Chapter 84

Chapter 84

◎A leopard can't change its spots.◎

Lan Ling contacted her via email.

Shen Ruzhen pondered for a moment and then grasped the situation.

Lan Ling must have learned about her participation in the variety show from Jiang Wei.

If Lan Ling wasn't Chao Wendao, then following the original trajectory of the male supporting character, he would seize every opportunity to interact with the female lead.

This was precisely why he wanted to join the show.

After some consideration, Shen Ruzhen agreed.

After all, she also wanted to ascertain whether Lan Ling was indeed the former male supporting character and where Chao Wendao had gone.

On the first day of filming, Shen Ruzhen selected Chi Xiaoyi and another female guest as the day's participants.

Jiang Wei arrived twenty minutes ahead of the scheduled time, a rarity for celebrities, indicating her profound seriousness about the show's production.

Shen Ruzhen breathed a sigh of relief. At least Jiang Wei still valued her career and hadn't been completely swayed by Chang Wenchao.

As Jiang Wei arrived, Shen Ruzhen quietly exited through the back door of the studio.

Although their previous encounter had been merely a fleeting meeting at a restaurant, there was no guarantee that Jiang Wei didn't possess an exceptional memory.

She didn't want Jiang Wei to recognize her too soon, lest it disrupt her subsequent plans.

Shen Ruzhen turned into the control room adjacent to the studio. Multiple surveillance screens adorned the walls, allowing her to monitor the live broadcast from various angles.

A satisfied smile played on Shen Ruzhen's lips. She appreciated this vantage point, which offered complete control without arousing Jiang Wei's suspicion.

Cheng Yan sat beside her, having changed into another casual outfit that accentuated her relaxed and languid demeanor. A popsicle dangled from her lips, giving her an uninhibited air.

Seeing Shen Ruzhen enter, she deftly pulled another popsicle from the foam box at her feet, peeled back the wrapper, and offered it to Shen Ruzhen.

Shen Ruzhen accepted the popsicle gracefully.

She thoughtfully observed Cheng Yan's less-than-elegant eating style and the suspicious liquid trickling from the corner of her mouth. "I remember you never used to eat these," she remarked.

Cheng Yan waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, please, it was all for my figure. Besides, it's not a pretty sight, not befitting a wealthy lady's image."

Despite her words, her tone at the end was unmistakably disdainful.

Cheng Yan finished the popsicle in three or four bites, then sighed with satisfaction. "I'm finally free."

Shen Ruzhen gestured to the foam box at their feet and suggested, "Even with ice packs, it's so hot today, they might melt soon. Why not give them to the staff?"

Cheng Yan lifted the lid of the box and raised an eyebrow at Shen Ruzhen. "I already gave them out. From the guests to the hosts to the logistics team, everyone got one. Yours is the last one left."

Shen Ruzhen gazed at the empty foam box and burst into laughter.

She knew perfectly well that Cheng Yan hadn't just happened to have a popsicle left for her; she had deliberately saved it.

Her laughter stemmed from her fondness for Cheng Yan's current uninhibited and lively personality.

Cheng Yan's gaze shifted to the surveillance screen. "The show's starting," she announced abruptly.

Shen Ruzhen also turned her attention to the screen.

Jiang Wei chose to converse with the happily married female guest first. As the show's theme was "What Is Love?", she began by inviting the guest to share her love story.

Throughout the narration, Jiang Wei occasionally interjected with detailed questions.

Jiang Wei's questions catered to the audience's interests without making the guest feel her privacy was invaded. It was evident that Jiang Wei had thoroughly prepared for the program.

After the female guest finished her story, Jiang Wei also smiled, visibly moved by the sweet tale of love.

Then she asked the female guest, "What do you believe makes your love so beautiful?"

The female guest smiled and replied, "I think it might have something to do with personality. Both my husband and I are emotionally stable. We encounter problems and conflicts in life, but we never directly vent our emotions at each other; that only leads to arguments and solves nothing. Our approach to resolving issues is continuous communication."

"Furthermore, I believe one point is crucial. My husband and I both consider each other the most important person in our lives. We cherish each other and wouldn't easily abandon one another. I think it's precisely because of this that we actively strive to resolve any issues between us."

Through the surveillance screen, Shen Ruzhen noticed Jiang Wei's expression flicker for a moment when the female guest uttered those words.

But she quickly composed herself and proceeded to question Chi Xiaoyi.

