**Chapter 24: How Dare You**

The next day.

In the afternoon, the sun filtered through the loosely drawn curtains, spilling across the garden’s flower trees and landing on the edge of the bed. The fading light stretched along the floor—

Last night, Qin Mang had gone to bed in a hurry, and the red silk ribbons that had fallen on the black wooden floor had not been tidied up. From a distance, it looked like rose petals wilting in the midnight darkness, lacking a touch of seduction and adding a more vibrant, dripping mood of decadence.

At that moment, a delicate, beautiful white wrist emerged from under the blue silk blanket. The pale fingers shimmered with a soft, lustrous light, as if surrounded by an ethereal aura, so beautiful that it was hard to look away.

Qin Mang had slept for over ten hours.

Only now did she feel somewhat refreshed.

She had never worked continuously on a film set before, and these past few months had probably been the hardest period of her life.

Strangely, though, the usually delicate Qin Mang didn’t feel the urge to escape. On the contrary, the more she understood the profession, the more her acting skills improved. The sense of inner fulfillment was overwhelming, like she was a real, living person.

For a brief moment, she resonated with the journey her mother had recorded in her diary from over a decade ago.

After a while, the girl in bed, with curled eyelashes, struggled to open her eyes.

Last night, she…

Had she forgotten something?

Her peripheral vision inadvertently swept past the red silk ribbons at the foot of the bed. Her foggy mind slowly cleared—

Right!

She had given He Lingji a special dance livestream just for him.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, this lucky bastard. Others would never get to see such a livestream in their entire lives!

Remembering his words about tipping a few billion, Qin Mang’s lips curled slightly. Now that was more like it. She had completely forgotten He Lingji’s final remark: “It’s not about the money.”

While checking her balance on her phone, she muttered to herself, “I was so tired last night, I forgot about needing the lawyer team.”

“Well, well, money is better than no money.”

But when she checked the latest billing information—

Nothing.

Qin Mang, who had been lazily resting against her soft pillow, suddenly sat up straight, fully awake.

Where’s the money?

Where’s the “selling herself” money?!

She quickly typed a message and clicked to send it to the “big brother” who had falsely tipped her last night.

Little Lion Roar Meow: \[Where’s the billions?]

Cold-Blooded Capitalist: \[Was washed away by water.]

Little Lion Roar Meow: \[? Am I a three-year-old child?]

Cold-Blooded Capitalist: \[I’ll top you up when I get home.]

Little Lion Roar Meow: \[Top me up now!]

Cold-Blooded Capitalist: \[Not convenient.]

Little Lion Roar Meow: Are you bankrupt?

Before Qin Mang could send those four words, she suddenly realized something—

Her fingers froze, and she became like a statue, motionless on the bed.

A few seconds later.

Finally, she understood the implication of his words. Qin Mang’s pale face suddenly flushed with embarrassment.

Ahhhhhh!

He Lingji!

She really couldn’t imagine He Lingji, with his emotionless face, saying such… dirty things to her.

Little Lion Roar Meow: \[Dirty]

Cold-Blooded Capitalist: \[……]

Little Lion Roar Meow: \[Petty]

The more Qin Mang thought about it, the more she felt she couldn’t just let this go.

Otherwise, what was the point of giving He Lingji the special thin-scarf dance livestream last night?

To not even receive a single tip was an insult to the most beautiful livestreamer!

The key point was—

Her original goal hadn’t been achieved either.

As Qin Mang was pondering, her phone rang abruptly.

It was Meng Ting.

“You finally woke up.”

“Mr. Yu just called and said that if you don’t go sign the contract for ‘Soul Night’ tomorrow, he’ll expose your bad behavior to the fans.”

Qin Mang, already feeling frustrated, sneered when she heard that.

“My bad behavior?”

Does he really think she’s a clay statue to be squeezed?

Meng Ting also found it ridiculous, but he knew Yu Qing all too well. This guy was ruthless and wouldn’t hesitate to destroy you if you couldn’t bring him benefits.

Compared to the former president of Hezhou Films, Yu Qing was even more aggressive. After being the vice president for years, he had always wanted to take over, and now that he had finally risen to the top, he was ready to take drastic action.

Yu Qing had been in the industry for decades. So many artists had fallen victim to his ruthless ways, but no one dared to speak out.

No matter how famous an artist was, when facing the company, they were always at a disadvantage.

