The Fake Daughter is a Max-Level Green Tea [Transmigrated into a Book] - Chapter 48

Chapter 48: A New Journey

The fading public outcry online made Jiang Yang feel like he was going to lose his mind with rage.

Unlike the average gossip-hungry bystander, Jiang Yang felt his own vital interests were at stake, and he refused to let things slide.

Though he and Lu Chaoqing had never officially signed an engagement contract, both sets of parents had a tacit understanding: if the children were compatible, they would marry. Consequently, he had invested untold time and energy into courting Lu Chaoqing, only to be struck by a bolt from the blue.

The little girl he had been plotting to secure couldn’t inherit a single cent of the Lu family fortune; the sole legal heir was Lin Chumu!

Jiang Yang, having calmed down for a few days, called her several times, but Lin Chumu didn’t answer a single one. His frustration grew so intense that the stress sores he’d developed two days ago flared up. He didn’t care about that stubborn woman personally; he just didn’t want his long-term efforts to go to waste. Since Lu Chaoqing was now completely powerless, he intended to discard her like trash.

Unfortunately, Lin Chumu gave him no response whatsoever.

After the phone rang persistently for a full minute, Jiang Yang received a notification that he had been blocked.

[Plot Change Detected.]

[The favorability of major character Jiang Yang toward you is plummeting… Detecting… Favorability has shifted to Hatred. Settlement complete: Major character Jiang Yang’s Hatred toward you has reached 60 and is rising. Side Quest Unlocked: Jiang Yang’s Revenge.]

[After learning Lu Chaoqing is not the biological daughter, Jiang Yang’s dream of marrying into wealth has shattered like a bubble. (The following plot is triggered due to Lin Chumu’s low favorability toward Jiang Yang): His tiny spark of affection for Lu Chaoqing has turned into intense hatred. He firmly believes Lu Chaoqing is the reason he failed to secure Lin Chumu. Jiang Yang has chosen to hide this hatred in his heart, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.]

The app, which hadn’t sent a notification in a long time, suddenly updated, startling Lu Chaoqing.

Once, while filming, she had her phone on her and the vibration broke her flow, so she’d set the app to “Do Not Disturb.” Now she realized Lin Chumu’s favorability had reached 68—a massive leap forward in her eyes.

Jiang Yang’s thought process was predictable. Now that Lin Chumu’s favorability toward him had dropped to an immeasurable negative, there was no need to worry about them teaming up against her.

“Chuchu-jie, don’t want to pick up?”

Coming out of her reverie, Lu Chaoqing looked up at Lin Chumu. Her voice was soft as a marshmallow, possessing the effortless ability to dissolve someone else’s anger. Lin Chumu, who had been in a foul mood, softened slightly.

The girl continued: “If you don’t like him, and he isn’t important for work, why not just block him? With persistent pursuers like that, polite refusals won’t make them realize they have no chance. They’ll just think ‘a persistent man can win over a cold woman’…” Her eyes curved into sweet crescent moons. “Just block him. You probably won’t have many chances to see him in the future anyway.”

Deeply agreeing, Lin Chumu decisively dragged his name into the blacklist for the first time. The frustration in her chest cleared instantly, and she found Lu Chaoqing even more pleasant to look at.

The real-time hatred update told Lu Chaoqing that Jiang Yang’s mood had likely worsened, but she wasn’t the type to be compassionate toward enemies. Jiang Yang’s pain was her pleasure.

Lu Chaoqing leaned into Lin Chumu’s ear and whispered, “Actually, I blocked him a long time ago. I don’t want to talk to him ever again. He’s so annoying.”

Lin Chumu glanced at her with surprise, a hint of a smile in her voice that she didn’t even notice: “Wasn’t he your ‘Brother Jiang Yang’? Why so much hate now?”

Lu Chaoqing nearly jumped off the floor in mock indignation, tugging at her clothes piteously. “That depends on what he did! I used to think he was okay—polite and gentle. But then I found out he was with other women. Not just one! Who cares about someone that unreliable? He can go play with whoever wants him; I certainly don’t want him.”

Seeing Lin Chumu’s expression remain calm, Lu Chaoqing added some flattery: “Besides, he’s not as capable as Sister, not as good-looking as Sister, and he definitely doesn’t treat me as sincerely as Sister does…”

“Silly girl.”

As had happened many times before when this topic arose, Lin Chumu cut her off, though her tone lacked any real impatience. She recalled a time at a restaurant when she’d stepped out to the restroom for just a moment; when she returned, she’d seen the way Jiang Yang looked at Lu Chaoqing.

