Chapter 55

Lawyer: “It’s done.”
Wen Jiu checked the lawyer’s message, evidence was collected, time to end the livestream.
To make sure the stream was off, she leaned in, eyes wide, double-checking.
She felt no lingering emotion toward the original family, only the joy of victory.
If the original self were present, she’d likely feel the same.
She had no real attachment to her family anyway.
Her last lingering obsession had disappeared because of the young ladies; she had no connection to this family.
Wen Jiu removed her parents from the livestream and searched for the “close stream” button.
It wasn’t unfamiliarity with electronics, she’d just never livestreamed.
Seeing a back button, she clicked, page disappeared.
Was that it? Closed?
She stood, stretching, and saw Shen Xingzhou return from a call. She ran up for a bear hug.
A sense of relief, mission accomplished, made her lazy and relaxed.
She clung like a koala. “Am I super awesome?”
Shen Xingzhou’s clear, unusually gentle tone: “Jiujiu, you’re the best.”
“Meeting Jiujiu is my honor.”
[Ahhhh, Ms. Wen, your livestream didn’t close properly! I heard the canary voice! Even better than Shi Qi’s. Do you have a hidden voice actor?]
[Ms. Wen, dare to let us hear your canary? That voice, clearly a good-looking one.]
[Congratulations on your total victory, Ms. Wen. Also: can we see your boyfriend?]
Netizens weren’t implying she spoiled a young actor. “Canary” was teasing, she’d been rumored to date an actor. Though false, her boyfriend now had a nickname.
Besides, Wen Jiu was tough, mostly female viewers in the livestream worshipped her as “queen,” calling her “queen’s harem.”
Wen Jiu was cautious, but a mishap happened.
Even when Shen Xingzhou carried her to the living room, they knocked over the phone. When he picked it up, his handsome face, youthful yet mature, appeared on screen.
Chestnut hair, round eyes, like a puppy. Sharp jawline, stunningly attractive.
He saw the small window, smiled, showing a little fang, and closed the livestream.
By the time Wen Jiu realized the stream ran ten extra minutes, half an hour had passed.
She even saw Shen Xingzhou’s screenshot from the livestream.
His usual smile, but with a subtle, strategic air, as if he knew the stream was still on and walked over intentionally.
Wen Jiu ate breakfast, glancing at him between bites.
One look, one bite, alternating.
After finishing, she concluded: her Xingzhou baby couldn’t be a schemer.
She liked pure, handsome boys.
Blushing from a handhold, swelling from a touch… he seemed genuinely innocent.
Still, she felt unsure.
Whatever, her versatile boyfriend was a win.
People always pretend to be busy in moments like this.
She grabbed her phone, scrolling news.
After she disconnected, her parents’ livestream on the marketing account hadn’t stopped.
Onlookers enjoyed watching a drowning dog, throwing virtual eggs, and crowding around.
Someone recorded, capturing the highlight,
Knock knock knock. The door of Wen family’s housing was knocked.
Mom imagined 1.8 million suddenly arriving, pure joy, and went to open the door.
Neighbors might come by, she could show off.
Who expected a group in uniform, police and other unknown departments?
“Is this Yaozu Wen? Cooperate with the investigation. Someone reported attempted sexual assault ten years ago.” First group: police, produced ID, promptly apprehended Yaozu.
“Yaozu Wen, someone reported you for damaging public morals and spreading harmful online content. Please come with us.” Second group: government department, polite but intimidating.
Others came for money, justice…
Wen Jiu never expected Yaozu had caused so much trouble besides stealing chicken legs.
Shen Xingzhou watched the video silently, hiding his involvement.
Qin Yao and Yue Ling also helped behind the scenes.
Wen Jiu didn’t know how much the young ladyes had sacrificed for her, she just thought Yaozu got what he deserved.
If he’d merely sought money properly, no one would come after him.
Netizens agreed.
[Not sure if Ms. Wen acted, but as the saying goes: justice is served in time. That first attempted assault, Yaozu deserves to die a hundred times. Poor sister waited ten years for justice.]
[Exactly, abusing minors and getting away with it, deserved this day.]
[So satisfying!]
[And wanting 1.8 million? Yaozu should serve a few years first.]
With all these departments arriving, the marketing account hastily closed the livestream. They love traffic and money, but don’t want trouble.
They tried to slip away, but the Wen family had only one small door, blocked early.
“Everyone, come along.”
Marketing staff, feeling guilty, legs weak as they entered the police car.
