But she doesn't know what Ji Anxi is thinking. All she knows is that after this reply, the haters never paid any attention to her again, and she received no response no matter what she said.
"... ..." This world is so unreliable. Even if you're a hater, you can't be this rude!
Chapter 7 Workplace Bullying
Not receiving a reply from the hater, Zhou Paihuai simply closed the private message window. Actually, this outcome was as she had expected; the hater's previous responses had all been somewhat unexpected. It was a good opportunity to take care of her own personal matters; she hadn't forgotten the familiar lines she'd heard on the film set when she first arrived in this world.
Zhou Paihuai began searching for information about the TV series "Su Hai Yuan". The original novel was also called "Su Hai Yuan", but this name was not the one Zhou Paihuai was familiar with. After all, when she wrote the novel, she never thought it could be adapted into a TV series. She just wanted to get a job and make a living. Therefore, not only was the plot chuunibyou (a Japanese term for someone with delusions of grandeur), but the novel's name was also usually quite long, which was more in line with the conventions of online novels. She would never use a novel title like "Su Hai Yuan" that was incomprehensible after hearing the name.
So, is the connection between "Ah Xin" and that familiar line really just a coincidence? Just as Zhou was about to shut down her computer, she suddenly noticed that the original author of "The Fate of Su Hai" was unknown... She decisively opened the novel and started reading.
At first, he didn't really recognize it, but the more he read, the more familiar the plot became. After reading about five chapters, Zhou Paihuai was certain that this was the novel he had written. He really didn't know what kind of world he had transmigrated to. Not only did someone share his name, but even the novel he had written had come with him in an unknown author form. Could it be that he and the original owner were really the same person in different parallel worlds? The intersection of the two worlds was his novel, but what use was knowing all this? The original owner had completely disappeared, and he could never return to that familiar and comforting world.
The sadness was fleeting; Zhou Paihuai quickly rallied. The novel had ultimately given her inspiration. While the original owner's acting career was temporarily interrupted, she still needed to support herself in this world. Unable to do other work, the only option was to return to her old profession. After all, she knew her limitations. Although she had to stay in the entertainment industry, her skills were insufficient to support herself. It was better to have a side job to avoid starvation.
Having made her decision, Zhou Paihuai acted with great efficiency. She immediately silenced her phone and disconnected from the internet, also unplugged her computer's Wi-Fi, and opened a document to begin outlining. Her years of experience in the online novel industry told her that as long as the outline was well-written, she wouldn't delay like others, which would garner enthusiastic responses from readers and ensure substantial profits.
While Zhou was immersed in her creative work, she was unaware that Weibo had exploded again, and her silent phone was being called until it ran out of battery and shut down. Cheng Minxin and Tang Xiaole couldn't reach her no matter what they tried.
Zhou Paihuai had written an outline of nearly five thousand words. Just as she was about to save it, the door to her room was pushed open forcefully, startling her so much that she closed the document without saving it.
"!!!" Zhou Huaihuai pounded his chest and stamped his feet, feeling like he wanted to die.
But the assistant who barged in was even more desperate than her. She asked in a state of utter despair, "My dear, why have you gone missing again? Is there something wrong with your phone?"
Zhou Huaihuai was still immersed in the pain of losing the outline he had painstakingly written in an instant, and his voice trembled noticeably: "What happened?"
To Tang Xiaole, it sounded like she was about to cry. She thought Zhou Paihuai had seen the trending topic, so she instinctively hugged her and comforted her: "It's okay, it's okay. Although it's bad news about you trending again, Sister Cheng said that being infamous is still fame. As long as it's handled properly, it's good if we can maintain the popularity."
Zhou Paihuai pulled his head out of Tang Xiaole's arms and asked, "What trending topic? I'm trending again?" What kind of constitution does the original owner have that makes it so easy to trend? Since he has so much traffic, why isn't he famous? He's truly a contradictory species.
"You don't know?" Tang Xiaole almost choked on her breath. She had just thought Zhou Paihuai was upset because of the trending topics, and had given him her sympathy for nothing. "Then why are you crying?"
"Huh? I didn't cry! I'll go check the trending topics." Zhou Paihuai said matter-of-factly, only to realize his phone was dead after picking it up. "Oops, I'll go find a charger."
Tang Xiaole tossed her his phone and then took her phone and charger to charge it.
