xiyue unexpectedly responds in flawless Cantonese, calling her a “jinx woman.”
• Enraged, Li Jiamin threatens Chu Xiyue and promises to have her killed. Chu Xiyue’s bodyguards stand up in response, creating an imminent confrontation.

Character Development

• Chu Xiyue: Demonstrates preparation, confidence, emotional control, and a sharp tongue. Although she cannot normally speak Cantonese, she uses the system to master the insult perfectly and immediately turns Li Jiamin’s prejudice against her.
• Li Jiamin: Is portrayed as arrogant, openly hostile toward mainland actresses, and highly sensitive about her reputation. Her insecurity and temper become clear when Chu Xiyue repeats the “jinx woman” nickname.
• The system: Acts as Chu Xiyue’s multilingual translator and source of insider information, providing gossip about Li Jiamin and the Zhou family while reacting protectively and indignantly on Chu Xiyue’s behalf.
• Chu Xiyue’s bodyguards: Initially accompany her unobtrusively but become alert and defensive when Li Jiamin turns aggressive.

Themes

• Regional prejudice and classism: Li Jiamin looks down on mainland women and assumes Chu Xiyue is unable to understand Cantonese.
• Reputation and public image: Li Jiamin’s career and identity are shaped by rumors, failed award nominations, and the media’s “jinx woman” label.
• Power and social connections: The chapter shows how Li Jiamin used relationships with the Zhou family to advance her career, while those connections ultimately contributed to her notoriety.
• Verbal retaliation and hidden strength: Chu Xiyue’s calm, precise response exposes Li Jiamin’s vulnerability and reverses the power dynamic.

Character Interactions

• The restaurant owner initially fears Chu Xiyue and her intimidating bodyguards but relaxes once he realizes they are ordinary customers.
• The system privately informs Chu Xiyue about Li Jiamin’s background and helps her understand the insult.
• Li Jiamin insults Chu Xiyue indirectly, then confronts her directly after realizing she has been noticed.
• Chu Xiyue responds with a perfectly pronounced Cantonese insult, provoking Li Jiamin into an angry public outburst.
• The bodyguards rise to protect Chu Xiyue, leaving the scene poised to escalate into a physical conflict.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• In a Hong Kong tea restaurant, Li Jiamin drunkenly insults Chu Xiyue, calling her a “hag.” Chu responds mockingly and has her four bodyguards stand, intimidating Li. Li’s more sensible friend restrains her, apologizes, and removes her from the restaurant. Chu quickly dismisses the incident and enjoys her meal.
• The next morning, Chu attends the Hong Kong Island Film Festival as a representative of the sponsor Lingyun Group. Dressed in a simple but elegant white suit, she attracts intense media attention despite not walking the red carpet.
• Reporters reveal that Chu is not only a mainland actress but also the sole heiress of Lingyun Group and the daughter of Chu Lingyun. The organizers treat her with great respect.
• Li Jiamin, who is participating in the red-carpet event, overhears this information and realizes she has offended a powerful heiress. She becomes pale and fears serious consequences.
• The film festival’s livestream generates gossip about Hong Kong actresses’ exaggerated methods of gaining publicity. Through the gossip system, Chu learns that several apparently accidental scandals—such as a celebrity’s fall and a former beauty queen’s revealing dress—were deliberately staged or manipulated for publicity.
• Inside the venue, Chu is scheduled for a media interview alongside the established Chen family and the newly wealthy Huang family, both influential sponsors or organizers of the festival.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue demonstrates confidence, composure, and indifference to social provocation. Her powerful background is revealed, reinforcing her influence and status. She also shows amusement and curiosity toward the entertainment industry’s behind-the-scenes scandals.
• Li Jiamin shifts from arrogant and confrontational to frightened and regretful once she discovers Chu’s identity. Her impulsive behavior is shown to have placed her in a potentially dangerous position.
• Li Jiamin’s friend is portrayed as practical and socially aware, immediately apologizing and trying to prevent the conflict from escalating.
• Chu’s bodyguards emphasize her wealth, security concerns, and elite status, while the film festival organizers’ behavior confirms her importance.

Significant themes

• Power and social status: Chu’s identity as the Lingyun Group heiress dramatically changes how others perceive and treat her.
• Appearances versus reality: Public scandals and red-carpet incidents that seem accidental are revealed to be carefully planned publicity stunts.
• Entertainment-industry manipulation: Fame can be manufactured through controversy, exposure, and media management.
• Composure versus impulsiveness: Chu’s calm control contrasts sharply with Li Jiamin’s reckless outburst and later panic.
• Gossip as hidden truth: The system gives Chu access to private information behind public events, exposing the gap between celebrity images and reality.

Character interactions

• Chu and Li Jiamin clash directly at the restaurant, but the confrontation ends when Li’s friend intervenes and Chu’s bodyguards stand down.
• Chu’s interaction with the festival organizers reflects their deference to her family’s wealth and influence.
• Li Jiamin’s overhearing of the reporters’ conversation creates an indirect but crucial interaction: she learns Chu’s true identity and realizes the consequences of their earlier encounter.
• Chu’s relationship with the gossip system adds humorous commentary, as the system reveals scandals while Chu reacts with surprise and dry amusement.
• The upcoming interview places Chu alongside the Chen and Huang families, setting up further interactions between her and Hong Kong’s established and emerging elite.

