Chapter Summaries

• Tang Lin’s childhood misdeeds come to light: Tang Shiba’s gossip reveals that he secretly repaired a Ming dynasty antique worth 300 million after breaking it, disguised damage to an antique painting with kitchen seasonings, and traded Tang Xuan’s valuable antique coin for ice cream after a girl he liked tricked him. The brothers and their mother are horrified; Tang Lin panics, while Tang Xuan vows to settle the score.
• Tang Xiao’s future is exposed: Shiba says the second brother used his position to sleep with a new artist, who genuinely liked him. Tang Xueqing will later cause the artist’s death, leading Tang Xiao to take the blame and go to prison. Shocked and doubtful, Tang Xiao begins reconsidering his assumptions about Xueqing. His mother resolves to protect him and wants to find the artist.
• The family responds to Xueqing differently: Xueqing remains cheerful, enjoying her gifts and showing concern for Tang Lin, who is touched by her kindness. Their mother, however, starts noticing how easily Xueqing wins the family’s affection through kind words. When Xueqing says she is going out, everyone readily lets her leave, disappointing her because she expected her brothers to accompany her.
• Everyone takes action: Mr. Tang returns home, unaware of the revelations, and is told to let Shiba sleep. Tang Xiao postpones Xueqing’s press conference until the next day, suspecting Shiba won’t attend. After Xueqing leaves, their mother pulls Mr. Tang aside, Tang Lin heads to Tang Xuan’s room, and Tang Xiao follows them.
• Cliffhanger: Tang Xuan checks his safe, initially relieved to find the coin inside. But its feel, weight, and size seem wrong. Inspecting it with his phone flashlight, he realizes something is amiss and angrily shouts Tang Lin’s name.
  Character developments and themes: Tang Lin’s playful, careless past is exposed, and Tang Xuan’s trust in his brother turns to anger. Tang Xiao shifts from dismissing Shiba’s claims to fearing they may be true. The chapter explores sibling rivalry, deception, misplaced trust, and the growing possibility that Shiba’s gossip can reveal a darker future for the family.

Plot points

• Tang Lin is caught replacing eldest brother Tang Xuan’s ancient coin with a one-yuan coin. He denies it, but uses Tang Xuan’s stolen love letter to threaten him.
• The argument turns into a family brawl. Tang Lin eventually admits he traded the coin for ice cream, damaged their father’s antique, and stabbed a hole in an ancient painting. Tang Xuan demands the coin back or fifty million; their father freezes Tang Lin’s money and redirects his income to their mother.
• Their mother tears up Tang Xuan’s love letter by mistake while rescuing Tang Lin, adding to the chaos.
• Tang Shiba sleeps through the commotion. She dreams about kissing Si Wuyu, wakes embarrassed to discover he was the man in her dream, then comes downstairs hungry.
• The family introduces Tang Shiba to her three brothers. Seeing Tang Xuan and Tang Lin’s swollen faces, she assumes they were bullied and feels protective. Their parents claim they hit a wall.
• Their mother asks the brothers to present gifts they prepared for their new sister. Everyone except their father looks awkward, setting up the next scene.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Lin is exposed as mischievous and destructive, but remains defiant until the beating forces him to confess. He seeks their mother’s sympathy afterward.
• Tang Xuan loses his usual composure over the stolen coin and love letter, fights Tang Lin, and is left mourning the letter he had kept private.
• Tang Xiao tries to mediate but stays out of the fight; later, he silently credits Tang Shiba for stirring up the household without even appearing.
• Tang Mom and Tang Dad respond differently: she comforts Tang Lin despite privately thinking he deserved the beating, while their father punishes him financially and grieves his damaged antiques.
• Tang Shiba is cheerful and curious about her brothers, but worries they dislike her. The brothers remain reserved because they have only just met.

Significant themes

• The family’s affection is expressed through teasing, quarrels, and over-the-top punishments.
• Tang Shiba’s inner thoughts contrast with what the family says aloud, creating comic misunderstandings.
• The chapter shifts from chaotic sibling rivalry to the tentative beginnings of Tang Shiba’s relationship with her brothers.

Key plot points

• Tang Dad confronts the family for failing to buy Tang Shiba gifts. Tang Xiao admits he bought one for her, but Tang Xueqing had taken and opened the gifts without realizing—or acknowledging—that one was meant for Shiba.
• Tang Mom asks Xueqing to share the gifts. Xueqing resists, and Shiba says she can keep them, then asks to go eat.
• Tang Mom takes Shiba out for hot pot and shopping, leaving Xueqing behind. When Tang Xuan tries to check on Xueqing, their mother challenges his priorities.
• Tang Dad warns the three brothers not to mistreat Shiba. He also tells Tang Xuan to set a better example, threatening to put Tang Xiao in charge of the family company instead.
• Tang Xiao and Tang Lin redirect Tang Xuan away from Xueqing, partly to prevent gossip and further family conflict. The chapter ends by revealing Tang Xuan’s secret: he once wrote Xueqing a love letter, but Tang Mom has already destroyed it.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Shiba remains outwardly calm and refuses to compete for gifts, but her inner thoughts make clear that she feels rejected by her brothers and doubts they regard her as their sister. She decides she need not consider them brothers either.
• Tang Xueqing stays silent rather than offer to share the gifts, despite the chance to reassure the family. Her reluctance damages her image with Tang Mom and increases her resentment toward Shiba.
• Tang Mom grows more openly protective of Shiba and less indulgent toward Xueqing. She comforts Shiba by taking her out and firmly stops Tang Xuan from rushing after Xueqing.
• Tang Dad takes Shiba’s side and reprimands his sons for their behavior.
• Tang Xuan remains strongly concerned for Xueqing, provoking criticism from his parents and brothers. His brothers know of his feelings and try to keep the two apart.

