I have a persona specifically for acting.

As soon as Tong Zhao opened the door, Wei Zekai casually slipped inside.

He sniffed the air. “Smells nice. Did you spray perfume?”

“It’s probably the shampoo. I didn’t even put on body lotion.”

It was then that Wei Zekai noticed her wet hair draped over her small shoulders. He stared at it thoughtfully for a moment before saying, “Let’s talk while you dry your hair. If you stay under the air conditioner with wet hair, you’ll get a headache.”

“Alright.”

Tong Zhao sat on the sofa, plugged the hair dryer into the socket next to it, curious about what nonsense he might spout. She couldn’t help but smile, thinking how his sniffing earlier reminded her of the little dog from the variety show. With a queen-like air, she tilted her chin toward him. “Go ahead.”

Wei Zekai sat next to her, holding a stack of documents in his hands.

It turned out these were investment projects they had discussed before entering the variety show.

“This is the project for Zeshan Investments.”

Before joining the show, Wei Zekai hadn’t been idle. He had been running around registering the company.

As for naming the company, his friends had put in a ridiculous amount of enthusiasm…

“Not Short on Cash Investment Company,” “Throwing Money Away Investment Company,” “Got Scammed Venture Capital Company,” “Might as Well Run Away Investment Company”… There was even a suggestion to add all the members’ names, but Tong Zhao asked if the employees would go mad when handling reimbursement invoices. Another second-generation suggested it didn’t matter since they had no employees, but when they found out the company seal couldn’t fit everything, this absurd idea was abandoned.

In the end, the name “Zeshan” was chosen, supposedly after consulting a Feng Shui master.

In reality, it was an abbreviation for “Wei Zekai, Charity Gambling King.”

Of course, Wei Zekai didn’t know this.

Strictly speaking, Tong Zhao was no longer a wealthy second-generation. The funds she had were very limited. The major financial contributors in the small group were Wei Zekai and his friends, but the profit-sharing arrangement was that Tong Zhao would take half of the earnings, excluding the principal.

Because what to invest in and how to invest was decided by Tong Zhao.

She was considered to be contributing in terms of technical input.

In the small group without Wei Zekai and Tong Zhao, everyone had discussed that spending money recklessly was no problem. Investing with Wei would likely result in a loss, but only Tong Zhao could persuade him, and he only listened to her.

So, mastering the art of training dogs was also a skill.

“You’ve requested strong support for three specific apps, and after the funding was secured, their development speed has noticeably increased. Two of them have released beta versions, and I’ve sent you the installation packages. I think the ‘Excellence Tutoring’ app is quite good; it digitizes private tutoring into a one-on-one online format…”

Wei Zekai chattered on.

It was clear that he had genuinely spent time understanding the investment projects.

Investment isn’t just about putting money into a promising company and leaving it at that.

One must regularly send people to assess the results, ensuring that the money is being used effectively and not just wasted. Small companies’ reports may be inflated with false data, and this is something Tong Zhao doesn’t have time to monitor. Coincidentally, this group of second-generation investors, including Wei Zekai, had received education in this area from their families.

They just lacked the vision and experience.

This made them excellent tools for Tong Zhao.

“I think we can provide some directional guidance,” Tong Zhao interjected. “Since we’re at it, why not expand the scope? Is learning limited to just Chinese, English, math, and science? Why not include online guitar lessons, cooking… even towel weaving can be taught via video. The key is to recruit various talents; the tutors and the owners are both our clients and our products. Note this idea down and discuss it with them later.”

As long as the money is sufficient and the equity share is high, investment companies can offer direction and even exercise dominant control over projects.

That’s why some independent studios, despite lacking funds, refuse investments—they fear being led astray by outsiders.

The app that Tong Zhao was interested in, “Excellence Tutoring,” was the predecessor of the nationwide hit “Little Sheep Companion” app. It failed rapidly due to its focus on cloud-based private tutoring, and its creator, Boss Chen, faced a series of personal disasters: his startup failed, his marriage ended, and his elderly relatives died because they couldn’t afford medical treatment. After his comeback, he often referenced Zhang Ailing’s saying that success, when it comes too late, doesn’t feel the same.

The reason for the failure was simple.

