I Love Her Because She’s Dim-Witted And Filthy Rich - Chapter 49

As if marketing accounts had made a synchronized appointment, press releases claiming Duan Bainian used unscrupulous means to climb the social ladder flooded in from every direction. Although He Aizhi immediately initiated public relations efforts, the results were negligible.

After all, the darker side of human nature ensures that the so-called “melon-eating masses” will always believe in negative rumors. As the saying goes, “Rumors take a single mouth to spread; refuting them breaks a thousand legs.”

That should have been her first year after signing. At that time, she had just entered the entertainment industry, bumping around blindly like a headless fly. Whatever the company arranged for her, she would obediently follow.

The dinner party that night had also been arranged by the company. The company said that she only needed to go and have a meal to get to know some industry big shots, and that it would subsequently bring her a lot of support in her music career.

When she entered the private room and found that she was the only girl at the entire table, she realized that this dinner party was not quite right. Her manager at the time was right by her side. Having just entered society, she maintained a sense of trust in her manager, which led her to mistakenly believe that this dinner really was just a dinner.

It wasn’t until the table started jeering for her to drink a “cross-cupped wine” (intertwined arm toast) with the person sitting in the seat of honor that she finally reacted—this really was exactly the kind of foul dinner party involving middle-aged men she had imagined.

The chicken, duck, fish, and meat on the table were not the dishes; she was the dish.

She was experiencing this kind of thing for the first time and had no experience. While she was still hesitating, she had already—half-willingly, half-coerced—drunk that intertwined toast shown in the video.

How did that dinner party end?

It ended when that middle-aged man reached out to hug her, attempting to make her sit on his lap. At that moment, as if she had been scalded, she shot up and subconsciously slapped the middle-aged man. Then, amidst a sea of shock, she picked up her bag and walked out of the private room.

This was also the reason why she was subsequently nearly blacklisted and disappeared from the entertainment industry for almost a year.

Regarding the current exposé, she hardly had to think to know that it was definitely the work of Young Mr. Tang from her former company. After all, there weren’t many people who could have filmed that video. The unpleasantness that occurred that night two years ago, combined with her current explosive popularity, clearly blocked the path of the artists under his management. It wasn’t surprising that new grudges and old hatreds prompted him to strike.

Duan Bainian wasn’t that worried about this negative news. After all, it was just drinking a toast, not a confirmation of selling her body to rise up, nor was it cheating or drug use. In a few days, everyone would forget about it. What she feared most was that this incident would affect the variety show resources she had been in contact with recently.

Establishing a studio is easy, but it is not easy to obtain resources in one’s own name after the studio is established. To prepare for the studio’s founding, she had been in contact with various resources over the past few months, wanting to fight for a future for herself.

The reality show she had been in contact with recently was one of the best in the country. If she could get on it, the subsequent benefits and popularity would be immense. Being able to secure this reality show would provide a lot of confidence when it came time to set up the studio.

However, whatever one fears most is what happens. By the evening, the reality show that had almost been finalized called. They expressed euphemistically: “The new season is about to start filming, and it will be broadcast shortly after filming begins. The time between filming and broadcasting is too short to digest the impact this negative news brings to you, so perhaps we must wait until the next opportunity to cooperate.”

Before this troubling matter was over, her brother, Bai Qilin—who lived far away in Gansu and wouldn’t contact her once a year—also called to ask when she would have time to return to Qingyang.

Outsiders thought she and Bai Qilin were paternal half-siblings. After all, her surname “Bai” followed her stepfather. In fact, she and this so-called brother were from a reconstituted family; they shared neither the same father nor the same mother.

Back then, Bai Qilin always believed that Duan Bainian’s mother had been the “other woman” who interfered in his parents’ marriage. Therefore, Bai Qilin’s attitude toward Duan Bainian had always been poor. Since her debut, Duan Bainian had not returned to Qingyang except for her grandmother’s death during her sophomore year.

Her contact with Bai Qilin was also pitifully sparse. Seeing Bai Qilin call at this moment, she had a bad premonition.

The person on the other end had a very impatient tone: “When are you coming back? Don’t take too long, just these two days. Pack up all the things in your house. Next month, I’m going to give the house to someone else to live in. At that time, I’ll throw out everything in the room.”

Duan Bainian was choked with rage. “The family originally had several houses, and you’ve been doing well for yourself these past few years. Why is it specifically this one house? Won’t any other house do to give away?”

It wasn’t that she insisted on fighting for this house.

When she was first brought to the new home by her mother, she lived there for a few months and was still very unaccustomed to it. She argued with her mother and argued with Bai Qilin. Her stepfather didn’t argue much because he was actually quite good to her; although she didn’t acknowledge this stepfather in her heart, truth be told, his conduct was beyond reproach.

She and Bai Qilin argued every single day, and every argument was a chaotic mess. Duan Bainian’s mother had no choice but to bring Grandmother (from the maternal uncle’s side) over and buy another house in a nearby neighborhood for Grandmother and Duan Bainian to live in. It was considered helping to take care of Duan Bainian, and if there were any problems, it was convenient since they lived close by.

This living arrangement lasted from the sixth grade until the third year of high school. During those seven years, it was Grandmother who took care of her. That place was filled with memories of her and her grandmother. Her grandmother had passed away; now, all she had left was this house.

Hearing Duan Bainian’s questioning, Bai Qilin sneered. “Anyway, it’s up to you. I’ve warned you in advance. Come next month, I’ll throw all of your things out.”

With that, Bai Qilin hung up with a snap.

