100,000 Hour Professional Stand-in or Professional Stand-in, With an Chapter 7: 61 to 70, a manhua/chinese comics/漫画 fanfic

Ji Fanyin thought that getting off work at 9 PM was still reasonable. It was much better than having to trudge home at midnight.

Perhaps he was feeling too stifled from her earlier verbal jabs, but Bai Zhou didn't trouble her much in the following three hours. He was oddly obedient, choosing to go along with her cues without a word of complaint. He even finished up his vegetables despite being a picky eater.

It was just that he hardly spoke a word over the three hours.

Ji Fanyin figured that he was probably frightened by the possibility that she might kick him off her list of clients.

As she sat on the chair by the entranceway and put on her boots, preparing to leave the penthouse, Bai Zhou stared intently at her from not too far away.

After she slipped into her boots and stomped lightly to get her feet fully inside, she turned around and asked Bai Zhou a vital question, "Do you still have enough money to use?"

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No matter what, Bai Zhou was still a student. No matter how rich his family was and how negligent they were of him, surely they would be concerned at the millions flowing out of his bank account.

She did consider the possibility of the cliché plot of Mrs. Bai knocking on her door with an 800 million dollars cheque in hand. If such a situation were to really occur, her natural response was to accept the cheque and leave Bai Zhou's side.

"None of your business," growled Bai Zhou.

Ji Fanyin gave it some thought and decided that it was indeed none of her business.

The Bai Family would make a move if they had any objections about their transactions. It wouldn't be too late for her to resolve the problem when they finally come knocking on her door.

"Goodbye." Ji Fanyin wrapped her scarf around her neck and opened the door.

Bai Zhou couldn't resist the urge to call out to her, "Hey."

Ji Fanyin turned around to look at him questioningly.

"Why do you need so much money?" Bai Zhou bit his lips and asked impatiently. "Do you owe money to loan sharks or something? How much more do you need? I'll pay your debts on your behalf."

"Ten billion," Ji Fanyin honestly confessed the sum to him.

Bai Zhou: "…"

If his expressions could manifest as words, his left cheek would have written 'Bullshit' and his right cheek 'Who do you think you're fooling'.

Ji Fanyin chuckled under her breath. She waved Bai Zhou goodbye and left the penthouse.

…

Two major incidents happened in the following days.

One, Ji Xinxin had applied for an exchange program that would allow her to temporarily return to the country. She would be bringing her French peers to local universities and facilitating the exchange between both sides. The location of the exchange program was Lake City, so Lakeside University was one of the partnering universities too.

The duration of the exchange program was a semester.

Ji Fanyin guessed that this might be Ji Xinxin's declaration of war.

Two, the Bai Family did knock on her door, but it was a little different from what she had expected. To be more exact, it wasn't a member of the Bai Family but someone closely associated with them.

Ji Fanyin had taken a look at several apartments over the last few days, and she was still in the midst of deciding which one to get. Other than safety and convenience, she also had to consider the potential of capital appreciation since her goal was none other than to earn money.

Buying a house with her own money wouldn't result in any immediate progress in the 'Temptation of Home' app.

Take for example, if she were to spend 20 million dollars to buy a house that was worth 20 million in the market, her overall asset would remain unchanged. However, if the price of the house rose to 25 million dollars a month later, the app would take it as her generating an income of 5 million dollars.

For that reason, ever since Ji Fanyin started entrusting her money to a fund manager, the number in the app had been continuously fluctuating.

All in all, the important thing was that Ji Fanyin still hadn't managed to find a satisfactory house yet. She was still currently living in the same residential district which was first discovered by Li Xiaoxing, followed by Father Ji and Mother Ji.

And now, her third guest was knocking on her door. It was a beautiful middle-aged madam dressed elegantly.

Ji Fanyin was in the midst of collecting her delivery when the two of them met eyes.

"Hello, Miss Ji Fanyin," the madam said with a smile. "I'm visiting with the intention of talking to you about Bai Zhou's affairs."

Before Ji Fanyin could reply, a person standing behind the madam impatiently interjected, "Sorry, can you step aside for a while?"

It was a delivery man dressed in Missfresh's uniform. He was holding two plastic bags in his hands.

"Yes, I ordered the delivery." Ji Fanyin reached out to receive the plastic bags. "Thanks."

The delivery man quickly confirmed the delivery with his phone before rushing off.

With two bags in hand, Ji Fanyin looked at the madam and said, "Pleased to meet you. May I know how you're related to Bai Zhou?"

The madam didn't look angry even though she had been kept waiting for a moment. "I have no blood ties with Bai Zhou, but my son is his younger brother."

Ji Fanyin had heard from Bai Zhou about the messy state of his household, prompting her to raise her eyebrows.

Ah, it's the lover who bore an illegitimate child for Bai Zhou's father.

"Do you need me for anything?" Ji Fanyin got straight to the point.

The madam gracefully smiled and spoke unhurriedly, "Could we speak inside? I'm aware of the relationship between you and Bai Zhou. You're a rational and intelligent woman. I believe that we can have an amicable chat."

Looks like she's a tough character.

Well, I guess an ordinary person wouldn't have dared to give birth to an illegitimate child under the watchful eyes of Bai Zhou's mother, let alone convince the couple into accepting the arrangement.

With a smile, Ji Fanyin stepped aside and allowed her in.

"Has Bai Zhou been here too?" the madam asked with a casual voice, as if she was just satisfying her curiosity.

"He doesn't know that I live here."

The madam nodded in realization before remarking with a chuckle, "You know how to protect yourself. You're a smart child."

Ji Fanyin turned to look at her. She was still considering whether she should get a glass of water for her guest, but there was no need for it now.

"Take a seat." Ji Fanyin gestured to the sofa.

"Aren't you going to serve me a cup of tea?" asked the madam as she settled onto the sofa.

"Are you here to have tea?" refuted Ji Fanyin.

"You really don't put on a front. I'm starting to get curious how you were able to make Bai Zhou so infatuated with you," said the madam.

"You're curious? I thought that you'd know much more than me," mocked Ji Fanyin.

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"You don't have to be so guarded. I didn't come with ill-will." The madam gracefully rested her hands on her knees. "On the contrary, I admire your ambitions. I personally believe that a woman should be ambitious. Only then can she make a place for herself in this male-dominated society."

Ji Fanyin answered with a perfunctory "I see" while organizing the ingredients that had just been delivered. She was waiting for the other party to get to the point.

"You like money whereas I'm fond of power. We're both using men to achieve our goals… There are far more similarities between us than you imagine."

Ji Fanyin curtly replied, "So?"

The madam looked at her with a smile and said, "I just want to ask. Are you interested in working with me to earn more money?"

Ji Fanyin was in the midst of peeling a tangerine when she heard those words and smiled.

There's only one possibility here. She intends to crush Bai Zhou so that her son can inherit the Bai Family.

That's no easy feat to pull off. Bai Zhou's mother won't let it happen, and Bai Zhou's father would have to suffer a stroke before entertaining that idea.

"You must be thinking that it's impossible." The madam wasn't angered by Ji Fanyin's skeptical attitude. "I didn't think that it was possible either, but your appearance showed me a sliver of hope. Sometimes, all it takes is a woman to turn a lofty young master into a penniless loser."

"You want me to drive in the wedge between Bai Zhou and his father until he's erased from the line of succession," Ji Fanyin summarized the madam's intention.

"I won't ask you to do the dirty work all alone. If anything, my workload will be greater than yours. However, you can rest assured that you'll be rewarded for your efforts. That's why I brought this here with me today." The madam reached into her Hermes bag and retrieved a document folder.

Ji Fanyin was actually excited for a moment when the madam reached into the bag. She thought that it would be a cheque, so naturally, she was disappointed to see that it was a document instead.

"This is the deed to one of my properties. It's currently worth around a hundred million dollars. I've already settled the administrative procedures with my lawyer, so all you have to do is to place your signature on this document to make the property yours. This is a token of my sincerity."

"Assuming that I accept your deal, what do you want me to do?" asked Ji Fanyin as she munched on a slice of tangerine. "It won't be easy to deal with Bai Zhou's mother, no?"

"You need not worry about Mrs. Bai. I'll deal with her," replied the madam calmly. "All you have to do is to continue what you're doing, or if possible, make Bai Zhou fall even deeper for you. Make him spend every single cent he has on you. It's that simple. You'll be able to do it."

"What about the compensation?"

The madam tucked her hair behind her ear and generously offered, "I'll match whatever Bai Zhou is paying you, meaning that you'll be able to earn double. How does that sound?"

Ji Fanyin gave the offer some thought.

Is this my opportunity to expand into the vixen industry? But just because an opportunity arises doesn't mean that I'll have to take it.

"You don't have to answer me right away. You can take your time to think it through," said the madam. "I'll call you in a few days' time, Miss Ji Fanyin."

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Leaving the document folder on the table, she rose to her feet and gracefully smoothened out the crumples on her skirt.

Ji Fanyin looked at her and asked, "Aren't you worried that I might tell others about this?"

"Who are you going to tell?" The madam laughed softly. "Bai Zhou? I doubt that he dares to tell this matter to his parents. To Mr. and Mrs. Bai? Pardon me, but I don't think that Miss Ji Fanyin has the connections to reach them."

The madam walked to the doorway before directing a nod at Ji Fanyin. "Do consider it. Such opportunities tend to slip past your fingers before you know it."

Ji Fanyin watched as the madam left her house before reaching into the plastic bag to grab her second tangerine. While she was in the midst of peeling her skin, her phone on the table vibrated. It was a message from Zhang Ning.

【Babe, are you ready? I'm coming over in three hours' time.】

Ji Fanyin was going to attend a small-scale party tonight. Zhang Ning had insisted on her participation, saying that this event was crucial if they wanted to reach out to the cinema chains. Many important figures were going to be at the party.

Perhaps fearing that she would dress in casual clothes as she did back at He Shen's movie premiere, Zhang Ning had dragged her out to a boutique to try out new clothes three days ago. Even earlier this morning, she made sure to give her a wake-up call eight hours before the event.

Never had a person dared to rush Ji Fanyin so much in her previous life.

She stuffed the tangerine into her mouth in a single mouthful before marching to the bathroom with stuffed cheeks.

The property deed that was worth over a hundred million was left just like that on the table. Ji Fanyin didn't even bother opening it to take a look.

Coincidences really did happen at times.

It was just earlier in the afternoon that Mr. Bai's lover told Ji Fanyin that she didn't have the connections to request a meeting with the Bai couple. Yet, just hours later, while Ji Fanyin was sipping on a glass of champagne in an elegant silk dress, she spotted Mr. and Mrs. Bai walking into the venue together.

Standing not too far behind the couple was Bai Zhou in a formal suit.

Bai Zhou initially cast an irritated look to every corner room, as if everyone was an eyesore to him. Yet, despite being fifty meters away from each other, he was somehow able to swiftly lock his eyes upon Ji Fanyin.

Ji Fanyin took a sip of her champagne, not paying any heed to Bai Zhou.

She wondered if she should make a trip back home to bring the property deed over and attempt to make an even larger deal with Mrs. Bai. Such a move did come with risks, but who knows? Perhaps Mrs. Bai might just whip out an 800 million dollar cheque in response.

Despite Ji Fanyin's thoughts, she wasn't able to fulfill her plan of sneaking back home. There was a pair of sharp eyes constantly locked on her, ensuring that she couldn't leave till the end of the party.

Zhang Ning.

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The moment she put down her plate, Zhang Ning somehow appeared in front of her and said, "Babe, let's go greet some people."

"Who are we greeting?"

"The matriarch of the Bai Family," replied Zhang Ning.

Ji Fanyin's eyebrows shot up.

"…" Zhang Ning immediately realized that something was amiss. "What's with your expression?"

"Don't you know that her son is one of my younger sister's suitors?" asked Ji Fanyin. "I thought that it's a well-known gossip in your circle."

"That might be the case for the young rascals, but I'm not part of their group." Zhang Ning proudly pointed her thumb to herself and said, "I'm not close with Bai Zhou. In terms of seniority, he ought to be calling me 'Aunt Zhang Ning'!"

Ji Fanyin was holding onto a glass of champagne, so she clapped on her wrist instead. "Of course. I would expect no less from our Zhang Ning."

Zhang Ning rolled her eyes at Ji Fanyin's perfunctory response. She quickly scanned the room before pushing Ji Fanyin forward. "Speaking of which, I saw Bai Zhou entering the venue with the Bai couple. He was good-looking as a child, and I see that he has retained his looks over the years. Even as his aunt, I have to say that he's quite a feast for the eyes."

"It would have been better if he could do away with that nasty temper of his," Ji Fanyin supplemented.

It was too easy to find Bai Zhou with his tall stature and his eye-catching looks. Zhang Ning was able to spot him within moments, "Ah, he's over there. Hm… Don't you think that he's staring at you?"

Zhang Ning alternated her gaze between the composed Ji Fanyin and the staring Bai Zhou.

"Yeah, he's really staring at you." Zhang Ning nodded affirmatively.

"It has been a while since my younger sister went abroad to further her studies, and the two of us are identical twins. He's just using me as a substitute for her," replied Ji Fanyin without the slightest embarrassment on her face.

"Darling, I can at least tell the difference between a gaze directed at a substitute and a gaze toward someone he yearns for," replied Zhang Ning with a meaningful smile. "He's definitely looking at you, not your younger sister."

Ji Fanyin turned her head over. With a smile in her eyes, she raised her finger to her lips and silenced Zhang Ning with an "Shh".

"Are you for real?" Zhang Ning widened her eyes in bewilderment.

"He 'likes' me the same way he previously 'liked' my younger sister," explained Ji Fanyin. You don't have to be that surprised. Don't you know how easily youngsters move from one person to the next?"

"I guess so." Zhang Ning pressed her lips together contemplatively. "Dating a man from their house is quite troublesome. It won't be easy to marry into their household, but I don't think that you're into guys like him."

Ji Fanyin gave it some thought before replying, "It's fun to tease him though."

Zhang Ning burst into laughter. She replied with a playful nasal voice, "You're such a bitch."

She laughed so hard that her head fell onto Ji Fanyin's shoulders.

It wasn't good to be caught gossiping about others, so the two of them had been whispering into each other's ears. They remained conscious about their surroundings even when they were fooling around, and it didn't take them long to regain their poise.

Zhang Ning cleared her throat and asked, "Does Mrs. Bai know you?"

Ji Fanyin gave the question some thought before shaking her head, "I don't think so."

