Daily Life of a Villain at Work [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: The Twelfth Day the Protagonist’s Heart Fluttered Wildly~

The Mango TV New Year’s Eve Gala usually takes the number one spot in TV ratings for its time slot, and this year was no exception. After the broadcast started at 8:00 PM, the number of online viewers across TV and internet platforms skyrocketed, soon reaching several, if not tens of millions.

Wen Qingyun’s bedroom was roughly the size of Chu Ke’s entire dormitory. It featured an 85-inch television and a surround-sound system that maximized the experience of the New Year’s concert. For Wen Qingyun, most of the performers were familiar faces. About a third of the artists had worked with her before, and of that group, nearly half had become rivals or enemies once the collaboration ended.

“Chao Yuxin comes on around 9:30 PM with a martial arts-style song and dance routine,” Wen Qingyun said, flipping through the program list on her phone. Her gaze lingered on a performance scheduled for 9:20 PM.

The act itself seemed fine—just a simple song. The problem was that the performers included Lai Xuan. Given that he was scheduled right before Chao Yuxin, Wen Qingyun instinctively sensed that something might go wrong.

Then, remembering that Sister Xiao was on-site at the concert, Wen Qingyun suppressed her rising worry. As a seasoned agent, Sister Xiao’s methods for handling emergencies were far more professional than her own. Anything Wen Qingyun could anticipate, Sister Xiao surely had already considered.

“What is it? Is something wrong?” Chu Ke noticed the slight frown on her girlfriend’s face.

“Before Chao Yuxin goes on, Lai Xuan is doing a duet with a veteran singer. Chao Yuxin and Lai Xuan don’t get along, and I suspect the latter might try something underhanded.”

Wen Qingyun didn’t hide the truth from Chu Ke. Seeing her slightly confused expression, she briefly caught her up on the history of their animosity.

Chu Ke fell silent for a long time before speaking with difficulty. “But, when I browse short videos, a lot of people say they are very…”

“Very compatible, right?” Wen Qingyun finished for her. “That’s because Green Bamboo hasn’t aired yet, so they haven’t publicly fallen out. During the promotion phase, it’s normal to play up a ‘CP’ (couple) dynamic for the hype.”

“It seems the production’s marketing team worked hard; even the people who don’t follow gossip were misled,” Wen Qingyun said with a smile, seemingly unbothered.

“This is normal in the entertainment industry. Some veterans with excellent acting skills are in completely different states before and after the director yells ‘cut.’ To use an extreme example, two people who can’t stand each other one minute can perform a heart-wrenching lovers’ parting for the camera the next. Not only can they move an audience to tears, but the scene can become a classic used in acting textbooks.”

Chu Ke nodded blankly. “Is the entertainment industry really as dark and chaotic as some netizens say?”

“Well, it’s certainly not clean. It’s a lot of networking, favors, and rigid hierarchies,” Wen Qingyun said, rubbing her chin against Chu Ke’s neck. “But compared to some other countries, the domestic industry is relatively okay—not quite that absurd.”

“You can choose to resist, as long as you can accept being sidelined or blacklisted,” Wen Qingyun said calmly. “The entertainment industry is famous for making money fast. If you want huge rewards, you have to be ready for huge risks. If you aren’t prepared for that, it’s better not to come in at all.”

Chu Ke squeezed Wen Qingyun’s hand, her voice tinged with heartache. “Then… did you have bad experiences too?”

“Ha, me?” Wen Qingyun laughed, her tone lightening. “Of course not. I joined the industry purely to have some fun. I don’t care about being a superstar or making a fortune, so nobody can bully me.”

“Haven’t you read my bio? I kicked my boss to the curb after just a few months. He tried to use a massive contract penalty to make me bow, but my lawyers harassed him until he ended up paying me for emotional distress.”

Recalling her glorious track record, Wen Qingyun’s tone was nothing short of proud.

“Do you know why I have so much ‘black material’ (negative rumors)?” Wen Qingyun asked.

Chu Ke pursed her lips. “Because you don’t accept certain industry rules?”

“You could say that. They couldn’t get any leverage over me, so they could only hire ‘water armies’ (paid internet trolls) to attack me.” Wen Qingyun tsk-tsked. “Too bad for them, those rumors didn’t crush me. Instead, they just put me in front of more people. As more netizens learn to think for themselves, my fanbase grows, and in the end, the trolls are the only ones who lose.”

As for those who tried to play dirty behind the scenes, they naturally got the retribution they deserved. Wen Qingyun didn’t go into detail; those methods were quite filthy, and she didn’t want to pollute her girlfriend’s ears.

However, she shared some harmless gossip—like how a certain singer currently performing claims to be single while cycling through girlfriends, or how a certain idol group looks harmonious on stage but fights daily over who gets the center spot, planning to split the moment their contracts end.