Duan Bainian had received two phone calls in a row, and her expression was extremely unsightly. She lingered in the hallway for a while, and once she felt her emotions were stable enough, she returned to the room.

But Su Miao still noticed something was wrong. “What’s wrong with you? Whose call did you take? Why do you look in such a bad mood?”

Duan Bainian forced a smile and said, “It’s nothing. You don’t need to worry, I’m fine.” After thinking for a moment, Duan Bainian took her coat again and said, “I’m going out for some fresh air.”

Su Miao hurriedly said, “I’ll go with you.”

Duan Bainian’s heart was heavily blocked; she just wanted to be alone for a moment. So she refused, “No need, I’ll just go for a walk by myself. I’ll be back soon.”

Su Miao had no choice but to let it go. She urged, “Then come back quickly. It’s almost dark.”

Duan Bainian gave a hum of affirmation and walked out the door.

Su Miao didn’t know about Duan Bainian’s troubles, but seeing her unhappy made Su Miao worry deeply. She absent-mindedly played a few mini-games and watched some short videos, hoping in her heart that Duan Bainian would return early.

By eight o’clock, Duan Bainian still hadn’t returned. Su Miao couldn’t stay alone anymore, so she thought about going out for a walk to see if she could find Duan Bainian and perhaps grab dinner together.

At the corner downstairs, Su Miao saw Duan Bainian—and Wu Feng beside her.

Su Miao froze. Didn’t Duan Bainian say she was coming out alone to clear her head? Why was Wu Feng by her side?

Su Miao’s mind went blank. By the time she regained her senses, she realized she had already walked up to Duan Bainian.

Duan Bainian’s brow furrowed slightly. “Why did you come down?”

Su Miao stammered, “I saw that you hadn’t come back for a long time, so I thought I’d come down to find you so we could go eat together.”

After Su Miao finished speaking, Duan Bainian turned her head to the person beside her and said, “Excuse me, I’m going to eat.”

Wu Feng had a helpless expression. “Alright then, go ahead. If there’s a problem, contact me anytime.”

The two of them found a nearby restaurant for dinner. The air was filled with an eerie silence. It wasn’t until the food was served that Duan Bainian spoke the first sentence between them, breaking the silence.

“The food is here. Weren’t you hungry? Hurry up and eat.”

Su Miao gave an “mm” and absent-mindedly picked up a piece of food. The food was fragrant, but she felt she had no appetite at all. After waiting for a long time and seeing that Duan Bainian had no intention of explaining, Su Miao couldn’t help but speak up first.

“Didn’t you say you were coming down to walk around by yourself? How did you end up with Wu Feng?”

Duan Bainian rubbed her brow. “We just ran into each other.”

Su Miao bit her chopsticks and whispered, “Is it really that coincidental?”

The string of setbacks over the past few days made it impossible for Duan Bainian to suppress the irritation in her heart.

She had indeed run into Wu Feng—or more accurately, it seemed Wu Feng had been deliberately waiting for her. After she finished her walk and returned, she encountered Wu Feng at the hotel entrance. He asked if she needed help, and she politely declined. They had only spoken those few words.

But Su Miao clearly didn’t believe her.

She took a deep breath. “What are you trying to say? Are you trying to say I specifically asked Wu Feng to come down? Are you trying to say there’s still something going on between me and him?”

Su Miao drooped her eyes. “I didn’t…”

Duan Bainian sneered, “You didn’t? I see your head is full of these things! Su Miao, can you stop being so suspicious? Have you ever seen me have any intimate contact with Wu Feng? Have I held his hand or kissed him? Just because we happened to run into each other downstairs, you start doubting if we planned it? Su Miao, am I such an unworthy person in your heart?”

Duan Bainian slammed her chopsticks on the table with a snap. “Rest assured, if I really fall in love with someone else, I will definitely bring up the breakup with you openly and honestly.”

Su Miao was completely stunned.

Duan Bainian had never said such harsh words to her before. Her tears instantly began to fall, pitter-patter.

Seeing Su Miao crying again, Duan Bainian became even more agitated. Ordinarily, when Su Miao cried, she would coax her, but at this moment, she truly had no heart for it. She just wanted to be alone.

She put on her coat. “I’m feeling a bit unwell. I’m going back to the hotel first.”

Without waiting for Su Miao’s response, Duan Bainian stood up and walked out of the restaurant.

The April evening breeze was slightly cool.

Walking down the street, Duan Bainian gradually cleared her head. She began to realize how excessive her behavior had just been. She could be gentle to everyone else; why was she unable to do the same for Su Miao?

Shouldn’t one be gentle to those closest to them?

A person like Su Miao had always said whatever was on her mind. Duan Bainian hadn’t just found this out today; why did she have to lose her temper with such a fool?

With such a “glass-hearted” fool, those harsh words must have broken her heart again.

The more Duan Bainian thought about it, the more she regretted it. She hurriedly turned back to the restaurant. But Su Miao was no longer in her seat.

She probably went back to the hotel, she thought.

So she headed back to the hotel. Twenty minutes later, she pushed open the door and entered the room.

Su Miao was not in the room either.

She knocked on the door of the adjacent room and asked Guan Jing, “Is Su Miao back?”

Guan Jing said in surprise, “You don’t know?”

Duan Bainian had a bad premonition. “What?”

Guan Jing was even more surprised. “Just now Su Miao said the film crew had something for her to do and asked her to go back. She packed her things and left.”

Only then did Duan Bainian notice that Su Miao’s pink backpack was gone.

It was as if she had never been there at all.