ALWARFC Chapter 10

The top star personally claps back at a marketing account, pushing the topic to peak Popularity.

Adding fuel to the fire, blogger 【Lucky Money, You’d Better Behave】 directly offended all three fandoms with their commentary on ABC’s statement. As a result, their Weibo comments section is now drowning in an overwhelming flood of replies.

【Sisters, just report and move on. Don’t engage with marketing accounts—arguing with them only boosts their traffic (vomit).】

【Making bets with a marketing account out of spite? I’m dying of laughter. Ran San-Sui, this is so you.】

【Crying-laughing. I used to dislike that one top star from a certain arrogant fandom, but the moment “Su Zhaocai” appeared, it was too hilarious. Am I the only one who wants to see the top star crash and rebrand?】

【This marketing account is so good at stirring things up. I know they’re just leeching off the hype, but I still couldn’t resist following them. Can’t wait to see what happens next.】

【Using someone else’s new drama to drive traffic and openly interacting with a top star? Normally, Sister Sparks acts all high and mighty, yet instead of tearing this marketing account apart, she’s actually organizing team-building in the comments?】

【A certain artist with the surname Su hasn’t released an album in two years but keeps churning out one bad film after another. Zero achievements, yet he still dares to call himself a top star? Call me a conspiracy theorist, but isn’t he just desperate and using his own marketing account to pick fights across the industry for clout?】

Beneath Su Weisheng’s Weibo, there were both meme-filled jokes and voices of doubt, pushing his newly created side account straight into the eye of the storm. The topic’s heat continued to soar.

Bai Songyin only took a few glances before the hostility in the comments made him instinctively look away. Then, he turned to look at Grandfather Su, who, to his surprise, showed no trace of panic. Instead, the man was browsing Weibo with great interest.

“Grandfather Su, they’re slandering you like this. Aren’t you angry?” The young assistant was baffled.

Su Weisheng raised an eyebrow in confusion. “It’s just some harmless comments. Why should I be angry?”

“I remember back when I first emerged in my youth, a certain faction deliberately labeled me a swindler, a demonic charlatan leading people astray. They used ‘crusading against me’ as an excuse to seize territories. If I had cared back then, would I also have to take responsibility for the lives lost in their conflicts?”

“Even now, nearly two hundred years later, not everyone in this world acknowledges my contributions. Who knows what kind of smear campaigns are still running against me in places I can’t even see?”

Bai Songyin’s lips twitched. Hearing the word “smear”, his mind instinctively jumped to the drama The High Priest’s Legend, filmed by Brother Ran under the identity of Su Tiao’s descendant. The story was a brainless Mary Sue romance, portraying the High Priest as a love-struck fool willing to forsake the world for the female lead. If Grandfather Su ever watched it… Hmm, better not bring it up.

Su Weisheng propped his chin up with one hand, his long, slender fingers idly twirling his phone. With intrigue, he remarked, “But modern people are quite interesting. With just the invisible power of the internet, they can rapidly push someone to the center of a storm, placing them under the scrutiny of millions. A single misstep and it’s complete ruin.”

He didn’t particularly care, but he could understand the immense pressure celebrities faced in this position. After all, they were just ordinary people. It was easy for their mental state to collapse.

From this perspective, his great-great-grandson’s ability to remain so arrogant and energetic despite being a top star was quite impressive. Hopefully, he could maintain that resilience moving forward.

Su Weisheng chuckled meaningfully.

The moment Bai Songyin saw the faint smile on Su Weisheng’s lips, he couldn’t help but shiver. The last time he smiled like this… what happened to Brother Ran again?

Meanwhile, Su Ran was browsing Weibo when he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Rubbing the goosebumps on his arms, he called out to his close friend, “Old Jiang, close the window.”

Jiang Yimian glanced outside at the bright, sunny weather and asked in confusion, “You’re cold?”

“…A little.” Su Ran replied absentmindedly. His gaze lingered on the Weibo post where that trashy marketing account had made a bet with him. He muttered to himself in confusion, “Why does this sound kind of familiar? But I just can’t remember why.”

Jiang Yimian scoffed, “Obviously because this guy’s antics are exactly like those brainless villains in novels and dramas. Jumping up and down trying to humiliate you by making you change to a dog’s name? You’ve definitely seen this kind of cliché before! Next up, it’s our turn as the ‘chosen ones’ to serve some face-slapping justice!”

