Chapter 24 – 024

“What? You’re playing such a big game right from the start?” Upon hearing Gu Xian say he spent nearly 70 million to buy back the rights, Li Yuqiu almost spit out the wine he had just sipped.

Gu Xian disdainfully shifted to the side. “What else can I do? With Guangyao Media’s current situation, newcomers are unwilling to join, and those who stay are plagued with scandals. If we take things slowly, it’s a dead end. Besides, either way, you have to spend money. Instead of begging others and throwing money at them just to get a chance to play, it’s obviously better to put in the effort and build my own stage, it has far more potential.”

“We can definitely put up the money, and you don’t need to call it a loan, just consider it an investment from the few of us,” Sheng Yi said as he peeled a paper-skinned walnut, a small pile already accumulating in front of him. “But the cash we have at our disposal was earned by riding your coattails in investments these past few years, so you probably have a rough idea of the total amount.”

With a celebrity boyfriend, Han Rui naturally understood the industry better than the others. “《The Legend of Song Mountain》 is a xianxia drama. If you want to do it well, you can’t skimp on costumes, makeup, set design, and special effects. To say the least, you’ll need a budget of at least 200 million as a base. The money we can contribute definitely won’t be enough, how do you plan to cover the gap?”

“…” Gu Xian remained silent, clearly troubled by this issue.

He shouldn’t have been in such a tight spot. Producing a TV drama is a long-term project. With 70 million in cash, even if it really required 200 million or more to shoot, borrowing some, pooling resources, and adding funds from investments that hadn’t matured yet could have made it manageable.

But, alas, he had already spent the money.

The 70 million gap wasn’t so easy to fill, and even Li Yuqiu and the others fell silent, each pondering ways to solve the problem.

“How about you ask your dad for money?” Li Yuqiu was the first to speak up with a suggestion. “You’ll pay him back once you make a profit anyway.”

Before Gu Xian could respond, Sheng Yi smacked him on the head and shoved the plate of walnut shells, now piled like a small mountain, in front of him. “Eat some walnuts to boost your brain, Li Yuqiu. What kind of lousy idea is that!”

Gu Xian, however, wasn’t as agitated. He calmly rejected the idea. “No. If I ask my dad for money, Gu Leyu and her mother will think I’m trying to compete for the family inheritance. Even if I pay the money back, if they realize I’m not useless, they’ll be even more determined to kick me out.”

Li Yuqiu rubbed the back of his head, which Sheng Yi had smacked earlier, while loudly crunching on a walnut. He grumbled unhappily, “So what if you compete? You’re your dad’s biological son. The Gu family inheritance is rightfully yours to begin with.”

“Not competing.” Gu Xian shifted slightly, clearly not inclined to continue the topic. “It’s not like I can’t support myself.”

“Don’t you think it’s unfair—” Li Yuqiu protested on his behalf.

“So what if it’s unfair?” Gu Xian stared at the corner of the room. “I only have one dad, Gu Rongcai.”

Li Yuqiu couldn’t understand. “Weren’t you the one who said that if you really got kicked out, we’d take care of you?”

“…” Gu Xian raised his eyes. “But that would be your home, Sheng Yi’s home, Han Rui’s home. In the end, none of them would be my home.”

Li Yuqiu wanted to say more but was stopped by Sheng Yi. “Alright, alright, let’s drop it. Even an impartial judge can’t settle family disputes. Gu Xian knows his own family situation better than anyone. Besides, even if he did ask, it’s not guaranteed he’d get the money. Don’t forget, the Gu family only recently recovered a bit of their footing by leveraging Xie Yunjing’s attendance at a banquet. Who knows how much cash Gu Xian’s dad even has on hand right now?”

Li Yuqiu was still indignant. “Gu Rongcai gave so many villas to Gu Leyu and her mom. Selling just one would cover the cost!”

“If you don’t plan to ask your dad for money, then what’s your plan?” Han Rui asked seriously. “I can try to get some more money from my parents, but there’s no guarantee this drama will make a profit, so the amount I can ask for won’t be much.”

“You already know all this…” Han Rui narrowed his eyes slightly. “You’re not planning to go after Xie Yunjing, are you?”

Xie Yunjing was different from the rest of them, not only deeply loved by the elderly couple of the Xie family but also holding significant power within the Xie Group. His assets were nothing short of astonishing.

