Chapter 69: Love Brain

Jiang Shumo had only intended to drop by the company to discuss her retirement from the industry with Liu Wan. But the moment she picked up the financial reports, the entire morning vanished in a blink.

That morning could only be described as fruitful. At the very least, Jiang Shumo now had a clear picture of Brilliant’s revenue structure—and it was exactly as she’d suspected: a complete mess!

This was supposed to be a major comprehensive film and television company, yet it operated on the simplest, most rudimentary workshop-style revenue model. The fact that it had survived this long was entirely thanks to the Original Host’s massive paychecks propping it up.

Jiang Shumo hadn’t taken on many commercial gigs over the past year. Her schedule only included Mountains and Rivers Eternal Peace and Chichi, but the pay from those two projects was nowhere near what she’d earned from those quick-paced idol dramas in the past. It wasn’t even enough to keep the company running, so they were still burning through the old profits the Original Host had earned before.

Don’t let Jiang Shumo’s improving reputation and rising popularity fool you. Without commercial endorsements, that popularity couldn’t be converted into profits. It meant the last year or so had all been about losing money to gain a reputation.

The thought that she’d been slacking off on set for so long made Jiang Shumo want to throttle herself. She should have reviewed Brilliant’s annual reports ages ago—instead of letting things spiral to this point.

~~~

If Brilliant didn’t overhaul its profit structure soon, bankruptcy and liquidation weren’t far off.

~~~

The clearer the picture became, the more Jiang Shumo envied the Original Host. Pouring her own money into breaking into the entertainment industry all for that “white moonlight” in her heart—what else could you call that but true love?

A worldly person like her could never pull that off.

After poring over the reports all morning, Jiang Shumo’s eyes ached. She set the papers down and closed her eyes, trying to ease the discomfort. Before long, she heard the door open, followed by the crisp sound of footsteps entering the room.

“—You’re still looking at those?”

Seeing the reports still in Jiang Shumo’s hands surprised Liu Wan.

After handing over the financial statements from the past few years that Jiang Shumo had requested, Liu Wan had gone off to handle her own tasks. Several hours later, when she finally caught her breath, she glanced at the clock and saw it was already twelve-thirty.

Liu Wan had assumed Jiang Shumo might have left by now, but something made her check anyway. To her astonishment, not only was Jiang Shumo still there—she was still buried in the reports!

Jiang Shumo let out a sigh. She opened her eyes and looked at Liu Wan. “Brilliant needs to launch new revenue streams. This profit model is way too simplistic. I skipped endorsements and commercial deals for just one year, and the company’s already losing money. At this rate, we’ll be bankrupt within the year.”

“!?”

Liu Wan was stunned. Truth be told, she didn’t understand much about company operations or profit margins. As Jiang Shumo’s manager, her job was to build connections, fight for resources, and negotiate the best pay and conditions for Jiang Shumo—that was plenty.

She knew Brilliant’s operating funds came entirely from Jiang Shumo’s earnings. She also knew that without acting gigs, endorsements, or commercial events, the company had no income. But she hadn’t realized it was this dire.

—After all, Jiang Shumo had been walking the traffic-flower idol route, commanding top-tier rates among first-line actresses. Liu Wan had figured the money from the past few years should sustain a company like this for ages.

Yet here they were: just over a year without commercial work, and Brilliant was already in such bad shape.

Liu Wan didn’t know the first thing about company management, but she trusted that Jiang Zhuoyuan’s daughter had to have some business acumen. If Jiang Shumo said so, then Brilliant’s finances were undoubtedly precarious.

Even though it wasn’t her department, she couldn’t help asking, “…So what do we do?”

Jiang Shumo thought for a moment. “Here’s the plan: Have all the department managers here this afternoon—” She glanced sideways at the clock. “—at three o’clock, in the meeting room next door.”

Jiang Shumo’s previous experience was in tech companies. She’d never dipped a toe into the film industry and had no clue about entertainment business models. But Brilliant’s talent had all been poached by Jiang Zhuoyuan from other entertainment firms—they surely had plenty of insight into profitable ventures. All she needed to do was gather intel and launch new projects.

