The Possessive Villain Is Too Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 38

As the remaining days of summer passed, Chu Ning remained secluded in her room, busy with who-knows-what.

Old Master Chu was quite pleased with this change in her.

In his eyes, as long as she wasn’t meeting Ye Zhixia, everything was fine.

Ye Zhixia and Chu Ning still kept in touch privately, though most of their conversations revolved around the management of Zhulin.

While filming, Ye Zhixia also kept a close watch on the Feng Corporation’s movements.

However, Dasheng was currently preoccupied with expanding its real estate empire and had no time to antagonize the Chu family.

Since that day, Ye Zhixia often dreamed of Chu Ning. Each time, Chu Ning’s appearance varied slightly, and the settings of their encounters were never the same—sometimes a vast interstellar expanse, other times an ancient imperial palace.

The only constant was their deep love for each other, only to be torn apart again and again.

The day before the filming wrapped, Ye Zhixia received a message from Chu Ning: she would be flying to her university the next day to report in.

After a long deliberation, Ye Zhixia replied: Our crew wraps tomorrow. Have a safe trip, Ningning.

Xiao Mi glanced at the screen, then at Ye Zhixia’s failed attempt at a forced smile, and her little cat face fell. “Xiaxia, you don’t have to be so distant. Ningning would definitely want you to see her off!”

Ye Zhixia answered Xiao Mi with silence.

At the wrap celebration the next morning, Bai Xin asked the staff around her, “Where’s Xiaxia-jie? How can we wrap without the lead actress? Just kill me instead and celebrate that!”

Xie Shuyu, standing beside Bai Xin with a bouquet of flowers and a bundle of wheat in her arms, freed a hand to bonk Bai Xin on the head. “What nonsense are you spouting?”

The staff member who saw Xie Shuyu nearly gasped aloud.

She first explained to Bai Xin that Ye Zhixia had taken three hours off and would arrive later.

Then she scurried off to ask the other staff in hushed excitement, “Is that an actor from another crew visiting? So handsome, so handsome, so handsome!”

Soon, a group gathered around Bai Xin and Xie Shuyu, admiring the “visiting actor.”

At the airport, Ye Zhixia watched from afar as Chu Ning passed through the security checkpoint, then smiled and waved in her direction.

After clearing security, Chu Ning craned her neck, scanning the crowd outside with reluctance.

Half a minute later, she finally withdrew her gaze, dejected, and turned toward the departure lounge.

Ye Zhixia hid behind a pillar, not daring to peek out for a long time.

Xiao Mi scolded her in frustration, “You came all this way just to pull this melodramatic stunt! What, are you starring in some cheesy romance? Stop with the self-indulgent theatrics!”

As usual, Ye Zhixia didn’t respond.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see Chu Ning—she was afraid that if she did, she wouldn’t be able to suppress the longing in her heart.

At the midday wrap party, Xie Shuyu and Bai Xin spotted Ye Zhixia rushing in.

The two were thrilled and immediately pulled her aside to gossip about everything under the sun.

Bai Xin tugged at Xie Shuyu’s sleeve. “Lao Xie, tell Xiaxia-jie about your company’s expansion!”

Seeing their mischievous expressions, Ye Zhixia grew curious. “Go on, tell me.”

Xie Shuyu smirked. “Remember how I helped Jiang Fan with his job issue last time?”

“When Jiang Fan came to me, he was absolutely furious. He said he’d finished his work, but the HR manager accused him of lying earlier about not being able to complete the tasks, which made him come begging to me and lose face. He ended up taking the matter straight to the new CEO.”

Ye Zhixia: “…And why is that something to be happy about?”

Xie Shuyu said leisurely, “To calm things down, the CEO scolded the entire tech department.”

Ye Zhixia’s frown deepened.

“Then Jiang Fan resigned and took the remaining colleagues with him to Zhulin,” Bai Xin chimed in with the outcome.

At that moment, Ye Zhixia understood what Bai Xin meant by “expansion.”

Xie Shuyu added another twist: “That’s not all. Once our previous clients found out we’d resigned, they all followed us over. After all, the outsourcing contracts were signed individually.”

“So you’ve basically moved Qibao’s lifeblood over here?” Ye Zhixia joked with a grin.