Bai Zhou's mother was aware of Ji Xinxin's existence though. How could she not know about her when Bai Zhou had insisted on enrolling at Lakeside University for her, and he even wanted to chase her to Paris at one point in time?

"Let's head over then," Zhang Ning raised her chin and said. "Don't worry, Mrs. Bai and I share the same blood."

"I'm scared. You must protect me, darling." Ji Fanyin played the damsel in distress.

That remark got Zhang Ning's funny bone, leaving her on the verge of breaking into laughter once more. "Babe, you need to stop making me laugh. I can sense Bai Zhou's piercing gaze on me. You sure are heartless. Aren't you going to at least spare a look in his direction?"

Ji Fanyin didn't respond to that.

By this point, the two of them had already walked up to Mrs. Bai. The latter looked at the two ladies and smiled. "Zhang Ning, and… Miss Ji."

"This is my business partner, Ji Fanyin," Zhang Ning quickly clarified with an introduction.

"Pleased to meet you," greeted Ji Fanyin with a polite smile. "It's our first time meeting."

"Ji Fanyin?" A contemplative frown formed between Mrs. Bai's brows. Her pupils drifted upright, seemingly trying to recall something. "Ah… Are you Ji Xinxin's older twin sister?"

Mrs. Bai directed her gaze back at Ji Fanyin and carefully studied her face. "The two of you do look alike… Pardon me, but I'm not too fond of those from the Ji Family."

She was extremely straightforward, typical of a graceful member of upper-class society.

Ji Fanyin was far too familiar with the attitudes put up by the affluent that her heart was hardly fazed at all. She simply smiled quietly in response.

However, Mrs. Bai smiled shortly after and added, "However, it's different since you're Zhang Ning's friend."

With Zhang Ning mediating between them, Mrs. Bai wouldn't go to the extent of snubbing Ji Fanyin. The three of them had a polite conversation with one another before promptly concluding their talk.

Zhang Ning remarked that she saw someone else whom she recognized, and Mrs. Bai bade her farewell with a nod. However, Ji Fanyin remained on the spot.

She directed a smile at Mrs. Bai and said, "My younger sister has brought you quite a bit of trouble. I'd like to offer you an apology gift. May I know where it would be convenient for me to deliver the gift to?"

Such words shouldn't have been spoken under such a setting. They would have easily eroded any goodwill that was previously built up.

It was just that Ji Fanyin knew that Mrs. Bai already had the poorest impression of her due to her relationship with Ji Xinxin, so there was no need to pay heed to such trivial details. It was far more convenient to just get straight to the point.

Mrs. Bai cast an assessing gaze at her before impassively uttering a company's name.

"Very well. I'll deliver it there promptly tomorrow." Ji Fanyin noted down the company's name in her head and set a mental reminder to bring the contract there tomorrow.

Before taking her leave, she briefly glanced at Bai Zhou, who was standing not too far behind Mrs. Bai. The two of them met eyes for just a single second before she coolly turned her head away and strutted off.

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…

Seeing that the seemingly pleasant conversation among the three ladies had finally come to an end, Bai Zhou gulped down his wine. He then put down the glass and hurried forward to his mother's side. "What did you talk about?"

"What are you so worried about?" Mrs. Bai glanced at him with a wine glass in hand and asked with a cold tone. Despite this, she still ended up answering his question anyway, "Don't worry, it has nothing to do with your little girlfriend."

"Little-" Bai Zhou repeated those words in confusion before belatedly realizing that Mrs. Bai was referring to Ji Xinxin. That brought a frown to his face.

Mrs. Bai couldn't possibly have missed the change in his expression. "The two of you've had an argument?"

"… That's not it." Bai Zhou denied it with the frown still firmly fixed to his face. "I just wanted to ask what you talked about."

Mrs. Bai looked at her son intently as she answered, "We were chatting about business matters. The two of them established a filmmaking studio, and it would appear that they are making huge strides in the industry. News about it even reached my office. They might just become a formidable force in the industry within a few years."

"Filmmaking studio? Ji Fanyin?" Bai Zhou grasped the crux from it right away. "Is it very profitable?"

"I wouldn't say that it's very profitable, but it should fare decently for a startup if they manage to work out the kinks," evaluated Mrs. Bai.

Bai Zhou knew just how high his mother's standards were. Even someone of Ji Xinxin's caliber couldn't hope to catch his mother's eyes.

Such an evaluation from her meant that Ji Fanyin was likely to earn a lot of money in the next few years to come.

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She has already moved on to other money-making ventures. Is it because she's sick of her current lifestyle? If her lousy filmmaking studio is able to rake in big bucks, will she continue to operate her little reservation app?

If I can't even meet her using the 'stand-in' service as an excuse…

Bai Zhou shuddered at that thought.

I might just never be able to meet Ji Fanyin ever again. In the end, our connection is bound by a single object―money.

Bai Zhou suddenly recalled Ji Fanyin's words.

There had been a doubt lingering in his mind all this while. If Ji Fanyin really wasn't doing this stand-in business for Song Shiyu but to rake in money, why would she need so much money?

In fact, he had posed this question to her twice.

The first time, she said that it was to save someone from comatose. The second time, she said she needed ten billion.

"Is it possible for a person to be in a debt of ten billion?" he murmured.

"If such a person really does exist, they would either be a criminal or one of the richest people in the world," Mrs. Bai answered the question on his behalf.

Bai Zhou stared at Ji Fanyin's silhouette. Based on what he knew, she was neither the former nor the latter.

"You have been spending quite a bit recently," remarked Mrs. Bai in a tone so casual that she could have been saying 'You have added too much salt on your steak'.

"Are you going to interfere with my finances now?" snorted Bai Zhou. "Are you sure you have the time to meddle with my business?"

Mrs. Bai froze up as if something had pricked her. A moment later, she let out a sigh, "Bai Zhou."

"I've already met that old man's other son. What about you?" sneered Bai Zhou. "When are you planning on bringing me to meet yours? Should I start practicing calling them 'father' or 'brother'?"

"…" Mrs. Bai took a deep breath before speaking, "They won't affect you. Your father's illegitimate son can never hope to lay his hands on anything that belongs to you."

Bai Zhou irritatedly pushed off her hand that was consoling him and started striding off in Ji Fanyin's direction. He could vaguely hear Mrs. Bai's soft sigh, but he couldn't be bothered to think deeper into it.

This broken family wasn't worth his attention.

The only thing that was on his mind right now was to rush over to Ji Fanyin's side. It would be fine even if he could just watch her cook in the kitchen, play games with her, or idle around on the sofa.

That was the only remedy he knew of that could bring him out of this hell.

His footsteps hastened. Just when he was several steps away from Ji Fanyin, he saw another man step forward and block Ji Fanyin's path with his hand.

That man had an innocent smile on his face, but Bai Zhou recognized him.

This was the man that had triggered Song Shiyu's ire and his utmost discomfort with a mere smile at the banquet he met his father's illegitimate child. He didn't know the man's name, only the fact that he was a director.

… A job that's related to Ji Fanyin's new field.

With a darkened face, he scurried forward and forcefully squeezed between the duo.

That man looked at him in surprise, asking, "Young master Bai?"

Bai Zhou glanced at him, but he had no intention of greeting him. He turned his attention to Ji Fanyin and said, "I need to talk to you."

"Young master Bai, I am Cen Xiangyang," that man said with his usual disarming smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you… However, I was the one who proposed a conversation with Miss Ji first. It won't take too long. Would you mind waiting for a while?"

Bai Zhou didn't even bother looking at him this time around. He stared at Ji Fanyin with a hint of ire in his eyes as he said, "Say something, Ji Fanyin! Me or him, who do you choose?"

If possible, Ji Fanyin wouldn't want to choose either of them.

One was a criminal in the making. Ji Fanyin already had a good idea of what he was going to say—he would either take his side with Ji Xinxin and threaten her to stop her stand-in business or let his psychopathic tendencies take over and become a two-faced bastard.

The other was an innocent client with a tendency to throw childish tantrums. Ji Fanyin was certain that he had nothing important to say.

It was a pity that Zhang Ning was busy socializing, so Ji Fanyin couldn't use her as a shield. She took a split second to think of an excuse before glancing at her watch. "Ah, it's about time for me to feed my tropical fish."

Bai Zhou: "…"

Cen Xiangyang: "…"

It was such a perfunctory excuse, and her lackadaisical gaze clearly showed that she couldn't be bothered to deal with them. She had already made up her mind to not get involved in their squabble. She wanted to return home, and neither of them could stop her.

While Zhang Ning wasn't paying attention, she secretly made her way to the doorway of the banquet hall.

She soon heard footsteps echoing behind her.

"Bai Zhou, go back." Ji Fanyin didn't even have to turn around to figure out who it was.

"Is that director one of your clients too?" Bai Zhou matched her walking speed behind her and began unloading his questions. "Did you really start a screenwriting studio behind all of our backs? Have you forgotten where your money came from?"

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"From proper work," replied Ji Fanyin nonchalantly.

Her assets were being taken care of by an asset management company known for its high level of confidentiality. No problem could arise out of that.

"… What are you going to do next?"

"Do next?"

Bai Zhou wasn't able to clarify his question right away, as if he found it hard to talk about this. Nevertheless, he continued trailing behind Ji Fanyin till the two of them were finally out in the hotel lounge.

Unlike the banquet hall that had its temperature regulated to a cozy level, the hotel lounge was chilly. It wasn't as freezing as it was outside, but the difference in temperature was more than enough to make the two of them shudder.

Bai Zhou first scanned his surroundings with a frown before unbuttoning his blazer, but Ji Fanyin had already walked up to the receptionist to collect her coat.

Despite wearing an open-back red gown in this chilly environment, her posture remained upright and confidently relaxed. It felt like even the cold air shied away from her powerful disposition.

Staring at the confident woman before him, Bai Zhou couldn't help but think: They are really different.

Ji Xinxin would have shuddered in this cold environment, hence giving him the chance to wrap his blazer around her.

But Ji Fanyin had never displayed her vulnerabilities before others, be it the meek her of the past or the current confident her. She had never tried to rely on anyone before.

Even when everyone privately scorned her for sucking up to Song Shiyu, Ji Fanyin had never asked anyone for help.

Bai Zhou found a woman like her terrifying. She could live perfectly well even without him in her life. Only someone delusional would think that they could shackle down such a woman with favors and debts.

Song Shiyu couldn't do it. The director couldn't do it. Bai Zhou couldn't do it either.

The more he thought about it, the more infuriated he felt. He harrumphed coldly, "How did you even fall in love with Song Shiyu when he treated you atrociously in the past?"

Why can't Ji Fanyin be like this from the start? If so, I wouldn't have detested her for her weakness for so long. Perhaps we might have even become friends.

Song Shiyu must be wallowing in regret now.

The receptionist retrieved Ji Fanyin's coat and handed it to her. Ji Fanyin draped her coat around her shoulder before turning around to answer Bai Zhou's question, "Bai Zhou, you seem to have forgotten how you used to treat me."

Those words rendered Bai Zhou speechless.

He did look down on Ji Fanyin in the past. He couldn't stand how she had chosen to give up on herself and simply accepted whatever others doled out to her, especially when Ji Xinxin was there to contrast between the two of them.

Even the notion of offering a helping hand to her irked him. He thought that Ji Fanyin was a gone case; how could one help a person who didn't even want to help herself?

This was all coming back to bite him now.

But in the depths of his mind, Bai Zhou couldn't help but think that Ji Fanyin had to take the blame for this too. Things could have ended up differently if only she had awoken and changed earlier.

"I've reminded you more than once, Bai Zhou," said Ji Fanyin coolly. "In our business transactions, I'm 'Ji Xinxin'. You'd do well to remind yourself of that, if you're starting to waver."

Bai Zhou widened his eyes. He suddenly felt a surge of fluster from having his inner thoughts spoken aloud.

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All of the subtle hints Ji Fanyin had dropped to him during her 'service hours' strung together to form a revolving lantern in his mind.

He had always been intrigued by how she would occasionally ask him questions like 'Do you know who I am?', but it turned out that they were reminders for him to distinguish reality from illusion.

… She has known for a long time that my heart had started to waver.

And she has already rejected me right from the start.

Blood surged into Bai Zhou's head, freezing his mind up. He realized that even though he had finally become cognizant of his feelings, it wouldn't make a difference in their relationship if he couldn't bring himself to speak them aloud, and Ji Fanyin clearly had no intention of acknowledging them.

Bai Zhou gritted his teeth and asked emphatically, "What should I remind myself of?"

Ji Fanyin nonchalantly answered, "The person whom your heart is wavering for, that person, she doesn't exist."

Bai Zhou felt a lurching feeling in his chest as a feeling of humiliation washed over his mind. It was as if someone had hurled a straight at his ribcage, inducing unbearable pain in him.

"I'll be leaving first." Ji Fanyin directed a nod at him, a polite yet distant gesture, almost as if they were two strangers who coincidentally met at a banquet.

Bai Zhou had a load of questions in his mind.

He wanted to ask if he was really unqualified to like her. He wanted to ask if he didn't even have the right to become friends with her. He wanted to ask what kind of man she fancied.

Yet, he was somehow subconsciously aware that he had no rights to pose those questions.

… He also knew that if he dared to ask those questions, Ji Fanyin would have answered with even more stifling answers.

So, he could only watch helplessly as Ji Fanyin walked away. Her coat draped over her shoulders fluttered lightly along with her footsteps. When the doors of the hotel entrance opened wide, a rush of cold air caused her coat to rise up, reminiscent of a bird unfurling its wings.

As he watched while Ji Fanyin got into a cab and left the area, Bai Zhou felt like a part of him had flown away with her. He couldn't even make sense of his own thoughts.

Do I like Ji Fanyin? If so, which Ji Fanyin do I like?

Or is the one I like Ji Xinxin? I still can't truly put her down yet, but when I look back on my desperate attempts to court her, I feel like I was merely chasing after an impossible dream.

Why was I even infatuated with Ji Xinxin back then?

If I could get from others what I got from her too, would my feelings move on to others?

Bai Zhou stood in the hotel lounge for a long while thinking over this question when a word suddenly surfaced in his mind: Scumbag.

Bai Zhou: "…"

Am I a scumbag?

His phone suddenly rang.

Still in a distraught state, he took out his phone in a daze and glanced at it. The moment he saw Ji Xinxin's name, he subconsciously rejected the call. Then, his mind started to wander once again like a teenage girl during puberty.

Would I have picked up if the one who had called was Ji Fanyin?

Shit. I might have just run straight to the entrance to check if her cab had driven back here.

