Chapter Eighteen: Please Don't Be Angry

Jiang Yunzhu raised her eyebrows. "You want me to change your shoes for you?"

"Is that all right?" Zhou Qingpei countered, as if seeking Jiang Yunzhu's approval.

"No," Jiang Yunzhu refused her flatly.

Shen Ruizhang's assistant, Mo Wei, had been watching silently for some time.

Catching Zhou Qingpei’s subtle signal, he strode over with a stern face. "Jiang Yunzhu, you're just a lowly agent. Having you help Miss Zhou change her shoes is giving you more credit than you deserve!"

"I'm neither her manager nor her assistant," Jiang Yunzhu replied coldly.

But just then, Zhou Qingpei unexpectedly knelt down, her eyes reddening with tears. "Yunzhu, please don’t be angry. It was my fault. I didn’t keep my people in check. Please, don’t be upset with me."

Jiang Yunzhu sidestepped her, but something flashed before her eyes.

A camera flash went off nearby.

Turning, Jiang Yunzhu saw a man in a baseball cap hurriedly typing on his phone. She immediately realized what was happening.

She spun around to snatch the man’s phone, but Zhou Qingpei blocked her path.

"Yunzhu, don’t," Zhou Qingpei said, then turned to Mo Wei. "Aren’t you going to chase him? The paparazzi have already come into the set. Go get his phone and delete any inappropriate photos."

Mo Wei immediately rushed after the man.

Jiang Yunzhu couldn’t shake off Zhou Qingpei and stared at her coldly. "Do you really think pulling these unnecessary stunts will make Shen Ruizhang stay by your side forever?"

"What are you so nervous about?" Zhou Qingpei asked.

"Do you think I planted that paparazzi?" Zhou Qingpei’s eyes glistened with tears. "It really wasn’t me. You’re too prejudiced against me."

Jiang Yunzhu took a deep breath and ignored her, heading outside to chase after the man herself.

But the paparazzo was long gone.

By the time Sang Bai finished shooting her commercial, a piece of entertainment news had already shot up to the top of the trending topics that afternoon.

#AgentJiangYunzhuForcesZhouQingpeiToKneel#

For a while, the internet was awash with slander and abuse.

Many people tracked down Jiang Yunzhu’s private account and sent her all kinds of messages.

Sang Bai sat in the car with Jiang Yunzhu, anxiously clutching her phone as they drove back. "That’s not how it happened! Zhou Qingpei did it on purpose," she muttered, composing a message to speak up for Jiang Yunzhu and tagging friends she knew.

But Jiang Yunzhu snatched the phone out of her hand. "Leave it. This is not your concern."

"How can I not care?" Sang Bai protested. "I can’t just let them smear your name!"

"I can handle this myself. Don’t make it worse," Jiang Yunzhu said.

Just then, her phone rang. The caller ID showed Zhou Qingpei.

"Yunzhu," Zhou Qingpei’s voice was soft and gentle over the line, "I can step forward and clear this up for you."

Jiang Yunzhu leaned back, her voice cool. "On what condition?"

"You really are clever. No wonder Ah Rui is always praising you in front of me."

"Spare me the nonsense," Jiang Yunzhu cut her off impatiently.

After a moment’s silence, Zhou Qingpei gave a light laugh. "Sang Bai’s endorsement with that luxury brand is quite impressive. If you let me have it, I’ll immediately make a statement to my fans and explain everything. The blame won’t fall on you. What do you say?"

Sang Bai was so furious she began to curse, but Jiang Yunzhu quickly covered her mouth.

"In your dreams," Jiang Yunzhu snapped and hung up.

…

But by evening, the situation suddenly reversed.

Someone leaked a video.

It showed Zhou Qingpei asking Jiang Yunzhu to help her put on her shoes, Jiang Yunzhu refusing, and Zhou Qingpei dropping to her knees.

"Wait, is Zhou Qingpei’s leg weak or something? She just drops to her knees out of nowhere while talking?"

"She must be getting old—needs more calcium, clearly."

…

At Shen Corporation.

Shen Ruizhang’s face was grim.

"Ah Rui," Zhou Qingpei sat across from him.

"I was genuinely apologizing to Yunzhu," she said. "I just felt awkward changing shoes in a dress and wanted her help. I didn’t expect Mo Wei to say those things. I was afraid Yunzhu would be upset, so—"

"Is that so?" Shen Ruizhang looked at her coldly.

Zhou Qingpei hesitated. "Ah Rui…"

"Zhou Qingpei," Shen Ruizhang raised a hand to press his brow. "This time, you really went too far."

Her face grew ashen at the disappointment in his tone. "I’m sorry, Ah Rui."

"When did you start to change, Qingpei?"

Her heart skipped a beat. "Ah Rui, time moves forward and people mature. Not only will I change, but so will you. Isn’t that right?"

Shen Ruizhang was silent for a moment, then looked down and pressed the intercom.

Soon, Mo Wei entered, head bowed. "President Shen."

"Go to HR and settle your salary," Shen Ruizhang ordered, his gaze fixed on Zhou Qingpei. "You made decisions on my behalf without permission. I can’t keep you."

Mo Wei’s expression changed, and he pleaded, "President Shen, I—"

Shen Ruizhang raised his hand—a gesture for silence.

Mo Wei was a smart man. He knew if he left quietly now, he’d still get compensation. But if he refused, who knew what would happen next?

He swallowed his protest, turned, and left.

A stiff smile froze on Zhou Qingpei’s face.

"I don’t want to see this happen again," Shen Ruizhang said coolly.

"I understand," Zhou Qingpei forced a smile.

After Zhou Qingpei left, Shen Ruizhang’s phone vibrated.

A message popped up from a mysterious number.

"I’ve found out. The one behind this is Shen Tingxiao."

Shen Tingxiao?!

Shen Ruizhang’s brows knit together. He sent another message.

"Look into the relationship between Shen Tingxiao and Jiang Yunzhu."