CHAPTER 283: CHAPTER 283: I WON’T BE EASILY FOOLED

Here is the English translation of the provided Chinese text:

"The famous Hai Chuan Entertainment President Duan—your glamorous photos are all over the internet. How could a small fry like me not recognize you?" Sang Ning blinked her big eyes, looking at Duan Wenhu with an expression of pure sincerity.

Even with Sang Ning’s flattery, Duan Wenhu’s mood wasn’t much better. Thinking about how Sang Ning had made her wait in vain tonight, there was no way she would show Sang Ning a pleasant expression.

Duan Wenhu pulled a slim lady’s cigarette from a pack, clenched it between her lips, and glanced at Sang Ning with a disdainful and scornful look.

The meaning was clear—she wanted Sang Ning to take the initiative and light her cigarette.

On the high-end round table, there was a lighter within easy reach. Sang Ning only needed to stretch out her hand to pick it up. But instead of doing so, she reached for the cigarette pack in Duan Wenhu’s hand, drew out a cigarette, and mimicked Duan Wenhu’s action, placing it between her lips.

Duan Wenhu’s expression stiffened. She removed the cigarette from her mouth and sneered coldly. "Sang Ning, what’s the meaning of this? Are you asking me to light your cigarette?"

Sang Ning didn’t light the cigarette. She pretended to take a drag and then moved the cigarette away from her lips. Slightly parting her mouth, she blew an imaginary smoke ring toward Duan Wenhu with a bit of swagger. "President Duan, let’s talk about the matter regarding Qingyue."

Sang Ning shifted her gaze toward Qingyue as she finished speaking.

Even though Sang Ning’s gaze was devoid of any emotion, just one sweep of her look was enough for Qingyue to feel a suffocating pressure.

Duan Wenhu crushed the unlit cigarette on the table with force, snapping it in half and scattering tobacco remnants all over.

"Sang Ning, you seem to lack a clear understanding of your position," Duan Wenhu said coldly, her tone menacing. For Sang Ning, who was now like a lamb in the jaws of a wolf awaiting slaughter, to still speak so boldly—was she not afraid of being destroyed?

Sang Ning slightly shifted her chair to the side, fully facing Duan Wenhu. She crossed her legs, lifted her eyes indifferently, and sized her up. "President Duan, it seems you don’t quite grasp your current situation."

Duan Wenhu frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

Sang Ning took out her phone, tapped on it a few times, and then turned the screen toward Duan Wenhu. "Is this you? It’s censored, so I can’t see it very clearly."

Duan Wenhu showed no interest in whatever was on Sang Ning’s phone, not even sparing it a glance.

Qingyue, however, leaned over, pretending to casually glance at Sang Ning’s phone. But when he caught sight of the uncensored person in the photograph, his heart skipped a beat with terror—it was him.

"Sang Ning, how dare you secretly photograph me!" Qingyue exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief.

On the screen was an image of him kissing Duan Wenhu. Though it wasn’t too explicit, he could already foresee the consequences: if this photo leaked, his career, which was finally seeing a revival, would be over.

After all, he was currently playing up the persona of being single. Even worse, if the uncensored version of the photo circulated, all the sympathy and attention he’d gained through staged pity campaigns would become one big joke. And more importantly, this would also implicate Duan Wenhu.

Qingyue’s panic-stricken voice finally made Duan Wenhu turn her attention to Sang Ning’s phone. When she saw the photo, her heart trembled slightly.

Who would have such audacity to secretly photograph her?

Duan Wenhu’s first instinct was to destroy the photo. She couldn’t allow it to be disseminated—she couldn’t afford the humiliation.

But Sang Ning wasn’t about to give her that chance. She swiftly pulled her hand back, leaving Duan Wenhu grasping at air.

"Someone else sent this to me. Judging by your reaction, it seems the main characters in the photo are indeed you and Qingyue," Sang Ning said with a faint smile, her lips curving ever so slightly as she looked at Duan Wenhu. "I’ve also heard there’s a much spicier video, but my friend, in the spirit of being compassionate toward female celebrities, refrained from sending me the more scandalous content."

"Sang Ning—" Duan Wenhu seethed, grinding her teeth in fury, her glaring eyes almost popping out of their sockets and the corners of her eyes nearly splitting.

Qingyue felt as though the blood in his body was flowing backward. His limbs were growing numb, and a constant buzzing noise filled his head, as though an annoying little figure were whispering in his ear: You’re finished!

"Sister Hui." Qingyue nervously called out to Duan Wenhu, his eyes filled with hints of plea and desperation.

Sang Ning had already entered the room they had prearranged. The compartments were filled with their people. If they wanted to, they could easily detain her and force her to delete the photos on her phone.

Duan Wenhu gently shook her head, signaling Qingyue not to act rashly. She understood all too well what Qingyue was planning.

It might be easy enough to control Sang Ning, but what if, as Sang Ning implied, there was someone backing her? If something happened to Sang Ning, what would happen if that person released the photos?

Duan Wenhu took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down before speaking to Sang Ning. "I want to know, who sent you these photos? I need to get all the originals. Money is not an issue."

"President Duan, I still have a certain moral code. I don’t sell people out. But I’m also not after money. If you really want to negotiate, you’ll need to show some sincerity," Sang Ning replied. Not only did her words overtly threaten Duan Wenhu, but she even scrolled through her photo album right in front of her.

Sang Ning’s phone was filled with an astonishing number of images—all of them intimate photos of Duan Wenhu and Qingyue. After flipping past over a dozen, there was no end in sight.

"What do you want?" Duan Wenhu asked, trying to suppress her rage. As long as Sang Ning was willing to negotiate, there was still a way to resolve the situation.

"It’s simple," Sang Ning said, turning her gaze to Qingyue. "I want you to abandon Qingyue from this moment forward. Don’t give him any further support."

"I agree," Duan Wenhu responded without hesitation.

Qingyue looked at Duan Wenhu with a wounded expression. "Sister Hui—"

But Duan Wenhu didn’t even glance at Qingyue. He was merely a plaything—how could he possibly compete with her reputation?

"Is that enough for you now? Delete the photos on your phone and tell me where the originals are," Duan Wenhu demanded angrily.

"No," Sang Ning replied, blatantly ignoring Duan Wenhu’s wrath.

"Don’t push your luck! If you know who I am, you should understand that I have the power to ruin your career in this industry!" Duan Wenhu’s hands trembled with fury. When had she ever been threatened like this?

"President Duan, no need to get so worked up," Sang Ning said leisurely. "As an equivalent exchange, if Qingyue deletes the photos and originals he has of Shen Yi first, I’ll agree to delete the ones I have."

"I can make Qingyue delete the photos, but how can I be sure you’ll delete yours completely?" Duan Wenhu wasn’t a fool—she wouldn’t let Sang Ning manipulate her so easily.

Qingyue suddenly found himself at a loss. How was he supposed to tell Sang Ning that all the photos of Shen Yi were fake, digitally altered? Where on earth was he supposed to find original copies?