Leaf Society.
Sheng Congzhi walked into the private room, "Why are you alone?"
The woman, dressed in a red spaghetti strap dress with a voluptuous figure, retorted, "Aren't you hot?"
In Yun City, June was already sweltering with temperatures reaching thirty-nine degrees.
However, Sheng Congzhi wore a high-neck long-sleeve dress that dragged to the back of her feet and even had a silk scarf wrapped around her neck...
As she approached, Qin Zhenzhen quickly yanked off the scarf, "Damn, this... Is all this work of Fu Yan?"
Sheng Congzhi, caught off guard, "...Bitten by a dog."
"tsk tsk tsk, always wearing glasses and pretending to be refined, I really thought he was frigid, but it turns out he's a beast in folksy clothing..." Qin Zhenzhen laughed heartily, "No wonder you suddenly eloped with him, you just craved his body!"
Sheng Congzhi: ...
All right, she admitted.
As a sucker for good looks, she once had a crush on Fu Yan, but the day she confessed, she saw him embracing Xia Zhixi, and soon after, news of their marriage broke.
She, due to the Ye Family's financial troubles, was forced by her foster parents to get engaged to Fu Dongting.
In the Fu Family, Fu Dongting had always been groomed as the heir, and at just twenty-five this year, he was already the CEO of the Fu Group.
Whereas, Fu Yan studied clinical medicine and was rumored to be Mr. Fu's illegitimate son, only acknowledged by the Fu Family and returned to the ancestral home at age thirteen, merely two years older than his nephew, Fu Dongting.
Fu Yan was never favored in the Fu Family, possessing no inheritance rights, and moved to Tinglan Garden after he started work, rarely returning to the Fu Family.
After entering the entertainment industry, she and he rarely crossed paths.
If not for that incident half a year ago...
"By the way." Qin Zhenzhen poured her a drink, "Lin Yuhe is busy, Xia Youran said she's accompanying her boyfriend, Guo Junwei seems to be entertained, and Lu Huaichen is free but will come later."
Sheng Congzhi lifted her glass, "It's all in the wine."
Since the Ye Family's biological daughter was found, she, the adopted daughter, instantly became a counterfeit, losing the majority of her fair-weather friends, leaving only those who wanted to see her downfall or kick her when she was down...
That's how realistic this society is!
...
She had just drunk half a glass when her phone rang.
"Ye Jiaorui snatched 'sweet's endorsement."
Sheng Congzhi, wearing brown vintage sunglasses, stood at the corridor's corner, "Oh."
"I never thought she'd turn out to be the long-lost daughter of the Ye Family they've been searching for over two decades, now rising high as a debutante—she wouldn't have been able to match such resources in the past."
"Nothing else, hanging up."
"Don't dislike what I say." Yu Zhou prattled, "Last time if you had just dined properly with 'sweet's Mr. Wang, none of this would've happened. You, you're just too proud, not knowing how to endure hardships or let go of your pride..."
Finally, she hung up the phone and turned around—
"Yo, isn't this Yihua's top star, Sheng Congzhi?"
Sheng Congzhi slightly raised her chin, her gaze frosty as she looked over.
It was indeed Ye Jiaorui.
The biological daughter the Ye Family had just found.
Sheng Congzhi was naturally beautiful, with an oval face and peach blossom eyes that slightly tilted upward at the corners, and a faint mole like a teardrop near her eye—her cold and alluring demeanor made her strikingly beautiful just standing there.
But Ye Jiaorui was different; she was pretty and sweet, her smile innocently charming, a contrast to Sheng Congzhi's naturally intense look, fitting more with the Ye Family's features.
Currently, she was wearing a little pink dress, her face smug, "You probably don't know yet? 'sweet' has officially announced me as the new spokesperson. I heard they had talked to you earlier, but it seems my image fits their brand better. Also, Sister Wu just negotiated a new variety show for me, this show is super popular right now…"
Sheng Congzhi just quietly watched her.
Perhaps her expression was too calm?
Ye Jiaorui immediately started to mock her, "You're nothing but an adopted daughter of the Ye family. It's already good enough that they didn't kick you out, and here you are acting all haughty? Moreover, Dongting has been wanting to call off the engagement for a long time. You chase after him day and night, trying to coerce him into a relationship, even barging into the wrong room and sleeping with the wrong person. Caught red-handed by the elders! Shameless! You've completely disgraced our Ye family. If I were you, I'd be too embarrassed to even step outside!"
