The first trending topic Jiang Chiyu saw when she opened Weibo was: #Gu Sinian Soliciting Prostitutes.
The hashtag was followed by a dark red “Burst” tag. One could only imagine the level of public attention this matter was receiving, and just how many fans this artist named Gu Sinian actually had. Based on her ten-plus years of experience as a “melon-eater,” an artist with no fans couldn’t possibly cause such a stir.
Sure enough, when she clicked into his profile, she saw he had a staggering fifty million followers. Even in the entertainment industry, this was a massive presence. She scrolled through his recent posts; every single one had millions of likes, shares, and comments.
Honestly, when a star of this magnitude “collapsed,” Jiang Chiyu felt that the liquidated damages the company would have to pay might exceed fifty or sixty million. For an artist like this, a single endorsement deal was worth at least twenty to thirty million a year, and it was impossible for him to have only one or two. If he had more than five endorsements, the penalties for breach of contract could easily reach hundreds of millions.
“If Pei Su has to pay for all of this, he really won’t be able to scrounge up even ten million in liquid capital,” Jiang Chiyu concluded after observing for a few moments.
After a short pause, she added, “But an artist like him should have plenty of money himself. Shouldn’t he be able to afford it?”
“The company always has to contribute something,” Chen Mo replied while driving. Since Hengchuang owned an entertainment company, he knew the industry better than anyone. Although the artist usually bore the brunt of the cost, the company still had to take a hit.
Jiang Chiyu nodded, only half-understanding. “Is there concrete proof yet?”
She hadn’t seen any definitive evidence. Wasn’t it just a photo of Gu Sinian with disheveled clothes uploaded to the internet? There was no woman in the picture, and no video—were they just insisting he had solicited a prostitute?
“Isn’t there a recording? Everyone at the scene was talking about it.” Catching a red light, Chen Mo slowed down and stopped the car at the crosswalk.
“A recording?” Jiang Chiyu found it somewhat amusing. “But you can’t hear Gu Sinian’s voice in it at all. It’s just other people jeering. How is that any different from posting a screenshot of a WeChat chat log and calling it evidence?”
“It’s a recording! Oh, then I must believe it,” she added sarcastically.
Chen Mo frowned and thought about it for a moment, realizing she was right. Still, he said, “Miss Jiang, Gu Sinian belongs to Hengfa. Why are you speaking up for him?”
His words carried a hint of moral pressure. Jiang Chiyu didn’t tolerate it and laughed. “Just because he’s from Hengfa, do I have to kick him while he’s down even when I see something is wrong? I guess I’m just too kind. Let me get beaten down by society for another couple of years first.”
The car fell silent. Chen Mo wisely shut his mouth and didn’t say another word, regretting his unnecessary comment.
When Pei Yufan arrived home, he didn’t find the person he was looking for. He searched the house inside and out, and when he couldn’t find a trace of Jiang Chiyu, he was so angry he nearly wanted to tear down the wedding suite belonging to Pei Jinnian and Jiang Chiyu.
Fortunately, he still feared Pei Jinnian. No matter how much he wanted to, he didn’t dare actually do it. Having failed to find her, Pei Yufan was about to leave to look elsewhere when he ran into Cheng Wanru returning from outside.
Seeing him rushing out with such a hostile aura, Cheng Wanru immediately frowned. “You just got back—where are you going? Can’t you stand to see me?”
She grabbed his forearm to pull him inside, but her strength was no match for his. Pei Yufan broke free easily. “Mom, where is Jiang Chiyu?”
At the mention of Jiang Chiyu, Cheng Wanru’s anger flared up, and her voice rose. “What do you care about her? Get inside right now!”
“I’m going to find her and cause trouble! She made Sister Tinglan cry her eyes out at the airport!” Pei Yufan’s tone was harsh. His anger intensified when he mentioned Meng Tinglan, as if he wanted to tear Jiang Chiyu to pieces right then and there.
Hearing that he intended to give Jiang Chiyu a hard time, Cheng Wanru’s expression softened. “Don’t be in such a rush. Tell me, how is Tinglan? Does she know about Jinnian?”
Pei Yufan was also annoyed at the mention of his brother, but he answered anyway. “The Meng family called her while she was getting off the plane. They told her everything. She cried on the spot and dragged her suitcase home by herself.”
His frustration grew as he spoke of Meng Tinglan. “What is Brother playing at? Wouldn’t it have been fine to just get a fiancée like before? Why register the marriage and actually get married? Now everyone is miserable!”
If Jiang Chiyu had been there to hear this, she certainly would have said: Who says so? I’m doing quite well.
“Because your brother felt that a simple engagement wouldn’t completely lower your uncle’s suspicions. So this time, when your uncle introduced a new marriage prospect, he decided to just register the marriage and bring her home to see if your uncle would make any new moves.”
“But what about Sister Tinglan? Did Brother consider her feelings when he did this? Or does he simply not care about her at all?”
Though she was loath to admit it, Cheng Wanru wanted to say that Pei Jinnian didn’t care about Meng Tinglan. He didn’t even care about his own mother.
However, she couldn’t say that in front of Pei Yufan. “How could that be? Your brother surely has his own reasons. Didn’t you say you were going to find Jiang Chiyu? Today is Global Entertainment’s tenth-anniversary gala. The director sent her an invitation; she’ll likely be there tonight.”
Pei Yufan’s attention shifted instantly. “I’m going to find her now. Where is the gala being held?”
Cheng Wanru smiled. “The Sofia Hotel.”
“I’m going now.”
Jiang Chiyu didn’t go directly to the hotel. She had Chen Mo stop at a shopping mall mid-way and went to a clothing boutique on the second floor to pick out an evening gown.
It was an anniversary celebration, after all. She was representing the entirety of Hengchuang; she couldn’t afford to look like a country bumpkin entering the city.
The gown Jiang Chiyu chose wasn’t overly complex, nor was it one of those layered, lacy dresses. She picked a purple mermaid gown with a cinched waist that highlighted her figure without being overly revealing. On Jiang Chiyu, the dress looked as if it had found its perfect owner; every curve fit perfectly, as if it had been custom-made for her.
“I’ll take this one.” After picking out a pair of matching high heels that fit comfortably, she pulled out Pei Jinnian’s bank card and swiped it. She didn’t even blink. She had seen the numbers on the price tag, and they were within her acceptable range.
“It works.” Chen Mo had been on the phone with Pei Jinnian, who was giving him instructions, so he hadn’t paid any attention to which dress she chose. When he finally saw her, he froze in his tracks.
Wait… was Jiang Chiyu always this beautiful?
Driven by an unknown impulse, Chen Mo took out his phone and snapped a photo of Jiang Chiyu holding up her hem as she walked downstairs. He sent it to: President Pei.
Upon hearing the notification, Pei Jinnian opened his phone. He was puzzled to see a message from Chen Mo, who was currently on the line with him. But when he clicked on the chat, he saw exactly what Chen Mo had sent.
The makeup on the girl’s face was light; only her vivid red lips showed she was wearing lipstick. Even though it was only a profile shot, her exquisite beauty was undeniable. She was holding the hem of her light purple mermaid skirt as if it weren’t just fabric, but the most precious treasure in the world. She was breathtakingly beautiful.
Pei Jinnian’s eyes darkened. After a long moment, he reached out and turned off the screen.