• Film festival and expectations: Chu Xiyue attends the festival with Chen Jiawang and Huang Yonghui, representatives of wealthy overseas families. They greet her warmly and ask her to pass their regards to her father. The group watches an interview with the team behind Glory, a Hong Kong film directed by acclaimed filmmaker Wang Guxin. Given its local setting and the Hong Kong-based judges, Glory seems more likely to win awards than Eternal Lonely Island, a mainland film—especially Best Director.
• A hidden reason for the likely outcome: Chu knows Eternal Lonely Island will ultimately win, so she wonders why Wang Guxin will lose despite making a strong film. The system explains that Glory was meant to be released in May, but a powerful Hong Kong family blacklisted it. Without a qualifying release, it became ineligible, allowing another film to take its place.
• The Wang–Huang connection: The system reveals that Wang’s films are notoriously expensive, take a long time to make, and have repeatedly lost investors—earning him a reputation for bad luck among superstitious financiers. Unable to secure funding for Glory, Wang allegedly became involved with Huang Yonghui’s mother in hopes of getting support. Shocked, Chu stares at Huang until he asks why. The system clarifies that Huang is forty-six and his mother is sixty-two, not as old as Chu had assumed.
• Character and relationship dynamics: Chu remains outwardly polite with the older businessmen but is privately curious and easily startled by the system’s revelations. Chen and Huang treat her like a younger relative, while Huang notices her unusual stare and addresses her affectionately. The system acts as her source of gossip and explanation, turning the festival’s apparent awards race into a story of financing, reputation, and family influence.
• Themes: The chapter contrasts artistic merit with the forces that shape recognition: regional bias, eligibility rules, wealth, and personal connections. It also highlights Hong Kong’s old customs around powerful families and the lingering role of superstition in business.

Chapter Summary: The Third Mistress Is on Her Way

Key plot points and events

Wang Guxin, a middle-aged filmmaker, has been having an affair with the Huang Family’s Third Mistress, an attractive woman in her sixties who is married to the much older Old Master Huang. Their relationship began when Wang tried to obtain Huang Family investment by offering her jadeite, but she became interested in him instead. After Old Master Huang’s recent hospitalizations, the pair grew careless and were caught together. The Third Mistress openly identified Wang as her lover, enraging Old Master Huang, who initially planned to attack him publicly.
At a film festival, Wang is being interviewed onstage while unaware that Old Master Huang has arrived with bodyguards. Chu Xiyue eagerly anticipates witnessing the confrontation. However, Old Master Huang decides to avoid attacking Wang in front of reporters and instead plans to assault him somewhere secluded after the interview. Wang finishes the interview before the attack can take place.
The situation becomes even more dramatic when the Third Mistress escapes from confinement by tying bedsheets together and climbing from a second-floor balcony. After seeing Wang’s televised interview and remembering their relationship, she rushes to warn him about Old Master Huang. Her escape enrages Huang, who is so furious that he must take medication for his blood pressure.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue becomes increasingly entertained by the scandal and treats the affair as live entertainment. Her curiosity and excitement lead her to closely monitor the movements of everyone involved.
• Wang Guxin is revealed to be opportunistic and morally weak. He initially approaches the Third Mistress for business advantages and gives in to her advances when she offers him investment support.
• The Third Mistress appears deeply infatuated with Wang and willing to risk her safety to protect him, though her earlier decision to expose him makes the sincerity and stability of her feelings uncertain.
• Old Master Huang is portrayed as controlling, vengeful, and steeped in the violence and social attitudes of an older era. His humiliation and jealousy drive him to plan revenge, though he restrains himself because of modern public scrutiny.
• Huang Yonghui remains unaware of the affair and focuses on the potential success of the film Glory. He hopes the film’s award and profits will improve his standing with Old Master Huang and strengthen his future inheritance prospects.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and humiliation: The affair threatens Old Master Huang’s authority and pride, particularly because it involves his wife and a younger man.
• Power, money, and exploitation: Wang’s relationship with the Third Mistress begins through an attempted business transaction, showing how financial influence shapes personal relationships.
• Old values versus modern society: Old Master Huang still relies on intimidation and violence, but the presence of journalists and modern law forces him to act more cautiously.
• Spectacle and voyeurism: Chu Xiyue—and indirectly the reader—observes the scandal as entertainment, turning private betrayal into public drama.
• Ambiguous love: The Third Mistress’s desperate escape suggests genuine devotion, but her previous actions make her motives difficult to interpret.

Character interactions

Wang and the Third Mistress’s illicit romance collides with Old Master Huang’s possessive anger. Chu Xiyue watches the triangle with amusement while Huang Yonghui stands nearby, oblivious and celebrating the possible success of Glory. The chapter ends with the Third Mistress approaching the festival to save Wang, setting up a likely confrontation between all three members of the affair.

