Su Yanxi listened to Zhou Tong's explanation and fell into deep thought.
"And another thing, you said that Xiang Mingyue didn't know about your father's wrongful imprisonment, and he wasn't the one who framed you for being punished? If we take it all into account, this mastermind behind the scenes is really too powerful."
"He must have incredibly powerful connections to frame you and get you punished; he also needs to know your past and your father's history?"
Just as Zhou Tong was about to ask, "Does such a person really exist?", Su Yanxi suddenly murmured aloud.
"Qi Xiang'an".
After speaking coldly, Su Yanxi suddenly looked up and sat up straight.
"Qi Xiang'an meets all of the above conditions."
Su Yanxi relayed the information she had obtained from Bie Yunzong to Zhou Tong and Lin Xiaohai. Of course, when discussing this, she inevitably mentioned his former name.
“When I was born, my father named me ‘Su Yanxi,’ meaning to generate hope. When I was eleven or twelve, my father was wrongfully imprisoned, and my mother moved with me and changed my name to Su Yanxi.”
Very few people knew Su Yanxi's former name; almost everyone who knew him had seen his household registration. Even his wife, Bie Yunzong, only discovered the truth when they registered their marriage last year!
Bie Yunzong also said something like, "Sure enough, the current name is more like my wife. The previous one was too positive and upbeat, like an energetic boy. It felt so awkward to call her that." He just kept praising her without thinking.
When Su Yanxi told Zhou Tong and Lin Xiaohai, both of them were very surprised. Lin Xiaohai was so angry that he kicked the table leg and complained in a low voice, "I don't even know so much about Madam. How does that Qi Xiang'an know all this for no reason?"
Su Yanxi's number one fanboy is getting a little upset! From this moment on, Qi Xiang'an is someone Lin Xiaohai needs to keep a close eye on and guard against at all times!
"If this person knows your former name, doesn't that mean... he might know about your past?" Zhou Tong rested his chin on his hand. "I've heard that Qi Xiang'an has an unusual background, but I didn't expect there to be so much to uncover."
Su Yanxi asked, "How exactly is his background unusual?"
"Looking at his past resume, he was already playing a supporting role in a TV series during his university internship, and he even co-starred with an artist I used to manage; all things considered, I have some connection with him."
"Oh right! After I ended my previous management contract and announced my retirement from the entertainment industry, Qi Xiang'an even sent someone to try to win me over, but I didn't respond."
"Do you want to cooperate with me?"
"Hmm. But he wasn't very sincere. Not only did he not come to talk to me, but he also couldn't give me any strong guarantees. If he were half as sincere and serious as you, I might have actually signed a contract with him." Zhou Tong commented objectively, "He is, after all, the second-best at the Beijing Academy of Drama, and his internship resume is impressive. In terms of personal qualifications, he should be no worse than you."
Lin Xiaohai, the number one fanboy, couldn't stand this and retorted loudly, "No way! That guy looks like he has a scheming face. He's not even a hair on the young mistress's head!"
"Oh, I was just saying." Zhou Tong waved his hand and smiled. "He gives people the feeling of being superficial and lacking substance, so no matter how good his qualifications are, how good his resume is, or how much experience he has on set, I still didn't work with him."
"Besides, there have always been rumors about Qi Xiang'an laundering money. Considering that, I probably won't agree easily."
It turns out there's quite a lot of gossip behind Qi Xiang'an!
Su Yanxi's brows furrowed and didn't relax, as she pressed Zhou Tong for details: "And what about money laundering?"
“He had such amazing resources when he first graduated, and there was a lot of envy in the industry. Over time, this rumor started circulating. But in my experience, nine out of ten such rumors are true,” Zhou Tong said in a low voice. “The entertainment industry is, after all, a huge melting pot of capital!”
After listening to the explanation, Su Yanxi understood.
"Sister Tong, please keep an eye on Qi Xiang'an for me. You know the inside news of the crew faster." Su Yanxi couldn't help but clutch her chest as she spoke. "Every time I mention Qi Xiang'an, I feel a chill run down my spine. I have a feeling that the feud between Qi Xiang'an and me probably goes back a long time."
Zhou Tong patted Su Yanxi's back and gestured for Lin Xiaohai to bring a blanket: "Don't be afraid - you are the young mistress of another family! No matter how capable Qi Xiang'an is, would he dare to compete with you on the same stage?"
"You still have a loving husband! Hey, by the way, why didn't Young Master Bie come along this time?"
Chapter 71
Zhou Tong looked around the room curiously, searching for Bie Yunzong.
"He was so clingy to you, I thought he would come along after you two made up."
