Trending Again – Chapter 17

Contract signed in vain, she has no backing behind her

Si Meng was in the hospital for a few days and then returned. She had a lot of things to handle. She wrapped her mask tightly and put on a pair of black-framed sunglasses. She could go out in simple casual clothes.

Yesterday, Lu Qi called her, and she realized that she was in the limelight again. No wonder the nurses had been finding ways to see her and get her signature these past few days.

As usual, Si Meng opened her Weibo and browsed through the hot topics, almost like a professional habit from before.

Sure enough, 《The Life of a Celebrity Chef》 was a big hit, even a massive success, bringing fame to a batch of new emerging stars. Si Meng raised an eyebrow and looked at some comments. They were all about her making a debut in the spotlight.

Si Meng fell silent, and the next several hot topics were all about her.

She opened her Dy account because it had been a while since she last accessed it. Initially, it was a bit laggy, but when she finally got in, she was bombarded with +9999 unread private messages. It gave her a headache. She was surprised to find that she had already amassed 30 million fans, and most of the messages were from various entertainment companies interested in signing her.

Si Meng took a taxi to Lu Qi’s residence. Throughout the ride, the driver kept sneaking glances at her, so she had no choice but to give him an autograph. She was caught off guard by her sudden fame.

Lu Qi’s mansion was a bit messy, with clothes scattered everywhere. Si Meng couldn’t find a place to sit down and noticed a few bras that didn’t seem to be Lu Qi’s size. It seemed like she had brought a woman here!

Lu Qi rubbed her temples in embarrassment and tidied up the lingerie.

“Let’s get down to business. You’ve become more popular than I expected, and before long, my sister will be able to see you on the screen,” Lu Qi said seriously as she took out a few contracts from a folder.

“Take a look at these entertainment companies. How are they? They are all big companies, and we are newcomers. We need to find someone to back us,” Lu Qi furrowed her brow. These rivals were just envious of her family’s Meng Meng, and going solo wouldn’t work. It’s better to have a powerful backer.

“Uh, these companies are not that great,” Si Meng carefully examined them and found them to be paper tigers.

“Then how about we try one first?” Lu Qi suggested hesitantly. She also wanted to join a better company but they lacked the qualifications.

“Okay, let’s give it a try.”

After getting dressed up, Lu Qi and Si Meng went to an interview at the White Crane Company. The interviewer was the company’s HR manager, a middle-aged, oily man with a big belly. He was all smiles as he focused on Si Meng, but his gaze was not very friendly. It felt like he was staring at prey he was sure to capture, which annoyed Si Meng.

Lu Qi engaged in a verbal battle with the middle-aged man, but he smoothly played the waiting game, not rejecting or accepting. He kept them hanging, as if waiting for the right moment when Lu Qi would yield and offer something sweet.

“How about we have a meal together? We can eat and chat at the same time, and it’s getting late,” the middle-aged man said in a refined manner. He knew that young girls appreciated maturity, stability, and thoughtfulness. He thought if he played his cards right, he could win her over.

“Alright, let’s do that. Just don’t play any tricks,” Lu Qi was annoyed by him and said harshly.

Si Meng felt that things weren’t as simple as they seemed. This man’s intentions were quite clear; he wanted to pursue them romantically. But this was their first meeting, and he was so brazen about it, especially when they had no knowledge of each other’s backgrounds.

It seemed like he was just an ordinary man who had a family, worked his way up to a managerial position, and didn’t have any powerful connections. So, someone had likely spread the word about them before their arrival, intending to make them uncomfortable through this man.

Si Meng deduced the situation and had no fear at all. Since they had already prepared the trap for her, not showing up would spoil all the fun.

Si Meng sent a message to Lin Hanyue, saying that she wouldn’t be going home for dinner tonight.

On the other side, Lin Hanyue of the Lin Group was in a meeting. She stole a moment to check her WeChat and frowned slightly. Not coming back for dinner? Did that mean she was going out to eat with someone else?

All the employees around the round table held their breath, afraid of displeasing the CEO and being sent to revise their proposals.

Lin Hanyue suddenly lost interest in the meeting. She raised her hand, allowing everyone to go and have dinner, no need for overtime tonight.

The employees below were all excited, with trembling hands, chanting, “No overtime, hooray!”

Lin Hanyue sat in her swivel chair, lost in thought, pondering something. Butler Wang entered with a lunchbox in hand.

“Miss, this is the dinner that Si Meng prepared for you in advance.”

“Do you know, how do you chase a girl to make her like you?” Lin Hanyue stared at the cute lunchbox. This question was challenging for her, even harder than a physics competition question or her doctoral thesis.

“Well… I think most girls like to feel cherished and want a sense of security,” Old Wang, with his wise and perpetually appealing intellectual charm, offered his insight through his cloudy, old eyes.

“That’s right,” Lin Hanyue agreed. “Instead of using all those flashy words and tricks, it’s better to quietly give her what she wants.” She took off her silver-framed glasses with golden wire rims and rubbed her slightly tired phoenix-like eyes.

Lin Hanyue tossed her glasses onto the table and asked, “Where’s Lin Te? Bring him over.”

Butler Wang knew that Miss was genuinely angry this time, as she had even called Lin Te.

The Lin family appeared to be a business family, but in the earlier years, the patriarch was involved in both legal and illegal activities. He maintained a group of loyal guards who handled clandestine matters behind the scenes.

However, in these times of peace, these guards had gradually transitioned into security personnel. But when emergencies arose, they were like unsheathed knives.

Lin Hanyue sneered, “Does Bai Lu think she can escape the country, and I’ll have no way to deal with her? As for the Bai family, they’re nothing more than local pests in City A.”

“Miss, calm down. There’s no need to get upset about someone like her.”

The office door swung open, and a young man radiating a fierce aura walked in. He exuded military-like determination in his demeanor, but his casual gaze resembled that of a mercenary. He deliberately suppressed his pervasive killing intent, indicating a high level of respect for the person in front of him.

The most striking feature was a scar extending up to five centimeters above his left eye. Just above the scar, he sported a buzz cut that couldn’t get any shorter. He held his hands behind his back, and both hands had thick calluses on the knuckles and index fingers.

“Lin Te, I want you to go to the Country M and find a woman named Bai Lu, then take her to Africa for labor reform,” Lin Hanyue casually instructed with her hands folded on her knees.

“Butler Wang, go acquire shares of the Ding Sheng Group. I want the Bai family to roll out of City A overnight,” Lin Hanyue said firmly, showing no mercy.

After giving her instructions, she noticed that Si Meng hadn’t replied to her messages. In an instant, Lin Hanyue turned into a resentful wife, complaining about her husband spending time carousing outside.

“That Si Meng, that scoundrel, she’s having second thoughts so soon.”

“No, I need to go and bring her back. Yes, I’ll capture her and keep her locked up, so she can only see me, and I’ll be her sole dining companion.”

After saying this, Lin Hanyue picked up the car keys by her side, creating a cloud of dust as she left.

LP: This novel is wild!