Chapter 29 Revelation

Chapter 29: The Exposé

"I knew you were two-faced, you wretched girl! You *said* you were going to move out of the Su family, but there hasn't been a peep since. Do you take us all for fools?!"

"Look at what people are saying about us now! 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree'—our reputations are in tatters because of you!"

"Grandfather treated you like his own granddaughter, and how do you repay him? You even had the audacity to seduce Qi Yun! Go outside and listen to what people are saying. I'm embarrassed for you!"

The living room was filled with angry, overlapping voices. The looks they shot Su Ruanruan were laced with unconcealed disgust, as if she were something unclean.

She sat there, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed, her expression full of self-reproach, as if she couldn't defend herself.

"What's the point of saying all this now? We need to think of a way to fix this, or our Su family's reputation will be completely ruined!" the Third Aunt said angrily, rubbing at the crow's feet at the corner of her eye.

It was all because of this wretched girl that she hadn't dared show her face at recent social gatherings. Who knew what people were saying about their family now?

Madam Su glanced unhappily at the others. "Ruan Ruan *is* moving out of the Su family sooner or later. But no matter what, she grew up in our household. If we elders don't stand up for her, wouldn't we just be giving outsiders more to laugh at?"

Hearing this, the others quieted down slightly. The Fourth Aunt immediately asked suspiciously, "But doesn't Grandfather refuse to let this wretched girl move out? Does Second Sister-in-law have another plan?"

Madam Su picked up her teacup and took a small sip of the clear tea. "I hold her household registration. I decide when she moves out. Grandfather is old; we can't let him have his way in everything."

In the past, she might have tolerated it. But now, this daughter's behavior had become too outrageous, and her weak nature was completely exposed. If she were allowed to stay in the Su family, who knew what trouble she might bring?

That Qi Yun had probably long been planning to marry into the family for its wealth, so he had been sweet-talking this foolish girl Ruan Ruan early on, aiming to effortlessly get his hands on the entire Su Group.

No matter what, she absolutely would not allow such a thing to happen.

"Second Sister-in-law is still the sensible one. I've always said Grandfather was confused. He has a real granddaughter like Mimi, yet he insists on doting on an outsider. Who knows what he's thinking?" the Third Aunt said self-righteously.

Su Mi had been standing upstairs listening for a long time, with no intention of going down. Was she supposed to manage everything under the sun, including protecting the female lead from being bullied?

She really didn't have that kind of free time. In a way, Su Ruanruan and Qi Yun were quite well-matched. Although Qi Yun was an idiot, his feelings for her were genuinely deep. Even when cheated on, he never blamed her. Such a fool was hard to find these days.

However, she also knew that no matter how much those around them tried to separate them, there was still some inexplicable attraction between the leads. Su Ruanruan was probably still thinking about Pei Yun right now.

While she didn't understand such things, she chose to respect others' choices. But when that idiot Pei Yun messed with her, it was absolutely intolerable.

"Madam, Miss Huo is outside," the butler suddenly approached and said in a low voice.

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft. Those who heard immediately changed their expressions, directing their angry gazes at Su Ruanruan. "It's all your fault, you wretched girl! Now look, she's come to our door for answers. I wonder how you'll have the face to see her!"

"Exactly! Knowing full well Qi Yun has a fiancée, yet she still throws herself at him. Doesn't that just make her a slut?"

Su Ruanruan's face grew paler and paler. She could only lower her head and fidget with her clothes. She didn't know how to face Huo Xuan, nor did she understand how she had been so easily deceived by Qi Yun's sweet talk, secretly meeting with him for so long.

But Qi Yun had said she was the only one in his heart. Why? Why had things turned out like this?

"Miss Huo."

Seeing the butler lead in a woman wearing a beige long dress, elegant and poised, Madam Su nodded slightly and gestured for a servant to make tea.

The other members of the Su family also put on amiable expressions for the newcomer, though they all felt somewhat embarrassed. After such an incident, it was undoubtedly their Su family who had wronged her. If it affected the cooperation between their companies in the future, that would be the worst outcome.

