Chapter 19.1
The clarity in Jiang Bailu’s eyes turned into a stagnant pool.
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides, and the corner of her gaze shifted toward Qiao Yan.
The improved impression she had formed of Zhai You turned back into disgust. She took a frustrated breath, suddenly wanting nothing more than to leave this place as soon as possible.
Zhai You obviously had feelings for Qiao Yan. Even the butler knew about it, so why bother hiding it? And yet she had still dragged Jiang Bailu into things and signed that contractual marriage agreement with her.
Most powerless of all was the fact that, if not for that marriage agreement—
her mother’s medical expenses, her chance to play the female lead…
Being placed in a position where she seemed to be stepping into someone else’s relationship for the sake of benefits made her feel exactly like the kind of mistress people despised.
But the worst one of all was Zhai You.
She was the one who had caused all of this.
And yet she could still casually laugh and chat with Qiao Yan as though nothing had happened.
“You’re the only heir to the Zhai family. Can’t you be a little more generous?” Qiao Yan was “laughing and chatting” with Zhai You as she looked disdainfully at the black dress Jiang Bailu was wearing, a style that had been outdated for who knew how many years.
It was a design from several years ago. Forget the entertainment industry—even small-time influencers wouldn’t wear something like this.
And it wasn’t even some timeless classic.
All it proved was that Zhai You didn’t care much about the person wearing it.
Qiao Yan suddenly felt that Jiang Bailu was pitiful and Zhai You was incredibly stingy. She didn’t even know whether she should be grateful that she had stopped trying to cling to this rich thigh.
It would probably have been useless anyway.
What a miser.
Zhai You had no idea what she meant and looked over. “She looks pretty good.”
Compared with her first couple of days at the Zhai residence, her complexion was much rosier now.
Zhai You thought she had taken pretty good care of her : D
That counts as good?
Qiao Yan’s entire face practically turned into a question mark.
After a moment, she asked, “You asked me to help her buy clothes. Is there a price limit?”
“……” Zhai You took out her phone and checked. After mentally subtracting the cost of an entire building, she really didn’t have that much money left.
She had only just asked Father Zhai for money, so it wouldn’t be good to ask again.
She had about two hundred thousand left.
But she definitely had to keep some for emergencies, so she could take out half of it.
She couldn’t mistreat her wife!
Zhai You planted her hands on her hips. “A hundred thousand. Buy whatever you want!”
Qiao Yan looked at the shameless smile on her face.
A hundred thousand was indeed quite a lot, but considering Zhai You’s request and her net worth, it still seemed incredibly stingy.
“Don’t forget my payment too.” Qiao Yan wasn’t going to work for free.
“I won’t forget yours.”
She really had forgotten.
Zhai You immediately changed the subject. “Say more nice things about me in front of her.”
Qiao Yan might have somewhat materialistic values,
but Zhai You had thought about it carefully. The best way to win over the person you loved was to start with the people around her.
But whether in the original novel or in reality, Jiang Bailu didn’t seem to have any close friends, leaving Zhai You with nowhere to start.
If the conditions didn’t exist, then she would create them.
Having already started thoroughly studying all kinds of romance guides, Zhai You confidently concluded that, out of everyone she knew, Qiao Yan was the least likely person to lead Jiang Bailu astray.
She would have Qiao Yan become Jiang Bailu’s friend, then have Qiao Yan say good things about her.
Qiao Yan had liked her so much before. Surely praising her would come naturally.
What a useful little helper.
“But I need to make sure of one thing. You really don’t like me anymore?”
She couldn’t have Qiao Yan showing jealousy in front of Jiang Bailu.
Qiao Yan rolled her eyes.
Their current arrangement was perfect.
One paid money, the other took the money and handled a few small tasks.
So harmonious.
All those things she had once imagined were immature thoughts.
Or rather, as long as there was money to be made, Qiao Yan could work with anything.
She walked over to Jiang Bailu and silently said to her in her heart: Getting stuck with her is your good fortune.
Zhai You looked at the two of them standing together and confirmed that there was absolutely no danger of sparks flying between them.
One had a cold face, the other wore a fake grin.
They looked exactly like a pair of superficial plastic sisters.
Wonderful.
“You go shopping with her first.” Zhai You confidently entrusted Jiang Bailu to Qiao Yan.
