Yu Xiaxing spoke calmly. “Don’t be in such a rush. You don’t need to be so tense and anxious when you work with me. It’s already seven o’clock—talking about work at this hour is a raw deal, okay?”
Shen Zhi looked frightened. “You’re not… going to fire me, are you?”
Yu Xiaxing gave her a speechless look. “We’ve already signed the contract. Can I fire you even if I wanted to?”
Hearing that, Shen Zhi finally relaxed.
The contract did say that Yu Xiaxing would help pay her penalty for breach of contract. Even if the class failed to get off the ground, she would not be at a loss.
Shen Zhi nodded and stood by the roadside, watching Yu Xiaxing leave.
Once Yu Xiaxing’s car had disappeared into the distance, Shen Zhi turned back to look at the building behind her. Then she lowered her head and smiled softly.
She loved acting. She loved her work. But this production had repeatedly trampled on her dignity and self-respect, to the point that she had nearly developed a psychological aversion to the very thing she loved.
Now, she had truly walked away from it.
And her new job would still allow her to perform.
She had no idea what the arts entrance-exam class at St. De would be like, nor did she know whether she could make a good teacher.
But since Yu Xiaxing had taken her away from that set and was even willing to pay her breach-of-contract penalty, she could not let that salvation go to waste.
She had to prepare properly.
Shen Zhi took out her phone and scrolled for a long time before finally finding a number she had not called in ages.
It belonged to her acting instructor from film school.
Back then, her teacher had liked her very much, saying she had talent and tenacity, and that one day she would surely establish herself on the big screen.
When things had been going well for her, she had kept in close contact with her teacher.
But later, as her career steadily declined, she had been too embarrassed to reach out again.
Now, she made the call. After several rings, the other end picked up.
“Shen Zhi?”
The moment she heard her teacher’s voice, Shen Zhi’s eyes grew hot again.
Suppressing a sob, she said quietly, “Teacher, it’s me.”
“Why are you calling at this hour? Did something happen?”
Shen Zhi took a deep breath and answered honestly, “Teacher, after all these years, I’ve finally realized that with my personality, I just can’t make it in the entertainment industry… I’m planning to teach acting at an arts college entrance-exam training center.”
There was a brief silence on the other end. Then her teacher said gently, “That may be for the best. You can guide more people who share your passion.”
Her teacher’s response sent a warm rush through Shen Zhi’s heart.
Then she got to the point. “Teacher, I wanted to ask you—if I’m teaching high school students preparing for arts entrance exams, what should I cover in the first lesson? I don’t want to lead them astray.”
Her teacher replied, “You’ll definitely do well. You have more advantages than I do. I’ve never worked in the entertainment industry, but you have. You’ve suffered through it, gone through all sorts of exams, and seen the traps in this business. You can start by teaching the children test-taking techniques. Then, when it comes to proper acting lessons, you can begin with…”
Shen Zhi gripped her phone tightly and listened carefully as her teacher explained how she should teach.
—
By the time Yu Xiaxing returned to Yu Garden, night had fully fallen.
She drove toward the garage. Just as she turned past a row of wintergreen shrubs, she saw a silver-gray Bentley pulling in ahead of her.
Yu Lingyi was back.
Yu Xiaxing’s eyes brightened slightly.
Perfect timing.
Yu Xiaxing was in a very good mood today. She’d made an unnecessary purchase, poached an actor who couldn’t teach from someone else, disgusted Su Hao and Qiao Tang, and made herself two enemies.
If she could pick a fight with Yu Lingyi too, her mood would be even better.
Yu Xiaxing rolled down the car window, resting her elbow on the sill as she smiled maliciously. “Fourth Sister, you finally dared to come home? Aren’t you afraid everyone will laugh at you?”
Yu Lingyi’s eyes were filled with exhaustion. “Xingxing, I really have been at a low point lately. I’m emotionally drained, and I don’t want to fight with you. Can’t we stop being like this every time we meet?”
Yu Xiaxing tilted her head. “Nope, Fourth Sister. I just want to bully you.”
