Acting as the Vicious Second Lead [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 16

Upon receiving the unexpected response, “Because I want to see you,” Qin Xiaoxiao’s instinctive reaction was to ask why. But the words reached the tip of her tongue only to be swallowed back down.

Intuition told her that once she asked “why,” it would only lead to an endless chain of more “whys.”

Even though she usually acted a bit thick-skinned, Qin Xiaoxiao finally realized something was off. Why was Qu Li constantly pestering her and showing such favor? What was she after? It certainly couldn’t be money; Qu Li’s career was skyrocketing, her future was brilliant, and she had already achieved both fame and fortune. She likely wouldn’t care for the modest wealth of Qin Xiaoxiao’s ancestors.

Or… did she simply find it fun to tease her?

She couldn’t figure it out. That woman seemed to see through everything, easily uncovering the secrets others tried to hide. Yet, she herself was as elusive as the wind, as were her words.

If she kept following Qu Li’s rhythm, there was no doubt a trap would be waiting for her, and she would walk right into it, exactly as the other woman intended. Therefore, she had to take the initiative.

After a moment of deliberation, she composed a sentence and hit send.

Qin Xiaoxiao: Thinking about it, I don’t necessarily have to know. As for meeting up, that depends entirely on my mood. Who knows, I might go back to my hometown tomorrow, and you won’t be able to see me anyway (#Hehe).

Li Li: Alright then.

The reply came quickly, the words devoid of any attempt to make her stay. Qin Xiaoxiao felt a slight twinge of surprise, but immediately following that, a new message appeared.

Li Li: If you really must go home but change your mind and want me to come along, I wouldn’t mind meeting the parents with you (#Blush).

Silence followed for a long moment. Only the sound of a finger sliding across a screen broke the quiet.

Qin Xiaoxiao: Whatever. I’m logging off.

The other woman’s answers were always so flighty, sounding like jokes, yet Qin Xiaoxiao could sense she was being serious. Disturbed by the response, Qin Xiaoxiao rubbed her temples and shut down QQ. She feared that if they kept talking, she would hear something even more outrageous.

Her hands fell limp as she leaned her head against the sofa, feeling depressed. Is she this flirtatious with everyone… or just me?

“Yin Ni, you’ve gained thirty thousand followers!”

From the other end of the sofa, her manager suddenly spoke up, her voice vibrating with excitement. While Qin Xiaoxiao had been chatting with Qu Li, Lin Yu hadn’t been idle. She had been hiring “water army” bots to control the narrative, suppressing the rumors about Yin Ni’s scandals while scrolling through Weibo with a face beaming like a blooming flower.

Initially, Lin Yu assumed Yin Ni would never amount to anything and had taken the job with a “just getting by” attitude. But after hearing her bold declaration about choosing a villainous role, a tiny seed of expectation had been planted in Lin Yu’s heart. She never expected the artist to be this effective; that seed had sprouted into a massive surprise—she had actually staged a counterattack and snatched the center spot from the male lead.

“You’re going to be a star!” Lin Yu declared, her face glowing as she envisioned a grand future beckoning her.

The woman slumped on the sofa remained unmoved. She didn’t even lift an eyelid, merely letting out a nonchalant “Mm” through her nose. Seeing this lack of ambition, the manager felt a sudden wave of boredom. Lin Yu then looked down, focusing on her own phone to enjoy the high alone.

“I’m going to manage your account and repost the crew’s Weibo, okay?” Lin Yu took the opportunity to ask.

“Whatever,” Qin Xiaoxiao replied.

With the discussion over, Lin Yu didn’t hesitate. She skillfully switched to Yin Ni’s Weibo account, searched for the crew’s official post, typed out a string of words, and hit repost.

Yin Ni V: It is a great honor to work with Teacher Qu Li. I hope everyone supports the new drama. See you there! (#SoHappy)

Within five seconds of posting, there were already twenty comments.

[Pouched Egg]: First! I’m a new fan, keep it up, OP!

[Little Red Riding Hood Who Sells Girls]: Supporting Yin Ni, looking forward to the new drama~

[Lloyds]: For every like this gets, the bitch Yin Ni eats shit once.

[Stay Pa]: Hehe, working with my Li-zi? Are you even worthy? (#Contempt)

Ignoring the malicious comments, Lin Yu felt gratified. The comment section was finally not a solid wall of curses; her artist finally had real fans.

