Let her gradually sink into the happy family life he had created; let her get used to him in her life; let her be unable to resist him giving her everything. Slowly, let her fall in love with him.

For this purpose, he could wait, endure, and suppress himself. As long as he was successful in his goal, it didn't matter how long the process took.

As for Ye Zhen wanting little fresh meats…

Lu Beichuan slightly narrowed eyes. Faint displeasure was hidden in those eyes. At worst, he would just keep an eye on her. Could those pretty boys outside be able to compete with him? No way.

Listening to the steady breathing by his ears, Lu Beichuan kissed the sleeping Ye Zhen on her head.

The night was still long, and there was still plenty of time left. He had ample patience to wait until Ye Zhen was perfectly happy to fall in love with him. There was no need to be anxious.

***

After that online incident of Ye Zhen passed, the days had passed by smoothly. Lu Corporation's process of acquiring Chaoxun was coming to an end. This acquisition officially confirmed Lu Corporation's intention to enter the entertainment industry.

Lu Corporation's strength couldn't be underestimated. By entering the entertainment industry and getting a share of the pie, it was breaking the delicate balance of powers that currently existed in the entertainment industry. Lu Corporation's action was no different than snatching a share of the profits in the entertainment industry.

If Lu Corporation wanted a share of the profits, then the companies in the entertainment industry could only give way to it. If they didn't want to share, then they would have to use their power and influence to compete with Lu Corporation as rivals.

For a conglomerate like Lu Corporation, the companies in the entertainment industry weren't its opponents.

The big fish ate small fish, and the small fish ate smaller shrimps. It was inevitable that Lu Corporation's entry into the entertainment industry would lead to some people being out of luck.

Of course, the people happiest about this acquisition were the stars that were signed with Chaoxun Entertainment. Nothing can surpass their happiness. Lu Corporation's acquisition meant that it would definitely inject funds into Chaoxun Entertainment. Regardless of the people that would enter Chaoxun in the future, they were the old timers in Chaoxun. Once Chaoxun had resources available, they would be the first ones to get that support.

After Lu Corporation acquired Chaoxun Entertainment, the first thing it did was thoroughly clean out Chaoxun Entertainment.

Many of the people in Chaoxun Entertainment's management positions were replaced by Lu Corporations's executives. Although Chaoxun Entertainment's boss had complaints about this, he didn't dare to speak out due to Lu Corporation's prestige. Anyways, his position as the boss was preserved. The well-being of the people below him didn't have much to do with him. The people that had come over to take control probably had real skills. When they developed the Chaoxun into something big, he would naturally be the one enjoying the splendor that brought.

Three months had passed since Lu Corporation started the process of acquiring Chaoxun Entertainment to Lu Corporation settling its senior executives in Chaoxun Entertainment.

However, during those three months, Ye Qing had benched under the facade of "resting at home".

At first, she didn't care. After all, she had Older Sister Li's guarantee, so she wasn't worried about how to resolve her dilemma. However, after several weeks of silence on Older Sister Li's end, Ye Qing gradually couldn't sit still anymore.

She tried to contact Older Sister Li, but Older Sister Li was either busy or didn't answer her call. She had sneaked into the company to look for Older Sister Li, but she had been stopped by the staff who said that Older Sister Li wasn't in.

As her failed attempts grew, Ye Qing noticed that Older Sister Li had given up on her.

She had been absolutely unrestrained before because Older Sister Li said she could rely on her for everything. Ye Qing only remembered that Older Sister Li was an experienced agent. It never occurred to Ye Qing that Older Sister Li had been mixing in with the entertainment industry crowd for a long time.

There were few people in the entertainment industry that were actually trustworthy.

Finally, Ye Qing was forced to contact Shen Weiyin out of desperation.

"Miss Shen, it's me, Ye Qing."

When her call was answered, the background was very noisy. Shen Weiyin seemed to be filming on a set. Ye Qing listened for a while before she finally heard, "Oh no!"

Ye Qing had known about Shen Weiyin's purpose from the beginning. She was just using her to deal with Ye Zhen. Ye Qing was well aware that she was just a pawn for Shen Weiying.

