Why Did the Top Alpha Suddenly Stop Acting Out? - Chapter 10

#Producer Withdraws Funding for “Unrequited Love in the Dark,” Suspected Conflict with Lead Actor#[Explosive]

The next morning, the hashtag skyrocketed to the top of the trending list, waking up countless gossip-loving netizens still in their dreams.

The whistleblower claimed that a certain two-character-named lead actor of Unrequited Love in the Dark acted arrogantly during the opening ceremony, knocking over a drink offered by a staff member, displaying extremely haughty behavior.

【Lead Actor Yi Qian: Why not just expose my ID number directly?】

【A two-character lead actor? No doubt it’s Yi Qian, that scumbag Alpha. Not much talent, but sure knows how to stir up drama.】

In no time, online condemnation of Yi Qian reached a fever pitch, with fans accusing her of sinking what could have been a great film.

【Waaah, I was so looking forward to seeing my Shishi’s god-tier acting in this new role! How could it just vanish like this? Yi Qian, just get lost already!】

【I heard this producer is highly respected in the industry. If even she withdrew funding, who else would dare take over? Looks like filming is hopeless now. [Petition to kick Yi Qian out of the entertainment industry]】

Online, Yi Qian had already been torn to shreds by netizens. But in reality, she lazily stretched in bed before groping for her buzzing phone on the nightstand.

“Hmm?” Her voice was still hoarse from sleep.

“Yi Qian, Yi Qian…” Fang Xin excitedly called her name several times. “Wake up and check the trending list! Everything’s unfolding exactly as you predicted!”

Yi Qian’s mind snapped awake. “You mean Cui Cui?”

“Exactly. I’ll hang up now, just message me if you need action.” Fang Xin promptly ended the call.

Yi Qian opened the trending list, quickly grasped the situation, and scoffed. “So she really plans to pin everything on me.”

She opened WeChat, about to message Fang Xin, when her phone rang, the custom ringtone she’d set for someone.

Yi Qian silently counted to ten before answering lazily, “What?”

“What did you do last night?” Ye Shuyi cut straight to the point.

“What do you mean, what did I do?” Yi Qian feigned ignorance.

“Between you and Cui Cui.” Ye Shuyi’s tone was eerily calm, like an ocean so vast that even a boulder named Yi Qian couldn’t stir a ripple.

The light in Yi Qian’s eyes dimmed slightly as she replied in a slow, indifferent tone, “Between me and Cui Cui… Didn’t you see it all?”

A brief silence fell between them. Yi Qian glanced out the window, shielding her eyes from the glaring sunlight, and murmured, “Nice weather.”

“I meant after I left,” Ye Shuyi said after a pause.

“Did you check with security?” Yi Qian’s voice carried a cold smirk. “Ask if they saw anything?”

“Yi Qian, I’m not joking. Tell me exactly what happened so I can resolve this with her.” Ye Shuyi’s tone was firm.

Yi Qian unconsciously held her breath. “Not even a hint of personal concern?”

Ye Shuyi stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the harsh sunlight outside. “I don’t have time for your childishness.”

“I’ll handle this myself,” Yi Qian said coolly. “No need for your concern.”

After saying that, she hung up the phone directly and proceeded to send a message to Fang Xin.

Cui Cui sat in her office, holding an ice pack against the side of her face that had been slapped twice, while her other hand swiped through the fabricated news she had created on her tablet.

Her eyes glared viciously at the screen filled with images of Yi Qian, and she spat out venomous words: “So what if your family is rich? It’s not yours. So what if your family has power? If they don’t back you, you’re nothing!”

“I’ll make you pay for this. Just wait this is only the beginning, Yi Qian. I’ll bring both of you down together.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than her office door was knocked on urgently.

Cui Cui looked up. “Come in.”

The secretary who entered spoke in a panicked tone: “Director Cui, the film production team said someone contacted Director Zhang, expressing willingness to invest in and support the movie.”

“Who dares to cross me?” Cui Cui’s cold gaze lifted, her voice icy. “Or did you all fail to take my words seriously?”

The secretary paled in fear and quickly explained, “I confirmed with everyone below they all assured me the message was passed on. I don’t know how this—”

Cui Cui slammed the ice pack onto the desk with a sharp crack of shattering ice and demanded coldly, “Which company?”

“Qian… Qian Shu Entertainment,” the secretary stammered, startled.

“Qian Shu Entertainment.” Cui Cui rolled the name on her tongue before letting out a sneer. “Seems like this company is destined to oppose me. Have you identified the actual management?”

“Yes. Before coming in, I sent all the available information on Qian Shu Entertainment to your email.”

Cui Cui waved her off. “Get out. I’ll call you if I need anything.”

But the secretary remained rooted in place, hesitating as if she had more to say.

Cui Cui shot her a frigid glare. “What else?”

“Well…” The secretary swallowed hard, steadying herself. “The online sentiment has shifted. Now the public is condemning… you, Director Cui.”

Cui Cui’s pupils contracted violently. She immediately exited the page on her tablet and refreshed the browser. The trending hashtags at the top were no longer the ones she had orchestrated.

#Yi Qian, Lead Actor of Secret Love in the Dark, Rejects Casting Couch Investor Withdraws in Anger#
#Qian Shu Entertainment Steps In to Sponsor Secret Love in the Dark#

Under the hashtag about Yi Qian rejecting the casting couch, marketing accounts had not only posted a photo of Cui Cui hooking her arm around Yi Qian’s neck in an underground garage but also included an audio clip.

