Rong Guang looked at Chu Siyue’s palm, which had been wiped so clean that the ash marks were no longer visible. She hesitated for a moment before nodding and saying, “This is the first time I’ve seen that.”
Chu Siyue’s lips curved into a smile. She had already stepped out the door to greet the old woman outside.
It was hard to judge the old woman’s age from her appearance alone.
Her hair was pure white, but she was full of spirit. Her eyes weren’t cloudy at all; her pupils were distinct, making her look much younger than most women in their sixties or seventies.
Rong Guang blinked and said sweetly and obediently, “Hello, Grandma.”
Hearing the young girl’s soft and sweet greeting, the old woman’s eyes crinkled into a smile so wide they almost disappeared. She looked kind and benevolent, the type of person who was clearly easy to get along with.
Rong Guang’s eyes curved as she took two steps forward.
Sure enough, in the next second, the old woman also took two steps forward, tightly gripping Rong Guang’s hands and stroking them over and over, as if she couldn’t get enough.
Rong Guang’s eyes curved, showing no intention of refusing.
When she liked a young cub, she couldn’t help but reach out and pet it a couple of times too.
Chu Siyue’s eyelid twitched. She had been doubly ignored by both her grandmother and Rong Guang, left standing to the side for what felt like an eternity.
The moment her grandmother entered, she had made a beeline for Rong Guang, not sparing her a single glance.
“Grandma.” Chu Siyue coughed lightly and sat down not far from Rong Guang. “We’re discussing business,” she said in a low voice.
The old woman shot her a faint glance, her tone dissatisfied yet with a subtle hint of coquettishness. “I just came to see what Tiantian’s precious treasure looks like. She’s truly beautiful, like a doll…”
Chu Siyue was a bit embarrassed, especially since she was the one who had casually used the term ‘precious treasure’ as a joke.
In reality, her sister and Rong Guang hadn’t even started anything yet.
If her four words ended up jinxing it, she had no doubt how furious Chu Feiliang would be.
Grandma Chu also knew when to quit while she was ahead and didn’t say much more.
After chatting for a little longer, she went downstairs, turning back every three steps, looking very reluctant to leave.
If circumstances had allowed, she probably would have held onto Rong Guang and talked for hours.
Chu Siyue watched Grandma Chu in silence, not daring to say another word.
After Grandma Chu left, she seemed to have given Auntie Yao some instructions. Wave after wave of pastries and desserts were brought upstairs. Eventually, because there was no more room on the table, several exquisite two- and three-tiered serving trays were added.
Chu Siyue watched quietly, gradually starting to press her hand to her forehead.
Rong Guang looked mortified and couldn’t help but say, “Grandma is really… quite enthusiastic.”
Just like in her past life.
Every time she saw her, she looked like she wanted to snatch her away and make her a granddaughter of the Chu family. She treated her much better than the two Chu sisters, never forgetting to bring her a gift from her travels and always thinking of her. She would even give her red envelopes with money for the New Year.
If her own grandma were still alive in her past life, she might have become good friends with Grandma Chu in their twilight years.
Chu Siyue returned to the topic at hand, but she had completely lost the composure she had when she first saw Rong Guang that afternoon. Her entire being radiated helplessness, and she could no longer maintain her ice-queen persona. She said, “I roughly know about the mess at Star Cluster. You don’t need to worry about the other matters. Big Dipper will naturally take full charge and handle the handover with them.”
Rong Guang knew that if she really went to Big Dipper, with their public relations capabilities, as long as Star Cluster didn’t produce a scandal related to drug use to pin on her, there was no battle she couldn’t win.
And right now… Big Dipper was indeed the best choice for her.
Rong Guang nodded.
There was no rush to sign the contract now. Once Chu Siyue gave her word, she wouldn’t go back on it.
Besides, her contract didn’t expire until the end of December. Although there was technically a one-month free period during which she could sign with a new company, given Star Cluster’s current reputation, Rong Guang wanted to play it safe.
She mentioned this to Chu Siyue.
Without looking up, Chu Siyue tossed her a pen from her pocket and said, “What are you worried about? If you’re going to sign, sign now. The sooner you sign, the sooner I can report back.”
