Chapter 1: She is Back

In the hotel, Luo Ning slowly opened her eyes and raised a hand to rub her throbbing, aching head.

Looking around at her surroundings, they felt both strange and familiar!

She braced herself and stood up; the floor was covered in empty wine bottles.

Seeing the table full of dishes in front of her, with a cake placed in the center, she finally remembered why this scene felt so familiar. She had truly returned.

Luo Ning’s gaze rested on the candle shaped like the number "1" stuck into the cake. It felt like a distant memory, yet it echoed clearly in her mind.

She remembered that this was for her one-year anniversary with Ji Xingheng. She had borrowed the hotel kitchen to make the cake and prepare the table of food herself, but unfortunately, the other person had been absent.

She then turned and walked quickly to the bathroom, staring fixedly at the person in the mirror.

The reflection was young and beautiful. Not only had she returned, but she had returned to a time when everything could still be salvaged.

Suddenly, a ringtone sounded. Luo Ning went out to pick up her phone. The caller ID displayed "Brother Yan," and her eyes turned cold.

After answering, the other party spoke first: "Xiao Luo, have you seen today’s trending topics?"

Luo Ning had only just returned and hadn't checked the trends, but how could she forget such a deeply ingrained event?

She was silent for a moment before saying, "I saw them."

Yan Qiuping specifically said, "Last night, Bo Xiangxiang ran into a bit of an accident and ended up at the police station. Xingheng is on the same film set as her right now, and knowing about the situation, he couldn't just ignore it, so he went over to help. That’s why he didn't manage to make it to dinner with you."

Luo Ning let out a scoff, saying with a hint of sarcasm, "So you’re here to help Ji Xingheng explain why he stood me up last night? Well, there’s no need for that; it’s not like it’s the first or second time he’s broken a promise."

Yan Qiuping choked, not expecting Luo Ning’s tone to be so sharp today. He suppressed his displeasure. "It was a sudden incident; he didn't do it on purpose."

"There is something I want to discuss with you," he decided to get straight to the point.

Luo Ning asked, "What is it?"

"Last night, when Xingheng went to the police station to pick someone up, he was photographed by the paparazzi. However, Bo Xiangxiang’s face wasn't captured. Now everyone is guessing who it is, so I want you to come forward and admit that the person in the trending photo is you." Yan Qiuping spoke with a tone of entitlement.

Luo Ning asked coldly in return, "She was the one who got into trouble and was photographed, so why should I be the one to admit it?"

"Of course, it’s because Xingheng is afraid that if she is exposed, people will start rumors about them. After all, you are his girlfriend."

Yan Qiuping continued, "Although your relationship isn't public, you are both stars managed by me. If you were the one who went to the police station and Xingheng went to help you, it would make sense."

He knew how much Luo Ning cared about Ji Xingheng, and therefore knew exactly what to say to make her agree without hesitation. She would never be happy about her boyfriend being linked to another woman in a scandal.

"Pushing me out so that I take the blame for the 'black material' of having been to a police station, and letting Ji Xingheng’s fans curse me, shifting all the fire onto me—you’re certainly very thoughtful when it comes to Bo Xiangxiang," Luo Ning’s voice grew colder.

At this time, Bo Xiangxiang was only a third-tier actress, while Ji Xingheng was a top-tier star. His fan base of "girlfriends" and "wife-fans" was massive. If she were exposed, she would definitely be torn to shreds, which would certainly impact her future career.

It had been the same in her past life. Yan Qiuping had made this call, and because Ji Xingheng was her boyfriend and she didn't want him linked to Bo Xiangxiang, she had voluntarily posted on Weibo saying the woman in the photo was her.

That very day, she was cursed by Ji Xingheng’s fans until she hit the trending list. They told her not to drag their "brother" down, insulted her character, and called her a troublemaker. Having been to the police station became a permanent stain on her reputation.

As a result, when she went on to participate in that reality show, she was targeted and boycotted from the very first episode, which greatly affected her mood and performance.