The man’s aggressive gaze had made her uncomfortable even then. In the original plot, Jiang Yang was far more disgusting than Lu Chaoqing’s description—his endless greed led him to break laws, dabbling in gambling and even drugs. Right now was just the beginning.

But she didn’t need to worry about Jiang Yang for now. Their filming was wrapping up, and it was time to say goodbye to the crew. The movie would be released during the Lunar New Year. With a powerhouse cast, it feared no competition.

After Reversal concluded, Lu Chaoqing rested for a month. Following a brief interview, she headed to her next destination.

The recording for Voice of Joy was held in the capital.

The production team had been leaking news through marketing accounts for weeks—the usual industry tactic of mixing truth and lies to drum up hype before the official announcement. Lu Chaoqing looked into the other guests and was surprised to find Meng Lixi on the list.

Meng Lixi, leader of “NG” (New Generation Girls), was the undisputed popularity queen of her group. At 26, she had debuted years before Lu Chaoqing. NG had reached the top a couple of years ago; when Bell Orchid first debuted, people wondered if they would surpass NG, but now that was all ancient history.

Lu Chaoqing knew little about her, but the other “Special Mentor” was a familiar face: Ji You.

Ji You’s popularity hadn’t been very high since the group disbanded, likely due to her introverted nature, but she had a loyal fanbase. Lu Chaoqing was surprised she had agreed to the show but was happy for her friend.

The three main mentors were Meng Lixi, singer Du Yi, and dancer Zeng Fan. Voice of Joy had clearly spent a lot of money. The show was known for its quality and avoided the controversial fan-voting systems that led to botting.

Each recording session lasted five days. This season was for girl groups, live-streaming the trainees’ lives.

When Lu Chaoqing arrived with her new assistant, Xiao Yan, Ji You was already waiting. Having not seen each other for months, Ji You had filled out a bit, no longer looking frail. She had adorable dimples when she smiled, especially when she ran over to hug Lu Chaoqing.

Since they were on camera, Lu Chaoqing restrained herself, simply patting Ji You’s head as the other girl grinned at her.

As “Special Mentors,” they were expected to appear more in the living areas to interact and play games with the trainees. Like most survival shows, the mentors were given a list of potential stars to watch.

In the dorm lobby, a girl with a captain’s badge on her arm came rushing toward them. Lu Chaoqing dodged, but the girl slipped on a wet patch of floor. Ji You caught her just in time.

“Careful,” Ji You said softly.

“I… I’m sorry! I just wanted to get Sister Xiaoqing’s autograph!”

The short-haired girl, Xia Lanlan, was a fan of Lu Chaoqing. She chattered away, and Lu Chaoqing, who lacked any celebrity ego, happily signed for her and followed her to meet other trainees. Afterward, Lu Chaoqing posted a photo to Weibo.

Xia Lanlan, seeing the notification, shrieked in excitement: “Wow! My account weight must be so high! I got the top comment!”

Lu Chaoqing leaned over to look. Xia Lanlan’s ID looked familiar, but before she could remember where she’d seen it, the girl tucked her phone away.

Soon, the other three mentors arrived. This was Lu Chaoqing’s first time seeing Meng Lixi in person. She was tall and striking, with sharp, glamorous makeup and a “cool girl” vibe. To Lu Chaoqing’s surprise, Meng Lixi was quite straightforward and smiled as she shook their hands.

The show began, and the guests took the stage. Lu Chaoqing wore an apricot-colored suit with a white shirt and a polka-dot bow, paired with a sequined skirt and combat boots. The three women sitting together naturally drew all eyes.

The audience roared. To prevent “fan wars,” no light boards were allowed, but the cheering was deafening. Lu Chaoqing heard her name mixed in with the massive chants for “Meng Lixi” and waved back at her fans.

The first few teams were mediocre. One girl missed a beat due to nerves and looked at the mentors in terror. Meng Lixi was famously strict and pointed it out bluntly. The trainee left the stage with a face red from holding back tears.

To keep the trainees from losing heart, the other two mentors balanced things with praise. Lu Chaoqing and Ji You didn’t say much at first, but Lu Chaoqing even left her seat to cheer some of them up.

During the ten-minute halftime break, Lu Chaoqing headed toward the dressing rooms to find the girl who had almost cried.

But as her hand reached the door to knock, a woman’s voice cut through from inside:

“Just a girl group that disbanded the moment they debuted. Do those two really think they’re worthy of being mentors?”