Chapter 5: Deal

The Yan Corporation had numerous subsidiaries, and Yan Kai still hadn’t woken up after his car accident. Plenty of people were starting to get restless.

This only made Yan Muyu more convinced that her brother’s accident had been deliberate.

But her big brother had always been an extremely cautious man.

So cautious, in fact, that it seemed he had foreseen the possibility of something happening to him one day. Even while comatose, his most trusted aides were able to keep things stable at headquarters.

Whale Entertainment, however—this particular subsidiary—had never been something Yan Kai paid much attention to.

Or rather, Whale Entertainment itself had long served as damning evidence from the time he was with Qiu Chao. Back then, people whispered that their supposed engagement was a sham, a cover for a sugar daddy arrangement.

Even after Yan Kai and Qiu Chao parted ways amicably, the Whale Entertainment team hadn’t disbanded. They continued operating steadily within the industry.

This time around, following Yan Kai’s car accident, his special assistant Yan Xuan had followed his prior instructions and handed full control of Whale Entertainment over to Yan Muyu.

That included the company’s three-year business plan, the program currently in development, and even Lou Haiyan, one of headquarters’ most capable secretaries.

Yan Muyu had always been something of a free spirit, never once worrying about money for food, clothes, or anything else growing up.

Her brother, a full ten years her senior, shouldered all the responsibility. Despite the Yan Family’s multitude of illegitimate children, nothing untoward had ever befallen her.

So she had no reason to turn down the opportunity this time.

Lin Chi, who had grown up alongside her, laughed the loudest. This older sister came from a family that had been longtime allies of the Yans, and she’d pitched in to help when Yan Muyu had been scrambling to keep up.

That was why, when Qiu Chao made her bold return this time, Lin Chi immediately suspected Yan Muyu was involved.

The issue was that Yan Muyu had always despised Qiu Chao. The mere mention of her name made her grit her teeth.

What was more, Yan Kai had met with Qiu Chao right before his accident.

At the party, Yan Muyu had insisted it was all because Qiu Chao was such bad luck.

Lin Chi had asked her several times, “Why do you hate her so much?”

Each time, Yan Muyu’s expression turned peculiar.

She was usually so open and straightforward, her face lighting up brilliantly when she smiled. But at the mention of Qiu Chao, that smile would vanish entirely—like hatred, but laced with something more.

Lin Chi never managed to pry it out of her and eventually let it go.

Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Yan Muyu’s loathing for Qiu Chao had nothing to do with the actress’s reputation in the industry. It felt deeply personal, like some private grudge.

But what private grudge could there possibly be between the two?

They were the same age, but Qiu Chao had debuted as an actress at eighteen before becoming Yan Kai’s fiancée. Over those four years, from eighteen to twenty-two, Yan Kai’s Whale Entertainment had funneled endless resources her way. Qiu Chao proved more than capable of capitalizing on them, climbing the ranks aggressively. After their breakup, her career had rocketed even higher.

Meanwhile, at eighteen, Yan Muyu had been preparing to study abroad.

Her own four years had been filled with tinkering on women’s product designs, ticking off architectural landmarks abroad, camping trips posted to her social feeds, sunrises and sunsets, and even kissing girls at university.

Even after graduation, when she returned home to launch her own business and take up photography, the only real overlap with Qiu Chao had been that one magazine cover shoot at twenty-two.

No scandals or rumors had ever surfaced from it.

Now the internet was flooded with news of Qiu Chao joining the new variety show, complete with leaked footage.

There was a video of her stepping out of the car and heading into the A World Starting Anew production building.

Yan Muyu had just ushered Yan Tianxing into the office and hadn’t yet shooed her little niece off to do her homework when her phone rang. It was the assistant she’d left with the program team.

“Young Boss Yan, should Teacher Qiu Chao’s contract come to headquarters for signing?” the assistant asked.

“She’s already there—just hand it over,” Yan Muyu replied. “I’ll have someone deliver it shortly.”

The assistant was new and hadn’t been working for Yan Muyu long.

After all, Young Boss Yan had never needed one before.

Her voice trembled slightly, laced with awkward hesitation. She hemmed and hawed for ages until Yan Muyu was about to press her, at which point she finally blurted it out.

“Teacher Qiu Chao insists on signing it with you in person.”

Yan Muyu: …

She drew in a deep breath. “Tell her not to—”

But before she could finish, a woman’s voice cut in from the other end of the line—the very words that set Yan Muyu’s teeth on edge.

“Little Yan.”

The assistant who’d stayed with the program team hadn’t expected Qiu Chao to just take the phone like that.

And somehow, that brief address sent goosebumps prickling across her skin.

The star who’d just basked in enthusiastic cheers outside had seemed so soft and gentle.

