Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Plot and Key Events

• Liu Ziyu verifies Chu Xiyue’s claims about Zhang Siran’s past relationships and confirms that the women mentioned were real.
• She contacts Li Xinrui, believing her to be Zhang Siran’s most recent ex-girlfriend. Li Xinrui immediately reacts bitterly, confirming that she and Zhang Siran had been romantically involved.
• Liu Ziyu explains that Zhang Siran began pursuing her three months earlier while claiming to be single and calling her his first love. Li Xinrui reveals that they actually broke up only two months ago, proving that Zhang Siran had pursued Liu while still dating Li Xinrui.
• By comparing evidence, the two women realize Zhang Siran had repeatedly lied about his romantic history and used nearly identical courtship tactics and confessions on each girlfriend.
• Liu Ziyu and Li Xinrui contact Zhang Siran’s other ex-girlfriends, including Wang Yike. They discover that, apart from his first love, Zhang Siran consistently pursued a new woman before ending his previous relationship, causing each new girlfriend to unknowingly become “the other woman.”
• Rather than remaining victims, the women unite behind Liu Ziyu’s plan to expose Zhang Siran.

Character Development

• Liu Ziyu moves from doubt and heartbreak to certainty, anger, and determination. Although she initially feels betrayed and humiliated, her fiery personality resurfaces, and she resolves to make Zhang Siran face the consequences.
• Li Xinrui begins as a bitter, heartbroken ex-girlfriend who assumes Liu is contacting her to show off. After learning the truth, her grief turns into rage toward Zhang Siran. Sharing her story helps her emotionally recover and regain a sense of clarity.
• Zhang Siran is revealed as a manipulative serial cheater who repeats the same romantic script with successive girlfriends and deliberately conceals his relationships.
• The ex-girlfriends shift from isolated victims who blamed themselves or suffered privately into a united group willing to support one another and expose him.

Character Interactions

• Liu Ziyu and Li Xinrui first communicate suspiciously and defensively, but their shared betrayal quickly creates solidarity.
• Li Xinrui tells Liu about her relationship with Zhang Siran, including their breakup and the child she aborted, deepening Liu’s understanding of his deception.
• The women compare timelines and discover that Zhang Siran’s relationships overlapped repeatedly.
• Liu and Li Xinrui coordinate efforts to contact the other ex-girlfriends, gradually building a collective case against him.

Significant Themes

• Deception and betrayal: Zhang Siran’s lies destroy multiple relationships and manipulate women into believing they are uniquely loved.
• Female solidarity: The women transform personal pain into mutual support and collective action.
• Reclaiming agency: Instead of blaming themselves or remaining silent, they confront the person responsible and plan to expose him.
• The danger of self-blame: Li Xinrui realizes that Zhang Siran’s abandonment was not caused by her inadequacy; he had simply shifted his attention to someone else.
• Truth overcoming romantic illusion: Evidence and shared testimony reveal that Zhang Siran’s supposedly special declarations of love were repetitive tactics rather than sincere feelings.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Ziyu gathers the girls involved with Zhang Siran and organizes their evidence, including chat records and photographs proving his pattern of serial relationships and infidelity.
• Li Xinrui offers her medical records as evidence, but Liu refuses to use them, believing they would expose Li to further gossip and victim-blaming.
• After two episodes of Boy Group 101, the show opens its voting channel. He Fuzhou takes first place, Zhang Siran ranks second, and Wen Lun falls to tenth.
• Liu Ziyu, using her fan identity “Jade Like Nature,” posts a detailed exposé in Zhang Siran’s supertopic. She reveals that he had seven girlfriends in six years and repeatedly moved directly from one relationship to another while cheating.
• The post spreads rapidly through fan circles and marketing accounts. Liu also pays to promote related trending searches, causing Zhang Siran’s scandal to dominate the hot-search rankings.
• Faced with overwhelming evidence, Zhang Siran can only admit fault and apologize. His major fans withdraw their support, fan sites shut down, and the production team removes him from the show and closes his voting channel.
• The production team must painstakingly edit Zhang Siran out of already filmed and aired episodes, creating another crisis for the show’s director.
• Wu Taotao had intended to expose Wei Susheng next, but postpones the reveal so it will not distract from Zhang Siran’s downfall. The chapter’s title foreshadows a later scandal involving Wei Susheng’s arrest.

Character Development

• Liu Ziyu demonstrates unusual maturity and strategic thinking. She protects Li Xinrui from additional public harm while still ensuring Zhang Siran is exposed through stronger, safer evidence.
• Li Xinrui is shown as the girl most deeply hurt by Zhang Siran. Liu’s concern allows her to release some of her pain, and she breaks down while embracing Liu.
• Zhang Siran changes from a rising contestant seeking fame into a disgraced figure. His ambition and image collapse once his behavior is publicly documented.
• Wu Taotao shows both her determination to expose wrongdoing and her willingness to delay her own plans for a more effective moment. Her hatred of “scumbags” remains clear.
• The show’s director and editors become increasingly overwhelmed as repeated scandals force them to redo large amounts of work.

Significant Themes

• Public accountability: Carefully documented evidence can destroy a carefully managed celebrity image.
• Protecting victims: Liu recognizes that exposing every detail may harm the girls as much as it harms Zhang Siran, especially in a judgmental public environment.
• The cruelty of fame: Zhang Siran receives the attention he wanted, but only through scandal and ruin.
• Entertainment-industry instability: The chapter portrays how quickly fan support, rankings, and production decisions can change in response to online controversy.
• Female solidarity: The girls cooperate in exposing Zhang Siran, while Liu prioritizes Li Xinrui’s emotional and physical well-being.

Character Interactions

• Liu and Li Xinrui share an emotionally significant conversation: Liu rejects the medical records, reassures Li that she did nothing wrong, and urges her to return to school and begin again. Li responds by hugging Liu and crying.
• Liu’s exposé directly confronts Zhang Siran’s public persona and causes his fans and the production team to abandon him.
• Wu Taotao reacts to Zhang Siran’s scandal, temporarily setting aside her conflict with Wei Susheng to avoid weakening the impact of the current controversy.
• The contestants’ fan communities, rival supporters, marketing accounts, and the show’s production team all amplify the scandal, turning a private pattern of misconduct into a major national entertainment event.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Zhang Siran’s downfall, most of his fans abandon him, but a group of diehard supporters remains convinced that he was framed.
• The fans form a group chat dedicated to “saving” Zhang Siran. They discover livestream footage showing Liu Ziyu speaking with Chu Xiyue before Liu exposed Zhang’s misconduct.
• Misinterpreting the meeting as proof of collusion, the fans accuse Chu Xiyue of manipulating Liu Ziyu and framing Zhang Siran.
• Zhang’s supporters attack Liu Ziyu on Weibo with insults, threats, and abusive private messages.
• A major Zhang Siran fan account posts the accusation that Chu Xiyue is “two-faced” and responsible for the scandal. Netizens immediately ridicule the fans, pointing out that Zhang’s ex-girlfriend provided extensive evidence and that Zhang already admitted wrongdoing.
• The argument between Zhang’s and Chu Xiyue’s fans becomes a major online fight and trends on Weibo.
• During a livestream of the contestants’ daily lives, Chu Xiyue notices the flood of hostile comments. She deliberately turns the camera toward herself and responds directly to the haters.
• Chu sarcastically tells Zhang’s fans that she has no intention of leaving the entertainment industry, while Zhang may soon be forced out of it. She also compares Zhang with another criticized celebrity, saying both are “birds of a feather.”
• Her confident and mocking response entertains neutral viewers, silences the chat briefly, and creates another trending topic: Chu Xiyue livestreaming her clapback at haters.
• Netizens continue debating the irrationality of Zhang’s fans and observe that multiple members of Boy Group 101 have recently been involved in serious scandals.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue demonstrates increasing confidence, wit, and fearlessness. Rather than ignore the accusations, she confronts the attackers publicly and turns the situation to her advantage.
• Zhang Siran’s remaining fans become increasingly delusional and aggressive, refusing to accept his guilt despite his admission and substantial evidence. Their harassment damages their credibility with the public.
• Zhang Siran is further isolated and humiliated. His fans’ attempts to defend him only keep his scandal in the public eye and reinforce the likelihood that his career is ending.
• Liu Ziyu becomes a target of online abuse after fans reinterpret her meeting with Chu Xiyue as evidence of a conspiracy.