In the end, although they were only reprimanded and had to issue a public apology, each of them came out shaking with fear.
Wen Jiu’s parents saw them come out but couldn’t spot their son. They quickly grabbed the others: “You can’t leave! My son is still inside!”
“You helped expose someone, you have to see it through. This has to be that money-grubbing brat causing trouble for our Yaozu. Our Yaozu is such an upright boy.”
Upright boy? Pfft!
Almost twenty years old and still called a boy. Dropped out early, no one knew how he’d been surviving outside, yet still upright! And still a boy!
The marketing account staff were already annoyed by this family; they muttered curses as they left.
They were still outside the police station and didn’t want to get dragged back in over another argument.
Once in the car, they shut the doors and sped away, afraid the Wen parents would latch on.
After such a long livestream in the morning, with so much traffic, the gifts collected didn’t even total 100,000 yuan. All that effort at the hotel on the edge of the village seemed wasted.
At least they got some exposure; that might be the only good thing from this family.
Later, they could post an apology, claim they’d been deceived, issue a statement to show justice was served, play the pity card, and any extra traffic would be theirs.
They could even claim they went to the police station and came out unscathed, proof of their innocence!
With that in mind, the group perked up again.
Who would have guessed the copy hadn’t even been finished before the account disappeared.
Everyone looked at each other: ???
A private message check later revealed the account was banned for violations, and the money inside couldn’t be withdrawn.
Both the traffic and the 100,000 yuan were lost.
If they wanted to continue in this line of work, they’d have to rebuild the account from scratch.
Meanwhile, with Wen Yaozu receiving his just deserts, Wen Jiu successfully severed ties with the Wen family, obtaining her own independent household registration, and rolled around joyfully in the hotel.
The hotel lease had only two months left; by August, the annual service package would be over.
The apartment the young lady had given Wen Jiu had long been fully renovated and arranged, with all the formaldehyde cleared.
She planned to visit the community later to set up her daily necessities.
Shen Xingzhou had to go home for a bit, so Wen Jiu went by herself.
The sunset cast the sky in brilliant, vivid colors of early summer; the clouds stretched endlessly across the horizon.
Golden-orange light filled the warm apartment, glinting off the fluffy white carpet.
Wen Jiu discovered the young lady had specially prepared a walk-in closet for her, neatly organized with clothing for all seasons. The brands looked expensive; some Wen Jiu didn’t recognize. She could tell each piece had been carefully chosen, from casual wear to show-stoppingly beautiful outfits.
The vanity drawer contained high-end perfumes, skincare, and cosmetics. Nearby cabinets held accessories, scarves, hats, and even boxes containing gemstones.
Opening one box revealed a blue diamond, crafted into a necklace, quietly sparkling inside.
Wen Jiu remembered the young lady saying that if The Rich Family aired and she was satisfied, she would give her a blue diamond.
She hadn’t expected the diamond was already placed in the apartment the young lady gifted her.
According to her original moving-in timeline, it would indeed coincide with the airing of The Rich Family.
Wen Jiu clutched her pounding chest.
So the young lady only wanted to give her two diamonds; the drama was just a marker.
The young lady… was just too good?!
Wen Jiu had no words to describe her.
Because her goodness was beyond description.
She bit her lip and snapped a photo to send to the young lady.
Wen Jiu: Young lady, I’ll love you forever!
Qin Yao: Keep your sights high; one small diamond is easy for you to handle.
Qin Yao: Let me ask, if these two diamonds were from Shen Xingzhou, would you still follow him?
Wen Jiu: Not necessarily. Young lady always comes before Shen Xingzhou.
Qin Yao: Smart! You have wide vision. Excellent.
The young lady didn’t care that her statements seemed contradictory.
Qin Yao: Wen Jiu said it well. Follow me, and I’ll give you a whole set of multicolored diamonds. You can even play with them all if you like.
Wen Jiu couldn’t imagine having a full set of multicolored diamonds. She had only seen virtual diamonds on Tencent platforms, all lined up, dazzling and colorful.
But in reality…
The closest she’d seen was a pile of plastic gems at the markets.
Wen Jiu: Yes!
She couldn’t believe real diamonds, all colors in a set, would be that beautiful.
The young lady put away her phone, unable to hide her smile.
She didn’t post to social media or tell Shen Xingzhou, curious to see what surprise he could bring later.
Thinking this, the young lady felt satisfied.
Her companion wouldn’t be easily fooled by a man! Even if he was the Shen family heir, the Qin young lady would always be the best.
