Mutual Employment

Gorgeous, wild female mercenary x refined, scheming engineer Cyberpunk, with plot and romance in equal measure Niya hates two kinds of people: corporate employees, and people who aren’t what they seem. She never expected to fall for Mo Qing, who ticks both boxes perfectly. Before they knew each other well, she called Mo Qing a “scumbag” and a “lapdog.” Later, she saved her, but still taunted her that she’d come to a bad end. By the time Niya had fallen hopelessly for her, she was finally panicking. This corporate engineer may have a cool, aloof face, but she’s scheming underneath. Scheming over how to devour Niya, and how to use her until she willingly thanks her for it. No matter what that damned woman chooses, Niya always seems to be the one who loses out. She always ends up choosing her. ** They say Neon City is a jungle flourishing on steel, a wasteland swallowed by technology. In this rotten wasteland, corporations have put a price on every soul. Niya hides in the city’s underbelly, working as a mercenary beneath the monopoly of giant corporations. She takes any job, but she has a conscience and a code: keep her distance from the corporations. On one assignment, Niya stumbled into the private room of a cool, aloof engineer and ended up on her bed after one too many drinks. The trouble was, she was still wearing a suggestive little uniform, her bare, snow-white skin exposed beneath the engineer’s piercing gaze... Later, the female engineer, Mo Qing, came looking for her again. Niya recognized that cool, aloof face, then realized things were even worse: Mo Qing worked for a corporation. As far as Niya was concerned, corporate lapdogs all belonged in the “hazardous waste” category. The gorgeous, rebellious mercenary curled her lips in mockery. “Pretty face, shame you’re corporate scum...” Time flew by, and the part-time mercenary gradually made a name for herself in Neon City. The next time Mo Qing ran into Niya, vicious pursuers were right behind her. Though they had no mercenary contract, Niya came to her aid without hesitation. Mo Qing wrapped her arms around Niya’s warm neck and laughed softly in her ear. “I thought you only took jobs that were worth your while...” She had nothing left to offer as a client. But the mercenary’s bloodied lips curled up. She’d found the sweetest bargaining chip of all. Coming soon: *After My Ex Blacklisted Me* The year she graduated, Bai Shumian arrived at a film set to audition, only to lose her supporting role after the newly crowned Best Actress, Han Yi, snapped at her for no reason. Then people started exaggerating the little incident at the audition. Rumors spread around the industry that the newcomer Bai had offended Best Actress Han and been blacklisted by her. Later, Bai Shumian became a national sweetheart through livestreaming. Around the same time, Best Actress Han Yi rose to the top of the industry through talent and sheer force of will. With traffic and buzz ruling the industry, directors and producers looking to cash in wanted to work with Bai Shumian. They lined up to ask: Was Best Actress Han still determined to blacklist the young Bai? To everyone’s surprise, Han Yi flatly denied it. “When did I ever say I’d blacklist her?” As it happened, she was about to invite Bai Shumian to star in her next project, which had two female leads. The announcement sent shockwaves through the industry. So it wasn’t a blacklist, it was a crown for her queen!? As time passed and Han Yi’s attitude changed, Bai Shumian gradually found her footing in the entertainment industry. Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that the Best Actress’s decision to blacklist her, and later to work with her, had never been a spur-of-the-moment thing. Could it have all been planned from the start? ** Back when Bai Shumian was still a student, she had an online romance. Her sweet first love sent her a photo, but Bai had face blindness and didn’t recognize the rising actress Han Yi. When she found out the other girl was an actress and eight years older than her, a senior professor gave her a serious warning: “Dating is fine, but don’t get involved with someone in the industry.” It was during a semester abroad, and before long their innocent romance came to an abrupt end. That same year, several films and shows starring the popular actress Han Yi became huge hits. Yet her close-knit agent noticed that she often stared blankly at her screen, sometimes with her brows furrowed. Her agent asked, “Waiting for a message from someone? Don’t frown, or you’ll get a wrinkle between your brows.” Han Yi was silent. Her agent muttered, “Don’t tell me you got dumped?” Han Yi shot her a cold look. “Stay away from me. You’re annoying!” The agent secretly analyzed the situation. The Han family’s she-wolf had probably fallen in love, and she’d better keep that secret safe for her precious girl! Later, she watched that precious girl blossom into a begonia, only to fall for another precious girl. ** One time, paparazzi photographed Bai Shumian going into a hotel with Han Yi late at night. She didn’t come out until the next morning. The Best Actress managed to force the trending topic down, but... Looking at the blurry figures in the photo and the red marks on the beautiful back in front of her, Bai Shumian turned into an ostrich and buried her head in the covers. It was their first time. She’d put on a brave face and claimed it was for the sake of art. Han Yi had said at her audition that her acting needed work, so now she was coming to learn from the best! The second time... Bai Shumian murmured, “Art is always a long and arduous journey.” The third time, she stopped Han Yi from calling her agent to take down the trending topic. Her peach-blossom eyes fixed on Han Yi’s chest. “Can art take responsibility for its outrageous behavior?” Art (Han) Yi could hardly contain her delight at having her way, but the corners of her eyes still curved up: “I see.” ** Years later. On a variety show, a host known for stirring up trouble took top-tier star Bai Shumian by the hand and asked warmly: “Xiao Bai, Han Yi signed you, but everyone said you lost two years of your career because you were blacklisted back then. Do you resent her...?” Bai Shumian pressed her lips together, seeming hesitant and conflicted, her watery eyes shimmering. If she told the host she and the Best Actress had already signed a marriage contract, and that it had saved her twenty years of detours, would the trending topic still be containable tomorrow? Theme: Those who never forget will surely be answered.