Significant Themes

• Blind idol worship: The fans reject overwhelming evidence because of their emotional loyalty to Zhang.
• Online mob behavior and cyberbullying: Liu is harassed simply because fans want to protect their idol, showing how fandom can turn cruel and irrational.
• Public image and media manipulation: A blurry livestream clip is twisted into “proof,” while trending topics and online arguments shape public perception.
• Reversal of power through confidence: Chu Xiyue transforms an attack into publicity by responding calmly and sarcastically in a highly visible livestream.
• Accountability versus denial: The chapter contrasts the public’s growing recognition of Zhang’s wrongdoing with his fans’ desperate attempts to construct a conspiracy.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Siran’s fans communicate in a group chat, encouraging one another to find evidence and defend him.
• They attack Liu Ziyu online and accuse Chu Xiyue of orchestrating the scandal.
• Chu Xiyue directly addresses the hostile fan accounts during the livestream, mocking their accusations and warning that Zhang—not she—may leave the entertainment industry.
• Neutral netizens side largely with Chu and criticize the fans’ faulty reasoning, turning the fan conflict into further public ridicule.

Key plot points and events

• After the first elimination on Boy Group 101, 55 of the original 100 trainees advance; 45 leave. Wen Lun makes the cut, ranking in the top ten, and nearly all of Chu Xiyue’s Class A trainees advance.
• Chu Xiyue’s mother asks her to deliver a birthday gift to Li Yusheng, a family friend. Chu brings both the mailed painting and an antique tea set to Li’s villa.
• Outside the villa, Chu nearly bumps into Cheng Heyun. He catches her, and they exchange a brief, polite greeting.
• At Li’s birthday gathering, Chu fits in comfortably with the older guests and listens keenly to their gossip. Li’s friends notice the apparent chemistry between Chu and Cheng, while Li quietly seems to approve of Chu as a potential daughter-in-law.
• The chapter’s framing reveals that Chu’s name later appears in a police announcement as the concerned citizen who reported an illegal gathering at a villa. The authorities arrest eight suspects, including mentor Wei Susheng and several others with prior records. Online, people connect the news to Chu’s supposed knack for being near scandals.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue continues to show professional success as a mentor, with her trainees advancing, and social ease in an older, wealthy circle. Her curiosity about gossip is playful and conspicuous.
• Wen Lun is established as a strong contestant, with a top-ten vote ranking and a promising chance of debuting.
• Cheng Heyun appears considerate and calm when he steadies Chu; their brief encounter hints at possible romantic interest.
• Li Yusheng is affectionate toward Chu and appears to favor her as a match for Cheng, though she leaves the younger pair to make their own choices.

Significant themes

• Gossip and scandal: The chapter’s opening and ending frame present Chu as a recurring center of public gossip, while her attentive listening at the party underscores her interest in it.
• Public image versus private conduct: The arrest of a Boy Group 101 mentor sharply contrasts his public entertainment role with his alleged criminal behavior.
• Romance and family expectations: The adults notice a possible match between Chu and Cheng, while Li’s stated hands-off attitude contrasts with her friends’ belief that she hopes Chu will join the family.

Character interactions

• Chu and her mother exchange a brief call about delivering Li’s gift; her mother ends the call before Chu can say much.
• Chu and Cheng share a moment of physical contact and courteous conversation outside the villa.
• Li warmly welcomes Chu and draws her into the gathering; the other women accept her easily.
• Li’s friends tease her about pairing Chu with Cheng, while Li deflects the suggestion.
• Later, Cheng returns and sees Chu quietly listening to the older guests’ conversation.

Chapter Summary: “A Huge Scoop Triggered by a Weibo Post”

Key plot points and events

• Chu Xiyue attends Li Yusheng’s birthday dinner, which is a small gathering of relatives and close friends.
• Li Yusheng deliberately seats Chu Xiyue beside her son, Cheng Heyun, hoping to encourage a relationship between them. She is frustrated that Cheng seems oblivious to her matchmaking efforts.
• After dinner, Li Yusheng arranges for Cheng to escort Chu Xiyue home.
• Before they can leave, the system alerts Chu Xiyue to a scandalous gathering in the villa across the street. The guests include Liu Jiajie, Wei Susheng, and several others.
• Curious and excited by the prospect of witnessing a sensational scoop, Chu Xiyue goes to investigate. The system provides a blurred but detailed commentary about the inappropriate party taking place inside.
• When several participants venture outside unclothed, Cheng Heyun arrives, covers Chu Xiyue’s eyes, and pulls her away, calling the scene “dirty.”
• Chu Xiyue is briefly annoyed at missing the spectacle, but Cheng’s gentle and refined behavior quickly disarms her.
• She reports the gathering to the police. Officers raid the villa and arrest all eight participants, earning the Sea City Public Security Bureau a system reward.
• Chu recognizes one tall, attractive man among the suspects as the owner of the distinctive white buttocks she almost saw, humorously identifying him in her thoughts.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue is shown to be intensely curious, gossip-loving, bold, and willing to pursue sensational information. Despite her curiosity, she ultimately acts responsibly by reporting the illegal gathering.
• Cheng Heyun appears restrained, considerate, and protective. His instinctive act of shielding Chu from the indecent scene reveals a gentle side beneath his aloof exterior.
• Chu’s irritation toward Cheng quickly turns into admiration, suggesting that she is becoming increasingly attracted to him.
• Li Yusheng openly plays matchmaker and worries about Cheng’s lack of romantic progress. Her seating arrangement and attempt to send him home with Chu reveal her hopes for them as a couple.
• Wei Susheng and Liu Jiajie are further exposed as participants in scandalous behavior, damaging their respectable public appearances.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: The participants look polished and respectable once dressed, but Chu views them as morally corrupt beneath their refined appearances.
• Romantic matchmaking: Li Yusheng’s efforts create opportunities for Chu and Cheng to spend time together, while Cheng’s protective behavior strengthens their developing connection.
• Gossip and public scandal: Chu’s fascination with sensational news drives the chapter’s action, turning a private gathering into a police case.
• Justice and consequences: Although Chu approaches the incident out of curiosity, her report leads to the offenders’ arrest and rewards the police through the system.
• Humor through contrast: Chu’s enthusiastic voyeuristic curiosity contrasts with Cheng’s disgust and restraint, creating much of the chapter’s comedy.

Important character interactions

• Li Yusheng attempts to pair Chu and Cheng through seating arrangements and by ordering Cheng to escort Chu home.
• The system feeds Chu increasingly sensational information, encouraging her curiosity.
• Cheng protects Chu by covering her eyes and physically pulling her away from the villa, deepening their mutual attraction.
• Chu responds by reporting the gathering to the police, allowing her curiosity and Cheng’s sense of propriety to culminate in the arrest of the group.

