Chen Fei wanted to act immediately. At seven in the morning, he called Bai Lin, telling him about his idea. Bai Lin's sleepiness vanished instantly, and he readily agreed. He then called Quan Jiu to report.
Before seven-thirty, Quan Jiu's phone rang.
As she quietly watched Chu Rong sleeping, the gentle expression on her face was instantly replaced by coldness. She turned over, preparing to reach for her phone on the bedside table. However, halfway through her turn, Quan Jiu was awakened by the ringing.
Quan Jiu, still groggy, was startled to see someone above her. Then, she seemed to recall something, and in her anger, her knee shot out, hitting Chu Rong's thigh.
Chu Rong's face paled, and he let out a muffled groan. After a pause, he said with some helplessness, "I just wanted to get my phone."
...
"I can get it myself."
Quan Jiu shifted her gaze uncomfortably and suddenly sat up.
However, she was clearly flustered, having forgotten that someone was enduring pain above her. As she sat up, her head bumped into him.
"Ah..." Quan Jiu clutched her aching forehead and glared at Chu Rong with a hint of blame.
Chu Rong looked at her beautiful, deer-like eyes, feeling a mix of grievance and annoyance. He smiled, instinctively kissed her forehead lightly, and then rolled back over.
Quan Jiu felt both hatred and anger, but seeing his pained expression, she had nowhere to vent her frustration. She pouted, "Who told you to be so handsy all the time? Serves you right."
"It serves me right, and it doesn't hurt," Chu Rong smiled slightly and then asked, "Who called so early in the morning to disturb your sweet dreams?"
Quan Jiu glanced at her phone screen. It was Bai Lin. Knowing it was work-related, she quickly answered.
Bai Lin got straight to the point, "Chen Fei wants Han Zhao to be a regular guest on 'Historical Narratives.' Coincidentally, one of their regular guests is withdrawing, which has opened up a spot. My opinion is:
This program has a very good reputation and is very educational. It's a very positive variety show that can help shape Han Zhao's public image. It's a rare and excellent opportunity."
Quan Jiu's face lit up with joy. "That's great, of course. No problem, let him be a regular."
After hanging up, Quan Jiu lost any desire to sleep. She got up, dressed in the walk-in closet, and went out.
It was past seven o'clock. The household staff were all awake, some cleaning, some cooking. Upon seeing Quan Jiu, they all greeted her as "Young Madam."
Quan Jiu greeted them one by one and was about to head to the study to write when Yuan Zijun's voice came from the East Wing.
"Jiu'er, you're awake? Why didn't you sleep in longer? But it's good you're awake, come quickly, look at the clothes Mom bought for you."
Quan Jiu smiled helplessly, put down her notebook, and went to the East Wing.
Yuan Zijun happily pulled Quan Jiu into the walk-in closet. The nearly two-hundred-square-meter closet was divided by seasons, then by clothing, shoes, bags, and jewelry, and further categorized by color. It looked rich and organized, more like a clothing store than a closet.
Quan Jiu exclaimed in surprise, "Mom, why so many?"
Yuan Zijun tutted, "This is not much for five years. It's almost full now, and I'm planning to triple the size of this room."
"No, please don't," Quan Jiu said, shocked and a little scared. "How can you possibly wear all of this?"
"One outfit a day, no repeats, how can you not wear it all?" Yuan Zijun pulled Quan Jiu to the fitting mirror and took out a few of her favorite outfits.
"These clothes, I've wanted you to wear them for a long time. They're really beautiful, and you'll look even more beautiful in them."
She held the clothes up against Quan Jiu, her fondness growing with each passing moment. Impatiently, she pushed Quan Jiu into the fitting room to change.
Quan Jiu couldn't refuse, so for the next half hour, she was caught in a cycle of putting on, trying on, and taking off clothes.
Yuan Zijun, meanwhile, continuously snapped photos with her phone, capturing every angle from top to bottom, left to right, and front to back until she was satisfied. As time went on, she transformed into a photographer, directing Quan Jiu's poses.
"Yes, lift your chin slightly. Yes, yes, beautiful. Good, don't move, don't move."
Just as she was engrossed in taking pictures, the walk-in closet door opened. Chu Rong leaned against the doorway and said faintly, "She's tired."
Quan Jiu frowned and quickly shook her head, "Not tired, not tired. These clothes are all very beautiful, I like every single one. Mom has such good taste."
Yuan Zijun gave her son the middle finger in disdain, then put away her phone and looked at Quan Jiu with satisfaction. "Ah... it's so good to have a daughter. When I'm old, I won't be able to wear these beautiful clothes, but having a daughter to wear them for me is wonderful."
