Chapter Summaries

Page 81 Summary

Key plot points and events

Chu Xiyue and the livestream audience overhear a public argument between Li Dawei and his current wife. The wife accuses Li of still caring about his ex-wife because he sent her money, which he explains was child support. She then demands that he recover the money for their son’s upcoming kindergarten expenses. In anger, Li reveals that the boy is not his biological child.
The couple argues over the child’s blood type, since both parents are type O while the child is type AB. The system reveals that the boy is actually Li’s nephew—the biological son of Li’s older brother and his wife. The woman had previously been in love with the older brother, married an abusive man, and later deliberately married Li after reconnecting with the brother, who was unable to divorce. She continued an affair with the older brother and became pregnant, though she did not know which brother was the father.
Li discovered the possibility of infidelity after learning he had congenital oligospermia, finding men’s underwear in the house, and confirming the blood-type mismatch. The system adds another twist: the child raised by Li’s ex-wife also is not biologically his. The livestream audience pieces together much of the scandal and identifies the older brother as the likely father.

Character developments

Li Dawei is exposed as both an adulterer and a victim of repeated betrayal. Although he abandoned his original marriage for his current wife, he has been deceived by both women and unknowingly raised other men’s children. His current wife is shown to be manipulative and unfaithful, using Li as a substitute for the older brother while continuing their affair. The older brother is revealed as a central but unseen participant in the deception. Chu Xiyue becomes increasingly entertained by the unfolding gossip, though she briefly feels pity for Li despite his own wrongdoing.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes betrayal, hypocrisy, and poetic justice: Li abandoned his wife for another woman but was ultimately cuckolded himself. It also explores the destructive consequences of infidelity, deception within families, and the instability of relationships built on dishonesty. The escalating revelations create a theme of hidden identities and complicated biological ties, turning an ordinary marital quarrel into a dramatic scandal.

Character interactions

Li and his wife publicly trade accusations and expose each other’s secrets. Their argument shifts from money and jealousy to paternity and infidelity. Chu Xiyue observes the fight while communicating with the system, which supplies the concealed truth behind the couple’s accusations. The livestream viewers react enthusiastically, speculate about the child’s father, and eventually recognize the family involved.

Chapter Summary: “Chu Xiyue’s Gossip King Persona Stands Firm”

Key Plot Points and Events

• While Chu Xiyue and the netizens enjoy the drama unfolding downstairs, the guests of The One She Loves Most begin choosing their dinner partners upstairs.
• Mo Jiang nervously confesses his feelings to Mo Xiang, explaining that they have known each other for thirty years and spent a third of their lives together. He invites her to dinner.
• Although Mo Jiang initially assumes she will reject him, Mo Xiang accepts, suggesting she is ready to move past her failed marriage and consider a relationship with him.
• Zhao Xizhou unexpectedly extends his hand to Li Fan’er. Despite their reputation as constant bickering enemies, Li Fan’er accepts, shocking the livestream audience and confirming the fans’ hopes for their pairing.
• At the same time, the married couple downstairs—whose scandal involves infidelity, abandonment, and a child fathered by the wife’s brother-in-law—break into a violent fight. Neither side earns the viewers’ sympathy, and the police eventually take them away.
• The episode generates several trending searches, including Li Fan’er and Zhao Xizhou holding hands, the finale itself, the street fight, and Chu Xiyue’s reputation as a “gossip king.”
• Since the upstairs guests are still finishing their dinner, Chu Xiyue brings the livestream equipment over and chats directly with netizens while continuing to follow the gossip.

Character Developments

• Mo Jiang shows courage after years of quietly loving Mo Xiang. Though nervous and convinced he has failed, he remains respectful and restrained, pulling out a chair for her rather than immediately embracing her.
• Mo Xiang demonstrates emotional recovery. Her acceptance indicates that she has largely moved beyond the pain of her previous failed marriage and is willing to give Mo Jiang a chance.
• Li Fan’er and Zhao Xizhou make a major shift from apparent enemies to a potential romantic couple. Their simple act of holding hands overturns everyone’s expectations.
• Chu Xiyue fully embraces her role as an enthusiastic gossip commentator. She enjoys sharing scandals with the audience and has become comfortable hosting livestreams herself.
• Bai Guangji is disappointed when Qin Xingshi does not respond as he hoped, but he remains optimistic and does not give up.
• Ding Mengfei declines Jia Tianyou’s invitation, while Qi Changming accompanies her downstairs, hinting at continuing romantic tensions among the guests.

Significant Themes

• Companionship as love: Mo Jiang’s confession emphasizes that years of shared life can express love more powerfully than grand declarations.
• Unexpected romantic reversals: The chapter plays with audience assumptions, turning the seemingly impossible Li Fan’er–Zhao Xizhou pairing into the episode’s biggest romantic surprise.
• Public entertainment and voyeurism: The netizens consume both genuine emotional moments and ugly private scandals as equally compelling forms of entertainment.
• Moving beyond the past: Mo Xiang’s acceptance reflects the possibility of healing after betrayal and failed relationships.
• Gossip as communal enjoyment: Chu Xiyue believes gossip is more enjoyable when shared, strengthening her connection with the livestream audience.

Character Interactions

• Mo Jiang and Mo Xiang share the chapter’s most sincere romantic exchange, moving from long-term friendship toward a possible relationship.
• Li Fan’er and Zhao Xizhou communicate almost entirely through their unexpected hand-holding, creating a dramatic reversal in their hostile dynamic.
• The married couple’s violent confrontation exposes the destructive consequences of betrayal and unresolved resentment.
• Chu Xiyue interacts playfully with netizens, discussing the newly formed pairings while simultaneously watching the scandal downstairs.
• The netizens act as an active chorus, reacting with shock, excitement, disbelief, and obsessive support for their preferred couples.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Chu Xiyue discusses the relationship between Li Fan’er and Zhao Xizhou with online viewers. She confirms that their romance is real, though their relationship had previously been strained, and refuses to reveal the reason.
• After the group finishes dinner, the guests say their farewells. Chu Xiyue remains behind with Mo Jiang and Mo Xiang.
• Chu Xiyue attempts to tell Mo Xiang about her true family background. After Mo Xiang receives a call from her former mother-in-law, Lin Meishu, Chu Xiyue finally reveals the truth: Lin Meishu is Mo Xiang’s biological mother.
• Chu Xiyue explains that thirty-three years earlier, Qiu Baizhen stole Mo Xiang as a child and abandoned her on the street. Mo Xiang was therefore not abandoned by her parents; Lin Meishu had unknowingly lost her daughter while raising another child.
• Mo Xiang is overwhelmed and uncertain whether to acknowledge Lin Meishu. Chu Xiyue assures her that the decision is entirely hers and that she will support her either way.
• After parting from Mo Xiang, Chu Xiyue is picked up in Sea City by her older brother, Chu Chengyun. She enters the Mercedes and casually hands the milk tea she bought to the suited man beside her while fastening her seat belt.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue demonstrates her perceptiveness, emotional maturity, and compassion. She not only knows the truth about Mo Xiang’s identity but carefully presents it without pressuring her to reunite with Lin Meishu.
• Mo Xiang undergoes a major emotional revelation. She learns that her lifelong belief—that her parents abandoned her—is false. Having become more confident and independent after her divorce and recent experiences, she realizes she is capable of deciding her own future.
• Lin Meishu is reframed from Mo Xiang’s former mother-in-law into her biological mother. Her past actions, including securing substantial property for Mo Xiang after the divorce, gain additional emotional significance.
• Mo Jiang notices Chu Xiyue needs privacy and thoughtfully leaves so she can speak to Mo Xiang alone.
• Qiu Baizhen is identified as the person responsible for separating Mo Xiang from her birth family and has already been punished.