Qiu Chao swept in from the outer area to the inner office on a wave of perfume that left the rookie assistant’s knees weak.

Her own boss, Yan Muyu, wore scents too—but the two styles couldn’t have been more different.

Qiu Chao’s carried a hint of poison.

Her beauty wasn’t flashy; it was like a flower blooming in some dark, humid corner, faintly luminous.

Anyone foolish enough to reach for it would come to a bad end.

The assistant struggled to compose herself. “Teacher Qiu Chao, why don’t you wait in the reception room? This is Young Boss Yan’s…”

Qiu Chao was the highest-profile celebrity she’d ever encountered.

Even without Shen Tianqing’s perpetual scowl, she was utterly intimidating.

“Then tell her to come here herself,” Yan Muyu snapped, and hung up.

The assistant: …

She stared woodenly at her phone before lifting her gaze to Qiu Chao, who had already settled onto the sofa.

The temporary rented office space couldn’t hold a candle to headquarters, but it didn’t look shabby at first glance.

The beauty lounged against the sofa cushions, gazing at her expectantly.

Ah… she could hardly breathe.

It felt like Miss Qiu was here specifically for Young Boss Yan.

An ex?

Wasn’t she the ex-sister-in-law?

Did they really hate each other that much?

“Young Boss Yan says you should go to headquarters,” the assistant managed.

She didn’t dare relay Yan Muyu’s exact brusque wording, though her eyes flicked over Qiu Chao with subtle scrutiny.

The weather had warmed up, and plenty of people in the office area sported short sleeves and shorts. Yet Qiu Chao dressed as if afraid of the cold, in a thin knit long skirt. Now seated, her figure was so enviably perfect that the assistant didn’t dare stare, her skin gleaming snow-white. She really was stunning.

Qiu Chao smiled. “What were her exact words?”

The assistant let out an “uh.”

Xia Yuanyuan hovered just outside, frantic with worry.

Mai Chen’s hospitalization hadn’t disrupted the Artist’s Studio’s operations at all, but their boss had never acted like this before.

Xia Yuanyuan had been Qiu Chao’s assistant for years, handling every aspect of her daily life and intimately familiar with her past.

And yet, Yan Muyu was a glaring gap in that knowledge.

What on earth had happened after that magazine cover shoot?

Why were their relations so sour?

Sister Qiu had clearly split from Mr. Yan Kai on good terms—where was all this resentment from Yan Muyu coming from?

Sigh. She’d arrived too late; Mai Chen had always claimed ignorance on the matter.

In the end, Yan Muyu’s assistant didn’t spill.

Qiu Chao didn’t press her. Instead, she switched tactics. “Could you give me Young Boss Yan’s phone number?”

It was obvious something was off—even a fool could tell.

Fearing she’d get caught in the crossfire, the assistant handed it over meekly.

After all, Qiu Chao would be a collaborator going forward; contact info was inevitable.

Once they were in the car, Xia Yuanyuan turned to Qiu Chao with a face full of despair. “Sister Qiu, there were so many other shows you could join—why this one you turned down before?”

They’d only returned to the country to relocate the Artist’s Studio as well, with Mai Chen scheduling a relaxed buffer month.

Qiu Chao could’ve gone back home to stay with her sister for a while—a personal trip.

No one had expected her to make such a snap decision without warning.

Qiu Chao simply said, “I want to unwind a little.”

These past years, she’d thrown herself into her career with relentless drive—evolving from a pretty face to a powerhouse actress, from bit-part roles to box-office-leading heroines, every step hard-won.

The sole blemish on her record was that fiancé from her eighteenth year.

It fueled all the juicy rumors of a sugar-daddy setup. Anonymous forums still had threads speculating that if she’d actually married Yan Kai back then, she might’ve gone even further.

The top reply? She’d already reached heights that her peers could only envy.

Most actresses who’d walked that path, with her resume and at her age, chose to bow out gracefully.

Either marry into money, pop out kids, or vanish abroad with nary a peep.

In a few more years, she’d be a nostalgic icon—a timeless beauty name-dropped in every “best of” list.

Her team had run the numbers, discussed options: settle overseas, invest, keep acting—no issue.

The fortune she’d amassed dwarfed what her stepfather had tried to sell her for by orders of magnitude.

It covered her sister’s exorbitant medical bills, enough for a new face after the fire that scarred her.

No more juggling school and grueling jobs, refusing to drink and nearly getting her nose broken for it.

Now, she occupied a position where she could have virtually anything she desired.

And yet Qiu Chao still harbored regrets.

She’d never earned a true look of affection from the person she’d loved at seventeen.

Not these days—not these eyes that sized her up like a business deal.