“I need to go see Sister Ji about something. If she does anything bad, call me and I’ll deduct her money! And buy whatever you want. Don’t try to save.”
After a pause, she added something she thought would persuade Jiang Bailu more effectively. “Leaving a good first impression on the director and screenwriter is important. Make the most of it.”
Jiang Bailu didn’t absorb any of that.
She stared at Zhai You in shock, wondering what game this woman was playing.
She and Qiao Yan—
shopping together?
Zhai You’s thought process was impossible to follow.
Jiang Bailu had gone from mistakenly believing she was going shopping with Zhai You, to thinking she herself was merely a cover and that Zhai You’s real purpose was Qiao Yan.
And now, somehow, it had turned into Jiang Bailu and Qiao Yan shopping together.
Zhai You’s smile was bright and completely guileless.
Jiang Bailu pursed her lips and thought for a moment.
Could this have something to do with what she had said yesterday?
“Don’t worry. I’ll help you.”
She had promised to help Zhai You pursue Qiao Yan.
Thinking about it that way, Zhai You was simply someone whose thoughts were so straightforward they bordered on inexperienced.
Jiang Bailu decided it was better not to keep overthinking things and misunderstand again.
She would just let things take their course.
“Then I’ll head off first.” Zhai You was reluctant to leave.
She also wanted to personally choose clothes for Jiang Bailu, but this really wasn’t something she was good at.
Zhai You was discovering that there were far too many things she didn’t know how to do.
She would have to slowly learn in the future.
They had been standing on the street for a while. After being exposed to the sun, fine beads of sweat appeared on Jiang Bailu’s cheeks. She breathed lightly, her soft long dress swaying gently in the breeze, her figure graceful and beautiful.
Jiang Bailu was far too pale.
Against the black dress, her skin looked even softer and more delicate.
She practically glowed white.
Standing beside her with her long legs and slim waist, Zhai You thought for a moment, then tentatively reached out and stroked Jiang Bailu’s glossy black hair.
Jiang Bailu froze slightly.
She lifted her eyes toward Zhai You’s hand, but Zhai You quickly withdrew it, as though that fleeting moment had never happened.
That intimate gesture seemed almost like Jiang Bailu’s imagination.
Zhai You was like a rose in full bloom, fragrant and pleasing wherever she went.
It made Jiang Bailu remember the first time she had seen her.
Zhai You really was suited to standing in the light.
Among a crowd, she was always the one who drew the most attention.
Jiang Bailu shifted her gaze toward Qiao Yan, then suddenly asked Zhai You, “Have you ever thought about seriously acting?”
With Zhai You’s looks, as long as she didn’t do anything particularly disastrous in the entertainment industry, she could become wildly popular.
Thinking about Zhai You’s reputation in the industry and the half-mocking, half-admonishing words her manager had said, Jiang Bailu’s lashes lowered intermittently. “Forget I asked.”
With Zhai You’s financial resources, she could live wonderfully no matter what she did.
It wasn’t Jiang Bailu’s place to ask.
Zhai You, however, rested her chin on her hand and thought about it. “Before meeting you, no.”
After meeting Jiang Bailu, she really wanted to act opposite her.
Come to think of it, she still hadn’t told Jiang Bailu about that.
Zhai You didn’t mind hiding it a little longer.
“I’m leaving.” Zhai You said it once again.
“Mm.”
Zhai You couldn’t drive, and since this was the busy city center, getting a taxi was easy.
Before long, she arrived at the company by car.
Before she got out, the driver, who had been glancing at her through the rearview mirror the whole way, finally couldn’t resist asking, “Are you a celebrity?”
Zhai You looked at the company entrance, then pointed to her own face. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“No, it’s just that you look a lot like someone.” That person definitely wouldn’t take a taxi to the company, so the driver hadn’t dared to be sure. Seeing how approachable Zhai You was, he chuckled. “But you’re definitely not Zhai You.”
“……” Zhai You herself.
It seemed to be the driver’s first time carrying such a beautiful celebrity. Once he realized Zhai You was willing to listen to him, he couldn’t help rambling a little more. “That Zhai You is seriously hated by everyone. I heard that a few days ago, she even forced someone to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau with her. Isn’t that ridiculous? With Zhai You’s status, how could she possibly really marry someone?”
Zhai You couldn’t hold back. “Why couldn’t she?”
“Wouldn’t she have to be stupid to get married? Why not just fool around instead?”
