Chapter 53

The kids in Wen Jiu’s family bickered over doing chores, but when it came to mischief, they were tireless, messaging reporters all over the internet.
The moment the celebrity reporter’s big account was banned for illegal behavior, the actor Seventeen instantly became obedient, not daring to test his luck with the producer again.
Afraid his career would be ruined, he quickly reposted the statements from the crew and the police.
The message was simple: slander, this is slander!
The legal departments of the Qin and Chu families acted fast and efficiently.
Wen Jiu also reposted the follow-up, openly revealing her presence in the back row.
No stealing, no law-breaking, just confidently showing that the crew had her backing, preventing many opportunists from taking advantage.
However, netizens always had abstract and strange perspectives.
#Su Yaoyao Young lady#
[Does this count as Su Yaoyao’s fourth consecutive win? From plagiarism inspection to the film controversy, undefeated again and again.]
[Falling for Su Yaoyao is as easy as drinking water. (Posts lottery screenshots) (How did you guys know I won 10,000 yuan from Su Yaoyao?)]
[We’re all netizens. If there’s a contest, why not tell each other?! Lottery results, keep them hidden? Even if I didn’t win, I’d still be part of your friendly network.]
[Originally wanted to worship Su Yaoyao’s “lucky” persona, but now I realize she’s the God of Wealth.]
As the forum threads tilted, Wen Jiu saw nothing major and comfortably logged out.
Once she left, a new thread titled #Su Yaoyao Fake Young lady# surged.
But because netizens were immersed in her lottery and her four-win lucky persona, hardly anyone discussed it, and it didn’t affect her trending status.
With the New Year approaching, everyone preferred peace, netizens didn’t want to stir trouble.
Wen Jiu put away her phone and heard a sound at the door. Looking up, she saw Shen Xingzhou returning with a bag of sanitary pads.
Whether going to the police station or buying pads, he’d rushed, wearing only a well-fitted coat over thin clothing.
Perhaps the indoor-outdoor temperature difference caused him to sweat a little.
The thin sweat clung to his chest beneath the coat, hinting at the contours underneath.
Wen Jiu, walking those few steps toward him, reflected seriously and came to a conclusion: during her period, reproductive desires surged, and she became acutely sensitive.
“I’ll take it.” In the previous second, her mind had imagined touching him; the next second, when she received the bag, her ears burned red.
Wen Jiu closed the room door and picked out a commonly used type from the bag.
At night, nothing else could be done.
Lying on the bed, Shen Xingzhou pulled Wen Jiu into his arms, his large hand covering her lower abdomen.
The warmth from his palm spread over her stomach, dissipating the cold heaviness she felt inside.
Wen Jiu’s body, and the original owner’s, were fine, with no cramps. Recently, she had been busy, with irregular meals, and had been drinking iced coffee to stay awake in the winter, causing that cold sinking sensation in her belly.
The human-shaped heater had run all the way from Beicheng. Wen Jiu felt warmth not only in her stomach, but in her heart.
She reached out, gripping his arms wrapped around her. In the dark, her closed eyes curved like a crescent moon.
On New Year’s Eve, Mr. and Mrs. Shen flew in from abroad to Haicheng, joining Shen Xingzhou and Wen Jiu for dinner.
They didn’t mention visiting her grandfather and grandmother at the old home, simply patting Shen Xingzhou with strained smiles, letting him handle things himself.
As the New Year’s bell rang, the Lunar New Year arrived.
From the observation deck, the sky was filled with fireworks, one of the few places in Haicheng where fireworks were allowed.
Wen Jiu eagerly tried to run off with Shen Xingzhou to buy a Gatling gun-style firework. Before they could take two steps, he stopped her, pulling out a harmless sparkler.
Romantic, very girlish.
When lit, Wen Jiu felt like she had glimpsed the childhood she had dreamed of.
Amidst the sparkling lights, she quickly took photos and sent them to the young ladies, remembering Song Qin, still at the hotel.
Qin Yao: Chu Yan and I are at the Chu family old residence. We’ll head to my house soon. Even though we’re busy, I always remember,
Qin Yao: Transferring New Year’s money to the little follower
Qin Yao: This year’s little follower is beautiful, even more dazzling than a sparkler.
It was the first time Wen Jiu had been praised like this by the young lady.
Not at all sentimental!
If they weren’t apart, she would have spun the young lady around in a hug.
Wen Jiu: Wen Jiu loves the young lady the most!!
Qin Yao: I know, now take the red envelope.
