Chapter One: A flatterer who fawns and fawns, in the end, is left with nothing.

"Chuanzhou, I'm so scared. That was terrifying; I almost thought I was going to die."

A delicate, affected voice rang in her ears, sounding grating to Jiang Chiyu.

"Shut your mouth! You’re giving me a headache. What does a little fright matter? If you’re this pampered, you’ll surely be a deserter the moment you step onto a battlefield!"

Before she had even opened her eyes, Jiang Chiyu barked the retort.

She saw the woman burying herself in a man’s arms, sobbing softly as if she had suffered some great injustice.

[She has the nerve to scold others? It was obviously her who pushed Lin Qingyue into the water. She really is thick-skinned.]
[Battlefield? Deserter? If you dare to bully my goddess Qingyue, I’ll be the first to slaughter you!]
[Usually at a time like this, she would pull those two apart. Simply scolding them doesn't fit Jiang Chiyu's style at all.]

The live stream comments were filled with vitriol. The others, stunned by Jiang Chiyu’s sudden intensity, stared at her in shock.

[Trying to make a good impression on Film Emperor Yan at this point? It’s too late; she brought this on herself. She deserves it!]
[No wonder Film Emperor Yan doesn't fancy her. Trying to get famous through negative scandals—her plan was loud and clear. Yan and Qingyue are the real couple; stay away, you D-list failure!]
[Jiang Chiyu is just a sycophant. Stay away from Film Emperor Yan!]

However, what the netizens did not know was that Jiang Chiyu and Yan Chuanzhou had been forced into marriage by their parents and had already registered their union. When they first met, Jiang Chiyu had fallen for him at first sight and pursued him frantically. But Yan Chuanzhou was repulsed by her and avoided her at every turn, deliberately getting close to Lin Qingyue and manufacturing scandals just to rebel against the marriage.

But now, the soul inside Jiang Chiyu had changed. She was a female general from a bygone era who had transmigrated, one who had never been bound by romantic entanglements. Before her transmigration, she had been fighting bloody battles on the front lines, solely to protect the people of her nation.

Recalling her past life, Jiang Chiyu lowered her head in silence, a heavy aura settling around her. The Jiang family had been generals for generations, leading armies into battle time and again, only to be branded with the stigma of treason due to a single accusation of being too powerful for the throne. Her entire clan had been executed, and she, unable to return to the capital in time, had died on the battlefield.

But to the onlookers, this scene appeared as if Jiang Chiyu was pining for Yan Chuanzhou, heartbroken by her unrequited love.

Yan Chuanzhou tightened his hold on the woman in his arms, a dark shadow creeping into his eyes. He said coldly, "Don't pull any more stunts in front of me, or I won't be lenient!"

Jiang Chiyu ignored him entirely, her mind flashing with images of her family’s tragic death. Hearing his voice, she looked up at him. A single tear fell silently. Though she hadn't caught what he said, she replied out of courtesy, "I understand."

In a fleeting moment, a sharp, unexpected pain pricked at the center of Yan Chuanzhou's heart. That tear seemed to strike his very soul, stirring something within him and leaving behind a trace of guilt.

***

This was the first time Jiang Chiyu had agreed with him, and Yan Chuanzhou felt an inexplicable irritation. This was the result he wanted, wasn't it? He should have been happy.

Wei Feng, Jiang Chiyu’s designated partner for the show, felt a flicker of sympathy for her and stepped forward, kindly offering her a clean towel.

"Insolent! How dare you show such disrespect to this General!"

With the alertness honed from years on the battlefield, Jiang Chiyu had noted his movement and mistaken it for an attack. Having been betrayed by her own trusted aides before, she dared not trust anyone easily.

At her words, Wei Feng froze in his tracks, looking bewildered, and did not approach further. He held out the towel, saying awkwardly, "Here, take this. You’ll catch a cold if you stay soaked."

