Chapter Nineteen: This Marriage Must End!
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Jiang Chiyu had not expected Wei Feng to ask such a question. Refusing would seem far too heartless, so she readily agreed.
“Of course. It may be a little inconvenient lately, though. We’ll have to see how his schedule works out. He’s usually abroad.”
Wei Feng’s expression sharpened. He guessed that this person’s identity must be far from ordinary. The smile at the corner of his mouth cooled almost imperceptibly, though his face still wore a look of eager agreement.
“Sure. Then I’ll look forward to meeting this friend of yours.”
Jiang Chiyu truly could not make sense of what Wei Feng was doing, nor did she wish to probe further. Instead, she asked indifferently, “Is there anything else?”
Wei Feng smiled at her. “No. I just came to see how you were doing. Since today’s trending topic hasn’t affected you, I’m relieved.”
“Just the idle gossip of bored people. It’s nothing.” Jiang Chiyu had long since grown accustomed to such things. Whether in her previous life or this one, she had never cared.
Yan Chuanzhou entered from outside and happened to see the two of them chatting so amiably. A trace of displeasure suddenly appeared on his usually calm face, and even his footsteps grew heavier.
Hearing the noise from downstairs, Jiang Chiyu curiously looked over and met Yan Chuanzhou’s gaze head-on. A shiver ran through her.
Sensing that Yan Chuanzhou was in a bad mood, Jiang Chiyu had no intention of bringing trouble upon herself. She immediately looked away, said a few words to Wei Feng, then returned to her room and shut the door.
By the time Yan Chuanzhou reached the second floor, she was already nowhere to be seen.
Wei Feng came face-to-face with him. The smile that had just graced his lips vanished at once, and he had no intention of showing Yan Chuanzhou the slightest kindness.
The two passed each other in the second-floor corridor. Though the scene was silent, it felt as if smoke and gunpowder filled the air, an unspoken battle raging between them.
At the moment they crossed paths, Wei Feng smiled and suddenly spoke.
“Emperor Yan, won’t you say hello when you see someone?”
Both men stopped in perfect unison and turned to face each other.
Looking at the ambiguous smile on Wei Feng’s face, Yan Chuanzhou remembered everything his grandmother had said. She had praised Wei Feng from beginning to end, and even Jiang Chiyu was constantly by his side.
At that moment, Yan Chuanzhou felt deeply resentful.
What had happened earlier—Jiang Chiyu’s expression changing the instant she saw him—was even more grating to him.
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With a cold snort, Yan Chuanzhou replied frostily, “We see each other every day. I suppose there’s no need to exchange greetings. After all, unlike you, I don’t remain so attentive to Miss Jiang when we aren’t filming.”
When rivals met, their eyes blazed with hostility.
Although Wei Feng could not determine exactly what Yan Chuanzhou felt for Jiang Chiyu, he could tell that Yan Chuanzhou was not entirely indifferent.
Whatever the case, Wei Feng intended to seize the initiative.
“Affection and professionalism are two different things. I know how to distinguish between them. Besides, I’ve never said any of this was merely for the sake of the show.”
“Could it be that you’ve actually fallen for Jiang Chiyu?”
Yan Chuanzhou forced a smile as he asked the question outright. Unfortunately, the profound darkness in his eyes had already betrayed him completely. The veins at his temples stood out as he held his breath and waited tensely for the other man’s answer.
“Emperor Yan is right. I’ve fallen for A-Yu.”
Wei Feng answered without the slightest attempt to conceal his feelings. His gaze remained fixed on Yan Chuanzhou’s face, watching every subtle change in his expression.
A deathly silence spread between them. The only sound was the sharp crack of Yan Chuanzhou’s clenched fists. A trace of cunning flashed through Wei Feng’s eyes, and the corners of his lips curved upward.
Suppressing his anger, Yan Chuanzhou managed a strained smile.
“Heh. I’m afraid Jiang Chiyu doesn’t feel the same way about you.”
“Whether she does or not, there’s no need for Emperor Yan to intervene and offer advice. In any case, A-Yu certainly won’t continue pestering you.”
A gentle smile appeared on Wei Feng’s seemingly guileless face, but the meaning in his eyes was anything but simple. His handsome appearance was profoundly deceptive.
Unable to swallow his pride, Yan Chuanzhou let out a cold laugh. His tone was sharp, though he spoke as if making a casual remark.
“As someone who’s been through it before, let me give you some advice. Be careful that Jiang Chiyu doesn’t latch on to you, because you may never be able to shake her off. She’s merely treating you as prey, waiting for you to walk into her trap of your own accord.”
Wei Feng found his words particularly grating. His time spent with Jiang Chiyu had proven that she was not the scheming woman Yan Chuanzhou described. At the very least, she had changed considerably by now.
“Even if A-Yu did many things wrong in the past, Emperor Yan shouldn’t judge people through colored glasses. If A-Yu hears you speaking like this, you may not even be able to remain friends.”
Wei Feng narrowed his eyes slightly and defended her bluntly.
Yan Chuanzhou, however, wore an expression of complete disdain and answered matter-of-factly, “I never intended to be her friend. You’re overthinking it.”
Jiang Chiyu had intended to go downstairs for a glass of water. She had just opened the door a crack when she heard those words. Her heart gave an abrupt jolt. Quietly closing the door again, she leaned against it and listened in silence to the conversation outside.
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Wei Feng keenly sensed her presence. His gaze swept over Jiang Chiyu’s door, but he saw nothing unusual and continued speaking.
“Then I suppose I should thank Emperor Yan. You’ve cut off A-Yu’s hopes for you, making it easier for her to begin a new relationship.”
“That depends on whether you have what it takes,” Yan Chuanzhou said angrily.
With that, Yan Chuanzhou went straight back to his room. As he passed Jiang Chiyu’s door, he could not help glancing at it—only to discover that it was slightly ajar. His heart skipped a beat, and every alarm in his mind went off, yet he still forced himself to return to his room.
Meanwhile, in a room at the end of the corridor, Lin Qingyue had witnessed the entire confrontation. A wave of delight spread through her heart.
Leaning against the door, Jiang Chiyu gradually began to think things over.
“Was the previous Jiang Chiyu really that irritating? It seems I should keep my distance from Yan Chuanzhou. Sooner or later, I have to make everything clear. This marriage must end!”
The situation unfolding before her only strengthened Jiang Chiyu’s determination to divorce him. It was time to put the matter on the agenda.
Elsewhere, the director received a phone call and answered with utmost respect.
“Madam Yan, I hope you’re in good health. How may I assist you?”
“It’s nothing much. I just wanted to get a general idea of how the filming will proceed from here,” Madam Yan said directly.
Having worked in the industry for more than thirty years, the director naturally understood the implication behind her words. He asked tentatively, “It’ll be mostly everyday scenes, interactions among the guests, and then a reshuffling of the preferred partners for the next episode.”
“I see.”
Madam Yan considered this for a moment. A rarely revealed sense of authority colored her voice.
“Will the preferred partners be paired by the guests themselves, or chosen by the audience?”
Her meaning was obvious by then: that was precisely why she had called. The director no longer bothered with evasions and answered frankly.
“It sounds as though you already have an arrangement in mind, Madam. We’ll naturally proceed according to your wishes.”
After all, the Yan family was the show’s largest investor. Whoever had money was the one who called the shots.
“For the next episode, put Chuanzhou and Chiyu together,” Madam Yan said decisively.
“What?”
The director was instantly aghast.
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