Chapter Summary

Plot and Key Events

• Chu Xiyue attends a film festival as a sponsor representative and investor in Eternal Lonely Island.
• While seated during a livestreamed interview, she becomes distracted by updates from her system about the Huang family’s scandal. Old Master Huang has discovered that his Third Mistress, Wang Guxin, is having an affair and has arranged for his men to follow them.
• Chu Xiyue misses a reporter’s question because she is focused on finding out where the Third Mistress and Wang Guxin are. Huang Yonghui tactfully takes over the microphone and explains that she is attending as a sponsor.
• Her distracted behavior attracts criticism from livestream viewers, who speculate about her arrogance, background, and possible hidden reasons for acting inattentively.
• Once prompted, Chu Xiyue answers the reporters confidently and professionally, restoring her image as the poised heiress of Lingyun Group.
• The system informs her that the Third Mistress has located Wang Guxin and that the two are confessing their feelings in a small garden behind the venue, while Old Master Huang’s men secretly watch them.
• Chu Xiyue eagerly waits for the interview to end so she can witness the confrontation.
• In the final question, she claims that Eternal Lonely Island has a 99% chance of winning an award. When Huang Yonghui expresses equal confidence in Glory, Chu Xiyue insists that he does not understand, declaring that Glory and Eternal Lonely Island are not even comparable.

Character Development

• Chu Xiyue: Revealed as playful, gossip-loving, and extremely interested in the unfolding Huang family scandal. Although initially distracted and seemingly unprofessional, she quickly regains her composure and demonstrates confidence, intelligence, and strong public-speaking skills. Her certainty about Eternal Lonely Island also suggests she possesses special knowledge or confidence in its quality and prospects.
• Huang Yonghui: Acts as a considerate and competent companion by rescuing Chu Xiyue from an awkward interview moment. He remains supportive but becomes confused by her cryptic and seemingly dismissive comments about the two competing films.
• Old Master Huang: Though absent from the venue, he is portrayed as furious and determined to catch the Third Mistress and Wang Guxin in the act.
• The Third Mistress and Wang Guxin: Their willingness to meet and confess their feelings openly shows their boldness and lack of awareness that they are being monitored.

Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue communicates mentally with the system, repeatedly requesting updates about the affair.
• A reporter questions Chu Xiyue about her future artistic work, but she fails to respond; Huang Yonghui steps in to protect her from embarrassment.
• Chu Xiyue later answers the press with confidence, then directly contradicts Huang Yonghui’s confidence in Glory.
• Behind the venue, the Third Mistress and Wang Guxin interact romantically, unaware that Old Master Huang’s men are observing them and preparing to expose them.

Significant Themes

• Public image versus private motives: Chu Xiyue appears distracted and arrogant to the public, while privately she is absorbed in the impending scandal.
• Entertainment and spectacle: The livestream audience eagerly analyzes Chu Xiyue, while Chu herself is eager to watch the Huang family’s real-life drama unfold.
• Confidence and hidden knowledge: Chu Xiyue’s unwavering prediction about Eternal Lonely Island raises questions about what she knows that others do not.
• Betrayal and exposure: The affair plot centers on infidelity, secrecy, and the imminent public punishment of those involved.

Chapter Summary — Page 252

Plot and Key Events

• After making provocative comments during a press interview, Chu Xiyue rushes away to investigate a piece of insider information about the film festival.
• Two paparazzi—an ambitious young apprentice and his experienced “master”—secretly follow her, expecting to uncover a scandal involving Chu Xiyue. They assume she may be meeting a lover or engaging in some other secret activity.
• Chu Xiyue locates the secluded venue garden but avoids entering directly, fearing she would alert whoever is inside. Instead, she goes to the second-floor corridor of a nearby building to observe the garden from above.
• The paparazzi follow her and discover that she is watching two people embracing in the garden. They recognize the pair as Wang Guxin, director of Glory, and Ma Jingjing, the Huang Family’s third madam.
• Realizing they have stumbled upon a major affair, the older paparazzo abandons his plan to photograph Chu Xiyue and begins taking telephoto pictures of Wang and Ma. He immediately imagines a sensational front-page headline.
• Meanwhile, Chu Xiyue and the system remain absorbed in the unfolding gossip, unaware—or unconcerned—that the paparazzi are beside them.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chu Xiyue demonstrates curiosity, decisiveness, and resourcefulness. Rather than recklessly entering the garden, she finds a safer vantage point and quietly observes the situation.
• The paparazzi shift from predatory confidence to opportunistic excitement. Their original target, Chu Xiyue, becomes irrelevant once they discover the more explosive scandal below.
• The master paparazzo and his apprentice interact through comic mentorship. The older man boasts about his instincts, while the younger one eagerly accepts his reasoning because of the possible financial reward.
• Wang Guxin and Ma Jingjing are revealed to be lovers. Their embrace suggests both emotional attachment and the secrecy required by their relationship.
• Ma Jingjing urges Wang to leave, expressing guilt and concern that he has been harmed or compromised by their affair.

