Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

Ni Bingyan was speechless, but her cousin burst out laughing.

”Sis! You know, ever since our comic took off, people have been constantly trying to guess who my cousin is, right?”

”Has anyone figured it out?”

The comic’s biggest gimmick was ”My cousin is a big star.” It played on people’s curiosity about the daily lives of celebrities to attract attention, so it was only natural that readers would be curious about this.

Ni Bingyan had no intention of hiding their relationship.

After all, their family connection was a fact, and her cousin’s comic didn’t reveal any of her private secrets. Even if people figured it out, there wouldn’t be any negative consequences.

”They’re guessing everyone, so of course, some people are guessing it’s you! But I’d never admit it, of course~”

Maintaining the mystery would keep people coming back for more. If everything was spelled out, it would lose its appeal.

Lu Yao gave a smug smile, then went on to explain how she saw the Weibo post:

”My fans read the comic and said my cousin must be the queen of the entertainment industry’s rat race—the kind who could grind her competition into dust. When they saw I wouldn’t confirm it, they started digging for evidence to prove themselves right. Then someone @’d me to look at this post, and when I saw it, I just couldn’t stop laughing!”

The two of them sent voice messages back and forth—WHOOSH WHOOSH—chatting while scrolling through Weibo. It was quite fun.

”I was just wondering! This post only has a little over 100 comments and 50-something shares. How did you manage to see it so coincidentally?”

”I have a lot of fans! When they see something and @ me, my chances of seeing it are obviously much higher!”

Lu Yao was still munching on chips—CRUNCH CRUNCH—and was about to say more when she heard silence on the other end, so she let it go.

The next day, she slept in until late in the morning. Ni Bingyan rubbed her eyes and went downstairs to find no one there.

She tiptoed to her dad’s bedroom door and could still hear him snoring. Knowing he was exhausted and hadn’t recovered yet, Ni Bingyan didn’t disturb him and headed straight down to the kitchen.

It was the New Year. Even if it was just the two of them, they had to prepare a lively and festive feast.

They had planned the menu long ago. For good luck, and to minimize leftovers, there were only eight dishes.

Braised rooster, for a fiery and prosperous future; braised carp, for a surplus year after year; nutritious and restorative stewed hen, hoping the family would be healthy in the coming year; traditional steamed pork with preserved vegetables, for a future that was always on the rise; a platter of cured sausage and preserved pork, an essential traditional dish; a cold salad of Houttuynia, the perfect palate cleanser; a plate of blanched prawns, their bright red color so festive; and finally, a steamed king crab, so they could be ”unyieldingly dominant and unstoppable” in the new year!

She started braising the rooster, stewing the hen, and simmering the sausage and preserved pork in a small pot. Then, Ni Bingyan put on gloves, scooped a red-tailed carp from the fish tank, and tossed it into the sink, swiftly scaling and gutting it.

By the time Ni Guangli woke up and came downstairs, she was leaning over the saltwater tank, staring helplessly at the king crab scuttling around inside.

”What’s there to be scared of? Just scoop it out, scrub it clean, and put it in the steamer! So simple!”

This year, he finally didn’t have to spend a cold and lonely New Year by himself. Ni Guangli was overjoyed. Seeing her staring foolishly at the crab, too afraid to touch it, was a little amusing.

”Dad, there are only two of us eating. Why’d you get such a huge one? We won’t finish it today, and it won’t be good tomorrow. What a waste! And it’s alive—isn’t it normal for me to be scared?”

”Aiya, it’s the New Year! Move aside, I’ll have to do it.”

”Of course. This family can’t function without you.”

Ni Bingyan chuckled and helped out. Pleased, Ni Guangli told her to go peel garlic.

”Later, Dad will mix up a killer dipping sauce for you. I just came up with it, specially for this crab. The flavor is absolutely incredible!”

”Okay!”

The father and daughter happily finished their reunion lunch, went into town for a stroll for half the day, then came back for their New Year’s Eve dinner. Afterward, they snuggled on the sofa to watch the Spring Festival Gala and stay up for the new year.

The program was similar every year, but there were always surprises. They watched with great enjoyment, and before they knew it, it was time for ”Unforgettable Tonight.”

