Category: The Socially Anxious Side Character is Too Cute

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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As soon as Wen Qiaozhou left, Shui Miao arrived with the driver and assistant in tow. Her expression was somewhat complicated.

Xu Qingli immediately recalled that Shui Miao had previously warned her not to come downstairs. Yet not only had she actually come down, but she had also run into Wen Qiaozhou. Worried that Shui Miao might think she had done it on purpose, Xu Qingli hurriedly explained, “Um… didn’t my phone fall into the water? That’s why I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to reach me, so I came down to check.”

Shui Miao had indeed misunderstood her. Even if her phone hadn’t been working, the driver or assistant could have been sent to tell her, and there was no need for Xu Qingli to come down personally.

However, Shui Miao wasn’t too concerned about that anymore. When Wen Qiaozhou’s car had driven past earlier, the window on the driver’s side had been open, and from a certain tricky angle, she had caught sight of Wen Qiaozhou actually smiling.

Wen Qiaozhou might have a bad reputation, but that didn’t mean he never smiled. So a simple smile wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy.

The problem was, he wasn’t smiling openly, but was actually smiling secretly!

And he had been smiling in Xu Qingli’s direction!

Wasn’t that just the kind of behavior typically seen in someone who had been lovestruck?

Shui Miao didn’t dare associate Wen Qiaozhou with being lovestruck, but one thing was undeniable—Xu Qingli really could effortlessly make Wen Qiaozhou happy.

If that were the case, then why should she worry so much?

If the two of them ended up together, Xu Qingli would become the boss’s wife, with Shui Miao standing to benefit as well.

And even if they didn’t end up together, given Xu Qingli’s skills, she probably wouldn’t suffer any losses.

Thinking about it this way, anything Shui Miao did now would only complicate things.

Shui Miao had completely come around this time. She had originally planned to advise Xu Qingli to not think with such a lovestruck brain, but now she felt it was unnecessary. After all, who the one with the lovestruck brain here was still up for debate.

“It’s fine,” Shui Miao said gently. “As long as the issue is resolved. I’ve also dropped a hint of our intentions to Xu Linhe as well. He’s smart, so he should understand what I mean.”

“Thank you, Sister Miao.” Xu Qingli was overjoyed.

According to the original owner’s notes, Xu Linhe was a difficult character to deal with and required careful handling. If the matter could be resolved so easily, then that that would be perfect.

“Let’s go. Change your clothes, and we’ll go get a new SIM card.” Shui Miao ended the conversation.

After getting the new SIM card and looking at her phone, which now only had contacts for her manager, assistant, and driver, Xu Qingli felt a wave of relief wash over her.

Although this relief was only temporary, it was still enough to allow her catch her breath.

As for the troubles she would inevitably face in the future, well, she’d worry about them when they came.

Over the next few days, Xu Qingli happened to not have any work lined up, so she rearranged her home according to her own preferences. Aside from the essentials, she packed up all the original owner’s belongings and stored them in a separate room, not forgetting to include the water-damaged phone.

No matter what kind of person the original owner had been, no matter how much she herself didn’t want to be here and transmigrate into this body, it was an undeniable fact that this body ultimately belonged to the original owner. The least Xu Qingli could do was preserve as many traces of her existence as possible.

At the same time, she also took the opportunity to buy some paper, pens, and a drawing tablet to continue her drawing.

The original owner hadn’t known how to draw, so Xu Qingli had worried her hands wouldn’t cooperate with her brain. Surprisingly, aside from a bit of initial awkwardness, she soon quickly adapted.

After completing a few satisfactory pieces, Xu Qingli’s emotions stabilized considerably. She reanalyzed her current situation, and after much deliberation, concluded that the best course of action was for her to leave the entertainment industry.

A clean break.

This way, she wouldn’t have to worry about all those troublesome things like acting, singing, or facing the camera. Even the issue of the “fish pond” would be completely resolved with this move. Most of the “fish” the original owner had raised were people in the entertainment industry, with the rest being investors related to it. As long as she stayed away from the entertainment industry, she naturally wouldn’t have the opportunity to cross paths with these people again.

Moreover, distancing herself from those familiar with the original owner would make it less likely for anyone to notice that this body now housed a different soul.

Leaving the industry was an excellent solution—except for the fact that she had one problem: the original owner had signed a ten-year contract with the company, and only three years had passed so far.

Although Wen Qiaozhou had a bad reputation, the company’s contracts were industry-standard, with no loopholes to be exploited.

It was precisely because there were no loopholes that Xu Qingli found it even harder to terminate her contract.

In the early stages of her career, the company had invested heavily in training the original owner in various skills necessary for a newcomer, with the training period lasting for half a year. Now, unless the company was at fault, the only way to terminate the contract was to pay the stipulated penalty fee.

Originally, the money the original owner had earned over the past two years wasn’t an insignificant amount, but she had already spent it all. Xu Qingli was much poorer than she had imagined. In any case, she definitely couldn’t afford the termination fee.

If she wanted to terminate the contract, she could only rely on unconventional methods.

For example, privately negotiating with the higher-ups on waiving the contract termination fee.

But that was obviously very unlikely to succeed. She hadn’t saved Gao Xuan’s life either, so why would he give up a cash cow that was still generating profits?

Xu Qingli refused to give up and subtly asked Shui Miao about it.

Shui Miao laughed and replied, “Sure, if you become the boss’s wife, you could even have Gao Xuan terminate the contract for you.”

Xu Qingli: “…”

Becoming the boss’s wife was even less realistic than finding a way to return to her original world.

That left only one option—flopping. If the company saw no value in her, terminating the contract would become much easier. Even if they didn’t terminate it, she’d be left with no jobs lined up and would be unemployed at home, effectively no different from terminating her contract.

Anyway, since she couldn’t act or sing, had low emotional intelligence, and was socially awkward, flopping should be quite simple for her.

Though in actuality, this approach also carried significant risks. In the novel, the original owner had first fallen from grace before meeting her demise. So, the best outcome for her was to fade away gradually, quietly disappearing from public view rather than suddenly crashing and burning overnight.

She still had to attend scheduled work events and maintain a good attitude. She could be incompetent, but she couldn’t self-sabotage.

After a brief break, Xu Qingli’s first assignment was attending a fashion event.

The day before the event, Shui Miao took Xu Qingli to try on the evening gown.

The original owner’s innocent “white lotus” appearance wasn’t particularly favored in the fashion world, so this time, Xu Qingli opted for a change in style, and deliberately chose a black gown. The simple yet elegant cut, made of silk, accentuated her curves, but any flaws in it would also be glaringly obvious.

Shui Miao circled Xu Qingli once, frowning. “Have you been eating too much lately?”

Xu Qingli checked herself in the mirror but didn’t think she looked any heavier. Casually, she replied, “I’ve been eating very little.”

“What did you have for lunch?” Shui Miao pressed.

Xu Qingli: “Cola chicken wings and—”

“You actually dare to eat cola chicken wings?! Meat and sugar—you were never this careless before!” Shui Miao was furious. “What else?”

Xu Qingli: “…That’s it.”

She loved good food. In her original world, she ate when happy, when upset, when inspired, and when uninspired. Not only did she cook all kinds of dishes, but she also kept a constant stock of snacks all year round.

However, she was also afraid that eating too much would make her unhealthy, so she made sure to exercise regularly and wasn’t overweight.

But clearly, she had forgotten that the standards for being “overweight” for female celebrities were different from those for ordinary people.

“Xiao Yezi, you’ll go back with Li Hua¹ today and keep an eye on her.” Shui Miao obviously didn’t believe Xu Qingli’s words, but she couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. She simply instructed the assistant, “Starting from today, she can only eat boiled vegetables. After breakfast tomorrow, no more food. and try not to drink water either.”

Xu Qingli: “…”

Help!

Aside from the misery of being deprived of good food, there was another important issue—Xu Qingli knew that the original owner’s excessive dieting, coupled with the constant chatting until late at night, had been the ultimate cause of her death, collapsing in the bathroom from sudden cardiac arrest. When she transmigrated into this body, she had been lying unconscious on the floor.

But this wasn’t something she could easily explain to others.

Please let her flop quickly.

Shui Miao clearly wasn’t just making empty threats, but even called in constantly to check in.

Xiao Yezi was extremely dutiful, and Xu Qingli, being socially anxious, didn’t want to make things difficult for an assistant, so she could only endure it herself and go to bed early.

The next day, Shui Miao took one look at her good complexion and flat stomach, and was very satisfied, immediately taking her straight away to do hair and makeup.

Today’s styling was meant to match the edgier look of the evening gown, and the makeup artist said it would be finished even quicker than usual.

Yet the entire process still took two hours.

Xu Qingli: “…”

Their definition of “quick” was clearly not the same as hers.

After makeup, it was time for photos.

At events like this, with many celebrities attending, the locations and backdrops of the photos became points of comparison among fans. Sometimes, it could even hint at a celebrity’s connections and status in the industry.

For example, tonight’s fashion event was being held by the beach, next to the Huo’an Group’s five-star hotel.

The rooftop of the hotel offered a unique view and an elevated vantage point for shooting the sea view—a perfect spot for taking photos.

But the Huo family was no minor wealthy clan. This five-star hotel was primarily used to host distinguished guests, and they rarely lent it out for photoshoots.

That’s why most people wouldn’t even dream of asking.

Shui Miao hadn’t dared to consider it before and had planned to shoot by the beach like everyone else. But just before leaving, she overheard staff gossiping about how a certain award-winning actor had failed to secure the venue and was throwing a tantrum over it.

Although this comment had been made casually, it gave birth to an idea in Shui Miao’s mind. On a whim, with an attitude of giving it a try anyway, she called Gao Xuan, mentioning how Xu Qingli’s gown would look perfect against the rooftop as a backdrop and asked if he could help arrange access.

There was a pause on Gao Xuan’s end. Shui Miao braced herself for him to scold her for overreaching, but instead, he said he’d ask and asked her to wait.

Less than twenty minutes later, Gao Xuan called back with an approval.

Shui Miao hadn’t actually expected it to work and was momentarily stunned. However, she played it cool, calmly instructing the team to change the shoot location.

“Wow, you guys actually got Huo’an’s  rooftop?”

“Sister Miaomiao’s influence is insane!”

“Or maybe it’s just that Li Hua’s that popular now.”

“Li Hua looks stunning today, the rooftop shots will definitely be next-level.”

*

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

The styling and photography teams buzzed with excitement and envy.

Xiao Yezi even whispered to Xu Qingli, “Li Hua, you’re amazing! The number of celebrities who’ve shot on Huo’an’s rooftop can only be counted on two hands. You’re definitely going to crush Xiao Chuxia this time—her fans are gonna lose it.”

Xiao Chuxia had debuted with the title of “First Love Goddess,” following the same innocent and delicate image as Xu Qingli, making them direct competitors of each other.

Although Xu Qingli was slightly more popular, but Xiao Chuxia had a better reputation. Their fans often clashed whenever they met, with their teams not getting along either.

Xu Qingli was well aware of all this, but she was simply too hungry to care.

She’d only had an egg and some vegetables that morning, and now that it was lunchtime, her stomach was staging a full-on “Empty City Stratagem².” But with the photos still unshot and the red carpet yet to be walked, Shui Miao would never allow her to eat.

The group arrived at the Huo’an Hotel, where staff had already been notified and were waiting to escort them through the VIP entrance. That way, the other guests wouldn’t be disturbed, and no one came to bother them.

There were quite a few of them, but fortunately, Xu Qingli’s dress didn’t have a long hem, so they all managed to squeeze into the elevator.

Just as the doors closed, they slid open again. Obviously, someone outside wanted to get in.

