The 'Involution King' Second Female Lead Quits [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: The Enthusiastic Heiress

Li Jianwei’s mom was stunned into silence. She looked at her daughter with a blank expression. “Can you compare yourself to her? If you could break a century-old math problem, I wouldn’t care if you dated a female celebrity.”

“Do you think I’m capable of that?” Li Jianwei asked sincerely.

Her mom fell silent. Of course, as a mother, she knew her daughter’s abilities. Forget a century-old problem, even a doctoral-level math question would be enough to stump her for a long time.

“I won’t comment on your partner’s gender, but you’ve always told me that people in the entertainment industry are unseemly and that some of the outwardly glamorous ones are actually filthy and unbearable.” Her mom’s questions were logical and well-reasoned. “And now you’re telling me you’re dating a female celebrity. How am I supposed to believe she’s someone you can have a good life with?”

Li Jianwei had completely shot herself in the foot. There was no way around it. She was the kind of person who loved to share her life with her mom, and whenever she ran into something bad, she couldn’t help but complain, which had given her mom a bad impression of celebrities.

“Shu Heng is different. She’s very pure-hearted,” Li Jianwei tried to defend herself. “Actually, in a way, I was the one who went after her first, and then… well, then I went after her and got her.”

“Hmm?” Her mom raised an eyebrow, immediately latching onto the key point. “Last year, when your aunt offered to set you up, you said you wanted to focus on your career and had no interest in dating. So what’s this about now?” As a homeroom and dean of students, her mom had seen every trick in the book. She could tell in a second whether a student was lying or telling the truth. It was no different with her own daughter. Her mom knew exactly which words were meant to fool her and which were sincere.

“Well, if I’m going to tell you the details, I have to go way back,” Li Jianwei stammered, trying to skip this part.

“It’s fine, I can sleep with you tonight,” her mom said, calmly blocking her escape.

Li Jianwei’s shoulders slumped. “Fine. I’ll make a long story short. I helped Shu Heng once and discovered she has access to a lot of great resources, so I was deliberately trying to get to know her.”

“After we spent some time together, we ended up on a show, and then we realized we had really good feelings for each other and got together.”

Li Jianwei added, “She likes me a lot, and I like her too.”

“What kind of resources did she bring you?” Her mom’s brows furrowed. “Did you get with her because of feelings or because of the resources she could give you?”

“Even if it were just for the resources, I could have gotten them without being with her,” Li Jianwei answered quickly, making her mom fall silent once more. Did I go wrong with my parenting? Why does my daughter’s moral compass seem so… elusive?

“You’re an adult, unlike those students who have never left the ivory tower. I won’t interfere too much with your relationship,” her mom said. “But you have to remember that you’re at an age where you must take responsibility for your choices and actions. I don’t care what your reasons are for being with her, but you can’t break the law, and you should avoid doing things that go against your conscience.”

Li Jianwei nodded like a little chick pecking for rice. “Yeah, I know, Mom. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything reckless.”

“If you’re serious about her, bring her home so I can meet her.” Her mom glanced at her husband, who was coming out of the kitchen with a plate of fruit, and chose to end the topic. Her dad, being a PE teacher, wasn’t very good at keeping secrets, so it was best not to let him know about this until things were official. She didn’t want him accidentally letting something slip during a casual conversation.

…

A Short Separation

“Really? The shoot is over? So does that mean you’re coming back tomorrow, Teacher Li?” Shu Heng’s voice was filled with excitement on the video call, her face beaming.

Li Jianwei had to burst her bubble. “I booked the flight a while ago. It’s for the day after tomorrow afternoon. I’m planning to stay home for a day and come back on schedule.”

The heiress was very understanding and didn’t mind when she heard Li Jianwei was at home. “Oh, right. You were promoting your hometown, so it makes sense for you to rest at home after the shoot.”

“Teacher Li, what are your parents like? When I’m an official part of your life, should I bring them a gift?” Shu Heng asked, taking the initiative.

Li Jianwei pondered for a moment. “They’re both teachers and very open-minded. They like people who are smart and well-behaved.”

“What counts as smart? Does graduating from a top university count?” Shu Heng blinked, looking a little nervous.

Li Jianwei took a long pause, and her tone became uncertain. “Maybe? But my mom’s favorite people are math researchers. She really likes this one mathematician.”

“Who is it?” Shu Heng pressed.

“You’ve probably heard of her. She’s the youngest professor at Huada University and appeared as an expert on a show on CCTV,” Li Jianwei said, giving her a hint.

Shu Heng didn’t have any memory of her, but she knew how to use tools. She immediately opened her tablet and looked up the official website of the university. It didn’t take her long to find the young professor. “Is it Professor Liu Zhen?” Shu Heng asked.

