This variety show wouldn’t air anytime soon, of course. After all, Whale’s most important program right now was the acting critique show A World Starting Anew.
But it was already in the latter half of production, and the scriptwriting team was holding meetings every day to plan a perfect finale.
At the same time, news of Qiu Chao’s return to her old stomping grounds at Whale Entertainment spread like wildfire.
For years, her focus had been overseas, starring in major films with foreign directors.
Even with her distinctly Eastern features, that didn’t stop her from earning admiration from directors across other Asian countries.
Not to mention her massive popularity in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Just skimming those lavish praises was enough to make Yan Muyu burst out laughing.
That evening, during the live broadcast of A World Starting Anew, Qiu Chao made her official debut, and Yan Muyu—the executive producer—propped her face in her hands backstage, staring at the barrage of comments with utter speechlessness.
Though Lou Haiyan was her assistant, she didn’t handle this part of the work. The one shadowing Yan Muyu was another assistant, Xing Wen.
Who was currently helping Yan Muyu wrangle her kid.
Yan Tianxing had seemed nonchalant on the surface about her mom remarrying, but deep down, she still found the stepfather utterly unimpressive. She was sulking to this day.
Her school phobia was so bad that she’d puke the moment she got on the school bus. According to the Yan Family butler, their car cleaning bills had skyrocketed lately.
But Yan Kai was still lying in the ICU, one breath away from kicking the bucket at any moment.
Even though those scheming siblings—always acting like they were fighting over a throne—weren’t around, Yan Muyu still didn’t feel safe leaving Yan Tianxing home alone.
So she had no choice but to drag the little tag-along to work.
Unfortunately, the kid was even less inclined to do her homework in this environment. One minute she’d be slurping milk tea, the next munching cake, then scampering off to find Yan Muyu.
Yan Muyu was already exhausted from reshuffling the guest lineup just to find a replacement for that lunatic Shen Tianqing.
Now it was past ten at night, and on-screen, Qiu Chao had just critiqued the performance of Shen Tianqing’s kept boyband idol. The comments exploded.
Yan Tianxing squeezed in beside Yan Muyu.
“This big sis looks kinda familiar.”
No one in the control room dared breathe a word. After all, this was Yan Family dirty laundry.
Yan Muyu, her hair tied up in a haphazard ponytail, scoffed. “You should be thanking her. Without her, you wouldn’t even exist.”
Xing Wen thought: Damn, she actually said it.
Everyone else looked thrilled, itching for more gossip.
But Yan Muyu grabbed the slacking, homework-dodging Yan Tianxing and marched her back.
As she walked, she made a call. “Hi, help me find a few home tutors.”
“No, not for me. Get serious—these are teachers, not escorts.”
“My niece hates school and refuses to go. Yeah, women only. No men.”
The kid’s protests were audible even through the glass door. “I don’t wanna study!”
Yan Muyu’s voice, hoarse from all-nighters that made her look like she’d been indulging in excess, wasn’t exactly gentle. “If you won’t study, you can go live with your mom.”
Yan Tianxing huffed.
“I want a male teacher.”
Yan Muyu: “A living, handsome guy won’t turn into your precious game waifu, so give it up—especially one who’s actually good at teaching.”
Xing Wen was floored, thinking Yan Muyu didn’t seem bisexual at all like the rumors said.
Straight-up lesbian, huh? Small-time gossip was never reliable.
Besides, male actors in the industry these days all felt like a downgrade for audiences—impossible to find real stunners anymore.
Yan Tianxing: “I don’t believe you.”
Yan Muyu: “Then go back to school. I hear your math teacher’s pretty hot.”
Yan Tianxing: “I don’t wanna go to school!”
A little girl’s temper was fickle as June weather.
Even Yan Muyu, her own aunt, felt a headache coming on.
She took a deep breath. “Fine, behave, and I’ll have the tutor come to the house. Once work wraps here, I’ll take you out to play. Deal?”
With that, Yan Muyu dragged over a stool and sat down.
The weather had warmed, but the AC was blasting inside, and plenty of people layered up over their short sleeves because it felt too chilly.