Significant themes

• Favoritism and family loyalty: The family’s long-standing devotion to Xueqing clashes with their obligations to their biological daughter.
• Belonging and rejection: Shiba’s hurt is heightened by the brothers’ failure to treat her as their sister.
• Consequences and accountability: The parents begin confronting the sons’ behavior and reconsidering how they have treated both daughters.
• Unspoken feelings and secrecy: Tang Xuan’s hidden love letter adds another layer of tension to the family’s relationships.

Plot points and events

• After returning from the island, Tang Shiba and her mother encounter a large group of people who silently follow them. Shiba assumes they may be dangerous and runs away; in fact, they are online haters who have gathered because they want to meet her and hear her greet them.
• Shiba later checks Weibo and discovers she has more than five million followers, but every comment she finds is insulting. Fearing that people will attack her at the next day’s press conference, she dresses in heavy leather clothes and a hard hat for protection.
• On the way to the event, Tang Xiao orders Shiba to apologize to Tang Xueqing for hitting her on the show, threatening to withhold company resources if she refuses. Shiba stands her ground.
• Shiba’s inner thoughts reveal that Xueqing is plotting to expose her at the press conference and may later target another woman involved in a production with her. Shiba also hints that her second brother has narrowly avoided trouble with Zhao Tiantian, though further hardship may lie ahead.
• At the press conference, Shiba’s all-black outfit makes her look like a bodyguard, so the crowd does not recognize her. Tang Xiao and Xueqing mistakenly believe the crowd is there to support Xueqing. The waiting crowd grows angry when Shiba does not appear and begins demanding that she come out.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Shiba remains blunt, wary, and defiant. Her fear of the crowd clashes with her confidence in confronting her family, and she refuses to apologize just to protect Xueqing’s reputation.
• Tang Xueqing presents herself as modest and conciliatory, while privately resenting Shiba and planning to turn the press conference against her. She misreads the crowd’s intentions and assumes she has many fans.
• Tang Xiao sides with Xueqing and tries to pressure Shiba into apologizing, threatening her career when she refuses.
• Tang Mom supports Shiba and quietly prevents her brothers from criticizing Shiba’s unusual outfit.
• The crowd is revealed to be Shiba’s supposed “haters,” whose hostility online contrasts with their awkward eagerness to meet her in person. Their mistaken assumptions—and Shiba’s fear of them—drive the chapter’s comedy.

Significant themes

• The gap between online hostility and real-life behavior.
• Miscommunication and mistaken assumptions, especially as each side misreads the crowd.
• Family favoritism and pressure to protect a favored person’s public image.
• Shiba’s independence and refusal to accept blame for others’ mistakes.

Key plot points and events

• At Tang Xiao and Tang Xueqing’s press conference, angry anti-fans threaten violence because they cannot see Tang Shiba, who is standing with her face hidden beneath a hat.
• Tang Xiao gives Tang Shiba the microphone. When she reveals herself in a tough, bodyguard-like outfit, the crowd falls silent, unnerved by her appearance.
• Reporters question Tang Shiba about the variety show. She claims the violence was scripted and says her accusations against Zhao Tiantian and Zhao Shen were unsupported “nonsense.” Asked why she hit Tang Xueqing, she says it was to teach her not to rush into a fight.
• Tang Xueqing cries and portrays herself as a protective sister, while Tang Xiao signals for Tang Shiba to apologize. Tang Shiba ignores him.
• Planted questioners prompt Tang Xueqing to explain the incident involving the show’s criminal production crew. She claims Tang Shiba knew the directors were scammers and told her to call the police, turning the crowd against Tang Shiba.
• Before the fans can attack, a brawl breaks out among the crowd. Some people defend Tang Shiba, saying only they have the right to insult her; others are pepper-sprayed, egged, or struck.
• Police arrive and ask for Tang Shiba. Tang Xueqing assumes they are there to arrest her sister, grabs her, and accuses her of resisting. Tang Shiba slaps her hand away. The chapter ends with the police calling for Tang Shiba.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Shiba remains blunt, self-assured, and seemingly unconcerned with public approval. She gives provocative answers rather than apologizing, yet is genuinely confused by the sudden crowd fight.
• Tang Xueqing uses tears and accusations to cast herself as the caring sister and Tang Shiba as the villain. Her attempt to turn the audience against Tang Shiba is interrupted by the unexpected brawl.
• Tang Xiao tries to manage the hostile crowd, protect Tang Xueqing, and prompt Tang Shiba to apologize, but has little control over events.
• The reporters’ questions let the sisters publicly contradict each other; the crowd shifts from threatening Tang Shiba to attacking one another and defending her.

Significant themes

• Public image and manipulation: Both sisters present competing versions of events, while the press conference becomes a contest over who controls the narrative.
• Crowd volatility and divided loyalties: The fans’ anger quickly turns into infighting, revealing how unstable and performative their allegiance is.
• Comic irony: Tang Shiba is accused of provoking chaos, yet she claims innocence as the crowd erupts around her; Tang Xueqing’s effort to frame her sister is further undercut by the police’s unexplained arrival.