Bai Xin and Xie Shuyu exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

–

In Qibao’s office, Chu Xiao limped to his feet and slammed a stack of documents onto the floor.

The HR manager standing in the center of the office hung his head low. With the entire tech department resigning at once, he knew it was all over.

He had known Xie Shuyu found a startup as a backup, but he never imagined Xie Shuyu was the owner—and now he’d taken Qibao’s entire team with him.

“Get out of here today! And never show your face at Qibao again!” Chu Xiao roared in fury.

The HR manager flushed red and pleaded, “Mr. Chu, please forgive me! I’ll recruit new people immediately—I promise to fill all positions within a week!”

Chu Xiao ignored his excuses, only growing angrier. “When I say get out, you get out! No more nonsense!”

Realizing Chu Xiao was dead serious this time, the HR manager knew his career at Qibao had come to an end.

The female employee who had helped fire Xie Shuyu didn’t escape Chu Xiao’s wrath either—she was dismissed alongside the HR manager.

For unlawfully terminating key employees and causing significant losses to the company, the HR manager received a pitifully small severance.

But his subordinates, well-versed in his own ruthless tactics, turned the tables on him, using the same methods he once employed to intimidate others.

Chu Xiao didn’t dwell much on firing the HR manager—punishment wasn’t his main concern.

Beyond the mass exodus of tech staff, Chu Xiao’s biggest challenge in the internet industry was his lack of connections.

Previous clients had only cared about the final product, and they were mostly one-off deals. The business department’s freeloaders, who never bothered maintaining client relationships, had left all the actual client interactions to technical staff like Xie Shuyu and Jiang Fan.

Naturally, when Xie Shuyu and Jiang Fan left, they took the long-term clients with them.

Rather than struggling in an industry he wasn’t cut out for, Chu Xiao decided to pivot Qibao’s direction entirely.

His years of experience and connections at Tianxing Entertainment were more than enough for him to make a comeback in that field.

Now, with Qibao’s original employees self-destructing, it was the perfect time for a rebirth—transforming Qibao into an entertainment company.

Once he made his decision, he first held a press conference, strategically positioning Dasheng and the Chu family on the moral high ground.

At this time, Dasheng was making strides in the real estate industry, and the Chu Group was also eager to get a piece of the pie, leaving them no time to pay attention to Qinbao, a small company.

Thus, Chu Xiao’s restructuring of Qinbao proceeded smoothly.

–

In the agent’s office, Chen Chen sat at her desk with a look of disappointment, while Xu Miaomiao appeared utterly indifferent.

“Miaomiao, you got to work with Director Kong Sen right after your debut. How could you be so reckless as to slander the director behind his back?” Chen Chen’s tone carried not just disappointment but also self-reproach for her artist going astray.

Faced with the truth Chen Chen laid out, Xu Miaomiao showed no fear. Instead, she retorted righteously, “Sister Chen Chen, you’d better have evidence before making accusations. How did I slander the director behind his back? Do you have proof? Is it even legally valid?”

Seeing her unrepentant attitude, Chen Chen no longer felt pity. She directly handed over the termination agreement. “Even if the deal falls through, goodwill remains. You know our company has always had a stellar reputation in the industry. This termination is free of charge—no debts on either side.”

Xu Miaomiao, as if possessed, blurted out without considering the consequences, “If you’re terminating me, shouldn’t you pay compensation?”

Chen Chen laughed in anger. “Compensation? Fine, then. No termination. You can stay and collect the minimum wage guarding the water dispenser.”

With that, she reached to take back the agreement.

Only then did Xu Miaomiao realize how easy it was for an entertainment company to freeze an artist out by leveraging their contract.

She hastily stood up, snatched the agreement, and quickly signed it.

Then she urged Chen Chen to stamp it with the company seal.

Watching the short-sighted and arrogant Xu Miaomiao, Chen Chen shook her head repeatedly—how had she ended up with such a hot potato in the first place?

After the HR department stamped the agreement, Xu Miaomiao officially severed ties with the company.

Chen Chen returned to her office and called Kong Sen. After a humble apology, she emphasized that Xu Miaomiao had been terminated and hoped Director Kong would forgive the company’s oversight.

