OFCC – Chapter 68

The young assistant next to her chimed in thoughtlessly, “Ah, Yanche is so pitiful. It’s a good thing he’s back in the country. No one will dare to bully him anymore.”

Mu Yanxi: …Excuse me, but I’d quite like to bully your brother.

She wondered if she transformed into some kind of nation-toppling femme fatale and whispered in Yi Wulan’s ear, would Rongjia Entertainment be able to blacklist Mu Yanche?

However, for one, Mu Yanche still had that system with him. For another, she was a law-abiding citizen. If she had the spare time to blacklist Mu Yanche, she might as well spend that money on herself.

Mu Yanxi sighed. At her manager’s reminder, she was finally freed from the pincer attack of the makeup artist and the young assistant and headed to the recording set.

The other main cast members of 《Peach Blossom Debt》 had all arrived. Although Mu Yanxi had reaped the biggest benefits from this drama, she still stood to the side according to her billing order when with the cast, which helped avoid a lot of fan wars. The other celebrities in the cast were also reasonably friendly towards her.

The first half of the recording went very smoothly. Even the host’s questions were identical to the script they had received beforehand.

In the latter half, when the cast of 《Peach Blossom Debt》 changed into their costumes from the show and each recited a classic line, the audience’s excitement was pushed to its peak.

Near the end, since they still needed about ten more minutes of recording time, the director’s team temporarily added a nostalgia segment. The cast members were all somewhat famous, so they had naturally been on 《Happy 100%》 before. Their embarrassing pasts from those eras could be dug up with ease.

First up was the male lead, Ai Jiacheng. Although Ai Jiacheng was now almost thirty and played the mature and steady Prince Rui in the drama, he had been on 《Happy 100%》 when he was seventeen. The host had just said, “Let’s look at the big screen,” when his young, tender voice came through the speakers:

“Hello everyone, I’m Ai Jiacheng, who loves you all the most. I heard that those who follow me can find sweet, sweet love~”

“Let me sing a sweet little song for you all. Oh bye, say a little less, I want to be with you for more than just one day~ A little more, let me willingly love you~”

But even more soul-crushing than his voice was the fact that the Ai Jiacheng of that time was wearing a fan-made sweatshirt, had a very obedient flat fringe, and fluffy hair. He was dancing and smiling sweetly at the camera, his round eyes practically shimmering with moisture.

“Whoosh—thump.” The plastic chair under Ai Jiacheng’s feet slipped, and he instantly fell to the floor. Having long since transitioned to a mature style, he now buried his face firmly in his knees, remaining motionless no matter how excitedly the fans below the stage screamed.

The second was the female lead, Ying Qianran. She had also debuted early. After watching Ai Jiacheng’s embarrassing past, she had already covered her face in advance.

But covering her face was useless. The large screen on the set soon began playing a clip of Ying Qianran singing and dancing on the show. At the time, she was still a member of a girl group, speaking haltingly and with extreme awkwardness, and she was certainly not the most dazzling one in the group.

When she sang and danced, every cell in her body seemed to be exerting force, a world of difference from the present-day her who could go be a mentor to trainees right after leaving a drama set. It was so awkward that Ying Qianran nearly fainted.

The clips on the big screen played one after another. Almost no one could escape.

But, there was an exception.

That was Mu Yanxi, who had never been famous before. In the spirit of a gossip-monger, she watched the others from the cast embarrass themselves with a calm and focused expression.

Since the relationships within the cast were good, when the last person’s clip finished playing, the male actor who played Prince Qi suddenly spoke up, “What about the Little Commandery Princess? Why haven’t I seen my Little Commandery Princess?”

As the actor whose character, Prince Qi, had the most entanglement with Mu Yanxi in the drama, and the one who had been mocked the most by Mu Yanxi after his embarrassing past was exposed, he was now trying to get the show to dig up some dirt on Mu Yanxi as well.

Mu Yanxi sat there leisurely, not worried in the slightest. This was her first time on this show. Besides, she had been constantly attacked since her debut, so almost everything was an embarrassing past. She believed nothing could faze her, and she was completely calm and composed.

