MTL - 5

Tang Yu, I’m not happy today.

I want to give you the silent treatment for a few days.

— From the Diary of a Little Rich Girl

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The young woman’s voice was clear and soft, echoing in the private training room.

There was a brief silence of three seconds.

Tang Yu’s mind grew complex. Had he misjudged her earlier? Coming back to his senses, he half-closed his eyes and gazed at Tang Xin, who sat wide-eyed on the mat. Slowly, he asked, “You… only want me?”

A fleeting look of panic crossed Tang Xin’s eyes, but as soon as she met Tang Yu’s gaze, all her unease vanished. She forced an awkward smile and quickly explained, “No, no—I meant I only want you as the producer. You’re amazing; last year, the total box office revenue of the movies you produced exceeded fifty billion yuan. You’re the most capable person I know, and I’m most familiar with you. So I want you…” She paused ever so slightly, “…to be the producer and help me make my own script. Is that okay?”

“I don’t want anyone else handling it. I trust you.”

She emphasized again, her large eyes shining with anticipation as they looked at him.

Leaning against the fitness equipment, arms crossed over his chest, Tang Yu half-lowered his gaze and looked at her skeptically. “That’s it?”

Tang Xin nodded vigorously. “Yes.”

Tang Yu turned his head slightly, his profile facing her, lost in thought. Tang Xin stole glances at him, feeling uneasy. After a moment, he suddenly raised his eyes to look at her and chuckled softly. “What if I refuse?”

Tang Xin: “….”

Her eyes blinked several times, stunned.

She had carefully considered this question, believing there was an eighty percent chance Tang Yu would agree. Why? Because they had been allies for over a year, and she knew Tang Yu always kept his word. If he promised something, as long as she asked, he would deliver.

Granted, when Tang Yu made those promises, they were purely transactional.

When she accepted them, her thoughts weren’t about benefits—she just wanted some sort of connection, even if it was based on mutual interest.

Now, Tang Yu was saying no?

He wasn’t agreeing?

Tang Xin suddenly felt sad. She bit her lip, and in the next moment, she glared at him. “Tang Yu, you’re burning bridges after crossing the river!”

Tang Yu let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Did I even cross the river?”

Tang Xin: “….”

No, he had been eliminated from the competition.

She bit her lower lip and glared at him again. “You’re the CEO of a publicly listed company worth billions. Aren’t you ashamed? Even if business doesn’t work out, we should still maintain goodwill! Saying things like that is embarrassing!”

Tang Yu: “….”

He looked at her, a cold smirk tugging at his lips, tinged with self-mockery. “So you remember I’m your boss, huh? And here I thought no one talks to their boss like this. If it were someone else, they’d have been fired already.”

Tang Xin puffed up her cheeks, thinking to herself that if it were someone else, she wouldn’t bother being so careful around them.

She lowered her head, feeling a little wronged, her voice soft and small. “So… will you agree or not?”

For a moment, Tang Yu didn’t speak. If she merely wanted to be the lead screenwriter, or even insisted on making a film out of任性 (caprice), he could offer her better advice and direction. Even if the company rejected the investment proposal, he could help her find resources and collaborators.

All in all, Tang Yu was a man of principles and rules. He set many boundaries for himself and had specific preferences. When it came to women, he liked someone like Ming Zhu—gentle yet with her own sharp edges.

He didn’t make promises lightly.

As a businessman, he never spoke too definitively or acted too rigidly, always leaving room for maneuvering.

Tang Xin waited until her eyes ached, nearly losing hope, when Tang Yu straightened up and said casually, “I can introduce you to a producer suitable for your script, or I can personally invest. However…”

However…

However what?

Perhaps he simply didn’t like her. Otherwise, he would’ve agreed immediately.

Tang Xin didn’t want to hear any more. She abruptly stood up and huffed, “If you won’t agree, then fine. It was just talk anyway. Pretend I never said it.”

It wasn’t really about getting anything from Tang Yu. She just wanted him. If this approach didn’t work, she’d try another way.

With that, she turned and walked toward the door.

Tang Yu glanced at her retreating figure and called out, “Come back.”

