President Chen could hardly believe it. Not long ago, the two shareholders who had spoken up in his support had now both crossed over to the other side.
As the company’s manager, President Chen held the largest shareholding. But in a company this large, no single person’s stake could possibly be overwhelming.
With the support of those two shareholders, he had only barely managed to retain his authority as manager when the other shareholders had joined forces to challenge him some time ago. But now that both of them had turned against him—
President Chen knew the tide had turned.
Under ordinary circumstances, shareholders in a well-established company would not lightly seek to replace its manager. After all, a change at the helm was a shock to any large organization; it was not the normal way to run a business.
But this year was different. There had been far too many blunders.
Massive losses. Using company resources for personal gain. Reaching far beyond his remit to pick fights with an industry that had no business ties to them, wasting countless resources—and, most importantly, failing.
To be honest, the shareholders did not care how underhanded their leader’s methods were. But repeated defeats? That was a question of competence.
Not to mention the investigation by the authorities some time ago. The company had only managed to get through it by conceding benefits. The investigation had unearthed one problem after another, casting doubt on the company’s tax affairs and its contracts with artists. The cost of smoothing over all those issues and plugging the holes was incalculable.
In short, every mistake President Chen had made this year, every single thing he had done, had left the company suffering losses and turmoil for nearly the entire year.
Using those grounds to challenge him, they were confident they could force even President Chen—the largest shareholder—to resign and take responsibility.
But how could President Chen possibly be content to sit back as an ordinary shareholder waiting for dividends? Besides, once he stepped down, they would have no shortage of ways to dilute his shares.
Now that all these shareholders had sided with Pei Liang, any strategy aimed at targeting and squeezing him out would surely proceed without obstruction.
Naturally, President Chen could not simply sit still and wait for defeat. He sneered.
“Where were all of you when the company was making money? Now that we’ve suffered a few losses, you’re panicking like this?”
“And what qualifications does this little girl have to be the manager?”
“She’s only been in the entertainment industry for three years. Sure, she may have some talent for producing and investing, but this industry is complicated. Can you guarantee that a rookie like her can do a better job than I can?”
“Besides, Miss Pei is busy making films all day. I doubt she has the energy to manage the company.”
The moment he finished speaking, everyone looked at him with strangely subtle expressions.
President Chen felt both irritated and bewildered, but then his heart skipped a beat.
He had just handed them the weapon to strike him with.
That argument did not hold up at all. Pei Liang had been making a movie while still finding the time to invest in a blockbuster box-office juggernaut. From the very beginning, she had deliberately and methodically targeted the National Day release season. Even so, she had still had time to quietly win over the shareholders behind the scenes, infiltrating his own stronghold before anyone noticed.
She had already pulled out nearly all four legs of the industry leader’s chair beneath him. By the time the final kick came, he had only just realized what was happening.
That was what made her so seasoned and terrifying. These were not the tactics of someone inexperienced or green.
Moreover, this kind of exceptional foresight, her grasp of opportunities, and her bold, decisive style of maneuvering were not things she had shown them only once before.
The May Day holiday season had been a precedent.
Having swept up two consecutive release windows, she had convinced everyone that this was hardly a matter of luck.
Back during the May Day season, an opponent like her had made them bleed money and hate her to the bone. But once such a talent became one of their own, it was naturally cause for celebration.
President Chen asked himself honestly: if she were not challenging his own authority, he too would have been more than happy to join forces with such a capable person.
Seeing that the shareholders’ resolve had not wavered in the slightest, President Chen made one final struggle.
“And how can you guarantee that she’ll put the company’s interests first?”
“Forgive me for being blunt, but Miss Pei has her own family business, and her personal ventures are thriving as well. Her net worth must be at least several billion by now. What kind of terms can you offer that would make Miss Pei work for our company, instead of using the company’s interests to support her own people?”
“Miss Pei is now a major shareholder in the company. The company’s interests are her interests. Naturally, we trust one of our own,” one shareholder said.
“What?” President Chen stared at Pei Liang in shock, unable to believe it.
Several shareholders said impatiently, “Old Chen, given our many years of friendship, we would never have made this decision unless we had no other choice.”