Xu Qingli’s nose twitched as the scent of food wafted in. Unable to resist, she glanced toward the door and unexpectedly locked eyes with a pair of strikingly beautiful peach-blossom eyes.

“Sorry, this lift is already full—” The staff member at the door suddenly stopped mid-sentence, quickly correcting himself, “President Wen!”

Standing outside the elevator was none other than Wen Qiaozhou.

Shui Miao reacted swiftly, signaling for everyone to step out first.

“No need.” Wen Qiaozhou waved a hand, his tone gentle. “You go ahead first.”

A quick glance around the elevator revealed the thoughts of over a dozen people, all inwardly marveling at the luxury and attentiveness of the five-star hotel. Only the little figure atop Xu Qingli’s head sat amidst a mountain of snacks, munching away happily.

The moment she spotted him, the little figure looked up, one cheek stuffed full, a smattering of crumbs still clinging to the corner of her mouth, looking utterly adorable.

It made him want to reach out his hand and wipe them away for her.

This was probably the pinnacle of “drawing a cake to satisfy hunger³,” right?

Poor little thing.

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WQZ: woman, you’ve successfully caught my attention

any typos or broken links, pls comment or dm me on discord!
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1.  I’d assume this is either her stage name, a nickname, or the original owner’s actual name that they’ve never mentioned before QAQ  ↩︎
2.  “空城计” Empty City Stratagem — comes from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It refers to a clever ruse where an empty, vulnerable city pretends to be full of troops to scare off enemies. Here, it’s a witty metaphor for her stomach being “empty but putting on a brave front.” ↩︎
3.  The phrase 画饼充饥 literally means “drawing a cake to satisfy hunger,” a Chinese idiom referring to trying to satisfy oneself with mere illusions or empty promises. The literal translation plays on this metaphor for humor and irony. ↩︎

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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Although Shui Miao was stunned speechless, she still felt that it was best to avoid anything backfiring, so she said, “I’ll go down and take a look first. I’ll call you later depending on the situation, and you can come down then.”

“Okay, thank you, Sister Miao.” Xu Qingli nodded gratefully, only to remember that her phone was currently broken and wouldn’t be able to make any calls.

Xu Qingli: “…”

This is seriously akin to taking her life.

How did transmigrating into a novel also make her brain transmigrate away?

After a moment of hesitation, Xu Qingli put on her hat and decided to go downstairs to check things out as well.

If Shui Miao couldn’t contact her and something unexpected happened, things would definitely come to explode in her face.

Moreover, the current situation was already quite different from what was described in the novel. Based on her experience with transmigration novels, a character’s predetermined ending couldn’t be so easily changed.

If she were to crash early and die again… as long as she could return to her original world after dying, that would be fine. But if she were to just disappear after death, wouldn’t that be a huge loss for her? Although she might be socially anxious, she still didn’t want to die.

In any case, this was her own matter after all, and she couldn’t rely entirely on Shui Miao to solve it.

Even if she had to die, she wanted it to be in her control.

The elevator was empty, and Xu Qingli breathed a sigh of relief.

This community had been rented at a high price by the original owner due to its good security measures, as well as the fact that most residents were either wealthy or influential, making it convenient for her to attract potential lovers.

Not to mention, the environment was truly good, and even the parking spaces were larger than those in other parking lots.

The parking space rented by the original owner was a bit off to the side and slightly farther from the building where she lived, requiring one to turn the corner to see it.

At this time, there weren’t many people in the garage. Xu Qingli slowly approached, hiding behind a pillar at the corner and looking towards her parking space.

Shui Miao was talking to a tall man, who had his back to her, making it impossible to see his face clearly.

Just from his build, Xu Qingli was certain that it wasn’t Wen Qiaozhou. Wen Qiaozhou was taller, had longer legs, and had a more upright posture… In short, that man should be Xu Linhe.

Xu Qingli glanced around, and saw that aside from her driver and assistant, there didn’t seem to be anyone else here.

So where was Wen Qiaozhou?

Had he already been sent away by Shui Miao?

So could she go back then?

Just as Xu Qingli was about to turn around, her assistant noticed her. She opened her mouth slightly, seemingly wanting to say something. But in the next second, her expression suddenly turned panicked, and she made a series of complicated gestures towards Xu Qingli.

Without the tacit understanding between the original owner and her assistant, Xu Qingli couldn’t understand what she was trying to convey.

What happened?

Before she could react any further, Xu Qingli heard a slightly hoarse, deep male voice coming from behind her, “Miss Xu, what are you doing?”

Wen Qiaozhou!

Xu Qingli turned around abruptly.

Wen Qiaozhou was dressed casually today, wearing a British-style plaid jacket that reached his knees, accentuating his tall and upright figure and giving him an ethereal demeanour.

Xu Qingli stared into Wen Qiaozhou’s eyes, momentarily unable to look away.

To outsiders, she appeared calm even when facing Wen Qiaozhou.

However, Wen Qiaozhou noticed that the chibi character above her head was tightly hugging a pillar, repeatedly banging its forehead against it with a bang bang bang sound effect. There was also a tangled ball of black lines clearly visible above her head, indicating that she was clearly so scared she couldn’t even think.

Was he really that scary?

No, it was her who was doing something she felt guilty for.

Wen Qiaozhou quickly discerned the situation and instinctively looked in the direction she had been peeking at.

“President Wen!” Xu Qingli finally snapped back to reality at the critical moment and called out to him, “What are you doing here?”

Wen Qiaozhou withdrew his gaze and saw the little figure on her head still clinging to the pillar, though it was no longer banging its head, instead, it was staring intently in his direction while holding its breath. Although the little figure made no sound, he could almost feel the fact that she was about to suffocate out of sheer nervousness.

What was most astonishing was the large, red bump on the little figure’s forehead—clearly received from the earlier head-banging.

What attention to detail.

To think that this girl still had such intricate thoughts despite being so terrified.

Wen Qiaozhou couldn’t bring himself to tease her any further and said. “I have a friend who lives in this neighborhood,” he said.

So it turned out that he was just was here to visit someone.

Xu Qingli: “…Oh.”

Was that her only reaction? Wen Qiaozhou was slightly surprised. Though they hadn’t met often, based on his understanding of her, her response shouldn’t have been so simple.

The next second, the little figure atop Xu Qingli’s head suddenly released its grip on the pillar and fell backward with a “bang,” landing flat on its back. A large thought bubble slowly rose above its head: [Turns out he wasn’t here to see me.]

Wen Qiaozhou: ?

Why would she think he was here for her?

Narrowing his eyes, Wen Qiaozhou was about to say something when he saw the little figure spring back up like a carp leaping out of water. The pillar vanished, and in her hands appeared… a fireworks tube?

The little figure twisted the base of the fireworks tube, and with a pop, the fireworks shot into the air before raining down. The little figure spread her arms and spun gleefully beneath the falling fireworks, her joy practically overflowing.

Just how much did she not want to see him?

Wen Qiaozhou adjusted his silver metal-framed glasses and calmly added, “And since it’s on the way, I also came to see you, Miss Xu.”

The chibi figure slipped—splat!—and fell flat on her face. The fireworks that were still falling mid-air instantly transformed into large bean-sized raindrops, mercilessly pelting down on her body. Messy strands of hair clung to her cheeks, and her eyes welled up with tears, seamlessly shifting from excitement to utter dejection.

Wen Qiaozhou: “…”

He felt slightly more balanced now.

“See… me?” Xu Qingli asked with difficulty. “Is there something you need?”

“Aren’t you going to film a promotional video? HR needs a copy of your information,” Wen Qiaozhou lied offhandedly.

“Information?” Xu Qingli stared at him blankly.

The tiny figure above her head mirrored her expression, its large eyes filled with even more confusion.

She was a company artist. If they needed her documents, wouldn’t it be easy for them to obtain it? Why would the CEO personally make a trip for this?

Oh, right, it was because she was on his way.

But still, stopping by on the way was still an unnecessary move on his part.

“Mm.” Seeing her like this, Wen Qiaozhou couldn’t bear to tease her anymore. “Just give them to Gao Xuan,” he said before stepping into the nearby SUV with its headlights on.

The door closed, and the SUV made a U-turn, passing by Xu Qingli. The driver’s window had been rolled down, and the driver nodded politely at her.

Xu Qingli reflexively returned a perfectly practiced smile before realizing something was off. Why did the driver look familiar?

The car looked familiar too… Wasn’t this the same SUV she’d seen in the company parking lot last night?

This was actually Wen Qiaozhou’s car?!

So had he been in the car last night?

Xu Qingli stared at the tinted car window, petrified on the spot.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

Inside the SUV, Wen Qiaozhou easily caught Xu Qingli’s gaze through the specially treated glass. Then he saw the chibi version of her atop her head vividly illustrating what “petrification” meant—her body instantly turned into a stone, with the texture, colors, edges, and even the occasional weed in the crevices rendered in lifelike detail. With a slight tremor, the large stone instantly disintegrated into smaller pieces, falling one by one.

Just before the sight disappeared, the last fragments finally finished falling. A fierce wind howled through Xu Qingli’s mind, whipping up the debris into fine sand that blotted out the entire sky, transforming the scene into a barren desert.

The scene was artistically breathtaking.

Wen Qiaozhou finally couldn’t hold back anymore and let out a soft chuckle. This girl really was one of a kind.

A quiet “tsk” came from beside him.

Wen Qiaozhou schooled his expression and suppressed his smile, leaning back and resting one arm on the seat’s armrest, saying calmly, “Assistant Qu, deliver what Second Young Master Huo wants tomorrow.”

“Understood, President Wen,” the assistant in the passenger seat quickly replied before turning to the young man in the back. “Mr. Huo, where would you like it sent?”

“No need to trouble Assistant Qu. I’ll pick it up myself,” Huo Wanfeng waved him off, leaning toward Wen Qiaozhou. “President Wen is being unusually accommodating today. Must be in a good mood, huh?”

“If you want to speak, then speak properly. Sit properly,” Wen Qiaozhou pushed his head away.

Was he afraid Wen Qiaozhou wouldn’t be able to see the bullet comments above his head?

[There’s definitely something fishy going on between them!]

[What have I missed in these past few months when I was away?]

[Is Seventh Master Wen finally descending to the mortal world? So exciting!]

[So Seventh Master Wen likes little rabbits, no wonder that certain someone never had a chance all these years.]

[That little sister looks a bit ditzy, but kinda cute. Too bad she’s caught Seventh Master Wen’s eye. Isn’t this practically like a rabbit walking into a wolf’s den? How pitiful, such a poor thing!]

“Since when do you care about manners?” Huo Wanfeng remained oblivious, grinning. “‘Sit properly’? That doesn’t sound like you. Lately, have you been—”

“If you’re really that free, you can set up a stall on the street,” Wen Qiaozhou cut him off. “Save Chairman Huo from losing sleep from worrying over you.”

Huo Wanfeng was momentarily stumped, too distracted by the suggestion to mind the rudeness. Curious, he asked, “What do you think I should sell at the stall?”

“Fortune-telling,” Wen Qiaozhou said.

“You think I have good foresight too?” Huo Wanfeng preened, thinking quite beautifully.

Wen Qiaozhou brushed the nonexistent dust off his sleeve and replied flatly, “Just that you’re good at talking nonsense.”

Huo Wanfeng: “…”

Are you being polite?

“Assistant Qu,” Huo Wanfeng, undeterred, turned to harass the assistant again. “Do you know that girl from earlier?”

Assistant Qu shot a pleading look at Wen Qiaozhou.

“Second Master Huo,” Wen Qiaozhou said mildly. “Don’t be too curious.”

Huo Wanfeng’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, a chill creeping down his spine.

Their group of rich second-generation heirs had grown up playing together since childhood. At first, everyone liked playing with Wen Qiaozhou because he was good-looking, with Huo Wanfeng especially adoring him.