“What?” Tang Xin turned around.

Tang Yu had originally intended to say that if her script was truly good, he would take on the role of producer. But after she interrupted him, it somehow no longer felt appropriate, and he found it difficult to say. Based on his previous personality, he would never have agreed to such a thing.

He smirked faintly and said lazily, “Didn’t you say you wanted to keep me company?”

Tang Xin tilted her chin proudly, looking at him like a queen surveying her subject. “I was happy earlier, so I wanted to chat with you.”

But now, I’m not happy.

Only a fool would accompany you.

She stuck out her tongue and turned to leave, disappearing within seconds.

Tang Yu leaned against the fitness equipment, his expression cold. He shifted his face slightly and stared at his reflection in the mirror across from him, carefully recalling her earlier micro-expressions—careful, disappointed, earnest, aggrieved, angry, and defiant…

And finally, that playful face sticking out her tongue, signaling, “This lady is unhappy and refuses to entertain you.”

Everything vividly replayed in his mind. He lowered his head and tugged at the corner of his lips.

________________________________________

When Tang Xin reached the entrance, she reflected on her performance. She must have been as cool as a cucumber. Tang Yu probably didn’t sense anything, right? She reassured herself and went to retrieve her bag.

Back home, the group chat among the three women buzzed. Ming Zhu was back.

Ming Zhu : I’m back!

You Huan : Hug! @Little Rich Girl, don’t forget to come help me watch the shop tomorrow.

Tang Xin lay on her bed and replied with a casual “Okay.”

She wasn’t in the mood to chat much, so she grabbed some clothes and headed to take a shower. She also ordered takeout. When the food arrived, she hesitated to eat it. She had worked so hard to go to the gym, and eating this late-night snack would undo all her efforts.

Swallowing her saliva, she stuffed the takeout into the fridge.

Not eating it—for beauty and wealth.

________________________________________

At nine o’clock the next morning, Tang Xin parked her Macan in front of a small studio. The studio wasn’t big, and its location wasn’t great, but the one advantage was that parking was available. She got out of the car and saw You Huan bending over to unlock the door. Standing at 172 cm tall, You Huan had a slim waist and long legs, with a model-like figure. In March weather, she wore a loose-fitting coat over a short sweater and low-rise pants, exposing her beautiful abs and pierced belly button.

Tang Xin walked over and touched her stomach. “How are you not freezing?”

You Huan unlocked the door and glanced at her. “If you had abs like mine, you’d want to show them off too.”

Tang Xin: “….”

She didn’t have abs.

You Huan chuckled and pulled open the glass door. “Have you eaten breakfast?”

Tang Xin followed her inside cheerfully. “Nope. Since I’m helping you watch the shop for the day, shouldn’t you cover all three meals?”

You Huan knew this was coming. She dug a disposable food container out of her bag and handed it to Tang Xin. “Pan-fried buns.”

Tang Xin happily carried the container to the reception desk and started eating. She watched You Huan busily pull open the curtains, change the mannequin’s outfit in the display window, and tidy up the store. By the time she finished eating, You Huan had everything neatly arranged. Glancing at the clock while organizing sketches, she said without looking up, “Same as before—sell the basic camisoles for a few hundred, tops no less than two thousand, and jackets no more than ten thousand. Feel free to set the prices however you want. Sell if you can; if not, no big deal.”

“Got it. This is my favorite kind of job.”

Tang Xin tossed the empty container into the trash. The reason she readily agreed to help was simple. You Huan’s clothing studio specialized in unique, custom pieces with flexible pricing. Depending on her mood, she could sell items for whatever price she pleased.

For instance, if she was in a good mood and the customer was pretty, she’d sell it cheaper. But if she was in a bad mood and spotted someone wealthy enough to splurge, she’d jack up the price. Selling like this was incredibly satisfying.

Perfect…

Because today, her mood wasn’t so great.

At first, a shop like You Huan’s struggled to survive—it wasn’t a big brand, and the prices were high. People rarely bought anything. Without Tang Xin and Ming Zhu promoting it, plus You Huan and her partner’s efforts, it would’ve gone bankrupt.

