At Dafeng Entertainment.
Long Yuan sat on the sofa, his face expressionless as he listened to the Yu father and son report on their recent efforts against Jiang Youli.
Yu Hongtu looked at the trending searches and said to his father, almost boastfully, “Young Master Long, take a look at the public opinion surrounding Qingyun’s Ambition. It’s getting absolutely torn apart! Heh, I’m afraid Qingyun’s Ambition is already dead in the water before filming has even begun!”
Chairman Yu was very pleased with the online backlash, but still cautioned, “Don’t celebrate too soon. Let’s wait a few more days and see what Jiang Youli plans to do.”
Yu Hongtu scoffed. “Dad, there’s no need to worry. What could she possibly do? Even if she does come up with something, it’ll be too late. Once Young Master Long lifts a finger at the birthday banquet, Jiang Youli will be finished! With no one in charge at Starlight Entertainment, won’t the whole company fall into chaos?”
Chairman Yu found that reasonable. He also felt that his son was becoming more and more capable of managing the company.
Long Yuan, who was sitting on the sofa, merely reminded them coldly, “The director who was beaten by Zhou Zerui, Wu Kai, has disappeared.”
The last time, he had asked Wu Kai to take him to Zhou Zerui. He had originally intended to use the incident to make an example of Zhou Zerui, but Qi Huan and Jiang Youli had arrived at the scene.
Jiang Youli’s methods were simply too strange. Even though he had brought bodyguards, his own fists had been spattered with plenty of blood, and he still feared that something unexpected might happen. So he had abandoned Director Wu Kai and hurried away.
Thinking back on it now, he should never have done that. He had foolishly left Jiang Youli a witness.
All he could hope was that Director Wu Kai understood the consequences of offending him and would keep his mouth shut.
“Are you worried that Director Wu Kai fell into Jiang Youli’s hands, Young Master Long?” Yu Hongtu said confidently. “Don’t worry. As long as Jiang Youli has no concrete evidence, I can make public opinion turn white into black! If word gets out that she kidnapped Director Wu Kai, I’ll slap her with another charge—say that she tortured him into confessing just to clear Zhou Zerui’s name!”
Long Yuan said nothing more.
He had already had all the witnesses and evidence concerning Director Wu Kai’s sexual harassment of a female actress on set wiped out. The rest was indeed just as Yu Hongtu had said. Even if Director Wu Kai personally admitted that Zhou Zerui had beaten him because he had sexually harassed an actress from the same production, they could claim that he had been tortured into making a false confession.
As for Chen Wang, his girlfriend, Tong Zhouzhou, had caught the eye of that powerful figure. His female assistant was already dead. Who could testify to whether he had actually cheated on Tong Zhouzhou with her?
To save her own life, Tong Zhouzhou would never come forward to testify for Chen Wang or retract what she had said.
Long Yuan wanted to see how Jiang Youli could possibly clear Zhou Zerui and Chen Wang’s names now.
…
At noon, when Jiang Youli and Qi Huan arrived at Zhou Zerui’s home, Zhou Zerui said apologetically, “I’m sorry, President Jiang. I’ve caused the company a great deal of negative publicity.”
“What are you apologizing for?” Jiang Youli said. “I was the one who chose you. And if I hadn’t investigated your past scandals and confirmed that they were all cases of the guilty accusing the innocent, how could I have dared to cast you as one of the major villains in Qingyun’s Ambition?”
“But…” Zhou Zerui was still worried. “If there were evidence, I would have been able to prove my innocence long ago.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll find the evidence,” Jiang Youli assured him. “Let the public opinion build for now. Later, I’ll clear up each of those scandals one by one. All right, I’m going to treat Uncle Ya first.”
“You’re still willing to treat Uncle Ya?” Zhou Zerui clearly had not expected that.
Jiang Youli smiled unconcernedly. “The misunderstanding has been cleared up, hasn’t it?”
Zhou Zerui hesitated, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only said, “Thank you for going to the trouble, President Jiang.”