Quan Jiu chuckled and twirled in place. "This dress is very beautiful, thank you, Mom."
"And with this necklace, it's perfect," Yuan Zijun took out a diamond necklace from the jewelry cabinet and placed it around Quan Jiu's neck.
"And then..." she looked around, picked up a white clutch, and placed it in Quan Jiu's hand. "With this bag, it's absolutely stunning. Your temperament is just wonderful, my dear."
Quan Jiu looked at her elaborate attire, comparable to a red carpet look, and was torn between laughter and tears. "Mom, isn't this a bit too grand for home?"
"Is it?" Yuan Zijun looked back at her son. "Does it look good?"
Chu Rong's previously somber expression immediately softened, and he nodded with a slight smile, "It looks good."
Quan Jiu pretended not to hear but didn't want to disappoint her mother-in-law, so she kept the outfit on. Just then, Chen Ma came to call them for dinner, and the three of them turned towards the dining hall.
...
As Han Zhao's popularity exploded online, He Nian seized the opportunity to officially announce Han Zhao and Ren Kui as the male and female leads for his new drama, tagging Nine. In an instant, several popular figures converged, and the official Weibo topic instantly surpassed one hundred million. Various fan support teams were quickly established, and the buzz continued to grow.
Meanwhile, Xiao Kou Chang Kai, having just signed Xiang Fei, also took notice of this promotional wave.
To be honest, having a good drama lined up before an artist was even signed was like striking gold for Xiao Kou Chang Kai, especially with a renowned director like He Nian.
Thus, Xiao Kou Chang Kai's publicity department also ramped up their efforts, first announcing Xiang Fei's addition as a newcomer and then tagging He Nian for a pleasant collaboration.
And as the forces were mutual, Xiao Kou Chang Kai itself being a giant in the comedy industry, this in turn boosted Xiang Fei's popularity.
As for Chu Xin Culture, on the weekend, not only was the company's internal publicity team working overtime, but Tian Yu was also secretly lending support. The online discussion was incredibly heated. Following the Hei Li incident trending topic, Chu Xin Culture once again entered the public eye in a high-profile manner, and was also hailed by industry peers as the biggest entertainment dark horse of the year.
Suddenly, the public became increasingly curious about the behind-the-scenes owner of Chu Xin Culture.
Quan Xiaotang was originally searching for legal information on her phone, but due to the explosive trending news, she inadvertently saw the news about Chu Xin Culture.
She gritted her teeth in hatred, "This bitch, reaping fame and fortune for herself, yet she caused our family to be broken and scattered."
Quan Zhiwei put on his shoes and urged expressionlessly, "Hurry up."
Quan Xiaotang slung her bag over her shoulder, and as she walked out, she was editing a message.
"I want to expose the boss of Chu Xin Culture, Quan Jiu. She is ruthless, stone-hearted, and ungrateful..."
After editing a thousand words, she saved it as an image and sent it to Quan Zhiwei.
"Brother, send this picture out. The entire internet is discussing Chu Xin Culture right now. If our news goes out, it will definitely attract public attention."
Quan Zhiwei had also noticed the trending topics online and angrily cursed, "That unwanted bitch, she enjoys herself while causing trouble. She must have earned a lot of money, plus the old woman's inheritance. All ten billion was snatched away. What a heartless wretch."
"I've written it all down. You send it out quickly, just like how I'm sending it."
Quan Xiaotang demonstrated to Quan Zhiwei. As they sent messages, they went downstairs, hailed a taxi, and arrived at the prison.
Quan Xingfa and Tong Xiuqiong, despite only a few days having passed, had visibly become gaunt. They had dark circles under their eyes and their eye sockets were sunken.
However, upon seeing their son and daughter visiting, a glimmer of hope ignited in their eyes.
"Xiaotang, when can your father and I get out?" Tong Xiuqiong looked at her daughter with hope.
Quan Xiaotang's eyes welled up with tears, and she said indignantly, "That beast isn't helping. Why did you bring that jinx home back then? She killed her parents, killed the old woman, and now she's going to kill you. Why did you bring her back?
Do you know how much mockery I endured all those years? Everyone praised her beauty and asked if I was her cousin, why I wasn't even half as pretty. Even the person I liked liked her. If it weren't for that damn beast, our family would be fine."
Quan Zhiwei couldn't believe it and roared, "That beast said she wouldn't help? I'm her uncle, we are her only relatives in this world, and she won't help? Ask her, has her conscience been eaten by dogs?"
"What's the point of asking? The answer is her conscience has been eaten by dogs, what can you do?" Quan Zhiwei also roared, "She even said that if she sees us again, she'll beat us up. Damn it, she still considers you family? She's worse than a dog."