“Jiang Yanzhou really wasted his good looks.”
“Engaging in bullying, plagiarism, drug use… I can only say he deserves to be banned.”
“Hehe, banning him isn’t enough. Scum like this should just die!”
…
The brightness of the phone screen was glaring, reflecting fully on the teenager’s face.
“I didn’t do any of those things,” he murmured towards a photograph hanging on the wall.
“Mm, I know, big sister knows,” Jiang Zhiwu stood beside him, responding gently.
But the teenager seemed not to have heard her, staring blankly at the phone in a daze.
“Pay no attention to these people.” Jiang Zhiwu reached out, wanting to cover the screen filled with curses and insults, but the next second, her translucent fingers passed straight through the device.
She grabbed nothing but air.
Jiang Zhiwu furrowed her brows helplessly.
Looking closer, the black-and-white memorial photo on the wall, depicting a bright, smiling face, was none other than Jiang Zhiwu herself.
…
“President Jiang? President Jiang?”
The lights in the conference room were cold and sharp. The ingratiating voice of the business partner’s representative pulled Jiang Zhiwu back from her chaotic thoughts.
“Mm, continue.” Jiang Zhiwu tapped her finger lightly on the thick stack of documents, her voice clear and steady, as if her momentary distraction had merely been a brief pause for thought during work.
“Have you given our proposal some thought?” The representative asked, his tone carrying a hint of unnoticeable respect.
Jiang Zhiwu lowered her eyelids, withdrawing her gaze from the giant billboard on the building opposite. Her eyes were as sharp and precise as a scalpel as she looked at him. “Your company is asking for an additional 5% profit share. On what grounds?” Her voice was calm, yet it made the air suddenly freeze.
The smile on the representative’s face stiffened for a moment. He forced himself to remain composed. “President Jiang, business requires mutual understanding and flexibility.”
“Flexibility comes only after rules are respected.” She leaned forward, her hands folded on the black marble tabletop, her watch reflecting a cold light.
By the time the business negotiation concluded, the representative’s back was soaked through with sweat.
After the assistant saw off the trembling representative, Jiang Zhiwu’s gaze drifted once again towards the billboard across the street.
The person on the poster was her younger brother, Jiang Yanzhou. That naturally handsome and striking face wore an arrogant and cocky expression, looking so young and full of life.
Yet Jiang Zhiwu’s heart was still pounding with unease.
Perhaps she was just exhausted lately, but during that brief moment of distraction just now, she had a fleeting dream.
In the dream, she seemed to be living inside a cliché novel, cast as a minor character who dies early on.
And her brother, Jiang Yanzhou, was an important cannon fodder character in the early part of the story.
At the age of seventeen, Jiang Yanzhou debuted in the music industry with an original single, gaining millions of fans overnight and becoming a phenomenal superstar.
However, on a family variety show that the female lead participated in, he was used as a contrast. Through malicious marketing by those with ulterior motives, netizens who didn’t know the truth labeled him “cold” and “rude”.
After Jiang Zhiwu’s death, a devastated Jiang Yanzhou was subsequently exposed for scandals including leading bullying and drug use. He was even framed by her ex-fiancé—the male protagonist of the story—who schemed to seize the family’s billions in assets, effectively making him a stepping stone for the main characters.
In the end, unable to withstand the internet abuse, he retired from the industry and eventually committed suicide by overdose due to severe depression.
Thinking of her brother’s numb expression before his death, Jiang Zhiwu tried hard to suppress the dread in her heart.
A few blurry photos, some ambiguous chat logs, and people were quick to pass judgment.
And yet, the female lead instigated conflicts, allowed her management team to publish smear campaigns, and the male lead used underhanded methods to steal the family fortune. Weren’t they just feeding off others’ misery?!
This kind of “cool story” had absolutely no moral bottom line.
Jiang Zhiwu told herself the dream was absurd, but instinct drove her to ask her assistant for confirmation, “How has Yanzhou been lately?”
Hearing the President ask about her brother, the assistant was slightly surprised, but his professionalism kept his expression calm. “Young Master’s new single has broken records again. It’s also doing very well in European and American markets.”
“Mm.”
Relieved to hear her brother was doing well, Jiang Zhiwu finally let out a breath.
But before she could fully relax, the assistant hesitated and added, “However…”
“However?”
“It seems Young Master has run into a little trouble recently.”
