This was a clean money laundering operation!
After all, Du Jinghuai’s box office revenue was deposited into Li Jing’s real-world bank account, not transferring to nowhere. But after donating it under Li Jing’s name, it could be truly brought back to the retirement world.
The foundation received instructions from a certain bigwig on the second floor, and they dared not accept the property under this Ms. Li’s name, trembling and respectfully declining the donation.
In the end, Li Jing only donated 30 million, but it was already shocking enough.
The entire audience was captivated by Li Jing.
This event was meant to be Ye Yan’s grand return, solidifying her image as a beautiful and kind-hearted person. How could she allow anyone to outshine her in terms of humanity?
So Ye Yan gritted her teeth and donated 2.5 million more than Li Jing, ultimately donating 33 million, placing her first in the donation rankings for the evening.
Li Jing: She’s really competitive!
But a large portion of the box office revenue she donated was thanks to Ye Yan!
Ye Yan personally introduced the overseas copyright, contributing a lot to the overseas box office revenue. Thinking about it, Ye Yan not only spent a fortune introducing the copyright but also spent a lot of money on her battle. Back and forth, she’s already spent tens of millions—
Li Jing sighed, “The characters in old-fashioned novels are all so rich!”
The system had just finished calculating her backend earnings, and it couldn’t help but shout out.
But you already have 100 million!!!
The house was worth 20 million, and the donation brought back 30 million, her assets directly exceeding 100 million!
Li Jing was instantly energized, “Oh my god! I’m so rich!!”
Help her get up, she could still do this!
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After Fu Lingchu, Feng Ce, and Du Jinghuai all donated money, the other wealthy elites present couldn’t stand idly by.
Especially Qiao Yuxin, she had just mocked Li Jing, and now she was completely overshadowed. She could only grit her teeth and follow suit, donating until it hurt.
The most crucial question was, where did Li Jing get all this money?!
Could it be from Fu Lingchu and the others? Would these top-tier men really care about a substitute?
Qiao Yuxin stared intently at Li Jing, starting to think this person was even more difficult to deal with than Ye Yan, that big b*tch.
But she firmly believed that the higher she jumped now, the harder she would fall later!
As long as she could see Ye Yan’s face…
Feng Ce frowned at Li Jing, wanting to ask her what she would do after donating all her money, would she eat steamed buns every day?
However, before he could speak, a butler had already pushed through the crowd and approached them.
“Young master Feng, Miss wants you to come upstairs.”
Feng Ce was startled, only then realizing he was here to see his sister.
He hadn’t seen his sister in years, and logically, this should be his most pressing matter. But Feng Ce subconsciously glanced at Li Jing first.
He couldn’t let Li Jing see his sister, and he couldn’t let his sister see Li Jing…
“Don’t stay here,” Feng Ce deliberately frowned, “Go back, don’t wander around.”
His words sounded like he was looking down on her, thinking she shouldn’t be here. Li Jing’s face turned pale, as if stung by his words, she clenched her fists and turned to leave.
Feng Ce realized his words were hurtful, and he quickly said, “No, I—”
How could he look down on Li Jing? Li Jing clearly beat all the hypocritical people present.
But she had already run away.
Her back was thin and in a hurry.
—Feng Ce’s favorability +2%
Li Jing: Ah, 75% now. Currently, the second line is ranked first √
True masters knew how to leave some white space, giving Ye Yan some room to play, so they could lay the groundwork for the subsequent melodramatic plotline.
Then, hopefully, the male leads could all learn from the White Moonlight!
Li Jing: Get up there and compete for me!
At this time, on the second floor of the banquet hall.
Ye Yan hadn’t expected to be at a disadvantage in their first meeting.
Had she really underestimated this Li Jing?
But Ye Yan was always good at analyzing and understanding people. Based on the phone recordings, she had created a profile of Li Jing, a poor student from a humble background, naive and foolish. How could she have such skills?
Now Ye Yan didn’t have time to meet each of the men individually. Her original plan was to break them down one by one, because her strategies for dealing with Fu Lingchu, Feng Ce, and Du Jinghuai were different.
However, the current situation did not allow her to be so calm and confident. Her strategy needed to be adjusted in time. She needed to make them stay in the same room, relying on their mutual hostility to pull each other apart, thereby elevating her own position.
Fu Lingchu stood by the window on the second floor, watching Li Jing and Feng Ce talk, then turned around angrily, watching her run away before finally retracting his gaze.
