Jiang Youli interrupted, "I already told you, since you didn't want to terminate the contract back then, then forget it. If you want to terminate it now, you'll have to wait until the contract expires."
Back then, out of trust in her own family's company, Jiang Zhao had signed a ten-year contract. Now only two years had passed, and there were still eight years to go.
After eight more years, it would be way too late!
Jiang Zhao said, "Xiao Li, if you just let me out of the contract, I promise I won't keep bothering you and asking for your forgiveness anymore."
Jiang Youli said with a sneer, "Jiang Zhao, back then when I proactively proposed terminating the contract with you—and without asking for any compensation—it was only because I truly didn't want any more ties or entanglements with you. Unfortunately, you refused then. I guess after you found out the truth that Jiang Yonghe had deceived you and wronged me, your head got hot, and you only thought about moving yourself with your own act of atonement, never considering how serious things would get. Now that you finally realize the consequences, it's too late."
"If you want to force a termination, that's not impossible either—just pay the penalty fee as stipulated in the contract. It's not much, just ten million." At this point, Jiang Youli questioned, "But with your current situation, can you really come up with a ten-million penalty fee?"
Of course Jiang Zhao couldn't come up with ten million right now. In the two years since his debut, his total savings were only a little over three million. The rest had already been squandered long ago, or spent on buying various gifts for Jiang Yonghe every month.
One bag, one piece of jewelry, and it was several hundred thousand just like that.
If he thought about it carefully, in the two years since his debut, he had spent nearly ten million on Jiang Yonghe!
And Jiang Yonghe, behind their backs, had been giving his biological father two hundred thousand every month!
Their entire family had been complete fools!
Jiang Youli kindly offered a suggestion, "No worries, since Dafeng Entertainment wants to poach you, wouldn't they be willing to spend that ten million for you?"
So his sister already knew he was planning to sign with Dafeng Entertainment!
Jiang Zhao froze, wanting to explain, but the words got stuck in his throat.
After all, it was the truth.
Seeing Jiang Zhao's surprised expression, Jiang Youli said with a look of disdain, "What, did you think I wouldn't know why you suddenly wanted to terminate the contract?"
Jiang Zhao remained silent in shame.
Jiang Youli continued, "Zheng Zegang, the former business manager of Xingguang Entertainment, has already come to see you, hasn't he? I don't know what he told you to make you want to jump ship to Dafeng Entertainment, but this proves once again that you and your brother Jiang Xing are cut from the same cloth—both hypocrites. You claim with all your words that you want to make it up to me, but before long, you turn around and stab me in the back."
Jiang Zhao hurriedly explained, "No, that's not it—I never thought about stabbing you in the back. It's because you won't give me a chance, and I really have no other way..."
Jiang Youli hit the nail on the head with her assessment, "It's not that I'm not giving you a chance—it's that you don't deserve the chance I'd give you."
Jiang Zhao knew that nothing he said would help anymore. At that moment, he firmly believed that only by achieving real results and making himself stronger would he deserve the chance his sister could give him!
He stood up and said, "I'll find a way to scrape together the ten-million penalty fee."
After Jiang Zhao left, Jiang Youli let out a scoff. In the end, none of her "blood-related" family members were truly sincere with her.
She got up from the sofa, went back to her office, and posted an update on her Weibo.
[New song has finished recording, stay tuned~]
She even added a peace-sign emoji.
Before long, the fans who had previously learned that she was "Liyuan Yuanshang" (meaning "the grass on the plain") started coming out of the woodwork.
[Wow! The great master is really amazing! Not only can she create, but she can also write songs! What a one-of-a-kind talented woman!]
[When the great master's song comes out, I'll definitely buy it!]
[When the TV drama "Aspirations of the Blue Clouds" comes out, will the great master consider composing the opening theme, insert songs, and ending theme herself?]
[As much as I'd love that, the great master would be exhausted!]
Of course, there were also fans who loyally stuck by Jiang Zhao, still jumping around in her comment section.
