Chapter 54 Prison Truth Revealed: A Ruthless Heart, A Four-Pronged Scheme
Song Ying finally understood that Jiang Yueyao had indeed suffered a great deal of trauma.
At least under normal emotional circumstances, one wouldn't say such crazy things.
"You're right, all glory is fleeting, and no one can stay on top forever. However, there are a few points I don't quite agree with."
"First, I don't need to fight you for Ashu. My relationship with him is protected by law, and no one can take it away from me."
"Secondly, if he were the kind of man that other women could easily seduce, I would never be interested in him either—Jiang Yueyao, women have been liberated for so many years. As women, we are no longer dependent on men, nor do we need to prove our value through the scrutiny and affection of men."
"Third, being liked by someone like Shen Linzhou is not an honor for me. I will not feel proud because of it, but on the contrary, I will not feel humiliated either. Whether others like me or not is their own business. I only need to know who I like."
"Fourth, today you are inside and I am outside, it doesn't mean you're unlucky, nor does it mean I'll end up in the same situation as you tomorrow. Because everything you're going through now is your own choice."
"You have an outstanding appearance and your acting skills are not bad either. The dramas you filmed in your early years are still used as teaching videos by many acting teachers. Back then, you were also the leading lady of Qiong Yu. You are luckier than many people and won at the starting line much earlier than them. But why did you end up in this situation? Do you have to keep comparing yourself to others, as if everything is someone else's fault? Don't you bear any responsibility for how things have developed to this point?"
Song Ying calmly looked at Jiang Yueyao, without the arrogance of a victor, but calmly explained her point of view and asked her questions.
Jiang Yueyao opened her mouth, her desire to refute turning into a desire to explain, but in the end, she still didn't know where to begin.
She stared at Song Ying for a long while, then slid down against the wall next to her.
Song Ying's words reminded her of her past self.
"Which newcomer to the industry doesn't harbor the pure heart of wanting to become a good actor and make a name for themselves?"
Jiang Yueyao gave a bitter smile.
At the age of sixteen, she took the two thousand yuan she had saved up and went to the capital city in the north, hoping to fulfill her dream of becoming an actress.
He was cheated out of his money, had nowhere to sleep, and could only squeeze into a space under a bridge with beggars. He was groped and couldn't even get food. At his worst, he went hungry for two days.
At that time, she even thought that she was going to die in the capital.
She was squeezed in the crowd, trying to audition for a role as an extra. She was pushed over and trampled, but the director in charge of casting evacuated the crowd in time, preventing her from being trampled to death. She even got a role as a female beggar with two lines.
Because at that time, she really was a beggar.
No acting is needed; one can be true to oneself.
That role was a turning point in her life.
The crew gave her a bowl of rice. After seeing her clean face, the director was amazed by her appearance and then gave her a small role later on.
Thus, she gradually entered the entertainment industry.
Just when she thought she could become whoever she wanted to be simply through acting skills, she realized that every gift that fate bestowed came with a hidden price.
She could certainly choose to continue playing supporting roles in various dramas, but that kind of life is definitely not what she wants.
She went back to school, got into drama school, and learned about another shortcut to success from her surroundings.
Sell your soul, sell your body, and then you can reach the ceiling that she has struggled to reach for so long...
She struggled with her feelings and felt conflicted, but in the end, she chose to succumb to despair.
The days of poverty and hardship lingered in her memories. She was like a tiny ant, only able to gain a sense of security by constantly carrying food. She couldn't help but want to suppress anyone she felt threatened, just as those people had bullied and oppressed her in the past... Gradually, she became the kind of person she hated.
"But I never imagined that the end would be here."
Jiang Yueyao gave a self-deprecating laugh, sniffed, and quickly wiped away the tears that were about to fall, her eyes already bloodshot.
Looking out at the square iron cage where the sky is nowhere to be seen.
After a long while, she took a deep breath and looked at Song Ying.
“I have quite a few friends in the industry, but you are the first and only one to come see me. Song Ying, I'm actually quite surprised. I thought you would gloat, mock me, laugh at me, or even belittle me. But I didn't expect…”
Jiang Yueyao didn't say anything more. She lowered her head, loosened her tightly clenched fists, covered her face with her hands, and took a deep breath.
"Thanks."
"You don't need to thank me. While I certainly didn't come to see you make a fool of yourself, I wasn't entirely visiting out of kindness either."