Significant Themes

• Identity and belonging: Mo Xiang discovers that her origins and family history are entirely different from what she believed.
• The damage caused by deception: Qiu Baizhen’s theft shaped Mo Xiang’s entire life, while Lin Meishu unknowingly lost her daughter.
• Healing and personal choice: Chu Xiyue emphasizes that biological ties do not obligate Mo Xiang to reconcile; what matters is her happiness and autonomy.
• Growth and independence: Mo Xiang has evolved from a timid, dependent woman into someone emotionally strong enough to confront a life-changing truth.
• Love beyond blood relations: Chu Xiyue’s support shows that genuine care can come from chosen relationships as well as biological family.

Important Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue and the netizens discuss Li Fan’er and Zhao Xizhou’s relationship.
• The departing guests exchange affectionate goodbyes with Chu Xiyue.
• Chu Xiyue gently reveals Mo Xiang’s true parentage and comforts her when she becomes distressed.
• Mo Jiang deliberately gives Chu Xiyue and Mo Xiang privacy.
• Chu Xiyue later reunites with her brother Chu Chengyun, ending the chapter with her entering his car and interacting casually with the suited passenger beside her.

Chapter summary

• Chu Xiyue gets into a car with her brother, Chu Chengyun, but mistakes his friend Cheng Heyun—seated beside her in the dark—for her brother. She is startled by Cheng Heyun’s striking appearance and learns his identity once Chu Chengyun introduces them.
• The name triggers a sudden memory: Cheng Heyun is the fiancé the original Chu Xiyue had never met and had tried to escape by entering the entertainment industry. Awkwardly aware of that history, she chokes on her milk tea, and Cheng Heyun offers her a handkerchief.
• Through her gossip-loving system, Chu Xiyue learns that Cheng Heyun endured a harsh childhood under a hostile stepmother, survived attempts on his life, and later became an exceptionally accomplished billionaire, taking control of his father’s company and removing his father, stepmother, and half-brother from power.
• The system suggests he is an ideal romantic prospect, but Chu Xiyue prefers gossip to dating. It then reveals that, in the original novel, Cheng Heyun dies from overwork that year, after which his company collapses.
• Concerned that someone so impressive might die young, Chu Xiyue watches him during the ride and in the elevator. Cheng Heyun notices her attention and asks why she is looking at him.

Character developments and interactions

Chu Xiyue’s initial awkwardness about her fiancé gives way to curiosity and sympathy, followed by concern about his predicted death. Her sharp, humorous reactions also expose her insecurity when she compares herself with Cheng Heyun’s achievements. Cheng Heyun remains reserved and courteous, helping her when she chokes and later calmly acknowledging her gaze. Chu Chengyun acts as the link between them, introducing his friend and bringing them home together.

Significant themes

The chapter contrasts outward refinement and wealth with hidden hardship, and accomplishment with vulnerability. It also explores fate and foreknowledge: Chu Xiyue learns that the novel’s plot may place Cheng Heyun’s life in danger, setting up the possibility that she could respond to or change his ending.

Chapter Summary: Mo Xiang and Lin Meishu Recognize Each Other

• Cheng Heyun takes Chu Xiyue’s advice: Chu Xiyue reminds Cheng Heyun not to sacrifice his health for work after noticing how exhausted he is. Although he initially plans to keep working, her words affect him deeply. He closes his laptop, goes to bed early, and quickly falls asleep, revealing that he has been pushing himself far beyond his limits.
• Mo Xiang reflects on Lin Meishu: Unable to sleep, Mo Xiang reviews her complicated history with Lin Meishu. Lin Meishu had once treated her harshly as her mother-in-law, but later became kinder and helped her after learning that Ji Peng was not her biological son. Mo Xiang struggles to determine whether Lin Meishu has harmed or helped her more.
• Mo Xiang confronts her lost-child identity: After seeing Lin Meishu’s social-media posts searching for her long-lost daughter, Mo Xiang realizes that she is the missing child. She considers hiding the truth, but Lin Meishu’s past love for Ji Peng makes her wonder what it would have been like to receive that love herself. Though she is an adult and no longer openly longs for a mother, the discovery awakens old feelings of deprivation and regret.
• Emotional return to the orphanage: After flying back to Shenzhen, Mo Xiang decides to visit the orphanage where she and Mo Jiang grew up. She has avoided returning for five years because she feels she failed Director Mom’s expectations by becoming a housewife despite her prestigious education. Mo Jiang accompanies her and supports her silently, holding her hand.
• The recognition encounter: At the orphanage, Mo Xiang unexpectedly finds Lin Meishu speaking with Director Mo. Lin Meishu is searching for the daughter who was abandoned decades earlier and explains that one of several infants sent to orphanages may have been her child. Because Mo Xiang’s official birth date was recorded incorrectly by six months, Lin Meishu had never suspected that she could be the missing daughter.
• Suspenseful ending: Lin Meishu asks Mo Xiang whether she remembers a girl who was six months older than her. Mo Xiang understands the truth and why Lin Meishu has come, while Mo Jiang appears to realize it as well and silently gives her strength. The chapter ends just before Mo Xiang reveals her identity.

