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Chapter 156: The Jiang Mi From the Past Is Already Dead
The term “yin-yang contracts” refers to a scheme where a low-paying contract is made public, while a secret contract with an exorbitant salary is signed privately with the production crew. This loophole is used to falsify accounts and evade taxes.
As soon as Jiang Mi submitted the report, the tax authorities took it very seriously and immediately began an investigation. Once the evidence was verified, Shen Mingxuan would be arrested and brought to justice.
The internet also exploded with news — Shen Mingxuan was involved in tax evasion.
[Online comments:]
The moment Shen Mingxuan saw his name trending online, his mind went blank, filled with a deathly silence.
When he snapped out of it, he quickly called his manager, but his assistant, whom he always looked down on, answered the phone.
“Why are you answering? Where’s Sister Hong? Get her here right now!” Shen Mingxuan’s voice trembled.
The assistant sneered, full of mockery, “Sister Hong is in a meeting and doesn’t have time to take your call.”
Normally, the assistant would be submissive, always enduring his insults like a servant. But now, the assistant dared to speak rudely to him, which enraged Shen Mingxuan.
“How dare you talk to me like that! Do you have a death wish?”
The assistant showed no fear. “Shen Mingxuan, you still think you’re a high-and-mighty actor? You’re just a drowning dog now. Let me tell you, Sister Hong is in a meeting with the CEO to discuss how to blacklist you. Ha ha.”
Blacklist? That’s impossible! They were all involved in the tax evasion!
The next moment, the phone was handed over, and Sister Hong’s voice came through, “Mingxuan, I was just handling some issues with your endorsement contracts.”
Hearing her voice was like hearing angels sing, and Shen Mingxuan urgently pleaded for help, “Sister Hong, please help me! You must help me!”
Sister Hong smiled faintly, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of the endorsements for you. But as for the tax evasion matter, there’s nothing the company can do.”
Shen Mingxuan paused for a second, then shouted, “Sister Hong, you were the one who encouraged me to do this! And so was President Wang—”
Before he could finish, Sister Hong’s voice, calm but cold, interrupted, “You can mess around with food, but not with words. I advised you against it, but you were blinded by greed and went ahead. Now, Mingxuan, do you want the company to help resolve your endorsement issues, or should we add more pressure on you?”
A blatant threat.
But the company had leverage over him.
Shen Mingxuan wanted to pull the entire company down with him, but he didn’t dare.
Desperate and isolated, he started frantically calling old friends and ex-lovers, asking for loans. But most ignored him, some claimed to be abroad, and others even mocked him.
His anger nearly caused him to vomit blood. In the end, he called Bai Ruoruo.
Bai Ruoruo, unlike the others, was still as teary and emotional as before.
“Mingxuan, I feel so bad for you. Don’t worry, I’ll help you. Why is Mimi treating you like this? She used to like you so much, but now she’s doing this to you. She’s changed so much, she’s not even the same person…”
Jiang Mi isn’t Jiang Mi anymore?
Suddenly, something clicked in Shen Mingxuan’s mind!
…
Soon, the fifth episode of the dating show began filming.
Due to the overwhelming success of the previous island episode, the production team decided not to return to the “Love House.” Instead, they arranged a countryside setting to develop a rural romance storyline.
Early in the morning, everyone gathered in the Love House.
Before the livestream officially started, people huddled in small groups, quietly gossiping. And naturally, the subject was Shen Mingxuan.
He had been the center of attention these past few days, so how could they not gossip about him and all his embarrassing moments?
Jiang Mi had little interest in bashing scumbags, especially since Shen Mingxuan had wronged the original Jiang Mi, not her. But Lu Yuyang, Chen Wanruo, and others were highly entertained, pulling Jiang Mi into their circle to excitedly insult Shen Mingxuan together.
Bai Ruoruo, meanwhile, was left alone on the side. She didn’t show any dissatisfaction, but her face revealed a hint of impending schadenfreude.
Counting the participants, there were nine people.
“Since all the guests are here, we’ll officially start filming the fifth episode,” the director announced with a megaphone, signaling the cameramen.
Qin Ling, always ready to gloat, called out, “Director, Shen Mingxuan isn’t here yet!”
[Comments:]
The viewers were right.
The director was both frustrated and relieved.