The idea of tutoring was good, but Boss Chen overlooked that a mobile app in the eyes of students and parents is often just a tool for entertainment.

No matter how grand the name or how useful it may seem for learning, seeing students with a mobile phone often equates to them playing games. Moreover, very few people can focus on studying while holding a phone; most would end up opening “Honor of Kings” with a slight slip of the finger.

After realizing this, Boss Chen gritted his teeth and, with a hint of self-destructive determination, decided to target online gaming enthusiasts and shift to a companion app model. If that didn’t work, he would just settle for working to pay off debts.

As a result, he inadvertently sparked a boom in the companion industry.

Tong Zhao saw its potential.

Actually, it would have been better to wait. If she had waited until the “Excellence Tutoring” app’s market feedback was harsh and Boss Chen’s funding chain broke, and if his elderly relatives fell ill again, Wei Zekai could have negotiated and potentially acquired it at a much lower price. However, Tong Zhao, who holds no grudges and appreciates Boss Chen’s tenacity, wouldn’t be that ruthless.

The tenacity of not believing in evil, the kind that gets up and tries again after falling.

“You often play MOBA games, right? You’ve played Dota, LOL, and Honor of Kings. You’re always complaining about your teammates being too bad and not cooperating. Why not just spend money to hire people to play with you? I want to create such a platform. I think this software is on a narrow path now; it needs to be expanded.”

To ensure Wei Zekai understood, Tong Zhao specifically chose an example he was most familiar with.

Wei Zekai’s gaming style mirrored his own personality: a young man with top-notch skills. In the first ten minutes, he would excel across all three lanes, often trying to showcase his abilities to the point where he would get caught and killed by five opponents because no one could keep up with him. After such a rhythm break, he would start to fall apart…

“Got it.”

Wei Zekai understood immediately and then continued discussing other matters.

The conversation lasted for several hours.

After drying out his mouth and finishing all the bottled water in the room, they agreed on which aspects of each investment needed follow-up and guidance. The project ideas were good, and the prospects were promising, but without practical business experience, it was necessary to hire relevant talent for guidance. Tong Zhao encouraged him, “You have plenty of talent at your place; just recruit a few to help.”

Wei Zekai agreed, heading back like a prince choosing his subordinates.

After resolving the business matters, Wei Zekai left efficiently.

Tong Zhao casually checked his recent gaming achievements. It had been a while since he last played, indicating that he was indeed very busy.

……

After discussing all night, the manager concluded that making one person earn two incomes was not feasible.

It was too exhausting for Tong Zhao.

The previous medical examination report, which showed an unclear area in Tong Zhao’s brain scan, also worried Sister Chu. Although Han Zhi was a cash cow, the company did not want to exploit her to the point of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. If Han Zhi was marketed as a separate entity, fans on both sides would inevitably demand equal treatment. Any resources available to Tong Zhao would need to be available to Han Zhi as well.

So, the final conclusion was not to create a separate Weibo account for Han Zhi.

Do you like Han Zhi?

Fine, just confess and send flowers under Tong Zhao’s Weibo.

The official stance was that the two were considered the same person, and Sister Chu passed this approach on to the major fan heads.

As long as it wasn’t too outrageous, fans generally listened to fan heads.

Sometimes, the extent of their obedience made one wonder whether they were fans of the fan heads or the celebrities themselves.

The company’s decision was swift and clear.

In no time, Tong Zhao gained a large number of female fans.

Thus, among the many young celebrities, the style of comments under Tong Zhao’s Weibo was particularly unique:

[Humble fan begging for Brother Zhi to make an appearance]

[Zhao Zi, take care of your health too! It’s really not easy to satisfy both sides of the fans. No matter which side, you are our treasure!]

[Hello, this comment is a gathering place for double-support fans/doge emoji]

Double-support fans always hold a lower status wherever they are.

After all, the fandom often has a bit of a binary mentality, valuing purity of stance.

If you like both, it means you don’t like either.

But for Tong Zhao, “double-support fans” are the mainstream.

If you only like Tong Zhao, does that mean you can’t accept her more masculine side?

If you only like Han Zhi, then you’re even more fickle; the brother you like is not even the complete package!

Damn.

