Female Partner Became Popular in a Love Show - Chapter 99

The other participants followed suit, recording their videos one after another. The production team managed to wrap up filming before midnight, marking their fastest recording process ever.

Back at home, Ruan Qiu fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed. She didn’t check her phone, oblivious to the fact that her Weibo followers were skyrocketing and that she missed messages from Xue Wu.

On the other side, Xue Wu, not receiving a reply from Ruan Qiu, put away his phone, assuming she was already asleep.

Xue Nanjing’s physics competition would end the next afternoon, and the results would be announced the same day. Xue Wu was confident that Xue Nanjing would secure the first place, and he planned to pick him up the next day.

The room was dark. Xue Wu stood up and walked lightly into his study. He suddenly recalled how Ruan Qiu mistook him for a vampire upon learning about his night vision, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

But his smile was fleeting. The brief joy quickly dissipated into the darkness.

His excellent night vision was a result of spending a long period in darkness. His skin was pale, and he was malnourished. He would only get some food when that person remembered him, catching a glimpse of light through the tightly shut door.

The food was often rancid, half-cooked, and occasionally spoiled. He had no idea how long it had been there, but he had to eat it.

Initially, he would fall ill, experience fever and full-body convulsions, and many times he thought he was going to die. But he didn’t. His will to survive was stronger than anything else, pulling him back from the brink of death.

During that time, he thought if he ever managed to survive, he would find a way to push open that door and step outside.

But later, someone opened the door from the outside, informing him that the person who had kept him in the basement was dead. The rescuer led him out of the basement. The outside light was too dazzling; his skin felt like it was burning. He couldn’t help but flinch, instinctively wanting to return to the dark, cramped, damp, and cold basement.

He didn’t know why.

The new environment and everything outside overwhelmed him. He remembered the hysterical words of that person when they went mad and realized they were right—he shouldn’t exist in this world.

At that time, he couldn’t even step out of that house.

He asked the person who saved him if he should be alive. The person noticed his abnormal behavior and told him he had a newborn brother left to him by that person.

If he died, his brother would be left uncared for, and he would indirectly be responsible for another’s death.

Terrified, he couldn’t bear to live but couldn’t bring himself to die either. The person who saved him then asked if he would be willing to star in a movie to earn money to support himself and his brother.

They told him that the meaning of life was to be praised by the audience, to leave behind timeless films and be remembered, not forgotten even after a hundred or thousand years.

Thus, Xue Wu took his first step into the acting world, learning that the person who saved him was called a director, the key figure in making a movie or TV show. After completing his first film, the director excitedly told him he had become famous and gave him some money, followed by casting him in one project after another, never giving him a moment’s rest.

His education came from tutors hired by the director. He never went to school or interacted with peers, only occasionally seeing his brother, who led a normal life—going to school and making friends.

When he became an adult, the director died in a car accident.

Meeting more people, he learned that children without parents were sent to the police to find relatives for adoption, not left on the streets to die, as the director had said. The director had illegally adopted him and his brother, shaping him into a perfect money-making machine, restricting his education and knowledge, and giving him just enough money to keep producing one successful film after another.

He had jumped from one pit to another, and by the time Lin Hong pulled him out, his will to live had nearly extinguished.

But he knew Xue Nanjing still needed his care. He couldn’t leave, or Xue Nanjing would be taken away. So, he continued acting non-stop, numbing himself, yet waking abruptly night after night.

Now, looking at the walls and shelves filled with trophies and honors, he no longer forced himself to see them as the meaning of life.

Because he had found a new reason to sustain him.

Xue Wu turned on the light, returned to his bedroom, picked up the seal on his bedside, and thought that he might finally sleep well.

The next morning, the first call Ruan Qiu received after waking up was from Sister Lin.

“Ruan Ruan, our lawsuit is progressing smoothly. We’ll go to court in a day or two,” Sister Lin said happily. “The paparazzi proposed a private settlement with compensation, but I didn’t agree.”

Ruan Qiu yawned softly, “Mm, thank you, Sister Lin.”

Sister Lin chuckled and replied, “No need to be so polite with me. You’re the last artist I’ll be managing before I retire, so I will make sure to settle these issues for you.”