Shen Mingxuan’s moral corruption, specifically his involvement in tax evasion, was troubling. Although no official report had been released yet, it was almost certain.
For a disgraced artist like him, there was no chance he could appear on screen again. This meant that all of his footage would need to be completely edited out. The only consolation was that since it was a live broadcast, they had already gained a lot of attention and profit. The post-production editing wouldn’t affect things too much, but it would still be a lot of work for the editing team.
Thinking this, the director coughed twice and explained in a formal tone, “Mr. Shen won’t be joining the show due to special reasons, but a new guest is already waiting for us at the filming location.”
Cheng Lin teamed up with Qin Ling, teasing, “Director, what’s the special reason? We’re all colleagues here, no need to keep secrets.”
The director was speechless. These two just loved to stir things up. He was about to tell them to stop when a commotion erupted outside. Everyone turned to look and saw a disheveled man in torn clothes barging in.
“Stop!” a staff member shouted, trying to block him.
“Get out of my way! Jiang Mi, come out!” Shen Mingxuan screamed hysterically.
Lu Yu immediately hid Jiang Mi behind her. “I think Shen Mingxuan’s gone crazy. Don’t pay him any attention, Mimi.”
Shen Mingxuan pushed aside the staff trying to stop him and rushed toward the group of guests. As he got closer, they could see that his clothes were loose and tattered, his hair greasy and unwashed, clumped together, and his face was bruised and swollen. One of his eyes was swollen shut, making him look both ridiculous and pitiful.
His eyes were bloodshot, and he seemed completely deranged and desperate.
Jiang Mi gently patted Lu Yu’s shoulder, stepping forward with a cold expression. “What do you want with me?”
Seeing her, Shen Mingxuan’s eyes filled with a mix of hatred and fear, but he quickly spoke again.
“Jiang Mi, I know you’re only with Gu Chuan to make me jealous. You win. I’m willing to be with you now. I’ll marry you!”
[Comments:]
The barrage of comments raged on, but the scene fell into an eerie silence.
Jiang Mi’s cold, sharp brows furrowed, as if coated in frost. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes darkened with a deadly chill, filled with cold rage.
He dared to insult her relationship with Gu Chuan!
Her red lips parted, and her words were terrifyingly cold. “Shen Mingxuan, you’ve lost your chance.”
No, he hadn’t!
Shen Mingxuan, driven by madness, lunged toward Jiang Mi, believing that if the old Jiang Mi returned, everything would go back to normal.
But in the next second, Jiang Mi swiftly struck his wrist with a knife-hand blow, breaking it with a sharp downward motion. She followed up with quick, precise strikes, dislocating both of his arms.
Everything happened so fast that Shen Mingxuan didn’t even have time to react before the pain in his wrist hit him, causing him to scream out.
At the same time, an overwhelming force swept over him, and a powerful kick landed on his body, sending him flying like a sandbag. He hit the ground hard, rolling several times.
Shen Mingxuan’s head buzzed, his entire body aching. Worse, he felt his shoulder blade crack and suspected his ribs were broken, throbbing with pain.
He struggled to lift his head and met Jiang Mi’s cold, hateful gaze. Her eyes radiated an icy, murderous intent—she genuinely wanted him dead.
Shocked to his core, Shen Mingxuan recalled Bai Ruoruo’s words echoing in his ears.
Jiang Mi wasn’t the same as before.
The old Jiang Mi was weak and timid, with dark, rough skin, hiding behind thick bangs like a country bumpkin. She used to look at him with longing in her eyes.
But now? Her gaze was filled with coldness, disgust, and murderous intent.
No, Jiang Mi had always loved him the most! How could she change so drastically? How could she truly want to kill him?
No, this wasn’t Jiang Mi!
No!
“You… you’re not Jiang Mi. You’re some kind of demon that’s taken over her body! No, you’re not her!” Shen Mingxuan screamed hysterically. “You’re a monster! Leave Jiang Mi’s body! Give me back the real Jiang Mi!”
[Comments:]
Jiang Mi slowly approached him, lifting her long leg as she crouched down in front of him. Her pitch-black eyes were filled with ruthless intensity.
She stared at him and spoke clearly, each word piercing like ice.
Her chilling voice seemed to cross the river of time, filled with hatred and a thirst for vengeance.
“You’re right. I’m not Jiang Mi.”
“The Jiang Mi you knew was killed by you long ago.”