Chapter 1: A Sudden Marriage and an Immediate Divorce

“Sign here?”

Xu Zhaozhao’s graceful fingers glided over the thin divorce agreement, finally resting on a blank signature line.

In the preceding line, a bold signature was already inscribed, accompanied by a fingerprint.

Xu Zhaozhao’s eyes darkened momentarily.

“Yes… that’s right.”

The other party’s promptness caught Lawyer Wu, who had just explained the purpose of the meeting, off guard for a moment.

Inside his briefcase were several versions of the divorce agreement, with compensation amounts ranging from nothing to surprisingly generous sums.

He had been prepared for the other party to express dissatisfaction with the terms, leading to a fierce negotiation, after which he would present a more suitable agreement.

Yet, Xu Zhaozhao made no demands at all.

After signing, she pushed the agreement toward the bespectacled, refined-looking lawyer. “Is there any supplementary agreement?”

“No, of course not,” Lawyer Wu hastily shook his head.

“Then,” she folded away her copy of the divorce agreement and stood, “I’ll be leaving now. Goodbye.”

“Sir, your iced Americano and orange juice.”

Only after Xu Zhaozhao dragged her suitcase out of the hotel did the lobby attendant leisurely bring over the coffees they had ordered.

Lawyer Wu stared blankly at the silhouette retreating without a hint of reluctance.

This woman was fair-skinned and beautiful, decisive and efficient—very different from the flocks of adoring women who usually surrounded the cold, abstinent tycoon.

If it weren’t for this, how could such a cold, aloof boss, who was usually pursued by countless women, have impulsively rushed into a marriage on this overseas island after just three days?

At first, he thought the boss had fallen into some high-class honey trap.

So when he received the boss’s order to handle the divorce, he meticulously rehearsed his lines, fearing that a poorly managed divorce could ripple through the entire company.

Yet the meeting only lasted around five minutes, and the supposedly difficult person signed the papers quickly and divorced.

Lawyer Wu took out his phone and immediately reported to the boss.

The moment the call connected, a low, rich voice asked, “How much did she ask for?”

Adjusting his glasses, Lawyer Wu said, “Boss, she didn’t ask for a single cent!”

There was a pause on the other end, soon broken by another gentle voice.

“Boss, here’s the final proposal for the dating show we’re sponsoring…”

The deep voice urged hurriedly, “Since it’s settled, come back soon.”

Then Lawyer Wu’s call was cut off.

He shrugged helplessly and stood, pulling his suitcase.

He hadn’t even checked in yet, and now he was leaving.

Originally, he had prepared for a prolonged battle and even harbored a small hope for a vacation.

This overseas island wasn’t bustling but was quiet and pleasant.

After spinning like a top around the boss, he truly needed a good, long break.

The taxi sped along the tranquil seaside road, the ocean breeze stirring Xu Zhaozhao’s black hair and the divorce agreement in her hand.

Unlike the calm composure when signing, her plain face now was filled with loss.

After a long moment, she exhaled deeply, “Forget it, just treat it as a dream.”

A dream that belonged only to her.

Soon, the taxi arrived at the airport.

A small island, a modest airport, with only a handful of flights.

Ticket pickup, security check, boarding.

Five hours later, Xu Zhaozhao returned home, landing in Haishi.

While waiting to collect her luggage, she opened her phone to find dozens of missed calls glaring in bright red.

All marked as Chen Sisi.

Xu Zhaozhao had no desire to respond to this person.

Just as she was about to put the phone away, Chen Sisi called again.

Before, when the phone was off, it was easier to ignore, but now that it was on, there was no excuse to refuse—it was her manager after all.

With a sigh, she answered.

“Xu Zhaozhao, you—where the hell have you been? Why are you only answering now?!”

The moment the call connected, a torrent of ear-splitting curses poured in.

Xu Zhaozhao held the phone away from her ear, eyes fixed on the revolving luggage carousel, silently enduring the verbal onslaught.

Nearby, a large billboard displayed a massive advertisement featuring Chen Sisi’s beauty brand.

Her small, delicate face and big, innocent eyes gazed gently at every traveler.

Xu Zhaozhao sneered.

If people knew that the pure little white flower not only smoked and drank but also had a filthy mouth, would anyone still like her?

Travelers who passed between the billboard and Xu Zhaozhao would instinctively glance at Xu Zhaozhao twice.

The two bore some resemblance.

After collecting her luggage, Xu Zhaozhao placed the phone back to her ear; the yelling finally subsided.

Then the call was snatched away by her manager, Liu Li.

“Zhaozhao, Sisi’s just anxious, don’t take it to heart.”

“I know the contract’s almost up and it was inhumane to schedule work for you, but we’re still under contract, so you have to follow the company’s arrangements, right?”

