The Vicious Female Supporting Character Goes Viral After Her Masks Drop During the Talent Show - Chapter 36

When Zhong Yan heard Xia Meng’s request, she was momentarily speechless at the sheer absurdity of it.

Xia Meng continued, “…I know Yu Junran made many mistakes in the past, but no one is a saint. We all make mistakes, don’t we? He already knows he was wrong and is reflecting on his actions… but the people online are attacking him so fiercely, it’s as if they want him dead.”

Xia Meng had secretly borrowed another trainee’s phone to watch the livestream of Yu Junran’s press conference. Learning that he had truly committed those acts was painful and disappointing, but seeing him shed tears while apologizing only made her heart ache for him.

The live comments and bullet chats were filled with vitriol, calling him scum, demanding he leave the industry, and insisting he never show his face in public again. Xia Meng felt a complex mix of emotions, which gradually curdled into a sense of indignant grievance.

“I’m not saying he shouldn’t be punished, but people should be given a chance to reform. The internet is calling for a lifetime ban—that’s the same as stripping away any chance for him to turn over a new leaf!”

Xia Meng’s brow furrowed with worry. She looked at Zhong Yan and asked tentatively, “I heard from Tian Jingyu that you are CEO Lu’s fiancée and that he listens to you. Could you please plead with him on my behalf? Let Yu Junran reflect behind closed doors for a year or two—that’s fine. But… please don’t let them permanently blacklist him, okay?”

After listening, Zhong Yan’s frown became even deeper than Xia Meng’s.

On one hand, Xia Meng’s logic was so full of holes that it gave her a headache. On the other hand, she suddenly realized a glaring problem—the male and female leads of the original script still didn’t even know each other! Much less were they falling in love.

Zhong Yan grew anxious. She didn’t care whether Xia Meng and Lu Tingshen fell in love for romance’s sake; she cared because Lu Tingshen’s refusal to break off their engagement might be linked to this delay.

In the original script, Xia Meng forgot Yu Junran because of Lu Tingshen’s pursuit. Their falling in love was the catalyst that made Lu Tingshen hurry to end his engagement with Zhong Yan. But now, Xia Meng was stuck on Yu Junran, and Lu Tingshen was pestering Zhong Yan, refusing to let her go.

Zhong Yan figured the root cause was the stalled romance between the leads. According to the current rankings, she was almost guaranteed to debut in the Center position. If she didn’t clear up the engagement soon, it would be a ticking time bomb for her future idol career. After all, idols shouldn’t date, let alone be married.

Given her personality, Zhong Yan hated meddling in other people’s business. However, for her own sake, she felt it necessary to play matchmaker and get Lu Tingshen and Xia Meng together as soon as possible.

She pondered how to bridge the gap between them. After a moment of silence, she said to Xia Meng:

“First, there is no romantic relationship between CEO Lu and me. He doesn’t ‘listen’ to me, and I can’t interfere with Dingming Group’s decisions. Second, regarding Yu Junran, I understand your feelings, but I cannot agree with your perspective. Therefore, I will not plead for him.”

Xia Meng’s expression darkened, thinking she had failed. But then, Zhong Yan’s tone shifted.

“However, you can fight for your own demands.”

Xia Meng froze, looking at her blankly. “Fight for them myself… what do you mean?”

“I may not agree with you, but I respect your right to speak. I can help you get in touch with CEO Lu and arrange a meeting. Whatever you want to say, tell him yourself.”

Xia Meng was stunned for even longer this time. Zhong Yan didn’t say another word, quietly waiting for her to process the idea. After a long while, Xia Meng’s face showed a mix of excitement and trepidation.

“…I’m just a minor artist at Dingming. Would CEO Lu really be willing to listen to me?”

Logically, it was unrealistic. But “Sweet Pet” dramas never followed logic.

Based on the original script and her understanding of Lu Tingshen, Zhong Yan knew that Xia Meng’s pleading wouldn’t actually change Yu Junran’s fate. However, such a bold move would almost certainly catch Lu Tingshen’s attention. In these stories, didn’t the “Overbearing CEO” always fall for the woman who dared to speak her mind to his face?

Maybe their destiny starts here, Zhong Yan thought. She told Xia Meng, “How will you know if you don’t try?”

Dingming Group, CEO’s Office.

Lu Tingshen’s expression was grim after hanging up with Zhang Jing. Zhang Jing had called to politely decline the operational partnership between the Best Girls debut group and Dingming, citing negative public opinion.

