After Transmigrating as a Wealthy Woman: Don’t You Dare Touch My Baby! [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 4

“Hello? Kind-hearted person who gifted the shawl?”

“You… I… I didn’t send it. That was the restaurant’s own service!” The woman buried in the menu muttered softly, “Look at what you’re wearing—so little. No wonder even the restaurant manager couldn’t stand it.”

“The restaurant manager isn’t in today.” Zhong Ying laughed and pulled away the menu blocking her face. “Met you again, Miss Fan.”

Zhu Xingtong: “Hello…”

“Eating alone?” Zhong Ying asked.

Zhu Xingtong nodded. “Just me. You?”

“As you can see, I’m with that man.”

Zhu Xingtong let out an ‘oh.’ “That man doesn’t look like a good person at all, staring at your chest the whole time! Is this the ‘company-arranged social’ you mentioned?”

Zhong Ying nodded. “It’s unavoidable. Speaking of which… thank you for the shawl.”

“It’s just a shawl. Oh, by the way, I have to ask—your food didn’t get served, did it? When I went to the restroom just now, I heard the servers chatting. Apparently, there was a problem in the kitchen. The prepared food was stolen by rats!”

“Rats…?”

“Yes! And not just that—supposedly, the rats died right after eating it! They dropped dead on the spot! That’s why the restaurant doesn’t dare serve the food! I wondered which guest was so unlucky, and it turned out to be you!”

Zhong Ying chuckled. “Then I suppose I’m not unlucky, but lucky instead, for not eating food that could poison even a rat to death.”

Zhu Xingtong nodded. “True. Wait… I didn’t tell you all this just to explain why your food hasn’t arrived. I wanted to tell you that this restaurant is filthy! Don’t eat here. Ordering takeout at home is better than this!”

Zhong Ying’s gaze lingered on her with suspicion.

Zhu Xingtong’s toes curled inside her shoes. She forced herself to stay calm and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhong Ying shook her head. “I just find it strange. Since you know this restaurant is ‘filthy,’ why are you still here? Aren’t you leaving?”

Zhu Xingtong breathed a sigh of relief. “Because you’re still here. I don’t want to see tomorrow morning’s entertainment headlines saying my favorite actress was sent to the hospital for gastric lavage.”

Zhong Ying: “Thank you.”

Zhu Xingtong puffed out her chest. “So, hurry and tell that man you’re going home and won’t be eating here.”

“I didn’t plan on eating; I came here to talk business.” Looking at her, Zhong Ying—for some reason—felt like she was looking at a child and wanted to pat her head.

Just then, Zhang Qi returned from the restroom.

Seeing Zhong Ying at the neighboring table, he was puzzled. “Zhong Ying?”

Zhong Ying waved to Zhu Xingtong. “Miss Fan, thank you for the shawl. I’ll pay you back for it. I have some business now, so I’ll talk to you later.”

Zhu Xingtong nodded dumbly.

“I ran into a fan. It was a bit cold, so I borrowed her shawl,” Zhong Ying explained casually.

“Mhm, it looks very good on you,” President Zhang praised. “By the way, Zhong Ying, guess what happened when I went to the restroom just now?”

Zhong Ying cooperatively put on a look of confusion.

“There were servers chatting in the restroom! I heard them talking about the issue with our food.”

Zhong Ying asked, “Was it eaten by rats?”

President Zhang was startled. “How could it be eaten by rats? A star-rated restaurant’s kitchen couldn’t possibly have rats.”

Zhong Ying: “…”

“Then what was the problem with our food?” Zhong Ying felt depressed. She had actually believed that clumsy little fan’s words.

She turned her head to look at Zhu Xingtong.

Zhu Xingtong’s head shrunk back, hiding behind the menu. She was utterly speechless.

This annoying President Zhang!

“I heard some big corporation booked the whole place, and their party happened to be short a few dishes. Since they couldn’t afford to offend them, our food was sent over.”

So that was it. It wasn’t some grand reason.