That was probably what most people thought.
At least, based on the impression Zhai You had left on the public.
Maybe Zhai You really had become stupid.
She didn’t explain.
Why explain herself to a taxi driver?
After nodding once, she walked into the company.
Sister Ji sat in her seat with a cold expression. Beside her was the assistant, who barely dared to breathe loudly.
A tablet lay in front of them, displaying photos of Zhai You going to the Civil Affairs Bureau with someone.
Unexpectedly, given Zhai You’s tendency to attract controversy wherever she went, this exposé…
had barely caused any waves at all?
And in the photos, only Zhai You’s thoughtful-looking expression could be seen clearly. Jiang Bailu beside her hadn’t been captured properly.
It was almost as if a pair of invisible hands were protecting Jiang Bailu.
But that wasn’t what made Sister Ji angry.
“You said you wanted to marry Jiang Bailu, and I didn’t object.”
Not that she could have stopped her anyway.
“But could you at least do a better job keeping it secret? You parade that face of yours around everywhere. Would wearing sunglasses and a mask kill you?”
The assistant didn’t dare say a word.
Zhai You walked over and picked up the tablet.
The angle wasn’t very flattering. It hadn’t captured even one-tenth of her beauty.
Then she looked at the traffic on the topic.
Zhai You rubbed her chin and hissed softly. “I’m not popular anymore.”
Sister Ji: “……”
Zhai You truly hadn’t disguised herself.
She had done it deliberately.
She had thought that, given the amount of attention she normally attracted online, if she and Jiang Bailu got married, surely they would at least make it onto some minor trending list?
Even if the comments weren’t good.
Even if they were all insulting her.
Zhai You simply wanted the public to know that she and Jiang Bailu were married.
Once the fact that Jiang Bailu had been married was established, even if the righteous love interest returned later, she wouldn’t be able to snatch Jiang Bailu away so easily.
But Zhai You’s little scheme hadn’t worked.
No matter how much she refreshed the page, even the original exposé only had a dozen or so comments, and they were all things like “XX sightseeing group checking in,” looking exactly like emotionless paid commenters.
She put the tablet down and met Sister Ji’s furious expression.
The assistant looked utterly miserable. Whenever something like this happened, Sister Ji blamed him the most for failing to remind Zhai You.
“Did the company suppress the trending topic?” Zhai You wanted to say there was no need. She wanted to become famous together with Jiang Bailu.
Sister Ji wore the expression of someone who had just been cheated out of hundreds of thousands. She answered gloomily, “No.”
Sigh.
What a pity.
Zhai You shook her head. “Then what are you worrying about? It didn’t trend anyway. Even if it did, I wouldn’t be scared.”
Only then did Sister Ji remember that Zhai You wasn’t an ordinary celebrity.
There was something wrong with her brain.
Watching Zhai You take out her phone and sit down as though she were scrolling through something, Sister Ji became even more annoyed. “You’re still an artist under this company. Even if your contract gives you maximum freedom, could you show a little restraint next time?”
“Sister Ji.”
The assistant shuddered as Zhai You slowly spoke.
“You’re just too experienced. You’ve managed too many celebrities, so you instinctively think marriage will cause a career-destroying scandal. But…”
“I don’t even have a career to destroy.”
Zhai You was looking at her Weibo follower count.
Good grief.
Other celebrities had tens of millions of followers at the drop of a hat.
Zhai You only had two million.
But the number of comments really was more than ten times that of other celebrities.
After several days of mental preparation, Zhai You had already developed some immunity to the malicious comments.
Looking at the rows of yellow-face emojis holding signs asking when she planned to leave the entertainment industry, Zhai You smiled.
Sister Ji had no way to deal with her.
And she was right.
What career was there for Zhai You to destroy by getting married?
“Sister Ji.” Zhai You pushed her luck. “Look, since the exposé didn’t go anywhere and it hasn’t affected Jiang Bailu…”
Sister Ji immediately had a bad feeling. “Just say whatever you want to say.”
Zhai You said, “Can the company sign Jiang Bailu?”
Sister Ji pressed a hand to her forehead.
Actually, before Zhai You had taken an interest in Jiang Bailu, Sister Ji had seriously considered it.
She was a legitimate manager.
Even though managing Zhai You didn’t require her to do much and still earned her plenty of money, if things continued like this, the reputation she had built in the industry would eventually be worn away and she would become completely useless.
