Chapter 11: Jealousy

Tang Xin woke up abruptly, jolted by a rude awakening.

It was that bastard, Yue Yuze, who had woken her up like this.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in her own bed. Her head felt foggy, and she had no idea what day it was. But the first thing she saw was the excessively handsome face of the man standing before her.

“Ah! You dog, what are you doing in my room?” She clutched her head, her voice full of indignation.

Yue “Dog” Yuze: …

The temperature in the room seemed to plummet instantly, sending a shiver down Tang Xin’s spine. That shiver also brought clarity to her mind.

The breathtakingly handsome face in front of her was stormy and dark.

Oh no, she suddenly remembered what foolish words she had just said!

She… she had just called Yue Yuze a dog!

“Ah, President Yue, I didn’t mean that… I thought… I thought it was our director! Oh, I must still be dreaming. In my dream, he was scolding me, saying I was as dumb as a pig! I got mad and called him a dog instead!”

As she finished explaining, she anxiously observed his expression.

However, he said nothing. The corners of his mouth curled up into a faint smile.

A cold smile.

“Don’t… don’t look at me like that…” Tang Xin immediately shrank toward the corner of the bed, clutching her blanket tightly.

Sob, she was sure the male lead she had written wasn’t supposed to hit women.

But looking at Yue Yuze’s expression now… he clearly wanted to hit her!

Sure enough, Yue Yuze stood by the bed, his entire demeanor cold and sinister. “Come here.”

“Eek~~” She shook her head vigorously.

Don’t hit me.

I hate pain the most.

The reason I’ve never dated anyone is because I’m terrified of domestic abusers.

But now, would she, the original author, be beaten by the male lead she thought she had created as a devoted, perfect husband?

Sob sob sob~~ But who told her she wasn’t the wife he wanted to cherish!

“President Yue, I know I was wrong. I didn’t mean to insult you—not you at all! Please don’t hit me. I can’t handle it. What if you beat me to death?”

“Tang Xin, I’ll say it one more time. Come here!” Yue Yuze’s expression was no longer just dark; he was clearly infuriated.

He was… He was so angry at this foolish woman that even his liver and toes hurt!

Seeing this, Tang Xin became even more terrified.

“You’d better not make me climb onto the bed to catch you!”

“Fine, fine, I’m coming…” She reluctantly loosened her grip on the blanket, putting on a resigned expression. She obediently crawled toward him on the bed. “Just hit me lightly, okay? Don’t hit me too hard. I haven’t lived enough yet…”

“You… you’re unbelievable… One day, you’ll be the death of me!” Yue Yuze was so exasperated he laughed.

He clutched his chest, feeling a pang of pain.

If it weren’t for this woman, he might have genuinely believed himself to be the kind of person who felt no desires, no emotions.

But her slow, clumsy movements drained every ounce of his patience. He reached out, grabbing her and yanking her forward, causing her to tumble into his arms.

“Ouch…” Her head bumped hard against his chest. “President Yue, you’re so hard!”

Caught off guard by the compliment about being “hard,” President Yue: …

“I heard from Fan Bei that you’re interested in a maidservant role for the female lead in Under the Sky. You’ve asked Qi Shu to submit your resume?” he asked, looking down at her. His voice was cool, detached.

There was no trace of pleading in his tone; he was simply stating facts.

Oddly enough, this made Tang Xin feel relieved.

“Oh, so that’s what you wanted to talk about.” She let out a breath and moved away from his embrace, deliberately removing his hand and increasing the distance between them.

The emptiness in his arms made Yue Yuze feel an unexpected sense of loss, a momentary unease.

“What else would it be?” He frowned at her. “Tang Xin, I know I haven’t treated you well before. But you understand the reasons. If you behave yourself, as your contractual husband, I can grant you certain requests.”

For example, the role she wanted.

In White Collar, the role she had pursued was a minor one but a villainous character. If she performed well, it could leave a strong impression on the audience—a good starting point for an actress of her level.

So for the next production, if she behaved, he would naturally be willing to secure an even better role for her.

“I’ll behave.” She raised her hand in a mock oath. “President Yue, I swear I’ll be good. I know I’ve been bad before, always trying to sed—uh… Anyway, I’ll never do that again!”

Yue Yuze silently stared at her.

Tang Xin thought: Why does he look so unhappy?

“Oh, right, President Yue, don’t worry. I’ll definitely help you explain to Miss Lin Shiyin about our relationship. Once we’re divorced, I’ll make sure to tell her…”

“Enough.” Yue Yuze’s face darkened further as he stood up. “What happens between us… has nothing to do with her.”

