Chapter 29 [Updated] He's so mean, he...
Two days after the charity gala hosted by Orange Video ended, Su Yunruo went home.
No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Seeing how attentive she was to her daughter when she came home, her mother subtly reminded her not to mess around.
Su Yunruo nodded in agreement, but her mother was still worried and insisted on taking her to the study to explain patiently, "Your father has his reasons for not letting you take over the family business, don't misunderstand him."
Su Yunruo nodded, "I didn't misunderstand."
When Su's father didn't want her to work at the company, he made it very clear that she lacked a sense of propriety.
It wasn't about how people interacted; it was about how she treated her enemies. She showed no restraint in her actions.
Over the years, the things she did in dealing with certain people were indeed irreversible and overly extreme.
Su Yunruo didn't think there was a problem with this, but her father did. Neither of them was willing to change, so they could only do their own thing.
Part of the reason she agreed to let Yu Youqian enter the entertainment industry was because she was going against Su's father. Since the Su family's business didn't involve the entertainment industry, she went to a place that the Su family couldn't control.
"Your dad and brother are both out. I'm attending a private dinner for them tonight. Tell me the truth, you want to come with me, right?"
Su Yunruo leaned on her mother's shoulder and said coquettishly, "Mom, it'll be so boring for you to go alone. Take me with you to broaden your horizons."
Su's mother sighed, "I knew it."
"hey-hey."
The female lead from the original novel has already signed with the company she set up, and the results of the two episodes of the show have met expectations. She is now preparing to film a TV series.
*
The location is a mansion, which was converted from the residence of a wealthy merchant in earlier years and has the architectural style of European architecture in the last century.
As you go further in, the lights get dimmer and dimmer. There is a section of the path decorated with yellow lights that illuminate the regularly arranged bronze mirrors on the walls.
Tu Jing's figure swayed up to the door, where the waiter took the invitation from his hand and opened the heavy metal door behind him.
Unlike the flamboyant and extravagant outfits of celebrities, these socialites seem to prefer dignified and simple attire for private banquets, with their dark dresses almost blending into the darkness.
Tu Jing glanced around and realized he didn't recognize two-thirds of the people, so he could only offer a polite smile.
But the smile only lasted a few minutes before it froze.
He's not an unknown person; Orange Video has recently become very popular, and that's because others have come to him seeking cooperation. But here, he seems to be ignored.
Well, no business is without its setbacks, so Tu Jing remained calm and first approached one or two familiar faces to strike up a conversation.
Their wine glasses clinked lightly as they chatted about amusing anecdotes unrelated to business. On the other side of the men's group, the women's conversation was far more interesting: so-and-so's paintings, that handbag, that jewelry...
—Su Yunruo
Tu Jing seemed to hear a familiar name.
It's rare to hear celebrities' names from these socialites; they are proud and aloof and never bother with actors or performers.
Of course, part of the reason they hate this group is that some female celebrities have cheated on these wealthy women.
"I wonder if Grandpa Miao came today?" Tu Jing mentioned his target for the day, seemingly casually.
"Grandpa Miao is quite old, he doesn't like crowds."
"And what about Mr. Su?"
Since the one with the best chance of meeting him didn't come, Tu Jingjian had to choose another one—although the chances of meeting this one were also slim.
"Mr. Su should be in a meeting in Gangcheng."
That's it, this trip was a waste of time.
Tu Jing thought he would at least see one person on this trip.
The person I wanted to see didn't appear, but the person I didn't want to see bumped into the moment I looked up.
Standing not far away was the general manager of VV Video, the rival of Orange Video. The two were old enemies in cyberspace, so even though they had never actually met face to face, they had seen each other's photos.
If Tu Jing remembers correctly, the person opposite him is surnamed Zhang.
He smiled at his rival to show friendliness, but his rival seemed to misunderstand and walked towards him with a glass of champagne.
A man is a boy until he dies.
A childish swear word popped into Tu Jing's head: Get lost.
"Hello Mr. Tu, I am Zhang Wenhao, the general manager of VV Video."
