Destiny
As Shen Ruoqing finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze.
Chu Yiran stood frozen in place, her fingertips icy cold, her heart feeling as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand. Her willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and even the slight upturn of her lips when she spoke were exactly the same as Shen Ruoqing in her memory—the one who was infatuated with Su Jing and ultimately became Empress.
The mockery of fate came so suddenly that he thought the grudges that had been buried in the dust of a thousand years had reappeared in such a bizarre way.
Su Jing clearly recognized Shen Ruoqing as well, his brows furrowed even more, and a faint hint of disgust flashed in his eyes. He didn't respond to Shen Ruoqing's words, but simply turned around and pulled Chu Yiran away without any intention of lingering.
Shen Ruoqing's smile froze instantly; she clearly hadn't expected to be ignored so directly.
Having been pampered by her family since childhood, and being a wealthy heiress who had just returned from abroad, when had she ever been treated so coldly? Her eyes instantly reddened, and she called out to Su Jing's retreating figure, "Teacher Su! My dad has discussed a collaboration with your studio! We'll have plenty of opportunities to meet in the future!"
Su Jing didn't stop walking, leaving her with only a cold back view.
Watching this scene, Chu Yiran felt a mix of emotions. Shen Ruoqing's appearance was like a thorn piercing his heart.
Chu Yiran shook off Su Jing's hand, ignoring his reaction, and went straight back to his hotel room. Before he could even sit down, he received a call from Li Kaili.
“Ah Ran, Shen Ji, the CEO of Xia Chu Media, contacted me,” Li Kaili’s voice was slightly hesitant. “He said he wants you to work with his daughter, Shen Ruoqing, on a drama. The resources are very good; it’s a big-budget historical romance. The male lead is tentatively set as Su Jing.”
Chu Yiran's heart sank: "I refuse."
"Aren't you going to reconsider?" Li Kaili advised. "The production team for this drama is really good. It was specially made by Shen Ji to promote his daughter. Even though you're only the third lead, it's still good to get some exposure from investors. Besides, Shen Ji has been in the industry for many years. Offending him won't do you any good."
“No need to consider it,” Chu Yiran said firmly. “I won’t accept any resources that involve Shen Ruoqing.”
After hanging up the phone, Chu Yiran leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes wearily. He knew what rejecting Shen Ji meant; he might lose many opportunities and even be suppressed. But he really didn't want to have anything to do with Shen Ruoqing anymore, and he didn't want to get entangled with Su Jing any further because of her.
But he didn't expect the trouble to come so quickly.
The next morning, the hashtag #ChuYiranActsHighAndRefusesToWork# trended on social media. Marketing accounts released screenshots of a chat between Li Kaili and a producer, claiming that Chu Yiran, dissatisfied with her female co-star being a newcomer, publicly declared "I will not work with popular newcomers," acting arrogantly and putting on airs.
The comment section exploded instantly, with trolls appearing from nowhere to launch a vicious attack on Chu Yiran, and even Su Jing's fans joined in—
"Is this washed-up celebrity getting arrogant? They've only just started to gain some popularity and they don't know who they are anymore?"
"Deliberately using Su Jing to create hype wasn't enough, now they're looking down on newcomers? That's disgusting!"
"He's really forgotten how he got to where he is today. Isn't he just a marketing stunner who climbed the ladder by riding on Lin Wanxing's coattails?"
"lol, is he afraid of being relegated to a supporting role by Su Jing? Wasn't Su Jing supposed to be the male lead for this drama?"
...
Meanwhile, some unknown "industry insiders" began to "reveal" on various platforms, claiming that Chu Yiran often put on airs on set, was late and left early, and even had a bad attitude towards the staff... Faced with these endless "black stories," Chu Yiran's fans naturally refused to back down and argued fiercely in the comments section.
In an instant, negative hashtags such as #IndustryNews#, #ChuYiranBlackFace#, and #SmallAceBigShot# appeared on the trending searches. Sun Xiaoxiao was anxiously pacing around her phone screen: "Brother Ran, this is obviously someone deliberately trying to mess with you! It must be Chuxia Media's doing!"
Chu Yiran looked at the trending topics list, her expression calm: "I know."
Just then, the phone rang. It was Su Jing calling. Chu Yiran hesitated for a moment, but finally answered.
“It’s me, Su Jing,” Su Jing said directly. “I’ll handle the trending topic, don’t worry.”
