Although Rong Qiao was angry at Lu Yanbei, she still had her wits about her.
She wasn't foolish enough to go against capital!
Was Lu Yanbei someone to be trifled with?
However, Rong Qiao didn't outright refuse Qiao An'an. Instead, she kept a watchful eye.
"Why are you looking for me?" she asked directly.
"Because we have a common enemy," Qiao An'an said matter-of-factly.
"An enemy? I had no idea you had a feud with him."
"That's a long story. Regardless, our goal is the same."
"With us, what can we do to him?" Rong Qiao subtly activated the recording function. "He's Young Master Yan!"
"We can't do anything to him, but we can certainly find a way to make him taste the pain of loss," Qiao An'an said, her gaze suddenly sharp as she looked at the bruises on her arm.
Her eyes were originally quite beautiful, but at this moment, they were like they were poisoned, filled with resentment, making her look somewhat terrifying.
Everything she was enduring now was caused by Lu Yanbei and Su He.
If it weren't for these two, she would still be the pampered daughter of the Su family, living a comfortable life with a bright future. Because of Su He's appearance, her status became awkward, and Su He had taken everything that belonged to her.
Including, the man she loved!
Lu Yanbei, she liked him so much, yet he wouldn't even spare her a second glance. He had even forced the Su family to kick her out of their home for that woman Su He, and then orchestrated a scheme to send her brother to prison. The entire Qiao family viewed her as a jinx. Not only did they secretly take all her savings, but they also planned to marry her off to a fool for money.
Such an ordeal made her hate Lu Yanbei with a passion.
She had desperately escaped the clutches of her biological parents. To survive, she had to become a mistress to a man old enough to be her father, using her body to obtain what she desired.
That man was a pervert!
With his peculiar fetishes, he would leave her bruised and battered every time.
Each time she was beaten, Qiao An'an would curse Lu Yanbei and Su He in her heart, as if only by doing so could she alleviate the physical and emotional pain.
"Miss Rong, to catch a snake, you must strike at its head. If you find his weakness, you can deliver a fatal blow," Qiao An'an said, the veins on the back of her clenched fist bulging, her freshly manicured nails snapping.
Rong Qiao moved her legs and changed her posture, asking, "What do you want to do?"
*
"Su Lin, have you really thought this through?" Manager Xu Jing asked, sounding surprised when she received his call.
This kid was obsessed with his sister, doing whatever Su He said.
He had just terminated his contract with his previous agency and wanted to sign with Qinghe. How could he have changed his mind after only a few days?
"I don't want to cause trouble for my sister," Su Lin said dejectedly.
It wasn't that he didn't want to sign with Su He's studio; he was simply terrified by the sasaeng fans.
Every time he recalled what happened that day, he felt so guilty he wished he could die to atone. He was lucky last time, and Su He managed to escape. But what about next time?
Therefore, after careful consideration, Su Lin decided it was best to maintain some distance from Su He.
"Besides, I'll have more freedom if I start my own studio," Su Lin said, idly plucking the strings of his guitar and playing a few notes. "Sister Jing, do you want to come work with me?"
"You're poaching from your sister!" Xu Jing exclaimed, rubbing her forehead.
She had already signed with Qinghe, and breaking the contract would require paying double the compensation. She had worked hard for years to save money and didn't want to waste it.
"Or, maybe a part-time job?" Su Lin suggested fancifully.
"I don't have that kind of energy!" Xu Jing flatly refused. "Do you know how many messes I've had to clean up for you over the years? I only have one life, and I want to conserve it for my later years."
"Are you really going to bring new talent to your sister's place? Won't it be even harder if you have to start from scratch?" Su Lin asked, confused.
"That would still be easier than dealing with you," Xu Jing said frankly. "Do you know how difficult you are to manage? You have a bad temper, too many demands, refusing this and that... For your sake, I've almost offended everyone in the industry!"
"Really?" Su Lin couldn't help but reflect.
He just didn't like socializing, didn't like fawning over people, didn't like doing boring promotional activities just to earn money, and didn't like doing things he didn't want to do.
Were these demands excessive?
Xu Jing didn't have the energy to argue with him. "I have other things to attend to. We'll talk another day."
"You've already started your new job so quickly?" Su Lin heard a familiar voice on the phone.
It was Han Yutong, the actress he had collaborated with on a TV series last time.
"Sister Jing, I have an audition soon, and I'm so nervous..." The young girl was from the south, her voice soft and sweet, with an unconscious hint of coyness that sounded very pleasant.
Xu Jing patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Have you finished reading the script? Go through it with your assistant first, and improvise when you get there. I believe in you!"
Su Lin had heard these familiar phrases so many times before.
When she was managing him for a reality show, she had said the same thing.
Su Lin couldn't help but curve his lips slightly. "Alright, you're busy, I'll treat you to a meal another day."
In the nanny van on the other end, Han Yutong responded verbally but was still eavesdropping on their phone conversation. After Xu Jing hung up, she pretended to ask, "Sister Jing, is another agency trying to poach you? You can't be tempted!"
"I've signed my contract, how can I change it so easily?" Xu Jing playfully glared at her.
"I knew Sister Jing loved me the most!" Han Yutong hugged her arm and acted spoiled.
"You have a sweet tongue. But don't think this means I'll go easy on you. What's going on with your recent posture classes? The teacher said you're often late and leave early!"
"I... I wasn't feeling well..."
"And your acting class? Have you been practicing in front of the mirror every day? Send me videos of your practice later." Xu Jing was quite responsible as a manager, and when she got fierce, those under her were quite afraid of her.
As the saying goes, a strict teacher produces a brilliant student!
It was precisely because of her work ethic that she was able to cultivate talented idols like Su Lin, He Dandan, and Pei Qing.
"And Xiao Liang, as my assistant, you need to keep a close eye on her! If she slacks off, report it to me. Otherwise, I'll deduct your salary too!"
"Sister Jing, what era is this? Are we still using collective punishment!"
"Or what? Do you think being a celebrity is easy? The competition is so fierce, how can you succeed without working hard? Do you think you can conquer everything with just a pretty face? Naive!"
"Go memorize your lines now!"
Xu Jing waved her hand, scaring the two of them into silence.
Han Yutong's career had been relatively smooth, and she was obedient. With a high starting point and the backing of a large consortium like Lu Group, Xu Jing believed that within two years, she could mold this raw gem into a dazzling superstar!