He used his muscles to maintain the corner of his mouth, and said, "Hello."
"Orange Video is doing quite well lately."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"but……"
It is said that VV Video was established overnight. The boss is a rich second-generation with extensive family connections, so its development was effortless.
Mr. Zhang, the owner of VV Video, has never needed to curry favor with anyone.
When people have been superior for too long, they can no longer hide their contempt.
Zhang Wenhao said with a twisted smile, "The charity gala hosted by Orange Video didn't even have a real Best Actor or Best Actress. They were reduced to having Su Yunruo as the finale. How pathetic."
Charity galas certainly generate a lot of buzz, but it's a fact that they can't get any big-name celebrities. This is also why Tu Jing wants to attract investment to expand the company's operations; if they don't develop further, next year's company charity gala will still be able to invite these younger celebrities.
"Although Su Yunruo is indeed lacking in awards, what she can bring is real money, no less than actors who carry the box office."
"Pfft," Zhang Wenhao raised his hand to cover his mouth, casually tossing the champagne aside. "Then keep dreaming about some third-rate bastard continuing to give you real money. I'm here today to discuss cooperation, I'm not wasting my time with you."
Tu Jing: "..."
Tu Jing wasn't so petty as to be unable to bear the ridicule of his peers, especially since the other party was clearly angrier than him and probably didn't even have any real money to offer.
But as he watched Zhang Wenhao's figure disappear into the crowd, he gradually became worried.
Orange Video still lags far behind VV Video in market share. If Zhang Wenhao manages to secure investment here, he doesn't know how much further his company will go.
Sudden--
The gate opened, and a large crowd surged forth, indicating that something big was about to happen.
One person after another walked past Tu Jing, and even the group of wealthy women who were sitting and chatting got up to go to the door to greet him.
Such a grand procession, it seems like Grandpa Miao has arrived.
Tu Jing's worries turned into joy.
His steps unconsciously resembled those of a young person, faster and more hurried than others.
Grandpa Miao is one of the key figures in this circle. He is said to have a forthright personality, like a senior figure in a martial arts novel who has become a respected elder. He has a good reputation and his way of doing things is also quite upright.
Orange Video needs collaborators like this.
But--
Tu Jing tried his best to squeeze in, only to find two women surrounded in the middle.
The shorter one was a bit older, around fifty years old, but had an exceptional temperament, possessing a transcendent and otherworldly beauty.
Tall...
Tu Jinghuang was stunned by her tall figure at first glance.
A name is about to emerge.
Upon seeing that face clearly, those three words felt like a heavy stone falling on his head.
Su, Yun, Ruo.
Su Yunruo looked different from usual. She was wearing a black dress with a formal cut, a white collar, and gold-trimmed buttons. She looked elegant and noble, and she was a perfect replica of the lady next to her.
"Our most beautiful female celebrity is here today."
"Oh my, I knew you'd be a beauty when you grew up, even when you were little."
...
In his shock, Tu Jing suddenly realized that all these people actually knew Su Yunruo.
Su...
Su—
He discovered something important that he had overlooked for a long time.
What makes Su Yunruo stand out in the entertainment industry?
Based on her three hit dramas?
There are plenty of actresses with more dramas than her. If she doesn't socialize, doesn't seek powerful backers, and doesn't accept commercial deals, she'll be replaced within six months.
Moreover, he knew that the wealthy woman beside Su Yunruo was the wife of Mr. Su, whom he himself felt had little hope of ever marrying.
There have long been rumors that the Su family not only has an outstanding son, but also a daughter that everyone wants to bring home as their daughter-in-law.
Oh, I see!
Tu Jing suddenly understood; it turned out that Su Yunruo had such a background.
Some people don't know this because they're not part of the Su family's circle, like myself.
Some people know, but those in this circle know what to say and what not to say, such as talking about these people on the spot.
If Su Yunruo cooperates with me, is there a chance to bypass the Miao family and attract investment from the Su family?
If that were truly possible, Tu Jing would have to kneel down and thank his ancestors for their blessings.