Key plot points and events

• After Wei Susheng and others are arrested, Chu Xiyue’s system explains the suggestive scene she witnessed. Chu keeps a straight face in front of Cheng Heyun, though he notices her poor acting.
• Cheng offers to drive Chu home; she gladly hands him her car keys and rides as a passenger.
• The next day, Chu reports to the Boy Group 101 filming base and is assigned to livestream the contestants’ daily lives.
• Reporter Wu Taotao messages Chu, disappointed that the arrest and police statement have overtaken her planned exposé. Chu gives her a useful lead: Liu Jie, arrested alongside Wei Susheng, is an heir of Liu Corporation.
• Wu publishes her story about Wei’s arrest and his secret meetings with a woman surnamed Q, including photos. Online sleuths identify the woman as Qian Rongrong, an influencer who had advertised paid “girlfriend” arrangements with celebrities.
• Qian’s posts appear to connect her with several male stars, including at least two top-tier celebrities and one popular idol previously thought to be scandal-free.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue continues to use her privileged information and sharp instincts to help expose scandals. She enjoys following the online gossip but maintains a composed public image.
• Cheng Heyun shows understated affection and attentiveness by offering Chu a ride; he quietly recognizes her attempts to hide her reactions.
• Wu Taotao adapts her prepared exposé to Chu’s tip and the police announcement, turning her reporting into a more compelling story.
• Qian Rongrong is revealed as an influencer who monetized relationships with celebrities and publicly hinted at her clients.

Character interactions

• Chu and Cheng share a playful, understated moment: he offers to drive her, while she accepts eagerly and he silently sees through her act.
• Chu and Wu cooperate informally, with Chu supplying a lead and Wu publishing the resulting investigation.
• Netizens connect Wu’s photos to the arrest scene, then collectively investigate Qian’s online history and celebrity associations.

Significant themes

• Public exposure and accountability: The police statement and independent reporting combine to bring hidden conduct to light.
• Social-media investigation: Netizens’ comparisons and digging rapidly expand a single arrest into a wider scandal.
• Celebrity image versus private behavior: The revelations challenge the supposedly clean reputations of prominent entertainers.
• Gossip as both entertainment and information: Chu and the public follow the scandal eagerly, while Wu turns the revelations into journalism.

Chapter Summary: “He Fuzhou Withdraws from the Competition”

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Fuzhou’s studio denies rumors that he had an improper relationship with Qian Rongrong, but netizens remain skeptical.
• Fans investigate Qian Rongrong’s old Weibo post about training in Cold Country and leaving an entertainment agency just before debut. The timing strongly suggests that the person involved was He Fuzhou.
• A paparazzo, operating under the name “Ms. C,” releases a censored photo of He Fuzhou asleep in bed and claims to be his former girlfriend.
• Ms. C alleges that He Fuzhou pursued her in Cold Country, accepted expensive gifts from her, and later cheated on her with Qian Rongrong. She also provides a recording of He Fuzhou apologizing and begging forgiveness after being caught.
• The system reveals that Ms. C was not actually He Fuzhou’s girlfriend but his casual sex partner. She was also the best friend of He Fuzhou’s real girlfriend, whom she betrayed by continuing to sleep with He Fuzhou.
• He Fuzhou’s real girlfriend had recorded his tearful apology after catching him cheating. She later reported him to his agency for privately contacting fans, causing him to be removed before debut and forcing him to return home.
• Further evidence exposes He Fuzhou’s private contact with fans, sexual relationships with fans, and insults toward senior celebrities.
• Because idols depend heavily on a clean public image, the scandal becomes devastating. He Fuzhou is forced to withdraw from Boy Group 101, bringing the total number of eliminated contestants to four.

Character Developments

• He Fuzhou is exposed as a serial cheater and manipulator who maintained multiple overlapping relationships. His sincere-sounding apologies are revealed to be part of his pattern of deception rather than evidence of genuine remorse.
• Qian Rongrong becomes the source of an unexpected clue linking He Fuzhou to Cold Country and his abandoned debut plans.
• Ms. C presents herself as a wronged ex-girlfriend, but the truth shows that she betrayed her own best friend and participated in He Fuzhou’s infidelity.
• He Fuzhou’s real girlfriend emerges as the most sympathetic victim. After discovering his betrayal, she retaliates by reporting him to his agency and effectively destroys his debut prospects.
• Chu Xiyue continues to exploit hidden scandals for entertainment and strategic advantage. She is shocked by the increasingly complicated revelations but feels satisfied when He Fuzhou receives consequences.
• The system uncovers the truth behind the conflicting accounts and clarifies the relationships among He Fuzhou, Ms. C, and his former girlfriend.

Significant Themes

• The exposure of false public personas: He Fuzhou’s idol image collapses once his private behavior becomes public.
• The ripple effects of changed events: Wei Susheng’s earlier downfall causes netizens to investigate Qian Rongrong, which indirectly exposes He Fuzhou much earlier than in the original timeline.
• Moral hypocrisy and betrayal: Nearly every relationship surrounding He Fuzhou involves deception, infidelity, or exploitation.
• The power of evidence and online investigation: Old social-media posts, photographs, recordings, and leaked information combine to overwhelm official denials.
• Different standards for different entertainers: Although such behavior might be survivable for an actor, it is fatal for an idol whose career depends on selling an idealized image.
• Revenge and consequences: He Fuzhou’s former girlfriend ensures that his misconduct has professional consequences, while the public ultimately condemns him as a “scumbag.”

Character Interactions

• He Fuzhou and Qian Rongrong: Their affair becomes the central scandal linking He Fuzhou to his hidden past in Cold Country.
• He Fuzhou and Ms. C: Their casual sexual relationship is later misrepresented by Ms. C as a romantic relationship. She exploits the old recording to damage him publicly.
• He Fuzhou and his real girlfriend: He cheats on her repeatedly, including with both Ms. C and Qian Rongrong. After catching him, she records his apology and later reports him to his agency.
• Ms. C and her best friend: Ms. C betrays her best friend by sleeping with her boyfriend, making the best friend the true victim of the scandal.
• Chu Xiyue and the system: Chu Xiyue reacts to each new revelation while the system investigates the hidden facts that ordinary netizens cannot uncover.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chu Xiyue becomes the center of another wave of entertainment-industry gossip, prompting contestants and mentors to keep their distance from her.
• Li Fan’er explains that everyone is afraid Chu Xiyue will expose their secrets. Unlike them, Li Fan’er has already publicly revealed her past relationship with Zhao Xizhou and therefore feels she has nothing left to hide.
• While observing the contestants, Chu Xiyue’s system identifies Shen Xingyuan—an exceptionally hardworking contestant who has risen from Class C to Class A—as the subject of a major scandal.
• Shen is speaking happily to someone on the phone during the contestants’ weekly call time. Chu initially assumes the secret concerns immoral behavior by Shen himself, but the system reveals that the scandal involves his parentage.
• The man Shen calls his father is not his biological father; Shen’s biological father is actually his uncle.
• The system explains that Shen’s parents struggled to conceive because his father was infertile. In their conservative rural community, having no son would have brought shame, and Shen’s father considered secretly obtaining sperm from another man.
• Before he could discuss the idea with his wife, he discovered her in bed with his elder brother—Shen’s biological father.
• Rather than confronting them, Shen’s legal father quietly withdrew, pretended he had seen nothing, returned to work in the fields, and did not come home until midnight. The chapter ends as Chu Xiyue awaits the rest of the story.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue: Remains highly curious and entertained by other people’s secrets. Her fascination with gossip is strengthened when the system reveals Shen Xingyuan’s dramatic family history.
• Li Fan’er: Shows loyalty toward Chu Xiyue and openly embraces her role as a gossip companion. She is unbothered by others’ avoidance because her own romantic secret has already been exposed.
• Shen Xingyuan: Is portrayed as diligent, ambitious, and hardworking, having rapidly advanced from Class C to Class A. His apparently cheerful and ordinary public image contrasts sharply with the scandal surrounding his birth.
• Shen Xingyuan’s legal father: Is revealed as insecure about infertility and social expectations. His decision to conceal what he witnessed suggests passivity, humiliation, and possible ulterior motives.
• Shen Xingyuan’s mother and uncle: Their affair is revealed as the central secret, though their motivations and later actions remain unexplained.

