Today I Will Also Be the Male Protagonist’s Rival - Chapter 1

Night was falling.

Inside the hotel—

Su Yu stepped in, occasionally dodging a guest or two, her expression anxious.

“Iron Hammer, are you sure Cheng Chen is inside?”

【Yes. Please don’t doubt a system’s basic functions, Host.】

Hearing the solemn voice in her mind, Su Yu couldn’t help but sigh.

“Alright then, I’ll trust you this once.”

Even if the name didn’t sound very reliable, the information should be, right?

She looked around. The lights were dazzling, glasses clinked as people toasted—suddenly, she recalled her past life.

She had clawed her way through the entertainment industry for years and finally won the Best Actress award. Who would’ve thought she’d die unexpectedly from alcohol poisoning at the celebration banquet, unable to be saved.

How ironic!

Fortunately, she wasn’t completely out of luck. At that moment, a system called “Iron Hammer” found her. It told her that as long as she could travel through different worlds and save different lives, she could stay alive.

Fine. To survive, Su Yu held back her complaints.

But who could’ve guessed—this system was a total scam!

Only after binding with it did Iron Hammer reveal her true mission: join the Female Supporting Role Alliance, go up against the male lead, and become a glorious top-tier villain. Everything the male lead had—snatch it all!

Su Yu was stunned.

Weren’t we supposed to be saving lives?

You’re actually a villain-training system, aren’t you?

No wonder you’re called Iron Hammer!

Hmph, so twisted!

This was her first mission world: “Brilliant Stardom: The Film Emperor’s Deeply Pampered Sweetheart.”

The person she had transmigrated into was also named Su Yu. She was a top-tier trending starlet, with terrible acting skills, surrounded by scandal, and had an arrogant, overbearing personality that looked down on everyone. Still, because of her dazzling, unrivaled looks, she had climbed to her current position.

In the original story: she met the triple-award-winning actor Cheng Chen—the male lead of the novel—during a filming event and fell hopelessly in love. Unfortunately, the male lead didn’t like her type at all and instead preferred the pure and gentle female lead.

Naturally, the original Su Yu was unwilling to accept this. Her meddling made the male lead increasingly annoyed, until he finally destroyed both her career and her family. In the end, unable to bear it all, she jumped off a building.

Recalling the plot, Su Yu couldn’t help but complain inwardly: “Iron Hammer, the male lead doesn’t seem all that problematic?”

It’s usually the male lead who teaches a troublesome supporting female a lesson, isn’t it?

As soon as she finished speaking, the stern mechanical voice rang out again.

【Host, please correct your attitude!】

【In the worlds selected by the system, every “evil” female supporting character was wrongly accused. Our mission is to punish the male leads and bring comfort to those unjustly maligned women!】

【Our System Distribution Department’s motto is: never reward evil and never let any scumbag off the hook!】

Su Yu: ……

Why does this system sound like the dean from her past life?

【Ding! Target identified. Host, please be alert! Please be alert!】

“Got it.”

Su Yu raised her eyebrows and looked up.

The hall suddenly grew noisy. People surged toward one spot.

As expected, wherever there was a crowd, the male lead wouldn’t be far behind!

“Emperor Cheng!”

“Emperor Cheng, you’ve arrived?”

“We’ve been waiting for you! Please come in!”

The man wore a jet-black suit, tall and upright, surrounded as he walked inward. He had handsome features and a gentle smile—completely different from the ruthless man in the book who had driven the original Su Yu’s family to ruin.

“So this is Cheng Chen?”

Su Yu let out a soft snort, picked up a cocktail from the marble table, and took a sip. “Looks aren’t bad. What a waste of a face.”

According to the plot, the male lead would soon meet the female lead, Huo Shu, at the banquet. Then there would be a ridiculously dramatic “hero saves the beauty” moment.

Well, sorry. Now that she was here, the male lead had to step aside.

It’d still be the same dog-bl00d* rescue scene, except this time—the hero was her.

(*Dog-bl00d: A slang term in Chinese fiction for overly dramatic, cliché, or melodramatic plotlines.)

Su Yu curled her lips and began searching for her target in the hall.

Huo Shu, age twenty-one, a student in the Performing Arts Department at the Imperial Capital Media University. Even before graduation, she caught the eye of a director. After the drama aired, her fair, delicate face helped her rise to third-tier celebrity status.

At the moment, she was networking at the banquet with her manager, but was unexpectedly harassed. Luckily, the male lead stepped in to save her.

【Ding! Target identified! Host, please be alert!】

Su Yu’s eyes swept across the room and paused at a sofa in the corner. Her mesmerizing phoenix eyes landed there for a moment.

Surrounded by people, the young woman looked to be about twenty. She wore a white evening gown, her long hair pinned up at the back of her head, making her already slim figure look even more delicate. Her gaze was lowered slightly, with soft, gentle features and a shy, pitiful air—evoking sympathy at a glance.

“What a delicate beauty.”

Su Yu chuckled softly. “No wonder the male lead fell head over heels after just a few encounters. Who wouldn’t be moved by that look?”

She was smiling, but hadn’t moved.

【Host, begin your mission immediately!】

“What’s the rush?”

Su Yu yawned, speaking nonchalantly, “That little girl isn’t quite at the end of her rope yet.”

Adding flowers to embroidery*—how could that ever compare to delivering charcoal in a snowstorm**?

(*Slang: “锦上添花” – doing something nice when things are already going well.)
(**Slang: “雪中送炭” – helping someone in need at a critical time.)

In her past life, she was already an expert at this kind of maneuver.

“Well, if it isn’t Huo Shu?”