Furthermore, this incident would later be intentionally leaked. Once the real woman in the photo was exposed, she became a scheming woman who had intentionally clung to Ji Xingheng for clout—a shameless social climber. It became the fuse that led to her being blacklisted by the entire internet.

A look of surprise appeared on Yan Qiuping’s face; he was clearly shocked that Luo Ning would say such a thing.

He frowned. "Luo Ning, I know you’re unhappy about last night, but I’m making these arrangements for the sake of both you and Xingheng."

"I won't admit to it. If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up," Luo Ning said coldly.

She had returned, and she would certainly no longer give face to those who had betrayed her.

Yan Qiuping was Ji Xingheng’s manager. When she entered the entertainment industry and signed with the same company, he became her manager as well.

It was a pity that this guy now favored Bo Xiangxiang and had already hooked up with her in private. That woman would soon jump over to this agency, and so she had become the one to be abandoned.

Luo Ning closed her eyes and opened them again, suppressing her lingering resentment. She would return everything these people had done to her, one by one, doubled.

It was the first time Yan Qiuping had heard Luo Ning refuse his arrangements, and his brow furrowed even tighter. "This is Xingheng’s wish. Are you sure you want to refuse?"

Luo Ning asked with a mocking smile, "Is this really Ji Xingheng’s wish, or is it yours and Bo Xiangxiang’s?"

She knew this had been decided between Yan Qiuping and Bo Xiangxiang, but once she agreed, Ji Xingheng hadn't objected.

She only knew this after reading the contents of that book after her death.

In her previous life, after she died, her soul had entered a system space, only to discover that she was merely a cannon-fodder supporting character in a book, existing solely to provide "luck" for the female lead to climb the social ladder. Bo Xiangxiang was the heroine of that book.

She had been filled with immense resentment at the time, and then a system appeared, telling her that as long as she traveled to various small interfaces to fulfill the wishes of cannon-fodder characters, she could accumulate enough points to exchange for a reward: returning to her original world.

Furthermore, the world-binding force from the book would completely disappear, evolving into a real world.

So she had agreed, traveled to different small worlds to complete missions, and today, having finally earned enough points to exchange for the reward and unbind from the system, she had been sent back.

She also realized at this moment that the force that had bound her every second in her past life, even forcing her to do things against her will, had truly vanished. She felt light and free.

Yan Qiuping’s heart skipped a beat. Why would Luo Ning ask that? Could she know something?

"I am the manager for both you and Xingheng. I just hope to find a way to minimize the impact of the trending topic. What does this have to do with Bo Xiangxiang? Don't take your anger out on others because of last night."

He specifically added, as if to intentionally explain, "There really is nothing between Xingheng and Bo Xiangxiang. Don't misunderstand."

"I made this decision for the sake of your and Xingheng’s relationship when it eventually goes public. After all, we can use this incident as a foundation to tie your names together for publicity. What do you think?" he urged.

Luo Ning refused decisively. "I don't agree. And there won't be any relationship going public in the future. Let’s leave it at that."

She had debuted for a year. Although she had become popular through a web drama and her looks, and currently had higher popularity than Bo Xiangxiang, tying herself to a top-tier star for publicity would only lead to being blacklisted even worse, making Ji Xingheng’s fans and the public hate her. She would not be foolish for the sake of love again.

After saying this, she hung up the phone, not bothering to waste any more breath on him.

She opened her web browser and, sure enough, saw the top trending topic: "Top-tier heartthrob meets mysterious woman at night."

Clicking on it, she saw two photos. Ji Xingheng was captured from the front and the side, while the woman beside him had her head down, wearing a baseball cap and a mask, making her face indistinguishable.

Looking at the plot from the book, this had been designed by Bo Xiangxiang all along.

First, it was to ruin Ji Xingheng’s plans to come over and spend their anniversary together, creating a greater misunderstanding between them. Second, it was to get her blacklisted and drag her down step by step.

Sorry for keeping everyone waiting. This book will continue to follow the "sweet and pampered" route. Please add to your library, vote, and comment. Mwah~~~

(End of chapter)