Meanwhile, Xu Miaomiao had barely stepped out of the company building before eagerly dialing Chu Xiao’s number.

“President Chu, I’ve successfully resigned. The company knew they were in the wrong and didn’t demand a penalty,” she said in a deliberately soft, fragile voice.

Chu Xiao, barely containing his excitement, calmly finished the call and hung up.

Then, in his office, he clenched his fists and shook them in front of his chest twice.

Qinbao Entertainment had only been established for a week, yet they had already signed an artist—one who had just worked with a renowned director, no less. It was like stumbling upon a windfall.

–

The Chu Group’s entry into the real estate competition was Chen Jianhua’s suggestion.

Using his professional credentials, he lobbied each of the Chu Group’s shareholders and, with his silver tongue, successfully pushed his proposal through at the shareholders’ meeting.

Old Man Chu also held this talent in high regard, seeing him as the most capable assistant since Secretary Jiang’s departure.

Secretary Jiang had ostensibly resigned of his own accord.

Old Man Chu, after all, couldn’t bring himself to sever decades of camaraderie and refrained from taking harsh action against Secretary Jiang’s family—even when Chu Xiao wanted to change Qinbao’s business scope, he didn’t interfere.

Chu Ning learned about this from the news.

In her eyes, it was yet another sign of Old Man Chu’s leniency toward those responsible for her mother’s death.

Campus life was far from dull and monotonous. She was insatiable in her pursuit of knowledge, able to connect every piece of information from textbooks with real-world examples from the Chu Corporation. What others saw as rigid text, she often encountered as tangible reality.

Moreover, the professors at the finance school understood that mere book knowledge was insufficient. They frequently showcased thrilling business battles from both domestic and international markets for their students.

While other students watched these clashes like gossip, enjoying the spectacle of two or even multiple parties in fierce competition, Chu Ning genuinely placed the Chu Corporation in these scenarios, experiencing every twist and turn of victory and defeat firsthand.

When she saw the news about the Chu Corporation entering the real estate market, she couldn’t help but curse under her breath.

Now was far too late to enter the real estate industry!

The real estate sector had already boomed for nearly two decades, reaching its peak.

The principle that “what reaches its zenith must decline” had many precedents in real estate—from Country A’s subprime mortgage crisis to Country R’s real estate bubble burst. Every real estate tragedy was accompanied by the collapse of major conglomerates.

“Old folks should just retire and enjoy their golden years, instead of being played like fools,” her roommate suddenly quipped.

Chu Ning turned suspiciously toward her roommate, who was sitting at the desk behind her. It turned out she was reading a case study about a foreign corporation being acquired.

She turned back, opened QQ, and reread the message Xie Shuyu had sent her.

The mobile phone industry was no longer monopolized by Fruit. Other brands were gradually rising, chip technology barriers had been breached, and system updates were rapidly iterating. The game developed by Zhulin, running on the new-generation system, had already gained some recognition in the industry.

“Chu Ning, did you know?” Her roommate closed her book and turned to gossip with her. “Someone in the next class was caught playing Cloud Dragon Valley during Econ Law. The professor put their phone on the podium facing the class, making them watch as their character got defeated and dropped a bunch of loot.”

“Apparently, someone in the audience secretly logged in and picked up a legendary sword. Hahahaha!”

Chu Ning laughed too—Cloud Dragon Valley was the open-world game developed by Zhulin.

Her roommate suddenly grinned. “Chu Ning, do you play Cloud Dragon Valley? There’s an NPC in there that looks just like you.”

Chu Ning inwardly grumbled: I knew Bai Xin would give Xie Shuyu some terrible ideas.

“Which NPC? What do they do?” Despite her complaints, she was still curious about what kind of role Xie Shuyu had created for her.

Her roommate replied, “They guard the city gates in the Nislin Continent.”

Then, with a hint of concern, she added, “The NPC on the other side of the gate looks a lot like the actress Ye Zhixia. I wonder if they’ll get sued for copyright infringement…”

Chu Ning instinctively opened her “Special Attention” list.

She and Ye Zhixia hadn’t spoken since they parted ways. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to reach out—it was that she couldn’t promise Ye Zhixia anything right now. She wasn’t strong enough yet. She needed to stand at the pinnacle of power.