Background Revealed

• Ma Jingjing became Old Master Huang’s third concubine as a teenager because of his wealth and status.
• As Huang aged and Ma became financially secure, she began seeking emotional and romantic fulfillment rather than material comfort.
• She fell in love with the younger, talented Wang Guxin, who offered companionship and affection.
• Their relationship is mutually beneficial: Wang makes Ma happy, while Ma uses her wealth and Huang Family connections to finance his films and advance his career.

Significant Themes

• The pursuit of scandal: The chapter satirizes paparazzi culture, showing how private relationships are treated as lucrative commodities.
• Appearance versus reality: Chu Xiyue is publicly regarded as unnewsworthy, yet her actions lead indirectly to a major revelation.
• Power, wealth, and romance: Ma and Wang’s relationship is shaped by both genuine affection and unequal resources—her money and influence support his artistic ambitions.
• Observation and voyeurism: Chu Xiyue, the system, and the paparazzi all watch the secret encounter, highlighting the invasive nature of celebrity and elite social life.
• Comic reversal: The paparazzi intend to expose Chu Xiyue but instead uncover a far more sensational affair.

Chapter Summary: “Three Legs Crippled”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Ma Jingjing has been having an affair with director Wang Guxin behind Old Master Huang’s back. Though she initially feared being discovered, she continued the relationship because of her feelings for Wang.
• When Old Master Huang eventually uncovers the affair, Ma Jingjing chooses wealth and security over Wang, abandoning her lover during Huang’s interrogation.
• She soon regrets betraying Wang and secretly warns him to stay cautious or leave Hong Kong Island, showing that she still cares for him.
• Old Master Huang follows them and catches Ma Jingjing and Wang embracing. He confronts them from his wheelchair, surrounded by his men.
• Wang immediately pushes Ma Jingjing away and claims that she seduced and coerced him, insisting that he had been forced into the affair.
• Ma Jingjing is devastated by Wang’s betrayal and can barely respond, while Wang desperately tries to shift all blame onto her.
• A paparazzo accompanying Chu Xiyue photographs the confrontation, recognizing it as explosive entertainment news: Ma Jingjing has been caught cheating, and Wang has revealed himself as an opportunistic coward.
• While watching the spectacle, Chu Xiyue and the paparazzo discuss Old Master Huang’s criminal origins and his hidden control of a highly profitable overseas adult-film company.

2. Character Developments

• Ma Jingjing: Her emotional attachment to Wang becomes clear, but she is also shown to be dependent on wealth and status. Her decision to sacrifice Wang for comfort leads to regret, and Wang’s immediate betrayal leaves her emotionally shattered.
• Wang Guxin: He is exposed as selfish and hypocritical. Although he willingly participated in the affair, he abandons Ma Jingjing as soon as his own safety is threatened, presenting himself as an innocent victim.
• Old Master Huang: His ruthless and intimidating nature is reinforced. His past as an underworld figure explains why both Ma Jingjing and Wang fear the consequences of his discovery.
• Chu Xiyue: She remains calm, amused, and observant amid the scandal. Rather than being shocked, she treats the confrontation as entertainment and uses her relaxed attitude and sunflower seeds to draw information from the paparazzo.
• The paparazzo: He is portrayed as shamelessly enthusiastic about sensational news but also knowledgeable about Hong Kong Island’s powerful families and hidden businesses.
• The system: It provides blunt commentary, correctly identifying that Wang was motivated by Ma Jingjing’s money rather than genuine affection.

3. Significant Themes

• Betrayal and misplaced love: Ma Jingjing gives up Wang to preserve her privileged life, only to discover that Wang never loved her sincerely and will betray her just as readily.
• Self-preservation and hypocrisy: Wang’s accusations reveal how people may rewrite events and abandon others when facing danger.
• Power and wealth: The affair is shaped by economic dependence and Old Master Huang’s authority. Wealth gives Ma Jingjing security but also traps her in an emotionally empty relationship.
• Public scandal and voyeurism: The paparazzo turns private betrayal into a sensational spectacle, highlighting the entertainment industry’s appetite for humiliation and scandal.
• Hidden criminal power: Old Master Huang’s respectable public image conceals his underworld origins and continued involvement in illicit businesses.
• Appearance versus reality: Wang appears successful and righteous on television, but his behavior exposes him as cowardly and mercenary; Huang’s polished tycoon identity similarly hides a darker past.

4. Character Interactions

• Ma Jingjing and Wang Guxin: Their romantic reunion collapses instantly when Wang pushes her away and blames her. Her disbelief and grief contrast with his frantic self-defense.
• Wang Guxin and Old Master Huang: Wang begs Huang for mercy and attempts to portray himself as an unwilling victim, revealing his fear and opportunism.
• Ma Jingjing and Old Master Huang: Huang’s discovery places Ma Jingjing under his control again, forcing her to confront the consequences of both her affair and her decision to betray Wang.
• Chu Xiyue and the paparazzo: Chu casually shares sunflower seeds and gossips with him, creating a humorous contrast to the dramatic confrontation below. Their conversation also reveals important information about Huang’s criminal empire.
• Chu Xiyue and the system: The system’s commentary and Chu’s responses show their shared detached amusement at the unfolding scandal.

