Chapter Eleven: The Faux Heiress Flower Vase Actress in Modern Society (11)

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Xian Du raised her leg high and struck Zhao Zhongyu’s chin, followed immediately by an elbow to his back, and finally a kick to a very sensitive spot. Although Xian Du no longer had the support of her powers, each blow carried considerable force, sending Zhao Zhongyu crashing to the ground, unconscious from the pain.

“Host, what are you doing! I was only gone a moment, and now you’re about to cause a fatal incident!” Wang Cai, who had been locked in battle just moments ago, heard the alarm he had set off and hurriedly switched his awareness back. What he saw was a seemingly kind-looking old man now lying on the ground with a grimace of pain.

Xian Du briefly explained the situation to Wang Cai.

“Well done! He deserved to be beaten to death… cough, cough.” Wang Cai recalled that their space-time department was a civilized one and felt compelled to remind his host.

“But host, have you thought about what to do with this old geezer… cough, I mean this old man? If handled poorly, it could ruin your reputation, which would affect your mission rating and points.”

“No worries. If he dares to speak out, I’ll just claim he was harassing me,” Xian Du said, pointing to the camera on the ceiling. “People like him, who care deeply about their power, fear losing face the most. But since he’s a public figure, such behavior would force him to publicly apologize on social media, which is even more humiliating than killing him.”

“However, I can’t keep these clothes.” Xian Du sounded a little regretful; she had actually liked this outfit, which Huo Ying had helped her pick out. Now, tainted by this man’s aura, she was more inclined to discard it.

“Uh—” Wang Cai was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to respond.

“As long as you understand, host… ahhh! These little Karamis are back again; I’ll deal with them first!” Wang Cai slammed the keyboard with such force that sparks seemed about to fly, almost wanting to swing the keyboard at the intruders’ faces via the internet cable.

“Alright, I’ll add an extra chicken leg for you tonight!”

Knock, knock, knock—someone knocked on the door. After no one answered for a long time, they tried the handle and found it locked.

“Xian Du, are you in there?” It was Wei Lai’s voice.

Xian Du unlocked and opened the door wide.

Only Wei Lai stood outside.

“Director Wei, is there something you need from me?”

“I—” Wei Lai’s eyes widened as he seemed to notice someone lying on the floor. His small eyes instantly grew large. He quickly pushed Xian Du back into the dressing room, then, recalling the trending topics online, grabbed her sleeve and pulled her out of the room. Standing outside, he closed the door behind them.

After all this, Wei Lai stepped back a couple of paces, putting some distance between them, and asked with a headache, “Was that Zhao Zhongyu on the floor just now?”

Xian Du nodded.

Wei Lai was almost broken, but still held onto hope: “He had a sudden illness… and just fainted, right?”

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Xian Du shook her head. “I hit him.”

Wei Lai collapsed, covering his face, unwilling to face it all. “Oh my little ancestor, why are you so honest!”

He took a deep breath to compose himself. “Why did you hit him?”

Xian Du explained the incident for the second time that day.

Wei Lai calmed down and agreed that Xian Du had acted rightly. “Girls should protect themselves at times like these. You don’t have to worry about Zhao Zhongyu. I will take care of it. As for the trending topics online, they’re all baseless rumors. You’re not the only one—I just got scolded by the investors on the phone too. I’ll postpone tonight’s scene for you. Wait until there’s evidence before you come back. Otherwise, if you keep appearing on set daily with only a female assistant by your side, it wouldn’t be safe if someone loses control and acts fanatically.”

Wei Lai’s words seemed considerate, but both knew he had ulterior motives: if this incident remained unresolved, Wei Lai, the director, would remain unchallenged, but Xian Du, the actress, would be drowned in slander, blacklisted, and her career extinguished.

In the future, people would speak of this as Wei Lai’s scandal, but Xian Du would forever bear the stigma of being labeled a seductress who climbed the ladder through illicit means.

