Xie Jinghu racked his brains but could not figure out where he had offended Zhang Zhijun.
He even less agreed with Sara Zhuo’s logic of hating the house along with the crow.
Precisely because he could not understand it, Xie Jinghu was even angrier!
He felt he had been very good to his mistress and very good to his friends. Yet these two had joined forces to betray him. It was truly unreasonable.
In his raging anger, Xie Jinghu urged the lawyer every day to hurry up with the lawsuit.
The lawyer, eager for his commission, was even more proactive than Xie Jinghu.
In the blink of an eye, it was the end of September.
Old Wen asked Wen Ying if she wanted to visit Jinling for fun. He had time during the National Day holiday to be her tour guide.
Wen Ying thought about Shui Mingyue’s side and declined Old Wen’s invitation. She also told Old Wen to rest more during the holiday.
Wen Dongrong was alone in Jinling. Usually busy with work, he did not feel it, but during holidays, he felt particularly lonely.
Since Black-Hearted Cotton was not coming to play, Wen Dongrong simply bought a ticket back to Rongcheng to accompany his wife.
The tigress at home was indeed fierce, but only with the tigress there did it feel like home. Without her, it felt very unnatural.
If following the trajectory of his previous life, this year’s National Day would have been the joyous day of Pang Zhigang’s remarriage and also the day Pang Jinglong committed murder.
In this life, Pang Zhigang cancelled the wedding banquet at Huating Hotel and seemed to have no plans to remarry.
“I heard that woman still went to the company to block people and was driven away by my dad several times. Of course that woman wants to get married, but my dad does not!”
Pang Jinglong felt somewhat schadenfreude.
Wen Ying was also amazed, “Boss Pang has strong learning ability!”
Everyone thought Pang Zhigang would learn from the divorce lawsuit and, if he remarried in the future, would definitely have the new wife sign a prenuptial agreement. Unexpectedly, everyone underestimated Pang Zhigang’s learning ability. Signing a prenup was too troublesome. Pre-marital property could be kept from the new wife, but post-marital wealth still had to be shared half.
The original wife, the old ox, would resist. The loyalty of a new wife was hard to guarantee.
Pang Zhigang, after painful reflection, came up with a once-and-for-all solution: no more marriage. Without marital ties, no woman could ever divide his money again!
Pang Zhigang had clearly told this to his female secretary.
There was no way he would give her status. If the female secretary was willing, the two could continue secretly. He would still raise the two sons.
If the female secretary insisted on status, Pang Zhigang did not mind if she married someone else.
He could give up the mistress, and the two illegitimate sons were nothing he could not give up either. The female secretary could take the two sons and marry elsewhere. Whether the sons changed their surname or not did not matter. Anyway, even if they did not bear the Pang name, they were still his seed. If someone was willing to raise his sons for him, Pang Zhigang would even save money.
As for why it had to be secret, Pang Zhigang had not completely given up on persuading his ex-wife Zhang Liqun to change her mind. The lawyer said the first one or two years after divorce were the golden period for remarriage. Pang Zhigang wanted to seize the opportunity.
The female secretary really had not expected Pang Zhigang to pull such a move.
Before the divorce, Pang Zhigang could openly go out with her. After the divorce, he actually wanted her to be an underground lover who could not see the light?
So, what benefit did the divorce bring her?!
The years of entanglement and torment that Zhang Liqun had suffered now fell to the female secretary to taste.
Either continue entangling with Pang Zhigang or take the two sons and leave.
The difference was that Zhang Liqun had the status of wife protected by law and could take half the property when leaving. The female secretary ultimately lacked a marriage certificate, putting her in a much more passive position than Zhang Liqun.
The female secretary had secretly consulted Lawyer Liao.
Lawyer Liao could accept consultations from those wives but would not help the female secretary.
Eating from the plaintiff then the defendant depended on the situation. When the female secretary was arrogant, she had practically wanted to force Zhang Liqun and her son Pang Jinglong to death. How could she deserve Lawyer Liao’s sympathy!
The female secretary said she had borne two sons for Pang Zhigang. Surely Pang Zhigang had to support the children?
Lawyer Liao kindly told her, “You can indeed sue for that. However, how much Boss Pang pays is not up to you or even him. The court will decide based on his income level and local living standards. The final amount may not meet your expectations.”
Since Boss Pang already knew to avoid property loss by not registering marriage, he must have consulted lawyers on how to pay child support for illegitimate children.
With lawyer advice, cutting meat from Boss Pang was not so easy anymore.
The female secretary begged Lawyer Liao to take her case. Lawyer Liao refused outright.
Cases that violated public order and good morals, Lawyer Liao said he could not win.
Wen Ying told Pang Jinglong not to worry, “Lawyer Liao has a scale in his heart. He will not help her.”
Pang Jinglong was utterly indifferent, “Even if Lawyer Liao helps her sue, it is fine. It would just trouble my dad. I would watch the show!”
From the moment the divorce judgment came down, Pang Jinglong had no intention of having any further contact with his scumbag father.
The worse Pang Zhigang lived, the happier Pang Jinglong would be.
“You have a great mindset!”
Wen Ying laughed heartily, “Watch and see. The better you and Aunt Zhang live in the future, the more your dad will regret and agonise.”
Rather than staring at Pang Zhigang every day hoping for his embarrassment and downfall, Wen Ying encouraged Pang Jinglong to focus on his own life. Whether continuing studies or starting a business, Pang Jinglong needed something to do!