Song Ying didn't take the bait; instead, she told the truth, "I came to see you because I need to verify something."
"Why are you speaking such blunt truths?" Jiang Yueyao laughed. "But if you really admit it, I won't believe you. Alright, go ahead and ask. What do you want to ask? I'm telling you beforehand, you can ask whatever you want, but I might not answer."
"Are the things you've done related to Xu Lanyan?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yueyao's smile instantly froze.
But she quickly turned her face away.
"I don't understand what you're saying."
Song Ying understood.
related.
"Second question: Did you also receive an invitation to star in 'The Princess's Romance'? It's scheduled to air after 'Detective Love,' right?"
Jiang Yueyao suddenly looked over.
Xu Lanyan told her privately about being invited to take over the role in "The Princess's Romance." To maintain the mystery, the only actor already announced was Gu Junting, a three-time Best Actor winner.
How did Song Ying know?
Jiang Yueyao did not answer this question.
But Song Ying understood.
Since Xu Lanyan has always used Jiang Yueyao to launder money, how could she let go of "The Princess's Romance," which the Xu family invested in?
Now that Jiang Yueyao is in trouble, "The Princess" needs a couple with similar popularity to take the fall, and it seems that she and Qin Shu are the most suitable ones right now.
Not only that, Xu Lanyan could not only do her a favor, but also use the excuse that she got a bargain from Jiang Yueyao to incite Jiang Yueyao's die-hard fans to attack her as the one who "got a bargain".
Most importantly, the contract might be manipulated to smear her reputation.
Killing four birds with one stone, achieving four goals with one plan.
That's a brilliant plan.
Song Ying had always felt that it was beneath her dignity for two women to fight tooth and nail over a man. So, after asserting her dominance and giving ample hints yesterday, she decided to avoid Xu Lanyan.
It's better to avoid trouble.
But now it seems that Sister Hong was right.
The current situation cannot be resolved simply by avoiding it.
The other party has already opened its mouth wide, revealing its fangs. If she still avoids trouble and hides, she will probably be looked down upon and treated like a pushover.
"I understand, thank you."
After thanking her, Song Ying lifted her foot to leave, but then remembered something, stopped, and turned back to look at Jiang Yueyao.
“Some things can’t be covered up by one person alone. Tax evasion and gold laundering as an accomplice can get a maximum sentence of two years after paying the fine, and if they behave well, they can get out in a year. But if you’re the ringleader, it’s a different story. Jiang Yueyao, you’re a smart person. Take advantage of this rare quiet half month while the process is going through to think things through. You can’t go wrong.”
After saying this, Song Ying turned and left.
Watching her departing figure and the dazzling sunlight as the door opened, Jiang Yueyao looked dazed and confused, lost in thought.
-
After leaving the police station, Song Ying asked Peng Wen to take her directly to the company.
He then entrusted him to deliver the printed evidence regarding Li Zhong's extramarital affair, raising an illegitimate child, shorting his wife's accounts, and transferring shares to Li Zhong's wife, Huang Lei.
Hong Jie was waiting for Song Ying in the office. When she saw Song Ying coming over, she quickly got up and went over to her, closing the office door tightly behind her.
"So, how's it going with what I told you this morning?"
On the way here, Song Ying had arranged a time with Sister Hong in advance to discuss signing a contract for "Princess".
Considering it was inconvenient to talk on the phone, Song Ying didn't say much.
Upon meeting, Sister Hong handed Song Ying a glass of warm water that she had already poured.
"Here, have some water. Soothe your throat before you start speaking."
But after Song Ying finished speaking, Hong Jie never expected that she would go to see Jiang Yueyao.
I never expected that there would be such twists and turns behind a simple variety show.
For a moment, I didn't know which one to comment on first.
Fortunately, Song Ying took the initiative to add to the list.
"Actually, I had this guess even before I met Jiang Yueyao, but guesses are just guesses. In the end, Jiang Yueyao's reaction proved that I was not making malicious assumptions. However, it is actually quite simple to find out if the truth is as it is."
Song Ying took a sip of water.
“Sister Hong, please express your stance to the ‘Princess’ team first. Tell them that as their agent, you are willing to cooperate, but since I am unwilling to participate, you are still working on it. It may take a day or two before you can give them a final decision.”
"Then, in the next two days, we do nothing but observe the other side's reaction and online public opinion, and we can basically determine whether this is a setup or not."
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