With that, he turned and strode toward the door.

As he reached the doorway, he paused slightly. “Tang Xin, apart from the male and female leads in Under the Sky, any other role you want, I’ll make sure you get it.”

Huh?

Was he… being so generous?

Tang Xin opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, he was already gone.

The door slammed shut with a loud bang.

“Hey! Didn’t you say I could have any role I wanted? At least wait for me to tell you which one!” She pouted and slowly climbed out of bed.

Suddenly, she froze—

Wait. Where were her shoes?

Right.

She was lying on the bed, so her shoes…

“Darn it… I just remembered—I fell asleep in the car! So who carried me back to my room?”

And who… took off my shoes?

Could it have been… Yue Yuze?

At the thought, she raised her hand and gave herself a slap on the head. “Am I a demon? Why would I think that? It’s good enough that bastard male protagonist didn’t kick me away.”

With so many servants in the villa, it must have been one of them who did it.

Now that her drowsiness had faded, she realized her body felt sticky after a busy day. Grabbing her clothes, she headed to the bathroom for a luxurious hot bath.

When it came to sleeping, Tang Xin was the type to follow through on her plans.

…If she said she’d sleep until the afternoon the next day, then she would sleep until the afternoon the next day!

To ensure her rest wasn’t disturbed, she even turned off her phone.

Qi Shu had an urgent matter to discuss with her that afternoon, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t reach her.

So…

He showed up at the villa.

By the time Qi Shu arrived at Yue Yuze’s villa, it was already past six in the evening. Given his relationship with Tang Xin, the staff at the villa knew him well and allowed him to go directly to her room.

At that moment, Tang Xin was still asleep.

Qi Shu knocked on her door for quite some time before she finally woke up. After getting dressed, she opened the door.

She was immediately subjected to a lecture from Qi Shu.

Still groggy and half-asleep, she only managed to fully wake up after washing her face and taking another shower in the bathroom.

“Ashu, are you saying that Director Liang of Under the Sky informed you I’ve passed the selection and can join the production?”

Qi Shu nodded. “That’s right. But he mentioned it’s still uncertain if you’ll get the role you’re hoping for…”

“It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter! As long as I’ve passed, I at least have a chance to be part of such a major production. This series is adapted from a wildly popular web novel. Just that alone guarantees a huge fan base. As long as they don’t botch it, it’s bound to be a hit!”

She actually already knew Under the Sky would be a massive success.

After all, this world was her creation.

What wouldn’t she know?

“Well, that’s true. But, Tang Tang, there’s something I need to tell you first… I just found out that Lin Shiyin has been cast as the female lead in Under the Sky.”

“I know that… Oh, I mean, I guessed it.” Tang Xin quickly corrected herself.

Of course she knew. She wrote it.

Downstairs, a deep, imposing Rolls-Royce slowly came to a stop. A man, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, exuding nobility and sophistication, stepped out. His strikingly handsome face and graceful stride belied the brisk determination in his steps as he entered the villa.

“Young Master.”

“Young Master…”

The servants greeted him respectfully as he passed.

“Where’s Tang Xin?” Yue Yuze cast a glance at the butler.

The butler followed closely behind, taking the black briefcase and suit jacket Yue Yuze handed over. Matching his steps, the butler replied, “Miss Tang has been sleeping all day… Oh, but Mr. Qi arrived just now and went upstairs to see her.”

Yue Yuze, who was climbing the stairs, suddenly stopped in his tracks. The abrupt halt caused the butler, unable to stop in time, to bump straight into his back.

“Ah, I’m sorry, Young Master.”

Yue Yuze ignored the apology. His voice turned colder as he asked, “You said Qi Shu? He went to see Tang Xin?”

“Yes.” The butler quickly took two steps back and looked at him, saying, “At this moment, Mr. Qi should be in Miss Tang’s room…”

Huh? Young Master, I haven’t finished speaking, so why are you walking away… Wait, Young Master, why are you heading so quickly toward Miss Tang’s room…

…Wait, no. Young Master, are you going to Tang Xin’s room?!

Following the young master all the way to Tang Xin’s room, the butler watched as the half-closed door was kicked open. With a single forceful shove, Yue Yuze stepped inside, his eyes landing on the two people sitting together on the bed, laughing and chatting.

His expression instantly darkened, resembling someone who had caught his beloved wife in bed with a paramour.

The butler glanced at Tang Xin and Qi Shu, then back at his young master… Suddenly, he felt like he understood something.

