Chapter Forty: Confession

Yu Qian returned home after school, opened Yunbo to catch up on the latest news, and received a message.

Deepwater Whale: “Cutie, do you like the gift I sent you?”

Yu Qian’s heart skipped a beat.

Shallow Water Fish: “Zhou Jingchen?”

Deepwater Whale: “Yes.”

Shallow Water Fish: “The marketing accounts are run by your people, and you’re the one leaking the news.”

Her tone was certain.

These past few days, Yunbo had been in turmoil. The fans of the drama king cursed stubbornly, while other celebrity fans joined in to stir the pot—there hadn’t been a moment’s peace. Yunbo’s staff were constantly berated by obsessive fans; unless the marketing accounts were banned, the chaos wouldn’t stop. But no matter how much people cursed, the marketing accounts kept releasing insider information with unwavering bravado. Yunbo’s official stance was to post a statement, saying Yunbo was an open social platform; as long as the content wasn’t anti-national, anti-social, or anti-humanity, they had no right to ban accounts.

Yu Qian had originally thought the arrogance of these marketing accounts stemmed from some collaboration between their backers and Zhou Jingchen. She hadn’t expected the support to come from Zhou Jingchen himself.

Deepwater Whale: “Yes.”

Deepwater Whale: “This gift is for you. Didn’t you want to enter the entertainment industry?”

Shallow Water Fish: “We’ve only met once. Such a generous gift feels undeserved.”

Though she said this, Yu Qian couldn’t help but feel a hint of happiness in her heart.

Then, in an instant, she realized something.

Shallow Water Fish: “Besides, I never told you I wanted to enter the entertainment industry. How do you know? Did you investigate me?!”

Deepwater Whale: “Cutie, you truly are clever.”

Deepwater Whale: “Now I’m certain. You’re definitely not just ten years old inside.”

Shallow Water Fish: “What are you talking about?”

Deepwater Whale: “We’re the same kind. You know exactly what I mean—WB’s early appearance is the best proof, isn’t it?”

Yu Qian didn’t reply. She suspected Zhou Jingchen had also been reborn, but she hadn’t expected him to admit it outright.

Deepwater Whale: “Cutie, actually, I wanted to tell you something else.”

Deepwater Whale: “You are the one I adore.”

Shallow Water Fish: “…”

Shallow Water Fish: “I’m only ten! You pervert!”

She hadn’t even needed to flirt—he’d taken the bait all on his own.

All those tricks she’d learned from Su Fox, wasted?

Deepwater Whale: “I’m only a pervert for you.”

Shallow Water Fish: “Goodbye, I’m logging off.”

Yu Qian swiftly shut down her computer and darted to her bed, burying herself under the covers.

Her face flushed and her heart raced.

She wasn’t unmoved by Zhou Jingchen’s confession; in fact, she felt a little flutter in her own heart.

---

For the first time in two lifetimes, she received a confession, and from someone she liked. Even if it wasn’t face to face, it made her blush and her heart pound.

Wrapped in her blanket, she rolled around the bed a few times, her face feeling hotter still.

She pulled out her phone and spoke in the group chat.

[Shallow Water Fish]: “Just now, Zhou Jingchen confessed to me!”

[Nüwa]: “What? Say that again!”

[Shallow Water Fish]: “Just now, Zhou Jingchen confessed to me!”

[Nüwa]: “Damn it, I’m going to chop him up!”

[Fuxi]: “Come back, do you want to be struck by lightning again?”

[Demon King Ashura]: “I’ll go chop him. I’m not afraid of lightning.”

[Shallow Water Fish]: “…Are you planning to make me a widow?”

[Nüwa]: “Widow my ass, if you kill him I’ll find you a new one!”

Nüwa stomped in fury; she was livid. She’d taken her eyes off for a moment, and her precious cabbage had been snatched away—and the worst part was, the cabbage looked delighted.

[Shallow Water Fish]: “But I only like him.”

[Nüwa]: “…”

See? Look at that happy little cabbage—it was enough to drive all the old fathers and mothers in the group mad.

[Shallow Water Fish]: “After two lifetimes, I finally met someone who makes my heart race, and he likes me too. I don’t want to miss this chance.”