This world was cruel and unfair, and no quick fix could change that.

“All right, thank you, Director Wei. I’ll rest well,” Xian Du said with a practiced smile. Everyone had their own hardships and considerations; she understood that.

Xian Du opened the door, stepped over the still unconscious Zhao Zhongyu, picked up her small bag, and prepared to leave.

As she returned, Zhao Zhongyu stirred, seeming to awaken. Xian Du delivered another kick, sending his barely-raised head crashing back to the floor.

Wei Lai stood outside, guarding the door, naturally unaware of Xian Du’s actions.

Xian Du left the dressing room and bid Wei Lai farewell.

Seeing the scarf in her hand, Wei Lai reminded her, “Wrap the scarf tightly and put on sunglasses. Be careful on your way back—don’t get caught by the paparazzi.”

Xian Du wrapped the scarf snugly and nodded.

Just as she was about to leave the studio, Bo Yue suddenly appeared from some corner, mouth opening as if to say something.

Xian Du treated him like air, slipping past without giving him a chance to grab her sleeve.

Outside the studio, indeed many paparazzi were waiting.

But they assumed someone like Xian Du would be dressed glamorously, stylish but distant—not expecting her to be wrapped up so fully, as if sneaking off to steal a dog.

Xian Du strode confidently past the shivering paparazzi, hailed a bike, and pedaled home with heavy breaths.

...

“What is all this? First, the role was stolen, then she gets framed, and the whole internet darkens her… Are we just doomed to be unlucky with this production? Trouble always finds us!”

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Wang Cai had been battling internet trolls all afternoon, exhausted, sprawled on a soft cushion, lamenting.

Xian Du placed a cooked chicken leg in front of him. Wang Cai immediately sprang up and buried his face in the food bowl.

“Host, I want cat treats too!”

Xian Du’s attention was on her phone, but hearing Wang Cai, she ripped open a package and squeezed some into the bowl without looking away.

After eating, Wang Cai lounged on the cushion contentedly, glancing sideways to see Xian Du still scrolling through online news. Worried she might be numbed by sadness, he climbed onto her lap to peek at what she was reading.

Xian Du and Wang Cai had agreed that if they were in the same space, Wang Cai could not switch his consciousness and had to share her sensory experience.

Yet Wang Cai didn’t understand why the main system had blocked Xian Du’s abilities. As long as she refused, he couldn’t link his awareness.

Don’t ask him how he knew!

Just as Wang Cai was about to see the phone screen, Xian Du turned off the phone and set it aside, pulling Wang Cai close to bury her face in his fur.

“Host, honestly, are you just going to let this online mess escalate? Maybe you should ask Gu Qianxi for help?”

Xian Du looked up, thinking Wang Cai was joking. But seeing the seriousness in his eyes, she tapped his little cat head with her finger.

“What are you thinking? He’s willing to strike against the Bo and Jiang families because this benefits the Gu clan as well—there’s no fundamental conflict of interest. Plus, I used my inner core to extend his life; that sealed the deal.”

“Connections and relationships are part of one’s strength, but if you always rely on others instead of solving problems yourself, why does your department even send me on missions? You might as well have bound the dying Gu Qianxi from the start.”

“But that’s his life… isn’t this trade too unfair to him?” Wang Cai worried.

“In this world, we are to him what the three-dimensional world is to the two-dimensional—absolute dominance. If he wishes, just a frown and countless people below prevent him from dirtying his hands. You can stop one, but can you stop them all? Besides, he wouldn’t waste so many resources on biotechnology otherwise. That’s our deal. You little cat, you must keep your promises!”

Xian Du rubbed Wang Cai’s belly, enjoying the soft texture. “…He’s actually testing us too, to see if we’re worthy partners.”

“Ding—”

Wang Cai wanted to say more but was interrupted by a message notification on Xian Du’s phone.

She opened the message, a smile curling at her lips. “See? The solution just arrived.”