"You truly went to great lengths!" Jiang Ling sighed.
"Actually, my original intention was simply not to see Shuang'er being exploited. Women as cunning and insidious as An Qiuyan, if one spends too much time with her, even if they don't turn bad, their disposition will be affected. That's why the biggest goal of this move was to let Shuang'er see through this woman's true colors and distance herself from her as early as possible. The public announcement of our relationship was merely incidental."
Jian Fan smiled and casually picked up a square object from the bookshelf, turning it over in his hands.
"The Luban Square? Wasn't that thing destroyed? How do you still have it?"
Jiang Ling was surprised to see what Jian Fan held.
"The one that was broken was a fake. The one in my hand is the real one."
"What? A fake? What's going on?"
Jian Fan explained, "Not long after I gave the Luban Square to Shuang'er as a token of our love, we got married. After marriage, I found the thing sitting alone by the bedside a bit uncomfortable. Thinking to make things complete, I hired the best carpenters in the country to create an exact replica. Who would have thought that Huang Jing would happen to see it a couple of years ago? He knew that with my status and family background, it was unlikely I would keep a fake. So, he took this as the real Luban artifact. Later, for the sake of filming, he pestered me relentlessly. Considering his relationship with the old man, I had no choice but to lend it to him."
Jiang Ling suddenly understood, "So that's how it is. I found it strange, too. For a doting husband like you, how could you bear to give away your wife's token of love, and even arrange for it to be damaged? Turns out the one given to Huang Jing was a fake."
Jian Fan smiled and nodded, "Of course. Shuang'er cared so much about that item. How could I possibly give it to that old potato, Huang Jing? Not even in your wildest dreams."
Jiang Ling said with a wry smile, "What a flawless scheme. I didn't expect to become your pawn."
"Yes, you were the most crucial piece on my board in this game. I never expected that under the manipulation of you and your agent, the plan would go so smoothly. I presume you had already guessed that I was orchestrating things behind the scenes, which is why you chose to play along and wait until An Qiuyan presented all the incriminating evidence against Shuang'er before you produced the surveillance video to turn the tables and completely crush An Qiuyan?" Jian Fan asked with a smile.
Jiang Ling nodded, "Yes, I had already guessed you were up to something. But considering that your goal and mine were largely the same—to expose An Qiuyan's innocent facade—I chose to endure and cooperate, following your original plan step by step."
"Smart people do smart things. Miss Jiang, you are so sharp and perceptive, you really shouldn't be in the entertainment industry. You should switch to the business world. I believe with your intelligence and skill, you could forge a new path. Otherwise, you could come work for my company, starting as a director of the marketing department, and once you achieve some results, I'll promote you to deputy general manager."
Jian Fan looked at Jiang Ling with bright eyes, devoid of any lustful desire, only pure admiration.
Jiang Ling spread her hands and said lazily, "Thank you for your kind offer, but competition in the business world is even fiercer. A slight misstep can lead to bankruptcy. I don't have your ambition. I just want to focus on acting, earn enough money for my retirement, win the awards I deserve, and then retire from the industry to live my own quiet life."