What does it mean to “kill the heart”?
This is it!
From the moment the Eastern TV representative, with a trembling voice, asked Mrs. Wang about *Galaxy and You*’s production progress, things took a bizarre turn, spiralling out of Liang Dan, Hu Man, and the others’ control.
Laughably, the three didn’t even realise it at the time.
It’s not their fault—who could have predicted this?
Want a slot? Take it.
Talk price? Easy!
Production not finished?
No problem, we’ll work together to complete it!
With the TV stations showing such enthusiasm, it was enough to sway even the pickiest company, let alone Tianjiao, freshly rejected by Hunan TV.
It wasn’t that Tianjiao lacked resolve or hadn’t seen the world; the TV stations were simply offering too much. Only a fool would turn back to Hunan TV instead of choosing these eager partners.
The savvy Mrs. Wang was whisked away by the TV station representatives.
The negotiations went so smoothly that they didn’t even need to leverage Yun Chen and Li Mengjiao’s fame. When the three stars appeared as planned, they crossed paths with Mrs. Wang’s group outside the venue.
The Zhejiang TV representative, closest to Mrs. Wang, kept talking to her, while Eastern TV’s representative tried and failed to interject several times.
Frustrated, Mrs. Wang flashed a smile at them, reigniting their hope, and they eagerly pushed forward again.
Mrs. Wang played both sides, fawned over by the representatives as they headed to a quieter meeting room in the Huatian Hotel.
“Hey—” Li Mengjiao started to call out, but Yun Chen stopped her. “Don’t disturb Manager Dong. It seems we don’t need to step in now.”
The TV representatives’ eyes were glued to Mrs. Wang, oblivious to the celebrities right beside them. Yun Chen felt the promotion event was likely a success.
Not helping out was a bit regrettable.
But the process didn’t matter—results did.
Securing the TV stations’ frenzy without relying on their star power only proved *Galaxy and You*’s quality.
Even if Yun Chen was still more idol than actor, he was thrilled to star in a high-quality drama!
As an artist, you had to honour your craft and pursue excellence.
If it was just about making quick money, why enter showbiz? He could’ve stayed home and lived off his family!
Yun Chen’s reasoning made sense.
Truthfully, Li Mengjiao always thought Mrs. Wang was incredible.
Unlike Wang Jun, Li Zhentao, or Qin Xianming, Wang Jun was a true rags-to-riches story, a grassroots success. Many bosses with similar backgrounds, once wealthy and middle-aged, rarely stayed loyal to their wives. Yet Mrs. Wang had Wang Jun completely under control, with no wandering eyes. It wasn’t just love.
Love? Those bosses had it for their wives too, but it didn’t stop them from straying.
Managing a marriage and family required not just love but wisdom!
Li Mengjiao had heard her mother praise Mrs. Wang’s cleverness more than once.
Dropping the idea of calling Mrs. Wang, Li Mengjiao headed to the venue. “Then I’ll find Wen Ying!”
The assistant finally got a chance to speak. “Scriptwriter Wen is still inside, along with Hunan TV’s people and Hu Man…”
In a few words, the assistant recounted the earlier events. Li Mengjiao exploded, her almond eyes wide. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Did Wen Ying get the short end?”
One Liang Dan, one Hu Man.
The former was the director of the talent show Li Mengjiao joined, pressuring contestants to sign with Mr. Guan’s company.
Xu Mei was one who couldn’t handle the pressure.
Li Mengjiao endured not because she was tougher but because she was carefree!
Yuan Fenghui once said Mr. Guan was just a puppet, a useless figurehead. The real mastermind was Liang Dan.
Liang Dan ran talent shows not to discover talent but for ratings and profit, signing countless contestants without genuinely planning their futures. She wasn’t building stars—she was killing their careers.
The latter, a long-established pop diva, seemed fine during filming. Li Mengjiao just thought Hu Man was a bit full of herself, but with her status, that was expected. After filming, Hu Man coveted Zhang Yangning’s theme song, shamelessly demanding it. When refused, she flipped, pulled music director Huang Yongjun from *Galaxy and You*, and badmouthed Tianjiao everywhere, obstructing their broadcast rights sale!
In Li Mengjiao’s mind, both were straight out of a fairy tale as villainous old hags. Either one showing up at the event was annoying enough, but both? Li Mengjiao was furious and worried.
The assistant blinked. “How could Scriptwriter Wen come out worse?”
Young as she was, Wen Ying was a creative talent who could craft compelling stories. When the assistant hesitated about letting Liang Dan and Hu Man in, Wen Ying didn’t flinch—she said let them in.
They came to cause trouble.
And they did!
But the outcome was peculiar.
The assistant couldn’t help laughing. “In short, neither Scriptwriter Wen nor Tianjiao lost out. Before Manager Dong was pulled away by the TV representatives, she even said she’d treat Director Liang and the others to dinner another day!”