Chu Ke listened in awe. This information was nothing like what she saw online.

Soon it was 9:20 PM. After the hosts finished a transition, it was time for Lai Xuan and a veteran singer from the industry to perform.

Since the veteran singer was from outside the mainland, Mango TV wanted to play up some “political correctness” and positive energy, so they arranged a segment for the host to chat with the veteran. In this segment, Lai Xuan was mainly there for atmosphere, only needing to nod and agree with the host.

But as the host spoke, Lai Xuan put on a deeply moved expression. He subtly gripped the microphone in the veteran’s hand, leaned in, and began sharing his own “deep reflections.” This time, Lai Xuan was smarter; he didn’t make it too much about himself, instead focusing on patriotic and politically correct statements that the host couldn’t easily interrupt.

After lingering on stage for an extra five minutes, Lai Xuan finally escorted the senior off with a look of humble respect. The host, maintaining a professional smile, said a few polite words and immediately cued the next stage, trying to make up for the lost time.

“Was that interaction between the host and guest a bit too long?” Even an outsider like Chu Ke could see something was off.

“They went over in about five minutes. Lai Xuan was stalling on purpose,” Wen Qingyun concluded, her expression subtle.

She didn’t know how to judge Lai Xuan’s behavior. Was he “gutsy”? His courage was only enough for these petty, backhanded moves. Was he “gutless”? Yet he dared to use sensitive topics to stall for time, using this method to pressure a junior like Chao Yuxin.

“Why would he do that? The number of segments is fixed, they won’t cut her performance,” Chu Ke didn’t quite understand. “Especially since it’s a song and dance right after him.”

Wen Qingyun chuckled and nipped at Chu Ke’s ear. “True, but the interaction time for subsequent guests gets cut. They might cut Chao Yuxin’s interview or shorten the introduction for the next act.”

The latter had already been cut by ten seconds, and Mango TV would likely reduce the interaction time for the former as well.

Chu Ke: “Isn’t Lai Xuan maliciously disrupting the gala’s schedule?”

Wen Qingyun: “We can assume it’s malicious, but we can’t prove it. He can just apologize and say he got emotional while discussing a ‘correct’ topic. The objective fact is he spoke more about patriotism—that will never be considered a ‘mistake’ no matter what.”

Thinking of her own experiences, Chu Ke quickly understood. This was similar to when leaders used the villagers to “moral kidnap” her, demanding she do more work. If she refused the overtime, she was framed as hurting the villagers’ subsidies. If she didn’t refuse, a one-time favor would turn into her permanent responsibility.

“So he just gets away with stealing time from other guests?” Chu Ke frowned.

“Of course not. He’s being too presumptive,” Wen Qingyun said. “He’s just a clown. Let’s keep watching the show; Sister Xiao will handle this little problem.”

Five minutes isn’t that easy to gain back. Chao Yuxin’s total time on stage was only a few minutes. Even with compression, they could only squeeze back maybe a minute or two. The remaining three minutes would be pushed onto the following guests.

Everyone knew that the closer it got to midnight, the bigger the celebrity status of the guests. Lai Xuan thought he was being clever, but his perspective was narrow and his brain wasn’t sharp.

Wen Qingyun didn’t talk more about Lai Xuan. She just took out her phone and sent a few messages to Sister Xiao.

…

“Sister Xiao, did I do okay?” Chao Yuxin asked nervously after the live broadcast. The interaction segment had been quite different from the rehearsals, and she had to improvise many of her lines.

“Yuxin, you performed perfectly. Leave the rest to me.” Sister Xiao smiled and draped a coat over her. After comforting her artist, Sister Xiao took her phone to a quiet corner and began making one call after another.

Lai Xuan really didn’t know his place. Chao Yuxin was already an artist under Good Wind Studio, yet he dared to play petty tricks right in front of her. He overvalued himself.

Sister Xiao had vast connections in the industry. Within a short time, she contacted the teams of the other artists affected by the five-minute delay and hammered out a plan. Green Bamboo hadn’t aired yet, so exposing Lai Xuan’s dirty laundry to send him to the trending searches wasn’t the right move. Instead, ensuring that Lai Xuan would have no exposure in the future—except for Green Bamboo promotions—was a much better approach.

It wasn’t easy to semi-blacklist a “Best Actor” winner, but while it might be hard for Sister Xiao alone, it became simple when coordinating with the other victims of his delay. Especially since the victim scheduled right after Chao Yuxin had a similar image and career path to Lai Xuan; any resources Lai Xuan could get, he could also secure if he put in the effort.

