Chapter 42

Xu Chun died on the spot—or she wished she could rewind time to a minute ago.

She stood frozen with the milk and bread clutched in her hands, a stiff smile plastered on her face. Qin Yao walked past and shot her a smile that was also a threat, as if to say, Once you're done being busy, you're mine to deal with.

Xu Chun shuddered and suddenly felt the breakfast in her hands had turned scalding hot.

She immediately wanted to hand the things back to Zheng Jinchan, but one warning look from Zheng Jinchan made her silently abandon the idea. In the end, she steeled herself with a what-the-hell attitude: forget it, the barefoot don't fear the shod; it's not like this is the first time I've crashed and burned, I'll just get used to it.

Zheng Jinchan had brought three people with her today, sitting directly across from Qin Yao's four. From the moment Zheng Jinchan and Qin Yao took their seats, the atmosphere at the conference table turned tense, daggers drawn and sabers rattling.

Xu Chun sat at the very end, locked in a blank-eyed staring contest with Zheng Jinchan's assistant, while Jiang Zhaolie had already deftly opened her laptop and projected the cooperation proposal onto the large screen, laying it out with orderly, methodical precision. Xu Chun straightened her back and listened intently, not letting her attention drift for even a second.

She was so focused that Zheng Jinchan glanced at her several times during the presentation.

Every time Xu Chun noticed and turned to look, Zheng Jinchan quietly withdrew her gaze, leaving Xu Chun grasping at air. She couldn't help but let her mind wander: Zheng Jinchan is paying me extra attention even during a meeting... Is this “know your enemy and know yourself, and you’ll win a hundred battles”—for her daughter’s sake?

Yet she didn’t sense any malice in Zheng Jinchan’s scrutiny; if anything, it was mostly goodwill.

This time Xu Chun was truly baffled. But in the single moment her attention wandered, the two formidable women in suits on either side of the conference table went back and forth, checking and countering each other. After a brief clash, each took a step back, and in the blink of an eye they had reached a unanimous agreement and partnership.

When Xu Chun saw Jiang Zhaolie and Zheng Jinchan's secretary exchanging contracts for review, her head filled with question marks.

...It's over, just like that?

The netizens watching her livestream, who had stayed focused the whole time, sighed in admiration: 【As expected of Zheng Jinchan and Qin Yao. With this powerhouse alliance, President Zheng and President Qin's positions will probably be unshakeable for a long time to come.】

【Village internet much? Even if the two hadn't reached a partnership today, Zheng Jinchan and Qin Yao are each leaders in their respective fields, okay? Never mind unshakeable—even if they died someday, their names would go down in the history books.】

【Comment above, you have no idea how powerful President Zheng and President Qin are.】

【Sure enough, it's all thanks to Director Guo. Follow Director Guo, and you'll see everything you should and shouldn't see in your lifetime.】

【Shouldn't we be giving Sister Xu a thumbs-up? Following my Sister Xu is like a knife to the butt—you see something new every day. My Sister Xu used to be a low-key, dedicated actress; now that she's seriously marketing herself, her popularity is no less than any other glamorous vixen in the entertainment industry.】

Xu Chun glanced at the phone screen, unable to tell whether the people in the comments were praising or mocking her.

With the contract signed, the negotiation came to an end. Because of the livestream, some details couldn't be discussed in depth for the time being, but that didn't matter.

Every coin has two sides, for better or worse. Thanks to the popularity and traffic from Xu Chun's livestream, the cooperation had already drawn plenty of attention even before it officially began; once the project launched and hit the market, it would surely rake in profits.

At the thought, Zheng Jinchan crossed her legs, one high heel planted on the floor, and pivoted her swivel chair toward Xu Chun. Her eyes held a teasing smile, her domineering expression softened considerably, and even her low, rather dangerous voice became gentle and unhurried. “After you finish the variety show, want to come work part-time at my company?”

She had tossed Xu Chun an olive branch completely out of the blue. Xu Chun blanked for a moment, then instinctively looked at Qin Yao.

To poach Qin Yao's people right in front of her was truly worthy of Zheng Jinchan.

Qin Yao caught Xu Chun's gaze and arched an eyebrow slightly. She said nothing, only fixing Xu Chun with a pleasant, unblinking stare. Zheng Jinchan's smile deepened. “What are you looking at her for? I'm asking you, not her.” With that, she propped her elbow on the table and leaned toward Xu Chun, her tone carrying a kind of earnest puzzlement. “Do you really listen to her that much?”

