Thanks to her recent interaction with Pei Yanzhou, Lin Qian’s trip to Paris had managed to stir up quite a splash.
Lu Yuanzheng had also been receiving a steady stream of scripts.
Without exception, they were all shallow, stereotypical "vicious supporting roles," and the pay was pitifully low.
Lu Yuanzheng rejected them all outright.
One female producer was particularly persistent, calling Lin Qian’s personal cell phone directly.
"I’m going to be blunt, so don’t take offense."
Her voice sounded like firecrackers on New Year’s—lively, but grating.
"Even though I’m a proponent of remaining unmarried, I certainly understand you women who, after becoming mothers, want to get back to work better than those men do."
"I know you have professional ability, but look, you haven’t worked for so long since having your child; not everyone is willing to give you a chance."
Lin Qian felt uncomfortable. "Thank you for the interest, but I’m not considering that type of performance at the moment."
"Do you really think you’re still that young girl standing on the red carpet at Cannes receiving an award?"
The firecracker finished with a final pop, leaving the air thick with the scent of gunpowder.
With a "click," the producer hung up.
Lin Qian turned to look at Lu Yuanzheng, who had been fiercely stubbing out a cigarette a second ago but was now wearing a fawning expression.
Gritting her teeth, she dialed Yezhai.
It was Lu Yuanzheng’s favorite place, and the most expensive Japanese restaurant in Jinggang City.
"Send over five of your top-tier A5 Wagyu sets immediately!"
"The kitchen is currently prepping ingredients. Are you in a particular hurry?"
"Not exactly. I’m just afraid I might change my mind if I wait."
That evening, while she was working overtime at her studio discussing the next phase of plans with her team, Huo Haowen called.
"Big star Lin, it’s getting so late—haven’t you put the kid to bed yet?"
"You’re still awake, so how could I, a mother, be asleep?"
"…Haha? Your temper hasn’t been mellowed by marriage for more than a few days—how is it that your tongue is still as sharp as ever?"
Lin Qian checked the time; it was almost Sisi’s bedtime. She closed her folder. "If you have something to say, spit it out."
"The company is planning to sign some influencers for group streaming, and since you’ve expressed an interest in a comeback, how about you come and show your support? It’s a win-win."
"Does Gu Chenxi know about this?"
"Of course. As soon as I brought it up, Young Master Gu agreed immediately."
Lin Qian knew Gu Chenxi’s character well. Apart from the incident with Su Yurou, he never marketed his "loving husband" persona in front of the media.
After she exited Deep Space Matrix, he had taken over all company affairs and forbidden her from intervening.
Why was he acting so out of character this time?
Seeing that Lin Qian wasn’t budging, Huo Haowen continued his pitch.
"I know, for an event of this caliber, it’s indeed a bit of a waste of your talents, but you’d just be appearing as Mrs. Gu to say a few words, showing that the company values this business line."
The trending topic regarding Deep Space Matrix’s intention to enter the group streaming race had been hanging prominently for two days.
The first round of open auditions would certainly involve massive investment in marketing and traffic.
Even the average viewership would exceed that of any satellite TV’s Spring Festival Gala.
Lin Qian could tell that Huo Haowen was being extremely humble.
Moreover, compared to the scripts she had been receiving, she was certainly more willing to do Gu Chenxi a favor.
"Understood. Send the detailed schedule to my agent’s email."
On the day of the event, Lin Qian arrived at Deep Space Matrix an hour early.
Accompanying her was her cousin, Shen Wanqing, who was attending university in Jinggang City.
Due to inheritance disputes following the death of her parents, Lin Qian had essentially cut ties with her uncle’s family.
However, this hadn't affected the bond between her and Shen Wanqing.
Lin Qian was five years older than Shen Wanqing. When she was in elementary school, the little girl had just learned to speak clearly.
She would toddle after Lin Qian every day, even sitting on a small stool to watch when Lin Qian went to the bathroom.