“But you have to admit that you’re no longer capable. Your vision has become limited by your personal grudges. Compared with pursuing profits and making up for losses, you care more about shifting responsibility. And you lack sensitivity toward critical developments.”
“For example, we’ve all been sitting here for so long, yet have you noticed that several shareholders are absent?”
Who the hell would have the mind to pay attention to those minor shareholders with insignificant stakes at a time like this?
The expression on his face only disappointed the others further, making them even more certain that they had made the right decision.
One of them continued, “The economic climate has been poor this year, and the company has suffered several setbacks. Some shareholders had already been considering cashing out and leaving, yet you failed to notice.”
“President Pei bought the shares in their hands, and the rest of us old fellows each transferred a portion of ours as well. President Pei’s current shareholding is second only to yours.”
President Chen sucked in a sharp breath. “You actually dared to— Where did she get that much money?”
Huiyuan was no small company, after all. Although Pei Liang’s *The Missing Bride* had brought in more than one billion yuan in net profit, that was still not enough to acquire so many shares in Huiyuan.
What was more, the Pei family business had previously fallen into crisis. Though it had been saved, it still required capital to get back on its feet.
President Chen was certain that Pei Liang had invested no less than five hundred million yuan into stabilizing her family’s company.
But the moment he asked the question, even President Chen realized how foolish it was.
The combined box office of *Haunted Mansion* and *Space Station* had already surpassed five billion yuan.
Although neither film had left theaters yet, making a precise calculation of her box-office share would be premature. Still, the profits Pei Liang stood to earn were already plain to see.
Using her share of the box office as collateral—together with the Pei family’s increasingly widespread name recognition, which was beginning to spread beyond the southern provincial capital and across the country—what bank would refuse to lend her money, no matter how much she wanted?
What deal could possibly be arranged in advance now?
President Chen was completely panicked. “I don’t agree to this. Shareholders can’t sell their shares without authorization. Even if they do, I have the right of first refusal.”
“Do you have the money to buy them now?” one of the veteran shareholders asked, raising a brow.
President Chen fell silent. He had nearly gone to prison, and in order to get himself out of trouble, he had already scraped his private reserves clean. If his position had not been at risk, he himself would have wanted to sell off some shares for cash.
And with Huiyuan’s stock price plunging as it was, Pei Liang had undoubtedly paid far less than anyone imagined to corner him.
The flesh on President Chen’s face twitched. He glared at Pei Liang, his eyes bloodshot.
Pei Liang rose from her seat and walked over to him. Looking down at him, she said, “President Chen, do me a favor—”
“Get out of my seat. Right now.”
That was the central seat—the seat belonging to the person in control of the company.
President Chen knew the tide had turned. Even if the legal procedures for Pei Liang’s shareholdings had not yet been completed, with every shareholder already supporting her, the outcome would be the same even if it went to a vote.
What was more, she now possessed the vast pool of liquid capital he needed most desperately—funds she could deploy as she pleased.
President Chen knew that once he stepped down, it would be for good. He seemed to lose his mind. He shot to his feet and tried to lunge at Pei Liang.
But the personal bodyguards she had brought into the conference room stopped him before he could get close.
One of them said, “President Chen, the security cameras in this conference room have recorded your apparent attempt to assault my employer, Miss Pei. We will be pursuing legal action.”
Pei Liang said, “President Chen is emotionally unstable at the moment and is not fit to take part in the shareholders’ meeting. We’ll have his assistant brief him on the rest of the meeting later.”
“You Pei, you vicious bitch! You actually stabbed me in the back. I won’t let this go!”
“As though President Chen has ever treated me kindly,” Pei Liang sneered.
But President Chen could no longer hear her. He glared hatefully at everyone in the room. “And you lot, don’t think backing this bitch will mean smooth sailing for you.”
“You Pei holds grudges. She already has her own company—why would she work herself to the bone for yours? Once she’s squeezed you dry, just like she did me, you’ll be kicked out too.”
The shareholders shook their heads, unable to bear the sight of his disgraceful behavior.
It was not as though President Chen had never revealed his naïveté or his lack of strategic vision before. But he was ruthless, decisive, and capable of making money for the shareholders. As long as profits kept coming, they had been willing to overlook everything else.
