Chapter Twelve: The Son of a Rat Knows How to Dig Holes

“Got you an interview slot for tomorrow. Make sure you’re there on time.”

Hearing the arrogant, commanding tone on the other end, Jin’an Shen was utterly confused. “Who is this? You must have the wrong number.”

A cold snort came through. “What, have you been living in the high society so long that you don’t even recognize your own agent?”

Only then did Jin’an Shen remember that the original owner of this body had once been part of the entertainment industry.

Though her acting skills were poor and her character was questionable, her naturally superior appearance ensured she still attracted enormous traffic despite countless controversies, earning her the title of the entertainment world’s foremost “black-and-red” figure—a star notorious for both fame and infamy.

Not long after the original owner entered a contractual marriage with Yichao Gu, a well-timed exposé by some “malicious party” shattered her reputation overnight, accusing her of “marrying an old man for money” and “being a cruel stepmother.”

The public outcry was deafening; she was mercilessly attacked online, leaving her no choice but to announce her retirement from the industry to lay low.

Her agency, Starshine Entertainment, quickly distanced itself, loudly declaring they would permanently shelve Jin’an Shen and sever all ties.

This move was met with applause from countless netizens and even boosted the popularity of several upcoming projects from the company.

But Jin’an Shen noticed that on the same day, a rising young actress under Wang Qi’s management was exposed for speeding and verbally and physically assaulting a traffic officer, flaunting her star status with arrogance.

Once the original owner’s scandal broke, public attention on this young actress was sharply diminished.

Coincidentally, this actress was also one of Wang Qi’s talents.

Such “coincidences” had happened more than once.

To Wang Qi, the original owner was always a pawn—someone to be sacrificed whenever a scandal needed fabricating, a convenient scapegoat to redirect public outrage and deflect attention from other artists.

Now that Wang Qi was suddenly reaching out, Jin’an Shen knew it was no benevolent gesture; he was probably angling to squeeze some more dirt from her for one of his stars.

She was not about to be the eternal scapegoat.

“Since you’ve already shelved me, save these perks for your other precious clients. I’m not desperate enough to stoop that low.”

Wang Qi was momentarily speechless at Jin’an Shen’s sarcastic tone. He hadn’t expected such defiance.

Marrying a wealthy old man seemed to have made her so arrogant!

“Jin’an Shen, stop pretending. That trending topic on Weibo—you don’t dare claim it wasn’t your doing. Life in the high society isn’t easy, right? Old man and stepson hard to handle? Listen, if you cooperate obediently, I might consider restoring you to your former glory.”

Jin’an Shen’s face was full of bewilderment. She glanced over at the “hard-to-handle” stepson on the carpet nearby. Gu Li was clutching his little bowl, obediently eating the diced fruit his aunt had prepared, his cheeks puffed out like a tiny hamster.

The little guy keenly noticed the gaze and lifted his head, a hint of helplessness far beyond his years on his small face. “Don’t worry, once I finish here, I’ll play Lego with you.”

Very well, not a hint of being difficult.

As for the old man, Yichao Gu, he had just wired a million to her this morning.

So who exactly was giving whom the impression that life was miserable?

“Sorry, I’m quite comfortable now and I don’t want to get mixed up with petty people again.”

“If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have…”

Before Wang Qi could finish, Jin’an Shen ruthlessly hung up.

She had no interest in the interview Wang Qi mentioned but was curious about the trending Weibo topic.

She already had a rough idea of the content since, since arriving in this timeline, the only time she’d gone out was to that amusement park.

Yet after searching, she couldn’t help but frown.

At first, the comments below the trending topic were fairly civil, but once netizens recognized Jin’an Shen’s identity, the comments turned chaotic and toxic.

“How does this woman still have the nerve to show her face? Doesn’t her old man find her embarrassing?”

“She makes me sick. Ugh.”

“That kid doesn’t look like a good person either; after all, he’s raised by Jin’an Shen. The son of a rat knows how to dig holes.”

“Some of you are too harsh. That little one hasn’t done anything wrong — he’s just a cute, chubby kid.”

“Ah, here come the paid trolls. Money sure does buy influence.”

Jin’an Shen was indifferent to the negative remarks aimed at her but could not accept the extreme hostility directed at Gu Li, who appeared for only a few seconds at the end of the video.

Although Gu Li was adorable and delicate on screen, he was unfairly caught in the crossfire of the malice aimed at her.

After the last time she had invited Yichao Gu to dinner, Jin’an Shen knocked on his door again.

“Come in.”

Yichao Gu was reclining on the bed, an IV drip attached to the back of his hand.

A laptop glowed faintly before him, the pale light casting deeper shadows on his sharp features.

Noticing Jin’an Shen’s entrance, he paused his typing. “What is it?”

“A few days ago, Li and I went to the amusement park and were filmed. The video was posted online.”

Jin’an Shen handed him her phone, showing the trending topic on Weibo. “There are some unfriendly comments about Li. I thought you might be able to handle it.”

Yichao Gu was not familiar with the entertainment industry and had no idea how notorious Jin’an Shen’s name was online—otherwise, he might not have agreed to their contractual marriage.

He scrolled down, his aura darkening involuntarily.

After a moment, he returned the phone with a subtle, probing look.

“I’ll take care of the comments about Li. And you? Do you need my help?”

Jin’an Shen shrugged carelessly. “I’m fine—just a few insults won’t hurt. Let them say what they want. If it didn’t involve Li, I wouldn’t even bother.”

“Alright. I’ll handle it.”

With Yichao Gu’s promise, Jin’an Shen decided not to bother him further.

Still, she couldn’t resist asking, “Don’t you care about my reputation online?”

“I only believe what I see with my own eyes.”

After Jin’an Shen left, Yichao Gu called Secretary Lin.

“Handle the trending topics on Weibo about Jin’an Shen and Li. Also, keep an eye out for any good opportunities in the entertainment industry.”

Having given his instructions, Yichao Gu prepared to resume work on his laptop but suddenly remembered something.

He grabbed his phone and promptly downloaded the video before it was taken down.

Minutes later, the trending topic about Jin’an Shen and Gu Li completely vanished from Weibo.

“What? Where did the trending topic go?”

“That removal speed? Definitely her husband’s doing.”

“Tsk, the rich really care about their image. They can’t stand even a speck of dirt on their name.”

“After marriage and such a huge scandal? Hehe, Jin’an Shen’s life is probably going to be rough.”