"Make your move, don't waste time with him!" Liang Mei yelled from the side, eager to see Chen Jinzhao grovel at her feet.
Yang Qianqian hummed in agreement.
The four bodyguards stepped forward again at the sound, cornering Chen Jinzhao. Yang Qianqian said dismissively, "Why go to such lengths?"
Before her words fell.
A figure was sent flying backward, landing on top of Liang Mei, eliciting another wail from her.
"Ouch, what are you doing?!"
"Are you blind? Why are you crushing me?"
Liang Mei struggled to push the bodyguard off her. After a while, she discovered that the bodyguard was unconscious, blood trickling from his mouth. This petrified Liang Mei.
Yang Qianqian's scalp tingled; she hadn't even seen how Chen Jinzhao had made his move!
How could he...
Be so terrifying?
They looked at Chen Jinzhao, their gazes shifting from contempt to stunned disbelief, laced with a hint of fear.
In the next instant.
Chen Jinzhao continued his assault, punching the bodyguard in front of him, sending him flying. This bodyguard met the same fate as the first, crashing to the ground, barely conscious.
The remaining two bodyguards turned pale at the sight, realizing they were no match for Chen Jinzhao. For a moment, they were paralyzed, unsure of what to do.
Neither advancing nor retreating.
They were in a predicament!
Chen Jinzhao, being considerate, made the decision for them, acting without a word.
Two more punches were thrown, sending the remaining two bodyguards flying.
It was only because Chen Jinzhao held back his strength that these four bodyguards didn't die.
"Brother Jinzhao is amazing! He's finally put some people in their place, hasn't he?" Xu Yaoyao said with a smile, glancing at Yang Qianqian seated opposite them.
Yang Qianqian was speechless.
Chen Jinzhao brushed the dust off his hands and sat down again. This time, Yang Qianqian and Liang Mei dared not utter a sound, treating him as if he were a plague god.
Xu Yaoyao turned to Liang Mei, "What were you saying just now? You wanted Brother Jinzhao to kneel for you. Perhaps you should rephrase that, lest your face gets swollen again."
Liang Mei shivered, her face ashen as if she had seen a ghost. She no longer dared to bring up what had happened earlier. After swallowing hard, she turned to Yang Qianqian, hoping for her intervention.
"Qianqian, say something!" she urged.
Yang Qianqian, flustered and afraid of drawing Chen Jinzhao's attention, quickly replied, "What do you want me to say?"
Liang Mei stammered, unable to answer.
Chen Jinzhao, uninterested in their bickering, said expressionlessly, "As long as you don't push me too far, I won't lay a hand on women. I'll let this slide for now, but I hope you won't trouble Yaoyao again in the future."
"Take heed of my words and act accordingly."
With that, Chen Jinzhao stood up to leave. Liang Mei suddenly spoke, "Wait, you can't leave! You beat up our people, and you think this is over?"
Xu Yaoyao raised an eyebrow, looking at Liang Mei in surprise, wondering if she was tired of living.
Wasn't this asking for trouble?
Yang Qianqian cast an anxious glance at Liang Mei, as if questioning why she would do such a thing.
Wasn't it better to let Chen Jinzhao leave?
Why stir up trouble!
Liang Mei understood Yang Qianqian's confusion. She leaned closer and whispered a few words into Yang Qianqian's ear. Yang Qianqian's furrowed brow gradually relaxed. Finally, she retorted, "Will this really work?"
"Of course it will!" Liang Mei nodded.
"That person values you so highly; you are practically their darling. As long as you speak up, I believe that person will back you up."
Yang Qianqian nodded.
At this point, it seemed like their only option.
Knowing Yang Qianqian had made up her mind, Liang Mei turned to Chen Jinzhao and Xu Yaoyao with a mocking expression, "If you have the guts, stay. Qianqian's boyfriend will be here soon, and he won't let you off."
Xu Yaoyao turned to Chen Jinzhao.
Chen Jinzhao nodded, then calmly sat back down on his chair, indicating his willingness to wait. Xu Yaoyao, understanding, said to Liang Mei and Yang Qianqian, "Fine, we'll wait."
"But can you leave now? We haven't finished our meal."
"You want us to leave just like that?" Liang Mei laughed in disbelief.
"This Chinese restaurant isn't yours, is it? Do you really think you're some top-tier celebrity?"
Chen Jinzhao said slowly.
