THD Chapter 11

The System: ...

It was genuinely a little overwhelmed.

Originally, the male lead's bankruptcy arc had only been included to give the female lead a sense of participation. Otherwise, she would simply be enjoying the male lead's wealth and success without contributing anything herself.

Who could have predicted that Ye Xiqing would use it as ammunition to mock the male lead?

The System felt strangely uncomfortable.

It was like in the animal kingdom. Hyenas actually have remarkably high hunting success rates and are, by many measures, very successful predators. Yet they are often looked down upon.

Why?

Because when the weak defeat the strong through methods that seem underhanded, and the outcome appears disproportionate to their actual strength, people rarely feel satisfied. Instead, they sympathize with the stronger party.

Carrying that sense of indignation, the System replied sarcastically,

"So where exactly will the Host end up?"

"Will you reach the position originally reserved for the male lead in the storyline?"

Ye Xiqing turned to look at it.

Her expression remained as blank as ever, but her words were unexpectedly fiery.

"Of course."

"I'm only eighteen this year."

"And even after going bankrupt, Lu Jing'an is only twenty-one."

She paused before adding:

"Haven't you heard the saying, 'Don't underestimate a young man's potential'?"

The System: ...

Its heart was filled with mockery, but it still smiled politely.

"Very good, Host. You're very confident."

But in this world, small fortunes are earned through hard work, while great fortunes are determined by fate.

Everyone likes to say, Don't underestimate a young man's potential.

Yet only a tiny fraction of people ever truly rise to the top.

Could the Host really transform her destiny as she claimed?

The System decided to wait and see.

---

Ever since making that bold declaration, Ye Xiqing had devoted herself to researching and improving her wine recipes day and night.

Unfortunately, reality failed to cooperate.

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

She was still stuck in a small town.

Meanwhile, Miao Shuangshuang had become a nationwide sensation.

After The Empress aired, it quickly swept across the country.

The production quality was excellent, the plot was gripping, and in an era with limited entertainment options, television stations replayed it endlessly from morning until night.

Almost everyone had watched it several times.

As a result, Miao Shuangshuang entered the public eye.

Although her role wasn't the female lead, it had been cleverly designed.

She played both the Empress's most beloved daughter and a younger version of the Empress herself.

Both characters proved immensely popular with audiences.

Combined with the effects of the Beauty Pill, her breathtaking appearance became unforgettable.

After portraying a spirited, passionate martial arts heroine, she instantly became the nation's dream goddess.

Nowadays, every major production wanted her as their leading lady.

Her salaries rose higher and higher.

Advertising endorsements flooded in.

Her portrait could even be found hanging in ordinary households throughout the country.

Every day was packed with work.

So when she finally returned home, she immediately collapsed onto the sofa and asked tiredly,

"What is it?"

The Miao family's house had finally been rebuilt.

But instead of the "five large brick rooms" Ye Shiying had originally imagined, it had become a beautifully decorated two-story villa.

The design was entirely based on styles from later generations, making it fashionable even years ahead of its time.

Ye Xiqing and Ye Shimei now lived there as well.

Miao Shuangshuang didn't particularly mind.

After all, she felt that she now existed on a completely different level from them.

Ye Xiqing had transmigrated into a poor family whose house leaked whenever it rained.

She had originally thought she would have to endure years of hardship.

Unexpectedly, she had been completely outclassed by the villainous supporting female character by her second year.

Since she had no desire to suffer unnecessarily, Ye Xiqing sat honestly across from Miao Shuangshuang on the sofa.

With a sincere expression, she said,

"Shuangshuang, I'd like to borrow some money."

Miao Shuangshuang: ...

Huh?

She wasn't shocked by the request.

After so many years, the minor grievances between her and Ye Xiqing had long since faded away.

In her eyes, Ye Xiqing was simply a relative from her grandmother's side of the family.

And in the countryside, it was perfectly normal for relatives to ask successful family members for help.

Besides, her current success was closely tied to Ye Xiqing and Widow Miao.

She wasn't so ungrateful as to pretend otherwise.

Therefore, in Miao Shuangshuang's view, there was nothing strange about Ye Xiqing asking to borrow money from her at all.