When she signed the contract, Yu Qing had given Qin Mang a lot of freedom. If this scandal went public, people would only criticize her for trying to kick the company aside after becoming famous, questioning her character.

Yu Qing had picked the perfect timing. Whether Qin Mang took the ‘Soul Night’ role or not, from the company’s perspective, it was the perfect leverage to control her.

Qin Mang’s dark, clear eyes were almost bottomless. She got up and pulled open the curtains.

The scorching sunlight hit her face.

But it couldn’t extinguish the coldness in her eyes.

With her phone on speaker, Meng Ting continued speaking, “Mr. Yu’s idea is for you to publicly apologize in front of all the artists in the company. Once you do that, this will be over.”

“And then you can continue serving the company.”

Meng Ting’s voice grew softer, clearly worried that she might lash out and get him into trouble.

Stuck between the boss and the artist, he was actually in the most difficult position. But after following Qin Mang without hesitation yesterday, his position was set.

Meng Ting dared to do this not only because of Qin Mang’s abilities, but also because of her identity.

He wasn’t stupid; he knew who had more future prospects.

With someone like Yu Qing, whose ambitions outstrip his capacity, Hezhou Films would never go far.

As for asking Qin Mang to apologize?

Could Yu Qing handle that?

Since learning about Qin Mang’s identity, Meng Ting’s feelings had been complicated. A good family background should, in theory, make things easier in the entertainment industry. But unfortunately… Qin Mang’s biggest obstacle was her family.

After all, her family wanted her to face setbacks and leave the industry immediately.

Now, Qin Mang was truly angry.

What is this?

Asking her to apologize?

“Fine, I’ve remembered him,” she said, preparing to hang up the phone.

“I’m not done yet,” Meng Ting said quickly, worried she would hang up on him. “‘Old Dreams of Jinghua’ has finished filming. I’ve got a few scripts here. See if you’re interested.”

“Although there are no leading roles, there are some substantial supporting roles.”

The resources definitely weren’t on the same level as ‘Soul Night.’ Meng Ting was worried Qin Mang would look down on these supporting roles…

Before he finished speaking, Qin Mang casually replied, “Have A-Tong bring them to me.”

Meng Ting immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

She was still reachable when it mattered.

The business talk was over, and Meng Ting casually asked, “By the way, why were you in such a hurry to hang up?”

Qin Mang’s stunning, delicate features glowed even more under the sunlight.

She calmly replied, “Oh, I was in a rush to contact the ‘assassin.’”

“Fuck!”

“Calm down, ah, ancestor!”

*Click!*

Qin Mang decisively hung up the phone.

She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened her phone app and tapped the electronic wooden fish for five minutes.

“Knock, knock, knock…”

She had to accumulate 1000 points of merit to exchange for one moment of calmness.

Currently, she only had 555 points.

At 888 points—

She suddenly shut the app.

The urge to “slice” Yu Qing into a thousand pieces grew stronger.

Calm down,

Calm down!

She couldn’t let Yu Qing ruin her acting career because of this.

It wasn’t worth it.

He was just a stumbling block on her way to becoming the queen of acting. One good kick and he’d be gone.

Only a fool would bash their head against a rock.

Rather than losing face in front of outsiders, Qin Mang thought asking He Lingji for help wouldn’t be embarrassing at all.

Why use someone else when her husband was right there?

The more she thought about it, the more justified she felt.

But to deal with He Lingji, it had to be done with intelligence—

Last time, she had been too direct. This time, she would retreat to advance.

Little Lion Roar Meow: \[I’ve been bullied by the leader at work, and you just watch? Fine, even though my husband’s unreliable, I’ll have to sever ties with my family and shoot a big-budget movie to support our kid.]

When He Lingji replied.
Outside, the butler knocked on the bedroom door. “Madam, are you awake?”
“It’s already 3 p.m. Why don’t you eat something before going back to rest?”
“Also, the new season’s designs from major brands have been delivered in advance.”
“Mm.”

She glanced at the clock. As expected, He Lingji was probably busy.
Qin Mang responded lazily, then tossed her phone onto the bed.

Her fair fingers picked up the bathrobe hanging loosely off the bed and draped it over herself. Moving gracefully, she walked into the bathroom.

—

**8 p.m.**
A private estate in Shen City was hosting a business banquet. The host was a new business partner about to enter into a deep collaboration with the He Group.

Coincidentally, He Lingji had returned from Ling City that afternoon. Since the host personally invited him, he gave them the honor of attending.