“Well...” Cold sweat broke out on Xu Chun's back. Zheng Jinchan really couldn't go a single day without teasing her, could she? She raised a hand to wipe away the nonexistent fine sweat at her temple and used her manager as a shield. “My schedule's already booked out two or three years ahead; I really don't have the time or availability.”

“You don't need to actually do anything at my company.” Zheng Jinchan's smile grew deeper. “Just put your name down to prove you're one of my company's people. I'll pay you seven insurances and two funds, and you'll enjoy the same holiday benefits as all the other employees.”

Before Xu Chun could answer, the working stiffs in the comments were already sorely tempted, wishing they could accept on her behalf. Getting paid for doing nothing—what a deal!

But Xu Chun had always believed that anything that fell from the sky was a trap, never a free pie. Her thoughts spun, and she straightened her back. “That would be lovely. From now on, if President Zheng's company needs any endorsements, just come straight to me.” She grinned shamelessly. “My prices are fair, and I never cheat a customer.”

Zheng Jinchan gazed at her, silent for a long moment, then suddenly burst out laughing. “Deal.”

She didn't bring up the topic again after that.

Disaster averted, Xu Chun couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. She couldn't quite figure out Zheng Jinchan's intentions, but silently resolved to be careful: if she ever ran into Zheng Yanran by accident in the future, she must immediately turn and walk the other way.

If Zheng Jinchan was this hard to deal with, Zheng Yanran surely couldn't be much better.

Qin Yao arranged a luncheon. Zheng Jinchan had intended to decline, but after a moment's thought she changed her mind and agreed. Jiang Zhaolie shot Xu Chun a look, but Xu Chun didn't understand at first. After Jiang Zhaolie glanced at the breakfast beside her, Xu Chun caught on. She rose and made an excuse, taking her phone and the milk and bread as she left.

The moment she stepped out, the conference room door closed behind her, and the people inside didn't come out for a long while. Presumably they had matters to discuss. So she took her breakfast and sat down off to one side; after filling her stomach, she held up her phone and wandered around, enthusiastically interacting with her fans in the comments.

The old Xu Chun only knew how to keep her head down and act, paying no attention to anything else, so even though her acting was excellent, her popularity had never been particularly high. Now, bolstered by two dating shows and the broken-engagement incident, Xu Chun's heat and traffic were indisputably number one in the entertainment industry.

To say Xu Chun's current popularity was off the charts would be no exaggeration.

Even the old accusation that Xu Chun had “cheated during her relationship” had been repeatedly discussed and questioned by netizens, until fans compiled all kinds of evidence of Yu Sui'an's mud-slinging, which was now permanently pinned to the homepages of Xu Chun's major fan clubs.

After that, whenever anyone discussed the matter publicly, the fans would descend like a plague of locusts and slap the pinned evidence right in the discusser's face. “My Sister Xu was wronged—stop spreading rumors, or be careful: over five hundred reposts and my Sister Xu's agency will send you straight to jail.”

At first, some people were quite disgusted by this fan behavior, but they couldn't withstand the group's relentless brainwashing. Over time, even people who didn't know the truth had their understanding of Xu Chun successfully flipped by her fans, like a frog slowly boiled in warm water.

This infuriated Yu Sui'an's fans to no end, but Yu Sui'an was now occasionally going off the rails on Weibo, and her innocent, kind-hearted persona was teetering on the brink. Her fans had no energy to make trouble for Xu Chun. Every one of them was worried sick about her mental state.

Some even wondered whether Xu Chun had PUA'd her.

But such doubts were quickly slapped down by Xu Chun's fans. They took the solid evidence of all the “good deeds” Yu Sui'an had done over the past year or two and slapped it into Yu Sui'an's fans' faces with a resounding smack. After reading it, Yu Sui'an's fans' mental states collectively deteriorated as well; each was too busy dealing with their own mess to have the time or energy to make trouble for Xu Chun.

Meanwhile, far away in the office, Xu Chun's manager was so swamped with endorsement deals and various invitations that her hands were full; she'd had to hire more people and expand her team to better support Xu Chun's career.

The manager stared at Xu Chun's face on the screen beside her. That face had dazzled the entire entertainment industry, and the manager was overcome with emotion. Just a year ago, Xu Chun had been a hopeless lovesick fool, ready to die or kill herself for Yu Sui'an, throwing caution to the wind and nearly destroying her own career and future in the entertainment industry with her own hands. At the time, the manager had been at her wit's end, yet unwilling to give up on Xu Chun just like that; so, under Xu Chun's desperate pleading, she had agreed to let her go on the dating show.