Yet take the Pei family, whom he was always shouting about. To be frank, he had launched an attack on the Pei family, only for Pei Liang to neutralize it with ease.
Not only had she taken down a formidable opponent like Jiayue—well-funded and connected at the highest levels—but she had also elevated her own family business to new heights. And she had done it almost as an afterthought.
That had been one of the key reasons the shareholders had been persuaded by Pei Liang—perhaps even more important than her eye for film investments and her talent for producing movies.
Besides, given Pei Liang’s style and ambition, to believe that she would limit herself to petty internal power struggles would truly be to judge her through the narrow lens of small-minded people.
What was more, she had persuaded them that, in order to consolidate her control, they were even willing to transfer a small portion of their own shares.
The shareholders hadn’t all been put under some kind of spell. Capital always put profit first. If they hadn’t been impressed by the concrete five-year plan she laid out, who would have been willing to make such a concession?
Pei Liang had extensive management experience. After taking over Huiyuan, she adapted quickly, ruthlessly cutting away the company’s deadwood, bringing in fresh talent, and reforming the inefficient systems that had previously held it back.
She made a number of appointments and dismissals in key positions, and Huiyuan soon began to look completely revitalized.
Naturally, President Chen was unwilling to be pushed out. At first, he repeatedly caused trouble, gathering the old guard who had once followed him and stirring up dissent.
Sometimes he interfered with the efficiency of the reforms; other times, he spread anxiety about them, leaving many employees uncertain about the company’s recent upheaval. Most viciously, he incited some members of management to resign en masse along with their own teams.
But Pei Liang had long prepared for the inevitable troubles that came with a major corporate shake-up.
Not only were President Chen’s schemes neutralized one by one, but he also helped her clear out a large number of people she had wanted gone in the first place.
President Chen himself was struggling financially now. The people who had left could not receive the promises he had made to them anytime soon. Once the empty promises wore off, they realized they could not find positions elsewhere that offered benefits comparable to Huiyuan’s.
And in the entertainment industry, aside from the rare few whose talents were truly irreplaceable, there was never any shortage of replacements.
As for those rare exceptions, Pei Liang had already met with them privately and retained them with better pay and superior contracts. They would not be easily swayed by President Chen’s manipulation.
Meanwhile, Pei Liang was pruning and restructuring Huiyuan into the company she envisioned.
Still, the news that Huiyuan had changed leaders left countless netizens dumbfounded.
[President Chen is out? I thought he’d keep that seat until the end of time. After all, he even managed to crawl out of that huge “sex-for-media coverage” scandal last time.]
[Oh, wow! Consort Zhu’s patron is gone. Those brain-dead fans who insisted she’d definitely make a comeback can probably only visit Consort Zhu in the Cold Palace once a year from now on.]
[Heh. Zhu Qian has looks and acting skills. The new president will only value her even more.]
[Sure. She’s also shameless and comes with a big, fat son.]
[Hahahahaha, can those delusional fans check the news before feeling so good about themselves?]
[Hahahahaha, don’t remind them. They’re having such a good laugh.]
[LMAO. The new president is Pei Liang—the Pei Liang who fought with both your President Chen and Consort Zhu over a movie release schedule. “Value her even more,” my ass. Hahaha.]
[Value her talent for turning three billion in investment into a flop that sinks straight to the Mariana Trench?]
[Actually, President Pei could totally toss that weapon at a rival company. Whoever takes her goes bankrupt.]
[Wait, aren’t any of you shocked that Pei Liang became Huiyuan’s new president? Pei Liang! The former obscure girl-group member! She’s only in her twenties! This time last year, she was the poor little thing who got exposed in a dating scandal with Cui Ying and was cursed at without even being able to fight back! Not long ago, she was still publicly tearing into Huiyuan!]
