Chapter 51

Qiao Chuchu couldn’t help but feel surprised.

【This Yang Wei is even more influential than the fraudster Ruan Man. Not only can he freely come and go from a certain country, but he can also alter some internal rules there, enjoying a treatment akin to that of an emperor. No wonder this man is so arrogant and full of himself, a greasy man who thinks too highly of his own charms.】

【In his years of service, he’s tricked hundreds of people, most of whom were women. He took advantage of his reputation, seduced girls, and after sleeping with them, he heartlessly sent them off to that country. Beautiful girls were sold, and the less attractive or rebellious ones had their organs harvested, sealed in cement, and turned into stone pillars, forever hidden from the world.】

【The fraudsters in that country are truly ruthless, these scammers deserve to die a hundred times over.】

After Qiao Chuchu finished gossiping, she realized it was unusually quiet around her. No one was speaking, and everyone had distanced themselves from Yang Wei, looking at him with fearful, uncertain eyes.

Yang Wei was shocked, forgetting to hide his emotions.

Damn, how did she know about his secret identity, and so many details at that? Could she be the head of that country, having met him somewhere?

No, if she were, she wouldn’t have been so blunt about it.

Wait, she didn’t seem to speak just now—then how did her voice get through? How could he hear her?

Others must have heard it too, otherwise, they wouldn’t be looking at him like that.

Of course, he couldn’t admit to this. She had no proof, and what could a mere mouth say?

“You’re talking nonsense—【beep】.”

Damn it, why can’t I speak?! What’s going on here? What kind of strange occurrence is this? And who exactly is this Qiao Chuchu?

Yang Wei’s mind was full of questions, but unfortunately, no one was there to answer them.

Qiao Chuchu had just finished eating melon seeds when she overheard Yang Wei’s words and looked at him, confused. “What did I say???”

【What’s he so angry about? I didn’t eat melon seeds in front of him. His reaction seems a bit odd. Do higher-ups from that country act this weird too?】

【This guy is too dangerous, better stay away from him. If you’re not careful, he’ll deceive you. He doesn’t just scam for money or sex, he wants your kidneys and your life!】

Yang Wei, “!!!”

Does she not realize that they can hear her voice?

Who is she really? How can she speak without opening her mouth?

But now wasn’t the time to think about these things. He had to dispel their doubts and fears about him. The status and connections he had worked so hard to build could not be destroyed by a young girl.

“It’s nothing. Since you don’t want me to teach you acting, then let Director Liu do it,” Yang Wei said, acting like nothing happened. “You’d better hurry up, I have an exclusive interview to attend before seven. If you delay my time, you’ll be responsible for it.”

After saying this, he left with his assistant.

The assistant looked at him with an expression of scrutiny and fear. He had clearly heard the conversation but wasn’t sure if it was true.

“What’s with that look?” Yang Wei said coldly. “How could I be the so-called head of that country she mentioned? If I were, would you still be alive? I’d have sent you off to harvest your kidneys by now.”

His words made the assistant tremble. He immediately shook his head. “No, how could you, Brother Yang… I was just too surprised. I can’t believe I heard her inner thoughts.”

He had also realized that Qiao Chuchu had made a sound without speaking, and those must have been her thoughts.

A person’s inner thoughts are only about 50% credible.

He couldn’t help but recall the rumors about Yang Wei from before. He was very hard on his assistants. Over the past few years, he had changed assistants almost every month.

He paid a high salary, and although his requirements were strict and his personality difficult, that didn’t stop others from continuously applying to be his assistant.

The assistant had also chosen to endure this because of the high salary.

He had been in this position for almost a month, and recently, Yang Wei’s attitude towards him had become worse and his demands more frequent. He felt that he wouldn’t last much longer before being fired.

He planned to work for a month, get his 12,000 salary, and then quit.

“It’s not right,” Yang Wei said. “She’s not right.”

She knew so many of his secrets. He had worked hard for six years to weave his network in the entertainment industry, collaborating with others inside and out, to carve out a path for himself. He couldn’t let anyone interfere with that.

This Qiao Chuchu had to go. Before sending her off to that country, he would teach her a lesson.