Treat Liang Dan and her group to dinner?
Since when was Tianjiao’s budget so generous!
Li Mengjiao would rather the company donate the money to poor mountain regions than spend a cent on Liang Dan’s crew.
Her anger and worry turned to curiosity, her head full of question marks.
Yun Chen led the way inside. “Curious? Then go see for yourself. You missed the liveliest part, but catching the curtain call’s afterglow isn’t bad.”
Yun Chen had a point. Li Mengjiao dragged Zhang Yangning along, whispering, “If we see Hu Man, don’t be intimidated. She’s the shameless one. With people like that, you’ve got to be even more righteous. When we see her, let’s ‘greet’ our senior and ask if she’s booked any good new songs lately!”
Zhang Yangning wouldn’t give Hu Man any face.
But Li Mengjiao’s words were savage.
Zhang Yangning almost said “no,” but swallowed it back.
“Alright, I’ll follow your lead.”
Creative types all have their tempers, and Zhang Yangning was no exception.
He’d backed down from Hu Man before to avoid dragging Tianjiao down.
If the company and Li Mengjiao weren’t afraid, why should he be?
…
At the promotion event, as Yun Chen said, the afterglow of the grand finale lingered.
It wasn’t that Liang Dan and her group were slow to react—the situation was simply illogical!
So, what did they come to the event for? To be Tianjiao’s shills?
Liang Dan realised too late that from the moment the promotion was held, Tianjiao had abandoned plans to work with Hunan TV. Forget Hunan TV trying to leverage the slot issue to dominate negotiations—even if they offered the July slot, Tianjiao wasn’t interested.
Holding the event at Huatian Hotel wasn’t a backup plan—it was a slap in the face to certain Hunan TV people: The drama you didn’t want, other stations are scrambling for!
Why was Tianjiao so bold?
Why did the TV representatives turn into fawning lapdogs around an amateur?
*Galaxy and You*’s quality was Tianjiao’s confidence and the reason for the representatives’ enthusiasm!
Liang Dan grasped the key point.
In this round, she’d lost without preparation. Looking around, Yuan Fenghui was absent, Manager Dong had left, and only two young people remained.
One was aloof, the other approachable.
The aloof teen had striking looks, exuding a commanding presence without speaking, carrying an air of nobility. Liang Dan weighed it mentally, unsure of Xie Qian’s background, and didn’t dare provoke him lightly.
The approachable girl was Wen Ying.
Liang Dan knew her.
The screenwriter of *Galaxy and You*, a bestselling author.
With a preview that had TV stations clamouring, the script’s quality was undeniable.
Reports said Wen Ying came from an ordinary family. To reach this point, she clearly had talent.
Liang Dan had seen plenty of talented creators, including herself. Making a show captivating required a planner’s talent.
Liang Dan approached Wen Ying, not moved by her talent but because Wen Ying seemed harmless.
She mistook Wen Ying’s friendliness for weakness. “This is Yuan Fenghui’s scheme, isn’t it? We slipped up, falling into her trap, becoming tools to sell *Galaxy and You*’s rights. Tell Yuan Fenghui not to get cocky too soon. Even if other stations fight for it, Hunan TV’s viewership share is still number one among provincial stations. Platform differences can balance out—”
“Hah!” Wen Ying cut Liang Dan off, smiling as she met her gaze. “Director Liang, a loss is a loss. What’s the point of tough talk? To prove how wise you are after the fact? Also, Teacher Yuan didn’t handle the promotion event at all. Don’t flatter yourself.”
Yuan Fenghui’s scheme?
Yuan Fenghui couldn’t be bothered with these people!
The event was entirely managed by Mrs. Wang, Wen Ying, and Xie Qian—from choosing which stations to invite, to baiting them, to handling questions about *Galaxy and You*’s progress, to dealing with troublemakers. Everything was planned.
No one’s success is pure luck. Luck favours those who give their all.
The event succeeded, yet certain “villains” still yammered at Wen Ying. She couldn’t stand it and fired back!
Liang Dan hadn’t expected the seemingly friendly Wen Ying to clap back, leaving her momentarily stunned.
She looked closely at Wen Ying.
The “friendly” girl wasn’t friendly at all, her sharpness hidden in her words. Where did this kid get such confidence?
Liang Dan pursed her lips, silent, but she’d remembered Wen Ying.
The female leader beside her was displeased. “Who are you talking to? Show some respect!”
Wen Ying chuckled. “I’m talking to Director Liang, of course. Which part was disrespectful? Should I kneel to answer? This is Tianjiao’s rented venue for our promotion event. You had no invitation, yet I let you in. I thought you’d be grateful!”
So, who was being disrespectful and rude?
Guests yelling at the host was bad enough, but failing to find Yuan Fenghui or Mrs. Wang, they picked on a minor like Wen Ying, thinking she was a soft target?
Wen Ying was no soft target—she was a porcupine when facing enemies!
