Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Don't Flatter Yourself Chu Tang's heart sank. Chen Yuanyuan's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over her head, instantly jolting Chu Tang awake. She opened Weibo, and the top trending topic was unmistakably: "Jiang Group CEO and Li Lanxi's Romance Exposed." Chu Tang saw the hashtag but didn't dare click on it. Li Lanxi was a top-tier A-list actress in the domestic entertainment industry. Chu Tang had even watched TV dramas starring her before. Why would Jiang Shixu be caught up in a scandal with her? He'd never once mentioned knowing Li Lanxi. "Hello? Tangtang, are you listening?" The call hadn't ended yet, and Chen Yuanyuan was fuming. "I really can't believe Shixu-ge is that kind of person! Yesterday you said you two were just having a disagreement, and today he's photographed entering a hotel with a female celebrity. I'm so furious, this big jerk! Aaaaah!" Entering a hotel together? Chu Tang's heart suddenly constricted, and in an instant, her entire body went cold as if she'd fallen into an ice cave. Finally, she clicked on the hashtag. What met her eyes was a screen full of scandal. [Recently, top actress Li Lanxi was photographed entering a hotel with a mysterious man. The two appeared intimate, suspected to be in a romantic relationship. An insider claims the mysterious man is the CEO of Jiang Group, the crown prince of Jiangcheng, Jiang Shixu. Currently, Li Lanxi's studio has not issued a statement to clarify.] Below the text was a candid photo of Li Lanxi and a man. In the photo, Li Lanxi was captured looking back, her full face visible, while the mysterious man only showed a profile. The moment Chu Tang saw the photo, the blood in her veins froze. That profile—others might not be able to tell who it was, but she could recognize Jiang Shixu at a single glance. In the photo, Jiang Shixu wore a black overcoat, walking beside Li Lanxi. The handsome man and beautiful woman made a striking pair, and netizens in the top comments were calling them a perfect match. The next post read: [Li Lanxi about to join a wealthy family? According to insider leaks, the mysterious man who entered the hotel with Li Lanxi is the CEO of Jiang Group. The two are currently in a romantic relationship, and Li Lanxi may marry into the wealthy family.] The accompanying photo was nearly identical to the one above. Scrolling further down, there were several more posts, all saying the same thing. Chu Tang scrolled through them all, trembling with anger, her heart throbbing with pain, her breathing becoming labored. Tears splashed onto her phone screen, blurring the photos. Chu Tang hung up on Chen Yuanyuan and dialed Jiang Shixu. The phone rang for a long time without anyone answering. After it auto-disconnected, Chu Tang immediately called again. Still no answer. Chu Tang's heart gradually turned cold. On the fifth call, the phone finally connected. Chu Tang's voice trembled with tears as she asked, "The trending topics are all fake, right? The person in the photo isn't you, right? Shixu-ge, as long as you say it, I'll believe you." There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a pleasant female voice: "Um... who is this? I'm Li Lanxi. Young Master Jiang is in the shower right now and can't take your call. Is there something you need him for? I can pass along a message." Chu Tang's heart seized with pain, her breath stopping entirely. Receiving no response, Li Lanxi spoke again: "Hello? Can you hear me?" ... "Sister-in-law hung up." Li Lanxi shrugged and looked up at Jiang Shixu. "I'm not one to judge, but isn't this too cruel? If I were sister-in-law, I'd hate you for life." The woman tossed the phone back to Jiang Shixu. "I don't mind being your shield, but you'd better think this through. When a girl is hurt too deeply, she might never be won back." The top actress Li Lanxi actually had another identity—the second young miss of the Li family of Tongcheng, a genuine socialite heiress. Jiang Shixu's grandmother, Li Shuying, was born into the Li family of Tongcheng. Li Lanxi's grandfather and Jiang Shixu's grandmother, Li Shuying, were siblings, making Li Lanxi and Jiang Shixu relatives, albeit distant ones. As a top actress, Li Lanxi's schedule was packed every day—either filming on set or