Significant Themes

• Gossip and public image: The chapter highlights how celebrities’ reputations are shaped by scandal and how association with Chu Xiyue can expose hidden secrets.
• Secrets versus appearances: Shen seems like a cheerful, hardworking contestant, yet his family background contains a sensational secret.
• Traditional gender expectations: The social pressure to produce a son—especially in rural communities—drives Shen’s legal father’s shame and desperation.
• Infidelity and family betrayal: The affair involves not only marital betrayal but also betrayal between brothers, making the scandal especially dramatic.
• The entertainment industry as a spectacle: Personal tragedies and private secrets become sources of public curiosity and entertainment.

Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue and Li Fan’er discuss why the others avoid Chu and bond over their shared interest in gossip.
• Chu consults the system about Shen Xingyuan, reacting with surprise and enthusiasm as the family secret is revealed.
• Shen Xingyuan’s unseen phone conversation provides a contrast to the scandalous information being disclosed about him.
• The key past interaction is between Shen’s mother and uncle, whose affair is discovered by Shen’s legal father. His silent retreat, rather than confrontation, creates suspense about what happened next.

Chapter 129 Summary

Key plot points and events

The system reveals Shen Xingyuan’s troubled origins. His biological father, Shen’s eldest uncle, was infertile and had used Shen Xingyuan’s mother to conceive a child for his younger brother, Father Shen. Father Shen raised Shen Xingyuan as his own and moved the family away, keeping the truth hidden. When Shen Xingyuan was fifteen, his biological father found them and began extorting money by threatening to claim custody. Shen Xingyuan eventually learned the truth.
Six months earlier, on Shen Xingyuan’s seventeenth birthday, his biological father came to demand money while drunk. He insulted Shen Xingyuan, mocked Father Shen’s infertility, and sexually humiliated Mother Shen. Enraged, Shen Xingyuan stabbed him to death with a fruit knife. He then remained remarkably calm, comforted his parents, helped conceal the body in a suitcase, and fabricated a story to explain his uncle’s disappearance.
Months later, the body was accidentally discovered when the ancestral graves were renovated. Father Shen surrendered and falsely claimed responsibility, intending to protect Shen Xingyuan. However, the police found evidence implicating him, including his fingerprints and surveillance footage showing Shen Xingyuan had been home and might have witnessed the murder. The chapter ends with the investigation beginning and Shen Xingyuan’s involvement still unresolved.

Character developments

• Shen Xingyuan is revealed to be far more dangerous and emotionally controlled than Chu Xiyue realized. Though only seventeen when he killed his biological father, he acted decisively and showed little panic afterward. His intelligence, composure, and willingness to help conceal the crime become central aspects of his character.
• Father Shen is portrayed as deeply devoted to Shen Xingyuan. Despite knowing he is not the boy’s biological father, he raises him lovingly and later attempts to sacrifice himself to shield him from prosecution.
• Chu Xiyue becomes frightened and distrustful after learning that Shen Xingyuan is a murderer. She considers reporting him but ultimately remains silent because she cannot explain how she obtained the information.
• Mother Shen is shown as another victim of the biological father’s coercion and abuse, while remaining involved in hiding the crime.

Significant themes

• Family versus blood relations: Shen Xingyuan’s true biological father is abusive and exploitative, while Father Shen—his adoptive father—is the one who genuinely loves and protects him.
• Secrets and their consequences: Years of concealed parentage, extortion, and family shame culminate in murder and a cover-up.
• Parental sacrifice and loyalty: Father Shen accepts blame to protect the son he raised, demonstrating that emotional bonds outweigh biology.
• Moral ambiguity: Although the biological father is cruel and manipulative, Shen Xingyuan’s killing of him remains a serious crime. The chapter asks whether trauma and provocation can explain, but not excuse, his actions.
• Appearance versus reality: Shen Xingyuan appears warm and calm while secretly discussing a murder cover-up, highlighting the gap between his public image and hidden actions.

Character interactions

Chu Xiyue privately questions the system while pretending to converse normally with Li Fan’er, struggling to conceal her shock. She watches Shen Xingyuan speak calmly on the phone with Father Shen, unaware of the horrifying subject of their conversation. Father and son’s relationship is shown through their mutual protection: Shen Xingyuan protects Father Shen and Mother Shen after the killing, while Father Shen later tries to take sole responsibility. The chapter closes with the police unknowingly drawing closer to Shen Xingyuan through the evidence and surveillance footage.

Chapter Summary:

Desperado Shen Xingyuan

Key Plot Points and Events

• Police officers visit the survival-show base to question Shen Xingyuan about a past murder involving his family. They intend to compare everyone’s statements before closing the case.
• The livestream audience becomes suspicious when they see Shen being questioned, but no one knows the truth behind the investigation.
• Chu Xiyue realizes the police may believe Shen’s father murdered Shen’s eldest uncle and is serving prison time in Shen’s place.
• After observing Shen secretly, Chu suspects that Shen himself was responsible. She struggles over whether to report him, knowing that doing so could destroy the promising future of the hardworking young contestant.
• Chu ultimately chooses justice over sympathy. After Shen finishes speaking with the police, she tells the officers that she once overheard him discussing “taking the blame” and avoiding prison with his family.
• The police take her statement seriously and investigate the recording base’s surveillance footage to verify where Shen made the phone call.
• Chu returns to filming, while Shen notices her speaking with the officers. He briefly suspects that she may know something, but convinces himself that this is impossible because they had never met before.
• Several days later, the second public performance begins. Contestants are divided into dance, vocal, and songwriting groups.
• Shen works obsessively on his dance performance, sleeping only a few hours each night.
• Wen Lun chooses songwriting and produces an impressive original song, while Xu Huaichun emerges as the strongest vocalist and gains popularity after other contestants’ scandals damage their reputations.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue: Moves from hesitation to decisive action. Although she sympathizes with Shen’s youth and difficult family circumstances, she recognizes that compassion cannot erase the injustice of an innocent victim’s death.
• Shen Xingyuan: Appears hardworking and ambitious, but his concealed guilt and momentary triumphant smile reveal a darker, more calculating side. He becomes wary of Chu after seeing her speak with the police.
• Shen’s father: Is implied to have accepted responsibility and gone to prison in place of Shen, reinforcing the pattern of a parent sacrificing himself for a morally compromised child.
• Wen Lun: Continues to demonstrate strong musical talent through his original composition.
• Xu Huaichun: Rises in prominence as a vocalist, taking first place in the previous public vote after scandals involving other contestants.
• Jiang Jie: Serves as a comparison for Chu’s moral judgment. Unlike Shen, Jiang committed violence after being pushed into desperation, whereas Shen acted impulsively and still evaded accountability.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus compassion: Chu must decide whether protecting a promising young person justifies allowing a murderer to escape punishment.
• Moral responsibility: The chapter stresses that difficult circumstances and an abusive family cannot completely excuse killing.
• Appearance versus reality: Shen presents himself as diligent and obedient, but his hidden smile and concealed crime reveal a disturbing contrast between his public image and his true character.
• Parental sacrifice and corruption: Both Shen’s and Jiang Jie’s fathers represent parents who harmfully involve or sacrifice their children for their own purposes.
• The cost of ambition: Shen’s desire to debut and secure a future conflicts with the consequences of his past actions.

Character Interactions

• The police question Shen privately, while the contestants and livestream viewers speculate about the reason.
• Chu observes Shen closely and later reports her suspicions directly to the officers.
• Shen politely addresses Chu as “Teacher Chu,” masking his unease, then watches her suspiciously when he sees her speaking with the police.
• Chu’s reflections on Jiang Jie shape her evaluation of Shen, helping her distinguish between understandable desperation and unjustified violence.
• The contestants’ developing performance rivalries and successes provide a sharp contrast to the hidden criminal investigation unfolding behind the show.

