Xu Mei’s bad luck wasn’t just from choosing the wrong path but also from lacking core competitiveness.
Her singing wasn’t outstanding, and her acting was subpar. When people decided to replace her, there wasn’t a shred of regret. If Xu Mei’s acting was stellar, bringing Zhang Guangzhen’s supporting role to life with depth, Yu Tianlin wouldn’t have even considered replacing her.
No matter the industry, you need to sharpen your skills!
Wen Dongrong and Chen Ru were both astonished.
Wen Ying’s focus wasn’t the gossip itself but using it to express her life philosophy. Compared to making bets or signing agreements with her parents, or deciding things behind their backs, or even earning big scriptwriting fees, this moment made the couple feel she’d matured. Her perspective was the kind adults gain only after being tempered by the ways of the world… Had this trip to Hunan been *that* intense?
This sudden maturity—was it good or bad?
Chen Ru was silent for a long while.
Wen Dongrong broke the quiet, “You said deleting the posts was the worst strategy, mentioned the middle one, so what’s the best strategy?”
Wen Ying was quick, dodging ownership, “Did you mishear? I didn’t say that, Teacher Yuan did.”
She credited Yuan Fenghui, “Teacher Yuan said the best strategy is to let the scandal fester. Let the netizens curse all they want. As long as Xu Mei stays off the internet and keeps her emotions in check, she’d have more time to turn things around… The best move is to get the culprit to confess. Whether by setting a trap or through deceit, wiretapping, or secret filming, you need their confession on record. No explanation beats that. The truth is the ultimate clarifier. With such a shocking truth revealed, the harder netizens bashed Xu Mei before, the guiltier they’ll feel after. If Xu Mei can hold strong, her popularity and fame would skyrocket!”
The worst strategy: forcibly delete the exposé posts.
The middle strategy: drag more peers into the mess to divert attention.
The best strategy: draw the fire deliberately, turn passivity into proactivity, treat the crisis as an opportunity, and transform a random smear into a career booster blessed by fate!
If the best strategy worked, Xu Mei wouldn’t be stuck playing a supporting role. Riding this wave, she could justifiably star opposite Yu Tianlin as the lead.
Even if the biggest investor was coal tycoon Boss Jin, he’d yield to Yu Tianlin’s popularity and would do the same for Xu Mei’s buzz. As long as the project made money, letting his little mistress play a supporting role was no issue.
Why did General Manager Guan and the others choose the worst strategy? It’s the easiest to pull off.
The best strategy, while most effective, is the hardest.
It requires General Manager Guan to show guts and Xu Mei to have resilience. Xu Mei would need to prove her worth, convincing Guan and his team she’s more valuable than Station Chief Duan, and her team would need to be top-notch.
An agent like Professor Fang, overly aloof and underperforming, who bolts at critical moments, wouldn’t cut it.
Professor Fang couldn’t even control her own emotions, prioritising personal matters over work and lacking the means to fight for Xu Mei.
Because none of these factors existed, Wen Ying hadn’t mentioned the best strategy back then—it was something Xu Mei’s side could never achieve. A middle strategy was already generous!
This best strategy mirrored Wen Ying’s approach to her lawsuit.
Speaking of the lawsuit, Wen Ying pulled a magazine from her backpack.
“The magazine already apologised, but Editor Han hasn’t.”
Chen Ru had seen the apology in the magazine. While Wen Ying was in Hunan, Chen Ru had Wen Dongrong stake out the newsstand to grab *Aige*’s October issue the moment it dropped.
No need to tell Wen Ying all that. Chen Ru took the magazine, pretending to flip through it, “Han Qin’s no longer the editor. Didn’t you say she was sacked? Looks like she’s a dead pig unafraid of boiling water. I’ll call Lawyer Zheng later to see if we need to enforce anything.”
The compensation wasn’t Chen Ru’s focus anymore. Her mind was on Wen Ying’s gossip.
Getting blamed for something you didn’t do, with no way to defend yourself—this industry was too dirty!
Xu Mei’s plight made Chen Ru sigh and wary.
The entertainment world was so complex, not for ordinary people.
In Chen Ru’s view, Xu Mei’s biggest mistake wasn’t signing with a shady agency but dropping out of school!
“Don’t you dare follow her example. If you think earning scriptwriting fees means you can skip studying, don’t come back calling me Mum!”
Chen Ru warned Wen Ying, who didn’t argue but nodded in agreement.
The future was unclear—quitting school was indeed foolish.
Li Mengjiao was super popular, right? Yet she still diligently studied to keep her grades up!
Being a star was fine—her parents supported it.
But skipping school?
That’d get her legs broken.
Studying steadily might not make you rich, but it ensures a basic livelihood. Skills or a degree—you need at least one to stand firm in society. That’s the simplest hope many parents have for their kids.
“Alright, I’m your daughter, not as dumb as Xu Mei,” Wen Ying said.
Wen Dongrong added some warmth to their plastic father-daughter bond, whispering, “That woman who nearly broke your aunt’s family last year caused this huge mess now. She’s trouble, a repeat offender. Looks like your uncle was really set up last year.”
If Deng Shangwei heard this, he’d be crying on the spot.
It was too tough.
Last year, no matter how Deng Shangwei explained, even taking Wen Ying’s family to the detention centre to hear Yu Wenhao’s confession, Wen Dongrong still had doubts about him.
Relationships and character take time to build. Now, with more contact and even secretly donating books together, Wen Dongrong didn’t want to think ill of Deng Shangwei.
Chen Ru cursed the “troublemaker” twice, hesitated, then told Wen Ying to call Deng Shangwei.
“With Pan Li causing this mess, she probably won’t stay in Hunan. She might head back to Chengdu. Warn your uncle… Why are you looking at me? I’m not worried about him, I’m worried about your aunt!”
Caught by Wen Ying’s gaze, Chen Ru looked uneasy, firmly denying any concern for Deng Shangwei.
Wen Ying stifled a laugh.
Manager Chen was sometimes like that—saying one thing, meaning another. Wen Ying knew it well.
As for why warn Deng Shangwei? With Pan Li’s thick skin, if she didn’t get what she wanted from Station Chief Duan and saw Deng Shangwei’s business thriving, what if she got greedy again?
Deng Shangwei wouldn’t fall for it, but flies don’t bite—they just disgust. Chen Li and Deng Shangwei’s life had finally settled, their two boys no longer worried about a stepmother. Such a peaceful life shouldn’t be disturbed by some pest.
It all came back to Professor Fang’s self-righteousness—why take in Pan Li in the first place?
Wen Ying called Deng Shangwei, who gritted his teeth at “Pan Li,” saying, “Well, I hope she gets everything she wants and climbs to the top!”