Ni Guangli immediately grabbed the firecrackers from the corner, went outside, and hung them on a tree branch to light them.

The old year was sent off with the sound of firecrackers.

A scene like this filled her with joy and contentment, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

This New Year, she was finally no longer alone. She no longer had to drive aimlessly around the city or stand at a crossroads, not knowing which way to go.

Among the countless lanterns in this world, there was finally one that belonged to her.

’But this happiness wasn’t meant for me.’

’It’s not like I schemed to steal it, but it’s an undeniable fact that I’m occupying someone else’s body and someone else’s family.’

’If only there was a senior transmigrator who could tell me about their journey.’

Just as her mood was sinking, a video call came from her cousin. When she answered, she saw Lu Yao curled up on the sofa eating chips, while her grandparents, uncle, and aunt were gathered around, playing mahjong.

As for her male cousin, he was standing by the window, a blissful expression on his face as he smiled and talked on the phone.

’He’s probably being all lovey-dovey with his future wife again.’

”Are you and Uncle staying up tonight? We’re going to battle it out until dawn!”

The two sisters had been spending every day together recently, always chatting before bed. Being suddenly apart felt a little strange to Lu Yao.

”It’s pretty cold here, and it’s not very lively with just the two of us. I’ve been so tired lately, so I’m going to bed soon.”

”Hahaha, we told you to come here for the New Year, but you refused! We didn’t want to stay up either, but Grandpa and Grandma insisted. We couldn’t leave them alone, so we have to stay up with them. Sigh!”

”If you don’t stay up on New Year’s Eve, you’ll have bad luck all next year! You young people!”

Her grandfather, overhearing their chat, came over and snorted, then immediately whipped his head back, his sharp eyes fixed on his wife’s twitching hand. ”Don’t move! Peng!”

Ni Bingyan couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

”Anyway, tomorrow is the first day of the New Year, and you’re not visiting relatives, so you can catch up on sleep during the day. They insist on staying up because they’re hoping for a smooth and prosperous year for the family. You should appreciate their good intentions.”

Lu Yao put down her chips, said ”Mmm,” then bent over to grab a bottle of Coke from beside the sofa. She twisted off the cap, tilted her head back, and started chugging—GLUG GLUG GLUG.

”You know, these tomato-flavored chips don’t taste that salty, but they make you really thirsty afterward! Ahh~ this Coke really hits the spot! By the way, didn’t you say you were going to the Northeast for a wedding? How come you didn’t go?”

Everyone in the Lu Family was staying up for the new year. Lu Yao, a natural night owl, wasn’t very sleepy, so once she started talking, she wanted to chat a bit longer with her cousin.

”Things were too complicated before. He probably didn’t want to invite people from the industry to his wedding while he was in the spotlight like that, so he postponed it until May Day next year.”

More people means more complications. With the bloodbath that was happening in the entertainment circle earlier, no one wanted a shadow cast over a perfectly good wedding, so of course they had to find a solution.

The invitations had already been sent out. Only inviting relatives and telling people from the industry not to come would have offended them. It was simpler to just postpone the whole thing.

This way, it was just a financial loss, which wasn’t a big deal.

”Your industry is terrifying. One wrong move and your career is over. It’s a little better for those who came up unconventionally. But for those from professional schools, they’ve worked so hard for so many years, starting from the arts school entrance exams, all aiming to become a star. Then a ban comes out, and if they make one mistake, they have to change careers, maybe even face social suicide. It’s just too tragic!”

Seeing her put down the chips only to start cracking melon seeds, Ni Bingyan really wanted to curse her with gaining ten pounds—if it weren’t the New Year.

”As long as you keep your nose clean and obey the law, it’s not like it’s a high-risk profession like being a firefighter. It’s actually pretty much the same as any other job.”

They chatted about this and that for a while longer. Hearing her voice getting groggy, Lu Yao finally let her go. ”Go get some sleep. I’ve never met a young person like you who goes to bed early every chance she gets.”

”Well, if you ask around, you’ll find there are plenty of people like me.”

Lu Yao scoffed and hung up the video call.

”Ah! I was just looking for new material. I have to draw her ’grandpa’s bedtime’ schedule!”

Once the idea struck, she acted on it. Lu Yao quickly ran back to her room and took out her drawing tablet.