Wen Ling didn’t expect things to develop like this.

After getting into her car, she angrily questioned Ning Qiuxiu, “What’s wrong with you? Are you trying to make your mother angry to death?”

“Mom, I’m serious. I really like Brother Qingyue,” Ning Qiuxiu brought out the excuse she had prepared earlier. “And, Mom, I secretly asked a master to read Brother Qingyue’s fortune. He said that as long as someone performs a ritual to bring good luck, there’s a very high chance he will wake up.”

Ning Qiuxiu wasn’t just brushing off Mrs. Ning’s concerns.

If her spell worked, and a person could be nurtured by a spell, the chance of improving Zhan Qingyue’s condition was very high.

She just couldn’t say that directly, so she used a modern explanation.

“…… Nonsense! You actually believe in fortune-telling!” Wen Ling was so angry she almost spat blood, completely forgetting that she also consulted fortune-tellers and was quite into that sort of thing.

“Let’s give it a try. Think about it, Brother Qingyue is so outstanding. If he wakes up, wouldn’t marrying him be better than marrying Zhan Qingyuan? Besides, he’s currently a vegetative state. So marriage is just a formality; he can’t do anything to me if we don’t get a certificate. If he doesn’t wake up and I want a divorce, I wouldn’t lose anything. Meanwhile, during our marriage, it could promote business cooperation between the Zhan and Ning families, which would be a huge benefit to our family. Don’t you think?”

Wen Ling: “……”

She was left speechless.

Ning Qiuxiu’s words hit her fatal point.

In short, her strong support for her daughter marrying Zhan Qingyuan was driven by his excellence and the substantial Zhan family assets.

Every parent wants their daughter to marry well.

Fortunately, Wen Ling wasn’t confused by Ning Qiuxiu’s arguments and, with her intelligence still functioning, asked, “Do you really like Zhan Qingyue that much? What if he wakes up and doesn’t like you?”

“Well,” Ning Qiuxiu hadn’t considered this point but thought for a moment before bashfully saying, “Actually, Brother Qingyue should be interested in me as well.”

Wen Ling: “？？？”

Ning Qiuxiu shamelessly continued her fabrication, “In the past, he gave me several small gifts, which were quite obvious hints.”

“……”

Seeing Wen Ling being swayed, Ning Qiuxiu took the opportunity to act coquettishly and persuade her.

Though Wen Ling didn’t directly agree, she didn’t oppose it either, saying that she couldn’t make the decision and that it needed her husband’s approval.

Wen Ling was easier to convince, but Ning’s father was not so easily swayed.

However, as a businessman, Ning’s father was more focused on the benefits this marriage could bring.

Bankruptcy isn’t like a sudden earthquake; it has a process, and Ning’s company had already shown some signs of trouble, though outsiders were unaware.

As the boss, he was very clear about it.

He urgently needed an excellent partner to help him out.

This marriage could bring numerous benefits, with deeper cooperation between the Zhan and Ning families.

Ning’s father would definitely be tempted.

Ning Qiuxiu seized on this point to propose a condition that seemed like it would never be agreed to by her parents.

Ning Qiuxiu’s father would only return home after finishing work in the evening, so Ning Qiuxiu had to visit the company before then.

In addition to her identity as a wealthy young woman, Ning Qiuxiu also holds another identity as a member of the popular girl group “Mystery Girls.”

This girl group was formed from the finalists of the talent show that the female lead won.

They have officially debuted and are currently enjoying great popularity.

However, as a supporting character, the author naturally wouldn’t make her universally loved.

Ning Qiuxiu was a controversial figure within the group due to her poor singing and dancing skills.

Her fans frequently criticized other members, relying on her family’s wealth to shield her from criticism.

However, her public image had suffered significantly.

“My little treasure, good afternoon! You look so beautiful today~”

As soon as Ning Qiuxiu walked through the company’s entrance, a flamboyantly dressed man with a dramatic flair greeted her, creating a significant visual impact.

The man, with his ostentatious gestures, was none other than her manager, Qu Hua.