Fans are easily swayed by their emotions. If you say they don’t really like the brother, they’re more eager than anyone. This passionate, selfless emotion that doesn’t consider future gains has been forcibly sustained as a trickle with Tong Zhao…

After all, Tong Zhao doesn’t have any albums to push for sales.

She doesn’t have any endorsements yet.

Fans are more impatient than she is, and some even went to the company’s Weibo to complain:

“Sister Zhao’s popularity has been so high recently, why not seize the opportunity to promote more?”

“What about endorsements? Get them lined up! Do we need to teach you?”

“I urge you to be kind; don’t ignore her treatment just because Sister is low-key and doesn’t fight for herself. We are her support; we will fight for her!”

Passionate fans attacking fellow allies, delivering a crushing blow with a critical hit of 999.

The company was both amused and helpless, quickly explaining that Tong Zhao would soon have a secondary line of luxury brand perfume endorsements. However, because Han Zhi’s unexpected rise in popularity, the brand hoped to incorporate Han Zhi’s image into the endorsement promotion, which delayed the progress.

This explanation met the fans’ needs perfectly.

The comments that had just viciously criticized the company suddenly turned into a spring breeze, causing the PR team to breathe a sigh of relief and marvel at how realistic things were.

Tong Zhao found it amusing, while other actresses with similar positioning to hers could not find the humor in it.

Except for those who could avoid the spotlight with a sweet and soft loli persona, other actresses in the same period were urging their managers to schedule their slots before Tong Zhao finished filming her variety show, to avoid competing with her—something they couldn’t win. Some young male stars’ managers were even inquiring with Sister Chu to find out if Tong Zhao had any intention of cross-dressing in roles meant for male stars.

Sigh, women have to be wary, and men have to be wary of her too.

This woman, why is she so annoying?

Disliking a peer is useless; it’s the fans and the audience who watch her.

Even so, before “Sea King Killer” even premiered, the number of viewers was poised to break new records, maintaining its momentum at the platinum level. Moreover, 70% of the audience was drawn to Tong Zhao, turning what was supposed to be a multi-person variety show into something like a solo performance.

Fortunately, most of the guests were ordinary people. If it relied on fellow stars who thrive on popularity, they would have laughed until they cried.

There were even idle netizens suggesting that Tong Zhao’s “true self” is so varied that perhaps a show could be made to explore how many facets of her subconscious could be revealed.

This suggestion was immediately drowned out by the spittle of fans and conscientious netizens.

[Got it, Tong Zhao is the Voldemort of the film industry, arrange for seven Horcruxes.]

[Impossible, the consciousness would be confused, and just performing alongside Han Zhi already drains Zhao Zhao’s energy. Drag out those who make such ridiculous suggestions and lock them up.]

Fans were quite worried.

To them, Tong Zhao was too challenging.

In the variety show, where she played two roles, the director had no hope that she would agree. Yet, not only did she agree, but she did so enthusiastically. While her fans were proud of her, they were also worried that she might not take care of her health. A netizen who was being attacked was anxious and said, [Tong Zhao’s unique subconscious type is a gold mine. Protecting her is useless; the company won’t leave a gold mine untapped.]

Her manager, Sister Chu, was quite speechless and specifically advised her, “Don’t take what netizens say seriously. The company seeks profit, not harm. We’re not digging for gold; we’re taking care of the artist’s well-being.”

“Thank you, Sister Chu.”

Tong Zhao gave a sweet smile.

She then turned to discuss with others, “I think this idea is good. Once we have the funds, let’s invest in it ourselves. It could be like an offline meeting. I’ve even thought of a name for the show: ‘A Loving Family.’”

Concubine Shen: [Help, that sounds so tacky.]

Female Reporter: [Tacky 1]

Duan Ge: [I think it’s okay? Whatever, how about ‘Psychotic Thinking World,’ and Kai can go next door to ‘Happy Idiot Children’] She had a particular fondness for the foolish and adorable Wei Zekai.

Han Zhi also thought it sounded tacky.

However, his principle was not to criticize women unless necessary, so he listened quietly as they discussed.

Amid the laughter and the ever-increasing wave of audience, Tong Zhao lay down in the holographic shooting chamber, trying to clear her mind and make way for Han Zhi and Concubine Chen.