She wanted Yan Muyu to love her.

Everyone else’s affection was so dull by comparison. Only Yan Muyu’s wild, untamed waves could stir the raw ambition that had propelled her upward all those years ago.

She had once climbed into Yan Muyu’s bed. Now, returning, she aimed to claim Yan Muyu’s heart.

To peel away the gentle facade Yan Muyu had worn for decades.

To make her sleep with her, love her, hate her, torment her—and in the end, be thoroughly tamed.

Over a decade had flown by in a blur, and plenty had set their sights on conquering Yan Muyu.

Qiu Chao had overheard endless praise for her on set after set. Female co-stars would gush privately about dating the industry’s top photographer—how thoughtful and tender Yan Muyu was, driving through the night from another city just to pick one up after a late wrap.

The assistant would nod along, chiming in approvingly.

They said Yan Muyu made for a fine camera operator—and a Yan Family member at that. Back then…

Qiu Chao, standing just outside the door, drew back the curtain. The person inside went pale as a ghost, terrified of offending this industry titan whose star power alone could crush careers.

The senior actress wore the costume of a guest star: an ancient-style gown with layer upon layer of skirts, its trailing hem requiring several assistants to hold it up.

The producer nearly dropped to her knees before Qiu Chao, pleading desperately to know just what she’d lost.

Beneath the makeup room’s bright lights, Qiu Chao’s features seemed etched in gold dust, her aura one of unreachable elegance.

“A button,” she said.

No one in the room dared utter another word.

They were all afraid that her unfinished reminiscence of “back then” might set her off.

After all, Qiu Chao had been launched to stardom by the Yan Family.

Sure, they claimed it had ended on good terms, but who knew what skeletons lurked in the closet? All these years, she’d dodged every interview question about the Yans like the plague.

In the end, it was Qiu Chao’s manager, Mai Chen, who swept in to soothe and usher her away.

The button she’d lost wasn’t from her own outfit. Someone there had glimpsed it before: a single white button, yellowed with age, strung into a bracelet that clashed horribly with its string of soft pink peach-flower beads—an antique from who knew how many years back.

In Xia Yuanyuan’s eyes, Qiu Chao had toiled relentlessly for a full decade, unchanging. Sure, the tabloids spun her romantic scandals, and whispers accused her of diva antics, turning the set upside down over something as trivial as a button.

But no one trashed her acting, and no one dared call her anything less than dedicated.

She was a bowstring pulled taut, never once slackening since the day she set foot on this path.

A decade and more had earned her this one chance to breathe—and now, in the dimming light of the car at dusk, her face lit up with the eager hope of a little girl for Xia Yuanyuan to see.

It was as if even those who’d scaled the heights still harbored dreams buried deep in their hearts, dreams this very road alone could fulfill.

It might be harder than storming the heavens, but Qiu Chao had already waited far too long to care.

Xia Yuanyuan had been about to suggest that if she wanted to unwind, there were plenty of ways to do it.

But in that instant, she remembered the phone call that morning—and Qiu Chao’s blunt response.

Her voice had brimmed with contentment, her mood plainly buoyant. Xia Yuanyuan hadn’t heard her laugh so freely in ages.

It was all thanks to Yan Muyu.

Because Qiu Chao was in love with Yan Muyu.

And yet… Yan Muyu was Yan Kai’s own sister.

All these years, and I never once picked up that Sister Qiu liked women.

Xia Yuanyuan scoured her memories but came up blank on what Yan Muyu even looked like.

There were only a handful of photos from her social media—hard to tell if they’d been touched up or not. Personal shots were rare; she mostly posted group photos.

And in every one, she was surrounded by beautiful women.

No mistake about it—this girl was a total player.

With just a kilometer left to Whale Entertainment’s headquarters, Qiu Chao dialed Yan Muyu.

That night had been too wild; Qiu Chao hadn’t even stirred when she slipped away.

The tender attentiveness her exes raved about? It meant nothing here. Yan Muyu had been rough, downright vicious, leaving Qiu Chao gasping for air.

She hadn’t spared her a single word.

Just as they’d agreed: once the official announcement dropped, it was every woman for herself.

The call connected almost immediately. “Hello?”

“Little Yan, it’s me,” said Qiu Chao.

Yan Muyu’s tone soured in a flash. “What now?”

“Come downstairs and pick me up yourself.”

“Why the hell should I?”

Qiu Chao’s lips curved into a smile. The dying sunlight bathed her, transforming her in Xia Yuanyuan’s eyes from her usual lonely reserve into something radiant and new.

The thrill of a schoolgirl face-to-face with her secret crush.

“This,” said Qiu Chao, “is the reward you earn for letting you blow off steam.”