Chapter 12
The trailer was released and immediately topped the trending searches. The intimate interactions between the two in the film aroused endless curiosity, and gossip quickly spread.
"No, what exactly is their relationship?" Cai Siyue had been paying close attention, tormented by curiosity and questions.
"Some people say they got into a fight on set."
"Dry?"
"fight."
A group of people were gossiping intensely, but Cai Siyue was unsure whether to stand or sit.
Zhuang Yazhi's current status is at its zenith, and the Zhuang family is practically on her side; if Shen Yiheng were to support her from behind, she would be virtually invincible.
If the previous leak of the photos is exposed, the consequences will be unimaginable... She has only been in the position of public relations manager for a short time.
"Manager Cai, General Manager Zhuang wants to see you in her office."
Cai Siyue nearly lost her balance in shock. "Now?"
This was a bit too sudden for her; she hadn't figured out how to deal with it yet.
General Manager's Office
Zhuang Yazhi stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the skyscrapers of Haicheng below. She took a sip of coffee with her red lips, her bright eyes sparkling slightly.
There was a loud knocking on the door.
"General Manager Zhuang, it's me." His voice trembled at the end.
Before the person even arrived, my heart was pounding more fiercely than a drumbeat.
Li Si opened the door and said, "Please come in."
The general manager's office is decorated entirely in blue and gray, exuding a strong business atmosphere mixed with a sense of composure and pressure. Zhuang Yazhi turned around and strolled in, his straight white suit and trousers conveying a crisp and capable air.
"Manager Cai, please have a seat." A cold, emotionless smile curled at the corner of his lips.
Cai Siyue moved her feet timidly and slowly sat down under Zhuang Yazhi's sharp gaze.
Zhuang Yazhi took the public relations department's work report for the month from Li Si, glanced at it and found nothing remarkable, and closed it as soon as she opened it.
Cai Siyue glanced at him furtively, her heart pounding with anxiety.
Zhuang Yazhi: "Public Relations Department".
“Good, very good, excellent. I’ve managed it very well, Manager Zhuang doesn’t need to worry.” Cai Siyue interrupted Zhuang Yazhi before he could finish speaking.
The two exchanged a glance, and the atmosphere became quite awkward.
Zhuang Yazhi: "I know."
Cai Siyue's confused face froze for a second; she had actually been talking nonsense just now.
The company will be holding a business event this Friday, and coincidentally, John is the special guest.
"I called Manager Cai here to ask how the preparations for Friday's event are going? Are the guest invitations going smoothly?"
After all, this was an event personally organized by the chairman, so as the general manager, she had to follow the usual practice of inquiring about the progress of the event.
"You're asking about this?" Before coming here, Cai Siyue thought Zhuang Yazhi was trying to find a reason to take back the position of public relations manager.
She can breathe a sigh of relief if she asks that.
Cai Siyue patted her chest and assured her, "Don't worry, everything is going very smoothly; General Manager Zhuang, you're busy with a lot of things, just leave these matters to us, the public relations department will handle it."
"That's good," Zhuang Yazhi added a special reminder: "By the way, John is very popular, so we must make sure to maintain order at the scene."
As a rising star, John has become a sensation in Haicheng. His appearance immediately caused a stir among the crowd, which surged and piled up like a honeycomb, a sight that would trigger trypophobia.
Zeiss Yue made extensive preparations for this, acting as the commander on-site and instructing the security team to maintain strict vigilance with multiple layers of defense.
"Everyone, keep a close watch on this place. Not a single mosquito is allowed in."
"Can a fly be used?"
Cai Siyue thought someone was causing trouble, but when she turned around, she saw Cai Xincheng huffing and puffing arrogantly, hands on his hips: "Dad!"
"Oh my gosh," Cai Xincheng laughed heartily, instantly surrendering and becoming obedient.
At first, he thought Cai Siyue wouldn't be able to handle such a big event, but seeing that everything was prepared so well, he immediately gave her a thumbs up and praised her: "My little treasure is amazing!"
“Of course.” Cai Siyue was especially proud, and the thought of seeing John later made her even more excited, her heart fluttering and her eyes shining.
"Dad, you have to find a good spot to take lots of pictures of John and me later. I love him so much."
Cai Xincheng was a little jealous, but seeing that his daughter liked it, he had no choice but to obediently agree.
Half an hour before the event started, security measures were temporarily paralyzed when John's car arrived at the event site.
"John! John!"
Send me your location so I can see where my heart has wandered off to.
The sounds of confessions of love continued.
Zeiss rolled her eyes at the group: "You fangirls."
She turned around, picked up her light stick, and jumped around happily: "Come here, I have something I want to talk to you about."
Zhuang Yazhi paused for a moment, then slowly turned her head, completely infatuated.
"It seems Manager Cai also likes John very much."
Zeiss Yuechao blushed shyly, almost unintentionally, and said, "It's not that I like it a lot, it's that I really like it~"
Looking around, everyone was cheering for John. Even Zhuang Haiming smiled so kindly and warmly. The scene of the two shaking hands and embracing on stage showed not only familiarity but also a visible intimacy.
Zhuang Yazhi's heart was ablaze at the sight.
After a brief conversation, the next segment was the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Zhuang Haiming stood in the center, with John right next to him. From the beginning of the event until now, the two have been inseparable, like glue.
