Chapter 46: 《chi Ye Teaches You High Emotional Intelligence》
“Buddy, be honest with me, did you really mess with her?!”
After the Empress Dowager walked out, Director Zhang let out a sigh of relief and slyly sidled up to Chi Ye, reminding him: “Don’t blame your big brother for not warning you, Jin Xia is not someone to mess with.”
Chi Ye: “?”
“You don’t know… everyone is guessing what her family does, but I… I’ve been fortunate enough to hear… her family is super complicated, to put it simply, even living off a woman’s earnings has no hope, you’d better…”
“Hey, stop stop, you’re going off on a tangent.”
Chi Ye stopped him.
He didn’t want to hear this stuff.
“Alright, with that attitude, I get it.”
Director Zhang chuckled.
To be honest, Director Zhang was actually very easy to deal with.
Because he lacked the slickness of those old fried dough sticks in the industry, and even carried a clear vibe unique to “college students.”
Most importantly, he was a little literary youth—especially caring about and valuing his own work.
Chi Ye really liked dealing with him.
Firmly in control.
“Where’s the contract? Take it out, let me see.”
Chi Ye poured a cup of tea for Director Zhang and urged him.
“Why are you in such a hurry? I really don’t know what you’re hurrying for. With these resources, even if you can’t live off a woman’s earnings, just sweet-talk her a bit, and won’t she give you good resources?”
Director Zhang kept rambling, but didn’t delay the main business. He pulled the contract from his backpack and handed it over: “I’m telling you, this is after I had a lawyer revise it several times. If you’re still not satisfied, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Liquidated damages raised ten times, right?”
Chi Ye flipped through the contract to confirm.
Director Zhang was speechless, sizing up Chi Ye: “This is the first time I’ve heard someone proactively request to raise the liquidated damages ten times…”
He gave a thumbs up: “You’re something else, really!”
Though he didn’t understand Chi Ye’s move, he was deeply shocked.
Chi Ye didn’t say much, just smiled.
The process for Yue Na to take on external roles had been completed on the first day he “blackmailed” Ge Shuang.
And the company didn’t know he had already hooked up with Director Zhang.
Now raising the liquidated damages tenfold, he didn’t believe Yue Na would compensate that sky-high amount because of him.
Even if they really had to pay… then just go to lawsuit, anyway, the contract would be signed.
Thinking this way, after confirming no issues, Chi Ye signed the contract very readily.
“Alright then, that’s it for now. Notify me later about the start of filming.”
With things settled, he stood up and called: “Empress Dowager, let’s go!”
“Hey, hey, don’t go!”
Director Zhang panicked: “You haven’t finished Circulation script… um… the stories you told me last time, you haven’t finished them yet!”
The reason he agreed so readily this time, even lobbying Han Xing Entertainment’s senior executives and using privileges, was all for his own work, right?
And now the contract is signed, so keep “improving” it!
“This one…”
Chi Ye glanced at the dejected Empress Dowager who walked in, thought for a moment, and said: “Give her some good food, and I’ll tell you.”
Since Director Zhang was so eager for him to act like an emperor, he’d reluctantly do it.
Moreover, Circulation was his first male lead drama, and in the future, it might become key to breaking the ice, so it really needed to be treated seriously.
“Great! No problem!”
Director Zhang was overjoyed and quickly called the staff: “Bring me your best… healthiest dishes here. Remember, they must be the best and healthiest. I know your boss, don’t fool me!”
Staff: “…”
Chi Ye: “…”
The Empress Dowager’s already listless little face became even more downcast.
“No.” Chi Ye waved directly: “She won’t eat stuff from here.”
“Have your assistant go to a street side takeout place outside, buy some with the highest tech content, most additives… in short, fried barbecue beer, definitely the junkiest, most harmful takeout. Oh, add a cup of milk tea!”
Director Zhang: “?”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes lit up. She thought for a moment and added in a cutesy voice: “Don’t make the portions too big, I’m afraid I’ll send myself off!”
Director Zhang: “…”
He was already dizzy, thinking he had misheard.
Has this young lady’s tastes gotten this heavy now?!
“Go quickly.”
Chi Ye urged, and praised the Empress Dowager: “Didn’t expect you to be pretty smart now, knowing to control the portions.”
Jin Xia’s peach blossom eyes glanced at Chi Ye, humming: “Teacher Chi, I’ve always been very smart, okay!”
Chi Ye: “…”
With Director Zhang’s “instructions,” the assistant went out to prepare food for the Empress Dowager. Meanwhile, Chi Ye had already “started talking.”
Truth be told, he had really put thought into Circulation.
