I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

Shu Zi tapped on the picture, and her finger paused for a moment as the screen lit up.

The photo was clearly taken secretly; the angle is a bit low, and it's slightly out of focus.

In the scene, Gu Yan has just come out of the conference room, his black shirt loosely tucked into his trousers, the collar slightly open, and his collarbone below his Adam's apple exposed under the corridor lights.

He was raising his hand to adjust his cuffs, his arm muscles taut, the fabric of his shirt tugging slightly with the movement.

The tooth mark was so blatantly embedded in his skin, the red mark still visible, particularly conspicuous, like some kind of silent declaration.

He tilted his head slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, looking both lazy and energetic.

Shu Zi stared at the picture for a full minute, then silently flipped her phone over and placed it face down on the bed, taking a deep breath.

This man, he did it on purpose, didn't he?

The group chat has gone crazy.

"I won't change my name until I marry CEO Gu: 'How about it, sisters! Isn't this explosive enough?! I risked getting fired to take this!!'"

This lousy class is a total disaster: "I'm using this screenshot as my wallpaper... Who can resist this?! That bite mark!! That Adam's apple!! That unbuttoned button!!"

Wu Hu's salary increase took off: "...I advise you all to calm down. If President Gu finds out that this picture has been leaked, our entire group is probably going to be wiped out."

This lousy class is open to anyone who wants to join: "Total annihilation is fine! To die under the peony blossoms is to die a romantic death!"

"I won't change my name until I marry Young Master Gu: I just want to know which woman managed to leave a mark on Young Master Gu's collarbone! Shouldn't she be awarded a medal for this?!"

The woman Mr. Gu can never have: "..."

Shu Zi looked at the photo again, and her ears slowly began to burn.

She flipped her phone over and over, but in the end she couldn't resist and opened the picture again, zooming in, zooming out, and zooming in again.

Wow, that's so cool!

Even though the photo is blurry, it still looks so good!

She opened her chat window with Gu Yan and typed a few words:

A little pose: "Suddenly appeared.gif"

A little chick: "Beep beep, are you coming back tonight?"

She waited for a while, but Gu Yan didn't reply, probably still dealing with work.

She switched back to the group chat, where the party was still going on.

"I won't change my name until I marry Mr. Gu": "@The woman Mr. Gu can never have, sister, why are you silent? Were you also shocked by this picture?!"

"This lousy class is for whoever wants it: 'She's probably just drooling over the screen, give her some time!'"

The conversation in the group got more and more out of control.

Wu Qiwei, who had been silently watching the screen, felt a pang of anxiety when he saw that Shu Zi hadn't commented for a long time. He silently typed a few words:

Wu Hu's salary increase announcement: "...I suggest you all speak politely. What if the boss's wife is really lurking in the group? That would be terrible."

The group was silent for two seconds, then it exploded.

Shu Zi stared at the sentence on the screen, "What if the boss's wife really is lurking in the group?" Her finger hovered above the screen for two seconds.

Then she slowly typed out a line of text:

The woman Mr. Gu can never have: "Hahaha, how could that be? I'd love to be a boss lady, but unfortunately, Mr. Gu wouldn't even look at a mortal like me (lights a cigarette.jpg)"

After sending it, she added another message without changing her expression:

The woman Mr. Gu can never have: "But speaking of which, that picture is absolutely stunning. I've already saved it. Sisters, anyone who deletes it is a dog."

"I won't change my name until I marry Little Gu: Don't worry! I filmed this to share with everyone! Sharing is caring!"

"This lousy class is for whoever wants to be in it: So, can anyone find out who left this bite mark? I can't sleep tonight, I have to know the answer!"

Shu Zi looked at the message and silently left the group chat.

You can't peel off even a little bit.

A new message popped up on the screen; Gu Yan had replied.

A certain Mr. Gu, a despicable person: "I won't reply."

Shu Zi stared at those two words, and the light in her eyes instantly dimmed.

She pursed her lips and tapped the screen a few times with her finger:

A little girl said, "Oh, fine, I won't reply then."

On the other side, Gu Yan, who was already sitting in the car, looked at the "Oh" on the screen, which was tinged with a little emotion, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.

Outside the villa, Fang Yutong found her agent's number and dialed it.

The phone rang once and was then answered.

Before she could even speak, the voice from the other end of the receiver came crashing down on her.

"Fang Yutong, are you crazy?! I sent you to the show to generate buzz, not to go head-to-head with Shu Zi!"

"Go look at what's trending on social media! Do you think you have too much public appeal?!"

"Did you know that the brand called me last night to say that they've decided to replace me with someone else for the skincare endorsement that was originally agreed upon?"

"And that collaboration on the affordable luxury watch also fell through!"

Zhou Min's voice grew louder and louder:

"Those two production teams that gave you scripts before, the producers told me this afternoon that the roles have already been cast with other actors! They've cast other actors!"

"All the resources you've accumulated over the past six months have vanished overnight!"

Fang Yutong tightened her grip on her phone slightly, her lips pressed into a thin line, and she remained silent.

"How many times have I told you not to mess with Shuzi? You know perfectly well who's backing her!"

"You insisted on going against the grain, and now look what happened! The whole internet is laughing at you!"

Fang Yutong was silent for a few seconds before finally speaking, her voice icy: "Just because she has connections, does that mean I deserve to be trampled on?"

Zhou Min paused for a moment, then let out a cold laugh:

"You're comparing your background to hers? Fang Yutong, have you forgotten whether your own hands are clean or not?"

"If you really want to go down this path, you'd better behave yourself and not cause any more trouble, or no one will be able to protect you then."

Fang Yutong gripped her phone tightly, remaining silent.

"When Mr. Liang was around, I didn't say anything. He'd give me resources and clean up my messes. But now that he's gone, you'd better behave yourself!"

"You should know what you should and shouldn't say!"

Zhou Min was silent for a moment, her tone softening somewhat, but still carrying a warning tone:

"Keep a low profile for the next few days, don't provoke anyone, and wait until this storm passes before making any further moves."

Fang Yutong did not respond and hung up the phone directly.

Her gaze fell on the dark night in the distance, unfocused, and the light in her eyes gradually faded.

She opened WeChat, scrolled to a chat window without a contact name, paused for a moment on the screen, and then typed a line:

"I agree, but you have to agree to one condition."

The reply came quickly: "Okay, come over now."

Fang Yutong: "I'm recording a show, I can't leave."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, then a message came: "If you can't get here before 11 o'clock, you don't need to come at all."

Fang Yutong stared at the line of text for a moment without replying.

She turned off her phone and went back to the villa.