Chapter 144: A Flesh-and-Blood Villain

The male celebrity barely had time to blink before a cold, indifferent voice crackled through his headset: "If you don't want to play, step down."

"!!" He instinctively tightened his grip on the mouse, his expression shifting into one of focused intensity.

Thanks to that victory, their team felt a surge of adrenaline, suddenly seeing a glimmer of hope.

[Yun Fu is amazing! Look at her hands, so fast!]
[So cool! I knew she could do it; don't underestimate her!]

The game continued.

Yun Fu controlled a hulking, muscular character wielding a massive blade—a figure that seemed entirely mismatched with her own appearance—yet she cut through the opposition, invincible and unmatched.

Before the opponents could even register what was happening, the in-game notification of their death would ring out.

Only those glued to the livestream could see it: Yun Fu’s slender, elegant fingers were a blur. One hand danced across the keyboard, the other across the mouse, moving so quickly they left afterimages. Every click of her mouse signaled another kill.

She had arrived to sweep the field!

[Holy crap! What kind of demonic hand speed is this? She really is carrying the whole team single-handedly!]
[Those two guys were looking down on her earlier, and now they’re completely reliant on her to turn the tide.]
[Incredible. The others could just slack off; she could win this whole thing by herself!]
[At this speed, she’s practically a professional player!]

This comment stirred the hornet's nest, and the chat exploded in an instant.

[Isn't that an exaggeration? She’s a celebrity, how can she compare to professional players!]
[Why can't she? It's just a compliment, some people are really sick, looking to pick a fight over everything!]
[Can some fans have some shame? Everything your idol does is the best, and now you have the nerve to compare her to pros? If she's so good, why doesn't she just become a pro instead of being a celebrity?]

The chaos only subsided when the host announced the first victory for Yun Fu's team.

It was a best-of-three series out of five games, but the opposing team had been so thoroughly crushed that they lost three games in a row, handing victory directly to Yun Fu’s team.

"Ahhh! Yun Fu, you’re too amazing!"
"Yun Fu! Yun Fu! Yun Fu!"

The audience at the venue erupted into cheers, spontaneously chanting her name.

Seeing the spotlight entirely stolen by Yun Fu, the others on her team wore sour expressions, offering stiff, forced smiles before falling silent.

Only the young girl named Zhang Zichen had bright, starry eyes, looking at Yun Fu with genuine, heartfelt admiration. "Senior Yun Fu, you are so incredible! I... can I add you on WeChat? I want to learn how to play like you."

Yun Fu did not refuse, telling her they could add each other after the session.

Just as the staff moved in to power down the computers, a message popped up on Yun Fu’s account.

kds—wsd: [Coach!! Congratulations!!! That was amazing!]
kds—Kis: [Applause! Applause!!]

There were a few more messages from similar accounts, but the staff had already shifted the cameras, leaving the viewers only able to catch a fleeting glimpse.

[??? Am I seeing things? Was that K-God and his team?]
[It really looked like their accounts, but it was too fast, I couldn't see clearly.]
[No way, that account called her "Coach." Could Yun Fu be the coach for KDS?]
[Impossible. She probably just plays well and has some online disciples.]
[Yeah, plenty of people fake KDS accounts. Plus, it was blurry—who knows if they just missed a letter.]

The celebrity match concluded, and Yun Fu walked away with a chocolate medal and a trophy made of some unknown material.

Backstage, she shoved them at Qiao An and slumped into a chair, rubbing her fingers. It was such a hassle; playing games was more exhausting than killing people.

Meanwhile, #YunFuHandSpeed, #YunFuCelebrityMatchMVP, and #YunFuCarriesTheTeam all trended on social media.

Many male gamers discovered her, and once they saw her gameplay, they were hooked. They were experts in the game and could tell at a glance that Yun Fu was truly skilled.

As a result, her fan base surged again, this time consisting entirely of male fans.

Later, when fans chatted, someone asked, "What kind of fan are you?"
The answers were diverse: acting fans, personality fans, visual fans, and gaming fans.

Because of this match, a new wave of drama fans flocked to "Jing Hong."

The show had just reached the point where Yun Fu’s character, Qian Xuan, experienced conflict with the leads. Having faced too much coldness from the world, she was no soft-hearted saint.

Some described her as a "flesh-and-blood villain."

The time had come for the character of Qian Xuan to truly win over the audience. Crucially, Yun Fu’s acting was impeccable, breathing soul into a two-dimensional character and bringing her to life in this world.

Many critics praised Yun Fu, stating, "Her portrayal of Qian Xuan is the finishing touch."

Yun Fu had truly made it big. Everywhere she went, she could hear talk of her name and discussions about her performance.

Watching Yun Fu hog all the limelight, Xi Rou'er ground her teeth in fury.

Ever since she obtained the System, she had never been so humiliated. Although some time had passed and her fans stood firmly behind her, her perfect image had developed cracks.

In particular, her efforts to win over Gu Haoyuan had made zero progress after all this time. And all of this was because of Yun Fu.

At this thought, Xi Rou'er’s soft, beautiful face twisted into something ghoulish, hideous, and terrifying.

She gritted her teeth so hard her fingernails dug into her palms until they snapped. Oblivious to the pain, consumed by a wave of madness, she thought: She must destroy Yun Fu. Yun Fu was the stumbling block in her path. Once she was gone, she could return to being the flawless goddess she once was.

Then, she could win over Gu Haoyuan, complete her mission, and with the System's help, reach the pinnacle of her life.

And that man, Lian Hanqi.

A man so outstanding, standing at the very top of the pyramid—only such a man was worthy of her.

Yet, to Yun Fu, the external criticism and the schemes in the shadows meant nothing.

She had once walked on the edge of a blade; she had never feared such things.

Back on set, she was once again greeted with enthusiasm by the crew.

With only half a month left until the New Year, the director urged everyone to pick up the pace so they could enjoy a longer holiday. As the lead actress, Yun Fu was so busy these past few days she barely had time to touch her phone.

After an entire week of grueling work, the director finally granted her a half-day break.

Yun Fu stretched, picked up her phone, and quickened her pace, eager to reach her hotel bed and sleep until the world ended.

But the moment she stepped onto her hotel floor, Yun Fu sensed danger.

Her intuition had saved her many times before, so she never doubted it.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

Her footsteps became light and silent.