Liu Jun halted, eyes locked on the graceful figure of the girl in front of him. A glint of greed flashed in his gaze as he smiled, “May I have the honor of buying Miss Huo a drink?”

The girl’s slender brows furrowed slightly. After a moment, she politely responded, “Thank you, Director Liu, but I don’t hold my liquor well. I wouldn’t want to ruin your mood.”

Liu Jun wasn’t exactly a big-name director—he’d only shot a few scattered projects with mediocre returns—but still, he wasn’t someone she could afford to offend.

If it were only a drink, maybe she could manage, but she clearly understood the implication behind his words.

Thinking of this, Huo Shu clenched her fists.

Liu Jun’s expression darkened. He sneered, “What, now that you’re popular, you think you’re too good for a small-time director like me?”

Huo Shu stiffened. “Director Liu, not at all. I’m just not feeling well and can’t drink.”

Her repeated refusals wore down Liu Jun’s patience. He raised a hand to grab her, his voice turning sharp and threatening. “Huo Shu, don’t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!* When I offer you a drink, it’s because I’m showing you respect!”

(*Chinese saying: “敬酒不吃吃罚酒” – refusing kindness and being forced into submission.)

“You’re just a third-tier actress—what are you putting on airs for? Don’t think I don’t know how you got Director Li to notice you. Wasn’t it with your body?”

Huo Shu bit down hard and took a step back. “Director Liu, please show some respect!”

Liu Jun spat with disdain. “You were willing to sleep with that old fossil Li Wenjing, so what’s wrong with spending a night with me?”

“Huo Shu, quit pretending to be all high and mighty.”

“Piss me off, and I can say the word and have you blacklisted from the industry—believe it or not?”

Huo Shu froze.

She believed it. How could she not?

Liu Jun might not be a big director, but he had plenty of connections. Blacklisting a third-tier actress like her would be effortless.

Noticing the flicker of hesitation in her expression, Liu Jun narrowed his eyes and softened his tone slightly, coaxing, “Be good and keep me company for one night. Tomorrow I’ll find you a good script—I guarantee your popularity will double.”

As he spoke, he reached toward Huo Shu.

“Liu Jun, with how ugly you are, where did you get the confidence to think such beautiful thoughts?”

A pair of long, fair hands reached over and firmly grasped Liu Jun’s wrist. With a simple twist, she flung his hand away with ease.

Liu Jun recoiled. “Su… Su Yu?”

Why was this devil here?

“Surprised to see me, Director Liu?”

Su Yu raised her eyebrows, stretched her hand out, and pulled the girl behind her protectively. With a sneer, she said, “What did I say last time? If I caught you trying to pull the unspoken rules* on a newcomer again, I’d break your third leg. Want to give it a try?”

(*“潜规则” – “unspoken rules,” a euphemism for casting couch/sexual coercion in the entertainment industry.)

Liu Jun had always been lecherous and particularly liked targeting newcomers to the industry.

The original Su Yu had also been threatened by him once. But with her fiery temper, she beat him up on the spot, nearly sending him to the ICU.

After that, Liu Jun started going out of his way to avoid her.

Liu Jun’s expression froze. He forced a laugh. “No… of course not. I was just joking with Miss Huo. Who knew you’d show up?”

Su Yu shot him a sidelong glance and smiled faintly. “Joking?”

Liu Jun nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, just a joke. Ahaha… Miss Su, I’ve got something to do, so I’ll be going now. I’ll treat you to dinner next time.”

With that, he scurried off with his tail between his legs.

If he couldn’t have Huo Shu, so be it. The entertainment industry was never short on beauties—there was always a new generation replacing the old, all of them ruthless.

Getting beaten up by Su Yu again wouldn’t be worth it.

Just thinking about the injuries from last time made his teeth ache. He quickened his pace.

Huo Shu’s eyes widened.

Liu Jun… just left?

She was a little in disbelief as she looked up at Su Yu.

The woman was leaning against a table, her posture lazy, her stunning features tinged with a teasing allure. Even a casual glance held a seductive charm.

She knew this woman’s name.

Su Yu—the hottest trending starlet in the industry. Infamous for endless scandals and, until now, used by her manager as a cautionary tale for rookies.

“Had enough of staring?”

The woman suddenly spoke.

Her tone was just as sultry, like a boneless cat brushing up against you, making your heart itch.

Huo Shu’s pale cheeks flushed. She nervously gripped the hem of her dress and said softly, “Thank you for what you did today.”

If Su Yu hadn’t shown up in time, Liu Jun would never have let her off so easily.

She never expected the much-maligned Su Yu from online gossip to actually be like this.

Su Yu quietly noted the girl’s nervous movements and curved her lips into a small smile. “Just a small favor.”

“Oh, right.”

Su Yu paused, then cast her a lazy glance. “Next time you see someone like him—keep your distance.”

With that, she stepped forward slightly and gently patted Huo Shu’s delicate cheek. “You’re not exactly a newcomer anymore. You should know how dirty this circle is. If there’s a Liu Jun today, there’ll be someone else tomorrow.”

“Anyone with even a bit of power can get you without lifting a finger.”

“If you can’t afford to offend them, then don’t come to places like this.”

Her tone was casual, laced with indifference.

Huo Shu was stunned.

By the time she came back to her senses, Su Yu had already turned to leave, her graceful figure swaying into the distance.

Huo Shu clenched her fists. Thinking back to Su Yu’s words, she lowered her head and exited the banquet.

From afar, a middle-aged man smiled faintly and tucked his camera into his pocket.

Jackpot!

“Top star slaps newcomer”—what a headline!

When he got home, he eagerly uploaded the photo to Weibo.