Chapter 12

As Gu Jingcheng left the hotel and got in the car to head to the Jiang residence, he received a WeChat reply from Jiang Yehui.

[I’m joining my cousin for a show. About to board now 😊]

Gu Jingcheng frowned and said in a low voice, “Has anything happened with the Jiang family recently?”

Assistant Jin, sitting beside him, opened his notes and replied, “The Jiang family’s company is sponsoring a reality show called Peace Love, a collaboration between JHJ and SKY.”

Then he added, “Miss Yu is also participating in this show. Additionally, Miss Jiang Yinyin will be one of the guests.”

“Jiang Yinyin?”

“She’s Madam’s cousin.”

Gu Jingcheng thought for a moment before matching the name to the person. He murmured, “So, she went too?”

Assistant Jin paused, then realized who “she” referred to.

He checked the time—just past 8:00 a.m.—and suggested, “They haven’t boarded yet. Madam should still be at the airport. Should we head there now?”

Gu Jingcheng replied, “No need. Stick to the schedule.”

“Yes, sir.”

Assistant Jin was a little puzzled by his boss’s thoughts.

They were on a tight schedule—by 10 a.m., they had to be at JHJ for an urgent meeting, followed by a lunch engagement, then a cooperation meeting with SKY in the afternoon, and a flight to Singapore that evening.

This morning’s two-hour visit to the Jiang residence was something the boss had squeezed in at the last minute.

Naturally, he thought the boss wanted to see his wife. But since she was already at the airport, and they weren’t far from there, wouldn’t it make more sense to head there instead? Why insist on going to the Jiang residence?

What he didn’t know was that Jiang Yehui had just sent another WeChat message to Gu Jingcheng:

[Go visit Grandma if you can. She’s been mentioning you a lot lately.]

Gu Jingcheng replied with just three words: [Got it.]

—

After a long flight, Jiang Yehui and the rest of the crew finally reached their destination.

They had arrived in Ethiopia, a country in Africa. More specifically, they were headed to a small village where even basic food and clothing were still not guaranteed.

They would be living there for the next five days.

.The production team had chosen a village that wasn’t too remote, with fairly convenient transportation, but as soon as they parked the car, they were startled by a group of children who swarmed them, clamoring for gifts.

Jiang Yinyin felt overwhelmed the moment she got off the car—she had never experienced such impoverished and crude living conditions.

Jiang Yehui, on the other hand, could still manage. She had done volunteer work a few times before and had some experience. Still, staying in this place for several days was going to be a challenge even for her.

What surprised her even more was that the program treated all guests equally—no special treatment for anyone. They were clearly striving for authenticity in every shot, which caught her off guard.

She started to believe that the show was genuinely promoting charity rather than putting on a performance.

The unfortunate thing was that it started raining from the afternoon of the first day. Although the rain wasn’t heavy, it did bring quite a few difficulties for filming.

During the day, they worked with the villagers in the muddy fields under the drizzle, played games with the children, distributed food and clothes they brought, and taught them simple words.

At night, they slept in pairs in tents they set up themselves. The hardest part was the water shortage—they had to fetch water from a place ten kilometers away. They even had to save drinking water, let alone take showers.

Since Jiang Yehui was acting as an assistant, she naturally had to do everything. Nearly half of the tasks assigned to Jiang Yinyin were done by her instead. She had expected this and didn’t mind—after all, her purpose for coming was to do charity work.

At the moment, she wasn’t in the mood to think about Yu Jiayun. But from what she had seen, Yu Jiayun got along well with the other guests, polite to everyone, hardworking, unafraid of dirt or exhaustion—a stark contrast to Jiang Yinyin. She didn’t at all resemble the diva who “couldn’t bear hardships” as the rumors claimed.

After lunch, there was a short afternoon break. Even the cameras had been put away.

Jiang Yehui lay in the tent resting while Jiang Yinyin touched up her makeup and complained nonstop.

“What kind of dump is this? The crew must be crazy. If they want to do charity, couldn’t they have picked an orphanage or something? And what’s with insisting on finishing that farming work today? Totally unnecessary! Just cut and edit it—same difference!

And that dirty kid grabbed my clothes with filthy hands—this is a brand-new autumn collection! First time I’m wearing it! So annoying!

No showers here, it’s disgusting. I didn’t even wash my face properly this morning. Aaaah!”

Jiang Yehui couldn’t be bothered to respond. She turned to face the inner side of the tent, eyes closed, trying to rest. Suddenly, she realized she could vaguely hear people talking in the next tent.

Due to limited space and safety concerns, the tents had been pitched very close together—practically touching. From what she knew, the tent next to hers just happened to be where Yu Jiayun and her agent were staying.

She leaned in close, straining to listen.

