Eldest Senior Sister Became a Sensation After Being Blacklisted Online - Chapter 20

As soon as Hu Tianyu left, Song Cheng hurried back home, opened the door, and nearly collided with Wu Guifang, who had been eavesdropping with her ear pressed against the door.

Wu Guifang chuckled awkwardly and took two steps back, explaining, “I asked him what he wanted earlier, but he wouldn’t say. I was worried you might be taken advantage of.”

Song Cheng glanced in the direction Hu Tianyu had departed, her eyes narrowing slightly. “It’s just another scheme. I can handle it.” Hu Tianyu was a man driven by profit; he would never follow her instructions.

This situation presented her with an opportunity to escape Phoenix Sky Entertainment without paying a breach-of-contract penalty.

“Regardless of what happens, remember we’re family,” Wu Guifang said warmly. “This home will always be your support.” Although Song Cheng had never explicitly revealed her origins, her words and actions made it clear she wasn’t from this era.

Being from a different era meant lacking familiarity with this world. As family, how could Wu Guifang let Song Cheng suffer from that ignorance?

Song Cheng nodded. “Alright.”

Wu Guifang finally relaxed and led Song Cheng into the living room, walking ahead of her. “Rest for a bit. I asked Sister Feng to make your favorite dishes today.”

Song Cheng smiled and nodded, then sat on the sofa, pulled out her phone, found Liu Zimang’s number, and opened a message window to start typing.

When Song Yu returned, he saw her sitting with her head bowed, tapping at her phone screen. Curious, he carefully approached and leaned in to peek, but she dodged away, her eyes flashing with suspicion. He cleared his throat. “Just looking.”

He set his briefcase on the sofa. “I noticed you seem a bit unfamiliar with typing. What about writing? Can you write the characters we use here?”

Stung by this exposure of her weakness, Song Cheng stiffened, her face hardening. After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded.

“Easy fix. Just switch the input method.” Song Yu held out his hand. “Give me your phone. I’ll switch it for you.”

Song Cheng exited the message window before handing her phone to Song Yu. “Don’t you dare snoop.”

The sharpness in her eyes instantly extinguished Song Yu’s secret urge to peek. He quickly switched the input method and handed the phone back.

She tried it out and found it was indeed more convenient than the pinyin input method. After thanking Song Yu, she focused on editing her message:

I was busy the past few days and didn’t have time to reply. I’m willing.

Just as she finished typing, Song Yu’s voice interrupted: “Liu Zimang just posted an announcement saying it was a mistake. I knew she’d never hold you responsible! You’re both girls—how could you be responsible?”

A mistake?

Song Cheng looked up, her eyes filled with confusion.

“That netizen demanded you take responsibility for Liu Zimang because she liked that message. When they noticed, the whole internet started pressuring you to take responsibility,” Song Yu patiently explained.

So it was all just a misunderstanding?

Song Cheng pondered for a moment and reached that conclusion.

“But wouldn’t it have been better to post this announcement on the same day?” Song Yu murmured, stroking his chin in puzzlement.

So what exactly was going on?

Unable to figure it out, Song Cheng grabbed her phone and walked to the backyard. Without hesitation, she called Liu Zimang. After a long pause, Liu Zimang’s voice finally answered: “What do you want?”

“I’m sorry about what happened that day. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“You didn’t need to call to say that.”

Hearing the tremor in Liu Zimang’s voice, Song Cheng instinctively tightened her grip on her phone. “How’s the injury on your leg?”

“Song Cheng, is this some kind of game?” Liu Zimang snapped.

The sudden increase in volume startled Song Cheng, causing her to pull the phone away slightly. Just as she was about to ask why, Song Yu’s voice cut in beside her: “Did you get rid of those things from that night? You wouldn’t believe how little sleep I’ve gotten these past two days, terrified they’d come back while you were unconscious.”