Li Jianwei nodded. “Yes, Professor Liu Zhen. Last year, she broke a century-old problem in academia. My mom really admires her.”

Shu Heng silently made a mental note of this important fact. She planned to ask Sister Qin if she had any connections to this professor. It would be great if she could become an official student of hers. If not, she could at least donate money to the professor’s research projects. The point was to get on her good side ahead of time.

…

A little separation is better than a new marriage. After Li Jianwei got off the plane, she didn’t even have a chance to go home to her villa that she was still paying off. Shu Heng had picked her up herself. Li Jianwei and Shu Heng were both in their twenties, and their reunion was filled with lots of passionate cuddling.

While Shu Heng went to shower, Li Jianwei couldn’t help but pull a pack of cigarettes out of her suitcase, feeling the urge to light one up. Now that they were an official couple, she could probably let the heiress know about her harmless bad habit, right?

Patiently waiting for Shu Heng to put on her new pajamas, Li Jianwei put the cigarettes and a lighter on the table and asked frankly, “Do you have a smoking room?”

Shu Heng was stunned for a moment. “You smoke, Teacher Li?”

Li Jianwei nodded with a hint of nervousness, her eyes locked on Shu Heng’s face. She said casually, “I’m not addicted, but I like to have one once in a while.”

Shu Heng frowned, walked over, picked up the cigarette pack, and opened it to smell. It was a famous brand of women’s cigarettes. It didn’t have a very harsh smell, but it still contained nicotine.

“Teacher Li, smoking is bad for your health. Don’t you know that? Even elementary school students know that,” Shu Heng said, putting her hand with the cigarette pack behind her back and looking stern. “You’re not allowed to smoke in my room.”

“Not even one?” Li Jianwei asked, her voice slightly pleading. “I haven’t smoked at all during the shoot. A pack lasts me more than a month.”

“No, not even one!” Shu Heng was firm and turned the question back on her. “Teacher Li, if you’re not addicted, what difference does it make if you smoke or not?”

“Seriously?” Li Jianwei struggled. “It’s just a way for me to de-stress. One cigarette makes me feel a little better.”

“What! You’re with me, Teacher Li! We just… and you still need to feel better?” Shu Heng looked shocked. She mercilessly threw the cigarettes into the trash can and pressed down on Li Jianwei’s shoulders. Then she said with a serious expression, “Teacher Li, I think you need to do some self-reflection. Of course, if I wasn’t good enough, I’ll try to get better!”

“It’s not that I’m unhappy with… with that. It’s just… you can think of it as a little quirk of mine,” Li Jianwei said, her eyes filled with a glimmer of hope. Only Li Jianwei knew whether she was hoping Shu Heng would agree to her request or if she was hoping Shu Heng would help her break this habit.

Right now, Li Jianwei wasn’t willing to admit that she was actively letting Shu Heng into her world and giving her permission to interfere in her every move.

“Bad habits should go. If you really want to, I can go get you a box of those finger cookies instead,” Shu Heng said, giving Li Jianwei a kiss. “This is a request from your girlfriend. I don’t like the smell of smoke, so you absolutely, positively cannot smoke behind my back, or I’ll be mad.”

Li Jianwei mumbled an agreement. “Then give me a box of cookies.”

“You can’t smoke behind my back, and you can’t smoke in front of me, either,” Shu Heng stressed. “Teacher Li, do you promise?”

Li Jianwei couldn’t escape and could only nod under Shu Heng’s gaze. “Okay, I promise.”

“That’s more like it,” Shu Heng said, hugging Li Jianwei. “You’ve already brushed your teeth, Teacher Li, so it’s not a good idea to eat cookies.”

“Hmm?” Li Jianwei raised an eyebrow. She couldn’t smoke, but why couldn’t she eat cookies? Before Li Jianwei could ask, Shu Heng’s actions already gave her the answer. If she wasn’t happy enough to eat a cookie, then they should just do more happy things!

The next day, as Li Jianwei quietly ate her steak with a fork, she couldn’t help but wonder if the heiress’s energy was excessive. How could she have gone three times in one night? My physique is pretty good for the industry, isn’t it? I don’t need a stunt double for a lot of my action scenes. Whatever. If the heiress’s needs are really that high, I’ll just add some targeted exercises to my next workout.

…

An “Oscar-Winning” Performance

The edited version of A Journey to Nowhere aired on time two weeks later. Li Jianwei and Shu Heng didn’t have any work scheduled that day, so they sat on the sofa together and watched the show with the comments turned on. The three days of filming were edited into three episodes, each nearly two hours long.

The two didn’t watch it live. They started about three hours after it aired, so there were already plenty of comments scrolling across the screen.