It was hard to pinpoint exactly when, but Wen Qiaozhou gradually became sharper, always able to unflinchingly call out the ugliness in people’s hearts.

No one was perfect, with everyone having their own dark corners. His blunt behaviour left others embarrassed and, more importantly, afraid.

Slowly, people stopped wanting to hang out with Wen Qiaozhou, and he, in turn, also disdained their company.

Huo Wanfeng was an exception. He was superficial, valuing looks above all, and his simple-minded nature meant he had always maintained a decent relationship with Wen Qiaozhou.

As a child, he genuinely hadn’t thought much of it. But as an adult, whenever Wen Qiaozhou fixed him with that penetrating gaze that seemed to see right through him, he couldn’t help but feel a little unnerved.

He had to admit—Wen Qiaozhou could easily see through him, but he could never decipher Wen Qiaozhou’s true thoughts. 

When they were younger, it hadn’t been so bad, with his likes and dislikes still being somewhat predictable. But now, with the ability to wield such immense power in his hands, Wen Qiaozhou liked to act unpredictably and his moods shifted without warning, making him utterly inscrutable.

“Hahaha.” Huo Wanfeng let out a forced laugh, deliberately provoking him, “Still saying you don’t care, yet now you’re already warning me? Tsk tsk… I think you’ve fallen in love without even realizing it, huh?”

Wen Qiaozhou smiled, as if the earlier warning he just gave had never existed. “Do you really think I’ve never seen a woman before?”

“Have you?” Huo Wanfeng shot back. “I mean the kind without clothes on.”

Wen Qiaozhou: “…”

“Since you say you don’t care…” Huo Wanfeng still couldn’t resist and his eyes gleamed mischievously as he teased, “Then I’ll go after her? I quite like this little sister.”

Wen Qiaozhou paused, raising a hand to adjust his the frame of his glasses before slanting him a sidelong glance.

[I don’t like little rabbits—they’re too soft. I prefer someone cold and sexy.]

[Will Seventh Master Wen get anxious?]

[Is he losing his cool? Angry? Jealous?]

“You can give it a try,” Wen Qiaozhou’s tense body relaxed as he said lazily, his tone light and indifferent.

Author’s Note:

Wen Qiaozhou: As long as I act calm enough, my heart won’t be moved.

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i think you’re the little rabbit HWF — he’s practically a rabbit in front of WQZ as well QAQ

also the description of WQZ as the big bad wolf and XQL as a little rabbit is such an apt description GHSDKLF so fitting huhuhu

any typos or broken links, pls comment or dm me on discord!
support mio on kofi! ◡̈

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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Xu Qingli waited for quite a long time before finally calming down. Then she suddenly realized she had forgotten something very important—she had originally come to ask for directions, but after all that commotion earlier, she had already sent everyone away without even asking for directions.

What should she do now? Xu Qingli was dumbfounded.

Just as she was panicking, footsteps suddenly sounded behind her.

Xu Qingli’s heart tightened. She turned around and saw a strange man, who looked quite young, walking toward her step by step.

“Miss Xu?” The man looked very surprised when he caught sight of her.

Xu Qingli took a deep breath, forced herself to stay calm, and took two steps back, eyeing him warily. “Hello.”

The man’s expression grew even stranger, but after glancing inside the car, he ultimately said nothing and simply walked forward to open the door on the driver’s side.

Only then did Xu Qingli realize—this was his car. Feeling awkward, she took another two steps back.

“Miss Xu.” The man cast a look behind at the back seat, then leaned out to ask her, “Where are you headed? Need a ride?”

“No, thank you,” Xu Qingli quickly waved her hand and replied politely.

The man let out a sound of acknowledgement before saying, “Goodbye then.”

With that, he closed the door and slowly drove the car out of the parking space.

Xu Qingli suddenly recalled that she could ask him for directions and hurriedly chased after him for a couple of steps. The man seemed to notice her movement and rolled down the window, looking at her in confusion.

That glance made Xu Qingli a little nervous, and the opening line she had prepared to say got stuck in her throat.

Just then, Xu Qingli suddenly heard Shui Miao’s voice. Turning around, she saw Shui Miao and the driver walking toward them.

“Never mind.” Xu Qingli waved at the man in the car and ran toward Shui Miao and the driver.

“Xu Qingli, what are you doing!?” Shui Miao’s expression was dark, and she looked furious. “Do you know how much danger your face could attract? I almost called the police—”

Before she could finish, she noticed the car that had just driven away and swallowed the rest of her words.

“I’m sorry,” Xu Qingli said sincerely. “My phone died, and I wanted to wait for you in the car, but then I got lost again.”

“As long as you’re okay.” Shui Miao’s attitude instantly calmed down.

But Xu Qingli inexplicably felt that Shui Miao seemed a little more distant toward her now.

“How did you know I was here?” Xu Qingli took the rare initiative to ask a question.

The driver quickly answered, “Sister Miaomiao called Shu Ruan, and she said she ran into you here.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Shui Miao’s phone rang. It was Shu Ruan, calling to check if they had found Xu Qingli.

Shui Miao responded briefly before hanging up.

On the way back, Shui Miao seemed distracted and didn’t scold Xu Qingli anymore.

Xu Qingli wasn’t good at making conversation with people she wasn’t familiar with in the first place, so she didn’t take the initiative to speak up either.

The journey back was silent, and they soon arrived home.

Shui Miao dropped her off, reminded her to be careful, and then left.

After washing up and lying in bed, Xu Qingli felt utterly exhausted. Though her mind was full of thoughts, having to go out and socialise was truly draining, so she quickly fell asleep.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

She slept soundly and woke up the next morning to sunlight streaming through the window, which felt like a rather unfamiliar sight to her.

As a full-time comic artist, her sleep schedule was all over the place. Ever since she had graduated, she had never once woken up this early again.

However, the original owner worked in the entertainment industry, and her sleep schedule was even more erratic than Xu Qingli’s, with no fixed schedule at all. Having just slept for so long, she couldn’t fall back asleep right away and had no choice but to get up.

While washing up, her phone suddenly buzzed with several consecutive message notifications.

Xu Qingli was startled. She tapped to check and saw that the messages were from someone named Meng Dongling.

[Had a late-night shoot last night. Though it was tough, there were also unexpected moments of beauty. Sharing this with you, hoping that you’ll be able to see it as soon as you wake up.]

[Image]

[Oh, and while waiting between scenes last night, I came across a short poem. Found it quite interesting, so I thought to share it with you too.]

[Image]

The first image was a photo of a sunrise.

The surroundings were still shrouded in gray, with an orange sun having just broken through the clouds at the horizon. Although it lacked that dazzling brilliance, instead resembling an enlarged egg yolk, it still looked utterly beautiful.

The photographer had decent skills, with the composition of the photo distinctive and clearly taken with care.

The second image was a poem.

[Say it’s the grief of lonely autumn
Say it’s the longing of distant seas
If someone asks about my sorrow
I do not dare to mention your name.

I do not dare to mention your name.
If someone asks about my sorrow
Say it’s the longing of distant seas
Say it’s the grief of lonely autumn¹.]

In Xu Qingli’s opinion, this wasn’t even a hint—it was outright confession of love. It was obvious that this person had genuinely loved the original owner. Yet, the original owner had left a note beside his name with the letter “C” in her contacts.

The original owner divided the “fish” in her fishpond into three categories. The “C” here didn’t stand for the letters in “ABC,” but was rather, an abbreviation for “chicken rib².”

Obviously, the original owner considered this C-tier “fish” as dispensable and not worth the effort to invest and maintain. If they could remain completely devoted to her, that was great, but if they didn’t, that was also fine.

Xu Qingli couldn’t even continue brushing her teeth.

How could she have even forgotten about this mess?!

Compared to its peak, the original owner’s current “fish pond” was less than a third of its former size. But based on the notes Xu Qingli had counted, there were still a full dozen of them!

Help!!!

Just imagining her future encounters with these people made Xu Qingli’s scalp tingle.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to face them in person yet.

So she needed to deal with this as quickly as possible.

Xu Qingli first casually changed her nickname, then replied to Meng Dongling.

Pear Under Pressure³: [The sunrise is beautiful. Next time, you should find someone to watch it with you, otherwise, it would feel like such a waste.]

He replied almost instantly.

Meng Dongling: [Will you watch it with me next time?]

Pear Under Pressure: [I’m a night owl, not suited for early-morning activities like this. You should ask someone else instead of wasting your time on me.]

Meng Dongling’s status kept showing that he was “typing” for a long time, but no message came through.

Xu Qingli knew he understood her hidden meaning, so she silently apologised while simultaneously blocking his contact.

In situations like this, being ruthless was the kindest approach for both sides.

It would be the best if Meng Dongling ended up resenting her and withdrew his feelings of affection for her.

Xu Qingli carefully went through the other “fish” in the original owner’s pond once more and realized why Meng Dongling had been lumped into C-tier. The other “fish” were either wealthier, better connected, or more famous than him. Even the only other person classified as C-tier was a taekwondo expert, recruited by the original owner for her protection. But she probably could have never imagined that after her downfall, his fists would be the first to turn against her.

Among all the “fish” in her pond, only Meng Dongling had still wanted to help the original owner in the end.

Now, when looking at this list, Xu Qingli couldn’t help but sigh. Lost in thought, her phone suddenly buzzed with an incoming call from Shui Miao.

In real life, since becoming a full-time comic artist, Xu Qingli mostly communicated through messaging apps and rarely answered calls. Every ring startled her, and this time was no exception. Her fingers jerked as the phone slipped from her grasp.

With quick reflexes, Xu Qingli caught the phone just before it could plunge into the water basin. But then, as if remembering something, she slowly loosened her grip and watched as the phone fell into the water.

She had been standing there too long that she had forgotten to drain the basin. The phone sank straight to the bottom, the screen stubbornly remaining turned on for a while before abruptly blacking out.

Xu Qingli exhaled, fished the phone out, and carried it to the living room before placing it on the coffee table.

Just then, a loud knocking erupted from the door.

Knowing it must be Shui Miao, Xu Qingli hurried over to open the door.

“What’s wrong with you?” Shui Miao’s voice came in before she did. “Why didn’t you answer your phone again?”

“My phone fell into the water basin. I think it’s broken,” Xu Qingli said.

Shui Miao paused, as if biting back a curse, and asked, “Where is it?”

Xu Qingli handed her the waterlogged phone from the coffee table.

“You didn’t even wipe off the water?” Shui Miao was exasperated. “Forget it, let’s get it repaired… No, just replace it.”

Given the contents of Xu Qingli’s phone, if it fell into the hands of someone without professional ethics who leaked it online, she might as well retire from the industry immediately.

“Mm.” Xu Qingli hadn’t considered the career-ending consequences yet—her mind was still fixated on resolving the “fish” situation. “I want to change my phone number as well.”

Shui Miao, who had been about to call her assistant to arrange for a new phone, turned to stare at Xu Qingli, narrowing her eyes. “Change your number?”

With so many “fish” in her contacts, was she really willing to do that?

“I said I wanted to turn over a new leaf,” Xu Qingli murmured, avoiding her gaze and lowering her head slightly. “A new number can symbolise a fresh start.”

Shui Miao opened her mouth but found herself speechless.

Yesterday, Xu Qingli’s unexpected maneuvers had successfully caught Wen Qiaozhou’s attention and even landed her the lead in the promotional video, something Shui Miao had never seen coming. She had even felt a little resentful, thinking that since Xu Qingli was this capable, then she wouldn’t need her management anymore.

But after cooling off for a night, Shui Miao had regained her composure.