Qin Yao: Since you’re not in Beicheng, you can’t get a cash red envelope under your pillow, so you’ll have to accept it in your balance.
Wen Jiu: Not an inconvenience! Anything from the young lady is the best.
After replying, she realized she needed to open the transfer.
Opening it, Wen Jiu froze for half a second.
200,000?!
200,000 yuan as New Year’s money!!
Wen Jiu was shocked. The young lady, preparing to leave the old residence, had no time to reply.
Exiting the chat, the White Moonlight young lady, the popular young lady, and the independent young lady all sent red envelopes.
ue Ling: Happy New Year, junior Wen Jiu! The fireworks are beautiful, I love them.
Yue Ling: You’re not in Beicheng; Grandma misses you. I must transfer her red envelope to you.
Yue Ling: Of course, plus mine.
She directly transferred to Wen Jiu’s bank account: 880,000 yuan each, totaling 1.76 million.
Even though Wen Jiu had recently earned 100 million, she still felt a bit spoiled.
The popular young lady followed.
Su Yaoyao: Mom and Dad are back; I’m having dinner at home. I know Wen Jiu’s boyfriend is visiting, so I won’t disturb her tonight.
Su Yaoyao: The sparkler is beautiful, but Wen Jiu is even more beautiful.
Su Yaoyao: Here’s a big New Year’s red envelope for Wen Jiu, may she have a happy new year!
Su Yaoyao: Transfer to Wen Jiu baby’s New Year’s money
Opening it, Wen Jiu found 200,000 yuan.
Lin Yu transferred hers directly, with a note: “Sisters give to each other, as the boss, you should get one.”
She was one way with clients, another with her own people.
Lin Yu was straightforward with Wen Jiu.
Wen Jiu accepted Lin Yu’s 20,000 yuan and sent back 200,000 yuan.
Lin Yu: !!!
Lin Yu: Boss, I’ll work for you for life!
Though for a growing company, 200,000 was like a grain of millet at lunch, insignificant.
But for Lin Yu, this was the first red envelope she had ever received in her life, a very different meaning.
Wen Jiu: Happy New Year, little princess Lin Yu.
Lin Yu sent a voice message, resolute yet slightly tearful: “You cold and dramatic woman, I will always love you!”
Cold in her words, dramatic in her typed text.
Song Qin and Lin Yu followed the same routine, each receiving 200,000 yuan as New Year’s money.
She admitted to secretly eating two of Grandpa Ken’s burgers, promising to control her diet for the upcoming scenes.
After returning with Shen Xingzhou, she went to shower.
Coming out, she smelled food from the kitchen and found Shen Xingzhou making her a late-night snack.
Past 1 a.m., her hunger was just right for a snack.
Full, Wen Jiu leaned lazily on the sofa.
Shen Xingzhou stood behind her, holding a hair dryer to dry her hair.
As Wen Jiu drifted drowsily, he pulled out a large red envelope from behind her.
The red envelope case seemed custom-made, red as the primary color with gold accents. The intricate patterns shimmered under the light, almost blinding her.
Wen Jiu looked up. “What’s this?”
Shen Xingzhou leaned on the sofa on either side of her, tilting down close to her.
“It’s New Year’s money for Jiujiu.”
“Knowing you like gold, the case is real gold, and so is the inside.”
Wen Jiu’s brow twitched, a sudden, unexpected delight.
She could understand a gold case being custom-made, but how did they put gold inside…?
It felt heavy, yet it wasn’t like a gold bar.
“You can open it and see,” he said.
Under Shen Xingzhou’s gaze, she opened the envelope.
Inside, neatly arranged, were thin sheets of gold with inscriptions engraved on them.
Even with nine-digit balances in her bank account, she couldn’t resist her love for gold. She was that tacky!
But true taste often lies in the gaudy.
As for the value of this envelope, Wen Jiu didn’t care to calculate, it made her happy.
Shen Xingzhou leaned down, and Wen Jiu, not holding back, pressed her lips to his cheek.
Pulling back, she couldn’t quite land on the sofa and was caught by his arm, flying into him.
Wen Jiu gritted her teeth. After a playful back-and-forth, they sparked some flirty tension.
Yet, she pressed his hand down. “Baby, Aunt Flo hasn’t left yet.”
The simple words made Shen Xingzhou’s heart twitch, but… what hasn’t left?
As a responsible boyfriend, he had already learned about “Aunt Flo” while buying sanitary pads in the supermarket.
But periods usually last 3–5 days; he thought Wen Jiu’s enthusiasm meant the days had passed.