Plot points and events

• Police arrive during the press conference asking for Tang Shiba, leading Tang Xiao and Tang Xueqing to assume she is being arrested. Tang Xueqing publicly identifies her and accuses her of wrongdoing.
• Instead, the police present Tang Shiba with an Honor Banner and a 500,000-yuan reward. They explain that she helped expose the Moon Island scammers and rescue their captives by reporting the danger through Zhao Tiantian while keeping the others from alerting the scammers.
• Tang Xueqing challenges the commendation, but the police confirm they investigated. Reporters then question her; she says she acted out of concern and admits she was wrong, while Tang Xiao hustles her away.
• Tang Shiba leaves with the banner and plans to save the money. The fans who remain turn out to be her anti-fans, delighted that she praised them because they can return to Weibo and post unflattering photos of her.
• At home, Tang Shiba’s parents celebrate her achievement and hang the banner in the living room. Anti-fans spread a false claim that she was arrested, but video from the event reveals the truth and exposes their doctored image.
• Tang Xueqing retreats to her room. Meanwhile, Tang Shiba’s system awards her 80 points for eight gossip items, bringing her total to 110 and making an upgrade available. She chooses to upgrade, hoping to unlock the System Shop.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Shiba receives public recognition for her clever role in the rescue. She is pleased by the honor and reward, though initially unsure why the lingering crowd is watching her.
• Tang Xueqing tries to undermine Tang Shiba, then recasts her actions as concern once the police’s explanation makes her look bad. The public correction leaves her humiliated and withdrawn.
• Tang Xiao initially tries to manage the police situation and later shields Tang Xueqing from reporters.
• The police publicly clarify Tang Shiba’s contribution, turning what appeared to be an arrest into a commendation.
• Tang Shiba’s parents respond with pride and excitement, while her anti-fans continue attacking her online—even after the truth is revealed.

Significant themes

• Truth overturning rumor: The police presentation and event footage reverse the false narrative that Tang Shiba was being arrested.
• Recognition and reputation: Tang Shiba’s real actions earn public honor, while Tang Xueqing’s attempt to discredit her backfires.
• Strategic deception for a good cause: Tang Shiba’s decision to keep others in the dark helped prevent the scammers from becoming suspicious and gave authorities time to act.
• Persistence of antagonism: Even after being praised, Tang Shiba remains a target of anti-fans, who turn her kindness into material for further attacks.

Plot points and events

• After the system upgrade, Tang Shiba discovers a costly System Shop and wins a daily prize-wheel reward: a “Gossip Helper” that can help someone escape a predicament or change an outcome.
• Tang Second Brother orders Shiba to apologize to Tang Xueqing, who has supposedly refused dinner out of distress. Shiba’s thoughts reveal that Xueqing is secretly eating snacks in her room.
• Shiba enters Xueqing’s room under the pretext of borrowing the bathroom, then exposes a drawer full of snacks. She calls out Xueqing’s habit of using apparent hunger to make the family worry and fuss over her.
• Xueqing claims the snacks were bought by Eldest Brother and tries to preserve her innocent image, but Second Brother’s confidence in her is shaken. Shiba leaves for dinner.
• Humiliated and furious, Xueqing crushes the snacks, then eats them rather than waste them. She burns the packaging, accidentally sets off the fire alarm, and blocks the toilet while trying to dispose of the rubbish.
• Second Brother checks on Xueqing and leaves after she dismisses him. Hearing Shiba’s latest thoughts, he is so shocked that he misses a step and falls down the stairs.

Character developments

• Tang Shiba is increasingly confident in using her ability to expose family members’ secrets. She remains playful and provocative, and her new system reward hints at a broader ability to affect events.
• Tang Xueqing struggles to maintain her carefully cultivated image as fragile and selfless. Her anger and panic reveal how much she fears being exposed; afterward, she doubles down on secrecy and waste-avoidance.
• Tang Second Brother begins to doubt Xueqing’s claims and sees evidence that she may be manipulating the family. Still, he remains protective and sympathetic, even feeling sorry for her after she eats the fallen snacks.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Xueqing’s tearful, delicate presentation clashes with her private behavior.
• Manipulation and family attention: The chapter suggests that refusing food can be a tactic for eliciting concern.
• Truth revealed through gossip: Shiba’s inner commentary exposes what others conceal and steadily alters how her family sees them.
• Comic consequences: Xueqing’s attempt to hide the snacks leads to a string of increasingly absurd mishaps, ending with Second Brother’s fall.

Character interactions

• Shiba’s teasing confrontation leaves Xueqing humiliated and undermines Second Brother’s unquestioning belief in her.
• Xueqing uses tears and accusations to draw Second Brother’s protection, while Shiba ignores the performance and exposes the snacks.
• Second Brother continues caring for Xueqing, but Shiba’s revelations make his support more conflicted and his understanding of both sisters increasingly uncertain.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Second Brother falls down the stairs at Tang Shiba’s feet. She pretends to worry about him while privately mocking his bad luck; he brushes off the embarrassment and joins the family for dinner.
• Shiba’s inner commentary reveals that their neighbor, Uncle Wang, is having an affair. The Tang family makes excuses to go into the yard and watch.
• When Mrs. Wang returns unexpectedly, the mistress tries to escape through a window. Tang Mom distracts Mrs. Wang by calling attention to a supposed hen, while the family lends their dog, Er Gou, to block the mistress. Mrs. Wang catches her and drags her inside.
• Tang Third Brother checks on the fight and reports that Uncle Wang wants a divorce, his mistress has borne him a son, and the argument has turned against him as the women negotiate.
• Back in the yard, Shiba and the family joke around over garlic and cucumber. Shiba’s reaction to the pungent garlic prompts more teasing, especially from Second Brother.
• Second Brother tells Shiba that Zhou Dan will manage her and Tang Xueqing, and asks her to accept Zhou Dan’s WeChat request. Shiba leaves that request unanswered but accepts requests from her three brothers.
• The brothers each transfer her a large sum of money. Delighted, Shiba says she has a secret to share: their father is hiding money.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Shiba remains mischievous and sharp-tongued, using her inner commentary to expose secrets and amuse herself. Her appetite for gossip draws the whole family into watching the Wangs’ domestic crisis. She is also easily delighted by her brothers’ generous transfers.
• The three brothers move from embarrassment and curiosity to growing affection for Shiba. Their money gifts suggest they find her refreshingly easy to please, though her private jab that they are “a little blind” undercuts the sentiment.
• Tang Mom quickly joins the neighborhood spectacle and invents a distraction to help Mrs. Wang catch the mistress.
• Tang Third Brother eagerly participates, first helping with Er Gou and then climbing over the wall to investigate the fight. He later comforts the dog with a joking insult.
• Er Gou becomes an accidental part of the rescue and is later frightened by Shiba’s teasing.
• The Wangs’ conflict is exposed as a long-running affair involving a son and a likely divorce, overturning the family’s earlier impression of a happy marriage.