Her decisive, no-nonsense demeanor felt unfamiliar to Liu Wan, who responded a beat late. “Got it. I’ll notify them right away.”

Then, unable to hold back, she added, “Shumo, I have to say something—even if you might not like it.”

Jiang Shumo: “…”

Jiang Shumo badly wanted to say, If you know I won’t like it, then don’t. But Liu Wan had already teed it up, so there was no stopping her now. With a helpless shrug, she said, “Go ahead.”

“I just think… you really live up to being Uncle Jiang’s daughter.”

Liu Wan’s gaze held a complicated mix of emotions. “You never touched this stuff before, and yet you’re handling it like a pro.”

Never mind whether Jiang Shumo could successfully pivot and save Brilliant—the commanding presence was there in spades.

“…”

If it had been the Original Host in her shoes, she might not have taken that well. But her?

A legendary figure like Jiang Zhuoyuan—she wouldn’t mind dreaming of becoming the next big name in business herself someday.

After all, if you were going to dream, why not dream big?

~~~

Yan Qingxu had been busy all day. By the time she returned to Niangguang Mansion, it was already eight in the evening.

“Miss Yan’s back! Have you eaten dinner? Want something light?”

The moment she stepped through the door, Aunt Qiu greeted her with a beaming smile.

Yan Qingxu had only picked at a vegetable salad and a few slices of beef that evening. Her stomach rumbled emptily at the question, but she had an ad shoot tomorrow. Eating too much now would ruin her on-camera look.

Tempted as she was by Aunt Qiu’s cooking, Yan Qingxu gritted her teeth and turned it down. “…I already ate. I’m good.”

Aunt Qiu could tell from that pained, reluctant expression that Yan Qingxu wanted to eat but couldn’t. With a sigh, she opened her mouth to speak—only for Yan Qingxu to shake her head vigorously. “Aunt Qiu, don’t even say it. I can’t resist temptation!”

Aunt Qiu: “…”

She hadn’t planned to push anyway. If even a foodie like Yan Qingxu was holding back, it had to be for work. Aunt Qiu didn’t want to risk derailing her schedule.

Fearing Aunt Qiu might list off the evening’s menu, Yan Qingxu quickly changed the subject, glancing around. “Aunt Qiu, where’s Jiang Shumo?”

The house was so big, she couldn’t spot her anywhere.

“…She’s still at the company.”

Aunt Qiu sighed. “You two just wrapped filming, and she’s already swamped like this.”

Yan Qingxu was shocked. “She’s not back yet?”

She’d rushed home early, worried she’d find Jiang Shumo already asleep. Instead, Jiang Shumo was still at work.

Yan Qingxu fell silent for a few seconds. Then it hit her—she hadn’t seen her cat all evening. “Aunt Qiu, where’s Little Beauty?”

“Meow~”

Hearing its owner call, Little Beauty let out a dainty mewl.

Yan Qingxu followed the sound, looking up. There, on the highest tier of the cat tree, lounged the round, fluffy form of her beloved pet.

“!!!”

What was that?

Little Beauty was all the way up on the tallest level?

Yan Qingxu lit up with delight. “How’d she climb so high?”

Little Beauty took after her in that respect: not much for exercise. Even as a lion cat that should be playful and energetic, it was lazy to a fault. It usually just sprawled on the lowest shelf to sunbathe, rarely venturing to the top.

Glancing at the little fat cat lounging motionless up there, Aunt Qiu smiled warmly. “Didn’t you say Little Beauty needs more exercise? We made sure it got some extra playtime today. Probably worn out—doesn’t want to budge now.”

“!”

Yan Qingxu was deeply touched. “Aunt Qiu, I was so worried you’d spoil her like my mom does. I can’t believe you’re even helping her lose weight—thank you!”

She’d been genuinely concerned. Aunt Qiu’s cooking was irresistible, and Little Beauty was a pro at acting cute. Aunt Qiu probably wouldn’t stand a chance. But not only had she held firm—she’d gotten the cat moving!

“A bit of roundness is cute, sure, but health comes first. A little extra food’s fine as long as we up the exercise.”

At that, Aunt Qiu remembered something. “Miss Yan, I was thinking of taking Little Beauty for a stroll outside this evening—just around the nearby lawn. The other neighbors sometimes bring their pets out too. But I’m not sure if it’d get stressed.”