Key Themes

• The lasting impact of childhood abandonment and emotional deprivation
• The conflict between resentment and gratitude in complicated family relationships
• The longing for maternal love, even in adulthood
• Health and self-care versus relentless work
• Fate, mistaken identity, and the possibility of recovering one’s true family history

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Mo Xiang asks Lin Meishu what she would do if she found her missing daughter. Lin Meishu says she wants to compensate her daughter for failing to protect her in the past.
• Seeing Lin Meishu’s regret and weakened state, Mo Xiang reveals that she may be the daughter Lin Meishu has been searching for. She explains that she was taken to an orphanage by police as a newborn thirty-three years earlier, matching the circumstances of Lin Meishu’s missing child.
• Mo Xiang and Lin Meishu undergo a paternity test. The results confirm a 99.99% probability that they are mother and daughter.
• The revelation spreads rapidly through Shenzhen’s wealthy social circles because Lin Meishu’s lost daughter is also her former daughter-in-law.
• Chu Xiyue learns the news from the system while preparing to attend a birthday banquet with Chu Chengyun.
• At the banquet, Chu Xiyue secretly listens to wealthy women gossip about scandals involving tax evasion, illegal parties, cheating spouses, divorces, and affairs. Her enjoyment of the gossip is interrupted when an unfamiliar young man sits beside her and begins flirting.

Character developments

• Mo Xiang demonstrates emotional courage and maturity by giving herself and Lin Meishu a chance to confirm their relationship, despite the pain and distance created by their separation.
• Lin Meishu is portrayed as remorseful and deeply affected by years of guilt. Her simpler appearance, weight loss, and emotional reaction to Mo Xiang’s revelation reflect her suffering and hope.
• Chu Xiyue remains observant, amused, and highly interested in social gossip. She is unshaken by the dramatic mother-daughter revelation and quickly becomes absorbed in the banquet’s scandals.
• Chu Chengyun accompanies Chu Xiyue to represent their family at the banquet but mainly focuses on socializing.
• A new, unidentified young man is introduced as a possible romantic or comedic complication when he approaches Chu Xiyue.

Significant themes

• Family, abandonment, and reconciliation: The chapter explores the lasting effects of losing a child and the possibility of repairing damaged family bonds.
• Regret and second chances: Mo Xiang’s decision to accept the paternity test reflects a desire to avoid future regrets, even though reconciliation cannot erase the past.
• The unpredictability of fate: The missing daughter turns out to be Lin Meishu’s former daughter-in-law, creating an unlikely and dramatic connection.
• Wealthy social circles and hypocrisy: The banquet gossip exposes corruption, infidelity, tax evasion, and the complicated ways powerful families protect their reputations.

Character interactions

• Mo Xiang and Lin Meishu share the chapter’s central emotional exchange, with Mo Xiang offering Lin Meishu the chance to confirm their biological relationship.
• Chu Xiyue receives updates from the system about Mo Xiang and Lin Meishu, showing the system’s role as an ongoing source of information.
• Chu Xiyue and Chu Chengyun attend the Zheng Family banquet together, representing the Chu Family.
• Chu Xiyue listens in on Lady A, Lady B, and Lady C’s gossip before being approached by the flirtatious young man.

Chapter 87 Summary

Key plot points and events

At a birthday banquet, Zheng Yiming approaches Chu Xiyue, assuming she is an obscure celebrity. He propositions her, offering to make her a famous star if she becomes his girlfriend. After the system clarifies that he is actually trying to sleep with her, Chu Xiyue bluntly rejects him and tells him to leave. Zheng Yiming reacts arrogantly, invoking his wealthy family and attempting to touch her. Cheng Heyun intervenes, restraining Zheng Yiming and intimidating him into apologizing and leaving. Cheng then keeps Chu Xiyue beside him to protect her while her brother, Chu Chengyun, is absent.
Later, Luo Sheng, a polished young sales manager from the Zheng Group, comes over to greet Cheng Heyun. The system reveals shocking gossip about Luo Sheng’s past.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue remains direct, fearless, and uninterested in social status. Rather than being intimidated by Zheng Yiming, she mocks his stereotypical rich-kid behavior. She is also highly entertained by the system’s gossip and becomes immediately curious when Luo Sheng is mentioned.
• Cheng Heyun displays a protective and unexpectedly gentle side toward Chu Xiyue. He is concerned that she was left alone and decides to keep her with him, viewing her as vulnerable but also encouraging her not to tolerate harassment. His behavior suggests growing personal concern, though he frames it as responsibility toward his friend’s younger sister.
• Zheng Yiming is exposed as a spoiled, predatory playboy who relies on his family’s influence. His arrogance disappears as soon as he realizes Cheng Heyun outranks him socially and financially.
• Luo Sheng appears refined, capable, and socially skilled, but the system hints that his outwardly respectable image conceals scandalous behavior.

Significant themes

• Power and social hierarchy: Zheng Yiming bullies people he considers inferior but immediately submits to Cheng Heyun, revealing his dependence on family status.
• Protection versus independence: Cheng intervenes to shield Chu Xiyue, while Chu Xiyue demonstrates that she is capable of rejecting and confronting harassment herself.
• Appearance versus reality: Luo Sheng’s polished image contrasts sharply with the sensational secret about his past, continuing the chapter’s focus on hidden scandals within elite circles.
• Gossip as entertainment and social knowledge: Chu Xiyue and the system treat private scandals as a source of amusement and insight into the people around them.

Character interactions

Chu Xiyue dismisses Zheng Yiming’s advances, and their exchange highlights her bluntness against his entitlement. Cheng Heyun then physically and verbally asserts dominance over Zheng Yiming, after which he reassures Chu Xiyue and invites her to stay with him. Their interaction is notably gentle and protective. The chapter ends as Luo Sheng approaches Cheng Heyun, with Chu Xiyue eagerly anticipating the system’s revelation about him: Luo Sheng once drunkenly confessed his attraction to Zheng Yiming’s mother and slept with her after she reciprocated.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chu Xiyue learns through the system that Luo Sheng—Zheng Yiming’s close friend and former college roommate—is secretly having an affair with Zheng Yiming’s mother, Wu Xiufang.
• Their relationship began years earlier, when Luo Sheng was still a student, and was later rekindled after he joined the Zheng Group. Wu Xiufang helped advance his career, while Zheng Yiming mistakenly believed Luo Sheng’s success came from his own support.
• Eager to share the shocking secret, Chu Xiyue tells Cheng Heyun. He is initially stunned but becomes increasingly absorbed as she reveals more gossip, including other scandals involving the Liu Family.
• Cheng Heyun’s view of the Zheng and Liu families changes. He decides to postpone cooperation with the Zheng Group because of concerns about the family’s instability and places the Liu Family on his company’s no-cooperation list because of their tax evasion.
• After spending two days in Sea City, Chu Xiyue returns to Shenzhen at Madam Shao Suqiu’s request.
• At the Chu family home, she reunites with her cousin Shang Wanwan, who has recently returned from studying abroad.
• To break their awkward silence, Shang Wanwan turns on Chu Xiyue’s variety show. She is shocked by the program’s suggestive gossip and gradually realizes that the woman onscreen is Chu Xiyue.

2. Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue becomes increasingly enthusiastic about sharing gossip, finding a willing listener in Cheng Heyun. Her lively and uninhibited personality contrasts with his usual restraint.
• Cheng Heyun is shown to be calm and business-minded, but Chu Xiyue’s gossip unexpectedly fascinates him. The information influences his professional decisions and makes him more cautious about potential business partners.
• Luo Sheng is revealed to be ambitious and deceptive, maintaining a close friendship with Zheng Yiming while secretly conducting a long-term affair with Zheng’s mother and benefiting from her influence.
• Zheng Yiming remains unaware that his trusted friend and mother are involved, believing Luo Sheng’s career advancement is connected to his own efforts.
• Shang Wanwan is introduced as an unfamiliar cousin who initially struggles to connect with Chu Xiyue. Her surprise at the variety show suggests she may be unfamiliar with Chu Xiyue’s public image and entertainment career.

3. Significant Themes

• Gossip as social power and entertainment: Chu Xiyue’s revelations affect not only personal relationships but also Cheng Heyun’s business judgments.
• Betrayal and hidden relationships: Luo Sheng’s affair with his best friend’s mother creates a deeply ironic betrayal, especially because Zheng Yiming treats him like family.
• Public image versus private behavior: The respectable Zheng and Liu families conceal serious scandals, while Chu Xiyue’s television persona exposes uncomfortable truths in a humorous way.
• The influence of family stability on business: Cheng Heyun recognizes that personal scandals within a family-run company can threaten its reliability and reputation.
• Awkward family reconnection: Chu Xiyue and Shang Wanwan’s reunion highlights their emotional distance and differing experiences.

4. Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue and Luo Sheng interact briefly at the banquet, though she later learns about his secret affair.
• Chu Xiyue eagerly confides in Cheng Heyun, and their gossip-sharing session turns him from a reluctant listener into an engaged participant.
• Cheng Heyun’s reaction to the scandals demonstrates how Chu Xiyue’s words influence his perception of the Zheng and Liu families.
• Chu Xiyue and Shang Wanwan exchange polite but awkward greetings, with the variety show providing an unexpected source of conversation.
• The chapter ends with Shang Wanwan recognizing Chu Xiyue on television and questioning her about the show.

Chapter Summary — Page 89

• Key events: Chu Xiyue explains to Shang Wanwan how a suggestively edited television clip created a misunderstanding. The two bond over gossip about the scandals involving Wan Zhen, Xu Wenchong, and He Jinyuan, including the couple’s divorce, mutual accusations, investigations, and He Jinyuan’s attempt to revive his career overseas.
• Shang Wanwan’s marriage plans: Chu Xiyue learns that Shang Wanwan has returned home to marry her university sweetheart, Ren Pingcang. They fell in love at first sight, completed their doctorates, and are now preparing for their engagement and wedding. Shang invites Chu Xiyue to meet both families and help assess Ren.
• Meeting the families: Chu Xiyue and Shang Wanwan arrive early at the restaurant, where Ren Pingcang is visibly nervous. The system confirms that Ren is upright, hardworking, loyal, and a good marriage prospect. Both sets of parents arrive and initially exchange polite greetings, but their strange, distracted behavior makes the atmosphere uncomfortable.
• Major revelation: The system reveals that Shang Wanwan’s mother and Ren Pingcang’s father were former lovers. They had once planned to marry, but Ren’s grandmother opposed the match and forced them apart. Both later married other people, and their children are now preparing to marry each other, creating an awkward reunion between former lovers and old rivals.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Xiyue and Shang Wanwan: Their shared enthusiasm for gossip quickly breaks the initial awkwardness, turning them into close confidantes. Chu agrees to scrutinize Ren on Shang’s behalf.
• Shang Wanwan and Ren Pingcang: Their relationship appears loving, stable, and sincere. Both are nervous about introducing their families but comfort each other privately.
• Ren Pingcang: He is portrayed as morally upright, responsible, ambitious, and free of scandal, reassuring Chu and the reader that he is a suitable partner.
• The parents: Their forced politeness and emotional distraction hint at unresolved history, which contrasts sharply with their children’s happy relationship.

Significant themes

• Gossip and intimacy: Sharing secrets and scandals helps Chu Xiyue and Shang Wanwan grow closer.
• Misunderstanding and appearances: Media editing distorts ordinary dialogue, while the parents’ awkward reunion conceals a deeper history.
• Family pressure versus romantic choice: The parents’ past relationship was destroyed by parental opposition, raising questions about whether the younger generation will avoid repeating that tragedy.
• Fate and cyclical relationships: The children’s romance mirrors their parents’ former love, bringing past conflicts into the present.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Xiyue learns that Shang Wanwan’s mother, Shao Suxin, and Ren Pingcang’s father were each other’s first loves. She briefly worries the couple might be related, but the system confirms they are not.
• The system explains that the older couple’s breakup was bitter: Ren Pingcang’s father married his current wife less than three months later, leaving Shao Suxin humiliated and resentful.
• After a tense dinner, both families oppose Shang Wanwan and Ren Pingcang’s marriage without explaining why. Each young person discovers that the other’s family has also objected.
• Shang Wanwan and Ren Pingcang remain committed to each other and decide to persuade their parents, but their efforts lead to arguments and mounting strain.
• Seeing the family tension, Chu Xiyue visits her distressed cousin and says she knows roughly why the elders object. Shang Wanwan urgently asks her to explain.

Character developments and interactions

• Shang Wanwan shifts from confusion to hurt and frustration as her parents refuse to give her a reason. Despite the pressure, she remains determined to marry Ren Pingcang.
• Shao Suxin resists the relationship because of her painful history with Ren Pingcang’s father, but her bitterness and reluctance to explain risk damaging her bond with her daughter.
• Ren Pingcang shares Shang Wanwan’s commitment and faces the same unexplained opposition from his family.
• Chu Xiyue recognizes that the elders’ silence is worsening the conflict and steps in to help Shang Wanwan.
• Shao Suqiu urges her sister to explain the past rather than endanger her relationship with Wanwan.