Liu Zimang, who had been about to interrupt, pressed the phone tightly to her ear at the word “unconscious,” determined not to miss a single word.

Song Cheng had been silent for two days because she was unconscious?

That didn’t make sense. With her martial arts skills, it would be nearly impossible for an ordinary person to harm her.

Song Cheng glared at Song Yu for interrupting her call, then moved aside before speaking again. “You’re in a bad mood.”

“Where were you these past two days?”

Reluctant to lie to Liu Zimang, Song Cheng paused before answering slowly, “I was handling some things. I ended up bedridden for two days.”

“Just lying in bed for two days? That’s all?”

Hearing this, Song Cheng knew Liu Zimang had overheard Song Yu’s earlier conversation. She cleared her throat and said, “I briefly lost consciousness, but I’m fine now.”

“Then what did you want to talk to me about today?”

Remembering Song Yu’s earlier words, Song Cheng quickly changed the “take responsibility” that was about to slip out to “I just wanted to chat.”

Beep… beep… beep…

Song Cheng pulled the phone away from her ear and saw that the call had abruptly ended, returning to the home screen. “Why did she hang up so suddenly?”

“Finished your call? Come eat.” Song Yu turned and headed toward the living room.

Song Cheng put away her phone and followed Song Yu to the dining table. The sight of the dishes instantly warmed her heart—her mother had actually cooked all her favorite dishes.

Meanwhile, at Huiyuan International…

After hanging up, Liu Zimang grabbed the teddy bear from the sofa and began yanking at it furiously. What does he mean he just wanted to chat? Does he think I’m lonely?

And what could have made him unconscious for two whole days?

The worst part is, I didn’t hear a word about it. He didn’t even need to go to the hospital after collapsing?

Zhang Yux entered the room to find Liu Zimang beating up a stuffed bear. She clicked her tongue. “Liu Three-Year-Old, could you be any more childish? Taking your anger out on a bear? If you’re so tough, go confront the person who caused this mess!”

“I haven’t hit her since she collapsed two days ago,” Liu Zimang muttered softly. “If I hit her now, she might end up crippled.”

Zhang Yux leaned closer. “What did you say?”

Liu Zimang released the bear. “Nothing.”

“Here’s something to cheer you up,” Zhang Yux said, shaking her head. “Your ‘rising star’ is about to crash and burn. Any sane manager would screen resources for their artists. My guess is she pissed off Hu Tianyu, and he’s trying to squeeze every last drop of value out of her before she’s done.”

Liu Zimang frowned deeply. “What exactly happened?”

Zhang Yux straightened up. “Don’t tell me you’re still hung up on her.”

Liu Zimang’s expression turned awkward as she brushed her bangs aside. “She was unconscious for two days. It couldn’t have been intentional.”

“And what about her response?” Zhang Yux pressed.

Liu Zimang turned her head away, her hands clenching slightly at her sides. “Just tell me what happened!”

Zhang Yux stared at her for a long moment. “You’re completely under her thumb,” she said, taking a sip of water. Just as Liu Zimang’s patience was about to snap, she continued slowly, “I don’t know the specifics, but a friend at Phoenix Sky told me they’re making a big move. They’re probably trying to leverage Song Cheng to boost Phoenix Sky’s status in the entertainment industry. With all the rumors flying about you and Song Cheng, she was trying to get information from me to decide where to stand—to see if you’d protect Song Cheng.

“Phoenix Sky Entertainment’s market value must be quite low right now,” Liu Zimang murmured.

Zhang Yux, who had just leaned back on the sofa, immediately sat up straight. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to acquire Phoenix Sky Entertainment.”

Liu Zimang tilted her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Why not? My contract with Shang Tian is expiring soon.”

Zhang Yux stood up and paced back and forth, thinking hard. “This is a risky move,” she finally said. “With your current status, joining Phoenix Sky Entertainment would definitely elevate their position. And with Song Cheng as a rising star, there’s potential for growth.” She scratched her head. “But you can’t carry the entire company on your shoulders. None of Phoenix Sky Entertainment’s current roster has any real talent.”