Then, a particularly kawaii scene appeared on the big screen. A small figure, dressed in the same costume Mu Yanxi wore before her death in 《Peach Blossom Debt》, was surrounded by flowers and grass, with colorful balloons floating in the sky. The highly rhythmic prelude to a Super Mario level began to play, and the audience’s DNA was instantly activated, unable to resist tapping along to the beat.

Next, the little figure representing Mu Yanxi began to run through the level like Mario. There were few obstacles on the long path, but every time she jumped, a large line of text would appear above her head: 【Mu Yanxi liked ‘Most Beautiful in Domestic Entertainment’】【Mu Yanxi liked ‘Number One Beauty in Domestic Entertainment’】【Mu Yanxi liked ‘Number One Beauty in Historical Costume’】…

Each jump was like giving herself a thumbs-up, revealing one of Mu Yanxi’s past accidental “likes.”

Mu Yanxi’s face froze. She almost tripped on the long hem of her dress. Just as she managed to steady herself, the screen had already finished playing that cringey video.

Mu Yanxi usually had no qualms about liking Weibo posts that praised her own looks, but even her thick skin couldn’t withstand such a public execution!

Where was even a hint of her previous composure?

The other celebrities who had just been embarrassed were laughing so hard they were bent over, shouting between laughs, “Who was it just now that looked so unafraid of being exposed, hahaha! Xiao Mu, are you still going to be stubborn?”

“Elder Sister will stand up for you. The Little Commandery Princess is the most beautiful, no arguments accepted.”

“Our Little Commandery Princess is the number one beauty of the capital.”

Mu Yanxi: …For the first time in my life, I don’t want to admit my own beauty.

Fortunately, the recording was nearing its end. Amidst the teasing of the cast, Mu Yanxi finally escaped the terrifying recording studio.

But how could a variety show recorded with a live audience be so simple? Before they had even finished, someone had already posted the Super Mario video on Weibo. Within minutes, it was trending, and the hashtag was #ICantBeTheOnlyOneWhoSawThis#.

After gaining popularity from 《Peach Blossom Debt》, and with the continuous spread of video edits of the Little Commandery Princess by various content creators, plus the fact that tragedies in historical idol dramas tend to become blockbusters, netizens’ attitudes towards Mu Yanxi were gradually changing.

If such a trending topic had appeared before, it would have definitely been someone buying negative publicity against her. But Fruit TV’s marketing tactics had always been formidable. After buying the broadcasting rights for 《Peach Blossom Debt》, it planned to use the celebrities to stir up some hype, and the main cast members were the best entry point for that.

Sure enough, the comments below were all lighthearted and full of laughter:

【Hahahaha, is this the cool and aloof Ai Jiacheng I remember? The way he wiggled his hips to ‘Love You’ is killing me】

【Ying Qianran was so innocent back then, ahhhhhh, Elder Sister, I’m here for you!】

【I’m starting to become a fan of Mu Yanxi. Why does she have the face of a beauty but such a hilarious personality, hahahaha】

【Let me see how beautiful this narcissist is… Ah, it’s my little flower vase. Never mind then】

【Little flower vase, fly bravely, Mama will always be with you. Please send money for anti-fan work】

【Promoting to the world the little flower vase who debuted two years ago and is still an 18th-tier celebrity! Everyone, go admire her face! You won’t regret investing!】

【Peerless beauty Mu Yanxi, ten thousand yuan, thank you】

【Peerless beauty Mu Yanxi, I only need one thousand, hurry up】

【Peerless beauty Mu Yanxi, one hundred per post is enough for me】

【??? Someone, drag away the people above who are driving down the price】

After the show, Mu Yanxi saw these comments online. While walking towards the parking lot, she replied: 【@CyberspaceAdministration, someone here is engaging in blackmail and extortion】

A few seconds after she posted that comment, the young assistant behind her suddenly lunged forward, hugging her arm and wailing, “Teacher Mu! I’m begging you! Can you please stop using Weibo? Didn’t you see how that show exposed your entire past?”