Even if they didn’t have any personal feelings between them, she and Xu Qingli were still bound by shared interests. If Xu Qingli soared to stardom, Shui Miao still stood to benefit greatly. Conversely, if Xu Qingli crashed and burned, she’d suffer the fallout too. Beyond the immediate financial losses, with rising stars like Shu Ruan—who outshone others in every aspect—already in the company, how long would it take for Shui Miao to groom another newcomer to prominence?

And according to Shui Miao’s calculations, the odds of Xu Qingli crashing were extremely high. After all, she had even dared to cast her fishing line toward Wen Qiaozhou himself.

So today, she had originally intended to advise Xu Qingli with good intentions. While high risks brought high rewards, the consequences of keeping someone like Wen Qiaozhou as a “fish” in her pond was simply too absurdly high.

Shui Miao had once heard a piece of gossip about Wen Qiaozhou. When he was still very young, Zhu Zhenshan had once pitted her two sons against each other for the same project. Anyone with eyes could see she was testing their abilities so she could choose an heir.

The younger of the two brothers, who was Wen Qiaozhou’s father, gave it his all but ultimately lost.

After the results came out, his father was devastated. Suddenly, Wen Qiaozhou stepped forward and accused his uncle of scheming against his father behind the scenes, making the competition unfair.

Naturally, his uncle denied it, but Wen Qiaozhou laid out every detail, even articulating exactly what his uncle had been thinking, leaving him no room for rebuttal.

Zhu Zhenshan was furious, and the uncle’s status in the family plummeted from then on.

However, Wen Qiaozhou didn’t necessarily benefit from it either. Everyone, including his own parents, found him terrifying.

Given Wen Qiaozhou’s capabilities at the time, there was simply no way he could have uncovered his uncle’s schemes. No one knew how he had found out, and that was precisely why they feared him. Who didn’t have any secrets of their own? After all, there was no one who liked being seen through so easily by another person.

Wen Qiaozhou had always been strikingly beautiful ever since he was a child, with an androgynous charm that made some whisper behind his back, calling him a “demon.” After this incident, he seemed even more like one, and the label seemed even more fitting for him.

Although Shui Miao felt these rumors were likely exaggerated, there was no doubt Wen Qiaozhou had an uncanny ability to perceive the subtlest details in observing people’s true intentions.

Countless sly old foxes in the business world had stumbled because of him. Xu Qingli’s little schemes probably weren’t even worth his consideration and wouldn’t even register on his radar.

Shui Miao had thought long and hard about dissuading her from keeping this particular “fish,” never expecting that Xu Qingli would skip straight to the finale in one step—the sea queen had actually grown a love-struck brain!

For a moment, Shui Miao was overwhelmed and couldn’t decide which was more dangerous: raising fish in general, or having Wen Qiaozhou as one of them.

She couldn’t help but take another look at Xu Qingli. Unlike before, when she always had a slew of excuses for everything, she now stood quietly with her hands at her sides. Her silent resolve seemed to carry an even more powerful weight.

Shui Miao had no choice but to ask, “Have you thought this through? Are you really sure you want to do this?”

“Mhm.” Xu Qingli nodded, then tilted her head slightly in confusion. Wasn’t Shui Miao always hoping the original owner to behave more? So why didn’t she seem happy about this?

“You…” Shui Miao tugged at her hair in frustration and pressed her again, “Aren’t you afraid Wen Qiaozhou will find out about your other ‘fish’?”

Xu Qingli shook her head. “I’m not afraid.”

So what if he found out? After all, what did it have to do with him?

Just as Shui Miao was about to say more, her phone rang.

It was her assistant, who had been waiting downstairs. After answering, Shui Miao’s expression shifted rapidly, her gaze toward Xu Qingli becoming extreme complex.

Xu Qingli couldn’t contain her curiosity, “What’s wrong?”

“President Wen is downstairs,” Shui Miao said.

Xu Qingli’s eyes widened involuntarily.

Why would a domineering CEO like Wen Qiaozhou condescend himself to visiting her apartment building?

“Xu Linhe is here too,” Shui Miao added.

Xu Linhe? The name sounded familiar… Xu Qingli quickly recalled seeing this name earlier in her A-tier “fish” list.

Xu Qingli: “…”

“They both seem to be here looking for you,” Shui Miao continued. “I remember you just said you weren’t afraid—”

“Sis Miao, my stomach suddenly hurts!” Xu Qingli clutched her abdomen and squatted down on the spot.

Shui Miao: “…”

---

XQL: the queen of misunderstandings LMAO

any typos or broken links, pls comment or dm me on discord!
support mio on kofi! ◡̈

1.  The poem is Sorrow, by poet Dai Wangshu and translated by Anna Gustafsson Chen ↩︎
2.  the slang “chicken rib” (鸡肋, jī lèi) — a phrase meaning something of little value, but hard to throw away. It comes from a famous saying in Romance of the Three Kingdoms: “鸡肋，食之无味，弃之可惜” (“Chicken ribs — tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away”).  ↩︎
3.  “鸭梨山大” is a homophone for “压力山大”, which literally means “pressure as large as mountains”, a popular internet slang phrase meaning “I’m under huge stress” or “feeling crushed by pressure.”
   But instead of writing the serious version “压力,” XQL playfully swaps in “鸭梨” — which sounds the same but means “duck pear.”
   So “鸭梨山大” literally reads as “A mountain of duck pears,” a pun that visually softens the phrase and adds humor. The ‘duck’ is sort of irrelevant and just served as a homophone, so I’ve omitted that part ↩︎

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

Wen Qiaozhou’s character was exactly like this in the original novel, with his actions always unpredictable, never following conventional logic. The author personally certified him as the story’s major villain who loved stirring up trouble.

That was why Xu Qingli instinctively used this phrase in her mind, figuring that Wen Qiaozhou would never know about her inner thoughts anyway.

Wen Qiaozhou was so amused by her he almost laughed out of anger—who exactly was the one stirring up trouble here?

However, ever since gaining the ability to see the inner thoughts of others, he had encountered far more infuriating remarks than this. He had long since hardened his heart and remained unflappable to insults. Thus, he showed no emotion and simply instructed calmly, “Since it was your suggestion, you’ll be the one to go and inform the two of them of the result.”

Despite it being just a random excuse on his part, it still meant yet another unnecessary social interaction for Xu Qingli.

Fortunately, she would be the bearer of good news, so it wasn’t too much of a hassle. Afraid Wen Qiaozhou might make further demands of her, Xu Qingli quickly agreed and retreated, swiftly closing the door behind her.

“Why did you help Shu Ruan and Wen Xiangxiang?” Shui Miao asked only after they had put some distance between themselves and the office.

If she told her the truth and said that she didn’t want to film the promotional video, it would only raise more questions that would be even harder to explain, and Shui Miao wouldn’t believe them anyway. After giving it some thought, Xu Qingli put on a mysterious air and said, “To share the spotlight.”

She had already drawn enough attention tonight, which was bound to invite the envy of others.

Now that the female lead role was to be split among three people, that scrutiny would also naturally be divided.

At the same time, she could also leave Wen Qiaozhou with an impression of her kindness and selflessness.

As for Gao Xuan, seeing how Wen Qiaozhou granted every single one of Xu Qingli’s requests, wouldn’t he further prioritize her for future resources?

Truly a move that killed two birds with one stone.

“Brilliant,” Shui Miao couldn’t help but praise, then asked, “But why three people?”

In her mind now, every word Xu Qingli said and every decision she made was laden with deeper meaning.

Xu Qingli didn’t have an answer to that, after all, wasn’t it because of Wen Qiaozhou?

Before she could figure out how to respond, Shui Miao came to her own conclusion, “I see, it’s because a triangle is the most stable structure.”

As a manager, she naturally understood the entertainment industry better than most. Shu Ruan’s qualifications were top-tier even in the entertainment industry, and now that she had signed with a major company, she was bound to rise as long as she didn’t self-destruct. Wen Xiangxiang had connections and was a guaranteed resource magnet, someone no one dared to cross.

So, even though Xu Qingli was slightly more popular than them at the moment, if these two truly saw her as a rival, given her pile of past scandals… she likely wouldn’t stand a chance against them.

By putting the two of them together, each with their own strengths, it was easy to create a situation where “when the snipe and clam fights, the fisherman profits¹.” Instead, neither would dare act rashly, naturally reducing the threat to herself.

Moreover, this opportunity was something Xu Qingli had helped them secure. As long as they had any remaining conscience at all, they would still remember her kindness to some extent, further minimizing the threat.

Shui Miao gave Xu Qingli a thumbs-up. “I really underestimated you before.”

Xu Qingli: “…”

This only proved how powerful Shui Miao’s imagination was, didn’t it?

There had been no way for her to possibly explain herself, even if she grew over a hundred mouths.

“Never mind, this is a good thing. With this mindset and awareness, my job just got a lot easier,” Shui Miao said. “Alright, you go notify Shu Ruan, and I’ll handle Wen Xiangxiang. Let’s wrap this up quickly so we can rest, today’s been truly exhausting.”

Heaven knows she was speaking from the heart. Setting aside everything else, as Xu Qingli’s manager, Shui Miao received a share of all her earnings. So of course she wanted Xu Qingli to be as successful as possible. But now that she had truly realized Xu Qingli was even smarter than she was, when she recalled how she had once taught her a few petty tricks in the past, Shui Miao couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions.

Xu Qingli was too embarrassed to explain herself, so she simply nodded in agreement.

At any rate, meeting Shu Ruan was better than having to see Wen Xiangxiang. The little princess might not only refuse to appreciate her kind gesture, but might even mock her in return.

Tonight’s meeting had run late, and then she’d also spent quite a long time being held up by Wen Qiaozhou. By now, it was already late, with only a few people remaining in the company.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

After parting ways with Shui Miao, Xu Qingli headed to the artist department, only to find Shu Ruan wasn’t there.

She thought about calling but realized her phone had died at some point. Today had been so chaotic that she hadn’t paid attention to such trivial matters.

Too embarrassed to borrow someone else’s phone, Xu Qingli decided to wait for Shui Miao in the parking lot.

After all, informing Shu Ruan could be done with a phone call later, and there was no need for a face-to-face meeting, which would save her both the time and hassle.

The company parking lot was enormous. Xu Qingli rarely left her house and couldn’t navigate the place properly. As she walked, she realized she might have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way.

By now, only a handful of cars remained in the vast, empty lot. With few identifying landmarks, Xu Qingli began to feel uneasy.

Her personality made her dread inconveniencing others. What if Shui Miao couldn’t find her and got angry?

Quickening her pace, she turned a corner and heard voices ahead.

Anxious, she mustered some courage and walked toward the source of the sound, hoping to ask for directions.

This was still company property, so there shouldn’t be any danger.

But as she got closer, she realized something was off. Five or six people were surrounding one person in the corner. This wasn’t colleagues chatting until late, but a group bullying someone.

The girl being bullied stood out amongst them in a striking red dress—it was Shu Ruan!

Suddenly, Xu Qingli recalled a scene from the novel: After Shu Ruan secured the lead role in Wen Corporation’s promotional film at the company artist conference, she became the center of attention. Many people approached her to chat, delaying her departure. At the time, Shu Ruan was still living in the company dormitory behind the office building, connected by an underground parking lot. She kindly escorted her manager to the parking lot before heading back to the dorm, only to be ambushed before she could leave.

The attackers were a girl from Shu Ruan’s dorm and her friends. The girl’s boyfriend had developed a wandering eye and tried to hook up with Shu Ruan. Shu Ruan scolded the scumbag but, not wanting to cause misunderstandings, didn’t mention the matter to her roommate. Unbeknownst to her, the guy held a grudge and told his girlfriend that Shu Ruan had tried to seduce him but he’d rejected her.