“Who’s that next door? Japanese? Or from some other country? Why’s she always speaking English?” That was Yu Jiayun’s voice.

“She’s a rich heiress. Her dad is one of the sponsors of this show. Their family’s originally from Nanlin, but they immigrated to the UK long ago. Be careful how you talk and act.”

“You think I don’t know? Haven’t you noticed how polite I’ve been to even her assistant?”

“That assistant of hers, now that I take a closer look, is actually quite pretty. Just as good-looking as her. Barefaced and still decent.”

“What’s the use of being pretty? Still just an assistant to a rich girl. These days, having connections is everything.”

“Keep your voice down, they might hear us.”

“So what? Haven’t you noticed the two of them only speak English? Probably don’t even understand Chinese.”

“Well, that’s true. English is her native language.”

Then the two started talking about Gu Jingcheng.

“Missy, I’m telling you now—you better watch what you say and do. Don’t upset Mr. Gu again. We were originally supposed to appear on ‘Leisure Holiday’ on Beigang TV, eating and having fun, but look where we’ve ended up now.”

“How was I supposed to know this would happen! Mr. Gu is too heartless. I just made a tiny suggestion—he could’ve easily put in a word with the Jinlu Awards committee. Getting me a Best Actress award would’ve been effortless. Who knew he’d be so cold.”

“You know what kind of person Gu Jingcheng is—utterly ruthless. You’ve been at Mingji for years. He’s always drawn a clear line between business and personal affairs. Did you really think you could do whatever you wanted just because you had that kind of relationship with him?”

“I thought he’d at least show me some sentiment, but who knew… Lu Mingming just debuted not long ago and she gets such a big award. How am I supposed to accept that?”

“Lu Mingming’s acting versus yours—have you even reflected on that?”

“Enough! Whose side are you on, anyway? You might as well go be Lu Mingming’s agent!”

“I’d love to, but she’d have to want me first. Mr. Gu even went to support her in person at the Jinlu Awards—right after his wedding. He rushed back just to see her backstage. No media caught it though.”

“Tch. That’s nothing to him. I always found it weird how suddenly he started promoting Lu Mingming. Don’t tell me they’re…”

“Shhh, don’t talk nonsense…”

At this point, Jiang Yehui’s heart was pounding. “What’s sought after in iron shoes is found effortlessly.” This amount of intel was almost too much to process.

She needed to untangle the relationships.

In other words, Contestant #1, Yu Jiayun, and Boss Gu had a thing in the past—and possibly still had lingering feelings. She tried to use that connection to ask Boss Gu to help her win the Jinlu Best Actress award, but he coldly refused. Instead, he left his newlywed wife the next day and flew back to support Contestant #3, Lu Mingming.

Now Contestant #1 suspected that Boss Gu had been having an affair with Contestant #3 and that’s why she got promoted.

Jiang Yehui thought to herself: Isn’t this a perfect love triangle?

She felt vindicated—clearly, her suspicions were correct. It was just a shame she didn’t manage to record Yu Jiayun’s words.

After holding out for two days, by the second night, Jiang Yinyin finally broke down.

Exhausted, she collapsed in the tent, staring at her sunburned and windblown face in the mirror, and began crying uncontrollably.

Jiang Yehui was also tired and just wanted to sleep. But with the heiress sobbing beside her, she couldn’t take it anymore. Lowering her voice, she snapped:

“Jiang Yinyin, if you let out one more wail, pack your stuff and go home immediately!”

“C-can I?” The young heiress looked at her with hopeful eyes.

Jiang Yehui gave her a sharp look. “The penalty fee is nothing—can you afford to lose face like that?”

Miss Jiang burst into tears again with a loud “Wah!” She had already told so many people she was going on the show, and had even confidently promised her family. If she backed out now, it wouldn’t just be embarrassing—she wouldn’t be able to explain herself to her father or grandmother.

Jiang Yehui felt a wave of irritation and lifted the flap of the tent to step outside and cool off.

Not far away, by a dried-up riverbank, she spotted someone sitting there—it was Yu Jiayun.

Jiang Yehui had intended not to disturb her, but Yu Jiayun had already seen her and waved her over.

“Can’t sleep?”

Jiang Yehui sat beside her on the riverbank. “It’s a bit stuffy in the tent. Just wanted to get some fresh air.”

Yu Jiayun rested her chin on her hand. “Actually, if you sit here and take a look, it’s prettier at night than in the day. The village doesn’t seem so rundown.”

Jiang Yehui asked curiously, “Don’t you think staying here is tough?”

“Tough?” Yu Jiayun smiled. “Yeah, it’s a bit rough, but I’ve been through worse.”

Jiang Yehui was a little surprised.

“I grew up in a mountain village not much better than this. I used to help farm, cook, do laundry, and take care of my younger siblings. I barely went to school.”