Significant themes

• Gossip and curiosity: The family’s shared fascination turns a neighbor’s private crisis into communal entertainment.
• Appearances versus reality: Uncle Wang’s kindly image and seemingly stable marriage conceal infidelity and family conflict.
• Family bonds and affection: Teasing, shared antics, and the brothers’ gifts hint at Shiba’s growing place in the family.
• Comedy through contrast: Shiba’s vivid inner monologue and the family’s ridiculous excuses contrast with the seriousness of the Wang household’s confrontation.

Plot points

• While Tang Dad is away, Tang Mother and the three brothers search the house and uncover his extensive hidden savings: money stuffed into books, a pen holder, floorboards, a sofa, a hollow pillar, pillows, and even underwear made of banknotes.
• They also find diamonds in a flowerpot and valuable jewelry hanging as decorations. Tang Shiba’s thoughts explain that the jewelry was payment from a company that owed her father money.
• When Tang Dad returns, the brothers flee, and Shiba cheerfully tells him the family has been conducting a “treasure hunt.” He tries to escape, but Tang Mother calls him into the bedroom.
• Tang Dad explains that he began saving secretly after the company nearly collapsed during a financial crisis ten years earlier. Tang Mother initially accepts his explanation and tells him to bring the money out of hiding.
• Shiba then thinks that Dad did spend some of it on alcohol. Tang Mother hears this and erupts again. Meanwhile, Tang Xueqing emerges from her room, apparently ending her hunger strike.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Mother moves from shock and fury at the absurd hiding places to sympathy when she hears why Tang Dad saved the money—then becomes angry again after Shiba’s revelation.
• Tang Dad is exposed as an obsessive secret saver. Though he insists the money was meant as a family safety net, he is nervous, tries to flee, and is ultimately betrayed by his daughter’s thoughts.
• Tang Shiba guides the search and provides comic commentary through her thoughts, which repeatedly reveal information the adults do not know.
• The three brothers enthusiastically uncover the stash, then abandon Dad to face their mother alone.
• Tang Xueqing’s appearance at the end hints at a separate family tension involving her hunger strike.

Significant themes

• Family trust and secrecy: Dad’s secret savings frighten and anger his wife, even though his original motive was to protect the family.
• Comic excess and wealth: The increasingly ridiculous hiding spots turn the search into a farcical treasure hunt.
• Honesty and consequences: Shiba’s candid thoughts undermine Dad’s defense and reignite the conflict.
• Family solidarity: Shiba argues that the money belongs with the family, especially given the risk of future financial trouble.

Plot points and events

• Tang Xueqing, expecting comfort after hearing that her brothers had left, tries to cling to Tang Shiba. Shiba breaks free by pinching her and mocks her instead.
• Xueqing discovers the servants are gone and calls her eldest brother for money. He transfers 16,888 yuan, far less than she expected, because the brothers’ finances have been frozen. She also receives a message urging her to get into Tang Company and secure the family’s assets for an entertainment career.
• While relaxing with Er Gou, Shiba overhears gossip and learns Xueqing is hiring paid trolls to attack her online. The system warns that Xueqing is plotting against her again, this time by asking Zhou Dan to arrange two supposedly “good” opportunities.
• Shiba takes over Xueqing’s attempt to cook noodles, turning them into an inedible-looking mess. Xueqing refuses to eat them and orders takeout; Er Gou tries them, then vomits.
• At the end, Shiba notices a large deposit in her account and counts it up to the millions, though its source is not yet revealed.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Shiba remains irreverent and self-assured, answering Xueqing’s attempts to gain sympathy with teasing and physical evasions. She also takes pleasure in exposing online insults and turns Xueqing’s cooking struggle into a prank.
• Tang Xueqing shifts from feigned vulnerability to anger and private scheming. Her distress over the small transfer reveals her financial dependence, while her covert messages and plans show that she is still pursuing her own advantage.
• Er Gou serves as Shiba’s unwilling audience and taste-tester: he is nervous about being made to look at a phone, then pays for trying her disastrous noodles.

Significant themes

• Sibling rivalry and manipulation: Xueqing seeks sympathy and money while quietly plotting against Shiba; Shiba counters with mockery and pranks.
• Money and status: Xueqing’s reaction to a modest transfer highlights her changed circumstances and dependence on family wealth.
• Public reputation and online hostility: Shiba faces organized trolling and harsh criticism, yet treats the attacks with amused defiance.
• Comic reversal: Xueqing’s attempt to cook ends with Shiba’s sabotaged noodles rejected by her and vomited up by the dog.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Shiba receives two million in secret savings from her father and decides to hide the money from her brothers, worried they would give it to Tang Xueqing.
• After unblocking her manager, Zhou Dan, she receives an audition notice for a maid in The Year I Left You. Shiba is amused: the role is familiar territory, and it may let her witness the drama unfolding around her second brother, Tang Xiao.
• The System warns that Tang Xueqing will kill Gu Qingcheng during the production and that Tang Xiao will be blamed and imprisoned. Shiba dismisses the warning as a consequence of his own choices and looks forward to the gossip.
• Shiba confronts Zhou Dan at the company. Zhou tries to insult and control her, then offers a better role as bait. Shiba refuses, mocks Zhou’s attempts to manipulate her, and leaves Zhou humiliated.
• At Tang Xiao’s office, Gu Qingcheng brings him a meal. He rejects it harshly, throws it away, and orders her out. Once outside, Gu Qingcheng breaks down in tears.

