“You didn’t call me yesterday, so I thought everything was fine.” Tang Qi sat on the office sofa, clutching a cup of tea as she rambled nervously. “I never imagined President Zhang would actually dare to make a move… You were almost ruined by that President Chen…”
“Qi-jie, I’m fine now, aren’t I?”
“That’s only because you met a benefactor!” Tang Qi let out a heavy sigh. “If it weren’t for that fan of yours, we would have never found evidence of President Zhang drugging you. She even helped you handle the hotel’s surveillance. I went to negotiate with the hotel, and they were incredibly firm—insisting that every camera in the building was undergoing maintenance last night. Your entry and exit from the hotel have been kept completely under wraps.”
“Mm.”
“Zhong Ying, why do you seem so indifferent about this?”
“There’s nothing to worry about.” Zhong Ying stared at her phone screen, her mind clearly elsewhere. “Zhang Qi isn’t getting out of jail, and President Chen won’t dare do anything to me again.”
She had already sent the “scandalous photos” to President Chen. Unless he had completely lost his mind, he wouldn’t try to cross her again.
Of course, if he were so blinded by hatred that he insisted on causing trouble, Zhong Ying wouldn’t mind sending the recording from that night to the authorities. She had already sent one Zhang Qi behind bars; she didn’t mind sending President Chen to keep him company.
Tang Qi had no idea that Zhong Ying was the one behind the reports against Zhang Qi. She simply assumed that when a wall starts to crumble, everyone gives it a push—there were bound to be enemies who didn’t want Zhang Qi to have a good life.
Since Zhong Ying seemed unburdened and showed no emotional distress, Tang Qi decided to let it go. What was done was done.
“Speaking of which, that fan who gave you the Mingshang shawl… have you properly thanked her?”
At the mention of Zhu Xingtong, Zhong Ying paused. She lowered her eyes and asked a seemingly unrelated question: “Qi-jie, if you were very rich, how would you go about ‘stanning’ a celebrity?”
Tang Qi didn’t know why she was asking, but she answered anyway: “Throw money at them? Send expensive gifts? Support their new dramas? Just the usual fan behavior, I guess, though the investment would be much higher.”
“That’s different. I don’t think she’s ‘stanning’ me,” Zhong Ying said with a small smile.
“What?”
Zhong Ying didn’t explain; she just retreated into her own thoughts.
She felt that the way Zhu Xingtong looked at her wasn’t the way a fan looks at an idol. You could tell from her eyes. However, there was no doubt that Zhu Xingtong cared for her deeply.
When they ate together, Xingtong’s gaze was more like that of a friend—a very, very close friend.
“Qi-jie.”
“Yeah?”
Zhong Ying cleared her throat slightly. “If a friend of yours was… overly concerned about you…”
Tang Qi frowned, sensing that the situation was not simple. “Zhong Ying, you aren’t in a relationship, are you?”
“What?” This time, it was Zhong Ying’s turn to be shocked.
A relationship? With whom?
Her and Zhu Xingtong?
“…Why do you look so surprised! I’m just asking. As long as you aren’t. Now that Stars Entertainment has acquired Qiming, they’ll definitely take time to reorganize the remaining artists. You originally wanted to sign with Stars anyway, so this is a perfect opportunity. If you can latch onto a giant like Stars, your future will be limitless. You absolutely cannot go getting into a relationship right now, do you hear me?”
Tang Qi felt her concerns were justified. Though she had been Zhong Ying’s manager for five years, she had never seen her date anyone.
While Zhong Ying appeared to have a “go-with-the-flow” attitude, Tang Qi knew very well that she was a woman of strong convictions. She knew exactly what she wanted and what she didn’t. Once Zhong Ying made a decision, no one could persuade or stop her.
“A relationship… that won’t happen,” Zhong Ying murmured.
She shifted her gaze back to her phone screen.
It was currently displaying a search result:
Zhu Xingtong —
Chairwoman of Little Star Real Estate
Chairwoman of Little Star Venture Capital Co., Ltd.
President of Little Star Charity Foundation
Youngest Living Business Legend
Outstanding Entrepreneur
Most Influential Business Person of the Year [XX] ..
Dozens of entries appeared one by one, along with plenty of gossip regarding Zhu Xingtong:
【Is Little Star Venture Capital entering the entertainment industry? Stars Entertainment to be the first litmus test.】 【Zhu Xingtong has finally set her sights on the entertainment circle!】 【Investing in Stars: A favor for family, or a limitless business opportunity?】
Zhu Xingtong, the Chairwoman of Little Star Real Estate… was her fan?
Even Zhong Ying was starting to doubt the reality of that claim. As for a relationship…
“I haven’t flattered myself to that extent.”
The higher one’s position, the more transparent their motives usually are. How could someone of Zhu Xingtong’s status take an interest in a minor actress with very little fame? Zhong Ying thought this way, her mind filled with denials.
Yet, for some reason, what kept flashing in her mind was the way Zhu Xingtong had looked at her during dinner—eyes brimming with pure joy.
…Once I pay her back for the shawl, we probably won’t meet again.
Zhong Ying told herself this, deliberately ignoring the slight flutter in her heart.