This supporting character’s treatment was indeed extraordinary; not only did she suffer through exhausting and unrewarding work, but she also had to deal with such a peculiar manager.

Ning Qiuxiu felt frustrated.

She subtly took a step back and said, “You look better, Brother Qu.”

“Oh, you rascal, why are you calling me out like that? It’s making me shy.” Qu Hua responded with a dramatic hand gesture as if covering his mouth.

Ning Qiuxiu thought, “I wish I could just disappear.”

“Let’s go to the office,” Qu Hua said, leading her there.

After they closed the door, Qu Hua toned down a bit and said, “There’s nothing major today, just a few documents that I need you to sign.”

Qu Hua pointed to a stack of documents on the desk with a flourish, reminiscent of a flower fairy.

Ning Qiuxiu tried to ignore his exaggerated movements and said, “Oh, okay.”

Some of the company’s contractual documents required the artist’s signature.

Before entering the world of cultivation, Ning Qiuxiu was also involved in the entertainment industry, so she understood this process.

She sat down and opened the first document, but then heard Qu Hua’s rather high-pitched voice again: “Oh, and the girl group members are starting their training. You can rest tomorrow, but you’ll need to go back to training the day after!”

The girl group was preparing to release a new song and music video, so they needed to start intensive training.

“Huh?” Ning Qiuxiu looked up, “Aren’t they going to let me pursue other opportunities?”

Qu Hua paused with her hand elegantly posed, then chuckled lightly, “Still angry, huh? Be good, don’t bother with that idiot. It’s not worth it.”

Recently, Ning Qiuxiu had some conflicts with Yixing Entertainment, the company managing her girl group.

The issue stemmed from Yixing Entertainment’s failure to deliver some promised resources for the girl group.

Yixing Entertainment was one of the giants in the entertainment industry, with substantial financial resources and abundant assets.

They had a somewhat indifferent attitude towards lesser-known artists like Ning Qiuxiu, treating them with a “if you don’t like it, get lost” attitude.

The reason for this was that although the Mystery Girl Group received a lot of attention, the ultimate goal of the talent show was to promote their new live-streaming platform.

Once the show was over and the promotion achieved, their enthusiasm waned.

Ning Qiuxiu, being impulsive and stubborn, took it upon herself to confront the responsible party, only to be met with arrogance.

The response was that they were following the procedure, and if she was dissatisfied, she could leave.

Ning Qiuxiu, with her spoiled princess temperament, couldn’t tolerate such treatment and left in a huff.

Later, although Yixing Entertainment apologized and the responsible party was punished, Ning Qiuxiu’s temper had not yet cooled.

Her manager had to navigate the situation, and now, thinking that her anger had subsided, they saw an opportunity to smooth things over with a training session.

If it were the old Ning Qiuxiu, she might have accepted the olive branch, as she was still reluctant to leave the girl group.

However, this Ning Qiuxiu was different.

Though she had been in the entertainment industry, she had always been involved in acting and had no interest or skill in singing and dancing.

Ning Qiuxiu lazily lifted her eyelids and said, “Since they’ve already told me to leave, wouldn’t it be humiliating if I stayed despite their dismissal?”

“Humiliating? They even promised a face-to-face apology from the responsible person. They’ve given you enough face,” Qu Hua said.

Ning Qiuxiu grasped the key point: “That means they don’t want me to leave.”

“Of course. After all, our Qiuxiu is a genuine topic queen,” Qu Hua praised, attempting to flatter Ning Qiuxiu and make her feel proud of her importance to the girl group.

As for being a topic…

Ning Qiuxiu certainly was one, albeit in a controversial way, but controversy still generated attention.

Among the girl group, Ning Qiuxiu was the most newsworthy, which inadvertently brought a lot of traffic to the group.

In the entertainment industry, traffic equals money, and money drives all the business motivations behind the scenes.

“Then I definitely can’t go back,” Ning Qiuxiu said as she signed a contract after browsing it, “Not only will I not go back, but I’ll also take this chance to demand a breach of contract penalty since they told me to leave.”

