Chapter Twenty-One: The Ex-Husband Appears

The next day.

After filming a promotional video at Shen Corporation, Zhou Qingfei was preparing to return to the set when, just as she stepped out of the company, a deliveryman in a baseball cap abruptly blocked her path.

“Miss, your takeout.”

Zhou Qingfei impatiently glanced at the man, then sneered, “Do you think dressing up as a deliveryman and approaching me will get you a photo or a signature? Can you stalker fans just stay away?”

“You wish I would die?” The man’s tone suddenly turned icy.

He raised his head and took off the cap, revealing a handsome face.

“Zhao Mingjie!” Zhou Qingfei cried out his name in terror, her eyes darting around warily.

Seeing no one was paying attention, Zhou Qingfei lowered her voice, “Zhao Mingjie, why are you here?”

Impossible. She had paid Zhao Mingjie to agree to a divorce; they were only waiting for the certificate. How could he appear here?

Seeing the fear in her eyes, Zhao Mingjie gave a sinister smile. “Surprised to see me?”

Zhou Qingfei bit her lip, suppressing her fear, and whispered a warning, “Zhao Mingjie, this isn’t a place for your games. If you know what’s good for you, get lost.”

Zhao Mingjie’s face twisted into a mocking sneer. He deliberately leaned closer.

Zhou Qingfei immediately stepped back, her panic even more evident. “You… what do you want?”

“Why so scared? I’m not going to eat you. I just came to see my wife and let you know—divorce? Keep dreaming!”

With those harsh words, Zhao Mingjie swaggered away from the Shen Corporation building.

Watching his departing figure, a cold gleam flashed in Zhou Qingfei’s eyes.

No, she had to secure Shen Ruizhang’s protection as soon as possible—she couldn’t let Zhao Mingjie threaten her again.

Arriving at the set, Zhou Qingfei resumed her usual gentle demeanor. Yet, while acting opposite the male supporting actor, she repeatedly lost focus, wasting the entire morning.

The director, unable to restrain himself even for fear of her ties to Shen Ruizhang, began to curse freely: “Even a pig should learn how to smile. Zhou, the great star—could you use your brain for once?”

Zhou Qingfei showed signs of fatigue and responded politely, “Sorry, I didn’t rest well last night. I’ll try to get into character.”

The director’s face was ghastly.

Zhou Qingfei abruptly looked toward Jiang Yunzhu, who had just entered the set, then pointed at her. “Director, if there’s a problem, you can discuss it with her.”

With that, she headed straight for her trailer.

“You…” The director, frustrated, turned to Jiang Yunzhu. “Miss Jiang, I hope you’ll talk to Zhou Qingfei. This isn’t a kindergarten—we’re not obliged to wait for one person.”

The male actor who’d been acting with Zhou Qingfei came over too, annoyance all over his face. “Even with Shen protecting her, she shouldn’t trample our hard work like this. Can our show rely only on looks?”

Clearly, he cared deeply about the drama. If Zhou Qingfei’s actions kept him from appearing before the audience, he didn’t know what desperate measures he might take.

Jiang Yunzhu listened intently before replying, “Director, I’m not her agent or assistant. I’m afraid I can’t make decisions for her.”

“But…” The director grew anxious, “You’re from the same company, both under Shen’s management. Even if Zhou isn’t your client, you are colleagues. If this reaches Shen, it won’t look good.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yunzhu calmly met the director’s gaze. “I’ll report this to Mr. Shen, but whether Miss Zhou improves is not for me to decide.”

The director’s brow furrowed; this was nothing but passing the buck. He muttered under his breath, “If she’s exposed for acting like a diva, won’t it still be your company’s loss?”

“If such a scandal breaks out, I believe Miss Zhou will know how to handle it.” She smiled faintly. “Director, don’t worry. Every adult must be responsible for themselves.”

The director was momentarily stunned, unable to think of a retort.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave,” she said, turning away from the director and walking out.

“She…” The director was so angry his chest hurt, grinding his teeth. “Why did I hire such a piece of work for money? What a mistake—should’ve cast Sang Bai instead.”

Encountering Zhou Qingfei really felt like a curse.

Jiang Yunzhu entered a nearby café.

In a private room, Sang Bai saw Zhou Qingfei arrive and finally removed her sunglasses.

“Zhuzhu, you’re here.”

Jiang Yunzhu pulled out a chair and sat, meeting Sang Bai’s nervous gaze with a faint smile. “Don’t worry, no one knows I came to see you today.”

Sang Bai’s expression grew awkward and she quickly explained, “Zhuzhu, you misunderstood me—I’m worried you’ll be troubled by Mr. Shen.”

“It’s nothing,”

She lowered her eyes, her long, thick lashes hiding her true emotions.

Seeing her so indifferent to what Shen Ruizhang might think, Sang Bai was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

She was certain Shen Ruizhang would regret it one day.

Jiang Yunzhu handed over a variety show script. “This is a new show I arranged for you—not through Shen Corporation, but my private contacts.”

“This…” Sang Bai’s eyes widened, staring at Jiang Yunzhu for a long time before cautiously asking, “If Miss Zhou finds out, she’ll probably twist things in front of Mr. Shen. Maybe it’s better to forget it.”

“Why should we forget it?” Jiang Yunzhu questioned coldly.

Seeing her displeased, Sang Bai lowered her head.

Jiang Yunzhu explained again, “You don’t need to worry about me. In a few days I’ll…”

She would return to M Country and might never come back.

But halfway through her sentence, she abruptly stopped, changing the topic to work. “Your contract still has two years left. If you don’t want Zhou Qingfei to control you, this show is your only chance.”

Sang Bai took the script, her expression serious as she nodded. “Zhuzhu, don’t worry—I know what to do.”

As the time for the next scene approached, Jiang Yunzhu returned to the set.

An hour later, the production team officially announced Sang Bai would join their variety show, and Sang Bai was already on her way to the recording location.

No sooner had Jiang Yunzhu left the café than a black Porsche followed.

Ge Xingjing glanced back as he drove. Seeing Shen Tingxiao still absorbed in his phone, Ge Xingjing grew anxious and urged, “Boss, you won’t win her over like this. If it were me, I’d let Zhao Mingjie take Zhou Qingfei away, then have Shen Ruizhang play the hero and rescue her, and slip them some drugs so they…”

Shen Tingxiao looked up, his cold gaze making Ge Xingjing’s scalp tingle.

Ge Xingjing quickly looked away. “I was just speaking nonsense, really.”

He looked down at his phone again and suddenly asked, “Is Shen Ruizhang targeting the Song family?”

Mentioning this, Ge Xingjing couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ve noticed Shen Ruizhang uses all his brains for business—his emotional intelligence is almost nonexistent. If it were me, and I saw Miss Jiang getting close to Young Master Song, I’d treat her well, since she likes…”

“Hm?” Shen Tingxiao suddenly made a sound.

Ge Xingjing changed tack, “Miss Jiang sees Shen Ruizhang as a respected elder. She might have listened to him in the past.”