【Is the world moving too fast, or am I just too slow?】
【That woman is seriously incredible. She practically scooped up more than half of this year’s domestic box office all by herself. Now we’ll just have to see whether anything can challenge her during the Lunar New Year release season.】
【Other people’s year: took down a top star, left her group and switched careers, had a blockbuster hit, ascended to the throne. My year: picking at my feet, savings unchanged, and even deeper in debt on Huabei.】
【Same. Other people’s year versus mine.】
【Did this woman get handed the script for a wish-fulfillment novel heroine? Even fiction wouldn’t dare write someone this overpowered.】
【Oh, right—she also signed one of her former teammates.】
【I saw that, but she only signed Zhuo Ya. Not First Love or Yu Wenqing. It’s no surprise she didn’t sign First Love, but Yu Wenqing—】
【Hehehe! Looks like Miss Yu, supposedly so detached and elegant, so loyal and kind-hearted, isn’t actually as close to her as her fans claim.】
【After Cui Ying’s scandal broke, Yu Wenqing was always subtly building herself up as this righteous, loyal person, solemnly condemning First Love in every interview. Then, when the Pei family was struggling, she had no problem endorsing Jiayue’s products. Her fans kept saying that personal relationships and work were separate. I’m dying. If she and Pei Liang were really such devoted sisters, couldn’t Yu Wenqing find any other endorsement deal? Did she have to stab her so-called sister in the back?】
【I also think she’s fake as hell, and she’s especially good at keeping her own hands clean. Back when First Love used Pei Liang as a scapegoat, lots of people said that as teammates, there was no way the others could have known nothing. Zhuo Ya just took the criticism and said nothing. But Yu Wenqing? Endless excuses. Her fans defended her by saying she was focused on acting, detached from worldly matters, and that she and the group members were merely polite acquaintances in private who didn’t meddle in one another’s personal lives.】
【Yu Wenqing’s acting isn’t bad, though, right? You can see her improving with every project. She really was originally the member with the most potential in the group. Too bad Pei Liang got pushed too far and went full-on reborn empress—she’s just absurdly unstoppable now.】
【Zhuo Ya is the best. She really was a captain who cared about her members, and she never tried to dodge her responsibilities. The fact that the only former teammate President Pei was willing to take along after soaring to the top was her tells you everything you need to know about their character.】
The internet was abuzz with gossip and speculation over this whole string of events.
Seeing the shift in public opinion, Yu Wenqing did not feel good about it.
Though she appeared calm and detached by nature, she was in fact fiercely ambitious about her career. She possessed a focus and resilience that the other three members of the group lacked—as well as the coldness to ignore anything and everything in order to climb higher.
When Pei Liang had been pushed out to take the blame, Yu Wenqing had turned a blind eye. When she endorsed a competitor of the Pei family, she had felt no qualms whatsoever. In her view, Pei Liang simply was not suited to the entertainment industry. Leaving early might have been better for everyone.
Yet she had never expected that, after leaving the group, Pei Liang would achieve such extraordinary success in barely a year.
Originally, Yu Wenqing’s actions had not been wrong. The entertainment industry truly was better suited to people like her. But Pei Liang had now risen too high, transforming from the group member who had held everyone back into one of the people controlling the game in the entertainment industry—far beyond anyone’s reach.
That made Yu Wenqing’s former cold focus seem awkward and foolish.
After all, Zhuo Ya had done nothing at all, yet she could still cling to Pei Liang’s coattails through a trace of their former friendship as teammates. First Love’s conflict with Pei Liang was one thing, but Yu Wenqing had been left behind.
Once someone’s status became so unattainable, even a casual word or glance from them could become a hurricane to her.
What she had once considered shrewd choices and sensible compromises now looked, in hindsight, like nothing more than short-sightedness.
Yu Wenqing felt miserable. Given Pei Liang’s current position, even an attitude she never needed to voice explicitly had become an ironclad rule that countless people farther down the industry chain had to heed.
Yu Wenqing could clearly feel that several contacts who had previously been eager to work with her had grown noticeably more distant. Whenever her new agent called, they either kept putting her off or simply stated outright that she was no longer suitable for the project.
There was nothing she could do but hold tightly to the script in her hands.
She had already signed on for the film, though shooting would not begin until after the New Year. Originally, the production had been unable to secure funding, and filming seemed indefinitely out of reach. Recently, however, an investor had suddenly come knocking.
Yu Wenqing had loved the script from the start. She had felt, somehow, that she absolutely had to get the part, and so she had signed the contract early—even before the financing for the film had been secured.
