Chapter 14

Chapter 14: 014: Watching the Joke

[master, are you okay?]

Qiao Qing Yan rested her chin on her hand and tapped her cheek lightly with one finger.

“Do I look like I need to care?”

The words were soft enough that it was hard to tell whether she was answering the system or slicing straight through Xu Shu Jing’s performance.

She wasn’t the original host. She didn’t have the original host’s memories.

But she didn’t need them.

One look at Wu Zhong Ping’s eyes was enough to understand the type of man he was.

In recent years, the original Qiao Qing Yan had been a name people spat out. No work. A wreck of a reputation. “Get out of showbiz” had become a slogan attached to her.

Anyone with sense kept their distance.

Wu Zhong Ping hadn’t.

He’d still chosen to work with Qiao Qing Yan’s agency, pulled out the charity film that had been shelved for years, and submitted it.

A gamble.

And if you gambled, you swallowed the risk.

The moment he decided to stake his fate on that film, he should have expected this outcome—rather than turning his disappointment into blame when he didn’t win.

Applause rolled as Director Liu finished his acceptance speech and strode back down the aisle, trophy gleaming in his hand.

He sat, flushed with pride, and immediately turned toward Qiao Qing Yan.

“Winning this award is thanks to Miss Qiao,” he said loudly enough for nearby seats to hear. “If it weren’t for Miss Qiao, I couldn’t have won.”

He smiled—wide, satisfied.

“Thank you, Miss Qiao.”

To anyone watching, it looked like friendly conversation, like shared triumph.

Qiao Qing Yan didn’t miss the way Wu Zhong Ping’s stare sharpened into something uglier.

People really did get full of themselves too easily.

—

Her phone vibrated again.

[master, it’s Madam Wang again.]

Qiao Qing Yan opened the message.

“Miss Qiao, opportunities never come a second time.”

“Think about your future. Don’t you want to wash away your shame and leave the screen in glory?”

“With one word from the Wang family, we can turn the situation around immediately.”

If Wu Zhong Ping lost, then it was practically guaranteed the remaining awards wouldn’t land anywhere near Qiao Qing Yan.

And sure enough—

Best Supporting Actress passed her by.

Best Actress passed her by.

The charity film had gotten her nominated for both, but the results didn’t surprise her.

Online, arguments erupted anyway—fighting over fairness, over bias, over whether the awards meant anything at all.

Qiao Qing Yan set her phone down, expression blank.

Xu Shu Jing’s voice slid in, sweet with satisfaction.

“Sister Qing Yan… looks like even the heavens didn’t favor you.”

“What a pity.”

The more miserable Qiao Qing Yan looked, the brighter Xu Shu Jing’s future would seem.

That was the logic.

Qiao Qing Yan turned her head, slow and precise.

“Did you forget?” she asked quietly. “Before you entered this industry, I already won a grand slam.”

Her smile sharpened.

“And you? Up to now, you still don’t even have a Best Newcomer trophy.”

She leaned back.

“Do you really think the heavens favor you?”

Xu Shu Jing’s jaw clenched. She hadn’t expected Qiao Qing Yan to say it so clearly, with people close enough to hear.

Xu Shu Jing’s earlier gloating had been whispered—safe.

Qiao Qing Yan’s reply wasn’t.

The people nearby glanced over, eyes shifting between the two women with sudden interest.

And in a distant corner of the venue, a noble man watched, the faintest curve touching his lips before vanishing again.