Jiang Chiyu stared at him, stunned, and suddenly realized that the attire of everyone around her was quite peculiar. As for herself, she was wearing a tight, revealing mini-skirt. It perfectly outlined her slender, graceful figure, and as the sea breeze blew, the hem of the skirt fluttered, creating an indescribable allure. Her expression shifted instantly, and she clutched her arms tightly to cover herself. Since when had she dressed so indecently?

[What is she acting so noble for? Trying to be both a saint and a whore. Does she really think she’s a general? Has she lost her mind?]
[Knows shame now? She dressed like that on purpose to seduce Film Emperor Yan and made the whole production team wait for her for two hours!]
[Does she really think everyone revolves around her? These delusions are too ridiculous!]

The number of viewers in the live room surged, with netizens taking turns to trample on Jiang Chiyu. They had never seen such a shameless woman.

Her manager suddenly dashed over, snatched the towel, and hurriedly draped it over Jiang Chiyu’s shoulders, nodding and bowing to everyone with an apologetic face. "My apologies to all the teachers; A-Yu isn't feeling well today. I’ll take her to rest. Please, carry on."

With that, she immediately led Jiang Chiyu away. Once the door was closed, her manager, Wen Jiu, began to lecture her earnestly, "Sister, I’m begging you, no more drama. You’ve already hit the trending negative topics as soon as the show started. Let’s just finish filming, take our pay, and leave. Behave."

Jiang Chiyu did not understand what she meant, but she could only agree, nodding obediently. Wen Jiu was surprised by her compliance. "Are you sure you aren't lying to me?"

"I would not. The Jiang Army never lies." Jiang Chiyu raised her hand in an oath, her demeanor solemn and resolute.

*Fine, she’s still playing the role,* Wen Jiu thought to herself. Her intuition told her that the Jiang Chiyu before her seemed more reliable than before, so she decided to trust her for now. Looking around, she saw that the cameras hadn't been installed in the room yet.

Wen Jiu pulled a bank card from her bag and secretly tucked it into Jiang Chiyu’s hand, whispering in her ear, "Keep this card for now. It’s a tip from the director. Even though the trending topics are negative, you’ve brought a lot of traffic to the show."

Jiang Chiyu picked up the bank card, stared at it for a long time, and asked with curiosity, "What is this? Is it edible?"

As she spoke, she moved to put the card directly into her mouth. She had been so hungry that her stomach was practically touching her spine, and she felt like tasting everything she saw.

Seeing this, Wen Jiu quickly pulled her back. "Hey, hey, stop! Have you really lost your mind? Should we ask for leave and go to the hospital for a check-up?"

Jiang Chiyu stared at her with wide, innocent eyes, clearly not understanding. But asking for leave at this juncture would surely trigger a flood of negative headlines:
"Jiang Chiyu acts like a diva."
"Jiang Chiyu walks off the show."
"D-lister fakes illness, rumored to be quitting the dating show."
"Jiang Chiyu lets go."
...

Thinking of this, Wen Jiu felt a headache coming on and explained patiently, "This is a bank card. There are three hundred thousand inside. While it isn't edible, it can buy food and drink. Do you understand?"

"Three hundred thousand? In silver taels?"

At the mention of this, Jiang Chiyu’s eyes instantly lit up. To win a battle, money and grain were the most important things.

"Congratulations, you got it right. It seems your brain still works; that’s a relief."

A weight lifted from her heart, and Wen Jiu decided to observe her for a while longer.

The tragedies of her past life were still vivid in her mind. Now, Jiang Chiyu understood that the most important thing was for her to become strong. Her primary goal was to make money. Money could move mountains; in the face of absolute financial power, even enemies could become friends. Only then could she protect the people she loved.

Starting with three hundred thousand, at this rate, her plan to become wealthy was within reach!

However, what she did not expect was that her "friends" all seemed to have their eyes fixed on her—like tigers watching their prey.