Yan Muyu’s golden hair was tied back, casual but not sloppy. The few inches of black roots showing were like shadows, standing out more under the dim office lights.
Her earrings caught the light instead, swaying as she shifted in her chair with a sigh.
She picked up her iced coffee from the desk and took a long swig.
“Comrade Little Apricot, your auntie’s about to pass out from exhaustion.”
Yan Tianxing grumbled reluctantly. She knew Yan Muyu could pull all-nighters like a champ, but this plea rang true.
“Fine,” she said. “Then I want a pretty female teacher. One who won’t call me dumb.”
Yan Muyu figured there was more to her school hatred.
Yan Kai’s divorce had been years ago. Even if her mom’s new husband was disappointingly average, it shouldn’t drag her down to skipping school.
Yan Muyu slumped over the desk, massaging her temples. “You tired? I can have Xing Wen take you home first.”
But Yan Tianxing refused. “I don’t wanna go home.”
Yan Muyu: “Then where do you plan to stay?”
The little niece gazed at Yan Muyu. “Can’t I stay at your place?”
Yan Muyu chuckled. “My place doesn’t have your games, or your room. Nothing you like.”
Which was true enough.
Yan Muyu had plenty of money and could afford any house she wanted, but she mostly crashed at Yan Family hotels or a bare-bones apartment furnished but lifeless.
It clashed completely with her flashy, carefree vibe.
Almost austere, even.
“So think it over.”
Yan Muyu sat up straight, checking her phone for the progress update. “I gotta get back to work.”
“If something’s up at school, just tell me straight. Don’t like the kids there? We can switch schools.”
She ruffled Yan Tianxing’s hair, then stood and pushed open the door to leave.
Xing Wen, standing nearby, asked Yan Tianxing, “Should I take you home now?”
Yan Tianxing shook her head. “Nah, I’ll wait for Little Aunt. She hasn’t eaten dinner yet.”
~~~
Yan Muyu was starving, that’s for sure.
She swiped a cookie from the control room, and after the show wrapped, she did her routine backstage sweep—where she ran into Meng Heng receiving a bouquet of roses.
The roses were top quality, fresh as could be. Clearly the handiwork of a certain hospitalized nutcase.
Yan Muyu cracked a joke with Meng Heng.
She snapped a photo to tease Shen Tianqing, and was about to ask if Meng Heng had eaten when Qiu Chao approached.
The trainees and guests varied in star power, but Qiu Chao was a special mentor—her name alone carried weight.
She looked rail-thin at first glance, gliding over with a sway that drew plenty of eyes.
Yan Muyu turned to bolt, but Qiu Chao called out.
“Little Yan.”
Meng Heng glanced over curiously but got pulled away by her assistant.
With the live segment done, Qiu Chao didn’t have to bunk in the dorms like the trainees.
She stopped in front of Yan Muyu and looked up at her. “Have you had dinner?”
Yan Muyu wore an oversized light blue off-shoulder shirt, with white collar and cuffs.
Underneath, a black low-neck tank clung tight, accentuating her long neck and lazy allure.
A passing producer thought: These two don’t look one bit like ex-sister-in-law and little aunt-in-law.
Qiu Chao seemed so mature, while our producer Yan looked way too young.
Who’d believe it? Young Boss Yan was actually older.
Yan Muyu: “Nah. What’s up?”
She gave Qiu Chao a casual glance, and mindless fangirl comments from the barrage popped into her head unbidden.
“Our Qiu Chao is so gorgeous my heart’s melting—she glances my way and I’m surging with emotion.”
Yan Muyu laughed out loud.
Qiu Chao blinked at the laugh, touching her face. “What’s so funny?”
Yan Muyu: “If you haven’t eaten, have your assistant take you. Program team covers meal allowances.”
She turned to leave, her expression and tone betraying no hint of their near-brawl in bed earlier.
Qiu Chao: “What about your meal allowance?”
Staff bustled around, but Qiu Chao and Yan Muyu kept a polite distance—close enough to chat, scenic enough for onlookers.
In an acting variety show packed with talent, everyone was easy on the eyes.
These two backstage, though? Perfect harmony.