The terrace was quiet.
No one dared disturb He Lingji.

Under the dim light, the man’s profile looked like a painting—handsome features, but with a cold detachment that seemed to run deep in his bones. Even just leaning silently against the railing, he exuded a dangerous and intimidating aura.

Captivating, but unapproachable.

Since arriving, He Lingji had been surrounded by people greeting and networking with him. He finally had a moment of peace.

Secretary Cong cautiously handed him his personal phone. “Madam sent you a WeChat message this afternoon.”

He Lingji calmly took the phone, lowering his eyelashes. Under the light, a faint shadow flickered.

He slowly typed a reply:
**\[It’s remarkable how Mrs. He manages to conceive without any effort. A pity she’s not contributing to our country’s medical research.]**

Yu Qing arrived a bit late.

Upon learning that the He family’s patriarch was also present, he spent some time locating him.

“Hello, Mr. He. It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Yu Qing.”

He bowed respectfully and offered a business card.

He Lingji, still leaning lazily against the railing, toyed with his phone. He didn’t even spare Yu Qing a glance, let alone accept his card.

He continued reading the flurry of messages from his “little lion”:

**Little Lion Awoo Meow:**
**\[Can you focus on the important part?!]**
**\[The point is someone bullied me!]**
**\[They bullied your smart, beautiful, innocent, and fragile wife!]**

He Lingji replied unhurriedly:
**\[Oh?]**
**\[How did they bully you?]**

**\[He forced me to film an erotic movie!]**
**\[He even demanded I sign the contract tomorrow and publicly apologize to him—or he’ll expose me!]**
**\[You should’ve seen his arrogant face! As if I’m not human, just his money-making machine!]**
**\[Wuwuwu, I’m so pitiful.]**
**\[I just want to act in peace… *Little Lion pulls at the hem of her clothes pitifully.jpg*]**

The sticker showed a chibi lion with big teary eyes, seemingly transmitting its grievance through the screen.

Even knowing she was probably pretending, He Lingji’s eyes darkened slightly.

Just then, Secretary Cong whispered, “Mr. He, this man is the new CEO of Hezhou Film—and Madam’s… top superior.”

He Lingji finally glanced at him, coldly.

Those gray-blue eyes were emotionless, yet Yu Qing felt a chill run down his spine.

In front of He Lingji, he had none of the arrogance Qin Mang mentioned. Though he tried to stay calm, nervousness was visible in his eyes.

Just as Yu Qing thought it was hopeless—

He saw He Lingji take his business card between two cold, pale fingers. His lips released a neutral syllable:
**“Oh?”**

Secretary Cong gave a polite cough.
Prompting, “President Yu, is there something you wanted to discuss?”

Thrilled at being acknowledged, Yu Qing quickly said:
“I’ve heard the He Group plans to enter the film industry. Why not choose Hezhou Film? We’re an established entertainment company with top-tier standing. Recently, we even launched a famous actress.”
“Coincidentally, your first investment in film is also her debut.”
“Surely, this indicates fate between you and Hezhou…”

Yu Qing was very good at building connections.
He was determined to restore Hezhou Film’s former glory and was more than willing to lower himself to do so.

Since Hezhou Film had “relatives” like Madam He, Secretary Cong thought his boss might help out.

But he noticed—
The more Yu Qing mentioned Madam He, the colder He Lingji’s eyes became.

Secretary Cong mentally added a question mark.
Did Yu Qing just offend the boss?

Yu Qing kept talking nervously to fill the silence, eventually hoarse:
“Would you consider working with our company?”

Finally, the man at the railing looked at him directly.

Yu Qing’s spirits soared.
He held his breath, waiting for the response.

Everyone nearby was watching.
Any company at the banquet dreamed of partnering with the He Group.

They all thought that if He Lingji listened patiently to Yu Qing, then Hezhou might really be on the rise.

Until—

The terrace fell silent.
And He Lingji’s voice rang out, cold and harsh:
**“You? Worthy?”**

The next second—
**Riiip—**

The business card he had been toying with was slowly torn in half.

He casually tossed it on the table beside him.

Even that small movement exuded an innate sense of arrogance and nobility.

No one thought he was wrong.
Everyone thought Yu Qing had lost his mind to offend this man.

Yu Qing’s face turned ghostly pale.

It wasn’t just a card that was torn—but his dignity.
He was publicly stepped on.