That's the Su family, the ancestral home of Mr. Su Zhongyuan. They are top-tier in terms of both funds and reputation.
Tu Jing took two or three steps back, holding the champagne, and aimlessly walked to a corner.
He quietly and forced himself to calmly think about how to start a conversation with Su Yunruo and successfully secure investment.
"General Manager Tu."
He was pulled from his thoughts by a familiar voice calling his name.
Tu Jing suddenly turned his head, but before he could see who it was, a wine glass was handed to him.
Bang--
Her slender fingers touched the wine glass in his hand, and Tu Jing looked up along the black sleeve, meeting Su Yunruo's smile.
They should have been startled.
Perhaps it was the psychological effect of equating Su Yunruo with the old gentleman Su Zhongyuan, but Tu Jing felt that Su Yunruo's smile was different from the smiles seen in TV dramas and variety shows. Her lips were slightly pursed, and the corners of her lips were slightly upturned, which was polite and composed, showing a great demeanor.
“Su…”
Tu Jing looked around and saw that the wealthy woman who had just brought Su Yunruo in had already gone to the other side with the other rich ladies, leaving only Su Yunruo and himself.
Su Yunruo actually saw him despite being surrounded by so many people, and even came directly to him.
Tu Jing quickly figured out Su Yunruo's thoughts.
"Hello, Miss Su."
After greeting her, he remained silent, wanting to wait and see what Su Yunruo would do next.
Su Yunruo lowered her eyes, took a sip of champagne, and turned to look elsewhere. "Is General Manager Tu's target in this place?"
Tu Jing followed her gaze and saw a group of people chatting happily in the distance.
Several older people and several younger people were introduced to the older people by the middle-aged group.
The younger one followed Zhang Wenhao around, bustling about and bowing.
This place is like a microcosm of the current community.
Tu Jing knew that several of the older ones were the "pillars of the universe" in this top circle.
The younger ones seem to be the successors of the "Optimus Prime" generation.
Zhang Wenhao was just a lackey following behind Xiaozhu, drinking meat soup.
Tu Jing couldn't help but smile bitterly at the scene. Capital had long since begun to spread through bloodlines, looking down on those who had to lower themselves to beg for scraps. As someone standing outside the circle, he didn't even have the chance to lower himself.
"I don't know Miss Su's father..." Tu Jing roughly understood Su Yunruo's purpose.
"I thought that the two pledges of allegiance had already piqued Mr. Tu's interest in me personally."
The probing was abruptly cut off, and Tu Jing turned his head to meet Su Yunruo's calm eyes.
He is a man, but he is definitely a normal man of good character. He would never be presumptuous and think that a young girl is interested in him just because she smiles at him, nor would he think that he is still as charming as ever in his forties just because a young girl does him a favor.
Su Yunruo's words made it clear to him that she was interested in Orange Video.
Tu Jing's understanding was overturned, and his thoughts were in disarray.
Orange Video gained significant attention due to its show "Let's Travel Together" and a charity gala, with membership recharge numbers several times higher than the previous quarter.
He always thought it was because he had good judgment that he dared to place such a big bet on Su Yunruo.
Unexpectedly, Su Yunruo had already set a price.
Su Yunruo's methods made him involuntarily exclaim in his heart, "No wonder she is a descendant of the old master Su."
With the Su family having top-tier connections in this capital circle, she could get Orange Video with just a few words.
Tu Jing dared to say that any "Optimus Prime," including Grandpa Miao, operated in the same way. They thought that if they asked for something, even a nobody like themselves would be grateful. Thus, the well-funded Orange Video was able to secure heavily invested variety shows and widely watched galas.
But Su Yunruo did not. She first gave him "Let's Travel Together", then gave him a charity gala, and then showed off the power behind her, implying that she wanted it.
The opposite order will achieve completely different results.
The former was aloof and superior, while the latter allowed Tu Jingxian to see her as a person, as well as her ability and sincerity.
Su Yunruo seemed to be saying: I bring huge profits to your company through my abilities.