Chi Xiaoyi was well-prepared and immediately recounted the full story of her ill-fated entanglement with Ji Xiang.

As Chi Xiaoyi narrated with vivid emotion, Jiang Wei's eyes widened progressively, until she excitedly interrupted Chi Xiaoyi, "How could he deceive you like that?!"

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized her lapse in professionalism. Her gaze flickered uneasily towards the control room, but receiving no "pause" signal from the director, she had no choice but to refocus on Chi Xiaoyi.

A pang of regret pricked at her.

But Chi Xiaoyi, ever understanding, said, "Did it scare you? Honestly, even I was shocked back then. I never imagined the man who raped me and took everything from me would have the audacity to return and openly pursue me."

In that instant, the roles of Jiang Wei and Chi Xiaoyi seemed to reverse.

Jiang Wei felt as if Chi Xiaoyi was the host, comforting her over such a tragic experience.

But her strange thoughts were quickly overshadowed by a surge of anger.

Only when Chi Xiaoyi mentioned that the man had faced legal consequences did Jiang Wei feel her turbulent emotions subside slightly.

Jiang Wei posed the question, "What do you believe brought such misfortune to your love?"

Chi Xiaoyi replied bluntly, "I don't think I did anything wrong. My only mistake was attending that awards ceremony and meeting that utter scumbag."

Jiang Wei disagreed. "But that was your moment of glory, something worth remembering for a lifetime. You should have attended that awards ceremony."

Chi Xiaoyi sighed, "Really?"

Jiang Wei said indignantly, "He was scheming from the start. Even if you hadn't gone to that awards ceremony, he likely would have found another opportunity to harm you."

Chi Xiaoyi concluded, "So he's just a scumbag."

"Never believe that scumbags will regret their actions or change their ways. A leopard can't change its spots. All we can do is deny them any opportunity to harm us again."

Jiang Wei froze. "You..."

Chi Xiaoyi smiled and asked, "What is it?"

Jiang Wei lowered her gaze slightly and replied nonchalantly, "Nothing."

But the calm surface of her heart had already been disturbed by ripples.

If she didn't know for certain that this guest couldn't possibly have learned her story in advance, she would have thought this remark was specifically directed at her.

A leopard can't change its spots.

Could Chang Wenchao truly change?

Although since their reunion, Chang Wenchao had never again resorted to violence against her, nor had he indulged in his old habit of womanizing.

But... what if all of this was just an act?

When the man who had raped the guest pursued her again, hadn't he also put on a convincing act?

In truth, Jiang Wei had nearly come to believe in Chang Wenchao.

But that day in the restaurant, when he assaulted the waiter without any justification, it chipped away at her trust in him.

And now, after today’s conversation...

At that moment, the female guest, who had been silent for a while, added, "There’s one more thing I just realized from comparing our experiences. My husband has always supported my career. No matter what I want to do, he helps me analyze the pros and cons. Even if the cons outweigh the pros, if I truly want to try, he still encourages me. But Ms. Chi, your partner never seems to approve of your career. In fact, he’s precisely the obstacle to your career."

This was something even Chi Xiaoyi hadn’t considered. Hearing it, she felt it was a stroke of genius and quickly agreed, "Exactly! All he wants is for me to be a dutiful wife and mother, staying at home. Before I met him, I was a brilliant designer. After meeting him? Ha."

The female guest nodded repeatedly. "So, to see a man’s true nature, sweet words are useless. The key is to look at his actions."

These words left Jiang Wei stunned.

Wasn’t Chi Xiaoyi’s story eerily similar to her own?

Chang Wenchao had repeatedly promised to make her the face of his brand, to redefine her public image, to broaden her future opportunities.

But in reality, her career hadn’t improved—it had suffered a devastating blow instead.

Before, whenever she recalled those events, she’d always believed that Chang Wenchao truly meant well. She thought that as the company’s CEO, he was simply ignorant about the entertainment industry and couldn't predict audience preferences, which ultimately led to her downfall.

But after listening to the female guest and Chi Xiaoyi’s exchange, a dangerous idea struck her.

Perhaps Chang Wenchao hadn’t destroyed her by accident.

Perhaps he had done it on purpose.

Because only by clipping her wings could he keep her firmly in his grasp, shielding her from imaginary threats with sweet words and an iron grip.

Her face turned deathly pale, her vision blurred, and her hands began to tremble. She could barely hold the microphone.

Relying on her ingrained professionalism, she forced out her final closing remarks before collapsing on stage.

From the author:

Good night!