In the dim conference room of a rented co-working floor, Lu Zeyan stared at a makeshift whiteboard cluttered with sticky notes, stats, and scene sketches.
Jiang Yue's image wasn't there—not yet.
Only her voice.
Her waveform from When Spring Bends to Summer was looped on a small speaker. The soft tremble, the honesty—it still caught him off guard.
"Time to shape the unknown into a brand," he muttered.
[System Update: Viral Cycle Entering Final Stage]
Recommendation: Launch "Phase Two Identity Campaign"
Suggested Theme: The Girl Without a Name
Format: Interactive teaser, audio-first release, minimal face reveal
Budget Estimate: 3.2 BP
Risk Level: Moderate
Potential PP Boost: +0.0019 to +0.0032 (Over 72 hours)
He nodded and got to work.
A week-long campaign, anonymous-style. Fans would vote on imaginary names, guess her background, submit art of what she "might look like." All without showing her face.
A slow, delicate rollout.
He'd let the public fall in love with her voice before ever showing her face.
That's how idols were made.
And Jiang Yue… she was no longer just a voice. She was a story.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yue sat on the apartment balcony, cradling a mug of ginger tea. Her bruises had faded, but the phantom aches remained. Not just in her body—but in the years of rejection she carried like scar tissue.
Her phone pinged.
[From: Husband-But-Not-Really]
"Check email. You're the lead voice again. Campaign begins next week. Practice the lines I highlighted."
Attached was a short monologue:
"They never saw me. I was always behind something—behind a mask, behind a prettier face, behind someone who knew someone."
Her throat tightened as she read it aloud.
She wasn't acting.
She was remembering.
[System Update: Subject Jiang Yue – Deep Resonance Detected]
Recommend Course Activation:
Advanced Acting Workshop – Level 1
Cost: 7.5 PP
Duration: 1 Week
Effect: Skill +5% (Emotional Performance Track)
[Y/N?]
She paused.
Her PP was limited—barely above 8. If she spent it here, it would leave her vulnerable if another offer or emergency came in. But something inside her… yearned.
She pressed [Y].
[Confirmed. Workshop Commences Tonight – Simulation Module Loading…]
That night, as she slept, the system played emotional immersion simulations, training her subconscious, refining the way she cried, laughed, broke down, and rebuilt.
It was like dreaming—except she remembered everything.
Three days later.
Zeyan opened the social feed and smirked.
The "nameless actress" campaign was trending in three provinces. Fan art flooded his inbox. One post had 400,000 likes—an illustration of "The Girl Without a Name" as a tired stuntwoman with fierce eyes and bruised knuckles.
[System Notification: Campaign Momentum Optimal]
Next Action: Release masked interview-style video clip
Jiang Yue Popularity Points Gained: +0.002319421
SkyInk Social Growth: +1,800 Followers/Hour (Trending Tier 2)
He scheduled the clip.
A one-minute piece. Jiang Yue's silhouette behind a curtain, her voice clear:
"I used to fall down for others. Now I stand up for myself."
Boom.
The internet exploded.
Comments poured in.
"She's not a voice. She's a fighter."
"Who is she? I want to know EVERYTHING."
"This isn't marketing. This is a movement."
[System Milestone Reached: FL Public Arc Activated]
Bonded Growth Curve Engaged
Jiang Yue Public Favorability: 91.004321%
Note: Risk of Backlash from Industry—Begin Defensive Strategy
That warning arrived just in time.
Later that evening, Zeyan received a call from a producer at Qinghe Entertainment—one of the mid-tier studios that previously blacklisted Jiang Yue when she refused to "entertain" a casting director.
"Your voice girl? Pull her campaign," the man said smoothly. "She's got history. Not clean. You're young—don't make enemies this early."
Zeyan's tone was like steel.
"I don't clean talent. I promote it."
The call ended in silence.
He texted Jiang Yue.
"Heads up. Expect industry pressure.
They're noticing you now—for real."
She replied instantly.
"Let them notice. I've hidden long enough."
Zeyan paused before typing.
"I'm with you."
No emoji's. No explanations.
Just that.
And somehow, Jiang Yue felt more supported than she ever had.
That night, she practiced her lines again, the workshop still subtly rewiring her expressions, her vocal inflections, her emotional rhythm.
Her eyes were sharper.
Her tone more refined.
She wasn't just "becoming" something.
She was uncovering what she always had been.
[System Notice: Workshop 38% Complete | Skill Tier Now +3.2%]
Jiang Yue Emotional Acting Aptitude: Upgraded
Projection: Capable of Handling Mid-Tier Lead Drama Auditions in 14–20 Days
Zeyan closed his laptop and stared out the window.
This time, he wouldn't be betrayed.
This time, the empire would rise with someone worth protecting.
Someone who had once buried him with trembling hands and quiet tears.
And now, unknowingly, was breathing life into him again.