But just as he thought about dealing with Qiao Chuchu, it felt as if an invisible hand was choking his neck, making it hard to breathe. As the air grew thinner, he collapsed to the ground, his body weakening.

The assistant, terrified by his appearance, turned pale. “Brother Yang, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“Cough…” Yang Wei tried to call for help, but no sound came out.

Panicked, the assistant hurried to call Yang Wei’s private doctor. The doctor couldn’t find anything wrong, but could only press on his chest firmly, trying to calm him down.

Once Yang Wei calmed down, the feeling of being trapped disappeared, and he was able to breathe again, gasping for air.

“What happened to me?”

He didn’t realize that the punishment came because of his intention to harm Qiao Chuchu.

The doctor couldn’t diagnose anything. “It might be because you’ve been overworking yourself lately, and your body is too fatigued, causing an adverse reaction.”

He said meaningfully, “You’ve done well so far. There’s no need to rush things, take your time.”

He patted Yang Wei’s shoulder and left with his medical bag.

From the way he acted, it was clear the two were very familiar with each other.

Yang Wei went to a private rest room, told the assistant to leave, and then called his manager. “Hello, it seems someone knows about my identity… Qiao Chuchu… Yeah… Find a time to take care of her…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the same unknown force struck again, stronger than before. He couldn’t breathe and passed out immediately.

On the other end, his manager wasn’t any better. As he was preparing to take action against Qiao Chuchu, he too was choked by an invisible force and collapsed unconscious.

Over here, after Yang Wei left with his assistant, the scene remained silent. No one spoke, each one of them calculating something in their minds.

Qiao Chuchu had no choice but to remind them, “Director Liu, it’s getting late. Should we start the rehearsal?”

“Ah… let’s talk.” Liu Shu came to her senses, but during the rehearsal, she was somewhat distracted. Fortunately, she insisted on finishing the scene for the gentle and refined young lady.

Then she handed Qiao Chuchu a character script, telling her to review the lines. The next scene had about eighteen lines, with the most important part being the dialogue.

Liu Shu said, “Chuchu, you go over the lines first. I have to handle something urgent, but I’ll be back soon.”

Ting Yu, who still wanted to stay, was signaled by Liu Shu to leave.

They reached a corner, and Ting Yu was confused. “Director Liu, did you call me for something?”

“You heard what was said just now, right?” Liu Shu’s expression turned serious. “There’s something wrong with Yang Wei. He might really be…”

She remembered the last dinner, where Qiao Chuchu had also complained about her husband, Ji Tao. Back then, she hadn’t believed it. She couldn’t imagine that someone who loved her so much could be a fraud, only wanting to fatten her up and then stage an accident to claim her insurance, eventually inheriting her fortune.

But reality slapped her hard. Ji Tao’s actions were exactly as Qiao Chuchu had described. Not only did he plan to kill her for insurance money, but he also intended to have her murdered, all while pretending to be grateful and affectionate.

Without meeting Qiao Chuchu, she might have fallen for it.

After all, no woman could resist a man’s wholehearted love and devotion—spending every day caring for her, cooking nutritious meals, and learning how to make everything delicious.

Ji Tao was a nurse and knew a lot about nutrition, so she had never suspected that the food he gave her could be harmful.

It wasn’t until she heard Qiao Chuchu’s thoughts that she consulted a professional. The expert had told her, “If you keep eating like this, even the healthiest body won’t be able to handle it. You’ll end up with high blood pressure and regret it later.”

That’s when she realized Ji Tao really was suspicious. Later, after receiving information from a private investigator, she felt like she didn’t even recognize Ji Tao anymore. It was hard to believe that one person could have so many sides—he was terrifying.

Ji Tao planned to make his move on their wedding anniversary, but fortunately, she sensed it in advance and avoided the danger.

She had used that crisis to strike back, sending Ji Tao and his accomplices to prison.

Otherwise, she would have been the one dead.

She had been looking for a chance to thank Qiao Chuchu. She hadn’t repaid her favor from before, and now Qiao Chuchu had helped her again.

“Director Liu, are you saying Yang Wei is a senior fraudster from that country?” Ting Yu’s expression turned serious. “What should we do? Should we call the police?”

