Chapter 58: It Hurts So Much

The "Like"

incident came to an end following He Lingji's Weibo post.

What no one expected was that somehow, a group of CP (couple pairing) fans began shipping He Lingji and Qin Mang for their looks.

These CP fans were all about rebellion and had a unique taste—they loved the visual of a top-tier oil painting blending with top-tier ink wash art!

The more netizens thought the two didn't match, the harder the CP fans shipped them!

After all, one was married and the other had a boyfriend, and both had publicly shown affection for their partners on Weibo. So even if CP fans wanted to ship them, they had to do it secretly.

After some discussion, they decided to name the CP “Aurora”

—low-key yet classy, and not easily noticed!

But when they went to create a Super Topic—

They found that more than ten people were already in it!

And they were shipping them too, though discreetly.

Well then. They found their tribe.

These fans could even ship two people who had nothing to do with each other on a yacht—talking about it like it was real.

Wu Yuxi, an amateur astronomy enthusiast, had recently fallen in love with auroras and searched for the term across platforms—only to stumble upon this "secret organization"

that instantly made sense.

She was instantly hyped!

Little Watermelon GuaGuaGua: “Did you see that sapphire brooch the guy's been wearing lately? The girl designed it herself!”

She also revealed a few little secrets, like how the ring Qin Mang recently wore on her index finger matched the one He Lingji wore on his ring finger.

The more real it sounded, the more fake it seemed.

Visual CP fans were thrilled and slightly deranged: “@LittleWatermelonGuaGuaGua, you’re so good at making stuff up—write a fic already, I want something rated 18+!”

“Just imagining it is exciting! Any illustrators out there? I want pictures and text!”

“Wishful thinking. We barely have a hundred people in the Super Topic—there's not that much content.”

“Why can’t people see the… hiss… electrifying contrast between them!?”

“…”

As it happened—

Wu Yuxi had been drawing since childhood, then switched to fashion design, and later became a beauty blogger. She hadn't completely lost her drawing skills.

For her bestie this time, she decided to pick up that skill again!

Little Watermelon GuaGuaGua rolled up her sleeves: “Leave it to me!”

Now that she finally had CP buddies to ship with, she wasn’t going to let them go. She wasn’t alone anymore.

Qin Mang knew nothing about any of this.

After the wrap-up party, her vacation was coming to an end.

Before joining a new project, she was attending the Huaxia Film Awards.

Unlike the national-level Jin Jue Awards, the Film Awards leaned more toward audience popularity.

Qin Mang was nominated for Most Beloved Actress by the audience for her performance in Dreams of Old Jinghua.

Not quite the traditional "Best Actress,"

but still a highly prestigious recognition.

In the backstage lounge—

“You were nominated for two major awards for your first leading role in a film. That puts you miles ahead of your peers.”

Fu Yuan reviewed her upcoming schedule.

“After this, you also need to attend the premiere press conference for Vanity.”

Although Qin Mang was the female lead in Vanity, her screen time wasn’t extensive. Also, she had previously been rumored with the male lead, Tan Guannan, so she needed to be cautious.

Since the variety show The Killer ended, Qin Mang hadn’t seen Tan Guannan again.

They had silently agreed to distance themselves.

But with the film releasing soon, she had to do promo for the sake of box office results.

Even though Tan Guannan was the box office draw, Qin Mang was too proud to ride his coattails.

After all, the box office numbers would end up on her resume too.

Fu Yuan hesitated slightly.

“Are you going?”

Qin Mang had already changed into her red carpet gown—a champagne-gold off-shoulder dress, vintage and stunning. The silky smooth fabric traced her graceful figure perfectly. Intricate embroidery faded downward in a gradient, luxurious and exquisite—like a piece of art worthy of a museum.

Her expression was lazy and calm as she smoothed out a non-existent wrinkle in her dress. Without hesitation, she said, “Yes.”

Work is work. Why avoid it?

“There are plenty of men who like me. If I had to avoid every one who confesses to me, I might as well quit showbiz.”

Qin Mang’s soft, sultry voice carried a casual tone.

It was a bold statement.

But Fu Yuan looked at Qin Mang’s stunning, dazzling face—too beautiful to refute.

She smiled and warned, “You can say that to me, but don’t say it during interviews later.”

Or it’ll be used against her again.

Things had finally calmed down.