Jiang Yehui raised her eyebrows slightly. “But your English is pretty good.”

“The company arranged teachers for us after I joined Mingji.”

“You’ve worked really hard,” Jiang Yehui said sincerely.

“How could I not? I joined Mingji when I was eighteen. I haven’t dared to slack off even a single day. I seize every opportunity I get.”

So… was Gu Jingcheng one of those “opportunities” too?

Jiang Yehui thought to herself.

“What about you? You come from a good background—why work as an assistant?” Yu Jiayun looked at her with interest.

Jiang Yehui gave a half-true answer, “It’s just a job.”

“I don’t buy it. You’re waiting for an opportunity, right?”

Yu Jiayun’s eyes lit up. “Why don’t you come with me? Have you heard of Mingji? I can recommend you. If you’re going to wait for a chance, you might as well wait somewhere with actual opportunities. What’s the point of sticking with that spoiled girl who does nothing but complain?”

Jiang Yehui smiled faintly. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll end up competing with you someday?”

“If it’s not you, it’ll be someone else. Besides, do you think getting famous is that easy? Mingji is full of pretty girls—most of them never even make it.”

“Jiayun!”

Her agent was calling her.

Yu Jiayun stood up, brushing off her clothes. “I used to have an assistant. I treated her well, and she turned around and sold me out.”

She looked at Jiang Yehui. “You’re not going to repeat everything I said tonight, are you?”

“You’re worried?” Jiang Yehui tilted her head and looked into her eyes.

Yu Jiayun thought for a second, then gave a carefree smile. “Why would I be? It’s not like I did anything horrible. In this industry, unless it’s drugs or crime, there’s nothing to worry about. As long as you have exposure, fans leave, but more will come.”

Jiang Yehui watched her crawl back into the tent, feeling a little conflicted.

This Yu Jiayun was not quite what she had imagined. Sometimes she was blunt, sometimes she was calm and resilient—far from the delicate and soft image she projected.

And surprisingly, Jiang Yehui found… she didn’t dislike her.

More than a week later, in a conference room at Mingji headquarters.

A senior executive in charge of international business was giving a report at the front.

“This cross-border reality show is the first production we’ve launched after acquiring JHJ. It’s being filmed and aired simultaneously, and the initial reception has been very positive.

After just two episodes, it’s already sparked discussions among viewers worldwide, with reactions exceeding our expectations. Notably, our artist Yu Jiayun has performed extremely well—her image has improved significantly, and she’s gained countless fans.”

The executive spoke casually, even joking a little, “Rumor has it that a famous domestic TV station is already planning a similar program. Apparently, they’re even approaching the artists. Let’s hope they’re better at copying than last time.”

“Wait.”

The executive paused mid-slide, looking up at the voice from the back of the room.

Gu Jingcheng spoke calmly, “Go back to the previous slide.”

The executive did as instructed. The screen now displayed some behind-the-scenes photos from the filming—footage not included in the final cut. He asked, puzzled, “These are just candid shots. Nothing from the actual show. President Gu, is there something wrong?”

Gu Jingcheng didn’t answer. He just stared at the screen with a slight frown.

Compared to her cousin, who still maintained a perfectly made-up appearance, she looked utterly plain.

She wore a dark blue zip-up windbreaker, zipped all the way to her chin. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, with a black baseball cap pulled low. No makeup at all—she looked like a student fresh out of school, slender and delicate.

They hadn’t contacted each other since that last WeChat message.

He had been so busy recently, it was almost easy to forget he even had a wife.

The conference room was silent.

Just then, Assistant Jin leaned in beside him and whispered, “Miss Jiang Yinyin has withdrawn from the show due to health reasons, starting from episode three.”

Gu Jingcheng’s eyes lifted slightly. “And her?”

“She… volunteered to stay and continue the job with a celebrity replacement. The production team has now relocated to Congo for filming.”

Gu Jingcheng tapped the pen in his hand lightly against the table, then let out a short scoff.

The executives seated on both sides of the table glanced at each other, unsure what had just happened. The presenter on stage was especially confused, thinking he had said something wrong, and nervously looked to Assistant Jin.

Jin subtly gestured for him to relax.

Gu Jingcheng continued to stare at the smiling girl in the group photo, her eight-tooth smile painfully blinding to him.

What, was she addicted to doing charity now? She’d rather run off to suffer in Africa than return to Beigang and be his wife? Fine. If she’s so capable, she can just stay there forever.

He raised his eyes, signaling the presenter to continue. His expression had returned to normal.

The executive resumed his report.

Assistant Jin secretly glanced at the boss, startled by how absent-minded he looked.

Because the pen in his right hand had already drawn several marks on his left hand—without him even realizing it.