Character developments

• Tang Shiba is confident, sharp-tongued, and increasingly independent. She treats her audition as an opportunity to observe events rather than a favor Zhou can use to control her.
• Zhou Dan expects deference and believes she can manipulate Shiba with career opportunities, but her authority is undermined when Shiba refuses to cooperate.
• Tang Xiao appears cold and cruel toward Gu Qingcheng, suggesting the destructive relationship foreshadowed by the System.
• Gu Qingcheng tries to please Tang Xiao despite his hostility; her composed exterior gives way to visible distress.

Significant themes

• Control and independence: Shiba rejects Zhou’s efforts to use professional opportunities as leverage.
• Abuse and power imbalance: Tang Xiao’s treatment of Gu Qingcheng shows how status and emotional power can be used to demean someone.
• Gossip and foreknowledge: Shiba’s access to the System’s warnings makes her an amused observer of events that may lead to tragedy.
• Performance and experience: Shiba’s history playing minor roles turns an apparently low-status audition into a useful opportunity.

Character interactions

• Shiba and Zhou trade escalating insults, with Shiba refusing both Zhou’s authority and her offer of a better role.
• Tang Xiao dismisses Gu Qingcheng’s effort to care for him, while Gu apologizes and suppresses her feelings.
• Shiba’s thoughts about her family, especially her contempt for Tang Xiao’s choices, frame her interest in the upcoming drama.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Shiba overhears Tang Xiao’s unhappy relationship with Gu Qingcheng and learns through the system that Tang Xiao will eventually go to prison. She dismisses her concern, convinced he deserves the consequences.
• At an audition, Tang Shiba learns that Tang Xueqing is deliberately befriending Gu Qingcheng so she can exploit her vulnerabilities. The system reveals that Gu will win the female lead, while Xueqing’s jealousy will lead her to sabotage Gu and deepen the rift between her and Tang Xiao.
• Tang Shiba realizes the male lead has already been chosen. Her thought that Tang Third Brother is foolish to audition prompts him to notice the lack of major actors and leave in a panic.
• Tang Xueqing tells Gu Qingcheng that Tang Shiba is violent and has hit both her and Tang Xiao, turning Gu’s favorable impression of Tang Shiba into suspicion.
• Tang Shiba catches actor Yang Cheng groping a newcomer. She publicly confronts him, then exposes disturbing allegations about his past and behavior. The audience turns against him, while one of Tang Shiba’s organized anti-fans begins investigating.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Shiba remains sharp-tongued and seemingly indifferent to others’ opinions, but steps in when she sees a woman being harassed. She uses public embarrassment—and her knowledge of people’s secrets—to challenge Yang Cheng.
• Tang Xiao is angry that Tang Shiba may have witnessed his conflict with Gu Qingcheng and worries she sees him as the villain. His pride and refusal to trust Gu leave him vulnerable to manipulation.
• Tang Xueqing presents herself as concerned while covertly steering Gu against Tang Shiba, revealing her calculating, manipulative nature.
• Gu Qingcheng is open to Tang Shiba at first, but quickly becomes wary after hearing Xueqing’s account.
• Tang Third Brother is humbled when he recognizes that the male-lead casting is already settled.
• Yang Cheng is exposed as an alleged repeat offender; the intimidated newcomer receives Tang Shiba’s indirect support.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and mistrust: Xueqing exploits personal relationships to keep Tang Xiao and Gu Qingcheng apart.
• Love and self-destruction: Tang Shiba views Tang Xiao’s distrust and romantic stubbornness as a path toward his own downfall.
• Speaking up against harassment: Tang Shiba confronts abuse that others fear challenging because of the entertainment industry’s power dynamics.
• Public judgment and accountability: The audition room’s reaction—and the anti-fans’ investigation—shows how quickly allegations can reshape someone’s reputation.

Tang Shiba arrives at an audition for a servant role, where Tang Xueqing mocks her choice and pretends to be upset when Shiba refuses to encourage her. Shiba responds with a cutting remark, while privately exposing Xueqing’s supposed sleepless night as a lie. She also wins a new gossip-system card that lets nearby “cannon fodder” hear her revelations, and decides to save it for the crowded production set.
At the audition, Shiba performs a scene caring for a drunk young master. Her demeanor transforms completely: she plays the servant with graceful, youthful sincerity and performs each simple task with convincing care. The director and producer are impressed and suggest she take the supporting-actress role, but Shiba declines—she wants only the servant role, partly because she values the gossip and handsome co-stars she expects on set. The director agrees to contact her about joining the production.
Afterward, Xueqing asks how the audition went, expecting Shiba to struggle. Shiba tells her she has passed, leaving Xueqing briefly unsettled. Shiba then addresses Gu Qingcheng, whose financial and family difficulties she somehow knows about. Gu suspects Tang Xiao disclosed the information, but Shiba says she only wants to warn her and quietly tells her to stay away from Xueqing. Gu interprets the warning as proof that Shiba is trying to isolate Xueqing.
Character developments and interactions: Shiba shows that beneath her brash public persona she has real acting skill and can shift convincingly into a restrained role. She remains sharp-tongued with Xueqing, who masks hostility with sweet concern. Gu is wary of Shiba and distrusts her warning, setting up further conflict.
Themes: The chapter contrasts public reputation with hidden ability, explores manipulation and mistrust between the women, and highlights Shiba’s irreverent ambition: rather than chasing prestige, she chooses the role—and the opportunities for gossip—that she actually wants.