Mu Yanxi hesitated for two seconds, clutching her phone, unwilling to let go. “But those netizens aren’t attacking me.”

The young assistant: …

The young assistant received a look from the manager and continued to cry, “That’s because Fruit TV’s marketing is good. You’ve finally gained a little popularity, ah, wuwuwu.”

Seeing Mu Yanxi hesitate, the young assistant continued to play the victim: “Teacher Mu, you’re a fairy! The most beautiful Teacher Mu in the world, please don’t stoop to the level of these mortals, okay? A fairy needs to keep her distance from mortals, Teacher Mu!”

Mu Yanxi glanced back at the young women on her management team who were working overtime, took a deep breath, and finally put down her phone. “Fine.”

Her manager quickly handed her a bottle of water, praising her all the way, “Teacher Mu, please bear with it for a little while. Just lay low for a bit. Once this wave of popularity cools down, we can interact with the fans again, okay? I have to go accompany someone for a night shoot later. You’ve promised me, so you can’t go back on your word, right?”

Mu Yanxi agreed. Remembering the text message from before the recording, she suddenly said, “Then you can just take the car. I’ll have Chen Xu drive me.”

Ever since Chen Xu started following Mu Yanxi, regardless of whether the manager had arranged a car, Chen Xu would always drive a business SUV worth over a million to pick her up and drop her off. Even if they were photographed, it wouldn’t seem strange.

The manager took a look and, seeing the situation, got into the car to accompany another celebrity.

By the time Mu Yanxi came out of the studio, the sky had already darkened considerably.

Night had fallen early, even before the end of the business day, bringing with it a cold evening wind that was chilly against the skin. Mu Yanxi quickened her pace towards the parking lot.

Chen Xu had already turned on the heat in the car. Mu Yanxi didn’t feel the cold much, and her mood improved. She didn’t cause any trouble online, but she did secretly browse the trending topics, enjoying the praise from netizens.

When the car stopped, Mu Yanxi looked out the window and asked doubtfully, “She’s not off work yet?”

Chen Xu explained, “That’s right. President Yi has to work overtime tonight. She asked me to pick you up and bring you here.”

Mu Yanxi reluctantly took the private elevator to the president’s office.

In the office, Yi Wulan was giving instructions to Gu Yan. Mu Yanxi waited patiently for them to finish before walking over and sitting unceremoniously on Yi Wulan’s desk. “You’re working overtime again today?”

Yi Wulan nodded. “Things have been busy since the launch of the holographic products, and the subsequent products are also about to be released.”

For every product launch, the preliminary promotion alone was enough to keep people busy. Even if Yi Wulan didn’t have to personally attend the press conference, the conference plan and other promotional activities were unavoidable.

Mu Yanxi deliberately shifted to block Yi Wulan’s documents. “Do you remember what Doctor Xiusina said? You need to rest well before your surgery.”

“I remember.” Yi Wulan leaned to the side to get the documents. “Xiusina also said to reduce…”

She stopped mid-sentence.

The mention of this brought a strange expression to Mu Yanxi’s face.

During that night’s hour-long explanation of Yi Wulan’s condition, perhaps because Yi Wulan had previously asked her about fainting after intimate contact, Doctor Xiusina had specifically emphasized that they could not have intimate relations or sleep together.

Foreigners were not as reserved as domestic doctors. Her words were very explicit and direct, as if she was worried Mu Yanxi wouldn’t understand. She even went into detail about how orgasms could easily affect one’s vitality and spirit.

If Mu Yanxi hadn’t agreed so quickly, Doctor Xiusina might have given her a detailed lesson in human physiology.

Mu Yanxi couldn’t very well say that Yi Wulan had fainted before because her body was receiving and repairing itself with special abilities, could she?

She had no choice but to block Yi Wulan’s hand again, picking up the document and flipping through it. She said irritably, “Your Rongjia Group has so many people on the payroll. Does it have to be you, the president, working over a dozen hours every day?”

Yi Wulan seemed to have figured something out and asked, “Then will you help me look them over?”

Mu Yanxi put on an air and lifted her chin. “Teacher Mu’s time is very expensive. What do you plan to pay with?”

