Chapter 1: “Take This Little Bastard Out and Find A Place To Kill Him”

At 4 p.m. on June 8th, the national college entrance exam’s English section was underway.

In a private hospital room, the door was tightly shut, and the curtains were drawn, with only a small gap allowing afternoon sunlight to filter in. Despite the air conditioning running, the oppressive heat outside could still be felt.

This was Sheng Li’s third day in the hospital. The reason for her admission? A severe mango allergy. On the night she was admitted, her body and face broke out in hives. Her face, in particular, was swollen and red—a devastating blow for a rising celebrity. To make matters worse, her recovery was painfully slow. The doctor said it would take at least a week for the rash on her face to fade significantly. The unbearable itchiness left Sheng Li wanting to claw at her own face. She couldn’t eat or sleep well, and her temper grew increasingly volatile.

Wearing a mask, she leaned back against the hospital bed and scrolled through the trending Weibo topics. At a glance, six of the top ten trends were related to the college entrance exam. For the past two days, entertainment gossip had been scarce, with 80% of the hot topics revolving around the exam.

“How boring,” Sheng Li sneered. “Why do students always forget their admission tickets every year? Why are there always latecomers? Did their brains get caught in a door, or were they born missing a few wires? How can anyone forget or be late for something this important? What’s the point of even taking the exam?”

Her assistant, Yuan Yuan, was busy picking through a fruit basket. She selected the largest, reddest apple and quickly chimed in, “Exactly! Exactly!”

Sheng Li shot her a glance. “I don’t want an apple. Wash me some grapes.”

Yuan Yuan: “Got it! Got it!”

Sheng Li: “Yuan Yuan, do you think any of those forgetful or late students include that little bastard?”

Yuan Yuan: “Yes! Yes!”

Huh?

Little bastard?

Yuan Yuan had answered reflexively, but now she looked slightly confused. “Which little bastard?”

Sheng Li gave her a sidelong glance. “What do you think?”

Ohhh! The little bastard who caused Sheng Li’s allergic reaction.

The little bastard in question was Yu Chi, who was currently taking the college entrance exam.

“Maybe… maybe there is one,” Yuan Yuan cautiously glanced at her, trying her best to smooth things over. “Even if not, I’m sure that little bastard’s grades are terrible! He failed English! His total score won’t even reach 300 points!”

Sheng Li, exhausted from venting, waved her hand dismissively. “Go wash the grapes.”

Notifications kept popping up on her phone—mostly messages of concern and offers to visit. But Sheng Li refused all visitors and didn’t bother replying.

Another message appeared.

The sender’s nickname was “Empress Zhou,” her best friend in the industry.

Empress Zhou: [How did Jiangshan Scroll run into trouble just a few days after filming started? Who poisoned you?]

Jiangshan Scroll was Sheng Li’s new drama, a large-scale political intrigue series heavily invested in by Shiguang Films. She was the female lead, and filming had begun on May 30th. The film studio where they were shooting was old and remote, rarely visited by other production teams. As a result, the surrounding commercial area was also desolate. The production team had chosen one of the few available restaurants to order meals.

On June 6th, the dinner menu included sweet and sour pork with pineapple. The restaurant owner tasked his son with buying pineapples for the dish. However, somewhere along the way, the son mistakenly bought mangoes instead. Unaware of the mix-up, the owner went ahead and used them, reasoning that mangoes and pineapples tasted similar anyway.

When the owner’s wife went to the kitchen to check on the delivery, she discovered that the dish wasn’t made with pineapples. But since hundreds of servings were already prepared, she feared reprimand from the production team and didn’t want to waste the food. So, she picked out all the mango chunks, bought three pineapples from a juice shop, stir-fried them, and mixed them with the original dish. Voilà—the sweet and sour pork with pineapple was ready.

Should they scold the owner’s wife for being a fraud or praise her for her ingenuity?

By then, the pork had already been stir-fried with mangoes and absorbed their flavor.

That evening, Sheng Li only ate two bites of the dish. But for someone as severely allergic to mangoes as she was, that was more than enough. Less than an hour after the meal, she was rushed to the hospital.

This unfortunate incident was something Sheng Li didn’t want to dwell on, so she ignored the topic altogether.

Half an hour later, when the other party didn’t receive a reply, they sent a video call request.

Sheng Li mercilessly rejected it.

After three attempts, a phone call came in. Sheng Li absentmindedly declined it.

Only after hanging up did she realize—it was Rong Hua’s call.

Rong Hua was Sheng Li’s agent, a formidable woman known for her ruthless efficiency. At 23 years old, every time Sheng Li tried to date someone, Rong Hua would shut it down without hesitation: “No, you’re in your prime. Dating is career suicide. Do you have no ambition?”

Clearing her throat, Sheng Li called back and put it on speakerphone.

Rong Hua didn’t ask why she had hung up earlier and got straight to the point: “How are the rashes today? Director Liu asked me this morning when you’ll be able to resume filming. The early scenes were scheduled heavily for you, and now the entire production schedule has been disrupted because of us.”