Page 254 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chu Xiyue learns that the paparazzi’s gossip about Qi Heng’s scandal is connected to the Huang family. Wang Guxin had slept with Old Master Huang’s favored woman, Ma Jingjing, and attempted to shift the blame onto her.
• Old Master Huang punishes Wang Guxin brutally, ordering his men to break all three of Wang’s legs.
• Ma Jingjing begs for mercy, reminding Huang of the more than forty years she has served him. Although he shows a trace of softness, he still orders her to lose three fingers because betrayal must be punished.
• Chu Xiyue turns away from the bloody punishment, while the paparazzi photograph the scene and discuss Old Master Huang’s ruthless nature.
• Through the system, Chu Xiyue learns about Huang’s First Madam, Miss Ye, the daughter of a wealthy industrial family. She helped Huang establish himself after he arrived in Hong Kong, bore him four children, and supported him faithfully.
• After becoming wealthy, Huang betrayed Miss Ye, took multiple concubines, and abandoned his former vows. His concubines competed for inheritance and allegedly caused the deaths, disappearance, or destruction of Miss Ye’s sons. Miss Ye eventually died of illness, while her daughter cut ties with Huang.
• The chapter frames Ma Jingjing’s betrayal as karmic justice for Huang’s earlier betrayal of Miss Ye.
• Chu Xiyue leaves before Ma Jingjing’s punishment is completed and heads to the awards ceremony. There, she notices Huang Yonghui rushing away in panic after receiving a phone call, presumably because of the crisis involving his family.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue remains curious and observant, using the paparazzo’s gossip and the system’s information to uncover the Huang family’s history. Although interested in scandal, she is disturbed enough by the violence to avoid watching Ma Jingjing’s punishment.
• Old Master Huang is revealed as extremely authoritarian, vengeful, and hypocritical. He demands absolute loyalty while having spent decades betraying his own wife and mistreating the family that helped him rise.
• Ma Jingjing changes from a powerful favored concubine into a terrified supplicant once Huang turns against her. Her long service earns her only a slightly reduced punishment.
• Wang Guxin is exposed as both an adulterer and someone who tried to evade responsibility by blaming Ma Jingjing. He receives a severe physical punishment.
• Miss Ye emerges as a tragic figure whose devotion and family connections enabled Huang’s success, yet whose husband later abandoned and destroyed her.
• Huang Yonghui appears alarmed and hurried, suggesting that the scandal has begun affecting the younger generation of the Huang family.

Significant Themes

• Karma and betrayal: Huang’s punishment of Ma Jingjing mirrors his own betrayal of Miss Ye, suggesting that his cruelty has returned to him.
• Power and loyalty: In Huang’s world, loyalty is demanded through fear rather than earned through affection or fairness.
• Patriarchal exploitation: Wealthy wives and concubines are treated as tools in struggles over men, status, and inheritance.
• Marriage and social ambition: The system warns women not to marry impoverished men solely to help them rise, since such men may later abandon or exploit them.
• The corruption of wealth: Huang’s success brings infidelity, concubines, family conflict, and violence instead of happiness.
• Generational consequences: The actions of the older generation continue to affect Huang’s children and descendants.

Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue encourages the paparazzo to continue talking by reacting enthusiastically to his gossip.
• Old Master Huang confronts and punishes Wang Guxin, then turns his attention to Ma Jingjing.
• Ma Jingjing kneels before Huang, pleading for forgiveness, but he responds with calculated mercy and punishment.
• The paparazzi comment on Huang’s cruelty and provide context about his history with Miss Ye.
• Chu Xiyue consults the system to learn the full story behind Miss Ye’s tragic fate.
• At the awards venue, Chen Jiawang comments on Huang Yonghui’s panicked departure, while Chu Xiyue privately recognizes that his family is facing serious trouble.

Chapter Summary: “Awards Ceremony”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Glory, originally scheduled for release in May, is suddenly postponed until February of the following year.
• The postponement is ordered by Old Master Huang, who owns the film’s investment. Although he still intends to profit from its eventual box office performance, he wants to prevent Wang Guxin from using the film to compete for an award.
• Because the Golden X Awards only accept films released during the current calendar year, Glory becomes ineligible and is removed from the shortlist.
• Wang Guxin’s disappearance and the unexplained release-date change spark widespread speculation among netizens. Two paparazzi are preparing to expose the affair between Wang Guxin and Ma Jingjing, but they delay publishing the story until after the ceremony.
• With Glory eliminated, the competition shifts to several established directors and major stars. Eternal Lonely Island, despite its record-breaking box office and strong reviews, is viewed as an underdog because its director and cast are newcomers.
• Online discussion predicts that Eternal Lonely Island has its best chance in the Best Newcomer category, while the major acting and directing awards are expected to go to more established industry figures.
• The Golden X Awards ceremony begins, and Jiang Jie wins Best Newcomer for her portrayal of Lü Dani in Eternal Lonely Island.