Every day, Chu Ning scoured the entertainment section of the news, most concerned about whether Ye Zhixia was involved in any scandals. Even the most baseless rumors would have her poring over them for hours.

–

That winter during her sophomore year, Chu Ning returned to Haicheng and made a special trip to Zhulin.

Dressed in a black padded coat and jeans, she walked with practiced ease to Xie Shuyu’s office.

At that moment, Xie Shuyu had her back to the door, one hand holding her phone as she watched a livestream, the other absentmindedly twirling a lock of hair atop her head.

The office door was ajar. Chu Ning tiptoed in, quietly craning her neck to see what Xie Shuyu was watching so intently.

The top right corner of the video displayed “LIVE.” On stage, two Europeans were reading from scripts, seemingly presenting an award.

“Sarah Smith!” the foreigner in the video announced.

“Ugh! No taste!” Xie Shuyu smacked the armrest of her chair and spun her swivel seat around.

Still fuming, Xie Shuyu suddenly noticed a figure in black robes standing beside her. Startled, she jerked violently, her phone flipping several times before landing in her lap, where she clutched it tightly.

“Everyone outside is working overtime, typing away. What exactly are you up to, Manager Xie?” Chu Ning smirked mischievously.

Xie Shuyu’s heart was still pounding. “You scared me to death! Couldn’t you have announced yourself?”

Chu Ning tilted her chin toward the phone in Xie Shuyu’s lap. “What are you watching?”

Xie Shuyu picked up her phone and handed it to Chu Ning. “Look, Love Across a Millennium was nominated for the Golden Bear Awards, but Best Supporting Actress didn’t go to Xiao Bai. The judges have no taste.”

Chu Ning took the phone and watched the screen, where the Best Actress winner was now being announced.

Split-screen shots of several actresses appeared, one of them being Ye Zhixia.

Chu Ning focused intently on the phone, and Xie Shuyu didn’t disturb her.

Only when the presenter called out, “Zhixia Ye!” did Chu Ning finally smile.

Xie Shuyu heard Ye Zhixia’s name too and turned to pull up the live stream on her computer, beckoning Chu Ning over. “Come, watch here!”

Both of them turned to the screen, where Ye Zhixia happily jogged up to the stage to accept her award. After delivering the standard thank-yous and expressing gratitude to the production team, she handed the trophy back to the presenter to hold for her, then formed a circle with her hands above her head.

Xie Shuyu frowned. “What’s Sister Xiaxia doing? She should’ve made a heart, not a zero!”

As soon as she said it, she realized something was off and glanced at Chu Ning beside her.

Chu Ning met her gaze but said nothing, simply pulling out her phone to send Ye Zhixia a brief congratulatory message.

Then she patted Xie Shuyu’s shoulder. “Busy? If not, let’s grab a bite outside.”

Xie Shuyu craned her neck to peek outside—though from her angle, she couldn’t see much—hinting that since no one else had left, she’d feel bad going.

Chu Ning caught on and suggested, “Has everyone eaten? If not, why don’t you treat them, Manager Xie? They’ve been working hard.”

Xie Shuyu snapped back to reality. She’d been so absorbed in the awards ceremony that she’d forgotten to order dinner for the team.

“I’ll order food right away!” Xie Shuyu hurriedly opened a food delivery app.

The bustling overtime work atmosphere made it clear that Zhulin’s workload was substantial, which reassured Chu Ning.

On the other side of the world, after attending the celebratory banquet, Ye Zhixia spent a long time happily rereading Chu Ning’s congratulatory message. After replying earnestly, she lay on her hotel bed and began meticulously studying the Chu Group’s recent investment trends.

“This old geezer moves slow and still wants a big bite? Pouring this much money into real estate?” Ye Zhixia grumbled.

Xiao Mi, beside her, only half-understood. “Will they definitely lose money?”

Ye Zhixia rolled her eyes in frustration. “If this blows up, it won’t just be small change they’re losing.”

After speaking, he scratched his head in confusion: “Could there still be a spy by his side? I went to great lengths to weed out three moles for him. How is it that for most of his life, he’s been surrounded by slander? How on earth did this company grow so big?”