In the room, Feng Ce had already walked in, followed by Du Jinghuai.
After so many years of not seeing each other, their reunion was naturally filled with envy.
The three men stood in the room, their auras clashing intensely.
In fact, they all looked down upon each other. In the past, it was simply because of Ye Yan, but now, they all knew the reason, though they didn’t say it out loud.
Ye Yan was at ease in this situation. She was kind to everyone, caring for each of them. Only the most outstanding man would win her heart in the end.
Looking at Feng Ce, whose eyes were filled with joy, and Du Jinghuai, whose gaze was melancholic and profound, Ye Yan quickly regained her sense of psychological superiority.
She seemed to have remembered something and casually sighed softly.
“The girl who donated just now was amazing—” Ye Yan sighed again, softly and lightly, “I feel like I’m nothing compared to her…”
Her words were very clever. She pretended to be unaware of the substitute and expressed admiration for her.
With just one sentence, she made the male leads realize that Ye Yan was also in the dark, unaware that they had found a substitute who looked exactly like her.
However, how could she feel inferior?
After all, she was the one they yearned for so deeply that they needed to find a fake to comfort themselves.
Sure enough, after hearing this, the men present all had different expressions.
Du Jinghuai walked to the sofa where Ye Yan was leaning and said softly, “Yanyan, you don’t need to compare yourself to anyone.”
Ye Yan raised her eyes, her bright eyes sparkling with emotion.
Fu Lingchu glanced at Du Jinghuai and said, “As expected of the Acting Emperor, you really know how to talk.”
Feng Ce also glanced at Du Jinghuai but remained silent.
But they all agreed—
The three men tacitly avoided mentioning the girl who had donated a large sum of money.
Ye Yan’s lips curled into a smile. The fake was naturally not worthy of being mentioned in front of her, the real one.
She cleverly manipulated their emotions, then looked out the window sadly at the right moment.
“Actually—I came back this time because I don’t know when I’ll die. So, I really want to see everyone doing well…”
By the end, she was choked with emotion.
Fu Lingchu immediately said, “A’yan, I won’t allow you to think like that.”
Feng Ce also frowned fiercely, “Sister, you can’t possibly be in trouble.”
Ye Yan’s heart swelled with joy.
Her subsequent plans seemed to be going smoothly…
Du Jinghuai also looked at Ye Yan, “You’ll be fine.”
Being in the entertainment industry together, he understood Ye Yan’s pain of having to give up her career due to her health. In fact, he had been deeply heartbroken for the fallen swan all those years ago…
Over the years, he had spared no effort to create all kinds of material conditions for her, ensuring that Ye Yan lived comfortably.
And because of this… when Ye Yan sadly said she was afraid of her impending death.
Her rosy complexion, her delicate features, showed no signs of being worn down by time.
On the contrary, it was on the other face… that there was true broken despair.
Du Jinghuai lowered his gaze.
During this conversation, Ye Yan had fully grasped the situation of the few men present and quickly assessed their feelings for her.
She was still the White Moonlight held in their palms, and the fake could not shake her position.
The men also silently reached a consensus.
Ye Yan was back, and that was what they needed.
The substitute should disappear quietly, otherwise it would definitely affect Ye Yan’s mood.
But…
Where did Li Jing go after donating?
She even donated her house. Where would she go to wander now?
——Li Jing herself was still at the scene ^_^
This plot point was so important, it couldn’t be a one-hit wonder.
So she found a corner, ate her snacks and waited peacefully, listening to the system’s prompts about her position, specifically to squat on the third male lead—
Because the first and second male leads had already developed to the point where they could steadily climb up by themselves, and now Du Jinghuai’s favorability had already passed 50%, it was time to step up the game!
The three male leads came out of the room one after another, their expressions different.
Feng Ce looked up at the banquet hall, as if looking for something, finally gritting his teeth and withdrawing his gaze, striding away.
Fu Lingchu was completely indifferent, still wearing a perfectly tailored dark suit, as if he had returned to the cold indifference of the first time they met.
White Moonlight really had the power of a White Moonlight!
The last one to come out was Du Jinghuai.
Li Jing pushed the small cart and precisely flanked him, timidly calling out as Du Jinghuai was about to get into the nanny car from the back door:
“Mr., Mr. Du?”
