Trending Again – Chapter 4

by Little Panda

The Mudslide of the Live-Streaming World

Si Meng woke at six daily. By six-thirty, she’d roused Lin Hanyue, laid out her clothes, prepared breakfast, and would later deliver lunch to Lin Group headquarters. If Lin Hanyue came home drunk, she’d handle that too—more exhausting than any nanny.

After seeing Lin Hanyue off, Si Meng finally tackled her own affairs. She invested Uncle Wang’s hundred-thousand-RMB advance in stocks—promising newcomers she’d researched. She needed money fast before debt collectors came knocking.

A WeChat notification chimed. Lu Qi, silent for weeks, sent a Douyin ID link: “Quick! Join the Million Influencer Plan—your comeback starts here!”

Si Meng opened Douyin to find a barren new account: zero followers, zero engagement.

Scrolling through top creators—singers, gamers, flirtation coaches all boasting millions—Si Meng massaged her temples. “I can’t do any of this.”

Lu Qi fired back a sticker, insisting: “Just do what you know!” She was certain Si Meng’s face alone would flood comments with “Wife!” pleas.

Lu Qi hadn’t anticipated Si Meng’s refusal to show her face. Instead, she diligently filmed vlogs—recording meal prep between caring for Lin Hanyue. Views stayed dismal: a handful of foodies and zombie accounts.

At noon, after uploading her latest video, Si Meng carried the lunchbox to Lin Group headquarters.

Lin Group had been founded by Lin Hanyue’s father. After his accidental death, relatives preyed on the widow and orphan, seizing control until Lin Hanyue reclaimed it as a newly crowned Movie Queen. Yet boardroom elders still scorned a woman’s leadership, sending idle rich heirs to harass her.

At reception, a starstruck staffer asked for a selfie, mistaking Si Meng for a new starlet.

A call from the CEO cleared Si Meng’s path upstairs. Crossing the sixteenth-floor office, employees peeked out—drawn by her vibrant beauty and the lunchbox’s aroma, far surpassing the cafeteria.

Inside the CEO’s office, a rich young master badgered Lin Hanyue: “Just one meal!” Lin Hanyue treated him like gutter trash, icy indifference fueling his frustration until he reached for her wrist—

—Si Meng slapped his hand away. Hard. He recoiled, cradling his reddened skin.

She presented the lunchbox to Lin Hanyue like a treasure. Lin Hanyue lifted the lid—new dishes, vibrant and appetite-stirring.

Si Meng shot the intruder a contemptuous glare. “Still here? Your face alone kills appetites. She’s got a lunch partner already.”

Watching Si Meng defend her, Lin Hanyue warmed. If not for her uncle’s pressure, she’d have ejected these pests long ago.

The young master clenched his fists, swore, and lunged. Si Meng ducked behind Lin Hanyue, trembling like a little white flower in the rain¹, whimpering: “Jiejie, he wants to hit me!”

Lin Hanyue knew an act but played along, chiding coldly: “Does Young Master Luo bully the helpless now?”

He left cursing—never daring to challenge Lin Hanyue directly.

As Lin Hanyue ate, Si Meng sighed. “Didn’t you eat?” Lin Hanyue frowned.

“Oh, I did!” Si Meng waved dismissively. “I just feel cheated. Signed up as an errand girl, but now I’m your human shield too.”

Lin Hanyue’s brief gentleness vanished. “Regretting it?”

Oblivious to her tension, Si Meng blurted: “Absolutely! Shields are high-risk! That deserves hazard pay—” She brightened. “—Rich Lady Jiejie, I want a raise!”

Lin Hanyue almost laughed. Of course it was about money. She crooked a finger. Si Meng leaned in eagerly—

—only for Lin Hanyue to flick her forehead. “Dream on.”

Si Meng rubbed the spot, sulking. Stingy. Fine, no raise—but did she have to bully her?

Departing, Si Meng found employees swarming her. “Where’d you buy that lunch?”

“Made it myself,” she admitted, scratching her head. “If you’re interested, I’ll bring snacks next time. Oh, and I post tutorials—” She gave her Douyin handle.

They followed her account, gasping at each video: “A treasure streamer!” “Actual quality content!”

Lin Hanyue watched Si Meng’s growing popularity, an odd possessiveness prickling her—as if something hers was being coveted.

Back at the villa, Si Meng found her account exploding—followers multiplying by the second. A food influencer had reposted her video with a caption that darkened her expression:

Taotei Zhang Biliang: I’d die happy tasting food from hands this gorgeous! Be my girlfriend? @FoodieSiXiaomeng