When a capable person is backed by huge capital, even a fool would know which option to choose.
Thinking about it more deeply, I broke out in a cold sweat.
—Su Yunruo is actually this kind of person.
This shocked Tu Jing even more than the fact that Su Yunruo was born into the Su family.
She is completely different from how she appears on variety shows.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
Tu Jing snapped out of his daze.
Just as she was about to speak, Su Yunruo took the initiative to clink glasses with him, "Since General Manager Tu still doesn't think much of me, then I'll excuse myself."
She paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I wish you every success."
Tu Jing: "..."
...
Su Yunruo returned to the area where the wealthy women were talking, carrying a glass of champagne.
Their conversations always revolved around "passing the time": whose daughter had an art exhibition, who went to fashion week, what was sold at the auction, what a piece of jewelry was recently ordered, and who was getting married to whom.
Marriage isn't always about love and gossip; for everyone involved, it's a significant business deal.
They were talking about marriage, but then, for some reason, they started asking her when she planned to retire from the entertainment industry.
He wouldn't say anything disgraceful about being a celebrity to her face, but he implied it in his words.
Since Su Yunruo had already achieved her goal for this trip, she went along with what they said: female celebrities are not honorable, making movies has no future, and they should think about getting married, having children, being a good wife and mother, and spending their time wearing haute couture and traveling every day.
While giving perfunctory answers, he also distracted himself by answering the system's questions.
After watching Su Yunruo's bewildering actions for several weeks, the system still couldn't understand her latest move.
Since Su Yunruo was bored anyway, she casually explained to it, "Such a big company, before making a decision, wouldn't it need to hold a meeting with the company's senior management to reach a consensus and then check the source of the investors' funds?"
System: [Didn't you wish him immediate success?]
"The retreat was a strategic move to make him consider what he could offer me to win him back."
Finally, as is customary, he added, "Oops, I forgot you're a romance novel system."
system:【……】
The system: has been implied.
The system, unwilling to be humiliated, retrieved Su Yunruo's task panel and retaliated: [Host's task completion speed is too slow; be careful, or you won't have enough points to redeem the permission to modify the plot later.]
"I'm not afraid."
But the system's reminder reminded Su Yunruo that the matter of Zhou Kantian's 100 million was still unresolved.
After the private banquet, Su Yunruo called Jiang Chunrou to inquire about the progress of the matter.
Jiang Chunrou must be busy. Tell her to wait a few seconds and I'll send her a document via WeChat.
After Su Yunruo clicked on it, the system's blue panel suddenly expanded, and the task progress bar immediately rose to 50%.
Su Yunruo swiped the mouse across the document, took out her phone, and made a call. "Think back to your cronies, is there anyone with the surname Miao?"
Zhou Kantian's funds were divided into two parts. The smaller part came from a shell company, whose legal representative was a name she had never heard of, but a quick online search revealed a wealthy young man who loved being used as a negative example in social news. The larger part came from an individual—Miao Xiaoyun.
Su Yunruo felt the name sounded familiar, but she had encountered too many names and couldn't find the corresponding person in her notes, so she guessed that she didn't know her.
However, since his surname is Miao, it's hard not to be associated with Old Master Miao.
"No, I heard that Grandpa Miao is very strict with his granddaughter and doesn't let her out to play with us." Tao Minmin's usually amusingly thoughtful mind suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "Why are you asking her? Did she sleep with Ke Jinyang, Fan Xingchen, and Hu Yang?"
"..."
"Ruoruo, do you know that the pictures of you walking the red carpet with them are going viral on my WeChat Moments? People who know you are so envious, and people who don't know you are also so envious."
"oh--"
You seem a little unhappy.
Su Yunruo was truly grateful that the idiot opposite her could at least perceive her emotions. "Doesn't anyone envy them for being able to walk the red carpet with me?"
"Um..." Tao Minmin hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
Su Yunruo hung up the phone without saying a word.
