Jiang Zhao was not at all surprised by Jiang Youli’s indifferent reply.
He didn’t respond to her message. Instead, he sent some photos he had taken earlier of his older brother looking dejected in his rented apartment to their grandfather, and waited a while before dialing Old Master Jiang’s number.
It had been so long since he was cast out of the Jiang family that this was the first time he had contacted their grandfather.
He had felt he had no face to show his grandfather before.
He wondered if Grandfather had forgiven him for what he had done to their sister back then.
The call rang for a long time before it was picked up. An old, weary voice came through the other end.
“Grandfather.”
“What do you want by calling me?”
“Grandfather, did you see the photos I sent you? My brother is in a lot of pain right now. Could you please plead with Youli on his behalf and ask her to give him the antidote?” Jiang Zhao begged. “Grandfather, I’m sure you already know that my brother was poisoned by Youli as revenge.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a sigh. “You know your sister’s temper as well as I do. Even if I plead for your brother’s sake, it might not do any good.”
Jiang Zhao said, “Grandfather, my brother is being tortured every night and can barely go on living. Even if he really did something terribly wrong, he’s still your own flesh and blood. Can you really bear to watch him suffer like this?”
Another sigh came through the line. “Your sister’s birthday is coming up in a while. I plan to go back soon. When I do, I’ll bring it up with her. I can only say I’ll try—I can’t guarantee she’ll agree to cure your brother.”
Hope flickered in Jiang Zhao’s eyes. “Grandfather, as long as you ask her, Youli will definitely agree to give my brother the antidote!”
…
After sending that reply, Jiang Youli received no further message from Jiang Zhao.
She didn’t spend much thought on him anyway. She soon threw herself back into her work.
She had too much on her plate to waste even a trace of sadness on people who weren’t worth it.
Before she got off work, Jiang Youli saw Uncle Liang, who had come rushing to the company to meet her.
“President Jiang, I’ve settled on the male lead and the key supporting roles.”
“Oh? Given how excited you look, Director Liang, I take it you’re quite satisfied with the actors you’ve chosen. Who’s the male lead?” Jiang Youli asked curiously. She wasn’t familiar with the entertainment industry, so she didn’t interfere with the casting decisions and trusted Uncle Liang’s judgment.
Liang Shenggui took the water handed to him by Secretary Xiao Yang, took a sip to quench his thirst, and said, “Chen Wang.”
“What?” Secretary Xiao Yang, who hadn’t yet left the office, blurted out in surprise.
Jiang Youli glanced at her. “What’s the matter, Secretary Yang? You seem surprised to hear the name Chen Wang.”
Secretary Xiao Yang hesitated, unsure whether she should speak up, but Liang Shenggui had already begun to explain: “Chen Wang is a has-been actor who won the Best Actor award three years ago. Shortly after that, he got into a car accident and nearly lost his life.”
“It caused quite a stir at the time. At first, his fans were full of sympathy, but then someone leaked that the female assistant who died in the car was his secret lover on the side. Chen Wang also had a girlfriend who had never been publicly revealed but had been quietly supporting him all along. So after his accident, his acting career went into free fall, and now he’s practically unheard of in the entertainment industry.”
Secretary Xiao Yang nodded. “Right… so, Director Liang, you’re sure you want to pick a washed-up Best Actor winner with that much negative publicity?”
Liang Shenggui nodded. “I’m sure. Whether it’s his looks, his temperament, or his acting, Chen Wang is the most suitable. Of course, the final decision is up to President Jiang.”
He paused, then couldn’t help adding, “Actually, I’ve always felt there was something suspicious about Chen Wang’s incident back then. Though I’ve never cast him in any of my productions, I’ve dealt with him before. I won’t claim he’s a saint, but I don’t believe he’s the kind of ungrateful person people made him out to be.”
By the time they finished talking, Jiang Youli had already searched for Chen Wang’s profile online. After getting a general picture, she said, “Director Liang, let me look into Chen Wang more thoroughly first before we confirm.”
She couldn’t afford to let her drama “Aspirations of the Azure Clouds” blow up.
If she could think of sabotaging the new drama of Great Wind Entertainment to stop it from airing, then Longyuan could just as easily use the same trick on her.
So now, it was a game of whoever got a better read on the other side’s hand.
Liang Shenggui nodded. “Alright.”
He took out a sticky note and a pen from his briefcase, wrote down a number, and handed it over.
“This is Chen Wang’s contact information. You might find it useful. I actually tried to talk to him today, but he seemed unwilling to bring up the incident from back then.”
Liang Shenggui put the sticky note on the desk and left the office with Secretary Xiao Yang.
Jiang Youli then went back to reviewing the news coverage of Chen Wang’s car accident. After learning the name of his assistant, she searched for more information about her.
The news about the assistant was almost entirely negative—some even went as far as to call her “deserving of death” and “a mistress who got what she deserved.”
As for Chen Wang’s so-called quietly supportive girlfriend, her name was Tong Zhouzhou. She had originally been a minor internet celebrity, but about a year after the incident, she suddenly made her debut. She started by playing a likable best friend of the female lead, then gradually moved up to playing leads. Now she was considered a top-tier actress, with popularity close to surpassing Yu Linglong.
Compared with Chen Wang, who had faded into obscurity, she was basking in glory.
If that was the case, Uncle Liang might be right—there might indeed be something fishy about the incident back then.
Rather than investigating on her own, it was better to ask Chen Wang directly what he had to say about it.
With that in mind, Jiang Youli dialed the number Uncle Liang had given her.
"Hello."
"I'm Jiang Youli, president of Starlight Entertainment. If it's convenient, come to my company tomorrow. I'd like to talk to you about the drama 'Aspirations of the Azure Clouds' and confirm whether you can take the role of the male lead."
"Okay." Though he only replied with a single word, his voice clearly trembled with excitement.
"That's all then." Jiang Youli didn't add anything more and hung up.
...
After finishing work at the company and returning to the Jiang residence, Jiang Youli was about to have dinner with her beautiful mother and handsome father when she received a call from Old Master Jiang from abroad.
"Hold on, it's Grandfather calling." Jiang Youli said as she answered the phone.
Zhang Susu took the opportunity to fill a bowl with pork rib and lotus root soup for her daughter.
Jiang Youli called out sweetly, "Grandfather."
The caller on the other end laughed softly and asked with concern, "Youli, have you eaten yet?"
"We're just about to start. How's your trip abroad, Grandfather?" Jiang Youli raised the bowl her mother had filled for her and took a sip.
"It's been very nice, but I still feel more at home in the country," he replied.
Jiang Youli set down the bowl and asked, "When do you plan to come back?"
"The day after tomorrow, probably."
"Great, then Mom, Dad, and I will come pick you up at the airport."
"Mm." Old Master Jiang paused, then continued, "After I'm back, I plan to have your second uncle and his family over for a meal at the house."
