For Su Chen, breaking away from the entanglement of Qu Xiaoqi and Yang Yuxin was virtually impossible, because both could hear his inner thoughts. Zhang Li was very clear on this point, but having Yang Yuxin and Qu Xiaoqi follow along was also part of her plan. Hence, it was a good thing that Yang Yuxin and Qu Xiaoqi had tagged along.
However, they weren't in the same car. Instead, Su Chen and Zhang Li sat in a red BMW. Su Chen chose Zhang Li because he believed she was the most normal among the three women. But the least normal was Yang Yuxin.
Su Chen was fearful now, concerned about the car suddenly shaking wildly while driving, which would be troublesome. So, he chose to be in the same car with Zhang Li, letting Yang Yuxin and Qu Xiaoqi squabble amongst themselves. After all, he thought, "I'm the man they can't have."
Zhang Li gripped the steering wheel, looking straight ahead.
At a traffic light, she glanced over at Su Chen in the passenger seat and said, "Everyone knows Yang Yuxin likes you, but it's Qu Xiaoqi's first time meeting you. Haven't you wondered why she's so forward?"
Looking at the serious Zhang Li, Su Chen felt uneasy. "What do you mean?"
"It's simple," she said, "in TV shows, the best way for a female lead to ruin a guy isn't by disliking him."
"What is it then?" Su Chen had a bad feeling about this.
Zhang Li thought for a moment and chuckled, "Remember the 'loyal dog' story I told you? Where a boy works hard to earn money for a girl, but she uses that money to support her male idol? The same principle applies. She just needs to chat with you, give you a few smiles, spend time alone with you. When you think she's fallen for you and confess, she suddenly tells you, 'We're just friends'."
Upon hearing this, Su Chen was utterly shocked. Damn, is this the cruelty of a woman's heart? he thought. This is horrifying; it's practically ruining men!
Su Chen glanced at Zhang Li's smug expression, feeling a chill down his spine.
"There's no way Qu Xiaoqi, a poetic young woman, would resort to such melodrama," he reasoned. Thoughts raced through Su Chen's mind as he pondered the characters of all the women he knew.
The conclusion he came to was that only Zhang Li was capable of such an act. The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed! Su Chen felt nauseated, thinking, This is just too outrageous. Zhang Li's words made him temporarily abandon his initial plans.
At that moment, he wondered, How does Zhang Li always know what I'm thinking? Can she read minds? Su Chen stared at her suspiciously. Good Lord, this is way too dangerous! If I were to live with this woman, I'd have no secrets left.
In less than half an hour, he followed Zhang Li to the film studio of her company. The studio primarily filmed minor advertisements; there was no need for outdoor scenes, just minor production. Su Chen and Zhang Li waited for a bit before Yang Yuxin and Qu Xiaoqi arrived.
Yang Yuxin was no stranger to the entertainment industry; her sister, Yang Danxuan, was a national icon. Naturally, Yang Yuxin had seen a lot.
"Su Chen, how do you like our company?" Zhang Li commented, deliberately glancing at Yang Yuxin with a triumphant look in her eyes.
She hadn't taken Qu Xiaoqi seriously. In fact, even Qu Xiaoqi herself wasn't sure if she had feelings for Su Chen.
Yang Yuxin was a different case altogether; Zhang Li now considered her as the most formidable rival. Zhang Li believed Yang Yuxin felt the same. Before Su Chen could respond, Yang Yuxin coldly retorted, "It's average at best, nothing compared to what we have at home."
Such a statement from Yang Yuxin was indeed risky. The company where Yang Danxuan worked was regarded as a titan in the entertainment industry. However, due to the unique status of the Yang family, they couldn't publicly acknowledge such ownership. Thus, while others merely speculated, Yang Yuxin had just openly confirmed it.
Su Chen was left speechless by Yang Yuxin's reckless disclosure. This foolish woman is just unbelievable. She's truly thoughtless, he mused. Yet the more he observed this, the more distressed he felt. Why does it seem like whenever something involves me, Yang Yuxin acts as if she's lost her mind?
At this moment, those in the film studio turned their attention to Su Chen's group. The cameraman, lighting technicians, logistics staff, and even the director – around eleven or twelve people in total – halted their tasks.
"Director Zhang, as per your instructions, we waited for your arrival before starting the shoot," Zhang Li's assistant Chen Yan promptly greeted.
The director quickly approached, first extending his greetings to Yang Yuxin and Qu Xiaoqi. He internally marveled at the beauty of the two women, thinking, If they were to debut, they would undoubtedly be national-level stars. Yet, he was aware that it was nearly impossible; both appeared to be from affluent backgrounds. Soon after, his attention shifted to Su Chen, "Ah, young master Su, I've heard so much about you."
Observing the middle-aged director, who was barely fifty, Su Chen thought sarcastically, Really? It took you a few seconds to recognize me, and now you claim you've heard of me?