Her thoughts returned to the main point: Grandpa Miao's granddaughter, who was strictly controlled, invested money in Zhou Kantian, but she didn't engage in any erotic videos like Tao Minmin. So what was the connection between Zhou Kantian and Miao Xiaoyun?
The fact that it connects to Zhou Kantian's progress bar indicates that it must be related to "sex".
Moreover, Miao Xiaoyun is most likely one of the "rich women who pull hair".
Su Yunruo considered one possibility: Miao Xiaoyun was keeping Zhou Kantian as a mistress, but it was a proper relationship, without any of those messy videos.
But this is clearly unreasonable. Are the people that Grandpa Miao taught really that stupid?
Su Yunruo's thoughts were blocked.
She decided to stop, turned off the computer, got up, went back to her room, took a shower, and sat in front of the mirror.
From the system's perspective, this action means the condition has worsened.
It's one thing to observe yourself, but when the symptoms become more severe than before, you have to make faces in front of the mirror and pose like you're shooting a magazine.
The system tried its best to get used to its host, who was overly obsessed with his own beauty.
But it's difficult.
It really did ask the same question as Su Yunruo a few days ago: Why did you commit suicide for love in your past life? It's obvious that the host really loves her body.
...
Tu Jing's reply arrived simultaneously with the third episode of "Let's Travel Together".
The funding issue still needs to be assessed by professionals for several months. Su Yunruo assigned the task to her investment team and discussed with Tu Jing the matters that could be discussed at the moment.
—Ruan Rourou's web series.
The division of labor was clear: he found the best team, and he provided the script and the actors.
After a brief discussion over the phone, the task was handed over to Jiang Chunrou to verify the details.
With Jiang Chunrou busy, Xiao Ou took full responsibility for coordinating with the "Let's Travel Together" team.
The morning before the recording of the third episode, Xiao Ou followed Jiang Chunrou's example and brought a laptop to Su Yunruo's house, anxiously asking Su Yunruo to check the program's WeChat group.
[Fu Huai is unable to record due to other commitments; a mystery guest will temporarily fill in for him this episode.]
This kind of thing is common, and the people involved weren't familiar enough to know each other's daily activities, so Su Yunruo didn't pay much attention to it.
"Ms. Su! An industry insider revealed that Fu Huai is not in trouble at all. Instead, his company accepted money from a mystery guest and forced him to vacate his position so that someone else could take his place."
Su Yunruo: "Huh?"
Xiao Ou was so anxious that he started gesturing with his hands, "It's because his trash company is inhuman. The trash who wanted to climb the ladder after seeing the popularity of 'Let's Travel Together' is also inhuman. On one hand, they paid Fu Huai's company to make Fu Huai leave his position, and on the other hand, they paid the production team to pay for their own appearance on the show."
"Oh—" Su Yunruo took out the vegetable juice that the aunt had helped make from the refrigerator and poured a glass for Xiao Ou. "Little Ou, are you not only a fan of Lin Xingsen, but also a fan of Fu Huai?"
Xiao Ou swallowed hard. "No, no. I just feel sorry for Fu Huai. He... although he wasn't very outstanding on the show, he was a good guy. And aren't you guys on the same team?"
“I sympathize with him too, but what can I do when the production team and his company have already made the decision? Besides, he didn’t even come to me asking for help.”
Xiao Ou was disheartened, thinking that it was indeed true. What could she do but feel angry for Fu Huai when he was deprived of his right to record the show?
Su Yunru clapped her hands to attract Xiao Ou's attention, "What's the theme of this episode?"
Xiao Ou's thoughts returned to the present. "They said it was a trip, but each person only had 100 yuan to cover the expenses of visiting all the attractions in the city."
"oh--"
"I'm going to another city."
"ah?"
"Let's pack our things."
*
The third episode of "Let's Travel Together" premiered, and millions of people were already waiting in the live stream room early on.
Miao Xiaoyun is one of them.
But she didn't do it voluntarily. Her three roommates, who maintained a superficial relationship, wanted to watch it and wanted to play it publicly in the dorm, so they dragged her along.