Rong Guang fell silent again.
Report back… It was almost self-evident who she was reporting back to.
Rong Guang couldn’t help but feel a small thrill of joy.
She looked at the pen in her hand and stopped being coy. She signed her name on all three copies of the contract and pressed her fingerprint on them.
A moment later, Chu Siyue organized the three documents, went out to make a phone call, and when she returned, the files in her hand were gone.
Soon after, Rong Guang heard a car pull up downstairs. A woman with gold-rimmed glasses and long, straight hair tied back in a very low ponytail came in, and a short while later, she left with what looked like a file.
Rong Guang was taken aback. The woman’s back looked… incredibly familiar, as if she had seen her somewhere before.
But she had been to Big Dipper many times in her past life, and each time she could go straight to the top floor to find Chu Feiliang as if it were her own territory. She was certain she had never seen this person inside Big Dipper, and for a moment, she was lost in thought.
Chu Siyue glanced at her but didn’t explain. Instead, she looked at the object in Rong Guang’s hand and suddenly said, “Keep the pen.”
Rong Guang froze, looking at the fountain pen in her hand, a little puzzled. “This pen?”
It was a signing pen with an ordinary appearance, but it had some weight to it. It was clearly used often; when Rong Guang first held it, her handwriting didn’t even look like her own, which was probably related to how worn it was.
But Rong Guang couldn’t see anything else special about it.
Chu Siyue saw her confusion and explained, “The pen is Tiantian’s. She asked me to give it to you today, said you’d have a use for it. The signing was just a side thing… Oh, right, she asked me to ask you if the love letter is ready. She’s eager to read it.”
Rong Guang froze. “Love letter?”
In about a second, Rong Guang’s face turned beet red. The pen in her hand suddenly felt like a scorching iron rod, burning her no matter how she held it.
She put the pen in her pocket, clutching it. Facing Chu Siyue’s curious and somewhat scrutinizing gaze, she became incredibly nervous and stammered, “You… you misunderstood. It’s not what you think. It’s… I have a friend, who, um, has a crush on Teacher Chu, so she wrote a love letter and asked me to give it to Teacher Chu when I had time…”
“Oh…” Chu Siyue nodded slowly, drawing out the sound. With a hint of a smile in her voice, she said, “I have a friend, huh.”
Rong Guang took a very long, slow breath. In the end, feeling that the more she said, the more mistakes she’d make, she simply shut her mouth.
Her lie was clearly seamless!
So why did both Chu Feiliang and Chu Siyue react as if they knew she was lying and were deliberately teasing her!
It made her want to find a hole to crawl into that very minute!
Rong Guang didn’t stay much longer. Just as Auntie Yao came up to give her the pastries, Rong Guang took them and left in a hurry with Tang Yuan, looking rather flustered.
As Rong Guang and Tang Yuan left the Chu residence, they exchanged a look, feeling as if they had just been on a magical journey. The cold wind cleared Tang Yuan’s head a bit, and she said, “So we’ve… settled things with our next company? We don’t have to worry about Star Cluster anymore?”
Rong Guang nodded and said hesitantly, “Probably… yeah…”
The contract was signed. There was no running away now.
Tang Yuan looked at the exquisite pastry boxes in their hands, then suddenly slapped her forehead and said, “Right, who did you say upstairs asked you to help deliver a love letter to Teacher Chu? You don’t have to worry about that. You’ve already left the cast. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to give it to her…”
Rong Guang finally couldn’t hold it in anymore.
She turned around, her face red as she said in a low voice, “I’m the one who wants to give it. I am that friend!”
Tang Yuan fell silent.
After a moment, she probably figured out the whole story and said thoughtfully, “So that’s what the younger President Chu meant by ‘I also have a friend’…”
Rong Guang felt like she was about to find a hole and crawl into it.
Tang Yuan suddenly said, “But I think this is a good thing.”
The two got into the car, and the pastry boxes they were given to take home were placed securely on the back seat. Rong Guang glanced back, thinking she could take them home for her grandma and Chacha to eat.
They both loved this kind of thing. Besides, her grandma usually ate very healthily. Although she was over sixty, she had never had any major or minor illnesses and had a great appetite.