Shu Ruan and her roommate already had minor conflicts between them, so the roommate believed her boyfriend and gathered her friends to teach Shu Ruan a lesson.

Outnumbered, Shu Ruan stood no chance against the group until the male lead of the original novel happened to pass by and rescue her, beckoning in the start of their story.

Xu Qingli had assumed that since Shu Ruan hadn’t publicly secured the lead role tonight, the subsequent events would surely differ from the original novel. Yet here they were, the same scene unfolding just the same.

It seemed changing the course of the plot wasn’t so easy after all.

Xu Qingli hid behind a pillar and didn’t dare to take another step forward.

The male lead would surely arrive at the critical moment to save Shu Ruan, so there was no need for her to intervene now.

But still had a lingering trace of worry and couldn’t bring herself to leave either, so she decided to wait until he appeared before slipping away.

“What a shameless slut, to even think of stealing your roommate’s man!”

“I hate homewrecking bitches the most!”

“You dressed like that tonight just to try and seduce President Wen, right? Too bad he wouldn’t even look at you.”

“Acting so shamelessly, why bother pretending to be so modest? Just take off that flimsy cover-up too…”

The group grew more aggressive, even starting to tear at Shu Ruan’s clothes.

Xu Qingli stomped her feet anxiously. Where was the male lead? Why wasn’t he here yet?

She kept looking around, but the parking lot remained eerily empty, with no one else coming except those few in the corner.

What was going on?!

Male lead, hurry up and come save your wife!

Her inner plea failed to summon the male lead, but had instead drawn a scream from Shu Ruan—those people had actually torn a piece of her clothing off.

“Stop!” Xu Qingli couldn’t bear to just stand by and do nothing any longer. Steeling herself, she shouted at the group and rushed over.

The group hadn’t expected anyone still be here and intervene at this time. They turned around, and seeing Xu Qingli, they at least remained somewhat polite. Shu Ruan’s roommate said, “Li Hua², this has nothing to do with you. We’re just teaching this homewrecker a lesson.”

“Shu Ruan isn’t a homewrecker.” Now that she’d stepped in, Xu Qingli had to see it through, even if she was socially anxious. She forced herself to speak up. “I can vouch for her.”

“How can you vouch for her?” Shu Ruan’s roommate’s expression darkened.

A thin layer of sweat formed on Xu Qingli’s forehead. Clenching her fists, she tried to stay calm. “I saw it by accident. It happened behind the silk tree³ near your dorm. That scumbag cornered Shu Ruan and confessed to her, saying the reason he got together with you was because of a painting… Shu Ruan scolded him, and he got so angry he swore he’d make her suffer. It must’ve been the scumbag who instigated things between you two to turn you against her. Don’t fall for it.”

The moment she finished, everyone believed her words.

Because these details were things no outsider could’ve known.

Shu Ruan’s roommate, having been deceived by the scumbag and mistakenly wronging Shu Ruan, couldn’t bring herself to apologize. Instead, she snapped angrily at Shu Ruan, “Why didn’t you tell me? If you’d said something earlier, wouldn’t none of this happened?!”

Shu Ruan clutched the collar that they had torn off, her face cold as she remained silent. Calming down after a moment, she turned to Xu Qingli and said, “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.” Xu Qingli shook her head. “Actually, I came here specifically to find you.”

“Find me?” Shu Ruan was stunned. “What for?”

“President Wen sent me.” Xu Qingli raised her voice. “He said you’ve been cast as the female lead for the promotional film.”

She deliberately didn’t mention that there would be three female leads.

The women who had been about to slip away during their conversation all turned back in shock.

“The female lead for the promotional film… is me?” Shu Ruan was equally stunned.

“Yes, it’s you.” Xu Qingli nodded. “If you don’t believe me, have your manager check with President Gao. He’ll contact you before filming starts anyway.”

Only then did Shu Ruan truly believe her. Perhaps because of the sheer shock of it all, her eyes reddened slightly. At a loss for words, she repeated, “Thank you.”

“Why should you thank me? This is because of your own talent after all.” Xu Qingli said.

“Shu Ruan.” Her roommate hurried back, pulling a shawl off one of her friends and handing it to Shu Ruan. “Sorry about today. We were wrong, and I apologize. How about this, we’ll take you back to freshen up, and then we’ll make it up to you properly, okay?”

Shu Ruan hesitated but eventually took the shawl, wrapping it around herself. Then she glanced at Xu Qingli, her expression uncertain.

“It’s alright, you guys can go back first.” Xu Qingli waved her hand with a smile.

She believed they wouldn’t trouble Shu Ruan anymore, and she had exhausted all her energy, no longer in the mood for socializing anymore.

Shu Ruan hesitated for a moment, ultimately feeling that her current state was indeed a bit disheveled. After leaving Xu Qingli with a, “Let’s keep in touch,” she soon left with the group.

Xu Qingli watched their figures disappear around the corner before leaning against an ordinary-looking black SUV nearby, bending over her waist as she caught her breath.

Inside the heavily tinted car window, Wen Qiaozhou’s hand was still hovering over the door handle, yet his eyes gleamed with curiosity and amusement as they met Xu Qingli’s through the specially treated glass.

Above her head, a chibi version of herself plopped onto the ground, mouth wide open as she wailed, sobbing uncontrollably.

Her tears flowed like a breached dam, cascading down in torrents, while a large thought bubble floated beside her: [My god, really scared the baby⁴ to death!]

Not long after, the ground was soon flooded with water. The little girl stretched out her stubby arms to paddle around, as if discovering something a fun new toy. Then she reached into the empty space beside her and pulled out… a tiny boat.

She then climbed aboard, rowing playfully while still continuing to shed tears.

Wen Qiaozhou: “…”

What a talent.

---

i’m back !!! thanks for waiting so patiently (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)

any typos or broken links, pls comment or dm me on discord!
support mio on kofi! ◡̈

1.  When two sides fight over something, a third party takes advantage of their conflict to benefit. ↩︎
2. Xu Qingli’s given name (Qingli) translates literally to ‘green pear’. Lihua (translated literally as ‘pear blossom’) could be used as an affectionate nickname by close friends, but since this group does seem close to XQL, it could also be used in a mocking or passive-aggressive manner, with the use of such a soft, pretty name being sarcastic, emphasizing that she’s too gentle or meddling. ↩︎
3. “合欢树”, literally “tree of joyful union,” is often associated with love and couples in Chinese symbolism. Mentioning that the scene happened “behind the silk tree” subtly reinforces the irony of a tree symbolizing harmony and affection becoming the setting for betrayal and conflict. ↩︎
4.  Playful and cute way of referring to oneself. ↩︎

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

During the latter half of the meeting, Xu Qingli noticed Shui Miao’s phone beside her continuously vibrating, likely flooded with messages asking for advice.

Shui Miao’s gaze toward her had also subtly grown stranger.

Though socially anxious, Xu Qingli wasn’t stupid. She knew Wen Qiaozhou’s attention had now made her the center of everyone’s focus.

But she was utterly helpless and had no words that could possibly express how pained she was now.

Who could’ve guessed that despite keeping such a low profile, she’d still be singled out by Wen Qiaozhou?

Had she accidentally overplayed her hand and piqued his interest?

Or was he perhaps reprimanding her for tarnishing the image of the company’s artists?

When she asked Shui Miao, the latter looked surprised. “If even you don’t know, how would I?”

Shui Miao was already skeptical and clearly unwilling to open up to her.

Xu Qingli had anticipated this. Given the stark contrast between her personality and the original owner’s as well as Shui Miao’s incredibly sharp instincts, the discrepancies would inevitably surface. She had prepared several explanations for her sudden personality shift, and flimsy as they might be, any excuse would do. After all, their body remained the same, and no one could provide evidence of a soul swap.

But she never expected that her worries had actually been misplaced. Shui Miao not only wasn’t doubting her identity, but had now already rationalized the reason for her change instead. She seemed to think that Xu Qingli was deliberately trying to catch Wen Qiaozhou’s attention, and that she’d succeeded spectacularly.

Now even if she jumped into the Yellow River, Xu Qingli would never be able clear herself of the guilt. Too socially drained to bother explaining, she simply gave up.

Screw it. It’s already a mess now. Whatever.

As the meeting ended, the room erupted into chatter.

Xu Qingli’s sharp ears picked out discussions about her amid the noise, accurately catching words like “master manipulator,” “sea king,” “bound to backfire,” and “not necessarily a good thing.”

The situation had already diverged from the novel’s plot.

In the original novel, Wen Qiaozhou had confirmed Shu Ruan as the promotional film’s lead during the meeting. But tonight, no decision had been made, only that Xu Qingli was to be summoned for a discussion. To everyone else, this signaled that she was the most likely choice.

With a bitter sigh, Xu Qingli followed Shui Miao to meet Wen Qiaozhou.

Perhaps that sigh had caused her trouble. Just then, Wen Xiangxiang, who was seated in the row in front of her, suddenly stood, turning to glare at her before striding off with her chin raised.

Xu Qingli: “…”

The young heiress had always looked down on most people in the entertainment industry despite being a part of it. Sharing the Wen surname, it was only natural that she had assumed the promotional lead was hers by default.

In the novel, losing to Shu Ruan had infuriated her, and she’d later made trouble for the latter.

Now, Xu Qingli was probably the new target of her resentment.

This only deepened Xu Qingli’s depression. Unlike the female lead, she had a pile of scandals and no plot armor to shield her from Wen Xiangxiang’s wrath. She was afraid she had no way to deal with Wen Xiangxiang

What a nightmare.

Wanting to avoid any possible interaction with her, Xu Qingli stayed put, waiting for Wen Xiangxiang to leave first.

But as soon as Wen Xiangxiang left, Shu Ruan then also stood up.

Her figure and outfit made her impossible to miss, let alone Xu Qingli, who as a looks fanatic and despite her troubles, couldn’t help stealing a glance. Unexpectedly, Shu Ruan was looking right back at her. When their eyes met, Xu Qingli forced an awkward smile.

Shu Ruan smiled back, then leaned in and whispered, “What Wen Qiaozhou asked earlier was: ‘What are your thoughts on the promotional film?’”

With that, she walked away.

Xu Qingli froze for a moment. Was this considered a gesture of goodwill? Was the aloof female lead actively extending an olive branch toward her?

She turned to ask Shui Miao, who didn’t understand why she found it strange. “She’s just a nobody. Is it weird for her to show you goodwill?”

Xu Qingli: “…”

She had only been thinking of Shu Ruan as the female lead, forgetting that at this point, the female lead was still just a pearl covered in dust.

“Let’s go,” Shui Miao said flatly, seeming to be in a bad mood.

Xu Qingli had no choice but to follow her.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

The Wen Group had never placed much emphasis on the film and entertainment sector. Wen Qiaozhou rarely visited and didn’t have a dedicated office, temporarily settling for borrowing the space of Gao Xuan, the head of the artist department.

Gao Xuan was a chubby middle-aged man who loved to smile and appeared amiable, but in reality, was ruthless. Behind his back, everyone called him the “Smiling Tiger”—the friendlier his smile appeared, the harsher his methods.

However, at this moment, Gao Xuan’s smile toward Xu Qingli was absolutely genuine.

Earlier, Wen Qiaozhou had come from the conference room and immediately asked for Xu Qingli’s file, which he had been scrutinizing meticulously the entire time. Though his expression remained unreadable, just who was Wen Qiaozhou? Could anyone he personally took the time to investigate be someone simple?

So, regardless of their relationship, this girl Xu Qingli was not someone to be trifled with.

But to Xu Qingli, Gao Xuan was clearly the more terrifying one. After just one glance at him, she quickly averted her gaze and greeted softly, “Hello, President Wen. Hello, President Gao.”

“Hello, Miss Xu.” Gao Xuan beamed as he handed her a glass of water.