Key plot points and events

• The finalized cast heads to a mountain location near Cloud City to begin filming. Before leaving, Tang Shiba’s mother secretly gives her a bank card while pretending to fuss over both daughters.
• Tang Shiba’s parents worry about her safety, while Tang Xueqing gets no money or reassurance and feels increasingly jealous.
• During the drive, Tang Shiba recognizes that the family driver abuses his wife and daughter, but sees no easy way to intervene without worsening their situation.
• At a noodle shop, Tang Xueqing spends time with her fans while they criticize Tang Shiba for supposedly bossing her around. Tang Xueqing’s carefully phrased remarks encourage that impression.
• Two of Tang Shiba’s haters accuse the fans of stealing their boyfriends and chase them away, loudly insulting Tang Xueqing in the process. Tang Shiba and Tang Xueqing leave as the crowd gathers.
• Back in the car, Tang Xueqing complains of stomach pain. A sudden sound prompts Tang Shiba to cover her nose, setting up a comic cliffhanger.

Character developments

• Tang Shiba remains blunt, self-interested, and amused by conflict, but her anger at the driver’s domestic abuse reveals a strong hatred of bullies. She also appreciates that her haters are intimidating others—provided they leave her alone.
• Tang Xueqing grows more resentful of the affection and money Tang Shiba receives. In public, she presents herself as the obedient, mistreated younger sister, subtly turning her fans against Tang Shiba.
• Tang Shiba’s parents favor and trust Shiba, believing she can handle danger, while remaining less attentive to Xueqing.
• The haters appear aggressive and chaotic, but their intervention unexpectedly disrupts Tang Xueqing’s attempt to position herself as the victim.

Significant themes

• Favoritism and sibling rivalry: The parents’ unequal treatment deepens the sisters’ resentment and competition.
• Public image and manipulation: Tang Xueqing uses implication and performance to shape how fans view her relationship with Tang Shiba.
• Abuse and powerlessness: Tang Shiba recognizes the driver’s violence but struggles to find a way to help his family safely.
• Comic reversal: Tang Shiba’s own haters target Tang Xueqing’s fans, turning the expected conflict into absurd entertainment.

Character interactions

• Tang Shiba’s parents show concern for her and secretly give her money; Xueqing’s attempt to attract similar attention goes unrewarded.
• Tang Shiba avoids helping Xueqing with her luggage and later ignores her efforts to start conversation.
• Tang Xueqing’s fans defend her and accuse Tang Shiba of controlling her, while Xueqing’s “please don’t fight” act reinforces their assumptions.
• Tang Shiba’s haters confront the fans, forcing Xueqing to abandon her attempt to linger and show off.

Plot and events

Tang Shiba and Tang Xueqing ride to a mountain villa. Xueqing’s secret binge on beans and other snacks leaves her gassy and mortified; Shiba mocks her privately but also buys snacks for the driver, who accepts them after some hesitation. On the drive, Shiba sees news that actor Yang Cheng has been arrested after a real-name accusation of raping a minor and the discovery of illicit photos and videos on his computer. Xueqing worries Shiba’s uncanny predictions might expose her own secrets, but relaxes when Shiba claims an anti-fan told her.
Shiba notices a cryptic post from Emperor Si that sparks fan speculation, then happily likes and saves unflattering memes made about herself. At the villa, Xueqing struggles with her suitcase in high heels and asks Shiba to help. When Shiba refuses, Xueqing sits down crying. Gu Qingcheng arrives, assumes Shiba bullied her, and takes Xueqing’s side. The system reveals Xueqing had deliberately summoned Gu to stage the scene. Shiba sees through the act but chooses not to challenge it, anticipating more gossip and planning to use a “Cannon Fodder Gossip Card” once everyone arrives.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Shiba remains sharp, irreverent, and unbothered by her worsening public image. She shows unexpected generosity to the driver, conceals her knowledge behind a convenient excuse, and enjoys the online memes about herself.
• Tang Xueqing is embarrassed by her digestive mishap, then shifts to her familiar role of helpless victim. She deliberately engineers Gu Qingcheng’s arrival to make Shiba look cruel.
• Gu Qingcheng quickly judges Shiba and comforts Xueqing, demonstrating loyalty but also a tendency to mistake appearances for truth.
• Tang Shiba and Tang Xueqing trade barbs and navigate Xueqing’s manipulation; Shiba recognizes the setup but lets it play out.
• Tang Shiba and the driver share a brief, warmer exchange: her gift improves his opinion of her.

Significant themes

The chapter contrasts appearance and reality: Xueqing performs innocence while arranging a false impression, and Gu accepts the scene at face value. It also uses public reputation and celebrity gossip for comedy and suspense, while Shiba’s irreverence and the system’s commentary keep the tone playful.