The only thing that puzzled her was why the Shen's hadn't fallen yet. In her past life, the Shen's had already fallen into decline by now.

"Miss Shen, it's like this. You also know that Lu Corporation has acquired Chaoxun Entertainment. The company told me to take time off because of that online incident about Ye Zhen. It's been almost three months and there's no news from the company…"

Shen Weiyin interrupted her, "Miss Ye, if you have something to say, just say it. I'm on a set right now. I'm pressed for time."

Since Shen Weiyin said that, Ye Qing went straight to the purpose of her call. "I still have some information about Ye Zhen. If you want it, I can give it to you as long as you help me resolve the matter of my contract with Chaoxun."

Shen Weiyin chuckled. It sounded derisive, but that might just be her misconception.

"Miss Ye, I'm very sorry. I'm not interested at all in Mrs. Lu's affairs or your contract problem with Chaoxun Entertainment. You should contact your company to resolve it yourself. What's the use in contacting me?"

"But…"

"I can't keep talking to you. I'm busy, bye."

The sound of the dial tone.

Hearing that Shen Weiyin had hung up on her, Ye Qing furrowed her brow. She called the number again, but it went to voicemail.

She quietly cursed. Unwilling to accept this result, she called Older Sister. To her surprise, her call was answered.

"Older Sister Li, it's me, Ye Qing!" Wary that Older Sister Li would hang up, Ye Qing blurted out in one breath, "You gave me a guarantee that you would help me resolve my contract with Chaoxun Entertainment. It's been three months. Why haven't you…"

"Yes, I did guarantee that, but I didn't know that you had signed a 20 year contract with Chaoxun." Older Sister Li mockingly asked, "Miss Ye, times are different now. Who would sign a contract to sell away 20 years of their life? You might as well bind the rest of your life to Chaoxun. And your penalty for breaking the contract is eight figures. Let me level with you, do you really think you're worth eight figures?"

Ye Qing was stunned, and then a nameless anger ignited in her heart. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said." Older Sister Li didn't want to waste time talking to her. "This will be our last call. We're both people that have been in the entertainment industry for a while. You should know what my words mean. In any case, we've worked together a few times. I've given you many benefits. Let's have an amicable parting."

"An amicable parting?"

"Yes, an amicable parting." Older Sister Li smiled. "How about this? I'll give you a suggestion. If you really want to leave Chaoxun Entertainment, that's not impossible. With money, you can do anything you want. The Ye's have such a big company. It can't be that your family can't even pay a measly eight figure fee to break the contract, right?"

Ye Qing can certainly afford to pay the fee, but the problem she couldn't solve was that Lu Corporation was blacklisting her. Even if she left Chaoxun Entertainment, there was no entertainment company out there that was willing to go against Lu Corporation to sign a small star like her. It wouldn't be worth it for them.

"Alright, I have nothing left to say. Goodbye, Miss Ye."

Ye Qing held the phone and heard the dial tone. For a while, she was at a loss for what to do next.

She had hit a wall and been scr*wed over in quick succession. Almost nothing had worked out for her since she was reborn.

She had obviously seized all the key opportunities, so why did she end up with nothing?

Ye Qing didn't understand why things had turned out this way. As she held her phone, she couldn't stop her hand from trembling.

As she thought of how she had fallen during this time, bitterness and resentfulness rose up on her face. She flung her phone onto the ground to vent her anger. The phone's screen cracked, but it still stubbornly lit up. It was an incoming call from Mother Ye.

The phone kept ringing. Ye Qing glanced at it before looking away. She didn't intend to answer the call.

Ye Qing paced like a trapped beast. She had been trapped in desperate straits for too long, and she was now at her wit's end. If she couldn't find another company to sign her on, then it was all over for her!

Why had it become like this? She had known everything that would happen in the future, so why had her life fallen to such a state?

Ye Qing thought about Ye Zhen. She had looked radiant and dazzling at the wedding. After giving birth, she still looked like a young girl. Her dream was to replace Ye Zhen in that scene of the happy family of three in the backseat of the car that she had seen in her past life, but that dream was getting farther and farther out of her reach.