"What's wrong with this store?" Sheng Congzhi clicked her tongue, "Can't they even keep the dogs leashed, letting them bark all over the place?"
Ye Jiaorui's face turned ugly in an instant, "Who are you calling a dog?"
Sheng Congzhi curled her red lips, even through sunglasses, her pride was evident, "Oh, it's you, the dog."
Ye Jiaorui, infuriated, pushed her.
But Sheng Congzhi grabbed her wrist in one swift move, her voice turning icy, "Crying out and barking as soon as you come out, if you're not a dog, then what kind of beast are you?"
Ye Jiaorui winced in pain, "Let go of me!"
Sheng Congzhi looked at her, thinner yet no less forceful, unable to break free...
Ye Jiaorui, in a fit of rage and embarrassment, "Fine then, there are surveillance cameras here. I'll post the footage online and see how you can still be so arrogant!"
Sheng Congzhi let out a scoff, "We're both in the entertainment industry, why the act of a pure lotus? And after all, haven't I had my fair share of scandals since my debut? What's one more to me? I'm actually about to start filming a new movie, your video might even give me free publicity, increase my exposure. But you, how long have you been back at the Ye family? Pretending to be all forgiving and inclusive on the surface, but secretly making life difficult for an adopted daughter like me, what would happen if the Ye family heard about this…"
Ever since she returned to the Ye family, Ye Jiaorui had behaved well and understandingly, especially generous and accommodating towards her, the adopted daughter. If it turned out to be all a façade...
Ye Jiaorui's face twisted, then suddenly became panicked and fearful, even kneeling on the ground, "Zhizhi, sister, I was wrong. It's all my fault. If you're upset, just direct it at me, please don't blame Dongting..."
Sheng Congzhi's brows slightly furrowed.
She instinctively turned around...
And Ye Jiaorui opportunistically flung herself against the wall, "Ouch, it hurts!"
At the same time, a stern voice called out, "Sheng Congzhi!"
It was Fu Dongting.
Sheng Congzhi couldn't help but roll her eyes.
The man swiftly approached, dressed in a neatly tied shirt and trousers, his refined and scholarly face filled with anger, "What have you done to Jiaojiao?"
He immediately helped Ye Jiaorui up, "Jiaojiao, are you okay?"
"Dongting, brother." Ye Jiaorui leaned into him, "It's my fault. I just felt that Zhizhi shouldn't treat you this way. If she likes someone else, she should have told you earlier. How can she keep clinging to you while sleeping with another man? Especially since that man is your own uncle... I just wanted to scold her a bit, I didn't expect her to get so angry and try to hit me..."
"That's enough, don't say anymore, I know you mean well," Fu Dongting said gently, "Do you feel unwell anywhere? Do you need to go to the hospital?"
Ye Jiaorui's voice was coquettish, "I think I hit my head just now, it's a bit painful..."
Just then—
"If you have a headache, you should come to me."
A teasing, deep male voice suddenly came from behind.
Sheng Congzhi's eyelashes fluttered.
Looking up, she saw a tall and slender figure standing in the dark corner ahead.
Who else could it be but that dog Fu Yan?
Dressed in a loose light-grey shirt with an open collar, a cigarette clamped at the corner of his mouth, he leaned lazily against the wall with a slouched, carefree demeanor of a spoiled young master.
As their eyes met, Fu Yan slightly raised his eyebrow and then strode forward, "Miss Ye, you have a headache?"
Ye Jiaorui, who had been probing the Fu family recently and knew that he was a doctor, quickly denied, "No, I... I'm fine now, it doesn't hurt anymore..."
"Not hurting anymore?" Fu Yan, holding the cigarette between his long fingers, squinted slightly in a nonchalant manner, "As a professional surgeon, I feel obligated to remind Miss Ye that a headache is no trivial matter. It's related to the brain, and if there's something wrong with the brain, you should get it treated early. If the brain goes bad, the future consequences could be severe, possibly even leading to mental impairment..."
"Pfft—"
Sheng Congzhi, with her lips curled, laughter ringing like silver bells, "Sorry, as a professionally trained actress, I can't help it unless I really can't hold it in."