Sister Ji had wanted to sign Jiang Bailu.
She was well-behaved and could be called polite.
She didn’t stir up trouble.
She was the kind of good artist who would quietly act after signing.
Unfortunately, Zhai You, that cow, had already gotten to her.
Previously, Zhai You had even ordered Sister Ji to find opportunities to steal a large number of Jiang Bailu’s resources.
After everything that had happened, Sister Ji was terrified that if she signed Jiang Bailu, the two of them would start causing trouble—
in every possible sense of the word.
She still wanted to live a few more years, so she had no choice but to abandon the idea.
To be honest, Sister Ji still couldn’t understand why Zhai You had changed.
One moment it had been a mistress arrangement, the next it was marriage.
From suppressing Jiang Bailu to supporting her…
An entire building.
An entire building!
Sister Ji still couldn’t get over it.
She thought seriously, then shook her head. “It isn’t worth signing her right now. Jiang Bailu’s company seems to be deliberately dragging things out so they can profit from her breach-of-contract penalty.”
If Sister Ji went over and tried to sign Jiang Bailu now, the amount they would have to pay would only be higher.
It would be a loss.
Zhai You wanted to slap her chest and declare she would cover it.
Then she remembered she was currently broke, and her imposing aura immediately deflated.
Why?
Why could she still experience being broke even after transmigrating into this world?
This was terrible.
After recovering from the shock, Zhai You asked Sister Ji about Deliberate Love. “I read the original novel last night. Will the script be changed later?”
After reading the original, Zhai You thought it was very exciting.
No matter what, she had to act in it.
“You’ll have to ask the screenwriter yourself.”
Given how much the screenwriter held grudges against Zhai You, good luck getting anything out of her.
But there was no need to rush.
Filming would begin before long anyway.
“Next week, you and Jiang Bailu will go audition. Just go through the motions.”
They would see the script then.
“Can we sign the contract next week too?”
“……What are you thinking about?”
“Would the combined pay for me and Jiang Bailu be enough to cover Jiang Bailu’s breach-of-contract penalty…”
Sister Ji was utterly shocked.
There had actually come a day when Zhai You was poor enough to start obsessing over her acting fee!
But then she thought about that building and felt it made perfect sense.
“Why are you so determined to sign Jiang Bailu?”
“Because…”
Jiang Bailu’s current manager was no good.
What was her name again?
Something-Sister this, Sister-that.
To create an opportunity for the righteous love interest in the original story, Jiang Bailu’s manager had deliberately brought her to a banquet, originally intending to have her catch the attention of some powerful figure.
Unexpectedly, she had attracted Zhai You instead.
Zhai You then put Jiang Bailu through a whole ordeal, tormenting her so badly that readers were threatening to abandon the novel.
And that was when the righteous love interest appeared—
a gentle, understanding older-sister type woman.
The readers went absolutely crazy for her.
After disposing of Zhai You, the cannon-fodder love interest, Jiang Bailu’s manager would continue causing trouble and introduce another person to Jiang Bailu.
To prevent all the future headaches from happening, Zhai You wanted to solve the problem at its root.
Change her manager.
And at the same time, take away the righteous love interest’s future opportunity to show off.
Jiang Bailu couldn’t be taken away by anyone.
But when she thought about the breach-of-contract fee, Zhai You let out a long, weary sigh and felt a little guilty.
She mentally estimated the timeline.
There were still several months before the righteous love interest appeared.
During that time, she should have a chance to ask Father Zhai for money again.
But during those same months, Jiang Bailu would be filming Deliberate Love.
Once she became the female lead, her market value would rise accordingly, and the breach-of-contract penalty would only become more terrifying.
Left with no choice, Zhai You started thinking about their acting fees.
“You may be notorious, but your standing in the industry isn’t actually high. Jiang Bailu is still a newcomer. If your combined pay reaches one million, that would already be pretty good,” Sister Ji stated matter-of-factly.
Zhai You: “……How much did I invest in the production?”
“Thirty million.”
That had been invested several months ago.
Thirty million, and the two leads together were only getting one million?
Where was the rest of the budget for this campus drama going?!
And Zhai You had even donated an entire building and solved the filming-location problem.
So where exactly was all that money being spent?!
“No. I want a raise.” Zhai You was furious.
“Then go negotiate with Director Guo yourself. I’ll send you his contact information.”
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