Chapter 3

To put it mildly, Cheng Su was completely stunned by Gu Qianxi's words.

"Who is A'Lan?" Cheng Su asked instinctively.

Gu Qianxi seemed to let out a short, sharp laugh—the kind a big shot might give when they're amused by something trivial. Cheng Su caught it anyway.

Oh my god, my heart is racing! Cheng Su screamed internally, her mind galloping like a thousand horses as she frantically searched for the name "A'Lan."

Beep—Found it.

Last night, the original host's best friend had mentioned A'Lan, saying the original host was eager to marry her...

What the hell is going on?!

Now Cheng Su was genuinely terrified to speak, her breathing slowing to a crawl.

That big idiot of an original host—abusive, cheating, dropping bombshell after bombshell every day. Could she have left me with a million in debt too?

Cheng Su's mouth twitched, and she didn't dare think further. The little person in her heart had already cried herself dry.

Gu Qianxi silently observed the dramatic expressions on Cheng Su's face, curious to see how much more she could act. Acting in front of a blind person? How interesting.

By the end, Cheng Su had reduced herself to a trembling quail, shivering as if Gu Qianxi were about to devour her.

Gu Qianxi frowned and said coldly, "Pretending not to know?"

With that, she tossed a phone at Cheng Su.

Thud! Cheng Su flinched in fright.

The phone had no password. Cheng Su opened it to find Gu Qianxi's chat window.

After reading through the entire chat log, Gu Qianxi hadn't responded a single word. The other person had been ranting wildly, talking to themselves.

Gu Qianxi, what love potion did you give A'Su? Are you badmouthing me behind my back and trying to ruin our friendship?

You think A'Su will like you just because of this? You're not good enough for her!

You're just a little rich. Don't you really think you're invincible?

Let me tell you the truth: A'Su is already sick of you. She's always loved A'Lan. You're just waiting to be dumped.

The message was sent at 3 AM last night, right after Cheng Su hung up on the original host's best friend.

Damn, what kind of toxic friend is this? Actively screwing over her teammate?

Cheng Su pointed at the phone, indignant. "That's complete nonsense!"

Gu Qianxi took a sip of water and said calmly, "Hmm? She's not wrong. You just brought up divorce."

Cheng Su choked, realizing she'd dug herself into a hole.

"I, I, I didn't bring up divorce because of A'Lan! I just think we're not compatible..." Cheng Su said listlessly, "Do you believe me?"

Gu Qianxi smiled again, this time a cold smile that Cheng Su heard clearly.

"Cheng Su, what do you take my genuine feelings for you as? Even if you hate me, could you at least be honest with me at the end? Is it fun to lie to me and play with me?"

"I..."

"It's fun, you've been playing this game for two years and still haven't gotten tired of it."

After Gu Qianxi finished breakfast and left the villa, the housekeeper also departed, leaving Cheng Su alone in the entire mansion. She fell into a reverie, thinking about Gu Qianxi. Gu Qianxi had calmly said that Cheng Su was toying with her feelings, without anger, sadness, or resentment—utterly calm and composed.

Cheng Su covered her eyes with her hands, her throat aching slightly. How could Gu Qianxi show no emotion at all? She should have felt something; otherwise, wouldn't it be suffocating to keep it all bottled up?

Even finding out a friend had been secretly badmouthing her behind her back would have sent her into a spiral of misery.

When Cheng Su felt down, she would usually clean the house, transforming the chaos into the familiar order of her home. It was as if tidying up the house could untangle the knots in her heart. But the villa was already spotless thanks to the housekeeper, leaving no room for Cheng Su to lend a hand.

Unable to sit still, she wandered through the villa like a ghost until she stumbled upon an abandoned greenhouse behind the garden.

Most of the plants inside had withered to death, but a few resilient ones still clung to life, stubbornly growing.

Standing in the greenhouse, Cheng Su imagined how beautiful it would be if it were cleaned up.

With her characteristic drive, she spent the morning clearing out the greenhouse. Then, she ordered dozens of varieties of plants and hanging fairy lights online.

After a thorough clean-up that left her drenched in sweat, Cheng Su felt both exhausted and fulfilled, her energy fully restored.

As she snapped photos of her perfect handiwork, a call popped up on her phone.