Xu Qingli thanked him and sat on the sofa, sipping the water quietly with her head down, pretending to be preoccupied with something.

After all, Shui Miao was here. She excelled at social interactions and would handle anything that came up. Xu Qingli just had to play dead.

Shui Miao hadn’t expected Xu Qingli to still be putting on such an act at this point. She secretly labelled her as a “dog,” but at the same time, couldn’t help but admire her. This level of acting was truly masterful, far surpassing her performances in front of other suitors. Her potential was indeed limitless.

If only she applied this acting skill to films and dramas, she would have long risen to become the company’s top star. Why then would she need to juggle so many admirers?

But she just wouldn’t listen. When it came to real acting, she was half-hearted, yet in daily life, she was a master performer.

Still, no matter how much she complained internally, as Xu Qingli’s agent—or more accurately, for their shared interests—Shui Miao had to step in. Just as she was about to speak up, Wen Qiaozhou beat her to it, addressing Xu Qingli directly, “Have you come up with an answer to the question I asked you earlier?”

Xu Qingli hadn’t expected that this big-shot CEO would be so fixated on that question that he’d actually ask again. Mentally thanking Shu Ruan profusely, she steeled herself and replied, “The greatest truths are the simplest ones. I think the simpler, the better.”

She lifted her head slightly as a courtesy, but her gaze only reached the tip of Wen Qiaozhou’s nose before she quickly lowered it again.

As for the answer itself, it was pure nonsense. She was sure Wen Qiaozhou wouldn’t be satisfied with it.

To her surprise, Wen Qiaozhou nodded. “Well said. In that case, you’ll be the female lead for this promotional film.”

“What?” Xu Qingli was so shocked that she forgot all about his intimidating gaze. Her head snapped up as she stared into his eyes, disbelief written all over her face. “You’re saying I’ll be the female lead?”

Wen Qiaozhou watched as the chibi version of her in his mind had already frozen in shock, her eyes turning into dizzying spirals like mosquito coils, with a giant line of text floating above her head: [Is he insane?!]

“Yes.” Wen Qiaozhou asked with great interest, “What? You think it’s beneath you?”

“It’s definitely not that,” Xu Qingli hurriedly waved her hands and shook her head. “I just feel… that someone else would be a better fit than me!”

“Who would be a better fit?” Wen Qiaozhou inquired.

Xu Qingli quickly replied, “Shu Ruan! Shu Ruan would be perfect!”

As the name “Shu Ruan” was mentioned, the little girl above her head took a few quick steps to the side with her short legs, and in the spot where she had been standing, another tiny figure appeared. This time, it wasn’t a chibi version of a person but a miniature model of a real person. Though small, the figure clearly had an enviable figure and striking, beautiful features. She was an undeniably stunning woman, with even a halo of colorful light surrounding her.

Meanwhile, the original chibi girl had her fists pressed against her lips, gazing at “Shu Ruan” with starry-eyed admiration, sending little stars and hearts flying toward her with each biubiubiu from her eyes.

Wen Qiaozhou strongly suspected that the little girl’s drool might have already dripped out if she hadn’t used her hands to block her mouth.

“…”

For a moment, Wen Qiaozhou truly didn’t know what to say. Xu Qingli belatedly noticed the intensity of his gaze and immediately lowered her head.

Beside them, Shui Miao and Gao Xuan exchanged glances, neither daring to speak. What was going on now? Would President Wen get angry?

The office fell into an eerie silence.

Finally, Wen Qiaozhou turned to Gao Xuan. “Director Gao, do you have any information on Miss Shu Ruan?”

“Yes,” Gao Xuan replied, quietly breathing a sigh of relief as he quickly handed over the documents. “Miss Shu is also very outstanding.”

Since Wen Qiaozhou was coming, he had made preparations in advance. Just like in the original novel, he had been the most optimistic about Shu Ruan and Wen Xiangxiang, so their files had already been readily available for inspection.

Wen Qiaozhou took the documents and skimmed through them quickly.

Gao Xuan compared the speed at which he had reviewed the files of Xu Qingli earlier and could tell Wen Qiaozhou had little interest in Shu Ruan.

“Fine,” Wen Qiaozhou closed the file and turned to Xu Qingli. “Then it’ll be the both of you.”

Xu Qingli: “…”

She glanced up at Wen Qiaozhou briefly before quickly looking away again.

In that split second, Wen Qiaozhou saw the little girl above her head playing rock-paper-scissors with herself. She obviously still had something to say but wasn’t sure whether to voice it.

“Still have objections?” Wen Qiaozhou asked flatly, his tone neutral.

Even Gao Xuan couldn’t help but worry for Xu Qingli. When he himself used that tone, it usually meant his patience was running thin and he was already getting angry.

Xu Qingli was also afraid, but she really didn’t want to participate in this promotional video. Gritting her teeth, she whispered, “If you need two female leads, I think Wen Xiangxiang would also be… a great choice.”

After speaking, she cautiously peeked at Wen Qiaozhou’s expression.

Wen Qiaozhou actually did know Wen Xiangxiang, though not very well, and his impression of her was rather mediocre. He’d heard she was arrogant and had a princess syndrome.

Yet, the image he saw above Xu Qingli’s head was vastly different from his impression. It was a young girl in ancient Chinese attire with only her profile visible while even her facial features remained indistinct. Just a few simple strokes outlined her silhouette, yet the overall impression she gave was one of grace and dignity, like that of a genuine princess.

Wen Qiaozhou suddenly grew curious about what kind of image he had in Xu Qingli’s mind.

“Including Wen Xiangxiang is fine too,” Wen Qiaozhou agreed readily after a brief consideration. “Then it’ll be the three of you together.

To be honest, he had other purposes for coming this time. The casting for the promotional video had just been incidental and wasn’t of much importance to him. If he had to personally oversee every single one of these trivial matters, he would have been exhausted long ago.

So, although he made an appearance, he hadn’t actually planned to select anyone himself, and had originally intended to leave this task to Gao Xuan.

The appearance of Xu Qingli had been an accident and was something completely unexpected

He chose Xu Qingli as the female lead to further observe her and understand why she was different from others. Perhaps through her uniqueness, he could find the reason behind his own supernatural abilities.

But now, the three distinct character images in Xu Qingli’s mind had genuinely given him some ideas for the promotional video.

As soon as he said this, the remaining people were completely stunned.

Gao Xuan wondered if President Wen was possibly being too indulgent with her. Did he agree to everything, just like that? This Xu Qingli seemed to be even more extraordinary than he imagined.

Shui Miao wondered what kind of game Xu Qingli was playing now. Didn’t she used to despise Shu Ruan and Wen Xiangxiang? Why would she possibly recommend those two?

Xu Qingli, on the other hand, had only one thought: I give up, just let the world end already!

She didn’t want to speak anymore and couldn’t even be bothered to look at Wen Qiaozhou.

Wen Qiaozhou seemed to read Xu Qingli’s mind and leisurely asked, “Is there a fourth person you’d like to recommend?”

Xu Qingli was innately timid, and no matter what thoughts she had in her heart, she didn’t dare to confront Wen Qiaozhou directly. She replied softly, “No, there’s no more.”

Wen Qiaozhou’s intention was already very clear: he would accept everyone she recommended, but she herself wouldn’t be able to escape either.

Xu Qingli didn’t know why he was doing this, but she didn’t want to make her interpersonal relationships any more difficult.

“Alright then,” Wen Qiaozhou didn’t say anything more. “You can go back now. President Gao will contact you when it’s time to film.”

Xu Qingli sighed in relief and quickly stood up to leave.

Just as she reached the door, she heard Wen Qiaozhou call from behind, “Xu Qingli.”

Xu Qingli instinctively turned around and met his gaze.

Wen Qiaozhou just wanted to see what image he had in her mind.

But when she turned back, no image of him appeared above her head. Instead, the adorable chibi version of her suddenly knelt down with a thud, shedding two thick streams of noodle-like tears, while a line of speech bubbles slowly popped up above her simultaneously: What. On. Earth. Is. He. Up. To. This. Time?!

Wen Qiaozhou: “…”

---

i’ll be on hiatus starting from the 10th of nov until the end of the month TAT i’ll be on vacay so won’t have time to update any of my series except for rhrpaw which i have a phat backlog for! so this series will return on the 26th of november! thanks for understanding ◡̈

anyways, i just love when the WQZ can’t get what he wants from the XQL AHHHH MY DAUGHTER OTZ

any typos or broken links, pls comment or dm me on discord!
support mio on kofi! ◡̈

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

With a soft ding, the elevator doors closed, plunging the space into an awkward silence so thick it was almost suffocating.

Xu Qingli had already tried to shrink herself into the farthest corner possible, yet she still couldn’t escape the overwhelming pressure radiating from Wen Qiaozhou beside her. Even without meeting his gaze, she could feel his eyes boring into her, like flickering flames licking at her skin, scorching her until her head threatened to smoke.

How could she be she so unlucky? Shouldn’t the CEO of a company have his own private elevator? What was he doing squeezing in here with lowly employees like them?

And why did he keep staring at her so intently?

It wasn’t like she had a flower sprouting out from the top of her head.

Was it because she wasn’t wearing any makeup and dressed too plainly?

Had her careless words somehow backfired?! Her mouth couldn’t be so cursed as to jinx it, right?!

Though her mind buzzed with questions, Xu Qingli didn’t dare lift her head to scrutinize Wen Qiaozhou. Instead, she silently started to count sheep in her head, desperate for a distraction. Every second had stretched into what felt like an eternity.

Wen Qiaozhou desperately wanted to lock eyes with Xu Qingli again.

The first time he had seen the the barrage of comments floating above someone’s head, after the initial shock, he had felt a flicker of smug satisfaction. After all, with such an ability, who could possibly rival him? Everything would remain effortlessly within his grasp.

But very quickly, Wen Qiaozhou soon realized that this skill was more of a burden than a boon to him.

First, he was already adept at reading people. What his ability revealed to him usually aligned with his own deductions. Without the process of having to decipher the inner calculations of the other person, having their thoughts laid bare before him stripped away the intrigue of it, leaving him only a dull predictability.

Second, he already knew full well he wasn’t a good person. Many who appeared deferential to his face were actually inwardly cursing him in their hearts. He didn’t mind being cursed at, but seeing those insults practically plastered before his eyes was hardly a pleasant experience. Worse still, some of the vitriol was too downright vile to even look at.

Wen Qiaozhou had grown increasingly reluctant to meet people’s gazes. That wasn’t until today, when he unexpectedly encountered something entirely different.

That soft and refreshing art style was like a powerful cleanser, washing over his vision. Though it had only lasted a second, it left him with a rare sense of clarity and exhilaration.

Still, he had always been a cautious man by nature. As much as he longed to take another look at that barrage of comments above Xu Qingli’s head again, he refrained from speaking up in this setting.

For one, Xu Qingli was the only exception he had encountered in years. He still wasn’t sure if this was mere coincidence, so further observation was necessary.

Moreover, the executives packed into the elevator were already spinning wild theories in their heads, and he had no intention of adding fuel to the fire.

The Wen Group was a prestigious conglomerate, the undisputed industry leader in Xing City. The current chairwoman, Zhu Zhenshan, was Wen Qiaozhou’s grandmother.

Zhu Zhenshan had three sons and four daughters, and although not all of them were her biological children, it was said they all got along well. Yet when it came to selecting an heir, she bypassed all seven of her own children and chose Wen Qiaozhou from among her grandchildren.

Before becoming the heir, Wen Qiaozhou hadn’t been a particularly prominent figure within the family. With older siblings above him and younger ones below, and not even being Zhu Zhenshan’s favorite, his selection had initially baffled many.

