After Transmigrating Into a Book, I Was Played by the Black Lotus

After Transmigrating Into a Book, I Was Played by the Black Lotus – Chapter 58

by Little Panda

The Dust Settles

On Monday, the atmosphere at Hurricane Studio was oppressive to the extreme.

As users of one of the largest consultation social platforms¹, everyone usually paid attention to Weibo trending topics, to say nothing of the fact that the topic that had exploded² yesterday was about their own boss.

Everyone subconsciously lowered their voices, conversing in three words and two sentences³.

“Did you see the trending topic? Is it true?”

“I was eating melon⁴ all day yesterday… I think it’s eight or nine out of ten⁵.”

“Why do you think Director Mu would do something like that? When did Bai Xiying offend her?”

“Um… I just feel like it’s too much of a coincidence. How was it recorded at that exact moment?”

“Director Mu shut herself in her office as soon as she arrived. What do you think will happen next?”

At this mention, everyone could not help but feel that every person was in danger.

Although they were designers themselves and privately found Mu Muqing’s actions shameful, the thought that she was still their boss made it hard not to worry. If something happened to Mu Muqing, the studio would certainly be affected.

But when they recalled the trending topic mentioning that Mu Muqing had not produced any new work in nearly three years, their expressions became somewhat subtle.

Could it be that Mu Muqing’s talent is truly exhausted like Jiang Lang’s⁶ and she stole the work for the sake of plagiarism?

When they saw Bai Xiying arrive, their melon-eating gazes could not help but fall upon her.

The outside world could only guess whose work Mu Muqing had stolen and who had given her such a great sense of crisis. However, as people from the same studio, they could make a rough guess just by looking at the workstation layout in the video.

Coupled with the fact that Bai Xiying had seemed to be in a bad state for those two days—that was it, everything matched up perfectly!

Bai Xiying calmly sat down at her desk, enduring everyone’s gossiping stares. Wang Xiaoxiao waved to her, motioning for her to look at the computer in front of her.

Bai Xiying’s eyes flickered. “A letter of resignation?”

Wang Xiaoxiao nodded. “I was originally planning to write it after a while, but then yesterday’s news broke, didn’t it? My parents even asked me about it. After thinking it over, I decided it’s better to resign as soon as possible.”

Presumably, any creator with a shred of integrity would feel disgusted staying at this studio any longer.

Bai Xiying lowered her gaze thoughtfully. “Perfect timing. I was planning to submit mine as well.”

Just then, Wang Ruonan clicked over in her high heels to stand before Bai Xiying. With an unkind expression, she tossed out a sentence: “Director Mu is looking for you.” Then, she left without a backward glance.

Wang Xiaoxiao immediately looked at her with worry.

This time, it was Bai Xiying who gave her a reassuring smile before walking in the direction Wang Ruonan had gone.

When she turned the corner, Wang Ruonan was leaning against the wall, waiting for her.

Pausing in her steps, Bai Xiying asked, “Is there something else?”

Wang Ruonan glared at her fiercely. “I never thought you were this kind of person! You were the one who leaked the news to them, weren’t you!”

Bai Xiying showed a confused expression. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

Wang Ruonan’s gaze turned vicious as she looked at her. The thought of Director Mu being so troubled and anxious over this matter made her heart hurt to the point of not being able to go on.

Bai Xiying smiled faintly, and the words she spoke were enough to kill the person and punish the heart⁷: “You don’t know yet, do you? While you’re here worrying yourself sick over Director Mu, she’s off fooling around in someone else’s bed.”

“You!”

Bai Xiying shrugged. “Perhaps if you look closely, you can still see the hickey on her neck that hasn’t faded yet.”

Wang Ruonan’s expression changed slightly as she suddenly recalled how Mu Muqing had looked when she greeted her that morning.

Bai Xiying paid her no more mind and walked past her as if no one else was present.

Originally, she had not intended to say these things. After all, although Wang Ruonan usually targeted her, Bai Xiying actually had Wang Ruonan to thank for her part in this matter that would ruin Mu Muqing’s reputation—even if she was unaware of it.

But since she had stopped her today only to say such vexing things, Bai Xiying could not resist telling her a few facts.

After all, for Wang Ruonan, could there be anything more heart-punishing than this?

Pushing open the door, Bai Xiying placed the printed resignation letter on the desk. Looking down, she said coolly, “Director Mu, you were looking for me? As it happens, I have something to discuss with you as well. This is my letter of resignation. I will send a digital copy to HR later.”

