Chapter 10: Redefinition

Lin Xueqing lay on the ground for a while, unable to get up. Ma Huo and Father Huo didn't even have time for dinner before they rushed Lin Xueqing, who was bleeding from her head and sobbing uncontrollably, to the hospital.

Ye Leyao was left at home, regretting that she couldn't follow to witness the spectacle firsthand.

That night, Ma Huo and Father Huo didn't return home. It wasn't until the next morning that they came back, exhausted.

Upon their return, they immediately went upstairs to sleep, leaving Ye Leyao without the chance to inquire about the details.

It wasn't until midday when Huo Jing returned home that Ye Leyao learned of the events from the previous night through her elder brother's account.

Lin Xueqing's fall had been terrifying to behold, but once at the hospital, the doctors quickly tended to her wounds, stopping the bleeding. Then, she was taken for gastric lavage to induce vomiting.

Hmm...

The doctor mentioned that if they had arrived any later, the ring might not have been in her stomach anymore.

Ma Huo's face paled upon hearing this.

As the nurse emerged with the ring on a tray, she muttered quietly, "Swallowing such a large diamond... and not choking on it."

Indeed, human potential knows no bounds.

Confronted with the evidence, Lin Xueqing could no longer deny her actions. She tearfully apologized to Ma Huo, claiming she had been possessed by madness.

She explained that her actions were driven by concern for her child.

She mentioned that her son was still young and couldn't do without her, pleading with Ma Huo, considering their long-standing relationship, not to involve the police.

Ma Huo felt nauseated thinking about the food residue on the diamond. Hearing Lin Xueqing's justification only fueled her anger further. Pointing an accusing finger, she exclaimed, "For your precious adopted son, you not only mistreated your biological daughter but also committed a crime! Have you ever considered that your beloved son isn't actually from an orphanage but is instead the illegitimate child of your husband and his mistress?!"

Lin Xueqing was stunned by these words. "No... That can't be true..."

Ma Huo scoffed. "Impossible? Are you truly oblivious or just pretending to be? You spend every day with your precious son. Haven't you noticed how much he resembles your husband?"

A chill ran down Lin Xueqing's spine as if ice water had been poured over her. She shook her head, muttering, "No... It can't be..." Staring at Ma Huo, she stubbornly defended herself, "I... They... Many people said before that they looked alike..."

Her throat felt constricted, as if a hand was squeezing it tightly. Memories of past interactions flooded her mind, impossible to shake off. Her mouth hung open, yet she found herself speechless.

Overwhelmed, Lin Xueqing's legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.

Ma Huo watched her pitiful state coldly.

In the end, out of respect for her deceased uncle, she decided against calling the police.

However, Ma Huo wasn't going to let Lin Xueqing's theft of two million worth of jewelry go unpunished. Before leaving the Huo residence, Father Huo instructed the butler to inventory Ma Huo's jewelry collection.

It wasn't until late into the night that the butler delivered the completed inventory list to the hospital.

Twelve necklaces and nearly a hundred rings were missing.

Seeing the list, Ma Huo was both furious and amused.

Ignoring the necklaces for a moment, just the hundred rings alone had a minimum value of fifty thousand each. Ma Huo had worn them only once or twice, and their condition was impeccable. Some were limited editions from over a decade ago. Combined, their market value was at least five million!

Yet Lin Xueqing sold them for only two million.

Her greed remained as shallow as ever.

"I won't ask for more," Ma Huo said coldly. "Just return the money you got from selling my jewelry, and we'll consider the matter settled."

Lin Xueqing, having already cried her eyes out, sat on the hospital bed, her spirit broken and her arrogance gone.

Whatever Ma Huo said, she would do.

But since banks only operated during daytime hours and the amount Lin Xueqing needed to transfer was substantial, it took until now to resolve the situation.

"What about Mother's rings?" Ye Leyao asked.

Huo Jing paused before answering, "They've been put up for auction."

Ye Leyao's eyes widened.

"No way? No way! It can't be that coincidental!"

Huo Jing was puzzled but didn't press further. He took out a bank card and gently placed it on the table. "Actually, I have you to thank for this..."