“Focus on acting and win Best Actress soon.”

Thinking of the whole "like"

incident with President He, Fu Yuan still felt uneasy.

The sooner Qin Mang established herself firmly in the entertainment industry, the less they'd have to worry about He doing something reckless again.

Qin Mang understood what she meant.

“Don’t worry. I already confiscated his Weibo account.”

Fu Yuan was stunned: “…You confiscated President He’s Weibo?”

Qin Mang replied calmly, “Yup. He posted an ugly photo of me.”

Nearby, Ah Tong quietly opened the saved post from He’s Weibo.

Stared at it for a while: Ugly photo?

That pic had become the couple photo template across platforms!

Everyone who saw it smiled like an auntie.

“Well, good then.”

“Anyway, he’s your husband. Keep him in line.”

Qin Mang drawled, “Got it.”

She deliberately ignored the sudden flutter in her chest at the thought of He Lingji.

At that moment, staff came to inform her that it was time to enter.

Qin Mang handed her shawl to Ah Tong.

Lifting her gown, she confidently stepped out in high heels.

Coincidentally—

Shen Wanyin, also nominated for Most Beloved Actress, was scheduled to walk the red carpet right before her.

Ever since her plastic surgery, Shen Wanyin's features had become sharper and more alluring—perfect for bold, glamorous looks.

At this moment, she stood in a red gown beside Qin Mang. Without a closer look, one might even think they were rivals in a drama scene.

But on closer inspection, the surgical tweaks on her face were obvious—especially next to Qin Mang’s natural beauty.

When Shen Wanyin’s eyes landed on Qin Mang’s face—

She could no longer hide the envy and hatred in them.

Everything she’d spent her life chasing, Qin Mang had received effortlessly. They were the same kind of people—so why did Qin Mang get to remain so pure and untarnished?

“Qin Mang, wanna make a bet?”

They were both in heels.

Qin Mang was half a head taller than Shen Wanyin.

She looked down at her for a few seconds, then said with a cool smile, “No.”

“Defeated opponents don’t qualify.”

With that, she calmly walked the red carpet.

Keeping several meters between her and Shen Wanyin—

As if avoiding something dirty.

Shen Wanyin gritted her teeth. With cameras everywhere, she forced herself to maintain her expression: “This time, you’re the defeated one.”

Qin Mang heard it clearly.

What did she mean by that?

Did Shen Wanyin bribe someone to rig the results?

She was suspicious, but it didn’t affect her red carpet performance.

Since the variety show aired, Qin Mang no longer hid her jewelry collection.

When red carpet sponsors couldn’t provide suitable high-end pieces, she simply pulled from her personal collection.

Today was special—she wore the three-piece set He Lingji gave her called “Xi He”

: necklace, earrings, bracelet, and a matching yellow diamond ring on her index finger.

She looked like a radiant sun—dazzling and divine.

Few could wear such opulent gold and not get overshadowed by the gown.

But Qin Mang pulled it off effortlessly. Media photos from the event called her a muse for the fashion world.

She held her own under close-up shots—no filters at all!

Aside from her, unfiltered red carpet photos of all other actresses were released too.

At first, people thought Shen Wanyin looked radiant after her comeback and that her beauty rivaled Qin Mang’s.

But once the raw photos dropped—

The contrast was brutal.

That night.

Shen Wanyin went berserk in her hotel’s presidential suite: “Who let them post the raw pics?!”

She grabbed Wei Qin: “Was it you? Didn’t you tell them not to?”

Despite facing her murderous rage, Wei Qin stayed calm.

“I told them. They agreed. Especially out of respect for Director Zhou. There’s no way they would post it intentionally. If you don’t believe me, call him.”

Many celebs with powerful backers would privately arrange for raw photos to be kept secret—especially if their facial work might collapse under scrutiny.

According to protocol, the event organizers should’ve complied after being pressured by Director Zhou.

But when Shen Wanyin called, it was the secretary who picked up.

She said Zhou was caught up with work and too busy—he’d visit Shen Wanyin when he had time.

Shen Wanyin was already highly sensitive—any slight unmet expectation made her spiral.

Not being able to reach Zhou made it worse.

She smashed all the expensive vases and ceramics in the suite.

Wei Qin stood silently in a corner, watching her meltdown coldly.

