Chapter 6 Engagement

Chapter 6: Engagement

"Ahem..."

Su Zhenan stared directly at the one who had misspoken, a hint of anger hidden in his eyes.

Su Mi, on the other hand, smiled slightly. "What I meant was... distinctly handsome and refined, a perfect match for Ruan Ruan."

Qi Xi's eyes turned cold, his gaze filled with increasing disgust as he looked at her. How could this two-faced woman compare to his Ruan Ruan?

Mr. and Mrs. Qi didn't say much, just smiled kindly. "It's a shame our son is already engaged, otherwise having two happy events between our families would be twice the joy."

Although Ruan Ruan isn't the Su family's biological daughter, they had come specifically to gauge the Su family's stance. Even if the Su family didn't want Ruan Ruan, they wouldn't abandon this daughter-in-law.

Their worry was that the Su family might consider switching the marriage candidate. This Su Mi seemed quite poised and graceful, but after all, they had watched Ruan Ruan grow up—smart, sensible, filial, and well-behaved. Moreover, their son liked her; they certainly couldn't be the ones to break up the happy couple.

"My brother likes his fiancée's type; you shouldn't try to play matchmaker," Qi Xi said, looking Su Mi up and down, a dismissive smirk still hanging on his lips.

Su Mi wasn't angry; she just looked at him with a hint of pity.

If she remembered correctly, in the original book, the female lead was currently in the male lead's office being thoroughly comforted. The male lead believed the female lead had been wronged, but what she was actually upset about was that he hadn't broken off his engagement with Woman Three yet. In the end, the male lead resolved the misunderstanding by pinning the female lead down and kissing her forcefully.

She wondered how this poor sap would react if he saw that scene.

But pointing this out now wouldn't benefit her; it would only speed up the male lead calling off his engagement with Woman Three and accelerate the plot.

"Where are your manners? Is that any way to speak to your sister?" Mrs. Qi shot her son a displeased look before turning a beaming smile toward Su Mi. "Xi Xi's never been one for smooth talk; only that girl Ruan Ruan can stand him. Don't mind him. Once you get to know each other better, he won't dare spout such nonsense."

Su Mi smiled faintly. "Of course not. Uncle Qi, Auntie Qi, please make yourselves comfortable. I'll go upstairs to change."

With that, she headed straight for the second floor, completely ignoring the scrutinizing gazes behind her.

Qi Xi's brow twitched. What kind of look was that from that woman?

Was that pity?

No way, has she lost her mind?

Only Mrs. Qi gave him a displeased glance, reminding him not to forget the purpose of today's visit.

"Today, we came mainly to see Mimi. She truly is a poised and lovely girl. Also, regarding the engagement between Ruan Ruan and Xi Xi..." Mrs. Qi hesitated, looking at Old Master Su.

The latter took a sip of tea, calm and composed. "The date has been set. The engagement banquet will proceed as scheduled."

Hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Qi exchanged a glance, the heavy stone in their hearts gradually settling.

Qi Xi's lips curved into a smile, his previously lazy expression turning serious as he once again promised to keep Ruan Ruan in his heart forever and never let her suffer the slightest grievance.

Only Mrs. Su sat there, smiling silently as she drank her tea, seemingly having nothing to add on the matter.

Back in her room, Su Mi called the butler and asked him to have VP Zhou come over that afternoon.

She had no time to be part of the main couple's games. Let that side character, the poor sap, keep collecting those green hats.

Right now, she just wanted to make money! Money was her true love!

After the Qi couple left, her door was suddenly knocked on. Standing outside was a tall, middle-aged woman in a black trench coat, her short hair exceptionally sharp and efficient. Upon seeing Su Mi, she immediately extended her hand for an introduction.

"My name is Zhou Hong. You can call me Sister Zhou from now on, Miss. The chairman has already given instructions. I've also prepared several proposals for you. We can discuss which development path you prefer, or if you simply want to try acting for fun."

Su Mi smiled and shook her hand, then invited her in and asked a servant to bring a cup of hot tea.

She just couldn't be bothered with idiots, but that didn't mean she was actually a lunatic. When encountering normal people, she still needed to be polite and courteous—after all, cooperation leads to mutual benefit.

