Chapter 7 Family Fortune

Chapter 7: Family Assets

Typically, personal trainers are on call, let alone after she had paid a three-million-yuan course fee. Now he didn't even offer home training services?!

Personal trainers sure have it easy these days.

Su Mi controlled her expression and finally nodded. "Alright, it's fine if you're busy today."

She checked her watch and turned and left the training area without another word.

The manager glanced at Lin Yue, then hurried to personally see Su Mi out, could only offer repeated apologies, not daring to utter another word.

At that moment, a young man in a black suit walked in. He looked at Su Mi's displeased expression, then turned his gaze to his boss. "Isn't that the daughter the Su family recently welcomed back? Why is she here?"

Lin Yue tapped on his phone a few times, looked up at him without a word.

The assistant immediately stiffened and lowered his head, his tone laced with remorse. "I'm sorry, President. I stepped away to take a call, so I didn't notice her coming in."

Lin Yue walked straight towards the locker room. As if remembering something, he shot a sidelong glance. "Rearrange my private schedule."

Hearing this, the assistant was momentarily taken aback, then gave a serious, obedient nod.

—

She had thought she could learn some basic training today, but it was a wasted trip. Su Mi could only head home.

This coach better be worth his salt, or she wouldn't think twice about replacing him.

After all, whose money grew on trees? Talk about a lazy trainer!

Fortunately, the Su family had a home gym. Although formal lessons hadn't started yet, regular workouts were still good for her fitness.

After returning home, she immediately went to the gym. Perhaps due to the increased talent points, even after two hours of exercise, she still felt light as a feather.

In the past, climbing six flights of stairs would've left her needing a half-hour break.

Indeed, good physical health left one clear-headed and refreshed.

By evening, she finally received an email, sent from the training center.

It appeared to be the training schedule for the next month, mostly on weekends or evenings.

She was a VIP client. The trainer should accommodate *her* schedule, not the other way around.

Without a second thought, she drew up a new schedule and sent it back. Then she contacted the training center manager: if the coach couldn't accommodate her time, they should send one who could.

So what if he was a world champion? She was a paying customer now. You get what you pay for.

The manager spouted a lot of nonsense and apologized profusely. Finally, at nine o'clock, he agreed to her schedule, with only minor adjustments to two time slots. He explained that the coach had lingering after-effects from past competitions and needed weekly acupuncture at a traditional Chinese medicine clinic, so he was never available for lessons during that time each week.

Since only two slots were affected, Su Mi didn't nitpick too much. But he'd better know his stuff, or she'd definitely have to replace him later.

Knock knock—

Hearing the door, she immediately jumped off the bed to answer. At this hour, only one person would come looking for her.

Sure enough, as the door opened, she saw Mrs. Su outside holding a glass of milk, asking with a smile if she was disturbing her rest. If she wasn't asleep yet, she should drink the milk to help her sleep.

Knowing the milk wasn't Mrs. Su's only reason for coming, Su Mi immediately stepped aside to let her in.

There were only four people in this house. The female lead was out recording a variety show and hadn't returned. Even if she had, since the last incident, she probably wouldn't come looking for Su Mi easily.

The old man definitely wouldn't come looking for her. Su Min was always at the company. That left only Mrs. Su.

"There's something you might not know yet."

After setting down the milk, Mrs. Su took her hand and sat down, her expression complex. "Next month, Ruan Ruan is getting engaged to Qi Xi. Barring any unforeseen issues, they'll marry by year-end. By rights, this match should have been yours."

Hearing this, Su Mi was startled and quickly shook her head. "Ruan Ruan and Qi Xi are a perfect match. The thought never crossed my mind. Please never mention this again."

Marry that big fool, the second male lead?

That would be a fate worse than jail.

Seeing she didn't seem to like Qi Xi, Mrs. Su smiled and patted the back of her hand. "That's good too. Mom isn't too fond of the Qi family's second son either. It's a pity their eldest is already engaged to the Huo family, otherwise he'd be a good choice."