Lost in thought, Ye Leyao blinked in confusion upon hearing this. "Huh?"

"How am I involved?"

"Has my big brother lost his mind from lack of sleep?"

Huo Jing: "..."

Right.

Ye Leyao knew nothing about it.

But where did she learn to speak so bluntly?

Her words could kill!

"This is your allowance," Huo Jing said, rubbing his temples, deciding not to argue with Ye Leyao.

Ye Leyao was surprised. "Didn't you already give me this month's allowance?"

Huo Jing feigned a move to take back the bank card. "Don't want it?"

Ye Leyao swiftly grabbed the bank card and stuffed it into his pocket in one fluid motion. "Thanks, big bro!"

Seeing his slick actions, Huo Jing found it amusing. Remembering what Mother Huo had instructed him last night, he added, "By the way, I heard from Mom that you want to enter the entertainment industry?"

"Yes!" Ye Leyao nodded.

"I'm going to make big money!"

Upon hearing his ambitious declaration, a hint of amusement flickered in Huo Jing's eyes, but he didn't take it seriously.

He simply said, "I'll have someone arrange it for you."

After saying this, Huo Jing got up and headed to the company without taking a break.

In truth, with Ye Leyao's superior looks and the Huo family's backing, it wouldn't be too difficult for him to stand out in the entertainment industry.

However, Ye Leyao had never experienced hardship since childhood, and he didn't seem particularly motivated. Therefore, Huo Jing didn't have high expectations for him.

But since he was like a younger brother whom Huo Jing had watched grow up, he couldn't let him be bullied if he entered the entertainment industry. So, as soon as he arrived at the company, Huo Jing called over his assistant and briefly instructed him about the matters concerning Ye Leyao's entry into the industry.

The assistant acted quickly and presented Huo Jing with a list an hour later.

Huo Jing took it and immediately frowned. "Only three years of experience as an agent?"

The assistant explained, "Yes, but Du Yan is reliable and quick-witted. If he takes on Young Master, the only disadvantage would be in terms of resources..."

"Why should there be any disadvantage in resources?" Huo Jing interrupted the assistant.

The assistant was taken aback. "Didn't you say that Young Master just wants to play around in the industry?"

Huo Jing: "Even if he's playing around, there's no need for Leyao to suffer in terms of resources. Our subsidiary should have plenty of projects this year; why can't they all go to him?"

Assistant: "..."

Didn't you say that yourself?!

He had followed your instructions exactly!

Sometimes, the assistant really wanted to call the police!

In ten minutes, Huo Jing finished reviewing the list provided by the assistant.

Within these short ten minutes, he crossed out every name on the list.

After clearly understanding what "playing around in the industry" meant, the assistant submitted a new list of agent teams to Huo Jing.

At the top of the list was agent Li Li, who had ten years of experience. She was the ace agent of Huo Group's subsidiary entertainment company. Two of the four hottest top-tier stars in recent years were her protégés.

The public relations and legal team was even more impressive. They primarily handled all public relations and legal affairs for the entire subsidiary.

Hmm.

A whole company was directly assigned.

After reading through the list, Huo Jing finally nodded in satisfaction and handed it back to the assistant. "Barely acceptable. Let's start with this."

Assistant: "..."

Alright, alright, redefining "playing around in the industry".

With the boss nodding in approval, what could the assistant say?

Of course, he hurriedly took the list and got to work!

Just as he sat down at his workstation, a colleague approached him excitedly. "Assistant Feng! Do you know how Yu Bai got replaced?!"

Assistant Feng was momentarily confused before his eyes widened in shock. "Isn't Yu Bai the breakout star that Changheng Entertainment is pushing this year? Why would they replace him?!"

The netizens were equally bewildered.

At noon, the official Weibo account of the "Sick Beauty's Wealthy Husband" production team announced that due to certain reasons, Yu Bai would no longer participate in the role of one of the main characters in "Sick Beauty". They would now restart the character auditions and invite eligible actors to audition for the production team.

As soon as the news broke, Yu Bai's fans erupted in outrage.

They flooded the "Sick Beauty" official Weibo account demanding an explanation, but the account remained silent, pretending nothing had happened.

