After a Contractual Romance with the Scumbag Movie Queen - Chapter 54.1

When Qi Puzhi came out of the shower, the bedroom was empty.

Knowing that Jiang Tian had likely gone to the other bathroom to wash up, she picked up her phone and opened the chat with Zhang Hua, intending to ask her for some videos.

Just then, Zhang Hua called.

“Just as you predicted, Qi Ke suddenly couldn’t wait any longer,” Zhang Hua said. “But he’s even more impatient than we thought, he moved it up to tomorrow at noon.”

Qi Puzhi’s eyes darkened, a mocking smile curling at the corner of her lips. “They all know I’ve been filming these past few days. They probably think I’m too busy to pay attention to anything else, so they’re seizing the chance to strike.”

But the plans she had laid out over so long, how could a delay of just a couple of days catch her off guard?

It was nothing more than a trap waiting for the fish to swim into the net.

“One more thing,” Zhang Hua added. “Zhang Yi said he wants to see you tomorrow morning. This half-brother of yours who popped up out of nowhere is really trying to make his presence known.”

Not only was he constantly stirring things up as Qi Ke’s right-hand man, but he had even shown up at the scene on the day Qi Puzhi got into a car accident, as if he hated her so much he had to witness her death.

“Striking at noon and wanting to see me in the morning?” Qi Puzhi said coolly. “He really seems to enjoy looking down on his victims.”

Zhang Hua asked, “So, will you see him?”

Qi Puzhi sneered, “Yes, and right now. He’ll have to take it or leave it.”

How could she let him call the shots? She had to drag him out of his sweet midnight dreams and give him a taste of trouble otherwise, it wouldn’t do justice to all his efforts.

She hung up the phone, thinking about changing her clothes, and turned to find Jiang Tian standing behind her, not knowing how long she had been there.

The coldness on Qi Puzhi’s face softened slightly.

Hearing her calculated, manipulative conversation made Qi Puzhi reluctant to meet Jiang Tian’s gaze.

Jiang Tian was pure and inexperienced, while her own world was complex, filled with deceit and hatred.

Anyone would likely hesitate to get close to someone from such a world.

Qi Puzhi sighed inwardly and said softly, “You should rest. I have to go out for a bit.”

But Jiang Tian’s warm, soft hand reached out and took hers. “Can I come with you?”

Qi Puzhi paused, turning her head to look at her.

“There have been countless moments in the past when I wanted to say this to you.”

Jiang Tian’s voice was light and slow, her gaze deep and tender.

It made Qi Puzhi realize that Jiang Tian hadn’t only seen her true self after getting close to her.

She had known all along what kind of world Qi Puzhi lived in, yet she had still chosen to approach her firmly.

Qi Puzhi’s throat tightened, and it took her a few seconds to manage a soft “Mm.”

Jiang Tian gazed at her, her eyes curving into a gentle smile.

Zhang Yi was woken up in the middle of the night by a phone call. After hearing from Zhang Hua that Qi Puzhi wanted to see him right away, he cursed under his breath as he got out of bed.

He rose from a tangle of naked men and women, pulling on his clothes.

Looking at them, his anger suddenly dissipated by half.

None of them were as alluring as Qi Puzhi.

Once everything went according to plan tomorrow, Qi Puzhi would be left with nothing, wandering the streets, easily becoming his plaything.

Besides, the fact that Qi Puzhi wanted to see him in the middle of the night probably meant she was facing ruin, unable to sleep and desperate.

A knowing smile spread across his face.

However, when he entered the private room, the woman lounging lazily against the chair, glowing with health and dressed impeccably, showed no trace of desperation.

Probably just her last attempt at maintaining dignity.

Zhang Yi mulled it over as he sat down across from her.

“What is it, little sister? Calling me out in the middle of the night like this?” His expression was casual and mocking as he took a sip of the tea in front of him to wet his throat.

Qi Puzhi calmly observed the man across from her.

It was almost laughable approaching thirty, she had suddenly discovered she had an older half-brother.

This man looked exactly like Qi Ke, except his complexion was sallow, his eyes were heavily shadowed, and he had the appearance of someone suffering from kidney deficiency.