"This episode actually went to City A, it's so beautiful there."
"I saw on Weibo that someone revealed that Fu Huai will be absent from this episode, and there will be a mystery guest. I'm so looking forward to it, finally I don't have to see Fu Huai's grumpy face."
"I'm so curious to see what big surprise Su Yunruo's discount will bring me this time!"
"I've watched the first two episodes over and over again. This variety show is definitely the best in the last five years, and Su Yunruo is the soul of it all."
Miao Xiaoyun felt uncomfortable hearing Su Yunruo being praised, so she picked a bad topic and asked, "Are you guys still watching? Aren't there exams next week?"
"Sigh... Let's not talk about sad things." My roommate immediately shut up and sighed, lying on the table. "Sigh, I really envy your boyfriend. He could get a perfect GPA even if he just studied casually in college."
Miao Xiaoyun said shyly, "He's not as amazing as you say."
"I've been listening to you talk about him. When are you going to bring him to meet everyone? I really want to see a high-quality man who is handsome, academically excellent, and rich."
"When...I have a chance." Miao Xiaoyun was afraid her roommate would keep asking questions. "I'm hungry, I'm going to the cafeteria to eat."
"Okay, go ahead."
Miao Xiaoyun hurriedly packed her things and left the dormitory. As she closed the door, she heard her roommate's voice suddenly turn cold.
"Her boyfriend is a middle-aged man, who always boasts about how wonderful he is, but he doesn't dare to show him off in public, and he won't even give her a photo."
Shh, we're not far yet. What if they hear us?
"So what if I heard it?"
...
Miao Xiaoyun wasn't angry when she heard these words; she was used to these people being two-faced. In fact, she felt even happier at that moment.
You'll be terrified if I told you my boyfriend's name!
Big star Zhou Kantian!
The day I announce our relationship, you'll all be proven wrong.
Miao Xiaoyun walked happily to the cafeteria, ordered a small bowl of wontons, and happened to see her classmate, so she sat down opposite her.
She's in the same class, and I often see her wearing makeup in class, but today she wasn't and looked a bit haggard.
Miao Xiaoyun asked curiously, "Why do you look like you're in a bad mood?"
The classmate hesitated for a moment, took a bite of breakfast, and sighed, "My boyfriend has been so cold to me lately."
“I suggest you get a new boyfriend. He’s definitely cheating in this situation.” Miao Xiaoyun suppressed her excitement, a smile spreading across her face. “My boyfriend is always clinging to me even when he’s busy with work. I really hate him.”
My classmate's eyes widened slightly. "You have a boyfriend?"
"Yeah, we used to just chat casually, and sometimes he would show me a lot of concern... I thought that was just his personality, that he was nice to everyone. Until that day he suddenly arranged for a driver to pick me up from school and take me to his house."
"As soon as I walked in, he hugged me like a teddy bear, and I couldn't break free." Miao Xiaoyun still remembers every detail of that day and how she felt when he suddenly hugged her. Her cheeks turned redder as she spoke. "Later I found out that he had a fever that day."
The classmate perked up, "Wow, boys are especially vulnerable when they're sick; they just want to see the girl they like."
"Yes, although he didn't say it, his assistant told me quietly that I was the first girl to go to his house."
"And then what? How did he confess his feelings to you?"
“He became extremely clingy after he got sick. He insisted that I feed him his medicine, and after he took the medicine, he would pull me into the blanket to sleep with him.”
"I understand, I understand. When you're sick, you're just like a little kid."
Miao Xiaoyun pressed her hands to her cheeks, her eyes practically overflowing with sweetness. "He's incredibly strong, I couldn't break free. When I asked him to let go, he would whine and act pitiful. He has so many tricks up his sleeve. He kissed me when I wasn't looking, saying he'd had a crush on me for a long time... He even cried because I never understood his feelings."
"And then what happened?"
"His body temperature was extremely high, holding him felt like holding a heater, we...we..."
"Oh~" The classmate had an "I understand" look on his face.
"He's so bad, he tricked me into becoming his girlfriend."
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