Only those who had worked with him understood why. Wen Qiaozhou was intelligent, resourceful, ruthless, and prioritized profit above all else. He was, in essence, the perfect money-making machine.

He had always rejected romance, considering it a nuisance. In public, he avoided excessive contact with women to prevent gossip.

But today, he actually took the initiative to stand next to Xu Qingli?!

What was so special about this girl?

She was of above average height, and although dressed in sportswear, her well-proportioned figure was evident, with a slim waist and long legs. Her cheeks carried a hint of baby fat, and her large eyes were indeed lively. The way she shrank into the corner, avoiding everyone, was pitiable yet endearing, but she was far too plain to be considered stunning at first glance.

Was Wen Qiaozhou genuinely interested, or was he displeased?

None of the executives could figure it out. No one had ever been able to decipher Wen Qiaozhou’s thoughts.

Shui Miao, in particular, was even more unsettled.

Compared to those executives, although she might not know Wen Qiaozhou well enough, she was certain she understood Xu Qingli inside out.

Although Xu Qingli had acted so strangely today that it seemed as if she were a completely different person, Shui Miao was too familiar with her to doubt her identity. As for the idea of switching souls—that was definitely nothing but nonsense.

After much deliberation, Shui Miao concluded there were two possibilities.

Either Xu Qingli had somehow offended Wen Qiaozhou and was avoiding him out of guilt. But when they parted just last night, Xu Qingli had still been full of anticipation. In such a short time, could she have even had the chance to approach Wen Qiaozhou, let alone offend him?

Given her expertise in “hooking fish”, Xu Qingli did indeed have some tricks up her sleeve. Shui Miao thought it was possible, but unlikely. As a contracted artist of the company, Xu Qingli couldn’t possibly be unaware of Wen Qiaozhou, much less dare to provoke him.

Thus, the second possibility seemed more plausible—Xu Qingli had somehow learned that Wen Qiaozhou preferred low-key girls and was tailoring her behavior to his preferences.

Was she really planning to “hook” the fish that was the CEO himself?

She must have a death wish.

With a soft ding, the elevator doors slid open again.

Wen Qiaozhou and the others were headed to the top floor, so Shui Miao and Xu Qingli stepped out first.

For Xu Qingli, the brief minute inside the elevator had felt like an eternity of torment. She was nearly exhausted, and once free, she couldn’t help but take a few deep breaths.

Yet Shui Miao pulled her to a stop at the elevator doors, forcing her to watch as Wen Qiaozhou and the others in the elevator departed.

Xu Qingli kept her eyes downcast, refusing to look up.

Only after the elevator doors had fully closed did Wen Qiaozhou finally withdraw his gaze, his expression cooling slightly.

Not being able to see the comments above her head anymore was somewhat disappointing.

The other executives, however, were left uneasy. What exactly did this mean?

*

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

Xu Qingli followed Shui Miao into the conference room, where a large crowd had already gathered inside.

The front rows were packed, with only one or two seats occasionally left vacant.

Shui Miao frowned and immediately moved forward, only to be stopped by Xu Qingli tugging at her sleeve.

“Sis,” Xu Qingli whispered, nearly pleading as the sight of so many people immediately made her scalp tingle. “How about we just sit in the back?”

Shui Miao’s first instinct was to refuse. In such a crowded setting, how could anyone notice you if you didn’t actively put yourself forward?

But then she recalled Wen Qiaozhou’s reaction in the elevator and glanced at Xu Qingli again. Swallowing her initial response, she nodded. “Fine, as you wish.”

“Thank you, Sis.” Xu Qingli exhaled in relief and quickly slipped into the very last row to sit down.

Today, everyone was scrambling to squeeze into the front, leaving the last row completely empty. The second-to-last row, however, had two groups seated.

On the left sat the original novel’s female lead, Shu Ruan, and her manager. Though still a relatively unknown figure at this point, Shu Ruan possessed striking features and was a radiant beauty with an enviable figure. Tonight, she wore a fitted red dress that drew considerable attention toward her despite being in the back rows.

The person on the right was named Wen Xiangxiang, a wealthy second-generation heiress from a collateral branch of the Wen family, she had reportedly entered the entertainment industry purely out of interest. Dressed in haute couture and adorned with dazzling luxury jewelry, she was just as eye-catching as Shu Ruan.

With these two blocking her from view in front, it was almost impossible for anyone to notice her.

Xu Qingli was quite satisfied with this seat.

Since they had arrived relatively late, the meeting began shortly after they sat down.

Like almost every corporate meeting, this one was just as tedious, especially during the leadership speeches, which were downright sleep-inducing.

Just as Xu Qingli’s eyelids were drooping, she suddenly heard a booming “Hello, President Wen!” jolting her awake.

A stir swept through the conference room as the previously listless attendees instantly straightened up in their seats.

Xu Qingli took advantage of the commotion to glance up.

In the novel, Wen Qiaozhou was a major villain as well as the most handsome character in the entire novel, openly admitted by the author themselves.

It was said that as a child, Wen Qiaozhou had been so strikingly beautiful that he had even been considered a “demon”, with even his parents resenting him. This was a major reason that led to his later twisted personality and eventual role as a villain.

So of course, Xu Qingli was naturally terrified of Wen Qiaozhou, which was why she had only dared to steal a fleeting glance when they’d crossed paths in the elevator.

Her overall impression at the time had been that he was undeniably handsome—tall, long-legged, and exuding an overwhelming presence with his cold, steely demeanor, instantly reducing the surrounding executives to mere background extras. His face had been stunning at first glance, flawless in every way, but she hadn’t actually gotten a clear look at his features.

For someone with a penchant for ogling attractive people, such divine looks were a rare treat, and Xu Qingli couldn’t resist the urge to sneak another peek.

After all, with so many people around, Wen Qiaozhou probably wouldn’t notice her.

But whether he had anticipated her sitting in the corner or simply had a thing for corners himself, the moment Xu Qingli looked his way, she found his sharp gaze already sweeping toward the back row, still just as piercing as ever.

Xu Qingli shuddered and immediately averted her eyes, not daring to look up again.

Why was this man so terrifying?

Thankfully, their eyes hadn’t met. He probably hadn’t noticed her, right?

She hunched her shoulders slightly, sinking lower in her seat to hide completely behind Shu Ruan.

Since she didn’t look up again, she missed the fact that Wen Qiaozhou’s gaze lingered on her for a full two seconds before moving away—after which he never looked at anyone else again.

Shui Miao, however, caught everything. “I knew it,” she thought with a mix of resignation and dread. How had Xu Qingli gotten her hands on this information? Just how much had she been doing behind her back?

Wen Qiaozhou’s arrival instantly electrified the atmosphere of the meeting. Both the speakers and the audience seemed pumped up as if they had been injected with chicken blood, cheering at even the most mundane remarks.

The executive who was speaking on stage was very perceptive of the mood and quickly wrapped up his speech before yielding the stage to Wen Qiaozhou.

Wen Qiaozhou wasted no time with unnecessary words, getting straight to the point, “Apologies for taking up everyone’s time, the company has a promotional video…”

His voice was deep and slightly raspy, not at all like the hoarse kind that came from smoking, but one with a natural magnetism. It didn’t quite match his ethereally handsome appearance, which surprised Xu Qingli. She instinctively wanted to look up again but managed to restrain herself at the last second.

Just as she was itching with curiosity, Wen Qiaozhou suddenly said, “The young lady in the gray tracksuit in the back row, you answer.”

Xu Qingli didn’t even realize he was calling on her, still lost in thought.

Shui Miao gave her a gentle nudge.

Xu Qingli was like a slacking student caught daydreaming in class by the teacher. She shot up from her seat with a start, only to make an even bigger commotion in her flustered state, instantly flushing crimson with embarrassment.

The worst part was she had no idea what she was supposed to say now that she was standing. Shui Miao offered no help either, leaving her no choice but to hang her head low.

“Come on, look at me and answer the question,” Wen Qiaozhou said in an even tone, giving nothing away.

But to Xu Qingli, his words felt nothing short of a threat. She instinctively lifted her gaze as instructed and was abruptly met with a pair of mesmerizing peach blossom eyes.

Wen Qiaozhou finally saw the chibi version of her appear above her head again.

This time, the little girl was clearly terrified. Her long hair stood on end, whipping wildly in the wind, her wide eyes brimming with confusion. A flurry of thought bubbles floated around her head, each screaming: [Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do? What’s the answer? Have you never seen someone zone out in class before? That young lady in front of me is so pretty, is he blind? Why not call on her? I’m keeping such a low profile, so why are you picking on me?]

Although she might appear dazed on the outside, it was clear that her inner world was lively.

Wen Qiaozhou almost laughed out loud but quickly covered it up with a light cough.

Xu Qingli took that cough as a warning. Gritting her teeth, she muttered in defeat, “I don’t know.”

The conference room fell dead silent in an instant.

Did she not know who was on the stage? How could she dare to act so brazenly? What kind of act was she up to?

Everyone turned to look at her, but seeing Shui Miao still remaining relatively calm, they shifted their gazes to Wen Qiaozhou.

Many couldn’t help but wonder—would Wen Qiaozhou lose his temper?

Wen Qiaozhou narrowed his eyes, though he didn’t seem angry. He simply said, “Very good. After the meeting, come to Director Gao’s office with your manager.”

Then he watched as Xu Qingli maintained a calm exterior, her expression barely changing. But above her head, the wind died down, and the chibi girl stopped trembling. Instead, she reached into her her head and pulled out a mint-green cube labeled with the words, CPU.

The next second—bang! The CPU exploded, leaving the little girl charred from head to toe, slowly toppling over, leaving behind just one final thought bubble: [Already dead. Don’t @ me.]

---

AHHHHH my daughter is so effing cute !!!!

any typos or broken links, pls comment or dm me on discord!
support mio on kofi! ◡̈

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

The weather outside was perfect, with sunlight streaming in and falling on the blooming moth orchids. Their delicate yellow petals trembled slightly in the breeze, looking as if they were about to take flight.

Xu Qingli rested her chin on the windowsill, staring longingly at the pot of moth orchids, on the verge of tears.

Last night, she had just dozed off at her desk while drawing, only to wake up and find out that she had actually transmigrated into a novel.

And she hadn’t just transmigrated into any role; she had actually become the villainess! The original owner of this body had relied on her youth and beauty to flirt her way to fame in the entertainment industry, enjoying boundless glory in the early stages. Unfortunately, as the saying goes, “you can’t walk by the river without getting your shoes wet¹.” In the end, her attempts to seduce the male lead backfired, leaving her utterly disgraced.

Xu Qingli was socially anxious. She didn’t want to be a femme fatale, didn’t want to navigate the twists and turns of the entertainment industry, and certainly didn’t want to end up disgraced. All she wanted to do was to go back and enjoy her quiet, isolated life.

But that clearly wasn’t an option anymore. The ringing of her phone and the doorbell suddenly sounded at the same time.

The caller ID on her phone clearly displayed the contact “Manager”. This was already her fourth time calling her today. If Xu Qingli had to guess, the person at the door was probably her as well, so she picked up the call reluctantly, “Sister?”

“Why aren’t you answering your calls?!” A sharp, no-nonsense voice came through the receiver, full of authority and momentum. “What have you been doing?”

Xu Qingli flinched and whispered, “If I said I was in the bathroom without my phone, would you believe me?”

“You can actually sit still without always scrolling on your phone?” Her manager clearly didn’t buy it and snorted. “You’re not inside anymore, right? I’m at your door, come open it!”

Xu Qingli: “…”

According to the novel, the original owner’s manager was named Shui Miao. Though her name was full of “water²,” her personality was anything but calm. She was known for her iron-fisted approach and fiery hot temper. In short, she was terrifying.

The moment Xu Qingli opened the door, her legs weakened nearly gave out, and her gaze instinctively dropped downward.