"I've come uninvited; I hope I'm not disturbing you," Huo Xuan said apologetically with a slight nod. However, she did not take a seat, nor did she look at Su Ruanruan. Instead, she turned her gaze to Madam Su. "I'm actually here to see Su Mi. Miss Su is very straightforward. We had a pleasant conversation before and agreed to go for facials together today."

Hearing this, everyone was stunned, seemingly not expecting her to be looking for Su Mi, that crazy girl, rather than Su Ruanruan.

Huo Xuan had always been a model figure in high society circles. How could she be associated with that crazy girl? And they had a pleasant conversation???

"Over here."

Hearing the voice from upstairs, Huo Xuan suddenly looked up. When she saw the person waving at her, she immediately nodded to the others again before turning to go upstairs.

Su Ruanruan, who already felt utterly ashamed, froze in place. She had prepared herself for a scolding, yet now the other party wasn't even questioning her about her relationship with Qi Yun.

Seeing Huo Xuan arrive uninvited, Su Mi simply asked a servant to bring a pot of hot tea. She had already guessed why the other had come to find her.

One had to admit, Huo Xuan was indeed very smart. By deliberately ignoring the female lead, she created psychological pressure, making Su Ruanruan even more ashamed to associate with Qi Yun in the future.

Moreover, Huo Xuan's grace and composure would leave everyone with a favorable impression of her as a dignified, well-bred lady—the epitome of a noble socialite in most people's eyes.

But no matter how clever or calculating a female supporting role was, she remained just that—a supporting role. They could never break free from the constraints of the plot and would ultimately be defeated by the female lead's protagonist aura.

Yet, if one could cast aside the shackles of the plot, every female supporting character could have a brilliant life of her own.

"Aren't you afraid of damaging your reputation by associating with a psycho like me?" Su Mi asked with a faint smile.

Huo Xuan followed her into the room, casually set down her bag, and naturally took a seat on the sofa. "If Miss Su is ill, then I'm afraid my condition is even more severe than yours."

Her gaze burned as she looked at the person opposite her. "Pei Yun is indeed trash. If you need help, I can assist you."

Their eyes met. Su Mi suddenly shifted her sitting posture, her mind racing with thoughts.

She had only interacted with the antagonist twice. Even if there was unpleasantness, from an outsider's perspective, it shouldn't have reached a life-or-death level of conflict yet. Why would Huo Xuan mention dealing with Pei Yun, rather than Su Ruanruan who had caused her mental distress?

"I'm not accustomed to others interfering in my own affairs. Besides, I don't recall making an appointment with Miss Huo for a facial," she said, her eyebrow twitched slightly.

Hearing this, Huo Xuan merely lowered her head and chuckled softly, then looked at her with a smile, her eyes holding a hint of deeper meaning. "We've both *come back*. Shouldn't we cooperate more closely? Or do you want to spend a few more years in prison? Being molested and assaulted by those people?"

"..."

Su Mi took a deep breath, immediately lowering her eyelids to conceal the shock surging within.

She actually knew she would go to prison? And she used the word "again."

No wonder the plot had suddenly changed. It seemed it wasn't too related to her luck value, but rather because the third female lead had been reborn!

Why not 'transmigrated'? Because the hatred in Huo Xuan's eyes was too palpable. A transmigrator, even knowing the plot, wouldn't have such a strong sense of identification. Only her being reborn could explain it.

This world actually had a reborn person?!

"System! System!"

Three seconds passed, but there was still no sound in her mind. She habitually touched her forehead as usual. This piece-of-junk system!

If Huo Xuan was reborn, what a mess the future plot would be!

"So, what do you want to do?" she asked, her expression unchanged as she looked at the other.

Seeing Su Mi acknowledge it, Huo Xuan also let out a knowing low laugh. Her guess was indeed correct; Su Mi had also been reborn. That explained all these strange behaviors.

But Su Mi actually thought using force could solve the problem? That was rather naive. Could a beating really offset the harm they had suffered?

She wanted Qi Yun and Su Ruanruan to die!