Su Mi frowned slightly. Her mother was really getting carried away. The male lead, who had a fiancée but refused to break off the engagement, secretly stealing his own younger brother's wife—he was even more toxic than the second male lead.

Unable to give up the benefits of the alliance with the Huo family, yet unwilling to let go of the female lead... his calculations were practically written all over his face.

"Let's not talk about that. Mom specially picked out some suitable candidates for you. See if any catch your eye. I'll arrange a gathering sometime for you to meet them."

Mrs. Su suddenly produced a stack of photos, presumably pre-screened. They were all young, handsome heirs from wealthy families—not a single odd-looking one in the bunch.

Su Mi glanced at a few but ultimately shook her head. "I just want to live freely right now, without being tied down by anyone."

Even if she married now, who knew if the man would abandon her too once the Su family cast her aside? After all, men could be very pragmatic.

Love?

Forget it. She didn't believe in that stuff.

"That's true, but having more support is always good." Mrs. Su's expression gradually turned serious, getting straight to the point. "Your grandfather had lawyers draw up a will again today. He's always favored Ruan Ruan, so he's definitely left her a significant portion of shares. Plus, with the Qi family backing her, once your father and I are old, it will be extremely difficult for you to gain a say in the company."

She didn't want to rush her daughter into marriage, but she needed to quickly find support for her. Only then would the old man be cautious and not act too blatantly. After all, many of the company's veteran executives were the old man's old friends. The shares she and her husband held combined weren't enough to control the company's decision-making power.

"Grandfather can leave his shares to whoever he likes. Besides, I've heard the company is having some problems lately. With benefits come risks. It's best to let things take their natural course." Su Mi smiled faintly.

Fighting over the family fortune could wait until she safely made it past the story's conclusion. Otherwise, no matter how much fortune she gained, it would all be for nothing in the end. Only by increasing her luck points could she break free from the plot's constraints.

"The company does have some issues, but they're minor. What rightfully belongs to you, Mom will definitely fight for." Mrs. Su didn't say more, smiling as she stood up. "Alright, get some rest early. Remember to drink the milk."

Su Mi nodded, personally seeing her out of the room. Then she picked up the glass of milk and drank it in one go.

In the original story, Mrs. Su also dearly loved the original host, often covering up her misdeeds. But in the end, when the original host was used by a rival company, nearly bankrupting the family business, Mrs. Su could no longer tolerate such a foolish daughter and could only watch helplessly as she was sent to jail.

She might have been a female supporting role, but the original host's treatment wasn't all bad. There were still people who cared about her. Ultimately, it was a matter of character. The influence of one's family of origin stays with a person for life.

Thinking of this, she immediately called Zhao Yun to ask if Liu Zhenyi and his crew had come to cause trouble.

But Zhao Yun also sounded surprised, saying those people hadn't shown up at all, not even a phone call. It seemed they weren't planning to pursue compensation.

Something abnormal was surely afoot. Su Mi wasn't entirely sure if what Zhao Yun said was true, so she could only hire a private detective online to investigate Liu Zhenyi and Liu Hua's family, to see what they were really up to lately.

How could people like that pass up a chance to leech? They were definitely plotting something nasty.

For the next two days, she spent her time at home reading scripts, stuck to her daily gym schedule, and even her sleep quality improved significantly.

In the end, she chose a martial arts script. Although this genre is relatively niche, the script itself is well-crafted, with each plotline being very well-developed.

The female lead is a disciple of a reclusive sect. Having practiced the peerless martial arts passed down by her parents since childhood, her skills are unrivaled in the martial world. However, she had never left the mountain until her master was killed by a villain, which prompted her to go down the mountain to seek the truth.