Then she saw a pair of long and slender legs that were white like porcelain, looking absolutely stunning in high heels!

Although Xu Qingli was socially anxious, that was only limited to her interactions with people in real life. Her inner world was actually quite vibrant, filled with admiration for all things beautiful, especially handsome men and pretty women. In short, she was a total sucker for good looks.

Therefore, this novel world did have at least one tiny perk for her. After all, it was a novel set in the entertainment industry, meaning nearly every character would be drop-dead gorgeous.

Her mind automatically conjured up a bunch of drooling little figures, and her mood improved slightly. But when she lifted her head to look at Shui Miao’s face, she was met with a disdainful glance.

“Why do you look so pale? You’ve been sleeping all day, are you still not well-rested enough?”

Xu Qingli had spent the entire day agonising over her transmigration, so of course she wasn’t well-rested. She didn’t dare respond to Shui Miao.

“Go take a shower and get ready,” Shui Miao said, not waiting for an answer as she strode to the sofa and sat down. “You’re coming with me to the company later.”

Xu Qingli mumbled an “Oh” and headed to the bathroom.

Only after closing the door did she remember that she had woken up from a nightmare drenched in sweat and had already taken a shower.

But thinking about the intimidating manager outside and the impending trip to the company, Xu Qingli decided being able to delay the inevitable by even a minute was worth it. As a result, she slowly went through the motions of showering again.

It wasn’t until Shui Miao’s voice came through the door, urging her from outside, “Did you fall down the drain? Do I need to come in and fish you out?”

Xu Qingli: “…”

She had no choice but to get dressed and walk out.

“Hurry up,” Shui Miao said, checking her watch with a frown. “Traffic’s bad at this hour. If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late.”

“Then…” Xu Qingli mustered up her courage to say, “How about we just… don’t go?”

As early as the first phone call from Shui Miao, Xu Qingli had already figured out by scrolling through the original owner of this body’s chat history that she was supposed to attend a company artist gathering tonight, where the company’s president, Wen Qiaozhou, was also rumored to appear.

Xu Qingli didn’t want to go, which was why she hadn’t answered her phone, planning to use the excuse of having overslept as a way to get out of it. She just hadn’t expected Shui Miao to show up at her door. Apparently this event was even more important than she’d anticipated.

“Why don’t you want to go?” Shui Miao stared at her, suspicion already creeping into her eyes. “Isn’t this exactly the kind of occasion you love the most?”

Xu Qingli: “…”

The original owner, who had been a full-on Sea King³, definitely did. But Xu Qingli was socially anxious, so how could she possibly enjoy a gathering packed with hundreds of people?

Before she could come up with a good excuse, Shui Miao’s expression darkened. “You’re acting really strange today. Ignoring my calls is one thing, but now you’re even willing to pass up a chance to see President Wen… Are you hiding someone in your home?”

“…” Her imagination was truly impressive. Xu Qingli hurriedly waved her hands, “No, absolutely not.”

Her reaction only deepened Shui Miao’s suspicions. She stood up and searched the entire place, focusing particularly on the wardrobe and under the bed, even overturning the sofa cushions to check.

Xu Qingli: “…”

What could possibly be hiding under there? A paper person⁴?

Come to think of it, weren’t they all technically paper people now?

As Xu Qingli’s thoughts wandered, Shui Miao suddenly smacked her arm. “Why aren’t you getting changed yet?”

Xu Qingli muttered an “Oh” and headed to her walk-in closet.

As a heartthrob, the original owner always dressed glamorously in public, so her wardrobe was naturally packed with clothes and accessories. Amid the dazzling array of trendy outfits, Xu Qingli finally managed to dig out a light gray tracksuit. After changing, she found a baseball cap and pulled it low over her face before finally emerging.

Shui Miao looked up, and her temper flared instantly, “You’re going to meet President Wen dressed like this? And without even putting on any makeup either?”

“I was thinking… won’t everyone else be dressed to impress tonight?” Xu Qingli mumbled weakly. “Wouldn’t keeping it low-key actually make me stand out more?”

In the novel, the original owner had gone all out with her appearance, stealing the spotlight and even picking up two new fish to bring back to her pond. So of course, Xu Qingli intended to do the exact opposite.

“Have you been reading too many novels?” Shui Miao glared at her in exasperation, “Do you really think rich people suddenly develop a taste for country bumpkins after seeing too many beautiful women? Even if they want a change in taste, it would still be swapping one kind of luxury for another, not punching down a tier.”

Xu Qingli stayed silent, thinking that if that were the case, it would truly be perfect.

“Besides, the goal of this meeting is about selecting someone to represent the company’s image in a promotional video. Even if President Wen personally had a thing for country bumpkings—which he absolutely doesn’t, by the way, his taste is impeccable—it wouldn’t matter. Got it?”

Xu Qingli thought she wouldn’t be able to get out of it this time and was about to obediently go change when Shui Miao checked the time and sighed. “Forget it. Just leave it and go like this.”

She’d heard Wen Qiaozhou was extremely strict about being punctual to work. If they were late, even dressing like a celestial fairy probably wouldn’t help.

Xu Qingli exhaled in relief and quietly followed Shui Miao.

Downstairs, the assistant and driver had been waiting for a while. Both were visibly shocked by Xu Qingli’s outfit, but after glancing at Shui Miao’s stormy expression, they didn’t dare comment on it.

Shui Miao sat beside Xu Qingli, observing her with her head bowed. She wasn’t on her phone, wasn’t chattering, but just had an oddly subdued air of resignation to her. It was too strange. She herself had clearly been the one that was eager for this promotional opportunity, yet now she looked as if she was being forced at gunpoint into it. Nothing about it felt right.

“I heard you added Ye Jiaming on WeChat yesterday?” Shui Miao probed cautiously. “He has a girlfriend, so make sure you tread carefully.”

To be fair, Xu Qingli had the perfect conditions to be a star. Trained in dance, her figure was soft and graceful, and paired with a face that resembled a delicate white flower, her large, sparkling eyes made everything she did seem innocent and fragile, effortlessly stirring a protective instinct in others.

That’s why, even in the cutthroat entertainment industry, she had an easier path than most.

But perhaps because things came too easily for her, she never learned to cherish them. She always believed her charm was boundless, enjoying the thrill of keeping her pond of fish on the hook and toying with their emotions.

For public figures, even a casual remark, smile, or glance could be endlessly scrutinized and dissected. With behavior like hers, a scandal was inevitable.

Shui Miao had warned her before, but Xu Qingli would only agree verbally while doing the opposite in a hypocritical manner. After a few such instances, Shui Miao eventually stopped bothering.

Unlike other managers, she didn’t invest too much emotion in her artists. They were just business partners. To put it bluntly, artists were merely commodities to her. 

If they could make money, she’d put in effort, but if not, she’d just move on to the next. She disliked forcing things.

But today, for some reason, she couldn’t resist speaking up again upon seeing the helplessness in Xu Qingli’s eyes. 

That face was truly deceptive.

The moment she finished speaking, Shui Miao regretted it almost instantly. She knew what awaited her was yet another empty promise.

Xu Qingli paused slightly upon hearing her words.

Here we go again—another act of feigned ignorance, Shui Miao thought, regretting it even more.

Unexpectedly, the next second, Xu Qingli suddenly nodded vigorously. “I’ll delete him right now.”

She clearly wasn’t just handing out lipservice. She immediately pulled out her phone, found Ye Jiaming’s profile, and blocked and deleted him in one swift motion. So fast that Shui Miao barely even had time to react.

“Sis, I’ve decided to turn over a new leaf,” Xu Qingli said, biting her lip and seizing the moment to voice her thoughts. “From now on, I won’t go out unless absolutely necessary.”

Given her long track record, Shui Miao naturally didn’t believe her. Her first reaction was, “What on earth are you hiding at home that you’re so desperate to keep a secret?”

“I’m really not hiding anything,” Xu Qingli replied, torn between laughter and tears.

“Then are you waiting for someone?” Shui Miao guessed, “Who is it?”

Xu Qingli: “…Waiting for happiness? What if happiness comes knocking on my door and I’m not home? Wouldn’t that just be a billion-dollar mistake?”

“…” Shui Miao really wanted to hit her. “Xu Qingli, that’s not funny at all.”

“I know,” Xu Qingli murmured softly.

Shui Miao felt this was borderline provocation toward her, making her want to hit her even more.

Fortunately, the driver chose that moment to announce that they had arrived, temporarily putting an end to the conversation.

The parking lot was already packed. Shui Miao led Xu Qingli out first, letting the driver find a spot on his own.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

Qinghe Pictures’ artist department holds a meeting every month, but there were many who often asked for leave to skip it, using it as a way to flaunt their popularity and busy schedules.

However, today was different.

The company was shooting a promotional video and planned to select the lead role from the artist department.

Although Qinghe Pictures was a subsidiary of the Wen Group, rumour had it that the chairman disliked the entertainment industry, so the company wasn’t taken seriously.

In the past, promotional needs were usually met by selecting executives with good images, but never artists.

This was the first time in history. It was said that even President Wen Qiaozhou would personally attend the selection, so it was no wonder everyone was so eager.

Shui Miao glanced at the disheveled Xu Qingli beside her, silently considering whether to take a gamble and let her steal the spotlight this once.

Before she could make up her mind, the elevator doors open with a ding, revealing a group of people standing outside.

At a glance, they were all company executives. The one in the center, wearing a silver-gray haute couture suit, tall with long legs, strikingly handsome, and sporting a pair of metal-framed glasses, was none other than Wen Qiaozhou.

“President Wen,” Shui Miao hurriedly greeted him. Seeing Xu Qingli still standing there in a daze, as if she hadn’t yet reacted, she had no choice but to discretely nudge her.

With only the two of them in the elevator, Xu Qingli couldn’t possibly pretend to be invisible. She reluctantly raised her head and said, “President Wen.”

Her eyes met Wen Qiaozhou’s for just a brief moment before she quickly lowered her gaze. Seizing the chance to make room, she shuffled toward the corner. Even with glasses on, his sharp gaze was impossible to ignore. What should have been an ordinary glance felt like an arrow shot straight at her, completely unnerving her.

Wen Qiaozhou paused slightly before striding into the elevator and standing right beside Xu Qingli, looking down at her.

He possessed a special ability akin to mind-reading, and when making eye contact with someone, he could see a stream of bullet comments above their head.

In the past, he had only ever seen text, but lo and behold, there was actually an animation above Xu Qingli’s head!

In that brief moment, he saw a tiny figure above Xu Qingli’s head, likely a chibi version of herself. The art style was delicate and soft, featuring a girl with waist-length long hair, a round, chubby face, large sparkling eyes, and hands clasped together holding a stick of incense. She was bowing in his direction, praying fervently: [You can’t see me, you can’t see me…]

The silly strand of hair⁵ on her head swayed with her movements, and her expression was downright devout—it was so cute it was practically illegal.

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AHHHHH new novel !! this is my fav novel, almost top 1 for my romance novels GHSDLFKJFSD xu qingli is practically my daughter QAQ the eventual romance between the two leads is so sweet it’s a really good pick me up novel!!!

updates will be weekly @ 12pm on wednesdays so stay tuned!!

any typos or broken links, pls comment or dm me on discord!
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1.  Or, “if you play risky games, you’ll eventually get caught” ↩︎
2.  Quite literally, 水淼 is full of water radicals (水) ↩︎
3.  A serial flirt. Sea king came from the idea of said flirt keeping a school of fish (admirers) in her pond. ↩︎
4.  Refers to 2D fictional characters. ↩︎
5.  It’s that one silly strand of hair poking up in animes, see more here -> https://animanga.fandom.com/wiki/Ahoge ↩︎