"Don't be in such a hurry," Zhou Huaihuai said softly, picking up his assistant's phone and opening the trending topics.
Soon, Zhou Paihuai learned the whole story. A colleague named Lu Xuanzhu had recently become very popular for playing a supporting role in a youth idol drama, so she appeared on a variety show. On the show, she revealed that when she first debuted, she was bullied by her seniors. Not only did she have to actually be slapped in a scene, but the seniors also deliberately made her take NG takes, causing her face to be swollen after filming one scene.
Although Lu Xuanzhu did not explicitly name the workplace bully, she had not been in the industry for long, had not acted in many dramas, and had even fewer roles that required her to be slapped. Moreover, her fans were all like Sherlock Holmes, and their investigation uncovered Zhou Paihuai.
"..." To be honest, Zhou Paihuai was completely bewildered. According to the timeline mentioned by her colleague, this should have happened two years ago. Why did she have to bring it up now instead of earlier? Was she taking advantage of the fact that she had a different soul and didn't have any memories of the past?
This matter is actually quite complicated now, and it's different in nature from the previous walkout. A walkout at most is a matter of poor professional attitude, but workplace bullying is a matter of character. If the allegations were true, Zhou Paihuai could be directly labeled a disgraced artist. The most crucial point is that Zhou Paihuai did indeed walkout, and she could admit it readily. But this time, she didn't do it herself, and she doesn't think the original owner of this body would be the kind of person who would do such a thing. After all, she thinks the original owner is a bit simple-minded, and someone simple-minded wouldn't understand these intricacies. She can't possibly take the blame for the original owner.
However, because she had walked off the stage first, the public had a very bad impression of her. In addition, after the timeline was revealed, she was the only one who fit the description. She did not admit it, and the audience did not buy it.
Zhou Paihuai calmed himself down and decided to first see what the company thought: "What did Sister Cheng say?"
Tang Xiaole said, "Sister Cheng means to handle this calmly; the company will issue a statement, so you don't need to make a statement yourself."
"Will it work? Will other people believe it?"
Of course not, otherwise the trending topic wouldn't be like this. "Actually, it doesn't matter. This matter will eventually pass. When a bigger news comes out, people will forget about it. You know, in the internet age, people's memories are very short."
Zhou Paihuai understood what she meant. Even the most sensational news would eventually become outdated. However, if she couldn't prove her innocence this time, there would always be public opinion about her workplace bullying and poor character. She could ignore these things, but the original owner of this body couldn't. Therefore, she couldn't accept this unfounded accusation while still being the original owner of this body.
Seeing Zhou hesitate and remain silent, Tang Xiaole assumed she had tacitly agreed to this approach and said, "I'll call Sister Cheng first."
Zhou Paihuai stopped her from dialing and asked, "Which drama did Lu Xuanzhu and I film together? When did it happen?"
"What are you going to do?" Tang Xiaole suddenly became nervous.
Zhou Paihuai smiled and said, "What's there to be afraid of? I'm not going to eat her. To be honest, I've long forgotten who this person is, but since I've been caught in this mess for no reason, I should get to know her properly, shouldn't I?"
"So you're saying you're not accepting the company's arrangements?"
“I have no right to refuse. The company should issue a statement. It’s not like they’re admitting it on my behalf.” Zhou’s gaze changed from flippant to firm. “But there are some things I have to do for a reason. I hope the company and Sister Cheng can understand.”
Chapter 8 Feeling powerless and bored
Zhou lingered in front of the computer all night, watching the entire drama starring the original owner and Lu Xuanzhu at double speed. He only managed to find two scenes of slapping each other: one where the original owner slapped Lu Xuanzhu, and the other where Lu Xuanzhu slapped the original owner.
According to Lu Xuanzhu, Zhou Paihuai deliberately made several takes in this scene, but she had watched the scene over and over again. In the drama, Lu Xuanzhu did look pitiful with tears in her eyes, but that doesn't mean the original owner beat her up like that. Couldn't it be that she was a good actress? Besides, her face doesn't look swollen at all.
Zhou Paihuai truly felt that she and the original owner of the body were more wronged than Dou E. Those fans who were denouncing her online ignored such obvious evidence and insisted that the fact that her face was no longer swollen was due to the addition of a filter. Why did the director favor Lu Xuanzhu so much? In the same shot, no one else had a filter, but she did? The law emphasizes the principle of presumption of innocence, but in her case, the doubt directly became irrefutable evidence in other people's mouths.