Looking at Zhou Zerui’s guilty expression, Jiang Youli secretly laughed. It seemed he really wasn’t suited to lying against his conscience.
After Jiang Youli entered the room, Qi Huan had Cheng Jing hand his younger brother an invitation.
“This is the invitation to Little Li’er’s birthday banquet.”
Zhou Zerui froze for a moment before accepting it. “Thank you, Mr. Qi.”
Qi Huan said warmly, “I’ve told you before—we’re real brothers. You don’t have to be so polite with me.”
Zhou Zerui knew what Qi Huan meant. He pressed his lips together and said nothing.
“But… don’t you plan to bring Uncle Ya to Little Li’er’s birthday banquet? I can also ask Little Li’er to send him an invitation,” Qi Huan asked deliberately.
Zhou Zerui pondered for a moment before shaking his head and making an excuse. “Uncle Ya isn’t used to such lively occasions.”
Qi Huan deliberately sounded disappointed. “I see. Then never mind.”
Zhou Zerui asked, “Grandpa Qi still doesn’t know who I am, does he?”
“No. I promised Uncle Ya that I wouldn’t reveal your identity for the time being,” Qi Huan replied. “But I should be honest with you. Everyone who ought to know your identity already does—including Grandpa. He may be old now, but the people under him are still capable. He’ll probably figure out who you are very soon.”
Zhou Zerui said nothing more, but inwardly wondered: If his grandfather was truly so capable, then had he not known that the ridiculous fortune-teller’s claim about him “affecting the family’s finances” had been engineered by Qi Tianxiang?
Perhaps, just as the person on the phone had said, all of this had been tacitly permitted by his grandfather. Grandpa Qi simply wanted to suppress—or even deal with—his mother.
As for the truth behind his mother’s accidental car crash, he would probably be able to glimpse the answer after meeting his grandfather at the birthday banquet.
Inside the room.
Uncle Ya was somewhat surprised to see Jiang Youli. He signed: “Didn’t you say you weren’t willing to treat me anymore?”
Jiang Youli sat down beside the bed, placed her medical kit by her feet, opened it, and took out a bundle of acupuncture needles.
“That depends on whether you’re still unwilling to believe Huanhuan,” she said.
Uncle Ya considered the matter carefully.
He still had to seek revenge on that old bastard from the Qi family for his benefactor. During this period, he had to remain conscious at all times. He absolutely could not fall into a coma for no reason and delay what he needed to do.
Therefore, he needed Jiang Youli to continue treating him.
All he had to do was say that he believed Qi Huan, and Jiang Youli would continue his treatment!
Then that was what he would say!
He believed Qi Huan, but he did not trust that old bastard from the Qi family!
Uncle Ya was silent for a while before continuing to sign: “If what you said is true—if he really had someone sever Qi Tianxiang’s tendons and hamstrings while searching for Little Rui—then I can believe him.”
“Then it’s settled,” Jiang Youli said with an easy smile. “When I said I wouldn’t treat you, I was only trying to vent Huanhuan’s anger and scare the two of you a little. After all, you saved Huanhuan’s younger brother. I could never stand by and watch you die.”
“Then thank you.”
After signing those words, Uncle Ya watched as Jiang Youli treated him with complete concentration. Then he silently closed his eyes.
Jiang Youli glanced up at Uncle Ya. She naturally knew what he was thinking. He believed that if he wanted to take revenge on Grandpa Qi, he had to remain conscious, so he had no choice but to lower his head and claim that he believed Qi Huan.
She knew exactly what Uncle Ya was thinking, yet she still chose to treat him.
That was because she was working with Huanhuan’s plan—turning the tables by playing along.
Jiang Youli picked up a silver needle and precisely inserted it into Uncle Ya’s temple. Inwardly, she murmured, “Uncle Ya, just be a chess piece for Huanhuan—and help drive Qi Feifan and Qi Shaoxiong completely out of the game.”