Yi Wulan frowned and thought for a moment. “Isn’t there a Christmas auto show in Yuncheng soon? You can just use my card for whatever you like.”

“Deal.” Mu Yanxi was about to jump off the desk but suddenly frowned again.

Lately, even without receiving any benefits, she had started helping Yi Wulan with some simple documents. The fact that Yi Wulan was now so easily offering her things made her a little uneasy. “Yi Wulan, why do I not quite believe you? You’re not trying to trick me, are you?”

Yi Wulan gave her a look that said, ‘Who else but you would be tricking people all day?’ Mu Yanxi immediately felt a pang of guilt and thought she was overthinking it.

After all, since their marriage, she had spent an unknown amount of Yi Wulan’s money, both openly and secretly.

Mu Yanxi wasn’t short of money herself, but spending Yi Wulan’s money always gave her a strange sense of triumph. Plus, Yi Wulan had always been very indulgent with her. She wouldn’t haggle over a single car.

Recalling her own spendthrift history, Mu Yanxi cheered up again. The makeup she hadn’t yet removed shimmered under the lights. She rested her fingers on Yi Wulan’s arm. “Good sister, move over a bit, won’t you?”

Yi Wulan sat in the president’s chair, motionless.

She was guarding against her as if she were a thief.

Mu Yanxi was instantly furious.

Even when she was being attacked by the entire internet, she could calmly argue back. When interacting with people in the entertainment industry, she could hide her true feelings. But whenever she was with Yi Wulan, the more time they spent together, the more easily her true emotions were stirred.

She irritably yanked the collar of Yi Wulan’s shirt forward, not even letting go when she pulled Yi Wulan’s hair. She said resentfully, “Yi Wulan, after all these years, how is it that the one I’ve set my sights on is still a block of wood like you?”

After speaking, she bent down and pressed her lips against Yi Wulan’s, grinding her teeth against them a couple of times and leaving a few faint marks before she was satisfied.

“Yi Wulan…” Mu Yanxi finally vented her anger. Inhaling the cool, woody scent, her tone was no longer as fierce as before. She leaned in gently, kissing Yi Wulan’s slightly reddened lips like a dragonfly skimming the water, and murmured, “Be good.”

Yi Wulan, who was always the one telling Mu Yanxi to be good, felt her pupils shrink.

Mu Yanxi continued softly, “I’ll help you.”

Yi Wulan cooperated for a moment before pulling away from Mu Yanxi’s lips. “Let’s go, time for dinner.”

Mu Yanxi unhappily cupped Yi Wulan’s face, forcing her to turn back. “I’m trying to be serious with you. Stop avoiding me.”

Seeing her impatience, Yi Wulan frowned and pressed the back of Mu Yanxi’s head. Her other hand wrapped around Mu Yanxi’s lower back, lifting her off the desk and forcefully deepening the light, fleeting pecks into a real kiss.

In the solemn office, white documents were scattered across the black desk. On the large office chair, the hems of their two dresses intertwined. Slender white legs kicked restlessly, only to be pressed down by a pair of hands.

This time, Mu Yanxi was thoroughly satisfied, but it also seemed like she was a little too satisfied.

She tried to push against Yi Wulan’s shoulders, her fingertips tangled in Yi Wulan’s hair and the white velvet of her shirt. She had even managed to undo two of the buttons on Yi Wulan’s prim shirt. Mu Yanxi was almost out of breath, her face scrunched up as she mumbled, “Yi Wulan, do you… even know… how?”

Anyone would know the principle of gradual progression, right?

Who would be like Yi Wulan, either not kissing at all or, when she did take the initiative, kissing her so intensely that she nearly suffocated?

Yi Wulan didn’t speak. She just tucked the strands of Mu Yanxi’s hair that had fallen across her chest behind her ear, then took the little peacock’s small bag and lightly reapplied some powder around her lips.

Although they had just been kissing, and Mu Yanxi was panting for breath, Yi Wulan was able to calmly button her own shirt, not forgetting to chide, “This is the office. Mind your image.”