Chu Yiran was silent for a few seconds: "Would you accept a role in Shen Ruoqing's drama?"
Su Jing's voice came through: "No."
"Why?" Chu Yiran asked subconsciously.
“No interest,” Su Jing said in a calm tone, “and I will never cooperate with her.”
Chu Yiran held his phone, suddenly at a loss for words. He had assumed Su Jing would consider the resources, given Shen Ji's formidable strength.
Not long after, Su Jing's studio posted a Weibo post—
[Mr. Su Jing's subsequent film and television plans have been finalized, and there are currently no plans to collaborate with Xia Chu Media. Furthermore, the rumors circulating online are untrue; please do not believe the misinformation spread by marketing accounts, and let's work together to maintain a healthy online environment.]
The moment this Weibo post was published, the trending topics instantly changed. Netizens speculated that Su Jing was supporting Chu Yiran. The argument between the two fan groups gradually subsided.
Not long after, Shen Ruoqing also posted a Weibo post—
There's a reason why some people are considered "unpopular."
The post ended with a sarcastic emoji, and the comment section exploded the moment it was published.
Although Shen Ruoqing hasn't officially debuted, she's always maintained a wealthy heiress persona on social media, accumulating over a million followers. Seeing the heiress of Xia Chu Media directly attack Ming Han, even her long-time haters of Chu Yiran flocked to the scene for a group chat—
"Is the sister talking about Chu Yiran? This marketing star really knows how to make a big splash with a small brand!"
"Support my sister! Let President Shen blacklist him!"
"That's what washed-up celebrities are like: they have no work to show for it and just cause trouble."
...
Half an hour later, a prominent marketing account suddenly posted a long Weibo post, along with a complete audio recording and chat logs. The recording clearly showed that Xia Chu Media made unreasonable demands first, manipulated the situation to make Chu Yiran play a supporting role to Shen Ruoqing, and maliciously lowered her salary. After being rejected, they deliberately smeared her. The chat logs directly proved that Xia Chu Media's staff bought online trolls to control comments and released press releases to deliberately smear Chu Yiran.
The marketing account even cheekily added a comment: "Isn't this heiress a little too eager to get into the industry?"
After this Weibo post, public opinion reversed again. As the two sides started arguing, savvy netizens stopped taking sides and started watching the drama unfold in the comments section. The matter was over in less than two days.
——
Things wouldn't end so easily, of course. A few days later, Chu Yiran ran into Shen Ruoqing again at a brand event.
Under the dazzling crystal chandelier, the crisp sound of champagne glasses clinking and the whispers of celebrities intertwined with piano music to create a lavish symphony. Chu Yiran stood alone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his slender fingers gently swirling the wine glass in his hand. His figure appeared even more aloof and distant under the moonlight.
Just then, a petite pink figure walked gracefully towards them, arm in arm with a middle-aged man.
Shen Ruoqing wore a strapless pink dress, the hem of which was adorned with tiny crystals. She affectionately linked arms with Shen Ji, her eyes and brows revealing undisguised smugness.
"It's nice to see you again, Teacher Chu," Shen Ruoqing's voice rang out at just the right moment, neither too abrupt nor too obtrusive for the groups of people around to hear clearly. "Although our collaboration didn't work out last time, I still admire your acting skills." Her red lips curled slightly, but a hint of provocation flashed in her eyes.
Chu Yiran didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, he just nodded slightly and turned to leave.
"Mr. Chu, please wait." Shen Ji's voice was steady and powerful. He wore a custom-made dark gray suit, and his graying temples, far from making him look old, added to his air of authority. He stepped forward, a formulaic smile on his face. "About what happened last time, Ruoqing was being unreasonable. I've already spoken to her."
His gaze was piercing as he spoke, as if he could see right through people: "Actually, I think highly of you and would like to discuss a collaboration. I wonder if Mr. Chu would be interested?"
Chu Yiran looked up and met his gaze. Shen Ji's appearance was just as she remembered, with a hint of cunning and calculation hidden in his smiling eyes.
All eyes were on them, and a silent tension filled the air. In the entertainment industry, no one dared to easily offend Shen Ji.
As Chu Yiran was pondering how to refuse, a familiar voice sounded from behind him: "President Chen, why didn't you invite me along when discussing cooperation?"
