#61 (Changing for Her)

Wen Di could empathize with Yin Ziyu’s situation. That kind of pain couldn’t be instantly healed by someone’s advice, by telling her the other person was a jerk, that it was good she saw his true colors early, and that she was better off.

Wounds had to heal little by little on their own; there was no miracle cure.

She couldn’t become the one who hurt Yin Ziyu a second time. After slowly coming to terms with this, even if Behind Desire was affected, it didn’t seem so hard to accept anymore.

She created a three-person group chat, told Qin Xing and Shen Tang about Yin Ziyu’s situation, and their next step was crisis management. But how to manage this crisis was a puzzle, and they needed to plan carefully.

Yin Ziyu was currently immersed in the sweet bliss of getting back together, unaware that Zhang Qiaoyu already had a girlfriend. How could they tell her this cruel truth?

The group chat fell silent.

It wasn’t until the next day that they still hadn’t figured out how to break the news to Yin Ziyu.

Jiang Zhengqian’s attempt to use Yin Ziyu as a weak point against Yan Heyu didn’t escape Jiang Yunxing. She traced her uncle’s financial movements, which led to Zhang Qiaoyu’s company.

Jiang Yunxing arrived at the company early and went straight to Jiang Zhengqian’s office on the upper floor, confronting him: “What exactly are you trying to do? Haven’t you lost enough in your fights with Yan Heyu?”

Why didn’t he ever learn his lesson?

Their family had finally settled down after a period of chaos, and now he was stirring up trouble again. The thought of her uncle insisting on competing with Yan Heyu made her chest and head ache.

Jiang Zhengqian pretended not to hear, not wanting to argue with his niece; they were on completely different wavelengths.

He was in a good mood today, personally grinding coffee beans, and even asked his niece if she wanted a cup.

Jiang Yunxing was furious. “Jiang Zhengqian!”

“Yunxing, I’m still your elder. Who are you shouting at?”

Jiang Zhengqian found a new coffee cup and poured his niece a drink.

“If you’re so capable, why don’t you steal back the projects Yan Heyu took from you, or at least sabotage them? Why are you going after Wen Di?”

“He also went after my other business. Is he allowed to light fires while I’m not even allowed to light a lamp?”

“...”

“Try this. These coffee beans were air-shipped yesterday.”

Jiang Yunxing turned her face away, not bothering to reply.

“Your temper was spoiled by your elder brother.”

Jiang Zhengqian put down the coffee and prepared a cup for himself.

Jiang Yunxing was on the verge of exhaustion. “We got benefits from Xiao Donghan. As for the domestic projects, if Yan Heyu is capable of taking them, let him. We helped Xiao Donghan seize his Huayuan Industrial market. I told you, we can’t have our cake and eat it too. Why don’t you listen?”

“I don’t want to let go of anything. I want to have it all. What’s wrong with that?”

Jiang Zhengqian wiped his hands with a wet towel. “Yunxing, initially, I didn’t want to be an enemy of Yan Heyu. It was your decision to cooperate with Xiao Ning to expand the overseas market, which resulted in losing so much of my domestic market. Yan Heyu and I aren’t peers. He’s twenty years younger than me. Do you think I can tolerate him acting all arrogant and threatening me all the time? I’m losing projects one after another, and my subordinates are getting resentful. Would you be okay with that? Is it just a matter of money?”

He said all this in one breath, then felt it was pointless.

“Then you shouldn’t have targeted Wen Di,” Jiang Yunxing’s tone was less confrontational now.

“Wen Di is his leverage. He has a weakness in my hands, and I have a soft spot in his. It’s a fair fight. I don’t want to get into a real fight with him. Who wants to go around picking fights? It comes at a cost, and I just want to make my money.”

Jiang Zhengqian told his niece not to waste her breath trying to persuade him; he wouldn’t change his mind.

“If he returns my project and stops trying to trip me up, the Yin Ziyu matter is settled.”

“Who is Zhang Qiaoyu’s girlfriend?”

“An artist from his company, Liang Yu.”

Jiang Yunxing had heard the name Liang Yu but was unfamiliar with her work. “How confident are you that she will genuinely help you?”

“I find people whom Yan Heyu can’t handle.” In terms of public opinion resources, he had no less than Yan Heyu, which was why he dared to go after Wen Di.

Her uncle was determined and wouldn’t back down. It was too late to stop. Her uncle was so aggressive because he knew that no matter how ruthless Yan Heyu got, he couldn’t completely destroy him. Even if he lost everything, he still had the Jiang family, and Yan Heyu couldn’t do anything to the Jiang family.