Now, they had some loyal customers—rich young ladies and minor celebrities.

Why? Because every piece in the shop was one-of-a-kind, ensuring no one else would wear the same outfit.

You Huan glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. “You’re in a bad mood today?”

Tang Xin pouted. “Sort of.”

“Your President Tang upset you?”

“…”

“What did he do?”

It was a long story. Seeing You Huan ready to head out, Tang Xin waved her hand dismissively. “Never mind. I’ll tell you later. Go ahead and get busy.”

You Huan winked at her. “Alright, I’m off. Don’t rip anyone off too badly today.”

Rich young ladies usually didn’t bargain. If the price was too high, they might not return.

So, she told Tang Xin not to be too ruthless.

Tang Xin gave her an OK sign.

After You Huan left, Tang Xin was alone in the hundred-square-meter shop. The store had a notorious reputation in the area for being expensive and overpriced, with few visitors. Bored, she opened her laptop and continued writing her character biography. Even though Tang Yu hadn’t agreed to be her producer, she still needed to write the script.

No customers came in the entire morning. After lunch, she napped at the desk, bored out of her mind.

Finally, at around four in the afternoon, a red Maserati worth over two million yuan pulled up outside the store.

Tang Xin’s eyes lit up. A rich young lady had arrived!

She quickly stood up, tidied her hair and skirt, and elegantly stepped out from behind the counter to wait by the entrance.

Two exquisitely dressed young women, around twenty years old, stepped out of the car, each carrying designer bags. Holding hands, they entered the store. The girl in the pink coat excitedly said, “This is the shop I told you about! Every piece is unique, and the designs are new—you won’t run into anyone wearing the same thing!”

Tang Dingding was delighted, eagerly eyeing the display window. She exclaimed, “I want to try that set.”

She pointed to the mannequin.

Before she could finish, a gentle voice said, “Let me take it down for you.”

Tang Dingding turned her head. When her eyes met Tang Xin’s sweet smile, she froze. Wasn’t this the beautiful screenwriter her brother had failed to pursue?!

Tang Xin smiled brightly. “Feel free to browse other items. Once you’ve picked everything, you can try them all at once.”

Tang Dingding looked at her incredulously. Wait, wasn’t she a screenwriter? Why was she working in a clothing studio? Did she mistake her for someone else? Quickly, she pulled out her phone and flipped through the photo album, sneaking a glance. Looking back at Tang Xin, her gaze landed on the shallow dimple on her right cheek.

No mistake—it was her!

Shen Fei looked at her curiously and leaned over to whisper, “What’s going on?”

Tang Dingding shook her head, unable to contain her excitement. She looked at Tang Xin and asked with a sweet smile, “Are you the designer here?”

Tang Xin smiled and shook her head. “No, I’m just a friend helping out for the day.”

So that was it.

Tang Dingding pondered for a moment and decided to proceed with shopping as usual. She strolled leisurely, sneaking glances at Tang Xin from the corner of her eye. In person, she looked no different from her photos—wearing a comfortable beige dress, very fair and slim, with particularly smooth and delicate skin. Definitely beautiful. However, she didn’t quite resemble the type her brother usually liked.

“Can you take down the two outfits in the display window? I want to try them on,” Tang Dingding said casually, pointing at the mannequins while browsing through more clothes. “And this one too.”

Tang Xin dutifully retrieved the items, hanging each piece neatly in the fitting room. She also recommended a few handmade accessories crafted by You Huan during her free time. Smiling warmly, she asked, “Anything else?”

Tang Dingding looked at her and shook her head with a smile. “No, that’s all for now.”

Unaware of what Tang Dingding was thinking, Tang Xin gestured politely. “Please go ahead and try them on.”

Tang Dingding nodded. Shen Fei had already been trying on clothes for a while and called out impatiently from the fitting room, “Dingding, hurry up! We still need to eat later—don’t be late!”

“I know,” Tang Dingding replied.

Tang Xin stood outside, attentively serving the two young ladies.

In the end, the two selected several outfits. Tang Xin brought over Tang Dingding’s picks first, folding them neatly while naming the prices. She added cheerfully, “If any of these don’t meet your expectations, I can set them aside for you.”