This was also the first film in which she would play the female lead. According to the director, who had excitedly told her the night before, they had tried sending the script to Best Actor Xie. They had not expected much, but unexpectedly, he had shown great interest.
Yu Wenqing was filled with anticipation. If she could work with Best Actor Xie, then with his discerning eye for scripts—and her own vague premonition about this film—the project would surely help her firmly establish herself in the film industry.
Then her current situation would also—
At the same time, Xie Chen himself was in the president’s office at Huiyuan.
The script in his hand was the same one Yu Wenqing had received. He waved it as he asked, “How do you manage to find such a great script every time you go looking?”
“This wasn’t just some random find.” Pei Liang signed a document and said, “This script was practically written for you.”
That was not an exaggeration. The script in Xie Chen’s hands was the very film that had brought him back into the spotlight after two years of silence, following the scandal in which he had been dragged into the 【Universe Alliance】’s “insulting Hua” incident.
The director and screenwriter of the film were the true geniuses. Unfortunately, they had poured all their savings into making it, practically selling everything they owned.
They had struggled in vain to attract investors. It was only two years later, by a twist of fate, that the script caught Xie Chen’s attention, securing both funding and a male lead with acting skills worthy of an award-winning actor.
Although Xie Chen had fallen to rock bottom, he was by no means poor. After all, the fortune he had accumulated over so many years was substantial enough. What weighed on him more heavily was his situation—and the burden he carried in his heart.
Recently, while busy consolidating Huiyuan from within, Pei Liang had noticed that Xie Chen had nothing to do, so she had dug out the film’s director and screenwriter. If it was a good film, why not bring it into the world sooner?
She had not expected the pair to have already signed a contract with Yu Wenqing. Given her current status and asking price, Yu Wenqing should not have needed to wait around for a film whose production was not even guaranteed, let alone make concessions for it.
Still, her involvement was no problem. Unlike Wei Yingshu from the previous world, this world’s female protagonist, Yu Wenqing, was nothing more than a refined utilitarian.
She was clever and good at weighing the pros and cons. To be honest, her professional abilities were solid as well, and as the female lead, she possessed a fearless ambition in that regard. In Pei Liang’s eyes, that was a good thing.
Business was business. The director’s contract was favorable, after all, and there was no reason to reject the collaboration.
On the other hand, when Xie Chen heard Pei Liang say that this script had been born for him, he assumed she had specifically hired someone to tailor it to his strengths.
He was both pleased and embarrassed. With a somewhat bashful expression, he stammered, “Y-You really wanted to work with me again that badly?”
“Is it because you want to see me every day, just like when we were filming that movie?”
As he spoke, he wore the expression of someone who had already seen through her intentions. “You just can’t bear to be apart from me, can you?”
Pei Liang opened a file without even glancing in his direction. “I’m not producing this movie.”
“What? Then what are you going to do?” Xie Chen was dumbfounded.
Pei Liang nodded toward the mountain of documents in front of her. “I’ve only just taken the throne. I have plenty of things to deal with.”
“Besides, how many movies can one person produce in a year at most? If we want to revive Huaguo’s film industry, relying on me alone obviously won’t be enough. We need to give more filmmakers who are genuinely committed to their work a chance. Once there are more quality productions, audiences’ tastes will improve, and naturally they’ll have even less patience for inferior ones.”
Xie Chen nodded. That was indeed how things were. His own dream was to see the domestic film industry return to the way it used to be—a time when all kinds of excellent films flourished and outstanding works appeared year after year.
But he still felt miserable inside, especially knowing that once she started filming, they might not see each other for months.
With Pei Liang’s dog-like habit of becoming utterly oblivious to everyone else whenever she was absorbed in work, she probably wouldn’t even remember to contact him.
Was he supposed to start sending those two standard three-message routines like all those useless men?
“Are you there? Have you eaten? Have you gone to bed?”
“Good morning! Good afternoon! Good night!”
Just as he was brooding over it, several handsome young men in their early twenties walked in. Their hairstyles and outfits were all the latest fashion, and their faces were fresh and striking.
“President Pei!” Their eyes and faces were filled with smiles.