…

Ji Fanyin was able to subdue Bai Zhou with just a couple of words, but Cen Xiangyang wasn't as easy to deal with. He had strung everything he wanted to say into a long message and sent it to her.

In the cab, Ji Fanyin quickly scanned through it. She made sure to screenshot the message before Cen Xiangyang could retract it.

His intentions were pretty clear.

He frankly admitted to telling Ji Xinxin about her stand-in occupation before making a cunning suggestion.

He offered his services as a double agent to Ji Fanyin, saying that he would help her fend off Ji Xinxin's vengeance. In return, he wanted Ji Fanyin to cooperate with him in clearing away Ji Xinxin's suitors.

Support us at /3Tfs4P4.

Cen Xiangyang was hoping to come out on top without raising a finger. He wanted to manipulate Ji Fanyin into emptying out Ji Xinxin's fishery. He knew that Ji Xinxin would languish at the loss of her fishery and became distraught and vulnerable. By then, she would have no one to rely on but him.

Ji Fanyin was entertained by the grand ambitions peeking through his message.

It looked like it wasn't just politicians and CEOs of huge companies who were skilled at scheming and political machinations. Despite being a director, Cen Xiangyang was a self-taught master conniver.

It was just that the appeal of his offer was built on one condition: Ji Fanyin is incapable of dealing with Ji Xinxin.

And that condition didn't hold.

As a result, all Cen Xiangyang succeeded in doing was delivering another chip for Ji Fanyin to play with. She tapped into her phone gallery to check on the concrete evidence she had screenshotted, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for Ji Xinxin.

If this were a war game, under the service of Empress Ji Xinxin would be mighty generals Father Ji, Mother Ji, Cen Xiangyang, Li Xiaoxing, Bai Zhou…

All of them looked like ferocious generals at first glance, yet none of them were able to stand their ground at all. If Ji Xinxin ever catches a glimpse of their KPI, I bet that she'll have them fired right away.

Ji Fanyin had collected so many good cards that she couldn't even decide which one to use first.

She couldn't help but sigh on Ji Xinxin's behalf.

If one of us has to suffer, I'd very much choose to be the happy one.

With such thoughts in mind, she tapped into the 'Temptation of Home' app to check on the progress. To her delight, she had made huge progress on the app ever since Ji Xinxin's return over her Christmas break.

Putting aside the impulse purchases and the newly implemented auction system on her reservation app, she was receiving an amazing amount of Emotion Points just from the escalation of conflict.

Browsing through the records quickly, her greatest financial sponsor was Bai Zhou, but her greatest Emotion Points sponsor was none other than Ji Xinxin.

Even with the constant small inflow of Emotion Points from netizens, Ji Xinxin's names still persistently popped up everywhere. It would be no exaggeration to say that the young lady spent 18 hours of each day thinking about her.

Ji Fanyin took a closer look at the transaction times: "…"

It looks like I appear in her dreams too.

So far, she had accrued 800 million out of her goal of 10 billion. The first few steps were usually the hardest to take; everything would only accelerate from this point onward.

Ji Xinxin would be returning to the country in just a few days' time to launch her counterattack.

Ji Fanyin personally believed in maintaining a sustainable inflow of income, especially since Ji Xinxin was her greatest contributor of Emotion Points. Instead of mercilessly crushing the latter at one shot, she thought that it would be better to dish out her cards one by one so that she could slowly harvest waves of Emotion Points.

A patient farmer who didn't overstress his land would be able to reap greater harvest over time.

There was no need to rush things since Ji Xinxin was going to stay for a semester.

It should be soon, right?

Ji Fanyin rubbed her phone in anticipation.

Once Ji Xinxin is no longer capable of fighting back anymore, I'll be able to put an end to my stand-in occupation.

She still hadn't forgotten about the kidnapping scenario yet. She wouldn't want to risk putting herself in such a position.

She rested her back on the leather seat and began organizing her plans.

For Ji Xinxin, I can just patiently wait for her to make her move and retaliate accordingly. As for how I can further speed up my progress on the app… I guess I could start with handing over the documents on my table to Mrs. Bai.

So, Ji Fanyin tapped into her phone's on-demand delivery app.

The first thing Ji Fanyin did upon returning to her apartment was to take out the documents from the folder and look through them. She wasn't a professional lawyer, but the documents did appear to be an agreement to transfer a house deed.

She couldn't find any problems with the agreement, but she had no intention of accepting the sum of money. There was no compelling need for her to accept this sum of money since she could earn 100 million through other avenues too.

Even if her current occupation was bordering on the gray zone, it was a violation of her principles to ruin another person's marriage. By an extension of that, she wouldn't help a mistress and her son rise to power.

However, there was another opportunity she could exploit through this agreement.

She quickly washed up before lying down on her bed. Before drifting off to sleep, she tapped into her reservation app to check on her schedule for tomorrow.

The reservation app now came with a function that automatically refunded clients on their failed bids and confirmed the winning bid. Thanks to that, Ji Fanyin didn't have to constantly check the progress of the bids, just the results.

It doesn't matter whether I get a reservation or not. I also have plenty of work from my screenwriting studio anyway. Besides, Ji Xinxin is coming back the day after tomorrow.

However, when Ji Fanyin tapped into the app, she saw that her schedule was full for the day after tomorrow, from 11 AM to 9 PM. It was reserved by Song Shiyu.

She looked through the bidding records and saw that Song Shiyu had gone with the highest bid right away. Bai Zhou later tried to outbid him with elevenfold of the usual price, only to be rejected by the System under the error of 'Exceed maximum bid'.

So, Bai Zhou went on to reserve her full schedule three days later at the maximum tenfold price.

Looking at the record of Bai Zhou's failed attempt to bid elevenfold, Ji Fanyin felt that Bai Zhou's financial potential as a client was extremely high.

Had there not been a bidding limit and Bai Zhou had successfully bidded elevenfold of the price, Song Shiyu might have just chosen to raise the price as well, thus initiating a bidding war. The prices could have reached unbelievable levels.

Ji Fanyin stared at her green reservation app contemplatively for a while.

Oh well… I guess I shouldn't go too far. Mrs. Bai doesn't look like someone to be trifled with, and I don't want to make an enemy out of her. I should let her son off the hook for now.

For the time being, I'll keep the bidding limit to tenfold.

Ji Fanyin felt that she was an ethical businesswoman.

…

The first thing Ji Fanyin did when she woke up the following morning was to send the document to the company Mrs. Bai mentioned yesterday.

Of course, she made sure to photocopy the document beforehand so that she had a spare copy to keep with her.

Under normal circumstances, it was unlikely that someone as lofty as Mrs. Bai would pay any heed to a gift from an insignificant nobody like her, even if she was Ji Xinxin's twin sister. However, things should be different because Bai Zhou was present at the banquet last night too.

She went through the trouble of chatting with Bai Zhou so as to pique Mrs. Bai's interest. She was confident that Mrs. Bai would make a move once she received the document.

After handing the documents over to the delivery man, Ji Fanyin leisurely did some yoga before digging into her breakfast.

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from /37k7u89t.

The world looks so much more beautiful when I don't have to go to work early in the morning.

Shortly after noon, Ji Fanyin received a call. It was from Mrs. Bai's secretary.

"Miss Ji, Madam Meng wishes to have dinner with you. May I know when it's convenient for you?" The secretary's manner of speaking was polite.

Mrs. Bai's maiden name was Meng. Despite being a woman, she had a resounding reputation in the corporate world. Most people would be excited to even catch a glimpse of her, let alone be able to share a dinner with her.

Ji Fanyin had already anticipated this in advance, so she was hardly surprised at all. She took the lead and made a counterproposal, "I have around an hour and a half now. I'll be heading to Japan afterward, so would it be possible for us to meet right now?"

"Madam Meng's schedule is packed. I'm afraid that it would be hard to adjust her schedule," the secretary politely rejected Ji Fanyin's suggestion.

Ji Fanyin expressed her regret. "That's unfortunate. I'll be busy till the day after tomorrow, so we will probably have to postpone the dinner till then."

It can't be helped. I'm a busy woman too. I have Li Xiaoxing today, Song Shiyu tomorrow, and Bai Zhou the day after tomorrow.

Ji Xinxin will be returning tomorrow, so I'll have to keep an eye out for her too.

The experienced secretary gave the matter some thought before saying, "Could you hold on for two minutes?"

The least Ji Fanyin could do was to wait that long, though the secretary's attitude was enough for her to confidently rise from her sofa and grab her bag and keys.

If it was truly impossible for the schedule to be adjusted, the secretary would have turned her proposal down right away. The fact that the secretary had chosen to consult with Mrs. Bai revealed how seriously the latter took this matter.

Ji Fanyin leisurely walked to the doorway and put on her shoes. Just as she was about to head out, the secretary finally returned to the call and answered, "Miss Ji, Madam Meng has postponed her plans. The meeting location will be the shopping mall beneath the company building. May I know how long it'll take for you to get there?"

Ji Fanyin made her way toward the lift as she did a quick estimation. "I should be able to reach you within thirty minutes."

The secretary politely replied, "Alright. I'll send you the restaurant's address."

Seconds after Ji Fanyin hung up the call, she received a location pin from the secretary. Using the location pin, she hailed a cab.

Upon getting into the car, she started browsing through her Moments page out of boredom and saw Bai Zhou flaunting his kitchen. There were all sorts of ingredients lying on his kitchen table, including vegetables, meat, or eggs.

If Ji Fanyin hadn't known about Bai Zhou's atrocious cooking skills, she would have thought that he had awakened his passion for cooking.

There was a reason why she had completely barred Bai Zhou from the kitchen. The most she would allow him to do was to wash some vegetables or set the plates. Not even Song Shiyu, who was at best an amateur, was anywhere as terrible as Bai Zhou.

As for Li Xiaoxing… With those legs of his, it was unlikely that he would devote much time and effort into cooking.

She began crafting a message for her Moments page.

Search /3Tfs4P4 for the original.

【Nowadays, it's not just women who should know how to cook. Men should learn to cook up a few dishes too. That'll help them greatly in their lives.】

Barely a minute after she sent the message out, Zhang Ning and Chen Yunsheng had already given her post a 'Like'. It was as if the two of them were living inside her Moments page, constantly waiting for updates.

A short moment later, the reticent Programmer 996 also quietly offered a 'Like'.

Ji Fanyin: "…"

A university student staying at a dormitory, a tough young miss who never had to do household chores, and a programmer who was slogging it out to earn extra bucks despite already working 996… Are you certain that the three of you know how to cook?

Bai Zhou tried to ignore the post for a whole twenty minutes before finally succumbing to his anger: 【What do you mean by that? Is that post directed toward me?】

Ji Fanyin politely answered: 【Not everything is about you】

Bai Zhou furiously replied: 【Just you wait! I'll post the completed dish once I'm done!】

Ji Fanyin didn't think that it was likely for Bai Zhou to create a 'completed dish'.

It's totally possible that he doesn't even know that oil is needed to prepare green onion pancakes. What a pity that those ingredients are going to waste.

She found it comical, how Bai Zhou was still innocently messaging her when she was on the way to meet his mother.

Now that she was thinking about it, Bai Zhou's family circumstances played a huge part in him becoming the person he currently was. Children who were deprived of love often grew up hungry for love, but neither Mr. nor Mrs. Bai seemed to understand that.

Mrs. Bai had reserved the entire restaurant for this meeting, and her secretary was waiting by the entrance. Upon spotting Ji Fanyin, he bowed slightly to her and gestured inward. "Miss Ji, Madam Meng is waiting for you inside."

Ji Fanyin entered the restaurant.

When she saw Mrs. Bai sitting gracefully at one of the tables, she found herself lamenting that there was no such thing as a perfect person in this world.

Mrs. Bai was someone who seemed to have it all, be it her prestigious family background, her sharp business acumen, her beautiful and youthful appearance, her outstanding and handsome son…

Yet, she was hopelessly incompetent at getting along with her son.

Upon hearing her footsteps, Mrs. Bai raised her head and looked at Ji Fanyin. She gestured to the seat opposite to her and said, "Have a seat."

Her voice was light and mellow, but her tone carried unquestionable authority. It was almost as if she was treating Ji Fanyin as her subordinate.

But again, one wouldn't expect a mogul of the corporate world to be soft spoken.

In any case, Ji Fanyin was in an advantageous position now that Mrs. Bai had taken the initiative to invite her for a meal. She overlooked Mrs. Bai's tone of speech and calmly took a seat. "Hello. It appears that my apology gift has been properly delivered to you."

"I have learned the reason behind my son's increased spending over the past few months. The means employed by you and your younger sister put me at a loss for words. I can't tell which of you two is more…"

Mrs. Bai paused for a brief moment before completing her sentence.

"… contemptible."

Ji Fanyin chuckled softly. "I've never really thought about that."

Ji Xinxin had once questioned if she thought that she was nobler than her, but to be honest, Ji Fanyin had never thought that way.

"Even so, I have the right to choose what I want to do and what I don't want to do." Ji Fanyin picked up the transparent flask on the table and poured herself a cup of lemonade. "What that woman proposed happens to be something I'm unwilling to participate in."

"The house isn't worth a lot, but it's still a substantial sum considering your current income." Mrs. Bai remained unmoved by Ji Fanyin's rhetoric. "You're hoping to negotiate a better deal with me."

Ji Fanyin smiled at those words. "I won't deny that, but even if you refuse to meet me after receiving my document, I still wouldn't work with that woman."

Most people might have the experience where one of their answers to a test was erroneously marked correct, but upon reporting it to the teacher, the teacher chose to compliment their honesty and allowed them to keep their marks.

In a way, this could be described as a nifty trick to earn goodwill.

Ji Fanyin calmly took a sip of water while waiting for Mrs. Bai's response.

On the other hand, Mrs. Bai contemplatively lowered her gaze for around ten seconds. When she finally raised her head once more, she picked up a folder placed on the seat next to her and pushed it toward Ji Fanyin.

Search /3Tfs4P4 for the original.

"You may accept this gift," said Mrs. Bai with her uniquely mellow voice. "If I'm not mistaken, you're still living in a rented apartment, right?"

Ji Fanyin's eyebrows shot up.

Just as I thought. Moments after I gave the 100 million out, it was returned to me in full.

Mrs. Bai looked straight into Ji Fanyin's eyes and revealed the faintest of smiles. "Ji Fanyin, allow me to propose a deal."

"Please go ahead." Ji Fanyin had a weird feeling that this story was transitioning from a cliché substitute lover plot line to a rich family's internal war over inheritance.

