Hong Kong variety show: The mastermind behind the scenes is emerging.

Song Mingxi always thought she wasn't someone who was obsessed with looks.

From childhood to adulthood, she's never lacked suitors—the captain of her high school basketball team, a senior from her department in college, and that guy from the neighboring college who supposedly plays the piano beautifully… but she's never been interested in any of them. She even complained to her best friend, "What's the use of being good-looking? Can you eat it?"

But at this moment, looking at the man being surrounded by people as he walked into the banquet hall, she suddenly felt that being good-looking... could actually be a meal ticket.

She stood by the buffet table, holding a plate of small cakes, watching the man walk towards the center of the crowd. Her resolve to "pretend to be indifferent" and "put on a sour face" was crumbling at a visible speed.

Meanwhile, Lu Chen had already entered the inner circle of the banquet hall.

Park In-yong, the general manager of Jiahe Nanbang Branch, followed beside him, introducing the partners present to Lu Chen in fluent Chinese.

Park In-yong was in his early forties, not very tall, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and had the kind of considerate and restrained smile that was unique to South Koreans.

"Mr. Lu, this is Chairman Jin of Hanjiang Construction—"

"Chairman Kim, I've long admired you."

"Mr. Lu, you're too kind. It's truly an honor to meet you today!"

"This is President Lee of Toyo Bussan—"

"Nice to meet you."

Lu Chen shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with each of them, a perfectly timed smile on his face.

He had been to this kind of situation countless times, and he knew the process by heart—he could tell at a glance who was worth talking to and who only needed to be nodding acquaintances.

Upon approaching Song Jianming, Park In-yong introduced him, "Mr. Lu, this is President Song of Starlight Design. Starlight Design is one of Jiahe Real Estate's designated partners; the interior design for several projects in Seoul and Busan was done by President Song's company."

Song Jianming bowed lower than everyone before him, grasped Lu Chen's hands with both, and shook them vigorously twice: "Mr. Lu! I've long admired your name! Welcome to South Korea! It's an honor for Starlight Design to have the opportunity to cooperate with Jiahe!"

"President Song, you're too kind," Lu Chen nodded. "I've seen the projects Starlight has done; they're of a very high standard."

Song Jianming's eyes lit up instantly, and his smile warmed even more: "Mr. Lu, you flatter me! By the way—"

As if suddenly remembering something, he turned to the side and beckoned behind him: "This is my wife, and this is my daughter, Mingxi. Mingxi, come here quickly and greet Mr. Lu!"

Song's mother smiled gently and bowed slightly, while Song Mingxi hid behind her mother, her exquisitely beautiful face flushed with an alluring blush, and she slowly moved over with small, hesitant steps.

This man is even more handsome up close than from afar.

His facial features were sharply defined, as if carved by a knife and axe. He had high brow bones, a straight nose, and slightly deep-set eyes. When he looked at people, his eyes carried an indescribable emotion.

Song Mingxi vaguely heard his heart skip a beat.

However, what no one noticed was that when Lu Chen saw Song Mingxi, a hint of surprise flashed across his face, as if he had seen someone unexpected.

"Miss Song," Lu Chen unexpectedly spoke first, his voice softer than when he was exchanging pleasantries with the business owners, "Hello, are you Song Mingxi?"

"Huh?" Song Mingxi's body trembled, and she was stunned for half a second before belatedly realizing that the other party was asking her a question. She stammered, "Yes, yes."

"A good name," Lu Chen repeated the name, a slight smile deepening at the corners of his lips. "Are you... studying now?"

"Yes, I'm a junior at Seoul National University, majoring in Theater and Film. I write scripts and also do some stage plays!"

Song Mingxi blurted it out almost immediately, only realizing afterward—wasn't she supposed to be aloof? How come she confessed everything as soon as someone asked?

"Writing a screenplay?" Lu Chen raised an eyebrow. "Impressive. There aren't many young people these days willing to settle down and write."

Song Mingxi's face flushed red instantly. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found her mind blank. So she could only nod her head frantically like a little fangirl.

As for Song Jianming standing to the side, he could barely keep his smile going.

