Seeing the latest trending posts on her phone, Ji Fei couldn't help but feel bewildered by the escalating mudslinging between both parties. No one had solid evidence, but the endless blame-shifting was becoming absurd. And shockingly, the outcome of the fan poll had come true.

With Young Master Lin’s explosive revelations, Xu Meng’s reputation was beyond repair, and she’d completely cut ties with Sun Mo and Yang Hong. Her only move now was to paint herself as a victim of their tangled mess.

Her latest Weibo post was nothing short of dramatic: "I had feelings for both of them, unable to let go. I’m just a girl longing for happiness, afraid of loneliness. I never thought they were deceiving me all along, using me as their cover. I respect different orientations, but I don’t want to be someone’s ‘beard.’"

This had always been her tactic, managing to reel in a few die-hard fans who fancied themselves as seeing through "hidden truths" and conspiracy theories. Additionally, various activists began blindly rallying to her side.

But she hadn’t counted on Sun Mo and Yang Hong joining forces, each finding strategic ways to pull her down with them.

The two men quickly released a joint video.

First, they earnestly apologized for their earlier fabrications about Manager Pei, admitting they’d been out of line.

As for their relationship with Xu Meng, Yang Hong explained that he’d realized his feelings for Sun Mo went beyond admiration, causing him emotional turmoil. He’d thought Sun Mo was still in love with Xu Meng, so he broke up with her, wishing them well.

Unexpectedly, in the process, Sun Mo also fell for Yang Hong, but out of fear of public scrutiny, they enlisted Xu Meng as a "shield," promising her resources in exchange for her cooperation. Xu Meng agreed, and thus, the facade of the three as a happy family was created, so any rumors of their closeness would go unchallenged.

Little did they know Xu Meng’s greed would drive her to betray them to save herself.

Their public intimacy, they explained, was an act. Otherwise, paparazzi wouldn’t have caught Xu Meng sleeping in the downstairs guest room alone.

> **[How do they even pull this off? I swear, they could convince walls with their absurd fabrications. Wait, are people actually supporting this? Must be paid bots!]**

> **[But why did Sun Mo agree to this? He nearly landed Yang Hong in the hospital after almost being… well, you know. Why would he go along with this? I just can’t make sense of it.]**

> **[Did I just see them leaning shoulder-to-shoulder? Yang Hong practically resting on Sun Mo? How is Sun Mo allowing this? Is Yang Hong really that good? Did he actually turn Sun Mo?!]**

> **[Sun Mo’s face even has a hint of softness. I have to hand it to him—Manager Pei definitely picks talent. This man’s acting is top-notch.]**

> **[OMG, Yang Hong just interlocked fingers with Sun Mo! Aaaahhh!]**

A cough interrupted Ji Fei’s inner monologue. She turned to see Qin Xian at his desk, looking mildly perturbed.

They were both in his executive office; ever the dedicated CEO, he’d only taken three days off before returning to work. Though initially, the Qin family had expressed concern over his one-armed state, Ji Fei had assumed his assistants and secretaries would manage any inconvenience.

But the Qin family’s endless talk about various scenarios had Ji Fei convinced that Qin Xian’s limited mobility really was troublesome, and since the studio had given her time off, she’d decided to play the role of his assistant.

To her surprise, he hadn’t dragged her to the office at dawn as he normally would. He’d delayed his departure until the shockingly late hour of 9 a.m.

Once at the office, Ji Fei discovered there wasn’t much for her to do, so she spent ninety percent of her day on a plush office chair beside his desk, catching up on gossip and scrolling through her phone.

Though Ji Fei kept her reactions mostly to herself, occasionally her inner laughter couldn’t be contained.

Now, thinking Qin Xian needed something, she asked, “Thirsty? I can have an assistant bring water.”

Qin Xian gave her an exasperated look. He’d gotten used to Ji Fei’s unexpected mental commentary, but this latest explosion had caught him off guard. “Actually, coffee would help.”

Ji Fei promptly called for coffee and ordered a milk tea for herself.

As he took a break, she couldn’t resist sharing the latest gossip. “How did you manage to predict all that?”

> **[Seriously, I even forwarded the poll to the other Qin family members. And I’m the only one who guessed right!]**

Qin Xian raised an eyebrow, finally understanding the family group chat’s earlier fuss about the poll. He had just skimmed past it, thinking it was more gossip about the trio.

Apparently, even his family had participated in the poll?

It seemed they all had too much free time… except him.

The overworked Qin Xian suddenly felt a tinge of resentment at being the only one buried in work.