They should both die!

"For the sake of the cooperation between our two companies, he's been dragging his feet, unwilling to break off the engagement with me. Fine. I'll make him lose all support and have no choice but to marry me. Then, I'll arrange a car accident so he and Su Ruanruan can die together forever. I can then rightfully inherit everything from the Qi family, and you can become the head of the Su family. Wouldn't that make everyone happy?" she said with a smile.

Their eyes met, and sensing the madness in the other’s gaze, Su Mi suddenly understood why the third female lead had refused to break off her engagement with the male lead even after being reborn. She deliberately exposed the affair between the male and female leads to flaunt her magnanimity—thereby earning even greater appreciation from the Qi family for such a “sensible” daughter-in-law.

As long as the male lead was forced by his parents to marry the third female lead, she could have him killed at her convenience—after all, who would suspect their own spouse? By then, she would not only have exacted revenge but also seized everything the Qi family possessed. It was flawless.

Well. Even after being reborn, she hadn’t been blinded by love; instead, she was plotting the male lead’s downfall too. That aligned perfectly with rational thinking.

But why should *she* bear the blame for *his* revenge?

“What exactly are you implying? That I should take the fall for *you* leaking the video—so *you* can marry Qi Yun? And what do *I* get out of it?” Su Mi frowned slightly.

Huo Xuan smiled faintly. “I’ll handle what you lack the courage to do. That way, when Su Ruanruan dies, your hands remain clean. Isn’t that a fair deal?”

The room fell silent for several seconds—until the door opened. A maid entered with tea and snacks, set them down, and quickly withdrew.

Noticing Huo Xuan’s cold, razor-sharp gaze tracking the maid, Su Mi picked up a cup of tea herself. “This room is soundproof. No one outside can hear.”

The third female lead had lost her mind—completely unhinged. Now, she’d likely kill anyone who stood between her and vengeance.

Yet it was understandable. The male lead had gone too far—having her executed in prison. Even though it was a women’s facility, women could be terrifying. One could only imagine what she’d endured before death. Anyone would want that scoundrel dead.

Still, years of life experience had taught her to stay out of it—to mind her own business. If the male lead broke the law and landed in jail, that was his problem. But she couldn’t cross that line herself—otherwise, how would she be any better than him?

Everyone should protect their rights through legal means. If those failed, strategic countermeasures might be permissible—but breaking the law was absolutely off-limits.

“‘Life arrives like wind and rain, departs like fine dust.’ Lately, I’ve been studying the Dao—and sworn off killing,” she said, offering an apologetic look.

Huo Xuan’s expression shifted. She leaned forward abruptly, her brown eyes blazing with hatred. “The Dao? What Dao? To grant us rebirth only to be deceived by them once more?! Why?! Tell me—why!”

To stand by Qi Yun’s side, she’d diligently studied etiquette, calligraphy, painting, piano, and flower arranging since childhood. Yet he remained distant and ambiguous—even agreeing to the engagement. Had he been clear from the start, she never would have fallen so deeply.

Yes, she was unwilling—unwilling to lose to someone like Su Ruanruan. In the end, that man personally sent her to prison and subjected her to endless torment.

Who could have imagined that, after smashing her head to death, she’d awaken back at the moment Su Ruanruan and Qi Xi were engaged? Everything remained unchanged—except for Su Mi. That’s why she suspected Su Mi, too, had been reborn.

Because the former Su Mi had been weak and ineffectual—never daring to strike someone publicly. Yet even after rebirth, she remained just as timid, abandoning revenge entirely and letting that despicable couple roam free!

The love she once felt had curdled into pure hatred. She wanted to flay him alive, grind his bones to ash. Qi Yun *must* die—and no one could stop her.

“Perhaps heaven granted you a second chance—not to repeat the past, but to begin anew. There are countless ways to seek justice without resorting to murder,” Su Mi replied calmly. “I won’t cover up the video incident for you. As you yourself said, after being reborn, I refuse to be controlled by anyone—and I certainly have no reason to shoulder blame that isn’t mine.”