He could see it clearly: when Lu Chen shook hands with others, he would only touch the handshake briefly, but when he spoke to his own daughter, he would take the initiative to ask her name and school, and the warmth in his tone was completely different.

He couldn't help but feel overjoyed: It's done, there's hope!

However, while some were happy, others were sad. The wealthy heiresses and socialites who had accompanied their fathers to the banquet hall all looked increasingly grim.

They stood beside their respective fathers, watching Song Mingxi chatting intimately and shyly with Lu Chen, their gazes more complex than the last.

Most of them understood the purpose of coming here today, and they were also very clear in their hearts that they would most likely have to take the path of arranged marriage in the future.

Lu Chen is young, handsome, and rich; by all accounts, he is the best candidate.

They had all dressed up carefully for this day, but unexpectedly, Song Mingxi beat them to it.

A girl in a haute couture dress pursed her lips, watching Song Mingxi smile with her eyes crinkling in front of Lu Chen, and felt a surge of jealousy.

……

Lu Chen and Song Mingxi chatted for a few more minutes, then suddenly paused, a notification sound ringing in his mind—

【Ding--】

[Key plot character detected: Song Mingxi]

[Checking in at the movie "My Sassy Girl"]

[Check-in successful.]

[Reward: +1 Free Attribute Point]

A knowing glint flashed in Lu Chen's eyes.

No wonder I felt a strange sense of familiarity when I first saw this face—a round face, curved eyebrows and eyes, with a mix of innocence and stubbornness. It turns out to be that famous savage girlfriend.

"Ms. Song," Lu Chen said, pulling himself out of his thoughts and offering a gentle smile, "I've had a very pleasant chat with you, but I have a few business partners to discuss things with. We'll talk again later."

"Ah... okay, okay." Song Mingxi nodded quickly, but a little disappointment welled up in her heart.

"It's a deal then, see you in a bit." Lu Chen nodded to her and turned to walk towards the next partner.

Song Mingxi stood there, watching his back walk away, and after a long while, she slowly withdrew her gaze.

"Tsk tsk tsk."

Song Jianming, having somehow gotten close to his daughter, lowered his voice and wore an indescribable expression: "Mingxi, how come I never knew you had this side to you?"

"Which side?" Song Mingxi was completely baffled.

"What do you think?" Song Jianming raised an eyebrow. "From childhood to adulthood, when have you ever been so polite to any boy? Even your cousins, which one of them hasn't been bullied by you since childhood?"

"Dad!" Song Mingxi's face flushed again, and she glared at him fiercely. "Don't talk nonsense! I... I was just being polite to a distinguished guest!"

"Yes, yes, polite, polite." Song Jianming walked away with a smile, his back view revealing his undisguised joy.

Song Mingxi stood there, stomped her foot in anger, and then desperately fanned her burning face with both hands. It took her a long time to finally get the burning sensation off her face.

Then she looked at Lu Chen in the distance, who was surrounded by a group of middle-aged bigwigs chatting and laughing, and decided to take this opportunity to go to the restroom, since she had drunk a bit too much and needed to take care of herself.

She greeted her mother and turned to walk towards the side door of the banquet hall.

What she didn't notice was that behind her, three girls of similar age exchanged glances and then quietly followed her.

……

The restrooms are located at the end of the corridor outside the banquet hall, and are decorated in a lavish, opulent style.

Song Mingxi pushed open the door and entered. After relieving herself, she was about to touch up her makeup in front of the mirror when she heard footsteps behind her.

She looked up and saw three girls blocking the bathroom doorway in the mirror. Coincidentally, she recognized the one in the lead.

Kim Soo-joo, the daughter of a building materials business owner, has an innocent-looking baby face, but is actually ruthless. Song Mingxi remembers that last month at a party, Kim Soo-joo smashed a glass of whiskey over the head of a poor part-time worker in front of everyone simply because the waiter didn't add ice to his whiskey as she requested, and verbally abused him severely.

At this moment, Kim Soo-joo looked at Song Myung-hee with a cold face, her tone carrying a condescending warning: "Song Myung-hee?"

Song Mingxi turned around, still holding the lipstick in her hand, and raised an eyebrow: "What's up?"

