After Jiang Cuo finished speaking, Su Qianqian fell silent, and the two of them lay there quietly.
After a while, Su Qianqian sighed and stared at the ceiling with her almond-shaped eyes.
"Jiang Cuo, time really flies. You've been gone for two years, and two years is enough time for many things to change. Actually, after I left, I was thinking that when we first got together, we used rules and regulations to bind each other's cooperation. To put it bluntly, it was just a matter of each getting what they needed. Even if we separated, we should still be friends. How did it turn out like this?"
After Su Qianqian finished speaking, she did not receive a response from Jiang Cuo for a long time. She only heard Jiang Cuo's steady breathing. She pushed Jiang Cuo's body to the side and found that Jiang Cuo had fallen asleep.
Jiang Cuo's phone was on the bedside table, and messages would pop up from time to time, making a dinging sound.
After Su Qianqian covered Jiang Cuo with the blanket, she picked up Jiang Cuo's phone to mute it, only to find that Jiang Cuo was still using the phone from two years ago, and that the phone automatically unlocked itself with facial recognition when it was pointed at her face.
Jiang Cuo's phone was a couple's model she bought back then; she had long since thrown away hers. Unexpectedly, Jiang Cuo had been using facial recognition all along, and the chat page automatically popped up after she turned it on.
It turns out to be that student group from high school. Someone's account has been hacked again, and the group is full of spam, one after another.
Su Qianqian accidentally clicked on it. She originally wanted to exit, but she accidentally saw the name Jiang Cuo had saved for her in the group.
Suzhou style.
Su Qianqian's heart skipped a beat.
She hadn't looked closely at Qianqian's misplaced love, but she had heard Lu Rong mention it before.
In high school, the class was divided into two factions: the Jiang faction and the Su faction. The Jiang faction believed that Jiang Cuo was the only one who was good, while the Su faction advocated for the Su-Jiang couple.
What happened four years ago is too distant now.
Su Qianqian only remembered that Jiang Cuo didn't seem to particularly like letting her look at her phone back then.
Su Qianqian turned her head and glanced at Jiang Cuo's sleeping face beside her.
When did Jiang Cuo start liking her?
...
Hao Family Villa.
Hao Duoyu had just received a call from Jiu You, who was still not coming home tonight. Hao Duoyu's mood was at its worst.
The secretary knocked cautiously on the door, tiptoed in, and placed the documents on Hao Duoyu's desk. "Mr. Hao, Weicuo Entertainment and Buwangchuxin Entertainment have not been greatly affected, and their share prices have not fallen. Moreover, Miss has been urging us to announce when she will sign a contract with Yunkong Film and Television."
Hao Duoyu then turned around and adjusted his glasses. "How did you do this? You bought so many online trolls, why didn't you achieve the expected results?"
The secretary lowered her head somewhat fearfully. "I don't know why the comments posted by the online trolls are always suppressed so quickly. Although the young lady's brainless fans are very protective of her, since she hasn't signed with a new company, there's been a lot of internal strife among the fans. Most of them feel that if she can't find a good next company, she shouldn't leave Weicuo Entertainment. Because the persona that Lu Rong at Weicuo Entertainment has created for her is a career-oriented persona that doesn't reject romance. If we don't announce that she's signed with Yun Kong Films, that career persona might collapse."
Hao Duoyu didn't want to hear any of this. "Enough! She's just a little girl. What's she doing in the entertainment industry? Her family has so much money, isn't that enough for her to squander? Didn't I tell you to dig deep into Su Qianqian and Jiang Cuo's past in high school? Why didn't you dig it all out?"
The secretary took out another stack of photos and placed them on Hao Duoyu's desk. "Mr. Hao, these are from high school, which is quite a long time ago. Besides, the internet wasn't as developed back then, so it's already very difficult to find them."
Moreover, my housekeeper, Su Qianqian, is no pushover either. Any sign of trouble for Su Qianqian will be detected and nipped in the bud. This is the latest photo taken by paparazzi following Su Qianqian and Jiang Cuo today: Su Qianqian, with a soaking wet Jiang Cuo in her arms, led him to her villa, but…”
Hao Duoyu frowned as he picked up the photo, examining it closely. Suddenly, a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes beneath his glasses, which had been feigning gentleness. He flipped the photo over, placed it in front of his secretary, and asked, "Do you think Jiang Cuo's blurry back looks like someone?"
The secretary was stunned for a moment, then looked closely. Jiang Cuo was soaked to the bone by the rain, and only a rough outline could be made out.
"The figure from behind looks a bit like the young lady, but the young lady isn't this tall."
Hao Duoyu chuckled and casually put the photo down. "The final episode of the 'I Am the Seven' variety show, which is being held to stay true to our original aspirations, will be airing soon, right?"
The secretary nodded. "Yes, Mr. Hao, the broadcast time is about three days from now, and the Weicuo Entertainment quarterly summary press conference should also be held in three days from now, based on the schedule."
