Chapter 4: The God of Wealth Arrives in the Entertainment Industry (4)

It was a pity, after all, that the Jiang and Fang families were like the man from Dongguo and the wolf—one had saved a life, and the other sought to take the life of their savior.

Fang Jinnian had never truly liked Jiang Youyou; his agreement to their engagement was nothing but a strategic move for the family business. Now, having risen in the world and with his first love returned, he was naturally dissatisfied with Jiang Youyou, the stand-in. After all, as a domineering CEO accustomed to wielding both wealth and power, he could not easily let go of the humiliation brought upon him by his white moonlight—Jiang Niannian—whose actions had once made him a laughingstock among his peers. His feelings for her were tangled in love and hatred.

Caught in the middle, Jiang Youyou, fearful of their reconciliation, schemed in secret. Predictably, as the expendable pawn trying to separate the destined couple, her efforts were doomed to fail. Instead, her ill intent inadvertently brought them back together; after endless torment and misunderstandings, they reconciled and fell in love with a vengeance.

In the end, because Jiang Nantian favored Jiang Youyou, the Jiang family was ultimately devoured by the Fang family’s machinations. Jiang Niannian played no small part in this. The Jiang family collapsed, Jiang Youyou and Jiang Nantian died tragically in an accident, and Fang Jinnian and Jiang Niannian, feigning grief, held a memorial for the two before hosting a grand wedding, living happily ever after in ostentatious bliss.

A perfect ending—at least for the leading couple.

As for the innocent pawns who died along the way...

Jiang Youyou glanced at the black mist floating beside her, her gaze deep and unfathomable. In an instant, the brooding storm of dark energy fell silent.

The black mist trembled, as if her gaze alone might devour it whole.

The shrill ring of her phone snapped Jiang Youyou from her thoughts. She glanced at the caller ID, held the phone farther away, and then pressed answer. Immediately, a woman’s furious voice erupted: “Jiang Youyou, what’s wrong with you this time? Did you see what’s trending today? The hot search is blowing up! ‘Rising Star Jiang Youyou Bullies Newcomer’—have you looked at the comments? In just a few hours, you’ve lost over a hundred thousand fans!

“You’d just started to gain momentum, just won the Popularity Award, and now look—everything’s gone back to square one overnight. People are now questioning your award, saying you don’t deserve it! Tell me, when you act a little spoiled I say nothing, but now you’ve ruined everything! I stayed up all night drafting your PR statement for nothing!”

The furious voice belonged to her agent, Sister Nan, who was clearly exasperated and heartbroken in equal measure. Jiang Youyou brought the phone closer and tapped into the trending topics. There it was, glaring at the top of the entertainment chart: #RisingStarJiangYouyouBulliesNewcomer. Clicking into any comment section, she found herself inundated with accusations that she didn’t deserve the Popularity Award, that her kind-hearted persona was nothing but a facade, and that she was actually sharp-tongued, narrow-minded, and difficult to get along with.

Every word and sentence condemned her as utterly irredeemable.

Anyone unaware might have thought she’d spent the night desecrating their ancestors’ graves, so intense was the hostility.

“I’m telling you, I’ve already notified the company’s PR department. Until this is resolved, don’t you dare cause any more trouble, or I’ll storm into your house myself!” Sister Nan’s words were harsh, but her actions were swift and protective. In just a few minutes, the official statement was released, clarifying the incident: it was the other party who had first splashed red wine on Jiang Youyou, and she sincerely apologized, acknowledging that as a public figure, she should be mindful of her behavior. Jiang Youyou then posted her own apology as well.

This flurry of crisis management calmed much of the outrage, and many expressed their forgiveness. At least, the hemorrhaging of fans had stopped.

Meanwhile, Jiang Niannian’s comment section was also abuzz.