Ye Qing closed her eyes and clenched her hands. It couldn't be that she was inherently worse than Ye Zhen, right?! She wasn't willing to accept that!

The phone continued to untimely ring. Ye Qing was seething in anger, and the ringtone was very irritating. Just as she was about to turn off her phone, she strangely thought of what Older Sister Li had said to her. With money, you can do anything you want.

Mrs. Lu had given her father 30 million yuan. In other words, she could pay the liquidating damages to Chaoxun Entertainment in full. Perhaps, things weren't as dire as she had thought. Perhaps, after she terminated her contract with Chaoxun Entertainment, she could find another entertainment company and continued to progress. Who knows how the future would unfold?

She eagerly answered the call, "Mom, the 30 million yuan that Dad has, could you…"

"Qingqing, hurry back here. Come save your dad!" Mother Ye's voice was very agitated. It vaguely sounded as if she was crying.

Starled, Ye Qing asked, "Mom? What's wrong?"

"Hurry, come back!" Mother Ye didn't say anything else. She just kept crying. It sounded like something big had happened.

Ye Qing went home that night. Once she entered the mansion, she saw that the living room was a mess. Things had been smashed onto the floor, the leather sofa had been slashed, and the coffee table was broken into many pieces. Mother Ye was sitting on the sofa and wiping her tears.

"Mom? What happened?"

As soon as she saw that Ye Qing had returned, Mother Ye seemed as if she had found a pillar. She grabbed her hand and wouldn't let go. She was trembling from post-traumatic stress.

"It's your dad!"

"What's wrong with Dad?"

"That b*stard took out that 30 million yuan without telling me to gamble. He lost all of it and owes 40 million yuan to loan sharks!"

"Loan sharks! 40 million yuan?! How?!" Ye Qing was incredulous. "Mom, did you hear them wrong? How could Dad owe so much money? Hasn't he always known to not borrow money from loan sharks? How could he borrow money from them?"

"I don't know. A bunch of people came recently. They said that after your dad signed an agreement for the amount that he owed them, he disappeared. I can't get in touch with him. If we can't repay the 40 million yuan, they're going to take our mansion!"

Ye Qing looked up and around the formerly dazzling mansion. The ground was full of glass shards, the furniture was destroyed, and the locks on the front doors were also broken. It was easy to picture how violent those people were.

"Where's Dad?"

Mother Ye shook her head. "I don't know. I haven't seen him in over a week. The loan sharks couldn't find your dad, so they came here."

Ye Qing understood how. Her father knew that he couldn't repay the debt, so he most likely ran away. "Mom, call the police!"

"What's the use in calling the police? Those people are loan sharks. They don't take the law into consideration. If we anger them, can we still live?"

"What else can we do?" Ye Qing sharply said, "Can we get the 40 million yuan to pay them?"

Mother Ye was left speechless. Crying, she said, "The Lu's are to blame. If they hadn't given your dad 30 million yuan, how could he have gotten the idea to gamble! Now we owe the loan sharks 40 million yuan. If they take this mansion, where will we live?!"

Ye Qing looked around. She couldn't think of a solution either.

"How about…" Mother Ye looked up. "We go see Ye Zhen?"

Ye Qing sneered, "30 million yuan. You already have nothing to nothing to do with her."

"At the very least…"

"If you want to go, go by yourself. I'll never beg her!"

Mother Ye was choked up. After contemplating for a while, she suddenly thought of something. "Qingqing, that… I heard that your ex-boyfriend, Lin Zhan, is now the boss of several companies. He also invested in our company before. Do you think he…"

At the mention of Lin Zhan, Ye Qing thought of that scene when they met at Heaven on Earth. She had been hurt by his indifferent tone and his eyes that looked at her as if she was a stranger to him

"Him and me…"

"Qingqing, why don't you go see him and try to probe him out? You and him had such deep feelings for each other. Mom could see that he was in love with you!"

Ye Qing thought of those countless days and nights in her past life when Lin Zhan had forgiven her and believed in her. Even in his hardest and most tiring days, he never let her toil. As soon as she thought of this, Ye Qing felt a deep regret.

It would be so great if she hadn't abandoned Lin Zhan.

"He… really loves me?"