Significant themes

• Old wounds shaping the present: The parents’ former romance and resentment threaten their children’s future.
• Communication versus secrecy: Withholding the truth deepens mistrust and family conflict.
• Love tested by family opposition: The young couple’s mutual commitment contrasts with their parents’ resistance.
• The irony of generational romance: A past relationship between the parents becomes an obstacle to the next generation’s relationship.

Chapter Summary: “BK Entertainment Shut Down”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chu Xiyue explains to Shang Wanwan why both families oppose her marriage to Ren Pingcang: their parents were involved in a painful conflict when they were young.
• Shang Wanwan briefly fears that she and Ren Pingcang might be related, but Chu Xiyue reassures her that they are both their parents’ biological children and have no blood relationship.
• With the cause of the opposition revealed, Shang Wanwan and Ren Pingcang decide not to give up. They each have sincere conversations with their parents and continue persuading them for more than a month.
• Their persistence, combined with the parents’ recognition that the couple are well matched, eventually leads both families to approve the marriage.
• Chu Xiyue leaves Shen City and travels to Sea City to confront BK Entertainment, the company that trapped the original owner in a highly exploitative ten-year contract.
• The company has prepared an exhausting schedule for her, including low-quality performances, exploitative film roles, and endorsements for unlicensed products—work similar to the schedule that caused the original owner’s death from overwork.
• Chu Xiyue meets her manager, Liu Fangya, and the system uncovers Liu’s extensive criminal activities: forcing artists to entertain clients, drugging unwilling artists, selling personal information to scammers, and participating in Jiang Beinian’s fraud scheme.
• Rather than submit to Liu’s intimidation or the contract’s potential ten-million-yuan penalty, Chu Xiyue openly calls the police and reports her manager for financial crimes.

Character Developments

• Shang Wanwan and Ren Pingcang: Their confusion becomes determination once they learn the true reason for their parents’ opposition. They demonstrate maturity and commitment by confronting the issue directly and persistently defending their relationship.
• Chu Xiyue: She continues to act decisively and independently. Instead of repeating the original owner’s fate, she refuses to accept exploitation and takes legal action against BK Entertainment.
• Liu Fangya: She is revealed to be not merely an abusive manager but a repeat offender involved in coercion, drugging, fraud, and the exploitation of artists.
• The parents: Though initially controlled by resentment from the past, they eventually recognize their children’s sincerity and the quality of their chosen partners, leading them to relent.

Significant Themes

• Breaking free from the past: Shang Wanwan and Ren Pingcang refuse to let their parents’ old conflict determine their future.
• Persistence and communication: Honest conversations and sustained effort gradually resolve the families’ opposition.
• Resistance to exploitation: Chu Xiyue rejects the entertainment industry’s abuse of inexperienced artists and refuses to sacrifice her health for an unfair contract.
• Justice and accountability: The chapter emphasizes that criminal behavior should be reported rather than tolerated or used as leverage.
• Changing one’s fate: Chu Xiyue remembers the original owner’s death from overwork and deliberately takes action to avoid repeating that outcome.

Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue and Shang Wanwan share an emotional conversation and embrace after discussing the family conflict.
• Shang Wanwan and Ren Pingcang work together to persuade their respective parents, eventually earning their approval.
• Chu Xiyue confronts Liu Fangya directly at BK Entertainment. Liu attempts to intimidate her by invoking the restrictive contract and its financial penalties, but Chu Xiyue responds by calling the police in front of her.
• The system serves as Chu Xiyue’s investigator, uncovering Liu Fangya’s hidden crimes and strengthening Chu Xiyue’s resolve to report her.

Chapter 92 Summary

• Plot points and events: After Liu Fangya again tries to pressure Chu Xiyue into meeting a powerful man, Chu refuses. Rather than pay the contract’s ten-million-yuan penalty, she reports Liu to the police and BK Entertainment to the tax bureau. Investigators arrive at the company: police find evidence on Liu’s concealed phone system that she sold personal information and helped scammers, while tax officials uncover BK’s tax evasion. Further evidence implicates Liu and other executives in drugging and coercing people into sex, as well as a possible drug-smuggling operation. BK Entertainment is shut down, and more than half its senior staff are detained. An official notice sparks widespread online attention and speculation about those involved.
• Character developments: Chu acts decisively and strategically, using evidence rather than giving in to Liu’s threats. Her confidence that she can expose the company is vindicated. Liu’s composure collapses when investigators uncover her hidden files, revealing the extent of her wrongdoing.
• Character interactions: Liu offers Chu a film role if she apologizes and attends dinner with Boss Wang; Chu rejects the bargain. She then openly identifies Liu to the police and directs them to the evidence. Liu denies everything, but her attempt to seize the phone confirms the officers’ suspicions. Police and tax officials work separately but simultaneously, while online users piece together the identities of the implicated company figures.
• Significant themes: The chapter emphasizes accountability, the abuse of power in the entertainment industry, and the importance of exposing exploitation and corruption. Chu’s refusal to be intimidated turns a personal dispute into an investigation that brings down an entire company.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• BK Entertainment is shut down after a major investigation. Several executives and agents are arrested over suspected rape, tax violations, drugs, and other undisclosed crimes. Rumors suggest the people involved could face sentences of at least twenty years.
• Online discussions compare BK Entertainment’s downfall to the earlier collapse of Wen-Ning Studio, which was exposed for tax evasion and money laundering.
• Because Chu Xiyue is signed with BK Entertainment and happened to visit the company shortly before the arrests, netizens speculate that she reported the company and may truly be the rumored “undercover agent in the entertainment industry.”
• Chu Xiyue is attending auditions for the film Eternal Isle as an investor and panel member rather than as an actress. The screenwriter jokes that Chu reported BK Entertainment, then realizes the rumor may be true. Chu confirms that she reported illegal activity but denies being an undercover agent.
• During the auditions, Chu and the system gossip about the actresses. The system reveals that Jiang Jie, a promising actress auditioning for the first female lead, has falsified parts of her biography: she is two years older than claimed and secretly has a boyfriend despite presenting herself as single.
• The chapter ends just as the system begins revealing more information about Jiang Jie, teasing a potentially serious hidden secret.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue: Demonstrates her willingness to expose criminal behavior despite the consequences. She remains calm and matter-of-fact about reporting BK Entertainment, though she is increasingly exasperated by the persistent “undercover agent” rumor. Her enthusiasm for gossip also provides comic relief.
• The screenwriter: Grows more cautious and awkward after realizing Chu may actually have reported the company, showing how intimidating and mysterious Chu’s reputation has become.
• Jiang Jie: Is introduced as a strong candidate for the first female lead, with an appearance and temperament suited to the role. However, the system immediately reveals discrepancies in her public image, suggesting that her seemingly innocent persona may conceal more important secrets.