She would probably want me to serve as a double agent for her. It'll be troublesome, but it's not entirely out of the question…

To her surprise, Mrs. Bai proposed something very different. "You're unlike your younger sister. She'll desperately cling onto Bai Zhou, but you won't. So, I'd like you to teach that child how not to stumble on women."

That's different from what I expected.

Ji Fanyin took a moment to carefully decipher Mrs. Bai's intentions.

She was reminded of a historical drama she had watched in her earlier years. In that historical drama, the empress wanted her son to cast away his compassion so that he could become a qualified crown prince, so she coldly ordered her kind son to murder the kitten he was raising.

What Mrs. Bai wanted to do was effectively the same as that empress had done.

It mattered not to her why Bai Zhou was vulnerable to women; she was only interested in the result. She decided that the most effective way was to instill a mental trauma in Bai Zhou, one that would haunt him for his entire life.

"As for his act of buying your…" Mrs. Bai paused for a moment in an attempt to search for an appropriate phrase. "… time, you may continue with that. I won't interfere."

She looked at Ji Fanyin as if the latter was a conveniently sharp dagger that would do her job for her.

"All the money will be worth it, as long as you're able to teach him a lesson he'll never forget."

There were several reservations Ji Fanyin harbored about accepting the deal.

It was definitely within her means to dupe Bai Zhou into going out with her before heartlessly jilting him. She knew of ways to instill deep-rooted traumas in him, to the point that he would never want to fall in love ever again.

But that would change the consensual nature of the transactions between her and Bai Zhou.

There were benefits to going along with Mrs. Bai's offer. Money was a huge reason, and it would eliminate the possibility of the Bai Family trying to settle scores with her in the future.

Rejecting Mrs. Bai's offer was also a viable option, but it would risk a falling-out.

It would be foolish to think that Mrs. Bai was on the same level as Father Ji and Mother Ji. She wouldn't just resort to petty measures if she wanted to make things difficult for someone.

Even though there were only two options to Mrs. Bai's offer, Ji Fanyin decided to pick neither and instead created a third option for herself.

"You're only interested in the outcome. I can give you the outcome you want," said Ji Fanyin, "but how I go about doing it shouldn't matter to you, right?"

"That's right, I'm only interested in the outcome," replied Mrs. Bai. "You can do whatever you want as long as it doesn't bring about any health issues for him. That shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"

Ji Fanyin displayed a look of sudden recollection and said, "Do you know that Bai Zhou has always suffered from gastric problems?"

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from /37k7u89t.

Mrs. Bai's movements halted for a moment. "Is that so?"

Then, she raised her hand to gesture for the manager to serve them the food.

This was the quietest meal Ji Fanyin had in the past few months.

Mrs. Bai was the type who wasn't fond of speaking during a meal. Even her chewing barely produced a sound.

Now that she thought about it, Bai Zhou was the same when they first started dining together. It was just that he slowly became chattier after they shared a few meals together.

Right before leaving the restaurant, Ji Fanyin finally voiced the doubt floating in her mind, "Don't you think it might be better for you to personally teach Bai Zhou such life lessons?"

"He needs to experience it himself to get it inside his head," replied Mrs. Bai as she straightened the wrinkles in her coat. "I am his mother, not his teacher. It's my responsibility to hire the best teachers to guide him down the right path. That's why, Ji Fanyin, I hope that you'll be a satisfactory teacher."

Ji Fanyin rested her chin on her arm as she watched the female mogul board her car and leave. She then took out her phone and jotted down the name of the restaurant.

The food here is really no joke. I'll have to make sure to drop by again.

She took a look at her watch.

It's about time for me to make my way to the airport.

Before she left her apartment, she got a delivery man to bring her suitcase to the airport, so there was no need for her to take a detour. She could head straight to the airport and collect her suitcase and boarding pass there.

Li Xiaoxing wanted to do a rehearsal for his proposal, and the location he had chosen was none other than the Tokyo Tower.

Ji Fanyin couldn't comprehend why he had to propose in a foreign country, but that was really none of her business. He could propose wherever he wanted to, and her job was to cooperate with him.

… Speaking of which, how did Song Shiyu's blind date go? Are they still discussing engagement plans?

After some thought, Ji Fanyin decided to ask Chen Yunsheng: 【Are you there? I previously met your older sister at the basketball competition. Is she in a relationship with Song Shiyu?】

Chen Yunsheng's response was as swift as ever: 【With Senior Song? I'm not too sure whether she's going out with Senior Song, but she does appear to be in a relationship with someone. I heard from my parents that they have confirmed the engagement date.】

Ji Fanyin: "…"

She tapped into her reservation app and looked at the full-day reservation made by Song Shiyu for tomorrow. She figured that it was time to wrap things up with him.

There's no way I'd refund the reservation fee when it's a problem on the client's side. If anything, he owes me a compensation fee on top of that.

Chen Yunshan, Ji Xinxin, and Ji Fanyin.

Is Song Shiyu trying to become a 'King of the Seas' too?

It was then that Chen Yunsheng sent another message:【Big sis, I thought you weren't interested in dating and marriage?】

It had taken him a full minute to type out that message, which reflected how much thought he had put into it. He might have even edited it several times before finally deciding on the current wording.

The way Ji Fanyin saw it, what he really wanted to ask was 'Didn't you say that you aren't close with Song Shiyu?'.

So, Ji Fanyin selected Chen Yunsheng's message and tapped on the reply button: 【I'm not close with Song Shiyu】

For a long while, the conversation window reflected that Chen Yunsheng was in the midst of typing something. In the end, he gave up and sent an 'Ostrich hiding its head in the ground' emoji.

Ji Fanyin proceeded to look up Programmer 996 and asked how she could permanently blacklist a client account.

It took a while before Programmer 996 replied: 【I'll do a quick patch. I'll send you the update tonight as soon as I'm done with it.】

This novel is available on /3Tfs4P4.

Having worked together on two previous occasions, Ji Fanyin trusted Programmer 996's competency and character. So, she sent the full payment to him in advance.

…

Ji Fanyin had ridden on the Bai Family's private jet the last time she accompanied Bai Zhou to Greece. This time around, Li Xiaoxing's secretary had booked a business class plane ticket for her.

She wasn't traveling together with Li Xiaoxing as the latter had headed there several days before to handle some work-related matters.

Was it on a whim that he decided to propose to Ji Fanyin at the Tokyo Tower?

Ji Fanyin was about to head to the reception area to collect her suitcase when she spotted two conspicuous figures standing there.

Li Xiaoxing's appearance was eye-catching as it was, not to mention that he was seated in a prominent wheelchair. Some passers-by couldn't resist the urge to secretly snap photos of him. His secretary was standing next to him.

Ji Fanyin was averse to the idea of starting work early, but Li Xiaoxing was camping in the area. Left with no choice, she nonchalantly walked over and asked, "Are we starting work early?"

"I happened to have some spare time, so I came to fetch you." Li Xiaoxing raised his head to look at her.

Ji Fanyin looked around for her suitcase as she asked, "Are you planning on taking a public airline with her too?"

"No," replied Li Xiaoxing, "I'm not fond of public airlines."

Ji Fanyin turned to look at him.

Li Xiaoxing was born to an affluent family. He was a precocious child whose competency far surpassed those around him. Many believed that he was set to become the future leader of the Li Family.

At least that was the case before the accident nearly robbed him of his control over his body.

Sometimes, it was that easy for a person to lose all confidence.

He couldn't accept becoming a cripple. He couldn't stand the looks of pity others directed toward him. That was why he always traveled in private cars and private jets. It wasn't that difficult to deduce.

"Here is your suitcase."

The receptionist found Ji Fanyin's suitcase and passed it over. Before Ji Fanyin could collect it herself, Secretary Fan had already stepped forward to take it on her behalf.

From his thinning crown to his slightly haggard facial features, Secretary Fan fitted the stereotype of an overworked young man. Yet, he was still able to pick up Ji Fanyin's suitcase effortlessly.

… Ah, I forgot. He does carry Li Xiaoxing all around.

Ji Fanyin thanked Secretary Fan. She bent down a little to smoothen the edge of the rug placed over Li Xiaoxing's thigh as she asked, "So, are we heading to Tokyo separately?"

Li Xiaoxing eyed her movements and placidly answered, "No, you'll be traveling with me."

As a result, Ji Fanyin switched over to taking Li Xiaoxing's private jet.

What about the business class ticket, you ask? Someone as rich as Li Xiaoxing wouldn't be fazed by that little money.

While Bai Zhou's private jet had home theaters and gaming consoles installed, Li Xiaoxing's private jet was practically a mobile office. There was nothing entertainment-related at all.

By the time they boarded the jet, the highly efficient Secretary Fan had already transferred the additional wages arising from the premature commencement of work to Ji Fanyin's account.

Ji Fanyin couldn't help but sense a hint of envy in the overworked youth's eyes whenever he looked at her.

The gap in wages must be hard to bear.

Ji Fanyin casually settled down on a comfy sofa chair and asked, "How do you plan to invite Ji Xinxin to Japan?"

"She's feeling down. I'll propose bringing her overseas for a change of pace," replied Li Xiaoxing. He had clearly thought through his plans.

Ji Fanyin assessed Li Xiaoxing's expression. "Given her wits, it won't take long for her to figure out what you're up to."

The truth was that it made no difference how Li Xiaoxing chose to propose to Ji Xinxin. The real issue was whether Ji Xinxin would accept his proposal or not.

"She'll likely hesitate if you propose to her directly," added Ji Fanyin.

She noticed a frown forming on Li Xiaoxing's forehead, a sign that he was going to refute her point, so she stopped him with a raise of her hand. Then, she took her time to finish her sentence.

"… However, if you present your proposal in the form of an engagement, the chances of success would be much higher."

Those words unfurrowed Li Xiaoxing's forehead, and he nodded in agreement to Ji Fanyin's analysis. "Alright."

"Tell me your plan in detail." Ji Fanyin gestured for him to continue on. "I'll see if your plan requires any modifications."

This was effectively a clash between Ji Fanyin and Ji Xinxin, and Ji Fanyin was in an absolutely advantageous position here. She was in possession of information that Ji Xinxin lacked, and Li Xiaoxing was completely on her side.

If I can't curb her even with such overwhelming advantages, I might as well just remain comatose and never return to the other world.

Li Xiaoxing was the final rope that Ji Xinxin could clutch onto, and the offer of an engagement provided her with an additional layer of security to allay her unease. She would definitely consider accepting this commitment

And it was Ji Fanyin's job to turn 'consider accepting' into 'accept'.

There was really no need for Li Xiaoxing to elaborately plan out his words to reel her in.

All he needed to do was to pop the most important phrases at the most crucial timing, and that would be more than enough for him to clinch victory.

…

"I've always told you. Relish in her goodwill, enjoy her warmth, and assuage her anxieties, but never make promises to her." From the top of the Tokyo Tower, Ji Fanyin gazed upon the brilliant city and the moving cars beneath her. "But on that long-awaited day, it's about time for you to make promises to her."

When you're just trying to make great content at /37k7u89t.

"Does a proposal not count as a promise?" asked Li Xiaoxing.

"It's not strong enough." Ji Fanyin pointed to herself. "You have to understand why she's feeling anxious. You have to comprehend why she desperately needs your help. You need to grasp these two points and make a directed promise to her. That's the way you can get her Achilles' heel."

Li Xiaoxing eyed Ji Fanyin's movements with a frown. "Where does her anxieties stem from?"

"From me," replied Ji Fanyin with a chuckle. "Has she told you about our childhood?"

Li Xiaoxing nodded.

"I'll share my version with you," said Ji Fanyin. "You'll understand why she fears me by the end of it."。

She went on to share with him the factual account of her childhood with Ji Xinxin, though she brushed off some of the minor details.

Such as how Ji Xinxin was impersonating her as Li Xiaoxing's savior.

She did mention that Ji Xinxin had fallen ill and was hospitalized in their younger years, but she excluded the part about Ji Xinxin being practically in a coma. She also talked about how she had finally pulled herself together, but she neglected to mention how she was actually a different person on the inside.

I just need to leave a faint imprint in Li Xiaoxing's brain now. He might not think much about it now, but one day in the future, when he finally strings the pieces of evidence together, he'll stumble upon the truth.

"What you have to do now is very simple," said Ji Fanyin. "Tell her that I've approached you, but assure her that you'll never fall for me. Tell her that you'll unconditionally help her, and protect her from me."

"… Because I love her," Li Xiaoxing completed the sentence.

Ji Fanyin smiled. "That's right. Because you love her."

It was tiring to be a teacher, even if your student was extremely smart and fully trusted you. This was especially so when the topic was something as elusive and subjective as the human mind. Imparting such knowledge was bound to be time-consuming.

After explaining the important steps and the logic behind them, Ji Fanyin proceeded to have a rehearsal with him.

Ah, I nearly forgot. My stand-in service counts as an additional service, so he'll have to top up on the sum.

It took nearly three hours before their rehearsal dinner finally ended. By then, it was already close to 9 PM.

Knowing that it was about time for her to get off work, Ji Fanyin took out her phone in preparation to turn off her alarm. Unexpectedly, her phone started ringing instead. She glanced at the caller id reflected on the screen and rejected the call right away.

The alarm rang right afterward.

Ji Fanyin switched off the alarm and smiled at Li Xiaoxing. "My apologies, it was a call from another client. I have work tomorrow, so I'll be returning to the hotel now."

"You're leaving tomorrow?" Li Xiaoxing, who was still in the midst of organizing his thoughts, raised his head to look at her. "I'll offer the highest price. Stay for another day."

"That person also offered the highest price," Ji Fanyin rejected Li Xiaoxing's proposal without any hesitation.

Credibility was important when it came to running a business. She had set the rules herself, and she intended to follow them.

"We haven't sorted out all the details yet." Li Xiaoxing shook his head. "There are still some parts I'm unsure of."

"You're doing great. Ji Xinxin will be moved by your sincerity," assured Ji Fanyin as she rose to her feet.

Li Xiaoxing's frown persisted. He wasn't going to be appeased with casual reassurances.

So, Ji Fanyin added, "Do you still doubt my capability after all the lessons we have been through?"

Li Xiaoxing fell silent for a moment before giving a slight nod and had seemingly accepted her reassurances. "I'll contact you if I have any issues."

Ji Fanyin hitched a ride on Li Xiaoxing's car to the 5-star hotel Secretary Fan had booked before parting ways with him at the hotel lobby. She was intending to stay the night, and that was why she had brought her suitcase with her.