Pei Liang smiled back at them as well. “You’re here? Have a seat! If you want anything to drink, ask the assistant to get it for you.”
The young men settled onto the reception sofa nearby. They sat however they pleased, their postures relaxed and carefree. Combined with their good looks and youthful energy, it didn’t make them seem uncultured. If anything, they were quite a pleasing sight.
Xie Chen’s brows drew tightly together. What were these little punks trying to pull?
They were sitting around like a bunch of concubines waiting to be chosen.
They might look casual, but don’t think he couldn’t see through them. Every single one of them was doing his utmost to show off his best features.
Take the guy with the ice-blue highlights, for example. He had a pair of long legs and was wearing short boots that emphasized them. With one leg crossed over the other, it was stretched right across Pei Liang’s direct line of sight.
He might as well have grabbed her by the hand and placed it on his leg. His entire body practically radiated the shameless message: “Big sis, hurry up and admire your little brother’s long legs.”
Then there was the one with pencil-gray hair, a melodramatic, yandere-like aura, and the air of an idiotic chūnibyō. From the moment he entered, he hadn’t taken his eyes off Pei Liang’s face. His gaze kept flicking suggestive hooks at her, his flirtatious intent completely undisguised.
The fair, baby-faced idiot playing the sweet puppy was even more shameless. The moment he opened his mouth, he said, “We still have dance practice later, so we’d better not drink anything sweet. Our bodies are President Pei’s assets, after all. To maintain our figures and make money for President Pei, we work very hard.”
Pei Liang was naturally warm and gracious toward the roomful of handsome young men.
Hearing that, she said, “I know you’re all the best-behaved boys. But it’s fine to relax once in a while, too.”
“Regarding the matter you brought up last time, the company has now gotten to the bottom of what happened. I’m very sorry that your work was appropriated by someone else and that you were treated so unfairly.”
“No, no, this isn’t your responsibility, President Pei,” several of them hurriedly said. “Since you took office, you’ve improved our contract terms and actively investigated our feedback. You don’t need to apologize for the company’s past unfairness.”
Pei Liang smiled. “And I’m grateful that you chose to trust me.”
“I’ve recovered your work through legal channels. I listened to it yesterday, and it’s very good. Would you be interested in releasing an album?”
They had entered the entertainment industry with dreams of making music. But their former company had turned them into sex symbols, obsessively packaging their looks and public personas, sending them to idol survival shows or casting them in teen dramas to build a fanbase. As for actual musical releases, there had been very few.
Now, hearing that their dream might finally come true, they were so excited they nearly jumped for joy.
The long-legged handsome guy took the opportunity to rush over to Pei Liang’s desk. Bracing both hands on its surface, he asked with sparkling eyes, “Really, President Pei? We can really release an album? A full album?”
With the music scene in Huayu in decline, what singer wouldn’t find such an opportunity almost unimaginable?
He wore a white short-sleeved T-shirt beneath a vest.
From Pei Liang’s angle, the way he leaned over the desk perfectly showed off the beautiful lines of his flexed arm muscles, while creating the illusion that he was about to pull her into an embrace.
Add to that a handsome man with a face full of delight, bright eyes, and an expression that looked at you as though you were a goddess—what woman could possibly resist?
Pei Liang let out a silent whistle to herself. That was one of the perks of working in entertainment.
Seeing that the blue-haired hottie had beaten them to the punch, the others inwardly rolled their eyes.
*Damn it, he was fast.*
Ever since they had gathered their courage to seek justice from President Pei, they had been completely won over by her beauty and poise, her fairness and concern, her sense of responsibility and integrity.
At night, the thing these young men talked about most in their dorm was President Pei.
They had all come to the same conclusion: President Pei was too good for them; none of them deserved her. Of course, they only said that in front of one another. Whenever they actually met her, each one was more shamelessly flirtatious than the last.
Just as they were stewing in indignation, they heard the sound of water splashing beside them.
Everyone turned to look. It was Best Actor Xie, whom they had greeted at the beginning and then promptly ignored.
He held an empty glass in his hand, while his entire upper body was drenched.
No one had bumped into him, and even if he had accidentally knocked over his drink, there was no way it could have soaked him from head to toe. Clearly, he had done it himself.
