Chapter 5 Dear ATM
Having spent the whole night working for nothing, Zhang Ying returned home dejectedly, feeling utterly resentful.
Yun Qingqing had no time to pay attention to Zhang Ying's little tantrums; she was busy directing the system in her mind:
"Quick, quick, system, help me calculate how much these treasures I got tonight would be worth if I resold them?"
System 999 never imagined that it, a dignified artificial intelligence, would end up as nothing more than a calculator in Yun Qingqing's hands.
Yun Qingqing, like a ruthless boss exploiting his employees, earnestly and manipulatively said, "Tong'er, you need to understand, the reason I chose you over the calculator is because I value your abilities. Don't underestimate this simple addition and subtraction of data; it's actually about expanding your database..."
After a series of persuasive remarks, the simple-minded system was left completely bewildered.
System: [...Improving your estimate. Based on current market conditions, the icy green jadeite pendant is estimated at 280,000 yuan, the mid-Qing dynasty famille rose vase at 100,000 yuan... and the exquisite copy of a Yuan dynasty-style calligraphy scroll at 250,000 yuan. Total approximately 800,000 yuan.]
"Eight hundred thousand?!" Yun grinned.
She carefully held the brocade boxes in her arms, and when she looked up at Gu Mingyan again, she felt as if she were a walking, breathing Bodhisattva exuding the fragrance of RMB.
Gu Mingyan was instructing her bodyguard to drive when she suddenly noticed a burning gaze from the side and turned her head away slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable.
Why does this gentle cloud always look at her with such warm and friendly eyes?
It feels strange.
"Ahem," Gu Mingyan cleared her throat, concealing her slight unease, "It's getting late. I'll have the bodyguard take you home. Remember, you need to be at Huaguang Media Building at 2 PM tomorrow to take the costume fitting photos for 'Best Partners'."
“OK!” Yun nodded gently in agreement.
After being escorted back to her simple little apartment by bodyguards, Yun Qingqing was still in a state of excitement.
She carefully put away the valuable items from the auction, then flopped onto the bed and comfortably started scrolling through her phone.
Big data automatically sent out information about "Best Partners". Yun Qingqing clicked on it casually and found that the program team had updated the guest list overnight, replacing Zhang Ying's name with Yun Qingqing's.
However, for a minor celebrity like Zhang Ying, who is barely even a tiered star, no one cares whether she stays or leaves.
The focus of online discussions is almost entirely on Meng Xian, who has been the subject of much discussion since returning to China.
Meng Xian became an internet sensation during her university years with a candid photo taken by a passerby, earning her the title of "National Campus Beauty." Later, she entered the entertainment industry and, leveraging the popularity she had built up as a "National Campus Beauty," successfully landed the lead role in a campus drama, thus rising to the ranks of second-tier actresses.
The official Weibo account's comment section was bustling with activity:
【Ahhh, it's finally official! Xianxian, my darling, here I come! I'll be watching the variety show right away~】
[Thank you for your hard work descending to the mortal realm, Sister Meng Xian! Perfect Partners really has excellent taste in finding you!]
[Hehe, this variety show was invested in by our young master Ye Jinyan, I won't say who's shipping them.]
Seeing Gu Mingyan on the list, I quickly suppressed my outstretched teeth. Wait, why is she always haunting me?
[They must have seen that Young Master Ye was on the investor list, so they shamelessly came after him again.]
[Ugh, Gu Mingyan is shameless. Young Master Ye clearly likes Meng Xian, but she insists on interfering.]
[That's not all! I heard that because she was jealous of how well Ye Shao treated Meng Xian, she even snatched an endorsement deal that Meng Xian was about to get! How can someone with such poor character be worthy of appearing on the same variety show as Xian Xian?]
...
Public opinion was almost unanimously praising Meng Xian while simultaneously criticizing Gu Mingyan. The most frequently mentioned issues, besides Gu Mingyan's relentless pursuit of Ye Jinyan, included her abusing her power to steal a high-end luxury endorsement from Meng Xian.
Gu Mingyan's public image has already plummeted since she first appeared on a variety show.
Yun Qingqing, who was lying on her bed scrolling through comments, couldn't help but click her tongue when she saw these.
Based on her current understanding of Gu Mingyan, she felt that the other party was just a spoiled young lady who would never stoop to such a tasteless act as stealing other people's resources.
She mentally called out to the system: "System, what's this about them stealing the endorsement? Was it really Gu Mingyan who did it?"
System No. 999 responded: [Host, to be fair, Gu Mingyan is truly wronged in this endorsement dispute.]
"Oh? How so?" Yun Qingqing became interested.
System Explanation: [When Lumira was selecting a brand ambassador for the Asian region, she considered both Gu Mingyan and Meng Xian. Because the two women look very similar, the brand was internally conflicted.]
Yun gently pressed on, "And then?"
System: [Then, somehow, the news of choosing a spokesperson leaked out beforehand. Meng Xian's fans thought it was a sure thing, and they were celebrating with champagne at halftime, spreading the news everywhere that Meng Xian had landed the endorsement. However, after comprehensive evaluation, the brand felt that Gu Mingyan's slightly aggressive, bright, and flamboyant temperament better matched their new season's product positioning, and ultimately chose Gu Mingyan.]
Yun Qingqing understood: "So after the official announcement of the spokesperson, Gu Mingyan was relentlessly attacked and scolded by Meng Xian's fans and netizens who were unaware of the truth, who believed that she had snatched the position by force due to her background."
System: [That's right.]