Probably accustomed to the dull and boring life in the palace, Concubine Chen particularly enjoyed being in the spotlight.

For such performance opportunities, she was more proactive than the other personalities.

As the machinery began to force her into a deep sleep, Concubine Chen raised her eyebrows and looked over.

In the memory palace, each personality maintained the image they cherished most in life. She was dressed in the concubine’s imperial robe, the red gown with gold threads shimmering in waves as she took graceful steps, bold and dazzling. In the palace, one must first honor the clothes before honoring the person. Regardless of what others thought, everyone who saw Concubine Chen had to kneel first.

“So…” she slowly opened the topic, “our task later is to flirt with each other?”

“Our memories have all been restored,” Han Zhi reminded her.

That’s right, all the personalities remembered how passionately they had kissed.

Her question was essentially pointless.

“You should be careful; I can be very unscrupulous to win a man’s heart.”

Concubine Chen snorted, her face lifting into a charming smile.

As her body gradually fell into a deep sleep under the influence of the machinery, the lights in the memory palace began to dim, casting Han Zhi’s gentle and handsome face into deep shadows, like a dangerous creature lurking in the dark depths of the sea.

“Fair point, I’ll be cautious.”

He accepted the reminder with a kind-hearted demeanor, gently holding Concubine Chen’s cool and soft hand.

The entire hall fell silently into darkness…

*

The program was already being broadcast live.

The director was adept at teasing the audience’s emotions, first focusing the camera on several ordinary audience members, with an unusually long stay on Wei Zekai. Han Zhi was excluded from the “Sea King” category by Wei Zekai, making He Shun a prime suspect for that role, so the camera lingered on He Shun.

[Alert dog.jpg]

[Wei Zekai has ruled out one correct answer!]

[Want to see Brother Zhi, show him more on camera, please!]

As they spoke, many of Han Zhi’s fans eagerly spent money, donning golden name tags in support of him in the live stream chat.

…

Just like in “The Truman Show,” the guests were unaware that every move they made was being observed.

Han Zhi remained very composed.

Despite having a “bad boy” backstory in his character setting, he didn’t seem in a rush to pursue the girls, keeping a relaxed distance from them.

He sat on a sofa in the corner, stretching his long legs. The sunlight highlighted his profile with a golden edge, making him appear almost unreal. Fans naturally took a flurry of screenshots; unable to see their idol in real life on a schedule, they had to preserve these moments as best as they could.

Not only was Han Zhi calm, but Tong Zhao also appeared disinterested in him.

It was as if the previously passionate kissing scenes were merely the audience’s one-sided imagination.

[I don’t know why, but even if they do nothing, just being in the same frame makes me feel a certain way.]

[Damn, fellow traveler.]

[Does this count as “bone science”?]

[Same person, guess it’s “narcissus,” self-inflicted, I flirt with myself!]

The barrage of comments was lively, though nothing much happened.

After the director emphasized the underlying tension, the focus shifted to the actual events of the day. Filming was like dreaming, with the duration determined by the brain’s ebb and flow. In ordinary dreams, people often find themselves sitting at a table eating a fried egg, only to wake up and realize seven hours have passed, and it’s time to go to work or school.

After He Shun, holding a teacher’s ID card, tutored Tong Zhao for two sessions, she stretched her back.

“So tired.”

The director expertly focused the camera on her.

As the young girl’s slender, white arms stretched out, her waist, barely more than a handful, was also revealed on camera.

At that moment, the audience was immersed in He Shun’s perspective.

Even female viewers could completely understand why this man would be captivated.

Who could resist such a stunning visual?

He Shun, overwhelmed by the breathtaking sight, was no exception.

He took the cue and said, “We’ve been studying all afternoon; it’s better to combine work with relaxation. How about going for a walk together?”

Due to Tong Zhao’s request, their tutoring didn’t take place in the study room but rather in the living room where everyone could see them, and they spoke in low tones. From He Shun’s inner thoughts, the audience knew he had been trying to find ways to be alone with her, yet he was afraid of appearing too obvious and scaring the timid girl.

Of course, from the god’s eye view, the audience also knew…

Tong Zhao: [I’m getting a bit tired of the lessons. When should I make my move?]