But why? What was Best Actor Xie doing? Were the actions of an outstanding film actor simply beyond ordinary people’s comprehension?
They soon realized that it wasn’t incomprehensible—they were simply too inexperienced.
Xie Chen showed not the slightest embarrassment over doing something as idiotic as pouring water over himself. He casually set the glass back on the coffee table, moving with such calm and natural ease that it was as though randomly splashing oneself with water were perfectly normal.
Then he raised his long, clean hand, its knuckles elegantly defined, and ran it through the wet hair over his forehead, slowly sweeping it back.
His deep-set eyes instantly took on a soft, suffocating allure. Water trickled over his already flawless, striking features, lending him an indescribably sensual air.
Water streamed down his neck and collarbones again, like an invisible, flaunting hand deliberately guiding everyone’s gaze.
His soaked shirt outlined every contour of his chest and abdominal muscles.
He had already performed nude on film before, but this half-concealed display was still dazzling enough to leave people spellbound.
His gaze fell on Pei Liang and the blue-haired young man leaning over her desk. His voice was low and sensual. “Sorry. I was careless and interrupted your conversation.”
Then he looked at the blue-haired young man. “Go on.”
“Ah—right. Thank you, President Pei.” The blue-haired young man awkwardly withdrew the hand he had deliberately placed there, suddenly feeling rather inferior.
They had all been fairly confident in their looks and figures. They hadn’t thought they were inferior to anyone.
But now, damn it, their presence and physiques seemed a little lacking by comparison. Had they really not fully grown into themselves yet?
After Xie Chen’s little performance, none of them had the confidence to keep showing off. After listening to a few instructions, they slunk away in embarrassment.
Only then did Xie Chen realize that the situation was far more troublesome than he had imagined.
What kind of company was Pei Liang running? It was practically a den of temptresses. Sure, anyone with even a little taste would know those guys couldn’t compare to him—but there were simply too many temptations.
And their relationship still hadn’t been made clear. Had he been holding himself a little too aloof? So much so that she was worried he might reject her, and therefore didn’t dare to make things explicit?
Should he give her another hint, then?
And her, too—usually she was so shrewd and bold. Why was she being so cautious now? She was driving him crazy with impatience.
Just as he was about to speak, Pei Liang said, “Why did you go and splash yourself like that? You’re not a child anymore. Don’t treat your body so carelessly.”
“There’s a hair dryer in the lounge. Go dry yourself off. Your body is my most treasured possession—don’t be so rough with it.”
With a bang, Xie Chen’s face flushed crimson.
Just moments ago, he had been wondering whether Pei Liang was too timid. Then she hit him with such an outrageous, straight-on tease.
His eyes darted away. His heart was leaping with delight, but he still had to keep up appearances. “Are you sick? Since when is my body any of your business?”
After saying that, he fled into the lounge, his heart melting into a puddle.
The office and lounge had previously belonged to President Chen. Pei Liang had found them distasteful, so the first thing she did after taking office was strip the CEO’s office down completely—walls, flooring, ceiling, everything—and have it renovated.
The lounge was essentially her bedroom at work. When time was tight and it wasn’t convenient to go home, she would sleep there instead.
While looking for the hair dryer, Xie Chen noticed some of Pei Liang’s everyday toiletries on the sink, including an electric toothbrush she had only recently started using, sitting in a cup.
As he dried his hair and clothes, a thought quietly crept into his mind: one toothbrush seemed rather lonely. Two would be just right.
For example, the dark-blue one at his home was the same brand. It would look perfect beside the one already in the cup.
But when Xie Chen had tidied himself up and emerged from the lounge, he found Pei Liang on the phone, her expression far from pleasant.
The moment she hung up, she picked up the coat draped over the back of her chair and put it on. “I need to go out. As for the film, I’ll have the director contact you directly.”
Xie Chen frowned. “What happened?”
“It’s Gao Jun. Something’s happened to him.”
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t Gao Jun who was in trouble, but his parents.
After being put in their place on set, the two of them had at least behaved themselves in front of Pei Liang. Later, President Chen and the others began running into one misfortune after another. The pedophile who had made an offer to Gao Jun’s parents was sent to prison, and the entire industry became much more restrained for a while. His parents had no choice but to put aside their plans to take shortcuts—for the time being, at least.