It felt like a massive pie from heaven had fallen, and just when he reached for it in joy, he realized it was a rock—
And it smashed him in the face.

He had no idea how he had offended this person.

“He—”

Before he could speak further,
He Lingji stood up and walked away, calm and indifferent.

Secretary Cong respectfully handed him a handkerchief,
As if even holding Yu Qing’s card had dirtied his noble hands.

Watching their retreating figures—aloof, powerful, able to decide others’ fate at will—
Yu Qing felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

—

He Lingji returned to the lakeside villa close to 10 p.m.

The usual temperature setting had been adjusted down by two degrees since Qin Mang moved in—more suitable for her.

Even when she was filming, the household stayed used to that temperature.

Compared to usual, the home felt warmer, more alive.

It wasn’t just a luxurious, empty house anymore.
It felt like home.

The faint scent of roses lingered in the air—
Probably the fragrance she carried after bathing.

Just as He Lingji was about to enter, he received an impatient call from Madam He:
**“Do I really have to cry for you to avenge me?”**

He looked at the girl sprawled on the European-style chaise lounge, lazy and boneless, flipping through a script as she chatted.

She wore a smoky-pink slip nightdress, its long hem trailing past her ankles onto the white carpet.
Her feet were beautifully delicate, her nails a pearly pink—irresistibly attractive.

A giant moon hung outside the glass window,
Bathing her in soft light.

He casually loosened his tie and approached with slow, steady steps. His voice, usually cool, now carried a hint of magnetic depth:
**“Madam He, instead of crying here, I prefer when you cry somewhere else.”**

**“Somewhere else?”**
**“Where exactly?”**

Qin Mang sat up, looking at the moon in the sky.

Her slender fingers pinched her chin as she pondered seriously.

After a few seconds, she realized something was wrong—the voice in the receiver seemed to overlap with another.

Suddenly sensing something, she turned around—

And saw the man she hadn’t seen in a long time, standing quietly behind her, gazing at her with calm intensity.

Backlit, his eyes were dark and deep like a cold pool.
For a moment, a thin layer of ice seemed to shatter as their eyes met.

The shock hit her like a wave.

Qin Mang’s eyes widened in an instant, her little heart pounding wildly: “Why are you back…”

Was he trying to scare her to death?!

Popping up out of nowhere.

Like a ghost!

He Lingjing tossed his phone onto the foot of the chaise lounge, then unhurriedly picked her up just like that, carrying her effortlessly toward the master bedroom as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Naturally, I’ve returned in response to Mrs. He’s request—”

“To repay a debt.”

The man enunciated the two words clearly.

Being carried like this was a bit tiring for Qin Mang, so she wrapped her arms around his neck, freeing her slender legs—

She instinctively asked, “What debt?”

He Lingjing: “The few hundred million I owe Mrs. He.”

Qin Mang: “!”

It suddenly dawned on her.

What nonsense about repaying a debt—

He was clearly just after his own pleasure!

“You won’t help me get revenge, yet you still want to sleep with me? Dream on!”

As she spoke, she struggled to break free.

He Lingjing easily restrained her. “I already helped you get revenge.”

“Liar.”

He hadn’t even come back—how could he have helped her get revenge?

“When have I ever lied to you?”

“…You haven’t.”

Qin Mang thought long and hard, but even as they entered the master bedroom, she couldn’t recall a single time he’d deceived her. Pouting, she denied it in a tiny voice.

“Mr. He keeps his word. So, Mrs. He, will you do the same?”

“What did I say?”

“Cry for me.”

……

The curtains in the master bedroom were also fully drawn.

The enormous moon seemed to have fallen from the sky, its edges wreathed in a misty glow, as if veiled in a thin layer of gauze. The usually cool moonlight was filtered into something tender and lingering, devoid of any chill—instead, it stirred an irresistible flutter of emotions.

Qin Mang’s lashes trembled with teardrops, her eyelids tinged with a seductive rouge, as if steeped in enchanting allure.

When she lowered her gaze, she could see the man’s back, suffused with raw masculinity, where mysterious black patterns sprawled wildly, tracing the contours of his bones. They looked as though they had grown naturally into his skin—or perhaps like flowers that had broken through layers of ice on a vast, pristine glacier, their ink-black hues breathtakingly beautiful yet hinting at something darkly sinister.

It was terrifying.

Yet impossible to resist.

Suddenly, He Lingjing whispered in her ear:

“Where’s the female streamer’s prop?”

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