That was what Wen Jiu said.
The young lady felt delighted and started planning how to give her gifts without hurting her dignity.
Wen Jiu didn’t know the young lady’s thoughts, but Lin Yu did.
Because the young lady had posed the problem to her.
Lin Yu and Wen Jiu had similar childhoods; she could empathize.
Lin Yu was shocked hundreds of times reading the young lady’s messages.
What do you mean: give gifts without hurting Wen Jiu’s dignity, houses, diamonds, gemstones, and…
Giving so much?!
Lin Yu trembled as she typed: Young lady, I apply to be your companion!
Lin Yu: I want only half of what Wen Jiu gets!
Everyone said to not disrupt the market, but half was already astronomical; the price could be discounted.
Lin Yu: (heartache.jpg) How can someone for dignity even refuse money?
And this wasn’t small money.
The company’s revenue didn’t cover this kind of investment; before the game launched, every day’s investment was like throwing water into the sea, silent. Lin Yu desperately wanted this fortune.
She quickly messaged Wen Jiu: Boss, climb the young lady’s bed!
Lin Yu: Boss, for the company’s future, just follow the young lady.
Wen Jiu: ?
Wen Jiu could understand Lin Yu going crazy.
Because work was like that, going to work made people lose it.
The young lady glanced at Lin Yu’s reply, slightly confused.
She had her steward inject new funds into Lin Yu’s company, with a note: Lin Yu, your mental state seems off, probably company cash flow issues. This is Wen Jiu’s investment. Use the new funds well; don’t go bankrupt.
Lin Yu: …
She and the company seemed entirely like tools.
After a while, she also received Shen Xingzhou’s investment.
Shen Xingzhou invested in Lin Yu’s name.
But Lin Yu didn’t take it.
The young lady’s gift and a man’s gift, could they compare? If they argued later, a man would only claim credit for quietly helping Wen Jiu.
Lin Yu loved money, but she was clear-headed.
She didn’t yet know Wen Jiu had already received Shen Xingzhou’s gift of Xiaolujiang company.
“A-choo.”
“A-choo.”
“A-choo.”
One sneeze meant someone was thinking of her; two, someone was cursing her; three, probably a cold.
Wen Jiu rubbed her nose, brewed herself some cold medicine.
It was midsummer, how was she sick?
A while later, she sneezed three more times in a row.
Hiss, who was whispering about her?
After the white moonlight young lady’s new drama aired, Wen Jiu saw positive reactions but didn’t dwell on them.
She had free time in early August and went to Haicheng to see Su Yaoyao.
Su Yaoyao had just finished her third book, the largest of her three, with 1.3 million words.
Her speed was fast, 600,000 words per month, so she finished in just over two months.
For her, the workload wasn’t heavy, but she planned a vacation.
“Jiujiu, I’m here!”
Picking Wen Jiu up at the airport, Su Yaoyao sat in the back seat sharing her upcoming schedule.
Though there were no secrets, the driver still raised the divider for privacy.
“Jiujiu, a variety show wants me, ‘My Besties.’ I want to join.”
“Why would you suddenly want to join a variety show?” Wen Jiu asked in surprise.
“Because I want the world to know how great my friends are!” Su Yaoyao counted on her fingers: “Yaoyao, you, Lin Yu, Yue Ling, Song Qin, two episodes each, twelve episodes total.”
“I don’t know if everyone wants to appear, so I’m asking individually.”
“Or maybe ask in the group?”
Su Yaoyao lowered her lashes. “But if someone doesn’t want to, seeing others agree might pressure them to go along. That’s not their true wish; if they’re unhappy, I’ll be upset too.”
Wen Jiu rested her chin on her hand. “Yaoyao, you’re adorable.”
After becoming more outgoing, Su Yaoyao retained her sensitivity and thoughtfulness, a nearly perfect personality.
Yet such a personality, in the wrong hands, could lead to a lifetime of hardship.
Fortunately, none of them had such a person in their circle.
“Don’t worry, they won’t,” Wen Jiu reassured her. “If they really don’t have time or don’t want to come, they’ll just say so directly.”
“Would Yaoyao be upset if someone refused outright?”
Su Yaoyao immediately said, “No. Inviting someone doesn’t mean everyone will agree.”
Excited, Su Yaoyao sent the message to their group chat.
Lin Yu was the first to jump in; she only cared about money.
Lin Yu: Wow! How much is the fee?
Su Yaoyao: I don’t know, I didn’t ask.
