Wu Group
Wu Jingxiang slowly put down his phone, a aningful smile curling at the corner of his lips.
He stood up and poured himself a glass of red wine.
When his scarlet lips touched the crimson liquid, the scene appeared bizarrely unsettling.
"Seems like the pawn I planted back then still has its use."
Wu Jingxiang muttered to himself, then picked up the internal phone and summoned his secretary.
"Call Wu Hao and tell him he can go and discuss with Shou Shou."
"Yes, boss!"
The clock turns back to this morning at a luxurious villa.
Xiao Li was staring at the painting hanging on the wall without blinking.
The image depicted a massive drum washing machine, with a child inside.
She was staring wide-eyed at the world outside of the washing machine.
"Do you like this painting too?" Su Xiaoya handed Xiao Li a cup of tea.
"It looks quite interesting." Xiao Li grinned, revealing uneven teeth.
Ever since she rescued Su Xiaoya last ti, the two had beco good friends.
For Su Xiaoya, there weren’t really any close girlfriends she genuinely connected with.
Most of her social circle consisted of wealthy sisters of the sa class—people who were hard to trust deeply.
Su Xiaoya hadn’t introduced Xiao Li to anyone. Though she considered Xiao Li a friend, she didn’t want others in her circle to know about her.
Because in her mind, Xiao Li was still an unpresentable commoner.
"This tea is really tasty." Xiao Li smiled as she held the expensive porcelain teacup.
"It’s Pre-Rain Dragon Well tea. I enjoy drinking tea, so I poured you so too. If you prefer Coke, there’s so in the fridge."
"No need to trouble yourself, this is fine."
Su Xiaoya smiled gracefully and placed her cup down while seated on the sofa.
"Xiao Li, have you not had work these past few days?"
"The housekeeping job you introduced to last ti paid quite well; Xiao Ning is rumored to be joining a crew soon, so I want to follow along."
Xiao Li responded casually with a smile—her attitude was balanced, neither humble nor obsequious.
Su Xiaoya looked at her: "I kind of want to go too. Let’s visit together!"
"...Alright, but let’s stay separately and et up during the activities."
"No need to separate like that. I also want soone to keep company."
"That won’t work. I can’t be a parasite; I’ll get used to it and end up starving one day."
Xiao Li joked self-deprecatingly, but her tone carried a layer of seriousness.
Su Xiaoya thought for a mont: "Alright then, but don’t live too far from ."
"Fine," Xiao Li nodded.
The two had lunch together at noon. In the afternoon, Su Xiaoya had made plans with other friends for a beauty treatnt, so Xiao Li went ho alone.
Getting off a bus, Xiao Li tossed an exquisite porcelain container into the trash can.
Inside it was the Pre-Rain Dragon Well tea that Su Xiaoya had gifted her, worth over two thousand yuan.
She walked into a convenience store by the street, bought a large bottle of ice-cold Coke, and chugged more than half of it in one go, shocking the shop lady.
Belching contentedly, Xiao Li shook her head with satisfaction.
Her phone rang: "Mom, what’s up?"
"Xiao Li, where have you gone? I found you a cashier job at a supermarket."
"I don’t need a job. I have my own plans."
"What nonsense are you talking about? If you don’t work, you won’t even be able to get married."
Xiao Li’s chubby, pig-like face showed no change in expression.
"Who says I can’t get married? The man who’ll marry one day will be a devastatingly handso gentleman."
"...Xiao Li, have you gone mad? Please, co back. Don’t make worry about you."
"Go back? Return to that place filled with roaches and rats? To live like you all, wasting away as neither humans nor ghosts for a lifeti?"
Xiao Li’s icy and mocking tone made her mother feel unfamiliar and afraid.
She couldn’t understand why this daughter, who normally seed foolish, was suddenly like a different person.
"Are you... really Xiao Li?"
"Of course I’m Xiao Li, the girl who ans nothing to you—only valuable when sold to earn a dowry for my idiot brother. The family’s ’at pig’."
"Xiao Li, I’ve never thought that way..."
"Whether you have or not, I know it well. For birthing and raising , I won’t hold it against you. But from now on, I’m walking my own path."
"Xiao Li, what’s wrong with you? You can’t even support yourself after leaving ho."
Xiao Li’s mom was near hysterical, feeling like her daughter had been possessed.
"That’s enough! You raised like a fool, but listen now: I am not a fool. Don’t call anymore."
Xiao Li’s previously expressionless face suddenly twisted into an expression of brutality.
She shook her head slightly, forcing herself to suppress the fury in her heart, and then she cut off the call and blocked her parents directly.
"I’ll get everything I’ve ever wanted—just watch," Xiao Li sneered as she rged into the constant stream of people on the bustling street.
Galaxy
Li Jiaqi, who had ntally prepared for a fight to the death, was surprisingly not shelved.
The company even inford her to proceed with the guesting announcent for the next program.
"Sister Qingjia, what do you think the company is up to now?" Li Jiaqi, after much deliberation, ended up calling her.
Ye Yuwei wasn’t around, and the only person she trusted was Yu Qingjia.
"Jiaqi, don’t you understand what kind of company Galaxy is by now?"
"Galaxy is desperate to make a mark in the film and TV circle."
"But right now, the only breakout star the company has is Sister Juzi, but even the biggest production Galaxy has managed to secure is one they co-funded."
Yu Qingjia’s pace of speech was steady and deliberate, and as the acknowledged "sage" among Galaxy’s small idols, she had a clear view of many things.
"You are currently the most promising talent to enter that circle. Unless you terminate your contract, the company wouldn’t dare shelve you."
Yu Qingjia’s words struck Li Jiaqi like lightning, clearing the haze above her head.
"Jiaqi, don’t underestimate yourself. Your next two film projects—though your roles are small—are still backed by industry-leading companies. You fought for those opportunities yourself."
"Sister Qingjia, hearing this makes feel more grounded. I was really afraid all my years of hard work would go down the drain just like that."
"It won’t. Old Mu is shrewd; the most valuable asset in an entertainnt company is its stars. Who else here has your level of resources?"
"Thank you, Sister Qingjia!"
Li Jiaqi felt much calr now, convinced by Qingjia’s words.
"It was wise of you not to publicly spread false accusations about Ye Yuwei. If you had, your future would truly be ruined. I don’t know what Old Mu was thinking back then—had he lost his mind?"
"I don’t think he lost his mind. There was probably so kind of benefit exchange that pushed him to make that decision."
Yu Qingjia felt a pang of sadness when she heard this; she understood Li Jiaqi’s implication.
Her feelings towards Lu Bingbing were complex—a deep attachnt, perhaps a twisted dependence.
However, her feelings for Li Jiaqi were entirely different. Those emotions stopped her from doing anything to hurt Li Jiaqi, even though she knew Jiaqi’s heart ultimately belonged to Ye Yuwei.
Just as Li Jiaqi suspected.
Upon realizing Lu Bingbing’s career was nearly finished, Old Mu quietly stopped ntioning Li Jiaqi’s punishnt.
If Lu Bingbing had debuted at Penguin, sacrificing Li Jiaqi wouldn’t have bothered him at all.
But circumstances had shifted. He wouldn’t destroy soone who might beco the next Sister Juzi.
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