She paused. “The biggest problem is that acquiring Phoenix Sky Entertainment will drain all your savings. Even if we overlook that, you’ll still have to figure out how to run the company, which will only hinder your career advancement.”

Liu Zimang leaned back casually. “Isn’t that what you’re for? You’ve always been the one who takes on extra work. I’m sure you can handle it.”

“Liu Zimang, I’m human, not a god! I need personal space too!” Zhang Yux snapped, exasperated.

“What’s the point of personal space? Moping over someone who isn’t worth it? You’re better off making money while you’re young. As they say, ‘Love lost, career gained.'” She stood up and headed for the stairs, adding, “Now’s your chance to shine at work. Remember, act fast—we can’t let Hu get away with this.”

Watching her carefree figure disappear, Zhang Yux gritted her teeth. “I must have owed you in my past life. As if worrying about you wasn’t enough, now I have to worry about a whole company too!”

Two days later, after finishing her training, Song Cheng returned to the living room to find Song Tianfu staring at her, his expression hesitant.

“Dad, you can just tell me what’s on your mind,” she said, wiping away sweat.

Hearing this, Song Tianfu immediately rushed over with his phone, pointing at the paused screen. “The comments are saying you can microwave things with your bare hands. What kind of skill is that? Can you explain it?”

Song Cheng glanced around, spotted a glass of cold water on the coffee table, and picked it up. In the blink of an eye, steam began to rise from the previously cold water.

Tucking the towel under her arm, she walked over to the stunned Song Tianfu, pried open his fingers, and pressed the now-warm glass into his hand before heading upstairs.

As soon as she entered her room, her phone rang. Seeing it was Zhu Ke calling, she answered, put it on speaker, and placed it on the table while she went to the closet to grab a change of clothes.

“Sister Song, something big has happened! You need to come to the company right away!”

Her hand paused mid-reach. “What is it?”

“Phoenix Sky Entertainment has changed hands! The company’s golden age is about to begin!”

“Got it. I’m going to shower. Hanging up now.” Before Zhu Ke could finish speaking, Song Cheng strode into the bathroom.

She couldn’t care less about who owned Phoenix Sky Entertainment. As the saying goes, “No merchant is without guile.” It was simply a matter of replacing Old Hu with Old Wang.

As long as they didn’t force her into any ridiculous endorsement deals, she was fine with whoever was in charge.

But such a scenario was highly unlikely.

After showering and changing into casual clothes, she leisurely strolled downstairs.

“Chengz, come here. Sister Feng just finished brewing chicken soup. Drink a bowl before you go out,” Wu Guifang said, carefully carrying the steaming bowl toward her.

Song Cheng naturally accepted the bowl and finished the soup in three sips before heading out.

For the past two days, Wu Guifang and Sister Feng had been taking turns brewing various nourishing soups for her, claiming they would replenish her q and bl00d and help her recover faster.

Truthfully, she could recover just fine without them, but the warmth of their concern made her reluctant to say so.

By the time she arrived at Phoenix Sky Entertainment, half an hour had passed. As soon as she entered the lobby, Zhu Ke rushed over excitedly. “Sister Song, you’re finally here!”

Before she could reply, a sarcastic voice cut in from the side: “Fame changes people. Now she’s acting like a big shot.”

“Exactly! General Manager Hu spoiled you before, but with your attitude, you’re in for a rude awakening now.”

Zhu Ke straightened her back and stepped forward to shield Song Cheng behind her. “You know everything, so are you sure you can stay?”

Her simple words silenced the two women, who slunk away in shame.

Song Cheng couldn’t help but glance at Zhu Ke. “So even a cornered rabbit will bite? Just for that, I’ll protect you.”

