Everyone’s Heartthrob [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Entertainment Circle’s “Sister-in-Law” (1)

Sunday morning, 8:00 AM sharp. The actress Su Yi held a press conference.

The hotel was swarming with people. The relentless shutter clicks and flashing lights left Meng Ke’s vision a blinding white, rendering her momentarily sightless.

Frowning in discomfort, Meng Ke slowly tilted her chin up. Her clear eyes swept casually across the crowd before landing lightly on a young female reporter. “You. Ask.”

The designated reporter froze for a second before her professional instincts kicked in. Pushing past her colleagues and gripping her microphone, her heart raced uncontrollably. “Forgive me for asking, Miss Su, but are the rumors regarding your relationship with Li Jingyan true?”

After repeating the line she had rehearsed a thousand times, the reporter hesitated. She wasn’t satisfied with just this question. She—and everyone else present—really wanted to ask: Is it true, as an insider leaked, that Su Yi has been secretly married to the Film King, Huai Cheng, for three years? And that she is now bravely cheating on him with Li Jingyan?

But she didn’t dare.

Huai Cheng’s status in the industry was venerable, and the Huai family’s influence was all-encompassing; she couldn’t afford to offend them.

Li Jingyan was a different story.

He had shot to fame upon his debut due to his handsome face and perfect physique. In just two short years, he had secured his spot as the “top brother” of film and television, leaving other male stars green with envy but powerless to stop him. This was because Li Jingyan, like Huai Cheng, was signed under the industry’s titan, Ru Jing Entertainment.

Looking at it objectively, Li Jingyan had the “male lead halo,” but he was still a far cry from Huai Cheng. Huai Cheng’s accolades were so vast they could be discussed for three days and nights without end.

Between the two, it was obvious which “soft persimmon” was easier to squeeze.

Hundreds of eyes stared intently at the woman on stage, who seemed to glow with an ethereal fairness. Honestly, Su Yi was undeniably stunning; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to cause such a stir in the industry despite having zero notable works.

Seven parts natural beauty, two parts bright charm, and one part innocent naivety—blended together into a perfect ten-out-of-ten masterpiece of a woman.

Meng Ke quickly processed the plot in her mind. Her lips curled into a smirk of nonchalance and amusement. “Yes.”

“Everything they say is true.”

The room erupted into an uproar, voices buzzing with excitement. The reporters could already envision the storm this dismissive statement would cause online.

“However—”

Meng Ke leaned slowly toward the microphone. The smile on her fair, clean face deepened, and her captivating peach-blossom eyes sparkled. “It was they who took the initiative to pursue me.”

Ignoring the crowd once again shocked by her words, Meng Ke pushed back her chair and stood up. For someone with her status and beauty, others had always begged for a glance or coaxed her for attention. Why would she ever lower herself to shamelessly pester someone else?

The original host Su Yi’s behavior of “sticking a hot face to a cold backside” was purely a self-inflicted tragedy.

“Host, the main characters you need to charm in this world are Li Jingyan and Huai Cheng, whom you’ve just heard of. Regardless of whether the sentiment is positive or negative, you just need to reach a total of 100 emotional points.”

One hundred points? Meng Ke didn’t have time to dwell on it because the phone in her purse began to vibrate frantically.

Glancing at the name “Manager,” Meng Ke’s attention was quickly caught by the wallpaper on the screen—a face that, even blurred, was breathtaking. Slender brows, skin as white as snow, a delicate nose, and cherry-red lips. Every feature was placed perfectly, blending a young girl’s naive sweetness with a mature woman’s subtle air of flirtatiousness. It was a work of art that even made Meng Ke’s own heart flutter.

The screen dimmed and lit up again.

She politely answered the call. On the other end, an impatient and furious voice interrogated her: “Su Yi, do you have any idea what you’re doing?”

“Do you even want to stay in this industry anymore?!”

Without giving Meng Ke a chance to speak, the voice continued: “Today you’ve offended Li Jingyan and the backer behind him. You’re on your own now! I’m just a small fish; I can’t protect you anymore!”

The line went dead with a huff. He had clearly decided to abandon her completely.

Meng Ke fell into silence.

Naturally, she wanted to stay in the entertainment circle. It was her home turf, her most familiar territory. However, this entertainment circle was clearly not the one she knew.

She remembered an accident during filming. While she was drifting in and out of consciousness, a self-proclaimed “System” kept chattering in her head until she finally snapped “Shut up” at it. She thought it was all a dream, but recalling the details of Su Yi’s life and what had just happened, Meng Ke accepted her reality.

The only thing making her feel better right now was Su Yi’s rather excellent physical appearance.

The hotel was surrounded by layers of media. Skilfully shaking off the trailing paparazzi, Su Yi ducked into a dim corridor. The faint glow of her phone illuminated her beautiful face as she browsed real-time comments online.

The System watched her professional, calm demeanor and sighed in relief.