Chapter Summary: “Shen Xingyuan Arrested”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The second public performance concludes after nearly three months of training, with the remaining fifty-four contestants showing significant improvement.
• Chu Xiyue becomes deeply moved by the contestants’ performances and gains a clearer understanding of what it means to be an idol. Because idols influence their fans, she resolves to judge the contestants more strictly and responsibly.
• The edited broadcast of the first performance airs and receives positive public attention, bringing Boy Group 101 back onto several trending searches.
• After the performance, the director treats the mentors and contestants to hot pot. The following day, most contestants relax, but Shen Xingyuan continues practicing alone.
• Shen’s diligence earns him audience support and pushes him into the top ten. However, he remains dissatisfied, wanting a much higher ranking.
• Believing that effort and talent alone cannot help him surpass stronger contestants, Shen secretly decides to force another contestant to withdraw. He chooses Xu Huaichun, whose singing voice is his greatest advantage, and plans to harm his voice. He avoids targeting Wen Lun because Wen’s wealthy family might retaliate.
• While Shen is livestreaming his practice, police arrive at the training base to arrest him. Realizing they have come for him, he attempts to escape.
• The police pursue him through the building. Shen eventually runs into Chu Xiyue, who is livestreaming outside.
• Shen grabs Chu Xiyue, pulls her hair, and holds a utility knife to her throat, threatening to kill her if the officers approach.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue: Becomes more mature and conscientious as a mentor. She recognizes the influence idols have over fans and takes her judging responsibilities more seriously. Her situation suddenly becomes dangerous when Shen uses her as a hostage.
• Shen Xingyuan: His image as a hardworking, ambitious contestant is exposed as a façade masking intense envy and ruthless ambition. After entering the top ten, he becomes willing to sabotage and injure rivals rather than compete fairly. His panic when the police arrive confirms his guilt and desperation.
• The contestants: Their collective growth after months of training highlights the competitive atmosphere of the show, with many contestants developing their own distinctive strengths.
• The director: His relief at the show’s positive trending topics provides a brief humorous contrast to the later crisis.

Significant Themes

• The responsibility of idols: Chu Xiyue reflects on idols as role models who influence and grow alongside their fans.
• Ambition and moral corruption: Shen’s desire for success shifts from healthy competition into manipulation, violence, and sabotage.
• Appearance versus reality: Shen appears diligent and admirable to the audience, but privately plans to destroy a rival’s career.
• Competition and insecurity: Rankings create intense pressure, causing Shen to believe that eliminating competitors is the only way to advance.
• Consequences of wrongdoing: The police intervention suggests that Shen’s previous crimes or schemes have finally caught up with him.

Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue observes and evaluates the contestants as a mentor, becoming especially thoughtful about her influence over their futures.
• Shen’s public image wins over livestream viewers, who admire his persistence without realizing his intentions.
• Police officers pursue Shen after arriving at the base to arrest him, while staff inadvertently reveal his location.
• Shen collides with Chu Xiyue during his escape and turns her into a hostage, placing a knife against her neck to deter the police.

Chapter 132 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• During a livestream, Shen Xingyuan is pursued by police and suddenly takes Chu Xiyue hostage, pressing a utility knife to her neck.
• He refuses to surrender and threatens to kill Chu if the police do not let him escape. The livestream audience watches in horror, while the police attempt to calm him and negotiate.
• Chu Xiyue initially fears for her life, but her system obtains a one-time protective shield capable of blocking a fatal injury. Reassured that she will survive, she becomes noticeably calmer and more assertive.
• Chu notices that she is still holding her heavy metal livestream gimbal and begins considering how she might use it against Shen Xingyuan.
• Rather than remaining silent, Chu confronts Shen, pointing out that the city’s surveillance network makes escape impossible and that he will eventually be caught.
• She then reveals publicly that Shen murdered his biological father and is the mastermind behind the case. This shocks both the livestream viewers and the people at the scene.
• Shen becomes enraged, accusing Chu of ruining everything and shouting that she should die. The livestream captures the sound of metal striking and the image violently shaking before the broadcast cuts to black.
• At Skylight Group, Assistant Li informs Cheng Heyun of Chu’s hostage situation. Cheng reacts with alarm after hearing Shen’s threat and the apparent struggle.
• The livestream remains highly watched after cutting out, with viewers anxiously speculating about Chu’s fate. The hashtag #Chu Xiyue Taken Hostage# rapidly trends online.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue: Demonstrates remarkable composure and resourcefulness once she learns the system can protect her. Instead of passively waiting for rescue, she psychologically pressures Shen and exposes his crime to the public. Her awareness of the gimbal suggests she is preparing to fight back.
• Shen Xingyuan: Is revealed as a murderer who killed his biological father and orchestrated the related crime. His attempted escape, hostage-taking, threats, and increasingly unstable behavior portray him as desperate and dangerous.
• Cheng Heyun: Shows immediate concern for Chu upon learning she is in danger, reacting more emotionally and urgently than usual.
• The police: Remain cautious and focused on de-escalation, retreating to avoid provoking Shen while promising him transportation and a chance to talk.
• The livestream audience: Shifts from confusion to fear and shock as Shen’s crime and Chu’s danger are revealed.

Significant Themes

• Truth and public exposure: Chu uses the livestream to reveal Shen’s crimes, turning a hostage situation into a public disclosure of the truth.
• Courage under pressure: Chu’s calm behavior contrasts sharply with Shen’s panic and violence, emphasizing her mental strength and quick thinking.
• Modern surveillance and inescapability: Chu argues that the city’s pervasive surveillance means Shen cannot truly flee from justice.
• The danger of spectacle and media: A violent criminal incident unfolds before a live audience, with viewers simultaneously acting as witnesses, commentators, and spectators.
• Justice versus desperation: Shen’s attempt to escape justice only escalates his crimes, while Chu and the police work to prevent further harm.

Character Interactions

• Chu and Shen: Chu deliberately provokes and psychologically challenges Shen, while he responds with threats and rage. Their exchange reveals both his guilt and her determination to survive.
• Chu and the system: The system reassures Chu and provides emergency protection, enabling her to act more boldly.
• Chu and the police: Although the officers try to negotiate with Shen, Chu independently contributes to the confrontation by exposing his crime.
• Cheng Heyun and Assistant Li: Li urgently reports the situation, and Cheng immediately becomes alarmed when he realizes Chu may have been injured or attacked.

