CHAPTER 203: CHAPTER 203: THE LINGERING PAIN

At the time of signing, Lu Zhonian sat opposite Bian Yue, casually tapping the table with a leisurely air, and smiled, "President Bian, once the signature is put down, there’s no going back. Have you thought it through?"

Bian Yue meticulously reviewed the cooperation terms to the end, then turned to the lawyer beside her and asked in the presence of Lu Zhonian, "Liu Lv, have you finished reviewing this contract?"

Liu Lv nodded, saying, "President Bian, there are no issues with the contract; you may sign it."

Bian Yue then picked up a pen from beside her and signed her name without any hesitation.

Lu Zhonian’s face was tinged with interested amusement, his voice became even softer, "President Bian truly has courage. I originally thought our cooperation would face many obstacles."

"Business is just business. Since our interests align, what obstacles could there really be?" Bian Yue closed the contract and smiled at Lu Zhonian, her tone calm, "President Lu, I look forward to your guidance in the future."

Lu Zhonian liked ambitious people. In fact, he liked even more people like Bian Yue who made no secret of their ambitions.

She possessed many likable qualities, but the most important was understanding what she wanted.

Lu Zhonian’s smile deepened as he slowly said, "I like talking to smart people."

Bian Yue picked up the contract, nodded towards Lu Zhonian with a smile, and walked out.

Just as she reached the door, Lu Zhonian called out to her, "Bian Yue, happy birthday."

With a bit more earnestness than when he previously gifted her, Bian Yue’s smile deepened, and she slowly said, "Thank you, Lu Zhonian."

The sunlight was equally dim, the overcast sky oppressive.

Yao Yimin sat in the Xie Family’s grand hall, feeling the blast of cold air against her face.

She had just received a message from Bian Yue - the latter had successfully signed a contract with Lu Zhonian. The viewership for "Shengshi Yan" was also very likely to hit a new high.

Yao Yimin knew that this would be a huge boost for her acting career.

No film actress could ensure that their foray into TV would yield equally spectacular results.

But cooperation with Bian Yue allowed her to achieve this - it was a complete success from any angle.

Yao Yimin solemnly sent Bian Yue a message with the words "Congratulations," then heard footsteps at the door.

Xie Zhang came down the stairs at a leisurely pace, with a dashing playboy aura and a pale complexion that was sharp and cold.

He looked at Yao Yimin with a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips, slowly saying, "Miss Yao, you are even more stubborn than I imagined, to have followed me here."

"Mr. Xie, I know you have a poor opinion of me and that you do not wish to see me, but I think it is necessary for us to meet." Yao Yimin spoke with a calm tone, "Therefore, after my cooperation with Bian Yue concluded, I made time to come see you in advance."

Xie Zhang sat down, scrutinizing her seemingly flawless expression. The person who had nearly laid hands on himself in the past now appeared calm and collected, a stark contrast.

Xie Zhang scoffed, his tone nonchalant, "Do you think someone needs to take the fall for your sister’s death? Regardless, are you trying to implicate me?"

"I don’t mean that," Yao Yimin clenched her hands into fists, urgency flickering in her eyes as she looked at Xie Zhang and hurriedly spoke, "I only want to know the truth. Mr. Xie, before I entered, your people already took all the electronic devices on me, leaving only my phone."

Yao Yimin placed the phone on the table and calmly said, "You can keep this phone for now. Before you tell me the truth, I won’t touch it. Today, I want nothing more, and in the future, I can also let this matter rest; I just want to know, what exactly happened between you and my sister."

Xie Zhang frowned, pinching his brow and coldly shutting his eyes, "What’s the point of knowing? Even if you find out, what can you change? The person is already dead; as for the compensation, I have already provided it."

"Jiayi was a very innocent child; she was inexperienced in the entertainment industry, and during the time she was with you, she was still a girl who only knew how to dream. She didn’t understand your rules of the game and no one ever warned her that she couldn’t fall in love with you."

Xie Zhang paused, his eyes cold as he looked up, "What are you trying to say with this? Gain sympathy?"

His voice was stern, with a mocking undertone.

Yao Yimin, however, smiled even more calmly and said, "Mr. Xie, I’m not so presumptuous as to try to gain your sympathy. Jiayi couldn’t even obtain your affection, and if I can sit here today, it is purely because of my relationship with Bian Yue. I understand all this, so I’m not trying to gain your sympathy."

Yao Yimin’s fingertips trembled slightly from the pressure of her emotions as she took out a notebook and placed it on the table.

It was an old notebook with a simple blue cover, quite ordinary.

Yao Yimin’s eyes reddened as she took a deep breath and said softly, "I have a lot of time today. I can wait. Mr. Xie, would you please look at Jiayi’s diary? If after reading it, you still feel you do not want to reveal the truth of that year, I can leave."

Xie Zhang lowered his gaze to look at the notebook on the table.

The name An Jiayi, to Xie Zhang, was merely a past Chapter that could have been turned.

They had indeed been together, but those feelings were certainly not enough to sustain his guilt to this day.

He had already become numb.

Yet, as the notebook lay in front of him, he felt a hidden pain tugging at his heart.

Driven as if by a ghost, Xie Zhang picked up the notebook.

The handwriting on it seemed as though time had instantly reversed, returning to those days...

That was three years ago when Xie Zhang was 22 years old. Under his father Xie Quan’s arrangement, he took over a portion of the Xie Group’s jewelry business.

At an age where one is flushed with the success of youth and does things freely without restraint, Xie Zhang acted purely for his own pleasure, which to those below him appeared as unpredictable and difficult to serve.

When he first met An Jiayi, she was but a rookie actress introduced to him.

An Jiayi’s agent, Wang Shao, said to him with a smile, "Mr. Xie, this is An Jiayi, the hottest actress in our company. What do you think, does she meet your requirements for a spokesperson?"

Young Master Xie had no real requirements; he hadn’t been too concerned about it.

An Jiayi was pretty and youthful, and her fame was on the rise; considering the business angle, Xie Zhang agreed without hesitation to sign her.

An Jiayi looked at him with flushed cheeks, her surprise showing in her delighted expression.

It was nothing more than a simple business decision, yet the other side’s agent misconstrued it.

The next day, after rounds of drinks, Wang Shao slipped a room card into his hand with a suggestive gleam in his eyes, "Have a good rest tonight, Mr. Xie."