After Transmigrating, I Joined a Dating Show with the Fake Heiress Actress - Chapter 38

Su Qingwan’s pupils dilated as she listened to Bai Man’s words, her lips slightly parted in thought.

 

Compared to her previous manager, Su Qingyue certainly lacked experience. But this was understandable; with more time to hone her skills, she would improve. Dismissing her outright would not only cause a scene with Su Qingyue herself, but also create problems with her mother.

 

Just as this thought surfaced, a voice echoed in her mind: Who said you were going to live for yourself? Have you forgotten so quickly?

 

The voice struck her like a blow to the head. She clenched her fists. “I want to conduct an evaluation. If she meets the standards, she can stay.” As soon as the words left her lips, she instinctively glanced at Bai Man.

 

Bai Man raised her hand. “This is my studio. I’m the boss. I make the decisions.” She glanced at her watch. “I have other matters to attend to. I’m leaving.”

 

Su Qingwan watched her retreating figure. “What about dinner tonight?”

 

“When have I ever lied to you?”

 

As Bai Man’s silhouette disappeared, Su Qingwan lowered her gaze, a sense of disappointment washing over her. Was she still angry?

 

She pressed her lips together, her thick, curled lashes trembling slightly as she pondered how to win Bai Man back.

 

Shangguan Mansion.

 

Shangguan Hong was in a furious rage in his study. He had just received news that regulatory authorities had taken notice of Suzhou, and an investigation team was already on its way.

 

It didn’t take much to figure out that this was the work of that little brat Sheng Hao.

 

Hearing the commotion inside, Shangguan Yu, who was carrying a cup of coffee to apologize, froze. Her feet instinctively took a step back, and she turned to leave.

 

“Come in,” Shangguan Hong barked.

 

Reluctantly, Shangguan Yu braced herself and entered the room. She carefully placed the coffee on the desk, avoiding her father’s gaze.

 

At that moment, she fully realized the gravity of her mistake. She had never seen Shangguan Hong this angry before.

 

She stood there nervously, too afraid to speak.

 

Her submissive demeanor did nothing to quell Shangguan Hong’s fury. He slammed his hand on the desk, causing the coffee to slosh over the rim. “You brainless idiot! How could I have spawned such a fool? Getting scammed out of five million is bad enough, but now you’re dragging the entire Shunyang Group down with your stupidity!”

 

Shangguan Hong pointed toward the door. “Pack your bags and get out of here! Go to America! You’re not allowed back without my permission!”

 

Shangguan Fu approached, intending to discuss matters with Shangguan Hong. As he drew near, he overheard Shangguan Hong’s angry words and immediately stepped inside. “Dad, calm down. Xiaoyu didn’t do it on purpose.”

 

“If she had done it on purpose, I’d tear her mouth off!” Shangguan Hong raised his hand. “Don’t say another word in her defense, or you’ll be going with her!”

 

Tears welled in Shangguan Yu’s eyes and streamed down her face, her heart a mix of anger and resentment. She turned to leave, but the thought of not seeing Yu Meng again after going to America made her stop. She turned back. “Dad, I truly know I was wrong. Please give me one more chance,” she pleaded, raising her hand to swear. “I promise I’ll never cause trouble again. I’ll do exactly as you say.”

 

Already agitated, Shangguan Hong’s anger only flared at the sight of her tears. “Get out!” he roared.

 

Shangguan Yu wanted to say more, but a sharp look from Shangguan Fu silenced her. She clamped her hand over her mouth and fled the room.

 

“Book her a flight immediately. I want her gone today,” Shangguan Hong declared firmly. He knew that keeping Shangguan Yu around would only lead to more trouble.

 

That brat Sheng Hao was already more troublesome than that old fossil. Now, Bai Man has suddenly jumped into the mix. They’ve only been together a short time, yet they’ve already caused Shunyang Group such immense trouble. If we let them continue unchecked, they’ll be trampling all over Shunyang Group, acting like tyrants!

 

The thought that his own son, whom he had always valued, was involved only fueled his fury. “She’s brainless, but has her stupidity infected you too? Do you realize the entire city of Suzhou is laughing at us?”

 

“Today, you—?” Shangguan Fu began, then hesitated.