"Wow… so this is how streamers work every day."
Shen Wanqing looked around with immense curiosity, though she only dared to follow behind Lin Qian, clutching her sister’s hand tightly.
She had grown up following the path of the "good girl"—middle school, high school, university—with only two options: taking the civil service exam or pursuing a master’s or doctorate.
A profession like streaming, which her parents saw as rebellious, had never been part of her life plan.
"See anyone you like? I can help you arrange to eat with them after it’s over."
"I don’t think so," Shen Wanqing whispered. "I haven’t finished my homework yet; it’s due on Monday."
For this livestream, Lin Qian had purchased a complete new outfit from head to toe at her own expense, just so she would match the set in the studio.
The company had prepared a dressing room for her in advance, with "Reserved for Mrs. Gu" hanging on the door.
Lin Qian frowned as she pushed the door open.
The furnishings inside were almost an exact replica of Gu Chenxi’s office, and if you sniffed carefully, even his cedarwood scent had been recreated.
Setting down her bag, she double-checked the livestream workflow.
This group streaming audition would not involve selling products; the small yellow shopping cart in the bottom right corner would only contain a pre-approved giveaway link.
As the stream proceeded according to plan and Lin Qian began her segment, the number of viewers suddenly doubled.
"I hope everyone will support the company’s new streamers. I’d also like to wish all of you the best in achieving satisfactory results in this competitive selection."
The live comments scrolled by rapidly.
People kept spamming that Lin Qian had no real work to her name and only relied on men to stay relevant.
Other comments claimed that the previous incident really couldn't be blamed on her husband—that with Su Yurou’s "pure yet seductive" vibe, no man could resist.
The chat moderator added blocked keywords immediately, which only fueled the passion in the comments.
Using abbreviations and typos to refer to the parties involved, the stinging remarks grew exponentially.
The livestream also received a barrage of user reports, and the red dialog box on the backend kept flashing incessantly.
Lin Qian finished her thank-you speech without changing her expression. As soon as she got off camera, she called the head of operations; a smear campaign of this scale was likely orchestrated by a professional studio.
Operations provided feedback quickly: it was just as she had suspected.
Someone had posted a "commenting task" in several 5,000-member groups, promising extra bonuses to anyone who could spam the chat until Lin Qian cracked.
"Find out who posted the task. Pin the giveaway link to the top; first, ensure the stream doesn't get shut down."
"But that’s the problem…" the operations manager stammered. "Any link we post must go through internal company review…"
"We submitted the process yesterday morning. Theoretically, it should have been approved in two hours, but it’s still stuck in the review queue."
"How did this get dragged out until now?" Lin Qian frowned. "Who is the reviewer?"
Before she left Deep Space Matrix, she had been responsible for link approvals. If it had passed the operations review, the next node would be the responsible Vice President.
"Uh… it’s Vice President Su."
"Which Vice President Su?"
"It’s Su Yurou… We’ve tried to contact her many times, but we haven't been able to get through."
Watching the increasingly chaotic comments in the livestream, Lin Qian pushed open the door. "I’ll go find her."
When Lin Qian arrived, a manicurist was busy at work in Su Yurou’s office. On a massive screen in front of her, the Xianxia drama starring Yang Yan was playing.
"Qianqian’s here. Sit." Su Yurou glanced at her, then immediately returned her attention to the TV.
Lin Qian hadn't caught her breath yet. "There’s a giveaway link at your node; please approve it."
Amidst the noisy, low-budget sound effects of sword-flying on screen, Su Yurou acted as if she hadn’t heard her.
"Yurou, I said there’s a link that needs your approval. It’s urgent."
Su Yurou raised her hand to admire her freshly baked nails—the long tips adorned with exotic crystals were so long that she required help to pull up her pants.
"What’s the rush?"
Su Yurou arched her brows, her gaze sharp.
"The company’s review process is very formal now; it’s long since changed from when you were managing it."