In the entertainment world, you needed emotional control. Someone like Shen Wanyin, no matter how strong her backing, wouldn’t last.

Wei Qin had already mentally given up on her.

She was just using this as a stepping stone to move on from Feiyun Entertainment.

Once Shen Wanyin had almost finished her tantrum, Wei Qin walked over and handed her a tissue.

“It’s just a photo. The netizens will forget it soon. Tomorrow at the awards ceremony… you’ll win Most Beloved Actress.”

“Fans love a comeback twist like that.”

A glimmer of hope flashed in Shen Wanyin’s eyes.

Yes.

She still had a trump card.

On the night of the red carpet, not only were Qin Mang’s fans celebrating like it was the New Year—so were fans of the "Aurora"

supertopic!

It all started with a post from user “LittleWatermelonGuaGuaGua,”

who shared the first fan content.

In the image, a woman in a pale gold luxurious gown lies, tear-streaked, on a boundless glacier. Standing in front of her is a man clad only in a regal white embroidered robe. His face is noble and cold, like a god descending to show mercy to a goddess.

The key point?

Both the goddess’s gown and the god’s robe are torn, exposing hints of skin. The god’s slender, ascetic fingers are lightly touching a piece of the goddess’s torn golden gown.

Beneath the goddess’s exposed legs lies the hem of the god’s robe, half of which has already slipped off his shoulders. Though there's no actual contact between their skin, the entire scene is filled with a rich, high-class sensuality and emotional tension.

Once the image was released, Aurora CP fans exploded.

“Ahhh I’m going crazy!”

“A god from the heavens showing mercy to the mortal world—why is this so insanely hot?!”

“I’m hyperventilating—who said they weren’t a good match?!”

“They’re the most perfect couple I’ve ever seen!”

“I just wanted to admire their looks, but now… I’m having heretical thoughts.”

“When is the god getting divorced?”

“When is the goddess breaking up?”

“Ahhh LittleWatermelon you’re amazing! I’ll never mock you again! You’re the best at shipping!”

“True CP shipping means leaving nothing to the imagination! @LittleWatermelonGuaGuaGua when will you post one where they’re not wearing anything?!”

“I’ll keep my clothes on, but my ship has to get naughty!”

LittleWatermelonGuaGuaGua replied: “On it. No problem.jpg”

“@LittleWatermelonGuaGuaGua, just keep spoiling this bunch of degenerates!”

3 a.m. Wu Yuxi was still grinding away on the frontlines of fan content creation!

The next day, at the awards ceremony. Qin Mang once again found herself sitting near her rival Shen Wanyin.

Shen Wanyin was full of confidence.

Meanwhile, in the president’s office of He Group.

Secretary Cong tactfully turned on the live stream of the award ceremony.

He Lingji gave it a quick glance and didn’t watch further—but also didn’t ask for it to be turned off.

A few minutes later, he took a call. His expression instantly darkened—just as the "Most Popular Supporting Actress"

award was about to be announced.

Next up were the "Most Popular Lead Actor and Actress"

awards.

Secretary Cong hurried forward: “President He—something’s happened!”

“Feiyun Entertainment is pressuring the organizers to give the 'Most Popular Actress' award to Shen Wanyin.”

He Lingji didn’t even remember who Shen Wanyin was.

Seeing the urgency, Secretary Cong quickly summarized the situation.

He Lingji’s calm gaze swept the live feed, which was just announcing the "Most Popular Supporting Roles."

When the camera panned across the audience—

He immediately spotted the beautiful woman slightly lifting her chin.

Compared to her lavish red carpet look, she now wore a simple black strapless gown. Around the neckline, hand-stitched butterflies seemed about to take flight. Around her delicate swan neck was the yellow diamond necklace He had gifted her after she lost the Jin Jue award.

He Lingji remained silent.

Secretary Cong cautiously reminded him, “While this award isn’t as prestigious as Best Actress at the Jin Jue Awards, it still represents public approval…”

"Who was the original winner?"

“Definitely Madam,”

Secretary Cong confirmed.

“She was leading by a landslide in online votes. But earlier today, Shen suddenly overtook her.”

“We confirmed yesterday that it was Madam’s win. But just now, they said Feiyun Entertainment forced the switch.”

He Lingji lowered his eyes. His long lashes cast a cold shadow across his pale skin, hiding a fleeting chill: “Feiyun Entertainment.”

