The Fallen Film Queen’s Possessive Alpha - Chapter 6

The soundproofing here was excellent. Song Haoyin couldn’t hear any noise from outside, only the faint sound of water deeper in the room Zhou Qiwei changing clothes. Today, she had forcefully pinned Zhou Qiwei to the sofa, and unexpectedly, the latter had gone along with it, allowing her to perform a shallow mark. It was an outcome she hadn’t anticipated.

It felt like Song Haoyin was seeing Zhou Qiwei in a new light. But whether this change in demeanor was temporary a result of physical discomfort or if Zhou Qiwei was merely putting up a tough front, she couldn’t tell. Not that she wanted to probe further. She was a little tired.

Strolling leisurely, Song Haoyin took her time exploring the office. She quite liked the decor. All the furniture was made of light cherry wood, its delicate grain shifting subtly with the changing light. Yet the transitions were gentle and soft, ensuring that anyone in the room wouldn’t feel overwhelmed by the shifting hues.

The air humidification and temperature control, the strategically placed greenery within sight it was an incredibly comfortable space. Whoever had designed this office must have wanted everyone inside to feel at ease.

On the cherrywood bookshelf, a few photos were displayed. One showed Zhou Qiwei leaning against an elderly woman’s legs, her cheek resting on the woman’s knee as the latter affectionately wrapped an arm around her shoulders. There was a faint resemblance between them likely a direct relative. Strangely, this was the only photo that hinted at Zhou Qiwei having family. The others seemed to be with friends she spotted Du Xin and Assistant Xuan among them.

Thinking back to the information she’d looked up, there was no public record of Zhou Qiwei’s family background,what kind of family she came from, whether she still had relatives, and so on. Everything available was pure speculation.

This was highly unusual. Given Zhou Qiwei’s “high-profile” approach to her private life, even if she deliberately protected her family’s privacy to avoid disturbing them, it was odd that not a single former classmate or colleague had ever let slip any details. There wasn’t even a whisper of it online. Everyone has a past, but Zhou Qiwei’s seemed to have been deliberately hidden.

Well, it’s none of my business. Why dwell on it? Song Haoyin withdrew her gaze, ready to say goodbye to Zhou Qiwei and leave.

“Was there something you wanted to talk to me about when you came here?” Zhou Qiwei asked, towel-drying her hair. Instead of sitting on the sofa, she stood a short distance away.

Song Haoyin shook her head. She was about to leave but added, “Next time you need pheromones, just call me directly. As your sponsor, that’s a privilege you should have.”

“Wait.” Zhou Qiwei tightened her grip on the towel before loosening it again, gesturing casually toward the sofa. “There’s something I want to tell you about Top Advantage Group.”

Top Advantage Group?

Song Haoyin paused. The only Top Advantage she knew of was the one owned by the Zuo family. Zhou Qiwei wouldn’t bring it up without reason. Instinctively, she asked, “What do you want me to do?”

The TV continued dutifully broadcasting financial news:

[Negotiations between Jiuzhou Corporation and Top Advantage Group regarding the acquisition of film distribution operations are progressing with difficulty. Top Advantage claims there has been a breakthrough, while Jiuzhou remains silent. This negotiation, involving 4 billion with an estimated valuation nearing 10 billion, has drawn attention from numerous companies across the media industry’s supply chain, as industry insiders revealed to our reporters.]

The name “Jiuzhou” sounded familiar. Song Haoyin frowned in thought before suddenly realizing a few years ago, she had served as a spokesperson for Dazhou Airlines. It was during that time she’d heard the liaison staff explain that Dazhou Airlines was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jiuzhou and a key component of Jiuzhou’s aviation business.

The Zhou family were the founders and largest shareholders of Jiuzhou. Zhou Mu, then CEO of Dazhou Airlines, was the youngest Omega daughter of the Zhou family and spent most of her time working at Jiuzhou’s headquarters. That year, Zhou Mu had been slated to receive an “Outstanding Omega Award,” with Song Haoyin invited as the presenter, but Zhou Mu had politely declined the honor.

“Why would Jiuzhou, which specializes in aviation, suddenly acquire Dingyi’s distribution company?”

Once seated in the office, Song Haoyin immediately asked the question. “Is Jiuzhou investing in film and media now? That would make sense content is king these days. Acquiring a distribution company first wouldn’t be an issue, given Jiuzhou’s financial resources.”

Zhou Qiwei shook her head. “Jiuzhou remains focused on aviation. The acquisition is for other reasons. What I want to discuss with you is can you make a comeback immediately? I have an invitation to a banquet.” She pulled an invitation from the folder beside her and handed it over.

The invitation was for a Dingyi Group cocktail reception. Zhou Qiwei explained that this was an event Dingyi had arranged for Jiuzhou, inviting numerous companies from across the supply chain including talent agencies and artists. Song Haoyin’s mere presence at such an event would send a clear message: she had already secured powerful backing.

“Will you be attending?” Song Haoyin tucked the invitation away, having learned from her last banquet experience that Zhou Qiwei’s presence would spare her a lot of trouble.

Zhou Qiwei’s response was noncommittal, saying only that she had prior engagements that day and might not make it. As if to compensate, she then asked Song Haoyin if she’d like to have lunch together.

Why had she agreed to stay for lunch? Well it wasn’t exactly a question worth overthinking. Zhou Qiwei had invited her, and she simply hadn’t felt like refusing that was all. By the time she finished this thought, Song Haoyin was already seated with Zhou Qiwei in the institute’s cafeteria.