“They haven’t improved. I can’t wear makeup or go on camera.”

Sheng Li had filmed her first project at 14, essentially debuting as a child star. Coming from an ordinary working-class family, her luck in the capital-driven entertainment industry was quite good. At 17, she was signed by top-tier agent Rong Hua, who neither forced her into drinking games for resources nor left her sitting on the sidelines. With her sharp eye for scripts, one successful drama after another propelled Sheng Li into the ranks of popular young actresses.

Honestly, aside from forbidding her from dating, Rong Hua had no real flaws.

Under normal circumstances, Sheng Li was willing to listen to her advice.

“I’ll rush over tonight. You’ll be discharged the day after tomorrow, and I’ll accompany you back to the set.” Rong Hua spoke quickly. “Change your clothes now, put on your mask. Mr. Chen will arrive in about half an hour.”

Sheng Li frowned. “Which Mr. Chen?”

“Don’t pretend to have amnesia. Didn’t he call you yesterday?”

“…”

Indeed, a certain Mr. Chen had called Sheng Li yesterday. He was a second-generation heir of a family business, investing in numerous film and TV projects. In his early thirties, he was fairly handsome and had been pursuing her for several months. But aside from his wealth, there was nothing else that attracted her.

Her attempt at feigning amnesia failed, so she resorted to playing the sympathy card: “Sister, please spare me! Look at me like this, and you still want me to entertain him?”

Rong Hua was unsympathetic: “He’s almost here. Straighten yourself up and don’t embarrass us. I know you don’t like him, but don’t offend him either. If you can’t keep smiling, find an excuse to send him away. Isn’t acting your forte?”

With that, she hung up.

Given the constant flow of people in and out of the hospital, Sheng Li had been careful to wear her mask to avoid being photographed. Instead of hospital gowns, she wore the latest designer T-shirt and casual pants. As Yuan Yuan put it, “She could walk straight off to an airport photoshoot with just a change of shoes.”

Half an hour later, Mr. Chen arrived as expected.

Accompanied by two assistants—one carrying a large bouquet of roses and the other a basket of imported fruits—he entered the room. He himself held an elegant gift box bearing the logo of a luxury brand.

Yuan Yuan, feeling tense, invited them to sit and helped arrange the gifts.

Sheng Li’s lips twitched beneath her mask, but her eyes remained curved in a smile. She personally poured a glass of water for Mr. Chen: “Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Chen.”

“Why are you still wearing a mask?” Mr. Chen placed the gift box on the table and stared at her face for a moment. The mask covered most of her face, revealing only her eyes, though traces of the rash were visible on her forehead. Sheng Li’s eyes were famously beautiful in the industry; many praised her for her ethereal charm, largely due to those captivating eyes.

“I’m afraid of scaring people. You shouldn’t have come, Mr. Chen. Aren’t hospitals considered unlucky places for business trips?” Sheng Li felt deeply uncomfortable, forcing herself to smile while inwardly comparing herself to a reluctant hostess and Rong Hua to a merciless madam.

Mr. Chen’s smile faltered momentarily before returning to normal. His gaze lingered on Sheng Li. “How could I be scared? Even seeing you like this, I still remember how stunning you looked before.”

Sheng Li: “….”

Thanks, I feel greased.

Not particularly old, yet so oily?

Sheng Li awkwardly chatted for half an hour before Mr. Chen finally stood to leave.

She escorted him to the door, only to be caught by her attending physician, who immediately scolded her: “Stop wearing the mask indoors. It traps moisture and slows your recovery.” The fifty-something doctor knew Sheng Li was eager to recover and couldn’t help adding a few more words: “I understand you’re anxious to return to filming and want to heal quickly, but you’re not following instructions. That won’t do.”

“It was inconvenient with guests around. I’ll take it off now!”

Sheng Li quickly removed her mask. She hadn’t dared look in the mirror these past two days, but touching her face lightly told her the rash hadn’t faded much. Around her lips, it was especially severe—swollen and numb. She could imagine how unattractive she must look.

Aside from the doctor and nurses, only Yuan Yuan and Rong Hua had seen her disfigured face.

If anyone else saw her like this, she’d consider silencing them.

After the doctor left, Sheng Li found the bouquet and fruit basket irritating and instructed Yuan Yuan to give them to the medical staff.

Yuan Yuan efficiently picked up the flowers and basket. “Earlier, I was worried Mr. Chen might stay too long, so I contacted the hotel about delaying dinner delivery. If you’re hungry, I’ll hurry them.”

The pre-ordered dinner was scheduled to arrive daily at 5:30 p.m. Since Sheng Li feared bloating during her hospital stay, she stopped eating after 6 p.m., and it was nearly that time now.

“Ask them to deliver earlier. Eating late will make me gain weight.”

Yuan Yuan nodded and grabbed her phone before heading out with the items.

________________________________________

Yu Chi’s exam venue was assigned to No. 3 High School, far from the hospital. The school gate was crowded with people and cars, causing heavy traffic.

He finished his exam fifteen minutes early, walked a short distance, and took a bus to the hospital.