Chapter Summary: The Rival’s Honey Trap

• Rescue and confrontation: Police arrive just as Shen Xingyuan attacks Chu Xiyue with a knife. Her disposable protective barrier blocks the blow, allowing her to retaliate by repeatedly striking him with her livestream phone. The police then restrain, disarm, and arrest Shen Xingyuan.
• Shen Xingyuan’s anger: Although Chu Xiyue is unharmed apart from disheveled hair, Shen Xingyuan is left bruised, swollen, and bleeding. He blames her for exposing his crimes and angrily threatens revenge after his release. Chu Xiyue is startled by his viciousness, but the system reassures her that it will protect her.
• Aftermath of the attack: Chu Xiyue’s phone is destroyed, so she borrows one to livestream an update and reassure her fans that she is safe. She refuses a hospital examination, and the Director gives her two days off because of the ordeal.
• Cheng Heyun’s concern: Cheng Heyun comes directly to the base after hearing the news, unwilling to relax until he confirms Chu Xiyue is safe. He carefully checks her neck for injuries, visibly relieved when he finds none. His concern reveals his growing emotional attachment: after noticing her delicate appearance, he becomes flustered, his ears redden, and his heart races.
• Romantic misunderstanding: Cheng Heyun offers to drive Chu Xiyue home. The system suggests that he may like her, but Chu Xiyue dismisses the idea, interpreting his repeated help as ordinary kindness and his friendship with her brother. Her lack of awareness creates comic romantic irony, since Cheng Heyun’s feelings are becoming increasingly apparent to everyone except her.
• Themes: The chapter emphasizes survival and justice after danger, the contrast between Shen Xingyuan’s malicious obsession and Cheng Heyun’s protective concern, and the comedic “slow-burn” romance created by Chu Xiyue’s extreme reluctance to see herself as the object of affection.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Gossip-Eating System reconsiders its earlier conclusion that Cheng Heyun may like Chu Xiyue, acknowledging that its emotional analysis may be unreliable.
• It discovers a new piece of gossip: a rival company once sent a beautiful woman to seduce Cheng Heyun and steal Skylight Group’s secrets. Cheng Heyun misunderstood her advances as a possible medical problem and advised her to see a doctor.
• During the car ride, Cheng Heyun notices something on Chu Xiyue’s chin and offers her his handkerchief and help. Instead of responding romantically, Chu Xiyue bluntly wipes her face and jokes that the stain may be blood from beating someone earlier. The potentially romantic atmosphere is immediately ruined, amusing Assistant Li.
• Cheng Heyun appears flustered despite hiding it by returning to work; the system detects that his heart rate has increased but refrains from interpreting it.
• At the apartment, Cheng Heyun tells Chu Xiyue that, since her brother is away, she can contact him whenever she needs help. She casually agrees to call him “Big Brother Cheng.”
• Chu Xiyue’s family learns about the kidnapping. She reassures Mrs. Shao, Chu Chengyun, and Chu Chenghao, receives spending money and affection, and is assigned bodyguards by Chu Lingyun.
• The next morning, Chu Xiyue reads the police’s official statement. Shen Xingyuan is identified as the murderer of his uncle, Shen, and is arrested after resisting police and taking Chu Xiyue hostage. Chu’s assistance helped bring the case to a successful conclusion.
• Online discussion turns the incident into another scandal connected to Boy Group 101, with users joking that the show seems “cursed” because multiple associated people have criminal connections.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue remains direct, practical, and unfazed by conventional romantic situations. Her casual mention of beating someone up contrasts sharply with typical idol-drama behavior.
• Cheng Heyun shows increasing concern for Chu Xiyue, offering practical protection and assistance. Although he maintains a composed exterior, his elevated heart rate and lingering attention suggest that she affects him emotionally.
• The Gossip-Eating System demonstrates both its obsession with gossip and its limitations in understanding love. It becomes distracted by Cheng Heyun’s embarrassing past rather than continuing to analyze his feelings.
• Assistant Li views the interaction through a romantic-drama lens, imagining sentimental music before Chu Xiyue abruptly destroys the mood.
• Chu Xiyue’s family displays strong concern and support, providing money, emotional reassurance, and protection after the kidnapping.

Significant Themes

• Miscommunication and romantic contrast: Cheng Heyun’s possible attraction is presented through subtle gestures and physical reactions, while Chu Xiyue responds in an unusually blunt and non-romantic way.
• Limits of artificial intelligence and data analysis: The system recognizes that love cannot be accurately calculated through behavioral data alone.
• Gossip and public scrutiny: Chu Xiyue’s rising celebrity status causes her personal crisis to become a major online topic.
• Family protection and affection: The family’s multiple calls, financial support, and bodyguards emphasize their care for Chu Xiyue.
• Comedy through anticlimax: Romantic clichés are repeatedly undercut by Chu Xiyue’s pragmatic personality and unexpectedly violent, matter-of-fact comments.
• Celebrity scandal: The hostage case expands into public speculation about the suspicious people associated with Boy Group 101.

Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue and the system: The system shares gossip privately and tries to interpret Cheng Heyun’s behavior, while Chu Xiyue dismisses its romantic speculation.
• Chu Xiyue and Cheng Heyun: He offers her a handkerchief, checks on her, and tells her she may rely on him. She responds casually, treating him as an older-brother figure rather than recognizing or encouraging possible romantic interest.
• Chu Xiyue and Assistant Li: Although they do not directly converse much, Assistant Li internally imagines a romantic scene and is shocked by Chu’s blunt comment.
• Chu Xiyue and her family: She reassures them about her safety while receiving emotional, financial, and practical support.
• The public and Chu Xiyue: Online audiences discuss her kidnapping, her role in Shen Xingyuan’s arrest, and the growing pattern of criminal incidents surrounding Boy Group 101.

Chapter Summary

Director Wang Tao recommends Chu Xiyue as an “undercover agent.”

While editing Shen Xingyuan’s footage, the director of 101 becomes concerned about possible scandals among the remaining contestants. Director Wang Tao advises him to ask Chu Xiyue, claiming she has extraordinary knowledge of the entertainment industry. The 101 director takes the rumor seriously and contacts Chu Xiyue, promising to cooperate with her in exchange for information about contestants who should not remain on the show.

Chu Xiyue investigates the contestants through the system.

Although annoyed that everyone believes she is an undercover agent, Chu realizes she can genuinely help. The system reviews the fifty-three remaining contestants and uncovers numerous scandals:

• A male contestant involved in a complicated all-male love triangle, despite personally preferring older women.
• The same contestant, nicknamed “Wan Chai Pier” because many boys have fallen for him, has previously pursued an English tutor and is now interested in interfering in his class assistant’s relationship.
• A contestant who enjoys cross-dressing and has nearly ten million followers for faceless videos in women’s clothing.
• A seemingly refined contestant who committed severe campus violence as a minor, leaving his victim with a Level Ten disability, and later changed schools and names.
  Chu Xiyue sorts through the information and sends the director a list of contestants whose character makes them unsuitable for debut.

The problematic contestants withdraw.

Within two days, everyone on Chu Xiyue’s list leaves the program. The official explanation is scheduling conflicts, while the real reason is known only to the contestants, the director, and Chu Xiyue. This demonstrates Chu’s quiet influence and her ability to prevent future scandals without drawing public attention.

Chu Xiyue considers a major drama investment.

Chu visits Dawn Entertainment, formerly BK Entertainment, for only the second time since Chu Lingyun acquired the company and gave it to her. She is asked to decide whether to invest in a historical costume drama requiring approximately six hundred million yuan. The project follows the life of a famous female general in a world with a different history.

A suspicious script triggers Chu’s instincts.

As Chu reads the synopsis, she immediately senses that something is wrong. The chapter ends with a collection of genre and plot labels—such as “transmigration,” “supporting female lead,” “rebirth romance,” and “cannon fodder”—suggesting that the drama may be connected to the kind of fictional or transmigration plot Chu recognizes.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chu Xiyue continues acting as a behind-the-scenes problem solver. She dislikes being mistaken for an undercover agent but uses her system’s information to protect the program and make practical decisions.
• The 101 director shifts from skepticism to complete trust in Chu after Wang Tao’s recommendation, relying on her judgment to screen contestants.
• Director Wang Tao acts as the source of the “undercover agent” rumor and helps connect Chu with the 101 director.
• Chu Lingyun’s role is reflected in the transfer of BK Entertainment to Chu, establishing her growing authority and financial responsibility.
• Chu’s interactions with the system remain humorous and informative, especially as they discuss the contestants’ unusual romantic histories and hidden identities.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identities and public image: Contestants’ polished appearances conceal scandals, unusual personal lives, or serious misconduct.
• Entertainment-industry risk management: The chapter shows how producers quietly investigate and remove liabilities before scandals become public.
• Rumor versus reality: Chu is falsely labeled an undercover agent, yet the rumor ironically becomes useful because she truly possesses extraordinary information.
• Power and responsibility: Chu’s ability to influence contestants’ careers and approve a massive investment reflects her increasing power within the entertainment industry.
• Suspicion of fictional narratives: The strange script labels at the ending foreshadow that the drama project may involve a transmigration, rebirth, or “cannon-fodder” storyline relevant to Chu’s larger circumstances.