 

“This could have been resolved with some quick maneuvering,” Shangguan Hong said, shaking his head, his face etched with gravity. After a moment’s contemplation, he added, “Summon your uncles.”

 

Hearing this, Shangguan Fu knew the situation was dire. Not only was the land deal slipping through their fingers, but Shunyang Group itself might be in danger.

 

He didn’t linger, turning to contact the others immediately.

 

Shangguan Yu, sobbing as she returned to her room, wiped her tears and grabbed her phone. She dialed Yu Meng’s number. “Mengmeng-jie… I… I want you to come to America with me.”

 

“Xiaoyu, what’s wrong? Who’s been bullying you?”

 

Shangguan Yu had finally managed to stop crying, but the tears started flowing again. “Mengmeng, I… I messed up. Dad wants to send me to America.” She wiped her eyes. “I know a manager there. She’s amazing. If you come with me, you’ll be even more famous than before, even more than you used to be.”

 

Yu Meng was silent for a moment. “Can’t your dad fix this?” she asked. “Xiaoyu, I don’t want to go to America with you. I can’t just swallow this humiliation.”

 

“But… but…” Shangguan Yu didn’t know how to explain. She used to look down on Bai Man, but now, seeing her father and brother so anxious, and her father so angry with her…

 

Without Shunyang’s support, Mengmeng was no longer as influential as before. Everyone was a fair-weather friend. Mengmeng…

 

Yu Meng tightened her grip on the phone. “Xiaoyu, do you trust me? Give me some time. I’ll make Bai Hui pay. I have to go now.”

 

After ending the call, Shangguan Yu fell silent. She couldn’t let Mengmeng fight this battle alone. She had to stay and help her.

 

 

Bai Man pulled the car to the side of the road, and Yu Meng spoke up.

 

“Regarding the online slander, I’ve already contacted my lawyers to handle it. No matter how deeply this person is hiding, they will be exposed and held accountable under the law. Furthermore, my performance in the entertainment industry over the years speaks for itself. I wouldn’t dare call myself absolutely dedicated, but I can confidently say that I possess the fundamental qualities of a professional actor.”

 

“What about the allegations concerning Hengjie Garment Factory, which targets Bai Man’s family? Do you have any comment on that?”

 

“Where’s the evidence? Without proof, don’t spread baseless rumors. We’re all adults here and must take responsibility for our words,” Yu Meng declared firmly.

 

“So you’re implying that Bai Man is slandering you?”

 

“Whether it’s slander or not, the person spreading these rumors knows the truth best.”

 

 

Hearing this, Bai Man immediately turned off her phone screen, pinched the memory card between her fingers, and held it up in the air.

 

Huang Bo, the male reporter sitting in the back seat, reached out to grab it, but his hand closed on empty air.

 

“I’ll return the memory card, but you need to do something for me first,” Bai Man said softly.

 

Huang Bo hesitated, but for the sake of the hard-earned content on the card, he agreed. “What is it? What do you want me to do?”

 

A faint smile curled Bai Man’s lips. “How about this headline: ‘Tear Down the Hypocrisy of the Reigning Best Actress’?”

 

Huang Bo swallowed hard. “You… you want me to ruin Yu Meng’s reputation?”

 

“You misunderstand. I simply want you to publish the truth,” Bai Man placed the memory card on the center console. “And I won’t let you work for free. I’ll double your usual rate.”

 

“No need, no need. Just give me a little favor later when you become famous.” Huang Bo quickly inserted the memory card into his camera. After reviewing the photos and videos, he breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything you’ve asked for perfectly. I won’t bother you any further.”

 

Bai Man glanced at the time. Spotting a flower shop, she pulled over and picked out some lilies. Her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of red roses, and she paused again. Su Qingwan seemed to like that color.

 

She always stared blankly at Bai Man’s lips.

 

No, her anger hadn’t subsided yet. She refused to do anything as sentimental as sending flowers.

 

She averted her gaze and walked to the cashier, but as she paid, she glanced back at the roses.

 

The clerk hesitated, then said, “If you find roses too ostentatious, bellflowers also symbolize love.”

 

This completely changed Bai Man’s mind. She took a few steps toward the door, then turned back and grabbed the bellflowers.