Significant Themes

• Exposure of corruption and crime: The collapse of BK Entertainment reinforces the broader theme of hidden wrongdoing in the entertainment industry.
• Public speculation and celebrity image: Online rumors rapidly transform Chu’s actions into a dramatic persona, showing how little control celebrities have over their public narratives.
• Truth versus performance: Jiang Jie’s falsified age and hidden relationship hint that appearances in the entertainment world may be carefully manufactured.
• Justice and accountability: Chu’s belief that everyone should report illegal activity contrasts with the industry’s culture of secrecy and complicity.
• Gossip as narrative tension: The system’s revelations turn ordinary auditions into investigations, suggesting that any candidate may have a dangerous secret.

Character Interactions

• Netizens connect BK Entertainment’s downfall to Chu Xiyue and debate whether she was the informant.
• The screenwriter teases Chu about the rumors, then becomes embarrassed when Chu confirms that she reported the company.
• Chu and the system exchange excited gossip while observing the auditions, with the system serving as her source of hidden information.
• Chu does not interfere with the audition itself, maintaining her role as an investor unless a secret threatens the film’s production or release.

Chapter 94 Summary

Key plot points and events

• Chu Xiyue learns through the system that actress Jiang Jie is destined to become a murderer—not immediately, but in the future. After her bankrupt father tries to force her into marrying an elderly creditor who assaults and blackmails her, Jiang Jie’s boyfriend will accidentally kill the man. Jiang Jie will help conceal the crime and later kill her own father, covering up both deaths.
• In the original storyline, Jiang Jie was cast as the film’s first female lead, but her crimes were discovered before filming ended. Her scenes were removed and reshot, allowing reborn heroine Xu Zhiying to play both female roles and win a major acting award.
• Troubled by Jiang Jie’s fate, Chu Xiyue questions her about the tragic character Lü Dani. Jiang Jie says Lü Dani might have avoided her fate if someone had helped her, revealing empathy and suggesting that she herself may still be capable of being saved.
• Chu Xiyue offers Jiang Jie the role of Lü Dani instead of the first female lead. Jiang Jie becomes deeply interested in the script and begins preparing for a second audition.
• Xu Zhiying then arrives to audition. Remembering her previous life, she intends to pursue Lü Dani rather than the first female lead—but upon seeing Jiang Jie, she becomes visibly unsettled.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue shifts from merely observing the predetermined plot to actively intervening in Jiang Jie’s future. She recognizes Jiang Jie’s vulnerability and believes the tragic second female role may suit her better.
• Jiang Jie is presented as gentle and talented but trapped by family circumstances. Her response about Lü Dani shows compassion and hints that timely assistance could prevent her descent into crime.
• Xu Zhiying remains ambitious and determined to change her previous life by prioritizing her acting career. Seeing Jiang Jie again evokes memories of Jiang Jie’s future crimes and creates immediate tension.

Significant themes

• Fate versus intervention: The chapter asks whether knowledge of a character’s future can change that fate.
• The importance of support: Jiang Jie’s observation that help might have saved Lü Dani also applies to her own situation.
• Moral complexity and victimhood: Jiang Jie’s future crimes are shown alongside the abuse, coercion, and family betrayal that drive her toward them.
• Competition and rewritten destiny: Both Chu Xiyue and Xu Zhiying attempt to alter the original plot through casting choices and personal decisions.

Character interactions

• Chu Xiyue questions Jiang Jie about Lü Dani, establishing a moment of mutual recognition and empathy.
• Chu Xiyue’s decision to offer Jiang Jie the role directly alters the casting process.
• Xu Zhiying and Jiang Jie do not yet speak, but their charged eye contact signals a conflict rooted in Xu Zhiying’s memories of the original timeline.

Plot points and events

• Xu Zhiying remembers rumors from her previous life that Jiang Jie and her boyfriend murdered an older husband—and that they also killed Jiang Jie’s father. Frightened, Xu blurts out “Lü Zhenzhen,” the role she intends to audition for.
• Chu Xiyue decides not to exclude Jiang Jie. She believes she can prevent the incident that would derail filming, while also ensuring the two men responsible face consequences.
• Xu gives an excellent audition as Lü Zhenzhen, impressing the director. Jiang Jie, unsettled by Xu’s performance and determined to secure the other lead, auditions for Lü Dani and performs even better than expected. She wins the role.
• After three days, the main roles are cast. Chu invites the production team to dinner at the upscale Weiming Residence, where she knows Jiang Jie’s father will also take Jiang Jie that evening.
• The chapter ends with Jiang Jie putting on a white dress her father bought for her, setting up the coming dinner.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Xiyue shifts from simply managing the film to actively planning how to protect Jiang Jie and punish the men who would harm her, while still prioritizing the production.
• Xu Zhiying is talented and deeply familiar with Lü Zhenzhen, but her knowledge of Jiang Jie’s rumored future crimes makes her afraid of her.
• Jiang Jie responds to the pressure of Xu’s audition by pushing herself harder. Her ambition and ability earn her Lü Dani’s role.
• The director is impressed by both women and is delighted to cast both leads in one audition session. Chu leaves casting decisions to the professionals but keeps a watchful eye on the process.

Significant themes

• Changing fate: Chu acts on foreknowledge to prevent tragedy rather than accept the future as fixed.
• Justice and moral complexity: She wants to stop harm without letting the guilty men escape punishment.
• Talent and competition: Xu and Jiang Jie’s performances bring out each other’s best work.
• Appearance versus hidden danger: The casting success and celebratory dinner conceal the threat surrounding Jiang Jie’s family.