Back then, the manager had already resigned herself to Xu Chun ruining her own future. Who would have guessed that after a few days of living together with Yu Sui'an on the show, Xu Chun would suddenly come to her senses, see Yu Sui'an's true colors, and lose all attachment to her?

Watching Xu Chun's performance on the show, the manager had nearly laughed out loud with joy, as if seeing a child finally grow up.

Xu Chun was undeniably outstanding—so outstanding that the manager was willing to enter the fray personally, fight for resources for her, pave her road, and help her go farther and shine brighter.

Fortunately, Xu Chun was also formidable, proving that the manager's persistence had not been in vain. From now on, she could hold her head high and walk tall in the company. As for those who had once made snide remarks, the manager thought of their artists' half-dead, listless appearances and felt a vicious satisfaction.

Her girl was the most promising of all!

The manager's thoughts wandered; she was already considering whether to propose to the company that all the lovesick artists be sent to Director Guo's dating show for a makeover. Perhaps after going on the show, they would all see through the ways of the world and seal their hearts in concrete, never to love again.

After a spell of idle fantasizing, the manager's excitement gradually calmed. Xu Chun's popularity had now reached a sufficient height; from now on, she would have to be even more careful and prudent in choosing scripts. Secret Crush had already been scheduled for a summer release next year. After the current variety show finished filming, Xu Chun would need to seamlessly join a production—strike while the iron was hot and shoot a good drama.

Earlier on the show, Xu Chun had said her schedule was booked out two or three years ahead. That was a lie. These past few days, the manager still hadn't found a suitable script, so she hadn't lined up Xu Chun's next job.

Good scripts were hard to come by; anxious as she was, the manager could do nothing but keep watching Xu Chun dance fearlessly around Qin Yao.

Thank goodness Qin Yao was so well-mannered; anyone else would probably have beaten her to death by now.

Xu Chun sneezed several times in a row. She rubbed her nose, suspecting Jiang Zhaolie was cursing her behind her back. Wrinkling her nose, she decided she'd settle accounts with Jiang Zhaolie once the other woman came out.

Sneaking around is no way for a gentleman.

No one knew what Qin Yao and Zheng Jinchan had discussed inside. When the conference room door opened again, Qin Yao still wore that same unruffled, effortlessly in-control expression. Zheng Jinchan, by contrast, bore a faint, suppressed anger, like a provoked wild beast radiating a dangerous air of “don't mess with me, or I'll kill you.”

Xu Chun trotted over to Qin Yao's side and craned her neck to peek at Zheng Jinchan, only to be caught immediately. “What are you looking at?” Zheng Jinchan narrowed her eyes and spoke slowly. “Am I that good-looking?”

As she spoke, she leaned toward Xu Chun. “If you really want to look, I'll come closer and let you look your fill. How about that?”

Xu Chun: “!!!”

A person had appeared beside her out of nowhere, and then Qin Yao's burning gaze landed on her right after. Xu Chun couldn't help but shudder, wishing she could go blind on the spot.

She wanted nothing more than to get away from Zheng Jinchan, but there was a wolf on her left and a tiger on her right; sandwiched between Qin Yao and Zheng Jinchan, she had no way to escape even if she grew wings.

Xu Chun shed genuine tears.

Zheng Jinchan had taken a small loss from Qin Yao and was feeling quite put out. Now that Xu Chun had come to her of her own accord, she immediately sank her teeth in. “Why so quiet?” She raised an eyebrow at Xu Chun with a smile. “Or is it that you actually don't like me at all?”

“But didn't you say yourself before that you wanted to be friends with me?” Zheng Jinchan paused, then her gentle tone shifted abruptly. “Or were you lying to me from the very start—was even your approaching me last night premeditated?”

“Of course not.” Xu Chun instinctively retorted.

When Zheng Jinchan merely smiled at her and gestured for her to continue, Xu Chun steeled herself and spoke: “President Zheng, you are beauty beyond compare, valiant and dashing, and moreover accomplished and renowned in your career. My admiration for you flows on and on like a great river. Although I like you very much, you are, after all, possessed of formidable presence and an intimidating aura, and I—a young girl fresh out of the gate—before you...”

She feigned a moment of difficulty. “...am ultimately still timid and weak, and dare not covet your celestial beauty.”