 

System 388: Host, are you finally going to confess? But does Su Qingwan even know the meaning of bellflowers? If not, won’t all your efforts be wasted?

 

Bai Man: Who said anything about confessing? I just don’t want to see her sulking at the dinner table.

 

System 388: Even a rock isn’t as stubborn as you. Tsk tsk tsk, and you think you can win her over like this? If I were Su Qingwan, I’d choose Yu Meng over you any day.

 

Hearing Yu Meng’s name reminded Bai Man of Su Qingwan meeting Yu Meng alone and being secretly photographed by Huang Bo.

 

The anger and jealousy surged back. Why should she care about the feelings of someone so stubborn and unyielding?

 

Spotting a trash can nearby, she walked over to throw the flowers away, but then Su Qingwan’s pitiful, pleading eyes flashed in her mind.

 

Troublesome.

 

She withdrew her hand and hurried to her car.

 

Meanwhile, Yu Meng’s Management Company had called a press conference for an hour later.

 

Shao Jun paced anxiously, her eyes glued to the inflammatory comments on the forum. She turned to see Yu Meng sitting stiffly in her chair, her expression blank. Shao Jun pressed a hand to her forehead, exhausted. “Didn’t I tell you to lower your profile? What you need now is to win the public’s sympathy. You acted so self-righteous at the press conference—you didn’t look like a victim at all!”

 

Yu Meng looked up at Shao Jun. “I can’t do that.”

 

“Just pretend! Is that so hard?” Shao Jun pointed at the computer screen. “Look at this! The internet is full of hate for us, calling me the Empress Dowager of the entertainment industry and you my public enemy number one. If this continues, we’re both finished.”

 

A sudden thought struck her. She moved closer to Yu Meng. “There’s still one way out: make peace with Bai Man. Su Qingwan’s situation has improved because of Bai Man’s intervention, and the online backlash against her has eased. If Bai Man publicly clears your name and clarifies that you had nothing to do with the Hengjie Garment Factory livestream incident, not only will the criticism stop, but you’ll also win back the fans you’ve lost.”

 

Yu Meng’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You want me to make peace with Bai Man? Have you lost your mind?” She stood up abruptly. “I will never lower myself to beg Bai Man for anything.”

 

Go beg Bai Man? That’s practically handing her the opportunity to humiliate and mock me!

 

“You refuse to play the victim, and you refuse to go to Bai Man,” Shao Jun said through gritted teeth. “Yu Meng, tell me, what do you want? Or do you want to wallow in this swamp forever?”

 

The phones in the secretary’s office had been ringing non-stop, all calls from brands clamoring to replace Yu Meng as their spokesperson.

 

If they couldn’t salvage her image soon, Yu Meng’s chances of climbing back up would be slim.

 

No one wanted to work with a star tainted by scandal, even with Shunyang Group backing her. As for Yu Meng herself, as long as Shunyang remained powerful and she held dirt on those key figures, the major resources would keep flowing her way.

 

In the entertainment industry, resources were everything. With enough resources, even with a tarnished reputation, people would still dance to her tune.

 

Yu Meng froze, unwilling to live a life of humiliation. She deserved the adoration of millions.

 

She hadn’t even crushed Bai Man yet.

 

With renewed resolve, she clenched her fists. “I’ll do a livestream.”

 

Shao Jun exhaled in relief and signaled her assistant to arrange it immediately.

 

Bai Man had just parked her car when she received a message from Wu Xi.

 

Wu Xi: Sister Man, Yu Meng’s doing a livestream to play the victim. Some of the fence-sitters are already switching sides! I’m so mad!

 

Bai Man: How’s the situation at Yu Meng’s Management Company these past two days?

 

Wu Xi: They say their phones have been ringing off the hook, but the brands they’ve been collaborating with haven’t made a move yet.

 

Bai Man: Let’s wait and see.

 

No movement? This is even more interesting than I expected.

 

Bai Man put her phone away and stepped out of the car. She immediately saw Su Qingwan’s car approaching. She quickly placed the bellflower she was holding on the back seat and walked straight toward her house.

 

Su Qingwan jumped out of her car at top speed and called out to Bai Man’s retreating figure, “Bai Man, wait for me!”