Since Huo Xuan believed she was reborn, let her believe it. She was simply too obsessed—mistaking rebirth itself for a guaranteed path to vengeance. She failed to realize this was a novel: if the male and female leads could be so easily defeated, they wouldn’t *be* the leads.

She couldn’t ask someone to release hatred—she couldn’t do it herself either. Who was she to preach forgiveness? But there *were* lawful ways to retaliate. Otherwise, you’d just end up behind bars too—a lose-lose outcome.

Yet saying this now would fall on deaf ears. Blinded by hatred, if she spoke too much, the other might even turn on *her*. Better to stay silent.

“You’re still as timid and cowardly as ever.”

Huo Xuan slowly straightened, took a sip of tea, and set the cup down gently. “Then let’s see whether I truly repeat the past.”

Watching the figure depart, Su Mi drained her teacup in one gulp. When *she* lost her temper, she might slap someone—but when the third female lead did, she’d *kill*.

“When the female lead’s luck value falls below the threshold required to sustain the world’s narrative, various anomalies will emerge. As long as your luck value exceeds hers, the world’s plotline will revolve around *you*. Then, you may attempt to redeem the female supporting character. With your luck bonus, success is possible.”

“…You’re not dead?”

“The system requires periodic maintenance—occasional disconnections may occur. Please understand.”

“How does my luck value compare to the female lead’s?”

“Host’s current luck value: 370! Female lead’s luck value: 560!”

A gap of nearly two hundred points. She’d need to trigger two more ‘berserk’ events. But the next major plot point would likely be the patriarch’s death—at least half a year away.

Half a year was more than enough time for the third female lead to wreak havoc. What if, seeing Su Mi’s refusal to cooperate, she snapped—and targeted *her* instead?

Then Su Mi would need to proactively generate plot points. The inter-family meeting scheduled for the day after tomorrow was the perfect opportunity.

“If I accumulate sufficient luck value, can I return to my original world?”

“No. You’ve already been cremated.”

…

Even though she now had money, everyone around her seemed crazier than the last—a volatile mix of white lotuses, creeps, and show-offs, their minds seemingly clogged with lard. All she could hope for was to rapidly raise her luck value and break free from the plot’s grip.

An NPC’s life mattered, too. And if she could persuade the third female lead—even better. Rebirth wasn’t easy for anyone; no need to hurl oneself back into vengeance. It simply wasn’t worth it.

Shortly after the third female lead left, her mother visited—subtly probing how she’d grown so close to Huo Xuan. She seemed to urge caution, warning against being used.

The third female lead *did* intend to use her. All that talk had merely been bait—to lure her into taking the blame. But Su Mi couldn’t confess to something she hadn’t done. Just because they both hated the male lead didn’t mean she should carry the other’s burden.

Everyone should mind their own business—and settle their own scores. If the other insisted on dragging her in, then let them both go mad and destroy everything together. They could meet in hell!

Thinking about boosting her luck value, she searched online for comments insulting her. Finding little on one platform, she switched to another—and instead of uncovering the original host’s unresolved grievances, stumbled upon an exposé post.

OP: Little Flower S is undeniably a product of capital. Filming this variety show has been wildly dramatic. Some time ago, that rock singer who recently fell from grace *did* participate in the shoot. Fans even posted the schedule—but the singer’s promiscuity is nothing new; he just never met his match before.

This time, he crossed paths with Little Flower S. During the short-film shoot, he repeatedly failed to meet standards—so Little Flower S exploded on set and demanded his immediate replacement. This woman’s temper has always been enigmatic. According to some crew members, she’s humble and professional during filming—always polite to staff.

But according to other production staff, her temper is terrifyingly fierce (though this may also stem from provocation by fellow guests—they’re no saints either, but more on that later).

The singer has frequently flirted with female celebrities in the industry. This time, he kicked a hornet’s nest. No one knows precisely what he said—but Little Flower S erupted instantly, kicked him several meters away, pinned him to the ground, and beat him unconscious—landing him in the hospital.