Character Developments

• Old Master Huang demonstrates his influence and vindictiveness by sacrificing a favorable release date to block Wang Guxin’s award ambitions. His actions reveal that personal resentment matters to him even when he is still pursuing financial gain.
• Wang Guxin is absent from the ceremony and has effectively lost his opportunity to compete, though the full consequences of his scandal have not yet been revealed publicly.
• Jiang Jie reacts with surprise and humility upon winning Best Newcomer. She immediately looks toward Xu Zhiying, believing Xu may have performed better, which highlights her modesty and respect for her colleague.
• Xu Zhiying responds generously rather than jealously. She congratulates Jiang Jie and encourages her to accept the award, showing emotional maturity and genuine support.
• The cast of Eternal Lonely Island remains nervous despite its success, recognizing that talent and popularity do not always overcome industry seniority and established reputations.

Significant Themes

• Industry power and manipulation: Old Master Huang uses control over a film’s release date to influence awards eligibility, exposing how business power and personal grudges shape the entertainment industry.
• Underdogs versus established elites: Eternal Lonely Island has achieved major commercial success but is still treated as inferior because its creators lack experience and prestige.
• Recognition versus seniority: The chapter questions whether awards truly measure quality, since established names are favored over newer talent.
• Female friendship and mutual support: Jiang Jie and Xu Zhiying’s sincere encouragement contrasts with the jealousy and competition often associated with the entertainment world.
• Delayed truth and suspense: The affair scandal remains unrevealed during the ceremony, building anticipation for the paparazzi’s forthcoming report.

Character Interactions

• Old Master Huang indirectly sabotages Wang Guxin by changing Glory’s release date.
• Netizens speculate about the connection between Wang Guxin’s disappearance, the film’s postponement, and the impending scandal.
• Xu Zhiying and Jiang Jie share a particularly meaningful moment after the award announcement: Jiang looks to Xu with concern, while Xu embraces her, congratulates her, and urges her to receive the trophy.
• Their public display of affection is warmly received by viewers, who interpret their relationship as an unusually sincere friendship in the entertainment industry.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Jie wins the Golden X Award for Best Newcomer. In her speech, she thanks Xu Zhiying for her support and credits investor Chu Xiyue with rescuing her from a dark period in her life.
• Online discussion brings out the reported reason for Jiang Jie’s gratitude: after her family went bankrupt, her father allegedly tried to arrange for her to marry an older man for his own benefit. Chu Xiyue intervened, and Jiang Jie later cut ties with her family. Her omission of family from her speech reinforces the rumor.
• The Eternal Lonely Island director wins Best Director, and a veteran Hong Kong actor takes Best Actor.
• Against expectations, Xu Zhiying wins Best Actress for playing Lü Zhenzhen in Eternal Lonely Island. Chu Xiyue presents her with the award.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Jie publicly acknowledges how much Xu Zhiying and Chu Xiyue have helped her, while her award and speech draw sympathy and support from fans.
• Xu Zhiying is overwhelmed by her win, which fulfills a dream she has pursued across two lifetimes. She thanks Chu Xiyue, who wipes away her tears and reminds her to credit herself for persevering.
• Chu Xiyue is shown as a powerful benefactor to both actresses: she protected Jiang Jie and gave Xu Zhiying the opportunity to pursue her dream.

Significant themes

• Perseverance and achievement: Xu Zhiying’s success comes after sustained effort and hardship.
• Chosen support versus family obligation: Jiang Jie’s gratitude to her friends and benefactor contrasts with her estrangement from her family.
• Recognition and gratitude: Both actresses publicly acknowledge the people who helped them, while Chu Xiyue redirects praise toward their own strength.

Chapter Summary: “Kind-Looking”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the awards ceremony, Xu Zhiying becomes emotional after winning Best Actress. Chu Xiyue comforts her, reminds her to smile for the cameras, and takes a photo with her.
• Eternal Lonely Island wins Best Newcomer for Jiang Jie, Best Director, and Best Actress for Xu Zhiying. Its Best Picture victory is then widely expected.
• The film’s success dominates Weibo. Viewers praise Chu Xiyue for financing the project, selecting Xu Zhiying, helping Jiang Jie join the cast, and improving the film’s production. Its reported return on investment reaches 300%.
• Some critics claim the film only won because Director Wang Guxin’s competing movie, Glory, withdrew. Conspiracy theories arise suggesting that powerful investors manipulated the awards.
• The rumors collapse when news reveals that Glory was delayed because Wang Guxin was caught having an affair with the Huang family’s Third Madam. Huang Hongfa, her husband, allegedly attacked Wang, leaving him severely injured, while the woman also suffered a serious injury.
• Hong Kong media publishes a sensational report exposing the affair, and screenshots spread across Weibo, creating another wave of gossip.
• Netizens then discover that the paparazzi who uncovered the affair had originally been following another actress. Clues from the awards ceremony suggest that actress was Chu Xiyue.
• Viewers realize Chu Xiyue had been watching Wang Guxin during her interview and later went in the same direction as him, apparently anticipating the scandal. Her reputation as a “Gossip King” is strengthened.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue: Demonstrates both emotional support and sharp observational skills. She comforts Xu Zhiying but also appears to have deliberately tracked Wang Guxin and indirectly helped expose his scandal. Her influence as an investor and entertainment-industry figure grows substantially.
• Xu Zhiying: Wins Best Actress and is visibly overwhelmed by the achievement. Her gratitude and closeness to Chu Xiyue are emphasized.
• Jiang Jie and the director: Their awards and public acknowledgments highlight Chu Xiyue’s importance to the film’s success.
• Wang Guxin: Is exposed as reckless and morally compromised, losing professional standing and causing Glory to be delayed.
• Huang Hongfa and the Third Madam: Their affair becomes a public scandal, with the Third Madam’s betrayal and Huang’s violent retaliation driving the controversy.

