Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Xie Qiyan arriving at Xingcan Entertainment with the Little Princess of the Becker Family was no small matter. At this hour, nearly everyone involved was still working overtime at the company. In the lobby on the first floor, a whole line of staff stood neatly arranged to welcome them.

From a distance, Qi Shi spotted Xia Wanzhi and, for some reason, guiltily lowered his head.

“Butler Qi,” Xia Wanzhi greeted him instinctively.

Qi Shi waved his hands again and again. “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.”

His manager broke out in a cold sweat. It had taken so much effort to bring up an artist who had finally achieved a bit of success, and now his entire acting career could very likely be ruined by a single word from Xie Qiyan.

“President Xie, this way, please.” President Liu, the current president of Xingcan Entertainment, personally received them. “President Jiang is still on his way. Please wait a moment.”

Yun Li’s steps came to an abrupt halt. “Pre-Pre-President Jiang?”

President Liu turned back to glance at her. Seeing how intimately she was linking arms with Xia Wanzhi, he naturally assumed her identity was not simple either, and did not dare neglect her. He replied, “Yes. It’s rush hour, so President Jiang is caught in a bit of traffic.”

For headquarters to be alarmed over one minor artist-aside from Nan Qiyue seven years ago, nothing like this had ever happened again.

But Nan Qiyue was the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, so it was only natural that headquarters would be alerted.

Qi Shi, however, was just a small-time artist with no status and no background…

No one knew whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Still struggling internally, Yun Li had only just sat down in the conference room when Xie Qiyan said, “The one coming is Jiang Baichuan.”

Yun Li: “…”

Xia Wanzhi put on an act and turned her head away, patting at the dust on Xie Qiyan’s shoulder.

Yun Li sighed helplessly. She knew Xia Wanzhi was doing this for her own good.

Jiang Baichuan arrived late. When he walked in, he clearly had not expected Yun Li to be there as well. His hand, which had been raised to remove his brooch, froze. After he came back to himself, he immediately pinned that lychee rose brooch back on.

Yun Li: “…”

“President Jiang-”

Calls of “President Jiang” rose one after another throughout the room.

After Jiang Baichuan sat down, the first person he looked at was Xia Wanzhi. “I’m sorry. Due to Xingcan’s negligence, you were dragged into this.”

There were several hundred artists under Xingcan Entertainment. Qi Shi was not especially high-profile. Although they had caught that stalker fan a few times before, for various reasons they had only given verbal warnings and strengthened protection.

If Xingcan had taken proper action to protect their artist’s safety back then, none of what followed would have happened.

Qi Shi’s heart was in his throat as well, and he looked nervously at Xia Wanzhi.

Just as Xia Wanzhi was about to speak, Jiang Baichuan suddenly changed the subject. “Of course, President Xie is also to blame, privately hiring an artist from my company to play a butler.”

Xie Qiyan: “…”

It was rare to see Xie Qiyan at a loss, and Xia Wanzhi’s heavy mood instantly dispersed.

“And you. What’s your name? Qi Shi, right?” Jiang Baichuan raised his eyes to look at the anxious Qi Shi and said sternly, “Taking private jobs behind the company’s back is against the rules. Didn’t your manager tell you that? Is the company starving you, or not giving you enough work? You actually went off to apply for a butler job?”

Qi Shi lowered his head. “It was President Xie’s secretary who came to me. Besides, this doesn’t really count as a job, does it…”

Jiang Baichuan shot Xie Qiyan a glare. “How capable of you, President Xie. Coming here to poach my people.”

Xie Qiyan loosened his wrist. “I casually introduced him to a few resources and made your artist famous. Looks like the entertainment companies under your Jiang Corporation aren’t much after all. In that case, Mr. Qi, why don’t you transfer over to Xie Corporation? The entertainment company we’re preparing will be listed in another two months. You’re welcome to join when the time comes.”

Everyone: “…”

Weren’t they here to demand an explanation? How had this turned into a fight over talent?

