Chapter 011: What Sister and Brother?

Online comments were all over the place.

Fang Yimeng casually opened her Super Topic page—more accurately, her anti-fan Super Topic.

As expected, every post was criticizing her.

“When did Fang Yimeng and Liao Ran become besties?”

“Ladies, here’s a juicy tidbit: in every drama Liao Ran is in, our emo queen is always there too. Take Mist, that unreleased show as an example—there’s a group photo from the table read, and guess who’s sitting next to Liao Ran? That’s right, our emo girl.”

“Forget about workplace bullying, her personal life’s a mess too. Why is someone like her even allowed on TV? Rumor has it she’s appearing on The Actor, a primetime show. @Zheng Xihe, why are such scandal-ridden celebs even considered? Kick her off!”

“Shocking! I heard Liao Ran is also in The Actor! What a clingy leech—get emo girl off the show already! @Zheng Xihe”

Fang Yimeng’s expression was calm as her eyes skimmed through the posts at lightning speed. She quickly exited Weibo and sent a message to her manager via WeChat.

Yimeng (not emo): “Don’t start PR just yet.”

Meng Qing: “I was thinking the same. You didn’t have much buzz before, but even if the attention now isn’t all positive, at least it’s hot. A few variety shows have already reached out. I’ll compile them and have Li Ke send you the list.”

Just as she was about to reply, the air beside her shifted slightly, followed by the subtle, cold scent of a woman’s perfume.

A man’s deep voice sounded beside her, tinged with helplessness.
“The trending search… I underestimated how two-faced Liao Ran really is.”

She looked up to see Lu Jingshan loosening his suit jacket with one hand and setting down his wine glass before sitting beside her.

“You should step out for a bit. This isn’t the right place to talk.”
She stood instead, phone in hand, her gaze coldly landing on Liao Ran, who had just sat across the room.

Sensing the stare, Liao Ran calmly looked up and met her eyes. This time, it was her turn to smirk as if declaring war.

Fang Yimeng had truly underestimated the heroine.

The two of them left the private room one after the other and walked through the courtyard of the Western-style building.

“Since we’ve already signed a partnership agreement, let’s be blunt. What exactly is your relationship with Liao Ran?” she asked.

Both of them were considered tall for their genders, but walking side by side, Fang Yimeng looked noticeably petite.

“I thought Miss Fang would wait a few more days before asking me that,” he said with a smile, avoiding a direct answer.

She paused for a beat, already beginning to question herself. Heaven had given her a second chance at life, yet she’d walked straight into someone else’s trap without realizing it.

How tragic.

“You’re working for Liao Ran,” she said firmly. She stopped walking, raised her eyes to meet his deep gaze, and took a small step back to increase the distance between them.

Lu Jingshan noticed her subtle movement and realized she was taking it seriously. He immediately dropped the teasing tone.

“I’ve known Liao Ran for about six years. After that, I went abroad for school. To put it simply, Liao Ran, Li Jinchen, and I grew up together.”

It made sense, but she still felt uneasy about how he had threatened her before.

Her bright eyes still held suspicion and wariness as they locked onto Lu Jingshan.

“Sis, I’m twenty-two this year.”

“Don’t call me sis!” The moment she heard “twenty-two,” she remembered she was already twenty-five.

Although age wasn’t something women emphasized anymore, Fang Yimeng didn’t want to seem older in front of Lu Jingshan.

Seeing this stunning woman react like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Lu Jingshan quickly changed tack and tried to soothe her.

“Ayi?” he suggested.

“…Better than ‘sister,’ I guess.”

Seeing she didn’t react as strongly this time, Lu Jingshan chuckled softly. He slowly repeated the nickname in his deep, velvety voice, adding a subtle intimacy to it.

“Ayi, I’m twenty-two. Six years ago is just a blur of childhood memories to me.”

Fang Yimeng was finally convinced.

“So the post Liao Ran made on Weibo ‘defending’ me—was that her idea after talking to you? She wants to reconcile with you? And you agreed?”

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her invisible little claws came out. If Lu Jingshan so much as nodded, those claws were ready to strike.

He noticed the subtle shift in her expression and the faint tension in her posture. His eyes twinkled with amusement.

The evening breeze rustled the leaves gently around them.

“She did offer some terms—trying to get me to reconcile, but not with her—with Li Jinchen.”

Lu Jingshan removed his jacket and casually draped it over Fang Yimeng’s sharp, pale shoulders. His fingertips brushed against her smooth, cool skin. Then he firmly placed his large hand on her shoulder to shield her from the night wind.

Her mind raced, but it didn’t take long for her to sort out the relationship between Lu Jingshan, Li Jinchen, and Liao Ran.

Apparently, something had caused a rift between Lu Jingshan and Li Jinchen back in the day, resulting in the trio splitting up. Liao Ran, ever the social glue, tried to mediate, but due to external circumstances, Lu Jingshan left S City to study abroad.

…She had no role in that story.

So be it.

“Your personal relationships don’t concern me. But let me warn you—Liao Ran and I are sworn enemies. Her misfortune is my delight. If you choose her side, the Fang family will make sure you’re blacklisted everywhere.”

She shook off his hand and declared this haughtily.

Fang Yimeng lifted her chin and stared up at his sharply defined jawline. Her little claws were back out again.

“We Fang family helped launch your career. We can just as easily make you cough it all back up and crush you into pieces. Think carefully about where your interests lie.”

With those harsh words, she grabbed his suit jacket in one hand and lifted her skirt with the other, striding out of the mansion without even looking back.

Standing in the courtyard in just a thin white shirt, Lu Jingshan had one hand in his pocket and watched her proud figure disappear with an exasperated smile. He rubbed his temples wearily, but that smile never faded.

He didn’t turn away until Fang Yimeng had safely left the mansion. Then he took out his phone and made a call.

“How much liquid capital does the company still have?”

“…Got it. Allocate it to invest in The Actor. Send me the producer’s contact on WeChat. Reach out to them ASAP.”

He ended the call with a few short sentences and turned to glance at the floor-to-ceiling windows of the private room. Through the glass, he saw the nervous expression on Liao Ran’s face, and his own expression darkened.

Meanwhile, Fang Yimeng, having shaken off Lu Jingshan, lit up her phone screen.

“Sister Meng Qing, I’ll send you some photos in a bit. It’s time for those marketing accounts we’ve been nurturing to earn their keep.”