Wen Yiheng saw Si Jingyi retract his fist, a flicker of confusion passing through his eyes.
No, he had to provoke Si Jingyi, make him throw a punch.
"Those who just auditioned, as long as you come to my side, regardless of whether you succeed this time, I will work with you in the future."
Most of the actors who had auditioned for Si Jingyi instantly ran over to Wen Yiheng's side.
"Including the assistant director, the production assistants, you can all join my team. In the future, when I collaborate with Miss Shao Xue, every project will be a massive hit. You'll also boost your reputation and increase your income."
Good grief!
This was openly poaching!
Even someone with the best temper couldn't tolerate this.
Soon, aside from Wen Yan and that innocent-looking young lady Lin Weiwei who auditioned first, everyone else on Si Jingyi's side was swayed by Wen Yiheng's words.
Judging by the current trends, following Wen Yiheng was the promising path.
It took Si Jingyi over half a year just to get a verbal agreement for the copyright from Miss Shao Xue, while Wen Yiheng would be able to collaborate with Miss Shao Xue long-term in the future.
Only a fool would stick with Si Jingyi.
After all, every work by Miss Shao Xue was a blockbuster hit.
A true genius young female writer.
Wen Yiheng swept a glance at Wen Yan, his eyes full of disdain and contempt. "Someone like you still wants to enter the entertainment industry? Have you forgotten that our Wen family bought your way into university? Do you even understand what acting is? You should go back to the countryside and farm, stop embarrassing yourself out here!"
Si Jingyi glared furiously at Wen Yiheng. "Watch your mouth!"
No wonder his sister-in-law used to have such a strange personality. Who would have thought the Wen family treated her like this?
They were related by blood.
Wen Yiheng raised an eyebrow. He leaned close to Si Jingyi and taunted, "You're so protective of her. Could it be you're trying to steal her from your own brother?"
Si Jingyi truly couldn't hold back anymore. Just as his fist was about to connect with Wen Yiheng's face, Wen Yan grabbed his arm.
"No need to pay attention to trash that spews nothing but filth."
Wen Yue, standing behind Wen Yiheng, frowned. "Wen Yan, how can you talk about Second Brother like that? You have no manners!"
Wen Yiheng really didn't want to look at Wen Yan any longer. Fortunately, their Wen family only acknowledged Wen Yue.
Yue Yue was the lucky star of their Wen family.
"Let's go. No need to bother with them anymore." Wen Yiheng took Wen Yue's hand and walked towards the audition room next door.
As Wen Yiheng's group left, Shao Xue glanced at Wen Yan.
A flash of something cold and sinister passed through Shao Xue's eyes.
Wen Yan noticed her gaze and raised an eyebrow at her in response.
Shao Xue immediately resumed her quiet, elegant demeanor.
After the group entered the neighboring room, Si Jingyi was furious.
He kicked over a chair.
Lin Weiwei was startled. "Director Si, I'm very sorry we couldn't collaborate this time. I hope we get another chance in the future!"
After Lin Weiwei left, Si Jingyi suddenly remembered Wen Yan's inner thoughts. He caught up with Lin Weiwei and told her about her ex-boyfriend's gambling debts and the fact that he had taken nude photos of her.
Lin Weiwei was utterly shocked.
"Take care of yourself."
After processing the information, Lin Weiwei bowed to Si Jingyi. "No matter what, I must thank you, Director Si. If there's ever an opportunity, I will repay you."
When Si Jingyi returned to the audition room, he saw Wen Yan sitting in his previous seat, reading the script.
Si Jingyi ran a hand through his hair, speaking dejectedly and despondently, "Wen Shiyu really hit the jackpot, actually managing to save Shao Weiliang."
Wen Yan pointed at the script. "Do you think Shao Xue could write such a brilliant novel?"
Si Jingyi was taken aback. "If not her, then who? She originally published this herself."
However, Shao Xue hadn't published any books since she turned eighteen.
Even without new works, the ten novels she wrote earlier were enough to sustain her for a lifetime.
Wen Yan gave a faint, almost imperceptible tug at the corner of her lips.
From the first moment she saw Shao Xue, she felt she didn't resemble a genius writer, but rather a born villain.
Wen Yan leisurely opened her gossip system.
[Tsk tsk tsk, my guess was right. This Shao family gossip is truly explosive!]
Si Jingyi's despondent heart instantly perked up.
His peach-blossom eyes shone brightly as he looked at Wen Yan.
Wen Yan, immersed in the gossip system, didn't notice Si Jingyi's gaze.
Si Jingyi was growing anxious.
Sister-in-law, hurry up and tell us how explosive it is!
[Shao Xue really is a born villain. Mrs. Shao was pregnant with twins back then. She gave birth to twin daughters, Shao Xue and Shao Ning. Although twins, they didn't look alike. Shao Ning was a natural beauty with a clever mind; she could walk at eight months and speak at nine months.]
[Grandfather Shao adored Shao Ning. Shao Xue was jealous. When she was six, she bought aphrodisiacs and put them in Grandfather Shao's tea. After drinking it, Grandfather Shao, overcome with lust, slept with a maid. Due to his old age, he died of a sudden stroke during the act.]
[Shao Weiliang, finding the incident shameful, didn't disclose it publicly, only saying the old man died of a sudden heart attack. Not long after the grandfather's death, Shao Xue placed beans on the stairs. Shao Ning accidentally fell down the stairs and became lame.]
