Can’t Trash-Talk You to Death, So I’ll Kiss You to Death - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Leveraging “Anna’s” prestige, the contract process went incredibly smoothly.

The price Yun Duoduo secured was significantly higher than that of other minor celebrities—five million per season as a performance fee, with potential bonuses if the results were good. Since Duoduo had terminated her previous contract early, all the money went straight into her own pocket. After taxes, she was left with a massive windfall. It felt amazing.

She pored over the variety show contract several times to ensure there were no hidden traps. Then, she took Ren Tian out for a lavish meal, bought a plane ticket, and headed home.

The show primarily focused on the interaction between celebrities and their families; the director would assign them a house to start a new life together and complete various tasks. This opportunity was hard-won, and Duoduo was determined to give it her all. Being famous didn’t matter—what mattered was not letting the “Beautiful Lady” down.

Upon arriving home, Duoduo discussed the matter with her mother. Li Qinglian had always been supportive of her daughter’s decisions. However, recently, the internet had been relentless, digging up the old “Golden Voice” scandal to bash Duoduo over and over again.

Worried, Li Qinglian asked, “Will the ‘Cloud Heiress’ (Yun Qianjin) be participating this time?”

“I don’t know, it shouldn’t be that much of a coincidence,” Duoduo replied, feeling it was unlikely since her signing was a secret. However, she didn’t rule out the possibility of the Heiress spending a fortune to follow her into the production.

Li Qinglian nodded. “Even if we run into her, it’s fine. We’ll just focus on our own filming. If it doesn’t work out, we can just stop being celebrities, right?”

“Deal!” Duoduo agreed instantly.

Li Qinglian stroked her head, her heart aching for her daughter’s sweet obedience. “I’ll cook for you.”

Duoduo’s eyes lit up, and she hurried after her. “I’ll help!”

The mother-daughter duo busied themselves in the kitchen, preparing a sumptuous breakfast. The next day, they flew to the filming location.

…

At the hotel, just as they finished putting their things away, Director Zhang knocked on the door. He claimed he was worried the crew might neglect them and came personally to see if they needed anything.

His fawning, “lapdog” attitude startled Li Qinglian. Duoduo quickly asked, “Is something the matter?”

Director Zhang smiled. “I wanted to discuss something with you. Could you talk to the person ‘above’ and ask them to stop the pressure? Tell them to let my film pass.”

Recently, he had filmed a movie that was stuck in the censorship phase. It was being held up for “excessive content.” Zhang had sunk 100 million into it; if it didn’t pass, he’d lose everything. Having no other choice, he came to Duoduo for help.

Duoduo had no such power. She said, “I can only ask for you. You know she doesn’t like me meddling in her business; she keeps things very private.”

Director Zhang glanced at Li Qinglian, who was busy organizing clothes, and lowered his voice. “Go blow some ‘pillow talk’ in her ear. It might just work.”

After Duoduo’s previous bluff, he was fully convinced she was Huai Jian’s little sweetheart—a kept “wild kitten” that Huai Jian loved to death.

“I’ll do my best,” Duoduo said impatiently.

Li Qinglian paused her movements, frowning in confusion. “What ‘pillow talk’?”

Duoduo laughed. “The ‘Beautiful Lady’ sister! The one who helped me get the contract, remember? She’s so good to me!”

“Oh, her.” Li Qinglian had heard her daughter mention her. She nodded and went back to the clothes. The entertainment industry had too many hidden rules, so she decided not to over-calculate.

Director Zhang’s heart tightened. The relationship is so close she’s already been introduced to the mother? Does that mean I’ll have to call her ‘Mrs. Huai’ soon?

Seeing him looking terrified and speechless, Duoduo said, “I’ll consider what you said. I’ll give you an answer next time.”

Who knew when “next time” would be?

…

Once Director Zhang left, Duoduo took her mother for a stroll near the film studio to buy her some clothes. The clothes there were expensive, and Li Qinglian, stingy to a fault, refused to take them. It took a long time for Duoduo to convince her to let her pay.

In truth, Li Qinglian hadn’t lived a hard life before having Duoduo. If she hadn’t taken the child and left back then, she would have inherited a fortune.