Despite her anger, Zhou Paihuai was too sleepy to stay awake any longer. She hadn't slept a wink since Tang Xiaole left yesterday. She was so tired she didn't even have the strength to turn off her laptop. She closed it, placed it on the bedside table, and lay down to sleep. Just before falling asleep, Zhou Paihuai suddenly remembered something strange: this time, she didn't see the name of the anti-fan among the top comments on Weibo. Had she changed her name or...?
Ji Anxi didn't get involved this time. Although she only genuinely disliked Zhou Paihuai, it doesn't mean she likes anyone else in the entertainment industry, at least she doesn't particularly like Lu Xuanzhu. In fact, Ji Anxi doesn't think Lu Xuanzhu deserves sympathy in this matter. Two years have passed. Admittedly, Lu Xuanzhu was just a newcomer two years ago, but everyone knows how unpopular Zhou Paihuai is. The two probably had far more or less die-hard fans, yet Ji Anxi didn't say a word back then. Now that so much time has passed, and Zhou Paihuai has just had a walkout incident, it's the peak of her popularity, and anyone can take a jab at her. Who would believe she's not trying to ride the wave of popularity?
Ji Anxi understands these principles better than anyone else. If Zhou Paihuai had fans, he would definitely control the comments in the same way. But the problem is that Ji Anxi doesn't have many fans now. The company is afraid of offending casual viewers, so they don't dare to hire online trolls to control the comments. Even if a hater like Ji Anxi, who is genuinely angry, sees this, he can only remain silent. At most, he won't add fuel to the fire. He certainly can't speak up for her.
Days without being a hater are always so boring; time seems to stretch out, and every minute and second is unbearable. To pass the time, Ji Anxi decided to take a bath to relax, and then put on a face mask afterward.
After leaving the room, Ji Anxi planned to watch some videos to gather material for editing or writing later. Even if she were to be a hater, she wanted to be a civilized and reasonable one. However, as the opening theme song started playing, she suddenly took out her phone, opened her Weibo private messages, and checked a screen, finding no new messages. She chuckled self-deprecatingly and tossed her phone aside.
While eating fruit and watching the show, Ji Anxi belatedly realized after hearing the opening theme that the show she was watching was the one starring Zhou Paihuai, who had been the subject of much controversy recently, with Lu Xuanzhu in a supporting role. She'd always felt something was off about it. She'd seen the show before, and even edited together some scenes to criticize Zhou Paihuai's acting—his perpetually ambiguous expression, neither crying nor laughing, making it impossible to tell whether he was happy or unhappy without subtitles. The show wasn't particularly popular back then, and there weren't many comments when she watched it, but now the screen was almost entirely filled with criticism of Zhou Paihuai.
In the past, if Ji Anxi had seen such a scene, she would have laughed out loud even in her dreams, but now she suddenly lost the will to continue watching. After turning off the TV, Ji Anxi began to stare blankly with her chin in her hand. A long time passed like this until someone knocked on the door, which startled her awake.
She stood up and opened the door, expecting it to be Aunt Wen knocking, but it turned out to be Ji Anbo.
"Second Brother?"
"What are you doing?" Ji Amber asked.
Ji Anxi shook her head and said, "I didn't do anything. Look how bored I am, I'm practically growing weeds. If I had something to do, would I be doing this?"
Ji Anbo ruffled her messy hair, finding it damp. Taking a bath in broad daylight—it seemed his little sister was truly bored. He cleared his throat with a couple of coughs and said, "How about I skip the company today and take you out for a day of fun?"
"No way," Ji Anxi refused ruthlessly. "I want to do something interesting. All you ever do is take me to meet people. What's so interesting about people?"
"..." Ji Anbo fell silent, because he did indeed intend to do so. However, thinking of his younger sister's recent browsing history, Ji Anbo added, "Seeing people you don't want to see is indeed boring, but what if it allowed you to see the people you want to see?"
Zhou Paihuai immediately flashed into Ji Anxi's mind, but she quickly shook her head, dismissing the thought. How could she have such a dangerous idea? As a hater of Black people, why should they meet in person, especially not online? Besides, although the Ji family was wealthy and powerful, they had no connection with the entertainment industry; everyone else was in business. There was no way they would be people she wanted to meet. "Forget it, I'll just stay home and grow mushrooms!"
