The Trending Topic Herself: The Villainess is the Superstar!-Chapter 138: Just Want to Be a Rice Weevil

"Doing business is completely useless... I feel like I’m already so wealthy, there’s really no need to work hard anymore."

Maya slightly raised her head, perfectly portraying "lack of ambition."

Maya remembered Ian Rowe’s criteria for a partner that Vincent Summers mentioned: a well-educated and independent woman.

Maya added, "My husband is already so rich, I’d be wasting my efforts if I worked hard! I just enjoy leeching off you, being a couch potato by your side!"

Ian’s gaze flickered slightly, his heart deeply moved by her words.

Maya not only liked him but also depended on him so much...

He lowered his eyes, hiding his thoughts: "Do you want to do business? I’m asking if you want to or not?"

Maya felt he was testing her, to see if she was truly beyond help.

"Of course, I don’t want to! Doing business is incredibly risky, and I’m already so wealthy, there’s no need to take risks. I’m just fine like this, eating and drinking well, living leisurely and carefree every day!"

Ian thought for a moment, nodding: "In that case, just continue doing what you like."

If Maya enjoyed doing business, he’d give her some contracts; whether successful or not, as long as she had fun, it was fine — he wasn’t short on money anyway.

But since Maya didn’t like it, he’d go along with her preferences. Having struggled in the entertainment industry, she probably still preferred being an actress.

*

"Joy Without Limits" is a popular variety entertainment show mainly featuring guest interviews and games. Since its premiere, the program has garnered high popularity with consistently strong ratings.

"Joy Without Limits" focuses on trending figures, inviting almost all the hottest celebrities for each episode.

There’s even a saying in the industry: "Whether you’re hot or not depends on if you’ve been on ’Joy Without Limits.’"

Maya only learned about her appearance on the show during breakfast, and the recording was scheduled for seven in the evening.

Ryan knew Maya never really cared about her schedule, so for events requiring less attention, he’d tell her on the day itself; this had become sort of a tradition between them.

These days, Maya mostly attended meet-and-greet events, business performances, and one endorsement, which she could handle.

However, due to the stereotype left by "Great Survival Challenge," Maya nearly couldn’t stomach variety shows anymore — just hearing about them made her uneasy.

Maya held her phone, playing a strategic game with Ryan: "I know this is a hugely popular show, Ryan; you must’ve put a lot of thought into it for me."

Ryan, uncertain of her intentions, replied, "Not much thought, the invitation came from the program team."

"Oh..." Maya didn’t feel embarrassed at all, and slowly brought up her real issue: "Ryan, actually..."

Upon hearing Maya switch topics, Ryan had a bad feeling.

As expected.

"I don’t feel well; I’ve got a bad headache, and my foot injury from a few days ago hasn’t healed. I believe to perform well on the show, and given my current state, I shouldn’t appear. Ahem, I think... Ryan, maybe you could cancel this variety show?"

"When did you injure your foot?"

"Ah... it was during that god-awful survival show, it’s been ages and still hasn’t healed!"

"... Your bluffing skills have improved, but do you think I’m dumb? You were hopping around going out for hot pot recently, and now suddenly everything hurts when it comes to real work?"

Maya rubbed her disheveled hair: "I accidentally bumped into the sofa today, which aggravated my old injury, causing my foot pain."

Ryan sighed on the other end: "I have got your patterns figured out, stop with these useless excuses, you definitely have to attend this show. Besides, do you think it’s so easy to cancel a scheduled job, especially one that’s been arranged long ago."

"Really can’t cancel? I’m truly not feeling well."

Maya’s voice carried a sense of weakness, but Ryan wasn’t falling for it anymore.

"Better get ready soon."

Then, the "beep beep" sound of a disconnected call followed.

Maya cursed under her breath, angrily shoving her phone back into her pocket.

When the agreed time arrived, Maya left right on time.

She checked the time; it was two in the afternoon.

Considering the commute and styling time, there really wasn’t a need to leave so early, yet Ryan had her go out this early...

It dawned on Maya that she might have been duped, but it was too late as she spotted Ryan waiting for her not far away.

Ryan waved, personally opening the car door for her, stating blandly, "Late by one minute and three seconds."

Maya got in, clutching her bag: "Ryan, why did you come personally?"

Ryan settled next to her, ordering the driver to start before casting his gaze on her face.

He was already accustomed to Maya’s careless styling — or rather, lack of styling — and didn’t even bother lecturing her on it anymore.

"You’ve been having too much fun lately; how could I feel assured without personally overseeing it."

"By the way, weren’t your foot supposed to be hurting? You seem perfectly fine."

Maya paused, then continued nonchalantly tossing mango gummies into her mouth: "I just find it inconvenient to walk; didn’t you notice? My left foot is stiff."

Her demeanor was so serious that Ryan genuinely tried recalling the details of Maya’s walk.

Ryan furrowed his brows; most of his attention was focused on Maya’s face at the time; he really hadn’t noticed her foot.

Successfully fooling Ryan, Maya turned the table: "Ryan, it’s obvious you never paid attention to me. You didn’t even notice that my left foot steps slower than my right."

"I don’t stare at your feet all the time; how would I catch such small details."

"If you cared enough, you’d notice; failing to notice means not caring."

Ryan sighed: "If that’s the case, I’ll let you rest for a few days after coming back."

"How long is a few days?" Maya eagerly asked.

Ryan looked at her: "Half a day."

"Half a day?" Out of sheer frustration, Maya nearly became tongue-tied: "You, you call half a day ’a few days’? Half a day isn’t even a full day!"

"Half a day is better than nothing; you’re really popular now, so it’s normal to have many engagements. There’s no way to remain as leisurely as before. A few days ago, I pitied you for the hardships in the rainforest, so I let you relax for a few days — that was a special case, not your usual situation. You’ll only get busier in the future, definitely not more relaxed."

The curve of Maya’s mouth dropped; she didn’t want to utter another word.