CHAPTER 354: 148 SHE ACTUALLY UNDERSTOOD RONG XIANNING VERY WELL

Xiao Ling struggled for a long time, but the tassels only tightened further, and her fingers had gone so numb from the cold that she couldn’t feel them anymore.

She regretted accompanying Luuo Yunqi on this trip. She hadn’t even caught a glimpse of Yu Guang’s face and was instead stuck dealing with the cold and frustration of unraveling this thing.

She felt the urge to slam the hairpin onto the ground and crush it underfoot.

She didn’t want to see this thing again for the rest of her life.

Assistant?

Thinking about Huang Mei’s earlier comment, Xiao Ling couldn’t help but glance at herself in the mirror. Did she really look like an assistant?

Xiao Ling felt her heart skip a beat.

She didn’t look any worse than Luuo Yunqi; she just lacked a little luck.

Xiao Ling lowered her eyes, her determination firm—she’d wait for her own opportunity to come.

While she was lost in thought, hurried footsteps sounded from the stairwell. Soon, Luuo Yunqi came running down.

"So soon? Done already?"

Xiao Ling noticed that Luuo Yunqi’s face was ashen, as gloomy as storm clouds.

Luuo Yunqi didn’t say a word and rushed straight into the dressing room.

"Miss Luuo, the shoot isn’t finished yet. What is the meaning of this?" Huang Mei walked down from the second floor, smiling.

Xiao Ling was utterly bewildered. What was going on?

The curtain of the dressing room was pulled open with a "swish," and Luuo Yunqi emerged, already changed, her face still grim.

"I’m just a rookie; I can’t bear Mr. Yu’s special treatment. Our collaboration ends here."

Huang Mei raised her eyebrows. "Collaboration? Miss Luuo considers this a collaboration?"

Luuo Yunqi didn’t want to stay here even a moment longer. She needed to leave immediately.

"What do you mean by that?"

"If Miss Luuo steps out of this door today, the consequences are hers to bear."

Huang Mei, a mere photography assistant, exuded an unyielding confidence as she spoke to Luuo Yunqi—so much so that it made Luuo Yunqi feel unsettled.

Luuo Yunqi clenched her nails into her palms and refused to back down. "Yes, I’m a rookie, no match for Yu Guang’s professional photography and influence in the fashion industry. But that doesn’t mean I have to swallow injustice when faced with inequality!"

Huang Mei clapped her hands and said with a sly smile, "Such righteousness! If I didn’t know better, I’d think Mr. Yu bullied you terribly. Didn’t he just speak the truth? What’s wrong, Miss Luuo—are you angry because of embarrassment?"

"You... You’ve gone too far!"

Luuo Yunqi couldn’t stay another second and hurried off, her retreat carrying more than a hint of humiliation.

Xiao Ling looked at Huang Mei in disbelief. "What... what’s going on here?"

"You should go back and advise Miss Luuo. If she can’t face her shortcomings, she won’t last long in the entertainment industry."

Still confused, Xiao Ling ran after Luuo Yunqi.

Huang Mei smirked and turned to head upstairs.

Yu Guang, frowning, repeatedly wiped his shoes with tissues as though he couldn’t get them clean.

Finally, he took the shoes off and tossed them into the trash bin.

Huang Mei handed him a pair of slippers. "They’re from the props team. Please make do for now."

Yu Guang said calmly, "What do you think?"

Huang Mei chuckled. "Mr. Yu, this is the first time I’ve seen you look so angry. I imagine Miss Luuo must’ve been scared out of her wits. She’s clever, though—she launched a preemptive strike and turned us into the villains."

"She’s not cut out for the fashion world," Yu Guang said firmly.

"I believe that. with your discerning eyes, it only takes one glance for you to see whether someone has potential."

Looking up and seeing Yu Guang still frowning, Huang Mei shook her head.

"You’re still thinking about that girl from the photo shoot this morning, aren’t you? She might have natural talent, but if you push her any further, her school principal might just lead a mob to confront us."

At this point, Huang Mei sighed regretfully.

Comparing people is often futile.

Especially in this industry, talent matters more than effort. Some things, if you don’t have them, you simply don’t.

Then there are those who barely need to do anything; the moment they stand in front of the camera, magic happens, and masterpieces are born.

Yu Guang clearly felt unwilling to let it go, but there was nothing he could do. That girl—protected like a panda by Lanya High School’s administration for her academic brilliance—had a future far greater than any fame or fortune the entertainment industry could offer.

"Well, this trip to Qingzhou wasn’t a complete waste," Yu Guang said.

Huang Mei probed carefully. "About Miss Luuo’s shots...?"

Yu Guang’s face dropped instantly.

Huang Mei smiled knowingly and said, "Got it."

