Chapter 2: So Long, Then

Just as the bullet comments had predicted, a girl with a ponytail knelt on the floor, her face drenched in tears, while Lin Mianmian cradled her own fingers with a look of distress. Shattered glass lay scattered across the floor, the remnants of what once must have been a cup. The kneeling girl was likely the young assistant they had mentioned. She wore dark blue jeans, and the fabric at her knees appeared noticeably darker from kneeling right into the puddle of water.

Sweeping her gaze over the scene, Yu Ling quietly lowered her eyes, masking the emotions swirling within. The moment their eyes met, a flash of panic crossed Lin Mianmian's face, glaringly obvious.

*Damn it!*

Her plans had been derailed. Lin Mianmian's first instinct was to call for help from that entity which could hardly be called human.

*[What should I do? Yu Ling has already come in. The original plan obviously won't work anymore.]*

*Tick, tock, tick, tock—*

A glitchy, mechanical voice sounded in her mind: *[As long as you frame Yu Ling, I do not care what method you use.]*

That was as good as saying nothing. Lin Mianmian rolled her eyes, cursing furiously in her heart.

But the most important thing right now was Yu Ling.

Lin Mianmian cast a stealthy glance behind the curtain to her left before quickly averting her eyes. Seeing Yu Ling about to walk away, she grew as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. At the same time, a malicious idea rapidly took shape in her mind.

Raising her hand, she delivered a stinging slap to the young assistant.

"How dare you hand me a cup that hot? Are you deaf, or just brainless?"

"The insurance on these hands of mine costs a hundred million a year. If they get burned, can you afford to pay for them?"

Lin Mianmian shrieked shrilly. The assistant on the floor quickly clutched her face, too terrified to even raise her head. She could only keep apologizing in a trembling whisper, "I'm sorry, Miss Lin, I'm sorry. I did exactly what you told me to, but..."

But it hadn't worked at all.

The assistant did not dare voice this thought. If she did, Lin Mianmian would only fly into a greater rage, and she would truly lose her job.

"I don't want to hear any 'buts'!" Lin Mianmian cut her off loudly, striking her with another slap.

As she did so, she shifted her body slightly, so that a mere glance to the left would bring Yu Ling into view. Her other hand wasn't idle either, pinching the assistant's arm viciously.

"Ah!"

Lin Mianmian wore a rose-shaped diamond ring. The design featured a stylized stem with sharp, protruding thorns, which sliced a bloody scratch across the assistant's face. Her face stung fiercely. Clasping her cheek, the assistant cried out in pain.

Hearing her cries, Lin Mianmian rubbed her stinging palm while looking toward Yu Ling.

She screamed inwardly: *Yu Ling, don't walk away! Stop! Come over here!*

Miraculously, as if sensing something, Yu Ling actually halted her steps. She turned back, looking at Lin Mianmian with feigned confusion.

Having gotten her wish, Lin Mianmian felt a rush of adrenaline. She looked down at the kneeling girl, her eyes burning with madness.

"Do you know what trash is? A good-for-nothing who can't do anything right—just like you."

"Trash like you living is just a waste of resources. You should just die already."

The assistant listened in silence, her eyes hollow and lifeless. As her face throbbed with heat, she lowered her hand, only to see bright red blood staining her palm.

The assistant's face instantly drained of color, her lips turning pale. A face was so important to a girl; a scratch like this could easily lead to permanent disfigurement. Grievance and anger welled up in her chest, yet... she lowered her head once more, harboring resentment but not daring to speak.

Lin Mianmian was an A-list star. A single word from her could blackball the assistant from the industry forever. She might even be quietly disposed of...

Shuddering at the thought, the assistant could only grit her teeth and bear the pain.

Lin Mianmian was highly satisfied. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the worry and hesitation on Yu Ling's face.

She couldn't help but gloat internally: *[System, just watch. Yu Ling will definitely come over. After all... she loves sticking her nose into other people's business.]*

While Yu Ling appeared worried on the outside, she scoffed in her heart.

The bullet comments had already laid everything bare to her.

In the original plot, she had softened and helped the bullied assistant. Consequently, rumors were immediately leaked that she had intentionally planted a "spy" in Lin Mianmian's team to steal her resources. Once the smear campaign was launched, Yu Ling was roasted over the coals. When she confronted the assistant, the girl flatly denied everything, refusing to utter a single word about Lin Mianmian's verbal and physical abuse.