He restrained himself, pressing his left cheek against her hand. “I’ll go shower.”
Wen Jiu looked at his faintly resentful but restrained expression and covered her mouth, quietly laughing.
She felt so childish, yet mischievous.
New Year’s Eve and the New Year passed simply and pleasantly.
The young lady had to stay at the old home for the holiday. Both the Qin and Chu families were large; people came and went constantly, leaving Wen Jiu little time to respond to messages.
Lin Yu worked even on the holiday, Song Qin was no different, rehearsing scripts in the hotel.
Yue Ling was probably the busiest among them. On New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, she had to stay at her family home. Once the brief three-day holiday from the crew ended, she returned immediately to the studio.
Only Su Yaoyao came out on the first afternoon of the New Year to visit Wen Jiu, bringing many gifts for Wen Jiu and Song Qin at the hotel.
With the production of The Rich Family resuming, Wen Jiu’s holiday came to an end.
Shen Xingzhou stayed behind.
Just like with the White Moonlight young lady before, she stayed with the crew while Shen Xingzhou hung around her like an accessory.
The 100-day filming period passed busily, with time flying by unnoticed.
Song Qin and Lin Yu took a half-month break, while Chu Wen and the team began post-production.
The group returned from Haicheng to Beicheng, renting a hotel floor and a studio, starting a new phase of work.
Wen Jiu occasionally glanced over, but she couldn’t understand much, didn’t dare give opinions, just observed the progress.
In June, before summer vacation, the White Moonlight young lady’s drama Pearl Chronicle premiered in theaters and online.
It was her first film. Wen Jiu prepared snacks, pulling Shen Xingzhou to watch at the TV, waiting for the 10 p.m. start.
Miss Qin Yao slept at 9 p.m., unable to join.
Su Yaoyao, like Lin Yu, needed sufficient sleep and a proper routine, going to bed at 9:30 p.m., also missing the viewing.
Lin Yu, finishing work at 9 p.m., could join Wen Jiu online at 10 p.m.
But seeing Shen Xingzhou there, she quickly hung up, not wanting to be a third wheel.
Nearby, Ji Yujing tried to sneak close, but a slap from her kept him in check.
Song Qin didn’t want to be anyone’s third wheel either, so she watched alone.
After filming The Rich Family, she became a wealthy young lady with a few endorsements.
The upside: money. The downside: nowhere to spend it.
She wanted some playful company but feared being photographed. She thought Wen Jiu was psychologically strong; she herself couldn’t bear negative comments.
When writing, she never opened comment sections to avoid reading criticism.
She had been extremely cautious, more restrained than a monk, more abstinent than a hermit.
The White Moonlight young lady remained busy, 365 days a year, except for five days visiting her grandmother, spending the rest in studios.
Her schedule was so intense that Wen Jiu felt dizzy just observing, and she dared not ask her to watch TV.
After observing everyone, Wen Jiu realized Shen Xingzhou had the most free time.
“Do you like palace intrigue dramas?” Wen Jiu asked, feeding him a potato chip.
The charcoal-grilled beef flavor wasn’t as good as tomato, so she fed it to Shen Xingzhou. He accepted the whole bag.
Satisfied, Wen Jiu grabbed a bag of lime-flavored chips for herself.
“I’ll try whatever Jiujiu likes,” he said.
Wen Jiu couldn’t hide her smile; her lips curved. She gave him a small piece, “Well said. Keep talking next time.”
Tonight, they watched two episodes of Pearl Chronicle. Wen Ling’s role dominated, while the White Moonlight young lady’s Noble Consort appeared briefly at the end of episode two.
Although Wen Ling misbehaved during filming, her acting was commendable, capable despite flaws, impressing Wen Jiu.
Even just two episodes, with flawless plot projection, acting, costume, makeup, post-production, and camera work, made Pearl Chronicle trend after midnight.
The crew bought a trending spot for promotion, but netizens enthusiastically pushed it to “explosive” trending.
Since reprogramming her mindset last year, Wen Ling no longer caused trouble, obediently cooperating with publicity.
The White Moonlight young lady also posted on Weibo, gaining new fans.
Wen Jiu glanced and thought: “Rave reviews.”
Uncertain about future changes, tonight she could sleep well.
Late, she hugged Shen Xingzhou and fell asleep.
The next morning, they woke early.
The early bird catches the worm; early risers get irritable. Wen Jiu rolled from the bed to Shen Xingzhou’s arms, then away again.