Gu Xian snatched two walnut halves from Li Yuqiu. “…He did mention he could lend me a little.”

Han Rui: “Well, that’s not entirely out of the question…”

Gu Xian revealed the real reason for his frustration: “But I already turned him down.”

He even had the audacity to declare, ‘Who needs your little bit of money?’

Han Rui: “…”

Sheng Yi comforted him, “There’s nothing shameful about making money.”

Li Yuqiu was on high alert. “What if he was just joking?”

Gu Xian gave Sheng Yi a deadpan look. “…These walnuts of yours are actually quite effective.”

It wasn’t a big deal to go back on his word, like Sheng Yi said, there’s no shame in making money. But if Xie Yunjing was really just messing with him, and he went back to ask after rejecting him, the embarrassment would be monumental.

“Ahem.” Han Rui cleared his throat, looking a bit awkward. “Honestly, I think you should give it a shot. I have a feeling Xie Yunjing would lend you the money.”

*

Even with the risk of being played, Xie Yunjing was undoubtedly the best chance for Gu Xian to get enough money in one go, the proverbial fat sheep ripe for shearing.

Since Xie Yunjing had entered the room, Gu Xian had been stealing glances at him. Gu Xian was certain Xie Yunjing had long noticed his gaze, but he pretended not to, giving no reaction whatsoever.

Finally, as Xie Yunjing finished his shower and appeared ready to just go to sleep, Gu Xian couldn’t hold it in any longer. He ripped off Xie Yunjing’s blanket and roared, “Xie Yunjing! Have you had enough of this damn act?”

“What act am I putting on?” Xie Yunjing asked with amused interest.

He wasn’t entirely feigning ignorance. He could tell that Gu Xian probably wanted something from him, but he wasn’t sure exactly what.

“…” Gu Xian grabbed Xie Yunjing by the collar, no longer caring about his dignity. “I need to borrow money!”

“Hmm?” Xie Yunjing raised an eyebrow, the amusement in his eyes growing stronger. “Weren’t you the one who said you weren’t short on money before?”

“…”

Gu Xian knew it, this bastard was definitely going to mock him for that!

“Just answer me, are you lending it or not?”

Gu Xian’s aggressive manner almost made Xie Yunjing laugh. He patted Gu Xian’s hand, which was gripping his collar, and leisurely asked, “Is this how you ask someone for a loan?”

“If I were polite, would you politely lend me the money?” Though he said this, Gu Xian still let go of his hand.

Xie Yunjing smoothed out his now crumpled collar. “You at least need to tell me how much you want to borrow.”

“One—no, two hundred million.”

Since his pride was already out the window, and Xie Yunjing could afford such an amount, Gu Xian figured he might as well borrow enough in one go.

“Borrowing money, and that much at that,” Xie Yunjing said as he sat up against the headboard, meeting Gu Xian’s gaze. “When you ask for help, you should have the proper attitude.”

Gu Xian glared at him darkly. “What do you want?”

It was rare to see Gu Xian without his usual swagger, and Xie Yunjing was thoroughly enjoying himself. He joked, “How about calling me ‘Daddy’ first?”

Gu Xian gritted his teeth silently. “Don’t push it.”

“You’re the one asking me for a favor. It’s up to you if you want to do it or not.” Xie Yunjing deliberately yawned. “If you don’t feel like it, then let’s just sleep. I’ve got work tomorrow…”

A barely audible voice broke the silence.

“…Daddy.”

Xie Yunjing paused mid-sentence, turning to look at Gu Xian in astonishment.

But Gu Xian, as if provoked by that single look, suddenly leaned in close to his ear and shouted loudly, over and over again, “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Are you satisfied now?!”

Gu Xian had actually bowed his head to him. The moment Xie Yunjing realized this, any sense of joy vanished, and even the amusement he had felt earlier completely dissipated.

When he spoke, Xie Yunjing himself didn’t notice the hint of bitterness in his tone. “Guangyao… Are the people in that company really so important to you?”

He had wanted to see Gu Xian lower his head in front of him, but how could it be for someone else?

Author’s Note:

Xiao Xie: I’m not the most important person in my wife’s eyes anymore, sob sob sob (collapses like a heartbroken maiden.jpg)

Xiao Gu: …Who even are you?