And Yu Ling's act of righteous intervention today would become the final nail pinning her to the pillar of shame.

Logically, knowing Lin Mianmian's scheme, Yu Ling should have stayed as far away as possible. Instead, a streak of mischief flared within her; she wanted to play along with Lin Mianmian a little longer.

The stage had been set, after all. As the lead actress, how could she walk out on the performance?

Yu Ling raised an eyebrow, a wicked smile playing on her lips where no one could see.

Meanwhile, the oblivious Lin Mianmian was still performing with all her might. Rubbing her wrist, she spoke words colder than midwinter snow.

"Get lost. You're fired. Don't bother coming in tomorrow."

Hearing this, the assistant forgot all about her pain. Grabbing the hem of Lin Mianmian's skirt, she begged incoherently, "Miss Lin, please, give me another chance. I really need this money. I haven't even paid this month's rent yet..."

She wept and pleaded, sounding utterly pitiful.

Lin Mianmian curled her lip and rolled her eyes. Who cared if she needed money? What did unpaid rent have to do with her?

Bending down, she placed one hand over her chest to guard against any wardrobe malfunction, while using her other hand to carefully pry her skirt from the assistant's grasp.

"Get lost! Don't touch my dress with your filthy hands. Do you have any idea how much this is? It's a new arrival for this season—something you couldn't afford in a lifetime!"

With a swift kick, Lin Mianmian knocked the assistant over, then lifted her hem and spun around gracefully. The fine pink diamonds on her dress sparkled brilliantly under the lights, looking incomparably beautiful.

High heels tapped against the floor, making a crisp sound that echoed through the spacious room, drawing immediate attention. Lin Mianmian and the tearful assistant both turned their heads at the sound, looking over in unison.

Then, both of their eyes lit up. One was the thrill of impending malice; the other was the relief of finding a savior.

In the assistant's eyes—

Yu Ling, the former popular starlet, possessed a beauty unmatched by anyone in the entertainment industry. With a face as radiant as peach blossoms and a figure as supple as a willow branch, she could steal a person's soul with a single glance. It would not be an exaggeration to call her Daji incarnate.

Most importantly, everyone in the industry knew she was exceptionally kind to her staff, never mistreated her employees, and paid the highest wages...

While she received endless praise within the industry, she was plagued by notoriety in the outside world. Over time, even her trusted companions had abandoned her one by one to seek employment elsewhere. There was no other reason; she was simply being targeted.

And the mastermind behind it all...

Taking advantage of Lin Mianmian's distraction, the assistant glared at her fiercely. Who else could it be but her?

A split second before Lin Mianmian looked down at her, the assistant quickly averted her gaze and turned back to Yu Ling. She couldn't help but call out to get her attention, "Miss Yu..."

The assistant looked at her with pleading, pitiful eyes, hoping she would speak up on her behalf.

Uncharacteristically, Lin Mianmian did not stop her. She raised an eyebrow at Yu Ling, her eyes filled with unconcealed contempt, and if one looked closely, a hidden excitement danced in their depths.

*My human power bank, you're finally here!*

*Are you going to play the Good Samaritan and show your kindness now?*

*Perfect. As long as you speak up to plead for her, I will keep her. And then, I will turn her into a sharp blade to stab you right in the back!*

Under the scrutiny of two pairs of eyes, each harboring their own designs, Yu Ling curled her lips into a smile of pure innocence. Shaking off the imaginary goosebumps on her arms, she rolled her eyes lazily.

Then, she delivered a silent, scathing review:

*Lin Mianmian's acting is absolutely atrocious. I really don't know how she ever won Best Actress.*

The malice in Lin Mianmian's eyes was so glaringly obvious that any normal person could see right through it. At this point, she had to ask the former Yu Ling, *Why couldn't you see it?*

Yu Ling answered her own question, carrying out a silent dialogue in her head.

*Maybe the old me just wasn't right in the head.*

Yu Ling pulled a face at Lin Mianmian. Then, she shrugged and, with an expressionless face... lifted the hem of her dress.

Under Lin Mianmian's furious gaze, she spun around gracefully and walked away without looking back.

*Bye-bye now.*