Chapter 027: Sky-High Contract

Thinking back to the moment when President Lu decisively offered a nine-figure deal, the whole team couldn’t help but suspect—was there really something going on between him and their artist?

But from the artist’s perspective, instead of seeing it as Lu Jingshan’s generosity, she actually thought it was her own excellent negotiation skills?

Meng Qing didn’t understand the mindset of young people these days—but she was thoroughly shocked.

The number was simply too outrageous. Worried that this was all based on some behind-the-scenes connection with the wealthy elite, Meng Qing decided not to play games and confessed honestly, “Isn’t there a possibility… that President Lu just offered that price on his own?”

Now it was Fang Yimeng’s turn to look confused.

“That won’t do. I can’t sign this nine-figure contract. He just invested over a hundred million in The Actor, and now he’s spending another hundred million just to have me as a spokesperson? I can’t let my ‘little brother’ keep throwing money around like that. This endorsement… let’s just keep it symbolic. Go renegotiate with them. Push it down to at least seven figures. Though, if it ends up being eight figures, I’d still be very satisfied.”

She was genuinely distressed by how Lu Jingshan threw around huge sums of money without blinking. But the Fang family was rooted in business, and the concept of value and profit was deeply embedded in her DNA.

Nine figures was clearly too much. Seven, on the other hand, didn’t feel quite right.

“Eight figures. No more, no less,” Fang Yimeng added firmly, afraid her agent might not understand her exact stance.

Meng Qing was dizzy from the whirlwind of moves this spoiled heiress was pulling.

“Don’t worry about the fee. We’ll make sure it’s negotiated to a suitable range. But there’s one more thing you need to be aware of—the show Please Close Your Eyes at Eleven-Thirty will install cameras inside your home. Your house…”

This topic was a bit sensitive, and Meng Qing quickly steered the conversation back on track.

Fang Yimeng paused in thought before replying, “Well, in that case, I guess I’ll just have to move out.”

On the surface, she seemed helpless, shrugging and holding her hands out in resignation.

But her bright eyes were full of sly mischief.

Meng Qing saw right through her but said nothing. She simply chuckled and waved her hand. “Alright, that’s enough. Just make sure the house is ready at least three days before filming starts.”

“You can count on me.” Fang Yimeng signed her name on the Eleven-Thirty contract, then stood up with a flourish and waved as she turned her back on Meng Qing.

She opened the office door and strode out of the agency in high heels, tall and poised, every step brimming with confidence.

Just as expected, when she reached the underground parking lot, she spotted a silver-gray Mercedes-Benz parked in a prominent spot—right where Lu Jingshan said he’d be.

She walked over to the passenger side and knocked on the window, which rolled down smoothly.

Inside, Lu Jingshan had taken off his suit jacket. The sleeves of his black shirt were rolled up to his elbows, and a few buttons at the collar were undone, giving him a relaxed, casual look.

Even beneath his cool and distant demeanor, his well-defined fingers were quite pleasing to the eye.

The only thing that didn’t match the whole austere vibe was the bright orange juice in his hand.

Fang Yimeng stared at the drink and swallowed. “……”

Lu Jingshan noticed her gaze lingering on the juice in his hand, and for once, the coldness in his features softened into something warm and amused.

He put the drink down, opened the driver’s side door, and walked around the front of the car to stand beside her, resting one hand on the car door handle.

The gesture looked suspiciously like he was cornering her against the car.

“Why did you offer a nine-figure deal?” Fang Yimeng turned to face him. Today’s heels gave her just the right height to look him straight in the eye.

Faced with the sudden question, the man let out a low chuckle. “Because Ah Yi is worth it.”

She had expected him to say that. Smiling, she gently poked his chest with her finger.

Her fair hand looked even more delicate against the dark shirt fabric.

“Cut it out,” she said, her tone slightly more serious. “Even if you’re a filthy rich CEO, money should still be spent wisely. I’ll definitely endorse your new product, but you didn’t need to spend that much on me.”

She paused, realizing her tone sounded a bit too much like a lecturing elder, and quickly tried to soften it.

“It’s just… with this nine-figure price tag, you’ve messed up my market value. Now people will think I’m absurdly expensive. How am I supposed to make money in the future!?”

Lu Jingshan’s deep gaze never wavered, his eyes burning as he looked directly at her, the smile in them growing deeper.

She threw that last line over her shoulder and yanked his hand off the car door, opened the passenger side herself, and plopped down inside—putting some distance between them.

Lu Jingshan walked back around and got into the driver’s seat. As soon as he did, she casually asked, “Where do you live?”

He released the parking brake, turned the steering wheel, and replied calmly, “Yuemei Luxury Apartments, Tower 3, Unit 1901. Is Ah Yi planning to take care of this poor, nearly bankrupt little brother of hers?”

“Stay close!” Fang Yimeng was about to pull out her phone and look up Yuemei Apartments, but his teasing tone made her turn her head, staring at him in disbelief.

“You…” Where on earth did he learn to talk like that?

Before she could finish the sentence, her phone started to vibrate. At the same time, a phone inside the car’s glove compartment also began buzzing.

Fang Yimeng opened the compartment, handed him his phone, and then he pulled the car over with the hazard lights flashing.

They each picked up their phones at the same time and answered in unison, “Hello?”

Fang Yimeng’s call was from Meng Qing.

As soon as the call connected, Meng Qing spoke urgently, “Did you see the trending topics?”

They had been talking the whole drive and hadn’t looked at their phones at all. Fang Yimeng was still clueless.

“Haven’t had a chance yet. What is it? Is Qiao Yi pulling another stunt?” The last thing she remembered was Qiao Yi publicly confronting Hualing on Weibo.

“It’s the full video of the on-set bullying incident—it just got released by a marketing account. We’ve traced several of those accounts and… they’re linked to Hualing. Were you aware of this?”

Meng Qing’s voice was fast, her anxiety practically visible.

Hualing?

Fang Yimeng instinctively turned her head to look at the man in the driver’s seat—Lu Jingshan. His expression was also a bit tense, though his handsome profile remained composed.

“I didn’t know anything about that,” she replied.

Meng Qing quickly summarized the current situation on Weibo: the full video of the alleged bullying had been released, and public opinion had done a complete 180—now all the blame was falling on Liao Ran.

The truth had been exposed so suddenly that Liao Ran’s team hadn’t had time to respond, and social media was already in an uproar.

Fang Yimeng quickly ended the call and looked directly at Lu Jingshan.

She spoke in a steady voice: “Keep an eye on the Weibo trends. Priority one—protect Teacher Fang’s public reputation.”