She had previously recorded a food variety show with Qiao Chuchu and had witnessed her abilities firsthand. Qiao Chuchu had complained about Jin Keyang, and what she said came true.

The situation turned out exactly as Qiao Chuchu described—Jin Keyang was a scoundrel, a bad guy.

Liu Shu shook her head. “We don’t have evidence that he’s a fraudster. The police won’t arrest someone without proof. He’s been in the entertainment industry for so many years, and there must be some hidden power behind him. If we act now, we might alert him.”

“Then what should we do?” Ting Yu was frustrated. “This situation is really hard to deal with.”

“Yes.” Liu Shu also hadn’t figured out what to do yet. “We’ll stay calm for now and find a chance to listen to Chuchu’s thoughts. See if there’s a good opportunity to catch Yang Wei.”

“Okay, I’ll listen to you, Director Liu.” Ting Yu then thought of something else. “Director Liu, what if Yang Wei goes to jail? What will happen to this drama?”

They were already halfway through filming, but now the male lead had a problem, and they couldn’t continue. The money they had invested so far would be lost.

If the investors were willing to continue and recast, she would have to reshoot her scenes.

For an actor, this was a huge blow.

Liu Shu said, “Let’s first deal with the immediate issue, then we’ll think about the rest.”

Bad luck was unavoidable for her, but the only consolation was that the drama was only half-finished.

If this had happened after the filming was completed, she would really have cried.

—

In the temporary resting tent, Qiao Chuchu and Shen Yinyin were going over their lines. The lines were simple, only about ten sentences, and she quickly memorized them. She was using the method Liu Shu had taught her to rehearse with Shen Yinyin.

After going through it a few times, she felt like she was getting the hang of it.

Liu Shu, along with the assistant director, walked over. “Chuchu, how’s the memorization going? Is there anything you don’t understand?”

The assistant director said, “If you don’t understand anything, you must speak up. Director Liu will explain it to you. She’s amazing—she knows everything.”

Liu Shu cleared her throat a few times. “Don’t feel any pressure.”

“Mm.” Qiao Chuchu replied, “I’ve memorized it, but I might struggle with portraying the feeling of falling in love with the male lead at first sight.”

【Just thinking about how Yang Wei is a scammer from some foreign country, I want to punch him. How can I possibly fall in love with him at first sight, even if it’s just acting?】

【This is a tough task.】

【What’s even tougher is figuring out how to get Yang Wei arrested, so he doesn’t cause more harm here.】

【Let me see, I found it.】

【In two days, there will be a transaction at the East Street dock where they’ll load the scammed victims onto a ship—Cargo ship No. 3. They’ll hide the people in the bottom of the ship. Yang Wei will be there that day, making a deal with the others in a small alley near the dock to collect the money.】

【That’s the perfect opportunity to catch him.】

Qiao Chuchu and the others were standing inside the resting tent, and only those inside could hear the voices.

The three of them were shocked. Yang Wei was too bold. The East Street dock had traffic police checking ships every day—how dare they do this?

After hearing this, Liu Shu clenched her fists and made a decision in her heart—she would personally send Yang Wei away.

“You don’t need to worry if you can’t act it out. I’ll guide you,” Liu Shu said. “Take your time, the key is to play the piano well.”

“Assistant Director, take Chuchu to get her makeup and costume ready. The shoot starts at four.”

“Okay,” the assistant director said. “Please come with me.”

Qiao Chuchu and Shen Yinyin went to the makeup room. After finishing their makeup, they went out and happened to bump into Yang Wei. His complexion had worsened significantly since earlier.

However, when he saw Qiao Chuchu, he walked over with his assistant, rubbing his chin while sizing her up.

“Little girl, with makeup on and in new clothes, you’re quite pretty.”

Such a pretty girl, he really didn’t want to be too harsh with her, but since she knew his secret, what choice did he have?

Shen Yinyin stepped forward and stood in front of Qiao Chuchu, glaring at him with displeasure.

She couldn’t help but complain about how bad this person was. It would be best to catch him and lock him up soon, so he wouldn’t come out to disgust people.