There was a hint of disdain in the director's eyes for Su Chen, but given that he's someone well-acquainted with the world, he didn't dwell on it. Su Chen might have a notorious reputation, but he hasn't made many public appearances, so it's understandable if some don't recognize him. Yet, what Su Chen didn't expect was that Zhang Li planned to have Qu Xiaoqi shoot the advertisement from the very start.
What a brilliant idea. It could save a significant amount of money and might even yield better results. Especially since Qu Xiaoqi, being a young girl still in school, exudes an aura reminiscent of first love. Every male student has had that one senior girl who was kind but remained unattainable. Qu Xiaoqi's image could easily captivate many.
Moreover, Qu Xiaoqi, still very much a young girl, was very excited and enthusiastic about this new opportunity. She changed into an outfit of light-colored denim shorts, a white shirt tied at the waist revealing her trim midriff, and a pair of jogging shoes. All the men present were dazzled, and the director was particularly pleased – Qu Xiaoqi's charm was undoubtedly a selling point.
Of course, the happiest among them was Su Chen. With Zhang Li and Qu Xiaoqi both busy, Su Chen just sat, lost in thought. It was his first time observing an ad shoot up close, and without post-production effects and music, watching Qu Xiaoqi prance in front of a green screen and recite her lines seriously seemed a bit ludicrous and disappointing to him. He decided to pay it no mind.
But when one has some leisure time, the drama within often intensifies, and Su Chen was no exception.
[What should I do? I feel like I've been taken advantage of, and to be honest, I'm unsettled.]
[How did Yang Yuxin become so enchanting? I'm at fault. I don't know what to do. Qu Xiaoqi is great too, but she's just too young, too young.]
At that moment, both Yang Yuxin and Qu Xiaoqi broke into smiles.
Especially for Yang Yuxin, receiving Su Chen's acknowledgment was the happiest thing for her, but he externally feigned indifference. The more he behaved like this, the more playful Yang Yuxin became. Zhang Li was no better, silently wondering what was going on and why her plotline hadn't been introduced yet.
Zhang Li had once heard Su Chen mention that her role was quite significant, certainly not less than Lin Qingyan's, so why hadn't it surfaced yet?
[Wait, this scenario seems familiar. I think I've seen it somewhere before. Yes, it's time for Ye Haotian to make his entrance. Ha, this guy has been infatuated with Zhang Li for a long time; he's here to confess.]
[Sadly, Zhang Li was only interested in the main male lead at that time. Ye Haotian didn't stand a chance and instead got a metaphorical slap in the face. Such a pity.]
Su Chen began to anticipate. Ye Haotian was also one of the antagonists. However, he wasn't just a secondary character with limited screen time, like Su Chen. Even though Ye Haotian's family, the Ye family, wasn't as powerful as the Su family,
Ye Haotian himself was formidable. He was seen as a favored young man, recognized as the best among his peers, a paragon of virtue. However, all these were superficial disguises.
In the end, Ye Haotian's fate turned out much worse than Su Chen's. Both his sister and mother were taken in by Qin Yu. Reflecting on this, Su Chen realized his own outcome wasn't that tragic after all.
[Maybe I'm overthinking. First, the main male lead isn't here, and currently, Ye Haotian probably hasn't even returned to the country!]
[Actually, the intersection between Zhang Li and me isn't that extensive. Instead, it's more about mocking Ye Haotian.]
Zhang Li, who was initially gleefully listening to Su Chen's inner voice, was now utterly devastated inside.
So embarrassing!
Zhang Li now feels as if the world is grey and bleak. She was initially looking forward to her plotline with Su Chen, hoping to have some fun with it.
But now? The outcome she received revealed that her plotline had little to do with Su Chen. Damn it! Zhang Li's inner voice roared in anger, clearly unable to accept this outcome. How come Yang Yuxin, that despicable girl, could have it?
What is her current status? If one were to look at the order of appearances in the plot, she should've appeared way before Qu Xiaoqi or Yang Danxuan. Yet, she's now reduced to this state. At first, Zhang Li thought there might be lingering ties between her and Su Chen. Especially anticipating moments when she'd just have to beckon Su Chen, and he'd be excited beyond words, instantly elevating her aura.
Wasn't Chen Qing very influential? Known as the Business Queen, with her son firmly under her control, what else could she be proud of? But now, Zhang Li realized her story was so disgraceful, leaving her mentally distressed. Especially recalling how she looked down on Yang Yuxin and Qu Xiaoqi in her heart. Turns out, she was the joke all along.
"Zhang Li, cheer up! You're the best!" Of course, Yang Yuxin wouldn't miss an opportunity to mock her competitor. She leaned in close to Zhang Li's ear, whispering, "By the way, you probably don't have Ye Haotian's contact, do you? Do you want it? I should have it saved!" Zhang Li glared coldly at Yang Yuxin.