“Teacher Li, were you really surprised when I showed up as a guest?” Shu Heng said, a hard candy in her mouth. “The comments say we’re acting.”

Li Jianwei: “Doesn’t that just mean that our acting is so good in the eyes of the public that it’s indistinguishable from real life?”

“Hehe, you’re right, Teacher Li!” Shu Heng immediately forgot her small moment of displeasure.

“Tsk tsk, Zhou Zhao is useless. It took us half an hour to plan our three-day trip, and all they came up with was to just follow us. What a waste,” Shu Heng commented sharply.

“He went and held a fan meet at the subway station. He’s so clueless. He’s not a newcomer; how could he make such a basic mistake? If it weren’t for the show’s collaboration with the local tourism bureau, he might have been invited by the police for a cup of tea.”

“I can’t believe I laughed when I was resting on your shoulder! Doesn’t that mean everyone knows I was faking it?” Shu Heng instinctively grabbed Li Jianwei’s arm and looked at her with wide eyes. “Did you know back then, Teacher Li?”

Li Jianwei licked her lips and gave Shu Heng the answer she wanted to hear. “No. I thought you were taking a nap, and we weren’t talking very loudly.”

“That’s good. But I wasn’t really sleepy. I just wanted to cuddle with you,” Shu Heng said with a smile, not seeing any issue with her主动seeking an opportunity to do so. “I think I’ve liked you for a long time, Teacher Li. After I met you in person, I knew for sure that I liked you.”

Shu Heng’s honesty left Li Jianwei speechless. Compared to the heiress’s pure and straightforward feelings, her own affection for her couldn’t completely separate itself from the word “interest.”

“Meow~” Panda had run over at some point and easily jumped onto Li Jianwei’s lap.

“Good boy~” Li Jianwei’s attention was immediately captured by the little cat. She reached out and petted his chin.

“Teacher Li, you have to pet my chin, too! I’m a good girl too!” Shu Heng leaned her head in to compete for attention.

Li Jianwei couldn’t refuse. She ended up with one hand on the little cat and the other on the big cat, the ultimate winner of life.

…

The Fallen Prince

A Journey to Nowhere’s live stream had millions of viewers. The edited version of the show accumulated over ten million views shortly after it aired, and the three episodes combined quickly surpassed 100 million views. The regular cast and the two guest stars were all well-received, gaining fans and popularity. Zhou Zhao was the only one who didn’t benefit. His image was damaged.

This made Zhou Zhao angry. He had his manager confront the production team about the editing, asking why they had included all the unflattering footage of him. The production team’s response was sharp. They said they were only being fair.

“You should have watched the live stream. If we hadn’t edited that footage in, Zhou Zhao’s individual screen time wouldn’t have even been ten minutes. We simply divided the best moments among all the guests to avoid being perfunctory to the audience.”

The production team’s response was a subtle threat. There was more unflattering footage of Zhou Zhao that hadn’t even been in the live stream. If he tried to intimidate the team, they wouldn’t hesitate to release the more “exciting” footage. The production team’s firm stance left Zhou Zhao with no choice but to swallow his anger. He tried to hire paid trolls to stir up trouble for others, hoping to divert the attention that was focused on him.

“I don’t recommend you do that. I’ve found that the production team for A Journey to Nowhere is backed by a major corporation, and the person in charge of that corporation has an intricate relationship with Shu Heng,” Zhou Zhao’s manager said.

“Shu Heng? Are you saying her sugar daddy is the person in charge of that corporation?” Zhou Zhao frowned, a flash of disgust in his eyes.

The manager shook his head. “No, I’m more inclined to believe they’re related. They have the same last name, and the corporation expanded its business into the entertainment industry around the same time Shu Heng entered the scene.”

Zhou Zhao started to think. “As far as I know, Shu Heng has never revealed any information about her family. All that’s known is that her family is well-off.”

“The more powerful they are, the harder it is to find information on them. Whatever you can find has already been prepared by them,” the manager reminded him. “Shu Heng and Li Jianwei have a good relationship. They even partnered on a clothing brand. If you try to go after them to divert attention, their teams might band together and come after you.”

“Then what should I do? Just let the internet trolls bash me?” Zhou Zhao said, annoyed. “If I can’t go after them, then I’ll just pay a paparazzo to expose another celebrity. My image will be completely ruined if I don’t do something.”

“No need to rush. The promotions for Moonlit West are about to begin. Your character’s image in the show is great. I’ll talk to the director and have you join the promotional live stream,” the manager offered. “Your character is Shu Heng’s senior brother who dies early in the show while protecting the common people. As long as you maintain that image, your reputation will recover quickly.”

After hearing his manager’s words, Zhou Zhao had an idea. “Can you get the director to arrange more interactions between me and Shu Heng? For example, ask her for her thoughts on her senior brother and hint that there’s a different kind of relationship between us.”

