It seems that his father is indeed keeping a close watch on his every move. After flicking the cigarette butt to the ground, Chu Yuxuan strode towards the Civil Affairs Bureau, with Zhao Yanan closely following beside him.
As they passed by a Range Rover, Xia Zhu bit her lip and timidly greeted, "President Zhao..."
Zhao Yanan could ignore her, but Xia Zhu could not ignore Zhao Yanan. This was the difference between a celebrity and capital; no matter how big a star, they must bow their head and behave in front of capital.
Zhao Yanan responded with a soft "hmm," took a few steps forward, then suddenly stopped. She gently tugged at Chu Yuxuan's sleeve as if she were holding onto him, then turned her head to Xia Zhu and said, "Xia Xia, I hope you can keep my marriage with Mr. Chu a secret. Do you understand?"
"Marriage?!" Xia Zhu, who hadn't heard their conversation earlier, was stunned and finally realized why they were heading to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Gao Ning was also in disbelief. The most beautiful woman in Jiangcheng... was marrying this good-for-nothing?!!
Zhao Yanan glanced at him, her cold and disdainful expression revealing her complete contempt. She then said to Xia Zhu, "Xia Xia, as the second-largest shareholder of the company, I feel it's necessary to remind you: you're almost thirty, so stop being so obsessed with romance. How could someone who truly loves you destroy your marriage? Don't cause any more trouble for the company. I really don't have time to clean up after you."
These words left Xia Zhu seething with anger but too afraid to speak, and Gao Ning utterly humiliated.
But at least the Gao family had some reputation in Jiangcheng and wasn't about to fear the now-fallen Zhao family. Holding back his anger, he said, "President Zhao, Xia Zhu and I truly love each other, unlike you, who's so desperate for companionship that you'd settle for a worthless pretty boy? Ha... what a joke!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a large, stout man charged forward, cracking his knuckles. "Kid, I suggest you watch your mouth, or I'll knock the crap out of you!"
The large man was tall and broad, with a fierce expression that made him seem quite intimidating.
Gao Ning swallowed hard, recognizing the situation and choosing not to escalate.
Xia Zhu, not wanting to offend Zhao Yanan, quickly stepped in front of Gao Ning and apologized sincerely, "President Zhao, I'm sorry... Don't worry, I'll keep your marriage a secret."
Zhao Yanan wasn't one to argue. After acknowledging Xia Zhu with a nod, she walked into the Civil Affairs Bureau alongside Chu Yuxuan.
With a smirk on his lips, Chu Yuxuan glanced at Zhao Yanan and teased, "President Zhao, are you satisfied with this pretty boy?"
Zhao Yanan remained expressionless, her lips tightly sealed.
When they came out after getting the certificate, the white Range Rover was gone.
The large man approached Chu Yuxuan and handed him the keys to a Ferrari, smiling sincerely. "Young Master, take this car. I'll handle your old one."
Chu Yuxuan didn't take the keys, instead motioning towards Zhao Yanan with his lips, saying, "Let her drive it... I'll take my car back as a keepsake."
"Got it!"
Zhao Yanan pursed her lips and took the Ferrari keys.
After getting into the car, she started the engine and said, "I'm going back to the company. You can drive yourself home later."
Chu Yuxuan glanced at her and chuckled, "Is there nothing you want to say to me?"
Zhao Yanan turned to him with a puzzled look.
"You didn't have to say those things to Xia Zhu earlier," Chu Yuxuan said as he fastened his seatbelt, pausing for a moment. "Was it just to stand up for me?"
Zhao Yanan gave a half-smile, "Feeling sorry for her?"
"Heh... Zhao Yanan, since I'm in a good mood right now, just say whatever you want; don't hold back."
Zhao Yanan stared at Chu Yuxuan as if she sensed that this reckless playboy might not be as frivolous as he seemed.
"Alright, I was planning to tell you tonight... Tomorrow night is Wang Long's birthday party, and I want to attend."
