Sun Zhao, the president of Jiatian Entertainment, sat in his office, putting on a business-like facade as he faced the omega before him. Inwardly, however, he was stretched to his breaking point.
God only knew the background of this woman, whose seductive smile was like that of a siren. She had actually managed to make that old block of wood, Qin Guanyu, reveal such an expression.
It all began a day ago when Sun Zhao received an order from Qin Guanyu. He was to invest in a promising live-streaming variety show; she had a use for it.
Sun Zhao found the order a bit strange. He was Qin Guanyu’s hidden asset, a pawn planted within the industry, not to be activated unless for a matter of great importance.
Did this mean Qin Guanyu couldn’t make the investment herself?
Despite his doubts, he quickly got to work. Jiatian Entertainment had made its name in live-streaming variety shows, so this was familiar territory. In less than a day, Sun Zhao had gathered information on a dozen shows he deemed promising but underfunded. He sent the files to Qin Guanyu, waiting for President Qin’s signal to send one lucky project soaring to success.
If Qin Guanyu hadn’t been so dizzy from her workload that day, and hadn’t felt the urge to look at something to clear her head, she would have simply forwarded the compiled files directly to Cheng Ying.
But, as if moved by some unseen force, she took a look. And there, on the list of directors for the dozen or so shows, she saw a name that had appeared countless times in her dreams but one she never dared to recall in the light of day.
From the moment she embarked on her path of revenge, Qin Guanyu believed she had forsaken everything. She feared no hardship, no exhaustion, not even death. As long as she could destroy Cheng’s and avenge her family, she was willing to do anything.
But the moment she saw that name, the sharp pain that pierced her heart served as a clear, mocking reminder that she wasn’t as strong as she had thought.
In a daze of sharp pain, she recalled her own career, which had started with a bang and ended with a whimper, and the love affair that had come to an abrupt end.
She remembered the girl who was always clinging to her, who loved to call her “Sister.”
She remembered the girl, blushing furiously, pinning her down and saying, “I get it, don’t you dare laugh.” She remembered the resentful, uncomprehending look in her eyes on the day they parted.
Her trembling hand moved the mouse cursor to the delete key.
She had long ago resolved to have nothing more to do with her in this lifetime.
But her finger couldn’t bring itself to click. The alpha’s eyes greedily devoured the name, as if every extra glance were a tremendous blessing.
Zhang Zeyun. Director Zhang. Her little sister. Her lover. The scar on her heart that would never heal.
Sun Zhao was startled by a sudden video call from Qin Guanyu. He had assumed she would simply pick a project and let him handle it. Who would have thought that the incredibly busy President Qin would call him personally?
He fumbled to answer, only to see Qin Guanyu with her usual, unchangingly cold expression. Her eyes, however, were a little red for some reason—probably from staying up all night in meetings, he thought.
“This one,” Qin Guanyu projected the file for one of the shows onto the screen. “I hear Zhang Zeyun is a rather famous director. Would she be lacking investment?”
Sun Zhao looked closely and saw it was Zhang Zeyun’s show, titled 《Little Little Farm》. The fact that Zhang Zeyun was seeking investment from him was rather peculiar, but he didn’t think Qin Guanyu would concern herself with such matters. The entertainment industry might be the most famous, but it certainly wasn’t the most profitable. Even if Zhang Zeyun could be considered a well-known director, she wasn’t worth a second glance from a true financial titan like Qin Guanyu.
And yet, here was the titan herself, calling specifically to ask about this piece of gossip.
While marveling at how President Qin was truly one of a kind—so busy she was practically coughing up blood, yet still finding time to keep up with entertainment news—Sun Zhao reported truthfully, “Well, I heard this show had already secured funding. But not long after I announced we were looking to invest in a variety show, Zhang Zeyun turned down that offer for some reason. I heard she even offended a big boss in the process. That person has already declared that anyone who dares to invest in this show is making an enemy of him. So, I believe Zhang Zeyun is in dire need of our investment. Otherwise, the project will likely fall through, and the preliminary costs alone would be enough to bankrupt her.”
Sun Zhao’s voice trailed off as he noticed Qin Guanyu’s expression growing darker and darker.
The alpha, who always seemed so calm and composed, frowned in irritation and muttered, “You really know how to go all out.”
Before Sun Zhao could grasp the meaning of her words, he heard Qin Guanyu say, “Invest in this one. Arrange a meeting with Zhang Zeyun for tomorrow.”
“Understood.” Although he had no idea what had gotten into President Qin today, at least the project was settled. Sun Zhao immediately prepared to contact Zhang Zeyun.
But President Qin’s next words nearly made him do a somersault in shock.
“When you go to talk with her, wear an earpiece. I want to listen in.”
What on earth is your relationship with this Zhang Zeyun?
Sun Zhao opened his mouth to ask but stopped himself. Seeing Qin Guanyu’s expression, he didn’t dare to press the matter and could only go and make the preparations obediently.
Today, with a discreet earpiece in his ear, Sun Zhao met Zhang Zeyun.
Just as in her online photos, Zhang Zeyun was a woman who looked quite young. Her file stated she was thirty, but from her appearance alone, she looked no older than twenty-five.
She had a classic oval face, with round, bright eyes that held a hint of slyness that wasn’t the least bit annoying.
She was likely the “sweet yet sultry” type of omega that some alphas fantasized about.
But Sun Zhao didn’t dare entertain any stray thoughts, because he could clearly hear President Qin’s ragged breathing through his earpiece from the moment this beautiful woman appeared.
She either owed President Qin billions, or she was the president’s old flame.
Sun Zhao figured the latter was more likely. He sat up even straighter, his posture practically screaming, I’m not interested in you, stay away from me!
Zhang Zeyun seemed completely oblivious to his silent rejection. She shook his hand with a smile and sat down across from him.
