“She’s younger and prettier than you!” Wan Qingsi said.
An Ru released a chuckle and then began unzipping her dress. She wore a strapless mini dress today, so there was nothing stopping the dress from sliding down her body to the floor like a piece of loose cloth.
“Take a look! Look at my body.” An Ru sashayed towards Wan Qingsi. She refused to believe that this man wouldn’t react to her body.
Wan Qingsi sprang to his feet, the sight of which caused An Ru’s heart filled with delight. Her hopes were dashed, however, when she saw Wan Qingsi marching towards the door instead or approaching her. Next thing she knew, the door was yanked open. An Ru panicked and quickly crouched down behind the desk. Then, she heard Wan Qingsi barking out an order to someone.
“Call the security, now! Ask them to throw this lunatic out!”
At the door, An Ru’s bodyguard had already sensed that something was amiss. The guards were just about to charge into the office when they suddenly heard An Ru. “Don’t come in! I’m fine!” An Ru yelled, her voice laced with anger and mortification.
Wan Qingsi leveled one last cold stare at An Ru. Then, he stormed out of the office, leaving the door open. When he walked past Qi Xiu, he said, “Watch our stuff, will you? Don’t let these savages steal our things.”
The sight of Wan Qingsi walking away from her without so much as a backward glance turned An Ru into a madwoman; seconds after he left, An Ru began screaming hysterically. “Shut the door, d.a.m.n it! Shut the d.a.m.n door!”
Having just witnessed An Ru’s revolting behavior, Wan Qingsi first impulse was to fly straight to New Zealand to see Ah Sha. Then it occurred to him that An Ru might try to contrive petty schemes and make a mess of things while he was away. A wave of frustration ripped through Wan Qingsi at the thought.
In the end, he left the building and got into his car. Inside, he logged on to his personal— and rarely touched— Weibo account and made a post, “Just saw something disgusting. What should I do if I get the styes?” He even added an emoticon at the end.
“Young Miss, the young master just made a post on Weibo!” It was now Ah Sha’s break-time, and Xiao Hua was showing Ah Sha her phone excitedly. Ah Sha read the words on the screen and then burst out laughing; she could pretty much guess what it was that had just happened. Tang Yue, on the other hand, didn’t find any of it amusing at all.
When the whole crew got back to the hotel that night, Tang Yue stopped Ah Sha outside her room. “Have you seen the news?” Tang Yue asked.
“I did.”
“And you’re not scared?”
“You seem even more frightened than me,” Ah Sha said, eyeing Tang Yue briefly. “Why is that? What, did you p.i.s.s her off before this?”
Tang Yue curled her lips in distaste. “No.”
Deep down, Tang Yue knew that she hadn’t shown An Ru much courtesy and civility in the past. In fact, when An Ru first joined Stars Entertainment, Tang Yue had secretly schemed against An Ru simply because she envied An Ru for being a celebrity that Wan Qingsi had personally recruited into Stars Entertainment.
“Her background is as powerful as the Ying family. She might not even fear Ying Xin, let alone you,” Tang Yue went on. “Even if Senior Wan doesn’t have the heart to break up with you, she can easily hire someone to screw you up real bad.”
Ah Sha opened the door of her room. “Well, I guess I’ll just take it as it comes, then!” Ah Sha said flippantly.
“You…” Tang Yue was cut off by the slam of Ah Sha’s door. Staring at the closed door, Tang Yue stomped her foot angrily.
Indeed, An Ru’s popularity skyrocketed. Entertainment companies back in Hong Kong were now offering to help her release new alb.u.ms. Some had even offered her several movie roles.
Wan Qingsi stared at the invitation card that had been sent to his office. “A new costume drama co-produced by Sky Entertainment and some Hong Kong company?”
“Sky Entertainment is Mo Nan’s company,” Qi Xiu said, his eyes darting briefly to the invitation card. “Are you going to the launch party tomorrow night?”