appearing on variety shows—leaving her little personal time. She hadn't been able to find a moment to formally meet Ruan Chutang during the time Chutang had returned to Jiangcheng. She'd even missed Jiang Shixu and Ruan Chutang's engagement ceremony because she was abroad attending an important film festival awards ceremony and couldn't get away. This time, to make Chutang give up, Jiang Shixu had specifically sought out this distant cousin to help him stage a performance. When Li Lanxi first heard her cousin wanted her to act, she assumed he was investing in some big movie and grinned with delight. "Cousin, if you're investing, it's bound to be a major production! Don't worry—I'm a Best Actress winner. You've come to the right person. With me in it, your film is guaranteed to be a smash hit!" Jiang Shixu's brows were cold and distant, his tone flat. "Not acting in a movie. I need you to act for me." Li Lanxi's mouth twitched. "What now?" "You'll play my rumored girlfriend." "Did you run into some clingy woman? You want me to be your shield?" Li Lanxi caught a whiff of gossip and grinned slyly. "That shouldn't be the case though. With your status as the crown prince of Jiangcheng, what woman would dare pester you? Besides, don't you already have a fiancée?" Jiang Shixu's expression suddenly darkened. "She's not a difficult woman—she's the only woman I've ever loved." Li Lanxi was stunned, unable to react for a long moment. Jiang Shixu, uncharacteristically patient, explained the situation to Li Lanxi. After listening, Li Lanxi let out a long sigh. "Ugh, sister-in-law is too pitiful. Can I refuse? I haven't even met her yet, and I'm supposed to play the mistress in her love story. How am I supposed to face her afterward?" "This is the payment." Jiang Shixu handed over a card. Li Lanxi snorted and turned her head away. "Don't try to buy me with money. I won't do anything to hurt a beautiful woman!" "Fifty million." "But then again..." Li Lanxi smiled brightly as she took the card. "We're doing this to protect sister-in-law. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up later, I'm sure she'll be magnanimous enough to understand our good intentions!" Li Lanxi thought to herself: Sister-in-law, don't blame me—he's just paying way too much. She'd have to work herself to the bone for months on a TV drama set to earn fifty million in salary, and that was before taxes. Just putting on a show with Jiang Shixu, showing her face, and taking a few photos could earn her months' worth of pay. Where else could she find such a good deal? Jiang Shixu's eyes were faint, his face expressionless. "Act convincingly. Don't let her see through it." Li Lanxi patted her chest in assurance. "Don't worry at all—I'm a Best Actress!" ... After hanging up the phone, Chu Tang sat blankly by the window, tears streaming uncontrollably. A few minutes later, Jiang Shixu called back. Chu Tang thought he was going to explain, and a flicker of hope rose in her heart. She answered the call eagerly. Jiang Shixu forced calmness into his voice. "Xixi said you just called—something you needed from me?" Xixi. Such an intimate nickname. Just like how he used to call her Tangtang. The hope that had just risen in Chu Tang's heart was cruelly strangled by those two words. Chu Tang couldn't suppress the tremor in her voice as she asked, "You and her..." Are the rumors about you two true? Are you really together with her? Just a few short words, but Chu Tang couldn't bring herself to finish. The pain in her chest was suffocating. "Mm." Jiang Shixu's voice was devoid of warmth. "We've already broken up. Who I'm with now has nothing to do with you." Chu Tang's breath caught. Her voice hoarse, she asked, "You're lying to me, aren't you? Shixu-gege, I don't believe you'd be with someone else right after a breakup. Tell me the truth—is it because of Fu Yuanzhou? You haven't changed your feelings, have you? You're only doing this to protect me..." "..." On the other end of the line, Jiang Shixu listened to Chu Tang's sobs, his heart aching as if it were about to shatter. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said in a cold, detached tone, "Don't flatter yourself." With that, he could no longer keep up the pretense. He hung up in a panic. One more second, and he would have softened.