C15

Crash! The items on the coffee table were swept to the floor.

"What did you say?! I've been cut from the role?" Yuh Wan shouted, her anger overriding any concern for appearances.

Across from her stood a trembling assistant, on the verge of tears, equally baffled by the sudden turn of events. She had been just as stunned when she first heard the news.

"Impossible! I have so many scenes, and we've already filmed a lot. How can they just replace me like that?!"

Yuh Wan couldn't believe what she was hearing. Could it be because she exposed Jing Yuanhao's scandal on set that day, and now he's retaliating in secret?

Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't have the power to pull this off! He's just a newly famous actor. How could he have the clout to topple her?

Then who could it be? Qu Zhenzhen? No way, unless she's got some bigwig backing her, there's no way she could just swap me out like that.

The more Yuh Wan thought about it, the angrier she got. She decided to have her assistant drive her to Ruocan's office building, determined to get to the bottom of things herself.

But before she could step through the company doors, a security guard stopped her.

"Sorry, Miss Yuh, but we've been instructed by upper management not to let you in."

Having navigated the entertainment industry for years, Yuh Wan had never been treated like this—blocked at the entrance by a security guard in broad daylight.

"That's nonsense! I'm going in today, and let's see if you dare stop me!"

With that, Yuh Wan prepared to force her way in, when a cold voice sounded from behind her.

"Wang, why are you wasting words with her?"

Turning around, Yuh Wan saw Xie Yaotian, his face icy, as if she were invisible.

Desperate, she grabbed Xie Yaotian's sleeve, demanding, "Director Xie, why was I replaced? This can't be true, right?!"

Xie Yaotian frowned, pulling his sleeve away, his disdain openly evident.

"That's right, your role has been withdrawn. The scenes you shot will be cut, and the script is being revised," Xie Yaotian paused before continuing, "Ruocan will compensate you for the breach of contract according to legal procedures, not a penny less. In the future, your name won't appear in any projects Ruocan invests in."

With that, he left Yuh Wan standing there, stunned, and strode into the office building. Halfway through, Xie Yaotian suddenly stopped, turned, and said to the security guard, "If you let unauthorized people into the company again, you can pack your things and go home. You won't need to come back to work."

His voice was calm but loud enough for Yuh Wan to hear. After speaking, he led his team into the company without looking back.

The security guard, just reprimanded, was flushed with embarrassment. It was this woman who almost cost him his job. He said to Yuh Wan, not hiding his irritation, "Miss Wan, please leave. I hope you won't put me in a difficult position again."

Yuh Wan's face was pale, her fists clenched tightly, and her manicured nails dug into her palms. It must have been Zhenzhen. She must have badmouthed her to Xie Yaotian, leading him to remove her from the project, even at the cost of paying a penalty!

The news of Yuh Wan's removal quickly caused a stir online, with netizens eagerly discussing the events.

"That Yuh Wan, just because she's somewhat good-looking, she acts all high and mighty. I heard she often throws her weight around on set too!"

"Yeah, she doesn't have much acting skill, but her temper is something else. Bullying newcomers is a regular thing for her."

"Exactly! I heard this time it was the big boss of Ruocan Media who personally ordered her removal. I wonder what she did to anger the big shot."

"Don't you know? It's because she caused a scene on set recently and even spilled the beans about young heartthrob Yuan Hao's rumored romance. And the leading lady was none other than Ruocan's star, Wanxin."

"Xia Wanxin? Is she really dating Jing Yuanhao? That's big news!"

"Exactly because the gossip involves Xia Wanxin, the higher-ups at Ruocan want to blacklist her. It's just wrong to spread rumors about celebrities' private lives like that!"

The internet was flooded with negative comments on Yuh Wan's social media.

"Rude, no class, bullying newcomers."

"Yuh Wan, get out of the entertainment industry!"

"How dare you slander Jing Yuanhao? You should just disappear!"

Lately, Yuh Wan didn't even dare to open her social media; it was all criticism. Her manager was frantic, like a cat on hot bricks, as gossip reporters constantly called the agency.

With no other outlet for his frustration, he vented his anger on Yuh Wan.

"Missy, you used to stir up trouble with no consequences, but how could you offend the big boss at Ruocan? Do you still want a career in showbiz?"

He continued, exasperated, "This project might be canceled, but Ruocan invests in so many shows, each one a potential hit. You can forget about getting any of them!"

Yuh Wan knew she was in the wrong and didn't argue back, but she made a silent decision.

She thought fiercely, "Qu Zhenzhen, you want to ruin me? Not so fast!"

Meanwhile, Qu Zhenzhen was blissfully unaware, happily filming without a care. Even the air seemed fresher without her nemesis around.

During a break on set, as she was devouring a sandwich, she heard hurried footsteps. Turning, she saw her assistant stumbling over with a phone in hand.

Out of breath, the assistant waved the phone in front of Qu Zhenzhen's face.

"What is it? Being chased by a ghost?" Qu Zhenzhen playfully tapped her assistant's head, amused by her antics.

"Oh my gosh, Ms. Zhenzhen, you have to see this! There's a huge wave of Yuh Wan's fans trashing you on Twitter, and it's trending!"

The young assistant was so anxious that she was practically hopping from one foot to the other. The situation was critical, yet Qu Zhenzhen remained completely unfazed.

Zhenzhen thought it was no big deal. It was just another hired group of online trolls. Over the years, Yuh Wan's tactics hadn't changed a bit—still lacking any originality.

Seeing Zhenzhen's nonchalant expression, the assistant began to feel less worried. She started to scoff at Yuh Wan's underhanded methods.

"Seriously, her clinging to powerful people is just pathetic. Wasn't she always throwing her weight around on set? Now, this is all she's got. It's disgraceful!"

Qu Zhenzhen chuckled at her young assistant's overly serious demeanor.

"You really need to learn to keep your cool. You get worked up over the smallest things like a cat on a hot tin roof. Try to be more composed in the future."

The assistant sheepishly scratched her head, stuck out her tongue, and said, "Got it."

Then she cheerfully bounced off to take care of her tasks.