Cheng Su had developed PTSD from incoming calls, fearing it might be a debt collector. But seeing the normal contact name, she hesitated before answering.

The caller, identified as "Sister Zhou's assistant," asked, "What are you doing? It's Monday—aren't you coming to the office?"

Cheng Su caught the keyword "office" and suddenly realized it was a colleague. No need to worry then.

Thinking half the day was already gone, she decided going to the office would be pointless. Relying on her years of workplace experience in muddling through, she said, "Um, Sister Zhou, I'm so sorry. I started my period this morning and it's really painful. I forgot to request a dysmenorrhea leave. Could you please approve one for me?"

"Our company doesn't have that kind of leave," Sister Zhou replied, her words as cold as a 37-degree day.

"Huh? What kind of leave? Just approve one for me, please," Cheng Su thought, complaining internally. Why wasn't the original host's company as good as my old one?

My old company had three days of paid leave!

"You're already at the bottom of the barrel. You still think you deserve leave? Get to the office within an hour," Sister Zhou snapped, hanging up abruptly.

What the hell is "bottom of the barrel"? Is that some kind of industry jargon? Is the original host's company going bankrupt?

Cheng Su arrived at the company and only realized it was an entertainment agency after entering.

On the corridor walls, photographs and bios of her hung, their images yellowed with age. It was as if the original host's career had burned brightly for a brief moment, but the entertainment industry's relentless pace had caused her to fade into obscurity.

The Sister Zhou who had called her was likely the original host's agent.

Cheng Su found Sister Zhou's office and pushed the door open. A wave of strong coffee aroma hit her like a physical force.

Suffering from chronic rhinitis, the pungent smell made her want to sneeze uncontrollably.

Inside, a woman in a professional suit and small rectangular glasses was furiously typing on her phone. This must be Sister Zhou.

After hanging up, Sister Zhou spat out some coffee and waved Cheng Su over.

Rubbing her irritated nose, Cheng Su approached. Without a word, Sister Zhou tossed her a script.

"Finally secured this. Female Second Lead. Join the crew next Wednesday," Sister Zhou said, yawning and cutting to the chase.

"What's this?" Cheng Su asked.

"Young Miss, I'm begging you, please don't turn down this role. It's a miracle we even landed it. If you don't join the production soon, your fans who are still diligently checking in on the Super Topic will eventually unfollow you. If you don't want to play the Female Second Lead, have your partner invest in a movie or TV show. I had to drink with two clients to secure this role." Sister Zhou yawned again.

Your partner clearly referred to Gu Qianxi.

Cheng Su wasn't surprised that Sister Zhou knew about her relationship with Gu Qianxi. Agents always kept a close eye on their clients' personal lives.

Cheng Su placed the script on the table, thought for a moment, and told the truth: "She probably won't be able to invest anymore. We're getting divorced."

Clatter—The small spoon in Sister Zhou's hand clattered to the floor.

"What?!"

Sister Zhou shot up from her chair, pulling Cheng Su back down, and demanded, "What's going on?"

Cheng Su said, "If it's not working out, we're divorcing."

"Did she suggest it?"

"No."

"You suggested it?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Are you trying to kill yourself? You had everything, and you're the one bringing up divorce?" Sister Zhou hit her, frustrated.

"Hey, stop hitting me, stop! Why? It's not like I'll die if we get divorced," Cheng Su said, bewildered.

"How won't you die? You've gotten too full of yourself. Have you forgotten what you promised the Big Boss, what you signed in the contract?"

"You don't want to act, you don't make money for the company, and the Big Boss doesn't say anything. She even treats you like a treasured ancestor. Don't you know why? It's because President Gu injects money into the company every year. Half of the company's annual revenue comes from President Gu's investments. If that money stops, do you know how much you'll owe the Big Boss?!"

Cheng Su swallowed hard. "How much?"

"Heh, you wouldn't be able to pay it off in three lifetimes!"

Damn it! The original host really was in debt!

Cheng Su felt dizzy and lightheaded, her head spinning from the shock.

I can't get divorced. I absolutely cannot get divorced! I'd rather die than get divorced!

Cheng Su hid in an empty break room, her fingers trembling slightly as she dialed Gu Qianxi's number.

The call was answered on the very last ring.

Cheng Su sniffled, forcing a bitter smile. "G-President Gu, it's, it's Xiao Cheng."