Silently, he held the young master’s jacket and briefcase, retreated a few steps, and turned to leave.

This battlefield may lack smoke, but the sourness in the air was suffocating!

…The kind of sourness that could kill.

Inside the room, Qi Shu was the first to react. He stood up and nodded toward Yue Yuze. “President Yue.”

On the side, Tang Xin was munching on a small piece of bread, urging Qi Shu, “Ashu, keep going. What happened next?”

A certain person, entirely ignored by his “wife,” let out a chilling laugh. “It seems I’ve come at the wrong time and interrupted something.”

Tang Xin looked up at him, blinking. “President Yue, you’re back so early today. Oh, right, did you need something?”

Her implication was clear… If not, please leave!

She even waved her chubby little hand as if to shoo him away.

Yue Yuze’s face darkened further, his lips twitching as he spun around and left.

“Oh, he’s gone. Ashu, let’s continue.”

Qi Shu: “…” Are you serious right now??

For the first time, Qi Shu felt a little sorry for Yue Yuze…

Yue Yuze returned to his room, his chest brimming with a fiery frustration, an emotion he had never experienced before. It burned as fiercely as flames and surged as violently as a river, threatening to completely consume his rationality.

With no outlet for his anger, he raised his hand and violently overturned the table and sofa…

Yet the pressure in his chest remained, accompanied by a strange, sour ache.

He vaguely understood why he felt this way, but—he refused to admit it!

After a while, he walked to the side and picked up his phone, which had fallen out of his trouser pocket during his outburst. Swiping the screen, he made a call to Fan Bei. “Fan Bei, call Liang Ye and tell him…”

…

In Tang Xin’s room, Qi Shu no longer had the mood to continue his story. He had been idly chatting with Tang Xin about his childhood experiences in the mountains.

But…

They were both men. How could he not catch the meaning behind Yue Yuze’s gaze just now?

Staying here any longer might provoke Yue Yuze to change his mind and come back to finish him off!

People say women can be ruthless, but their ruthlessness lies in their scheming. When it comes to straightforward brutality, women can’t compare to men.

“Tang Tang, you…” Qi Shu looked at his oblivious friend with a helpless expression.

Didn’t she realize… her contract husband had just been obviously jealous?

At that moment, Qi Shu’s phone suddenly rang. He took it out and glanced at the caller ID casually. But when he saw the name, his eyes widened in shock. “It’s Director Liang!”

“Huh? Which Director Liang?” Tang Xin asked absentmindedly, not thinking before she spoke. Suddenly, a realization struck her, and she, too, widened her eyes. “Ah, Under the Sky’s Director Liang?!”

“Yes.” Qi Shu gestured for her to keep quiet, then answered the call. “Director Liang, hello… Really? Oh, Director Liang, you’re too kind. If anyone’s hosting, it should be us treating you. Alright, I’ll come over with Tang Tang now… Oh, oh, alright, see you later tonight.”

The call ended.

Tang Xin asked, “What was that about? Why would he call you? What’s going on?”

After all, she was just a small-time actress, and her agent, Qi Shu, wasn’t exactly high-profile either.

But Liang Ye was different. He was a renowned director.

For him to reach out to Qi Shu on his own… It was truly shocking!

Qi Shu was equally puzzled. For a moment, he even suspected Liang Ye might have some ulterior motives regarding Tang Tang.

However, during the call, he had subtly tested the waters. Liang Ye had invited him for dinner that evening but declined when Qi Shu mentioned bringing Tang Xin along, insisting it was just a private meeting to discuss something.

“No matter the reason, I’ll go and find out.”

After all, it wouldn’t be appropriate to keep him waiting.

“Alright, be careful.” Tang Xin idly thought to herself…

What if Liang Ye… was interested in Ashu?

Oh, right, in her original story, Liang Ye was gay…

Meanwhile.

After hanging up with Liang Ye, Fan Bei called Yue Yuze back. “Boss, it’s done. Director Liang has arranged to meet Qi Shu for dinner tonight… But, Boss, why did you suddenly ask Director Liang to invite Qi Shu for dinner?”

This felt… suspiciously like an urgent effort to get Qi Shu out of the way.

Could it be that… Qi Shu was currently with Miss Tang?

Yue Yuze replied, “Because he’s an eyesore!”

Fan Bei, hearing this, connected the dots in his mind and immediately understood. He nearly fainted from the realization.

Boss… You’ve really grown up!

You’ve even learned how to get jealous!!