Seeing her curious expression, he explained, “It’s just basic game theory. Sun Mo’s out of options. The rumors are beyond repair, and he’s buried in scandals. Rather than become an object of ridicule, the smartest move is to leverage the rumors. Entertainment gossip blurs the line between truth and lies. As long as something more sensational is presented, people will stop caring about past details. Easier to deceive that way.”

> **[That’s why their explanations are full of holes—they know fans will be distracted by the juicier tidbits they release next.]**

“Acting is the only thing Sun Mo’s good at. Being forced back into ordinary life? His pride couldn’t handle that, especially when he nearly made it to Best Actor. So, his best option is a fresh start abroad. Using these rumors as a segue, he can jump right into acting in ‘certain’ genres—it’s an unconventional but quick route.”

“In modern society, especially abroad, people are generally more open-minded. As long as he can swallow his pride, there’s a real chance he could rise again. But he needs resources and connections.”

“Right now, only Yang Hong can offer that. Plenty of people in the entertainment world have bent over backward for fame and fortune, so the reverse isn’t unthinkable either.”

Ji Fei listened, her mouth agape in awe.

Moments later, the duo announced their hiatus from the domestic entertainment industry, planning to pursue careers abroad.

Ji Fei’s mouth formed a perfect "O" as she looked at Qin Xian with admiration.

“You’re brilliant.”

Faced with her shining gaze, Qin Xian felt slightly embarrassed. “Just… standard guesswork.”

> **[Business is truly ruthless; only a shrewd mind could think like this.]**

Qin Xian: …

Would it kill her to offer a normal compliment?

But her attention quickly shifted again.

> **[Knowing all this, Yang Hong is still going along with it… no, he actually initiated it. This is practically a face-off between Obsessed Yang and Suffering Sun.]**

> **[Will Obsessed Yang manage to bring Broken Sun to his side, or will Broken Sun use Obsessed Yang up first? Hmm… oddly compelling.]**

Ji Fei chuckled to herself, sipping her milk tea while scrolling through social media.

Netizens were similarly baffled, with one common sentiment emerging: “Finally, the ‘Male God Group’ has replaced last season’s Best Actor scandal, becoming the biggest joke of the past two weeks.”

Yang Hong and Sun Mo also announced their withdrawal from *Cut! My Acting Skills*.

Same outcome.

“I can picture the director and producer weeping together,” Ji Fei mused.

Qin Xian glanced at her screen. “They probably won’t. With the scandal, the show likely planned to cut them loose anyway. After all, they’re one step away from being blacklisted, and the showrunners don’t want to be constantly blurring their faces.”

Ji Fei frowned. “So… are we down to three groups? There are still several episodes to film. How will they manage?”

“Maybe… bring in replacements?” Qin Xian speculated.

Their answer came quickly, as the production team responded to concerned fans, announcing a round-robin format for the remaining three teams, with themes and matchups decided by random draw.

Ji Fei, curious, checked her gossip network and nearly choked on her milk tea.

Qin Xian gave her a puzzled look as she struggled to compose herself, her mouth twitching.

> **[Turns out, the director and producer tried to terminate the Male God Group’s contract immediately after the scandal, reaching out to replacements. But they couldn’t get a response. Then they tried contacting past contestants who’d been lobbying to join… and were rejected again.]**

Qin Xian: Huh? Why?

> **[They’re scared of competing against the Top Flow Group, afraid this will be the last show they ever do, calling us ‘bad luck.’ Hah! They just don’t want their own dirty secrets exposed!]**

Ji Fei huffed in annoyance.

> **[Although, come to think of it, every team that’s gone up against us has been eliminated… um…]**

Qin Xian could barely contain his laughter.

Who would’ve guessed that the hottest reality show, peaking in popularity this season, would suddenly have no takers?

> **[At this rate, the director and producer really might be crying in the bathroom.]**

Qin X

ian: Most likely…

Amid all the chatter about the show, Ji Fei received a notification from Gao Hao, reminding her to repost a Weibo announcement. She checked and realized Pei Mingxuan had tagged her in a post, but she’d missed it while busy with gossip.

Pei Mingxuan’s post officially announced herself as Ji Fei’s new manager, and Ji Fei immediately reposted it.

With her million-plus followers, the comments section exploded instantly.

When Ji Fei refreshed, she expected Qin Chao’s formal congratulations to have garnered the most likes.

To her surprise, his comment had been pushed to second place.

The top comment read: “Join Fei’s Domain, and may your slaps last forever. Judge of the Entertainment Industry, the career terminator. Let’s eat some scandalous gossip with Big Sis Fei!”

Ji Fei: ???????