“Of course!”

Yan Qingxu beamed. “She used to be a stray—super socialized. Before I debuted, I’d take her on walks all the time. Then fame hit, work piled up, and she hasn’t been out since.”

Which was how Little Beauty had gotten so round…

As they chatted, the lights in the entryway flicked on. Aunt Qiu glanced at the clock. “It’s nine already. Finally back.”

Jiang Shumo had barely stepped inside, not even a word out of her mouth, when Aunt Qiu could tell she hadn’t eaten properly. “Busy day again? Let me ladle you some soup. Warm your stomach first—I’ll go get it for you—”

Jiang Shumo was a bit surprised to see Aunt Qiu about to get busy, so she quickly stopped her. “Don’t go to so much trouble. A bit of soup is fine for me. It’s too late tonight—stuffing myself would make it hard to sleep.”

“You…”

Aunt Qiu clearly wanted to say something, but she held herself back and turned toward the kitchen.

Once Aunt Qiu had gone, Yan Qingxu sidled closer. “Are you okay? Your face looks terrible.”

“Oh?”

Jiang Shumo subconsciously reached to touch her own face but remembered she hadn’t washed her hands yet. She headed to the sink to do that first, then checked her reflection in the mirror to see just how bad she looked.

Yan Qingxu trailed after her. “Weren’t you about to quit the industry? How are you still so busy?”

Busier than even me!

The mention of quitting the industry gave Jiang Shumo a headache. “The company’s finances are in trouble. I can’t step away just yet.”

She had spent the entire day at the office—sitting through meetings with the managers, then touring every department for a rough overview of their operations.

From it all, she had drawn one clear conclusion: she couldn’t quit the industry for now.

She could skip taking on new scripts or endorsements without much harm, but publicly declaring that she was done being an actress? That would be disastrous.

Forgoing projects would only cause Brilliant temporary losses. But if she announced her retirement, the company could very well go bankrupt.

Brilliant had no new talent on its roster and no projects independent of Jiang Shumo herself. A production company like theirs—churning out dramas, songs, and more—relied entirely on her star power as its core strength. The moment she quit, that edge would vanish, and collapse wouldn’t be far off.

The simplest, most efficient fix would be to rally the whole company around launching a “second Jiang Shumo.” But that was far too risky—if the new star got poached or refused to play by the company’s rules, Brilliant would be right back on the brink.

As long as Brilliant remained tethered to her as its central pillar, Jiang Shumo had no choice but to keep working under the banner of actress.

She didn’t go into all that with Yan Qingxu. Instead, she changed the subject. “You got back pretty early today.”

She had figured Little Yan Pig would be spinning in circles with her own work these past few days.

“What are you talking about?” Yan Qingxu shot back. “I hurried home early because I was afraid I’d be too late and you’d already be asleep. That way, I could steal in just in time for your goodnight kiss!”

Goodnight kiss…

Remembering the surprise one from the night before, Jiang Shumo felt her mood lighten a little. “You really don’t have to. Work comes first—”

“Work never ends,” Yan Qingxu interrupted earnestly, “but if I let love slip away, I’d regret it for the rest of my life!”

She grew solemn. “If the company needs any help, just say the word. I’m the actress with the highest commercial value around. Resources? Connections? Money? Whatever you need, I’ve got you covered!”

“…”

Jiang Shumo was speechless for a long moment. Truth be told, if someone from her past life had said that to her, she would have pegged them as a con artist.

Who shells out that kind of support just to chase a romance?

But this was Yan Qingxu saying it…

Seeing her go quiet, Yan Qingxu’s eyes lit up. “Admit it—you think I’m amazing, super charming. Your heart’s pounding already. You’re totally falling for me!”

Jiang Shumo just stared at her for a beat, then flicked her knuckle against Yan Qingxu’s forehead. “Little Yan Pig, your love brain is beyond saving.”