~

Luuo Yunqi had never endured such humiliation in her life; the more she thought about it, the more upset she felt.

"Yunqi, how could you offend Mr. Yu? You’re finished now. He’s the number one photographer in the fashion industry—his connections and influence are immense! How could you ever upset him?"

Luuo Yunqi paused mid-step and turned to give the speaker a cold glare.

"He’s just a lousy photographer, a man coasting on an undeserved reputation. So what if I offended him?"

Xiao Ling’s mouth hung open in shock, as though she was seeing Luuo Yunqi for the first time.

"You... Are you out of your mind? That’s Yu Guang—Mr. Yu! Countless celebrities and supermodels beg him to shoot their portfolios. Yunqi, did the cold get to your brain or something?"

Recalling Yu Guang’s words, Luuo Yunqi grew even angrier.

How dare he say that about her?

The fashion industry didn’t revolve around him alone. Who did he think he was?

At this moment, Luuo Yunqi failed to grasp the gravity of the situation. She had been too naive to understand the brutal reality of the entertainment industry’s power dynamics.

By the time she did, it would already be too late to undo the damage.

~

Night fell, under the lamp.

Shen You’an rubbed her temples as the clock hands pointed to eleven.

Setting aside her pen, she prepared for bed but glanced at her phone.

While studying, she usually kept her phone on silent mode.

Weibo showed a series of private messages from "Qingqing Riverside Grass."

Shen You’an had muted all notifications from Weibo except for Qingqing Riverside Grass, who was quite considerate and wouldn’t disturb her unless something important had happened.

Since messages were sent this late, it must be something significant.

After hesitating briefly, Shen You’an tapped into the message list.

——Chongchong, are you awake?

——I didn’t mean to bother you, but this time the injustice is too much! [Image][Image]

——What did Ningning do wrong to deserve such slander and humiliation? The fan groups are almost in tears.

Shen You’an opened the images.

——"Digging up the dirt on a certain talent show C-leader’s scandalous family history!"

——"Son of deadbeat parents rises to stardom? Don’t let yourself be fooled, wake up!"

The talent show was entering its fifth performance stage, with the final debut night scheduled at the end of the month.

Rong Xianning was undoubtedly the sole candidate for a C-position debut.

In this nascent era of the internet, this fourteen-year-old boy had both luck and talent on his side. He was about to soar alongside the rise of the internet age, creating his own legendary story.

Shen You’an understood these "rumors" were merely minor stumbling blocks on Rong Xianning’s path to a brilliant future; aside from being a temporary annoyance, they would have no lasting impact on his life.

He was braver and tougher than anyone imagined.

Yet, Shen You’an couldn’t help but think of the frail boy who once buried his head in his knees, letting himself sink into the depths of vulnerability and solitude.

Who doesn’t lick their wounds while carrying their burdens forward?

He was simply better at hiding it.

For some reason, Shen You’an often saw glimpses of her past self in him.

Still, Rong Xianning was far stronger than she had ever been.

In his previous life, Rong Xianning endured endless malicious rumors and smear campaigns. Shen You’an, having firsthand experience in the entertainment industry, knew the devastating impact such slander could have. Any weaker individual might have crumbled under the pressure, either retreating entirely or succumbing to life-long struggles with depression.

Unlike others, Rong Xianning never gave in to their wishes by failing or falling apart.

He only grew steadier, remaining low-profile in life but ambitious in his career, ultimately rising against the odds. At twenty-eight, he stood on the highest stage, proving his critics wrong through undeniable strength.

Yes, she remembered that just days before she died in her last life, she had seen Rong Xianning receiving the most prestigious international music award on the internet, a feat even covered by BBC, which hailed him as the "Eastern Michael"—the highest praise possible.

At the time, her mind was clouded, so she merely skimmed the headline. While both she and Rong Xianning belonged to the entertainment industry, their respective statuses were worlds apart, destined never to overlap.

So she simply glanced at the news, her only thoughts being: "Both of us are twenty-eight—how has he managed to be so successful?"

Then she moved on, the matter as insignificant as a drop in the vast ocean, unable to stir the slightest ripple in her heart.

In the quiet night, Shen You’an stared at the slanderous images, and some long-buried memories grew increasingly vivid in her mind.

Rong Xianning did indeed have deadbeat parents, but this information didn’t make headlines so early in his life.

She recalled it was on Rong Xianning’s eighteenth birthday that the truth exploded onto trending topics. The world was in an uproar, and Rong Xianning sank into a public relations nightmare—one misstep, and his career could’ve ended there.

The fragmented memories she had dismissed in her previous life now pieced themselves together like beads on a string.

Shen You’an suddenly realized she wasn’t unfamiliar with Rong Xianning after all.