Mu Yanxi: …

Then who was the one who had just lifted her down and kissed her?

And who was the one who had deepened that light kiss into this?

“Yes, yes, how could I compare to the ever-so-proper President Yi?” Mu Yanxi panted as she stood up. “Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”

Yi Wulan stood up with Mu Yanxi’s help and draped her own coat over Mu Yanxi’s shoulders. Mu Yanxi was recording a show today, and the cast was all dressed casually. For once, her shoes were flat, making her a good half-head shorter than Yi Wulan.

She let Yi Wulan put the coat on her. As Yi Wulan turned away, she couldn’t resist kicking the heel of Yi Wulan’s shoe.

Why dress so nicely for the office?

The two had their meal near Rongjia Group. Mu Yanxi casually chose a restaurant with a private room, but Yi Wulan was called back for an international conference call before she could even finish her meal.

Mu Yanxi had no choice but to go back with her, staying in the lounge of Yi Wulan’s office and scrolling through her phone. Before long, there was a knock on the lounge door.

When Yi Wulan wasn’t in the office, people rarely came in, let alone to the lounge inside the office.

The only people who could enter were either Chen Xu or, most likely, Yi Wulan’s assistant.

Either way, it was nothing good.

Mu Yanxi called out casually, “No one’s here.”

The knocking at the door paused, then a voice sounded, “Miss Mu, President Yi asked me to bring you something.”

Mu Yanxi had no choice but to put down her things and open the door.

Gu Yan stood at the door holding a stack of documents and a bag. “I had one of the young ladies in the office buy this just now. It should be to your taste. And President Yi asked me to bring these documents over.”

Mu Yanxi leaned lazily against the doorframe. “I don’t want it. Tell her to finish her meeting early and come eat with me herself.”

Gu Yan had interacted with Mu Yanxi many times and naturally knew the president’s wife’s temper. He smiled and said, “Then I’ll just take the documents back. By the time President Yi finishes her meeting and approves these, she probably won’t get more than a few hours of sleep tonight. But that’s fine, President Yi is used to it anyway.”

“How strange.” Mu Yanxi had always known that Yi Wulan’s assistant was highly capable, but she hadn’t expected his words to be so pointed. “It was clearly your President Yi who decided to push the holographic product schedule so fast. How have I suddenly become the villain?”

“I’ve already screened and annotated the documents once. They just need a final decision.” Gu Yan handed the stack of documents over. “So I’ll have to trouble Miss Mu.”

Mu Yanxi took the documents, but when Gu Yan offered her the bag of snacks, she dodged backward with a grin. “I don’t want this. Tell Yi Wulan to come herself. Just say… I miss Elder Sister Yi.”

Even though Gu Yan was in a stable and loving relationship with his own partner, his face couldn’t help but twitch slightly upon hearing Mu Yanxi’s words. He wished he could point at Mu Yanxi and tell her to shut up. But he couldn’t be rough with his boss’s darling, so he had to bottle up his frustration and go find Yi Wulan in the conference room.

The meeting ended an hour later.

The partner in the meeting was quite important, so Yi Wulan hadn’t delayed at all. But she was worried about Mu Yanxi, so she had sent Gu Yan to check on her before the meeting started. After the meeting, as Gu Yan organized the materials at hand, his gaze couldn’t help but dart towards Yi Wulan, looking like he wanted to say something but was hesitating.

Normally, Gu Yan was all business. When would he ever be so hesitant and waste time?

It wasn’t until they were in the elevator that Yi Wulan finally asked, “How is she?”

“Miss Mu, she… she didn’t want it.” Gu Yan forced himself to answer. “She said she wants you, President Yi, to go eat with her yourself.”

Yi Wulan knew at once that Mu Yanxi was acting up again. She clutched the documents in her hand and walked out of the elevator without a word.

Gu Yan was suddenly unsure if he should follow, but remembering the message Mu Yanxi had asked him to deliver, he had no choice but to walk over.

“What about the documents?”

