The dude who just spoke to him was Xu Da, the a.s.sistant director of the film he was part of. Zheng Xiang, the ident.i.ty he would be a.s.suming from now on, was a producer and a slightly famous one at that. This was apart from being a photographer.And a crisis struck him recently.
To have ground for divorce, his ex-wife let out the news that she was being battered at home. Who knew how and where she got them, but one day that woman went home full of bruises and wounds, her lips even having a cut. Zheng Xiang helped her up when she came home bursting in tears, yet in the photographs captured, the angle made it look like she was crying under his beating.
Other pieces of evidence went along with that, mostly medical certificates issued by big hospitals.
But one thing which blew the matter out of proportion was his wife"s merciless action. As his ex-wife, Mo Fang, had been a veteran actress for five years, it was very easy for her to pull off a pitiful play after the photos spread, not saying anything at first and only crying whenever cameras were around. And then when things escalated to the point that the whole country knew about the issue, she cried out at a press conference that she was a victim of domestic violence. Their ident.i.ties as people from the entertainment industry made the matter very complicated.
The Original was caught off-guard, too dumbfounded by his ex-wife"s betrayal. Somehow, the issue became so large, yet he couldn"t focus solely on it because Mo Fang directly filed a divorce. His heart was in tatters and couldn"t accept reality.
Why was the woman he loved so much suddenly persecuting him and wanting to separate from him? No matter what angle he used to look at it, he never wronged her. So why?
There were so many questions swimming in his mind. Due to clouded reasoning and under the threats of Mo Fang"s agent and their company, he had to sign the divorce papers.
So just like that, two people walked separate ways, with one of them getting the shorter end of the stick, left in shambles.
Who would have thought a love which he thought would last forever under the bindings of marriage would fail and end in that manner?
It was only when the previous Zheng Xiang saw his ex-wife with the new rank actor Liu De did he realize what truly happened. His ex-wife no longer loved him. She fell in love with another man. He, as the husband, was on the way if they wanted to be together.
"This Zheng Xiang is quite pitiful. He had been married to that woman for five years, yet he never knew she was capable of doing something like that."
Jiang Li rubbed his chin, lost in thoughts.
"If she has a problem with her husband and wants to divorce, why not talk it out?"
"Is it that hard to tell her husband she"s no longer happy with him and wanted a separation?"
Jiang Li found it annoying as when he checked the plot further, he found several more dubious points about the whole affair.
For example, just a few weeks ago, Zheng Xiang and Mo Fang were still very cordial to each other.
How come she changed so fast, faster than the sky changing its weather? Was it that easy to fall out of love and fell for another? Was the five years of companions.h.i.+p with him a mere joke to her?
If so, then this Mo Fang was truly something!
"Wait... I feel like the matter is not that simple. I don"t know much about the laws of this country, but the divorce and the spreading of news..."
He frowned. "If it is simply the male lead"s freaky aura and his system at work, then okay... But I have a feeling there is something more to it."
Jiang Li wanted to complain about why the speed of integrating the images with his own was slow this time.
It was only in the latter part of the memories did he find out that his ex-wife was really a strange one.
She was actually a reborn woman!
In the previous life, she retired at age forty-five and led a normal life with her husband. But maybe after some time, she got tired of this? Well, at some points in her life, she got in contact with the upper society. To be exact, she had taken a glimpse of the upper society"s real life. So maybe without her husband knowing, she secretly started to long for it?
Quite the ridiculous guess, but if this was the case, then some things made sense now. She did those things the moment she woke up in her younger self"s body because she wanted to climb to a higher tree branch.
She knew there would be a better future and greater wealth waiting for her if she became the cheat Liu De"s woman. Therefore, she didn"t hesitate to divorce her husband. Anyway, this husband would only give her a mediocre life and in the future where she was from, she had already grown tired of him. That was why she could be heartless to him.
"I don"t know if I should call this woman mad or smart?" He shook his head after.