Getting more excited, he rubbed his hands together. “I’ve been stuck with the label of ‘trash screenwriter’ for so long—finally, it’s my time to shine!”

Still feeling unsatisfied, he went the extra mile and opened his Weibo DMs to send a message to 【Luck Money, You’d Better Behave】. With righteous fervor, he typed a stern warning: 【Kid, let me give you a piece of advice. The heavens are watching. There are indeed mystical arts that can peer into a person’s fate, but such profound techniques are beyond the reach of ordinary people. They are not tools for scamming money under false pretenses. What you’re doing now is accumulating bad karma. Apologize, delete your account, and fix this before it’s too late, or you’ll regret it when the backlash comes!】

This was a kindhearted warning. But then he remembered that the marketing account was probably being bombarded with hate and wouldn’t dare log in anymore—what a shame, they likely wouldn’t even see his message.

Ding—

Suddenly, a notification popped up.

【Lucky Money, You’d Better Behave】: Oh? Which deity do you worship?

They actually dared to respond? Were they trying to provoke him, or just pretending to be an insider?

Jiang Yimian didn’t hold back and immediately replied: “Ever heard of Lord Ji Sui?”

He waited for a long time before finally receiving a reply—just a simple “Oh.”

Jiang Yimian burst out laughing. “See? A total fraud. No need to worry anymore—he didn’t even recognize Ji Sui Xingjun! Two sentences in and he’s already exposed.”

Su Ran snapped out of his daze, slightly surprised. “Is Ji Sui Xingjun such a special name?” He had only heard about this deity after entering the industry since many wealthy big-shots in their circle were devout followers.

“Of course it’s special!”

Jiang Yimian began explaining enthusiastically, “Ji Sui Xingjun’s name isn’t as famous as the ancient gods from mythology. In fact, he only appeared less than two hundred years ago. Only mystical practitioners like my uncle and certain hidden esoteric families even know of his existence. But his significance is extraordinary.”

“It’s said that during the era of chaos, countless corpses piled up. Even the underworld couldn’t handle the overwhelming number of wandering souls, let alone arrange their reincarnation. As a result, the mortal world was overrun with vengeful spirits at night. Then, at some point, people started pasting talismans blessed by Xingjun on their doors. Gradually, peace returned to the living realm.”

“And that ‘Xingjun’ refers to Ji Sui Xingjun.”

Su Ran was astonished. “I’ve never heard of this part of history before.”

“My uncle told me that there’s a very complicated karmic reason behind it, which is why later records rarely mention Xingjun’s name. However, even though many regions don’t know his name, they still keep the tradition of pasting Xingjun’s blessing talismans on their doors, passing it down through generations. Nowadays, it’s just for good fortune.”

Jiang Yimian scoffed and pointed at 【Lucky Money, You’d Better Behave】. “See? He doesn’t even know this. Total fraud!”

Su Ran nodded, finally reassured. “Alright, then I won’t worry about it. Let’s go—didn’t you say we needed your uncle’s help for a ritual? Let’s hurry up. You mentioned ten thousand, right?”

“No, we need to make a trip to the bank. My uncle said we needed to withdraw a hundred thousand in cash. The money isn’t for him—it’s to be burned as an offering to Xingjun.”

Su Ran: “???”

—

While Su Ran and Jiang Yimian were busy figuring out how to spend their money, even the production team of «Another Side of Family Life» decided to join in on the trending chaos.

Not only that, but a well-known blogger named 【Years and Years of Carefree Banquets】 followed Su Weisheng and reposted a Weibo post with an incredibly playful caption: “Top-tier celebrities sure are paid well—this gossip is delicious.”

The moment this person appeared, the entire internet exploded. The topic skyrocketed to its peak, sending 【Lucky Money, You’d Better Behave】 straight onto the trending list.

Su Weisheng scrolled through the blogger’s profile, seeing that it was full of entertainment gossip. However, unlike him—who was getting flamed—the comment section under this person’s posts was overwhelmingly positive, filled with fans singing their praises and affectionately calling them “Director You”.

“Who is this?” Su Weisheng asked Bai Songyin.