He had said over the phone: “Oh, Mr. Lu, because of the Yu Junran incident, Dingming’s reputation has taken a hit. We at Guanke have received a lot of feedback from viewers saying they don’t want this year’s group managed by Dingming. Under such public pressure, our hands are tied. Why don’t we avoid the spotlight for now? It’s better for both of us. Once the storm blows over, there will be plenty of chances to work together, right?”

Cunning fox, Lu Tingshen thought.

Before the Yu Junran scandal, Lu Tingshen had tried to discuss the partnership, and Zhang Jing had used every excuse to stall. Now, he was calling specifically to reject it. Lu Tingshen suspected Zhang Jing had wanted to back out all along and was just waiting for a justifiable reason that wouldn’t offend Dingming.

Now, by using “public opinion” as a shield, Dingming was the one at fault, and Lu Tingshen couldn’t say a word against Guanke. Without the management rights, he lost his leverage over Zhong Yan.

He summoned his secretary and ordered him to find out who Zhang Jing was partnering with instead. Since Zhang Jing dared to reject Dingming, he must have found a backup. Lu Tingshen wanted to see who was bold enough to steal Dingming’s business.

The secretary returned the next day with news. “CEO Lu, we found out. It’s a new company called Yanstar Entertainment.”

The secretary placed a file on the desk. “Also, we discovered that Yanstar Entertainment is the new agency Li Xing joined.”

“Oh?” Lu Tingshen raised an eyebrow with a cold sneer. It seemed he was dealing with a repeat offender who enjoyed stealing his assets. Since these two accounts were related, he would settle them both at once.

He flipped open the file. There, in the column for the Legal Representative, were two familiar characters: Zhong Yan.

Seeing Lu Tingshen staring at the file in silence, the secretary asked, “CEO Lu, a new company has encroached on our interests twice now. Should Dingming apply pressure to give them a warning?”

Lu Tingshen remained silent for a long time. Finally, he simply waved his hand for the secretary to leave.

Left alone, Lu Tingshen closed the file and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. The afternoon sun was bright and piercing, illuminating the world outside while forcing him to squint until everything became a blur.

Just like Zhong Yan.

He used to think he saw right through her, but now he realized he never truly knew her at all. Her ambition exceeded his imagination, and she herself was drifting further out of his control. The sunlight made him irritable, and a sense of unease—one he refused to admit—gnawed at him.

He couldn’t get the “toy” he wanted. This was a problem he had never encountered before, and he didn’t even know how to solve it.

A notification from his phone broke his train of thought. He returned to his desk, and his pupils contracted slightly. It was a message from Zhong Yan.

Realizing that his first thought was “She actually messaged me,” Lu Tingshen couldn’t help but give a bitter laugh. It used to be Zhong Yan begging for his attention; now, the roles were reversed. He couldn’t control her; instead, she was the one pulling his strings.

He opened the message. It was a single sentence: “Are you free this Sunday? If so, come to the second public performance. Someone needs to see you for something.”

Lu Tingshen read those few words repeatedly. After a moment, he suddenly smiled, and much of his anxiety vanished.

She’s inviting me to the performance because she wants to see me?

He chuckled softly. If she wanted to see him, she should just say so instead of using the excuse that “someone needs to see him.” Who else could it be but her? Fine, women were shy; it was only natural for her to say the opposite of what she felt. As long as she was coming around, he didn’t mind her little act of stubbornness.

When the secretary was called back in, he assumed Lu Tingshen was ready to move against Yanstar Entertainment. Instead, the CEO looked radiant, a rare, pleasant smile playing on his lips.

Lu Tingshen asked, “Do I have any arrangements this Sunday?”

The secretary checked the schedule. “Yes, an industry meeting in the afternoon and a dinner with a TV station director in the evening to discuss next quarter’s satellite broadcasting.”

“Cancel them all.”

“All of them?” The secretary thought he had misheard. Those were important meetings.

“Yes. I’m going to Lan Island Town on Sunday to watch the Best Girls performance,” Lu Tingshen said nonchalantly.

The secretary was baffled. The partnership was gone, so why watch the show? Had the CEO suddenly become a fan of girl group dances? He kept his confusion to himself and replied, “Understood, CEO Lu. I will arrange a car.”

Lu Tingshen didn’t dismiss him immediately. He paused, deep in thought. Just as the secretary thought his boss had regained his senses and was about to retract the absurd order, Lu Tingshen asked:

“What would you recommend as a gift for a lady?”