Plus, the pastries were soft. Grandma Chu was eating them herself, and the Chu family members were all workaholics who worked day and night, so their stomachs might not all be in the best condition. If they could eat them, the ingredients must be easy to digest, especially since Auntie Yao made them by hand.
Hearing what Tang Yuan said, Rong Guang turned back. The thought of the love letter gave her another headache.
She said, “How can this be a good thing…”
Chu Feiliang recognized her handwriting, so she definitely couldn’t write the letter herself.
So what could she do?
—She couldn’t possibly ask Chacha or Tang Yuan to write it for her, could she?
Putting aside the guilt she would feel for making Chacha do something like that, there was Tang Yuan. She would be working at Big Dipper soon, and there would be no shortage of paperwork for her to do.
If Chu Feiliang discovered it one day and misunderstood, then… that would be a real disaster.
How would she explain it then?
Say that her friend was Tang Yuan?
Rong Guang thought about the possible consequences and felt a cold sweat run down her spine. She didn’t dare to think about it in detail.
Tang Yuan looked at Rong Guang’s expression and said, “What are you thinking about—I was thinking…”
The phone suddenly rang.
It was surprisingly a call for her from Chacha.
Rong Guang watched her answer the phone and glanced at her own. Sure enough, it was turned off.
Tang Yuan’s expression gradually shifted from happy to solemn. After a few brief words, she quickly hung up and said, “There’s trouble.”
Rong Guang was stunned. “What is it?”
“Chen Changping somehow found your current address. He’s already at your place, squatting by the door and refusing to leave. When Chacha called me, I could hear him knocking in the background, saying he saw the lights on inside and wouldn’t leave,” Tang Yuan said calmly.
Almost instantly, a very disgusting suspicion came to Rong Guang’s mind.
After a moment, she said, “Yuanyuan, call the police directly—Chen Changping definitely has some dirty secrets he can’t explain. He used the same trick on Tang Shi before.”
Tang Yuan’s face contorted. After a moment, her chest heaved heavily a couple of times. “I’m calling my dad now,” she said.
Rong Guang thought for a moment and instantly understood Tang Yuan’s meaning.
Her father was a legend in the legal profession and had connections with many entertainment companies.
Part of the reason Tang Yuan was able to get in touch with Big Dipper was thanks to her father pulling strings and making introductions for her.
Rong Guang didn’t say much, just pursed her lips and said, “Thank you.”
“What’s there to be polite about?” Tang Yuan stared straight ahead, muttering to herself, “A fortune teller told me I would meet a benefactor this year, but my luck wouldn’t be great. As long as I can get through it safely, both my benefactor and I will surely soar to new heights. I think he was right. You are my benefactor, so isn’t it only right that I help you with what I can?”
Her first company was screwed over by Star Cluster, but Rong Guang’s talent and popularity at the time were real.
After The Eldest Princess aired, her future would be even more limitless, yet she never once complained about her manager holding her back. What was there that she couldn’t do?
Rong Guang’s eyes grew warm. Not wanting to get sentimental and cry, she turned her gaze out the window to let the wind blow on her face before smiling and saying, “What benefactor? No one is anyone’s benefactor. It’s always a matter of mutual support.”
When they arrived home, they didn’t even have time to park the car properly, just temporarily leaving it on a patch of grass downstairs.
Tang Yuan watched the floor numbers in the elevator climb, breaking out in a sweat despite the cold winter day.
Rong Guang said calmly, “You don’t have to worry too much—my grandma is very vigilant.”
Ever since Rong Guang’s biological mother failed to gain custody of her when she was a child and almost secretly took her from her grandma’s house, her grandma’s wariness of people had been raised to a level that could be written into a textbook.
She would always check who was at the door through the peephole before opening it, and the door would be locked from the inside—this was a subconscious habit Rong Guang had developed from years of her grandma’s influence. She would install a security chain on the inside of the door and always keep it locked when she was home alone. If a stranger came, it didn’t matter who they claimed to be sent by; as long as she didn’t open the door, they couldn’t get in.
A phrase her grandma often said was: As long as you don’t open the door, a thief can’t do anything to us.