When Yu Qian mentioned her previous life, everyone in the group softened.

A mistake by Siming had ruined a family, and their failure to remedy it was another mistake. The Heavenly Way was so opposed to their meddling in Yu Qian’s destiny that it only said one thing: if not for Siming’s intervention, Yu Qian and Zhou Jingchen would have been together anyway.

But, in her past life, Yu Qian never got to meet her destined partner before she died, and Zhou Jingchen, who should have been her other half, spent his life alone.

Sending Zhou Jingchen back was Heaven’s compensation.

They’d long understood the reasoning behind the lightning strikes—it was just hard to accept emotionally.

Their own tender, juicy cabbage—such heartache.

Sigh.

[Seductive Beautiful Fox]: “Tsk, I don’t get what you’re all fussing about.”

[Seductive Beautiful Fox] sent a private red envelope: The 108 Techniques of Dual Cultivation.

[Seductive Beautiful Fox]: “It’s fine if you don’t flirt; I’ve got dual cultivation methods.”

Administrator [Heavenly Emperor] has muted [Seductive Beautiful Fox] for 24 hours.

[Heavenly Emperor]: “Don’t corrupt the children!”

[Most Beautiful Little Chick]: “Hey, my bedroom arts were taught by Her Majesty! Totally legit!”

Administrator [Heavenly Emperor] has muted [Most Beautiful Little Chick] for 24 hours.

[Heavenly Emperor]: “Nonsense. That’s an extra offense.”

[Ice-Pure Jade Pipa]: “@Lady Nüwa, is it true you taught them?”

Administrator [Nüwa] has muted [Ice-Pure Jade Pipa] for 24 hours.

---

[Nüwa]: “There are so many kids in the group, you can’t corrupt them.”

[Shallow Water Fish]: “Boom~ Xuanyuan Tomb Triple Kill X2.”

After gloating, Yu Qian finally claimed the red envelope.

Whether in novels or on TV, bedroom arts were always shrouded in secrecy. Having been single for twenty-three years, Yu Qian was genuinely curious.

But after flipping through just a couple of pages, her face flushed and her heart raced, and she quickly stashed the book back in her phone’s folder.

It really was direct and fiery.

She covered her face and buried herself deeper in the blanket, shy to the core.

Whenever she closed her eyes, the book’s contents would appear, and her face would automatically swap with Zhou Jingchen and Yu Qian’s. That made her even more embarrassed.

After ten minutes, cheeks still burning, she finally crawled out and turned on her computer. Thanks to Zhou Jingchen’s antics, she hadn’t even read today’s gossip news yet.

She was a spectator, too.

Logging into Yunbo, she saw a flood of messages in her private inbox, but she moved her mouse away and resisted the urge to check.

The new drama king’s agency had released a statement saying the person photographed wasn’t him, and the print media had mistaken someone else for him.

But within ten minutes, a marketing account posted an even clearer photo.

Then the drama king himself lashed out, accusing the marketing account of photoshopping and spreading rumors, claiming they’d be struck by lightning.

The marketing account was provoked and retaliated by posting a video.

Surveillance footage.

It clearly showed the drama king bringing different girls home one after another in a single day, with each video showing kissing and hugging.

At this point, both the company and the individual fell silent. Photos could be accused of being edited, but surveillance footage couldn’t be faked.

The faces were clear, and the two girls looked different. Plus, there were intimate actions—there was no way to deny it.

The drama king’s fans exploded.

Fans nowadays were still innocent, with sound values—not like the brainless followers in later generations.

So, most of them unfollowed him.

His fan count visibly shrank, and the comment section was filled with criticism.

Yu Qian was enjoying the spectacle, when suddenly her phone rang, startling her.

She picked it up and saw an unfamiliar number.

Without thinking, she answered while scrolling through trending news.

“Hello, who’s this?”

Her cheerful tone made the person on the other end pause.

“Cutie.”

Yu Qian’s hand trembled, nearly dropping her phone.

The voice came through the line, clear and bright—a young man’s voice, even more pleasant.

It was Zhou Jingchen.