Yan Muyu had standout height, and back in her overseas college days, she’d modeled for free for her fashion classmates.
Even slouching, she had her own effortless charisma—not to mention her naturally pale skin, smoother than the fairest foundation shade without a drop of makeup.
She was like wild grass, growing rampant section by section, swaying on its own, stirring pollen to drift.
Yan Muyu: “I don’t need meal money. Spit it out if you’ve got something to say.”
Qiu Chao smiled ambiguously. “Want me to say it now?”
Her eyes were stunning, just like Meng Heng playing the lead in that breakout film No. 32 Erga Road on the show—the role that had launched Qiu Chao to stardom.
Even with the idol’s sudden glow-up, she lacked Qiu Chao’s unique aura.
Meng Heng had charm and backbone, but not that innate seductiveness Qiu Chao oozed.
One look, and Yan Muyu got it.
She chuckled, her gaze tracing Qiu Chao from eyes to lips, then down to the pale shoulder and the skirt-hugging wasp waist.
Qiu Chao had the goods to explode in popularity—her figure alone set her apart in her lane.
Yan Muyu: “Sorry, can’t indulge you.”
Her rejection was ice-cold as she turned to walk away.
Qiu Chao said, “We’re all from the same company now. Can’t you be a little nicer to me?”
She stepped forward too, her words carrying endless layers of implication that left the passing guests blinking in confusion.
Qiu Chao was the central figure in today’s online frenzy.
Rumor had it that when the producers of Another Line in Life were planning the show, they specially invited her as a guest, but she turned it down—probably to avoid any appearance of impropriety.
Yet the very woman trying to steer clear of suspicion had been exposed for secretly meeting Whale Entertainment’s boss right before his car accident.
Now, Qiu Chao had joined the variety show after all.
Her domestic contract had even gone to her old agency, Whale Entertainment.
Online, reactions were a mix of gushing praise and head-scratching bewilderment.
-Whyyyy!! I don’t get it! Sister Qiu clearly cut ties with Yan Kai almost ten years ago—why go back now???
-Didn’t something happen to Yan Kai?
-Honestly, just thinking about how this company was founded for her back in the day gives me all kinds of feelings…
-Isn’t Whale Entertainment run by Yan Kai’s sister now? That Young Boss Yan, the famous photographer from before? Total industry insider, right?
-Hahaha, isn’t she Xuan Zhelu’s girlfriend? Does Xuan-jie not care about guys because she used to date Yan Muyu? Yan Muyu’s basically the dream catch in the lesbian scene—prestigious family top spec.
-But what good projects does Whale even have anymore…? They’re all about TV dramas and variety shows these days. Sister Qiu, please take care of your image!!
-She’s at the absolute peak of her career. If you don’t keep pushing forward, you’ll slide back—it’s inevitable. As a fan who’s followed her for over a decade, I just want her to be happy… no more messy entanglements with old guys.
Yan Muyu paid no attention to the online chatter and hadn’t publicly announced that she was about to become Qiu Chao’s new manager.
Her reluctance was plain as day. She desperately wished this variety show could wrap up a little later rather than sooner—no, sooner rather than later. Anything to minimize the contact.
She still had no way to avoid interacting with Qiu Chao.
“How much nicer do you want me to be?” Yan Muyu asked.
She kept walking anyway, without a shred of mercy.
Qiu Chao didn’t seem upset at all. Xia Yuanyuan, standing off to the side, watched as Qiu Chao casually fell into step behind Yan Muyu and headed outside.
Just like that, Qiu Chao followed her all the way to the parking lot—and even more casually moved to hop into her car.
“Can’t you act like a proper A-list superstar for once, Miss Qiu Chao?” Yan Muyu said.
Yan Tianxing was buckled into the passenger seat. She spotted Qiu Chao standing outside and immediately recognized her as that stunning actress from the control room.
In that instant, she finally figured out why Qiu Chao had looked so familiar.
The little girl nearly scrambled up to the front seat and hollered, “Little Aunt—”
“I’ve seen this sister in your room before!”
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Yan Muyu said.
Qiu Chao arched an eyebrow. “When?”