Tang Yuan calmed down a little. The moment the elevator doors opened, they heard a commotion coming from the hallway.
When they got there, they saw Chacha and Grandma packing their things. A uniformed police officer was waiting at the door, and outside, many enthusiastic neighbors were chattering about something. Some couldn’t stand by and directly went to help Grandma carry her things.
Rong Guang hurried over and called out, “Grandma!”
Xu Mingli’s complexion was rosy. After all, she was an old woman who had seen it all. Her state was completely unaffected. She had checked all the necessary documents and even asked the police officer to check the surveillance footage at the entrance. One hand was still tightly clutching Chacha’s, and she hadn’t let go from the very beginning.
Chacha had been rather quiet and reserved since the beginning.
After Rong Guang arrived, Chacha silently moved to her side, then carefully took her wrist with her small hand and buried her head in Rong Guang’s embrace.
Rong Guang’s heart softened. She stroked Chacha’s head and said, “Were you scared, sweetie?”
Chacha shook her head and said softly, “No.”
After a moment, she added, “Just a little bit.”
Seeing Rong Guang, Chacha regained some of her energy. Her eyes brightened, and she even used two fingers to show just how big that “little bit” was.
Only then did Rong Guang breathe a sigh of relief and playfully ruffle Chacha’s hair.
The police officer next to them then said, “After receiving the report, our station brought people over. We found a white towel, a bottle of liquid, two bags of white powder, and several unopened disposable syringes on the suspect. We can’t confirm the components yet; they’ve been sent for testing. Now we need you to come with us to the station to give a statement.”
Rong Guang nodded, understood the situation, and said they would cooperate fully.
Chu Feiliang had compressed all her major scenes and filmed them together, finally freeing up about a week of time.
Wang Lujie looked at the dark circles under her eyes and couldn’t help but say, “What’s with your condition these past few days? How did it suddenly get better?”
In the days after Rong Guang left the cast, Chu Feiliang’s condition had taken a sharp downturn, returning to her initial ice-cold demeanor where she refused to talk to anyone. In the following days, she even had to rely on medication to fall asleep again.
Chu Feiliang was very tired, but her spirits were good. She looked at the dark scenery outside the window and said, “Guess?”
“How the hell would I know? It’s not your first time on this show, so it’s definitely not because of that,” Wang Lujie couldn’t help but grumble.
They had already arrived in B City. On the way, she had advised Chu Feiliang to get some sleep first, but to everyone’s surprise, Chu Feiliang had forced herself to stay awake until now.
She had a job to shoot tomorrow morning, a well-known interview program. It wouldn’t take long, but for an artist, it was something that solidified their status. It also had an excellent reputation in the industry, so there was really no reason to turn it down.
What’s more, this program had been scheduled a month ago.
Chu Feiliang smiled, her lips curving. “After the interview tomorrow, Rong Guang promised to cook a meal for me.”
Wang Lujie paused. She hadn’t expected this and said in surprise, “What kind of meal are you so excited about?”
Rong Guang was also a strange one.
Wang Lujie never believed in things like fated connections, but even doctors were helpless about Chu Feiliang’s condition. Yet, every time she saw Rong Guang, it was as if she was suddenly fully charged, brimming with vitality.
It was hard for her not to overthink it.
“A Manchu-Han Imperial Feast,” Chu Feiliang said, unconsciously licking her lips. “Her cooking is very good.”
“And how would you know her cooking is good?” Wang Lujie pouted, feeling that this was a case of beauty being in the eye of the beholder. How old was Rong Guang this year?
Even if she had been living on her own since she was young, the company had a cafeteria, and during her trainee period, the show had specially arranged nutritious meals for them. Did they really need to cook for themselves?
Besides, for the apartments that companies usually rent for their artists, how many of them had kitchens that had ever been used? Wasn’t it all for show?
Moreover, Rong Guang’s family background didn’t seem bad. Her clothes weren’t overly expensive, but they were more than adequate. There was no need for her to cook every meal, let alone be a master chef.
It would be a real disaster if she ended up making a table full of inedible dishes.
Chu Feiliang didn’t argue with her about it. She waved her hand and said, “It’s enough that I know better than you.”