Only after hospitalization did he realize he’d messed with the wrong person. He crawled back to beg forgiveness. The result? He was taken down by capital—deservedly so.

So don’t blame that top idol for kneeling so quickly. But that top idol is also rumored to be shipping with another “little flower” from the show. Word is things are heating up—might even turn fake into real.

First comment: I know every word here—but strung together, they make zero sense. [snotty]

Second comment: Kicked *several meters*? Seriously? Stop making up ridiculous stories!

Third comment: Might actually be true. Weren’t there candid photos of the singer entering the hospital a while back? Nobody paid attention, though.

Fourth comment: Is this woman *really* that strong? Hard to believe. The singer’s at least 1.8 meters tall—seems implausible. [munching melon seeds]

Fifth comment: If the singer was *actually* taken down by this woman, I’m officially her die-hard fan. The entertainment industry needs righteous people like her to deal with these creeps. [vomiting]

Sixth comment: Hasn’t anyone dug into this woman’s background? How does she command so many big shots’ backing? [munching melon seeds]

Seventh comment: Rumor says she’s some tycoon’s illegitimate daughter. Others claim she lived extremely frugally in school—so she’s more likely a kept “canary.”

Eighth comment: Am I the only one focusing on something else? She beat the singer unconscious—and none of the dozens of staff present intervened?

Ninth comment: If her background is *that* powerful, why does she have *this* reputation? Would the show dare edit footage so blatantly? She’s probably just a shield for the real resource-backed star. Clearly, the “little flower” shipping with the top idol has superior resources—debuting in major productions backed by award-winning actors. [munching melon seeds]

Tenth floor: Pot calling the kettle black—who here isn’t a nepo baby? Li Chuan has been lukewarm in popularity, yet he keeps landing major production teams and prestige drama roles that others fight tooth and nail for, one after another. If that’s not having connections, I don’t know what is.

Eleventh floor: This show is truly full of hidden talents. I’m leaning toward the idea that the program is using Actress S as a sacrificial lamb to shield the real resource-backed stars [grabbing popcorn].

Twelfth floor: The top idol and Actress Z—is their showmance turning into a real romance? No way, his fans would go absolutely crazy hahaha.

Thirteenth floor: I’m dying to know if the rumor about Actress S beating up that singer is true. That would be so badass—a total icon!

Fourteenth floor: Given this sister’s mental state, I think this rumor is pretty credible [lol].

Fifteenth floor: Fight, fight, fight! I can’t even imagine how wild it’ll be once the show airs!

Sixteenth floor: Hmm is also a hidden gem. Her diva behavior isn’t new—who knows who’d have a shorter fuse if she went up against Actress S [lol].

The thread quickly blew up. Su Mi scrolled for half an hour before suddenly hitting a wall; backing out, she realized it had been deleted.

Her company’s staff really did patrol the internet 360 degrees with high-intensity, no-blind-spot vigilance. But deleting such gossip was pointless—if anything, removing it only made things look more suspicious.

After some thought, she messaged Sister Zhou: from now on, there’s no need to delete all negative buzz online. Controversy is hype too. If everything gets silenced, how will she trigger tasks later?

Having rested long enough, she asked Sister Zhou to send over some scripts—preferably films close to everyday life, the kind that tend to win awards. Now that she could max out her acting skill stats anytime, since she was in this industry, she couldn’t just slack off. If she was going to do it, she’d aim for the top—otherwise, what a waste of such great resource advantages.

In the evening, she had Li Yi come over for training. Now she had to guard not only against the male lead’s bodyguards but also against Woman Three snapping and going on a killing spree. Boosting her combat stats was essential—even if she got kidnapped, she could escape in time.

But he seemed unwell—turned out his old injuries were acting up. Too many chronic problems from his competition days; now he needed acupuncture every week.

She didn’t push him, immediately letting him go rest, then trained alone for two hours.

Remembering that creep who’d sexually harassed her, out of boredom she logged into her account and posted an update.

Su Mi v: Some assholes are like cheap fried chicken—all crunch and grease [eye roll].