In the recording, Yi Qian’s voice had been slightly altered his seductive tone was nearly erased, while the trembling helplessness in his voice was amplified: “Do you know what this kind of relationship is called in the industry? A casting couch.”

Cui Cui’s voice, on the other hand, dripped with arrogance: “So what if it is?”

[This Cui Cui is way too brazen, probably not her first time. Authorities should investigate; there might be more victims than just Yi Qian.]

[Not only does she look disgusting, but her behavior is even worse. And she had the nerve to smear Yi Qian as being difficult while manipulating the narrative. You really know how to play the game, huh?]

“I always said Yi Qian wouldn’t act like a diva!!! Sure, she’s a bit of a player, but there’s never been any professional misconduct rumors about her!!”

……

Cui Cui stared at the flood of comments and private messages popping up on her screen, her sneer growing increasingly deranged until she burst into maniacal laughter. With a sweeping motion, she sent everything on her desk crashing to the floor, hurling her tablet against the wall. Her breathing came in ragged gasps like a broken bellows as she hissed, “Heh… hehe… I won’t let you get away with this. Never!”

In a suburban villa outside the city, Jiang Shiluo rested her head on Tang Chi’s shoulder as they scrolled through entertainment news together. Spotting the newly trending hashtag, she tilted her face up toward Tang Chi, deep dimples appearing as she smiled. “See? I told you we didn’t need to intervene. Yi Qian handled it herself.”

Tang Chi cupped her face and nuzzled her nose affectionately. “Mmm, whose brilliant wife is this? Oh right, mine. I’m so lucky.”

Meanwhile, Yi Qian lay in bed monitoring the shifting public opinion online. When the tide had fully turned in her favor, she set aside her tablet to get ready for the day only for her phone to vibrate insistently.

The moment she answered, Fang Xin’s hysterical laughter exploded through the speaker, the sound so violent it seemed she might be rolling around on her bed.

Yi Qian’s eyelid twitched. “Am I that funny to you?”

Fang Xin barely contained her mirth. “Qian Shu Entertainment, Yi Qian… please tell me this isn’t another shell company you set up in some backwater? The name’s so childish. Why not just call it Yi Qian Ye Shu?”

“That company has nothing to do with me,” Yi Qian ground out.

“Not yours? Who else would pick such a juvenile name?” Fang Xin fired back.

Yi Qian: “……”

As silence fell between them, both women had the same realization and immediately grabbed their laptops to search for information about Qian Shu Entertainment.

The answer they found matched but not the name they’d expected.

“Forget about the company,” Fang Xin sighed, flopping onto her bed with sudden gravity. “Even though this mess got resolved, I’d say you still lost more than you gained like picking up sesame seeds while dropping a watermelon.”

Yi Qian raised an eyebrow. “Meaning?”

“Ye Shu Yi, obviously.” Fang Xin rolled onto her stomach, kicking her legs in the air as she explained seriously. “You caused this problem, so fixing it yourself was expected. But! As your agent, Ye Shu Yi also had an obligation to help. Since she didn’t… maybe you should call and ask for a reward? Consider it an indirect peace offering.”

Yi Qian’s eye twitched again. “Stop giving me terrible ideas. Last time I listened to you during that dinner, I embarrassed myself so badly.”

“Come on, a little embarrassment is nothing!” Fang Xin adopted a mentor’s tone. “Do you know the first rule of chasing your wife?”

“Who said I’m chasing her?” Yi Qian snapped.

Fang Xin initially wanted to retort: “Not interested in pursuing her? I wonder who was the one whimpering like a drowned rat that day, confessing they still loved her, going on and on…” But considering the other party might be in a bad mood, she mercifully ignored the complaints and pressed on: “Answer me, what’s the first rule of winning your wife back?”

The line fell silent for a moment before Yi Qian tentatively offered: “Being good-looking?”

Fang Xin accidentally burst into laughter before stifling it. “So you’re saying Ye Shuyi got together with you because of your looks?”

“Fang Xin, I’m warning you, better rein in that laughter,” Yi Qian threatened, though she couldn’t help chuckling herself. “Are you implying I’m not good-looking?”

“Gorgeous, absolutely stunning. It’s just hilarious how you’re indirectly complimenting yourself,” Fang Xin said, then turned serious. “Not denying your looks when I was abroad, my friends kept begging me to introduce you. Tsk, that face of yours really made me proud.”

“Shut it! I don’t exist to make you proud,” Yi Qian snapped coldly. “Stop rambling nonsense.”

“Right, right. We all know Miss Yi only has eyes for that Ye Shuyi.” After the tease, Fang Xin swiftly got back on track, leaving no room for interruption. “The key is thick skin, dummy. As the saying goes, ‘Even the chaste maiden yields to the persistent suitor.’ Sometimes offense is the best defense.”

After a pause, Yi Qian asked, “So what should I do?”

“Call her now. We’ll video chat through your tablet, I’ll guide you based on the situation.” Fang Xin practically leaped upright in excitement upon hearing this.

“You? Giving me advice?” Yi Qian sounded skeptical.

Instead of answering, Fang Xin hung up. Moments later, Yi Qian’s tablet rang with an incoming video call.

When the connection went through, Fang Xin’s barely contained enthusiasm filled the screen. “Hurry, hurry! Make the call, put it on speaker.”

Hesitating briefly, Yi Qian opened her contacts, found that familiar name, and for the first time in three years, actively dialed the number.

Support