“Why not? He’s already involved in this business, so it’s just a matter of time before we have to interact with him.”
“The lead actress has already been confirmed. It’s An Ru,” Qi Xiu reminded.
“That’s to be expected,” Wan Qingsi said, not sounding the slightest bit surprised. “How else could he have landed a partnership with a company based in Hong Kong?”
The next day, Wan Qingsi went to see Ying Qingcang.
“Are you attending the event tonight?” Ying Qingcang asked without preamble.
“Definitely,” Wan Qingsi said. “Mo Nan’s probably planning to take me out first and then force you to make a move. The moment you yield, he’ll join forces with the Wen family to take over Xin Enterprises.”
“He actually had the guts to cut a deal with Wen Pintang, and with his level of intelligence no less?” Ying Qingcang said, laughing derisively. “There are so many ways Wen Pintang could use to destroy him later that I can’t even tell which one is the likeliest.”
“Why did you bring Aunt Qing along when you had dinner with the Wen Pintang last time?” Wan Qingsi asked strangely. After all, Ying Qingcang had never allowed Xin Qing to interact with another man. And yet he brought her to have dinner with Wen Pintang? That just made no sense at all.
Ying Qingcang’s face turned sour the moment Wan Qingsi mentioned that dinner. “It’s nothing,” Ying Qingcang growled. “He did Ah Qing a small favor.”
For a moment, Wan Qingsi just stared at Ying Qingcang with a look of mild surprise. But after a while, Wan Qingsi seemed to have caught on to what Ying Qingcang meant.
“What did Wen Pintang say?”
Ying Qingcang snorted. “I bet he’s just waiting for me and Mo Nan to tear each other apart before he finally swoops in,” Ying Qingcang said. “Just ignore him for the time being. It’s pretty obvious what he’s planning. He’s just waiting for a fire to start and then add fuel to it when it does.”
Wan Qingsi nodded in agreement. “You don’t have to worry about Stars Entertainment. I’ll handle things there myself.”
“About the Lin family,” Ying Qingcang said, “You can ask Young Master Shen for help if you don’t feel like dealing with them.” Ying Qingcang said before he paused to give Wan Qingsi a pointed look. “Don’t involve your father unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Ying Qingcang reminded.
“I understand,” Wan Qingsi said, standing up.
Getting Boss Wan involved in this mess was a slippery slope indeed. On its own, the Triad wasn’t terrifying. But Boss Wan’s involvement would shift the balance of power in the Southeast Asia underworld; and not to mention causing a turmoil between law enforcement and the underworld.
The main concern right now was that it was impossible for them to make any moves without getting the Shen Family involved too. At the moment, Young Master Shen was spending all his time with a pregnant Zhang Mi in New York. Zhang Mi was due pretty soon, and Ying Qingcang didn’t want Young Master Shen to focus on anything else other than the upcoming birth of his child.
Wan Qingsi attended the dinner party alone that night. Upon his arrival, Wan Qingsi heard the voice of Sky Entertainment’s speaker; the guy was bragging on stage about Sky Entertainment pulling off a miraculous feat this year by surpa.s.sing the box office sales of “The Chronicles of The Emperor’s Harem”. Well, the truth was that although the box office sales of “The Chronicles of The Emperor’s Harem” wasn’t bad, it was nothing to write home about, either.
Just then, Wan Qingsi heard a voice calling him. “President Wan!” He turned around and saw Mo Nan walking over with a gla.s.s of wine in his hand. Beside Mo Nan was the stunning Zhuang Yan.
It seemed like Zhuang Yan was planning to hold on to those deep pockets.
“Congratulations,” Wan Qingsi said in a tone devoid of sincerity. “I hope you don’t lose the money you’ve invested in this movie.”
Mo Nan released a roar of laughter. “That’s not going to be a problem. Well, I guess you still didn’t know then, President Wan. In that case, let me remind you that An Ru had also invested in this movie. And I’m pretty sure it will be a hit, considering the Lin family’s influence!”