“I fear that I might get full of myself, float away on cloud nine, and be completely bewitched by you—that's why I've avoided looking you in the eye more than once.” Having said that, Xu Chun blinked several times with utmost sincerity, looking utterly pure and harmless.

Although she'd been mentally prepared, hearing such outrageous flattery actually come out of Xu Chun's mouth still put Zheng Jinchan in a wonderful mood. The aggression drained from her smile, and she narrowed her eyes in enjoyment. “Well said.”

Xu Chun was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Zheng Jinchan extended an invitation. “Let's find a day to play mahjong together. You can say more of this to me then.”

“Oh, and bring my daughter and Jiang Banxia too.” She glanced at Qin Yao. “If President Qin and President Jiang have the time, you're welcome to come as well.”

As Xu Chun listened, something started to feel off. When Zheng Jinchan finished speaking, she couldn't help but wear an expression like an old subway grandpa staring at his phone: “???”

Are you here to build a Shura-field alliance?

If this whole bunch actually sat down at a mahjong table, how suffocating would that be! And if you added Yu Sui'an on top of that... absolutely lethal.

Xu Chun's right eyelid twitched. She fobbed her off without a shred of emotion: “Sure, sure.”

Anyway, agreeing was one thing; actually showing up was another. Her schedule was very busy—once the variety show wrapped, she'd hurry into a film crew and start shooting.

Speaking of which, she'd have to urge her manager again tonight to hurry up and find her next gig, lest she really get dragged off to mahjong by Zheng Jinchan.

Zheng Jinchan had extended such a warm invitation; naturally, Qin Yao nodded. “Sure.”

Jiang Zhaolie had expected Qin Yao to refuse. Who knew she would not only agree, but agree readily? Jiang Zhaolie mulled it over and still couldn't figure out what Qin Yao was planning.

After nodding, Qin Yao took the initiative to bring up other topics, and the group moved to the restaurant. Lunch was quite pleasant.

Securing Zheng Jinchan's cooperation in City A was an unexpected delight for Qin Yao; her main purpose for this trip was to inspect the City A branch, hold several meetings with branch executives, and lay out plans for the new year. The tech company Jiang Zhaolie currently focused on managing was an extension and development of the Qin Group pharmaceutical empire; the two combined for mutual benefit, effectively guaranteeing both sides' development.

So Jiang Zhaolie also needed to attend this round of meetings. Secretary Zhao, needless to say, was practically glued to Qin Yao's side at all times. And so Xu Chun, the idle worker, completely let herself go once the other two became busy, letting the people Qin Yao had arranged lead her around and introduce her to Qin Group Pharmaceutical's various factories in City A. It was a small bit of publicity, in effect.

Xu Chun reveled in it, overjoyed.

The current filming was incredibly easy for her. Every day she followed the young women Qin Yao had arranged around here and there. After wandering, she ate; after eating, she slept; after waking, she got up and wandered some more, then restrained her desires and forced herself into the gym to lift some iron and work on her figure.

After the comments finished drooling over her, Xu Chun let go of the gym equipment and wiped the sweat from her face with a dry towel. She'd just finished a quick wash and was about to head back to the hotel when Sheng Yigui, whom Qin Yao had politely ejected from the banquet, timidly blocked her way. “Miss Xu, I apologize. I was blind before and offended you. I hope you'll be magnanimous and not hold it against me.”

This time Sheng Yigui had been thoroughly scolded by his family. His father scolded him, then his mother scolded him, then his grandfather refused to be outdone, and after his grandfather, his grandmother grabbed her cane and hollered that she'd break his legs and his family jewels. Sheng Yigui had grown up pampered by his family—when had he ever seen such a scene? He'd been so frightened his plump face went white; he begged for mercy again and again, then hauled his luggage and fled the Sheng house overnight.

He might have run, but the phone bombardment from his parents didn't stop. They all meant the same thing: if you don't win Miss Xu's forgiveness, don't even think about being a Sheng again!

The threat was serious. It was practically a heartless expulsion from the family register!

So Sheng Yigui didn't dare delay at all. After thoroughly researching everything about Xu Chun, he'd immediately driven over and waited downstairs. When he finally saw Xu Chun, he plastered on a smile and hurried over. “Miss Xu, strictly speaking, we actually share some connections.”

“That ex-girlfriend of yours, Yu Sui'an... she was once my elementary school classmate.” Sheng Yigui tried to play the emotional-connection card. But when Xu Chun heard Yu Sui'an's name, she looked at him with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. “Don't you know I have a bit of a grudge with Yu Sui'an?”