Wang Lujie was rendered speechless by her retort. She said, half-laughing, half-exasperated, “Indeed, I don’t know as much as you.”
On the way, Wang Lujie answered a call.
Then she turned to look at Chu Feiliang with a strange expression.
Chu Feiliang saw the hesitation on Wang Lujie’s face, took the phone from her hand, and glanced at the caller ID. “My sister?”
Wang Lujie nodded with difficulty. “The boss said something happened on Xiao Rong’s side and asked me to come back tomorrow if I have time.”
She had always been a master at handling these things, so it wasn’t surprising that Chu Siyue thought of her at the last minute. Besides, the company had recently started processing A-level contracts—that is, Rong Guang’s contract—and many high-level executives knew about it.
She was one of the people in charge of A-level and above artists. The other one was abroad with another company artist for fashion week and couldn’t possibly come back. As for Chu Siyue herself, she was too busy with countless things all day, and besides, it wasn’t her place to handle these things personally.
And for this particular matter, it wasn’t appropriate for Chu Siyue to show up. The other party wasn’t important enough.
Chu Feiliang frowned and sat up a little straighter. “What happened? She doesn’t want to sign the contract?”
“It’s not about the contract.” Wang Lujie looked at her and said, “Since you can’t sleep anyway, you might as well not sleep for now. I don’t think you’ll be able to settle down if you go back like this, and you’ll just make your grandmother worry about you in turn. Let’s go together. A manager from Star Cluster was found with some dirty things on him. He’s at the police station now. The person in charge at Star Cluster is denying everything and causing a huge scene over there, trying to pin the blame on the film crew’s props.”
Chu Feiliang’s expression changed. “Dirty things? What things?”
“Ether, aphrodisiacs.” Wang Lujie pursed her lips. Even after working in this industry for so long, she still couldn’t get used to this kind of thing.
Big Dipper was, after all, very clean. The people in charge were also women who looked down on such things. The atmosphere in the company was so good from top to bottom that she had almost forgotten that many small companies were quite dirty.
Chu Feiliang’s face turned completely cold.
After a long moment, she rubbed her forehead, enduring the sharp pain shooting up from her temples. “Hurry up.”
Wang Lujie didn’t dare to delay. She carefully sped up while trying to soothe Chu Feiliang, afraid that her body had reached a breaking point and her emotions would collapse along with it.
She said, “You don’t have to worry—that little manager didn’t succeed. He was caught before he even got in the door. Rong Guang, her grandma, and that little one, Chacha, are at the police station now. Her manager is there too. The case has been transferred to the criminal division. I heard from the boss that Rong Guang’s side has already hired a lawyer—do you remember Tang Guoyi, the lawyer who has won dozens of criminal cases? The boss personally went to invite him several times to be our company’s consultant, a top expert in the industry. Since this involves things that are explicitly illegal for private use, this matter won’t be small.”
Chu Feiliang didn’t respond. After a moment, she suddenly said, “I remember Rong Guang’s manager is also named Tang?”
“Yes.” Seeing Chu Feiliang start to talk, Wang Lujie breathed a sigh of relief. “Tang Guoyi is her father. He’s very upright and honest. He’s handled many similar cases pro bono over the years.”
“Mm.” Only then did Chu Feiliang close her eyes. She glanced out the window, thought for a moment, and said, “I’ll close my eyes for a bit. Wake me when we get there.”
She had to trust Rong Guang, and she had to trust the police and the professional lawyer.
On the other hand, if she showed up in front of Rong Guang in this state, Rong Guang would end up worrying about her instead.
Rong Guang was only eighteen, after all. There was no reason for her to appear less composed than Rong Guang.
Chu Feiliang closed her eyes.
Besides, Rong Guang’s grandmother was also there. It was their first meeting, after all. She couldn’t look too listless and make a bad impression on the old woman.
Chu Feiliang rubbed her face. Suddenly, she lost the mood to close her eyes and rest. She turned on the light in the back of the car and touched up her makeup in the dim yellow light.
She looked left and right, thought for a moment, then wiped off some of her lipstick to make it less red, just enough to give her a bit of color.
Wang Lujie parked the car steadily and looked at the calm and peaceful police station entrance. “We’re here.”
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