It was because in his previous life he was a roast UP main, and Beginning was a small hit drama from recent years, so he roughly remembered the plot.
So he spoke logically, sorting out each storyline very thoroughly.
Director Zhang grew more and more surprised as he listened, and later, his gaze toward Chi Ye gradually turned odd.
—Last time Chi Ye had only skimmed the surface, playing edging with Director Zhang, but this time with things settled, he was “giving everything.”
Director Zhang felt the weaknesses in his original script, feeling frustrated yet excited, with a bit of suspicion.
Yes, he was now very astonished—how did Chi Ye know all this!
This beautiful trash who lives off a woman’s earnings… has this kind of talent too?
“You… you this… your improvements are great!”
Half an hour later, takeout arrived. The Empress Dowager ate heartily, her peach blossom eyes occasionally glancing over, then continued sneakily stuffing food into her mouth like a dog.
After Chi Ye briefly finished, Director Zhang slapped his thigh, pointed at Chi Ye, and sarcastically probed: “Yue Na is blind, you should be a screenwriter, buddy!”
Chi Ye: “?”
Sensing the suspicion in Director Zhang’s eyes and tone, Chi Ye said righteously: “I really do have an idea. Got a problem with that?”
Director Zhang: “…”
“Yeah.”
The Empress Dowager seemed not to listen, but actually heard every word. She sneakily glanced at Chi Ye, a hint of suspicion flashing in her peach blossom eyes, but she still “put down the bowl and started cursing”: “Teacher Chi has talent, Teacher Chi is excellent. Got a problem with that?!”
Director Zhang: “…”
He didn’t dare, absolutely didn’t dare.
“Um… that… your story is too well-improved. Honestly, I do have to give you a credited screenwriter role.”
Director Zhang stopped joking. He was someone who valued his work greatly, which was why he felt embarrassed to just “take” Chi Ye’s stuff directly.
That… would be too embarrassing.
If word got out, it’d shame the Beijing guys!
“Ah, I have no problem with it.”
Chi Ye was very straightforward: “If you didn’t mention it, I would’ve asked for it.”
Director Zhang: “…”
Looking at the Empress Dowager again, he thought, you two really are a match made in heaven!
So damn “spoiled”!
“Um… screenwriter credit is fine for you.” Director Zhang thought carefully and suggested: “But if our company and investors see it, they’ll definitely have ideas… How about this: use a pen name, first help me trick the sponsor and investors’ money over. Sound good?”
Chi Ye: “…”
He sized up Director Zhang and evaluated: “You’re no good thing either.”
Director Zhang: “?”
Furious: “Isn’t all this for Circulation?! Teacher… Chi, don’t make it hard for me. To let you play the male lead, I nearly sold my ass to the sponsor. And you’re saying me?!”
“…Alright alright, my bad, I shouldn’t have said that. Fine, as long as you can trick… get the investment, I’m very happy.”
Chi Ye knew full well how explosive his reputation in the industry was.
He was all about being heartless too; the two were actually birds of a feather.
The Empress Dowager watched their “colluding” looks seriously and reminded: “Teacher Chi, don’t smile like that.”
“Hm?” Chi Ye was surprised.
“It doesn’t look good, doesn’t match your face.”
Chi Ye: “…”
Director Zhang: Fuck, pulling me over in the middle of the night to watch this?!
I’m just a lifelong singleton, is that my fault?!
I’m so innocent!
“Alright then, that’s it for now. See you at the start of filming.”
Chi Ye checked the time; it was nearly eleven at night, and he still needed to take the Empress Dowager back to the small dwelling.
Plus, the Empress Dowager had eaten almost enough… of course not finished; he couldn’t let her keep eating junk food.
After precisely controlling the portions, he stood up and said goodbye to Director Zhang: “Hope you’re still this happy by then.”
“Don’t worry, filming starts soon.”
Director Zhang didn’t catch the meaning in Chi Ye’s words and excitedly rubbed his hands like a fly: “With your ‘join,’ I’m ten times more confident in our drama now!”
Chi Ye curiously: “No confidence before?”
“No, it was a hundred times before.”
Chi Ye: “…”
Disheartened, Chi Ye waved and left the clubhouse with the still slightly reluctant Empress Dowager, taking a ride-hail car to near the small dwelling.
The alley wasn’t good for driving at night, so they got out and walked to the small dwelling.
Walking in the cold night wind, stars were sparse, faintly twinkling.
Jin Xia walked beside Chi Ye, wrapping her thin clothes tightly.
“Can’t stand the cold? Wear more next time.”
