Chapter 90: Subtle Changes

After a full regimen of treatments and spa care, Ye Linyun lounged in luxurious comfort on the velvet sofa of her villa’s panoramic terrace. Beneath her robe, her tender skin and graceful figure looked especially alluring in the night’s soft wash.

She lowered her head to admire her own exquisite body with satisfaction. So many men in the industry lusted after her, yet she paid them no mind at all. Only Ling Ziheng remained an exception, always wearing that look of restraint and indifference.

Hah. Soon. That iceberg face of his would melt sooner or later.

A maid handed her a glass of Burgundy Pinot Noir. Ye Linyun lifted her chin in satisfaction, took the glass, and let the wine-colored nails of her hand trace the stem as she slowly swirled it. The deep, rich wildness unique to Burgundy surged at once across her senses.

Night fell. The last scattered blush of sunset faded into darkness, streetlamps lit up one by one, and the ceaseless tide of traffic spread out below her eyes.

Ye Linyun called Chu Zhuo. Thinking that she had not seen him at Moonlight in several days, and that he was nowhere to be found at his usual bars, she found it rather odd.

“Sister Yun.”

When she heard that it was Chu Zhuo’s assistant, Qin Meng, who had answered, Ye Linyun frowned. “Where is Chu Zhuo?”

“Sister Yun, Brother Chu is in rehearsal. He’ll be done soon. Please wait a moment, and I’ll have him call you back,” Qin Meng replied cautiously.

“Rehearsal?” Ye Linyun set the wine glass aside and sat up, utterly baffled. That man was actually in rehearsal? The one who had spent every night in revelry without fail was now obediently rehearsing? It was beyond belief.

“Yes. The preliminary rehearsal for the Masked All-Round King is in two days.”

“Hah. Now I’ve seen everything,” Ye Linyun sneered.

“Sister Yun, Brother Chu is out now. I’ll hand him the phone.” Seeing Chu Zhuo come out of the training room, Qin Meng hurried after him. “Brother Chu, it’s Sister Yun.”

Chu Zhuo took the phone with obvious impatience. “What is it?”

“What is it? That’s my line. You actually went to rehearsal? Has the sun risen in the west?” Ye Linyun mocked.

“If you have something to say, say it,” Chu Zhuo said flatly, shifting the phone to the other hand, his expression darkening.

“I was just looking for you. I’ve been thinking about Lin Zhi, the director on Ling Ruoyu’s side. I think... I should give him a very generous gift.” There was a sly, conspiratorial edge to Ye Linyun’s voice.

Chu Zhuo frowned, though he seemed unsurprised. “What are you planning to do?”

“Simple. Either he works for me, or...” A ruthless glint flashed in Ye Linyun’s eyes. “I’ll ruin him completely.”

When Chu Zhuo remained silent, Ye Linyun grew a little impatient. “What, do you have a problem with that?”

“Do what you want,” Chu Zhuo said in a low voice, “but preferably after the premiere.”

Ye Linyun sprang to her feet in excitement, nearly knocking into a maid who was bringing over dessert. Seeing her vicious expression, the maid immediately recoiled in fear.

“After the premiere? Are you joking? I can’t wait that long.”

“Have you forgotten Chairman Zhou’s warning? He invested a fortune in the first episode,” Chu Zhuo asked in return.

Ye Linyun froze. Only then did she remember how heavily her boss had invested in this program. She fell silent at once and thought carefully. Just in the premiere’s advertisements alone, their company’s brand appeared three times. If anything went wrong with the premiere, even if the fault lay elsewhere, once the ratings were affected, it would be like stepping on a tiger’s tail.

That man... if she did not obey him, there were a hundred vile ways waiting for her. Usually, no matter how she played around, he indulged her; but if she truly ruined his money-making scheme, there would be only one path left: death.

She touched the scar on the inside of her left arm, long since faded yet still faintly marked, and a tremor ran through her. She never wanted to experience that kind of torment again.

“All right. Then let Lin Zhi enjoy himself for a few more days,” Ye Linyun said, her beautiful face now cold and murderous.

“Is Ling Ruoyu worth it?” Chu Zhuo asked.

Ye Linyun had not expected him to ask that. “Hah. Worth it? What does worth have to do with anything? The entire entertainment industry belongs to me. Ling Ruoyu has to bow to me too.”

Chu Zhuo shook his head helplessly. Crazy woman.

A flicker of doubt crossed Ye Linyun’s mind. Though he looked as he always had, Chu Zhuo seemed subtly different lately. She hurried on, “And when the time comes, give me Fantasia.”

At once, Chu Zhuo’s eyes turned dark and profound, his voice icy with warning. “Ye Linyun, you know how serious that thing is. They’ve already warned me not to use it again recently. I let it go last time when you stole it from me, but this time, find your own way.”

With that, he ended the call mercilessly.

Hearing the dead tone on the other end, Ye Linyun hurled her phone onto the sofa in rage. She cursed inwardly: Damn Chu Zhuo. Not a trace of cooperation. Over the years, she had long since had enough of being controlled by him.

She clutched the wine glass tightly. The clear stem reflected her ferocious, venomous face, making it look all the more eerie in the night.

Hah. It did not matter. If this method would not work, then there were always other ways. Still, using that stuff would inevitably draw attention from all sides. Better to... She changed to a soft, seductive smile and dialed another number. In a sweet voice, she said, “Brother Qi.”

“Well, well, little slut. It’s been ages since you came looking for Brother Qi,” came the greasy response from the other end.

“I’ve been busy, Brother Qi. That drug... do you still have any on hand?”

“What? Is there someone else who’s not behaving?”

“Just tell me whether you’ll give it to me or not,” Ye Linyun coaxed.

“If you want it, of course I’ll give it to you. But... you know my rules.” The man’s voice turned thick with suggestive desire.

Ye Linyun bit her lip, her face flickering with purple-green embarrassment and disgust, and forced out two words, “Naturally.”

“Then Brother will be waiting for you,” the man said eagerly, and hung up.

Ye Linyun set the phone down and sank into the custom-made red velvet sofa from L House. Those greasy old men were nothing but vultures after her body. Though every moment with them made her sick to the stomach, only they could provide her with supreme status and money.

What best actress? What endorsements? If she had not borne humiliation and bent herself to serve those old men, how could she have the dazzling success she had today? She would likely have been pushed aside long ago, never able to rise.

This world had always been a place where the strong devoured the weak. If one did not live for oneself, heaven and earth would not forgive. She did not believe Ling Ruoyu could remain aloof forever. Though she had run into some obstacles in the past few years and learned that there was likely power standing behind Ling Ruoyu as well, so what? As long as she had more backing, she would eventually make him bow and beg for mercy.

Chu Zhuo... A dissolute, unrestrained face flashed through her mind. One day, I will make it so that even you can no longer point fingers at me.

Men were nothing more than stepping stones on her road to the top.