As soon as Zhou Zhao said that, his manager knew what he was planning. “That’s risky,” the manager warned. “Shu Heng and Li Jianwei are very tightly connected right now, and they’re even co-endorsing a clothing brand. Your plan might backfire.”

“Didn’t I also play up the CP with Li Jianwei before? We can just create a love triangle. With three of us, no matter how we’re paired up, there will be a couple for fans to ship,” Zhou Zhao said, becoming more confident in his idea. “After Moonlit West airs, I’ll hire people to edit videos of me and Shu Heng. My character and look in the show are great, so this CP will be a success.”

Zhou Zhao was thirty-six this year. He had entered the industry before he was twenty, and in terms of seniority, he had joined the company earlier than his manager. What’s more, his manager only had one high-profile artist, Zhou Zhao. Given his insistence on the CP, the manager had no choice but to compromise.

Manager: “I’ll arrange it for you, but if the feedback is bad, we’ll immediately back out and change our strategy.”

“Don’t worry, the feedback won’t be bad. My face is still a winner,” Zhou Zhao said confidently. “And my fans are very loyal. They’ll support me unconditionally.”

…

A Public Tease

Moonlit West was scheduled to air in late December. Two days before the premiere, the main cast held a live stream on a partner video platform to give a sneak peek and attract more fans. Shu Heng, as the undisputed female lead, naturally had to participate. The other participants were the second and third female leads, the first and second male supporting roles, and Zhou Zhao, who was a special guest.

Originally, Zhou Zhao hadn’t been part of the live stream promotion. After all, he was only a special guest, and his screen time in the fifty-two-episode drama wouldn’t exceed an hour. However, Zhou Zhao’s status as a top actor was hard to ignore, and the director couldn’t refuse an actor who was willing to make an appearance without extra pay.

“My impression of my senior brother?” Shu Heng kept her smile. “Although we didn’t have much time together, my senior brother left me with the impression that he was very dependable and reliable.”

“After my senior brother sacrificed himself, I also came to understand that with great power comes great responsibility. Someone always has to step up. Since I have the ability to interfere, I should help the common people instead of being a bystander.”

Shu Heng’s answer was flawless and professional. She answered all the questions from her character’s perspective.

“If you could see your senior brother again, what would you want to say to him, Teacher Shu Heng?” the second male lead asked, trying to steer the conversation.

“I would tell him that I won’t let his sacrifice be meaningless,” Shu Heng’s answer was still on script.

“Fans seem to be curious about the female lead’s love life. Is that something you can talk about, Teacher Shu Heng?” the second female lead joined the conversation, trying to shift the topic to the plot.

Shu Heng smiled. “Of course. She doesn’t have a love life. The only thing in her heart is her great love for the world and its people.”

[This is great! This is a true heroine who cares about the world!]

[I agree wholeheartedly. I’m so sick of fake heroine dramas. They say the female lead is the most powerful, but then she gets hurt and is chased by the enemy and has to be saved by the so-called male lead. Why can’t it be the other way around? The female lead is supposed to be the most powerful.]

[Yes! What’s even worse are those shows that are adapted from novels. Why do they have to give the female lead’s credit to the male lead? Isn’t it enough that in real life, men take credit for women’s achievements and women take the blame for men’s mistakes?]

[Wait, did I just see a hand on Shu Heng’s screen? Was someone handing her a plate of fruit?]

[I think so. It must be her assistant or a housekeeper, right?]

“Some fans are curious about where you are right now, Teacher Shu Heng. Is that something you can share?” the third female lead said, looking at the comments. “Fans are curious who is with you.”

Shu Heng, who was about to put a piece of fruit in her mouth, froze and instinctively looked to her right. Li Jianwei, wearing a comfortable housecoat, was sitting on the sofa, looking at the comments on her phone and eating fruit. The network delay made them lock eyes a few seconds later. Shu Heng silently mouthed a question, asking for Li Jianwei’s opinion.

Li Jianwei hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. If she appeared on the screen at Shu Heng’s house late at night, their relationship couldn’t be explained away as just “good friends.” The internet wasn’t stupid.

“I’m sorry, that’s extra money,” Shu Heng said with a smile. “I can only tell you that I’m at home.”

[At home? So it’s more likely to be an assistant or a cook?]

[It shouldn’t be a cook. Even though the hand was a quick flash, I can guarantee with my 2.0 vision that it was a very beautiful hand! It was young and fair! And the fingers were long!]

[Late at night, if it’s not a cook, it must be an assistant, right?]

[But if it was an assistant, why didn’t Shu Heng just say so? Why did she have to ask the person with her eyes?]