The young assistant peeked over, then immediately blurted out, “Holy crap, Grandfather! That’s Director You! His full name is You Sui. He’s the chief director and investor of «Another Side of Family Life» variety show. In other words, that show is basically his personal playground—he has absolute control.”

He hesitated, then added with a complicated expression, “This guy has a really twisted sense of humor. He’s a full-fledged troublemaker. Everyone who goes on his show ends up getting toyed with until they break. No matter how perfectly you craft your public persona, he’ll effortlessly shatter it and expose your true self on the live broadcast. Long story short—he’s bad news. If he’s paying attention to you, it’s definitely not a good sign. You need to be careful.”

Su Weisheng fell into deep thought for a moment, then nodded. “You’re right. He’s definitely not a good person.”

Just as Bai Songyin was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he watched in horror as Su Weisheng opened Weibo and followed You Sui back.

“Grandfather, what are you doing?!”

Su Weisheng calmly sent You Sui a private message: “Hello.”

You Sui’s reply came almost instantly. First, a smiling emoji. Then, an enthusiastic invitation: “Would you like to join my show? I can make an exception and add an extra guest spot this season. You’d be a perfect fit.”

Bai Songyin panicked. “See! I told you he had bad intentions! He doesn’t know who you really are, but he wants to drag you into the show just to stir up drama. He’s trying to set up a rivalry between you and Brother Ran for the live broadcast!”

If the person behind the 【Lucky Money, You’d Better Behave】 account wasn’t Su Weisheng but just an ordinary nobody, an invitation like this—offering an instant rise to fame—would have been nearly impossible to resist. Even knowing about Director You’s twisted sense of humor, they might still willingly step into this sweet trap.

Unfortunately for You Sui, he was dealing with Su Weisheng.

Not only was Su Weisheng unmoved, but he also responded slowly and indifferently: “Su Ran took your paycheck. I didn’t.”

You Sui: “So?”

Su Weisheng sent over a payment QR code: “You’re using my popularity for clout. Pay up.”

You Sui: “?”

—

Meanwhile, the backstage of «Another Side of Family Life» was in utter chaos. The entire production team was scrambling like headless chickens. Even the assistant director was so anxious he’d developed a stress sore on his lip—all thanks to their dear Director You’s sudden decision: “I want to add a surprise guest to the show.”

Amidst the frenzy, the only one completely unbothered was a man in a beige trench coat, lounging lazily on the sofa and playing with his phone. He was brimming with amusement as he sent an invitation to the little marketing account he had just set his sights on, fully convinced that he would get what he wanted.

Then, he saw the response.

A payment request.

You Sui’s expression froze. His amber-colored fox-like eyes flickered with a brief moment of confusion, but it was quickly replaced by laughter filled with intrigue.

“Interesting…” he murmured.

Just for fun, he sent another message to tease the other party: “What if I don’t pay? Are you going to expose me on Weibo?”

He waited for a response.

Nothing came.

He sent another private message.

A bright red exclamation mark popped up.

[You have been blocked.]

You Sui: “???”

That fast? That ruthless?

—

At the same time, Su Weisheng had already put his phone away and turned to Bai Songyin. “Did you buy the calligraphy set I asked for?”

“It’s all ready!” The young assistant pointed to the neatly arranged study.

Su Weisheng picked up a brush and smoothly wrote four characters on the blank paper. He examined the ink strokes and frowned slightly. The brush was too coarse. Oh well—he would make do for now and replace it later.

“I’ll be meditating on the balcony. No need for anyone to stay behind. You can head home and rest.”

—

Jiang Yimian parked the car outside the manor just as his uncle happened to be outside. He greeted him respectfully, “Uncle.” Then, he introduced his companion. “This is Su Ran, my best friend and my writing partner for the new script.”

Su Ran nodded politely. “Mr. Jiang.”

He studied the man before him with some surprise—this was Jiang Qiao, a renowned master of metaphysics in the industry.

However, contrary to his expectations of an imposing and authoritative figure, Jiang Qiao had pale skin and languid eyes. He sat in a wheelchair, nodding at them with a quiet elegance. He looked more like a delicate, sickly beauty than a formidable metaphysics master.

A wheelchair… does he have a leg disability? Su Ran silently speculated. Could this be the price of revealing too many secrets of fate?