“Miss Mu kept them. She’ll probably look at them.” Gu Yan also knew a little about Yi Wulan’s physical condition and knew that for a period of time in the future, his boss might be replaced by that Second Miss Mu. So he put in a good word for Mu Yanxi, “Miss Mu was quite cooperative, she just refused to eat.”

After saying that, he even sighed.

It was a sigh full of sympathy for Mu Yanxi, who was working without getting paid.

Yi Wulan’s steps faltered.

Gu Yan probed, “President Yi, why don’t you take the night off from overtime?”

Yi Wulan pursed her lips, her every action screaming ‘business first’.

But Gu Yan saw that his boss had already crumpled the documents in her hand, which were worth several hundred million.

He took the opportunity to add the last thing Mu Yanxi had said, his voice extremely unnatural. “Miss Mu also said, she also said…”

Yi Wulan stopped walking. “Is work so busy that you can’t even speak clearly? Do you want me to give you a vacation?”

Gu Yan shook his head quickly. Just before Yi Wulan walked into the office, he blurted out the last sentence: “She said she misses Elder Sister Yi.”

After saying that, he scurried back to his own office as if his feet were greased.

Yi Wulan: …

Adding ‘Elder Sister’ after a surname was, by all accounts, a perfectly normal and polite form of address. Yi Wulan was always unfazed when younger people called her ‘Elder Sister Yi’.

But whenever Mu Yanxi used this address, it was as if her mouth was filled with honey, the last syllable rising in a soft, sweet lilt, always making her think of the intimate moments between them.

When the little ancestor was willing to obediently call her ‘Elder Sister’, it was always when she wanted something or was just fooling around, often trying to wheedle some intimate favor out of her.

The three words ‘Elder Sister Yi’ had become a kind of tacit, secret code between them.

Yi Wulan put down the documents in her hand and walked straight towards the lounge.

From his office, Gu Yan was organizing some files when he suddenly heard a noise outside. He looked through the glass.

He saw his boss, who always put the company first, not working overtime but instead being pulled away by her little vixen.

Gu Yan looked at the pile of documents in front of him that he still needed to finish tonight, his mood extremely complicated.

A young secretary came to deliver a few more documents. Seeing his expression, she couldn’t help but ask, “Assistant Gu, what’s wrong?”

Gu Yan shook his head and sighed with profound wisdom, “You wouldn’t understand.”

The young secretary: ?

You’re so weird.

Rewind to a few minutes earlier. Mu Yanxi was flipping through the project files, making revisions to some of Gu Yan’s annotations. She was so engrossed that she only realized Yi Wulan had walked in and was standing in front of her when she was already there.

Yi Wulan placed the documents she had just brought back on Mu Yanxi’s desk, pulled up a chair to sit in front of her, and began to check the files Mu Yanxi had finished annotating.

Mu Yanxi: …

Mu Yanxi stared dumbfounded at Yi Wulan’s actions. Seeing that Yi Wulan was genuinely starting to check them seriously, her eyes filled with disbelief. “Yi Wulan, did Gu Yan not give you my message? Don’t tell me you don’t know why I called you here?”

Yi Wulan frowned. “It’s still early for a late-night snack, but we can go now if you want.”

“Snack, my foot!” Mu Yanxi slammed the table and stood up, furious. “Go look at your documents in the outer office.”

Any person with a temper would have probably been unable to stand Mu Yanxi’s mood swings long ago, but she had encountered the taciturn and good-tempered Yi Wulan.

Yi Wulan simply gathered the documents on the table and then looked at her. “Let’s go. Time to go home.”

Mu Yanxi, her face sullen, initially didn’t want to pay her any mind. But seeing Yi Wulan still standing there waiting for her, she soon stood up and shuffled over to stand behind Yi Wulan, resting her head on her shoulder and mumbling, “Yi Wulan.”

Yi Wulan acknowledged her with a sound and didn’t push her away.

Mu Yanxi’s arms wrapped around Yi Wulan’s waist. “If you keep being this busy, what if you don’t meet the conditions for surgery again?”

Yi Wulan’s hand holding the documents tightened slightly. She freed one hand to cover Mu Yanxi’s hand resting on her waist.