Ji Anbo saw her eyes light up, but then quickly lose interest, wondering what had gone wrong. As far as he knew, his little sister was probably chasing after a celebrity lately; shouldn't fans be eager to see their idols? Girls' minds are truly hard to fathom. Usually, others had to guess what he, the CEO Ji, was thinking, but now the tables had turned, and it was his turn to be in a bind. "So what do you want to do? Your second brother will help you fulfill your wish."
Ji Anxi remained uninterested: "Forget it, I've been too busy lately, and I don't think I'll want to do anything for a long time."
Thinking about the recent major events in the entertainment industry, and considering Ji Anxi's search history, Ji Anbo suddenly realized that his younger sister might be a fan of Zhou Paihuai, the celebrity who had been trending on social media recently and was rumored to have questionable character. Although he didn't understand why his sister would become a fan of such a celebrity, seeing her current state of being clearly infatuated, he hesitated to offer any advice. He simply patted her shoulder and said, "Don't worry, your second brother will make you happy in a few days."
"?" Ji Anxi looked at her second brother with a blank expression, but Ji Anbo left immediately after saying that, and she still didn't understand what her second brother meant.
Chapter 9 The Second Young Master Ji's Unexpected Intervention
The next morning, Zhou Paihuai was woken up by the alarm she had set a few days earlier. She was a little dazed at first, and it took her a while to realize what day it was. She reached for her phone to see how she was being criticized on the trending topics.
Huh? Zhou Paihuai suddenly rubbed her eyes hard, instantly waking up. She couldn't have seen wrong, could she? Why was the trending topic about her gone? Zhou Paihuai was instantly overjoyed. She must have returned to her own world, a world where Zhou Paihuai was just an unknown nobody, never making it to the trending topics. But this joy lasted only a moment. She quickly saw her current face reflected on the phone screen—it was still the original, unchanged. So why was the trending topic gone? Did the company intervene, or was there something even more explosive?
No, no, no, none of that. The trending topics are all trivial matters right now, and Genesis doesn't have that kind of power. Otherwise, Genesis could promote whomever it wants, and there wouldn't be any room for her to jump around. It's not like the public's eyes suddenly became discerning overnight and believed she couldn't do such a thing, that's too fantastical.
After regaining her composure, Zhou Paihuai's first instinct was to call her agent, as she had absolutely no experience in dealing with this situation. Before she could even dial, Cheng Minxin called.
"Sister Cheng, have you seen the trending topics?" Zhou Paihuai asked as soon as he answered the phone.
"This has nothing to do with you?" Cheng Minxin's tone was very suspicious. She thought Zhou Paihuai had someone remove the trending topic himself.
“I don’t have that kind of ability. If I really did, I would still… …” Zhou Paihuai stopped talking as she spoke. Anyway, Cheng Minxin knew what she was going to say. If she really had that much ability and could control public opinion so easily, she wouldn’t have compromised over the breach of contract fee.
Cheng Minxin thought what she said made sense, but if it wasn't the company or her, then who would do such a thing?
"Never mind who did it for now, come to the company first."
"...Okay." The corporate slave can't escape the fate of going to the company after all, but Sister Cheng, you hung up the phone way too fast. With me in such a chaotic situation, aren't you really going to consider sending a nanny van to take me? Unfortunately, Cheng Minxin couldn't hear her wailing, and she really hadn't thought of that.
Zhou Paihuai had no choice but to fully disguise himself and sneak out the door. He hailed a taxi on the street and told the driver, "To the Genesis Headquarters."
Upon hearing the destination, the driver turned around and glanced at her, asking, "A celebrity?"
"..." Given her attire and the place she was going, even if Zhou Paihuai wanted to deny it, no one would believe her. Since they couldn't see her face anyway, she just gave a couple of dry laughs to brush it off.
They arrived at Genesis in silence. After paying the fare, Zhou Paihuai got off the bus, unaware that two suspicious-looking people were taking pictures of her from behind the green belt not far away.
As soon as Zhou entered the company building, he saw Tang Xiaole.