Significant Themes

• Success versus resentment: The film’s victories bring praise but also jealousy, criticism, and conspiracy theories.
• The power of capital and connections: Chu Xiyue’s investment shapes the film’s cast, quality, and success, showing how financial influence can affect the entertainment industry.
• Public image and media narratives: Awards, online trends, paparazzi reports, and sensational headlines rapidly reshape public opinion.
• Truth defeating speculation: Conspiracy theories disappear once factual evidence reveals the real reason for Glory’s withdrawal.
• Gossip as power and entertainment: Scandal becomes a major source of public fascination, while Chu Xiyue’s ability to encounter or uncover gossip becomes part of her celebrity identity.

Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue comforts the crying Xu Zhiying and encourages her to present herself positively for the cameras.
• Xu Zhiying, Jiang Jie, and the director publicly thank Chu Xiyue in their acceptance speeches, recognizing her support.
• Wang Guxin’s affair with the Third Madam leads to a confrontation with her husband, Huang Hongfa, whose retaliation has consequences for both the scandal and Glory.
• Chu Xiyue’s apparent pursuit of Wang Guxin connects her to the paparazzi’s discovery of the affair, prompting netizens to reinterpret her behavior at the ceremony.

Chapter Summary: “#Love, Ah#”

Plot points and events

Online gossip intensifies after a paparazzo indirectly confirms that Chu Xiyue secretly followed the scandal involving Huang Hongfa and his mistress. The hashtags about Chu bringing paparazzi to track gossip and Huang beating the mistress both trend, with Chu’s involvement becoming especially popular. Unaware of this, Chu attends the post-film-festival celebration banquet, where many major film-industry figures gather.
She encounters Chen Yi, who congratulates Xu Zhiying despite losing an award, and Su Ye, who attends as a film-festival judge with his wife, Jiang Xiayue. Through the system, Chu learns that Su Ye is secretly wearing highly provocative BDSM-related clothing beneath his formal suit, causing her to struggle to maintain her composure.
Chen Jiawang approaches Chu to discuss a film project. After being introduced to Su Ye, Chen studies him and asks whether his ancestors came from Hong Kong Island. Su Ye denies any connection, but Chu notices a brief flash of tension and suspicion in his expression. The chapter ends when the system announces that it has uncovered major gossip involving Huang Hongfa’s third son, born to his first wife.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue continues to serve as an amused, gossip-focused observer, but her sharp attention allows her to detect Su Ye’s subtle nervousness. She becomes increasingly suspicious that he is concealing a secret connected to Hong Kong Island.
• Su Ye maintains his cool, composed public persona, demonstrating the acting skill expected of a Best Actor. However, his momentary unease at Chen Jiawang’s question suggests a hidden past or family connection. His private relationship with Jiang Xiayue is also revealed to be far more adventurous than his stern public image suggests.
• Jiang Xiayue appears sweet and approachable but is revealed through the system to have a dominant and daring side in her marriage.
• Chen Jiawang shows unusual interest in Su Ye, implying that he may recognize him or know something about his background.
• Chen Yi is portrayed as gracious and professional, accepting her lack of an award without resentment.

Significant themes

• The contrast between public image and private identity: Su Ye’s masculine, distant celebrity persona contrasts sharply with his private submissive role, while Jiang Xiayue’s gentle appearance hides her dominant nature.
• Secrets beneath appearances: Chen Jiawang’s questions and Su Ye’s fleeting reaction hint at concealed origins or a hidden history.
• Celebrity culture and gossip: The banquet functions as both a glamorous industry gathering and an arena for speculation, where scandals quickly become more influential than official events.
• Observation and hidden knowledge: Chu’s access to the system gives her information unavailable to others, allowing her to notice contradictions and uncover secrets.