When talking about unpleasant matters, Sister Li’s voice lowered, tinged with a bit of anger, “Ruan Ruan, we haven’t yet identified the person who made the deal with the paparazzi, so we can’t act against Cheng Tianya for now. The lawyer suggested you approach Cheng Tianya proactively to make her uneasy and have her plot against you again, giving us a chance to catch her in the act. But none of us want you to get hurt again. What do you think?”

“I’m in no rush,” Ruan Qiu said as she sat up in bed. “I have few haters now, and the dire circumstances are over. Cheng Tianya poses no immediate threat to me. As long as she doesn’t provoke me, I won’t go after her for now.”

However, that might change in the future.

Once she safely finished the reality show and left the entertainment industry, she would seek out Cheng Tianya to avenge the original Ruan Qiu.

“Good,” Sister Li agreed, her tone brightening. “Ruan Ruan, you’re very popular now, with a lot of new fans and ongoing discussions online. Your follower count is rising steadily. At this rate, surpassing Cheng Tianya is just a matter of time!”

Sister Li was thrilled, her professional enthusiasm flaring up again. “The company saw your high popularity and wanted to have some juniors ride on your fame, but I refused both that and the resources they offered. I know you don’t want to join other programs, but you’re sure to win this reality show’s prize. Let’s stay popular a bit longer and make more money. You might change your mind and want to stay in the industry!”

She rambled on, noticing Ruan Qiu’s silence, and quickly changed the subject, “By the way, last night’s filming must have been exhausting. Rest well today, and I’ll come by tomorrow to discuss the lawsuit.”

Ruan Qiu murmured a soft, “Mm,” and ended the call. She began her morning routine while checking her unread messages.

Xue Wu’s message was the most recent, sent at 4 a.m., containing just an image. Hesitating a bit, thinking he might still be asleep, she first responded to Qi Yingying’s enthusiastic message with, “You were great too!” Then she saw a friend request from Jiang Yan.

Not sure how he got her contact information, Ruan Qiu accepted the request and politely sent a “Hello”. Then she switched to Xue Wu’s message to see the image.

The picture was a screenshot of the previous night live’s comments. As she was escorting the Empress out of the palace, one comment stood out, circled in red by Xue Wu: “If Ruan Qiu and the Empress elope, doesn’t that make Xue Wu a double cuckold?”

Ruan Qiu: …

Feeling inexplicably guilty, she took a small sip of warm water and sent Xue Wu a blushing emoji before heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Just as she was fishing out the noodles, Xue Wu’s video call came through.

Ruan Qiu answered the phone while adding the boiled eggs to her bowl. She heard Xue Wu say, “Ms. Ruan, did you sleep well last night? Are you tired today? Does your hand hurt?”

Ruan Qiu replied, “I’m not tired, and my hand doesn’t hurt. How about you?”

Xue Wu put down his milk. He had been waiting for Ruan Qiu to ask this question. He deliberately lowered his eyes, his black wavy hair still damp from the shower, sticking to his forehead and making him look somewhat endearing. In a slightly pitiful tone, he lied without blinking, “Ms. Ruan, I had insomnia last night.”

“I watched the edited live broadcast. The comments said you have more chemistry with Jiang Yan, and even the CP with the Empress has a lot of heat.” Xue Wu seemed to sigh before continuing, “Ms. Ruan, have you found someone new and forgotten about me? Do you not want to work with me anymore?”

Xue Wu had mastered the art of being a “green tea” guy on his own. He waited for Ruan Qiu, who appeared to be at a loss, and continued to fan the flames, “If you’re tired of me and find me boring, and don’t want to work with me anymore, could you please just tell me directly instead of ignoring me? I know Ms. Ruan is a good person; it’s my fault for not being worthy of you.”

Ruan Qiu: …

Why does this sound more and more off?

But Ruan Qiu, having spent nearly ten years in the Infinite Flow world fighting and killing, was used to honest teammates. She had never encountered such a male “green tea” before and was a bit flustered. She quickly said, “No, I definitely don’t mean that. You’re really great, truly. I will always work with you.”

Xue Wu heard the answer he wanted, suppressed a smile, slightly curved his lips, and nodded, saying, “Okay, I believe everything Ms. Ruan says.”