Chapter 18: You’ve Truly Been Played

Sister Man’s voice perfectly matched her competent image—quick, straightforward, and concise.
“Yun Yao, the day after tomorrow you have an endorsement, and next weekend there’s an audition. I’ve sent you the notes and the script; take a look.”
“I’ve already informed Xiao Jia. She’ll remind you again the day before the event.”
“Also, your contract is about to expire. Since the boss hasn’t given any special instructions, the revenue split will probably remain the same as before.”

When it came to the revenue split, Jiang Yun Yao wasn’t sure what the boss was thinking, but Sister Man’s tone implied that as long as she wasn’t the one losing out, there was no need to ask too much.
“I understand, Sister Man!” she replied.

Sister Man called just to notify her of these matters, and once she confirmed the message was received, she hung up.

The purpose of this banquet was to celebrate the old master’s birthday. It wouldn’t do for him not to attend, so before the banquet officially began, the old master appeared, supported by servants.

News about the old master had spread throughout the estate, subtly pushed along by those with vested interests.

Everyone present was sharp; they spoke words of praise and congratulations but their eyes scrutinized the old master, curious to see what this supposed possession looked like.

The old master did not disappoint.

His gaze was cloudy and unfocused, dark bruises marked under his eyes, his complexion was faintly blackened, and he could barely stand—a far cry from a joyful birthday celebrant.

The old master’s appearance lasted less than five minutes before Mr. Hu had him escorted upstairs.

Mr. Hu wore a smiling face and addressed the guests with polished words.

“Thank you all for your concern for my father. Unfortunately, he’s not feeling well today and cannot receive guests for long. I hope everyone will understand!”

No one needed Mr. Hu to spell it out—they could see clearly that the old master’s state was dire and staying longer might lead to something worse.

No one dared dampen the mood with harsh words; if they wanted to say anything, it was just the usual pleasantries before following Mr. Hu to the banquet.

When the entire banquet concluded, compared to Lu Lin and his companion, who were constantly engaging with others, Jiang and Xie’s duo felt quite relaxed and at ease.

They all boarded Mr. Xie’s private plane and returned to the villa arranged by the production team, by then night had fallen.

After the guests finished dinner, the director announced a piece of news and a task.

“Tomorrow, a special guest will be arriving. Please prepare a gift to welcome the special guest!”

Jiang Yun Yao thought for two seconds, then dashed upstairs. She rummaged through her suitcase and held up her item to the camera.

“My gift is shampoo! Let the special guest say goodbye to oily hair and reclaim their radiant self!”

The live stream audience was stunned.

[Isn’t that an ad slogan for shampoo? If I’m not mistaken, Jiang Yun Yao is actually the spokesperson for that brand.]

[Jiang Yun Yao’s quick wit is amazing! If I were the advertiser, I’d send her a whole case of shampoo!]

[Production team: Advertisers, where are you? Send the money!]

[What kind of gift is that? So insincere!]

[You can’t blame Jiang Yun Yao. The production team didn’t notify everyone in advance. The special guest is arriving tomorrow, so what else could the guests prepare on such short notice?]

Initially unsure what to prepare, Xie Yixing was inspired by Jiang Yun Yao’s move and began searching his own suitcase.

The camera focused on Xie Yixing as he struggled to pull out— a roll of toilet paper!

Facing the camera, he lifted the roll and cleared his throat.

“Toilet paper, a good friend at home, a reliable travel companion. With it, the special guest will never feel lonely again!”

Just as Xie Yixing proudly admired his brilliant idea, the director abruptly poured cold water on their enthusiasm.

“Guests, please note: since the special guest will be watching the live stream, you may not reveal your gifts before the special guest appears!”

Jiang Yun Yao and Xie Yixing: “!!!”

Why didn’t you say this sooner?!

[Laughing my head off! Look at their faces—inside, they must be running a thousand alpacas!]

[Jiang Yun Yao: You can’t hide a murderous glare! Director, right?!]

[Wow! Sister brought shampoo! @HappinessSignalOfficial, can’t we just let her keep the gift?]

[You’re not the special guest, so what you like doesn’t matter!]

[Check her profile! She really is the special guest!]

After receiving a private message from the special guest, the director changed his tune.

“Jiang Yun Yao’s gift counts; Xie Yixing’s does not!”

Jiang and Xie spoke in unison, “Why?!”

Jiang Yun Yao was the first to speak up, “I disagree! Either both count or neither do—no playing favorites!”

On the surface, it seemed biased against her, but in reality, they were putting her on the spot. Jiang Yun Yao had been through too much to be fooled!

Xie Yixing had felt unfair, but hearing Jiang Yun Yao defend him instantly brightened his mood.

The director, exposed, was unembarrassed and offered a dignified explanation.

“If the special guest expresses liking for a gift, that gift passes. Just now, the special guest expressed appreciation for Jiang Yun Yao’s gift, and the viewers can testify.”

Jiang Yun Yao didn’t continue to argue but looked into the camera.

“Special guest, did you hear that? The director’s unspoken message is: if you don’t show approval, you’re deliberately making things difficult for us!”

Director: “…”

Don’t twist my words—that’s not what I meant!

[Aaah, Yun Yao is standing up for Xiao Xie! Fighting for his rights! I’m crying!]

[So impressive! One sentence from Jiang Yun Yao sparked the special guest’s dissatisfaction with the director!]

[Director: You just got played at your own game!]

[Where’s that young lady from earlier? Tag her! We need her to save the day!]

[Sorry everyone, the special guest isn’t me. My words don’t count. Really sorry!]

[Don’t blame yourself! Nobody knows how many special guests there are. In the end, it’s the production team’s fault!]

Lu Mucheng, watching the comments, learned about the tense exchange between Jiang Yun Yao and the director.

He immediately called Lin Wanwan and grabbed two random gifts to show the camera.

In this situation, if the gifts passed, the task was done; if not, there was no loss.

Thanks to Jiang Yun Yao’s words, the special guests no longer dared to stay silent and expressed their appreciation for the gifts.

The guests couldn’t see the special guests’ comments in time, but with the live audience as witnesses, the production team had no choice but to declare the task complete.

The next morning at eight, after breakfast, the guests awaited the arrival of the special guests. During this time, each busied themselves with their own matters.

Jiang Yun Yao was likely the busiest—either rehearsing for tomorrow’s endorsement or reviewing the script for next week’s audition.

Xie Yixing rarely put down his game controller, but today he wore headphones and watched a drama featuring Jiang Yun Yao.

Lin Wanwan practiced her acting in front of a mirror, getting into character for her next role.

Lu Mucheng handled piles of files for the Lu Corporation while pondering development plans for his new company.

[Wow! Such a peaceful and fulfilling moment! Everyone is striving for their goals!]

[Xiao Xie: Goals? Striving? What’s that?]

[Aaah, Xiao Xie is watching a drama starring Yun Yao—he’s getting to know her better!]

The production team set the latest arrival time at 8:30. Soon, the special guests began arriving one after another.