Xiao Mi, now emboldened, chimed in: “Even a pig can fly when it’s caught in the right wind!”

Ye Zhixia put down his phone and tickled Xiao Mi’s ribs: “You don’t bother learning proper knowledge, but you remember every witty remark!”

–

On the eve of the Spring Festival, the dining room of the Chu household was quiet as Old Master Chu, Chu Ning, and Chu Hui ate their meal in silence.

Old Master Chu was filled with emotion. A year and a half of university life had matured Chu Ning considerably; she was no longer as naive and carefree as before.

A creeping sense of crisis—of things slipping out of control—began to rise within him. He recalled how Chu Yunshu had seemed like a completely different person after attending university, no longer obediently following his arrangements.

“How’s university life treating you, Ningning? Have you gotten a boyfriend yet?” he probed casually.

He had once sent someone to tail Chu Ning to confirm she hadn’t reconnected with Ye Zhixia.

“Not interested,” Chu Ning replied without looking up.

Her curt response displeased Old Master Chu slightly.

Before he could say more, Chu Ning steered the conversation toward real estate matters.

“Grandpa, we’re close to the capital. I’ve heard the economic performance hasn’t been great lately, and the major banks are reporting a lot of bad loans. Won’t our investments in real estate be affected?”

Old Master Chu hadn’t expected her to bring this up and answered dismissively, “Uncle Chen will handle it.”

Chu Ning frowned. “Since when has Chu Group been under Uncle Chen’s control?”

Old Master Chu changed the subject. “Chu Hui will be taking the college entrance exams next year. Guide him more—he’ll be taking over the company in the future.”

In the past, Chu Ning would have agreed with this sentiment, as family businesses were traditionally passed down to sons.

But now, hearing it from Old Master Chu, her feelings were different.

He had once encouraged her to participate in company affairs and even sent her to Tianxing to investigate, all to hone her skills—only for the ultimate goal to be assisting her younger brother?

It reminded her of parents who favored sons over daughters, showering their daughters with love and a happy upbringing, only to hand over the family’s savings and property to their sons in the end.

Chu Ning decided to offer a warning. “Grandpa, I’m serious. Expanding too aggressively in real estate is high-risk. Housing prices in first- and second-tier cities have already peaked, and there’s no justification for prices to rise in third- and fourth-tier cities. Blind investment is extremely dangerous.”

Her urgency in laying out the reasoning stemmed from self-interest—securing control of Chu Group would be ideal for her.

So she had to try persuading him, hoping Old Master Chu wouldn’t squander the company before she graduated.

Old Master Chu’s expression darkened. “You’ve only been in school for a few years, and now you’re lecturing me? Doesn’t Uncle Chen know more than you?”

Chu Ning’s face also darkened, and she fell silent.

Chu Hui, who had been quietly listening to the exchange between his grandfather and sister, finally spoke up timidly when neither said another word: “Grandpa, Sis, I want to apply to Beijing Institute of Technology.”

Old Master Chu immediately rejected the idea. “No! You’ll study business management.”

Chu Hui replied obediently, “Beijing Institute of Technology has a School of Economics with majors like Business Administration, Economics, and Marketing!”

Old Master Chu listened with a mix of belief and skepticism, saying, “Really? I’ll have your Uncle Chen check it out for me tomorrow. Don’t even think about lying to me!”

Chu Hui wasn’t lying, so he immediately started dancing around with joy.

But in reality, he had another motive for wanting to attend Beijing Institute of Technology.

At the entire dinner table, Chu Hui was the only one in high spirits.

Listening to Old Master Chu’s constant mentions of Chen Jianhua, Chu Ning roughly understood that Chen Jianhua must hold significant sway in the company now. Most likely, he had already become a high-ranking executive capable of influencing board decisions.

Chu Ning didn’t even need to guess—the idea of venturing into the real estate industry was undoubtedly Chen Jianhua’s brainchild.

This made Chu Ning suspicious of Chen Jianhua. The subprime mortgage crisis in Country A was a mandatory topic for all economics-related majors, especially since Chen Jianhua had work experience there. Dragging the Chu Corporation into this at such a time clearly indicated ulterior motives.

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