Sheng Yigui certainly knew. He hurried to explain: “I'm not trying to claim kinship with her today. I just wanted to share some gossip I heard back then.”

“A long time ago, people at our school quietly spread the rumor that her mother was the mistress of some wealthy, prominent businessman. The man had a wife and children and was quite famous. Her mother knew he had a family, yet still had bad intentions and gave herself to the rich man for money. Back then, her ‘illegitimate daughter’ status was known to everyone at our school.”

“Don't be fooled: those so-called grandparents she grew up with aren't actually her real family. After her mother gave birth to her, she went abroad and abandoned her. The two grandparents she has now are actually kind-hearted people who adopted her.”

Sheng Yigui, afraid Xu Chun would mistake him for trying to whitewash Yu Sui'an, quickly added: “Actually, she's just like her mother—neither is any good. I think the things she did to you all stem from the vile character she inherited from her parents.”

Xu Chun and Yu Sui'an were at odds; by belittling Yu Sui'an like this, surely Xu Chun would forgive him now. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as the saying goes. Sheng Yigui silently speculated.

Xu Chun did know a little about Yu Sui'an's background. She knew Yu Sui'an's family circumstances were poor and that she'd entered the entertainment industry back then because both her grandparents were gravely ill and needed a large sum of money for treatment. But the book had never mentioned that Yu Sui'an wasn't her grandparents' biological granddaughter.

And then there was her money-grubbing mother who cared nothing for ethics, and her philandering father who had a wife and children yet still had an affair and fathered a child...

However, Xu Chun narrowed her eyes slightly. “How do you know all this so clearly?”

Sheng Yigui gave an embarrassed laugh. “My family has some influence, and I knew her mother, who's already gone abroad, in the early years, so...” He pulled a dry smile. “But I didn't spread any of this. Back when her mother was doing those things, she was quite brazen about it. Basically everyone in the circle knew.”

Who would have thought that after Yu Sui'an had been in the industry for so many years, no one had ever dug up these old scandals of hers.

“Then who's her father?” Xu Chun couldn't help asking.

“That...” Sheng Yigui hemmed and hawed. “Back then, although her mother was brazen, she kept the identity of the child's father tightly under wraps, so I'm not really sure either.”

“Go investigate.” Xu Chun gave him a sidelong glance. “If you find out for me, I won't hold last night's matter against you.”

Sheng Yigui was overjoyed. He immediately nodded and bowed like a loyal dog. “Great, great, I'll get right on it. Don't worry, I guarantee you a satisfactory investigation within a month.”

After exchanging contact information with Sheng Yigui, Xu Chun sat in the car and sank into thought. The original novel hadn't mentioned anything about Yu Sui'an's background, so even she hadn't known Yu Sui'an had so many secrets.

But... Sheng Yigui revealing Yu Sui'an's true origins at this moment gave Xu Chun an uneasy feeling.

That unease wasn't about herself—it was as if someone close to her might get dragged into it.

When it came to who was most deeply entangled with Yu Sui'an, that would be none other than Jiang Zhaolie. After a long silence, Xu Chun suddenly lifted her head. No way, no way? Could Jiang Zhaolie and Yu Sui'an actually be half-sisters by the same father?!

But then, who was their father?

She'd never heard of Qin Yao having a husband who died young, or having been divorced in her early years. She'd been hanging around Qin Yao for so long, openly and secretly asking everyone around her. No one knew anything about Qin Yao's marital status.

In everyone's memory, Qin Yao had always been alone, solitary, with no one in her life. Whether in bitter cold or scorching heat, there was no one at home to warm her bed or make her hot soup, no one to care for her.

Anyone in the world might have a secret marriage, but not Qin Yao—and given her status and position, there'd be no need to hide a marriage. Hiding it would simply be impossible.

She couldn't keep news this big, news of a marriage, hidden.

“What are you thinking about?” A voice suddenly cut in.

Xu Chun didn't react in time. She just glanced sidelong at the speaker, and after recognizing Qin Yao, instinctively answered: “Thinking about who your husband is, sister.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Xu Chun realized something was off. “!!!”

Qin Yao seemed to blank for a moment too. A moment later, her expression unreadable, her voice low and carrying a fatal, husky allure, she said: “Want to know?”

She curved her lips and extended a meaningful invitation: “Come to my room tonight.”

Xu Chun's head swam, and her eyes lit up slightly. “Really?”

There was such a good thing too?