The Host Has Fallen for the Second Female Lead Again - Chapter 12

Just after dinner, Ji Mingxiao received a call from Wu Duo.

“Hello?” Ji Mingxiao leaned against the sofa.

Wu Duo was still trying to figure out how to phrase her words. “President Fu, I think Zhuo Xi is on the right track now. Could I take on two more artists?”

Ji Mingxiao smiled, instantly understanding Wu Duo’s hint.

Currently, Wu Duo only managed Zhuo Xi, which was Fu Youzheng’s original arrangement. Wu Duo had already sensed the change in Ji Mingxiao’s attitude. As the saying goes, the person involved is often confused, but the bystander sees clearly.

“You can.”

Wu Duo breathed a sigh of relief. “President Fu, I’ve always been on the company’s side.”

“I know.” Ji Mingxiao tapped the table. “Help me keep an eye on Zhuo Xi. Keep anything you can that might be useful later.”

Wu Duo was stunned for a moment. “President Fu?”

She hadn’t expected Ji Mingxiao to be so ruthless. After all, she had been so fond of Zhuo Xi before, lavishing her with all sorts of good things. Now, she was clearly trying to destroy her.

“She’s cheated on me more than once. She probably sends you away just to meet her lovers,” Ji Mingxiao’s tone was flat. “She’s asked me for a lot of money, and I don’t know if it was to pay off the paparazzi. I’ve already coordinated with President Ji’s side about the surveillance on the floor of Zhuo Xi’s hotel. We can access it at any time. Whenever she sends you away, contact President Ji’s assistant and make sure everything is saved.”

Wu Duo’s eyes widened. “Zhuo Xi is that bold?”

She had always known Zhuo Xi wasn’t as innocent as she seemed, but she never imagined it was this bad. Fu Youzheng gave her top-tier resources. Why would she still go out and find men?

“She’s extremely bold. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have the guts to pretend to be a lesbian in front of me,” Ji Mingxiao chuckled.

Wu Duo pursed her lips, her mind a bit muddled. “President, why don’t we just blacklist her?”

“No way. Do I look like someone who’s easily bullied? I’ve put up with this for so long; if I don’t make her bleed a little, I’ll be really uncomfortable,” Ji Mingxiao suddenly thought of Xi Ruan. “Get me a copy of the stuff Xi Ruan filmed for her. We’ll use Zhuo Xi as a stepping stone to promote her.”

Wu Duo was surprised for a moment. “Okay.”

“Sign Xi Ruan first.”

“Okay.”

When Xi Ruan received the message that her mission was extended, she felt terrible. It must be that person who did something again.

Sure enough, the phone rang the next second. It was Wu Duo, wanting to sign a formal contract with her. Xi Ruan sighed, looked at her task list where her status had changed from B-list female supporting character to A-list female supporting character, and after thinking for three seconds, she agreed.

Forget it. Although the mission was extended, at least she’d get more points. Besides, she was already caught up in the plot. There was no point in trying to escape. Accepting it was the best choice.

Ji Mingxiao had agreed to let Wu Duo sign more people, but it wasn’t for now—it was just to lull Zhuo Xi into a false sense of security.

“I have to say, Zhuo Xi has some serious clout. So many people are acting around her,” Ji Mingxiao mused.

“No, you have the clout. You’re forcing so many people to act along with you,” System A retorted irritably.

Things had already progressed this far, so there probably wouldn’t be a peaceful way to resolve them. Ji Mingxiao just smiled.

In the following days, Wu Duo obtained a lot of surveillance footage. She could only say that President Fu’s head was a veritable field of green grass. It was no wonder she was angry. If she had a more volatile temper, she might have resorted to violence.

Although Zhuo Xi and her many lovers were careful, they were still photographed many times. When Zhuo Xi asked Ji Mingxiao for money, Ji Mingxiao gave it generously. Of course, after the studio received the money, they would send the transfer records and photos to Ji Mingxiao and take another payment. Ji Mingxiao looked at the transfer records, her lips twitching. No matter how she looked at it, she found it ironic.

Recently, she hadn’t had any voice calls with Zhuo Xi; their communication was mostly text on WeChat.

One Saturday at home, Ji Mingxiao found a notebook in Fu Youzheng’s safe. On the cover was a photo of Fu Youzheng and Zhuo Xi, who looked younger and more naive. It must have been taken when they first met. Inside, there were many photos with dates written next to them, and Fu Youzheng had added her own notes. From the notebook, Ji Mingxiao could see how much Fu Youzheng loved Zhuo Xi—loved her to the bone. Ji Mingxiao probably understood that feeling. What a pity, Zhuo Xi wasn’t worthy of that love.

Inside the notebook, there was also a USB drive. When she saw it, Ji Mingxiao had already guessed what was on it. It was full of transfer records and some early chat logs. Evidently, even when Fu Youzheng truly fell for Zhuo Xi, she still had her guard up.

Ji Mingxiao leaned back in her chair. There were many images and audio files. After going through everything, she had only one feeling: for Zhuo Xi, Fu Youzheng was, without a doubt, just an ATM. The messages expressing care were sandwiched between requests for favors, making them seem insignificant and cheap.

Ji Mingxiao put the things away. These would be valuable later, even if releasing them would definitely expose Fu Youzheng’s sexuality. She had been struggling with this recently. Revealing the truth about Fu Youzheng and Zhuo Xi would make things messier, but it would also harm Fu Youzheng. However, Fu Youzheng probably didn’t care about the harm. She had always wanted to appear openly with Zhuo Xi in public.

Ji Mingxiao tapped the table and left the study.

Zhuo Xi’s filming would be wrapped up in half a month, and winter was approaching. Ji Mingxiao looked at the bleak garden outside the window, lost in thought.

Guangyu’s annual gala was always a major focus for the media, since many prominent figures in the entertainment industry appeared at the gala every year. Ji Mingxiao herself was a hot topic. Whenever she appeared, the bullet comments were usually “Rich lady, look at me” or “I don’t want to work anymore.”

This time, Ji Mingxiao was planning to hold the annual gala at an amusement park. She also released 10,000 tickets to various fan clubs, with participants chosen based on data from various rankings and fan support metrics. It trended on social media several times, with people praising Ji Mingxiao as a ‘celestial CEO.’ But others also raised questions about security. To reassure the public, Guangyu released the number of security personnel and the security check requirements for the event. This year’s gala completely proved the saying, “The boss opens their mouth, and the subordinates run their legs off.”

In reality, Ji Mingxiao just wanted to use the large crowd and the public’s focus on the stars as an opportunity to find Xi Ruan. It also gave her a good reason to stay away from Zhuo Xi. Honestly, after learning that this woman not only cheated but also cheated on her with so many people, she felt a profound sense of disgust.

When Ji Chenhan received Ji Mingxiao’s gala invitation, his first thought was that this woman was up to something again. Why else would she arrange the location at an amusement park for no reason? A certain assistant also imagined their boss riding a merry-go-round at the amusement park, and the image was so beautiful it made his expression contort and his mouth twitch.

“President, are you going?”

“Yes, why wouldn’t I? I want to see President Fu’s green face,” Ji Chenhan said, tapping the table. “If it’s an amusement park, there’s no need for formal wear then.”

He glanced at the invitation and, sure enough, it was specially noted that formal wear wasn’t required.

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