Chapter 557 - 39: After Divorce, the Cannon Fodder Joins a Romance Variety Show

A forced smile blocked him at the door.

"Boss, what brings you here? It’s already so late."

"Where’s Jiang Lai? I want to see her."

"Oh... Jiang Lai went to attend an event and hasn’t returned yet. How about this: when she comes back, I’ll bring her to the company to see you, okay?"

Murong Yan stared fixedly inside the room; Jiang Lai’s shoes were placed at the door, making it evident she was home.

He was displeased that a manager would dare to bluff him.

"Jiang Lai!"

Murong Yan directly stood outside shouting.

Since the apartment has only one unit per floor, there’s no need to worry about being seen by other tenants.

Murong Yan continued to shout.

Sister Fang wished she could sew his mouth shut.

Coming to see Jiang Lai at night when people are sleeping—what good intentions could he possibly have?

He never showed up here before the divorce.

Why now?

Regret it?

Changed his mind?

At this moment, footsteps sounded from behind, followed by Jiang Lai patting Sister Fang’s shoulder.

"It’s fine, I’ll have a chat with him. Go make two cups of tea."

Sister Fang’s eyes were filled with tension.

Jiang Lai had struggled hard to get to this point, found hope, and now, if she lost her clarity and plunged into a mess again, she might not have the same luck to climb out next time.

Sensing the other’s worried and restless emotions, Jiang Lai sighed and gave her a reassuring look.

Murong Yan seldom came to this apartment.

It’s a company apartment for artists. Truth be told, someone of Jiang Lai’s status long ago wouldn’t need to stay in such a place, but he’s always been busy and never thought of arranging something better for her.

Jiang Lai had also never brought it up.

Thinking of Shang Qingrao’s place, an upscale apartment next door with just one unit per floor, adjacent to the company, with stunning views.

The discomfort felt like ants gnawing inside.

"Jiang Lai, I’ve come to apologize to you."

Jiang Lai wasn’t surprised at all, not even showing much emotion, simply nodding thoughtfully.

"And then?"

Murong Yan had envisioned many scenarios before coming—Jiang Lai might be angry or hurt, or even slap him—but he never expected she would be so calm.

"I... I didn’t pay attention to your feelings before. I know it’s too late for words now, but I still want you to know that I’m sorry."

"Hmm, I understand."

At this point, Sister Fang brought the tea and then sat beside Jiang Lai.

Not avoiding suspicion at all.

Sister Fang should be the only one who knows about their relationship, and her anger is understandable.

Jiang Lai’s calm demeanor left Murong Yan feeling hollow inside.

She might as well have been hysterical towards him like she used to be.

At least, not like this.

Calm and emotionless.

It seemed like she didn’t care one bit anymore.

Whether he loved her or not, she didn’t care anymore.

Jiang Lai yawned.

"I understand your guilt towards me, so if you wish to make it up to me, I’ll accept it all without troubling you."

Murong Yan suddenly felt restless.

"Jiang Lai, you, you..."

"What about me? You wouldn’t want to reconcile with me, would you? Hahaha, don’t mind my teasing. You and Shang Qingrao have such a strong relationship; there’s no way you’d be fickle.

Anyway, when you get married, remember to let me know; I’ll prepare some wedding money."

Just like that, Jiang Lai dismissed Murong Yan with a few words.

Sister Fang, looking at Jiang Lai, was filled with admiration.

"Jiang Lai, you’ve truly made me see you in a new light."

"You’re too kind, too kind, it’s nothing much."

Just an ordinary jerk.

——

The second episode of the reality show was aired online.

Sparking quite a bit of discussion once again.

This time, the topic of conversation still centered around Jiang Lai, but unlike the previous episode, she wasn’t trending because of criticism.

After the heart vote segment, the results were announced—something not visible in the livestream.

Even the guests couldn’t see it.

This time, Shang Qingrao won the highest votes as the queen of hearts.

One vote from the Domineering President, one from Zhou Luo, and one from Hu Peiyuan.

The three of them could only possibly vote for Shang Qingrao.

As for Liang Qizhou, out of courtesy, he voted for Shang Qingrao in the previous episode.

This episode is different; he behaved unusually, with less interaction with Shang Qingrao.

Finally, the results were revealed.

Queen of Hearts: Jiang Lai.

Votes: Two.

Liang Qizhou and Zhou Luo both voted for her.

Shang Qingrao received no votes.

Because at the crucial voting moment, Murong Yan abstained.

And Hu Peiyuan voted for his partner, Coco.

#JiangLaiQueenOfHearts#

The topic surged into the trends.

Many who hadn’t watched the livestream couldn’t understand why the Domineering President would abstain, or why Zhou Luo, who developed an interest in Shang Qingrao in the first episode, switched votes to Jiang Lai.

The replay removed most of the controversial scenes from the live broadcast.

Naturally excluding the segment where Shang Qingrao accused Jiang Lai of hitting someone, and her sudden emotional breakdown with screaming and crying during her last night performance.

Viewers who hadn’t watched the live broadcast couldn’t comprehend why the Domineering President and Shang Qingrao fell out.

But the internet is full of idle people; some watched the replay, meticulously analyzing Shang Qingrao’s series of changes, ultimately writing a ten-thousand-word long post discussing the reasons for the relationship change between Shang Qingrao and Murong Yan during the second episode live show.

#ShangQingraoChanged#

The topic that emerged was the highest in discussion and also the hottest.

At first, ordinary people couldn’t explain why, until a plastic surgeon stepped forward to analyze Shang Qingrao’s before-and-after facial contours, taking everyone by surprise.

In short, her skin changed, her bone structure changed too.

The change wasn’t as obvious as plastic surgery, but rather a gradual alteration of outlines and lines, the change in facial muscles, as well as changes in facial shadows invisible to most people.

All transformed Shang Qingrao from a universally adored Human World narcissus into a sharp and shrewd common face.

A look that makeup couldn’t rescue.

After the analysis, even hotter topics surfaced.

#PlasticSurgerySideEffects#

There’s no better explanation for these changes beyond excessive plastic surgery.

No matter how one transforms a naturally gifted face, it would never produce such a drastic change—only excessive plastic surgery combined with poor post-surgery maintenance could lead to such side effects.

People suspect that Shang Qingrao didn’t repair properly before the show, thus exposing herself under the live camera.

[Oh my, she’s a plastic surgery face! Couldn’t tell before at all]

[Watched the live streaming and understood. She’s narrow-minded and has a strong desire for attention; the saying that one’s appearance mirrors their heart isn’t a lie]

[The latter might just be her genuine self, with a face looking mean and petty, the way she looks at people is especially scary]

[Collapse, my favorite CP combination]