Duoduo hugged her mother’s neck playfully. “Mom, let’s not be so frugal anymore. I’m going to make sure you live a good life from now on!”

“Silly child.” Li Qinglian held the shopping bags, her heart feeling warm. She had never regretted the decision she made back then.

They ate out and returned by 8:00 PM. After showering, Duoduo was messaging Ren Tian when a notification popped up. She clicked it and let out a scream.

“What happened?” Li Qinglian ran out of the bathroom.

Duoduo pointed at the screen. “Mom! Mom, look! It’s that sister from last time—she accepted my friend request!”

Li Qinglian breathed a sigh of relief. “Then you two have a good chat.”

By the time Li Qinglian finished dressing and came out, she saw her daughter sitting on the edge of the bed, sighing. Duoduo would type a long line of text, delete it, and type again. After a long time, she finally settled on a few words:

“Hello, Sister. Thank you so much. Filming starts tomorrow… Um, what are you doing? Am I disturbing you?”

After a long wait, the other side finally replied:

“You’re welcome. No.”

Duoduo sighed dejectedly. The “Beautiful Lady” didn’t seem to like chatting much.

Li Qinglian glanced over and said, “If you want to talk to someone, mention something they’re interested in. Don’t rush, take it slow.”

Duoduo tapped the dialogue box again: “Sister, do you have time? Let’s watch a movie together…”

“You can’t say it like that,” Li Qinglian advised. “Talk about recent movies first to hook her interest, then send the invitation.”

“Right, right, right!” Duoduo looked at her mother with admiration.

Li Qinglian only wanted her daughter to have more friends so she wouldn’t be bullied in the industry. Little did she know that Duoduo would take this advice and eventually “chat” her way right into the woman’s bed. But of course, that was a story for later.

…

The conversation eventually opened up. Duoduo chatted with the “Beautiful Lady” about everything under the sun until 11:00 PM.

“Sister, I’m a little scared. I’m afraid I won’t perform well on the show. I’m under a lot of pressure.”

Huai Jian lay in bed. Through the screen, she could almost see a young girl with her lips pouted, looking adorably troubled.

She replied: “Don’t think too much. Just do your best and be your most authentic self. You don’t need to put on an act.”

Duoduo had told herself this many times, but hearing it from Huai Jian felt different. She poked the screen excitedly.

“Okay, I will! Thank you, Sister! Let’s sleep now. I’ll find you to watch a movie later.”

Huai Jian: “Okay.”

Duoduo stared at that single word and fell asleep with a grin.

…

The next day, the crew’s car arrived. After breakfast, Duoduo set off for the destination. On the way, the staff began explaining the upcoming schedule and how to handle the opening scene.

Duoduo nodded vigorously to show she understood. Whenever the staff mentioned a key point, she would give a firm, cute nod. Her polite and adorable attitude significantly improved the mood of the staff members who had previously looked down on her. Their tone became less condescending.

Duoduo gave herself a silent pep talk and praised “Anna” in her heart. My sister is truly amazing!

The official lineup had been announced online previously, featuring several very popular artists. After waiting for about ten minutes, the car slowly pulled up.

When she stepped out, several celebrities looked at her with confusion. Their expressions clearly said—Yun Duoduo? Why is she here?

Duoduo felt a bit of stage fright because the others were big names. Because of the recent Weibo drama, everyone knew who she was—she was “infamously” popular. Consequently, the welcome she received was lukewarm, and the smiles were quite fake.

Duoduo didn’t feel slighted. She knew she wasn’t famous. She introduced herself: “My name is Yun Duoduo, like a little cloud.”

After the introduction, everyone shook hands with her. Duoduo quietly stood at the very edge, waiting for the final “grand finale” guest. The final guest arrived in style—in a pumpkin carriage.

Duoduo looked on curiously with the others. Then, a girl wearing a Snow White dress and glass slippers pushed open the carriage door and stepped down.

As Duoduo watched, her expression shifted. The smile on the other girl’s face also stiffened for a split second.

Clearly, neither of them knew the other would be there. Duoduo ranted inwardly: The production crew really knows how to stir up trouble.

The arrival was none other than—the Cloud Heiress.