Zhu Ke’s cheeks flushed slightly. “Sister Song, stop teasing me. Oh, Secretary Wang called. He said to go straight to the President’s Office when you arrive.”

Song Cheng nodded lightly and headed straight for the President’s Office.

The President’s Office was right next to the General Manager’s Office, so she knew her way around.

As she approached the door, she noticed it was wide open. She stepped inside, knocked lightly, but her gaze kept drifting to the figure standing with their back to her.

Why does she look so much like Liu Zimang?

Driven by curiosity, she didn’t wait for a response and walked toward the figure. As she drew closer, the figure turned around—it was indeed Liu Zimang.

Liu Zimang’s outfit was strikingly different from her usual attire. She wore a deep-V black camisole dress, its form-fitting silhouette accentuating her hourglass figure. A fluffy fur coat draped over her shoulders, paired with bold, glamorous makeup, exuding an overwhelming aura of seduction.

With considerable effort, Song Cheng finally tore her gaze away from Liu Zimang. “When they said ‘new owner,’ they meant you?”

Liu Zimang crossed her arms, leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window. “What? Is that a problem?”

Song Cheng shook her head, unable to resist glancing at Liu Zimang again. She swallowed hard. “I didn’t expect this.”

Liu Zimang took in Song Cheng’s reaction. She stepped away from the window, moved closer, and leaned down, placing her hands lightly on Song Cheng’s neck. She whispered into Song Cheng’s ear, “Didn’t expect what?”

From the moment she made this move, Liu Zimang had resolved to bend Song Cheng to her will and drag her into the depths of their shared desire.

Besides, she didn’t believe Song Cheng was indifferent to her.

This was evident both from Song Cheng’s current reaction and her previous indulgence of Liu Zimang’s provocations.

Song Cheng, who always sought revenge for any slight, would never have tolerated Liu Zimang’s repeated threats if she truly felt nothing for her.

Liu Zimang’s sudden closeness and the tickling sensation in her ear made Song Cheng’s entire body tense. Her palms grew damp.

Glancing down, she caught sight of a expanse of snow-white skin, the deep cleavage stirring her bl00d. A warm trickle ran from her nose. She touched it and realized it was a nosebleed.

Desperate to hide it from Liu Zimang, she quickly tucked her hand behind her back, turning her head away to conceal her face.

Liu Zimang wasn’t about to let her get away with that. She immediately turned Song Cheng’s face toward her and exclaimed in surprise, “Why are you suddenly getting a nosebleed?”

It’s all your fault.

Song Cheng couldn’t say that, of course. She replied solemnly, “I’ve been drinking too much chicken soup lately. It’s making me feel a bit overheated.”

“Is that so?” Liu Zimang drawled deliberately, leaning even closer to Song Cheng.

Determined to avoid further embarrassment, Song Cheng extended her other hand to stop Liu Zimang from closing the distance. When Liu Zimang paused, Song Cheng swiftly sidestepped a few steps, spotted tissues on the desk, and hurried over to grab one. She wiped her nose with forced composure while silently reciting the Heart-Clearing Mantra.

Beauty is a snare, the ancients were right, Song Cheng muttered inwardly.

Liu Zimang withdrew her gaze, a hint of disappointment flashing across her face before she quickly regained her composure. “Talent Clash has made you a sensation. You should strike while the iron’s hot, build your popularity, and pave the way for your future.”

Having anticipated Song Cheng’s objection, she preemptively interrupted, “Don’t tell me you want to retire. What would you even do after leaving the industry? Collect rent? Besides, do you really think the media would leave you alone just because you quit? I can assure you, every move you make will still be under public scrutiny for at least three years.” She spread her hands. “What’s the difference between that and staying in the industry?”

She walked up to Song Cheng, took a wet wipe from her bag, and gently wiped the bl00d from around Song Cheng’s nose. “Instead of this, why not capitalize on your popularity and earn more money? With your current fame, even a casual advertisement would pay more than teaching Xu We.”