This was their first official meeting, yet Zhang Yi had already so casually called her “little sister,” not even bothering to pretend.

He probably thought tomorrow’s events were already in the bag.

Qi Puzhi leisurely took a sip of tea from her cup. “I heard you wanted to see me tomorrow morning, but I’m someone who loves sleeping in and can’t get up early.”

She smiled. “So I’m meeting you now.”

“…” Zhang Yi’s chest heaved slightly.

He had been sound asleep in the middle of the night, fighting off drowsiness to come here, just to accommodate Qi Puzhi’s habit of sleeping late tomorrow?

Zhang Yi narrowed his eyes and sneered, “Qi Puzhi, you’re quite the comedian. Don’t tell me you think that just because you have Grandma’s will, the Qi family is entirely in your hands?”

Since the outcome was already decided, he didn’t mind telling her those things a little early. Making her suffer a few minutes sooner was her own fault.

“Too bad, your grandmother is about to wake up,” Zhang Yi said with a malicious grin. “Tell me, with her rigid, no-nonsense personality that can’t tolerate the slightest flaw, would she hand over the Qi family to a promiscuous actress with a notorious reputation?”

She was so rigid that Qi Ke hadn’t even dared to bring his illegitimate son home, forcing him to hide in shame overseas for years.

He was clearly the eldest son of the Qi family.

Over the years, he had achieved some success, and Qi Ke had entrusted him with many important matters, practically grooming him as the successor.

Once Grandma Qi woke up and saw her unworthy, disobedient granddaughter, she might very well decide he was more deserving of the responsibility.

“Do you think I care about the Qi family’s money?” Qi Puzhi sounded utterly disdainful of his words.

Zhang Yi scoffed, “Ah, your company. It’s true, it’s doing quite well, with impressive results. A pity, though.”

Qi Puzhi performed just the right amount of shock and suspicion: “A pity what?”

Zhang Yi smiled without answering, deliberately keeping her in suspense.

He wanted to use this silence to torment Qi Puzhi. But before he could witness the expression he was hoping for, Qi Puzhi spoke again:

“Are you talking about the ‘confidential’ information obtained by the secretary Qi Ke planted by my side six years ago, or about Qi Ke’s collaboration with the Jiang family to sabotage my international project?”

“…” Zhang Yi frowned, his composure vanishing in an instant.

Now it was his turn to wear the expression of shock and suspicion.

Qi Puzhi added, “Does the tea you just drank taste similar to the drug you slipped me at the Jiang family banquet over half a year ago?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Yi’s eyes widened abruptly. “You”

He hadn’t felt anything before, but after her words, he suddenly noticed his heartbeat quickening, his blood rushing, and his head feeling a bit dizzy.

Qi Puzhi watched silently, as if observing a clown.

She would never stoop to such underhanded tactics, the tea was just ordinary tea. But sometimes, psychological suggestion could produce unexpectedly powerful effects.

For instance, the man before her, whose originally pale face was visibly flushing, his breathing growing rapid, as if he had actually been drugged.

Frowning tightly, he was already starting to feel weak in his limbs and, in a panic, reached for his phone to call for help.

From behind an inconspicuous screen in the private room, two black-clad bodyguards suddenly emerged. They immediately pinned him to his seat and snatched away his phone.

“Actually, your plan was quite well thought out,” Qi Puzhi remarked calmly as she observed the scene before her. She gently swirled the teacup in her hand and offered an objective evaluation.

The drug inexplicably took effect with alarming speed. Zhang Yi’s heart pounded as if it were about to leap out of his throat. Gasping for breath, he glared at her with bloodshot eyes and demanded, “How much do you actually know?”

Qi Puzhi didn’t answer his question. Instead, she continued from where she had left off, “It’s a pity, the time and effort I’ve invested in this are beyond your imagination.”

Years of meticulous planning, how could they have possibly anticipated it?

Her tone suggested she had everything under control. Zhang Yi’s heart trembled with dread, but he no longer had the patience to engage in such talk with her.

He was beginning to struggle for breath and managed to choke out, “How much of the drug did you use? Anything over 25 grams is lethal.”