Mu Muqing looked up at her, her eyes bloodshot and her tone icy. “Bai Xiying, you orchestrated this whole thing, didn’t you?”

Bai Xiying blinked innocently.

Mu Muqing’s face instantly twisted. “Excellent! Excellent! I never imagined that I, Mu Muqing, would one day have a walking eye⁸!”

She had thought Bai Xiying would be easy to control—from a poor family, with no backing, a recent college graduate. But she never expected that after hunting wild geese all day, she would have her eye pecked out by a goose⁹!

Mu Muqing’s face was twisted and ferocious. The thing she was most proud of in her life was founding the industry-renowned Hurricane Studio through her own outstanding abilities. She was heaven’s favored child¹⁰, full of vigor. But yesterday’s trending topic had caused her face to be swept to the ground¹¹!

At the thought of the people in the studio whispering and pointing at her, her eyes could not help but become bloodshot.

And deeper in her heart, an uncontrollable panic began to rise.

The previously expressionless Bai Xiying suddenly let out a soft laugh. “Director Mu, if you wish for others not to know, you must not do it yourself¹². Since you made a move, you should have been prepared to be exposed.”

“You didn’t really think you could cover the sky with one hand¹³ and hide the truth, did you?” Bai Xiying asked, feigning surprise.

Mu Muqing stared at her intently. If looks could be blades, Bai Xiying felt she would have already been subjected to Lingchi¹⁴.

After all, she had essentially caused Mu Muqing’s body to be defeated and her reputation to be ruined¹⁵.

After a long moment, seeing that Mu Muqing remained silent with a livid face, Bai Xiying pointed to the letter on the desk. “I’ll have to ask for Director Mu’s approval. After all, I don’t dare to stay here any longer.”

“Oh, right. There’s another surprise for you later, Director Mu.”

A bad premonition suddenly struck Mu Muqing. “What have you done now in league with them?!”

Bai Xiying did not answer, merely watching the Mu Muqing who had lost her square inch¹⁶ with a look of pure delight.

“You planned all of this from the beginning, didn’t you?!” Mu Muqing shouted as she saw her about to leave. “You hid your true face to get close to me, just to bring me down! Tell me! What is it you really want?!”

Bai Xiying smiled faintly. “Me? I just want Director Mu’s body to be defeated and her reputation to be ruined, that’s all.”

As she smiled again, the lovable and heart-fitting feeling she once gave off was gone from Mu Muqing’s eyes. Now, in Mu Muqing’s heart, Bai Xiying was the very synonym for viciousness.

“You’re terrifying,” Mu Muqing said. “You like Lin Xingzhu, don’t you? What do you think she would think if she knew the true face of the person she’s been protecting all this time is so step-by-step, camp-by-camp¹⁷ and deeply scheming?”

What would Lin Xingzhu think?

Bai Xiying sneered, “That’s none of your concern.”

She looked Mu Muqing up and down. “By the way, the work for the preliminary review has been submitted. You won’t need to worry about it anymore, Director Mu.”

Mu Muqing’s expression changed slightly.

Just as she was about to say something, the office door was suddenly burst open by someone in a panic.

Mu Muqing’s gaze turned cold. Just as she was about to berate them, she saw the person’s strange expression. “D-Director Mu…”

Mu Muqing abruptly looked toward Bai Xiying, who was standing to the side, watching a good show¹⁸.

Her expression turned ugly. “You actually called the police!”

Bai Xiying lightly blew the dust from her fingertips, her eyes sweeping over the no-longer-composed Mu Muqing. She said nonchalantly, “What else?”

She had learned this move from Lin Xingzhu, and it was indeed quite useful.

However, missing another chance to deal with her enemy with her own hands made Bai Xiying feel a trace of regret.

But it did not matter. This time, she would just destroy her with the thing she cared about most.

That day at noon, another piece of news was pushed to the top of the trending list, once again pushing the topic that Mu Muqing had barely managed to suppress the night before to its peak!

#Confirmed that Mu Muqing has been taken away by the police#

The matter was not over. That night, amidst the swirling rumors on the internet, another trending topic ignited the full truth.

#Confirmed that Mu Muqing stole another’s work#

Lin Xingzhu clicked refresh.

This incident had been fermenting for two days. By the time the noon trending topic came out, the melon-eating masses who were still wavering and waiting for the truth could basically reach a conclusion.