“Ah, I see. Now that makes sense,” Wan Qingsi said in amus.e.m.e.nt. “I was wondering why the entire cast consists of thrash.”
Mo Nan’s face fell instantly. It was true that Wan Qingsi was well-known in the business for his sharp tongue. Still, Mo Nan didn’t expect him to be so direct. Before Mo Nan could say another word, he felt Zhuang Yan’s hand on his arm. “Oh, stop joking around, President Wan,” Zhuang Yan said, laughing girlishly. “I’ll be making a cameo in the movie too!”
“You’re a.s.signing the queen of acting herself to a cameo role,” Wan Qingsi said dryly. “Genius. I wonder why I hadn’t come up with that before.” Then, Wan Qingsi nodded and said, “Well, good luck to you folks, then.”
That single comment had ruined Mo Nan’s celebratory mood; Mo Nan stormed out angrily with Zhuang Yan in tow. Moments after they left, Qi Xiu appeared beside Wan Qingsi out of nowhere. “Ken, do you know that they’re trying to get in touch with Depp?”
“Get in touch with Depp?” Wan Qingsi froze, but then he quickly recovered. “They’re planning to use Zhou Weide, aren’t they?”
Zhou Weide was widely acknowledged as one of the best male actors in the world for more than ten years. A long time ago, Zhou Weide had gone to the United States to further his career. The company who signed him was none other than the New York branch of Stars Entertainment.
“I’m surprised that he knows about Depp’s true ident.i.ty!” Wan Qingsi said. “It looks like that the Lin family is quite resourceful.”
Qi Xiu nodded. “Then, what should we…”
“Don’t bother with it.”
Depp was the young master of Stars Entertainment, though he never involved himself in any of Stars Entertainment’s affairs. In fact, Depp despised his own status. Approach him? Ha. Good luck with that. Mo Nan would be lucky to walk away with his b.a.l.l.s intact by the end of that conversation.
Halfway through the dinner party, Wan Qingsi realized that he had yet to notice any representatives from the Lin family at the party. At the same time, his own patience was wearing thin, and he didn’t intend to stay until the end of the party. He was leaving the party when someone stood in his way.
“Mr. Wan, our young miss wishes to see you.”
Wan Qingsi kept walking without even lifting his head. “I don’t have time to see her,” he said.
The bodyguard extended his arm to block Wan Qingsi’s path. “Surely, Mr. Wan, that you wouldn’t want any harm to befall a certain woman who’s currently filming a movie overseas? At least that’s what our young miss told us.”
A dark look formed on Wan Qingsi’s face. “Lead the way,” he said stonily.
The bodyguards led him into a suite. An Ru was already waiting for him inside when he arrived. She was dressed in a s.e.xy evening gown and was comfortably settled in a chaise lounge. With a wave of her hand, she signaled the guards to leave the suite.
“Qingsi!” She said, jiggling the wine gla.s.s she was holding. There she sat, enchanting and beguiling, her slender and pale legs displayed in such a way that left very little to the imagination. Well, tough luck. As it turned out, this seductive power play of hers only increased Wan Qingsi’s urge to throw up.
Wan Qingsi didn’t move an inch from his spot at the doorway. “Stop twisting around,” he said. “Your bodyguards will think that I’m responsible if you end up breaking a bone.”
An Ru sat up. “Qingsi, my feelings for you are genuine! Can’t you see that my heart already belongs to you? Can’t you see that I really love you? As long as you marry me, as long as you be with me, I promise you I’ll give you a position in the Triad. Then you can bring your talents to Hong Kong where you’ll shine!”
“So. The Lin family is treating you pretty well, huh?” Wan Qingsi’s eyes flashed deviously. “Well enough to let you call the shots in the Triad?”
“My father treats me well!” An Ru said. There was an awkward look on her face, like she wasn’t entirely convinced of the truth of what she was about to say. “Although my brother is the one handling everything for the Triad, he’s very loyal to my father. My brother is the one who found me!”