• Jiang Jie is pressured into a business dinner: Since the Jiang family went bankrupt, she has been overlooked by her father. His sudden gifts and attention make her suspicious, but he persuades her to attend a meeting with Chairman Hu, claiming her presence will help him negotiate over the 300-million debt. In reality, Hu has offered to erase the debt—and give Father Jiang money for a comeback—if Jiang Jie marries him.
• Chairman Hu’s intentions become clear: At Weiming Residence, Hu focuses his attention on Jiang Jie and insists she call him “Uncle Hu.” He pours her strong baijiu and pressures her to drink, while Father Jiang refuses to protect her and tells her to drink in his place.
• Chu Xiyue intervenes: Chu arrives and introduces herself as an investor in Jiang Jie’s production. Once Hu learns she is the daughter of influential businessman Chu Lingyun, he becomes obsequious. Chu then makes Hu and Father Jiang drink several rounds of baijiu, invoking her family’s influence when they try to stop. Both men eventually pass out.
• The scheme is exposed: Chu takes their phones and shows Jiang Jie their messages. One reveals that Hu offered Father Jiang a generous betrothal gift in exchange for marrying Jiang Jie. Chu’s intervention helps Jiang Jie see that her father’s kindness was self-serving.
• Character development and interactions: Jiang Jie moves from unease and confusion to confronting the truth about her father’s betrayal. Father Jiang chooses financial rescue over his daughter’s welfare, while Hu treats her as a means to secure the marriage. Chu is perceptive, decisive, and protective, using her status to turn the power dynamic against the two men. The chapter highlights familial betrayal, exploitation of women, and the abuse of wealth and power, alongside Chu’s defense of Jiang Jie.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Jie discovers that her father, Jiang Min, has agreed to marry her off to Chairman Hu Hancheng, a man in his sixties, to settle a three-hundred-million debt.
• Jiang Min also hopes to gain access to Chairman Hu’s East Suburbs project through the marriage. He tells Hu to bring Jiang Jie to Weiming Residence so Hu can “inspect the goods.”
• Chu Xiyue realizes that Jiang Jie was likely brought to the private room to be drugged or intoxicated with strong baijiu and then handed over to Chairman Hu.
• After Jiang Jie understands the plan, she becomes physically ill and breaks down over her father’s betrayal.
• Chu Xiyue summons her bodyguards, orders them to strip Jiang Min and Hu Hancheng, pose them intimately, and photographs them.
• She sends the incriminating photos to journalist Wu Taotao, who publishes an explosive article exposing the two men and their alleged debt arrangement.

Character developments

• Jiang Jie loses her remaining faith in her father. She realizes that his recent kindness was motivated by guilt and that he viewed her as a bargaining tool rather than as a daughter.
• Jiang Min is revealed as exploitative and willing to sacrifice his daughter to resolve his financial problems and advance his business interests.
• Chairman Hu is shown to be predatory, treating Jiang Jie as an object to be inspected and acquired.
• Chu Xiyue demonstrates her protectiveness, decisiveness, and resourcefulness. Although she is awkward at emotional comfort, she takes immediate and effective action to defend Jiang Jie and punish the men.
• Wu Taotao eagerly turns the evidence into a major news scoop.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and parental failure: Jiang Jie’s deepest pain comes from discovering that her own father has commodified her.
• Women treated as property: The language of “repayment,” “marriage,” and “inspection” exposes the men’s dehumanizing view of Jiang Jie.
• Power and revenge: Chu Xiyue uses wealth, bodyguards, photography, and the media to reverse the power dynamic.
• Public exposure as justice: The humiliating photographs and news article threaten to expose the men’s corruption and hypocrisy.

Character interactions

• Jiang Jie breaks down in front of Chu Xiyue, who offers tissues and reassurance.
• Chu Xiyue explains the likely drugging scheme and confirms Jiang Jie’s fears about what her father and Chairman Hu intended.
• Chu Xiyue commands her bodyguards to humiliate and photograph the two unconscious men.
• She collaborates with Wu Taotao, who publishes the story under a sensational headline, ensuring that Jiang Min and Hu Hancheng’s actions become public.

Chapter 98 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• A censored paparazzi photograph of Jiang Min and Hu Hancheng lying nearly naked in an intimate position goes viral online. Because the image is censored, netizens speculate wildly about what happened.
• The men’s identities are quickly uncovered: Jiang Min is the former boss of bankrupt Famous Daily Goods, while Hu Hancheng is a director and shareholder of Jiangtian Technology. Rumors spread that Jiang Min exchanged sexual favors to settle a three-hundred-million-yuan debt.
• Both men wake up hungover in the private room at Weiming Residence. Although they realize they did not actually have sex, their compromising position has already caused enormous damage.
• Jiang Min discovers the viral photo through a message from a business rival. Overwhelmed by shock and humiliation, he faints in public.
• Hu Hancheng tries to suppress the news, but the scandal severely damages Jiangtian Technology. The board removes him from all positions, and his family reacts with disgust and estrangement.
• Chu Xiyue learns from the system that Jiang Min suffers a stroke. His wife files for divorce, his son refuses to help him, and delayed treatment leaves him with lasting paralysis and difficulty walking.
• Hu Hancheng is also arrested after the company discovers that he embezzled corporate funds. He faces at least seven or eight years in prison if convicted.

Character Developments

• Jiang Min: Experiences total public humiliation and a devastating collapse in both his personal and professional life. His wife and son abandon him, and his stroke leaves permanent physical consequences.
• Hu Hancheng: Loses his corporate power and family’s respect after the scandal. His prior corruption is exposed, leading to his arrest and likely imprisonment.
• Chu Xiyue: Reacts with satisfaction rather than sympathy, viewing the two men’s downfall as deserved punishment.
• Netizens and the media: Their intense curiosity and sensational speculation amplify the scandal, demonstrating the destructive power of viral gossip.

Significant Themes

• Public shame and social death: A single compromising image destroys the men’s reputations, careers, marriages, and family relationships.
• Consequences and moral retribution: Jiang Min and Hu Hancheng’s downfall reflects the theme that wrongdoing eventually brings punishment.
• The power of gossip and social media: Online speculation transforms an ambiguous photograph into a scandal with life-changing consequences.
• Corruption and accountability: Hu Hancheng’s embezzlement is uncovered only after he loses his position, showing how institutional power can conceal wrongdoing temporarily.
• Irony and misunderstanding: Although the men did not have sex, the suggestive photograph creates consequences as severe as if the rumors were true.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Min and Hu Hancheng wake beside each other in horror, each confronted with the humiliating appearance of intimacy.
• Jiang Min’s business rival taunts him by sending the photo and its link.
• Hu Hancheng’s company board strips him of authority, while his son and daughter-in-law treat him with suspicion and disgust.
• Jiang Min’s wife seeks divorce, and his son refuses to support him after his stroke.
• Chu Xiyue discusses the men’s punishments with the system and concludes that justice has caught up with both of them.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After learning that Jiang Min has been hospitalized, Jiang Jie exposes Jiang Min’s private conversations with Hu Hancheng in the family group chat and announces that she is cutting ties with her. She leaves the Jiang residence and moves into her company dormitory, choosing a new and more successful life.
• Filming for Eternal Lonely Island is about to begin. As an investor, Chu Xiyue refuses the director’s offer to appear in the drama, recognizing that her acting skills are poor and that her involvement could hurt the production.
• After discovering that Chu Xiyue was bullied at her former company, her father buys BK Entertainment and gives it to her. Chu Xiyue renames it Dawn Entertainment, hires a professional manager, removes corrupt and useless employees, recruits capable agents, and successfully rebuilds the company.
• Bored while staying at home, Chu Xiyue reviews various work offers. She rejects multiple dating-show invitations but becomes interested when the system points out Boy Group 101, a survival program infamous in the original novel for scandals involving nearly everyone connected to it.
• Chu Xiyue accepts an invitation to join the show as a mentor. The program is a livestreamed idol survival competition in which viewers receive free daily votes, making the process more transparent than the pay-to-win systems common in her former life.
• She learns that she was originally supposed to audition as a trainee but accidentally entered the wrong interview room. After playing the guzheng and impressing the director—helped by her striking appearance—she was hired as a mentor instead.
• Although Chu Xiyue lacks singing and dancing ability, she resumes practicing the guzheng. With her old skills and the original owner’s muscle memory, she regains roughly eighty percent of her former ability before filming begins.
• On the first recording day, Chu Xiyue arrives early and meets Xiao Lin’an, the former leader of the once-famous August Boy Group. His unexpected participation surprises viewers because he has largely withdrawn from public entertainment for years.