Yun gently swiped her phone screen. Although Lumira had specifically stated that Meng Xian had not been finalized as the spokesperson, some people still didn't believe it and thought it was the result of Gu Mingyan covering her mouth.
[So what if you're rich? Do you think you can do whatever you want and steal other people's resources just because you have a family background?]
[I feel so sorry for Meng Xian. She worked so hard to get into the entertainment industry, only to be bullied by this rich heiress.]
[Not content with grabbing resources, she also has to snatch men. Is this actress surnamed Gu really that keen on stealing other people's things?]
Of course, there are also a few comments that try to reason:
[Li Tao and the Lumira brand have both come forward to clarify, so fans don't need to insist on blaming Gu Mingyan for trying to steal resources.]
If I remember correctly, Gu Mingyan and Ye Jinyan were already quite close before Meng Xian returned to China. How come now they're saying Gu was the one who interfered?
To be fair, Gu Mingyan's face is indeed more striking and elegant than Meng Xian's, so it makes sense for the brand to choose her.
But these faint voices were quickly labeled as paid trolls, as if only criticizing Gu Mingyan was the correct stance.
Yun Qingqing looked at this outrageous scene and couldn't help but click her tongue: "Isn't this public opinion too one-sided? They can even turn black into white."
[This is actually a manifestation of the plot's influence.] The system said, [As a villainous supporting female character, Gu Mingyan is inherently viewed negatively by the public. Just like her infatuation with the male lead, Ye Jinyan, and her impending fate as a foil to the female lead, these are, to some extent, uncontrollable forces under the world's rules, and difficult to change.]
"It's hard to change?" Yun Qingqing's face showed a dismissive expression. "That's not necessarily true."
The system asked: 【How do you say it?】
Yun Qingqing said, "According to the original plot, shouldn't Gu Mingyan show up at the show on time tonight, then pester Ye Jinyan in every way, only to be slapped in the face by the jerk of the male lead?"
System: 【...Yes.】
Yun smiled slightly: "But actually, because she was waiting for me to have dinner together, she completely missed the melodramatic scenes with the male lead. So you see, the so-called 'force majeure' of the plot isn't so unbreakable after all."
The system was completely speechless, only able to emit a series of static-like electrical noises representing silence: [...]
Somehow, the system foresaw from her incessant chatter that the plot was about to veer off course like a runaway horse.
The next day at noon, Yun Qingqing was picked up on time by the car sent by Gu Mingyan and taken to Huaguang Media Building.
The timing of each group of guests' photoshoots was staggered. Gu Mingyan clearly held a superior position, having not only her own dressing room but also her own makeup team.
Yun Qingqing and Gu Mingyan sat side by side, their eyes closed as the makeup artist meticulously applied makeup to their faces.
A moment later, the door to the dressing room was opened without warning.
The system issued a notification in the brain: [Host, important plot character Ye Jinyan has been detected.]
Yun looked up when she heard this, and through the reflection in the makeup mirror, she saw the person standing at the door of the dressing room.
He wore a well-tailored black suit, with a deep and handsome face. He was quite good-looking and certainly deserved the title of "male lead".
It was the subtle arrogance in this person's sidelong glance that made Yun Qingqing subconsciously purse her lips.
Almost simultaneously, Gu Mingyan also noticed Ye Jinyan.
A look of surprise and delight flashed across her face, and she exclaimed excitedly, "Brother Jin Yan! Did you come to see me?"
Ye Jinyan remained noncommittal, simply saying, "Come here."
Yun Qingqing couldn't help but roll her eyes. Who does this jerk of a male lead think he is, acting all high and mighty?
Gu Mingyan didn't care about this at all. She happily turned to Yun and said, "Wait for me for a moment. I'll be back soon."
She thought for a moment and added, "If you're bored, you can pick out some things you like and add them to your shopping cart, and I'll clear them out for you later."
After saying that, she didn't even wait for the makeup artist to finish the last step before she stood up, lifted her skirt, and ran towards the door like a joyful butterfly.
Yun Qingqing idly swiped her phone screen, following instructions to select the items she wanted to buy.
She waited for a while, watching the time tick by, but Gu Mingyan still hadn't returned.
"System," Yun Qingqing couldn't help but call out to the system with suspicion, "What did that bastard Ye Jinyan call Gu Mingyan for? It's been almost half an hour."
The system checked and answered truthfully: [Host, they are currently playing out the classic "CEO stands up for the female lead" trope, a classic face-slapping scenario.]
"Stand out? Stand out in what way?" Yun Qing was taken aback.
System Explanation: [Ye Jinyan believes Meng Xian was wronged because her Lumira endorsement was 'snatched' from her, and is demanding that Gu Mingyan voluntarily relinquish the endorsement and return it to Meng Xian, thus seeking justice for the female lead.]
Yun Qingqing immediately exploded upon hearing this: "No, the endorsement was originally chosen by the brand as Gu Mingyan, and has nothing to do with Meng Xian. What justice is there to seek?"
The system stated bluntly: "[There's no other way, host. The villainous female supporting character getting her comeuppance is a common trope in revenge-driven novels. Everyone enjoys seeing the male lead stand up for the female lead and show off his coolness. Whether Gu Mingyan is innocent or not is not a primary consideration in the plot.]"
"This is outrageous!"
Yun glanced at the 100,000 yuan salary that had just arrived in her account that day, then looked at her shopping cart, which was about to be filled to the brim and then emptied, and suddenly slammed her hand on the table.
The system asked, puzzled, "Host, what are you doing?"
Yun Qingqing rolled up her sleeves aggressively:
"Is that even a question?"
"Of course, I'm going to protect my golden thigh!"
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