 

Bai Man told herself to ignore her, but her disobedient feet stopped anyway.

 

Just as she resolved to take another step, Su Qingwan had already caught up to her, her cheeks flushed and beads of sweat dotting her forehead. Hesitantly, she held out a bouquet of flowers. “F-for you… Don’t be mad anymore, okay?”

 

Bai Man stared at the bouquet in Su Qingwan’s hands, momentarily stunned. These weren’t flowers at all—they were blossoms crafted from various types of lollipops.

 

Judging by the somewhat haphazard wrapping, it was clear this candy bouquet had been handmade. So Su Qingwan had made this herself.

 

Seeing Bai Man’s prolonged silence, Su Qingwan glanced up at her. “Is it too ugly?” she asked, already reaching to take it back.

 

This was the most successful attempt she’d made so far.

 

After Bai Man left Jiayue Studio, Su Qingwan had pondered for a long time before deciding on this gift. The bandaging technique in the video looked simple, but her first attempt had been a complete failure. The memory of the eight ruined sheets of paper still made her cheeks burn.

 

Bai Man swiftly snatched the bouquet. “It is a bit ugly,” she admitted, then turned to leave, the slight upturn of her lips betraying her true mood.

 

Watching Bai Man’s retreating figure, Su Qingwan wondered, She’s not angry anymore, is she?

 

Chirp! The car unlocked.

 

Bai Man’s voice drifted back: “I bought an extra bouquet. It’s in the back seat.”

 

Su Qingwan’s eyes widened in disbelief. Bai Man had actually given her flowers?

 

She rushed to the car, flung open the door, and saw the beautifully wrapped bouquet of bellflowers on the back seat. Her lips curved into a smile that reached her eyes. “Thank you,” she said, her voice filled with genuine delight. “I love them.”

 

System 388: Hahaha, I knew it! Su Qingwan doesn’t know the flower language of bellflowers. Host, your confession failed!

 

The smile on Bai Man’s lips immediately froze. You talk too much nonsense. Confessing indirectly, hiding your true feelings—that’s something only insecure people do. I don’t need that.

 

System 388: So, you’re saying Su Qingwan likes you? Wait, if she does, why didn’t she confess to you?

 

Bai Man: Shut up.

 

Remembering something, she asked, “Any response yet?”

 

System 388: Yes, yes! But do you really want to hear it now? Shouldn’t you wait until after dinner with your family and Su Qingwan?

 

Bai Man hesitated. Judging by System 388’s tone, the answer from the base station was exactly what she had been longing to hear.

 

But why did her heart feel so heavy? Was it because she was reluctant to part with the warmth Xu Mengjie and Bai Shanheng had given her, or was it because someone here had gradually captured her heart?

 

Opening the door, she walked into the living room and handed the lilies in her hand to Xu Mengjie. “I passed a flower shop and thought these looked nice, so I bought a bouquet.”

 

Xu Mengjie gazed at the flowers in her arms, tears welling up in her eyes. She had always envied other women her age who received bouquets from their sons or daughters, often daydreaming that Bai Man would give her one too. She never imagined this cherished wish would actually come true.

 

She turned her head to hide her tears, her voice trembling slightly as she said, “Thank you… I love them.” With those words, she stepped forward and embraced Bai Man. “Sometimes I think… it wouldn’t be so bad if you stayed here forever.”

 

This sentiment might seem unfair to the real Bai Man, but given the circumstances and the impossibility of switching back, Xu Mengjie was willing to keep things as they were.

 

Through their time together, Xu Mengjie had grown genuinely fond of Bai Man, her heart aching for this child who expressed her emotions in her own unique way. She sensed that Bai Man hadn’t been happy in her original world. Bai Man was too exceptional, too mature, far surpassing her peers. It wasn’t hard to imagine the immense effort and hidden sacrifices Bai Man had made to reach her current level of success.

 

The warmth of the embrace and Xu Mengjie’s words—every syllable—struck Bai Man’s heart. Would it really be so bad to stay here forever?

 

She lowered her gaze to Xu Mengjie, then glanced at Bai Shanheng standing in the distance, smiling at her. If I could just keep watching them like this, it might actually be wonderful.

 

But all of this was predicated on the original owner of this body never returning. What if they found out that she hadn’t come back because of me? Would they blame me?