“……” Qu Hua thought Ning Qiuxiu was upset about the contract termination and sat down next to her to comfort her, saying, “I know you’re feeling wronged, but you’re not suited for a solo career right now. After this training, I’ll give you a short vacation. How about that?”

Ning Qiuxiu: “No.”

Qu Hua sighed and rubbed her forehead, “Oh my princess, what kind of tantrum are you throwing now? Besides, what can you do solo? Release albums? Hold concerts?”

Ning Qiuxiu wasn’t particularly skilled in singing and dancing, lacked emotional intelligence for variety shows, and had a strained audience rapport.

She didn’t have the strength to pursue a solo career.

Although Yixing Entertainment wasn’t very considerate this time, they were indeed quite skilled in cultivating talent.

Their investment and resources far exceeded those of smaller companies.

Ning Qiuxiu’s best development prospects were there.

Qu Hua wanted her to gain more experience with the girl group, which was understandable.

Ning Qiuxiu shifted her gaze to the windowsill, where a pot of newly sprouted green plants was growing.

She smiled and said, “Acting.”

In the real world, despite her exceptional acting skills, her plain appearance had limited her opportunities in an industry obsessed with looks.

Now, with her age and appearance advantages, coupled with years of accumulated acting experience, she felt she could take on new challenges.

Qu Hua: “……”

Ning Qiuxiu’s current role seemed unrelated to acting.

Qu Hua initially thought she was joking, but seeing her resolute attitude, he realized she was serious.

He tried to persuade her for a long time, until his mouth was sore, but it was to no avail.

In the end, he had to report her decision to the higher-ups.

Ning Qiuxiu’s idea nearly dropped the jaws of the company executives, who doubted if she had lost her mind.

Why would she give up a promising future with the girl group to pursue acting?

Did she even know how to act?

However, Ning Qiuxiu was determined to leave the Mystery Girl Group, and there was nothing the company could do about it since her family was a major shareholder.

The rule of “money gives you freedom” applied everywhere.

Even if the company boss came to talk to her, she remained steadfast and unyielding.

In the end, the company president told her to go back and reconsider for a couple of days.

Ning Qiuxiu wanted to say that reconsidering for two years would yield the same result, but seeing the president, who was already balding from overwork, she nodded and gave him a bit of face.

Look how considerate she was.

When she got home, her father, Ning Fu, was already back.

The family had dinner together, and after the meal, Ning Qiuxiu took the opportunity to tell him about her desire to marry Zhan Qingyue.

At first, Ning Fu was furious and adamantly opposed, threatening to break her legs if she mentioned it again.

However, after Ning Qiuxiu explained her reasoning, he hesitated and eventually came around to accepting the idea.

“You child, why do you have such a deep obsession with the Zhan family?” Ning Fu sighed and said.

Ning Qiuxiu replied, “Maybe it’s destined that I should become a member of the Zhan family.”

“……” Ning Fu was momentarily speechless, then said, “This matter concerns your lifelong happiness. Think it over carefully.”

“I’ve thought it through clearly,” Ning Qiuxiu lowered her eyes and said with a hint of sadness, “If I don’t marry into the Zhan family, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

“You!”

“Daddy~” Ning Qiuxiu clung to his arm and, mimicking the original character’s way of acting cute, said, “Just three months. If he doesn’t wake up in three months, I’ll pack up and leave, okay?”

Earlier, when Ning Qiuxiu had explained the benefits of this marriage, her father had already been moved.

However, sacrificing his daughter’s lifelong happiness was something he couldn’t reconcile with, given the importance of familial bonds.

But now, Ning Qiuxiu had given him a deadline: three months.

This was a completely different concept from a lifetime commitment, akin to transitioning from selling his daughter to fulfilling her wishes.

He found a strange balance, managing to satisfy his conscience while gaining some benefit.

“Alright,” Ning Qiuxiu’s father finally relented, “Three months, not a day more!”