CEO's Sweetheart is a Super Idol-Chapter 42: Revised - 40 Extreme Humiliation

Lan Yening stepped out of the studio.

The night breeze tousled his hair and helped calm his tense nerves.

Ring! Ring!

Lan Yening looked at his phone; it was a colleague from the maid cafe where he used to work.

He answered absentmindedly, only to hear Lv Zhao’s voice on the other end: "Xiao Ning, why did you..."

Lan Yening, so startled he almost dropped his phone, immediately hung up and blocked the number.

It seemed his suspicions were spot on—Lv Zhao was indeed setting him up.

They say the "queen clique" is vicious; they’ll sell you out for money. Turns out it’s true.

Just as Lan Yening was feeling shaken, someone suddenly tapped his shoulder.

Film set

The crew was busy preparing for the night scene when everyone noticed Yuwei holding a script as she walked toward Zhou Xue.

The whole team slowed their work, watching the drama unfold with keen interest.

They loved nothing more than witnessing actresses tear into each other publicly.

Zhou Xue was sitting casually, chatting with the assistant who had just blocked Yuwei from entering the dressing room.

That assistant held a delicate tray to catch the shells of the sunflower seeds Zhou Xue was snacking on.

Though they had already noticed Yuwei, not one of them gave her a proper glance.

Feeling a bit timid, Yuwei recalled Xia Jin’s advice and mustered her courage:

"Ye Yuwei, hang in there. You’re new, and you have to endure everything."

Taking a deep breath, Yuwei walked forward resolutely.

"Sister Zhou, um... this scene is between you and me!"

"You know I haven’t had any formal training in drama, so I wanted to ask for your guidance."

Yuwei tried to sound as humble as possible, offering the script with utmost deference.

She believed in the age-old saying: "One doesn’t hit a smiling face."

Before Zhou Xue could respond, her scornful assistant spoke up first:

"Why are you causing trouble? Why should our Xue Xue teach you? Who are you anyway?"

"Besides, our Xue Xue is in the middle of prepping her emotions for the scene, and you come interrupting—are you blind?"

The assistant deliberately spoke loudly, prompting mixed reactions from the crew—some smirked with schadenfreude, some displayed disdain, while others merely sighed and shook their heads.

Yuwei’s face turned pale under the verbal onslaught, and she stumbled back a few steps.

She had never imagined someone could so openly trample on another person’s dignity.

Trembling all over, Yuwei was about to leave when Zhou Xue suddenly dragged out her words: "Wait, a second."

Yuwei froze, standing dumbly as her mind went blank.

"Give it here; let me see." Zhou Xue squinted, her lips curling into a smile.

Yuwei felt a glimmer of hope, thinking Zhou Xue had sufficiently humiliated her and was now going to save face.

Yuwei adjusted her mood and carefully handed over the script with both hands.

The assistant sneered, snatched the script, and respectfully presented it to Zhou Xue.

To everyone’s surprise, Zhou Xue’s face turned cold: "Did I tell you to touch it?"

The assistant nearly collapsed to her knees in fright and shakily returned the script to Yuwei.

Yuwei was relieved and quickly stepped forward, holding out the script again.

With a gentle smile, Zhou Xue took the script and flipped through it absentmindedly.

The crew assumed this was a gesture of reconciliation.

What followed was likely to be a boring "sisterly bond," nowhere near as entertaining as a fight.

Yuwei also quietly exhaled in relief.

Smack!

Just as everyone moved on with their tasks, Zhou Xue suddenly hurled the script at Yuwei’s face.

In an instant, a blotchy red mark appeared on Yuwei’s delicate skin.

The entire crew was stunned—no one had expected Zhou Xue to be so brazen. What kind of grudge could justify this?

"Trash! Can’t act, so what are you even here for?" Zhou Xue spat venomously.

The pages fluttered to the ground like falling snowflakes.

