Rich Side Character Goes Viral for Gossiping on a Laid-Back Reality Show Ch. 40

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Ruan Zhiyao felt a jolt of relief—she almost laughed. She didn't know how it happened, yet dared to call her out in public?

But she didn't get to enjoy that feeling for long—because the next second—

Yu Qianxia paused, then suddenly switched gears, cutting in sharply, "But what I do know is that Tianle Music's CEO, Zha Yanrong, is real close to you. You only made it through the talent show because he was pulling strings behind the scenes."

Ruan Zhiyao's face went pale in an instant. Her breath hitched. What?!

That bombshell hit way harder than the lip-syncing one!

The internet immediately exploded after Yu Qianxia's line.

[Whoa! Yu Qianxia's being so polite with her words. What do you mean 'he backed her all the way'? Just say it—she had a sugar daddy and got in through shady deals!]

[So Ruan Zhiyao only debuted because she had someone powerful behind her?!]

[Help! Another idol's image collapsing!]

People online were arguing nonstop. Ruan Zhiyao's fans jumped in to control the narrative, going head-to-head with netizens—

[Yu Qianxia's so toxic! She just doesn't want to admit she used to bully our girl Xiaoyao, so now she's trying to drag her down!]

[Does Yu Qianxia even have proof for what she said? No evidence at all and you guys just believe her? Slandering people is way too easy these days!]

[Ugh, our poor Xiao Yao. First she gets bullied by that witch, and now she's being sexualized and defamed? Is every successful girl just assumed to have slept her way up? Aren't they both women? Can we not be this gross?]

People were split—some believed the bomb Yu Qianxia dropped, others didn't. After all, there was zero hard evidence.

And then, the male lead in this whole mess, Zha Yanrong, finally showed up.

Tianle Music's CEO Zha Yanrong wasn't married yet, but he did have a well-matched fiancée. Their wedding was just a matter of time. Holding her hand, he posted a clarification on Weibo.

[@ZhaYanrong-TianleMusic V: My fiancée and I are very much in love. No one can come between us.]

Underneath, his fiancée had liked the post. That alone made his statement way more convincing.

[See that? Zha Yanrong and his fiancée are doing just fine. No way he's involved with Ruan Zhiyao.]

[Yu Qianxia's full of lies. She's the real manipulator here. She's just stirring the pot 'cause she doesn't wanna face her drama with Ruan Zhiyao!]

[So disappointing! Thought we were getting a juicy scandal and it's just fake tea!]

[Ugh, kinda let down by Yu Qianxia this time. Can't believe she dropped a fake bomb like that.]

After a whole afternoon of filming, Ruan Zhiyao got her paycheck and dipped immediately like her shoes were greased.

Her manager was waiting just outside. As soon as she saw Ruan Zhiyao, she quickly handed her the phone.

Ruan Zhiyao's hand trembled as she opened the screen. "What's going on online now?"

Her manager said, "Relax, with President Zha backing you up, everything's under control."

Ruan Zhiyao instantly let out a massive sigh of relief. Her nerves finally settled as she opened Weibo and saw Zha Yanrong's post. A faint smirk curled on her lips.

Zha Yanrong's well-matched fiancée was the sweet, trusting type. The guy had been playing around and keeping a mistress on the side for ages, and she never suspected a thing.

That Weibo post? Totally believable, and it smashed all the rumors to bits.

After scrolling through the current wave of public opinion, Ruan Zhiyao felt satisfied.

Still, a shadow flickered in her eyes. Even though Yu Qianxia hadn't directly said "lip-syncing" on the show, the implication had caused a decent stir. And even now, people online were still casting doubt on her.

If she didn't clear the lip-syncing rumors soon, it'd leave a stain on her career. She had to prove herself—and fast.

Her eyes flicked with calculation as she leaned close to her manager and whispered a plan in her ear.

Yu Qianxia got her 200 yuan for the day's part-time sales clerk gig, then headed to the market to buy ingredients for making stewed noodles.

She followed the address Director Qian gave her and arrived at the final mission meetup spot—a makeshift tent set up by the production crew.

She was the first one there.

Starting right away, Yu Qianxia washed and prepped the lamb. Just as she finished, Si Churao came walking in.

She took off her long straight black wig, her cheeks flushed from the heat outside. Dropping her groceries on the table, she was just settling in when Director Qian's voice suddenly came through the earpiece: "Ji Minghan got recognized. Mission failed."

Si Churao looked shocked. "How'd he get recognized?"

Director Qian replied calmly, "He was hauling bricks all day, and his sunglasses slipped off while paying. A construction worker who likes his music spotted him."

"Pfft." Si Churao laughed without an ounce of sympathy. "Brutal. That's so rough."

Yu Qianxia also cracked a smile.

Before long, Yan Zhirou and Ruan Zhiyao arrived one after another. Yan Zhirou kept her head down and rushed into the tent, quickly dodging the cameras as she started removing her makeup and redoing it.

The last one to arrive was the new guest who had come with Ruan Zhiyao this episode—Song Mubai.

Song Mubai debuted as a singer-dancer, then switched to acting a few years back. With his clean-cut, handsome looks, he starred in a bunch of sweet romantic dramas and racked up a loyal fanbase full of girlfriend-type stans.

The moment he appeared, the livestream chat exploded:

[Ahhh he's so hot!]

Song Mubai flashed a bright, youthful smile and strolled around the dinner table before casually making his way over to Ruan Zhiyao.

"Need a hand?" Song Mubai asked.

Ruan Zhiyao glanced up at him nervously. "Would that be too much trouble?"

"Not at all." Song Mubai pulled a bag of frozen chicken from a plastic bag. "Want me to prep this?"

Ruan Zhiyao nodded, a shy little smile forming on her lips. "Thank you."

That moment, under the livestream, didn't go unnoticed by viewers—some picked up on a vibe.

[Help! Why does this kinda feel like a ship setting sail?]

[Ahhh did Ruan Zhiyao just blush?! Is she catching feelings?!]

[Song Mubai didn't help anyone else—just went straight to her. What does that tell you?!]

[There's definitely a little something-something in the air between them!]

Just as those comments started flooding the screen, Song Mubai's fangirls jumped in to shut them down.

All credit goes to the original author
Feel free to pinpoint us if there are any grammar error or typos
Please don't use Guazi's translations to re-translate in other languages

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