Chapter Summary: “Chu Xiyue’s Scandal”

Plot points and events

• Chu Xiyue reads a proposed historical drama about Xiu Niang, a woman who becomes a female general after supposedly losing her husband to the Hu.
• The story repeatedly places Xiu Niang’s achievements and romantic development around men: she falls for her husband’s killer, marries a young general, rescues him in battle, and is later implied to have an inappropriate connection with the young emperor.
• Disgusted by the script’s sensationalized “cutesy wife” plot and its demand for a six-hundred-million investment, Chu Xiyue rejects the project.
• She researches the supposed historical inspiration and discovers that the real female general was Ying Su, who never married and became a military leader after witnessing the Hu massacre civilians. The script has drastically falsified her life and reduced her accomplishments to male-centered romance.
• Chu Xiyue learns that the screenwriter, Wang Song, is an established writer known for acclaimed historical dramas. Curious about why he produced such a distorted script, she agrees to meet him.
• Wang arrives and immediately insults Chu Xiyue for being a woman, claiming women should remain at home and questioning her ability to run an entertainment company.
• Chu Xiyue responds with sharp sarcasm, mocking his feudal attitudes and his pride in his Plain Blue Banner ancestry. Their confrontation ends mid-insult as Wang becomes furious.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue is shown as financially cautious, historically informed, and strongly opposed to misogynistic portrayals of women. She moves beyond simply rejecting the script and investigates Ying Su’s real history, revealing her integrity and willingness to defend historical truth.
• Her confidence and sharp wit are emphasized during her confrontation with Wang. Rather than tolerating his disrespect, she challenges him openly and ridicules his outdated beliefs.
• Wang Song is introduced as arrogant, sexist, and deeply attached to traditional hierarchy. Despite his professional reputation, he appears unable—or unwilling—to treat Chu Xiyue as an intellectual and business equal.

Significant themes

• Distortion of women’s achievements: The script erases Ying Su’s independence and military accomplishments by attributing her motivations and success to husbands, lovers, and male approval.
• Gender discrimination: Wang’s comments expose the prejudice Chu Xiyue faces as a woman in business, while the script itself reflects the same patriarchal assumptions.
• Historical truth versus commercialized fiction: Chu Xiyue questions whether the project prioritizes marketable romance over an accurate and respectful historical narrative.
• Resistance to feudal thinking: The exchange mocks inherited status and outdated beliefs about bloodlines, social rank, and women’s proper roles.

Character interactions

• Chu Xiyue’s interaction with the script establishes her rejection of exploitative storytelling.
• Her research indirectly contrasts the fictional Xiu Niang with the real Ying Su, highlighting how thoroughly the latter has been misrepresented.
• In the office confrontation, Wang Song attempts to undermine Chu Xiyue’s authority, but she answers with cutting humor and turns his claims of superiority against him.

Chapter 137 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chu Xiyue angrily condemns screenwriter Wang Song after discovering that his script contains misogynistic ideas and treats women disrespectfully.
• She orders security to remove him from Dawn Entertainment, deciding that she will never work with him.
• The system reveals that Wang Song’s two acclaimed historical dramas were plagiarized from a deceased screenwriter friend. Wang Song stole the scripts after the friend’s death, claimed them as his own, and won awards and fame for them.
• Wang Song has continued relying on plagiarism because his original scripts consistently failed. His latest script was stolen from a young female screenwriter in his studio and then deliberately altered, ruining its quality.
• Worse, Wang Song framed the young screenwriter as the plagiarist. Because of his established reputation, the industry believed him, forcing her to leave screenwriting and become a salesperson.
• After being expelled, Wang Song contacts the notorious paparazzo Old Chen, intending to retaliate by spreading fabricated scandals about Chu Xiyue.
• The system informs Chu Xiyue of the smear campaign, allowing her to learn Wang Song and Old Chen’s plans in advance.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue demonstrates strong principles and refuses to cooperate with Wang Song once she recognizes both his misogyny and unethical behavior. Her anger grows from personal disgust into outrage over the harm he has caused other writers.
• Wang Song is exposed as a fraudulent, vindictive, and shameless plagiarist. His success is shown to rest almost entirely on stolen work, manipulation, and abuse of his reputation.
• The deceased screenwriter’s parents unknowingly regard Wang Song as a trusted family friend, unaware that he stole their son’s life’s work.
• The young female screenwriter emerges as another victim of Wang Song’s misconduct: her original work was stolen, her reputation destroyed, and her career ruined.
• Old Chen is introduced as a corrupt paparazzo who profits from blackmail and manufactured scandals.

Significant Themes

• Plagiarism and stolen credit: The chapter condemns people who profit from others’ creativity while receiving recognition for work they did not create.
• Abuse of power and reputation: Wang Song uses his seniority and fame to silence a young woman and reverse the roles of victim and perpetrator.
• Misogyny and injustice: His contempt for women is reflected both in his script and in his exploitation of the female screenwriter.
• Moral integrity versus success: Chu Xiyue values ethical conduct over commercial opportunity, while Wang Song represents fame gained through dishonesty.
• Retribution and exposure: Wang Song’s attempt to attack Chu Xiyue may ultimately give her an opportunity to uncover his crimes.

Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue verbally humiliates Wang Song and orders security to remove him after their confrontation.
• The system reports Wang Song’s history and his planned retaliation to Chu Xiyue, strengthening their cooperative relationship.
• Wang Song approaches Old Chen after being expelled, seeking help to damage Chu Xiyue’s reputation.
• The chapter establishes Wang Song’s past relationships with his deceased friend and the friend’s parents, highlighting how deeply he betrayed their trust.

Chapter Summary: “Chu Xiyue Drops Bombshells on Livestream”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A paparazzo, Old Chen, is paid to uncover damaging information about Chu Xiyue. After following her for several days without finding anything suspicious, he photographs Wang Song being expelled from Dawn Entertainment.
• Old Chen publishes a Weibo post accusing Chu Xiyue of insulting Wang Song, abusing her influence at the company, and having an innocent screenwriter fired. He supports the claims with photos of Wang Song being escorted out and hostile comments from one of Chu Xiyue’s fans.
• Wang Song reposts the accusation from his verified account, presenting himself as a victim and implying that Chu Xiyue is arrogant and morally corrupt.
• Chu Xiyue’s haters push the hashtag #ChuXiyueExposed# into the trending searches, while fans become confused and demand an explanation.
• The public backlash expands into additional accusations, including claims that Chu Xiyue has a “sugar daddy.”
• Chu Xiyue only learns about the controversy the next morning. Rather than panic, she calmly examines the trending topics and mocks the paparazzo’s inability to find genuine evidence and Wang Song’s poor writing.
• The “sugar daddy” rumor is based on a photo of Chu Xiyue entering Cheng Heyun’s black Rolls-Royce outside the 101 recording base. Although Cheng Heyun is not visible, the luxury car and distinctive license plate fuel speculation.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue remains composed and confident despite the intense online abuse. Her sarcastic reactions show that she understands the accusations are fabricated and is not easily intimidated.
• She also demonstrates sharp judgment by immediately recognizing Old Chen’s weak evidence and Wang Song’s mediocre writing, indirectly alluding to his history of plagiarism.
• Wang Song reveals his vindictive and hypocritical nature. Still resentful after being expelled from Dawn Entertainment, he uses the scandal to retaliate against Chu Xiyue while disguising his hostility as moral advice.
• Old Chen is portrayed as an unethical paparazzo willing to invent or exaggerate stories for money.
• Chu Xiyue’s fans initially defend her, but some become uncertain when Wang Song publicly supports the accusation, showing how celebrity reputations can quickly destabilize under scandal.
• Cheng Heyun does not appear directly, but his expensive car becomes central to the emerging rumor about Chu Xiyue’s private life.