[Hmph, you want to shelve Zhao Zhao, just so you can become famous yourself, right? Let's see whether you actually have the musical talent!]
[You're not going to take Zhao Zhao's songs and release them as your own original work, are you?]
[That's actually possible!]
Of course, these comments were quickly drowned out by Jiang Youli's writer fans.
[Just wait for the great master to slap the faces of you delusional fans!]
[Jiang Zhao's character is so bad, and his fans are just like him!]
Jiang Youli liked the comment [Just wait for the great master to slap the faces of you delusional fans!], pinned it to the top of her comments, and replied: [You bet!]
After that, she scrolled through Weibo for a while, looking at topics guessing who the male lead of "Aspirations of the Blue Clouds" would be.
Just then, Director Liang Shenggui called.
"Liya girl, you asked me earlier to keep an eye on the male lead auditions for that new drama at Dafeng Entertainment. According to my insider friend in the industry, over at Director Zhang's place at Dafeng Entertainment, the current candidates for the male lead are Zhou Zerui and Yang Yufan."
"Zhou Zerui is a newly rising traffic star with great acting skills, but his temper isn't great. As for Yang Yufan, not only is he a Best Actor winner, but he also has an excellent reputation—no scandals or rumors since his debut."
Jiang Youli's eyes glimmered as she said happily, "Got it. Thank you, Uncle Liang."
After hanging up, a faint smile curled at the corners of her lips. Things were going smoothly.
Next step: make sure Dafeng Entertainment chose that male star who was bound to reveal a bomb that would shock all netizens beyond belief.
Thinking about the files Ye Ying had sent her a few days ago regarding the illegitimate son of Dafeng Entertainment's chairman, Jiang Youli dialed Yu Linglong's number.
"Yu Linglong, let me tell you something—your father's illegitimate son has already entered Dafeng Entertainment and is getting ready to gradually take over the company. If you don't want the company to fall into the hands of some illegitimate child, then you should do exactly as I say."
……
Leaving Xingguang Entertainment, Jiang Zhao did not immediately contact Zheng Zegang about the contract termination. Instead, he called his older brother, Jiang Xing.
It took a while before the call connected.
"Hello."
Jiang Xing's voice was hoarse, as if he had just woken up.
After opening the car door and getting in, Jiang Zhao closed the door and asked, "Brother, Xiao Li said you stabbed her in the back again. What happened?"
"Hah..." Jiang Xing gave a dejected laugh on the other end. "Yeah, I stabbed her in the back again."
Sensing that his brother's tone wasn't quite right, Jiang Zhao frowned. "Brother, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. What, you called all the way just to ask about this?" Jiang Xing's voice was still hoarse and low.
Jiang Zhao felt something was off, but he couldn't be bothered to talk it out over the phone. He just perfunctorily said "Let's talk later" and hung up.
He tossed aside his phone and immediately drove to the neighborhood where Jiang Xing rented an apartment.
Upon arriving at Jiang Xing's rented flat, Jiang Zhao pressed the doorbell, but the door did not open for a long time.
"Brother, it's me. Open the door."
Giving up on the doorbell, Jiang Zhao raised his hand and pounded on the door forcefullly.
But no matter how hard he knocked, there was still no movement from inside.
"Stop making so much noise, could you keep it down..."
A woman in the next apartment opened her door. When she saw Jiang Zhao, the reproachful words caught in her throat, and she was simply taken by his good looks.
Besides, she couldn't shake the feeling that this man looked familiar.
He seemed to be a singer who had recently gained some fame...
What was his name again?
Jiang Zhao turned his head and said only a cold "Sorry" before he was about to force the door open—just then, the door opened on its own.
Inside, Jiang Xing's hair was a mess, dark circles heavy under his eyes, and a reek of alcohol drifted out from the room.
Jiang Zhao's gaze passed Jiang Xing and landed on the coffee table inside, cluttered with beer bottles. He frowned without meaning to.
He stepped inside and, with his backhand, slammed the door shut.