"You can stay."
"However, you'll have to bear the consequences."
These few words alone turned Liang Mei pale and struck her dumb.
Yang Qianqian naturally dared not linger in front of Chen Jinzhao, fearing she might also be slapped. If her face were ruined, her greatest asset would be gone.
"Sister Liang, let's go."
"We can't dwell on immediate losses; we must consider long-term gains."
The two left the table, crestfallen.
However, they instructed their subordinates to guard the entrance of the Chinese restaurant and not let Chen Jinzhao and Xu Yaoyao leave.
Xu Yaoyao finally found some peace. "Sigh, this is the first time I'm treating Brother Jinzhao to a meal, and such unpleasant things have happened. I've lost my appetite."
"It's okay, we'll eat our meal," Chen Jinzhao said indifferently.
"Hehe, that's true."
Meanwhile.
Yang Qianqian and Liang Mei walked to a table near the restaurant entrance and sat down. Yang Qianqian took out her phone and made a call. A deep, magnetic male voice with a soothing tone answered.
"Qianqian, what's wrong?"
"I remember you rarely call me proactively. Are you missing me?" the man chuckled.
The man was named Zhu Xiaotian. At less than forty years old, he was already the CEO of a film and television company, considered a young achiever. More importantly, Zhu Xiaotian was backed by influential aristocratic families, which was why his company had prospered and secured many quality resources.
Zhu Xiaotian had thus become an object of pursuit for many female stars in the entertainment industry. Anyone who could marry Zhu Xiaotian could escape the toxic environment of the entertainment world.
It was Zhu Xiaotian's idea for Yang Qianqian to compete for the image endorsement of Gouchen Pharmaceutical.
Clearly.
Yang Qianqian had a good chance.
"Manager Zhu, I miss you so much right now. Can you come and see me?" Yang Qianqian cooed.
"I'm afraid I can't right now. I have a meeting to attend," Zhu Xiaotian said.
"Ah?"
"But..."
Yang Qianqian hesitated, then said pitifully, "Then I won't disturb Manager Zhu. You go ahead with your meeting."
This was the tactic of playing hard to get.
Zhu Xiaotian heard the hint of grievance in Yang Qianqian's voice and asked with a smile, "Qianqian, did someone bully you? If that's the case, I can postpone the meeting."
"Forget it, Manager Zhu. Your meeting is more important. I'm just an actress, not worthy of Manager Zhu's attention." Yang Qianqian sounded so aggrieved she was on the verge of tears.
Of course.
This was an act.
Zhu Xiaotian's heart ached upon hearing this. "Qianqian, what exactly happened? If you don't tell me, I'll call Liang Mei directly."
Yang Qianqian understood the principle of knowing when to stop. If she continued to feign distress, it would only annoy Zhu Xiaotian.
She spoke with a choked voice, "It's about that Gouchen Pharmaceutical image endorsement..."
"Oh?" Zhu Xiaotian raised an eyebrow.
"Tell me in detail what happened."
Yang Qianqian's tone grew more aggrieved. "Manager Zhu, it's like this..."
It took her a good five to six minutes to explain the situation to Zhu Xiaotian. Upon hearing it, Zhu Xiaotian was furious. "There are really people who don't know their place. How dare they lay a hand on you? They're clearly not taking me seriously."
"Give me the address. I'll be there right away to get you your justice!"
Yang Qianqian's heart leaped with joy. She quickly provided Zhu Xiaotian with the detailed address of the Chinese restaurant, adding fuel to the fire, "Manager Zhu, please hurry. That man's gaze towards me is very inappropriate, as if he has designs on me. He's also preventing us from leaving the restaurant. I'm really afraid he'll do something extreme."
This tactic indeed worked.
Zhu Xiaotian was enraged. He sneered, "Alright, I understand. I'll be there in about twenty minutes. Tell that brat to wait for me."
"Yes, yes, Manager Zhu. Please be careful on the road."
After hanging up, Liang Mei burst into laughter, praising Yang Qianqian's improved acting skills. "Manager Zhu is utterly smitten with you. If this continues, Qianqian might very well become Mrs. Zhu."
Yang Qianqian smiled faintly, everything was under control.
Her gaze crossed layers of obstacles, falling on Xu Yaoyao by the window. She said dismissively, "To establish oneself in the entertainment industry, one must find a patron. My patron is Manager Zhu."
"What can you compare to me?"