Actually, it was no wonder the other party thought she was just playing around. In the original story, the female lead entered the entertainment industry purely out of personal interest, initially with no intention of developing a career. It wasn't until she discovered she wasn't the Su family's biological daughter that she started striving to build a career.

Generally, wealthy people from well-established families don't enter the entertainment industry. If she hadn't transmigrated into a book, she wouldn't want to either—sitting at home waiting for dividends would be much more enjoyable. But the reality was that she had to quickly make a name for herself; otherwise, once she ended up in prison, all her money would be taken back by the Su family. Only by becoming well-known could she ensure long-term development.

In this era where attention is currency, even bad publicity is still publicity. Later, after getting out, she could still do livestream commerce. Don't underestimate this industry—influencers with huge followings can easily earn nine figures annually. Isn't that much easier than slaving away as a regular employee?

Sister Zhou had indeed put serious effort into planning for her. The proposals she provided were clear and straightforward. If she wanted popularity and traffic, she should focus on both variety shows and period idol dramas. By creating some buzz, traffic would naturally follow.

If she was only interested in acting, there were also some high-quality scripts from major productions with excellent teams, basically all aimed at winning awards. For those with artistic pursuits, this was definitely the best choice.

Su Mi chose the first option without hesitation. She didn't have any great artistic aspirations; right now, she just wanted popularity and heat. Only then would she never lack traffic, making it more convenient for starting over after her release.

"Here are a few scripts for projects that are about to start filming soon. See which one you prefer?" Sister Zhou took out several scripts from her bag.

Su Mi took them and glanced through them. Pausing at one script, she asked, "I remember this one already had someone cast?"

While browsing gossip news, she remembered that this xianxia script had already been given to a C-list web series actress. The actress's acting skills were quite good, but because she lacked connections, she had only been able to work in low-budget productions. After gaining some popularity from a variety show recently, she finally landed a premium project, though she was still overshadowed by the male lead.

"This genre has enduring popularity and should attract a considerable audience. If you like it, we can discuss with the production team about recasting the role. The production company has always collaborated with our company; changing actors isn't a big deal," Sister Zhou stated matter-of-factly, revealing an industry norm.

Su Mi frowned slightly and handed the script back to her. "No need. I don't like the storyline."

She actually quite liked that actress. It wasn't easy for her to finally get a break, and for Su Mi to steal it from her would be enough to make her spit blood—after all, Su Mi had countless high-quality options, while the other actress had very few.

"Alright. Take a look at which script you prefer and let me know once you've decided. I'll send you the image packaging and career roadmap afterward," Sister Zhou said, glancing at her watch. "I have another meeting, so I might need to head back to the company first. Do you..."

"You can go back. I'll let you know if there's anything," Su Mi replied, leaning back on the sofa to continue reading the scripts.

Sister Zhou nodded, took a sip of the tea the servant had brought, and then left.

Initially, she had thought this young lady, like the second young lady, was just dabbling for fun. She hadn't expected this young lady to have such clear ambitions. However, recently, the second young lady had also developed career aspirations. Previously, she only filmed one drama a year, but now she was even willing to participate in variety shows and reality TV.

But the chairman had already given instructions: all resources must prioritize the young lady. After all, blood is thicker than water.

She didn't want to take sides in family power struggles, but she definitely needed to find an acting coach for this young lady. Otherwise, with no foundation, she would only end up following the decorative vase route.

Choosing scripts wasn't easy either; it was hard to make a decision quickly. Su Mi spent the entire afternoon reading and barely managed to narrow it down to two scripts. To make a final choice, she needed to read the complete contents.

Normally, production teams wouldn't give the lead actors the full script—this made it easier for them to add scenes for connected individuals later.

But the scripts Sister Zhou brought her were complete, clearly showing that only capital held the final say.

During dinner that evening, the old man said he had a headache, so only she and Mrs. Su ate together.

Then Mrs. Su hesitantly mentioned that her grandfather had a headache and probably wouldn't be able to pay respects at the ancestral graves the next day.

Su Mi wasn't surprised at all—she knew the old man was petty. As if she wanted to visit graves in heavy snow anyway.

But she had more important plans for the next day.