After a long moment, she spoke softly, “I’ll be careful.”

“Mm. I know that with the holographic products just launched and the end of the year approaching, you’ll be busier. But the blood clot in your brain has finally stopped growing. If it relapses, I’ll become a widow who can be bullied by anyone.”

Yi Wulan finally couldn’t take it anymore. She turned around and covered Mu Yanxi’s mouth. “Don’t say things like that.”

Mu Yanxi mumbled and shifted her head against her hand.

Yi Wulan said indifferently, “That won’t happen.”

Mu Yanxi pulled down Yi Wulan’s cool hand and warmed it in her own, not forgetting to deliberately argue, “If you keep working overtime like this every day, it really will come true.”

“I’ll do my best to arrange my work from now on.”

Mu Yanxi impatiently reached out, took the documents from Yi Wulan’s hand, and pulled her by the hand towards the door. “Let’s go. I need to hurry up and read these documents. Don’t talk to me.”

Yi Wulan: …

Mu Yanxi had few engagements recently. Even the final episode of 《Secret Room Rush Rush Rush》 had finished recording, concluding perfectly.

And 《Peach Blossom Debt》, whose broadcasting rights had been bought by Fruit TV, officially began to air. Although it had already been streamed online once, Fruit TV’s beautiful trailers attracted many people who hadn’t seen it online before. Coupled with the fact that it was broadcast in the primetime slot at 8 p.m. every night, many who had already seen it once were willing to watch it again.

In its first week, the viewership ratings for 《Peach Blossom Debt》 were extremely impressive, breaking 2% early on, not at all inferior to new dramas airing for the first time. This number meant that the actual ratings for 《Peach Blossom Debt》 had a high chance of breaking 3%, becoming a ratings blockbuster during this busy year-end period.

Sure enough, although audiences claimed to like sweet and satisfying dramas, the ones that ultimately became explosive hits were often those with a touch of tragic regret.

Fruit TV’s ratings also gave other television stations an idea. A few days after it started airing, 《Peach Blossom Debt》 had already begun broadcasting on two platforms, and it was rumored that many other stations were vying for its broadcasting rights.

Although the production of 《Peach Blossom Debt》 was excellent, it was initially produced by a video platform and was never intended to be broadcast on a satellite channel. Its current success brought both fame and fortune to the cast and crew. Many in the industry even felt that 《Peach Blossom Debt》 might be able to contend for an award next year.

As the end of the year approached, all industries were rushing to meet their KPIs, and the entertainment industry was no exception. Today, a top-tier starlet’s relationship was exposed; tomorrow, an award-winning actor was caught cheating; the day after, some popular male star returned to the country, and so on.

Mu Yanxi’s film, television, and variety show work had all stopped, leaving only occasional promotional activities for her endorsements. Her manager, Ling Yi, was juggling new talent while keeping up with the industry gossip. Just when she thought that no matter how chaotic things got, the drama wouldn’t reach her own doorstep, something happened.

To be specific, it was the endorsement from the sponsor of 《Secret Room Rush Rush Rush》 that Mu Yanxi had taken on that ran into trouble.

QT was a Sino-foreign joint venture brand. Backed by a foreign luxury brand, its conduct naturally inherited some of the arrogance of luxury brands.

With the big year-end show approaching, QT released some designs for new gowns in advance to attract customers. One of them borrowed from an ancient Chinese clothing style. In fact, it was no big deal for a joint venture to borrow from the culture; it could be seen as continuing and promoting the national essence.

But QT just had to display the designer’s concept below the dress, and in doing so, promote the traditional culture of Country T.

With that, QT was immediately flamed on the trending topics. This wasn’t borrowing culture; it was clearly stealing culture and refusing to admit it.

This Country T had done many similar things before. The minor skirmishes in the past could be overlooked, but this time it was blatant theft. Not only did they steal, but they were also using the stolen goods to make money from the Chinese people.

Weibo was filled with condemnation for Country T. Coincidentally, the news of Yanche’s return to the country had been buzzing recently. The person hadn’t even returned, but the trending topics were heralding his arrival every few days. Now that Country T was in trouble, wasn’t he dragged into it?

