Chapter 23: Trending Searches

"Ha," I let out a cold laugh, my tone icy and laced with mockery. "Fu Shuhua, who do you think you are? A savior?"

How dare he speak to me with such condescension? I was long past being the canary in his gilded cage.

There was a silence on the other end of the line. I could feel Fu Shuhua’s breath hitch; I could almost picture the expression on his face—brows furrowed, eyes clouded with confusion.

But what did that have to do with me?

In his eyes, I had no agency; I was merely a plaything expected to contentedly accept his favors. I loathed that arrogance.

"Jiang Dian," Fu Shuhua’s voice dropped, carrying a warning edge, "do not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."

I cut him off without hesitation. "I’m tired. I want to rest." With that, I hung up, denying him any chance to retort.

*Beep, beep, beep...* The line went dead.

Fu Shuhua’s hand froze as he gripped the phone. His expression shifted from bewilderment to gloom, and finally, to a livid, ashen mask. With a sharp *clatter*, he slammed the phone onto his desk—a violent release of pent-up fury.

"Jiang... Dian." He ground the name out between his teeth, syllable by syllable, as if he could tear her limb from limb.

"Ungrateful woman!" he cursed under his breath, his brow knitted tight, the veins bulging on the back of his hand.

"Hello," he said a moment later, having regained his composure, and dialed a number. A respectful voice answered from the other side.

"Mr. Fu, what are your orders?"

"Withdraw the people following the film crew. And as for that matter with Sun Manni, drop it."

He wanted to see just how long this so-called Gu Yan could protect Jiang Dian without his support.

Fu Shuhua’s face remained ashen as he lit a cigarette. Through the swirling smoke, he clutched the files concerning Jiang Dian, his knuckles white as he crushed the pristine papers into a crumpled ball.

Little did he know, every movement had been captured by paparazzi lurking in the shadows.

That very evening, a recording surged to the top of the trending lists. Topics like "#JiangDianFuShuhuaArgument" and "#JiangDianBreaksUpWithBenefactor" quickly dominated several sections of Weibo. Netizens transformed into spectators, sparking heated debates.

"Jiang Dian, dammit, why is it this Jiang Dian again? Is there no end to this day after day?"

"Mr. Fu is so pathetic, always being dragged into this. But what exactly is the relationship between Jiang Dian, Gu Yan, and Mr. Fu?"

"Who cares what the relationship is? She’s clearly desperate for fame! But this woman, Jiang Dian, is truly fickle, cycling through industry titans. Who knows if any of it is even true?"

Behind her screen, Liang Lei watched the two of them trend once more, so enraged she nearly smashed her phone.

Jiang Dian... that bitch! She had warned her repeatedly, yet the woman clearly hadn't learned her lesson, insisting on clinging to Fu Shuhua and repeatedly causing public scandals.

As Fu Shuhua’s fiancée-to-be, she would not allow the dignity of the future Mrs. Fu to be trampled by anyone.

Liang Lei’s features contorted with rage, her carefully crafted makeup unable to hide the distortion of her face. She made a silent vow: this time, she would find a way to properly punish that bitch and drive her out of Fu Shuhua’s life for good!

Meanwhile, oblivious to all of this, I was in the dressing room preparing for today’s shoot.

"Teacher Jiang, the makeup looks beautiful today. You are so professional! I’m sure with you joining this production, it will be a massive hit!" the makeup artist said to me with a smile.