Su Jing walked over calmly, his black velvet suit gleaming with a dull sheen under the lights, making him appear even more upright. His gaze swept lightly over Shen Ji and Shen Ruoqing before finally settling on Chu Yiran, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
Shen Ji's smile deepened, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes forming a shrewd arc: "Teacher Su, you've come at the perfect time. I was just about to discuss the collaboration on the new drama with Mr. Chu. Why don't you join us for a listen?"
Su Jing walked straight to Chu Yiran's side and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.
"It's really unfortunate, Mr. Shen is probably too late," Su Jing said calmly but with an undeniable air. "I've already discussed the upcoming collaboration with Teacher Chu, so he probably doesn't have time to take on your role."
A hint of surprise flashed in Shen Ji's eyes, then he smiled and said, "Oh? I wonder what kind of big project it is? I've never heard of it."
"A Republican-era spy drama with two male leads." Su Jing responded calmly, "Director Wang Wei is in charge of production, and the script has been polished three times..." He accurately stated the details of the project, each word carrying weight.
The atmosphere froze instantly. Shen Ruoqing's knuckles turned slightly white as she gripped her handbag, while Shen Ji's smile remained, though his eyes gradually turned cold. Everyone present held their breath, awaiting the outcome of this contest.
Chu Yiran sighed inwardly, finally speaking, "That's true." He looked at Shen Ji, his tone polite yet distant, "I'm sorry, Mr. Shen, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you."
Shen Ji snorted coldly, leaving behind the words, "Then I look forward to the good show for the two of you," before pulling Shen Ruoqing away.
The halo of light from the crystal chandelier shattered on the glass, reflecting Chu Yiran's slightly bewildered face. Seeing the commotion subside, the surrounding crowd tactfully dispersed, resuming their interrupted toasts and conversation.
Chu Yiran turned his head to look at Su Jing, who was standing tall and straight beside him. His profile was somewhat blurred in the dim light.
"Thank you for earlier." Chu Yiran's voice was low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible complexity.
Su Jing didn't respond immediately. He merely tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on the wine glass in Chu Yiran's hand, a fleeting, elusive emotion flashing in his deep eyes. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice a few decibels lower than usual: "You don't need to thank me, I only ask..."
Su Jing's lips curled into a very faint smile, as if mocking herself: "Hate me less."
The words were too light, too fleeting, like a feather brushing against the heart, or like an icicle suddenly piercing it. Chu Yiran even thought he was hallucinating; alcohol and exhaustion had clouded his senses.
By the time he snapped out of his daze, Su Jing had already turned and disappeared into the bustling crowd. He walked away swiftly and decisively, as if the whisper from just moments before had never existed.
——
On the other side, just as Su Jing reached the corner of the corridor leading to the terrace, Shen Ji slowly emerged from the shadows and precisely blocked his path.
The dim light of the corridor lamps cast a half-light, half-shadow on Shen Ji's shrewd smile.
"Su Jing, is it worth it for Chu Yiran?" Shen Ji cut to the chase, his tone carrying the concern of an elder, but his eyes revealed a calm assessment. "You should know better than anyone that in this industry, it's the norm to fawn over the powerful and trample on the weak. Once he takes advantage of his position to rise to power, the first thing he'll crash into is your mountain."
He took a half-step closer, his voice lower, carrying a mixture of temptation and warning: "Work with me, and I can offer you far more than just the spotlight. You'll also have a share in Xia Chu Media's future empire. As for Ruoqing..." He paused meaningfully, observing Su Jing's reaction, "That kid Ruoqing has a strong liking for you. You young people should get to know her better. If there's an opportunity for a powerful alliance in the future, wouldn't that be much safer than the narrow path you're currently walking?"
Su Jing looked at him quietly, the light and shadow under the corridor flickering in his deep eyes. In a daze, the smiling face in front of him almost overlapped with the uncle in his memory, who had also lured him with benefits and bound him with kinship in the Luoyang Palace.
That year in Xuzhou, he used Shen Ji's influence to escape back to Nansu, and from then on he could never escape the fate of dealing with a tiger for its skin.
Su Jing gently raised the corners of her lips, but the smile did not reach her eyes. Instead, it revealed a sense of detachment and indifference that came from having experienced the vicissitudes of life.
“I appreciate Mr. Shen’s kindness.” Su Jing’s voice was steady, but carried an undeniable weight. “However—” He paused slightly, his gaze sharp as he looked at Shen Ji, as if he could see through the facade of hypocrisy. “Once is enough for dealing with a tiger for its skin.”
After saying that, he nodded slightly, turned and left.
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