Su Yaoyao felt awkward asking Lin Yu if she needed money. This show wasn’t funded by her, nor by the Su family, so she couldn’t offer Lin Yu extra pay.
She carefully asked in the group to avoid hurting Lin Yu’s feelings: @Lin Yu, what do you think is a reasonable fee per episode?
Lin Yu didn’t know how fees worked in the entertainment industry, so she boldly said, “If I do two episodes, 20,000 per episode is fine!”
Three days and two nights of filming, good food and rest included, she’d make 40,000 yuan.
Just thinking about it made Lin Yu happy.
Wen Jiu was also in the group.
Seeing Lin Yu send a grinning emoji, five words popped into her mind: “The little lion speaks.”
Su Yaoyao, sitting in the car, tugged at Wen Jiu’s shirt hem. “Isn’t 20,000 too little?”
She earned 20,000 in a single day from writing.
“How do I tell Lin Yu politely?”
Wen Jiu shook her phone slightly. “I got this.”
Wen Jiu: @Lin Yu, 20,000 per episode is guaranteed.
Lin Yu: I’m in! When do we sign the contract?
Song Qin, who had been secretly watching, suddenly piped up: “I’ll go too.”
Qin Yao: I’m fine with it.
Yue Ling: I need to check my schedule and plan in advance. I can come, but a month’s notice is required.
Su Yaoyao: I’ll arrange it immediately!
She was incredibly efficient, calling the director’s team from the car.
However, the director regretfully told her, “Our show might be delayed; we lost a few sponsors.”
“Ah? Sponsors can just back out?”
The director didn’t mind explaining.
“We originally invited four guests, not counting their friends. Of the four, one terminated the contract, one had a scandal, now only you and another minor celebrity remain.”
“The sponsors believe the minor celebrity and you can’t carry the show and won’t meet the expected traffic. So they left before filming even started.”
Su Yaoyao said, “Then we’ll just do it with the two of us. I’ll sponsor it.”
The dejected director: ???
“How much funding did your previous sponsors provide? How much is still needed?”
The director sheepishly felt his empty pockets. “Actually, it’s not just a few sponsors, they all backed out. Previously, we had 50 million yuan, now there’s nothing left.”
Su Yaoyao instinctively said, “50 million isn’t much; I’ll invest it all.”
Within a minute, the director’s expression went through a rainbow of emotions: disbelief, shock, joy, tears. It was the first time he realized how expressive he could be, he could’ve been an actor.
“Alright, alright, Teacher Su, you’re our show’s savior!”
“Now you’re not called Teacher Su anymore…” the director corrected quickly, “CEO Su!”
Su Yaoyao felt a bit embarrassed, quickly replied, and hung up.
Wen Jiu had been stingy giving 1.8 million to sever ties with the Wen family.
But hearing that she could invest in her best friend’s show, she felt generous again.
Even 50 million in hand didn’t faze her, even if she had to spend half.
The reason she didn’t care? The word “bestie.”
She thought of the young lady.
Could a companion not count as a bestie?
Then she thought again, “Billionaire Little Companion” sounded better than any online wish-fulfillment novel.
Wen Jiu chuckled. Su Yaoyao leaned closer and gazed at her. “Jiujiu, you’re clearly playing with me but thinking of others, I’m going to be sad.”
The old Su Yaoyao wouldn’t have joked like this.
But now she did.
Wen Jiu felt a little guilty and rubbed her nose.
She never imagined a girl could create a battlefield just to win her attention.
Honestly, the little person in her heart felt like it was wagging its tail and flying to the sky.
“I like Yaoyao too.”
Su Yaoyao pouted but didn’t argue.
She tilted her head. “I’m not competing with Yao Yao; she’d go before me. I just want to know, am I ahead of Shen Xingzhou?”
Wen Jiu didn’t hesitate: “Absolutely, you’re ahead of him!”
No matter how good a boyfriend is, he can’t outrank a sister.
Su Yaoyao was satisfied.
That night, the director sent the schedule and obsequiously asked, “CEO Su, does this schedule work? If it’s inconvenient, we can adjust.”
“I’ll check.” Su Yaoyao sent the schedule to the group, mainly asking Yue Ling if she could free up the dates.
Wen Jiu sat aside, watching the White Moonlight Young lady’s drama; two new episodes aired tonight.
Her ears were still attentive. From the director’s tone, she envisioned last year’s herself.
If it were her, getting 50 million in sponsorship at once to solve immediate problems, she would also worship the young lady like a god of wealth.