At 6:10 p.m., he stood downstairs in the inpatient department and called his mother.

The person on the other end was clueless.

Which room was Sheng Li in? Unknown.

Contact information for her or even her assistant? Unknown.

Compensation details? Also unknown.

“She’s a big star. Even if we asked her for contact info, she wouldn’t give it to us. Who knows what we might do with it? So it’s not our fault.” After a pause, the voice on the other end cautiously added, “Xiao Chi, your uncle looked into it. Sheng Li’s worth a fortune now. If we’re talking about compensation for lost wages and medical expenses, our family definitely can’t afford it. Otherwise…”

“Otherwise what? Sell me again?”

Yu Chi coldly interrupted and hung up.

The fading sunset bathed the bustling entrance in golden light . His expression darkened as he stood motionless, looking out of place amidst the crowd.

Yu Chi took a moment to collect himself, then turned and walked inside.

Perhaps his luck wasn’t entirely gone. In the elevator, he encountered a delivery person. The deliveryman was wearing the hotel’s uniform, with a rectangular name tag pinned to his chest. He held an elegant food container in one hand and was on the phone.

“Miss Yuan, I’m heading up now. I’ll be there soon. You can meet me at the elevator to pick up the food.” He paused, glanced back at Yu Chi standing behind him, and lowered his voice nervously, “There’s something else… Could I… Could I ask Li Li to sign an autograph for me?”

Li Li?

Sheng Li?

Yu Chi tilted his head slightly, glancing at the deliveryman.

“Really?!”

“Thank you so much! I’m such a huge fan of hers!”

Ding —

The elevator doors opened. Yu Chi adjusted his backpack strap and stepped out, hands in his pockets. A plump, round-faced girl approached him, her steps pausing momentarily as their eyes met.

Yuan Yuan was momentarily distracted by how good-looking the boy was. After stealing a couple of extra glances, she hurried over to take the food container from the deliveryman, handing over a signed photo. “I figured you might not have brought a notebook, so would this work?”

It was a promotional photo of Sheng Li from Jiangshan Scroll , personally autographed by her. The deliveryman ecstatically clutched the photo and left.

Yu Chi caught a glimpse of the photo’s corner and confirmed that this girl was indeed Sheng Li’s assistant. Just as he was about to speak, her phone rang.

The call was from the production team.

Yuan Yuan answered while walking toward the hospital room. As she pushed the door open slightly, her steps suddenly froze, and she exclaimed, “What do you mean, who’s coming?”

At the same time, Yu Chi had already moved behind her and quietly said, “Wait a moment.”

Their voices overlapped, but Yuan Yuan’s shrill tone drowned out Yu Chi’s.

Sheng Li didn’t hear his voice. She emerged from the bathroom, pulling the door open wider, and declared firmly, “No visitors, no matter who it is.”

The next second, Sheng Li froze, her gaze locking onto the young man standing behind Yuan Yuan.

The teenager stood by the doorway, dressed in a white T-shirt and black casual pants. He was tall, with a black backpack slung over his left shoulder. His sharp profile and clean, youthful demeanor radiated an aura of freshness rarely seen in the entertainment industry.

After being surrounded by various types of oily, pretentious men, seeing such a clean-cut and handsome boy felt like a breath of fresh air to Sheng Li. It was as if her eyes had been cleansed.

Their eyes met.

The boy’s expression shifted slightly.

Sheng Li suddenly felt a wave of panic as one thought struck her—

She wasn’t wearing her mask!

“Li Li, the production team just called and said…” Yuan Yuan began, but halfway through, she slowly turned her head, realizing someone was standing behind her. Her eyes widened in shock as she hesitantly asked, “Who… are you?”

Yu Chi’s gaze swept over Sheng Li’s face before he spoke softly: “Yu Chi.”

Sheng Li: “….”

Who the hell are you??!!

Say it again!!!

A moment later, Yuan Yuan put down her phone, stepping back slightly. She glanced at Yu Chi, then at Sheng Li, whose eyes were filled with murderous intent. Lowering her voice, she cautiously said, “Li Li, the production team just called to say… that Yu Chi came to the hospital to see you.” Seeing Sheng Li’s confused expression, she quickly added in a mumble, “You know, that little bastard.”

Yu Chi heard her clearly.

He stared at Sheng Li for a few seconds before speaking again in a low voice: “I came to ask about the medical expenses and compensation for lost wages.”

“You think money can fix everything?” Sheng Li almost laughed in anger. Her face hardened as she pointed at him. “Yuan Yuan, take this little bastard out and find somewhere to silence him.”

Yuan Yuan: “….”

Yu Chi: “….”

________________________________________

Author’s Note:

Little Miss Tang: Brother, did you really let that little bastard come to the hospital to apologize?

Little Boss Tang: …Not exactly apologizing, more like demanding compensation.

Producer Sister Rong: Don’t worry, I’ve got this handled. We’ll deal with him properly.

Empress Zhou: Sheng Li, don’t stress too much. That little bastard won’t dare show his face again after today.

#ThisIsAwkward #FirstEncounterBetweenExes #RevengePlotThickens