 

“Mom, I want a hug too!” Su Qingwan ran over, handing Xu Mengjie the flowers. “Bai Man didn’t even say anything! She bought the same ones!”

 

Xu Mengjie released Bai Man, her smile radiant as she accepted the flowers—the first she’d received in six years. As Su Qingwan wished, she gave her a hug.

 

With flowers in both hands, she released Su Qingwan after just two seconds. “I’ll go arrange these.” As she turned to leave, her gaze lingered on the lollipop in Bai Man’s arms.

 

Noticing her gaze, Bai Man felt a momentary unease. Glancing sideways, she saw Su Qingwan’s hands were now empty, and her brow furrowed slightly.

 

Su Qingwan noticed her unease and leaned closer, whispering in a voice only they could hear, “I put it in my car. I’ll put it in a vase when we get back and take good care of it.”

 

That’s more like it.

 

Bai Man took a step forward, hugging the lollipop bouquet as she walked upstairs.

 

When she came back down, Bai Shanheng had already finished cooking and set all the dishes on the table. A bottle of red wine stood beside the plates.

 

“Would you two do me the honor of sharing a drink with me?” Bai Shanheng asked.

 

Su Qingwan immediately replied, “Sure!” She stood up and began pouring the wine.

 

After handing a glass to Xu Mengjie, she turned to Bai Man. “Do you want some?”

 

Bai Man nodded lightly. She rarely drank, disliking the taste of alcohol, but today she wanted to join them, as if it were a final farewell.

 

The thought that everything here would soon fade like smoke after she returned home weighed heavily on her heart. She took the glass from Su Qingwan and drained it in one gulp.

 

Bai Shanheng and Xu Mengjie exchanged glances, both sensing that something was off with her today.

 

Sitting beside Bai Man, Su Qingwan sensed her unease and moved closer. “What’s wrong?” she asked softly.

 

Intuition told her Bai Man wasn’t angry.

 

Ignoring Bai Shanheng and Xu Mengjie’s presence, Su Qingwan grabbed Bai Man’s hand, remembering her earlier suspicions. “Bai Man, Bai Man… are you leaving?” Her voice trembled, fear gripping her heart—fear that Bai Man would confirm her worst fears.

 

Bai Man looked up at her, her gaze softening as she watched Su Qingwan’s eyes gradually redden and glisten with unshed tears, brimming with anxiety and reluctance.

 

She didn’t want to leave Su Qingwan either.

 

But she still wanted to settle her old scores with those people herself.

 

A wave of panic washed over Su Qingwan. Her lips parted slightly as she whispered, “You’re not leaving, are you?”

 

When Bai Man remained silent, Su Qingwan lost control. She grabbed the wine from the table and drained the glass in one gulp.

 

The bitter wine did nothing to calm her racing heart. It felt like needles were piercing her chest—she couldn’t bear the thought of Bai Man leaving.

 

She didn’t want Bai Man to leave. She wanted her to stay.

 

Xu Mengjie stood up, trying to stop Su Qingwan. “What’s wrong with you two? You were fine just a moment ago.”

 

Su Qingwan poured herself another glass and drank it down. Then she stood up and pointed at Bai Man. “She says she wants to leave.”

 

Xu Mengjie and Bai Shanheng stared in shock. Bai Shanheng was the first to regain his composure, turning to Bai Man. “Manman, are you really going back?”

 

Knowing Bai Man’s sensitivity, Xu Mengjie quickly added, “He doesn’t mean it like that. It’s just… this is so sudden. Bai and I had prepared ourselves for the possibility that she might never return.”

 

A thought struck her. “If this exchange is dangerous, maybe… maybe we should just leave things as they are? As long as she’s safe and well, Bai and I will be at peace. We don’t want you risking yourself just to fulfill our wishes.”

 

Xu Mengjie’s words crashed through the walls Bai Man had built around her heart like a tidal wave.

 

She had assumed Xu Mengjie and Bai Shanheng would be overjoyed to have their original daughter back. She never imagined they would be more concerned about her safety during the soul exchange.

 

Once again, she asked herself: Was it worth it? Was this obsession in her heart truly worth risking everything for? Were these people truly worth such sacrifice?