“Uncle, let’s try not to cause trouble for the family. Grandpa is getting old. How much longer do you think you can rely on the shade he provides? Business is business. I don’t want to bother my dad, and you should also try not to disturb your old man’s peace in his twilight years.”

Jiang Zhengqian suddenly lost his mood for coffee and pointed to the door.

Jiang Yunxing glared at her uncle and slammed the door shut as she left.

Back in her office, she felt uneasy. Even the most meticulous plan could go awry. If Yan Heyu’s public relations team managed to turn the tide, her uncle’s future would be very difficult.

When the city gate catches fire, the fish in the pond are affected. She and the Jiang family’s interests were those fish.

Now, Wen Di was someone whom no one could touch in Yan Heyu’s eyes. The moment he chose to protect Wen Di’s small yacht instead of the giant ship of Tian Qinglu’s family, it already spoke volumes.

Jiang Yunxing was forced into a corner and had no choice but to talk to Yan Heyu. She would fully cooperate to find a suitable way to resolve the Wen Di issue, trying not to involve Wen Di and to resolve the conflict between him and her uncle.

She unlocked her phone, and a rush of emotions overwhelmed her. She couldn’t remember how many years it had been since she last called him, but she remembered his number perfectly.

She entered the numbers one by one, took a deep breath, and dialed.

Yan Heyu was in his office, briefing Kang Bo when his phone rang. He looked at the last few digits and found them familiar. He thought for a moment and remembered it was Jiang Yunxing’s number.

He used to remember it, but too much time had passed, and the memory had blurred.

He prided himself on his good memory, remembering hundreds of numbers, but some still slipped his mind.

A call from her at this point could only be about Jiang Zhengqian. No matter why she was calling, he had no intention of answering.

Wen Di was a bit petty and jealous; he couldn’t let her be unhappy.

Yan Heyu hung up directly and deleted the call record.

“Mr. Yan, Zhang Qiaoyu and Liang Yu are refusing any communication.” They were bought, or even threatened, by Jiang Zhengqian, so there was basically no hope of convincing them.

Once Liang Yu and Zhang Qiaoyu refused to cooperate, their chances of winning this public relations battle were slim.

Yin Ziyu had recently become popular, with more commercial and fashion resources coming her way, making her a target for many. They would be delighted if something happened to her. Once the negative news broke, who knew how many people would seize the opportunity to stomp on her until she couldn’t get back up.

Yan Heyu put down his phone. “Contact Liang Yu. I’ll meet with her.”

“You’re going yourself?”

“Yes.”

Yan Heyu picked up his phone again and messaged Wen Di: [Have lunch with me.] He found a restaurant and sent her the name.

Wen Di’s state was better than expected. She had a more relaxed mindset and realized she wasn’t so anxious.

She had been lucky in her career since her freshman year, with a smooth sailing journey. She had never faced a slump before, so what was a public opinion crisis?

But Yan Heyu seemed worried that she was overthinking things. He kept feeding her during lunch.

Wen Di pushed his chopsticks away. “I’ll eat by myself. If I were really that fragile, how could I be your sugar momma and give you thirty yuan a month for an allowance?”

Yan Heyu put the fish fillet he picked up in his own bowl and ate it.

“Is your new script called How Should I Love You?” He tried to divert her attention. He saw a manuscript on the desk in her study; it seemed to be titled that.

“Mm.”

“Is it about you and me?”

“...Don’t be so conceited. It’s about a group of young people who just graduated from college.” She emphasized the words “young people.”

Yan Heyu retorted: “I’m in my thirties. Does that not count as young?”

“Depends on who you compare me to. Compared to Guan Xiangmu, who’s almost fifty, you’re young. Compared to guys in their twenties, you’re old.”

Yan Heyu slowly ate his fish fillet, staring at her.

“Don’t look at me,” Wen Di said. “I don’t have the power to stop the slaughtering knife of time for you.”

Her insults were getting out of hand. She had a knack for being sarcastic.

Yan Heyu mimicked her. “That’s okay. I’ll stop it for you.”

“...”

Wen Di was in a daze. Their banter was just like before, when they would playfully argue. The harmless teasing was a source of fun for them back then.

Yan Heyu accompanied her for lunch, then had to go back to the office. They took the elevator straight to the basement parking lot.

Wen Di’s car was in a different section. He walked her to her car, holding the door to prevent her from opening it, trapping her between him and the car.

“Did you forget all your flowery farewell rituals?”

Whenever she was in a good mood, they were different every time.

He said, “I want a moderately flowery one.”