…

Chu Ke had to work on the 2nd, so she had to prepare to fly back at noon on the 1st, ending their brief “clingy” time. Wen Qingyun didn’t make any unnecessary attempts to make her stay, but as she saw Chu Ke off at the airport, she told her that her New Year’s gift had already arrived.

“Is it at the delivery station?” Chu Ke looked at Wen Qingyun blankly. She was certain she hadn’t seen Wen Qingyun send any packages since she arrived.

“If all goes well, your gift should be in the gap between the security door and the main door. The item I prepared isn’t large, so it fits right in,” Wen Qingyun said with a smile. She pulled down her mask and gave Chu Ke a quick kiss.

“Once your Spring Festival holiday schedule is set, let me know. I’ll book the tickets,” Wen Qingyun said.

“Okay.” Chu Ke looked up at Wen Qingyun. She had so much to say, but in the end, it all boiled down to one sentence: “I’ll miss you.”

“If you miss me, video call me. I’m not planning to take any work soon, so I can chat with you all day,” Wen Qingyun rubbed Chu Ke’s head.

Wen Qingyun didn’t mind being relied upon; she enjoyed the feeling. It made her clearly realize that Chu Ke’s love for her was far deeper than her own love for Chu Ke.

Chu Ke was loath to leave, but parting doesn’t vanish just because one is reluctant. Thinking of the private messages Ms. Wen had sent her on WeChat, the look in Chu Ke’s eyes became more determined.

“I’m going then. See you on the holidays.” Chu Ke waved to Wen Qingyun.

Wen Qingyun waved back. This time, she was finally the one staying behind to see her girlfriend off. However, she didn’t indulge in unnecessary sadness. Once Chu Ke disappeared into the crowd, she turned and left, not wasting time on needless melancholy. For Wen Qingyun, there were no obstacles to seeing Chu Ke; if she wanted to, she could just fly there.

Moreover, Spring Festival was in January this year, so the latest they would see each other again was in twenty days.

Chu Ke was the only one affected by the parting. Even after landing and taking a ride home, she hadn’t quite recovered. When she reached her dormitory, she took a photo and sent it to Wen Qingyun.

[Chu Ke: Arrived safely at the dorm.] [Wen Qingyun: Received. Remember to check your little gift~]

Seeing the near-instant reply, a smile appeared on Chu Ke’s face. She typed “Okay” and put her phone away to climb the stairs.

The dormitory’s security door was an old-fashioned model with wide gaps between the bars. Opening the outer door, Chu Ke saw a package wedged between the two doors. It was a cardboard box about the size of her palm, very light.

What could it be? Curiosity bubbled inside her.

After locking the door, she turned on the air conditioner and rubbed her hands for warmth while using a utility knife to open the package.

Huh? It was a 10cm plush doll, and it looked familiar.

Chu Ke held the doll and thought back. Three seconds later, she found the answer. This doll was the one the group chat leader had stuffed into her hands to give to Wen Qingyun at the airport! It was a “chibi” version of Wen Qingyun made by the fan. Later, Wen Qingyun had apparently made several different versions and given away thousands to fans in a lottery. Chu Ke had entered that lottery, but her luck was average, and she hadn’t been picked among the million entrants.

Looking closely, Chu Ke realized the one in her hand was different from the lottery ones. The facial expression was more vivid, and the body was a bit plusher.

So cute.

The prototype of this doll was Wen Qingyun, and now Wen Qingyun had given it to her. Carrying it… was it like carrying Wen Qingyun with her? Like “putting her girlfriend in her pocket”?

The corners of Chu Ke’s mouth turned up. She patted the doll’s head and couldn’t resist squeezing its body.

“Chu Ke~ I like you~”

A familiar voice rang out, leaving Chu Ke stunned. After a long pause, she squeezed the doll again.

“Chu Ke~ I like you~”

The familiar voice, the familiar tone—it was Wen Qingyun’s voice.

Chu Ke felt she should be happy, but tears fell uncontrollably. She held the doll and started to sob.

“Wen Qingyun, I like you too.”

…

“The endorsement was canceled? Why? Weren’t the negotiations finished, just waiting for the signature?” Lai Xuan froze.

He had planned to use the New Year’s gala to create hype and increase his profile to get a higher acting fee. How did a little delay cause the opportunity to vanish? He hadn’t even asked for a price increase! Why did the contract fail?

“Is it about the fee? I can compromise further, reduce it by another 5%,” Lai Xuan said.

His agent’s expression was subtle. “It’s not about the pay. They changed their spokesperson. It’s Huo Qi now. The contract was signed yesterday.”

“Why? Is Huo Qi’s fame even comparable to mine?” Lai Xuan frowned.

“A friend gave me a hint. His quote was very low—he was specifically aiming to steal your endorsement.” The agent rubbed his temples, his tone weary.