Pang Jinglong grinned foolishly. After grinning, he asked Wen Ying if she was free during National Day. Wen Ying smiled, “Whoever asks me is too late. During National Day, I am going to the film crew to play.”
Film crews were different from ordinary companies. Companies had holidays, but once a crew started shooting, it would not easily stop. So during National Day, filming continued as usual.
Wen Ying was going to the crew to find Shui Mingyue. Li Mengjiao also wanted to go but was held back by Yuan Fenghui.
“The male and female leads combined are not half as famous as you. What are you going for? To sacrifice yourself for free publicity for their crew?”
When Yuan Fenghui said this, she glanced at Wen Ying a couple more times.
Li Mengjiao was very popular, and Wen Ying was equally famous.
Yuan Fenghui did not want to interfere with Wen Ying’s friendships. Otherwise, she would also stop Wen Ying from going.
She always felt Wen Ying was too concerned about Shui Mingyue’s drama.
Could it be that Wen Ying was hinting something to her?
Yuan Fenghui quickly thought it over. “Seeking Yong” was hard to shoot, involving massive special effects, high production costs, and easy to flop. In comparison, “Teen Idol” was easier to shoot with lower costs.
Whether a youth campus drama without romance between leads had viewership market, Yuan Fenghui wanted to observe more. But sooner or later it would be shot. She could secure the adaptation rights first.
Yuan Fenghui asked Wen Ying, “How much do you want to sell the film and TV adaptation rights for ‘Teen Idol’? I am asking now not as Tianjiao director but as your agent.”
“The film and TV adaptation rights for ‘Teen Idol’?”
Yuan Fenghui’s thinking jumped too fast. Wen Ying could not keep up, “Tianjiao wants to shoot a campus drama? Will there be a market for campus dramas now?”
The campus life of the 60s and 70s generations differed greatly from the 80s and 90s.
“Teen Idol” depicted the youth of several 80s-born teens. In Wen Ying’s view, adapting it ten years after publication would also work. By then, the 80s generation would be grown, around the age to nostalgise youth, while 90s were in their prime, covering both age groups.
Yuan Fenghui raised an eyebrow, “Not shooting now, can shoot later. Is there a problem buying the rights first?”
Wen Ying thought, “No problem, but I do not know how to price it. Selling low would make me uncomfortable. In ten years, film and TV rights will definitely be higher than now. Selling high would make me embarrassed. So I want to sign a profit-sharing contract.”
Yuan Fenghui did not agree immediately, “Alright. Now I switch to Tianjiao director identity. I need to consider your proposal.”
Wen Ying muttered, “You are both player and referee.”
Before Yuan Fenghui could hit her, Wen Ying ran away.
On National Day itself, Wen Ying arrived at the crew and met the new male lead Luo Hao, whom Shui Mingyue was satisfied with.
The current Luo Hao was still very young. If Wen Ying evaluated without bias, Luo Hao’s appearance was indeed outstanding… in terms of looks alone, on the same level as Yun Chen. The difference was Yun Chen carried innate nobility, while Luo Hao’s temperament fell short, more worldly.
Fortunately, the male lead in Shui Mingyue’s novel had been a little thug for a while, fitting Luo Hao’s temperament well.
As for Luo Hao, his family background was ordinary. Handsome and aware of it, he put no effort into studies. He dropped out in his teens to venture out. Without education or skills, he achieved nothing. Later, someone advised him that with such looks, he should become a star to earn big money.
Guided by a benefactor, Luo Hao used money earned from society to enrol in a training class. Failed the first time, passed the second. For Shui Mingyue’s novel adaptation, the film company scouted new talent at the school. Luo Hao was selected for the male lead role due to outstanding looks and fitting temperament.
So in the film circle, Luo Hao was a newcomer. But in social experience, he could crush peers from school.
Of course, he could also crush someone as innocent as Shui Mingyue, the romance novel queen.
Though Shui Mingyue wrote much passionate love and hate in novels, Wen Ying estimated her real-life romantic experience was barren.
Fame came too early. Everyone around pampered Shui Mingyue. She had no chance to see society’s evils!
Wen Ying was not guessing randomly. She noticed that not long after joining the crew, Shui Mingyue’s tone changed when mentioning Luo Hao.
Wen Ying and Shui Mingyue sat together under tree shade, watching Luo Hao act opposite the female lead. Shui Mingyue’s gaze never left Luo Hao.
Wen Ying suddenly asked, “You like this type of guy?”
“How could that be!”
Shui Mingyue denied immediately, but her ear tips turned red.
This reaction worried Wen Ying greatly.
Shui Mingyue had the freedom to like the opposite sex. Wen Ying had no right to interfere.
In the previous life, Luo Hao buying adaptation rights for several of Shui Mingyue’s books was suspicious, but Wen Ying had no evidence Luo Hao caused her to stop writing.
Why did Shui Mingyue stop writing? Why disappear after?
Wen Ying only regretted not knowing Shui Mingyue before rebirth, leaving her unable to decide.
While hesitating, filming ended. Luo Hao walked over openly.
Shui Mingyue’s gaze chased Luo Hao. Luo Hao’s look at Shui Mingyue was also quite sticky.
The two were mutually interested.
Wen Ying felt like an obstructing light bulb. After exchanging pleasantries with Luo Hao, crew lunch boxes were distributed.
Luo Hao proactively offered to treat, “How can we let a guest eat box lunch? I know a small restaurant nearby. If Xiao Yu does not mind, I will host today.”