She figured that it would be exhausting to rush back on a night flight. Not only would she arrive at an ungodly hour, she would also have to endure a lengthy car ride back to her apartment after that. After all the hassle, she still wouldn't have much time to catch some sleep.

Since that was the case, she would rather have some good sleep here and enjoy a 5-star hotel's continental breakfast before heading to the airport.

It was of paramount importance that she rested well so that she would have the energy to deal with the buffoon who was thinking of three-timing her.

Returning to her room, she was just about to return the call from Song Shiyu to see what he was up to when she received an urgent international call from Zhang Ning instead.

"Darling, tell me honestly. Did you sell yourself to the Bai Family as their daughter-in-law?" asked Zhang Ning grimly. "Did Madam Meng hand you a briefcase loaded with money to poach you from our studio?"

"I met her today, but I have no intention of selling myself." The amused Ji Fanyin casually kicked off her high heels by her hotel room's foyer. "Did she wave a cheque at you?"

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The agitated Zhang Ning began rambling about a whole lot of stuff. Ji Fanyin went to the washroom and started brushing her teeth while listening to her story. To summarize the lengthy story: Mrs. Bai had indeed waved a cheque at her.

That's probably her way of expressing her sincerity, similar to how that mistress offered to compensate me two-fold of my fees.

Fortunately, Ji Fanyin was confident in accomplishing what Mrs. Bai requested of her.

What Mrs. Bai really wants is for her son to stop stumbling over women. That can be easily achieved without anyone duping Bai Zhou.

Bai Zhou simply has to mature into a rational adult and learn the correct values when it comes to romantic relationships. With those, he won't recklessly leap into a relationship without carefully thinking it over, regardless of whether it was true love or just a scam.

All I have to do is to teach him how to respect others and how he ought to be respected by others. As long as he understands where he went wrong, this problem will resolve by itself.

A child who has gone astray only needs to be guided back to the right path. There's no need to turn him into another dysfunctional 'cold domineering CEO' who has zero interest in women.

It doesn't really take that much effort anyway. I just need to make some minor modifications to my original plan. So easy~

There were two parts to Ji Fanyin's exchange with Mrs. Bai.

Her primary job was to correct Bai Zhou's twisted values in romantic relationships while serving as a double agent during the soon unfolding war over inheritance.

Mrs. Bai was very generous with her offer. Not only did she allow Ji Fanyin to keep the apartment from the mistress, but she also grandly expressed 'I'll match any amount she pays you'.

That meant that all earnings Ji Fanyin made from Bai Zhou would be tripled.

Back then, Ji Fanyin did consider humbly turning it down, but Mrs. Bai's pompous 'This is small money' attitude dissuaded her. For a business mogul like Mrs. Bai, such money was indeed not worth mentioning.

By the time Zhang Ning was done with her ramblings, Ji Fanyin was already lying on her sofa, flipping through a magazine. She calmly assured Zhang Ning, "Don't worry, I didn't sell myself out. We had a pleasant conversation; that's why she decided to invest in us. This is good news."

"… Ji Fanyin, do you hear your own words?" Zhang Ning scoffed. "Putting aside how it's impossible for you two to have shared a pleasant conversation, why did you even meet her today?"

Ji Fanyin gave the question some thought before answering cryptically, "It's the mysterious machinations of fate."

That mistress probably hasn't realized she has been betrayed yet, Ji Fanyin thought as she casually flipped through the magazine in her hand.

"I know that you're a smart person, but there's no need to play with fire," said Zhang Ning worriedly. "We still have many days ahead of us to rake in the big bucks. It's not as if you're facing a dire lack of money."

Ji Fanyin chatted with Zhang Ning for a while longer before hanging up.

The first thing she did afterward was to check her progress on the 'Temptation of Home' app. Just as she had expected, there was a considerable advancement in the progress bar.

The studio was co-owned by her with Zhang Ning and He Shen, so only 100 million of the recent investment was attributed to her. She was curious to know the principles applied by the app in processing such financial calculations.

All in all, factoring in the apartment she had received from the mistress, she had earned 300 million dollars from the transactions with the Bai Family. Thanks to that, her progress shot up to 1.2 billion.

It was quite decent considering how none of the films their studio had invested in had reached the silver screen yet. Their studio had put its money into six films this year, of which, they were the main producers of three of them.

Looks like there'll be a huge harvest next year. I can take things slowly for the time being.

After looking through the app, Ji Fanyin leaped onto the bed and prepared to head to sleep. It was then that she recalled that she hadn't returned the call from Song Shiyu yet.

But now that she was already lying on her bed in her pajamas, her laziness got the better of her.

It must be nothing important since Song Shiyu didn't call back. Alright, I'll ignore it for now.

Ji Fanyin calmly switched off the bed lights and closed her eyes. The last thought on her mind before she drifted off to sleep was the hotel's famous continental breakfast.

Song Shiyu attended a wedding banquet with his parents, where the groom was the son of his parents' friends.

Be it in terms of career or appearance, Song Shiyu was usually dubbed as 'other people's children', but he found himself outdone by others on a single aspect in this gathering.

He was still unmarried and without a girlfriend.

Wedding banquets were a type of networking session too. After a few drinks, the guests started moving around the room to chat with one another. Song Shiyu greeted a few of the elders and toasted them. It didn't take him long to get tipsy.

He wasn't a strong drinker. His father refrained from alcohol and his mother only drank red wine. With such genes, he could only reach the level of an average person no matter how he trained his alcohol tolerance.

To make things worse, the alcohol served in this wedding banquet was the potent Five Lake White Wine.

It took only a few cups for his face to redden and his head to spin.

Mrs. Song excitedly nudged him and asked, "Why is your face reddening? Are you interested in that lady from earlier on?"

Song Shiyu waved his hand, feigning that he was succumbing to the alcohol and couldn't hear her properly.

Mrs. Song made use of this opportunity to call some of Song Shiyu's peers over. She told them to drag him over to the table where those from the younger generation were gathered.

Song Shiyu thought that both sides were equally terrible, but he decided to go with the side where he wouldn't have to face constant pressure for marriage. He did command some influence amongst his peers, thus he wouldn't face as much pressure from them.

So, his cousins lifted him up and dragged him away from the elders' side. Barely a few tables later, one of them secretly whispered, "Is Song Shiyu really drunk? I want to play a prank on him…"

Song Shiyu retracted his hand from that person's shoulder and directed a graceful smile at him.

The cousins glanced at one another before bursting into hearty laughter. Under the influence of alcohol, they boldly pushed Song Shiyu toward the table where those of their age group were gathered.

This bunch of people were bored out of their minds, but they couldn't leave the wedding banquet without their parents' approval. So, they decided to entertain themselves with a game of 'Truth and Dare'.

The slightly tipsy Song Shiyu was pushed into one of the seats.

Someone shouted, "I've dragged Song Shiyu over! Let's start a new round!"

Song Shiyu: "…"

A guy beside him quickly explained the rules, "There are forty dice in the ashtray. You have to choose a number, shake the ashtray, and pick out all the dice with your number on it before passing it to the next person. If there aren't any reflecting the number you chose, you'll have to pick between 'Truth' or 'Dare'."

After quickly going through the rules, the guy made a sly attempt to pass the ashtray to the person left of Song Shiyu, only for it to be intercepted by Song Shiyu.

There were sixteen people sitting on the table, and those who went later had a higher chance of getting punished. It was obvious that the guy was trying to make him go last so as to increase his chances of invoking the penalty.

Song Shiyu loosened his tie and spoke with a gentle smile, "Allow me go first. It's my first time playing. If I get the rules wrong, you'll be able to correct me right away."

He declared his number to be '3' before shaking the irregularly shaped ashtray. Of the forty dice, there were eight of them that showed '3'. He took out those eight dice before passing the ashtray to the next person.

"Is that how you play the game?" he asked.

The others reluctantly nodded their heads before continuing the game.

Sometimes, even the sharpest of minds couldn't triumph over sheer bad luck. The other fifteen players safely overcame the trial posed by the Die Goddess, including the guy who explained the rules to Song Shiyu.

"The Goddess of Luck is shining on me!" shouted the guy in relief.

He took out one of the two remaining dice that reflected a '6' before merrily passing the ashtray to Song Shiyu.

Song Shiyu looked at the single die left on the ashtray.

A one-sixth chance, huh?

"1," Song Shiyu declared. He shook the ashtray with a beautiful flick of his wrist before placing it down on the table.

One of the curious spectators craned his neck over and loudly announced the result, "It's a 2!"

A wave of excitement rippled across the table.

"Truth or Dare!"

"It has to be a dare! We wouldn't really know if he lies after picking Truth!"

Someone shoved a pile of penalty cards toward Song Shiyu and said, "Pick one!"

"Pick one! Pick one!" the crowd started chanting.

Song Shiyu had no intention of being a sore loser in front of so many people. It was just that his head was growing heavier with each passing moment. He rested his heavy head on his arm and casually picked out a card from the pile. He examined its contents with narrowed eyes.

"Oooh, he has to confess to the person he likes through the phone! … Eesh, that isn't fun at all. Don't we all already know who she is?"

"Doesn't make a difference. He still has to make the call. It's the rule!"

"Call her, call her! You aren't a man if you don't call her!"

Song Shiyu was forced by the crowd to whip out his phone. He scrolled down his list of contacts to the 'J' section. Without any hesitation, he tapped on a name and made the call.

A person beside him immediately shouted, "You called the wrong person! Ji Xinxin's name is the next one!"

Those words jolted Song Shiyu awake from his mildly intoxicated state. He quickly tried to hang up the call, only to realize that the person on the other end had already rejected his call.

"It doesn't count, we need to do it again! Brother Shiyu tapped onto the wrong name, right?"

Song Shiyu quietly lowered his gaze for a while before finally tapping down on Ji Xinxin's name.

Ji Xinxin felt a sliver of unease the last time she returned to the country, but she was still confident that most things were in her grasp.

However, her recent decision to participate in the exchange program to her homeland was made on a spur, such that she had to rush the administrative procedures to make it on time. She ended up tiring herself out.

Shortly after she boarded the plane with the other exchange students, she fell asleep in her seat.

The young man seated beside her softly asked an air stewardess for a blanket, which he then placed over Ji Xinxin.

Transcontinental flights tend to fly at higher altitudes, so it wasn't uncommon for the cabin to get chilly.

One of the nearby students nudged the young man and said, "Liam, we're heading to Xin's hometown. You might just get to meet her parents if she invites us over to her house."

Liam glared at the student and said, "Shh. She's exhausted from rushing out the administrative procedures for this exchange. Let her rest."

"Alright, alright. The two of you are living under the same roof; I wouldn't know better than you whether she's tired or not. Hahahaha!"

There was no way a bunch of youths seated together would quieten down that easily. The nearby students curiously peered at Liam and Ji Xinxin and nodded in realization.

Liam decided to ignore them. He hesitated for a brief moment before gently placing Ji Xinxin's head against his shoulder. He took out a book he had been carrying with him and began reading it.

Ji Xinxin only woke up halfway through the flight. She rubbed her sore neck before turning toward Liam with an apologetic smile. "How long was I asleep for? Sorry. You weren't able to eat because of me, right?

"Don't worry about it," replied Liam calmly. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm alright. I can't get used to in-flight meals. The university should have lunch prepared for us when the plane lands. If not, I can bring all of you to Lakeside University's canteen. I've eaten there for four years now, so I have a strong attachment to it." Ji Xinxin looked at Liam with gentle eyes. "I'll show you my secret go-to restaurants."

Liam gently tidied up Ji Xinxin's messy hair, an action that looked both natural and intimate. "Alright. I'd be happy to try everything you're fond of."

Ji Xinxin looked at her and softly muttered, "Luckily you're still around."

"What?" Liam couldn't hear those words clearly.

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"I said, now that you're in a foreign land and can't speak Mandarin, you should avoid wandering around when I'm not around," Ji Xinxin poked Liam's shoulder as she instructed.

She couldn't risk Liam meeting Ji Fanyin.

Liam was from a fairly affluent family, and Ji Fanyin appeared to be in urgent need of money for some reason. It was completely possible for her to make a move on him.

Ji Xinxin had built up many close connections over the years, be it friends, teachers, or elders, and she wasn't worried about Ji Fanyin approaching them. However, it was a different story for her quarries. She kept those quarries on her hook by maintaining a delicate balance of her attention, so she couldn't allow Ji Fanyin to approach them and satisfy their needs for money.

That was why she decided to focus her effort on those she had a romantic relationship with.

She looked at the receding background outside the plane window and took in a deep breath.

If I lose this battle, I might lose it all.

What was at stake here wasn't just her quarries. More than keeping her quarries, she wanted to prove herself.

She wanted to prove that she could defeat the current Ji Fanyin just like how she trampled all over the old 'Ji Fanyin'. She might have decided her path out of distorted admiration for the current Ji Fanyin, but she wasn't about to live in the shadows of her past.

I won't lose to anyone, not even to the Ji Fanyin of my dreams.

Upon arriving at the airport, Ji Fanyin took a cab straight to the restaurant where she was meeting Song Shiyu.

While traveling by cab, she received a notification informing her about a new post on Lakeside University's social media account. The post talked about how a group of French transfer students were due to arrive at the airport today afternoon, and several teachers and students had headed over to welcome them.

In other words, Ji Xinxin and the others are arriving later in the afternoon? Why isn't Song Shiyu heading over to fetch her then?

Ah, it must be because Lakeside University has already sent people over to fetch them. There's no way Ji Xinxin could abandon the group and leave on her own.

When the cab finally arrived at the restaurant, Ji Fanyin switched off her phone and carried her suitcase out of the cab. Then, she made her way toward the restaurant and reported the table number to the waiter.

She had arrived ten minutes earlier because she wanted to have a private chat with Song Shiyu.

Just as she had expected, Song Shiyu had already arrived. There was a menu placed in front of him, but instead of browsing through the menu, he was nervously fiddling with the bracelet on his wrist.

Upon hearing the soft rumbling sound coming from the rolling wheels of Ji Fanyin's suitcase, Song Shiyu raised his head and smiled. "You're here."

He belatedly noticed the suitcase in her hand.

"Did you stay out last night?" asked Song Shiyu.

"I just came back," replied Ji Fanyin concisely as she took a seat.

Song Shiyu was momentarily surprised by her attitude before his eyes widened in realization. He doubtfully called her name, "Ji Fanyin?"

Ji Fanyin replied with a placid "Mm" as she placed her suitcase against the wall.