Plot points and events

• Tang Shiba arrives at the villa with Tang Xueqing and Gu Qingcheng. Xueqing draws Gu Qingcheng into her confidence, while Shiba privately mocks their dangerous “sisterly” bond.
• Xueqing calls Tang Xiao and invites him to visit the set, pretending not to know his connection to Gu Qingcheng. Gu is excited at the thought of seeing him.
• Shiba’s gossip card activates on set, making her unspoken thoughts audible to the crew. She exposes an actor’s wife for livestreaming counterfeit goods, including expired sanitary pads and adulterated honey.
• The actor, Lin Feng, recognizes that Shiba’s gossip concerns him. He urgently persuades his wife to end the sales contract and pays a ten-million penalty to prevent a scandal.
• Tang Xueqing tries to monopolize Si Wuyu’s attention by asking him for acting advice. He cuts her off and directs her to seek advice from Gu Qingcheng instead, then asks her to step aside so he can rehearse.
• Xueqing leaves in tears, with Gu Qingcheng following her. Shiba’s thoughts reveal Xueqing’s jealousy of Gu’s praise.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Shiba remains irreverent and observant, enjoying the chaos her gossip causes while helping carry equipment. Her thoughts inadvertently become a powerful force on set.
• Tang Xueqing acts sweet and vulnerable to win Gu Qingcheng’s trust, but her envy shows when Si Wuyu praises Gu instead of her.
• Gu Qingcheng responds warmly to Xueqing’s friendship and remains hopeful that Tang Xiao might notice her acting.
• Si Wuyu recognizes Shiba’s voice and is irritated by Xueqing’s pestering. His attention seems drawn to Shiba, though she compares him to her dog, Er Gou.
• Lin Feng is frightened into intervening in his wife’s fraudulent business, sacrificing ten million to contain the damage.

Significant themes

• Gossip as exposure and consequence: Shiba’s thoughts reveal hidden misconduct and immediately alter people’s actions.
• False friendship and jealousy: Xueqing presents herself as Gu’s sisterly confidante while privately resenting Gu’s success.
• Public image and hidden behavior: The set’s polished entertainment world contrasts with the scandals and manipulation beneath it.

Plot and character developments

• Gu Qingcheng finds Tang Xueqing crying after losing the lead role. Xueqing says she was hurt because she likes Emperor Si and had hoped to grow closer to him during filming.
• Feeling sympathetic—and a little guilty that she won the role—Qingcheng agrees to avoid physical contact with Emperor Si, including filmed kisses and intimate scenes. Xueqing also warns her that her sister, Tang Shiba, may pursue him, and Qingcheng promises to keep watch.
• Back on set, Shiba is helping with construction while other actors stand by. Xueqing offers to help, but Shiba takes her at her word and drops the materials for her to carry. Qingcheng steps in instead.
• Shiba then directs Qingcheng through the work, teasing and criticizing her as she struggles. Xueqing claims her hand hurts and thanks Qingcheng for doing the labor.
• Shiba mocks Xueqing for gossiping and recalls that she farted in the car. The remark entertains the onlookers and enrages Xueqing. When Xueqing accuses Shiba of acting like a diva, Shiba fires back. Qingcheng finally steps between them and tells Shiba to stop bullying Xueqing.

Character interactions and themes

• Qingcheng and Xueqing: Qingcheng’s empathy and loyalty make her easy for Xueqing to enlist as both an ally and an informant. Xueqing presents herself as vulnerable, though the narration suggests she is strategically manipulating Qingcheng.
• Shiba and Xueqing: Their hostility plays out through taunts, accusations, and competing attempts to control how others see them.
• Shiba and Qingcheng: Shiba’s teasing turns Qingcheng into the target of the manual-labor scene; Qingcheng nevertheless prioritizes protecting Xueqing.
• Themes: The chapter explores friendship, loyalty, and trust, while exposing the gap between sincere kindness and calculated charm. It also highlights workplace unfairness and the use of gossip, public image, and mockery as weapons.

Key plot points

• Gu Qingcheng and Tang Xueqing confront Tang Shiba, but Shiba intimidates Gu without throwing a punch and mocks her for acting brave only when protected by others. An anti-fan records the exchange, and the fan group plans to edit and post it online.
• Si Wuyu approaches Shiba, but she runs away after privately thinking that getting involved with the male lead could be dangerous. Her thoughts also reveal that she believes he is a virgin, drawing shocked reactions from the crew and visibly unsettling him.
• At lunch, Shiba finds all the food gone. Xueqing offers food from her bowl, which Shiba refuses. Gu eats it instead, and Shiba mocks them both. Xueqing then pretends to twist her ankle and knocks Shiba’s food to the ground; Shiba retaliates by spilling Gu’s food.
• A man scolds Shiba for causing trouble. Shiba’s inner commentary identifies him as Lin Feng, a rich heir with a scandalous history involving a supporting actor’s wife. Lin appears to recognize the accusation and becomes furious.
• Shiba challenges the man to meet her that night, then clarifies that she intends to scare him dressed as a ghost. She predicts his family will go bankrupt and that another man’s son will call him “Dad.” Though he agrees to meet, he is visibly shaken. The anti-fan identifies him as Zhang Dongming and plans to investigate his finances and private life.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Shiba remains fearless, irreverent, and combative, using mockery and startling predictions to unsettle people. She refuses to be drawn into a physical fight, but retaliates when Xueqing sabotages her meal.
• Gu Qingcheng is easily intimidated by Shiba and grows angry at her insults, while trying to defend Xueqing.
• Tang Xueqing presents herself as kind by offering food, but her actions reveal spite when she deliberately knocks Shiba’s meal away.
• Si Wuyu is intrigued enough to approach Shiba, but her sudden escape frustrates and confuses him. Her thoughts about his supposed virginity also embarrass him and excite the watching crew.
• The onlookers and anti-fans turn the confrontations into entertainment and prepare to spread edited footage and fresh gossip. Lin Feng’s anger at Shiba’s revelation foreshadows trouble.

Significant themes

• Public image versus hidden truth: The characters’ outward behavior contrasts with their private motives, while Shiba’s thoughts expose secrets and scandals.
• Gossip as power and entertainment: The crew and anti-fan group eagerly turn personal conflict into viral material.
• Retaliation and social performance: Shiba’s taunts, predictions, and theatrical challenge let her dominate confrontations without immediately resorting to violence.