Meng Ke was a choice made after careful screening. In her original world, her evaluation was exceptionally high: a combination of beauty, strength, and wisdom. She was a chosen one, gifted with a protagonist’s halo, wealth, and everything a mortal could desire. With such a flawless individual, the System had high confidence she could clear the game perfectly.

Online, things had already boiled over.

Li Jingyan’s fans were so angry they could barely type. “Absolutely shameless! Look at her rank versus Li Jingyan’s. Would he ever look at her? She’s a clown!”

“She’s just relying on her looks. If she hadn’t clung to a backer through shady means, nobody would even know she exists.”

“Her face looks so fake. Who knows how many times she’s gone under the knife.”

“First she leeches off Huai Cheng, then Li Jingyan. Has Su Yi slept with everyone in that company? Does Ru Jing not care about their own artists?”

Su Yi’s comment section was a battlefield of abuse. Li Jingyan’s fans, venting fans of Huai Cheng, and rival stars looking for a chance to kick her while she was down all joined in. Facing this toxic environment, the System saw Meng Ke expressionlessly change her settings to “Only followers can comment.”

In just one minute, Su Yi’s account gained three million followers. And the number was still skyrocketing.

System: …Impressive.

Meng Ke stared at the follower count—already more than Su Yi had gathered in three years. Bored, she tapped her screen. Soon, the fans who were mid-insult discovered the “protagonist” had posted a new update:

“@Li_Jingyan, you should really keep your fans in check~”

Even through a screen, everyone could immediately picture Su Yi’s coy voice, acting spoiled to Li Jingyan and asking him to stand up for her.

The fire of their rage instantly roared higher. Fans were seeing red. “Li Jingyan, if you dare speak up for her today, I’m unfollowing and turning against you immediately!”

There was no movement from Li Jingyan’s side.

Li Jingyan felt his life was bitter. It was true he had an ambiguous relationship with Su Yi. But back then, he was just a fresh graduate with no background or agency. If he hadn’t created buzz for himself, he would have faded into obscurity. How else could he have successfully signed with the industry’s biggest agency?

He had approached Su Yi with the intent to use her, using sweet talk to get her to appear in public with him so the media would catch them and raise his profile. Until he became a successful artist, Li Jingyan had calculated every move. Su Yi had high traffic; being her rumored boyfriend didn’t hurt him.

But now, things had clearly gone too far.

Li Jingyan logged onto Weibo and then logged off. After weighing the options, he decided to stay silent and pretend he hadn’t seen it. No response was the best response.

Meng Ke didn’t care if Li Jingyan explained. Compared to him, she was more interested in Huai Cheng, the legendary “secret husband.” However, Su Yi herself knew very little about Huai Cheng, and Meng Ke could find almost no useful information.

As she prepared to leave, a woman’s cold, steady voice echoed faintly from the stairwell. “Su Yi? A small character. Just blacklist her.”

“I’ll see to it immediately,” another person replied respectfully.

Meng Ke: “…”

Meng Ke strode up the stairs in her high heels. The two people obviously noticed a third presence and stopped. The air was deathly quiet, save for the rhythmic clack-clack of Meng Ke’s heels on the floor until her flushed, slightly perspiring face came into view.

Two tall, imposing women looked down at Meng Ke simultaneously. Their expressions weren’t overtly hostile, but every gesture radiated an aura of being difficult to cross.

He Ru Jing stood a step higher, looking down at the intruder with an overly calm expression. Her assistant’s face flickered slightly; she clearly recognized Meng Ke. “President He, this is Miss Su Yi.”

Having been caught red-handed by the very person she had just casually ordered to be blacklisted, He Ru Jing’s searching gaze landed on Meng Ke’s face, as if asking: Do you have a problem?

She showed not a shred of guilt or remorse.

Meng Ke didn’t want to be polite, but the moment her eyes met the other woman’s, the sharp words died in her throat.

He Ru Jing’s black hair was elegantly pinned up. Her snow-white shirt complemented her pale skin and deep, striking features. Even without considering her height, her appearance was so superior it could make one’s heart skip a beat.

This woman was beautiful and had an “expensive” aura. That unapproachable, cold temperament made Meng Ke’s heart itch with desire.

“Miss Su.” Snapped back to reality by the assistant’s emotionless voice, Meng Ke looked up from the lower step, meeting He Ru Jing’s indifferent eyes. “President He, I would be much more useful than Li Jingyan.”

“If you sign me.”

The assistant instinctively looked at He Ru Jing, her gaze returning to Meng Ke with a hint of nuance.

He Ru Jing narrowed her eyes slightly, scanning her from head to toe as if trying to see through her. In front of He Ru Jing, Meng Ke felt a rare sense of naked vulnerability. Her emotions flickered for a moment as she stared straight back at He Ru Jing, thinking: If this isn’t love, what is?

He Ru Jing ignored her naked stare. “For example?”

“I am very obedient.”