“Come in.” Jiang Qiao controlled his electric wheelchair and led them into the estate.

Behind him, Jiang Yimian whispered an explanation to Su Ran, “My uncle has lived in this estate for years. I used to live here too, but the place is way too big and empty, so I eventually moved out.”

Su Ran followed his gaze forward. Sure enough, the vast courtyard was breathtaking. However, judging by its sheer length, it looked like one would have to walk nearly a kilometer just to get from the entrance to the house.

Lowering his voice, Su Ran asked, “Your uncle has trouble walking. Why would he design such a massive courtyard? Is there some kind of Feng Shui array here?”

Jiang Yimian looked at him in surprise. “Who said my uncle has trouble walking?”

Su Ran: “?”

“…He’s in a wheelchair, isn’t he?”

His voice wasn’t exactly soft, drawing both Jiang Yimian and Jiang Qiao’s attention. They turned their heads in unison, staring at him with an expression so peculiar that even the notoriously tactless Su Ran felt a little flustered.

A second later, the sickly-looking Jiang Qiao languidly asked, “With such a huge courtyard, if I don’t use a wheelchair, when do you think I’ll actually make it inside?”

As he spoke, the butler wheeled over two more electric wheelchairs, gesturing for the guests to sit down.

Su Ran stood there, utterly dumbfounded. “…”

So, in this household… wheelchairs were just convenient personal transport?

—

And so, the three of them sat in electric wheelchairs, leisurely enjoying the scenery as they slowly made their way to Jiang Qiao’s meditation room.

Once there, Jiang Qiao crossed his legs on a cushion. His usual sickly demeanor faded, replaced by a solemn air. The two following behind him instinctively straightened their backs, sitting up with serious expressions.

“What do you seek?” Jiang Qiao asked slowly.

Su Ran immediately answered, “I hope the filming of our new drama will go smoothly, without any obstacles!” He originally wanted to wish for a massive hit, but considering that such success relied on their own abilities, he swallowed the words back.

Jiang Yimian nodded in agreement.

Directly across from Jiang Qiao was a wall adorned with talismans inscribed with the words “Blessings from the Star Lord.” He closed his eyes and began chanting something under his breath. After a long moment, he opened them and looked at the two.

“Did you bring the offerings?”

“Of course, of course!”

The two handed over the money with incredible enthusiasm, cheerfully opening the black box to reveal stacks upon stacks of cash.

Su Ran was still a little concerned—burning real money… is this actually okay? Is it even legal? But before his worries could take root, those thoughts quickly faded away.

As Jiang Qiao’s fingertips ignited with a green flame, the fire devoured the banknotes without producing a single wisp of smoke. The money disappeared at a speed visible to the naked eye until not a single trace remained.

A divine miracle—a true offering to the Star Lord!

Su Ran and Jiang Yimian exchanged an excited glance. They had chosen the right deity—this wish was as good as fulfilled!

But just as they were celebrating internally, Jiang Qiao suddenly spoke, catching them off guard: “The Star Lord thinks your offering is too little. He is displeased.”

“T-Then… how much does the Star Lord require?”

Jiang Qiao spoke unhurriedly, “The Star Lord would never make things difficult for his followers. One should offer only what they can afford.”

The two let out a sigh of relief.

But then Jiang Qiao continued, “So, Su Ran, you shall contribute 500,000, and Jiang Yimian, you will offer 200,000. That will be sufficient.”

Su Ran: “???”

Jiang Yimian: “???”

What the hell?! “Offer only what we can afford” means completely draining our bank accounts?!

“No way!” The two, who valued money as much as life itself, panicked immediately. “Absolutely not! Forget the ritual—we’re leaving!”

Saying that, they turned to leave.

—Bang!

A gust of eerie wind slammed the doors shut. Immediately after, countless ghostly shadows poured in through the windows. One after another, pairs of sinister, blood-red eyes locked onto them.

The two let out a shriek and instantly retreated back to Jiang Qiao’s side.

Jiang Yimian was on the verge of a breakdown. “Uncle, you’re my real uncle! You can’t do this to me!”

Jiang Qiao sighed deeply, looking profoundly helpless. “I don’t want to either, but since the Star Lord has spoken… I must obey.”

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