Hao Duoyu's cold smile widened. "Post this photo in the Jiu Cuo fan group, then find online trolls. Remember, this hot topic should only explode in three days."
Su Qianqian said that dating is forbidden within her company, so if Su Qianqian is seen as being a traitor when she puts her arm around this person, then wouldn't that give traitor a reason to leave Weicuo Entertainment?
Su Qianqian's long-standing image as a young and domineering CEO will collapse. If Jiang Cuo wants to clear Su Qianqian's name, he has to admit that the person in the back is her. Then he will go and find online trolls to expose Jiang Cuo's illegitimate child status. Due to Su Lian's hype, the illegitimate child status has already been thoroughly discredited online. Jiang Cuo will not have time to reveal his reasons before she will take care of it.
Regardless of the final outcome, it will be a win-win situation. Once he completely destroys Weicuo Entertainment and drives Jiang Cuo out of the country, no one will be able to harm his marriage.
Although the secretary didn't quite understand why Hao Duoyu was doing this, she obediently did as she was told.
However, in the deserted and dark office of Yunkong Film and Television, Hua Kongque leisurely stretched in Cui Shu's office and then unplugged the USB drive from the computer.
Once she hands this over to Jiang Cuo, her mission will be complete.
Once Yun Kong Films goes bankrupt, she can jump ship to Su Qianqian's Weicuo Entertainment and then retire.
However, before she went, she had to make Su Qianqian abolish the company's rule against dating.
...
The next day, Jiang Cuo woke up with a stomachache.
I felt completely exhausted, and my bath towel was wide open.
But she couldn't remember what happened after she took a shower at Su Qianqian's villa last night.
I vaguely remember hearing Su Qianqian explain her relationship with Song Yaxing, saying that she simply wanted to recruit Song Yaxing into the company.
There was a glass of warm water and a few pills on the bedside table.
Jiang Cuo then discovered that those pills were the stomach medicine she had been taking all along.
After getting up, Jiang Cuo changed into the clothes prepared for her by the servants.
Downstairs, the housekeeper had already prepared breakfast and was waiting for Jiang Cuo. "President Jiang, President Su has already gone to work. There's been a lot of work going on at the company lately."
Jiang Cuo nodded.
Wang Sisi had already parked her car outside the villa.
Jiang Cuo sat in the car, slowly recalling what had happened last night.
Wang Sisi said, "President Jiang, the third episode of the idol group show will air in three days. After the show airs, the seven members will debut. If we don't finalize the signing of those seven members to a company, their fans will probably be dissatisfied after the show airs."
Jiang Cuo looked out the window and replied calmly, "No rush."
"President Jiang, yesterday when I followed you and President Su back, I noticed that paparazzi were following us and taking pictures. Should we investigate this matter thoroughly? After all, Weicuo Entertainment's quarterly press conference is in four days, which is one day before the debut of the seven-member group." Wang Sisi frowned slightly, somewhat worried, fearing that something might go wrong at this crucial juncture.
Jiang Cuo smiled, as if he had been waiting for this day for a long time. "It's alright, let's see what kind of waves they can stir up."
Just then, Jiang Cuo's phone lit up. Someone without a contact name sent an "OK" gesture.
While glancing at her boss's expression, Wang Sisi tentatively asked, "President Jiang, did you take your medicine this morning? This medicine was given to me by President Su. President Su specifically instructed me to make sure you take your medicine on time. If you don't listen, I'll tell President Su."
Jiang Cuo's expression softened instantly, a faint blush appeared on the tips of her ears, and her heart felt warm.
I never expected Su Su to care about her so much.
...
Three days later.
The final episode of the idol group variety show aired. The last seven trainees were selected to form a group and debut together, but their signing company was not revealed, causing a stir online.
Netizens began to discuss and speculate about what exactly was going on with "Never Forget the Original Intention Entertainment".
Paparazzi also photographed Su Qianqian stopping Jiang Cuo, who was soaking wet, from returning to the villa. That photo was posted on the Jiu Cuo fan page. Moreover, this matter was deliberately suppressed for three days before it completely broke out before Su Qianqian's company's quarterly press conference.
The photo was also blurred, and the online trolls released photos of clothing related to the photo.
The onlookers are now thoroughly enjoying the drama, and the tide has turned in one direction, with everyone launching attacks against Su Qianqian.
Everyone is waiting for Su Qianqian's company's quarterly press conference tomorrow.
Jiang Cuo organized the evidence that Hua Kongque had sent her.
Tomorrow, the truth will come out.
Yu Siyu and Yan Qinghuan were extremely busy.
Lu Rong entered Su Qianqian's office with the documents. "President Su, what should we do? The media is completely against us, refusing to listen to our explanations. It's like someone is deliberately targeting us. Should we hold the quarterly press conference on time tomorrow? And what about that photo..."
