Rich Side Character Goes Viral for Gossiping on a Laid-Back Reality Show Ch. 36

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That whole "mistreating her assistant" rumor did ring a bell, but honestly, Yu Qianxia had way too many rumors about her—big ones, small ones, all sorts of nonsense. There were so many, she'd lost count. That one was just a drop in the bucket. Plus, back then, her thoughts and actions were being manipulated, and during that time, she'd basically given up trying to manage her public image at all.

Xiao Ke frowned a little. "I'm kinda worried now... If Ruan Zhiyao's back on a show, won't that rumor get dragged up again?"

Yu Qianxia's image was finally starting to turn around, and everything was looking up. Xiao Ke really didn't want her to get caught in another mess like that. But even if they tried to clear things up, it wouldn't help—Ruan Zhiyao had played dead online all these years and even leaned into the victim role, making it look like the rumor was true.

Just thinking about it made Xiao Ke angry. "If Ruan Zhiyao had just come out and explained things back then, we wouldn't have had to carry this garbage for so long!"

Sister Rong let out a soft sigh, her voice a mix of helplessness and frustration. "Playing the victim gets sympathy and boosts popularity. Ruan Zhiyao saw that payoff early on—there's no way she'd come out and tell the truth now..."

"Honestly, she probably started that rumor herself. I mean, she's the one who gained from it."

Sister Rong had her suspicions, but sadly, there was no proof.

And sure enough, not long after, Xiao Ke's worries came true. On their way to Z City for a shoot, a trending topic popped back up online: #Ruan Zhiyao Once Mistreated By Yu Qianxia#

[Wait, Ruan Zhiyao used to be Yu Qianxia's assistant? No way! This is the first time I've heard of it!]

[Seriously? Is Yu Qianxia that awful in private? Ruan Zhiyao got coffee thrown at her? Had her hair yanked? Got talked down to and humiliated?]

[But I watched two episodes of My Journey and thought Yu Qianxia seemed really cool and genuine. Doesn't look like someone who'd treat others badly.]

Seeing people speak up for Yu Qianxia, Ruan Zhiyao's fans jumped in fast to defend their idol—

[Yu Qianxia's totally two-faced! She acts all sweet on camera, but behind the scenes she's constantly pulling diva moves. With her rich background, she thinks she's above everyone else!]

[It's all true! My girl Yaoyao went through hell working for her!]

[Yaoyao had it so rough. She treated her like a freaking empress dowager every single day, and it still wasn't enough. Yu Qianxia was jealous that our Yaoyao was prettier, kept mocking her for being ugly, saying she wasn't good enough, mocking her for being ugly, and even throwing shade that she'd never make it in a talent show! I swear, just thinking about it makes me furious!]

[But now! Ruan Zhiyao made it! She fought her way through all the hardship, slayed My Girls, debuted as center of the "Soda Sweethearts" project group, and now that they've disbanded, she's gone solo as the most gorgeous, in-demand pop girl out there!]

[Hmph! She better stomp on someone's face real hard on today's show!]

Inside the nanny van, Ruan Zhiyao checked herself in the mirror over and over again. Only when she was completely sure her makeup was flawless did she finally put it down.

She glanced at her phone, saw the trending topic that was still going strong online, and smirked with satisfaction.

"Xiao Yao, are we really not gonna do anything about the trending post?" her manager came over and asked.

Ruan Zhiyao rolled her eyes. "It's not like I paid for that trend. If it's blowing up on its own, of course I'm gonna ride the wave. And besides, Yu Qianxia isn't even freaking out—why are you so nervous?"

Back when she first entered the competition, the trending post had suddenly popped up and totally freaked her out. But once she realized she could use the drama to milk some sympathy from fans, her popularity skyrocketed—and after that, she just let it roll.

Honestly, she even started enjoying how easy it was to get free attention and traffic. The clout boost was just too sweet.

Her manager hesitated for a moment, clearly wanting to say something, but seeing how chill Ruan Zhiyao was, she dropped it.

Instead, she brought up another topic. "Anyway, you and Yan Zhirou are both going for that pure, sweet-girl image. Keep your guard up on the show—don't let her outshine you."

"Obviously!" Ruan Zhiyao gave a cold snort. "Like I'd ever let her outshine me. I'm gonna beat her and end up as the ultimate fan-fave on this show!"

She'd spent a ton of money just to claim the top spot in the popularity house, all to squeeze Yan Zhirou out and win the final prize: resources for The Legend of Yan Yue.

This time, the filming location was set in a lively little food town in Z City.

Z City, known as a major northern city, was famous for its noodle-based cuisine. The streets were packed with noodle shops and steamed bun stalls, all kinds of mouth-watering spots everywhere.

Ruan Zhiyao was the last to arrive. The moment she stepped into the crowd, she spotted a girl with short hair and a cool, aloof vibe—it was Yu Qianxia.

She greeted her naturally, still using the name she used back when she was her assistant. "Hey, Sister Qianxia."

Yu Qianxia gave a small nod and a soft "mm," barely acknowledging her.

Viewers in the livestream saw the interaction and immediately connected it to today's trending drama, throwing shade online:

[Dang, that was ice cold! Couldn't Yu Qianxia at least fake a smile? She was your assistant, after all.]

[Yeah, no way those two are on good terms. Qianxia's got zero manners.]

[She's acting all high and mighty. I seriously can't with people like that.]

Ruan Zhiyao didn't care how Yu Qianxia treated her. She scanned the crowd again—

And suddenly froze.

Right across from her, Yan Zhirou froze too. The two of them locked eyes for a solid ten seconds.

They were wearing the exact same outfit.

Both of them had on a crisp, pure white dress with a soft, fresh vibe. From a distance, you could barely tell the difference between them.

[OMG, they're wearing the same dress!]

[I'm getting major face-blind vibes. Why do they look the same to me?]

[Ehhh... I guess the idol industry's aesthetics are super cookie-cutter now. No one's got their own style anymore.]

Ruan Zhiyao greeted Yan Zhirou with a slightly awkward smile. Yan Zhirou's face looked a little complicated too.

All credit goes to the original author
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