Immersed in a sense of maternal pride, Lin Yu exited the interface to check the Hot Search rankings, wanting to see how high the tag for Yin Ni and Qu Li had climbed. When she saw they had hit #1, she felt a wave of relief. But just as she was about to close the app, her eyes caught a few tags at the bottom of the list…

Her eyes widened slightly.

#Yin Ni Attacks Director# #Yin Ni Get Out of the Entertainment Industry#

Shocked, she clicked in. The top post was from a newly registered alt-account. It already had over a thousand likes and comments, having been posted only ten minutes ago.

Lu Ren: I am speaking up for the director, and for all the actors who have suffered under Yin Ni’s bullying. Just yesterday at noon, the actress Yin Ni threw a tantrum for no reason and publicly assaulted the director for her own amusement. Normally, she acts lawless because of her family’s wealth, and we put up with it, but for her to bully a hardworking director who labors in the heat is truly heart-wrenching. I swear that everything I say is true, and I am willing to take legal responsibility. I know I will face retaliation for exposing this, but so be it. I believe justice lives in the hearts of the people. #Yin Ni Attacks Director#

The attached photo was clearly taken in a hurry and was somewhat blurry, but it was easy to identify: a glamorous woman was in mid-swing with her fist, her expression fierce, aimed at a man clutching his head. The director was curled up, eyes tightly shut in fear—a truly pitiable sight.

The comment section was a sea of people calling Yin Ni poisonous. Passersby and professional haters had even organized a topic, buying the trending tag #Yin Ni Get Out of the Entertainment Industry#. The scene was chaotic.

“What is going on?” Lin Yu asked, her voice trembling.

“What now?” Qin Xiaoxiao turned to look at her pale manager.

Lin Yu showed her the photo, her tone as anxious as if the sky were falling. “What is this? Explain yourself, quickly!”

“Explain what?” Qin Xiaoxiao’s eyes darkened for a moment upon seeing the photo, but then her lips curled into a smirk. A cold light seeped into her gaze as she continued, “I did indeed hit him.”

However, she had only hit him once, and she had controlled her strength; she hadn’t actually been ruthless. At the time, she only wanted to scare the director, and the director had very cooperatively put on a display of being humiliated. She thought that after the horseplay, the matter was settled.

She hadn’t expected someone to snap a photo, nor did she expect it to be leaked right after the promotional images came out. The opponent’s goal was clear: they wanted her out of the industry.

Thinking of this, Qin Xiaoxiao gave a conceited smile. If you want to play, I’ll play along.

At noon, on the filming set.

During the break, actors sat in small groups eating boxed lunches. Zhu Qian, having received her bento, sat alone in a secluded corner. Her eyes were glued to her phone screen. Her expression was a mix of tension and excitement, her pupils slightly constricted.

“Hey.”

Suddenly, a sweet yet slightly dark voice came from beside her.

Startled, Zhu Qian hurriedly covered her screen and looked to the side. It was the highly popular Xiang Liwei, who was looking at her with a slight frown.

How does this girl walk like a ghost? She reached my side without making a sound, Zhu Qian grumbled inwardly. Because of certain past events, Zhu Qian didn’t like her and even felt a faint sense of fear toward her.

“What do you want?” Zhu Qian stood up, her heart pounding.

“You’re ‘Lu Ren,’ aren’t you?” the girl said bluntly. She held up her phone, her slender, pale finger tapping the screen where the photo of the director being hit was displayed. Her tone was icy.

Had she been exposed? How did she find out?

Zhu Qian’s expression froze for a second, her hair standing on end. But she reacted quickly. She remembered that Xiang Liwei, like her, had suffered under Yin Ni’s bullying. That meant Xiang Liwei should hate her too; they were on the same side.

“That’s right, I’m the one who leaked it,” Zhu Qian forced a steady tone and a dry laugh. “If you’re here to team up and bring her down together, you’re more than welcome.”

However, as soon as the words left her mouth, Zhu Qian’s smile froze.

She realized the girl had lowered her head slightly, her beautiful face shrouded in shadow. Combined with her paper-white skin, she looked increasingly spectral. Her bangs fell forward, obscuring half her face, but through the soft strands, her bright eyes could be seen staring unblinkingly at Zhu Qian. Her gaze was bone-chillingly cold, as if she were looking at a dead person.