While the two were still chatting and laughing peacefully, Zhuang Yazhi had already come up behind them, his sharp, scrutinizing gaze forcefully piercing through them.
"Excuse me, this is my seat."
Having finished the greetings, Zhuang Yazhi strode forward and shoved John aside, reiterating, "This is the position of general manager."
John was clearly a little flustered, but with all the cameras pointed at him from below the stage, he could only force a smile and try to steady himself.
Zhuang Haiming's kind smile quickly flashed with a hint of displeasure as he turned to Zhuang Yazhi with a smile and said, "Yazhi, you've come."
"Chairman Zhuang and General Manager Zhuang, please look this way." There was a camera pointed directly at them from the front.
The two men wore forced smiles, merely going through the motions.
At this moment, someone blurted out, "I've heard that Chairman Zhuang carefully instructs General Manager Zhuang on everything, big or small, and values him highly. Of course, General Manager Zhuang has not disappointed the Chairman. Since taking office, he has managed the company very well. Truly, like father, like son. I admire him greatly."
A single "like" was followed by countless echoes, and the conversation eventually turned to the matter of succession, with everyone eager to hear Zhuang Haiming's personal answer.
Suddenly being put on the spot by everyone, Zhuang Haiming could only smile, even though he was feeling miserable inside. He just smiled and didn't say anything.
Zhuang Yazhi understands this question; remaining silent is tantamount to acquiescence.
She hooked her arm around Zhuang Haiming's and smiled and nodded, showing the deep affection between father and daughter: "Of course, Dad only has me as his daughter, and he loves me the most."
The entire audience was in an uproar. For the reporters present, this was another valuable news story that would become a hot topic. The news spread like wildfire, and they immediately wrote a press release.
Zhuang Haiming's smile vanished, his brows furrowing in shock. He had no intention of doing so, but he couldn't contradict himself in front of the reporters. Zhuang Yazhi's smiling face only added to his pain.
It was only at this moment that he realized that his daughter, who had returned from studying abroad, was also a tough nut to crack, especially after thinking about what she had done at the company recently. The arm that had been hooked slightly pulled back, and a defensive posture began to appear.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Zhuang Haiming left with a long stride, which Zhuang Yazhi saw as a kind of hasty retreat, and she secretly rejoiced.
After he left, John, who was left behind at the event, felt somewhat isolated and helpless, with nowhere to go.
Zhuang Yazhi said with a soft, mocking tone, "Go after him."
His mocking and arrogant demeanor was intimidating.
John had been holding back his anger at Zhuang Yazhi's overbearing behavior, but he couldn't vent it, so he gritted his teeth and endured it: "General Manager Zhuang, there's no need to be so aggressive."
"Me, being aggressive?" Zhuang Yazhi thought it was a joke.
As resentment welled up in her heart, Zhuang Yazhi's eyes reddened, and she pressed her breath against her chest: "What is your status when you speak to me now? Are you the artist John, or Zhuang Haiming's illegitimate son?"
She had wanted to ask this question for a long time, a question that had been hidden in her heart.
The two stood in the stands, their voices, though soft, were deafening and jarring John's ears. He took two steps back in fear, his arrogance vanished after his private affair was exposed, leaving only a timid and embarrassed expression that prevented him from meeting the other's gaze.
Zhuang Yazhi clearly understood Zhuang Haiming's ulterior motives when he brought John to the event today without any attempt to hide it. If the time was right, he might have just announced to the media that John was the successor of the Zhuang family. Why bother holding back like this?
"John, Zhuang." Quite the disguiser.
Although he has an innocent-looking baby face, his current reaction suggests that he is not as naive as he appears.
Because she was so good at pretending, she angered her mother so much on the day she returned to the Zhuang family in her previous life that her mother fell ill and was bedridden for half a month.
“It’s not what you think,” John said anxiously, tears welling up in his eyes, but he didn’t know how to explain.
Zhuang Yazhi refused to listen to his sophistry.
No one knows what the future holds, but she is clear about one thing: "The Zhuang family is mine, so don't even think about it."
No matter how much Zhuang Haiming paved the way for him, it was all in vain.
“Of course,” Zhuang Yazhi kindly reminded him, “You can also try to snatch it. I don’t mind making Zhuang Haiming leave with nothing.”
Since she says it, she will naturally do it, and she will do it excessively.
It all depends on these two, father and son: will the father be killed, or will the son be exterminated?
Zhuang Yazhi left resolutely. Staying there for even a second longer would remind her of the intimate interactions between the two of them, making her feel disgusted.
White Bar at Night
Zhuang Yazhi drank one cup after another, drowning his sorrows alone, trying to forget the day's troubles by getting drunk.
"President Shen, look!" Zhou Ying pointed with delight.
They hadn't agreed to meet, and Zhou Ying was trying to figure out how to get Shen Yiheng to agree to meet them. Now, it seemed like she'd been searching high and low, but the bar had come to her rescue.
"You don't have to drink alone anymore!"
At first, Zhou Ying tried to stop Shen Yiheng from going out for drinks today, but luckily the stubborn guy persisted.
Shen Yiheng sipped a few drinks, then casually glanced back at the graceful figure by the bar, his gaze locking onto her in an instant. The mist in his eyes cleared, and his worried brows brightened.
How did she know I was here?
"You told her?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