Just those four words—and Secretary Cong sensed danger. A phrase popped into his mind: "The cold winds bring the downfall of Zhou."

Previously, President He had refrained from interfering with Feiyun, just to let Madam sharpen her skills.

But now—

They had crossed his bottom line.

—

Back at the ceremony. The presenters for "Most Popular Lead Roles"

suddenly received an urgent message through their earpieces—

Change the winner for "Most Popular Actress."

Both presenters were veterans of the industry.

It was obvious something shady was going on. Their expressions turned cold.

They hated these kinds of last-minute changes.

The nervous voice in their earpieces explained, “Please don’t misunderstand—this was a staff error. The real winner is Qin Mang.”

“Ms. Shen Wanyin hasn’t been active for years and has no new works. It’s impossible for her to win this award.”

The presenters didn’t really follow who had left or returned to the industry. They didn’t know much about Qin Mang or Shen Wanyin.

But they had seen Qin Mang’s performance in A Dream of Old Beijing. Her acting was impressive.

The organizer added, “She was even nominated for Best Actress at the Jin Jue Awards. Her skill is widely recognized.”

The stage fell silent.

But the audience buzzed with murmurs.

A delay of almost half a minute—it was suspicious.

Shen Wanyin suddenly felt a sense of dread.

Qin Mang, on the other hand, remained calm. Whether she won or not didn’t matter. She always aimed for more.

Noticing Shen’s reaction, Qin Mang tilted her head innocently: “Ms. Shen, are you uncomfortable? Is it some… unspeakable condition?”

Other actors nearby couldn’t help but snicker.

A male comedian spoke up cheerfully: “Ms. Shen, don’t hide it. If it’s a small illness, just get it cut out.”

Shen Wanyin’s face flushed red.

“I do not—!”

(Hemorrhoids!)

She, an actress known for her beauty, was now labeled with "hemorrhoids."

She, who practically wore “beauty”

on her face, couldn’t take the blow.

She glared at Qin Mang: “You—!”

Before she could finish, the announcement came:

“The Most Popular Actress is—Qin Mang.”

“Congratulations to Qin Mang.”

“Her role as Yun Qin in A Dream of Old Beijing was truly remarkable.”

The camera panned to show Qin Mang’s elegant, smiling face—contrasting sharply with the furious redness of Shen Wanyin’s.

She looked like she was fuming over Qin’s win.

Despite feeling like she was about to break down, Shen Wanyin forced herself to keep it together. She gave a strained smile and clapped, but her twisted expression was clearly caught on camera.

Internet users, ever ready for drama, made comparison GIFs.

Shen Wanyin’s big comeback became a joke.

Qin Mang didn’t even glance her way.

She lifted her long, elegant gown and gracefully walked to the stage.

All around, fans screamed:

“Radiant! Radiant! Radiant!”

Bathed in dazzling light, the stunning woman held her trophy and smiled gently. No matter the chaos outside, she shone bright.

This was only the beginning of Qin Mang’s award-winning journey.

As for Shen Wanyin—she had a breakdown in her hotel room, nearly discovered by a cleaner.

She went crying to her sugar daddy, only to find out that President Zhou was also in trouble.

He Lingji made his move quickly.

Even a giant like Feiyun Entertainment couldn’t withstand his assault. From the inside out, it began to collapse.

Qin Mang, of course, knew none of this.

She had already joined the set of her next film, The Depressed—delayed for half a year.

She plays a psychiatrist navigating the boundary between fiction and reality. She heals countless patients with depression, unaware that she is the one who cannot be healed.

She saved others. But no one saved her.

It’s a deeply emotional film, repeatedly rejected by censors, revised over and over, until it finally passed.

Qin Mang had only filmed three movies so far.

This was her fourth—and her most challenging role yet.

So once her busy schedule ended, she went into full seclusion with the film crew.

She had no idea about the online rumors or the award show drama.

Until two months later—

Feiyun Entertainment declared bankruptcy and revealed all the shady things they had done in the industry.

Aside from the little-known hobby of President Zhou, the head of the household, of keeping female celebrities as mistresses, a full list of these kept actresses had surfaced — and the last name on the list was Shen Wanyin.

The other actresses were either no longer popular or had already left the entertainment industry. Only Shen Wanyin still had a high level of public attention.

Naturally, all eyes focused on her.

