Chapter 31: That's Your Sister-in-Law

Seeing the disbelief on everyone's faces, Ms. Chen said with an amused smile, "What are you all talking about? An Ling really is going to be our colleague from now on. She’ll also be participating in the filming of 'Star Life'."

Seeing that they still looked skeptical, she arched an eyebrow, walked over to sit in a chair, and slowly let out a bombshell:

"And besides, she is Ah Leng."

The room fell silent for a split second.

Then, someone let out a gasp of surprise, and An Ling was instantly surrounded by the crowd.

"Holy crap, for real? Am I seeing the legend in person??"

"The real Ah Leng?! Ms. Chen, you aren't pulling our legs, are you?"

"You're Ah Leng? My god! You're actually this beautiful behind the screen."

"I’ve always heard Ms. Chen had a favorite student who suddenly left two years ago. Man, I can't believe I'm meeting the real deal today."

"Ah Leng... no, An Ling, hello, hello! I'm Chen Yikuan, in charge of post-production operations. Looking forward to working together."

"An Ling, I'm Nan Zhechuan, also an executive producer. I hope we get along well."

"Hello, hello," An Ling replied with a smile, shaking hands one by one. Her gaze swept over everyone's faces and hands, trying her best to remember each person's unique features.

Finally, the last woman walked over. She had straight hair, wore pearl earrings and gold-rimmed glasses, giving off the vibe of a gentle, easy-going older sister.

She smiled and extended her hand. "What a surprise. Ah Leng... I mean, An Ling. I'm Lin Ya."

An Ling's eyes widened slightly, and then she spoke with a surprised smile, "So it's Sister Lin Ya! Hello, hello. I also have to thank you for helping me get the word out."

Lin Ya waved her hand dismissively. "Don't mention it. It was nothing."

Her gaze drifted naturally to the woman in front of her.

An Ling was wearing a simple white V-neck blouse paired with dark wide-leg trousers and a brown trench coat. Her jet-black curly hair was tied back in a casual low ponytail, framing an exquisite and beautiful face.

The outfit was simple and comfortable, yet it exuded an undeniable air of elegance. No wonder people had mistaken her for a celebrity.

Lin Ya arched an eyebrow, her voice tinged with admiration and a bit of teasing. "I didn't expect that the Ah Leng who sounds so soft-spoken online would actually be such a stunning beauty in person."

An Ling smiled and returned the compliment, "Sister Lin Ya is very beautiful as well."

The atmosphere in the meeting room was lively when someone knocked softly on the door, pushed it open, and said, "Ms. Chen, the people from Shihe have arrived."

Just as Ms. Chen was about to stand up, she noticed the employee's expression was a bit complicated, as if hesitating to speak.

"And... the CEO of Shihe Media is here too."

Ms. Chen was slightly stunned.

The CEO of Shihe Media?

"Gu Xiaochi is here too?"

-

Inside the reception room.

A girl with reddish-brown hair wore sunglasses, her expression cold as she sat with her arms crossed.

"Hey, Gu Xiaochi."

Beside her, Gu Xiaochi was playing a mini-game on his phone. He looked up at her words.

"What is it?"

"My team and I are here to coordinate for the variety show. What are you doing here as a big CEO?"

"Can't a CEO come to take a look?" He put away his phone and looked at the angry young miss beside him. "This is Miss Shen’s first time on a variety show. I have to keep an eye on things. Otherwise, before the show even starts filming, the headline about the Shen family daughter's terrible temper will be trending on the search rankings."

Shen Fuyuan impatiently took off her sunglasses and slammed them on the table, straightening her back. "Don't exaggerate, okay? I only decided to take on this variety show because you guys kept saying I have a bad temper."

Gu Xiaochi glanced at the sunglasses that were nearly snapped. "...You really don't think you have a big temper?"

Shen Fuyuan frowned. "No! Where is my temper big? No one ever said that when I was filming dramas, it's just you few people who always say it!"

"..."

Would anyone on a film crew dare to tell you that?

Gu Xiaochi pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, "I don't know who's going to be in charge of your filming. Poor soul. It looks like I'll have to buy gifts for the staff in advance as mental compensation."

Shen Fuyuan snapped, "Do you want to die?"

She leaned back into her chair in annoyance, her brow still furrowed. "Did Big Brother make you come? Does he also worry about me losing my temper? That seems unlikely, right?"

Gu Xiaochi shrugged. "You know it's unlikely. Shen Linyan said it straight out: if you cause any negative scandals, I'm to blackball you immediately. So, I'm here to supervise."

Shen Fuyuan: "..."

She stewed for a moment, not daring to say much more, so she changed the subject. "He's so cold to his own sister, yet he plays the gentle act for that stupid woman. So hypocritical. Does he still not plan on getting a divorce?"

Shen Fuyuan was the only one in the Shen family who knew Shen Linyan's true colors.

Regarding her brother marrying a "stupid woman" and even indulging her behavior—even though she knew there was a plan hidden behind it—even she couldn't stand it sometimes.

Hearing this, Gu Xiaochi recalled a certain person's comments in their group chat and arched an eyebrow. "What 'stupid woman'? That's your sister-in-law."

Shen Fuyuan looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Are you insane? Me, calling that woman sister-in-law? I'd rather die."

Rather die?

Well, you girl better wait for Shen Linyan to have a word with you.

Gu Xiaochi smiled meaningfully.

Shen Fuyuan felt creeped out by his smile and leaned away with a look of disgust. "What are you smiling like a pervert for? It's creepy. Besides, I usually don't see her anyway. I haven't called her that since she married into the family."

As the two were chatting, there was a soft knock on the door.

When the door opened, Ms. Chen walked in with a smile.

"President Gu, Miss Shen, sorry to keep you waiting."

Gu Xiaochi immediately dropped his casual demeanor and stood up with a polite smile. "Not at all. Ms. Chen is so busy, we appreciate you taking the time to meet with us."

Shen Fuyuan also reached out to greet her. "Hello, Ms. Chen."

"Hello, hello."

Ms. Chen took a look at her face, her smile unchanging. "Miss Shen is even more beautiful than she appears on television."

She withdrew her hand and turned to gesture behind her, stepping aside to make room.

"These colleagues are the production team for this project. Some of you have met during the proposal phase, so we're here to discuss the preparations for the shoot."

Gu Xiaochi and Shen Fuyuan instinctively followed her movement. The next second, both of their gazes froze.

Among the crowd stood a striking figure.

The woman took a step forward, a faint smile appearing on that all-too-familiar beautiful face. She extended her hand, her fingers slender and her voice gentle and clear.

"Hello to you both. I am the executive producer for this project, An Ling."

Shen Fuyuan: "..."

Gu Xiaochi: "..."

It's over.

Shen Fuyuan, I mean you're finished.