Chu Yuxuan shook his head with a smile, "I knew it, being so nice without a reason... But if you want to go, go ahead. Why are you telling me?"
Zhao Yanan frowned, "Just consider it doing me a favor."
"How will you repay me?" Chu Yuxuan asked with a playful glint in his eye.
"How do you want me to repay you?"
"Call me husband."
"Chu Yuxuan."
"Hmm?"
"You're not a b*st*rd."
"Flattery won't work."
"You're scum."
Chu Yuxuan: ...
On the other side, Gao Ning was driving angrily. He turned to Xia Zhu in the passenger seat and said, "Xia Zhuzi, why don't I help you terminate your contract? We can switch companies! After all, Zhao Corporation has already fallen. It's hard to say if Qingya Media can survive."
Xia Zhu looked extremely upset, her mind occupied with the image of Zhao Yanan and Chu Yuxuan together. How could they be together? Could such a story of a cowherd and a weaving girl really come true? It was unbelievable!
No wonder Chu Yuxuan was so eager to get a divorce recently; it turns out he's hooked up with a rich woman?
The more Xia Zhu thought about it, the angrier she became. She sent a WeChat message to Chu Yuxuan: "In such a hurry to divorce, so you already had someone lined up? Congratulations! I never realized you had such skills! I mistakenly thought you were a loyal person. Haha... well, at least now I don't feel guilty anymore!"
Chu Yuxuan, seeing the message, was both amused and annoyed. The one who cheated is now turning it around? Disgusting.
After thinking for a moment, he replied with a cryptic message: "Oh, how could I forget about you?"
Xia Zhu stared at the message, puzzled, and sent a question mark.
But what appeared was a big red exclamation mark...
She then realized what he meant: How could I forget to delete you?
"Shameless!" Xia Zhu bit her lip and cursed.
Gao Ning, sitting beside her, pursed his lips, slightly annoyed, "Xia Zhuzi, I was just talking to you. Didn't you hear?"
Xia Zhu looked at him and realized she had been a bit out of it. Stammering, she said, "Uh... Ning Ge, I don't want to switch jobs right now. The penalty fee is heavy..."
"I'll find a way to help you," Gao Ning said firmly.
"Forget it... Ning Ge, I know you mean well, but I don't want to affect my job over something so trivial."
After a moment of contemplation, Gao Ning said, "Alright, we'll do it your way. But if you're ever unhappy at work, promise me you'll tell me right away, okay?"
Xia Zhu nodded gratefully, "Thank you, Ning Ge... It's so good to have you."
Gao Ning took one hand off the steering wheel to gently squeeze Xia Zhu's cold hand, smiling warmly, "Silly, why are you being so polite with me?"
Xia Zhu smiled back and then said, "By the way, tomorrow night is Director Wang Long's birthday party. The last film just wrapped, and all the lead actors were invited. Ning Ge, since you're so close with him, did you get an invitation?"
Gao Ning's expression froze for a moment, but he quickly composed himself, "Xia Zhuzi, I haven't had a chance to tell you, but after I saw you venting on WeChat, I actually had my dad pull some strings for you. I'm not really familiar with Wang Long."
The explanation seemed reasonable, so Xia Zhu didn't doubt it and smiled, "It's okay, you're my boyfriend, right? Let's go together tomorrow night. He's helped me so much, I really need to thank him properly."
Gao Ning nodded, relieved that his lie had worked. As for why Wang Long chose Xia Zhu for the role... he figured it was just because she's a good actress.
If someone had helped her behind the scenes, they would have shown up by now. Just like those investors who back female stars for ulterior motives, right?
These days, who's really a selfless benefactor?
"Xia Zhuzi, after dinner, let's go pick out a gift for him," Gao Ning suggested, thinking aloud, "People in his line of work probably like antiques and paintings. I happen to know someone who deals in antiques, and they've got some good stuff. Let's go check it out, and you can pick whatever you like. I'll cover the bill."
Xia Zhu lifted Gao Ning's hand and kissed the back of it, smiling, "Then I won't hold back!"