If she didn’t give him a farewell, he wouldn’t let her leave. Cars were passing by from time to time.

Wen Di reached up and pulled his neck down.

Yan Heyu said, “Be gentle, you almost broke my neck.”

He lowered his head cooperatively.

Wen Di kissed his lips, then his Adam’s apple.

Only then did Yan Heyu let go and open the car door for her. Wen Di got in, and he handed her the seatbelt. “For Yin Ziyu’s matter, my public relations team and your team will coordinate.”

Wen Di nodded, rolled up the window, and drove away.

She and Qin Xing spent the entire afternoon preparing their public relations strategy. Yin Ziyu had an event today, so everything had to wait until she finished and they could talk to her in person. Maybe she still wouldn’t believe that Zhang Qiaoyu was that kind of man.

However, before Yin Ziyu could finish work and return to the company, Liang Yu revealed her boyfriend’s cheating, and it became a top trending topic within half an hour.

Liang Yu was only a third-tier actress, but she had recently been cast as the female lead in a highly anticipated, S-grade production. At the time, the news of her casting received mixed reviews; some supported her, thinking her temperament was a good fit, but most were skeptical, with all kinds of snarky comments.

With this new trending topic, netizens commented that she was desperate for fame and was using a ridiculously low-level method to get attention. They all tagged the drama’s official account, asking them to replace the lead actress and not ruin a good script.

Liang Yu’s post was a long text:

[After a long struggle, I’ve decided to let go of some things to ease my conscience. A year and a half ago, I was in a relationship with Zhang Qiaoyu. This relationship ultimately ended because he cheated. He was hiding it from both of us, and that girl thought he was single. When I found out, he was afraid the matter would escalate and gave me the female lead role in a big production, promising more resources. There were conditions for these resources. If that girl were to ever find out he was just playing with her feelings and not serious, and if she tried to expose him, I would have to help him by slandering her, saying she knowingly became the third party, and completely destroying her acting career. To be honest, I was tempted and conflicted over those resources. But what did that girl do wrong? I want to be famous, but I am still the sensible, proud daughter in my parents’ eyes. If I make one wrong step, I’ll keep making mistakes. Before I go too far and hurt anyone, I want to turn back. That’s all. I hope you find a character to match your handsome face. @Zhang Qiaoyu]

Ten minutes later, the drama’s official account clarified: [One week ago, due to @Liang Yu’s personal reasons, after careful consideration, we decided to terminate her contract and re-cast the role. We apologize that this termination has caused today’s events. To avoid occupying public resources, we will not be responding further.]

This caused a complete explosion of comments. It turned out Liang Yu had bad character and was fired by the production team. In retaliation, she was now biting back, slandering the producer, Zhang Qiaoyu.

Netizens said her long text was obviously fake and pretentious, especially with the phrase “that girl.” They asked her if she dared to name names.

It was all groundless rumor, and nowadays, there was no cost to spreading rumors.

The entire internet was condemning her.

When Liang Yu saw the official account’s clarification, she just smiled bitterly. Her agent was Zhang Qiaoyu’s friend and had already cut ties with her. At this point, whether there was a contract or not was up to them to say.

She was left with no way to defend herself.

Zhang Qiaoyu and Liang Yu’s story went viral on all platforms. Zhang Qiaoyu, a young and handsome owner of a film company, was well-off and had recently been gaining a lot of attention. People loved gossip like this.

“What’s going on?” Jiang Yunxing’s blood rushed to her head when she saw the push notifications on her phone. “Didn’t you say Liang Yu was reliable? Now the whole world knows. How are you going to fix this?”

Jiang Zhengqian lit a cigarette. “That woman is crazy. She’s not content with her life.”

“I think you’re the one who’s crazy!” Jiang Yunxing hung up and slammed her phone on the table.

Fortunately, Liang Yu had been cautious with her words and hadn’t mentioned that someone was deliberately trying to sabotage Yin Ziyu and ruin Behind Desire, or the situation would have been even messier.

Now, with Liang Yu’s act of sabotage, Jiang Zhengqian and Zhang Qiaoyu were caught completely off guard. They were on the defensive and couldn’t drag Yin Ziyu into this. They had to focus on protecting the project from being affected and ensuring Zhang Qiaoyu’s and the company’s reputation weren’t damaged.

The trending topics condemning Liang Yu kept popping up, one after another, from evening until ten o’clock at night, as if it were just the beginning.