Character interactions

• Chu exchanges polite greetings with Su Ye and Jiang Xiayue while privately reacting with shock to the system’s revelation about their intimate games.
• Chen Yi congratulates Xu Zhiying and discusses filmmaking with her, showing professional camaraderie.
• Chen Jiawang speaks with Chu about a potential film project, then focuses his attention on Su Ye and questions his ancestry.
• Chu carefully observes the interaction between Chen Jiawang and Su Ye, sensing tension that neither man openly acknowledges.
• The chapter closes with the system preparing to reveal new information about Huang Hongfa’s family, setting up the next major gossip thread.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Chu Xiyue realizes that Su Ye may be connected to Miss Ye’s missing third son, though Su Ye himself is too young to be that child. The system reveals that Su Ye’s father was actually Miss Ye’s trafficked third son. Chen Jiawang’s father had helped orchestrate the child’s trafficking out of resentment toward Huang Hongfa, who had married the woman he loved. Although Father Chen later prevented the boy from being sold to the Americas, he merely redirected him to mainland China rather than truly saving him.
The system confirms the lost identity through several clues: Su Ye’s father came from Hong Kong and initially spoke only Cantonese, was trafficked to northern China at the correct time, resembled Huang Hongfa, and shared the distinctive birthmark recorded in the Huang Family’s missing-person notices.

Character developments

Chu Xiyue becomes deeply troubled by the moral dilemma of whether to tell Su Ye the truth. She sees that returning him to the Huang Family might expose him to the same destructive environment that ruined the rest of the family, yet she is disturbed by the injustice of allowing the truth to remain hidden. Her judgment of Father Chen hardens: she concludes that his actions came from selfishness, wounded pride, and “crocodile tears,” not genuine love or conscience.
Chen Jiawang is shown as someone who secretly investigated the missing child and may have tried to atone for his father’s crimes, though his efforts were ultimately inconclusive. Su Ye’s father, meanwhile, has spent his life believing the false story that his biological parents abandoned him.

Significant themes

The chapter explores inherited guilt, family corruption, revenge, and the long-term consequences of trafficking and deception. It contrasts the wealthy families’ comfortable lives with the suffering endured by the children they sacrificed. It also questions whether revealing the truth is always beneficial, especially when the family awaiting the victim is itself dangerous. The chapter emphasizes that selfish motives can be disguised as love, sacrifice, or moral awakening.

Character interactions

Chu Xiyue discusses the mystery with the system, which gradually reveals Father Chen’s history, Chen Jiawang’s investigation, and the evidence linking Su Ye’s father to the Huang Family. She also recalls Chen Jiawang’s earlier question about Su Ye’s identity, interpreting it in light of the new information. Overwhelmed by the Huang and Chen families’ crimes and unable to face the celebratory banquet, Chu Xiyue leaves Hong Kong Island overnight. As she crosses the bridge, she photographs the dark sea and posts it to her social-media Moments, reflecting her troubled state of mind.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Chu Xiyue contacts Cheng Heyun after discovering the Huang Family’s connection to Su Ye. Instead of explaining everything by text, she accepts his voice call and tells him about the complicated relationship between the Huang and Chen families, Su Ye, and Madam Ye’s lost son. Cheng Heyun suggests starting with Madam Ye’s daughter, Huang Yayi, and offers to help locate her through his connection with the Huang family.
Cheng contacts Huang Yayi that same night. She quickly travels to Su Ye’s hometown and recognizes Father Su as the brother she has spent years searching for. DNA testing confirms his identity. Huang Yayi explains the past to Father Su, but he refuses to return to Hong Kong Island or seek revenge, choosing to preserve his peaceful life with his family. Huang Yayi respects his decision and considers her mother’s final wish fulfilled.
The chapter ends with the revelation that Huang Yayi has secretly built a powerful financial empire abroad and is returning not as a helpless relative, but as the hidden owner of a major financial company.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue becomes more aware of her feelings for Cheng Heyun. She recognizes that his concern for her exceeds ordinary affection between an older brother figure and a younger woman, and admits that she enjoys his special treatment. Although she is not ready to date him, she is open to the possibility and prefers to preserve their current ambiguous relationship.
• Cheng Heyun demonstrates his reliability, emotional attentiveness, and growing affection by listening to Chu Xiyue and taking immediate action to help her.
• Father Su is revealed to be the Huang family’s long-lost son. Despite learning about his origins, he remains attached to his peaceful life and refuses to become involved in the family’s dangerous struggle for wealth and power.
• Huang Yayi shifts from a seemingly grieving daughter searching for her missing brother to a powerful, strategic woman who has spent decades building influence in secret.

Significant themes

• Ambiguous romance and emotional restraint: Chu Xiyue and Cheng Heyun’s relationship deepens through mutual trust and subtle affection, but neither openly confesses.
• The meaning of family: Blood ties reconnect Father Su and Huang Yayi, yet Father Su’s chosen family and peaceful life matter more to him than inherited wealth.
• Justice versus revenge: Father Su rejects retaliation, while Huang Yayi’s hidden return suggests that the Huang family’s past may eventually be confronted through someone more capable and determined.
• Hidden identities and power: The chapter emphasizes that appearances can be deceptive, revealing Huang Yayi as a financially powerful figure operating behind the scenes.

Character interactions

Chu Xiyue and Cheng Heyun share a warm, increasingly intimate phone conversation, with Cheng offering both emotional comfort and practical assistance. Huang Yayi reunites with Father Su, confirms their relationship through DNA testing, and tells him the truth about his origins. Though he declines to join her, she accepts his wishes and prepares to return alone to the Huang family’s sphere of conflict.