“He did want to.” Su Yanxi put on a small blanket and took a sip of hot tea. “I sent him back. My older brother needs to talk to him about something, and he’ll come to find me when he’s done.”
"Really? He shouldn't not come, right?" Zhou Tong's gossipy nature resurfaced, and she secretly inquired, "How long do you estimate he'll be busy?"
"They will definitely come." Su Yanxi was 100% certain.
He didn't even need to use his brain; he could just casually tell Bie Yunzong when he was coming.
"After Yunzong goes back and listens to his older brother's instructions, he will spend one day resting, one day taking the cat out for a bath, and another day packing his luggage. He will come to see me on the fourth day."
As Bie Yunzong's beloved wife of many years, Su Yanxi truly had a firm grasp on Bie Yunzong's thoughts!
At the same moment, Bie Yunzong sat casually in the large leather chair in the president's office of YUNSO Group, legs crossed, chewing gum. He gazed at the beautiful city view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, pondering the matter of finding a wife.
When should I go see my wife? Ideally, tomorrow—no, tonight!
But if he rushed into finding a wife, she would definitely think he was neglecting his duties. To create the impression that he was working hard and doing something worthwhile, he decided to be patient and wait. He would stay in Beicheng a few more days, and then go find his wife to reunite.
He decided to sleep in tomorrow to catch his breath, and then take his cat son to the pet grooming salon for a bath and grooming the day after. Nubi hadn't had a bath since coming home, and his fur was definitely matted and tangled; the cat was practically pickled!
As for the day after tomorrow? I'll just pack my bags and get ready to fly to Guangzhou!
Just as he was happily making his plans, the office door suddenly opened. Bie Congrui, who had just finished an important meeting, walked in, looking at his unfortunate younger brother with a dark expression.
"Get down."
Bie Yunzong patted his pants and stood up, pretending to be disgusted, saying, "If it weren't for the good lighting here, I wouldn't bother sitting here."
“Yes, you’ll have a reason to respond to anything I say.” Bie Congrui sat down in the leather chair, pushed Bie Yunzong’s half-finished coffee cup aside, and opened a drawer. “Enough with the nonsense, I’ll show you something.”
Don't give me that look; put your hands in your pockets and walk a little further away, looking at the city scenery from a different angle, and yawning as you do: "I don't want to look. Why don't you read it to me?"
"Sigh, I miss my wife again. I'm so lovesick that I feel weak all over."
Bie Congrui clicked his tongue in exasperation, half-directly and half-threateningly saying, "This thing is directly related to your emotional future. If you don't look at it now, just wait for Yanxi to make a fuss about divorce you later."
Bie Yunzong was very sensitive to the word "divorce," and upon hearing it, he immediately went to the executive desk to receive the documents.
"What exactly is this thing? It sounds really scary."
It was a thin "document" that was only one page long. Bie Yunzong casually glanced at it after opening it, and the next second he was shocked and his eyes widened.
"What the heck is this?" Bie Yunzong threw down the document, raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, and looked at his older brother. "Brother, where did you get this from?"
"It was Miss Xie who wrote it by hand and personally had someone 'deliver' it to my office—just because she couldn't contact you." Bie Congrui snorted coldly, tossing the handwritten letter aside with a headache. "You'll have to figure out how to settle your romantic entanglements yourself."
"How do I solve this?"
Thinking of his wife's beautiful and delicate face, Bie Yunzong couldn't help but shudder.
"I never expected that anyone would actually take a joke made when she was eleven or twelve years old seriously! Without any evidence, what makes her claim to be his fiancée?"
"I have a wife! If she finds out about this, she'll definitely make fun of me again!"
Don't let your mind wander and cause trouble, for one wave of peace will be followed by another.
Last time, at least Su Yanxi genuinely misunderstood him, and the only unexplained drunken night still has a mystery to solve. But this one? This is definitely his "romantic debt"!
A careless remark led to an unintentional romantic entanglement!
"If you made a promise, don't blame the girl for misunderstanding you. She went abroad to study at the age of thirteen and has always regarded you as her fiancé and first love, remaining chaste for you. If Miss Xie hadn't seen Yan Xi's trending topic a few days ago, she wouldn't have known that the promise between you two no longer counts."
"Wait, wait, wait—" Bie Yunzong stopped his brother's accusations and defended himself, "I really never made any promises to her! At most, I would say things like, 'If neither of us has a partner in the future, then let's just get together,' and that's all!"
"But her sudden appearance, could it be that she's after our family's benefits?"