2. Character Developments

• Jiang Jie decisively breaks away from Jiang Min and the Jiang family’s old conflicts, demonstrating independence and confidence in pursuing a better future.
• Chu Xiyue continues transforming her life through practical decisions. She becomes the owner of a restructured entertainment company, delegates professionally instead of interfering, and takes on a new challenge despite recognizing her weaknesses.
• Chu Xiyue also reconnects with her musical abilities, showing determination to prepare responsibly for her unexpected mentor role.
• Xiao Lin’an is introduced as a mysterious and highly experienced former idol whose return to the entertainment industry immediately attracts public curiosity.

3. Significant Themes

• Breaking away from toxic relationships: Jiang Jie’s decision to expose Jiang Min and leave the Jiang household symbolizes her rejection of her former life.
• Self-reinvention and independence: Both Jiang Jie and Chu Xiyue build new identities outside the roles imposed on them by their families and past circumstances.
• Professionalism and self-awareness: Chu Xiyue understands her limitations, refuses an unsuitable acting role, and relies on professionals to manage her company.
• Entertainment-industry exposure: The survival show is framed as a coming “scandal disaster,” reinforcing the story’s interest in revealing hidden misconduct and hypocrisy.
• Chance and adaptability: Chu Xiyue’s accidental mentor audition illustrates how unexpected opportunities can reshape her path.
• Fairness versus commercial manipulation: Boy Group 101 attempts to create a more transparent voting system by limiting viewers to free daily votes rather than allowing wealthier fans to buy victory.

4. Character Interactions

• Jiang Jie confronts Jiang Min indirectly by sharing Jiang Min’s messages with Hu Hancheng in the family group chat and publicly severing their relationship.
• Chu Xiyue deals with the Eternal Lonely Island director by declining his flattering but inappropriate offer to cast her.
• Her father supports her by acquiring BK Entertainment after learning about her mistreatment and transferring ownership to her.
• Chu Xiyue interacts with the system, which alerts her to the survival show’s scandal-filled future and explains how she accidentally became a mentor.
• She works with a guzheng teacher to prepare for filming.
• At the program venue, she meets Xiao Lin’an, whose reputation and long absence immediately become a subject of interest among viewers.

Chapter Summary

Chu Xiyue joins an idol survival show as a mentor alongside veteran actor Xiao Lin’an. Viewers immediately question her qualifications because she has no background as a singer, dancer, or idol, while Xiao Lin’an is praised as a handsome, professional, and seemingly respectable veteran artist.
While waiting for the other guests, Chu Xiyue sits beside Xiao Lin’an and snacks on sunflower seeds. Because they belong to different generations and have little to discuss, the system offers her gossip about him. It reveals that Xiao Lin’an’s public image is a carefully maintained lie: he is a severe gambling addict who once lost millions, borrowed from loan sharks, and drove his wife to divorce him. Five years earlier, he lost everything at an overseas casino, became unable to afford a ticket home, and was imprisoned for shoplifting after attempting to steal from someone who turned out to be a trained fighter.
His agency and family concealed the imprisonment, allowing the public to believe he had simply gone abroad. After being deported home, Xiao temporarily behaved himself and resumed his career, but he later returned to gambling. He has now lost his recent earnings and accumulated three million in foreign debt, motivating him to accept numerous jobs.
The system also reveals that Xiao’s past will eventually be exposed during the show’s third public performance. He will borrow money from a wealthy trainee and refuse to repay it, prompting the trainee to investigate and uncover his criminal and gambling history. Xiao will then suffer a complete career collapse, including condemnation and a ban from official media.
Chu Xiyue’s sudden, knowing look toward Xiao makes online viewers speculate that she may know secret information about him. However, his loyal fans defend him, emphasizing his clean public image, lack of romantic scandals, and reputation for professionalism. The chapter ends with the contrast between Xiao’s carefully protected image and the hidden misconduct that threatens to destroy it.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chu Xiyue: Remains casual, observant, and highly interested in gossip. Her relaxed sunflower-seed snacking contrasts with the serious revelations she receives. She begins viewing Xiao differently after learning his secret.
• Xiao Lin’an: Initially appears dignified, reliable, and morally upright, but is revealed to have a long-standing gambling problem, a criminal record, financial debt, and a tendency to relapse.
• The system: Acts as Chu Xiyue’s source of insider information, entertaining her boredom while exposing the hidden scandals of the cast.
• Online viewers and fans: Viewers question Chu Xiyue’s suitability as a mentor and misinterpret her interest in Xiao. Xiao’s fans strongly defend his reputation, illustrating how public perception can differ from reality.
• Chu Xiyue and Xiao Lin’an: Their interaction is polite but distant. Although they exchange greetings and a nod, Chu’s secret knowledge creates an invisible imbalance between them.

Significant Themes

• Public image versus private reality: Xiao Lin’an’s respected veteran persona hides addiction, debt, crime, and deception.
• The entertainment industry’s concealed scandals: Agencies and families cooperate to suppress damaging information and preserve a star’s career.
• The fragility of fame: A celebrated artist can rapidly fall from grace once hidden misconduct is exposed.
• Online fandom and blind loyalty: Xiao’s fans trust his carefully cultivated image and reject speculation, showing how loyalty can protect celebrities from scrutiny.
• Foreshadowing and impending downfall: The chapter establishes the future exposure that will trigger Xiao Lin’an’s career collapse.