The Bully President and the Serious Wife

Xu Lu opened Weibo and browsed the news about Xu Qixi.

A bunch of scandals were unearthed after the incident. Some were about her school days, some about stealing, and some about her being kept by a man. Articles were also posted about her bullying other actresses and stealing screen time.

Xu Lu was in a good mood as she browsed the messages.

She browsed through the "Top Ten Hot Topics." Among the many scandals about Xu Qixi, she also saw a familiar name: "Jin Xuechuan."

Xu Lu clicked on Jin Xuechuan's Weibo page. He had posted a photo at ten o'clock this morning. There were no captions on it.

The photo captures the silhouette of a woman leaning back against the camera, her red dress fluttering in the wind. The angle of the shot stretches her shadow, and when the light hits her head, she resembles wings. The contrast is striking, the colors vibrant. It's captivating.

That's her in the photo.

Xu Lu smiled. Jin Xuechuan was preparing to promote his music.

In just two hours, his Weibo post had garnered 100,000 comments and 500,000 likes.

Even though Xu Qixi occupied almost all the hot topics, Jin Xuechuan was able to secure a place in the "Top Ten Hot Topics." Clearly, his popularity was unprecedented.

Xu Lu clicks on the comments below.

A large portion of the comments were asking if this was a relationship reveal.

—

A few days had passed, and Xie Zhenting finally calmed himself down.

He felt that his days were full of misfortune, and it was entirely possible that Xu Lu had cursed him.

However, this calmness inadvertently wiped out the excitement in his life, making him feel that life had become dull again.

Jiang Lin hesitated before knocking on the door.

Jiang Lin said, “President, something happened, but I’m not sure if I should tell you.”

“If you’re not sure, get out.”

Jiang Lin muttered nervously before speaking: "Oh, the first press conference for 'Talented Scholars and Beautiful Women' is being prepared. It's scheduled to be held this Friday."

Xie Zhenting frowned. "Get out."

He was not interested in hearing anything about Xu Lu.

Jiang Lin trembled with nervousness, but quickly finished the rest of her words. "But it seems management excluded Miss Lulu from the event. I was thinking... our company spent a lot of money to have Miss Lulu as the star. And yet not inviting Miss Lulu reflects a lack of respect for the Xie family company."

Jiang Lin spoke, and Xie Zhenting wanted to slap the documents on the table to someone. He controlled himself and put down the documents. “Invite the producer and director to Fengxue Pavilion tonight.”

“Okay, President!”

Xie Zhenting plans to clean up the mess.

It takes some courage not to invite Miss Lulu.

The president is protecting his people. No one can bully her except himself.

...

Wind and Snow Pavilion.

The director and producer of "The Gifted Scholar and the Beautiful Lady," along with the male lead, Song Qingyan, were already seated at the table. Qu Jing was there to entertain them, but Xie Zhenting had not yet appeared.

From nine o'clock to midnight, they drank until their stomachs were full of alcohol, but Xie Zhenting still did not show up.

Song Qingyan said to Qu Jing, "Mr. Qu, it's already late. Our schedule for tomorrow is very full.

Qu Jing interrupted him. “No, no. Stay here. President Xie will be here soon.”

The three could only remain silent - and a little angry at their slow-moving investors.

An hour later, Xie Zhenting finally walked into the room.

As soon as Xie Zhenting appeared, everyone stood up to greet him: "President Xie. Nice to meet you."

Xie Zhenting cast a sharp look at them. "Looks like I'm going to be late. Sit down. I'll pay today, drink. No one will leave sober tonight."

Inside, the men were crying, 'More wine?'

Usually the last person to arrive would be punished by drinking three glasses of wine, but because it was Xie Zhenting, no one dared to suggest it.

Xie Zhenting sat down and motioned for the ladies in the room to fill their glasses. There were several bottles of white wine, whiskey, and red wine, all mixed together.

“I’m driving late, so I can’t drink. So, everyone, please drink on my behalf.”

Everyone in the room felt something was wrong. They felt it was intentional, and they couldn't resist the gesture or disrespect the tycoon standing before them.

Although everyone had this idea in their mind, no one dared to say a word.

They drank the wine in one gulp. As the alcohol flowed down their throats, they could feel a burning sensation.

The director tried to lighten the mood, joking: "No disrespect, but if it makes sense, I would ask Mr. to join us as the male lead. Your characteristics and qualities are extraordinary."

The director did not give false praise. Every time they met, he would lament that a man as handsome and famous as Xie Zhenting did not end up becoming an actor. This is a loss for the entertainment industry.

Xie Zhenting raised his eyebrows. “I’d rather throw money at others and watch them perform for me.”

The response set the room on edge—no one knew how to continue the conversation politely after a statement like that. They tried their best to tactfully change the subject.

Qu Jing asked: "Yes, I heard that the heroine of this play has changed?"

"Of course not, it's still Miss Xu Lu," the producer replied quickly.

Xie Zhenting said in a mocking tone: "Oh? It's Xu Lu again? I thought you made some changes."

The producer immediately said, “Why would we do this? The president personally selected Ms. Xu. We would never question your judgment.”

Xie Zhenting gave them a sarcastic smile. “Really? You wouldn’t? If that’s the case, why didn’t Xu Lu’s name appear at the first press conference?”

The members present realized Xie Zhenting's purpose.

No wonder the head of the Xie family suddenly invited them to drink.

The team panicked as they tried to figure out how the news had reached the "God of Wealth" so quickly.

As someone with an entertainment background, the producer recovered at a crucial moment to clarify. "Yes, it's like this—Miss Xu is a new face. We were worried that if we introduced her too early, it might cause a public backlash... So we planned to shoot the film first; we would only reveal Xu Lu when we entered the official promotion phase of the film. It would be a surprise for fans."

He smiled, but his manner was cool. As a businessman, he had seen many tactics and strategies at play.

These individuals were clearly trying to conceal his sponsorship from the public to avoid retaliation. They feared audiences would accuse them of compromising the film's quality for the sake of money; like casting a newcomer in the lead role. This wouldn't be good news for the film.

They try to manipulate the situation so that they can win on both sides. The world is never that simple.

Xie Zhenting got straight to the point. "Don't try to fool me. I invested a lot of money in this production just to promote Xu Lu. Do you want to do something like this? Am I not a threat to you? Do you think I won't find out?"

The producer and director's expressions darkened. Song Qingyan drank silently.

The producer explained: “President Xie may have misunderstood our intention. We did this to ensure that the film would receive good press and box office success. This is for the long-term benefit.”