Chapter 162
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Chapter 162: An Unconventional Unspoken Rule
A few years can change a lot.
It had already been more than three years since Jiang Shuyan was blacklisted.
In that time, so much had changed—even the film company she originally signed with had gone bankrupt and shut down.
Ye Xiao could tell that beneath Jiang Shuyan’s delicate makeup was a weariness and pain that couldn’t be concealed.
It was clear—she’d had a very rough few years.
Looking at her now, Ye Xiao had a few guesses.
To endure so much scandal and online public abuse without succumbing to despair or suicide—Jiang Shuyan was already incredibly strong.
Under normal circumstances, after being blacklisted for three years, Jiang Shuyan shouldn’t have had any chance of a comeback.
Because the director she had offended—Master Bao—was a towering figure in the entertainment industry with massive influence.
Add in the rumors of her being a mistress, her name had become synonymous with scandal. No one in the business would touch a tainted actress like her.
Trying to clear her name now was practically impossible.
Her family had once been wealthy, but in recent years, things had taken a turn.
With the national economic crisis hitting businesses hard, and now a 30 million yuan penalty for breach of contract, their fortune had gone up in smoke.
Their once-happy family was on the brink of collapse.
Her father deeply regretted ever supporting her celebrity dreams. Had he known things would turn out like this, he never would’ve allowed it. Now, he’d been forced to sell their house and car just to pay employees’ salaries.
Seeing Ye Xiao in front of her, a sliver of desperation and resolve shimmered in Jiang Shuyan’s beautiful eyes.
After three years of humiliation and isolation…
After being insulted by more than millions online…
She was at her breaking point.
If it were just her suffering, she might have endured.
But now, even her family had been dragged into the abyss.
They were reduced to renting a home, her father avoided coming back because he couldn’t bear to face her. He often chose to sleep at the factory just to avoid being home.
So—she had decided to compromise.
Just a few days ago, the very director she had offended—Master Bao—called her.
He said he was willing to give her a second chance.
Her bags were already packed. She had planned to travel to Magic City (Modu) to meet him.
Jiang Shuyan knew exactly what would await her there.
But she had no choice—this world was brutally realistic.
A person who had tasted despair, mockery, and humiliation knew all too well: money, power, and fame mattered far more than one’s so-called purity or dignity.
Had she not heard that the bankrupt Jiyin Media would be up for auction tonight, she would likely already be on her way to Modu.
Sure, she had once shot to fame because of a single drama—but three years had passed. Who still remembered her?
Even if she did give in and compromise, with her scandalous past, trying to clean her reputation would be a fool’s dream.
More likely than not, she’d just become a plaything in some small inner circle. Whether she’d get any decent resources would depend on Master Bao’s mood, or the mood of whoever was above him.
Tonight, she came to the auction to see if anyone would buy Jiyin Media.
To look for the final sliver of hope to turn her life around.
What she didn’t expect was that the one who would buy Jiyin turned out to be this little girl—Ye Xiao.
If she had any other options, she truly wouldn’t want to lower herself.
But when she saw who had made the winning bid, a wave of bitterness passed through her heart.
Even so, Jiang Shuyan still chose to approach Ye Xiao.
Because at this moment, Ye Xiao was the last life-saving straw she could reach for.
Besides, she had seen how Ye Xiao dared to go head-to-head with Young Master Ye from the Ye family from Yanjing.
Someone brave enough to offend a man like that—Ye Xiao’s background and abilities might not be so simple after all.
Maybe… just maybe… she really could help.
“Ding! Main heroine engagement initiated!”
Name: Jiang Shuyan
Age: 24
Height: 169 cm
Weight: 52 kg
Attractiveness: 8.9 (Reduced due to stress and fatigue).
Fate-bonded male lead: Unknown
Favorability toward host: 20 points
When favorability exceeds 95 points, the conquest is considered successful.
Reward: 20 enhancement points (Can be used to strengthen the host’s physical attributes: strength, constitution, agility, mental power, etc.).
Randomly acquire two skills from the target.
Steal 10% of the target’s bonded male lead’s luck value.
Ye Xiao had still been considering whether to help Jiang Shuyan or not.
But at that moment, System Sis popped up at just the right time—clearly telling her this was a mission she had to accept.
Ye Xiao was speechless. It felt like she was being blackmailed by a rogue AI. She had no way to resist it.
Even though she’d now decided to help Jiang Shuyan, thanks to the system, she couldn’t let it show too easily.
“Miss Scandal Sister,” she said, lips curling mischievously, “whether or not you’re really a mistress… doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that can be proven just by talking, right?”
Jiang Shuyan was caught off guard. She hadn’t expected a line like that.
Her expression shifted as anxiety crept in.
“Miss Ye Xiao, please listen to me. The entertainment industry is extremely complicated. Back then, I only got into this situation because I refused to sleep with Master Bao. I was framed!”
“Oh? Is that so? Then how exactly are you planning to prove to me that you’re telling the truth?”
Ye Xiao looked her up and down.
Truthfully, this older sister wasn’t just beautiful—her figure was amazing too.
Exactly Ye Xiao’s type.
Plus, the added star-power buff just made her even more attractive.
This was her downgraded state?
If this was her at a low point, Ye Xiao could only imagine how dazzling she must’ve been at her peak.
No wonder some sleazy director like Master Bao had wanted to force himself on her. Honestly, if she were a director, she might’ve tried to do the same!
Jiang Shuyan fell silent. She didn’t know what else to say. After all, she had no hard evidence. Just saying “I wasn’t a mistress” didn’t prove anything.
If words were enough, then Ye Xiao could just claim she wasn’t a “gremlin girl” and expect people to believe it.
In truth, Ye Xiao had already believed Jiang Shuyan’s story.
After all, if she was one of the designated main heroines, then things like the mistress scandal were probably nonsense.
Most likely, Master Bao failed to coerce her and retaliated with slander.
But she couldn’t just act like she trusted her right away—that’d be too suspicious.
While Jiang Shuyan was still frozen in thought, Ye Xiao’s small, delicate hand had somehow made its way to her smooth thigh.
Jiang Shuyan’s face instantly flushed red.
She hadn’t expected this little girl to have that kind of interest—and to be so bold about it in such a formal setting.
“Sister Jiang,” Ye Xiao whispered, her fingers still gliding across her thigh, “actually… I have a very good way for you to prove that you’re not a mistress~”
As she spoke, she leaned in, gently exhaling a warm breath next to Jiang Shuyan’s ear.
In the dim lighting of the corner of the banquet hall, the atmosphere between the two was becoming increasingly suggestive.
It was like pink bubbles of flirtation were floating all around them.
Jiang Shuyan’s blush deepened.
Her ears—always a sensitive spot—tingled.
She bit her lip. As someone who had almost been forced into a casting couch situation, how could she not understand what Ye Xiao meant?
Coming to this charity gala, she had already prepared for the worst.
If things didn’t work out here, she would have simply offered herself to Master Bao.
But now…
Instead of giving her body to that disgusting director…
Why not offer it to someone who might actually protect her—and help clear her name?
To think, the one who might save her turned out to be such an adorable little girl…
In some ways, that was the best possible outcome.
Even if this was another form of unspoken rule, what other choice did she have at this point?
