Volume One, Chapter 26: Enchanted to Death

In the café at the entrance of Phoenix Film Studios, Xie Liuzheng gazed at the man across from her over the rim of her sunglasses. “President Chu, just say what you have to say. I have a lot of appointments to catch. The only reason I made time to see you is because of our past acquaintance.”

Pansea Entertainment had lured Xie Liuzheng away with a sky-high offer, causing a storm online. Her fame skyrocketed, instantly surpassing the other three rising starlets. Now, with her newfound pride, she looked down her nose at Chu Xingzhi.

Knowing that Song Qingyu and Xie Liuzheng were close, Chu Xingzhi had tried to ask her for help, but was ruthlessly rejected. He’d thought to pressure her, only to find she’d signed with Pansea Entertainment.

“Liuzheng, you must know that everything I did was just to win Qingyu back. I never intended to blacklist you—”

Xie Liuzheng cut him off before he could finish. “If you called me here to confess or apologize, you needn’t have bothered.”

“No... That’s not why I’m here today.” Chu Xingzhi placed two invitations on the table and slid them toward her.

Xie Liuzheng lowered her sunglasses slightly, glanced at them without picking them up, and feigned aloofness. “What are these?”

“Invitations from the Gu family.”

She froze, eyes widening. “The most powerful Gu family in the capital?”

He nodded. “I hope you and Qingyu will attend together.”

“Would you really be that generous?”

Chu Xingzhi’s expression turned somber. He knew his recent actions had hurt them both. “At the Gu family’s banquet, all the guests are people of immense wealth or influence. It’s a chance to broaden your horizons and make connections with the powerful; it’s good for both you and Qingyu. And, of course, it’s also good for me.”

His benefit was simply the chance to see Song Qingyu and speak with her.

Xie Liuzheng’s mind whirled with possibilities. Qingyu had been troubled about the game project; this could be an opportunity for her as well.

She accepted the invitations. “I really can’t refuse this. But I’ll only do this one thing for you. I won’t persuade Qingyu on your behalf.”

Chu Xingzhi finally breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he could see Qingyu, that was enough.

That evening, Xie Liuzheng called Song Qingyu.

Song Qingyu sounded surprised. “You can get your hands on invitations from the Gu family now?”

“Hey, didn’t Pansea Entertainment just poach me? Their big boss, Fu Linhan, is the crown prince Gu Yuandong’s close friend. To keep me, they had to offer some perks, right?”

Song Qingyu didn’t doubt her. After all, for Pansea Entertainment’s top agent to personally recruit Liuzheng, they must have seen her talent and commercial value.

“Qingyu, will you go?” Xie Liuzheng asked, a touch of caution in her voice.

“Go? Of course I’ll go.”

No one in the capital would pass up a chance to associate with the Gu family, and Song Qingyu especially wanted to forge ties with Tianqi Group. With such an opportunity, she would never say no.

“I’ll pick you up Friday afternoon.”

“Alright.”

When Pei Jingmo returned that evening, Song Qingyu told him about the event. “Friday afternoon, I’m going to a banquet. I’m not sure what time I’ll be home, so have dinner without me.”

Pei Jingmo’s eyes flickered. “What kind of banquet?”

“The Gu family’s crown prince is back, and they’re throwing a welcome party. I’m just going to see the excitement.”

This was just what Pei Jingmo wanted. He’d been wondering how to bring up Friday’s plans, and now everything had fallen perfectly into place.

“If it’s a banquet, shouldn’t you wear a beautiful gown?”

That reminded Song Qingyu—she didn’t have an evening gown. “Liuzheng might be able to borrow one for me. I’ll ask her—”

“No, I’ll handle it.”

“What?”

“You’re my wife. If you go to a banquet and have to borrow a dress from someone else, it’ll make me look incapable.”

From their time together, Song Qingyu had realized that Pei Jingmo was not only possessive but also had a strong sense of pride.

“But you’ve already spent so much on me.”

Pei Jingmo simply repeated, “You’re my wife.”

Song Qingyu didn’t argue further. “Alright.”

On Friday morning, when Song Qingyu got up, she found a bag on the sofa. Inside was a lavender-pink evening gown.

That afternoon, Xie Liuzheng arrived to pick her up. The moment she saw Song Qingyu, she was stunned.

She wore a flowing lavender-pink chiffon gown. Her long black hair was swept up, revealing her elegant swan neck. Her makeup was delicately tinted in pink hues, perfectly matching her dress, making her look breathtakingly beautiful.

“My goodness, Qingyu baby, who are you trying to enchant today?”

Song Qingyu smiled as she walked toward Xie Liuzheng. In that instant, Liuzheng felt as if it wasn’t a person approaching, but a lively, captivating fairy.

“You look beautiful too,” Song Qingyu replied.

“Oh, come on. When it comes to looks, I can’t compete with you. It’s a good thing you never joined showbiz, or I’d have been out of the running ages ago.”

Xie Liuzheng eyed Song Qingyu’s gown. “You said Pei Jingmo bought this for you?”

She’d worried before that Qingyu didn’t have a dress, so she’d called to check. Once she heard Pei Jingmo had taken care of it, she dropped the matter.

Song Qingyu nodded.

“Wow, didn’t see that coming. I thought that guy only knew how to deal with bricks all day, but he’s got pretty good taste.”

Song Qingyu was surprised too, especially because the gown fit her perfectly, as if made to her measurements.

How did Pei Jingmo know her size?

The banquet was held at the Glory Grand Hotel, the finest in the capital. When the two handed over their invitations, the grand hall was already buzzing with guests. At the reception area, elegant cocktail tables were topped with an array of premium drinks and exquisite hors d’oeuvres. Waiters in tailcoats moved gracefully among the guests, ensuring a flawless experience.

All the men were in tailored suits, the women in stunning gowns, each competing for attention. Their jewelry and accessories spoke of immense wealth and taste.

“Wow... as expected of the Gu family. Even their banquets are this grand.”

“Look, Qingyu, isn’t that the anchor from the seven o’clock news? And those famous stars—”

Song Qingyu nodded. More impressive to her were the influential figures from financial and military circles she recognized from news reports.

All these people were here for the crown prince of the Gu family. Just how extraordinary was he?

“Well, if it isn’t Song Qingyu and Xie Liuzheng.”

Sheng Yurou approached in a red haute couture strapless gown, two heiresses flanking her. She swept her gaze over the pair, as if scanning them with a detector.

“This isn’t the kind of event just anyone can attend. How did you two get in?”

Xie Liuzheng was about to retort, unable to stomach Sheng Yurou’s smug tone, but Song Qingyu gently tugged her arm. Liuzheng had only just signed with Pansea; she couldn’t afford to jeopardize her position over Sheng Yurou.

“We have invitations.”

Sheng Yurou laughed coldly. “You two? Where would you get invitations?”

One of the girls beside her chimed in, “They’re not fake, are they?”

Song Qingyu’s expression cooled. “If you don’t believe us, you can check. But today’s banquet is in honor of the crown prince. If you make a scene, Miss Sheng, you could end up with a reputation for causing trouble without reason.”

Sheng Yurou clenched her teeth. She couldn’t beat Song Qingyu at academics, couldn’t win a man from her, and now even in a war of words, she was losing ground.

It was infuriating.

“Hmph, you, a janitor at Tianqi Group, managed to sneak in here just to cozy up to my second cousin? Too bad—he despises women who scheme and plot their way upward.”