“Well, such sisterly affection,” Yang Wei sneered. “I hope you two can maintain this kind of bond in the future.”

After speaking, he left with his assistant. The assistant turned back and glanced at Qiao Chuchu several times, his gaze filled with scrutiny and surprise.

Qiao Chuchu was confused. “Why did Yang Wei’s assistant look at me like that?”

Shen Yinyin complimented, “Maybe… it’s because you’re too pretty.”

Even though Shen Yinyin wanted to tell the truth, she couldn’t express it. It was as if some mysterious force was controlling them, preventing them from speaking the gossip they had heard in front of Chuchu.

—

In order to avoid alerting the enemy, Liu Shu decided to proceed with the shooting according to the original plan. No one showed any signs of suspicion in front of Yang Wei.

This was Qiao Chuchu’s first experience acting in a TV drama. Before this, she had performed in school-organized stage plays, which were very different from TV drama performances.

One was exaggerated, while the other required more subtle emotions.

She wasn’t exactly a complete beginner. The most important thing was that she wasn’t afraid of the camera and could express herself freely in front of it.

The focus of this scene was the piano and the first meeting with the male lead, where the delicate young lady was supposed to fall in love with the male lead at first sight.

But Qiao Chuchu said she couldn’t pull it off, so Liu Shu changed the details of the scene on the spot.

It was changed to—

During their conversation, the character slowly developed feelings for the male lead.

This change made it much easier.

After Yang Wei found out, he sneered, “Isn’t Director Liu being a bit too lenient with this little actress? Even I, the male lead, didn’t get such treatment.”

He was clearly unhappy with the change. He liked and enjoyed being looked at with admiration by girls, as it gave him a sense of deep pride.

Liu Shu patiently explained, “Chuchu is still a new actress, she can’t be compared to Senior Yang. I came up with this solution so that we don’t delay Senior Yang’s ability to attend interviews. If we finish early, Senior Yang can leave sooner.”

“Heh,” Yang Wei scoffed, “Shouldn’t I thank Director Liu for your kindness?”

Liu Shu shook her head. “That’s not what I meant.”

Qiao Chuchu felt uncomfortable watching this and muttered to herself.

【Yang Wei is so arrogant, even bullying the director. He’s such a piece of work, it’s really annoying. I hope they arrest him soon.】

Yang Wei, “…!”

“You—” (sound muted)

His gaze at Qiao Chuchu turned angry. She was only capable of complaining in her heart, not daring to say it out loud.

“Just act according to what I just said,” Liu Shu said, noticing the tension. “Get ready, we’re starting the shoot.”

But Yang Wei interrupted, “I have a lot of friends in the entertainment industry. If you get the chance, I can introduce them to Director Liu, and you can exchange ideas about shooting dramas.”

His words were pointed. Liu Shu, hearing this, broke into a cold sweat. Was he trying to intimidate her? Telling her to mind her own business? But this was something she had to interfere with, no matter the cost.

For the first scene, Qiao Chuchu played the piano. Following the sheet music Liu Shu had given her, she gradually immersed herself in the atmosphere.

When the others heard her playing, they were entranced, lost in her music.

But as soon as Yang Wei entered, he instantly shattered the serene atmosphere.

Before they knew about Yang Wei’s secret identity, they had viewed him through a kind of halo filter. Now, that illusion was completely shattered.

During their scenes together, Qiao Chuchu was able to keep up with the acting, making it feel natural. This was quite an impressive achievement for a newcomer.

Liu Shu thought it was good enough to pass. After all, the footage wouldn’t even air, it was just a formality.

But Yang Wei disagreed. “I think the scene just now wasn’t done well, the emotions were off. How can we pass it? Does Director Liu not care whether your show gets broadcasted well?”

“Let’s do it again.”

Liu Shu frowned, wanting nothing more than to get him off the set as soon as possible.

Qiao Chuchu nodded. “Alright, let’s do it again.”

She wasn’t afraid of him. If he wanted to play games, she’d go along with it.

The second take started. Qiao Chuchu’s performance was better than before, but Yang Wei was still dissatisfied, purposely nitpicking.

