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墨書 Inktalez
She wanted to walk past Zhou Qianyi to grab the documents from the coffee table. As they brushed past each other, Zhou Qianyi held her arm and said, "What if I think that rumors about you and me could actually improve my image?"
Zhou Qianyi seemed worried that Zou Yang might not understand his point, so he explained, "I am the CEO of the Zhou Corporation. If I get married, it would convey stability to the public, and our company’s stock would rise."
"You’re talking about marriage; what does that have to do with rumors?"
Had he lost his mind? Rumors could greatly impact a person's image, and a love triangle would only tarnish his reputation further.
"Because the person involved in the rumors is you!" Zhou Qianyi's gaze shifted downward from Zou Yang. "You have a high education level and are a researcher in the lab; your looks are average. If rumors spread about us, people would likely think I’m settling down."
Zhou Qianyi was belittling her worth.
Zou Yang forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Manager Zhou is the decision-maker at the Zhou Corporation; how could your thoughts be swayed by them? If they think you want to settle down, that's their opinion, not yours."
She remembered a time when she went to find Zhou Qianyi at a hotel. He had been half-drunk that day and was on the phone with a friend who teased him about getting married and giving him a wedding gift—a villa. At that time, Zhou Qianyi had said he was against marriage, and his friend’s comments were just mocking him.
Generally, people who are against marriage have made a significant decision and won't easily change their minds, just like her.
Zou Yang spoke with certainty.
Seeing her reaction, Zhou Qianyi smiled. "They can't sway me; what if I want to marry someone just for show?"
"……" How could he live so whimsically?
Zou Yang looked at him incredulously. "Manager Zhou has such good conditions; if you want to marry someone just for show, there must be many girls willing."
"What about you? Would you be willing?"
"Manager Zhou, that's going too far! I'm just an ordinary employee at the research institute with a low salary. If you're considering marrying me just to save on that little salary, isn’t that putting yourself in a difficult position?"
Zhou Qianyi must have been drinking something stronger than alcohol to be thinking like this! One moment he was talking about rumors, and the next he wanted to marry her.
With his attitude, even if he carried her home in a grand procession, she would still be unwilling!
The smile on Zou Yang's face grew colder.
Zhou Qianyi didn’t know what was wrong with him tonight to be discussing this with her; he must have drunk too much. He sat down in an armchair by the fireplace and yawned while closing his eyes.
Hearing this, Zou Yang almost rolled her eyes at him.
She had important matters to attend to and no time for his nonsense. She picked up the documents and approached Zhou Qianyi. "Manager Zhou, when I called you this afternoon about funding, this is the latest progress on the project. Please take a look."
Zou Yang handed over the documents.
Zhou Qianyi lay on the recliner without any reaction.
"Manager Zhou?" Zou Yang called out to him.
Zhou Qianyi didn't even blink. Was he asleep? Zou Yang wanted to reach out and poke him, but hesitated and withdrew her hand. Zhou Qianyi was undoubtedly the most difficult person Zou Yang had ever encountered. He never cursed, never said he wouldn't provide funding, and when he needed funds, he seemed to take pleasure in making things difficult for her.
Zou Yang had already hardened herself through countless trials. She held up a document and gestured as if she were going to smash it in his face. In this society, asking for money made one a fool! She was prepared to be that fool...
Taking a deep breath, Zou Yang decided to leave. The fireplace crackled with a lively fire, and she turned to look at it. It was her first time using this thing, and she only had a vague understanding of its safety; what if it spat out sparks and ignited something else? Zhou Qianyi was right next to the fireplace; if he got burned, the consequences would be dire. Not only would the remaining project funds be in jeopardy, but she would also be expelled from the research lab.
Frustrated, Zou Yang sat down in the chair opposite Zhou Qianyi, occasionally tossing a piece of firewood into the fireplace to maintain the room's temperature. The only sound in the room was that of the burning wood as she picked up her phone to scroll through it, trying to pass the long night.
Everything seemed calm on her side as if nothing had happened before. The artist had run out after being humiliated. She didn’t know where she had gone wrong; she had heard from other artists in the studio that Zhou Qianyi was much kinder to their artists than those from other companies. So why hadn’t that kindness been extended to her? Was it because she wasn’t pretty enough?
The artist glanced down at her long, beautiful legs wrapped in a short skirt. Her looks were among the best in the studio; she had graduated from a professional academy and had decent skills. She pondered but couldn’t find anything she had done wrong.
As she turned to look back at the villa shrouded in night, a wave of grievance washed over her. Wiping away her tears and preparing to leave, she noticed a paparazzi holding a camera pointed at her, taking pictures.
She nervously clutched her clothes. But in just a moment, she completely relaxed.
The paparazzi caught her leaving Zhou Qianyi's house, and she would soon experience a wave of attention, which is a good thing for an artist. Encountering the paparazzi was an unexpected delight; she decided not to dwell on them and shook off her earlier grievances as she left the villa area.
What she didn't expect was that shortly after returning home, the paparazzi released the news. Not long after the news broke, Zhou Qianyi's assistant contacted her, instructing her to announce her retirement from the industry. The person on the other end of the phone was bewildered.
Wasn't it just a rumor? Zhou Qianyi had rumors before; why was it suddenly affecting her? Had Zhou Qianyi's tolerance become so low? She was certain that today was the first time she had met Zhou Qianyi and that she had never offended him before. Why was he trying to destroy her?
The artist, pale-faced, couldn't help but ask, "I'm sorry, but may I ask what happened?"
"You are an artist; you have a rumor surrounding you. Didn't anyone mention it to you?"
If she wanted to play innocent, she needed to do it convincingly. The assistant had been in the entertainment industry long enough to have seen many scheming women. He didn't spare her any dignity and directly exposed her lies.
"I... I was just resting..."
"Let me tell you now: you have been rumored to be involved with Manager Zhou."
"There’s nothing between me and Manager Zhou; how could there be a rumor?"
"That's beyond my knowledge. All I know is that Manager Zhou instructed me that if any female artist has rumors with him, they must be made to retire immediately. If they refuse to retire..."
The assistant didn't finish his sentence, but the artist could hear the blatant threat in his increasingly sinking tone.
"I..."
"I've already informed you; my job is done. The next steps are up to you."
Before the artist could respond, the other party had already hung up the phone.
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