Song Shiyu's eyes lit up. "Do you remember this tie clip?"

Ji Fanyin nonchalantly glanced at the tie clip.

Nope, doesn't ring a bell at all...

"It's the birthday present you gave me two years ago. Don't you remember it?" Song Shiyu was stunned by Ji Fanyin's impassive response. He unbuttoned the sleeves of his shirt to reveal a bracelet. "What about this? You should remember this, right? You gave it to me as a birthday present this year."

Ji Fanyin interlocked her fingers and looked at the nervous Song Shiyu. She calmly but cruelly burst his hopes, "Correction. That's a birthday present you've received from 'Ji Xinxin', if it's even the same one at all."

You have already shattered the one I've bought. Did you think that the significance of it would remain unchanged just because you secretly bought an identical one to replace it?

Song Shiyu clenched his fists.

Ji Fanyin glanced at her watch and said, "It isn't time yet. There are some things I'd like to inform you about beforehand."

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Song Shiyu subconsciously straightened his posture. "What is it?"

"Your blind date went well, right? When are you intending to get married?" Ji Fanyin got straight to the point.

Song Shiyu was taken aback. He didn't understand what she was talking about. "Married? To whom?"

"Miss Chen Yunshan," answered Ji Fanyin. "Or are there other ladies who you're dating at the moment?"

"That wasn't a blind date!" Song Shiyu swiftly realized what Ji Fanyin was referring to. His upper body inclined forward out of agitation, and he hurriedly explained himself. "It was also my first time meeting her in that restaurant! My mother arranged it behind my back. We have only eaten together once!"

Ji Fanyin nonchalantly nodded before continuing with her questions, "So, how did it go?"

"We only bumped into each other during that basketball match. She was there to watch her little brother play, and I was invited by the university. I didn't send her home that day!" Song Shiyu began speaking faster and faster. "I've never met Chen Yunshan ever since. We're nothing more than acquaintances. There's also no way I could have any dates. Why would I ask you out if I'm already seeing someone else?"

"How would I know? You're someone who continues to proclaim your love for Ji Xinxin while trying to ask me out. It doesn't sound too outlandish to me that you're seeing someone else on top of that," replied Ji Fanyin as she poured herself a cup of water.

Ji Xinxin is going to return to the country today, but Song Shiyu is wasting his time by trying to explain to me that he isn't dating anyone. His actions and words have always been so detached.

"I did harbor feelings for Ji Xinxin in the past, but toward you, I…" Song Shiyu blurted out, only for his words to screech to a halt halfway through. His mouth fell agape in shock as he belatedly realized what he was going to say.

"Pity you?" Ji Fanyin completed his sentence.

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"…" Song Shiyu didn't answer.

Ji Fanyin calmly took a sip of water and gracefully placed the cup back onto the table. "I heard that Miss Chen is preparing for marriage. To avoid unnecessary complications, I've decided to terminate our business relationship."

Song Shiyu's eyes slowly dilated upon hearing those words. He answered without the slightest hesitation, "I refuse."

"Hasn't Ji Xinxin returned to the country?" Ji Fanyin points out nonchalantly. "You should look for her. She's your white moonlight."

"Ji Fanyin!" bellowed Song Shiyu furiously.

A waiter was just about to get their order when the sudden outburst intimidated him, causing him to timidly back away.

Ji Fanyin placed her finger on her lips and shushed him, "We're in a public place. Don't be a public nuisance."

Song Shiyu's chest rapidly expanded and contracted under the influence of his rampaging emotions. It took him a while to keep his emotions in check.

He furiously questioned, "What are you trying to get at? What do you want me to say? Are you waiting for me to confess that the person I like is no longer your younger sister but you?"

A question mark popped up in Ji Fanyin's head. She was about to answer with an 'Of course not', but Song Shiyu wasn't giving her the opportunity to do so.

"Fine, I admit to it! My feelings have changed! I have fallen in love with you! My feelings for you are even stronger than how I previously felt for Xinxin! You're far more important to me than she is! Are you satisfied now?!"

Despite Song Shiyu's emotional outburst, Ji Fanyin was hardly impressed at all.

She calmly assessed Song Shiyu's expression and mused over his confession. Then, she laughed. "Song Shiyu, aren't you getting something wrong here?"

Song Shiyu glared at her as if he was going to eat someone whole.

"Your feelings don't mean a thing to me" Ji Fanyin waved her hand dismissively at Song Shiyu. "I've told you from the very start—I need money. I personally believe that I have made things very clear. Are you still deluding yourself that the 'Ji Fanyin' who had feelings for you is still around?"

"That's why I couldn't say anything at all!" exclaimed Song Shiyu with suppressed agitation. "I couldn't accept that you no longer had feelings for me. What does that make me? I neglected you, used you, hurt you. I denied you in the past, only to fall helplessly for you now. What does that make me?!"

Ji Fanyin raised her eyebrows.

She wasn't too surprised to learn of Song Shiyu's thoughts.

Proud people had the tendency to ignore facts that questioned their self-esteem. It was a natural defensive mechanism to protect their ego. That was the reason why he interpreted Ji Fanyin's actions as an alternative method to attract his attention.

That was why he thought that Ji Fanyin's act of accepting money to become a stand-in was a way for her to preserve her own self-esteem while staying by his side.

He wanted to believe that Ji Fanyin had taken care of him while he was ill because she still had feelings for him.

That Ji Fanyin was just being jealous when she asked him about his blind date.

That Ji Fanyin had refused to go out with him because she doubted his sincerity.

But even an elephant could be brought down by an army of ants. It was only a matter of time before his castle of lies crumbled.

"If I admit to that, wouldn't that mean that I'm a fucking idiot who fell in love with someone who's no longer in love with me?!" Song Shiyu hissed through gritted teeth. It was the first time in a long while that he had uttered vulgarity before another person.

Ji Fanyin directed him a perplexed look and asked, "Is that not the case?"

White moonlight refers to a person that you're infatuated with but is well beyond your reach, similar to a 'goddess of your dream'.

"Besides, you said that you have fallen for me. That makes things more dangerous," said Ji Fanyin. "You liked Ji Xinxin but couldn't attain her; that's why you had me play her stand-in. Now that you no longer harbor feelings for her, there's no longer any for us to continue our business transactions anymore."

While she could earn more money and continue pricking Song Shiyu's heart by maintaining this business relationship, that would be playing with fire. There was a chance that he would cast aside all reason and pull off something extreme, just like how he had kidnapped 'Ji Fanyin' in the alternate future.

Other than that, she had two other considerations.

One, while it had never been her goal to tame Song Shiyu, the latter still ended up confessing that his feelings had moved on to her. Given so, she could put him back into Ji Xinxin's fishery as a ticking time bomb.

Unlike Bai Zhou, Song Shiyu hadn't fallen out with Ji Xinxin yet. The two of them could continue playing together with each other for a long time to come.

Two, even if Song Shiyu hadn't lied, it would mean that his family had started to pressure him for marriage. This might be the first time he was going for a blind date, but the chances were that it wouldn't be the last. Soon, there would be a second time, a second time, and many more.

Men like Song Shiyu tended not to put much weight on marriage. He could just suddenly choose to get engaged or married out of pragmatic needs one day.

Ji Fanyin didn't think that there was any need to risk sullying herself.

I should just squeeze whatever I can get out of him and wave him goodbye.

Song Shiyu suddenly calmed down. He interlocked his fingers and slowly spoke, "Aren't you doing this for money? The only thing that should matter is whether I continue paying you. It should be none of your business why I'm looking for you."

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Ji Fanyin didn't answer his question.

The truth was that she had already updated the app. All she needed to do now was to log in to the administrative portal and remove Song Shiyu's account. Everything would be over then.

The invitation she had previously sent to Song Shiyu had expired. Unless she sent him a new invitation, he would never be able to access the reservation app again.

But to avoid excessively agitating him, Ji Fanyin glanced at her watch and asked, "It's about time. Do you still want to continue with today's reservation?"

"Of course," replied Song Shiyu with a smile. He hadn't managed to fully adjust his mood yet, so his usual graceful smile looked awfully superficial. "Otherwise, I'd be giving Bai Zhou a free treat if he happens to pass by again."

Ji Fanyin thought that Song Shiyu was thinking too much into it.

There was no denying that Bai Zhou was now her number one client after her agreement with Mrs. Bai, which tripled any earnings she made from him. There was no better money tree than that.

However!

Ji Fanyin would never work for free, not even if it was a request from her number one client!

She just wanted to get a day of paid leave from Song Shiyu, but since the client insisted on proceeding ahead, she had no choice but to get into work mode.

Yes, Ji Xinxin mode.

The client's needs might have changed, but the agreement they had was based on his previous needs. It was his own personal reasons that affected their transaction, so he should be the one to bear the consequences instead of her.

The waiter diffidently approached the two of them with a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes. He noticed that the tension between the couple had dissipated, but somehow, he found the air of amiability between them even more unnerving. It was to the point that he quickly ran away after confirming the order.

He seriously wondered if those two were suffering from dissociative identity disorder.

Ji Fanyin and Song Shiyu had an unhappening meal till 1 PM.

While they were making their way out of the restaurant, Ji Fanyin noticed a particularly rowdy group in the shopping mall on the floor beneath. It was a group comprising mainly Westerners, though there was a Chinese woman standing amongst them—Ji Xinxin.

Song Shiyu was still footing the bill, so Ji Fanyin continued watching them from the entrance of the restaurant. She wasn't worried about getting caught by Ji Xinxin; if anything, she was hoping that Ji Xinxin would notice her.

She was curious to know how Ji Xinxin would react upon realizing that Song Shiyu was on the verge of escaping from her fishery.

Ji Xinxin still doesn't know her frontlines are crumbling. Should I tip her off through Song Shiyu first?

"What are you looking at?" Song Shiyu walked over and asked.

"Over there." Ji Fanyin pointed to the group. "There are many foreigners there. Are they tourists? They look fairly young."

Song Shiyu looked over too, but his expression stiffened the next instant.

It was impossible for him to overlook Ji Xinxin, given how much she stood out from the group.

Ji Fanyin suppressed the evil smile on her lips and innocently asked, "Shiyu, I have a sudden craving for milk tea. Should we get something from the store on the opposite side?"

Song Shiyu looked at her and asked, "Are you certain?"

"Of course." Ji Fanyin had even decided on what she wanted. "I want the one with grape pulp."

Song Shiyu was silent for several seconds before leading her toward the milk tea store.

The shopping mall was shaped in an irregular ellipse. There was a huge empty space in the middle, allowing those on one side to see those on the opposite side.

But again, given the constant huge flow of crowd in the shopping mall, most people wouldn't bother keeping an eye out on who was in the same space as them.

Ji Fanyin only happened to spot Ji Xinxin because her presence was too conspicuous in the midst of an army of foreign students. Most people would take another look at her out of curiosity.

Unfortunately, Ji Xinxin was too busy translating for the ten or so transfer students around her to pay attention to her surroundings. Even as Ji Fanyin received her iced fruit tea, her group was still chatting at the same spot.

It looks like she didn't notice us.

This novel is available on /3Tfs4P4.

The disappointed Ji Fanyin gulped up a mouthful of grape pulp before walking away with Song Shiyu.

…

While Ji Xinxin was taking a cursory glance at her surroundings, she noticed two familiar figures in the mall in her peripheral vision. It drew her attention right away.

Yet, when she turned her gaze over, she didn't spot anything worthy of note. It was as if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

She fell into a daze.

"Did you see something?" asked the tall Liam, who had been standing by her side all this while like a knight.

Ji Xinxin shook her head uncertainly and replied, "I might be seeing things. I thought I saw a familiar face."

"Was it over there?" Unexpectedly, Liam pointed in the direction of where she was looking at earlier. "I noticed a woman who resembled you. She was with a man wearing a suit."

"Resembled me? Did you see her face?" Ji Xinxin's heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly probed deeper.

"I'm afraid not." Liam shook his head. "I only paid attention because her back silhouette resembled yours."

Ji Xinxin bit her lips as she gave this matter some thought. She gestured for the group to wait for a moment before whipping out her phone to dial a number.

Based on her current intelligence, she knew for sure that Bai Zhou and Song Shiyu were in contact with Ji Fanyin. She could deduce that much from the video that had gone viral.

Bai Zhou wouldn't visit a shopping mall dressed in a suit, which meant that the man was likely to be Song Shiyu, assuming that the woman was Ji Fanyin.

I should be able to verify it as long as I drop Song Shiyu a call.

However, the call hung up after several beeps.

Song Shiyu didn't accept her call.

Ji Xinxin stared at her phone with a frown for several seconds before giving Ji Fanyin's number a try.

It reflected that the other party was busy and couldn't come to the call.

This left Ji Xinxin worried.

She was aware that Bai Zhou was likely going to betray her, but she wasn't able to sound Song Shiyu out because she was busy with work during this period of time.

If even Song Shiyu has decided to defect to Ji Fanyin's side, how many useful pieces do I have left on my side?

Ji Xinxin quickly calculated the cards she still had in her mind.

My father and mother have tried confronting Ji Fanyin, but they were sent packing.

Bai Zhou hasn't taken the initiative to contact me after the gaming incident. The culprit behind it, Liam, is still standing ignorantly next to me.

Cen Xiangyang should still be on my side, but he's not trustworthy.

Li Xiaoxing… That's right, the most important one right now is Li Xiaoxing!

Ji Xinxin exhaled deeply in relief as she placed Li Xiaoxing on the topmost priority on her list.

With Li Xiaoxing's societal standing, she would be able to stand her ground against Ji Fanyin as long as he was willing to lend her a helping hand. If really pushed to a corner, she was willing to consider dating or even marrying him in order to secure his support.

If not for his physical disability, Li Xiaoxing would have been her ideal marriage candidate.

…

It was 9 PM when Ji Fanyin finally got off work. Song Shiyu appeared to have gained immunity against the countdown timer as he nonchalantly watched her switch off the alarm. He asked, "Who are you meeting tomorrow?"

"That's an infringement of my client's privacy," answered Ji Fanyin without raising her head. She opened the cab's door and said, "Goodbye."

It'll be a true farewell this time around.

As soon as Ji Fanyin got home, she blacklisted Song Shiyu on her reservation app and double confirmed that he no longer had the authority to access the platform.

Shortly after, she received a call from Bai Zhou. He asked, "Are you home yet?"

"It's outside of working hours now. Are you intending to pay me OT?" asked Ji Fanyin lazily.

Bai Zhou immediately responded with a question, "I can do that? What are your charges?"

