WBSGVS Chapter 97 V1

That night, Su Tang waited and waited, but Ye Minxing never showed up.

Staring at her pitch-black phone screen, she let out a mocking laugh. Men were unreliable. Unfortunately, it seemed she had no other fool to rely on besides Ye Minxing at the moment.

Taking a deep breath, Su Tang lay on her bed, feeling utterly hopeless.

In this second chance at life, she was still the same useless person, incapable of accomplishing anything. The Su family was on the brink of bankruptcy. Once the debts were tallied, the company wouldn’t survive the staggering compensation demands. Bankruptcy was inevitable, the only way to avoid a mountain of debt.

Even the lover she wanted to protect would inevitably be separated from her.

What a complete failure!

As she lay there, on the verge of falling asleep, a sudden thought jolted her awake. She realized she had overlooked something.

She hadn’t officially retired from the entertainment industry yet! With her looks and passable acting skills—plus the bit of fame she still had from her controversial reputation—she could still leverage her prior clout.

She remembered a web drama from her past life that had unexpectedly become a massive hit. Despite its shoestring budget and rough production process, the rookie leads became overnight sensations, rising steadily in the industry. By the time of her death, all the main actors from that show were doing quite well in their careers.

Having spent time in the entertainment world, Su Tang knew just how lucrative fame could be.

If she could snag that role this time around, the web drama’s success would bring her commercial value back into the spotlight, no matter how tarnished her reputation might be.

And she could even bring her investment to the table!

With this plan in mind, Su Tang sat up and began searching for information about the drama. After hours of digging, she only found sparse mentions of it by fans of the original novel. The project had just been approved, and no other details were available yet.

Judging by the timeline, it was probably still in the early planning stages. Su Tang decided to wait a few more days.

That same night, Qing Li signed a contract with the production team of Survival Handbook of the Harem. With a $30 million investment, she became the drama’s largest backer.

The total budget was $50 million, but Qing Li wasn’t responsible for the entire amount. The project already had other investors, so her contribution was sufficient.

A small portion of her investment also covered her acting fee, leaving her with over $20 million in funds to continue trading in the stock market.

With the funding in place, everything moved quickly.

To expedite filming and avoid potential setbacks, the director, Zhou Xue, used her industry connections to post a widespread casting call for auditions on social media platforms like Weibo.

All key roles except for the female lead were still open.

The announcement attracted many applicants, most of whom were newcomers to the industry.

Due to the sheer number of candidates, Zhou Xue decided to organize a large-scale selection event. The first day, auditions would focus on male roles; the second day, female roles.

Everything went smoothly—until the auditions for supporting actresses on the second day.

By the end of the session, all 53 scheduled candidates had completed their auditions, and Qing Li thought they were done.

Just as she began packing up to leave, Zhou Xue stopped her, looking a bit awkward. “I have a friend who insisted on recommending someone. They… helped me with publicity before, so I think we should at least give them a chance. How about we let this 54th candidate audition as a formality?”

Qing Li raised an eyebrow. “I don’t mind. If it’s a friend’s recommendation, it’s worth a look. Who knows? They might be a good fit.”

“Haha, sure, let’s see…” Zhou Xue laughed nervously.

Qing Li grew more curious.

The final candidate had no portfolio for them to review, so she simply waited.

Meanwhile, Su Tang was adjusting her appearance in front of a mirror. She wore the initial costume designed for the supporting female character: a delicate pink gown that gave off an air of youthful elegance and nobility. Although it would likely be refined for the official shoot, she was surprised by the quality—it was much better than the costumes she remembered being ridiculed for in her past life.

Her brow furrowed. Something felt off, but she couldn’t pinpoint what. Letting it go, she focused on perfecting her look, determined to leave a lasting impression during the audition.

“Number 54!” called a staff member.

“Coming!” Su Tang’s assistant responded, escorting her to the door. “Go for it, sis.”

Su Tang smiled and nodded. Lifting her skirt slightly, her demeanor shifted instantly as she prepared to fully immerse herself in the role.

She entered the room and took a few steps before glancing up at the panel of judges.

Her smile froze.

Her feet stopped instinctively.

Sitting in the middle seat was a face she couldn’t believe.

Qing Li?

How was this possible?

How could she be involved with this drama? And in the most prominent seat—outranking even the director?

The atmosphere grew tense. Zhou Xue quickly stepped in to ease the situation, smiling. “Su Tang, right? Welcome to our audition. Which scene would you like to perform?”

Qing Li set down her scoring sheet and leaned back, quietly observing.

So it was her.

No wonder Zhou Xue looked so uncomfortable. Anyone in the entertainment industry who knew Qing Li’s name likely also knew about the tangled history between Su Tang and Qing Li.

Qing Li didn’t bother feigning generosity, instead calmly conveying her stance with her composed expression.

Zhou Xue’s scalp prickled. Though Qing Li had always been polite and gentle in their dealings, she exuded an immense pressure that was hard to ignore.

Regret flickered in Zhou Xue’s mind, but social obligations worked like that. Her friend had insisted on bringing Su Tang into the mix, and even though Zhou Xue had been reluctant, she had no choice but to agree.

Su Tang’s composure began to crumble. She had envisioned many scenarios, including her acting skills falling short, in which case she planned to leverage the production’s financial struggles to join the cast. If she could secure a role, the series’ success would bring her back into the limelight.

But now…