Chapter 18: Jealousy

Jiang Yaoyao felt a little awkward.

This awkwardness came quickly and intensely.

It felt strange, like being caught having an affair by her husband.

The man standing in the doorway was tall and slender, wearing a well-tailored black shirt with the cuffs rolled up, exposing his delicate wristbones.

His gaze was cold, as if it carried the chill of snow that had never melted, sweeping over the faces of everyone in the room.

Finally, his deep eyes landed on Wei Changze.

His voice was ice-cold, without a hint of emotion, “What are you doing here?”

Wei Changze, confronted with Pei Heng’s sudden appearance, felt uneasy.

He was still bothered by the incident a few days ago when he had asked Jiang Yaoyao to seduce Pei Heng and smear his name.

If it hadn’t been for that incident, he and Yaoyao would not have been at odds.

Pei Heng had never meant well. He didn’t want Wei Changze to have peace and couldn’t stand seeing the closeness between him and Yaoyao, so he had decided to interfere and pull Yaoyao away.

That old man with a heart full of malice!

Wei Changze fumed silently, but in front of the respectful “Mr. Pei” from everyone in the room, he reluctantly nodded,

“Uncle.”

“I came for the audition.”

He held up the script in his hand and, testing the waters, asked,

“Why are you here?”

The man withdrew his gaze, his handsome face impassive, and his voice remained flat.

“Just passing by.”

No one would believe he was just passing by!

Wei Changze tugged at the corner of his lips and took a step closer to Jiang Yaoyao, lowering his voice,

“Yaoyao, your uncle must have something to discuss with the director.”

“Since I have the script, let me stay and help you run through the lines, okay?”

Wei Changze inherited his mother’s good genes and had a handsome face. His voice became softer and gentler as he spoke to the small beauty beside him, adding to the protective aura around him.

He looked just like a young general guarding the princess, and with their similar ages and striking appearances, they looked perfectly matched, like a pair of golden children stepping out of a painting.

There was a quiet murmur of admiration from the people around them.

Pei Heng’s cold gaze landed on Wei Changze, and his brows furrowed slightly.

His long, powerful legs, encased in a tailored suit, moved forward with deliberate steps. The sound of his hand-crafted leather shoes hitting the floor was sharp and distinct.

As Pei Heng started walking towards them, Wei Changze took a step forward, positioning himself in front of Jiang Yaoyao.

He smiled, his habitual possessiveness creeping into his voice as he spoke coldly,

“Uncle, if you have something to say, you can talk to me directly.”

Pei Heng lazily lifted his eyelids, his deep, dark eyes focused on Wei Changze. His thin lips parted to utter a few words,

“What are you to her that I need to speak with you?”

“I and Yaoyao—”

A small, pale hand tugged at Wei Changze’s sleeve. The small beauty who had been hidden behind him peered out from behind, her soft voice ringing through the air,

“Mr. Pei, what a coincidence.”

The soft hand pushed against Wei Changze, her voice tinged with irritation,

“Please, could you move aside? You’re blocking me.”

Wei Changze’s smile faltered.

Finally, the delicate beauty emerged from behind him. Her almond-shaped eyes curved in a smile as she explained to Pei Heng,

“Mr. Pei, this is the script I mentioned to you.”

She stepped aside a little, trying to create some distance from Wei Changze.

She didn’t want to get involved in the conflict between Wei Changze and Pei Heng.

Wei Changze was using her, but Pei Heng was her current generous employer.

She didn’t need to think hard to know which side she should choose.

Jiang Yaoyao slowly edged away, putting what seemed like a galaxy between herself and Wei Changze.

Wei Changze’s expression darkened significantly.

Pei Heng, on the other hand, seemed to soften a little. He looked at Jiang Yaoyao and spoke in a deep, clear voice,

“Then I wish you success in your audition, Yaoyao.”

“I have a meeting nearby today, and I heard Uncle Gu was here, so I thought I’d stop by and visit him.”

His eyes were deep, and his phoenix-shaped gaze sparkled, making him seem even more noble and refined.

“I hope I haven’t interrupted you, Miss Jiang?”

The delicate beauty with red lips and white teeth shook her head and obediently replied, “No, not at all.”

Gu Jinling, who was sitting in the chair, observed the tense standoff between the two men and then looked at Jiang Yaoyao, who was at the center of their gaze. He couldn’t help but click his tongue in his heart.

He really hadn’t expected this.

His nephew and grandnephew had actually become romantic rivals!

The sexual tension between them was more exciting than the play itself.

What he didn’t know was who would win the lady’s heart in the end.

Whether Wei Changze called her “aunt” or Pei Heng called her “nephew’s wife,” both sounded pretty thrilling!

Just then, an icy, questioning gaze shot toward him, and Gu Jinling covered it up by taking a sip of his drink.

“Since you’re here, you might as well help me take a look.”

He set down his thermos and waved to Pei Heng,

“With your outsider’s perspective, come take a look at the leading lady I’ve chosen today.”

Since Pei Heng had come under the pretext of seeing Gu Jinling, he couldn’t pretend he didn’t hear what was said. At the very least, he had to come over and exchange pleasantries and play along with the formality.

He confidently walked over to sit by the chair. His cold phoenix eyes glanced over and noticed the script in front of Gu Jinling.

The page that was opened had a scene circled.

Seeing the words on the page, Pei Heng raised an eyebrow and slightly tilted his chin toward the script,

“This is the scene you want them to audition for today?”

The scene was titled “The Sudden Change,” telling the story of the crown princess, who had been raised in the palace, innocent and carefree, falling for a young general. However, she accidentally overhears the young general talking to someone else and, like a bolt from the blue, discovers that he has been using her all along.

The impetuous crown princess immediately runs out, severing ties with the scoundrel, and focuses on her career instead.

This scene was a pivotal moment in the crown princess’s emotional journey, and its complexity made it extremely important.

It involved emotional shifts and ideological changes, and the intensity of the scene would be a major dramatic outburst. It wouldn’t be easy to act.

Originally, Gu Jinling had planned for them to audition with a simpler scene.

He shared his concerns aloud.

The handsome man smiled lightly, but there was no warmth in the smile. His eyes remained cold as he casually glanced at Wei Changze,

“It’s just an audition, not the actual shoot.”

“The main scenes are where the real excitement is, don’t you think?”

Gu Jinling thought for a moment and quickly made a decision:

“Change the script!”

Jiang Yaoyao didn’t mind; whatever script they gave her, she would perform.

Wei Changze, however, looked at Pei Heng’s sly smile and couldn’t shake the feeling that his little uncle wasn’t playing fair.

But he hadn’t read the full script yet and only had a few thin pages with the basic details about the role for the audition.

When he got the new script, he quickly flipped through it, and his handsome face darkened completely.

Sure enough, Pei Heng was seizing every opportunity to set him up.

Jiang Yaoyao saw the betrayal and manipulation in the plot, and she became even angrier at herself!