Yin Ziyu posted an update at a quarter past ten:

[I’ve been upset until now, but I still have to say something. I am the “that girl” Liang Yu mentioned. She never came to find me, never made me feel humiliated, until this moment when I’m posting. From now on, I hope you, me, and all of us can meet someone who is truly sincere to us. @Liang Yu I’m also sorry to the Behind Desire team. It’s about to air, and I’ve dragged the show into a whirlwind of public opinion because of my personal matters.]

The official account for Behind Desire reposted and commented: [You don’t need to apologize to anyone. You and @Liang Yu are a true embodiment of the show’s theme. Behind desire, when a heart has been numb for too long, we forget that we are kind. But we all have a kind heart. To both of you kind girls, may everything go smoothly from now on.]

In the early morning, the situation completely reversed.

Zhang Qiaoyu was slammed on trending topics.

Liang Yu was praised as beautiful and kind, gaining a large number of fans.

Yin Ziyu received a message from Liang Yu with just two words: [Thank you.]

In the group chat for the cast and crew, everyone was comforting her.

Yin Ziyu wiped her tears, and her phone vibrated again. Tan Moxing had sent her a private message: [Still crying?]

[No, what is there to cry about?] Tears slid down her face again. She had used half a box of tissues that night.

Yin Ziyu changed the subject: [Mr. Tan, it’s so late. Aren’t you resting?]

Tan Moxing: [No. With you crying, I’m not tired.]

Yin Ziyu: “...”

[Mr. Tan, it’s been half a year since Behind Desire finished filming. Are you still in character?]

Tan Moxing: [Just pretend I am.]

________________________________________

Wen Di was busy until two in the morning. The trending topics were slowly sinking, and the heat was dying down. In their three-person group chat, Qin Xing said he would keep an eye on things and told her and Shen Tang to get some rest.

She went to take a hot shower, her nerves taut all night, both physically and mentally exhausted.

At least the outcome was good; they had fought a beautiful, reversing battle.

It was Yan Heyu who wanted to take this risky approach to solve the problem. He said that unless the issue was completely resolved, it would remain a ticking bomb for Yin Ziyu.

Without any secrets, Jiang Zhengqian wouldn’t have any leverage against them.

Wen Di was blow-drying her hair when she thought she heard a knock on the door. She turned off the hair dryer and listened carefully.

“Wen Di?”

Wen Di put down the hair dryer, found a jacket from her closet, put it on, and then opened the door.

Yan Heyu brought her a glass of milk. Seeing her hair was still wet, he asked, “Were you just blow-drying your hair?”

“Yes.” She took the glass from his hand. “Thank you.”

“I’ll dry your hair for you.”

“No need, I can do it myself.”

“You drink your milk.”

Yan Heyu pushed her shoulders, making her sit in front of the vanity. He went to the bathroom to get the hair dryer.

“The matter is resolved. You can have a good night’s sleep tonight.”

Wen Di looked at him in the mirror. “How much did you give Liang Yu for her to turn against them?”

“Not much, probably less than the resources Jiang Zhengqian gave her.”

Wen Di didn’t believe him and lowered her head to drink her milk.

The only sound in the room was the hair dryer. After Yan Heyu finished drying her hair, she had finished her milk. He took the empty glass from her hand. “Go brush your teeth and go to bed.”

Wen Di didn’t rush to the bathroom. She looked at him and said, “If the resources you gave Liang Yu were less than what Jiang Zhengqian offered, how could she have been willing to take the risk?”

“I went to see her myself and talked to her as your boyfriend.” Not as Yan Heyu, not as the CEO of Jingyue Group. He wasn’t arrogant or condescending. He genuinely listened to what Liang Yu was thinking about the Yin Ziyu situation and what her plans were for her acting career, unlike Jiang Zhengqian, who used commands and threats.

Because he showed her respect, Liang Yu slowly let her guard down. As long as he could guarantee that Jiang Zhengqian wouldn’t cause trouble for her and her family, she was willing to help them.

Liang Yu’s final words were that she was in a lot of pain and never expected Zhang Qiaoyu’s cheating to be for such a despicable reason—just for money. She no longer wanted to be involved with Zhang Qiaoyu and just wanted to focus on her acting and give her parents a better life.

In the past, he would have been the same as Jiang Zhengqian, or even worse, using the most direct and brutal methods. He would have solved it with money, and if money didn’t work, he would find their weak spot, and they would have no choice but to compromise.

He might still do that in business, but not with other people.

“I promised you before that I would be a good person.”

Yan Heyu reached out and hugged her. “I’m slowly changing. I’ll be even better in the future. I have to make sure everyone thinks you didn’t make the wrong choice and not give anyone a chance to talk about you.”