Du Jinghuai paused slightly, turned his head, and looked at the girl under the streetlight.
At this moment, her gaze fell on Du Jinghuai’s hand.
“Your ornament… I’m sorry.” Li Jing’s voice lowered.
She saw the corner of the moon in his hand.
Du Jinghuai didn’t return the ornament to Ye Yan, because the three men came to visit her at the same time, so Ye Yan didn’t remember this matter.
And broken things, even if restored, could never be the same.
Just like, the person in front of him.
She tried her best to maintain the light on her body, but she had been hurt and crushed by the men who were high above her, and there was an undeniable humility and envy in her eyes.
“You’re here to see someone, are you… the friend who gave you the ornament?”
Du Jinghuai paused slightly.
Today, Du Jinghuai looked more magnificent than ever. He was already an Acting Emperor with an excellent image, wearing a white suit made by hand with heavy craftsmanship, his half-long black hair styled elaborately, melancholy with his usual coldness.
As if he was going on a date.
He hadn’t been able to say what he wanted to invite Ye Yan to do.
At this moment, looking at the girl in front of him, he remained silent for a moment before finally speaking: “Come with me to a place.”
-—–
Du Jinghuai brought Li Jing to the drive-in theater.
Tonight’s screening was a musical Ye Yan starred in.
Li Jing knew at a glance that he must have originally wanted to bring Ye Yan, but because Ye Yan was holding three men at once, the great acting emperor couldn’t bring himself to ask, so he had to settle for the next best thing.
Okay, okay, this was her chance to steal the tower.
Ye Yan’s face didn’t appear in the musical, but her voice did, and Du Jinghuai had heard it countless times, so he just sat quietly in the driver’s seat, closing his eyes.
Li Jing, while pondering the next plot point, also enjoyed the performance, and remained silent for a long time after the screening ended.
It wasn’t until Du Jinghuai opened his eyes and looked at her that he realized Li Jing was lost in thought.
“It’s so amazing…” she said, her eyes filled with envy.
Art was in the distance. For her, there was only life nearby.
Du Jinghuai felt sorry for Li Jing for the umpteenth time.
But tonight… it seemed a little different.
Li Jing slowly raised her hand and gently applauded for the art.
Her sleeve slipped down her smooth arm, inadvertently revealing the bruises on her forearm—
The cake cart she pushed today was heavy and cumbersome, with hard iron edges and corners, bumping her painfully, her delicate skin was already unsightly.
System: …Someone is secretly cheating with a certain big shot, but I dare not speak!
Du Jinghuai’s breath caught in his throat.
The bruises, like a violent aesthetic that consumed life, fell into Du Jinghuai’s eyes, a different color.
Du Jinghuai couldn’t help but think of Ye Yan again.
Ye Yan was the most beautiful, the most radiant moon. She was protected, surrounded by flowers, she was exquisite and perfect.
And Li Jing was—
Fragile, humble, the shadow of the moon, the branch after the flower withers. She could be broken, she was shattered and headed towards despair.
She was… beautiful.
—Du Jinghuai’s favorability +3%
Du Jinghuai uncontrollably reached out his hand, his cool fingertips landing on her scar.
“Mr., Mr. Du——”
Du Jinghuai gently pressed on the scar.
Li Jing: Heh, fake, it doesn’t hurt.
But she—
“Ah!——”
Her cry of pain trembled, and after it escaped her lips, she bit her lip hard, preventing the sound from leaking out. Therefore, her voice changed, becoming mournful and pitiful.
The tightly bitten lip revealed a crimson bloodstain, which in the dim car, was as vivid as the juice extracted from a rose.
—Du Jinghuai’s favorability +2%
—Du Jinghuai’s favorability +2%
This twisted plot was boosting the favorability points so fast!!
You finally got a passing score of sixty, bro!!
The current progress, number one 73%, number two 75%, and number three was 60%.
The plot had reached a turning point. Ye Yan, in order to completely ensnare her fish and make them fall head over heels, should be pulling out her big guns. As an outstanding transmigration employee like Li Jing, she was really looking forward to the climax of the plot!
She endured the pain, tears in her eyes: “I, I’m leaving.”
Du Jinghuai leaned back in the driver’s seat, raised his neck, his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and he didn’t stop her.
Go then.
Ye Yan has returned, let this fake go.
Otherwise…
The black seeds continue to grow, and they might grow into towering trees.