If Country T’s singing and dancing are so great, why are you coming back to China? Just go be a citizen of Country T, why don’t you?

But for the fans who had been eagerly awaiting Yanche’s return, how could their idol be ostracized just because he was coming back from Country T?

Their idol had finally managed to terminate his contract, only to encounter a stumbling block.

So, Yanche’s major fans immediately posted long essays, tearfully writing about how hard Yanche had worked to terminate his contract with the agency in Country T, how he had been oppressed by Country T, and how he only wanted to return to the embrace of his motherland as soon as possible.

They also wrote about how Yanche had gone abroad at a young age and how hard he practiced singing and dancing every day, successfully creating the persona of a young man striving for his dreams, which resonated with many young people.

To completely divert attention, Yanche’s team also paid off marketing accounts to point the finger at QT’s spokesperson.

The problem was with QT. If Yanche, a celebrity merely associated with Country T, was being condemned, how could Mu Yanxi, QT’s spokesperson, emerge unscathed?

Originally, after QT was exposed on the trending topics, Mu Yanxi’s Weibo was also quickly flooded. Due to the positive things Mu Yanxi had done before, no one had been too harsh in their criticism yet, merely urging her to terminate the contract as soon as possible.

But with the overt and covert mockery from those marketing accounts, the public opinion of netizens also became more extreme.

Misfortunes never come singly. On the day after the QT incident, Mu Yanxi, as the brand’s spokesperson, was required to make an appearance at the QT fashion show before the runway started.

If Mu Yanxi refused to participate, she would face a huge eight-figure penalty for breach of contract. If she forcibly terminated the contract, the amount of compensation required would be even higher. This was an oversight when the contract was signed.

This was, after all, the first relatively high-profile endorsement Mu Yanxi had received after gaining some popularity. Even if it couldn’t compare to the luxury brands endorsed by other A-list celebrities, it could still crush most second and third-tier celebrities. Apart from the strict breach of contract clauses, the rest of the contract was very reasonable.

Generally speaking, there were rarely any situations that required contract termination for endorsements. The celebrity was responsible for cooperating with promotions, and the brand was responsible for paying the endorsement fee. Therefore, these breach of contract clauses were often just for show.

But Mu Yanxi had stumbled right into such a situation.

Her manager was beginning to suspect that all the bad luck that had been absent from Mu Yanxi’s life recently was waiting to explode right here.

But the high penalty for terminating the contract was simply not something a newly popular celebrity like Mu Yanxi could afford. Even if she pooled all her income since entering the industry, it probably wouldn’t be enough to cover it. The manager was spinning in circles with anxiety.

Who knew that the person involved, Mu Yanxi, was very calm after learning about this matter. She even had the leisure to nitpick the gown QT had sent over, based on the layout of the fashion show venue that QT had provided.

The next day, Mu Yanxi disdainfully tossed aside the gown sent by QT and, after a long search in her closet, chose a dark green cheongsam.

Paired with a jade and diamond necklace she had just won at an auction, it made her look incredibly noble. Her usually flamboyant features were softened, revealing a clear and enchanting aura that made it impossible to look away.

Compared to her haggard-faced manager, Mu Yanxi looked as if she was going to the fashion show to preen like a peacock.

The manager was in a daze for a moment, but then thought that this might be the last public appearance of Mu Yanxi’s career, so if she wanted to dress up beautifully, so be it.

As soon as the car entered the fashion show venue, many people on the roadside started throwing things at their car.

Who knew that not only was Mu Yanxi quite calm, but she also had the leisure to scroll through her phone, looking like she was memorizing something. “What’s there to worry about? We can’t afford the penalty, can we? We just have to make our appearance and complete the task, right?”

And so, when the QT show began its livestream, countless netizens who were waiting for QT’s apology and response, and for Mu Yanxi to terminate her contract, flooded into the livestream room.

Within five minutes of it starting, the number of viewers in the livestream room broke one million, an unprecedented amount of traffic, accompanied by a barrage of curses in the comments.

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