Chapter 23: Stay Away from Her

“I saw that START Entertainment posted, saying they signed you. Well done, Little Li, you really joined the prince’s company,” Chengdu congratulated.

Ji Xue Li fastened her seatbelt and sighed. “Getting the prince to give in wasn’t easy.”

“Did he make it hard for you?” Chengdu asked, curious.

“Not really, it’s just a psychological battle. Whoever lowers their head first loses,” Ji Xue Li wasn’t sure how to explain, so she gave an analogy.

“Is it that complicated? But you’ve already managed to follow him around, what’s there to fear?” Chengdu started the car. He truly admired her. When she said she would chase Duan Qingyu, she actually took action, decisively and efficiently.

However, based on the prince’s usual behavior, if he had allowed her to get this far after more than a week, it meant he didn’t view her as a mere toy or object.

“I’ve been abroad for the past few years, so I don’t know what’s going on in the domestic entertainment industry. You should catch me up on the current situation,” Ji Xue Li changed the subject.

“Well, the only names I can think of are Ren Tang, Lin Qiao, Guan Ru, and a few others. They’ve all become popular in recent years. You were also on the rising star path before, so you’re pretty much their competition,” Chengdu wasn’t very familiar with the entertainment industry.

He only knew about female celebrities.

Ji Xue Li nodded. She had done some research on the original owner, and there were plenty of scandals, mainly accusations of being just a pretty face. That’s why the original owner had gone abroad to study without hesitation.

If her acting skills hadn’t improved this time, she’d probably face more criticism, with people once again attacking her for studying abroad. But this time, she had chosen to play a villain.

“Turn around, let’s go to the film school,” Ji Xue Li immediately spoke up.

“Ah… okay,” Chengdu responded, thinking her expressionless face meant she was inspired by his words, but in reality, she just didn’t want others to criticize her.

Because she couldn’t resist fighting back when they did.

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“The Haibang Bay project will have dedicated personnel to follow up, so there’s no need for us to meet again,” Duan Qingyu glanced at him.

Ji Yan Zhou watched as Duan Qingyu slowly packed his things and then spoke, “Stay away from her in the future.”

Duan Qingyu lifted his gaze, a playful smile curving at the corner of his mouth. “You should say that to her.”

“She just returned and doesn’t know anything about Huacheng and Shangjing District, let alone about you,” Ji Yan Zhou’s voice was cold and firm.

Everyone calls him the prince not just because of the status of the Duan family but because of his own influence.

“Then I look forward to the day when she knows all about me,” Duan Qingyu’s gaze softened as he looked down.

What did it matter if she didn’t know about Shangjing District? There were no rules there; he was the only rule.

Having said that, he picked up his coat, stood up, and walked out, ignoring Ji Yan Zhou’s expression or actions.

Duan Qingyu tossed the car keys to Zhen Zhang, who had rushed over. His dark eyes were filled with coldness.

Ji Yan Zhou watched him leave, gripping his hands so tightly that veins appeared on his knuckles. So, Duan Qingyu was going to continue getting closer to Ji Xue Li.

Xie Yujun swallowed the sourness in her heart and poured him a glass of warm water. “Do you want me to have the driver come now?”

“Mm.” Ji Yan Zhou closed his eyes and responded quietly.

“Miss Ji is a person who knows right from wrong. She must have her own plans,” Xie Yujun reassured.

“Is joining Duan Qingyu’s company her plan?” Ji Yan Zhou spoke, still unable to hide his anger.

She could have joined his company or let the Ji family acquire one, but she chose to dive straight into the lion’s den.

“START Entertainment is a leading company, so Miss Ji must have been attracted to that,” Xie Yujun said.

Ji Yan Zhou didn’t answer immediately. After a long pause, he spoke. “Which artist in the company is the most valuable right now?”

“That would be Guan Ru. She and Ren Tang from START Entertainment are the new generation of popular stars,” Xie Yujun answered carefully, unsure why he was asking this.

“Pour all the resources into her,” Ji Yan Zhou instructed.

Now that Ji Xue Li was reentering the industry, she would be competing with those rising stars. The entertainment industry was a business battlefield, and he wanted to show her that he had the power to play the game.

Xie Yujun hesitated for a moment but nodded. Their focus wasn’t really on the entertainment company, but judging by his intentions, it seemed like they’d need to dedicate some effort to it after all.