Under Jiang Zhiwu’s slightly chilly gaze, the assistant braved the pressure and pulled out his phone, showing her the trending topics on Weibo.
#JiangYanzhouGivesSeniorShenYuAColdShoulder#
#JiangYanzhouDisrespectsElders#
Jiang Zhiwu’s expression darkened as she read through them. The familiar names made her eyelids twitch.
Shen Yu. He was indeed the male lead from the book, her ex-fiancé.
The reason for the “ex” was that back when their parents passed away, leaving the young siblings orphaned and their vast inheritance to be managed by relatives, the Shen family had immediately come to the door to call off the engagement.
The hashtag #JiangYanzhouIsIllMannered# on the screen stung her eyes.
Her heart hammered heavily in her chest, every beat confirming the absurd yet increasingly clear realization—that wasn’t a dream, it was a past life she had forgotten, a predestined script.
And right now, her own brother, Jiang Yanzhou, was stepping straight into the pit dug for cannon fodder characters in the story.
The thought sent a jolt of terror through her.
She gestured to her assistant and ordered firmly, “Get those trending topics removed immediately.”
“Yanzhou! Your hashtags just suddenly disappeared!”
His manager, Zhang Wenshi, held up his phone, rushing excitedly towards the teenager sitting on the sofa.
The young man looked like a masterpiece favored by the Creator. He wasn’t just delicately handsome; his features possessed a striking balance of strength and softness.
Hearing the shout, he merely raised an eyebrow slightly. He didn’t reply, nor did he stop strumming the guitar strings. His long fingers continued to glide effortlessly over the instrument, pulling out a simple yet beautiful melody.
Undeterred, Zhang Wenshi repeated, “Hey! Your negative hashtags are gone!”
“I heard,” the teenager finally lifted his chin lazily in response.
Zhang Wenshi was slightly taken aback by his attitude. He stepped closer to the sofa, waving his phone screen. “These were top trending topics all day! And then… poof! They’re gone! Vanished into thin air, you can’t even find related searches!” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “Who else could have pulled this off so cleanly? Do you think it might be your sister…”
Jiang Yanzhou’s eyelashes fluttered almost imperceptibly, but his voice was cold as he denied it, “Impossible.”
“Why impossible?” Zhang Wenshi argued logically. “The people at the company are useless. Usually, they just want to squeeze every bit of popularity out of you, but when things go wrong, they wash their hands of it. Who else but your sister has that kind of power?”
Jiang Yanzhou’s fingers, which had been idly plucking the strings, stopped completely.
“My sister?” He curled his fingertips until they turned white, his voice low and certain. “All she cares about are business plans. She doesn’t have time to bother with me.”
Silence fell over the studio.
Jiang Yanzhou lowered his eyes again, his long lashes casting shadows beneath them.
Looking at the teenager’s stubborn profile, Zhang Wenshi felt a pang of sympathy. As his manager, he knew the siblings had a strained relationship, but he didn’t realize they had grown so distant.
He paced back and forth anxiously, racking his brains to change the subject.
Then, a bold idea—one that could easily backfire—popped into his head.
“Yanzhou…” Zhang Wenshi’s voice dropped to a whisper, cautious and tentative. “Remember that family variety show I mentioned to you before?”
Jiang Yanzhou didn’t move or look up, but Zhang Wenshi sensed his body tense up instantly.
Swallowing hard, Zhang Wenshi steeled himself and made the suggestion that was treading on thin ice. “Even though the negative news was suppressed, the damage is still there.” He watched Jiang Yanzhou’s reaction carefully. “A heartwarming variety show could really help turn public opinion around.”
He held his breath and got to the real point, “So, Yanzhou… do you… want to think about it? Maybe ask your sister if she’d join? Just maybe… she might agree…”
“…Give it to me.”
“Huh?” Zhang Wenshi was stunned for a moment.
“I said, give me the phone,” Jiang Yanzhou said.
Zhang Wenshi’s heart raced—was he actually going to do it?! He fumbled to hand over Jiang Yanzhou’s phone, holding it out reverently as if afraid the boy would change his mind.
Jiang Yanzhou took the phone, the cool metal surface touching his fingertips. Without hesitation, his fingers flew across the contacts list, moving with deliberate decisiveness until he found the one and only pinned number.
His finger hovered above the digits, the glow of the screen illuminating his face.
One second, two seconds… the hovering finger trembled almost imperceptibly. Finally, gathering enough courage—with a touch of hidden hope—he pressed down firmly.