The butler had already found her a combat coach, reportedly a five-time consecutive world champion in freestyle fighting. Over the years, he had been coaching in wealthy circles, possessing rich teaching experience.

So early the next morning, she went to the training gym to visit this renowned coach. Time was tight; she had to quickly learn combat skills. However, since the butler was busy, she could only take a few bodyguards with her.

As soon as she arrived at the training gym entrance, she could see a woman waiting at the door, clearly there specifically to greet her.

As she got out of the car, the woman immediately introduced herself, "Hello, Miss Su. I am the manager of the training center. Coach Li is only responsible for designing your training plan. For any other related matters, you can contact me."

A gust of cold wind blew in her face. Su Mi tightened her scarf and silently followed the other person into the training center, where warmth gradually enveloped her.

She'd heard it was tough to get a slot with this coach, but since this was her first request after returning home, Mrs. Su had specifically splurged to secure it.

The training area opened into a large gym where many people were working out, each of them very focused. Clearly, no one would spend a lot of money here just for show.

"Coach Li is already waiting for you over there." The manager seemed to recall something. "Before starting the class here, we need you to fill out a client intake form. Please go ahead and take a seat first. I'll go get it for you right away."

Su Mi nodded, massaging her neck as she made her way down the hall. A spacious private training area suddenly opened up before her, stocked with all sorts of training gear. On a high platform stood a person, who must be the coach the manager mentioned.

She walked straight up to greet him. The man was standing sideways to her, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a towel in his left hand. His upper body was bare, and beads of sweat slid from his neck down to his chest, then disappeared along the well-defined lines of his muscles into unseen places.

The words of greeting caught in her throat.

This coach was quite good-looking!

The man suddenly turned his head, and their eyes met. Casually, he took off his boxing gloves and put on a short-sleeved shirt hanging on the railing.

It suddenly clicked for Su Mi. No wonder his classes were so hard to book—with looks like that, which wealthy woman could resist?

But she was a professional. The relationship between employer and client had to be clearly defined.

"Hello, Coach Li," she extended her hand.

After stepping down from the high platform, the man casually picked up a bottle of mineral water from the table, unscrewed the cap, and didn't utter a single word.

Gifted people were often full of themselves. Su Mi could only tell herself that.

But she was the one paying!

"My time is tight, so I hope we can start the class today." She glanced at her watch. "Also, do you do at-home sessions?"

After a pause, she continued, "What I mean is, I travel for work a lot and might not be able to attend classes on time. However, the place where I live has a gym. If it's convenient, could you make a trip for the lessons? And I want to learn real skills, not just flashy moves."

After taking a few sips of water, the man suddenly glanced at her, his voice low and hoarse from intense exercise. "Real skills?"

Their eyes met. Su Mi looked him up and down. "Aren't you proficient in Muay Thai and Judo? Of course, I want to learn practical combat techniques. I don't need any of those flashy, useless routines."

Only with solid skills would she have the license to act out. Bodyguards couldn't follow her twenty-four hours a day. Only being strong herself was true strength. Otherwise, what if she acted out again and was dragged away by the male lead's bodyguards?

Catching her brazen look, Lin Yue met her determined eyes. The girl's fair and delicate face looked exceptionally serious, yet her slender arms seemed like they could break with a single twist.

He took another sip of water, lowering his eyelids to hide the flicker of emotion in his eyes.

"Miss Su, you've come to the wrong place. Your training area is next door."

The manager, who had been searching for her for a while, finally found her. But when she saw the man beside her, her expression changed slightly.

"Huh?" Su Mi frowned slightly, then looked at the tall man in front of her. "Then who is he...?"

"I'll send you the training plan later." He lowered his head to screw the cap back on the bottle, then glanced at the manager out of the corner of his eye.

The manager was stunned, rooted to the spot and not daring to utter a word.

"No training today? I can do some basic warm-up exercises." Su Mi clenched her fists and raised her arms.

But, hidden under her sweater, no muscles were visible. She coughed lightly and lowered her arms again.

"I have other clients today. The class schedule will be sent to you later."

Lin Yue picked up a towel to wipe the sweat from his head, then suddenly raised his eyelids. "Also, I generally don't offer in-home training services."