"Of course! If he doesn't love you, how could he have run away with you back then?" Mother Ye quietly persuaded, "Qingqing, a man's first love is unforgettable. Mom has more life experience than you. Believe in Mom's words."

Ye Qing had heard the rumors about Lin Zhan's reversal of fortunes. They all said that the grandson recognized by the Lu's was like a fish returning to water. He had leapt into the business world and was a rising star. He had received praise and support from many people of the previous generation. If she could get back together with Lin Zhan, then...

Ye Qing's heart skipped a beat. It was as if she was seeing a giant opportunity.

"Okay, I'll go."

Ye Qing didn't delay. The next day, she found Lin Zhan's location and went to see him at his workplace. After reporting her name to the receptionist, she was led to a lounge.

She was wearing light makeup today and wearing a dress and perfume that Lin Zhan liked. Her entire look was catered to Lin Zhan's preferences. Ye Qing believed that as long as Lin Zhan was willing to see her, she would be able to win him over.

Just like before, he would have no limits when it came to indulging her and tolerating whatever she did.

However, she ended up waiting in the lounge for three hours. It was almost the end of the work day when the assistant came and brought her a note.

The assistant didn't know what was written on that note; she only knew that after she handed the note to the woman who was pretending to look happy, that woman squatted down and cried after reading the note.

***

At the same time, around the three month mark, Qinhua’s Riverside was about to finish filming.

As the producer of the movie, Ye Zhen had handed over the filming matters to Ning Yang and given him full authority. The cast and crew progressed in perfect order. A week before the movie was done filming, she received Ning Yang's invitation to go on set and watch the crew at work.

Ye Zhen promised Ning Yang that she would go see the crew tomorrow over the phone. Lu Beichuan overheard her.

He gloomily asked, "Go see the crew?"

Ye Zhen didn't think too much of it and casually replied, "Yeah, the crew is almost done filming. I'm going to go see them tomorrow."

In order to save herself trouble, Ye Zhen had been planning to conceal her role as the producer until the move was released. There had been rampant online activity targeting her in the past, so Ye Zhen knew that she was a target of criticism. Under these circumstances, she absolutely won't deliver her weaknesses to the other party's hands. Who knows what those petty people hiding behind the scenes would do to the movie if they knew she was the producer?

Since the start of filming, she communicated solely through phone calls with Ning Yang. Thinking about it now, she felt that as the producer of the movie, it was wrong of her to never step foot on the set and see the cast and crew at work.

"Didn't you say that before the movie is in theaters…"

"I'll be low-key when I go there. No one will know."

Lu Beichuan fell silent. He hadn't been free from anxiety during this time. He had the nagging feeling that Ye Zhen was too involved in Chaoxun Entertainment lately. Those reckless stars overtly and secretively behaved as if he was a dead man.

He solemnly looked at her. "I'll go with you tomorrow."

Ye Zhen raised her eyebrow and looked at him in surprise. "Why? Do you have nothing better to do?"

Lu Beichuan automatically ignored that paperwork that had piled up like a mountain on his work desk and calmly said, "There's not much lately. Moreover, now that Lu Corporation's acquisition of Chaoxun Entertainment has been sorted out, I should make an appearance and show my attitude."

Having entered the entertainment industry, there was nothing more reassuring than seeing the big boss visiting the set and caring about the progress of the movie.

Ye Zhen briefly thought it over and also felt that it was feasible.

Going there with Lu Beichuan would not only conceal her role as the producer, it would also make it clear to Qinhua’s Riverside's crew and Chaoxun Entertainment's employees of Lu Beichuan's determination and resoluteness to advance his company in the entertainment industry.

***

The next morning, after Ye Zhen was neatly dressed, she walked downstairs and saw Lu Beichuan at the door. He was dressed especially formal and handsome today in a suit and leather shoes. After seeing that Zhouzhou, the little winter melon, was standing next to him, she couldn't keep calm anymore.

She looked at Zhouzhou and carefully probed, "We're going out as a family?"

Lu Beichuan nodded. "Mom has to go out today to do something. Can you feel at ease with leaving Zhouzhou at home alone?"

"I asked Mom yesterday. She said she wasn't busy today…"