"… No, you can't," replied Ji Fanyin. She headed to her fridge to grab a can of cola. "You haven't sent me the meeting location for tomorrow."

Bai Zhou let out a disappointed "Oh" before saying, "I'll fetch you. Where do you live?"

"Don't bother. I'll head there myself," Ji Fanyin coldly rejected him.

"I don't care. I'll be coming over," insisted Bai Zhou. "I got a private investigator to uncover the neighborhood you live in a few months ago. It's just that I didn't get him to continue looking into your exact address. I'll meet you on the southern street of your neighborhood. That much should be fine, right? I did pay you after all!"

He hung up the call right after, not giving Ji Fanyin a chance to say anything.

Ji Fanyin put down her phone and began contemplating moving places once more.

The thought of moving into the apartment she received from Mr. Bai's mistress wasn't appealing to her, so she hired a realtor to have it sold. She was planning to buy another apartment for her to stay in.

It feels like everyone already knows the address of the apartment I've rented. I guess I'll find some time day after tomorrow to buy a new apartment.

Ji Fanyin made up her mind.

Search /3Tfs4P4 for the original.

…

Bai Zhou heaved a sigh of relief after putting his phone down. He was proud of how fast he hung up the phone.

Doesn't Ji Fanyin hold her professionalism in high regard? As long as I refuse to answer her calls, she'll have no choice but to meet me at the location I've decided on.

…

Song Shiyu's car had been idling by the roadside for quite some time now. He was in the midst of fighting against the little reservation app, which kept displaying an error message, 'Invalid credentials', despite him trying to log in more than ten times now.

In the end, he had no choice but to accept that Ji Fanyin meant what she said.

She had really removed him from her list of clients.

Song Shiyu punched his steering wheel angrily.

He looked at the nearby neighborhood with eyes as deep as the ocean and spent a moment in deep thought. Eventually, he picked up his phone and called Ji Xinxin. He told her that he had just noticed the missed call from her and asked if there was anything up.

"It's almost 9. Are you that busy with work?" asked Ji Xinxin lamentably. "I wanted to talk to you about my big sis… if you're willing to listen."

Song Shiyu gripped the steering wheel tightly while his eyes continued lingering at the entrance of the nearby neighborhood. His face was completely impassive, but his voice remained as elegant and gentle as always, "You want to talk about your big sis?"

"It has something to do with you too. Can you guess what it is?" said Ji Xinxin half-jokingly.

"That's too tough for me," replied Song Shiyu. "Shall we meet up and talk tomorrow morning? I'll have to leave at ten."

"Alright, I'll wake up a bit earlier," said Ji Xinxin. "Do you have something up at ten?"

Song Shiyu chuckled softly before replying, "There's a place I need to be before eleven."

…

Ji Xinxin bade Song Shiyu farewell before hanging up the call. She sat on her bed pensively for several minutes before heading downstairs to look for Mother Ji, who was in the midst of sewing a cotton shirt. "Mum, do you still remember big sis' address? Can you tell me where she lives?"

"You're planning on looking for your big sis?" Mother Ji revealed a look of worry. "She has quite the temper nowadays. Your father and I have visited her, but all she does is snub us. I don't think you'll be able to deal with her yourself. Why don't you bring someone else with you? What about Shiyu?"

"Don't worry, mum. We're sisters. Big sis won't bully me," replied Ji Xinxin sweetly. "I just want to visit big sis and have a talk with her. Who knows? I might just be able to move her."

Seeing how insistent Ji Xinxin was, Mother Ji had no choice but to send the address to her. She nagged for a while longer before asking, "What time are you heading there tomorrow?"

"I have something up in the morning. I should have some free time after ten," said Ji Xinxin with a smile. "I think I'll try asking big sis out for lunch."

Ji Fanyin's left eyelid was twitching when she woke up.

However, operating under the principle that 'whichever eyelid twitches is the one that represents good luck', she paid it no heed and began her morning exercises.

As Bai Zhou insisted on fetching her from her residential area, she was spared the trouble of leaving home early.

She ate her breakfast while leisurely typing out a movie review. Then, she looked through her inbox and dealt with some work emails from her filmmaking studio. Last but not least, she sent a huge red packet to the studio's staff group chat, which won her a flood of 'Thanks boss!'.

It was only after these that she started changing her clothes and doing her make-up.

Her left eyelid was still twitching nonstop, as if it was warning her about something. Not one to believe in superstition, she left home without any hesitation.

Thanks to two suc… No, I should call them 'extended clients' instead; I am earning 30 million dollars from Bai Zhou for a day's work. How could I cancel the reservation over a mere twitching eyelid?

Not to mention, Mrs. Bai even invested a huge amount of money in our filmmaking studio. She would have been a VIP18 gamer if this was a game, entitled to special privileges.

Ji Fanyin made her way to the northern entrance of her residential area, expecting to see Bai Zhou and his funky motorcycle.

… Her prediction wasn't wrong. She just didn't expect to see an additional dark-blue Audi parked beside the motorcycle, as well as a Song Shiyu standing next to Bai Zhou.

It could be seen through their expressions that they weren't having an amicable chat. Barely after exchanging a few words, Bai Zhou had already grabbed Song Shiyu's collar, ready to start a fight.

Ji Fanyin's footsteps screeched to a halt. She found the situation troublesome to deal with.

How should I put this? I was already mentally prepared that such a situation could occur when I removed Song Shiyu from my client list. I knew that Song Shiyu wouldn't give up that easily, so I needed someone to keep him in check.

But that person shouldn't be of the opposite stance to him, so definitely not Bai Zhou. I need someone who shares a common interest with him to some extent, someone like…

Having yet to figure out a solution to deal with this mess, Ji Fanyin directed a cursory look at the surroundings.

When you're just trying to make great content at /37k7u89t.

It was a Sunday morning, so there were huge crowds moving to and fro the residential area. Many of the passers-by were sneaking looks at Song Shiyu and Bai Zhou. The ruckus they were causing was one thing, but that was two dashing hunks standing next to each other. It was impossible for them not to draw attention.

However, Ji Fanyin sharply spotted a familiar silhouette in the crowd not too far away—Ji Xinxin.

She was standing alone under the shade of a tree, just around twenty meters away from Song Shiyu and Bai Zhou. However, those two men didn't seem to have noticed her presence.

Ji Fanyin, with her 1.5 vision, could see that Ji Xinxin was staring hard at the duo, her usual feigned smile nowhere to be seen.

Oh. That simplifies matters.

Ji Fanyin chuckled to herself. She whipped out her phone and made a call to Ji Xinxin as she started making her way to the residential area's entrance.

Ji Xinxin's phone rang right away.

Ji Fanyin saw Ji Xinxin jolting in horror in her peripheral vision. She found it a pity that the latter's ringtone wasn't particularly loud.

If it was a bit louder, Bai Zhou and Song Shiyu might have just noticed her. Oh well, it doesn't matter.

Ji Fanyin patiently waited for Ji Xinxin to pick up the call, and when she answered with a soulless "Hello" Ji Fanyin dropped her question, "Are you here to look for me?"

Ji Xinxin didn't answer the question.

By then, Ji Fanyin had already reached the residential area's entrance. She glanced at Ji Xinxin once more and saw her anxiously turning her back on Song Shiyu and Bai Zhou.

She probably doesn't want the two of them to know she's here.

"What a coincidence. I happened to spot you yesterday." Ji Fanyin began making her way toward Bai Zhou. "In the shopping mall."

"…"

Ji Fanyin casually walked up to Song Shiyu and Bai Zhou and smiled at the two men. She then turned toward where Ji Xinxin was and loudly called out, "Ji Xinxin, why not join us since you're already here? Let's not make this a wasted trip."

Astonished by the sudden call, Ji Xinxin reflexively turned her head around and found herself coming eye-to-eye with Ji Fanyin's gaze.

Those words also caught Song Shiyu and Bai Zhou by surprise. They immediately turned their eyes over to look at Ji Xinxin, with Bai Zhou's hand still tightly holding onto Song Shiyu's collar.

Now that they were finally aware of each other's presence, the air suddenly grew so stifling that it became hard to breathe for them.

The only one who remained unfazed was Ji Fanyin.

"Aren't you coming over?" she asked Ji Xinxin.

Ji Xinxin stiffly hung up her phone. She began walking toward the trio with a strained smile, her eyes avoiding Ji Fanyin and alternating between Song Shiyu and Bai Zhou.

Song Shiyu subconsciously asked, "Xinxin, what are you doing here?"

Ji Xinxin looked at Song Shiyu with disappointment looming in her eyes, "You left in a hurry earlier. You said that you wouldn't be able to make it in time if you didn't leave right away. I sensed that something was wrong, so I followed you. I didn't know that you…"

"…" Song Shiyu fell silent.

Oh? These two met earlier in the morning?

Ji Fanyin suddenly regretted not recording her conversation with Song Shiyu yesterday. Otherwise, she could have played the part where he said 'My feelings have changed! I have fallen in love with you! My feelings for you are even stronger than how I previously felt for Xinxin!'.

That would have surely made for an interesting scene.

"It wasn't easy for you to build up your career and your wealth. Are you going to give it all away now?" asked Ji Xinxin in dismay. "Doesn't your heart hurt when you see your hard work going down the drain?"

She spoke in a hushed tone, seemingly worried that the passers-by would overhear them.

"You don't need to worry," said Ji Fanyin. She pulled out a spare helmet from Bai Zhou's motorcycle and added with a smile. "He won't have a chance to squander his money anymore."

Song Shiyu had chosen to ignore Ji Xinxin's question, but Ji Fanyin's remark triggered him to raise his head and growl, "You're fine with Bai Zhou, but not me?"

Search /3Tfs4P4 for the original.

"He didn't go on a blind date, unlike you," replied Ji Fanyin. While attempting to fit the helmet on her head, she continued, "Not only so, your feelings have changed and you have fallen in love with me. Isn't that what you said?"

Seeing how Ji Fanyin was struggling to find the helmet's buckle, Bai Zhou clicked his tongue in annoyance and stepped forward to help her. His movements appeared rough, but it didn't cause her any pain.

He was oddly attentive to Ji Fanyin today, to the point where he hadn't said a single word to Ji Xinxin since her appearance.

However, Ji Xinxin didn't have the spare energy to bother with Bai Zhou's unusual behavior. Her eyes widened in shock upon hearing Ji Fanyin's words, and she anxiously asked, "Shiyu, is that true?"

Song Shiyu clenched his fists and solemnly replied, "It's true."

Bai Zhou let out a snort in response as he quietly fastened the helmet for Ji Fanyin.

Ji Fanyin glanced at her watch and noted that it was approaching 11 AM, but she decided to dish out one final blow before taking her leave. "Nice bracelet you have there. A gift from Ji Xinxin?"

That prompted Ji Xinxin to glance at Song Shiyu's wrist, where she finally noticed a metal bracelet.

I didn't give that bracelet to him… He told me that he doesn't like to wear accessories on his wrist!

Her complexion turned awful. She made several attempts to plaster a smile back onto her face but to little success. She turned to Bai Zhou and grilled him as well, "What about you, Zhouzhou? Did your feelings move on too?"

Bai Zhou grabbed the helmet hanging on his motorcycle's handle, and he casually threw it and caught it. "You haven't answered me yet. That woman who was gaming with us, Kitty; is she really a woman?"

Ji Xinxin bit her lower lips and answered agitatedly, "Of course! If you don't believe me, I can bring you to meet her. She's my roommate, a Chinese national!"

"It's 11." Professional stand-in Ji Fanyin raised her hand and interjected in their conversation. "I wouldn't mind if you choose to cancel your reservation now. I'm all for it."

Bai Zhou shot her a sharp glare before swiftly putting on his helmet. He gestured toward the motorcycle with a tilt of his head. "Get on."

By pressing down on Bai Zhou's shoulder, Ji Fanyin managed to get onto the motorcycle's backseat. Before leaving the scene, she turned around and smiled at Ji Xinxin through the protector.

I'll leave the two of them to bite at each other. As for Bai Zhou… I guess I have no choice but to lend him a helping hand after striking such a profitable deal with Mrs. Bai.

Bai Zhou appeared to be in a good mood. As they cruised down the streets, he asked with a jovial tone, "You sacked Song Shiyu?"

"What do you mean?" Ji Fanyin calmly replied.

"Does that mean that we'll have more time to…"

"Are you done with your exams yet? What about your thesis? Have you thought about your research question?" Ji Fanyin dished out three consecutive critical blows.

Bai Zhou: "…"

…

Neither Song Shiyu nor Ji Xinxin stepped out to stop the motorcycle when it arrogantly vroomed away in front of them.

Several seconds ticked by before they finally turned to look at each other.

Ji Xinxin swiftly adjusted her expression to reveal a forlorn smile. "So it was all a lie. Everything we talked about just this morning."

"Get in my car." Song Shiyu appeared disinterested to refute her words. "There are too many people around. Let's find somewhere else to talk."

Search /3Tfs4P4 for the original.

Ji Xinxin bit on her lips so hard that pale teeth imprints showed on her lower lips. "You could have just told me if you like my big sis. I have always been supportive of your relationships. But you chose to hesitate between my big sis and me, refusing to make a choice. This is disrespectful to both me and my big sis. I cannot accept this."

Song Shiyu unlocked his car. He looked at Ji Xinxin with chilly eyes and repeated himself once more, "Get in my car."

Ji Xinxin was startled by his change in attitude.

She quietly got into the passenger seat and closed the door. She waited till Song Shiyu got into the car before continuing on, "You told me earlier this morning that you only wanted to be friends with my big sis. You said that you wanted to resolve the misunderstandings between the two of you. Were these all lies?"

"Yes," replied Song Shiyu impassively. "I used to like you, but I like her now. A person's feelings can't possibly remain constant for his entire life."

A bitter smile emerged on Ji Xinxin's lips. "What real feelings can you buy with money? I'd be more than happy to bless the two of you if you were in a proper relationship, but everything you have is built on money. This is… This is nothing more than a mirage! It won't last, Shiyu! I'm not opposing your relationship. I'm just worried that there won't be a happy ending for you two!"

While having a verbal tug-of-war with Song Shiyu, Ji Xinxin's mind was churning like a torrential storm.

The situation with Bai Zhou is turbulent, but Song Shiyu seems to have defected even more thoroughly than him.

Ji Xinxin felt suffocated. She had been on the higher ground for the past ten years, but the situation suddenly looked overwhelmingly disadvantageous to her.

Find the original at /3Tfs4P4.

Is there no way for me to turn things around and catch Ji Fanyin off guard?