“Don’t treat everyone like fools. What you did at the New Year’s gala only fooled the outsiders. Who in the industry can’t see you did it on purpose? They just haven’t said it out loud.”

“The one you affected wasn’t just Chao Yuxin. Huo Qi was one of them too.”

Lai Xuan was speechless. After a while, he defended himself. “I didn’t do anything too extreme, I just spoke a few more words.”

“In any case, don’t play any more tricks, especially without consulting me,” the agent’s voice grew stern.

Did Lai Xuan think the chance to sing with a veteran was a gift from heaven? The agent had spent a lot of favors to get that opportunity, and Lai Xuan wasted it!

Lai Xuan didn’t agree with the agent internally, but he nodded and promised to do as told. Unfortunately, it was too late. Several variety shows that planned to invite Lai Xuan for the winter break changed their minds. The guest spots were either given to Huo Qi or newly debuted rookies. They didn’t leave Lai Xuan with any face.

At first, Lai Xuan thought Huo Qi was intentionally stealing his resources and didn’t take it to heart. But when seven days passed without a single scheduled activity, he panicked. It was the winter break before the New Year! Even without new contracts, TV stations should be sending invitations to record New Year greetings.

It was already the 20th of the lunar month. Why was there no movement? This was too abnormal!

“Think carefully: did you offend someone you shouldn’t have recently?” the agent said over the phone. “If you had actually listened to my warnings, you wouldn’t be in this situation. Since things have reached this point, just treat it as a holiday. Once the other party’s anger cools, you might have a chance to get back up. Don’t try to cause trouble; that will only get you permanently benched.”

After speaking, the agent hung up heartlessly. He was tired of Lai Xuan’s unauthorized actions. He had already suffered at the hands of Wen Qingyun and Chao Yuxin, and the agent had warned him repeatedly. Why was he still so headstrong? The entertainment industry is run by capital, not a petty “Best Actor.”

The agent had other artists besides Lai Xuan. If Lai Xuan made another mistake, dropping him would be the best decision for business.

…

Wen Qingyun didn’t intervene in Lai Xuan’s matters directly. She only saw some related expenses when looking at the financial reports. The amount wasn’t much—about a hundred thousand in total. Compared to the cost of managing the news of her having a girlfriend, it was a drop in the bucket.

Speaking of which, Sister Xiao really worked hard during that time. Let’s give her another 0.5% of the shares.

Knock, knock.

A knock at the door interrupted Wen Qingyun’s thoughts. Looking up, Sister Xiao walked in with a new folder.

“These are the prizes decided by administration and the general flow of the annual meeting. See if you want to change anything.” Sister Xiao spread the folder in front of Wen Qingyun, preventing her from slacking.

“Have you looked at it, Sister Xiao?” Wen Qingyun flipped through it, her eyes landing on the number of prizes. Including the studio staff, Chao Yuxin, and her assistant, there were only 40 people. Why were there 100 prizes?

“I’ve skimmed it. There are many prizes; the employees should be happy to attend,” Sister Xiao said with a smile. “As for the location, it’s the same as last year, near the office. After the meal and prizes, they can go straight home for the holidays.”

“Then let’s go with this. I want everyone to have fun.” Wen Qingyun closed the folder. One hundred prizes with a total value of less than 200,000—well within budget.

“What about the start date after the break?” Sister Xiao asked.

Wen Qingyun: “My first job is joining a film crew on the 16th of the first lunar month. What about Chao Yuxin?”

Sister Xiao checked her notes. “Around the same time. She wants to spend more time with family, so I pushed her schedule back.”

“Then let them come back on the 12th. Let’s make it a round number and give them 15 days of holiday.” Wen Qingyun waved her hand, successfully becoming the “benevolent boss” in the hearts of her employees.

Sister Xiao had no objection. She worked year-round with almost no rest and needed a good recovery period.

“By the way, Sister Xiao, I have one more small thing to report.” A brilliant smile appeared on Wen Qingyun’s face, and she proactively poured a cup of tea for Sister Xiao.

Sister Xiao didn’t dare take it. “Don’t start acting all sweet now. Tell me what’s up first.”

Wen Qingyun set the tea in front of her. “I promised my mom I’d attend the company annual meeting. If there are no surprises, the public will know I’m Wen Feishi’s daughter after the meeting.”

Sister Xiao froze, her voice full of disbelief. “Is there even anything for me to handle there?”

Everyone knew the power of Ms. Wen Feishi. If her artist’s identity was exposed, the public would only worship her more. The number of fans wanting to marry into the family would probably increase by millions.

“Probably not. I just wanted to let you know so you don’t get too stressed,” Wen Qingyun said with a wink, the mischief in her eyes clear.

Sister Xiao: “…”

“Oh, and I’m giving you an extra 0.5% of the shares as a gift.”