Jiang Baichuan clicked his tongue and returned to the main topic. “Xingcan will fully pursue responsibility against that stalker fan named Zheng Lei. President Xie should be able to trust me on that, right?”
Xie Qiyan said, “I don’t believe it. I came here this time to inform President Jiang of that. Besides that, I want the artist under your company to publicly condemn this stalker fan.”

He was leaving the stalker fan no way out.

Zheng Lei’s obsession with Qi Shi had gone far beyond normal. It was extreme, even pathological. This matter did need to be dealt with harshly. If the person involved came forward to publicly condemn her and hold the stalker fan accountable, it would not only hurt Zheng Lei and leave her despised by outsiders, but also affect the rest of her life.

In the worst case, she might have to drop out of school. Or she might have to leave Beicheng and hide somewhere no one knew her.

But it would also serve as a warning to other stalker fans.

Jiang Baichuan arched a brow slightly. “All right. We’ll do as President Xie says.”

Qi Shi nodded along from the side. “I’ll cooperate fully!”

Xia Wanzhi blinked. “Then… we’re done here?”

“Hungry?” Xie Qiyan hooked her hand with his, his tone gentle. “Then let’s go eat.”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

She had not said she was hungry.

She had every right to suspect Xie Qiyan was deliberately showing off.

Jiang Baichuan was nearly blinded by the doting look on his face. His gaze shifted, only to meet Yun Li’s blank stare.

Yun Li turned her head mechanically.

“Fine, then we’re done here.” Jiang Baichuan stood and dismissed everyone. Before they had all even left the conference room, he could not help inviting Yun Li, “Miss Yun, have dinner with me?”

Yun Li rejected him calmly. “No, thanks. My boyfriend is still waiting for me.”

President Liu, who was walking at the very back, paused mid-step and carefully glanced back at Yun Li.

He knew there was something extraordinary about this girl. So this was what made her extraordinary.

Jiang Baichuan had long grown used to being rejected. At this point, he seemed almost to have given up on dignity. “Then I’ll drive you to him?”

President Liu, who had just turned to pull the conference room door shut, nearly slipped.

He had no idea whether news this outrageous should be reported to Chairman Jiang.

Yun Li’s fingertips curled slightly. “Jiang Baichuan, you…”

“An old classmate giving you a ride home because it’s on the way. There’s nothing inappropriate about that, is there? If your boyfriend is that narrow-minded, you can dump him.” Jiang Baichuan brushed a hand over the brooch pinned to his chest and rose lazily, his tone brooking no refusal. “Let’s go.”

This time, it was Xia Wanzhi’s turn to look as though she had stumbled onto some juicy gossip.

How had they suddenly become old classmates?

What had she missed?

Warmth spread across her palm. Xie Qiyan laced his fingers through hers and led her ahead of Jiang Baichuan.

When Jiang Baichuan lowered his gaze, the sight hit him squarely. “You two are together?”

As if deliberately showing off, Xie Qiyan raised the hand that was intertwined with Xia Wanzhi’s. “President Jiang, you can start preparing that 9.99-million wedding gift of yours.”

Jiang Baichuan: “…”

After they went downstairs and watched Xie Qiyan’s car speed away, Yun Li still had not agreed to let Jiang Baichuan drive her. But she was also too embarrassed to wedge herself between Xie Qiyan and Xia Wanzhi as a third wheel.

The two of them stood side by side just like that. The evening breeze was soft, stirring the rose-colored hem of Yun Li’s dress. Jiang Baichuan glanced sideways at her, knowing that her boyfriend waiting for her had only been an excuse.

He pressed the car key in his hand. The Maybach in front of them flashed its lights. He stepped forward and opened the front passenger door.

“I’m only driving you back. Nothing else,” Jiang Baichuan said in a low voice.

Yun Li looked at him. After hesitating again and again, she still chose to get into the car.

Jiang Baichuan seemed as if he had been born to throw her heart into chaos.