After the promotional period ended, Pei Liang rarely saw Gao Jun. However, after she took over Huiyuan, Gao Jun was among the first batch of new artists the company signed.
Gao Jun had just turned sixteen and was legally allowed to sign a contract independently with his guardian’s approval.
Although Pei Liang had warned his parents before, Huiyuan was a major company, and the terms it offered were generous. Gao Jun’s parents had no reason to object.
After that, because Pei Liang was busy, she entrusted Gao Jun to a reliable agent. She did not rush to arrange any work for him, instead having him focus first on his studies and receive systematic acting training.
Recently, when she checked on the artists’ progress, the feedback on Gao Jun was consistently the most outstanding. According to his teachers, the boy was a genius, and they were highly optimistic about his future in every respect.
Because the company’s management was strict—and because Pei Liang had taken his parents’ character into consideration—she had deliberately arranged for him to live in the company dormitory. This kept his parents from easily contacting him and prevented him, being young and naturally trusting of his parents, from getting himself into trouble.
But just now, he had called her private number. During the months he had been living and training at the company, his mother had started an affair, while his father had been gambling day after day. In the span of a few months, he had even gambled away the family home.
Today, the two of them had gotten into a violent fight over money and the affair, and his father had killed his mother.
Gao Jun had now returned home. His father had been taken into custody, and police officers were everywhere, inside and out.
For minor matters, Pei Liang could simply have her assistant go and deal with them. But now Gao Jun had lost his entire family, and she was the only person he had thought to ask for help. No matter how busy she was, Pei Liang had to make the trip herself.
Xie Chen was not at ease with Pei Liang going alone to such a bloody scene, so he insisted on going with her.
Gao Jun had been earning money for his family since he was little, and their home was in a fairly desirable location.
By the time Pei Liang arrived, several police cars were parked downstairs, and the body was being carried out.
Quite a few residents had gathered to watch.
Gao Jun sat beside a police car. A kindhearted officer had given him a blanket, and wrapped up in it, his little face pale and his expression dazed, he looked utterly pitiful.
Pei Liang walked over and called softly, “Gao Jun?”
Like a startled little animal, Gao Jun abruptly lifted his head, his eyes still clouded with helplessness.
He stared blankly at Pei Liang for a long while before seeming to realize who she was. Then he threw himself into her arms.
Choking back sobs, he said, “Sister Liang, I don’t have a home anymore.”
Pei Liang would not have called herself an overly sentimental person, but there was something about Gao Jun that struck her. Although he was sunny and cheerful every day, he was always shrouded in an inescapable sadness.
Even when he joked and played around, appearing carefree beneath clear skies and bright sunshine, Pei Liang would occasionally feel that perhaps he simply did not care at all.
Because, in a certain sense, Pei Liang was the same way. That was why she could sense it.
Even if the world suddenly came to an end, the smile on Gao Jun’s face would not show a trace of panic. Instead, it made Pei Liang sense his utter indifference toward life.
That similarity in their state of mind made Pei Liang more patient, attentive, and understanding toward Gao Jun than she was toward others.
Though she had no idea why the child had become this way.
And with parents like his, knowing that the people closest to him were a constant source of danger, she couldn’t help feeling a little worried whenever she thought of him.
So when Gao Jun began to sob like an abandoned cub crying blood, Pei Liang’s heart finally softened.
She patted his back and comforted him. “It’s all right. From now on, you’re my little brother.”
Gao Jun looked up. Tears clung to his lashes, ready to fall, while his nose was red from crying. Biting his lip, he nodded as though he had finally grasped a piece of driftwood—
“Okay!”
As he spoke, he hugged Pei Liang again. In the place she couldn’t see, a surge of triumphant delight burst into his eyes.
For two lifetimes, his parents had used him to make money. This was the first time he had used them to obtain something he wanted.
He was very pleased!
But Xie Chen, standing behind Pei Liang, furrowed his brows. He knew it was inappropriate to say something like this while the boy’s family had just been destroyed.
Still, he couldn’t shake the intuition—
There was something wrong with this kid!