"Love that can be bought with money or love that can't be bought with money; which is more tragic?" asked Song Shiyu.

That's right! If there's someone whom Ji Fanyin cares about… If I could just grasp hold of her weakness, I'd be able to turn things around!

"… I remember that my big sis used to be head over heels for you," said Ji Xinxin with a coaxing voice. "My big sis might just have just said those words in a fit of anger. Perhaps, if you keep trying to make amends to her, she might just be touched by your sincerity and forgive you."

Why don't I get Song Shiyu to harass Ji Fanyin so that she can't get to my other targets?

The car slowed to a halt at a crossroad. Song Shiyu contemplated for a moment before answering, "Once a person puts certain feelings behind them, they will never turn back for it."

Ji Xinxin was stunned.

Those words appeared to be describing the situation between him and Ji Fanyin, but on closer inspection, it could have also been talking about Song Shiyu and her.

Ji Xinxin felt inexplicable rage breeding within her.

If only Song Shiyu was able to tightly hold onto 'Ji Fanyin', that Ji Fanyin from the dreams wouldn't have appeared in this world!

Then my big sis, my cowardly and pitiful big sis, she could have still been meekly living out her life in this world!

A strong feeling of repulsion gripped Ji Xinxin. With her usual innocent and sweet voice, she said, "Who can we blame for that, Shiyu? You scorned my big sis when she was chasing you around, and now she has lost interest in you. You only have your own incompetence to blame for this."

The traffic lights had yet to turn green, so Song Shiyu turned his head over to look at Ji Xinxin.

Ji Xinxin had been suppressing herself for far too long ever since she learned about Ji Fanyin's true identity. Once a crack surfaced, it was no longer possible to stop the malevolence that had been churning inside her all this while from pouring forth.

"Surely we can't blame big sis for this? She only made a mistake that all men commit." Ji Xinxin's smile slowly widened. "Who wouldn't want to be with a better partner? I reckon that all she thinks about when she looks at you now, is how in the world did she ever fall for a scum in the first place."

The traffic lights finally turned green.

"You're right," Song Shiyu stepped on the accelerator, "I feel the same way about you too."

Ji Xinxin's warped smile froze in place. She took in a deep breath and squeezed out every single word emphatically, "What did you say?"

"I only fell for you because I wasn't clear-headed." Song Shiyu's eyes remained firmly on the road ahead. "All you wanted to do is control me. Are we even friends?"

"… Stop the car," Ji Xinxin said with a quivering voice.

Song Shiyu eyed the roadside and replied, "There's no place to stop here."

Theft is never good, try looking at /37k7u89t.

"Song Shiyu, stop the car right now!" Ji Xinxin slammed the glove compartment in front of her, causing the documents inside to scatter all over the ground.

Something sharp nicked Ji Xinxin's legs, causing her eyes to become teary. "Song Shiyu, have I ever mistreated you? What have I done to deserve such humiliation? Are you regretting having fallen in love with me now? Have you forgotten that I was always the one turning you down? I never asked you to like me!"

"But the kindness and intimacy you showed misled me into believing that you were simply in a tight spot." Song Shiyu tightly gripped the steering wheel. "You have been leading me on all this while. I was only able to see the truth when you left for Paris…"

"What truth? That you're now in love with Ji Fanyin?" Ji Xinxin pointed to the road behind her and exclaimed, "Wake up, Song Shiyu! The Ji Fanyin you like is someone who has everyone dancing in the palm of her hands! She's no longer the meek girl who doesn't dare stand before you, only able to peek at you from afar! Can't you tell that they aren't the same person?!"

Song Shiyu felt hysterical at Ji Xinxin's sudden outburst. "It's normal. People change. Also, I ought to tell you that I've been meeting up with her, even in the past."

Ji Xinxin felt a lurch in her heart. "You two… did what?"

"We have been meeting privately all along," Song Shiyu repeated himself once more as he steered the car toward the right.

"… Why? Were your feelings for me a lie all along?"

"No, my feelings for you were real. I treated her as your shadow back then." Song Shiyu stopped his car at a temporary parking lot before turning to look at Ji Xinxin's face. "… But now, I don't know why, but I think you're more like her shadow instead."

Those innocuous words filled Ji Xinxin with terror, and she started trembling.

I'm… her shadow?

Song Shiyu spent a moment in thought before supplementing, "But you don't really resemble the current Ji Fanyin either."

More like a warped and crude imitation.

Ji Xinxin mustered all of her strength to fling her hand at the unguarded Song Shiyu, giving him a tight slap. The manicured nails that she had done at the mall yesterday left two long cuts on his left cheek.

While Song Shiyu was hissing in pain, Ji Xinxin quickly undid her seatbelt and scrambled out of the car. She didn't forget to slam the car door in her wake.

Barely after taking a few steps, she turned around to take a look, only to see Song Shiyu's car moving out of the parking lot. She shot a sharp glare at his car before whipping out her phone to hail a cab.

However, she changed her mind at the last moment and instead dialed Li Xiaoxing's number.

Secretary Fan received the call.

Ji Xinxin was able to recognize the other party's voice. It was the personal secretary who attended to Li Xiaoxing's every need. She recalled that he had a below-average face and was balding despite his young age.

"What's Xiaoxing doing? Can I visit him now?" She made her voice sound slightly tearful.

There was actually no need for her to put on an act. Her voice was already nasal after her aggravating encounter with Song Shiyu.

"My apologies, Miss Ji. You're in the country, right?" Secretary Fan was polite in his response. "Mr. Li is currently in the UK for work."

Ji Xinxin was disappointed to hear that, but at the same time, she felt a tinge of unease as well. Having lost Bai Zhou and Song Shiyu, she couldn't help but wonder if Ji Fanyin had made a move on her other targets too.

Isn't it Ji Fanyin's aim to make money? There's no way she would turn a blind eye to Li Xiaoxing given how rich he is. If Li Xiaoxing chooses to defect to Ji Fanyin's side as well, I'd really be doomed…

"Since you called, Mr. Li has tasked me to consult you on a matter." The sound of flipping papers could be heard. "… Are you free from 12th February to 15th February? Mr. Li would like to invite you to Japan for a change of pace."

Ji Xinxin's mood immediately lifted. "Sounds great! It coincides with my Spring Break, so I should be able to make time. Is there anything I'd need to prepare?"

It was an overseas trip during a period that coincided with Spring Break and Valentine's Day. There was no doubt in Ji Xinxin's mind that Li Xiaoxing was preparing a surprise for her.

"Everything will be prepared for. All you have to do is to hand me your passport so that I can apply for a visa on your behalf," replied Secretary Fan.

After agreeing on a time for Secretary Fan to fetch her passport, they hung up the call.

Ji Xinxin stowed away her phone and took two deep breaths before her usual smile returned to her face.

It doesn't matter. As long as I have Li Xiaoxing in my grasp, Ji Fanyin will never be a threat.

Meanwhile, Ji Fanyin was busy dealing with Bai Zhou.

It was even more tiring to teach Bai Zhou than Li Xiaoxing. Li Xiaoxing at least understood his own position, but Bai Zhou was painfully oblivious to his own shortcomings.

Fortunately, Ji Fanyin knew of ways to deal with the conceit.

Teaching Bai Zhou to be a proper human was the same as teaching a five-year-old kid. The first thing she had to do was to build up trust and authority. With that, she would be able to instill values in his head one by one.

She would reward him if he did right and criticize him if he did wrong.

The process would continue until he built up a stable, mature, and healthy set of values.

To be frank, Ji Fanyin didn't think that she was qualified to be anyone's teacher, but it wasn't as if Mrs. Bai was asking her to nurture Bai Zhou into a wise philosopher who doled out warm chicken soup.

All she had to do was teach Bai Zhou how not to be duped by women, and that was easy enough.

But before starting the lessons, she would have to first assess if Bai Zhou was still vulnerable to Ji Xinxin's deception. To her relief, he appeared to be less vulnerable when the four of them crossed paths earlier in the day.

A quick look at /37k7u89t will leave you more fulfilled.

Bai Zhou's schedule was as exhausting as ever. He brought Ji Fanyin to get a taste of the Universal Studios in February.

It was good that they were able to avoid huge crowds, but the freezing wind might have just been a plausible reason for why there wasn't a crowd in the first place.

Nine at night, before they left the amusement park, Bai Zhou bought a warm cup of milk tea and stuffed it into Ji Fanyin's hands. Finally feeling the warmth in her hands, she decided to offer an insincere compliment to the young man, who was finally learning how to show concern for others, "Zhouzhou is such a good boy."

Bai Zhou turned his head away in response. There was a moment of silence before he loudly cleared his throat and asked, "Why did you fire Song Shiyu?"

Ji Fanyin glanced at her watch and saw that it had already passed 9 PM.

She pressed all the parts of her fingers, which had turned red from the relentless battering of the cold wind, against the cup of milk tea to warm them up. Without raising her head, she replied, "Didn't you hear the reason? He doesn't need me to play Ji Xinxin's substitute anymore."

"…" Bai Zhou fell quiet. "You're saying that you ditched him because he fell in love with you?"

"Yes, that's right." Ji Fanyin nodded.

There are other reasons as well, but I have no reason to share those with you.

"Are you still wavering between me and Ji Xinxin?" she asked Bai Zhou.

Bai Zhou was stunned for a brief instant before he snorted disdainfully, "How's that possible? You're no match for big sis at all! I only paid you because you can accompany me while she's not around!"

What mediocre acting. With the airs of a paper tiger he's giving off, even a child wouldn't be fooled by his act. He's lucky that there are two other women paying to extend his membership… Ah, I mean clientship.

Ji Fanyin calmly attempted to poke her straw into her milk tea, but somehow, it was proving to be a challenge. After two tries, she even accidentally bent the sharp end of the straw.

Ji Fanyin: "…"

"Look at how clumsy you are. What else can you do with those dull limbs of yours?" Bai Zhou scoffed.

He snatched the milk tea from her and poked the straw in with his sheer strength before shoving it back. "Drink!"

Ji Fanyin calmly thanked him before taking a big sip of the warm milk tea.

"…" It's scalding hot.

That night, Ji Fanyin checked her phone once she reached home and noticed a message from Secretary Fan.

The latter noted that Ji Fanyin was taking a break for the next few days and wouldn't be accepting any reservations. Worried that it might be inconvenient for her to take a call, he chose to relay an important piece of news to her through text, and he solemnly reminded her to acknowledge the message.

The proposal ring Li Xiaoxing had custom-made was almost ready, and he had flown to England to personally check on it. He had also decided to propose on Valentine's Day, which happened to be the third day of Chinese New Year.

Ji Fanyin did a quick mental calculation and noted that it was only a week from now.

After suffering multiple heavy setbacks today from losing two of her prized fishes, the chances that Ji Xinxin would accept Li Xiaoxing's proposal had skyrocketed.

I just have to do one final check on the last unstable variable before Valentine's Day—Cen Xiangyang. Oh well, the good thing is that I don't even need to drop him a call.

When you're just trying to make great content at /37k7u89t.

The following morning, Ji Fanyin asked 'Real Estate Guru' Miss Zhang Ning out to look at some apartments with her. The two wealthy women climbed into a pink Maserati and whizzed toward a new apartment that had just been released to the market several days ago.

"Cen Xiangyang?" Zhang Ning gave it some thought. "I'm close to him. You know, I'm not into men like him. However, I did hear that his film set is located close to ours. If you're concerned, why don't we drop by Hengdian Film Studios later on? It just so happens that He Shen has three scenes there today."

She made it sound as if purchasing a flat was as fast and convenient as buying a watermelon.

"Sounds good," Ji Fanyin replied. "Which set is it?"

"The one where one of the actors self-recommended himself to you," replied Zhang Ning without any hesitation.

Ji Fanyin whipped out her phone and began scrolling through her chat groups. "I guess I'll just head into our chat group and ask around if any bold young men have recently self-recommended themselves to our Miss Zhang over here…"

"Wait wait wait! Babe, I'm sorry. I promise that I won't tease you on that anymore. Happy?" Zhang Ning immediately gave in. "You'll tarnish my reputation if you ask something like that in our work chat group"

Ji Fanyin smiled in response and sent a red packet in their studio chat group. It was then that she noticed that there were more members in the group than before. "We have new recruits?"

Zhang Ning responded with a "Hm?" before it finally struck her, "Ah, yes. We held a recruitment drive at Lakeside University and got ourselves some vibrant university student interns. A child of my aunt's friend is there too. I think he's studying music. Really, I don't get how his brain is wired. He actually said that he's interested in doing music for films! My aunt thought that he could accrue some job experience on my side, so she insisted that I take him in."

"Lakeside University?" Ji Fanyin thought that the world was a small place. "I graduated from there too."

"You did? Well, it's the only good university in this region. Not too surprising, I'd say," replied Zhang Ning. "Oh yeah. Didn't Song Shiyu graduate from Lakeside University too? Have I told you yet? Song Shiyu suddenly contacted me, saying that he wants to get a stake in our studio."

Ji Fanyin answered without the slightest hesitation, "Tell him to dream on. He can invest in our movies if he wants, but not our studio."

Zhang Ning glanced at Ji Fanyin via the rearview mirror before letting out a long "Ooooh~".

"What's with your 'Ooh'? Have you never seen a three-legged man before?" Ji Fanyin knocked Zhang Ning's head with her knuckle. "Keep your eyes on the road."

Zhang Ning chuckled in response. She dropped a call to He Shen's assistant and confirmed that He Shen was on set today. A mischievous smile curled on her lips as she suggested, "Shall we bring some delicacies over when we visit him? He Shen can't take spicy food, so let's bring huge packets of skewers drizzled in red chili oil."

Ji Fanyin was fine with anything, so she began searching for delicious skewers in the vicinity. She wondered if she would meet the new interns from Lakeside University later on set.

No matter how small the world is, surely there's no way I would happen to know them… right?

Two hours later, when the two of them finally arrived at Hengdian World Studios, Ji Fanyin realized that she had underestimated the power of coincidence. Of the three guys who rushed over to help her carry the skewers, one of them was Chen Yunsheng.

He was initially following the other two impassively when he spotted Ji Fanyin standing by the car. There was a momentary pause before sheer joy filled his eyes. He immediately overtook his other two companions and asked, "Big sis, what brings you here?"

His expression changed as quickly as ever. I can almost see a tail wagging furiously behind him.

Meanwhile, Zhang Ning gestured to a person standing even further back and shouted, "He Shen, quick! Come and help us carry our stuff!"