Since the news broke yesterday, Mu Muqing had not been without a struggle, but it was clear her opponent was determined to use this opportunity to destroy her and nail her to the pillar of shame¹⁹ for good!

It had to be said, Bai Xiying played this move of killing with a borrowed knife²⁰ with great skill.

Lin Xingzhu put away her phone, picked up her standard water cup, and went to the conference room.

They had already called to inquire about Hurricane’s affairs. After confirming that Mu Muqing had been taken away by the police and that the USB drive she had taken but not had time to destroy had been found, they had already terminated their cooperation with Hurricane Studio.

Of course, because this termination was caused by the scandal of Hurricane’s own director, Mu Muqing would also have to compensate Xingyuan for breach of contract.

All that remained was to liaise with Zhumei²¹.

As she left the conference room, Lin Xingzhu vaguely heard people whispering behind her.

“I never thought Hurricane’s Mu Muqing was that kind of person.”

“I know, right? Who would have thought? What a shame…”

“I wonder whose work she stole? I heard that person was originally going to register for the ASHY competition.”

“Hiss, could it really have been caused by jealousy?”

“Damn! Then how cow²² must that newcomer be!”

Lin Xingzhu could not hear the rest very clearly, but the few words and scattered phrases²³ she heard from others about Bai Xiying’s excellence were enough to make her lips curve into a proud smile.

When Mu Muqing wanted to break Bai Xiying’s wings and force her to stay at Hurricane, besides her own vile morals at work, it was hard not to admit that it also concealed her fear that was so deep the bottom could not be seen and her loss of control.

She was terrified at having seen an eagle about to soar into flight, and she was losing control because she truly was exhausting her talent and could no longer create miracles.

Fear and loss of control intertwined, transforming into a jealousy that birthed sin.

One careless move, and one falls into the abyss.

I wonder if the Mu Muqing in the original book did something like this? If so, did she receive the punishment she deserved?

Lin Xingzhu tilted her head up and looked at the blue sky that was like a washed jade-blue sky, so pure it was without a single impurity. The evils of the world seemed to have nowhere to hide²⁴ under the mirror-like canopy of the heavens.

Hopefully, the Bai Xiying in the original book can break all the black shackles and fetters, spread her wings, and have the Peng travel ten thousand li²⁵.