It was also revealed that Feiyun Entertainment had tried to pressure the organizers of the Film Awards to give her the “Most Popular Leading Actress”

award. However, a powerful figure, known for their sense of justice, found this private manipulation unfair and stepped in to intervene, allowing the award to be returned to its rightful recipient.

> “No wonder the two award presenters paused for so long — they must’ve been told to switch the winner last minute!”

> “No wonder Shen Wanyin looked so pale back then. Here’s a gif of her awkward smile.”

> “Hahaha, so embarrassing — she walked the red carpet with full confidence, but ended up clapping stiffly at the ceremony. Classic fallen star moment.”

> “Let’s not forget how Shen Wanyin originally rose to fame by stepping on Qin Mang, using that viral video to build her ‘bold beauty’ persona.”

> “If she hadn’t left the industry quickly, even more dirt would’ve come out!”

> “Guess she thought netizens have short memories — only six months and she's trying a comeback.”

> “She even got plastic surgery. Tsk tsk, even with surgery she’s not as beautiful as one strand of Qin Mang’s hair.”

> “She used to be a delicate little beauty. Now… she just looks plastic. Without heavy makeup, totally unwatchable!”

> “My god, where does she get the nerve to compare her looks with Qin Mang’s?”

With the revelation of Shen Wanyin being a kept woman, her reputation completely collapsed, and netizens started digging up her past scandals. Even her biggest fans began turning their backs on her.

Some even exposed behind-the-scenes details the general public didn’t know.

Of course, there were still some chaotic CP (couple pairing) fans who didn’t care about the drama at all—

> “Who is this righteous hero? If this were ancient times, @QinMang, you’d have to marry him in gratitude!”

> “Hahaha, if not marriage, at least a kiss?”

> “No no, I’m her wife fan. Goddess, kiss me instead! My heart can’t take it if you kiss anyone else!”

> “…”

For authenticity and realism, the film crew had chosen to shoot at an abandoned psychiatric hospital, now renovated into a filming set.

After finishing a scene where she saved someone from jumping off a building, Qin Mang’s pale, slender arms were covered in rope marks and scrapes from the “rescue.”

Her skin was delicate, so even small wounds looked serious.

Though usually a pampered and proud young lady, she showed shocking determination while acting — throwing herself into the role with complete disregard for personal safety.

A’tong had already prepared disinfectant and bandages.

As Qin Mang rested, she noticed everyone giving her strange looks.

Taking a sip of fruit tea from her thermos and fanning herself with a small lion-shaped fan, she asked, “Are they stunned by my acting?”

A’tong was silent for two seconds.

“They’re more like… scared.”

“Do you know how dangerous that scene was? You nearly fell off the roof!”

Qin Mang was indeed in pain, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. But she valued her pride and pretended to be calm: “There were safety wires. Even if I fell, it’d be fine.”

The rooftop was nine stories high!

A normal person would be terrified just standing there.

Qin Mang kept pushing A’tong’s perception of her limits.

But—

A’tong tried to distract her from the pain: “Check Weibo. There’s a surprise.”

“Everyone’s looking at you with sympathy.”

“Sympathy for what?”

“For being clung to by Shen Wanyin like a piece of gum.”

“She’s finally, completely ruined!”

She handed Qin Mang her phone.

Lately, Qin Mang had been so busy with filming, she’d come home, shower, and crash — too tired to check any news. Many scenes were shot late into the night.

Now she finally understood why Shen Wanyin had once so confidently declared she would beat her.

It really had come close — her award almost stolen.

If it had been a fair competition and she lost, fine. But this… was backroom manipulation.

A glint of disgust flickered through her clear eyes.

Then she saw the netizens discussing the mysterious righteous benefactor.

A name suddenly popped into her mind.

A’tong grinned: “Brother Meng contacted Secretary Cong. It was President He who intervened.”

Qin Mang had been forcing herself to focus on work lately, trying not to think about that man.

But at this moment, all her suppressed emotions surged back like a flood.

She realized very clearly—

She missed him.

And what about him?

The sting of the scrapes on her arms returned.

Qin Mang’s eyes turned red as she looked at the bruises and cuts.

She didn’t look happy like A’tong expected. Instead, she looked… aggrieved.

After a long pause.

Little Lion “Awoo Meow”

: [He Lingji, I’m in so much pain. Photo.jpg]