Su Qianqian frowned, deep in thought, "We'll deal with whatever comes our way. The press conference must be held. Why should we be guilty about something we haven't done?"
...
Weicuo Entertainment held its quarterly press conference.
There were even more media outlets eager to jump in than the last time they clarified that Zhao Yuxin had been subjected to unspoken rules.
However, the media outlets reacted as if they had received solid evidence, and their momentum was quite strong.
As soon as Su Qianqian arrived at the press conference and sat down, entertainment reporters raised their hands and began asking questions.
[Mr. Su, could you please explain the origin of this photo? Are the people in the photo you and Jiu Cuo, who has already terminated his contract with your company? What were you doing when you brought Jiu Cuo into the villa?]
Su Qianqian was prepared, but it was clear that those entertainment reporters had gone all out this time, determined to dig up some juicy gossip, and didn't give Su Qianqian a chance to explain at all.
[President Su, so when Jiu Cuo terminated his contract with your company, was he subjected to some kind of unspoken rule by your company? Rumors have been circulating online for a long time that because Jiu Cuo shares a character with the president of a certain company, and President Su had a past relationship with him, Jiu Cuo was used as a substitute. But President Su has stated that internal romantic relationships are forbidden in your company. Doesn't this contradict yourself?]
[Please give us a reasonable explanation? On one hand, you fired your own manager for violating the company's ban on dating, and on the other hand, you forced out the company's most popular artist through underhanded tactics. Mr. Su, what is your purpose in doing this? Is it moral depravity or the loss of humanity?]
Su Qianqian: "..."
[Furthermore, Jiu Cuo has already signed an agreement with Yun Kong Film & Television and officially switched companies to Yun Kong Film & Television. Weicuo Entertainment has been paying for articles to discredit Yun Kong Film & Television, saying that Yun Kong Film & Television is declining while your company is thriving and the most promising new force in the entertainment industry. What is your explanation for this?]
Su Qianqian: "Has anyone considered that this photo was maliciously edited and composited? Regarding Jiu Cuo leaving our company for Yun Kong Film and Television, I think people strive for better opportunities, and water flows downhill. As her former boss, I am happy for her that she has a better future."
[Mr. Su, does the twitching at the corner of your mouth indicate that you're forcing a smile? Furthermore, according to statistics, a particularly large number of artists have terminated their contracts with Weicuo Entertainment in the past two months. Is there something wrong within the company? Or do you engage in unethical practices with the company's artists, leading to their departure?]
Lu Rong projected the photos onto the multimedia screen behind him. "This reporter, please look at the big screen. The two photos that are supposedly the evidence circulating online are completely different in terms of the back view of Jiu Cuo and the woman in the photo who is soaked in the rain. As for the claim that the clothes are the same, it's just that the color scheme of the clothes Jiu Cuo wore when he attended the event was similar to that of the woman in the photo. Moreover, the timing doesn't match up. There have only been two heavy rains in the past month."
[So Minister Lu's explanation is a tacit admission that it was President Su? So President Su did indeed bring a woman back to his villa? Could you please reveal who this woman is? Or is she one of the company's other artists involved in the unspoken rules?]
Su Qianqian: "..."
The entertainment reporters, as if they had seized on Weicuo Entertainment's weakness, bombarded her with questions one after another, giving Su Qianqian no chance to respond.
Because the press conference was broadcast live, netizens were also swayed by the media and launched a one-sided attack on Weicuo Entertainment.
"I can explain the matter concerning Mr. Su of Weicuo Entertainment."
Jiang Cuo's voice suddenly appeared in Su Qianqian's ears, and then Su Qianqian's whole body stiffened. She couldn't control her heartbeat, and her breathing became tense.
Upon seeing Jiang Cuo, the media immediately turned their cameras on and began snapping photos.
[What explanation do you have, Mr. Jiang?]
Jiang Cuo sat down next to Su Qianqian. Under the cover of the table, he took Su Qianqian's left hand with his right hand and gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb a few times, as if to soothe her.
Jiang Cuo stared firmly into the entertainment reporters with her clear, cold phoenix eyes. "The person in the photo is me. Four days ago, during an event held by a high-end brand, I ran into President Su. I didn't have an umbrella, and President Su soaked me, so he brought me back to the villa to freshen up."
As if waiting for Jiang Cuo to say that, the entertainment reporter immediately jumped out again.
【Then I'd like to ask Mr. Jiang, why does your silhouette resemble Jiu Cuo so much? Do you have any connection to Jiu Cuo? Why do so many netizens mistake you for Jiu Cuo? Recently, there's been a lot of buzz online about an illegitimate child, concerning the president of an entertainment company. Mr. Jiang, what is your connection to this news?】
Su Qianqian frowned, instantly tensing up. She remembered Jiang Cuo's confession to her last night.