"Let me give you a piece of advice," Jin Xiuzhu took a step forward and lowered her voice, "stay away from that Mr. Lu. He's not someone you can associate with."

Song Mingxi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled.

It was the kind of laugh that came from being amused, tinged with a hint of disdain.

Whether I'm climbing the social ladder or not is none of your business.

"you--"

"Besides," Song Mingxi looked Jin Xiuzhu up and down, her tone nonchalant, "who I talk to and who I deal with is none of your business. Who do you think you are?"

Kim Soo-joo's face flushed red: "How dare you talk to me like that?"

"I said it, so what?" Song Mingxi put the lipstick into her bag, too lazy to look at her anymore, and walked straight towards the door. "Get out of the way, a good dog doesn't block the way."

"Damn it!" Kim Soo-joo was completely enraged by her dismissive attitude. She swung her arm and shoved Song Myung-hee hard from behind!

Caught off guard, Song Mingxi stumbled forward two steps and bumped into the sink, a sharp pain shooting through her waist.

She steadied herself, turned around, and her eyes no longer held the disdain they had shown before, only a layer of coldness remained.

"You pushed me?"

Before Kim Soo-joo could even feel smug, she saw Song Myung-hee walking towards her.

Song Mingxi was half a head taller than Jin Xiuzhu. She grabbed Jin Xiuzhu's collar and shoved her back. Her brute strength, which she had developed from fighting with boys since childhood, was surprisingly great!

Kim Soo-joo screamed in surprise and fell backward, landing hard on her bottom, her face turning pale with pain.

"Let me tell you," Song Mingxi stood before her, looking down at her condescendingly, "I, Song Mingxi, have never been bullied in my life. You'd better remember this today, because if there's a next time—" she paused, "I'll make sure you can't even get up."

She turned to the two other girls standing in the doorway, completely stunned, and unleashed her full power: "And you two! Following her around like little lackeys, thinking you're so cool? Let me give you a piece of advice: wake up now, or you'll end up being sold out and still counting the money for her!"

The two girls turned pale from her scolding and took two steps back meekly, unable to utter a single word in rebuttal.

Song Mingxi snorted, elegantly straightened the slightly wrinkled hem of her skirt, and walked out of the restroom without looking back.

Behind her, Kim Soo-joo sat on the ground, her face turning red and white in turns, and a layer of resentment slowly welled up in her eyes.

When had Kim Soo-joo ever suffered such a humiliating disgrace?! Originally, she thought that everyone was in the same circle and didn't want to go too far.

But now—since Song Mingxi dared to humiliate her, she was determined to make this bitch suffer eternal damnation!

……

When Song Mingxi returned to the banquet hall, her anger had subsided considerably.

Her gaze unconsciously searched for Lu Chen's figure in the crowd, only to find him still surrounded by a group of middle-aged business owners, smiling and talking about something.

Song Mingxi pursed her lips helplessly.

This group of old men wouldn't leave her alone, not letting her rest for a moment.

However, just as Song Mingxi was completely focused on Lu Chen, she didn't notice that Jin Xiuzhu had returned to the banquet hall at some point and was slowly walking towards her with a glass of red wine in her hand.

"oops--!"

A gasp rang out, and Song Mingxi felt someone bump into her from behind. Immediately afterward, a cold liquid was splashed on her back and trickled down her skirt.

She whirled around. Kim Soo-joo stood behind her, holding a half-empty glass of red wine, her face displaying just the right amount of panic: "Oh dear, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I... I lost my balance—"

Red wine stained a large, dark red patch on Song Mingxi's beige dress.

Song Mingxi's anger flared up instantly. Just as she was about to speak, Jin Xiuzhu rushed over, frantically "helping" her wipe her clothes. While wiping, she leaned closer and whispered in Song Mingxi's ear in a low voice only the two of them could hear, "Dare to mess with me? Let's see what you have left now. Go back to Mr. Lu's side."

Song Mingxi's pupils contracted sharply, and his anger was ignited in that instant.

Without saying a word, she raised her hand and delivered a resounding slap.

"Snapped!"

The crisp sound echoed through the banquet hall, instantly silencing everyone and drawing all eyes to this side.