Tong Zhao: [Let’s do it today. Give him a chance to seize it.]

In her inner thoughts, Tong Zhao was always lazy, her voice charmingly aloof.

The Empress Dowager was very proactive.

But her proactiveness meant graciously giving men the chance to pursue her.

She was the gatekeeper, the one who set the rules of the game.

The only reason one could win in this game named “Empress Dowager” was that she was willing to.

Watching the Empress Dowager flirt on livestream was thrilling.

Many people lamented that it would be entertaining if “The Chronicle of Ming Emperor” also broadcast Tong Zhao’s psychological activities in high intensity, with one fan writing a heartfelt plea for Tong Zhao to star in a palace drama!

Seeing He Shun respond, Tong Zhao nodded with pleasure, “Sure.”

She looked up at him, her eyes moist and full of reliance and a touch of admiration for the man.

Admiration with eyes full of starlight was one thing.

What was crucial was that she even pretended to work hard to hide her admiration, directly hitting the man’s soft spot.

Originally struck by the revelation that their goddess had a man in her mind, Tong Zhao’s male fans were reignited with hope at this glance.

[If my wife looks at me like this, I won’t be able to control myself.]

[Those who can’t accept Han Zhi’s male fans have no right to call her ‘wife’! Zhao Bao, I’m bisexual—consider me?]

[I envy this ordinary guest so much. Any ordinary man would consider a lifetime worthwhile just to be flirted with by such a stunning beauty.]

[Exactly, being flirted with by her really leaves a lasting impression…]

This melancholic comment immediately attracted ridicule from others, mocking the commenter as if he had truly been flirted with by Tong Zhao.

Feeling his conscience, does he even deserve it?

Song Wanzhuo, who was being questioned, felt a bit suffocated.

This time, he was quite smart about pursuing his star, no longer mentioning it much on Weibo. Otherwise, his handsome and charming image would soon be reduced to that of a dog emperor. Dogs weren’t the problem; it actually proved that he played the role of Ming Emperor well, as the audience remembered him.

How many roles in an actor’s lifetime can leave such a deep impression on the audience?

The issue was that ever since Tong Zhao’s various provocative actions, his “dog emperor” title now had an additional prefix—

Wearing a green hat.

Song Wanzhuo was furious!

While fuming, he took two close-up shots of Tong Zhao.

Oh, Zhao Zhao, my wife is truly beautiful.

He Shun thought the same.

In addition to the large duplex villa, the estate also had a garden with small bridges and flowing water, providing plenty of private space for the guests. With such an excessively large garden, it was really hard for these six people to run into each other.

The backstage narrator timely reminded that He Shun had actually sneaked in to scout the place before.

[Damn, what does he want to do to my wife!]

[Don’t worry, any inappropriate thoughts will be detected by the intelligent AI, and the scenes you gents are hoping for won’t appear.]

He Shun really didn’t have any such intentions.

He just wanted to maintain his omnipotent, authoritative image in Tong Zhao’s eyes.

“I remember you’re very interested in biology,” He Shun said lightly, following Tong Zhao’s gaze and offering a brief lesson: “Here we have koi from the royal three families. Look at this one; its red markings on the head are particularly large, and the small round red spots on its mouth are like lipstick. This one is a golden and silver-scaled red and white koi…”

When He Shun mentioned lipstick, his gaze inevitably fell on Tong Zhao’s full, slightly pouting lips.

He thought, [Even though she isn’t wearing lipstick, her lips are still so rosy. She’s just too beautiful.]

The bullet comments were merciless:

[She’s wearing lipstick, straight men need to get their eyes checked.]

However, Tong Zhao’s inner thoughts were even more ruthless:

[Hmm, listening to him ramble on, he must have done his homework beforehand. He really wants to show off in front of me.]

[Alright, alright, he’s quite diligent. I’ll indulge him a bit.]

Tong Zhao’s inner voice remained lazily indifferent.

It was as if she was playing a cliché game she had already mastered countless times, with the boss and attack patterns so familiar that she felt a bit disinterested.

With that in mind, Tong Zhao looked up at him with a smile, her eyes sparkling like a little dog: “Mr. He, you know so much.”