Yuwei, in that moment, even forgot the pain. This kind of public humiliation was entirely foreign to her. They always said the entertainment industry was a place where the big fish stomped on the little. Now she had truly experienced it firsthand.

Action!

At that moment, Director Fan, who had been silently observing the spectacle, smiled with satisfaction and yelled out.

"We’re not shooting today. Some things need resolving, and some people need to get lost."

A cool female voice rang out from nearby: "Who the hell do you think you are? This is my set."

Director Fan, interrupted, snapped in irritation, blurting out: "Who do you think you are?"

"I’m the primary investor for this project."

Wu Jingxiang, clad in a sharp women’s suit, strode onto the set, flanked by Mr. Wu, staff members, and bodyguards.

"Primary investor?" Director Fan paused, looking toward Mr. Wu for confirmation.

"Director Fan, this is Wu Jingxiang, Chairwoman of our parent company, Starshine. Chairwoman Wu." Mr. Wu introduced her with a pleasant smile.

"Hello, Chairwoman Wu!" Director Fan hurriedly approached to shake her hand,

but she didn’t spare him a glance, heading straight over to Yuwei: "Yuwei, I’m sorry you’ve had to endure this."

Wu Jingxiang’s words caused an immediate shift in the atmosphere.

The crew’s expressions turned to shock, followed by a distinct air of gossip-driven intrigue.

So, quiet little Yuwei had serious backing all along.

Though they didn’t know much about Wu Jingxiang, Mr. Wu’s reputation in the industry as someone who could ruin careers with a flick of his finger was well-known.

Zhou Xue’s face turned ghostly pale, as if she had just lost her dearest kin.

Smack!

A crisp slap landed on her assistant’s face.

"Pick up Miss Ye’s script now! It’s all your fault for stirring things up between us sisters!"

"Yuwei, I apologize. It’s my fault," Zhou Xue, who minutes ago resembled nothing less than a madam of the brothel, suddenly bowed deeply to Yuwei.

Had the crew not witnessed the preceding events for themselves, they would have thought it was Yuwei bullying Zhou Xue, who now looked vulnerable and pitiful.

"It’s okay! I... I accidentally scattered the script pages myself."

Yuwei had seen her share of drama, but Zhou Xue’s tactics today far outstripped anything her fellow actresses could pull off.

Just as Zhou Xue was about to speak again, Wu Jingxiang took Yuwei by the hand: "Yuwei, let’s go take a break."

"But Teacher Wu, what about today’s shoot?"

"Like I said earlier, we’ll continue once the issues are resolved. Mr. Wu will handle things here."

Wu Jingxiang smiled and turned her gaze to Zhou Xue: "I’ve heard you’re quite the actress."

"...You flatter me. I’m just average."

Under Wu Jingxiang’s icy yet smiling eyes, sweat began to pour down Zhou Xue’s face.

"Oh, but you gave quite the performance earlier. Now, perform a scene about ’talking too much’ for me." Wu Jingxiang’s tone was light, but the menace in her words chilled everyone.

Zhou Xue’s mentor, Director Fan, caught her pleading look but dared not intervene, restrained by Mr. Wu’s piercing glare.

Realizing there was no way out, Zhou Xue steeled herself, dropped to her knees, and began slapping her own face hard.

Smack! Smack!

Her once-fair complexion swelled and became streaked with blood.

"Serves me right for being blind! Sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong! Offending someone I shouldn’t have offended!"

Zhou Xue shouted as though reciting lines.

"That’s enough. Well done. Now go to accounting and collect 200,000—it’s my reward for your performance."

Wu Jingxiang delivered her final remark without sparing another glance at the still-kneeling Zhou Xue, then turned away, leading Yuwei off the set. Dead silence enveloped the crew.

Yuwei was both horrified and impressed.

In people like Wu Jingxiang’s eyes, even industry veterans like Zhou Xue might matter less than a stray dog.

But Zhou Xue herself wasn’t innocent—she, too, had bullied newcomers like they were expendable.

This industry truly was a jungle where only the strong survived.