[The Shao family thought it was just an accident. Shao Xue then spent all her New Year's money to find a high monk. The monk told Shao Weiliang that Shao Ning was a jinx. If she continued living in the Shao family, she would bring greater disaster.]
[Shao Weiliang believed the monk. He sent Shao Ning to a villa in the suburbs. The servants there often abused Shao Ning. But Shao Ning had an optimistic nature. Even though her family didn't love her, she didn't give up on herself.]
[She studied hard and started writing at thirteen. She kept her writings in a box. Little did she know, the villain Shao Xue had long coveted her work.]
[Shao Ning wrote for five years, completing ten books in total. Shao Xue decided it was enough; she would not let Shao Ning live any longer.]
[On the day the sisters came of age, Shao Xue had Shao Ning kidnapped. She ordered the kidnappers to rape and then kill Shao Ning. Shao Ning pleaded desperately. The kidnapper violated her but ultimately couldn't bring himself to kill her, instead imprisoning her on a deserted island at sea.]
[But that's not the most explosive part. The most explosive thing is actually—]
Just as she read this, Wen Yan's phone rang.
Wen Yan walked to the floor-to-ceiling window to answer the call.
Si Jingyi was still in a state of shock.
He never imagined that Shao Xue, who appeared quiet and delicate, could be so dark and terrifying.
She was so young back then, yet she caused her grandfather's death and had Shao Ning kidnapped to be raped and murdered!
Heavens, that's too horrifying!
None of her famous works were actually written by her!
No wonder Sister-in-law called her a born villain!
Too malicious, too inhuman!
Si Jingyi now desperately wanted to rush next door, drag Shao Xue out, and give her a good beating.
Shao Ning was her sister. How could she be so evil?
After finishing her call, Wen Yan checked the time.
[Oh no, Shao Ning has slit her wrists. She has at most an hour and a half left to live.]
[Should I go save her? Defying fate, will I suffer retribution?]
[Forget it, never mind. She's just a poor girl. I'll save her first and deal with the consequences later!]
Wen Yan told Si Jingyi she had something to attend to and hurriedly left.
Si Jingyi hurried to catch up behind Wen Yan. Seeing him following her, Wen Yan frowned. "What are you doing?"
"Sis-in-law, my drama got snatched, I'm feeling terrible. I want to go for a walk with you to clear my head. Please don't leave me behind, sis-in-law."
Wen Yan rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Right now, I'm heading to the pier. Can you get us a speedboat?"
A smile spread across Si Jingyi's handsome face. "No problem, I'll make a call right away."
The two drove to the pier.
Si Jingyi had already arranged for a speedboat. Wen Yan gave directions while Si Jingyi piloted it.
After traveling some distance across the water, the speedboat suddenly malfunctioned.
Si Jingyi tried restarting it several times, but it wouldn't start.
Wen Yan glanced at the time.
Oh no, oh no.
There were only forty minutes left until Shao Ning's time of death. Could she really not escape the tragic fate of her previous life?
If Shao Ning died, Shao Xue would get away with murder for the rest of her life!
After all, no one else could prove that all those works were actually written by Shao Ning!
Si Jingyi was also frantic with worry.
He wanted to save Shao Ning.
It would be such a terrible loss for such a talented genius writer to die like this!
But the speedboat simply wouldn't start.
Just as both Wen Yan and Si Jingyi were beginning to despair, a clear, cold, and melodious voice suddenly rang out. "Need some help?"
Wen Yan and Si Jingyi turned their heads simultaneously.
A graceful, ethereal figure stood on another speedboat, her bright, limpid eyes fixed on Wen Yan.
"Ruan Qinghuan?"
Si Jingyi hadn't expected to run into Ruan Qinghuan here.
Talk about a small world.
Ruan Qinghuan treated Si Jingyi as if he were invisible. Her gaze remained solely on Wen Yan as she repeated her question. "Do you need help or not?"
Wen Yan nodded. "Yes."
She moved before Si Jingyi could, leaping nimbly onto Ruan Qinghuan's speedboat.
Ruan Qinghuan had no intention of paying any attention to Si Jingyi. She was just about to start the engine when Si Jingyi, snapping back to reality, hurriedly tried to step across onto her boat.
The speedboat chose that exact moment to start. Si Jingyi didn't make it all the way across and nearly tumbled into the sea. In his panic, his hands grabbed onto the railing.
"Damn it! Ruan Qinghuan, you poisonous woman!"
Ruan Qinghuan ignored Si Jingyi and simply increased the speed.
Seeing the churning white foam in the sea below him, Si Jingyi's eyes widened in terror.
"What on earth did I ever do to you, you venomous woman? This is attempted murder! Aah! Sis-in-law, save me!"
Wen Yan had never been one for sympathy.
She knew Si Jingyi wasn't in immediate mortal danger for now. Sitting on the speedboat, she flipped through her gossip system.
[Wow, so Ruan Qinghuan and Si Jingyi have a past like that.]
[No wonder Ruan Qinghuan wants to kill him on sight. What he did to her back then was truly asking for a beating.]
Struggling to pull himself up, Si Jingyi grumbled internally.
His first meeting with Ruan Qinghuan was a blind date! He hadn't even said a word before she threw a glass of wine in his face. She was the one asking for trouble!
And now she was trying to murder him on purpose. She was a downright viper!
[Ruan Qinghuan has countless admirers, but she never pays any other man any mind. The only person she ever clashes with is Si Jingyi, all because she's actually deeply in love with him.]
Holy crap!!!
What did he just hear?
Ruan Qinghuan is in love with him?
How is that even possible?