Footnotes

谘詢社交平臺 | zīxún shèjiāo píngtái | A literal translation of the terms. 谘詢 (zīxún) means “consultation” or “information,” 社交 (shèjiāo) means “social,” and 平臺 (píngtái) means “platform.” This refers to a social media site used for news and information.
爆 | bào | Literally “to explode” or “to burst.” In Chinese internet slang, this term means for a piece of news or a topic to go viral suddenly and massively, dominating public attention.
三言兩語 | sān yán liǎng yǔ | Literally “three words and two sentences.” A chengyu (four-character idiom) that means to speak in just a few words, concisely or briefly.
吃瓜 | chī guā | Literally “eating melon.” In Chinese internet slang, this means to watch drama unfold or gossip, especially about celebrities or public figures. The “melon-eating masses” (吃瓜群众 | chī guā qún zhòng) are onlookers who are not involved but enjoy following the story as entertainment.
八九不離十 | bā jiǔ bù lí shí | Literally “eight or nine is not far from ten.” A chengyu (four-character idiom) meaning something is very close to the truth, almost certain, or about right. It’s equivalent to saying “pretty much” or “more or less correct.”
江郎才盡 | jiāng láng cái jìn | Literally “Jiang Lang’s talent is exhausted.” A chengyu (four-character idiom) used to describe a talented person, especially a writer or artist, who has lost their creative abilities and can no longer produce high-quality work. It originates from the story of Jiang Yan, a famous writer from the Southern Dynasties period, who dreamt that a god took back the gifted, colorful brush he wrote with, after which his literary talent faded.
殺人誅心 | shā rén zhū xīn | Literally “to kill a person and punish their heart.” A chengyu (four-character idiom) that describes an act that is not only physically or materially harmful but is also designed to inflict the maximum psychological, emotional, or spiritual damage. It refers to attacking someone’s spirit, beliefs, or what they hold most dear, which is considered a crueler punishment than death itself.
走眼 | zǒu yǎn | Literally “walking eye” or “eye has strayed.” A slang term meaning to make a mistake in judgment, especially when assessing a person’s character, an antique’s authenticity, or a situation’s nature. It implies a lapse in one’s usual perceptiveness.
終日打雁，卻被雁啄了眼 | zhōng rì dǎ yàn, què bèi yàn zhuó le yǎn | Literally “to hunt wild geese all day, only to have one’s eye pecked out by a goose.” A proverb meaning that an expert in a certain field has been outsmarted or harmed by something within their own area of expertise. It’s similar to the English saying “the biter bit” or a master being fooled by their own trade.
天之驕子 | tiān zhī jiāo zǐ | Literally “heaven’s favored child.” A chengyu (four-character idiom) used to describe a person who is exceptionally lucky, talented, or privileged, as if they are favored by the heavens. It often refers to someone who seems to have everything going for them from birth.
顏面掃地 | yán miàn sǎo dì | Literally “face swept to the ground.” A chengyu (four-character idiom) meaning to suffer a complete loss of prestige, dignity, or “face.” It describes a situation of utter humiliation and public disgrace.
要想人不知，除非己莫為 | yào xiǎng rén bù zhī, chú fēi jǐ mò wéi | Literally “If you wish for others not to know, you must not do it yourself.” A famous proverb meaning that secrets of wrongdoing will eventually be exposed. The only way to ensure a misdeed remains unknown is to not commit it in the first place.
只手遮天 | yī shǒu zhē tiān | Literally “to cover the sky with one hand.” A chengyu (four-character idiom) describing an abuse of power where someone tries to hide the truth from everyone, deceive the public, or conceal their wrongdoing on a massive scale. It implies great power and arrogance.
凌遲 | língchí | Often translated as “death by a thousand cuts” or “the slow slicing.” It was a form of torture and execution used in imperial China, reserved for heinous crimes. The condemned was methodically cut and dismembered while still alive. Here, it is used metaphorically to describe an extremely painful and cruel fate.
身敗名裂 | shēn bài míng liè | Literally “body defeated and reputation ruined.” A chengyu (four-character idiom) describing a state of complete and utter ruin, both personally and publicly. It means to lose everything, including one’s social standing, good name, and future prospects, often as a result of a major scandal or failure.
失了方寸 | shī le fāng cùn | Literally “to lose the square inch.” The “square inch” (方寸) is a classical metaphor for the heart or mind. The idiom means to lose one’s composure, to become flustered, or to be in a state of panic and confusion.
步步為營 | bù bù wéi yíng | Literally “to advance step by step, building a camp at each.” Originally a military idiom describing a cautious and methodical advance. In modern usage, it often describes someone who is extremely careful, calculating, and meticulous in their planning, leaving no room for error. It can have a negative connotation of being overly scheming or manipulative.
看好戲 | kàn hǎo xì | Literally “to watch a good show/play.” This phrase is used when someone is watching a dramatic or conflict-filled situation unfold with the detached amusement of a spectator. It’s similar to the English expression “just here for the popcorn.”
恥辱柱 | chǐ rǔ zhù | Literally “pillar of shame.” A metaphorical term for a state of public disgrace and infamy. To be “nailed to the pillar of shame” means to be publicly exposed and condemned for one’s wrongdoings, serving as a permanent, negative example to others.
借刀殺人 | jiè dāo shā rén | Literally “to kill with a borrowed knife.” One of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. It means to attack an enemy by using the power of a third party. In this context, it refers to using someone else’s actions or a situation created by others to achieve one’s own goal of harming an opponent, without getting one’s own hands dirty.
诸美 | Zhūměi | The name of a company. 诸 (zhū) means “all” or “various,” and 美 (měi) means “beautiful.”
牛 | niú | Literally “cow” or “bull.” In modern Chinese slang, this character is used as an adjective to mean “awesome,” “incredible,” “badass,” or “amazing.” Its usage is similar to how “sick” or “dope” can be used in English slang.
只言片語 | zhī yán piàn yǔ | Literally “a single word and a fragment of a phrase.” A chengyu (four-character idiom) referring to a few isolated words or brief, incomplete remarks.
一無所遁 | yī wú suǒ dùn | Literally “not a single place to hide.” A chengyu (four-character idiom) meaning there is absolutely no escape or nowhere to conceal oneself; to be completely exposed.
鵬行萬里 | péng xíng wàn lǐ | Literally “the Peng travels ten thousand li.” An idiom describing someone with a vast and brilliant future or a journey of great ambition. It originates from the classic Daoist text ‘Zhuangzi’, which describes the Peng (鵬), a giant mythical bird that can travel thousands of miles (li) in a single flight. It symbolizes boundless prospects and soaring ambition. A “li” (里) is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, roughly 500 meters.

Footnotes

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