This woman is essentially the secondary female character in reality. Her snobbish image is undoubtedly fully displayed. "Sis, you're not mad, are you? That's not a good thing. You need to calm down; getting angry will give you wrinkles."
Zhang Li gave a cold humph without responding. Yang Yuxin, that bitch. Zhang Li was truly impressed. Not only is Yang Yuxin beautiful, but she's also incredibly shameless and sharp-tongued. Although she seems naive on the surface, her inner self is not like that at all. Such a woman is evidently immensely alluring to men.
[Hmm, it does seem that Ye Haotian genuinely likes her, and the main male lead, Qin Yu, is also becoming competitive. The two will surely engage in a fierce battle.]
[In the end, the winner is, of course, the main male lead, Qin Yu, and it seems that Zhang Li also fell for Qin Yu around that time.]
[However, such an event is unlikely to happen now. There's no connection between Qin Yu and Zhang Li, and I'm the main culprit. Otherwise, Qin Yu could have invested in Zhang Li. This means I have now taken on the original role of Qin Yu in the story. This is so melodramatic!]
Hmm? Hearing Su Chen's thoughts, a glint appeared in Zhang Li's eyes. Since Su Chen has now taken Qin Yu's place, why not let him continue to do so? In that case, wouldn't all problems be solved? A mysterious smile appeared on Zhang Li's face.
In fact, Ye Haotian had returned a while ago. Zhang Li had received this news. So, since Su Chen wants to play the antagonist well, why would I let him have his way? Let me help him become the antagonist. Thinking this, Zhang Li quickly sent a text to Ye Haotian, another character with an antagonist role. A hint of delight flashed in her eyes afterward.
Since she wasn't designed as the main female lead, Zhang Li decided to take the initiative and add to the story. Approaching Su Chen, she remarked, "It's getting late; why not stay for dinner tonight?"
"I'll host a banquet on my behalf."
Su Chen froze in place, his gaze landing on Zhang Li, sensing that she had some ulterior motives in mind. He certainly didn't want to agree, unsure of her intentions.
However, before he could voice his thoughts, Yang Yuxin immediately accepted on his behalf, "Sure, let's dine together. Just to clarify, the cost of this meal shouldn't be too low."
Yang Yuxin wanted to uncover any potential scheme Zhang Li might have up her sleeve. Regardless of what it was, she was determined to expose Zhang Li that day. To avoid future troubles and not to miss the opportunity to trick Zhang Li, Yang Yuxin wanted her to realize the consequences of coveting someone else's husband.
Zhang Li departed to make arrangements, leaving the lively Qu Xiaoqi dancing away. Now, the most dangerous woman, Yang Yuxin, remained beside Su Chen, even going so far as to hold onto his hand. Su Chen held his phone with a melancholic expression.
Banquets and such were always treacherous situations. In any feel-good novel, such settings were the prime environment for confrontations. Wait a minute! Would the main male lead, Qin Yu, even appear?
He probably won't; that idiot is likely hiding under some bridge right now.
[Darn it! Why is the plot always crashing, where's my reward?!]
It's been a while since Su Chen received any reward points from the system. Deep down, he really wanted to redeem a villain experience card. Thus, he hoped to accumulate more points. Once he spent the 1,500 points, they'd be gone. It would be problematic if he encountered challenges and couldn't use them when necessary.
Of course, challenges were inevitable. What Su Chen truly feared was not being overshadowed by the male lead, Qin Yu. What really concerned him were confrontations from characters outside of the main leads, like Ye Haotian for example.
[Speaking of which, I wonder when Ye Haotian's sister will make her entrance. That woman is the real formidable character.]
[In my previous life, I was captivated by her fox-like charm.]
[After spending a night with her, it took me a month of consuming supplements to recover. It was terrifying!]
"Ouch! Why are you pinching me, Yang Yuxin?" Su Chen exclaimed. "Let me see your phone!" Yang Yuxin said, using it as a diversion to avoid arousing Su Chen's suspicions. Deep down, she was furious. Thinking, 'Stinking man! As if having me isn't enough, he still seeks other women. Wait and see; in this life, I'll drain all his energy.'
"Why do you want to see my phone?" Su Chen looked at her with suspicion, a hint of apprehension in his heart. Any man would instinctively react when asked to show their phone.
"Be careful, Yang Yuxin. My phone doesn't have a protective case. If you break it, you'll have to compensate me."
Yang Yuxin rolled her eyes. She wasn't really interested in checking Su Chen's phone. After all, she could just listen to his inner thoughts to know his secrets. Why bother checking his phone?
Still, she enjoyed chatting with Su Chen, "Why don't you use a phone case?"
"Isn't it obvious? Using a phone without a case feels so much better, even if it's not very safe. My previous phone broke because I didn't use a case."