“It’s not a big problem; the food will be served again soon. Let’s get back to business. Regarding the contract, what are your thoughts?” President Zhang crossed his hands, asking her seemingly casually.

Zhong Ying met his gaze without flinching. “I don’t plan on renewing.”

President Zhang wasn’t surprised. He poured a glass of wine for her. “Have you really thought this through? You’ve been with Qiming for eight years. As your boss, I can say in good conscience that I haven’t mistreated the artists under me. You’ve been here so many years, gained some popularity, and now you want to abandon your old employer… Zhong Ying, doing this is a bit ungrateful.”

Zhong Ying sighed. “When shoes don’t fit, they must be discarded. The same goes for an employer.”

Her words were blunt. Zhang Qi’s face soured. “Are you saying Qiming is no longer worthy of a ‘big actress’ like you?”

“I didn’t exactly mean that.” Zhong Ying buffed her nails and smiled. “But it’s close enough… Yes, that is what I meant.”

“Zhong Ying! Since when did you become such an arrogant artist?”

“Arrogant?” Zhong Ying shook her head. “President Zhang, I’m just speaking the facts. I’m an actress; I need roles and good scripts. What can Qiming bring me?”

“Didn’t I give you the script for The Actor? I went through so much trouble to invite President Chen, yet you’re the one who refused to show up! Zhong Ying, it’s not that we didn’t give you the opportunity; you didn’t cherish it yourself.”

“President Zhang, I think you’ve misunderstood. The Actor is indeed good, but it’s not good enough that I need to ‘sacrifice’ myself to get it. I want the chance to audition for major crews, not the chance to be a social hostess for investors! Please make sure you understand that!”

Her words were decisive, turning Zhang Qi’s face white with rage.

Ungrateful! Utterly ungrateful!

Zhang Qi glared at her viciously. “So, you are truly unwilling to renew the contract?”

“Yes.”

“Zhong Ying, have you really thought this through? You’ve been at Qiming for many years. Aren’t you afraid I’ll leak some ‘dark material’ about you to the public?”

Zhong Ying looked at him with disgust. “What dark material? What do I even have that could be leaked? If there is any, go ahead and arrange it. Of course, I advise you, President Zhang, to ensure your words and actions are based on evidence. After all, we live in a society ruled by law.”

After speaking, she stood up and looked down at him. “If you have nothing else to say, I’m leaving!”

Zhang Qi stared blankly as she turned and walked away.

“This woman!” He slammed the table hard.

Less than five minutes—the conversation hadn’t even lasted five minutes. This woman didn’t give him any face at all! She didn’t respect Qiming Entertainment at all!

“Since you’ve set your heart on not renewing, then don’t blame me.” Zhang Qi grit his teeth and dialed a number on his phone.

“Hello.”

“Action. She just left.”

“The hotel next door, Room 1708. Remember to take the photos. I have to teach her a lesson!”

While he was on the phone, a woman suddenly walked past him. Zhang Qi looked up slightly, only to be met with a fierce glare.

Zhang Qi: ??

Zhu Xingtong dashed out of the restaurant, but Zhong Ying was already nowhere to be seen. Her heart sank.

Where is she?

Zhu Xingtong unconsciously bit her nails. “Oh no, oh no.”

In the original plot, Zhang Qi bribed a kitchen assistant to drug the food. He then took Zhong Ying away and sent her to the hotel. Although Zhong Ying woke up quickly and didn’t let that President Chen have his way, the tragedy was that someone took “indecent photos” of her. Zhang Qi used those as blackmail to force her to renew.

But everything had changed now.

“I shouldn’t have messed around in the restaurant kitchen!” Zhu Xingtong was incredibly frustrated. She was like a butterfly that shouldn’t have existed; she had lightly flapped her wings and stirred up a tornado, changing the original plot beyond recognition!

“The hotel! Right! The hotel next door Zhang Qi mentioned—Room 1708, 1708! I have to go check it out!”

Zhu Xingtong suddenly realized: if Zhong Ying was really taken away, she must be in Room 1708!