Soon, the news trended on the hot search list.

Netizens were buzzing with discussion.

Some irrational fans even went to Changheng Entertainment's official Weibo account to demand answers.

Changheng Entertainment.

The assistant reported the impact of online public opinion to Qin Yao. He had just finished a phone call, which was from the investors seeking accountability.

"The Sick Beauty's Wealthy Husband" was a large-scale TV series with many producers and investors. Yu Bai had been unanimously chosen as the male lead. Now that the lead actor was being replaced, not only were the investors demanding explanations, but some even stated that they would withdraw their investment if Yu Bai wasn't part of the cast.

Qin Yao's response was simply, "Suit yourselves."

In the short span of two hours, the majority of "Sick Beauty's" investors withdrew their funding. The remaining few were still negotiating compensation with Qin Yao.

After listening to the assistant's report, Qin Yao nodded, signaling that he could leave.

The assistant hesitated for a moment but couldn't resist asking, "We've already gathered some evidence. If we release it now, public opinion will quickly turn—"

Qin Yao interrupted, "It's not time yet."

While they had indeed found some evidence, it wasn't enough to completely destroy Yu Bai.

Now, if it were to be released, it would only fuel malicious rumors, turning major issues into minor ones and eventually fading away.

Moreover, Qin Yao's objective this time wasn't merely to replace Yu Bai; he aimed to uproot the very person who had been protecting Yu Bai from behind the scenes.

...

On the other side , upon seeing the trending topic, Ye Leyao's eyes instantly lit up, and she hastily called her second brother, Huo Yan.

"Second Brother, did you know that the lead actor in the production next to yours has been replaced?" Ye Leyao's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Huo Yan had just finished shooting and was utterly exhausted, but in these words, his eyes suddenly brightened. "Yu Bai has been replaced?"

Is Qin Yao in trouble?!

Ah!

What fantastic news!

Ye Leyao hadn't expected Huo Yan to be unaware and quickly filled him in on the situation.

As Huo Yan listened, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upwards.

Good, good, as long as Qin Yao isn't happy, I'm happy!

Then, he heard Ye Leyao shift the conversation—

"Second Brother, do you have the contact information for the director of 'The Sick Beauty' production team?"

Huo Yan's upward-trending smile immediately fell, and he furrowed his brow. "You're not serious, are you, Ye Leyao? You want to audition for the lead role?"

Ye Leyao's frown was even deeper than Huo Yan's. "What audition? I can't act; I want to invest!"

Huo Yan: "???"

How could he enjoy watching Qin Yao suffer if she was giving him money?!

Just as Huo Yan was about to flatly refuse, he suddenly remembered that Ye Leyao knew some "plot points" that they were unaware of.

He paused, then asked tactfully, "You have high hopes for this TV series?"

Ye Leyao responded equally tactfully, "I think...it should make some money."

Huo Yan agonized over whether to make money or watch Qin Yao suffer for a moment before finally nodding slowly.

After all, who could turn down money?

That evening, after finishing his company affairs, Qin Yao received an invitation from Huo Yan on his phone.

Staring at the message on his phone for two seconds, Qin Yao ultimately replied.

Although he didn't particularly want to see Huo Yan, he did—want to see Ye Leyao, whom Huo Yan had taken away that day. It would also allow him to verify if he could still hear Ye Leyao's thoughts.

The next day.

The three met at a coffee shop in a discreet location.

Ye Leyao and Huo Yan arrived first.

Qin Yao was led in by a server, and the instant his gaze met Ye Leyao's, he heard a loud, piercing tenor that assaulted his eardrums—

"I'm going to get rich!!! Congratulations on my wealth! Congratulations on my splendor~~ Good luck comes ! Wishing me good luck! Good luck brings money and love~ Good luck, I'll have good luck~"

Qin Yao: "..."

Qin Yao clenched his fingers so hard that they turned white. Excellent, no need for verification.

Huo Yan, sitting beside Ye Leyao, seemed resigned to his fate.

At the sound of the door opening, his gaze was distant, his face pale, and his tone tinged with reproach. "Why are you so late?"

Qin Yao: "..."

Can I leave now? Would it be too late?

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***