Chapter 68: Brilliant

“Isn’t she here to sleep with you?”

The System could scarcely believe it, its programming nearly crashing in the process.

It couldn’t fathom what it had just “seen.” Yan Qingxu had shown up late at night to knock on the Bad Woman’s door—and then said something dripping with sexual innuendo.

Wasn’t that seduction plain and simple?

In the original story, the bright and generous female lead receiver had never resorted to such tactics. This was a side of her even the female lead top had never witnessed!

Jiang Shumo hesitated. “…Probably?”

Yan Qingxu’s sexy appearance at her door had indeed carried some implication, but after those words tumbled out, any hint of seduction evaporated. Jiang Shumo even suspected she was just trying to make her laugh.

It was strange, though—the Little Retard wasn’t making a peep today.

Unable to resist, Jiang Shumo poked at the System. It responded in a tone of utter numbness. “My programming seems to have glitched a bit. I’m going in for repairs. Back tomorrow.”

Jiang Shumo blinked. “?”

It had broken already?

…

Seeing no response from Jiang Shumo—and a rather speechless look on her face—Yan Qingxu gave an awkward smile. “Uh… I think this outfit looks pretty sexy on me.”

Wasn’t it stunning? Why was this Jiang Shumo’s reaction?

“It was very sexy—before you opened your mouth.”

Jiang Shumo was utterly frank. Her gaze drifted downward, lingering on the wine-red silk fabric. “This color really suits your complexion. It’s gorgeous.”

Yan Qingxu had wilted a little at the first half of the sentence, but the second part lifted her spirits. She stretched out her arms and spun in a circle, showing herself off. “Right? I thought so too. It’s a new nightgown I bought!”

“I was stunned by my own beauty in the mirror. I put it on just for you to see.”

Her original intent had simply been to share her stunning new sexy nightgown with Jiang Shumo. But when Jiang Shumo answered the door in a loose little tank top and shorts, her brain had short-circuited, and those suggestive words had slipped out.

—Though she did have a tiny bit of seduction on her mind!

It wasn’t her fault, though. Jiang Shumo had been the one tempting her first!

Patiently admiring the beautiful curves on full display, Jiang Shumo nodded appreciatively. “It looks great.”

Yan Qingxu’s eyes lit up. “Does it make your heart race at all?”

She leaned against the doorframe, arching her body into an S-curve as she shot Jiang Shumo a sultry wink. “Don’t you feel even the slightest urge?”

Jiang Shumo paused. “…Keep that up, and I’m going to laugh.”

Yan Qingxu: “…”

Her smile froze, frustration and embarrassment flooding her cheeks. “What’s so funny about this!”

She had put so much effort into seducing her, and Jiang Shumo thought it was hilarious? Did she have no allure at all?

Seeing her so dejected, Jiang Shumo cleared her throat. “The fact that you’re trying to seduce me—it’s just… interesting.”

She couldn’t help finding it amusing. As a former career woman singularly focused on climbing the ladder, this was the first time anyone had ever tried to bed her. The novelty was genuinely entertaining.

Of course, she only found it “interesting” because the seducer was Yan Qingxu.

She had briefly imagined what it would be like if it were one of her past suitors from her previous life.

Jiang Shumo shuddered. “…”

That was a bit disgusting.

Sure enough, when it came to seduction, looks were everything.

Jiang Shumo eyed Yan Qingxu with mild regret. If the Little Retard weren’t watching, she might actually have been willing to give it a try with her.

—Interesting?

That could count as positive feedback. Yan Qingxu latched onto it, a spark of understanding in her eyes as she studied Jiang Shumo thoughtfully, as if piecing together some preference.

The scrutiny made Jiang Shumo a touch uneasy, so she asked proactively, “What’s wrong?”

Yan Qingxu grew serious. “Can I have a goodnight kiss?”

Here we go again.

Jiang Shumo nearly sighed. “No—”

Before she could finish, Yan Qingxu tilted her head and planted a quick peck on her cheek, as light as a deer sipping from a stream.

“!”

It took Jiang Shumo a moment to process, her eyes widening. “You—”

“I knew you wouldn’t give me one, but I’m happy to give you one!”

Hands clasped behind her back, Yan Qingxu retreated a couple of steps with a delighted grin. “Goodnight~”

It wasn’t until Yan Qingxu had hopped lightly away that Jiang Shumo snapped out of it. Subconsciously, she touched the spot on her cheek that had been kissed. The skin there still held a trace of warmth that wasn’t her own.

