Chapter 78: All That Effort for Nothing!

Xu An'an had no time to think as the car already stopped at the pier.

She could only follow Xu Wanwan out, ready to play the loving sisters in front of the cameras. Yet, the moment Xu Wanwan spotted the popular young actor in the distance, she immediately shook off Xu An'an’s hand.

Watching Xu Wanwan rush forward to ingratiate herself, Xu An'an found it laughable.

She was happy for the peace, so she found a spot for herself to wait for the boat to depart.

This time, there were three groups participating in the travel show. The first group: the two sisters, Xu An'an and Xu Wanwan. The second: the popular actor Pei Yang and his friend from the industry, Guan Xiaoxiao, a web drama actress who hadn’t made much of a splash.

Before long, almost all the guests had arrived.

Everyone greeted one another—especially those in the entertainment circle, who had to maintain their public persona on camera.

Xu An'an wasn’t in the industry and didn’t need fans, but she still responded politely when greeted.

“I wonder who the third group will be?” Guan Xiaoxiao asked with curiosity.

Xu Wanwan shook her head, equally curious, but her gaze kept drifting furtively toward Pei Yan, hinting at Guan Xiaoxiao to create an opportunity for her.

Noticing their frequent silent exchanges, Xu An'an could tell at once they were close friends, though they never said so outright.

“An'an, have you heard anything?” someone asked.

Called by name, Xu An'an finally spoke: “I really don’t know.”

She’d only been pulled in at the last minute; how could she know the details?

Xu Wanwan and Guan Xiaoxiao exchanged a glance.

“Look, it seems the third group has arrived.”

“Hopefully it’s some senior figures from the industry!” someone exclaimed.

Xu An'an hadn’t been paying much attention, but glanced over casually.

That single glance left her stunned—weren’t those Jiang Yu and Ning Xiyue?

What was going on with those two?

“It’s Ning Xiyue!” Guan Xiaoxiao exclaimed in delight. “Oh my god, I loved her in that noble consort role—I can’t believe I get to meet her in person today!”

Ning Xiyue had become famous for playing an imperious consort that suited her image, but hadn’t made much of a splash since, relying on variety shows and fashion endorsements to maintain her popularity.

Of course, all those brand endorsements came from Jiang Yu’s connections.

“Is that man her boyfriend?”

“I heard he’s just a close male friend.”

Their faces, bright with smiles, froze the instant they saw Xu An'an—clearly, neither had expected her to be here.

Xu An'an couldn’t be bothered, greeting them with the indifference reserved for strangers.

Though Xu An'an and Jiang Yu were engaged, only people within their circle knew, and in an era where news was replaced in a blink, only close acquaintances understood the relationship between Xu An'an and Jiang Yu.

At last, everyone had arrived.

The director asked each person to introduce themselves before boarding the boat in an orderly fashion, headed toward a nearby island—a favorite holiday spot for the wealthy.

Perhaps worried Xu An'an would slip up, Jiang Yu deliberately sought her out.

His eyes were full of reproach and dissatisfaction. “You joined this show—why didn’t you tell me?”

Xu An'an let out a cold laugh. “Did you tell me? And besides, you’re here too. It only takes a little inquiry to find out.”

“Of course, in your eyes there’s only Ning Xiyue—no room for anyone else.”

Jiang Yu bristled at Xu An'an’s sarcasm, but couldn’t let his anger show; it would be a problem if others found out about their relationship.

He lowered his voice. “Let’s not let anyone else know about us for now.”

Xu An'an snorted and turned away without another word.

Hiding nearby, Ning Xiyue stepped out, her expression dark—she hadn’t expected Xu An'an to defy Jiang Yu so openly.

Her eyes reddened. “Ah Yu, is An'an angry?”

“Does she have to control who you’re friends with? That’s your right—even if you two get married, she has no say.”

Already irritated, Jiang Yu grew even angrier at Ning Xiyue’s instigation.

He couldn’t deal with Xu An'an yet, but he could punish the Xu family and use them to pressure her.

“Hmph. Looks like I’ve been too lenient with her lately. She needs a lesson to remind her of her place.”

If not for his grandfather’s sake, he wouldn’t have put up with her at all.

Watching Jiang Yu call without hesitation, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Ning Xiyue’s eyes. She knew exactly how miserable Xu An'an’s position was in the Xu family.

By chance, she’d once overheard Shen Ying telling a friend about family matters, including gossip about Xu An'an and her mother.

Unbeknownst to her, Jiang Yu’s pressure caused the Xu Corporation to lose several deals—yet immediately after, the company landed a major contract.

Xu’s father barely had time to be angry before thinking of how to celebrate, as if fortune had fallen from the sky.

Behind it all was Jiang Li, quietly pulling the strings.

Once they arrived on the island, the director arranged a game. Based on the results, everyone would pick their rooms—the higher the ranking, the better the room.

The game was simple: the director gave them a character, and each person had to come up with a four-character idiom.

In the end, Xu An'an and Xu Wanwan took first place; Ning Xiyue and Jiang Yu came second; Pei Yang and Guan Xiaoxiao were third.

To everyone’s surprise, Xu Wanwan gave up first place to Pei Yang.

Pei Yang accepted without protest, choosing two good rooms for himself and Guan Xiaoxiao.

Xu An'an nearly fainted from rage. Xu Wanwan had been of no help during the game, focusing only on currying favor with Pei Yang.

Since Xu An'an had come with Xu Wanwan, the right to exchange rooms belonged to Xu Wanwan.

Xu An'an’s lips twitched.

How ridiculous—she’d worked hard for nothing!

As Ning Xiyue passed by, she remarked sarcastically, “Your sister is really good to you.”

Xu An'an ignored her, and under the staff’s guidance, arrived at the last remaining room—only to find it surprisingly decent.

What was going on?

It turned out the production team had quietly arranged this for Xu Wanwan.

Xu Wanwan was delighted, shooting Xu An'an a look. “Well? Now we’re even, right? Don’t give me that funereal face! Otherwise, if you want to enjoy yourself these next two days, you’ll have to rely on me!”

Xu An'an said nothing, quietly unpacking her things—which didn’t take long, as she hadn’t brought much.

Suddenly, her face began to itch.

The more she scratched, the worse it got. Beginning to panic, Xu An'an recalled something and resisted the urge to scratch further, glancing at Xu Wanwan—just in time to catch the schadenfreude she hadn’t managed to hide.

Her suspicions were confirmed.

Xu Wanwan must have had Sister Li tamper with the makeup tools—perhaps adding itching powder or something else—which was now causing an allergic reaction.

But with no proof at hand, she could only go look for the staff.

“Oh my god, what happened to your face!” As Xu An'an stepped out, she ran into Ning Xiyue, who clapped a hand to her chest, unable to hide her glee. “Did you catch something dirty?”