Bie Congrui nodded: "It's very likely. The Xie family's cooperation contract with us is about to expire. On the one hand, they want to renew the contract, and on the other hand, they are trying to raise the price. I am not satisfied with their attitude towards cooperation, so I have put them on hold for quite some time."
Bie Yunzong waved his hand dismissively, speechless, "Isn't it obvious they're using me as a weak point? Damn it, whatever, you fight back for me."
"You can just talk them out, but aren't you afraid they'll cause trouble in front of Yanxi?"
"I'm scared!" Bie Yunzong immediately backed down, cupped his hands to his older brother, and earnestly pleaded, "It's better not to let my wife know until this matter is resolved."
“That’s what I think too.” Bie Congrui sighed and leaned back in his leather chair. “Yanxi, like your sister-in-law, has become more sensitive and suspicious this year. Is this some kind of problem that right-sided people often have?”
"They're terrifying. It's best not to provoke them."
Bie Yunzong sensed the deeper meaning in his older brother's words and asked curiously, "What's wrong? Did you and your wife have a falling out too?"
"Yeah, it happened before the New Year, and it caused quite a stir."
Why?
Ruiben wanted to say, "It's all because of the party I organized for you before," but when he saw his unfortunate younger brother's puzzled face, he didn't want to say it anymore.
Forget it, that incident was just a trigger. If we really want to get to the bottom of it, the problem ultimately lies in the relationship between him and Cai Yuyan. Now that the problem is solved, the child has been adopted, and the couple's relationship is even better than before, so I won't add to my unfortunate brother's guilt.
Chapter 72
“It’s nothing, it’s all in the past.” Bie Congrui brought up the main topic, “Regardless of whether the Xie family came for profit or not, you must resolve the ‘historical issues’ with their eldest daughter.”
"If there's something fishy going on, find out. If there's nothing fishy, ask the person out and clear up the misunderstanding between you."
As the current head of the family, Bie Congrui is calm and clear-headed.
"Business is business, and personal relationships are personal relationships. No matter how much we try to persuade them, the Xie family has been our partner for many years. We can't be too careful, but we also need to be more proactive in resolving the issues."
"After this matter is resolved, I will explain the situation to Yanxi on your behalf."
“Alright,” Bie Yun walked over to his older brother and poked his greasy hair with his hand, “it’s settled then.”
"Hmm." Bie Congrui retaliated in kind, tapping his unlucky little brother on the forehead. "Go on."
One week later, late at night.
Since filming resumed on the set of "Red Flower," Su Yanxi has been working non-stop for three nights. He finally finished shooting the important night scenes, and tonight he could finally get a good night's sleep, but his biological clock was completely messed up again. He tossed and turned for a long time, unable to muster even a shred of sleepiness.
Unable to fall asleep either way, Su Yanxi simply got up and browsed Weibo to kill time.
Although several trending topics did not have a real impact on Su Yanxi's reputation and the large-scale discussions were suppressed, the enthusiasm of the unscrupulous netizens for condemnation could not be stopped. Su Yanxi was given a nickname with a strong sense of ridicule - "Rich and Noble Green Tea Flower".
Netizens believe that Su Yanxi possesses considerable strength and a powerful backing. While her demeanor is aloof and upright, a closer look reveals a subtle, manipulative side. The word "flower" is originally used to describe women, but when combined with terms like "wealthy" and "green tea" (a derogatory term for a manipulative woman), it becomes a perfect description of Su Yanxi!
Su Yanxi didn't care. Even if it was green or tea-colored, at least it had "wealthy" as a modifier; rounding it off, let's just say it was a compliment.
What he really cares about and what really bothers him is the content being pushed to his homepage.
[Cheng Zhuo x Su Yanxi: Upright and ambitious moral exemplar (gong) and alluring, wealthy, and manipulative (shou)! Full of tension, aren't you ready to jump in?]
Su Yanxi didn't understand why his title was so long and strange, nor did she understand why he and Cheng Zhuo had become a couple after only filming a few scenes and having only a few trailers released.
He couldn't understand even more why these kinds of copywritings, which all had highly overlapping content, CP attributes, and endings like "full of tension, aren't you going to jump in yet?", would spread all over the internet overnight, and even if the keywords were blocked, they could still be seen on the homepage.
Who is it that is spreading these meaningless press releases without his consent?
He still felt a little conflicted and guilty, because...
With so many press releases and such a wide reach, he couldn't believe that Bie Yunzong, so far away in Beicheng, hadn't seen them. But if Bie Yunzong had seen them, why hadn't he heard a word from him?
"If it were before, she would have been furious and called me to demand an explanation, right?" Su Yanxi frowned, picking up her phone to look at the date displayed on the lock screen.