She was merely annoyed.

Why was everyone asking her for money today?

In fact, before Ye Xiqing had even opened her mouth, Gu Pengfei had already contacted her.

To be honest, their relationship over the past few years hadn't been particularly pleasant.

At the beginning, because she knew the future and believed Gu Pengfei would one day become the richest man in the country, Miao Shuangshuang had treated him like a priceless treasure. She obeyed him in everything and indulged him without complaint.

But as her career flourished and more and more people surrounded her with praise and admiration, a thought gradually began to form in her mind:

What exactly makes Gu Pengfei so special?

That resentment had already been simmering for some time.

Unfortunately, Gu Pengfei seemed completely unaware of it.

He still treated her the same way he always had—giving orders, making demands, and constantly pressuring her to get married.

But her career was only just taking off.

She was at the height of her popularity.

Why should she get married now?

Had he ever considered her feelings?

The final straw came during a visit to the Gu family home.

She had been about to enter when she overheard Gu Pengfei's father speaking inside.

"Every day I see Shuangshuang hugging and kissing different men on television. Isn't that inappropriate?"

"Why does our Gu family always end up marrying women like this..."

The contempt in his voice was unmistakable.

Yet Gu Pengfei sat nearby and said nothing.

Not a single word.

Miao Shuangshuang had never been known for her patience.

For the sake of the "future richest man," she had endured many things over the years.

But this time she couldn't tolerate it anymore.

She stormed into the house and started a massive argument with the entire Gu family.

In the heat of the confrontation, she smashed quite a few of their belongings.

Afterward, she drove straight to a film set and stayed away for several months.

In the end, it was Gu Pengfei who apologized first.

And after cooling down, Miao Shuangshuang found herself regretting the fight a little.

After all, regardless of the "future richest man" label, they had been together for years.

There had to be some genuine feelings between them.

Since Gu Pengfei had taken the initiative to apologize, she naturally accepted the olive branch.

It was during this reconciliation that the matter of borrowing money came up.

"Shuangshuang, I know you're still angry, but please try to understand me."

"What man wouldn't feel jealous when he sees the woman he loves being intimate with other men?"

"But I know it's not your fault."

He sighed heavily.

"I'm the useless one. I'm the one forcing you to work so hard and expose yourself to the public eye."

"For your sake and for our future family, I'll work harder."

"I've already resigned from my teaching job."

"I'm planning to go south with a friend and try my luck."

"We've found a promising project, but we're short on startup capital."

"Shuangshuang..."

He looked at her earnestly.

"Could you lend me one hundred thousand yuan?"

Miao Shuangshuang recalled those words and fell silent.

Objectively speaking, this should have been good news.

According to her memories of the future, Gu Pengfei quitting his job marked the beginning of his rise to wealth.

This was the first step on his path to becoming the richest man in the country.

She should have been delighted.

She should have supported him wholeheartedly.

Yet she wasn't happy at all.

Perhaps it was because she had always imagined Gu Pengfei as someone who would eventually marry her and allow her to enjoy the benefits of being the wife of a wealthy man.

But now, instead of supporting her, he wanted her to invest in him.

Wasn't he supposed to be starting from nothing?

How was it "starting from nothing" if the money came from her?

And if he succeeded, would that success belong to him—or to her?

If she was the one funding everything, then what had been the point of all those years spent trying to please him?

Of course, there was no such thing as a free lunch.

Even becoming the future wife of the richest man required effort and investment.

But expecting a villainous supporting character like Miao Shuangshuang to think rationally about sacrifice and morality was asking a bit much.

The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt.

In the end, she didn't refuse outright.

Instead, she claimed that she had recently bought a car and was experiencing cash-flow problems, asking him to wait a little longer.

Because she was in such a bad mood, she returned to her hometown to escape the pressures of the entertainment industry.

And then she ran into Ye Xiqing.

Who immediately asked to borrow money.

Straightening up on the sofa, Miao Shuangshuang looked her up and down.

"What do you need the money for?"

"To open a winery."

Just as she had expected.

"How much?"

"One hundred thousand."

"Pfft—"

Miao Shuangshuang nearly choked.

What?

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