Chapter 1: The Yu Ling Power Bank

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[It’s over. Yu Ling is about to embark on her tragic, utterly ruined life.]

[Don’t take the water Lin Mianmian offers you, and don’t speak up for the little assistant. She’ll harm you together with Lin Mianmian.]

[Baby, mommy can’t bear to watch…]

Yu Ling rubbed her eyes in disbelief and opened them again. Still, a stream of chat boxes stretched before her eyes, some of their frames decorated with adorable little embellishments.

A huge question mark seemed to appear above her head.

What is this?

Utterly ruined? Who’s cursing me?

Suppressing her inner confusion, Yu Ling quietly glanced around.

No one was paying attention to her.

The Night of All-Stars had ended, and entertainers from all walks were preparing to leave. Some had found new opportunities tonight and were lingering, chatting eagerly with their fresh “connections.”

None of them seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary.

Yu Ling frowned. The colorful chat frames in front of her eyes kept rolling rapidly, refusing to disappear.

[Lin Mianmian is already waiting for Yu Ling backstage. Baby… look after yourself.]

Lin Mianmian?

Just thinking of that name made Yu Ling feel sick.

It was truly an unpleasant memory.

Strangely enough, she and Lin Mianmian seemed destined to be at odds.

Before entering the industry, Lin Mianmian had been just a background actor in Hengdian, waiting for her chance, while Yu Ling had already begun to shine, having just won Best Newcomer.

In one drama, Lin Mianmian stood out among the extras, and Yu Ling, recognizing her talent, had helped her along.

That was Lin Mianmian’s entry into the public eye, landing a supporting role in a low-budget web series.

Thanks to a well-written character and solid acting, she became an overnight sensation.

Her public persona was that of a pure and gentle goddess, even crowned the “Queen of Innocence.”

But only insiders knew that “innocence” had nothing to do with her.

Shouting at staff was routine; her team changed constantly, anyone who got on her bad side was fired without mercy.

People said the entertainment industry was a swirling vat of dye, but Yu Ling found it hard to believe that the prodigy she’d discovered had transformed overnight into a manipulative, power-hungry tyrant.

In the end, it was her own misjudgment.

Yu Ling had always tried to avoid people like that as much as possible.

But Lin Mianmian was determined to stick close, forever at odds with her.

She wanted Yu Ling’s roles, her endorsements.

Whatever show Yu Ling joined, Lin Mianmian had to join too.

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If Yu Ling was a mentor in the first season, Lin Mianmian would fight to be a guest, then a mentor in the second.

And every project Lin Mianmian snatched from Yu Ling turned into a hit; every variety show became a sensation.

Climbing higher by stepping on Yu Ling, Lin Mianmian soared to become a top-tier celebrity, prompting countless others to imitate her, scrambling to steal opportunities from Yu Ling.

Then they discovered…

Success was that simple—it just required taking something from Yu Ling.

As easy as turning over one’s hand, as easy as breathing.

The trend of snatching resources from Yu Ling only grew. Some directors even pretended to offer her scripts, waiting for someone to take them from her—then their productions would explode in popularity.

Unfortunately, Yu Ling was not interested in every script.

A saying spread through the industry: “There’s no one who can’t become popular after taking something from Yu Ling—unless she refuses it herself. Only what Yu Ling dismisses fails to catch fire.”

Whatever Yu Ling touched became a masterpiece.

In the end, it was a world where only Yu Ling was left wounded.

She even wondered if she was the “Singles’ Day” sale—everyone wanted a piece.

Fortunately, things eventually changed. People realized that stealing Yu Ling’s resources no longer guaranteed success; instead, they would stumble hard.

So, with tears, they gave up.

Only Lin Mianmian kept going, tirelessly taking Yu Ling’s roles—and still, every time, she struck gold.

Others tried to follow Lin Mianmian’s example, but all failed miserably.

From then on, people joked that Yu Ling was Lin Mianmian’s exclusive power bank, untouchable by others.

“Sigh…”

Yu Ling let out a low sigh, audible only to herself.

As much as she hated to admit it, facts spoke for themselves.

She had unwittingly become Lin Mianmian’s exclusive power source.

A charger that could only give, never receive.

Yu Ling-brand power bank—only those who’ve used it know.

They say a fallen phoenix is worse off than a chicken. Though Yu Ling was invited to this event, she’d been given the loneliest little stool on the outermost ring.

She hadn’t even won any of the so-called “mass-produced” awards, despite all the ridicule.

She shed a silent, bitter tear for herself, gathered up her skirt, and headed for the dressing room.

Only when the big stars had left could someone as washed-up and irrelevant as herself leave as well.

Just as she was about to open the door, a shrill female voice rang out—

“So hot! Are you trying to scald me?”

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Lin Mianmian.

That name flashed through her mind, and Yu Ling’s hand froze at the door. She quietly drew her hand back.

Given the situation, she might as well watch the show.

“I’ve already told you to pour a cup of boiling water first, then chill the cup in ice for one minute. That way, the cup won’t feel hot to the touch, and when you hand it to me, it won’t burn my delicate hands. What did you do?”

“The cup is so hot and you still dare pass it to me. Do you have ears or a brain at all?”

“These hands of mine have an annual insurance of ten million. If they’re burned, can you afford to pay?”

Yu Ling wanted to laugh. How ridiculous.

Boiling water, ice… did those words even make sense together?

[Yu Ling, what are you giggling about? Lin Mianmian’s using this trick to set you up!]

Set me up?

Yu Ling immediately wiped the smile off her face.

[That cup of water is prepared for you. Because it’s too hot, you’ll drop it. Lin Mianmian will then pretend to be pitiful, crying that you bullied her. There’s already a camera set up in the corner, just waiting for you to fall into the trap.]

After reading this, Yu Ling frowned deeply.

Was Lin Mianmian really that dumb?

Were the netizens that dumb too?

The chat frames scrolled by at breakneck speed, one pushing out the next, so fast Yu Ling couldn’t keep up.

Now, Yu Ling had guessed what this was.

Live comments.

Coincidentally, she’d just read a novel last night where the heroine, guided by these pop-up comments, ditched a scumbag and found happiness.

Suddenly, inspiration struck.

“Could it be… I’m a novel’s heroine too?”

The whole situation suddenly became much more interesting.

A radiant light burst in Yu Ling’s eyes, a hint of intoxication in her gaze.

She could already picture herself, in the next moment, punching the vicious supporting actress and rising to the pinnacle of life~

With a confident snap of her fingers, Yu Ling pushed the door open.

The two worlds—inside and outside—slowly connected. She lowered her gaze, shifting her expression in an instant.

All her confidence vanished in a heartbeat, replaced by visible timidity and exhaustion.