The pity Jiang Li felt for the Original instantly doubled. He also pitied Mo Fang because she had no brain and let go of somebody who loved her so much for somebody already keeping more than five partners. Well, there was the fact she no longer loved Zheng Xiang but did she know the wealth she saw in Liu De was gotten from his other women? He wondered.
Zheng Xiang was a loving husband and an honest producer and part-time photographer. He never truly beat Mo Fang or did her wrong. In fact, he was very protective and caring for her. After all, he loved her genuinely. Also, even though he was not really that influential and rich, despite his bit of fame, it was still a fact that in her initial years in her career, it was him who did his all to bring fame to her.
How could she repay his goodwill and love with treachery just so she could immediately be with Liu De?
No matter how tired you were of a person, it was not ground to destroy his image and make him a b.a.s.t.a.r.d to the eyes of the nation!
Jiang Li slightly grinned. "I think I already know what to do to complete the mission..."
"That annoying male lead too needs some lesson." He told himself, remembering the deeds of that Liu De which were just so abominable and could destroy one"s three views. Keeping multiple women, destroying those standing in his paths, s.n.a.t.c.hing married women from their husbands, cheating using his golden finger, framing people left and right...
It seemed systems really knew how to choose their hosts, binding themselves to bad people who would definitely create chaos in the world. He was a mild case. But that Liu De... Heh.
"Host, there"s a situation in front of you that needs your immediate response." Afraid that its host would start planning of murder or anything unpleasant, the system hastily reminded him.
"Oh, right."
Jiang Li pursed his lips and replied to his a.s.sistant director. "Xu Da, I really don"t know how I suddenly became the one in command. But since the director is not around, just tell everyone to take a day off today. Tomorrow, the shooting will resume."
The one from the other line almost swore in annoyance. The a.s.sistant had been made to wait for almost three minutes and Zheng Xiang only managed to think of that kind of solution?
"Wait, sir. But we don"t have a female lead actress anymore!" Displeasure sounded out from the other line.
While the other person made sense, Jiang Li hated to be shouted at like that.
With a tone of finality and frost lacing his voice, he asked, "Xu Da. Can you please tell me who am I and what role I really have in the crew?"
The reply came only after some time, probably because the a.s.sistant instantly recognized the change in his tone. "... You"re the chief producer, Sir."
"Ahhhh. Okay, producer."
Jiang Li coldly laughed. "I"m glad you still remembered. After all, it seems just because a few false reports started appearing here, you have forgotten who I am and what I am to the crew."
The other couldn"t speak for a while. Jiang Li wanted to sneer.
"This idiot. I told them I need a day to recover a bit from the mental and emotional damage caused by Mo Fang. Why bring up the female lead of the movie when he knows it"s the director who should be worrying about it?"
While the director oversees the creative side of the production, the producers are in charge of the finance side. At least, based on what he remembered. He knew where this guy was coming from. But he was just annoyed by the veiled blaming.
"Can"t he just go direct to the point and say that the investors and everyone else are pulling out because of me... That if not for my chief producer t.i.tle, they would have kicked me out long ago?"
"Mr. Xu. I won"t repeat myself. Since the director is not around, just let the crew go home. Unless you can do it yourself, or you plan to make me direct it." The sarcasm was not hidden.
He was a man who had just recently divorced. It should be pardonable to have a bit of temper. If the other did not stop, it would be no problem for Jiang Li to show more of what he could act out right now.
The other remained silent for a couple of seconds. "Sir. I"m sorry. But I just need a real answer. I"m just an inexperienced one. I know now that my words earlier offended you, but please understand that I was just anxious because our investors keep asking for progress."
"Progress...?"
"What progress were those annoying creeps asking about? The film production? Or the dismissal of the immoral and unprincipled divorced man?"
Instead of listening to Xu Da"s follow-ups, he immediately hung up and even threw his phone away. The device, fortunately, landed on the sofa so it was still intact.