Chi Ye glanced and pulled a scarf from his backpack.
Jin Xia’s eyes turned to him, a smile appearing on her little face as she hummed coyly, a bit tsundere.
Chi Ye wrapped it around his own neck and rubbed his hands: “So cold.”
Empress Dowager: “?”
“Haha, just teasing you.”
Chi Ye laughed and pulled out another scarf, wrapping it around the Empress Dowager’s fair swan-like neck.
The Empress Dowager glanced at the obviously “common brand” scarf and surprisingly didn’t protest.
“Now satisfied?” Chi Ye re-shouldered his backpack: “I was just out signing a contract and discussing a script.”
“Mm…” The Empress Dowager nodded, her pretty peach blossom eyes glancing at Chi Ye, hesitating to speak.
Chi Ye puzzled: “What’s wrong?”
The Empress Dowager looked around and whispered curiously: “Teacher Chi, that Circulation, did you really come up with it yourself?”
Chi Ye: “?”
“So you didn’t believe me either?”
“Mm…”
Jin Xia carefully studied Chi Ye’s expression, doubt flashing in her eyes, but seeing his frank face, she was satisfied again, humming: “Of course I believe you!”
Mm, as expected of the one she fancied!
Truly excellent!
Outsiders didn’t know Teacher Chi could write stories; her eye was spot on!
Chi Ye glanced at Jin Xia and knew what the young girl was thinking.
After all… anything/people the Empress Dowager fancied had to be the best!
“Alright, I’ll drop you off here, not going in.”
Chi Ye stopped; they had reached outside the small courtyard.
Jin Xia turned, her watery eyes staring at Chi Ye, cutesy: “Teacher Chi, you have to come back soon. You still owe me a ‘date’!”
“Mm, got it.”
Chi Ye nodded.
“Bye-bye.”
“See you.”
They waved; Chi Ye watched until Jin Xia entered the small dwelling, saw the living room light turn on, and faintly heard program team staff voices, then turned to leave.
On the road, walking the muddy path outside the small courtyard, he suddenly spotted flowers inside the courtyard that weren’t fully withered yet.
These flowers were planted by the Empress Dowager when she first came to the small dwelling.
He had thought they should’ve withered and been dealt with long ago.
Turns out it hadn’t been that long.
Thinking this, he reached the end and saw Keke’s temporary taxi.
No choice… Yue Na had halted all his announcements and taken back everything.
Right now, no car available.
“Chi Ge.”
Keke got out to help with Chi Ye’s luggage, saying: “Hard work.”
“I’m not the one who worked hard; you did.”
Chi Ye rarely sincerely thanked someone.
Then the two didn’t say much, rode back home, and only in the living room discussed next steps.
“It’s worse than we imagined.”
Keke’s face was serious, the news even more chilling: “The company halted all your announcements, all endorsements and partners dropped… Also… Ge Shuang booked you… a lot of other ‘announcements’ today.”
“Other announcements?”
Hearing Keke’s tone, Chi Ye knew they weren’t good gigs.
“Mm.” Keke pulled out a tablet: “Same as before… um… probably even lower quality walk-and-business announcements, including red and white events… and selling autobiography.”
“Selling autobiography?” Chi Ye was stunned: “When did I write an autobiography?!”
“No problem, AI wrote it for you.”
Keke pulled out a clearly freshly made autobiography titled—Chi Ye Teaches You High Emotional Intelligence
Priced at: 1999 per copy.
Chi Ye: “?”
“They trying to kill me?”
Keke fell silent, then after a while said complexly, with a hint of fear of the unknown: “Chi Ge, we’ve been soft banned by Yue Na now.”
“From morning till now, Ge Shuang hasn’t called once… no messages, just an alt account Weibo update.”
“Oh?”
Chi Ye was surprised, opened Weibo to check, and saw Ge Shuang’s unverified personal alt account’s latest post: “Your life is over.”
“Heh, idiot.”
Chi Ye cursed, completely unaffected by Keke’s mood: “…I’m not doing these announcements. Me teaching others high emotional intelligence? That’d be pure revenge on society.”
He turned to ask her: “Did you prepare what I told you to?”
Keke paused, then nodded quickly: “Yes!”
“Lawyer side greeted them?”
“Time was short, but Lawyer Zhang said no matter the online public opinion, it won’t affect her preparations.”
“Good.”
Chi Ye nodded, drank the water in his cup: “Then stop idling, let’s start.”
“Ah?”
Keke was confused: “Start? Start what?”
“Start taking down Yue Na!”
Chi Ye rubbed his wrists: “They won’t let me live, then no one lives.”
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