Kim Soo-joo was slapped so hard that she staggered to one side, took two steps, and then fell to the ground with a thud.

She covered her face, froze for a second, and then burst into tears.

"Ouch...it hurts!"

Her two little followers immediately ran out from the crowd, supporting her on either side, and chattered amongst themselves:

"Xiuzhu! Xiuzhu, are you alright?!"

"Why did she hit someone?!"

The banquet hall erupted in chaos.

Soon, a middle-aged man with an overweight build squeezed out of the crowd. Seeing Kim Soo-joo sitting on the ground crying, his expression changed drastically. He quickly helped her up: "Soo-joo! What's wrong?!"

"Dad—" Jin Xiuzhu sobbed uncontrollably, "I...I accidentally spilled red wine on Miss Song, I've already apologized, but she...she slapped me! Waaah..."

"Yes, President Kim, we all saw it!" her henchman immediately chimed in, "Soo-joo apologized, and she still hit her!"

Upon hearing this, Kim Soo-joo's father, Kim Man, immediately darkened his expression. He turned to Song Myung-hee, his tone unfriendly: "Miss Song! My daughter has already apologized to you, how could you hit her?!"

On the other side, Song Jianming and his mother also squeezed over in a panic. Seeing the red wine stains on his daughter's dress, and then looking at Jin Xiuzhu crying on the ground, Song Jianming's face was filled with anxiety and confusion: "Mingxi! What happened?!"

Song Mingxi stood there, his face grim.

Seeing Jin Xiuzhu crying her eyes out, seeing Jin Man's indignant expression, seeing the pointing and whispering glances around her... she knew she had fallen into a trap.

Kim Soo-joo's splashing was intentional. Those whispered words were also intentional. She knew she had a fiery temper, and she knew she would resort to violence.

Now, everyone has seen it: Song Mingxi is shrewish, willful, and physically abusive.

She opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but found she didn't know how. After all, the red wine was spilled "accidentally," no one heard the whisper, but everyone saw her hit someone.

It seems that nothing I say makes a difference.

In the past, Song Mingxi wouldn't have cared what others thought of her. Let them think what they want, it's none of her business.

But today is different.

The man was just a few steps away, watching them, and she didn't want him to see her like this.

She didn't want him to think she was a spoiled, willful, and shrewish girl.

Song Mingxi clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, and for a moment she didn't know what to do.

Just then, the crowd parted to make way.

Lu Chen walked over unhurriedly. He glanced at Jin Xiuzhu on the ground, then at the wine stain on Song Mingxi's dress, and asked in a calm tone, "What happened?"

"Mr. Lu!" Jin Man immediately stepped forward, embellishing the story, "My daughter accidentally spilled wine on Miss Song and has already apologized, but who knew Miss Song would slap her without saying a word! You be the judge—"

"Bullshit!" Song Mingxi's temper flared up again, and she retorted loudly, "They provoked me first! Just now in the restroom, Jin Xiuzhu and her people blocked me, warned me to stay away from you, and even pushed me! That glass of wine just now, she deliberately spilled it too, she whispered in my ear—"

She paused abruptly at this point.

"Let's see how you get close to Mr. Lu now"—how could she say such a thing in front of so many people?

Jin Man immediately seized on this pause and sneered, "Miss Song, you say my daughter blocked you, pushed you, and deliberately splashed water on you. Do you have any evidence? Who saw it? My daughter is a weak woman; how could she possibly do such a thing? But you, you hit someone in front of so many people; everyone saw it!"

A murmur arose from the surrounding area.

Song Mingxi's face flushed red; she realized she had fallen into a perfect trap. After all, Jin Xiuzhu hadn't left her with any evidence from beginning to end.

"I..." She opened her mouth, feeling a sense of powerlessness for the first time.

"That's enough."

Lu Chen spoke, his voice not loud, but it instantly silenced the entire banquet hall.

He glanced at Kim Soo-joo, then at Song Myung-hee, his gaze shifting between the two before finally settling on the red wine stain on Song Myung-hee's dress. He nodded slightly.

"Since that's the case," Lu Chen said calmly, "I do have a solution."