"Zhou Zhou, over here." Tang Xiaole led her directly into a conference room. "Sister Cheng is busy, she'll be here in a bit. Were you followed on your way here?" There are many celebrities and actors living near Zhou Zhou, and consequently, many paparazzi. In this situation, it's not suitable for her to be photographed by paparazzi.
"I don't think so." Zhou Paihuai believed that her sense of danger was quite good; how could she not know that someone was following her?
Tang Xiaole was relieved: "That's good."
Sister Cheng walked in quickly. Seeing Zhou Paihuai, she didn't waste any words and went straight to the point: "What's your opinion on the removal of the trending topic?"
"What opinion can I have? But I think it's better to guide than to block." Zhou Paihuai said in a very calm tone, and her tone made it impossible to sense the seriousness of the matter.
Indeed, it's better to guide than to block. Although the trending topics on major platforms have been removed, it doesn't mean that all the public opinion about her has disappeared. Looking around on forums and other places, the hot posts no longer directly mention Zhou Paihuai's name, but instead all refer to a certain female celebrity with the surname Zhou.
Now, whether it's Zhou Paihuai's fans, haters, or just casual observers, everyone is discussing this, trying to uncover her sugar daddy. Yes, in the public's mind, Zhou Paihuai must have found a sugar daddy, and a powerful one at that. Otherwise, she wouldn't have the ability to control so many platforms simultaneously.
Cheng Minxin stared into her eyes for a long time before asking, "Do you know the second young master of the Ji family?"
"who?"
Cheng Minxin, having been in the industry for so many years, is fairly well-informed. She had been inquiring about Zhou Paihuai from various platforms. This matter was orchestrated by Ji Anbo, the second young master of the Ji family. Although the Ji family is wealthy and powerful, they haven't been involved in the entertainment industry. The only reason he could get involved is that he personally "admires" Zhou Paihuai; there's no other possibility. But now Zhou Paihuai clearly doesn't recognize the second young master of the Ji family. What's going on?
"The trending topic was orchestrated by Young Master Ji. If you don't know him, why would he help you?"
Zhou Paihuai suddenly became agitated: "Help me? I think this is clearly harming me. Now the number of people cursing me online has increased by at least 20%. Sister Cheng, to be honest, don't you really think I'm incompatible with this circle?"
In fact, Zhou Paihuai wasn't always this unlucky. Although her poor acting skills attracted a lot of haters, she was considered dedicated to her work and had a decent reputation in the industry. Plus, her looks were outstanding, so many directors were willing to cast her as a decorative figure in their dramas. But recently, for some reason, she's been getting a lot of negative press lately. If this continues, her public image will be completely ruined, and even a miracle won't be able to save her then.
"Don't talk nonsense. Last time, because you bravely took responsibility, although you didn't gain many fans, your public image improved a bit. You didn't do this again. As long as you prove your innocence, it's like someone helped you generate some buzz." Cheng Minxin wasn't Zhou Paihuai himself. Zhou Paihuai saw the negative news, but Cheng Minxin saw the traffic.
Zhou Paihuai sneered, "But the entertainment industry has never been a place where the innocent can clear their names." She wanted to prove her innocence unless Lu Xuanzhu was possessed and admitted to framing her. Oh, no, now that the second young master of the Ji family has interfered, even if Lu Xuanzhu really was possessed and admitted to framing her, the public would only think that she was coerced by power and capital to clear her name.
Cheng Minxin laughed and said, "But the entertainment industry is a place where being famous or infamous is also a form of fame. The variety show you've always liked has contacted me and wants to invite you to be a guest on the next episode." She hadn't called Zhou Paihuai here today to discuss countermeasures. In Cheng Minxin's view, the public opinion crisis had been resolved, and she needed to arrange Zhou Paihuai's schedule as soon as possible.
"?" No, I didn't do it. I really don't like any variety shows. Please don't do this.
Seeing that she was only looking at her without saying anything, Cheng Minxin took it as her tacit agreement and continued, "The director of the 'Life for Drama' program is very capable. All the guests who have been there have gained more or less fans. Some celebrities who, like you, had poor public image have inexplicably improved their public image after going there. It's perfect for you now. However, you won't be joining the crew until next month. In the meantime, I'll see if I can give you a cameo role to attract fans."
"This... ...so fast?" The wonderful vacation that was supposed to be enjoyed has just flown away, and Zhou Paihuai almost couldn't hold back his tears.