Accidentally, her hand brushed somewhere… but in a blink, nothing happened. (Locked… really nothing)
Wen Jiu swallowed, tiptoed out of bed, and quietly went to the bathroom to rinse and brush her teeth.
She could’ve invoked the phrase “overcome by desire,” but she felt that before kissing, one must brush teeth, morning breath and all.
Shen Xingzhou had already woken during her rolling but stayed still with eyes closed.
Who would have expected Wen Jiu to tease him, then run off to brush her teeth?
He opened his eyes helplessly, long, dense lashes casting shadows over his pupils.
The spark of desire couldn’t be extinguished. He got up, preparing for a cold shower.
Seeing him, Wen Jiu’s eyes lit up. “Shen Xingzhou, brush your teeth too.”
At his most sensitive, her hand touched him; even just her back of the hand, pressing lightly, made him uncomfortable.
Wen Jiu watched him flush from fair to pink, like special effects.
“…”
“…”
They exchanged a wordless look, unsure what to say.
Shen Xingzhou didn’t dare pull her into his arms again, while Wen Jiu, finishing brushing, was eager.
Her eyes sparkled with starlight. On tiptoe, hands on his strong arms, she felt the thin but firm muscle beneath.
“Shen Xingzhou, do you want to…”
She blinked, and the bright morning light made her even more irresistibly enchanting.
As the saying goes, excitement.
“Ding ding” a phone rang in the quiet room.
Just as Wen Jiu decided to indulge in Shen Xingzhou, her momentum faltered, third time unlucky, all because of the phone!
She stomped across the carpet to grab the phone, almost as if stepping on it would make it hers.
She was furious inside.
It had better be urgent. If it was spam or sales, she was ready to debate them.
“President Wen, bad news! You’ve been hung up on again!”
The caller was still the publicity staff for The Rich Family, the same girl as last time.
“President Wen, your parents contacted reporters claiming you refused to support them. Your brother says you cheated to get into Beicheng University, and wants your exam results revoked in the name of family honor.”
“President Wen, they even specified that you’re the producer of The Rich Family, already have a fiancé at home, and are supporting male actors outside. You should check online right away.”
The publicity girl didn’t hang up, waiting for Wen Jiu’s reply.
She wanted to run around shouting, President Wen, help! What should we do?! Is this even true? Should we sue them?
But she didn’t dare.
Inside, she was panicking so much it was as if a giant fan was blowing wind, yet on the surface, she kept her face tense, pretending to be calm.
“Don’t worry. I’ll see what they’re saying first. From what you’ve told me, these claims are false, they’re just marketing accounts spreading lies. We can report them directly.”
“I’ll have the legal team coordinate with you; you’ll issue a formal lawyer’s notice. As for my parents and brother, I’ll do a live broadcast at 9 p.m. You need to prepare any announcements beforehand, ready to post at 9.”
“Understood, President Wen.” The publicity girl seemed to find her core task and felt relieved.
Wen Jiu scrolled videos and texts on her tablet while calling the legal department on her phone.
The legal teams of the Qin and Chu families handled The Rich Family production issues flawlessly, every case they filed was a guaranteed win.
In the videos, her parents acted like a king and queen, overly dramatic, and her brother, trying to inherit an imaginary throne.
Her parents cried and shouted on camera:
“Ever since Jiujiu went to Beicheng University, she hasn’t come home. Even after working for two and a half years, she never returned.
She said she owed money and demanded we pay for her. Heaven help us, where would we get the money? When we refused, she hung up and blocked our entire family’s numbers, even our neighbors!
We had already found her a husband and arranged a 1.2 million yuan betrothal gift. That’s 1.2 million! Enough for her to pay off debts and live peacefully. In our village, it’s unprecedented. Why isn’t she satisfied?!
Not satisfied? Fine. She became a producer and even coerced male actors. She’s disrespecting herself! How can she sleep with strangers while engaged?!
This producer earns a substantial salary, in the six figures. Meanwhile, our family still lives in a small single-story house, while others in the village have mansions. She won’t even send money back to help us build a home.
Building a house is one thing; we could do without it. But she didn’t even come home for the New Year! Not even a 200-yuan red envelope for her brother, let alone 300–500 yuan for supporting me and her father!
I don’t know how she became like this. I call her, and she doesn’t answer. She’s so distant. She wasn’t like this as a child…”
The rest of the video listed her hardships as a child, being sent to university, Wen Jiu fast-forwarded through this.
Next was her incapable “Crown Prince” brother.
The first thing he said: “My sister cheated on the college entrance exam.”