I'm a Professional at Being a Scumbag [Quick Wear] - Chapter 17

Her words made Le Yi remember who she was.

Miss Zhao was a wealthy second-generation heir who had entered the entertainment industry more for fun than anything else. She had recently become very active online, posting ten Weibo posts a day to denounce Li Xianyun’s actions, claiming to fight for women’s rights but actually just satisfying her own desire for self-promotion.

Now she was running around spouting nonsense again. Le Yi felt she was a bit unhinged.

What did being one of the “Drugging Scandal” victims have to do with Xiao Qing not acting in the drama?

“Miss Zhao, you seem to have misunderstood. Miss Xiao resigned of her own accord.”

Le Yi didn’t get angry, maintaining her polite smile. After all, they were at the restaurant entrance, with people coming and going. Getting into a public argument wouldn’t be good.

Though she was a washed-up celebrity, Le Yi still cared deeply about her image.

Zhao Ke scoffed, her eyes filled with disdain. “Resigned? I’d believe that if I didn’t know her so well. She worked so hard to get this role—why would she voluntarily give it up?”

Le Yi could tell Miss Zhao wasn’t interested in explanations; she just wanted to smear her.

Seeing the time, Le Yi didn’t want to be late and leave a bad impression on the director. She decided to simply give up.

She shrugged, spreading her hands. “If that’s what you think, there’s nothing I can do.”

Zhao Ke was infuriated by her attitude, her expression twisting as she gestured too wildly and smudged her makeup.

“You…”

Aiya!

Before she could finish her sentence, she was knocked off balance by someone rushing past, her high heel snapping in the process.

Le Yi felt a sudden gust of wind before her eyes, then froze upon recognizing the familiar figure.

Chu Qiao?

Chu Qiao turned, flashed her a smug smile, then disappeared around the corner.

With one heel broken, Zhao Ke stood unsteadily, looking rather disheveled.

Le Yi glanced at her, then calmly walked inside.

Who cares if she’s a second-generation scion or a feminist? I’m just a no-name actress. Who am I afraid of?

Chu Qiao stepped into the exclusive VIP elevator. The moment the doors closed, the joy she’d felt facing Le Yi vanished.

Why did I even have to attend this meeting?! Chu Ji is utterly useless, letting those shareholders cause such a fuss.

She already loathed meetings, and the mere thought of facing those greasy-faced investors made her even more irritable.

At least she’d helped her sister out along the way. That made it slightly tolerable.

Le Yi entered the private room. The seating arrangement was similar to last time, with a few new faces.

Not entirely new, actually. These were actors with modest reputations; nothing groundbreaking, but decent enough reviews.

Le Yi greeted the director and screenwriter individually, nodded and smiled at the other actors, and took the seat Zhu Qiong had saved for her.

The director wore the same approving expression as before, clearly still favoring Le Yi. The screenwriter and other actors, however, seemed to regard her with a mixture of scrutiny and suspicion.

Zhu Qiong leaned in close and whispered, “Zhao Ke was spouting nonsense while you were away. Don’t take it to heart.”

Le Yi nodded, her expression flawless.

She had already experienced Zhao Ke’s madness and wouldn’t be surprised by anything the woman said. Judging by the others’ reactions, she could guess what this “crazy heiress” had been spreading.

The door slammed open, letting in a gust of wind as Zhao Ke strode in barefoot and slapped Le Yi across the face.

Her strike was lightning fast, leaving Le Yi no time to react.

“I’ve never endured such humiliation in my life! How dare you, you worthless trash, act so superior to me?!”

Le Yi felt a burning heat on her cheek and a metallic taste of blood at the corner of her mouth. She must have been cut.

She rose slowly, the warmth on her face replaced by a frosty calm.

“Miss Zhao, do you know what baristas care about least?”

Zhao Ke crossed her arms, looking down her nose at Le Yi. “I don’t care what baristas care about. This slap today is a lesson in how to behave.”

Le Yi flicked the corner of her lips with her tongue, a cryptic smile playing on her face.