“Besides, being on a dating show isn’t tiring—you don’t have to memorize lines or think about acting. Just think of it as earning money while on vacation…”

“Enough, Liu Jie, you don’t have to say more,” Xu Zhaozhao said calmly. “I’m back in Haishi. I’ll do the dating show.”

A month before her contract expired, she had asked Liu Li to let her rest properly.

After five years of working like a beast of burden, her days off were scarce.

In the last month, it was hard to find suitable work, so she wanted to use this opportunity to take a good break.

But just a few days after arriving on the island, Chen Sisi found a way to squeeze her into a dating show.

It lasted ten days.

The end date coincided exactly with the day her contract with Chen Sisi ended.

While on the island, Xu Zhaozhao hadn’t agreed to join the show.

At that time, she had just rushed into a marriage and was still intoxicated by love.

Participating in a dating show as a married woman? That would be deceiving the audience.

Although she was already embroiled in scandals, those were fabrications orchestrated by the company; she didn’t want to be truly condemned for her own actions.

Unfortunately, today marked the end of her seven-day marriage.

Originally, she planned to return to handle the sale of a small apartment, and after selling it, settle on the island.

Since the property deal wouldn’t be completed anytime soon and Chen Sisi and Liu Li were pressing her, she figured joining the dating show would be a good distraction.

Hearing Xu Zhaozhao agree to the show, Liu Li breathed a sigh of relief.

“Zhaozhao, I knew you were the sensible one.”

“Where are you now? The show starts filming tomorrow. I’ll have Zhao Xin explain all the details to you.”

When Xu Zhaozhao, weary, arrived at her apartment dragging her suitcase, Zhao Xin was already waiting at the door.

“Zhaozhao.” Seeing her exit the elevator, Zhao Xin quickly stepped forward to help with the luggage.

“Thank you for not revealing where I was,” Xu Zhaozhao expressed her gratitude first.

Only Zhao Xin knew about her vacation on the overseas island.

If Zhao Xin had leaked her whereabouts to Chen Sisi and Liu Li, they wouldn’t have just bombarded her with calls—they would have come straight over to drag her onto the dating show.

Zhao Xin brought the luggage inside. “It’s nothing. It’s what I’m supposed to do.”

Zhao Xin was Liu Li’s assistant.

As the manager of the popular little white flower Chen Sisi, Liu Li’s movements were closely watched by reporters.

To avoid rumors and gossip, she delegated some inconvenient tasks to her assistant.

Outsiders only knew Liu Li as Chen Sisi’s manager, unaware that she was also the manager of the obscure, fading star Xu Zhaozhao.

Liu Li’s role in signing Xu Zhaozhao was to serve as Chen Sisi’s foil, her life’s contrast.

Whenever Chen Sisi and Xu Zhaozhao appeared together, whether on or off stage, Xu Zhaozhao had to play the villainous second female lead.

Even Xu Zhaozhao’s Weibo was managed by Liu Li.

Imitating Chen Sisi’s style and makeup while subtly undermining her—that was routine.

It was precisely because of “Xu Zhaozhao’s” various villainous antics that Chen Sisi’s magnanimous, gentle little white flower image was firmly entrenched in the public mind.

Inviting Zhao Xin to sit down, Xu Zhaozhao rummaged through her belongings to find a bottle of water.

Before leaving, she had thoroughly cleaned the apartment to make it easier for the agent to show the place—there was hardly anything left.

“Plans never keep up with changes. Enough about me…”

She sighed and handed the water to Zhao Xin. “I’ve never been on a variety show, let alone a dating show. Tell me what Chen Sisi wants this time.”

“Actually,” Zhao Xin smiled sheepishly, “no need for me to say—Sisi’s tactics should be all too familiar to you by now.”

“Basically, she’ll act scheming and malicious so she looks even purer by comparison, getting more male contestants on her side and becoming the center of attention.”

She pulled out the proposal. “More than how to cooperate with Sisi, I think you should understand this dating show first.”

“After your contract ends, you should also consider your future career. Maybe this dating show could open new doors for you…”

Xu Zhaozhao’s eyes gleamed as she looked at Zhao Xin.

To be honest, Zhao Xin felt more like her real manager; everything was for her benefit.

Unfortunately, once the contract ended, she planned to quit the industry.

She had initially entered the entertainment world not only for the slightly higher salary but also because she genuinely wanted to showcase her musical talents.

But after a stint as a trainee, before even debuting, she was faced with Chen Sisi’s oppressive contract that stripped her of nearly all rights.

Knowing the contract was designed to exploit her, Xu Zhaozhao still chose to sign.

At that time, her mother’s kidney disease worsened, requiring constant hospitalization.

The astronomical medical bills couldn’t be paid even if Xu Zhaozhao worked around the clock.

Out of desperation, she concealed her true self and became a full-time supporting role to Chen Sisi.

Now, after five bleak years,

Xu Zhaozhao could finally be herself!