“…Goodnight.”

~~~

None of the wild scenarios she’d imagined came to pass. Yan Qingxu was far too busy for that.

The next morning, when Jiang Shumo got up for breakfast, Aunt Qiu informed her that Yan Qingxu had been picked up by her manager at seven sharp—not to go home, but to head to work.

Jiang Shumo’s thoughts drifted inevitably to that goodnight kiss. She took an absent-minded bite of breakfast when a petulant meow sounded from beneath the table. “Mew~”

A cat?

Oh, right—the Little Beauty had come over too.

Jiang Shumo suddenly remembered the Little Fat Cat. Glancing down, she saw the fluffy creature perched obediently at her feet, gazing up at her with the softest meow.

Its posture was the picture of elegant poise, but the cat’s plump curves lent it an adorably clumsy charm. It was clearly pampered to perfection, its fur sleek and fluffy, carrying a faint sweet fragrance.

Seeing it staring up without budging, Jiang Shumo’s interest piqued. “Are you hungry?”

She eyed her breakfast plate, trying to spot something the kitten could have.

“—Don’t feed it.”

Aunt Qiu had just warmed some fresh milk. Hearing Jiang Shumo’s words and seeing her scan the breakfast, she hurried to intervene. “I fed it just this morning. It’s only here because it smells the food and got greedy.”

Jiang Shumo glanced at the Little Fat Cat in mild surprise. As if aware its begging scheme had been exposed, the cat flopped right over, tucking in its limbs to expose its soft belly while its big tail swished back and forth. “Mew~”

So cute.

Jiang Shumo eyed her half-eaten breakfast, reluctant to get cat hair on her hands. She restrained the impulse to give that belly a rub.

Aunt Qiu set the warm milk by her hand, then bent down to lightly tap the Little Beauty on the forehead. “You little glutton. I chased you out of the kitchen, and here you are sniffing around for treats, aren’t you?”

“Mew!”

Far from frightened by the tap, the Little Beauty nuzzled into Aunt Qiu’s hand, drawing a fresh round of doting coos from her.

…

Seeing the delighted, kindly smile on Aunt Qiu’s face, Jiang Shumo had a premonition: the Little Fat Cat wouldn’t be losing any weight here. It might even pack on a few more pounds.

Who could blame it? It had effortlessly won Aunt Qiu’s heart.

Scooping up the Little Beauty like a cherished cub, Aunt Qiu asked, “Are you heading out today?”

Jiang Shumo took a sip of milk. “Mm, I’m going to the company.”

—Not Jiang Zhuoyuan’s company, but the Brilliant Film and Television Company that had been established for her.

She had already told Liu Wan about her plans to retire from the industry, but they still needed to hammer out the details of the announcement.

Aunt Qiu understood. “Shall I arrange the car for you?”

“Yes, thank you, Aunt Qiu.”

…

As the undisputed big boss of Brilliant, Jiang Shumo had barely set foot in the company all year—thanks to her filming schedule.

Which meant she nearly did something foolish.

She had the driver pull up right in front of the building and was about to open the door when she spotted dozens of people squatting out front through the car window.

Her first instinct was “wage protesters,” but then she noticed the cameras some were carrying. Only then did she realize they were paparazzi waiting for celebrities.

Of course Brilliant wouldn’t stiff anyone on pay.

While she mulled it over, the group noticed the luxury black business van. One of them shouted, and the rest immediately stirred, surging toward the car.

“!!!”

Get out of here!

The driver needed no instruction. He gunned the engine and sped off.

“…Phew.”

Jiang Shumo let out a breath only after seeing the crowd halt in disappointment. Even so, she was a bit puzzled.

Didn’t Brilliant only have her as a debuted artist right now? Why were there so many people staking out the place?

“Miss, I should park in the underground garage instead. It’ll be safer to enter from there.”

This wasn’t the driver’s first time ferrying Jiang Shumo to the company, and he’d received plenty of instructions from Liu Wan: “Never use the front entrance—that’s for paparazzi and fans. Always take the back door or the garage. Preferably the garage.”

He had only stopped at the main gate today because Jiang Shumo had requested it.

She hadn’t anticipated this sort of hassle. Still rattled, she murmured, “…Okay.”

If her hand had been just a fraction quicker on that door handle, she would’ve been surrounded.

The underground garage of the Brilliant Films Building featured a registration system that kept ordinary people out. Jiang Shumo’s usual vehicles were all registered, allowing her to pass through without any trouble.

She took the elevator straight from the underground garage to the 23rd Floor. Just as Jiang Shumo was about to step out, she nearly collided head-on with someone entering. Had she not been standing toward the back, she would have been bumped squarely.

“Maruko?”

Liu Wan froze at the sound of that voice. “Shumo?! You’re here?”

“Why are you so worked up? Didn’t you see the message I sent you?”

Jiang Shumo had barely started to exit the elevator when Liu Wan seized her wrist and yanked her out, striding quickly ahead.

Before Jiang Shumo could match her pace, Liu Wan’s anxious voice rang out. “Perfect timing—you showed up just when I was about to go looking for you. Finance ran the numbers, and you know as well as I do that the company survives entirely on your earnings. Now that you’re not taking any jobs, we’re short on income. With this whole building and all these employees on the payroll, are you going to squeeze out one last payday before retiring from showbiz, or are you footing the bill for the company yourself? You tell me.”

“……?”

Jiang Shumo needed only a second to grasp Liu Wan’s point. She truly hadn’t considered this angle—Brilliant Films had been founded for the original host, with every project revolving around the original host. That kind of small-scale, workshop-style setup meant the company’s entire operation hinged on the original host’s income.

That was also why the original host kept bouncing around idol dramas: they paid well, had short filming schedules, were easy to shoot, and with an established fanbase, they were primed to go viral.

Every bit of the original host’s income went straight into funding Brilliant’s day-to-day operations. Fortunately, the commercial building belonged to Jiang Zhuoyuan, which greatly eased the original host’s burden. Otherwise, under such a warped structure, Brilliant Films would have folded long ago.

Jiang Shumo rubbed her temple. “No rush. First, bring me all this year’s financial reports to review.”

“I’m definitely retiring from the industry,” she added. “If we truly can’t keep the cash flowing, I’ll ask… my dad for money.”