“You’re used to running roughshod over others, thinking everyone’s a soft target. But not everyone’s a pushover. Today, I’ll teach you how to behave.”

With that, she delivered a resounding slap to Zhao Ke’s face. Before the enraged woman could unleash a torrent of curses, Le Yi struck again.

Zhao Ke was indeed arrogant and domineering, relying on her privileged background to trample others. This was the first time anyone had ever humiliated her twice in one go.

Twice! By the same person!

Zhao Ke gritted her teeth, her eyes blazing with fury.

Le Yi shook her hand, nonchalant. “What thick skin you have. My hand hurts from hitting you.”

On the verge of losing her mind, Zhao Ke roared, “How dare you?!”

Le Yi scoffed. “What wouldn’t I dare? If someone slaps me on the right cheek, am I supposed to offer them my left? Miss Zhao, let me tell you what someone like me fears least: people like you, rich second-generation heirs who rely on family wealth to bully others. Worst-case scenario, I get blacklisted. You think I haven’t been blacklisted before?”

Laughable. For years, she’d been sidelined by the industry, essentially blacklisted. And after her rise to fame as an influencer, she’d paid off her debt to the company and renegotiated her contract.

Now that she stood alone, no one could control her.

Zhao Ke had originally intended to use this to intimidate Le Yi, but seeing her fearlessness, she decided to completely ruin her.

A scream shattered the silence in the private room, followed by a raised voice: “You bitch! Don’t think I don’t know Li Xianyun’s already had his way with you! So many actresses better than you have risked their reputations to expose his evil deeds online. Why haven’t you said a word? Don’t think you can hide perfectly. I’ll expose you!”

The gossiping crowd wasn’t really interested in their personal feud; they just wanted to know if Le Yi had indeed been with Li Xianyun.

After all, Li Xianyun’s scandal had shaken the nation, becoming the hottest topic. Even those not usually interested in gossip couldn’t help but be curious.

Compared to Zhao Ke’s hysterical outburst, Le Yi remained remarkably composed.

“Miss Zhao, accusations require evidence. You’re free to expose me, but if I prove my innocence, you’ll face legal consequences.” She paused, her gaze piercing as she stared at Zhao Ke. “As you know, I never let a slight go unanswered.”

Zhao Ke was bewildered by her absolute confidence, secretly doubting the accuracy of her information. After all, she hadn’t witnessed it firsthand, and no matter how convincing others’ accounts were, she couldn’t be completely certain.

As the standoff continued, Director Xu Jianchuan spoke up. “Alright, everyone, please sit down. We have new actors here; don’t be afraid to lose face.”

Le Yi complied, her gaze calm and composed. She sat with perfect poise, unafraid of their speculation.

In contrast, Zhao Ke’s earlier certainty had vanished. Her cheeks were flushed and swollen, her hair disheveled, losing its previous meticulous precision.

After a few brief remarks about getting to know each other, Director Xu Jianchuan dropped a bombshell into the calm.

“Given recent events, we’ve decided to start filming next Tuesday. We’ll skip the table reads and script workshops. You’ll figure out your roles during filming.”

The room erupted in commotion. The shoot had originally been scheduled to begin three months later, but this sudden acceleration left many actors unable to clear their schedules.

“Overcome your difficulties yourselves. I don’t care what your reasons are. Everyone must be present on the first day of filming.”

Le Yi had no problem with this; she was the most idle person present.

Directors, especially renowned ones, often have volatile temperaments. A famous international director once took four years to finish a film after repeatedly revising the script, ultimately producing a critically panned disaster.

Talented individuals tend to have quirks, and those with both talent and status are even more unpredictable.

Zhao Ke, visibly unwell, was sent back shortly after the meeting began.

The moment she left, Le Yi noticed everyone visibly relax, the atmosphere growing more congenial.

Le Yi, her face red and swollen, excused herself to the restroom to tend to her condition. As she entered, she bumped into someone, mumbled an apology without looking up, and felt a hand grip her wrist.

“Sister, what happened to your face?” Chu Qiao asked, her eyes filled with genuine concern, her expression darkening.

This was the first time Le Yi had ever seen such a look on her face.

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