Chapter 29

Leng Xiang looked at her without saying a word.

Jiang Sisi gave her an apologetic smile and explained what had happened.

“I need to apologize to you. That day in the office, when I said you should spend the night with me, I was just teasing you to see your reaction. I never intended for you to actually sleep with me.”

“You didn’t say a word and just walked away. I wanted to explain, but I never got the chance.”

Leng Xiang thought, So you’re saying it’s my fault?

Leng Xiang remained silent.

Jiang Sisi continued, “But yesterday, I heard from the Black Pool Boss that you were drowning your sorrows and calling my name… Ahem, you sounded so conflicted and distressed. I couldn’t help myself and decided to tease you again to see if you’d agree.”

Jiang Sisi smiled. “What if you actually said yes? I’d be the one profiting.”

Leng Xiang: “…”

She was clearly being a rogue while amusing herself.

And yet, she was so frank and sincere about it.

How could there be such a shameless person in the world?

Jiang Sisi thought for a moment, then smiled again and added, “But honestly, if you had really agreed, I probably would’ve been a bit disappointed.”

Leng Xiang was so furious she couldn’t speak.

So everything just now had been Jiang Sisi toying with her?

Jiang Sisi had never actually wanted her to sleep with her; it was all just mischief?

Veins bulged on Leng Xiang’s forehead.

Was this woman insane?

How could she be so malicious?

Was this how you played jokes?!

Fine, malicious was one thing, but why was she so brazenly upfront about it?!

Leng Xiang said, “You…!”

She was so angry she wanted to laugh, but no words came out.

Leng Xiang looked at the contract in front of her, laughed out of sheer rage, and said, “You’re toying with me like this—what if I said I won’t act in it?”

Jiang Sisi smiled again. “You won’t do that.”

Leng Xiang: “…”

Leng Xiang really wanted to hurl the contract in Jiang Sisi’s face.

She swallowed her anger and took a deep breath.

Hold it in. Don’t explode. Exploding would just let Jiang Sisi have her way.

When had she ever endured such humiliation in her life?

But Jiang Sisi was telling the truth.

No matter how much Leng Xiang disliked her, she would still take the role.

She was even willing to take a minor female third lead in a drama where Yu Shan was the second female lead.

She loved acting and was passionate about her career. As long as there was an opportunity, she would seize it and climb with everything she had.

Leng Xiang had been toyed with like this, furious to the point of death, but she couldn’t hit anyone.

Leng Xiang said, “I really want others to see your true colors.”

“That depends on the person. It’s been a long time since I met someone as interesting as you.” Jiang Sisi grinned shamelessly. “I hope we can get along well from now on.”

Leng Xiang: “…”

Get along well? That would be a cold day in hell.

Jiang Sisi had an impeccable reputation in the industry. Everyone said she was gentle, generous, witty, polite, and masterful at handling people and situations with perfect propriety, making everyone feel at ease.

But no one knew she had another side.

She was sharp-tongued and mischievous, with a wicked streak that often emerged.

When it came to Leng Xiang, that wicked side never stayed suppressed and kept teasing her over and over.

She had Leng Xiang’s situation all figured out—she was certain Leng Xiang would star in her new film, so she grew even bolder.

What an infuriating personality.

Leng Xiang said, “I really don’t like you at all.”

“I know.” Jiang Sisi laughed. “Once you join my crew, you’ll hate me even more.”

Leng Xiang suddenly remembered sitting on her lap earlier.

If Pei Shuang hadn’t barged in, would they really have kissed?

She was just toying with her, so why had she let her get that close to kissing her?

What was Jiang Sisi really thinking?

Leng Xiang said, “Then what about just now…”

Jiang Sisi tilted her head and looked at her. “What about just now?”

Leng Xiang: “…”

Playing dumb!

Leng Xiang dropped it. It was probably just more teasing anyway!

They hadn’t actually kissed.

Seeing her go quiet, Jiang Sisi continued, “You can take the contract home to review it. If you’re not comfortable, give it to Miss Shen. She’s more experienced with these.”

“I’ll pay you half of the seven million plus upfront, and the rest after filming wraps. No problem, right?”

Leng Xiang took a deep breath. “No problem.”

Jiang Sisi extended her hand. “Then, happy cooperation.”

Leng Xiang stared at her for a long moment before finally shaking her hand.

·

Leng Xiang took the contract back for Shen Cheng to review. Shen Cheng flipped through it and said there were no issues—sign it.

Leng Xiang signed it. Not wanting to go to the TV station to see Jiang Sisi, she used a same-city courier to send it over.

