Acting as the Vicious Second Lead [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 17

Back at the filming set, when the director discovered he was trending on the Hot Search as a “victim,” he looked at the photos on his phone and nearly blacked out.

It was a true case of “disaster falling from the heavens while sitting at home.”

That embarrassing moment of horseplay with Yin Ni had actually been captured by someone with ulterior motives, exposed to the internet, and used as a prop for their own agenda. He had a reputation to uphold—he didn’t want the world gawking at his undignified state!

“Who took these?”

The director stood up and scanned the crowd, his voice sharp: “Step forward!”

His voice wasn’t loud, yet everyone heard him with crystal clarity. The air grew still, and the atmosphere turned heavy. Everyone’s attention was drawn to the solemn-faced man at the front, including Xiang Liwei and Zhu Qian, who were standing in the corner of the room.

“What’s going on?” someone asked, unaware of the situation.

A whisper quickly followed: “Check Weibo.”

A symphony of rustling sounds filled the room as everyone pulled out their phones, clicking into Weibo with the shared enthusiasm of a “melon-eating” audience. The director’s throat moved slightly as he watched them in silence. His face was like a gathering storm, as if he were brewing his emotions.

“Who did this?” Liu Ruijia was the fastest to act. After reading the post accusing Yin Ni of assaulting the director, astonishment flashed in his eyes. He spoke his mind without filtering: “This is way too unethical.”

He had been there when it happened, standing quite close to the director. He had seen everything clearly; he knew Yin Ni was just putting on a fierce show. She had only lightly thumped the director’s arm—it hadn’t even left a red mark. There was no reason for this to be hung out to dry on the internet, letting the situation spiral out of control.

“Someone took unauthorized photos on set and leaked them.”

As he spoke, the director’s demeanor shifted from his usual self, becoming exceptionally steady. “The impact of this incident is extremely malicious. It is a severe violation of the privacy clauses in our contracts. We will investigate this to the very end.”

Every word was powerful and resonant. They struck right at the heart of Zhu Qian, who stood below the stage. Her lips trembled, and she couldn’t help but take a step back.

Why is this happening?

He was humiliated like that—shouldn’t he hate her?

Shouldn’t he take this opportunity to join forces with me, destroy her completely, and use the pressure of public opinion to force her out of the industry?

Why… why has it turned out like this? A thin layer of cold sweat broke out on the bridge of Zhu Qian’s nose. Her hands and feet felt icy, and her mind went blank. She couldn’t understand it. Everything Yin Ni did was loathsome, yet one by one, they were all speaking up for her and protecting her!

Suddenly, she remembered that she hadn’t logged out of the Weibo alt-account she used for the exposé. Zhu Qian grabbed her phone, intending to clear the data and delete the photos from her gallery before she left any tracks.

It’ll be fine, she reassured herself.

To avoid looking too nervous and arousing suspicion, she tried to keep her facial expression natural and her hands from shaking. Currently, everyone was focused on Weibo; the director likely wouldn’t notice her.

The only variable was Xiang Liwei beside her. Initially, she thought the girl had come to collaborate, but the cold look in those eyes told her that the reality was far from what she had imagined.

Then, her fears were realized.

A slender, pale hand darted into her field of vision, clamping firmly onto her wrist. Being a delicate young girl, her strength wasn’t immense. Normally, an adult like Zhu Qian could have shaken her off, but the girl’s hand happened to cover the exact spot where Yin Ni had gripped her earlier.

The skin there was still bruised, and the slightest pressure was excruciating. Zhu Qian winced in pain, her movements halted.

She looked up and asked, “What… what do you want?”

The girl merely looked at her with an innocent gaze. Her expression changed at lightning speed; she now looked like a harmless, well-behaved child. However, because of the fury she felt over her “beloved” being framed, a trace of chilling malice leaked through her eyes, unable to be fully suppressed.

She leaned close to the woman, her voice low and raspy so only the two of them could hear: “You’ll find out… very soon. Hehehe.”

At the agency, the manager’s face was a mask of misery. she paced the room restlessly.

“Have a seat, will you?”

Qin Xiaoxiao was multi-tasking—one hand playing on her phone, the other picking up a fresh strawberry from the table. She popped it into her mouth, savoring the sweet and tart flavor. Leisurely, she said, “Stop pacing. You’re making me dizzy.”

Hearing this, the manager snapped, “If I were you, I would have sold a sob story to clear my name ages ago! But look at you—acting like nothing’s wrong and even blocking me from posting a PR statement on Weibo.”

“I refuse to be whitewashed,” Qin Xiaoxiao said calmly, her tone brooks no argument.

A wicked supporting female should act the part; why bother clearing her name? Even if the Heavens themselves came down, they wouldn’t be able to scrub her clean.

Lin Yu was baffled. “But why?”

“Because I like it.”

“Fine, fine, fine.”

Lin Yu practically wanted to kneel before her. To think there was actually someone in this world who enjoyed being hated and cursed at. After a moment, her gaze turned resolute again, feeling that the situation could still be salvaged. She asked, “Even if you want to be ‘black-and-red,’ what do you plan to do next?”

“Naturally, I’m going to give them a taste of their own medicine.”

Finishing the last strawberry, Qin Xiaoxiao set her phone down and carefully wiped her hands with a tissue. Her expression was one of eager anticipation.