She had assumed they’d be eating a working lunch in the office, but Zhou Qiwei had openly brought her here instead. Though the surrounding diners were trying to be discreet, their curious glances were unmistakable. Zhou Qiwei, however, seemed completely at ease perhaps she had brought so many people here before that the entire institute was used to it by now.

“The institute’s cream soup is excellent, and the duck confit pairs well with blood orange.”

Following Zhou Qiwei’s recommendation, Song Haoyin had just received her soup when Zhou Qiwei answered a call, hung up shortly after, and then posed an unsettling question: “Have you met Zuo Yang?”

“Zuo Wangxun’s illegitimate daughter,” Song Haoyin replied, her fingers tightening around the spoon until her knuckles turned white. She forced a casual smile. “No, I haven’t.”

The tension in her grip betrayed her discomfort. Zhou Qiwei averted her gaze, meeting Song Haoyin’s eyes directly. “She’s joined Dingyi Group for the negotiations and will also attend the banquet.”

Song Haoyin wanted to say something to show she didn’t care, that she was completely indifferent to the mess of the Zuo family. She struggled to adjust her smile, but Zhou Qiwei handed her a tissue. Only when she numbly took it did she realize tears had already streaked down her cheeks.

“Sorry, I lost control of my emotions. That was unbecoming.”

Zhou Qiwei slid the tissue box closer, her tone calm. “There’s nothing for you to apologize for. I just thought you should know, so you wouldn’t be caught off guard at the party.”

Grateful that Zhou Qiwei didn’t pry, Song Haoyin had no desire to air her grievances for others to see. Every time she recalled the conversation at her mother’s sickbed, her heart twisted in agony. That bastard Zuo Wangxun had the audacity to openly admit to her mother that he had another family outside!

Her mother’s ashen face, her trembling hands Song Haoyin closed her eyes, the memory vivid as if it were yesterday. To expose his affair and illegitimate daughter while her mother was critically ill,Song Haoyin loathed Zuo Wangxun with every fiber of her being. The more she had once taken pride in her family, the more she had adored her father, the deeper her hatred for him now.

What she couldn’t understand was how her mother and Zuo Wangxun, as a Beta couple, had been considered model partners. At least in Song Haoyin’s memory, they had never quarreled, and their home had always been warm and harmonious. So why?

At her mother’s funeral, Song Haoyin had confronted Zuo Wangxun, but the man, who appeared grief-stricken, had only evaded her questions disgusting.

“You still have your sister,” Zhou Qiwei suddenly spoke, as if offering comfort. “At least the two of you are real family. As for those who betrayed you, consider them dead. If they’re not dead yet, we can always knock them out and send them to repent. Spare the rod, spoil the father that’s always true.”

Something in those words struck Song Haoyin as funny. She even laughed with a bubbly snort, covering half her face with the tissue as she nodded in agreement.

Though the unpleasant topic had come up, it didn’t ruin the quality of their lunch. After Song Haoyin left, Zhou Qiwei returned to her office, where Xuan Tinglu was already waiting.

The assistant sat fuming across from Zhou Qiwei, arms crossed, determined not to speak. She had grown numb to Zhou Qiwei’s unpredictability, but in the end, it was Xuan Tinglu who raised the white flag first. “The Jiuzhou acquisition,why are you meddling again? What did Zhou Mu promise you?”

“I mean, CEO Zhou, Boss Zhou, Madam Cube Industries,” Xuan Tinglu continued irritably, “you have responsibilities to this company. If you want to get involved in Jiuzhou’s acquisition, let me be clear we don’t have the funds to spare.”

Since last year, Cube Industries had continued to increase investment in pheromone research. The production of new pheromone-based drugs required astronomical sums, and the development of supporting external equipment had also entered the production phase. In short, Xuan Tinglu had crunched the numbers again and again there simply wasn’t enough money for Zhou Qiwei to go gallivanting around.

Perhaps sensing Xuan Tinglu’s genuine urgency, Zhou Qiwei unusually refrained from speaking in riddles and directly revealed the answer: “Zhou Muxu offered me a long-term strategic partnership between Jiuzhou’s distribution company and any television network we might acquire in the future. But I don’t want it. Funding isn’t an issue we can negotiate with banks. Even if we don’t secure it this time, we must absolutely break up the collaboration between Jiuzhou and Top Advantage.”

“For Song Haoyin’s sake?” Xuan Tinglu frowned, making a joke that wasn’t entirely in jest. “I never knew you were such a romantic idealist.”

“To prevent Jiuzhou from becoming an octopus with too many tentacles,” Zhou Qiwei countered with an equally humorless joke. Both knew this wasn’t the real reason.

Finally, Zhou Qiwei informed Xuan Tinglu to keep her schedule clear for next Monday evening she would be attending Top Advantage Group’s banquet.

“Haoyin-jie, will that President Zhou be going with you? But it’s strange,why would Top Advantage send an invitation to President Zhou for their business negotiations with Jiuzhou?” Yu Miao suddenly grew nervous and whispered, “Could they have gotten wind of Magic Cube Industries investing in your studio? Might they cause trouble at the banquet?”

Recently, Yu Miao had been handling various administrative tasks at the studio, including changing the locks on the studio’s doors and instructing security to absolutely forbid anyone surnamed Zuo from entering even if they claimed to be shareholders, they’d need Song Haoyin’s explicit approval. She thought Song Haoyin’s comeback would take more time, but her Haoyin-jie had already made her decision. Yu Miao immediately began worrying about the ensuing manager issues.

Before she could resolve her concerns, Song Haoyin produced the invitation. While Yu Miao expressed her worries, Xu Su was left dumbfounded, once again revising her understanding of President Zhou’s influence over Miss Song Haoyin.

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