Tang Dingding nodded with a smile. “Alright.”

Then, as Tang Xin announced each price, Tang Dingding couldn’t help but cast skeptical glances at the corresponding garment in her hands.

Was this camisole really worth eight thousand yuan? That little sweater priced at eighteen thousand? And the denim jacket at forty-eight thousand?!

She turned to look at Shen Fei.

Shen Fei blinked, feeling like the prices weren’t this high the last time she visited.

Still, both girls had grown up accustomed to luxury spending—buying expensive clothes and designer bags without batting an eye. They were simply surprised that such a small studio could charge so much.

In the end, Shen Fei picked up a fifty-thousand-yuan jacket, deciding it wasn’t worth it. She might as well buy a handbag instead.

Tang Dingding gazed at Tang Xin’s smiling face, pursed her lips, and chuckled softly. “I’ll pay by card.”

A few minutes later, Tang Xin escorted the two to their car, carefully placing their purchases in the back seat. With a warm wave, she said, “We hope to see you again soon.”

After watching their car drive away, Tang Xin went back into the shop, feeling pleased. She took out her phone and sent a photo of the transaction amount to You Huan.

You Huan, who was driving at the time, only saw the message when she arrived at the store. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Over a hundred thousand yuan?!

She pushed open the car door and hurried inside, scanning the racks to see which pieces were missing. Turning to Tang Xin, who was enjoying an afternoon tea break, You Huan gave her a thumbs-up. “You’re ruthless.”

You Huan said admiringly, “Who was so generous to let you take advantage like that?”

Tang Xin grinned. “Two rich young ladies driving a Maserati worth over two million.”

You Huan: “They sure have money.”

Tang Xin nodded, her eyes sparkling as she looked at You Huan.

You Huan: “….”

She pulled out her phone and sent Tang Xin a red envelope.

Tang Xin happily collected the red packet and even posted a screenshot on her social media.

________________________________________

In the evening, Tang Yu returned to the Tang family estate. After dinner, he went to his father Tang Haiming’s study to discuss business matters.

Once they finished, Tang Yu exited the study to find Tang Dingding lugging a mountain of shopping bags upstairs. As soon as she spotted him, she huffed, “Big Brother, I think I got ripped off today.”

Tang Yu, hands in his pockets, glanced at her indifferently. “What happened?”

Tang Dingding caught her breath after climbing the stairs and said, “Wait a moment.” She dumped the shopping bags into her room and rushed back out, only to find her brother lazily leaning against the intricately carved railing, scrolling through his phone. She walked over and planted herself firmly in front of him.

Tang Yu said coolly, “Out of money?”

Tang Dingding: “…Just a little short.”

Tang Yu nodded casually. “I’ll have someone transfer you some tomorrow.” With that, he straightened up and prepared to leave.

“Wait!”

Tang Dingding blocked his path, her delicate brows furrowed. In a low voice, she said, “I got ripped off by Ming Zhu today. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but then I remembered you didn’t succeed in pursuing her. She’s not my sister-in-law, yet I just handed over tens of thousands of yuan to her… It made me feel…”

She paused, her voice tinged with frustration. “It made me angry!”

Tang Yu: “….”

He stopped in his tracks and looked down at her. “What do you mean?”

Tang Dingding recounted the afternoon’s shopping spree. Tang Yu listened with a neutral expression. He had heard of You Huan’s shop before—Tang Xin had mentioned it several times, saying how much she enjoyed helping out because she could set whatever prices she wanted.

Afterward, You Huan would send her plenty of red envelopes.

He thought of Ming Zhu’s gentle demeanor and hadn’t expected her to be capable of such ruthlessness…

“You walked right into it. If you got ripped off, then so be it.”

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Author’s Note:

Little Rich Girl: If you hurt me, I’ll make your sister pay :)

Little Sister Tang: Poor me, suffering on behalf of my brother.

Miss Ming: Not my fault—I refuse to take the blame!

In the future, Boss Tang: Tang Dingding, go get ripped off by Tang Xin to appease your sister-in-law.