Jiang Sisi opened the package in her office, looked at the signed contract, and couldn’t help but smile.

Interesting.

Shiyue Studio was efficient.

Half a month later, money appeared in Leng Xiang’s account.

That morning, she was at Shen Cheng’s place reviewing the script. She had printed and bound it into a thick volume.

It was a ten-million-yuan script, after all.

She read intently when her phone dinged with a notification.

It was a bank transfer message. She opened it and saw her four-digit balance jump to seven digits.

She stared at the number for a long time. Over three million—not a small sum for her.

This didn’t make sense.

Normally, she shouldn’t get this much.

Actors’ main income went through their agencies.

Leng Xiang had signed with Excellence Media at fifteen, with her mother acting as her proxy. Exploiting her youth, they locked her into a long contract with exploitative splits that were outrageously low.

If that contract were shown around the industry, no one would believe such draconian terms existed—enslaving labor for fifteen years.

Her mother had gotten a hefty referral fee, so she signed without hesitation, essentially selling Leng Xiang to Excellence Media.

Under normal procedures, she’d be lucky to see four hundred thousand in her account.

But this time, it was three million, eight hundred twenty-six thousand, five hundred fifty yuan—every cent of the exact half from Jiang Sisi’s contract, all deposited directly.

Shen Cheng was off today and on the phone nearby.

Once she hung up, Leng Xiang asked what was going on. Since when was Excellence Media this generous?

Shen Cheng said, “I heard some news.”

She pointed at the ceiling. “Word from above is, after you finish Jiang Sisi’s movie, they’re planning to put you on a reality variety show. They say you’re so beautiful, and it’s been years since the public saw you—they want to boost your popularity.”

“They’re also assigning two assistants for you to take to the set, saying it’ll help take care of you.”

“On the TV drama side, I’ve been watching. Since news broke you’re Jiang Sisi’s lead, crews have been sending scripts my way. Before, they got blocked before reaching me.”

“But you officially signed with Jiang Sisi last Monday, right? Per rules, I kept a copy at the company—everyone knows now, so no more suppressing your scripts.”

“And this time, the company says they’ll take zero cut from your pay—all yours—as compensation for shelving you all these years. After the movie, they’ll renegotiate your old contract to normal splits, even giving you an extra percentage.”

“You slaved under that draconian contract for years—where was their eagerness before?” Shen Cheng sneered. “A bunch of bullies who pick on the weak.”

After testing Excellence Media’s stance at that card game, Jiang Sisi had gone to chat with a few directors there.

In plain terms, it was negotiations.

What she offered them, what they gave her—clear terms, straightforward deal.

Jiang Sisi wasn’t just a host and director; she was a natural businesswoman.

But this time, she only asked for one person.

Excellence Media, eager to latch onto her, welcomed it and wouldn’t make things hard for Leng Xiang.

The conflict with Director Liu was ancient history.

Back then, he shelved her because the company didn’t care—she was just a temperamental nobody actress with no backing.

Now, with Jiang Sisi’s favor, Excellence Media naturally welcomed her back with open arms, polished her up, and handed her over.

Though Jiang Sisi operated behind the scenes, her negotiations for Leng Xiang were common knowledge in the industry.

In other words, to insiders, Leng Xiang was Jiang Sisi’s person.

Shen Cheng looked at her worriedly, hesitated, then asked, “Jiang Sisi… you didn’t do anything unwillingly with her, did you?”

Leng Xiang knew what she meant. “No.”

Shen Cheng sighed in relief. “Good, that’s good. After all, Jiang Sisi… ahem.”

“Now I can relax.”

Leng Xiang asked, “What’s with Jiang Sisi?”

Shen Cheng said, “It’s not a secret. Rumor has it in the industry that Jiang Sisi likes women.”

The entertainment and fashion circles had the most same-sex relationships—it wasn’t surprising.

Leng Xiang said, “No issue. She’s not interested in me.”

She just likes toying with me.

But she couldn’t tell Shen Cheng that—she still had some pride.

Shen Cheng said, “For the assistants from Excellence Media, skip them if you can. Who knows their motives? I’ll lend you one of mine. I can’t go to Jiang Sisi’s set with you, so take care of yourself.”

Leng Xiang said, “Mm.”

She paused, then added, “Thank you.”

“We’ve known each other for years—what’s a thank you?” Shen Cheng hesitated, then said, “By the way, your mother came by yesterday.”

“I don’t know how she got your address, but… she wants to see you.”