Along the way, she encounters the fifth prince of the current dynasty. A spark flies between them during their various tests and encounters, but the female lead has only one thing on her mind: finding the truth. Upon learning that only by becoming the leader of the martial arts alliance can she access the archives of the Thousand Secrets Pavilion, she defeats all challengers to seize the title.

In the end, she discovers that her master was assassinated by the imperial court because he refused to reveal the whereabouts of the Qingyin Sword. Legend has it that the Qingyin Sword and the Qingyang Sword hold the secret to the previous dynasty's treasure. The Qingyin Sword has always been in the female lead’s possession, while the Qingyang Sword is held by the male lead.

The female lead wants to destroy the swords to put an end to the decades of strife and cut off everyone's greed for it. However, the ambitious male lead is unwilling to let the treasure disappear, causing the two to drift apart.

The female lead avenges her master by killing the enemy on her own, while the male lead ascends to the throne. When the male lead offers her the position of empress, the female lead resolutely chooses to remain the martial arts alliance leader.

The subplot involves a righteous disciple and a demonic sect enchantress, and the relationship between the female lead and the second female lead is also heartwarming.

Although martial arts scripts have rarely been big hits in recent years, this screenwriter is skilled, and the production team is top-tier in the industry. If the characters are well-developed, it could be a role that gains her a lot of fans.

However, due to the demands of the role, extensive martial arts training is required early in the filming process. As a result, A-list actresses are unwilling to take it on, as this genre rarely achieves major success and isn’t worth the risk for them.

Moreover, from a market perspective, the second female lead, the demonic sect enchantress, is actually the showier role. In contrast, the female lead’s storyline is relatively simple and lacks dramatic twists and turns. However, she disagrees. With the rapid rise of female consciousness, the female lead’s character is also perfectly placed to ride this wave.

After finalizing the script, she immediately called Sister Zhou. It’s said that the production team has delayed filming by a month because the originally cast female lead backed out.

Regarding her choice, Sister Zhou just laid out the pros and cons without interfering too much.

She also mentioned that she had already hired an acting coach for her, and she could attend classes while undergoing action training next week when she joins the crew.

Acting skills are the foundation of an artist’s career and greatly contribute to increasing popularity. Su Mi wondered if she should add some talent points to her acting skills.

However, she must trigger key plot tasks for this to happen.

But she vaguely grasped the pattern for triggering plot tasks: the original host’s unresolved issues.

So early in the morning, she brought up the news about her upcoming entry into the crew at the breakfast table.

“Instead of being a proper wealthy heiress, you insist on becoming an actress. What kind of behavior is that?” Su Zhenan said unhappily while drinking his porridge.

Su Mi paid no attention and lowered her head to bite into her sandwich. “Ruan Ruan can become an actress, so why can’t I pursue my own interests and hobbies?”

Hearing this, Su Zhenan frowned. “How can you compare yourself to Ruan Ruan?”

“Ding! Key plot triggered!”

Suppressing the urge to smile, Su Mi suddenly glared darkly at the old man. Without warning, she violently swept the entire table, sending dishes and soup spilling all over the floor. The servants were so frightened they stood frozen, not daring to breathe.

Su Min and Mother Su were also stunned, unable to react for a moment.

“Of course she can’t compare to me. I am the biological daughter of the Su family, while she is just an adopted daughter who was mistakenly brought here. You won’t allow your own flesh and blood into the family registry, yet you let an outsider visit the ancestral graves every year. I bet our ancestors are so angry they’re about to flip their coffins!”

Su Min, his face pale with shock, rushed forward to stop his daughter. In his memory, his daughter had been quite normal these past few days. How could she suddenly…

“What did you say!” Su Zhenan’s face visibly darkened. Despite his years of experience in the business world, he couldn’t control the surge of anger in his heart at this moment.

Ignoring the servants and Mother Su trying to pull her back, Su Mi slammed her hand on the table. “No wonder other families thrive while the Su family’s lineage dwindles. If the wrong person visits the graves, of course the ancestors won’t bless their descendants!”