Without hesitation, Jiang Yanzhou switched it to speakerphone and practically slammed the phone onto the coffee table, as if it were a hot potato, or perhaps exposing his secret expectation for all to see.
A rhythmic dial tone echoed from the speaker.
*Beep…*
Jiang Yanzhou’s hand resting on the armrest unconsciously clenched into a fist, nails digging into his palm.
*Beep…*
His jawline tightened like a drawn bowstring. He stared fixedly at a point in space, trying hard to maintain an indifferent facade.
*Beep…*
Zhang Wenshi could clearly see the teenager’s straight back stiffen even more.
…
…
*Beep…*
*Beep…*
Then, a cold, emotionless, mechanical female voice pierced through the air like an icy dagger:
“Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later…”
…
The line went dead.
The monotonous sound looped endlessly, stubbornly.
The phone on the table, with its cold notification glowing on the screen, looked like a twisted, mocking face.
As if he had expected it all along, Jiang Yanzhou forced his lips into a careless smirk. “See? I knew it would be like this.”
Zhang Wenshi’s throat moved, but he couldn’t find any words to say.
Just as the atmosphere grew heavy and awkward—
*Buzz… Buzz… Buzz…*
A sudden, intense vibration cut through the silence.
Zhang Wenshi glanced instinctively.
Caller ID: Jiang Zhiwu.
The call was answered almost instantly.
“Hello?”
“I was in a meeting just now,” Jiang Zhiwu explained.
“Mm.” Jiang Yanzhou’s response was flat, giving little away, though his voice sounded slightly dry. His fingers tightened involuntarily around the edge of the sofa, holding his breath as he finally mustered the courage to speak. “Jiang Zhiwu, I… I have something to discuss with you.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted it. “Forget it, never mind…”
“Come home tonight and we’ll talk,” Jiang Zhiwu interrupted him. “Come back for dinner. I’ll ask Mama Wang to cook extra dishes.”
Her agreement was so straightforward that Jiang Yanzhou was left stunned and flattered.
He stared at the darkening screen, muttering petulantly, “You’re always working overtime and never home. Why should I go just because you say so?”
Watching him stand up and grab his jacket decisively, Zhang Wenshi was confused. “So… where are you going?”
Without looking back, Jiang Yanzhou huffed out two words:
“Home.”
Jiang Ling only found out after her death that she was nothing more than a disposable character who dies early in a novel.
Because of her passing, her brother Jiang Shili became violent and unruly. After being rejected by the female lead, he drove off a cliff and died.
Jiang Ling was so furious she came back to life. Opening her eyes, she saw Jiang Shili standing before her with hands in pockets, looking incredibly arrogant.
After six years apart, his first words to her were:
“Who sent you? You cheap imposter!”
Jiang Ling: “…”
That day, people saw Jiang Shili, the notorious bully at Yuncheng High, being chased and beaten by a young girl: “You brat! Dare talk to your sister like that again?!”
Faced with this woman who had barged into his life claiming to be his sister, Jiang Shili felt nothing but annoyance, disdain, and resistance.
He went on a hunger strike, but Jiang Ling remained unmoved. Instead, she ordered a feast of fried chicken, barbecue, and crayfish right in front of him, eating with great relish.
He skipped class to go to internet cafes, but Jiang Ling sat at the computer next to him, playing even more intensely than he was.
He dyed his hair in crazy colors, and Jiang Ling calmly took photos, hanging the ugly close-ups right in the middle of the living room wall.
After countless failed attempts to drive her away, from anger to despair, he finally had to accept the reality—
This woman… was actually really his sister?
The realization hit him, and his eyes instantly turned red.
He had always thought he was a curse who brought death to his parents and sister, that he was meant to rot alone in the gutter.
He never expected that the light he thought had been extinguished forever would shine back into his life.
Gu Xubai and Jiang Ling were former classmates.
Back in school, Jiang Ling had been captivated by the school hunk’s good looks and sweet-talked him into dating her.
The autumn wind was cool, the courtyard deep and quiet.
Jiang Ling happened to look up and saw a man standing in the shadows below the steps.
He had an air of noble aloofness, dressed entirely in black, as if attending a solemn funeral.
Those deep, bottomless eyes were fixed intently on her face, heavy with emotion.
Jiang Ling’s heart skipped a beat.
Wasn’t this… the boyfriend she had gone to such great lengths to win over all those years ago?