They reshoot the scene six times. Even Ting Yu couldn’t watch it anymore. “Yang Wei, enough already. The previous scenes were fine, they’re good enough to use.”

“And aren’t you in a rush? It’s already six o’clock. If we don’t finish now, you’ll be late.”

Ting Yu’s words seemed to have some effect.

More importantly, Yang Wei realized that this “little rookie” he intended to teach a lesson to had made significant progress in a short time. She could flawlessly handle her scenes and perfectly match his acting.

There was nothing more he could nitpick. He decided to let it go for now. They still had several more scenes together, and he could have his fun later.

—

After Yang Wei left, the atmosphere on set became noticeably livelier.

Qiao Chuchu changed out of her costume and came out. Liu Shu was waiting outside and handed her a large red envelope. “Chuchu, thank you for stepping in today. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to shoot the scenes.”

She continued, “Yang Wei can be a bit harsh with his words, but don’t take it to heart. You really worked hard today. Please accept this little token of appreciation.”

If it weren’t for Yang Wei’s acting skills, how could she have spent such a large sum hiring him as the male lead? She had hoped this new drama would help her win an award this year, but now that seemed unlikely.

Qiao Chuchu shook her head. “It’s alright. It’s just a favor, since we know each other.”

【As for Yang Wei, I won’t hold a grudge against a fool like him. On the contrary, I should thank him for his contribution. He’s helped me improve, time and time again.】

Liu Shu felt reassured and also handed Shen Yinyin a red envelope. “Since it’s our first meeting, I didn’t prepare anything. Just take this as a token of our first encounter. Please accept it.”

“This is too much,” Shen Yinyin hesitated, but Liu Shu was too insistent, so she had no choice but to accept it and promised to return the favor next time.

Liu Shu arranged a car to send them back. In the car, Shen Yinyin marveled, “Wow, Director Liu is so generous.”

“Yes,” Qiao Chuchu nodded. “Liu Shu is a good director. I hope her show can air smoothly.”

【But with Yang Wei involved, it seems quite unlikely. And even if it does air, he’ll drag it down.】

After hearing this, Shen Yinyin felt it was a pity and subtly said, “Chuchu, that Yang Wei is really awful. How could he treat you like that? Should we teach him a lesson?”

“How would we teach him a lesson?” Qiao Chuchu replied. “He’s always surrounded by people who are not easy to deal with.”

Shen Yinyin thought for a moment and then said, “Then what should we do? I feel uncomfortable if we don’t do something to him.”

Since he’s a fraudster, they could report him to the police.

Liu Shu had the same idea. After thinking for a long time, she dialed the number of her police friend and shared everything she knew.

Her police friend was shocked. “Yang Wei is a fraudster? Are you sure about this? Do you have any evidence proving his identity?”

“No,” Liu Shu replied. “But please believe that the information I’m giving you is correct. Take people to East Street Wharf, Ship No. 3, the day after tomorrow to arrest him, and also…”

She relayed all the information that Qiao Chuchu had shared with her. She repeatedly assured her friend of the truth of the information, and only then did the police officer reluctantly believe her.

“Director Liu, you’ve called the police?”

The assistant director had entered the office at some point and overheard their conversation.

Liu Shu frowned. “Why didn’t you knock?”

She added, “This matter isn’t settled yet, so let’s keep it quiet for now.”

The assistant director nodded thoughtfully.

Liu Shu asked, “What’s the matter?”

The assistant director replied, “I just wanted to ask which of the six scenes they filmed you want to use, Director Liu?”

“The sixth scene, I think,” Liu Shu said. “I feel like it’s the most perfect one, though I’m not sure if it will even be aired.”

—

Meanwhile, the police friend immediately reported to their superior and took action. They deployed a team to East Street Wharf, Ship No. 3, and searched the alley near the small bar to catch the people involved. However, they found nothing. There was no illegal transaction happening, as Liu Shu had mentioned.

The police friend was reprimanded by his superior. He called Liu Shu and said, “You’ve really gotten me into trouble. There was no shady deal at all. Where did you get this information from?”

Liu Shu was shocked. “How is that possible?”

The information from Chuchu couldn’t have been wrong. What went wrong?