Wan Qingsi arched his brows with disinterest. “Mm. Still, it’s none of my business.”
“Why? Why are you acting like this?” An Ru rushed towards him. “What is it about me that you don’t like? Why won’t you love me?”
“Don’t touch me,” Wan Qingsi said, pushing her away.
“Do you think that I’m tainted?” An Ru froze. Moments later, she began shouting at the top of her lungs. “I’m clean! I’ve only had one boyfriend before! Just one! I never slept around!”
When she saw Wan Qingsi’s frown, she stopped talking and pondered over her next words. Moments later, she said, “I understand.” She opened the door. “See Mr. Wan out.”
Wan Qingsi gave her a brief glance before walking out the door. He never quite figured out what it was that An Ru had claimed to understand. To be honest, he didn’t really care.
Wan Yi and Wan Er approached him the moment he stepped out of the hotel. “Are you alright, Young Master?”
Both of them had been following Wan Qingsi around just now during the party. They would’ve stepped in during the standoff between Wan Qingsi and those bodyguards if Wan Qingsi hadn’t given them the signal to stand down.
“I’m fine,” Wan Qingsi said, getting into the car. “Find out everything you can about Lin Musheng.”
Lin Musheng, the head honcho of the Triad. It was during his reign that the Triad began to have business dealings with the those on the side of the law. One thing was for sure: this guy was one mean son of a b.i.t.c.h. If that wasn’t bad enough, he even had a volatile temperament. That year, when he first took over the Triad, there were a few elders who was unhappy with him being the leader. He slaughtered each and every one of those elders, including their family members.
“So this is the brother that An Ru mentioned?” Wan Qingsi frowned at the doc.u.ments on his desk. “Have we crossed paths with him before?”
Wan Yi nodded. “The year before last year, they needed our help transporting a batch of firearms.”
“My dad met him before?”
“No,” Wan Yi said, pausing briefly. “The boss had gone to Africa at the time… he’d gone to Africa to… capture the missus.”
Wan Qingsi thought for a moment. “Send someone to keep an eye on him.”
“Yes, sir!”
In the blink of an eye, it was time for Ah Sha to return, which was timely, since Wan Qingsi would’ve flown straight to New Zealand to see Ah Sha if he were forced to wait just a few more days. At the airport, he picked up Ah Sha from the VIP zone and led her straight to the underground car park.
“Aren’t we going to wait for Depp?” Ah Sha stared at Wan Qingsi’s face as he buckled her seat-belt. “On the plane, he said he wanted to leave with us!”
Wan Qingsi held her face between his palms and began sucking on her lips gently. When Ah Sha’s lips parted, his tongue joined in the action by invading the s.p.a.ce inside Ah Sha’s mouth and entwining with Ah Sha’s tongue.
When the need for air became too great, Wan Qingsi released her and drew her into his arms. “Who cares about him. Are you hungry? Let’s go grab a bite somewhere!”
“No, I’m not hungry.” Ah Sha wiggled inside his arms. “Just tired. I want to sleep!”
Wan Qingsi started the car. “Okay, then. Let’s head home and I’ll sleep with you.”
It goes without saying that Ah Sha hadn’t fallen asleep on her own; instead, she had pa.s.sed out due to sheer exhaustion after being thoroughly ravished by a s.e.x-deprived man.
The production crew gave her two days off; the point was to have the actors and actresses sleep off their jet lags before resuming work. Ah Sha woke up naturally the next day. Wan Qingsi had already gone to the company by the time she was up. Breakfast was already prepared on the dining table. There was a note, too, “Call me once you read this, babe!”
#
Suddenly in a good mood, Ah Sha placed a piece of bread into her mouth and held it there. She was just about to make the call when she received a Weibo notification. Someone had mentioned her in their post. Ah Sha’s eyes shone brightly when she switched to her Weibo app and saw the post. The person who mentioned her was none other than An Ru.