Significant Themes

• The fragility of celebrity reputation: A few misleading photographs and unverified claims are enough to send Chu Xiyue’s name into the top trending searches.
• Media manipulation and rumor culture: Old Chen and Wang Song exploit incomplete evidence, while online users rapidly turn speculation into apparent “truth.”
• Public image versus reality: Chu Xiyue is branded immoral despite the lack of proof, highlighting the gap between a celebrity’s public narrative and actual events.
• Hypocrisy and revenge: Wang Song attacks Chu Xiyue under the guise of defending morality, even though he is himself a plagiarist and acts out of wounded pride.
• Calmness under pressure: Chu Xiyue’s humorous, detached response contrasts sharply with the panic and outrage of the online crowd, establishing her confidence and resilience.

Character Interactions

• Old Chen and Wang Song cooperate because both resent Chu Xiyue and hope to damage her career.
• Wang Song and Chu Xiyue remain in conflict following his expulsion from Dawn Entertainment; his public post is an act of retaliation.
• Chu Xiyue and her fans are connected through the fan comments used as alleged evidence, while her fans later demand that she address the accusations.
• Chu Xiyue and the system interact as she humorously analyzes the scandal, treating the controversy as an absurd situation rather than a crisis.
• Chu Xiyue and Cheng Heyun are indirectly linked through the photograph of her entering his luxury vehicle, which becomes the basis for the “sugar daddy” speculation.

Chapter 139 Summary

Plot and key events

Chu Xiyue dismisses the online controversy surrounding Cheng Heyun’s identity and focuses on exposing Wang Song. With the system’s help, she obtains contact information for Wang Song’s family connections and Ling Hua, the female screenwriter whose work he allegedly plagiarized. Meanwhile, Assistant Li asks Cheng Heyun whether Skylight Group should suppress the negative publicity against Chu Xiyue. Cheng trusts her judgment and decides not to interfere, though he orders legal action against the paparazzo and the most abusive commenters.
Instead of apologizing, Chu Xiyue announces a livestream promising “untold secrets” about a famous screenwriter. The announcement reignites public interest, drawing supporters, haters, and Wang Song himself to the livestream. At noon, Chu openly admits that she called Wang Song an “old bastard” and explains that he sought investment for a script allegedly plagiarized from Ling Hua’s completed work. She states that Dawn Entertainment has a strict anti-plagiarism policy, which is why Wang Song was removed from the company.
Wang Song immediately counters on Weibo, claiming that The Female General’s Tale was his own three-year project and that Ling Hua, his former apprentice, stole it from him. He accuses Chu Xiyue and Ling Hua of conspiring to defame him and threatens legal action.

Character development

• Chu Xiyue demonstrates confidence, strategic thinking, and a willingness to confront public criticism directly. Rather than defend herself passively, she uses the controversy to expose Wang Song and appears prepared with evidence and witnesses.
• Cheng Heyun shows strong trust in Chu Xiyue by refusing to interfere with her plans, while still protecting her through legal measures against harassment and defamation.
• Wang Song initially appears confident that Chu cannot prove plagiarism, but her accusations visibly unsettle him. He quickly shifts into damage-control mode and attempts to reverse the accusation by portraying himself as the victim.
• Assistant Li remains loyal to Chu Xiyue and acts decisively on Cheng Heyun’s instructions.
• Ling Hua becomes central to the conflict as the alleged original creator whose career was damaged by Wang Song’s actions.

Significant themes

• Truth versus public perception: Online audiences rapidly judge Chu Xiyue before hearing her side, showing how easily rumors shape reputation.
• Accountability and justice: Cheng Heyun’s legal response emphasizes that internet users are not above the law, while Chu’s livestream seeks to hold Wang Song accountable for plagiarism.
• Plagiarism and exploitation: The chapter highlights the abuse of creative work and the silencing of less powerful creators such as Ling Hua.
• Strategic silence and timing: Chu’s delayed response initially makes her appear guilty, but her silence is revealed to be preparation for a stronger counterattack.

Character interactions

• Chu Xiyue consults the system to locate people connected to Wang Song’s alleged plagiarism.
• Assistant Li reports the scandal to Cheng Heyun, who chooses to trust Chu while ordering protective legal action.
• Chu confronts Wang Song publicly during the livestream, accusing him of stealing Ling Hua’s work and explaining why Dawn Entertainment rejected him.
• Wang Song responds through Weibo, accusing Chu and Ling Hua of collusion and threatening to sue, escalating the public conflict.

Chapter Summary: Contestant Love Triangle Bombshell

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chu Xiyue publicly exposes screenwriter Wang Song during a livestream, accusing him of plagiarizing the works of his deceased friend, Si Liang.
• She reveals that Si Liang originally wrote Mountains and Rivers and The State, but died in an accident before submitting them. Wang Song allegedly took Si Liang’s laptop and claimed the scripts as his own.
• With Si Liang’s family’s cooperation, Chu Xiyue presents Si Liang’s preserved drafts as evidence. The drafts contain detailed scene concepts, research notes, revisions, and historical references that prove his authorship.
• The evidence convinces the public, and online attention shifts away from the smear campaign against Chu Xiyue. Wang Song’s plagiarism becomes the dominant trending topic.
• After receiving a lawyer’s letter from Skylight Group, Wang Song admits to plagiarizing Si Liang’s scripts and Ling Hua’s work. He retires from screenwriting, deletes his Weibo account, and loses his screenwriting credits. The credits for Mountains and Rivers and The State are officially changed to Si Liang’s name.
• Wang Song’s legal troubles continue. Si Liang’s family sues him for the copyright fees and earnings he obtained, while Ling Hua sues him for defamation and reputational damage.
• Dawn Entertainment announces production of Ying Su, based on Ling Hua’s original script rather than Wang Song’s altered version, Legend of the Female General.
• Chu Xiyue recognizes the script’s quality and decides to become its sole investor, using nearly all her personal savings to retain complete creative control.
• After investing everything, Chu Xiyue returns to the Boy Group 101 recording base and realizes she can no longer behave lazily or rely on her parents for money.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue becomes more decisive, influential, and protective of genuine talent. She uses her resources and public platform to expose injustice, restore Si Liang’s reputation, and support Ling Hua’s career.
• Wang Song falls from celebrated screenwriter to disgraced plagiarist. His career, public reputation, finances, and legal standing collapse.
• Si Liang is posthumously recognized as the true author of Mountains and Rivers and The State, allowing his family to reclaim his artistic legacy.
• Ling Hua receives vindication after Wang Song stole and distorted her script while attacking her reputation. Her original work is now being developed as a major historical drama.
• Si Liang’s family shifts from trusting Wang Song as a godson to actively pursuing justice for their son.
• Chu Xiyue’s investment marks her transition from a contestant with financial backing into someone taking serious responsibility for a major entertainment project.

Significant Themes

• Justice and truth: Evidence eventually exposes Wang Song’s long-standing deception.
• Plagiarism and artistic ownership: The chapter emphasizes the moral and legal consequences of stealing another person’s creative work.
• Restoring marginalized voices: Si Liang and Ling Hua both regain recognition after Wang Song suppressed their contributions.
• Power used responsibly: Chu Xiyue uses her wealth and influence to protect creators rather than exploit them.
• Ambition and responsibility: Her decision to fund Ying Su demonstrates confidence and determination, but also forces her to become more financially and professionally responsible.
• Authentic storytelling versus commercial distortion: Ling Hua’s historically grounded, female-centered script is contrasted with Wang Song’s romance-heavy, inferior adaptation.

Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue confronts Wang Song publicly through her livestream, turning his own anti-plagiarism statement against him.
• Chu Xiyue works with Si Liang’s family, earning their trust and using their evidence to expose Wang Song.
• Wang Song’s former success is directly challenged by Si Liang’s family and Ling Hua through legal action.
• Chu Xiyue supports Ling Hua by investing in Ying Su and helping bring her original vision to the screen.
• The public, production companies, and entertainment industry respond to Chu Xiyue’s revelations by rejecting Wang Song and restoring Si Liang’s authorship.