Key events

• On the fifteenth, Tang Shiba’s gossip-hungry system announces that several people are knocking on doors around the residence. Tang Shiba escapes through her window and gathers in the garden to watch; other curious residents, including the Film Emperor, quietly join her.
• An actress gets into the Assistant Director’s room under the pretense of rehearsing. Their suggestive “acting lesson” moves from the bed to the balcony, where the hidden audience can see and hear everything.
• The supporting actor, Lin Feng, turns away a male visitor, then goes downstairs and runs into Zhang Dongming, the rich heir. They trade insults over Lin Feng’s lost “number-one donor” and fight. Both are injured, but Zhang leaves defeated.
• Zhou Dan, who has been out procuring women for the Assistant Director, returns late and finds Tang Shiba has locked her out. The Assistant Director himself refused Zhou Dan’s offer, though he believed his apprentice had turned her away.
• Zhou Dan also knocks on Tang Xueqing’s door. Tang Xueqing pretends to be frightened by “ghosts,” eventually lets Zhou Dan in, and hears her claim that Tang Shiba deliberately refused to open her door. Tang Shiba refuses to let Zhou Dan back in.
• Tang Shiba’s gossip ends with the pleasant discovery that Gu Qingcheng is sleeping on the floor, leaving her a bed to herself. After the onlookers disperse, she settles beneath a tree—but realizes she has been leaning against someone. The system identifies him as Emperor Si.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Shiba is mischievous, observant, and delighted by scandal, narrating events for the other spectators. She also shows contempt for Zhou Dan’s exploitation of women and refuses to cooperate with her.
• Zhou Dan is portrayed as manipulative and predatory: she tries to procure a woman for the Assistant Director and appears intent on doing the same to Tang Shiba. Tang Shiba’s account links Zhou’s influence to Zhao Tiantian’s exploitation.
• Tang Xueqing avoids Zhou Dan at first, then lets her in and accepts her version of events, contrasting with Tang Shiba’s resistance.
• Lin Feng and Zhang Dongming have a volatile rivalry that turns into a physical fight over a donor. Their confrontation leaves both hurt and draws attention from the hidden crowd.
• The Assistant Director and actress stage an intimate rehearsal that fuels the audience’s gossip; the Director, meanwhile, takes no part in Zhou Dan’s scheme.
• The Film Emperor quietly joins the garden audience, but Tang Shiba never notices him until the chapter’s final reveal.

Significant themes

• Voyeurism and gossip: The residents’ secret audience turns private encounters into public entertainment, with Tang Shiba acting as its enthusiastic narrator.
• Exploitation and resistance: Zhou Dan’s attempts to arrange women for men expose the story’s darker side of the entertainment world, while Tang Shiba’s refusal marks her resistance.
• Appearance versus reality: The “rehearsal” is transparently suggestive, and Tang Xueqing’s ghost story masks her reluctance to answer the door.
• Comic irony and secrecy: Everyone sneaks around to watch others, yet fails to notice who is watching them—especially Tang Shiba’s surprise discovery of Emperor Si.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Shiba unexpectedly sits on Si Wuyu in the dark and apologizes. He brings up her previous accidental touching and sleeping beside him, then invites her to touch his abs again. She eagerly accepts, but the system warns that Si’s second uncle’s family is plotting to kill him during filming.
• Alarmed by the danger, Tang Shiba withdraws and leaves. Si Wuyu realizes he may have unusual feelings for her and blames his uncle for frightening her away.
• A crew member who witnessed a fight the previous night shares gossip in a private fan group, including rumors about supporting actor Lin Feng and a mysterious “cat” near the assistant director’s room. The hater also posts an unflattering photo of Tang Shiba.
• In the morning, Tang Shiba learns that a driver who had been drinking crashed and died. Her mother sends her 200,000 yuan and advises her not to contact him again.
• Tang Xueqing, Gu Qingcheng, and Zhou Dan confront Tang Shiba. Zhou Dan accuses her of ignoring late-night knocks and leaving her without a place to sleep. Tang Shiba denies hearing her and trades barbed insults with Zhou Dan.

Character developments

• Tang Shiba remains shamelessly playful and attracted to Si Wuyu, but the warning about his family makes her cautious. She is also blunt and quick to defend herself against Zhou Dan.
• Si Wuyu appears increasingly drawn to Tang Shiba, using his abs to entice her, though he has not settled on whether his feelings are affection or a desire to tease her. His uncle’s continued threat makes him angry.
• Zhou Dan is exhausted and furious after a sleepless night, and her attempt to blame Tang Shiba escalates into a confrontation.
• Tang Xueqing takes Zhou Dan’s side, while Gu Qingcheng watches the clash with frustration.

Significant themes

• Attraction versus self-preservation: Tang Shiba’s fascination with Si Wuyu clashes with the danger surrounding him.
• Consequences and responsibility: The driver’s death underscores the risks of drinking and driving.
• Gossip and public image: The crew’s private chatter and the hostile social-media post show how quickly rumors and ridicule spread.
• Conflict through humor: Tang Shiba uses sarcasm and wordplay to deflect blame and provoke her antagonists.

Character interactions

• Si Wuyu and Tang Shiba share a flirtatious, physically charged moment, interrupted in effect by the system’s warning.
• Tang Shiba’s family offers practical support through her mother’s message and money transfer.
• Tang Shiba confronts Zhou Dan’s accusation with feigned innocence and insults, while Tang Xueqing defends Zhou and Gu Qingcheng observes unhappily.