“President Sun, since you’ve invited me here today, I presume you’re interested in a partnership?”
“Er,” Sun Zhao hesitated for a moment before Qin Guanyu’s mercurial voice sounded in his earpiece. “Ask her why she turned down the other investment.”
“Ahem, Miss Zhang, I heard your show had already secured funding. Why did you turn it down?” Sun Zhao recited his lines.
The omega across from him seemed to have anticipated the question, her face still holding an inscrutable smile. “President Sun, you’re certainly well-informed. That incident was a moment of willfulness on my part, but that’s understandable, isn’t it?” Her eyes rested on Sun Zhao, yet seemed to be looking somewhere far beyond him. “After all, even a lover who was utterly devoted yesterday can have a change of heart overnight, let alone something as trivial as a material possession.”
Sun Zhao thought to himself, I don’t understand a single word of that, just as he heard Qin Guanyu take a deep breath in his ear. “Then has Miss Zhang considered what she would do if I chose not to invest in this show?”
Right, so that wasn’t directed at me.
Sun Zhao, the mouthpiece, continued to relay the message.
Zhang Zeyun’s smile grew more suggestive. “If that were the case, I would only have myself to blame. But… would President Sun truly have the heart to see me go bankrupt and be forced to sell myself to someone else?”
A loud, shattering crash came through the earpiece, making Sun Zhao jump. He remembered the wooden music box on Qin Guanyu’s desk; it had likely just been smashed to pieces.
Fearing he might suffer the same fate, Sun Zhao dared neither to nod nor shake his head. He simply waited for the now-enraged President Qin to give him a clear instruction.
“Agree to her terms.” After a few minutes, Qin Guanyu seemed to have finally composed herself. She spoke with a hint of exhaustion, “Tell her not to do this again. She won’t always be lucky enough to run into an opportunity like this.”
Zhang Zeyun was respectfully escorted out of Jiatian’s main gate. As she drove away, she skillfully lit a cigarette.
In this era, electronic cigarettes had completely replaced traditional ones, but Zhang Zeyun still preferred the old-fashioned kind. Its smell was more pungent, better at pulling her out of certain emotions she was unwilling to indulge.
The moment she heard Sun Zhao was looking to invest in a live-streaming variety show, she knew Qin Guanyu had to be behind it.
This was something no one else could have known, because only she was aware of the connection between Sun Zhao and Qin Guanyu.
Back in the days when none of them were famous, she had heard Qin Guanyu mention Sun Zhao more than once. She’d said he was her mole planted in a rival company, a very sharp young man.
Qin Guanyu was someone who carried heavy burdens. Even if anxiety kept her up all night, she would still appear energetic and ready for meetings the next day.
At times like that, she would seduce Qin Guanyu, making love until they were both exhausted, until the alpha who was always knitting her brows no longer had the energy to think about anything else.
It was often exhausting, and she was always the first to give in and beg for mercy. At that point, Qin Guanyu would obediently withdraw, then pull her close, nuzzling against her and massaging her aching lower back while talking about business matters to lull her to sleep.
Those schemes and plots, which Qin Guanyu would never mention to anyone else, were reduced to mere bedtime stories for her.
But Zhang Zeyun never cared about the content. She much preferred Qin Guanyu’s husky, gentle voice and the occasional kisses she would place on her forehead.
Qin Guanyu loved her; Zhang Zeyun never doubted it. She knew the alpha’s warm body and tender caresses better than anyone.
At twenty-two, she was completely immersed, believing that would be her life forever.
And then? What happened after that?
Zhang Zeyun recalled those dark days: the business failed, her father committed suicide, and her mother fell gravely ill.
Under the immense pressure, Qin Guanyu had wasted away until she was paper-thin, running around every day like a lost soul, all to no avail.
Looking at the alpha who seemed on the verge of death, Zhang Zeyun felt her own heart shatter.
But there was nothing she could do. She was just a fledgling intern director with nothing to offer but her own warm, beautiful body.
All she could do was stroke the alpha’s hair in the dead of night, press her head against her soft chest, and tell her, “It’s okay. I’m here. I’ll always be with you. I’ll be with you forever.”
But now, even Sun Zhao was still serving as Qin Guanyu’s hidden asset, while she herself hadn’t seen that heartless woman in years.
Zhang Zeyun stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, the warm smoke filling her lonely lungs.
She exhaled a final ring of smoke and pulled a slightly faded photograph from her bag.
It showed a twenty-eight-year-old Qin Guanyu, who looked heart-wrenchingly thin no matter how many times one looked at the photo.
She was sitting in a rented cafe, and across from her was a girl.
The long-limbed girl, dressed in glittering designer clothes, was smiling as she dug into her ice cream. She had light blue eyes.
Her features held the gentleness of ancient Asian peoples and the defined structure of ancient Europeans, making her look like a minor deity who had strayed into the mortal realm.
Zhang Zeyun had seen that face in numerous news reports. She was Cheng Mo’s orphaned daughter, a useless, spoiled brat who didn’t even know how to fight back after her uncle stole everything from her.
Cheng Ying had many titles, but to Zhang Zeyun, only one mattered.
The prime suspect for stealing her Sister Qin away.
Zhang Zeyun smiled at the person in the photograph. If her predictions were correct, they would be meeting soon.
Miss Cheng, I hope we have a pleasant partnership.
“Achoo!” Cheng Ying, who was just about to pop a piece of steak into her mouth, let out a huge sneeze.
Jiang Hanguang, sitting beside her, looked over in concern. “Are you catching a cold?”
Cheng Ying shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
What was that just now? A sudden chill had run through her, as if someone had just stuffed a handful of snow down the back of her collar.
Cheng Ying scratched her nose and went back to eating.
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