Yu Lingyi’s breath caught.
Leaning on the window with one hand, Yu Xiaxing looked at her with a sweet smile. “Spineless mud like you is meant to be trampled on by everyone, isn’t it?”
The words were cruel. Yu Lingyi looked at Yu Xiaxing, and anger finally surfaced in her eyes.
“Don’t push it too far!”
Yu Xiaxing laughed. “Oh, so you can only act tough at home? Your fiancé and his mistress are practically running your company into the ground. Why don’t you go tell them not to push it too far? Your little sister only mocked you a couple of times, and you’re already angry?”
Yu Lingyi’s expression changed. “Don’t make baseless accusations. Su Hao and I are getting married soon. He respects me and accommodates me—he isn’t the kind of person you’re describing! Qiao Tang and her husband are very much in love too!”
Yu Xiaxing burst out laughing. “Your company only has one project in progress now, right? But I’ve poached its female lead, Shen Zhi. You know, Shen Zhi—the one people mocked for being too old, whom the director suppressed, whom the entire crew isolated and excluded, and whose complaints you, the boss, smoothed over without doing anything. She’s mine now.”
Yu Lingyi was instantly jolted out of the muddled state she’d been in for the past two days.
Shen Zhi was the one who could truly carry that short drama.
Qiao Tang was young, yes, but her acting was nowhere near good enough to hold up an entire series.
With Shen Zhi gone, the project would have to shut down.
And Yu Lingyi’s already terrible performance figures would only become worse.
Yu Lingyi fell silent for a moment before finally saying, “Xingxing, can’t you stop being so cruel? You know I’m in a difficult position right now.”
“So what?” Yu Xiaxing shot back. “Do you have what it takes to suppress me, beat me, or kick me out of the competition? You’re in last place, Fourth Sister.”
The Fourth Sister who stole my yellow card!
Yu Lingyi’s eyes reddened almost instantly. She cared about appearances more than anyone, yet now her wound had been ripped open so bluntly.
She turned the car around and prepared to leave.
Yu Xiaxing called lazily after her, “Fourth Sister. If you’ve got the guts, kick me out of the competition! Otherwise, I’ll keep targeting you!”
Yu Lingyi said nothing and drove straight out of the parking area.
She was going to the company right now to find out what exactly was going on.
Yu Xiaxing craned her neck to watch her go.
Actually, she didn’t want to get involved in Yu Lingyi being deceived by her fiancé and his mistress.
But if those two really bullied Yu Lingyi into getting eliminated, wouldn’t that mean one less competitor for her?
Besides, if that stupid fool Yu Lingyi could let Su Hao and Qiao Tang swindle her out of her money, why couldn’t I do the same?
I want to swindle her money too!
She still had Zheng Wenhao’s confession on hand.
Though it didn’t explicitly state that Su Hao was the one investing in the organization for his mistress, the implication was clear enough.
After giving it some thought, Yu Xiaxing immediately took out her phone and called Ruan Tian.
Yu Xiaxing: “I’m introducing you to a new client. Stupid and loaded. Her fiancé and his mistress are practically bleeding her dry already. The two of us can definitely get a piece of her too. Whatever you swindle out of her, you give me thirty percent and keep seventy.”
Ruan Tian was thrilled. “Really? There’s actually a sucker like that?”
Yu Xiaxing: “Yeah. You won’t even have to put in much effort, since you’ve already investigated her fiancé and his mistress. I also have video evidence here. I can send it to you.”
Ruan Tian instantly knew who she meant. “Yu Lingyi?”
Yu Xiaxing: “That’s right. She’s insanely rich.”
Ruan Tian: “Fine! I’m in! Send me the video, and I’ll handle the rest.”
Yu Xiaxing: “Remember, I get thirty percent of whatever you take. If I come across any more suckers, I’ll send them your way.”
Ruan Tian: “Got it.”
Yu Xiaxing promptly sent it over.
Detectives with no morals and no professional ethics really were useful.
